//------------------------------// // *Wonderbolt* // Story: Southern Skies // by Jondor //------------------------------// “But, I thought bein’ a Wonderbolt was yer big dream.” Applejack was completely stunned. “It was, but I’ve been doing some thinking.” Rainbow sighed, feeling Applejack tense a little while cuddled against her back. “Thinkin’? Ya feelin’ okay?” Rainbow bangs draped over the orange hoof as it pressed against the cyan forehead. “I’m feeling just fine, thank you!” Dash grumbled. “I do think sometimes, you know.” Applejack hugged her lover a little tighter. “I know, but it’s too fun ta tease ya.” “Har har.” The pegasus scoffed. “You want to make fun, or you want to hear why I’ve made this huge and utterly life changing decision?” She put some Rarity-esque dramatic emphasis on those words. “I’m all ears, sugarcube.” The cowpony nuzzled against her pegasus’ neck, which had an immediate soothing effect on the blue mare. “Well, have you looked through my pile of Wonderbolts newspaper clippings recently?” Dash inquired. “Can’t say I have, why?” “It’s a nightmare. Almost a third of them are some kind of scandal. I used to think that was fun stuff to read and most of them are over stupid little things anyway.” Dash sighed. “But you remember how much trouble we had in Canterlot, trying to find entertainment for our reception.” Applejack’s ears folded back. “Yeah, I remember. Pinkie really came through on that one.” “Yeah but the point is, if I made the team, all those scandals in the paper, that would be us. Not just could, but would. Somepony would find out eventually and then bam!” Dash placed her forehooves over AJ’s hugging her chest. “I wouldn’t want to deal with that. I wouldn’t want you to deal with that.” “Alright, but seems like we’ve been through worse before than some bad press.” “There’s more.” Dash’s ear flicked as AJ nuzzled against it, she loved that AJ knew all the little tricks to calm her down. “You remember when Twi switched all our cutie marks?” “Yeah, ain’t likely ta ever forget that mess. An’ if I ever did, one look at Twi’s wings would remind me.” “Well, Rarity wasn’t using my cutie mark to try and get into the Wonderbolts, or to practice tricks or anything like that. She was managing the weather.” Dash closed her eyes as she felt AJ’s hot breath tickle the soft coat under her mane. “I was all kinds of bummed out about that, until I went on that exchange program in Manehatten. Remember that?” “I remember Flitter an’ Cloudchaser dang near pulled all their feathers out while your ‘colleague’ was runnin’ the show here.” Dash brought a hoof to her face. “Don’t remind me. The point is, their team is like ten times the size we have here and they were in bad shape. But, I had them whipped in under two weeks.” Dash nodded towards the largest of the weather factory awards sitting on the nightstand. “I’m the best weather manager in Equestria and I’m already winning awards.” “Sure are, sugarcube. Makin’ me an’ all of Ponyville proud.” “And there’s one more reason.” Dash cuddled back against her wife. “Oh? What’s that?” Applejack suddenly found herself face to face with Rainbow Dash as the latter twisted around in her embrace. “You.” Dash pressed her muzzle against AJ’s in a kiss that seemed never to end. “Any time I’d spend out touring with the Wonderbolts is time I wouldn’t get to spend here with you.” Applejack grinned and traced a hoof over a lightning-cloud cutie mark, eliciting a soft moan. “I think that’s the best reason I heard yet.”