Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by goo

Rating: teen
Tags: Rarity, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Comedy
Length: 13621

What happens when Rarity asks Rainbow Dash for help with something that tests her loyalty.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack have been friends since they met... or at least after they stopped trying to kill each other. Long story short, they're quite close. Dash wants to be closer.

But, when Rarity comes to Rainbow Dash with a desperate plea, will Dash choose to serve her own desires or be the loyal friend that her element prescribes her to be?

Also, all of the chapter names are quotes from Mark Twain. He's awesome - you should read some of his books when you're done with my stories!

Published 2012-04-11 11:54:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-07-07 05:50:01 UTC

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt

"I'mma tan your ratty blue hide if I ever catch you stealing again, ya hear?" The coarse southern accent rang in the pegasus's ears. She peered down at the strange sight below her. The creature was not joking. Her face was red, her eyes were narrowed, her jaw clenched, her blonde pony-tail swished, her ears twisted back against her neck... it was every sign of wrath that could be readily displayed on a pony.

This was, without a doubt, one of the most exciting games Dash had ever played. It was a dance. She'd only been in Ponyville for a week, and she had already almost gotten fired from her brand new job, smashed an innocent shop-keeper's stand into an unrecognizable mess of wood and oranges, and stolen something. Well, stolen three things. This was the third day in a row she had been caught munching away in the orchards.

That angry farmpony didn't stand a chance against an aerial thief, as far as Dash knew. Dash chuckled boisterously while levitating in the air, saying, "Well, you can only tan my hide if you can catch me! There isn't any way some dumb old workhorse is gonna catch the fastest pegasus in Equestria!" She batted her wings twice, and then swooshed just inches above the earth pony at top speed, lightly rapping her with the tips of her rainbow tail and soaring upwards, her powerful wings bearing the lift force necessary to reverse her dive at precisely the right moment.

There was a flaw with the plan. The ground, which should have been fading away, hurtled closer and closer to her face. Something rough had caught her back leg. She thudded to the ground, and quickly became unconscious.

Rainbow Dash felt an unsettling but painfully familiar feeling in her stomach as she glanced at Applejack's flank. Those three apples never looked sweeter. This always seemed to happen around noon, which it was right now, especially after spending so much time with her golden-colored friend. The two were both pretty sweaty, after all of the physical exertion that was required in building a new shed. Dash's stomach lurched again.

Oh, by the way, the feeling was hunger. Definitely just hunger. It had absolutely, positively nothing to do with the way Dash had been sneaking glances at her friend's figure increasingly frequently throughout the long day.

"Thanks again for helping me with this Dash, I dunno what I'd do without ya!" She grinned easily at her friend, but her face crunched into a grimace as she lifted another beam to the lighter pegasus. A tennis-player-like grunt punched into the air as the golden mare popped her hips from a crouched position to a standing one, hefting the beam up.

That one was Dash's idea. Apparently it was good for her back that way, but Applejack wasn't so sure. She trusted her friend though, so she went for it. It was just another game, and as always, Applejack was not clued in on the rules or reasons for playing... It worked much better that way, at least as far as Dash knew. The two were both competitive ponies, and the rainbow pegasus really did not want to lose this game. [you just lost it, by the way...]

Right now, she was having a lot of trouble figuring out just what the rules were for the game. Was she trying to seduce her, or was she just trying to get a nice look at that fine cowpony? Did she want her purely physically, or was there some sort of emotional attachment there, too? Was the way she felt just because she lived alone and longed for companionship of any kind, or did this relationship really stand a chance? That was the worst and best thing about playing a game with a pony in the unawares, it meant that the rules and goals were subject to change at your every whim, no matter how fanciful or idiotic they were.

"Any time, AJ, you know I always have your back!"

The blue pegasus's eyes fluttered open, blinking in the rose-colored light.

Where am I? ... Shit, did Gilda and I get caught up in another weird hazing activity?

She evaluated her body, lifting each limb. Wings, check. Forelimbs, check. One leg, check. Other leg... stuck? She tugged a few more times on the constraint. Damn, that thing was sturdy.

Dash pushed off the mattress to stand, and felt a rush of nausea and pain shoot through her head. Head, not check. Gingerly, Dash pressed her hoof to her forehead. Yep, that is one massive bruise. Concussion plausible.

She slowly lifted her head from the soft bed she was laying on, and noticed that her back leg was tied to the bedpost by a rope. She could move it, but the rope wasn't long enough to escape the room.

Speaking of the room, where the hell was she? The place was so quaint it was giving Dash the creeps. Everything was wooden and decorated with an apple insignia. Just when you thought it wasn't reasonable to carve an apple into a door... or a bedpost... or a lamp-stand... yep, it's there alright. It was like a weird convent where Celestia was replaced with apples.

The pegasus took a deep breath, only to be startled by an overwhelming odor. Or perhaps an aroma? It was hard to decide between the potent manure-scent and the wonderful smell of an apple pie baking, in what could only be assumed to be the kitchen downstairs.

Oh... apples.

Her memory returned. That mare with the quaint hat and the crazy pony-tail must have captured her. She briefly wondered if vigilante justice was allowed in Ponyville. The town was so small that one pony missing would cause a stir, right?

Cautiously, she turned her head, bearing the weird rush with a grimace. To her surprise, a glass of water was on the table. Considering she was a captive prisoner, the hospitality of putting her in a bed and giving her something to drink was a tad bit surprising. She picked up the glass in her hoof, and drank a bit. The mare blindly felt for the table to return the glass to, since she didn't want to try turning her head again. Something slipped. And she clenched her eyes shut, bracing for the loud shattering noise. That glass did shatter.

Rarity seemed to be full of an uncharacteristic mix of nervous energy, her usual politeness, and embarrassment. Dash shuffled inside, attempting not to mess up the posh pony's beautiful flooring. "Please, do come in! It is so wonderful that you could come over on such a short notice. I've got some tea over here... though you probably wouldn't like it, I know how you are about tea... Perhaps some lemonade would do? Oh, but that is so simple, I ho..."

Dash cut her off quickly with a falsely enthusiastic grin, while saying, "No really, lemonade is fine." What she was thinking was a tad bit different. For starters, why on earth did the unicorn want her over? She had promised that it was not another attempt to conscript... whatever that meant... her into modeling for a new line. Maybe she wanted to shave her mane and tail and sell them as dresses or something, and knew she would just get spurned.

"So... uh, what is this all about?" Dash asked unemphatically. It was exhausting to watch Rarity titter around and arrange everything as if it really mattered. She was due for a nap in the next couple of minutes, and this wasn't helping at all.

Rarity paused abruptly, nearly dropping her teacup in the suddenness of her halting. Her lip seemed to quiver, but Dash didn't notice. She wasn't much of an observant type, and she was already a little annoyed about the way this conversation was going.

"Oh dear, I suppose I really do have to go through with this now that I've dragged you in to it..." Her sing-songy tone was disrupted by what seemed to be emotion. She cleared her throat with a dainty hem-hem.

Dash looked up, looking her friend in the eyes. The unicorn's vivid blue eyes were fraught with tears. Even though she had no idea why her friend was so traumatized, she had a faint idea of what to do. She lifted out of her chair, and wrapped her forelimbs around the sobbing mare's torso. Warmth spread to both parties, but a decidedly moist deposit develped on Dash's shoulder.

The pegasus was a bit of a stranger to encounters like these. The odds that the drama queen would have choosen her most outspoken and insensitive friend as a confidant were quite slim. Awkwardly, the pegasus attempted to comfort her, patting her back and shushing a bit like Fluttershy would have.

She pushed out of the hug and looked Rarity in the eyes again. Steadily, she said, "C'mon now, it can't be that bad, right? You can tell me anything!" Dash grinned in a cheesy manner at the last line, knowing it wasn't entirely true but hoping that she could be the friend who would understand.

Rarity dabbed at her eyes, worsening the state of her mascara. It seemed obvious that she was trying to muster the courage to say whatever she needed to say. Dash waited, and got what she thought she wanted to hear.

"I'm in love with Applejack! I can't say I've ever been so smitten in my life. She's charming, gentle, and dedicated... everything I'd ever need. But I don't stand a chance at getting her attention. I know you're her best friend, so I thought maybe ..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly as she calculated the reaction on the attentive visage before her.

Dash exploded on the inside. Rage, jealously, indignance, fear... but most of all, she felt torn. She wanted more than anything to be a good friend. It was her duty to help her friends out when they needed it most.

At the same time, how could Rarity possibly use the word love when describing AJ? Applejack was her friend, not Rarity's. The two spent half their time mocking Rarity's bizarre antics. She couldn't imagine a poorer fit. Her face wrinkled in disgust at the thought of her fashionable friend's nasty perfume mixing with the beautiful, earthy scent of Applejack's farm.

Dash realized her face had compromised her emotions a bit too late. Rarity began to sob again, this time even louder than before. "I thought that you of all ponies would understa-a-a-and!" A shrill whine erupted from the beast before her.

Finally, the pegasus's brain finished computing a proper reaction to the situation. She ignored the subtle jab at her sexual orientation in Rarity's latest squeal, and recovered, "Oh, no, nothing's wrong with that! In fact, I'd love to help you out! AJ currently does't have a crush on anypony right now, so you're in luck!" Her response was really quite bitter, but only she knew it. Dash lightly touched the white unicorn's forelimb in an attempt to calm her.

After a good deal of sniffling, Rarity grabbed an unsuspecting Rainbow Dash into a stranglehold-hug. She danced her around the room, thanking her over and over again. Dash followed along, wondering what on earth she had just gotten herself into.

Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often

Applejack trotted quickly through the hot summer night air, her cart teetering along behind her easily. She was a reserved pony, and would usually be fast asleep at such an odd hour. However, it was usually not the night of the Ponyville fair. Ponies and horses alike stayed out all night, almost all of the ponies enjoying some of the many activities available. Some were swaying to the quaint little band. Others found solace in the magic rides. A few tried their luck at winning the excessively difficult and possibly impossible carnival games.

Applejack was not almost all of the ponies.

She was working tonight, as she did every night.

The golden pony knew that it had to be done. She couldn't help but be mesmerized by the whirl of golden lights in the dark sky. If only I had enough money to take off one night. Maybe I could meet a handsome stallion and be whisked away from this miserable life in Ponyville. The mare kicked at the dirt. Despite her cutie mark revelation, apple vending was no dream life. Shaking her head to clear the useless thoughts, she roused her voice to call out in the still-churning crowds of rowdy teenage ponies. Her voice was loud but a bit husky after a long evening of shouting.

"APPLES FOR SALE, THAT'S RIGHT, EVERYPONY GET YOUR CARAMEL APPLES, APPLE CIDER, APPLE FRITTERS, AND MORE. RIGHT O'ER HERE, STEP RIGHT UP!"

Soon enough, a new customer approached. Applejack's head reeled from the overpowering perfume as the vain, pompous, and downright horrible white unicorn sauntered towards her carriage with a dark, handsome date in tow. The two had been classmates for almost a decade, and for not one of those years had they gotten along. Mutually gotten along, at least. She braced herself, squishing her face together and pinning her ears back for the ...

"Ooooh ~ ! Well if it isn't my favorite quaint little farmer-friend! Let's see what you have here..." The feeling of being given a pat on the cheek caused the golden cowpony to shudder. The positively gaudy unicorn turned and gazed at the wares before her. She sniffed a few of the treats, not once looking at her stolid date for input.

It's for the farm. It's for the family. It's for my livelyhood. It's for the orchards...

Applejack responded with the most neutral tone possible, saying, "Hello, Rarity. We've got your apple tarts, caramel apples, and more. Please do take your time."

Rarity noted the tone, but she had expected it and actively ignored it. For some reason, AJ was never too thrilled to be treated like a proper friend. Maybe some day she would catch on and act socially acceptably. Such a strange gal, Rarity mused to herself, without breaking her giddy mask.

There wasn't much that could set Applejack on edge quite like the heinous being that was Rarity.

"Daaarrling, do you think you could get us two of those delectable apple tarts?" Applejack paused to grab two plates, but was arrested before she could complete the rapidly-becoming-arduous task.

"Ooooh ~ ! I simply forgot to introduce you to my da-ate! This is Midnight Prowl, he is destined to be a Canterlot Guard! Can you believe it?" She grinned and closed her eyes, putting her front over her stallion possessively. The massive stallion ducked his head in acknowledgement to what must have been the dozenth time he was forced to listen to his introduction. Thus far, he had not uttered a single sound. Applejack wondered what their alone time was like. Did he talk? What could they possibly talk about? And finally, how could anypony tolerate Rarity for that long?

Applejack's worn and dirtied hoof extended to shake hooves with the new acquaintance. "Pleased to meet you, Mister Prowl. Have a good night, y'all!" They shook quickly, and the couple turned away with their tarts. The cowpony could've sworn she saw the stallion give the freshly-shaken hoof a disdainful shiver as the two receded into the thinning crowd. She looked to the clock tower and noticed that it was almost two in the morning. Only one hour left to endure.

Dash puffed out her chest and tossed her mane back, attempting to recover from the embarrassing moments prior. "The name's Dash, Rainbow Dash. I'm the fastest flying pegasus in all of Equestria!" Her voice did little to shield her overpowering pride. Her cyan hoof met Applejack's and shook it with a bit more zeal than the cowpony could return.

Applejack was unimpressed, to say the least. She cocked one eyebrow and drew back her hoof while Dash was still shaking it. For just a moment, the two had seemed like a normal pair of ponies. Back to square one, it seems.

"Good for you. I'm glad you're fast, because you have a long day ahead of you. Get up, we're going to work in the orchards all day long." With that, Applejack turned around, the strands of her tail lightly whipping across Dash's face. Dash shook her head in surprise, but followed along anyways, humbled slightly. Very slightly, that is.

The two walked down the stairs, and out of the humble Apple abode. Applejack didn't forget to take the pie out of the oven and dump its burned remains in the trash before exiting. She felt a hot temper boiling beneath her skin, but kept her emotions under check. The pegasus didn't have to help her, but the prospect of getting all of her day's work done today despite the distractions provided by Rainbow Dash was tantalizing.

The two sauntered outdoors and became bathed in the hot summer sun. Applejack's flaxen mane seemed to glow in golden bath of mid-afternoon light. Dash started sweating as soon as she stepped outside and felt the dead heat surround her body. The yellow mare began to trot in the direction of the orchards. Dash stared after her blankly, dreading the work that would ensue.

Applejack paused her pace and glared back at the lazy pegasus. "C'mon, lets see that athletic body of yours get to work, Miss Fastest-Flier." The pegasus brushed a prick of sweat off of her forehead, and swiftly followed behind on wing. A curious shade of red adorned her cheek. Dash wasn't quite sure if it was the heat, embarrassment, or the cowpony's latest epithet.

The dizzy Rainbow Dash and patient Applejack reached the farmhouse fairly quickly. This was likely because Rainbow Dash wasn't actually hurt. Despite this fact, the pegasus didn't hesitate to lean into her friend. Applejack's face was right in front of Dash's nose. Her hat was touching Dash's ear, and it tickled a little.

Looking back, the idea wasn't that great. Crush or no crush, getting a hardworking pony's sweat rubbed all over you isn't that pleasant. A bit of a turn-off, to be honest. Every breath inwards was stained with the smell of a long day's exercise and a growing sense of guilt for disrupting work.

All the same, the pair reached the farmhouse. The entry through the apple-themed wooden portal was coupled with a refreshing blast of magically generated cool air. AJ gently walked her friend over to a chair at the kitchen table. The wood seemed to feel even harder than usual. Dash looked over into Applejack's eyes, wondering why she didn't take a seat as well. For a few precious moments, there was no sound but breathing.

Two voices started at once. Dash started out with what would have been a drawn out "so", but cut off when a decidedly twangier tone started with an "I'm s-."

The bold pegasus was the next to take a stab at conversation, saying, "How about you go first? And sit down, let's eat or something!" She waved her limb at the chair opposite the one she was occupying, but her waves grew rapidly feebler as she gauged her friend's facial expression.

Gray bags hung under AJ's eyes. She knew that face. Dash wanted to smash her face into the table. How could I be so stupid! It's ...

"Fair season. I had a rough night last night." Applejack's inflection was duller than before. Apparently the walk to the farmhouse had taken out more of her energy than Dash had expected.

"I can get you a glass of juice, if you like." Guilt and embarrassment crept from the tips of Dash's hooves all the way to her cheeks. She blushed inadvertently, but pinned her forehooves over her face before it was noticeable. Plan B sucks.

Like a poorly made database, lines and lines of queries to Dash's brain stacked up and each returned an invalid statement. Error. Error. Error. Abort mission.

Almost tipping over her chair, Dash flip-flopped out of the sweet-scented abode. Her wings flapped haphazardly as she did so, nearly knocking over the old family portrait on the wall. "Gottagobyethanks." That was all she said.

Dash barely kicked the door shut behind her and took off into the sky. Each breath came heavier and heavier as she accelerated through the clouds and pumped her wings. The familiar feeling of her mane whipping against her back and her tail stinging her back legs was her only comfort. If she had looked back, she might have seen a tired, golden form sitting at the table, hunched over and sobbing.

"You know, this is harder than it looks! I'll give you props, this is real work."

Applejack deadpanned. If honesty was her element, then patience was her most common isotope. "I'd say so, too." She had been listening to the multicolored pegasus's musings about her livelihood for almost an hour now. The world's fastest flier was actually pulling almost as much weight as the trained cowpony was. Despite that nice token, Applejack was quickly regretting the whole situation. She clenched her jaw and kicked again. The reassuring sound of apples falling caught her ears.

Dash's style was unlike anything AJ had ever seen before. Her aerial frame was, though the pegasus put it differently, too frail for bucking. Instead, she flew into the trees and flapped her wings, knocking down the apples almost as effectively.

"I know I just said this was hard work, but uh, can I work here?" Applejack's buck only struck with one hoof, causing her back-right leg to overextend. She landed squarely, but sorely. Instinctively she flexed it up and forward. Still functional enough.

"Uh, come again?"

"Well, I kinda smashed somepony's cart while I was supposed to be working, and I got fired from my weather patrol. And I'm broke. And I don't think my parents ever want to see me again. So, can I work here?" Dash smoothly descended from her latest victim and landed in front of her new only friend.

The green-eyed cowpony searched the other pony's face. Despite the fact that this unemployed, annoying pony was a thief, she seemed to be telling the truth. AJ couldn't help but wince a little midway through the pegasus's statement, all the same.

"We're all full on employees at the moment." Dash looked at the ground, crestfallen. AJ had intended to stop there, but decided to change her tune after seeing the reaction. "Ya know, I could talk to the weather captain if you need me to. I could vouch for you. He's known me for years, he'd take my word for it."

The next thing Applejack felt was a warm body pressing into her. All she could see was a swirl of rainbow colors. She didn't really want to breathe in and associate a smell with the moment because the odds were slim that it would be a pleasant one. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankou!"

Dash pumped her wings joyously, picking the two off the ground for a few seconds and twirling vertically. Applejack, unused to the flying sensation, no matter how brief, felt terror as the force of the spinning pulled her away from the pony who held her away from peril. She couldn't help but let out a little squeak and close her eyes. Soon enough, her back two legs scraped against the ground and spread to regain friction. Her front ones landed a second after.

The normally grounded cowpony swayed as the world around her spun wildly. Dash reached out with a front leg and steadied her. AJ's smile turned sour as she realized what had happened.

"You can't just pick me up like that! I'm a grown pony, and I hardly know you!"

"Sorry, I always forget you earth ponies can't handle spinning." Dash feigned apology, but from the grin that had been plastered on the cowpony's face, she knew it wasn't unwelcome. It was fun to have so much power. "Oh, and I gotta go. Let's hang later."

Applejack could only look on in wonder as the bizarre creature sped off into the sky.

Rarity sprawled into her bed, tucking her mask over her face. Her date had departed approximately one half-hour ago, and she had since taken a bubble bath and changed into silk pajamas. She slipped the perfect amount of blanket over herself with a faint blue glow and felt the bed-gravity sink her into her luxurious bed. Sleep thickened her eyelids. Sensations from the outer world faded into the first stage of sleep. Rarity sighed. Tonight, she might dream of Midnight Pro - CRACK.

Suddenly, a loud breaking noise from outside caused her to jerk back into a state of wakefulness. The noise caused her to not only mentally jerk, but to physically do so. Rarity resettled the sheets and began to drif - THUNK.

A different noise, one like banging on a piece of wood, shattered the serene atmosphere of Rarity's room. But unlike the crack noise, this one began to repeat. THUNK THUNK THUNK SHIT DAMMIT.

The loud thunking was enough to send Rarity reeling with rage, but the loud cursing pushed her over the edge. She flung her night-mask across the room and barreled down the stairs. THUNK THUNK THUNK

Even the kinetic temper tantrum wasn't lessening her wrath. She practically busted down the front door of her house and yelled, "How dare you make such a wracket! Can't you see it is in the middle of the night!" The white unicorn gesticulated wildly, her right-front limb waving this way and that, alternating with the turning of her upturned head and closed eyes. She then leveled her permanently-eyeshadowed glare at the miscreant before her.

Applejack was breathing heavily, her front legs locked with one leg still pushing against the back of her cart. It was moving, but only by skidding across the ground. The simple wooden cart had a single axle, and it was made to be counter-balanced by a pony or its kickstand. The axle had cracked in half, so the only way to move the cart was by painstakingly scraping it through the dirt. Her head was low, and she didn't meet her verbal assailant's eyes. She looked down at the dirt between her front hooves.

For once, Rarity didn't say something that annoyed her classmate. Her tune changed so suddenly that it was almost frightening to the cowpony. "Oh, why didn't you just knock! I can fix that pretty easily with this." She tapped her head despite how obvious what she was referring to was. The unicorn tittered lightly. With a faint crackle, the axle bonded itself back together.

Applejack yanked her hoof away from the cart and stared in awe. Her mouth gaped open for a couple seconds before she started, "Rare, I - I don't know how to thank you enough." She paused and looked away from the vain unicorn. "I'd better get going before all this food gets wasted, and I'd hate to ruin any more of your rest." Her tone was tinged with guilt for having immediately assumed the unicorn would only make the night worse.

Rarity searched the pitiful sight before her. The pony had bags under her eyes and twin bruises on her shoulders and sides where the arms of the cart embraced her muscular form. Everything about her was tired. The mare's flaxen braid was more frayed than usual. Though it may have just been a trick of the low lighting, Rarity could've sworn she saw the tacky brown hat droop.

The whole thing together made her heart ache with pity. "It was no trouble at all, Applejack." The golden pony had braced for the word "Daaahling", but was pleasantly surprised to hear her name pronounced in the young mare's musical tone. "Why don't you and I hang out sometime before school starts up. You could use a nice day at the spa. My treat!" The vain unicorn smiled, but didn't quite grin like she usually did.

Applejack let out an exasperated sigh. She was so close to acting like a normal pony! "I'd love to, but I've got work every day, all day. I'm going to go home now. Working again tomorrow. Enjoy your rest and your summer break." The pony smiled kindly, but it fell into a deep-set one of listless apathy as her face disappeared from the unicorn's view. The working mare latched herself back into the cart and teetered off down the road. Rarity awkwardly touched her front hooves together, but returned to her falsely joyous tune quickly. She waved and called out, "Ta-ta, daaahrling!"

Hopefully this will hold you over for the next chapter! I'm sorry about the wait, I've been sick and stuff. Also, I'm getting concerned that the timeline won't be evident. Here's what I have thus far:

-Rarity + AJ are going to school together
-AJ parent death
-Cutie marks
-Friendship with Dash
-Fair
-Friendship with Rarity
-School ends, things are normal, everypony gets jobs
-Everypony meets Twilight
-Building romances
-Rarity tells Dash about her crush
-And more plot which will be revealed later!

The lack of money is the root of all evil

I am very sorry for the wait! All I can say is I've got a full time job now after graduating and it sucks the life out of me! Y'all should be able to expect bimonthly monthly updates from now on, hopefully the story will be complete in September.

Applejack's head jerked upwards as the shrill ring of the schoolbell shattered her reverie. Her hooves automatically reached up to rub the weariness from her eyes. She stared down at her paper again. Momma's gonna kill me for that one... A light mauve form swept through the rows of desks, deftly collecting the papers. As she passed by the young orange filly's desk she whispered, "See me after class, AJ." The filly's eyes wavered from her now-empty desk up to the mature form of her teacher. How could her essay be so bad that, before even looking at it, Miss Lavender wanted to meet with her about it? She chewed her lip nervously, and waited for the rest of the class to process out.

After the door closed and the last student left, Applejack looked up at her teacher's desk from her own smaller one. She was surprised to see that her teacher looked nervous as well. The young mare asked, "Miss Lavender, what's wrong?" If the teacher's apparent nerves were frightening before, the bizarre facade that became plastered to her face was far more unsettling. The pale, violet mare walked up to her desk and sat down so that the two became the same height.

"Well you see, Applejack, sometimes bad things happen, and," the teacher looked up at the ceiling, her rose-tinted eyes tearing up. She let out a shaky breath, and embraced her student.

Applejack bit her lip again, looking to the ground. "I'm sorry for being such a bad student..." Her voice trailed off as Miss Lavender's embrace tightened in response to her words.

The teacher shifted, holding Applejack at arm's length, and looking into her eyes. "Applejack, you are not a bad student. I can only hope that you will keep going to school, and you can move on from this." A tear that had been forming began to roll down her face. Her right hoof brushed it off instinctively, but another began to form as soon as she did.

The young cowpony cocked her head to the side, her confusion and worry increasing simultaneously.

Miss Lavender took a few more breaths, attempting to compose herself. "I'm going to walk you home today, and no matter what happens, I want you to know that you're a very special pony, and you cannot give up school." Applejack blinked a few times, unsure of what to say and why being in school was so important to her teacher all of a sudden.

The mare stood up to her full height, and placed her forelimb around the young filly, pulling her up to a standing position. They walked to Sweet Apple Acres in contemplative silence.

Applejack felt her back hooves meet the tree squarely. She couldn't think of a more soothing feeling. The reverberation flooded through her body, and then she landed on the ground. It was an art form - unlike anything she had ever experienced. Painting, math, pulling carts... that was all work. This was her life. All that it could be, and all that it needed to be. A perfect equilibrium.

Something interrupted her serene work-state. A gust of wind announced the arrival of the distraction. The cowpony looked up tiredly, meeting the eyes of her closest friend. The two exchanged silently for a moment, before Dash looked down and began nudging around a pebble nervously.

"I'm sorry, AJ." The pegasus let out the words very softly. Her usually proud voice was brought down to a guilty murmur. She looked up, meeting her friend's eyes to check if she had heard. Dash expected a resentful glare, or perhaps a stern scowl. Instead, she saw a look of concern topped with a furrowed, confused brow.

"I figured that fall wasn't an accident. What was it?" The space between the two ponies was close enough that the low tone of their voices could be mutually understood, but far enough that it would take a few steps for an embrace to occur. Dash's ears drew back and she looked to the side. The mare turned back to her friend. She looked up at the sky, the azure tone faintly reflecting in her eyes as she did. AJ could read her like a book.

Wings drew out, legs kicked up, and Dash took flight. The situation was unmanageable. She had to leave, it was the only way to avoid ruining the friendship of a lifetime. However, one leg didn't kick up quite like the others. Dash beat her wings and strained. Damn.

Holding the rope firmly in her mouth, the seasoned cowpony pulled her friend to the ground by her cyan front-right leg. The distance that had separated them closed as Applejack stepped forward to hold her friend. "Whatever it is, hon, you can tell me. You don't need to always run away." Her voice was a whisper now, the privacy of the moment was already absolute due to how far away they were from any other pony, but it only felt right to whisper words of such powerful meaning.

Applejack paused for an answer, but she was nearly certain it wouldn't come. She was right of course. The response from the pegasus was a tremble, and then a quiet sob. The mare responded maternally, stroking her friend's mane and shushing her.

Then came a response, if it could even be called that. "Don't do that, you're making it worse."

"Do what?" Applejack drew back slightly, and stopped her motion.

"Come on, you have to have figured it all out by now..." Dash sighed. The worst thing about secrets is that sometimes your best friend can't even guess them. And then you actually have to say them out loud, when all the important conversations are usually spoken silently.

But this secret can't be shared, Dash logically concluded. She danced over the variety of resulting scenarios, and none were pleasant. The mare tweaked a few variables and derived a solution. A halfway confession.

The ivory filly sauntered into class, wearing a little outfit she had just whipped up to disguise her new cutie mark. The navy, velvet cape was secured by a sparkling white collar set with a sapphire. Its shimmering surface flowed until just beyond the base of her rump, somehow revealing more than it seemed to disguise the usually naked pony. She swayed her hips and held her head high, letting her mane flow down her neck luxuriously. A slight blush flushed upon her cheeks because she knew her classmates would be watching.

Maybe today is the day I'll meet my best friend. The thought crossed her mind, but she hated it vehemently. Subconsciously she clenched her jaw and shook her head as she forced the thought out of her head. How could a pony who had nearly half the class following her around feel so alone? As much as everypony loved her, she had trouble loving anypony else. Where was a friend who would listen to more than idle gossip? Who would like Rarity for more than the way she looked?

She slipped gracefully into her seat, and turned to face the front of the class. Pretending to not notice the stares and whispers that followed her entrance, she examined her right forehoof. The murmuring grew slightly louder. She looked up coyly to count the number of ponies who were watching her. Nopony was.

Rarity's eyes widened in surprise. The whole town was talking about the filly's disappearance, but there she was, walking into the classroom. Lyra said Applejack didn't cry at the funeral. Some other pony said she went to Manehattan to escape the incessant reminders of her parents at the farm. Another said that the previous two things were completely false, and that she was on the run from the law. Long story short, unfortunate Applejack was the talk of the town.

Despite the tragedy, Rarity couldn't help but fume when she noticed another surprise. A trio of apples now rested upon her classmate's flank. Immediately guilt and manners set in, but the young mare couldn't help but feel jealous that so much attention was drawn from her important development to the young apple-bucker.

A lady never chews her lip, but Rarity did since, unfortunately, nopony was looking at her. Silently, she debated which way she should redirect the attention to herself. The young mare could march to the front and accidentally rip off her garment, revealing her cutie mark. However, that required the destruction of a perfectly nice dress. Rarity debated revealing her cutie mark tomorrow, but then ponies would wonder why she didn't reveal it when she got it. This might require a bit more tact than previously thought...

Dash knocked on the boutique's door. She paused for a moment, and heard nothing.

Oh darn, guess I should leave now... The mare sarcastically bantered in her head, but she actually really wanted to. Losing wasn't just something Dash did. This ultimate retreat - giving Rarity relationship help with the mare they both loved. Ever since their conversation about Applejack, everything felt wrong.

The casual gaze felt scandalous. Looking in the cowpony's eyes still turned her strong, athletic legs into jelly, but the bitter taste of guilt was impossible to eradicate after a cup of apple cider. A friendly bump after a morning jog dizzied the pegasus with the thought of the touch lingering longer, but Dash's friendly smirk in her friend's direction afterwards was only a mask to disguise the painful confusion inside.

Altogether, there was no way the pegasus could sustain her way of life without tossing a white flag. To pursue Applejack, as she had for the past several years, meant to harm Rarity.

The door swung open while Dash was lost in lament for her failed romance. It caught her by surprise, even though a pony with even the slightest bit of hearing would have heard the noisy directions to Sweetie Belle to get out of her house.

Rarity stood in the doorway, flawless as always. Her face featured a smile false by even her own standards. The lengths she must go to for selling those dresses... Dash couldn't help but wonder if anypony believed that was a real smile. It soon dropped into a more genuine look of annoyance.

"I assume you're not here to order a dress?" Rarity's posture stiffened, clearly not ready to allow her guest inside until her conditions were met. Her muzzle tilted in the air slightly higher than usual, as if she wanted to be even taller than she already was.

Dash cocked one eyebrow, attempting to assess the situation. She hadn't expected Rarity to be upset about her departure, but looking back, she should have seen it coming. In almost every conflict between the two, pride was the issue at stake. It was the reason they fought. It was also the only reason Dash admired Rarity, but she'd definitely never say that.

"I'd rather spend the day with your cat," the vibrantly colored mare responded dryly. She continued, "And you gotta understand, about last week - "

Rarity interrupted her abruptly, speaking much louder than her conversational partner. "I do not wish to speak with you about something of such personal nature. You have made it quite clear that you do not care about my emotional well-being."

Dash considered leaving after the heated statement, but didn't bother budging. The words of a good friend echoed in her head. You don't need to always run away. She needed to stand her ground. Even if Rarity refused to talk to her, her feelings for AJ remained void until the situation was resolved. This needed to be settled.

The pegasus's voice remained at the same volume as before, despite Rarity's venom. She wanted to smile as she spoke because of how calm and collected she sounded, but she managed to avoid doing so. "Of course I do, you just need to understand that I'm going to be protective of my friend. I just want the best for her. You sure you don't want to talk?" The way she didn't fumble over the word friend impressed herself. Usually it was a battle, but the word flowed out as if things were normal. They weren't.

Rarity paused, pursing her lips for a moment. She stepped back, allowing her friend in. What's the worst that could happen, anyways?

Rarity gazed into the mirror. Her pale blue aura surrounded a curling iron. Tapping her hoof, she kept track of time. Five, six, seven, eight, reeeelease. The iron un-clamped and released a bouncing, purple curl. Rarity applied makeup, eyelashes, hairspray, and a poof of perfume. After one last glance in the mirror, she pushed the bathroom door open and was greeted with a stern looking mother.

"Rarity, you took over half an hour in there! I'm going to be late for work!" Her mother bent down slightly, blue eyes meeting her daughter's matching eyes levelly. The mare clenched her jaw, awaiting the doubtlessly sassy response. Due to the fact that she had been unable to use the bathroom at all this morning, her exceptionally long, violet mane pooled onto the floor. Some ponies may have found it comical, but Rarity only knew fear from her mother in such a state.

The young Rarity quickly responded, "Mother, as fashion designer, I simply must keep up my appearances." With a toss of the mane, the white mare attempted to leave the bathroom. Appearances were everything, and right now she needed to appear very differently from how she felt.

Fury building, the mother's rose-colored limb slammed against the doorway to block her daughter's egress. "Absolutely not. If you keep this up, you'll be out of here in no time. You're of age. I do not have to take care of you." Rarity's mother paused to allow the meaning behind her words to ferment for a moment, before raising her voice to a shrill yell, "NOW GET OUT!" Rarity let out an exasperated sigh, tossed her mane once again, and walked out. Against her will, her lip trembled, betraying her emotions regarding the situation. Fortunately, her mother had taken over the bathroom and nopony could see the break in her dramatic facade. The unicorn breathed in and out shakily to recompose herself, and headed off to school.

All she had to do now was finish up her last few weeks of classes, and she would be eligible for a loan to purchase property in Ponyville. Just a few more weeks... [inspiration song]

The ivory mare frantically tossed fabrics of all sorts through the air with her magic. Huffing and puffing, she glared around the room at the mess she created. How could she have so easily forgotten to order leather last week?

Chiding herself, the business pony racked her brain for sources where she could get leather in Ponyville. The material was controversial, ethics and all that stuff, but also very valuable and popular with the elite.

Ah-ha, the farm will have some! Nearly every Apple family member donned some sort of leather accessory. Perhaps the farm would have some to lend her. Rarity trotted earnestly out of the door. She was a mare with a mission - nothing could stop her now.

Soon enough, she arrived at the farm. Her nose crinkled at the potent scent in the air. She wondered how the Apple family could dwell on such revolting property for so long. The orchard was alright, perhaps somewhat picturesque in a quaint way. Other than that, the tacky barn could only make her nauseous. The mare scanned the farm, searching for a pony who could help her. Seeing nopony, she decided to check the barn house.

Rarity took in the curious door to the house. Despite its obvious age, she couldn't help but admire the relief carvings of apples in the aged wood. A sound from inside forced Rarity to reallocate her attention from the art on the door to listening. It sounded like laughing. No... certainly not laughing. That was the sound of female crying. Rocking back on her haunches, the mare reassessed the situation. To leave was to leave a friend alone when she needed help. To stay was an invasion of privacy.

Oh screw it, if she hears my knock, I'll help. If not, I'll leave. Her thought was unladylike. The Rarity's head was the last stronghold where unladylike mannerisms resided inside the mare. As if her forehoof was made of porcelain, she tapped delicately on the door twice.

The noise paused. Footsteps approached, and the door opened. A red-eyed Applejack peered out at the unexpected guest. Her surprise was so much that she couldn't help but let out a slightly rude statement. "Rarity? What are you doing here?" The cowpony nearly caught herself, but didn't quite get there in time. Looking inside the house awkwardly before glancing back at the unicorn, she followed up quickly with, "Not that you're unwelcome, I'm surprised." She shifted her weight, further showing how uncomfortable she felt with her weak side so exposed.

Rarity's plan for the door situation, until the door had opened, had largely been "tap the door lightly and hope she doesn't answer." Obviously, this was not the case.

"Nevermind why I'm here." Rarity paused, thinking of how the leather was much less important at the moment. "Do you need somepony to talk to?" The ivory mare deftly ignored the rude greeting.

Applejack looked up at the mare before her, debating if she should bother explaining. How could the spoiled fashion designer understand how hard her life was? A pony who never faced hardships, hard work, or a hungry night was so distanced from her life that the odds of proper sympathy were slim.

However, she really needed somepony to talk to. As much as Rainbow Dash was a closer friend, talking to her was impossible. Time after time, the mare would draw closer to her, just to disappear. It was in her nature, a perfect pun. She was flighty.

And here on her doorstep, she was considering refusing the gift of an open ear. Applejack turned and sat on her family's couch, which could comfortably seat three. "This one's a long talk, you ready to listen?" Rarity closed the door behind her and occupied the third spot, leaving a nice distance between the pair. She was ready.

Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary

Writing this chapter had me in tears. I'm nervous I put too much of myself in the story, rather than the actual characters. Oh well, this is my story. I hope you reader people can get something emotional out of this, too. I'd like to think my problems aren't too uncommon.

Also, this chapter is short because the next one is the last one, and I want it to be a longer chapter. Never fear, it should be here soon!

Rarity continued to plot while she watched the class react to her classmate's return. Applejack was a bit of an oddity in the bunch. Most other ponies went out after class and had playdates, but the golden filly always went straight home. She wasn't allowed out. The other ponies liked her well enough, but her family's forced isolation always left her on the outside.

The thought of such a lonely existence made Rarity feel bad for her. She hated her own family. Maybe now that AJ's parents were gone, she would be allowed out.

Applejack's entry wasn't much of a red carpet. The staring and clamoring about her was all there. The part that was missing was the actress's confidence, strutting down the carpet in the latest dress. Instead, the pony was silent and strong. Her face was expressionless. The theory that she had killed her own parents increased in plausibility.

Rarity, from her desk, studied the filly's expression carefully. For a few moments, the spotlight in her head had drifted away from herself. There was depth in her eyes. The whole world spun in on them. A deep sadness was set inside their very recesses, but something strong held it all in place. Bright, intricate, green curls danced through the emerald background. She still had hope for the future, in spite of her hardships.

The white filly was almost dizzy with the emotions she felt, just by looking at her expression. She looked away, shaking her head. As much as she wanted to, the spotlight wouldn't go back to herself. The young unicorn couldn't stop thinking about the plight of young Applejack.

"Ya know, as much as I wish I could live like you do, I am pretty happy with my life." The cowpony's faith in her own words was hampered by her inability to clear her reddened eyes, and the sniff that followed the statement.

A proud pony like Rarity could have been insulted. The insinuation that her life was easy and carefree was far from the truth. The thought passed her mind, but it was obliterated by the torrent of disgust with herself for even thinking of that.

"Applejack, I don't know how you do all that you do. I am jealous, to be honest. You are so unbelievably strong." The words carried their usual musical air. However, the haughtiness that accompanied the accent was gone. Mascara-covered eyelashes framed eyes that were sincere. A bit of her facade had disappeared to help her friend.

The cowpony stared back in disbelief, a good bit of the weight behind the statement floating overhead. "So let me get this straight, you're saying you are jealous of me because I've got more muscle?" She arched an eyebrow and awaited a response. Her tone contained no menace, but it was permeated with doubt. The thought that the image of physical perfection would desire anything about her seemed impossible.

Rarity's mind contorted as it struggled to understand the newest turn in the conversation. Coming into the chat, she had expected a teary-eyed description of family problems. How did they end up at self-esteem?

"I was talking about your strength in dealing with fa-ahh..." Rarity's ending "ah" was higher in pitch than the rest of the statement. Her mouth grew wider, but then snapped shut. She clipped a hoof to her mouth, realizing she had not allowed Applejack to reach the tender topic on her own.

Applejack tilted her head slightly, and then laughed a little. The chuckle was a drawn-out series of chortles that slowed as the cowpony noticed her companion's disapproving, arched eyebrow. She exhaled slowly and let out a quaint whoo-ee, and began to speak.

"I think I get it now, you thought I was upset about my parents. It's been a long time, Rare. I won't ever get over it fully, but mourning won't do me any good. I suppose the real reason seems kinda silly looking back on it..." Her voice drawled out, but Rarity's curiosity had not waned a bit.

"Then what, pray tell, exactly is it that you were so upset about, Applejack?" She couldn't help but strain her voice slightly.

The orange-hued mare's discomfort became obvious as soon as she realized that she would have to spill her thoughts. She rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Her limbs flopped in the air awkwardly and a blush crept across her face. Rarity couldn't help but feel a smile play at her lips as she watched the uncomfortable being before her.

"Working at the fair just gets me. All those couples together, making a scene. I'm just so... lonely." She turned again, her legs falling into a normal, horizontal lying position. The mare refused to make eye contact with the unicorn. She continued, "I mean my family is great, I love them all. I guess I just wish I had a special somepony. There's nobody that loves me that way."

Rarity's mouth ran dry. The concept of Applejack wanting that manner of affection had never crossed her mind. She seemed so sturdy - so free of need for the other. Just when they were slightly past the time requirement for the pause in the cowpony's speaking to indicate that it was the unicorn's turn to speak, Applejack started off again. The mare shifted back into a sitting position, and finally found herself able to look into the mare's azure eyes.

"I just wish I could be attractive, like you, ya know? I like who I am, but I can't get any stallion to look at me in any way other than a sister." The golden mare found herself gauging her companion's expression, looking carefully for signs of demeaning judgement or poorly hidden mirth.

Fortunately, Rarity was clear on both charges. Instead of housing haughty disdain upon her face, both her eyebrows were pulled inwards and her eyes widened slightly. A bitter taste entered her mouth as she remembered her own feelings about being alone. The mare's lips pressed together as she tried to think of something to say. It came out mostly naturally.

"I can see why you think that way, but it is entirely untrue. This is not anything that can't be changed - you've got all the right assets." Rarity reached out, tracing the underline of Applejack's jaw and stopping at her chin, lifting it slightly. It tickled a little. Applejack complied, but felt slightly uncomfortable as Rarity's face came in closer. The unicorn's eyes narrowed, and she examined the mare, turning her head side to side. Suddenly, her hoof moved away from the cowpony's chin, allowing Applejack's head to lower down to its natural height. The golden mare moved her head back from Rarity, glad that the personal invasion was over.

"You are beautiful. I mean, your eyes are absolutely lovely. I don't know how anypony can resist them. Maybe you should head out some time. We could go to the local night club. A practice date!" The mare clapped her hooves together and closed her eyes, grinning excitedly.

Applejack deadpanned at first, prepared to shoot down Rarity's idea. However, the allure of a night out soon captured her. The thought of a night without consequences, the warm swaying in the embrace of a loved one. It all seemed so sweet, so special. "I'll do it, Rare, just this once. Let's make it count."

Out of all of the calculated outcomes, this one was absolutely the least expected. The mare felt a warm blush creep along her cheeks. Her companion's comfortable embrace was sweetened by the peck on the cheek that accompanied it. The mare's ear twitched involuntarily. The tingle that resided on her face was so pleasant that she was able to resist her natural urge to wipe the kiss off. It wasn't something she was used to, but as the pony leaned in to the intermingling of limbs, she decided it wouldn't be so bad to get used to it, at least for now.

Dash gesticulated wildly while pacing back and forth. Something had slipped in her head, just slightly. Her emotions transformed into pure kinetic motion. Applejack stood patiently, watching at the hurricane-force being flung her legs into the air, whipping her head around all the while. This went on silently for a few moments. These movements began before the words, giving Dash a few practice lines in her head and Applejack a warning for the can of worms she had just opened.

Finally, the words began to flow, the pacing continuing as such. Dash turned her head abruptly towards Applejack, nearly yelling, "I'm a filly-fooler! Everypony knows, but I just can't say it. Well, I just did. I mean, did you know that I was, or just assume it? I don't know. So I have to tell you. I know it's good that you don't just assume it, but sometimes it would be nice if you could just read my mind or something." Any chance of a plan from here on out was scrapped, logical Dash was gone and out for the rest of the day.

Applejack sat down, as if her calmness would help the tantrum developing in front of her. She could reach out physically, but that hadn't worked a few minutes ago, so it wouldn't help now. Was there anything to say? The sympathy was there, but the empathy was far off. She decided to wait out the storm and see what happened. The important thing was that the pegasus was finally talking.

Suddenly, the pegasus lurched towards the patiently listening cowpony. Her stream of words dribbled to a stop. Their faces drew close, but Dash's approach stopped sharply. The blue mare's mouth became set firmly by a clenched jaw, and her eyes narrowed. The two stared intensely, the pegasus breathing heavily as she struggled to control herself. Fight or flight. The stare held.

A flicker of fear registered in Applejack's eyes. The usual sense of humor or competitive hunger that set in Dash's face was replaced with fury. For a moment, the cowpony thought her friend might take a swing at her.

The pegasus felt overwhelmed with self-hatred. A beast roared inside her chest. The way that her best friend stared at her in terror, when all that she wanted to do was kiss her... it was beyond words. How could Applejack, of all ponies, not understand Dash's feelings? She felt her forelimb's muscles clench to attack the source of such a strong pain. It twitched, but the motion stopped. The image of striking the orange pony filtered though the pegasus's distraught mind. The bruise on her face for the next few days, maybe weeks. The dirty look. The mistrust. The terrible flinch when she raises her hoof for a pat on the back. Slowly, the heat that had flared so abruptly faded from the cyan mare. She felt her cheeks cool, and then jaw unclenched. The mare closed her eyes and shook her head, backing away from her friend, almost tripping over her own legs. The monster in her heart crumpled to the ground, weak and dying again.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw tears in her friend's eyes, too. It was pity, but the pity was coupled with sympathetic pain, with the love that only a true friend can feel. The two drew closer, and Applejack hooked an arm around her companion. Whispering again, contrasting with Dash's volume, the cowpony spoke.

"Dash, no matter what you do, you'll always be my best friend. If anypony gives you a hard time, you just lemme know, I'll beat the tar out of 'em." Her last statement was marked with venom, but also a brotherly sort of love.

Pulling back, Applejack cupped her friend's face gently and gave her a shake. Dash wiped her nose, sniffling.

"Come on, Dash, I'll race you to that tree we always race to." A grin broke the pegasus's sad mug.

"It's on, AJ."

The mare on top leaned in gently. Excitement flushed through Rarity's veins. A tingle ran down her spine and into the tips of her hooves. The tingle lingered there. Dash's magenta eyes closed slowly, her face closing in. Rarity felt the soft, titillating feeling of lips on her lips. There was hardly anything sensual about it, just a powerful surge in heartbeats as a feeling of being completely comfortable melted through her body. The sensation of being so wanted tugged at her emotions.

Rarity pulled off her sleeping mask. Her heart was hammering in her chest, as if it could jump out at any second. No use sleeping now. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the ceiling. Dreams are always unusual, but they have a tendency to mess with heads.

Why Rainbow Dash? Why that situation? Sure, she and the pegasus mare had debated love for an extended period of time today, but the unicorn loved Applejack. That was how things worked, right? She loved the quaint cowpony, talked about her all day so that their date at the club would go well, and would dream about her for the whole night before. Dash, the delicious orange mare's best friend, was just a wingmare. A support structure. A second voice in her head chided herself for choosing the word delicious to describe her innocent friend.

So that was it. Rarity spent time talking about love with Rainbow Dash today, so the dream reflected love and Dash. Love with Rainbow Dash, ehe... Another internsal slap was applied.

And for the rest of the night, she lay awake, trying to unscramble what had seemed so straightforward before.

Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to

Applejack flinched as she heard a loud noise come from upstairs. She took a quick glance at the almost-done pie resting in the oven, debating if she should investigate. Another much louder thump shook the floor a bit.

Screw the apple pie...

She turned away from the warm oven and began to clamber up the stairs. If her prisoner was attempting escape, she needed to intervene quickly. The thief was not deserving of her kindness, but AJ hadn't expected her to hit the ground with such a resounding thud when she took her prisoner into custody. The golden mare had been raised better than to let anypony who was hurt just lie there, even if they were a good-for-nothing criminal. Thankfully the mare, although young, was quite strong. She hefted the literally feather-weighted pegasus onto her back, and half-carried-half-dragged her into her home. It took her a while to drag the warm pony pillow all the way from the back orchard to the house. She was still sore.

And the only thanks she got was the nasty brute presumably breaking her stuff.

The pony opened the door roughly, ready to give the recently awakened criminal a proper punishment. She felt a rouge of fury building up behind her cheeks. It was becoming more and more common around this pony, she noted silently.

She opened her mouth to yell, but found she couldn't utter a single word when she saw the despicable sight before her. The glass was shattered all over the floor, and the water had spread around on the floor. It looked like it would be a nasty clean up.

But, even more despicable was the pony who was supposed to be lying in the bed. She was on the floor too. She had rouged up as well, but in a different manner than the kindly cowpony.

Dash had glass all over her side. For some reason, she figured that she could fly just fine in spite of her headache and tied leg. Obviously the headache was a bit worse than previously presumed. So there she lay - for the second time this day, caught by a rope and on the ground. But this time, instead of passing out peacefully, she had a couple shards of glass embedded in her coat, one more noticeably in her cheek.

Applejack could only gape for so long, before her wounded captive interrupted her shock.

"Hey, uh... A little help here? At least untie me... I really can't go anywhere anyways." The pegasus tried to straighten up again, but the rope was tightly bound to her leg. Her head hurt even worse now, but she didn't notice because of her latest predicament.

Applejack stepped forward cautiously, responding in the affirmative to Rainbow Dash without having to nod her head or speak a word. She began to untie the rope, but before letting go of her hold on the mare, she said, "Pegasus, I don't want any moving going on when I let go of this rope. If you move even a little, I can guarantee you'll be stuck up like a porcupine. So, uh, just don't move." She then let go of the rope, and it fell to the ground. Dash's leg, which had previously been suspended in the air, fell limply to meet her other leg. It briefly crossed her mind that this could have been quite kinky, but her mind was soon preoccupied with the approach of her captor.

Dash had half a mind to try to move.

But something, somewhere deep inside, told her that the pony wasn't tricking her. There was no hint of a sly motive in the voice, and something about her tone that felt sincere. It was beautiful. Not that Dash noticed. She was in a bit of a more self-centered situation, and dwelling on the series of shards in her sides.

The cowpony's voice commanded her to wait a "jiffy", and the sound of receding hoof-steps echoed through the air. Dash waited, even past the 0.0000000000333564 seconds mark. The pony returned quite quickly, after banging around in a closet for a bit. She swept up the glass with her freshly-fetched broom. After a short while, she told Dash to stand.

Shakily, the blue pegasus lifted herself off the ground. For the first time, she was looking Applejack in the eyes. She kind of wanted to spit in her face.

But she also wanted to hug her.

Then again, she really, really wanted to run away.

Rainbow Dash looked Rarity in the eyes, trying to tell if she was being serious.

"So you really think that Applejack, the pony who won't wear anything but her dusty old hat, would be able to be convinced to do a photoshoot with you? And that you'd be able to seduce her while doing so?"

Her voice was sarcastic and callous. Rarity had expected nothing else. But she hadn't expected her to shoot down every single one of her ideas. The help from Rainbow Dash that she had imagined was disintrest and reassurance, perhaps a crude joke or two about being a lesbian. Maybe a story about her own coming out... the pegasus was out, right? Practically flamboyant, in fact. At least... I think so? She hadn't expected such a vehement, emotional, and negative response from the normally lax pegasus. The unicorn's lip quivered, but she held her composure like a true professional. Something like this was beyond important. It was the paramount time of her life - falling in love.

"Well, I did read a novel about something like that..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly; her confidence faltered. But suddenly, the white unicorn brightened, saying, "Oh! How about we go camping, and we get lost, and then I get hurt, and then she saves me and we fall in love?" Rarity grinned eagerly, her mind flashing briefly to the steamy scenes in the novel and imagining the soupy romance that she so ardently desired.

Dash gave her a skeptical glance while dismissing a rather memorable memory of one of her own near-escapades with AJ. She replied with an exasperated sigh.

"How about something that doesn't end in her seduction? You know how conservative she is, it might really upset her. Even if she got caught up in the moment, she would feel guilty later. You'd want her to be the one to start it, so she would feel like she was in control." The slightly flustered pegasus stopped herself before she went too deep into the extensive thought that she had put into the seduction of Applejack. She'd plotted it out dozens of times, but no matter what, she faltered at the last moment. Applejack trusted her. Deceiving her would break her heart and the trust they shared.

"Why do you even like her, anyways?"

Today was a day. Scratch that, today was the day. In fact, it was the day that Rainbow Dash would finally profess her steamy, ardent, passionate love for Applejack. This may or may not be the third day in such a category, but this time, the plan was sure to work.

Dash may seem to be a lazy, spontaneous nutcase. And, she was by almost all normal standards. However, when she wanted to plan something out, she went above and beyond to plan out every single detail.

First of all, she would crash land in the orchards. She'd have to scout out the area first, and make sure she landed near AJ. If that dumb, old, red-hued lug found her, he'd probably spend half an hour just processing the situation.

He wasn't really that dumb.

All the same, she needed Applejack to come to her rescue. Her friend would do so, and invite her into her home as hospitality dictated. Shortly following entry into her home, she would be invited to stay for dinner. Timing was key. If she landed after the Apple family dinner time, she would miss her chance. If she landed too long before, she'd be overstaying her welcome.

Also, it was cider season. AJ knew she still owed her some cider after her help with that new shed, so she would certainly get her fair share. Even though Dash wasn't such a featherweight in terms of her ability to hold a drink, she'd pretend to be positively wasted after just two. She'd drunkenly profess her love for her, and gauge the reaction. It left an excuse if she was spurned, and a wonderful conversation to continue if she wasn't.

This was an excellent plan. All plans that involve inebriation are excellent plan.

Plan set. Go time.

The pegasus jumped off of her latest cloud-perch, and felt the wind take to life beneath her wings. Today was definitely the day.

Instead of choosing any of those three options, Dash simply stood and stared. Even though she hated the situation, she knew she couldn't escape. Angering the sturdy earth pony further would only get her fired, and maybe even jailed. She was already broke enough as is, and any judge would make her spend a long time in the clinker. At the same time, she wanted to know why the pony hadn't done it already.

More than anything, she was concerned with the glass-filled lacerations on her side. The pony's cheeks showed a vibrant, red blush. It was one thing to be caught by a clever lassoing cowpony, but an entirely other thing to be caught by a slightly-less-sentient wooden bed. Dash had always thought of herself as an athlete, but right now she felt like a geek stuffed in a locker and expecting to receive a swirly in a few.

Applejack stepped forward, careful to avoid the pile of glass that she had swept up, and gently pushed the pegasus pony back onto the bed in a sitting position. Dash folded like wet clay at her touch. The golden mare looked the numbed pony in the eyes; her emerald ones subconsciously reassuring the pegasus with their crinkly crow's feet.

"Hold still. Bite the pillow." The accent was still there, but a fair bit of maternal sternness seemed to override it to an extent.

Her commands were simple, and Dash obeyed. She thought the pillow was a bit silly, but figured she should do whatever she was told since she was in no condition to fly. Did she really have any reason not to trust the mare who had caught her stealing and still taken care of her like she was her own kin?

Suddenly, Dash understood the pillow. Inside of her head, a stream of profanities exploded so violently that it cannot be repeated in this story. We're not even sure if they are all real words.

She bit down hard as a piece of glass was removed from her haunches. The mare hadn't even noticed that Applejack's mouth was nearing her flank. Or that her lips made contact with the cloud on her cutie mark. It was one, fluid, yanking movement that ended in one hell of a sting.

Again, the two made eye contact. A pregnant, new understanding to their relationship had just been established. The quaint cowpony held a shard of glass in her mouth, and didn't break eye contact as she put it on the side table. Dash never let go of the pillow. Applejack bent down again after calculating her reaction.

The process repeated until the fragments were gone. Dash released the pillow, but still couldn't find the nerves to speak. She looked nervously at her side and noticed that the wounds weren't quite as grievous as she had assumed. Her cheeks tinged red a bit more. It seemed like she could only act like a scrawny little filly in comparison to the wise-beyond-her-years pony in front of her. Applejack broke the silence again.

"I'm Applejack. And you are?"

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash, somewhat taken aback by Dash's insights into Applejack's personality. Had she truly misjudged the character of the cowpony so much? She thoroughly doubted it. Ever since the night she fell in love with the charming, golden mare, she knew that they were meant to be. The two had an understanding beyond the physical. Rainbow Dash didn't understand. She cleared her throat.

"Dash, I think you're misunderstanding love in its fullest capacity. You see, when somepony is in love, they want to be fully one with the other, immediately." Dash looked down at the table but continued listening. "They don't want to lose sight of the other. Something slow simply won't do. I do believe she might feel the same way for me. I think your opinion is well intentioned, but certainly ill informed." Rarity danced over the words she just said in her head, and realized they were harsh. The dreary look on her companion's face was obviously from embarrassment about being shown up. She quickly followed up.

"I mean, I'm sure you're capable of feeling such emotions and passions. I really appreciate your help with all of this, you know the apple of my eye a bit better on a casual level than I do." She grinned cheesily, hoping that her out-of-line statement wouldn't push away her confidante.

Dash avoided making eye contact with Rarity; she was afraid of what consequences that might bring. She wasn't feeling embarrassed - she was despondent. At first, the pegasus didn't suspect that the vain unicorn could possibly be serious. She didn't suspect the possibility that the two shared a connection. However, the sound of her glittery voice was so passionate that Dash began to take her seriously as a threat.

I do believe she might feel the same way for me...

Dash rolled the phrase around in her head, debating the brevity of the situation. Of course Applejack loved Rarity more. Who wouldn't? With a body that looked like it was shaped in the image of Celestia herself, who could resist her? Her coiffed mane simply outshone Dash's shock of polychromatic hairs. The white mare smelled wonderful, as much as Dash would try to deny it. Dash casually lifted a cyan forelimb above her head and was greeted with the scent of an army of gym-bags. She quickly replaced her arm. It seemed obvious why AJ was ignoring her attempts now. Applejack loved Rarity. Perhaps she just made fun of her to mask her affections. Definitely.

Naturally, to respond in a manner that corresponded to her desolate sentiment, Dash spoke with a tone of latent fury.

"Thanks for telling me all about love, Rare. You're truly the element of generosity, sharing your knowledge like that. As much as I enjoyed spending time with you, it's been one long hour of Rarity-time, and I have to get back to work. Goodbye."

Dash hustled out of the room before her host could even give a parting thank-you. She left behind a bamboozled Rarity, who immediately began to regret sharing with the fiery pegasus in the first place.

There was nothing like a fast-paced flight through the air to soothe rampant nerves. Dash cut through the air, whipping over the orchards. She performed a few casual loops. To any ground-dwelling pony, it would look the same as all her tricks. To a pegasus who had been through flight school, it was baby stuff. The weather pony didn't want to risk actually crash landing, and with a nervous brain, she very well may.

Soon enough, Dash's eagle eyes caught sight of the blonde, curvaceous cowpony. Target acquired. With a flick of her powerful wings, Dash began to hurtle towards the ground, right near Applejack. Deftly, the pegasus spread her feathered appendages, powerfully slowing her eminent crash. The pegasus thudded across the ground nonetheless. Perfect.

She could have stuck the landing if she tried, but instead crumpled to the ground like a professional soccer player. The pegasus intentionally altered her flight trajectory at the last minute so that she would drag across the ground rather than smashing into it, so her hooves left long drag marks. The rainbow pegasus had succeeded in phase one. She wasn't called Rainbow Crash for nothing.

Sure enough, her dependable friend began to briskly trot over. Dash's ear was on the ground, and she could hear the hoofsteps vibrating through the earth faster than the speed of sound in air. Dash let out a loud groan as she rolled over so that her legs were in the air. Soon enough, the cowpony was standing over her. Their eyes met, and Dash felt her whole world spin. She wasn't sure if it was the crash landing, or if it was the intensity of her vibrant eyes. Probably both.

"Uh, hi." Dash internally berated herself for ruining the moment with the horrendously awkward greeting. She kind of exhaled too much on the hi, and breathed a little in Applejack's face.

Damn, forgot to brush my teeth again...

Applejack didn't notice the massive amount of internal dialogue going on inside of her friend's head.

"Dash, are you okay? You just took a pretty heavy fall there." Her brow was furrowed in concern. Dash noticed that her golden hoof was touching her shoulder. The touch seemed to burn and ebb. It was distracting. Applejack was breathing heavily, too.

Also, the world was still spinning. Dash looked at Applejack and said while grinning, "Oh AJ, I'm just fine, I loooove you."

Applejack cocked one eyebrow up and tilted her head questioningly. The response was immediately passed off as some sort of mental issue associated with plummeting from the sky and smashing into the ground. "Hon, I think you may have hit the ground a bit harder than I thought. Can you stand up?" She stepped backwards so that her leg was no longer touching Dash, much to the pegasus's chagrin. The cowpony must have not noticed they were touching.

Dash slapped herself mentally. First of all, where hell did that come from? She knew where... Her mind had become dizzy with the combination of the physical contact with the ground, the physical contact with Applejack, and her nerves. She had just soiled the plan entirely by spewing out her brain's only thought at that moment in a manner that wasn't taken seriously at all. [teehee]

The athlete couldn't help but feel trickle of disappointment at how easily AJ dismissed her advances, if you could call them that. Was she that deep in the friendzone?

Plan B? Currently, there was no plan B. Time to make it up from here on out.

The pegasus rolled over, fluffing out her wings. She intentionally fluffed them out in Applejack's face. If her wings were hands, she would have slapped her friend. However, since they were wings, it was more like a tickle. She knew Applejack would just stand there and ignore it. Shakily, the pegasus stood. She immediately swayed towards the golden cowpony while twirling around and pretending to be really dizzy. When she had stopped her drunken balance-dance, she was shoulder-to-shoulder with Applejack. Their sides were touching, and Rainbow was leaning heavily on her sweaty friend.

Plan B was to act stupid. Pretty simple when you may or may not have a concussion.

Did anyone catch the sneaky American Pie reference in the beginning? Also, someone mentioned that they liked the past story more. So you get more past! Huzzah!