Fighting Feelings
The ball sailed through the air. Its thick rubber construction made it heavier than the balls Rainbow Dash practiced with. She didn't let this fact worry her, however, and flapped a little harder in pursuit. Her face twisted in concentration and her heartbeat rivalled her wing-beat as the sweat began to form on her brow. Her nose was a fraction of an instant away from the sphere and she could almost grip it between her hooves.
A moment later, she did, plucking it from the air and turning back with a grin that oozed confidence. She looked around, realising she was mere feet away from the elevated ring that marked the opposite team's goal; had she not stopped the ball when she had, they would have scored. There was nobody in her immediate vicinity, leaving her a valuable few fractions of a second to decide on her next move. She squinted as her eyes crossed the early evening sun; a quick glance at the scoreboard made her mind up for her. The opposing team were several points ahead and the time on the clock was ticking dangerously low.
If Rainbow Dash was to have any chance of success, she'd need to score an impressive shot across the pitch—a re-purposed field on the outskirts of Manehatten—and smash through the opposing team's pegasi. Given a lighter ball, she could probably have done it; with the added weight she couldn't predict her own movement accurately enough to slip by. “Horseapples,” she swore, realising and admitting to herself that she couldn't make it in time.
She glanced down at the field below, where various earth ponies and unicorns still ran to find a good position either to receive the ball or to try to take it. Though none of the unicorns below her could match Twilight Sparkle for magical prowess, given enough time they could pluck the ball from her hooves like snatching hay from a foal.
A flash of blonde mane caught Dash's eye as a familiar orange mare leapt over an unfamiliar brown unicorn. “Applejack!” Dash yelled, and then threw the ball at where she predicted the earth pony would be a few instants later. Applejack looked up just in time to notice the plaything speeding towards her. Rainbow Dash motioned forward, pointing at the far end of the game zone, where a series of small wooden rings hung from the branches of a tall tree.
The rules of scoring were simple—the lower a ring a pegasus put the ball through, the more points they scored, and the opposite for earth ponies. Unicorns received neither benefit nor detriment from different holes, but they played more of a supporting role as defenders of their team's goals and snatchers of the ball from the grips of the opposing team's pegasi. Though it was rare for a unicorn to score, without them the earth ponies would be unfairly outmatched. Even with them, Dash was hardly a fair opponent.
Rainbow Dash pitched forward. Without the extra weight putting her off she could dart through the opposing team as easily as she would a field of fluffy clouds. It was almost unsporting of her, she thought, but only almost. Through the corner of her eye, she watched Applejack's hindlegs slam into the ball, sending it on a fast but low arc across the field at such a speed nobody else could have hoped to intercept it; even Dash would have struggled had she not had foreknowledge.
Applejack ran—jumping over the larger ponies and knocking the smaller ones out of the way—to meet Dash before the other team could scramble a response. In order to win they'd need the highest scoring ring, but if Dash attempted to dive down one of the unicorns waiting for her below would most certainly intercept her. She caught Applejack's eye, noting the sweat dripping from beneath her mane and the fiery determination on her face, and hoped to Celestia she knew what she was doing.
Dash caught the ball as its arc began to wane and threw it straight down towards her awaiting teammate below. She held her breath as her senses went into overdrive, slowing the world to a crawl. She could see realisation begin to dawn on the faces of her enemies, a look of cold desperation from mares who knew when they were beat. She watched Applejack raise herself up on her forelegs, driving them into the dirt to ensure she could keep her balance for the perfect strike. Applejack's mane was sweat-drenched and free flowing; her customary hair band must have been ripped away while Dash was distracted up above.
Dash watched closely in an anticipatory haze as Applejack's muscular legs began to thrust backwards, striking the weighted ball at just the right angle to send it soaring back into the air. The assorted ponies of the opposite team couldn't hope to move fast enough to catch it, leaving the ball to fly through the air in a lazy arc, heading towards the topmost ring and an assured victory.
The ball clattered uselessly against the edge of the goal, ricocheting off in a random direction. Dash winced as the crowd seemed to explode, one side with cheering and the other with sympathetic cries. Dash looked down to spot Applejack reacting not unlike herself, with her rear in the mud and her face downtrodden. Hay, she thought, maybe we can take another shot?
A horn buzzed out through the air, signalling the end of the game. They'd lost. It was over.
“Shucks, Rainbow.” Applejack was tying her hair back with a spare hair band. The purple colour and embroidered R suggested it belonged to Rarity. “I thought for sure we'd win that.”
“Well if you'd kicked the ball straight, we would've!” Dash grabbed Applejack's hat from between Fluttershy's hooves—prompting a squeak and a cower—and roughly pulled it over the earth pony's head. “Now we're just gonna have to go home.” Dash turned to their four friends, who were waiting in awkward silence. Pinkie Pie looked tired, having spent the entire game jumping around and cheering without paying any attention to what was happening.
“Hey!” Applejack snorted. “I'll have you know I scored darn near what you did, so don't you go being a sore loser on me.”
Dash kicked at the dirt, sending a small mound flying on a tiny parabola to smash itself into the ground a few feet away. “Yeah, whatever. We still lost, whoever's fault it was.”
Twilight's ears perked up. Her head untangled itself from the pages of the dusty old book she'd brought along for the journey. “Actually, Dash, I wouldn't be so sure. I've been reading Ponyville's town history, and it doesn't seem like we've ever had a sporting team enter into the final round before. You may not have won the contest, but I'm sure Mayor Mare will be polishing the medals as we speak.”
Dash rolled her eyes. “Twi, I got a medal for watering her garden in a dry season. I wanted the trophy this time.”
Pinkie bounced in to land between them. “You still came second! I'm totally gonna bake you a cake! A giant cake, for everypony in town! I can see it now: Banners, streamers, balloons, cupcakes and cakes and carrot cakes and mugcakes and glasscakes and-”
“Pinkie, darling?” Rarity looked up from the fashion magazine she'd been reading throughout the entire event. Pinkie stopped and looked at her, tilting her head questioningly. “I have spent rather too long in the sun today; my head is simply aching. If you'd be so kind as to not exacerbate it, that would be lovely.”
Pinkie tilted her head the other way. “Exacer-what? Guys, I think Rarity has heatstroke! We should get her to the train before it gets worse!”
Rarity opened her mouth as if to disagree, but thought better of it. “Yes, shall we? There's little reason to wait around in this sun and the train shall depart soon.”
Dash snorted. “Yeah, thanks, Rarity. Rub it in.”
“Honestly, Rainbow Dash. You can be so dramatic sometimes.” Rarity turned and began to walk towards the train station. It wasn't a long walk, which pleased Rarity greatly. Manehatten had several such rail stations, but Twilight had—appropriately—picked the one closest to their destination.
The other ponies followed, save Dash.
“Aw, c'mon, Rainbow. Ain't no sense moping about it, now is there?” Applejack raised a hoof and pressed it against Dash's side. “Just try again next time; we can train the others up for sure.”
Dash rolled her eyes. “If it weren't for us, they'd never have qualified. Maybe Twilight's right, maybe Ponyville just isn't cut out for sport. I had to promise half of them a day of personalised weather just to get 'em playing.” She sighed and pushed Applejack's hoof away, then followed the other four.
“Well hay, Dash, maybe try something not in a team next time, then. You did just fine out there today, don't beat yourself up about it, okay?”
Rainbow Dash made a noise, somewhere between approval and disapproval, and broke into a run towards the not-too-distant station. Applejack quickly galloped after her. Though they were both tired, they kept a fast pace, soon overtaking their friends and turning the journey into a race. Dash had the speed advantage, but she'd spent the entire game darting around and her wings were tired. Applejack had been running around, but a little running around didn't faze her, letting her pull ahead.
Seeing Applejack's orange nose inch ahead of her, Dash gritted her teeth and powered on, closing the gap and eventually putting herself a few hairs ahead. The train loomed in the distance, marking the victory point.
The two arrived within an instant of each other, and several minutes before their less athletic friends. “Ha! I win!”
“You ain't won nothing, Dash, it don't count if you touch it with a wing.”
Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at the vanquished competitor. “You're just jealous you ain't got 'em. Heh, why can't everybody be like you, AJ?” Dash asked, resting against the side of the train and flicking her tail at Applejack's hat. “I mean, athletic, not with the apples and losing and everything.”
“Twilight probably says the same thing about reading.” Applejack re-angled her hat and pulled the train door open, then motioned for Dash to move inside.
“Yeah, but that's different. We all do read. I could go talk to Twilight about books, but she can't run around an obstacle course with me.” Dash peeked inside the train car, then walked inside to lay claim to one of the beds within. “You're not gonna storm off again to be with a tree this time, are you?”
“Hey, Bloomberg was a member of the family!”
“It was an apple tree, AJ, not an Apple.” Dash chose one of the beds near the middle of the car, overlooking the countryside. She jumped atop the sheets and stretched to try to get comfortable.
“Don't make me go badmouthing that cloud of yours, Dash.”
Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed. “You say one more word and my favourite cloud'll find a new home where even Celestia can't see.”
“You see? Family, Dash. Ain't nothing more important.” Applejack picked the bed opposite, dropping her hat onto the pillow to mark it. “I'm gonna go make sure the girls are alright, you coming?”
“Nah, I brought a new book down and it's kind of awesome right now. See, Daring Do's been captured by these Amazonian ponie-”
“Uh-huh, I'll see you later, then.” Applejack left, turning tail and trotting out the still-open train car door. Dash's gaze lingered for a moment at the empty space, then simply shrugged and pulled her book out from under the pillow. Her bookmark was screaming at her to be removed, and Daring Do needed her help to escape the devious traps of the amazonians.
Several hours later, the train was chugging along on its journey back to Ponyville. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, and the moon had risen to replace it. Rainbow Dash read by the light of Twilight's horn, which flickered and pulsed slightly as the unicorn performed various actions Dash was trying her best to ignore.
The amazonians had been distracted with a whip and sharp wit, allowing Daring Do to escape inside the ancient temple she'd come to explore. Though the traps were plentiful, Do was clever and fast, and Rainbow Dash couldn't stop turning the pages out of fear that should she stop she'd miss the next exciting scene.
“Rainbow!” The deep purple glow illuminating Dash's gaze intensified for a moment, immediately before she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head.
“Ow!” Dash rolled over to stare at the unicorn. “What the hay was that for?”
“We've been talking to you for five minutes, Dash.”
“Uh, sorry, I was kinda distracted. See, Dari-”
“Uh-huh,” Applejack interrupted, “When did you become such an egghead, Dash?”
Rainbow Dash snorted and carefully laid her book down, ensuring she didn't put too much pressure on its sensitive spine. “I am not! Some of us just like to read more than reference manuals, y'know. Come on, Twi, back me up on this.”
Twilight picked up the thick novel in question and slipped Dash's bookmark between the pages, before closing them and setting the book under Dash's pillow once more. “I'm afraid I have to side with Applejack on this one, Rainbow. Daring Do will still be there tomorrow, and Pinkie suggested a game for us all to play, but we need everybody.”
Dash groaned. “Ugh, really? It was just getting good. Fine, this'd better not take long.”
“Hooray!” Pinkie grinned and jumped over to Dash, then grabbed the pegasus between her forehooves and pulled her out into the middle of the car. “It's called My Perfect! I read it in one of Rarity's magazines! One pony has to say their perfect something, and then everypony else has to say what theirs is!”
Dash looked over at the unicorn that'd roped her into Pinkie's activities. “I thought you said game, Twilight? Like, excitement and running and maybe a ball or two?”
“It's this or Spin the Haystack, Dash.”
“Fine. Who goes first?”
“I do! My favourite cupcake is sweet, sugary, and covered in sprinkles! Oh, and pink. Okay now you guys go!” Pinkie grinned.
Dash sighed. “I like those uh, the blue ones you make.”
“Blueberry muffins?”
“Yeah, they're pretty awesome.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded. “I'm with Dash, I think. Those are delicious.”
Rarity licked her lips. “I have to admit, when nopony else is looking I have been known to sample some of those delectable coconut treats of yours, Pinkie. They go straight to my flank, I'm sure of it, but they're simply divine.”
“I like the apple ones.” Applejack looked around as everybody else stared at her. “What? They're delicious; made from good old fashioned Apple family apples!”
“Right.” Dash laughed. “What about you, Fluttershy?”
“Oh, um, I wouldn't want to choose. It wouldn't be fair to all the other cupcakes.”
“Come now, dear, you must have a favourite?”
“Oh, no. I like them all.”
Pinkie's head tilted as she stared at the yellow pegasus, who busied herself hiding behind her pillow. Pinkie leapt, and crashed into Fluttershy a moment later, knocking her over.
“Dear me,” Rarity said, keeping her voice at a whisper, “I think those two are out of the game.”
“You can lose this game?” Dash replied, thinking that perhaps if she lost she could go back to reading.
“Oh yes, darling. The rules clearly state that if at any point one of your friends matches Mr. Perfect, you're both obliged to leave and talk about it in private.”
“Pf, Pinkie ain't a Mr. Perfect, Rarity.”
“Well, maybe not, but she certainly seems to be Fluttershy's perfect baker. I'll be sorely disappointed if they don't talk about cooking for hours, it's right there in the rules.”
“Whatever,” Dash said, hatching a devious plan. “My turn. My perfect athlete is strong, fast, and dependable. They've gotta really care about winning, but not mind when I beat them. They've gotta be honest with me if I'm screwing up, and not take it badly when I tell them they screwed up.” Applejack would, of course, describe her—Dash was anybody's perfect sporting partner—and then she could go read again.
Rarity spoke up first. “Athlete? Oh, they simply must be strong, and handsome, and pose just so. They absolutely have to let me design their uniform, as well.”
Thankfully, Applejack was next. “Perfect athlete, huh? Well, I guess they'd have to be pretty strong, and not mind helping out around the farm. Maybe look pretty handsome, as well, and not mind stayin' the night. If ya'll catch my drift.”
“Oh, Applejack, how crude.” Rarity turned her face to look away, feigning disgust for almost an entire second before she turned back. “Do tell more!”
“Hey!” Dash interjected, “This isn't perfect stallion, just athlete. Like me, I'm an athlete!” Not a perfect one, though, Dash thought. What the hay has he got that I don't? Dash paused for a few moments, then shook her head. Great, now I'm getting jealous of a fictional character. I wish I could just go read, I bet Daring Do doesn't have to put up with this.
“Fine. Twilight, what's yours?”
Twilight shrugged. “One that stays out of the way and doesn't ruin my experiments, I suppose. Unlike Dash.”
“Fantastic!” Rarity exclaimed. “Now for the juicy one. My perfect stallion is big, and brave, and handsome, and rich of course. He truly loves me for who I am, and he'll always be there to keep me safe. Now you go, Applejack.”
Applejack laughed. “I dunno about that, Rarity. I ain't really done much thinking on love.”
“Oh, please, Applejack. You never get bored out on the farm and start imagining Him?”
“Nah, not really. Whenever I'm really bored I just shout for Dash, she's probably sleepin' off her nap in one of my apple trees anyway.”
“Well, Applejack, Rainbow Dash is not your perfect stallion, s-”
“Hey!” Dash interrupted. “I could be! Not that I am, or want to be. Or anything.” Dash mentally slapped herself. She hadn't meant to say that, but whenever anybody accused her of not being able to do something, challenging it came as naturally as breathing. “Jeez, can I go read now?”
Rarity smiled. “When the game is over.”
Applejack shook her head. “Well, I guess my perfect stallion would be dependable, and loyal, and always there for you. He'd have to be fun to be around, and I wouldn't ever want to see him helpin' on the farm. I get enough of that as it is, I ain't having him be tired each night too; he gotta help me relax.”
“See, I could totally fit that!” Dash exclaimed. “So me and AJ are out. I'm gonna go read now.”
Dash jumped up to her bed and pulled the book from under her pillow. Before she could open it, however, Applejack joined her, landing next to her on the bed. “H- Hey, AJ, you know I was only joking, right?”
“Keep your voice down, Rainbow! Don't want Rarity hearing, then she'll make us play again. We've gotta stick together, it's the rules, and Twi'll have our hides if we break them.”
“Guh, fine.” Dash wriggled along the bed until she felt herself press against the wooden traincar wall. “Try not to move around too much, okay?”
“I think we've gotta talk, too.” Applejack wriggled a little closer until she was resting on Dash's body.
“What're you doing, Applejack?”
“What? You're all over me all the time, Dash, it don't mean nothing. Ya'll're comfy, that's all.”
“I guess,” Dash said, realising Applejack did have a point. If she wasn't on a cloud, her favourite position was resting on Applejack. As earth ponies went, Applejack was one of the most comfortable to sit on. “Let's talk, then. You still on for training tomorrow?”
“'course, Dash, I wouldn't miss it for all the apples in the world.”
Dash laughed. “Are you ever gonna run out of those? Do you have a book somewhere of apple phrases or do you just make them up? I think I know what your cutie mark's really about, AJ!”
“Yeah yeah,” Applejack snapped jokingly. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into a grin as she pushed herself onto Dash and began to tickle without mercy.
“Oh my,” Rarity said, pointing over to the pair's new bunk. “They are getting physical, aren't they?” With Applejack and Rainbow Dash now occupied with each other, and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy quietly whispering over a cookbook, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle were left alone.
“What, those two? Oh, Rarity, you should see them on Applejack's farm. They can't keep their hooves off of each other. Honestly, if I didn't know they weren't, I'd suspect they were, y'know, dating.”
“Dating? Preposterous. I'd know about it.”
“Well,” Twilight said, pulling out the notebook she'd had hidden in her bed. “Just look at what Rainbow Dash said about her perfect athlete, it's almost exactly Applejack!”
“Well, yes, but they are perfect sports for each other. Why on earth would you think that meant she was interested romantically? I'm not sure the poor mare even gives it any thought.”
“Hey, Dash!” Twilight shouted. A moment later, the blue and orange tangle in one of the beds paused for a moment, then Dash's head poked out at an improbable angle.
“Hey, Twi. What? Me and AJ are kinda in the middle of something, I'm one tickle down and there's only a few seconds left on the clock.”
“You never said what your perfect stallion was like, Rarity really wants to know!”
“Uh, just take the athlete one and make it a stallion, I guess. Can I go now, I- Hey! That's cheating, AJ!” Dash immediately dived back in, and the tussle was renewed.
The squeaks and giggles made more sense in Twilight's head now that she knew they were having some sort of tickle fight, but that didn't ease the thoughts in her head at all. “See! Look-” Twilight flicked through the pages of her notebook until she came to the section entitled Rainbow Dash- “I've compiled a list of all the fictional characters Dash is like, and all of them ended up having a romantic subplot with their assistant, or partner, or something similar. Even Daring Do, in the latest novel, though Dash hasn't gotten up to that bit yet.”
Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as a blue streak was bucked across the traincar to land on the opposite side, crashing against the window and falling to the bed. A fraction of a second later, an orange streak followed, pinning it down and starting their wrestling again.
“Anyway,” Rarity said, a few seconds later, “I hardly think that means that Rainbow Dash will follow. Why, the shy young bookworm is swept off her feet by the handsome stallion in so many books, but you don't think that's destined for you, do you?”
“Well- I-” Twilight blushed and looked down. “Maybe.”
“Dear, you have much to learn about love. There's a whole article on it in this magazine, you should read it.”
The train slowed to a stop at Ponyville's central station, allowing the six friends to depart. Applejack's mane was dishevelled and free flowing, having lost the purple band at some point during her and Rainbow Dash's brawl. It had lasted throughout the entire journey, making pinpointing any one action problematic. Dash's mane was similarly unkempt, and both of them breathed heavily and felt exhausted. Dash thought she'd won; Applejack would have disagreed.
“Yawn! Good night, everypony.” Pinkie Pie waved as she bounced away, seemingly oblivious to the fact she should be tired. Fluttershy meekly squeaked her farewells and followed, heading not towards her own house, but Pinkie's.
“My, I guess Fluttershy had more baking advice than we realised,” Rarity said, watching the two leave. She smiled and began to walk towards her own home. “Good night, girls. Today was quite exhausting, I'm afraid.”
Twilight nodded and yawned. “Good night. Don't forget about your appointment tomorrow, Dash.” Twilight closed her eyes and vanished in a flash of magic, leaving Rainbow Dash and Applejack standing side on the platform alone. Dash had, at some point, jumped up to rest her forehooves on Applejack's back so she could watch her friends leave from a better angle. Her saddlebag—containing her book and the few remaining snacks she hadn't eaten—rested against Applejack's tail.
“Appointment?” Applejack looked back at the pony on her back.
“Yeah, we're gonna try some kickboxing. I was telling Twi about how that big guy with the tiny wings on the weather team was running some lessons, and she insisted she come with. I dunno why, she's probably gonna get beaten up. I bet she doesn't come back.”
“Pf, like you'd know. I could count the number of sports you've actually stuck with on one hoof.”
“Yeah, well, they're all kinda boring compared to flying.” Dash stretched her wings, but winced as one of them decided the rough wrestling from earlier had been perhaps a little too rough. “Ow, horsefeathers.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just a bit sore. It'll be fine in the morning.”
“I told you you should've done some stretches before the game, Dash. Now look what's happened!”
“Hey, I was fine after the game. You did this; I think there are still teeth marks on them somewhere.”
Applejack coughed. “Ah, well. Sorry about that, I guess I got a little carried away with you there. I forget how fragile ya'll can be sometimes.”
Dash jumped up and landed on Applejack's back. The mare's knees bent, but didn't buckle. Dash knew she was relatively lightweight, but even so, she respected Applejack's strength. She couldn't get that physical with any of her other friends, whether because they'd buckle under pressure or shout at her for it. “Yeah right, AJ. C'mon, take me home.”
“On my back? I ain't a workhorse, Dash.”
Rainbow Dash slid down until her legs were firmly wrapped around Applejack's body and her head rested atop Applejack's hat. “You're going there anyway, and you can't get me off.”
“Ya'll wanna come to the farm?” Applejack said, turning her head to look forward and starting to trot. “Well, sure, we've got the spare bed. I hope you don't mind a run.” The moment Applejack's hooves hit soft dirt, rather than the cold stone of the train platform, she took off at a gallop.
Dash held on for dear life, and opened her wings to let the airflow over them. "I can't believe you sometimes, Applejack. You've been practising and playing all day, when the hay do you get tired?
“Some of us can go for more than five minutes without needing a nap.” Applejack jumped, maybe avoiding some obstacle Dash didn't see, or maybe just jumping for fun. Dash's wings caught the air at the apex of her leap, and the two glided several meters before hitting the ground again. “Huh. Keep your wings out like that, Rainbow, I wanna try something.”
Applejack looked around and spotted a small hill, which she climbed in a few large bounds. As soon as she'd reached the top, she leapt as high as she could. “Woah, nelly,” she exclaimed, looking down at the forest now worryingly far beneath her. Dash felt Applejack's entire weight pulling down on her, but she knew her grip was tight and true.
Dash grinned and tilted her wings, diving towards the ground fast enough that she could feel Applejack's body tense. A moment before they would have struck, she tilted her wings the other way and pulled up, leaping back up into the air, then continued to glide along as Applejack had hoped. “Gotcha! Man, you were scared!”
“I- I was not! I was just concerned you'd forgotten how to fly, is all.”
Rainbow Dash took that as a challenge, and immediately dropped into a barrel roll. The next several minutes were filled with Dash screaming through the sky, making turns so fast it took a moment for Applejack's hair to catch up and generally acting recklessly. It was also filled with the sound of Applejack. “Rainbow, you put me do- aaagh! Put me down this instant! Ponies shouldn't be in the air, I like my hooves on the ground!”
“Sure thing, AJ!” Dash let go in the middle of one of her speedier ascents, sending Applejack flying into the sky. Dash hovered alongside as Applejack stared at her disapprovingly.
“This ain't exactly what I meant,” Applejack flatly stated, folding her forehooves as the two shot through the air. A stray gust of turbulence knocked the hat from her head, but Dash easily caught it and placed it on her own, to Applejack's great annoyance. “Dash, you put me on that there ground this instant, y'hear?”
“Fine, fine.” Dash rolled her eyes and shifted over to grab Applejack once more, then slowly glided down to a stop on the cold, boring ground below. “We're here, anyway.”
Dash dropped Applejack an inch from the ground, letting her land comfortably at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. “I- So we are. Thanks, Dash. Never do that again.”
Dash pushed Applejack's hat back onto its rightful head and landed on the strong earth pony hind once more. “It was your idea, anyway. I'm tired now, too, where can I nap?” Dash rested her head on the hat and closed her eyes, lightly holding herself on top of Applejack with a minimum of force. “Here'll do, just… Stay still.”
Applejack shook her head and sneaked into the refurbished barn she and the rest of her family called a house. It was late, and the others were likely to be asleep, so she tried to be as quiet as possible. The lights were out and the whole place was silent.
As Applejack climbed the wooden staircase, Dash began to slip from her back. “Agh!” she yelped, then gripped onto Applejack's sides, causing her to fall back too. A second later, both crashed at the bottom of the staircase. “O- ow,” Dash moaned. Her legs and head poked out from beneath Applejack. “You mind getting off?”
Applejack rolled to the side and held out a hoof to help Rainbow Dash up. She took it, and yanked, pulling Applejack back down on top of her. “Rainbow! The family's asleep upstairs, we've gotta be quiet.”
“Bah, fine,” Dash replied, and helped push Applejack back up. With a single beat of her wings, she righted herself, then sped up the stairs without making a sound. Applejack sneaked after her, far more productively now she didn't have a pegasus weighing her down, and pointed Dash to the room at the far end of the corridor.
The room was sparsely decorated, but what there was, was apple themed. The apple-emblazoned sheets covered the bed, which had apples carved into the side of the frame. The small bedside table was shaped like an apple. Rainbow Dash sniffed, and could have sworn she could smell apples.
“Shut up,” Applejack said, pre-empting the comments.
“I di-”
“You were gonna. Shut up and sleep tight, Rainbow.” She turned and left, closing the door on her way out. Shortly afterwards, Dash was tucked up in bed with her book between her hooves, salivating at the thought of watching Daring Do explore the temple of the ancients.
“Rainbow? Rainbow!” Applejack's hoof pushed against Dash's body and shook her where she lay. A few seconds later, Dash began to mumble and push the insistent hoof away with a wing.
“No… No leave Do alone…” Dash rolled over and revealed she was still hugging the open book close, halfway through a chapter.
“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack snapped, pushing the pegasus out of bed with one heavy shove. “It's dang near lunch and you ain't even out of bed yet!”
Dash snapped awake as she fell and hit the ground an instant later. Her head popped up from behind the bed, prompting a laugh from Applejack as she noticed how tangled in the sheets she'd managed to become. “I- wuh? Awake, awake! Uh… What am I awake for?”
“You're just… Awake, Dash. For doing things. You can't just sleep all day.”
“Sleep? Nuh-uh, I didn't sleep at all last night. Oh Celestia, my book!” Dash said, noticing that the novel had fallen off the bed and she had lost her place. “Horseapples, now I have to start from the beginning again.”
“Calm your hooves, Dash, you're on page three hundred five.” Applejack rolled her eyes and passed Dash her bookmark.
“Oh, thanks, AJ. I could kiss you for that.” Dash opened the book and slipped her mark inside, then set both down atop the bedside table. She yawned. “What's for breakfast?”
“A-”
“Oh, of course,” Dash interrupted, “apples.”
Applejack snorted. “Actually, Dash, it's lunchtime. We're having hay with some good old-fashioned apple slices, and a glass of cool apple juice. If ya'll're good, granny smith made a zap-apple pie for afters.”
Rainbow Dash licked her lips, and Applejack heard the pegasus's stomach rumbling.
“Hungry?”
“Heh, yeah, a bit.”
“Well come on, then, it's getting cold.”
Dash's legs kicked out, screaming through the air until they struck the side of the tall apple tree she was apparently attending. Another apple dropped to the ground, several meters from her cart. “Ugh, how the hay do you do that thing with the apples, AJ?”
“I just kick 'em, you ain't doing it right.” Applejack demonstrated, striking her tree with a single hindleg and causing every apple to drop into her waiting cart. “And,” she added, “I didn't gorge myself on food.”
“Heh—” Dash burped— “Yeah, that's kinda why I'm helping. Don't want you guys to think I'm taking advantage or anything. It was just all so… delicious. Hey, is there any of that pie left?”
“Consarn it, Rainbow, not five minutes ago you said you'd never eat again.”
“That was five minutes ago!”
Applejack laughed. “Yeah, go on, go grab another slice. I've told you, Dash, you don't need to prove yourself to me, and I don't need your help on the farm!”
“Why, don't think I can keep up?” Dash narrowed her eyes and puffed out her chest, stretching her wings in a shameless show of pegasus superiority.
“Naw, it ain't that, I just don't want you thinking of me as a workmate or nothing. I need a break sometimes too, y'know?” Applejack struck Dash's tree with another single hoof, and every apple within dropped to Dash's cart.
“What do you mean? You're my friend, bucking a few trees won't change that!” Dash tilted her head questioningly. She vaguely recalled something about Applejack not wanting somebody to work the farm from the night before, but given that her memories suggested that had taken place in an ancient temple, they weren't to be trusted. “You know I'll always be around to nap on your roof, anyway.”
“I dunno, Dash. Something Rarity said just got me thinking, is all. I don't want another farmhand, I want a…” Applejack paused for a moment, as if considering her words carefully. “Partner.”
“Huh? You want a-”
Applejack quickly interrupted, cutting Dash's sentence off as if the end of it was an opponent to be beaten. “Dash, I-” She stopped, then closed her eyes for a mere moment. “Oh, I don't mean nothing. You can take these carts over to the farm, though, if you like. Hurry, you don't wanna miss you and Twi's appointment, do you?” Applejack watched Dash's face go through a series of emotions, from shock, to surprise, to realisation, to despair. “You forgot, didn't you?”
“Oh ponyfeathers, yeah. Uh, what time is it?”
“You've got time, just hurry. Go on, I'll be fine here. Get out of here, I'll manage.”
“She said what?” Twilight attempted to duck, but Dash's legs lightly tapped her on the neck anyway. The pegasus was holding back both her blows and her laughter.
“Come on, Twi, you've gotta move faster! What if we get into another fight, the real bad guys won't hold back! Anyway, yeah, AJ was really weird. Said Rarity got her thinkin' about something? Not like her.” Dash effortlessly slipped to the side as Twilight's kicked outwards, then caught her in her forehooves as she overbalanced. “I dunno what she meant, maybe I should ask Rarity.”
Twilight struggled to keep her balance as Dash pushed her back up, then took a wild swing at the pegasus's head. Dash leant back and let the hoof tickle the tip of her mane. Twilight grunted. “Ugh, stop moving! No, don't go see Rarity, she'd probably tell everypony. Applejack likes you, Dash.”
“Of course she likes me,” Dash replied, pushing Twilight over with a hoof, and then extended it for Twilight to pull herself up by. “Everypony likes me, and me and AJ are great friends.”
Twilight swung at Dash's other foreleg, hoping to knock her to the ground as well. Dash simply lifted it and flapped her wings to stay steady. Twilight grabbed hold of the hoof to try to regain her footing. “No, like like. Where are you up to in Curse of the Ancients?”
Dash grabbed Twilight and pulled her back up to her hooves for another round. “Uh, page three hundred five, AJ said.”
“Okay, Dash. You're Daring Do, and Applejack is your Curving Rope,” Twilight said, trying to draw a comparison between Applejack and the fearless, dependable, yet slightly unimaginative and unadventurous companion to Dash's favourite fictional heroine. “What do you think me and Rarity were talking about last night? It's so obvious!”
“I don't get you-” Dash took a step to the side to avoid a jab from Twilight's horn- “Do and Rope are great friends, just like me and AJ. I already knew that, it doesn't explain what she meant. And seriously, Twi, don't just come at me, I'm gonna dodge it. Aim at where I will be.”
“Dash, don't tell me you've managed to miss the entire romantic subplot?” Twilight said, lunging to strike at Dash's side. The pegasus didn't move.
“That's too far to my side.” Dash extended her hoof as support yet again. “And what romantic subplot?”
“What about when Rope gave her flowers? That whole awkward conversation by the campfire? The way Do got captured by those amazonians just so she could get away? When they ki- Hay, sorry, spoilers. Ignore that one.”
“Y'mean like… like like? Like… like?”
Twilight nodded.
“Woah. Man, I didn't see that one coming. I always thought Rope was pretty hot, but I figured she was too focussed on her work for that sort of mushy stuff.” Dash stood her ground as Twilight took another swing at her with a forehoof, knowing that her footing was too strong to be toppled from Twilight's position.
Twilight's swing took her hoof all the way to her forehead, missing Dash by several inches. “No, Dash, you're still not getting it. Why don't you think Applejack could be interested in you?”
“She's too focussed on her work for that kind of mushy stuff.” Dash prodded the fallen unicorn, then grabbed under her leg to pull her back to her hooves. “Me too, I can't waste time on flowers or campfires or amazonians, I have practise to do. Anyway, who says I'd like her back?”
“Seriously, Dash? You two spend almost all your spare time together, and half that time you've got yourself draped over her like one of Rarity's dresses.”
“We're friends, that's all! I hang out with you all the time too, remember? Not gonna accuse me of wanting to smooch you as well, are you?”
Twilight shook her head. “You don't smile that wide when I come into the room and you certainly don't leap over and land on my back just to say hi. No, Dash, it's written all over your face, even if you've missed your own romantic subplot too.”
“H- hey, I would, but you guys can't take my weight! Th-”
Twilight interrupted Dash with a near-invisible flash of her horn, effortlessly lifting the pegasus from the ground.
“Okay, fine, maybe you can. What would you know about it, anyway? It's not like you've got stallions lining up to be with you either.”
“I've read several books on the subject, as well as conducted my own independent research. I can say with ninety three percent certainty you want to be more than friends with Applejack.”
“Independent research?”
“I talked to Rarity; she knows a lot more than me about these things.”
“I- well, fine, whatever. Applejack is pretty cool, I admit. Not as cool as me, obviously, but pretty close.” Dash relaxed, hanging freely in mid-air, and sighed. “She's too busy to hang out more, though.”
“Aha! So you do want to be more than just friends!”
“No! I- No, I dunno. Maybe. How am I meant to find these things out?”
“I was right!” Twilight leapt up into the air with a grin on her face. “Oh, I need to write this up. You weren't keeping a transcript of our conversation, by any chance, were you?”
Dash shook her head. “Calm down, Twilight. I dunno what I want Applejack to be. I just love hanging around with her, y'know? Hay, I'd even help out on the farm if she'd let me. Even when I pretend it's just to train my legs she won't let me do more than a few trees. What if she's fine with how we are?” Dash sighed. “I kinda hope something'll happen every time we go play a game or win some contest or something, but she never notices. I love our play-fights, but… Man, I don't wanna annoy her or anything. What should I do, Twilight?”
Twilight put Dash down and started to think. A few seconds later, she lunged forward and stabbed Dash on the chest, knocking her to the ground.
“Ow! Hey, what the- Twilight! That really hurt!” Dash stumbled to her hooves and took a few steps away until she was out of range. “I thought you were meant to be helping? That's not helping, that's hurting!”
“I am too helping! You made it pretty obvious before I couldn't hit you, no matter how hard I tried. Maybe Applejack is the same. Don't fight hard, fight smart! If dropping hints isn't working, find some other way to tell her. Get her distracted, then hit on her when she can't avoid it!”
“Huh? Like… What?” Dash tilted her head questioningly and tried to silence the part of her mind that was screaming at her for taking dating advice from Twilight “Virgin” Sparkle.
“Do something romantic! Flowers; write her name in the sky; make a heart shape out of apples before she bucks it out of a tree; stuff like that. That always works in the stories, after all.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I'm not even sure I feel like that, and I have no idea how sh-”
“Of course I'm sure! Look, if you need any more convincing, go and finish Curse of the Ancients. That should give you some ideas.” Twilight grinned again. “I can't believe I was actually right! Rarity owes me so many spa visits now.”
“Don't get ahead of yourself, Twi. Look, we're just good friends, it's probably just the- the- the post-game stress talking, that's all. C'mon, Daring Do doesn't need that stuff and neither do I.”
Rainbow Dash set the book down on the apple-shaped table beside her current napping spot. It rested, closed, on top of her bookmark. She had finished—even read the authors notes—and it no longer had a purpose. Rainbow Dash lay atop the bed in silence for several minutes, trying to process what she'd just read, before falling into a light sleep.
“The dawnstar!” Applejack shouted, pointing at the falling artefact tumbling into the bottomless pit at the side of the ancient temple. “I'll save it! Wait here, Rainbow!”
The assistant leapt, diving forehooves first into the flying-shark-filled abyss. The killers of the sea were met with powerful blows from the mare's hindlegs, distracting them for long enough for Applejack to fall further down. Every moment she grew closer to the artefact they'd travelled thousands of miles to save.
“A- Applejack!” Dash dived after her, flapping her wings as fast as they could go. Her assistant didn't know that bottomless was an affectionate local term, not an accurate description. The pit had a bottom, and both ponies were speeding towards it at an alarming rate. “Applejack, look down!”
A shark snapped its jaws shut around one of Dash's wings. She screamed and pulled away, but it was too late, and the wing didn't come with her. The air filled with feathers as her careful descent turned into a frantic spiral as her one remaining wing flapped uselessly.
Applejack's eyes were locked ahead of her at the rapidly approaching slab of rock that marked their final destination. “Aw, horseapples.” Her flailing hoof slammed into the dawnstar, and she held it close, hoping that perhaps her flimsy flesh body could save it at least, and then Rainbow Dash could still return home a hero.
In the last few seconds before she struck, her thoughts turned to her regrets. Top of the pile was never acting on her desires. She realised now that work and training came second to true happiness, and true happiness could only be found in one place.
“I love you, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered, letting her voice be torn away by the wind before her body was torn away by the rock.
“I know!” Dash yelled, barely audible above the whistling wind. Applejack felt a hoof against hers, then she was pulled towards something. A second later, she managed to open her eyes. “Yee-haw, Applejack!” Dash yelled, clutching the tattered stump her wing used to protrude from with one hoof, and guiding a flying shark with the other.
“D- Dash! What the hay happened to you?”
“I had to save you, Applejack. I couldn't let you die. I- I love you too. I'll never fly again, but with you by my side, my heart can reach higher heights than ever before!”
“R- Rainbow Dash! I didn't know you felt like that! I- I- Wake up, dinner's ready!” Applejack said, brushing her hoof over Dash's still-sore body. “I'm so sorry, I screwed up and now you'll miss dinner.”
“What- I just saved your ass, and you're talking about dinner? Don't you get it, AJ, I love you! I don't care about the adventures; I just wanna be with you!”
“Rainbow Dash, wake the hay up and stop mutterin'!” Applejack gave one final shove, knocking the pegasus out of her bed. Once more, her head poked up over the side a moment later.
“Oh, uh, hey AJ. I was uh… Napping.”
Applejack nodded. “I can see that. C'mon, you think you're up for some more of that pie? Granny Smith says it'll not last, so we need all the help we can get, partner.”
“Partner,” Dash repeated. The word felt nice against her ears. She channelled her inner Twilight Sparkle for a moment and remembered, Curving Rope had called Daring Do her partner before… The end. I'm gonna have to talk to Twi about that ending. I mean, seriously, those sharks came out of nowhere. “Yeah, I think I can handle another slice.”
“That's my mare, Rainbow.” Applejack turned to leave.
“AJ…” Applejack turned back. Dash's expression was in flux, as if she were concerned about something.
“Yeah?”
“I- Applejack, I really- I've been thinking, and- Hey, can I stay over again tonight?” Rainbow Dash mentally cursed herself. What the hay am I doing? I don't even know what I want to say, she thought.
“Uh, sure thing. Not feeling up to the flight still?”
“I uh, yeah. Something like that.”
Applejack stood for a few moments, eyeing the pegasus. Neither spoke. Eventually, Applejack turned and walked downstairs to where Dash's slice of pie awaited her. Concerns about feelings and relationships could wait—there was pie to eat.
“Ugh, five more minutes,” Dash groaned, tossing on her uncomfortable mattress. “C'mon, I'm not awake yet, stop pestering me.” She grunted.
“Okay, fine, I'll get up.” Dash opened her eyes and squinted out the window at the moon. It was a bright night, but night all the same. A single cloud floated across the moon's surface, and Dash guessed it wouldn't be morning for quite some time. She groaned and threw her blanket onto the floor, then pulled herself out of bed.
Dash carefully opened her door and quietly trotted along to the bathroom, snarling at herself as she passed the mirror. After a few splashes of cold water, she felt almost awake. Though it was late, she hadn't slept, and only partially due to the discomfort of a mattress.
She stared her reflection down, flaring her wings to try to scare it off. “Why now? Come on, I've been friends with AJ for years; it's never been awkward before. Why now? Have I done something wrong? Have I always felt like this? What do I even feel like?”
Her reflection mirrored her questions, but offered not a single answer.
“Come on!” Dash yelled, and slammed her hoof against the wall. The reflection flinched, but only through mirroring Dash's pain.
She slumped against the wall, where the mirror couldn't see her. “Stupid books. Stupid Applejack. Stupid Twilight. Stupid Rarity. Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Dash hissed to herself. “Man, it was all so simple, why'd they have to go mess it up? I was fine before, I was.”
Memories of lonely nights flashed before her eyes. Clouds made for poor company, but they were all she ever had. It had never been this bad, though—loneliness alone is better than a yearning for something she couldn't have, Dash thought.
“Ugh, I've gotta get out of here,” Dash muttered. Without even stopping to grab her book, she hovered down to the ground floor of the house and made her way to the door.
Winona lay curled up against it, blocking Dash's escape. She swore under her breath and considered her options: she knew from experience most of the windows squeaked, and her aching hoof told her the walls were too hard for her to punch a hole in like she could a cloud. Dash felt trapped.
“Oh! Oh my,” a voice exclaimed behind her. Dash immediately span around and assumed a combat pose, ready to fight. It was just Applejack's grandmother.
Dash dropped to the ground in front of her. “Oh, hey.” She shuffled on her hooves and glanced around the room. “I uh, I was just getting a glass of water.”
The elderly earth pony slowly nodded. Everything she did was slow, Dash noted. She could have done a loop of the room before the old mare had opened her mouth. “I heard,” she eventually said.
“You uh, you did, huh?”
Granny Smith nodded. Each motion took an agonizing few seconds. “You're lucky my granddaughter never wakes 'till dawn, else I think she'd have you out on your tail.” She spoke in a slow drone, as if speaking took a toll on her body.
Dash took a step back. “You heard what I said? You- you don't think AJ'd like it? Ain't that just great.” Dash paused. “Now I'm even talking like her. Next I'll have a hat. If I can't have Applejack, I'll be Applejack!” Dash paused again. Her shoulders slumped and she sat back on the floor. “Huh, I guess it took finding out what I couldn't have to find out what I wanted.”
Granny Smith opened her mouth achingly slowly once more. “That ain't what I mean. She'd have you out of the house for waking me up, that's all. She's such a dear.”
“So… I have a chance?”
Granny Smith, over the course of several seconds, shrugged. “We don't much talk about love. I'd like to, but she wakes at dawn and works 'till dusk, most days. You're about the only thing on this fair earth can get her to stop.”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “So… Is she interested in me or not? Because, like, I kinda need to know so I can decide like, how I feel back.”
“I don't know. Like I say, we don't much talk on love. I'll say, though, that she won't mince her words if she don't. Some things are worth risking dignity for, and love's one of them.”
“But… What if I ask and she doesn't feel the same way? I don't want to ruin our friendship over this.”
“I may not know exactly how 'jack feels about you, but give her more credit than that, filly. She ain't gonna ditch you when you need her.”
“Y- yeah, you're right.” Dash laughed, making sure to keep her volume low and not wake any other members of Applejack's family. “You're right. Thanks, uh, Smith.”
“Call me Granny. I'm guessing you'll make that quite necessary soon.”
“Thanks, Granny Smith. I'll uh- I'll go back to bed now. You've been he-” Dash stopped and leaned closer. Granny Smith had fallen asleep on the spot.
Without making a sound, Rainbow Dash flew back up the stairs and slipped back inside “her” bedroom. Rather than going back to sleep, she began to plan exactly how she was going to bring the subject up when dawn finally broke.
“Rainbow!” Applejack shook the snoozing pegasus with a hoof. Unlike the morning before, Rainbow Dash was not securely between her bedsheets, but was instead pressed against the window ledge. A small pool of saliva gathered from where she'd been lightly drooling on the wood. “Rainbow, you wake up this instant, y'hear!” Applejack's hoof bashed against the side of Dash's wing, shocking her awake.
Dash instinctually pushed back, throwing herself away from the wall and into the bulky, muscular mare. Though she'd rarely managed to stay interested in one fighting technique for more than one lesson, some of the training had sunk in, and Dash found herself twisting and flapping her wings to land a single heavy blow on her unwitting assailant's side.
Applejack stumbled backwards and fell against the bed. A fraction of a second later, Dash had her entire body weight pinning the mare to the frame, and the adrenaline rush was starting to wear off.
“Oh, I uh-” Dash stammered as the red haze faded from her vision and she identified her attacker. A red haze returned as her cheeks flushed through embarrassment and a feeling she couldn't quite place. “You uh. You startled me.”
“No, really?” Applejack winced as Dash pressed against her side a little stronger. “The hay were you doing sleeping on the floor, Dash? Never mind hurtin' me; you'll give yourself an ache. I don't need you complaining you can't get comfy napping, I know what you're like.”
Dash shifted her weight, keeping as much of it off Applejack's sore spot as possible. The mare was warm and inviting, and Dash was impressed by how calm she seemed. Dash herself was still breathing heavily and could still feel her muscles raring to go, but Applejack just seemed like Applejack. Applejack always seemed like Applejack. “Oh, I was uh, just waiting for dawn. I have… Something to do.”
“Well if you wanna come downstairs and grab some lunch before you go explain to whoever why yer late, we've got some for you. Granny Smith made extra just for you. I think she likes you, Dash.”
“Awesome. I think she likes me too, we had a good talk last night.” Rainbow Dash yawned. Her mouth snapped shut as she realised what she'd just said.
“Talk? I didn't see you two having no talk, when'd this happen?”
“Uh, doesn't matter. Probably a dream.” Dash paused for a beat, eyes darting around the room. “We should get lunch before it goes cold, right?”
Applejack frowned, but didn't voice her concerns. “I'd love to, 'cept you're still on top of me and I don't think you take too kindly to me reminding you you ain't as strong as you like to think.”
“Hey, you take that back. I a- Hey, how about we prove it?” Dash darted forward and nipped the edge of Applejack's ear with her teeth. “C'mon, right here. I can take you.” Dash's voice was a low, breathy whisper. She reached forward to nibble again.
Applejack's hooves pushed Dash away. Her frown deepened. “Woah there, sugarcube. I dunno what's gotten into you, but that ain't exactly a test of strength.” Applejack laughed insincerely and grinned a too-wide grin, trying to diffuse the situation.
Rainbow Dash looked away. “I guess not. Not everything has to be about strength, though, AJ.”
“I guess. You okay, Dash?” The pegasus looked further away and held her breath for a moment.
“Y- yeah, yeah I'm fine. I uh… Celestia, this is harder than it sounded in the book.” Dash looked back up and stared Applejack in the eyes. “Applejack, I really like you and I'd like to see more of you.” Rainbow Dash bit her lip and held her breath. Her gaze flickered between a stare so intense it could have held Applejack down alone and a quivering glance that nearly triggered Applejack's mothering nature.
“Uh, we hang out like, most of the day already, Dash. Ya gonna start skipping naps or something?” Applejack grew yet more concerned. Dash's eyes glanced away, fixating themselves on a knot in the wood a few inches to the side of Applejack's ear.
“That's not what I mean. I wanna…” She paused, though her mouth kept moving as if it still expected words to be coming out. She coughed. “Man, y'know what, I'm gonna have to skip lunch. I've got things I need to do.” Dash stood up and almost-galloped over to the window. It squeaked loudly as she pushed it open, as if it hadn't been oiled for many years. Before she darted out into the sky beyond, she turned back and said “Hey, I'll see you later, okay?”, then left without waiting for a response.
“Come on, we can spare it!” Dash begged, flying with her nose an inch—or less—from the weatherpony on duty.
Cloud Kicker sighed. “Dash, no. Last time I let you borrow our cloud supplies, you built a house. We're never getting those back. Do you have any idea how much paperwork that was?”
“I needed somewhere to sleep! Anyway, you can actually have these back later. I promise.”
“Most people rent a house, or at least have the decency to not use our entire cloud supply to build a damn palace. There wasn't rain for a week.”
“There wasn't any rain scheduled for a week!” Rainbow Dash, despite what others may think, was not completely irresponsible. She had, in fact, ensured that she'd rewritten the schedule to make sure nobody needed rain. “We rained double the week after anyway, so it was fine!”
“Ugh, no. What in Equestria do you want this much cloud for, anyway?”
Dash coughed. “I uh- Y'know what, never mind. I'll just pull something together from some steam or something.”
Cloud Kicker laughed. “Oh no you don't. Go on, take as much cloud as you want, I wanna know what you're gonna do with it now. I still want it back, though.”
“I don't wa- thanks. I'll uh- thanks.” Dash grinned and shot past the weathermare to grab a large clump of spare cloudmass and ran through Twilight Sparkle's words in her head once again.
“Don't fight hard, fight smart!”
On her journey back to Applejack's farm, Dash swooped to scrape against the ground and pluck a small bunch of nice looking flowers from some unfortunate's flowerbed.
Like a ninja wearing a cowbell, Dash streaked through the air with her pile of cloud, catching the attentions of everybody around her. All but one of the flowers scattered into the air as her grip slipped, but she managed to keep the single remaining rose clenched between her teeth. Tiny clumps of uncared-for cloud littered the sky behind her, creating an uneven cloudscape the rest of the weather team would hold grudges over for weeks to come.
Before long, her short journey met its end, and she began to twist and cut the huge lump of cloudmass into shapes and letters, spelling out a message large enough even Applejack couldn't miss it. Screw subtlety, I've tried subtlety. I just hope I'm doing the right thing, Dash thought as she put the finishing touches to an A.
Her cloudsmithing abilities had grown rusty over the years. Somehow, she'd lost all the skills she'd gained by sleeping through her first year of cloud college. However, her letters looked close enough to the real things that she felt confident they'd spell out what she wanted to say.
Applejack sat silently at the end of her family's dining table. The plate beside her had long since chilled, and though the pony it was meant for had vanished, her spirit still cast a shadow across the meal. The four members of the Apple family ate in silence.
Applebloom eventually piped up. “Ain't nobody gonna say nothing? I ain't seen ya'll so quiet since my last report card.”
The table was silent for a few moments more. Finally, the lone stallion, Big Macintosh, spoke. “Eeeyup.”
“Aw, I'm sorry, guys,” Applejack said, dropping the hay-wrapped apple slice down onto her place. “My head ain't really here right now.”
Granny Smith looked up from her own meal. “Ain't never a problem been solved by keeping it to yourself, filly.”
Applejack sighed. “I dunno, granny. That's just it, the problem ain't mine, it's just Rainbow was acting right weird earlier and I can't pin down why. Startin' to think it's something I've done, but I can't for the life of me figure out what.”
Granny Smith smiled. “Sometimes people ain't mad at what you've done, but what you ain't.”
“Naw, Dash ain't like that. I don't think there's anything she'd not tell me.”
Granny Smith shrugged. “Feelings can be funny things. Ya'll learn that one day.”
Applejack shook her head. “I don't think so, Gran-gran. Not today, anyhow. I'm just a mite concerned for her, is all.” She stood up and walked over to the window, blindly staring outwards. “She ain't- she ain't like other ponies. Fluttershy gets scared, but she tells ya about it. Dash don't, she just keeps it up in her 'till it rips her in two. Breaks my heart, but she don't take no notice of me.”
Granny Smith's legs shivered as she shuffled over to rest one on Applejack's back. “She takes more notice of you than she does anypony else. I don't think you know how much.”
“Nah, she's too busy looking after herself to think much on me.” Applejack pushed herself away from the window frame and wandered over to the door.
“Ain't that a shame.” Granny Smith's gaze followed Applejack, but her body didn't.
“Ain't no sense concerning myself with stuff I can't change, isn't that what you always say?” Applejack pushed the door open with a hoof and walked out. “I'll be back later; I just gotta go check on Rainbow.”
She made it three—perhaps four—steps before walking walking straight into Dash's hovering face. The pegasus unbalanced and toppled to the floor, crashing a few feet away from Applejack in a dirty flowerbed.
“Hey, Rainbow! I was just looking for you!” Applejack extended a hoof to Dash, who was still inverted and struggling to her feet. A few moments later, Dash exited a forward roll right-way up. She had a single broken stem in her mouth and a mane filled with clumps of cloud and dirt. A bead of sweat rolled down between two clumps, drawing a damp line where earth met sky.
“Aflejph! Mph lmv ooh!” Rainbow Dash made incomprehensible noises and frantically pointed out to the sky, where a small collection of uneven shapes drifted randomly above Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack frowned. “Ya'll feeling okay, Dash? I didn't ask for any rains.”
The pegasus nodded. She pulled the stem from her mouth and proffered it on the end of one hoof. “I want you to have this, Applejack.”
“Why, thank you, Dash, but we don't really need anyone to pull them weeds out of our garden. Right nice of you to try, though.” Applejack's grin tested the elasticity of her face. “Now why don't you just come inside and we can get you a nice bath or something, so ya'll can relax.”
“N- no, I-” Dash began to stammer and look around, as if searching for something that wasn't there. She lowered her hoof and pressed the stem into the ground. “Oh, horseapples. Screw Twilight, I'm just gonna come out and say it.”
Rainbow Dash leaned forward conspiratorially. Applejack did likewise. “Ya got a secret for me, Rainbow?”
“Yeah, I… I really like you, AJ.”
“Well, yeah, you're my friend.”
Rainbow Dash twitched. “Friend?”
Applejack paused for a moment, unsure of what to do. “Yeah?” she asked, speaking slowly as if to a child.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. In the blink of an eye she dived forward and grabbed Applejack around the body, then pulled up and shot into the sky. “Are you scared, AJ?” Dash yelled, throwing herself into seemingly reckless twists and dives. “Am I scaring you?”
Applejack's hat was ripped away in the wind. Neither of them moved fast enough to catch it, instead letting it flutter down to land atop the broken stem that had once been Dash's flower. Applejack spoke slowly. “I ain't scared of you, Dash. I'm scared for you.”
In an instant, the two stopped. A small puff of cloud escaped around them from the clump Dash had slammed them into. “C'mon, AJ? I'm crazy, you've gotta be scared of me a little?”
“Nuh-uh, Rainbow. I know you'd never hurt me.” Applejack looked down, immediately regretting it. It was a long fall and the only thing keeping her up was Rainbow Dash. She looked back up into the pegasus's eyes, which twinkled and glimmered, not with sadness or despair but with hope.
“You'd never hurt me either. I really like you, Applejack. What you said yesterday about wanting a partner instead of a farmhand really got to me. I don't wanna just be your friend anymore.”
“The hay're you saying, Dash? Ya'll enjoy bucking trees so much you'd rather have a job than a friend? That ain-”
“That's not what I'm saying at all!” Dash sped forward a few feet to give Applejack a better view of the clouds she'd so carefully set out. “I wrote you a message, I was kinda hoping you'd read it.”
Applejack peered over Dash's shoulder and began to squint at the shapes before her. “Apple… hat… I light V?”
Dash groaned and closed her eyes. She pushed forward with such ferocity Applejack could feel the wind blowing through her hair as they glided across the sky. Her blue lips pushed against Applejack's in a forceful—albeit not particularly intimate or returned—kiss. “Applejack, I love you.” Dash grinned. “Huh, that was easy.”
Applejack spluttered. “Y- I- Rainbow Dash, you-”
The pegasus gulped. “You don't- you didn't mean it like that, did you?”
“No I did not!” Applejack snapped, “That ain't what I meant at all!”
The two dropped a few feet as Rainbow Dash's wing-beat faltered. Her mouth opened a few times, but nothing came out, and eventually she simply lowered herself the final few meters and set Applejack down on the ground once more. She turned and flew away, only to stop dead in the air as her tail grew taut.
“Ow!” Rainbow Dash struck the ground. She looked back and saw Applejack's teeth clenched around her tail. “The hay was that for? Can't I just go nap this off or something?”
Applejack shook her head and walked forward, then lay atop the pegasus. “Now it's my turn to get you somewhere you can't escape and start throwing whoppers at you, y'hear? I didn't mean it like that. I meant I wanted a buddy… But that don't mean I don't want more too.”
“Huh?” Rainbow Dash struggled, but couldn't get Applejack to budge.
“Of course I care about you, you stupid mare. I dunno exactly how you feel about me, but I know how I feel about you.”
“A- and? Come on, Applejack, don't keep me hanging!” Dash managed to pull her forehooves free and pressed them together, as if to beg.
“I don't… Love you or nothing; at least I don't think so. Not right now, anyway. All I know is that your damn smile is more catching than the flu and I'd do anything to get that mope off your face.” Applejack shifted her weight so she was more evenly pinning Dash down and could properly look into her eyes. “So if you wanna play a bit more serious than just some wrestles, then I'm game.”
Rainbow Dash gulped. “It's not a game to me. Look, you know me, right AJ? If I can't take something seriously I'll drop it. I won't ever drop you.”
“Cool it, Rainbow. You ain't a game, and I ain't playing around. I ain't saying I won't screw up, but I don't wanna see you get hurt. I'm no expert at this dating thing, so… However you wanna do it, I'll be there.”
Dash nodded quietly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then broke out into a grin. “You mean it?”
Applejack nodded.
Dash's forelegs wrapped around Applejack's neck and squeezed. “Awesome!” She let her head fall back to rest against the dirt and laughed. “So… What now? Gotta admit, I kinda hadn't thought this far ahead.”
Applejack shrugged. “I think we gotta go on dates to be dating. I guess we could ask Rarity 'bout some fancy restaurant or something?”
Rainbow Dash looked back up, then raised an eyebrow in Applejack's general direction. “Wouldn't you rather go on a run or something? I mean, we can go for a meal if you want, but I'm pretty sure anywhere Rarity would send us you'd have to wear a dress.” Dash grinned. “Actually, let's go ask Rarity now.”
Applejack paused, then shook her head. “I think a run's more our style, don't you?”
Dash laughed. “Rarity never said dates could have a winner. I'm so gonna win all our dates. You are going down, Applejack.” She lifted her head and whacked their noses together, as if to prove a point.
Applejack snorted, then squeezed Dash hard enough to prompt a squeak. “Yeah right, Dash. Bring it on. If your dates go as bad as your proposals I'm gonna be carrying you to hospital again.”
“Hey, I got you, didn't I? I think I won.” Dash leaned forward and licked the earth pony's nose.
“Naw, I won, 'cos I got you.” Applejack's grin receded into a quieter but more heartfelt smile. “You've always been my best friend, Dash, and far as I care this don't change that.”
“Thanks, AJ. Man, you really scared me there. Thought we were gonna fall out over this or something.” Dash smiled back, then leaned in to plant a small kiss on the very tip of Applejack's muzzle.
“Pff, like that'd ever happen. Ya've always been my mare, Rainbow, whether you bring flowers or not.”
Dash frowned. “Hey, I'm totally the stallion in this relationship!”
“Yeah, in your dreams, maybe.” Applejack rolled her eyes and grinned.
“I'll prove it,” Dash exclaimed, and pushed. With a flap of her wings, her situation was reversed and Applejack found herself pinned down. The pegasus reached to her side and grabbed the brown hat, and though she knew it belonged on Applejack's head, she secured it on her own. She leant down and bit the side of Applejack's ear just hard enough to hear her gasp.
“Just you try it, Rainbow!” The orange country mare snorted, then bucked outwards, sending Dash on a high arc through the air. A moment later, she followed, and their first fight as a couple began.
Granny Smith shuffled back towards the table, where Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom were finishing their meal.
“So?” Apple Bloom asked. “What're they doing?”
“The same thing they're always doing, Apple Bloom.”
“Darling, have you seen my hat? It's so large it's positively scandalous!” Rarity twisted in place, showing off her attire. Even in the dim purple flicker of Twilight's horn, everybody present thought she'd earned the 1st place ribbon resting on the brim of her oversized hat.
“It's lovely, Rarity.” Twilight Sparkle leaned in closer. “I like the stripe of colour.” She looked around to ensure nobody was listening in, then whispered close to Rarity's ear. “How did you get it to stay up? I know the rules said no magic, but I've been running some tests and I can't figure out how it doesn't collapse!”
“Why, it's filled wi-” Applejack chose that moment to send Rainbow Dash cartwheeling through the air, from one end of the darkened traincar to the other. As she flew, her hoof clipped the edge of Rarity's hat, cracking it open and sending a plume of light blue feathers up into the air. “Ahem. Yes.” Rarity frowned at the ruination of her famed headgear.
Applejack followed her pegasus partner, diving through the feather cloud without a care in the world. A moment later, the two were locked in a tussle once more, ignoring the world and lost in each other.
Twilight laughed. “You know, Rarity, if I didn't know any better I'd swear those two weren't dating at all.”
