Rainbow Dash panted hard from beneath her helmet. For what felt like the millionth time, she felt grateful for the thick steel visor covering her face, making sure her hated enemy couldn’t see her growing exhaustion. The days fighting had been long and tiring, just as it always was, but she couldn’t pretend to be the slightest bit bored. Each fight was exciting, especially with the stakes they set. She needed to win, needed to prove herself better, time and time again.
“Gettin’ tired Sugarcube?” Applejack drawled.
Rainbow Dash gave her wings a strong flap.
“Not in your wildest dreams, just needed to stretch after that little warm up.”
The farm pony turned warrior grinned and adjusted her horned Stetson.
“Awful big talk, but then again, ya were always a bit of a loudmouth when things got exciting.”
Rainbow felt herself flush at the insult and she fell into her normal combat position. It was because it was an insult. Yup. Definitely nothing else.
“Are you going to just stand there looking stupid all day, or are you going to actually come and fight?” Rainbow spat.
Applejack’s grin didn’t waver, she gave a non-vocal answer by dropping into a crouch. Rainbow eyed her up for a long moment, then with a mighty flap of her wings, took to the sky.
They had met years ago, on opposite sides of a battlefield between their peoples. The Battle of the Great Divide and the departure of the last alicorn princess had fractured the races of ponykind long before either of their births, but all ponies knew what awaited them if they fell in battle. In her childhood, Rainbow had always aspired to be the fastest flier, to always be able to stay two steps ahead of any opponent she fought. It was, or so she thought, the best way to earn as much glory as possible before her inevitable death at the hooves of another pony. She thought that pony would be a unicorn sometime after her fortieth birthday, when her limbs started to slow and her reflexes diminished.
What she had not expected was to meet defeat at the hooves of a farmer turned fighter in her second battle.
Rainbow Dash spiraled high into the air, taking a moment to lift the visor from her muzzle to savor the sunlight on her fur. It took less than a second for her armor laden body to fall back toward the ground, ending her momentary break. Her eyes settled on her orange earth pony opponent, and she caught a flash of white that could only signify a grin. Rainbow snorted and began to flap her wings with all her might.
She had just finished wiping the floor with almost a dozen earth ponies at the time when she had seemed to appear from nowhere. Rainbow Dash's battle experience at the time was limited to unicorns, who she had thought would be the more difficult opponents. A particularly talented pair, white and purple furred respectively, had almost taken her out by surprise, but ultimately, after a lengthy battle, her secret move had won her the day, and she had promised to find them in the afterlife with the hope of being their friend. The earth pony she found herself fighting however, she was entirely different.
It wasn’t that she was particularly agile, or fast, or strong for her race, but rather that she was above average at everything, and most importantly; she could endure anything Rainbow threw at her. Decked out in shiny armor as thick as her hoof, the orange pony used the oddest weapon she had ever seen at the time; a simple piece of rope. In the hooves of the pony she would come to know as Applejack, however, that rope might as well have been the sharpest piece of steel in history.
Rainbow Dash adjusted her charge with a quick flap, dodging Applejack’s lasso as she came within range. The farm pony was still grinning despite holding the rope in her mouth, but Rainbow wouldn’t let herself become unnerved. That stupid smile had distracted her before, but she wouldn’t let it lull her into acting hastily. She did a small spiral to avoid the noose of the rope as it tried to wrap around her barrel, and she lashed out hard at Applejack’s flank. The thick armor of the earth pony held under the assault, but Rainbow was pleased to see electricity overwhelm the wards on the thick steel, lancing through the armor to shock the pony underneath. The lasso fell as its owner lost some motor function, but rather than pressing her advantage, Rainbow spiraled back into the sky, flapping hard to gain altitude once more. Getting cocky had cost her victory more times than she liked against the orange fighter, and she had long ago learned that her sole advantage over Applejack was speed. She had practiced long and hard to build the muscles needed to compete with the earth pony’s endurance, and she knew that she had more than enough energy to wear her down. She just needed to avoid getting hit.
It only took Applejack one good hit to end her the first time.
She had attacked like she always did; from on high. The use of the lasso had surprised her, but she had always been a quick thinker, so after a test pass or two, she was able to avoid the rope with some confidence. Enough confidence to start building lightning up to strike at her opponent. Her third charge had been successful, and she delivered enough lightning to fry other ponies, but not Applejack. She had just gritted her teeth and took it. By the time Rainbow had shaken off the charge enough to draw her sword to finish the earth pony off, the earth pony had been wrapping her lasso around her barrel, pinning her wings to her side. After that, Rainbow had lost, the rest of the process was simply degrading. Applejack had tossed her into the air, then with a sharp tug had sent her shooting back to the ground. Rainbow had done her best to prepare for a crash landing, but that ultimately involved futilely putting her hooves up in front of her head and closing her eyes.
She felt the impact, then she didn’t. After a few moments, Rainbow Dash had opened her eyes to find herself sprawled out before an amused looking Celestia; Goddess of the Sun. After getting to her hooves and a brief explanation that she had, in-fact, died, Rainbow had begun to leave the goddess’ throne room, only for another pop to fill the air. A scorched looking earth pony had appeared, and Rainbow had immediately recognized the orange warrior. Then she had learned the pony’s name; Applejack. The earth pony had been nervous when Rainbow stormed up to her, but the rainbow-maned pegasus had no words of hate for her fellow fallen warrior. It was the opposite actually, they had much to share in fact, and so they had departed to the feasting hall together, talking about the unicorn ambush that had fallen on her as she limped away from the battlefield.
Rainbow Dash of the present realized her mistake as soon as she felt the lasso tighten around her waist. She had spent too long thinking of the past, and Applejack was not one to let mistakes go unpunished. A sharp tug yanked her toward the ground, and with her wings tied up, Rainbow found herself smothered in a familiar feeling. She covered her eyes with her hooves and braced for impact.
Her plummet was arrested at the last possible second by another sharp tug, and Rainbow found herself being caught by familiar, pillow-soft fur. She couldn’t help but blush as she heard a chuckle and looked up to find Applejack smiling down at her.
“Shoot Dash, at this rate Ah’m gonna start thinkin’ yer tryin’ to lose on purpose. Do you really like bein’ on bottom that much?”
Rainbow blushed harder and looked at Applejack’s discarded armor.
“N-no, I was…. just thinking about how we met is all.”
Applejack tensed up slightly, giving Rainbow Dash a moment to recover from her embarrassment. Despite many assurances that she didn’t harbor any hard feelings, Applejack was still a bit touchy on the subject of their first meeting, and how she had been solely responsible for Dash’s death. Rainbow would have thought sharing a bed would have fixed any remaining guilt, but apparently not.
Rainbow flapped her wings to find them free, and she grinned savagely and used the advantage she had been given. She flipped Applejack onto her back and stood tall with a hoof on the earth pony’s chest.
“Guess that means I’m on top for tonight’s snuggling,” she said proudly.
Applejack shook her momentary guilt and grinned back.
“Ya would think that, wouldn’t ya Dash?”
Rainbow grinned at her.
“Yeah, I do. If you hadn’t noticed, the sun is setting. As long as I’m on top when it does, I win. That's how the bet works.”
Applejack chuckled.
“That may be, but ya always did have issues seein’ what was around ya.”
Rainbow frowned, then looked up just in time to see Applejack’s lasso drag a spear into her knees, sweeping her legs out from beneath her. The stronger earth pony wrapped her up in a bear hug and spun them one final time, leaving Rainbow on bottom. Applejack stared at the sun as it dipped below the horizon.
“And that’s another win fer me.”
Rainbow Dash nuzzled her chest fluff and sighed happily as she took in the earth pony’s scent.
“Apparently. Can’t say it sucks to lose though.”
Applejack smiled warmly down at her.
“Now that we can agree on. Ready to go catch up with the girls?”
Rainbow nodded, and Applejack climbed off of her. The orange pony helped Dash to her hooves, then collected her armor. Rainbow waited until she was ready, then the two started walking together toward the Great Hall. As they walked Applejack’s tail twined with hers. Rainbow couldn’t help but smile and lean into her tall lover as their friends came into view and the thoughts of another wonderful, peaceful night touched her mind.