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// I Don't Get It, But It Matters To Her 
// Story: Blessing's 
// by BubbaBrick 
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High in the skies over Ponyville, Rainbow Dash cruises the jet stream leading to her cloudy mansion. Floating in via her bedroom window, she quickly slips off her Wonderbolt dress uniform in favor of a tortoise covered night robe. The other love of her life, Tank, is resting comfortably in his shell on her bed. The happy old tortoise pokes his head out just long enough to accept a muzzle nuzzle before retreating back in. The little guy didn’t need much but knew well enough not to be begging for anything from his cyan companion until she gets her mental reset nap. 
RD falls on to her bed, drained from the mandatory sleep inducing Wonderbolt meetings that make any pony question accepting that last promotion. Although she has been in Applejack’s bed more often than her own these days, RD has found it harder to get a good nap in without someone to cuddle with. So, when she knows AJ is at the orchard working, she comes home to her second favorite cuddle partner. Gaining enough will power to move, she rolls over and pulls the little shell into to her embrace.
“I hate to say it, Tank, but I think you are getting too big for this.”
Tank pokes his head out again and gives an ‘oh well’ look to RD but keeps his head out to listen to her as she continues.
“(sigh) Or maybe I’m just getting used to cuddling with AJ. Sorry, little guy, but she is softer. And better looking. And smells better.” At first, this went on as playful teasing with the reptile, but slowly she started thinking more and more about her beloved, “She’s got a bigger heart. A beautiful mane. She’s a great cook. She always smells like apples. She knows how to keep me in check. She’s great to talk to. She’s just the love of my life.”
With that last sentence, RD goes quiet and looks back at her companion. Tank was just sitting there with a big, wrinkled smile.
“I know what you are thinking, and it’s not going to happen.” RD blurts out in an aggressive tone, “I love Applejack, and I told mom and dad I was thinking of proposing, but she’s old-fashioned! She’d expect me to get a blessing, but I can’t because her parents are gone! So, it’s never going to happen, no sense in dreaming about it!”
With that, she rolls away from Tank and starts to silently cry over what she believes is fact. No parents to ask, no blessing to give. The idea of never having the pony of her dreams as her wife was almost too much for her.
Then she feels some rustling on her sheets from Tank moving. She didn’t think much of it, ‘he’s probably just crawling off for some food or something.’ A few minutes pass and her tears slow their flow but are still coming. She feels Tank rustling the sheets again as he returns to her side. Then she feels the little guy tugging on her mane with his mouth. She ignores the first few pulls, but then gives in by the fifth tug.
“What is it, Tank?” She rolls back over and sees Tank with a picture frame under his foot. The reptile had pulled a picture from her nightstand and dragged it across the bed. The picture was from the last Sister Hoof’s Social, the one where she and Applejack convinced Rarity and Sweetie Belle to join them with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo and all three pairs got podium ribbons. It was the first time RD didn’t mind coming in second because she got to see her mare-friend win. The picture itself was the six of them all celebrating together right after Granny Smith presented the ribbons, and Tank’s foot was tapping on the little bit of Granny’s face in the picture. RD looked at Tank with astonishment.
“Do you really think that’ll work?”
Tank nods his little head. He gives a long, slow lick on RD’s cheek and then gives AJ’s face in the picture another one.
“(squeals) Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Rainbow gives Tank a big hug before zipping out like a lightning bolt and leaving her night robe to float down on her bed next to him. She zips back in and out in a blink of an eye just to leave a full bowl of food for Tank. The little guy smiles and digs in.

Rainbow speeds over to Sweet Apple Acres but slows down once she gets into view so that her rainbow trail won’t show up in the sky. She looks around the orchard to make sure Applejack is far away from the main home. Sure enough, she picks out AJ’s hat moving away from the house towards one of the newer fields in the distance. Jumping at the opportunity, Rainbow bolts to the main house and starts looking for Granny Smith. Not in the house, RD then moves to the barn and finds Granny counting the apple barrels.
“(clears throat) Um, Granny Smith?” Rainbow nervously tries to get Granny’s attention.
“Duh-what? Who goes there?” Surprised, Granny starts darting left and right until she sees RD, “Oh, if it ain’t Rainbow Dash! I hate say Applejack ain’t here, though. She just went to do sum plantin’ in the new fields.” Granny turns back around and goes back to counting thinking Rainbow was going to dart off. 
“That’s not why I am here, I need to talk to you.”
“Duh-what? You need to take a shoe? Well why in the Sam hill do you need to do that? We ain’t got no shoes!” Granny yells out, turning her full body towards RD.
“I don’t need any shoes! I need to talk to you about something that’s very important!” Rainbow practically screams at Granny.
“Now, my hearing may not be what it used to be, but I ain’t deaf yet so quit ya shoutin’!”
“Ugh, ok. I’m sorry,” Rainbow begins to ask her question, but just can’t seem to get it out, “Now, I need to ask you something important, but I honestly don’t know how. You know me and Applejack have been dating a long time, and she’s told me more than once that family will always be important to her. So, even though I don’t really get why I am doing this and you are not really her dad, I need to ask… I am asking for… I… I…” unable to find the words, RD stammers until she realizes Granny’s face is unchanged. Finally giving up, she turns to leave the barn with her head slumped.
“Hee, hee, hee. Rainbow Dash, you have the Apple blessin’.” Granny says from out of nowhere. RD whips around and sees the old mare smiling so big her teeth just about fall out.
“Wait, really?” RD couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Dashie, let me tell ya somethin’,” Granny pulls her rocking chair seemingly out of nowhere and starts spinning a tail. “When Applejack was just a little filly, she was the happiest pony you’d ever meet. She always found a way to make some pony happy, especially Bright Mac and Buttercup. Shoot, the first time Apple Bloom ever smiled was when Applejack was holden' her. But all that changed when we lost her parents. She, Big Mac, and even Apple Bloom to a point had to grow up real quick. The three of them bounced back real good, but I never saw that happy filly in Applejack again for a long time. (sigh) Now you may puff up your feathers more than any other chick in the hen house…”
“Umm, thank you” RD replies with uncertainty. 
“That ain’t no compliment, I’m saying ya got a big ego.”
“Oh… Hey!?!”
“Hee, hee. Ya got a big ego, but ya brought out that little filly in Applejack for the first time many moons, and that warms these old bones. Now as Bright Mac’s ma, I know that the two of ya would’ve gotten along like kinfolk and he would’ve been glad to give ya his blessin’. Now, as Applejack’s granny, I would be dumber than a barrel full of rotten apples to stand in the way of true love.”
With tears of joy in her eyes and a shaky smile, Rainbow Dash gives Granny Smith a big hug and a kiss on the forehead.
“Thank you, so much” RD remarks before taking off to go make plans.
Granny steps out of the barn and watches the rainbow trail dissipate as Big Mac and his wife Sugar Belle steps around the corner of the barn and stands beside Granny.
“Y’all think I should’ve told her I overheard Applejack asking her parents for their blessin’ and got it?” Granny asks.
“Nope.” Says Big Mac.