The next morning, when Applejack got out of bed before the sun had been pulled over the horizon, Rainbow rolled out of bed too. She was pretty sure the power that took was just slightly less than Celestia would be expending in the next hour. She rubbed her eyes with her hoof like she was trying to grind the sleep out of them.
“Well now, I reckon this is a surprise.” Applejack chuckled, plopping her hat on her head.
“This isn’t—” Rainbow interrupted herself with a massive yawn. “—the surprise. This is a sacrifice, that I’m making for you.”
“My hero.” Applejack smirked, but she waited for Rainbow to trudge over next to her before heading out to the hall and down to the kitchen.
Rainbow winced as Applejack turned on the lights in the kitchen. “Where’s the coffee?”
“I’m puttin’ it on now,” Applejack said, heading over to the stove.
“How can you think enough to make coffee without coffee?” Rainbow wondered, sitting down at the table.
Applejack snorted. “Somepony’s gotta make it. How’d you think it got in the pot?”
Rainbow shrugged. “I thought it was a gift from Celestia so ponies wouldn’t poke themselves in the eye with their forks at breakfast.”
“Well, if you wanna think of me as a gift from Celestia, I ain’t gonna argue.” Applejack smiled and set out a mug for herself and Rainbow. “So, what’re you doin’ up at this hour?”
“I wanted to get the kids up today. I gotta talk to Leaf, and then get them ready to go to Mac and Cheerilee’s for the day.” Rainbow caught Applejack’s look of surprise. “I asked last night. It’s cool, and if we see the zap apple signs I’ll go pick up the kids and you’ll meet Mac in the orchard.”
Applejack nodded as she took the boiling pot off the stove and poured the water into the coffee pot. “And what’s this we’re doin’ that the kids can’t be around for?”
Rainbow took a deep breath as the smell of coffee filled the room. She could almost feel herself waking up just from that. Then she realized she hadn’t answered AJ. “Mostly just hanging out without the kids around. I just want a day where I can focus on you, without worrying about other stuff.”
“Dash, I don’t need—” Applejack started with pursed lips.
“Well I do. We talked about this,” Rainbow pointed out. “I was thinking we could hang out, go for a run, maybe go to the spa—”
Applejack shot her a look, eyebrow raised. “You hate the spa.”
Rainbow grinned. “Good to know I still have some concept of awesome. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you, and you like massages. It’s payback for me being so uncool to you this week.”
Applejack frowned and poured two cups of coffee. “I ain’t upset.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You’re not okay, either.”
Applejack set Rainbow’s coffee in front of her, then walked back over to the counter where her own mug sat next to the stove. She set a skillet on the hot burner. “This can’t fix all that.”
“I know, but… maybe it’ll help.” Rainbow took a long drink of coffee.
They didn’t say anything as Applejack cracked eggs and chopped vegetables and Rainbow got through about half of her coffee. Rainbow felt the fog of sleep clearing from her brain and a grin crossed her face at thoughts of what was in store that day. It was going to be so much fun, just hanging out with Applejack. Like the game yesterday, but longer. Then there was the surprise she had planned; it took most of the hour last night, but it would totally be worth it.
“It’s just about the time I usually go knock on Cider and Leaf’s doors,” Applejack spoke up. “Cider first, then Leaf, then Cider again. But she’s always at the table first, Leaf takes his time tryin’ to find what he was workin’ on before he gets down here.”
Rainbow nodded and took one last swig from her mug. “Okay. I’ll be back down in a bit.”
She headed up the stairs and knocked on Cider’s door. “Time to get up!”
There was no answer from inside, so she shrugged and moved onto Leaf’s room. “Hey, Leaf, time to get up.”
Leaf’s bleary voice came through the door, “Mom? Is everything okay?”
Rainbow leaned toward the door. “Yeah, everything is cool… mind if I come in?”
There was a pause, and then, “Sure.”
Rainbow opened the door and stuck her head in first. Leaf was sitting up in bed, his blue bedspread bunched at the foot. His room was messy: books and papers were stacked on the surfaces, obscuring the dates and locations advertised on the Wonderbolts posters on his wall, while crumpled-up papers littered the floor.
“Hey…” Rainbow smiled. “Nothing’s wrong. Your ma’s downstairs cooking breakfast, and I got up early today to help her out.”
“Okay.” He nodded, eyeing her. “So… why aren’t you downstairs?”
“I wanted to tell you to get ready to go to your Uncle Mac’s house today,” Rainbow said as a poster caught her eye. She could see one of the Wonderbolts in the formation had a rainbow tail waving behind her. She smiled at it for a moment, before she remembered what she’d been talking about and shook her head. “Me and your ma have some plans.”
“What kind of plans? Is this about whatever was weird last night?” Leaf’s brow furrowed as he got out of bed and walked over to a small mirror. He ran his hoof over his spiky mane.
Rainbow bit her lip, not sure what to say. She owed the kid some kind of explanation, something weird was clearly going on. On the other hoof… there was a lot she could say that would freak a kid out, and she should at least talk to AJ before she did that.
“Last night… Uh, yeah.” Rainbow shook her head. “Leaf, your ma has been having a rough time for the past week. You know how after my crash, I forgot some really important stuff, like your routines and rules for you guys?”
Leaf looked at her and nodded, sitting down on his bed.
Rainbow walked over to face him. “Well, I forgot some stuff that’s really important to your ma, too. And I haven’t really had time to make it right yet. And if you didn’t know that, well… that’s how strong your ma is, she didn’t want us to have to worry about her.
“Last night…” She sighed. “Last night was supposed to be about making things easier for her. We decided to wait, but if that comes back up, I want you to remember that: your ma needs help sometimes, so we need to be strong too and give her the help she needs.”
“I’m sorry…” Leaf said, looking down. He added, “About not wanting to eat dinner, I mean.”
Rainbow had to smile. “It’s okay. You didn’t know. But today is about helping your ma, too. She needs some grown-up time with me, so you guys need to stay with Cheerilee and Mac today.”
Leaf looked up. “But why does she need—” His cheeks turned red. Then he looked away and went on quickly. “Know what? Never mind. That’s all I need to know.”
“Huh?” Rainbow just stared at him. Why in Equestria was he blushing? Then it hit her and she burst out laughing. “Ha! You think we’re sending you off so we can have sex!”
“Mom!” Leaf got a horrified look on his face. “Eww! Don’t say that!”
Rainbow smirked. “You’re the one who was thinking it.”
“I was trying not to think about it!” He hurried to his desk, looking through stacks of papers. “And I’m going back to not thinking about it!”
“I mean, I’m not saying I wouldn’t—” Rainbow teased.
“Lalalala! Not listening!” Leaf picked up papers and a book and crammed them into a saddle bag. “I’m getting ready to go to Uncle Mac’s house!”
Rainbow snickered as she left the room. As she headed back to the kitchen, she heard crying from Sky’s room. She banged on Cider’s door again as she passed it.
“Cider, get up! You’re going to stay with Aunt Cheerilee and Uncle Mac today!”
Cider’s door flew open, the filly fluttering in the doorway. “Can I bring my flight—”
“Not a chance,” Rainbow said, continuing toward Sky’s room to grab the baby. “Get ready to go!”
• • •
A few hours later, the kids were at Mac’s house, and Rainbow’s hooves were steadily pounding the packed dirt of a forest trail, AJ keeping pace at her side. Despite the exertion, Rainbow was finding it easier to breathe with the wind in her face and the trees passing swiftly. From the grin AJ wore, Rainbow had to guess she was feeling the same way.
The day was sunny and warm, but in the cool woods, with the sweat coating their bodies hitting the air as they ran, Rainbow felt great. They had started out at a jog, but after a while a wordless smirk passed between them and the race was on. They didn’t talk about a finish line; that wasn’t the point. The point was to run as fast as they could, to try to keep up with a pony they already knew was just as good.
Besides, they’d just end up arguing about the winner either way. They didn’t need an endpoint to do that.
There was something Rainbow loved about running in the woods; it reminded her of flying in open air. The woods were peaceful, so she could ignore them as they blurred by. There was nothing but the pony next to her, driving her to push herself, and her hooves hitting the ground with each stride.
They ran in comfortable silence; even if they could have had a conversation, they didn’t need to. Having a pony to run with was fun, and Rainbow didn’t need words to know it was AJ next to her; if there was a pony next to her at this speed, it was Applejack, no question.
But when Applejack said, in a huffing voice and without slowing down, “Hey, Dash, up for somethin’ wild?” Rainbow had to admit to herself that made it even better. The wicked gleam in AJ’s green eyes made it perfect.
“You know it!” Rainbow answered.
“Follow me. And keep your eyes open!”
They ran another stretch of path, then Applejack motioned to a trail branching off to the right. Rainbow remembered it as a kind of steep path they never bothered with; it was no good for running. But Applejack made the turn, so Rainbow followed right behind.
Applejack barely slowed down, galloping down the narrow path that descended between thick brush on both sides. Rainbow wasn’t sure they could slow down; actually, on the slope it was hard to keep from running faster. Ahead of them, Rainbow could see a downed tree trunk, with the path turning not far after it. She grinned. It was a good jump, high enough to be a challenge, especially having to land with a solid footing to turn right away.
They came at it full speed and Applejack took the jump, landing cleanly and moving into the turn. Rainbow launched herself into the air right after, her wings twitching to spread and avoid the jolt of landing. She managed to keep them at her sides and made the landing, but nearly lost her footing at the turn, her hooves scrambling at the gravel.
The next stretch of path snaked unevenly back and forth around craggy rocks. Rainbow relaxed just a little. She had always been more agile, and she was able to catch up to AJ and stay neck and neck. But she knew if AJ promised something wild, that jump and some sharp turns weren’t all of it, so she kept her eyes ahead and focused.
“You don’t know the path. Use your wings if you need ’em,” Applejack said as they leaned through turn after turn at full speed.
“You don’t need wings, I don’t need wings.”
Applejack grinned as they took the last turn and barreled straight ahead. “You’ll break your fool neck like that.”
In front of them, a tree spread thick, low branches across the path, from knee to head level. Rainbow glanced at Applejack, eyes wide. There was no way they could jump over those. But Applejack ran straight for them, gaining speed.
“AJ…” Rainbow said in a panicked voice as Applejack barreled on like a freight train.
“Under!” she shouted, then at the last second she put a hoof on her hat and kicked her rear legs in front of her, falling to the ground and sliding under the obstacle.
Rainbow did her best to do the same thing, and she mostly succeeded. She and the ground weren’t on good terms, and it reminded her with the soft caress of sharp rocks and rough sand grating across her cutie mark, but Rainbow made it out the other side.
Applejack rolled out of her slide and to her hooves, starting right back into a run. Rainbow stumbled to her hooves and took off after her.
“Told ya you could use your wings!” she said as Rainbow caught up.
“Didn’t need ’em!”
Applejack nodded approvingly to Rainbow, then nodded ahead of them. “Got some more jumps.”
Three in a row, first a small pile of rocks, then a tree trunk, then a small creek cut across the path. AJ and Rainbow cleared each one together easily.
“Almost done.” Applejack panted. “This last one’s got a drop after it.”
Rainbow nodded. The bush ahead of them seemed about cutie-mark height, not an easy jump to start with, and knowing there was a drop on the other side made a formidable challenge. Rainbow narrowed her eyes.
They launched themselves into the air. Rainbow could see AJ next to her in perfect form. As they cleared the bush, the path on the other side was about three feet lower than where they’d launched. Applejack landed perfectly, and Rainbow managed to stay on her hooves, but the unexpected fractions of a second before landing made her stumble a step.
Applejack slowed to a stop with Rainbow beside her, both of them out of breath. They stood on the bank of a river at the bottom of the hill, catching their breath. Both of them were filthy, covered in sweat and dust, and Rainbow’s thigh was burning where she’d slid on it.
“Good job,” Applejack said with a friendly bump of her shoulder. “That’s a rough course to start with, must be right crazy doin’ it blind.”
A huge grin grew on Rainbow’s face as the heart-pounding tension of the run started to wash away. “That was so cool…”
Applejack chuckled and sat down on a patch of moss. “It sure was.”
“You looked great!” Rainbow’s wings were the only part of her not worn out, so she flew over to join Applejack. “Not just hot, but the way you took those turns and jumps and slid under that branch like you were Daring Do or something was awesome.”
“Aw, thanks,” Applejack said, looking down at the moss and nudging it with her forehoof.
Rainbow laid back on the soft ground, her forelegs folded behind her head as a pillow. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she looked at the branches and flecks of blue sky above them.
“Ya know, sometimes when you’re farming and cooking all the time it’s hard to remember that you can do that stuff,” she said, glancing over at Applejack.
Applejack snorted, but she was smiling too. “I don’t see ya complainin’ about farmin’ and cookin’ when you’re tuckin’ in for supper.” She took a breath and leaned back on her elbows. “But I reckon you don’t know… You mighta been a Wonderbolt, but you’re lookin’ at the three-time All-Equestria Rodeo Champ. Least, I was back before Leaf was born.”
“Really? That’s so cool!” Rainbow looked back up at the trees and sky. “You don’t compete anymore?”
Applejack gave a wistful sigh. “Nah. I do an exhibition from time to time, mostly ropin’ and a jump course, maybe a hay toss… those were the parts I really like anyhow. If I never gotta ride another bull, I’ll be a happy pony. Last time out, I drew Wild Bull Hickock… he’s right nice over drinks, but in the ring that fella means business straight out the gate.”
Rainbow smirked. “He’d probably say the same about you.”
“Darn tootin’!” Applejack laughed. “I stayed on all eight seconds of one of the toughest rides he ever gave, and between us we set a record that’s still standin’ today.”
“Way to go!” Rainbow looked over at her with a grin, but Applejack was looking into the distance. Her grin fell to a sad smile, and she went on more gently. “I was there, wasn’t I?”
Applejack chuckled a little, but she didn’t look over. “Ya said you didn’t know if you were more jealous of the trophy, or of the bull for gettin’ that ride.”
“Yeah, that sounds like me,” Rainbow said, laying her head back.
Applejack nodded, then they fell into silence. Rainbow thought for the first time about the things she’d missed, not for herself, but for other ponies. Things that were important to them, that she should have been there for. That she was there for. But now… it was like she wasn’t there for them when they needed her to celebrate or comfort them.
AJ had a ton of those. The kids, too, and her friends… It didn’t hurt as much as the things from her own life that she’d missed, but she felt bad for them. Most of them didn’t even know it, but Applejack knew it every day.
She was surprised when Applejack spoke, and even more when it was in a relaxed and happy tone. “I gotta thank ya, Dash.”
“For what?” Rainbow asked, looking over at her.
Applejack was smiling, still looking into the distance somewhere in the woods. “I needed this today, and I didn’t even know how much. Everythin’s been so…” She started to frown, then looked over at Rainbow and smiled again. “But you were right, I needed to relax and let out some energy. And I needed to know that whatever happens, you’re still my best friend.”
“No matter what.” Rainbow pulled a foreleg from behind her head and offered a hoof for a bump, which AJ met with her own. Rainbow rolled on her side, laying next to AJ. “And… I guess I haven’t said thanks yet…”
Applejack stared at her. “What for?”
“For… everything this past week.” Rainbow motioned with a hoof. “For being there for me, and helping me. And for being so tough, ’cause one of us had to have it together, and…” Rainbow hesitated, then shook her head. “In your horseshoes, I don’t think it could’ve been me.”
Applejack was quiet for a moment. Then she said softly, “I know that, sugarcube. But you gotta know that I couldn’t’ve done what you have this week.”
Rainbow furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? You do it, like, all the time.”
“Tryin’ to adjust how ya live your whole life?” Applejack raised her eyebrows at Rainbow. “Jumpin’ into somethin’ you never even thought of? And somethin’ like bein’ a mom where there’s no way ya ain’t gonna mess up? And you can just get it in your head and fly with it, and fall in love with it, and make it part of who ya are…”
Rainbow blinked. She had done something like that, but it wasn’t like she had a choice.
Applejack shook her head and went on. “I can’t change like that. Never could, even when I wanted to when I was a filly back in Manehattan. If you’d ended up there, you woulda been livin’ it up with the rich ponies in no time…”
Rainbow grinned. “I could get into that…”
Applejack smiled at her. “I always thought that was amazin’ about you. Wherever ya are, you just head forward, full speed. Barely even stop to ask directions.”
Rainbow could have mentioned a few times when that bit her in the tail, but there was no reason to bring it up when a pony was talking about how amazing she was, so she just relaxed and let AJ keep going.
“Ya know, when you said you wanted to quit the Wonderbolts, I tried to talk you outta it.”
Rainbow’s head snapped up at that.
Applejack didn’t seem to notice. She was staring into the distance again, a confused look on her face. “Me givin’ up rodeo was one thing, that was always just a hobby, but I couldn’t get how you could just stop doin’ somethin’ that was so important, that you worked for your whole life. But you loved bein’ a family so much, all of a sudden that was who ya were, and your mind was set…”
Rainbow swallowed. Thinking back on the past week, she was almost starting to understand what had happened. “It’s not quite that easy…”
“I never said it was easy.” Applejack looked her in the eye. “Like I said, I can’t do it. But you make it look easy. It makes us a good team; I can hold strong when we need it, and you can spin on a dime when we need it, and we can get each other through anythin’.”
Looking into Applejack’s eyes, Rainbow realized that they were both crazy.
She was crazy because she had somehow forgotten that she asked Applejack out. Sure, it was because she was hot, but it was also because AJ could run next to her, and take a downhill obstacle course at full speed without missing a beat, and toss her that smile that meant you’re on that made Rainbow’s blood start pumping. And AJ was right here, and she could still do all of that… and way more, besides. Which, if Rainbow weren’t a crazy pony, should mean she wanted to go on a date with Applejack even more.
Applejack was crazy because she had somehow forgotten that Rainbow asked her on a date. Not Rainbow, the mare who quit the Wonderbolts to have three kids. The date was with Rainbow, the mare who moved her apple baskets when she wasn’t looking and whined about their date being postponed a week. It had only been a week since she was that pony, but Rainbow had been working her tail off, so if Applejack wasn’t a crazy pony, she should want to go on a date with Rainbow even more.
Sure, they couldn’t pick back up where AJ had left off with her wife, but… maybe they could pick back up where Rainbow had left off with her best friend.
“AJ… do you wanna go out on a date sometime?”
Applejack blinked. Then her eyes went wide. “Dash, that ain’t what I was after. I shouldn’t’ve been talkin’ like that…”
“I know it’s not.” Rainbow shook her head, mostly to buy time to think of how to explain it to AJ. “It’s just… I asked you out before, and it was because you were hot. And you still are! But it was because you were my hot best friend… and you still are. And, I know we aren’t really married, but if I’m not married and there’s this hot, awesome pony, I have to wonder why I’m not dating her.”
There was a long pause, and Applejack’s face shifted several times; first she smiled, then that turned to an almost pained look, then her mouth fell to a flat line with her brow furrowed, and finally she frowned and shook her head.
“I dunno if I can,” she said softly. “I had somepony I loved, and we both know you’re different.”
“I know, but… you gave me a chance before, and it turned out okay, right?” Rainbow offered a hopeful grin to hide her nerves.
“It did,” Applejack said, almost to herself. Then she looked at Rainbow, her eyes almost pleading. “I can see what you’re sayin’, and I reckon it’s right. But… I can’t just turn like you, Dash.”
Rainbow raised her eyebrows. “So, let me help you. I’ll lean on you for being strong and being there for the kids, and you lean on me for trying to find something new.” She looked into Applejack’s eyes. “AJ, I really wanna try.”
After another long pause, this time with an unreadable expression, Applejack nodded. She gave a nervous smile. “Okay. I reckon a date can’t hurt.”
Rainbow grinned and reached over, pulling Applejack into a tight hug on the mossy forest floor. “Sweet! We’re gonna have such a great time.”
Something about the word “time” prompted Rainbow. She looked around. “Uh, what time is it?”
“’Round one o’clock?” Applejack said, pulling away from the hug with a confused look on her face.
“Oh! Shoot! Your surprise!” Rainbow flapped to her hooves, pulling Applejack’s forehoof. “Come on, we gotta hurry.”
“What kinda surprise? I thought you said we were just hangin’ out?” Applejack raised an eyebrow as she got to her hooves.
“I said we were going to the spa,” Rainbow pointed out, flying behind Applejack to push her toward the path.
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Dash, Aloe ain’t gonna mind if we’re a few minutes late.”
“It’s not Aloe I’m worried about!”
Rainbow finally got Applejack moving at a jog and flew beside her along the paths toward town.
• • •
Confetti filled their vision as Rainbow and Applejack entered the spa.
“Surprise!”
“Pinkie!” Applejack grinned as the cloud of glitter cleared and Pinkie came into view, along with the rest of their friends. “What are y’all doin’ here?”
Rarity laid a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “Rainbow told us all about what’s going on. It took a little doing, but we agreed that under the circumstances a last-minute spa visit was the least we could do to support you two.” She pulled her hoof away and scraped it on the floor, then pointed to a door to the right. “Now go shower before we get in the hot tub. You’re both disgusting.”
Rainbow laughed. “Thanks, Rares. You too.”
Applejack chuckled and shook her head, walking through the door to the showers, Rainbow right behind her.
“You got everypony to come down here? Just last night, while you were out?” Applejack asked as she quickly rinsed off.
“I fly fast.” Rainbow washed away the sweat and dust from her body and wings. She was already feeling more relaxed; the hot tub would be awesome.
Applejack grinned and waited by the doorway for Rainbow. “You’re really somethin’, ya know that?”
Rainbow smirked as she joined Applejack and headed out to the spa. “Yeah, I know.”
Their friends were already in the hot tub by the time they got back. Rainbow flew over and landed next to Twilight, her body thanking her over and over as she slipped into the warm water. Applejack climbed in on her other side, between Rainbow and Pinkie, and breathed a happy sigh.
Rarity leaned across Pinkie and gave Applejack a nuzzle. “There we go. Much better, darling.” She turned to Rainbow as she sat back. “You really don’t remember anything from the past fifteen years?”
“Nope.” Rainbow shook her head.
Fluttershy offered a sympathetic look. “That’s awful… so much has changed…”
“Do you want to hear a song about it?” Pinkie asked. “I wrote one about everything that’s happened to us in the past fifteen years!”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Uh… I’ll pass.”
“Are you suuure? It’s a rrrumba…” Pinkie wiggled her eyebrows.
“Probably best if we don’t,” Twilight cut in with a smile. “If Rainbow does end up going back to fifteen years ago, she should probably still be surprised by some things.”
“How’s that comin’, Twi?” Applejack asked.
“I’ve made some progress…” Twilight hesitated. “Actually, I think I know how to send her back, if it’s a closed loop. We don’t know that yet. I’m still waiting to hear from Zecora.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly at that. She reminded herself that they didn’t know yet, but…
Then she caught sight of Applejack. AJ’s forehead was lined with worry, and it made something in Rainbow feel the same way. The chances of her older self coming back weren’t good. She’d just be gone, from here at least. What would AJ and the kids do? But if it was a closed loop… Twilight said she had to go back…
“I’m sure she’s got her hooves full,” Applejack said, frowning. “Anyhow, just let us know when you hear somethin’.”
Twilight offered Applejack a wan smile and nodded.
“I certainly don’t envy you, Applejack.” Rarity bit her lip. “What happened to Rainbow is shocking, but… not even knowing if… I simply can’t imagine.”
“Yeah… well…” Applejack sighed and looked down.
“Applejack, you know we’re always here for you,” Fluttershy said gently. “No matter what happens…”
Applejack nodded.
“Applejack,” Pinkie said, turning toward AJ. She was smiling, but in a subdued way Rainbow had never seen. “You’re gonna get through it. It’s gonna be good, and it’s gonna be bad, and you’re gonna get through it. ’Cause that’s life, right?” Her smile grew, and something in her eyes twinkled.
Applejack gave a shaky smile. “Yup. Sure is. And it’s crazier than a upside-down chicken coop sometimes.”
Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around Applejack’s shoulder. “You know it, cousin. That’s why we have parties.”
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Applejack said, really smiling now and giving Pinkie a nuzzle.
“Whenever you need it.” She gave a squeeze. “And sometimes when you don’t! It’s more fun, those times.”
Applejack chuckled, and all six of the girls were smiling again. Rainbow almost felt okay—whatever happened to her, their friends would be there for AJ. But something in the back of her mind kept nagging her that she probably wouldn’t be, and that wasn’t okay.
Rarity broke Rainbow’s train of thought. “What are you doing in the meantime? I can’t imagine it’s easy, living with something up in the air like that.”
Rainbow shrugged, shifting in the tub. “Just trying to get comfortable. I mean, I might be here forever…” She looked at Applejack. “And while I’m here, there’s a lot to take care of.”
“No kidding! Hopping right into having three foals is nothing to sneeze at.” Pinkie tilted her head, considering. “Unless you get talcum powder in your face.”
Rainbow laughed. “You know, it’s not as bad as I would’ve thought. The kids are awesome. I mean, they’d have to be with me for a mom, right?”
Applejack nodded. “Dash’s been doin’ a good job there. It was a mite bumpy at first, but I reckon Dash has always been ready to take whatever ya throw her way.”
“I couldn’t do it without you.” Rainbow smiled at Applejack and gave her a nudge. “And don’t pretend it’s nothing, you’ve been holding both of us together.”
“So, how are you and Rainbow Dash doing?” Pinkie asked. “Making each other comfortable?”
Twilight frowned. “Pinkie, I’m not sure that’s—”
“Well…” Applejack cut her off. She glanced at Rainbow, then around the tub. “Truth be told, we were gonna separate. Ya know I still love ’er, but Dash don’t remember datin’ me or gettin’ married, and it’s all kinda awkward.”
Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy nodded sadly. Pinkie just stared with her eyebrows raised expectantly.
Applejack looked at Rainbow again with a small smile. “But Dash decided if she’s single, she wants to date me. And I reckon I’d like that, so… we’ll give it a whirl.”
“Really?” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “That’s great!”
“Certainly better than I had feared,” Rarity nodded with a smile. She tilted her head. “It’s rather romantic, actually. Falling in love, all over again…”
Applejack frowned slightly. “We’re just datin’. We both got a lot tangled up here.”
Fluttershy nodded. “You want to make sure you’re in love with the ponies you are, not the ponies you think you remember.”
“You get to have a first date again!” Pinkie grinned. “Oh, and if you like each other, you can have another wedding!”
“I dunno that we’d go through all that…” Applejack said.
“But Rainbow doesn’t even remember my awesome bachelorette party,” Pinkie pointed out, pouting.
Rainbow grinned. “Nopony said we couldn’t have an awesome party.”
“Not like that one, ya ain’t,” Applejack gave a look, targeted at both Rainbow and Pinkie.
Twilight giggled. “Pinkie took ‘paint the town’ literally.”
“You can still see the rainbow in the Manehattan harbor when the tide is low…” Rarity said wistfully. “On misty mornings, with the sunlight elbowing its way between buildings. There, just at the edge, a glittering reminder of the vibrance of youth. The joyful music, the tinkling of champagne glasses, the well-dressed ponies dancing and laughing, unaware of the ravages of time waiting in the shadows to wear them down to dull mundanity.” Rarity blinked, noticing the confused faces of her friends. “Oh, terribly sorry. It was a lovely party, Pinkie.”
“Somepony needs a glass of wine,” Applejack muttered.
“It sounds like it was a blast,” Rainbow said with a sad smile.
“Oh, dear.” Fluttershy frowned. “This must be so hard to talk about.”
“I’m okay.” Rainbow tried to put a little more strength in her smile. “I mean, I wish I could remember stuff like that, and being a Wonderbolt, and when the kids were little, but… I’ve just got a lot going on right now, no time for moping, ya know?”
“Atta girl, Dashie,” Pinkie said, giving her the same smile she’d offered Applejack earlier. Rainbow could feel her own smile growing.
Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow and pulled her close. “If you want a party to remember… we’ll make sure ya get one, sugarcube.”
Twilight looked at Rainbow and Applejack and shook her head. “I have to say, you’re both amazing. When you first came to me, I was really worried about you guys… about your whole family. Whatever I figure out… well, somepony will be living with something really hard.” She offered a sympathetic smile. “But the way you’re facing it together, supporting each other… I’m really proud of you both.”
Rainbow grinned and gave Applejack a nuzzle. The strong foreleg around her and the feeling of Applejack’s cheek against hers made her feel like it would all be okay, somehow. Applejack grinned back and gave her a squeeze.
“What can I say?” Rainbow answered Twilight. “We make an awesome team.”