In The Heat Of Passion

They 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.