The sun began to set ever so shakily over the hills of Ponyville as Rarity reached the outskirts of the farm. As she looked towards the glistening ball of light and fire, she pictured Twilight in Canterlot Castle. She imagined her standing on the balcony, using her newly found magic to lower the sun and raise the moon. The fashionista smiled to herself fondly, a mixture of sadness and pride washing over her.
It was clear that the alicorn princess still had a lot to learn about Celestia and Luna's abilities, but if anypony could master the magical arts, it was Twilight Sparkle. Even so, Starlight Glimmer agreed to stay alongside Twilight after the coronation. Just for a few days, however; until Twilight felt confident enough to raise the sun and moon by herself.
As Rarity continued reminiscing, she saw the sun move abruptly to the East, then back to the West. It darted up and down and sometimes flew in a squiggly formation, causing the unicorn to emit a slight chuckle.
As she focused back in on her task, Rarity began to trot through the all too familiar apple orchard.
Although Rarity was so much more than just a "small town pony", she never managed to forget her roots. She grew up in Ponyville, spending the majority of her time at Sweet Apple Acres. She and Applejack would play up in the clubhouse almost every day, waiting for Buttercup to call them inside for dinner. A wave of nostalgia came across Rarity as she eyed the Crusader's hangout, inducing a laboured sigh as she recalled so many fond memories.
Just then, her eyes became transfixed on three colourful blobs exiting the clubhouse. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom ran down the wooden stairs, followed closely by a scootering Scootaloo. She revved her minuscule wings and managed to jump over her fellow Crusaders, hoof bumping the air as she did so.
"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused.
"What're you doing here?"
Rarity trotted eagerly towards the three young fillies, realising the vast resemblance between them and her friends.
"Oh, darlings. I can't stop", Rarity began as she caught her breath.
"I simply must know where Applejack is right this moment".
The Crusaders shared a confused glance between them, eventually prompting a response from Apple Bloom.
"She's doin' some sortin' in the barn, Ah think", the yellow Earth Pony replied.
"Although, she's been in a mighty strange mood since she got back from your sleepover".
Pricking up her ears at the latter comment, Rarity was no sooner there then gone. She ran towards the barn immediately, still unsure how to word Rainbow Dash's confession to her friend.
The Crusaders were left bewildered, focusing on Rarity until she was out of sight.
"What's got her mane in a knot?" Scootaloo asked as she tightened her helmet.
"Could be anything. I mean, you know Rarity", Sweetie Belle began.
"This is the. Worst. Possible. Thing!"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined together in laughter upon hearing Sweetie's spot-on impression of her sister. She even lifted her hoof to her forehead for dramatic effect; perfect. All that was missing was a flawlessly placed chaise lounge that she could collapse onto.
Rarity had almost forgotten how big Sweet Apple Acres was. She misjudged the distance to the barn completely, getting out of breath within a few feet of running.
At long last, the large red barn was in her sights. It had never looked so inviting.
Slowing down as she reached the wooden doors, Rarity tossed her mane to the side and wiped her brow.
The delicate unicorn raised her hoof towards the splintering door, deciding it might be best to knock before entering. However, she soon retracted as she heard faint sounds of distress coming from inside. Rarity pressed her ear against the door gently, trying to decipher the muffled voice.
"Ah can't just come right out and tell her how Ah feel! That's plum ridiculous!"
"She'll never want to speak to me again!"
"Then again, Ah can't very well lie to her either".
"Shoot! Ah'm so confused Ah don't know mah flank from mah elbow!"
It soon became clear to Rarity that it was Applejack talking to herself in the barn. The countryisms gave her away every time; that and the accent.
Casting a band of aqua magic around the door, Rarity pushed it open with ease. She inspected her surroundings as she entered the humble building, noticing familiar smells, sounds and touches as she did so.
Applejack hadn't noticed her friend's presence; she was still internally monologuing while she moved large boxes of apples with her head.
"Ah just can't do it!"
"But Ah ain't no liar".
"Consarn it!" she grumbled to herself.
Stretching her neck forward inquisitively, Rarity slowly made her way towards her perplexed friend.
"Ahem. Applejack, darling! Just the mare I wanted to see!" she stated with confidence.
Turning towards the recognisable voice, Applejack's orange fur became almost as white as her friend's.
"R-Rarity?!" she stuttered as she leant on a nearby box all too inelegantly.
"Uh. What're you doin' here? Thought y'all had big plans for the day after Ah left".
Rarity opened her mouth to speak but realised she did not, in fact, have any idea what to say.
Thinking for a moment, she flicked her mane effortlessly to buy herself some time.
"That's just it, darling", she began nonchalantly.
"You ran out of the Boutique in such a hurry this morning that I thought it best to check up on you. And to lend a hoof where I can".
Rarity grimaced slightly at her latter statement.
She knew from experience that she wasn't best suited as a farm pony.
Applejack raised an unconvinced eyebrow, and a small chuckle followed shortly afterwards.
"You? Lend a hoof on the farm?" she asked rhetorically, letting out remnants of laughter with every syllable.
Rarity curled her lip in disdain.
"Guffaw all you want, darling. You can't very well ask me to stop being generous now, can you?" the unicorn replied.
Still chuckling to herself ever so slightly, Applejack's eyes began to roll. There was no way in Equestria that Rarity wanted to do farm chores at sunset; Applejack knew her far too well.
"Not even when Ah know you had a hooficure two days ago before we left Canterlot?" the farm pony questioned, a smirk growing clearer on her freckled face.
"Not even when Ah know that nice, expensive hooficure would chip away within seconds of touching these here boxes?"
Rarity grit her teeth together as she backed away from her menacing friend, a sweat growing ever more prominent on her brow
"All those bits wasted. No more Ms Shiny Hooves. Chip. Chip. Chi-"
"Alright, alright!" Rarity squealed in somewhat fright.
Letting out her long-held breath, Rarity decided there was no point lying to the Element of Honesty.
"Look, Applejack. I shan't dither any longer" she announced, at last, raising her hoof.
"We had an... Insightful experience at the museum this afternoon. And, well, you need to have a long talk with Rainbow Dash, my dear".
Applejack's ears flickered slightly at the mere mention of Rainbow's name. Attempting to hide her intrigue, she continued moving the apple-filled boxes around the barn.
"What she do? Sonic Rainboom in the art gallery? Crash land in a pile of fossils?"
Pursing her lips and furrowing her brows, Rarity thought for a moment.
"It was of a somewhat explosive nature, yes", she responded as she recalled the events of the day.
"Whatever it is, Ah'm guessing she needs a stern talkin' to, huh?" the Earth Pony replied indifferently.
Rarity knew her oldest friend was stubborn as Tartarus, but she also knew her weakness; lying.
Deciding to go for the immediate kill, Rarity cleared her throat and stood tall.
"I know how you feel about Rainbow Dash. We all do”.
Dumbfounded, Applejack was lucky that she didn't trip over her box in absolute shock.
Words tried to escape the dismayed cowgirl's mouth, but nothing came. All she could do was stand still among the hay, waiting for Rarity to continue the topic.
"It isn't hard for me to spot a crush, Applejack", the fashionista resumed.
Complete and utter nonsense was what Applejack eventually voiced. Her voice was shaky, her sentences unstrung, and her eyes were wide.
"It isn't hard for me to tell when you're lying, either", Rarity said with a wink.
Realising she had been caught, Applejack scrunched her face in annoyance. That annoyance soon turned into a deep sadness, one which Rarity recognised all too easily.
Placing a hoof on her friend's shoulder, Rarity looked on in endearment.
"Talk to her, darling" she proffered.
"And say what, Rarity?" the farmer chimed in, her voice trembling.
"Tell her that all those years of fightin' and competin' were just excuses to get closer?"
"Tell her that Ah feel like hittin' her across the head one minute and kissin' her the next?"
"Tell her that losing her is mah worst nightmare?"
"Worse than losing mah parents?!"
Applejack's final statement almost got caught in her throat; as if something inside her didn't want it to escape.
Small tears began to form in the corners of the Earth Pony's eyes, causing her to lower her head in shame.
"Ah- Ah can't tell her, Rarity. Ah'm too scared to lose her".
Without a second thought, Rarity wrapped Applejack in a comforting hug. She knew firsthoof how much Applejack had been through as a foal; she was there for the most part. Losing Bright Mac and Pear Butter was tough on everypony, but for Applejack, ever the stoic, the trauma was more severe.
Rarity continued to stroke her best friend's mane, shedding a single tear to herself.
"Trust me, Applejack", Rarity began as she lifted Applejack's chin.
"You won't lose her".
Wiping away residual teardrops from her orange face, she finally joined her friend's eye line.
"W-Whaddaya mean?" Applejack asked hesitantly.
As her farmer friend looked up at her rather innocently, Rarity couldn't help but crack a small side smile. She took hold of Applejack's hooves, raised an eyebrow and said: "Trust me. Talk to her".
Back at the Cloudominium, Rainbow Dash had been in a state of panic for well over an hour. She flew frantically around her bedroom, cursing herself as she did so.
Tank watched on in dismay from his bed, wishing more than ever that he could talk to his owner.
"Urgh! What am I gonna do, Tank?!" the Wonderbolt asked the silent tortoise.
He blinked.
"Oh, sure. You say that. But it's another thing to do it!"
"I can't just tell her how I feel, right?"
"What if I do tell her and lose her? Just like in my Sombra-vision!"
Tank let out a deep yawn.
"It's not worth the risk!” Rainbow roared.
Applejack ran around Ponyville in an absolute frenzy, determined to find Rainbow Dash for their "talk".
She searched the market, the park, the town centre, and a variety of other locations. But Dash was nowhere to be found.
Applejack drew her gaze towards the sky. Twilight's sun had finally set, leaving flecks of pink and yellow towards the south.
"Never thought Ah'd wish for wings, but here we are", Applejack muttered to herself, praying that Rainbow hadn't flown too far for her to reach.
Staring longingly at the vast, open sky, Applejack sighed deeply. It was getting late, and, although she trusted Rarity with her life, she felt her mission was a lost cause anyway.
As she turned her focus from the heavens, she began to walk in the direction of the farm, hanging her head low as she went.
Just as she'd gotten used to the idea of calling it a night, Applejack heard a vague but familiar sound coming from above.
Narrowing her eyes and darting her head to find the source of the noise, she finally realised that Rainbow Dash's Cloudominium was directly above her.
Her heart stopped for a moment.
She wanted to find Rainbow Dash, but, deep down, she also didn't want to.
She hoped things would stay the same without admitting her feelings, but she couldn't lie. Sure, she could try, but everypony knew her tells by now.
Gulping nervously, Applejack wandered underneath the cloud house to reach Rainbow's bedroom's side.
"I mean, it's not like I don't wanna tell her, y'know?" Rainbow blathered as she began to pace anxiously on the ground.
"I'd love to just walk up to her and say 'Hey, Apples. I'm completely and totally in love with you. Have been for years. Wanna grab a cider and talk about it?' But I can't!"
Dash fell on her haunches hopelessly, as if she were ready to give up. As she cupped her tiny face in her hooves, her colourful mane spilt across her magenta eyes, hiding her successfully from the world.
"Ah rather fancy a cider mahself".
Silence.
Rainbow's hooves fell from her face, her ears opened up, and her eyes scanned the room wildly.
"W-What was that?" she said in Tank's direction, hoping somewhat that her pet had suddenly learnt to speak with a southern Equestrian accent.
Tank shook his head slowly, indicating that the sound hadn't come from him. He threw a reassuring smile in Rainbow's direction, diverting his head towards the open window afterwards.
Rainbow Dash followed her pet's movements as if it were a copying game. She peered cautiously over her shoulder, letting out a breath she'd been holding for, what seemed like, an eternity. After contemplating several thousand thoughts in a matter of seconds, Rainbow stood up and walked apprehensively towards the window.
She had a pretty good idea who the mystery voice belonged to, but she hoped to Celestia that it was some form of cruel joke plotted by Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow propped her hooves over the windowsill and inspected the ground below her home.
Unsurprisingly, she locked eyes with a certain blonde farm pony who gave her a mock salute followed by, what looked like, a slight blush.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, y'know?" the speedster stated flamboyantly, as she placed a hoof under her chin.
"Hard not to when the topic's so interestin'", Applejack responded with wit, flashing a flirtatious smile upwards as she did so.
According to their usual rapport, it would have been time for Rainbow to retaliate with an even more arrogant response. But, given the circumstance, she believed she could let it slide just this once.
Everypony knew that Rainbow Dash had a soft side, even though she liked to keep it under wraps a lot of the time. Annoyingly, her "softer side" didn't make it any easier for her to express complex emotions. The cards never seemed to be in her favour.
Unfolding her cyan wings, Dash hovered through her bedroom window and landed gracefully on the ground.
She stood somewhat awkwardly for a moment, her right hoof rubbing against the left. She held her head low, and her usually confident persona had been replaced with sheer vulnerability and openness.
The sight turned Applejack's stomach.
That wasn't the Rainbow Dash she knew.
Or was it a brand new, susceptible side that no pony had ever seen?
"I-I guess you heard what I said, huh?" the Pegasus asked, already knowing the answer.
Still standing a fair distance apart, Applejack began to close the gap by walking towards her troubled friend.
"Yeah. Ah guess Ah did", replied Applejack, her blush growing ever more prominent.
Fighting back her tears of both anger and sorrow, Rainbow let out a raspy sigh of defeat.
She avoided Applejack's gaze as if her life depended on it, keeping her head low towards the ground.
"Look, AJ. I won't lie and say I didn't mean any of that. In fact, I haven't been so sure about anything in my whole life. Just took me a while to get there. Plus, there's no point lying to the element of honesty at this stage, right?" she spoke through nervous giggles.
The cowgirl smiled at the mention of her element, somehow making her emerald eyes shine even more brightly.
"I-" she attempted, exhaling through her nose in frustration.
"I- I love you. And I have done for a while", Rainbow finally managed.
"I didn't say anything cause I was afraid of losing you as a friend. Didn't want to make you uncomfortable, y'know? I guess it didn't work out" Dash continued, her words now flowing like cider from the barrel.
Another sigh escaped the Wonderbolt's mouth. A small whisper of freedom. Although there was so much more to say, Rainbow had done enough for the time being.
She lifted her head reluctantly, terrified of being greeted with a frosty look from her friend. Instead, she found that Applejack had gotten seemingly closer, and the look she emanated was pure warmth.
"Ah wouldn't say that", Applejack replied amorously, stepping even closer to her friend as she did so.
Rainbow Dash became abruptly aware of their closeness. The feeling of Applejack's breath mingling with her own was enough to drive her insane.
"Those eyes. Mother of Celestia, those eyes", Rainbow voiced privately.
Panicking slightly, she shifted her vision every which way as she attempted to surface her words.
"W-what do you mea-"
It was at that moment that Rainbow Dash got cut off. Not by somepony else's words, but by somepony else's lips.
Widening her eyes in shock, she found her mouth becoming overwhelmed with the taste of apples.
The taste was twenty percent cooler than anything she'd ever encountered; including cider.
Although their kiss was a mere peck, it managed to convey thousands of emotions all at once. Everything suddenly made sense. Their rivalry and constant disagreements didn't matter any more. All that mattered was that they were together. Alone.
"Hey, you two. Twilight sent me home early to look after the school. She's still got a long way to go with the whole 'moon raising' thing, but she's definitely getting bette-" said a familiar voice before an abrupt ending.
Stepping back from each other in dismay, Rainbow Dash and Applejack spotted a very bewildered Starlight Glimmer trotting towards them.
With their mouths frozen ajar, Starlight's look of surprise soon became one of understanding and complacency.
"Well, it's about time!" she exclaimed joyfully.
Still suspended on the spot, the two elements of harmony shared a look before darting back to the Head-mare.
"I've got a letter to write, so I'll leave you two to it", Starlight concluded, casting a suggestive look in her friend's directions before departing.
Finally looking at each other, the farmer and Wonderbolt shared a silent moment before laughter ensued.
"Okay. Totally not what I thought was gonna happen", Rainbow Dash admitted through her chortles.
"But I'm glad it did", she continued in all seriousness.
It was then that she felt a familiar sensation coursing through her body. The feeling of Applejack's hoof sifting through her rainbow mane, ending its journey at her cheek as she nuzzled into it.
"You're mah worst nightmare", she confessed in an almost whisper.
As Rainbow stared into the green pools that were Applejack's eyes, she caught her drift immediately.
"And you're mine", she responded truthfully, adjusting Tallulah the hat as she did so.
Their moment continued a little while longer; taking time to explore each other's facial features with their eyes.
Lowering her hoof somewhat reluctantly, Applejack gave a determined look towards her marefriend.
"Say, there's still a bunch o' cider back at the farm", she began.
"How's about we head back over there and open a barrel?"
The Wonderbolt's magenta eyes lit up like Manehatten at nighttime, followed by a competitive smile Applejack knew all too well.
She reached over the farmer's golden mane, grabbing her beloved stetson and manoeuvring it onto her own head in one smooth movement.
"Last one there's a rotten apple!" she announced before disappearing in a flash of colour.
Rolling her eyes and smiling fondly to herself, Applejack ran in the direction of the farm, taking in the rising moon as she did so.
Back at the School of Friendship, Starlight Glimmer had greeted Sunburst and the majority of her students before entering her office.
She sat in her familiar chair, levitated a quill and ink towards her and straightened out a piece of parchment.
Lifting her quill in and out of the inkwell, Starlight began to write.
Dear Princess Twilight,
You owe me twenty bits.
Starlight Glimmer.