That was a kiss fit for the movies!
Rarity hugged her carpet with enthusiasm, twisting her head and tongue around in the wake of that romantic moment. We were under the moonlight, and the apple scent materialised in my nose... She imagined it countless times before with stallions, and now could not remove an illusory orange face from her sights. Is this true love? Her eyes fluttered down, her breathing slowed, and she took flight in her dreams.
Did she like that? Applejack shuffled towards her barn with intermittent pauses. Should Ah' have asked her fer permission? She smiled, remembering the kiss, but frowned a moment later. Was it wrong? She seemed ta' like it but... left too soon. Did she kiss back or was that just me? Her lips tingled. Am I even guilty? She reiterated the scenario in her head. I should ha' kissed her again, put my hoof on her shoulder or sumthin'. Recalling how the romantic films she watched seemed to move too fast, and then the novels which Granny Smith gave her, she sighed. There was that... fancy pony kissing with all those tongues. Her brow stayed furrowed.
“How'd it go?” a low voice called from her right, forcing her eyelids wide open. Big Macintosh was standing there in the orchard, waiting for her.
“It went well... Ah' think.”
“Not good?”
“Don't really know.” She began sweating. “The beginning wasn't too great – she took meh to a fancy place and it was awkward.”
“And then?”
“Ah' did one of those movie things, brought her to an ice cream place.”
“Good move.” Although he wasn't one to love, he had helped Applejack with researching it.
“Then...” She turned away for a second. “I kissed her.” Big Mac's jaw dropped, then returned to its usual position as he plowed the ground with his left hoof. Applejack continued amidst a certain tension. “She looked surprised though. Ah' just said 'goodnight' and left fast.”
“It could be nice. Remember that movie about the stallion who bought his mare some ice cream? He kissed her at the end too. She seemed ta' like it.” Applejack felt the warmth seep into her, since she got the reference. The sun setting, they walked out of the orchard.
Applejack tossed around in her bed. Ah’ can't do anything now.
Big Mac fared no better. It went well? Yes.
The two closed their eyes, vivid images flashing before them.
Quilts and bedsheets lay strewn around Applejack’s bed. “As if mah brother’s thoughts weren’t settlin’ enough...” she ranted, carving out a path with her hooves. “Huh!” Her closet, besides carrying a cornucopia of hats, also housed a small brown box which she lifted out and opened. What romance lay on the surface was irrelevant, as she dug her hooves deep for some classics: The Farmhouse, An August of Love, The Magic of Love, she placed them by her side. She pondered their titles, then flipped to a dusty bookmark in the first book and began reading:
Wind Chaser moved her lips closer to her lover's mouth. Her eyes fluttered open, and stared down into Rose's. “I love you, Rose.” Their lips touched. Rose's scent filled Wind Chaser’s nostrils, the latter pushing further on the red mare's body, against a wall. Rose's hooves were lost in Wind Chaser's hair, just as they were lost in mutual ecstasy. She pushed back, her tongue gliding across and through Wind Chaser's flowering lips before wrestling with the other tongue for dominance. Each of them then tried to memorise the other’s mouth contours, Wind Chaser tickling the back of Rose's mouth with her tongue as such.
They backed down for a second, and then Rose slid herself back into reality. “I've never loved anypony else like how you’ve been.” She brought her left hoof over Wind Chaser's mane and down towards her cutie mark; it slowly massaged the flank. Then she slowly kissed...
“This? Uh...” Applejack stuck her tongue out straight and tossed the book aside. She picked up An August of Love and moved to another bookmark.
They were in the lunar spotlight, looking into each other's eyes. Shadowsong kissed Moonlight gently, then gazed deeper. “There was this... this vacuum inside me which you filled with your grace. You make me tick, make me complete, and your eyes glow in the moonlight as I stare upon you. I love you. I love you.”
Applejack furrowed her brow. Should Ah' have inserted that? Seems a lot for a first date, although the last one was... going to those things? Now the second date... Taking the book labelled “second date” and flipping its pages, she felt her organisation efforts the previous night were wasted.
So now you're asking yourself: “What should I do for my second date? I've already brought the prospective young mare to the theatre, now what?” Well, if you're the star athlete on your colt's handball team, you should bring her to the match and win the game, saying it's for her. If you aren’t, take her to the local soda shop for a quick rainbow shake. And then? Bring her home. Stop at the door, Mister Rushy Pants. Don't kiss that filly yet – say your goodnights and hello to her parents. No-
Biting her tongue, Applejack tossed the book aside. Although Big Mac thought highly of it, she didn’t think it was any help for a second date, her other books having far too flowery descriptions. The third? She shook her head. Can I even read that? So... close, so emotional. After packing up her collection, she rested herself on the floor, looking up.
That one book said somethin' 'bout waiting to ask them out again. So Ah’ should wait? She pursed her lips together, rolling over to face the door. Nah. A pure knock emanated from the wooden floor. Ah' should see her. She got up and swung herself over, holding the doorknob between her teeth. The door opened with a push from her shoulder, and she walked down to the entrance.
“Where do you think you're going?” Big Mac called from the parlour.
“Second date with Rarity.” An unstable smile showed on her face.
I thought the book said to wait.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah’ ain't followin' no silly book, Ah'm followin' mah gut!” She walked out onto the dirt path, but then paused upon hearing another call.
“Don't you think Rarity would listen to the books?” Applejack turned around blushing. She'd know, wouldn't she? Read all the books, seen all the plays, went out dozens o' times already. Her head drooping, she dragged herself towards the barn and sat down in the parlour. Ah' shoulda thought of that.
“Thanks Mac.”
Rarity woke up facing the sun, her radiant teeth bigger than Pinkie Pie walking on air. She let out a big yawn to start the day and bounced to her feet. When will she want another one? Shaking her head, she skipped to the kitchen in pure exhilaration. Should I ask? Her hooves shifted to cooking breakfast. What should the second date be? Sitting down with a steaming-hot plate on the table, she picked at her eggs calmly, but dropped her fork when the doorbell rang.
“Rarity?” Twilight called, her right hoof resting on the doorknob. “Sweetie Belle's home!”
“Come in.” Sweetie bounced along, taking the chair opposite Rarity’s. “Hello Sweetie Belle, any cutie mark?”
Sweetie frowned. “No. Not even an 'organize the library with Twilight' cutie mark.” Rarity raised her eyebrows. We talked about them, didn't we? Did I make that “cleaning Scootaloo” joke, or was that Applejack? Hm... nothing serious. The filly continued, emulating her sister. “Make me any breakfast?”
Rarity bent over her plate and shifted her eyes left. “Er, no? I'll make some right now.” She got up to do just that after thanking Twilight for her care. As the two sisters savoured their breakfast, they smiled at each other, one for her plans, the other for her date.
Applejack has betrayed me! Such impropriety!
The locked door was her only shelter, her eyes puffy and red and screaming into her ears to stop rubbing them with her hooves. Two days had passed since Applejack’s failure to arrive at her doorstep, and all this while her heart lay splintered in the darkest reaches of isolation. She felt like chasing Prince Blueblood around Equestria blindfolded, so what reason was there to stay happy? The doorbell rang, but its calm sound was reflected away by her chaotic mind. She stood up and popped her joints as her cheery sister left.
“Grab that for me, Sweetie.” Her mane and makeup had fallen out of order all this while.
“Sometimes you can be such a drama queen,” Sweetie mumbled before answering the door. A tall mail pony with letter in mouth appeared, and he dropped that light brown package into Sweetie’s mouth. She waved her thanks and walked over to Rarity, who yanked it out with her magic and shooed Sweetie away. Tree cleaning duty... honestly, Rainbow Dash, do you ever choose a good time for a wind storm? She sighed. At least I can make myself presentable, then confront Applejack... Nopony doesn't ask me for a second date. Nopony! With her mind cleaned up, she trotted to the bathroom to fix her mane.