//------------------------------// // Truth // Story: Potion Commotion // by MellowMabari //------------------------------// "I don't know, Pinkie. Ya sure this is a good idea? I mean, we could just end up gettin' Rainbow inta even more trouble." Pinkie whirled around and Applejack flinched. The sight still boggled her mind a little; Pinkie's regular poof of curls had been hastily dyed orange, and was now straining against one of those fancy doctor headbandy things with the metal circle on front. Her lab coat had been pilfered - er - borrowed from Twilight's creepy underground lab, of which Applejack had no previous knowledge, but Pinkie insisted was fun and spooky in a good way. Applejack had denied further comment. The party pony's fur had been dusted a light brown, or at least as brown as hot pink could be made to look, by a thoroughly confused but helpful Rarity, who had only needed to hear that Dash was in trouble to be spurred into action. The white jacket, thankfully, was long enough to hide Pinkie's cutie mark, but just in case, a rather shoddy paper replacement had been slapped over her own. Applejack doubted the Scotch tape would hold up to close inspection, but hopefully the two of them would be in and out of Town Hall before anyone had the chance to ask questions. "We won't get Dashie into trouble, silly." Chimed Pinkie, who seemed to be back in chipper-tastic mode now that they had a plan to help their friend. "I'm a doctor! Doctors help ponies! And you're my assistant, so obviously you help ponies too." Applejack glanced over her own disguise doubtfully. She too sported a lab coat and stethoscope, and her beloved Stetson had been stowed safely at Rarity's boutique. Rarity had had an inordinate amount of fun styling her mane and powdering her face so that her trademark ponytail and freckles were absent, and Applejack had been forced to grin and bear it. Well, bear it, anyway. For Rainbow Dash. Ya can't tussle or compete with her if she's in jail, now can ya? Ya also couldn't - "So, are you ready to rescue the damsel in distress?" Asked Pinkie, hopping out from the bushes they had been using as cover across from Town Hall. "We'll swoop in there and save the day! And then you two can make kissie faces all you want at each other and I'll be able to throw you a party!" Applejack reached up to pull her hat down over her face in embarrassment, but her hoof groped nothing but empty air. She groaned. "Pinkie, fer the last time - Rainbow's under a curse or somethin'. That's kinda why we're all gussied up like doctors, isn't it?" "But you aren't." Noted Pinkie astutely. "And once Twilight cures Dashie, she won't be, either. Then you two can make real kissie faces. The non-pranky, non-jail-able, lovey-dovey kind." Applejack groaned again. It tended to be a habit that escalated dramatically around the pink pony. "Either yer crazy, or just too darn smart for yer own good. Who I wanna make kissie faces at or with is mah business. I just wanna help Dash, and put this whole mess behind us, alright?" Pinkie shrugged. Right before she hopped off, however, she laid a reassuring hoof on Applejack's shoulder. She shot the orange mare a softer version of her usual grin. Taken slightly aback, Applejack managed a small smile in return. Then, as quickly as it occurred, the moment of solidarity was broken. "Alright! Doctor Pinkie and Assisstant AJ are in the house! Or we're gonna be, anyway." Applejack sighed and followed her friend, but the small smile remained. Dash, the things ya make me do... * * * "Is Mayor Mare around?" Asked Pinkie Pie in her scratchy impersonation of a stallion's voice. Applejack resisted the urge to facehoof. Why did I ever think this was a good idea? Fortunately, the mare behind the reception desk didn't seem to notice too much amiss, as she simply set down her magazine (something fashion-y that Rarity would no doubt approve of) and asked with a bored sigh, "Name?" Applejack could tell that Pinkie was trying her hardest not to bounce in place. Her orange puff of mane twitched with barely contained excitement. "Horse M.D. And this is my assistant." Pinkie winked at her. "I'm here to see a Miss Rainbow Dash." She paused, seemingly for dramatic effect, and let some of her restrained energy slip back into her voice. "It's an emergency! A medical one!" Applejack was counting it extremely lucky that the stallion being impersonated had a rather odd, fluctuating voice to begin with, or else the receptionist, no matter how bored or uninterested she may have been, would have noticed the crackling ascent into a higher octave - an octave usually reserved for the direst and most awkward of male injuries. "The Mayor's in her office with Rainbow Dash and that mutton chop Law pony. They said no interruptions, but if ya say it's an emergency..." The receptionist's eyes darted from her magazine to the two ponies before her, clearly debating which response would get them out of her teal and yellow mane the fastest. "I'm sure they'll understand. Go on up, first door on your right. This place ain't that big, ya shouldn't miss it." With her rigorous decision making done for the day, the mare shifted back in her seat and resumed her magazine duties. Applejack barely had time to note their good luck before Pinkie was dragging her past the desk and up a flight of stairs. As they reached the landing, voices could be heard issuing from a firmly closed door on their right. The fact that the exact words being exchanged could be made out through the solid oak probably didn't bode well for their mission. Wishing she still had her hat so she could give the brim a reassuring nudge, Applejack prepared herself. Rainbow Dash was on the other side of that door. Love-drunk, creepy-potion-induced Rainbow Dash, who may or may not fall in love with her or Pinkie as soon as they walked in. Unless she's already gone and jumped the Law fella. Before Applejack could follow this line of thought to its humiliating and likely disastrous conclusion, Pinkie pulled her from her musings by nudging her and tipping her another wink. Without further ado, the party-pony-turned-doctor then proceeded to barge through the locked door, and before anyone within could gather their bearings, declared, "Stop! In the naaaaame of lov - er - medicine! Me and my associate must see Miss Dash right away!" Applejack peered around Pinkie, who was paused in the middle of a rather dramatic pose, one foreleg struck forward as if to physically command the room's occupants to do her bidding, and stared at the frozen tableau their entrance had created. Rainbow Dash was currently clinging to Long-Hoof's back like a rodeo pony on a bull, a mutton chop clenched rein-like in each hoof. A pair of familiar glasses swung haphazardly from her ear, magnifying one magenta eye on every backswing, and a green scarf was tangled round her wings. Long-Hoof, for his part, appeared quite stunned, frozen mid-buck with one solid foreleg wrapped around Rainbow's own in an attempt to dislodge her. The Mayor, now sans her usual attire, was on her two rear hooves in a martial arts like pose, her face turned to squint in the interlopers' general direction. Papers, pamphlets and other office detritus lay scattered over everything like a burst bag of chicken feed. "Dr. Horse?" Asked the Mayor in disbelief and uncertainty. Her range of vision appeared to be on the short side. "Yes!" Declared Pinkie authoritatively. She bounced closer to the Mayor, stethoscope swinging. Applejack followed closely behind, trying to remain in her friend's shadow. "We've come to take Rainbow Dash to the hospital. It's very important." The Mayor's squint narrowed despite their closer proximity. "Dr. Horse, where are your glasses?" Shoot! Thought Applejack frantically. How could we forget that he wears glasses? Before she could finish forming a backup plan (one involving grabbing Rainbow Dash and jumping through the window) Pinkie intercepted and said, calmly, "I'm wearing contacts today." She pushed her face next to Mare's and blinked rapidly. "See? They're blue, like the sky. Or balloons! Cheers the patients right up!" Applejack's sigh of relief was lost as a loud thump sounded from across the room. Law had apparently broken out of his torpor and dislodged Rainbow from his back, and she had met the ground less than elegantly. "Ow! Watch it ya big lug. My flank may not be made of glass but I still like to keep it looking nice. Bruises mar the Cutie Mark, y'know?" Applejack watched as her blue friend dusted off the offended area and clambered to her hooves, shooting the stallion a nasty look. She doesn't look in love with Law. Is she still pining after Mare? "What exactly do you need Miss Dash for, may I ask?" The Mayor had lowered herself back down to all four legs and was staring at "Dr. Horse" in a manner that was a little too close to suspicious for Applejack's liking. "You're a paediatrician. Surely Miss Dash is a tad old to be aided by your field of expertise?" "No way!" Countered Pinkie, her stallion's voice (or what barely passed as one, anyway) straying into an injured nether regions octave once more. "Have you seen her? She acts foalish all the time! Just look at the state she was in when we arrived! Roughhousing like a common adolescent colt!" "Hey!" "And that's another thing," continued Pinkie, apparently on a roll now. "Her voice has been stuck in stasis for years. It's always crack-a-lacking, stuck between a filly's and a mare's." She let out a long-suffering sigh. "I suffer the same condition, as you must be aware, though the boy version. It's been rough, but with voice therapy I manage to keep the cracking down to a minimum. That is what we are here to offer Miss Dash today." "Voice therapy." The Mayor deadpanned, now examining Applejack. The apple farmer edged behind Pinkie, trying to appear nonchalant. "Miss Dash's voice is fine. It's unique for sure, but hardly an illness. Yours, on the other hand...tell me, do you have cold, Dr. Horse?" Applejack was acutely aware of Law as he began to sidle in their direction, the prickling of her neck fur letting her know that his intentions were likely less than casual. "Mr. Horse, sir, I do believe we're running late for another appointment back at the hospital." Though she adopted her Manehatten voice for the statement, AJ was pretty sure that it was too little, too late. She felt like a scarecrow that had seen too many winters, the straw of their deception laid bare for the crows. The Mayor was staring Pinkie down with laser-like efficiency, the normally pink pony beginning to sweat. The light brown powder covering her body wasn't long for this world. "I - Uh - well, yes, I do, thank you for noticing. Ahem. Yes. Well, we'll just be taking Rainbow and leaving then, shall we? I wouldn't want you to - achoo! - ah, catch what I have!" Pinkie was just beginning to back away, damp tracks of pink now marring her coat, when Applejack felt a hoof on her withers, whirling her around. The glasses were gone. Green eyes met magenta. "AJ, what're you doing here? And why are you dressed all funny? Where's your hat?" "Goldarnit, Rainbow Dash! Saddle up, Pinkie, I think that's our cue!" Pinkie didn't have to be told twice. "Cheese it!" Her lab coat and stethoscope went flying into Mare's face as she bolted for the door. Applejack grabbed Rainbow's hoof and flung the pegasus over her back, ignoring her protests. "Can it, missy. It's time to boogy!" But boogy-ing of any kind was obviously not on Long-Hoof's to-do list. His large frame filled the doorway, through which Pinkie had already escaped, his mutton chops and moustache gleaming like a malevolent silver shield. His grey eyes were narrowed in a need for justice. "The things I do fer you," muttered Applejack as she lowered her head. She did what any brave, loyal (or perhaps suicidal) pony would do, pawed the ground twice, and charged. Long-hoof Law, it must be said, was a very sturdy pony. He had a solid barrel, thick legs, and hooves that could tread surprisingly lightly for how large they were and how heavy a load they were constantly tasked with supporting. Sturdy or not, however, a swift lab coat to the face and a patented Apple-family buck to the side are sure things to land anypony on their flank, regardless of fortitude or justice powered facial hair. "Hoo-ee! 'I fought the law and the law won' my flank! Hold on Rainbow, I'm gettin' you outta here!" Applejack bounded down the stairs, her cargo protesting loudly the whole way. An instant later she was cantering past the shocked desk clerk and out into the fresh air of Ponyville. She glanced left and right, trying to get a glimpse of her partner in crime, but Pinkie was nowhere to be seen. "Urgh, AJ, let me down!" "Oh, sorry sugarcube," Applejack hadn't realised that upon stopping she had reached a hoof up to secure Rainbow to her back. "I just wanted to get us outta there. Now, we should probably find somewhere to hunker down for the next little while, or the one holdin' cell Ponyville has is gonna find itself two occupants fuller." She shuddered as another thought sprang to mind. "And I don't want to have to face that Law fella again. Something tells me he ain't all that pleased with us at the moment." "Ya think?" Replied Rainbow as the two of them began to trot at a brisk place. "Where should we go? The library?" Applejack chanced a quick glance behind her, but apparently Law and Mare were still preoccupied, as the door to Town Hall remained firmly shut. "Yeah, I reckon that's a good idea. Twi should be able to help us sort this out, if she's back yet, anyhow." "What d'you mean?" Asked Rainbow, the two of them full on sprinting now that the library tree was in view. "Where'd she go?" "She - " Applejack nearly tripped over her own hooves. Thinking of Twilight reminded her of why she and Pinkie had decided to accost the Mayor and Ponyville's only lawkeeper in the first place. "Well, uh, don't ya remember doin' anything odd lately?" "Odd how?" Asked Rainbow, who seemed to be acting like her normal self. She wasn't jumping anypony, anyway. "I was flying, and then I wanted to practice this new move, so I had to use Twilight's chimney for a target - normally you use flaming hoops, but I didn't want to bother Pinkie to use hers so I - " They had reached the library. Applejack glanced discreetly from side to side. Nopony seemed to be watching them. As quickly as she could, she opened the door and pulled Rainbow inside. The library, or at least the main room, was empty. "So you mean you don't remember, ah, anythin' after that?" "Well sure, why wouldn't I? After my trick Twilight made me help clean..." Rainbow blinked. "Clean...I don't know. AJ, I can't..." Rainbow's eyes widened in what looked like panic. "It's just like it all goes blank, until..." The pegasus faced the earth pony. "Until I met you in Town Hall. And then you..." Applejack found herself on the receiving end of a Rainbow tackle-hug. "Holy Tartarus! AJ, you - you bucked Long-Hoof Law! You kicked his flank! I just remember something kinda bad was happening, and he was there, and then you..." Rainbow seemed to realize that she was being openly affectionate and uncool and leaped off of the orange mare. She coughed into a hoof and ruffled her wings, blushing. "Um, I mean, thanks. Yeah. That was a pretty cool thing ya did back there, AJ." Applejack clambered to her hooves, trying to keep the silly grin off her face. "Ain't no problem at all, sugarcube. I know you'd do the same for me 'iffin it came to that." "Well, yeah of course I would! But the way you were all pow-pow, hoof-to-the-chest was pretty awesome." Now that she had calmed down slightly, another thought entered her mind. "But, what was I doing there in the first place? And why don't I remember anything after Twilight asked me to help her out?" "Well..." How to put this in a way that doesn't reek of rotten apples? Sorry Dash, you were under a love curse or somethin' and ya went and made a total foal of yourself in front of half the town, declared undying love for one of yer best friends and tried to jump mah brother in public. Also, you were about half a feather's length away from startin' up a Mayor Mare fanclub and were in the middle of who knows what with Law when Pinkie and I burst in to save ya...Um, I think that's it. Before Applejack could break out her less than stellar poker face, however, a blast of purple light illuminated the interior of the library and three figures materialised into view. "Teleported before, I have not - and nor will I again if I am always to land upon my plot!" "Language, Zecora," Twilight scolded half-heartedly. "Ugh, and I'm sorry. That was a little rougher than I thought it would be - Lyra just wouldn't let go!" "Not to worry, my purple friend, your spell allowed us to reach our end. But finding rhymes on a dime can mean that the results are sometimes less than prime." "Aha! There she is!" The third voice was one that Applejack had a hard time placing. Or at least it was until the mint green owner let out a strangled battle cry and launched herself from beneath a flustered Twilight and into an equally disgruntled Rainbow Dash. "Hey - what?! Gah!" "You! You took my potion! They were going to be mine! All mine! And you ruined it!" "Urgh - what - gak! - are you - blargh - talking about?" Lyra was sitting in that odd way of hers atop Rainbow's back and glaring down at the prone pegasus while jabbing her with a hoof. "Now you wait just a goldarned minute! Who do you think you are - " Applejack made to step in and pry the crazy unicorn off of her friend, but Twilight intercepted her, shaking her head. "Careful AJ, she's slightly unstable." "Slightly? And I can see that, Twi, that's why I'm trying to keep her from maulin' Rainbow Dash!" "I know, I know. Oh, this is all my fault! I shouldn't have mentioned Rainbow's name within earshot. It's like it triggered something and then Lyra was all over me demanding to know where her potion went and I just panicked and teleported!" "You stole my potion, that's what I'm talking about! Outside the Everfree forest! It was blue, and you drank all of it!" Exclaimed Lyra. "Ohhhh...." Dawning recognition was audible in Rainbow's voice, even if it was a little muffled due to her face being squashed to the floor by Lyra's fore-hooves. "That was you? Eheh, I thought you looked familiar. Look, how much did the thing cost? I'll totally pay you back. Heck, if it gets you off my back, literally, I'll buy you two. I mean, it's not like it was a one of a kind, extremely difficult to make type of potion that tested the bounds of Zecora's good judgement to brew even once, right?" There was a pause where nobody moved. Rainbow seemed to take the silence as thoughtful contemplation on Lyra's part. Everyone else in the room could see the incensed unicorn's face performing a rapid transition from green to a shade of red that would've made Mac proud. Steam nearly billowed from her ears. "Uh, Twi, I think it's high time we get RD outta here." "Agreed." "I'll hold her off for as long as I can! Go, Twilight, and enact our plan!" Before the magic building in Lyra's horn could find a target in Rainbow Dash's hide, the pegasus was snatched up by a brilliant purple glow. Seizing her opportunity, Zecora launched a hoof-ful of green powder at Lyra that engulfed the two of them in a thick sparkling cloud. "Applejack, the door!" With Twilight's magic and concentration preoccupied with Rainbow's struggling form, Applejack was left to surge forward and secure their escape route. The three mares floundered out into the growing darkness of Ponyville as another green burst of light erupted from the library behind them. "I am so sick of being hauled around all the time! Seriously, fastest pegasus in all of Equestria over here? I can fly on my own!" "Good, then start flyin'. We need to find somewhere to hunker down before - " Applejack's snout met with something painfully solid. And furry. "Aw, ponyfeathers." She raised a hoof to her face to massage the injured area, squinting into the setting sun. Silhouetted against it was a rather large pony. A pony whose shadowed face appeared to flare out at the sides in curving - "Other way, other way! It's Law!" "As in Long-Hoof? Why would we run - oh no, what did you do?" "Long story, Twi, I'll explain later. Now move your flank!" The unicorn required no further encouragement and reversed her mad dash in an instant. Rainbow was flying free, Applejack hot on her tail. "What're they feeding that guy?" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash as Law proceeded to charge after them. "Shouldn't he be in the hospital? Or at least nursing a strong drink? The only thing that could make this worse is if - " "Stop right there!" Mayor Mare had appeared from behind a building and was currently blocking their path, right fore-hoof outstretched. "You're under arrest for assaulting an officer, disturbing the peace and breaching my personal space bubble. You have the right to - " "Party!" Cried a high pitched voice from out of nowhere. An explosion of confetti and streamers shot into the air to engulf the Mayor, the shock of the yell sending her sprawling. "Come on you three, follow me!" Pinkie Pie, now free of her disguise, shot up from a pony-hole in the street, being careful to replace the cover as she leaped over to her friends. "C'mon! I set my party cannon on a timer, so it should give us a few seconds, but we have to hurry!" Sure enough, when Applejack chanced a glance backwards she spotted the cheery device aimed at the swiftly approaching Law and the still flailing Mare. The three flabbergasted friends followed the party pony into the encroaching gloom as another blast went off behind them, a loud, masculine cry proving that the enemy had once again been inundated in a confetti storm. "Pinkie, where have ya been? I looked for ya after we escaped them ponies the first time, but..." Pinkie grinned, bouncing along at a quick clip. "Oh, I knew you two'd be alright until you met up with Twilight. Then my Pinkie sense went off and told me you'd be in trouble once you left the library, so I grabbed my cannon and got into position so I could save the day! It might look easy to work, but let me tell you, that cannon is a doozy to set on a timer. It took forever to get it all sorted out." "Girls, I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but can we chat later? We still need somewhere to hide, and I really don't feel like wrestling with Law again." Twilight craned her neck to glance up at Rainbow. "You're definitely going to have to tell me what happened while I was gone." "I know a spot, just up ahead. It's a secret base I set up, in case of zombie apocalypse!" "Pinkie, I would say yer crazy, but if it helps us out right now I don't really care. Lead the way." "To be fair, we have been threatened by eternal night, absolute chaos, and an army of changelings, not to mention being visited by Cerberus. Zomponies are still physically impossible, but I don't blame Pinkie for being extra cautious." "That's the spirit!" Chimed Pinkie as she paused her quick bouncing to give Twilight a friendly noogie. "Besides, it's more like a fort, and everyone knows that forts are for fun more than anything else. Speaking of, we're here!" The four mares came to a halt next to a nondescript section of brick wall. They were in an alleyway that Applejack vaguely remembered from her Mare-Do-Well days, though if she had to pinpoint where exactly in Ponyville they were, she would've drawn a blank. "Um, nice wall?" Tried Rainbow Dash. "Look, Pinkie, we don't have time for your shenanigans - " "Oh, Dashie, I may be a silly pony, but I still know when to take things seriously." She flashed Rainbow a forced deadpan look. By the way her eyes were shining and her mouth was wobbling it was clear that she was trying her hardest not to smile. Rainbow looked taken aback. A slightly dreamy expression flitted across her face. "Hmm, have I... have I ever told you that I like it when you call me Dashie?" "Nope!" Said Pinkie obliviously, turning back to the wall. "I always figured that it kind of annoyed you but that you secretly like it because it means we're such great friends. But I never really expected you to admit it. You try so hard to be all tough and radical, and Dashie is kind of a squishy, cutesy name." "You think I'm cute?" Rainbow sidled over to Pinkie, blushing furiously. "That - that's cool. I think you're kinda cute, too." Whoa, Nellie. "Is this what you were talkin' about before, Pinkie? With what happened to Twilight?" Pinkie Pie, who was focusing on moving a dilapidated barrel away from the wall, looked up. Applejack watched as Rainbow Dash nervously scuffed a hoof against the cobblestones of the alleyway, peering up at Pinkie from beneath her mane in a fair imitation of Fluttershy. "Oh." It was one of the shortest pronouncements Pinkie had ever made. She glanced from the obviously bashfully infatuated Rainbow Dash to Twilight. "But I thought you'd cured her? She was acting all normal and not obsessive-y earlier!" Twilight frowned, her eyes widening. "You're right! I can't believe I didn't notice. I was just so shocked about Lyra, and then we were running, and I guess I just wasn't paying attention." "Well, she was actin' fine when she was with me. I figured that maybe the effect had worn off or somethin'. We'll figure it out once we're inside." Said Applejack curtly, trying to ignore the way Rainbow was gently nuzzling Pinkie's cheek, still blushing fit to burst. Applejack swivelled her ears and tried to hone in on any threatening noises from out in the main street instead, but it was relatively silent. Pinkie's cannon had apparently finished its volley of party paraphernalia, but there was no telling if their pursuers had recovered yet, or how Zecora was holding out against Lyra. Finally, after a cluster of tense moments that seemed much longer, Pinkie managed to move the barrel out of the way and began to prod at a series of seemingly random bricks. Applejack was grateful that Pinkie was ignoring Dash's tentative advances. She knew she was being stupid, but it hurt more than a bit to realise that when Dash had looked into her eyes nothing had changed. "Are you coming, Applejack?" Asked Twilight. The unicorn was eyeing her strangely. The orange mare shook her head, realising that she had been zoned out for several seconds. A small portion of the wall had swung inward to reveal a set of steps leading into a brightly lit room, into which Rainbow Dash and Pinkie had already disappeared. "Oh, yeah. Of course." Once they were all safely cloistered within, Pinkie climbed the steps and carefully shut the door, making sure the cracks blended evenly with the surrounding stone. The room wasn't very big, but it was warmly lit by a gas lamp hanging overhead, and was littered with crates and old furniture still ensconced in their protective dust-coverings. "Where are we?" Asked Applejack, partly out of curiosity and partly out of a need to avoid the more awkward topics of conversation that were sure to come up. "Oh, it's just the storage room behind Quills and Sofas." Responded Pinkie Pie, who had rejoined them at the bottom of the ladder and had settled into a dusty loveseat. Rainbow Dash quickly snuggled in beside her, face red and eyes darting anywhere but to the mare next to her. It was like she was a filly with her first schoolyard crush. "Apparently Derpy once dropped a big delivery around here and broke a few things. I found the loose bricks when I was stashing eye-patches one day and decided to explore." Despite Pinkie's earlier difficulty maintaining a straight face she sure wasn't having any trouble with it now. Her tone was uncharacteristically matter of fact, and though she wasn't being unkind to Dash, she wasn't paying her any extra attention, either. Applejack found it kind of sad how the normally brash pegasus fiddled with her hooves and shot what were supposed to be covert glances in the pink pony's direction. In a way, it had almost been easier to deal with the overt flirting that she had used on Mac. "Alright." Declared Twilight into the silence. "I have good news and bad news." Here the unicorn's gaze flickered to Applejack. "Though maybe the second half isn't necessarily as grim as I initially thought. Zecora told me that without a cure, the potion will continue to affect Rainbow for two weeks." Two weeks? Sweet Celestia I don't think I can put up with this for another fourteen days! "But," Twilight raised a hoof, "She also told me that there is a cure. Now I know it may sound a bit silly at first, but after thinking it over I've decided that -" "Spit it out already, Twi!" "Rainbowhastogetakissfromhertruelove." Pinkie gasped loudly, but Applejack was still in the dark. "Uh, pardon?" Twilight cleared her throat and spoke very deliberately. "Rainbow Dash has to receive a kiss from her true love." The room was silent. Applejack could feel her heart thudding away against her ribcage. Had she heard right? Twilight hadn't stuttered the second time, that was for sure. "Are - are ya sure, Twilight? I mean, don'tcha think that sounds a little, I dunno, fairytale-ish?" Twilight nodded. "I did at first, but the way Zecora explained it, it made sense. I mean, we defeat evil enemies with friendship, right? Is it really so strange to think that a kiss could cure a potion gone wrong?" Applejack mulled this over. When it's put like that...but... "But, how do we know who that's supposed to be?" She really hoped that her question came across as casual. She didn't think she could bear it if her face turned as red as Rainbow's for everyone to see. Especially if...well if it ain't me, then I guess I'll know once and for all. Not for the first time she wished for her Stetson, although right now she couldn't decide if she wanted to pull it over her face or touch the brim for luck. "Well..." Twilight shared a glance with Pinkie Pie. "I'm not entirely sure. Before now I didn't have much of an idea at all, but now..." Applejack could tell that Twilight was trying to be careful with her words. "Applejack, you said that Rainbow acted naturally when she was with you?" "Yeah," she managed. It was hard to keep the defeat out of her voice. "Yeah, we were back in the Mayor's office, and our cover was just about blown, and then Dash came up and looked me in the eye and asked me where ma hat was, like nothin' else was goin' on." Applejack regarded her blue friend, who was yawning hugely and attempting to sling a foreleg around Pinkie without being too obvious. For some reason Twilight winced at the sight and muttered something that Applejack couldn't make out. "Then we busted outta there and met up with you. You saw how she acted. It was like everything was normal. I thought that maybe she had been cured somehow, until - " she gestured with a hoof toward Pinkie, who was listening in on the conversation with keen interest. Twilight frowned. "Do you want me to tell you the exact words Zecora used when she told me about the cure?" "Sure, if ya think it's important." Twilight cleared her throat and put on her most whimsical tone. "'Heart's Desire is a powerful thing, its very presence causing dreams and goals to take wing. Another component is the plant Poison Joke, tempered in mixing, but still ready with fun and laughter to evoke. Where one plant finds truth, the other twists its tune, and the only cure is to find the one who can unite the two.'" "Uh...sorry, Twi. That still doesn't help me none." "I was confused at first, too, but now I think I get it. Truth, AJ. You're the only pony that Rainbow hasn't changed around after taking that potion. In a way, though, the feelings are still a lie. If you are Rainbow's...well, her true love, then it makes sense. If you're the one she's hiding stronger feelings from, but also the only one she can be her regular self with while under its influence, then you are the one who unites those two facets of the potion, and of Rainbow's emotions." Applejack felt like she was back in math class, although numbers had never caused this sort of overwhelming heat to crawl over her body. "I - I dunno, Twi. Maybe that was just her reaction to me. Pinkie said she acted different around each pony she got set up with." Twilight nodded. "Different. Exactly. The closest to normal she came was probably with Scootaloo, but even that was altered and intensified to a certain degree. She was exactly the same with you." Applejack could feel beads of sweat gathering behind her ears. "Look, just because I may want to be Rainbow's special somepony doesn't mean that she feels the same way. If anything, what happened only proves that she sees me as a friend, and nothin' else." "There's an easy way to find out for sure." Pinkie's voice was so quiet that Applejack almost missed it. Almost, but not quite. "She clearly wants to kiss you, not me." Replied Applejack defensively. Pinkie shook her head. "AJ, this isn't really Dashie." The pink pony watched as the pegasus continued to fiddle with her hooves, alternating between glancing about the room and trying to casually scoot closer to Pinkie on the loveseat. She didn't seem to be taking in their conversation, but her ears perked up and she gave Pinkie a hopeful smile at the sound of her nickname. "And I'm glad it isn't. This isn't the Dash we know and love. If you could bring her back, before she ends up humiliating herself even worse, don't you think it's worth a shot?" Applejack was beginning to cave. The combined pressure of both Pinkie's and Twilight's expectations, along with her own desire to help her friend, overwhelmed her fear of rejection. What use would waiting do now, anyway? It was either gonna work, or it wasn't, and putting off a confession until after Rainbow had gone gaga over the whole town would only hurt her friend, and - if today was anything to go by - other ponies as well. "Alright. I'll give it a try, but if it doesn't work, don't try and stop me from sayin' I told ya so." There were no jubilant cries or taunting smirks, only a pair of hopeful nods from her friends. Applejack sucked in a deep breath and cautiously approached the loveseat. "Uh, Pinkie, ya mind?" "Oh, not at all!" The pink pony pried herself from the tiny couch and gave Applejack a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she moved out of the way. Rainbow Dash watched her go with a mixture of dejectedness and confusion. Alright, how to go about this? This ain't exactly how I imagined kissing her for the first time. Or any time. How exactly do ya put feeling into it when you know she's thinkin' abut another mare? "Hey, Dash." She muttered softly. The pegasus stopped attempting to peek around Applejack at Pinkie and instead met the gaze of the mare in front of her. "Um, hi." The response, even if it was only two words, was so unlike the usual Rainbow Dash that Applejack had to stop herself from backing up several paces. This isn't right. It's not even her. It's like I'll be kissing a stranger. Dash's head was cocked to the side, magenta eyes watching Applejack with what looked like concern and confusion. Just get it over with. You've been wantin' this forever, ya might as well just do it. And with that, Applejack leaned forward before she could talk herself out of it. Just before their muzzles met and Applejack's eyes closed, the magenta ones flashed with a spark of recognition. "AJ - ?" Any further sound was cut off as their mouths met and the world disappeared.