I Didn't Think My Friends Would Do This
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
there are no problems here, no demons to fight or any friendship problems; so I won't be needing the cavalry here.
I wanted to talk to you about something I learned, something a bit unexpected. I've known my friends for a long time and I've learned almost everything I needed to know about them, and I couldn't be happier with them.
Things in Canterlot City have been pretty quiet, there's hardly been any super exciting things happening in town.
I sometimes just go to the mall and hang with my friends or just catch a movie all by myself.
But this new thing that I learned is something really big, not as big as say, fighting a giant robot dragon but it's pretty big.
It started last night, I was with some of my friends at the mall when I got the news.
The Canterlot Mall was packed with people shopping, eating and an awful lot of fast paced movement. The one spot that was the most calm was the Food Court where everyone was enjoying a good bite to eat. Five girls sat in chairs around a big rectangular table, there were two empty seats at the table that were waiting to be filled.
Sunset Shimmer was turning in her chair, looking around the area as if she were hunting for prey.
"I know they said they had plans," Sunset said still looking, "but I really thought they were gonna be here tonight."
Rarity was sipping her drink before tapping Sunset's shoulder. "Relax darling," she said with a smile, "If they were going to be here they would've messaged us."
"Yea I know." Sunset said relaxing and taking a bite out of her hamburger. "I just think it's odd they chose a Friday night to be busy."
"Maybe they're having a secret party and decided not to invite us." Pinkie Pie said with a big grin but then paused when she realized what she said, "Then again, they would've invited us to a party."
I was with my friends Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle.
We always liked to hang out along with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, at Canterlot Mall every Friday night.
It's about what you'd expect, playing games, watching a movie, and eating some really tasty food.
I had a feeling this night was gonna be a lot different from the others.
"I was surprised when Rainbow Dash said she had a lot of studying to do." Twilight said who was eating chicken fingers.
"And now we know that she's doing something else entirely." Sunset said with her friends nodding in response.
"Applejack told me that she was going to be running errands for Granny Smith tonight." Fluttershy said with her head down.
"I know Applejack can be quite the hard worker but I don't believe even she would turn down a night like this." Rarity said who was now looking down at her phone, hoping one of her two friends had texted her.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack didn't meet us at the mall, and we had a feeling they were lying to us about why they couldn't come to the mall. Knowing those two, they probably were daring each other to do something incredibly dangerous or maybe Applejack was really running errands and Rainbow was helping her.
"Whoah, wait." Sunset said getting up out of her chair, "I think I see them."
"Where?" All four girls stood to look where Sunset was looking and saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash walking."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were walking together on the side opposite from the Food Court. As Sunset watched them, she could see Applejack had her arm around Rainbow and her head was leaning against Applejack's.
"Oooh, let's go say hi." Pinkie Pie said moving away from the table before Twilight grabbed her shoulder.
"Hold on, let's see what they're up to first." Twilight said yanking Pinkie Pie back.
As soon as we saw Rainbow and Applejack, we decided to follow them. We had all been friends for years and now they were keeping secrets from us, there's no way we were just gonna let them be.
The five friends were walking not too far behind Applejack and Rainbow, but they weren't successful at keeping a low profile as people kept bumping into them. As they walked, Sunset saw Applejack and Rainbow's positions change. Applejack and Rainbow were now holding hands but they quickly let go and rested their hands on their opposite arm.
"Am I the only one seeing this?" Sunset asked, thinking that her mind was playing tricks on her.
"No, I can see it too," Twilight said, "I wonder why they're acting so strange at the mall."
Twilight doesn't quite understand certain behavior coming from some people. I was seeing a display that she completely missed. I know what that move from Rainbow and Applejack means, because I used to be one of those girls.
"No, Twilight," Sunset tried to tell her friend what the situation was when Pinkie interrupted.
"They're on a date!" Pinkie squeaked so high that everyone shot a look at the five girls, including Applejack and Rainbow.
Applejack and Rainbow were staring at the group, looking embarrassed. Rainbow's face had turned bright red as she looked down nervously while Applejack tipped her hat over her eyes. The pair walked over Sunset and the others, the two looked at each other and then at the group and Applejack spoke.
"Y'all wanna sit down?" Applejack asked her friends who nodded.
I was not prepared for seeing Applejack and Rainbow on a date, I was even more surprised that they kept it a secret, especially Applejack.
All seven girls were now sitting at the table they were sitting at earlier, all of them looking down at their trays trying to figure out what to say. Well, all of them except Pinkie Pie who asking them a lot of questions. Rainbow and Applejack were sitting next to each other feeling uncomfortable with Pinkie Pie asking them.
"Are you two living together? Did you both adopt a pet together? Are you getting married?" Pinkie Pie asked ecstatically.
"No to all three, and that's enough." Applejack said with her hand out.
"I cannot believe you are on a date and didn't tell us." Rarity said munching down on her burger trying to relax.
"Well we don't really wanna talk about it with anybody." Applejack said who had ordered herself sliced apples in a bag.
"But we're your friends, you should be telling us everything." Sunset said.
"Well, we didn't know how to tell you." Rainbow Dash said.
"Well??" Sunset asked, her mind racing with questions, "How did this all start?"
"It started about two months ago." Applejack said sipping her drink.
"TWO MONTHS?" the five girls shouted.
Applejack and Rainbow told their friends of how they started to date and what it was like, each friend had a surprised look on their face.
Over there years I had known my friends, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about them, but life had a tendency to surprise me.
It was a nice night, not a single cloud in the sky and the moon was fully lit. There had been many nights like this, all of them great. On the soccer field at Canterlot High, Rainbow Dash was practicing with the soccer ball. She was the best player on every sports team for the school, and she knew she was the best.
"Hiya Rainbow."
Rainbow turned and saw Applejack walking on the field and waving, Rainbow returned the wave.
"Hey A.J., what's up?" Rainbow said, kicking the ball in the air.
"Nuthin' much," Applejack shrugged, "I was just wonderin' if you wanted to hang out.
Rainbow made a quick trickshot into the soccer goal, "Sure thing, did you wanna go somewhere?"
Applejack shook her head, "Nah, I'd be more comfortable just sitting out here."
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were laying on their backs on the field, looking up at the sky. They rarely did that sort of thing, Rainbow often thought it was boring, Applejack however; actually enjoyed the night sky. When she was little, she and her mother always looked up at the stars and would see a shooting star on occasion.
"So, what's been going on?" Rainbow asked.
"Nuthin' much," Applejack said, "work mostly."
"You do that a lot."
"Do what?" Applejack turned her head to look at Rainbow.
"Work, it's all you ever do." Rainbow said.
"That's not true, I do other things."
"Yea, but you do the most work out of all of us. Whenever it's chores or preparations for an event and even when it's just a game, you always work hard to succeed. You make yourself look the best."
"Don't act like you don't do the same." Applejack said elbowing Rainbow, "You work to make yourself the best too."
"Yea, but when I do it, it's because it's fun, but when you do it, it's not like it's a game or competition, I feel like you're trying to prove something." Rainbow looked at the moon.
"Fine." Applejack sighed, "Sometimes I try to act tough and be the best towards everyone because I don't want people thinking I'm weak."
Rainbow Dash laughed when she said that, "You? Weak? Nobody thinks that, you're the coolest girl in school, well, besides me of course."
This time Applejack laughed, "Let me guess, you still think you're better than me?"
Rainbow shook her head, "No, believe it or not, that's kinda gotten old."
"Ya don't say?" Applejack said sarcastically.
"I mean if being friends with you all has taught me anything, it's that I don't have to be better than everyone else." Rainbow said, "But I still think I can beat you at plenty of things."
"How has nobody asked you out?" Applejack asked.
"You're forgetting Zephyr Breeze." Rainbow pointed out.
Applejack smiled, "Oh yea, that was always fun to watch."
"What about you?" Rainbow asked, "Has anyone asked you out?"
"Nah, hardly anyone has approached me, I haven't even asked anyone out myself." Applejack said crossing her arms.
"Why not?"
"I dunno," Applejack said, "I honestly don't mind it all."
Rainbow sat up, "Really? You don't mind the lack of attention or that there's nobody who wants to be more than friends with you."
"I said it didn't bother me, that doesn't mean I don't want wanna be with someone." Applejack said sitting up.
"Well there's plenty of cool people out there looking for someone, you just gotta get out there and ask." Rainbow said.
"I just don't think there's that many people that I'd be that interested in, you're probably way better than all of them.
"We would be pretty cool together." Rainbow said then looked at Applejack, "Why don't we just go out?"
"Scuse me?" Applejack asked raising an eyebrow.
"Go out, we haven't gone out hardly with anyone, we've been friends for so long, maybe we should just go on a date together." Rainbow said.
"I mean that does sound like a good idea, but how is dating gonna be like every other time we've hung out?" Applejack asked curiously.
"I might have some ideas." Rainbow said with a grin.
"So it was that simple?" Sunset asked sipping her drink, "You just asked her out?"
"Yea." Rainbow said.
"And you're the one who had asked?" Rarity asked curiously.
"Yea? Why does that surprise you?" Rainbow asked.
"Well I never knew you would ask out anybody." Fluttershy said.
"Well I did, and like Sunset said, it was simple." Rainbow said. Applejack shook her head.
"But our first date wasn't so simple."
First dates sometimes don't go the way you want them to, I remember my first date had gone horribly, and that was back when I was evil.
Business was booming at The Tasty Treat, Rainbow had picked it because Rarity said the food was exquisite. Rainbow suggested she and Applejack go there the next night after their stargazing. The restaurant was crowded, many people came and left with satisfied looks on their faces. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were sitting together at a table in a corner. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were wearing what they normally wore to a school dance, they had never been on a date before, especially with each other; so they could only think of one thing to wear on a special night like this.
"This was a nice choice." Applejack said looking around the area.
"Yea, the food smells great." Rainbow said sniffing the air.
"So what do we do now?" Applejack asked.
"Hold hands, I guess?" Rainbow answered unsure.
Both Rainbow and Applejack reached their arms out across the table and grabbed each other's hand and rested them on the table. It felt unusual, both of them have had physical contact with the other, including getting elbowed once in a while; but this was different. It reminded Rainbow of the times she arm wrestled Applejack, Applejack had the same thought.
"I'm surprised we've never been here as a group." Rainbow said, "Did you ever come here at all, even with a friend?"
"Nah, I wasn't too interested." Applejack said.
Rainbow and Applejack ordered their drinks and food, as they waited, they struggled to find anything to talk about.
"So, uhh... Anything new on the farm?" Rainbow asked.
Applejack shook her head, "Not much, Apple Bloom and her friends are still a barnyard full of crazy, so there's that."
"Scootaloo's a great influence on her." Rainbow pointed out, Applejack glared.
"They're doing skateboarding and Apple Bloom wants to go to the moon, The Moon."
"Well we are due for a space adventure." Rainbow joked.
"It's not funny." Applejack said.
"Ok, maybe they should dial it back a bit." Rainbow said, "But Scootaloo doesn't mess around, when she wants to do something..."
"She'll just do it." Applejack finished, "You sure you're not related?"
"I wish, it be nice to have a sister." Rainbow said with a smile.
"Well it sounds nice at first, but then you gotta deal with the negative that comes your way." Applejack said.
Rainbow laughed, "We fought demons, I'm pretty sure I can handle a sister."
They both paused. Their drinks arrived, both had a glass of water.
"I ain't sure about this." Applejack said looking around, "What if this doesn't work out?"
"It has to, we've been friends for so long, there's no reason it shouldn't." Rainbow said taking a sip of her drink.
Applejack sighed, "Yea, but I never been in a proper relationship before, we've been busy saving the world and going to school, me, I've been taking care of my family most of the time."
"Yea, but you've been the one person I've gotten to know over the years, and I really like you, a lot."
Rainbow's words make Applejack smile warmly.
"Likewise partner."
After they finished dinner, Rainbow Dash and Applejack decided to head back to the soccer field and do what they did before, stargaze.
"Now this is a date." Applejack said laying on the grass and looking up at the moon.
"Yea, way better than a fancy-schmancy restaurant." Rainbow said with a laugh and then paused. "Although, this seems like a typical date everyone else does."
"It's only our first," Applejack said, "it doesn't have to be a typical date, but we shouldn't worry about what to do on a date, as long as we're havin' a good time."
"Maybe next time we could go roller skating or something," Rainbow suggested, "I'd totally beat you."
"Oh, is that a challenge?" Applejack said with a grin.
"Yea." Rainbow said.
Applejack then leaned close and faced Rainbow Dash and without saying another word, she pressed her lips against Rainbow's. The kiss did not feel uncomfortable or awkward at all, it felt warm, it felt right. Nobody was around to witness it, which made it even more perfect.
"So," Rainbow said, "Maybe next week we could go out again?"
"Sounds good to me." Applejack said.
"Wow, sounds like you two had a great time." Sunset said.
"Indeed, that was very romantic." Rarity said.
"I can't believe you thought stargazing was romantic." Twilight said with a surprised look.
"It's not as great as every other date, but it's somethin'." Applejack said.
"Yeesh, it's getting late, I think we gotta call it a night." Rainbow said yawning.
"Alright, I guess we'll talk tomorrow." Sunset said gathering her things.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash are a great couple. And I support them all the way, because they're my friends, and I'd do anything for them. How are things with your Rainbow Dash and Applejack? I'd like to hear about them when you get a chance to write back, that's all for now. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.
