Rainbow Dash stretched her wings and silently yawned. It was entirely too early to be awake, a fact made clear to her by the lack of sunlight and the dying crackles of the fire. Still, in the absence of the fire, a welcoming warmth encompassed her, and as she patted around in the darkness, she found herself draped in a thick blanket, which she tightened around herself, resting her head on something soft and warm. Mmm, Applejack, she thought, as her mind started to drift off into a deep slumber once more.
Her attempted return to sleep was short lived, however, as her face was immediately pelted repeatedly with a thin, furry object. Grasping consciousness again, Rainbow noticed that her pillow was not Applejack, but rather Winona, whose tail was the offending object. Shortly after this realization, a slobbery tongue covered every inch of Rainbow’s face, leaving thick trails of drool dribbling down onto the floor.
“Ugh, Winona!” whispered Rainbow, rubbing herself against the blanket in an effort to dry her face. The smell, however, decided to stick. Moving Winona out of licking distance, Rainbow looked around the dark room for Applejack. Finding no evidence of the pony in question, she frowned and a sense of dread filled her. Did she leave me already?
“Applejack?” she called out as loudly as she dared. Maybe she doesn’t—
A light flicked on and Applejack stepped out of the kitchen, whispering, “Rainbow, what are ya doin’ up this early in the morning?”
“I don’t know. I—I woke up and you weren’t there.”
Applejack trotted up to Rainbow and embraced her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d be up to notice.”
Rainbow slumped against Applejack and welcomed the hug, though her heart was beating in her throat. “Applejack...?”
“Mhmm?”
“You like me too, right?”
“Oh, is that what this is about?” Applejack nuzzled Rainbow, grinning. “Yeah, I reckon I like you a good deal.”
Rainbow exhaled and returned Applejack’s hug. “So what are you doing up at—” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “—three in the morning?”
“Don’t you worry about that none. It’s a surprise for tomorrow. Now, come on, let’s get you back to bed.” Applejack pushed Rainbow in the direction of the couch and picked the blanket up off the floor, tossing it over Rainbow.
Rainbow yawned again and sank into the couch as Applejack tucked her in.
“I’ll be here when ya wake up,” said Applejack, nuzzling Rainbow’s cheek. “I promise.”