AppleDash Group Collab

by DbzOrDie

Complex - bahatumay

Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book and did a double-take. Rainbow Dash was walking into the library. Not flying in. Not crashing in through a window. Walking. Her head was slightly downcast, and Twilight could instantly tell all was not right.

"Rainbow? Are you ok?" she had to ask.

"Hey, Twilight. I was hoping you'd be here."

Twilight smiled. "I'm always here."

"Yeah, I know. And here's where Applejack usually isn't, so I figured I'd come by and talk."

"Actually..." Twilight paused as Rainbow's words sank in. "Talk about what, Rainbow?"

"Life."

"That's... mildly unhelpful," Twilight said.

Rainbow sighed. "I'm just so... confused. All these feelings..." After a few false starts, she spoke. Her words came out fast and jumbled. "Do you ever feel like everything makes sense, but nothing makes sense at the same time? Like you're so happy you want to fly east forever, but then so wound up you just want to scream, and then so depressed that all you want to do is take a cold shower?"

"That's a bit more helpful," Twilight said, lowering the checklist she had just made, "and extraordinarily complex. When do you get these feelings?"

"You want me to come out and say it? Fine. Fine, I'll say it." She took a deep breath. "I can't say it."

"Do you feel these feelings around another pony?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe."

Twilight smiled. "Rainbow Dash, you fit the description of a pony in love."

"I know."

Twilight blinked. "If you know, why are you here?"

Rainbow answered with a question of her own. "What do you know about love?"

"I've read plenty about it. In fact..."

Rainbow Dash exploded. She rose into the air, forcing Twilight to take a step backwards. "No! No books, Twilight. This is real life, ok? There is no happy ending, there is no easy way out, there is no everypony winds up satisfied. Look at me, ok? Look at me! My dream for forever has been joining the Wonderbolts. What do they do?"

"Show their flying prowess and act as special forces units?" Twilight answered hesitantly.

"They tour. They visit different places. They're diplocrats from Equestria."

Twilight was tempted to correct her, but quickly decided against it.

"They don't go home. Right?"

Twilight nodded.

"Now imagine that a Wonderbolt which may or may not be me has fallen in love with somepony here in Ponyville who will never leave. She can't leave. What happens then?"

"You'll... drift apart?"

"Exactly! So we're happy for a bit, and then -bam-. Things won't work out. And what if I don't tell her? Then I'm stuck with all these... feelings inside, and it's tearing me apart, Twilight. She is everything I want in a special somepony. She works hard. She's beautiful. She doesn't quit."

Twilight blinked. This was indeed very unusual behavior from Rainbow.

"Celestia help me, she's almost as awesome as me."

Ok, that was a little more appropriate.

"Either way, we both lose." Rainbow Dash sank to the floor. "And that's assuming Applejack even likes me back. What do I do, Twilight? What do I do?"

Ooh, accidental name-drop. Twilight thought quickly. "Well, I..."

"If you're going to say 'read something in a book', I swear I'll leave a raincloud over your library for two weeks."

Twilight kept a flat expression. "I was going to say, 'talked with Princess Celestia'..."

"Oh."

"When I first learned of Hearts and Hooves day, I was so confused as to why that was even a holiday. I asked the princess, and she told me about it."

"How does that help me?"

"Let me finish. I also asked her if she had ever fallen in love."

"Oh, 'cause she's, like, immortal and stuff, right?"

"Right. She went quiet for a moment, and then she said yes. I then asked her who her special somepony was. She said they'd all died."

Rainbow crinkled her nose. "That's... depressing."

"I know, and I told her so. I asked why even bother falling in love if it was just going to hurt. She smiled and said, 'Yes, but Twilight, the good times are worth all the pain'."

"So..."

"So tell her, Rainbow. It'll be awkward, but it'll be worth it."

Rainbow shot to her hooves. "That's just what I needed! Now I just need to go and find Applejack, and..." Her voice trailed off as she saw Twilight's nervous expression, and Rainbow's face fell.

"She's here, isn't she?"

"Kitchen." Twilight said. "Making pies for that parade later."

"She couldn't make them at home?"

"They'd be cold when they got here."

"And she heard all of that, didn't she?"

"Yep. Probably."

Pause.

"I should go talk to her."

"We'll stay out of your way." Twilight turned up the stairs and called, "Spike?"

"What?" he yelled back down.

"I'm going to see Rarity, want to come?"

He could not have been at her side quicker had he been teleported.

Twilight gave a reassuring smile as she led Spike out among questions of 'how do my spines look? do I need a breath mint?'. "Remember, Rainbow. It'll be awkward, but worth it."

Rainbow repeated that mantra as she entered the kitchen.

Sure enough, it described that conversation.

Sure enough, it described that first kiss.

Sure enough, it described those first few days of their relationship, trying to adjust to each other.

Sure enough, it described their first night together.

Sure enough, it described their situation when Apple Bloom walked in on them in the barn.

Sure enough, it described their life when Rainbow got that acceptance letter.

Sure enough, it described it when Rainbow had to miss their fifth anniversary for Wonderbolt detail.

But those are all stories for another time.

This story ends with that awkward first kiss in the middle of somepony else's kitchen inside a building neither often set hoof in.

Rainbow Dash pulled back and smiled as she wiped some flour off of Applejack's cheek. Awkward, but worth it.

Author's Note:

I always find these 'they will part eventually' stories so sad :(

Comments

[Tchernobog]

As i said on the forums... this is sweet, and I want to see more of it. Those "Sure enough" scenes deserve stories of their own!

edit: and see, dbz? told ya we get update features :D
gyazo.com/ed63c41ba24ceaa82993a5f4ee9ec7d4.png?1363602545

[DbzOrDie]

2283884
Why don't you head on over to our group threads and look at the messages I posted there half an hour ago (or so)

And this is the first of many update features :)

[bahatumay]

2283884
Don't tempt me!!

[Tchernobog]

2284321
DO EEEET
after the other fic of course but!

[Jackie]

Consarn it! I'm going to school and you left me with these thoughts! Let me just leave a trail of tears on my way...

Again, BEAUTIFUL!

[appledashluv]

Thank god I read this after school. So bittersweet

[Spectral]

Damn, this is good. Real good. And fluffy.
I like fluff.
Good stuff.

[bahatumay]

2284348
I have succumbed to temptation.
I think I hate you now...

[Fury of the Tempest]

Hmmmm... I don't think they will eventually drift apart.

[SPart]

I always find these 'they will part eventually' stories so sad :(

try to see it other, AJ starts making holidays to vist RD's shows somewhere
RD does one or two tours with the wonderbolts, maybe the same in the academy to train new talents, and then goes back home ... do some barnstorming over SAA once a week or something ...

every medal has two sides

oh also my first comment in this story/short storys
all these great short storys! thanks so much, 3rd evening and i'm still reading!

[Brandon Sky]

Well, that was...awkward, but worth it.
*ba dum tish*
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT!

[survivor]

(P.S I've read stories where dash is able to still see AJ often)

[SnowOriole]

"Like you're so happy you want to fly east forever, but then so wound up you just want to scream, and then so depressed that all you want to do is take a cold shower?"

might be too much to hope, but Appledashery/Austraeoh reference?