"Just sit down and shut up, and snuggle up Sugarcube..."
Ponyville: Rainbow Dash's Cloud Home
Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's resident self proclaimed most awesome mare and Wonderbolt-in-training had a problem. No, more of a conundrum really. Yeah, conundrum was the exact word for it. You see, for the past few days Rainbow had been pondering a question. Day and night really. Now, the question really might have seemed rather silly to most ponies, but honestly, Rainbow was never really known for her infallible logic. Ah yes, dear reader, you're probably wondering what that exact question is. Well, it was a simple one. Did her marefriend, Applejack Apple, really smell like the apples she was so often seen bucking from the trees? Currently, we find Rainbow snuggled up in her bed clutching a pillow to her chest. She sighed and rolled over to her other side desperately trying to fall asleep, Luna's moon shining through her bedroom window. She gazed up at the cloud constructed ceiling of her home and sighed once more.
"Well, at least it isn't burning hot tonight, otherwise my night would be even more miserable than it already is." Rainbow mused to herself and glanced at the empty spot beside her. Honestly, she didn't actually need a double bed, but with the money she made, even as a Wonderbolts reserve member, she felt the need to splurge a bit. After all, what was the point of having all that money just lying around if you didn't get a chance to use it every now and then?
"Can't believe I sounded like Rarity just then." Rainbow mused before chuckling to herself, her mind briefly off the loneliness she felt. "Heh, next thing you know I'll be trying on dresses and such. The horror."
But then her mind went right back to the loneliness of her otherwise empty bedroom. She sighed upon looking at the orange pillow with Applejack's Cutie Mark embroidered on it she clutched ever-so tightly to her chest. It may have worked some of the time, but honestly, it was no substitute for the real thing. Rainbow knew what she wanted, the REAL Applejack beside her every night, and that could happen if Twilight just performed that little cloudwalking spell (Rainbow never thought she'd say it, but she was glad to have an egghead as a friend.) and gave Applejack the ability to walk on clouds every so often. Problem was, Applejack had once confided in her that she was really rather afraid of heights, and considering Rainbow's cloud home was at least... Well, seeing as how Rainbow had never been particularly good with numbers, she didn't know the exact height, but she did know it was far more than Applejack would have wanted to be off the ground. The light blue Pegasus groaned to herself, she knew she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Extending her powerful wings and stepping out onto the balcony which was attached to her bedroom, she sighed and took to the air. Maybe a late-night flight would clear her mind.
With a powerful flap of her wings, Rainbow caught a powerful gust of wind which made her fur shiver from the sheer biting cold of the autumn air. But she ignored it, and punched through a cloud and turned onto her backside so now she was looking up at the twinkling stars and she smiled at their beauty. Luna had done a great job tonight, that was for sure. So focused on the night sky was she that Rainbow failed to notice where exactly she was headed... Right into a tree on the farmlands of Sweet Apple Acres, knocking a few apples out of it.
"Okay, so yeah... Earned my childhood nickname right there, that's for sure." Rainbow muttered to herself as she spat out a few orange toned leaves from her mouth. "Huh, orange, just like my AJ." Rainbow sighed wistfully to herself as she jumped out of the tree to the ground below and smirked when she saw the fallen apples.
"Welp, looks like Jackie won't have to buck this tree for the harvest season. She'll thank me later, I just know it. And she calls me lazy!" Rainbow thought smugly, still smirking. "Yeah, I'm so awesome I can knock apples out of trees even by accident! Who's the tiger?"
The prismatic maned pegasus then had another thought come to her.
"Well, as long as I'm here..." Rainbow thought before flying over to the window of the Apple Family Home which so happened to be connected to Applejack's bedroom. Rainbow's eyes widened in shock when she saw Applejack tossing and turning in her sleep murmuring to herself "Dashie..."
"Gah, I can't believe I'm sounding so sappy but that's just adorable." Rainbow mused to herself. "Seems like she's having better luck sleeping than I am."
Then, Rainbow's keen eyes noted that Applejack's eyes were wide open.
"...Or not." Rainbow corrected herself before yet another thought came to her. "Well... It is my duty as the Element of Loyalty... And AJ's marefriend to give her a hoof."
Gliding silently into Applejack's bedroom, Rainbow sat down beside her beloved and wrapped her forelegs around her, not even caring that this could be considered mushy. Applejack needed help, and with Celestia as her witness, Rainbow would provide that help! Applejack's eyes widened as she felt a sudden warmth snuggle into her fur and turned only to be muzzle to muzzle with her marefriend.
"D-Dash...? Wha...? What are ya doin' here?" Applejack murmured tiredly.
"Saw you needed a hoof, and so I lended one. Simple as that." Rainbow responded simply even as her thoughts ran like rampant rabbits as Applejack smiled and snuggled her head under Rainbow's and nuzzled into her soft fur. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! She really does smell like apples!"
Smiling, Rainbow draped a wing around Applejack's body and gave her a soft lick on the forehead.
"What were ya even doin' up at this time of night?" Applejack asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Couldn't sleep... Came to you. I... I... can't sleep without you AJ. Celestia knows I've tried, but..." Rainbow whispered back, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Nothin' to be ashamed about Sugarcube. We all have those nights from time to time. And... And Ah must confess, I can't sleep without ya either." Applejack admitted. "Gosh, I feel like such an idjit for neglectin' ya."
"Nah, it's no biggie. I can understand you being afraid of heights. I wouldn't force you into anything you didn't want. But for now..."
Applejack smiled.
"Yeah, for now. Maybe one day I'll work up the courage. But for now... Just sit down and shut up, and snuggle up Sugarcube..." Applejack murmured, and with that, not even a few minutes later, both mares finally fell into the land of dreams, both dreaming of each other. And so they slept, right on through the rooster's crow and when Applejack's younger sister and her granny both got suspicious, as normally Applejack was always the first up to cook breakfast, both ponies carefully trodded up to Applejack's room and smiled at the sight of both Rainbow and Applejack holding each other tight.
"Aw... Ain't that sweet..." Apple Bloom whispered before carefully closing the door after Granny had said "Best let them sleep a little while longer. After all, Celestia knows she deserves it. Come on younglin, Ah'll do the cookin' this mornin'." before they both walked off, with neither Rainbow nor Applejack the wiser as to their little intrusion.
THE END
Author's Note
Okay, folks, welcome to what is officially the shortest story I've ever written. But to be honest, it doesn't actually need to be rather long in this case. After all, "Life With A Wonderbolt" by Randmizr-77 was only a little over 1,000 words, and it really didn't need to be any longer, and it's now over 2,000 views. (Mind you, this probably won't even reach 500 views, but I don't write for fame anyways.) Okay, so this is my first snuggle fic, so it probably isn't that good, but this is one of those things you learn to get better at as you go. ...Pretty much like playing guitar, really. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this fic. Hey, maybe I should write a whole series of snuggle fics. (I swear, this site should have a Fluff tag) I know some people have been begging me to write a sequel to "Trixie's Confession, Twilight's Shock"...
