Moonlit Nights

by Dawn22Eagle

Rating: teen
Tags: Big Macintosh, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 6668

Rainbow Dash and Applejack have been in a secret relationship for quite some time, and the Pegasus always tries to treasure every moment spent with her. One night, though, she has to face a reaction she was not expecting to receive...

The two bearers of the Elements of Harmony have done a good job keeping their relationship hidden for a while, after discovering the feelings they mutually shared. Rainbow Dash couldn't be happier, and sometimes she can't believe how lucky she is to love and be loved by the breath-taking mare Applejack is, physically and emotionally. She is convinced the same goes for her lover, but one night she comes to terms with the upsetting truth, realizing how much her past can still influence her present.

This is the very first story I publish on FIMFiction, so I probably messed up with tags and genres - forgive my inexperience, and please tell me how to correct the mistakes I might have made... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first completed arc of mine dedicated to my beloved OTP :heart:

Published 2017-08-24 23:20:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-08-24 23:20:06 UTC

Chapter 1

I loved moonlit nights. The fresh air caressing my coat, the wind ruffling my mane and the stars looking down at our world made me feel welcomed, tranquil and... serene. Especially if I could spend such night in her strong, caring hooves.

In an evening like the ones I appreciated so much, I decided to fly as fast as I could towards the home of my lover to tell her all night long just how much I loved her, and listen to how much she desired me. They had been going on for quite some time, these secret encounters during nighttime. Every morning I woke up in her embrace and saddened as soon as I realized I had to leave her, but every afternoon I remembered that fate, for once, was giving me respite and, unfurling my wings, I simply let my heart take the lead and started performing random loops, twists, spins and nosedives, or milder glides and landings. Never had I felt so free in my own life than with her by my side, and unleashing my always-alert feathered limbs was the best way to show everyone else my state of mind.

Everything was still and silent, no other Pegasus flew in the sky and there was no pony walking the road beneath me. There was no Applejack waiting for me, either. She usually liked sitting on the grass of the small meadow facing her orchard and staring above, her eyes expecting my blue shape coming in sight at any moment. This time, though, I was the one searching for her. Glancing down quickly, first around the barn and then among the apple trees, I finally found her. I landed gently not to let her notice I had arrived and stopped, staring at her to admire her simple but stunning beauty.

There she was, standing with her muzzle towards the white, shining moon and her adorable ears perked up, ready to catch any sign of living presence. I considered sneaking and scaring her, but decided against it. Who knows what her mood was; if she was even a bit nervous I would earn only a painful buck on my chest and an angry scolding at best. Her blonde mane moved slightly in the breeze and her tail flicked from time to time, signaling faint bother. That’s it, I thought, no joking with her tonight.

Approaching her slowly and quietly, I noticed her lips were curved in a severe straight line and she seemed deep in thought, so I gave a small cough and splayed my ears back, smiling. She turned and, to my surprise, she grinned widely and shouted my name happily, trotting towards me. I couldn’t do anything but mirror her ways, so I flapped my wings a few times to tell her wordlessly how glad I was that she wasn’t in a bad mood. We greeted each other with our usual, tender kiss, then rested our foreheads on one another’s.

It was beautiful, this silent conversation we always had when we were like this, and I probably enjoyed such moments more than anything else. It was like she could read in my mind and through my thoughts, and I failed miserably at resisting at the temptation of letting myself get lost in those charming emerald eyes of hers.

“I missed you so much”, I mumbled in a low voice. The truth of the sentence made me wonder what sort of spell she had had to cast on me to take such a solid grip on my once indocile heart - not that I hadn’t the same effect on her. In fact, she might be even more crazy about me than I was about her, for she simply can’t help being so fond of my awesome personality. Pushing me out of my thoughts were her merry - but, with a hint of melancholy, perhaps? - giggles, sweet and soft as music to my ears.

“Ya idiot, Ah know ya don’t really mean it.” She smiled alluringly at me with her eyebrow raised and was about to say something else; however, I interrupted her before she could even begin, unfolding a wing and tracing a gentle line from her neck to her cutie mark with my pinions.

“I don’t?” I asked, already knowing by her low gasp that I was getting no response. “Why don’t we see...” I paused and got closer to her warm body, before whispering seducingly to her ear: “...if I can prove you wrong?” I lifted a hoof and brought it to her shoulder, doing the same with the other a few seconds later. Encircling her neck, I stroked my muzzle in her mane and savored the delicious scent of apples that featured her so perfectly.

“Dash, w-wait...” I knew she wanted to distract me so she could have the upper hoof, but I wasn’t letting her win so easily this time. I earned another gasp from my lover by grazing her jaw line with my lips and, in that instant, I couldn’t help but smirk inwardly at the thought of how crazy she was about me. I knew I could make her go mad if I simply touched her with my wings - that was one thing she would’ve done anything for -, but I decided to proceed by teasing her more, since I was particularly satisfied with her reactions.

Pushing her softly and slowly on the grass, I rested on her hefty body and kept on kissing her neck, then moved to her collarbone and then to her chest. Her faint moans were already arousing the feathered limbs quivering at my sides, but I tried to control them - I had to be patient. I shifted my kisses and brief licks lower and lower, but I had to stop when she suddenly stiffened and became silent.

“W-What’s wrong?” I asked, more to myself than to her, fearing that I was taking things too fast when she wasn’t ready yet. I reached her muzzle with my own and her cheeks with my wings, kissing tenderly the former and caressing gently the latter as I received no resistance. We spent a few minutes like this, in complete stillness, until I felt her body relax once again. I didn’t know what was going on her in mind, but I decided I had to get her back.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, I thought driving my wings to her warm stomach and brushing it lightly. Her back arched as she breathed sharply and then muttered something I couldn’t hear. Assuming it was one of the usual compliments about how good I was at “cheering” her up, I went on, untied her silky flaxen hair, and admired it for a few seconds as it fell on the dark-green grass... Well, I did, until she abruptly sat up and smacked me in the face.

“Ah said stop it!” Still with the red hair band in my mouth, I looked up at her, hurt and a bit scared from her sudden change. Should’ve stopped it the first time she’d said it, I cursed silently. Yet, I couldn’t figure out what was troubling her so much she wouldn’t even tell me.

Her sad eyes glanced at me before they closed slowly, her brows furrowing slightly. She lay down and sighed heavily, resting her muzzle on her front legs, but then lifting it again towards the black horizon. “We... We gotta talk.”

Damn it. I sat up as well, trying to get closer to her and folding my complaining wings. I desperately tried to remember what I had done to get her so angry, what I had said or how I had behaved in a possibly dangerous situation (was it the time I had told her grandmother her oats salad was “not that good”?), but nothing really came to my mind. I concluded that, maybe, she had misunderstood something I had joked about, so I got ready to apologize in any case.

“It’s not workin’, Dash.” I froze at her sentence. What wasn’t working? Why was she telling me “it” wasn’t working? She knew I wasn’t so pragmatic as her, she knew she couldn’t rely on me when it came to broken toasters or-

“Ah... Ah think we should... take a break.” I slowly realized what she was going to talk about as each word was spoken. She couldn’t be leaving me, I reasoned. She couldn’t, because we still had a lot of things to do together. We have to tell her family, we have to tell our friends, we have to start living together, we have to get- ... That was not the time to think about such things; I broke my flowing thoughts and shook my head vigorously.

“Rainbow... Ah know it’s gonna hurt, but... Ah think we should... y’know... Stay away from one another. For... some time...” She gulped and closed her eyes tightly as a few tears threatened to fall down. I stared at the grass for what seemed like hours before I finally rediscovered how language and communication work.

“W-Why?” was everything I was capable of whispering, my voice trembling. The fur on my cheeks was getting damp.

“Ah think we should see how we... live without each other. Ah honestly can’t see this relationship going any furth-”

“You can’t see our relationship going any further?! How can you say this, if you don’t know how things will go? How?” I stood up and stomped a hoof on the ground, bursting into an unexpected wrath I didn’t know I was holding back. My wings flared and more tears escaped my bloodshot eyes as Applejack’s ears splayed back and her whole body started shivering.

She tried to calm me down with words I can’t remember now, with attempts of strokes that failed as I flinched each time she tried to get closer. I wouldn’t listen to her, and she wouldn’t explain why we had come to this. Things were more than fine, why had she wanted to ruin them? Was I not enough for her? Didn’t I deserve her?

“Dash, please, Ah didn’t...”

“You know nothing about relationships, Applejack! Nothing! You can just destroy things when there isn’t anything wrong with them, then pretend nothing happened!” Now she was standing on all four, as well, and she backed with every hard sentence I spat. I understood her fear, I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do and I didn’t have to blame her for her choice, but I couldn’t cease it. My bitter rampage was getting the better of my own self, though I felt like I had to get rid of the burdening sorrow I had felt the instant she had revealed her decision to me.

Her breath got heavier and heavier, her watery eyes were silently beseeching me to stop it. And I wanted to. I wanted so much to tell her it was just a stupid joke, and fly into her arms and kiss her; but all that came out of my mouth when I tried to beg her forgiveness were hateful, rueful words.

“Yeah, you know what? Fuck you, Applejack! Fuck you and the useless tears you’re crying! I don’t care about it anymore! Now I’ll be able to have all the fun I desire with anyone and you’ll be able to go back to your fucking apple trees and sing them useless songs!” When I finished, my chest heaving and my legs and wings shaking violently, I realized what I had just said and, with horror in my still teary eyes, I lowered my head and ignored the distant sound of galloping hooves.

I felt something wet on my thigh and between my shoulders as a few monotonous raindrops started falling, but I didn’t mind anymore. My rear legs collapsed and I sat still in the grey rain, not caring about anything but what I had shouted angrily minutes before.

You’re right, Applejack. It’s not working.

Chapter 2

We had started fighting when I had come back to Sweet Apple Acres to apologize and make amends with the pony I love more than my own life. I had realized how stupid it had been of me to treat her that way the moment I had finished my shouting and cursing, and since then I had been thinking of any possible way to beg her forgiveness and her tender love - of course, being the idiot I am, I didn't find any. I concluded that there was only one thing left to do: knock at her door and talk to her.

And so, after two long weeks of mourning and bitter regret, I had done it. Well, I had actually stopped and got to the ground far from the main house because I had spotted something orange among the trees. Believing it was either Applejack or her brother, I had decided to land a few feet away. And, unluckily, I had discovered it was Big Mac.

It's always been pretty hard to talk with him, he hated being the center of attention and often didn't even take part in the conversation, which slightly annoyed me. When it came to the subject of his family, then, he got even more silent - if possible - and simply smiled proudly. I never understood why he did so, and he would never explain. Yes, Applejack had told me countless times he wasn’t as loquacious as her, but she never said the reason. I always supposed it was a habit and generally paid him no attention.

However, as soon as he had seen me walking towards him, his muzzle had curled in a snarl and his ears had splayed back. I had raised my eyebrows in curiosity as this sudden change, but I was determined to face him nonetheless. There was something in his pace, in his restless tail, in his darting eyes, that was mutely warning me it was a bad time for the questions I was going to ask him.

"Hey, Big Mac!" In an attempt of friendliness, and as if I hadn't caught his angry expression at all, I trotted on the soft grass and smiled as I approached him. "Saw you here and thought I'd come down and say "hi" to my old, good friend!"

His severe look hadn't changed, not even for a second, but what had worried me most was that he hadn't replied with his typical monosyllable statement yet. Instead, he behaved as if I wasn't there and kept on picking up the red apples from the ground. I had sheepishly continued anyway.

"Say, did you see Applejack lately?" My uncertainty surely gave him the chance to turn against me, because he nervously stomped his hoof on the ground and tilted his head towards me, disgusted.

"Ya shouldn't even have the right t' call 'er name." My eyes widened and my wings folded more tightly to my body. He knew it all, then. He wasn't just in a bad mood; Applejack had told him everything. She had told him anything about us.

I gulped hard as my already troubled thoughts started running wildly in search of a reasonable way to discuss peacefully with the furious stallion.

"W-Well, you know, it's not really..."

"It's not really what it seems, Miss Dash? What's it, then? Mah sister's gone crazy and has made up all o' this?" He glared so deeply, so sourly, I had felt a sharp twinge in my heart. His unusual firm and enraged voice scared me, because I knew he was right and it was my fault. But, I was convinced, I had to fix that.

"Listen, I know it's my fault, I admit it and I'm not trying in any way to deny it. I just want to apologize and talk to her. Couples" I cringed a bit at the word, being still unfamiliar with it, "should t-talk about the problems they have. And try to solve them."

Big MacIntosh simply glowered at me, saying nothing for a few minutes that felt like an eternity. Deciding it was useless to keep on beating around the bush, I took a deep breath and splayed my ears back, feeling a bit more self-confident.

"Applejack and I have to talk. She must have a reason for breaking up with me all of a sudden, especially when there wasn't anything wrong between us. I just want to know why." I furrowed my brows and stepped forward, flicking my tail nervously.

Once again, the farmer didn't react. When I was about to speak again, though, he abruptly turned around to face me and looked straight into my eyes, while my body paralyzed in scare.

"You were what was wrong. Treatin' her like she was one of your other lovers, and thinkin' she'd never even notice!" His words hit me hard, because I knew they came from Applejack. Those words came from the pony who had sworn so many times her genuine love to me, and they were hateful, nasty ones.

But, I realized, they made no sense. The lovers he was talking about - I didn't have any. I had no reason to, if I wished nothing more than the orange mare by my side. And I'm certain she knew my loyal fondness of her, since she had never seemed to doubt it.

That's true, Applejack had been acting pretty funny the previous days, often rejecting my signs of affection when other ponies, even strangers, were nearby; and avoiding any talk regarding my (or her, for that matter) past. I had not inquired further about her behavior, but I had actually worried about it. It wasn't like her at all to not let me know about what was troubling her, so of course that had made me wonder.

Applejack had never had any serious relationship. When we were teens, I know she had a coltfriend of sorts and often hung out with him, but she had never talked about him as more than a friend. No romance, no candlelight dinners, no intimate moments, nothing at all. At least, not that she mentioned. After the night I had confessed her my feelings, she had behaved as if it was her first time, reacting in an adorable clumsy way at each new step of the relationship. Under this point of view, we were practically opposites: I had got my "experience" through several different stories and irresponsible adventures which had all lasted no more than a year or two, the longest ones being always sullied by my pathetic one-night escapades.

My flowing thoughts were roughly cut off by the brother’s rusty voice, still ready to reach my weakening heart and upset it with every blaming word. However, this time I didn't listen to him and instead found the courage to interrupt him.

"You don't even have anything to do with all of this! You have no idea how much her reaction - and my reaction - made me suffer in these bucking fourteen days, so now step aside and let me talk about this with AJ eye to eye!" Blinking, I suddenly felt all the guilt I had managed to inhibit plummet on me as I thought about how the farmpony had lived that fortnight. A million times worse than me... And all because of my stupid, careless outburst. If only I had talked to her back then...

Silence reigned over the two of us for endless instants, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had nothing to grasp on to win this battle, because I had thrown it all away that moonlit night. I'm sure Big Mac knew this, so he let the stillness stretch for as long as he wanted. He eventually broke it again, willing to throw his next blow.

"Ya know, Miss Dash, there are a lot o' things ya don't even realize they exist until someone tells ya that ya don't deserve 'em." He narrowed his eyes and got closer to me, letting me savour the bitter taste of remorse in every word he spoke. "Yeah, ya know, things like love." The red stallion clenched his teeth and pronounced the sentence as if he was spitting venom.

I backed, feeling as weak and as helpless as ever while something cool and wet ran down my cheek. He was right. He was damn right about it all, I didn't deserve her. As reality slowly hit me, I lowered my head and stared at the grass, breathing heavily and shivering slightly. The consequences of my rash rampage were standing right in front of me, mocking and jeering my worn soul as I made no attempt to think of a solution - after all, it was me the one to blame.

After hurting me some more with words I can't recall, expressing his sister's sorrow and his great disappointment and complete mistrust in me, Big MacIntosh finally ordered me to go away and leave his family in peace, for he wanted his sister to forget about me and live the life she merited. I had no intention to rebut, so I simply shot him one last rueful glance and finally took off, still untamed and with a last sparkle of tenacious stubbornness.

I didn't go that far, unfolding my wings as wide as I could as soon as I got to the right altitude. I let myself be carried by the warm autumn currents and flew higher and higher, not bothering to look down. Lost in my thoughts, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate: I was not worth the mare I loved, she didn't deserve me. But I didn't want to leave her, not yet, not without getting to talk to her and beg her forgiveness for my careless act. Sighing, I realized that she probably wouldn't even listen to me, but reasoned I had to try anyway. I was not the one to lose so easily, especially to my all-time best challenger.

After all, it was my last chance to get her back.

Chapter 3

Since I had nothing else to do, and since the activity always had a healthy effect on my upset mind, I had flown above Ponyville and the Everfree Forest all day long. I had waited for the sun to slowly set before finally steering towards my target, one single thought leading my heart and wings.

The air wasn't mild anymore, no wind blew and no cloud occupied the sight before me. Celestia's sun was jovially painting the sky with its bright and warm colors - even though the masterpiece would be lasting just a few minutes longer - as the only sound reaching my ears was the sporadic flap of my feathered limbs. I sighed heavily as the apple orchard came into view in the distance and a few lights in the main house suddenly disappeared, leaving the surrounding space in darkness.

There was only one faint sparkle, up in the granary, where the family used to keep smaller hay bales, empty wooden chests and pretty much nothing else. I had been there only twice, but I still remembered the intense scent of hay that had welcomed me on my first visit.

It was hard to forget how soft and tempting my lover's body felt as we embraced in the cozy straw... we had lain there all night long, thinking and talking about our future, stealing glances when we thought the other wouldn't notice, sharing sweet kisses and gentle caresses that made us believe we were alone in the world and nothing else mattered.

It had been the sacred place where I had revealed my true feelings to the farm filly, where she had rejected me moments later and where we had made love for the first time three years after.

And now, I was going to walk that cold wooden floor for a third time, ready to face the only creature I'd sacrifice my life for - in those minutes, though, I wasn't sure if the sentiment was equally shared.

Applejack was lying next to a small hay pale and apparently staring at it, so I figured she wouldn't notice my arrival. Her blonde mane fell partly on her muzzle and on her strong shoulders; it was still tied in that red hairband she always refused to loosen. The white-socked frontleg I found particularly adorable was tucked under her weight, as was her left leg. She rarely rested like that because, she said, it gave her little freedom when she needed to stand up at once. She shifted position from time to time as her eyes lowered or closed slowly and her ears folded on her nape.

Seeing her so seemingly disheartened and weary made me feel even worse as guilt tenaciously whispered angry words in my agitated mind and my heart cried for vengeance, ordering me to fly straight to her and kiss her right there and then.

Of course, I had been thinking about it all day long and I was determined to win the fight this time, and get the reasons I had come to hear.

Softly and quietly, I moved closer and closer to the large glass-less, wooden-framed window and silently put my forehooves on it.

"You still remember that night?" I asked her, my voice just above a murmur. She didn't even turn to look at me, but I noticed her lips slightly curving into a tiny smile and her eyes briefly glancing in my direction. I smiled, too, but didn't approach her. I simply stayed there, in mid-air, my wings flapping; and she simply lay there, showing me her back.

"How could Ah forget it?" My hearts stopped its beating as she spoke calmly, the sound of her voice enough to enchant my thoughts and make them run wildly through my already bewitched mind. I stared at her some more time, knowing she was fighting as hard as me to try to keep herself still.

My eyes couldn't focus on anything but the green beauty of hers as I started to fly inside the barn without even realizing it. She slowly stood up, not facing me yet but now smirking to herself. I could already sense the warmth of her gentle breath as my wings carried me towards her, nearer and nearer until our heads were mere inches apart. It took me all my willpower to hold myself back and calm down, for I knew I'd be getting no answers if I let my flaring temper prevail once again.

"Ah thought about it every night before fallin' asleep, so that Ah'd be dreaming sweet dreams of you..." Applejack slowly turned towards me, her gaze still low, as my wings began beating with more energy and force than before. I had to be just a bit more patient and wait for her to be ready - the last thing I wanted was scaring her to tears like I had done fourteen nights earlier.

"Dash..." She closed her eyes and nuzzled my neck, inhaling my scent and making me shiver in pleasure at her bare contact. She whispered again, gently pushing her muzzle under my jawline and stroking her head on mine. "How could Ah be so stupid to even think of abandonin' ya? You mean the world to me..." I didn't react in any way to her gestures of affection and said nothing when she left her words hanging. Shifting her muzzle slowly, she finally placed her lips on mine.

But I felt nothing. I didn't return the kiss, I didn't move or reject her. The fire burning in my heart suddenly extinguished, and I couldn't understand why. That was all I had wished for since I had seen her that night, to kiss her. And now that I had the chance - now that she was giving me the chance -, I realized how futile it was. I didn't want the sad happiness of the moment, I wanted answers. I wanted to know why she had thrown me away when she still loved me, why she was acting so foolishly when she perfectly knew I wouldn't be buying it.

She must've read through my mind once again, because she backed a little and looked away, her ears folded and her tail between her legs. Adamant, I touched the ground and stepped forward, still staring at her. "I just want to know why." Those words escaped my mouth before I could stop them, but I didn't flinch nor did I pull back. I had to get to the bottom of this, and it was useless to keep on beating around the bush.

"Why. Oh, Celestia... Why, you ask me?" Her voice trembling, her eyes starting to tear and her head turning towards me with a start, Applejack looked straight at me for the first time that night, a somber shade in her eyes. "Ah thought ya were the expert in relationships..."

I gulped hard, remembering once again the words I had spat to her. I shivered a little, but tried to look as resolute as I hope I seemed anyway. "I know what I said. I know, and I regret it w-"

"It's not that Ah'm talkin' 'bout, Dash." Her brows furrowed and her head lowered a bit as she stomped one of her hind hooves on the floor. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes tightly before facing me again, this time with fire in her green irises. "Ya really can't understand, ya just can't."

At that moment, I angrily pushed my muzzle forward and pressed it on hers, pointing a hoof in her chest as I growled: "Of course I can't, since you don't wanna talk about it." I backed away a step, surprised at my own ferocity. I feared she might have been still too weak for the fight I had apparently wanted to start, and as her eyes widened, a look of hurt and sorrow mirroring them, I added mildly: "Applejack, liste-"

"Why should Ah tell ya?" She suddenly lashed out nervously, vengeance lacing her words. Astonished, I tried to process what she had just said and I opened my mouth to report equally abruptly, but I soon realized I couldn't find any suitable rebuttal. She spoke again, having gained enough confidence from my silent lack of assault. "So that ya could make yer callous speech and then dump me like ya did with everypony else?"

"W-What are you talking about...?" I was sincerely taken aback from her sudden change, but what left me speechless was what she was referring to, which I still couldn't understand. I searched through my distraught mind for any possible response as I noticed her breath becoming heavier and heavier as my uncertainty grew. She coldly chuckled a bit, shaking her head and glowering at me darkly.

"Ah knew ya were stupid, but Ah didn't imagine you could be this much of an idiot." I furrowed my brows angrily and was about to bite back, but she interrupted me before I could begin. A severe, hard straight line immediately replaced the mocking smile on her lips as she leered at me: "Now why don't ya go away and maybe find one of yer old lovers so that ya have sumthin' to do fer the night?"

My eyes opened wide and my jaw fell as I simply stared at her, my breath stopping and my mind blank. Applejack stared back at me, her head held high and her body stiff, every muscle tensed in anticipation and agitation. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, for neither of us moved of an inch or said a word. Slowly, and making an extremely great effort, I lifted my muzzle towards the mare before me as realization hit me.

She was talking about the pathetic relationships I had had in the past. About the many lovers I had spent a night or two with while I was engaged to another partner; about the infidelity that had featured me from my young teens to the day I had finally realized I loved her. That's what bothered her. That's what she was scared of - that I would abandon her carelessly as I had done so many times with others whom I once swore to cherish.

What she didn't know was that I would never, ever repeat that stupid blunder to her if my life depended on it, because I truly, heartily loved her - I had promised to myself nopony would ever be able to substitute her spicy brightness and sincere empathy, and I never break a promise.

"I will never do it." Her ears perked up and her eyes twinkled for an instant before her muzzle clouded again, bemused and hateful at the same time. I looked up at her, hope shining in my soul as she stayed silent, possibly pondering about whether believing me or kicking me out at once. I took a long, deep breath and spoke again: "I will never abandon you. I know that's what you fear, I understand it now-"

"Ah bet mah right leg that's what y've been sayin' to all the others." She looked at me sideways, still choosing not to trust me. I furrowed my brows and stepped forward, stubborn and determined.

"Let me finish." Her nostrils flared and her teeth clenched as she tilted her head towards me, commanding me wordlessly to go on despite her displeasure. "Applejack, I know you might be scared of our future because of my past, but you must have faith in me when I tell you I would never, ever even dare to make you suffer like that."

Still distrustful, the farm mare shook her head again and sighed heavily, sitting down with a poisonous shade in her emerald eyes. Realizing that I had no more weapons left and that it would have been useless to keep on fighting over a lost battle like that, I opted for my very last ace in the hole. I might not be the best at persuading ponies, but I know I'm pretty good at surprising them.

"Listen to me, Jacqueline." I noticed her eyes suddenly grow wide at my use of her most personal nickname (as well as effective, true name) as a hint of fear spread through them. "I'm one of the most foolish ponies you could ever meet; I'm probably the most reckless and careless and certainly not the brightest. I've made so many mistakes in my piteous, deplorable life, I couldn't even name half of them.

“And I know that's what worries you. I know it makes you sick when you remember, even for the slightest of moments, that the pony standing right in front of you has committed uncountable impure, dishonest deeds. I know you shudder when you remember of the many stories I had, and of how abruptly I always ended them when they weren't fun anymore. What you don't realize is that - and I'm swearing it to all Gods and Goddesses -, that I'm never going to hurt you. Seeing you suffer would shatter me - I'll be damned evermore if you had to suffer heartache because of me.

"You don't want to trust me, and I know that, for you are afraid the same anguish will happen to you. But you have to believe me when I say my mouth had never spoken words more sincere than these. I'd die for you if I had to, I'd move mountains to see you happy, even if it'd be for a brief, ephemeral moment."

I could hear the strong beating of her heart as she grasped for breath any time her fleeting eyes met mine, firmly anchored in her shimmering emeralds. Confident and passionate, I let a small smile appear on my lips as I tilted my head towards that of my lover.

"And one day the Heavens will sanctify our bound. One day, Applejack - I promise it to you and you only -, one day I'll kneel before you, and opening my heart to let you read my soul I'll wonder what good I'll have done to deserve your candid love..." A fresh breeze blew on us and stroked our coats as her eyes finally connected to mine, the gaze intensifying to the point I could swear words weren't needed anymore. "I believe I'll never find the answer."

Silence reigned in the air for what appeared to be forever, and stillness embraced the two of us as our heads got closer and closer, the orange pony's lips already seeming to graze my own. A shiver ran down my spine as I finally met the warm body I had strived for.

The undying flame in my soul suddenly ignited, inciting me to push further into the kiss as I splayed my ears back and let myself get lost in the sweet sensation of loving her. She slowly separated and opened her eyes to stargaze in mine, her soft muzzle still resting on my own as our foreheads soon touched.

"I guess everything's fixed now, isn't it?" Giggling and shedding a single tear, she folded her ears as our lips touched again and she smiled in the tender kiss.

My eyes slowly opened and I found myself studying her adorable, perfect facial features, from the blond lock falling down her forehead to the fair, white freckles adorning her cheeks. I thoughtlessly caressed them as the strong feeling of affection once again caught me. Too soon, Applejack disconnected from the kiss and smirked at me, her eyebrows raised.

"Ya should make such speeches more often, this secret part of you amazes me and makes me love ya even more..." The farm pony hugged me tightly and kissed me again and again, her emerald irises shining in the darkness and revealing to me all of her love. I started to caress her neck and shoulders, earning a few murmured gasps and soft moans that were already arousing me. The traitors at my sides quivered fiercely as I simply proceeded what I could do best: loving her.

Suddenly, she pulled away, a mischievous smile still present on her muzzle. "Just, promise me one thin'."

My ears perked up and fear spread at once in my mind. My breath getting heavier and heavier, I nodded without saying anything, waiting for her to speak.

Pointing a hoof in my chest, she looked at me straight in the eyes with a playful grin. "Don't ya dare appear on Playcolt's front cover ever again."

I blushed at her comment but started laughing with her anyway, pushing my muzzle into her mane and savoring her sweet scent until I realized what she had just said. "Didn't know you bought it..."

The farm mare froze and looked away, playing innocent. "Who, me?" I giggled and jumped on her as she stuck her tongue out in that joking manner of hers.

"My, who knows how many times you've consulted that magazine, eh, AJ?" Still laughing merrily, she strongly pushed me off her, making me tumble beside her as she nuzzled my neck dearly.

"Oh, shut up." She kissed my lips passionately and placed her hoof on mine. When we parted, our eyes seeing nothing but the other's colorful irises, we stroked our heads gently as her straw-yellow mane intertwined with my own.

And in that moment, we had anything we could've ever needed: for us, time could've stopped and we wouldn't have minded it in the slightest. Our hearts becoming one, we glanced outside in the starry night, black and violet velvet enhanced by millions of glistening diamonds, as a shooting comet darted before us. I lay my head on her chest, feeling safe and beloved, knowing that was only a foretaste of what beautiful gifts life would grant me.

Author's Note

Here's the end of my first story published here, a small arc to my beloved OTP AppleDash <3