The next morning, despite the fact that her room lacked windows, Applejack rose with the sun, drifting out of her pleasant dreams with a smile on her face. Twilight didn’t seem to be awake yet, so Applejack was content to be occupied by her own thoughts for the time being.
It was a while before Applejack felt a stirring on the bunk below. Her suspicions that the unicorn underneath her was awake were confirmed when the lantern hanging from the ceiling sparked to life, illuminating the relatively bare quarters. Applejack had been too concerned with seeing Rainbow Dash the day before to really take in the features of the small room.
The bunk beds were in the furthest corner from the door, and a simple wooden dresser stood next to them. Other than that, there was a mirror on the opposite wall in which Applejack could see her reflection, even while lying on the bed.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Twilight said, looking at Applejack’s reflection and climbing off her own bed.
“Can’t rightly be a farmer if you aren’t up with the roosters,” Applejack responded. She sat up and stretched her legs before hopping down off the top bunk herself.
“Right, roosters,” Twilight said. “Well, since we didn’t really get the chance yesterday, how about I show you the facilities you’ll be using while you’re here?”
Applejack looked at Twilight. “Y’know, Twilight, you don’t have to take care of me like this. Ah appreciate it an’ all, but Ah don’t want to be a burden.”
“Oh, no worries, Applejack,” Twilight said, smiling a genuine smile. “I really don’t mind.”
Applejack furrowed her brow. “You’re sure Ah’m not gettin’ in the way?” Twilight shook her head. “Well,” Applejack said, gesturing toward the door, “in that case, lead the way.”
Twilight raised her eyebrows. “What?” Applejack asked. Twilight’s eyes darted to the dresser and then back to Applejack, who walked over to the piece of furniture and pulled the top drawer open. Applejack let out a loud groan at what she saw: the drawer was full to the brim with maid outfits. Each and every article of clothing was black, white, and lacy.
Twilight giggled at the expression on Applejack’s face, but tried to suppress it after the look the farmpony shot her. She wasn’t successful. “I’m sorry, Applejack,” she said between small laughs, “but every maid has to wear one while they work.”
Applejack glared at the outfits like the drawer was full of snakes, but eventually pulled one out and started putting it on. As she did, a thought occurred to her.
“Do the stallion servants have to wear these things?” she asked.
“There are no maids who are stallions,” Twilight said. “Stallions are used for more labor-intensive work, and as butlers who bring meals and such to the nobles. Also, there are a lot of stallions in the kitchens.”
Applejack finished donning her ensemble and cast one last resentful look in the mirror before turning to Twilight. “Lead the way,” she said, gesturing toward the door.
Twilight’s smile brightened a little before she turned and made her way toward the door, pushing it open with her magic, with Applejack in tow.
The torches in the hall were already lit, illuminating the paths of the few ponies who were out and about. Twilight led Applejack up the stairs, out of the dim oppression of the servant quarters.
“Why do the servants have to live in that place?” Applejack asked once they had completed their ascent.
Twilight shrugged. “We always have. Where else would we live?”
Applejack didn’t have an answer, and they kept walking. Now that they were on the ground floor, early-morning sunlight streamed through the windows, warming Applejack and reminding her of her previous day spent with Rainbow Dash. She already longed for the other mare’s company again, and she wasn’t looking forward to spending two more days without her.
The two ponies soon reached a set of double doors, which Twilight pushed through. The room inside was bare save for a large rack of towels in the left corner and a huge, in-ground bathtub taking up a large chunk of the space.
“This is the washroom,” Twilight said.
“More like a wash house,” Applejack said under her breath. Her “girl-time” with Rarity and Fluttershy had made her no stranger to bathing with other ponies, but the bathtub at the spa in Ponyville wasn’t even half as big as the huge basin in front of them.
Applejack started to step through the threshold, but was stopped by Twilight’s hoof. “What are you doing?” Twilight asked.
Applejack raised her eyebrows. “We’re gonna take a bath, right?”
“We can’t take a bath without water,” Twilight responded, looking at Applejack like she was stupid.
“So we just need to open the faucets, right?” Applejack said slowly.
Twilight laughed. “Oh, I see why you’re confused. Only the nobles get water brought to their rooms through the pipes; we have to get it from the well.” She closed the door and continued in her original direction down the hallway. Applejack sighed and followed.
The trek to the well was a long one, but Applejack didn’t complain. She tuned out Twilight’s excited lecture on the history of the palace and allowed her mind to wander, entertaining herself with thoughts of her mare.
She thought of the smooth sky-blue coat covering the athletic frame, tight muscles flexing as she shifted her weight against Applejack. Then Applejack would move her own hoof across Rainbow Dash’s back, guiding it in small circles further and further down. Rainbow would shudder, spurring Applejack on with her body rather than with her words. Applejack’s lips would find the silky caress of her other’s own and she would push forward with her tongue, Rainbow Dash being only too eager to do the same. Applejack’s hoof would dip lower and lower until...
“Applejack?”
Applejack shook her head. “Uh, yeah, Twilight?” She could feel a fiery blush on her face, burning it from within.
“Are you okay?” Twilight asked. “You seem a little... flushed.”
“Fit as a fiddle!” Applejack said, straining to hide her blush and calm her racing heart.
“If you say so,” Twilight responded. Then she turned and faced the stone circle in front of them. “Well, we’re here.”
They were in a small courtyard contained somewhere in the middle of the castle, cast in shadow by the high walls on all sides. The well was cobblestone, with a crank and rope with bucket attachment to extract water. Twilight forewent the conventional means, opting to pluck a bucket from the pile leaning against the wall with her magic and fill it directly. She repeated this with a few more buckets and soon they were on their way back to the washroom.
“How come the servants don’t get water pumped to the washroom?” Applejack asked once they resumed their journey. “It can’t be that much trouble. Ah mean, we don’t have plumbing at Sweet Apple Acres, but Ah always imagined the palace would be all gilded doorknobs and whatnot.”
Twilight, who looked like a mother duck leading her ducklings with the train of water buckets following her, said, “Well, the nobles are much more important than the servants, so they get prioritized. They wouldn’t want to risk running out of warm bathwater, so it’s easier for us to just get our own.”
Applejack leveled her gaze at Twilight. “You’re kidding, right?”
“What?” Twilight asked.
Applejack stopped, and Twilight did the same. “Ya’ll have to wake up early and wait on these ponies every whim, lug these buckets back and forth every day, and they can’t even provide plumbing because they might run out of warm water? No offense, Twilight, but that seems a little...” She searched for the right word. “Dumb,” she finished.
Twilight started walking again. “Of course not, Applejack,” she said, smiling. “That’s the way it’s always been. Why change things now?”
“Ah suppose,” Applejack whispered.
They made it back to the washroom and filled the tub. Twilight proceeded to heat the water with her magic, filling the room with steam when the liquid reacted to the sudden change in temperature. After Applejack removed her outfit, the two mares slipped into the water and Applejack let out a contented groan, relishing in the warmth, as she hadn’t been able to take a bath since leaving Ponyville.
The other servants started coming in soon, joining Applejack and Twilight in the enormous basin. They cast a few glances toward the pair, but mostly kept their distance. Applejack was too busy relaxing to care, and as she settled into the bath, her thoughts once again wandered to Rainbow Dash.
She found herself wondering how Rainbow’s coat and mane would look wet, her chromatic locks catching sunlight and reflecting it in a dazzling display reminiscent of her beautiful namesake. Applejack could imagine that mane spread out in the water like a spectacular fan as Rainbow Dash leaned her head back. She could see herself coming up behind the pegasus, brushing her own hooves past Rainbow’s powerful wings and running them through her mane, moving from her head to the outer fringe of each strand in a calming, gentle motion.
Applejack would caress her mare’s striking features before holding the wonderful head in front of her steady. Rainbow Dash would open her eyes as Applejack lowered her own head, and Applejack would keep going no matter how much she just wanted to stare into those eyes forever. Her lips would brush Dash’s forehead, and a trail of soft kisses would follow the edge of her face until they met her lips...
Applejack was shaken from her reverie by the feeling of something rubbing against her inner thigh, and she started for a moment before realizing that it was her own hoof. She removed it as quick as the water would allow and glanced over at Twilight, who, thankfully, had her eyes closed.
Applejack lifted her hoof up and held it in front of her face. Nopony had ever given her such vivid fantasies before. She wondered if they could compare to the real thing.
Before long, Twilight prompted Applejack to exit the tub. As the duo went to towel off, Applejack noticed something strange: the other ponies seemed to be actively avoiding them. As they passed, the other servants would cease their conversation and turn their heads away, only to whisper to each other again and glance at Twilight and Applejack after they were out of earshot.
“What’s their problem?” Applejack asked as they toweled off.
Twilight looked around at the other ponies, who avoided her gaze. “I think it’s because I’m so close with the Lady Dash.”
“Why would that matter?” Applejack furiously rubbed a towel on her mane.
Twilight shrugged. “Servants and royalty just don’t mix in their eyes. They’re untrusting of the royals, and they think mine and Lady Dash’s friendship is wrong.”
Applejack scoffed. “That’s the dumbest thing Ah’ve ever heard. Sure, some of the uppers ‘round here ain’t exactly the friendliest bunch, but how could they not like Rainbow?”
“I never really thought about it, to be honest. I’ve never been very interested in making friends,” Twilight said as they finished toweling off, Applejack groaning as she donned the outfit again, and left the washroom.
“So what am Ah supposed to do now?” Applejack asked right before her stomach let out a low growl.
“Let’s get some breakfast,” Twilight suggested.
(*)
Rainbow Dash sat on a small satin cushion, resting her cheek on her hoof and gazing through the iron bars clamped over her window. Sunlight streamed through in patches, falling upon her face in the pattern of the cage in front of her. Through the spaces between the rods, she could see thick slices of Canterlot on the left and the Royal Gardens, with their luscious green hedges and winding maze, on the right.
Her eyes were pointing out the window, but she wasn’t really looking at the view. Her thoughts were focused on Applejack, on their meeting the day before, and on how perfect it had been. But it hadn’t been nearly enough; it had been like a drop of water while Rainbow was dying of thirst. She wanted to swim in an ocean of Applejack, to grab hold of the farmer and never let go, basking in her scent and feeling the tough, athletic musculature beneath her soft orange fur.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes drifted shut and she could see Applejack in her mind’s eye, as if they were standing only a few feet away from each other. Then a memory of something lacy invaded Rainbow’s mind, and an instant later Applejack’s maid outfit appeared on her. The illusory Applejack blushed, which made Rainbow Dash blush in turn.
Applejack approached with a deliberate wiggle in her walk, shaking her hips as she sauntered toward Rainbow with an agonizing slowness. Rainbow wanted to run and tackle her in a hug, but she was rooted in place, Applejack’s for the taking. Applejack steadily reduced the distance between them, coming close enough to hold her lips just a few inches from Rainbow’s. Rainbow Dash pushed forward with her own mouth, closing the gap between her and the mare she so desperately sought... and in the process, pushed her head off of her hoof and smacked her forehead on the windowsill.
“Ow!” she exclaimed, rubbing her head with her hoof and crossing her eyes in a vain attempt to look at the afflicted area. She glared at the windowsill, in case it was planning on trying anything else, before moving to her bed, just to be safe.
She lie down on her back, staring at the canopy that covered her bed. Her eyes drifted around the room, eventually resting on the clock hanging on the wall. As she watched the second hand tick, it seemed to slow down, taking longer and longer to signify the passing of the next second until it appeared as if the clock had stopped entirely.
“Argh!” Rainbow cried. How was she supposed to stand two more days of waiting to see Applejack? Their time the day before had not been nearly enough, and Rainbow thought that as long as the current arrangement was in place, it never would be. How could they be together when they saw one another so little?
Her thoughts were interrupted by hoofsteps in the hall outside. She sat up, a jolt of hope shooting through her heart as the image of Applejack popped into her head, but the door swung open to reveal her mother.
“Oh,” Rainbow said.
Duchess Persephone crossed the threshold. “You were expecting somepony else?” she asked.
Rainbow Dash stood up. “No, I just wasn’t expecting to see you, that’s all. Was there something you needed?” she asked.
“Can’t a mother show an interest in her daughter’s life?” the Duchess asked, a little too innocently.
Rainbow Dash eyed her matron. “Forgive me if this sounds rude, mother, but what ‘life’ are you speaking of?” She gestured around the room. “This is my life. You and father have guaranteed that.”
Duchess Persephone sighed. “If you must know, I came to talk to you, and it’s important.”
Rainbow was on the verge of a sarcastic comment, but her mother’s somber attitude bit it back. “What about?” she asked instead.
The duchess's eyes wandered around the room before settling back on her daughter. “I’ve been thinking lately, ever since your little adventure during the Summer Sun Celebration.” Rainbow started to defend herself, but Persephone interrupted her. “Please, let me finish. Did you know that I arrived at the celebration before your father? He had some last-minute business to attend to, and I decided to see the festivities instead of simply waiting for him. While I was in Canterlot Square, I saw you dancing with that orange pony.”
Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “Um,” was all that came out of her mouth. Her mother had seen them?
Duchess Persephone looked off to the side and smiled. “You looked happier than I had seen you in years, since you were only a little filly. The smile that other mare put on your face made me question some things, things that I’ve been sure of your entire life.” Now she looked at Rainbow. “You were supposed to marry for convenience, into a more powerful house, like I did with your father. Not to say I don’t love your father, for I do, with all my heart, but I’ve always been afraid that you might not turn out so lucky.”
“I—” Rainbow began.
“Please, Rainbow, I’m afraid that if I don’t get this all out now, I will regret it for the rest of my life.” Rainbow Dash closed her mouth and sat. Duchess Persephone gave a small nod. “Thank you. Seeing you with that mare, the joy that enveloped you, and how you looked at each other, reminded me of your father and I when we were your age.” She let out a small laugh. “It seems so long ago, now.” She looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes. “If somepony had separated us back then, I would’ve stopped at nothing to be with him. Is that how you feel about this mare?”
Rainbow only nodded. When her mother didn’t respond, Rainbow Dash spoke. “I want to be with her more than anything in the world.”
The Duchess smiled. “Come, walk with me.”
With that, Persephone turned and exited the room, a confused Rainbow Dash in tow. They navigated the decorated hallways and staircases in silence, Rainbow simultaneously hopeful and terrified that she would run into Applejack. If her mother found out that Applejack was there, there was no doubt that they would be separated. Luckily, their route didn’t take them past her, and even if it had, Rainbow Dash was certain that her mother’s years as royalty had trained her to ignore all servants, regardless of their similarity to a certain orange mare.
“Where are we going?” Rainbow asked as their journey took them closer and closer to the entrance of the castle.
Duchess Persephone smiled knowingly. “It’s a surprise.” Rainbow Dash didn’t pursue the matter.
The two mares continued through the entryway and out the doors of the castle. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, but just continued following her mother. Their path took them to the left, around the corner of the castle and past ornate fountains of golden hydras and silver seaponies. The wide lawn stretched out to the wall, thick with well-kempt emerald grass and lined with expertly landscaped shrubs and flower beds.
Duchess Persephone stopped in the middle of the lawn and turned to her daughter. With a small smile, she reached past Rainbow Dash’s head with her hooves and plucked at the ties that bound the young mare’s wings.
Rainbow’s eyebrows sprung up and a smile broke out on her face as her powerful appendages sprang from their imprisonment, stretching them this way and that to ease the dull ache that resided within them. She rotated them in their sockets, letting out a small sigh of contentment with each satisfying pop.
“I want to see you fly,” Persephone said, beaming at Rainbow Dash.
That was all the encouragement she needed.
Rainbow Dash crouched down and thrust her wings upward, brushing her chest against the grass for only an instant before pushing up with her powerful legs and pulling down with her wings, propelling her with a blinding speed into the air. Her head was aimed straight up at the sun, but the light didn’t bother her through her eyelids. She pumped her wings, moving with such speed as to make her eyes water and steal her breath, and she loved every second.
The air grew colder around her and she slowed her ascent, leveling her wing strokes and angling herself more toward the ground as she drifted into a glide. From her position in the air she could see all of Canterlot and beyond, for miles in every direction, including Ponyville. Her eyes lingered on the distant town, thoughts turning to the prospect of simply flying away. As she circled the gardens, her mind attempted to make an argument for just leaving now that she was free.
She looked down at her mother, whose face was happier than Rainbow Dash had seen in a long time. With all of the usual worry and stress gone, the Duchess looked years younger. Rainbow spun in the air, rolling her body over in a simple display of aerobatics, and Persephone laughed and smiled even larger. The pegasus sighed and angled further toward the ground.
Rainbow Dash dove, speeding toward the ground at a breakneck pace. Her mother’s screams fell on deaf ears, lost in the wind that roared past them. At the last possible instant, Rainbow spread her wings and pulled out of the dive, slowing down in just enough time to land in a gallop and stop just in front of her mother.
“That was incredible, Rainbow Dash!” Duchess Persephone yelled, throwing her hooves around her daughter and pulling her close.
Rainbow Dash just laughed a little, mostly at her mother’s enthusiasm. “Yes, it was pretty cool, wasn’t it?” she said, hesitating for just a moment before returning the hug.
Duchess Persephone pulled back. “Hm. ‘Pretty cool’ indeed. I would love to see you fly more often.”
“I’d love to fly more often, mother,” Rainbow said, looking at the leather belt on the ground.
Persephone followed her gaze. “Well, you simply cannot fly effectively without practice, can you? I suppose the belt will have to stay off, at least for the time being.” She was smiling, but not as much as Rainbow was. “Also,” she continued, “my schedule simply will not allow me to see you fly whenever you wish. It would certainly be prudent to allow you out of your room, under the close eye of a guard, of course, don’t you think?”
Rainbow Dash was speechless. She pulled her mother back into a hug and squeezed, eyes watering with joy. “Thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome, darling,” Persephone responded before dropping her voice to a whisper. “And if you were to make a surreptitious visit to the servant quarters to see a certain orange mare while my back was turned, well, I suppose I would be none the wiser.”
She pulled away from the hug, leaving Rainbow Dash with her eyes wide and her mouth opening and closing like a fish, searching for something to say. “You know?” finally left her lips.
Persephone laughed. “Of course I know, Rainbow. There’s not a lot that goes on in the castle without me knowing about it. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to anypony. As far as I’m concerned, the ‘orange mare’ is still in whatever village she came from.”
“Ponyville,” Rainbow Dash said.
Her mother only nodded. The sun was touching the horizon as the pair began the trek back across the lawn and through the castle to Rainbow Dash’s room, Rainbow answering any and all questions that her mother asked about Applejack.
“I’ve let all the guards know about our arrangement,” Persephone said when they had reached Rainbow Dash’s room. “Any time you wish to leave, let the guard at your door know and they will accompany you wherever you wish to go.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. An awkward silence stretched on for a time before Rainbow hugged her mother. “I love you, mother,” she said. “It may not seem like it sometimes, but I need you to know that I do.”
“I love you too, Rainbow,” Persephone said as the hug ended. “As does your father. He’s simply... misguided in his means. And please, be careful. There are some in this castle who would not care for your being with a servant, and not just your father.”
Rainbow swallowed but didn’t say anything. Persephone turned and left, calling back “good night” to Rainbow Dash as she retreated into her room.
The bed gave as Rainbow Dash flopped down onto it, contemplating her day. Her mother had been willing to reconcile, was even willing to help her see Applejack? She could still barely wrap her mind around it.
Then her thoughts went to Applejack. Rainbow wanted to rush to her right then and tell her about the good news, but going down to the servant quarters for any reason would seem suspicious. Applejack wouldn’t have the day off for two more days anyway, and seeing her while she was working was too big of a risk to take.
Despite this, everything seemed to be falling into place for the couple, and now that they could go wherever they wished on the castle grounds, their day together would be that much better.
These thoughts followed her into her slumber, sighs of contentment escaping her lips as she drifted off to sleep.
(*)
Two days later, Applejack’s heart was racing. She stopped pacing in the small room she shared with Twilight and rested on her top bunk, only to jump back down and resume pacing a moment later. A quick glance at the small clock on the dresser told her that only a minute had passed since the last time she had looked. She sighed; she wasn’t usually this impatient, but waiting for Twilight to come and take her to see Rainbow Dash was doing funny things to her head.
Her heart leaped into her throat as the clopping of hooves sounded outside the door. The entrance swung open to reveal the unicorn that was the source of Applejack’s recent anxiety.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Applejack leaned down and clenched the handle of the picnic basket between her teeth. “Ready,” she mangled around the wicker.
Twilight let out a small giggle and turned around, leaving the room with Applejack close behind. They walked in silence, Applejack’s thoughts focused solely on their destination and the mare she would be meeting there.
Their path took them through the servant quarters and threaded them through a series of hallways that took them straight to the large, gilded entrance hall. Standing beside the entrance was Shining Armor.
“Ready to see her?” he asked. Applejack just nodded, and Shining Armor pushed the doors open with his hooves, the enormous pieces sliding on oiled hinges.
Shining Armor led, with Twilight and Applejack not far behind, around the left side of the castle, taking them past fountains of gold and silver that glittered in the midday sun and across the lawn. Not too far in the distance, the walls of the hedge maze were coming into view, each side more than twice as tall as Applejack. A large tree jutted up from what Applejack guessed was the center of the labyrinth.
They came to the entrance, a gaping hole in the hedges that led to the confusing twists and turns within. Gamble was already waiting for them, remaining still in front of the gap until they were within earshot.
“Are we all set?” he asked, approaching after glancing in both directions. Shining Armor and Twilight looked at Applejack, who nodded.
“Do you remember the directions?” Twilight asked. Another nod from Applejack. “Well, you two enjoy your time. We’ll be back at sundown.”
Shining Armor and Twilight turned and left, and Gamble motioned toward the maze with his hoof. Applejack took a deep breath and went inside, Gamble stepping in front of the entrance behind her.
Left, right, left, straight, left, right, left, right, right, straight, right, left. Applejack repeated these directions in her head over and over, as she had been since Twilight recited them to her the day before.
Her heart was pounding in her chest; before, her meeting with Rainbow Dash had been so sudden to the point of almost being surreal. Now, there was buildup, as Rainbow Dash was waiting for her in the center of the maze. Each hoofstep made her breathing quicker, drowning her heart in nervous anticipation. An anxious, excited feeling had burrowed into her chest and stomach, and it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
The soft rustling of her hooves as they connected with the grass was deafening to her. She renewed her grip on the picnic basket, barely paying attention to the turns she was taking, having run through the directions in her mind so many times that she was operating on autopilot.
With only a few turns left, a soft breeze blew through the maze, carrying the sound of rustling leaves and the faint bubbling of a stream. As Applejack rounded the final corner, she was greeted with the center of the puzzle.
There was a grove in the middle of the maze. The space was big, much bigger than Applejack had been expecting, and was occupied by an enormous oak tree sprouting from the center. It hadn’t seemed that large from outside the maze, but up close, Applejack could see that it soared high into the air, a tower in its own right, with deep brown spires that were adorned with emerald leaves.
Bubbling up from the ground on the far side of the grove was a spring of clear, blue water. Through the leaves of the oak, sunlight dappled the grass and, where it struck the water, shimmered more brilliantly than any of the fountains in the courtyard could hope to achieve. For Applejack, though, neither of these things were the most beautiful sight.
Rainbow Dash stood by the spring, head bent down as she took a long draught from the crystalline water. Her hair was loose and her wings were free, extending high into the air and catching the golden rays of the sun. Her eyes were closed, her forelegs were bent low, and her back legs were as straight as rods, leaving her rump high in the air.
Applejack stood, eyes fixed on Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash alone. The pegasus opened her eyes as she lifted her head from the water and, upon making eye contact, both mares’ faces darkened with blush.
Rainbow Dash moved first, licking her lips as she moved toward the oak tree. Applejack shook herself from her reverie shortly after and made her own way to the tree.
Applejack set the picnic basket down but soon found her mouth occupied again by Rainbow’s. The kiss was sudden and furious, but with a cool tinge to it from the spring water. Applejack returned the intensity, turning the kiss into an unspoken competition between the two mares, a contest in which neither was willing to give up any ground. Any time Applejack would advance, Rainbow Dash would parry her blow and counter with a jab of her tongue, only for Applejack to recover and bite gently on Rainbow’s lip.
Soon, both ponies were red in the face and breathing heavily. Applejack pulled away first.
“Let’s call it a draw,” she said in between breaths.
“A draw?” Rainbow Dash said, raising her eyebrows. “I don’t think so. I was definitely winning.”
It was Applejack’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “Is that so, little missie?” Rainbow Dash nodded, prompting Applejack to take a predatory step forward. “Then Ah think a rematch is in order.”
Before Rainbow could react, Applejack had tackled her to the ground and pinned her hooves above her head, straddling her right at the base of the tree.
Applejack leaned down and pressed her lips against Rainbow’s, taking every advantage the element of surprise granted her to probe her lover’s mouth with her tongue. Rainbow Dash squirmed but didn’t resist, eventually resigning herself to her fate. Or, at least, that was how it seemed to Applejack. As soon as the farmpony loosened her grip in the slightest, Rainbow flexed her wings and kicked with her hooves, bumping Applejack off of her. Rainbow rolled over and grabbed Applejack’s forehooves with her own, pinning them in the same place her own hooves had been a moment before.
“Wow,” Applejack said. Her lover’s panting form above her was framed by the sunlight, sweat glinting on her coat and heat radiating from her body.
Rainbow Dash wasted no time, planting a few pecks on Applejack’s lips before trailing kisses down to her neck, venturing lower at an agonizing pace. With her hooves planted above her, all Applejack could do was squirm as Rainbow tortured her with the deliberate slowness of her affections.
Applejack’s eyes wandered to the picnic basket, and for some reason the thought crossed her mind that she didn’t want to lose her virginity on an empty stomach.
“Maybe we should eat something,” she suggested.
“That’s just what I was thinking,” Rainbow responded before continuing her ministrations.
Applejack stopped squirming as blush exploded across her face. Rainbow Dash froze, looking up at Applejack before blushing herself.
“That’s not what you meant, is it?” she asked. Applejack shook her head.
Rainbow Dash released her captive and sat back on her haunches, averting her eyes. Applejack sat up, opened her mouth, then closed it again. The silence between the two stretched for miles.
“It’s not that I don’t want—” Applejack started.
“I’m sorry I—” Rainbow said at the same time.
They both stopped. “You first,” Rainbow said.
Applejack sighed. “It’s not that Ah don’t want to do... that... with you, Rainbow, I just don’t know if Ah’m ready yet.” She scratched the back of her head with a hoof. “Ah’m not exactly experienced in this department.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “I know. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” Now she sighed. “When we’re together, you’re all I can think about, filling my mind with urges and ideas that are unbecoming of a pony of stature. But that’s no excuse, and I beg your apologies for behaving so unladylike.” She gave a small curtsy and bowed her head.
When she lifted her head, she was met with a soft, quick kiss from Applejack. “Ya’ll need to lighten up some, sugar,” Applejack said. “Ah forgive you, you were just goin’ a little fast for me. Don’t beat yourself up over it, okay?”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Okay.”
“Right, now Ah’m starving,” Applejack said, going over to the picnic basket. “Let’s eat.” She leveled her gaze at Rainbow Dash. “Let’s eat food.”
Rainbow Dash blushed all over again, making Applejack laugh. Applejack seized the red-and-white checkered blanket covering the food with her teeth and yanked, spreading it across the grass and smoothing the wrinkles with her hooves. She got the main course out, daisy sandwiches and sliced apples, before revealing a bouquet of ruby red roses, almost identical to the ones they had eaten on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration.
“For dessert,”Applejack said before replacing them.
The two mares lay side-by-side, eating their sandwiches and feeding each other apple slices whenever the urge struck them. Once their meals were gone, they snacked on the roses, nibbling the buds one by one until the bouquet was gone.
Having finished eating, the two mares laid on the checkered blanket together, Applejack with her head leaning against the base of the tree and Rainbow Dash with her head resting on Applejack’s chest. Their soft breathing was accompanied by the chorus of nature, birds chirping and water bubbling, and Rainbow listened to Applejack’s rhythmic breaths and the thumping of her heart. Applejack’s idle hoof wandered along Rainbow’s side, caressing her soft coat.
After a time, Rainbow Dash spoke. “I won,” she said.
“Ah’m sorry?” Applejack responded.
Rainbow Dash looked up at her. “Before, you said that it was a draw, but it wasn’t. You pulled away first, so I won.”
Applejack raised her eyebrows. “Well that just won’t stand,” she said. “I guess we’ll have to have a rematch, then, now won’t we?” Applejack narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash.
Applejack lunged forward, but only managed to grab air, as Rainbow had already darted away. In the next instant, Applejack found herself flat on her back with her hooves pinned at her sides.
“Looks like I win again,” Rainbow said from above her before leaning in for a kiss.
After the kiss had finished, Applejack grinned. “Not quite.” She kicked with her back legs and rolled over on top of Rainbow Dash, securing a dominant position on top.
She didn’t hold this position for long. Rainbow Dash managed to roll over on top of Applejack again, but dominance did not remain on the hooves of only one mare for long. They rolled over and over, each fighting for control over the other and the one on top peppering the other with kisses whenever they got the chance.
Rainbow Dash bucked Applejack off entirely and Applejack took a step back, gasping for air and gulping when Rainbow narrowed her eyes at her like a predator. In a flash, Rainbow Dash charged forward and pushed Applejack up against the oak tree with her body, forcing both mares onto their hind hooves. Rainbow planted her forehooves on either side of Applejack and leaned in, pausing with their mouths only inches apart.
Rainbow Dash forced her lips onto Applejack’s and was met with no resistance, only eagerness. Rainbow started moving her body in a slow, up-and-down motion, rubbing her heated body against Applejack. The musk of athletic sweat blended with the unmistakable scent of arousal and wafted through the air.
Applejack could feel a moisture on her leg, and she wasn’t sure if it was from her or the mare pressed up against her. Rainbow Dash’s lips made it hard for her to focus, and when Rainbow parted the kiss and started nibbling on Applejack’s ear, it only got worse. Her legs turned into jelly and her mind fogged over.
Her previous objections were gone, washed away by her lover’s tongue. Now she was being controlled by her nether region, and it was all she could do to keep from pouncing on Rainbow right then and there. Rainbow stuck her tongue in Applejack’s ear and the farmpony let out an involuntary moan to go with the shiver that ran down her spine.
Applejack seized Rainbow Dash by the shoulders and pushed her back, wondering for a moment if her own eyes looked as hungry as the eyes across from her.
Now that she could think straight again, Applejack hesitated. She wondered if things were moving too fast, if she was ready for what would come next if she allowed it. It seemed so simple in all the romance novels that Rarity had convinced her to read, but now that she was in the moment, what was the right choice?
In a moment of complete lucidity, Applejack’s brain rationalized the situation. She decided that she wanted this and, if Rainbow’s behavior was any indication, she wanted it, too. Applejack had been fantasizing about this moment since they had met, and now that it was finally here, what was she waiting for?
“...Applejack?”
The hurt in Rainbow’s voice snapped Applejack back to reality. Her eyes were cast down and she took a step back. Applejack wondered how long she had been just standing there, thinking. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I lost my head again, and—”
She was cut off by Applejack’s lips. “Blanket. Now.” It wasn’t a request.
“Are you sure ?” Rainbow asked.
Applejack could feel the heat radiating from between her hind legs. “Ah’m sure,” she said, but Rainbow still seemed unconvinced. Applejack bowed her head. “Lady Rainbow Dash of the Royal Canterlot Household, Ah love you, and Ah would like the opportunity to show you just how much. Will you make love to me?” Rainbow smiled and nodded.
They went over to the checkered cloth and laid down next to each other. Rainbow put a gentle hoof on Applejack’s chest and eased her onto her back, releasing her lips and trailing kisses down her neck and onto her torso. Applejack’s legs spread open of their own accord and she placed a hoof on the back of Rainbow Dash’s head, trying to guide her lower, but Rainbow continued showering Applejack’s middle section with kisses at a pace that was almost painful to experience. Soon, though, she gave up and just enjoyed the sensation.
The warm sensation of Rainbow Dash’s lips on her skin sent electricity through Applejack’s body, each kiss leaving a small wet spot in a trail. Rainbow Dash seemed to get slower and slower, like she was playing with her. Applejack didn’t just want this; she needed it, she craved it, and it had taken her until this moment to realize it.
Rainbow Dash was enjoying herself immensely, all semblance of manners gone from her mind. The taste of Applejack’s body, the scent of sweat and arousal, it all acted on her like a drug. It took all of her willpower not to go straight for the prize, but she knew the payoff would be worth it. Twilight had given her several books on the subject of pleasing other mares and, though her heart was pounding, she felt totally in control. She had thought she would be nervous, but being with Applejack seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
Of course, she was taking liberties, lingering longer than she needed to and resisting Applejack’s occasional attempts to speed things along. She felt powerful, in total control of her body and of Applejack’s, and it felt good. Finally, her chance to prove how much she loved Applejack was here. She could feel her own arousal building, but she was having too much fun eliciting gasps with her small nibbles and kisses to let it control her. She was on top and loving it.
Her soft lips ventured lower until they got just below Applejack’s belly button. Applejack’s body was wracked with shivers when Rainbow planted her lips in that spot.
“Right there!” Applejack gasped
Rainbow smiled and started making small circles with her tongue. Applejack groaned and her hooves went slack, all attempts to push Rainbow any further dissolving as her jaw went slack.
Rainbow made a mental note of that spot and kept going, getting so close to her goal she could almost taste it. Then, with a surge of willpower, she skirted around and started trailing her affections along the inside of Applejack’s thigh, close enough to almost brush her cheek against her goal, but still far enough for it to be agonizing for Applejack.
She couldn’t take it anymore. “Land’s sakes, Rainbow!” she said. “Quit teasin’ and do it already.”
“Beg,” Rainbow Dash responded.
“What?”
Rainbow Dash looked up at her lover’s face with a predatory smile. “I want you to beg for it.”
Applejack’s hoof darted toward her nethers, but was stopped by Rainbow Dash. “Please,” Applejack relented. “Please, it’s unbearable, and I want it so bad, just do it already.”
Rainbow did.
She started slow, leaning in and inhaling Applejack’s scent, reveling in it like she was appreciating a fine perfume. There were beads of moisture forming on Applejack’s puffy pink lips, clearly aroused. She stuck her tongue out and barely touched it to the soft outer folds of Applejack’s marehood, rubbing gently on the silky texture. Applejack groaned and involuntarily thrust her hips upward, but Rainbow pulled back, only beginning again once Applejack had settled.
Her tongue outlined Applejack’s marehood, rubbing across it in vertical lines from top to bottom, lapping up the juices that flowed from her treasure and delighting in their taste. Each lick to the lips down below elicited a response from the lips up above. Rainbow built up Applejack’s arousal, licking in all directions, but always on the outskirts, still just teasing. Then, she just couldn’t help herself any longer, and she pushed her snout into Applejack’s folds.
“Ahhh!” Applejack cried out in ecstasy and grabbed a big mess of Rainbow’s mane, pushing her down as her hips thrust upward. Rainbow stuck her tongue into Applejack and licked furiously, all semblance of teasing abandoned, her mouth welcoming the aroused juices that flowed from Applejack. Her whole face was in a frenzy, pushing forward to get as deep as she could go and wiggling her tongue as much as the tight fit would allow, her only goal to make the mare she loved feel as good as she possibly could.
Applejack’s mind was gone, lost in an ocean of pleasure. She couldn’t believe she had thought of objecting to this. She had operated her own equipment before, of course, but it had never felt anything like what Rainbow was doing to her. Being able to feel Rainbow’s tongue doing what it was doing was heavenly, but Applejack wanted more.
“Harder!” she commanded before she could stop herself.
Rainbow Dash obliged. She pushed as hard as she could, wrapping her hooves around Applejack’s thighs and lifting her up for leverage. She could tell that Applejack was close to climaxing. She released one of Applejack’s legs and, after peeling Applejack’s vice-like grip off of her head, removed her mouth, only to replace it an instant later with her hoof.
With her hoof, she started pleasuring her lover, rubbing along her folds, and with her mouth, she pressed her tongue into a spot just below Applejack’s belly button. Applejack’s whole body seized up as Rainbow Dash licked furiously on this one spot and rubbed her hoof on the delicate nub that crowned Applejack’s marehood.
“There! Ah, Ah’m...” She didn’t get to finish. At least, not her sentence.
Every muscle in Applejack’s body went rigid and her eyes clenched shut as her mind exploded with sensation, a tidal wave of ecstasy carrying her away. She thought she heard a scream before realizing that it was her; she was screaming her lover’s name. She rode on the pleasure high, brain numb to anything but the buzz of her climax.
When her body finally relaxed, she was panting and her body was mush, legs slack and loose. When Applejack’s vision came back into focus and revealed Rainbow Dash’s face, smiling down at her, realized that they were pressed into a close embrace.
“So how was—” Rainbow began.
She didn’t finish the thought. Applejack pulled her into a fierce kiss, attempting to convey through actions the love she felt at that moment, as words would never be strong enough. Rainbow’s eyes went wide for a moment before she melted into the kiss, and they just laid together while Applejack recovered her strength.
That wasn’t good enough for long, however. “That was incredible, Rainbow,” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash just smiled. “Ah never knew anypony could make me feel like that.” She looked down and saw that the part of the blanket around her hind end was completely soaked. She blushed a little. “Did Ah do all that?” she asked.
“And this,” Rainbow Dash said, lifting her hoof up. It was soaked in Applejack’s juices, and her blush deepened. “Don’t worry,” Rainbow said, noticing the blush. “I think it’s sexy.”
Rainbow Dash marveled at how quickly her vocabulary had adapted from her normal, generally well-mannered self.
Applejack leaned down and whispered into Rainbow Dash’s ear. “Now allow me to return the favor.”
Applejack thought back to everything she knew about pegasi, and one moment in particular. In one of her few visits to the spa with Rarity and Fluttershy, she had gotten a massage with them. When the masseur pressed on Fluttershy’s back, in between her wings, Fluttershy had gotten the goofiest grin on her face and her jaw went slack. Rarity later told Applejack that the wings were a very... sensitive... piece of the pegasus anatomy.
“Lay on your stomach,” Applejack said, getting onto her knees and gesturing to the blanket.
“Ooh, demanding,” Rainbow responded, but complied.
Applejack reached up and pushed on the space in between Rainbow’s wings, and the effect was immediate. All of Rainbow Dash’s muscles went lax, like her bones had turned to pudding, and she let out a satisfied moan. Applejack looked at her hooves, marveling at their power.
“Please... keep doing... that,” Rainbow said, already panting a little.
Applejack obliged, rubbing her hooves in slow circles across the bundle of nerves on Rainbow’s back. Each movement drew a small gasp or squeal from the pegasus, whose mouth was open with the tongue rolling about, uncontrolled by her pleasure-addled mind.
The scent of Rainbow’s arousal filled the air, encouraging Applejack to rub harder and harder. Rainbow Dash started pushing her back upward into Applejack’s hooves. When Rainbow’s body twisted a little, Applejack hit a spot right in the middle of her back.
“Ahhh! Right there!” Rainbow cried, arching her back. Applejack got an idea, and instead of pushing down on that spot, she moved her hooves to the sides.
“Please...” Rainbow begged, but any further statements were wiped away by Applejack pressing her lips down on the sensitive spot in the middle of her back.
Applejack rubbed furiously on either side of Rainbow’s back while digging her tongue into the middle. Rainbow Dash could only let out garbled noises in response, brain overloaded by the sensation.
Rarity wasn’t kidding, Applejack thought to herself. Rainbow Dash was completely at the mercy of Applejack’s hooves, and Applejack intended on squeezing every ounce of pleasure she could out of her.
Pulling her tongue away and looking down, Rainbow Dash’s arousal was apparent to Applejack. Keeping her hooves above her head in order to continue applying pressure to Rainbow’s sensitive back, Applejack moved her head down toward the source of the aroma in the air.
Rainbow’s lips were puffy and swollen, and Applejack could tell that she was already close to climaxing. All it would take was one little push, which Applejack was more than willing to provide.
She started quickly, with large, powerful licks across the outer folds. Rainbow Dash gasped and gripped a portion of blanket in each hoof.
“More!” she demanded, senses gone. “More, please, more...”
Applejack was only too happy to oblige, digging her tongue in further and licking harder. Rainbow started grinding her marehood along Applejack’s face, rubbing it back in forth in a desperate bid for release.
Applejack, with one little flick of her tongue over the hooded organ hidden inside her lover’s folds, opened the floodgates. She flicked her tongue across Rainbow’s clit, alternating direct licks and gentle prods with the tip of her tongue.
Rainbow Dash squealed, her voice going so high as to crack and become almost silent. Applejack continued her ministrations through the deluge of sexual fluid that poured from Rainbow. She pressed harder than ever into Rainbow’s back and furiously licked at her nub until her climax started to fade.
Gasping for air, Rainbow rolled over, hooves splayed out in all directions and a large smile on her face. Applejack, smiling herself, and after wiping her mouth on the corner of the blanket, crawled up beside her and kissed her, Rainbow Dash tasting her own juices in her mare’s mouth.
They settled in, breathless and basking in their afterglow, with Rainbow Dash resting her head on Applejack’s chest.
“That was the most amazing thing in the world, Applejack,” Rainbow said. She looked up into Applejack’s eyes. “Thank you.”
Applejack kissed her. “It was mah pleasure.” She winked. “And you weren’t half bad yourself.” Rainbow Dash giggled.
They laid still for a while, listening to each other breathe. “I love you,” Rainbow Dash finally said.
“Ah love you too, Rainbow.”
Soon, Applejack heard a soft snoring. She chuckled a little and, noticing that there were still a few hours until sundown, rested her head on Rainbow’s and closed her eyes, accompanied into her slumber by an immense love for the mare beside her.
