Applejack turned sharply at the sound of her bedroom door opening.
It was Rainbow Dash.
Instantly, Applejack's cheeks flushed madly, and she shouted, "A-A-Ah can explain!"
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes evilly. "Oh, really now?"
Applejack ignored her, jumping on photographs to hide then from Rainbow's prying eyes. Unfortunately, though, she left behind an untidy collection of light blue feathers.
"Why the damned hay are you collecting my feathers?!" Rainbow yelled at her, blushing ever-so-slightly. Applejack stared at her, blushing redder than her cutie mark.
"Ah... Ya see... Ah'm collectin' blue feathers... Fer.... Applebloom. Yeah. This here's from a bluejay, this one's from Soaren, This one's from a... parrot, and this one's from a... Uh..." Applejack pointed to feathers in turn, her voice faltering.
"Ugh, I. GET. IT." Rainbow glared at her friend, "And I know your bucking LYING, Applejack."
Applejack whimpered, realizing defeat.
"So... WHY ARE YOU COLLECTING MY FEATHERS?" Rainbow Dash said as pointedly as she could, jumping into Applejack's face, making her blush even more, if that was possible.
Rainbow Dash shoved Applejack against her bedroom wall, "TELL ME. How did you get them?"
"Th-They're just feather's you've shed..." Rainbow narrowed her eyes at Applejack and she cried significantly higher pitched, "AH SWEAR! AH PINKIE PROMISE!"
Applejack paused before she added quietly, "One of 'em's from the train where we went to the national dessert competition with MMMM..."
"Okay... But why do you WANT them? Tell the TRUTH, miss 'Honesty'." Rainbow didn't flinch.
"N-No. Ah'm afraid Ah cain't do that." Applejack stared into Rainbow's eyes, searching for something besides anger.
Rainbow's expression softened, "Wait, what do you mean?"
'Tain't fair,' Applejack thought to herself, 'Ah may as well just kiss her now...'
"Ah mean... It'd be a whole lot easier to show ya, sugarcube." Applejack sighed, wondering why she just talked herself into this.
"Then show me!" Rainbow Dash folded her wings to her side and smiled, proud of her success.
"M'kay..." Applejack sighed, and stared at Rainbow's mouth. Rainbow Dash didn't notice, and dropped to the floor, letting Applejack off the wall. Before Rainbow Dash moved anywhere, though, Applejack grabbed her wings, pulled her toward her, and pressed the pegasus against the wall her own back was to seconds before.
"Applejack, what's wrong with you?" Rainbow stared both worried and scared at Applejack, but she didn't respond. "Wait... Are those photos of me and you?" Rainbow tried to look around Applejack's body at the pictures she'd done a horrible job of hiding. Applejack didn't let her look over her shoulder too long, though, and shuffled closer to Rainbow Dash so she couldn't see over her shoulders.
"Fergive me, Dashie..." Applejack whispered, and pressed her chest against Rainbow's forcefully enough that Applejack could feel Rainbow's quickened heartbeat, as well as her own racing one.
"Your heartbeat is way fast, AJ... Are you okay?" Applejack shook her head, and pressed more of her body against Rainbow Dash's, and the pegasus's wings snapped out under Applejack's forelegs.
"Then talk to— mmphh..." Applejack didn't let Rainbow Dash finish her thought and pressed her mouth passionately to Rainbow Dash's. Rainbow Dash tried to push the orange draft away, but she wouldn't budge.
"Mmmgggggthhhhfff..." Rainbow tried to speak through Applejack's mouth, with no success. She looked up into Applejack's eyes, which were filled with pain, longing, and fear. Tears streaked down her cheeks uncontrollably, and she closed her eyes, blinking away more tears.
Suddenly, Applejack dropped away, picked up her little "Rainbow Dash" collection, and ran out of the room, left-behind tears shimmering behind her.
"Applejack! Wait! Please!" Rainbow Dash flew out following her, but lost her when she ran out into the orchard. "Damnit, Dash, why didn't you say something sooner?"
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAH SISTER?" Big Mac walked up to Dash, hate and compassion for Applejack burning bright in his fiery green eyes.
"Nothing! I don't know!" Rainbow clamped her wings to her side in fear, and tried to back away, only to run into Applebloom.
Applebloom looked depressed, though, "Y'all've gone and made her so sad, afraid, and confused... But we cain't do nothin' 'bout it."
"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Rainbow cried, shrinking down to the ground.
Big Mac's gaze softened, "Y'all really don't know? She said ya did."
"I knew WHAT?" Rainbow cried, her voice cracking.
"Mac, she don't know." Applebloom frowned up at her brother. "She really don't have no idea."
"Ain't mah place tell ya. Figure it out." Big Mac raised his eyebrows at her, knowing she was up in Applejack's room earlier.
Rainbow pieced everything Applejack did together. Then she whispered, "and then she kissed me..." Rainbow paused, horrified about her lack of realization. "Applejack LIKES me! Like, LIKE LIKES me! Holy Celestia, why didn't I SEE that?!"
Big Mac stared at her, "She's in the old barn out by the west orchard."
With that, Rainbow Dash flew off. To find the west orchard. When she did, the barn Big Mac told her about was easy to spot. She flew into the door, landing softly, and looked around for Applejack. Her Stetson was a few feet in front in front of her, but there was no Applejack to go with it.
"Applejack?" Rainbow Dash asked the hat. Rainbow stopped making noise, and heard sobbing in the far corner. Rainbow picked up the hat and trotted over.
"Ah-Ah'm so sorry..." Applejack was curled up in a little ball, trying to make herself look smaller. It wasn't working.
"Why didn't you tell me you liked me?"
"But... yer a mare."
"Yeah? So?"
"So'm Ah."
"Oh, I see your problem." Rainbow Dash smiled sweetly at Applejack and curled up around her. "Since we're both mares we can't be a couple. And since we can't be a couple, it's breaking your heart."
Applejack frowned at her hooves and nodded, "A-Ah jus' love ya so darn much it hurts not bein' with ya... and knowin' all that makes it hurts so much more..." Applejack started sobbing more.
"Shh... Shh." Rainbow Dash stroked Applejack's mane, "I'm here now, aren't I?"
Applejack pouted, but nodded.
"And I know you way too well to know that that's all that bugging you. Your family knows, and they're definitely okay with it. You should've seen them when they thought I hurt you. And our friend is the smartest unicorn in all of Equestria. We can have a family. And all the smaller problems don't matter, because I love you too."
"It didn't seem like it when Ah kissed ya up in my room!" Applejack yelled, confused.
"Well, I DO! I was just so surprised at you, I didn't believe it. I thought I was dreaming."
"Y'all dream about me?"
"Oh, shoot. Totally just admitted that, didn't I?"
Applejack laughed, "Yup! But that's okay, 'cause Ah dream about you every night."
"Dawww..." Rainbow smiled, and kissed Applejack's forehead.
"Slap me. Ah'm dreamin' again."
"Then I must be dreaming too... But who's ever heard of two ponies having the same dream at the same exact time?"
Applejack smiled, and un-folded herself from her little ball. Rainbow Dash took advantage of her changing positions and curled up to Applejack's belly, putting her head on Applejack's forelegs. "Sleep with me, Apples." Rainbow Dash grinned up at her, and she grinned, blushing down at her. "And by the way, you're so cute when you blush."
Applejack didn't respond, but lifted one foreleg, rolled onto more of her back, and pulled Rainbow Dash closer to her. Rainbow happily obliged, using most of Applejack's belly as a bed-pillow. She put a wing over Applejack's other side, which Applejack curled her hoof around. Rainbow Dash fell asleep with her head on Applejack's chest, and Applejack fell asleep soon later with her head on top of Rainbow Dash's other wing.
--
"Oh my Aaaaaawwww!" Sweetie Belle announced.
Applebloom giggled, "Looks like Applejack got what she really wanted after all."
"How is that CUTE? I can't believe it's Rainbow Dash! She's never ever mushy!" Scootaloo stuck her tongue out in disgust.
"Shut up Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle and Applebloom scolded.
Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy walked up behind the Cutie Mark Crusaders, "Oh, here they are!" Twilight clapped her hooves.
"WHA-HA-HA!" Rarity screeched happily, "I knew they'd end up together! How adorable!"
"It's like it was meant to be," Fluttershy smiled.
"They're in love, aren't they?" Twilight asked nopony in particular.
"Of course, darling! Can't you see it? All the beautiful love and affection?" Rarity spun in place dreamily.
Fluttershy giggled, "I guess Applejack's more of the top pony."
"Maybe not," Twilight pointed out, "Applejack's a whole lot bigger than Rainbow, so of course she's ending up as the pillow."
Rarity stopped spinning and walked to Twilight's side, "What do you mean? Applejack's not chubby."
"No, I mean she's bigger in general. She's a draft."
"Oooooohh!" Fluttershy and Rarity sighed.
"Quiet down, you'll wake them up!" Applebloom scolded back harshly.
"Oopsie," Fluttershy grinned apologetically.
"They've been such good friends for as long as I can remember," Rarity whispered, "It's hard NOT to predict this outcome."
Twilight grinned at Rarity's observation.
"So love is friendship set on fire."