The Farmer and the Wonderbolt

Chapters

Honest With Herself
Her Head In The Clouds
Potions and Pantries
Taking Flight
Eating Out

Honest With Herself

'So, which one to go with? The Apple family one, or the more traditional one?' Applejack thought to herself as she stood between the stove and the dining table in the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. Behind her on the stove, a cast iron pot of broccoli and carrot cheddar soup was simmering to perfection, next to a pot of boiling corn on the cob. In front of her on the dining table, sat two picnic quilts; one was an orange and white one, patterned with apples; passed down for two generations and had seen its fair share of meals. To the right of that, was a far more traditional red and white checkered picnic quilt, like one would see dotted around Ponyville's outskirts on a beautiful summer day. Behind the pair of blankets, was everything else she had put together for this little picnic; a large bowl containing an apple pecan salad a pair of wood and iron mugs, and a ceramic jug containing a fresh and hardened batch of her family's famous cider.

If Rarity saw her right now, she probably wouldn't be able to believe her eyes. Because here Applejack was, fretting over every, last, little, detail, for a change.

The fourth generation farmer wasn't averse to such practices, especially if the occasion called for such attention to detail. And indeed, this evening, she wanted everything to be perfect.

It had been six months since Twilight's coronation in Canterlot. Aside from the Princess of Friendship, and she supposed now the Princess of Equestria, no longer residing in Ponyville, life had gone on pretty much normally for her. Crops still needed to be planted and harvested, and the thing about crops is they didn't really care how the world was ending this time. Luckily, since the attack on Canterlot, life had been mostly peaceful. She saw everypony at least once a month in Canterlot or Ponyville for the Council of Friendship, where they not only had a day of fun that Twilight had almost always meticulously planned out, but they also discussed matters of national importance, as each of them had a hoof in ruling Equestria as Twilight's friends. But among all of them, the pony she had seen more of than anypony else, was Rainbow Dash.

Applejack felt her cheeks warm as she pictured the Wonderbolt in the flight jacket she had taken to wearing more often during these chillier autumn months. Whenever her thoughts lingered on the pegasus, her heart would begin to thump harder. While it hadn't always been like this; she had to admit that these feelings for her best friend had been around for quite awhile. It wasn't until her brother married Sugar Belle that these feelings now came along with these subtle physical side effects. Now Rainbow was coming around more and more often, pretty much whenever the Wonderbolts weren't on tour, and she had always offered to help her out around the farm, usually getting a meal and the guest bedroom as compensation for the longer days, like zap apples and cider season. Her visits were getting so frequent that AJ was ready to put a bag of bits down on her spending more time in the farmhouse than her own house.

Applejack turned back to the stove and gave the thick creamy soup a final stir before setting the heavy lid down on the pot, and brought it over to the table, and finally decided on the apple-patterned quilt, putting the red and white one back into the bottom drawer. With that decision made, she took the food out to a small cart waiting just outside one dish at a time, making sure each item was properly and snugly placed so it wouldn't tip or spill on the ride up to the hilltop. Once everything was secure, and she gave the small cart some short test rolls, she was confident none of the items would shift or fall, and she hooked herself up to the front, and trotted off into the orchards. It was a short five-minute pull to the hilltop that overlooked most of the farm, and halfway up the climb, she was surprised to see Rainbow sitting there already waiting for her, wearing that same flight jacket. Big Mac and Sugar Belle were in town on a dinner date, and Granny was gone all week visiting Goldie, so the two mares quite literally had the place to themselves.

"Heh, was sure I'd be waiting on ya." Applejack said as she pulled the cart up next to the single tree on the top of the hill.

"Well, what can I say? I'm pretty hungry, and it didn't help that I could smell it from all the way up here." Rainbow replied.

"Why thank you very much, compliment accepted." Applejack said, grabbing the picnic blanket as Rainbow came over to help unfurl it, getting even closer to the inviting aromas.

"Smells even more amazing right next to it."

"Wait 'til I take the lid off."

She put the pot in the center of the blanket, while Rainbow set out the bowls and silverware. While she was thinking they'd eat across from each other, Rainbow had different ideas, and set the two places right next to each other. Once she noticed, Applejack doubled her efforts to not have the blood rush to her face again. Once the salads had been portioned, she lifted the lid off of the cast iron pot, and Rainbow was nearly salivating as she took her seat in front of her bowl. She wasn't sure what she wanted to start into first; the inviting-looking salad, or the steaming soup as it was ladled into the bowls. Her choice became even harder when the jug of cider came out.

"Go easy on this, I got the hard stuff out tonight." Applejack warned, as she corked the jug after two mugs had been poured.

"Well, let's dig in." Applejack said once she had taken her seat next to Rainbow. As the sun began to inch towards the treeline, the pair of ponies found themselves switching between the two dishes, going for a moist, crunchy bite of salad, then when the chilly evening air got to them, a few sips of the hot creamy soup was all that was needed to warm them back up.

"Hey AJ, you haven't even touched your cider yet. Looking to spend the entire evening sober?" Rainbow asked, who had gotten through about a quarter of her cup so far.

"Nah, I just... I've got something to say, and I don't want to get cold hooves, or blame it on the cider tomorrow. The truth is, Rainbow, I've got a confession to make."

With that, Applejack set her bowl of soup down, took her hat off, and turned completely towards Rainbow, who was still sipping at hers when she saw that she had the farmer's complete focus.

"For the past couple years, I've always thought that it might be up to me to continue the Apple Family lineage, to start the next generation. So I've been kinda halfheartedly waiting for the right stallion to come along. But ever since Big Mac and Sugar Belle got married, I've realized that maybe I don't have to think like that anymore. I don't have to hide from my feelings, and I don't want to hide from my feelings anymore. I can't help but feel that there's something more between us. When... When I'm around you, my whole world lights up. I look at you... and I want to be more than your best friend. I'm... I'm attracted to you, Rainbow Dash."

That final sentence finally forced Applejack's gaze away from the pegasus and towards her mug of cider that had been untouched for the first half of their meal. After she took a sip, or more accurately a gulp, she risked looking back over at the Wonderbolt, who had merely picked her bowl of soup back up and taken another sip, as the farmer's cheek's burned red. When she set the bowl back down, her expression softened as she smiled.

"I was wondering how long it would take for the Element of Honesty to finally be honest with herself." Rainbow answered.

Relief and embarrassment came from separate directions as they washed over Applejack. Grateful that Rainbow hadn't stormed off in shock, and also realizing that maybe Rainbow could read her better than she could read herself.

"Wow... So... Wow. I mean, you feel the same way?" Applejack asked, picking up her bowl of soup again before it got cold.

"Well, the way you look at me, talk to me, especially more recently... I've noticed. I wasn't sure what to make of it, mainly because I wasn't sure if making the first move would have been the right thing to do. I know what family means to you, AJ. I didn't want to make you feel like I was pushing you or rushing you into something you didn't think you wanted, or were ready for or worse, misinterpreting the signals I thought I was getting from you. I needed to wait for you to admit it to yourself." Rainbow said, blushing.

Applejack swallowed, and smiled.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I just admitted it. I'm in love with you, Rainbow."

With that, Applejack slid over to Rainbow, and wrapped her front hooves around the pegasus, immediately receiving a hug in return, and after pouring her heart out, it was one of the warmest, loving hugs she had ever gotten. As they had pulled away, Rainbow didn't go far, before giving the farmer a kiss on the cheek, watching them heat up moments later. She smiled at her, proud that she could still fluster the farmer after all these years.

"And just to give you a straight answer..." Rainbow began, running a hoof along the rim of her cider mug. "Yeah, I feel the same way about you."

Applejack fiddled with the ponytail her mane had almost always been tied into, looking at how majestic Rainbow looked in the fading light of the sunset. But even Rainbow had gotten a light tint on her cheeks from the rather direct signs of affection.

"So..." The wonderbolt began, beginning to fidget with her front hooves. "Is it safe to assume that I won't be staying in the guest room tonight...?"

Applejack's heart began to pound against her chest at the question as the remains of dinner began to get cold on the blanket to their side.

"Uh... Um... Sure... I mean, that is, if you want to stay with me tonight. Do you want to?" AJ stammered, slowly putting her hat back on, as she finished her mug of cider.

"I do." Rainbow said, taking another drink from her mug.

"Well, let's not ignore the rest of our meal because of these feelings being out in the open now. After all, I've got an apple pie being kept warm in the oven back at the house, along with some vanilla bean ice cream." Applejack said, bringing their attention back to the dinner in front of them. The heat emanating from their cheeks made the meal's dropping temperature all the more noticeable, but the food was still good. In a matter of minutes, both of them had absolutely cleaned their plate of salad, and bowl of soup. Afterward, Rainbow helped Applejack pack everything back up in the wagon, and made their way back to the farmhouse. Rainbow realized that this the first time she could remember that the two of them actually had the farmhouse to themselves.

Which of course then led her to wondering how far AJ would want to go with her, if opportunities such as this were so rare. Rainbow wasn't sure if she'd consider herself nervous. Of course there would be nerves, she had never gotten this close to anypony before; not even when the squad got a little tipsy after an amazing show. All things considered, she had saved herself for Applejack.

The two of them got the leftovers put away and the dishes soaking in the sink before AJ pulled out the warm apple pie from the oven, and quickly got it cut and served onto plates. As they sat on opposite sides of the dining table, Rainbow finally decided to break the silence that had fallen over them since pouring their hearts out.

"So, I'm admittedly curious... What makes you so hot for me?" Rainbow teased, though she was genuinely curious.

"Well," AJ began, taking the time to swallow her current bite of pie. "Since I've known you, you've always known what you wanted to be. And seeing you achieve it over the years, there's something endearing about that. You have a confidence that just wafts off of you. Make no mistake, there are plenty of times I've wanted to pin you to the bed and give that attitude a nice check... And there are times where it's just the opposite... Where..."

"Well come on, now you've gotta tell me." Rainbow urged her on.

"Just that, well, there are times that I've fantasized about being on that cloud bed of yours..."

Rainbow blushed, but didn't lose the smirk.

"Mind if I ask you the same?" Applejack asked, as she continued into her slice of pie.

"Well, out of all of my world-saving friends, you are the hardest working pony I know. You're never afraid of telling somepony what you think they need to hear, but you're usually not too honest. You're one of the only ponies who can keep up with me, and... Yeah, sometimes I find myself wondering if that includes in bed. So... Might as well stop beating around the bush... Is there anything you want to have happen tonight?" Rainbow asked, as she finished off her pie.

"Well, I'll be honest, while I'd love to just dive right in, I think we should take things a bit slower than that. I just want our first time to not be rushed, ya know? So, as for tonight, just having you under the same blanket will be more than enough. Besides, Big Mac and Sugar Belle never did tell me when they'd be back." AJ told the pegasus, whole smiled in return as they took their plates to the sink and began washing and drying the dishes together.

"That's good enough for me. Gives me more time to figure out how to handle the next night. Because I'm gonna figure out a way to put you in my cloud bed, and show you what it's like, and make your fantasy a reality." Rainbow said, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. A few minutes later, the last of the dishes were done and put away, and the two ponies made their way upstairs and down the hall, to the last door, with a red apple painted prominently on the center. Applejack turned the handle, and invited the pegasus in.

The room was simple and rustic; nothing but the necessities, it seemed. Just inside, a lasso was hung on the wall next to the bed. In the other corner, another lasso hung next to another hook that Rainbow assumed was for her hat. There was a table with a few books on it, next to a small closet.

Finally, Rainbow's attention was drawn to the neatly made bed. It was a full size wooden frame and mattress. The comforter was a dark orchid, and the pillowcases had apple patterns on them.

Nope, there was really no questioning what line of work Applejack was in.

Watching the farmer hang her hat, remove her mane from the ponytail she almost always kept it in, and climb into bed made her realize how her dinner had settled in her stomach, and how tired it was making her. With a yawn, Rainbow hung her flight jacket on the hook next to AJ's hat, stepped somewhat timidly up to the bed, before climbing up and slipped under the cover.

"Sorry if I seem nervous, but I've never... Slept with anypony before." Rainbow said as she snuggled up to Applejack.

"Naw," Applejack began in a teasing tone. "A sleek, sexy Wonderbolt like you?"

Rainbow knew AJ was just making fun of her, but couldn't help if she was honestly a bit curious.

"Don't get me wrong, some members of the squad do let off some, well, post-flight steam during a night at the bars after a show, but I've never taken part in that... Not that I didn't get an invitation now and then." Rainbow quickly added, not wanting Applejack to think any of the Bolts found her undesirable.

"So... I'm your first?" AJ asked.

"Well, you will be, yeah. You know, apart from my hoof." Rainbow said, giggling lightly. Applejack slugged her playfully on the shoulder, but chuckled at it.

"Yeah, I get that. I can't say I haven't well, indulged in a little, um, 'self-care' after a hard day of apple bucking." Applejack replied, snuggling in deeper and wrapping her front hooves around Rainbow's barrel. "Guess those days'll soon be over."

"Eh, you never know. Who's to say I don't like to watch?" Rainbow asked, getting another blush and laugh out of AJ for her effort.

"You are incorrigible, you know that?" Applejack chastised, squeezing her slightly, feeling her wings ruffle against her chest.

"So, we're like, marefriends now, right?" Rainbow asked, rolling over in place, turning to face the farmer.

Applejack brought one of her wrapped-around hooves up to the back of Rainbow's head, and gently pulled her muzzle towards hers, and their lips pressed together. The kiss was sloppy, and half-unexpected for Rainbow, but she pressed into it after a moment's hesitation, her wings spreading out under the blanket. They held the kiss for a few seconds, and when they separated, Rainbow drew in a quiet breath.

"Well, I'd say what we just did would be a bit awkward if we weren't." AJ replied, lowering the hoof that pressed Rainbow into that kiss, and now lightly ran it along Rainbow's spread wings, making the pegasus shudder.

"I think somepony likes having their wings played with." Applejack whispered, continuing along to the tip.

"And I think somepony looks good with their mane down. You should wear it like that more often." Rainbow said, seeing how Applejack's untied mane was somewhat splayed across her pillow.

"Say that to my face when it's a sweaty, tangled mess after a day working the orchards." AJ retorted.

"You never know, maybe I will."Rainbow said, coming in for another kiss.

Knowing that it would be easier to snuggle her back into Rainbow's chest rather than the other way around, Applejack rolled to her other side, and slid closer into Rainbow, letting the pegasus wrap her hooves around her as they got more comfortable. She reached over to the night stand and turned the small knob to extinguish the bedside lantern, bringing the room's ambient lighting down to moonlight only, before sinking her head into her pillow, and found sleep moments later as she focused on the rising and falling of Rainbow's chest.

Author's Note

Well, here's the start of my Appledash story celebrating my 8th anniversary on this site, admittedly a few hours early. Just didn't want to forget to post it tomorrow.

For eight long years, thanks for reading.

Here's to what could be the next eight.

Love,
milesprower06

Her Head In The Clouds

They had fallen asleep in each other's hooves, but through the night, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had each done their share of tossing and turning, and by the rooster's crow that signaled the morning, they were anything but in each other's hooves. They were lucky to be still under the same blanket, only due to how oversized the comforter was for the bed.

"Morning, Dash. Guess neither of us are light sleepers." AJ greeted, stretching her hooves before lifting the blankets off of her and getting out of bed. Rainbow was a bit more slow to greet the morning, but the moment she heard Applejack ask how she felt about flapjacks and hash browns, she was up almost immediately. Not only that, but when they opened the door, they were already greeted by the sizzling sounds and smells of cooking down in the kitchen. They descended the stairs, and upon stepping into the kitchen, saw that they had been beaten down here, as Sugar Belle and Big Mac were already well into preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Applejack. Oh, morning Rainbow. We didn't think you spent the night, I thought I saw the guest room empty last night." Sugar Belle greeted.

"Yeah, I was here. In another room. Hers." Rainbow replied, quickly figuring that there would be no hiding this new relationship for long, and she saw no reason to.

"Oh... Oh! Well, congratulations, you two. So, Applejack finally came around, huh?" Sugar Belle asked.

"So even you've noticed?" Applejack grumbled as she started to help get the table set.

"It's so cute when ponies think others don't notice. Even Double Diamond and Party Favor were a bit shocked when their going out with each other came to the surprise of nopony. Even Big Mac has noticed how you've been looking at Rainbow."

"Eeeyup." The stallion commented as he flipped the cooking flapjacks currently in the pan.

"Well, I'm glad that you two approve. That makes things considerably less awkward." AJ replied as she set the table with plates and glasses, getting the pitcher of orange juice out of the fridge, pouring four glasses, as Apple Bloom was at a sleepover with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in town. Big Mac slid the fresh flapjack onto the stack that was already on the serving platter, and brought the whole thing along with the hash to the dining table.

"I hope there's not a lot to do around here today, AJ. I've got some things to take care of around town before tonight." Rainbow said as she quickly started into her stack of flapjacks.

"Well, you've been helping out here like crazy, Dash. You of all ponies could use a day off." Applejack replied.

"It's not exactly a day off. Just... Work of a different sort. I'll be back for you tonight."

Finishing her breakfast in near-record time, the pegasus took her dishes to the sink, and pretty much galloped out of the front door, quickly taking to the sky.

"Well, sounds like somepony has plans for you, Applejack." Sugar Belle commented, getting a light blush out of the farmer in return.

"Well, whatever she's got in mind, hope she doesn't go overboard. She knows I'm a down-to-earth type of pony."

Rainbow took deep breaths as she glided down from the clouds to her house which floated a few dozen feet above the ground in the western outskirts of Ponyville. As she touched down on her front doorstep, she tried to stop her mind from racing. It was something she had done all her life, race. She was born for it. But just like a Wonderbolts show, this performance had to be approached carefully. Diving recklessly in head first would be disastrous.

Applejack was the pony she had grown to care about the most. Rainbow knew that she would have to bide her time, and last night, her patience had finally paid off. Now was not the time to be brash.

She had constructed her three-story 'Cloudominium' tower from scratch with her own hooves, using the experience she got from her two years at the Weather Factory before transferring down to be the head of the Ponyville Weather Team the first chance she had, getting away from her overbearing parents as fast as she could. The tower sat on a wide cumulus base, a stylized version of her cutie mark had been placed above the front door, Cloudsdale-style pillars supported the rounded walls as they rose up, and a few rainbow pools flowed over and around the base before falling off in waterfalls, misting away long before dripping to the ground below.

Rainbow pushed the front door open and walked into the small foyer. Wonderbolt posters, statues, and other memorabilia lined the walls as they rounded to the staircase in the middle that climbed to the second floor balcony that overlooked the first. The second floor contained a small living room, and kitchen, before the stairs climbed further to the top floor, which was entirely Rainbow's bedroom.

Going from floor to floor, the pegasus was relieved to find that there wasn't a lot of cleaning to do in order to prepare her home for visitors on short notice. Honestly, it was because it didn't see a terrible amount of use. She almost never entertained guests, and that was during her years on the Weather Team. Since becoming a full-fledged performing Wonderbolt, the cloud home saw even less living in, as she was touring Equestria for weeks at a time. In recent months when she wasn't, she wasn't here most of the time, but instead over at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack; so often that Tank had also essentially switched addresses; the two mares had found a small pond that he had quickly made himself at home in.

When she got down to brass tacks, she knew that her small home had become little more than an expanded trophy case. If her relationship with AJ indeed sparked a fire, she wondered if she'd be better off renting it out or flying it up to Cloudsdale to sell it.

It would be a question for another time. First, she had to do her very best to fulfill her marefriend's fantasy, and give her a night in her bed.

Potions and Pantries

Rainbow hadn't even been thinking about the day ahead for fifteen minutes, and already she was considering changing plans. If both she and AJ had the day off, why wait until dinner to get things started? No, she wasn't going to wait around until late afternoon, letting her putz away at the farm waiting for her to come back. She was going to give her an unforgettable date that lasted all day, culminating in fulfilling her fantasy of love in the air, literally.

So, the question was, what first?

The start was obvious. Rainbow Dash strapped on her saddlebags, and was out the front door, heading towards the north end of town at a relaxed glide. Twilight's Castle of Friendship was the first thing to come over the hills, followed immediately by Town Hall and the School of Friendship. Flapping a few times to keep her altitude, she flew over Ponyville and came to a soft landing in front of the castle, immediately turning to her right and crossed the limestone bridge to the school. Pushing the doors open and stepping into the main hall, she immediately headed upstairs towards the headmare's office. First period was currently in session, so the halls were mostly empty, and it was a quick two-minute trot to her office, where she knocked a few times.

"Come on in." Was the answer she got in reply. The pegasus turned the knob, opened the door, and stepped inside, and Headmare Starlight Glimmer smiled at her.

"Well, good morning, Rainbow. What can I do for you?" The school's new Headmare greeted.

"Well, it turns out I need some assistance of the alchemical sort. I need a potion as soon as possible, and I'm prepared to grade a few papers, host a few tutoring sessions... Just let me know what you need done." Rainbow told her.

"What kind of potion?" Starlight asked, closing the planner she had been writing in.

"Cloudwalking." Rainbow answered.

"Well, obviously this potion isn't for you, then. What do you have going on?" The headmare got up from her chair and came around her desk, standing in front of Rainbow, who got a light tint in her cheeks.

"If you really have to pry... AJ and I had dinner last night and... Feelings were shared, and... Well, I guess we're kinda seeing each other now." Rainbow told her, her wings fluttering as she rubbed her right leg with her left.

Starlight smiled as she put her hoof to her barrel.

"Well, congratulations! Normally for a case like this, I'd say it's on the house, but let's say five bits, because that's how much I owe Pinkie now."

"You owe Pinkie bits?"

"Some of the staff had a little bit of a pool going, because... Well, a lot of us were wondering when one of you would spill the beans to the other."

"Well, for your information, I kinda knew there were beans between the two of us, I was just waiting for her to notice. So what did Pinkie have?"

"Anytime between the beginning of the school year and Hearth's Warming break."

Rainbow smirked, using a wing to open the flap of her left saddlebag, opened her bit bag, and came out with a 5-bit coin, flipping it over to Starlight with the tip of her wing, and the unicorn caught it with her magic.

"If you've got any other quick stops to make, go take care of it now. Check back in thirty, and I'll have it ready." The headmare told her.

"Thanks, Starlight. I owe ya." Rainbow said, and the two of them left the office; Starlight down to the alchemy labs, and Rainbow back out to the main hall and out the front door, as she took to the sky and headed for the market square. It was time for step two.

Cooking.

Rainbow's Wonderbolt salary could take them to any number of exquisite dining options, both here locally and a short train ride up to Canterlot. But that wasn't enough for the pegasus. She wanted to prove that Applejack wasn't the only one who could make a nice, hearty, home-cooked meal. When she thought of what to make, she first considered something apple-related, but quickly decided against it; apples were her marefriend's specialty, and if Rainbow was going to put something on a plate and set it down in front of AJ, it was going to be something she knew how to cook. Something exciting. Something with kick. And likely, more than a fair helping of carbs.

Thinking about what was already in her pantry at home and what she had to pick up, Rainbow quickly planned today's schedule and meal plan in her head as she descended into the market. Over the course of about twenty minutes, she visited four vendor stalls, spent about fifteen bits, and was then back on her way to the front of the School of Friendship, where Headmare Starlight was already waiting, a small corked potion bottle in the magical grasp of her horn.

"Here you go, Rainbow. Don't worry, it's enchanted glass, it can take a little jostling around in your saddlebags. Well, I've got to get back to work. Have fun!"

"Thanks again, Starlight." Rainbow replied, waving goodbye as she took off again towards her house. She was back home in five more minutes. She came through the front door and immediately went up to the second floor and into the kitchen. Setting out what she had gotten at the market on the counter, she started digging through her pantry to make absolutely sure she had gotten everything she needed for a complete dish. It wasn't going to be for lunch, no, this was going to be dinner; once Applejack was here, she wanted to put a good meal in her, then take her up to her room. There were still several hours and one more meal to go through before she was brought up here, though.

Setting the box of pasta next to everything else she had gotten today, Rainbow knew she was ready. Digging the small potion bottle out of her saddlebags, she knew it was time for the next step...

Getting Applejack to drink up.

Taking Flight

Applejack sipped at her glass of lemonade as she reclined in her lawn chair outside of the farmhouse, overlooking the southern apple orchard. Normally, this would be a perfect time to go over to Ponyville Spa with Rarity, but she was out of town at the moment. Maybe Rainbow would end up being another spa partner, if she could manage to get the pegasus to get more in touch with her feminine side, and not be so ashamed of it.

No sooner than she heard a set of hooves drop down directly behind her chair, her vision was obstructed by a pair of light blue feathers.

"Guess who?" A familiar teasing voice asked behind her.

The farmer smirked, and tilted her head up to nibble on one of the feather tips.

"Hey, that tickles!" Rainbow replied, withdrawing her wings, and came up beside her. Applejack saw that in the couple hours she was gone, she had changed into her formal dress uniform for the Wonderbolts; it was what they wore in any official capacity when not performing. A small cluster of service ribbons was on the left side of the jacket, along with the single gold bar on both sides of the collar, denoting her rank of Second Lieutenant, something she had been sure to point out she had attained a bit faster than most performing Wonderbolts of her tenure.

"Well, what are you all dressed up for? Didn't think you'd be back for a few hours, closer to dinner."

"A bit of change in plans, if you don't mind. Figured I'd treat you to a little surprise before lunch, and then take you up to my place for dinner. Speaking of which..." Rainbow paused, starting to dig into her saddlebag with her left wing, coming out with a small glass vial, two-thirds full of a sparkling purple liquid. "Mind a little flavor in the rest of that lemonade?" She asked, yanking the cork off with her other wing.

"And what is that stuff?" Applejack asked, eyeing the contents of the vial.

"Well, you want to come up to my place, right? Gonna need a little magical assistance for that. Starlight told me that it lasts about 72 hours; more than enough time, I'd say."

AJ had never taken a cloudwalking spell orally before, it was always direct from a unicorn horn.

"Well, here's hoping the flavor is good," she said, pushing her half-full glass of lemonade to the edge of her lawn chair's armrest, inviting Rainbow to pour her potion in.

"Well, to be fair, I didn't ask Starlight how it tasted," the pegasus replied as she poured the potion into the lemonade, turning the faint yellow liquid to a darker magenta, giving it the appearance of a rich berry lemonade. She picked up the glass, swirled it around to get it as mixed as she was going to get it without a spoon, and then brought it to her mouth.

"Bottoms up," she told herself, tipping the glass up and swallowed it all in three gulps, noting that it did have a bit of fruity taste now, but what she noticed the most was how it tingled. The sensation wasn't sour, but she felt it move down her throat and settle in her stomach for a moment before spreading out across her entire body.

"Alright, now while that takes effect, I'll be right back," Rainbow told her, spreading her wings, jumping up, and launching herself skyward. Applejack watched as she flew quickly from cloud to cloud, seemingly testing each one with her hooves. After seven of them, she came to one she appeared satisfied with, took it in both of her front hooves, and brought it back to the farm house's backyard. The tingling all around the farmer's body began to subside as she looked on as the pegasus pushed and pulled, manually molding and forming the cloud into a nest of sorts.

"Alright, ready whenever you are. Just come lay down in whatever position you find comfortable." Rainbow told her, standing beside the shaped bundle of cloud.

Leaving her empty lemonade glass on the arm of the chair, Applejack got to her hooves, and trotted over to the cloud, and stepped up into it. It didn't feel any softer than when she had gone up to Cloudsdale with the others, but certainly comfortable, as she stretched, then got down in a nice relaxed position. Satisfied with her marefriend's position, Rainbow bent down, and began to push up on the edges of the nest, pushing them inward and over Applejack, who, as Rainbow made her way around the edges, found herself securely wrapped up as the pegasus essentially reformed the cloud with her inside it. When Rainbow had made her way the whole way around, she gave the cloud a few test pokes to make sure the integrity was sound, with her marefriend's head halfway sticking out of the front of the 'cloud pod.'

"Alright, you ready?" Rainbow asked, coming up next to her.

Applejack tried to wiggle around, and found that while she could turn her head, the rest of her body was quite secure like it was under a considerable weighted blanket.

"Yeah... Yeah I think I'm good," Applejack said, not quite able to get rid of all the nervousness from her voice.

"Hey," Rainbow began, coming up to her, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the cheek. "Don't worry. I've got you."

Applejack smiled at her, her cheeks blushing lightly at the cheeks from the kiss. Rainbow walked around to the rear of the cloud. The farmer didn't feel her grab hold of anything, but she saw the grass below her slowly fall away, and watched herself rise above the tree line of the closest orchard before she felt herself start to float forward. She heard Rainbow's lightly flapping wings as her view of the south orchards only got more impressive as the pegasus slowly took her higher.

"Well, AJ, hope you're ready for the best aerial tour of Ponyville ever."

Author's Note

Hope you folks are enjoying the slower pace of this. I don't want to move things too fast, but at the same time, I don't know if I'll get everything figured out and finished in time, before, well, other things come up.

Unfortunately, I can't promise that I'm not going to up and vanish for a bit once Cyberpunk 2077 launches on the 10th.

As always, thanks for reading! Feedback and suggestions are most welcome.

-milesprower06

Eating Out

Applejack had seen these kind of views of Ponyville before from the basket of one of the local hot air balloons, but this was undeniably different. It was like a roller coaster ride where you had no idea where it would go next. But thankfully, Rainbow was gracious and kind enough to let the earth pony know which way she was going to lean and turn next, so her mind and stomach were able to keep the motion sickness to an absolute minimum. The farmer was glad, because these views of Ponyville and the surrounding hills were unbelievably spectacular.

"Alright, AJ, we're gonna be taking a little curve to the left here." Rainbow told her, moments before turning the pony-loaded cloud towards Ponyville's restaurant-laden northwest region. She kept the descent slow and even, not wanting to get the farmer queasy before their lunch. As they passed over Twilight's castle, AJ figured if she tried, she could reach down and touch the top fountain on the rooftop balcony.

The two ponies continued to descend into what Ponyville had compared to Canterlot's Restaurant Row, down to the cluster of outdoor dining tables in front of the Cafe Hay. AJ noticed that one of the center tables had already been set for two. As Rainbow softly touched the cloud down, the head waiter came out to meet them.

"Hello again, Miss Rainbow Dash. Your table is ready, right this way please." He greeted. Rainbow pulled the top of the cloud away, letting Applejack get to her hooves and step down onto the grass.

"That flight was amazing, Rainbow." Applejack said, leaning into the pegasus momentarily as they walked to their table.

"Hope you don't mind if I ordered ahead. I know you haven't been here in awhile, and they have the most amazing salads."

"I don't mind at all. I was honestly wondering if I was going to be somewhat under-dressed for someplace fancy." The farmer told her.

"I'm afraid that this is as fancy as it gets for just a few hours notice. I figured you wouldn't be into going to anyplace too 'frou frou-y'. Especially for a first date, ya know?" Rainbow replied as they took their seats at the table.

"Well, if it's with you, looking all gussied up like that, I think I could do fancy."

Rainbow's cheeks tinted at the compliment, now wondering what Canterlot dining destination she could take the farmer to. The options were certainly more robust than they were here in Ponyville, and undoubtedly twice as expensive, and then some.

She normally wasn't one to be in dress uniform unless protocol absolutely called for it. She had thought about taking AJ out to lunch without it, but there was a part of her that was adamant about being seen as a Wonderbolt out with her marefriend.

Not that she'd do anything out here that would absolutely confirm Applejack as her marefriend; their friendship was known around Ponyville, and anything she could do to show it had gone beyond that would definitely be considered a public display of affection, and would likely result in a dressing-down in Spitfire's office. So Rainbow was now wondering if a reserved part of her came here in uniform specifically to stop herself from showing any displays of affection towards Applejack. She mentally shook the doubts away. She wasn't even absolutely sure Applejack would appreciate that kind of attention in public, Wonderbolt dress uniform or not. But really, what did it matter? This was just a light lunch, and any affection she was keeping in right now would certainly come out later tonight up in her bedroom.

Now her thoughts went from doubting to lewd as the waiter came out of the front doors of the restaurant, carrying two plates, each full of a fresh, lush salad. He set them down in front of each mare, and then poured two glasses of apple cider, before setting the glass pitcher down in the center of the table, and stepped away to allow the pair to enjoy their meal. Rainbow took her first bite of the fresh apple and pecan salad that had been set in front of her, identical to Applejack's.

"Mm, that is absolutely tasty. I'll have to try making this back at home." Applejack said.

"Make sure you pile it with pecans." Rainbow told her. Sweet Apple Acres' pecan orchards produced some of the crunchiest pecans in the region, and their butter pecan ice cream sold nearly as well as their cider. While some of the pecans they sold were for ponies' salads at home, AJ had to admit that she hadn't tried making it herself. But that was clearly going to change.

"Along with more apples, of course." Applejack added, wondering how long it would be before they would essentially be making a fruits and nuts salad.

"Naturally," Rainbow replied, getting another forkful of greens, apples, and pecans. More than halfway through her salad, she gave it another drizzling of the vinaigrette dressing that it had come with on the side.

"Well, this isn't going to take us until dinner, and I assume you don't want to sit here talking for hours before asking for the check What do you want to do after this?" The farmer asked.

"Well, I didn't exactly have a lot of time. I was only able to plan lunch, dinner, and, um... after dinner." Rainbow answered, blushing at the cheeks towards the end of her sentence. "So we could go flying, or just go for a walk around town. I wasn't planning on starting dinner until around six or seven."

Applejack finished the last bite of salad, and used the available spoon, which had so far gone untouched, and scooped up the remaining pecans along with the last drops of the salad dressing, and sucked the utensil clean in one last bite.

"It wouldn't exactly be running of the leaves, but a trot around town would be nice. Walk this salad off, ya know?"

Rainbow smiled at her.

"As long as it's with you, I can do anything."