Celestia help me with that mare
Applejack was sure she heard it wrong when they first knocked at the door that morning. It was early, way early for most ponies; the sun had barely crossed the horizon, so she dismissed it as the old house creaking. She put herself a cup of coffee, listing her chores for that day in her mind - it was her turn to plow the southern fields and she had to check the apples to be sent to Klugetown - but inside the cave that night, none of that seemed so important. Maybe Big Mac would have taken care of it by now, if she was lucky.
“Sis, Rainbow Dash is here,” Applebloom announced by the third time they heard the noise, “and she brought a friend.”
Of all the ponies that could have walked into that kitchen, she didn’t expect to see Daring Do, all equipped with old scrolls and maps, Rainbow hovering by her side, loud and excited.
The Apples opened two more spots on the table and watched in amusement the unexpected guest try Sugar Belle’s pancakes for the first time, astonished by how soft they were.
Then AJ discovered why she was there.
“If there’s a pony who knows apples, it’s her, trust me,” Rainbow assured as they both spread the scrolls everywhere.
“The Golden Apple of Chicomecoatl,” Daring said with ease, the sound of the last world not clear in Applejack’s mind even by the time she heard, “it’s a rare type of relic, so unique I never saw anything like it. According to a newfound stone board, it’s some sort of organic relic.”
“What does that mean?” Applejack remembered asking.
“It means the relic is alive, somehow. Legend says every thousand years a magic seed will bloom and the Golden Apple will exist for five days, until it withers and turns back to a seed.”
“What’s the big deal with the apple?” Rainbow asked.
“Translations are unclear, but I have reasons to believe it expands certain abilities over plants. Needless to say, Caballeron is after it to sell it to the highest bidder.”
“Posing as a good guy isn’t cutting for him anymore.”
“Alright, going after some old magic apple is exciting and all, but why me?”
“See, the Apple is a relic from the early times of the pony tribes. Only an earth pony can deactivate the seal and reach it.”
“Plus, you’re super strong, AJ. If Caballeron and his henchponies come to us, you can help us kick his flank.”
She did kick some flanks, it’s true, but Applejack couldn’t help but wonder how things could’ve been different if at that moment she just wished good luck to the two pegasi and went outside in the sun to start an ordinary day.
Listening to the sound of the thunder echoing at the entrance of the cave, she scolded herself for that thought. Applejack wasn’t the kind of pony to let down a friend in need or to refuse adventure. Dash wanted her there, Daring was counting on her to help find the Apple and she would do anything for friends in need, especially Rainbow; she knew it was nerves talking, twisting everything in her head.
She looked down at the pegasus curled up between the only saddlebag left and her orange flank on the dirt floor. Shadows from the small fire AJ improvised danced over her face and she placed a hoof over Dash’s forehead to check her temperature for the hundredth time that night. What if she wasn’t there to get Dash away?
If she wasn’t there, maybe Rainbow wouldn’t try to transform a fight with henchponies into a competition. Maybe she wouldn’t feel the need to show off so hard to Daring Do that she lost the map. Or maybe she would be tied up in the cold at Caballeron’s camping site. That thought made her shiver.
Applejack trotted around, making sure she was quiet as possible. The sound of the water helped to muffle the noise and the brightness inside the cave, but AJ knew they couldn’t stay there much longer: Caballeron was after Daring Do and he would come for them as well, first thing in the morning.
She hoped the golden pegasus was fine; she hadn’t seen her since they fell into the ambush, many hours before.
"They think we already have the relic," She remembered Daring saying between her teeth, dodging a dart by a hair split, "I'll ditch those clowns and meet you two at the temple."
She flew away, provoking Caballeron and three bulk black stallions and disappeared between the trees, leaving them with low ranking, funny-smelling mercenaries.
"Bet for each pony you take down I can take two, AJ" She remembered the challenge in her cracky voice when Rainbow elbowed her, boasting her familiar cocky grin.
“On ya dreams, Rainbow Dash.”
Applejack couldn’t deny she was releasing steam by bucking and pushing and lassoing those ponies. Their journey through the swamps of South Equestria was hindered more by a loud and obnoxious Rainbow activating all kinds of traps and eventually disturbing some creature than the insidious trails and the dangers of an unexplored place. Even a clearly annoyed Daring asked her what was wrong with the other pegasus; she never saw her acting like that, except maybe for the time they met, many years before - and Applejack wasn’t sure what to answer.
Over time their dynamic had changed a lot; they always had that energy boiling under their skins, pushing them against each other - an ich Applejack could only scratch when she tried her best to put the charming pegasus in her place. Rainbow made her lose control and they had their fair share of student’s field trips ruined to prove it.
Maybe flying with the Wonderbolts that changed Dash for the better and AJ learning some patience certainly helped them act as a team these days.“Work together, not against each other”, as Twilight repeated every time.
Yet there was Rainbow stealing Applejack’s hair band, trying to push her now and then into the water and making bets none of them were willing to lose, just like when she first moved to Ponyville and had so much to prove.
For that a henchpony would wake up sore the next day. Better hurt them than explode with Rainbow and ruin Daring’s mission. She was on her limit.
Dash was handling her share of enemies by flying over them and attacking from above. Still, Applejack was sure she was winning by one or two mercenaries down.
“Six and counting,” Rainbow shouted, with her chest all open, proud of herself. “Beat that.”
“Is that the best ya can do?” She had provoked. Dash prepared for some smart come back, but that was the moment she was hit by the dart - that split second of attention and she was falling to the ground.
Applejack called her name. She ran as quickly as possible, dodging the henchponies coming for them to reach the stunned blue body.
“Rainbow, you’re okay?” she shook the pegasus, kicking blindly an approaching pony in the muzzle and received no answer.
Her heart dropped in her chest and AJ acted in a rush of adrenaline. She knew better than trying to take down all those ponies on her own, it would be too big of a risk with Rainbow vulnerable like that. Instead, she bucked the two stallions closer to them with all her might to get some space; then Applejack lassoed the pegasus, throwing her over her barrel and ran away into the swamp - leaving behind all their equipment but a saddlebag still attached to her body.
The sun was going down in the cloudy sky and the lights were even dimmer into the thicket she let them into in her attempt to ditch the mercenaries. She could feel the pressure in the air and hear the distant sound of thunder approaching and Applejack thanked Celestia under her panting breath when she found the small opening on the rock wall before it started to rain.
What if she didn’t wake up?
Applejack shifted in place, scraping the dirt with a hind leg with impatience. That thought crossed her mind when she put Rainbow on the floor of the cave, and crossed again from time to time, gripping her heart as she trotted around the fire.
No. She would do something. She would fix that mess and Rainbow would be back to her hooves in time for supper. No Slumber-beauty kind of nonsense. Nope. Not on her watch.
She traced a rough plan in her mind. All she had to do was get back to the trail and bring Dash to the nearest village, where she could get some food for herself and head to a hospital. And then she would send a letter to Twilight, or maybe Zecora, in case the doctors didn’t know what to do - which was ridiculous, because they would know how to treat her just fine - but Applejack decided she would buy a scroll just in case.
Now she only had to figure out how to do it. The featherweight pegasus was heavier than a Yak in her knocked out state; AJ knew she could carry Rainbow around, but she needed an option. Climbing and jumping would be harder with her tied on her back but nearly impossible if she had to fight with those mercenaries again. The clock was ticking, the rain was heavy and she couldn’t simply run away from them this time.
There was enough wood outside for her to build an improvised sled and drag Dash along, making the trip way faster, but she had no tools. Maybe if she bucked the boughs and tied some branches with vines - she just had to pick the right knot and-
“Hey,” came the raspy voice breaking her train of thought, “you’re gonna make a hole on the ground if you keep walking in circles.”
“Rainbow,” Applejack lifted her head in surprise, as if she couldn’t trust her ears, and found a smile watching her from across the fire. Without thinking, she grabbed the flabby pegasus in a tight hug, squeezing her hard against her chest. AJ released a breath she didn’t know she was holding, relaxing under Rainbow’s touch when she held her back, still a bit wobbly.
“How ya feeling?”
“The tips of my wings are tingling a little bit, but I’ll survive.” Rainbow stretched herself, checking everywhere that hurt.
“How long have I been out?”
“Long enough, I guess. It will be morning soon.”
“Heh, I really messed up this time. Sorry, AJ.”
“Ya got me mighty worried there, ya hear?” She frowned. “What if ya didn’t wake?”
“If I know you, and I do, you already had a plan for that by now.” Rainbow elbowed her and Applejack chuckled.
“I'm just glad you’re fine.”
“Me too. What do we do now?”
“We still gotta find Daring.”
Applejack told her how far west they had to go in order to escape and about the lost supplies, as each grabbed an apple from the saddlebag, eating around the fire. She told Rainbow to fly ahead and find the temple, putting them in the right trail; she would stay and make sure they had enough food to get there - and they should go as soon as the rain stopped.
“Can’t wait to see what will happen when we find the relic. I mean, you’ll be sending apples to the moon and beyond if the legend is true.”
“Ya can’t count on your chickens before they hatch, Rainbow.”
“Yeah, sure, but aren’t you excited? Think of the possibilities, maybe you can grow apples out of nowhere, like magic.”
AJ listened to Rainbow make all kinds of theories about how the powers of the relic worked, amused with her ideas of making cider of apples they weren’t even sure could exist in real life. She hoped there was no curse, no wicked side effect like those old pony tales - the idea of the Golden Apple was almost too good to be true, after all.
Applejack yawned.
Being around the fire with Dash out of danger made her body realize how tired she was; her muscles relaxed for the first time that day, making her aware of the familiar soreness that came more from worrying than from exertion. The rain outside was getting lighter and her eyelids were getting heavier, so she dropped her head on the curve of Rainbow’s neck, like a pillow, enjoying the softness of her fur.
The pegasus tensed up under her touch, cutting herself in the middle of a phrase and Applejack was sure she could feel her heart beating.
“Are ya okay in there?”
“Sure, awesome.” Rainbow forced a smile, her voice higher than normal.
Applejack faced her. Was never unusual for them to take naps together during their adventures to save Equestria or one of those rare days AJ could take the day off and snore with her under a tree; was never unusual for them to touch - bumping hooves, arm wrestling or just picking on each other to have an excuse to roll in the grass as a mass of hooves and tails, filling the sudden need for proximity.
“Sorry, AJ, I’m not being myself these days.”
“Tell me about it,” she chuckled. “What was that with Daring today?”
“Heh, I wasn’t trying to impress her this time.”
"Alright, talk to me, Rainbow."
She shifted in place, uneasy. "Just don't laugh, okay?"
Applejack pinkie promised.
“I’ve been a little off track since I got the invitation for Pinkie’s wedding, last week.”
AJ couldn’t help but smile.
“C’mon, I told you not to laugh.”
“I'm not, I'm just surprised. I thought you liked Cheese.”
“I do, he’s great. I’m sure their party will be so awesome it will get in history books, maybe turn into a holliday.”
“Don’t know about that, but I bet ten bits we’ll be all covered in cake before they even say ‘I Do’.”
They laughed, bumping hooves with each other.
“So, what's the matter?”
“I don’t know, AJ. I guess I never realized how things got different. I mean, I knew it wouldn’t be the same when Twilight moved to Canterlot, but, you know.”
“We know Pinkie all our lives and now she’s starting a family.”
“Isn’t that weird?”
“I always thought Rarity would be the first to get hitched to somepony fancy, to be honest.”
“And I thought we would keep hanging out and saving Equestria every other day, the six of us.”
“We still do all those things, just not as much.”
“Yeah, but I never imagined my friends would do weddings and foals, those things just happen to other ponies.That freaked me out a bit.”
Applejack passed a reassuring hoof over her shoulder, holding Dash close. It took her a long time as well to realize how things grew different between her friends and over Equestria. She brushed it off when princess Luna stopped dream walking every night. She celebrated it when Rarity opened her new boutique in Fillydelphia. But when Rainbow entered the barn like lighting to tell her she got a promotion and was the next in line to be Captain of the Wonderbolts in a few years, the changes finally hit home.
“What if I woke up tomorrow and you married somepony in Las Pegasus overnight, AJ?”
“Say what?”
“Pinkie is getting married, it could happen to any of us.”
“Ya know that’s not how it works, right?”
Dash stood quiet for a second, considering the possibilities in that logic Applejack not always followed.
“I don’t want things to change with you. I’d hate to see you stop hanging out with me ‘cause you’re stuck with somepony not good enough.”
“So you decided showing off and throwing a frog in my hat was a dang good idea?”
“Heh, I might have gone a bit too far. But it worked, you couldn’t think of anypony else ‘cause you were too busy looking at me.”
Applejack smirked, amused with Dash’s reasoning. It was selfish and silly, but she was being honest. No sugarcoating and Applejack appreciated that.
“I like you, AJ.” Rainbow stated, shifting in place. “I want you in the front row to see the new routine I made with the Wonderbolts. And I want to kick flanks together and drink cider with you in the barn everynight.”
AJ stared at her, not sure what to say. Big Mac teased her, asking about the prismatic trail following her across the orchard and Rarity always said the signs were casted in the stars for anypony to see. Applejack dismissed it for years, reckoning it was just the unicorn's taste for drama. Rainbow didn’t do liking and she was married to the farm. It would never happen between them.
For years she pushed aside the pressure in the air around them, the close lips that never touched, and the scent that made Applejack feel weak on her hindlegs sometimes. She never considered the talks they would never have.
Yet there she was, saying it.
Things were different, but they could be better.
“I like ya too. As a friend and as a mare.”
Rainbow’s ears perked, her wings expanded to the sides of her body, eyes wide and glowing. She trembled with excitement.
“You do?”
Applejack nodded. “I’m a fool like that.”
The pegasus guffawed, zapping across the cave in the blink of an eye. Applejack’s hat was blown away by the colorful trail, rolling in the dirt floor as Rainbow flipped and twisted in the air, almost hitting the fire in her reckless thrill.
“Awesome.” Dash cheered, her cracky voice echoing around the walls.
“ What in tarnation? Be quiet, Rainbow, they're gonna find us.”
Rainbow bounced forward, throwing herself over AJ with a thud. She pinned her body down as they rolled over the floor, mashing their muzzles together in a quick peck and dashed outside in a frenzy.
“She likes me too!” She gained the morning sky, rolling over the grey clouds, shouting into the silence of the swamp.
“What was that?” Applejack heard a thick accent in the bushes near the cave.
“It came from here, let’s go.” Another voice answered.
Applejack facehooved, taking a deep breath. She grabbed her hat and her lasso, getting ready for a fight with the henchponies.
“Celestia help me with that mare.”
