Dear Princess Dear Celestia,

Today I learned that sometimes how you say something can be just as important as what you have to say. It's easy to forget the true strength of words and all the subtle ways they can bring us closer together or push us apart. It doesn't matter if you're a filly in Ponyville or an Alicorn Princess in Canterlot, words are powerful.

There's still so much to learn about friendship. But I think I'm ready to start.

Your Faithful Student,
Your Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

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.

This story is a sequel to I Wrote This At the End of the Show Because I Still Exist

It's the worst day in Rainbow Dash's life, until a good friend shows up at the right time and place.

Also, be sure to get plenty of sleep before you attend a convention the next morning and blow all your money.

"Oh come on, Applejack! Just one trip around the clouds! One!"

It's an invitation that Applejack has heard countless times. However, no matter how often Rainbow Dash bugs her to experience an air ride, the farm filly flat out refuses.

Then one afternoon, on a day when Applejack is strangely quiet and distant, she suddenly agrees to Rainbow Dash's persistent request. The pegasus happily oblidges, not knowing what has truly motivated Applejack to give in, nor the fact that--more than anything--Applejack could really use a good friend right about now.

Look, I heard you the first time! Yeesh, I wish you'd stop staring at me, as if you're reading my thoughts. 'Cuz if you could, then you'd know that while this is the first thing I'd want to do, it's also the last! I mean, horseapples, things would be a heck of a lot easier if I'd known ahead of time that Twilight and the rest of the girls had only packed three sleeping bags instead of six for this mountain hike! For realsies, if you had any friggin' clue how many restless nights I've spent thinking about you, fantasizing situations like this, then you'd know... you would freaking know how impossible it is for me to actually... sh-share a sleeping bag with my totally not-sexy-in-any-way best friend... (*ULP*) ... overnight... s-so that we could keep our bodies warm in the cold, cold forest. Grnnnng! Alright... alright! I'll do it! Of c-course I'll do it! I'm awesome! I'm not afraid of anything! Okay... I can do this... I can totally do this... I can... I can... I-I...