Bonding Marks

by booksmart

Returning Plans

The date was its usual affair. They had dinner down at the local restaurant and then went to enjoy the park. It was simple, but Applejack liked simple. They were now walking down the path to Sweet Apple Acres. Dash affectionately nuzzled AJ’s neck. Unlike so many other times when they returned the farm after a night out, she was completely sober. She had long ago come to terms with the fact that it was all right to be mushy and “un-cool”, if that was even possible for the Rainbow Dash, around Applejack when they were alone, only when they were alone though.

“How’s the hoof?” Dash asked. Their progress to the farm was slow, not that Dash minded the extra time with her marefriend, but she did mind the tense silence that encircled them.

“Ah’m fine Rainbow,” AJ replied. They continued their walk in silence. When they reached the farm house AJ bid Dash goodnight.

Dash stopped her with a wing, “I can’t help if you don’t let me in."

Applejack sighed, “Ah don’t deserve yah RD. Y’all are the best mare anypony could ask fer, yah deserve to be able t’a go about yer day and not have t’a worry about t’at stupid mare you left on the farm while yah go t’a make your living. Y’all deserve a stallion more than ah simple mare. Some pony that can fill you up inside, give the foal y’all have always wanted, and be strong when y’all can’t be.”

“Phew. Boring. I would much rather have you and an interesting life then a perfect boring one,” Dash countered.

“Whatever yah say RD.” With that Applejack closed the door.

She didn’t mean that did she? Did she just break up with me again? No she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice would she? Dash looked to AJ’s window where the dim light of a candle could barely be seen. She didn’t even kiss me goodnight. Dash’s mind raced as she retrieved her saddle bags. Images of finding AJ dead the next morning pushing their way to the for front of her subconscious. She quickly made it back to the door and knocked anxiously.

Granny Smith opened it, “Oh evening yungin. Yah forget something?”

“No. Granny can I stay the night?” Dash blurted out.

Granny eyed Dash carefully, “Yah hurt yer wing with another of those featherbrain stunts ‘o’ yours?”

Dash ignored the dig at her flying career, “No. Can I spent it with AJ?” Dash quickly continued when she saw Granny’s eye widen, “Not like that. She’s had a hard day and I’m worried about her. She has mentioned always wanting to wake up with me. We won’t do anything I promise, okay maybe cuddle and a little kissing but we won’t be bucking.”

Granny was quite for a while before responding, it was clear she didn't like Dash's use of profanity, “All right. The door stays open though.”

“Thank you Granny,” Dash said and made her way to AJ’s room. She could hear rambling something about a lost object. She knocked quietly and opened the door. Inside the room, in the dim candle light was AJ frantically searching for something. Papers and objects were strewn across the floor every which way.

“AJ?” Dash asked, leaving the door open.

“Dash!” AJ just about shrieked, before remembering the time.

“You lose something?” Dash asked.

AJ nodded slowly, “Ah can’t find that picture of yah. The one that ah had that day. It was right here ah know it, ah know…” she trailed off as she searched her draw again. Dash felt a stab of guilt hit her. Of course the picture would have been important. She toyed with the idea of keeping the picture. It was fuel for AJ’s pain wasn’t it? Or what if it was also something to ease the pain?

Why would that ease her pain feather brain, Dash thought to herself, you’re not that important.

“I might know where it is,” Dash said sheepishly, Great I thought we weren’t giving it to her. AJ eyed her curiously.

“Where?”

“My saddle bag,” Dash responded and braced herself for the verbal assault that was bound to follow, when it didn’t come she looked to her marefriend who was looking at the floor.

“Am ah that bad?” she asked.

“I don’t know AJ because you cut yourself instead of talking with me,” Dash responded harshly. Even if she didn’t fully understand what Applejack was going through it still hurt that the mare wouldn’t talk to her.

“No. Well yah. Ah meant am ah so bad t’at yall have’t brace yourself whenever y’all do something y’all don’t think Ah’ll like?” AJ asked, still looking at the floor, “Am ah that mean?”

Dash walked up to her marefriend and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, “You’re the kindest, gentlest, nicest, most honest mare I know.”

“Y’all are just saying that.”

Dash shook her head. She was about to argue but thought of something, “Are you that worried about losing me?”

AJ nodded.

Dash ruffled her wings, “You haven’t preened my wing lately,” she remarked

Applejack’s face fell further to the floor, “It’s not that ah don’t want to,” she mumbled.

Dash chuckled, “I’m not mad. But there’s something you should see.” Dash lifted her wing and motioned Applejack closer. “Remember after you woke up that day I said I would mark myself for my mare?”

“Yah. But ah figured it was just y’all’s emotions. Besides y’all never...Cornsarnit Dash!” Applejack said as she noticed the mark on Dash’s flight mussel. Dash felt a hoof run over the mark sending a shiver of pleasure up her spine. “It’s m’ah cutie mark.”

Dash nodded, a huge pride filled smile on her face, “Yep. Took Twilight a while but she finally figured out a way to make it work. I’m forever marked as yours Applejack.”

---

Twilight stretched her neck, feeling it pop as the stiffness from her mussels dissipated. She looked back to the book she was reading entitled Dedication and Loyalty among Significant Others. It always amused her that she had books so specified in the library of the castle. Ever since Rainbow Dash had asked Twilight to help her mark herself for Applejack Twilight had become fascinated with learning about the levels of commitment between ponies in a relationship. Her research, all be it eye opening as to how strong a bound Applejack and Rainbow Dash had, also made her long for something similar. She had develop a crush of sorts that was very much crushing her lately. Every time she was near the pony in question her heart would flutter a little and she would find herself scrambling for words. At night she would dream of their perfect life together in the future. The problem was that this pony was another mare. Not that she had anything against mares loving mares, after all Rainbow Dash and Applejack were a perfect example. Twilight’s concern was what her family would think, and almost more importantly, what the princesses would think of her. It was not uncommon for this kind of thing to happen, especially not within Canterlot. Various scenarios played through Twilight’s mind as to the reactions of her family and mentor. Same-sex relationships perfectly fine according to all of them, but if it was her, if it directly affected them would that change things? Each scenario her mind played out upset her more and more to the point where she couldn’t sit still. She began pacing and mumbling.

“They wouldn’t understand…but what if they do? What if they accept it? What if they don’t? What if Celestia banishes me? No she would never do that, besides Candace would see to it that I was not punished for loving something so perfect…but still,” Twilight mumbled her arguments back a forth with herself for the better part of half an hour before finally going to her desk and pulling out the picture of her and her best friend in the Ponyville park. She remembered the day it was taken, they had been walking to meet up with the rest of their friends, Twilight with her wings freshly preened and Rarity with her usual large brimmed sun hat and glass making her the hottest thing in Equestria. Twilight felt her cheeks flush at the memory, the list of sexy ideas she would do with those flanks one day was short, but long enough to embarrass her. They had all met in the park for a day of fun after the crazy from Twilight's ascension had calmed down. It had been the first day since gaining her wings that she had felt like a normal pony again.

She looked back to the picture and sighed, Buck it. She thought, Buck their opinions, buck her opinion, I’m asking her out. Twilight put the picture away and looked around her room, she just need an excuse to go to see her…perfect, Twilight levitated an old purple dress from her closet and put it in her saddle bag. The dress was one from before her ascension and had since fell in disrepair. The dress needed new seems and, if she was ever going to wear it again, wing holes. Most importantly it gave her reason to slip out and see Rarity.

“Spike! I have some running around to do. I’ll be back for dinner!” Twilight called as she reached the main room of the castle. Spike poked his head out of a hallway.

“Okay. Have fun,” he replied simply and disappeared.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relieve before guilt hit her. Why did we both have to have a crush on Rarity? She considered backing out of her plan, but decided against it. Spike would understand, it’s not like Rarity would ever go out with either of them. Spike was too young and Twilight was…well a nerdy mare who had no business with a mare as extraordinary as Rarity. Not exactly the prince Rarity was looking for. Twilight just needed to be shot down so she could move on.

Confident that she had made the right choice Twilight opened the door to her castle to find teenage filly standing there.

“Howdy Princess Twilight!” Applebloom greeted. Twilight smiled as she took in the filly’s appearance. The farm pony had done up her hair with its standard bow, she had brushed her tail and her coat and Twilight could smell the overdone perfume Applebloom was wearing. The filly looked like she was trying to catch a stallion’s attention.

“Hello, Applebloom, What can I do for you?”

“Is Spike home? I got a question for him,” Applebloom replied.

Oh I could get Spike to send a letter about this to Candace! Twilight thought before realizing the filly was expecting an answer. “I think he’s in his room. I’ll go get him for you. Please come in.” Twilight got Applebloom settled and then trotted to Spike’s room. She didn’t bother knocking figuring the dragon was asleep, she was not prepared for what awaited her on the other side of that door.

TO BE CONTINUED