//------------------------------// // A Gift - AppleDash // Story: Shipping. Shipping everywhere. // by barbeque //------------------------------// Hearts and Hooves Day. For many couples, a day to kick back and do something special. But not for Rainbow Dash. To her, Hearts and Hooves Day was one of the most intensive days of the year, with all the ponies expecting nothing but perfect weather. Rainbows, sun but not too much sun or it would be too hot, little clouds drifting by in all sorts of requested shapes. The lot. She had an extra long shift today, having gotten up early in the morning, and having to go on until about an hour before sunrise. A lot of couples would want a proper sunset, so the sky would be cloudless by then, and there wouldn’t be much to do for her. Whatever happened after that, was none of her concern, because she would be over at Sweet Apple Acres by then. She and AJ never really did anything special on a day like this, mostly because they both had to work, but also because any time they shared together was special enough already. Plus, working all day without the usual opportunity for a quick nap somewhere would be a great exercise in endurance for her wings, so it had its advantages. She couldn’t wait until it was evening, when all the ponies with their last-minute weather requests would be gone, and she could unwind at the Acres. *** Hearts and Hooves Day. For many couples, a day to kick back and do something special. But not for Applejack. To her, Hearts and Hooves Day was one of the busiest days of the year. While she thought a lot of couples took the concept of doing something special a bit over the top, suddenly all of them wanting to eat heart-shaped apple fritters, or apple fries in a heart-shaped box. It wasn’t her idea of doing something special. For her, doing something really special didn’t have to be tied to a specific day. Sometimes, out of nowhere, Rainbow would surprise her and they would go bowling. Or that one time Applejack had taken Rainbow to a rodeo. Just being together was more than enough for the two. But, Hearts and Hooves Day also meant bits. Lots of bits. She and the rest of the Apple family had risen extra early today - before sunrise even - to prepare all sorts of delicious snacks for the loving ponies. Heart shaped apple fritters and apple pies, or apple fries in a heart-shaped box. Today, everything had a little touch to it. The morning had been mostly like any other normal morning, but during lunch, she had almost completely run out of some of the more popular treats. Big Macintosh brought a fresh supply not long after, the baking having continued back at the Acres, for the rush on snacks that was usually there between lunch and dinner, and would be a much bigger rush than usual today. Still, she didn’t complain. It earned a lot of much needed bits, and she would be back at the Acres before dinner. She could do a couple of chores after that, maybe buck a couple of trees. There weren’t any apples on the trees in this time of the year, but she would need some sort of exercise to stretch her legs after standing with her cart on the Ponyville Town Square all day. Mostly just killing some time before Dash would be out of work though. She couldn’t wait to give the pegasus the little surprise she had in store. *** Finally, Rainbow Dash was out of work. Her wings were sore from all the flying back and forth throughout the day, much sorer than she would like to admit. It had been exhausting. It didn’t help that many pegasus couples wanted to be free from somewhere in the afternoon. Add to that the many ponies that wanted a last-minute weather correction, and all the logistics that she somehow had to keep in check, it sufficed to say that she was more than a little irritated now. Still, it was over now. And she was flying over to see AJ. That always brought a smile to her face. Spotting AJ bucking a couple of trees, she came in for a landing and, no longer having to hide her exhaustion from the world, lay down near where AJ was working pretty much the instant her hooves touched the ground. The orange mare lay down next to her a few minutes later. They simply lay there in silence, both taking a bit to get their breathing back to normal, taking in the - admittedly not that interesting, with all the bare trees and such - sights of the nature around them. Still, it was better than sitting in some boring fancy restaurant. After a while, they started chatting a bit, asking the other how their day had been, even if they already knew the answers, but the simple silence returned once more when the sun was sinking behind the horizon. Dash was never really one to just sit and enjoy a sunset, but with AJ, it was suddenly magical. Even if it was still just a sunset. Since the sun set quite early around this time of the year, it would still be some time before either of them would even think about sleep, despite how tired they already were. They still had some time to pass before that, and it was then that AJ spoke up. “Maybe we should go inside now, Dash. It’s gettin’ cold out here,” she said. Despite the closeness of the pegasus’ body next to her and the wing draped over her back, she was getting a little cold. Dash more so, if the light shiver she felt was anything to go by. “Yeah... yeah we should,” she answered, standing up and stretching. “Y’all just go inside then. I have a little something I must get first.” It was one of the things Dash loved about AJ; she was always so down-to-earth. Simple, straightforward, and not one to bring things with a lot of metaphors - or whatever it was that Rarity sometimes did. And when AJ said she would have to get something first, it meant just that. A minute or so later, Dash was sitting at the table in the Apple family house, and a few moments later, AJ was back as well. She was carrying something on her back, wearing a big smile. She put the object on the table, and simply said, “For you, Dash. I love you.” “Aw AJ, you know I love you too,” she said. She still meant it when she said it, she just really wasn’t in the mood for mushy stuff like kissing or a good wing massage tonight. Seriously, she didn’t know what AJ did when she did one of them wing massages, or where she learned it from, but wow, they were good. Not tonight though. Looking at what was clearly a small barrel of cider in front of her, she added, “But you didn’t have to do this. I don’t even have something for you.” Despite the fact that they gave each other random small presents all through the year, Rainbow still felt a bit guilty for not having anything. AJ wanted nothing of that though. “Naw, it’s just a gift. Saved it from last year’s batch, and just wanted to give it to ya at the right moment. I thought now was the right moment.” She had to admit that the orange mare certainly had a point there. A bit of alcohol - not too much to get her drunk - was certainly very tempting right now. “Well, uh, thanks, I guess.” Not being one to leave a barrel of cider untouched, she quickly added, ”Say, you want a drink too?” “Ah’d love to. I’ll get us some mugs.” Fueled by a healthy amount of cider, they talked and laughed deep into the night - AJ being a little tipsy, while the pegasus was, well, more than a little tipsy, but far from drunk. They had a great time, a time they would remember when they would both wake up in Applejack’s bed the next morning.