Author's Note
i've had my mind on writing some appledash for a long time, exploring their dynamics throughout the years, stuff like that. then i stumbled across this comic and thought it'd be perfect if i added my own kick to it. if you only have room in your heart for one cute appledash, choose the comic.
p.s. ik most of the fandom likes it, but i prefer not to write out the country accent. sue me.
But They Will Rise Again
"Mama, what are angels?"
Buttercup rested her hooves on the bowl of batter she was currently stirring, turning her attention to her soon-to-be middle child. She trotted over towards the couch, motioning for her daughter to join her in her seat, to which the filly happily complied.
A hoof on her chin in thought, she released a content sigh and explained, "An angel is a very special kind of pony."
"A Sonic Rainboom," the younger of the two, a new pegasus resident in Ponyville, clarified. The azure color of her coat was complimented by the striking spectrum of her frizzy hair. "It's only the most awesome tale in Equestria!"
The older filly wore red bands around her blonde hair. Her orange face was splattered with white freckles, and her accent, much to the pegasus' annoyance, was admittedly kind of cute. The confusion she displayed was also amusing. Kind of. "I never heard anythin' like it."
"Oh, well. Maybe it's just Cloudsdale, then. Anyways, back then, it was a myth. Just a made-up story. And then, boom! I won the race and the title of, um, Fastest Flier in Equestria? Rainboom... Maker? I dunno what you'd call it. But, anyways, the Rainboom was real, Applejack, and I proved it."
Applejack smiled, imagining what this so-called 'Rainboom' must've looked like. Something beautiful, she could tell by the way her friend described it. "That must be somethin' real special, then."
"One who you never expect to see," she added, "but is always watchin' you."
Her daughter blinked. "But you said it ain't good to spy on ponies."
Buttercup laughed. "I don't think this counts, sweetie. Your angel likes to help you and make sure you're happy and safe."
"Oh."
With a thump, an apple landed on the ground. Much, much later than the rest of the apples had. It was picked up by the caring hoof of the filly currently working in her family's farm and thrown into the bucket with the rest of the apples. "Applejack!" She heard her name being called out and looked up. In the tree she'd just bucked, she spotted a set of shining pink eyes. A smile grew across her face.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Rainbow Dash," she laughed. Everyday since they'd become friends, Applejack had been seeing more and more of this pegasus. And she certainly wasn't complaining.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You can't expect to see me anywhere. I'm always watching you. Beware, Applejack. You've been warned."
"Wanna help me with the rest of these apples, then?" Applejack asked, motioning to the rest of the field. Only then did Rainbow notice the dirt and sweat all across her friend's hardworking body.
She darted up towards the tree and grabbed and thrusted fruit after fruit at her friend, chuckling. "Only if you can keep up!"
Applejack smirked, not replying. She was focused on catching anything being thrown at her. Somehow, one hit her hard enough to knock her to the ground.
"Woah!" she heard Dash call out, the sweet storm suddenly coming to a stop. As she looked up, she was met with a worried face and bright eyes that scanned her for any injuries. It reminded her of her mother, to some degree. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, Applejack, I didn't mean to—"
She was interrupted by a fit of giggles. "I can't believe you fell for it!"
Rainbow clenched her teeth as she dodged the fruit being thrown at her. Oh, how the roles had reversed. She would show her. "I just don't want anything bad to happen," Dash muttered, hopefully outside of Applejack's hearing range.
The little girl curled up closer to her mother's soft coat, thinking. "Do you think, maybe..."
"Yes?"
"Can I be friends with an angel, Mama?"
Buttercup looked down at the cute, shining eyes looking up at her. With a sincere smile, she tousled the filly's blonde hair and answered, "Yes you can, my daughter."
"Honestly," Rainbow Dash admitted, "it's been the honor of my life getting to have you as my first friend here in Ponyville."
Applejack smiled. "Aw, shucks, Rainbow. Even though you can be reckless at times, you make a pretty good friend yourself. Especially for my first."
"No. Wait. Seriously? Why in the hay am I your first friend? Of all ponies, it had to be me? How did you manage not to make any friends before?"
"I-I, well, I dunno. I mean, how many friends do you have besides me?"
Rainbow's face turned beet red. "Um. O-one."
"Mhmm," Applejack hummed, satisfied with the reaction she'd gotten out of her. "Glad to be your second friend, then."
"Y-yeah. Honored to be your first."
"Your angel will always be there when you're happy..."
"That's ridiculous!" Rainbow vented. "Nopony beats Ponyville! I mean, I could beat the whole town of Appleloosa at buckball, with one wing tied behind my back!" As she folded one wing back and continued hovering with the winning wing to demonstrate, Applejack smiled and nodded her approval. Adrenaline rushing to her head, she kicked the tree behind her and turned around just in time to propel the falling apple into the air. Rainbow watched as it soared, almost forgetting to zoom after it and thrust it back to her friend, who then broke the target with it.
Smiles wide across both of their faces, a matching taste of victory in both their mouths, Applejack piped up. "So, I can count on you to join the Ponyville Buckball team?"
Dash was both eager and honored. "Oh, yeah. I am so there," she replied. "I've just got one question."
"Hmm?" Applejack smiled eagerly to match her friend's energy.
"Uh," her voice was softer and more innocent, "what's buckball?"
The smile on her face died and was replaced by a roll of the eye, but the laugh inside her was rising. She was going to show Rainbow Dash the glory of bucking somepony's sorry butt.
"...And there when you're feeling lonely."
Rainbow stole a glance at her friend. Applejack wasn't a lip biter. Nor was she a sweater. So seeing her do both made her nervous, too. "You sure you wanna do this?" she asked.
Applejack nodded eagerly. Of course she wanted to do this! Maybe, just possibly, she just didn't have the guts to. But Rainbow was here to make sure she couldn't chicken out now. As she walked slowly along the path, the pegasus flew behind her, painstakingly matching her friend's pace. It was sweet, of course, but awkward and embarassing. Her orange face morphed into a redder color the closer they got to their destination. As they arrived, she heard the sound of wing flapping die. She turned around to see her friend a ways behind her, an encouraging smile on her face.
As Applejack approached the stone, ran a hoof across the names engraved on each one. Bright Mac. Buttercup. And a plus sign in the middle. They were together to the very end, and that's what mattered the most.
"I miss y'all. Both of you, suckers."
She looked up at the entwined trees. Neither of them were blooming or anything yet, but they were still perfectly beautiful. Together. It even looked as if there was a heart between them.
And in that heart was... Rainbow Dash?
"Sorry," her rough voice apologized. "I didn't mean to ruin the moment or anything."
"You didn't," Applejack assured her as she gently flew down to join her.
As her friend turned back to the stone, Rainbow stole a look at the young farmer. She was just sentimental, was all. The tears were supposed to be there. But something still felt off. As she glanced at Applejack's hoof, she saw it. The plus sign. She had to do this. "You know," she voiced her thoughts, "they really were the perfect pair, huh?"
A sigh. "Yeah."
As Applejack reached out to feel the stone again, Rainbow grabbed her hoof and pulled her closer, earning a look of shock from the Earth pony that probably reflected her own. "Do you think, maybe..."
"Yeah?"
"Do you..." Rainbow looked her friend over from the close distance they stood at, facing eachother. However, now was the time for her friend's comfort, not whatever she wanted. She could always try again another day. "Want a hug?"
As much as Applejack didn't want to, she admitted, "Yeah."
"Your angel shall fly by your side, holdin' you tightly, and never lettin' you go."
"RAINBOW DASH DON'T YOU DARE DROP ME!" Applejack commanded as she grasped her flying friend. A little too tightly.
"I might have to if- you- suffocate- ME," Rainbow argued, pulling in closer to the ground. With her eyes shut tight, Applejack hadn't even noticed that they'd landed. "Next time, I'm gonna be the one on top."
"Woah, Nelly. You can't say that."
"Yet," Rainbow said with a wink as she picked up her friend from above, now the one holding on tightly.
Applejack noticed too late where she was. "RAINBOW! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT TH—"
"AJ? Shh. Just look at the scene. Don't worry, I'd never let you go. Ever, you hear?"
The Earth pony gulped, looking up at her friend instead of down. She knew they could be several feet off the ground, but she didn't want to know how many, exactly. She nodded, managing a weak "mhm" and a queasy smile much to Rainbow's satisfaction.
"But you have to know when your angel is feelin' low, and be there in return."
"Rainbow, you're burnin' up."
Rainbow felt a gentle hoof on her forehead but felt too frail to do anything about it. "I'm not," she argued verbally instead, a small yet noticable sniffle escaping her.
"C'mon, let's go inside." She felt herself leave the ground somehow, but her wings weren't in use. She fell onto the soft surface she noticed too late to be Applejack's back. Too weak to even argue with her thoughts, she told herself it was kind of nice. The experience, not the pony. Obviously.
As she scrambled to her hooves, she felt herself being restricted. "Come on, AJ. Let me go!"
With a sigh, the farmer set her weak friend down. "I'll go get you some medicine, sugarcube."
As her best friend left to do that, Rainbow took in her surroundings for a bit. It was cozy and warm and reminded her greatly of Applejack who, as she returned, found a blue pegasus fast asleep in her bed. She knelt closer to and inspected the limp body. Miserable, and still hot.
In both ways.
"Not all of your moments together will be happy, and there will be several challenges you must face. But, as a team, the two of you are unstoppable."
"Princess Celestia?" the two messy friends said in shock, eyeing one another but still remembering to bow down for their ruler.
"What are you doing here?" Applejack asked, the first to speak up.
"Fall is one of my favorite seasons," the Princess explained, "so I came to celebrate the Running of the Leaves."
Again, Applejack spoke first. "I'm sorry you had to see us being such poor sports, Princess."
"That's alright, Applejack," Celestia assured her knowingly. "Anypony can get swept up in the excitement of competition."
"It's important to remember that the friendship is always more important than the competition," their unicorn friend, who Rainbow preferred to call 'Egghead,' lectured them.
Looking down, Celestia proudly agreed, "Exactly, Twilight. Now, unfortunately, because the two of you were busy tricking eachother instead of shaking down leaves, many of the lovely trees in Equestria are still covered."
The three friends smiled at the Princess. Once again, Rainbow let Applejack do the talking. "Why, Princess," she said, "I bet we can knock those leaves down for you lickety split." She turned her attention to Rainbow Dash. "Whaddya say, friend? Wanna go for another run?"
"I'd love to stretch my legs," Rainbow joked eagerly as she darted away from the scene. Applejack followed not long after.
The filly put a hoof to her chin as she laid down, her head in her mother's lap. "Can I fall in love with an angel, Mama?"
Buttercup looked at the spark in her eyes and tried to mirror it. "Yes you can, my daughter."
Applejack climbed into the bed with her sobbing Pegasus friend who, despite the messy mane and tear stains, still looked adorable. Lately, the farmpony had begun to wonder if they really could be anything more than friends. Although she was avoiding eye contact, Rainbow had particularly good attention to detail and could focus on even the smallest of noises, even if she couldn't see the source. Applejack used this to her advantage. "Hun, I know you're really upset about it all. I am, too, believe me. But 'cha just ain't gonna move on by letting yourself run dry and shuttin' out the world."
Even though Dash had buried herself even further into the pillow she'd left several tears on, Applejack could still make out her words. "I'm not sad, really."
"Mhm," Applejack hummed, a smirk growing on her face. "Don't worry, Rainbow. I know first-hoof how heartbreakin' it is when your crush moves out of town."
"No, that's not-" Rainbow sat up immediately, staring at the Earth pony seated on her bed. "Wait, you never told me about a crush!"
"You never asked."
"Hey! You never asked about Twi, either, but I told you. I trusted you, okay? Now tell me. Now. Or your title of best friend is going straight back to Fluttershy."
Her grin growing even wider, Applejack took off her hat and put it on Rainbow's hair with a playful pat. She motioned for Rainbow to lean in closer, to which she happily complied, hanging her head so Applejack could whisper into her ear. To her surprise, she instead felt a hoof gently lifting her chin and let herself stare into bright green eyes. Bright, even in the dark.
"Yo-" she started to say, but was interrupted when she felt a soft, warm feeling on her lips. Taking in the view of a fuzzy orange coat up close, she fell deeper into the sweet taste of apples, accompanied by the sight of beautiful, bright orbs of emerald. It felt like she was placing her lips on soft, delicious pillows that were made and sized and fit just for her. It completely made up for the recent lack of sleep.
After what felt like hours of contact, Rainbow pulled away, breathing hard. "Holy heck, AJ," she uttered. "I think I just fell in love. Again. With you. Again. Even though. You hate. Me- You- I... Again."
Keeping herself from squealing like a foal or laughing like a pig, Applejack asked, "How many times, now? With me, I mean."
"Too many to count."
"Then it's a good thing I'm fine with takin' things slow. 'Cause I love you too," she said, quickly leaning in for a second round.
"Your angel's embrace will be as gentle as that of the clouds above, and as warm as the earth below," Buttercup explained, hugging her daughter as a demonstration, much to the girl's amusement.
As a gift box slid in front of her, Applejack turned her attention off the fire and was met with bright pink eyes, to which she laughed. "You already gave me a gift."
"Yeah, but you deserve more than one." Applejack was less focused on the sweet, warm breath on her neck than she was on unwrapping this surprisingly well-wrapped present. As she finished untying the ribbon and opening the lid of the box, she pulled out a quilt with memorable patches, her breath slowly escaping her.
"Rainbow, this is... amazing. Did you do it yourself?"
A grin escaped on the mare's face. "Yeah. I mean, half of it, I guess. Give or take a few." The Earth pony removed her Stetson and suddenly grabbed Rainbow in a tight hug.
In shock, Dash returned the embrace. It was soft and gentle and warm and loving and just perfect, much to Applejack's delight as she held her arms around her favorite pony.
"Will it always be this nice?" the young filly asked, escaping her mother's comforting hold and sitting up.
Buttercup looked up with a distant smile and nodded. "Maybe even better, if you like it to be. If you love your angel, and your angel loves you back, then your love will last forever."
"Celestia help her," Dash snickered. "She's already thirty!"
Applejack rolled her eyes. "And I don't know if I can go thirty more with you botherin' me all the darn time."
With her own eyeroll, she replied, "Don't worry, when you're an old and weary granny in a few years, I'll take care of you." Just a glance at Applejack, who looked away immediately, told her she'd said something wrong, but... oh. Granny. "Oh. Sorry about that. And whatever other stupid stuff I say. Jokes aside, I'm here for you if you need it," she said, stretching out a hoof.
Applejack accepted it. "I don't care how stupid you act. I love you because you're mine. Because you're my angel."
She scoffed. "I am not an angel! Heck, if anything, I'd be a devil. Angels are perfect. I'm not."
"Angels fall sometimes, Dash. Nopony's perfect, but that don't mean they ain't angels. And it certainly don't mean you ain't mine. You're my angel, and you always will be. I'll love you 'till the end," Applejack breathed as she held onto her lover's hoof and leaned in for a warm hug.
Her wing draped around her, Rainbow assured her, "With you, there is no end."
The girl looked up at her mother with a blank expression. "Will my angel ever leave me, Mama?"
"Rainbow Dash, you better not leave me." Applejack was constantly wiping her tears so she could still see Rainbow clearly. Not that it was as pretty a sight to see as it was years back, but she needed to inhale as much of her best friend and lover as she still could.
"I..." Dash's voice was barely audible, especially with the oxygen mask on her face. Despite the restriction, she calmly sent a comforting smile towards the emerald eyes that scanned her for any hope of a longer life. "Not forever. Soon," she assured her lover, her words slow and slurred. "I'll see you soon."
Buttercup rubbed the back of her head and coughed. "Well, um... yes."
Applejack swallowed. Even despite the tears clouding her vision, she could clearly see the screen. She wished she couldn't.
There was no hearbeat.
She'd cried so much today, and she somehow still wasn't out of tears—heck, she probably had more now that she'd witnessed the last ever spike on that stupid monitor. She didn't know when she would ever run dry—if she could even manage to.
"Even angels have places they must go someday."
Applejack stared at the limp body she'd cried all over. The lifeless hooves she'd held onto for hours on end. The empty face she'd once loved. She was empty now, too. But she'd made a promise to keep going, for the angels that had already left her. The angels she'd meet in heaven, if she was patient enough. The angels she loved and would forever continue to love.
"My love for you is eternal. Love lasts forever. At least, mine—no, ours is."
"But you must promise me something." Buttercup's voice was stern and serious, so the filly nodded fervently.
"I promise, Mama."
She grabbed her child and bounced her on her leg, staring into the distance. "Promise me you won't follow your angel. Not yet."
"You're in a better place. Now you can fly without me bringing you down," Applejack whispered to her room. To her stuffed animals. To the empty space beside her. To the angels up above. But more to herself than anything or anyone else.
"I swear," the filly announced, her right hoof held over her heart. "I swear on my life I won't follow my angel when I'm left alone."
Buttercup laughed, her hoof on her forehead. "That does absolutely nothing, sweetheart."
"Oh."
With a weak smile, she placed her other hoof on her daughter's shoulder. "It's alright. Someday, you'll have to go, too. One day, the time will be right."
With her shaky golden hooves, a mare undid the bright orange scarf around her sister's dull orange coat. With her bright orange eyes, she eyed the red apples that matched her sister's cutie mark, her hairband, and the color of her own bouncy mane. So many Apples, she thought, but they all have to go someday. With tears, the mare undid her own pink scarf and replaced it with the orange one. Admittedly, she didn't like the look as much, but it meant so much more to her. It would probably make her cry in the middle of class.
But she still loved it. Just like her sister.
She'd cherish it forever.
Just like her sister.
"Mama, will I become an angel someday?"
Applejack looked up. Endless sky and cloud. She looked down. She was standing on clouds, but she felt it was different. She didn't have anypony to lift her. She didn't have anypony to cast a spell on her. She was standing on clouds on her own. It was unreal! With a smile, she turned around and saw a pair of wings. Not orange, like it would be if she'd ever imagined becoming a pegasus. But white, the color of peace. Was this heaven?
Was she... an angel?
"Well, in a way, you already are an angel," Buttercup noted, earning a look of confusion from the filly. She waved it away. "I only hope you become an angel after I do."
Another cute face full of doubt.
"Sorry. Yes. In the far, far future, yes. Yes, you'll become an angel. Yes you will, my angel."
Applejack's jaw dropped as her wings folded. It was shocking that she had complete control over something she'd never used in her life, but she was mostly shocked to see a familiar face. The ruby eyes stood out first. Then the colorful hair she loved messing with, and soon the blue feathers she would constantly stroke. Soon enough, she simply looked like a certain angel Applejack had known and loved for almost her entire life. They quickly approached one another, meeting somewhere in the middle, and automatically wrapped their hooves and bodies and mouths and everything around eachother's, any gaps between them closing completely.
"And you will fly with your angel forever," Buttercup concluded, looking down at the filly in her arms.
Looking up with a spark in her eyes, she commented, "But I can't fly. And what if my angel is sad? O-or hurt? What if we both get hurt?"
"When you're with your angel, anything is possible. Even flight. But not everything is perfect. Not even angels," Buttercup chuckled.
"Oh."
"Angels fall sometimes, but they will rise again. Especially when they have their own angel by their side."
