In The Heat Of Passionby TheTallestGuyChaptersRunningFallingGetting Back UpRunningIt was a beautiful day, as far as the weather was concerned. There were a few cotton candy clouds dotting the sky, but not so many as to bring the rain. The sun shone brightly upon the varied landscape that was Equestria. One such place bathed in the hot sunlight was none other than Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack grunted as, like thousands of times before, she bucked against an apple tree, causing the red orbs to succumb to gravity and fall into pre-placed baskets. They hit the container with a thump and their fate was sealed. Applejack hauled yet another bushel of apples back to the barn. Sweat glistened on her coat, making her look icy when she was, in fact, the very opposite. With a heavy hoof, she wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed. There she was, taking care of the farm, alone, again! She didn't blame anypony, not really. Applebloom, while off on a week-long school field trip slash vacation thingy, was too young to be working the orchard just yet. Big Mac had hurt his side again, yet much worse than last time. He had been buckin' out in a storm, despite his sister's warnings. The storm kicked up and the wind tossed around debris. Big Mac had been struck by a flying branch, receiving several broken ribs. Granny Smith had sent him to the hospital, despite his misgivings. He would spend quite some time there, as well as more time in physical therapy, so he would be no help. Granny Smith herself had decided to take another trip to Appleloosa to trade her vast knowledge of all things "apple" with the settlers. It was just tiresome, and a little lonely, apple buckin' by her lonesome. She knew she couldn't do it all alone. Applejack had figured that out last time she tried, the hard way. She realized she needed help, and there was only one mare fit for the job. And it would happen to be the one and only, Rainbow Dash; her closest (and physically toughest) friend. And, for Applejack, the best thing about it was she wouldn't need to bother any of her other friends, seeing as how the demand for apples wasn't so high this time of year. And speak of the devil, just at that moment, a rainboom burst across the sky. Applejack smiled. Her friend was hard at work too. As the sun set on another great work-day, Applejack closed up the barn after storing her gear inside. She munched on an apple, chewing slowly as she contemplated a day's job well done as the juice slid down her chin in sweet rivulets. She gazed upon the fields, her fields, of apple trees. Many colors swirled in the trees; green, red, yellow, and everything in-between. She looked up to the now-starry sky and noticed the similarities between them and her trees. The colors, the way they sparkled with light. How it was impossible to pick them all... She sighed, went inside her home, and took off her hat. She hung it on a simple wooden hook extending from the wall and undid her hair. She walked to the bathroom, stretching her joints and legs as she went. She started the shower and waited for the water to warm. She twisted left and right, popping her back. She let out a sigh as her spine decompressed. Applejack stepped into the streaming jets of water and let out a satisfactory moan as the knots in her sturdy muscles were worked out. Applejack worked some of her favorite scented shampoo, scented like rain, into her mane and tail, the lather resulting in a large froth of suds that crowded the shower. She blew the bubbles away from her face and resumed washing with her body wash, scrubbing hard and reveling in the clean feelings and scents that now defined her smell. The steam was getting to her though, and she turned the water off. She stepped out of the shower, gasping slightly for breath. She toweled herself dry, brushed her teeth, and went to bed. Tomorrow, she'd have to ask Rainbow for help. A few clouds littered the sky here and there, but it was a fair day. One perfect for flying. As the cyan pegasus flapped her wings, slowly meandering through the heavens, the sun shone brilliantly, warming her as she flew. A cloud passed under the sun, bathing her in momentary shade. The mare tensed her whole body, wings at the ready. As soon as the sun was revealed, her wings exploded with power and she dove toward the ground. Rainbow Dash pulled up, doing a double loop-the-loop and chaining that into a spiraling ascent. She flared her wings and flapped hard, gaining altitude. Higher, higher! At this point, she was past the highest clouds. It was getting hard to breath due to the lack of oxygen, but that meant she was high enough. She turned around, and pumped her wings as hard as she could. There! It was working. Just in front of her outstretched hooves, she could see a cone forming in the air. She was only halfway down, but falling fast. She flapped harder. The cone got a little sharper, wind wildly whistling in her ears and forcing her eyes to squint. Three quarters of the way there. Just then, she felt it. Rainbow Dash knew it would happen any second now. Soon enough, the sharp cone burst with a large explosive sound and she pulled up, looking behind her. She saw that she was trailing a full rainbow across the sky like a painter at the canvas. She watched as the explosion of fiery color washed through the clouds. She shouted a victory hurrah, but it was lost in the wind. She was sure to impress the Wonderbolts in two months time, the next auditions they were holding. That was enough for one day. She landed slowly and walked toward her home. She didn't want to stress her wings too much now. While on her way, she said hello to her many friends throughout Ponyville. Rainbow Dash arrived thinking, 'Alright Rainbow, last time flying for the day.' With a leap and a gust of her wings, she ascended to her house of clouds. She took it slowly, but as she landed, she felt a tug where her right wing met her body. Rainbow extended her wing slowly only to feel the tug intensify with pain. She grunted and tucked away her wing. She'd have to visit her best friend, Applejack, tomorrow. The country mare knew all about injuries and how to treat them. Farm life did that to you, Rainbow supposed. No practice tomorrow. She had to shower first, however. She didn't mind getting dirty, but going to bed dirty left an awkward feeling when she woke up in the morning. She had rainclouds stored away for such occasions, seeing as how getting pipes up to her house would be a lengthy and complicated process. Rainbow brought out the clouds from their storage and emptied them into a water heater. She let the heater run for a minute before grabbing some towels and heading to the bathroom. Rainbow stepped into the heated jets, focusing them on her shoulder. She sighed as her shoulder relaxed. The shower wouldn't heal her shoulder, but it definitely helped. Rainbow lathered up some shampoo and worked on her mane and tail. She liked having a short mane; it was easy to take care of. She also liked how messy it looked, especially if she dried it and just let it be. She stepped out of the shower, steam rolling off of her and water sliding down her frame slowly. Wind blew through the open windows, sending chills down her spine. She shivered and toweled herself dry. Rainbow tossed the towel into her laundry hamper and dove into her bed, not even bothering to cover up as she drifted to sleep, awaiting a new day. Rainbow Dash woke up the next morning, awoken by none other than Applejack. She was yelling something. Rainbow's head was still groggy from sleep, so she hopped off her bed, stretched and shook her head. "Rainbow! You there Rainbow!?" Applejack shouted. If they weren't on the edge of town, many ponies would have been annoyed by her yelling. Rainbow opened her front door and looked down from her perch. "Yeah, I'm here! What's up?" Applejack looked away sheepishly for a moment before saying, "I, uh, came to ask you a favor." "Heh. That's pretty funny. I was going to ask you for a favor today too." With that, Rainbow slowly glided down from her house, trying not to strain her wing. As her wings flared when she hit the ground, she winced in pain. Too far. Applejack noticed immediately. "What's wrong there, sugarcube?" Rainbow replied, "I was practicing for my Wonderbolts audition and-" "Yeah, ah noticed yer rainboom yesterday. Was mighty spectacular, iffin ah do say so mahself," Applejack interrupted. Rainbow looked toward her hooves. She loved getting praise, but she especially loved praise from AJ. It made her stomach flip upside down and feel all fluttery inside. No one made her feel like that. No one except the mare in front of her. "Thanks. It was nothin', really." "Don't be so modest, sugarcube. Now, what favor were you gonna ask of me?" "Well, I, uh, hurt my wing practicing the other day, and it hurts to use it. I was wondering if you could bandage it in place so I don't move it by accident." Applejack tapped her hoof on her chin and thought. "How about we do a trade o' sorts? A favor for a favor." Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "What do you have in mind?" "Well, ah fix up yer wing there, and you help me with apple buckin'. You won't be able to fly around with your wing like that, and you'll be mighty bored. Ah figure apple buckin'll give ya something to do without strainin' yer wing. You can even spend the night if you like. My treat." Rainbow beamed. Spending time with with Applejack was great, but a sleepover?! They would have so much fun, it would be fantastic! "That sounds like a deal to me." The two mares shook hooves and set out to Sweet Apple Acres. The pair reached Sweet Apple Acres in minutes. Applejack went inside her home and came out a few moments later with a roll of bandages. "Alrighty now Rainbow, yer gonna have ter hold a mite still now." "Alright, alright, just get it done," said Rainbow, eager for the sleepover. She had liked Applejack for quite some time now, admiring the mare from a distance. Every once in a while, the farmer would visit her in dreamland. It didn't always happen, but lately, her dreams would end with them a centimeter away from kissing leaving Rainbow to wake up frustrated and wanting. Applejack stood very close to Rainbow as to get the bandage around her without having to change sides. As she wrapped the injured wing, leaving the other free, her hooves brushed over Rainbow's stomach and back. Rainbow had trouble containing herself as the light caresses tingled her nerves, sending shockwaves up her spine. Soon enough, however, AJ tied the knot in the bandage and patted Rainbow's flank. "Alrighty partner, you're good to go. Now, let's get to buckin'!" Applejack enthused. Rainbow Dash nodded and smiled. "You got it!" The two set to a day's hard work, kicking an infinite amount of trees and obtaining what seemed like an endless amount of apples. As they worked, Rainbow's mind was busy. Every once in a while, she'd turn to watch her friend as she worked, admiring the muscles in her friend's flank contract and expand as she kicked the trees. It made her swoon. She shook her head, realizing that her concentration had slipped. She went back to work with another backwards glance at her friend, her crush. Despite the amount of attention Rainbow Dash was giving to Applejack, something slipped by her. And that was the fact that Applejack was paying just as much attention to her. Applejack bucked against the tree, grunting with effort and the satisfaction that came when all the apples fell into their baskets. She glanced sideways at Rainbow, who was facing her, coincidentally. She was hard at work, but blatantly staring directly at Applejack the entire time. AJ replayed the scene from a few hours ago in her mind. Applejack said, with roll of bandages in hoof, "Alrighty now Rainbow, yer gonna have ter hold a mite still now." Rainbow Dash's reply was typical of her character, "Alright, alright, just get it done." Applejack moved close to Rainbow Dash, feeling her body heat even in the sunlight. She unwound the bandages and started working them around her friend, her hooves sliding over her strong, muscled back and her sleek, soft tummy. She didn't want to stop, she realized, but just then she had ran out of bandages. Applejack snapped back to her senses and got back to work. As time went by however, her mind drifted to romantic notions again. What if her friends were right? Her mind rewound again to a scene from a few weeks past. "So you think that Rainbow likes me? *Likes me*, likes me?" Applejack asked. Rarity had explained her suspicions to her friends, and they had called Applejack to Twilight's library for a discussion. "Of course she does, darling," Rarity chirped, "Have you not seen the way she looks at you, the look that she gets in her eyes whenever you are around?" "Not really..." Fluttershy just mumbled and looked at anything but Applejack. It really wasn't her type of conversation anyway. "I think you should just go up to her and ask her!" suggested Pinkie. "Are you crazy!? What if yer all wrong? What if it affects our friendship?!" protested Applejack. "Applejack," interjected Twilight, "she's the element of loyalty. What's the worst that could happen? You don't get apple trees without planting the seeds. Know what I'm saying?" Applejack scuffed the ground absently with a hoof. "Yeah yeah, I gotcha. I'll wait and see what happens. Thanks for yer advice fillies." Applejack snapped back to reality. Rainbow was looking at her. "You alright AJ? You were kinda spacin' off all funny there for a while." Applejack shook her head. "Yep, ahm good! Hay Rainbow," she said as she examined all the baskets that were full of apples, "let's call it a day, huh? With your help, we got done twice as fast. We have a bit o' time left over." Rainbow Dash nodded her head, a smile forming on her lips. "Sounds good to me!" The two mares headed into Applejack's house to clean up. After nice, hot showers, Applejack made dinner for the two, daisy sandwiches with a rose and lilac salad. Rainbow Dash patted her stomach as she finished her last bite. She sighed. "Whew! I am full! That was great Applejack, thanks." "Anything fer a hard-workin' friend like you Rainbow!" Applejack replied. Applejack was about to do the dishes when she realized she was out of dish soap. It was okay though, they had more in the upstairs utility closet. She told Rainbow, "I'm gonna go get some soap for these dishes. I'll be right back." "Alright!" was the reply she heard while heading up the stairs. While she was rooting around for soap in the closet, she spied her bed through her doorway. She trotted into her room and jumped on the bed. She let out a huff as her joints decompressed on the soft mattress. Within a few seconds, she was fast asleep. And just downstairs, Rainbow had fallen asleep in the very chair she ate dinner in. A few hours later, Applejack awoke to a blazing orange sky. She grunted as she got out of her bed. It must be close to sunset. She poked her head out of the window. Yep, about sunset. She thought about what her friends had said to her. She decided to test their theories. She took the blanket from her bed and laid it outside, in a patch of soft grass. She took a whole barrel of cider and two mugs, placing them next to the blanket. She filled the mugs up to the brim. Applejack then gathered two pillows and another blanket, setting them down with the rest of the items. She went back inside to wake Rainbow up. Before that, however, she thought to herself. Ah ain't never really thought of it like that before. Ah mean, she IS very pretty. And she's just like me in so many ways. She likes a little bit o' challenge, and she isn't afraid to get down n' dirty. Well, if she says somethin', I'll go with it. Ah just can't bring it upon myself to tell her bout mah affections fer her. She tapped the cyan and rainbow mare on the shoulder. "Rainbow, wake up!" she whispered loudly. "Ah got somethin' ta show ya." Rainbow Dash's eyes popped open and she stretched. "Mmmm... what is it?" she yawned. "Well come with me and you'll find find out!" "Okay, okay, I'm coming." Applejack covered Rainbow's eyes with her hooves. "You can't see it yet, it's a surprise." "Alright, alright," murmured Rainbow Dash. Applejack led Rainbow out to the blanket, the sky still a fiery orange, clouds dotting the sky like they had all day. She said to Rainbow, "Lie down there, sugarcube." Rainbow was getting impatient, but AJ didn't mind. Rainbow laid down and waited. "What is it already? Is this a blanket? Are these pillows?" Applejack lifted her hooves away as she pulled up their mugs of cider, and then their blanket. "Would ya look at that?" she said, indicating the sky with a hoof. "Ain't she purty?" Rainbow looked at the orange sky and smiled. She looked around, at the blankets and pillows and cider. AJ had done this all for her. It made her glow inside, and she felt happier than she had in quite some time. She gazed toward Applejack and back at the sky. She felt... romantic. That was the word. It caused a small change in her personality. "Thanks Applejack. This is all... awesome, hehe," she chuckled. This is it, she thought. I'm making my move now. "Anything for you, Rainbow," said the country mare. She stared at the sky, relaxing as she put her head back on the pillow. She took a sip of cider and sighed. It was turning out to be the perfect day. Rainbow Dash took a sip of cider for the taste, and a gulp for courage. Here goes nothing. "Applejack?" "Yes, Rainbow?" "The sky reminds me of you." "How is that?" "Well, it's orange and... you're orange." "Anything else?" Applejack chuckled. "Well... It's still bright out, and you always illuminate my day. It's still warm out... just like the warmth that you show me through your friendship. Thank you for giving me this." Rainbow leaned back on the pillow while AJ pulled up the blanket. Rainbow scooted marginally closer to Applejack. The two mares sighed in contentedness. Applejack pointed at the sky. "Now the sky reminds me of you, and it's kinda obvious why," she chuckled. As the two looked toward the sky, they saw that the sun had lowered enough to send all the hues through the clouds. There was red, pink, orange, purple, blue, and even a little bit of green within the clouds. "It's like you ARE the sky, Rainbow," said Applejack. The sun had finally set at that point, leaving a full moon clear and bright in the sky. Everything was visible in the bright moonlight. Millions of stars twinkled in the heavens. Rainbow Dash scooted closer to Applejack, their shoulders touching. Rainbow Dash leaned in a little bit as her uninjured wing extended to it's full length... "Hay Applejack," Rainbow whispered. "Yeah?" Applejack whispered back. Rainbow inched closer. "Would you mind-" *scoot* "if I-" *scoot* "got closer to you?" Rainbow's head was tilted and her lips were half an inch from Applejack's, and Rainbow had closed her eyes. It had taken a lot of courage on Rainbow's part to do that. The ball was in AJ's court now. Applejack, almost imperceptibly, shook her head. "No." Applejack closed her eyes. With that, the mare's lips met under the moonlight, and their spirits soared as they fell asleep in each other's embrace under the stars. FallingThey had been dating, in secret, for a month now. Their love was as strong as the sun was bright. But what happens when the sun sets and begins to fade underneath the horizon? Applejack had nuzzled up to Rainbow in her bed at Sweet Apple Acres. "Yer the best, you know that?" said Applejack. Rainbow, who's eyes had been closed, opened at met Applejack's. "I know," she chuckled in her ever-confident, maybe even cocky, tone. Applejack hadn't needed help apple buckin' for quite some time now, but Rainbow just couldn't stay away from her fillyfriend. The country mare made her feel... well, many things. She felt loved and happy, content, light as air, and so much more. Applejack had decided not to tell her friends about her and Rainbow just yet. And she was happy with that decision. She could cuddle with Rainbow all day and not worry about anything. It was heaven and she was more relaxed and at ease than ever before. Rainbow always brightened her day. Applejack nuzzled up even closer to Rainbow, her cheek resting on the cyan mare's shoulder. Little did the two know that this was the calm before the storm. The two were walking through Ponyville, simply passing the day away as they strolled through town, enjoying each other's company. They were, physically, walking a little closer than friends normally did, but nopony took notice. Applejack wasn't paying much attention when Rainbow pulled her down a deserted, closed off alleyway. "Whoa nelly! Where are we goin' Rainbow?!" Applejack shouted as Rainbow eagerly pulled her along down the alleyway. Rainbow grinned slyly and looked back at Applejack. "Nowhere in particular," she said in a falsely-innocent tone. It was dark down the alleyway, and there was just a wall at the end. "Now Rainbow, what are we doin' all the way back-" she said before she was pushed up against the wall. Her lips were suddenly crushed by Rainbow's. She was conflicted by several feelings, all at once. On one hoof, this was a different side to Rainbow, which she enjoyed thoroughly. The only problem was... they could get caught. Applejack had been raised with strong family values and it went against her every instinct. As fantastic as Rainbow felt pressed up against her, warming her front while her back froze against the cold, hard wall, Applejack had to push Rainbow away, panting. Rainbow had a sneaky smile on her face. "What's wrong Applejack? Am I not good enough for you anymore?" she joked while she nuzzled up to the orange mare. Applejack could practically feel the awkwardness enter the conversation. "What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash's sneaky look was replaced by genuine confusion. "What's wrong?" she inquired. "We can't be doing this in public Rainbow!" objected Applejack. Rainbow Dash was getting visibly upset. "Why not? It's not like we're doing anything wrong," she insisted. "Ah'm... Ah'm just not comfortable with this Rainbow. What if somebody were to see? Can you imagine how ponies would react?" Applejack said. Rainbow Dash took a step back. She threw her arms up and shouted, "Who cares!? It's about me and you, Applejack! Not about them! Who gives a flying fladoodle about what they think!?" "Ah'm sorry Rainbow. Ah just think that's something for... private places, ya know?" Applejack explained. Rainbow Dash took a few more steps back. Tears were forming in her magenta eyes. "It's just kissing AJ! We're not doing anything super... intimate! Even Mr. and Mrs. Cake kiss in public!" Rainbow started to pant, getting more and more upset. Her eyes took on a hard stare that still had her sadness peeking through. "Are you ashamed of me?" Rainbow accused. "What? No! That's crazy talk!" Said Applejack. Today was just going from bad to worse. "I can't believe you. We haven't even told anypony yet! Not even our friends... You ARE ashamed of me!" shouted Rainbow. "No Rainbow, you have it all wrong!" AJ tried to bring around the conversation, but it was over with as Rainbow ran out of the alleyway and took off for the skies. Applejack watched the cyan pegasus fly away and sighed as she dragged her hooves out of the alleyway. "And that's what happened," explained Applejack. She had called all of her friends, with the exception of Rainbow, to have a get-together at Twilight's the next day. Applejack had explained everything from the last month til today. The romance that they had, the sneaking kisses they shared when they thought nopony was around to see them, all of it. Rarity had fainted due to a romantic overload and was lying on her couch. Fluttershy was generally happy for the two mares, despite this road bump. Pinkie Pie had even left to try to get Rainbow Dash to stop by, but with no success. Twilight scratched her head, thinking. "Maybe by refusing small public displays of affection, she think's you're embarrassed by her," hypothesized Twilight. "She said as much," sighed Applejack. Things had gotten completely out of hoof that day. "Well, I don't think anypony here is an expert on relationships. Unless you count that time we caught Fluttershy and Big Mac-" "Hey now, Ah thought we agreed to not talk bout that?" interrupted Applejack. "Right, sorry," Twilight apologized. "Seems to me the only thing you can do is have a heart to heart talk with Rainbow," Twilight suggested. Applejack nodded. "Maybe you're right." Appledash had trotted to the outskirts of Ponyville after the meeting with her friends. It was raining now, a downpour to match her mood. Rainbow could have been clearing the sky at the moment, but she wasn't exactly in the mood. Applejack had reached Rainbow's house, or rather, the ground underneath it. "Rainbow!" Applejack tried to yell, being drowned out by thunder in the process. Her words, however, did not fall upon deaf ears. Rainbow was in her house, crying and holding a storm cloud. Suddenly, she heard her name being called. It could only be Applejack braving the inclement weather for her. She punched the storm cloud, resulting in a painful shock and a clap of thunder. "Rainbow!" There is was again. And again she slammed her hoof into the cloud, thunder reverberating throughout the area and sending a jolt through her system. She cried, tears of mirth mixed with the rain that came from the cloud. "Rainbow!" She tried to hit the cloud again, but it's store of rain and thunder were gone. She sighed and wiped the tears from her face, her eyes still red and puffy. Rainbow slowly trudged to her door and opened it. She peered over the edge of her cloud only to stare into Applejack's emerald orbs. "Rainbow..." said Applejack, relief pouring through her at the sight of her friend. Rainbow shook her head and her stare turned into a glare as cold as the rain pouring down around her. "What do you want?" she accused. "Ah want to talk to you," Applejack explained. "About what?" said Rainbow, quite sarcastically. Applejack scuffed the ground with a nervous hoof. "You darn well know what. About... yesterday." Rainbow Dash hmphed and said, "What about it?" AJ stamped on the ground and said, "Rainbow, will you please get down here and talk to me face to face? Like a civilized pony?" Rainbow Dash glided down from her dwelling and landed. "Well, what do want?" "Ah wanted... ah wanted to apologize for yesterday," Applejack explained. Rainbow Dash stayed silent. Applejack continued, "Ah just wasn't expectin' it at all. Granny Smith raised me and taught me that things like that are... best kept for home." Rainbow Dash gave a sharp, sarcastic chuckle. "Even Big Mac would kiss his girlfriend in public," she said, referring to the previous Hearts and Hooves Day. Applejack seemed cross at that. "He drank a potion though! It wasn't really him." Rainbow Dash sighed, her anger evaporating momentarily. "Applejack, look," she said, "I... I'm just going to say it. I love you Applejack!" Rainbow crossed the distance between her and her friend and grabbed her friend in a tight embrace. "Your opinion of me matters a lot," she chuckled through light tears. "When you pushed me away I felt... rejected. Unloved. I realize now that I was over-reacting. Please, how about we try again?" Applejack was momentarily stunned, but regained her composure and smiled and hugged her friend back, pecking her lightly on the cheek. "I'd like that. How about next week, when I'm not busy buckin'?" Rainbow Dash nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be awesome! Lookin' forward to it." "Alrighty," said Applejack, "I gotta get back to buckin'. I'll see you around!" She pecked Rainbow again and walked back home. Rainbow Dash just stood there smiling, cheeks flushed. She gave a shout of joy and flew back into her home. She had to prepare for her date next week. Little did she know that Applejack was preparing as well. Getting Back UpRainbow Dash had been lazing around all week, saving her energy for her big date with Applejack. It was tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the revitalization of their relationship. Rainbow was simply elated, sighing with affectionate thoughts of her love's thick, straw-colored hair and her bright, emerald-green eyes. The cyan mare was stretched out on her bed, resting the day away. Earlier, she had planned to prepare for her date, somehow. But that never happened. How can you really prepare for a date when you don't know what the date has in store for you? Rainbow Dash hadn't seen Applejack all week. She suspected that the apple-buckin' mare had purposely stayed away from her just to build her anticipation. If that was the case, then it had definitely worked. Rainbow was just itching for tomorrow to get here already. She let out a grunt of frustration and pulled her blankets up. Maybe she could slip out of consciousness till tomorrow. "Alrighty," said Applejack, "I gotta get back to buckin'. I'll see you around!" She pecked Rainbow again and walked back home. On her way home, Applejack was coming up with a plot. One so shocking and exciting that just the thought of it made her squirm, and she bit her lower lip in excitement. She had a whole week to plan this, but it wouldn't take that long, or so she hoped. She went to sleep that night with thoughts of her plans forming and swirling around in her head, and she giggled herself to slumber as the moon steadily rose into the night sky. She awoke the next morning to a fine day, with the sun burning brilliantly, and a few clouds dotting the sky. She got up and started her morning journey into Ponyville. As she was walking along, her thoughts turned back to yesterday. It was such a relief that she was able to work things out with Rainbow. The plot that she was formulating in her head had to go off without a hitch. Applejack wanted dearly to prove her love for Rainbow, and this would do just the trick. She went around town, spreading the story of her love for Rainbow and her plan to win her heart forever. To her surprise, everypony was accepting, and even happy for her. The townsfolk gladly agreed to help Applejack in her endeavor. She told each and every one of them that they were not to tell Rainbow Dash if they talked to her. Hopefully luck would be on Applejack's side and Rainbow would laze around all week. Now came the good part. The part where her friends got involved. The week had passed, and the big day was tomorrow, just around the corner. Everything was ready. Well, almost everything. She just had to head to Rarity's place for a minute, and check that everything there was ready. She hummed to herself on the way to Carousel Boutique. She was simply buzzing with happiness. Applejack knocked on the door and not even three seconds had gone by when the door promptly opened. And there stood Rarity, with the looking as if she had just witnessed a miracle. "Oh Applejack, you have no idea how long I've waited for this opportunity!" Rarity squealed. "What in tarnation are you talkin' bout?" inquired AJ. "Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I always wanted to dress you up. You're such a stubborn mare, always getting down in the dirty with farmwork! I feared I would never have the chance to prettify you!" Rarity replied. "Scuse me?" "N-Not that you aren't pretty already, dear! Just a figure of speech is all!" Rarity recovered nervously. Applejack squinted at Rarity. "You alright, girl?" Rarity giggled and waved a reassuring hoof. "Of course darling, of course! Maybe a little giddy. A chance like this doesn't come often you know." "Alrighty then. Just remember: Ahm doin'this for Rainbow. I don't normally like dressin' up, but this is a special occasion." "I understand. Now, let's begin!" The following hours had included lengthy periods of time that Applejack had to stand still, a few accidental pokes with a needle, tightening and loosening of threads and ribbons, volumes of lace and the constant snipping of scissors. Multitudes of make up being distributed and brushed off. Applejack suffered through it honorably, only giving a grunt or two in frustration, and maybe a muscular twitch of impatience. By the end of the day, she was in a dazzling dress of emerald that matched her eyes. Speaking of emeralds, several were sewn into the dress itself, sending sparkles and rays of green light out when light hit it at an angle. Applejack had had her hair brushed and combed, and it hung down her shoulders. Not in a braid, however. No, Rarity had simply let her hair fall straight down onto her shoulders. "Quite fetching, if I do say so myself," said Rarity. "Thanks." "Now, all we have to do is wait till tomorrow." "And how am Ah supposed to stay all fancy-like till then?" Applejack asked. "Well I'll just zap you with a sleeping spell, of course! You can sleep the hours away, and when you wake up, you'll look as perfect as you do now!" Rarity replied "Alrighty then. Just lemme know when yer gonna-" BBZZZZTTT And just like that, the farmer, all dressed up and ready for the date of her life, fell asleep in that very spot. "Silly Applejack. You'll ruin your ensemble if you go off to do your own thing. Now, I'll see you in the morning," Rarity chuckled. She received no reply in response; however, that was to be expected. The sun had barely broken through the clouds that morning, but there was enough light to wake Applejack from her magically induced slumber. The light had struck her face, tearing her away from a dreamless sleep. The country mare shook herself awake, only to be suddenly corrected by Rarity's voice. "Now now dear, you shouldn't be shaking around too much! It will ruin all of my work! And you want to look your best for Dashie, don't you?" Applejack groaned, still trying to rouse herself from sleep's comfortable clutches. She could hear Rarity's voice from elsewhere in the building. "Where are ya, Rarity?" Applejack said, a little slurred. "In here, Applejack!" Rarity's voice came from down the hall. Applejack followed the voice until she found herself in the dining room. Rarity was at the table, with two places set for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of some fruit and bread. "I figured a light breakfast would do you good, Applejack. You have quite the day ahead of you," Rarity said. Applejack sat at the table and sighed. She fiddled with her food, but didn't eat any of it. "Ah know..." "Are you alright dear?" Rarity asked. "You look like something's wrong." Applejack scuffed a hoof on the ground before pushing around her food absentmindedly. "... Ahm nervous. This day has to be perfect for Rainbow," Applejack explained. She took a bite out of a strawberry and chewed slowly. "And it will be, darling!" Rarity cooed. "Trust us! We all know how much this means to you! We won't let you down!" "Thanks Rarity," Applejack said. She took a few more bites of breakfast, feeling more motivated and energized by the minute. She gulped down some orange juice and set her glass down on the table. Rarity led Applejack to the front room, grabbing a scarf and her custom saddlebags on the way. "Are you ready, Applejack?" "I'm ready!" Rainbow Dash had been waiting all day. She had been waiting all day for... something. Anything really. But nothing had come. No letters, nopony stopping by, nothing. Rainbow was getting nervous and impatient. "What if she decided against tonight?" Rainbow said to herself. She sat on the edge of her home in the sky, scanning Ponyville for anything. Anypony. But she saw nothing. Rainbow felt a tear form and slid down her cheek before she steeled herself and wiped it away before it could fall to the earth. She would wait until nightfall. Which wasn't that far away, judging by the sky. There were maybe two hours of daylight left. Once night fell, she would give up and go to bed. She didn't know what she would do the next day, or how she would feel, but she had to get through tonight first. The minutes dragged on and on. Rainbow flopped this way and that, trying not to be bored. She would much rather fly out and find Applejack herself, but her gut instinct told her that if anyone came looking, they would find her here, at her home. The time had finally passed. There were only a precious few minutes of daylight left. Only a quarter of the sun remained above the horizon. Rainbow finally let the tears flow. She had gotten her hopes up higher than she could fly, and they were dashed in the end. She sighed and stood up. The cyan mare had started towards her door, and lifted a hoof to turn the handle, but she stopped and turned around to watch the horizon. She would wait until nightfall, like she said she would. And just as the sun faded to nothing but a sliver, Rainbow Dash heard a voice from down below. "May I speak to one Miss Rainbow Dash?" A familiar voice said. Rainbow Dash slowly walked to the edge of her cloud and peeked over the edge. And who else would she see but Derpy Hooves, standing there in mailmare's uniform, cap included, with a messengers bag at her side. Rainbow Dash said hesitantly, "What do you need, Derpy?" Derpy smiled as her wings flared out to her sides. "Oh good! You're here! They told me you would be, and you are. That makes me happy! I would have been sad if you weren't. Because I'm on a mission, a super important mission to deliver something to you. And if I didn't get it to you by now, they would have been upset and-" "Derpy!" Rainbow interrupted, "What do you need to deliver to me?" Derpy reached into her bag and rummaged through it, her tongue sticking out in concentration. After a minute, she gave a little squee of excitement and pulled out... a letter. "Who's it from?" Rainbow asked. "I can't tell you! You gotta read it for yourself!" "Well, give it here!" "You come down here!" "Derpy-" Derpy whined and put on her best puppy dog face. Tears started to form in her eyes. Real or fake, Rainbow couldn't tell. Rainbow sighed, rolled her eyes, and said, "Ugh, fine! I'm coming, I'm coming!" And with that, she glided down from her perch to land in front of the mailmare. She grabbed the letter. There was writing on the front. To: Rainbow Dash There was no return address, or anything stating who it was from. Rainbow tore the envelope open, unfolded the stationery that resided within, and read: My dearest Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting all day, but rest assured that it was necessary. Please follow Derpy into Ponyville. I'll be waiting inside. Can't wait to see you. Yours, and yours alone. Applejack Rainbow Dash slowly looked from the letter to Derpy. "You're... escorting me into town then?" She asked. Derpy nodded violently, sending her cap to the ground and tossing her hair around rapidly. "Mmhm! Follow MEEE!" She said as she turned and started to canter towards Ponyville. "Oh, and no flying!" Rainbow ran after her as fast as she could. "No flying? Why!?" "No flying!" Applejack stood in the center of town, next to a large tree. She was surrounded by her friends, and Twilight was going over, of course, a checklist. "Okay everypony, this is it. The final checklist!" Twilight exclaimed, holding up a sheet of paper. Her friends cheered, maybe a bit too enthusiastically. Twilight glared at them. They awkwardly quieted down and got back to business. Twilight harrumphed and said, "Okay. As I was saying. Pinkie Pie: Party foods and drink?" Pinkie hopped up and down excitedly. "Check!" Pinkie had donated many cakes and other sweets for the occasion, as well as making several flavors of punch. Twilight nodded and checked that off the list. "Fluttershy?" Fluttershy nodded and showed Twilight two turtledoves. They flew into the tree and settled there. "Check." Twilight marked another task off her list. "And last but not least: Rarity?" Rarity nodded, and her horn glowed blue as sapphire. Her magic washed over her friends and the townsfolk. Everyone was suddenly dressed in fanciful party clothes, ready for a celebration. "Check! And thank you, Twilight, for helping me with that spell." Twilight nodded. "You made the dresses after all! Okay, that's it! Food and drinks have been provided, dress clothes for everyone, doves are here, and the townsfolk are ready for the surprise! I have the show ready to go. One final task. Do you have the letter, Applejack?" Applejack nodded. "Yep. Here," She said as she handed her letter over. "Thank you. Derpy!" Twilight called. Derpy popped into view, falling from the tree. "Whoooa! Oof!" "Derpy, what in the world were you doing up there?" Twilight asked, rolling her eyes. Derpy stared at her for a second. She shrugged. "Iunno." Twilight shook her head. "Nevermind. I need you to take this letter," Twilight held up Applejack's letter, "to Rainbow Dash. Do you know where she lives?" Derpy nodded emphatically. "Yeah! She lives just on the outside of town, in a cloud house!" Twilight smiled. "Will you take this letter to her, and bring her back here once she's done reading it?" "Sure thing Twilight!" "Thank you Derpy," Twilight said as Derpy sped off, still in her dress. Twilight had an afterthought and sent a bolt of magic towards the mailmare. Her dress turned into a mailmare's uniform, bag, cap, and all. "It'll wear off by the time she gets back," She explained. Twilight turned towards Applejack. "Ready?" "As Ah'll ever be." Rainbow and Derpy had reached the edge of town. "Okay Rainbow! Just go to the center of town! Bye!" And with that, the mailmare Dashed of into the shadows before Rainbow could even ask a question. Rainbow began walking and noticed several thing. First, it was dark. Sure, the sun had set, and by now the moon was begining to rise. It was a full moon tonight, and there was a faint light provided by it to see where she was going. The strange thing was, all the lights were out. Every single house was pitch black, with not a sound to be heard. She kept on walking, however, towards the center of town. After a few minutes, she arrived at one of the many entrances to the town center. She couldn't see a thing other than a faint outline of the tree in the center. She kept on walking till she was at the center, near the tree. Out of nowhere, an emerald light fell from the sky. It was a floating orb of magic, glowing a deep, intense green. It reached the height of the top of the tree and hung there, casting it's light through the entire square. Rainbow stared at it, trying to figure out what it meant, when she heard a voice and saw somepony step from behind the tree. "Rainbow, Ah'm glad you could make it." "Applejack?" Rainbow Dash squinted as the pony stepped out from the shadows of the tree. As the figure came into the light, Rainbow Dash saw that it was indeed Applejack. "Applejack!" Rainbow Dash stood there, completely stunned by what she saw. What Applejack looked like... Wow. "You... You look stunning!" Rainbow exclaimed. Rainbow took another few seconds to stare at Applejack. She was dazzling. Her mane simply hung there, straight, down to her shoulders. It looked so soft, as if it had been brushed hundreds of times. She had put on some make-up for a change, and had put on glittering green eye-shadow. Her eyes sparkled in the low light. Applejack had ditched her hat and galoshes. In place was a silken dress, a simple, yet elegant thing that hung down almost to her hooves. It was adorned with lace and emeralds that reflected light at every angle. She had light green slippers on, made of suede. Two turtledoves flew in a circle around their heads before draping something over Applejack's head. It was simple golden necklace to top it off, adorned with a simple green crystal. Applejack chuckled. "Cat got yer tongue?" Rainbow still couldn't speak. Applejack chuckled again. "Come here, you silly filly!" Applejack said. She grabbed Rainbow and started turning in a circle. "Applejack-" Rainbow started to say. She was cut off as Applejack leaned it, put her muzzled next to her ear, and said one thing. "Shh!" As they plunged into darkness, shivers ran down Rainbow's spine. From the darkness, she heard music begin to play. It was a nice, soft melody. It wasn't fast or bumpy, but rather just the right tempo to dance to. And that's what the two mares did. Applejack lead Rainbow in circles and waltzes as the music went on. "Applejack, I don't know what to say-" Applejack put a hoof to Rainbow's lips. "Don't say anything. Just enjoy the show." Rainbow was about to ask what she was talking about when she saw a small white light jump into the sky. It exploded silently, but sent a colorful cloud of sparks across the sky. Fireworks. As another explosion flashed through the sky, the music progressed, and the couple danced. The fireworks were the only source of light in the whole town. It looked like they were dancing in freeze-frames. The music and fireworks increased in tempo. The couple danced, twirling faster and faster. As the music reached a crescendo, so too did the show in the sky. There was almost a constant light now, flashing any color from yellow to purple. As the music reached it's peak, Applejack leaned Rainbow back, and kissed her full on the lips. It was a deep passionate kiss, filled with all of the emotions of the past few days. It started out slow with happiness, glee, love. The kiss turned fast and fervent as panic, terror, and fear coursed through their lips. The kiss, the one simple kiss that sealed their relationship finished strong, but gentle, with feelings of relief, rejoice and a sense of fulfillment. As their contact broke, the lights in the town square came on, with all the townsfolk cheering their congratulations. A huge banner had been erected, with Congratulations! sprawled on it in orange and cyan paint. The townsfolk burst into dance as music began to pick up, courtesy of Lyra, Octavia, and Vinyl. Rainbow stood there, stunned. "You did all this... For me?" "It wasn't just me. Ah had a little help," Applejack explained. One by one, their friends appeared from within the crowd. As Rainbow turned to look at them, they each took a bow in turn. Rainbow turned to Applejack. "It's all so... amazing!" Applejack nodded. "You sure are." Rainbow Dash blushed. "Stop it, you're making me blush!" Applejack chuckled and pecked her love on the lips again. "Come on Rainbow, we have a dance to finish." The townsfolk had receded to the edge of the square to let the couple have the final dance. The two twirled yet again in strange patterns, not sticking to any one dance. Rainbow leaned her head against Applejack's shoulder. Rainbow inhaled, and she could smell apples. She sighed. She was in heaven. Applejack's muzzle was once again near Rainbow's ear. She took a small nip at it. Rainbow jumped in response. Applejack chuckled. "Oh Rainbow." "Applejack?" Applejack looked right into Rainbow's eyes. Rainbow stared back, neither of them blinking. "I love you."
RunningIt was a beautiful day, as far as the weather was concerned. There were a few cotton candy clouds dotting the sky, but not so many as to bring the rain. The sun shone brightly upon the varied landscape that was Equestria. One such place bathed in the hot sunlight was none other than Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack grunted as, like thousands of times before, she bucked against an apple tree, causing the red orbs to succumb to gravity and fall into pre-placed baskets. They hit the container with a thump and their fate was sealed. Applejack hauled yet another bushel of apples back to the barn. Sweat glistened on her coat, making her look icy when she was, in fact, the very opposite. With a heavy hoof, she wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed. There she was, taking care of the farm, alone, again! She didn't blame anypony, not really. Applebloom, while off on a week-long school field trip slash vacation thingy, was too young to be working the orchard just yet. Big Mac had hurt his side again, yet much worse than last time. He had been buckin' out in a storm, despite his sister's warnings. The storm kicked up and the wind tossed around debris. Big Mac had been struck by a flying branch, receiving several broken ribs. Granny Smith had sent him to the hospital, despite his misgivings. He would spend quite some time there, as well as more time in physical therapy, so he would be no help. Granny Smith herself had decided to take another trip to Appleloosa to trade her vast knowledge of all things "apple" with the settlers. It was just tiresome, and a little lonely, apple buckin' by her lonesome. She knew she couldn't do it all alone. Applejack had figured that out last time she tried, the hard way. She realized she needed help, and there was only one mare fit for the job. And it would happen to be the one and only, Rainbow Dash; her closest (and physically toughest) friend. And, for Applejack, the best thing about it was she wouldn't need to bother any of her other friends, seeing as how the demand for apples wasn't so high this time of year. And speak of the devil, just at that moment, a rainboom burst across the sky. Applejack smiled. Her friend was hard at work too. As the sun set on another great work-day, Applejack closed up the barn after storing her gear inside. She munched on an apple, chewing slowly as she contemplated a day's job well done as the juice slid down her chin in sweet rivulets. She gazed upon the fields, her fields, of apple trees. Many colors swirled in the trees; green, red, yellow, and everything in-between. She looked up to the now-starry sky and noticed the similarities between them and her trees. The colors, the way they sparkled with light. How it was impossible to pick them all... She sighed, went inside her home, and took off her hat. She hung it on a simple wooden hook extending from the wall and undid her hair. She walked to the bathroom, stretching her joints and legs as she went. She started the shower and waited for the water to warm. She twisted left and right, popping her back. She let out a sigh as her spine decompressed. Applejack stepped into the streaming jets of water and let out a satisfactory moan as the knots in her sturdy muscles were worked out. Applejack worked some of her favorite scented shampoo, scented like rain, into her mane and tail, the lather resulting in a large froth of suds that crowded the shower. She blew the bubbles away from her face and resumed washing with her body wash, scrubbing hard and reveling in the clean feelings and scents that now defined her smell. The steam was getting to her though, and she turned the water off. She stepped out of the shower, gasping slightly for breath. She toweled herself dry, brushed her teeth, and went to bed. Tomorrow, she'd have to ask Rainbow for help. A few clouds littered the sky here and there, but it was a fair day. One perfect for flying. As the cyan pegasus flapped her wings, slowly meandering through the heavens, the sun shone brilliantly, warming her as she flew. A cloud passed under the sun, bathing her in momentary shade. The mare tensed her whole body, wings at the ready. As soon as the sun was revealed, her wings exploded with power and she dove toward the ground. Rainbow Dash pulled up, doing a double loop-the-loop and chaining that into a spiraling ascent. She flared her wings and flapped hard, gaining altitude. Higher, higher! At this point, she was past the highest clouds. It was getting hard to breath due to the lack of oxygen, but that meant she was high enough. She turned around, and pumped her wings as hard as she could. There! It was working. Just in front of her outstretched hooves, she could see a cone forming in the air. She was only halfway down, but falling fast. She flapped harder. The cone got a little sharper, wind wildly whistling in her ears and forcing her eyes to squint. Three quarters of the way there. Just then, she felt it. Rainbow Dash knew it would happen any second now. Soon enough, the sharp cone burst with a large explosive sound and she pulled up, looking behind her. She saw that she was trailing a full rainbow across the sky like a painter at the canvas. She watched as the explosion of fiery color washed through the clouds. She shouted a victory hurrah, but it was lost in the wind. She was sure to impress the Wonderbolts in two months time, the next auditions they were holding. That was enough for one day. She landed slowly and walked toward her home. She didn't want to stress her wings too much now. While on her way, she said hello to her many friends throughout Ponyville. Rainbow Dash arrived thinking, 'Alright Rainbow, last time flying for the day.' With a leap and a gust of her wings, she ascended to her house of clouds. She took it slowly, but as she landed, she felt a tug where her right wing met her body. Rainbow extended her wing slowly only to feel the tug intensify with pain. She grunted and tucked away her wing. She'd have to visit her best friend, Applejack, tomorrow. The country mare knew all about injuries and how to treat them. Farm life did that to you, Rainbow supposed. No practice tomorrow. She had to shower first, however. She didn't mind getting dirty, but going to bed dirty left an awkward feeling when she woke up in the morning. She had rainclouds stored away for such occasions, seeing as how getting pipes up to her house would be a lengthy and complicated process. Rainbow brought out the clouds from their storage and emptied them into a water heater. She let the heater run for a minute before grabbing some towels and heading to the bathroom. Rainbow stepped into the heated jets, focusing them on her shoulder. She sighed as her shoulder relaxed. The shower wouldn't heal her shoulder, but it definitely helped. Rainbow lathered up some shampoo and worked on her mane and tail. She liked having a short mane; it was easy to take care of. She also liked how messy it looked, especially if she dried it and just let it be. She stepped out of the shower, steam rolling off of her and water sliding down her frame slowly. Wind blew through the open windows, sending chills down her spine. She shivered and toweled herself dry. Rainbow tossed the towel into her laundry hamper and dove into her bed, not even bothering to cover up as she drifted to sleep, awaiting a new day. Rainbow Dash woke up the next morning, awoken by none other than Applejack. She was yelling something. Rainbow's head was still groggy from sleep, so she hopped off her bed, stretched and shook her head. "Rainbow! You there Rainbow!?" Applejack shouted. If they weren't on the edge of town, many ponies would have been annoyed by her yelling. Rainbow opened her front door and looked down from her perch. "Yeah, I'm here! What's up?" Applejack looked away sheepishly for a moment before saying, "I, uh, came to ask you a favor." "Heh. That's pretty funny. I was going to ask you for a favor today too." With that, Rainbow slowly glided down from her house, trying not to strain her wing. As her wings flared when she hit the ground, she winced in pain. Too far. Applejack noticed immediately. "What's wrong there, sugarcube?" Rainbow replied, "I was practicing for my Wonderbolts audition and-" "Yeah, ah noticed yer rainboom yesterday. Was mighty spectacular, iffin ah do say so mahself," Applejack interrupted. Rainbow looked toward her hooves. She loved getting praise, but she especially loved praise from AJ. It made her stomach flip upside down and feel all fluttery inside. No one made her feel like that. No one except the mare in front of her. "Thanks. It was nothin', really." "Don't be so modest, sugarcube. Now, what favor were you gonna ask of me?" "Well, I, uh, hurt my wing practicing the other day, and it hurts to use it. I was wondering if you could bandage it in place so I don't move it by accident." Applejack tapped her hoof on her chin and thought. "How about we do a trade o' sorts? A favor for a favor." Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "What do you have in mind?" "Well, ah fix up yer wing there, and you help me with apple buckin'. You won't be able to fly around with your wing like that, and you'll be mighty bored. Ah figure apple buckin'll give ya something to do without strainin' yer wing. You can even spend the night if you like. My treat." Rainbow beamed. Spending time with with Applejack was great, but a sleepover?! They would have so much fun, it would be fantastic! "That sounds like a deal to me." The two mares shook hooves and set out to Sweet Apple Acres. The pair reached Sweet Apple Acres in minutes. Applejack went inside her home and came out a few moments later with a roll of bandages. "Alrighty now Rainbow, yer gonna have ter hold a mite still now." "Alright, alright, just get it done," said Rainbow, eager for the sleepover. She had liked Applejack for quite some time now, admiring the mare from a distance. Every once in a while, the farmer would visit her in dreamland. It didn't always happen, but lately, her dreams would end with them a centimeter away from kissing leaving Rainbow to wake up frustrated and wanting. Applejack stood very close to Rainbow as to get the bandage around her without having to change sides. As she wrapped the injured wing, leaving the other free, her hooves brushed over Rainbow's stomach and back. Rainbow had trouble containing herself as the light caresses tingled her nerves, sending shockwaves up her spine. Soon enough, however, AJ tied the knot in the bandage and patted Rainbow's flank. "Alrighty partner, you're good to go. Now, let's get to buckin'!" Applejack enthused. Rainbow Dash nodded and smiled. "You got it!" The two set to a day's hard work, kicking an infinite amount of trees and obtaining what seemed like an endless amount of apples. As they worked, Rainbow's mind was busy. Every once in a while, she'd turn to watch her friend as she worked, admiring the muscles in her friend's flank contract and expand as she kicked the trees. It made her swoon. She shook her head, realizing that her concentration had slipped. She went back to work with another backwards glance at her friend, her crush. Despite the amount of attention Rainbow Dash was giving to Applejack, something slipped by her. And that was the fact that Applejack was paying just as much attention to her. Applejack bucked against the tree, grunting with effort and the satisfaction that came when all the apples fell into their baskets. She glanced sideways at Rainbow, who was facing her, coincidentally. She was hard at work, but blatantly staring directly at Applejack the entire time. AJ replayed the scene from a few hours ago in her mind. Applejack said, with roll of bandages in hoof, "Alrighty now Rainbow, yer gonna have ter hold a mite still now." Rainbow Dash's reply was typical of her character, "Alright, alright, just get it done." Applejack moved close to Rainbow Dash, feeling her body heat even in the sunlight. She unwound the bandages and started working them around her friend, her hooves sliding over her strong, muscled back and her sleek, soft tummy. She didn't want to stop, she realized, but just then she had ran out of bandages. Applejack snapped back to her senses and got back to work. As time went by however, her mind drifted to romantic notions again. What if her friends were right? Her mind rewound again to a scene from a few weeks past. "So you think that Rainbow likes me? *Likes me*, likes me?" Applejack asked. Rarity had explained her suspicions to her friends, and they had called Applejack to Twilight's library for a discussion. "Of course she does, darling," Rarity chirped, "Have you not seen the way she looks at you, the look that she gets in her eyes whenever you are around?" "Not really..." Fluttershy just mumbled and looked at anything but Applejack. It really wasn't her type of conversation anyway. "I think you should just go up to her and ask her!" suggested Pinkie. "Are you crazy!? What if yer all wrong? What if it affects our friendship?!" protested Applejack. "Applejack," interjected Twilight, "she's the element of loyalty. What's the worst that could happen? You don't get apple trees without planting the seeds. Know what I'm saying?" Applejack scuffed the ground absently with a hoof. "Yeah yeah, I gotcha. I'll wait and see what happens. Thanks for yer advice fillies." Applejack snapped back to reality. Rainbow was looking at her. "You alright AJ? You were kinda spacin' off all funny there for a while." Applejack shook her head. "Yep, ahm good! Hay Rainbow," she said as she examined all the baskets that were full of apples, "let's call it a day, huh? With your help, we got done twice as fast. We have a bit o' time left over." Rainbow Dash nodded her head, a smile forming on her lips. "Sounds good to me!" The two mares headed into Applejack's house to clean up. After nice, hot showers, Applejack made dinner for the two, daisy sandwiches with a rose and lilac salad. Rainbow Dash patted her stomach as she finished her last bite. She sighed. "Whew! I am full! That was great Applejack, thanks." "Anything fer a hard-workin' friend like you Rainbow!" Applejack replied. Applejack was about to do the dishes when she realized she was out of dish soap. It was okay though, they had more in the upstairs utility closet. She told Rainbow, "I'm gonna go get some soap for these dishes. I'll be right back." "Alright!" was the reply she heard while heading up the stairs. While she was rooting around for soap in the closet, she spied her bed through her doorway. She trotted into her room and jumped on the bed. She let out a huff as her joints decompressed on the soft mattress. Within a few seconds, she was fast asleep. And just downstairs, Rainbow had fallen asleep in the very chair she ate dinner in. A few hours later, Applejack awoke to a blazing orange sky. She grunted as she got out of her bed. It must be close to sunset. She poked her head out of the window. Yep, about sunset. She thought about what her friends had said to her. She decided to test their theories. She took the blanket from her bed and laid it outside, in a patch of soft grass. She took a whole barrel of cider and two mugs, placing them next to the blanket. She filled the mugs up to the brim. Applejack then gathered two pillows and another blanket, setting them down with the rest of the items. She went back inside to wake Rainbow up. Before that, however, she thought to herself. Ah ain't never really thought of it like that before. Ah mean, she IS very pretty. And she's just like me in so many ways. She likes a little bit o' challenge, and she isn't afraid to get down n' dirty. Well, if she says somethin', I'll go with it. Ah just can't bring it upon myself to tell her bout mah affections fer her. She tapped the cyan and rainbow mare on the shoulder. "Rainbow, wake up!" she whispered loudly. "Ah got somethin' ta show ya." Rainbow Dash's eyes popped open and she stretched. "Mmmm... what is it?" she yawned. "Well come with me and you'll find find out!" "Okay, okay, I'm coming." Applejack covered Rainbow's eyes with her hooves. "You can't see it yet, it's a surprise." "Alright, alright," murmured Rainbow Dash. Applejack led Rainbow out to the blanket, the sky still a fiery orange, clouds dotting the sky like they had all day. She said to Rainbow, "Lie down there, sugarcube." Rainbow was getting impatient, but AJ didn't mind. Rainbow laid down and waited. "What is it already? Is this a blanket? Are these pillows?" Applejack lifted her hooves away as she pulled up their mugs of cider, and then their blanket. "Would ya look at that?" she said, indicating the sky with a hoof. "Ain't she purty?" Rainbow looked at the orange sky and smiled. She looked around, at the blankets and pillows and cider. AJ had done this all for her. It made her glow inside, and she felt happier than she had in quite some time. She gazed toward Applejack and back at the sky. She felt... romantic. That was the word. It caused a small change in her personality. "Thanks Applejack. This is all... awesome, hehe," she chuckled. This is it, she thought. I'm making my move now. "Anything for you, Rainbow," said the country mare. She stared at the sky, relaxing as she put her head back on the pillow. She took a sip of cider and sighed. It was turning out to be the perfect day. Rainbow Dash took a sip of cider for the taste, and a gulp for courage. Here goes nothing. "Applejack?" "Yes, Rainbow?" "The sky reminds me of you." "How is that?" "Well, it's orange and... you're orange." "Anything else?" Applejack chuckled. "Well... It's still bright out, and you always illuminate my day. It's still warm out... just like the warmth that you show me through your friendship. Thank you for giving me this." Rainbow leaned back on the pillow while AJ pulled up the blanket. Rainbow scooted marginally closer to Applejack. The two mares sighed in contentedness. Applejack pointed at the sky. "Now the sky reminds me of you, and it's kinda obvious why," she chuckled. As the two looked toward the sky, they saw that the sun had lowered enough to send all the hues through the clouds. There was red, pink, orange, purple, blue, and even a little bit of green within the clouds. "It's like you ARE the sky, Rainbow," said Applejack. The sun had finally set at that point, leaving a full moon clear and bright in the sky. Everything was visible in the bright moonlight. Millions of stars twinkled in the heavens. Rainbow Dash scooted closer to Applejack, their shoulders touching. Rainbow Dash leaned in a little bit as her uninjured wing extended to it's full length... "Hay Applejack," Rainbow whispered. "Yeah?" Applejack whispered back. Rainbow inched closer. "Would you mind-" *scoot* "if I-" *scoot* "got closer to you?" Rainbow's head was tilted and her lips were half an inch from Applejack's, and Rainbow had closed her eyes. It had taken a lot of courage on Rainbow's part to do that. The ball was in AJ's court now. Applejack, almost imperceptibly, shook her head. "No." Applejack closed her eyes. With that, the mare's lips met under the moonlight, and their spirits soared as they fell asleep in each other's embrace under the stars.
FallingThey had been dating, in secret, for a month now. Their love was as strong as the sun was bright. But what happens when the sun sets and begins to fade underneath the horizon? Applejack had nuzzled up to Rainbow in her bed at Sweet Apple Acres. "Yer the best, you know that?" said Applejack. Rainbow, who's eyes had been closed, opened at met Applejack's. "I know," she chuckled in her ever-confident, maybe even cocky, tone. Applejack hadn't needed help apple buckin' for quite some time now, but Rainbow just couldn't stay away from her fillyfriend. The country mare made her feel... well, many things. She felt loved and happy, content, light as air, and so much more. Applejack had decided not to tell her friends about her and Rainbow just yet. And she was happy with that decision. She could cuddle with Rainbow all day and not worry about anything. It was heaven and she was more relaxed and at ease than ever before. Rainbow always brightened her day. Applejack nuzzled up even closer to Rainbow, her cheek resting on the cyan mare's shoulder. Little did the two know that this was the calm before the storm. The two were walking through Ponyville, simply passing the day away as they strolled through town, enjoying each other's company. They were, physically, walking a little closer than friends normally did, but nopony took notice. Applejack wasn't paying much attention when Rainbow pulled her down a deserted, closed off alleyway. "Whoa nelly! Where are we goin' Rainbow?!" Applejack shouted as Rainbow eagerly pulled her along down the alleyway. Rainbow grinned slyly and looked back at Applejack. "Nowhere in particular," she said in a falsely-innocent tone. It was dark down the alleyway, and there was just a wall at the end. "Now Rainbow, what are we doin' all the way back-" she said before she was pushed up against the wall. Her lips were suddenly crushed by Rainbow's. She was conflicted by several feelings, all at once. On one hoof, this was a different side to Rainbow, which she enjoyed thoroughly. The only problem was... they could get caught. Applejack had been raised with strong family values and it went against her every instinct. As fantastic as Rainbow felt pressed up against her, warming her front while her back froze against the cold, hard wall, Applejack had to push Rainbow away, panting. Rainbow had a sneaky smile on her face. "What's wrong Applejack? Am I not good enough for you anymore?" she joked while she nuzzled up to the orange mare. Applejack could practically feel the awkwardness enter the conversation. "What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash's sneaky look was replaced by genuine confusion. "What's wrong?" she inquired. "We can't be doing this in public Rainbow!" objected Applejack. Rainbow Dash was getting visibly upset. "Why not? It's not like we're doing anything wrong," she insisted. "Ah'm... Ah'm just not comfortable with this Rainbow. What if somebody were to see? Can you imagine how ponies would react?" Applejack said. Rainbow Dash took a step back. She threw her arms up and shouted, "Who cares!? It's about me and you, Applejack! Not about them! Who gives a flying fladoodle about what they think!?" "Ah'm sorry Rainbow. Ah just think that's something for... private places, ya know?" Applejack explained. Rainbow Dash took a few more steps back. Tears were forming in her magenta eyes. "It's just kissing AJ! We're not doing anything super... intimate! Even Mr. and Mrs. Cake kiss in public!" Rainbow started to pant, getting more and more upset. Her eyes took on a hard stare that still had her sadness peeking through. "Are you ashamed of me?" Rainbow accused. "What? No! That's crazy talk!" Said Applejack. Today was just going from bad to worse. "I can't believe you. We haven't even told anypony yet! Not even our friends... You ARE ashamed of me!" shouted Rainbow. "No Rainbow, you have it all wrong!" AJ tried to bring around the conversation, but it was over with as Rainbow ran out of the alleyway and took off for the skies. Applejack watched the cyan pegasus fly away and sighed as she dragged her hooves out of the alleyway. "And that's what happened," explained Applejack. She had called all of her friends, with the exception of Rainbow, to have a get-together at Twilight's the next day. Applejack had explained everything from the last month til today. The romance that they had, the sneaking kisses they shared when they thought nopony was around to see them, all of it. Rarity had fainted due to a romantic overload and was lying on her couch. Fluttershy was generally happy for the two mares, despite this road bump. Pinkie Pie had even left to try to get Rainbow Dash to stop by, but with no success. Twilight scratched her head, thinking. "Maybe by refusing small public displays of affection, she think's you're embarrassed by her," hypothesized Twilight. "She said as much," sighed Applejack. Things had gotten completely out of hoof that day. "Well, I don't think anypony here is an expert on relationships. Unless you count that time we caught Fluttershy and Big Mac-" "Hey now, Ah thought we agreed to not talk bout that?" interrupted Applejack. "Right, sorry," Twilight apologized. "Seems to me the only thing you can do is have a heart to heart talk with Rainbow," Twilight suggested. Applejack nodded. "Maybe you're right." Appledash had trotted to the outskirts of Ponyville after the meeting with her friends. It was raining now, a downpour to match her mood. Rainbow could have been clearing the sky at the moment, but she wasn't exactly in the mood. Applejack had reached Rainbow's house, or rather, the ground underneath it. "Rainbow!" Applejack tried to yell, being drowned out by thunder in the process. Her words, however, did not fall upon deaf ears. Rainbow was in her house, crying and holding a storm cloud. Suddenly, she heard her name being called. It could only be Applejack braving the inclement weather for her. She punched the storm cloud, resulting in a painful shock and a clap of thunder. "Rainbow!" There is was again. And again she slammed her hoof into the cloud, thunder reverberating throughout the area and sending a jolt through her system. She cried, tears of mirth mixed with the rain that came from the cloud. "Rainbow!" She tried to hit the cloud again, but it's store of rain and thunder were gone. She sighed and wiped the tears from her face, her eyes still red and puffy. Rainbow slowly trudged to her door and opened it. She peered over the edge of her cloud only to stare into Applejack's emerald orbs. "Rainbow..." said Applejack, relief pouring through her at the sight of her friend. Rainbow shook her head and her stare turned into a glare as cold as the rain pouring down around her. "What do you want?" she accused. "Ah want to talk to you," Applejack explained. "About what?" said Rainbow, quite sarcastically. Applejack scuffed the ground with a nervous hoof. "You darn well know what. About... yesterday." Rainbow Dash hmphed and said, "What about it?" AJ stamped on the ground and said, "Rainbow, will you please get down here and talk to me face to face? Like a civilized pony?" Rainbow Dash glided down from her dwelling and landed. "Well, what do want?" "Ah wanted... ah wanted to apologize for yesterday," Applejack explained. Rainbow Dash stayed silent. Applejack continued, "Ah just wasn't expectin' it at all. Granny Smith raised me and taught me that things like that are... best kept for home." Rainbow Dash gave a sharp, sarcastic chuckle. "Even Big Mac would kiss his girlfriend in public," she said, referring to the previous Hearts and Hooves Day. Applejack seemed cross at that. "He drank a potion though! It wasn't really him." Rainbow Dash sighed, her anger evaporating momentarily. "Applejack, look," she said, "I... I'm just going to say it. I love you Applejack!" Rainbow crossed the distance between her and her friend and grabbed her friend in a tight embrace. "Your opinion of me matters a lot," she chuckled through light tears. "When you pushed me away I felt... rejected. Unloved. I realize now that I was over-reacting. Please, how about we try again?" Applejack was momentarily stunned, but regained her composure and smiled and hugged her friend back, pecking her lightly on the cheek. "I'd like that. How about next week, when I'm not busy buckin'?" Rainbow Dash nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be awesome! Lookin' forward to it." "Alrighty," said Applejack, "I gotta get back to buckin'. I'll see you around!" She pecked Rainbow again and walked back home. Rainbow Dash just stood there smiling, cheeks flushed. She gave a shout of joy and flew back into her home. She had to prepare for her date next week. Little did she know that Applejack was preparing as well.
Getting Back UpRainbow Dash had been lazing around all week, saving her energy for her big date with Applejack. It was tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the revitalization of their relationship. Rainbow was simply elated, sighing with affectionate thoughts of her love's thick, straw-colored hair and her bright, emerald-green eyes. The cyan mare was stretched out on her bed, resting the day away. Earlier, she had planned to prepare for her date, somehow. But that never happened. How can you really prepare for a date when you don't know what the date has in store for you? Rainbow Dash hadn't seen Applejack all week. She suspected that the apple-buckin' mare had purposely stayed away from her just to build her anticipation. If that was the case, then it had definitely worked. Rainbow was just itching for tomorrow to get here already. She let out a grunt of frustration and pulled her blankets up. Maybe she could slip out of consciousness till tomorrow. "Alrighty," said Applejack, "I gotta get back to buckin'. I'll see you around!" She pecked Rainbow again and walked back home. On her way home, Applejack was coming up with a plot. One so shocking and exciting that just the thought of it made her squirm, and she bit her lower lip in excitement. She had a whole week to plan this, but it wouldn't take that long, or so she hoped. She went to sleep that night with thoughts of her plans forming and swirling around in her head, and she giggled herself to slumber as the moon steadily rose into the night sky. She awoke the next morning to a fine day, with the sun burning brilliantly, and a few clouds dotting the sky. She got up and started her morning journey into Ponyville. As she was walking along, her thoughts turned back to yesterday. It was such a relief that she was able to work things out with Rainbow. The plot that she was formulating in her head had to go off without a hitch. Applejack wanted dearly to prove her love for Rainbow, and this would do just the trick. She went around town, spreading the story of her love for Rainbow and her plan to win her heart forever. To her surprise, everypony was accepting, and even happy for her. The townsfolk gladly agreed to help Applejack in her endeavor. She told each and every one of them that they were not to tell Rainbow Dash if they talked to her. Hopefully luck would be on Applejack's side and Rainbow would laze around all week. Now came the good part. The part where her friends got involved. The week had passed, and the big day was tomorrow, just around the corner. Everything was ready. Well, almost everything. She just had to head to Rarity's place for a minute, and check that everything there was ready. She hummed to herself on the way to Carousel Boutique. She was simply buzzing with happiness. Applejack knocked on the door and not even three seconds had gone by when the door promptly opened. And there stood Rarity, with the looking as if she had just witnessed a miracle. "Oh Applejack, you have no idea how long I've waited for this opportunity!" Rarity squealed. "What in tarnation are you talkin' bout?" inquired AJ. "Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I always wanted to dress you up. You're such a stubborn mare, always getting down in the dirty with farmwork! I feared I would never have the chance to prettify you!" Rarity replied. "Scuse me?" "N-Not that you aren't pretty already, dear! Just a figure of speech is all!" Rarity recovered nervously. Applejack squinted at Rarity. "You alright, girl?" Rarity giggled and waved a reassuring hoof. "Of course darling, of course! Maybe a little giddy. A chance like this doesn't come often you know." "Alrighty then. Just remember: Ahm doin'this for Rainbow. I don't normally like dressin' up, but this is a special occasion." "I understand. Now, let's begin!" The following hours had included lengthy periods of time that Applejack had to stand still, a few accidental pokes with a needle, tightening and loosening of threads and ribbons, volumes of lace and the constant snipping of scissors. Multitudes of make up being distributed and brushed off. Applejack suffered through it honorably, only giving a grunt or two in frustration, and maybe a muscular twitch of impatience. By the end of the day, she was in a dazzling dress of emerald that matched her eyes. Speaking of emeralds, several were sewn into the dress itself, sending sparkles and rays of green light out when light hit it at an angle. Applejack had had her hair brushed and combed, and it hung down her shoulders. Not in a braid, however. No, Rarity had simply let her hair fall straight down onto her shoulders. "Quite fetching, if I do say so myself," said Rarity. "Thanks." "Now, all we have to do is wait till tomorrow." "And how am Ah supposed to stay all fancy-like till then?" Applejack asked. "Well I'll just zap you with a sleeping spell, of course! You can sleep the hours away, and when you wake up, you'll look as perfect as you do now!" Rarity replied "Alrighty then. Just lemme know when yer gonna-" BBZZZZTTT And just like that, the farmer, all dressed up and ready for the date of her life, fell asleep in that very spot. "Silly Applejack. You'll ruin your ensemble if you go off to do your own thing. Now, I'll see you in the morning," Rarity chuckled. She received no reply in response; however, that was to be expected. The sun had barely broken through the clouds that morning, but there was enough light to wake Applejack from her magically induced slumber. The light had struck her face, tearing her away from a dreamless sleep. The country mare shook herself awake, only to be suddenly corrected by Rarity's voice. "Now now dear, you shouldn't be shaking around too much! It will ruin all of my work! And you want to look your best for Dashie, don't you?" Applejack groaned, still trying to rouse herself from sleep's comfortable clutches. She could hear Rarity's voice from elsewhere in the building. "Where are ya, Rarity?" Applejack said, a little slurred. "In here, Applejack!" Rarity's voice came from down the hall. Applejack followed the voice until she found herself in the dining room. Rarity was at the table, with two places set for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of some fruit and bread. "I figured a light breakfast would do you good, Applejack. You have quite the day ahead of you," Rarity said. Applejack sat at the table and sighed. She fiddled with her food, but didn't eat any of it. "Ah know..." "Are you alright dear?" Rarity asked. "You look like something's wrong." Applejack scuffed a hoof on the ground before pushing around her food absentmindedly. "... Ahm nervous. This day has to be perfect for Rainbow," Applejack explained. She took a bite out of a strawberry and chewed slowly. "And it will be, darling!" Rarity cooed. "Trust us! We all know how much this means to you! We won't let you down!" "Thanks Rarity," Applejack said. She took a few more bites of breakfast, feeling more motivated and energized by the minute. She gulped down some orange juice and set her glass down on the table. Rarity led Applejack to the front room, grabbing a scarf and her custom saddlebags on the way. "Are you ready, Applejack?" "I'm ready!" Rainbow Dash had been waiting all day. She had been waiting all day for... something. Anything really. But nothing had come. No letters, nopony stopping by, nothing. Rainbow was getting nervous and impatient. "What if she decided against tonight?" Rainbow said to herself. She sat on the edge of her home in the sky, scanning Ponyville for anything. Anypony. But she saw nothing. Rainbow felt a tear form and slid down her cheek before she steeled herself and wiped it away before it could fall to the earth. She would wait until nightfall. Which wasn't that far away, judging by the sky. There were maybe two hours of daylight left. Once night fell, she would give up and go to bed. She didn't know what she would do the next day, or how she would feel, but she had to get through tonight first. The minutes dragged on and on. Rainbow flopped this way and that, trying not to be bored. She would much rather fly out and find Applejack herself, but her gut instinct told her that if anyone came looking, they would find her here, at her home. The time had finally passed. There were only a precious few minutes of daylight left. Only a quarter of the sun remained above the horizon. Rainbow finally let the tears flow. She had gotten her hopes up higher than she could fly, and they were dashed in the end. She sighed and stood up. The cyan mare had started towards her door, and lifted a hoof to turn the handle, but she stopped and turned around to watch the horizon. She would wait until nightfall, like she said she would. And just as the sun faded to nothing but a sliver, Rainbow Dash heard a voice from down below. "May I speak to one Miss Rainbow Dash?" A familiar voice said. Rainbow Dash slowly walked to the edge of her cloud and peeked over the edge. And who else would she see but Derpy Hooves, standing there in mailmare's uniform, cap included, with a messengers bag at her side. Rainbow Dash said hesitantly, "What do you need, Derpy?" Derpy smiled as her wings flared out to her sides. "Oh good! You're here! They told me you would be, and you are. That makes me happy! I would have been sad if you weren't. Because I'm on a mission, a super important mission to deliver something to you. And if I didn't get it to you by now, they would have been upset and-" "Derpy!" Rainbow interrupted, "What do you need to deliver to me?" Derpy reached into her bag and rummaged through it, her tongue sticking out in concentration. After a minute, she gave a little squee of excitement and pulled out... a letter. "Who's it from?" Rainbow asked. "I can't tell you! You gotta read it for yourself!" "Well, give it here!" "You come down here!" "Derpy-" Derpy whined and put on her best puppy dog face. Tears started to form in her eyes. Real or fake, Rainbow couldn't tell. Rainbow sighed, rolled her eyes, and said, "Ugh, fine! I'm coming, I'm coming!" And with that, she glided down from her perch to land in front of the mailmare. She grabbed the letter. There was writing on the front. To: Rainbow Dash There was no return address, or anything stating who it was from. Rainbow tore the envelope open, unfolded the stationery that resided within, and read: My dearest Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting all day, but rest assured that it was necessary. Please follow Derpy into Ponyville. I'll be waiting inside. Can't wait to see you. Yours, and yours alone. Applejack Rainbow Dash slowly looked from the letter to Derpy. "You're... escorting me into town then?" She asked. Derpy nodded violently, sending her cap to the ground and tossing her hair around rapidly. "Mmhm! Follow MEEE!" She said as she turned and started to canter towards Ponyville. "Oh, and no flying!" Rainbow ran after her as fast as she could. "No flying? Why!?" "No flying!" Applejack stood in the center of town, next to a large tree. She was surrounded by her friends, and Twilight was going over, of course, a checklist. "Okay everypony, this is it. The final checklist!" Twilight exclaimed, holding up a sheet of paper. Her friends cheered, maybe a bit too enthusiastically. Twilight glared at them. They awkwardly quieted down and got back to business. Twilight harrumphed and said, "Okay. As I was saying. Pinkie Pie: Party foods and drink?" Pinkie hopped up and down excitedly. "Check!" Pinkie had donated many cakes and other sweets for the occasion, as well as making several flavors of punch. Twilight nodded and checked that off the list. "Fluttershy?" Fluttershy nodded and showed Twilight two turtledoves. They flew into the tree and settled there. "Check." Twilight marked another task off her list. "And last but not least: Rarity?" Rarity nodded, and her horn glowed blue as sapphire. Her magic washed over her friends and the townsfolk. Everyone was suddenly dressed in fanciful party clothes, ready for a celebration. "Check! And thank you, Twilight, for helping me with that spell." Twilight nodded. "You made the dresses after all! Okay, that's it! Food and drinks have been provided, dress clothes for everyone, doves are here, and the townsfolk are ready for the surprise! I have the show ready to go. One final task. Do you have the letter, Applejack?" Applejack nodded. "Yep. Here," She said as she handed her letter over. "Thank you. Derpy!" Twilight called. Derpy popped into view, falling from the tree. "Whoooa! Oof!" "Derpy, what in the world were you doing up there?" Twilight asked, rolling her eyes. Derpy stared at her for a second. She shrugged. "Iunno." Twilight shook her head. "Nevermind. I need you to take this letter," Twilight held up Applejack's letter, "to Rainbow Dash. Do you know where she lives?" Derpy nodded emphatically. "Yeah! She lives just on the outside of town, in a cloud house!" Twilight smiled. "Will you take this letter to her, and bring her back here once she's done reading it?" "Sure thing Twilight!" "Thank you Derpy," Twilight said as Derpy sped off, still in her dress. Twilight had an afterthought and sent a bolt of magic towards the mailmare. Her dress turned into a mailmare's uniform, bag, cap, and all. "It'll wear off by the time she gets back," She explained. Twilight turned towards Applejack. "Ready?" "As Ah'll ever be." Rainbow and Derpy had reached the edge of town. "Okay Rainbow! Just go to the center of town! Bye!" And with that, the mailmare Dashed of into the shadows before Rainbow could even ask a question. Rainbow began walking and noticed several thing. First, it was dark. Sure, the sun had set, and by now the moon was begining to rise. It was a full moon tonight, and there was a faint light provided by it to see where she was going. The strange thing was, all the lights were out. Every single house was pitch black, with not a sound to be heard. She kept on walking, however, towards the center of town. After a few minutes, she arrived at one of the many entrances to the town center. She couldn't see a thing other than a faint outline of the tree in the center. She kept on walking till she was at the center, near the tree. Out of nowhere, an emerald light fell from the sky. It was a floating orb of magic, glowing a deep, intense green. It reached the height of the top of the tree and hung there, casting it's light through the entire square. Rainbow stared at it, trying to figure out what it meant, when she heard a voice and saw somepony step from behind the tree. "Rainbow, Ah'm glad you could make it." "Applejack?" Rainbow Dash squinted as the pony stepped out from the shadows of the tree. As the figure came into the light, Rainbow Dash saw that it was indeed Applejack. "Applejack!" Rainbow Dash stood there, completely stunned by what she saw. What Applejack looked like... Wow. "You... You look stunning!" Rainbow exclaimed. Rainbow took another few seconds to stare at Applejack. She was dazzling. Her mane simply hung there, straight, down to her shoulders. It looked so soft, as if it had been brushed hundreds of times. She had put on some make-up for a change, and had put on glittering green eye-shadow. Her eyes sparkled in the low light. Applejack had ditched her hat and galoshes. In place was a silken dress, a simple, yet elegant thing that hung down almost to her hooves. It was adorned with lace and emeralds that reflected light at every angle. She had light green slippers on, made of suede. Two turtledoves flew in a circle around their heads before draping something over Applejack's head. It was simple golden necklace to top it off, adorned with a simple green crystal. Applejack chuckled. "Cat got yer tongue?" Rainbow still couldn't speak. Applejack chuckled again. "Come here, you silly filly!" Applejack said. She grabbed Rainbow and started turning in a circle. "Applejack-" Rainbow started to say. She was cut off as Applejack leaned it, put her muzzled next to her ear, and said one thing. "Shh!" As they plunged into darkness, shivers ran down Rainbow's spine. From the darkness, she heard music begin to play. It was a nice, soft melody. It wasn't fast or bumpy, but rather just the right tempo to dance to. And that's what the two mares did. Applejack lead Rainbow in circles and waltzes as the music went on. "Applejack, I don't know what to say-" Applejack put a hoof to Rainbow's lips. "Don't say anything. Just enjoy the show." Rainbow was about to ask what she was talking about when she saw a small white light jump into the sky. It exploded silently, but sent a colorful cloud of sparks across the sky. Fireworks. As another explosion flashed through the sky, the music progressed, and the couple danced. The fireworks were the only source of light in the whole town. It looked like they were dancing in freeze-frames. The music and fireworks increased in tempo. The couple danced, twirling faster and faster. As the music reached a crescendo, so too did the show in the sky. There was almost a constant light now, flashing any color from yellow to purple. As the music reached it's peak, Applejack leaned Rainbow back, and kissed her full on the lips. It was a deep passionate kiss, filled with all of the emotions of the past few days. It started out slow with happiness, glee, love. The kiss turned fast and fervent as panic, terror, and fear coursed through their lips. The kiss, the one simple kiss that sealed their relationship finished strong, but gentle, with feelings of relief, rejoice and a sense of fulfillment. As their contact broke, the lights in the town square came on, with all the townsfolk cheering their congratulations. A huge banner had been erected, with Congratulations! sprawled on it in orange and cyan paint. The townsfolk burst into dance as music began to pick up, courtesy of Lyra, Octavia, and Vinyl. Rainbow stood there, stunned. "You did all this... For me?" "It wasn't just me. Ah had a little help," Applejack explained. One by one, their friends appeared from within the crowd. As Rainbow turned to look at them, they each took a bow in turn. Rainbow turned to Applejack. "It's all so... amazing!" Applejack nodded. "You sure are." Rainbow Dash blushed. "Stop it, you're making me blush!" Applejack chuckled and pecked her love on the lips again. "Come on Rainbow, we have a dance to finish." The townsfolk had receded to the edge of the square to let the couple have the final dance. The two twirled yet again in strange patterns, not sticking to any one dance. Rainbow leaned her head against Applejack's shoulder. Rainbow inhaled, and she could smell apples. She sighed. She was in heaven. Applejack's muzzle was once again near Rainbow's ear. She took a small nip at it. Rainbow jumped in response. Applejack chuckled. "Oh Rainbow." "Applejack?" Applejack looked right into Rainbow's eyes. Rainbow stared back, neither of them blinking. "I love you."
