Written by: KrazyTheFox
Rainbow trotted through town, the light rain pelting her back as she flexed her wings. She’d just finished setting up that day’s storm and was enjoying the particularly pleasant Spring weather. While she had a harder time doing some of her more daring tricks, there was just something about the rain that got to her and lifted her mood. Taking a deep breath and savoring the petrichor, she took off and flew a small loop in the air before landing in a puddle with a large splash, whooping with joy.
Today, she decided, would be perfect. The rain meant that Applejack would probably have nothing important to do, though she’d probably insist that she had chores to take care of. Rainbow snorted. That pony found just about any excuse to do work when she could. Except for when her friends would call on her to do something or when the world needed saving. And that’s exactly what Rainbow intended to do. There was this new movie out, ‘The Five Elements’ or something, and since Applejack had nothing to do (as determined by Rainbow Dash, herself), she was going to come with Rainbow to watch it.
Rainbow quickened her pace, brimming with excitement as she neared the Acres. The fragrant apple blossoms mixed with the petrichor filled her nostrils; a smell she loved more than anything else. As she splashed through another puddle, the farmhouse came into view through the orchard. She shook her haunches and listened for the clink of bits in her saddlebags, making sure she hadn’t forgotten them. Yep! She was ready.
“Hey, Applejack!” yelled Rainbow, standing under Applejack’s window.
Applejack poked her head out of the window. “Rainbow? What brings you out here?”
“You. Me. We’re going to see a movie!”
“Rainbow, you know I have chores to do.”
Rainbow waved her hoof. “Yeah, right. They’re not important. It’s raining and I know you have nothing to do.”
“Excuse m—”
“Nope!” interrupted Rainbow. “We’re going to see a movie and I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. I’ll even pay for you.”
“I suppose I could...”
“Now come on and get down here or we’re going to be late!”
Applejack sighed and gave Rainbow a little smile. “Alright, if you’re payin’ and all. Just gimme a sec to get ready.” She disappeared through the window and closed it.
Rainbow paced outside the door of the farmhouse for a few minutes. When Applejack finally opened the door, Rainbow almost bowled her over in a big hug. “So, you ready?”
Applejack returned the hug and tossed her hat onto her head. “Yep!”
The two set off along the path, Rainbow stomping through a few more puddles along the way, earning some chuckles from Applejack.
“Alright, Rainbow. Since you decided to drag me out of my home and into the rain to see a movie, what are we watchin’?”
“Some new action movie that just came out. I hear it’s really good. ‘The Elements Five’, I think.”
Applejack shoved Rainbow lightly and smiled. “I think you mean ‘The Fifth Element’.”
“Yeah, that! Twilight said it was like a Daring Do movie, but in the future. And not Daring Do. But still good!”
The two bantered back and forth on the walk to the movie theater and they arrived just as the rain had started to pick up, rumbles of thunder rolling off in the distance. They shook themselves off at the door and trotted up to the ticketing booth, Rainbow dropping a few bits on the counter.
“Two for ‘Five Elementals’.”
The attendant raised his eyebrow. “‘The Fifth Element’?”
“Er, yeah. That.”
Smiling at Rainbow, the attendant tore off a couple of tickets and slid them over to her. “Enjoy the film!”
Scooping up the tickets in her mouth, Rainbow motioned for Applejack to follow. She deposited the tickets into her saddlebags and made her way to the concessions counter, Applejack close behind. “Hey AJ, you want anything?”
“Hmm. Can’t go wrong with popcorn and some cider.”
Rainbow nodded in agreement, paid for their food, and the two made their way into the theater, finding a spot in the middle of an almost empty room.
“Ain’t seen an empty theater in a while,” said Applejack, settling into her seat.
“Yeah, nopony comes around during rainy days. They don’t want to get wet on the way over. It’s really nice sometimes. Ooh, it’s starting!”
The curtains drew apart and the lights dimmed, Rainbow digging into a hoof-full of popcorn. The movie opened up on a temple in the desert with a few explorer ponies studying the interior, eliciting a muffled, excited squeal from Rainbow Dash. “It is just like Daring Do!”
About a half hour into the movie, the main character, Cobin, brushed the mare’s face with his hoof and Rainbow touched her own hoof to her face, blushing as she mimicked the action. Shooting a glance over at Applejack, she blushed a little harder. Wasn’t that the whole reason she took her on a ‘date’ in the first place, even if she didn’t know it?
Cobin kissed the mare and Rainbow felt an intense longing. How long had it been? A couple years now, at least. After a short internal battle, she gingerly reached her foreleg in Applejack’s direction. Good, she hadn’t noticed yet. Holding her breath, her heart beating in her ears, she brought her leg to rest on Applejack’s shoulders.
Applejack tensed and jumped at the unexpected contact. She looked at Rainbow, who was looking pointedly away, and relaxed, leaning in against the mare.
Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Rainbow relaxed and pulled Applejack into a closer hug.
The rest of the movie passed with Rainbow whispering about particularly exciting scenes and her squeezing Applejack whenever any romance was brought up, especially at the end. When the lights turned back on, the pair separated themselves reluctantly and made their way back outside and into the rain.
“I have to say, that was a pretty good movie, Rainbow.”
“Yeah, it was. Ruby was really weird, though. I’m not sure if I liked him or didn’t.”
Applejack chuckled, sidling up close to Rainbow. “I hear you on that one.”
The pegasus smiled and draped her wing over Applejack’s back, scraping at the ground with her hoof. “So, uh, AJ...?”
“Yeah, Rainbow?”
“Dinner?”
“I’d love to, sugarcube,” replied Applejack, nuzzling Rainbow’s cheek.
Rainbow really did love rainy days.