//------------------------------//
// Before 
// Story: Just Do It 
// by BRBrony9 
//------------------------------//

She wanted to tell her. But I shouldn't.

She needed to tell her. But I can't.

She had waited far too long already. But it can wait a little longer.

She was too scared. But I'm so lonely...


Applejack lay on her bed, the early morning sun casting mottled patterns on her coat where it shined through the old, faded curtains. Thoughts had been running through her mind all night, ever since the evening before when she had asked Rainbow Dash to come over this afternoon to help her with some farm work. 

'Sure thing, AJ!' the cyan Pegasus had replied. 'What, need another barn knocking down?' she had made swift kicking motions with her hind legs as she hovered a few feet off the ground. 'I can do that, no problem!'

Today is the day, she thought to herself as she rose from the bed. It's now or never. 

After a shower and some apple pancakes, she felt much more amenable to the idea, to what she was planning. Maybe it'll work out alright after all. She smiled as she stepped out of the farmhouse into the morning sun, adjusting her trademark stetson squarely onto her head. There was plenty of work to be done on the farm, but most of it could wait. It was more of an excuse than anything else. But with her brother, her sister and Granny Smith away visiting cousin Braeburn in Appleoosa, she knew this was the best time, the best opportunity for her to do what she was going to do.


A few hours later, as she hammered a few nails into place in a loose board in the side of the barn, she heard a familiar cry.

'Hey, Applejack!' The farmpony looked up as Rainbow Dash soared through the sky above, waving with a hoof as she began a spiraling descent down onto the farm. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she waved back at her friend.

'Well hay there, RD!' she said. 'Glad y'all could make it, ah could really use another pair a' hooves on the farm. Mah brother is up in Appleoosa with Applebloom and Granny Smith, so ah'm a little short-hooved here!' Rainbow alighted gently next to her, taking a theatrical bow.

'Rainbow Danger Dash, at your service!' she said, grinning. 'So, what needs doing?' AJ gestured toward the barn.

'Well, that there barn didn't stand up too well ta that windstorm y'all sent our way last week.' Rainbow smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. 

'Yeah, sorry about that one...it kinda got away from us.' 

'Well some a' the roof beams need fixin' if y'all think ya can handle that,' she explained. Rainbow nodded eagerly, flexing her wings. 

'Pff! Whaddya mean, 'if'? I'll get it done in ten seconds flat!' she boasted, taking to the air and heading for the barn.

'Uh, good luck with that!' AJ called. Rainbow stopped and turned.

'What do you mean?' she questioned. Applejack held up a bucket of nails and a hammer.

'Well, ya kinda need these...'


After sheepishly returning for the tools, Rainbow Dash found it not quite possible to complete the job in ten seconds, but half an hour later the roof was fixed. She flapped down and landed next to Applejack, beaming with pride.

'There! All done, no trouble!' 

'Well thankie kindly fer yer help,' Applejack said, smiling. 'Now how 'bout a break?' Rainbow flexed her wings again. 

'Well, sure. Not that I'm tired or anything,' she said hurriedly. Applejack led her to the farmhouse, trotting inside and emerged a minute later with two big, frothy mugs of cider and two large apple muffins. 

'Ooh! Cider! You sure know how to treat a mare right,' Rainbow grinned, taking one of the mugs and taking a big swig of her favourite drink. Applejack watched her as she drank her own cider.

Better than drinking alone, she mused. But if I tell her...what then? What if it's a mistake? Will I always be drinking alone?  

They ate their muffins, and then set out back to the orchard. 

'All the trees in the top field need ta be bucked,' Applejack explained. 'Usually mah brother would be helpin' me with that, but he ain't here.' Trotting alongside her, Rainbow Dash smiled again.

'No problemo! I can do that,' she said. She took to the air, dashing ahead of Applejack, her wings flapping, building up her speed. She soared into the sky, spinning, climbing. Applejack craned her neck up to follow her friend, shading her eyes with a hoof from the afternoon sun. Rainbow reached the peak of her climb and slowly, lazily, rolled over onto her back, swinging round, diving towards the farm, her wings swept back, building up speed. 
Down she came, lower, lower, lower. Finally she leveled out, racing across the field at a dangerously low altitude. Applejack cringed as she barreled through the orchard, below the treetops, the speed and energy of her passing dislodging thousands of leaves and more than a few apples. Suddenly she popped back up into view from the other end of the orchard, spiraling up and away, a gleaming rainbow trail following her. Applejack felt her heart begin to beat faster. 

What's she going to think? If I tell her, what's she going to say? This is a bad idea...

Rainbow Dash returned to earth a minute later, landing almost gracefully beside her friend. She looked at the orchard, expecting the trees to be bare. While there were admirably few leaves still intact, most of the apples remained unplucked.

'Ah...guess that wasn't as efficient as I thought it would be,' Rainbow said. Applejack picked up a basket and placed it on Rainbow's back.

'Looks like we'll have ta do this the old fashioned way!' 


Rainbow Dash turned out to have a pretty effective kick of her own. Together, the two mares managed to pick every stray apple; no tree remained unbucked. Their job done, Applejack put her basket down and sighed.

'Phew! That was hard work,' she said, wiping sweat from her brow. 'Y'all did a mighty fine job, RD. Thanks fer the help!' Rainbow dumped her own basket next to Applejack's and grinned.

'No biggie. I'm always around to help my friends!' Applejack looked up at the darkening sky. The sun was going down behind the western mountains. She swallowed hard. This was it. It began here.

'Say, uh...' she began, casting another theatrical glance at the sky and making sure Rainbow saw it. 'Y'all want ta stay fer dinner? It's gettin' late.' 

Rainbow looked up at the sky too. 

'Sure! I never turn down good food!' she said. Applejack smiled at her.

'Alright! Let's get inside and I'll rustle somethin' up fer us.' She led the Pegasus into the farmhouse kitchen and began to get out a few pots and pans. 

'Hayburgers ok?' she asked. Rainbow licked her lips. 

'You bet!' AJ set to work, cooking the burgers, cutting up some celery stalks and pouring out another two mugs of cider. When they were ready, she dished them up and sat opposite Rainbow at the kitchen table. 

'Enjoy!' she said. 'Granny Smith's own recipe. Think ah've done it justice?' RD took a bite, savouring it, before swallowing.

'I should say so! This is great!' she said, taking another huge mouthful. 

'Glad ya like it, sugarcube!' AJ said, tucking into her own burger. They ate in silence, Applejack too nervous to talk, and Rainbow Dash enjoying the food too much. After they had both finished, Applejack cleared away the plates and sat down opposite her friend again. This is it. Now or never. Might as well get it over with.

'Listen, hon,' she began. 'Ah have ta thank y'all again fer yer help today, but...to be honest, none a' that stuff needed ta be done today...' Rainbow blinked.

'Well hey, why put off til tomorrow what you can do today, right?' she said, smiling and downing the last dregs of her cider. Applejack smiled weakly before continuing.

'Well, as a matter a' fact...ah had another reason fer askin' ya ta come over today...' Rainbow leaned back in her chair.

'What is it?' she asked.

'Well...ah got somethin' ta say to ya...somethin' ah've been meanin' ta say fer...a long time now...' Applejack said, her nervousness beginning to betray her. 

'Ok, shoot!' Rainbow said. 

'Well....ah...' she was beginning to shake. Rainbow noticed.

'A...Applejack, is something wrong?' she asked, a touch of concern entering her normally cocksure voice. 

'No, n...nothing's wrong. At least, ah hope not...' AJ said, swallowing. 

'Then what's got you all worked up?' the Pegasus asked. Applejack looked at her.

'What ah need to say, that's what.' Rainbow blinked again. 

'Well, what is it? What's up?'

This is a bad idea.

'Well, ah...ah...'

Don't do it, Applejack.

'Ah...' she could barely finish her sentence. 'Ah...' Rainbow was staring back at her, her expressive eyes thick with concern.

Don't!

'Ah...' her voice was barely more than a whisper. 'Ah...love you...'