"Rainbow, am I doin' it right?" Applejack's voice was strained as she levitated herself with only
small, slow flaps.
Rainbow carefully inspected Applejack from up close, her mane getting blown away with every flap she made. "Straighten your back a bit more and let your feathers hang loose a bit."
AJ adjusted her movements accordingly and looked back to Dash for confirmation.
"That's it, that's the perfect position for the 360 shoop-da-loop barrel front flip dive. With moves like that, you'd win the next Best Young Flyer competition in a pinch," Dash said with confidence.
"Hang on there, sugarcube. I'm gettin' my wings removed when Apple Bloom's back, remember?" AJ said as she gently stopped flapping and lowered herself to the ground.
"A mare can dream, huh?" Dash flew up to AJ and looked at her wings. "I'm serious though, with those wings, I wouldn't be surprised if Celestia just cancelled the competition and gave you the crown from the start."
"Enjoy my wings while you can Dash, I ain't plannin' on havin' another potion while talkin' with Fluttershy and-" AJ fell silent.
Dash flew to the front to look AJ in the face. "What is it, is there something wrong?"
"Sugarcube, have you seen Fluttershy lately? Like for the past few days or so?"
Dash frowned in thought. "Not really, but you know how she and Rarity are. I bet they're doing some mushy romantic stuff." Dash stuck out her tongue in mock-disgust.
AJ got an alarming look on her face. "Uh, Dash? Fluttershy was with me when I accidentally put that potion in my coffee. She asked for a bit of 'milk' as well."
There was a sickening silence until suddenly Dash burst out laughing. "Oh, this I gotta see. This is going to be awesome. C'mon AJ, let's go to Fluttershy," Dash said as she beckoned AJ to come with her.
Though AJ wanted anything but have to look at the mess that she inadvertently created, she could at least comfort Fluttershy and tell her what caused it. AJ caught up with Dash and then they both took flight.
In the Everfree Forest, Apple Bloom and Twilight just arrived at Zecora's hut, the two already in hefty conversation. "I'm tellin' you Twilight, Poison Joke grows in the middle of the forest, unless the rooster crows three times."
"But isn't that the place of the Purple Grass plant if you have four rocks with you?"
"No, that one grows near the timberwolf dens if you're carryin' three rocks. The Yellow Grass plant grows in the east if you've eaten four hayburgers," Apple Bloom said as they moved even closer to Zecora's hut.
"Then where do the Mohawk Hills grow?" Twilight still hadn't grasped the workings of the Everfree Forest in the few visits she made there. Apple Bloom was far more experienced in that matter, if not for all their crusades in the forest, then for all the time she spent with Zecora.
Before Apple Bloom could respond however, the door to Zecora's hut opened as Zecora stepped outside. "That, my dear, grows quite near. It grows around the Mirror Pond. Of places with magic, they are quite fond. I couldn't help but hear you chat, is there a discussion to be had?"
"Nothing to worry about, Apple Bloom was just telling me about the forest. But Zecora, we need your help."
"Tell me what it is that troubles you, and I will see if I can make due," Zecora said as she examined Twilight, looking for any obvious problems.
"There's a bit of trouble going on in Ponyville, with which Heart's Desire is involved. Do you still have any Seeds of Truth?"
"That is troubling news indeed, for this cure isn't just any seed." Zecora went inside to retrieve the cure as she went on, "I have only one more seed, getting more would require great speed."
"One is all we need Zecora," said Apple Bloom as she stepped into the hut after Zecora.
Zecora returned from her shelves with a vial containing the one seed that was left. "Ah, my sweet Apple Bloom. This hearty trouble is your doing, I presume?"
Apple Bloom was taken aback by Zecora's bold accusation. "Uh, yeah, but it wasn’t my fault. It wasn't meant to be taken by ponies that didn't want it,” she said with a slight frown.
"An interesting tale that might be, for now you must move with haste. We can't allow this much time to go to waste," Zecora said as she handed Twilight the vial, which Twilight promptly took with her telekinesis.
"Thank you, Zecora," Twilight said as she and Apple Bloom headed back to Sweet Apple Acres.
"C'mon Raritiy, look," Fluttershy asked with a begging look on her face.
"Darling, I saw it the first twelve times. I think you’ve proved that the nature listens to you.”
"Oh, but this time it's different, please look."
As Rarity took her eyes away from the book she'd been reading and looked over to Fluttershy, she noticed her standing in a patch of high grass. It looked as if there were dents in it from her point of view.
Standing up to get a better look at the patch, she saw a small line of text written in the patch 'I love you Rarity, lots of love, Fluttershy'.
Rarity's eyes welled up at the romantic gesture. It were small things like these that made her feel all the more appreciated. Fluttershy had a way to brighten up every dark day and never run out of sweet things to do.
Rarity closed the distance between her and Fluttershy in a small trot and gave Fluttershy a small tackle, effectively getting her on her back, with Rarity jumping right on top of her.
"Oh dear, it seems I'm behind on my romance quota. Whatever shall I do?" Rarity said with an overly dramatic tone in her voice.
"I got it, what would happen if I did this?" and with that she moved her mouth to Fluttershy's ear and gave it a soft and slow lick. Rarity moved her mouth back and met Fluttershy's in a deep and passionate kiss. After what felt like an eternity to both of them, they let go of each other, both gasping for breath. "I think I want to get a decent lead now, darling."
As Rarity began to give soft kisses on Fluttershy's face, evoking slight moans and squeaks of pleasure, Rainbow and AJ were just arriving at the small patch of grass.
"Hey AJ, there they are. Wait... are they fighting?" Dash asked, still far enough so Fluttershy and Rarity didn't hear her.
As a blush got on AJ's face, she responded, "Uh sugarcube, I don't think what they are doin' is fig-"
"Hey, and Fluttershy’s losing. C’MON FLUTTERSHY!!"
Suddenly all movement ceased at the kissing couple. After a few moments, Rarity poked her head up at a heavily blushing Applejack and Rainbow who was still cheering. Rarity looked back down, mouthed a quick "I'll get you next time" and jumped off of Fluttershy.
"Why, Rainbow and Applejack, what brings you two to our... errr... grasscounting, yes, we were counting the grass," Rarity said with a laugh, unable to hide the tinge of annoyance in it.
Applejack took word while Dash was wrapping her head about why married couples always want to count the grass. "Well, me and Rainbow were just in the neighborhood and thought we might drop by and..."
Any further words went unsaid as Fluttershy rolled herself on her belly to get back on her hooves, exposing her empty backside.
"Fluttershy! What happened to your wings?” Dash asked with a look of terror on her face.
Applejack quickly pitched in. "It must be that potion. Don't worry Fluttershy, we'll get you back to normal."
"Um... You don't really have to-"
Applejack continued unabated. "Twi should be back from Zecora anytime now. As you can see, I'm havin' a bit of wing trouble as well."
"Oh it's no trouble. I don't really mind-"
"We'll have you back in tip-top shape in no time."
"Ahem," Rarity loudly cleared her throat. "Fluttershy is trying to say something. Go ahead, my dear."
Fluttershy nervously continued. "I don't really mind... I mean, I like being an earth pony. I'd like to stay like this...i-if that's not too much trouble."
"But Fluttershy, your wings," Dash exclaimed in outrage. "How could you want to get rid of them? Sure you're not the fastest flier, or the most elegant flier, or the flier with the biggest wings or...”
"I think she gets the point, Rainbow," Applejack interjected. "Now Fluttershy, I can understand you not wantin' your wings, but just gettin' rid of 'em and becomin' an Earth pony? That just 'aint natural."
"I don't care that I'm supposed to be one of the pegasi. I'm happier as an Earth pony, than I ever could be as a pegasus. I never want to turn back to clumsy Fluttershy." Fluttershy stomped her hooves for emphasis and a few apples fell from a nearby tree, rolling gently to Fluttershy's hooves.
"But c'mon Fluttershy," Dash whined. "You did okay when we had to make a tornado to get water to Cloudsdale."
Fluttershy gave a scoffing laugh. "I did well for a few seconds, the other pegasi were flying like that for minutes. Without wings, at least nopony has expectations of me, and... a-and, Applejack, why are you looking at me like that?"
Everyone turned to Applejack, who had been staring at Fluttershy. "Uh, don’t mind me. I’m just feeling a lot of earth pony magic come from your hooves. I bet you'd make a fine applebucker."
"Thank you Applejack, but I don't want to buck the trees. I want to touch and feel them, not hurt them. I feel like the entire nature is my friend now and I wouldn't change that for anything. So you can keep your cure."
"Are you sure? What about the flyin' animals that you have to care for?"
"I asked them if they would mind coming down for that and they didn't mind. I'm really convinced about this Applejack. I'm glad I had that coffee with you. O-of course, I wish you good luck with getting rid of those wings. I guess the potion didn't give you something you wanted huh?" Fluttershy said as she gently laid back on the ground, next to Rarity.
That last line struck a nerve in Applejack. Somethin' I want? What do I want exactly? Do I actually want wings?
"Helloooo? Anypony home?” Rainbow asked as she waved her hoof in front of Applejack. “Sheesh Applejack, you kinda zoned out there. What do you say we get back to the barn and let Rarity and Flutters continue their fight? I bet Twilight's nearly back from Zecora."
"Yeah, I think we better head back. Bye y'all, I hope you sort out your fight," Applejack said with a wink, unseen by Dash and then turned back towards the farm. Dash soon followed, trotting perhaps a bit too closely to Applejack but she said nothing of it.
The walk back to Sweet Apple Acres passed in silence. Applejack being deep in thought and Rainbow sneaking fast glances at AJ and her wings. If AJ bothered to look back, she would've noticed a blush appearing on Rainbow's face.
After a while Rainbow spoke up. "You know, I can't believe you want to get rid of those wings. They fit you so well."
"I'm perfectly happy with bein' just a regular earth pony." Am I? "Them wings brought me nothin' but trouble." Did they really? "Bein' a pony of two races is just too darn confusin'." ”At least, it will be eventually.”
Rainbow just shook her head and looked back forward. She just couldn't grasp how a potion, specifically made to give you what you want most, ends up giving something you hate. There must be a piece of the puzzle missing yet Rainbow couldn't think of what.
Applejack felt bad about speaking so ill of something that was esentially a gift very few ponies got to experience, to be part of a different race with different abilities. The longer she thought about it, the more convinced she became that she actually didn't mind having her wings. My wings. Applejack couldn't recall when she had started to refer to them as her wings but it seemed appropriate.
Applejack and Rainbow were moving through the south orchards when they heard a squeak of glee and turned to find Twilight and Apple Bloom running towards them.
"Oh Applejack, I'm glad we found you. Now you don't have to wait till we get to the farm to lose your wings. I got the seed with me," Twilight said as she showed the vial, before making a small pit in the ground and dropping the seed in it. "Now, go ahead, tell us why you have wings."
Applejack was still a bit stunned by Twilight's enthusiasm. She quickly recovered as she saw Twilight staring at her, waiting for a reaction.
"Uh... oh yeah, why I have my wings." Why do I have them? Applejack positioned herself closer to the small mound of dirt. "I got my wings because... b-because I wanted more freedom in my life, to explore the sky."
Twilight's grin got wider as she looked at the buried seed in anticipation. Soon the remedy for Applejack's problems would grow and everything would be okay.
A few minutes passed and Twilight's grin was visily deflating by the second. "Uh Twi, is it broken or somethin'?"
Twilight averted her look to the ground. "Seeds don't get broken Applejack. It's... just not working," she finished with a frown on her face.
Apple Bloom looked at the pile of dirt. "How come it doesn't work? It worked fine when I was havin' trouble."
Twilight pawed at the ground. "I have no idea. Herbiculture is a whole new area for me. Maybe the seed was bad but it was the last one Zecora had."
Applejack felt a mix of relief and disappointment. Yet she hated seeing Twilight like this. "Look sugarcube, I know that ya tried and that's what's important. I can go a few more days with these things, maybe one of your books has a different solution."
That got Rainbow's attention. "Wait, so you're gonna keep the wings for a few more days?" As Applejack nodded in confirmation, Rainbow pumped her hoof in the air. "Awesome."
"Twi, are you gonna be okay? You seemed mighty hung on helpin' me with this problem."
Twilight gave a small nod. "I'll be fine Applejack. In fact, I think I know a few books that might have something useful in them. What do you say we meet back at the farm in a few days and we'll look from there?"
I'll manage with these wings until then, maybe get a few more flyin' lessons. I don't think Rainbow has a problem with that," she said with a small glance at Rainbow's smiling face.
As Apple Bloom went to say something, Applejack interjected her. "And Apple Bloom, I know you didn't do this on purpose. You should know better but I forgive you."
Applejack closed the distance between her and Apple Bloom and gave her a hug. "But don't think you're of the hook yet," she whispered.
Apple Bloom returned the hug, making a mental note to herself to hide some of the other stuff for her crusading, just in case.
"Okay, break it up! I've got a farmpony to train and we're losing awesomeness by just standing here," Rainbow said with a whistle and cap she seemingly produced out of nowhere.
Applejack and Apple Bloom broke of their hug, with Apple Bloom motioning AJ to go, lest not to keep Dash waiting. Apple Bloom had a look on her face that insisted she knew more than she let on but Applejack ignored it and stepped to Rainbow Dash.
"Twilight, I wish you luck with tryin' to find a cure. Don't hurry yourself though, you know how you get when you stress yourself."
"I'll keep that in mind Applejack. Bye." And she was off with a flash of her teleport.
Apple Bloom looked at Applejack and Rainbow. "I-I'll just leave y'all alone," she said before hurrying to the farmhouse.
Shrugging it off, Dash went to explain the next lesson. "You see, the key to flying is..."
The few days slowly turned into a few weeks as Twilight didn't manage to find a solution. Every book she consulted insisted that Heart's Desire was connected to the truth plant and that without the correct truth, it would not grow.
Twilight had her suspicions about AJ's wings however. It was at the end of the second week that she called for Pinkie to come to the library.
"Okay Pinkie, I bet you're wondering why I asked you to drop by," Twilight said.
"Oh oh, is it because I used your mane-gel for halloween? Or you found out I love you? Did you find my missing wormhole for beard emergencies?" Pinkie asked in one breath.
"Wait, what was that second thing?" Twilight often had trouble understanding Pinkie due to her rambling.
"Uh... Pickles make for bad glasses?"
Mentally filing away to test that theory, Twilight focused on the matter at hand.
"No Pinkie, that's not why I called for you here. You... you could be considered an expert on the field of happiness, right?"
"If that's just fancy talk for make ponies happy, then yeppers," Pinkie said with a big grin.
"You've seen Applejack lately, right? Doesn't she look... you know, happier than usual?"
"Of course she is, with all the time she's spending with Dashie."
Twilight froze in her analytic stance. Carefully examining what Pinkie just said, she offered the most coherent response she could form. "Wut?"
Pinkie didn't miss a beat of Twilight's confusion. "Oh, I'll talk in brainy-talk to make you understand."
Producing a moustache out of nowhere, she stood up straight and continued, "My dearest Twilight, it seems that our lovely Applejack particularly enjoys spending time with our favourite prismatic pegasus. I believe ulterior motives beyond friendship are involved," Pinkie finished with a satisfied nod to herself.
The strict and educated way of talking calmed Twilight immediately. "Wait, so you think that they're in lo-"
"Yeppers."
"Then why haven't they told us? I'm sure we all would be supportive of it," Twilight asked confused.
"See, that's the tricky part. I think they don't know yet that they love each other. Applejack's wings gave her a chance to spend time with Dashie, they've gotten a lot closer since then. But not smoochy-woochy close yet," Pinkie finished with an unsatisfied look on her face.
"B-but I've been looking for a way to get rid of her wings for two weeks now," Twilight said, frowning. Then she looked up with a fire in her eyes. "I know, I'll help them realise their love for eachother. I'll make a list and everything."
Pinkie waved a hoof in front of Twilight's face. "Nu-uh, no meddling. That's rule number one in the 'In love with your friend' handbook. I didn't tell my friends I was in love as well."
Twilight's face froze again. She could've sworn she heard Pinkie use the word love that time.
"Pinkie, mind repeating that last thing again?"
"Uh... I wonder how much eggs fit in a glove," Pinkie said nervously looking away.
Eyeing Pinkie with suspicion, Twilight checked her mental agenda for a spot to test that question. Another problem called for her attention however. "What do I do about AJ's wings then?"
Letting out a sigh of relief, Pinkie responded, "That's easy, do nothing."
Twilight looked on the verge of shouting in outrage, when it suddenly clicked in her head. "You're right Pinkie, if there's a chance that Applejack will find happiness with Rainbow, then I think I can forget to look through every book in the library for a few more weeks."
"Yeppers, and since I'm a whatchamacallit on happiness, that means that I know best," Pinkie responded with a proud grin.
Twilight just smiled and started looking for a pickle to start experimenting.
"Okay AJ, clouds are one of the most important things to a pegasus. We live and sleep on them and we control the weather with them. A pegasus learns to handle them on instinct but since you didn't have the years of growing up as a pegasus, I'll give you a crash course," Rainbow said, cap on her head and whistle hanging around her neck.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Applejack said, smiling at how Rainbow got into her role as a coach. Applejack was wary in the beginning with how strict Rainbow was with training Applejack but the results spoke for themselves. In a few weeks time, Applejack had grown into a very capable earth-Pegasus. As soon as another training started, they weren't Rainbow and Applejack anymore. They were a student and her coach. A trainer and her trainee.
Rainbow continued on, noticing AJ's smile, making a small grin appear on her face as well. "The first and most important thing any pegasus should know, is how to walk on clouds. All it takes is to succeed once and you'll never have problems with it again, ever. After your first success, your pegasus instincts will remember everything and adapt to your needs from then on."
Rainbow flew up to a cloud and moved her hoof closer. "You want the cloud to be solid? Bam, your magic has already taken care of that. Do you want to fly through the cloud as though there was no cloud at all? Think it and do it," Dash said as she stomped her hoof on what appeared to be solid cloud matter, only to stir in the cloud as though it was water afterwards.
Applejack looked on in amazement. Unknowingly to Dash, AJ already had tried a few times to work with the clouds, yet she couldn't touch a single one. For Dash to make it seem that simple, was an amazing feat for AJ.
"DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES, MAGGOT?!!" Rainbow yelled from right behind Applejack. Applejack was too lost in thought and hadn't noticed Dash flying behind her.
Despite hovering in the sky, AJ did jump a few feet in the air with a bewildered look. AJ quickly recovered shouting, "Ma'am, yes ma'am," and striking a salute with her right hoof. It took a bit longer to get her heartbeat back under control.
"You know how to manipulate the magic in the air with your wings, cloudwalking is based on doing that with your hooves," Rainbow Dash continued. "Like your wings, pegasus hooves are very sensitive. They are constantly responding to the magic that's reaching out to it. I don't know how it works with you having Earth pony and Pegasi magic but you should be able to make your hooves react."
Applejack cast a questioning look at her hoof. "Make them react? And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"Uh, it's sorta like... I mean, you could look at it as... Uh..." Rainbow Dash stuttered. "Well, it's just something that you do when you focus on it. Just try to make them interact with the magic."
AJ raised an eyebrow at Dash and went back to look at her hooves. Applejack closed her eyes in concentration and focused on getting the same tingling feeling as her wing to get to her hooves.
A few minutes passed until Applejack slowly opened her eyes. "I think I have it, Rainbow. I've got that tinglin' feelin' in my hooves now."
"Then what are you waiting for? A written invitation? Go show that cloud who's boss," Rainbow said with a proud look on her face.
Applejack flew over to the cloud Dash used for her presentation and hovered above it. Applejack let herself fall from the sky and straight on the cloud... and straight through.
"Applejack, use your wings!!" Dash shouted at AJ while preparing to catch her in case she panicked. Applejack kept falling for a few more meters until she evened out again and flew back to Dash. "Okay Applejack, that's how it's not done."
AJ smiled sheepishly at Dash and went back to the same cloud. The hole she'd made had already sealed back up. "I really thought I could do it. You make it look so easy."
"That's because I've had a lot of practice. Normally a pegasus attempts this when they're more than four years old. You've been a pegasus for a bit more than a few weeks, of course it's gonna be hard."
Applejack had several more tries during the afternoon. It was late in the afternoon when she finally succeeded... and never failed again.
"That's it, class dismissed," Dash said, which she concluded with a blow on her whistle. Applejack's straight posture visibly slackened as she relaxed.
"So whatever happens, as long as I don't want it, I won't fall through?" Applejack asked.
"Yup, Now you can do whatever you wa- AAAHHH!!"
Applejack flung herself at Dash, sending them both crashing in the clouds below. "Guess that's just one more place where I can whoop your flank in wrestlin'," AJ said, lying on top of Rainbow in a makeshift meatpile.
"It is on!" Rainbow Dash managed to push AJ off of her and immediately jumped after her, determined to claim superiority. As she neared Applejack in mid-air, she caught the look on her face. Not the look of someone that had just been bested but the look of a hunter, watching her prey spring a trap. Oh fiddlesticks
Rainbow tried to slow her descent, flapping rapidly with her wings but to no avail. AJ rolled to the side leaving her to pounce the cloud she was lying on. She then quickly got back to her hooves and plowed into Dash's side.
The both of them rolled across the cloud, each of them trying to outdo the other. But alas, while Rainbow had the most experience using her wings in battle, AJ could rely on her good ol' Earth Pony strenght and pretty decent wing skills.
Their small tumble came to a stop, Rainbow lying with her back on the cloud defeated, with Applejack standing triumphantly above her. "No fair, you always catch me off guard."
Applejack didn't respond. She was looking at Rainbow as if in a trance.
"Hey AJ, you're zoning out again. Are you oka-" Any further words were silenced as Applejack bowed her head down and met Dash's lips with her own in a deep and passionate kiss.
As AJ let herself melt in the kiss, she felt like the missing piece of the puzzle had finally been revealed. Her strange dream about wings, the vague blue shape and her eventual success in capturing it thanks to her own wings. Spending nearly every free moment with Dash, insisting to herself that it was for training, but knowing full well she was already one of the best flyers in Ponyville.
What surprised Applejack however, was that Dash kissed back with just as much passion as she herself felt. Applejack felt Dash's tongue grazing at her lips, asking to gain entry.
Applejack opened her lips a bit and let Dash's tongue slip inside. What Dash had lost in wrestling, she seemed to want to correct with tongue-wrestling. Applejack wouldn't roll over without a fight but the fight was already lost with how good Rainbow made her feel.
After what felt like an eternity but was little more than a minute, they broke apart. Rainbow Dash was gasping with a look of utter contentment on her face and Applejack had a healthy blush along with a smile as big as it could get.
As the daze from her actions began to wear off, so did her smile. She'd just kissed Rainbow Dash, completely out of the blue. Sure, she kissed back, but she could've been just as overwhelmed as Applejack felt at that moment.
"I-I...uh...I... I have to go," Applejack yelled before jumping off the cloud and rushing to the orchard below.
Dash was shocked out of her blissfull state. Did she really just... In an instant Dash was on her hooves and flew after her.
Rainbow caught glimpses of Applejack running through the orchard and moved to intercept her. Applejack was just turning a corner when Rainbow showed up in front of her. Rainbow moved quickly, knocking her off her hooves and letting her fall on her back.
She took the same position AJ had before that thing and put her hooves on AJ’s shoulders. When she looked in AJ's eyes however, she didn't saw a pony that thought she made a mistake, she saw a pony that was confused.
Applejack wanted to apologize, tell Dash that she didn't just run away after passionately kissing her.
AJ opened her mouth to begin sputtering apologies when Rainbow Dash made her move. She parted her lips as well and brought them down on AJ's, immediately slipping her tongue inside.
Dash was kissing with even more passion than before. The first kiss came as a surprise to her but this time she was fully aware of how much she wanted to kiss Applejack and never let go.
AJ was unresponsive at first, which Dash took as a bad sign, that maybe she'd made a mistake. Those thoughts were silenced though, as Applejack got over her initial shock and kissed back, her own tongue pushing against Rainbow's, trying to get as much of a taste from her as she could get.
Dash increased her efforts, determined to give AJ the best kiss she would ever had. Applejack moaned her approval at this development.
Convinced that she had left AJ as more of a puddle than a pony, Rainbow broke the kiss up and gave her a lick on her freckles, causing AJ to blush.
"Dash, w-why did you do t-that?" AJ was still blushing furiously and just seemed to radiate happiness.
"Now, care to explain why you flew off when you obviously feel the same way about me as I do about you?"
"I-I've been an idiot," AJ said, looking down at herself.
"Hey! I'm not gonna let anyone call my favorite pony an idiot, not even you," Dash said as nudged AJ's head back up and offered her a hoof. "Now, tell me what's wrong."
Applejack took Dash's hoof and got back on her hooves. "I'm an idiot 'cause it took me two weeks to figure out what these wings meant."
Rainbow looked at AJ's wings and then back to her. "Uh AJ, I'm not following. Mind explaining it to me?"
"Dash, did I ever tell you about the dream I got the first night after I got my wings?"
"I think I recall you mentioning something like that, yeah. Wasn't it about chasing something blue?" Dash asked.
"I might've left a few details out of it. Like how the blue shape looked like a pony with a rainbow on her head. Or about how it was escaping until I got my wings and managed to catch up to it. Or that I was on the verge of kissing her when I woke up."
"I'm still not following AJ, what does the blue thing have to do with- ... oh."
"Exactly," Applejack said with a blank expression.
"But then why did you get your wings then? It's not like I only date pegasi," Dash said with a chuckle.
"'Cause you're basically already married to the sky as it is," Applejack yelled, obviously distraught.
That struck a nerve within Rainbow. She did spend a lot of time with her head in the clouds. Even though she was pining after Applejack for a while now, if AJ wouldn't have gotten her wings, they wouldn't have hung out even half as much as they did the past weeks.
"T-that's not fair. You think just because I like to fly, I wouldn't want to spend any time with a friend just because she couldn't fly? And I thought you didn't know why you got your wings until just now."
"I-I didn't," replied Applejack, being caught a bit unaware of Dash's accusatory glance. "I reckon my heart knew what I wanted before I did."
"So then tell me, directly to my face, WHY did you get your wings?"
"'Cause I wanted you!! 'Cause I want to spend my life with you! I got my wings because I love you, Dash! The only regret I have, is that it took so darn long for me to figure that out.”
Dash rushed over to AJ, grabbing her in a tight hug. "That's all that I ever wanted to hear from you, AJ. And you're not the only idiot here. So many times I had the oppertunity to tell you how I felt, and I hesitated. But not anymore, I love you AJ," Dash said, giving her a kiss on her cheek.
I thought you weren't gonna let anypony insult me, you includin'," AJ said with a giggle.
Dash tensed up a bit. "Uh, well I meant, that...uh... I'm the only idiot around here?" Dash looked at AJ, hoping that it was the right response.
AJ looked at Dash with raised eyebrows until she couldn't take it anymore and broke out in a fit of laughing. Nopony would ever believe she got Dash to say that.
Dash was blushing as she looked at Applejack. Her beauty accentuated by the lovely sound of her laughter. Her laughing died down soon which Dash took as the cue to go on. "So, what are you gonna do about your wings?"
"I don't know, sugarcube. I'm not even sure I want to lose them anymore. They brought me such lovely things. The thrill of flyin' and you."
"Hey! I come second to flying?" Dash said with mock jealousy.
"Of course not, Dashie. You'll always be the most important to me," AJ said with a loving nuzzle. "And about my wings? I'll just keep them for now, it's not like we have a way to get rid of 'em now."
In the meantime, night had already fallen. The ponies could still see eachother clearly due to the abundance of fireflies but it was getting quite late.
"Anyway AJ, I hate to do this now, but I have to get up early for weather patrol tomorrow. So I should call it a night," Dash said with a slight frown.
"Oh," AJ responded. They were only together Are we together? for a few minutes and she already didn't want to leave Dash's side. Still, work came first and if there was anything that AJ understood, then it was work.
Rainbow studied Applejack's expression until her own lit up. "I'll just have to give you something to last until tomorrow."
Before the gravity of those words caught up with AJ's brain, her lips were caught by Rainbow's. Her legs went taut and went almost completely limp a few seconds later.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay AJ?"
Dash's kiss had left AJ as a mumbling mess so she just gave a small nod and kept staring forward with a vacant but happy smile.
Dash hated to leave Applejack like this but she was certain that AJ would snap out of it soon enough. Dash took flight to the skies above the orchard when she noticed something.
It looked like a nearby spot was being illuminated by some sort of glow. Certain that she could steal a few more minutes before calling it a day, Dash headed to the unearthly glow.
The cause of the glow wasn't hard to find as it seemed to radiate directly from the spot where Twilight buried the truth seed. The patch of soil now being occupied by the blossom of truth.
Dash landed right next to the patch and gently touched flower, as if it would fall apart in dust from even the gentlest touches.
Dash kept prodding the flower for a bit more until she was convinced that it was the real deal.
I got my wings because I love you, Dash!, came into Dash's mind. The way AJ shouted it made it possible that the admission of love was heard all the way over here.
Dash jumped up in joy, levitating herself in the air for a few seconds before landing next to the flower again. If this wasn't proof that AJ's feelings were genuine, then she didn't know what was.
Dash prepared herself to start shouting across the orchard, in the hopes that Applejack could still hear her, when another thought came back into her mind.
You're basically already married to the sky as it is. Dash quickly closed her mouth again. The words did ring true, but were they? Rainbow did enjoy flying a lot, but she wouldn't mind spending a lot more time on the ground.
Although, Applejack seemed insistent that without wings, she wouldn't have had a chance with Dash. The thought of that made a chill go across her spine.
Rainbow looked at the flower. The one thing that could take Applejack away from her just sat there, daring her to do something about it.
Rainbow moved closer to the flower with a determined look on her face. She made her mind up.
"I'm sorry AJ," Dash said, bringing her hoof up above the plant. "But you can't find out."
Rainbow brought her hoof down with a slam. The plant snapped in two like a twig. Rainbow stomped a few more times for good measure.
The glow of the plant slowly faded as the moisture inside trickled out, into the earth, until it was non-existent. The remains withered and shrinked making the plant a shadow of its former, blooming self.
Dash got back in the air and flew to her house to get a good night's sleep. She was already looking forward to spending tomorrow with Applejack.