//------------------------------//
// it wasn’t with me 
// Story: The Magic of Love 
// by ashley-luv 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash flew besides the chariot carrying Twilight and the rest of their friends towards the concert. As she looked down, her stomach did somersaults. 

All the adjacent streets to the concert hall were flooded with traffic. Chariots were lined for blocks, and many pegasus opted to abandon their rides and fly to the front. 

This crowd is bigger than any I've ever seen at a Wonderbolts show, Rainbow Dash observed nervously.

Of course, their chariot had clearance to skip the foot traffic and land at the top of the concert hall, which was reserved for the most important of the guests. Rara had disclosed during lunch that celebrities (like the Wonderbolts and Sapphire Shores) to royalty (Princess Cadence, Celestia, and Luna, as well as Shiningg Armor, had all reserved seats) would be using the entrance. Even royalty from abroad, ranging from Yakyakistan, the Changeling empire, and Seaquestria, were arriving. 

The thought of so many important ponies and creatures who were coming did not help calm Rainbow’s nerves.  

If me and Rara's plan doesn't work, she thought miserably, I'll be an international laughingstock. 

Oblivious to Rainbow Dash's emotional turmoil, the larger group excitedly walked downstairs to the seating area. The front row had been reserved for them, their names specifically placed. That had been Rara's idea: it was to ensure Rainbow Dash was placed precisely in the middle of the row. 

Rainbow's teeth began to chatter in fear.  she took her seat. She turned her body to peek at who was in the crowd. Every row was full, as well as the overhead balconies. But these weren't the only ponies and creatures watching. Rara had also shared that there are viewing areas set up outside the concert hall in the adjacent buildings, where unicorns would be broadcasting the event live on various screens. 

All of Equestria is here, Rainbow gulped. Watching. 

Before Rainbow Dash could consider flying out of her seat, leaving the building, and never returning, the lights in the room dimmed. 

"That's my cue," Twilight, who was sitting to Rainbow Dash' right, murmured. 

The princess flew to the center of the stage, extending her wings in a gesture for silence. The crowd fell silent almost immediately. 

"Good evening every creature! First, I'd like to begin by welcoming you all to Canterlot. We are happy to have you, especially on a night as special as this one. We're beyond honored to be the kickoff city for the first international tour of any musical artist. Give it up for Rara for embarking on this incredible journey!"

Twilight's speech was cut off as the crowd exploded in cheer. Twilight let it continue for a few seconds, extending her wings again to call for silence. 

"A unique tour like this demands a unique kickoff. So for tonight only, Rara is performing with some surprise guests." 

A low, excited murmur rose at the news. Applejack's performance had been advertised, but Twilight had said "surprise guests." As in, plural.  

Not wanting to deter too long, Twilight continued. 

"So without further ado, I welcome to the stage international pop star Rara joined by one of Equestria's heroes, Applejack!"

A loud cheer exploded from the audience. Rainbow Dash flew a few inches above her seat, whooping at the sound of Applejack's name. Twilight flew to Rainbow's side, both mares sporting huge grins. Rainbow Dash temporarily forgot her nervousness— she was ready to be amazed yet again by Applejack. 

The lights dimmed until the audience was engulfed in darkness. A digitized, eerie beat began to play, increasing in tempo before dropping. 

A blue-grey hued stage light illuminated the right side of the stage. Rara was sitting on a large hula hoop that was suspended from the ceiling. As she sang, the hula hoop slowly twirled in place and descended. 

An orange-hued light on the other side of the stage turned on, revealing Applejack. She was perched on her own hula hoop, which was also doing a continuous 180° spin while descending. She was wearing a ringmaster's suit, making Rainbow notice Rara had one on, too. Rara's was a royal purple blazer with a skirt, while Applejack's was a red, traditional pantsuit. As props, they both had lassos hanging on their shoulders. 

They performed choreography while hanging from the hula hoops, singing as they did so. The movements pulled forward the memory of watching Applejack train Rara at the gym. Anypony who trained often could tell AJ had been building Rara's core strength. The agility and strength needed to perform their current choreography was definitely a result of the intense training Applejack put Rara through. 

Rainbow Dash was at a loss for words besides these: What. An. Athlete. 

The beat dropped, and two ropes swung from the back of the concert hall towards them. The crowd gasped as the duo caught the ropes and hoisted themselves in the air.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, and she (as well as most of the winged creatures and ponies in the audience) flew a few centimeters out of their seats to turn and keep watching. 

Applejack and Rara swung in a circular motion on opposite sides of the room. They converged at the center, snapping their lassos against the ceiling. The lassos illuminated in the color of their coats, magically connecting to the ceiling. 

Sweet Celestia, a magic lasso in Applejack's hooves? 

Rainbow Dash couldn't think of anything more attractive. 

A web of ropes had magically appeared above the crowd, allowing for AJ and Rara to navigate like professional trapeze artists. Their bodies twisted and turned, and they convened many times to push against each other's back hooves in order to keep momentum. 

Rainbow swallowed hard. It went against the grain to let Applejack, who didn't have wings, fly through the air like that. While Dash had no doubt that AJ's strength was enough to keep her in the air, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious for her crush. 

But no one else in the crowd was worried. They were too enraptured with the show, cheering loudly. 

The beat dropped again. Confetti and smoke erupted on the sides of the aisles as Applejack and Rara swung themselves back onto the hula hoops. They performed a more complex while backup dancers onstage performed the same graceful choreography. But Rainbow Dash didn’t notice the special effects nor the other ponies. 

Her eyes were on Applejack. 

Applejack and Rara's hula hoops swung against each other, connecting like magnets. The mares hung from the hula hoops, using half their bodies (Rara used her right side, and Applejack used her left side) to keep themselves upright as they finished their song. 

The applause and cheers were deafening. Pegasi and other winged creatures flew out of their seats, exclaiming in amazement. 

And Rainbow Dash was the loudest of them all. 

"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!" 

The hula hoops reached the stage, and both performers hopped off. Rara wrapped a hoof around Applejack's shoulders and, together, they bowed. This prompted louder cheering, which was just fine by Rainbow Dash. 

She could cheer on Applejack forever.

As the cheering died down, Rara cleared her throat to speak. 

"Thank you all!" She called, her voice magically amplified. This prompted more cheers. She let it go on for a moment before raising a hoof, silencing the crowd with as much command as Princess Twilight. 

"I am incredibly excited to be performing across the kingdoms for my tour. But of course, I had to kick it off in the capital of Equestria!" 

More cheers and whoops. 

"Above all, I am beyond thrilled to be performing with somepony special to me tonight," Rara glanced at Applejack, getting many aw's from the crowd. "You may know her as a decorated rodeo pony, as a hero of Equestria, as an Element of Harmony, as a member of Princess Twilight Sparkle's Council of Friendship. 

However, I know her as my fillyhood friend, a pony I consider my sister, and the most honest, dependable, compassionate soul I know. She is, quite honestly, the best pony in all of Equestria. Every creature, give a big round of applause for Applejack!"

The crowd cheered again, with no creature louder than Rainbow Dash. Rainbow had never been good with words, and she felt a twinge of... It wasn’t jealousy. It was almost disappointment in herself. Rara had put into words what Rainbow always wished to tell Applejack. 

But at least somepony let her know how awesome she is, Rainbow reminded herself. 

"As you all may or may not know, there have been a few rumors surrounding the nature of me and Applejack's relationship," Rara continued. 

A murmur rose from the crowd, with many audible gasps. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash's smile fell from her face. 

What is Rara doing?

"And while Rara and I love each other dearly, it is as sisters," Applejack finally spoke up. “In any case, we’ve co-written a lil' song for all y'all mares who can relate to what it's like when you find a particularly special mare."

"Of course, don't take it to mean anything about us," Rara added quickly, her gaze fixed quite obviously on Rainbow Dash. "It was a fun piece Applejack and I wrote together, in commemoration of our own, separate experiences."

The low whisper from the crowd grew louder as people began to speculate on what was going on. Whatever it was, it was going to be the talk of the town. 

Maybe even the talk of the kingdoms. 

"Experiences!" Rarity, who was seated on Rainbow Dash's other side, exclaimed. "Do you think the song is based on Rara's experiences," Rarity raised an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash, "Or has our dear Applejack had special encounters with a certain somepony?" 

Rainbow Dash's cheeks burned. "If she has, it wasn't with me," Rainbow quickly clarified. “But come on everypony. AJ? Romance?" She scoffed. "As if!"

Rainbow Dash was almost one hundred percent sure that none of her friends, including Applejack, have ever had a serious romantic experience. Sure, she's heard stories about Trenderhoof's visit and his crush on Applejack. But she also knew that Applejack didn't entertain him for one second. That has been the only romantic story among their friend group over the course of their friendship. 

But Applejack is really private about her past, a tiny voice in Rainbow Dash’s head whispered. Maybe Rara isn’t the only mare Applejack has kept under wraps. 

"I wouldn't be too shocked, Rainbow," Twilight contemplated. "Applejack did go to summer camps as a filly... It's where she met Rara."

"And she's travelled on her own to various rodeos since fillyhood too," Rarity added. "I'm sure that plenty of other dashing ponies were there."

Rainbow Dash glared are Rarity for the pun. Rarity, in response, fluttered her eyelashes innocently. 

Instigator. 

"And she went to a bunch of clubs and parties with Rara these last few weeks," Starlight Glimmer, who was sitting on Twilight's other side, chimed in. "Remember that Las Pegasus party? I heard ponies were making out left and right."

Rainbow Dash sputtered, unable to form words. 

Is it true? I mean, even if it isn't, is it?

As for Dash... She herself has never had any 'experiences.' Sure, she's had crushes (As a young filly, she crushed hard on the then-members of the Wonderbolts. She may even go as far as to admit that she had had the tiniest crush on Daring Do before she met the author of the novels). 

But Rainbow Dash had never experienced anything as intense as her current feelings for Applejack. And, on some level, she had believed that was the case for Applejack, too. It would have been kind of cool for the mares to experience every aspect of romance firsthoof. 

Together. 

It made Dash nervous to think that she was wrong. That there are mares out there who have told Applejack how pretty she is before she did... Who have kissed AJ before she could... 

Before Rainbow Dash could continue her internal downward spiral, the lights dimmed again. The stage completely darkened, making Applejack and Rara disappear. 

After a few moments, the stage was illuminated with light again. DJ Pon-3 was at the back of the stage behind her usual DJ set up. Applejack and Rara were standing side-by-side, now wearing red, shimmering dresses. AJ had an electric guitar hanging on her neck, while Rara had a firm grip on a microphone. 

Even in her emotional turmoil, Rainbow had to admit that Applejack looked good. She was reminded of Fleetfoot's comment so many weeks ago, categorizing Applejack as a mare-next-door beauty. 

Bet Fleetfoot wouldn't say that now, Rainbow mused, admiring the sexy pop star look Applejack had going on. 

DJ Pon-3 smoothly put on a record, and an upbeat pop tune played. Applejack strummed on her guitar, giving Rara a knowing smile. Instead of the complex choreography from before, the two mares were focused on their song. 

The lyrics bordered on scandalous, the type of declaration nopony would ever suspect from Applejack. It was exactly as Rara and Applejack said it would be: about a mare finding that special mare, and what happens afterwards. 

If it was based on "experiences," then Applejack has definitely had past romances. 

But with who? Rainbow Dash panicked. Who was she? Was she pretty? Was she a celebrity? Does AJ have a thing for celebrities? Or maybe they were a rodeo pony, like Rarity said. Was she as tough and beautiful and amazing as AJ?

Rainbow Dash had forgotten about the cutie mark spell. From the shining light coming from Applejack and Rara’s flanks, it clearly hadn't worn off yet. As AJ hit the climaxing chord on her guitar, the beat dropped and the stage was illuminated in a dazzling light from the cutie marks on both their flanks. The cutie marks seemed to explode, spreading its light past the entrance door. 

And, in a flash, it disappeared. Applejack strummed the last note, ending the song. 

The crowd erupted in cheers. Rainbow Dash hesitantly joined in, clapping her hooves out of tune. 

Applejack's past didn’t change her feelings, but it definitely made her a little jealous over the mystery mare. 

Or mares. 

Or stallions. 

Or both. 

When the applause died down, Rara raised the microphone to her lips again. 

"Thank you, thank you," Rara beamed. "AJ and I may not be in a romantic relationship, but that doesn't mean that romances between mares is nonexistent. Love is love, always!"

Even from her spot, Rainbow Dash could hear Fleetfoot and Spitfire, who had seats in the balcony with the rest of the Wonderbolts, cheering louder than they ever had in their lives. 

After tonight, they might be bigger Rara fans than Soarin. 

"Now, I promised you all more than one guest tonight," Rara continued.

Uh oh. 

“It is my great pleasure to invite to the stage...

Rainbow Dash!"