Red Roses
The orange earth pony stood at the platform at the local train station, tapping her hoof on the ground nervously. She felt nervous about going across Equestria for a rodeo that was the day after tomorrow. Applejack didn't know why, but she just was.
She heard hoofsteps upon the stairs at the side of the platform getting closer. She whipped around to lay eyes on her marefriend; Rainbow Dash. She smiled. "Howdy, Dash! What's goin' on this time o' day?" the rustic farm pony asked.
"Eh, you know, same old job on the weather team... Nothing, really," Rainbow replied.
Applejack turned back around and tapped her hoof on the ground. "Same here. I'm waitin' on the train to get here. It's been forever, and it's gettin' kinda old."
Rainbow Dash trotted up beside her companion and sighed. The view of the other side of the train tracks was breathtaking. There was a grassy plain dotted with daffodils, forsythias, lilacs, daisies, and carnations. The background had a mountain, specifically the one that held Canterlot at its peak.
The cerulean pegasus wrapped a hoof around her companion's shoulder. Even though Applejack would only be gone for a week, she was going to miss her. Dash jumped as she felt the thorns of her gift pinch her right wing. She flinched as she reached with a hoof and pulled it out. Luckily, it was just out of Applejack's line of sight.
A breeze blew their way. The mares shivered slightly. Applejack turned her head. "Why don't y'all come to the rodeo?"
"Sadly, as much as I'd like to see you kick some tail in Appleoosa, I have practice at Wonderbolt headquarters this weekend. Plus, Spitfire did say that I had to clean the compound for a few more weeks, so I can't exactly fly back and forth between the rodeo and practice. Sorry."
Applejack sighed. "Well, what about every pony else?"
"Twilight and Spike have a meeting in Canterlot, Fluttershy has no pony else to take care of her animals, Pinkie and Rarity are still in Canterlot too, and I... well, you know."
"Ah just don't know why everything had to happen this weekend. Well, at least Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom can come along with me. Granny had to stay behind with her bad hip an' everythin'."
"Speaking of which, if they're coming too, where are they? You're literally the only pony other than me that's standing on this platform."
"They're inside, buyin' tickets for the train."
Dash nodded. She was slightly startled as the sound of a door opening and closing caught her ear. She and Applejack turned and laid eyes on Big Mac and Apple Bloom. They each had a basket on their backs. Big Mac had two, however. He held one out with a hoof and offered it to Applejack. She accepted the offer and took it.
Rainbow Dash reached for the gift again and placed it gently into the orange mare's basket while she wasn't looking.
Applejack turned toward the tracks again, but her eyes fell on the rose in her basket. She grinned, turning back to Dash. "Thanks, sugarcube."
Rainbow scratched the back of her head and giggled slightly. "Well, I'd like it if you wore it during the rodeo."
The orange earth pony put her hoof around her filly friend's shoulder. "Ah will."
The two mares touched muzzles as they blushed. As they pulled away, the Friendship Express had stopped at the station. A bright purple unicorn ran up the steps, clearly in a hurry. "I'm so sorry, Applejack! I overslept. At least I can make it, though."
The farmer chuckled. "Sure ya can, Starlight. We were just about to leave."
Rainbow quickly kissed Applejack's cheek. "Bye, AJ. Good luck, love you! Bye!"
As the train rolled away, Applejack stuck her head out the window and blew a kiss, then waved. Dash waved back, then turned to walk away with reluctance. She was upset to see her best friend leave without her.
But, for now, she had business to attend to. She spread her wings and took flight.
* * *
She pulled her head back into the window as she saw her friend, and the station, vanish on the horizon. Starlight placed her hoof on the farm pony's shoulder. "Hey, what's the matter?"
"Well... Ah don't wanna sound too mushy here, but Ah'm kinda sad to see that Rainbow Dash isn't coming with us."
"Applejack, it's only for a week. Even though she can't come, you still have the rose she gave you."
The earth pony picked up the flower with a hoof and placed it very gently on the brim of her stetson. She sighed. "Ah guess Ah do."
Starlight sighed. "Love. Unfortunately, not every pony can find such a prize."
Apple Bloom sighed, as if she were already bored. "Ah don't understand it, sis. How could two girls be more than friends? Not that it's a problem, Ah'm just curious."
Her older sister sighed. "That's a lesson for another time."
Big Mac nodded in agreement. "Eeyup."
Apple Bloom glanced nervously at her sister. "Um... About girls being more than friends... Scootaloo an' Sweetie Belle might be datin'. Ah see the signs."
Applejack cocked a brow with a grin. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Ya know, what normal couples do. Holdin' hooves, sittin' on park benches together, stuff like that."
"Dash an' Ah don't do that stuff often. We like to compete with each other. Do these fillies go on dates?"
"Ah'm not sure yet."
* * *
Rainbow Dash arrived at Wonderbolt's Headquarters, where Spitfire greeted her in the barracks. She noticed her recruit staring at the ground. She shook the cyan mare. "Crash, what is it?"
Dash ignored the name and sighed. "My filly friend is going to a rodeo in Appleoosa..."
* * *
About at sunset, the family got to Appleoosa. As they stepped out onto the platform, Braeburn greeted them at the back of the crowd. He shook his older cousin's hoof violently, making her entire body shake in response. The group walked off of the platform with Braeburn asking how everything was back in Ponyville.
"Everythin' is goin' alright, Ah suppose," replied Applejack.
Braeburn knew that by the sound of Applejack's voice, everything was not going alright. "Ya sure?"
"Of course Ah'm sure. Why wouldn't I b-"
Her sentence was interrupted by a large boom. To the orange farm pony, it was familiar. An explosion of colors dispersed through the sky, a strong gust of wind blowing through the warm, crisp air. A cerulean pegasus pony landed on her hooves in front of the group. Rainbow winked at Applejack. "I came for the rodeo."
Applejack was speechless. "A-Ah thought that you had practice this week!"
"I talked to Spitfire about it, so she let me go for this week. Surprise!"
The two mares ran toward each other and wrapped their hooves around each other. "Ah'm so glad you're here!"
"Me too."
Dash spotted the red rose on the brim of her marefriend's stetson. A wave of happiness rushed through them both as they continued the embrace, but later broke apart reluctantly. The other four ponies sighed. They knew that someday, they would see Applejack walking down the isle.
