Boundaries

"Apple Bottom chill. We're gonna get through this. Together." Rainbow Dash said for the umpteenth time that morning as she squeezed her girlfriend's ice cold hand.

"Yeah, well y'all weren't there fer the chicken coop fiasco Thunder Butt. Y'all don't know what Granny's like when she's riled up." Applejack said with a wavering voice. She was pale as a sheet and her expression was like one about to vomit. They stood for several minutes together outside the front door trying to build up Applejack's courage, Rainbow waiting patiently, not willing to force her.

The tension was snapped like a haywire when Applebloom came up behind them. "Door ain't locked y'all." She said casually walking between them and opening the door. "Come on in." She said in her childish friendly tone. The last prop of safety removed, Applejack swallowed hard and entered the lion's den, crushing her girlfriend's hand in her own. They found Granny Smith in her usual napping chair snoring away.

Applejack cleared her painfully dry throat and took the plunge. "G-Granny?" She timidly called out. There was no response from the matriarch. Applejack tried again only a fraction louder. "Granny?" Still the old woman sat, head lolled, in the warm spring sunlight spilling in through the window, snoring like an old saw mill. Applejack cleared her throat and slammed her eyes shut. "Granny!"

The ancient Apple snapped to her feet with a rapidity that belied her bad hip and produced a shotgun from who knows where, racking a shell loudly. She spoke in a dazed slur. "What is it youngin? Bank Men?! Varmints? Speak up girl! What's up!"

Rainbow went pale and took a big step back from the brandished weapon, but Applejack grabbed the barrel. "No Granny! It's just us! It's Applejack n Rainbow Dash! We need. . ." She had to stop and swallow again. "We need to have us a lil talk, that's all."

Granny blinked and her old eyes adjusted to the light of the small living room. "Oh well why didn't you just say so." She grumbled as she creakily slipped back into her seat. "Wakin an old lady up durin a nap." All of her joints popped like a string of firecrackers as she got comfortable. She deftly unracked the shell and slipped it back into the tube. "Land a Goshen! Now what's on yer mahnd youngin. Spit it out."

Applejack trembled from head to toe. Her eyes darted about the room. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. A thousand doubts ran through her mind at once. What if she says no? What if she gets mad? What if she accepts them but Rainbow is unfaithful and Granny breaks out the ever dreaded "Ah told you so." She felt a hand wrap around hers and her heart skipped a beat. She looked and saw the love in Rainbow's scarlet eyes and her fears subsided. She knew in that moment that no matter what happened they'd be able to make it through together. She took a deep breath and said, "Granny, R.D. here and I. . . Are in love."

"Yis Ah know. What of it?" Came the snap response. It came so fast that neither of the couple were sure they had actually heard it.

Applejack balked. "Ah'm. . . Ah'm sorry what?"

Granny rolled her eyes at the delay in the conversation. "Yeah, ev'ryone knows. So what's the issue?"

The farm girl's face went pale this time out of surprise, rather than fear. "YOU KNEW?! HOW DID YOU KNOW?!" She shouted in shock.

Granny narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter. "Youngin, Ah work at the school y'all go to, and ya ain't exactly subtle are ya?"

The orange girl sat shell shocked. "How long have you known?" She whispered, still not able to fathom the enormous truth that had just fallen on her.

The old woman looked up and away trying to catch the one or two marbles still rolling around in her old noggin. "Er, um, let's see now. Cain't quahte recall the vury first tahme Ah caught wind a y'all's shenanigans, but I think the earliest Ah kin recollect at this moment is durin a football game. We just got a safety and this'n gave ya a good smack on the lips." Rainbow grinned at the memory but Applejack blushed red as her brother.

"So you're okay with us being together then? Since you've known all this time I mean." Rainbow asked, a bit of hope growing in her heart.

The old lady turned her head slowly as if on rusty ball bearings to look at the blue girl. Rainbow gulped, realizing for the first time just why her girlfriend was so scared of upsetting her grandmother. "Youngin, how many times have Ah said that Hagh School Rome Ants ain't nothin but heartbreak n misery?"

"But if you knew then why didn't you say anything?!" Applejack asked. "I always thought you didn't allow us to date." She grew mildly ashamed of herself. "That's why we never told you. About us. . ."

Granny Smith rolled her eyes again. "Girlie, you didn't tell me cause it ain't none a mah business. I ain't with this blue'n y'all are. N even if I had forbidden it, that didn't stop y'all did it."

Applejack blushed and looked away. "Ah'm sorry Granny. I'm sorry Ah went behind your back and lied to y'all."

Granny made a confused face. "Lied? What'cha sayin girl? What fib you been spreadin?"

The farm girl stood and inhaled deeply. "It weren't no boy that made me wanna go to that camp. It was Rainbow." Instantly the shotgun was back out and pointed at the athlete. The sound of Granny racking the round sounded to the blue girl like her death knell. She was frozen in place with shock. Applejack darted between her and the gun. "NO GRANNY! WE DONE WORKED IT OUT!"

"Yes! I'll be good I swear! Your granddaughter literally knocked some sense into me. I even have the handprint to prove it!" Rainbow shouted quickly, her heart thundering.

Granny scowled and slowly lowered the weapon. "Sit down youngin. Ah gotta have me a talk with this here gal." Applejack looked worriedly from Her grandmother to her girlfriend but slowly slipped back down into her seat. Granny Smith bored straight into the uncomfortable girl's soul. "Now missy, Imma give you one warnin. Mah A.J.'s got a heart bigger'n this whole house." She menacingly raised the shotgun towards the girl. "Iffn y'all break her heart, they'll never fahnd yer body. Ya hear?"

Rainbow gulped audibly. "Good." She got shakily to her feet. "I'm glad that A.J. has people that care for her enough to make sure she's okay. And I wanna do this right by her and you." She solemnly got to one knee. Applejack gasped and put her hands to her mouth. Her voice trembled as she said, "Granny Smith, I would like your permission to date your granddaughter."

"Sit down girl!" The old woman shouted, thankfully raising her cane rather than the shotgun. The pale athlete plopped down on the couch feeling like a chastised child. Granny groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "These chidrens." She glared at the trembling teenager. "What would y'all a done Iffn Ah'd said no? 'Oh well, too bad, toodaloo?' No! It shouldn't matter to you what Ah er yer folks say. Iffn ya love er, ya stick with her! Ya fight for er! That's what yer granpappy did A.J."

"When i was even younger'n you Ah had eyes fer that tall scrappy boy, but Pa didn't approve. Did he ask permission? No! He came to the house and scrapped with yer great pappy right there in the yard! Whipped him good. We was hitched two weeks later. N Ah was only sixteen!"

Applejack gawked. "Is that why you don't lahke datin in Hahgh School? So we don't end up like you n grandpappy?"

Granny tapped her granddaughter firmly on the top of the head with her cane. "No child! Cause I work in a school with children gettin their hearts broken ev'ry day! Don't want that fer mah grandkids. Yer grandpappy's the exception that proves the rule. He wasn't gonna let nothin stand between us, not even my Pa. Ah dropped out n we got hitched cause Ah knew there was nothin else I wanted to do." She grinned nostalgically. "Just yer grandpappy."

Rainbow couldn't help but chuckle at the innuendo. "Well you'll be happy to hear that I've already done my share of fighting to be with your granddaughter." She quickly told the story of her stand off with the changeling, Granny's grin growing wider and wider as the story progressed.

"That a girl!" She cackled in admiration. "Nah you two go on n bein in love, n don't let no monster er even me stop y'all." Both girls rose and wrapped their arms around the matriarch. She gently embraced them back. "Oh and uh, R.D." The shotgun magically appeared in her hand and made contact with the athlete's nose. A murderous glare was in the old woman's eyes. "Fed to pigs. Bones in the orchard. Never. Found."

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and nodded firmly. "Right. Understood. Got it." The couple retreated from the farm house as quickly as they could before anything else could happen. Applejack closed the door behind her and stepped into a whole new world where anything was possible. She stood dazed for a moment, still trying to process all that had happened.

"We done it." She whispered breathlessly.

The blue girl grinned. "See, I told you it'd be fine." She said, trying to forget she'd been threatened with a gun several times.

Tears of relief and joy came into the farm girl's eyes. "We done it!" She pulled the athlete into a kiss. "We done it!" She pulled her girlfriend into a tight embrace, pressing her lips as firmly as she could.

Rainbow chuckled through the kiss. "Dayum girl. What's gotten. Ooh!" She exclaimed as she was lifted straight off her feet and held in the air by the passionate girl. Applejack pressed the blue girl's back against the post and slipped her tongue into the surprised athlete's mouth.

A loud tapping at the window forced a momentary break in the passionate kiss. "Hey you two love birds! Get a room!" Granny snapped half jokingly.

Applejack blushed through her grin. "Sorry Granny!" She lifted the bewildered Rainbow Dash in her arms and ran off with her towards the orchard like a Vandal making off with a captured princess.