Bonding Marks

by booksmart

Falling Clouds and Broken Bark

Applebloom patiently waited in the foyer of the large crystal castle that Spike and Twilight lived in. She was more nervous than Rainbow Dash at the Apple family reunion. Maybe she had over done it with brushing her coat but she wanted to look her best for Spike, however if Dash was any indication, a mare going out of her way to be pretty was a good way to scare somepony away, then again, that’s Rainbow Dash. An extremely abnormal pony. Sweetie Bell always seemed to be making herself up for Scootaloo, but she had Rarity for a sister so there was no telling what influence that had.

Before Applebloom could dwell further on the subject a loud Caterlotorian voice boomed through the hallways.

“I LEAVE FOR FIVE MINUTES AND YOU STARTING JACKING OFF TO A PICTURE OF OUR FRIEND!?”

Applebloom winced. There was no secret whose picture it was, Spike had always fancied Rarity. Applebloom had hopped he might have outgrown it, but this was not a good indication. She felt disappointment, sadness and anger boil up inside her. She had dropped so many hints as to her feeling towards that purple idiot! And he was still chasing after something he couldn’t have? He could have her! He didn’t have to get himself off on his own! She could do it, sure as shooting she could! But no, he had to go after that stupid white mare.

Applebloom cheeks flushed deep red, Did ah really just think that? Rainbow Dash is right. Love makes y’ah weird.

More muffled voices came from down the hall followed by Twilight storming towards the door. Applebloom just caught the end of her mumbling, “…I’ll turn him into a door stop one of these days. That will show him…He will be right out Applebloom,” The way her voice could change from so angry to perfectly normal frightened Applebloom. Must have been a princess thing. With that Twilight left, and soon after Spike came into view.

“Hi Applebloom!” he greeted as chipper as always

Applebloom had no tact in her next comment, “Really? Pictures of Rarity?”

“Oh…you uhm heard that did you?” Spike asked, dropping his gaze.

Applebloom gave him a look that said Of course you adorable idiot. All of Equestria heard Twilight. “Ah never would’a figured Twilight would know the meaning of jack off.”

“She is sexy, Rarity I mean not Twilight.” Spike stated, still staring at the floor.

Applebloom rolled her eyes, Why do ah have feelings for this dolt? “What about me?”

Spike look up, “I don’t know what you mean?”

Applebloom looked to the floor, embarrassment rushing through her body as she spoke, “Am ah sexy?”

“You look good, I guess. Did you do something with your mane?” Spike responded, half heartily.

Applebloom starred at the young dragon for a few seconds. Her eye began to twitch as something inside snapped. She punched her hoof right across Spike’s jaw. “Yah think!” she screamed, “And m’ah tail, and ah brushed m’ah coat. Why can’t yah see what’s in front of yer face. It’s like yah don’t even know Twilight’s got the hotts for Rarity!”

“Wait Twilight likes Rarity?” Spike asked, apparently oblivious about being punched.

Applebloom facehoofed, “Y’all completely missed m’ah point.”

“How could Twilight do something like that?” Spike accused.

Applebloom had had enough, “Buck you Spike. I can’t believe that I even thought you were worth m’ah time.” With that she left a completely shocked dragon alone in the castle, only he wasn’t shocked for the reason she wanted him to be.

---

Wack! The tree shuddered and all its apples fell into the surrounding buckets. It was a sight to see but for Rainbow Dash, the mare bucking the trees was by far more interesting. She watched as those perfectly shape sweat covered and well tone flanks flexed and shuddered with the release of force. She let out a content sigh as she watched her mare work the fields. So far Applejack hadn’t notice her, which was perfect because it meant that Dash could watch all she wanted without being accused of spying, even if she was technically spying. Last night had been wonderful, although they didn’t do anything sexy, or by definition “awesome”, waking up with AJ could quickly become one of Rainbow Dash’s favorite things, coming close to surpassing watching the mare work the orchard, and flying of course. Dash rolled over on her cloud smiling forgetting that this cloud was smaller than her usual one. She hit the ground with a loud thud. She let out a groan, thankfully it hadn’t been too far a fall, high humidity has its advantages, low clouds.

Just as Dash was able to breathe again she was pulled to her feet, “Ah swear Dash one of these days,” Applejack muttered.

“You’ll be as awesome as me?” Dash proposed as she stretched her wings and legs checking for broken bones.

Applejack smiled and gave Dash a peck on the cheek, “Something like that.”

Dash was about to give Applejack a kiss when the sound of tree bark breaking filled the air. She looked to Applejack who was looking down the orchard lines.

“What was that?” Dash asked.

“Sound like somepony's hurting m’ah trees,” Applejack growled. Dash hid the smirk that threatened to play across her face. They set off down the line. Although she would never admit it, the truth was she sometimes felt a little jealous of AJ’s trees, only a little. That mare poured so much love and dedication into her work and even though Applejack was beyond dedicated to Rainbow Dash, Rainbow still found herself feeling cheated when worked pulled her marefriend to the orchard. Rainbow thought back to the night before. She eyed the bandage on Applejack’s forelegs. AJ had been working pretty hard lately, and she tended to work harder as her mood fell.

“How’s it going AJ?” Rainbow asked, concern filling her voice.

“Been one of the best days. Helps when it starts the way it did,” Applejack replied, bumping flanks with Rainbow Dash, “Ah could get used to waking up with yah.”

Rainbow Dash blushed lightly, “Yah well I’m pretty awesome. I don’t think Granny Smith will go for that again though.”

“Can’t believe she went for it at all…what the hay?” Applejack stopped dead in her tracks as they found the source of the sound. One of the younger trees stood tall, part of its trunk caving inwards from the force of a massive kick, its fruit laid all around and in the center of it was a very angry filly stomping her bow into the dirt. “I’m going to murder that filly one day…”

“AJ. Is she crying?” As if to prove her point Applebloom let out a loud shout of frustration, followed by her slumping down against the damage tree, her bow trampled, tears in her eyes.

“Ah’m an idiot,” she mumbled as she played with the bow.

“What do we do?” Dash whispered, thankful Applebloom hadn’t noticed them.

“Ah was thinking talk 't her,” Applejack suggested, “But ah think it might be best if ah do it alone. Don’t want you getting bucked.” Dash looked to the tree and decided that if someone would say something to get on the receiving end of those hooves it would be her.

“I’ll leave you two to…bond, I guess. See you for dinner,” Dash gave Applejack a final peck on the cheek and took off to rebuild her could.

---

Applejack watched the Rainbow mane pegasus disappear before turning her attention to Applebloom, trying to chase the images of those sexy blue flanks from her mind. Her infatuation with that mare could get in the way of her tasks sometimes.

“Hey Applebloom. Mind explaining to me what’s wrong?” Applejack winced. Too harsh.

Applebloom looked to the tree then her sister followed by her bow, “Not really. Ah’ll fix dat tree.”

“Common now. You can tell me what’s eating yah li’ll sis.” Applejack prompted.

“Ah tried t'a do something and it backfired real bad,” Applebloom replied.

“What yah try to do?”

“Fess up m’ah feelings. Ah thought it worked for y’all so why not me. It did not work for me.” Applejack did a double take. Her sister fancied a stallion and never told her?

“Why didn’t y’all say something I could a help yah court him,” Applejack asked.

“Y’all have enough on your plate. Last thing I wanted was to add to it.” Applebloom replied.

“Ah ain’t never got too much when it comes to helping family,” Applejack insisted. She got a dubious look from her sister.

“You don’t need to be Twilight to see yer hurting sis. Yer out in the fields working yourself into exhaustion t’ill Rainbow Dash comes a calling then y’all are happy, till she leaves. I take out the garage remember, ah see all those bandages from the 'cuts' you get from fences around the trees your bucking,” Applebloom explained.

The ground suddenly proved utterly fascinating, “Ah thought ah covered it up so well. Ah even had Dash fooled for a little while.”

Applebloom shook her head, “Ah just know yah too well.”

There was a long moment of silence till Applejack picked up the trampled bow, “Ah take it he didn’t like the bow.”

Applebloom just huffed, “Did even notice the bow, or the fact ah brushed my coat, or styled m’ah mane, or did m’ah tail nothing. Too lost in his own fantasy about his dream mare.”

Applejack looked to her sister, she could see the hurt behind those eyes, “And it wasn’t y’all he was dreaming ‘bout?” Applebloom shook her head. “Hey it’s okay sis. So he don’t like you like yah that way, he’s a damned fool for letting yah slip by.”

“Ah tried to tell him, but it didn’t work. I even rented a romance novel from Twilight to try new ideas, nothing. Then when I give up the hinting and go forward with telling him Twilight goes and…” Applebloom stopped herself quickly.

“Twilight interfered?” Applejack asked. She didn’t think Twilight would have done anything intentional but in her naiveté she could have done something by accident.

Applebloom shook her head, “Not really. She…ah…never mind.”

Applejack flipped the bow onto Apple Bloom’s back. “So who’s the dolt ah need to buck…I mean kick?”

Applebloom chuckled, “Already punched him. There’s no point. He wouldn’t even notice the kick.”

“Ah don’t know, Ah ain’t never broken a tree before, not that I’ve tried, but the threat keeps Dash in line mighty fine.”