In The Heat Of Passion

It 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.