//------------------------------//
// Springsteen 
// Story: Inspired: Post-Hero 
// by Techno Flare 
//------------------------------//

	Applejack stood there, shrouded in the shadows of nighttime. The barn was pungent, and her family members were sound asleep, snoring their way into Applejack's ears. Luna's moon was full and high, casting enough light to show the path in front of Sweet Apple Acres. Flashes of light came and hit Applejack in the face as she waited, staring out the small wood paneled window. As she looked around the night sky, she saw the cloud where the flashes came from. She pulled out her own light beam that Twilight gave to Applejack on her 21st birthday. Also installed was a cup that you could get a couple sips from. Using the phrase that Twilight told her, Applejack mumbled the words in certain patterns at the immobile cloud. 
"Apparatus lux sceo." The stream of light that followed looked similar to a lightning bolt: purple and luminent, running along the seams of the horizon. It lit up the trees of the orchard, coming dangerously close more than a few times, and hit it's target spot on. She did so about five times slow, once fast, and waited a minute for her response. Rainbow Dash would be waiting for her at the fence.



Applejack arrived in two minutes, about when Rainbow Dash zoomed in, halting to a stop. She made sure not to hit the ground, so her wings slowly carried her to the ground. With a soft clop Rainbow Dash landed. She brushed the hair out of her face and made the most buffoonish pose possible. They both shared a moment laughing.
After it had died down, Applejack broke the ice. "You always were luckier than me to have those." She brushed one of the wings tucked neatly at Rainbow's side. Wings were always a mystery to Applejack - unlike magic - and more than anything, that was the one gift she wanted for Hoofmas every year.
"Well you're lucky to stay here every day," she replied with a sigh. "Gosh, I missed this place. It feels so nice to finally be up to this again." She smiled, and soon they were stand a nose away, caught in each other's eyes. "Let's get this party started."
"Will do," Applejack replied. She was just as eager to start up the lost tradition that stopped after Rainbow Dash had moved. With the rest of their friends asleep, every second Saturday they took a stroll through the town. There was usually a party or a stop at Sugarcube Corner. They started their usual route. 
They soon started a long conversation that lasted right up until they passed the school, which meant they were close to the town.
"So how much training do you ponies go through every day in the Wonderbolts?" Again, Applejack brought up the concept of having wings.
"Well, it usually starts with decent rations for breakfast. It isn't much compared to some of the meals I've eaten here, but it's enough to keep us going for a while. Then we go to daily five drills and other types of workouts to get us warmed up. The usual is ten laps around the place. But since ponies usually get punished, it becomes more.
"The next thing we do varies from day-to-day, so what do you want to hear about?" Applejack was slow to react. It was what most ponies wanted to hear from Rainbow Dash, being on the front lines and all. Rainbow Dash was going to go all out on this demonstration.
"Do you have mock wars and things like it?" 
"On the first of every month, the bell wakes us up at three in the morning, saying that we've been deployed into. We all have to be out of bed, ready for the commander's check. If we aren't, it's an instant boot from the team."
"A little harsh, don'tcha think?" Applejack interrupted. Rainbow Dash was startled.
"Applejack, this is war we're talking about! If you aren't peachy at any time of day, who knows how well you'll perform on the battlefield? What if it was a real call to arms? If you aren't prepared, then you aren't allowed on the team.
"Which is the reason there is only ten of us. We were the only mares and stallions to withstand everything they could possibly throw at us. 
"Getting back to the mock war." She got ready to give hand signals and the sort. "We would have to rush on our gear and get to the chopper ASAP! We then were carried around, not knowing at all whether it was true true or fake. They dropped us off at separate points if there was a mock war. We knew then that we couldn't actually shoot them and had been given airsoft guns. We soon sped out of the chopper, splitting up so to find where the other team could be. I usually gave this command as opposed to Lightning Dust's "Always stick together!" motto. Soon enough one of us would find it and call back to report to the team. We'd then have them all surrounded in a matter of seconds.
"There was one time when Spitfire gave them the upper hand. Lightning Dust had one of her ponies hold an EMP device, which prevented the walkie-talkies in our helmets from operating. As soon as I saw that they had one, I knew I was going to have to go one-hundred percent stealth mode. I dropped to the ground, letting my armor do the work. Before I hit the rock bottom, I sent the team a quick reading with my coordinates. I knew that without their mapping devices, it would take them a while to find me. 
"Soon, Lightning Dust had found me and had me pinned against the ground. She was like nothing I had ever seen before! Her eyes were bloodshot, her mouth was dripping saliva, and mumbled under her breath, and I quote, "I've wanted this day my whole life!" And as she held up a gun to my throat, one of my team members came in to save me. She tackled Lightning Dust, and we soon had their team in our grasp. Lightning Dust and Spitfire both agreed that if my team weren't there, I would've been dead. In fact, Spitfire gave Lightning Dust the command to kill me if she could! I argued that by sending my coordinates to my team that I won, but she still gives me an extra lap every day because of it."
Applejack was so intrigued by the story that she almost didn't notice the elementary school. It went under reconstruction after the CMC were done with it. It got a brand new bell, was painted, and got an elaborate marble sign that read, 'Ponyville Elementary School.' Rainbow Dash almost went off again, but Applejack quickly pulled her back to the ground.
"Would you stop doing that?" Rainbow Dash snapped. It was about the fifth time in a week she had done so. Applejack would admit it, it was fun, but Rainbow Dash had obviously had enough. 
"Sorry," she apologized with a chuckle. "But remember, the towns ponies  are sleeping. We have to make sure we either go to a party to be loud - which there aren't many more of these days - or into the grass meadow by Rarity's."
"Ok, fine," she agreed reluctantly. They walked side by side as they made their way back into town. Applejack had done  this so many times in the past ten years, but none of them felt as good as this one did.



Applejack had her forelegs wrapped around the railings, Rainbow Dash did the same. The wind slightly shifted their hair from time to time, and they both took in the breathtaking view from the top of Spiral Tower. They could pretty much see everything that the town had to offer, from Sugarcube Corner to Twilight's Library to the windmill, it was simply Luna's beautiful night. It looked... peaceful for once. 
Never had there been a moment when Applejack was worried about how the CMC were or stressed about what might show up the next morning. She would be hurried to finish bucking the trees. She would be pacing at the thought of Fluttershy's life in Vanhoover. She had wondered if Twilight had suddenly lost her position as Princess of Magic. For once in her life, everything was settled. No more questions, no more worries, just a relaxing period. That is what the town looked like, and that is what she felt like. Except for one thing.
"Remember the time Pinkie dove off this and tried to land in the fountain?" Applejack had referred to some of the other activities the mares partook in. When the cameras weren't following them around, they had plans of their own. 
"She almost broke her skull!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trying to keep quiet as not to upset Applejack for the umpteenth time. "Of course I do!" Applejack was almost on the ground laughing, Rainbow Dash followed soon after. Tears practically streamed out of their eyes as she choked out the next story. "Remember the time when Fluttershy's animals stormed through the town?"
Another sound wave of laughter came from the two, and disturbed a stallion from down below. He was sound asleep merely seconds ago, but the dreams had been disturbed by the shrieks of laughter coming from the tower. As he went over to investigate from the row of houses, Applejack continued the story. 
"Well the cows nearly brought down Town Hall! The bunnies and other things of the sort were rushin' fer the sweets a the Corner! Ah what else.. Oh! Those two creatures from that other place that Fluttershy had suddenly found were burning the library down!" Laughter that couldn't be contained escaped from the mouths. The hoofsteps from the other pony walking up the tower were overpowered by the laughter emanating from those two.
"Mares," he said from the end of the stairwell. He was soft as could be, but could not get their attention. "Mares!" louder this time. He decided to go and tap the orange one on her shoulder. As he did, Applejack looked up and could barely make out anything but his solid green eyes and cherry red coat.
"Boost!" Applejack exclaimed. Apple Bloom had told Applejack much about this one, and AJ finally figured out why. Rainbow Dash looked over, confused, as the one called Boost was just as bamboozled as her.
"How do you know..." Boost looked over toward the cutie mark on the rear of Applejack. Three red apples. "Oh! You must be Applejack! I've heard so much about you from your sister. Umm... I came over here to quiet you mares down, but this is a surprise."
"Hold on a second." Applejack mused at how tall the young colt was. He was lean, but almost as tall as a full grown stallion. "Are you positive you're my sister's age?"
"Do you want me to get my birth certificate?" he asked, unamused - nearly annoyed. Applejack could tell he wasn't lying, so she let him go. 
"Well, it's sure been fancy meeting you here, but my sister tells me that somethin' a little more important than this is goin' on tomorrow." Applejack chuckled as the colt jumped, his wings unfurling, and was utterly anxious to get home.
"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!" He did a small backup to the railing opposite his house. "Well, goodbye and all. See you again some other time." And with that, he got two gallops in and sprung off the tower, gliding down to his house. He raised his hoof to his head and gave a slight wave. Soon all Applejack could see was his shadow.
"Well, he was certainly interesting," Rainbow Dash butted in. "Good flyer, though. I might have to recruit him." Rainbow Dash thought about his form and how she could improve it.
"Alright, enough about him. There are still plenty more places to visit. It is pretty much midnight." 

*Pan directly upwards from the shot, getting glare from the moon. Hold it there. CUT*



*Alright, come back down the opposite way you went up. Show the girls frolicking in the meadow, but not in focus. Alright now focus. Hold it there until they lay down*

Behind Town Hall, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having a friendly game of tag in the eastern orchard. They were running around, hiding, and giving each other solid pushes as 'tags'. Soon enough, they got tired and had lain on a soft patch of grass until Applejack reached up and grabbed an apple. 
After taking a few bites, she tried to get a little more out Rainbow Dash and her wings. Muffled by the food in her mouth, she asked, "So how does it feel to fly?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. She was starting to get annoyed by this. She didn't mind it when she was younger, but her attention span went from short to shorter in the past decade. If anything, aging was just another way of saying 'losing everything your youth had'. "You really are fascinated by these, huh." She rolled onto her side and faced Applejack with this question, but she knew the answer already. "Why? Don't you ponies have enough on the ground? You are much stronger than us." 
"Oh, you know why," Applejack replied. She swallowed and cleared her throat before saying, "That one song, it just seems so..."
"Awesome?" Rainbow Dash said it for her.
"Yeah! The wind blowin' past yer face, the clouds below yah, the stars above yah. I just wish I could experience that." She sighed. This was the one mystery she wanted solved more than anything. And, out of habit, she started singing:


If there's one place
I'd rather be,
It'd be in the clouds.
Never felt more free.
Soarin' through
The clear blue sky.
The one thing 
that keeps me
More ali-ive 
Than you - ou - ou


And as she always did, Rainbow joined in at the chorus.


As time will turn
And so will I,
You'll be right there
And so will the sky.
We're flying high - igh - igh
I'm soaring through the sky - y - y
With you.


Applejack let Rainbow Dash sing this verse alone.


With the blood rushing
Through my veins
My heart beats faster
With you in my gaze.
The wind in my hair
The clouds below 
The stars above 
Time has stopped.
Keeps me more ali-ive
Than you - ou - ou


They both sing:


As time will turn
And so will I,
You'll be right there
And so will the sky.
We're flying high - igh - igh
I'm soaring through the sky - y - y
With you.



And if you fall, I'll fall with with you.
And if you lose yourself, I'll stay with you.
And when you cry, I'll cry with you.
And if you love, I'll love with you.


Soon they found themselves almost touching.


As time will turn
And so will I,
You'll be right there
And so will the sky.
We're flying high - igh - igh
I'm soaring through the sky - y - y
With you.


Before she even realized what happened, they embraced in a kiss. Applejack's mind was racing like a mighty river. I was just.. but then.. and then she... What?They held it for a moment, but then let go. Rainbow Dash, with love in her blood, took Applejack by the torso. Applejack nodded, and of they flew, into the stars. Here we go...