Soon, and sadly enough, the Gala was coming to a close. They had indeed been a topic of gossip. A lesbian couple flying into the Gala on a Royal balloon. Surely, the Princess is not condoning lesbianism, is she? Perhaps these two ponies kept that one a secret from the Princess. But the ponies that had been in line to greet the Princess could attest otherwise. They had even kissed each other multiple times at the Gala. Either these ponies were oblivious, or they just paid no mind to the gasps and murmurs of the higher-class ponies around them.
Of course, they didn’t make nearly as big a splash at the Gala as Luna and Innate Joy had. They hadn’t seen a Princess with a coltfriend in a long, long time, that’s for sure. They even had fanfare to bring them in. You can’t get bigger than fanfare. A red carpet was even rolled out. All the lesbian couples in Equestria couldn’t get bigger than a Princess and her new coltfriend walking down the red carpet, fanfare blasting, a booming Royal announcer following.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash waited outside for the Royal balloon to arrive while the crowd around them slowly diminished with ponies leaving. Every once in a while, a big chunk of ponies would leave, as there were trains out of the Gala, headed to different towns in Equestria.
They sat together on the lawn outside, Applejack resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder, Rainbow leaning her head against Applejack’s. Occasionally, they heard the distasteful murmurs of the rigid, snooty, high-class ponies around them. Every time they heard something, they’d have small kiss of deliberate defiance. Often this would elicit a gasp or other distasteful murmurs. At one point they overheard one pony say ‘…what would the Princess think?” They both burst out loud laughing at that point. If only they knew.
Not a long time later, the balloon came into sight above them. They reluctantly got up from their nuzzling position and the balloon came to land on the ground, no doubt flanked by the Royal Pegasus Guards. The basket of the balloon opened up and they both walked in and sat down next to each other. The balloon took off not too long after, and the two ended up laying down in the balloon and looking out at the sky above them.
“The stars sure are pretty, huh, AJ?” Rainbow said, turning her head to look at AJ.
“Yeah, they sure are,” Applejack responded, keeping her eyes on the beautiful stars above.
“Well, they’re not nearly as pretty as you are, Applejack,” Rainbow said without missing a beat.
“Well, shucks, Rainbow,” Applejack said while looking over at Rainbow, face reddening with blush, “yer jus’ bein’ kind.”
“Nope, I’m really not. You’re the prettiest pony I think I’ve ever seen,” Rainbow said, face also reddening.
“Rainbow, there are guards right outside this balloon,” Applejack stated, gesturing outside the balloon with her head.
“I know that,” Rainbow said, smiling at Applejack. “They already know about us. What’s the difference if we talk sweet nothings around them? Oh, and you’re blushing. I think it’s cute.”
At this, Applejack blushed even harder. “Rainbow, really, ah’m sure the guards don’t really care ta hear all a’ this.”
“It’s true, though,” said Rainbow, giving as much of a shrug as she could on her back. “Anyway, I’m not just going to fill this chapter with sweet nothings. That would be really boring to read.”
Applejack looked over abruptly. “Chapter, Whaddaya mean, chapter?”
Then, the author laughed maniacally, having put in some good fourth wall breakage courtesy of somepony other than Pinkie Pie.
“Oh, nothing,” Rainbow said quickly.
“Anyway, Rainbow, what are ya thinkin’ ya wanna do when ya get yer wings back?”
“What do you mean, AJ?” Rainbow asked back, looking curiously over at the country pony beside her.
“Ah mean, are ya gonna move back to yer house? If not, what’re ya gonna do with it?” said Applejack, looking over to Rainbow.
“I don’t know, AJ. I haven’t thought about that,” Rainbow responded, looking at the sky to think.
“Well, ah suppose you should probably think about it, ah mean, ah know it’s about 5 months from now, but still.”
Rainbow Dash gave it some thought, and a period of time passed before she answered.
“You know, if we’re still together in 5 months, I might like to move in with you. Or maybe you can move in with me,” Rainbow said, giving a slight shrug.
“Well, if ah move in with you, that wouldn’t really work. Ya see, ah can’t walk on them clouds up there, and yer strong, Rainbow, ah know ya are, but ah also know that ya probably couldn’t keep carryin’ me everywhere,” Applejack explained,
“I guess you’re right, but maybe we could get a new house in Ponyville together. Don’t get me wrong,” Rainbow said defensively, “you’re family is awesome, but if we’re going to end up living together, don’t you think it’ll be a little awkward living with your family? I mean, we’ll go to the orchard every day for Applebuck season, but I kinda want some privacy,” Rainbow ventured, not wanting to offend Applejack in any way. This was their first date. She didn’t want to mess it up.
“Ah feel the same way, now that you mention it.”
“Yeah, we don’t want to be gettin’ hot and heavy and have Applebloom walk in on us, do we?” Rainbow joked, imagining the scene.
Applejack laughed. “Woah there partner, we’re not there quite yet.”
“I guess you’re right. Just imagine, though. What would Applebloom think? That’d be hilarious! I mean, it’d be deathly embarrassing, but it’d be hilarious, too!”
“Ya see Applebloom, when two ponies love each other VERY much…” Applejack trailed off and laughed.
“That’d be a riot if it happened to somepony else,” Rainbow said, her laughter subsiding.
“Yeah, ah suppose it would be funny to tell ponies, but it’d be somethin’ in the moment.”
“Anyway, that probably won’t happen any time soon, so we don’t have to worry about it for a while. I still have my trusty cast on,” Rainbow said with a hint of sarcasm, patting the cast covering her wings.
They lay like that in silence for a while; their heads leaned in against each other. Then, Rainbow broke the silence.
“We gotta be getting close to Ponyville soon.”
They both sat up and, lo and behold, they were descending upon Ponyville in front of the library. There was Twilight, walking outside as the balloon descended.
The balloon landed and the two walked out of the balloon basket, smiling at Twilight.
“So, how’d it go, you two?” Twilight asked, her excitement for the two evident.
“It was SO AWESOME!” Rainbow said excitedly.
“Yeah, it sure was somethin,’” Applejack confirmed.
“So, what’d you do? What happened? What’s new in Canterlot?” Twilight said quickly, excited to hear how the Gala went.
“Well, it was definitely better that the last time we went. I can’t run through the entire Gala, because all the readers would get irritated at the recap chapter,” Rainbow said.
Twilight and Applejack both looked at Rainbow Dash with confused looks on their faces.
“AHAHA!” laughed the author maniacally once more.
“Never mind that,” said Rainbow, quick to change the subject. “Here are some of the big points. We got there, we talked to the Princess, and then we found Luna. Sheeeeee has a new coltfriend!” Rainbow said, excited to be the first to share the news.
“Really!? Who is he?” Twilight inquired, the news having caught her interest.
“His name’s Innate Joy and he’s a really nice guy. They said that the two met in Baltimare.”
“That’s great for Luna!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Anyway, I gave her some advice and then we found none other than Vinyl Scratch! She’s pretty awesome in person. Anyway, then Luna and Nate, as she called him, made this big entrance with fanfare and trumpets and stuff!” Rainbow explained.
“That’s great!”
“Yeah, and then the night dwindled down, and here we are!” Rainbow said strongly, raising a hoof and pointing at the ground on which they were standing.
“Well, that’s wonderful. I’m really happy to hear that you had such a good time. It seems like you’ve even forgotten that you’re wearing dresses, Rainbow, normally you’re always messing with bits of any dress that you wear.”
“I suppose that it’s the awesome night we’ve both had,” Rainbow explained.
“And get this, Twilight, Rainbow actually does know the word ‘modesty’,” Applejack joked.
“Oh boy,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes jokingly.
“Well, isn’t that something,” Twilight joked back, chuckling. “Anyway, I should get back to reorganizing the books in the library. I’ve only done it once yet today,” Twilight said, causing Rainbow and AJ to roll their eyes.
“Go ahead, you egghead,” Rainbow said, winking in jest.
Twilight walked back into the library, and the two didn’t talk for a little bit, until Rainbow spoke.
“That was pretty awesome what Luna and Nate did,” Rainbow said, her eyes returning to the stars. “It was genius. Why didn’t I think of fanfare and red carpet for the Princess?”
“That sure was something, wasn’t it?” Applejack said, also looking at the sky.
“Yeah, I just wish we could have done something big,” Rainbow said, thinking about possibilities.
“Yer sayin’ what we did wasn’t big?” Applejack said, sounding offended.
“Well, not really, it’s just that Luna and Nate did something that grabbed everyone’s attention, and I’d have liked to do something big, too.”
“Rainbow, we kissed on the dance floor. Everypony there saw. Are you saying that kissing me wasn’t enough for the one and only Rainbow Dash?” Applejack said, the condescendence clear in her voice.
“No, AJ, I’m not saying that, you’re not getting what I’m saying!” Rainbow said back, her voice hinting at signs of pleading.
“Oh, am ah, Rainbow? So it’s mah fault, now?” Applejack angrily retorted.
“Applejack, that’s not what I’m saying, I just wanted to do something big like what Luna and Nate did!” Rainbow explained.
“So our kisses weren’t enough? So ah wasn’t enough for the mighty, one and only, stuck-up Rainbow Dash?” Applejack responded with anger in her voice and tears pooling in her eyes.
“Applejack, I—“
AJ cut Rainbow off without words, but in running away toward the orchard, her dress flowing behind her, but not tripping her.
“Applejack, come back!” Rainbow pleaded, starting to run, but Applejack was too fast. Plus, Applejack wouldn’t want Rainbow in her house that night anyway. But what had she done to offend Applejack?
Rainbow Dash walked the other way, wondering what she had said wrong. Whatever it was, it must have been bad. The sight of Applejack’s angry tears in her eyes made the same tears pool in Rainbow’s, which made her cry out in anguish and she started to furiously bang her head on the nearest wooden surface, the sharp pain growing in her forehead.
That surface just so happened to be the library door and Rainbow faceplanted hard on the ground when Twilight opened the door. Rainbow just lay there, crying at this point, her dress picking up dirt in the ground. Rarity would not be pleased.
“Uh, Rainbow, um, are you okay?” Twilight asked.
Dash sat there speechless for a while, before getting up, eyes puffy and red, and asking, “Can I sleep on your couch tonight?”
“You, uh, care to explain?” Twilight said with a confused look on her face.
“In the morning, please,” Rainbow said dejectedly, walking past Twilight, removing her dress in the blink of an eye and tossing it on the floor.
“Woah,” said Twilight, momentarily shielding her eyes. “Warn a pony, will ya?”
“Sure,” Rainbow said, not really listening. She then hopped on the couch and lay down.
“Oh, well, I suppose we don’t normally wear clothes in the first place, but still… Anyway, I’ll fetch you a blanket,” said Twilight, levitating a blanket to Rainbow.
“Thanks,” Rainbow said, taking the blanket, but obviously not up for chat for the night.
“Ehh, okay then,” Twilight said, turning of the lights and retreating to her bed.
Rainbow lay there, thinking. She’d have to ask Twilight what went wrong. That obviously wasn’t working with AJ. The sight of Applejack crying once more made Rainbow start to cry, and she eventually cried herself to sleep on the couch.