It was an early summer morning, with a mild breeze drifting through the leaves of the trees. The sky was completely clear, with no cloudy weather in Cloudsdale's schedule for today, making room for Celestia’s warm sun to grace the pelts of all ponies who roamed Equestria. On this fine day, two mares were racing through Sweet Apple Acres’ orchard of apple trees, the sounds of their laughter & forces of their galloping upon the earthly soil reverberating through the fresh environment.
One of the racers, Applejack, gave a playful smirk to her rival, Rainbow Dash, who smirked back before dashing ahead. The farm pony made sure to quicken her pace so that they were even, her determination for being first written all over her. She felt confident in her chances; she knew earth ponies had more stamina, muscle, & speed on the ground than pegasi. Still, Rainbow always surprised her, so she made sure to not underestimate her speedy opponent.
Rainbow Dash kept her eyes trained on Applejack, a look of admiration etched in those sharp garnet orbs. Applejack’s own lively emerald spheres stared back, holding similar appreciation for the mare's skills. She saw the finish line from her peripheral vision - one of the tallest apple trees in the orchard - which caused her to flash a cocksure simper before sprinting ahead. Her hooves trampled even harder against the ground, so much so that they caused the nearby trees to tremble. Soon enough, she was first to reach the apple tree, letting out a whiny in victory as she let herself slow to a stop. Rainbow Dash gasped in disbelief before stopping at the tree shortly after, stomping her hoof in minor frustration.
“Hooo-wee! That was one heckuva race, Dash!” Applejack laughed out, crossing her front & back legs as she witnessed the rainbow-maned pegasus deal with the fact that she lost this time around. Although she did indeed look miffed at first, she soon broke out into a grin & laughed gleefully. She found that it was always fun to race with Applejack no matter the results.
“Totally! I keep forgetting how fast you are... buuut we so gotta make this a best two out of three. It's not that easy to win against me!” She beamed with a challenging undertone, ruffling her wings in excitement for more fun with her friend. Her rival chuckled, knowing full well how good Rainbow was at both racing & winning. As much as she would’ve loved to race again, she heard her stomach grumble hungrily. She looked up at the very tall apple tree the two stopped at, spotting the red gala apples & finding them to be very appetizing.
“Oh, how Ah’d love ta, sugarcube... righ’ after we eat sumthin’, though, doncha think?” Applejack suggested, gesturing a hoof to the bright & shiny snacks she saw hanging from one of the orchard’s children. Rainbow followed her gaze before grinning at the idea of snacking for a bit.
“Yeah, I could sooo go for some grub! Lemme get some for us.” She exclaimed, quickly zipping up to shake the apple tree from within the jungle of leaves, effectively allowing the apples to drop onto the ground with gentle thuds. She plopped her flanks onto the grassy surface, gesturing for Applejack to pick one of the red galas to eat for herself. The pony smiled brightly & thankfully as she sat down as well. She took an apple at random, gratefully biting into it with hungry glee. Rainbow then began eating her own, eating them rather fast as she wanted to race again. Races with her best friend & rival were always a treat, she could hardly wait! Applejack couldn’t either, so she just focused on filling up her belly to regain enough energy to race once again.
However, as she finished her first apple, she felt her stomach begin to churn sickly. She froze suddenly, chills quickly scurrying through her body from the tips of her ears to the base of her hooves. Despite trying to suppress the strange & ill feeling, her snout managed to scrunch up sourly. Rainbow Dash, the most detail attentive pony the farmer has ever met, was quick to notice the shift in her demeanor & shot her a look of worry.
“Yo, AJ, you OK?” She quickly stuffed down the apple she was already nibbling before scooching closer to her friend. Applejack glanced at her while waving a hoof dismissively.
“Ah’m... fine, don’t you worry none. Jus’ need ta sit fer a bit, Ah reckon.” Applejack sighed while forcing a chuckle, trying her darndest to try to relax her body. She was probably just a bit cramped from all the running, right? That wouldn’t be right, though, since she always had so much endurance & energy. Was it that apple? What was wrong with it? It looked fine to her... she didn't have time to think about it further as Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around her back & helped her on her hooves, startling her just a little bit.
“Look, we can’t race if you’re gonna get sick! C’mon, let’s go see Fluttershy, she’ll know what to do.” That declaration surprised Applejack. She looked at the pegasus with a brow raised, to which the other sighed fervently. “Fluttershy helps hurt animals, like, all the time, so she’s gotta know a thing or two about helping ponies! Let’s go, I want you to feel better so we can start race two!” She explained in a rushed & even anxious manner, leading Applejack to Fluttershy’s cottage posthaste. Applejack grumbled under her breath, not knowing how to feel about the idea of being cared for like a filly with the common cold. Still, she too wanted to start the next race, so she matched her pace with Rainbow’s.
Due to the farm being so close to Fluttershy’s cottage, they were quick to arrive. Rainbow Dash immediately knocked her hoof restlessly against the wooden door. It didn’t take long for the ever-so-timid Fluttershy to open the door, her bashful expression growing into a warm & welcoming one. Her eyes were positively glowing at the sight of her familiar visitors.
“Applejack, Rainbow Dash! Hello! What are you doing here?” She asked with a subtle head tilt. Before Applejack could explain for herself, Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“We could really use your help right now! AJ just ate an apple & she got all icky from it!” She exclaimed before the butterscotch pony put her hoof to her mouth in concern.
“Oh my! Please come in, you two. I think I can help you.” She quickly stepped aside, beckoning them inside with a friendly wave of her hoof. Rainbow was quick to head inside, dragging Applejack inside as well since her wing was still swathed over her back. Fluttershy led the pair upstairs to an unused room, which had a comfortable looking bed & some healing items scattered around. This was a room she used to heal & treat injured animals. At least, that was it’s old purpose before she built Sweet Feathers Sanctuary. Now it was pretty much a guest bedroom. It looked simple but cozy, Applejack thought.
“Please make yourself comfortable, girls, I’m just going to get my supplies.” Fluttershy instructed gently. AJ was finally able to wriggle herself out of Rainbow’s hold, who was hesitant to let her go before realizing that her friend was more than capable to care for herself. Applejack allowed herself to climb onto the bed & wriggle into the thick covers, sighing as she felt the warmth calm her body's chills. Although she was hesitant at first, she eventually took off her iconic stetson hat & placed it on the edge of the bed’s headboard before she laid down. The only sound in the room was Rainbow Dash’s testy hoof tapping against the floorboards & some muffled noises of Fluttershy gathering her things from elsewhere in the cottage.
“When’s Fluttershy gonna get back? She’s slow sometimes, but never this slow!” RD blurted out, muttering at the end, clearly iffed & even a little anxious. Applejack turned her head to Rainbow Dash & gave her a look of minor disapproval.
“Dash, she’s been gone fer on’y a minute, give ‘er tahme!” As if on cue, Fluttershy poked her head in the room, lugging along a work table with several items on it. Applejack glanced at each of them curiously, wondering just what in the hay yogurt of all things was doing on there.
“Sorry I took a little long, I was having trouble finding some of the things I needed... b-but I have it all now, so we can begin!” She proclaimed, hastily putting on her stethoscope. Rainbow sat on her haunches eagerly, eyes trained on Applejack as Dr. Fluttershy began her examination.
She first lightly pressed the diaphragm against AJ’s chest. The cowpony was sure to keep her breath steady & consistent, which the doctor was grateful for. No irregularity was found in the heart pulse, which made her relieved. The other two ponies present felt more at ease as they saw her expression. She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck before glancing at a bottle of pills she had brought. She opened it to the best of her ability with her clunky hooves, managing to spill just one pill out. She handed the pill to her patient as well as a small glass of water.
“This little pill will help ease the stomach pain & get rid of any bad bacteria, so if it’s OK with you, I think it would be a very good idea to take it.” She requested, to which Applejack couldn't find a reason to deny. She popped the capsule in her mouth, guzzling down water right after. Fluttershy nodded in satisfaction before moving on to the next step. She looked over at her teapot of green tea, gingerly pouring some of the warm liquid into the teacup she brought along as well. She handed the cup to her patient, who immediately got to sipping it.
“I heard green tea is great for stomach aches, so I sure hope that helps as well.” She commented after she saw AJ finish the small cup. She then wrapped her wing’s feathers, which acted as a hand, around a nearby silver spoon. She scooped out a spoonful of strawberry yogurt, feeding it to Applejack like an infant foal. Despite trying to fight them back, Rainbow Dash found a few snickers slip out of her throat at the admittedly cute sight. The sick pony glanced at her from the side, pouty eyes tinged with hints of embarrassment.
After two more spoon feedings, Fluttershy decided that would be enough for her patient, putting the food away & moving on to her next step. It was... quite unique, & she wasn't sure how the ponies in the room were going to feel about it, but she thought it would be a valid part of the treatment. Thus, she looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was settling down from her snickering.
“Rainbow Dash, I’m going to need you for this next step... um, if that’s OK...” She muttered the last part, to which the cocky pony came forward with no objection. The doctor looked at her for a bit longer before glancing down at Applejack, then back up at her. “I... know this might sound silly, but... the next step is for you to cheer up my little patient. It, um, may not help much physically... but I’ve found that when somepony’s feeling ill, having a friend to be there for you always makes you feel better.” She explained, with Rainbow Dash softly rolling her eyes at the cheesiness.
“Wow, that is silly... but sure! Anything to get her to race with me again really soon.” She cheered before approaching her friend, sitting down next to her bed & looking at her momentarily, trying to think of how to comfort her. Applejack had poured herself another cup of tea, finding that she really liked the taste of it. As she sipped her tea, she looked at the rainbow maned pony, noticing her presence, & raised a brow. Rainbow then did all she thought she could do, which was settling her hoof atop Applejack’s head, stroking her smooth yet tangled mane gently in a consistent way. At first, AJ looked surprised & even hesitant to accept the affection. However, she was quick to settle in & soften up to the touch, even gently leaning into her hoof.
Rainbow Dash felt the core of her heart flutter at the docile reaction she got from the usually rugged farm pony. Such sudden feelings of love encouraged her to start nuzzling against Applejack’s cheek, her face flushing crimson while she did so. It was like the world around the two was slowly fading away as they only focused on each other, their spirits growing lighter by the minute. The warmth of their body heats, the gentleness of their breaths against their faces, the feeling of hair against hoof & vice versa... it felt refreshing to both of them. It was truly helping Applejack feel better & distracted from her belly ache.
They were unaware of the nearby doctor, who was covering her large silly grin with both her hooves in order to hold back coos of adoration. She decided to use this time to check up on her final medical item, which rested in her cooler. She quietly left, leaving Rainbow Dash to finish her part of the procedure, before fetching an ice pack from her kitchen.
She glanced outside the nearby window to Sweet Feathers Sanctuary, seeing that Angel was tending to the other animals in her absence. He noticed her looking at him, giving a salute with his ears before paying his attention back to the chore he was in the middle of doing. Pride & gratitude flowed in her chest for her best animal friend. She quickly dismissed the thought, though, realizing what was more important right now. She held the ice pack before moving back to the room.
She peeked back in only to hear quiet mutters from Rainbow Dash... not too quiet since she was naturally a loud mare, but still, quite quiet for her standards. She didn’t understand much of anything that came from her, but whatever she was saying was putting a soft grin on Applejack’s muzzle & was making her cheeks the color of the apple markings on her flanks.
As cute as Fluttershy found the sight to be, she realized she needed to do the last step of the procedure. She gently approached Applejack’s bed & tapped her shoulder. The mare looked at her with a flushed face, with Rainbow Dash reacting the same way. The usually presumptuous pegasus backed away a smidgen, whistling idly as if nothing had been happening between them. Fluttershy couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before handing the ice pack to her ailing friend.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt... but this is the final thing you need to do. Just leave this on your tummy for a few minutes & it should help ease the pain even more.” She giggled as she lowered her voice to a whisper in order to keep the peace in the air. Applejack nodded in thanks before resting the pack atop her belly.
“Now, I saw you two were in the middle of something, so I’ll, um, leave you alone to do... whatever you were doing." She tittered softly at the last part as well as the reactions she got from her friends, which were two crimson faces. As she placed her stethoscope on her work table & began to leave, she spoke one last comment over her shoulder.
“I’m going to help Angel with the animals, so feel free to stay here as long as you'd like. I hope you feel better soon, Applejack!” She then wandered out of her cottage, leaving the pair alone. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Rainbow spoke up.
“Sooo... how do you feel now? Any better?” Her voice notably held eagerness, with her wings ruffling again in excitement. She really did want to play with her friend again! Applejack nodded, eyes shining in health as she felt the items she ingested take decent effect.
“Yeah, tain't nothin’ big tha’ she did, but it’s makin’ me feel gooder than grits, Ah tell ya!” She took another sip of the green tea to prove her point, with Rainbow Dash curiously taking the spoon to taste the strawberry yogurt. She found it tasted pretty good, with her eyelids raising as she continued eating.
“Man, I wish actual doctors treated ponies like this! Free food is awesome!” She chuckled as she continued to eat the yogurt, her hunger from before finally catching up to her. Applejack found herself looking at her friend with pure love, amusement, & gratitude, smiling brightly as she decided she would share these honest feelings.
“Ah really gotta thank ya fer helpin’ me t’day, sugarcube! T’was mighty outta yer mind t’ be so soft & as cute as a box full o’ puppies.” She commented with a tender expression, which made Rainbow gleam a simper with cheeks dusted in rose pink. She tried to brush it off, though, by leaning against the bed & wearing a playful smirk as she quickly ate the rest of the yogurt.
“Well, yeah, I had to be gentle & all that ‘cause you’re sick!” She spoke with her back straight, trying to sound boastful & like her usual cocky self. Applejack felt a sly grin spread across her own face as she thought of a little plan. She leaned towards Rainbow Dash, intimately nuzzling the side of her face. Her snarky facade dropped instantly, with her wings twitching in surprise. AJ couldn’t help but laugh, puffs of her breath gliding along the pegasus’s face. She even felt bold enough to gently kiss the rainbow mare’s cheek. She was amused at how warm it was.
“Mmm, Ah ain’t tha’ sick, Rainbows~” She whispered, adjusting her position so that she was facing Rainbow Dash. As a result, her forelegs dangled off the bed, which she crossed while giving Dash a lidded look. Said pony looked with wide eyes, but ultimately shook her head as if she was shaking her shock away. Her face quickly turned to one that matched the pony in bed, crossing her own forelegs as she leaned against the edge of the bed. She then suddenly got up to a stand, becoming airborne with a bat of her wings. She soared over Applejack’s head, her messy tail trailing under her jaw teasingly before she landed on the other side of the bed. AJ quivered as she felt the strands of hair caress her chin, slightly widened eyes looking over at the pegasus who was making herself comfortable under the sheets as well.
“In that case, I shouldn’t catch anything from being this close to ya.” She purred out, happily nuzzled up to the farm pony. She let out a satisfied sigh whilst she closed her eyes, draping her wing lackadaisically over Applejack’s body & her tail occasionally brushing the other’s back legs.
“C’mon, let’s nap & then go right back to racing.” She spoke quietly before instantly going to sleep. Applejack didn’t exactly have a choice, she realized, so she set the ice pack aside before snuggling closer to Rainbow so that their faces were close. She gave a gentle kiss to her lips, admiring the subtle taste of mint, before wrapping her bushy tail around her partner’s tail. She saw Rainbow Dash smile softly with rosy cheeks, which made her own heart flop in her chest.
“G’nigh’, sugah.~” She whispered quietly before she, too, closed her eyes & drifted off to sleep. Soon after this quick rest, race two out of three would begin, & she could hardly wait. For now, though, she was content with cuddling her best friend for a little while.
Author's Note
this is my first mlp fic & well... i really love fluff, so sorry if this fic was uninteresting cus of all the fluff it's got. also apologize if anyone was ooc! i dont think im the best at writing dialogue but i rlly hope to improve on that soon... still though, i wanted to write this idea down tho, so uhh i hope it was decent enough of a read! lol
(also if anyone has tips abt like formatting, a possibly better way to split paragraphs, any criticism abt my writing in general, etc pls lmk! writing isnt my biggest hobby, & i dont entirely understand how to space paragraphs up, but id still love to get better at it!!)
NOW FOR A FUN FACT!!! this lil fic was based on a girly girl flash game called "applejack stomach care" which you can play right here! i did of course take some creative liberties with the story though lol
