Chapter 04
Applejack thought she knew Rainbow Dash pretty well. They had a good understanding of each other, built up over a number of years. Despite this, Applejack had never fully understood the pegasus’s ability to tune out voices when a subject didn’t interest her. She’d even been the target of it a few times.
Now, half an hour into Twilight’s fifteenth plan to approach Dash, Applejack had finally learned the trick.
With a blink, she snapped herself out of her daze. This was about Dash, after all. She couldn’t afford to nod off. They had to figure out the best way to do this. So she focused back on her marefriend’s words, sure that the alicorn’s plan would be just right.
“–and then the dancing girls leave by the north door, and we ask her.” Twilight looked at Applejack eagerly. “What do you think?”
Sometimes, though, Twilight’s plans were just a little over the top.
Applejack shook her head. “Way too complex. I was thinkin’ we should just wait 'till we're hangin’ 'round the library, bring the subject 'round to it, then ask her.”
Twilight frowned, tapping the pencil against her list. “Really? You don't think we should at least do something special – like maybe a semi-romantic dinner? I mean, we want the right atmosphere–” She stopped and looked up as her marefriend suddenly facehoofed. “What?”
“Twi, I just realised. We're thinkin’ about this all wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, tilting her head.
“This is Dash we're talkin’ about.”
“So?”
“So we need to be more… direct.”
Twilight chuckled. “What – just wait till she gets here, walk right up to her, we each kiss her on the lips, and if she doesn't fly out the window, we're good?”
Applejack chortled. “Maybe not that direct, but somethin’ like that.”
Twilight stared at her, aghast. “I was kidding!”
“I wasn't.” Applejack smirked.
Twilight looked at her list, stared at her marefriend, then turned back to the list. “Right,” she said, her magic tearing off the top sheet. “So, action, not words. How do we do that?”
Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. “I got an idea. Remember when y'all were learnin’ how to use those wings o' yours?”
Twilight nodded warily. “Yeah?”
“Well…”
There really was no other city like Cloudsdale.
As Rainbow Dash flew above the streets, her eyes wandered over the buildings lining the road. She recognized most of them – but a few had changed. And even those she recognized looked subtly different. Clouds never did stick to one shape.
Despite how widely used it was as a building material, and how solid construction-grade cloud could be, it was still essentially a cloud. Soft, fluffy, and a good buck would break it apart. Something as large as, say, the Weather Factory, was almost entirely construction cloud, but even that would give with a decent force – much less than wood or stone could take. Most places simply used what was available, and if they were missing any, weather pegasi could simply make more, for a price.
A pegasus’s cloud-home was always changing. Her parents’ place was a perfect example of this.
When she’d left for Ponyville, they’d tried to insist on setting her up with everything she could ever want – a home, a job, a monthly allowance, and even a maid. She’d managed to talk them out of everything except the home – and instead of simply buying a cottage in the town proper, they’d simply let Dash have her room.
And the room next to it. And the entire western wing of their mansion.
Over the years, she’d modelled it to her liking, and it no longer bore much resemblance to the design it had parted with. Much the same could be said about the original construction – not only had the wing been replaced, the entire home had shifted its layout, leaving it at a slightly larger angle from the gated entrance than it had been a few months earlier. They’d probably been bored one weekend, and pushed a few walls around.
She landed with a few gentle flaps, and gave the door a couple solid knocks. Moments later, a halo surrounded the door and swung it open, revealing an older, white maned unicorn stallion in a black tuxedo vest. Rainbow Dash grinned as she saw the glimmer of recognition in his eyes. “Hey Righty.”
“Miss Rainbow,” Right Proper replied, smiling as he lifted a hoof to the young pegasus. The glint of thunderforged steel shoes shone under the hoof, without which the unicorn would fall through the clouds. Rainbow bumped hooves in return, mimicking the older pony’s actions as they twisted their extended hooves in a convoluted pattern until they bumped them once more.
Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle. “Haven’t done that in forever. I almost forgot how cool you were.”
“It’s only been two months, Miss Rainbow. And you wound me deeply.”
Rainbow laughed. “You’ll live. Where’re mom and dad?”
“In the kitchen.” The unicorn nodded in the direction of one hallway. “It is good to see you again, Miss Rainbow.”
She grinned. “Thanks. Good to be back.” With a final nod, she started walking down the hall. She shook her head as her gaze drifted to the walls, eyeing the trophies, posters, and newspaper clips hanging on either side. Her mother still found the display terribly embarrassing, but her father had insisted.
Firefly, the newest Wonderbolt. Does she have what it takes?
Rainbow smiled at the headline. Her mother had proved herself, and more, if the rest of the wall was any indication.
Canterlot Cloudeseum Speed Record – Firefly. 876.9 km/h
Los Pegasus – Vanhoover Endurance Flight Marathon – First Place – Firefly
Her mother had demanded one concession from Rainbow’s father, in exchange for allowing him to display his wife’s achievements along the walls of their home like this. One headline stood above all others – a place of honor for the Wonderbolt.
Newest Wonderbolt Retires Early
Firefly’s career had lasted a mere three years. In that time, she’d done so much, but she’d never regretted stopping when she did. For later on in that year, Rainbow had been born.
Rainbow smiled. Growing up around all this – it was no wonder her dreams were what they were. Like mother, like daughter.
Her ears perked up as she heard voices down the hall. “Mom? Dad?” she called out, increasing her pace as she heard what sounded like a gasp and a flurry of moving feathers. “Mom? Are you okay?”
“Y-yes! Just a second!”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, but kept walking until she reached the kitchen’s entrance. There she found a pink pegasus mare standing in front of the stove, rearranging her blue mane while a pot simmered behind her. Another pegasus mare stood next to her, a maid uniform covering most of her red coat. She was attempting to straighten the hat on her curly blue-gray mane, but failing horribly.
Meanwhile, the lone stallion in the room sat at a table, ignoring everything but the papers strewn in front of him.
“Uh.” Dash hesitated. “Hey mom, what’s up?”
“Oh!” Firefly jumped, startled despite having seen her daughter enter the room. “Oh, s-simply comparing manes with Feather Duster! Exchanging styling advice! And care tips!” She glanced at the maid, her smile tinged with desperation. “Isn’t that right, Miss Duster?”
“Oui, madame!” The other pony nodded. Finally satisfied with her (still slightly askew) hat, she quickly trotted out of the kitchen, grabbing a broom with her mouth on the way out.
Rainbow blinked, eyeing both the maid and her mother’s ruffled feathers. “Huh. Fun times?”
“Yes.” Firefly nodded eagerly. “A mare’s gotta take care of herself.” She blinked, suddenly remembering where she was, and turned to face the table where the rainbow-maned blue stallion was sitting. “Honey, Rainbow is here!”
“I heard her, ‘Fly,” he muttered, his eyes remaining glued to the papers spread before him.
Firefly shared a look with her daughter before rolling her eyes. “Don’t mind him. He’s just trying to finish that novel of his.”
"You mean the one about the guy who survives nearly drowning in liquid rainbow, seduces a Wonderbolt, and becomes a savvy businessman?"
"His thinly-veiled autobiography, yes."
Spectrum Dash looked up, staring at the two mares. "I should make her some other sort of star athlete instead, shouldn't I?" he asked, deadpan.
"Yup," Dash and Firefly replied in unison.
The stallion stared once again at his work, nodding to himself. "Yes, good idea… good idea.”
Firefly rolled her eyes. She trotted over to her daughter and drew the younger pony into a hug, then leaned back and peppered her with questions. “So how are you? How long are you staying?”
Rainbow nuzzled her mother’s cheek. “You know me, mom. Awesome as usual.” She grinned. “Can’t stay long, gotta head back soon.”
Firefly raised an eyebrow as she let go of Rainbow. “Oh? To what do we owe this visit then?”
“Got any ice cream?”
The pink mare eyed her daughter. “We don’t see you for months, and you come back for ice cream?” Firefly sighed theatrically and turned to her husband. “Spectrum, whatever did we do to deserve such a devoted daughter?”
The stallion didn’t even look up. “Wouldn’t know, dear.”
“I wonder why I even bother.” Firefly chuckled. She turned back to her daughter. “Any particular reason?”
Rainbow frowned. “What, I need a reason?” Her question was answered by a raised eyebrow. “Okay, fine, I just want to share some with my friends.”
Had Rainbow been paying more attention, she would have noticed how her mother leaned forward at the mention of friends. “Which friends? And what’s the occasion?” Firefly asked.
“It’s just lunch,” Rainbow answered, her ears tilted backwards. “Look, do we have any?”
“They must really be special friends if you came all the way here just for ice cream for them.” The older mare shook her head, hiding a smirk as she turned back to her cooking. “Just grab some from the freezer downstairs. You can ask Righty to get it.”
“Uh? Yeah, I guess they are?” Rainbow answered. She wasn’t sure what her mother was on about. “Thanks. I’ll head back then.”
The younger pegasus turned to leave, but stopped as she felt a hoof on her shoulders. “Oh no. You can at least let your mother catch up with you a bit.” Firefly snorted, nudging her daughter’s barrel. “It’s not like it’ll take you long to get home anyway, eh?”
Rainbow couldn’t help her grin. “It won’t even have time to melt!”
“That’s my girl!” Firefly crowed, raising a hoof to bump her daughter’s. “So how’s work?”
The younger pony shrugged. “Same as usual. Quick work, plenty of time to practice.”
“Good girl.” Firefly nodded approvingly. “And the academy? You know I could put a good word for you.”
“I already said no, Mom.” Rainbow frowned, shaking her head. Firefly raised a hoof in surrender.
“Okay, fine,” she sighed. She took a good look at her daughter, her mouth twitching upwards as she noticed something. “Your wings look great.”
Rainbow turned her head, looking at an extended wing. “Really?”
Firefly nodded, fighting to hide her growing smile. “Yes. You’re taking good care of yourself.”
“I guess…"
Firefly turned back to the simmering pot, hoping the contents hadn’t burned. She stirred it with a spoon, her smile blooming on her face as she moved in for the kill. “So, I’ve got a stallion I’d like you to meet.”
The younger pegasus jolted, at the sudden shift in topic, then groaned loudly. “Oh Celestia, not again,” she muttered. “Who is it this time?”
“Countable Infinity.”
“Uh.” Rainbow tried to match a face with the name. “The Summers’ kid?”
“Yes! He’s almost finished his accountancy degree!”
Rainbow twitched, feeling part of her soul die. “Mooooom,” she groaned again.
“He’s a nice pony!”
“He’s boring.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Firefly scolded, still facing away from her daughter. The smile still hadn’t left her face, and Rainbow would see right through her if she saw it.
“He is!”
“That’s still rude.” She tisked and continued to stir the pot. “I take it you don’t want me to set up a date?”
Rainbow shuddered. “Yeah no. I’ll pass.”
“Alright, alright. Though I think Pressure Front's son will be home on leave from the Royal Guard next week, if you want to–”
“Noooooo thank you,” Rainbow cut in. “Those Royal Guard types are about as exciting as watching paint dry.” Rainbow snorted, grinning to herself. “Funny thing, I actually had to watch paint dry a few months ago.”
Firefly turned to stare at her daughter. “I sense there’s a bizarre and amusing story behind that, involving your friends.”
Rainbow chuckled. “Yeeeeah. You’re not far off.”
“Oh, do tell!”
“Lemme put it this way: I got a year’s dose of Pinkie Pie in about a day.”
Spectrum lifted his head from the table, eyeing his daughter critically. “I think I should be writing your story, not mine.”
“Sorry Dad, but I’m way ahead of ya there.” Rainbow grinned, shining a hoof on her coat. Suddenly, her stomach growled, announcing its displeasure to the world. “I-I’ll tell you about it later though. I gotta jet.”
Firefly waved a hoof to the door. “Don’t make Applejack and Princess Twilight wait for you. Now go! Shoo!”
“I’m going, I’m go– hey, wait.” Rainbow paused, eyeing her mother. “How'd you know I was going to have lunch with them?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Are you spying on me?”
“No, that’s Right Proper’s job.” Firefly shot back. Her lips twitched a moment later. “I’m kidding. You mentioned them earlier.”
“No I didn’t!” Rainbow said. “Did I?”
“You did,” Spectrum offered, his attention back on his text.
“Huh.” Rainbow shrugged. “Whatever. Gotta run. Bye Mom! Bye Dad!”
Firefly waved as her daughter vanished around the corner, heading to the basement. “Thanks for the save. So, you still think she'll hold out on those fillies another month, dear?”
Spectrum nodded. “Unless we give her a push. You know how blind she can be sometimes.”
Firefly smirked. “Care to up the wager?”
“Depends on the bet.”
“Remember that sandwich you keep talking about?”
The stallion’s attention finally shifted to his wife. “You mean me on one side, you on the other, and Feather Duster in the middle?”
“No, the one with the special barbecue sauce.”
“Oh.” Spectrum blinked. “That one.”
Firefly grinned as she flicked her tail against her husband’s flank. “I like your idea better.”
Spectrum’s eyes followed his wife’s tail. “And if you win?”
“First, I get dibs on Feather for a week, and then…" She leaned in, her muzzle practically touching his ears. “Just how close are you and Righty~?”
The farmpony chuckled as her marefriend glanced at the clock for the tenth time in half as many minutes. She had snuck a few glances herself, but only once every few minutes. Maybe. “Settle down, Twilight. She’ll be here.”
Applejack’s amusement drew Twilight’s attention away from her constant checking. “I know, I know. How are you so calm?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes.
“I ain’t, really.” Applejack shrugged. “I just figure panickin’ won’t help, so I don’t.”
“You’ve got to teach me how to do that,” Twilight said.
“I’ll give it a shot.”
Silence settled in the library. But as Twilight’s eyes started turning towards the clock once more, somepony knocked on the door.
“She’s here!” Twilight whispered.
“Yup.” Applejack gulped. “I think I’ll start panickin’ now.”
“Please don’t,” she whispered back. Her horn shone, opening the door with her magic. There, on the other side, stood a grinning pegasus. “Hey, Rainbow.”
“Hey guys!” Rainbow said, trotting in. Even though they both saw the other mare all the time, and the picnic had been less than two days ago, neither Applejack nor Twilight could stop themselves from seeing Rainbow in an entirely new light.
Her mane cascaded down the back of her neck, reaching just above her shoulder. Her tail flicked gently as she walked, the colors constantly drawing the eye. Even though, like most pegasus mares, her frame was slight, she still had an aura of strength. She had a more athletic build than most ponies, with well defined muscles and powerful wings, but it was more than just that.
It was the sheer confidence she exuded – her poise, her walk, and the way she looked at them, all spoke of a pony who knew she was awesome, as she so often put it, and actually believed in those words.
It was impossible to not to get drawn in.
“So, what’s for lunch?”
Twilight blinked, her cheeks heating up slightly as she realized she’d been staring. A glance at Applejack told her the farmpony had been no different. “You’ll see,” she smiled, hoping it didn’t look too strained. Her attention was drawn to the container on Rainbow’s back she’d somehow managed to miss. “What’s that?”
Rainbow’s grin managed to grow wider. “Ice cream!”
“Really?” Applejack said, having snapped out of her own daze. “Ain’t it a lil’ early for ice cream?”
“Maybe.” Rainbow shrugged, still smiling. “But you’ve never tasted ice cream like this!”
By now, Twilight could see the label on the container. She gasped as it sparked a memory. “Rainbow! Is that Häagen Dash?”
“Yep!” She beamed, then raised an eyebrow as Applejack snorted.
“ ‘Häagen Dash’?” The earth pony repeated. “What, did ya make that ice cream and name it after yerself?”
Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, it’s named after my family.”
“Your fam–” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Rainbow! Are you saying your family are those Dashes?”
Rainbow hesitated. “Uh, maybe?”
“Okay, I’m lost,” Applejack cut in. “What’s goin’ on here?”
“Häagen Dash is a very popular, and very expensive brand,” Twilight explained. “I had some at the Castle when I was a filly. It’s Princess Celestia’s favorite. And, of course, if she likes it, the aristocracy likes it.” She sighed. “So it sells very, very well in Canterlot.”
Applejack held up a hoof. “Now wait a cotton pickin’ minute here. Are you tellin’ me Dash family is loaded?”
“Probably amongst the richest in Cloudsdale, yes. Isn’t that right, Rainbow?” Twilight asked the uncomfortably shifting pegasus.
Applejack snorted. “Next thing you'll tell me, she can play the piano.”
Rainbow shifted even more. “Actually…”
The farmpony rounded on Rainbow. “What gives, Dash? Why’d ya never mention this?”
Rainbow’s ears were flat on her head. “Because ponies react like this. I don’t like talking about it.” Two red spots appeared on her cheeks. “My parents spoiled me rotten, and it’s really embarrassing, okay? I don’t like relying on them too much.”
“Why not?” Twilight asked.
“Some ponies think they can buy anything they want. I wanna get things with my own four hooves.” She shivered, glancing at the container on her back. “Can I put this in the freezer?”
“Huh? Oh, sure!” Twilight said, as she and Applejack followed the pegasus into the kitchen. The ice cream was quickly stored away, and Rainbow sat herself at the table.
Applejack took the spot next to her, giving Dash a bemused stare. “So, th’piano?”
Rainbow slumped onto the table, hiding her face under a hoof. “Yeah. Had a tutor and everything.” She moved the hoof away, grinning up to the earth pony. “I’m not bad, but it ain’t my cutie mark.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, sugar.” Applejack smiled back. “Y’oughta give it a whirl sometime. I can bring my fiddle.”
“Eh.” Rainbow shrugged. “It’s been years since i’ve played.”
“I’ll bring cider.”
The pegasus perked up immediately. “Deal!”
“Lunch is served!” Twilight called, floating a number of dishes over to the table. As she sat down, Rainbow’s gasp was audible.
“Oh, neighponese? Awesome!” she said, grabbing a pair of chopsticks. Twilight and Applejack shared a quick smile before looking to their own portions.
As Applejack settled in, she eyed the thinly wrapped stick on her plate in confusion. “What’re these thingies?”
“Chopsticks!” Twilight explained. “They're a neighponese utensil. You use two, and grab things between them,” she said, waving a hoof at the various rolls spread out on the table.
Applejack stared at the chopsticks, at her hooves, and back to the chopsticks before staring at her marefriend. “You’ll haveta run that one by me again, Sugar.”
Dash chuckled. “Yeah, neighponese food isn’t easy to eat for non-unicorns. I can hold them with a wing – which took plenty of practice, by the way – but you should probably just use a fork,” she said, then blinked as Applejack simply lifted the roll with a hoof and tossed it in her mouth. “Or that.”
Applejack smirked as she chewed. “This ain’t half bad. What’s in it?”
“Standard neighponese is mostly rice and seaweed.” Twilight said, giggling as Applejack’s muzzle scrunched up. “I remembered you don’t like seaweed, so I got Californeigh rolls. They’ve got radish, green onion, and advocado, rolled in vinegar-seasoned rice with toasted sesame seeds.”
“It’s great!” Dash said, her words muffled by food. Applejack nodded in agreement, and tucked in.
The three mares ate in silence, too busy enjoying their food to talk, apart from a few approving noises when they tried a new piece to their liking. But even through the silence, two of them were having an unspoken conversation.
Every time their eyes met, one would tilt their head ever so slightly towards their extra companion. But every time, the other would make the barest shake their head, hoping that Dash would not notice. The time never felt right. They still had to wait.
Eventually, the food disappeared. Rainbow leaned back, belching loudly. “ ‘Scuse me.” She blushed.
“In old times, ponies did that to show they appreciated the food–” Twilight began, only to be interrupted by another belch, this time from the orange mare. Applejack was holding a hoof to her mouth, her eyes wide and her cheeks flaming.
“–but nowadays it’s pretty rude,” she finished. She took a deep breath, swallowing some air, before belting out the loudest and longest belch yet. The other two stared at her in shock, bursting with laughter a second later.
Rainbow could barely speak, she was laughing so hard. “Oh C-Celestia, Rarity w-would faint if sh-she saw you do th-that!”
“If she ever spoke to me again!” Twilight fought her own giggles. “Darling! A princess does not act so uncouth!” she said, attempting to imitate their friend’s voice.
Applejack was banging a hoof on the table, shaking her head frantically as she laughed. “S-stop it! I can’t take no more!”
They caught their breath a few minutes later, once their laughter had subsided to more manageable levels. Twilight sighed in relief – she’d needed that. All the tension and nervousness at what she and Applejack were about to do had bled away, and as her eyes met her marefriend’s, she knew Applejack felt the same.
It was time.
“S-so, why don’t you girls go to the living room, and I’ll get the ice cream?” Twilight asked, her horn lifting three bowls out of a cupboard.
“Sounds like a plan,” Applejack said, and made her way to the next room. A smiling Rainbow followed her.
Twilight’s eyes followed their departure, briefly pondering Applejack’s choice of words. She shrugged the thought away, her magic grabbing hold of the Häagen Dash. She scooped out a portion per bowl, carefully making sure all three were equal. Once she was satisfied, she stored the rest back into the freezer, and made her way to the door.
She paused only a short distance away as she heard voices on the other side of the door. Even if it muffled the words beyond comprehension, the mere sound stopped her. Right there, on the other side of the wood, her marefriend sat with one of her – their – best friends.
A friend who, if all went well, would be her marefriend as well.
Twilight took a deep breath, and pushed the door open with her magic.
“So how’s the family, Dash?” Applejack was asking.
“Eh, you know.” Rainbow shrugged. They were sitting on the couch, Applejack having taken a spot on one end, and Rainbow had taken the other. “Typical stuff. How I'm doing, how's the job, do I have a coltfriend yet, would I like to meet this nice young stallion…"
Twilight eyed their seating position. It was wrong, they couldn’t do what they’d planned like this. She’d have to do something.
Rainbow let out a startled yelp as she felt herself get lifted by the alicorn’s magic, then dropped back onto the middle of the couch. Twilight took her spot where Rainbow had been, and floated the ice cream in front of the other two ponies.
The pegasus stared at Twilight, eyebrows raised. The alicorn smirked. “What? You were in my spot.”
Rainbow frowned. “Isn’t your spot next to A.J.?”
“Uh…" Twilight hesitated. Rainbow had a point. But she could still salvage this. “N-nope. My spot is determined by the area with the maximum comfiness. And that was the spot you were in.”
“How the heck do you even know that?"
“Lots of testing,” Twilight said. A loud snort made both her and Rainbow glance at Applejack, but the earth pony had buried her muzzle in the ice cream. Twilight could have sworn her marefriend was blushing.
Dash blinked and shrugged off the distraction. She stared once again at Twilight. “You could’ve just asked, you know.”
“Would you really have moved if I did?” Twilight smirked. The pegasus seemed to give it some thought, and smirked as well.
“Probably not. Was pretty comfy.”
“My point exactly.”
Rainbow stuck her tongue out at Twilight, then took a bite of her ice cream. She shivered slightly as she swallowed. “Oh Celestia, I’d forgotten how good this stuff is.”
“You ain’t kidding!” Applejack exclaimed, having already devoured her portion. Her muzzle was still covered with a few flecks of ice cream, but a few quick flicks of her tongue cleared it off quickly. “That was… I don’t even rightly know how to describe it. What’s in this stuff?”
“Liquid rainbow, and a few things I can’t talk about and don’t really know much about in the first place.”
Twilight nodded in understanding. “Trade secrets?”
“Something like that,” Rainbow replied. “But you know me. Flying’s my thing, not ice cream.” Shrugging, she dug back into her dessert.
Over her shoulder, Twilight caught Applejack’s eye, nodding slightly. She floated their bowls to a nearby table, shifting in their seats as they waited for Rainbow to finish her portion. Once done, Twilight floated the third bowl over to the others.
Rainbow fell back against the couch. “Best lunch in ages! I think I’ll take a nap. Mind if I crash here?” she asked, glancing at Twilight.
The alicorn shook her head. “N-not at all.”
“Thanks!” the pegasus said, closing her eyes. She settled in, trying to get comfortable, but couldn’t seem to do so. Something on her flank seemed weird. Rainbow opened an eye to see what it was.
Of all things that could have come to mind, Twilight Sparkle’s wing on my cutie mark was not one of those.
“Er. Twilight?”
“Yes?”
“Your wing’s touching my cutie mark.”
“I know.”
Rainbow blinked, both eyes now open. Her gaze focused on Twilight’s wing – the feathers gently touching her flank, right on the cutie mark. She could feel how Twilight’s wing was trembling ever so slightly, but she couldn’t imagine why. Maybe the alicorn was unused to holding her wings open like that.
Rainbow blinked again, chasing away the random thought. The shaking didn’t matter, not compared to the feeling of the feather touching her in the first place.
She quickly glanced up at Twilight, her eyes slightly wider than they’d been before. “Uh, okay? You probably don’t know this but touching somepony’s cutie mark with your wing, um, kinda means something special to pegasi–”
“We know that too, Sugarcube,” Applejack said from her other side, startling the pegasus. She’d momentarily forgotten the earth pony was there. But the feeling of Applejack nuzzling her cheek was very, very real, and she couldn’t imagine how in Tartarus she could have forgotten Applejack’s presence.
In the blink of an eye, Rainbow sat up straight. She grinned nervously as she looked back and forth at the pair. “Uh, Applejack? Wrong pony. Twilight's over there.”
Twilight snuck a quick peck on her other cheek. “That's right, Rainbow. I’m right here.”
Rainbow's eyes bulged. “Huh. O-kay.” She looked down at herself. “Odd, usually I’m wearing a Wonderbolts Captain’s uniform by this point in the dream…”
Applejack nipped playfully at her ear.
"Ow!"
"You felt that, right?"
Rainbow stared at Applejack. "I felt that. Why did I feel that? Not a dream?” Rainbow blinked. “Wow. I mean… wow. Gotta say girls, this is a first for me, I've never been asked to a threesome before. But I mean hey, I'm down!” Unbidden, her wings began to rise.
Twilight and Applejack looked at each other, then back to Dash, shaking their heads. “We were thinkin’ somethin’ long-term, Dash,” Applejack said.
Dash’s wings flared up immediately, earning themselves a glare from the pegasus. She turned her attention back to the two ponies, still grinning, but the smile seemed smaller. “Uh, more than one? Aren’t you going a bit fast there?” She giggled. “I mean, I’m not saying no, you guys are hot but this is kind of out of the blue…"
“Not a threesome, Dash,” Twilight said.
Dash stared at her friends, utterly confused. “Not a – then what–”
“We want you in our relationship, Dash.”
“What?” Rainbow nearly shouted. “You really – you want me to – you guys?”
Applejack nodded, grinning at the pegasus. “Whaddya say, pardner?”
Rainbow stared at the pair for an agonizingly silent few seconds, before bursting into sudden laughter. Both Applejack and Twilight jumped, not having expected anything like this. They shared a look – both knew they felt the same thing. Surprise, shock, and no small amount of hurt. This wasn’t the response they were looking for.
“Dash!” Twilight yelled, trying to get the pegasus’s attention.
“Okay, I give, I give!” Rainbow said, finally getting her laughter in check. “Where’s Pinkie?”
Pinkie? “What?”
“Oh come on!” Dash said, still chuckling. “You guys suck at pranks. This has Pinkie written all over it. Where is she?” She looked around the library, trying to find the hiding pony. “You can come out now, Pinks!”
“This ain’t a prank, Dash,” Applejack growled.
Rainbow giggled. “Yeah right, and I’m Princess Celestia.”
The farmer merely glared at her. “Well then, Yer Highness, I’ll say it again: This ain’t a prank.”
The laughter slowly died in Dash’s throat as Applejack held her gaze. She’d seen that look many times – it spoke volumes. Honesty, truth, and determination.
Applejack wasn’t kidding.
Rainbow turned, facing Twilight. The alicorn wore the same expression.
“… this isn’t a prank?” she asked quietly. Twilight shook her head. “Seriously, what is this? I mean you two are – and I'm–”
“Calm down, Dash. It ain’t like she's ordering ya." Applejack looked at Twilight. “Wait. Can ya even do that?”
Twilight shook her head. "Royals are expressly forbidden from making demands like that. It's in the Magica Carta." She frowned at them. "Not that I'd ever do that in the first place."
“Right. Okay.” Rainbow took a deep breath, staring into the distance. “I gotta go.”
“What?” Twilight exclaimed. “Why?”
“I, ah, gotta go wash the cat.”
“… Dash, you don’t have a cat.”
“Rarity’s cat!”
Twilight stared in disbelief. “Rainbow–”
“Go on, Sugarcube.”
The alicorn turn to stare at her marefriend, shocked. “Applejack?”
“Twi, we just dropped somethin’ huge on her. Give the gal time to think.” Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, ignoring how the pegasus flinched. “Sorry we just sprung this on ya. I figure ya need some thinkin’ time.” She nodded to the door and smiled at Rainbow. “Go on. We’ll wait.”
Rainbow could only stare at her. She slowly nodded, and lifted herself into the air.
“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight said as Rainbow faced the door.
“Twi–” Applejack started, but was cut off as Twilight put a hoof on her mouth.
Twilight stared at Rainbow, who stared back. The pegasus’s expression was mixed – parts confusion, parts fear, and something else Twilight couldn’t place. Twilight blinked, realizing she didn’t know why she made Rainbow stop. She wracked her mind for the first available thing.
“Are… are we still on for the movie and dinner?”
Rainbow’s answer was a long time coming. “S-sure. Yeah.” With an awkward wave, she sped out of the library.
Applejack wrapped a hoof around Twilight’s withers. “Don’t you worry. She’ll be right as rain in a bit. She’ll probably laugh it off when we get to the movies.”
Twilight sighed, nodding. “I guess that could have been a lot worse.” She said. She chuckled at Applejack’s raised eyebrow. “Remember what I said about if she didn’t fly out of the window, we were good?”
“… that was the door, Sugar. Doesn’t count.”
“I know! That’s a good sign, right?”
The movie had been great. Applejack hadn’t known what to expect, as she’d yet to read any of the Daring Do novels, but after seeing the film version, and especially watching Twilight’s reactions to it, she thought she might have to give them a look.
She just wished she could have seen Dash’s reactions as well.
They’d waited in the cinema, keeping an eye out towards the entrance, smiles appearing on their faces every time the door opened. Those same smiles vanished each time, without a rainbow maned pegasus to sustain them. They’d eventually gone inside, sure that Rainbow would arrive at some point. They’d have to suffer through her complaints at missing something, but it would be worth it. She was probably just saving a foal from the well again.
And maybe the entire town had once again run into a string of bad luck, requiring Rainbow’s timely interventions to save the day. It wouldn’t be the first time, Applejack had mused, as the movie’s credits started scrolling past.
Their brief walk to the restaurant had been marked by silence. Both sets of eyes were glancing at the sky, hoping to see a rainbow speeding across the blue.
They were still waiting as they were shown to their table.
Something felt off as they read the menu and placed their orders, settling down to wait for their meal. Her attempt to spark a conversation had even worked, and she smiled at seeing Twilight speak animatedly about the movie she’d just seen.
But as the laughing alicorn turned to the empty seat next to them, eager to share the joke, Applejack’s smile died along with Twilight’s. She knew it. They both knew it.
Something was missing.
“She’s not coming, is she?” Twilight whispered, staring at the empty chair.
Applejack swallowed. The knot in her throat made it hard to speak, but she managed, placing a hoof on Twilight’s own. “No, Sugarcube. She ain’t.”
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Dun dun dunnnn
edit: also, you have /no idea/ how long I've been sitting on that Dash family headcanon.
you're evil.
3099349
well, now we know why she isn't the element of honesty.
oooo drama, gotta
that tension. 
Huuuuh... Dash's parents' relationship with the help is... interesting.
A wee bit too direct, methinks.
Uh oh.
I hope I one day have a wife even half as awesome as Firefly. And horny! She's the total package.
31.media.tumblr.com/6ae7a1765eb50af66c13b396bd844d4e/tumblr_mop65aswKo1r0m99no1_500.gif
(This gif probably would've worked better if there were any changelings in the story...)
Anyway, this is a great story.
whelp
3099407 Yeah, but then there's the part where she expects you to get it on with the butler.
... then again, that would imply the need for a butler and the means to employ one. I think I could live with that.
So since we never proved Dash wanted this, I still have the right to blame AJ and Twi. But let's see what happens.
She didn't show up
lolwat
3099433 Not to mention maybe he's into it.
And I mean, really, I get the squickies on the subject just like most other straight guys, but speaking objectively... could it actually be that bad?
3099433
Gotta make sacrifices some times, archonix. You know most guys who go into porn have a trial period of strictly gay porn before they ever see a girl? Try to think of it as the dry and uninspired prelude to the amazing first chapter.
Well that ending kicked my feels in the gut. I wonder how long it'll be till Dash gives them an answer?
3099467
That's for me to know and you to find out!
3099349
Exactly my thoughts.
Well, this is a turn for the worse.
Damn you Tchernobog, now I have a sad and can't get rid of it until the next chapter is released. Pretty solid chapter though.
Nooooooooooooo! Need mooooooooore!
Dash's family has a history of harems.
Interesting.
Ah, Dash's reaction to all of that...
Priceless. Simply priceless.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3099520 Nah, they're swingers.
wow.... after the three way joke I really thought she would say yes on the spot!
3099650
Well, she kinda did. But they wanted more~
Well I sure enjoyed the burping part, certainly had me laughing a bit as well
I do like that you showed a bit of Dash's family
All the interaction between these three... they're just so adorable
And so Rainbow finally has to confront her own feelings, whatever those are, 'cause we still don't have a definite answer from her
And now we play the waiting game
It'll be worth it, I know
Right?
3099520
No, they have a history of screwing the help (with, I should note, the help's enthusiastic consent). Not the same.
And... man. I hadn't realized just how torturous stopping /there/ must be for you guys. Maybe we should bring out the next chapter earlier than planned?
-- Assistant Author Mac
3099657
Kinda nothing she never even showed up for the date
3099678
She was down with a threesome, but they want an actual relationship. Give her time to think!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
3099672
Hm, maybe. I was thinking a few weeks...
Well, of all the possible ways this could've fucked up, this was one of them.
....
Why am I surprised?
3099750
Ah, true. Their tears of pain are delicious, after all. So, some time in September then?
Why do I subject myself to reading stories that make me feel all these feels?
Oh wow, they got it bad...
Hope she feels the same way.
Relationship with a cleaning lady or more likely a Mexican cleaning lady mm i think I can work with that brownie sandwich I like the idea with cream filling if u catch my drift
3099474 Brat!!!
Haven't seen this yet so...
Dash was all like
Then she was
And then it was all like
And I was all
The images... I just saw something I cannot unsee.
3099749
3099684
I know all that but she still did not show.
Poor Rainbow, she's a hurtin'.
Dash's parents are awesome, dad has a hell of an ego though huh? I hope that Dashie comes around though. Can't wait for the next chapter.
3099763
If I cry all of my tears of pain right now, can we get it out faster?
3099479your picture goes perfectly with that statement
3100330
Nope!