//------------------------------//
// the first and the last 
// Story: The Magic of Love 
// by ashley-luv 
//------------------------------//

Applejack and Rainbow Dash ran out the back exit of the concert hall, laughing in pure and utter happiness. They weren't doing anything wrong, but after being on stage in front of a crowd of hundreds, it felt like they were running off into the night. 

Which they were. 

Without waiting for the applause to die down, Applejack and Rainbow Dash rushed backstage. They were supposed to have returned to their seats and watch Rara perform the rest of her concert. But the two ponies had wordlessly rushed out the back door, Applejack running and Rainbow Dash flying.  

Now outside, the cool night air calmed them both. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, letting the chill in the night wash over her. She had been running on pure adrenaline ever since she and Rara orchestrated their plan. 

And now, all that was over. She had serenaded Applejack, apologized for everything, been forgiven, and learned that Applejack reciprocated her feelings. 

It had all been worth it. Absolutely, one-hundred percent worth it. 

"Well I'm starvin'," Applejack broke the silence, leading the pair down a side street. They could still hear noise from the concert, but it was growing fainter. "You wanna get something to eat?"

"Yes please," Rainbow nodded, realizing just how hungry she was. She had planned to eat at the private party after the concert, but the performance and overall excitement of the evening had left her famished. "Do you know a place?"

"Rara showed me a little café not a few ways off from here. We ate lunch there a lot since the owner didn't make a big fuss out of Rara being a celebrity and all," AJ replied, turning into a more industrial street. Many of the shops were still open, but the street itself was surprisingly quiet. 

Oh, right. Everypony was definitely at the concert. Thinking about the large crowd didn't worry Rainbow as it did before, though. None of her worries mattered in light of the fact she got the mare. 

"Here we are!"

Applejack stopped in front of a shop and pushed open the door into a small café. The front of the shop had a bakery display, while the side walls had booths and the back had tables. It wasn't grand nor extravagant, but cozy and welcoming. 

The waft of the room slammed Rainbow Dash's senses, making her mouth water. The room smelled good, like, super good. She flew over to the bakery display, scanning the menu. 

"Oh shoot," Rainbow Dash turned to AJ with a worried look. "I didn't bring any bits."

"Don't worry," AJ said dismissively. "Rara and I got a tab here. We'll just put it on that and pay her back later."

Rainbow Dash suspected Rara would refuse any form of repayment, but held her tongue. 

Free food was free food. 

A unicorn stepped out from the kitchen, and they beamed when they saw the duo. 

"Applejack, darling! You bring me new customer!" They had a slight accent on their voice, similar to Gustave Le Grand's. "And what is your friend's name?"

"I'm Rainbow Dash," Rainbow cut in before AJ could respond. "Are you the chef here?"

"Yes," the unicorn nodded proudly. "I was actually just taking out fresh chocolate chip hay muffins from the oven. Would either of you care to have one?"

"I'll take three," Rainbow said immediately. She chuckled nervously when she saw AJ's glare. "Or four, if AJ wants one too..."

"We'll take four, M. Fleur," AJ nodded to the chef. "And two hot ciders, please."

"CIDER!" Rainbow Dash gawked. She's had cider other than AJ's before, but it was never as good. But if there's cider, she'll take it. 

"Yup! Besides Granny Smith, M. Fleur here has some of the best hot apple cider around," Applejack beamed at the unicorn, who bowed. 

"Applejack has a tongue of honey. Always dripping with kindness," the unicorn drawled. "I shall get your order now."

M. Fleur turned on their heel and headed back to the kitchen, leaving the duo alone. AJ led the way to a corner booth, and Rainbow Dash flew after her. Once they were seated, there was nowhere to look but at each other.

Okay, I like Applejack. Applejack likes me, Rainbow thought. Now what?

Before the awkward silence could stretch any longer, M. Fleur waltzed out the kitchen, magically levitating a large dish with five cupcakes, two smaller plates, and two mugs of what Dash assumed was the hot cider.

"Thank you, M. Fleur. It smells amazin'," Applejack beamed. M. Fleur bowed as they set everything onto the table. 

"The pleasure is mine, ma chérie," M. Fleur replied with a bow. They theatrically began to walk backwards to the kitchen. "If you need me, I shall be in the back. Just give the bell on the counter a little ring." 

And with that, they were gone. 

Ignoring the weird chef, Rainbow Dash didn't hesitate to serve herself. 

"Cool! There's an extra muffin," Rainbow Dash exclaimed, already munching on one. 

Woah. These are good. 

"You seem a lot hungrier than I am," Applejack snickered. "You can have it."

Rainbow beamed at Applejack, grabbing the extra muffin. 

"Alrighty. Well, if we're putting everything on the table tonight," Applejack spoke, staring at the muffin in her hooves with a little too much concentration. She eventually put it down and looked back up at Rainbow Dash with determined resolve. 

"What did you mean when you said you made a sonic rainboom because you realized you were sweet on me?"

Before she explained, Rainbow Dash took a curious sip of the apple cider. 

It's good, she noted. But not as good as AJ's. But back to the question...

"Do you remember the sonic rainboom from last Monday?"

"Yes?"

"Well, it happened because of you."

Applejack's eyebrows scrunched together. "What d'you mean?"

"The team had been gossiping about the Las Pegasus party. One thing led to another, and Spitfire made a weird comment that me and Soarin's crushes were dating each other," Rainbow quickly explained, "Obviously meaning you for me and Rara for Soarin. But it wasn't until I was flying and really thinking about it that I realized what Spitfire had said."

"I got so... I don't know. I started thinking more and that made me feel more and that made me fly faster. Next thing I know, I was flying fast enough for a sonic rainboom."

Dash couldn't help it; she beamed in pride. 

"Got to say though, it was one of my best works," she bragged. "I mean, it even convinced you to finally tell Rara you're not going on tour with her."

Applejack made a face. 

Uh oh. 

"Who told you about that?" Applejack demanded. "Was it Rarity?"

"Rarity?!" Rainbow Dash repeated flabbergasted. "She knew about that?"

"'Course she did. I told her when she had me and Rara over to finish our costumes for tonight," Applejack said, a look of understanding reaching her face. "But if it wasn't her, then that means..."

"It was Rara," Rainbow Dash confessed. "But please don't be mad at her. She meant well."

After all Rara had done for her, for them, Rainbow Dash didn't want to repay Rara by causing tension between her and AJ. 

"I'm not mad," Applejack said, a frown still on her face. "When did she even tell you?"

"Last week, at your going-away party. I was going to leave after our fight, but she stopped me. We talked, and she told me about the whole sonic rainboom being the reason you finally told her you didn't want to go on tour with her."

Applejack swallowed the bite she took from her muffin, still unconvinced. 

"I still don't understand what happened that night to make y'all buddy-buddy. She refused to tell me anything, sayin' you'd explain it to me later."

Good looking out, Rara, Rainbow Dash thought sarcastically. 

"Okay, um, basically," Rainbow Dash tried to begin, but she didn't know where. "Most of the conversation was figuring out what I wanted to do onstage tonight. Rara wanted a whole fancy production, but I know you," Rainbow Dash smiled fondly. "You're not big on the whole fancy-shmancy stuff. So we decided I would write a song and sing it."

Applejack cracked a smile, but remained silent to let Rainbow Dash continue. 

"Anyways, that whole conversation started because she had kind of hinted that you, ya know," Rainbow Dash blushed, still unable to say the words aloud.

"Oh gosh," Applejack mumbled, tilting her hat forward to hide her face in embarrassment. "You've known how I felt since y'all talked last week?"

"Hey," Rainbow Dash frowned, leaning forward to gently tilt Applejack's hat back up. She kept a hoof on AJ's cheek, and smiled reassuringly. "Don't be embarrassed. Rara only told me because she knew I felt the same way. So, if anything, I should be embarrassed because everypony totally knew how I felt about you for who knows how long."

Applejack's soft smile returned, and she leaned her face into Rainbow Dash's hoof. 

"Yeah, you didn't exactly keep that a secret," Applejack teased. "I had guessed as much, but I didn't want to make any assumptions. It felt too good to be true."

"I had the same reaction!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, removing her hoof from AJ's face to flail it around. "When Rara hinted it, I couldn't believe it. And I didn't believe it until I heard it from you tonight. And now that I officially know, I couldn't be happier. Honest."

"I'm happy too, sugarcube," Applejack murmured, her gaze soft. She shook her head again, but she didn't seem too annoyed anymore. "I can't wrap my head around what made Rara be so forgivin', but you're right. We owe her one."

"Well, she owed you one," Rainbow Dash corrected. "You're too good of a friend to ever admit it, but Rara knows it wasn't okay to ask you to leave Ponyville. She wanted to make up for it, and," Rainbow shrugged. "I guess she thought the best way to do that was to play matchmaker for us."

"Huh," Applejack replied, in awe of her friend. "I guess she knew the best way to make it up to me was by getting me the one thing— well, the one pony— I really wanted."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back a silly grin. 

"You're so sappy."

"Says the mare that serenaded me."

"Touché."

The couple exchanged grins, and Applejack continued with her mini-interrogation. 

"Okay, about tonight," she prefaced, her grin still in place. "What in tarnation gave y'all the idea to get you up on that stage?"

Oh, this one is easy. 

"You," Rainbow Dash said as if it were obvious. "I knew I had to apologize, and that I had to tell you how I felt. And yeah, serenading you in front of hundreds of ponies and creatures is... A lot." Rainbow Dash confidently reached across the table to take Applejack's hoof. "But it worked, didn't it?"

"I suppose it did," AJ mused, not removing her hoof from Rainbow Dash's hold. "I still have more questions, but I reckon' it's only fair I let you ask some, too."

Good thing Rainbow Dash had plenty of questions.

Well, mostly one. 

"So about the last song you and Rara sang." She reminded herself: no assumptions. "What did Rara mean when she said it was based on 'past experiences'?"

Applejack concentrated on her and Rainbow Dash's joined hooves, sighing as she finally looked up at Dash. 

"I'm gonna share something personal with you, and I don't want it leaving the two of us," Applejack said, and Rainbow tightened her hold on AJ's hoof. Everypony knows Applejack is really private. So for her to share something with Rainbow means a lot. 

Rainbow nodded. "Everything we ever say to each other will always stay between us." 

Applejack seemed to relax a bit, and began. 

"I've known since I was a little filly that I'm partial to mares. Rara was the only pony who knew that, we bein' each other's first kiss and all. It had been nothing romantic, just two fillies bein' curious. We're obviously just friends now," Applejack quickly amended when she noticed Rainbow Dash's glower. "Anyways, I don't know when I started likin' you Dash. I was already falling before I knew I had even tripped. Then, when Rara came to visit, she asked me about you the very first time she saw us together. You remember that day at the gym?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. 

"With just that one interaction, she guessed everything I felt," Applejack sighed and looked down at their hooves again, clearly embarrassed. "But I denied it. I didn't want it to be true, 'specially with us being friends. And I didn't even know if you liked mares anyhow. So I told her it wasn't true, and hoped I'd convince myself it wasn't true, either. 

But when you came over for dinner that night and we were on that hammock... It just felt right. Cuddled up with you like two leaves during the fall. I felt truly at peace. Safe. Happy."

Applejack looked back up to give Rainbow a small smile. "I knew then that I couldn't go on tour with Rara. Performing was what made her happy. But what made me happy was being at Sweet Apple Acres with my family. And staying in Ponyville with you." 

Rainbow Dash's cheeks felt warm, and her insides all gooey. Something wet hit her cheek, making her realize she had been tearing up the entire time. 

Hadn't she also felt something that night? Hadn't she wanted to hug AJ close to her? Hadn't she imagined the unbelievable pain if AJ went on tour? Hadn't she not wanted to leave the farm after everypony went to bed, just to stay with AJ?

Wait, Rainbow Dash reined in her feelings, and quickly wiped her eyes. This wasn't what I asked. 

"Okay, so where do the 'past experiences' come in?"

"I'm getting to that," Applejack replied with patience. "I told Rara that very night that she had been right— I had feelings for you. She had tried to convince me that you felt the same way, but I didn't believe her—" 

"But I did! I always have!"

"And like I said, it all felt too good to be true," Applejack spoke over Rainbow's interjection and continued with her tale. "So I decided to say nothing. And like I told you before, I took you comin' over but never stayin' as a sign that you didn't really want to spend time with me. So—"

"But I did," Rainbow interrupted again with pleading eyes. "You know that now, right?"

Applejack smiled. "Yes Dashie. I know that now."

She continued. "Anyways, I told Rara she had been wrong and that you didn't feel no special way about me. I told her instead of goading me on, she should help me get over you," Applejack cringed a bit. "That came more from a place of hurt than actually wanting to get over you. But it had felt mighty awful to think you didn't want to be around me."

Rainbow Dash felt a stab to her stomach. She had never meant to cause Applejack pain. She squeezed Applejack's hoof in silent apology. 

Applejack nodded at Rainbow, taking it as encouragement to go on. 

"I don't think she wanted to, but Rara's a good friend. So, she tried. In the big cities, there are plenty of clubs and bars and parties that Rara can walk into just because she's a celebrity. It was during our weekend trips that we'd go to one of those places, I'd meet a pony, we'd talk a bit, maybe dance. But when I got as far as kissing with one of the ponies I met, it just didn't feel right."

Applejack looked down at their connected hooves, unable to meet Rainbow Dash's eyes. 

"None of it had felt right. Nothing compared to how I felt when you hugged me that night on the hammock, or nuzzled my nose when you said goodbye. I didn't wanna be dishonest to myself because, the truth was, I was thinking of you. And that wouldn't have been fair to anypony. So Rara and I would still go out and have fun, but I fended off any interested pony.”

"What ended up happening more often than not was that I acted as Rara's wingpony," Applejack chuckled. "So the song was mainly based off Rara's experiences, but I wrote a line or two."

Rainbow Dash's body relaxed. She didn't care about these mystery ponies' names or looks. Nothing had happened. 

"Well, you're here with me now. And that's all I care about," Rainbow Dash said confidently, letting go of AJ's hoof to eat the rest of her meal. 

"Well, how 'bout you?" Applejack raised an eyebrow, taking another hefty sip of her cider. "Bein' a Wonderbolt and all, I imagine you athletes get up to your fair share of fun."

"Some do," Rainbow said nonchalantly. "But I've never."

AJ raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Never?"

"Never."

"So I'd be the—"

"Yes," Rainbow Dash gave AJ an awkward smile. "That's not weird, right?"

"'Course not, sugarcube," AJ chuckled, a slight twinkle in her eye. "Hopefully I'll be the first and the last."

Rainbow Dash's stomach did a somersault. She hadn't dared to imagine Applejack liking her back, let alone think about their future. But, strangely, the thought didn't terrify her. 

It made her feel brave and happy and... In absolute love.

Forget 'crush,' Rainbow Dash felt the epiphany dawn on her. I'm in love with Applejack. Head over hooves in love. 

"Hopefully," Rainbow Dash grinned. Cautiously, she asked, "And if it doesn't work out, we'll still be friends?"

"I doubt it won't," Applejack said with a sly smile. "Knowing us, we're too stubborn to not succeed at something when we want it."

Rainbow Dash snickered. "That's true."

"But yes, if it doesn't work out... You're still gonna be one of my best friends."

The term 'friends' felt sour in Rainbow Dash's mind. She didn't ever want to go back to being just friends with Applejack. She wanted more of what happened tonight: doing crazy and slightly idiotic things for the other, sneaking small gestures of affection, spending time together alone, holding hooves in public. 

"You know what," Rainbow Dash shook her head vigorously. "You're right. That was a dumb question because it will work out. It just will. I'll make it work."

Applejack laughed at Rainbow Dash's sudden change in mood. 

"You wouldn't be the Rainbow Dash I know if you didn't."

The two mares finished their meal, moving on to lighter topics. Looking at the clock on the wall, they knew they should be heading out to the celebration party. 

But Rainbow Dash didn't care for all that socializing. 

She just wanted to be here. With Applejack. 

"We should head out," AJ commented, looking at the clock but remaining in place. 

"We should," Rainbow Dash nodded, also not moving. They just gazed at each other, soft smiles and adoring eyes never. 

'The first and the last,' Applejack had said.

Yeah. I could live with that.