Applejack has always had a secret dream, one that some ponies would find strange for the tomboyish farmer. She's always wanted somepony to treat her to a special romantic night, while being treated like a real lady. Turns out all she had to do was have a certain rainbow-maned pegasus catch her in a dress. Such an awkward moment will lead them to a night neither will ever forget.

WINNER OF THE APPLEDASH CONTEST!

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After a day on the farm, Rainbow Dash finds the opportunity to ask her long-time friend, Applejack, out on a date. The farmer, however, finds difficulty accepting the proposition, given her reserved social nature and unknown feelings on the matter. Given that the pegasus has been her friend for years, however, she accepts, deciding to see just what they can make of it. Can the two carry a relationship in the midst of personal worries? Can they find the courage to tell their friends?

The Summer Sun Celebration was never typically associated with second chances, not until Twilight Sparkle and her friends discovered the Elements of Harmony and used them to cleanse the jealousy from the heart of Princess Luna, at least. On that fateful night, two seconds chances were granted:

One for Luna herself, that she might seek forgiveness from her sister and the citizens of Equestria for her actions.

The other was for Princess Celestia, that she might once again find some measure of happiness after a thousand years of loneliness.

Some years later, however, another mare hopes for a second chance of an entirely different nature. She knows she doesn’t deserve it. She knows it’s stupid to even ask.

So why the hell can’t she just let it lie?

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Written for the 4th AppleDash contest, under the categories "Second Chances" and "A Special Event". Second place finisher.
Edited by Craine. Sorry for keeping you up until stupid o' clock, buddy!
Cover art by bakki. Used with permission.
Sex tag for author safety, nothing actually explicitly mentioned.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash have been close friends for a long time and, for some reason Rainbow Dash has never been able to understand, it seems as if everyone she knows expects them to get together eventually. To Rainbow Dash's surprise, Applejack abruptly decides that their friends are right and asks her out on a date. To Applejack's surprise, Rainbow Dash immediately turns her down.

Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, Applejack is nothing if not stubborn, and she declares that she won't give up until Rainbow Dash has agreed to go on a date with her, no matter what it takes.

Winner of the second AppleDash group contest.

Applejack has brushed her mane, put a ribbon on her hat, and there's a sway in her step. Most ponies just want to know who the special pony is.

Rainbow Dash doesn't buy it. Love is mushy, and AJ isn't mushy. Love means liking somepony more than her friends, and AJ would never like another pony more than Dash. Love means missing a game of horseshoes to go tell a pony that she's in love with them, and if there is one thing Dash is sure of, it's that AJ is not going to miss that game... no matter what Applejack thinks about it.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash knew this would be hard, but a long distance relationship was in their future from the start. A Wonderbolt and an apple farmer don't have a lot of time in the same place, so they do their best with letters and the occasional weekends. But when Applejack finds out that Rainbow Dash is on the cover of Flyers Illustrated: Wet Feathers Edition, it plays on a fear she never mentioned to Dash: Everypony knows that famous ponies are different from normal folks. . .

Right?

"Wet Mane Rainbow Dash," used in the cover image, is by Suikuzu.
Prereading by DbzOrDie, First_Down, Tchernobog, and Jackie

Rainbow Dash can’t wait for her first date with Applejack; they always have an awesome time hanging out, and a relationship just means there are even more physical activities they can try together. So when the dumb zap apple harvest postpones their date, she decides it’s the zap apples that are going to have to change their plans. Equestria should know by now that wild, ancient magic is no match for Rainbow Dash, especially when she might get laid.

Everything is going according to plan, until she crashes. Or, rather, until she wakes up after crashing and fifteen years have gone by. Fifteen years during which she seems to have been a very busy pony.

Now Rainbow Dash has to adjust to a life she never thought she wanted, and figure out if she’ll ever get to live the life that brought her here.

Update: Proofreading and formatting by RBDash47

Written for the AppleDash Group Contest prompts "Family" and "An Important or Memorable Date."
Cover art by SketchyJackie

Seasons one and two are now complete! Season three is being continued in The AppleDash Project: Wherever Life Takes Us.

The AppleDash project is a series of short fics attached to various episodes, detailing a relationship between Rainbow Dash and Applejack behind the scenes. The stories take place sometime during or shortly after the indicated episode.

This is not meant to start shipping wars, argue that AppleDash is canon, or offend other shippers. In fact, if you like the idea I encourage you to try it with other ships!

Teen rating means that there may be talking about sex, and there is one line of dialogue that takes place during intimate relations, but it's warned for and skippable. Nothing sexual is described.

Rainbow Dash doesn't care for love. Applejack doesn't have time.
So when a simple game goes wrong, then Dash's favourite fictional heroine's latest tale takes a turn for the romantic, why does she suddenly find herself with a rose between her teeth?

A/N: I wanted to try something entirely safe for work again, and here we are. Not completely happy with how it turned out, so sorry about that. A (hilariously belated) birthday gift for the amazing RatOfDrawn, who draws cute ponies and has a bit of an AppleDash fetish.

It's obvious to everypony, themselves included, that Applejack and Rainbow Dash have romantic feelings for one another. The only reason they're not together is that they're both convinced that a relationship between them could never work out. Rarity, on the other hoof, is convinced that it could, and Rainbow Dash agrees to a 'three date trial' to prove her wrong...

Many thanks to Ruhje for the amazing cover art!

Original (OLD) version here.