//------------------------------// // Kissing // Story: Potion Commotion // by MellowMabari //------------------------------// The storage room, Pinkie Pie and Twilight all dissolved in Applejack's mind. She was kissing Rainbow Dash. Maybe it was the heat of the moment - the fact that she'd been wanting something like this to happen for months - that overruled the part of her mind that was telling her that the real Rainbow Dash was zonked out, and that she had fulfilled her part with the kiss already. If this is the only kiss I get, I might as well enjoy it. She couldn't help but wrap her hooves around the other mare and push more firmly against her. And to her immense surprise, Rainbow Dash pushed back. Blue hooves made their way around Applejack's neck, one stopping to toy with her mane. A tongue flicked against her lips, and without thinking Applejack eagerly parted them to allow Rainbow entrance. Exactly how long they wrestled with each other was a mystery, but when they finally broke apart they were both panting and Applejack could feel the pounding of Rainbow's heart against her chest. She could also feel her own lips tugging into a very large, and likely very goofy, grin despite the uncertainty roiling in her middle. She was almost afraid to look up and meet Rainbow's eyes. Did she think I was Pinkie while we were kissin'? Or maybe the potion kicked in and this time she actually fell fer me fer some reason? Applejack steeled herself. Only one way to find out... Applejack imagined that Rainbow's expression mimicked that of somepony who had taken one too many apples to the head, but who for some reason seemed particularly pleased about it. A softly breathed but still quite audible, "Wow," made Applejack remember her audience. She whirled around to spot Twilight and Pinkie staring at her and Dash, the latter two still entangled in each other's hooves. She wasn't sure which one of them had spoken, as their faces bore identical expressions of slack-jawed shock. If Applejack hadn't known better, she would've been inclined to think that somepony had gone around conking everybody over the head while she was making out with Rainbow Dash. "Well, I did it." She spoke into the silence. "Yeah. Yeah, you did." murmured Rainbow Dash. Her dopey grin had faded a little, being replaced with building worry. "But why? I remember getting ready to go into Pinkie's crazy hideout, and then just nothing...until...until your eyes, they were all up in my face, and then we were - um, we were kissing." The pegasus blushed a bright red, her face competing with the crimson streak in her mane. "Not that I mind! I just..." Rainbow extricated a hoof from Applejack's mane and rubbed the back of her own neck. "I feel like I'm going crazy, you know? I keep forgetting stuff and waking up in bizarro situations." Before Applejack could respond one of the ponies behind her let out a jubilant squee. "It worked! I thought it might, but I was nowhere near sure, and then you kissed, and now the spell appears to be broken!" Twilight cantered up to the entwined pair. "Oh, you have to tell me how it felt! Was there a spark, or flash of light? A feeling of increased energy? Do you know what a magical surge feels like? I never thought kissing was magic, but after the wedding with my brother and Cadence, I should have suspected! Oh, this opens up whole new vistas of research!" "Whoa, girl, settle down." Said Applejack, recognizing the slightly manic gleam in Twilight's eyes. It would be better to head off any investigations in lovin' until the present mess was all cleaned up. "So ya mean... ya think it worked?" "What worked?" Interjected Rainbow. "What spell? What're you guys talking about? Agh, I'm so confused!" Rainbow pulled herself from Applejack's embrace and took a few steps back. "Look, all I know is that I've been having a really weird day. Can someone just lay it all out for me?" Twilight appeared to be about to speak, but Rainbow raised a hoof, "In Equestrian. Not egghead-ese, if that's possible." Twilight sighed. Pinkie Pie bounded over to join them, her face-splitting grin shrinking to something a little more wary as the unicorn began to speak. "Well, Rainbow, you're not going to believe this, but this morning..." * * * "And I...I really...Oh Sweet Celestia, the Mayor?" Rainbow turned to face Applejack, looking somewhere between mortified and apologetic. "And your brother? I mean, he's cool and all, but I was ready to get frisky with him right then and there?!" "Well, I dunno about right then and there, but I don't reckon there woulda bin much waitin' goin' on if Pinkie hadn't-a shown up when she did. Mac was a real gentlecolt about rejectin' you, though," added Applejack in an attempt to soften the blow. Apparently it wasn't sufficient. "Well that was real swell of him." Grumped Rainbow, voice cracking. "Everypony will think he's great. But what about me? I'm gonna be a laughing stock!" Her eyes widened and real fear entered into the equation for the first time. "Forget Mac, what about Law? I'm gonna be arrested! Oh no, no no no no no! The Wonderbolts don't accept anyone with a criminal record! Even if I get out of jail before my feathers turn grey they'll still turn me away! And the princess will have to find a new Element of Loyalty - I can't save the world if I'm in the slammer!" Before the situation could devolve into claims of self-imposed exile or moon banishment, Applejack stepped in and placed her fore-hooves on Rainbow's shoulders. When she spoke her voice was softer than usual. "Hey, look at me." The pegasus sucked in a breath and magenta eyes slowly ascended to lock with green. "I know this all seems a mite overwhelmin' right now, but you gotta calm down. This was all just a silly little accident. Sure, ya took somethin' ya shouldn't have, but I'm sure after a bit Lyra will forgive ya." The minty unicorn's enraged face floated before her mind's eye, but she shook her head. Well, maybe it'll take more than a bit... "You weren't yer right self when ya did all those things. Once we explain it all to the Mayor I'm sure she'll drop the charges." Against you, anyway. Maybe Pinkie and I can claim insanity. Well, Pinkie could. Maybe I could become a travelling apple sales-mare? I'd wander from town to town with my cart of trusty apples, doing odd jobs and staying one hoof ahead of the law...ugh, now who's exaggerating? She'd abandoned all thoughts of becoming a travelling pony when she was still a filly, but somehow the realization that she could be facing jail time urged them back to the surface. Rainbow appeared to be thinking along the same lines. "But AJ, what about you? And Pinkie and Twilight?" The panic that had been in the process of ebbing flared to full force on Rainbow's face. "This is all my fault! Now you three will be banished! And you said Rarity helped with your disguises, right? That means she's guilty by association - I've seen enough CSI: Manehatten to know that! It's Ok, though. I'll quit my job and help out on the farm, and run the library in my spare time. And Fluttershy can take care of Spike and run the Boutique..." "Rainbow, I don't think - " "But then what about the Cakes? They'll need a new foal-sitter. I could try, but I'm not that great with foals who aren't old enough to look up to me yet. Fluttershy could, but how's she gonna have time between making dresses? Twilight, you can still send friendship reports from jail, right? Of course you can - you'll all be in there because of me!" Pinkie Pie looked helplessly at Twilight. Rainbow Dash was hyperventilating a little, eyes darting about the room as if the walls were closing in on her. "Should AJ kiss her again?" Asked Pinkie uncertainly. "Maybe it can fix this too?" "Um, as much as I respect the magic of love, I don't think it can be used as a cure-all." Replied Twilight, though she too was looking a little worried. "Applejack, you actually kicked a Law pony? When you said 'rescued Dash' I thought it was more of a grab and go type of scenario." Her glance took in Pinkie as well. "And you impersonated doctors?" Applejack and Pinkie nodded solemnly. Twilight frowned and lapsed back into silent thought. Just as the feeling in the room was in danger of switching from vaguely tense to full out panic, Rainbow surfaced from her spaz-fest, muzzle buckled in a frown. "So - wait - why did you think kissing me would cure me? If a kiss was all it took, why didn't Twi just let me do it way back in the library? You know, before this whole mess got chucked into one of Mr. Breezy's industrial strength fans?" An uncomfortable silence ensued. It had been doing that a lot, lately. When Twilight had taken the liberty of explaining the day's exploits to Rainbow, with several helpful additions from either Applejack or Pinkie, she had decided to leave out the whole true love's kiss solution and had instead said that Zecora had merely offered vague advice and had come to the library to help. Applejack had frowned at her when it came up, but Dash had become so distressed after taking in all of the other information that she figured it couldn't do too much harm waiting to unload that particular bomb-shell on her friend. Now, though, it looked like it was time to fess up. The apples had been bucked and were fixin' to wallop her on the head if she didn't fetch a bucket quick enough. Where was I goin' with that metaphor? I'm just gonna leave them things for Twi from now on. "Well, aheh, you see, Rainbow - " began Twilight, rubbing a hoof over her neck and looking all sorts of awkward. Applejack decided to spare the poor mare having to explain this, too. Besides, it was bound to come out, eventually, and after tongue wrestling with Rainbow it wasn't like her motives were all that difficult to pinpoint. Although, with Dash you never really know. Best I just lay it out all straight like once and for all. "I reckon cuz the only way to properly cure ya was a good ol' makeout session with your true love. Or heart's desire. Or something like that. I was never good at makin' heads or tails of zebra nonsense." Rainbow Dash spun from Twilight to Applejack, eyes wide. "I - you - true - buwhah?" Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes. Yep, 'bout what I expected. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I guess I oughta say it properly, just so there's no confusion. And because I was raised right." She made sure to meet Rainbow's gaze levelly. The pegasus had trouble maintaining eye contact for the first few seconds, but seemed to come to some sort of important internal conclusion and matched Applejack's posture. "Well I guess the cat's outta the bag now, though I have no idea why anyone would put the poor critter in one to begin with. Twilight went to Zecora's to see if she had some sort of magic mumbo jumbo that could set you right - like you already know." Rainbow nodded slowly. Where before she had been hesitant to properly meet Applejack's eyes, now she was regarding her with an uncharacteristic seriousness. Applejack cleared her throat and continued, hoping what she had to say would warrant this undivided attention. "What we didn't tell you was that Zecora did have a solution. To counteract the potion you stole from Lyra - " Rainbow winced. " - you had to unite two parts of yourself by kissing someone who ya loved. Or who loved you. Or...who maybe could come to love you, and vice versa. I'm not really up on the details. The whole thing seems mighty contrived, but who am I to question magic? If a zebra and a unicorn, especially one as smart as Twi - " Applejack shot a small grin over her shoulder at the mare in question, who returned the gesture, albeit a little shyly. "can agree on something like that, then I ain't about to get in the way of it." Here Applejack paused again. She shot down the desire - one that had been plaguing her repeatedly since the whole dress up fiasco - to fiddle with her absent hat and ploughed on, trying to inject as much sincerity into her words as she possibly could. "Now Rainbow, I can't claim to know if I am in love with ya - that's a powerful word, and I don't want ta use it before I know for sure. That sorta thing only ends with broken hearts or bucks to the face. Sometimes both." She cleared her throat. C'mon, just say the words, AJ. Then it's out in the open. For real, no more silly love potion to hide behind. "Anyway, what I do know is that I've been sweet on you for a while, and that I'd really like to give something with you a shot, iff'n, erm, iff'n yer willing." As much as she wanted to kick herself for doing it, Applejack finally broke the prolonged eye contact with Dash and let her gaze drift down to the floor. Dash had seemed perfectly alright with kissing her earlier, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. The pegasus had been all hopped up on love potion, and had probably been happy to make out with anyone, regardless of identity. Or am I just makin' excuses? Am I scared that she might actually want to give it a shot, but even after all of this, it might not work out? Applejack's train of thought was derailed as a blue hoof found its way under her chin, forcing her frowning muzzle up to face Rainbow's unreadable expression. She hadn't even heard the pegasus approach. "You said that Zecora's cure was a kiss from my 'true love'?" Applejack nodded mutely, feeling Rainbow's hoof slide up to the soft fur of her cheek with the movement. "Then, after being convinced by Twilight and Pinkie, you kissed me?" Another nod. With this admission, Rainbow nudged even closer, bringing their noses to the point where the distance between them was virtually nonexistent. If Applejack hadn't been holding hers, their breath would have co-mingled. "And now, here I am, as myself," Rainbow flitted forward, lips lightly brushing against Applejack's nose, then her forehead. Her mouth returned to its previous position, hovering over Applejack's own, "Kissing you back." And with that, Rainbow pushed forward the last little bit, and two minds went blissfully blank. If the first kiss had been tempered by uncertainty and confusion, this one was filled with surprise and the feeling that maybe this had been a long time coming. A certainty, or at least a confidence, returned to Applejack as her hooves drifted down to toy lightly with the base of Dash's wings, driving the pegasus to let out a soft and rather girly whimper against her lips. Maybe things wouldn't be perfect - heck, that'd be boring, anyway. Maybe Dash and her would give this their all, and maybe, for whatever reason, things wouldn't work out and they'd be forced to part as mates. AJ couldn't predict the future, and she wasn't inclined to ask Madame Pinkie about this particular subject. What she did know, what she could guarantee, was that Rainbow would stand by her no matter what - as a lover or a friend, or, hopefully, both. And she knew that she would do the same. In some far flung corner of her mind, Applejack registered that she was kissing her friend, rather passionately, in front of two of her other friends for the second time that day. With a small grin and an almost imperceptible shrug, she pushed against Dash with renewed fervor. She'd need to come up for air soon, but not quite yet.