//------------------------------//
// just a hunch 
// Story: The Magic of Love 
// by ashley-luv 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash tossed and turned all night. Her usual easy sleep was marred with nightmares. 

Well, one nightmare. 






The view of Sweet Apple Acres, usually a bright and sunny one, was darkened. Grey clouds blocked out the sunlight, and the atmosphere had a tint of gloom. 

Work ponies were carrying Rara's equipment out of the barn and into a large chariot. While the sight of Rara leaving should have made Dash happy, her vision was blurred with tears. Rarity was collapsed on her fainting couch, sobbing with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Applebloom was held by her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, also sobbing. Big Mac and Granny Smith were teary eyed, and a group of ponies from Ponyville were watching morosely. 

A unicorn in an official suit walked out of the Apple home, levitating a number of suitcases to the chariot. Following the unicorn was Rara and, finally, Applejack. 

Applejack was leaving. 

As Rainbow Dash looked over at Applejack, the two mares caught each other's eyes. Suddenly, everypony else melted away. 

It was just Applejack and Rainbow Dash. 

Alone. 

"AJ, I've got something to tell you."

"What?"

"Please, Applejack. Don't go. I lo—"

It was here that Rainbow Dash always woke up. 







"DON'T GO!"

Rainbow Dash sat up, flying out of her bed. She had slept at the Wonderbolts compound, the feeling of elation from dinner last night long gone. That nightmare had made her sleep restless, and she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. 

The door into the sleeping quarters swished open. Spitfire and Fleetfoot flew in together, both looking directly in Rainbow Dash's general direction. Her outburst had been heard all the way outside, and they've come to check on her. 

"And good afternoon to you, Crash," Spitfire said with a raised eyebrow. "I'm guessing you didn't sleep well?"

"It's still technically morning, captain," Fleetfoot added, her gaze becoming less curious and more sympathetic. "Who's leaving Dash?"

"No pony!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flying closer to ground level. "No pony is leaving. No pony."

Fleetfoot and Spitfire exchanged glances. 'This one is off her rocker,' they seemed to silently agree, looking back at Dash. 

"Well, since you slept through half the day already, get lunch and meet us for the afternoon training session," Spitfire said. 

Rainbow Dash's eyes bulged. 

"Lunch?" She repeated aghast. "Oh horseapples! I was supposed to meet AJ and the girls for brunch!"

Spitfire and Fleetfoot exchanged another look, this time one that said 'this pony's an idiot.'

"Crash," Spitfire said in deadpan, "It's almost midday."


———





Rainbow Dash crash landed through the door of Sugarcube Corner. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rara, and Rarity were gathered in a large booth, in the middle of laughing. 

Rainbow Dash frowned when she saw Rara was in Dash's usual seat. 

So much for saving my seat, Rainbow glared at the group, who were just registering what— or, who— came in. 

Everypony clamored in greeting, but Rara and Fluttershy's quieter voices were overpowered by the other three. 

"I didn't think you were gonna make it," Applejack's country accent was the easiest to distinguish.

"Applejack said you were gonna come, but your pancakes are probably cold by now," Pinkie bounced out of her seat towards the kitchen. "I'll reheat them for youuu!"

"Darling, you look awful. Did you not sleep enough?" Ah, Rarity's concern masked with an insult.

"I'll have you know I slept great," Rainbow lied, flying over to the group. The girls shifted so Rainbow Dash could sit at the end of the circular table, placing her between Rarity and a temporarily absent Pinkie. But Rainbow Dash flew to sit right between Applejack and Rarity, both who moved hastily to make space. 

"Thought you were gonna save my seat," Rainbow complained to Applejack, a slight pout on her face. 

Applejack frowned. "And I did, but somepony showed up almost two hours late."

Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. "Oh yeah. Right."

Just in time to prevent Applejack from scolding Rainbow, Pinkie Pie bounced back to the table. 

"Great news! I got Dash's pancakes, and more apple juice for everypony else," Pinkie declared, setting the glasses and plate down in front of their respective owners. The table erupted in thanks, though Rainbow's was hard to hear with her mouth already full.

"So," she munched, crumbs falling down her chin. "What y'all talk about?"

"Rara's invited us to her opening show in Canterlot!" Rarity bursted, having wanted to share the news since Dash arrived. "Our dearest Applejack is going to perform with her. Who would've known Applejack was a talented performer?"

Rainbow glanced at AJ in time to catch a blush on her cheeks. A key difference between AJ and RD was that everypony knew when Dash was good at something. For example, it was known that Dash was a decent dancer herself.

But on the other hoof, Applejack was always modest and hid when she was good at something. Case in point: she apparently was good at dancing. 

And has been for years, Rainbow thought in amazement. How come nopony knew?

"I just can't believe you all didn't know!" Rara exclaimed. "She's what the industry calls a triple threat: a singer, dancer, and musician." 

Rara glanced half exasperatedly, half adoringly at Applejack. 

"I can't believe you just hid all that talent from your friends. You're way too modest."

"And we can't wait to see you finally show off at the show," Fluttershy beamed towards Applejack, getting another embarrassed blush from the mare. 

"Oh, shucks everypony. Is not-"

"Applejack, if you say 'it's not that big of a deal' one more time, I will smack you upside the head with your own hat," Rara warned, but her grin kept the threat from being too serious.

Ignoring the weird feeling caused by how comfortable Rara was with teasing AJ, Rainbow interrupted by asking, "So AJ, did you decide that to go on tour with Rara?"

"I just agreed to do the one show," AJ replied, avoiding both Rara and Rainbow Dash's eyes. "It's been a while since we all went into the city."

"And since we've seen Twilight!" Pinkie chimed in. "Rara and AJ sent a letter of invitation to Twilight, so hopefully we'll see her, too!"

Rainbow said nothing. How could she? It was generous of Rara to invite all of them to her concert, whose tickets were certainly coveted. And it was kind of her to invite Applejack, who's never performed in her life, to join her onstage for such an important event. 

But it was a step towards going on tour with Rara, making it a step away from Ponyville. 

And a step away from Rainbow Dash.

"Oh my gosh, I've just had a great idea!" Pinkie exclaimed, breaking Rainbow from her inner panic. "I should throw a party before we go to Canterlot! Well, Rara and AJ are going to leave before us, so we'll have it before they leave. It'll be a 'Thanks for visiting Rara, see you soon!' party, and also a 'Good luck onstage Applejack and Rara!' party, and also a 'YAY! We're going to Canterlot!' party, and—"

Rarity stuck a hoof in Pinkie Pie's mouth, laughing nervously. By the way she peeked at Rara, she didn't want her friend group embarrassing her in front of the celebrity. 

"Yes yes, darling, all of that is true," Rarity readily agreed. "But for now, let's just call it a 'party' until we come up with a more condensed title."

Rarity removed her hoof, and Pinkie Pie immediately gasped. 

"Dashie, you're already done with your pancakes!" She jumped out of her seat again. "I'll go make you some more. Does anypony else want some, too?"

"Actually, Rara and I should be going," Applejack said, finishing her glass of juice. "Rara got us an appointment at the dance studio for every afternoon to practice that choreography of hers."

"Oh! Well, have fun you two. I'm sure it's going to go great," Fluttershy murmured, flying up out of her seat to allow space for Rara and Applejack to scoot out. 

"Thank you so much for hosting us, Pinkie," Rara said with a grateful smile, getting out of the booth. "And it was so nice to officially meet you, Rarity and Fluttershy."

Applejack scooted out as well, shooting Rainbow a teasing smile. 

"And at least Rainbow Dash made an appearance. It's something," Applejack snickered. 

Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at AJ in jest, a gesture the cowgirl returned.

"See ya'll later!" AJ tipped her hat towards her friends, and a cacophony of goodbye's rang. 

Once Applejack and Rara were gone, Pinkie Pie popped back into the kitchen, and Rarity gave Rainbow Dash a disapproving look. 

"Really, Rainbow Dash. I know you're not fond of Rara, but you could have at least attempted to join us," Rarity scolded.

"I did!" Rainbow defended herself. "I'm right here!"

"Yes, but you could have joined us on time," Rarity emphasized. "What kept you?"

Rainbow hesitated, but decided to be honest. Ugh, Applejack has rubbed off on me too much. 

"I didn't sleep well."

"Oh dear," Fluttershy murmured, eyes wide. She shivered a bit as she asked, "Was it nightmares? I hate nightmares. They're so scary and awful and just... Scary."

"No no! No. No, it wasn't nightmares," Rainbow Dash exclaimed erratically, her tone squeaky. With raised eyebrows from Rarity and Fluttershy, she sighed. "Fine. Maybe, hypothetically speaking, it was."

Rarity looked kindly at Rainbow Dash. "Do you want to talk about it, dear? Perhaps that will help prevent them from returning."

No, Rainbow Dash did not want to share, even if it was with her friends. Buuut if it meant the possibility of avoiding another sleepless night...

"Well... Again this all hypothetically speaking," she prefaced. She swallowed hard and spoke again, her words almost too quick to decipher. 

"These last few weeks have been really intense with the Wonderbolts and I was worried Twilight being gone would change everything, so I didn't come to Ponyville and I guess Applejack missed me but she didn't tell me or maybe she couldn't because I was never around so I didn't know she missed me, so then yesterday she didn't come to Sugarcube Corner to see me because she thought I didn't miss her but I really really did which was why I was so mad that Rara was here because then I couldn't hang out with AJ and then I saw AJ at the gym and I Pinkie Promised to dedicate more time to our friendship but then at dinner Rara asked Applejack to go with her on her tour which makes sense because AJ is literally the most talented pony ever BUT if she leaves then I won't be able to keep my promise to spend time with her and also I'll miss her but I don't wanna stop her from being happy even if it makes me unhappy and I wanna tell her it'll make me super sad if she goes but what if that just stops her from doing what she actually wants, which is to go?"

Fluttershy and Rarity were taken aback by Rainbow Dash's rapid speech. They had known Applejack missed Rainbow Dash from previous conversations with the mare during Rainbow's absence. And they had both presumed Rainbow Dash had been envious of Rara yesterday.

But they never would have guessed the deep agony both mares seemed to have felt in the absence of the other.

Rarity and Fluttershy shared a glance, silently confirming what they had suspected, perhaps for years, to be the truth: there was something beyond friendship between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. 

But did they know it was the real question. 

"That's quite a predicament you're in, Rainbow Dash," Rarity finally found her voice. "I think Applejack, of all ponies, would appreciate your honesty. You should tell her that you want her to be happy but, if she decides to leave, that you will miss her dearly."

Hmmm. As the Element of Honesty, it made sense that AJ would want the truth. Whether or not Rainbow could bring herself to share it was the real question. 

Then again, Rainbow couldn't stand another night of little sleep. 

"Alright. I'll try to talk to her," Rainbow Dash said slowly. "I just... Don't know when. Or how."

"You better do it before my party!" Pinkie Pie hopped back to the table, placing Rainbow's plate down. "Because Applejack will be going to Canterlot with Rara to prepare for their show a week before it happens. And she'll probably know by then whether she wants to leave or not."

"Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in shock. "You heard what I said all the way from the kitchen?"

"Oh, about how you and Applejack wanna hang out together forever but are too stubborn and scared to admit it to each other?" Pinkie beamed. "Nope! I couldn't hear a thing from the kitchen. It was just a hunch." 

Rarity and Fluttershy giggled when a blush grew on Rainbow's cheeks. It seemed everypony knew something deeper was going on. 

Everypony except Applejack and Rainbow Dash.