Not What You Want, but What You Need
Applejack raised her back hooves and kicked the tree behind her, the hat on her head protecting her from the apples that fell on her. As they rolled onto the grass, Applejack began picking them up and placing them onto her wheelbarrow. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a rainbow blur in the distance moving from tree to tree. The rainbow blur moved about for only three seconds before disappearing altogether, and a few seconds after that, Rainbow Dash walked past the trees with a wheelbarrow full of apples and a wide smirk as she made eye contact with Applejack. Applejack huffed, feeling her blood boil as she galloped from tree to tree and kicked them, taking off her hat and scooping as many of the apples into her hat as possible, galloping over to the wheelbarrow and dropping them inside. She kept repeating this, the wheelbarrow half-way full by the time Rainbow Dash approached her.
“Hey, keep this up, and one day you’ll be half my speed,” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “That ain’t too bad, right?”
“Shut up, Rainbow Dash,” Applejack growled. “For Celestia’s sake, remind me why ah let you move in with us again?”
“Because I’m simply irresistible?” Dash snickered.
“Or maybe because you were the only one of us still livin’ alone?” Applejack shook her head. “Ah don’t understand how ya lived like that all those years, ah woulda lost mah mind.”
“It wasn’t that bad actually,” Dash shrugged. “Having nopony to worry about…sometimes I miss it. Hey, uh…do you need any help with that?”
“Ah’m fine,” Applejack huffed. “But uh, thank you for asking ah guess. See you at dinner?”
“Yup, see ya,” Dash nodded, turning around and pulling her wheelbarrow towards the barn.
Applejack continued her work for a while longer when she heard hoofsteps approaching. Facing the trees with her back turned away from anypony, Applejack rolled her eyes as she began to turn around.
“Dash, ah told ya ah don’t need the-oh hey,” Applejack stopped as she saw Big Mac and Sugar Belle walking towards her. “Ah thought y’all were makin’ dinner.”
“Dinner is done already,” Sugar explained. “We um, wanted to talk to you. Big Mac said you were thinking of asking Rainbow Dash out.”
“Um, yeah?” Applejack’s eyes darted between Sugar Belle’s wide-eyed expression and Big Mac’s stoic face. “Were ya offering advice? Your blessing?”
“Do you really want to date somepony just like you?” Sugar frowned. “I know you two aren’t at each other’s throats like before, but why do you want to date her?”
“Does it matter?” Applejack took a step back. “It’s mah decision to ask out who ah please. Oh wait, don’t tell me you think ah should date a stallion.”
“It’s not…like that at all,” Sugar shook her head. “Quite the opposite, I know Rarity turned you down a while ago, and somepony moved into Ponyville recently. Another fashion designer actually! And she’s so sweet, she even says that she met you before! I just didn’t want you to date Rainbow Dash because that felt like your only option. If you want to be with her, that’s your right. I’m sorry if I crossed a boundary, that wasn’t my intention.”
“Oh, that’s what this was about,” Applejack’s body relaxed as she chuckled. “Well, it’s just that we’ve known each other for so long, and we both like mares.”
“I understand,” Sugar nodded. “But this pony likes mares too, and I really think she could be good for you.”
“And uh, brother?” Applejack turned to look at Big Mac. “Any thoughts ya have on this?”
“Ah think a simple date can’t hurt,” Big Mac replied. “Worst thing that happens is y’all aren’t into each other and you can ask out your friend here.”
“Do you think Rainbow Dash is right for me?” Applejack asked.
“That’s for you to decide, but mah personal opinion?” Big Mac paused for half a second before shaking his head. “Y’all better as friends.”
“You two are right,” Applejack sighed. “What was ah thinkin’? Tryin’ to settle for less than what ah want?”
“Everypony has done that before, it’s not the end of the world,” Sugar smiled as she put her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “So what do you say, would you like to go out with this mare?”
“Sure thing, sugarcube,” Applejack returned the smile. “Just tell me the time and place, and ah’ll be there.”
A tall dark brown building with light blue letters spelling out Blue Boulder Coffee came into view as Applejack trotted to the establishment’s door. The cafe had opened a few months ago, shortly after the defeat of the Legion of Doom, by several hippogriffs that moved to Ponyville. Many different creatures had integrated into Equestrian society since the Legion of Doom had been encased into stone, and Applejack noticed that they were bringing their culture and businesses to Ponyville in rapid numbers.
Stepping inside, Applejack noticed that the interior of the building was dark brown as well, decorated with blue rocks and various artwork of Mount Aris and Seaquestria on the walls. On the left side of the building was the counter where hippogriff baristas were brewing coffee and blending frappuccinos, and on the right side was a row of tables next to a large window that brought sunlight into the establishment. Only one pony was sitting alone next to the window, a pale blue pegasus with a long pink mane and a dark purple sweater. Her eyes flickered over to where Applejack stood, and she gasped. Jumping out of her seat, she flew to Applejack and embraced her.
“Kerfuffle?” Applejack whispered. “Did ya…um, know it was me?”
“Oh no!” Kerfuffle pulled back, smiling at Applejack. “I was um, looking to be set up on a blind date by Sugar Belle. I told her that if it happened to be one of you, I would appreciate it greatly. She told me that only two of y’all were still in Ponyville and single, and I insisted for her to surprise me, if you will.”
“How did y’all meet anyway?” Applejack asked.
“Marketplace, she complimented my style and I asked what brought her there,” Kerfuffle explained. “And the rest was history.”
“Well, it sure is great to see ya again!” Applejack felt her body warming up under Kerfuffle’s bright purple gaze. “Oh goodness, ya didn’t order anything yet did ya?”
“No, why?” Kerfuffle replied.
“Because ah’m payin’ of course,” Applejack walked past Kerfuffle despite her whispered protests, making her way to the counter where a meadow green hippogriff with a rosy pink mane was. The hippogriff grinned as she towered over the two mares.
“Hi, my name is Garden and I’ll be your barista today!” Garden told them. “One of our specials is our Rose Petal Lemonade, but if you’re more interested in coffee, we have our Sea Heart Latte where there’s a heart shape in the drink! Do you have any questions?”
“No, ah’ll just have a black coffee with cream and sugarcubes,” Applejack decided.
“Could you give us a second?” Kerfuffle smiled at Garden before side-eyeing her date.
“Sure! Take your time!” Garden beamed as Applejack and Kerfuffle walked a few hoofsteps away from the counter.
“Hey Applejack?” Kerfuffle said. “I’ll accept you paying for both of us if you could try one of the drinks here.”
“Ah’m confused, ah’m tryin’ one of the drinks here, aren’t I?” Applejack frowned.
“Something that’s unique to this place instead of a black coffee,” Kerfuffle rolled her eyes. “I’ve been here many times, you should try the Sea Heart Latte.”
“Oh!” Applejack gasped. “Ah thought Sugar Belle chose the place! Ah’m so sorry, you’re right. I’ll try that, sugarcube.”
“It’s okay, sometimes you gotta try something new,” Kerfuffle smiled as they turned back to Garden. “We’ll take two Sea Heart Lattes, please.”
“Perfect, that’ll be eight bits!” Garden’s eyes lit up as Applejack placed ten bits on the counter. “Thank you! We’ll call your name when it's ready, Applejack.”
“Thank you,” Applejack nodded as she followed Kerfuffle to the table next to the window.
“The perks of being known all across Equestria, right?” Kerfuffle commented.
“Not that I’d ever brag about it, of course,” Applejack agreed with a shrug. “Say, has Hope Hollow been doing well ever since we left? You didn’t…leave because of them, did ya?”
“Oh Celestia, no! Hope Hollow has actually been doing great,” Kerfuffle told her. “I would’ve moved down here sooner, but Sunny and Petunia set a date for their wedding, and I wanted to be there. They got married just a little over a month ago!”
“Well ah’ll be,” Applejack grinned. “Ah’m happy ta hear that it’s going so well over there, sugarcube. So if not for the town, why did you move down here?”
“Well, I saw all of you bringing us together to stop the Legion of Doom. And not just the ponies, but the griffons, hippogriffs, yaks, dragons, and so on!” Kerfuffle explained. “Afterwards, I talked to them and heard about Twilight’s School of Friendship! And when I moved down here, I saw all kinds of creatures, including the hippogriffs that run this café!”
“Oh! That explains why this means so much to you,” Applejack gestured her hooves towards the whole café. “And it touches me that what we did affected you this much.”
“Two Sea Heart Lattes for Applejack!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” Kerfuffle pushed the chair out of her seat and flew towards the counter where Garden was waiting for her. As Applejack observed them talking out of earshot, she saw Garden smirk and narrow her eyes as she pointed a claw in Applejack’s direction. Kerfuffle smiled and replied, taking the two cups with her hooves and flew over back to the table, Garden waving as she left. Applejack reached over and took her cup, gently placing it on the table as she took in the white waves on the drink creating a flawless heart shape.
“Wow, it’s uh…truly somethin’” Applejack whispered, glancing up at Kerfuffle and nearly gasping at her expression. It was a gentle smile, one Applejack had seen before on ponies, but with Kerfuffle it was different. It was like the lighting in the room shone brighter into her chest, creating a fiery warmth inside her. Looking back down at her coffee, Applejack allowed her face to relax and smile as well.
“Ah’ll admit, you’re truly something too,” Applejack looked up at Kerfuffle, whose eyes widened.
“You really think so?” Kerfuffle gasped, faint red appearing on her cheeks. “You don’t know me very well…”
“It’s a hunch, Kerfuffle,” Applejack told her. “If ah’ve got a good feeling about you, ah’m gonna just come right out and say it. And ah do, ah’m glad you came here.”
“Me too,” Kerfuffle nodded, taking a sip of her latte. “So I heard a little bit of what it’s like at Sweet Apple Acres from Sugar Belle, but I wanted to hear it from you. You have a brother and a sister right?”
“Ah sure do, Big Mac busts his hindquarters to help take care of the farm, but he hardly speaks a peep,” Applejack explained. “Apple Bloom is usually off with her friends helping others, lot of energy in that filly.”
“She sounds like you,” Kerfuffle noted.
“Huh, she does, doesn’t she?” Applejack pressed a hoof to her mouth, glancing down at the latte still staring back at her untouched. She lifted it to her mouth and took a small sip. “Wow, this has a really calm taste to it.”
“You like it?” Kerfuffle asked.
Applejack looked up, and could feel the taste reflected in Kerfuffle’s eyes.
“I love it,” Applejack nodded.
“This is really good,” Rainbow Dash said to Big Mac and Sugar Belle across the table as she took another bite of her apple cinnamon salad. “I don’t think I could get enough of the apple dishes here.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Sugar smiled.
“Say, where is Applejack at?” Dash asked after swallowing the bite of her salad.
Sugar Belle glanced at her husband, who didn’t look back at her and instead had his eyes closed as he savored his own salad. Sugar Belle sighed and met the pegasus’ eyes.
“She’s…on a date,” Sugar admitted.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped.
“What?” The word was so quiet out of Rainbow Dash’s mouth that it sounded far away. “Applejack? Of all ponies? I thought that she'd be too busy for that kind of thing, I’m too busy for that foo-foo romance garbage.”
“Well,” Sugar stood up straight in her seat. “Everypony deserves a special somepony to love, don’t you think?”
“I c-can’t lose my best friend,” Dash gulped. “What if she meets a mare and asks her to move in? Where does that leave me?”
“Rainbow Dash, I think you’re overreacting,” Sugar frowned.
“Forget that! I need to go find her!” Dash got up and bolted out the door.
“And so Rarity has been helping me start my own fashion business here in Ponyville!” Kerfuffle explained. “It’s been going great so far, I even made this outfit I’m wearing now!”
“Beautiful,” Applejack smirked. “The dress is nice too, I suppose.”
Kerfuffle squeaked, bringing her forehooves to her lips.
“Aren’t you a cutie,” Applejack found herself walking back to Sweet Apple Acres with Kerfuffle at her side, wing resting on her back like a golden beam of light. “Well, I better get back to work, but this has been an amazing date.”
“Back to work? You said you were working all morning before you went out, right?” Kerfuffle asked.
“Er, yeah. Why?” Applejack asked.
“Why don’t you rest? Sounds like your brother and your best friend probably covered it for you,” Kerfuffle moved her wing back as she flew right behind Applejack, using her hooves to massage Applejack’s back muscles. The farmpony jolted at the firm touch for a moment, and then melted into it.
“S-Sugarcube, nopony has ever done this for me,” Applejack felt her eyes tearing up as she felt unrestrained care and light in the pegasus’ touch. The world faded away as she allowed herself to lay down on the hillside with her legs stretched out. Turning and looking at Kerfuffle over her shoulder, she noticed that Kerfuffle’s muzzle was a breath away. Leaning in, Applejack closed the distance and kissed Kerfuffle on the lips.
Rainbow Dash froze mid-air, watching the two mares kissing on the hillside. And for the first time, watching the two of them, she understood something behind what she always considered to be a waste of her time. Something powerful and gentle at the same time, and Applejack had found it.
Finding herself staring at them, Rainbow Dash flinched and flew behind the barn, landing on the grass as she stared at the ground. So maybe Applejack would spend the rest of her life with Kerfuffle, or another mare, and Rainbow Dash would be on her own again. So what? She couldn’t find it in herself to intervene, not after what she just saw and felt. Applejack was glowing in a way she hadn’t before, and Rainbow Dash felt a hint of longing for that same feeling.
An image flickered in her mind, and Rainbow got up and flew past the apple trees and towards Fluttershy’s cottage.
Author's Note
While Appledash is definitely one of my NOTPs, I wanted to explore their dynamics to reveal what kind of ponies are better suited for them, and how they could be platonic roommates at the same time. Plus, Applejack is my favorite of the Mane 6 and Kerfuffle is one of my favorite characters to write overall. She's the cutest and sweetest, and it was great to write her in a way that makes her more than just a character with a disability. Hope y'all enjoy and review if you can!
