//------------------------------// // Rollercoaster // Story: 6 Months, Several Eternities // by TheRainbowEffect //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and sat up in bed to look outside. The sun was high overhead, but not quite to the point of indicating noontime. She gave a sleepy yawn and stretched her legs. She thought about the previous night. She had been surprised by her own spontaneous sleep-kiss, but at the same time she had liked it. That had been the second time she had kissed Applejack and she had enjoyed them both. She placed her hooves on the floor and walked towards the door. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple, munching on it as made her way outside. She had nothing else to do today, so she was going to head into town. She walked outside, tossed her apple core carelessly aside, and headed towards the heart of Ponyville. * * * Applejack sat up on the couch, her makeshift bed for a while, and took to thinking. She had thought about it alot, but Granny Smith’s rollercoaster story still made no sense to her. So she had gone on a rollercoaster once. What was that supposed to mean,that she should go on a rollercoaster and maybe some godsend spark in her brain would occur? That made no sense. Granny Smith was smarter than a first impression would show. She didn’t hop around water cans singing the alphabet during zap-apple season for nothing. That old pony knew what she was doing, so what did she mean when she talked about a rollercoaster? She tried to remember what Granny Smith had actually said. “Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. It just goes around and around. Nothing. Ah prefer the rollercoaster. You get more out of it.” Some went on the merry-go-round... What was that supposed to mean? * * * Rainbow walked into town, looking around. She had to find something to do so as to pass the time. When Applejack made her decision one way or the other, then she could go back to living there during the day. For now, she was under judgment, waiting awkwardly for Applejack to make her decision. If Applejack said no, and it became to awkward being around her, she could just find somepony else with whom to stay. If Applejack said yes, GREAT! Then she could continue staying with her. At the moment however, it was still on the fence. Only Applejack’s decision could make her fate fall one way or another. Dash walked around, looking at all the buildings. She had no idea where she wanted to go. So that was a problem...it was always a problem. Dash knew she wanted to do something during the waiting period, but she had no idea what, for Celestia’s sake. This was going to be a long day. * * * Something clicked in Applejack’s head. She knew what Granny Smith meant. Granny may have gone on a rollercoaster in her younger years, but that wasn’t really the rollercoaster the story was about. “Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round.” That made sense! How had she not gotten that? Of course, the rollercoaster and the merry-go-round were figurative! Granny Smith was smart, no, Granny smith was really smart. The merry-go-round was just a constant. It was steady life with no surprises, everyday more or less the same. The rollercoaster was surprise, and it was something that gave you more out of life than the merry-go-round. The constant was nothing. The rollercoaster was what Granny Smith was saying was the better option. Applejack got up, grabbed her hat, and headed out. * * * Rainbow Dash ended up heading to the library to hang out with Twilight for a bit. She raised a hoof and knocked; Twilight almost instantly opened the door. “Hey, that was fast.” “Well, I haven’t had much to do around here. I’ve already reorganized the books, reorganized the reorganization of the books, written a letter to the Princess, written a letter to the Princess summarizing all my letters to the Princess, cleaned the library, and made my bed.” Twilight took a moment to squee in pride for her hard work. “You should lay off sometime, Twilight.” “I can’t lay off when there’s so much work that needs to be done. I AM Celestia’s top student.” “Anyway,” Rainbow Dash said, sure at this point that she couldn’t crack into Twilight’s egghead skull, “what’s new?” “Oh, nothing much, I’m just cleaning the library again.” “Ugh. Twilight, really, lay off, for once.” “Anyway, what’s the story with you and Applejack?” “I’m still on the fence. I went walking yesterday, and it began to rain. It was cold rain too, not that nice warm-ish rain. I didn’t want to go back to Applejack’s, so I stayed out in the rain. If my wings weren’t broken, I’d have at least made a hole for myself in the clouds. Then again, if my wings weren’t broken, none of this would’ve happened. I might be at my house in the clouds right now, not here, and not worrying about what Applejack’s gonna say. Anyway, I got REALLY cold out there, and I was shivering pretty badly. Just when everything seemed bleak, in comes Applejack to save the day. She scoops me up and carries me all the way back to the house. She lays me down in the bed, and because I could get pneumonia or hypothermia or something like that, she climbs into bed with me to conserve heat. Well, you wouldn’t believe what happened! While I was sleeping, I had a dream that Applejack told me she wanted to go out with me, and wouldn’t you believe it, I kissed her in real life while I was sleeping.” “And how did that turn out?” “Well, we obviously both woke up, and she left. Not in a cold way. She just went back to sleeping on the couch like she has been, because it didn’t look like I was still at risk of getting sick.” “I take that to mean that things are still alright?” “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” “Well, I do suppose that’s a good sign.” “It might be. Like you said, there’s no way of knowing.” “Well, that is true.” * * * Applejack walked quickly throughout town, seeing if she could find Rainbow Dash. The trouble was that Rainbow Dash could be anywhere. Her eyes searched around, looking for Dash’s unmistakable rainbow-colored mane. She didn't see anything other than solid, one-colored manes of most ponies in the town. She wondered where Rainbow Dash got her rainbow mane. She had never seen anypony else with a mane of such color. It could very well be just some genetic fluke, but she had never seen Rainbow's parents. Rainbow had never mentioned them. Applejack made a mental note to ask Rainbow Dash about it sometime. She couldn't stop to think about it. Right now she had to find Rainbow Dash. This was a very urgent matter concerning Rainbow Dash, and there was something that she needed to tell her. She kept her eyes scanning, heading towards Rarity's place. She didn't know quite what brought her there, but she felt like that was a good place to start. She reached Rarity's place and raised a hoof to knock on the door. She heard some shuffling around inside, and after awhile Rarity came to the door, the place a mess behind her. "Oh, hello, Applejack. Do come in." "Howdy," Applejack said as she walked in, "how do ya do?" "I'm doing fine. Do forgive me for the mess, I'm working on a project." "S'alright, ah s'pose." "Anyway, what brings you here?" "I came t'ask if yah've seen Rainbow Dash lately." "Well, I have not seen her yet today, but I did see her yesterday; she came in to ask about ways to tell somepony she loves them. Isn't that exciting, Applejack? Our dear Rainbow Dash is in love!" "Yeah, ah know." "You do? Has she told you?" "Sort of." "Oh, alright then." "Well, ah best be off if ah want to find Rainbow Dash." "Best of luck finding her, Applejack!" "Thanks, pardner." With that, Applejack tipped her hat and left, continuing her search. The next place to go was to Sugarcube Corner to see Pinkie Pie. She had to ask what she wanted up front, lest Pinkie get derailed. Pinkie had a high derail rate. She reached Sugarcube Corner and raised a hoof to knock, but the door flew open to reveal Pinkie before she even knocked. "Pinkie, have ya seen Rainbow Dash?" "She's at Twilight's!" "Um, are ya sure?" "Yep!" "Well, how do ya know?" "Silly Applejack, I'm Pinkie Pie!" "Oh." With that, Applejack closed the door as Pinkie started to go on about something, and she headed towards the library. She started running. This was an important matter. * * * "My place probably looks like crap right now." They had been sitting there, making small talk over some tea. Twilight had been more than happy to be the hospitable host and let Rainbow Dash stay. Rainbow Dash had decided that a little time after lunch was a good time to go back, surely, Applejack would have had enough time to make her decision. This was an awkward and testing time, but at the end of the day, she’d know. She’d finally know, and she’d be on one of two sides of the fence. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and outside they heard a heavy breathing. “I’ll get the door,” Twilight said, walking over there, opening the door with her magic. It was Applejack. Applejack was standing right there, looking at Rainbow past Twilight. “Applejack? What’re you doing here?” “Dash, ah’ve made mah decision. Ah-“ “Wait, before you tell me, I have something to say. I’ll be fine if you don’t want to go out with me. I don’t want a strained relationship. So, if you truly don’t want to go out with me, don’t.” “No, Rainbow, ah’m just tryin’ ta say-“ “The exception is if you don’t want to go out with me because I’m a mare. I am the one and only Rainbow Dash, and you won’t ever find another pony like me. I can say that we could make a mare-mare relationship work.” “Rainbow Dash, really, ah-“ “Because I don’t care what others think. Haters gonna hate, I say. Although I know some will look at us with distaste, we can just forget them! The ponies that mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” “Rainbow Dash, if you’ll please jus’ let me finish! Ah’ve taken a long time t’decide, and ah’ve decided that ah’d like to go out with you, Rainbow Dash. Ah really do.” “You… do?” “Yes, ah do.” Rainbow Dash got up from the table and walked over to Applejack. They looked each other in the eyes for a moment, and then Rainbow Dash leaned her head forward and nuzzled Applejack, pouring affection into it. Applejack returned the gesture, and Rainbow Dash’s heart soared. If you had told her a couple weeks ago that she would eventually be going out with Applejack, she would have laughed out loud. Now, she was glad that she was. “Um, guys?” Rainbow and Applejack had forgotten momentarily that Twilight was there. “Um, ah s’pose we should go.” “Yeah, we’re gonna go now. Bye, Twilight!” As they walked away, they heard Twilight yell, “Congratulations!” As they walked toward the orchard, they smiled at each other, and, somehow, they both ended up walking toward the place that Rainbow Dash had first kissed Applejack. They reached the place, and when they were there, the turned toward each other, and they both leaned their heads in and shared a tender kiss. Rainbow Dash couldn’t have been more ecstatic.