//------------------------------// // Chapter six- Appletrap // Story: Castle in the clouds // by ovineConventionalist //------------------------------// Every second seemed endless to Rainbow. Every second that AJ stared at her turned up the heat. Really, the suspense was sweltering. Did Applejack not feel the warmth too? “Say something.” squeaked Dash. AJ threw her head back and laughed, but then relinquished at the look on Dash’s face. “Sugar cube yer… well, yer a mess. what’re you thinkin’ askin’ me out like that?” “Well why not?” Demanded Dash. “Well fer starters, you don’t even like me.” Dash cast her eyes heavenwards. Why did everypony assume they knew exactly how she felt about them? “Sugarcube, ah don’t have time for crushes and what have yeh, ah gotta marry someone who knows a thing or two about apple buckin’. This ‘ere farm is mah number one priority, its mah family’s only source of income and the Apple’kin’s pride an’ joy ever since granny was a filly. Ah want mah family to be as comfortably off as possible an’ ah don’t want the Apple legacy to end with me … An’ you don’ wanna be applebuckin’ all day ev’ry day. It could never work” “I could help you AJ. I’m strong, I’m fast, you could probably buck twice as many apples with me around!” Applejack looked unconvinced. “Look!” Rainbow trotted up toward the tree and gave it a swift kick; the apples fell neatly into the buckets placed around the trunk. Rainbow turned around with a weak look of triumph on her face. Applejack let out a small chuckle. “You don’t want that, Rainbow Dash.” “I’m so sick of ponies telling me what I don’t want.” said Rainbow as she cursed the relief spreading through her. She was supposed to be feeling rejected, she was supposed to feel all moody and poetic like one of the characters in Rarity’s books. Just once she wanted to feel something she expected. And then, as if it were mocking her, her stomach grumbled. “Let’s go.” said Applejack, taking pity Rainbow Dash’s dejected face. “We’ll have lunch, mah treat.” They walked along in silence, Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on the ground, not quite ready to look at Applejack yet. AJ directed her eyes to the sights around her. As an apple farmer, most of her time was spent in the claustrophobic cluster of trees. The bustling streets between the town’s shops seemed open and refreshing in comparison. It was nice, she mused, to be in surroundings that looked different each way she turned her head. It was nice to listen to the buzz of happy shoppers when she was so used to the quiet alienation of the myriad of tree after tree after tree. Trees were… beneficial, profitable, even pretty. But also daunting, especially when they were so numerous. Yes she thought, it was nice to be out. “So why didn’t you go along with the others?” Rainbow asked suddenly, chancing a peek at the orange mare through her fringe. “Well ah couldn’t leave the farm” said AJ, a little sad that her pleasant introspection had to end and her thoughts had to return, as ever, to what was the centre of her existence. “Granny aint no spring chicken, she needs all the rest she can get. As fer Applebloom, she needs to concentrate on her school work an’ her friends like any young filly should. Ah can’t expect Big Mac to do most of the farmin’ himself.” “I get it.” Interrupted Rainbow Dash, she had had enough of that farm to last her a week. “I just thought that maybe… maybe you…” What are you doing, idiot? “And.” said AJ, turning to face Dash “Ah couldn’t leave you, when Ah saw you lookin’ so upset.” Rainbow blushed. Thankfully they had arrived at the little café in town. Sitting outdoors, Dash pretended to be concentrating intently on the angle of her chair. The waiter came and placed two menus on their table, Dash buried her face in it giving far too much attention to the words ‘daisy sandwich and crispy hay fries’. Lunch passed in relative silence. Applejack asked Rainbow how she was feeling, Rainbow couldn’t really think what to answer, so she just said ‘fine.’ Rainbow asked how the apples were doing, AJ said she didn’t want to think about that right now. They had been close for too long to engage in small talk, just as they had been close for too long to pretend a measly sandwich and chips had satisfied their hunger, so they ordered another each. “Are you ever gonna tell me whats getting you upset recently?” AJ inquired during dessert. Dash took a mouthful of cheesecake to give herself time to respond. Applejack had told her a secret after all, why shouldn’t she share her own in return? She chewed thoughtfully, as a look of total disgust slowly dawned over her face. “Bleh!” The sweet, sickly mixture clung to her tongue and the gaps between her teeth. She had always liked the look of cheesecake, but looks can be deceiving. Applejack could barely control her laughter, she switched their plates but knew better than to eat the disgusting cake herself. There was a pause while AJ wiped her eyes on her hat and Dash chewed on Applejack’s pecan pie. “It’s… Fluttershy.” Said Dash after a long pause. “Ah see. You told her you had feelings for her and she…” “She told you!?” “Now ah never said that, ah… well ah overheard her tellin’ Pinkie if it’s that important. She was really upset, in fact…” Applejack just couldn’t keep her secret in any longer. When she thought about it, it wasn’t just Fluttershy who had seemed upset. Maybe Applejack wasn’t showing enough empathy. She suddenly felt guilty for laughing at Rainbow’s reaction to the cheesecake. “I guess it was a great bonding experience for both of them.” Said Dash bitterly. A wave of angry dissatisfaction rushed through her at the mental image: Fluttershy sat with her face buried in Pinkies chest while Pinkie stroked her soothingly. “Why don’t those two just go out?” They broke apart and Fluttershy looked up, staring into vast blue eyes. Pinkie brushed Fluttershy's hair from her face, hoof lingering to caress her cheek. The distance closed between them as their muzzles parted... “BLEH!” Said Dash again, waving her hooves in the air as her chair toppled backward. At that moment Dash hated Pinkie more than any pony. How could she do this to her? Did she not care about Dash’s feelings? She had to remind herself what she was seeing wasn’t real. But Pinkie knew what had happened and she had left anyway. Did she care about Fluttershy more than Dash? Perhaps she and Applejack had sorted it out amongst themselves, who should stay with Rainbow and who should stay with ‘Shy. Perhaps Applejack had drawn the short straw. Rainbow got up, sat back down and looked over at AJ, determined to act as though nothing had just happened. “Fluttershy likes stallions hun’.” Said AJ with a sigh. “And if ah were you, well ah would consider her feelings as well as yours.” she added sternly. Dash glared, but in reality she understood what her friend meant. She had probably caused Fluttershy a lot of discomfort with her proposition. She had selfishly played the victim by being moody and distant. And Fluttershy had said she missed her. A twinge shot through her, her stomach churned and she wished she hadn’t eaten that pie. What if their friendship didn’t recover? Why do I never think? She vowed to never again tell her friends she had romantic feelings for them. Two out of five was definitely enough. “Don’t worry sugarcube.” Said AJ softeningly “Theres nothin' anypony can hold against ya.” Rainbow Dash hoped she was right.