They thought for a while, debating on how they should do it. Should they get all of their friends in a group, perhaps even Twilight, and spring the news to everyone once, rather than painstakingly going around and telling the news, and seeing each individual reaction? On the former option, it was convenient, killing three birds with one stone. On the other hand, they'd have to set up a time. That wouldn't be too hard. They could just go around and tell everyone to go to the orchard. That was probably the best. The other option of telling the rest of the 6 door-to-door didn't really have any perks over getting the group together. It didn't really have many perks at all, when they thought about it. It was just an option that had come to their heads.
Applejack grabbed her Stetson and Rainbow Dash followed her out the door. The more time went on, Rainbow Dash thought less and less about her cast and her temporarily useless wings. Her wings had been out of order for two weeks now, and already she had gotten over the temporary loss of her them. Sure, it'd be five and a half months until she regained her wings, but Applejack had filled that temporary void. It wasn't that she was thinking of Applejack as a replacement for her wings, it was just that fate had decided she should fall for Applejack right after she lost them, something about which she deeply cared.
They walked through the orchard, the warm spring sun high overhead. Their hooves made small clopping noises as they made impact against the dirt of the orchard at Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash looked over at Applejack. The warm spring breeze was making Applejack's mane flutter a little in the wind. It was beautiful.
They kept walking as Ponyville's heart came into view. They looked around, but it was lunch time, so not many ponies were walking about. They kept close together, only too eager now for each other’s company. They had talked before they left about whom to go to first. To Rarity’s place it was, since she was the closest.
They walked through town until they reached Rarity’s house. Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and knocked. Rarity opened her door soon after, looking as “fabulous” as ever.
“Oh hello, Rainbow, hello, Applejack, what brings you two here?”
“Oh, we’re rounding up the gang. We have some news to tell everypony. It’s gonna be awesome!”
“Oh, well if that’s the case, is everypony convening someplace that I might like to be?”
“Just come right down to mah house. We’ll all be down there.”
“Oh, by the way, is there a specific time we will all be meeting?”
“You could head down there now; we’re just gettin’ everypony down there.”
“Oh, how wonderful, I must make myself presentable.”
“Rarity, ya look fine. Ya look the same way ya always do.”
“Oh, that’s not true. I’m simply disheveled. I must get ready.”
Rarity then closed her door, leaving the two marefriends looking quizzically at each other. They both shrugged it off and headed to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie would probably just have to be dealt with straight-forward. They’d knock on the door and tell Pinkie to head down to the orchard to await news. They all knew too well what would happen if they didn’t get their point across quickly enough. She would go into Super Hyper Pinkie mode with unrealistic rambling and bouncing action. They didn’t want that. Nopony wanted that, save for Pinkie, of course.
They approached Sugarcube Corner. They didn’t even knock when they reached the door. They didn’t have to knock.
The door flung open to reveal a certain pink pony.
“Hey, guys!”
“Hey Pinkie. Look, we need you to go down to Applejack’s house in the orchard. We have something we need to tell you.”
“Ooh, what is it? I’m excited because when my friends have news it’s normally good news and when it’s good news that means my friends are happy and when my friends are happy I’m happy and I love being happy-“
She was cut off as Rainbow placed a hoof upon Pinkie’s mouth.
“Just get down to the orchard, Pinkie.”
“Okie Dokie Lokie,” said Pinkie, muffled because of Rainbow’s hoof.
Pinkie then proceeded to bounce off towards the orchard. Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other and gave a sigh of relief, having dodged a bullet that time. Pinkie could have gone on, they knew full well.
The next was going to be the easiest. Twilight’s was the next place, and Twilight already knew.
They reached the library quickly, and Rainbow Dash knocked.
The door opened.
“Oh, hello, how are you two?”
“Jus’ fine, Twilight. Like peas and carrots, I’d say.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, I guess. Anyway, we want you to get down to the orchard; we’re telling everypony the news.”
“Oh, that’s great! I have to reorganize the books, though.”
“You can reorganize later, just get your plot down there, egghead!”
“Alright, I’ll have to work extra hard when I get back, there’s much to do.”
Twilight walked out of the library, magically closing the door behind her.
“Wow, I’m surprised we managed to get her away from her work so easily,” Rainbow remarked when Twilight was out of earshot.
“Well, that must be because of the “excess awesome” of the one an’ only Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow laughed and gave Applejack a peck on the cheek before leaving to go find Fluttershy. She was probably at her house caring for the animals and all that. They headed to her place, knocked, and sure enough, Fluttershy opened the door.
“Oh, hello.”
“Hey, Fluttershy, are ya busy?”
“Oh, no, Angel is playing with her friends and all the other animals are just fine.”
“Great, you see, we have some news that we’re sharing with the entire group and we’re all going down to Applejack’s house.”
“Oh, that’s very nice. When are we heading down there?”
“Right now, if ya can manage. We want ta tell everypony as soon as possible.”
“Oh, okay. I will be right down there.”
Fluttershy fluttered out of her house, closed the door and headed down to the orchard.
Rainbow Dash started toward the orchard, but Applejack stood there.
“Applejack, what’s up?”
“Rainbow Dash, ah just don’t know.”
“You don’t know what?”
“Ah’m afraid, ah mean, what will everypony think?”
“Applejack, why is this getting to you just now? You were fine telling your family.”
“Well, that’s mah family. Plus, you were the one that kissed me.”
“Applejack, you can do this. You know that the group is kind of a second family for us; it’s more of a first family to me, obviously.”
“Ah don’t know. What if they don’t agree? Ah mean, Rarity in particular. She’s all fancy-pantsy high class, ya know?”
“If she was truly and completely like that, she’d have left us long ago to go pursue a career in Canterlot. She’s fully capable. Now let’s go.”
Rainbow Dash started walking toward the orchard. Of what was Applejack so afraid?
She quickly realized that Applejack wasn’t by her side. She looked back. Applejack wasn’t there. She ran back and looked around. She couldn’t find her. Applejack had run. Plus, she couldn’t do a flyover to see where she had gone either. Her wings were in a cast…They would be for the next 5 months and two weeks… Awesome.
She ran quickly to Applejack’s house. Predictably, everypony in the six but Applejack were there.
“What ever is wrong, Rainbow Dash, darling?”
“Yeah! What’s wrong? Did Applejack eat a bad cupcake or something? I remember the time she MADE really bad cupcakes and it made everypony sick and that wasn’t good-“
“Alright, guys, Applejack is gone. We need to find her,” said Rainbow Dash. “This news is important and she needs to be here. Now, you guys spread out and try to find her. I’ll stay here, just in case she comes back.”
They all agreed and they all spread out. Rainbow Dash paced by the house, waiting. Applejack had run, even after Rainbow Dash had talked to her. What was evident was that Applejack was afraid of rejection. But maybe that wasn't the case. Was she afraid of something else? What was it? Was it something other than fear? What was she trying to say, if anything? Applejack wasn't one to run from her problems, so this was an oddity.
Some time passed, but Applejack didn’t show up. The rest of the group came back, all of them but Applejack. They had all scoured Ponyville, but none of them could find her. Even Pinkie Pie, who sometimes seemed omnipresent, couldn't find her. It was up to her, Rainbow Dash, to try and figure out where she might be. She tried to think of where Applejack might have gone. It’s not like she could fly to Cloudsdale, and she wasn’t really likely to go to another town. How could four ponies not find her? Ponyville wasn’t very big. Where could she-
Boom. The answer hit her like a train.
“Everypony, I know where she is!”
“You do?”
“Ooh, c’mon, tell us tell us tell us!”
“Spit it out already!”
Rainbow Dash took a breath. “Follow me.”
“To where, do I ask?”
“Just c’mon,” Rainbow said. Rainbow walked in the direction of the secret meadow. That’s why they hadn’t found her. She was at a place about which only Applejack and Rainbow Dash knew. Maybe she hadn't run off in fear. She wanted that to be the location. She had wanted Rainbow to come and find her. Applejack really was smart.
Rainbow Dash found the meadow, and with it, Applejack beneath the tree. Applejack smiled when she saw Rainbow. Rainbow smiled back. Rainbow Dash walked up and stood by her.
"So, how'd you know she was here, in this secluded meadow?" Twilight asked.
"Do tell us, I'm positively dying to know," Rarity chimed in.
"Well, the thing is..."
"What is it?" Fluttershy asked.
"Ooh, tell us tell us tell us!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"You see..."
"Do share," Rarity urged Rainbow.
"Well..."
"This is where Rainbow first kissed me."
The ponies were confused, save for Twilight.
"What? Nonono, that can't be right. You're a mare," noted Rarity.
"Yeah, what of it? You think there's anything wrong with being in love with a mare?"
"Well, no, it's just very unexpected and sort of unbelievable."
To prove and punctuate the point, Rainbow Dash and Applejack turned to each other and pressed their lips together. That way there was no doubt as to whether they were just messing with their friends.
Twilight smiled, having known this ahead of time and not being surprised by it.
Pinkie jumped up and yelled, "YAY! Oh, I knew it would go well! I should go and bake some cupcakes and we should have a party!" Pinkie Pie promptly rushed off to go do so.
Rarity looked surprised. "So Applejack is the pony with whom you're in love? I hadn't expected it would be a mare, Rainbow, but I am quite pleased! I could sew matching dresses for the two of you. Oh, the possibilities are endless, and all of them are simply fabulous!"
"Oh, congratulations," remarked Fluttershy softly. "I hadn't known, but I'm very happy for you two."
Rainbow and Applejack beamed next to each other.
"So, you ran for this reason?" Rainbow asked.
"Yep. Ah knew you would find me. Ah wanted to do somethin' special. Somethin' that would show the connection between us."
"Awesome."
They leaned their heads toward each other, but before their faces met, Pinkie popped up in between their faces with various party accessories.
"Party at Applejack's place!"
They all laughed and started walking towards Applejack's house to celebrate a beautiful new love.