It seemed like a regular night to everypony. Celestia's sun had long gone down under the horizon and made room for a sky filled with thousands of stars, even from the heavily lighted viewpoint of Ponyville.
As usual, the moon took its place as the biggest and brightest object in the night sky, guiding ponies far off from the light home with a soothing dim light.
A regular night for anypony except those walking by Ponyville's library at the right time. There, from time to time, some giggles or unburdened speech could be heard.
The sources of those, six ponies plus one dragon, sat inside, having a good time at another random Pinkie party. This time, Pinkie wanted to celebrate winter already being two fifths over. She could party with and about anything, and if it was not having a reason to party.
Nopony cared about the reason in that moment. They were all having much too good of a time. Just then, they had started a game of Spin the Bottle.
"Rarity Rarity Rarity Rarity..." Spike whispered to himself. The bottle stopped pointing towards Rainbow Dash. She spun again, and it stopped at Applejack. Everybody at the party gave various noises of cheering.
Hesitantly, Rainbow rose. "Do I really have to?"
"Part of the game. Come on, it's not like you're gonna fall in love or anything, you know that." Pinkie motivated her.
"Afraid, pardner? Here, let me help ya."
Applejack pounced the pegasus, knocking her across the room, through some cluttered books Spike hadn't cleaned up, and onto her back. When everypony's eyes followed, Applejack's lips were already pressed hard onto Rainbow's. She broke the kiss quickly after.
"I..." Rainbow tried to find words. That hadn't been so bad, she had to admit.
"Ya like that, sugarcube? Want some more?"
"Actually... Yes. C'mon AJ!" Rainbow Dash pulled the earth pony back down.
"They are not really..." Twilight was shocked.
"Whoops. They are. Hey, mind if we change the topic of this party?"
"C'รจ brutto, ma..." Whenever Rarity was in an uncomfortable situation, she spoke french. So far, nopony had felt the need to tell her it was actually italian she was speaking.
"Woohoo!"
"Come on Applejack. What's taking you so long?" Rainbow Dash hovered impatiently near the farm house.
"Ta be honest... Ah jus' don' know, sugar. Ah mean, Ah'm not denyin' any of mah feelins, but what if ponies see us together like that? Ah'm not sure if Ah'm ready fer that yet."
Rainbow Dash facehooved. "Really? In case you didn't notice, we've been friends for years now and competitors for a bit less. Ponies are used to seeing us around together!"
"But..."
"Should've come to expect that. Erm, there's a bit more to me than I've told you so far. I can teach you something to help with that. Just come to Ponyville with me. Nopony will notice us, I promise!"
"If ya say so..."
The couple arrived at Ponyville's inner regions. As usual, there was a lot of business going on.
"Now for the secret. Even though I don't find it necessary, we can easily hide in the crowd. Just follow it's speed and direction. Join the stream. Become one with the crowd."
"Sugar, I don't think..." Applejack was more than sceptical.
"Oh, I once was like that, too. But now watch." Rainbow Dash casually walked to the middle of the street and squeezed in between six ponies passing by.
"Heh. Let 'er have her fun." Applejack followed in the direction Rainbow Dash had gone, towards their goal. She didn't make it far.
"Boo!" Applejack whirled around. All of a sudden, Dash had appeared behind her, even though she'd been watching her crowd the entire time.
"Eek! How didya do that?"
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Doing what I just said. Walked right by you. Blended in. Most ponies don't see six individual of their friends together, they see six ponies. It's a lot easier if you're not RAINBOW COLORED, too!"
"Alright, got me good. Ah'll give it a go. But, if ya don' mind me askin', where didya learn that?"
"There's more to me than you know, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. Just know, I had an interesting foalhood."
"Hey you two! Didn't see you coming in."
Rainbow nudged Applejack in the side. "See, I told you it works." She whispered. She stepped up to the counter, keeping her voice down. "Hey Pinkie, we got some plans for today. Could you get us raspberry muffins... six should be enough. Some discretion please. AJ's still shyin' around."
Dash's words visibly worked their way through Pinkie Pie's mind. When they were done processing, her usual smile broadened a bit further, if possible. "Some super sneaky muffins for a... special occasion, I see. Coming right up!"
Pinkie lowered herself to the floor and out of sight. After a few seconds, she came through the door of the back room, carrying Rainbow's order on a tray. Nopony even bothered to look at her breaking yet another law of physics. Ponies were surprised when she did not break them, for a change.
"Here you go~o." Pinkie somehow managed to sing whilst staying so quiet that only the two ponies right in front of the counter could hear her.
"Thanks!" Rainbow slid the muffins into her saddlebags, then kept her muzzle in the bags, searching for something. Pinkie understood what she was looking for.
"Oh no no no! Those are on me. Nopony that could demand money from such a fresh love pair, eh?"
Rainbow Dash's ears perked up suddenly. "Why, thanks again Pinkie." She turned towards Applejack. "Apples, you may want to leave now if you don't want us to be seen together already. Blend in, remember?"
"Uh, sure, if you say so. Ah'll see ya at the lake then. Don't delay, Ah'm starvin' fer more than one thing!"
Sure does learn quickly. Kinda sad. I'd like to be able to watch her longer. What a beauty... Rainbow thought to herself as she stepped out of Sugarcube Corner, feeling no need to hide. She pretended to be lost in thought, bumping into a lavender unicorn in the process.
"Sorry Rainbow, didn't see you there."
"Ah, don't sweat it, 't was my fault. Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have somewhere and somepony to get to." The pegasus stepped backwards into the crowd, vanishing in seconds.
Twilight chuckled. "Gonna be with AJ, don't you think?" Spike asked.
"Pretty sure she is. Oh, they're so cute when they're fresh... Good thing I need nopony. I can't imagine me acting like that..."
Applejack grew a little impatient. She had been waiting at their secret meeting spot some time already, but no matter how much she scanned both the sky and the ground, she couldn't spot Rainbow Dash. All she could see were gray clouds and plain land with some grass on it. In the distance, Ponyville connected to the dirt road that went past her some paces to her right.
Just where is that mare... She thought. She sat down and leaned her back against the tree that provided her with a cool shadow to stand in. Looking up, she noticed it was an apple tree and bore some fruit ready for harvest.
It was rather peculiar for it to keep its fruit fresh without being harvested that late, but Applejack didn't complain. She got up and got ready to buck herself a snack. The kick didn't deliver her with the desired apples, though.
Instead, she felt the weight of a pony, perhaps a pegasus, suddenly push her down. She was powerless in that position, all of her legs stretched outwards. Something pointy poked in her neck.
What the... Is that how it ends? Oh, please, don't... For Dash. At thinking of Rainbow, a single tear dropped from her eye.
"C'mon now, don't get all sappy."
"Huh? Rainbow?" The pointy object was removed from her skin. She looked up to see multiple colors of mane blocking her view.
"Looking back, I may have overdone it a little bit... You okay?" Rainbow stepped down from the earth pony and helped her up.
"Why are ya even doin' somethin' like that? Why are ya holdin' a knife in mah neck?"
"That was my hoof. Illusions ponies get when they think they're about to die, eh?"
"But why?"
"Oh, I don't really know. Good entrance. Showing off. Second rule. 'Be discreet'."
"What's the first?"
"'Don't tal'... I mean, 'Never hurt innocent ponies'. As if I'd hurt you, anyways."
Applejack wondered where Rainbow had gotten those rules, but figured she'd get an evasive answer again. "Why, that sure was somethin'. Promise me never ta do that again, please?"
"If you wish, it shall never have happened."
"Thanks. Ah'm starvin', ya got them muffins?"
"You bet!" Dash dropped her saddlebags and opened them. Seeing the muffins rolling out triggered a chain reaction in Applejack.
"Er, sweet? If ya don' mind me askin', why did ya send me away at Sugarcube Corner? Ah didn' see no reason."
"I heard Spike talking through the open door and figured you don't want Twilight to know about our secret little date. Or did you?"
"Rainbow? Ah've been meanin' ta ask ya somethin'..."
"Hm?"
"Ah was pretty direct at that party at Twilight's... Do ya really want all this? Ah mean, if yer jus' actin' like it so Ah won't feel bad, tell me. Ah can take it!"
"Would you finally stop the pointless worrying? I really am into you. Been for some time, and I've wanted to confess to you not shortly after, if not at, the party. You just sped it all up a bit."
"Alrighty then. There's jus' so many things goin' through mah mind."
"I should really stop telling you secrets, but if you want, there's a technique to wipe those doubts away. You won't be able to enjoy our relationship if they're still around!"
"How do?"