"I just wanted to be sure of somethin'," Applejack said. Her eyes were avoiding Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow noticed it. She noticed everything. "Oh! Uhhh... sure! Shoot!" Rainbow smirked. "I mean, not literally shoot. Notttttt that you'd have any reason to put an arrow through my heart—skull! I meant skull. Skull is what I said. Cuzzzzz that's what you'd shove an arrow through if you wanted to kill a pony. As in kill it dead. Not living. No beating, throbbing, palpitating heart. Ehehehehehehehehehehehhhhhhhhh..." She found herself at the end of her breath. Slumping forward, she wheezed through a nervous smile, her eyes darting back and forth. "Jeez, it sure is h-hot out t-today, isn't it?"
Applejack took her hat off, fidgeting with it while her blonde bangs flounced freely in the afternoon air. "Mmmm... shucks. How do I go about sayin' this without makin' you feel silly..." She gulped. "Or at least sillier than I feel right about now..."
Rainbow Dash blinked. Then she blinked again. "Say anything, AJ."
"Well, alrighty then." She bit her lip and finally angled her green eyes Rainbow's way. "Did I... h-hurt you earlier?"
Rainbow's brow furrowed. "Hurt... me?"
"Y'know... in the restaurant, while we was eatin' that fine meal that you bought for us all generous-like."
"Uhhhh... you mean the hoof wrestling thing?"
"Yeah. The hoof wrasslin' thang."
"Pffffft. So what if I took a little tumble? Big deal!" Rainbow waved her forelimb with a sly grin. "I've taken worse before. I bounce back all the time!"
"Still don't make it a proper thang that done happened!" Applejack frowned. "I practically grinded you into the tile floor like you was an earth plow. Rainbow, I'm awfully sorry..."
"It's fine! Really!" Rainbow shrugged. "Those are the chances you take when you compete."
"Yes, only you don't chance it that often, do ya, sugarcube?"
"Huh...?"
"I... gotta say I'm plum surprised I beat you like I did, Rainbow."
"Oh... uh..." Rainbow shrugged, suddenly avoiding Applejack's gaze. "Well, surprises happen in life."
"Not around you, they don't. Yer the loyalest pony there ever was! We can count on you for anythang! And when you suddenly get thrown helter skelter by a simple lil' hoof wrassle..."
"Hey..." Rainbow Dash bit her lip. "I'm still loyal."
"I ain't sayin' yer not, darlin'. It's just that... It's awful unsettlin', ya feel me? With what just happened right now? I mean, I'm so plum used to treatin' you like yer just as strong and thick-skinned as me. But... b-but if I've been wrong about it all this time..."
Rainbow's mouth hung loose. Her ears folded slightly.
Applejack was too busy fidgeting with her hat to notice the expression. One of the farm mare's hooves swam nervous circles along the inside. "All the times I've bitten onto yer tail or given you a playful shove or jabbed you every now and then..." She winced. "Well, suddenly I can't help but feel awful... just awful..."
"Hey... Hey, listen to me..." Rainbow Dash trotted forward until she was in Applejack's gaze again. Her eyes were soft and round. "You could never... ever hurt me, Applejack."
Applejack squinted at her. "Ya sound mighty sure about that, sugarcube."
Rainbow Dash smiled gently. "Only because I am." She gulped. "More sure of anything as I'll ever friggin' be. So don't you freak out, okay? You've got enough crap to deal with—like apples constantly falling on your head when you go bucking for hours on end."
Applejack took a deep breath. Smirking, she plopped her hat back onto her head. "I reckon it's just the farmer's curse."
"Farmer's curse?"
"Eeyup. Always destined to be stronger, thicker, and denser than the rest of the ponies around me."
"Hah. Don't give yourself too much credit." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I just happened to be off my game today." She pointed. "Next time won't be so easy for you."
"I suppose." Applejack suddenly leaned in for a hug. "Sorry for gettin' all queasy on ya, Rainbow. I know how much ya hate sappiness."
Rainbow squeaked against Applejack's tender body heat. "More... th-than the scum of the earth..." She was too busy trying not to squeal that she didn't feel an errant gust of wind brushing against her prismatic mane until the last second. She looked at the park around her, but none of the leaves were scattering.
"Well... I best be off..." Applejack stepped back and patted her belly with a smirk. "I've got enough fuel to buck the whole Acres ten times over! Hah!"
"Go on, girl..." Rainbow Dash exhaled. "Have fun bucking without me."
"Heh, whatever you say, Rainbow." Applejack waved and trotted off. "Enjoy the rest of your day!"
"I'll try!" Rainbow Dash smiled. Gritting her teeth in a frozen grin, the pegasus turned around, flapped her wings, soared over the nearby treetops, and immediately plunged her body into the nearest lake.