Chapter 5
Green Eyes Looking Up
Applejack and Rainbow ran off into the wood, laughing and smiling. As the ground trembled from their hoofsteps rolling across the path, the branches of the tired trees finally let go of their grasp on their brilliantly colored leaves, causing them to fall and decorate the world.
As the friends finally worked together to do something right, the leaves painted everything in their bright oranges, strong reds, warm golds, and lazy browns. It was truly a magnificent sight, transforming the landscape into an entire sea of festive autumn beauty. Even beside the colors, there was nothing that beat the melodious crunch of each leaf under their hooves, or the earthy smell of old wind and leaves turning to dust. Laughing aloud in satisfaction of both physical work and wondrous reward, Rainbow Dash turned to look at her friend.
Unlike the forest and its falling leaves, the two of them looked far from beautiful and brilliant. Their manes were frazzled, their coats scraped up and messy, everything a little ruffled from all their previous fighting and competition. But one feature of Applejack’s caught her friend’s attention as it was unscathed by their roughness and bad sportsmanship.
Her eyes.
The day had waned quite a bit since the race had started, and all though it was not quite sunset, it was no longer broad daylight either. The losing light gave the falling leaves a soft golden rim, turning the whole world into something that was both warm and welcoming. The lack of a bright sun overhead also kept sunlight from masking the light in Applejack’s eyes, causing them to shine now with more radiance than ever before.
They were happy, joyful eyes that sparkled with her laugh as they ran. They shined a brilliant emerald green against the ambers and pumpkins of the autumn around her, which blended nicely with her own coat. Applejack now turned Rainbow’s direction, eyes only widening as she caught the gaze of her friend.
Those big, green eyes.
Dash had experienced day dreams before, but never one such as this. She had fallen and was engulfed by those eyes. A giant untamable tingling sensation ran all the way down her back, across her galloping hooves, up to the tips of her wings and ears, and down her tail. A warmth filled her chest, and it bubbled up her cheeks and into her ears. The sensation as a whole was fascinating and fantastic, so much so that Rainbow’s lips made a small sheepish smile of wonder.
Slight confusion touched the overwhelming eyes, but Applejack brushed it aside and returned the smirk with a sweet smile.
The smile activated another chain of tingles and chills that ran through Rainbow’s body. It almost made her giggle with delight. Never before had she been so consumed, so intrigued, so… distracted.
Catching her hoof on a more than obvious root sticking up in the path, Dash tumbled forwards, caught completely off guard. She flailed her legs out in alarm, consequentially tripping her fellow runner and causing her to cry out and fall. The two mares rolled and bounced along the path, until finally finding peace in a large pile of newly fallen leaves.
Blushing uncontrollably, Dash lifted her head out of the leaves to find her friend upside down against a tree.
“Whoops, my bad…” Dash helped her friend up, cheeks burning.
Applejack chuckled. “Heh heh, that’s alright. We could use a break anyway.”
The fire in Rainbow’s cheeks dwindled as her attention turned to her burning lungs. They had been running for quite some time, and they hadn’t even thought to take a break.
“Yeah,” she panted, “I guess you’re right.”
The two sat in silence for a moment, catching their breath. Finally, Applejack spoke.
“Ya know,” she chuckled, “you are a hoot, RD.”
Dash, still a little shaken up, laughed nervously, but smiled.
“A hoot? Like an owl or somethin’?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow at her friend.
“Ah mean Ah think you are fun to be around, sugar cube.”
“Oh,” another nervous laugh escaped Rainbow’s lips. “I get it.”
“But ya know,” Applejack’s expression changed to one of sincere thoughtfulness, “Ah still feel like we don’t know each other a whole lot.”
Even though she was flustered, Dash understood what her friend was saying. Gaining some confidence and feeling herself again, she began to hover.
“I get where you’re coming from. Even though we hang out and stuff, we don’t really talk very much.”
Applejack looked around. “Well, while we get all these here leaves to fall, we’ll have plenty of time to talk. Whaddaya think we should talk about?”
Rainbow shrugged and smirked.
“I dunno, the deep stuff.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “The deep stuff?”
Rainbow’s smile widened. “Yeah, ya know, like ‘What’s your favorite color?’”
Applejack chuckled. “My, that’s mighty too deep fer mah taste!”
Rainbow returned the laughter. She then landed by Applejack and began to trot down the beaten path.
“No, but seriously, what’s your favorite color?”
The other mare caught up and almost instantly matched her stride.
“Hmmm…” she looked at the path and leaves thoughtfully. Finally she decided and spoke.
“Green. Ah work in the orchard so much, and it’s everywhere. In the trees, in the grass—“
“In your eyes…”
“What?” Applejack turned her head towards Rainbow, now interrupted.
Rainbow’s cheeks had that burning sensation again. Why was she being so stupid today?
“Erm…uh…”
“Oh, yeah! Mah eyes are green too!” Applejack caught on, ending the awkward moment.
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Rainbow let her gaze fall and her voice trail off.
"But anyway," Applejack continued, "Ah've been around it so much, Ah feel like it's become apart of what Ah do. Who Ah am. What Ah will be."
"So one day you're gonna be green?" Rainbow chuckled as an image of a green Applejack danced in her head.
"No," Applejack rolled her eyes. "Not like that. Like Ah'll be a farm pony for a long time."
"Yeah, whatever." Dash still had that image in her head, and it was highly amusing.
“So, then what’s your favorite color?”
Rainbow turned to her left to see Applejack looking at her expectantly.
“Me? Eh, probably the color of the sky. Or the clouds. Any colors really, but especially the ones I’m around when I fly.”
“Ah bet.” Applejack looked up the sky. “Ah have always wanted to be able to fly. What is it like?”
“It’s pretty cool.” Rainbow shrugged. “It feels free up there, away from the ground.”
She took her eyes off of the sky to look over at Applejack. Her eyes were huge and filled with wonder.
“Tell me more.”
Dash smirked.
“Well, learning how to fly is hard. After spending your first bit of your life under the grab and pull of the ground, it can be hard to break free from its grasp. But the first time you do,” Dash paused for a small inhale as she recalled the memory. “it is nothing like anything else you’ll experience. You’re free, and the ground can’t get you anymore. The clouds are soft and defenseless, and so you become the most powerful thing in the sky. You control where to go, what you do, how you do it, all in your own way. Once you start flyin’, you never want to stop.”
Applejack’s eyes where as big as dinner plates on her face. She looked up at the sky, which was now orange with the now setting sun. A small shimmer of a tear flashed in her eyes, but she brushed it away and kept looking upward. They were both silent for some time.
“Lucky,” She finally said.
Guilt filled Dash’s heart as it sank. She had totally forgotten that she was talking to an earth pony. Every close friend she had could fly, or would fly eventually. But earth ponies don’t fly, can’t fly. Applejack would never be able to fly. Unless…
“Hey!” Her sudden outburst made Applejack jump.
“What?”
“You may not be able to fly, but I could help you!”
Applejack tilted her head.
“You could ride on my back!”
Applejack’s face lit up. “Really?!”
“Really! Let’s try!” Dash crouched down and spread her wings.
Applejack hopped on, but very soon Rainbow began to see some holes in her plan. Being an earth pony, Applejack had very thick bones and a strong build. And also being a farm pony, she had more muscle than most stallions do. This meant that she was very heavy.
Rainbow tried to remember she practiced every day, and she was very tone herself, but she could see her legs shaking under the weight of her friend. This could only mean more pressure on her wings. But she tried anyway. Besides, her legs were tired from running. But she hadn’t used her wings all day, so they should be fine. Hopefully.
She tried to jump off the ground, but it turned into a very heavy step. There was nothing to drop off of, so this meant Rainbow had to attempt a straight up take off—the hardest kind. As she flapped her wings, and tried to get off the ground, she only managed to lift an inch or so before coming back down hard. Finally she collapsed, huffing and puffing.
Applejack’s disappointed face made her feel worse.
“Ah’m sorry, Rainbow,” she sighed. “Ah just wasn’t meant for the sky.”
“That’s…not…true!” Rainbow panted. “I… just need… more practice.”
“Ah’m not sure if—”
“No!” Rainbow stood, having caught her breath. “I am going to train every day until I’m strong enough to take you into the sky!”
“Really?” AJ raised both eyebrows, impressed by the dedication.
“Yes.” Her eyes didn’t lie.
“Alrighty then.”
And so it was. The two continued their run into the sunset, causing the remaining lazy leaves to fall. And after it was all done, the two separated ways.
As Dash flew off to her home, she realized something.
After Gilda came to Ponyville, Dash had realized that her old friends were just cool-obsessed jerks. Yet when she moved to Ponyville, she wished she had Gilda with her because Gilda pushed her limits and improved her skills. Gilda challenged her. She thought nopony could replace her. Especially not a common earth pony. Who knew she could be so wrong?
Dash opened her front door and stepped into the foyer. Without even looking up, she turned and began up the stairs that led to her bedroom. The door appeared ahead of her before long, and her hoof easily turned the door knob. The room, once empty, was now littered with Wonderbolts posters and different trophies, along with old chip bags and dirty laundry. Dash walked slowly to the window seat, pushing over a pile of trash to the side so she could rest her tired legs. They would be sore in the morning, and that made her happy. It has been a long time since a hangout with a friend ended with sore muscles.
She wondered where her friend was now. Probably in her room taking off her hat, rubbing her aching legs as she sat on her bed. Dash could see the tip of the barn, a mere speck in the distance. As she rubbed her own legs, the gears in her head turning, the epiphany hit her like she hit the balcony of the library only a week or so earlier. She smiled at the new thought, stood up and climbed into bed. She would sleep easily, and what she now knew would probably help her dream. Her tired body sank into the cloud mattress, and her eyelids fluttered, that smile still clinging to her face as she dreamed of the training and daring to come.
Applejack was her challenge now.
The orange farm pony sat silently, her head down, and her hat covering her face.
“So, that’s when it really started hitting me hard. But I wasn’t sure about it, yet.” Dash explained.
Applejack silently shrunk deeper into the hay beneath her.
“I didn’t want to admit it, I thought it was just a feeling you get when you’re close friends with somepony.”
Applejack’s muscles strained, and her grip on her hat became tighter. She showed every symptom of embarrassment.
Dash paused again, noticing the tension in the other mare. Despite it, though, she chose to continue. This was important for both of them.
“But then it wouldn’t leave me alone. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get these feelings to go away. I especially needed to get them under control if I was to do well in my performance.”
Applejack lifted her head from the straw and lowered her hat, revealing a bright red face and slightly puffy eyes.
“Performance?” Applejack’s voice cracked, as she finally looked up. “For what?”
“The Best Young Flyers Competition.”