"We turn back to the things we can't escape from every now and then."
-Garrison Ulrich

What Lies Behind

Applejack plucked an apple from a basket alongside the trail through the orchard as they walked. She hoofed it over to Rainbow Dash, saying "Here ya go."

Rainbow gladly took it with a smile. "Thanks."

"No worries, sugarcube," said Applejack, plucking another one from a different basket. She took a small bite out of it, and not even looking at it, she noticed the different flavor. She munched her bite and swallowed before pointing it out. "Huh. This is different, it's a pink-filly, rather than a red-delicious. We usually grow red-delicious 'round here... So, that's odd. Wonder how it got here." She took another bite, and she still hadn't looked at it.

"Beats me," said Rainbow. "I'm just glad you pretty much have instant access to food here." She took a bite of her own.

Applejack shrugged and swallowed. "Not much variety, though."

Rainbow looked at her. "Maybe not, but who cares!? It's everywhere! And that makes it awesome!"

Applejack shrugged again. "Eh, Ah guess."

"Oh, come on! You know it is!"

Applejack took another bite. "Well, ya kinda git tired of it when ya have it fer most of yer life, ya know..."

Rainbow didn't say anything. She instead imagined what it would be like to eat apples almost every day of her life. Delicious, mouth-watering, super-tasty apples, along with apple pies, apple fritters, apple tarts, and a whole load of other treats.

But then again... every day? Maybe she would get tired of it...

"Hey, AJ?" Applejack turned her attention toward her. "You haven't lost your taste for apples, have you?"

Applejack shook her head. "Course not. We do grow other things here, too, ya know. We jus' grow apples more frequently throughout the years. Sometimes, we'll have ourselves a nice salad ta go with egg-flower soup or somethin'. We usually have somethin' other than apples about twice or three times a week."

"Oh."

Rainbow looked at the apple she was eating, feeling a sense of gratitude for the fact that she was allowed this opportunity to put her teeth into such a fruit, even without having to pay for it or grow it. It made her wonder how much work the Apple family actually went through every year to produce such a mass quantity of them. She looked around, seeing the large amount of apple trees that surrounded them, knowing that there were still rows and rows beyond them.

Feeling the need for a little more insight, she looked toward her cowpony friend and asked "Hey, Applejack?" Applejack turned to look at her, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah?"

She thought of her words before she spoke. "Who taught you all this?"

Applejack was flattered but confused. She faked a grin and asked "All of what?"

"This." Rainbow gestured toward the farmland around them, and then to the apple she was holding. "The apple-bucking, the recipes, the types of apples, when the times are right, when the seasons are in, and how to judge where the apples will fall so you know where to place the buckets. I think it's a heck of a lot to keep track of, and I still don't know how you Apples do it!" She calmed herself and continued. "I-I was just wondering who taught you, that all..."

The orange mare was only flattered now, and she blushed. But as she thought about it, it brought back memories of unfortunate sadness. The trees would always remind her of the occurrence. The poorly timed event, in which the two most important ponies in her life were taken from her. Hot tears turned cold as they weakly streamed down her cheeks.

"It was nopony's fault..."

"What was nopony's fault?" Dash tore her from her thoughts. Applejack looked at her with sad, teary eyes, looking innocent but scarred. Rainbow gave her a little space and kept to her own business. "Oh... y-you don't have to tell me... I was just curious..."

Applejack sniffed and wiped her tears with a hoof. "No, no... It's fine. Ah think y'all should have some background knowledge, anyway, if yer gonna be advertisin' fer us..." She sighed, knowing Rainbow needed to hear this.

It was nopony's fault...

<><><>

Granny Smith had just given all the responsibilities of the farm to my parents, knowing they would do well with it. They had been working under her instruction for quite some time now, and she felt they were ready.

I watched as my Pappy read the newspaper and ate his breakfast, while I finished my own. I never really had many connections with him. I could relate to my momma in several ways, but I never imagined I would be a daddy's-filly. Not until that day, at least.

He seemed to be really engrossed in some sort of story in the papers. For a while, I wondered why he was so slow at eating, but then I figured out that it was the newspaper distracting him. So, I still had one question...

"Pappy?"

I saw him lower his newspaper to look at me. "What is it, Apples?" He was the only one who was ever allowed to call me that, and the only one who ever did.

I looked at my empty plate, before asking "Why do ya like ta read the newspapers so much?" It came out like I had been waiting a lifetime to say it.

I saw and heard him chuckle lightly at my question, and then he began to rub his orange cheek. His coat and mane were the same color as mine, but he did have one difference that I knew I would probably never inherit. "Because it gives information. I like information, you know." His accent was that of the classy kind. Sort of like a gentlecolt, or a school teacher, some ponies would say. Not really snooty, but more like polite. I really didn't know how to describe it back then.

"Infermation?" I was only ten at the time.

He nodded and bit into his toast. "Yes. Knowledge. Useful knowledge."

"Oh," I said. "Why do ya always read it durin' breakfast-time?"

"Well, it's the only time I really have to do so." He went back to reading.

I leaned over the table and peeked at him over the top of the newspaper. "Do ya think Ah'd like that infermation, Pappy?"

He seemed to be thinking about my question as he put his hoof to his chin. I was confused for a moment, wondering if maybe I asked too much. But then I saw him pull the paper away and put them under his chair. "You know what?" He smiled at me, as if sympathetic in some way. "I don't think I need to read them at breakfast anymore. You probably wouldn't like them, anyway."

I got down from the table and sat in my chair again. "Oh... Okay then..."

He finished his food and took care of his plate, as well as mine. When he came back, he looked at me and ruffled my mane. "Don't worry about it, Apples. Just, uh... Just don't worry. The newspaper can wait."

He turned around and grabbed his Stetson hat. I was always a might curious as to why he wore it; he didn't even act like a cowpony. The way he walked, talked, even ate, it all seemed... sophisticated, I guess. I could only think of one reason he would wear it all the time like he did...

"Green Sleeves," I heard him call to my Momma. "I'm getting started on the orchard now. Are you going to stay inside or come along?" My mother must have always loved it when he wore that hat. He must have been okay with it, too, seeing as how he married himself a cowpony. She was a dark-green earth pony with both a mane and eyes like my sister's. She was who I took after in my tone.

"Ah'll come out at about ten o'clock, ya hear? It won' be long before then." My Momma was always insistent about helping out with the farm, but usually not right away. Big McIntosh was always the first one out in the orchard, though. "Jus' lemme finish feedin' Apple Bloom, alright? She's puttin' up a little fight this mornin'." Even as a foal, that filly was always a little troublemaker. It's still sad, though, seein' as she never really got to know her parents as well as Big Mac and myself.

"Love ya, Adam," Momma called.

That was his name. Adam Apple.

"Love you, too, sweetheart." He opened the front door and turned to look at me. "Hey, Apples?"

I stood up, excited for something that could be big. "Yes, Pappy?"

"How would you like to see how we do things with the apple trees?"

I was always wondering when I would learn about them trees. "Ah'd love to!" I scampered over next to him and hugged his leg tightly. He chuckled ruffled my mane again. I never really cared what my mane looked like, so I always let him do whatever he wanted with it.

"Come on, Applejack," he said as he moved me out of the doorway so he could close it. He and I left to start work in the orchard.

He taught me everything I know.

Except cooking. Momma taught me how to cook. Pappy couldn't cook worth a hill of beans.

He taught me about the apples. He told me and showed me what kinds of apples there are, and how to tell if they were ripe or unripe, bruised or not bruised.

He taught me about how vast and wide these acres really were. Thirty-seven acres, I think he said. I was amazed. I never even knew how much running I had all this time.

He taught me about the grass and the dirt. He told me why they were so important for all of the growth around here. How the trees and plants dug their roots into it to stay up.

And finally, he taught me about the trees. He taught me how to plant and water them, how to measure how tall they would be, where to place the buckets so their apples would fall into them the right way...

...and then he taught me how to buck the apples.

"Now," he said with some apple baskets strapped on his back, having placed a few buckets around a tree, "This is the fun part. It's hard, but it's fun."

I sat on my haunches and watched. "Pappy, are you gonna buck 'em now?"

He adjusted his position so that his rear was facing the tree. "That is the idea, but there's a certain way to do it just right, so every one of them falls off. Now..." He raised his right hind leg and pointed while still looking at me. "See this spot on the tree?"

I nodded.

"This," He tapped the spot with his currently pointing hoof. "Is where you need to land your right hoof. It's about a meter and a half above the ground. Your left hoof is supposed to be at just the same height, about one hoof apart from your right." He lowered his leg and stood up straight again. "Now, would you like to try, or would you like me to show you what it looks like?"

I stood up and walked over to the tree slowly. "Oh, Ah've seen ya do it before, an' it looks real fun. Ah think Ah wanna give it a try."

He smiled and nodded simply. "Very well, then." He took the baskets off and put them on me, tightening the belt and adjusting the baskets so they would fit right. "There you go. Oh, yes... I almost forgot... When you kick, normally a grown pony would use a balanced amount of strength, but for you, I'd say give it all you've got."

I was a little offended by that last one. "What? But Ah am grown!" I huffed. "Momma said Ah'm a grown filly!"

He just chuckled and said "If you say so, Apples."

"Ah do!"

Again he chuckled, but this time he gestured for me to get on with it. I turned myself so I faced away from the tree, and I turned my head to see if I was positioned right, and what it looked like, I was. I kept my gaze toward the tree and raised my right hind leg to make sure I could hit as high as one and a half meters. It was a might difficult, seeing as that was already my limit when it came to height. Finally, after finding the right spot, indicating that I could, I lowered my leg and took a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was already learning how to do this, only at ten years old! Well, Pappy said it was fun, so what was I waiting for?

I raised both hind legs up and held my breath as I shot them at the tree behind me with what I thought was a balanced amount of strength. When my hooves hit the bark, it felt harder than a firm wall of bricks. I felt a little pain, but I brushed it off easily. After putting them on the ground again and trying to regain balance, I waited for something to happen.

I waited for the apples to fall, but they never did, save one.

Bonk!

"Ow! What the--"

"Oh, whoops!" Pappy walked up next to me and rubbed the top of my head. "I forgot to mention... Make sure you're not, uh... directly under any apples either, heh heh... Sorry about that, dear."

I grunted and turned my head away from him, trying to tune him out. He spoke again. "It looks like you can take a hit pretty well, though. Good pain tolerance."

I still didn't look at him. "Thanks, Pappy."

I felt him turn my head so he could see my face. "Applejack... Why don't you try again?" He looked up. "There aren't anymore apples right above you... What do you say?"

There didn't seem to be any harm in giving it another try. "Ya know what? Why not? Ah might as well..."

He nodded and backed up, giving me space. "Go ahead then."

I repositioned myself and looked back at the tree, making sure I was ready again. That tree was certainly in for it now, pulling a stunt like that. For a second, I wondered if that ever happened to Pappy, but then I figured it probably did at one time.

Reserving the right to be smarter, I gazed up to check if there really weren't any apples above me. Satisfied, I looked at Pappy one last time, who gave me a nod, and then I closed my eyes, breathing in deep, and exhaling slowly.

Feeling ready, I held my breath. I then raised my hind legs up the same as before, and shot them towards the tree with as much force as I could, feeling my whole body shake and vibrate when they hit the bark. The slight pain in my thighs was easily ignorable, but when I landed my hooves back on the ground, I remembered what happened last time. Coming from a new instinct, I ducked my head covered it with my hooves, bracing myself for an expected impact...

...but I never felt it. It didn't happen, and I felt like it should've, but it didn't.

There was a wave of sound, consisting of what sounded like cereal filling up a bowl, but on a much larger scale. Several sudden but flowing thuds filled my ears, and I was confused. I lifted my head from my hooves and looked around.

I saw my Pappy. He was staring with a look of astonishment. Curious as to what seemed to be so astonishing, I followed his gaze and looked behind me.

The buckets... They were all full...

All three of them were full, and not a single apple had missed. Well, except for the one that hit me on the head earlier. I looked up in the tree to also find that not a single apple was still hanging. I had expected for maybe half them apples to fall, let alone land in the buckets perfectly. Standing up, I felt much more weight on my back. It surprised me and caused me to wobble from side to side, before I quickly regained balance. I then looked at my back and saw that the baskets were filled as well.

"Apples, you..." I turned my head to see my Pappy slowly walking up next to me, staring at the tree, and then the buckets. "I... I don't think I've... ever seen... a-a little filly like yourself do that before... You did it."

Again, I was slightly offended. "Ah told ya already, Pappy," I said, "Ah ain't little!"

He turned his head and looked at me. "I guess not..." he said with a smile. He raised his hoof, about to ruffle my mane for the nth time that day, but then he brought it to his chin, apparently making some sort of decision. The next move he made was with the same hoof, only he brought up to his hat this time. He took it off, brushed it off, and then placed it on my own head. I could feel how new it was; it didn't have the stiffness of one that was more used. It must have been special to him, cause I hadn't ever seen anypony else wear it before.

And that made me think...

Why would he let me?

What did I do? Was bucking apples really that special of a job?

I turned and shook my head a little to get a feel for it, but two seconds later, my vision was blocked and the part of the hat that was supposedly meant to be on my forehead was now resting on my muzzle.

"Hey! What in tarnation...?"

I couldn't see a thing.

"Where'd everythin' go!? Why's it dark all the sudden!?"

"Applejack," I heard Pappy close by. "You're fine, it's not dark." The dark was then lifted literally. I suddenly saw his hoof lifting up the front of the hat, and the light returned.

"...Oh."

He just chuckled and adjusted the hat so it was resting closer to the back of my head. That way it stayed on better and I wouldn't have to worry about it covering my eyes anymore. "Thanks, Pappy."

"No worries," he replied cheerfully. "I do want it back though, just so you know..."

Yup, the hat was sure special alright, and that made me realize how much I probably meant to him. That, and it made me wonder what he thought of me in every day of his life.

Was I really that special to him?

Looking into his eyes, the color of the sky on a good day, I not only saw the stallion who brought me into this world, but I saw him as a leader. This was the one who looked like he could teach anypony, but instead he chose to teach me, his daughter. Not his oldest child, not his only daughter, but certainly his oldest daughter.

It helped me see how much he meant to me, too.

He was the pony who would turn me into a leader.

I would wear this with pride and respect, even if I were only supposed to wear it for the day.

<><><>

Rainbow caught herself hanging on Applejack's words, but she didn't care. Until now, she never knew how much her friend was truly connected to her parents. She always knew that she and her siblings had a special bond with each other, unlike alot of families these days, but she never knew that there was something so strong and meaningful her and her father.

"What happened to him?" The eagerness was apparent in Rainbow's tone. "I've never really met him before. How come?" It was only then that she noticed the small streams running down the farm pony's cheeks. "I mean... You don't really... have to tell me, I just..." She saw that Applejack had stopped walking and started sniffling lightly. "...I'm done talking..."

She tried to help her get moving again by walking a little quicker, hoping she would follow. She didn't move.

"Momma an' Pappy took a train the very next day to Appaloosa," said Applejack, attempting to hold back any more tears, "takin' up an offer at becomin' a decent brand name. Said they'd be back in about three days. Pappy also said he'd... he'd write."

Dash realized where her story was leading. "H-he never did... did he?"

Applejack shook her head. "Ah had heard about a new route they were buildin' that was supposed ta be shorter than the regular one, an' it was bein' built over a fairly large ravine..." She paused and sighed, and her voice became shaky. "...T-the workers had forgotten ta switch the track back so the train would still take the regular route... The bridge wasn't finished yet..." She sat down on her haunches and began to wipe her tears away. "They had no idea they weren' on the right track, and they didn' have enough time ta stop before it... came to an end..." The tears had built up long enough in her eyes, and she couldn't hold them back anymore. She let them loose fully, not even bothering to wipe them away.

Feeling quite guilty for having asked in the first place, Rainbow walked over to her, sat down next to her, and rubbed her back, hoping to sooth her.

"Braeburn arrived at mah house two weeks later an' explained everythin' that happened... We were all devastated ta hear that our parents had passed in the horrible accident. He said he went to explore the wreckage..." She took her hat off and and looked at it sorrowfully. "He said the construction workers found this at the edge of the cliff that led down to the ravine. It was in fine condition and they didn' know how, but he was jus' grateful to at least have somethin' ta help remember mah Pappy."

She stopped letting her eyes water and looked at Rainbow, who then stopped rubbing her back. Applejack's voice was still a bit shaky and her lips were trembling. "To this day, Ah still don' know how much time Ah could've spent with mah dad, buildin' a better relationship than what we had..." She sighed again and looked back at the hat. "Big McIntosh said he would've wanted me ta wear it, but Ah had a hard time believin' that until a while later. Fer a short while, Ah was convinced that farmin' wasn't meant fer me, an' should live a more sophisticated life, but Ah'm sure you've heard where it goes from there..."

Rainbow nodded. "Yup."

She looked at Rainbow again. "Ah need this, Dash. This is what he wanted. This is what he was offered. This is what he was goin' for in Appaloosa. Now, the offer was dropped 'cause they knew that the Apple farm didn' have the same caretakers anymore, but even though that offer ain't standin', Ah'm shootin' for it anyway. An' if Ah have you helpin' me, Ah'm certain we'll be noticed by somepony. Ah really, really need this, Dash. Ah may not be able ta make him proud anymore, but Ah bet we would, doin' what we're gonna be doin' tomorrow, if he were here."

As Rainbow listened, her own eyes becoming a tad wet from all the emotional insights brought up, she didn't think that Applejack would ever be this open to her. She knew that she would be open with just about anypony, but not nearly this open, inviting her to help with selling apples, telling her back story on her parents, and even crying. It almost seemed as if she didn't even care if she saw her letting her tears loose.

Then Dash realized...

'She does need me...'

It may have been hard to believe, but here was Applejack, absentmindedly pleading for help with the farm. She was being all but stubborn. She really wanted to live this dream, and she really needed help. Rainbow then made a more firm decision.

Scooting so she would sit in front of her, she lifted the orange mare's chin and smiled. "Applejack, you have my promise, along with Pinkie Pie's, to do anything it takes for you to achieve this. I know you really want it, and your dad probably would, too. I'm sure he'd be so proud of you...! Just imagine! All of those popular brand names, all lined up through the streets, ready to make sales for the day, and then there's the one that has the fastest flyer in Equestria advertising for Sweet Apple Acres, doing awesome flips and stuff! Everypony will be blown away, and they'll notice who she's advertising for, and that will let them know how awesome Sweet Apple Acres is, and how delicious their apple-based products are!" By the time she was finished, Rainbow was standing on only her hind legs, hold her forelegs out excitedly.

Applejack was surprised she wasn't flying yet, and despite how egotistical it seemed, it sounded like something to look forward to. Smiling, she came to appreciate her friend's motivational speech. "Thanks, Dash. Ah hope it turns out that way."

Calming herself, Rainbow sat back down where she was and smiled sincerely. "No worries, AJ." She then looked at the the hat that was still on the ground. "You know," she said, smirking, "it never really looks good on anypony but you, Applejack."

Applejack looked at the hat, as well. "Maybe," she replied. "You should've seen Pappy wear it. Ah couldn' really decide if it looked good on him or not. But who knows? Maybe it'll look good on you someday..."

Rainbow blushed at the compliment, and then they're eyes widened, both blushing even harder and looking away from the Stetson, realizing what that could have implied when thought of the right way. This brought several pretty unimaginable and slightly disturbing images to their heads.

'...Wow,' they both thought.

They remained this way for a short and painful time, before Rainbow, turning her head back to look at the farm pony, broke the silence with a small cough, covering her mouth with a hoof.

Applejack looked at her and noticed her cheeks were still red. Thinking this was adorable, she couldn't help but ask, "What're ya thinkin' 'bout?"

Rainbow kept her face toward her friend, but turned her eyes far to right, trying not to smile as big as she was, but coming out unsuccessful. "I'd rather not talk about it... Besides, you probably already know..."

Applejack shook her head sympathetically. "Ah reckon Ah do, but Ah can' help but notice how embarrassed an' cute y'all look right now," she said with a chuckle.

Rainbow grinned sheepishly and turned her eyes to the left this time. But then, thinking back on what Applejack just said, she gained the ability to stop smiling and look at her quizzically. "Wait... What do mean... cute?"

"Oh, nothin' much, just--" She gasped and covered her mouth, immediately questioning her previous comment.

Cute?

Cute?

Why in Equestria did she say cute? What made her say it? She didn't think Rainbow Dash was cute...

'...Or do I?' she thought. 'Do I really think she's cute? Pretty, even? Gosh, that didn't come out right...' She glanced at her friend for clarification. What did she really think of her looks?

She saw her coat, covering the pony with a beautiful shade of the sky. She saw her mane, colorful but messily organized. She could admit that she was slightly jealous of that quality, but it would never match her orange coat. Finally, she saw her eyes.

Her beautiful, determined, magenta eyes. She could see how much this pony had to offer in her efforts of loyalty just by the look in her eyes. It wasn't just the color or the shape, but rather the thoughts said through the way they acted. They were always looking for always looking for a new adventure, but they were still caring for and concerned about her friends.

Applejack couldn't believe it, and she almost didn't want to, but she couldn't deny that Rainbow Dash, her best friend and fellow athlete, was pretty. Beautiful, even. 'Well,' she thought, 'it's certainly true that she's downright gorgeous... and I guess I do see her as that, but... but who cares? That's crazy! Ain't nopony ever gonna hear me admit it, anyway.'

"...Nothin' much," she decided.

Rainbow raised both eyebrows and began to slowly move her gaze away. "...Oookaayyy..." She couldn't have felt more awkward, especially since she never got a firm answer to her question.

Applejack noticed her discomfort and sighed. She knew that keeping secrets was basically a way of lying, and she knew that being around Rainbow with the thought of knowing she was pretty would be difficult to get through without somepony knowing, and she definitely wasn't tell anypony else know that she thought Rainbow was pretty.

'Maybe telling Rainbow herself will settle things...'

It seemed to make the most sense. If she told her, Applejack would feel more secure, knowing that somepony else trustworthy knew.

But what would Rainbow Dash think? There were about a million things that could go on inside that Pegasus's head. It would be chancy...

"A-alright," she said hesitantly, "Ah'm gonna give it to ya straight, Rainbow Dash, seein' as how Ah'd be lyin' if Ah didn't..." Rainbow drew her gaze back to the farm pony, slightly eager for the answer. Applejack took a deep breath before continuing. "A-ah think yer... pretty, Ah guess..." Rainbow blushed, becoming embarrassed once more. Applejack kept going. "Oh, hay with it! Ah said Ah'd be straight with ya, so Ah'm gonna be!"

Rainbow couldn't help but lightly at how contradictory her words could be. "You're not really talking... straight if you ask me..."

It was Applejack's turn for her face to flush. She cleared her throat awkwardly before continuing once more. "Ah... Ah think yer beautiful, Rainbow. Ah can' help but feel a little jealous, too. Yer jus' prettier than Ah am, an' Ah guess Ah'll have ta deal with that."

Rainbow's cheeks were so red that they almost began to hurt. She never imagined that such an unexpected topic would make her friend admit something like this. Applejack thought she was... beautiful? Where did this come from? "That's..." she barely managed the first word, "...uhm... f-flattering... AJ... I, uh... don't know what to say..." She was beginning to feel the need for movement again.

Rainbow looked back down the dirt trail they were currently stopped on and saw the pile of apples where she had seen her friend earlier today. She giggled at the memory, but grew silent again when she remembered what she had been feeling soon after they accidentally brushed noses. She shivered lightly and tried to occupy her mind with something else.

"What's so funny?" Applejack asked, hearing the giggle. "An' don't say it weren't nothin', cause Ah ain't never heard you laugh like that before."

Horse-apples! There wasn't a single way out of this without lying, and she knew lying would eventually lead to... to something... Something that was most likely bad...

"Ya know what?" Applejack pulled her from her thoughts. "Ah think y'all should prob'ly git on back ta work, anyhow. Ya don' really have ta tell me. And Ah'm kinda feelin' like the farm needs attention, too."

"Okay," Rainbow agreed simply. "Good idea." She then stood up and prepared to take off.

"Rainbow?" Applejack earned her attention again. "Why don' we meet here again later in the evenin'? Ta git some practice...?"

"Sure," Rainbow nodded. "Like at six?"

"Seven."

"Yeah, okay. Seven's fine."

Applejack then put her hoof on the Pegasus's shoulder. "Ah hope Ah haven't made ya too uncomfortable, sugarcube. An' Ah'm sure we'll find some way ta talk to each other without runnin' into an awkward moment every time."

Rainbow sighed. "Yeah, uhm... I hope so. I-I still don't know what to say, though..."

Applejack shrugged backed away to let her take off. "Well... Good luck then, Ah suppose... Fly safe."

Rainbow smiled. "Will do," she said as she expanded her wings. She then took off with leaving a small gust of wind. It was not what Applejack was used to, but it did give her the comfort of knowing her friend would fly safe. Her blushing, embarrassed, confused, and flattered best friend.

Applejack face-hoofed.

What had she done?

Author's Note

I do have a question... I noticed how many likes there are on this story compared to how many favorites there are...

Do some people just favorite stories without rating them?

Anyway, thanks, you guys, for all the feedback on the first chapter.