Next Time

Chapters

Kids on the Farm
A Teenage Wasteland
Down Home, Country Matters

Kids on the Farm

“Ugh, this is going to be so laaame,” Rainbow Dash whined. Her sneakers skidded against the gravel as her mother dragged her towards the gates of some place called Sweet Apple Acres.

“Oh, don't be like that, sweetums. It's going to be lots of fun, and very educational. Don't you want to know where your food comes from? Plus we get to tell stories by the campfire, and sleep in a cabin!” Her mother's grip remained shackled around Rainbow Dash’s wrist, despite her best efforts to slip away.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as hard as she could. “Why couldn’t we go do something awesome, like go to a water park or something? Apples aren’t even that good!”

“Woah there, lil missy. Those could be considered fighting words round these parts.” A tall, broad shouldered man in a cowboy hat stood up from the bench he’d been sitting on behind the gate. He grinned widely at Rainbow Dash, then winked. “Course, I’ll forgive you just this once.”

“Tch. Whatever,” Rainbow Dash muttered, looking away.

“You must be Windy Whistles. Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” The man shook her mother’s hand and tipped his hat. “It sure is a blessing that folk like you are willing to come all this way for a day at our humble little farm. I hope y’all can enjoy yourselves.”

Her mother giggled girlishly, her cheeks flushed. “Oh, the pleasure's all mine! Ever since I read about this place online, I’ve been dying to come here. Everything is so… charming!”

The man chuckled. “Wait till you meet the missus. Charmed me right into three kids. Ah, shoot, I forgot to introduce myself. The name’s Bright Mac.” He knelt down, looking Rainbow Dash in the eyes. “You’re Rainbow Dash, right? Here.” He reached behind Rainbow Dash’s head, and with a flourish, he produced a bright red apple. “Fresh as fresh can be. Try it, I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

Rainbow Dash took the apple with pursed lips and eyed it suspiciously. How had he fit that up his sleeve anyway?

“What? You ain’t scared of it, are ya?”

“I’m not scared of anything!” Rainbow Dash immediately shot back, and bit into the apple. It was crisp, juicy, and amazingly sweet. Her eyes widened, then her cheeks colored at her earlier indignation.

Bright Mac threw back his head and laughed. “Told ya. We’re good at what we do.” He stood up and clapped Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. “I got a daughter about your age. She’s really been hoping that you’d be someone she could hang out with.”

Rainbow Dash perked up at that. Someone her own age would be a lot more interesting than a bunch of stuffy adults talking about farming or whatever. She took another bite of the apple so she didn’t have to say anything.

“Eyup.” Bright Mac stood back up, then dusted off his jeans. “Now then, how about we head up to the farmhouse and I’ll give you a quick history of Sweet Apple Acres.”

Her mother giggled again, then let out a soft sigh. “Please do, I’m all ears.”

“Well, this here farm started with my momma, but the real story started a couple centuries ago, when my great, great, great…”

Rainbow Dash immediately tuned him out. She had to listen to enough boring lectures during the school year. There was no way she was going to waste brain space learning during summer break.

A fly buzzed past her face, and she swatted at it, trying to keep it away from her apple. Odd scents mixed through the air. The apple trees smelled fresh and sweet, but the distant scent of manure made it all seem vaguely unpleasant.

She’d never really gotten nature. All of the camping trips she’d taken with her parents were kind of boring. They’d walk around a bunch, fail to catch any fish, get rained on, and then her father would bring out his acoustic guitar and they’d sing terrible, terrible songs about how awesome Rainbow Dash was.

Rainbow Dash shuddered. Just the memory made her feel queasy. She really hoped that these people didn’t own a guitar.

“Psst.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, then looked around. They were coming up to a bend of the hill, apple trees lining both sides of the path.

“Psst! Over here!”

Out of the corner of her eye Rainbow Dash caught a flash of movement, a freckled face and blonde hair ducking behind a tree. She glanced back towards the adults. They’d kept moving without her. Bright Mac was engrossed with his story, and her mom was engrossed with Bright Mac. Rainbow Dash grinned, then darted off the path.

A pretty girl her own age waited for her behind the tree. Her blond hair hung parted into twin braids, and she had a bright smile that revealed a missing tooth. “Heya. Sorry about that. Pa can get real long winded when he goes on about the farm. Name’s Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash fistbumped Applejack’s outstretched hand. “I’m Rainbow Dash. How old are you?”

“Eight and a half.”

“Cool, me too! When’s your birthday?”

“January seventh.”

“Hah!” Rainbow Dash puffed her chest out triumphantly. “My birthday’s January sixteenth! That means I’m the older one.”

Applejack blinked, and tilted her head. “No it don’t. The seventh comes before the sixteenth. That means I turned eight a week and two days before you did.”

“I…” Rainbow Dash pursed her lips, then tried to work through the numbers in her head. She scowled. “Whatever. It’s not like a week matters much anyway.”

“Eyup. It sure don’t.” Applejack laughed. “Still though, I’m glad we’re so close. Only kids that end up coming here are just tots. I get enough of that with my little sister. You seem cool though. And yer a girl besides.”

“I’m the coolest girl in school,” Rainbow Dash said, leaning against the tree and trying to look cool. She totally nailed it. “So what’s there to do for fun around here?”

Applejack shrugged and gestured vaguely at the orchards around her. “What ain't there to do? We could climb trees, play hide and seek in the fields, chase goats. Ooh, I know. You ever been crawdad hunting before?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “What the heck’s a crawdad?”

“They're… well, they look kind of like giant bugs, but they're actually more like tiny lobsters. You can find em in the mud and under rocks in streams and stuff. You just gotta suss ‘em out, then snatch ‘em with your bare hands! And be careful not to get pinched.”

“Dude!” Rainbow Dash grinned, and leaned forward. “That sounds awesome! Let's do it, I'll race you there!”

Applejack giggled. “Hold on a sec. We'll need to grab a bucket to put the crawdads in. And it's not like you know the way, right? C’mere, I'll show ya.” With a practiced motion, Applejack scrambled up onto a low hanging branch of the nearest apple tree, then leaned down to offer her hand.

Rainbow Dash took the boost, and the two of them climbed up to the highest branches together. “Woah.” This particular tree stood taller than the others around it, and on top of a hill besides. Sweet Apple Acres stretched out below them, full of rolling hills and valleys.

Applejack took a step down a long branch, holding onto the trunk with one hand and pointing with her other. “You see that building there? That's my house. Should be a straight shot down the road from here. Then we gotta circle around the back of it, and there should be two buckets right by the trough. We each gotta grab one. Then, you see that pasture behind the house, with the big oak on the other side of it? That'll be our finish line. Creek is right there anyway.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, her heart already pounding in her chest from anticipation. “Alright. House, bucket, tree. Got it.” Her ponytail flapped in the breeze behind her, and she had a sneaking suspicion that they both looked totally epic right now.

“Good.” Applejack grinned wickedly. “In that case, ready set go!” Without warning, she crouched, then swung to a lower branch with all the grace and precision of a monkey.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash hesitated for a second, then growled and started picking her way down the tree. “Hold up, that's not fair, I don't know how to get down this tree like you do!”

Applejack hit the ground and took off running. “Guess it sucks to be you!”

Muttering curse words she'd heard from her dad under her breath, Rainbow Dash finally reached the ground. She'd almost gotten herself turned around, but could still see Applejack through the trees. “I'll show her.”

Once on the open road and sprinting with all of her might, Rainbow Dash was a force to be reckoned with. Nobody could or ever would outrun her. Each second brought her closer and closer to Applejack.

Applejack looked back over her shoulder, and her eyes widened in surprise. She leaned forward and picked up her own pace. “And here I was gonna take it easy on you since I pulled that trick, but looks like you didn't need it!”

Rainbow Dash laughed as she fell into step beside Applejack, the two of them matching each other's speeds. They sped past her mother and Bright Mac, who seemed to be explaining the history of a rock.

They barreled down the hill into the open area surrounding the farmhouse. “Remember, you gotta grab a bucket or it doesn't count!”

A pretty woman worked hanging up clothes on a clothesline strung between the front porch and a nearby tree. She looked up, saw them coming, smiled, and waved.

Applejack waved back. “Hey ma! We're goin’ crawdaddin’!”

The woman looked at the two of them, looked at the clean clothes on the line, then sighed. “Be back before supper!”

As they charged towards the porch, they both glanced at each other and split off in opposite directions to circle the house. Applejack to the left, Rainbow Dash to the right.

Right turned out to be a mistake. As soon as Rainbow Dash rounded the corner, she nearly collided with a tall boy carrying a bundle of sticks on his shoulders. Rainbow Dash spun around him to avoid him, but the awkward dodge cost her precious speed, and the boy dropped his cargo in the process.

“Sorry!” Rainbow Dash managed to bark in between labored breaths. She rounded the back corner of the house in time to see Applejack, bucket in hand, scrambling over a short wooden fence.

“Ain't winnin’ this one, Dash!” Applejack hooted with laughter as she reached the other side of the fence and took off into the pasture, her bucket trailing behind her.

Rainbow Dash growled, saw the bucket waiting for her by the trough, grabbed it, then vaulted the fence in a single leap. Once she was in the field, though, it wasn't nearly the straight shot she'd thought it would be. The ground was soft and uneven, and the bucket was large and awkward to run with.

Applejack zig zagged back and forth as she ran, her familiarity with the pasture letting her know the safest path. In comparison, the mud threatened to absorb Rainbow Dash’s sneakers with every step.

There was no way she could lose! Despite all of Applejack’s advantages, Rainbow Dash could win with sheer speed. Step by step, she closed the gap. But their goal drew closer. She needed more, somehow. But there wasn't time to think of anything clever.

“Oh shoot!” Applejack’s familiarity betrayed her, and her foot caught on an upturned root. She face planted right into the soft earth.

A horse whinnied from somewhere nearby.

Rainbow Dash leapt over Applejack, then ran for a few more steps before she killed her momentum and stopped. She scowled, dropped the bucket, then made her way back to Applejack. “Hey, you alright?”

“Oof.” Applejack pushed herself up and spat out dirt. “I think so. Skinned my elbows a bit.”

“Doesn't look that bad.” Rainbow Dash helped Applejack to her feet.

Applejack brushed some of the dirt from her overalls, looked over at Rainbow Dash, then burst out laughing. “Shoot, that was a lot of fun! I ain't never seen anyone run like you before. You'd definitely beat me clean on a track, for sure.”

Rainbow Dash beamed, and rubbed at the back of her neck. “Yeah, I play soccer and do track and stuff. I'm like the best in the whole school.”

“Phew. Thanks. Maybe we can have a rematch later, but I don't think I can run anymore for a bit.” Applejack crouched down to pick up her fallen bucket, then pointed towards the tree. “Come on, creek’s just over there.”

It was hardly an impressive body of water. Rainbow Dash could easily hop it without so much as a running start. But it was perfect for what they came here for.

“You wanna check under rocks and logs and the like,” Applejack said. She held up one of the wriggling mini-lobsters between her fingers. “Make sure you grab em by the tail, 'cause those pincers smart something fierce." She tossed the crawdad into the bucket, then grinned at Rainbow Dash. “Now it's your turn.”

Rainbow Dash managed to get the hang of it pretty quickly. She only got pinched about two dozen times.

It wasn't entirely clear how many hours had passed, but eventually a bell rang out from the farmhouse.

Applejack wiped the sweat off of her brow, leaving a streak of muddy water behind in the process. “Guess it's time for food. We got ourselves a nice haul.”

Rainbow Dash crouched on a pile of tree roots, staring into the buckets worth of the weird, segmented creatures. “Are we actually going to eat these?”

“Crawdad gumbo is mighty fine, but it's something you gotta get used to. Nah, when we got guests and stuff Ma usually bakes up a bunch of apple dishes.”

“Cool. What do we do with them?”

“Bring ‘em back up to the house, show ‘em off to Dad. Might cook them up tomorrow night.”

The trek back to the farmhouse was a considerably more subdued affair. Rainbow Dash didn't have the energy left to even propose another race, and the crawdads were surprisingly heavy all stacked together.

They came upon Bright Mac fiddling with a fence post. When he looked up and saw them, he burst out laughing. “Sugarcube, no way you're going in the house like that. Best go rinse off with the hose.”

They glanced at each other, and giggled. They were both completely covered in mud.

“Look how many we got, Pa.” Applejack set the bucket down in front of her dad and beamed.

“That's a fine stew right there. But seriously, best to get cleaned up. Don't want to keep Granny waiting, do you?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “What was that about a hose?”

She found out a minute later when Applejack mercilessly sprayed her with ice cold water, disregarding all shrieks of protest. She was shivering so bad by the end of that, she could barely even enjoy the sweet revenge when it came time to return the favor.

With the worst of the mud gone, they took turns showering, and Rainbow Dash dressed in some of Applejack’s spare clothes. She'd packed a suitcase, of course, but had no idea where it was at the moment.

She made it downstairs in time to find the entire family seated for dinner.

“Oh, there you are, Rainbow Dash!” her mother said. She looked around the kitchen, and sighed. “Isn't this place just amazing, hun? We only get big family dinners like this on the holidays, but that's every day out here in the country. Come on, grab a seat!”

Applejack pulled out one of the chairs at the table for her, then leaned in close. “Guess you don't know yet. That there's my big brother, Big Macintosh. And my ma, Buttercup. And in her lap there is my little sister, Apple Bloom. You already met my dad. And finally, my grandma, Granny Smith.”

“Woah.” Rainbow Dash looked at all the smiling faces seated at the table across from her. Dishes full of ham, and mashed potatoes, and baked apples and pie filled the kitchen with their heavenly scent. She raised a hand and gave an awkward wave. “Sup.”

Buttercup smiled a warm, motherly smile, casually rocking the squirming toddler in one arm as she piled food onto her plate. “It's so nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash. Your mother has already told me so much about you! I hope you like it here.”

Rainbow Dash felt her cheeks heat up, and she rubbed at the back of her head. Of course her mother had been hyping her again. “It's pretty cool, I guess. Never caught a crawdad before.”

Applejack snickered. “They got you pretty good, huh?”

“Nasty little buggers,” Granny Smith muttered.

Rainbow Dash held out her hands, admiring all the red welts on her fingers. “We got them back, though.”

The whole family laughed. It felt strangely warm.

Bright Mac cleared his throat. “Now, I know how hungry you two girls must be, but right before we eat I always like to give thanks. Bit of a family tradition, you could say. Right now, I’m thankful for my wonderful family, and all the good food we can share with each other. But more specifically, I’m thankful that city folk like you are willing to come all the way out to our humble little farm just for a little taste of the country life. I hope you find it to your liking.”

“And they pay for the privilege, too,” Granny Smith muttered, stabbing her fork into a piece of ham.

“And there is that, too.” Bright Mac blushed, and looked away. “Ain’t gonna lie, money can be tight around here sometimes. Doing these retreats means we don’t have to worry about gettin’ the squirts school supplies or anything like that.”

Buttercup nodded, and put her hand on Bright Mac’s arm. “And it’s so nice being able to get to know you. When you live in a small community, everyone knows everyone. Can only take hearing the same stories again for so long, you know?”

“Oh.” Her mother’s own cheeks colored a bit, and she smiled broadly. “You two are just the sweetest. Believe me, this trip is worth every penny. I’m going to tell everyone I know about this place! And probably come back, besides!”

Rainbow Dash perked up at the thought, and glanced over at Applejack.

Applejack caught her eye, and gave an uncharacteristically shy smile.

“Right then.” Bright Mac cracked his neck, then grinned. “Enough with the warm fuzzies. Let’s eat!”

“Yeehaw!” Granny Smith hollered, and began shoveling food into her face like some sort of terrifying human garbage disposal.

As soon as Rainbow Dash took her first bite, it struck her how much of an appetite she’d worked up earlier, and she dug in with just as much gusto as everyone else around her.

Sweet Apple Acres wasn’t anywhere near as lame as she’d expected it to be.

Rainbow Dash had never seen so many stars in her entire life.

“Wanna’nother’marshmellow?” Applejack asked, her mouth full of the sticky treats. She held a poker towards Rainbow Dash, a perfect golden brown lump on the end of it.

It smelled absolutely heavenly, but… “Nah.” Rainbow Dash patted her stomach, and burped. “I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

“Fair enough.” Applejack scraped the marshmallow onto a nearby plate, then licked her fingers. “Hey, you wanna hear me play the guitar?”

Rainbow Dash stiffened at the mention of the dreaded instrument. She almost dissed it, but caught herself at the last second. “Uh, sure, if you really want. You any good?”

Applejack shook her head. “Nah, I still got lots to learn. My ma teaches me when she can, but it's tough with the baby and all. She’s got such a perfect singing voice too, I can’t hope to match it.”

“Cool,” Rainbow Dash muttered. She could pretend to like it, at least. Couldn’t be that hard.

“Right, I’ll be right back.” Applejack dashed into the darkness, back toward the farmhouse.

The campfire popped, spraying embers onto the dirt. Rainbow Dash sighed and leaned back in her camp chair. The way the smoke drifted up into the moonlit sky was mesmerizing. She felt like she could trace the hazy patterns for hours.

A raucous shout from the adults broke her out of her reverie. The adults had built a bonfire not far off, and broken out their “special” cider.

Applejack came back a few minutes later, a beat-up guitar cradled in her arms. It was way too big for her, but she carefully sat down and rested it over her lap. She plucked a few strings, then twisted the little knobs at the top a few times. She looked up at Rainbow Dash, and bit her lip. “Like I said, I’m not that good.”

“it’s cool, don’t worry about it.”

“Right.” Applejack took a deep breath. “Ma taught me this one. It’s one of her favorites. Anywho, here I go.” She plucked at the strings, producing a simple and uncomplicated melody. Then she opened her mouth to sing. “There are loved ones… in the glory… whose dear forms, you often miss.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, then leaned closer so she could hear better. Applejack’s voice was rough, yet soft. The fingers that danced across the strings were practiced, but they still slipped and rang out with an off note every once in awhile.

But somehow, it worked. The melody was simple. The lyrics were simple. But Applejack sitting there, her new friend, playing that simple song struck Rainbow Dash far more deeply than any of the obnoxious folk songs her parents always sang.

By the time the song was over, Applejack’s face was bright red. She took a deep breath, then carefully set the guitar aside. “Well? What’d you think?”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t speak. What could she possibly say to that?

Applejack chuckled weakly, and looked away. “Well, I warned you and all. Anyway, we might as well… Um, Dash? Are you alright? Are you… crying?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash blinked, and a hot tear slid down her cheek. “No I’m not!” she sputtered, the catch in her voice betraying her. She angrily wiped at her eyes. “I’m fine!”

“Come on now, what’s wrong?” Applejack closed the distance between them, and put a hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “I couldn’t have been that bad.”

“We’re never going to see each other again!” Rainbow Dash blurted out. She sniffed, and the tears began falling in earnest. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. “Y-you’re like the coolest person I’ve ever met and this place is awesome and you’re awesome but I’m just going to go home tomorrow and it's so far away and what’s even the point!”

“Oh.” Applejack hesitated for a moment, then pulled Rainbow Dash into a tight hug. “It can’t be that bad, right? Didn’t your ma say she wanted to come back here?” Applejack’s voice wavered, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.

Rainbow Dash shook her head, and squeezed Applejack tightly. “She won’t! It’d be next summer if anything, but she won’t because she always gets super interested in stuff then gets bored with it like two weeks later!”

Applejack sniffed. “Then, uh. I dunno. Maybe I could come visit you? But my parents are always so busy, and with Apple Bloom and… Aww dangit, now you’re going to make me cry!”

Rainbow Dash winced, and tried to stifle her tears, to little effect. “I’m not a crybaby!”

“I didn’t say you were.” Applejack forced a smile, even as her own tears started to flow.

“Oh goodness.” Buttercup stepped out of the shadows, approaching the two of them. “Are you both alright?”

Both girls looked at each other, then dove into the embrace of Buttercup, sobbing into her skirts. After several blubbering attempts, they finally managed to explain their problem, and she held them until they stopped crying.

Buttercup smiled, and smoothed their hair back. “You two really are sweet girls, you know that? You’re perfect for each other. Applejack's right. Taking a trip to the city will be difficult. But once harvest is over, we might be able to swing it in the winter.”

Rainbow Dash perked up. “Oh, we have a totally awesome Christmas parade in Cloudsdale. You’ve gotta check it out.”

“That ain’t so bad, I guess,” Applejack mumbled. “Still far off.”

“Not good enough, hmm? What else could we do.” Buttercup placed a finger on her mouth as if she were thinking, then grinned. “Well, actually. We’ve been saving up a little extra money lately. How would you like an early Christmas present, Applejack?”

Applejack tilted her head to the side. “Christmas present? Like what?”

“How about, say… a cellphone? Nothing fancy, of course. But you could call or text Rainbow Dash as much as you wanted.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. She looked over at Applejack. Smiles slowly crept up both their faces.

“Oh my gosh! I have a cellphone! We could talk all the time!”

“Really Ma? That would be amazing! Thank you so much!”

“And that way we could plan any trips we take and stuff!”

Buttercup laughed heartily. “Calm down, you two. I’ll have to talk it over with your father first. And it’ll take us a little bit to get one. But we’ll do our best, I promise.”

Rainbow Dash hugged Applejack again as tight as she could, unable to contain her glee. “This is going to be so awesome!”

“There’s nothing like good friends,” Buttercup murmured, and ruffled Applejack’s hair. “You girls deserve all the chances you can to enjoy it.”

07/26/04 5:55 PM - AJ: hi this is appuljack do i have the rite number?
07/26/04 6:05 PM - RD: no this is pizza place what pizza you want
07/26/04 6:05 PM - RD: LOL of course its me OMG this is so awesome u finally got ur phone huh took u long enuf
07/26/04 6:06 PM - RD: can urs take pictures? mine can but it kind of sucks
07/26/04 6:20 PM - AJ: 55764 gfdr3 5532
07/26/04 6:20 PM - RD: wtf
07/26/04 6:22 PM - AJ: sry
07/26/04 6:24 PM - AJ: im still fikguring this out

08/22/04 11:20 AM - RD: ugh I cant believe school starts tomorrow this sucks so hard
08/22/04 11:24 AM - AJ: i got 1 week of summer left but yea
08/22/04 11:24 AM - RD: lucky
08/22/04 11:25 AM - RD: u got friends at ur school?
08/22/04 11:26 AM - AJ: kinda
08/22/04 11:26 AM - AJ: theres this one girl who i hang out with sometimes. shes like the prettiest girl in school but shes super fussy and kind of annoying
08/22/04 11:27 AM - RD: lol
08/22/04 11:28 AM - RD: ive got a friend whos supe cute but like, shes painfully shy. I try 2 look after her and stuf but shes afraid of like everythin
08/22/04 11:29 AM - AJ: guess if i come 2 visit i could meet her
08/22/04 11:34 AM - RD: yeah shes a scardey cat but i bet shed warm up to u pretty quick
08/22/04 11:45 AM - AJ: lookin forward 2 it

12/13/04 8:04 PM - RD: omg im so exicited i cant wait aaaaaaaaaaahdfsdhfsdjfhdslf
12/13/04 8:20PM - AJ: i kno rite
12/13/04 8:24 PM - RD: what time are you guys gonna be up here this is going to be the best xmas ever
12/13/04 8:25 PM - AJ: not sure
12/13/04 8:25PM - AJ: have to wait for mom and dad to get back
12/13/04 8:27 PM - RD: tell them 2 hurry up lol
12/13/04 8:30 PM - AJ: hold on granny wants something sounds important
12/13/04 8:31 PM - RD: kk
12/13/04 9:40 PM - RD: anything yet?
12/14/04 9:18 AM - RD: sup
12/14/04 5:05 PM - RD: hey man is something up? how come ur not answering ur phone
12/15/04 8:07 AM - RD: like seriously yo my mom needs to kno when ur coming
12/15/04 8:10 AM - RD: where are u? did ur phone die or something? Lol
12/17/04 4:44 PM - RD: well, that was my last day of school before break. I tried to get mom to call ur mom but shes not answering either
12/17/04 4:45 PM - RD: r u even alive
12/20/04 12:03 PM - RD: fluttershy was rly looking froward to meeting u u know
12/25/04 1:24 PM - RD: merry christmas
01/01/05 12:00 AM - RD: happy new year
01/01/05 10:45 PM - RD: cmon AJ are you there? If i pissed u off somehow im rly sorry. Ur my best friend and i still want that to be true. If this is all some joke or whatever its not funny anymore. Plz just talk 2 me
01/05/05 2:32 PM - RD: fine.be that way. Im done trying. If you care at all u can make the effort urself, but i kind of doubt that at this point.
01/07/05 6:52 PM - RD: happy birthday

Rainbow Dash stared at the the text message log on her old phone. Even now, six years later, the rejection still stung.

It seemed like a silly thing to be dwelling on, but she couldn’t help it. She’d moved out here after all, and would be starting her freshman year at Canterlot High today.

The same town where Applejack used to go to school. Where she still might go to school. Where they might happen to run into each other.

There were so many things she wanted to say, but would it even matter at this point?

Rainbow Dash sighed, then slung her backpack over her shoulder.

There was only one way to find out.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Novel Idea, r5h, Posh, Undómë Tinwë, and Kalan for editing.

Thanks to wordsandpunctuation for the fantastic coverart!

My entry into Tchernobog's Appledash Contest "Second Chances."

Chapter 1 of this story was actually entered into the 2017 GeekKon fanfiction contest as a standalone, where it won second place.

A Teenage Wasteland

“Hey, Shy! What's up?” Rainbow Dash finished locking her bike up, then made her way into the courtyard of Canterlot High.

Fluttershy looked up from where she rested against the big horse statue, smiled weakly, then waved. “Hi.”

Rainbow Dash plopped down next to her, feeling the cool stone against the back of her neck. “Bell hasn't rung yet, right?”

“Nope.”

“You’re saying I'm actually early? Jeez, way for me to give the wrong first impression here.”

Fluttershy giggled. “You live a lot closer to CHS than you did to our school back home.”

“That just means more time to sleep in.” Rainbow Dash folded her arms behind her head and stretched her legs out. A silent moment passed between them, and they watched the horde of new students slowly file towards the building. “You're nervous, huh?”

“Of course I am.” Fluttershy bit her lip, and pulled her legs in close. “Middle school was bad enough, but high school… It always seems so scary on TV.”

“Relax. I'll be looking out for you. And I'm not worried at all. This place will be a piece of cake.” Rainbow Dash sure hoped she looked as confident as she sounded. Her gut twisted into knots, and not even just about the Applejack thing. New school, new town. She hardly knew anyone here. No telling what to expect.

Someone kicked Rainbow Dash in the shin.

“Ow, what the hell!”

It would be more accurate to say that someone tripped over her leg painfully. A girl a leather jacket lay sprawled on the pavement, red and gold hair splayed about her face. She muttered curse words under her breath.

“Ohmygosh, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, leaning forward.

“Watch where you're going!” Rainbow Dash grumbled, and rubbed her leg.

The girl pushed herself up, and glared at them, murder in her eyes. “Me, watch where I'm going? You’re the one with your legs sticking out in a crowded walkway! And don't touch me!” The girl batted away Fluttershy’s attempts to help, smoothed her skirt, and stormed off.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “See? First lesson of high school right there, Shy. Avoid people like Ketchup McMustard Hair over there.”

The girl stiffened at the comment, stopping for a moment before she kept walking.

The school bell rang.

Fluttershy glanced back at the girl, and twiddled her thumbs. “Um. Are you okay?”

Rainbow Dash pulled herself to her feet. She'd have to try not to limp. It was a good thing tryouts weren't until next week. “Never been better.”

The final bell rang.

Rainbow silently pumped her fist, then stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. So far, high school seemed exactly as lame as middle school. New teachers, same boring classes.

She yawned, then fished her phone out of her pocket. She'd agreed to meet up with Fluttershy by the statue. The poor girl was probably a nervous wreck by now, even with such a boring day.

They could go get ice cream together. Hardly anything worth celebrating, but hey. Ice cream.

“Hey Rares. How did classes go?”

A familiar southern drawl cut through the din of the students around her, and Rainbow Dash froze. It was just a coincidence, of course. Plenty of people had accents.

“Hmm. Decent enough, I suppose. Albeit a bit disappointing. I was really looking forward to the idea of a home ec class, but it's so… basic. We spent our entire first day learning how to thread a needle! Can you even imagine?”

“Heck, even I can manage that much. I know what you mean though. Had a shop class, and they spent thirty minutes explaining the difference between a Phillips and a flat head screwdriver.”

Rainbow Dash crept forward, the voices growing louder with every step. Her heart raced in her chest, and she pressed herself tight against the lockers before peering around the corner.

It was her. Applejack stood there in the hall, talking with a pretty purple haired girl. Same long blonde hair, same freckles. It was hard to tell at her angle, but she looked to be an inch or two taller than Rainbow Dash.

Well, that answered her question. Applejack was still alive, and going to the same school. Rainbow Dash clenched her fists, and she trembled. All sorts of emotions she'd long thought buried bubbled to the surface. She didn't know whether she wanted to storm out there and punch her or kiss her.

Rainbow Dash blinked. That last thought was weird, she didn't—

Something slammed into Rainbow Dash from behind, sending her sprawling to the floor.

“Oops,” came the smug voice of Ketchup McMustard Hair. “I'm so sorry. I didn't see where I was going. Guess we just keep running into each other today.”

Rainbow Dash groaned, and pushed herself up. That bitch. There was going to be a swift ass kicking happening in the immediate future.

“Oh my goodness! Darling, are you alright?” The purple haired girl rushed over to offer a supportive arm and helped Rainbow Dash to her feet.

“I'm fine. Uh, thanks.” Rainbow Dash looked around to see where her assailant had gone too, and saw her already at the other end of the hall. She grit her teeth, took half a step forward, then her eyes met Applejack's and she froze.

“I swear, some people have no manners at all. Though I must say, your hairstyle is absolutely beautiful. Is that dye, or au natural?” The girl waited expectedly for a few moments, and when no response came, looked between the two of them. “Erm, do you two know each other?”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but no words came to her. She'd thought about this, imagined what it would finally be like to see her again. Run through a hundred different conversations in her head.

She seemed to have forgotten all of them.

Applejack winced. Her expression seemed strange. Maybe even guilty. She blinked first, and cleared her throat. “Uh, hey there, Rainbow Dash. Been a long time. Never uh, expected to see you here at CHS.”

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash found herself saying. “Moved to town like a month ago.”

The other girl tapped a finger against her lips and looked between the two of them. “Well then. Rainbow Dash, is it? I'm Rarity, and any friend of Applejack’s is a friend of mine. I hope you're enjoying this town so far. I know it's not much, but it does at least have a certain charm to it.”

Rainbow Dash could barely register her words. She mumbled something in reply, probably a vague greeting.

Applejack licked her lips. “You maybe wanna go out for ice-cream sometime? Catch up on things?”

“That sounds… nice.” Her heart felt numb. Was that all there was to it? Six years of nothing, then hey, ice cream?

Applejack nodded, and let out a soft sigh. “That's good. Great. I know a great place downtown where we can—”

Something in Rainbow Dash chose that moment to boil over. She slammed her fist into a nearby locker. Everyone around them jumped. “Great? Great? It's so fucking great, huh? It's been six goddamn years! What the hell happened to you! You wouldn't answer my texts, my phone calls, my emails. I wrote you a fucking handwritten letter! I waited for the postman every day for three straight weeks! And what, we just get ice cream and everything is cool? Fuck you!”

Rarity clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh dear…”

Applejack shrunk back from the verbal tirade, and looked away. “Listen, Dash, I'm sorry for that, I really am, but after what happened… It ain't like you think it is.”

“No,” Rainbow Dash spat. “I don't want your excuses. Fuck off.” She flipped Applejack the bird, then stomped past her. She could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes, and she quickened her step. She didn't want to be seen crying on her first day of school.

“Dash, hold up! I just wanna talk!”

Rainbow Dash ignored her, and pushed open the front door of the school.

Fluttershy was waiting for her, of course. She smiled and waved, then her face grew concerned as they drew closer. “Rainbow Dash? Is something wrong?”

She couldn't deal with Fluttershy right now. Rainbow Dash walked passed her, not saying anything, biting her lip to hold back her tears. She fumbled with her bike lock, let it clatter to the pavement, and hopped on.

“Rainbow Dash, please, what's wrong?”

Nobody would be able to catch up to her while she was on her bike. And right now, she wanted nothing more than to be alone.

Applejack stood on the steps of Canterlot High, watching Rainbow Dash bike off into the distance. She sighed, then took off her hat and held it over her chest.

Rarity stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Nope. Can’t really say I am.” A cool breeze blew her bangs into her eyes, carrying with it the first hints of autumn. “I reckon she’s having a worse time of it right now, though.”

“All that stuff she shouted at you… was it actually true?”

Applejack bit her lip. “Yeah. I mean, kind of. It’s complicated. We stopped talking when… same reason you and I stopped talking for a while.”

“Oh.” Rarity squeezed, then took a step back. “Now that I think about it, I do remember you mentioning some girl you had met at one of your summer camps or whatever. Well, what now then? Are you going to go after her?”

“What’s the point? She clearly don’t want nothing to do with me, and for good reason.” Applejack put her hat back on her head, then stepped to the side as a student jostled passed her, oblivious to the recent drama.

Rarity crossed her arms over her chest, frowning deeply. “Applejack, please. What else are you going to do? Ignore her, look away from each other every time you happen to pass in the halls? Pretend she doesn’t exist if you ever happen to share a class together?”

Applejack clenched her fists. “If she wants to talk, I’ll talk. I owe her an apology and all. But there ain’t no good to come from chasing her when her blood's up. Besides, I ain’t got the slightest clue where she might’ve gone to.”

“Um, excuse me.”

“I didn’t literally mean that you chase her down. Talk to her. If you still have her number, call her. Or make the effort next time you see her at school.” Rarity clicked her tongue, then grinned. “Really now, I never figured you to be the type to ghost someone.”

“It’s complicated, and… nevermind.”

“Um… excuse me?”

Applejack blinked at the soft spoken voice, then turned to see a slender, pink haired girl looking at them. “Pardon?”

The girl winced, and looked away. “I’m, um. My name is Fluttershy, and… you’re Applejack, right?”

“Well then, aren’t you popular today,” Rarity said with a smirk.

Applejack rubbed at the back of her neck. “Er, yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet ya, Fluttershy. You’re Dash’s friend, right?”

Fluttershy nodded, and let out a held breath. “Right. Um, she’s… talked a lot about you, and. She’s been really stressed out when moving here because of… well, what I’m trying to say is…” Fluttershy grimaced, and twiddled her fingers together. “I think I know where she ran off to.”

Rainbow Dash skidded to a stop, her bike tires kicking up gravel.

She'd only been living here for a month so far, but it was a month of summer break. That meant she’d had all the free time to wander and explore the humble little town, and to figure out good places to hang out.

The sky darkened with thick clouds up above, and Rainbow Dash walked her bike through the old junkyard, navigating her way past stacks of tires and rusted heaps of metal.

Her new hideout, at least for the time being, was an old van from the seventies. The engine was missing, but the back was full of shag carpeting, and even a stained mattress. Cigarette butts and other teenage detritus marked a legacy of delinquency that stretched back for decades.

And for now, it was hers.

The van shifted under her weight as Rainbow Dash climbed in. She leaned against the carpeted wall, ignored the smell, and opened up her backpack. She fished out her headphones and her iPod, slipped them on, and hit shuffle. Punk rock blasted her eardrums, and she finally relaxed a bit.

Her anger seemed to have boiled away, leaving an empty ache behind. If she'd never met Applejack on the farm six years ago, would they somehow have become friends as freshman anyway?

She let out a bitter laugh, then formed her backpack into a makeshift pillow and closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about this right now. She cranked the volume to its absolute maximum.

Three songs later, a drop of water splashed against her nose.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes just in time to catch another drop in them.

“Gah!” She sat up straight, rubbing at her eye and blinking rapidly. A drop from the roof of the van was probably carrying all sorts of nasty stuff with it.

Her headphones slipped out as she moved around, letting her hear the thunderous patter of rain on the roof.

Along with a flash of light through the windshield, followed by actual thunder.

Rainbow Dash sighed, and scooted away from the leaky roof. The back doors were still open, and she could see the rain already forming puddles in the dirt. The storm settled the dust, leaving an oddly pleasant smell in the air, tinged with that of rust.

It made her think of the country.

Why did she care so much, anyway? She'd only ever spent time with Applejack the once, and after that she was just a texting buddy. Could hardly even call it a friendship. After all, she had Fluttershy. They'd stayed loyal to each other for years and years.

Applejack’s expression seemed seared into Rainbow Dash’s mind. Surprised, unsure, and guilty. She obviously knew what she did was wrong, but she'd done it anyway.

Rainbow Dash shook her head, then fished around for her headphones.

Movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Someone was coming down the path towards the van, heedless of the pouring rain. The dim lighting made it hard to see, but in silhouette, the cowboy hat made for a pretty easy guess.

“That idiot,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “And that freaking snitch, too.” Fluttershy must have ratted her out. Nobody else knew about her hiding spot. Her heart pounded in her chest. Applejack had come all this way looking for her.

“Dash? Are you here?” Applejack called out, her voice barely audible over the storm.

Rainbow Dash grit her teeth. It'd be easy enough to just duck down and hide, and Applejack would probably walk right past the van.

“Hey, dumbass!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She stuck her head out the back, a torrent of water drenching her in seconds, and waved at Applejack. “In here!”

Applejack grinned broadly, then rushed over to the van, holding onto her hat. She hopped into the back, then wiped some of the water out of her eyes. “Hoo boy. That's quite a doozy. Knew it was gonna rain today, but didn't expect it to come on so sudden.”

Rainbow Dash grunted, and turned away. She started digging underneath one of the front seats, until she found the heavy roll of fabric that was stashed there. “Dry yourself off with this.”

Applejack caught it and let it unroll before raising an eyebrow. “Pretty sure this a rug.”

“Pretty sure someone pissed on it once too. Do I look like I have a towel on me?” Rainbow Dash turned away again, and ran her hands down her ponytail, squeezing out the accumulated water.

“Fair enough.” Applejack dabbed at her face with the rug, then started wringing out her clothes. “Nice place you got here.”

“Uh-huh.” A particularly loud clap of thunder shook the van, and Rainbow Dash licked her lips. Her mouth seemed abnormally dry for some reason. She fished a bottle of water out of her backpack and drank greedily, still doing her best to avoid looking at Applejack.

Applejack set her hat next to her on the floor and cleared her throat. “Listen, Dash. I done you wrong, and you have every right to be upset about it. I have my reasons. Dunno that they're good reasons, and I don't like using them as an excuse, but, well. If you wanna listen, I'll tell you what happened.”

What happened. The big question that had haunted her for years. Why? “Is it going to change anything if you do tell me?”

“It ain't going to erase what happened. Nothing can do that.” Applejack sighed, and shook her head. “But if you find it in yourself to forgive me, then, I dunno. I’d like to be your friend again.”

Rainbow Dash’s heart skipped a beat. Just the brief, flickering thought of them being friends again, as if nothing had happened, made her unreasonably happy. Which was stupid. She was supposed to be angry. “Whatever. Do what you want.”

“Right. I should just told you all this ages ago. But by the time I was in the right state of mind again, you were already pissed at me, and I didn't want to use what happened as a crutch and, well, I just didn't think I could be a very good friend to you.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash glanced back at Applejack, and was struck by just how melancholy she looked. “What the heck happened? Was it something I said?”

“No. Ain't nothing to do with you.” Applejack tugged on her braid, and took a deep breath. “The night, I uh, stopped responding to you. Well… That night Mom and Dad died in a car accident.”

Rainbow Dash’s whole world dropped out from underneath her. She felt like she was free falling at a thousand miles per hour, straight into hell. “You… you're fucking kidding me.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “You think I'd joke about something like that? Joke about losing the most important people in the world to me? Joke about having to take care of my baby sister when I was still just a kid myself? Joke about working my ass off on the farm so we could still put food on the table?”

“No, I didn't… fuck!” Rainbow Dash’s gut twisted itself into knots. Bright Mac and Buttercup were dead. She barely knew them, but they had been some of the sweetest and kindest parents Rainbow Dash had ever met. And Applejack had to go through all of that? “You really…?”

“Oh, come on now, Dash, don't look at me like that.” Applejack winced. “Pity don't make it any easier to deal with.”

Rainbow Dash half extended a hand, as if she were going to offer a hug, but her efforts faltered before she could get very far. “I'm sorry.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “You ain't got nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know. Because I didn't tell you.”

“Yeah, but…” Rainbow Dash bit her lip. Closest she'd ever come to death was a pet goldfish when she was six. How the hell was she supposed to react? “I don't know. Your parents were really cool. It just… that sucks.”

“Sure were.” Applejack rubbed at her eyes, then chuckled weakly. “But I didn't come here to get all sad about it. I came to explain and to apologize. I'm sorry for not telling you, Dash. It was wrong of me, and I was a coward.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, finding herself on the verge of tears for the second time today. She was supposed to be tougher then this. It was all too much to handle right now. She needed a distraction. With a grunt, she fished in the back pocket of the driver's seat and pulled out an old packet of cigarettes. “Wanna smoke?”

Applejack tilted her head to the side. “You serious?”

With a flourish, Rainbow Dash flipped one out of the pack and into her mouth. “Looks cool, doesn't it?”

“Grizzled old cowboys look cool when they're smoking. But that's about it.” Applejack scowled. “Ain't you an athlete? Can't be much of a runner if your lungs are crap.”

Rainbow Dash laughed, then put the cigarette back. “Of course I don't smoke. Just messing with you.”

“Oh.” Applejack stared blankly at her for several moments, then her eyes lit up. “Right. Good one.” She grinned, then glanced outside. “Rain’s letting up. Will probably be over in a little bit. I ain't never been to this junkyard before. There anything cool?”

A surge of warmth bubbled up from Rainbow Dash’s chest, and she did her best to keep her cool. “There's a deer skull in a ditch nearby.”

“I live on a farm, seen a million of them. What else you got?”

“Hmm. Some old abandoned mining equipment up on a hill.”

“Cool.” Applejack stretched. “Let's check it out when the rain stops.”

“Pfft.” Rainbow Dash crawled to the back of the van, and poked her head out. A light drizzle sprinkled against her face. “Why wait? It's just a little water, and you're already soaked.”

Applejack chuckled, then climbed out of the van. “Can't argue with that.”

Rainbow Dash led the way, ignoring the rain and stepping over a rusty girder.

“So, things have sucked for me and all, but how's life been for you? You still the best and the fastest?”

“Well, I mean, duh.” Rainbow Dash puffed her chest out. Then she grimaced. “Well, I guess it's a bit harder to prove it right now.”

“Oh? How come?”

Rainbow Dash scratched at her cheek. “In middle school I decided I wanted a change of pace, so I joined the baseball team instead.”

Applejack nodded. “Sure, why not. How'd that go for you?”

“I got kicked off the baseball team.”

“Oh.” Applejack hesitated for a moment, then jumped over a drainage ditch. “How'd that happen? Though if you don't wanna talk about it I understand.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, then made the same jump. “No, it's fine. The whole thing was just...
dumb. One of my teammates was a raging bitch. We ended up fighting a lot. Apparently too much. One of the reasons I came out here, wanted a fresh start.”

“Shoot. Must've been rough. Forget sports then, you do any dating in middle school? Got a boyfriend?”

“Had a girlfriend for a while.”

“Is that so?” Something flickered behind Applejack’s eyes, but she kept her expression neutral. “How'd that turn out?”

“I got kicked off the baseball team.”

“Wait.” Applejack blinked. “You don't mean…?”

“Eyup.” Rainbow Dash felt her cheeks heat up, and she rubbed at the back of her head. “Uh, the way my uncle puts it, never shit where you eat.”

Applejack burst out laughing. “Aww, shucks, sorry, it probably ain't that funny to you.”

“Nah, it's cool. New town, I ain't gotta worry about it anymore.” They came to a stop near an old water pump, and Rainbow Dash pointed up the hill. “Should be just up there.”

“Gotcha.” Applejack took off her hat and wiped away some water from her eyes. “Looks a bit steep.”

“There’s a smoother path around back, but you gotta hop a chain link fence and screw that.” A thought occurred to Rainbow Dash, and she grinned. “Wanna race?”

“Up a steep hill in a junkyard while it's raining?” Applejack cracked her neck. “Heck yeah I do. But let's do it proper.”

“Fair is fair.” Rainbow Dash rolled her shoulders, then did a few quick stretches for her legs. They both crouched in a starting position. “First one to the top is the winner.”

Applejack nodded. “Ready.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. “Set.”

“Go!”

Both took off and reached the base of the hill in seconds, but once they started going up, running speed counted for a lot less.

It quickly became more of a scramble, and Rainbow Dash’s fingers dug into the soft earth as they raced, neck and neck.

Applejack’s limbs, honed from years of farm work, seem well suited to climbing. She pulled ahead.

Rainbow Dash growled, and doubled her efforts. The top wasn't far off now, it was going to be a pretty short race.

Her foot hit a particularly slick patch of mud, and Rainbow Dash started to slide backwards. “Shit!”

Applejack caught her wrist, while holding onto a large rock embedded in the side of the hill.

Rainbow Dash hung there, looking up at Applejack and panting heavily. “We're not good at actually finishing races, are we?”

Applejack laughed, then climbed the final hump to the top, dragging Rainbow Dash with her. “No, I don't suppose we are.”

Rainbow Dash lay on her back, staring up at the sky, the rainwater trickling across her face. A gap in the clouds let through the orange light of the setting sun, and she could see a band of multicolored radiance stretching across the sky. “Are you kidding me? That's so freaking cheesy.”

“What's that now?”

“There.” Rainbow Dash pointed to the rainbow.

“Shoot. Must be a good sign, if you ask me.” Applejack sat up, then looked down at Rainbow Dash, an odd expression on her face. “Say, what's it like kissing a girl?”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “I dunno. Like kissing a boy, but softer? Not that I've kissed any boys for comparison. Why, you wanna find out?”

“Uh…” Applejack’s face turned bright red, and she looked away. “I mean, yeah, kind of.”

“Oh.” Wait, what? Rainbow Dash’s heart accelerated faster than she could run. Wasn't this all too sudden? From a friend she'd been abandoned by, tentatively made up with, then now what, making out? But the idea of kissing Applejack… Rainbow Dash licked her lips, and sat up. “I guess, if that's what you want.”

“I mean, I'm not trying to force you or anything.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, it's cool. I love kissing girls. Total lesbo.”

Applejack nodded. “Right, of course. I'm just curious, is all.”

“No problem. Anything for a friend.”

“Eyup. Friend.” Applejack bit her lip, and stared at the ground.

They sat there in silence for several long moments before Applejack cleared her throat. “So how do we, uh…”

“Right! Sorry.” Rainbow Dash swallowed, then scooted closer to Applejack. This wasn't fair, Lightning Dust had usually taken the initiative back in middle school. But she couldn't back out now. She licked her lips again. “You just kind of lean in close, close your eyes and…

Their lips pressed together. She tasted like rainwater. And apples.

They pulled apart a few seconds later, both of them blushing furiously.

“Wow.” Applejack muttered. “Guess it's pretty good after all.”

“Yeah, nothing to it.” The kiss had done little to slow Rainbow Dash’s heartbeat. Could this really be happening?

Applejack ran her fingers through the dirt, and mumbled, “Do you wanna—”

A sharp buzz from Applejack’s pocket cut off whatever she was about to say, and she cursed. She pulled out her phone, then sighed. “Aww shoot. I forgot that I promised to help my little sister with her homework tonight.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, then took a deep breath. “Oh. That's cool. Wow, I bet she's grown a lot. Apple Bloom, right?”

“Eyup. She's a real sweetheart.” Applejack smiled, then turned to face her. “Look, after everything… We got time to just take it slow, and be ourselves, right? I like you, Rainbow Dash. And I ain't gonna disappear on you again. I promise.”

“Yeah. All the time in the world.”

Applejack smiled, then sighed. “Right. I better get going. I'll uh, see you tomorrow at school?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “See you tomorrow.”

“I still have the same number, if you need to get ahold of me. Later!”

Rainbow Dash watched her slide down the hill. What an amazing day. That made it two for two on days spent with Applejack. And that kiss… Well, she could figure that out later. She should probably be getting home soon anyway. She probably had a billion texts from a worried Fluttershy to deal with too.

Which was a bit odd, because she presumably would have noticed some by now. Rainbow Dash fished in her pockets and came up empty. Where had her phone gone? Maybe it had fallen out of her pocket in the van?

Applejack made her way through the halls of Canterlot High, a spring in her step. It had been a long day of classes, none of which she shared with Rainbow Dash. They even had separate lunch periods. But the text she’d received earlier that morning gave her something to look forward to.

08/31/10 9:52 AM - RD: Hey. Meet me on the school roof after classes.

What a way to start the new school year. Rainbow Dash had forgiven her. Or at the very least, was willing to give her another chance. They could be friends again.

Or maybe something more.

Applejack bit her lip. A shroud of lingering guilt still hung over her, even as she climbed the steps. Was it really okay for things to be that easy? Did she really deserve this?

The door to the roof stood open, bright light shining in from outside. Applejack stepped through, pulling down the brim of her hat to shield her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest. “Rainbow Dash? Ya up here yet?”

No answer came. Applejack made her way across the roof then stopped at the railing.

Her lips tingled, and Applejack couldn’t help but smile.”Not gonna lie, this is a good place for talking,” she muttered to herself.

A stiff breeze threatened to steal her hat, and Applejack grabbed onto it tightly. Rainbow Dash must’ve gotten held up in class or something. She started fishing through her pockets for her phone.

The door to the roof slammed shut, followed by an ominous click.

Applejack turned around. Nobody was there. “Rainbow Dash? That you?”

She walked over to the door, and tried the handle. Locked. “Har har, real funny. Come on, Dash.”

Her phone buzzed. Applejack flipped it open. One new message blinked on the screen.

08/31/10 3:14 PM - RD: Dumbass. Did you really think I’d let you off the hook that easily? Fuck off and die up there.

Oh. So it really was all too good to be true.

Sunset smirked, then slid the phone she’d lifted from Rainbow Dash back into her pocket. “One down. I’ll show you Ketchup McMustard,” she grumbled, then started down the stairs.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Novel Idea, r5h, Posh, Undómë Tinwë, and Kalan for editing.

Thanks to wordsandpunctuation for the fantastic coverart!

My entry into Tchernobog's Appledash Contest "Second Chances."

Down Home, Country Matters

03/14/18 6:22 PM - RD: Yo what up I hope you got some cider ‘cause I’m coming over and need a place to chill for a while. spring break, whooo!!!

Applejack sighed, then glanced up on the clock on her wall. Already past eight-thirty. At least she’d had bothered to send a text, rather than just showing up. It didn’t make any sense, though. Canterlot University didn’t have spring break until April. She’d confirmed that with Fluttershy a week ago. When the rest of Applejack’s friends went to college and she stayed behind, it made sense to stay aware of their breaks.

Thunder crashed outside, and Applejack made her way over the window to stare out into the pouring rain. If Rainbow Dash was driving, it made sense that she wasn’t responding to her texts. It was a several hour drive, after all.

“What do you think, Winona? I bet she’ll be pulling up that driveway any second now.”

Winona lifted her head up from her bed, wagged her tail once, yawned, then laid back down.

Applejack chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Waiting for Rainbow Dash like this had really ruined her own plans for the evening.

Not that she actually had any. The rest of the family was down south with Apple Bloom, on vacation for her spring break. After one more glance outside, Applejack made her into the kitchen, then pulled a bottle of cider out of the fridge. No sense in waiting any longer. She cracked the bottle open on the countertop, then took a nice, long drink. It never failed to hit the spot.

Someone pounded on the front door. Winona barked.

“Figures,” Applejack muttered. She took one more swig for good measure, then made her way back to the living room and opened the door.

“Sup,” Rainbow Dash said. She held her arms around her chest, and shivered uncontrollably. In general, she looked like a drowned puppy. “How you been?”

Applejack rolled her eyes, then peered out into the storm. She could see the sleek shine of a motorcycle parked next to the fence. “Lands sake, Dash, did you really ride your bike all the way here in this weather?

Rainbow Dash shrugged, then tossed in a sopping wet duffle bag. It landed with a wet splorch on the hardwood floor. “What else was I going to do, take a cab?” She shuffled inside, leaving a puddle in her wake. “M-mind if I borrow your shower?”

“Yeah, alright. You can borrow some clothes too, if you need em. You know where everything is.”

“Sure do! Thanks AJ, you’re the best.” Rainbow Dash flashed her signature, cocky smile, then ran up the stairs.

Applejack stared at the puddle left behind, and sighed. She downed the rest of her cider, and felt the faintest hint of a buzz beginning to stir inside of her. No sense sitting around and twiddling her thumbs.

Unzipping Rainbow Dash’s duffle bag revealed the very unfortunate fact that even if the clothes weren't sopping wet, they weren’t clean to begin with. She unceremoniously dumped everything into the washing machine while doing her best to hold her nose.

By the time Applejack finished mopping up the rest of the water, Rainbow Dash finished her shower and made her way downstairs.

“Ah, I needed that. It’s easy to forget how numb everything gets in the cold until hot water blasts you in the face.” Rainbow Dash laughed at her own joke, then leaned against the back of the couch. Her damp hair hung loose down her back, and she wore an oversized, white t-shirt that appeared to be twenty sizes too big for her.

“Dash, what the heck are you wearing? Is that my brother’s?”

“Hell yeah. It’s super comfy. Plus, I’ve always found the oversized shirt look, to be pretty hot, you know?” Rainbow Dash spun, and the shirt flared up as if it were a dress, revealing that the shirt was the only thing she was wearing. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Applejack bit her lip and looked away, doing her best to push thoughts about just how perfect Rainbow Dash’s ass was out of her mind. “You know what, I ain’t even gonna argue about it. He’s got a hundred shirts like that, and I can just wash it later. So, why’re you here, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash closed the distance between them and threw her arm around Applejack’s shoulder. “To hang out, duh! When was the last time we got a chance to do that?” She started dragging Applejack towards the kitchen.

“I dunno. Christmas, I think is the last time we all saw each other.” Applejack let herself be dragged, and grabbed another cider for herself after Rainbow Dash had grabbed her own.

“Not like that.” Rainbow Dash clinked the bottles together, then took a swig. “I mean just you and me, hanging out. Together and stuff.”

Faded memories flickered through Applejack’s mind, of a brief time spent together as kids, of a brief time spent together as teenagers. They’d long since patched up their friendship, of course. But how much time had they actually spent together, just the two of them without anyone else around? It didn’t seem to add up to much.

“That’s right.” Rainbow Dash nodded sagely. “It’s been too long. So let’s be bros!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “So you drove two hours south, on a Wednesday night, in the middle of a thunderstorm, with a dufflebag full of unwashed laundry, just to be bros?”

Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest. “Can you honestly say you wouldn’t do the same for me? Besides, it’s spring break.”

“No it ain’t.” Applejack frowned. “CHS has spring break this week, but I know for a fact that CU doesn’t have spring break until April. I was just talking to Fluttershy about it. In fact, pretty sure she said y’all had just finished up midterms.”

“Right…” Rainbow Dash took a step back, her smile strained. “Maybe I got the dates mixed up. Does it matter? Come on, AJ. I don’t wanna think about school right now. Seriously, how have you been? How’s the farm doing?”

Applejack pursed her lips, looking Rainbow Dash up and down, then sighed. She took another swig of her cider, then sat down on the couch. “Farm’s fine, I guess. Granny can’t really help out much anymore. And Big Mac’s been spending a lot of his time visiting his girlfriend, Sugar Belle. Apple Bloom’s doing so well in school they’re offering her scholarships and stuff, so I reckon she’ll be off to college soon.”

“She’s a heck of a kid, ain’t she? All the squirts are. I still talk to Scoots a lot.” Rainbow Dash sat down on the back of the couch, legs spread in a way that gave a far too intimate view.

Keeping her eyes averted proved to be somewhat of a struggle, and Applejack took another drink even as her cheeks heated up. “Couldn’t be prouder of all three of them. Still, makes things a bit lonely around here.”

Rainbow Dash waggled her eyebrows. “Lonely, huh? I bet I could help you with that.” She snapped her fingers, pointing finger guns at Applejack.

Applejack scowled. “Ain’t you dating some girl right now? I remember you mentioning something like that last time we saw each other.

“Nah, we weren’t dating. It was really more of a fuckbuddy kind of thing.” Rainbow Dash leaned backwards, stretching. “Plus, she went and found herself a boyfriend, so no more of that.”

“Right.” The string of short, mostly physical relationships Applejack had watched Rainbow Dash get into in high school and college certainly made for an interesting soap opera. It was a trait of her friend that’d she’d never really been able to understand, or relate to. “You do you, I guess.”

“You do you, I do me, and everyone’s just sitting around jerking off.” Rainbow Dash laughed, took another swig of cider, then leaned forward. “Come on, AJ? Ain’t you ever thought of it? You and me? I still remember that time you asked me what kissing a girl was like.”

Oh, she’d thought of it, alright. Applejack clenched a fist. “We were fourteen, Dash. Just kids, and it was a weird day for both of us besides. Puberty is a funny time for everyone. Don’t mean nothing.”

Rainbow Dash’s smile faded a bit. “It meant something to me.” She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “I mean, sure, I already knew I liked kissing girls back then, but you were… well, I’ve gotten a lot of practice in the years since. I’m a lot better at it now.”

“Practice, huh?” Applejack scoffed. “I’m sure all those girls you were with really appreciate being thought of as practice. Sorry Dash, but I ain’t keen on being another notch in your belt.”

“Do you really think that I’d—” Rainbow Dash cut herself off mid sentence, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Whatever. Forget about it.”

Applejack stared at the ceiling. A minute of silence passed between them before she cleared her throat. “Why are you really here, Dash?”

“I told you, so we can hangout, remember?”

“Uh-huh, you said that, alright. So what’s the actual reason?”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, then smirked. “Maybe I just couldn’t stand the thought of my best friend all alone, lonely and repressed. I said to myself ‘Hey Rainbow Dash, you’ve been close to your best friend Applejack in the past, Maybe make the effort get even closer. Let her taste the Rainbow.’”

Applejack stood up, then stretched and yawned. “Well, it’s been good seeing ya, Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately, its getting pretty late, and since it’s a weekday and all I’d better be getting to bed. Gotta get up bright and early on the farm, especially if there’s some damage from the storm I need to cleanup.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “Wait, what? You can’t be serious. It’s only nine-thirty.”

“Early to bed, early to rise.” Applejack turned off the kitchen light, then paused at the stairs. “There’s some spare blankets and pillows in that chest by the TV if you need ‘em. Your clothes should be done washing in another twenty minutes or so, so you might wanna put them in the dryer so they don’t get moldy. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, though I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go overboard.”

“Okay fine, that was too much, I’m sorry. Applejack, come on, can’t we—”

“Goodnight, Rainbow Dash.” Applejack started up the stairs.

“I failed, okay!”

Applejack stopped, then looked over her shoulder.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip, hands clenched at her sides. “I failed my midterms, Applejack. Bad. Bad enough that I’m not eligible to be on the team anymore.”

Off the team? That meant everything to Rainbow Dash. She spun on her heels and made her way back to the couch. “They can’t actually kick you off just like that, can they? Surely you can get a second chance if you ask for it.”

“That was my second chance.” Rainbow Dash barked a bitter laugh. “Or really more like my third, or fourth. And I blew it, again, because I was off partying like a dumbass instead of studying.” Rainbow Dash took a shuddering breath. “There, are you happy? That’s why I’m really here.”

“Oh, Dash…” Applejack wrapped her arms around Rainbow Dash and pulled her into a tight hug. “Well, you’re welcome to stay then. But you know any of us would’ve taken you in. Or your parents, for that matter.”

“Ugh, no thanks. You’ve met my parents. There’s no way I could look them in the eye and tell them I’ve fucked up this bad.” Rainbow Dash remained in the embrace, and buried her face in Applejack’s shoulder. “As for the others… I wanted to see you, okay?”

Applejack’s heart pounded in her chest. Rainbow colored hair tickled her nose, smelling like her own apple-scented shampoo. “Alright, fair enough. So, what do you want to do about it? I bet if we call all the girls, we can figure out a way to—”

“Stop.” Rainbow Dash put her hands on Applejack’s shoulders, then pulled back, looking her in the eyes. “I don’t wanna figure this out right now, I don’t wanna call the girls, I don’t want to deal with it.”

Hot breath caressed Applejack’s cheek. She swallowed. “Then what do you want?”

Rainbow Dash’s lips curled in a faint smile. “You.”

“Oh fer f—” Applejack scowled, and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like it when you tease me like this, Dash. I ain’t that kind of girl.”

“Have you ever considered that I might actually be serious?” Rainbow Dash maintained eye contact, her expression strangely vulnerable.

All sorts of feelings started to bubble up inside Applejack, and she tried her best to stamp them back down. “You even know what a serious relationship looks like?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I dunno. Do you?”

“It ain’t one that starts with one person half naked on the other’s lap, that’s for starters.” Applejack was all too keenly aware of Rainbow Dash’s bare thighs pressed against her jeans.

“Says who? Is there a rule about it or something? Sounds stupid to me.” Rainbow Dash chuckled weakly, then shook her head. “I don’t know, Applejack. Fuck. Things feel right when I’m with you, okay? Isn’t that enough?”

Applejack leaned in even closer, and their faces were only inches apart. “A proper relationship requires stuff like, mutual compatibility, and shared interests, and an emotional connection. The stuff that love is built off of.”

“Uh-huh.” Rainbow Dash closed what little distance remained. Their noses touched. “You don’t think we have any of that?”

There wasn’t anything Applejack could respond with, other than to press their lips together.

This kiss felt a lot like their first, from so long ago. Soft, tender, a little bit awkward. Rainbow Dash tasted a bit like cider.

They broke apart, and started into each other’s eyes. Rainbow Dash had a shy, goofy smile on her face, and her cheeks were flushed.

Something awoke inside of Applejack. The culmination of too many long, lonely nights, spent with her hand between her legs, thinking all sorts of thoughts someone shouldn’t be thinking about her best friends. What she’d like to do to them, what she’d like for them to to do her. What it would feel like to press their bodies together, to taste each other, to share their most intimate secrets and desires in a way not even Equestrian Magic could compare to. And at the front of it all, was the drop dead gorgeous athlete with a body most women would kill for and a mop of rainbow colored hair that shone in any crowd.

Applejack growled, and grabbed Rainbow Dash by her hair, and pulled her in for another kiss. Rather than the innocent, exploratory kiss prior, this one was hungry, and full of need. Applejack thrust her tongue into Rainbow Dash’s mouth.

Rainbow Dash held still for a moment, eyes wide, before she grinned and started kissing back. She wrapped her arms around Applejack, pulling her in tight, and running her hands down Applejack’s back. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” she said as soon as she was let up for air.

“Shut up.” Applejack kissed her again, then pushed her down against the couch. She leaned on top of her, pulling back on Rainbow’s hair and shifting her kisses to Rainbow’s neck, which earned her all sorts of delightful gasps and shudders. She sucked hard enough to leave a mark, then ran one hand up Rainbow Dash’s bare leg, marveling at the smoothness of her skin and the toned muscles beneath.

“Fuck, AJ,” Rainbow Dash moaned. She looked into Applejack’s eyes, her mouth hanging open. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted— Oh, fuck! No, I mean, ow, fuck, in the bad way! Ow, stop for a sec!”

Applejack froze, and practically leapt off of Rainbow Dash, her guts twisting. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… are you alright?”

Rainbow Dash winced, then sat up, rubbing at her back. “It’s alright, relax. Not your fault.” She looked down where she’d been laying. A spiral of metal poked through the ratty couch cushion. “I don’t, uh, think this couch is a great place for doing the horizontal rodeo."

“Oh.” Applejack chuckled nervously. She’d probably gone way too overboard anyway. Of course, admitting that didn’t make her any less horny. “So much for that idea. Sorry.”

“Party ain’t over yet. I mean, you have a bed, right?”

Applejack stared at Rainbow Dash, and swallowed. “Yeah.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Race you!”

Another race. Did this keep happening because they loved the competition, or was it more for the sake of nostalgia, at this point? Rainbow Dash took the lead, which afforded Applejack a great view when following her up the stairs.

A few jostled elbows around tight corners later, Rainbow Dash crossed the threshold into Applejack’s room, then leapt onto her queen sized bed, bouncing before twisting around to lay against the headboard. She looked up and Applejack, and licked her lips. “Guess I win this one.”

Applejack took a deep breath, her heart pounding from the brief exertion and from everything else exciting about this. Her fingers shaking, she started unbuttoning her overshirt.

“Don’t mind me.” Rainbow Dash spread her legs, then brought her fingers between her legs and rubbed slow circles around her clit. “I’ll just sit back and enjoy the view.”

A part of Applejack wanted to shut her up, to just pounce on top of her right then and there. Lightning flashed outside, bathing both of them in blinding light. “You’re not wrong, by the way.”

“Huh?”

“The oversized shirt look is super hot.” Applejack finished unbuttoning her overshirt, then slid it off along with her undershirt. Then came her bra, which was always a pain. Even as she tried to hurry, unsexy thoughts filtered in from the back of her mind, trying to undermine what she’d started. When was the last time she’d showered? Compared to Rainbow Dash’s landing strip, she hadn’t even done basic trimming down there in months. Would she mind? What if she farted?

“Holy shit,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I forgot how goddamn jacked you were, AJ. I could sharpen a knife on those abs.” She wriggled her hips in time with her movements, her fingers already slick with arousal.

Applejack blushed. She wondered if Dash was always this talkative during sex. With any of her previous girlfriends. Even more doubts and fears started to surge up. Applejack tossed her bra to the side, then slid her jeans and her panties down her legs in one motion. There. Completely naked, about to have sex. Her own wetness surprised her.

Rainbow Dash plunged two fingers inside of herself and hissed, biting her lip. “So you gonna come over here and fuck me or what?”

How had this all gone down in her fantasies? Most of them probably weren't applicable to this situation. Rainbow Dash on her knees, eating her out in the apple orchard. Rainbow Dash hog tied and at Applejack’s mercy. Them competing in brutal challenges, where the ultimate loser would have to do whatever the other wanted for the next twenty four hours. Applejack shivered. Just the two of them, here in the bedroom, having sex for the first time. Keep it simple.

Applejack crawled onto the bed until she loomed over Rainbow Dash. She pressed her knee against Rainbow Dash’s sex, finding it burning hot, then leaned down to resume the kiss that had been interrupted earlier.

“Oh fuck,” Rainbow Dash moaned into her mouth. She gyrated her body against Applejack’s, wrapping her arms up around her to squeeze at her back. “Yeah, just like that!”

With a grunt, Applejack started moving her knee to match her movements, then returned to suck on Rainbow Dash’s neck. She was determined to leave it a bruised mess. She nibbled a bit, tasting Rainbow Dash’s sweat on her tongue.

Rainbow Dash shrieked, then giggled, her nails digging into Applejack’s back as she tensed up.

Applejack hissed at the pain, then brought her hands down on Rainbow Dash’s shoulders and pinned her hard against the bed.

With wide eyes, Rainbow Dash struggled a bit, to absolutely no avail. “Forgot how strong you were too,” Rainbow Dash murmured, and she went limp in an motion that could only be described as melting.

A reaction like that only stoked Applejack’s flames even hotter. She brought one her hands to Rainbow Dash’s pussy, and started teasing her slick folds. She slipped two fingers inside easily, feeling her walls clench around her. “You like that?” Applejack whispered, then brought her thumb up to circle her clit.

“Oh fuck yes,” Rainbow Dash whined. “Don’t stop, AJ, please, that feels so fucking good.” Rainbow Dash did her best to buck her hips, still held down by Applejack’s other hand.

Applejack picked up the pace, each thrust of her fingers producing a lewd squelching sound. Enough arousal was spilling onto the bed that she’d have to do laundry. She started thrusting her hips against Rainbow Dash in time with her fingers, as if she were actually fucking her.

“Yesyesyes! Fuck me, Applejack, please! I need you, fuck, fuck fuck fuck.” Rainbow Dash panted underneath her, a sweaty mess. She looked up into Applejack’s eyes, her expression needy. “I’m so fucking close. Choke me!”

Applejack blinked, and her movements faltered. “What? I ain’t gonna—”

Rainbow Dash slapped her across the face. “Do it! Please?”

Applejack growled, then shifted her hand to close around Rainbow Dash’s neck, and redoubled her efforts down below. She had no idea what the proper amount of choking was for something like this, but even her cautious efforts seemed to have the desired effect.

“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash screamed. Her whole body convulsed, and she shook violently, her inner walls clenching hard enough around Applejack’s fingers to the point where she could barely move them.

The orgasm kept going, and Applejack kept thrusting away. The sight of it was so unbelievably erotic, that her efforts could really cause that kind of effect on someone. Finally, Rainbow Dash’s convulsions began to slow down, and Applejack relaxed her grip around her throat, and slowed down her thrusts.

“Fuuuck,” Rainbow Dash groaned as Applejack’s fingers slid out of her, and she lay on the bed like a limp noodle. “That was… holy fuck. I don’t think I’ve ever cum that hard.”

Applejack smiled, then propped Rainbow Dash up into a sitting position, and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Hope that didn’t take too much out of you. Still need to get mine after all.”

Rainbow Dash waved her off weakly, and chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Just give me a second. Fuck.” She shuddered, then laughed again. Tears slid down from her eyes, and her laugh turned into a sob. “Fuck, no, not… Goddamnit!”

“Rainbow Dash?” Applejack put her hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, it’s just, fuck!” Rainbow Dash sobbed again, and hung limply against Applejack’s arms. “I get really emotional when I cum sometimes! It’s just stupid hormones, and… fuck!” She began weeping in earnest, her eyes scrunched up, tears streaming down from her cheeks as she shook.

Applejack pulled Rainbow Dash into a tight hug, resting her head against her breasts. “Hey now, it’s alright. I’m here for you, okay?”

“I’m sorry.” Rainbow Dash sniffed, dripping from her nose. “I… I don’t know what I’m gonna do, AJ. I let them all down. My whole team was counting on me, and I fucked it all up. All my scholarships, my parents' money, all down the fucking drain!”

“Sssh, sssh.” Applejack stroked the back of Rainbow Dash’s hair, and rested her chin on her forehead. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. We’ll figure it out together.”

Rainbow Dash squeezed back, still sobbing. “I’m sorry for being so pushy. I couldn’t stand to be alone tonight. And when I’m with you, AJ... Don’t leave me. Please.”

Applejack kissed the top of her head. “I ain’t gonna leave you. I promise.”

“I miss it. When we were kids, everything was so simple. Just me, and you, playing in a creek. Why can’t it be like that? All I ever wanted was that.”

“I know. Me too.” Applejack’s heart ached, and she felt a tear well up in her own eyes. Her mom, her dad, and Rainbow Dash. Life could have been so much better. But she still had at least one of those. “We still could, y’know. That creek is still there, and there’s still crawdads to catch. Never got around to making you try some gumbo.”

“Of course you’d say that.” Rainbow Dash laughed weakly. “That’s why I love you so much.”

Applejack’s heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond, but the words came far easier than she expected. “I love you too, Dash.”

Rainbow Dash made a little contented murmur, then continued to silently weep in Applejack’s embrace.

It wasn’t exactly clear how long they lay there, but eventually the weeping stilled into the soft breathing of sleep.

Applejack sighed, and stared up at the ceiling. A part of this seemed terribly unfair. She still ached with lust, and couldn’t even untangle herself from Rainbow Dash in order to take care of herself.

But in the larger scheme of things, it didn’t matter that much. Lying like this, with Rainbow Dash sleeping in her arms. It felt right. She felt right, more so than she had these past few years, with all her friends off to college, and herself, at home on the farm. Alone.

She could get used to this. Whether this relationship would truly continue in the morning, or if it was just a product of lust in the moment remained to be seen.

But she really, really hoped it did.

Rainbow Dash grunted, and her eyes slowly flickered open.

Her limbs were tangled in something heavy and warm. She felt stiff, and needed to crack her joints. It stank of sweat, and morning breath, and sex. Especially sex.

All in all, it wasn’t an uncommon way for Rainbow Dash to wake up. Though it was usually accompanied by a killer hangover. Instead she was just thirsty.

The scent of apple flavored shampoo brought recognition, followed by a surge of memories from the night before, of where she was, and how she had gotten here.

Rainbow Dash sat straight up, eyes wide, which earned her a grunt from the woman sleeping next to her.

Applejack.

Rainbow Dash looked down at her, heart pounding in her chest. She’d actually done it. Hooked up with Applejack. Then acted like a total crybaby afterwards. How could she have fucked up so badly?

Her eyes traced across Applejack’s broad shoulders, her modest breasts, her gorgeous freckles. Rainbow Dash licked her lips. Fuck, Applejack was still hot as shit. She shook her head. Needed to focus.

It seemed as if she were to wake Applejack up, the illusion would end, that whatever had driven them together last night would snap, there would be regret, and they’d drift apart yet again.

Rainbow Dash lay back down on her side, and silently watched Applejack sleep. Might as well enjoy the illusion for as long as she could.

It was hard to say how long they lay there, but eventually, Applejack begin to stir. She snorted with unladylike grace, then idly scratched her ass before opening her eyes. “Morning,” she mumbled.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash croaked, her voice cracking. Damn, she was wound up tight. And still really thirsty. She licked her lips, and tried again. “I mean, uh. Sup?”

Applejack smirked, then stretched, her powerful muscles flexing with the movement. “I had a pretty nice dream last night.”

“Heh. Yeah. Dreams are cool.” Rainbow Dash coughed. Having this conversation naked was distracting. “Listen, I…” She sighed, then sat cross-legged on the bed, facing Applejack. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do, AJ. About my life. About… everything.”

“It’s alright. I don’t know what you’re gonna do either.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, “Real helpful.”

“Eyup.” Applejack grinned. “But I do know that we can figure it out together, and that you can stay for as long as you like. And maybe even longer, if you’re so inclined.

An odd warmth blossomed in Rainbow Dash’s chest. “Wait, are you serious? Do you mean… you and me? As like, a thing? This isn’t just some one time hookup?”

“Not a chance.” Applejack leaned forward, and rested her hand against Rainbow Dash’s cheek. “I already told you, I’m not that kind of girl. I’m in this for the long haul. As long as you’re okay with that, anyway.”

Rainbow Dash felt herself tear up, and she mentally cursed herself. There had been enough waterworks last night. She rested her hand on Applejack’s, and took a deep breath, and smiled. “I’m in. A hundred and twenty percent.”

“Glad to hear it.” Applejack pulled her close and kissed her.

It wasn’t a particularly good kiss, full of dry lips and bad breath, but Rainbow Dash couldn’t help her smile when she pulled out of it. “Awesome. Super awesome.” She giggled. “What was your dream about?”

Applejack smirked. “Oh, you know. Sex dream. Pretty amazing sex dream too. One where I actually got to finish.”

“Hah.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “Oh, yeah… Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright.” Applejack sat up, and cracked her neck. “But y’know, if you’re feeling better now, round two would be much obliged.”

“And here I was starting to think you might be a prude. I’m looking forward to getting to know what makes you wet.” Rainbow Dash stretched, while making sure to maintain eye contact and her cockiest smile.

“I’m sure we both have a lot to learn about each other.” Applejack pulled back, grinned, then spread her legs. “Now are you going to get over here and eat me out until I scream your name, or am I going to have to make you do it?”

Rainbow Dash laughed, then licked her lips. “Hell yeah I am.” She started to crawl forward, then paused. “Err, actually, I could really use a glass of water, and kind of have to pee. Can it wait five minutes?”

Applejack blinked, then sighed and shook her head. “Sheesh. Sex ain’t all that sexy sometimes, is it?”

“Nope.”

“Ah well. I kinda gotta pee too, now that you mention it.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Race you to the bathroom!”

Author's Note

Special thanks to Novel Idea, r5h, Posh, Undómë Tinwë, and Kalan for editing.

Thanks to wordsandpunctuation for the fantastic coverart!

My entry into Tchernobog's Appledash Contest "Second Chances."