Core of an Apple
“Applejack, wait!” Rainbow Dash’s voice was pitched at least an octave higher than normal, carrying after the fleeing earth pony with crystal clarity.
Applejack heard the plea, felt it prick at her heart…and ignored it anyway. She knew there was no way in heaven that she could give Rainbow Dash an honest answer about what had just happened. Not now, maybe not ever.
So she ran. She ran as hard and as fast as she could, determined to outrun even Rainbow if she tried to follow her.
But Rainbow Dash didn’t follow. A mixture of shock and concern made sure she stayed where she was, hovering just a few inches off the ground as she watched her friend fade out of sight.
The slight tang of apple tart that had been on Applejack’s lips still lingered on Rainbow’s own.
For the next few days, Applejack didn’t leave the farm. Normally, Big Macintosh was the one who handled work for the farthest fields in the north section, but Applejack offered to trade him that week, and her brother, sensing that his sister had her reasons for the request, had agreed without comment.
Anything that kept her as far away as possible from the farmhouse – and more critically, any ponies that might try to visit – was just what she wanted. The work was dull, especially at this point in the year, but Applejack hardly noticed. She had plenty of other things to keep her mind occupied, and having time to think was most welcome.
Five days into this routine, up before the crack of dawn yet again, Applejack made her way out to the north fields, her breath crystalizing before her in the dim twilight. Being the stout earth pony she was, the cold didn’t really bother her all that much. If anything, it helped keep her awake. Hard worker that she was, even she was feeling the strain of this extended schedule.
As she neared the grove where she’d be working that day, she heard what she initially thought was a woodpecker. Frowning, she trotted forward to shoo the pesky bird away, but when she finally reached the tree where the noise was coming from, she realized it wasn’t a woodpecker.
Resting in the lower branches of one of her apple trees was none other than Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was wrapped up in a blanket, oblivious to the world around her. Despite everything, Applejack couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
“What am I going to do with you, Dash,” she whispered. “This would be so much easier if you weren’t so darn cute.”
Lifting one back leg, she gently kicked the trunk of the tree, just enough to jostle Dash awake.
“Aaah!” Dash shouted, her legs and wings spiraling around as she fell out of her bundle of blankets, careening toward the ground.
With a soft snort, Applejack stepped into place, catching her friend on her back with a soft thump.
“Good mornin’, sleepy head,” she said, a smirk on her face as she tried to ignore the comforting warmth from Dash’s belly on her back. “Get lost on the way home?”
“No!” Dash said, flapping her wings to get off Applejack and doing her best to look indignant. “I was not lost!”
“You were sleeping in one of my trees,” Applejack pointed out. “Your cloudominium is on the other side of town, remember?”
“I…” Dash sighed, dropping to the ground. “I’ve been trying to talk to you, AJ, but you’ve been avoiding me and everypony else all week. I finally asked Granny Smith where you were, and she told me I could find you out here.”
“Any reason you didn’t just fly out here during the day?”
“Uh, because I really wanted to talk to you? And I figured it was better I do it early before you’re tired from working all day.”
She has a point, Applejack thought. “All right. What’s on your mind?”
The pegasus gave her a flat look, before humoring her. “The party at Rarity’s last week,” she said. “You know, the one where you kissed me as we were leaving?”
“What about it?”
The look she got in return made Applejack briefly fear that Dash was going to tackle her.
“What do you mean, what about it?!” Dash shouted. “You - you can’t just kiss a pony and then run off without saying anything!” She returned to hovering, glowering down on Applejack as she continued, “And if you do, you can’t avoid her for days when she just wants to find out what the hay’s going on, and whether it even meant anything!”
Applejack wasn’t sure if it was from all the silence she’d spent the last few days in, or some peculiar effect of the trees, but she didn’t think she’d ever heard Dash shout that loudly before, and she knew the mare could shout with the best of them. A small part of her wondered if ponies in Canterlot might not have heard some of it, to say nothing of Ponyville.
But Applejack also felt a burn of shame at the emotion in Rainbow’s voice, the hurt. She'd been so focused on her own problems that she hadn't taken the time to consider how her friend might be feeling.
I really, really messed this all up, she thought.
“All right, I deserved that,” she admitted. She walked over to her saddlebags, lifting the top flap. “You want some breakfast?”
“Do…do I want some breakfast?” Rainbow Dash sounded like she was on her last string, one eye twitching from the strain of keeping calm.
“Yeah. Breakfast. Granny always told us never to argue on an empty stomach, so if we’re gonna argue, we should at least have breakfast first.”
There was an uncomfortable pause for several seconds, before Dash finally said, “Yeah, okay, fine.” She dropped back to the ground, folding her wings with a ruffle. “It had better not be oatmeal though.”
The ghost of a grin crossed Applejack’s face. “Nah, that’d never keep fresh for long. Cornbread and cider okay?”
Hearing there was cider, her favorite drink in the world, lightened the pegasus’s mood significantly. “Yeah. That’d be great, AJ.”
With quick motions of her hooves, Applejack divided the chunks of cornbread she’d brought out with her, passing half to Dash. She set the bottle of cider on the ground next to her, and then settled herself down next to her…friend? Friend felt safe, for the moment.
“Wasn’t exactly expectin’ company, so we’ll have to share,” Applejack said. “I promise, I don’t backwash.”
Rainbow Dash snorted, but made no further comment.
The two mares ate in silence, occasionally pausing to pass the bottle of cider back and forth.
“I’m sorry,” Applejack finally said. She looked to her right, her eyes meeting Rainbow’s.
“For kissing me, or for running away and then not talking about it?” the pegasus challenged.
“Both,” the farmer replied, turning away and lowering her head. “I’m sorry for kissing you without your permission, and I’m also sorry for running away like a coward.”
The soft strength of Dash’s wing wrapped around her.
“You want to talk about it?” the pegasus asked.
“Not really,” Applejack admitted, still staring at the ground. “But I need to talk about it. That is, if you don’t mind listening.”
“Lay it on me.”
Applejack had spent the last several days picturing how this conversation would go, but now that it was here, her mind was a jumble of thoughts and ideas. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
“Well, I guess you might have realized that I’m not exactly straight,” she began.
“Maybe,” Rainbow said, her lips quirking with a faint smile. “How long have you known?”
Applejack snorted. “A lot longer than I was prepared to admit it to myself, that’s for sure. All I know is that I finally realized my gate swings both ways, if you know what I mean.”
Dash chuckled at the analogy, but she made sure to give her friend another encouraging squeeze with her wing. “Colorful way of putting it, but I get it.”
“And…I’m still not sure how I feel about all this,” Applejack continued. “I mean, growing up, I always expected I’d meet a nice stallion one day, and we’d get married, and I’d continue the Apple line in one way or another. Now it’s like life heard my plans and decided I needed a good surprise instead.”
“If there’s one thing I understand, it’s that,” Rainbow replied. “When I was younger I didn’t think too much about stallions since I was mostly focused on flying and stuff, but one day I was flying somewhere when I saw a mare with an absolutely killer flank. I mean, it was just perfect. Round, not too big, nice and toned…” She trailed off for a few seconds, her eyes glazing before she snapped back to the current moment. “Anyway, not important. What I was trying to say was that one day I realized that I thought mares were cute. And then I realized I didn’t really feel much of anything for stallions beyond just being friends.”
“That easy, huh?”
Rainbow laughed. “Oh no, not easy at all. Sure, realizing it was one thing, but admitting it to other ponies? Whole different game of buckball. And don’t even get me started on my parents. Dad’s a little more understanding, but Mom keeps expecting me to ‘snap out of it’ and give her grandfoals. Even after I made out with a marefriend one Hearths Warming Eve dinner in front of her. I mean, come on, how much more blatant can I get?”
With that image in her head, Applejack felt some of the ice around her own heart start to thaw, and she let out a soft chuckle. “I bet that was quite a show.”
“Oh, it was,” Dash replied, grinning. “Maybe not the nicest thing, but I was fairly annoyed over her bringing up the grandfoals again, and Spitfire was annoyed because I was upset. I meant for it to just be a quick kiss, but she’s as passionate about her kissing as she is about her flying.”
“Spitfire? But isn’t she –“
“Married to a stallion now? Yeah, she’s like you, goes both ways. Actually, several of my former marefriends were the same.” She brought the tip of her other wing up to her chin, stroking it with her feathers. “Huh. Maybe I’ve got a thing going.”
“So…it’s common, then? Feeling like I feel?”
“You mean feeling attracted to the great Rainbow Dash?” The pegagus giggled. “No, but seriously, I don’t know how many ponies are like you, but I know it ain’t that uncommon.”
The farmer sat there in silence for a few minutes. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth as if to say something more, then closed it again, having changed her mind.
“I don’t rightly know, Dash,” Applejack admitted. “I…I think I need to take this slow. Real slow.”
“Slow,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding. The pegasus took her friend in a tight hug, which Applejack felt herself melting into. After a few shared moments, Dash pulled back.
“I’ll be honest with you, AJ. I’ve wanted something more with you for a long time. But I didn’t think you felt the same, so I never said or did anything. Now that I know you might actually share some of those feelings, well…it’s got me kind of excited.”
Applejack nodded, unsure how to reply.
“But,” Rainbow continued, “I don’t want you to make this decision just because you think it’ll make me happy. Things are a lot better these days than they used to be, but some ponies will still look at you kinda funny if you decide this is what you want. Right now, the only ponies that know everything are you and me, and I promise I won’t say a word unless you say otherwise.”
“I don’t know, Dash. That feels too much like lying. And what am I gonna tell Granny and the others?
"Actually, I take back what I said. I'm pretty sure Granny Smith already knows,” Dash said, smiling and shrugging in response to Applejack's quick look. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but when she told me where you'd gone, she also told me to 'go get her, girl', and then winked."
Figures Granny would know before I did, Applejack thought with amusement.
"As for Big Mac and Apple Bloom? Both of them have been just as nice to me since I came out as they were before. I'm pretty sure they won't care. Everypony else? It’s none of their business.”
Applejack started to say something about their other friends, but realized she was just making excuses. “All right,” she said. “I’ll admit it. I’d like to try this.”
Dash grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I’m not done,” Applejack said. “You said you didn’t want me to feel obligated to make a decision, which I appreciate, so I don’t want you to feel like you’re obligated to wait on me if I go too slow for your liking. A mare like you has gotta’ have plenty of other mares lining up outside her door, all hopin’ for a night with the great Rainbow Dash,” she continued. Realizing how that last part sounded, especially when Rainbow raised both eyebrows, the farmer groaned. “Ah, now I didn’t mean it like-“
She was cut off by Rainbow’s hoof pressing against her chin, closing her mouth.
“I know what you meant, AJ,” Rainbow said, snickering. “And just because I’m fast in almost everything else doesn’t mean I can’t be patient when it really matters.”
Applejack felt a smile tugging at her face. “Is that so?”
“I’d like to think so.”
“Well then, since you’ve been so patient with me, and since I’ve decided to try some new things…how about we try that whole kissing thing again?"
There was a spark in Dash's eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Three months later...
“You made it!” Twilight exclaimed, as she pulled the door open wider to let both Applejack and Rainbow Dash in.
“Course we did,” Applejack said. “Not gonna let a little thing like snow stop us from coming to the party.”
“She also spent all day on the dessert,” Rainbow Dash added, running one hoof through her mane to dislodge the snow that had fallen on it. “Which, I gotta say? Being in the same house while that thing was cooking was torture.”
Spike appeared wearing a festive apron, his claws outstretched to take the basket from Applejack.
“I’ll put it in the kitchen until later,” he said.
“Thanks, Spike,” Applejack replied, handing the heavenly smelling basket over to him.
“Twilight!?” Starlight appeared with the snap of a teleport, her mane frazzled. “Where did we put the extra chips!? I can’t find them in the pantry and the bowl is almost empty!”
“What? They have to be there! I put them there myself!” Twilight turned to the pair. “Excuse us – minor emergency!”
With twin cracks, Starlight and Twilight disappeared.
Rolling her eyes in amusement, Applejack looked around, taking in the beautiful Hearths Warming decorations that Twilight and Starlight had clearly spent weeks on. Music and merriment from the party drifted through the open door at the end of the hallway, and Applejack caught a glimpse of a pony with a poofy pink mane leading other guests in a conga line, which made her chuckle.
Feeling very in the moment, she turned to Rainbow Dash, who was looking at her with a relaxed smile.
“Shall we?” Applejack asked.
The walk seemed interminably long, yet all too short as well. When they finally reached the door, Pinkie was the first to greet them.
“Finally! You two are laaaate!” she shouted. “Ooh, but you’re also under the mistletoe!” With one hoof, she pointed at the small berried twig hanging above the entrance. “You know what that means!”
“Does she…?” Applejack whispered.
“I didn’t tell her, but it’s Pinkie,” Dash whispered back. “I’ve learned not to ask questions.”
Applejack glanced around. Most of the partygoers were clustered in small groups, talking amongst themselves. Spike appeared bearing a tray of fresh treats, which was quickly set upon by some of the younger attendees.
They’d kept their budding relationship a secret so far, and Applejack appreciated her marefriend’s discretion. But she also knew that Dash wanted to make things more official, and that seemed like a right fine Hearths Warming Eve gift. Besides, most everyone seemed fairly occupied – it was doubtful they’d even notice.
She looked back at Dash. “Well, I’d hate to break tradition.” Pushing back her hat, she bent in to give her marefriend a kiss.
Rainbow responded in kind with surprising ferocity, and for a few moments Applejack was somewhere else, somewhere much more pleasant and sweeter than life had any right to be, not that she minded.
When they finally broke apart, she realized everyone was staring at them, their previous conversations forgotten.
She felt her cheeks redden a bit, and she pulled her hat back into its normal spot, trying to play it cool. Beside her, Rainbow was grinning in a punch-drunk fashion, lifting a wing to wave at a few of the other partygoers.
The first to break the uncomfortable silence was Rarity.
“Well, it’s about time,” she said, loudly and clearly as she trotted over to them. Smiling brightly, with a hint of happy tears in her eyes, she embraced them both.
“I am so happy for you two,” she whispered, pulling back to give them another smile. “I wish you both the best of luck.”
With the tension broken, Applejack found she could breathe again, and the couple started to make their way around the party as it resumed, exchanging friendly greetings and accepting congratulations from several of the partygoers.
“So what made you do that?” Rainbow asked, when they’d made their way to a quieter corner. “I mean, I’m not complaining, you definitely made me feel all gooey inside, but…was it just because of the mistletoe?”
“Nah,” Applejack admitted. “Mistletoe was a convenient excuse. You’ve been right patient with me, and I thought that I could do a little something for you.”
Dash’s face reddened, and she rubbed the back of her neck. “That was really sweet,” she admitted.
“Plus, since you have a whole thing about making out at Hearths Warming Eve parties. I didn’t want to break your tradition,” the farmer added.
“Tradition? That was a one-time th-“ Dash’s response was cut off as Applejack’s lips pressed against hers once more.
When they broke apart, both slightly breathy, the pegasus smirked. “Yeah, you’re right. This should totally be a tradition.”
“Just being honest, sugarcube” Applejack replied. “C’mon, let’s get some grub. I’m starving.”
Author's Note
This is a little out of my usual wheelhouse, both the characters and style, but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Hopefully you enjoyed it.
