Appleback Mountain

by Sky McFly

Three

“You may kiss the bride.”

Applejack met Caramel’s warm gaze with a smile, and then closed her eyes as their lips met with a kiss. The guests gathered around the barn at Sweet Apple Acres for the wedding erupted in applause. Applejack’s stallion of honor Big Macintosh swelled with pride while the bridesmares Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity dabbed at their eyes and, abandoning all dignity, Pinkie Pie burst into tears.

It had been a whirlwind courtship.

While Applejack was camping on Appleback Mountain, Big Macintosh had hired Caramel to take over her duties on the farm. When Applejack returned, she recognized Caramel from the bridal party for Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s wedding. The two got to talking during their farm chores and within a matter of days Caramel asked Applejack out on their first date.

Applejack could remember eating caramel apples together at the Nightmare Night celebrations in Ponyville and spending Hearth’s Warming Eve together in front of a blazing fire in the Apples' farmhouse. After only five months of courting, Caramel proposed on Hearts and Hooves day in front of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. It was clichéd, but Applejack was ready to embrace tradition to be with a pony that made her feel better than she had felt since returning from Appleback Mountain.

Now white lilies stood around an altar in front of the barn and strings of lanterns hung from the surrounding trees. As the sun went down, the lanterns lit up, giving the impression that the apples themselves were glowing.

Pinkie Pie kicked off the reception by setting off a confetti cannon and a bluegrass band struck up a lively tune.

Applejack made her way onto the dance floor with Caramel at her side. She could barely contain her happiness, frequently glancing at the crowd of assembled guests and then back at her new husband with a smile. Dozens of members of the Apple family were in attendance. She could see Apple Bloom in her flower filly’s dress, dancing with Big Macintosh. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity chatted with Braeburn by the apple sangria and hors d’oeuvres while Granny Smith conversed with the older members of the Apple family and Pinkie Pie continued to tear it up with Spike on the dance floor.

It was perfect.

Or would have been. One face was missing from the crowd. Everypony that Applejack cared about was here to celebrate this happy day, everypony except for one.

The lights at Stallion Square Garden were turned down low. Thousands of ponies waited in rapt anticipation while violins began a rhythmic, gradually building ostinato over an ethereal synthesized chord. A slow horn melody swelled over the driving strings and smoke crept across the stage.

Rainbow Dash thrummed with energy and flapped her wings a couple times as the driving ostinato increased in volume. Then, with a drumset fill and a trumpet fanfare, a pillar of light shone upward from the center of the stage and Rainbow Dash and the other Wonderbolts took off. They crossed the floor in seconds, zooming just inches above the ground until they reached the center of the stage, and then flew straight up, spiraling around the pillar of light as they soared higher and higher.

When the Wonderbolts reached the peak of their ascent, a dozen more lights flashed on, illuminating the entire stage. The Wonderbolts parted ways and spread out to the edges of the stage, and then began to circle it, just feet from the first rows of the audience.

Rainbow Dash’s heart beat in excitement to the rhythm of the pounding bass. In her peripheral vision she could see flashes of thousands of cheering ponies.

The show had begun.

Rainbow Dash sat at a bar after the show, trying to find an opportunity to casually mention her status as a Wonderbolt to the bartender when a fellow Wonderbolt named Fleetfoot walked into the bar. She sat down a few seats down from Rainbow Dash, who moved to sit beside her.

“Having a good evening?” Rainbow Dash asked Fleetfoot.

“Couldn’t be better,” Fleetfoot replied. “You?”

“I’m doing great,” said Rainbow Dash. “Hey, nice moves tonight.”

“Thanks,” Fleetfoot said.

“I’m serious,” Rainbow Dash continued. “Those were some seriously awesome tricks! I feel like a better flyer just by watching you work your magic. Can I buy you a drink?”

Fleetfoot turned to face Rainbow Dash. “Save your money, Rainbow Dash," she said coldly. "You’re a Wonderbolt too. We’re both just doing our jobs.” With that, she stood up and joined another group of ponies, leaving Rainbow Dash alone at the bar.

Applejack, Caramel, and Applebloom walked together through dusty fairgrounds, colored lights blinking all around them as the light faded from the sky.

When Apple Bloom had burst into the farmhouse to announce that the carnival was in town, Applejack and Caramel were only too happy to take her. Still just a filly, Apple Bloom had quickly taken to the stallion.

After winning her a stuffed pony toy at the midway and buying all three of them cotton candy, Caramel swung Apple Bloom up onto his shoulders and proceeded through the carnival holding her proudly aloft.

“Ain’t this fun?” Applejack said, looking up warmly at her younger sister.

“Can we ride the ferris wheel?” Apple Bloom asked in response, seeming just now to notice the giant wheel of flashing lights. “Can we? Can we?”

“Don’t see why not,” Caramel said, looking at Applejack with a grin.

Several minutes later the three ponies boarded the ride, Apple Bloom hopping up and down with excitement. Their seat rocked gently as it slowly rose. When they reached the top of the wheel, the ride paused to let some ponies off at the bottom. Applejack could see the lights of the carnival spread out below them until they reached the dark edges of nearby farmland.

Suddenly they heard a loud boom over the sound of cheery music and carnival gaiety, followed by a high-pitched whistling. Apple Bloom was the first to look up and point out the fireworks that had begun to blossom in the night sky. She laughed in delight.

Caramel put his foreleg around Applejack’s shoulders and she turned, smiling, to look at him. Another boom resounded from above and colorful sparks danced and spread through the darkness. Applejack laid her head on Caramel’s shoulder and watched Apple Bloom contentedly as the filly laughed and cheered each time colors filled the sky.

After the show at the Rainbow Rocks Ampitheatre, Rainbow Dash was once again sitting alone at a bar, this time with lively music and dozens of dancing ponies at the other end of the room. A couple times she caught sight of a Wonderbolt she knew by the name of Soarin and could’ve sworn that he was looking right back at her.

Her suspicions were soon confirmed when he approached the bar and asked, “Care to dance, Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash grinned and followed him onto the dance floor.

Later that evening Rainbow Dash slowly swayed back and forth, forelegs draped around Soarin’s neck. She hadn’t realized until now just how alone she had felt over the past few months, despite being welcomed into the ranks of the esteemed Wonderbolts. With the lights turned low and the music slow, they danced, their faces just inches apart, Rainbow Dash overly aware of the feeling of Soarin’s strong forelegs wrapped around her waist.

At one point Soarin leaned close to whisper into her ear, “You wanna get out of here?”

Rainbow Dash looked up into his bright green eyes and replied, “Let’s go.”

Rainbow Dash fell back onto cold stone, feeling the warmth of Soarin’s body envelope her. Mouth pressed against his, Rainbow Dash welcomed the feeling of his hooves on her face, her chest, exploring her body.

They had returned to the now-deserted Rainbow Rocks Ampitheatre where they had performed just hours ago. Behind her, stone seats stretched up far upward, and more led way down to the stage below. On either side large rock formations were silhouetted against the dark navy sky.

“Rainbow Dash,” Soarin said, pulling back as she tried to lick his face, “you don’t think we’re taking things too fast, do you?”

“Dude, I’m the fastest flyer in Equestria,” Rainbow Dash replied, “and I like where you’re going. The faster the better, I say.”

“Do you know anypony from Whinnyapolis?” Caramel asked Applejack upon entering the newly built farmhouse that they now shared.

“Whinnyapolis?” Applejack repeated. “Not that I know of. Why?”

“You got a postcard,” Caramel explained, “from an RD in Whinnyapolis.”

“Oh, must be Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said.

“Ain’t she a friend o’ yours?”

“Uh…yeah,” Applejack replied. “We’re buds. Haven’t seen her since she joined the Wonderbolts.”

She took the postcard from Caramel.

“AJ,” the postcard read. “We’ll be passing near Ponyville next week on our way to Vanhoover. Hit me up if you want to hang. -RD”

The next day Applejack went into town to drop off a postcard at the Ponyville post office. It was addressed to Rainbow Dash and said merely, “You bet.”

A week later Applejack sat by a window facing the front lawn of Sweet Apple Acres, hoof tapping in anticipation, her eyes glued to the dirt road that led into town.

Caramel entered the room and asked, “Sure you don’t want me to take you both out to dinner? You haven’t seen your friend in more’n a year. That’s worth celebratin’.”

“Nah,” Applejack declined, eyes still fixed to the empty dirt road. “Rainbow hates gettin’ gussied up jus’ as much as I do. She an’ I’ll probably just go out to a bar or somethin’… if she even shows.”

It wasn’t until hours later, after Applejack had fallen asleep staring out the window and Caramel had laid a blanket over her, that she was woken up by the sound of hooves coming up the gravel path to their front door. She sprang up, wiping the dried drool off her face and threw the door open before bowling Rainbow Dash over with a hug. Their tight embrace lasted for a good minute until Applejack pulled back, hooves on Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, to take in the sight of her friend. It had been so long since the last time Rainbow Dash had stood before her, close enough for Applejack to see her uncombed mane and the mischievous twinkle in her magenta eyes.

“Come on!” Applejack said and scampered into the barn with Rainbow Dash close behind.

Forelegs once again wrapped tightly around each other, they fell into the hay. Applejack closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Rainbow Dash’s. Her lips were so soft compared to Caramel’s, her touch so gentle. Applejack sank into the hay, surrounded by Rainbow Dash’s scent. Even after more than a year apart, the feeling of being so close to Rainbow Dash was as familiar as if they had just parted the previous day.

The two ponies were so lost in each other that they were blind to the universe outside of the barn. They missed the swaying of the leaves of the apple trees in the gentle evening breeze, and they failed to notice a beautiful sunset, the color of Applejack’s cheeks when she blushed. They were deaf to the squeak of a screen door opening and the creak of hoofsteps crossing the front porch. And neither of them were aware of the expression of shocked disbelief that crossed Caramel’s face when he left the farmhouse looking for Applejack and found her on the floor of the barn, entwined with her best friend.

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Great chapter! Can't wait for the next one!

But why does this

And neither of them were aware of the expression of shocked disbelief that crossed Caramel’s face when he left the farmhouse looking for Applejack and found her on the floor of the barn, entwined with her best friend.

give me a very distinct, very serious feeling of "Uh - oh"?

[Bulbajer]

I thought this chapter was a dream at first. I'm not sure what to think now.

[Appledash_Gurl]

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH DAYUM!

SHIT IS ABOUT TO GET REAL....

and probably better, nice work!

[Fracturedheart]

And the poor stallion gets bucked and not in the good way.