The Dare

Meeting Midnight Dash

The bright sun shone over Sweet Apple Acres, warming Applejack's body and fur and making her green eyes glisten.

"Where in tarnation is Rainbow Dash? She was supposed to be er' an hour ago! She knows ah need help gettin rid of the rotten apples..." Applejack huffed as the cyan mare was no where in sight in the bright blue sky.

"Ah swear if she bails out on me again I'll-"

"Hi, AJ! Sorry I'm late...I was catching up with my cousin, Midnight Dash!" The mare explained as she came into view and landed with a dark blue mare by her side, unfamiliar to Applejack.

"..." Midnight remained silent for a few minutes  before she silently whispered, "Hi." She slowed looked at all the apple trees, then at the ground.

"Hiya sugarcube! Name's Applejack!" The orange mare put out her hoof.

Midnight store blankly at her in complete silence as she slowly shook the mare's hoof.

"Rainbow, can we talk for a sec?" AJ whispered to her awkwardly staring friend.

"Yes." The two mares trotting to and closed the red barn doors shut.

"Why did ya bring er here? She's so...er'....awkward!"

"She's just a bit shy is all...it came from her mother's side...relax...you won't regret me bringing her, I Pinkie Promise!" Dash responded. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"At least get er' ta talk..."

"Fine."

The two mares stepped out of the barn, grins on their faces. Midnight glanced up from her hoof dirt drawing at them, and glanced back down at the dirt.

"Midnight, Applejack needs help picking out rotten apples...can you help?" Dash asked hopefully.

"Yes." the mare quickly replied, her eyes still on the ground.

"And don't be shy, AJ here is my best friend, so you can talk more." The pegasus added, putting a hoof around Applejack to make the point.

"Uh but Rainbow I don't think I should I tend to-" A cyan hoof covered her ear as her cousin whispered, "Brag as much as you want..even make stuff up...AJ will be so annoyed it'll be funny."

"She already doesn't seem to like me..."

"Of course she likes you! Give her a chance...please do it for me..."

"Fine..."

"Alright, Midnight, I guess ya can help me while Rainbow gets some more baskets and disposes of the other rotten apples..." Applejack told Midnight, a slight distraught tone held within her voice.

"Hey AJ, did you know I won the flyer competitor 6 years in a row? Or that I'm one of Spitfire's special dedications? Or that I'm not afraid of anything and that I can hold my breath for 3 minutes underwater?" blurted the dark blue mare as she picked up some rotting apples from the trees.

"Why won't she just shut up?! I liked it better when she didn't talk at all for buck's sake!" Applejack thought as the mare continues to blurt things that weren't probably true, or just bragging.

That's when Applejack began to wonder what was taking Rainbow Dash so long. Midnight continued to blurt on, and Applejack finally snapped. "If you're not afraid of anythin, then why don't ya spend the night with me in the Everfree forest! No tents or nuthin...only a blanket an' pillow..."

"Uh...does it have to be TONIGHT?" The blue mare responded quickly, dropping the apples in her basket.

Applejack raised an eyebrow at the sheepishly looking mare.

"I mean...tonight's perfect..." Midnight lied.

"Hey guys I'm back..." Rainbow stated as she landed on the ground. When Rainbow gazed upon the two mare's, she saw something she hadn't seen ever since Midnight's parents died in Midnight's ice blue eyes....FEAR.