//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - A Touching Story 
// Story: Magnet 
// by KitsuneRisu 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 2 :: A Touching Story




One of Applejack's eyelids twitched, and she shifted her jaw around her mouth just to prevent her teeth from clattering together. She looked as though she was just about to cry.

In fact, a small tear fell from the very corner of her huge quavering globes and danced down her cheek, but it was the only one that managed to escape.

"… and that's about it," Rainbow Dash concluded. "Hey, are you listening?"

"Y…yeep," Applejack squeaked, looking at that one grain silo in the background just to avoid having to look at Rainbow's face. She started to breathe in short, thin bursts, her lips curling inward as she tried to keep her mouth closed.

"Did… did you hear me, Applejack?" Rainbow Dash lifted off, hovering directly in front of her friend to get her attention. "Um… hello?"

Despite that, Applejack still attempted to keep Rainbow out of her view, but it was very difficult to, under these circumstances.

"Yeah… I heard ya! I heard… mfff…" Applejack pushed down a sudden burst of something. "I heard ya!"

"So are you gonna help me or not?" The Pegasus threw her forelimbs out impatiently.

"Aahhhhhhhhhhhh hahahahahahaha!" cried out Applejack, each additional word that Rainbow said just added to the cuts that caused her balloon to burst.

"What?" said Rainbow.

"Ah… hahaha… hahaha!"

Applejack had fallen off her perch on the fence now, rolling back in the dust, her hat flying away while she clutched her gut in pain.

"Y... you! Ah hahahaha!" Applejack pointed at Rainbow. "I can't… you? You're in love?"

"Hey, come on!"

"No, but… Ah… ahahahaha! I can't… I can't breathe!" Applejack wheezed, scrabbling for her hat and using it to wipe away the tears that had started to stream down in rivulets. "Rain…Rainbow Dash! Finding… finding love! Oh my stars, this is a miracle! Bwahahahaha! Hey, can ya… can ya stay for next Zap Apple Jam season? I think it'll be a go… a good one, because this here's pure magic, y'all! Hahahaha!"

"OK. That's it. I'm leaving." Rainbow frowned, turning to fly off. It was funny, sure. It was something she had expected Applejack to make fun of her about, but this was way too much exaggeration, even for her rival. It felt as if she was just taking the mick out of her.

"No! No! Please! I'm sorry. I'm mighty sorry, R.D.!" Applejack implored, reaching up from her position on the ground. "I'm sorry! Please stay!"

Rainbow looked over her shoulder, glaring at the grinning dust bunny.

"Come on, you gotta admit, it's pretty funny," Applejack said, still chuckling at random intervals.

"No, it's not! This is my feelings we're talking about here, you know!"

"You're right. You're a hundred percent right. I'm really sorry for laughin', sugar." With hat back on head, the suddenly-composed pony pushed herself back up and tottered over to where Rainbow Dash was floating.

The Pegasus peered down at Applejack's quivering lip, guilty eyes and shaking throat.

"Don’t you dare," threatened Rainbow Dash. "I will hit you. I will."

"Not at all," Applejack reassured, swallowing down her final guffaw. "Now, let's get this all out now. You say you're in love? Who with?"

"Do I have to say?"

"Not at all, but it'd help rightly to know."

"Do I have to say it out loud?"

"Loud enough for me to hear, darlin'."

"It's Fluttershy, alright? Fluttershy."

Rainbow braced herself for that laugh again, but there wasn't any for some unknown reason. Instead, Applejack kept to her promise and held it down, much to Rainbow's surprise. It was yet another curious moment for Dash, and she couldn't help but feel something was rather strange about Applejack's reactions thus far.

"Well, Fluttershy, eh? Can't say I ain't a bit jealous of her." Applejack smiled.

"Wait, what? You? What?"

"Aw, not like that, beanstalk! I just mean she's got a fine friend to be interested in her, that's all."

"Oh. Right."

"But anyhoo, what can I do for ya?"

"Well, I just came from Twilight's, and she says that you might be able to… you know, give me some advice. Apparently you've got experience with relationships or something."

"Oh, she said that, eh?" Applejack stated, simply. "Well, that's right. I sure do."

"Who with? I've known you all these years, and you've never said anything about it before!"

"Well, that'd be telling now, wouldn't it?" Applejack winked.

"Oh, come on, that's just not fair! I told you mine, didn't I?"

"Well, I ain't the one coming to you for advice, am I?"

"Applejaaaacccck," Rainbow whined. "Come onnnnn!"

"In due time, sugar, in due time. But in any case, what kinda problems are y'all havin' with the missus?"

"Don't say it like that! And… well, you know. I'm not very… I mean, I… It's about how to show… and stuff. You know?"

"You have trouble expressin' yerself, is what you're tryin' ta say," Applejack guessed.

"Yeah, little bit. I'm just not comfortable talking about it. Or showing it. Or anything it."

"No kiddin'," Applejack chucked.

"I mean, I don't usually… say stuff like that. Twilight was showing me earlier about how to admit it, and it isn't that bad, really, but… there's gotta be more to it than just that, right?"

"That's exactly so." Applejack smiled, leaning on the fence and looking skyward at a stray cloud. "There's plenty more than just sayin' what everypony already knows. It's about showin' yer affection. And you surely want Fluttershy t' know that you love her, don't ya?"

"I guess so." Dash shrugged, her wings ruffling.

Applejack walked around, pushing herself off the fence and teetering toward Rainbow Dash step by step in a sort of dance.

"So, darlin'," she said, "how's about we think of some ways to express yourself?"

"Well… saying stuff, I suppose." Rainbow Dash counted off in her head. "There's smiling, and buying her flowers and rabbit food or whatever she likes. Things like that, yeah?"

"Go on?"

"And you could, you know." Rainbow bumped her front hooves together and held them up in a gesture that only she herself understood. "Games? Flying around?"

In her attempt to pull some ideas out of thin air, Rainbow had barely noticed Applejack sliding up to her. It was almost too late, but the Pegasus yanked her body back just in time before Applejack's had met it coming straight on.

"Wh… what are you doing?!" Rainbow screamed, eyes widened in shock. Somehow, the farmer had managed to sneak right up and put her head right next to hers. She had no idea that her job required her to be that stealthy, really.

"What are you trying to do?" Rainbow pushed Applejack away.

"Whoa there, Bessie," Applejack said, rearing back and giving her a sly smile. "I just thought ta show ya rather than tell."

"No! Don't show me anything! Don't come so close! You know I don't like other ponies touching me!"

Applejack gave a sort of knowing smile through half-closed eyes, tilting her head to the side and then back again in a sort of 'there you go' gesture.

"… ah," intoned Rainbow, as the light finally hit her. "Right."

"Y'see, R.D.," Applejack explained, turning around and starting up the path to the barn, her companion in tow, "there's a lot to the physical side'a things when it comes to a relationship. And it ain't all that bad, neither. And I know what'cha thinkin' – It ain't about that. Not… all of it at least."

"Don't even go there," demanded Rainbow. "I can barely stomach accidentally bumping into ponies, let alone–"

"Celestia knows." Applejack waved it off, as she reached the barn and prised open the heavy doors. "But we'll start with th' bare basics, yeah?"

Within the building were the same contents that would have been found on any other day – Dash had been there on more than one previous occasion and it wasn't that unfamiliar. The same old beams; the same old rafters; the same old workbench in the corner with the tools; the same old cart currently devoid of apples; and that rather suspicious looking tuft of hay in the center of the floor.

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but look at it no matter what else her eyes wandered to. It always returned to that small tuft of hay placed there very purposefully in the rough shape of a bed of some kind.

"What are… we doing here?" Rainbow Dash cautioned the question.

"Well, I figured we oughta help you out with this… touchy problem." Applejack shrugged, yanking Rainbow into the barn and closing the doors behind them.

The air smelt fresh. It carried the scent of fresh grass and was rather pleasing, in fact.

It was almost a mood-setter, and with the sun gently beaming through the slats above, the dancing dust in the room played around like the fireflies did at night.

It would have been a hazy dream to anypony else.

Rainbow Dash simply felt nervous.

"Well, it's been fun, but I gotta go!" chuckled Rainbow, backing up and hitting the wall.

"And here I thought you was strong," Applejack chuckled, circling the pile of hay, eyeing it in a far more peculiar manner. "Well, too bad then, Dashie! Guess you're just all talk. Weak widdle Dashie don't like getting touched!"

Rainbow frowned. Far more than the disquieting notion, this sounded entirely like some sort of challenge by her one and only rival. It was also a part of her that she found hard to ignore – there was no way that she was letting Applejack show her up with that kind of accusation.

"Hey now," she said, storming up to the innocent-looking freckled farmer, "I can do this anytime! Nopony's saying I'm weak!"

"Prove it then." Applejack grinned, once again retuning her face to within licking distance of Dash's. "Show me you got what it takes. Heck, show Fluttershy you got what it takes. You're doin' this for her, ain't ya? If you can't even take a bit of touchin' from an old barn mare, how are you gonna be comfortable with Fluttershy runnin' her wings all over your body?"

Rainbow felt the hairs on her back prick up at the mere thought of that, but she didn't react to it any more than a snort. "I… I can…"

"Wouldja listen to that. Bucklin' already." Applejack kept up the egging.

Rainbow thought once again to what Applejack had just mentioned… the whole idea of Fluttershy and her wings… embraced in that slow and gentle hug… as the both of them wrapped themselves up in a cocoon of feathers…

That stirring feeling happened again, her head torn into two directions. It was terribly disgusting. It was foul. She really, really hated the idea of being… molested like that. But… then again…

Dash's heart tripped.

"Fine! I'll do it! What do you have in mind?" Rainbow huffed.

With that, Applejack pulled back, walking around to the other side of the hay, placing the pile between herself and the determined Dash. "I was thinkin', we oughta run a gauntlet, so to speak. Maybe run a gauntlet over you."

"Ha ha. Very funny. Hurry up and tell me what you wanna do."

"How 'bout we make this interesting?"

"What. In what possible way could this be more 'interesting' to anypony anywhere?"

"I'm already finding it interesting, Dash." Applejack tilted her hat back up, her long golden locks of hair bobbing underneath. "But I tell you what, let's make this a game. Sound good? What I'm gonna do is make you experience physical contact. If you react, if you move, if you make any noise at all, you lose. You stay as quiet and still as a barn mouse, you win."

"What happens if I win?"

"I let you go. You get on with your day and we don't ever speak about this again."

"And if I lose?"

"I continue," Applejack said nonchalantly, shrugging as if it were no big thing.

"I don't like thi–"

"Chicken."

"You're on!" Dash screamed.

"Get comfortable then," Applejack said, nodding toward the pile of hay. "We're about to have us a hot time in th' old town tonight!"

"Sheesh, don't say it like you're enjoying it," the Pegasus grumbled, lowering herself onto the soft straw. And her reaction to that was an honest raising of the eyebrow in surprise; the hay was far more comfortable than it looked – all scratchy and sharp. Instead, it felt like an airy tuft of clouds, but with much more substance. It also had a nice 'crunch' to it as she shifted her weight on top. Maybe this was why Applejack always took naps on the stuff, she figured, as she sank into the bale.

It was supportive where it needed to be, gave way where it was required, and altogether felt cool and dry on her skin. Now this, this was a kind of touch that she could definitely enjoy.

She leaned back, reclining, and spotted Applejack's face looking down at her from above.

"Right. Now what?" Dash asked, easing the tension out of her shoulders with a few well placed stretches. This would be no problem! First round and she'd be out of there. She was sure of it. I mean, sure, she said she didn't like it, but when you really thought about it, she was touched casually by plenty of ponies in every day circumstances. It wasn't just last week that Twilight was yanking on her tail with magic, or… wasn't it even just a few moments ago that Applejack pulled her into the barn itself? Surely… surely if she saw it like that then there wouldn't be any problem whatsoever getting past this silly contest.

And then her thoughts broke as a sound that she was not accustomed with pierced the air. It was like a soft, high-pitched squealing, and for a moment, she thought that Fluttershy might have been in the barn with them.

But it wasn't only a second later that she realised that the noise came from herself.

"C…cold!" yelped Dash, wiping the droplet off her temple.

Applejack let the lemon wedge drop from her mouth onto Rainbow Dash's forehead, where it slid down the side of her face, leaving a sticky, fresh-scented trail. 

"You lose round one." Applejack grinned.

"That… hey! That's not fair!" argued Dash, wiping the rest of the lemon off her coat and tossing the wedge to the side. "I wasn't ready!"

"I don't think Fluttershy's gonna wait for ya," Applejack retorted. "Although, that girl's so polite, she might ask ya for permission first…"

"That'd be really weird," Dash said, voice breaking.

"Yeah, actually, I'm with you on that one. That would be kinda weird. Anyway, onto round two?"

"Fine!" Dash plunged her head deeper into the bed, letting her legs fall by her side. She was determined now; not to move or to make any noise whatsoever. What she couldn't help but do, was to trail Applejack with her eyes, watching her as she walked from behind her around to the front, and although she didn't tilt her head down, she could just make her blurry silhouette out as she came up from between her legs.

It was about that point when she sincerely wished she'd chosen a better position to be lying down in.

Dash took in a deep breath, hoping it wasn't loud enough to be counted as an out. But Applejack said nothing, and that seemed to have passed.

And then came a feeling.

It was unfamiliar – and from her position she couldn't see what was going on down there – but it felt like an insect was running across her chest; a long, gentle insect that moved in broad, rough strokes up and down her torso.

She didn't move.

A moment later, Applejack's cheeky, smiling face, full of that vigour and spunk that Dash was used to, crept upward into her view, definitely on purpose, just to let Dash see… wow.

Wow.

She hadn't remembered a time when Applejack loosened her mane before, but her silky golden locks, shades of which were somewhere between the sun and ripe corn, cascaded down the side of her face in waves, and she looked much more delicate than Dash could have ever imagined.

Each curl and swirl was just perfect, and it framed her face in a furious fire, brightening up her already intense smile and playing off her cheeks.

Rainbow felt a thumping in her chest. It echoed in her ears and she felt her pulse strongly beating throughout her entire body. There was really only one pony who could make her feel this way, but this visage in front of her… any mare or stallion would have to be blind to disregard it.

But no. This was part of the plan, obviously. She wanted to get a reaction from seeing that beautiful, humble face. The beauty in those freckled features. And what was she doing now? She had taken a great big lock of hair in her mouth, gripping it like a giant paintbrush, and suddenly those sensations she had on her chest started to make sense.

Rainbow's eyes wandered again. In her mind, images started to blur and she imagined Fluttershy there instead of Applejack, doing the exact same thing as they reclined on a bed in her own home. Perhaps one made of rainclouds, or a nice fluffy thing that Shy had stashed away for those longer nights…

Her eyes moved upward as a chill crawled in, stemming from the strokes that went up and down, over and over, upon her body, roaming freely over exposed skin and twitching limbs.

It was the fact that she was unused to it that made the sensations all the more intense; there was this natural reaction to jerk and swat it away – it felt sort of ticklish, but was far more fervid. But strangely, throughout it all, there was also a trail of warmth where the hair flowed; a good, clean feeling, as if she was snuggling up in a blanket during a particularly cold morning.

She knew her body was jerking back inadvertently – simple muscular movements to this foreign disturbance – and she also realised that she wasn't being counted out on purpose.

Rainbow Dash really felt a bit removed from the whole experience. The natural cosiness of the barn, combined with this… Oh Shy… wouldn't you do this a while longer…?

"No! Ahh!" Dash screamed, shoving Applejack quite roughly in the face, who started coughing, having choked on her own hair.

"Ack! Pbbt!" Applejack cried, spitting the lock out. "Hah! Gotcha. That's round two. What the heck just happened, sugar?"

"I… I don't know," Dash said, looking up worriedly. "I just… I just didn't feel comfortable all of a sudden. Not that it wasn't comfortable, I mean, not that I was enjoying it or nothing, I mean!"

"Uh huh." Applejack nodded, her loosened mane still bobbing around her head like a custard helmet. "By the way, how'd I look?"

"A little like Fluttershy, actually," Dash said, tilting her head. "You should wear it like this more often. Not… not that I care, that is."

"'Course not," said Applejack. "But in any case, that's round two over, and you still haven't won."

"I'm just giving you a chance, is all!" Dash snorted again, dumping herself back into the hay with her front legs behind her head. "I can tell you're enjoying this. Far too much, really."

"Well, I'm pretty eager t'get on with it," admitted Applejack. "You sure squirm funny."

"Go on, do your worst!" challenged Dash, as she closed her eyes and relaxed a bit more. If that was the best Jack could do…

Oh Celestia. Dash's eyes suddenly burst open again. This wasn't right. This was just… oh for Celestia's sake.

It seemed that Applejack wasn't intending on playing by the same rules that were imposed on Dash, as a low hum escaped the challenger's lips as she lay beside Dash, straddled up against her while bouncing on the hay.

Her front leg draped over Dash's upper body, falling gently like a leaf, and came to rest ever so softly upon her chest. It stroked and caressed her, like a cat playing with a mouse, as Applejack herself came up close, pressing her entire body against Dash's side.

Her hoof danced. For one so strong and adept at working in the fields, she showed a remarkable amount of dexterity, as even the slightest touch sent prickles down Dash's skin and into her back. This time, she could see it all.

And this time, there was no more argument against the luscious touch of her close friend. 

And it was that same friend who was now making noises – there was no better way to describe them – into her right ear as she breathed closely upon it, the moistness of her breath exciting the surface of Dash's cheek, causing blood to rush to the area in a deep crimson blush.

Rainbow felt squirmy, the feelings now travelling from her chest to her midsection, a tightening around her stomach or parts beyond, feathers dancing under her skin.

And still Applejack played, teasing, pushing and prodding, gently moving flesh around and doing nothing less than stimulating the very mind of the poor unmoving Pegasus.

It sparked. It flared. Her thoughts took her in many different directions. And damned if it didn't sort of kind of maybe if she were really being honest felt a little good. But yet, it still felt wrong. And she couldn't quite explain the reasons why.

"Ung," Dash choked out, as a stray hoof circled around a raised area to the side of her body.

"Round four," a whisper came into her ear, Applejack's barrage not even stopping for a moment.

Showing some of her muscle this time, Applejack effortlessly swung around and over, until she was seated firmly on top of Rainbow, her legs straddling around her waist like a children's ride.

She slid her front hooves up Rainbow's, pinning her solidly to the ground, and she fell on top of her, loose hair brushing against Dash's face.

"Wh… what…" mumbled Dash, in a faint echo of denial. She made a small effort to struggle against captivation, but where the flesh was willing, her spirit had surrendered back in round three.

It was going so fast now, as her actions picked up both in speed and intensity, and carried on the waves of excitement and trepidation, Rainbow Dash found herself… enjoying something found deep within it.

"Final round, pumpkin," Applejack said sultrily, lowering her face until her forehead was touching her partner's.

Beads of sweat intermingled between them, a wet, soaking patch oozing out from between where their heads touched. It was such an eerie feeling for the one lying on her back; she felt so uncomfortable, in this position, and she would never admit it, but she was even a little bit frightened. This was never supposed to happen. There was something wrong with this image.

But call it curiosity, call it being caught up in the excitement, or call it an adrenaline rush that Dash was so hopelessly addicted to – she stayed, no longer moving because she wanted to see what was coming next.

She wanted to know. She wanted to feel. And that was exciting by itself.

Dash swallowed hard, as Applejack's face came nearer and nearer, and only now did she realise how green and pure her eyes were, those eyes full of honesty and love and care and pride. And as she moved in, rubbing cheek against cheek, her head slowly sliding upward to where their lips might meet…

"Stop," Rainbow Dash said, with authority, a clenching occurring around her heart yet again. "You win. I can't do this."

And Applejack did.

But more than that, she'd pulled back, and was smiling. This time, a very pure, real smile. One that didn't have the danger of forced intent behind it.

"And why is that?" Applejack smirked, asking a simple question.

"Because you're not her," Dash said, the words coming out without her even thinking. "This isn’t what I want. I mean… it… it was great and all, I guess. But I don't wanna do it with you."

Applejack blinked. Rainbow couldn't pick out the expression Applejack wore after she said that.

"Um… no offence," added Rainbow.

"Oh, none taken," said Applejack, rolling off from Dash in a single move and hopping to her feet, dusting herself off from stray bits of dried grass. "Actually, I'm kinda surprised you got it this fast. I was thinkin' I might actually have ta get in… deep, if you know what I mean."

"Eew. No. Gag me with a spoon," Dash said, propping herself up. "What the heck do you mean, 'got it this fast'?"

"You said it yourself, plum britches. You don't wanna do it with… me."

"I don't get it."

"See, it ain't about the action," Applejack said with a smile. "If anything, we just saw you can take that as well as any other pony. You just don't wanna do it with somepony you ain't fancyin', that’s all."

Dash slowly got up to her hooves again, her wings matted down with sweat and straw. "You mean… this was all… some kind of test?"

"Yeah. Testin' your resolve, really. You had to take a good deep look at'chaself and discover your true feelings. If you really fancied Miss Fluttershy, which you do, you'd have stopped it, which you did."

"What," Dash said, one of many times that day she'd intoned that word in this way.

Applejack merely grinned.

"You… that was… what?" Dash said incredulously. "Are you kidding me? You could've just asked, couldn't you? Why did you make me do all that?"

"I had to make it look real!"

"You… that was…" Dash's face started to boil, a steaming redness rising around her collar. "How could you…"

"Hey, hey now. Don't you worry. Truth is, if you hadn't stopped me, I'd'a stopped myself just before anything bad would'a happened anyway. We weren't never gonna go anywhere! But your face right now? It's worth it. It really is."

The reply was a pair of eyes that looked like they could fly out of Dash's head and stab Applejack right in the flank.

"Hey, you were enjoyin' it too, weren't ya? Sort of. Wouldn't it be nice if you could do that with Fluttershy, and you didn't have to feel too conscious about it?"

"That… that's none of your business! Besides, you just made it worse!"

"I reckon I just let your body experience what your mind was afraid of, nutmeg."

"Afraid?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, c'mon, it wasn't that bad, was it? I know, I know, private matter and all that, but I'm sure you'd be more acceptin' to cuddle up with some yellow Pegasus right about now."

Maybe, thought Dash.

"Yeah, I see that look," continued Applejack, with a chuckle. "Listen, it actually ain't all that. And that's the point. I'm casual about it because touchin' is casual. Ain't nothin' wrong with holdin' hooves, or the odd hug once in a while."

"Yeah, well… you said you had experience, right? Where's all this coming from then?"

"From my family," stated Applejack.

"Your what?"

"I mean, I hug my family all the time, and sometimes I gits ta wrasslin' with Apple Bloom. We're always tossing each other around. And sure, I don't do stuff with them like I did with you, but I still give little Bloom a kiss on the cheek when I tuck her in at night. Is that weird?"

"Well that's… that's different! They're family!"

"I reckon if you don't see Fluttershy as family, things ain't ever gonna work out between the two of ya," Applejack said with a wink.

Dash thought to respond. Her mouth was already open in preparation for a retort. But nothing came. There was nothing she could say. What Applejack said, as she was known for, was the truth, plain and simple.

"Yeah… guess you're right," Rainbow finally said with some reluctance. "And… yeah, it wasn't that bad. But if you tell anypony else what we did here–"

"Oh, ain't any of their beeswax. I assure ya," promised Applejack. "Ain't no thing."

"Well… thanks, A.J., I guess. I think." Rainbow said, still a bit dazed from all of it.

"Right, and before ya go," Applejack remarked, walking Dash to the barn door. "I got one more lesson for ya."

"What is i– eeeeaaargh!" Dash yelled, as a hoof smacked her tightly in the rear, a red hoof-mark already appearing as soon as the leg left its target. Dash reeled forward, clambering on the wood as she clung on for balance.

"Oh… oh yeah," Dash said, weakly. "Mmmm… yeah… alright. I know. I know about that one. Man, that one's painful, but… it also feels so… so good. Strangely. That was… wow, Applejack, way to drive a point home."

"Um…" muttered Applejack, standing behind her with her hoof bent around and turned skyward.

"Wha… what?" stammered Dash. "Was… wasn't that what you were going for? A bit of… rough…"

"No…" Applejack shook her head, eyes showing signs of concern. "There… there was a mosquito."

"… Yeah, thanks," mumbled Dash, her head turning red yet once more.

"Hoo boy," Applejack muttered, wiping the dead bug on the ground. "Ah, what I was gonna say was that you oughta go see Rarity next."

"Rarity? Really? She's so… self… absorbed."

"Yeah, that's the point, strawberry. Fluttershy's a bit more delicate than… what you enjoy, apparently."

"Yes. Let's move on from that."

"Heh… well, Rarity knows a bit or two about being gentle. Polite. Nice. You know, just learnin' how to speak Fluttershy's language. I think you could stand to learn a few things from her."

"I really… I really don't want her to know about this," Dash sighed.

"Listen, this is Rarity we're talkin' about here. In a week, she and everypony else from here to Canterlot's gonna know anyway."

"That's… true."

"So might as well just nip it in the bud and make the best use of it, right?"

"Yeah… yeah. You're right. Anyway, thanks, Applejack. I owe ya one, alright?"

"Hey, ain't a thing!" Applejack said, seeing her friend out the barn, where Dash pushed off the ground and took to a low hover.

"I guess I'll go over and see Rarity now!"

"You do that! And tell me how it goes with Fluttershy!"

"Will do, Applejack," Dash said, picking up altitude with a single beat of her wings, which threw all the remaining straw to the ground, and her into the sky. She had such good friends, she thought, in retrospect. Friends willing to sacrifice so much just for her well being. And it certainly gave her a lot to think about as well!

But yet…

But yet there was something rather… off about this whole situation.

Maybe she was over-thinking it, but when one of your best friends and long-time arch nemeses in the world of sports and other physical games starts to get that close… it just seemed to her there might have been some sort of ulterior motive behind it.

And she didn't know. It was an experience regardless, and she found herself flying away with more than she arrived with, and that was the point.

But as Applejack stood firm, outside the barn, watching the blue streak zoom off towards the town center way off in the distance, she sighed a happy sigh to herself, and leaned on the fence in a bittersweet contentedness.

"You're a real lucky girl, Fluttershy," she said out loud to nopony in particular, her eyes dampening slightly. A rough swallow was all she could muster in light of her quivering throat. But she stuck strong and fast and focused up again, tightening her heart and her resolve.

The lesson hadn't been a lie, and neither was her genuine offer of help. But her heart still burned – she wanted to say something; she really did. But the sacrifice she had to make was found in the biggest secret she had to keep, and all for the sake of the one pony she didn't want to hurt.

The hardest part throughout it all was to stop when she wanted to continue.

To stay silent when she was told to her face that the only pony she loved didn't want anything to do with her.

And to laugh when all she really wanted to do was cry.

And she sobbed, just once, as a sudden wash of anger and sadness hit her from within, when she realised that sometimes, the lies were more important than the truth.

But her smile came back with ferocity, as her eyes burned with determination. She'd done this for a friend, and the one she most cared about, and in the end that was a sacrifice worth giving, even if she did take a few liberties.

Hey, a lady has needs.

"Well, don't y'all worry none, Applejack," she told herself. "If they ever don't work out, she'll be all yours."

She nodded, as she headed off to the barn, her eyes casting a teary glance toward tomorrow.

"She'll be all yours."




Chapter 2 :: End