Just Friends

by lonewolf.007

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Main 6, Romance, Adventure
Length: 57441

What do you do when the one you love suddenly comes into your life again?

Applejack could only reminisce about everything they could have been. Until the fateful day when Rainbow Dash returns. But there are a million questions to ask. And only one Pegasus can answer them.

Published 2012-03-29 00:44:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-09-27 20:53:29 UTC

Chapter 2

Another morning, another day. Applejack opened her eyes, taking in her sunlit room. She stretched, and instinctively reached out to the other side of her bed. But it was empty. Sighing, the cowpony rolled out of bed, and made her way over to the bathroom.

Looking into the mirror, Applejack saw a sad-eyed, orange coated pony, blonde hair dishevelled and out of its customary ponytail. The emerald green eyes blinked back at her, the pain in them almost hidden. But some of it would always leak out. Closing her eyes, Applejack turned the tap on to the sink, and splashed her face with cold water. Then she turned to grab a brush, and ran it through her hair, before tying it back. Trotting back to her room, she grabbed the Stetson in her teeth and flipped it expertly onto her head. Again, she felt a pang, as she remembered how it was Rainbow who tossed the hat onto her head. Back when they were together.

Time fer breakfast. Then Ah gotta get inta the orchards. Gotta buck 'em apples. She made her way downstairs quietly. Granny Smith was probably still sleeping, as was Applebloom, who wasn't quite so used to the early mornings yet. The aroma of sweet apple fritters made their way to her nose, and managed to bring a smile to her face, albeit a saddened one.

The kitchen was full of the sweet smells of breakfast. Applejack made her way over to the big red pony who was manning the stove, and ensuring that the fritters didn't burn.

"Mornin', Big Mac. Makin' breakfast?"

"Eeyup."

"Smells mighty fine there, big bro."

"Eeyup."

Applejack had to chuckle at her older brother's responses. A pony of few words was Big Mac. Sitting down at the table, Big Mac placed a plate of fresh fritters in front of her, as well as a cup of just squeezed apple juice. Big Mac always cooked well, and Applejack dug into her meal, knowing that she'd need the energy to keep her going, at least until lunch. Ah'll try beat mah record today. Ah'll buck three quarters of the orchards by lunch. She chewed on her apple-flavoured treat, staring unseeingly at the table. Ah'll get all them apples by 3 o'clock. It had become a habit. To set herself a goal to beat while bucking on the farm. It took her mind off other things. It took her mind off the rainbow Pegasus.

"Well, ah'll be headin' out now, Big Mac. Y'all know where ta find me." The orange filly waved to the big red colt.

"Eeyup."

Stepping outside, Applejack looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue, and almost cloudless. But there were a few small patches of white that seemed determined to remain. Rainbow would never let 'em clouds hang aroun' like that. But Rainbow Dash wasn't there. There was no rainbow coloured streak in the sky, no hint of a cyan blue body that blended in, yet stood out from, the sky. No Pegasus to swoop down to the farm pony, and greet her in that rough voice.

Applejack shook her head, vigorously. Ah got work ta do. She grabbed the baskets, and began bucking the trees, her powerful back legs hitting the trunk with enough force to shake all the apples off. She worked with speed and efficiency, moving down the rows of apple trees quickly. Keep goin'. Next tree now. She repeated the words in her head, determined not to think about Rainbow. Determined not to feel.

It was getting close to midday, when Applejack stopped her diligent work in the orchards. She was sweating in the sun. Celestia, it's hot today. Applejack took a momentary break in the shade of one of her beloved trees. POOF!

"ARRGH!" Applejack leapt into the air, and spun around, prepared to fight… to come face to face with the purple Unicorn.

"Twilight! Y'all gotta stop doin' that," Applejack started to breathe again. She still hadn't gotten used to the purple pony's teleport ability. When her heart rate slowed somewhat, Applejack asked, "So, what can Ah help ya with, Twilight?"

Twilight's eyes were wide, and she was breathing quickly. There was a look of shock and worry on Twilight's face, as she moved on her hooves, unable to stand still. Applejack frowned at all this, confused at the usually more reserved pony's uncharacteristic behaviour. "Are y'all alright there, Twilight? Ya look mighty agitated there," Applejack looked at her with concern.

"Applejack, you have to come quick! You have to come! It doesn't look good, you have to come now! As soon as–"

"Woah, woah! Hold yer horses there, sugarcube! What's this y'all be talkin' about? Come where? What doesn't look good?"

Twilight stopped moving. She stared directly at Applejack, before she whispered.

"It's Rainbow Dash. She's in the hospital."

Time slowed. Applejack could barely comprehend the words. Rainbow Dash? Here? In Ponyville? But then the second half of Twilight's statement caught up with her. In hospital? Applejack forgot everything. The baskets of apples that needed taking in, the rest of the orchards that needed to be harvested. Rainbow was her chief concern, and the orange pony jumped up and ran, as fast as she could, to town. The aches and tiredness forgotten, all that ran through her mind was her beloved Dash.

Why are y'all in hospital? What did y'all do ter yerself? Why are y'all back here?

She thought she heard her name called in the distance, but she made no attempt to stop and listen. A trail of dust was left behind as the orange blur Applejack had become raced to the hospital. Within moments, she was in town, dodging through the crowds of Earth ponies, Pegasi and unicorns. The large white building was soon in front of her, the red cross over the door speaking louder than any words. A fear gripped Applejack's heart, as she looked at the doors of hospital. She slowly pushed her way through, entering the white waiting room, the smell of antiseptic strong in her nostrils. Three of her friends were there, sitting on the chairs. At the sight of Applejack, Rarity quickly got up and guided Applejack to a seat.

"Applejack, dear, sit down. You do look pale."

Applejack obeyed her words mechanically, moving over to one of the plastic seats, but she didn't sit. "Rainbow?"

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity shared worried looks.

"We don't know at the moment. I'm sorry, Applejack. The… doctors and nurses… they're doing everything they can. Rainbow… Rainbow's strong… she'll survive." FLuttershy's voice was even quieter than usual.

Pinkie Pie's hair looked flat as the usually bubbly party pony looked around at the stark white walls. Rarity didn't have her mane and tail in its usual neat arrangement. Fluttershy hid behind her mane, the worry for her fellow Pegasus evident.

Applejack looked at her three friends. "But… how? Why… why's Rainbow… back?"

"We don't know, darling. We didn't even know Rainbow had returned."

"Then… how did y'all know she was here?"

POOF! A flash of purple smoke, and Twilight was amongst them again. This time Applejack didn't so much as blink. Her mind was set firmly on the rainbow Pegasus behind those double doors.

"Applejack, I've notified your family on where you are, and what happened. Big Macintosh said that it was fine, and that he'd finish off the rest of the work. He also said for you to take your time."

"Th-thank ya, Twilight." Applejack then turned to the four at large, and said, "But y'all still haven't answered me. How did y'all find out abou' Rainbow? Wh-what happened?"

The four friends looked at each other again. Twilight stepped forward.

"We don't know what happened. I was sitting in my library, as usual, reading up on a new spell, when I heard a wild yell. It sounded familiar, so I ran out quickly. But before I could see what it was, Spike shouted out 'It's Rainbow Dash!' The minute he said it, I knew it was true, the voice was Rainbow's. I bolted outside, and saw a rainbow spiralling towards the ground over near Fluttershy's place.

"I instantly began to run over, telling Spike to get help. I met Pinkie Pie and Rarity on the way, who also heard the commotion. We all ran over to where I thought I saw the rainbow disappear. It was right near Fluttershy's place, so she was already there when we arrived."

Fluttershy picked it up from there, "I heard a huge crash, and it was very scary. But then I heard a groan, so I quickly went over to see if I could help… and I saw Rainbow… And… and she… she was injured. I did what I could. It was lucky when Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity showed up. We just got Rainbow to the hospital… and that's when Twilight went to get you."

Applejack looked at the doors to the operating room. Rainbow Dash, her love, her heartache, was behind that door. Tears came to her eyes, and she felt a lump rise in her throat. But she held them back and stood determinedly, looking at the doors. Willing for her plucky young Pegasus to pull through. She had to pull through. Applejack was counting on it. She couldn't lose her rainbow again.

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 3

Perhaps it was a few minutes, perhaps a few lifetimes. The world carried on around the five friends as they waited for news. The wait was agonising, but necessary. So necessary. It was like the need to breathe. But the room felt like there was no air in it.

Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy glanced at each other every now and again. They were worried, not only for Rainbow Dash, but for Applejack too. The work pony hadn't moved from her spot since the explanation, her emerald eyes boring into the OR doors as if she could see right through them if she tried hard enough.

Applejack's entire mind was set on what was happening on the other side of those double doors. Her heart pounded, but she knew nothing could have happened. Not yet. She knew nothing has happened or should would have felt something happening. But ya didn't feel anythin' when Rainbow crashed, did ya? Applejack pushed the thought away. And she waited. They all did. Waiting for the loyal Pegasus, their friend, to make it through.

It was late evening when there was the sound of movement behind the doors. Hoofsteps, and then one door swung open to reveal a pink maned, white pony. Nurse Redheart.

"IS RAINBOW OK? IS SHE ALRIGH'? IS EVERYTHIN' GOIN' TA BE OK?" Applejack immediately began to bombard Nurse Redheart with questions, half-terrified of the answer.

"Applejack! Calm down!" Twilight came up beside the orange pony. "What's the news, nurse?"

The other three joined them, milling around the nurse. She looked tired, but at their worried faces, she smiled warmly, and said "She'll be fine. She was a fighter, and she made it through. But she'll need plenty of rest, and she's still sleeping off the anaesthetic. You can go and see her in a moment."

The five friends all sighed with relief, the tension in the room evaporating as the news sunk in. Applejack almost collapsed as the realisation hit her. Rainbow Dash was alive! Pinkie Pie's hair sprang up instantly, Rarity tottered over to sit on one of the seats, Fluttershy smiling shakily, and Twilight rubbing her face with a hoof in relief.

Nurse Redheart gave them a moment to overcome their overwhelming feelings of relief. Then she asked, "But first, I must ask you some questions, if that's alright?"

Twilight glanced at the other four, who nodded back. "Of course. What is it you want to know?"

"There were some unusual injuries on Rainbow Dash's body. They couldn't be contributed to her fall. It looked as if she sustained those injuries earlier, and they caused her to crash. Would you know anything about that?"

The five ponies looked at each other, confused and worried. "No idea, Nurse Redheart. We didn't even know Rainbow was here until we heard the crash. We don't know where she's been or what she's been doing for the last three years."

Applejack closed her eyes at those words. The memory of Rainbow leaving again was too much for her to handle, and a single tear leaked out of her eyes. She hurriedly brushed it away before anyone could see, and turned to the nurse again.

"I see." Twilight was nodding at the nurse's words. "When can we go and see her?"

"You can see her now if you like, but she'll be sleeping. She still has about two hours of anaesthetic in her blood stream. It was a big operation."

Twilight gave another nod. "Thank you very much, nurse. You saved our friend."

"It's what we're here for," the white pony replied, smiling. "Just through the door, second on the left."

The five stood up and came together. The nurse stepped aside and let the friends through. Two doors down, turn left. They came upon a room marked "No.2". Pausing outside the door, they all looked at each other once more, before Twilight reached out with a hoof and pushed down on the handle. Swinging open, the door swung away to allow the ponies to see a white hospital bed, covered in crisp white linen. And under them a rainbow coloured mane peeked out. Rainbow Dash was fast asleep, facing the opposite wall, the white sheets moving ever so slightly with the Pegasus's deep breathing.

Softly, the friends moved into the clean, white room, all eyes on the sixth member of their group. Pinkie Pie bounced – silently – to the bedside. Both Rarity and Twilight were already there, the smiles on their faces evident as they knew their friend would pull through. Fluttershy glanced back at Applejack, the only one who hadn't moved from the door. Making her way back to the orange pony, Fluttershy looked at her friend carefully.

"Are you alright, Applejack?" Fluttershy's quiet voice was even softer than usual, to make sure Rainbow wouldn't be disturbed, even while the last of the knock-out gas ran through her bloodstream.

Applejack didn't respond, couldn't respond. She could only look at the rainbow mane that stuck out from under the blanket. Not one to usually be completely oblivious to her surroundings, Applejack was blind to anything and everything around her. All her attention, her focus, was on the pony lying in the hospital bed on the other side of the room.

But what else could she do? What could she do but stare at the sleeping Pegasus? Three years. Three years since Applejack had last seen to Rainbow Dash, three years since they last spoke. Three years since their agreement to remain friends. Where have ya been? Where did ya go? Why did y'all leave?

Questions circled Applejack's mind, as she watched the form of her love breathing gently in dreamless sleep under the sheets. Millions of questions.

Trying to forget Rainbow had been pointless. She knew that, had always known that. Her attempts to try and forget the colourful rival, pushing thoughts of her away, would never, and had never, worked. Every night, Applejack would climb into bed and wonder at where Rainbow was, and what she was doing. Wondering why she left again so soon after.

And why did Rainbow leave? After leaving the first time, Rainbow had come back. But not for long. After her return, and their agreement to remain as good friends, like they used to be, Rainbow was like she always had been. Everyone had been overjoyed with the brash Pegasus's reappearance. And Applejack had her special pony in her life again. Each morning she'd get up to work in the orchards, and she'd often look up to see the rainbow blur above her, keeping the skies clear again. The sight brought a smile to the Earth pony's face every time, even if it was accompanied by the pang of longing. But Rainbow was there. Then, two months and three days since her return, Rainbow left again. No warning, no ceremony. Just a letter left behind in her cloud home. She knew that eventually someone would go up to check her house when she disappeared from the scene. Fluttershy had found the letter, and brought it down to the other four. It had been short and terse, and all the more worrying for it.

Heya guys,

I'm sorry. I have to go somewhere, and I don't know when I'll be back. I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you in person, but I promise I'll explain when I get back. This is really important. I hope you understand. Don't worry about me. I'm the Element of Loyalty, I'll be back before you know it! I'll never my friends hanging!

Your Pegasus,

Rainbow Dash

Applejack remember the feeling she had gotten when she heard the letter, read out by Twilight. As if someone had bowled her over, making her dizzy and winded. Rainbow gone again. But she knew that Dash was the Element of Loyalty. And that she'd always come back.

And now she had.

Oh, Rainbow, what have y'all been doin' all this time? Why did y'all have ta come back in bandages? Where, what, why Rainbow had gone were a mystery, but that could wait. Applejack watched the sheets shift a little in sleep, and wished she could go over, and crawl under the sheets with her beloved Pegasus. Hold her close and bury herself in the strong pony's body. Hear the words that Rainbow used to whisper into her ear whenever they were alone together. She wanted to run her hoof through the mess that was Rainbow's mane, feel her wings wrap around them both, look into the magenta eyes, so warm whenever they spent time together.

The golden-haired pony blinked, and her vision vanished, leaving only a wisp of the sweet madness that had given rise to it. Applejack quelled it, and ignored the pain she could feel in her heart. But that only left the worry, over Rainbow's wellbeing. And the strong cowpony couldn't fight the tears that came to her eyes as she could almost feel the sting of whatever injuries Dash had sustained. Holding them in, she finally came to her senses.

Her four friends were now looking at her, anxious at Applejack's lack of response. Applejack shook her head a little, and looked at the concerned expression surrounding her.

"Ah'm fine. Jus' a little… tired…" Applejack looked down at her hooves, the little white lie struggling to pass her lips. She was tired, but that wasn't why she had been so out of it. She knew the others could tell instantly, but they didn't question it. Then,

"Visiting times up, girls. You can come back in the morning." Nurse Redheart peered around the door. "We'll take good care of Rainbow Dash."

"Thank ye' kindly, Nurse Redheart," Applejack replied first.

"Yes, thank you again for saving her," Rarity added.

The five ponies all turned to the bed again, smiling at the hidden occupant. Pinkie Pie whispered a farewell.

"You know she can't here you, right, Pinkie Pie?" Twilight looked at the random pony.

"She'll hear me in her dreams!" Pinkie said, grinning her Pinkie Pie smile.

The two left, with Rarity and Fluttershy, all smiling at the return of their friend, and the reassurance of her safety. Only Applejack stayed back, casting one more look at the sleeping Pegasus.

"Ah'll be right out, nurse." The nurse nodded gently at Applejack, withdrawing to give her, them, a little privacy. Applejack made her way over to the bed, and could make out Dash's face in the moonlight. Leaning down, she planted a kiss on her love's cyan cheek, before she whispered, "Ya came back. Jus' like ya said ya would. And this time, Ah'm not lettin' ya go until ya tell me why."

Applejack then turned, looking back once more at the lump under the blankets. Rainbow Dash was asleep, didn't hear Applejack's words. But she didn't need to. Applejack smiled, closing the door behind her.

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 4

When Applejack opened her eyes the next morning, excitement coursed through her. Rainbow… Applejack sat up and looked about her, taking in her room, filled with the warm rays of sun. Stretching, she trotted to the bathroom for the usual ritual. This time, looking in the mirror, the pony that looked back at her wasn't sad-eyed. It was brighter, livelier than it had been in a long time.

Yet the work pony could sense an accompanying feeling with her excitement. A sense of anxiety. Anxious about seeing Rainbow, anxious about how she'd react to seeing Applejack again. She had no idea why Rainbow had left so suddenly, and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if she was the reason.

Shaking her head, the cowpony washed her face and hooves, before returning to her room for her Stetson. Walking downstairs, she saw that, this time, Applebloom was awake as well as Big Macintosh. Both turned when Applejack entered, concern on their faces as they regarded their sister.

"Heya, big sis, are y'all feelin' alright?" Applebloom had a less prominent southern accent than her sister but it was still there.

"Hay there, Applebloom. I'm mighty fine jus' now." She turned to her older brother. "Mornin' Big Mac."

"Mornin' Applejack. Y'all can take the day off if ya like, what with the events happenin' jus' now." Big Mac was cooking breakfast again, but Applejack knew that her brother was worried for her, and wanted to give her time to see Rainbow. Stubborn pony though, she couldn't take that, and she also felt nervous about seeing Rainbow. A part of her wanted to have a reason so she didn't have to visit the hospital.

"Awww, it's alrigh' there, big bro. Thanks fer the offer, but Ah'll go and take care of 'em apple trees. Ah can't just stop mah chores."

"Are ya sure, AJ?" Applebloom chimed in, looking up from where she sat at the table. "Ya can go visit Rainbow Dash now!"

"Nah, Ah'll do the applebucking. Plus, Ah can go see her when Ah'm done in the afternoon."

She didn't know why, but Applejack didn't want to go see Rainbow. Not yet. And she couldn't just leave all the work to her brother. He was a hard working pony, who only too often let AJ off when something came up. Tucking into fresh apple pie, the blonde-maned pony ate her fill before heading into the orchards. Grabbing the cart and the baskets, Applejack started to work.

When the lunch bell rang, Applejack bucked the last tree in the field. She'd cleared about three quarters of the farm in record time. Pulling the cart in, she unloaded the apples and joined her family for lunch. The plates of hay sandwiches piled high, with freshly squeezed apple juice and caramelised apple.

Applejack sat down at the table and took a sandwich, hungry from the morning's work. Granny Smith was up now, sitting in her rocking chair and chewing slowly on a sandwich. Applebloom would be eating her lunch at school right now, only leaving AJ and her brother. Big Mac took a seat and, grabbing a sandwich, turned to his sister. After finishing it in a few quick bites, he swallowed and took another.

"Applejack, why don't ya head on off ter town after lunch? Ah can take whatever's left, ya've worked mighty hard this mornin'."

"It's ok, Big Mac. Ah got this. There's only one field left ta go, it'll be done in a jiffy."

For once, Big Mac didn't just take it with his trademark reply. Instead, he put his sandwich down and looked at his stubborn sister. "Lil' sis, ya've done plenty. Y'all should visit yer friend Rainbow Dash. Leave the last field ta me. Ya need ta see her."

Applejack looked up at the big red colt, and knew he wouldn't agree to let her work anymore. He had her best interests at heart, and would always look out for her. With a sigh, Applejack conceded defeat. "Alrigh'. Ah'll leave the last field to ya, if y'all insist."

"Eeyup."

AJ finished her sandwich and drained her glass of apple juice. She wasn't feeling all that hungry anymore, and declined seconds. It was as if a whole lot of Fluttershy's butterflies had decided to take flight in her stomach. Deciding that she may as well do something about it, and go see Rainbow, Applejack got up.

"Thanks, Big Mac. Fer everythin'."

"Eeyup."

Suddenly Granny Smith spoke up, "'ere, take some o' them caramelised apples fer yer rainbow friend."

Remembering the hospital food Rainbow would have to eat, Applejack realised it was an excellent idea. "That's a great idea, Grandma! Ah'll jus' grab a box to put 'em in."

"Eh? Wha's tha'? Soups on…" the elderly pony mumbled a few more words before falling asleep.

Applejack smiled at her the old green pony, before turning to grab a box and putting some of their famous caramelised apple and a slice of apple pie into a box. She placed it into a saddle pouch, and flipped it onto her back. Waving at her brother, Applejack made her way out of the farm and on to the road to town.

"Abou' time she wen' ta see her rainbow friend," Granny Smith remarked.

"Eeyup."

"Wha's tha' y'all said? Ah know soups on…"

Applejack moved along the path to town, alternating between galloping and dragging her feet. She didn't know which she wanted more. To see Rainbow or not. But soon enough, Ponyville town square loomed up, and she was making her way across town to the Ponyville Hospital.

"Hay, Applejack! Applejack, Applejack, Applejack!" A voice called out from behind her, and she turned to see a pink pony bouncing up the road.

"Well, hay there, Pinkie Pie," Applejack smiled at the energetic pony's antics. It was impossible not to, especially when the crazy pony was wearing her party hat and a huge number of balloons were tied around her flank. "What exactly are ya doin' there?"

"Huh? Oh! I was bringing stuff to make Dashie's room look better! It's so white, and plain, and boring, and–"

A hoof stopped Pinkie from rambling on. "Ah get it Pinkie, tha's mighty nice an' kind of y'all ta do tha'."

"Yeah!" Pinkie giggled excitedly. "Hay, where were you this morning? We were all here, and you weren't and Rainbow Dash was wondering where you were–"

Another hoof over Pinkie's mouth made her stop again. "R-rainbow was wonderin' where Ah was?"

"Ermff yerghf courf yagf wermf gremf." Pinkie said with AJ's hoof still in her mouth.

Applejack's hoof dropped, and her heart beat faster. Rainbow had wondered where she was. She wanted to see her. Was asking after her… Applejack quickly shook her head. No, she was just wondering where Applejack was. It was nothing big. It wasn't like it meant anything. But it mus' mean she doesn't have anythin' agains' me, right? Applejack was more nervous than ever. Her heart pounding and her knees felt weak. Pull yerself together, AJ. Ya can't keep fallin' apart like this. This isn't like yerself at all. Now go in there and see how Rainbow's doin'.

"Come on, Applejack! What are we waiting for! Let's make Dashie's room super-duper-alleyooper awesome!" Pinkie bounced through the doors, taking her stream of balloons with her. What are ya waitin' fer, AJ. Let's go. Applejack stepped through the doors of the hospital, nodding at the receptionist as she passed. Pushing her way through the double doors, Applejack could hear the blood pound in her ears. Two doors down, to the left, the door was open. And she could hear a certain someone's tom-coltish voice coming through it. She took a huge breath, slowly letting it out. Without further ado, the orange Stetson-clad pony walked right up and through the door.

Rainbow Dash was sitting up in bed, looking annoyed, as she always was whenever she was stuck in the hospital from one of her tricks gone wrong. Pinkie Pie was bouncing around, and Applejack took a breath in at the sight of the room. It was transformed, and everything looked three times brighter, with the riot of colours that were classic Pinkie-style decorations. Fluttershy and Twilight were trying to tell Rainbow to relax and rest, but the brash, energetic Pegasus would have none of that.

"But I feel FINE. I DON'T need to stay in the hospital!"

"Rainbow, you can't even walk without getting tired!" Twilight entreated.

"Pffffft, I CAN TOO walk without getting tired!"

"But Rainbow, you need to rest your wings, they were injured most… not to mention your other injuries…" Fluttershy spoke with her usual quiet voice.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Fluttershy, it's not that bad. Just a couple of scratches, ya know, the usual."

Twilight huffed in exasperation, before turning and seeing Applejack by the door. "Oh, hay Applejack! Good to see you!"

"Hay there, Twi', it's good to see you too…" Applejack's eyes met with those of the bed's occupant.

The room fell silent, as the two looked at each other for the first time in three years. Twilight cleared her throat, "Well, I better get going, I left Spike alone at the library again, I should check up on him. See you later, Rainbow!"

"See ya later, Twilight," Rainbow called back, and Twilight left.

One by one, the others followed suit, eventually leaving Applejack and Rainbow Dash alone in the room. Applejack pawed the ground a little nervously, looking at her hooves. Should Ah say somethin' first? Ah guess Ah should… but what do Ah say? Before she could think of anything, Rainbow beat her to it.

"Hay, Applejack. Where were ya this morning?"

Applejack looked up, locking eyes with the cyan Pegasus again. "Ah was buckin' the apple trees. Doin' the chores, y'all know…"

There was a certain amount of awkwardness between them, at least, Applejack felt like there was. The history between them, their agreement to remain just friends, the sudden departures… she wondered what Rainbow had seen, what she had been doing. But she couldn't ask her yet, they hadn't seen each other for so long. Had Rainbow changed?

"Still the same stubborn pony I know then?" Rainbow replied into the room's silence.

Applejack smiled a little at that. "Still the same stubborn pony. And what abou' y'all? Still the same confident Pegasus Ah know?"

Rainbow grinned. "Yep… except twenty per cent cooler."

Applejack chuckled. Yes, Rainbow was the same pony. Fast, brash, confident, impatient cyan Pegasus who hated doing nothing. Just like AJ. A silence fell between them, and Rainbow shifted a little in her bed. That's when Applejack saw the bandages that were wound around Rainbow's torso, one foreleg in a sling, the other bandaged up. And her wings, her beautiful wings, were covered in white gauze too, forming what looked like a splint to keep the wings set.

"Rainbow…" Applejack whispered, eyes wide, "What in tarnation were y'all doin'?"

Rainbow Dash followed Applejack's gaze to her bandaged body. "Oh… heh, it was nothing. I just crashed and stuff…"

Applejack looked at the winged pony sternly. She could always tell when Rainbow was lying, even if she wasn't the Element of Honesty. "Well, Ah was told by the good nurse here that y'all sustained some injuries that couldn' be contributed ta yer crash. So what do y'all have ta say abou' that?"

Rainbow looked uncomfortable. "Sorry, AJ… I can't tell you. Not right now. I promise I'll tell all of you another time. Just… not right now."

Rainbow looked so uncomfortable that Applejack immediately softened, "Of course, RD, 's alrigh'. Ah don't mean ta be pushin' ya inta tellin' me somethin'."

"Thanks, Applejack."

"'s alrigh'." Pause. "So, how long are y'all stuck in here fer?"

Rainbow slumped in her bed, wincing slightly as she jolted her wings. "I've gotta stay in here for at least another week. And I can't fly for a MONTH. A WHOLE MONTH. That means even after I leave the hospital, I gotta stay put for another THREE WEEKS. I just wanna get out of here already."

Applejack chuckled at Rainbow's customary inpatience. "Y'all live, sugarcube. Ah mean, us Earth ponies do it full time here on the ground. Three weeks will fly by real quick."

"Sorry, AJ. I didn't mean that. I just want to be able to do something. It's so BORING in the hospital." She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling, to demonstrate her point.

"Well, we'll all be aroun' and visitin' ya, and Pinkie Pie will probably organise somethin' or other. It'll be fine. Y'all be out before ya know it, Rainbow."

The Pegasus cracked a smile, and AJ felt her heart skip a beat. "Thanks a lot." She paused, as if unsure. "I missed you, AJ."

When those words hit her, and finally processed, Applejack felt a little giddy. Did she jus' say that, or am Ah imaginin' this? Or is this all jus' a dream? Realising that she should say something, the cowpony smiled back at the spectral wonder. "Ah missed y'all too, RD."

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 5

The week had passed in a blur for Applejack. Having Rainbow back had done wonders for the orange-coated pony. The longing and sadness was still there. But after going so long without the cyan flier, just her presence amongst them was enough.

Every afternoon, after her work was done, AJ would go and visit Rainbow in the hospital. Things between them seemed to be fine, friends as they had always been. It would have been fine, if Applejack didn't still have feelings for the cheeky tomcolt. Every time Rainbow would smile at her, or look at her, every time their eyes met, Applejack would feel something in her chest, a tight feeling accompanied by a pang of sadness. She strove to hide her feelings though, afraid that Rainbow would see that she still did love her.

Pinkie Pie would constantly bring in baked goods from Sugarcube Corner, and Applejack would bring the apple treats from home, allowing Rainbow to avoid the hospital food as much as possible, it being what it was. Twilight gave Rainbow the latest Daring Do novel, something she immersed herself in during her stay at the hospital. Rarity would always spruce up the room, adding a slightly more artistic touch to the décor Pinkie initially put up. Fluttershy had brought Dash's pet tortoise, Tank, to her, having taken care of it while she was gone. The reunion was heart-warming as the five friends watched Rainbow exclaim at the sight of her loyal pet and hug it in a rare display of affection.

When Applejack saw Rainbow's overjoyed reaction to seeing Tank again, she felt momentarily jealous, wishing Rainbow would've been that happy to see her. But she knew Rainbow was happy to see them. If not for her injuries when they first came to see her, she would've bounded out of bed and pulled them into a rough hug.

Five days since Rainbow's admittance to the hospital, her sling had come off, along with the bandage on her other foreleg. The bandage around her midriff was taken off the next day, leaving her with only her splinted wings and a single bandage leg. With every day, Rainbow had been progressively more impatient and energetic, moving about in the room and waiting for the day she could leave. Often, Nurse Redheart had to force her to get back into bed.

When the end of the week came about, everyone gathered around the bed, Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who dropped in every now and again because Scootaloo wanted to see how her hero was doing, were there. Rainbow was excited, finally able to leave the boring room and go out again. Sitting up in bed, Nurse Redheart was doing some last check-ups on Rainbow, making sure she was strong enough to leave the hospital.

"You've recovered well, Rainbow Dash. You're strong enough to leave the hospital now, so go out and enjoy yourself," the nurse smiled at the agitated Pegasus.

"YES!" Rainbow punched the air in victory.

"Just make sure you don't overdo anything, though. Just take things slowly, and remember to come back just once a week so we can check up on your wings. No flying," her voice became stern at the end, to make sure Rainbow listened.

"Yes, nurse," she replied, looking disappointed.

"Don't worry, nurse, we'll keep an eye on Rainbow, and make sure she doesn't do anything she shouldn't," Twilight said.

"Good. You're now free to go, Rainbow. Enjoy yourself! And welcome back to Ponyville, too."

Everyone farewelled the nurse and doctors, walking out of the double doors into the sunshine. "I'M FREE!" Rainbow crowed, punching the air again. "I gotta check on my cloud home, it's probably all messy now, 'cause I haven't been there in sooooooo long."

"Woah there, RD! Y'all forgettin' somethin'? Y'all ain't allowed ta fly yet."

"Oh… right…" the colourful Pegasus looked down, depressed. Huffing in annoyance, she looked at her wings, still stuck in bandages, being set back into place. The realisation hit her, "Then… where am I gonna stay? I can't go to my home!"

"Well… y'all could always come over ta Sweet Apple Acres. We got space ta take in another pony…" Applejack looked apprehensively at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow used to stay over all the time, when they had been together. Applebloom chimed in cheerfully.

"Yeah! Rainbow, y'all should stay with us! Like a big sleep over!"

Rainbow looked at the golden-haired cowpony uncertainly and Applejack could tell that she was thinking back to when they were together too. They used to stay up late and talk quietly about anything and everything, before falling asleep in each other's hooves. AJ felt a flash of pain pierce her heart as she recalled falling asleep in Rainbow's hold. She missed it, missed everything they used to have. Blinking quickly, she turned her attention to Rainbow again. After a minute Rainbow nodded, tentatively.

"Thanks, AJ. That's be really great… as long as it isn't a trouble to you and your family that is…"

"It's not a problem, sugarcube. We'd love ta have ya." Applejack smiled, a little nervously. Rainbow smiled back, equally as nervous. Twilight spoke up,

"Well, I better get back to the library, I'm reordering my books, they always seem to move everywhere."

"That's because you keep reading them, Twilight," the baby purple dragon said, sitting on the purple unicorn's back.

"Oh, makes sense."

"OH, GUYS WAIT." Rainbow yelled out. Then suddenly a cyan-rainbow blur was pulling all the ponies into a tight hug. "Thanks for the last week guys, I would have died of boredom in that bed if it weren't for you guys!"

The ponies all laughed, and Pinkie Pie's voice rang out, "It's ok, Dashie! We all had super-duper fun too trying to cheer you up!"

The six friends let go of each other, and Rainbow grinned at them all. "It's good to see you guys again. I missed you all."

"We missed you too, darling," Rarity replied.

Rainbow pulled a face at the endearment. "Thanks Rarity. Ok, ok, enough sappiness for the week." Rainbow grinned again. "It's great to be back."

The group then split off to go about whatever they needed to do. Applejack looked back at Rainbow. "Y'all comin' now, sugarcube? We can get y'all set up in mah room, and then…" Applejack looked unsure. What did Rainbow want to do? About to suggest that they did something together, AJ remembered the tentativeness that Rainbow has shown in accepting her offer. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "Why don't we get y'all set up? Y'all got anythin' ta bring?"

Rainbow shook her head. "All my stuff's at my house. I need my toothbrush, but that's about it."

"Alrigh', we got a couple of spares, y'all can use one of them. They're all new, we always keep 'em in case any of the relations forget ta bring their own."

Rainbow nodded, and they continued to walk out of town towards the farm. Applejack glanced at her friend, walking beside her. For the first time, AJ noticed the thinness of Rainbow's body. Rainbow had always been strong, but she looked slightly leaner, and she had certainly lost weight. What have y'all been doin' Rainbow? But Applejack knew now wasn't the time to ask. So she continued to trot along beside her winged friend in silence.

As they drew closer to the Apple family farm house, Rainbow turned to Applejack. "Hey, AJ…"

"Yeah, sugarcube?"

"Thanks. Really thanks. For letting me stay and stuff…"

"Awww, ain't nothin' to it, Rainbow. Now let's get y'all inside and set up. Y'all jus' be in time fer lunch."

As she spoke, the lunch bell rang out across the orchards. "Well, what'd Ah say?" Both ponies laughed and walked into the house, to smell freshly made hay sandwiches, and apple and cinnamon tarts. At the scent, Rainbow's belly growled. Applejack chuckled.

"Ain't nothin's changed. Still the same ol' appetite fer Sweet Apple Acres cookin'."

Rainbow grinned, "What can I say? You guys actually DO make the best apple-related foods in all of Ponyville!"

"In all of Equestria, ya mean," AJ corrected with a smile.

"Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Y'all better come quick, Big Mac's gonna eat all the food!" a young filly's voice called out, giggling.

"Eeeeeeyup."

Walking into the dining area, they saw Applebloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith all sitting around the table piled with a hearty lunch. Applejack shook her head at her sister.

"An' jus' how did y'all manage ta get here so quick, lil' missy? Ah coulda sworn y'all were runnin' off with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. Did y'all learn ta teleport or somethin' off Twi'?"

Applebloom giggled, "No…" then her eyes lit up. "The Cutie Mark Teleporters!"

Rainbow came up beside Applejack, "Sounds like an awesome idea, squirt!"

Applejack nudged her, "Don' encourage her!"

Rainbow grinned again, "Your idea! Right, squirt?"

"Right!"

Applejack gave them both a threatening glare, before moving over to the table. Rainbow followed, a little nervously.

"Hay, Big Mac, Rainbow here's gonna stay with us fer a little while, jus' 'til she can use her wings again, 's that all righ'?"

"Eeyup."

"Heya, Big Mac."

"Hay there, Rainbow. 'S good ta see y'all are better now." The red colt gave her a nod before turning to his food again.

"Thanks. Ma'am, it's good to see you again."

"Eh? What's that? Oh, Dainbow Rash?" the old mare frowned a moment, "No… that i'nt right…" She then smiled. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"Ah, 's good ta see y'all, Rainbow… Sash? Come an' have some lunch, dear."

"Thank you." Dash replied, shooting Applejack and Applebloom a look as they tried not to laugh. Big Mac just kept chewing his sandwich.

Finally sitting down, Rainbow grabbed a sandwich and ate it hungrily. Applejack watched her out of the corner of her eye. They almost seemed completely back to normal, Rainbow and her. Laughing and joking about, it was just like it used to be. AJ was thankful, but a part of her couldn't help but feel saddened. She didn't know whether to be happy that they were friends, or saddened by the fact that that was all they could ever be. Mostly to distract herself from these thoughts, she turned to the little yellow filly beside her, and asked what the CMC had been up to lately. Throughout the rest of the meal, Applebloom kept the table entertained with the stories of the three fillies latest exploits, as astronauts, florists and square-dancing.

"Square-dancing? Really?" Dash chuckled.

"Yeah, it didn' work out to well… Scootaloo hated it, an' ended up trippin' over her scooter an' fallin' into a bush!"

Everyone laughed again, before sitting back after the always-filling meal at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Wow, I'm stuffed. I've forgotten how easy it is to get filled up here." The Pegasus leaned back, having stuffed herself with the Apple family's delicious food.

"How'd ya forget so easily? What the hay have y'all been doin'?" AJ asked disbelievingly. "Well, let's go get y'all set up in mah room now."

Applejack led the way upstairs, walking down the hallway to her room. Rainbow followed, looking at the walls and the photos she had once grown used to, traversing the halls every day. When she approached Applejack's room, she looked in to see everything had stayed the same. The hook by the door on which the Stetson always sat when Applejack slept at night. The curtain-less windows that were so often left open for a cool breeze and the warm sun. The orange sheets covering the bed in the corner. The room was still relatively empty, just like it had always been. It was all the way Rainbow remembered it.

Applejack was over by the opposite wall, looking at some books that sat on the shelf. Rainbow, curious, went over to see what the cowpony was looking at. To see her old Daring Doo novel in AJ's hooves. Any words she might have had died on her lips.

Applejack looked down at the cover of the old book. When she and Rainbow had been together, she had brought a lot of her things with her to Sweet Apple Acres. When she left, she had taken most of her stuff with her. Applejack had found this one remainder of the colourful pony, sitting on the shelf after she left. Sometimes Applejack took that book down and would flick through the pages, no interest in the story line. But it reminded her of her Dash, when she was away doing whatever she was doing. It had been her keepsake, something to hold on to when she lost Rainbow. But seeing as Rainbow was back, she felt obliged to give the novel back. It had always been her favourite.

"Ya… left it behind when y'all… left." Applejack kept her eyes down, willing herself to remain calm, and hiding the shakiness in her voice. "Ah best be returnin' it now. Ah took good care of it. Ah remember it was yer favourite."

"I thought I lost it…" Rainbow whispered. She felt unsure, confused in the situation.

"Well… here it is." AJ placed the book in Rainbow's hooves, and quickly turned towards the door. Clearing her throat haphazardly, "Well, Ah'll go get our roll-out bed fer ya. Y'all just settle down an' all."

Rainbow watched AJ leave the room hurriedly, then looked at her novel, sitting in her grasp. She felt confused about what just happened. Her Daring Doo book was in fine condition, as if she had just left it on the shelf yesterday. There was no three-year layer of dust on it, though the cyan Pegasus could see some of the other books looked as if they hadn't been touched since the beginning of time. Rainbow shook her head, dismissing the thought.

Applejack fumbled around in the bathroom for a spare toothbrush, as a single tear ran down her face.

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 7

Another week passed in a flash, or so it felt for Applejack. Being around Rainbow all the time made her lose track of time. Working on the farm had never been more enjoyable, or more painful. Rainbow's eagerness and enthusiasm for helping on the farm made any work enjoyable, and the fact that they were spending time together only made it better.

But, inevitably, the day came for the Pegasus's check-up, on her wings. From the moment the cyan pony opened her eyes, she had been excited about the prospect of having her wings back. So excited, in fact, that she beat Applejack at waking up in the morning. Something that never happened.

"Applejack! APPLEJACK! AAAAAPPLEJAAAAACK!"

"Huh? Whazza'? What're y'all shoutin' 'bout, sugarcube?"

"Today's the day! Today I get my wings checked up! And remember what the doctor said?" The rainbow-maned Pegasus trotted around in a circle in anticipation.

The cowpony sat up, rubbing her eyes with a hoof and trying to wake up properly enough to comprehend what her friend was going on about. "Ah'm sorry, RD, Ah'm still a little sleepy, Ah missed what ya jus' said. What's happenin'?"

Rainbow huffed impatiently. "I get my wings checked up, AJ! I can fly again!"

That woke the orange Earth pony up. Looking at the excited face of the sky-blue pony, she smiled. "That sounds mighty fine, Rainbow. 'S been too long since anypony has seen ya gracin' our skies." Rainbow puffed her chest out proudly. "But don' forget, the doctor did say maybe. Ya don' wan' ta get too caught up, sugarcube. Ya migh' be disappointed."

At that, the colourful Pegasus looked at Applejack suspiciously. "I WILL fly today. I'm MADE of speed! My wings heal twenty per cent faster than anypony elses!"

AJ chuckled. "Ah know, Ah know, if there was a single pony who would heal faster than any other, it'd be y'all. Now, before y'all get all excited, Ah think we should go an' clean ourselves up, an' treat ourselves ta a good breakfast." Applejack looked down. "Ah gotta do mah chores firs', so Ah won' be able ta go down with ya to the hospital."

"Fine, I'll help with the chores first too. We can race down to the hospital when we're done!" Rainbow grinned at her friend, making her blush. Applejack couldn't stop herself blushing at Rainbow's offer. The usually lazy Pegasus had become a helping hand around the farm, and had even said she didn't mind pitching in with the harvesting, actually enjoying it. Applejack couldn't quite push away the hope that welled up in her heart every time she thought of Dash's eagerness to help. But she knew, deep down, that it was Rainbow's pride, not love, which drove her to help about the orchards. Rainbow would never be able to take it if she didn't do anything to repay the Apple family. Even if she would help them without a second thought. The embodiment of true loyalty.

Even so, it seemed too good to be true. "Ya sure abou' tha', sugarcube? Ah mean, y'all could be up in the air before ya know it."

"Yeah, AJ, I'll help. I want ya to be there if I do get these bandages off. I can show you my new tricks!"

It was as if Applejack's mind jammed on the Pegasus's words, I want ya to be there… She had t mentally shake herself. It wasn't like it meant anything. Rainbow didn't even say "you". No emphasis on the word. Applejack cleared her throat. "Alrigh', if yer sure. Ah'm gonna get ready, Ah won't be a minute." With that, the orange pony left the room, a mixture of happiness and sadness filling her chest.

Upon return, a minute later, she walked into the room to see Dash shaking her head, her messy mane becoming the customary rugged, windswept rainbow that AJ loved. "Ah still don' understand how ya do that." She turned to get her Stetson off the hook… to find it gone. "Wha–"

A sound came from behind her, and something fell onto her head perfectly. Reaching up with a hoof, Applejack felt the brim of her beloved hat. Turning, she came face to face with Rainbow. She was smiling at Applejack. But soon, a slightly competitive edge came in, as the smile turned to a grin.

"Still got it!" the winged pony puffed her chest out again, looking proud.

Applejack's heart regained its regular rhythm again. She shook her head at her friend, and also at herself. She had let herself go again. Just because Rainbow did something that they used to do all the time didn't mean that the feelings were the same. It was just friendship. Stifling a sigh, she turned, and said, "Come on, we got a breakfast to eat."

While they worked in the orchards, Applejack had some time to think to herself. Rainbow had insisted on actually doing a few bucks, to help with clearing the trees. She had used to do it while they were together, and it seemed she hadn't quite lost her touch. As they cleared the trees faster than ever, AJ contemplated the idea of losing her beloved Pegasus's company when she regained her wings. She felt so selfish, wanting the flier to stay grounded a little longer. The sky meant to world to the pony, her future was focused on it. Applejack despised herself for wanting to keep that away, just for a little while, so that she could spend more time with Rainbow.

Ah shouldn' be thinkin' like this. The boat has sailed. It won' work out. It can never work out. Wake up, Applejack, ya gotta stop livin' in the past.

But even as she resolved to try and move on, she could feel it break straight away. She loved Rainbow Dash more than anything in the world. For Rainbow, she'd give anything, even her beloved farm. But she knew that she would never have to. Rainbow would never ask anything like that of her. Sighing, she longed for Dash to feel the same way.

As Applejack worked, lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice a suspicious looking bush that seemed to be inching closer to her every second. Positioning herself to buck the next tree, Applejack spun around, ready to knock the apples into the baskets.

"BOO!"

"AARGH!" Applejack was just about to buck, and lost her balance. "What in tarnation– RAINBOW DASH!"

"BAHAHAHA! AJ, you should see the look on your face!" The rainbow mane peeked out from the top of bush, as the Pegasus fell over and laughed, rolling around and clutching her sides.

"Rainbow, tha' was not funny," the cowpony tried to look serious, but she couldn't quite conceal the grin spreading across her face at Rainbow's antics. Rainbow simply looked at her and burst out laughing again. Applejack frowned at her friend. "Well, if tha's the way y'all gonna play, Ah got a couple of tricks of mah own."

Rainbow looked up at that. "Like what?"

"Like this!" and the orange pony sprang on the cyan one, and began to tickle her. For such a plucky pony, Rainbow sure was ticklish. Just like AJ. Applejack still remember where Rainbow's weak spots were, and reduced the Dash to gales of laughter. But being competitive, there was no way she could let this slide. Managing to contain her laughter long enough, Rainbow suddenly attacked her friend, who was taken by surprise. Applejack's eyes widened as she began to giggle uncontrollably. Rainbow still seemed to remember exactly where to tickle AJ, and was using the knowledge to her advantage. Soon, the Stetson-clad pony began to roll around, trying to fend off the attack. In the mad battle that ensued, both ponies ended up laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Finally, Applejack collapsed, unable to take it anymore, and Rainbow fell on top of her.

Time slowed, and AJ's heart stopped. Rainbow's face was close to hers, and she could feel the Pegasus's breath on her face. Both their chests were heaving from the tickle fight they shared, and Applejack could feel the Rainbow's fur against hers. Staring into her deep rose-coloured eyes, Applejack could hardly breathe. Her mind screamed for her to lean in, and to kiss the pony above her. Her heart begged for Rainbow to close the gap between them. But in that second, that felt like an eternity to Applejack, Rainbow pushed herself back up, breathless from the battle. The disappointment Applejack felt manifested itself in a sharp stab to her heart.

"I win!"

"What? How the hay did y'all work that out?" Applejack picked herself up, her cheeks flushed, from the fight and the moment they shared.

"WELL, I was the one who tickled you last! And then you collapsed! So I win!"

"Not a chance, sugarcube."

"Want to make a bet?"

"Alrigh'. Next tickle figh' we have, if Ah win…" Applejack paused. What should she say? She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted Rainbow to love her, to kiss her, to hold her. But she couldn't ask for that. Apart from anything else, it would reveal her feelings to the Pegasus. And who knew what would happen next? Then she had it. "If Ah win, y'all gotta help on the farm for a month."

Rainbow Dash looked shocked for a second, before grinning. "Alright, sounds fair. If I win, then you have to…" she pondered for a moment. "I know!" She grinned deviously. "Ya have to cook for me, for a week."

Applejack chuckled. She didn't think she'd mind too much if she did lose… But keeping appearances, she replied, "Can' get enough of mah cookin' now? Ah guess Ah'm still the bes' cook between the two of us?" Applejack looked challengingly at her friend.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes and they both glared at each other. Then Rainbow grinned again, "We'll make a bet on that one after I win this."

"Keep dreamin', sugarcube."

By lunch, Rainbow was reaching positively dangerous levels of anticipation. She raced around everywhere, moving her wings without any trace of pain at all. All she needed was to paint herself pink, and she could have been Pinkie Pie's sister with wings.

"Come on, AJ! I wanna go see now! I wanna get these bandages off and fly again!"

"Hold yer horses, Dash, leave some energy for yer flyin'. Ya could give Pinkie a run fer her bits, with the energy yer firin' off righ' now!"

"Race ya to the hospital! One. Twothreego!"

A blue blur was racing off, kicking up dust in her wake. It took Applejack a split second before she went haring after Rainbow. She sped along with a smile on her face. Like old times. Racing along, trying to best each other, competing for the top spot. She chased the streak of rainbow, slowing gaining on her greatest adversary and her greatest friend. Soon they were charging along beside each other, speeding through town and managing to dodge the town folk that leapt out of the way at their approach. Soon the hospital popped up into view, and they had only just managed to stop before hitting into the wall of the building. Panting from the exhilarating run, Applejack and Rainbow breathed hard, feeling their pulse die down at last. After another minute, inevitably, the Pegasus looked up.

"I think I won that one."

"Rainbow."

"Alright, alright, it was a tie. Happy?"

AJ laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, with yer sneaky performance there."

"No, I just have faster reflexes. I am the best athlete, after all." Arrogant. As always.

Simply smiling, Applejack shook her head, and they pushed through the doors into the white interior. The receptionist smiled at them both, and simply nodded them through to the rooms beyond. When they found the appropriate room, the doctor greeted them cheerfully.

"Hello again, Rainbow Dash, Applejack. Let's take a look at your wings again."

Rainbow sat down on the seat and stretched out her wings. The doctor nodded approvingly. "Good control of wings. No pain when you move them?"

"Nope. They feel great!"

"Excellent! Now let's just remove the bandages," and with a hoof gently supporting her wing, he carefully removed the gauze. The Pegasus showed no discomfort at all, and when the white coverings fell away, Applejack looked at her friend's beautiful wings, fully healed and spread in all its magnificence. "They're looking perfect, Rainbow Dash! I'm pleased to tell you that your wings have made a complete recovery! Now could you just flap them for now, just slowly, to make sure nothing hurts?"

Rainbow moved her wings at the doctor's instructions, confirming that nothing was wrong. With a smile, he said, "Great! Now why don't you try a test run? Just to make sure they're supporting you and working well."

At that, Rainbow sprang up. She flapped her wings, and in two beats, she was suddenly airborne again, and moving around in the room easily. She turned to Applejack, the joy on her face warming the cowpony's heart, and making her want to laugh and cry for Rainbow, who was finally able to be where she belonged. AJ's heart swelled with pride and happiness at her Pegasus's fast recovery. The doctor laughed, "You're free to go! Don't strain yourself too much, and be more careful. Enjoy your wings, Rainbow Dash!"

"Thanks, doctor!" Rainbow was out that door. In ten seconds flat.

Applejack walked over to the door, but turned back to the doctor. "Thank ya kindly, doctor. Y'all worked wonders. Ya saved mah friend's life. Thank ya. Fer everythin'."

"Not a problem, Applejack. It's what we do. Have a good day!"

And with that, Applejack was out, running after her flying friend. She was waiting outside, flapping her wings eagerly. "Applejack! Let's go and find everyone else! I can show everyone my healed wings! I can show you my new trick!"

That afternoon, the mane six were gathered together outside Sugarcube Corner.

"Congratulations on your recovery, Rainbow!" Twilight greeted Rainbow, seeing her wings out of their bonds.

"Thanks, Twilight!"

"Well done, dear! Have you flown properly yet?"

"Not yet, Rarity, that's what I wanted to show you guys! I wanted you to be the first to see me fly again!"

"That's really nice, Rainbow."

Rainbow simply beamed back at Fluttershy.

"YAY, Dashie can fly now! Are you going to show us one of your super-duper-alleyooper tricks? Or a fantastic trick, oh wait! I already said that! What if yo–"

"Alrigh' there, sugarcube, Rainbow said she'd show us she can fly again," Applejack cut across Pinkie, with a smile as everyone laughed at Pinkie's enthusiasm.

"Oki, doki, loki!" the party pony replied cheerfully, accompanied with an energetic jump.

"Alright! Let's do this! This is Rainbow Dash, and I'm dashing off!" Without further ado, a powerful flap of her wings immediately lifted the cyan Pegasus off the ground. Within a couple of minutes, she was up in the air, and zooming off. A rainbow began to stream behind what was now a blue blur, causing many heads to turn up at the long-absent spectacle and her friends to cheer. Soon she was just a small dot in the sky, hovering in the great blue kingdom of heavens. Then, she was suddenly speeding through the air, the trail behind her vibrant as she twisted through the air, diving low, pulling up, twirling through the air. It was the trick she had told AJ about last week. And soon the rainbow trail began to form a picture. It was amazing, as most of the townsfolk looked up at the astounding image resolving itself. A star, a butterfly, a diamond, a balloon, and an apple. It was a part of each of the friends' cutie marks. Super imposed on these was a lightning bolt. With the last streak, Dash pulled back to look at her handiwork. The rainbows glittered against the sky, as the proud Pegasus hovered in front of it. With a nod, she came back down to land beside her friends, who were still staring up at the beautiful picture.

"Th-that's amazing," Fluttershy whispered.

AJ was the first to turn to the grinning pony. "How did ya do that, Rainbow?" She looked back at the shimmering apple, her heart pounding.

The cyan wonder smiled at Applejack. I worked on it for a while, it was pretty hard. But nothing the great Rainbow Dash, Fastest Young Flier in all of Equestria, can't accomplish!"

The orange pony laughed, and had to fight the urge to walk over and nuzzle Rainbow, something she used to do whenever the Pegasus was being endearingly arrogant. The two turned back to the spectral spectacle.

Soon evening was drawing in, and Princess Luna would be bringing the Moon over Equestria soon. After Pinkie baked some delicious cupcakes for the six of them, it was finally time to make their farewells. Stretching, Rainbow leaned back in her seat casually. "Thanks for the cupcakes, Pinkie. I better get back to my cloud home. FINALLY. It's probably all messy now."

Applejack looked away at that, a sense of disappointment filling her heart. Of course Rainbow would leave Sweet Apple Acres for her own home. Given a choice between an old house on a farm and a palace in the sky, why would she choose to stay? Looking up, she saw Rainbow looking at her. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide her disappointment if she spoke, so she turned to the remains of her cupcake, nibbling it.

"Thanks for letting me stay at your place, AJ."

She looked up, meeting the magenta eyes. "'S not a problem, sugarcube. Yer free ta come any time."

The niceties were soon underway, before the group began to split off. "Well, I've gotta check on my house. See ya later guys!" Rainbow sprang into the air, flying off into the night, to her home.

"I simply must go to my boutique now. I must check on dear Sweetie Bell. She shouldn't stay up to late. Good night, darlings!"

"I had better go too, Spike will be sleeping soon and I don't want to come home late and wake him. See you all soon!"

"I need to go as well. All my poor creatures need to be prepared for bed. I have to go see them. Thank you for the cupcakes, Pinkie. Bye."

Applejack was the last left at the bakery. She turned to Pinkie Pie. "Thank ya fer the cupcakes, Pinkie Pie. They were mighty fine. Ah better head off now too. Ah gotta rest up fer tomorrow's work. Ah'll see y'all later."

"Wait, Applejack!" Pinkie bounced over to the orange pony. She turned her head to the side, and asked in her usual voice, but with a hint of concern under the bubbly voice, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Huh? Wh-Wha' do ya mean?"

"Well, I saw how sad you looked when Dashie said she was going to go to her house, and when I saw you were sad, it made me sad too and I knew I needed to turn that frown upside down." Applejack smiled. Pinkie could spot these things from a mile away. She knew it was no use lying, and she knew that keeping her feelings bottled up would only lead to bad things. And Pinkie was perhaps the most trustworthy pony in all of Ponyville.

"Yer righ', Pinkie. Ah wasn't happy when Dash said she was gonna go ta her own home."

"But why?"

Sighing, "Ya promise ya won't tell anypony?"

Pinkie Pie put a hoof on her chest. "Of course not! Losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend FOREVER!"

Applejack nodded. "Ah still love her, Pinkie. Ah love her so much. But Ah can't tell her, she won' accept it. Ah wish we could be together, but Ah know it won't happen. What do Ah do?" The orange cowpony had fallen onto her haunches, as she struggled to hold the tears in. Pinkie came over and hugged AJ.

"Don't hold your tears in, AJ! It'll only get worse! Just let it out and tell Auntie Pinkie Pie about it."

Tears began to stream down her face, as she continued. "Ah was so stupid, Pinkie. Why did Ah let anypony else tell me what was righ' an' wrong? If Ah hadn't been so blind, we'd still be together! Ah wish Ah could turn back time. Ah wish Ah could tell mahself how wrong Ah was back then." She began to cry in earnest. "A-Ah don' d-deserve Rainbow. Ah lied ta her, ta m-mahself, an' ta all mah friends and family. Rainbow deserves b-better. B-but Ah love her so m-much! A-Ah'm a terrible pony."

"Of course you're not a terrible pony! Applejack, you are a good pony, and all of Ponyville knows it! You just made a mistake, and everyone makes mistakes! I once tried to bake a special cake for Mr and Mrs Cake once, but I ended up putting salt instead of sugar! It didn't taste very good."

Applejack gave a chuckle. Pinkie Pie did know how to make anypony laugh. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes, and looked at the pink pony. "But what do Ah do?"

Pinkie Pie frowned for a moment, in thought. Then she smiled. "You should tell her, Applejack."

"W-what? Ah can't do tha'!"

"Why not?"

"Well… 'cause that's jus' crazy! Ah can't jus' go an' tell Rainbow Ah love her. An' she won't accept me, she didn' last time, an' Ah don't wanna make things between us awkward! Ah can't tell her!"

"Oki, doki loki, it's your choice, AJ! But I think you should tell her. You can't keep these things inside forever."

"Thanks, Pinkie."

"No problem! Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. A lot better, thanks ta ya." Applejack smiled at her usually hyperactive friend. "Well, Ah better head home now. Thanks again fer everythin'!"

"Bye, Applejack!" The bubbly pony was back, and she waved at Applejack as she left. Applejack set off on the path to her house on the edge of town. Pinkie was a well-meaning pony, but AJ knew that this time, she wouldn't be taking her advice. Tell Rainbow how Ah feel abou' her? She shook her head. It wasn't going to happen.

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 8

After a hard day's work apple bucking on the farm, Applejack had some free time that afternoon to spend with her friends. Trotting into town, she soon found them all in the town square. As she drew closer, she could see worry on her friends' faces, and Rainbow Dash was flying about, looking agitated. Confused, she called out, "Hay there! Is everypony alrigh'? Y'all look worried abou' somethin'."

"AJ! You're here! Okay, can we go somewhere more private?"

Twilight nodded. "The library. I'll just put the closed sign on it. We won't be bothered there."

As they all turned to follow the purple unicorn, Applejack glanced at the rainbow-maned Pegasus. "Wha's goin' on here, Rainbow?"

Rainbow looked nervous, as she looked around. "I have to tell all of you something. Remember that day when you asked where I've been?" She simply nodded. "Well… I'm about to tell you."

Applejack's eyes widened. Seeing the distressed look on Rainbow's face, Applejack threw her a smile, "Calm down there, sugarcube. Y'all look mighty worried abou' it. Remember, we'll always be there for ya."

"Thanks, Applejack," the Pegasus smiled back.

When they entered the library, Twilight flipped a card on the door, indicating that the library was closed for the day. Spike looked up at the entry of the group of ponies with some confusion.

"What's going on, Twilight? I thought you were all going to hang out this afternoon."

"Sorry Spike, Rainbow has to tell us something, so we came here."

The baby dragon shrugged his purple shoulders. "That's fine. I'll just go upstairs. Rarity!" Spike caught sight of the fashionista pony. "Is there anything I can do for you, my sweet?" Facing the five other uniformly sceptical faces, he quickly added, "Or the rest of you?"

Everypony shook their heads. "Are you sure, Rarity? Absolutely sure?"

Twilight simply looked amused as Rarity responded. "No thank you, Spike, but thank you for the offer."

Spike purple cheeks glowed red when Rarity addressed him. "No worries! I'll be upstairs if you need me. See you later, Rarity!" And the dragon hopped up the stairs.

"Oh, he is a dear," the elegant unicorn smiled. Then her face turned serious, "Now, darling, what is the matter?" The five friends turned to look at their rainbow-maned companion, worry in their eyes. "You look most pale, do sit down."

Twilight nodded, using her magic to pull six chairs into the centre of the room. Applejack gently pushed Rainbow onto her seat, before they all settled on their own. Applejack watched the Pegasus, happiness, curiosity and worry warring for possession in her heart. Happy that Rainbow was finally letting out something that was clearly bothering her, curious about what it was, and worried about its effect. The cyan pony was visibly anxious, and appeared to be thinking carefully. Finally Rainbow looked up and began her tale:

"Guys, three year ago, I left again after barely two months. There was a reason for that. But I-I have to go back to when I left the first time. After… ya know…th-the event. Uh… anyway, I had to leave, think things over. I-I went to my… childhood home. Where I lived… with my parents. Before they disappeared.

"I-it was… just a normal day, ya know? I came home from school, and my parents were home and everything. It was that night. I was in bed, and my mum tucked me in and I was tossing and turning. Couldn't sleep and TV was going downstairs, and… and then there was a… a knock. I didn't really hear what was going on, and I didn't really pay attention… then… my mum suddenly came up, a-and she told me to be quiet, and to be strong. And she said… I could do anything if I tried hard enough. Even join the Wonderbolts one day. A-and, she said… dad and her loved me very m-much. Then she left, telling me to be really quiet… so I was.

"That's the last time I ever saw them again.

"I tried to find them. I-I tried so hard. I couldn't focus on flying, and I finally dropped out of flight school. Finally… I gave up. The world was too big. But I always remembered what my mum said. Ever since, I've tried so hard to win. To make my mum, my parents, proud…

"So I moved away from my old Cloudsdale home, and came here… to Ponyville. But whenever I was… really unhappy or confused about anything… I always went back there. To remember…

"Anyway… after… ya know… the incident… uh… I went back there again. I stayed there for two days. And on the third day there was just a knock on the door. I went to open it and these two weird Pegasi walked in. I dunno who they are, or where they came from, but they were… actually pretty scary… Well… I told them to get out, this was my house and they couldn't just walk in. And they just… laughed.

"They started asking questions, about somepony called Samael. I had no idea what they were talking about, but they just kept asking, like I had an answer! They'd ask 'Where is Samael?' and 'Where did you lock him away?' No idea what they were going on about, and I was starting to get mad. These guys can't just walk into my home and ask me questions! But they wouldn't listen to me and just kept asking about this guy.

"Finally, I had enough, ya know? These guys just came in looking for answers I obviously didn't have! I told them to get out, and to leave me alone, or I'd kick them out. In ten seconds flat. And they just… laughed. I wanted to give them a good buck right then, like you would, AJ. And th-then… And then…

"They said I shouldn't go against them… or something… o-or… I might never see my parents again.

"They knew something. They knew something about what happened to my mum and dad. I had to find out what it was. But even as I yelled at them… they just smiled. They smiled and said… 'Well, well, well… looks like we got the little filly there haven't we?'

"I was furious. I flew at them, but they sidestepped so fast… and then they were out the door… One of them turned back and told me to tell them about that Samael guy, or they'd make me. Two stupid Pegasi aren't going to make me say anything! And I don't even know who this Samael guy is!

"I chased after them. But after flying through Cloudsdale, I lost them. They knew the back alleys or something, they knew how to get around. But I was determined to catch them! I wasn't going to let some no good ponies slip away. So I stayed in Cloudsdale, trying to find those Pegasi. I tried the police, but they weren't any help. I had to do this on my own.

"I asked around about the two thugs, but nopony knew who I was talking about. They'd never seen any Pegasi that matched the two from that night. Flying around the city, I went through the alleys, down all the backstreets, I learnt all the short cuts around the place, but the two were gone.

"I even got a part time at the weather factory as a minor, helping with the carting of clouds, to gain funds for food and stuff. That's why I was away for so long. I was so determined to find those two. They knew about my parents! But they didn't turn up at my doorstep again.

"This Samael guys was worrying me too, I had no idea who this pony was, and nopony seemed to know who he was either. But if two bully Pegasi like those were looking for him, it couldn't be good. As far as anypony knew, there wasn't a single Pegasi in all of Cloudsdale that was called Samael.

"Finally, I was tired, and I missed home, and Ponyville, and all of you guys. So one day I got up, and went to quit my part time job. I locked the house and flew out, back here. That was the first time I came back. Before I left again…"

Rainbow stopped talking, stretching her wings and looking about tiredly. She had been talking for a while, and her nervousness before added to her sense of exhaustion. Applejack could tell by the way the cyan pony slumped in her seat a little that she was extremely tired. The weight seemed to be slowly lifting of the Pegasi's wings, but AJ could see that the worst wasn't over yet.

"Alrigh', Rainbow, Ah think y'all should rest a minute before ya go on. Y'all look pretty tired."

Rainbow nodded, as Twilight fetched a cup of water for her. The five ponies had listened to their friend's strange tale, intrigued and worried with the events that had unfolded in the rainbow wonder's words.

"Why don't we stop here for now, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, giving the water to Rainbow, who gulped it down quickly.

"But there's still a lot more an–"

"Exactly, sugarcube. Y'all should take a break and res'. And y'all given us a lot ta think abou'."

"Samael, who's this Samael, he sounds like a mysterious pony seeing as nopony knows about him! Maybe we can find him, and meet him and we could all throw a giant party for him, with looooooots of food, and loooooooots of balloons, and CAKE! Lots of cake! We should find this Samael, it would be so fun, oh wait! He isn't in trouble is he? If the two thug ponies are loo–"

"That's enough, Pinkie!" Twilight cut across the energetic pink pony, before turning to frown at Rainbow again.

"Twilight dear, have you ever heard of this Samael?" Rarity inquired, as all five directed their attention to the purple unicorn.

"Samael… Samael… why does the name sound familiar?" Twilight pondered for a moment. "Hmmm… I'll do some research later. No one knew anything about Samael?"

"Not a single pony."

"Why don' we call it a day?" Applejack spoke into the silence. "Rainbow, y'all can tell us the rest of ya story tomorrow, use a night's sleep ta give ya some strength. Ah think we all should take a break."

"I agree with Applejack," Fluttershy's soft spoken voice made itself heard.

They all nodded. "We can all meet here at three tomorrow?" Again, all the ponies nodded. "Alright, let's all leave it here. Rainbow, you're going through a lot, and we can only imagine what it's like. But we're all here for you, and we'll help you."

"We Pinkie Pie Promise!" Pinkie bounded up, and then started to spring around in circles, chanting the famous lines of the vow.

"Of course, darling, you've always been there for us."

"Yes, so we'll be there for you. It's good to let everything out."

Rainbow nodded, "Thanks so much, guys. You're the coolest friends ever!"

The six then parted ways, making their way to their respective homes. Rainbow and Applejack were the last to leave, trotting through Ponyville side by side. They had been in Twilight's library so long, that Luna's moon had replaced Celestia's sun. When they came to the fountain in the Town Square, Rainbow walked over and leaned on the edge, staring into the water. Applejack watched the young flier as she reached out with a hoof, dipping it in the water and creating ripples that distorted her reflection.

"Why don't ya come stay the night at Sweet Apple Acres?" The work pony came up behind the winged pony, her voice soft.

"Thanks, AJ," Rainbow spoke to the water.

"Come on," Applejack nudged Rainbow gently. Slowly, they began the walk to the farm house, in silence. Having known her for such a long time, the Stetson-clad pony knew that what her best friend needed was someone to stay with her tonight, and help her find the strength for tomorrow. Making it just in time for supper, they dined with the Apple family, before the two went upstairs to set the roll out bed again.

Applejack found some clean sheets, and placed them on the bed. Rainbow crawled into bed, and made herself comfortable. "Thanks for everything, AJ." Her words were muffled, as she buried her head into the pillows. "Y'all welcome, RD."

AJ quickly went to the bathroom, taking her hair down, and preparing for bed. When she came back, she heard deeper breathing coming from the makeshift bed. Quietly, Applejack trotted over to see her beloved Rainbow Dash fast asleep. She stood for a moment, looking at the Pegasus. Then she lent down, and kissed Dash on the cheek. "Oh Dash, ya don' have ta do everythin' alone."

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 9

When sunlight streamed through the windows the next morning, Applejack sat up, and glanced over at the roll out bed… to find it empty. Her eyes widened, and she felt her insides tighten. Instantly awake, she ran for the door, into the corridor, to check the bathroom. Empty. AJ leapt down the stairs expertly, checking the kitchen, the living area… Nowhere.

Panic began to set in. It'll be fine, it's fine! Rainbow probably wanted to get some fresh air, it ain't the firs' time she's gotten up early. Maybe she went back ta her cloud home. Relax, AJ, relax. But Applejack was worried. She knew that whatever had happened to Rainbow while she was gone was really bothering the Pegasus.

Bursting through the front door, Applejack stood on the porch, disregarding the bright early morning sun that lit up the front porch. To see the rainbow-maned Pegasus standing just beyond the porch. Rainbow turned at the sound of the door crashing open, and their eyes met.

Applejack fell for her all over again. In those wild moments of searching for Rainbow, it emphasised just how much she cared for the cyan pony. How scared she was of losing her. The truth was, Applejack understood Rainbow, and she knew no one knew her as well as Rainbow did. They had been best friends for as long as she could remember. She wouldn't even have her Cutie Mark if it hadn't been Rainbow's signature move, her very first Sonic Rainboom. They had a connection, AJ could feel it. But it seemed that Rainbow couldn't. Not anymore. Lost when she thought she had lost AJ. Only, she never did. Applejack never really left the Pegasus. And now, AJ was the one afraid of losing Rainbow.

Shaking herself, she brought her mind back to the present to see the said Pegasus looking at her oddly. Applejack realised Rainbow was taking in her appearance. In her mad dash to find her missing friend, AJ had disregarded everything else. The customary Stetson was still on its hook in her room. Her mane and tail were both messy from sleep, and out of their usual bounds. Her blonde mane flowed freely over her shoulders, the wind catching a few strands and twisting them idly. Looking down, Applejack also saw her slightly rough coat, brushing it forgotten in the wake of finding Rainbow's bed empty. AJ could feel the blush creeping up her face, and looked away in an attempt to hide it.

"Heya, AJ. Are you alright?" The confusion in Rainbow's voice was matched by her expression.

"Oh, A-Ah'm fine, Rainbow. Ah jus' saw yer bed empty, an' wondered where y'all got to. That's all." Applejack inspected her hoof at the last part, the small lie tripping past her lips with difficulty.

"Oh, right. I woke up early, and wanted some fresh air. So I came out here for a bit. Sorry if I… uh… worried you with disappearing like that."

"'S alrigh', sugarcube. Ah guess I overreacted a little. Well, I'll let ya have some space, an' I'll go make some breakfast. Come in when yer done, alrigh' RD?"

"Sure thing, AJ." The orange pony turned to enter the house again when Rainbow's voice called out once more. "Hey, AJ!"

"Yeah, sugarcube?"

Rainbow gave the smallest of small smiles. "You look nice."

Applejack felt her face flush again, and turned back to the door. Hiding the growing smile on her face, from Rainbow's compliment. "Why, thank ya, Rainbow. Tha's mighty kind of ya to say that when y'all are seein' me at mah worst."

As she closed the door behind her, she thought she heard a reply, but she didn't quite catch it. It didn't bother her. She set about making the morning meal for everypony, looks forgotten in her happiness. As she set the oven, Rainbow's words ran through her head repeatedly. It couldn't be a bad day.

When the household woke up, the kitchen was filled with the aromas of apple and cinnamon tarts, freshly squeezed apple juice, apple strudel, and some pie in case anypony was really hungry. Big Mac was first down the stairs, taking in the kitchen benches laden with the goods.

"Wha's all this, Applejack?"

"Oh, hay, Big Mac. Ah thought Ah'd get breakfast ready fer us today."

The big red pony looked as his younger sister, her uncharacteristic appearance. "What happened ta ya mane? Ya look like ya jus' got up."

Applejack suddenly remembered. "Well, shoot! Ah forgot ta fix mahself up! Big Mac, could ya take care of the bakin' fer a minute?"

"Eeyup."

Applejack bolted up the stairs, and went straight to the bathroom, grabbing a brush and running it through her mane and tail before binding it up with her hair elastics again. She splashed her face with water, and wiped her hooves dry on the towel. She went back to her room, grabbing the Stetson of its hook, and placing it on her head again, back to normal.

The front door opened and closed with a snap. AJ made her way back down to the kitchen, and caught sight of Rainbow coming in again. "Hey, AJ." The spectral-maned pony grinned at Applejack, following her into the kitchen cross dining room area.

"Woah."

Rainbow stared at the plates of baked apple goods sitting on the table. Applebloom was awake now, and was prancing around the table, excited at the sight of so much food. Big Mac was by the oven, watching the last of the pie browning perfectly before turning it off. "So much food!"

"Ah figured y'all needed the energy fer today, and made a big meal fer us all."

"Wow, Applejack! Did ya make everything?" the little yellow filly came up to her older sister, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ah sure did! Now, we'll jus' wait fer Granny Smith ta come down before we tuck in."

"Wha's all this, here?" the green mare made her way down the stairs, smiling at the scene in front of her. "Did y'all make this feas'? Well, a good breakfas' is the bes' way ta end the day! Or somethin'… Now wha' was it? Ah don' think tha's quite righ'… Hmmm…" Granny lapsed into thought while Applejack placed the last of the plates on the dining table.

"Dig in!"

When three o'clock drew near, Applejack pulled the last cart of apples into the barn, ready for Big Mac's inspection. Rainbow had offered to help, but AJ could tell that she needed to have some time to herself. Whatever was coming, Applejack was sure she'd need the break. Rainbow wasn't the type to let out her weaknesses or her problems, and telling her five friends about it was an ordeal.

Big Mac stuck his head into the barn. "Oh, Big Mac, this here is the last of the apples today. Ah'm gonna go inta town ta spend some time with mah friends. I'll be at Twiligh's if ya need me."

"Eeyup."

With that, Applejack began the trip to Ponyville Library, thinking. Ah hope Rainbow's alrigh'. It's good that she's finally lettin' out whatever's been botherin' her. It must be hard… losin' yer family like that…

Rainbow never had any family to speak of. This was the first time any of the friends had heard about the Pegasus's parents and what had happened to them. Applejack had lost her parents herself at a very young age, but she had Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith. The colourful flier had no one but herself to call family. And not knowing what had happened to them… Ah can't even imagine wha' it must be like… losin' your parents and not even knowin' where they went…

The giant tree of a library soon came up, with four of the ponies on the doorstep. A rainbow mane was missing, and they were waiting anxiously for their winged friend. Suddenly, AJ felt wind on her flank, and turned to see Rainbow swooping down to land beside her. The Pegasus looked determined as she made her way over to the library entrance. The cowpony followed, as they entered the world of books that was Twilight's home.

"Okay, I'm ready." Rainbow still wore the determined expression on her face, her words bearing the same force.

Taking their seats once again, all the ponies turned to the story teller, waiting for the rest of her tale.

"Okay… uh… you guys know what I was doing when I was gone… the first time… But I had to leave again. I know it was rushed. But I had to.

"One day, I woke up to knocking on my door, so I went to have a look at who it was. Derpy was there, with this letter. I asked her who it was from, but she didn't know. There was no return address or sender information at all.

"I was confused so I opened straight away… and… here, you can see it."

Hello Rainbow Dash,

If you think you've gotten away from us, then you should think again. We know who you are. And we know who your friends are too. We'll spell it out very clearly. You give us all the information we're after, and we won't do anything. Don't tell us what we want to know, and there will be trouble.

Where is Samael? What happened to him? What did you ponies do to him?

The questions are simple. We want answers. You have a week to give us what we want, or we will come after you. You wouldn't want what happened to your parents to happen to your friends too, would you?

Give us the information and no one will be hurt.

"That was it. I knew it was the Pegasi. Those two thugs that came last time and barged into my house. I was so angry. Who were these ponies, to threaten me for information about some Samael guy! I don't know who he is! But then I realised… they knew where to find me, they probably knew who you guys were. And I got scared. What if they took you guys away? Did something to you?

"That's why I left. I had to find them, settle things for good. I couldn't let them hurt my friends. I lost my parents… I… couldn't lose you guys too…

"So I left. But I couldn't tell you guys what was happening, because you guys might want to help, and get involved. This was my problem. I was going to fix it! So I left the note behind. I knew that Fluttershy'd come up and check up on me after I'd been missing for a few days.

"I had a problem though. I had no idea where to look, where to go. I packed up some things, bit of food, a few bits… I decided to pay one more trip to my parent's house… I needed their strength… A reminder of who I was, I guess…

"When I got there, I found everything as I left it. I dunno… I almost half expected somepony to be there, to ambush me… or something. But nopony was there, I was all alone. I decided to stay for a while, and try find out information. It was where everything started. Maybe they'd come again. I was sure they were watching me, that they knew I was trying to find them. It was just a feeling, ya know? I could feel them watching me…

"I spent a month in Cloudsdale. No one came for me, and I was worried, but there was never any news from Ponyville, about anything happening, ponies disappearing or anything. So I knew you guys were safe. I couldn't find anything though. Sometimes at night, I even flew around, went to a few of the back alley places, but I never saw either of those Pegasi.

"I wondered if I was missing something… I mean, why haven't they found me? Why haven't they done anything? Maybe they realised I didn't know about the guy? I didn't think so, it didn't feel like they'd stopped yet, ya know? It was just the feeling I got…

"So I tried again, to find out about this guy. I actually went to a library, and I looked through history books, I asked the librarians if there were any books that mentioned any pony called Samael. Nothing. I wanted to ask you, Twilight, but I didn't want to get you involved. I must have searched every book in Equestria! Four months… I've seen enough books to last me a life time!

"I never found anything on anypony named Samael… But one night I got a knock on the door again… and no one was there. There was just a piece of paper tacked to the door. It just said 'We're waiting.' They were still watching me…

"I had to lead them off. I felt like… they were too close. So I had an idea to try and draw them away… Maybe they'd confront me away from crowded places… I travelled around a bit, didn't ever stay in one place long… I hoped the chase would distract them from you guys… and make them reveal themselves…

"Manehatten, Appleloosa, Canterlot, Trottingham, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Baltimare… even the small villages, like Hoofington, Bucksley, Gallopston… I went away from other ponies, I stayed in places with ponies… I never stayed in a place long. Maybe a month or two, max. I had to get random jobs, to fund the travel, but I got by. Still nothing… Two years of travel for nothing. There was still no sign of anypony after me, but I knew they were. I kept an eye out for any news on Ponyville at all, talking to ponies, reading the papers, but you guys all seemed safe.

"Finally I stopped. It wasn't working, so I came back to Cloudsdale. I wasn't ready to come back to Ponyville yet. I went to my childhood home again. It was really my home now… I've spent so much time there now…

"I got there, and when I opened the door I found another letter that had been pushed under the door. It had the same handwriting on the envelope as the letter I got years ago, I knew it was from them. This is it."

Hello again, Rainbow Dash,

We thought you might head this way after all that wondering. It was where it started wasn't it? But it isn't where it will end.

Head out west. Past Dodge Junction. You'll find us there. Or we'll find you.

"So I had my way. I knew where to go… I spent one last night before I left for Dodge Junction. Next morning, I flew to Canterlot bought the ticket for the next train to Dodge Junction, and luckily the next one was that afternoon. Or I'd have to wait for ages for the next one. I just made it in time and got on the train. It took two days' travel, I got there about midday.

"They had an inn, and I got a room for the night. I had to go on hoof from there on out. The letter said west, so I'd go west, no matter how far. I had to. And I wasn't going to let a couple of small-brained Pegasi mess with me! I recovered from the train journey, slept properly. Next morning I left. It was gonna get hot, I could tell. It was really early, about seven, and the sand was already warm. I made sure I had a lot of water, and began the flight.

"I dunno how long I flew for. I flew until it got too hot, but there was nowhere for shade. I just tried to use my pack as shade and sat for a bit, drinking water. It was only the first day and I was tired already! It got better in the afternoon, when it cooled off a bit. I started to fly again. I dunno how far I went, but I managed to keep going until Dodge Junction was long gone.

"The desert changed at night. It looked all different and stuff. Everything was purple… and you could see all the stars. It got really cold at night, but I remembered what you said, Twilight, and took a couple of blankets with me. I managed to keep warm while flying 'til it was pretty late, and then I finally had to rest and go to sleep.

"It went on like this for three days. I don't know what time it was, I just kept moving, sleeping and eating whenever I needed to. It was so… tiring. I couldn't even fly as fast as I wanted to. It was so exhausting, the sight never changed. By the third night, I was almost done. I knew I'd been going practically non-stop for the last three days and nights. The weight in my pack was weighing me down, and finally I couldn't fly much further. So I walked.

"By the fourth day… I was so tired... I could hardly walk. Even training for the Young Flier's Competition wasn't this bad. Even travelling for two years around Equestria was easier! It was so exhausting… I-I felt drained. I collapsed that night, couldn't even find the energy to eat or drink. I was just lying there on the sand, in the middle of the desert. I thought it'd all be over…

"Then I heard hoofsteps behind me, through the sand. It was the two Pegasi. The cowards! Facing me now while I was tired! And they had three henchponies with them too. One of them, the shorter one, smiled at me. He said, 'At last, Rainbow Dash. We've got you now. You'll be coming with us.' I couldn't fight off the three thugs that tried to catch me. I don't remember too clearly… I was struggling against them, as they tried to bind me up to stop me from getting away… I think they knocked me out, because next thing I knew, I was in some dungeon place. Like the ones in Daring Doo.

"It was all dark, and I dunno how long I was out for. But soon a pony came up and saw I was awake. A-a Earth pony… I thought I'd been dealing with Pegasi, but when guards came, there was a Pegasus, an Earth pony AND a unicorn! I was all bound up… I couldn't fly, and I was still tired, and now bruised. They took me to the two Pegasi, those cowardly ponies! They were sitting there, are smug, like they did anything! They asked me again, about Samael. I told them I DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS. Again and again.

"I think this went on for a few days… they'd drag me out and question me about this guy, and when I didn't give an answer they just threw me back into the place. I knew I had to get outta there, but I had no idea how. They fed me a little, and stuff, but it was always this gross slop thing. But I remembered Daring Doo, and I knew I had to keep my strength up. So I slept and ate. I didn't know what time it was or anything, but finally, they took me out, and led me some place new. It wasn't the usual place with those stupid ponies.

"It was this different place, similar to my cell thing, and I didn't know why I was brought here. And then… I… I-I saw… my parents. Th-they… were in the cell. They had my parents. My mum… when she saw me… she was crying… and my d-dad… he was so shocked… and he started yelling… a-at the guards holding me… he was so angry at them… Th-the… those thugs… those COWARDS. Th-they came and said… 'Tell us about Samael… we won't wait m-much longer… Two Pegasi i-in a cell a-aren't much use to us.'

"And that's when I got ANGRY. I WAS SO ANGRY. THOSE COWARDS WHO WOULDN'T FIGHT ME ALONE. I somehow managed to break free, I dunno how, I just remember running at them, the shock on their faces… I just managed to hit one across the face with my hoof, but then somepony grabbed me by my bound wings…

"Then it was a fight, a crazy fight. I don't remember much… but they had to call for reinforcements or something… I got hurt… they had weapons, but I avoided the worst… My wings were bound though, I couldn't fly… Then a pony charged at me, and I dodged their swing, and the knife they had cut the ropes around my wings. I managed to fly again, and I got up above the others. I managed to get my hands on a club or something that somepony dropped while fighting, and I took out a couple of ponies. But I had a broken rib or two, I think, and cuts and bruises, and I wasn't… feeling as strong… as I usually was. In a moment when I managed to take down another Pegasus, I went over to the door of the cell… but it was padlocked and everything, there was… no way… I could get through.

"My m-mum… and d-dad, they told me to go. 'Just GO. We'll be okay. Escape! Get out of here! Fly east, and keep going! Be strong for us! Go, Rainbow. GO!'

"S-so I did. I bowled over the charging ponies in my direction, and probably got the gash down my side because of that. Then I flew, as hard and fast as I could. I'd never flown so fast! But it was s-so w-wrong! I was l-leaving my p-parents behind. I LEFT THEM BACK THERE. I managed to g-get out. It was afternoon, or something, I c-can't remember. I did what they told me. I flew east, a-away f-from the sun… I kept flying… I dunno how I kept going… I felt lightheaded, p-probably from l-losing blood. But I c-couldn't g-give up. My parents wanted me to survive. So I would. I flew, until I couldn't feel the pain or tiredness anymore… I dunno how long it was… but then one morning, I was back in Ponyville… and I crashed.

"And that's how I came back."

KABOOM! The mystery is over! Or is it? WHO IS SAMAEL? We have yet to find out. And what happens now?

I tried to keep in character as much as possible, Rainbow's reluctance to admit that she is actually WEAK, her anger, her attitude... her need to be loyal and how much it hurt to leave her parents behind... I hope I did a good job. These two chapters have been the hardest to write. But they were fun.

If you guys could shoot off a review about how this chapter went, that'd be great! Thanks for your support!

BY THE WAY, keep an eye out for "Apple Spectrum", by Arby Works. If you're enjoying this story, you'll love his story. Even though he hasn't updated for some time. GET A MOVE ON ARBY. Anyway...

Until next time!

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hey, hey, hey! Back again! Really on fire at the moment I guess. I just felt so bad for leaving you guys for so long when I said I wouldn't. Anyway...

Keep an eye out for my friend's fanfic, "Apple Spectrum", by Arby Works. It is an awesome fic, and 20% cooler than all other fics!

Thanks again to all the reviewers!

Onwards!

The rainbow-maned Pegasus looked away, hiding the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. Silence followed her narration, apart from the occasional sniffle, as the other friends contemplated everything Rainbow had gone through. Both Rarity and Fluttershy had tears in their eyes, and Pinkie's hair looked deflated. Twilight's face was one of sorrow. Applejack looked at her best friend, her own eyes damp. Everything she'd heard, everything she'd ever known about Rainbow… she knew there was no one in the world like her Rainbow Dash.

"I have to go back."

"WHAT?" Four voices joined together in shock. Only AJ remained silent.

"I HAVE TO. THEY HAVE MY PARENTS."

"Bu–" Twilight was cut off by the orange pony, who stood up. "We can' leave Rainbow's parents! We have ta go and save 'em."

At Applejack's words, the other ponies nodded, but Rainbow turned to her, frowning. "We?"

She looked back at Rainbow defiantly. "We. Rainbow, we can' let ya go alone! We have ta help, we can work together and make a plan. Ah ain't lettin' ya go alone!"

"Yes, Rainbow, dear, we simply cannot let you face those dreadful ponies alone!"

"I agree. Give us some time, I could come up with something."

"We don't have time too! They have my parents NOW. They could be hurting them NOW. WHAT IF… what if… m-my… parents… a-are…"

"Don' think like that! We'll save yer parents, ya hear? Rainbow! We'll rescue them!"

"I don't think they'd do anything to your parents, Rainbow." Twilight had her glasses on, already flicking through numerous books. "Based on everything you told us, these Pegasi seem to think you have information about Samael, and determined to get it. They also seem to know a lot about you. They probably know you're the Element of Loyalty, and that you would do anything to rescue your parents. They wouldn't do anything to them because they know that you'll come to save them."

Applejack watched the expression on Rainbow's face, as it changed from the despair and pain, to confusion, then to dawning hope. When she turned to look at her, AJ nodded, reassuring the cyan pony. "Ah think Twilight's righ'. Yer parents are safe."

"But still. It's far too dangerous! I can't let you guys help. It's my problem! I can deal with it."

"But Dashie, we want to help! It'll be fun! Twilight will do all her bookish stuff and make a super duper plan and then we'll all help and we can have a giant party and then go save your parents and then we can finally meet them, oooooh that'll be so exciting! I can't wait, can we start helping now? You HAVE to let us help, Dashie, it'll be so great, and it'll make us all happy, which will make me really, REALLY happy, being the Element of Laughter and everything, and then we can have a giant party at the very end!"

"No, Pinkie. Thanks for the offer, but I can't accept your help! You have no idea what it's like! It's way too dangerous out there, and it's really tiring and everything, just trying to get there! It'll be too hard, and it'll be scary and you're travelling non-stop! Rarity, you wouldn't be able to stand it! It's all dusty and horrible, you'd hate it!"

"That won't bother me, darling. I know that I can be prim, but in a case such as this, I am most certainly able to put aside such things! Saving your parents is much more important than clothes and hair, and I am the Element of Generosity! If I can't put aside such small things for something this important, I wouldn't deserve the title!"

"Rarity… thank you… that means so much… but NO! No. I can't let you do this! I can't put my friends in danger! What kind of pony would I be, if I let my best friends put themselves in danger to help me! Even association with me could put you all in danger! They already threatened to hurt you once! What if they actually hurt you! Twilight, you can't let this happen!"

"Rainbow, we'll be prepared. We'll be ready for whatever happens, and we'll have plans. We can figure out what'll happen and we can prevent it. All it takes is some research and good organisation! I know we could do it. We're the Elements of Harmony, Rainbow. I'm sure that our powers are necessary for this! We could help out, and you won't be so outnumbered! As Element of Magic, I'm sure I could find something that'll help us fight ponies. Something that can give us an advantage. I should have a book here somewhere… or two… or three… SPIKE!"

"NO! This is crazy! You guys can't help me. It's so dangerous! Fluttershy, it's really dangerous, and scary! You wouldn't like it! Travelling at night in the middle of the desert, and fighting evil ponies… You wouldn't want to face that Fluttershy! No one wants to face that! I can't take you into that kind of danger!"

"Rainbow… please… this is important… and I remember your parents. I want to help… e-even if we do have to face s-scary ponies and d-danger. And we could get the animals to help too… Don't do this alone, Rainbow. You've always been so very kind to me. I want to help, and as Element of Kindness, I think it's even more important for me to help. I always remembered your parents were so very nice to me… Please, Rainbow, let us help."

By this stage, Rainbow had tears of anguish in her eyes, as she turned to the Stetson-clad pony beside her. Applejack looked into the deep magenta-coloured eyes of her best friend, and one-time lover, looked into the brave face of her plucky Pegasus. She saw the panic, the fear that lay deep down within the flier, the side that only AJ had ever seen. She saw the determination, the anger, the pain, the strength. Rainbow only whispered one word. "Applejack?"

The cowpony closed her eyes at the sound of her name. Rainbow rarely ever called her by her full name, only doing it when she was being very serious about something… or when she was begging. When she opened them again, she stared into Rainbow's eyes again, determined as the emerald green met the dark rose.

"Rainbow… Ah'm the Element of Honesty, so y'all know that Ah tell the truth. And this here is the truth. Y'all must be one of that strongest, bravest ponies Ah've ever known. Ya've always been there fer us when we needed ya, an' ya never leave us hangin'. Of all of us, the Element of Loyalty went ta ya, an' there was a reason fer that. The loyalest of ponies, everypony could always count on ya. Ya always said, 'Ah never leave mah friends hangin'" and ya never did. So in this moment when ya need us most, we're gonna be there fer ya. Jus' because y'all be the one representin' the Element of Loyalty don' mean that we ain't gonna be loyal to ya. We want ta help, Rainbow. Let us."

Rainbow had tears in her eyes again, as she looked past AJ. Without thinking, she moved closer to the hurt pony, and gently nuzzled her cheek. "Ya don' have ta do everythin' alone."

The sky blue pony shivered slightly, and Applejack suddenly remembered herself, pulling back and meeting the eyes of the spectral wonder again. She nodded, slightly. "Alright, AJ." Applejack smiled at that, looking at her friend. Rainbow looked tired, but the determination blazed, with a new fire as she accepted her friends' help in the rescue of her parents. In that second, she felt her heart ache again, the longing that had been hidden deep down where she had thought no one could reach. She wanted to kiss Rainbow Dash, right there, right then. The brash Pegasus that had been through more than most ponies could imagine. She wondered if she ever crossed Rainbow's mind like that, but she doubted it. She could have the whole world if she wanted it…

Clearing her throat, AJ tore her gaze away from her secret heartache, to see the others looking at the two. She thought she caught glimpses of disappointment on her friends' faces, but she disregarded it as she tried to distract herself from her feelings. "So, Twiligh'. What do we do?"

The purple unicorn turned back to her books, a giant pile already forming as she flicked through the pages with her magic. Spike was balancing on the ladder, searching for the books that Twilight was after. "Well… we'll have to start from the beginning. Find out where their base is, where Rainbow's parents are, how long it'd take us to get there, how we should get there, how we should organise ourselves…"

"WAIT! Guys, aren't we forgetting something?" Pinkie sprang up, looking at everypony seriously.

"What?"

"SAMAEL! We still don't know who he is!"

"Yeah… Twilight, you didn't find anything about this guy did you? You said the name sounded familiar. He wasn't a famous pony, was he? No one knew about him."

Twilight stopped rummaging through the tomes as she turned to the five faces before her. She looked seriously at them, before she turned to her assistant. "Spike, the book."

The little purple dragon immediately hopped off the ladder, and ran upstairs. The sound of thumping and something crashing was heard, making the six ponies wince. Twilight gave a small sigh, but reminded silent as Spike reappeared on the stairs, bearing a heavy book about the same size as himself. With difficulty, he descended each step, struggling to keep himself from tumbling down the steps. He was successful until the last three steps. Misjudging the distance, he tripped and tumbled down to the ground. Dusting himself off and trying to act as dignified as possible, particularly in the presence of Rarity, he gave the book to Twilight, who thanked him and began to turn the pages. Finally, she stopped at a page and looked up.

"I found out who this Samael was. I'm sure I'm right."

"Who?"

"Who is he?"

"How come nopony ever heard of this pony?"

Twilight took a deep breath. "Rainbow, you didn't find anything about Samael. No one heard of anypony called Samael. Because… he wasn't a pony."

Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Not a pony?"

"No."

"Then what is he?"

"A dragon."

Questions being answered? So you THINK. Guys, believe me, this is not over. We still need to reach halfway. Fun. For me at least.

Reviews are the best kind if gift I could ask for. And hopefully it isn't a hard thing to ask for. Thanks again to my faithful readers!

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 11

Author's Note: Hello again, fellow bronies! I might as well devote this entire account to MLP. I haven't got any plans for anything else, in any case... Now I know you guys are all dying for some bittersweet Appledash. SO PREPARE.

I'd also like to add, that I have the next five chapters sitting ready for uploading already... but I feel entitled to make it last a bit longer. To tell the truth, I don't want this to end ,it's been so much fun. But enough of that. We haven't reached the halfway mark yet. What am I going on about.

Special thanks to Arby Works (go check out his story "Apple Spectrum" if you haven't seen it already"), Endymion Blue, Feanor Noldor, Kit of Despair (who made me change this from one shot to one story), kitmaro, Rainbow Breeze and Triforce of the Gods, for really following this story through and leaving reviews. For your continued support, I'm cooking up something special for you guys.

Also, thanks to everyone else who has reviewed, it means a tonne to me. Maybe you could get on the "Honour Roll" too.

Now enough of this chit chat. We have a story to read. Enjoy!

Silence. Nopony said a single word, as the statement rolled about in the library, making the quiet almost deafening.

"Huh. A dragon again." Rainbow was the first to recover, giving a shaky laugh. "Guess it makes sense why I never found anything about him… I dunno why I assumed he was a pony… but…" She shook her head.

"Twilight, dear, what does the book say about this… this dragon?" The fashionista walked over to Twilight, and looked over her shoulder at the pages in the heavy book.

The purple unicorn cleared her throat. "It says here that Samael was an ancient dragon, with powers over fire, earth, water and wind. He was extremely powerful, and most of the ancient civilisations bowed down to him, respecting him and giving him gifts in the hope that he would return favours for good harvest and weather. However, Samael became tired of the job of looking after the ponies. He wanted more, and became violent. Three times he has risen to power, resulting in bloodshed, and horror. Each time a hero managed to defeat him, and save ponykind. After every defeat, Samael retreated to an unknown location. Though he has been around for four thousand years, the last time he returned was two thousand years ago."

The book was closed with a heavy thump, and Twilight looked up at the other five ponies.

"What in Celestia's name would those there Pegasi be up to lookin' fer this here dragon?"

The collective voices of everyone present in the room rose, questioning what objective a pony would be after that involved asking about a fearful and extremely powerful beast.

"Guys. GUYS!" The noise died down as everypony turned to Rainbow. "I'm really curious about this Samael guy as well, but at the moment, can we focus on rescuing my parents? Then we can try find out about this dragon."

"You're right, Rainbow. We need to start on plans right away! But first we need as much information as possible. Let me just grab some ink and paper."

While Twilight rushed to her work table and pulled out the necessary supplies to begin organising the mission, Applejack came to Rainbow's side again. "Are ya alrigh' there, sugarcube?"

"Huh? Oh, AJ, yeah I'm okay. I just… I really want to go and find my parents now. As in right NOW." The Pegasus took a deep breath, before she whispered, "I'm scared, AJ."

Applejack looked at her tenderly, her loving expression unseen by the cyan pony whose gaze was directed at the ground. "Now don't ya worry, RD. We'll find yer parents, Ah Pinkie Pie promise. We've got the strongest team anywhere, ya can count on it. And it's okay ta be scared, RD." AJ wanted to nuzzle Rainbow again, but held back. "Ya don' always have ta be so brave."

Rainbow smiled a little. "Thanks, Applejack. Thanks for… everything. You've done so much for me…"

"Ya would've done the same fer me."

"Hey! Applejack! Rainbow! Come on, we've got a rescue mission to organise!" Twilight was sitting at her desk, her glasses on, and her horn glowing as she moved her quill into the ink, before readying it for writing. All the others had surrounded the table, ready to begin. Instantly, the two ponies raced each other to the table, just managing not to crash in the confined space of the library.

"Alright, Rainbow," Twilight began, smiling a little and rolling her eyes at their antics, "I need to know about your journey, to the place and back. As much detail as possible please."

"Uh…" Rainbow scratched her mane with a hoof. "Where do I start?"

"Hmmm… start with your journey. You said you began the journey on foot – or wing – from Dodge Junction didn't you?"

"Oh right, uh… well, I travelled for about four days, three flying and one walking… I travelled for half the nights as well… so… three nights travel. There wasn't really much to distinguish in the landscape… There was a cave area that I found on the third night. I remember staying in there.
Uh… fourth night was when those thugs," she spat the word out, "took me."

The quill whizzed across the paper, as Twilight noted all the information Rainbow gave. Looking up, she asked, "And you were travelling west?"

"Yeah, just went directly west from Dodge Junction."

"Nothing at all in the landscape?"

"Uh… not really… just a few scraggly bushes and stuff… uh… OH! There was a line of rocks or something about…" Rainbow took a moment to try and work out the compass points. "South of the way I was going. It practically just kept going the way I was flying… I think the cave on the third night might have been part of that rock line thing."

Twilight nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now when you came back, you flew… east?"

"Yep. Towards the sun, I remember…"

"You don't' remember how long it took, getting to Ponyville?"

The rainbow-maned head shook itself. "I just remember I flew non-stop until I saw town again."

"Alright…" the quill scratched across the page, taking down all the observations and small foot notes and ideas that were coming to Twilight. The others simply watched silently. Applejack didn't take her eyes off Rainbow. "What about the area? I know this is hard for you, Rainbow, and I'm sorry for asking, but it's essential. Do you remember anything about the place when you were leaving?"

"Don't worry, Twilight. Uh… well… it was rocky… I remember that. When I flew out of that place there were boulders and stuff everywhere! The place was actually underground, because I remember flying out and seeing the entrance which was actually practically in the ground. Uh… that's about it…"

The studious pony nodded again, as she finished writing everything down. "Excellent! We have the beginnings of a plan here, girls." A cheer went up, and Pinkie began to bounce around the library excitedly. "Now Rainbow… do you remember…"

For the next few hours, Twilight asked questions and Rainbow would answer them. On occasion, somepony else would chime in with a point or an important question that was missed. Every now and again, she'd stop and search through one of her many beloved books, for something or other. Spike raced about, trying to find the tomes Twilight was after. Applejack watched as the pile of paper plans mounted on the desk.

Finally, the quill went down next to a now half-empty bottle of ink. "I think it's time for you girls to go and get some rest. We've got a lot happening tomorrow, and we'll need to figure it all out. And I need some time to think alone."

They all nodded. "When should we meet up, darling?" Rarity asked, looking at her tired friend in concern.

"As soon as possible. Rainbow, you don't have anything on, do you?"

Rainbow shook her head. "I can come straight away. Unless…" she turned to Applejack. "AJ, do you want me to help on the farm? We could finish up quicker and that way we can both get here sooner."

"Tha' sounds mighty fine, Rainbow. Thank ya."

"Sounds good. You could finish by midday?" The two ponies nodded in assent.

"Pinkie, will you be able to leave Mr and Mrs Cake for half the day?"

"I think so, Mr and Mrs Cake are always really nice and generous, and they always tell me that if there's anything important I need to do then I should go and do it, but I'll ask because it's the right thing to do, but I should be able to get here by twelve!"

"How about you, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, twelve will be fine. I'll attend to all the little ones in the morning. They'll be fine for the rest of the day, as long as I come and tuck them in for night."

"Rarity? Will you be alright with twelve?"

"Of course, darling! I might as well come earlier, the Carousel Boutique can stay closed for a day."

"That sounds great! Okay, girls, meet here at twelve tomorrow. Rarity, if you can come early that'd be great. See you tomorrow!"

And with that, they all parted ways, waving goodbye and making their way home. Applejack and Rainbow Dash simply glanced at each other, before they began walking in the same direction, towards the Apple's family farm.

"Hey, AJ, can I go and quickly check on Tank? I checked on him this morning, and gave him some food, but he likes it when I say goodnight to him."

"Of course, sugarcube. When yer done, jus' come in. It's pretty late, so mah family are probably asleep. Ah'll jus' fix up somethin' fer us ta eat before we go ta bed."

Rainbow nodded, and took off, her wings taking her into the sky. Her mane danced in the cool night air, as the wind blew through the heavens. Applejack sighed, before she began to walk again, back home. In the distance, she could see all the lights were off. It really was quite late, but she had told Big Mac about going to Twilight's so he wouldn't have to worry.

Trudging along the ground, Applejack thought to herself. Rainbow Dash. She remembered what Pinkie had told her, about telling Dash about her feelings. She shook her head. No. Ah can't do it. Ah can't. She was sure everypony knew about her feelings. If they didn't before, they probably did now. Even today, when they had been watching her and Dash… the looks of disappointment… They must've been hoping for something to happen too. AJ sighed again. It was impossible. Nothing happened, nothing would ever happen. They were over. Applejack was just glad that Rainbow was oblivious to all the signs. Even if it was obvious to everypony else.

The orange pony pushed open the door to her house. It was silent, and AJ was careful to avoid all the creaks in the floorboards as she made her way into the kitchen. On the counter, she saw two covered plates set aside. She knew it was for her and Rainbow. Carefully lifting the covers off, she saw apple dumplings, hay fries, and apple pie. There were also two bottles of apple juice sitting beside the plates. Deciding to heat the food a little, she quietly placed it all in a tray and set it in the oven to warm up. She carried the bottles of juice to the dinner table. Suddenly, she realised that eating in the dark wasn't the best idea. She knew the place like the back of her hoof, but Rainbow wasn't as familiar, even back when they were together. Applejack frowned. She didn't want to turn the lights on, especially seeing as the stairs led into the dining room and any strong light would filter up the stairs. After a moments indecision, AJ walked over to the cupboard, and pulled out a brazier with candles.

A warm blush appeared on the cowpony's cheeks as she gazed at the scene in front of her. The brazier of candles was lit, and sitting in the middle of the table, bathing the dining room in a warm glow, the light flickering off the walls as the fire danced. The meal had been set up across from each other, and the entire set up was romantic. Uncomfortably so.

Applejack didn'' want anything to be awkward between them, she didn't want Rainbow to wonder or suspect feelings or anything. But just as AJ made to get rid of the candles, she heard the front door open and close. Quiet hoofsteps down the hallways that managed to miss most of the creaking boards, and a rainbow head popped around the door. The eyes widened as she took in the scene. "Whaaa…?"

"Rainbow! Ah, uh… Ah jus' thought that using candles might be a better idea, 'cause everypony else is sleepin' and the light might bother them, that's all! Ah thought it wold be better than eatin' in the dark!" Applejack was blushing deeply now, and didn't look at the Pegasus. Rainbow either didn't notice this, or chose to ignore it, because she took this in her stride.

"What are we having?"

"Some apple dumplin's, hay fries an' apple pie. An' apple juice."

"Awesome!" Rainbow dove for the nearest seat, and looked at her plate excitedly. Applejack laughed, sitting down too. Soon, dinner was underway, and Rainbow ate hungrily, getting through her meal with customary speed. Applejack simply assumed she had been so tired and worried, and now that something was being done about it, she was back to her usual self. While Rainbow wolfed her food down, AJ only picked at hers. The unintentionally romantic setting was making the Earth pony feel awkward. Evidently, Rainbow hadn't picked up on just how the appearance of everything made them look like they were having a couple's candlelit dinner. Suddenly, the Pegasus stopped and looked at Applejack. She glanced at the table, and the plates in of her and AJ. As if realising something, she lifted a hoof and pointed it accusingly at her friend.

"You're not eating!"

Applejack felt her heart restart, so loud that she was sure the rainbow-maned pony sitting across from her could hear it. "Oh! Righ'."

Rainbow shook her head. "You have to eat! You're always going on about eating a lot because you need energy and all that stuff and everything, and how it's important to eat all your meals. Here." And Rainbow reached across the table and picked up some fries. "Open up."

The Stetson-clad pony stared at the flier in shock, her face heating up. It was only her orange coat and the semi-darkness that managed to hide the worst of the blush from the unsuspecting Pegasus.

"Come on, AJ. Don't make me ask twice."

Applejack opened her mouth, and Rainbow reached across, placing the fries in it. In the candlelight, Applejack took in how the flames flickered across the Pegasus's face, casting a reddish glow onto her blue coat. The same flames were reflected in her eyes as well, as they locked eyes for a moment. Rainbow fed Applejack the rest of her hay fries, and AJ was lost in the moment. Sitting across the table from the love of her life, being fed fries in the candlelight… she wanted to freeze that moment and live in it forever.

But as all good things do, it soon ended, and the last of the fries were gone. Rainbow sat back, oblivious to Applejack's veiled disappointment. "Much better. Now eat you dumplings, or do I have to feed them to you as well?"

When dinner was done, they washed up quietly, before heading upstairs to Applejack's bedroom. Both were too tired to prepare for bed properly. Rainbow simply went over to her bed, and collapsed onto the pillows and blankets, mumbling a muffled goodnight before her snores soon filled the room. AJ flipped her hat off her head and place it carefully on its hook. Crawling under the bed sheets, she glanced over at Rainbow once more. Seeing the messy sprawl of blankets, she quietly trotted over again, and fixed it up, tucking the Pegasus in properly. Then with what seemed like a natural gesture now, the orange pony leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. After making her way back to her own bed, AJ fell asleep, slipping into her dreams.

The next morning was a flurry of activity. From the minute they woke up, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were rushing about, ready for work. The breakfast was gone in a flash before an orange and blonde blur, accompanied by a blue and rainbow blur, took to the fields. Rainbow was working especially hard, AJ could tell as Rainbow managed to clear trees with two or three kicks, and on the odd occasion, a single buck. The idea of making a move to save her parents had given her new energy, and fight. Applejack had never seen her work so hard before.

They finished clearing the fields in record time, the town clock not quite ticking over to eleven yet. They had managed to harvest all the apples on the farm less than five hours. With nothing better to do, the two friends walked into town, making their way to Twilight's tree library. Rainbow was visibly excited about whatever plan Twilight would come up with.

"Maybe there'll be a really awesome ambush or something, then we'd really get them!" Rainbow finished up on her excited litany just as the door opened. Both Applejack's and Rainbow Dash's jaws dropped.

Twilight looked exhausted, and it was immediately evident that she had stayed up for most of the night, if not all night. There were bags under her eyes, and her usually neat hair was unruly. Her hoof was wrapped around a cup of coffee, and her shoulders were slightly slumped. But at the sight of them, her face changed from one of extreme tiredness to one of excitement.

"I've got it! I was up all night fixing things up, and trying to sort things out, but I've got a plan! It's all worked out, but I'll tell you about it when everyone gets here."

A white unicorn appeared behind Twilight. "Hello, Applejack, Rainbow Dash. It's a pleasure to see you two. Twilight has gotten everything sorted out delightfully! We'll have your parents rescued in no time, Rainbow, dear." Rarity then put a hoof on the purple pony's shoulder and gently steered her to a seat. "Poor darling, she was up all night! Rest a while, Twilight, dear, we have some time."

"Why are you… sorry… so early?" The purple magic student asked, covering a yawn with a hoof.

"Finished clearin' the farm in record time! Rainbow here really worked up a sweat, buckin' those trees and cartin' the apples into the barn."

"Done in no time flat." Rainbow said proudly, making Applejack chuckle, along with Twilight and Rarity.

By eleven thirty, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had arrived for their counsel. Twilight yawned again, before she moved over to her desk. A waste paper bucket was overflowing with scrapped ideas, the desk a mess. It was a sign of how absorbed Twilight had been with the planning that she allowed her work area to become so cluttered. Sifting through the pages on her desk, the unicorn finally plucked out a stack of pages. Of all the notes, this alone looked tidy and immaculate.

"Girls, I've assigned each of us a general job, which will be essential to the rescue of Rainbow's parents. Of course, we'll need to refine what it is you're all doing exactly, but it's been set to play to all our strengths." She turned to Rarity. "Rarity, you're a designer, how are you with making something more along the lines of armour and protective gear?"

"Oh, that would be simply marvellous! I have never tried it before, but I have dreamed about making practical, yet utterly stylish, outfits before! Oh, I must start right away! What are we after?"

"Here," Twilight took six sheets from the stack and gave them to Rarity. "These are a basic outline of the necessities. The rest is entirely up to you."

"This will be splendid! Oh, I'll start designing now! Twilight, darling, you wouldn't have some supplies would you? So I could begin drawing the designs?"

"On the desk. Fluttershy, you're talent in communicating with animals will be essential! Is it possible for you to set up a communication network with your animal friends? If they could pass information from the base, do some scouting, and get back to you it would be invaluable! Could you do something like that?"

"O-oh! Y-yes, I think so. Angel can help me, and we could try making a s-spy ring."

"Excellent! Thank you, Fluttershy!" Twilight stopped to consult her list. "Pinkie! You are the most energetic of ponies! I'll need you to help with surveillance of Ponyville. It's been obvious that they've been watching things for a while and we need to do the same, in our own base. That way we can't be taken unawares. Your Pinkie sense will be crucial to this! And it might be able to give us some idea of coming events too."

"Oki, doki, loki!" Pinkie Pie was practically dancing with excitement at the prospect. "Oh, I can't WAIT to start the mission, and if anything will go wrong, my Pinkie sense will be jingling and I'll know, and we can do something about it!"

Finally, Twilight turned to Rainbow and Applejack. "Girls, you will be the field agents. Rainbow, naturally, you'd be the one to go and rescue them. We need a headquarters to get this operation underway, which is why we're staying here, at least for now. We can relate information to you from here, after analysis so you know what to expect. Applejack will go with you."

At that, AJ shot Twilight a suspicious look. Why did she put them together? With everything that's happened…

As if reading her mind, Twilight made to continue but was cut off by Rainbow.

"No."

AJ winced a little at the harsh answer. She felt a pang shoot through her. She doesn't want it.

"Rainbow…"

"No, Twilight! I've accepted that you guys help me, but if we're travelling separately, I want AJ to travel with you. I can go alone. It's too dangerous, I can take care of it myself. And the travelling is exhausting. I know you'd be up to it, AJ, but it's dangerous! I can't take you into a situation where you could get hurt."

Applejack's heart melted, as she listened to Rainbow's reasons. But she didn't let it show. If she wanted her way, she'd have to be forceful about it. Twilight couldn't get a word in.

"Rainbow Dash, Ah am gonna come whether ya like it or not. It IS dangerous, an' tha's exactly why Ah need ta go with ya. It's for too risky for jus' one pony ta go an' if somethin' happened ta ya…" she almost admitted her feelings right there but managed to bite her tongue. "If somethin' happened ta ya, who'd be able ta find any help?"

"But–"

"No buts! There is no way Ah'm gonna let ya go alone, RD! It's better ta travel with somepony, an' ya an' Ah both know it! If ya travel with another pony, there's somepony ya can depend on, for help an' safety. Ah'm comin' with ya, an' that's final!"

Twilight smiled at the expression on Rainbow's face. They were both scowling at each other, and Rainbow had a slightly defeated look on her face.

"It's for the best, Rainbow. I paired you to up because you two are the strongest ponies, and you actually work well together. When you're not arguing or fighting," Twilight added, amused.

"FINE." Rainbow threw up her hooves in aggravation. "Just tell us what we have to do!"

Twilight briefed them on the procedures, before they joined Fluttershy in the communication and spy system. When that was sorted, they were chivvied off by the unicorn, who insisted that they rest and take a break and let the headquarter ponies work.

Rainbow was still annoyed over their earlier argument, and stormed off without comment. Applejack followed, hiding a smile. She couldn't help it. Rainbow was so cute when she was angry. After walking for a while, they reached a grassy meadow, and the Pegasus dropped to her haunches. The Earth pony came up and sat beside her, looking at her frowning friend.

"Awww, cheer up, sugarcube. Ya aren't still angry abou' the argument at Twilight's are ya?"

She sighed and pawed at the ground. "Nah, I know you're right. It'd be crazy to go off alone again, I barely made it last time. I'm sorry."

"Tha's alrigh', RD."

"I'm just worried that something might happen to you."

Applejack couldn't quite believe her ears. Of course she wouldn't want anythin' ta happen ta ya. Y'all are friends after all. But she couldn't quite hide the blush creeping up over her cheeks, and she looked away to hide it. A small smiled inched onto AJ's face as she said, almost shyly,

"Well, tha's why Ah had ta come. Ah was worried that somethin' might happen ta ya."

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, isn't that nice. Hope you guys are enjoying this. Leave a review?

Thanks.

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 12

Author's Note: Here's the next installment! Hope you like it.

Remember to check out "Apple Spectrum" by Arby Works, if you haven't already, and please leave a review if you can!

NOTE to my faithful readers/reviewers: As part of my thank you gift for supporting and helping me with the writing this fanfic, I will give you (somehow) a fully reviewed and edited copy of this fic, with never-before-seen passages. The rest... is still a mystery. Thanks again! And hope you look forward to that.

And the show must go on...

The next day carried out in a similar fashion, the rush of working through the orchards, before racing to Twilight's. The plans were now well underway, the communication network overseen by Fluttershy and Angel already working. The "agents" were dispatched, and intel was already being transmitted back. Twilight constantly corresponded with Fluttershy, drawing out detailed plans and maps for their planned method of attack. Pinkie Pie helped with the transmission of news, all the while springing about excitedly and patrolling the town. Rarity worked furiously, dragging Applejack and Rainbow to her boutique to get measurements.

Both ponies were typically unenthusiastic about being forced to spend the rest of the day with Rarity, but before either could say anything, Rarity pulled out a book. "Girls, you are going to look stunning!" Her horn glowed as she flicked to the appropriate page and showed them the designs. Their jaws dropped.

The outfits looked formidable, and serious, and completely practical in every sense… but it was with such immaculate style that the rich folk in Canterlot would have been jealous of them. Applejack stared at the drawings. It was really quite simple in design but it looked amazing. Sleek in design, it encased the body and legs, in a silver-grey shade. The neckline was V-shaped, with a comfortable reinforced collar. There was another layer over the top, and one glance told AJ that this was for the heavy duty fighting – if it came to it. A hood-like helmet that could easily be pulled on and off for convenience was connected to what looked like plates that covered the back and chest area. Around each leg, there were bands to provide support to the joints. For Applejack, there were added reinforcements of some sort to her back leg bands. Her Cutie Mark was emblazoned on the flank, slightly enlarged on the chest and a smaller one on the flank.

"The first layer is obviously for practicality of movement, comfort, cushioning, and also to help regulate the dreadful temperatures in the desert," Rarity shuddered elegantly at the thought of the travel. "I've had the latest high-quality fabrics ordered in, and they should come in later this afternoon. It will reflect heat off you in the day and will keep heat in at night. It's extremely easy to move around in, all the best athletes use it. Including the Wonderbolts that you're so fond of," she added as she turned to Rainbow. Rainbow, however, still seemed to be entranced by her outfit. AJ hadn't looked at the Pegasus's gear yet, but her eyes widened when she did.

Like AJ's, it had a similar body layer, made of silver-grey material that covered the legs. It was mostly the same, except there must be holes for Rainbow's wings. The armoured layer was where it changed. The helmet system was similar, the hood that could be pulled on and off as needed. But the rest was different. The plates covered Rainbow's shoulders, front, and back. It was less reinforced on the top, with a wide opening to allow easy wing movement. As opposed to the strong layers over AJ's chest and back, Rainbow's was lighter and had stomach protection as well. There were only normal reinforcement bands on her four legs, but she had some kind of band along her wings. The thunderbolt that was Rainbow's Cutie Mark was also emblazoned on the chest and flank. It looked good on the drawing of Rainbow, and Applejack could picture it on Rainbow in real life.

"… The second layer is the protective layer in case you get into any… scrapes…" Rarity continued. "There's been some variation in the design to fit both your needs. Applejack, as you can see, yours has reinforcement on the back legs, to help add strength to them, and to prevent injury. I've also shaped the armour so you can attach your packs onto it, and for your rope, dear. I'm assuming you'll be bringing it?"

Applejack gave a nod. "It looks mighty fine, Rarity, ya did a fine job."

"Thank you, darling. Now, Rainbow, you can see that I've left plenty of space to allow your wings to move about easily. I did some study on Pegasus fashion and after I get your wing measurements I'll have everything done perfectly! Your armour is more encompassing, but lighter, because you will be in the air, dear. And the armour protects your exposed front while you're in the air too."

The rainbow-maned Pegasus was grinning. "Wow, Rarity! This is twenty per cent cooler than any outfit I've ever seen!"

The white unicorn smiled at that, "Thank you, I'm delighted that you both like them so much! Now, I just need to take your measurements, dears. When I finish making them I'll go through the finer details with you." And with that, Rarity was away, the designer coming out. Taking down measurements, looking at materials, chopping and changing ideas. Rainbow and Applejack could only look at each other as they were subject to a whirlwind of testing, modelling and other various exploits by the fashionista.

Eventually, afternoon was turning into evening when they were finally let out of the store, feeling exhausted despite only standing all day and having outfits pushed onto them and over them. Trotting down the streets of Ponyville, Rainbow heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"I thought we'd never get away!"

Applejack chuckled, "So did Ah. But ya have ta admit, those outfits look somethin' amazin'."

"Oh, yeah! They are AWESOME! I dunno how she came up with them! But they are cool. Like… definitely twenty per cent cooler than any other outfit EVER!"

By this time, they'd reached the square, and were nearing the library.

"Why don't we drop in on Twi' and see how she's doin'? She migh' have somethin' new ta tell us."

The Pegasus nodded, and followed the orange cowpony to the door. Upon the opening of the door, they were instantly bombarded with questions and information from Twilight. By the time they were finally able to get away, it was getting late again. Minds spinning with facts and figures, and maps and shortcuts, the two ponies were spent. They understood that their friends were working flat out, but after a day of rushing around everywhere, taking care of farm chores, being subjected to Rarity's designing madness, and learning about complex plans from Twilight they were really tired.

Entering the farm house, AJ found two dishes set on the table again, for them. She reminded herself to thank Big Mac. Too tired to do anything, they simply ate in the dark before tripping up the stairs and stumbling into the bedroom. Without much thought, they both made their way to their respective beds and collapsed on them. The work pony closed her eyes, and was about to drift off when she felt something nudge her head. Opening them, she saw Rainbow lift her hat off her head and put it on its hook. Her mind was processing everything slowly, and it had barely registered what happened. Applejack had about enough sense to mumble a thank you, watching Rainbow with a smile. Rainbow simply smiled back, before wishing AJ a goodnight. Then she was out like a light.

The next day was another rushed day of activity, but without having to be fitted and measured at Rarity's boutique. Instead, they spent time with Fluttershy, learning how the communication would work.

"Well, we've managed to enlist the help of some of the desert animals," the shy Pegasus spoke quietly. "There's a network happening between the animals. Oh, but you don't have to worry about that. What will happen, is that, the animals will pass on information to each other, and get back to me. It's actually really quite fast! I can give the information to Twilight and she will be able to work out what you should do. Then the plans will be written down and transferred to you. Um… has Twilight told you about the code?"

Applejack frowned and looked at Rainbow. At her confusion, she turned back to Fluttershy and shook her head. "Not yet, she hasn'."

"Oh! Well, she'll tell you soon, I'm sure. It's quite clever. Um… well… you should receive a report every night, one of the little critters will be able to find you. But… um… please be on the lookout if you can, in case there's an emergency. I know you'll be busy travelling and watching for d-danger, but if you could keep an eye out…"

"Don't worry, Fluttershy! We'll have it covered!" the confident flier asserted herself. Applejack gave a chuckle, rolling her eyes.

"Now, don't ya worry a bit, sugarcube. We'll be on watch at all times."

By three o'clock, they were at Twilight's again.

"Alright, we've just received new intel! There's a complicated tunnel system running around their base, and it could be extremely confusing, but we managed to map it out. This should be right, but I'm waiting for the next message from Fluttershy to make sure it's correct."

"Woah there, Nellie, y'all need ta came yerself down! Now let's slow down. We know how ta get there now, an' where ta stay in what caves. What do we need ta do when we get there?"

"Right, well, there's the second last day you will stay at the cave south of the place. Fluttershy's animal friends have discovered a cave which is very close to the entrance of the place. You can set up camp there, and wait for information about when to strike. Here is a map of the tunnels, and we're hoping this plan will work…"

For two hours, the three ponies bent over the table, reading the mapped tunnels and routes into what was a stronghold of some sort. Trying to comprehend just how difficult the rescue would be was frightening, and Applejack could see so many ways the plan could go wrong. But she was determined to do this, and every time she looked at the determined face of Rainbow, she knew that she'd do everything in her power to bring back Rainbow's family.

"Alright, girls, we'll leave it there today. One more day tomorrow, and we should have everything in order!" Twilight said happily. The organising the unicorn had to do put her in a good mood, something neither Applejack or Rainbow could understand. After insisting they take a break and leave her to fine-tuning some of the points in the plans again, they found that they actually had some time left before dinner.

As they made their way through town, Applejack hesitantly turned to the rainbow-maned pony next to her. "Rainbow?"

"Hmmm?"

"Well… Ah was thinkin'… we have a little time before dinner… an'… well… I was wonderin'… we haven't had a race yet…"

"You wanna race?" Rainbow's attention was immediately caught at this suggestion, and she looked at Applejack eagerly. She smiled and nodded. "Alright! But I should tell ya, I'll win this easy."

"Woah there, Nellie! Ah wouldn't be so confident if Ah were ya. After all tha' time healin' Ah think ya might have gone a little… soft," AJ looked at Rainbow slyly.

"WHAT?" The proud Pegasus's eyes widened. She put a hoof on her chest. "Rainbow Dash, the best and greatest Young Flier in all of Equestria, gone soft? I'll show you!"

The competitive edges in the two ponies were starting to come through in the light of their challenge. "Ah don't think so, RD, Ah'll be too far ahead ta see anythin' ya show me."

The two looked at each other with narrowed eyes, before turning as one to the path in front of them. Rainbow pawed the ground, rearing to go, while Applejack dug her hooves in for a strong spring to start the race.

"Up the path, to the farm, then through the orchards, to Whitetail Wood and down to the lake!"

"Deal! No wings!"

"Deal!"

"On three then!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"THREE!" both ponies yelled as they threw themselves forward into the race. Applejack felt the familiar adrenaline rush through, something she had missed while the cyan pony. Only a race with the competitive Rainbow Dash could bring out this feeling, the wild spirit that would forget everything in the pursuit of a victory over a best friend in a friendly challenge.

Soon, AJ found her rhythm, moving along at a strong pace without straining herself. She'd save the burst of speed for the final stretch. Glancing beside her, she could make out the sky blue Pegasus that was her competitor and her friend. The two seemed to remain at a similar speed, moving together. No one pulled ahead, no one fell behind. They galloped, through the orchards, before they hit the woods. The yellow and orange foliage that sat on the trees were beautiful to Applejack as she raced through them beside Rainbow. She glanced at the Pegasus every now and again, taking in something different each time. The mane blowing back in the wind and the speed. The cyan coat lit up by the setting sun. The look and determination on her face.

Applejack knew she loved Rainbow Dash. She wanted this, for the rest of her life. An ache in her heart grew, one that couldn't be attributed to the run. It was the pain of love's touch. Something beautiful, yet terrible. But only because it was for somepony she couldn't have.

She turned her attention back to the trees, but as beautiful as they were, she couldn't see it without the spectral wonder beside her. Looking ahead, she saw the lake coming up. This was the final part, the last stretch. Applejack began to push harder, gaining speed, but she could see Rainbow had matched her in the final dash. As they drew closer to the lake, it was still an even tie. They ran right onto the wharf that jutted out into the lake, determined to be the winner. As they reached the end, there was no way of stopping, and they barrelled right into the water.

The cold water hit AJ, making her shiver and cough, only to take in a giant mouthful of water. She pushed up, to the surface, and when her face broke through the water she took in a huge gasp of air, then another, and another. Shaking the water out of her eyes, she looked around to see… nopony. Panic took hold. Where was Rainbow? She quickly turned to look at the wharf, keeping herself afloat. Nothing. She felt her heart start beating faster, as she cried out, "Rainbow? RAINBOW."

"BOO!"

"AAARRRRGGGHHHH!" The Earth pony almost shot out of the water in fright. "RAINBOW DASH."

"Pffff… HAHAHAHAHA AJ, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACE! AHAHAHA!" The pony floated away on her back, still laughing hard.

AJ felt her heart rate slow again, to normal, and relaxed. Despite her terror of the last few moments, the sight of the laughing Pegasus brought a smile to her face. But she held it back, and pushed her way to shore. She stomped up through the sand, and shook herself off a little, before waiting for the still grinning Rainbow to join her.

"Tha' wasn't funny!"

"Ehehe, yeah it was!"

"No it wasn't! Ya had me scared fer a moment there!"

"EXACTLY." Rainbow then fell back onto the sand, and began to roll around in laughter.

Applejack shook her head in exasperation, but smiled at the sight. Then she noticed that her head didn't have its familiar weight. Reaching up confirmed it. Her Stetson wasn't there. She immediately looked around but didn't see it anywhere, not in water or land. A voice came up behind her.

"Looking for this?"

She turned to see Rainbow with the hat sitting on her head. She had found a piece of grass which she stuck in her mouth and was balancing on her hind legs, her forelegs crossed. AJ couldn't hold back the smile that came to her lips, and she felt the urge to reach up and kiss Rainbow. To just close the gap between them, a gap that would always be there, but shouldn't be. She could feel the longing, the pain, and willed for none of it to show. She looked away, to hide the emotions, knowing that lying to Rainbow was impossible. She just hoped the flier was still oblivious to her affection.

Rainbow dropped to her forehooves again, and gently flipped the hat onto AJ's head. Right there, right then, AJ almost spilt it all. She almost gave herself away, almost told Rainbow the truth. She wanted to tell her, wanted to say that she loved Rainbow, more than anypony could ever love another.

Turning away, she bit her tongue, then striving to keep her voice steady, "Come on, we better get goin', dinner should be ready."

That night, she couldn't sleep again. Sitting on her bed, she watched Rainbow again, sleeping. There was that same sadness that sat on her face, the lines of unhappiness. Wha' must it be like losin' yer parents only ta find tha' they were alive and captured? She wondered to herself. How brave do ya have ta be? She sighed, looking at the beloved Pegasus on the other side of the room. The distance between them shouldn't be there. They were meant to be together. There shouldn't be a few metres of space between them. AJ wished that Rainbow was next to her, that she could sleep in the Pegasus's hold. First thing to see in the morning, last to see at night. So close, yet so far. The truth was, Rainbow was just out of her reach, like the highest apple on the tree.

When AJ was still a young filly, she had been walking through the orchards, when she spotted an apple in one of the trees. It was extremely high up, and impossible to get by climbing. And it was beautiful, the definition of a perfect fruit. Bright red, shiny, juicy looking, it had not a single blemish on its surface. It was perfect, and Applejack had wanted it, to take in for show and tell at school. And she was determined to get it. But no matter what she tried, it didn't work. She wasn't strong enough to buck the trees, though she tried. She tried climbing the tree, but was nowhere near enough to reach it. She tried using something to knock it out of the tree. Her pride, even back then, stopped her from asking anypony for help. But that one apple was unattainable. Like Rainbow.

Rainbow. The definition of perfection for Applejack. Brash, arrogant, confident and annoying, she was also compassionate, gentle and kind. And she had the determination, the drive. The energy. How could she ever have let somepony so amazing slip away from her?

Finally, AJ, gave up trying to get that apple. But the next afternoon when she was walking through the orchards again, she looked up to see the apple there. She decided to give it one last try, and bucked the trunk as hard as she could. She knocked down quite a few apples, her first time… and the beautiful red one fell as well.

AJ smiled sadly, shaking her head at herself. Impossible… The word bounced around in her head. There was no chance. Rainbow was gone, the ship had sailed. And the best Applejack could do now was to hide her own feelings away, and hope that the Pegasus never realised. Living a lie… But telling the truth would mean saying goodbye to the one pony that meant more than the world to her… and she just couldn't find the strength to destroy the friendship they had built again together.

Eventually, Applejack drifted off…

"I... really... like nights like these."

"Ah know y'all do."

"R-really?"

"Well, sure Ah do! Ah've known y'all fer a long time."

"Well... I... uh... don't suppose... y-you know... why I... uh... like these nights so much?"

"Well... Ah might... maybe..."

"Y-you do?"

"Well… why don't ya just tell me?"

"C-cause... uh... I'm not sure how you'll... uh... take the answer."

"Awww, Dash, tell me."

"Mmmm…"

"Please?"

"Well… there's this pony I really like… ya know… as in… like like… and, well, we go for walks sometimes, ya know… on the clouds. She's a Pegasus too. And… well… it's really fun. And… I think she likes me too…

"Righ'… well… Ah better head back in now, Rainbow. Ah… Ah'm real happy fer ya…"

"Thanks, AJ. I'm gonna go see her now. See ya!"

"AJ, this is Cloud Chaser, she's my new marefriend."

"Sorry AJ, I can't hang today, Cloud Chaser and I are going out to dinner tonight. Maybe another time alright?"

"AJ, she's so amazing. She's everything I ever wanted in a pony."

"I love her, AJ."

"She means the world to me, AJ."

"I'm going to marry her, AJ."

"NO MORE!" Applejack bolted upright in her bed, feeling tears run down her cheeks. The sunlight hadn't quite touched the window sill yet, but her cry had woken the slumbering Pegasus next to her.

"AJ… are you alright?" the groggy pony struggled to get up and see what was going on.

Instantly, AJ, ducked under the covers, for fear of Rainbow seeing her tears. She didn't want to talk right now, especially not to Rainbow. The dream, no, the nightmare had been so vivid, so real, and Applejack could feel her heart cleave in two. She needed some alone time.

"D-don't worry, sugarcube… it's nothin'. Ah'm jus'… gonna go get some fresh air…"

"Alright. Are you sure you're okay, though?" Applejack peeked over the covers to see Rainbow looking at her, concerned.

"R-really, it's nothin'. Jus' a bad dream 's all."

"Alright… if you're sure…" Rainbow sounded unconvinced, but didn't press the matter.

Applejack left the house as quietly as possible, escaping the confines. When she was out the door she began to run. She ran as hard and as fast as she could go, to down by the lake where they were last night. When she reached the wharf, she collapsed and began to cry. Applejack rarely ever let herself go like this, but she couldn't hold it in much longer. She cried until there were no tears left to shed. Looking at herself in the reflection, AJ made a promise. That she would never stand in the way of Rainbow finding happiness in another pony. That AJ would accept it and be happy for her. Even as she swore to herself that she would keep this promise, she felt her heart break. Closing her eyes, she pushed herself off the wharf and into the water. The icy water was like fire to her. She kept herself submerged for as long as she could, before breaking the surface and swimming to shore. She felt a new duty burn within her.

She loved Rainbow Dash. And Rainbow's happiness came first. If Rainbow ever found another special someone, Applejack would grin and bear it. She would do everything in her power to make Rainbow happy. And that meant helping her find her parents. She'd stop at nothing until they did.

Returning to the house, she found Rainbow coming out of the house, and looking around urgently for something. When the orange pony came into view, Rainbow let out a sigh and jumped over.

"Where were you? I was looking for you! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Ah'm fine, sugarcube. Jus' went fer a dip."

Rainbow looked at her strangely, but accepted it. The rest of the day went like usual, learning new tactics and strategies, planning, and preparing for what was to come.

The fourth day finally arrived. Departure would be tomorrow, and there was a sense of excitement, anxiety and apprehension amongst the six as they all double checked everything. Maps were pressed onto Rainbow and Applejack by Twilight, baked goods from Pinkie and the Apple family. All friends except Rarity were at the library when she burst in, carrying two large bags on her flank.

"Girls! Be prepared for the most stunning, most stylish, and most formidable outfit you have ever seen!"

And she pulled out the beautiful armour, the designs made real. Gasps and exclamations filled the room as everypony examined the masterpieces. "Well, put them on! Let's see just how splendid they are!" Applejack moved forward and slipped on the first layer easily. It was extremely comfortable, yet stylish. Then she donned the armour. To her surprise, she could barely feel the weight of it at all. Yet when she tapped it hard with a hoof, it was solid enough to hurt the hoof but the metal remained unscathed.

Rainbow was doing the same, and AJ watched her eyes widen at the lightness of the armour. "How…"

"Is it so light?" Both ponies nodded. "Well, I used this new metal that they had on market, and it was expensive, but it was all the rage for armour and I simply had to have it! Oh, you two look simply amazing!"

The two friends looked at each other, and Applejack could only admire how strong Rainbow looked in her new gear.

"Thank you, Rarity! These are so, SO COOL!" Rainbow punched the air.

"Thank ya kindly, Rarity. These really are somethin' amazin'."

"You're welcome, dears. Now I believe we have a little something else planned? Pinkie Pie?"

"PAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRTTTTTYYYY!"

The festivities were wild and enjoyable, as they always were with Pinkie in charge. In the colour and the cake, Rainbow and Applejack laughed and joked with their friends, spending the last night before they left together as a group. Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy would stay behind and run their headquarters, while Rainbow and Applejack began the journey. They would join later, when the infiltration was about to happen.

But as the hours passed the party broke up, leaving the six ponies together.

"Now, you'll be starting first thing tomorrow. You should be able to get to the first check point by nightfall. Remember to rest during midday, and only travel in the morning and afternoon. Camp out at the checkpoint at night and wait for communication. Good luck, girls! We'll miss you." Twilight hugged them.

"Darlings, I've explained everything about your outfits to you. Remember that the compartments are opened by pushing, not pulling. Take care, Applejack dear, Rainbow."

"OH I'M GONNA MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH!" Pinkie pulled them into a hug, squeezing the air from them. "But, don't worry! Auntie Pinkie Pie will take care of everything here, and my Pinkie senses will keep us safe! Take care! I'LL MISS YOU!"

"Oh, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, be careful out there. Make sure you keep safe, and alert. I know you two are the bravest ponies I know, and you will be fine. Please be careful."

"Thanks, y'all, fer everythin'."

"Yeah. We'll get this mission done in no time flat!"

They shared one last group hug before they each went home. Applejack and Rainbow returned to the farm one last time. When sleep finally came, it was dreamless. But somewhere, underneath it all, there was a question of what was to come. And Applejack needed more answers than one.

The end... of this chapter. How'd you guys find it? I'm a little worried that I'm losing my touch, but hopefully it's holding together.

Please leave a review! It means more than subscriptions to the story, even though it is great that you guys want to watch it grow.

Thanks.

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 13

Author's Note: And here is the next section of our little story! School's getting back now, which is a real pain. So expect longer delays between the chapters. They'll still come!

Thanks to everyone for the reviews! Just saying, you guys are AWESOME! Remember to check out Arby Works' "Apple Spectrum".

Stay cool!

When the sun had barely touched the horizon, Applejack was already up. Waking up early was a habit, and having to get up a little earlier than usual made little distance. Glancing over at the ball of blankets she caught sight of rainbow mane poking out. Smiling, AJ quietly left for the bathroom. She washed up, tying her mane and tail back. This time, she had to put on her armour too, feeling the comfortable layers sitting on her easily and lightly. When she came back to her bedroom, she was met with a reproachable Rainbow.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Ah thought ya could do with a little more sleep there, sugarcube. It's a mite earlier than usual."

Rainbow frowned at that, disliking it whenever Applejack tried to shelter her. But all she did was flip the Stetson hat onto AJ's head before backing up and taking the outfit in. A smile spread across the Pegasus's face. "WOW, AJ, you look AWESOME!"

Applejack chuckled at that, before moving past Rainbow to their packs. "Well, go an' put yers on, Ah'll start checking our packs an' supplies." The cyan pony left, taking her own armour with her. The cowpony turned to their packs and double-checked the contents. Maps, paper, ink, quill… blankets, water, food… Applejack nodded. Everything was there. Their suits had inbuilt compasses and weapons hidden in compartments. She then went to the foot of her bed, tossing the coils of rope around her neck, fitting it into grooves that Rarity had made for that purpose. Hoofsteps behind her told her that Rainbow was back and she looked up. And took a sharp breath in as she looked at the pony before her.

Rainbow was standing proudly in the doorway. The sun was just getting high enough to reach into the room and illuminate the Pegasus. The armour gleamed off her chest, her Cutie Mark reflecting the light at the point of the lightning bolt. Rainbow was grinning, puffing out her chest in pride. Determination was in her eyes, in her stance, in her soul. Today they'd begin the journey to find her parents. And AJ knew that nothing would stop Rainbow now, from bring her parents home.

She's everythin' Ah ever wanted in a pony… brave… strong… hardworking, when she tried… competitive… friendly… She's perfect. Aplpejack felt the familiar piercing pain in her chest, and turned back to the packs on the ground. Grabbing on in her mouth, she quickly walked over and placed it on Rainbow's back, keeping her own face out of sight. Rainbow could always tell when anything was wrong by looking at Applejack's face, and she didn't want the Pegasus's concern to turn towards her at the moment. Trotting back for her own pack, she cleared her throat.

"Why don' ya go on down, Ah'll be there in a minute."

"Sure."

The blonde maned pony listened to Rainbow's retreating hoofsteps down the hallway. She navigated the creaking sections with ease. It seemed that even after all this time, Rainbow remembered some things. Applejack flipped her pack onto her own back, and gave her room one last look. She sighed. She'd be travelling for the next two weeks. What was more, she'd be with Rainbow Dash. With a hoof, she tilted the Stetson over her eyes. She remembered her promise. She'd keep it. No matter how much it hurt.

As AJ made her way down the stairs, she could hear clattering in the kitchen. Slightly confused, she hurried down into the cooking area… to find Rainbow blundering about, her pack set by the counter on the ground, as the Pegasus tried to balance a tray of apple goods in her hooves. Managing to hang on to it, she quickly stuck it in the oven and closed it. With a sigh of relief, she turned the oven on, turning to see Applejack holding back laughter. Rainbow gave her a haughty look and walked over to the table, sitting down.

AJ could only chuckle and followed, taking the seat across from her. "Ya did mighty fine there, RD." Applejack gave her a cheeky grin. Rainbow huffed a little, blowing her colourful mane out of her eyes. The cowpony gave another chuckle. "Ya did, sugarcube. Thank ya fer helpin'."

The Pegasus's mouth lifted a little, but she still kept the scowl on her face. Applejack knew Rainbow was still unhappy at the idea of being "babied", especially in their quest to save her parents. Rainbow sniffed, and didn't look at the pony on the other side of the table.

"Awww, RD, don't be like that. Ah know ya like ta sleep, so Ah though' Ah migh' as well let ya lie a little longer."

Rainbow finally smiled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just… this is already my problem and I'm dragging my friends into this. I want to be on top of everything, ya know?"

Applejack nodded. Rainbow's pride meant that she hated to burden others, particularly with her own problems. Being the Element of Loyalty made nothing easier, as she would feel like she had been disloyal in leaving her friends in the first place, then bringing back a problem for them to contend with. AJ understood Rainbow, and reached a hoof across to take the cyan one, in friendship. "Rainbow, Ah've said it before, an' Ah'll say it again. Ya've done so much fer us in the pas', RD. Ya shouldn't face everythin' alone. As yer friends, we wanna do this, we wanna help. We need ta rely on each other. So don' be too hard on yerself."

The proud flier sighed and nodded. "Your right, AJ. But still…"

They sat in silence for a while, until the timer on the oven gave a small "ding", indicating that the cooking was done. "I got it!" Rainbow was out of the chair and over at the oven in a flash, making herself useful. The orange pony smiled at her friend, but felt a pang as she felt Rainbow's hoof slip away. She rolled her eyes. Rainbow always had to prove her point.

When the breakfast was finally out, the clock was ticking over to six in the morning. They needed to set out soon, and ate breakfast hurriedly. As they cleaned up their plates and set aside the rest of the food for the rest of the Apple family, Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith were making their way down the stairs.

"Mornin'!" Applejack said with some surprise. "Why are y'all up so early?"

"To say goodbye to ya and Rainbow, of course!" The yellow filly piped up, throwing herself at AJ. "Wow! Your armour looks so cool! Are ya sure Ah can't come along?" The older sibling laughed, hugging her sister back.

"We talked abou' this already, 'Bloom." Shaking her head, she lowered herself to the filly's level. "Ah told ya yesterday that ya can' come. Not the kinda thing a young filly like yerself should come on."

"Awww, okay… Take care, big sis!" Applebloom squeezed her sister, before letting go and turning to Rainbow.

"WOW, Rainbow, ya look awesome!" Rainbow chuckled and swung the little filly onto her back.

"Thanks, squirt! Now while your sister's gone, you better look after the place." Rainbow was grinning, and gave AJ a quick wink."

"Ya bet!"

Applejack turned to her older brother. The red colt was smiling at his sister, concern in his eyes. "Take care, lil' sis. Be careful out there."

"Ah will, Big Mac. Thanks." Applejack hugged him. "Look after the farm while Ah'm gone! Ah'm sorry ta be leavin' ya like this."

Big Mac only shook his head, indicating that the apology wasn't needed. "Ya do what ya have ta do."

"Applejack." The orange pony trotted over to the old green mare. "Ah knew ya since ya were a righ' small filly. Ah know ya will be fine. Be careful. An' come back. Both of ya."

"Yes, gran'ma." AJ hugged Granny Smith tightly, before turning and joining Rainbow by the door. "Ah'll miss y'all. But we'll be back before ya know it! Ah promise." And with a last hug, a last wave, the two ponies began their dangerous journey.

The seven o'clock train for Canterlot was pulling in when they arrived at the station. Showing their tickets to the inspector, he kindly waved them aboard. The speedy trip to the glittering city was passed in silence. Applejack could see that Rainbow was thinking deeply. About what, she wasn't sure. But if she could have guessed, she was sure it concerned Rainbow's parents. Not wanting to disturb the Pegasus, she spent the journey simply watching Rainbow out of the corner of her eyes.

When the train pulled into Canterlot, they hopped off, changing for the 9 o'clock train to Dodge Junction. They had some time to wonder around for a while, and Applejack suggested walking through the streets. "Come on, Rainbow, ya've been awfully quiet all trip."

Surrounded by the chatter of everyday life in the busy city, AJ managed to get Rainbow out of her sombre mood. By the time their train arrived, the rainbow-maned pony had regained some of her vigour. "And then I sprang up behind Twilight, and yelled 'BOO!' Her face was so funny!" Rainbow laughed, recounting one of her many pranks on the purple unicorn. Applejack shook her head, smiling at the story, and the change in Rainbow's mood.

The two day trip on the train would have been dull, but the company of a best friend alleviated the boredom. Between the hoof-wrestling, arguing about one thing or another, eating and sleeping, Applejack found herself sharing stories with Rainbow, and getting to know her better than ever. As Rainbow recounted another one of her flying exploits, Applejack reflected on their time together. In the last few months, since Rainbow literally crashed back into their lives after three years of absence, Applejack had felt painfully distant from the Pegasus. But the time they spent together showed just how much Rainbow hadn't changed. She was still the annoying, cheeky, brash, arrogant, proud pony that would always be the loyalest of ponies, the loyalest of friends. She was still the pony AJ had fallen in love with all those years ago. If anything, the jokes, games, work and competitions they shared made AJ love her even more than she ever had in her life.

And the fact that Applejack couldn't have Rainbow… but then again, 's always the sweetest fruit that we can't have.AJ looked away, her mind on the apple.

"AJ? Applejack? APPLEJACK." The orange pony was jolted from her thoughts by her name. She looked back at the Pegasus to see her concerned eyes trained on her emerald ones. "Are you alright?"

Applejack quickly looked down, mumbling, "Ah'm fine."

"No you're not."

"Ah am."

"Applejack."

"What? Ah said Ah was fine!" Applejack glared at the pony sitting across from her. But the look on Rainbow's face melted her heart instantly. "Ah'm sorry, Rainbow. Ah didn't mean ta be so short with ya."

"Don't worry about it. But I can tell you aren't okay. You always tell me to let it out. You can talk to me, AJ."

She found herself at a stalemate position. She couldn't tell the Pegasus what was on her mind. But she couldn't lie either. AJ bit her tongue, worried. What do Ah say? What do Ah do? She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked directly into the deep rose of Rainbow's eyes. Her Rainbow. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"Ah can't tell ya, Rainbow. Not righ' now, anyway. Remember when ya asked me ta wait, when ya couldn' tell me what was botherin' ya?" She nodded. "Well, can Ah ask ya ta do the same fer me?"

Rainbow sat back and thought for a moment. After a minute, she nodded, but asked "Do you promise to tell me what it is?"

Applejack bit her tongue. That rainbow maned Pegasus was making it hard for her. Finally, she gave a nod. "Alrigh'. Ah promise ta tell ya abou' it."

"Pinkie Pie promise?"

"Pinkie Pie promise."

Rainbow accepted that, and began another one of her stories. Applejack half listened, her mind still on what had just happened. Yeah, she decided. Ah'll tell her one day… But Rainbow had never specified when. Applejack could tell Rainbow with her last dying breath.

The two days passed in a blur. Time always passed faster when AJ was around that crazy cyan pony. She couldn't decide whether to be ecstatic over having the next two weeks with Rainbow to herself, or terrified that in those two weeks Rainbow would realise the truth about her feelings.

As they alighted from the train and entered the little village that was Dodge Junction, Rainbow confidently led the way to the inn, and booked them a room to stay for the night. Things were right on schedule: the fourth day of their mission would see the beginning of the trek through the desert. Spending the day double-checking and triple-checking the plans and their supplies, as dusk drew in and Celestia's sun had almost moved aside completely for Luna's moon, they decided to go for a stroll, and dine at the small café on the corner of Dodge Junction's main square.

The stars shone brightly out here, even more than in Ponyville, Applejack decided. It was beautiful, and yet looking at the stars with Rainbow by her side was more painful than all the times she had done it alone. It brought back memories, of them lying together in the grass, pointing up at random shapes that they made out of the sparkling dots painted on the velvet canvas that was the sky. It had been romantic. Neither pony ever admitted that they enjoyed that kind of stuff, but Applejack loved those moments, and she was sure the Pegasus, tough and tomboyish, loved them just as much.

Not anymore…

She held her sigh in, lest Rainbow noticed, but the pain in her chest, her heart, couldn't simply be wished away. Walking through the streets of the town, it also reminded her of that time when she had run away after losing the rodeo. Her friends had come running after her. And Rainbow had run the hardest, searched the longest for her missing friend. Applejack recalled the tackle Rainbow made, trying to stop her from running any further. The embarrassment and shame she had felt for losing, and for running away after that. But her greatest fear, even then, was for Rainbow to see her as a failure, to pity her. But instead, the pony was understanding and supportive. Her friends had all convinced her to come back, not caring that she didn't win. But what made her happiest was Rainbow Dash, standing by her.

Sitting at the café, Applejack and Rainbow ate a fairly decent meal of daisy salad, hay fries and lemon tart. After eating, Rainbow wiped her mouth with a foreleg and looked across at the Stetson-clad pony. "The tart was nice, but I think I prefer apple." AJ smiled, but said nothing.

Time flew by, and it was getting closer to bedtime. They had an early start tomorrow, ready to leave at six in the morning. They had to travel south to the rock range first, a day of travel. This was necessary for cover when they travelled in the day, and shelter in the night.

"Alrigh', sugarcube, time fer us ta turn in. We got an early start tomorrow, an' we need ta sleep well."

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow stretched, getting to her hooves. Applejack made her way back to the inn, and Rainbow followed, flying close to the ground. Climbing up the stairs to their room, Rainbow floated over to her bed and dropped down on top of the covers. Stretching again, she yawned widely before turning to look at AJ, who had made her way over to her own.

"AJ?"

"Sugarcube?"

"Do you remember when you came out here after losing that rodeo?"

Applejack gave an embarrassed smile, "Ah do."

The Pegasus's eyes glinted in the moonlight that came through the window. "Were you really that upset about losing that you came all the way out here without even saying goodbye?"

The orange pony thought for a moment. "Ah guess… after tha' party y'all threw fer me, Ah was so determined ta win. We needed tha' money ta fix up the town hall. When Ah didn't get the prize money, Ah was so ashamed. Y'all were counting on me, an' Ah let y'all down. Ah guess Ah was too proud."

Rainbow sat up and looked at AJ seriously. "Applejack, we needed the money, but you didn't have to win it. We would've gotten it some other way. And I dunno how you could ever be ashamed of yourself. In case you've forgotten, you were awarded the best pony in Ponyville."

Applejack smiled at that. "Ah also happened ta make a bit of a fool of mahself then too."

"Only 'cause you had to stay up all day and all night to buck those apple trees."

"Ah had too! Big Mac was hurt, Ah didn't have help. Ah had to get all those trees sorted mahself!"

"No! You had help, but you refused it until the very end," Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "And you always tell me to rely on my friends more."

Applejack grumbled. The words "unfair" and "pride" could be heard.

"You're too proud, AJ," Rainbow laughed.

"An' you're one ta talk."

Both ponies chuckled at that. Similar in so many ways… Except one. Ah love her… but she doesn't love me… Settling down, Rainbow tugged the sheets over herself, rolling over to sleep.

"G'night, AJ."

"G'night, RD."

Murf murf murf. I don't even know. Thanks to everyone again, for being really supportive about my writing, I know the quality isn't all it should be, but there are a gajillion things to think about so I'm glad I can get things down. It's a bit short, but next update will be 6000+ and you'll enjoy it. Trust me.

Thanks again!

Until next time...

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 14

Author's Note: Hey guys! Just realised that my last update marked the two month anniversary of the start of this story!

Now this is Chapter 14, obviously, and there seems to be something about the number 14... A fortnight has 14 days, the length of AJ's and RD's journey... among other things...

ANYWAY, the point is, I am now opening a poll. It'll last until the next update. Check it out on my profile, just click my name and it'll take you to my page, which should have the poll. It's a blind poll, just to keep things interesting.

ANYWAY... I think everypony for their patience, school is hectic, and I don't have hours to churn out stuff unless I forgo sleep, which is not going to happen. But as a reward, here is a SUPER HUGE chapter, simply for you guys to enjoy.

Thanks again to my reviewers, you know who you are. Check out "Apple Spectrum" by Arby Works if you haven't already. And if you could all grab a giant stick and stab him, that'd be great 'cause it might make him get a move on with that story of his.

Read on...

Two weeks could disappear in a flash when she was with Rainbow. They were a two days away from the final campsite where they'd stay and prepare for the infiltration. The journeying was exhausting, and the heat of the day and the cold of the night were only made bearable by the amazing fabrics that Rarity had used in their suits and the blankets and water they had packed. But Applejack would only be lying to herself if she said she wouldn't do it again, a million times over, just to be with her beloved Pegasus.

Walking for two weeks with one pony could be extremely boring. But Rainbow Dash wasn't just any pony. They'd talk for hours on end, even finding occasional energy to have a hoof-wrestling match, and even at one point, a full out battle. Applejack recalled the event, smiling a little as a light shade of red tinged her cheeks.

It had been about four days ago. They had spent the morning navigating a particularly difficult area along the rocky range they were following. Resting in the shade of the large rock walls and boulders, they had spent the hottest part of the day eating, drinking and arguing about the Iron Pony Contest.

"I won the wrestling event fair and square!"

"Ah don't think so, sugarcube. Ah seem ta remember seein' ya usin' yer wings fer jus' a second there."

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah ya did!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Alrigh'. Match righ' now, then?"

"Yeah! I'll show you, AJ. I'll win this for sure."

"We'll see, sugarcube."

Rainbow offered her wings to be bound up by rope. Applejack carefully wrapped and tied the wings up, careful not to cause the Pegasus discomfort. When that was done, they face each other, the competitiveness of each other's personality coming out in this challenge.

"Okay… OnetwothreeGO!"

A blue blur barrelled Applejack over, knocking her to the ground, her hat flying off and landing a few metres away. Two hooves pinned the cowpony's shoulders down, while Rainbow sat on top, puffing her chest out triumphantly. AJ was too dazed to act at first. The air had been knocked out of her, but she was recovering quickly.

"HA! Told ya I was the better one!" The Pegasus leaned down, her face inches from Applejack's. All her preparations to knock Rainbow back were gone in a flash, as she became dazed for a whole new reason. Rainbow's face was about an inch from hers, and she was staring straight into the magenta eyes of her secret love. Her heart was pounding, not from exertion, but from nervousness. The cyan pony was too close, the rainbow mane just falling into her eyes. AJ could feel the breath on her lips, feel the heaving chest of the pony that had her pinned down. She wanted to badly to close the tiny gap between them. No… she wanted Rainbow to lean in and kiss her. Kiss her lovingly, and sweep her off her hooves. But Rainbow only chuckled, her breath tickling Applejack. She whispered, "I think I won this. I guess I'm the Iron Pony after all." Rainbow moved her head back, giving AJ some space and a chance to clear her head. Disappointment washed over the Earth pony, but she pushed it aside. With a sudden spring, AJ pushed herself up, throwing Rainbow off balance. She took the chance with both hooves and tackled Rainbow to the ground. The tables had turned, and now AJ had the upper hand.

"Who's winnin' now?"

Rainbow growled and they fought in this fashion for the better part of the afternoon. They had to make up an hour of lost time, but neither of them minded in the least, having enjoyed the wrestling match they'd shared.

AJ heaved a sigh, her eyes downcast. An' that's the closest Ah'd ever get ta that Pegasus. Rainbow was a few metres ahead, and didn't hear the sigh. It was getting close to five and the sky was shot with gold as the sun began its descent again, moved by Celestia's magic to make way for the moon. A couple of minutes later, Rainbow called out to her.

"AJ, we made it!"

Applejack ducked under a rock arch and rounded a boulder to see a decently sized cave where they were to spend the night. Rainbow trotted in, and began to set up the place as they had done previously. Putting the pack on her back down, she began removing food and water, and blankets. Applejack joined her, pulling out some wood to make a small fire for heating the food, and for warmth. The night chill was already filling the air, and the two friends could already feel the dropping of the temperature.

Soon enough, the fire was crackling away, and Rainbow and Applejack ate their reheated apple and cinnamon crisp, hay sandwiches, and canned apple slices. Washing it down with water, Rainbow sat back when she had cleared her enamel plate, stretching her legs and wings. AJ could see how much Rainbow wanted to fly, but as part of keeping a low profile, she had to avoid it as much as possible and the close, twisted rock area made it difficult to stay airborne for long.

"Ya really miss usin' yer wings, don't ya?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah…" Rainbow went to the cave opening and looked up at the night sky with longing. Applejack watched Rainbow, feeling Rainbow's yearning, her frustration at not being able to do what she loved. AJ joined her, and looked up at the stars too. She then gently nudged the Pegasus, as a frown made its way onto her face. "What?"

Applejack simply nodded at the sky to the north, and Rainbow followed her gaze… to see dark shapes in the sky, closing in with a purpose.

"Get in the cave, now!"

The two ponies scrambled back into the cave, and AJ grabbed a bottle of water with the intention of extinguishing the fire, but it was too late. With frightening speed, the shapes reached their rocky outcrop, and dropped down outside the cave. Applejack knew instantly that these weren't the Pegasi Rainbow had talked about. There were five, but none of them matched the description Rainbow had given them. There were five of them, standing in a semi-circle around the cave opening menacingly. One, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward. The Pegasi wasn't that big, but he was well-built and the scars across his muzzle showed that he was a fighter.

"Well, well, well… look what we have here… looks like Stormfoot was right."

Rainbow snarled. "Who the hay are you?"

"Well, we're not about to tell you that, now, are we?" Jeers and laughter came from the band. "They've got a price on your head, and we were sent to find you. Looks like we did."

"Working for those no-good ponies, are ya? You pathetic excuses for Pegasi!"

"I'd watch what I say if I were you, my friend. You see, you are quite easily outnumbered. And you're two fillies. We were instructed to bring you in alive, but they didn't say anything about not hurting you."

Applejack's blood was beginning to boil, and she could feel adrenaline rush through her. She came up beside Rainbow, and looked at the henchponies in disgust. "A bunch of cowards, if Ah ever seen one. Too afraid ta take on two fillies unless ya got three extras on hand?"

The leader's face flushed in anger. "You watch your mouth, missy, or I'll make sure you can't speak. I hear it's hard to talk without teeth."

Rainbow gave a furious roar and sprang at the Pegasus, catching him by surprise. He was bowled over, and Rainbow began to hammer blows onto his body. But the other Pegasi instantly closed in and one grabbed Rainbow from behind and hauled her back. But before another could kick her, Applejack jumped into the fray, leaping in front of Rainbow and spinning on her forelegs. Her back legs flew out and landing with a satisfying "THUNK" against the Pegasus's skull. And the fight began.

Rainbow threw herself backwards, pushing against the pony that had gotten hold of her. AJ couldn't see what was happening, her attention suddenly taken up by two Pegasi circling her. The one she had bucked groaned on the ground, but she didn't pay too much attention to him. He wasn't an immediate threat. The other two were more weary approaching her after seeing her kick. Then as one, they flew up into the air and dived at her. Applejack threw herself forward into a roll, avoiding one pony, but the other caught her a blow on her back. She didn't feel much, the armour doing its work. But she was a little winded, the speed of the Pegasus causing a decent some effect. Before she could recover, the Pegasi were on her, grabbing her by her hind legs. Without thinking, Applejack grabbed the rope in her mouth and tossed the lasso into the air. Expertly, she used to grab a hold of one around the neck, and yanked, pulling him to the ground. The henchpony was surprised, and a little shaken, but before he could recover, a flash of rainbow and he was knocked out on the ground. Further away, the Pegasus that had Rainbow in his grip was on the ground, clutching his head. Rainbow spun around to tackle the other one that was holding AJ, but he had already let go, and avoided Rainbow's attack. He made to knock Rainbow over as she recovered, but a rope lasso grabbed him by his back leg and with a sharp pull, the Pegasus was brought to the ground with a crunch.

The two ponies instantly stood back to back, looking around them as the leader and two Pegasi, having recovered but were still a little dizzy, stood around them. Every move they made was countered, and they circled, frustrated that they couldn't get within three metres of the two ponies. Another pony joined them, recovered from their previous incapacitation again. The last, however, looked like he was out for good.

Suddenly, the leading Pegasus threw a grin, and whipped out a long knife. At this, the other three drew out knives of their own. Applejack glanced at Rainbow, and each pulled out their own weapons. Blood was pumping around AJ's body, and she could hear it, loud, as it rushed through her mind and body. The adrenaline fuelled her, as well as the fear. She couldn't let anything happen to Rainbow.

A lightning fast strike came from the corner of her eye, and she instinctively moved to block it, but as she did so, she saw another to her right. Tossing her rope around the neck of the first Pegasus, she twisted it, and pulled, causing him to stumble and giving her enough time to meet the second pony. The blades clashed, and she blocked and parried his blows. As the other pony got to his hooves she took the rope again and swung it around, using his body to block the charge of the oncoming pony. The two clashed heads and fell down, unconscious.

Applejack spun around, ready to counter another attack, but found none. Then she caught sight of Rainbow in the air, battling the remaining two Pegasi. The leader and the accomplice were feinting and parrying, but Rainbow managed to keep them away mostly. A few times, the blades glanced off her armour. They aimed for her exposed neck but she always managed to move away in time. She had actually managed to land a few swipes to the strong ponies, but two against one still wasn't in her favour. Applejack darted over immediately, blade ready. Her lasso, however, was left behind, and the airborne battle was out of her reach. She caught Rainbow's eye and mouthed "Distraction". With a minute nod, Rainbow indicated that she understood, and suddenly darted left. It was a feint and she quickly changed direction, moving towards the right, throwing the Pegasi off balance. The leader, however, managed to get a quick swipe in that connected with flesh. It cut across Dash's right foreleg, and blood began to flow. Applejack almost felt the pain herself, but knew she had to concentrate. She grabbed the handle of her knife tightly in her mouth, then spun her head and released it. It flew up and embedded itself in the hind leg of the accomplice. He let out a howl of pain, and spun around, diving at Applejack. She leapt to one side, and gave him a good buck. It connected with his hindquarters, nudging the knife. Cursing, he yanked the knife out and turned daggers on her. But before he could make any move, she felt a cold blade against the back of her neck.

"Don't move a muscle, missy, or it might be the last one you'll ever move." The rough voice in her ear was awful, and she could feel the tip against her fur. She hadn't put her hood up, hence leaving it exposed, and she could only stand and watch as the other Pegasus closed in with his own blade. He was limping, but he made his way over, and placed his blade at her throat.

"Now, I suggest that you should take it easy right now." The voice behind her was directed towards Rainbow. "Make an aggressive move, and she's gone." The cyan Pegasus came into view, her own injury disregarded as her eyes, wide and scared, fixed on Applejack. "So I'll make it simple. You tell us what we need to know and we'll leave you both alone. Heck, we might even let your parents go. If you don't, well… the parents are as good as dead… and… this pretty filly here? You can watch her die."

Rainbow's face had been impassive, but at the last few words, her face suddenly became livid. Her eyes were boring into the leader's and her entire body tensed. Applejack had never seen such fury cross Rainbow's face before. It was terrifying. She hovered there in the air, glaring at the leading Pegasus with so much venom, Applejack almost expected the pony to drop dead right then. Instead he snickered.

"What are you gonna do? You don't even have a weapon with you. Now you're gonna come with us, or we'll MAKE you come with us."

"Oh yeah? And how are you gonna do that?"

The blade pressed a little harder against AJ. "Forgot your little friend here?"

Rainbow twitched. "DON'T TOUCH HER."

Applejack could hear the smile in the Pegasus's voice. "Well, how are YOU gonna stop ME?"

"Rainbow!" Applejack gasped out, feeling the metal against her neck and throat. "Go! Escape!" Rainbow's gaze was directed to her, the anger in her eyes turning to shock and confusion. "Please! Rainbow, go!"

"You better shut up, girly, or I'll do it for you," the voice snarled in her ear, but she disregarded it. AJ looked at the cyan Pegasus with pleading eyes, begging her to leave. There was no way out of this, and if they took Rainbow, who knew what could happen to her. It was as good as checkmate.

A sudden gust filled the cave, and a flash of rainbow. And Rainbow Dash was gone. Applejack felt something inside her break. So Rainbow left. That was what she wanted. She wanted Rainbow to escape, maybe make it back to safety. But she couldn't stop the pain she felt at having been abandoned by the one she loved so dearly, who had once loved her.

"Well, whataya know… that Pegasus left… Element of Loyalty? They must've gotten the files mixed up back there."

"Well, what about this filly, boss?"

The leader gave a dark chuckle. "I don't think we have any use for her. I told you to keep your mouth shut, but you didn't listen did you? And now your friend's left you. Any last words?"

"Why don't ya come an' face me first? Then Ah can say 'em ta ya face, ya coward."

She felt the blade on her neck push in a little, before he came into view, his face wild with anger. "WANT TO SAY THAT TO MY FACE?" A flash, and the blade caught AJ's foreleg, slicing through the fabric and cutting her skin. She gave a grunt, but she wouldn't give in easily.

"YA CO–"

KABOOM!

Before anypony could react, a blinding radiance filled the cave, and the night, with the radiance that could only come from one thing. A Sonic Rainboom.

Applejack didn't know what happened, but suddenly something ricocheted past her, smashing into the two Pegasi and sending them hurtling with it into the opposite wall at the back of the cave. The impact was so strong that Applejack, blinking the bright spots from her vision, could feel the cave floor shake. When she had regained the ability to see, she turned to see a mass of bodies that had crashed a hole into the rock wall. Amongst the dark bodies of the henchponies, cyan and rainbow could be seen.

The cowpony sprang to her hooves, disregarding the pain of the cut in her foreleg. She galloped over and pulled Rainbow away from the mass. There were cuts to both her forelegs, managing to shred through the layering. The helmet had been dragged over her head, and had somehow managed to remain on despite the speed she had been travelling. The Pegasus was unconscious. Applejack looked out to see that only about ten metres away, a cluster of rocks and boulders made it impossible to fly into the cave from a distance. Which meant Rainbow had done the Sonic Rainboom right outside the cave entrance. And the speed with which she hit into the wall…

A sudden deep-seated fear took hold of AJ. She pushed her head onto Rainbow's chest , but could hear nothing through the armour. She carefully but quickly pulled the protective layer off, casting it aside. She leant close to the Pegasus, not seeing a reassuring rise and fall of her chest. The terror inside ran rampant, as she put her head on Rainbow's chest again, straining to hear the thumping of her heart that meant she was still in the land of the living.

Silence.

Her fear and panic threatened to take over, but Applejack quelled it, beginning to pump the cyan chest as tears ran down her face. "Come on, Rainbow, come on. Don't give up. Ya never give up! Come on." She gave thirty compressions, then gave two breathes, administering First Aid. "Come on, Rainbow. Don't leave me. Ya can't leave me! Come on! Not like this. Ya can't do this ta me. Wake up, Rainbow. Wake up. WAKE UP!"

Applejack collapsed onto Rainbow, crying in earnest. She had been doing this for twenty minutes. After the first ten, if there was no recovery, there was a very unlikely chance that the pony would recover. She wrapped her hooves around Rainbow. The ache in her heart was terrible.

"Why d-did ya d-do this ta m-me? W-why did ya save m-mah l-life? What were ya th-thinkin', y-ya silly f-filly?"

"Eurgh… Well, that's, ermff, no way to say thanks to your saviour."

Applejack's eyes opened wide, in shock, as she felt the chest rise and fall again, straining for each breath. She looked at the Pegasus to see her groaning, the look of pain on her face, yet her mouth was stretched into a grin, albeit a pained one. AJ could only stare at Rainbow. Then the magenta eyes moved to Applejack's foreleg. A frown creased her brow.

"You're hurt."

Without thinking, Applejack leaned in and kissed Rainbow Dash right then, right there. She felt the Pegasus freeze beneath her, and realised what she was doing. She quickly drew back, guilt and panic on her face.

"A-Ah'm sorry, Rainbow, Ah didn't mean ta, A-Ah–"

A cyan hoof reached up and pulled AJ back down to meet Rainbow's lips. The world stopped turning. Applejack could hardly believe what was happening, sure this was all a dream. Rainbow Dash was kissing her! She closed her eyes tight, and kissed the cyan pony back. It was so wonderful, and she realised just how much she had missed Rainbow's kisses. It tasted sweet and fresh, like the air straight after a storm. AJ sighed into it, feeling Rainbow smile. She was leaning against her body, and her hooves went up and caressed Rainbow's face. One of them ran through Rainbow's mane lovingly, as they kissed for what could've been a couple of seconds, or a few glorious sunlit days. Rainbow's hooves were wrapped around AJ's torso, and she revelled in the sensation, feeling herself in her love's arms again. Finally, they broke apart, coming up for air. Rainbow wore a small smile.

"Now that's more like the way you should treat your rescuer who just risked her own life to save you."

Applejack had tears in her eyes, this time of happiness, but she glared at the rainbow-maned pony. "Ya scared me, Rainbow! Don' ever do tha' again, ya hear? Ya could've died! Ah thought Ah lost ya!" The tears streamed down her face, and Rainbow sat up, reaching out to wipe them off.

"AJ, it's okay, I'm okay! And do you think for a minute I could have lived with myself if I didn't try and save you?"

The Earth gave a watery chuckle. "Ya loyalty will be the death of ya, Rainbow."

She smiled at that. "That's not completely right."

"Huh?"

"Well, loyalty will partially be the death of me."

"What? Then what's the other part?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes before locking them on the emerald green ones. Rainbow leaned in, grimacing slightly from her injuries, but put a hoof to AJ's lips when she made to protest about Rainbow moving. Leaning her forehead against Applejack's, AJ was sure she had died and gone to heaven.

"Do you really need to ask?"

"Mmmm…"

She gave a sigh. "Loyalty will be partially the death of me. The other part is you."

Applejack felt giddy. Was this really happening? She felt it was necessary to say something, so she smiled, looking into the dark eyes of her beloved Pegasus. "Well, good luck with that. Because if Ah'm on the job, ya couldn' die if ya tried."

Rainbow leaned in again, and Applejack met her halfway, wrapping her hooves around Rainbow's neck, and entwining them in her messy mane. The electricity in the kiss made her heart stop and start, but it was a wonderful feeling, the kind she wanted to experience again and again. She kissed Rainbow right on the lips, head tilted slightly, experiencing the amazing feeling of Rainbow kissing her back. It was better than she remembered, better than she had dreamed. The hunger for Rainbow's affections stirred inside her chest, but instead of filling her need, it only made her hungrier. She pulled Rainbow closer, wanting to feel how close she was, and Rainbow did the same, her hooves around AJ's torso drawing AJ in. The break between each kiss was short, as they could barely stand to be apart for more than a millionth of a second. Then Applejack felt a tongue run across her bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. She opened her mouth and felt Rainbow's tongue slide in, making her moan with ecstasy. There was fire in the kiss, in their hearts, as their tongues began to fight for possession in each other's' mouths.

Eventually, they broke apart again, chests heaving and staring into each other's eyes. Applejack nuzzled Rainbow's cheek, drawing a light blush to the grinning Pegasus's face. It was as if all the physical pain she had been feeling were wiped away in a second.

"Ah thought ya didn't love me anymore," AJ whispered, burying her face into Rainbow's neck. Rainbow wrapped her forelegs around AJ, pulling her close. Running a hoof up and down her back soothingly, Rainbow whispered.

"I think it's pretty much safe to say that I could never really stop loving you… I was just… scared… of being hurt again." Applejack knew how hard it was for the Pegasus to ever admit that she was scared of anything. "And I was scared of losing you again. To somepony else…"

Tears came to AJ's eyes again, at the pain she caused the proud Pegasus. She had broken that pride when she had lied to her and betrayed her. "Ah'm so sorry, Rainbow…"

"Don't apologise, Applejack. I know it was hard for you. It was different for you. I grew up with people making fun of me and calling me a fillyfooler. I got used to it, I could fight it. For you, it was harder, facing the narrow-minded ponies. I understand why you did it."

"Ah don't deserve ya, Rainbow…"

This time, the cheeky flier didn't make an arrogant quip, or a joke. She simply said, "After tonight, I think you've proven yourself." Applejack felt Rainbow nuzzle the top of her head gently, lovingly, just like she used to whenever AJ was upset. "I thought I might've lost you tonight… unless I did something drastic…"

Applejack smiled against Rainbow's fur, breathing the scent of fresh morning air and stormy rain. It was the only way she could describe Rainbow's scent. She loved it. "Ya certainly did tha'. Too drastic, Ah'd say, bu' Ah s'pose if ya hadn't we mightn' be here now… Like this…" She lifted her gaze to meet Rainbow's and they shared another kiss.

When they pulled back, Applejack remembered Rainbow's injuries and quickly looked at her forelegs. "Alrigh', better get ya fixed up now. Look at yer cuts and scrapes. Don't move!" she said sternly, as Rainbow made to get up and groaned a little.

"But what about your cut, AJ?"

The orange cowpony rolled her eyes. "Outta the two of us, Ah'd say yer the worse lookin' one, sugarcube. Ah'll survive fer a couple more minutes. Now keep still!" She reached for her pack and flipped through it, searching for the First Aid kit. She grabbed it and took it over to the grumbling pony, who seemed to have regained her senses for pain again. "Alrigh', stay still. This is gonna sting a bit, but Ah need ta clean the wounds." Rainbow nodded, gritting her teeth. AJ took a swab and gently, tenderly, wiped the cuts and grazes on her left foreleg. She heard the Pegasus draw in a sharp breath, but otherwise she gave no indication that she felt any pain. Throwing the swab away, she took out some white bandages, and carefully wound it around the cyan leg, with the purpose of keeping out the dust and dirt and preventing infection. "Feel alrigh'?"

"Yeah. What now, Doctor Applejack?"

Rolling her eyes again, AJ simply held out a hoof for Rainbow's other leg. She then proceeded to wipe down all the cuts, except for the nasty gash Rainbow sustained in the diversion. "Now this here's gonna hurt some, but Ah'm gonna have ta clean it real good ta make sure it doesn' become infected."

Rainbow took in a deep breath, and let it out. "Okay. I'm ready."

Applejack got some water and gently ran it over the wound. Then, getting a towel, she patted the area around it dry. Taking out another antiseptic swab, she proceeded to wipe the cut, as lightly as she could. Rainbow winced as AJ applied some pressure to it, but didn't complain. When that was done, Applejack inspected the gash carefully. It wasn't too deep, which was a relief. "Ah don' think it's bad enough ta need stitches, but Ah'll have ta bandage it pretty tigh' fer ya to be able ta put weight on it without hurtin'." Rainbow just nodded at this, and Applejack took another white roll from the box, and began to wind it around the upper foreleg. "There." Applejack then directed her attention to Rainbow's upper body.

"I guess Rarity's suit and helmet really did their job," Rainbow commented. Applejack could only agree, and promised herself to go thank Rarity especially for making such an amazing outfit. She shuddered to think of the outcome otherwise.

Her body was mostly untouched, all the areas covered by the armour completely unaffected. Even Rainbow's wings barely suffered anything more than plain soreness. But the upper chest of the Pegasus was a little worse for wear. There was a bruise on her chest, and two cuts on her neck. There was also a bruise on her jaw, but the helmet and the unfortunate Pegasi she had taken down managed to cushion her against the solid rock wall.

Applejack treated her cuts in a similar fashion, cleaning them and applying light gauze to keep them clean. When she was done, she smiled at Rainbow. "Tha's all Ah can do fer now, Dashie," she said quietly, using Rainbow's pet name. "As fer ya bruises…" She leaned in and kissed the one on her chest, then the one on her jaw. "Tha's the best Ah can do."

Rainbow looked at her lovingly, making her want to swoon, but she dismissed this. Applejack doesn't faint! Even if the love of her life was making her all weak in the knees.

"Alright! Your turn!" Rainbow got up, wincing slightly, but when AJ made to protest, she ignored her. "Right. Let's see here…" Rainbow looked at Applejack's foreleg. A long cut ran down it, but it had stopped bleeding. AJ's heart felt like it was going to burst, seeing the concern in her Dashie's eyes over her injury.

"Hmmm, we'll have to get all your armour and stuff off." Before Applejack could move, however, Rainbow was unlatching the metal plates and taking them off for her. "We'll need to get the suit off too." Rainbow helped remove the jumpsuit layer from AJ, carefully moving the fabric over the wound. Then Rainbow took up some water, and gently poured it over the cut. Like Applejack did with her, she patted the area around it dry, before picking up another swab. "Alright, ready?" Applejack nodded at her. "Just let me know if it hurts too much." Rainbow then proceeded to wipe the wound with extreme care and gentleness. Despite being such a rough, tough, daredevil pony, when it came to these things, Applejack knew Rainbow's other side, the one that stayed hidden most of the time, except for when she was around her. In fact, Rainbow could be quite romantic, endearingly so. AJ's mind wondered, thinking about all the moments they'd shared, and the many that would come. If this was really happening and not just some trick or dream.

She was brought back to the present again when Rainbow gently nudged her. Looking down, she saw her leg encased in white gauze. "All done. How about a thank you for all that?" Applejack laughed, and nuzzled Rainbow's cheek.

"Thank ya kindly, Rainbow."

The young flier grinned, puffing her chest out. This drew out another giggle from the orange pony. Only Rainbow could make her laugh like that. Suddenly, a scuffling sound came from somewhere. Instantly alert, the newly reunited lovers turned as one towards the sound. Applejack pressed close to Rainbow, preparing to defend her at any cost. Then a little bunny hopped in. AJ relaxed, leaning against Rainbow for a moment, before stepping forward. "Ya got our next message, lil' fella?"

The bunny stared around at the scene in the cave, eyes wide. Then, tentatively, it hopped over, and gave AJ the envelope. Ripping it open with her teeth, she read it, with Rainbow peering over her shoulder.

Time's passing. Shadows in the light of day may be strange unless there is something there to cast it. Remember to check your tails. Make sure you look after yourself. Yet I state the obvious. You are old enough to remember these small things.

The course is not as hard as you may think.

"So Twilight found out that somepony was tailin' us!"

"Only the message got here too late."

"At least we're alrigh'," Applejack said, nuzzling Rainbow.

"Alright, we better get a reply back to let them know we're okay." Rainbow stretched before sauntering across to grab their paper and ink supplies from the packs. Dropping to her haunches, she got a grip on the pencil, with difficulty, and then looked up at AJ expectantly.

Chuckling, the Earth pony sat down next to her and thought for a moment. "Alrigh'… let's see… how abou'… 'The dark isn't as frightenin' as it used ta be.' Uh… 'The colours of the rainbow will always bring safety… Five here, five accounted fer'… Hmmm… Tha's abou' it. Anythin' else?"

Rainbow had her tongue stinking out slightly as she wrote the words down. "Nope. Oh wait, do we want to tell them about us?"

Applejack looked into Rainbow's eyes. "Mmmm, why don' we keep it ta ourselves fer now? Ah kinda like the idea of havin' ya ta myself fer now…"

"Sounds good to me." The Pegasus leaned forward, brushing AJ's cheek with her nose and bringing on a light red tinge.

Sealing the letter, they passed it to the small bunny, offering it some water and canned apple for its efforts. Having eaten its fill, it gave them a salute and bounded out of the cave. Applejack turned to look around the cave. "We better get these here thugs outta this place." She walked over to the one that had been knocked out first. It must have been a real corker he had taken to the head, because he was still out cold. Grabbing the tail in her mouth, she began to drag the unconscious bounty hunter out of the cave. Next to her, Rainbow was doing the same for another one. Leaving them next to a boulder, hidden from view, they went in for the next two. Rainbow took the other pony who wasn't stuck in the wall. While she pulled them out, Applejack picked up her Stetson that had fallen off in the battle and had lain forgotten in the wake of the reviving of their relationship. Dusting it off, it look none the worse for wear, and she flipped it onto her head again.

She retrieved her trusty rope, looping it expertly and placing it on her armour. Having reordered the mess of objects around the cave, she walked to the back, where the two Pegasi Rainbow had smashed into the wall were slumped. She didn't approach them, still slightly weary. Hoofsteps behind her told her Rainbow had returned.

"Still out of it?"

"Looks like it."

Trotting over, Rainbow prodded one with a hoof. "Nothing." She pushed the leader onto his back and placed a hoof on her chest. "Breathing," she asserted. Both shuddered a little though, as they took in the crumpled look about the ponies. The leader had a huge bruise on his head, and his forelegs were bent weirdly. The other had a huge graze down his side, but it was shallow. There were multiple small cuts, grazes and bruises covering the rest of their bodies, but they'd live.

"They ain't gonna wake up any time soon at least."

They each took a pony by the tail, and dragged them out to join the pile of failed kidnappers. Despite what the henchponies had been aiming to do, capturing them and selling them over to the mysterious Pegasi, both Applejack and Rainbow felt no particular malice towards them and was kind enough to try and not antagonise their injuries any further. Applejack was slightly more lenient, but a part of Rainbow was still fuming over their threats and intentions towards her marefriend.

Dumping the last two ponies outside, they stood for a moment, looking at them. "Should we jus' leave 'em here? Or should we tie 'em? Ah have a spare rope in mah bag…"

"Better than letting them go free. Let's tie them up!"

Quickly trotting back into the cave, Applejack took out her spare rope. It was slightly older and more worn but still strong, just for this kind of purpose. She picked it up in her teeth, and came back to find that Rainbow had shoved them so they were roughly all back to back with each other. Making a lasso, she flipped it over them easily, then wound the rope around them tightly enough to ensure that they couldn't wriggle out of the ropes when they woke again. Finally, it was all done. Exhaustion decided to sit down on Applejack's shoulders, making her sleepy. Rainbow yawned as well, stretching again.

"Time fer bed, sugarcube."

"Yeah, yeah."

Applejack laid out the blankets, dragging over the warm coverings next to their small fire. Rainbow threw herself down onto the warm nest AJ had made, propping her head up with their packs, and the cowpony lay down beside her, pulling their blankets over them. The flier evidently would have none of that. Applejack felt two forelegs wrap around her, pulling her on top of the cyan pony and wings wrapped around her, just the way she had wanted and missed for so long. She looked up into those magenta eyes that blazed with a fire that had returned after all these days. They shared another passionate kiss, before Applejack relaxed against Rainbow, burying her head into her neck.

"I love you, Apples."

"Ah love ya too, Dashie."

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY CLAPS FOR ALL! Been a long time coming, I think.

Oh, that's right! Valentine's Day is the 14th too. Yeah, not a big fan of that day. Too mushy... despite what I have basically just written. 14 just seems to be the number for this story... I'm such an oddball...

WELL, you might think this is over, but I can promise you it's a LONG way from over. More fuzzy fluffiness now though, to ease the hell of a lot of tension that will come your way very soon. No one said this ends happily, right?

*insert evil laugh here*

So, remember to check out the poll, it's a way for me to see what you guys are interested in. After that, there'll be a new one to see where you want this to go when it's all done and dusted. So vote while you can!

Reviews are much appreciated!

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 15

Author's Note: Hey again, everypony! Looks like people have been waiting for this moment to happen, since FOREVER. The present poll has closed now, with people voting for what they wanted to happen next in this story. Interestingly, 9 of 15 wanted a tame happy ending. 3 wanted action, but with injury and deaths, and the other three options each had a single vote.

SO...

I'm going to continue with my story plan anyway, and as for what the ending will be like... I can't tell you. But it was great to have that kind of feedback, and I will take some aspect of it into account.

NEW POLL THOUGH. And this one's important. What do you want me to write first, after this little story is wrapped up? Check it out on my profile!

And thanks again to my amazing reviewers, you guys are seriously THE BEST, and it means the world to me. It really makes my day.

Enjoy!

The sunlight seeped through Applejack's closed eyes, and she grumbled, then groaned. She had just had the best dream of her life. She and Rainbow had fought a group of henchponies, and Rainbow had saved her life. Then they had kissed, and Rainbow had returned all AJ's feelings. They had been reunited, their relationship revived. It had been so vivid, so real. Applejack heaved a sigh. Well, it was time to get up for the day's work on the farm. Then she and Rainbow had to go to Twilight's and talk over the plan again.

Opening her eyes, she stared up at the wooden ceiling. The sun was bright, beaming in through the window, announcing the new day. Applejack sighed again, closing her eyes and recalling the sweetest dream she had ever had. The taste, the feel of the Pegasus's lips on hers, the heavenly sensation of being in her arms again… A single tear rolled down the cowpony's cheek. She turned her head to see the mess of bed sheets on the other side of the room, expecting to see the aforementioned Pegasus snoring away. But it was empty. AJ frowned. Something wasn't right. Rainbow never got up earlier than she had to.

Clearing her head, Applejack tried to get out of bed. But for some reason, she couldn't. She couldn't move, and panic seized her. What's goin' on? Why can' Ah get outta this bed? Is this some trick of Rainbow's or somethin'? She began to struggle against whatever was holding her. Then she heard cries. "Applejack. Applejack! APPLEJACK!" Fear gripped her heart as she recognised the voice to be that of her beloved. She fought harder against whatever was holding her back, sure that they had gotten Rainbow and were hurting her.

"APPLEJACK!"

The blonde-maned Earth pony opened her eyes to see Rainbow above her, staring at her with worried eyes.

"Are you ok–"

Applejack kissed Rainbow, her entire body shaking. After the initial shock, the cyan pony returned the kiss, calming her. She felt her body begin to relax as she was lost in the kiss. Rainbow had a way of making her feel better, and her kiss was always generous and concentrated on AJ's enjoyment.

Finally, Rainbow pulled back, and caressed Applejack's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Ah'm fine. Jus' a nightmare."

"Tell me about it."

Taking a deep breath, then another, she lifted a hoof and ran it through Rainbow's mane. "Ah had a dream… an' Ah thought everythin' tha' happened las' night was a dream… does tha' make sense?"

Rainbow nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"Well… Ah thought we were back at Apple Acres still, an' tha' we were still plannin' the journey. Ah was all upset over it, an' all, but Ah made mahself get up anyway. Ah looked over at yer bed an' ya weren't there, which seemed odd ta me. So Ah tried ta get outta bed, and Ah couldn'. Ah guess, 'cause ya were holdin' me now, Ah couldn't move an' in mah dream Ah though' Ah was bein' held down. Th-then Ah heard yer voice callin' mah name in the dream, an' A-Ah was s-sure tha' somethin' bad was h-happenin' ta ya, an' Ah couldn' r-reach ya."

Applejack began shaking again, and Rainbow pulled her in, wrapping her wings around them both. A hoof ran up and down the orange pony's back, soothing her. It was comforting, just being held like that, in Rainbow's forelegs.

"So it was all real? Las' night wasn't jus' some dream?"

She felt Rainbow's lips on her mane. "If it was a dream, and this is still a dream, I don't ever wanna wake up."

AJ giggled. "Ya really are jus' a big ol' romantic underneath tha' 'strong an' tough' persona, aren't ya?"

"What? No!" the flier was quick to deny, a blush creeping over her cheeks.

"Don't lie ta me, Dashie, Ah can see righ' through ya, even without bein' the Element of Honesty."

Grumbling to herself, Rainbow crossed her forelegs over her chest, but she kept her wings around Applejack. Laughing, AJ gave the Pegasus a little nuzzle, deepening the red on her face.

"Humph."

The work pony gave another giggle, before sitting up, and rubbing her eyes properly. Then she felt herself pulled down again, by two blue wings. "Rainbow! Let me go."

"No."

"Rainbow."

The cheeky Pegasus simply shook her head, folding her wings tighter around them. Applejack couldn't remain stern, not after wanting this for so long. But it was worth a shot. Hiding her smile, Applejack tried to look annoyed, but one look at Rainbow's grin, and she knew she had seen right through the trick.

"Dashie, let me go."

"Fine. But only if you give the most awesome Best Young Flier in all of Equestria, and your super cool marefriend, a kiss."

Applejack rolled her eyes, but happily obliged, leaning in and meeting Rainbow's lips. Before she could pull away, she felt Rainbow's hoof reach up around her head, and pull her closer. To tell the truth, she was glad. She didn't really want to pull away. Rainbow tilted her head slightly to the side, nibbling on AJ's lower lip and eliciting a soft moan from the farmer pony. Applejack's hooves were resting on Rainbow's chest, feeling the warm fur and the rise and fall that came from her breathing. Rainbow's other hoof was gently rubbing AJ's mane, which was out of its customary pony tail. Like last night, Rainbow ran her tongue over Applejack's lips, teasing them and begging entry. After allowing the Pegasus to trace her lips with her tongue, AJ opened her mouth to let Rainbow in. After giving her time to probe around, Applejack moved her tongue up, pushing against Rainbow's for possession in her mouth. The taste was amazing, as they wrestled. Applejack managed to eventually push Rainbow out, and enter her mouth. The battle continued, as Rainbow pulled her closer still. They were kissing deeply, and Applejack had no intention of stopping soon.

After locking lips fiercely for a few more moments, they broke apart. Applejack could still taste the sweet, crisp taste of Rainbow on her lips, and she couldn't quite keep the look of disappointment off her face at it being over. Rainbow saw this, and chuckled. Kissing her on her neck, Rainbow smiled into her fur. "Better get started then."

Applejack had to force herself up, looking extremely disgruntled. Rainbow knew exactly how to tease her. She was finally released from the wing hold, and stood up, stretching. Rainbow rolled to her hooves as well, shaking her body like a dog. Her bed hair changed into its usual mess of a mane. Yawning, the Pegasus began to pull out breakfast, handing Applejack her comb and hair ties while she was at it.

After running it through her mane and tail, and tying them back into their neat arrangements, Applejack joined Rainbow in a breakfast of canned apples and cinnamon toast. She found it entertaining to try and feed Rainbow the apple pieces.

"Dashie, open yer mouth."

She shook her head, looking displeased.

"Come on, Dashie, do ya want me ta beg?"

Still, Rainbow refused to open her mouth.

"Don't ya trust me?"

She only looked at Applejack with suspicious eyes.

"Fine. If ya don' trust me ta feed ya, no more kisses fer ya."

"WHA–"

Applejack quickly stuck the spoonful of apple into Rainbow's mouth, then burst out laughing as Rainbow coughed and spluttered. After finally getting the apple slices down, Rainbow stared at her with narrowed eyes, only making her laugh more. But when she caught sight of the flier's expression again, she stopped. There was a devious smile on her face, as she watched Applejack. Even after all these years, she still remembered clearly what the look meant.

"Ya wouldn't…"

Rainbow didn't say anything, just wearing the same devious grin, and moving back.

"Rainbow…"

The rainbow maned pony sprang, tackling AJ to the ground and began to tickle her. Despite being a hard worker with a well-toned body, Applejack was still extremely ticklish. Rainbow seemed to be recalling their previous challenge, as she attacked Applejack, reducing her to a mass of giggles, laughter, and begs for her to stop. When Rainbow finally relinquished her attacks, Applejack lay on the ground, panting, her mane and tail a mess again.

"Grrrr, Rainbow…"

"And that's why nopony messes with the coolest pony in all of Equestria! AND, I win the challenge! You have to cook for me for a week when we get back!"

"We'll see, sugarcube."

They finished the rest of their meal, and cleaned up. Applejack had to retie her messed up mane, but while she was brushing through it again, she felt Rainbow's gaze on her.

"You look beautiful with your mane out, AJ."

Applejack smiled, blushing a little. "Only ya would ever see me with mah mane out, Rainbow."

She grinned. "That's cool with me."

After that, they both donned their life-saving gear again, and threw their packs onto their backs. There was only one day of travel left before they reached the secret area, where they'd set up base. To AJ, it was obvious that it was going to be a good day. No matter what happened.

It was only about seven in the morning, judging by the position of the sun. They'd have to cover some decent ground before eleven. Rainbow had started ahead, a new spring in her step. AJ chuckled, full of energy herself, though she managed to contain it better than the rainbow-maned Pegasus. Catching up, Applejack nudged her side gently.

"Y'all seem happy today, sugarcube," she stated innocently.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rainbow was too cheerful to think about anything deeply.

"Well… ya seem ta be more energetic than usual…"

Rainbow glanced at her, a smile on her face. "I think you know why that is…"

"Do Ah?" Applejack teased.

"Uhuh."

"Well… why don' ya tell me? Jus' in case Ah'm wrong?"

The Pegasus gave her another smile, this time tending towards a cheeky grin. "WELL… it's because I finally get to be with you… and that means you get to have the coolest marefriend EVER!"

The expression on the orange pony's face changed from happiness to shock to exasperation. She rolled her eyes at Rainbow, and gently hit her with a hoof. "Rainbow."

"What? You know it's true!"

This drew out another chuckled from AJ. She couldn't expect anything less of Rainbow. Her Rainbow. She felt like it was a whole other world, walking by her side. The last two weeks of travelling had been completely different. They had talked, joked, gotten along like a house on fire. Applejack could feel that they were getting closer, their friendship growing stronger as they patched up the lost time. But there had always been a limit of how far that friendship would progress. Every day she had to try and hide all her feelings, every night she had to try sleep with the cyan pony only a metre or so from her. There was always a distance between them. Even while they walked side by side, they didn't remain close to each other.

The last few days, Applejack had felt her resolve slipping. She had tried to hide everything she felt for Rainbow, but being with her all day, every day, made it harder. She couldn't escape the presence of Rainbow, and was left to fight the ache in her heart twenty-four/seven. The time spent with that Pegasus brought back so many things that she had forgotten, or never fully appreciated, about her. As she told story after story, making jokes and pranks, and generally being herself, Rainbow had made AJ fall for her again and again. And on the rare occasion, when Rainbow put away the tough exterior and admitted her fears, or her weaknesses – never putting it in those terms though – it made Applejack want to hold her close, comfort her and love her. Show her that she loved her. But instead, like always, only night could bear witness that emotion. Until now.

"This is totally like a Daring-Do novel! A long journey through the desert, being unable to fly, preparing for a breath-taking and totally awesome adventure…" Rainbow was beginning another one of her comparisons of their journey to one of her book-hero's dangerous expeditions.

Having heard so much about the explorer pony, Applejack decided that Daring-Do and Rainbow had a direct personality match. Adventurous, fearless, courageous and strong? Looking at her partner lovingly, she revised her opinion. The gutsy brown Pegasus of the books didn't quite do Rainbow justice.

Rainbow Dash. The epitome of loyalty, who was yet to leave her friends hanging. Tough, strong and brave, refusing to answer to weakness and fear. Determined, and hard-working when she needed to be.

"… But, ya know why this is better than a Daring-Do story?" Rainbow stopped and looked at Applejack.

"Why?"

"Because I have you."

"Awww, Dashie, Ah knew ya couldn' hide ya inner romantic." Applejack ran her cheek down Rainbow's neck and mane, breathing in the smell of her coat. This time, the Pegasus didn't deny it, simply doing the same for Applejack, rubbing her cheek against the orange pony's neck.

When they began walking again, Applejack could feel her heart racing, her happiness making her feel like her chest was going to explode. As the day wore on, they laughed, and played, talking about anything and everything. It was really the same as what they had been doing for the last two weeks, but everything seemed twice as funny and enjoyable, overlayed with overwhelming optimism. And in between it all, the tender touches, and sweet kisses made the entire situation magical.

Time passed in a flash, and Celestia's sun had made its way into the centre of the sky. The heat of the day was finally getting to the two lovers and they soon made a refuge under a rocky overhang. Applejack pulled out the map that Twilight had pieced together, based on books and the scouting that Fluttershy's friends had done.

"I think we're… HERE." A cyan hoof landed on the paper, pointing at a random area on a long line.

"Rainbow, are ya even lookin' at the map carefully?"

"Pffft, I don't need to. I'm a master at this kinda stuff! Navigation is second nature to me!"

"So why did ya point ta a river?"

Rainbow gave a start, and looked at the map again. The place where her hoof landed was covering a blue line that showed a river. "WHAT? Why is there a river in a map of the desert?"

Applejack chuckled. "Ya didn' let me get the righ' map out, sugarcube."

"Oh…" Rainbow sat down, her cheeks blazing. Applejack couldn't help letting out a giggle at the sight of her embarrassed friend. It was so adorable. Of course, that kind of thinking soon got Applejack's cheeks pink, and Rainbow noticed.

"What are ya blushing, AJ?"

"Huh? Ah ain't blushin'!"

Rainbow wasn't fooled at all. "Yeah, you are! Your cheeks are going all red!"

This only made the orange pony blush harder. "'S nothin', sugarcube. Now, Ah think we're…"

"Is it me? Is it because I'm so awesome and talented and you feel so lucky to have somepony like me around?"

"Will ya give yer ego a rest, Rainbow?"

"Ego? What ego? I don't have an ego! I'm just telling you the truth!"

"That ego."

The Pegasus stuck her tongue out at AJ childishly. "Awww, c'mon, AJ. Tell me. Pleeeeeaaaaase?"

"Fine. It's 'cause of the heat."

"AJ."

She heaved a sigh, though internally, she was grinning. "Well, Ah was jus' thinkin'… 'bout jus' how adorable ya are when yer all embarrassed."

The look on Rainbow's face sent her into gales of laughter. The shock and outrage on her face hid the glee Applejack knew she was feeling inside. She would never ever tell the cowpony so, but whenever she called her any endearing names, she always felt extremely happy. To hide this, Rainbow turned her back on Applejack, folding her legs at her chest and huffing in a disgruntled fashion. This only served to make AJ even more tempted to call her "cute" and "adorable" and "lovable."

But having the Pegasus turn her back was too good an opportunity to miss. Especially after what had happened this morning. Applejack crept up behind the unsuspecting pony. The armour covered a lot of her ticklish points, but there was one, on the back of her neck, that got Rainbow every time. Without warning, Applejack tackled her, and sent her rolling. Rainbow cried out in surprise, before the Stetson-clad pony was on her, tickling her neck and making her squirm as she tried to escape the tickle attack.

"A-Applejack! Hehehe… no stop! Ehehe, STOP! P-p-p-hahaha, no, p-ple-hehehe-se stop! O-okay! Ahaha, y-you w-ehehe, you win! Just, ahaha, stop! STOP!"

When Rainbow had suffered enough, Applejack took a step back. "An' tha's why nopony messes with ME!" She copied Rainbow's proud stance, making Rainbow scowl slightly. As ever, AJ could see the inner competitiveness coming out in Rainbow.

"Alright, Applejack! Why don't we have a proper competition! A tickle fight! And we'll settle the bet once and for all!"

"Didn' ya learn anythin' from wha' jus' happened?"

"I wasn't prepared! This time, you're going down!"

"We'll see abou' tha', sugarcube."

The two ponies faced each other, slowly circling as they readied themselves for the battle. Applejack smiled, watching Rainbow's every move carefully, in case she'd try to make a quick dash or something. The wings would be an advantage for her.

"Okay, onetwothree GO!"

Rainbow lunged forward, aiming to knock Applejack over, but the years of rodeo practice meant that the farmer pony already saw it coming, sidestepping it and spinning to meet the unbalanced pony. Rainbow was fast though, and managed to recover her composure before Applejack could knock her over. They circled again, looking for a weak spot in the other. Rainbow then made another dash, which Applejack leapt out of the way of… only to find it was a feint, and Rainbow was on her. The problem was, Applejack was equally as ticklish around the neck as Rainbow was, and the flier happened to know the specific points that really got Applejack laughing.

Rolling around on the ground, trying to fight the rainbow-maned Pegasus off, AJ could barely breathe for laughing. "Gahaha, Rainbow!" She struggled against the pony, but Rainbow had her pinned, and was using her wings to help keep herself upright while she tickled AJ. "Alrigh'!" Applejack gasped out. "Ya win! Ya win the firs' round!"

Rainbow let go, and hovered in the air. "The first round, huh? That was easy. I'll get the second round!"

"Ah wouldn' be so confident if Ah were ya, Rainbow. Ya got me by surprise there."

"Oh yeah? You're ON!"

They began to circle each other again, cautious and eager to win. This time, when Rainbow made any sudden moves, Applejack stood her ground, proving each to be a feint. She knew the brash Pegasus wasn't patient, and soon she'd make a move. So AJ waited. Finally, Rainbow flew forward, her intentions real, and Applejack sprang aside, causing her to spiral past. She quickly turned around and took the rainbow tail in her teeth, giving it a tug. With a yelp, the already off-balance pony was brought off her hooves, and Applejack quickly grabbed a hold of her, and began another tickle attack. This battle was in her favour now, as Rainbow was now pinned to the ground and unable to move.

"Ahaha, NO! I'll, ehehe, win!" She was trying to throw AJ off, attempting a roll, but to no avail. The stubborn farm pony refused to budge, determined that the rainbow flier would concede defeat this time. "ALRIGHT! YOU WIN!" She finally gasped out, unable to take the tickling any longer. The blonde-maned pony backed off, grinning.

"One ta one, sugarcube. Ready fer the las' round?"

"You bet I'm ready! Prepare to lose!"

"Not in a million ye– oof!" The Pegasus tackled her, knocking her over. Rainbow immediately began to tickle AJ, making the orange pony shake with giggles. But this time, she didn't pin Applejack down properly, and she managed to get her hooves up and began to tickle Rainbow even as she attacked her. Unprepared for the sudden retaliation, Rainbow lessened her own tickling, and Applejack was quick to take advantage, knowing that Rainbow still had flying on her side. She knocked her sideways, and quickly got the upper hand, pinning down her down and beginning a more vigorous attack. But likewise, Rainbow managed to get her hooves free and reached up, making Applejack wriggle as she began to succumb to the tickling.

Continuing for as long as possible, neither admitted defeat. Laughing, giggling, rolling around and shouting for the other to admit they had lost the battle, they managed for another five minutes or so. At last, Applejack collapsed on top of Rainbow, both exhausted from all the laughter.

Wrapping her hooves around the blue Pegasus, she looked into Rainbow's eyes. Rainbow had her forelegs around AJ, holding her close. Sharing another kiss, Applejack closed her eyes, and whispered against Rainbow's mouth,

"Ah love ya so much…"

She felt the sensation of her lover smiling against her lips, and whispering back in the same fashion, "I love you more…"

Pulling back a little, they stared at each other for a moment, before saying simultaneously,

"I love you most."

"Ah love ya most."

Applejack clambered to her hooves, and went over to their abandoned maps and packs, sitting on the ground looking forlorn. Brushing the mane that had escaped her ponytail out of her eyes, she scrutinised the map again. A blue head peered over her shoulder, and she felt the Pegasus sit behind her. "So where are we then, Navigator Applejack?"

"Ah think… we're here. If we stayed here las' night, an' that there is tha' boulder we passed… This place should be this here area. Ah'm sure of it."

"Wow! We really covered some distance then!"

"We sure did, an' Ah didn' even notice… but then Ah did have some other things ta think abou'…"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like a certain rainbow-maned, cyan Pegasus Ah know…"

Rainbow gave a cheeky grin, hugging Applejack from behind. "You were thinking about me?"

"Mmmm…"

"Can't get me outta your head, can you?"

"Tha's mighty hard ta do when yer travellin' together every hour of every day, ya know."

She knew the Pegasus was rolling her eyes at that, before she gave AJ a nuzzle. "Even if we weren't, I'd still be on your mind all day…"

"Even if ya were, Ah wouldn't tell ya so, jus' ta keep ya from becomin' too proud." And with that, the orange pony got up and began to pull out stuff for lunch. She smiled at Rainbow's complaints. Pulling out more canned fruit, and an air-tight container of hay-sandwiches, she divvied out the rations. Rainbow floated over on her wings, dropping down next to her and grabbing a sandwich.

"What time is it?"

"Jus' after one."

"So we've got about another two hours?"

Applejack nodded, chewing on her own sandwich. Rainbow had already finished her first and had picked up another. After taking a bite out of it, she looked up.

"So what are we gonna do for two hours?"

AJ took another bite out of her food, thinking. She wondered if it was too soon to ask…

"Rainbow… ya… said ya never really stopped lovin' me… Ah… what did ya mean by that?"

"Oh…" Rainbow frowned for moment. "Well… I guess… that's exactly what I meant. After… everything… I still had feelings for you."

"But… why?"

The Pegasus scratched her chin thoughtfully. "I don't really know, I guess… It's like… you don't have control…"

"But… Ah hurt ya so badly… Ah thought ya would hate me after what Ah did… Ya should've hated me fer what Ah did…"

"AJ, don't say that. It hurt, yeah, but I can understand why you did it. It's not easy, it can get tough sometimes. You made a mistake. It's in the past."

She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. She blinked quickly, willing them to disappear before they fell. Looking down at the ground, Applejack whispered, "Why are ya so good ta me?"

"'Cause you're my girl."

Applejack dropped her sandwich and threw her forelegs around Rainbow's neck, knocking her backwards. Rainbow managed to catch herself before the force took them both over, and cradled AJ in her grasp. Holding her close, Applejack felt the guilt inside her swell up. After everything that had happened, what she had put them through, Rainbow was willing to simply forget about it. She had forgiven Applejack, and had accepted her again.

"Ah don't deserve this. Ah don't deserve ya." She had to tell Rainbow, she needed to. She wanted Rainbow to love her forever, for all eternity, but a part of her always knew that Rainbow deserved somepony better. Somepony who hadn't been caught up in what other ponies thought, who only cared about the ones who mattered. It was the truth, and Applejack couldn't hide that from herself, or from Rainbow.

"AJ…"

"Ah love ya, Rainbow. If Ah have a chance at this again, Ah'll never let ya go again."

"So… what's the problem?"

"Because Ah know ya deserve somepony else, somepony better than me… Ah don' want ta make ya feel like ya have ta be with me… All tha' time ya were travellin'…" Applejack hid her face in Rainbow's mane, muffling her voice. "If ya found somepony else, then i-it's alrigh' fer ya… ta go with them…"

"AJ. I'll tell this once. In all those years of travelling, and being away from my friends, not a day passed when I didn't think about you. I know, I know, it's really corny, and when this is over, we never had this conversation, okay?" Applejack gave a watery chuckle into Rainbow's fur. "When I left after our argument, I was hurting. I was angry, and I sped off to have some time to think to myself. I realised that maybe it was hard for you. If it wasn't meant to work out, what could I do about it? I prepared myself to move on, but I was always jealous of that colt that took you from me… I figured out that I couldn't stop loving you… but if being with another pony made you happy, there's no point in me arguing, right?"

"Tha's what Ah decided ta do before all this happened…" Applejack whispered. "Ah thought ya'd find somepony else and Ah'd have ta stand by an' watch… but Ah promised ta never stand in the way of yer happiness…"

The Pegasus lifted the Stetson off the blonde mane and flipped it onto her own head, before resting her chin on top of Applejack's head lovingly. She continued, "When I came back, I just expected to patch everything up, ya know? You were my best friend, AJ, and what hurt me the most was thinking that I might've lost you as a friend as well. Then… when you said you wanted a second chance… at us… I was scared." Rainbow's voice went quiet, and Applejack lifted a hoof to stroke Rainbow's cheek. "I felt like… a coward… not being able to say yes… But it hurt so much, and I was scared that we'd mess it up again and our friendship would be hurt further. So I said no. I wanted so badly to say yes, but I didn't want anything else to go wrong between us. When I hung around for the two months–"

"And three days."

"And three days, I thought we could get back to normal. Ya know, like we used to be. It was a bit awkward, I guess, but I thought it might be okay. That's when that letter came. Threatening you guys, and I knew I had to track these Pegasi down. There was no way I was going to let anything happen to my best friends, and especially to you. And I figured, the time away from you might give us both time to relax and get over everything… Heh, it didn't work out for me very well. You were always the first thing I thought of every morning, and the last every night… I was always worried that they might've done something to you guys, and every time I managed to get news about Ponyville, I was always relieved when nothing bad came up."

"Oh, Rainbow… when ya were gone… when ya left withou' sayin' anythin'… Rainbow, Ah was hurtin' every day. Ya were always on mah mind an' Ah was always wonderin' where ya were, and what ya were up ta. Ah was worried 'bout ya." She felt the Pegasus bury her face into her mane, inhaling.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted that… for you to be caring about me."

"Ah'll always care abou' ya, Dashie."

Rainbow let out a small breath of contentment. Then her mood shifted slightly as she continued. "When I crashed back into town again, and finally woke up, I was greeted by Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity. You weren't there, and… it hurt. But I figured that you moved on. I mean, come on, three years. Of course you would've. I just… didn't think too much on it, and decided it was time for me to get on as well.

"Then you turned up in the afternoon… one minute there was nopony, the next, you were standing the looking at me. I really thought you were over me. I felt kinda awkward, 'cause… ya know, I still had feelings… but over the next couple of week, things seem cool between us, and I just made myself promise to keep my feelings to myself."

"Ya hid them real well, Ah'll give ya that."

Rainbow gave a quiet chuckle, her face still burrowed into the golden mane of the farmer pony. It felt so good, being in Rainbow's clasp again, holding her like that. "I'm glad you kissed me last night, Apples." Applejack felt her cheeks grow hot, but her entire body hummed with energy, joy at Rainbow's words, and her pet name for AJ. "Who knows where we'd be if you hadn't…"

"All because ya had ta be a hero and risk yer life fer me. And give me a heart attack while ya were at it, ya silly filly."

"Like I always said, I never leave any of my friends hanging! Especially the love of my life."

"Dashie…"

They nuzzled each other, cuddling under the small rock overhang as they waited for the day to cool down a little so they could resume their journey. After a time, Applejack asked, "Ah need ta check the time." Rainbow reluctantly disengaged herself from the orange pony so she could look at her watch built into their armour. "Jus' after three. We should set off." Rainbow groaned. "Come on, we haven' got far ta go, sugarcube. We covered a lotta ground in the mornin'. We should reach camp by five." AJ gave the Pegasus a kiss on the cheek. "We can keep goin' when we get there, Dashie."

"Fine. Let's go."

AJ knew that Rainbow wasn't going to stay, they were here to save her parents after all. But Rainbow would complain anyway, making Applejack smile. The lunch was packed away again, Rainbow managing to stuff a last sandwich in her mouth before it was gone. Setting off again in high spirits, Applejack laughed as Rainbow opted to zip around just above the ground, back and forth, until she finally grabbed the Pegasus by the tail.

"Alrigh', Rainbow, hold yer horses! Any more of this an' yer gonna tire yerself out. Then Ah'll have ta carry ya all the way ta the camp."

"What! No way!" Rainbow put her hoof on her chest. "I'm too cool to get tired that easily! You're talking to the Iron Pony here!"

"If ya say so," AJ teased. "Jus' don' collapse on me before we get ta camp."

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow took to the air again, forelegs crossed. She managed to stay airborne until they reached a narrow passage that was impossible to fly through. Walking in a line, Applejack led the way through the twisting canyon. Rainbow followed behind, annoyed at the inability for her to use her wings.

"Are we there yet?"

"Not long now, sugarcube."

… "Now?"

"No."

… "How about now?"

"Does it look like we're there yet?"

"Fine."

After what seemed like ages, due to Rainbow's complaints, they came out. "Now, should be 'round here somewhere…" Applejack pulled out the map in her bag and looked at it.

"Twilight said there was a small opening somewhere here that we need to watch for. It's supposed to be really well hidden."

"Along this here stretch. Tha' means we should turn 'round tha' boulder there, an' follow the path 'til we reach the archway."

"We'll have to be quiet, it's really close to their entrance."

"Well, let's go, sugarcube."

With that, the light-heartedness was replaced with a more serious demeanour. The two set off, watchful, as the finished the last leg of their journey… before the final battle of this war.

AWWWW YEAH, DREAMCEPTION. Did anyone get a little confused over the first bit? It was pretty fun writing that. And lot's of fluff! But how much longer can our heroes' happiness last? Well... we'll have to see.

Remember to check out the poll! This ones a big one, and will be around for a bit. Well... until this story is over. Sorry about the gap in updates, but things happen and life gets busy. Thanks for reading!

Review if you can!

And check out Arby Works "Apple Spectrum" too.

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 16

Author's Note: Holla, everypony! Back again with the next chapter! There may be a short hiatus after this, just for two weeks, got a couple of exams. I'll update as soon as I can.

Thanks to my reviewers, you guys are the best, and it always reminds me that there are people waiting for the story to go on! You guys motivate me to keep this thing going, and I won't forget.

Remember to check out the poll on my profile, and please, please leave a review!

Applejack's heart was beating loudly, as they inched along the path. The enemy suddenly seemed overwhelming close, and this wasn't helped when they crouched in the shadows of rocks and boulders to try and avoid all life forms. They were wondering along the supposed stretch of rock in which there should be an opening to lead them away from the extreme proximity of the entrance to the enemy stronghold and to a well-hidden site they could use to begin operations.

After venturing along the stretch for about half an hour, with nothing to spare, Rainbow held up a cyan hoof. They drew into the shadows, and listened carefully. The thud they had heard didn't come again. Turning to AJ, Rainbow shook her head.

"We've gone too far. It can't be past this point. I remember this area. When I flew off, I remembered seeing that rock formation thing there," she whispered, gesturing with a hoof towards the giant structure that had been worn over time to give it an oddly bestial look. "We must've passed it."

Applejack frowned. "Are ya sure? We looked real carefully at every section of them rock walls back there."

"We must've missed it."

"Alrigh'."

A sudden thud came again, followed by a creaking sound. Rainbow stuck her head out from behind their boulder, and AJ had to pull her back.

"Didn't see anything."

"Good! Now don' stick yer head out like that again!"

"Okay, okay."

After waiting for another moment and hearing nothing, they set off again, quietly. Jumping from rock to rock, boulder to boulder, they hid whenever they heard a sound. Extremely weary, Applejack twitched her ears every which way, determined to catch the slightest sound in case it proved a threat. Rainbow, staying close by, was doing the same. And the caution proved well founded when they suddenly heard hoofsteps.

Applejack heard it first, and grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders, pushing her into a small crevice behind a small wall-like rock formation. She dove in after her, and they barely allowed themselves to breathe as a troop of muscular ponies marched past. Earth ponies.

When they had passed, the two didn't move for a moment, making sure that they were gone for good. "Dear Celestia! Those there ponies are built bigger than Big Mac!" They looked at each other.

"Patrolling?"

"Ah'd say so."

"We better find this opening fast."

Sneaking out, they followed the path they had just come down, doubly as watchful now. When they made it back to the thin passage, there was still no sign of the hidden passage way to their secret base.

"We passed it again?"

"How?"

Rainbow could only shake her head in response. Applejack pulled out the map again, and quickly scrutinised it. It didn't make sense. Twilight had indicated the pathway they were walking on in yellow. There was an opening somewhere there, but that was all she had indicated. Apart from a small note.

Turn towards the east for sunshine. Right behind is darkness in the west. The great northern plains hold treasures. Boulders along the south side keep faith.

Applejack shook her head. What in tarnation was tha' purple unicorn thinkin'? Something about the strange words didn't sit right with her. Rainbow was frowning over the lettering as well.

"What is that?"

Applejack looked up to see Rainbow frowning at the reverse side of the map. She flipped it and saw… dirt. When she went to wipe it off, however, it appeared to be stuck. Some of it spread, and began to stick to the paper.

"It looks like something…"

Quickly putting the map on the ground, back facing up, AJ took up some dirt and dusted it over the paper, while Rainbow kept an eye out for guards. The cowpony worked quickly, dusting the back of the paper, and words began to form.

"'Look behind the words?'"

"What?"

"Tha's what this here says."

Another round of hoofsteps jolted them out of their thoughts, and they quickly dove back into the narrow passage. There was a bend they could hide behind, and as quietly as they could, they rushed to crouch away from the eyes of the guards. Rainbow knocked a rock, and it hit the ground with a small thud, just as they managed to get behind the corner, and just as the guards passed.

"'ere, didja hear somethin'?" The walking stopped right outside the opening of the passageway.

"Sounded like a rock hittin' the ground," another grunted.

At that very minute, a bird somewhere gave a squawk, and oaths were heard along with clamours. Then there was the sound of rocks or something tumbling down.

"Arrrgh, just a good-for-nothing bird," a third voice growled, his voice almost guttural.

"Let's move, shifts almost over an' I'm starvin'," the second pony spoke again, and they left.

Applejack began breathing again, relaxing from her fighting pose, in the event that the patrol might have been more suspicious. Rainbow let out a breath herself, shaking her legs out.

"That was close. Sorry, AJ."

"Don' worry 'bout it, sugarcube. Now let's see this here puzzle…"

Rainbow's eyes lit up. "AJ! That's it!" Her voice was an excited whisper. "It's a puzzle!"

Her eyes widened as Applejack realised she was right. She quickly stretched out the crumpled map and looked at the words again. "Look behind the words… there's a code. This mus' be some clever code tha' Twi's set up fer us ta work out!"

"Is there anything else?"

"Hmmm… no… Ah don't think so…"

"What about on the other maps? Anything there?"

Applejack flipped her pack down and looked through it. She took out the maps and laid them out. Rainbow took one and opened it, while AJ seized another. Combing the map for clues, she came across a sentence at the bottom corner of the page. "'Remember what Ah told ya.'"

"What? What did you tell me?"

"No, no, it's what Twi's written down here. 'Remember what Ah told ya.' She must be talkin' abou' that…"

The rainbow-maned pony frowned at AJ, her rose-coloured eyes confused. "What?"

"Before we left, Twilight took me aside an' told me ta remember, 'Two is a powerful. Always remember. Two.' When Ah asked her what she was goin' on abou', she jus' said ta remember that. She said Ah'd need it sooner or later. A-Ah though' she mighta been talkin' abou' us… but maybe it had somethin' ta do with this…"

"That's funny… Twilight pulled me away and told me something weird too. She said, 'You need to remember this. The beginning is always important. A sentence, a life, a love, can't happen without a beginning. The end counts too. Don't worry so much about what happens in between.' She just said I'd need to keep that in mind. I was wondering… I thought she might've been reminding me about us. How we began... and how we should end… as friends or something more… I always had a feeling that she could see right through me."

They both turned back to the strange inscription. Frowning at it, they tried to apply their new found clues.

"The first… of a sentence? The first words of the sentences! Uh… 'Turn… right… the… boulders… But there a million boulders out here!"

"Wait… Twilight said 'two'. The firs' two words?"

"'Turn towards… right behind… the great… boulders along.' Still doesn't make sense."

"What was it Twilight told ya abou' endings?"

Both looked at each other in sudden understanding. "Turn towards right, behind the great boulders along the south side!"

"This whole time, we were goin' in the wrong direction! We turned left, moving north west!"

"The giant boulder! It's right next to the opening of this passage!"

Hurriedly packing away the maps, they glanced around the corner, before Rainbow crept up, to look both ways. She waved a hoof, indicating an all clear. AJ moved quietly, coming up behind Rainbow. As silently as they could, they edged out, and Applejack kept a sharp eye and ear out for anypony approaching. The Pegasus began to move towards the right, to a huge boulder that sat about three metres from the entrance. Edging around the boulder, a shifting of rocks could be heard. Applejack kept her back to Rainbow, watching the path. Then there was an exclamation of satisfaction. The orange pony turned to see a decent sized opening between the boulder and the rock wall that had been mostly covered by what appeared to be a natural rock slide. The cyan flier crawled through, and she was quick to follow.

It was a tunnel. And it was old. The place smelt of mildew, damp and mossy. It was immediately evident that a pony had not travelled through this rock passage for a long time. Before they began down the tunnel, AJ, turned and kicked some loose rocks out the opening and blocking up the opening again. When it was covered, they discovered another problem. It was completely black. They couldn't see a thing.

"AJ?" the voice was whispered, and Applejack tentatively made her way towards it. "Did Rarity say there were torches built into our suits?"

"She did. Ya jus' have ta press the button on yer chest armour." As her eyes grew slightly more accustomed to the lack of light, the cowpony realised she could make out shapes, and saw a pony-like figure poking her own chest. Moving over to her carefully, Applejack reached out a hoof and pressed a point on Rainbow's suit. A beam of light lit up the cave area. She did the same for herself, locating it just over her heart.

"This is awesome!"

Then they were underway. Avoiding the cracks and holes in the uneven ground, Applejack and Rainbow followed the tunnel as it led on. The silence of the rocky passage was oppressive, with only the dripping of water somewhere and their own hoofsteps and breathing to break the quiet of the untraversed path.

After what might've been a few minutes, or a few hours, the tunnel came to an end. Confusion set in, as the ponies looked at each other. "Dead end?"

Applejack took a closer look at the wall, and shook her head. "Ah don't think so. Looks like we can break through."

Rainbow flattened herself on the ground, looking through the bottom. "There's an opening here. I can see light and feel fresh air."

Switching their torches off, cracks in the wall showed light on the other side. Nodding at each other, the two friends began to shift the rocks slowly, and quietly. Caution had become second nature in their time wondering around the area. Finally, Rainbow managed to punch through, removing a hoof-sized rock to reveal the outside. Peering through it, she confirmed that the place on the other side was open and deserted.

"Just like Fluttershy described to us."

Working faster, the small opening became larger, and larger, as Applejack and Rainbow finally uncovered enough rocks to fit through. Rainbow was first out, stretching her wings. Applejack was quick to follow. Working for years in the orchards, travelling down dank tunnels with only artificial light was in no way at all enjoyable. Then looking at the Pegasus, she decided, it was mostly not enjoyable.

"So this is the place, huh?"

"Ah'd say so, sugarcube."

The area was open to the sky, but only a little. The rock walls towered around the site, reaching up and almost leaning inwards so it seemed to become dome like. There was a wide rock platform that could be reached, and it had a handy overhang that meant any fliers wouldn't be able to see them if they set camp there. Despite still being closed off, apart from the small amount of sky they could see, it was a welcome change to the narrow passage they had just wondered through.

"Ah wonder where we are exactly on the map?"

Twilight had purposely left the map blank of their spot, and now Applejack realised that the highlighting was only there to throw anypony else who looked at it. It was a masterstroke, and she shook her head in wonder at the brilliance of Celestia's star pupil.

Rainbow called out to her, standing on the platform. "C'mon, AJ. Let's get the place set up."

She made her way over, as the cyan pony pulled out food, firewood, blankets. Applejack began to do the same, unpacking her bag and pulling out water, more blankets and matches. She found Rainbow sitting by the wall right in the centre of the platform, building a formation of wood to light.

"What're ya doin', Rainbow? Why are ya buildin' the fire here?"

"To hide the smoke. When the fire starts, the smoke will go up and hit the overhang. Then it'll spread out and the smoke won't be as thick. If we keep the fire small, nopony should notice it."

Applejack smiled. "Another trick ya learned from those novels ya love ta read?"

"Yep!" The Pegasus grinned proudly.

"Maybe Ah should read them sometime. If it teaches ya this kinda stuff, it jus' might be worthwhile."

"I'm holding you to that!"

This made Applejack chuckle. She left Rainbow to the fire, and began to drag over the blankets and packs so they were by the fire. Arranging a bed arrangement, she placed the packs neatly on top of the spread out blankets, the remaining coverings put aside for when the night got colder. The day was still light, but dusk was fast approaching, as Applejack glanced at the watch. It was near six, and the sun was quickly making way for its sister of the night. The farmer pony sat down, and watched Rainbow lay the last of the twigs on the arrangement. Grabbing a match, Rainbow proceeded to light the flamed expertly, holding the match in her teeth and running it along the side of the box in her hooves. When it was burning, Rainbow flicked her head, sending the match onto the wood pile. She had ripped paper as well and laid them on top. The white material quickly caught the flame before the match was out, burning long enough for the wood to catch.

They began to heat the food, and Rainbow wore a preoccupied expression on her face. After a week of planning and two weeks of travel, they were on the cusp of storming the enemy base and rescuing her parents. The worry in her marefriend's eyes pained AJ, but she knew it would stay until they had succeeded. In an attempt to take her love's mind off the terrifying mission, Applejack sidled over to the young flier.

"Rainbow," she nuzzled the Pegasus on the cheek. "Are ya feelin' alrigh'?"

Rainbow turned to her, a smiling easing across her face. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just… nervous."

"Well, Fluttershy's messenger should be here real soon, an' then we can start plannin', but while we're waitin'…" AJ gave her a light kiss on the cheek, making the blue face turn slightly red. It worked, taking Rainbow's mind off worrying. There'd be time for that later.

Applejack gave her a cheeky grin, before turning away and taking the food they were warming out of the fire. Prodding a dumpling with a hood, she decided that it was ready. She was about to split the food into two, but a hoof stopped her. She looked at Rainbow in confusion, to see Rainbow wearing the cheeky grin now. Rainbow put all the food on a single plate, much to Applejack's surprise. Then, gesturing with a hoof for AJ to join her, she leaned against the wall, sitting on the blankets. The cowpony sat down next to Rainbow, unsure of what was happening. Then Rainbow put the plate down between them and picked up a dumpling. She held it between her hooves, squeezing it slightly. It seemed to pass the test, because she gave a nod, then held it out in a hoof to Applejack. She finally understood the Pegasus's intentions, as she smiled and ate the dumpling.

As opposed to the last time Rainbow had fed her, this was heaven. The fire light danced off the light blue coat, the deep rose-coloured eyes looking into her own with passion. Applejack was fed bits of apple pie, apple dumplings, and even hay fries, all thanks to Twilight's food preserving spells and air-tight containers. But the Earth pony soon decided to step it up a notch.

She moved closer to Rainbow, picking up some apple pie. Rainbow tilted her head slightly, surprised at this. When Applejack put them in her own mouth, Rainbow's confusion increased. But before she could query this, Applejack was kissing her passionately, a hoof on her cheek. Applejack used her tongue to push the apple pie into Rainbow's mouth, making sure she received this particular morsel of dessert. Straight from the horse's mouth.

Pulling back, Rainbow looked slightly dazed, making Applejack giggle. "Yer supposed ta chew, sugarcube." At that, Rainbow did so, still looking befuddled, like she had just experienced heaven for a second and wasn't sure what happened.

Finally swallowing, Rainbow was red in the face, her face covered in delight at what had just transgressed. And they spent the rest of dinner feeding each other with both hoof and mouth.

When it was done, both ponies sat back in a state of contentment. Rainbow had her head in AJ's lap, as AJ fiddled with the colourful strands in that mess of a mane. The Pegasus seemed completely relaxed, eyes closed except for every now and again, when they'd find the emerald green ones above them. Applejack brushed the dirt off the emblazoned thunderbolt on Rainbow's chest, before caressing her face with a hoof.

"Hey, AJ."

"Yeah, sugarcube?"

"Remember when we were on the train, and I asked you what was bothering you?"

"Mhmm."

"Can you tell me what it was now?"

Applejack smiled, stroking Rainbow's mane. "Ah think Ah can."

"Well? What was it?" Rainbow made to get up, concern in her eyes, but AJ gently stopped her.

"It's fine, Dashie! It was jus' ta do with bein' in love with ya." Rainbow subsided slightly, but was still slightly worried. This made Applejack giggle. "Yeah. It was jus'… Ah though' this would never ever happen. Ah thought… it'd always be a dream…"

The Pegasus gave a chuckle. "AJ, I never thought this would happen again too… I thought I lost my chance when I said no… I… regretted that decision every day after that. And then… this happened." Rainbow pushed herself up again, and kissed Applejack gently. The farm pony gave a sigh of happiness, which made the cheeky flier grin. Laying back down across Applejack's lap, they simply looked at each other, Applejack continuing to play with Rainbow's mane.

They stayed like that, until they heard a quiet scuffling. Applejack was instantly alert, looking about. Rainbow had bolted upright as well, as both ponies tried to identify the direction the scuffling was coming from. Suddenly it stopped. Applejack glanced at Rainbow, who gave her a slight nod. They slowly walked to the edge of the platform, straining for any more sounds. There was nothing, as they reached the end of the flat rock.

Then out of nowhere a familiar white bunny hopped up in front of them, holding an envelope. AJ let out a sigh of relief, and saw Rainbow rub her forehead out of the corner of her eye. "Hello, lil' fella. Ya gave us a righ' fright jus' there." The little white hopper tilted its head in apology, handing the envelope over. Walking back to the fireside, Rainbow opened up another tin of apples for the hungry messenger as Applejack opened the envelope.

The mood had changed, the carefree attitude shifting into seriousness as their minds turned back their tasks. Applejack was determined to see this through. She had lost her parents at a young age, and knew how lonely and painful it was. But she had always had a family – something the Pegasus had missed out on. Applejack had always wondered how Rainbow had managed to survive without the support of her family. AJ couldn't imagine life without hers.

She felt a brush on her shoulder, and turned to see the flier looking down at the letter she held. She turned to it as well, reading the confusing words of Celestia's star pupil.

Life is simply organised confusion. When you understand, things will take their course and all will be well. Friends will always be there to support you when you need it most, and often they can lead you through unimpressive doors into a world of wonder. Word travels quickly, and so do deeds. When things come to light, ponies will talk, and they will search. Certainty is a fool's crutch, if one could be certain, there would be nothing to worry about. Be light-hearted and smile, for they are the charms that do make life worthwhile. Be unafraid, but take your time. Remember: Organise your confusion, be prepared and do not let words lead you astray.

"Huh, Twilight really talked in this one."

"'Organised confusion' what in the hay? 'When ya understand, things will take their course…' plannin'? Plannin' the method of attack?"

"That's the only thing that makes sense at the moment. The next bit, friends, they must be beginning to get ready for the storming with Twilight's teleportation once we get in and plant the locator for her."

Applejack nodded in agreement. "But wha' this here 'bout doors an' all?"

A small cough came up behind AJ, and both ponies turned to see the bunny standing there and looking up at them. When it had their attention, it pointed at them, then to itself, before springing off. Frowning slightly, Applejack followed the white dot skipping through the darkness, Rainbow beside her. The bunny stopped by the wall, much to their confusion, as they came up to the bunny. It looked at them pointedly, then hopped through a small gap in the wall. In another second, it had reappeared. Rainbow leaned in to take a closer look at the wall.

"It looks like a rock fall we could break through, AJ. Is this where you came in?"

The little fellow nodded, and then pointed at her and Applejack. "Are we meant ta go through here fer the break in?"

It nodded again.

"What's on the other side?"

The bunny jumped off, heading for the platform again. It ran right over to their packs and waited. They followed in curiosity, and when Applejack pulled out their plans and maps of the base that had been compiled by Fluttershy's critters the little bunny immediately hopped up and pointed at the entrance of the stronghold. The cowpony's eyes widened as Rainbow's jaw dropped.

"This is brilliant! We can't be better placed anywhere!"

The little bunny smiled proudly and ate the rest of the canned apple.

"So now we got where we're gonna go when we break in…" Applejack picked up the abandoned letter again. "Now let's see the rest of this here letter."

"'Word travels quickly and so do deeds'? 'When things come to light… ponies will talk… and search…' AJ, is she talking about the ponies we took out?"

Applejack stared at the letter, slowly nodding. "Mus' be. Ah think Twi' means tha' they know we're– "

"HELLO, RAINBOW DASH." The voice spoke out suddenly, appearing to come from every direction, with the crinkling static that meant it was being said through a speaker. "WE KNOW YOU'RE HERE." The voice echoed around the entire area, and Applejack saw Rainbow's eyes widen slightly. "LEAVING BEHIND A TRAIL TO FOLLOW ISN'T A WISE MOVE. NOW I'LL MAKE THIS SIMPLE. VERY SIMPLE. WE KNOW YOU ARE HERE, HIDDEN AMONGST THE ROCKS. WE'LL FIND YOU, BUT THAT WOULD TAKE TIME AND EFFORT. BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE LEVERAGE, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?" The voice bounced off the rocks, deafeningly loud, and Applejack looked at Rainbow in worry. "YOU CAN SHOW YOURSELF, AND TURN YOURSELF IN. GIVE THE INFORMATION WE'RE AFTER. AND NO ONE WILL GET HURT. IF YOU DON'T, WELL… WE DON'T REALLY NEED TWO TROUBLESOME PEGASI IN OUR BASE. I'M SURE THE GUARDS NEED SOME AMUSEMENT, AND THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY CHANCES TO GET A DECENT FIGHT. SKILLED THOUGH YOUR PARENTS ARE, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE QUITE UP TO TAKING OUT AN ARMY. IT IS ELEVEN O'CLOCK. YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. ONE HOUR. SHOW YOURSELF. OR YOUR FAMILY DIES."

Perhaps the worst place to stick a hiatus... but life sucks. Thanks so much for reading, if you left a review it would mean the world to me!

Remember to check out "Apple Spectrum" by Arby Works.

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 17

Author's Note: Heya guys! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O it's been forever, hasn't it? I'm actually about to have my final exams, the biggest one in my life so far, and it's kinda crazy that I'm going on here now, but I just wanted to write so badly, and it's been so long. Let's call this a break! But yes, it's been a million years since a proper update, but HERE IS THE NEXT PART!

You probably won't hear from me again for another five weeks after this, but I promise you, when it's all over (finally) I'll be writing as much as I can! I'll make up for the huge drought I've given you guys!

Hope you guys are all still interested! I've missed you all like crazy!

Enjoy!

Orange hooves grabbed blue shoulders as AJ quickly got a grip on the frozen Pegasus. She could feel the tensed muscles, holding fast before Rainbow bolted in a headlong pursuit after her parents' captors.

"Rainbow. Rainbow! Look at me!" AJ lightly shook her lover's shoulders. The magenta eyes met the emerald, and Applejack could see the fear and panic in them. The hurt. "Dashie, look at me." Gently caressing her face while still holding her tightly, Applejack spoke earnestly, determined to keep the headstrong pony put. "Dashie, they ain't gonna do anythin' ta yer parents."

"ARE YOU DEAF?!" Rainbow suddenly let out, her eyes blazing furiously. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT THEY JUST SAID?"

"Rainbo–"

"OR DO YOU THINK THEY'RE JOKING AROUND?" There was no stopping the torrent of words from the Pegasus now.

"Rainbow list–"

"NO. YOU WEREN'T THERE THE FIRST TIME. THEY'LL DO IT. THEY'LL HURT THEM."

"RAINBOW, LISTEN TO ME."

"WHY SHOULD I?" Rainbow roughly pushed the hoof off her. "IT'S EASY FOR YOU, ISN'T IT? YOU HAVE A FAMILY. I DON'T. UNTIL NOW. AND I MIGHT LOSE THEM AGAIN. YOU JUST DON'T GET IT."

Applejack's temper flared at this. At the idea that it was easy for her. Easy for her to lose her parents, both of them, at such a young age.

"EASY, SUGARCUBE? TELL ME JUS' WHAT'S EASY 'BOUT LOSIN' YER PARENTS WHEN YER JUS' A FILLY."

Rainbow snorted at that, the pent up fear and panic spilling over into an attack on her best friend, and now lover. "YEAH, WELL, THEY'RE PRETTY SAFE AREN'T THEY? NOT ABOUT TO BE ATTACKED BY A BUNCH OF PSYCHO PONIES BECAUSE THEIR DAUGHTER DIDN'T SHOW HER FACE."

"BUT THEY WON'T HURT THEM."

"HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT? HOW?"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ONE THEY'RE AFTER. AND IF THEY HURT YOUR PARENTS, THEY LOSE ANY CONTROL THEY HAVE OVER YOU."

Silence.

Applejack watched the blue pony, as she first froze, before shaking her head in disbelief, then facing the dawning realisation that she had almost fallen into a trap. It was well executed. Playing on the one thing that Rainbow was known for. Loyalty. She could see her connecting the dots, but the pain of not rushing to the rescue was all over her cyan lover's face.

Rainbow finally slumped, unable to meet AJ's eyes. She fell back on her haunches, looking down. "I…"

AJ's eyes softened, as she felt the remorse radiate off Rainbow. "Oh, Dashie…" she moved over to the upset Pegasus, only to have her shift away from her. Confusion crossed her face.

"I-I'm sorry, AJ… I'm so, so sorry, I–"

An orange hoof covered Rainbow's mouth before she could say anymore, while the other foreleg wrapped around her neck. AJ gently caressed her blue cheek, lifting her head up to look into those deep magenta eyes. "Don' apologise, sugarcube. Ah now yer worried abou' yer parents."

"I didn't mean to say those things, I-I just, I wasn't thinking, AJ, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what you went through, I–"

Her words were cut off again, this time by a pair of lips. It was short and sweet, tender. AJ pushed a lose strand of Rainbow's mane back, before meeting her eyes again. "Ssshhh, Ah know ya didn't mean the things ya said. Now let's jus' focus on savin' yer parents, alrigh'?"

The colourful-maned Pegasus nodded, her eyes still downcast, shoulders heavy with guilt. One look and AJ knew that the combined weight of shouting those things at her and not running to save her parents was bothering Rainbow Dash more than she was letting on.

"Dashie, look at me. Look at me!" Sad rose-coloured eyes met determined emerald ones. "Ah know it hurts tha' ya can't go runnin' after yer parents straight away. Ah know it hurts tha' ya can't do what ya wan' ta do. But if ya did run after them, they'd have ya, an' yer parents. It'd only be worse. They'd expect ya to chase after yer parents. They know yer the Element of Loyalty, an' that ya would do anythin' to try an' save yer own parents. If ya don' turn up, they'll think ya aren't here yet. We can use this, Dashie."

"Y-You really think so?"

"Ah do. Now let's figure out what we're gonna do, alrigh' sugarcube?"

Rainbow finally cracked a small smile. "Thanks, AJ."

AJ smiled back, nuzzling her cheek gently. Turning around, she went back to where the bags were and began to sift through them for the detailed maps of the base. The sound of hoofsteps behind her told her that Rainbow had followed her to the bags. After another minute of feeling around the saddle pack, she found the rolls of paper. Pulling them out, she lay them down on the rock platform.

Rainbow sat on her haunches, and began to scrutinise one of the pages. Applejack settled next to her, and began to think.

"We're here, right?" A cyan hoof pointed to the ring of rocks that was their current location. "If we're gonna get in through the entrance out there, we'll need a distraction." AJ looked up from her perusal of the maps just in time to see Rainbow rubbing her chin in thought. Allowing herself a small smile, she looked back down at the page and a frown creased her brow again.

"Well, Twi' did give us tha' honker to use. Ah suppose it was fer this here part o' the plan."

"Yeah, maybe we can leave it back in that alleyway we can in from? They'd think it's us arriving then."

A nod. "Alrigh', sounds like a good plan. 'S timed isn't it? One o' us can set the timer, an' leave it there. We'll have ta be ready fer infiltration the minute tha' thing goes off."

"I'll do it. I'm fast."

Applejack looked at Rainbow. Her face was set, and AJ knew she was going to be stubborn on this point. With a small sigh, she slowly nodded. "Alrigh' Dashie, but ya have ta be real careful. Ah don' want anythin' ta happen ta ya."

"I'll be fine, Apples. Remember who you're talking to," a ghost of a smile settled on Rainbow's lips. "So after we move in, what do we do? Do we go the fastest way?"

"Hmmm, Ah dunno 'bout that. Ah think it'll be too dangerous if we take the fastest way. They're bound ta have patrols an' cameras."

"But we don't have that much time! It'll take way too long if we take the back ways."

"Ah know, Ah know. We'll have ta make a compromise."

"Well, this is probably the busiest section. We could take this branch and split off from this main tunnel."

"We'll have ta move aroun' tha' section there though, there's a camera marked there."

"Twilight says this route is pretty clear. Can we get there?"

Applejack pulled out another page. "If we take this here path… we could get through here and make it to tha' section."

"And that'll give us a pretty clear route to the central place."

"Where we can place the locator."

"Then they'll be able ta teleport right in, an' storm the base."

"Then we can look for my parents?"

AJ looked up once more, and gently reached out a hoof to cover Rainbow's. "Of course, sugarcube. Tha's the firs' thing we'll do, Ah promise ya, Dashie."

The blue, winged pony turned her hoof upwards, to grasp AJ's. Then they turned back to the map, memorising their new route. After an hour or two passed, Applejack rubbed her eyes. Glancing up, she could see Luna's moon high in the sky. Turning to Rainbow, she caught her stifling a yawn.

"Alrigh', Rainbow. Ah think it's time we went ta bed. Looks like it's 'bout two in the mornin'. We should get some rest before we tackle 'em tomorrow."

"Mmmm, yeah, just… just a few more minutes…"

"No, yer gonna go ta sleep righ' now, Dashie."

Rainbow looked up, trying to maintain a serious face, but AJ could see that the stress of the day had taken a toll on her beloved pony.

"Come 'ere." AJ led the way over to their blankets. Looking back, she saw Rainbow still sitting there, trying to concentrate on the pages in front of her. The farm pony turned back, and gently nudged her. "Rainbow… come on…" She nuzzled the back of her friend's neck. "Ya need ta rest if we're gonna do this tomorrow. We have the day to work through everythin' again, alrigh'?"

After a moment of silence, the young flier gave a nod. "Okay, okay. You're right, let's go to bed."

Applejack chuckled softly, and then nudged Rainbow again. "Good. Now start movin'."

The Pegasus gave another yawn and got to her hooves, stretching her wings. Rumpling her mane with a hoof, she fell in step with AJ, over to their campsite. The cowpony smoothed out the blankets, and guided Rainbow onto them. Rainbow was so tired she collapsed onto the pile, rolling onto her back to look at the orange pony above her.

"Thanks, AJ."

"Any time, RD." She gently nuzzled Rainbow's cheek, before settling down next to her. Rainbow rolled over onto her stomach, and draped her wing over them both. Within minutes, a quiet snore filled the air. Applejack watched Rainbow for a moment, smiling. It was so crazy that a few weeks ago, she'd watched her sleeping and dreamed about this. Dreamed about falling asleep in Rainbow's hold, waking up next to her in the morning. Because now it was finally real. She was lying next to the love of her life, wrapped in her strong wings. She slowly drifted off, the warmth of her lover lulling her into sleep.

The next morning Applejack opened her eyes to see Rainbow awake and watching her. AJ smiled and leaned up to kiss her. Settling into Rainbow's side, Applejack could feel the slight tenseness in her muscles. Running a hoof gently down a blue foreleg, she whispered, "Stop worryin', Rainbow. Ah promise ya things will work."

"I know. I just… I'm a bit nervous. It's not like I'm scared or anything."

"Ah know you're not," she said, enjoying the tender moment they were sharing.

"Because I'm the fastest and bravest pony in all of Equestria!"

Applejack rolled her eyes in exasperation, chuckling. "Sure ya are, sugarcube."

Rainbow grinned, before softening into a smile. She gently rubbed AJ's mane, before saying, "Well, maybe except for you."

AJ felt so light-headed, giddy with happiness. They shared another kiss. AJ leaned in, feeling Rainbow pull her in. She still had to remind herself that this was real. It just felt so good, so right, being with Rainbow again. She couldn't fly, but Rainbow made her feel like she was soaring every minute they were together. Applejack loved the feel of Rainbow's lips against hers. The feel of Rainbow's fur against her. The feel of Rainbow's wings wrapped around them both.

After a few more minutes of heaven, AJ pulled back slowly, brushing the colourful mane back. "Were you watching me sleep?"

A light blush dusted the flier's cheeks. "Hey! I'm allowed to, aren't I? As your super awesome, Best Young Flier in all of Equestria, marefriend, I think I'm allowed to watch you sleep."

"Mmmm, alrigh' sugarcube. Jus' fer you," the cowpony planted a light kiss on Rainbow's lips.

The light blue Pegasus gave a small chuckle. Cheeks still tinged pink, she replied "Yeah… and you're kinda cute when you sleep."

"Awww, Dashie. But ya don' think Ah'm always kinda cute?" Applejack teased.

Rainbow stuck her tongue out, making AJ giggle. "Alrigh', come on." AJ pushed herself up, nudging Rainbow. "We need ta eat somethin' before we start preparin' fer tonigh'."

The Pegasus stretched, before rolling to her hooves, and shook herself like she always did. AJ walked over to the packs, pulling out breakfast while Rainbow Dash began to pack away the blankets. Infiltration would happen tonight. They wouldn't be returning. Applejack warmed up the apple pie over the embers from last night. After Rainbow pushed the blankets into the bags, in ten seconds flat, she joined her love at by the fireplace.

Dividing the food between them, they began to eat breakfast. When it was finished, they finally packed everything away, leaving only the maps and gadgets that they'd need to for the infiltration out. Settling down, Rainbow began to peruse the maps again, checking the routes while AJ sorted through their tools.

"We have knockout gas, the hooter, a couple o' these smoke bombs."

"Hmmm, we've got the masks as part of the armour right?"

"Righ' here."

By lunch time, they'd gone through the plan a dozen times, and decided exactly when they'd use their evasion tools. As the day passed, the orange pony could see her friend becoming more worried. Rainbow had begun to question everything, constantly pacing as afternoon drew in. AJ continually comforted her, reassured her, but by four, Rainbow wouldn't listen to reason. She'd even begun to hover about distractedly.

Finally, Applejack grabbed Rainbow's tail, pulling her down. "RD! Ya gotta calm down! This will work, Ah promise ya. Alrigh'? Alrigh' honey?" The new endearment seemed to calm the restless pony down a little.

"I'm sorry, AJ. I'm just so… worried. You know, with this. And… and I'm taking you into danger too! I mean, I can't do this. I can't take you into danger like this!"

"Rainbow, Ah'm only goin' ta say this once. We are in this together. If ya think Ah'll let ya go on yer own in there, y'all are crazy. An' Ah can take care o' myself. Alrigh'? Ah love ya. An' Ah'm not lettin' ya walk inta danger on yer own."

"But–"

"Dashie."

Rainbow sighed. "I know. But…" She touched AJ's cheek, "I just can't bear it if anything happens to you too."

"Oh, Rainbow," she smiled. "Nothin' will happen. We have it all planned out, don' we? It'll work."

After a moment, she nodded in response. "Thanks, AJ. For everything. You're the most amazing marefriend a pony can have."

After another quick kiss, they both glanced up. The moon was in the sky. After nights of working on the farm, AJ knew it was drawing close to seven. The plan was that at seven-thirty, Rainbow would dispatch the timed distraction horn, and by eight they would be prepared to move in.

The farm pony quickly went to grab the maps and put them away, while Rainbow cleared away the last of the fireplace and scraps. After the bags were all tied up, and the armour had been checked, they sat down by the secret entrance out of the enclosure. Applejack reached a hoof across to take the blue one. The nervous pony looked up, but when their eyes met, AJ could see the fear in Rainbow's eyes melt away. She gave a reassuring smile, as they waited for the right time.

Checking the time, AJ saw that it was seven-thirty. Squeezing Rainbow's hoof, she grabbed the honker. Rainbow gave her a smile, and took up the device in her teeth, flipping it onto her back. Leaving their packs by the entrance, AJ followed Rainbow to the other entrance, through which Rainbow would go to plant the device at their old destination. When they'd reached the hole, AJ could feel herself getting worried. Fussing over Rainbow's armour, she insisted Rainbow put on the helmet, and checked the flashlight in her suit. Rainbow detected her marefriend's anxiety, and gave her a reassuring nuzzle. "I'll be fine, AJ. I'll be back in ten seconds flat. Okay, maybe a bit longer than that, but you know what I mean. I am the fastest pony in all of Equestria!"

"Ah know, sugarcube. Jus'… be careful. An' come straight back, alrigh'?"

"You got it, AJ."

Rainbow turned, walking into the darkness, the beam from her chest the only thing dispelling the dark. AJ watched anxiously, until Rainbow went around the corner. She sat down by the entrance, feeling her heart rate accelerate as she worried and waited. Checking the inbuilt watch, she saw only five minutes had passed. Calm down, AJ. Keep calm. Rainbow is fast, and strong. She'll be fine! She'll be alrigh'. Breathe, Applejack. Breath. She glanced at the time again. Ten minutes now.

Time was passing too slowly. She fidgeted, waiting, listening, for the approaching hoofsteps of Rainbow. Every minute or so, she glanced into the entrance, searching for a light beam. Another look at the time. Fifteen minutes. Half the allotted time had passed now. No sign of Rainbow. It's alrigh', AJ. Rainbow has ta go all the way back ta tha' place we came out. An' set the timer an' all. She'll be back in time. Relax, AJ! She looked up at the stars, trying to distract herself. Another look at the time. Twenty minutes.

AJ began to pace. Where is Rainbow? It can' take tha' long. No, no, yer overreactin' again. Calm down! 'S alrigh'! Rainbow will be here in a few minutes. Checking the time again, it was five to eight. Panic was starting to set in. She paced faster, looking into the tunnel… to see a light.

A moment later, Rainbow rounded the corner, moving quickly but quietly. "Hey, AJ! See? Told ya I'd be fine."

The cowpony let herself breathe properly for a moment. Get a grip o' yerself, AJ!

"Okay, we gotta be ready to move! It's… seven fifty-eight. We've got two minutes!"

They rushed over to the other entrance, throwing their packs onto their backs. The bags were much lighter now, having eaten all the food. It was filled with only the blankets, the maps, and the gadgets they needed. It was time.

The air was thick with tension, as the two ponies waited in silence. The only sound that could be heard was their breathing. Applejack watched the time on her clock. Seven fifty-nine. The double dots flashed with each second. Then… the dots flashed once more. Eight.

A siren pierced the silence of the night. The two glanced at each other one last time. It was now or never.

So there we go! Cliffhanger again, but in about five weeks, I'll be back. Properly! And I know this isn't a great chapter, I'm a little rusty, but I'll be able to find my groove again soon!

Shooting me a review will mean the world to me! What you thought, what you think will happen next... a good luck wish? Thanks so much for reading!

Yours truly,
Lonewolf

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.

Chapter 1

It was quiet. The gentle breeze touched the leaves of the trees. The small hill on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres rippled as the soft green grass bent in the breeze. The sunset was beautiful. But she felt no happiness. No joy at seeing the brilliant orange of the sun slowly dip below the horizon, changing the sky into spectacular shades of orange and pink and purple. Once Applejack would have loved to witness such a sunset. Once upon a time, she was happy. But now, all she felt was emptiness. Sadness. She didn't think she'd ever be happy again.

"Another sunset… the end of another day..."

The orange Earth pony turned away from the spectacle. And her eyes fell on the old apple tree on top of the hill. She shut her eyes, desperately trying to keep the memories away. But it was as if the glance had burned the image into her mind. The huge apple tree, standing proudly on the hill, overlooking all of Sweet Apple Acres. The small engraved message on the bark that said the three words that meant more to her than all the words in the world.

"No… Ah don't want ta think abou' that…"

Applejack opened her eyes, and cast around for something, anything, to distract her from her thoughts. From her feelings. But everywhere she looked, it brought back another bittersweet memory. Another thought, another feeling, things she had been trying so hard to forget.

"Why did Ah come here again? Why?"

She wanted so desperately to escape, to run from her feelings. From the past. From the best thing that had ever happened to her, because it was over now. Over forever. And of all the places she chose to go, she came here. Where it started. Where it ended.

Applejack couldn't not think about it. She couldn't hold off the things she was trying to forget. And, she despised herself for it, she couldn't help wanting to think about them again, because it meant reliving the sweetest moments of her life, though she hadn't realised at the time.

It was a summer evening when she had decided to go for a walk through the orchards after supper. She'd spent the day working on the farm, bucking the apples out of the trees. It was warm, and the air was sweet. The last golden rays of sunshine were slowly disappearing as the sun made its descent through the sky. All of a sudden, a tom-colt's voice came from above.

"Whatchya doing?"

It was her. Rainbow Dash. The rainbow-maned, cyan Pegasus. Brash, confident, daring, and loyal. Applejack's rival, and oldest, closest friend.

"Well, hay there, Rainbow. Ah'm walkin', as y’all can see. I ain't got a fancy pair of wings like y’all have there on yer back." Applejack smiled up at the grinning Pegasus.
"Well, I am 20% cooler than anypony else. I'm the coolest pony in all of Ponyville! In all of Equestria!"
Applejack rolled her eyes at Rainbow's words, and continued to walk, looking ahead.
She heard a flutter of wings and felt a gust of wind on her flank. Out of the corner of her eye, Applejack watched Rainbow land and begin to trot alongside her. Glancing at her, the blonde-maned work pony saw a small smile on Dash's face. The one she wore whenever she thought no one was watching her. After all, she did have a reputation to keep. As the toughest, coolest Young Flier in all of Equestria.

Applejack sat down on the hill, covering a face with a hoof. That smile. The sweetest smile. She'd fallen in love with that smile. Looking back now, Applejack knew that Dash had her from that moment. Only she'd never thought about it before. Never bothered to notice every aspect of her, never bothered to fully appreciate her unwavering loyalty, her coarse laughter, her tomcoltish yet caring nature. Lost.

"It's a beautiful night."

Applejack had never heard Rainbow speak like that before. If they had been in company, they would both have disregarded it as the mushy romance stuff, the kind that someone like Rarity might fantasise over, but of which neither of them would have cared for.

"I... really... like nights like these," Rainbow spoke, her voice unusually quiet.

"Ah know y’all do." Applejack smiled at Rainbow. Ever since Rainbow Dash began to join her on her evening trots, Applejack found herself making it a daily occurrence, enjoying the Pegasus's company.

"R-really?" Rainbow looked nervous.

"Well, sure Ah do! Ah've known y’all fer a long time."

Rainbow Dash stopped. Applejack stopped too, and looked at her, slightly confused. Then her emerald green eyes met the deep magenta ones and she felt a strange feeling blossom in her chest. She felt a little giddy, and her stomach felt as if a whole lot of butterflies suddenly decided to take flight there.

"Well... I... uh... don't suppose... y-you know... why I... uh... like these nights so much?" Dash's nervousness was writen all over her face. She might as well have been the Element of Honesty.

"Well... Ah might... maybe..." she whispered. Rainbow was too close, and Applejack could smell the scent of fresh morning air and stormy rain on her skin. She found herself drinking it in. Found herself leaning in a little.

"Y-you do?"

"Well… why don't ya just tell me?"

"C-cause... uh... I'm not sure how you'll... uh... take the answer." Rainbow was on the brink of going from nervous to downright worried. It was almost... cute. The unbidden thought snuck into the work pony's mind.
"Awww, Dash, tell me."

"Mmmm…"

"Please?"

Rainbow looked down at her hooves, unsure. "Well... um... I... uh... really enjoy these night c-cause, um... ya know, cause of... the cool breeze! Yeah. The cool breeze, and uh... the fresh air. Ya know, it gets all hot in the day, and at night... uh... I eat a lot for dinner, and ya know, gotta get out and do a bit of work, gotta stay in top conditions, being the best flier in all of Equestria... yeah..."

The sky blue Pegasus's words wound down to a halt, and she looked at the ground, her hoof pawing at the dirt nervously. Applejack had a feeling that Dash wasn't quite finished yet, so she watched the rainbow mane on Dash's bowed head, waiting.

"Wait... that's not it... uh... well... it's true... but... um... it's not the main... uh... reason that I like these nights..."
Applejack's own nervousness rose, as she watched Rainbow lift her head. Could it be...?

"I... uh... Applejack... um... I really enjoy these nights... cause... uh... well... cause we can talk together ya know? Just... uh... talk and stuff, and ya know, not be rivals for a while... We can spend time together... Just as friends!" she quickly added, nervously.

Applejack felt some disappointment at her words. "Just as friends." But then she caught the look on Dash's face as she glanced at her. And she knew, right then, that they shared the same feelings. She slowly reached out, and took her hoof. Dash looked up quickly, surprised at the action. Then their eyes met, and something clicked.

“I really… enjoy these nights… cause of you.”

No, no, no. Don’t think about that. The night when they became more than just friends. It had been coming for a while. But that night, they shared their first kiss. “Just as friends.” That line wouldn’t leave her head. It ate at her mind. She tried to shut it out, but had as much success as shutting the memories out. If she had known that later those same words would be spoken, with totally different meanings behind them, and different feelings, would she have dared to have kissed Rainbow, that night? But it was her fault. All her fault. She could dwell on their happy memories together. She could try and pretend that they simply fell apart at the end. But Applejack could not hide the ugly truth from herself. She could not hide that fact that her own arrogance, her own stupidity, had broken them apart.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Dash yelled, turning away angrily, but unable to keep the hurt out of her voice.

“Well, Ah can’t keep pretendin’! We’re not the same anymore, y’all must’a realised! Ah mean, look at us! Mare an’ mare just ain’t meant ta work out. Everypony’s been sayin’ it! And we barely spend any time together anymore, and it’s all jus’ different! And ya know Ah don’t lie.”

“But to cheat on me? If you didn’t want to keep this relationship, why didn’t you just end it?”

“Well, Ah didn’t want to hurt y–”

“You didn’t want to hurt me?” Applejack had never heard such anger in Dash’s voice before. Or such hurt. “You cheated on me! That must be one of the worst things you could do! And you didn’t want to hurt me?”

Silence fell.

Then…

“How long?”

Pause.

“A while.”

“How long?”

She couldn’t lie. “Three months.”

Rainbow Dash shut her eyes. “I see.”

Applejack sprang up, tears streaming down her face. If only she could turn back the clock, stop herself from making that mistake. She ran, away from the place, almost believing that she could outrun the pain. Rainbow had left the next day, after that terrible argument. Their friends had been surprised at her sudden departure, until Applejack related the painful tale to them. Rainbow moved away, and for a while, Applejack had no idea where she was. Foolishly, she had believed that it was all for the best, and that she had found true happiness with her new coltfriend. How wrong she’d been.

She stopped, trying to catch her breath. Applejack was a strong pony, but she had run hard and she had run fast. She had run, without looking, her mind too busy reliving the past. When she straightened up she wished that she hadn’t run at all. Not here. Not the clearing. Anywhere but here. She turned tail and ran, as hard as she could, away from the place. The place where they became reacquainted. Just as friends…

It didn’t take long before she realised that something was missing. Something wasn’t there. There wasn’t that same kind of feeling between her and her new coltfriend. And slowly, as the days passed, she found herself thinking of Dash, where she was, what she was up to, and increasingly, whether she had forgiven her yet. She saw all the differences between her relationship with the new coltfriend and the relationship she had had with her. She missed having someone she could talk to without a care in the world. She missed having someone who would listen to her, and make her feel better. She missed someone she could argue with and have a friendly competition with. But most of all, she missed having someone who loved her for who she was, not for how she looked, or for impressing their friends. Someone who would love her, always.

Within a month, she had broken up with the colt, and soon began trying to find… her. It soon became a sort of obsession. As time went by, she found herself longing to see Dash more and more. She began to appear everywhere, but was never there when she looked twice. She snuck into Applejack’s dreams, and she would see the sky-blue coat of the Pegasus shooting across the sky, leaving behind a trail of rainbows, or running through the forest in the Running of the Leaves. Surely she’d forgive her. Rainbow Dash was the Element of Loyalty, after all. She would tell her everything, the mistake she had made, and how she realised it was a mistake. And they would be together again.

Such arrogance, she reflected. Such stupidity.

But day in and day out, she found neither mane not tail of her, and she began to worry. Then the fateful day came. Applejack woke up, and she felt… strange. Something… was going to happen. As a habit, she went to their place. Yes. The sunset hills on the edge of Apple Acres. With the old apple tree, and the message that Rainbow carved on the day of their one year anniversary.

She came to the tree and sat on the grass at the base. She curled up next to the trunk, but it felt too open. It was perfect for a couple. Applejack felt sad, as she thought of the times when they had sat together under the branches of the apple tree. She had never shown this place to anyone else. Not the coltfriend, not their best friends, no one. It was their special place. Their secret place. She felt strangely empty sitting there by herself. She never really noticed just how lonely she was without her…

Applejack got up and wondered. She walked around the area, as dusk turned into evening. And then she came upon the clearing. And saw her standing there, leaning casually against a tree. She was facing the other way, legs folded at her chest, her back against the trunk. She took her breath away. It had been months since she last saw her, but it felt like forever. She made to move, but her hoof landed on a twig and it cracked. The cyan pony turned at the sound, and saw her.
Silence. Complete silence. It had never been so quiet. They stared at each other for a moment. And then the rainbow-maned Pegasus lowered her eyes.

“H-hay.” Applejack couldn’t think of anything better to say. She thought how stupid a comment it was to start a conversation with someone she hadn’t seen for ages, with whom she had left on bad terms. But the sight of Rainbow Dash had wiped her mind blank. She couldn’t think of anything, except how much she had missed her, how much she wanted her back in her life.
Silence.

“It’s… been a while.”

Still nothing.

“Ah… missed ya.” Miss you. Love you. Want you in my life again. Want you to be mine. Forever. Always. Like you once told me. Always. She bit her tongue, refusing to utter those words.

What if she had said them? Would it have been different? Would the hard-working Earth pony have gotten the confident Pegasus? Would they have been together? If she told her everything she felt, had felt over the last few months… would she have had the Pegasus of her dreams?

Dash looked past her, into the trees, saying nothing. She simply stood there, in the silence, as Applejack’s words fell like broken glass between them.

“H-how have y’all been?”

Pause. “Good.”

“What have y’all been doing?”

“Things.”

This wasn’t what was meant to happen. She had pictured it in her head. Anger, disbelief, sadness, but not this empty, expressionless exchange. She longed to see her smile again, hear her laugh, look into those magenta eyes and lose herself in them. She wanted to feel Dash’s hold around her again. She wanted to taste her kiss. She wanted Dash to love her…
“Ah’m… so sorry. About everything. A-Ah made a mistake. A huge one! Ah was stupid! Ah… Ah…. Can y’all forgive me?” It was pathetic. She knew it was. But what else could she say? The elaborate speeches she had planned while she worked in the orchards were gone like dust on a windy day.

“I forgive you. I forgave you long ago.”

She looked up at her eagerly, expecting a smile, or at least some sort of warmth. But she only saw the distant expression, and the way Rainbow still wouldn’t look at her. Something was wrong.
“How’s the coltfriend?”

It was as if she had slapped her across the face. It was so unexpected, and strange. But, strangely, what hurt Applejack most was the way she said it. It was casual. Selfish and stupid though it was, she couldn’t help hoping to hear some jealousy in Rainbow’s voice, a touch of anger, or… something. Anything but this calm, detached demeanour, so unlike the brash young Pegasus that had led her home to Sweet Apple Acres all those years ago.

“Ah don’t have one.”

“Over already?”

The words stung, in their casualty, their coolness.

“Yeah. Ah ended it.”

“Well, it’s good you did the right thing this time… though I don’t think he would have cared too much.”

The words were ugly, but Applejack deserved them. She knew that.

“Ah broke up with him. Ah didn’t love him. A part of me always knew, Ah didn’t love him. Not the way Ah loved ya. Ah couldn’t lie ta mah own heart. But Ah was too busy listenin’ to the other ponies, ponies Ah didn’t even know. Ah should have been listenin’ to mah friends, and mah heart. Mah own feelin’s. Ah don’t deserve ta be the Element of Honesty. Ah’ve been lyin’ ta mah friends and ta mahself for too long. Ah’ve been lyin’ ta y’all. But if there’s one thing Ah do know, it’s that Ah never loved anypony the way Ah loved ya. Ah still love ya. Maybe… maybe… we could… try? Again?” She could hear the longing in her own voice, the desperation.

Rainbow sighed, and looked away again. “I don’t think so.”

That hurt. But the Earth pony couldn’t give up. Not yet. “Why not?”

Dash closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with a hoof. “Because… after we broke up, I’ve been away… to do some thinking. I forgave you for what you did. But… to try? Again? I’m sorry, but I can’t. Not after that.” Dash must have seen the pain in her face. She hurried to add, “But we can still stay in contact… you know, just as friends.”

It would have been better if she had yelled that she hated her and never wanted to see her again, or if she had slapped her across the face. Anything would be better than that. Just as friends.

Those three words. They change a pony’s life. Forever a friend. Forever a second priority. Never to be the one, the perfect mare, her lover, her best friend, her wife. Never to be anything more than a friend. Just a friend. Just another pony to talk to, share jokes and stories with. Another pony to have a friendly competition with. Not the one. Just a friend. Spending time together. Just as friends. Talking. Just as friends. Applejack would never be able to hold her, simply because she loved her. There could be no love. There could only be friendship. Nothing romantic.

Her dreams, her fantasies, dashed by those three words. Her heaven was so close, yet so far away. She could be in another universe, even as they stood next to each other. She wouldn’t know, couldn’t know how much she had hurt her. It would have been unintentional. But there couldn’t be anything between them anymore. Applejack could only watch from a distance as Dash moved on, fell in love, married someone else, had a family, and grew old with them. In other words, watch some strange mare live her dream.

“No. No,” Applejack moaned, desperately keeping those thoughts at bay. But she couldn’t hold them down forever. She had the mare of her dreams, had once possessed her heart, but now she barely had her hoof to hold on to. She could not hold her, could not even hug her without reason. She would never feel Dash’s touch again on her cheek. Never feel Dash’s soft lips against hers. Never taste the sweetness of Dash’s breath, or be able to inhale her scent. Could not hold on to her, and make Rainbow Dash her Pegasus forever.

It could not be. Just as friends.

Just as friends.

Just friends.

Chapter 6

Life on the farm returned to normal again, after the last few days of racing through all the chores then running to the hospital to check on Dash. Now things were settling, as everypony moved on. The only difference was the rainbow-maned, cyan Pegasus that now resided in Applejack's room. When Applejack woke up in the early morning, she'd look over at the sleeping form of her friend and love, the sunlight not quite reaching her yet. The cowpony smiled. Though it wasn't exactly what she wanted, she was happy that Rainbow was actually there. As quietly as she could, she climbed out of bed and moved past her, ready for a day of work in the orchards.

"THWACK!" the Earth pony's strong back legs bucked the trunk, knocking all the apples out of the trees effortlessly, into the waiting baskets below. She then moved to the next tree, and repeated the actions, harvesting the apples easily. When she finished the latest group of trees, she moved the baskets to the cart, to place the apples in for Big Mac's inspection later. As she reached for another basket, she heard a voice, that could only belong to one pony.

"AAAAAPPLEJAAAACK!"

Turning at the sound of her name, she saw a blue blur with hints of rainbow in it. Rainbow Dash ran up to the work pony, before almost collapsing from running so hard. Applejack looked at her friend sternly, much like a mother would look at a disobedient child.

"What did Ah say ta ya' abou' not overworkin' yerself?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Awww, come on, AJ, it's been a week already. I don't need to rest anymore!"

AJ sighed. And everypony said she was the stubborn one. Rainbow certainly could have given her a run for her bits. Arguing might've been pointless, but Applejack wasn't a pony to back down. "It might've been a week, Rainbow, but yer still gettin' winded. This ain't good fer y'all, ya need to rest."

"But I'm FINE! I don't need rest, I can get around places fine! I'm just a little weak, 'cause I haven't done anything in aaaaaaaages, apart from sitting in a hospital! Come on, AJ, I want to help! I can't do nothing for much longer. I'll die of boredom! Which totally isn't cool!"

Applejack looked at the stubborn Pegasus. Rainbow had been trying to help since she first got here. Her pride would never let her mooch off another pony. She did look healthier, having lost that thin look, from eating healthily at the Apple family dinner table. She was also well-rested, and if Applejack didn't give her something to do, she was likely to go and find something to do herself, probably more dangerous and exhausting. She huffed, "Fine, but y'all do exactly what Ah tell ya, deal?"

Rainbow knew Applejack too well to argue. It was about as good as it was going to get. "Deal." Rainbow reached out a hoof. Applejack took the hoof, and looked into those deep rose-coloured eyes. Her heart melting, the orange pony stared into the eyes of her captor. The cyan Pegasus tilted her head to the side. "So what do I do?"

Suddenly jolted back to her senses, Applejack blushed a little and immediately turned her head, under the pretence of looking for something that Rainbow could do. "Well, Ah'm jus' buckin' 'em trees 'round here, but Ah need ta place the baskets under every tree ta catch the apples. How 'bout y'all help me with that, sugarcube?" She turned back to Rainbow to find them still holding each other's hoof. She cleared her throat, pullin' her own back, and afraid to meet Rainbow's eyes.

"Sounds good!" Rainbow hadn't noticed anything, and simply trotted over to the tower of empty baskets. "So I just put these around the trunk like this?"

Smiling, Applejack went over to inspect. Whenever Rainbow helped out on the farm, she'd always been careful to get it right first time round, rather than just jump in and try whatever. The brash, arrogant pony could put away her pride, and work hard if she needed to.

"That's right, sugarcube. Just put 'em 'round the base of every tree here. We'll be finished in no time."

What would have normally taken Applejack three quarters of a day was done in half, thanks to Rainbow's aid. By lunch, they were done, the cartfuls of apples sitting in the barn to be processed careful by Big Mac. The two cheerfully headed back to the house, ready for a big lunch after a morning of working on the farm. As they settled down to eat, Applejack remembered. "Hay, Rainbow, y'all need to go to the hospital today, ta check up on yer wings."

"Awww, do we have to?" she groaned.

"Yes, ya do, sugarcube. Who knows, maybe the doctors'll say yer wings are healin' really fast and ya might be able ta fly sooner."

Dash sat up at that, hope sparking in her eye. "Ya think so? Quick, I wanna go see now!" She jumped up and made to run down to town, but Applejack quickly grabbed Dash's tail in her mouth and yanked, stopping the Pegasus pony in her tracks. When she was sure Rainbow wouldn't rush off again, she dropped the tail.

"Woah there, Nellie, y'all gotta eat first! We can go down after we finish eatin'."

Huffing impatiently, Rainbow came back to the table, and began eating again.

When everything was cleared up, the now energetic and excited Pegasus practically dragged Applejack out of the house. The Stetson-clad pony laughed at her friend's energy. "Calm down, sugarcube! It's jus' a check-up! What are ya gonna be like when they take yer bandages off?"

Rainbow stopped, and looked at her friend seriously. "I'll be out that door in ten seconds flat."

Applejack chuckled. "Ah don't doubt that."

All the way to town, Rainbow spoke excitedly about what she would do when the bandages did come off, and she could fly again. Applejack listened with a smile on her face. It had been so long since the skies were graced with the rainbow trails of Dash.

"And I'll show you this new trick I made! I fly up like this," Rainbow used her hoof to show what she meant, "And then I dive down, and I do a corkscrew before I shoot out flat, like this, then I shoot up and spiral through the air with a rainbow trail behind me! I call it the Super-Speed-Rainbow-Twist!" the tomcolt said, grinning.

"Sounds mighty fine, RD. Jus' make sure ya don't hurt yerself again, or y'all end up in hospital again," Applejack replied, smiling at the rainbow wonder, with a hint of concern showing underneath.

"I'll be ok, AJ." As always, the young flier's confidence asserted itself, as she puffed out her chest.

Upon reaching the hospital, the doctor smiled at Rainbow. "Time for your weekly check-up, Rainbow Dash. Now just sit here, and let me take a look at them."

Rainbow sat on the seat, her face showing her impatience. The doctor gently unwound the bandages around the wings, and Rainbow winced slightly at the light tugging. "Sorry, Rainbow, this'll only take a moment."

"How are they, doctor?" Applejack spoke up, sitting in a chair to the side of the room.

"Do I get to use them soon?" Rainbow's excitement was palpable.

The doctor laughed. "They're doing just fine, coming along nicely. If they keep healing this quickly, you might be able to get them off early!"

"YES!"

"See? What'd Ah tell ya?" Applejack smiled at her friend, though inside, somewhere deep down, she wasn't happy. A selfish part of her wished that Rainbow's wings didn't heal so quickly. A part of her wanted Rainbow to stay with her. Shaking herself, she brought herself to the present. "Thank ya kindly, doctor."

"Yeah, thanks, doctor!"

"Not a problem, Rainbow Dash, Applejack. Just make sure you come back again next week, so we can see if those bandages can come off." The doctor chuckled and waved them off.

"YES! This is totally AWESOME! I might be able to fly again a week early!" Rainbow punched the air in joy. "Let's go tell the others!" With that, Rainbow raced off to find their friends, AJ following with joy on her face, but sadness in her heart.

That night, Applejack sat on her bed, watching the Pegasus sleep. It had become a habit, over the last week. It was the only time AJ had to just look at Rainbow, without any awkward questions, or odd looks. The only time when Applejack could show her hidden feelings for the one she loved so much.

Moonlight shone into the room, filling it with a luminous glow. The light touched the side of Rainbow's face, which was facing Applejack. The blonde-maned mare took in Rainbow's face, only the top half visible because of the blankets Rainbow had pulled over herself. Does everypony look younger in their sleep? Applejack wondered to herself. Rainbow did. In sleep, the rainbow-maned pony looked tired. And something else about it that had changed too. The liveliness in the day was replaced by a look of sadness.

Where have y'all been Rainbow? What have y'all been doin'? She looked into the face she loved so much, wondering. Rainbow hadn't been forthcoming when it came to questions about the last three years. She would avoid the question, and change the subject. But the look on Rainbow's face every night broke AJ's heart. What could have made her brave, plucky Pegasus look like that?

Applejack shook her head at herself, at the hope in her heart. Hope that it was their being apart that made Rainbow sad. That Rainbow wanted them to be together as much as Applejack did. That when Rainbow did smile in her dreams, it was because they were with each other again.

Lies. The Element of Honesty knew that they were lies, wild fancies and dreams. She had no time to cherish fancy wishes about impossible things. But she would be lying if she said she didn't want those fancy wishes about impossible things. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to dream of a world where Rainbow Dash was hers forever.

A single tear ran down AJ's face. She wouldn't let herself cry. She was a strong pony, a hard worker. Crying wasn't something she did. And what if Rainbow suddenly woke up, and saw her crying? No, she wouldn't cry. The tears weren't there.

For now, Applejack pushed away all other thoughts, about what they could have been, about what might've happened. Pushed away the fact that they might've come true if she hadn't been so stupid. For now, AJ focused on her love's face. Allowing her emotions to show now, that she tried so hard to keep from showing in the light of day. Only Luna's moon would ever see the gentle love she felt for the cyan Pegasus.

It was like sweet torture, loving someone in secret. It was obvious Rainbow didn't feel anything in return. So cool, calm and collected, Rainbow treated her like she always did – as a great friend. But always a friend. Applejack wanted so much more. And yet, it seemed as her dreams would always be exactly that. Reality was harsh and cruel; reality told her that there was no possibility that Rainbow could love her again. So she could only reveal how much she cared for the sleeping pony when no one but the moons and the stars were watching. She loved Rainbow Dash in the shadows of the night, in the silence of the frozen world between falling asleep and waking up. A part of her longed to go over to the winged pony, to caress her cheek, kiss her on the lips. But AJ never did. She was so afraid of waking Dash, afraid that Dash would see her, and realise that she still loved Dash. It would only make everything between them more awkward. Just as they were beginning to move past that.

Applejack made a note to herself to be more careful. As they worked in the orchards, and played together, sometimes she felt herself staring at Rainbow a little too long, sometimes standing a little too close, sometimes being a little too happy. She had begun to call Rainbow "sugarcube" a lot more than their other friends. Sometimes she thought she saw Twilight looking at her a little knowingly, or Rarity smiling at her gently for no particular reason. She wondered if all her friends knew she still cherished feelings for the pony sharing her room. She thanked Celestia that Dash hadn't seen through her. Or maybe she had. Applejack didn't know. But she prayed that Rainbow had no idea.

Looking out her window, she could see the moon, making its way up through the sky. With a sigh, she climbed under her bed sheets, preparing to sleep. Before closing her eyes, she looked over at the Pegasus, fast asleep under the blankets. Sometimes Applejack wished Rainbow did see her like this. Sometimes she wished Rainbow knew, and that she would turn around and tell AJ that she loved her too.

Lies… dreams… wishful thinking… Applejack shook her head at herself. Looking over at the love of her life, she whispered, barely audible, "I love you, Dashie." Words, she thought, that would never be heard.

Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.

Mr. Masato/Arby Works.