Applejack lay back in her bed. As little as she liked it, the doctor insisted that her fractured rib meant she had to stay there a few days. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, apple buck season wasn't for another two months and she should be right as rain by then. In the mean time her friends had all offered to help Mac, and she had already talked to Twilight about making sure everything got done right. So all she had to do was relax.
She glanced over as the door to her room opened and Rainbow stepped through, trying to look like she wasn’t straining under the weight of two bulging saddlebags. With effort she pulled them off and dropped them on the end of the bed, right on Applejack’s rear hooves.
“Ow! Dash, just cause I’m already laid up don’t mean it’s a good time to break my legs.”
“Oh, jeeze, sorry,” Rainbow grabbed the bags again and dropped them on the floor next to the bed. “Just brought you something to cheer you up! I mean, besides me.” She walked up to the head of the bed and leaned over, giving Applejack a kiss on the cheek.
Applejack chuckled. “From how heavy those are, you must’ve found some mighty cheerful rocks. That or Apple Bloom’s been tryin’ for that bakin’ cutie mark again.”
“Wrong, twice!” Rainbow smirked. “Wanna go for a third guess?”
“A million bits? I know that’d cheer me up.” Applejack smiled.
“Nope! But it’s totally worth a million bits!” Rainbow reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a book. "I brought you every Daring Do book in the series!”
Applejack’s smile froze. “Oh, gee, uh, thanks. But ya’ know, Twilight already brought some books by for me.”
“That’s okay, I’ll take them back to her.” Rainbow hovered and picked up the two books sitting on Applejack’s nightstand. “‘Under the Oak Tree’? There aren’t even ponies on the front, just a tree. And this one’s just a history book about Smart Cookie. Twilight is such an egghead.” She smiled and shook her head.
“Dash, sugarcube, this is real sweet of you, but… we gotta talk,” Applejack said carefully.
Rainbow rolled her eyes, emptying her saddlebags and stacking the books up high on the nightstand. “I already told you, you’re not allowed to break up with me over this. You had the ball, and I didn't realize how fast I was going.”
Applejack chuckled and shook her head. “And I told you I can break up with you whenever I darn well want. Which I don’t, especially for an honest mistake... but we're still changin' the rules so you ain't allowed to tackle goin' fast as a freight train."
"Totally fair," Rainbow agreed. "Hoofball's more fun when the other player can finish the game... I can't even count it as a win, you were ahead."
"That's how I know it was an accident." Applejack smirked. "But that ain't what I needed to talk about anyhow. I just need to talk to you about Darin’ Do.”
Rainbow’s grin spread and her eyes lit up. “You wanna talk about Daring Do? Sure! But… you really should read the books first. It’s a lot easier to understand.”
“Um…” Applejack bit her lip. “That’s kinda what I wanna talk about. I read the first book a while ago, right after Twilight came to town. She said it was good, so I gave it a shot.”
“And it was the most awesomely amazing thing you ever read, and you read all the other ones right away?” Rainbow said with an encouraging nod.
“Actually… I wasn’t all that into it.” Applejack frowned, watching Rainbow carefully.
Rainbow blinked. “I’m not following.”
Applejack shrugged. “I tried readin’ it, and it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t keep track of all them names I dunno how to say, and Darin’ just kept fallin’ in and outta traps…it just ain’t my kinda book.”
Rainbow just stared at her for a long time. Applejack started to hope that she might believe her and let it drop, but eventually Rainbow said, “AJ, it’s okay, reading isn’t just for eggheads. You can admit you like Daring Do.”
“Dash, I don’t like Darin’ Do.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “I like other books… those books Twilight brought me look real interestin’. I like history books and stories ‘bout normal ponies and families gettin’ by.”
“Daring Do is about normal ponies getting by!” Rainbow insisted.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Dunno if you noticed, but normal ponies don’t do a lot of raidin’ ancient ruins to get magic dodads to save the world.”
“Daring Do does! And we do!”
“Are you and Darin’ Do normal ponies?”
“No, we’re awesome ponies, and you’re changing the subject.” Rainbow poked Applejack’s shoulder with a hoof. “Which is: What in Equestria is wrong with you?! How can you not like Daring Do?!”
“I’m sorry, sugarcube.” Applejack just shrugged.
Rainbow shook her head. “It’s like I don’t even know you.”
Applejack gave a snort. “Now you’re bein’ a bit dramatic.”
“No, really!” Rainbow waved a hoof. “It’s like, Daring Do is awesome, so not liking Daring Do is not awesome, so if you don’t like Daring Do, you must be not awesome. But I always thought you were awesome!”
“It’s just a book,” Applejack pointed out.
“Fifteen books, Applejack,” Rainbow corrected, rolling her eyes. “It’s fifteen books. Fifteen books whose awesomeness you don’t get.”
“I ain’t awesome ‘cause I don’t like fifteen books,” Applejack said dryly.
“I don’t know!” Rainbow shook her head. “I mean, you’re my girlfriend, but… I can’t talk to you about Daring Do!”
“Yeah, but we can talk ‘bout everythin’ else.” Applejack reached over and stroked Rainbow messy mane. “Why don’t you tell me your new workout plan? Ya’ doin’ that strength trainin’ we talked ‘bout?”
Rainbow nodded and relaxed. “Fifty reps with my forelegs and fifty with my rear.”
“It’s gonna be tough to keep up with you when I get back on my hooves.” Applejack smiled.
“You’ll be back in shape in no time.” Rainbow gave Applejack’s foreleg a nuzzle, then smirked. “But yeah, I’ll probably still kick your tail.”
Applejack smirked right back. “Then I reckon you better keep on that workout.”
Rainbow’s smirk melted to a genuine smile. “I have to admit, it’s not as much fun without you there. You’re not allowed to get hurt anymore.”
“I’ll do my best after this,” Applejack agreed, laying her head back on the pillow.
“Cool…” Rainbow nodded. Then her face fell. “Now, why don’t you like Daring Do?”
Applejack closed her eyes and growled, “Rainbow Dash.”
Before Rainbow could say anything, Applejack heard the door to the room open. She looked up to see Twilight come in, carrying a scroll in her magic.
“Hey, guys! How are you feeling, AJ?”
“Doin’ okay.” Applejack smiled.
Twilight set the scroll on her nightstand, eyeing the pile of books suspiciously. “That’s good—”
“Twilight, I need advice,” Rainbow interrupted urgently. “It’s about books.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Are you finally looking for something else to read? You might like the Windblower novels. There’s more technical stuff about airships than Daring Do, but plenty of airship battles, so—”
“It’s not that, I can always read Daring Do again. I need to know what you do when somepony you care about doesn’t like the same books as you.” Rainbow looked pointedly at Applejack.
Twilight blinked. “You… read different books?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “But what if they don’t like Daring Do?”
Twilight glanced at the pile of books again, then at Applejack. “You finally told her?”
Applejack gave a wry smile. “Yup. She ain’t takin’ it well.”
“I don’t know what to do!” Rainbow threw up her forehooves. “It’s like if she didn’t like cider or something!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I promise you she likes cider.”
“Are you sure? Maybe she tried it one time, and it wasn’t for her?” She looked at Applejack suspiciously.
Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Cider’s made from apples, Dash. I like cider.”
“But Daring Do is made from awesome and adventure! You usually like those things… I mean, you like me, don’t you?” Dash cast a suspicious glance again.
“I love you, Celestia help me,” Applejack said patiently.
“Applejack just doesn’t like that in books, Rainbow,” Twilight explained gently. “She likes stories about families. There are some really good ones, her favorite is ‘Sun Tea on the Porch,’ about a pony dealing with her daughter’s—”
Rainbow gave an exaggerated yawn. “I’m asleep already.”
Twilight and Applejack exchanged looks, and Twilight went on, “Well, there are lots of kinds of books for ponies to like. Look on the bright side, you don’t have to worry about Applejack getting crumbs in your Daring Do books.”
“How can you like something so boring?” Rainbow asked Applejack, ignoring Twilight.
Applejack shrugged. “It’s a real good story. It ain’t that excitin’, but it’s got a lot about ponies and how they take care of each other.”
“Yeah… and that’s boring!” Rainbow said stomping a hoof. “Do you like any books where something actually happens?”
“Stuff happens in those books, Dash. Sometimes there’s fires or floods or ponies get sick, sometimes somepony dies.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Ponies die in those books? So they’re boring and depressing?”
Twilight shook her head. “A lot of the things that happen in books like that are about emotions, Rainbow. How ponies react to serious things.”
“Daring Do has emotions!” Rainbow insisted. “She’s worried a lot, and she’s even been scared three times!”
“That’s… not quite the same thing,” Twilight said.
Rainbow hovered and crossed her forelegs. “It’s way cooler than bad stuff happening and ponies having dumb emotions about it.”
Twilight offered Applejack a sympathetic smile. “I think I’d better be going, I just stopped by to drop off tomorrow's checklist for you to look at, AJ. Just let me know tomorrow morning if you needed to change anything.”
“Thanks, Twi. I’ll seeya’ tomorrow.” Applejack smiled and waved as Twilight walked towards the door.
Rainbow was silent until Twilight left. Then she shook her head at Applejack and said, “I just can’t believe you.”
“Here we go again,” Applejack rolled her eyes.
“Is this what betrayal feels like?” Rainbow asked Applejack.
“Maybe you’d know if ya’ read somethin’ other than Darin’ Do,” Applejack muttered.
Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with Daring Do!”
Applejack rubbed her face with her hoof. Finally, after a few moments, she looked up and motioned to Rainbow.
“Come’ere, sugarcube.” Applejack reached out a hoof, wrapping it around Rainbow’s shoulders as she got close enough. “Now, think a sec before ya’ answer me. Why’s it so important to you that I like Darin’ Do?”
“Because it’s awesome.” Rainbow answered automatically.
“I said think,” Applejack reminded her.
“Because… we usually like the same stuff.” Rainbow frowned, her ears drooping. “I like to talk to you about everything cool, like sports and working out and how lame boring stuff is… but I’m never gonna get to talk to you about Daring Do.”
“You can talk to Twilight about Darin’ Do,” Applejack pointed out.
“But you’re my girlfriend. We’re supposed to like the same stuff.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Except for music.”
“Oh yeah. Ugh, country.” Rainbow made a face.
Applejack chuckled. “And we’re never gonna see eye to eye on that new spellback Canterlot has.”
A hint of a smile played at Rainbow’s lips. “I thought you just liked being wrong sometimes.”
“Well, I reckon this is one more of those places.” Applejack smiled at Rainbow. “You got Twilight to talk to ‘bout Darin’ Do, and I reckon Mac knows what’s what about hoofball, and in the mean time we’ll talk ‘bout everythin’ else. How’s that sound?”
“Not as cool as if you liked Daring Do…” Rainbow sighed. The she gave a genuine smile. “But I guess I can live with it.”
Applejack leaned over and caught her lips in a kiss, and Rainbow kissed back eagerly, pressing Applejack’s head back into the pillow.
As the kiss broke, Rainbow smiled down at her again. “Mmm… I can definitely live with it.”
“Good.” Applejack smiled, then dropped it for a serious expression. “Now, while we’re on the subject, let’s have a word ‘bout the Wonderbolts…”
Rainbow shot backward and in the air a few feet, staring at Applejack with wide eyes and an open mouth, shaking her head in silent horror.
Applejack held her stare for only a few seconds before she started to chuckle, then it turned to full out laughter. “I got you— ow! I ain’t supposed to be laughin’ this hard.”
“That totally serves you right!” Rainbow shouted, pointing a hoof at her. “Don’t ever do that to me again! You’re just lucky I love you.”
Applejack calmed herself and smiled up at her pegasus. “I love you too, Dash.”