While Applejack had indeed been sent to check up on Rainbow Dash, she hadn't ventured off alone. Sure Rara found her friend's company enjoyable, it was, admittedly, getting a bit too crazy for the pop star. Granted Applejack had told her stories of the goings on at CHS after they reconnected, having sworn Rara to secrecy, but to actually experience it first hand wasn't the most relaxing way to spend her time off. Which was what lead to them looking for Rainbow Dash, who seemed to have slipped away after being launched off the stage. They probably could have covered more ground if they had split up, but then she wouldn't be holding the farmer's hand or experiencing the last, fading rays of the setting sun that would give way to what promised to be a beautiful, warm spring night.
It was a bit selfish of her admittedly, on the search partly to spend time with Applejack but she so desperately wanted to make up for lost time. Her time spend with the blonde as children at Camp Friendship had been some of her most cherished memories, but when she had moved to Manehattan and strove to become a rising star in the music industry, she had almost forgotten them. Rara put aside everything she was by command of her insecurities, mimicking what she thought it would take to become a star, to become something she thought the public wanted. It wasn't until she reconnected with Applejack and got her head on straight that she could be herself... and re-examine old memories and feelings.
At this point she had taken her sunglasses off, keeping the hat on as a way to help make her less than easily recognizable. She continued scanning the beach but took a glance over at Applejack every now and then.
"Got somethin' on yer mind?"
A soft blush came to Rara's cheeks at being caught and a slightly shy smile came to her face.
"Sorry. I'm just... so happy to be near you again."
"Shucks, no need ta' sweet talk me, Rara."
"I mean it, AJ. I know it's easy to keep in contact these days, but it's not the same as actually being by your side."
"Well hey, don't go focusin' on that. Jes' focus n' all the time we got together right now this week."
Both walked in a peaceful silence after that, up until Coloratura spotted a rather colorful mop of hair up ahead. Applejack had also spotted the athlete up ahead, sitting on the beach and staring out over the water.
"Go on, it'll be for the best if it's just you talking to her."
"Ah don't wanna leave ya' by yerself."
With a soft smile, Rara leaned in and kissed Applejack's cheek.
"I'm a big girl, Applejack, I'll be fine until you come back."
After giving Rara that lopsided grin she found so endearing, the young woman watched the blonde walk away for a moment or two before taking a seat on the sand, breathing in deep she looked out over the ocean.
The farmer would slowly approach, trying and failing to gauge the athlete's mood as Rainbow Dash continued to stare out into the distance with a soft scowl on her face. Applejack would simply take a seat next to the other, in no rush to plunge right in and simply waiting for the right moment.
"... ya' looked interestin' up on stage. Differen' from before."
A small grunt was given in reply.
"Certainly looked like ya' was goin' all out. Seemed like a lotta' effort jes' fer a small thing like that."
Silence. Great, so they'd somehow taken a step backward. Time to just go in and kick the nest to see what fell out.
"Ya' know ya' acted like a jerk, right?"
"Vibrato was the bigger jerk!"
Progress!
"Ah ain't gonna say she wasn't actin' jerkish er nothin', but why'd ya' do all that? Other jerks've said worse things to ya' than what she did yesterday Dash, but ya' challenged her, somehow got the Rainbooms signed up, n' then ya' do that whole thing on stage n' get magic involved. What is it that's buggin' ya'?"
While the silence that met her might have seemed like the progress was undone, Applejack had known Rainbow Dash long enough to pick up on little signs. The way she shifted a bit, slight twitch in the fingers, scowl deepening some, whatever the answer was it was going to burst out of Rainbow Dash sooner or later. Her patience was rewarded when Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated sigh before speaking.
"You remember the Friendship Games? When Chrysalis messed with our heads and made us evil and stuff? When i was like that, I blamed Jackie for taking Sunset away from us and that she'd never be friends with us again because of that..."
"Okay?"
"I can look back on it and say that I meant it."
By now Rainbow Dash was sitting cross legged, glaring down to the sand as her hands clenched into fists.
"If she hadn't just come along and whisked Sunset away we... we could have worked it out. I know it would've taken awhile because we really screwed up, but things could of gone back to the way they were before that whole Anon-A-Miss shit happened!"
"Dash... ya' know that's not true."
"You don't know that!"
The blonde watched, a sadness in her eyes as Rainbow Dash got to her feet and began to pace like a caged animal all wound up.
"I can't... I can't believe that it couldn't have happened. I want to believe that we could have pulled out heads out of our asses in time to fix things! But now we'll never know because Jackie just swept in and took Sunset away from us!"
"Oh come on Dash! There was no fixin' what we did! Ah know it ain't easy ta' get over e'en if Sunset did forgive us after the Friendship Games, but ya' gotta' let this shit go!"
"Why should I!? It's all Jackie's fault things are like this now!"
"What? That things're good? How n' the sam hill is it bad that she kept Sunset safe n' happy?!"
"BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME THAT DID ALL THAT!"
The sudden outburst successfully silenced Applejack, who could only stare at the young woman with the prismatic hair. Rainbow Dash was panting slightly and wouldn't look up to meet the blonde's gaze.
"It... it should of been me. Because I was the element of loyalty. Because I was her friend. Because I... because I felt I wanted to be more than just friends with her. After the whole thing with the sirens and the battle of the bands, she kept coming into my mind more. I started noticing all these little things, how her eyes light up when she smiled, the way she laughed... stupid, dumb romantic junk like that. Which was why it hurt all the more when I thought she was Anon-A-Miss. Not just because my reputation took a hit, not just because I thought she hurt you guys... but... I got scared, thinking about how badly she could have hurt me if she found out how I felt and pushed her away. I blew it. And after the Friendship Games I thought I could make up for that and have another chance... but she's with Jackie now. And I fucking blew it again."
The last part was said so softly and sadly that it really tugged at Applejack's heart, the words carrying all of the regret and hurt that the athlete had been bottling up inside. She stepped forward and took the shorter girl into a hug, the athlete half-hearted in reciprocating the gesture but not pulling away. They stayed like this in silence for a couple of minutes until Rainbow Dash finally pulled away, having managed to get a grip on her emotions once more.
"C'mon back with me n' Rara, Dash. The others r' worried 'bout ya'."
"... I just want to be alone, AJ."
"Ah know. But Ah ain't leavin' ya' alone on this beach, now c'mon."
Too emotionally drained to ague, the athlete simply nodded and walked alongside Applejack, the farmer speaking up before they got in earshot of Coloratura.
"Ya' know ya' can't keep blamin' n' bein' jealous of Jackie. Right?"
"... I'll get over it."
"Not what Ah asked."
"..."
The athlete would be entirely silent on the way back to their friends.
"Jesus Christ today was a pain in the ass! It's only the second day but there's been WAY too much drama."
Whined Jackie as she walked into the bedroom, running a comb through her slightly damp hair as she shut the door behind her. Twilight had insisted she give up her and Spike's part of the room now that she and Sunset were together. Which lead to a bit of shuffling about as Bobby gave up his couch for them and moved to sleep in the chair.
"I wouldn't say it was all bad..."
"Well yeah, we got together after... all."
Having turned around and gotten a proper look towards the bed, Jackie's mind seemed to flat line for a moment when she saw Sunset Shimmer on their bed, in just a pair of those cotton shorts and without her top on. Wait, why was she being more dumbstruck by this now that they were together? AND after she had already seen her girlfriend's goods even before they got together? Sunset seemed to have picked up on this as a coy smile came to her face as she looked over her shoulder to her girlfriend.
"Cat got your tongue, Jacks?"
"Uh? Wait, wouldn't it be a unicorn in this case?"
The guitarist grinned as a pillow was chucked at her, easily catching it before walking over to the bed and sitting down on her side.
"I dunno... I guess things just always seem different when you take a big step like this, Sunshine."
"I can understand that. I remember it being the same way when me and Flash Sentry got together. The nerves'll wear off."
"I know. They still like to show up at the beginning though, huh?"
"Yeah..."
Just as Jackie began to lie down and settle in for the night, a still topless Sunset Shimmer smirked as a thought came to mind.
"Hey Jackie. You know that kiss you had with Adagio yesterday?"
"Ugh, come on Sunshine, you know-"
A pair of soft lips cut her off, Sunset having swooped in to silence the guitarist and slip in her tongue the first chance she got. The kiss lasted for a good amount of time, the red head doing things that surprised and blew the guitarist's mind, leaving Jackie dumbstruck for a moment after it ended until she came to her senses with a goofy smile on her face.
"What kiss?"
"That's what I thought."
With a soft giggle, Sunset let Jackie pull her back in for another kiss, the two enjoying their first night together as an official couple and doing anything but sleeping for the next couple of hours. Lack of a proper sleep would be future Sunset and Jackie's problem!