//------------------------------// // Day 6 // Story: A Riddle or Twelve // by Idsertian //------------------------------// The sky was barely lit with the morning sun, but Applejack could see the weather was almost an exact mirror of the day she had started out on this little adventure: Cold, still and frosty, but with clear skies. Just like last time, grass and dead leaves crunched underhoof, and her breath created thick clouds of vapour around her as she walked. As she wove through the hibernating orchard, she occasionally had to avoid frozen puddles created by the rain from the day before, their icy surfaces mottled by trapped air bubbles. Breaking through the northern tree line of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack stopped to assess the final leg of her journey; the hill that overlooked the farm. Moderately steep, the hill swept up to a relatively small, flat top, before falling away to the river between the farm and Ponyville. At its peak, a single apple tree resided, usually left unharvested because of its distance from the rest of the orchard. As far as she could remember, the tree had always been on the hill, though Applejack had no idea how or when it had appeared there. She had always liked this hill for its solitude, often coming here in her younger days whenever she needed to be alone. It offered a certain distance and calm from her busy life, allowing her to reflect and offering some perspective with its juxtaposed views of the farm on one side, and the town on the other. Many other times, she and Rainbow had picnicked under the tree on warm days, enjoying each other’s company and the view. It was definitely one of her favourite places to be. From where she stood at the edge of the trees, Applejack could just make out the splash of colour that was Rainbow Dash lounging in one of the lower branches, confirming what she already knew: She had the right place. Checking that her saddlebags, and the box inside them, were secure, she pulled her jacket and scarf a little tighter against the cold and began the climb up the frozen hillside. As she walked up the faint path on the slope, Applejack felt a sense of excitement build inside her. She had to admit, she had been wondering what kind of gift Rainbow had gotten her, and the sense of mystery built by her friends had piqued her curiosity even further. On top of that, she wondered why Twilight had told her to take the box, and the part it had to play in all this. The answers, it seemed, were just a few seconds away as she spied Rainbow hopping out of the tree to greet her, the pegasus landing deftly on the frosty grass. “Hey there, AJ!” Rainbow ran up and nearly bowled Applejack over with an enthusiastic hug, embracing her tightly with both legs and wings, a sure sign that she had missed her. “Happy Birthday, beautiful,” she added with a kiss on the lips. “Thanks, sugarcube,” Applejack said, giggling and returning the affection with a kiss of her own, the sudden intimacy serving to remind her of how much she, in turn, had missed Rainbow over the past few days. “How was the Academy?” “Oh, you know, a bit of training here, a bit of chewing out there. You know how it is,” the pegasus replied, releasing her and blowing a stray lock of her colourful mane out of her face. “So…” She began in a not-so surreptitious manner. “So what?” Applejack answered back sweetly, feigning ignorance. “Oh, you’re really gonna do me like that?” Rainbow deadpanned. Applejack chuckled in response. “Worth it just for that reaction, darlin’.” “Yeah yeah, punk the pegasus, I get it. Come on, did my girl win my game or not?” Rainbow wore an impatient expression, wings rustling at her side underneath the saddlebags situated behind her bomber jacket. Applejack raised an eyebrow and pointed at the bags. “What’s in there?” she asked. “Oh, you’ll find out,” Rainbow replied with a smirk. “Once you tell me how you did.” “Playin’ hardball, huh?” “Have I ever played any other way?” “Alright,” Applejack conceded, smiling. “I guess I could tell you that you can burn that abomination of a hat you wanted me to wear.” Rainbow suddenly grinned. “Oh, you mean this one?” she said, turning and pulling something from her saddlebags. Held between her teeth was an ordinary brown hat, identical to the one Applejack already wore on her head. The farmer blinked in confusion. “What? I don’t…” She looked from the hat to Rainbow, back to the hat. “That ain’t the same hat! It was pink, and had one of your feathers attached to it!” Rainbow dropped the hat on the ground, still grinning. “Oh that? That was just a bit of magic from Rarity,” she explained, barely able to contain herself. “I just bought a hat like yours and told Rarity to make it look like the ugliest cowgirl hat she could think of. You should have seen her face once she was done, it was hilarious!” Rainbow cracked up, the memory apparently just as funny as the original occurrence. Applejack, on the other hand, was more confused than amused. Why would Rainbow have her trekking all across town, searching out riddles and stressing over her winning reputation, all on the basis of a trick? It didn’t make sense. “Why?” she asked, doing her best to convey her puzzlement in one word. “Why what?” Rainbow responded after calming down. “Why’d you trick me? I know that wasn’t what this was all about.” “No, of course not. Come on, AJ, you know me better than that.” “Then why?” “I just needed to motivate you a little, that’s all,” Rainbow explained, picking up the hat and stuffing it back into her saddlebag. “I knew that you probably wouldn’t go wandering around looking for scrolls just because I asked you to, but if I made a challenge out of it, I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist. You never can.” She offered an infuriatingly self-satisfied smirk after that last, meeting Applejack’s gaze as if daring her to deny it. The farmer stared back at her defiantly, but knew that Rainbow had her dead to rights. The combination of the game and the threat of the hat was a deadly one; one or the other might have done it, but both was a certainty. Never in her life had Applejack ever backed down from anything she’d perceived as a challenge, even to the detriment of her own health on occasion. And Rainbow had used that knowledge perfectly. “Alright, you got me,” Applejack conceded, breaking eye contact with a defeated sigh. “So what was this all about, anyway?” “To answer that, I gotta ask you a question.” Rainbow walked over to the apple tree, where there was a thick blanket laid out by the roots. She shucked off her saddlebags and sat down, patting the blanket next to her, the invitation clear. Applejack joined her, removing her own bags and getting herself comfortable. “Alright,” Rainbow began, a tinge of nervousness to her voice. “So, I guess you noticed there was a sort of… pattern to the riddles?” Applejack nodded. “Yeah, I noticed. They were about us, and us being together.” She smiled, giving Rainbow a sidelong look. “The one about wings was subtle, I still remember the first time you let me help preen yours.” She saw a faint blush appear on her marefriend’s cheeks. “Heh, that one was Fluttershy’s idea, believe it or not,” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head. “Did you know she and Zecora are a thing?” “Not until the other day, though I figured it out quick enough. Fluttershy actually sort of gave away the answer because of it.” “Really?! That’s hilarious! Anyway, I wanted this game to remind you about us.” “What for?” Applejack asked. “Ain’t like I’ve exactly forgot.” “No, but…” Rainbow paused for a moment, looking contemplative. “Hey, did you bring that box I gave you?” she asked suddenly. Applejack reached into her saddlebags and removed the box, placing it on the blanket between them. “Right here, like Twilight told me to.” “Good,” Rainbow nodded. “We’re going to need it in a bit.” She took a deep breath and stared off into the distance, seeming to lose herself in thought. “Everythin’ alright there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked after a moment, concerned. She’d never seen Rainbow like this before, and it was worrying. The other mare nodded and smiled at her. “Everything’s more than alright, AJ, but I’m going to talk now, and I need you to listen, okay?” Applejack nodded. Whatever this was, it was serious. She felt a sting of nerves, but did her best to suppress it. “Okay,” the farmer replied. It was a moment before Rainbow Dash spoke again, the pegasus shifting uneasily, her wings jittery, as if she were trying to recall a speech from memory in front of a large audience for the first time. “AJ, I love you,” she said, her voice tremulous. “You know this, obviously, or we wouldn’t have been together this long. I have loved you every day for all of these years, and I’ve not regretted a single one of them. You light up my life, and give me a reason to look forward to waking up in the morning.” Applejack simultaneously felt both a dopey smile and dash of heat race for her face. She knew these words probably weren’t entirely Rainbow’s, and that she’d likely gotten help from Twilight or one of their other friends, but from the pure emotion that they were spoken with, she knew that her marefriend meant them. “That’s why I came up with this game,” Rainbow continued, her voice getting steadier and more confident. “To show you that, even now, the moments we’ve shared are still as meaningful to me as when they happened. Hopefully I’ve given you a slight glimpse at that.” “Rainbow, you didn’t have to-” Applejack began, but was interrupted by one of Rainbow’s primary feathers pressing against her lips. “Please, let me finish,” Rainbow said, removing her wing again. Applejack just nodded. “As I was saying, I love you more than you know, and I’ve done my best over the years to show it, but there’s more that I can do. Much more that life hasn’t afforded me the opportunity to do until now. Before I go any further, though, there’s something you should know.” The pegasus looked up into the sky for a moment, obviously gathering her thoughts. Applejack wondered what she was thinking, what this revelation was going to be, if it was something she should be concerned about, or if this was just Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash and she was going slightly over the top with something relatively minor. What the pegasus said next rocked Applejack to her core. “I’m leaving the Wonderbolts,” Rainbow said, once again looking at her. “What?!” Applejack exclaimed, unable to help herself. “I’m retiring,” continued the other mare, unfazed. “I’m older than Spitfire was when she passed command to me, and honestly… I’m slowing down and starting to make mistakes. Ponies could get hurt, and I don’t want that. After this year’s class graduates, I’m out.” For as long as Applejack had known her, the Wonderbolts had been Rainbow Dash’s life. Her whole being had been focussed on getting onto the team, a goal she’d not only attained but surpassed, taking command of the Wonderbolts as a whole. It had seemed like she’d be there forever, but now here she was, talking about retiring and leaving it all behind after so long. “I can’t believe you’re leavin’,” Applejack said. “You not being in the ‘Bolts is like havin’ an apple pie without the apples.” Rainbow laughed. “Yeah, I guess,” she said. “But we both knew it couldn’t last forever. It’s time for me to move on and make room for the next generation.” “But what’re you gonna do?” “Well,” Rainbow answered, picking up one of Applejack’s hooves and holding it in her own. “I thought about that and I came up with an idea I quite like, and one I think you’ll like, too.” “And what’s that?” asked Applejack. Rainbow seemed to think for a second, then smiled deviously. “How about one more riddle?” she asked. “Huh?” Applejack was having trouble parsing what she’d just been told, unable to quite fathom the ramifications of Rainbow’s decision. As a result, her entire train of thought came crashing to a halt when presented with Rainbow’s unexpected question. “One more riddle, and you’ll get your answer. Deal?” Without any real reason to deny it, and her mind blown as much as it was, Applejack just nodded wordlessly in agreement. Rainbow smiled, a double flap of her wings accentuating her expression. “Okay! This is totally the last one, I promise.” Sitting up straighter, Rainbow looked Applejack in the eye as she delivered her final challenge to the earth pony. “So you went hither and thither, and took my little test; now your final task is to name what I like best.” Applejack’s mind went blank. Combined with Rainbow’s earlier bombshell, the riddle rendered her utterly unable to pull a single answer from the confines of her memory. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to process the problem, though she was far too perplexed to feel any sense of foolishness because of it. How could she not think of anything at a time like this? She had a whole lifetime to pull from! A chuckle from Rainbow pulled her back to the here and now. “Don’t tell me I’ve got you beat right at the end,” she said, a cocky grin on her face. It was a barb Rainbow had used against Applejack many times, usually to prolong a competition in her favour by provoking the earth mare’s determination. Once again, it proved its effectiveness as Applejack’s mind instantly went from a standstill, to racing with possible solutions. From the obvious Wonderbolts or her own family’s cider, to the more obscure, such as Rainbow’s favourite napping spots, or even where the worst tension points in her wings were after she exercised. Realising she was getting nowhere fast, Applejack took a deep breath, trying to calm her thoughts. Rather than trying to randomly guess, she decided to focus on the riddle. The first half was clear enough, referencing the game she’d been following over the past few days, but was only serving to create the rhyme. The second half was where the actual question lay. Applejack ran through the list of things in her head that she knew Rainbow Dash liked, checking them off one by one. “Come on, the answer’s pretty obvious,” Rainbow said, her voice playfully teasing, but serving only to heighten Applejack’s anxiety as she tried to come up with an answer. She grit her teeth. She’d gotten all the others right, she wasn’t going to- Wait… All the others! That was it! Rainbow had been showing her all week, had been sitting here telling her for the last few minutes, and she’d still missed it! Missed it like a chicken staring at a cockatrice! Applejack almost laughed at the absurdity, instead, she just looked up at Rainbow again, smiling fondly. “It’s me, ain’t it?” she asked, though she already knew the answer. Rainbow winked at her. “Now you’re getting it,” she said, almost laughing. “So,” Applejack started, wanting to make absolutely sure. “You want to… what? Live with me? Here? On the farm? We practically do that anyway.” She watched as Rainbow bit her lip. “Not exactly,” the other mare answered, glancing away. “Then what?” “Close your eyes.” “Say what now?” “Close your eyes, and don’t open them until I say, okay?” Applejack was puzzled, but nodded and closed her eyes. In the back of her mind, she wondered what Rainbow was up to now. She felt her marefriend let go of her hoof, the sound of her rummaging in her saddlebags reaching her ears once more. Rainbow spoke again. “Applejack, for years now, you’ve been my world. Every night I fall asleep thinking of you, and every day I wake up the same. Every time I’m away and I see something cool, or do something awesome, I think “I wish Applejack was here to see that”. I miss you every day I’m not with you, and I never want to leave when I am.” Rainbow’s words before might have been prepared by her friends, but these now were definitely her own, and they made Applejack feel as giddy as when they were first dating. She knew Rainbow loved her, but to hear it coming in such a heartfelt way was absolutely breathtaking. She felt like a young mare again, the years literally lifting off of her. She was also fairly sure she was grinning like an idiot. Again. “You know I don’t really believe in things like soulmates,” Rainbow continued, apparently unaware of the effect she was having on Applejack. “But if I did, then I’d say you were it. I’ve spent as many days as I could with you over the years, but from now on I want to spend them all with you. Forever.” Realisation hit Applejack like a train. Her heart began to race, and suddenly Rainbow’s game and its little reminders of their history together started to make sense. Rainbow not asking what she wanted for her birthday. The secret her friends were all in on. Bringing her out to her favourite hill. Her mind flashed back to the first day, seeing the cutie marks engraved on the box, and inside it, two recesses on the bottom. Two circular recesses. Her eyes flew open. There, in front of her, Rainbow Dash knelt with a wing outstretched towards her. Cradled in her primary feathers was a small, open box lined with white silk. Nestled inside it was a silver ring, adorned with the largest diamond Applejack had ever set eyes on. “Applejack,” Rainbow said, nerves wracking her voice and causing her free wing to twitch. “Will you marry me?” For Applejack, time stood still. She could do nothing but stare at the ring in front of her. The diamond embedded in it was easily as big around as the tip of a unicorn’s horn. She wondered where Rainbow had gotten it from, and how she’d even afforded it. She must have saved for years. When their relationship had started getting serious, Applejack had briefly entertained the idea of marriage, however, it had quickly become apparent that Rainbow’s mind was almost entirely on her career. Instead, Applejack had simply contented herself with having Rainbow by her side, both of them happy just being with the other. Or so she thought. Had the pegasus been secretly harboring this desire all this time? Applejack suddenly realised she’d not said anything. Instead she’d just been staring at the ring for… how long? Seconds? A minute? Two? What could she say? The mare she loved, cherished and adored, the mare she’d spent half her life with already, was down on one knee, asking for her hoof in marriage. What did you even say to that? Applejack already knew the answer. Slowly, shakily, she reached out and took the box carefully from Rainbow’s wing. She lifted the ring carefully from the box, a silver chainlet flowing behind it and dangling in the cold air. The diamond refracted the light in its many facets, sparkling in the morning sun. Without a word, Applejack lifted the chain over her head and settled it into place around her neck. She looked down briefly, the ring and the diamond both stark against the blue of her winter jacket. Looking back up, she saw Rainbow Dash staring at her, awestruck, as if in disbelief at what she saw. Applejack pulled her into a tight hug. “Absolutely, sugarcube,” she whispered into the ear of her new fiancée, her voice hoarse with emotion. She felt the tension inside Rainbow snap, the pegasus seeming to melt into her, and hugging her tightly in return. “Oh, Celestia, I was so scared you would say no! Thank you so much!” Rainbow’s voice was thick, the mare sounding on the verge of tears. Applejack pushed her back slightly, holding her marefriend by the shoulders. She looked into her magenta eyes, blinking back tears as she did so. “Why in Equestria would I do that?” she asked incredulously. “I was worried that you wouldn’t be interested after this long,” Rainbow answered, wiping her eyes as she did so. “That you might have been happy just… just being marefriends.” “But… I thought…” Applejack began, confusion written across her face. “I thought that was you! I was waiting for you to say somethin’, and when you didn’t, I just figured you didn’t want that. Why’d you wait so long?” “I… could never seem to find the right time,” the other mare began, shrugging slightly. “There was always some adventure to go on, or some villain to defeat, not to mention Twilight’s school keeping us both busy. Later, the Wonderbolts and the academy took so much of my time, there never seemed to be a chance to ask. But now I’m leaving that all behind, so I figure it’s now or never.” Applejack laughed. It was the only thing she could do. So many years of potential marriage missed, simply because one of them didn’t want to push, and the other was too busy to ask. It was a situation so absurd, it could only have happened to them. “What’s so funny?” Rainbow asked, clearly confused. “Us,” the farmer replied, getting her laughter under wraps. “This whole situation is just like us. I’m too set doin’ things one way, you’re goin’ too fast to stop and think, and we both end up here.” Rainbow giggled at Applejack’s summarisation of things. “Yeah, that does sound like us,” she said, smiling and shaking her head. “Guess some things never change, huh?” Applejack nodded in agreement, still chuckling. She took another look at her new ring, her heart swelling at its significance. The diamond held her rapt for a moment, before her eyes strayed to Rainbow. “Hey, ain’t you got your own?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She smirked playfully. “Or did you blow all your bits on this here boulder you got me?” Rainbow jumped slightly, before delving back into her bags once more. After a few seconds, she pulled out a box identical to the one she’d given to Applejack. Inside was a perfect twin to the ring the farmer now wore around her neck, complete with its own chainlet. Rainbow pulled it out and settled it around her own neck, making them a matching pair. She grinned up at Applejack, who returned it with gusto. “I can’t believe we’re finally doing this!” Rainbow cried, practically bouncing on the spot. She tightly embraced Applejack again, her wings forming a feathery cocoon around the farm mare, who returned the hug wordlessly. Her mind spun with plans for the future. For telling their friends and family. For the wedding itself. The honeymoon. Life afterwards. How Rainbow would fit in at the farm, if living there was truly what she wanted. She decided to ignore all of it for now. That was all future Applejack’s problem. Right now, present Applejack just wanted to bask in the fact she was now engaged to the most wonderful mare in the world. Suddenly, Rainbow broke away from her again, looking around them for something. “Dash? What is it?” Applejack asked, watching the pegasus cast about for a few seconds before spotting what she was after. She bent down and picked up the engraved box. “I almost forgot,” she said, opening it up and placing her ring inside. “There’s one last thing I want to show you.” “What’s that?” “Put your ring in the bottom, next to mine.” Scooting closer, Applejack did so, placing the ring gently into the recess next to Rainbow’s. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a series of clicks emanated from the box, and the base split in two. The twin halves rose up on a hidden mechanism, carefully bearing each ring up and out over the lip of the box, revealing a secret compartment beneath them. Hidden inside was a large, multi-faceted clear crystal, about the size of a golf ball. Applejack marvelled at it, never having seen anything quite like it. A passing thought in the back of her mind noted that this crystal, and indeed the mechanism hiding it, must have been the source of the weight she felt in the box on the first day. Rainbow set the box down and retrieved the crystal, holding it up to the light. There was no sparkling, nor any refraction as the sun shone on it. Aside from the barest of reflections, it appeared almost as a lump of glass, distorting the image behind it hardly at all. “It’s pretty and all,” Applejack said, puzzled. “But what is it?” “This is a memory crystal,” Rainbow explained, placing it carefully on the blanket. “They’re super rare, but you can use them to put copies of your memories inside so others can see and feel them.” “It just looks like a piece of glass,” Applejack said, bending down to inspect it closer. “How’s it work?” Rainbow just shrugged. “I tried asking Twilight,” she said. “But all I got was magical mumbo jumbo. All I know is, you touch it to your head and think about what you want to put inside it.” “So how does somepony else see what you’ve put in there?” “Just put your hoof on it and relax. I’ve already loaded it with some of mine. Give it a try.” Applejack reached out with a hoof, hesitating briefly before touching it. Was she sure she wanted to see Rainbow’s thoughts? Feel her feelings? Then again, she’d offered and they were engaged now. If they were going to be together for the rest of their lives, then maybe it was a good idea to know a little more about how Rainbow thought. Not that she didn’t have a good idea already. Her mind made up, Applejack touched the crystal. Immediately, her mind was flooded with images, images accompanied by feelings so deep seated she was almost convinced they were her own. Her and Rainbow hanging out together, a feeling of contentment enveloping her as she gazed at herself through the pegasus’ eyes. The two of them competing together, her heart pounding from exertion as they ran, coupled with a deep admiration for her own ability to keep up. Their first date, her heart pounding again, but this time from barely contained nerves as she watched herself eat. Their first kiss, her lips warm and soft, surprise being quickly overwhelmed by joy, and the tips of her wings tingling; like goosebumps almost. Holidays, adventures, private moments. And through it all, the overwhelming feeling of pure, unfettered, unconditional love. Applejack gasped and pulled her hoof back. Looking over at Rainbow, she regarded her in a new light. Applejack knew that the pegasus loved her before, but now she knew. She’d felt it. How many other ponies could say that about their loves? She knew right then, without a doubt, Rainbow loved her truly and would never allow anything to come between them. Not that she’d ever doubted it. Applejack grabbed her new fiancée once more, and brought their lips together. The two kissed deeply and passionately, as only two special someponies that had been together that long could. The kiss lasted a minute or two, but it felt far shorter to Applejack, and she could tell by the look in Rainbow’s eye as they parted, that she felt the same. “That… was somethin’ else, sugarcube,” she said, catching her breath. “And there’s plenty more where that came from,” Rainbow said, leaning in again. Applejack giggled and pressed a hoof against the pegasus’ muzzle, stopping her. “Darlin’, much as I’d love to spend all day making out with you, we’ve both got stuff to do.” “Yeah, I guess. Maybe stay a few minutes more, though?” Rainbow stretched out a wing, the offer clear. Applejack nodded and snuggled up close, shivering slightly as Rainbow’s wing surrounded her. Her down feathers were soft and warm, immediately warding off the cold air, the sensation like being wrapped in a feathery blanket. It was a feeling that Applejack enjoyed immensely. She sighed contentedly. “I love you, Rainbow Dash,” she said, kissing the other mare’s shoulder and breathing in the smell of her jacket. She felt Rainbow squeeze her with her wing, reciprocating with a kiss planted on the top of her head. The memory crystal caught her eye, and she rolled it gently towards herself, sitting it between them both. “Any ideas for what you want to put in there?” Rainbow asked. Applejack just smiled. “A few, actually,” she replied, entwining her forelegs with one of Rainbow’s own. “But maybe later. Right now, I just wanna enjoy this.” Neither of them knew how long they stayed there like that, staring out over the orchard, but by the time they returned to the farm, the sun was well above the treetops. As they entered the farmhouse’s kitchen, Applejack’s, no, their family was already gathered around for breakfast, and it wasn’t long before the rings were spotted and the celebrations began. As she sat there, surrounded by family, laughing and planning for the future; Applejack had to admit to herself that it had been a very strange week. Rainbow thinking up games for the two of them was by no means an unheard of occurrence, but this one had definitely been one of the more outlandish. However, this game, unlike all the previous ones, had one key difference. This time, they’d both won big.