"Come 'n' get it!" Applejack called, flipping the last of the flapjacks from the griddle all the way across the room to the stack on the kitchen table.
"Aw, yeah!" With a rustle and a whoosh, Dash flashed through the doorway, her eyes and grin wide. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Applejack couldn't help grinning back. Hanging her apron on its peg, she wondered why she'd ever been worried about the homestead getting too quiet. The way Dash kept hanging around, there wasn't much chance of—
A question hit Applejack, and she turned back to watch Dash shoveling flapjacks, her cheeks bulging and powdered sugar sprinkling her lips.
When exactly had Dash moved into the house?
Or had she moved in? Even with her posters and goggles and flight suits scattered over tables and counters and stuffed into closets, that gaudy ol' cloud mansion of hers was still floating around the outskirts of Ponyville; Applejack couldn't imagine a place like that'd hold together all too well without a pegasus keeping it in check. And with Dash always out doing some Wonderbolt thing or other and with her weather work, it wasn't like she slept here every night.
Did she?
And the question that hit Applejack then smacked her so hard, it set the breath to hitching sideways in her chest.
When exactly had Dash moved into her bed?
Yes, Applejack remembered every step along the way: grinning and elbowing each other out in the woods or kicking around Ponyville, compadres from Dash's first week stationed here; standing with shoulders pressed together in pride when Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle moved into the apartment above their cutie mark assistance clinic downtown; nuzzling more'n a little drunkenly at Mac and Cheerilee's engagement party; Dash staying over the whole week after Mac had loaded his things up and carted 'em to Cheerilee's place; the two of them clinging together those long, dark hours after Granny Smith's funeral.
And it wasn't that Applejack was complaining. She found she liked having somepony to hold in the night, a neck to press her face into and a mane to stroke, and those times she wanted something a little randier—or those times Dash tickled or teased her into wanting it—Dash always proved ready, willing, and more than able. She missed her, sure, whenever Dash wasn't here, but mostly it meant that she got all the sleep she needed and all her work done, something she had to admit didn't always happen when Dash was around.
Of course, there was plenty of work to do even with Mac and Apple Bloom still coming out to the Acres nearly every day to help. Which didn't leave a lotta time to get moody about anything, and that was just the way Applejack liked it.
Just the way she liked it. Watching Dash swig down her mug of cocoa, Applejack rolled those words around in her head. Whatever it was between her and Dash had grown and blossomed just the way she liked it, too, as slow and gentle as an apple tree but as strong and steady as every solstice following every equinox. No down-on-one-knee-with-a-hoof-holding-out-a-ring kinda moment like Rarity went on and on about; no fervent declarations under the moonlight like Twilight said she was looking forward to; no proposals written in clouds like Pinkie swore she was gonna do when she met her special somepony; no wavery eyes with rose petals blowing in the background like Fluttershy sometimes whispered and blushed about.
Nope, her and Dash were the same as they'd always been, laughing and fighting and helping each other. But looking across the kitchen, Applejack suddenly and for maybe the first time actually saw her marefriend—or her husband or her wife or whatever other word might be out there somewhere: the one pony in the whole wide, wide world of Equestria, at any rate, that she simply couldn't imagine living without.
Dash froze in mid-chew, her eyes snapping up from her plate and her gaze crashing into Applejack's. "What?" she asked, her voice thick with half-eaten pancakes.
Applejack shook her head and moved to her own place at the table. "Nothing. And pass the syrup. If'n there's any left, I mean..."
*****
Swallowing her mouthful, Dash started to put on her best shocked expression, ready to deny that she would ever take all the syrup while trying frantically to remember if she'd left any in the jar.
But the look on Applejack's face stopped her, a tenderness Dash didn't see all that often in those half-closed eyes and in that half-stretched smile. Half a dozen questions flashed through her mind like heat lightning, but she shoved them all away and went with: "AJ? You OK?"
"I reckon." Applejack started leaning toward her, and Dash licked her lips, ready as always for some morning smooches. But—
"Long as I get me some syrup," Applejack said, her hooves moving to grab the jar instead. Sitting back and flipping open the lid, she drizzled a narrow stream of the stuff over the top of her pancake stack. "How 'bout you? What's your schedule look like the resta the day?"
Dash gave her maybe a quarter of a glare, ruffled her feathers, and sat back as well. "Final rehearsal's this afternoon, then tonight?" And knowing it was stupid, that it never worked and just made her sound needy and clinging and the very opposite of cool, Dash went on anyway: "You really oughtta come, AJ. Cloudsdale's not that far away right now, Twilight's got that spell so you can walk around up there, and the show's gonna be pretty darn spectacular." She unveiled her most rakish grin and polished a hoof tip against her chest. "If I do say so myself."
Even sucking down a pancake, Applejack still managed to give that low chuckle of hers, Dash's insides fluttering the way they always did at the sound. But then—
Then Applejack didn't give her usual frown and shake of her head. "Y'know? Reckon I will." Applejack tapped a hoof against the table, and Dash couldn't stop her eyes from widening. "I'll have the chores done afore sundown, and Twi's always bragging 'bout how good she's gotten with her long-range transport magic. She can do up my hooves, pop me straight over to the arena, and there I'll be in plenty of time to see what all the fuss is about." She nodded and smiled. "Whaddaya say?"
As much as she tried to keep them contained, Dash's wings flared on their own and sprang her into a hover. "I'd say it's your lucky day," she managed to get out without squealing. "'Cause I think I've got an extra ticket or two stuffed in my saddlebag somewhere. Lemme go check."
She darted into the hallway before the joy could show on her face, and she couldn't keep from doing a couple barrel rolls as she shot up the stairwell and into her and Applejack's room. Ever since she'd joined the Bolts' main roster, she'd always grabbed a VIP ticket for each show just in case, and the thought that Applejack would actually be watching tonight sent a tingle through Dash like the last instants before cracking off a Sonic Rain—
A question hit her, though, digging through her bags, and Dash stopped.
When exactly had it become so important that Applejack see her fly?
Not that it had ever been unimportant. Applejack had been just about her best friend ever since she'd first been assigned to the Ponyville weather team, but Dash had learned early on that she wasn't the easiest pony to impress. Which made the times Dash had impressed her shine like stars in Dash's memory.
But, well, Rarity was pretty hard to impress, too. So why hadn't Dash ever considered giving her a ticket? Was there something about Applejack that—?
And the question that hit her then nearly threw her like a sudden downdraft, snapped her head up, and sent her staring around the room like she'd never seen it before and had no idea where that fine blue down clinging to the sheets and blankets of Applejack's bed had come from.
When exactly had Applejack become her marefriend?
Because she was her marefriend, no doubt about it: Dash'd pop any pony in the jaw who tried to say otherwise. Of course, she'd probably pop any pony in the jaw who called her and Applejack a couple, too, now that she thought about it, but that was beside the point. What the two of them had was bigger than any stupid words.
That got her grinning, and dumping everything out of her saddlebags, she nosed through the pile, plucked the ticket with her teeth, and zoomed back downstairs. "Here you go," she said, giving a puff that wafted the ticket across the table to settle beside Applejack's plate. "Best seat in the house. You just wait there afterwards, and I'll come get you."
Applejack took off her hat. "Thank ya kindly." She tucked the ticket up into the crown of it, flipped it back into place, and gave another of those half-lidded looks. "But won't you be busy partying with your fans and all?"
"Ha!" Dash pushed another pile of pancakes onto her plate. "You and me are gonna show Cloudsdale how a party is done." She glanced over at the syrup jar. "I, uhh, don't suppose there's any..."
With a smirk, Applejack flipped the lid open to reveal a full container of sweet brown liquid. "Got another batch outta the icebox while you was upstairs."
"Yes!" Leaping up, Dash grabbed the syrup and fixed her gaze on Applejack's. "Y'know what? This has already been the best day ever."
"Yeah." Applejack's smile dazzled her. "Reckon it has."
Absolutely adorable. I'm glad you didn't make this too much longer, or I would have had to worry about it in the AppleDash contest.
Wow. adorable!!!
6793116 pah! It should have been longer, so it could be entered!
This is how I picture AppleDash happening. Slow but increasing friendship that ends up being more without them immediately realising it. Exactly like this.
thats wayyy too cute
Brilliant!
Nice touch making Fluttershy's fantasy confession an anime-style one. Otakushy FTW!
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Thanks, folks!
I was seriously considering trying to do another 4,000 words so it'd be long enough for the contest--going back to AJ's POV for the show, then over to Dash again for the after show festivities--but I decided against it.
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I'm not much of an anime-watcher, I fear, but I'm glad to see that I've got the right mind-set for it!
Mike
That was really nice, and it had a good flow to it.
I can so buy the idea of AJ and Rainbow being the last ponies to figure out that they've been a couple for a few years now.
Next up, Pinkie is given the go ahead to throw the "Happy you're a couple now" Party. She has been saving this one for at least 3 years now.
No pressure or anything but you should totally add more to this story. It was short but very sweet, and rolled real nicely. You did very good job at writing this, and those ideas you mentioned that you didn't put in could be perfect chapters by themselves. Hope to see more writing from you, and keep up the good work
That was sweet and enjoyable.
As I was reading this I expected the story would turn Meta and the two questioning how and why they got together and finding a lot of blank memories Rofl. Well I'm glad I was wrong. Still. A good read as well.
I have to admit, I feel like the second half of this story was repetitive. I think it would have been better if it was much shorter, something like Rainbow Dash starting to hoof the syrup over to her marefriend, pausing as she abruptly realizes "When did Applejack become my marefriend?", then shrug and pass over the syrup resolving to ask her later, because "she keeps track of stuff like that".
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I like the style of thinking there, at least if this were a comedy, but it's slice of life. It might have been slightly repetitive, but I believe there was a purpose behind that, which was to provide parity between their two thought processes. It was short enough and their epiphanies different enough that I, personally, felt that it was plenty compelling.
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I reviewed this story!
My review can be found here.
Okay... The skill it takes to paint a story THIS vivid in so little words is what keeps my hope for this fandom burning strong.
I'm watching you, now... and there's nothing you can do about it.
Craine...
This is so wonderfully heartwarming and believable and sweet.
It's so beautiful. This is them, through and through, upside down and sideways.
wow an AppleDash oneshot not by Shortskirts got featured, been a while since that happened.
"Mac and Cheerilee's engagement party"
0/10, wrong One True Pairing.
I kid. It's always a great sign when characters are sufficiently themselves that I don't have to remind myself that I'm supposed to be reading in a particular voice. Well done all around.
AppleDash so cute!! The prose read smoothly and are beautifully vivid, so while I'm sure another 4000 words would have been good, I like the shorter version here. I think it compliments the epiphany elements nicely.
Spent less than 2k words, made me desperately want more.
You have serious writing talent.
Is using the incorrect form of the verb a southern thing, or is it just a grammar error?
Anyhow I really enjoyed this little one shot. I say it's a very nice read.
~Leonzilla
Dawwww, love me some AppleDash! And the nonchalant was just perfect! Couple small errors I noticed, but this particular issue with tense irked me.
Should be give if I'm not mistaken. Keep up the excellent writing!
I don't like AppleDash.
That's just my opinion. I don't really like the ship. I don't see the appeal. I don't see the romantic chemistry.
...but I love this little oneshot.
Not even 2k words, and I'm loving a story about a ship I hate.
That's talent.
Headcanon: small details aside, until/unless she shows us otherwise, this is how Applejack and Rainbow's relationship in bookplayer's Lost Time worked during the missing years.
Because I just finished reading the newest chapter of that.
Any case, I loved this story in the Writeoff, and the additions only make it better! Dash's parallel revelation fits nicely. I only know it's been tacked on because I more or less watched you tack it on.
Short, sweet, and absolutely brilliant. This story fits their personalities, and everything works well together. Good work!
It's so kawaii, I'm gonna die!
Seriously though, cute little story, I like it ^-^
6798575 Truth.
6797587 Trust me, it's a Southern thing.
Clever pun with Flap (Rainbow Dash) and Jack (Applejack).
Genius.
The name of this story makes me think it's a clopfic.
I rather enjoyed this. I like how you made their relationship seemed so feel natural to them, that they couldn't even pinpoint when it started. It, from what others have told me, is what it's really like when you meet the right one. Things just click in such a way that it seems like you've been with that person your whole life. The translation from that real life feeling to here loses none of that.
Adorable!
This was so sweet, enjoyable, and felt like it fit the character's personalities. Exactly the kind of thing that most AppleDash fics don't get right. While I still maintain that the ship wouldn't work out, stories like this are good enough to make me forget that fact and just revel in the feels. Well done!
Its art!!!!!
6801295 You and I have very similar feelings on that one.
very cute.
Nice work. The added length and Dash's section remove that air of Applejack suddenly finding herself plopped in another timeline. It's still less of a story than it is the culmination of one, but it's a satisfying culmination.
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Actually this is a pretty good example of how a lot of healthy relationships happen, slow and steady and boring as can be from an outside point of view.
up vote and favorite
This story is really cute and heartwarming, and really well written.
Aww. Very nice! I approve of this ship and more so of your writing it.
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Well:
This is me making it official--if all goes well, I'll be tacking another two chapters onto this and turning it into a story long enough to enter in the Appledash contest. Because I can't ever leave well enough alone!
Mike
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Even better! Good thing I was already giving this one my all, or you'd blow me out of the water, easy.
But I wish you the best of luck, AppleDashers should know a contest is always most fun with great competition!
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Y'know:
In my original notes, it was gonna be Derpy who starts calling Dash and AJ "Flapjacks" as a nickname. But now that I'm actually getting into the next chapter, it turns out to be Pinkie who coins the usage...
Mike
Well.
I must say, I was looking forward to reading this entry for the contest. And boy was I right in that!
Nice work so far in the show, chief.
~Skeeter The Lurker
There comes a moment in a really good fic when you think, "Yeah, this author gets it."
This was that moment.
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Thanks!
It's the characters who make the show, no question. And by extension the fanfics based on the show...
Mike