//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Applejoy // by BronyNeumo //------------------------------// Chapter 13 Rainbow Dash was entirely too comfortable to wake up. Nope, she decided she was perfectly fine with continuing to sleep. She was warm, comfortable and content to completely ignore the world for another few hours. She shifted herself, her fur brushing against something very warm and very soft. She snuggled in closer. She rather enjoyed the way the soft, fuzzy surface cushioned her body, the slow, rhythmic up-and-down motion that gently rocked and soothed her, the faint scent of apples… Even in her drowsy state, and despite her conviction that the morning had arrived far too early for her liking, Rainbow Dash was enjoying herself. Perhaps it was the stubborn determination that was her nature, or, more likely, the excessively late night she had enjoyed previously, but she kept herself groggily determined to stay in bed, snuggling with her warm, fuzzy, apple-smelling thing. Neither the growing light that irritated her right at the edges of her eyelids, nor the seemingly distant sound of a blubbering cry could change that. It took Rainbow Dash's mind several more seconds to actually process the sound beyond merely registering and attempting to ignore it. It was at this moment that, with a sudden, sickening jolt of understanding, Rainbow Dash's bloodshot, sleep-deprived eyes flew open. It wasn't a split-second later, after a very real and very unexpected actual jolt, that Rainbow Dash found herself thrust to the floor in a confused tangle of limbs and six colors of hair. She was on all four hooves in an instant, snapped to sudden attention by the wailing even more so than the fall. "Applejoy!" She cried out, turning towards the direction of the sound. It was emanating from the nursery wing, which only confirmed her sinking suspicions. She prepared herself to gallop heroically to her daughter's rescue, but not before casting a sideways glance at her warm, fuzzy, apple-smelling thing. Applejack had only just been roused by the sound of her daughter's cries and, after violently jerking awake, was sitting up and blinking in abject confusion. Her gaze found Rainbow Dash and she fixated on her, her eyes wide and questioning. Rainbow Dash kissed her forehead. "Don't worry honey, I got this." She flashed a wan smile, then turned and beat a hasty trail to the nursery. Rainbow Dash's head pounded with every hoof-fall. She wished with every throb and every conscious thought that she hadn't decided to romp around with Applejack the night before. It couldn't have been more than a couple hours ago. She desperately needed more rest. Irritably, she hoped to herself that the cries might belong to one of Fluttershy's babies, if only for the entirely selfish hope that she might not have to deal with a wailing foal and thus be afforded a few more hours of sleep. Such saving grace was not to be, however. She could have recognized her daughter's voice from miles away. She skidded to an ungraceful halt directly upon reaching the nursery room. Thankfully, neither Honeycrisp nor Sweet Blossom appeared to even be in the room. Rainbow Dash praised Celestia for this fortune subconsciously; she was certainly not prepared to deal with three screaming foals. One was going to task her half-conscience mental capacity more than enough. "Applejoy? Applejoy? It's Ok. Everything's OK, Applejoy. Momma's here, momma's here." She stumbled over to the crib deftly, reaching in to pull her foal from the base and clutch her to her chest, squeezing her as lovingly as possible and rocking back and forth gently. To her credit, Applejoy, after sniffling loudly several more times, managed to calm her blubbering enough to actually choke out something partly intelligible. "M… Mom…. Momma…" Rainbow Dash nuzzled her gently, willing her to quiet down completely. "Momma. Momma. Hun… hung-y. Hungie, momma. Hungie." Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. It hadn't been all that long ago when the little filly couldn't even speak and her mothers would be forced to guess as to what she wanted. Having only recently learned a few simple words, Applejoy could finally communicate adequately when she was hungry. It had been a welcome improvement to their daily lives. Kissing her daughter gently, Rainbow Dash let her settle comfortably just behind her neck, before trotting for the kitchen. Applejoy, still whimpering softly, seemed to find some comfort in her momma's tangled mass of hair, which she gratefully snuggled into as she rode. From the kitchen, Rainbow Dash had a clear view into the living room. Applejack had seemingly fallen asleep again. Her head rested against the couch's armrest and a hind leg hung limply over the side. Rainbow Dash debated going over to re-awaken her for the purpose of feeding, but decided against it. Applejack clearly needed more sleep. Content to leave her wife to the shut-eye she herself still so greatly desired, Rainbow Dash trotted over to the fridge instead, from whence she removed a bottle of milk. They had prepared several in advance for precisely this occasion and, now, Rainbow Dash was extremely grateful for their foresight, regardless of how strange and difficult the process of filling the bottles had been. She gripped one in her jaw loosely and made her way back out to the living room, Applejoy still snuggled on her back. She placed the bottle on a cushion of the room's other couch, and then proceeded to set Applejoy down gently. She soon clambered into the seat to join her daughter as well. She curled herself around her, allowing the small filly to nestle herself comfortably against her chest. The little orange pegasus snuggled herself into her momma's warmth. Satisfied that she was comfortable, Rainbow Dash put the bottle in front of her. Applejoy grabbed at it and sucked its tip into her mouth greedily, beginning to draw the flow of nourishment into her little body eagerly. Rainbow Dash sighed, allowing herself to relax into the cushions further. With Applejoy's cries abated, the morning was peaceful. The blinds held back the shine of a bright sun reflecting off of crisp white snow. The faded light cast a soft, cool, gray glow throughout the wooden room. Nothing stirred. There was nary a sound save the light suckling noises Applejoy made at the bottle. Rainbow Dash stroked the filly's mane absent-mindedly, letting strands of gold mixed with streaks of her own rainbow pallet smoothly slip over her foreleg's fur. Applejoy's eyes popped open – huge, pink orbs that stared directly into her momma's face. Rainbow Dash stared back, entranced. "I love you, little AJ." Rainbow Dash lost track of time. The early morning grew older around her as the filly curled against her chest drained her bottle slowly, making joyful noises as she went. Rainbow Dash just kept stroking her, letting her short, soft fur delicately trace its way over her hoof. All too soon, Applejoy was finished and spat the bottle from her mouth with a happy 'pop'. She then tried to smile, but was interrupted by a rather quick succession of hiccups. Rainbow Dash laughed. "Alright, silly filly. I think you've had enough for now.'' She leaned over, scooping her daughter into her hooves as she did so. She placed her over her shoulder gently and began tapping on her back lightly, just above her wings. It didn't take long for Applejoy to emit a tiny 'urrp'. "Aww, you're just so cute, you silly filly!" Rainbow Dash chuckled, holding her daughter out at fore leg's length. She grinned, and Applejoy smiled back, letting out an excited chirp in the process. "Momma loves you, yes she does, momma loves you!" Rainbow Dash pulled the foal in close, rubbing their noses together briefly. "Phew." She laughed, setting Applejoy down and waving a hoof in front of her nose in exaggeration. "You smell like your mother on a bad morning." She stood up. Applejoy giggled, climbing atop her momma's back. "Hey!" A rather irritated voice from across the room nearly made Rainbow dash jump. She looked up and laughed. "Oh, look who's finally awake. I think somepony will be happy to see you!" "Mommy!" Rainbow dash trotted over to the other couch, where a rather upset looking orange earth pony glared at her from where she lay. "Ah do not smell bad in the mornings." "Yeah, yeah, sure you don't. Here, catch!" Without further ado, Rainbow Dash slid a wildly giggling filly down her wing, landing her on Applejack's stomach. The prone mare let out a surprised grunt. "Mommy!" Applejoy scooted her way happily onto her mother's chest. Applejack couldn't help but smile to see her daughter's bubbly face poke its way into her vision, giggling filling her ears. "Good mornin', sugar. Ah'm happy ta see ya too!" She accepted a tiny hug and looked up to see Rainbow Dash leaning against the back of the couch, grinning hugely. "Oh, come here. You know Ah can't stay mad at you!" Rainbow Dash bounded around the couch, stopping where she could only just lean over and accept a good-morning kiss from her wife. Applejoy rolled onto her back, gnawing on a few strands of her mother's hair. They broke the kiss. "You're looking particularly lovely this morning, AJ." Rainbow Dash smirked, noting Applejack's tangled mess of a mane, much of which currently played host to a now equally tangled little pegasus filly. "Oh quiet, you." Applejack turned her attention to her daughter. "Aww, are you all stuck? You silly filly." Rainbow Dash bent over to help, gently pulling her daughter out of the blonde mess and setting her back on Applejack's chest. "You know how much I love it when you wear your hair down." "Oh, hush, Dash. Ah haven't even had mah bath yet." "So you admit the smell?" "Ya know, you're lucky you're so cute, or else Ah'd kick ya right outta mah house." "Oh, come on, AJ. You couldn't last one hour without me." "That a challenge, Sugarcube?" "Absolutely." Rainbow Dash kissed her, feeling Applejack melt back into the couch under the touch of her lips. "I'm the only excitement in your life." "Well ain't you a stuck-up little pegasus." Applejack clambered forward for another kiss. "Ah love ya." "Pway." Applejack and Rainbow Dash jerked their gazes from one another's faces to see their daughter. Applejoy blinked back at them. "Pway." "Oh, she wants to play." Rainbow Dash picked her up off of Applejack's chest. "Have we been ignoring you, silly filly?" She kissed her cheek before setting her down. Stumbling in the way a young, uncoordinated little filly is so apt to do, Applejoy trundled her way over to her toy box. "Well, now that we have some alone time, how about some breakfast?" "Ya just read mah mind." ================================================================================ The enticing sizzle and the distinct smell of frying pancakes filled the kitchen. From the adjacent bedroom, two sets of hooves could be heard. Yawning and blinking sleep from their eyes, Scootaloo and Applebloom groggily stumbled into the kitchen. "Mornin'!" Applejack looked up from the stove. "'Bout time you got up." The two fillies shot each other a furtive glance, only to quickly break eye contact and pretend to look elsewhere. This quick glance did not go unnoticed by the older mares. Rainbow Dash did her best to hide her grin. "Hope you two managed to stay warm last night. It got pretty chilly." "Heh, heh… yeah… we were… fine." Scootaloo looked down, pawing at the ground. Rainbow Dash nodded. "You girls want some breakfast?" Applejack chimed in as a pancake flipped into the air, spiraling several times before landing once again. "You must be starving!" "Umm… No thanks, big sis. Ah'm not that hungry. You, Scoot?" "Nope. I'm not hungry either." Scootaloo tried to force a smile, but wasn't convincing enough. Rainbow Dash and Applejack watched in growing amusement. "Maybe we should go." "Go? Where are you two going?" Mirth sparkled behind Rainbow Dash's eyes. "Um… We're late for school! Yeah, school." Scootaloo made a beeline for the door. "Come on, AB." "You two bundle up! It's still cold outside." Applejack called into the front hall. "Ok, sis." Applebloom reached up to grab her scarf and hat from a hook. Scootaloo watched as the other filly wrapped the warm fabric about herself, wondering all the while what she was going to do. "You can take mine, Scoots. It's the purple and white striped one." "Won't you need it, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo looked skeptically up at the scarf, which seemed somewhat longer than she really needed. "I got all the warmth I need." Applejack, bent over to dig a jar of maple syrup out of the pantry, didn't notice Rainbow Dash sneaking up behind her until the other mare's hoof struck her flank. Startled, she jumped, whirling around in mid-air to glare at her. Rainbow Dash could only grin back. The sound of the front door slamming shut rattled through the house a moment later. Rainbow Dash, who had been holding back, collapsed as soon as she heard it, falling onto her back and laughing hysterically, her hooves waving wildly. Applejack, despite her indignation at the strike on her rump, couldn't help but chuckle as well. Trying to calm down, Rainbow Dash rolled onto her side, struggling to speak between deep gasps for air. "Did you… did you see how nervous they were?" she sputtered, trying to contain her hysterics. "They have no idea we know!" "They don't even have school today. It's still winter break." Applejack shook her head. "They're sure actin' strange." "I know! This is just too good!" Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her eye, still fighting to control her urge to giggle like a school filly. "They're so cute together. I hope they decide to tell us soon." She righted herself, swaying as she got back onto her hooves. "Hey, speakin' o' bein' cute together, where's Fluttershy and mah brother? Ah haven't seen them all mornin', and it's gettin' late." "I don't know, maybe they're still upstairs? I didn't see the twins when I went to get little AJ either." "Race ya." "What?" "I'll race ya upstairs." Applejack's green eyes twinkled mischievously. "Come on Dash; don't tell me you've gotten soft in your old age." "HEY! I'm not old! I could still beat you any day!" "You'll have ta catch me first." Applejack took off running, Rainbow Dash leaping into the air behind her. The pegasus soon soared over the earth pony's head, rolling onto her back to fly upside-down lazily, barely staying ahead of Applejack. "Easy peasy." "Get down here, ya cheater!" Applejack jumped up, managing to grab her lover's rainbow tail in her jaw just as she was about to enter the stairwell. Rainbow Dash gave a quick squeak before being pulled down, the two ponies colliding in a tangle of wings and hooves. They finally settled at the base of the stairs, laughing and sprawled across one another. From near the fireplace, Applejoy looked up and giggled, cracking a wide smile. "Just like ol' times eh, Sugarcube?" "I love you, AJ." Rainbow Dash rolled over, planting a quick kiss on her wife's waiting lips. "But I'm still gonna win!" She jumped up, charging up the stairs, Applejack right behind her. They skidded to a halt just outside Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's room, stopping to compose themselves before they strode in. Inside, Big Macintosh laid, eyes wide open and a smile on his face, prone on the bed. Fluttershy, her mane a tangled mess, held him in a sleepy hug. Her yellow foreleg hung limply across his chest. Sweet Blossom had somehow managed to fall asleep between the two, her head resting against her mother's stomach. Honeycrisp had curled himself into a ball at his mother's hooves. Big Macintosh glanced up to see his sister and sister-in-law sneak their way in. "Wow," Rainbow Dash nodded to him, whispering when she realized only Big Macintosh was awake, "Fluttershy really is a heavy sleeper." "Eeeyup." "Wow, big bro, Ah know you always get up early, but Ah've never known ya ta stay in bed all mornin'." Big Macintosh glanced down at his family; asleep around him. He gently bent his head forward to kiss Fluttershy's forehead. A smile slipped its way across the cream-yellow pegasus's face, though she didn't stir otherwise. Big Macintosh looked back up, his eyes shining. "Ah ain't complainin'." ==================================================================================== A brisk wind whipped the fine, powdery snow into billowing, dusty white clouds that restricted vision to but a few yards. Only the barely-visible compacted indentations of previous hoof prints and a slightly wider gap between two rows of trees bore any evidence to the trail that meandered its way through the orchard. If Applebloom didn't know the way by heart, the two fillies may have even gotten lost. Still, they sauntered on through the lazily drifting piles of snow. The sky was clear and the sun shone down, setting the wintery landscape ablaze in a sea of dazzling sparkles. Their hooves sank into the crisp powder as they went, walking side-by-side for warmth and comfort. Scootaloo scrunched her face against a particularly strong gust, hiding behind the thick layers of her borrowed scarf. They stopped for a moment behind a particularly dense clump of trees, afforded a lull in the onslaught by the natural windbreak. Applebloom shook her head, letting her own scarf slip down below her mouth. She took a deep, grateful gulp of fresh air. Scootaloo did the same. They turned and smiled at each other, their senses electrified and their awareness heightened by the stinging chill of wind and wind-whipped ice particles. "Makes ya feel alive, doesn't it?" Applebloom's voice was filled with awe and excitement. Scootaloo shivered slightly, her mind too distracted by the thoughts zipping about her head to notice the beauty of the scene. "Hey… AB? Can I ask you something?" "Sure thing, Scooty!" "Wait… what was that?" "Scooty? That's mah new nickname for ya!" "Well… please don't…" Wha? Ya don' like it?" "Not really." "Fine." Applebloom chuckled, kicking absent-mindedly at the snow. "So, what were ya gonna ask me?" "Do you think they know? Rainbow Dash and Applejack?" "Know what?" "You know… about… us." "Oh… well, Ah don't think so. But, if they do, Ah don' see what's so bad about it. Of all ponies, Ah'd think those two would be the most happy fer us." Scootaloo prodded the snow-covered ground nervously, not looking up to meet Applebloom's concerned gaze. "I… I don't think we should tell anypony. Not yet. I… I'm just not ready." Applebloom walked over to the other filly. "If it makes ya feel better, we don't need ta tell anypony yet." She kissed her on the cheek. Despite the cold, Scootaloo blushed profusely. "Cheer up, Scoot. There's nothin' ta be scared of." The branches of the trees above them creaked slightly from a strong gust. Scootaloo and Applebloom both looked up, just in time to be greeted by a falling deluge of more powdered snow, billowing through the air aimlessly as it was shaken from the tree-tops. They were lost for a mere moment, entranced by the swirling torrent as if it was calling for their attention. Their eyes sparkled as much as the spiraling flakes. "Wow." Scootaloo sighed, her breath turning to steam and lazily drifting away. "Beautiful, ain't it?" "Yeah." "Ah've always loved winter. Ya can be out all day in the cold, but then come home to a nice warm fire at night. It's like the whole world just slows down and tells ya to stop and take a long look at everythin' around you, and everythin's just beautiful." "I had to spend a lot of winters at the orphanage." Scootaloo looked about the copse, speaking more to the wind than to Applebloom. The other filly listened intently anyway. "I could usually take care of myself, but when it got cold out, I had to go there. I hated that place. It was dark and gloomy and the dark winter nights made it worse. I would always try to get outside during the day, but at night and whenever the weather was bad I was cooped up inside, and I was always cold anyway." "Oh, Scoot. Ah'm so sorry." "It's ok," Scootaloo tried to smile. Applebloom wasn't convinced. "You'll never have ta go back there. You can stay with us forever, if ya like." Applebloom draped a fore leg around the other filly's shoulders, squeezing her gently. "Ah promise." In the lee of the tiny, protected alcove of the tree grove, Applebloom and Scootaloo stood, their eyes full of wonder, and gazed around at the enchanted scene around them. Their eyes following smoothly billowing snow clouds as they whistled past in the wind. Their heads swayed back and forth, in time with the tree-tops. Their tails flicked back and forth lazily behind them, sometimes brushing up against one another. One filly would glance at the other every so often. If their eyes met, they would quickly look away with a blush and a twinge of embarrassment, though neither really understood why. They weren't keeping track of time. Neither really knew how long it had been before Applebloom spoke up again. They did know, however, that the cold was starting to get to them, despite the warmth they felt merely from being so close to one another. It was getting time to move on. "Maybe… Maybe we should go see Sweetie Belle." "Yeah. That's a good idea." The pair started making their way back to the trail. Their hoofprints from earlier had already been filled in. Scootaloo slipped on an unseen patch of ice, barely catching herself in time to prevent a face-full of snow. She looked up to see Applebloom waiting for her, smiling warmly. At that moment, she knew she would never feel the cold again. "Hey, Applebloom? One more thing." "What is it?" "Thanks."