//------------------------------// // That Time You Get Back at Your Brother // Story: Awkward, But Worth It // by bahatumay //------------------------------// It’s funny how related seemingly unrelated occurrences are. For example, earlier in the morning while Rainbow Dash and Applejack were cuddling together on her bed, Big Mac walked through the hall, looking as though he were exhausted, as if he’d been up all night. Then, at dinner... “How was school, Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked. “Pretty good,” Apple Bloom replied. “But Miss Cheerilee looked really tired today. Almost like she’d been up all night.” Big Mac flinched ever so slightly, and had Applejack not been looking that way to grab the salt, she would have missed it. But he had indeed reacted. Applejack brought this up later that night as she and Rainbow cuddled on her bed. “You don't think... Nah. There's no way.” “What?” “That Big Mac is with Cheerilee?” Applejack suggested. “It’s possible,” Rainbow nodded. “But I doubt it. After the Trio was done with them? I bet they couldn’t look each other in the eyes for days.” “Yeah, but what if it is?” Applejack wondered. Rainbow reached up and gave Applejack a gentle kiss on the tip of her muzzle. “Then she's lucky, because the Apples are phenomenal in bed.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “One day. Just one day without a sexual joke. One day, is that too much to ask?” Rainbow Dash looked up at Applejack’s hat, perched on her head. She had learned that she could never take the hat, but it could be given to her if the moment was right. “In my defense, you started it.” This was true. “Ah guess Ah did. Either way, we’ll find out eventually.” And then the conversation switched to the new caramel apples Bon Bon had been selling, and the conversation was forgotten. * * * Almost two weeks later, two ponies lay sprawled out in the upper loft of the barn, panting slightly. Rainbow crossed her forelegs behind her head as she caught her breath. She tried to look calm, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders Fighting Kitists (more accurately, kite fighters) had nearly exposed them when one of their hoofmade kites had gone out of control and flown right through the window, and she was still jumpy. “She’s going to catch us one of these days," she said. "New topic." "Apple Bloom is growing up to be a pretty mare. Not as pretty as her sister, thou-" Applejack gave Rainbow a quick whack upside the head. "New topic means new topic, Rainbow. That means no more talking about my sister." Rainbow sighed, thinking hard to find a new topic. "Zap apples are coming soon," she started. "Eeyup. And the harvest will prolly be the biggest yet." "You ever try making zap apple cider?" Applejack grinned. "Eeyup." "What's that like?" Rainbow asked, trying hard to sound innocent. "Well, it's light, tasty, and quite filling. It's bubbly and tickles all the way down." Rainbow wiped the drool off her mouth. "Why don't you make it, then?" "It has some... side effects." "Like what?" Applejack grinned. "New topic." Rainbow threw her hooves in the air. "Oh, come on! Now I'm curious!" Applejack pulled the brim of her hat down to cover her eyes. "Ah ain't exactly comfortable talkin' about it." "Please?" "No. New topic." "Wanna go again?" Applejack snorted. "You gotta earn round three. Ah ain't feeling it at all right now." "Hmm... I've been practicing cloud bonsai." "You mean making shapes with clouds?" "Yeah." "Show me." Rainbow stood up, stretched, and flew out the hayloft window, leaving behind a rainbow contrail and the smell of sweaty pegasus. Applejack flinched. Maybe she should have asked that Rainbow cleaned up a bit first. She hoped that the pegasus wouldn't run into anypony else. Rainbow didn't return quickly, and right as Applejack was beginning to worry, Rainbow returned. She was holding a cloud that was shaped like a little pony and looked suspiciously like... "Is that me?" Applejack asked, slowly extending a hoof to prod it. Rainbow shrugged. “Nope, it's the sexiest pony in Equestria.” She paused. “Which just so happens to be you.” "That's... sweet," Applejack said, greatly impressed. "Wait til you see what I can do with vapor," Rainbow promised. "Next time we're in the shower, I'll show you how I make letters." "Letters?" "Yeah. I'll spell out something really sappy and stuff, and it'll disappear soon and nopony will know." Applejack chuckled. Typical Rainbow. "And cloud clothes. I bet you’ve never seen me in a cloud saddle." "Is that an offer?" Rainbow licked her lips. "Are you taking it as one?" "Maybe it is. And maybe Ah wanna see you in one now." Rainbow couldn't suppress a laugh. "Awesome. Grab on." * * * A few days later, Rainbow Dash stretched as she awoke to the sound of a shower running and a warm earth pony shaped dent in the bed next to her. She grinned. Applejack was in the shower, obviously, and if that wasn’t an invitation for Rainbow to come show her another cloud saddle design, then nothing was. This last design had come in a dream, and it was sure to please. At least, she thought it would; but she only had one way to find out. She quickly flared her wings and flew out the window. Soon, she returned, wearing what was probably the most provocative cloudwear known to ponykind. Smiling deviously, she pushed the bathroom door open and strutted inside. * * * Applejack was stacking pancakes in the kitchen when she heard what could only be called a blood-curdling scream, and it sounded a lot like Rainbow Dash. Dropping the spatula, she sprinted back upstairs, where she found Rainbow Dash quaking under the covers. “What’s’a matter, Rainbow?” Applejack asked. Now that she knew that Rainbow Dash wasn’t lying in a pool of her own blood, she was able to smile--and have a little fun at her marefriend’s expense. “Did you have a bad dream?” “No,” Rainbow gasped. “Worse.” “Worse how?” “Your brother is in your shower.” Applejack laughed. “Ah’m guessin’ you didn’t see my note, then.” She pointed to a piece of paper sitting on the little table next to her bed. “‘Water pipe busted, family using my shower so watch out’,” Rainbow read. “How come I didn’t see that before?” She sat up a bit, revealing her outfit (and just how revealing that outfit was). Applejack chuckled. “Because you were too busy tryin’ to surprise me in the shower?” Rainbow Dash whimpered and pulled the pillow over her head. “Please, no! No more talking about showers!” Applejack frowned, greatly concerned now. After all, after atop clouds, the shower was Rainbow Dash's favorite location. “What happened?” “Your brother... he was... uh... He was thinking of his special somepony.” “And what makes you so sure of that?” Applejack asked, with a hint of excitement. “Did you catch a name?” “I caught a lot more than I wanted to.” Applejack cocked her head. “What does that even mean? We’re naked all the time. It couldn't've been that awkward.” “This time it was,” Rainbow insisted. Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah’m sure.” Rainbow Dash rolled over and sat up, leaning back, flaring her wings, and spreading her rear legs. She dropped a hoof provocatively close to her marehood. “He was doing this, but stallion style! Yes, it was awkward!" Applejack was taken aback. At first, she felt disgust. After all, that was her shower. Then again, that hadn’t been the first time that shower had seen that kind of bodily fluid, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Experimentation had showed Applejack that the shower was indeed self-cleaning, and so she then didn’t worry about it. “It’s nothin’ t’ worry about. Though now Ah feel a bit bad for him.” “Bad for him?” Rainbow spluttered, rolling forward onto her stomach. “Bad for me! I’m the one whose brain will never be the same! I might need therapy!” “Therapy?” Applejack asked flatly. Rainbow dove off the bed and landed on her back right underneath Applejack, where she got a good view of the earth pony’s flat, smooth undercarriage. She licked her lips and stretched up a hoof for a gentle touch. “Ah, yeah. I’m feeling better already,” she said. Applejack rolled her eyes and took a step to the side, ending Rainbow’s ‘therapy’. “Look, he’s prolly gonna be embarrassed all the rest of this week.” Her voice hardened. “This has gone on long enough. We’re gonna find out who his special somepony is and get them together.” “And if we haven’t figured it out so far, what makes you think we’ll get it now?” Rainbow asked, still mildly disappointed about her show ending. “Because Ah’m callin’ in backup.” She threw back her head and called out, “Apple Bloom!” “No need t’ shout, sis; Ah’m right here.” Applejack spun around to see Apple Bloom standing behind her, eyes wide and innocent. “What didja see? How long’ve you been there?” Applejack demanded. Apple Bloom shrugged and said, “Mm-mm mmm,” to the cadence of “I don’t know.” Applejack shook her head. “Fine. Look, Ah need you to help us figure out who Big Mac’s special somepony is, or who he wants as his special somepony.” Apple Bloom cocked her head. “Will that get me mah cutie mark?” she asked. “Prolly not,” Applejack admitted, “But it will make your brother a lot happier.” “And make you two bits richer,” Rainbow added. That offer did wonders to improve Apple Bloom’s attitude. “Ok, what do y’all need?” “Think like Big Mac. If you had a special somepony, what would you do?” “Show her the apple trees, show off mah muscles, give her rides, that kind of thing.” Applejack nodded, trying to remain patient. “That’s great. How would you tell her?” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Ah’d just go an’ tell her.” She put on a deep voice. “Ah’m Big Macintosh, and Ah love you.” She grinned. “Like that.” Everything was always simpler to a filly, wasn't it? “And what if you couldn’t?” Applejack prompted. “Like you were too shy or something?” Rainbow Dash couldn’t suppress a smile. She had been brave. She had proudly admitted her love to Applejack’s face. And that was her story and she was sticking to it. Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “Ah’d write it in mah journal,” she answered finally. “Big Mac has a journal?” Applejack asked, finding the first relevant piece of information thus far in the conversation. “Yeah. Keeps it under his bed next to th’ Wet Feathers magazine he bought on his 18th birthday.” Applejack frowned, but Rainbow Dash grinned. Everypony was a little bit pegasexual, whether they admitted it or not. And in Mac’s defense, that was one of the cleaner magazines, with more images of mares in tight saddles and with wet manes than actual hardcore sex. She knew. She, too, owned a few editions. “All right. Go get it, if’n you know where it is.” Apple Bloom scampered off, and quickly returned with a book, bound in a red material. It was obviously old, but the absence of rips and tears along the cover indicated that it was well taken care of. “It’s locked,” Apple Bloom said as she gave it to Applejack. Sure enough, there was a three digit locking mechanism holding the covers shut. “Shouldn’t be a problem,” Applejack said, examining the brass lock. It was a combination lock, just a three-number one. Nothing too complicated. “But Ah think Ah found one,” Apple Bloom said. “What’s that?” “It kindof smells like smoke.” Applejack’s eyes widened. She’d forgotten the pancakes. “Oh, horseapples!” she swore, sprinting downstairs, with Apple Bloom quickly following to ensure that she would get some kind of breakfast this morning. Rainbow Dash examined the journal, and began flipping the numbers randomly, as if hoping that something would happen. And something did happen when she flipped the numbers to read 626, but not what she wanted. Instead of the book opening, the shower turned off. Rainbow froze for a split second. She had no desire to see Big Mac again this morning, and certainly not while she was holding his private journal, and remedied this by flying out the window yet again. * * * A little after lunchtime, Applejack was out working in the orchards when Rainbow Dash flew down and landed right behind her. “I got it open!” she cheered. Applejack jumped. “Rainbow! Where did you go? Ah haven’t seen you all morning.” “Oh, I left. I didn’t want it to be too awkward. And I wanted to get this thing open.” “Ya missed breakfast and lunch. Mac’s feelin’ real guilty. He won’t say nothin’, but he feels bad.” Applejack looked at the opening combination and grinned. “Well, yeah. That’d make sense. That’s his birthdate.” Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding. You knew the combination? I spent all morning trying to get it open and you knew it already?” Applejack defended herself, “Ah didn’t know, but Ah would have guessed. And Ah certainly didn’t tell you to fly off. So what’s it say?” “I don’t know. I figured we should open it together.” Applejack agreed, even if she thought this offer was more for Rainbow’s personal protection (so she wouldn't be the only one responsible) than as a sign of trust and closeness. They flopped down together in the shade of a tree and Rainbow placed the journal in front of them. “Ready?” “Ready.” Stretching out a hoof, Rainbow Dash flipped the cover open. Rainbow had half expected to see tiny writing and long, wordy sentences. Instead, what she saw shocked the both of them. Mac’s journal was full of pictures. They were not extravagantly detailed, but they were carefully done, and Applejack could decipher them instantly. This first image had a drawing of a tree, and a depiction of Applejack kicking it while an injured Macintosh stood watching. She was surrounded by bushels and bushels of apples. Topping off the drawing was a large checkmark. “This is when you did the whole orchard,” Rainbow said, quickly comprehending as well. "Back when he got hurt." “Yeah,” Applejack said, feeling quite touched that Big Mac would have included this. She flipped forward a few pages and saw a picture of herself, wearing her gala dress. Her jaw dropped. “Whoa,” Rainbow breathed, bringing a reverent hoof up to touch the page. “He even got the braids in your tail right.” Applejack nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. She wasn’t sure if it was because her brother cared enough about her to put it in his journal, or because she was going through that private property. “Let’s just skip to the end,” Applejack said. Rainbow nodded and lifted a hoof, flipping to the end of the book. Applejack saw more trees, more apples, various stallions with cutie marks that she didn’t recognize, various mares she didn’t recognize... And then the journal became filled with the same motif: Three smiling flowers. It was doodled in the margins next to other entries, it was sketched on a full-page spread, it was even drawn in conjugation with a large apple, textured to look as if it were carved on the trunk of a tree. And then the images changed. Mac and Cheerilee, with a big X drawn between them. Cheerilee with a graduation hat while Mac wore a pointed dunce hat in the corner on a stool. Cheerilee happily teaching in front of a chalkboard while Mac looked on with question marks in his eyes. And then one heartbroken phrase, penned in shaky writing more akin to a third grader’s than a grown stallion. ‘It would never work’. “Well,” Rainbow said eventually. “Now we know that he likes Cheerilee, and that he thinks he’s got no chance with her. But we also know that Cheerilee likes Mac, and probably thinks she has no chance with him.” She looked at Applejack. “AJ, we gotta fix this! For Mac, Cheerilee, and my sanity!” Applejack snorted as she shut the journal and relocked it. “Ah’m sure he’ll be lockin’ the door from now on anyway. So how should we do this?” “Ok, I can’t believe it’s me saying this, but... tell him the truth,” Rainbow suggested. “That Ah snooped around, found out Cheerilee likes him, had our sister steal his journal and mah marefriend pick the lock just to find out who he wanted as his special somepony in his life, and then when Ah found out they were one and the same Ah had the audacity to meddle in his life to get them together?” Rainbow frowned. “Well, anything sounds bad when you say it in that tone of voice,” she said. “I just meant talk to him over some cider or something, bring up what Cheerilee said, and ask him if she’s his special somepony, or if he wants her to be.” “Obviously, he’s going to say yes. Then what? Drag his flank down to the schoolhouse to make him say it to her face? Ah got a better chance of roping and dragging a tornado." “Leave that part to me.” Rainbow grinned deviously. “There’s this part in Daring Do and the Search for the Kingdom of the Fluffy Ponies that I’ve always wanted to try.” Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Daring Do is fiction, Rainbow.” Rainbow shoved her hooves over her ears. “La la la I can’t hear you! And I don’t care! Some things she does totally work!” Applejack snorted. “Whatever you say, Rainbow.” Rainbow shook her head as she turned and flared her wings in preparation to take off. “Just make sure Mac’s in the barn tonight at eight thirty, and make sure Apple Bloom is doing something with her friends.” “That’s... oddly specific.” “She shows up at the weirdest times!” Rainbow protested. “I’m pretty sure she’ll find a way to show up at a really awkward moment unless she’s doing something else far from here.” Applejack opened her mouth to protest... and then realized that Rainbow Dash was quite right. “Ah’ll see what Ah can do.” * * * Macintosh walked into the barn right as Applejack popped the bung out of a barrel of cider. He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the occasion?” he asked, casting a critical eye over the table that she had dragged to the center of the barn. It was complete with tablecloth and two clean mugs. Heck, there was even a little candle on top. Everything about this stroked his mane the wrong way, and he was briefly tempted to flee out of the barn. “What?” Applejack asked innocently. “Can’t Ah just spend a little time with my older brother? Let the older siblings have some fun together while Apple Bloom’s having fun with her friends?” As it turns out, Apple Bloom was not having very much fun at that moment at all. It was readily apparent that becoming Cutie Mark Crusaders Card Sharks was not happening in the foreseeable future. At least, not for her, anyway. Sweetie Belle, on the other hoof, could barely see over the pile of cookies in front of her, and Scootaloo had elected to just eat half her share instead of betting with them. That might actually have been the wisest course of action. Big Mac gave her a steely glare, and Applejack wilted. "You're a terrible liar. What're you really doin'?" he asked. "Ok, ok, Ah had a few questions." Mac sat down and pulled one of the mugs closer to him. "So, 'Deputy Applejack', what's on yer mind?" "Ah was talking to Cheerilee and she said to tell you hi." Mac's eyebrow flicked up, but he quickly pulled his usual flat expression back onto his face. "Is'at so." "She seemed a bit disappointed that it was me and not you looking for her." "Mmm." "Is she your special somepony?" Big Mac shook his head. Applejack felt a cold chill run up her spine. "Do you want her to be?" Mac tried to keep a straight face... and failed. "Why?" "You're just as bad a liar as me," Applejack grinned. "Cheerilee, huh?" "Eeyup." "But you ain't special someponies," Applejack said. "So what were you two doin' a couple days ago, when you two were up all night?" "Stuff." Applejack gave him a playful nudge. "You mean like private alone time stuff?" Mac coughed on his drink. "N- nope," he answered when he was able to again. “As much as Ah’d like that, that ain’t what we were up to. She was helpin’ me edit my novel and we both lost track of time.” The fact that Big Mac was indeed capable of speaking long sentences was overridden by a single detail. “You write?” Applejack asked. Mac raised an eyebrow. “And have for some time now. What do you think I've been doing in the basement for so long?” “Oh,” Applejack said. “Ah just thought because... uh...” She had been about to mention the journal when she realized just how inappropriate that was. Heck, she didn’t even remember if Rainbow had remembered to put it back yet or not. “Because you looked in mah journal and saw nothin’ but pictures?” Applejack turned about the color of her cutie mark. “Ah... Ah c’n explain...” Big Mac chuckled as he refilled his mug. “That’s because way back when, afore Ah could write, Ah drew, and guess Ah just kept the habit as Ah grew up. And Ah knew you’d taken it because Ah always change the lock to show today’s date so Ah don’t ferget to write in it. And Ah ain’t mad. If’n Ah wanted it hidden completely, Ah would have. Ah mean, you haven’t found my novel yet or anythin’.” Applejack thought rapidly. “Is your novel underneath that one loose brick in the basement fireplace?” Mac scowled. “Lucky guess.” “Anyway,” Applejack said, trying to pull the conversation back under her control. “Cheerilee. Why her?” Had Applejack been asked that question about Rainbow Dash, she could have come up with a long list of things. Mac was no different. “She's perfect. She listens. She knows what she’s doin’. She’s great with foals. You’ve seen how much Apple Bloom trusts her.” Applejack nodded. Mac continued, “She listens to my ideas and she talks with me like Ah’m a regular pony. She doesn't judge me fer droppin’ out; she thinks I’m smart and she’s willin’ to help me write. Ah can’t count how many mistakes she’s caught or things she’s made better. She's a beautiful color, a strong earth pony. And I'd love to show her. I'd love to take her into the south orchard and show her how I feel.” Applejack nodded. The south orchard had been planted so there was an open circle of meadow in the middle right around a pond. It was fairly hidden from view, and a great place to go if you wanted to be undisturbed. Applejack wasn't sure, but she was fairly certain that all three siblings had been conceived there. Needless to say, she and Rainbow Dash had used that orchard fairly often. “You want her,” Applejack surmised. Big Mac snorted as he took a drink. “Eeyup.” Applejack grinned mischievously, and Big Mac would not have been surprised to see little horns sprout on top of her head. "Ah know that feeling. Pull her mane, tug her tail, taste her flavor, that sort of thing.” She snickered. “And then you rut her against a tree so hard and make her cum so many times that she can't see straight anymore and her throat’s sore from yellin’ your name.” Big Mac flinched. “That’s... graphic, but yeah. Ah just don't want to force her into a physical relationship if she isn't ready for that.” He drank again, finishing his mug. “Ah don’t want to force her into any relationship,” he corrected himself. “She deserves better than that.” He snorted. "And she deserves better than me. She’s everythin’ Ah’m not. Ah dunno if she even feels the same way about me." "She totally does," Applejack smirked. “Not every mare will stay up all night readin’ with somepony she don’t care about, and decipherin’ your writing is a labor of love itself. So why haven't you asked her out yet?" Big Mac shrugged. Applejack grinned cheekily. "She likes you, you like her, Ah'm not seeing the problem." Mac downed the rest of his drink. "Course ya don't. You're not me. She’s an amazin’ pony, and Ah think she deserves better than me. Ah don’t want to have mah heart broken for the rest of my life, and Ah’d hate to trap her in a relationship if’n she could do better.” “She can’t. You’re the best, Mac. You really are.” Macintosh grunted, not entirely convinced. “You really think she’s the one.” Applejack didn’t even have to phrase it as a question. Mac looked despondently into his once-again empty mug. “Eeyup.” “I suppose there's one way to find out.” Applejack pointed up to the hayloft behind Big Mac. “Why don’tcha ask her yourself?” He turned and saw Cheerilee standing there up in the hayloft, flanked by a grinning Rainbow Dash. Cheerilee’s eyes were wide, her mouth was open, her ears were perked in an attitude of shock. She had obviously been standing there for some time. Her hindquarters were affected, too, with her rear legs spread ever so slightly wider than normal and her thick purple tail raised slightly higher than usual. She didn’t even have to say anything. Her body language said it all. Big Mac turned back to the table, reached out, and calmly picked up and drank the rest of Applejack's cider in one shot. At least, he looked calm; but Applejack could see how his forehooves trembled. Applejack laughed as she pulled out another clean mug for Cheerilee and took hers away. "That's payback for that time in the barn." She leaned in close, sharing the mantra that had helped her throughout her own relationship. "Remember: awkward, but worth it." Big Mac nodded shakily as he watched Rainbow gently carry Cheerilee down and set her on the ground floor. "Eeyup." Applejack laughed again and swatted Cheerilee's flank with her tail as she walked out. "You two have fun now, y’hear? Cider’s nice and cold." As they walked away, Cheerilee managed to speak. “You really feel that way about me?” “E- eeyup.” Rainbow closed the barn door silently, as to not interrupt them. As she did so, she heard one last phrase. “So... a- against a tree?” Fighting to restrain her laughter, Rainbow Dash scurried to catch up to Applejack. “You know,” she said, resting a wing over Applejack's back, “I think we did good today.” “Eeyup,” Applejack agreed. There was a pause. “Hey, Rainbow?” “What?” “Let’s sleep on Big Mac's bed tonight," Applejack suggested gleefully. Rainbow grinned, but them her face fell. “Won't he be annoyed?” Applejack laughed. “Like he’s coming inside tonight.” Rainbow lifted a hoof, but then realized that she wouldn't have come inside either. Heh... Hopefully Mac had more luck at his first time than they had. * * * Rainbow Dash stretched out and sprawled across the huge bed. “This is almost as nice as a cloud,” she whispered. “I could get used to this.” “Don’t,” Applejack said, setting her hat on the nightstand and crawling into bed next to her. “This is prolly just a one-time thing.” “Then I guess we’d better make the most of this, huh?” Rainbow grinned. Applejack chuckled... and then frowned. “Ah ain’t havin’ sex on my brother’s bed. That’s just weird.” “It’s just a bed,” Rainbow groaned, but placed her head on Applejack’s chest anyway. “That’s fine. Good night, Applejack.” “Good night, Rainbow.” The two lay snuggled together for a while. Applejack counted to thirty before bringing a hoof up to slap her forehead in exaggerated shock. “Oh, horseapples! Ah almost forgot.” Rainbow jumped. “What?” she asked. Applejack leaned down and put her forehead against Rainbow’s. Rainbow could feel Applejack’s warm breath on her lips and swallowed nervously. “Ah never said thank you for helpin’ my brother.” “It... It was my pleasure,” Rainbow said, feeling a little blush appear on her cheeks.. “Then what’s this, I wonder?” And Applejack pulled Rainbow into a deep kiss. Rainbow’s wings spread, lifting the sheets. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt her mouth being invaded by Applejack’s tongue. She found herself having trouble thinking again, like she always did when making out with Applejack. Normally, she could fight back, but when she was taken by surprise like that, sometimes it was all she could do to stay focused. When Applejack pulled back to catch her breath, Rainbow Dash (once she had caught hers) had to ask. “Wh- what are you doing?” “Use your imagination,” Applejack said. “But what about, you know...?” “On second thought, it really is just a bed.” Applejack grinned and rolled over to grab her hat off the nightstand... and saw a sight she really hadn’t expected to see. “Gah! Apple Bloom!” Rainbow Dash popped her head up and, sure enough, there stood Apple Bloom, rubbing her tired eyes with a hoof. “What are you doin’ here?” Applejack asked, more confused than angry. “Had a nightmare,” Apple Bloom answered, “and Ah usually come sleep with Big Mac when Ah do.” Her eyes widened and her lower lip trembled as she pleaded, “C’n Ah sleep with you tonight?” Rainbow grumbled, annoyed at the intrusion. “Thought you were a big po- ow!” But that was as far as she got, because Applejack turned and popped her a good one on the nose, knocking her out of the bed. She turned back to Apple Bloom and stretched out a hoof. “Of course ya can. C’mere.” Apple Bloom hopped up and landed on the bed, quickly scurried under the covers, pressed herself back up against Applejack’s stomach, and was fast asleep before Rainbow Dash had even picked herself up from off the floor. Rainbow tried and failed to restrain a smile. “It’s a good thing she’s so adorable,” Rainbow said softly as she too climbed back into the bed. She kept her distance from Apple Bloom, making sure the filly wouldn't wake up smashed and suffocated against her chest, but she reached out and lay a foreleg across her and rested it on Applejack’s side. Applejack responded by flicking her tail over and wrapping it around Rainbow’s. And all in all it was a good night.