Applejack's First Crush

by Cryogenii

5 A Young Rainbow Falls

In the heat of a radiant mid-afternoon, Sweet Apple Acres emanated a serene warmth that enveloped the sprawling orchard. Sunbeams bathed the landscape, casting a golden hue upon the lush greenery and playful shadows beneath the boughs of the apple trees. The air carried a gentle breeze, whispering through the leaves and carrying with it the sweet scent of ripened fruit.

Amidst this idyllic scene, Applejack made her way through the south orchard. Each step scuffed the soft earth beneath her hooves, releasing a faint aroma of fertile soil. The tall grasses swayed gently as if dancing to an unseen melody, while the distant chirping of birds provided a harmonious soundtrack to Applejack's journey.

The apple trees, heavy with plump, ripe fruits, stood as proud sentinels, their branches extending towards the sky. The vibrant apples, catching the sunlight, were jewels of natural sweetness. Applejack's keen eyes surveyed the branches, assessing the bountiful harvest that awaited in the days to come.

As she made her way back towards the farmhouse, a sense of tranquillity embraced Applejack. The warm light painted her freckled face with a gentle radiance, and a contented smile graced her lips. The familiar sights and sounds of Sweet Apple Acres were the most comforting thing that she could think of. In this moment, Applejack felt the harmony of nature and the abundance of her family's land. There wasn't anywhere else in the whole of Equestria that she wanted to be.

Suddenly she was alerted to something that didn't belong. A flash of colour amongst the trees away from the path. What was it? Those colours were only seen during Zap Apple season, and that wasn't due again until next year. This was something dangling from the branches of a tree, like a brightly hued snake. She only ever saw grass snakes around the orchard, and they were usually dull earth tones.

She left the path and cut through the trees to get a closer look. Maybe it was some kind of streamer? It was attached to something round and blue. Maybe one of Pinkie Pie's balloons got loose and ended up tangled in the tree. Well, she couldn't leave it there where it might end up hurting a critter.

She got a little closer and could hear a low, breathy kind of sound. Suddenly her brain made sense of what she was looking at. A gasp escaped her lips as she could now comprehend what she was seeing.

There was a pony, asleep, in one of her trees.

Not just any pony though. The pegasus that controlled the weather over Ponyville was nestled upon a branch, basking in the gentle embrace of warm afternoon sunlight which dappled her through the leaves. Applejack had heard that the flying ponies were light, but she hadn't realised just how light they must be. If she'd climbed up into the tree like that, the branch would've just snapped off underneath her. This pony though, was apparently resting comfortably with the apples.

Without thinking Applejack sat down. She knew it wasn't polite to be watching this pony whilst she slept, but she couldn't help but stare. The sun's golden rays caressed the pegasus's toned body, accentuating the contours of her athletic form in a mesmerising display, and highlighting the sculpted muscles that spoke of her agility and strength. Applejack couldn't help but appreciate the beauty in her physique, with its startling juxtaposition of delicacy and power.

The soft breeze gently ruffled her colourful mane, painting dancing shadows across the peaceful expression on her face. Applejack drank in the sight of that vibrant coat and the soft plumage of her wings. Her gaze lingered, savouring the sight of this pony peacefully resting upon her slender perch. Never having seen the flyer so close she was desperate to commit as much of what she saw to memory as possible.

Finally Applejack's eyes took in that brightly striped tail as it gently swayed in the breeze. She willed herself to be rooted to the spot. Right in that instant, she felt a nearly overwhelming urge to smell it, to run it over her hoof, to pull it. Get a grip Applejack, she scolded herself, what's the matter with ya?

At that moment the gentle breeze, which had given such a soothing swaying motion to the branches, just happened to run some leaves across the sleeping pony's nose.

"Ah, ah, achooo… Woah!"

With a scrabble of hooves followed by a loud thump, the pegasus dropped from her precarious bed to the ground below. She quickly sat up with a very embarrassed look on her face, clearly hoping that nopony saw what had happened. Then her eyes met Applejack's. Both ponies sat frozen almost nose to nose, their gazes locked in a mix of surprise and self-conscious awkwardness.

Rainbow Dash's usually confident magenta eyes widened with a touch of embarrassment, as if realising the predicament she had found herself in. Her expression flickered with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness, uncertain how Applejack would react to her presence.

Applejack's sparkling green eyes mirrored the surprise, momentarily taken aback by the suddenly intimate encounter. Her gaze held a flicker of concern, tinged with a hint of amusement. She studied Rainbow Dash, trying to discern if she was hurt or simply caught off guard.

In the silence that enveloped them, their eyes remained locked, a silent exchange seeming to dare one of them to speak. The tension between them seemed to grow, each pony unsure how to break the ice.

Eventually, a shy smile tugged at the corners of Rainbow Dash's lips, a glimmer of her playful spirit shining through. Applejack's gaze softened, a hint of a smile forming as well, as she recognized the shared vulnerability of that moment.

"Erm, hi," stammered Rainbow Dash. Oh, great opener, she chastised herself, way to make an awesome first impression.

"Hello yerself Missy," replied Applejack, "if ya' going to take a break in mah apple trees, ya oughta do it in the North Orchard. We get timberwolves in the South one, sometimes. Ya don't wanna meet one of them when y'all asleep."

"Okay, that's awesome to know," said Rainbow, sheepishly, "sorry for trespassing."

"No harm done, ah guess," said the farm pony, "unless ya count that."

Rainbow Dash looked to where the other pony was pointing, she had a nasty looking cut on her side from where she'd landed on a rock.

"C'mon back ta the house," said Applejack, "let's get that cleaned up."

They started walking together towards the farmhouse in the distance. There was an uncomfortable silence as each was wracking their minds for conversational openings. It was Applejack who spoke first this time, having noticed that the pegasus was walking with a limp.

"Ya gone an' made herself lame too?" She asked.

"No biggie," assured Rainbow Dash, "just landed awkwardly on it when I, erm, fell."

"Well, no problem. There's a farmer's way of dealing with it when somepony goes lame," Applejack comforted her, "you jus' head behind the barn and I'll git Granny Smith's shotgun."

The cyan pegasus stopped in her tracks and stared at her companion.

"Wait what? No, no ,no, I'm alright," she stammered.

"Ahup, ahup, ahup," laughed Applejack, "got y'all!"

The shocked expression on the pegasus's face slowly changed to a grin, her heart racing a little faster as she saw that radiant smile illuminate Applejack's face again. As Applejack's laughter filled the air, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but be captivated by the happy sound that seemed to echo with genuine joy and warmth.

The way Applejack's eyes crinkled at the corners when she laughed, the way her whole body seemed to sway with mirth, it was like witnessing a mesmerising dance of happiness. Rainbow Dash's eyes traced every line and curve, her own lips instinctively curling into a smile in response to Applejack's infectious laughter.

Rainbow Dash found herself almost spellbound by Applejack's magnetic charm, and wished that moment would last forever. It wasn't just the laughter that drew her in; it was the authenticity behind it. The way Applejack embraced laughter with such unapologetic enthusiasm, radiating a natural confidence and strength, was simply irresistible to Rainbow Dash.

As Applejack's hearty chuckles subsided, Rainbow Dash's gaze lingered on Applejack's features—the way her freckles danced across her nose, the way her mane gracefully flowed over her shoulder. Every detail seemed to enhance Applejack's allure, solidifying the growing attraction that Rainbow Dash felt.

"So whatcha doing, sleeping up that tree anyhows?" Asked the farmer, snapping the pegasus back to the present moment.

"I'm your weather pony, and I had to clear out some feral clouds that had floated in from Everfree this morning. It always takes a lot of energy when I have to deal with wild clouds, and there were no regular ones to nap on so I tried one of your trees," explained Rainbow Dash.

"Ah surely have seen ya going about ya business, an' it looks mighty tiring. Pinkie Pie was tellin' me that ya oftentimes need to refuel before heading home," said Applejack conversationally, "y'all don't live in Ponyville do ya."

"Erm, no. It's really nice in Ponyville but I'm not sure that I'm ready to leave Cloudsdale. Is this your farm?" Enquired Rainbow, pretending that she didn't know who the earth pony was.

"This here is Sweet Apple Acres, mah family's farm," said Applejack, "Ah'm Applejack. Y'all are called Rainbow Dash, if I'm not mistaken."

A surge of joy washed over Rainbow Dash as she discovered that this charming and attractive pony already knew her name before their very first meeting. A wide smile adorned her face, reflecting the sheer delight and surprise that illuminated her vibrant magenta eyes. She felt like there was a burst of colourful fireworks lighting up her heart and soaring through her being.

Wanting to keep this conversation going, she went through everything she knew about the earth pony. It felt like everything she'd learnt had been by spying from the clouds, and that would just make her sound like an obsessive creep. Then she recalled what she'd heard from her recent surprise reunion with an old friend.

"So, erm, Applejack," the cyan pegasus said, "Fluttershy was telling me that she looks after your dog sometimes."

"That filly that looks like she's scared of her own shadow? Yeah, she sure does", confirmed Applejack, "You two are friends?"

"I knew her at school, but we lost contact," confirmed Rainbow, "I was surprised to find her in Ponyville. It super weird but there's another pony I kinda knew as a foal in town too."

"Your friend there's not really in Ponyville," mused Applejack, "she's been in that ol' cottage out past the cow barn 'bout as long as I can remember."

"Yeah, she… left Cloudsdale a long time ago."

"Oh, and how'd she come to be living all by herself out there?" Asked the earth pony.

"You'll never believe what happened," Rainbow shook her head, "it's a long story…"

As they approached the farmhouse, Rainbow Dash's heart fluttered with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty as she looked forward to having Applejack tend to the cut on her side. The thought of Applejack's caring touch ignited a subtle blush on Rainbow Dash's cheeks, acknowledging the potential intimacy of the moment that awaited them.

With each rapid beat of her heart, Rainbow Dash imagined the tenderness in Applejack's touch as she would delicately clean and dress the wound. She envisioned the close proximity, the exciting vulnerability of allowing this virtual stranger into her personal space.

As the anticipation built, Rainbow Dash felt warmed by a mixture of curiosity and gratitude. She was grateful for Applejack's willingness to help, to extend a gesture of care to someone she barely knew. She could almost feel the warmth of Applejack's presence, the touch on the contours of her side. The prospect of being tended to by this young filly, was something she'd happily crash down onto a pile of rocks for again.

---

"Quite ya yammering an' hold still," Granny Smith scolded, "this hogweed'll clean ya right up. Sting a lil' though."

Rainbow Dash wriggled as the old pony rubbed more of the stinking concoction into her side. She could see Applejack watching them, trying to hide how much she was giggling behind her hat.

Oh Celestia this isn't what I wanted, thought Rainbow Dash, I still think it was worth it.

Author's Note:

Yeah, added another chapter to this "complete" story. Maybe got one more to do