//------------------------------//
// quit the yappin’ and start the actin’ 
// Story: The Magic of Love 
// by ashley-luv 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash zoomed towards Sweet Apple Acres, getting a sense of déjà vu. But unlike her flight this morning, she wasn't crashing Applejack and Rara's uninvited. Now, she was invited to crash it.

Rainbow Dash halted a few yards from the residential barn door, her stomach growling in response to the aroma of food. She flew towards the open window where the smell came from, a drip of drool coming from her mouth. Whatever dinner was, it was going to be good. 

Incidentally, the window looked into the kitchen. AJ was peering over Rara's shoulder as the mare took out a batch of potatoes from the oven, beaming in pride. 

"Those potatoes look mighty dandy, Rara!"

"Well, I had a great teacher," Rara replied with a wink. 

The two mares nudged shoulders, exchanging smiles. AJ put on oven mitts, and trotted around Rara to get another casserole out of the oven. 

That was the source of the amazing smell: AJ's famous apple fritters. 

With no time to spare, Rainbow Dash flew to the door and knocked vigorously. 

I should have known dinner with the Apple's meant AJ's apple fritters... Maybe even AJ's cider! Oh my gosh, this is gonna be great. 

Applebloom opened the door, trotting excitedly in place. 

"Howdy Rainbow Dash! AJ told us you'd be coming. You here to meet Rara?"

The question put a sudden halt to Rainbow Dash's cider train of thought. 

"What?" She gawked in slight affront. "No! I'm here for AJ."

It was Applebloom's turn to gawk. "But you see Applejack every day! I thought-"

"Well, ya thought wrong," Rainbow interrupted, flying over the filly's head to go inside. "I haven't seen AJ in a while, so she invited me over for dinner. I would have come whether or not Colora-aaaahh. Whether or not Rara was here."

Try to be nice, try to be nice, Rainbow Dash mentally chanted. Since she and Applejack had basically smoothed things over, she had no reason to be annoyed with Rara. 

But it will take a bit of effort to shake off her lingering feelings of dislike.

Applebloom shrugged. Unlike the older ponies, she noticed Rainbow Dash's strange behavior but didn't think twice about it. 

"Well, go on in to the dining room. Applejack and Rara are prolly done puttin' the food on the table."

Rainbow Dash led the way, realizing this was actually the first time she had ever gotten a look inside Applejack's home. Sure, she's been to the adjacent barn for parties, and went inside AJ's room many moons ago for the purpose of pranking the cowgirl. But she had never actually been inside Applejack's home. On the other hoof, AJ (despite being an earth pony) had gone countless times to Rainbow's cloudominium. 

How do I je learning new things about Applejack, Rainbow Dash speculated, When it feels like she knows everything about me?

Her train of thought disappeared when she entered the dining room, the aroma of food hitting her harder than before. 

Rainbow Dash's eyes bulged out. The table was loaded with various dishes, and every one of them looked delicious. 

Holy smokes, I knew Applejack was a good cook, but wow— this is amazing. 

"Rainbow Dash! You made it."

Applejack's greeting refocused Rainbow Dash. She was coming from the kitchen, holding the apple fritters Rainbow Dash had seen from outside.

"Wow AJ," Rainbow breathed, still eyeing the food. "This all looks so good."

"Well, I had a little help this time," AJ turned to smile at Rara, who was still holding the potatoes. 

Rara put the dish down and sat at the right hand side of one end of the table. She rolled her eyes playfully. 

"AJ, stop being so modest. All I did was put the potatoes you diced and seasoned in the oven, and poured the cider you made in a jug. I doubt that counts as helping."

Rainbow Dash did a double-take, flapping her wings so fast she flew up to the ceiling and bumped her head with a thunk.

"CIDER!?" She exclaimed. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!" 

Rainbow zoomed to sit across from Rara, looking around the table expectantly. "Where is it?!"

The room erupted in laughter. Applejack sat at the head of the table, between Rara and Rainbow Dash. 

"We'll start serving it when everypony gets their flanks down for dinner!" 

AJ said the last four words loudly, but it was unnecessary. Granny Smith was already entering the room, sitting across from AJ at the head of the table. Applebloom and Big Mac sat besides Rainbow Dash and Rara, respectively.

"Good to see you again, Rainbow Dash," Granny Smith croaked with a fond smile to the pegasus. 

"You too, Granny," Rainbow smiled widely at the older mare, their bond irrevocably cemented since that first fateful trip to Las Pegasus so many moons ago.  

Big Mac nodded in greeting to Rainbow. "Sugar Belle is away on a trip, but she says hi," he murmured. "She's sorry to be missin' dinner with you."

"S'all good," Rainbow Dash immediately replied, but Granny Smith spoke over her reply. 

"Alright then!" Granny called the group to attention. "Somepony get that filly a full jug of cider and the rest of us a full plate. I'm hungrier than a timberwolf on a full moon!"

And with that comment, the two eldest Apple siblings moved in sync. Big Mac served everypony cider (and did as his grandmother said by leaving the jug near Dash) while Applejack served the food.

Once Rainbow Dash got her mug, she couldn't help but chug it down. 

"Ah," Rainbow said in content, smacking her lips like a food connoisseur. "Perfect as always."

Rara giggled. "You really like Applejack's cider, huh?" 

"Uh, duh. AJ's cider is the best in all of Equestria," Rainbow Dash scoffed, reaching to refill her mug. 

"And it will fill you up before you've had a single bite to eat," Applejack scolded, returning to her seat. Rainbow Dashdidn't have to look to know Applejack was giving her a scolding look.

"Oh, come on, AJ. You know I would die happy if I could have cider as a meal for the rest of my life," Rainbow quipped. 

Applejack smiled fondly. "I know Dash. I know."

Rainbow Dash reached for her utensils to start eating, but stopped when she noticed that nopony else had.

What are they waiting for? 

Not wanting to be the odd one out, Rainbow Dash held back. She noticed Applejack hadn't served herself, and it wasn't until she finished finished and picked up her fork that the rest of the family started to eat. 

Ohhh. They had been waiting for her. 

Having grown up as an only child, Rainbow Dash had never learned that particular etiquette of eating. She ate when she wanted to, no matter if her parents were eating or not. 

But seeing the Apples have that unspoken rule warmed her heart in a strange way. 

"So Rainbow Dash," Rara began after the thanks to AJ for the amazing meal dwindled. She gave her an inquisitive look. "I'm guessing you and AJ are really good friends?"

The single question jumpstarted a conversation led by Applejack and Rainbow Dash, with an interjection here and there by Applebloom and Granny Smith. They related their favorite friendship moments from the years, eager to catch Rara up on what she had missed. 

Though they had known each other before Twilight arrived to Ponyville, most of their favorite moments took place after. From defeating Nightmare Moon ("Me and AJ totally took care of that manticore!") to the Iron Pony Competition ("Ah, the day I learned Rainbow Dash is a big cheater." "Am not!" "Are too!") to the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well ("Fine, I'll admit it: AJ might be stronger than me. Maybe.") to getting Applejack back from Dodge Junction ("What would you have done if you hadn't found me?" "Searched all of Equestria until I did. Duhh.") to meeting the Flim Flam brothers ("I still think you should have let me get in at least one punch.") to finding out who was the most daring pony ("It's me." "No it's not!" "Oh, come on! You thought I put my hoof around you. Bet you were the one who wanted that support!" "That's just not true!") to Rainbow Dash and Granny Smith going to Las Pegasus ("I still can't believe you saw my floating head remindin' you of what I said!" "Me neither. I definitely went nuts.") to trivia night ("Heehee, I made Applejack forget a question about apples." "Shut up, Rainbow.") to countless camping trips with Applebloom and Scootaloo, to countless times saving Equestria, to countless small moments between the two that no one ever noticed...

While AJ and Rainbow backtracked to recount their first meeting Trixie ("I couldn't let her embarrass AJ. So I stepped up!" "And you got your flank handed to you just like I did." "Oh, right."), Rara met Granny Smith's gaze. The two exchanged knowing smiles. 

How was it that everypony saw the obvious except Rainbow Dash and Applejack?

"Whew! I. Am. Stuffed." Rainbow Dash slumped in her seat, full from the meal she just had. Before she closed her eyes, she snapped them back open. "This was great Applejack. Thank you. Oh and, ah," Rainbow hesitated. "Thanks Rara."

Rara scoffed and shook her head. "You're right to only thank AJ. I meant it when I said I did absolutely nothing."

"That's our Applejack," Granny Smith said fondly. "She sure can stuff us like pigs in a blanket. A meal like this needs a good stargazing to let it sit. Big Mac, why don't you take a jug of cider outside and set up the usual chairs?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded, getting up with a jug of cider and walking out the room. Without being told, Applebloom got up and cleared the table. 

"AJ, you didn't let me cook. At least let me wash dishes," Rara offered, to which AJ shook her head. 

"No, no, Rara. You're a guest. Me and Applebloom will take the dishes," Applejack countered. "Why don't you and Dash go on and help Granny Smith outside? We'll meet y'all there lickety split."

Rara frowned, but didn't push the issue. She silently watched Applejack gather the last of the dishes and head to the kitchen. 

Once AJ was gone, Rara turned to Rainbow Dash. She gave the pegasus a knowing look, like they shared a secret. 

"That mare never rests, does she?"

Rainbow Dash suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't offer to wash dishes (not that she particularly wanted to). It made her look bad in comparison to Rara's generosity.

"Nope! No, she doesn't. She's like a firefly, that one. Flank all aflame, runnin' around tryna put it out," Granny Smith croaked, getting up out of her seat. "Rara, be a dear and go grab the extra jug of cider in the kitchen and take it outside. Rainbow Dash, why don't you help me up?"

Rara nodded, following Granny Smith's instructions. Rainbow flew to Granny Smith's side, and narrowly missed getting smacked on the head with her cane. 

"Hey!" Rainbow exclaimed, "What was that for?"

Granny Smith glared at Rainbow Dash. "I only got so many years left of life, Rainbow Dash. And I'm hoping to see AJ in good hooves before I die. So quit the yappin' and start the actin'!" For added effect, she waved her cane again. "Now get out the way, lil' filly. I ain't need nopony's help to walk. I ain't dead yet!"

Granny Smith wobbled out the room, leaving behind a shocked Rainbow. 

'Hoping to know AJ in good hooves'— What was that supposed to mean? 

But before Rainbow Dash could give the comment further thought, she heard hooves behind her. 

"Got the cider," Rara said in singsong. "Let's head out!"

Yeah. Cider and chillaxing is just what Rainbow Dash needed. It's been a hectic enough day— no need to dwell on Granny Smith's comment. It would only make an already weird day extra weird.