Tending Twilight

by Hodgepodge

Reckless Engagement

Applejack didn’t come back to library that evening, or the next morning. She was supposed to work the stall that morning, but she hoped beyond hope she could get Mac to agree to take it over today. She also hoped Twilight wouldn’t try and come find her, dreading what it’d be like next time she saw the alicorn. As long as she didn’t see her, she didn’t have to say something that would hurt her feelings - or worse, lie to her.

“Ya sure, AJ?” Mac asked after she’d pleaded with him to trade places that day. Big Macintosh didn’t say much, but that didn’t mean he didn’t pay attention. He’d known Applejack long enough to notice the desperation in her voice and he had no reason to refuse a request, even if he wondered if maybe she was avoiding a problem that needed to be talked out. Talking was never his strong suit either, though, so he sympathized.

“Ah’m sure, Big Mac - I just, just don’t want t’be out there today, y’know?” Applejack sweated slightly as she skirted the truth - she hadn’t, wouldn’t lie, but she also didn’t want to talk about why she wasn’t out there.

“Eeeyup,” Macintosh replied, and AJ relaxed, knowing her brother wouldn’t ask questions.

Big Mac could have argued that he wasn’t as good with the customers as her, but there was no point. She knew it, he knew it, and if she was asking him to work the stall anyway she’d probably already thought of it.

“Can ya walk Apple Bloom t’school, too?”

“Eyup,” Mac responded again, although he raised an eyebrow. Applejack was avoiding leaving the farm, which meant she /did/ have a problem - or a pony - or both - she was avoiding, too. He knew better than to point that out to his stubborn little sister, though. She’d work it out by herself, eventually.

“Don’t you give me that look, Macintosh! Ah’m a big girl, it’s my own business why I don’t wanna work the stall today,” Applejack scowled, knowing what her brother was thinking, without him saying anything. “Ya think I can’t handle mahself?”

“Eenope,” Mac replied, shaking his head. “M’sure you’re gonna sort it out, AJ.” The farmhorse plodded towards the door to start packing the cart for market, not saying anything else, but offering AJ a small smile before he left. He believed in his sister - if he left her to it, she was sure to fix the whole thing without even needing to tell him what had gone on.

But if she wanted to, he would listen.

“...That makes one of us,” Applejack muttered after Macintosh had left. She still had no idea how she would fix this. Why’d Twilight have to go and spring something like this on her?

‘Probably ‘cuz she’s a unicorn,’ Applejack thought to herself. She didn’t think an earth pony would ever have such a freaky obsession.

The day dragged on. Applejack had tried to focus on her chores as much as possible, but her mind wandered. She felt guilty, for leaving Twi like that. She felt scared, of what Twi had showed her. Most of all, though, she felt angry at Twilight for springing this on her, for pushing her so hard - and for wanting something strange like this in the first place.

Since she was a teenager, Applejack had been depending on herself, first, letting everypony else rely on her for what they needed. And then Twilight had come, and she’d started to see her as maybe an equal, a pony she could rely on, too. They felt like a team…

And now… Now this. Was that all anypony wanted from her? Was she always going to have to be in charge? Did Twilight only love her because she only saw… that?

“Aw, shoot,” Applejack frowned as she realized she’d fed the pigs with chicken feed. It didn’t matter too much, cuz they’d eat anything, but it meant she’d have used double the amount of feed that day, and that would have to be accounted for when she was thinking about how much to order later. She grumbled, picking up the empty bucket with her teeth, ignoring the sounds of happy piglets squealing and eating messily.

“‘Least y’all’re happy,” she mused, allowing herself a smile, before she sighed. “But ah can’t go on this way. I need to get mah head on straight, an’ focus on work, work, work-”

“That sounds really, really boring,” a voice from above made AJ jump, and she looked up to see Rainbow Dash grinning and peering over the edge of a nearby cloud.

“Rainbow!” Applejack snorted to cover her embarrassment, her cheeks red. “...How long y’been up there?”

“Not long. Since just before you started talking to the livestock,” Rainbow smirked, flapping her way down to earth. “Does it make ‘em taste better?”

One of the pigs looked up and gave a squeal that sounded almost indignant, before burying its snout back in the slop. Applejack looked less than pleased, too.

“Don’t even joke about that, Dash!”

“Whoa, sorry! I don’t see what’s the big deal - Gilda ate meat, you know.”

Applejack said nothing, looking slightly aghast at what her friend had said. There was silence for a few moments, and then Dash cleared her throat.

“‘Hem! So, anyway… Twilight’s looking for you,” she said, trying to be nonchalant, but there was a strain in her voice.

Applejack’s heart sank and she looked at the floor, guiltily.

“Yeah, ah guess she would be,” she managed, frowning.

“What happened, AJ? Twilight was really upset - but she wouldn’t tell me anything!” Dash swallowed. “Are you guys… are you gonna be okay?”

“I really don’t know, Dash,” Applejack admitted, ignoring the first part of what Dash had said. She knew Twilight would be embarrassed if the pegasus was told, and frankly, she was embarrassed to be connected with it, her cheeks turning pink despite her not saying anything.

“AJ… I’m sorry. Maybe you should talk to her?” Dash suggested. “I mean, that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re dating somepony, right?”

“Maybe,” AJ agreed. She knew she should talk to Twilight, but right now she really, really didn’t want to, and it felt like if she stayed away maybe the problem would just… go away. “‘Sides, she knows where the farm is - if she wanted t’talk to me so bad, she coulda come down here first thing.”

Rainbow frowned.

“Maybe she knows if you wanted to talk, you probably wouldn’t be hiding here,” she said bluntly, and Applejack glared at her.

“I ain’t hidin’!” she insisted, but her burning cheeks told her that was a lie, even to herself. “Well… Ah mean… I don’t wanna see her right now, Dash.”

“Why not?” Rainbow pressed, frowning harder. “You guys are like, the perfect couple, and you never let anypony else forget it - what could she have done to upset you this much?”

“Ah don’t wanna talk about it!” Applejack said with alarm, backing away from Dash. “Look, Dash, please jus’ believe me… It was real bad, sugarcube, an’ I’m not ready to talk t’her again yet.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, fixing AJ with a hard stare - and then relaxed, nodding, seeming to accept what Applejack had told her. She’d been true to her element of loyalty, trying hard to get both her friends to work this out. Her conscience was clear…

“Fine. I won’t tell her to come down here. You can’t speak to her yourself, when you’re ready,” Dash lowered her wings, considering. “But… since you’re so stressed out, why not come out with me this evening? We can hit some clubs!”

“Pfft. I have work t’do, Dash.”

“So? The really good places don’t open ‘til way after dark anyway. C’mon, it’ll be fun!”

Applejack wasn’t sure. She’d never been the kind of pony to go out on the town, and she could already imagine the kind of places Dash would want to spend an evening. Wild, dimly lit clubs, with music blaring and searingly bright colours lighting up the ponies all around you. It didn’t seem like Applejack’s idea of fun.

On the other hoof, it would certainly distract her from thinking about her issues with Twilight.

“Well… alright. But only for an hour or so, y’hear? I gotta be up early in the mornin’ for my chores,” Applejack smirked - Rainbow’s response was instantaneous.

“Yes! I’ll come get you at eight!”

With that, Rainbow Dash took off again, soaring into the sky, not wanting to get roped into doing any chores.

“I promise you’re gonna have a great time, AJ!” Dash remarked over her shoulder as she flew.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was 11pm, and AJ was definitely not having a ‘great time’.

For a start, it turned out that most of the ‘clubs’ Rainbow knew were for pegasi - she’d excitedly listed off names like ‘R.N.B.W’ and ‘Wingbeats’, before realizing Applejack wouldn’t be able to join her there. Embarrassed, she’d suggested another club on the outskirts of Canterlot, that she hadn’t visited often.

‘Nightshade’ had a more diverse clientele than Applejack expected from a Canterlot club, being on the edge of the city rather than the centre. True, it was mostly unicorns, but a fair number of earth ponies were drinking and laughing and dancing too. There were less pegasi - when AJ pointed that out, Rainbow Dash smirked and told her it was because Cloudsdale had the best club scene.

The music wasn’t as loud as she’d imagined, but there was a deep bass beat that rumbled through Applejack’s hooves in a way she found very unsettling, and the flashing lights were just as bright and flashy as she’d feared, but many of the lights seemed to be coming from unicorns themselves, beams of brilliant light cast from their horns and dancing around the room.

Ponies danced, too. Applejack sat on the edge of the room, watching and nursing a pint of alcoholic cider, as the crowd heaved and pulsed with music. Rainbow Dash had left her to go dancing after a couple of drinks, and AJ could see her brilliant rainbow mane and tail tossing, light bouncing off them in time to the music.

AJ sipped her drink. The taste was dull and bitter, not like the sharp, sweet flavour of products made with apples from Sweet Apple Acres. After a few moments she tipped her head back and guzzled it anyway, flicking an ear with annoyance.

“Hey AJ! Trying to get drunk without me?” Rainbow Dash’s voice was suddenly there, loud and boisterous at the end of the table. Her face was flushed red, and she had one of her forelegs slung around the shoulder of a copper-colored pegasus with a mane the color of green wheat.

“You’ll never guess who this is!”

“Well, he’s a pegasus, so usually Ah’d say he’s probably a Wonderbolt - but he don’t look like none of th’Wonderbolts AH’ve ever seen,” Applejack pushed her hat back to get a good look at the middle-aged stallion in front of her. Fatter than she would’ve expected from a Wonderbolt, too, but that’d be rude to say.

“I’m retired, actually,” the stallion said, with a grin. “My name i-”

“It’s BUCK BROWN!” Rainbow interrupted, grinning madly, while Applejack continued to give her a look of confusion. “You know, Buccaneer Brown? Perfected the Buccaneer Blaze?”

“Uh, well, howdy, Mister Brown,” Applejack said, offering her hoof to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Applejack… Please, just call me ‘Buck’.”

“Ya know my name?” Applejack blinked in surprise, then blushed. Of course he knew her name - most ponies in Equestria probably knew it now, since she was a national hero and all. Darn, there was another thing for her to live up to, huh?

“This is so awesome! Can I get you a drink? I can’t believe I’m buying BUCK BROWN a drink!” Rainbow gushed, turning to fly away before freezing, realising she hadn’t actually heard what the stallion wanted to drink.

“It’s been a long time since somepony bought me a drink. Get me some whiskey, on the rocks, thanks doll,” Buck smiled as Dash flapped away, settling into the stool beside Applejack.

“That girl sure is somethin’,” he remarked.

“She sure is,” Applejack replied, with a fond smile.

“So how long’ve you two been together?”

Applejack’s head snapped up.

“Um, uh, we ain’t together,” she stammered, her cheeks red again. “Ah mean, Rainbow’s a nice mare an’ all, but she’s just a good friend.”

“Seriously, come on,” Buck looked skeptical, and Applejack blushed all the more, not because what he was saying embarrassed her, but because she could tell he thought she was lying.

“Ah’m bein’ honest!”

“Huh…” Buck looked genuinely surprised, his expression softening. “Rainbow couldn’t stop talking about you and how, uh, ‘awesome’ you were. You asked how I knew your name - and honestly, even if you weren’t one of Equestria’s biggest heros, I don’t think after five minutes with that filly I could possibly forget it.”

“Really?”

“Yep. It was ‘Applejack this’, ‘n ‘Applejack that’,” Buck smirked. “Sure, she called you a ‘friend’ but I figured, you know, some ponies can be funny about fillyfoolin’.”

“Don’t ah know it,” Applejack said with a frown. “Yer not one of those sorts, are ya?”

“Nope. I’m a man of the world,” Buck winked. “And I can tell you that filly has one heck of a crus-”

“Ah have a marefriend,” Applejack said curtly, trying to ignore the part of her that was suddenly real interested in what Buck might say next.

“Oh. Got it,” Buck coughed awkwardly, smoothing down his mane with a hoof. “Sorry I said that.”

“Don’t worry yourself none,” Applejack replied, with an attempt at nonchalance.

The silence dragged on for a few moments. Neither pony knew what to say next, and Applejack was turning over and over what Buck had said in her head.

‘Rainbow Dash likes me? Like that? As more’n a friend?’ she thought, frowning. Did that make her happy? And if it did make her happy, was it because she liked knowing other ponies thought she was attractive or… something else.

‘That stallion doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about,’ she decided after a while, setting her jaw. She’d have noticed if Rainbow Dash felt that way about her, right?

“Here!” Dash was finally back at their table, and Applejack jerked herself out of her thoughts, looking at where the rainbow pegasus was grinning and holding a tray.

“I got your whiskey, Buck,” Rainbow slid the glass of brown liquid towards the former Wonderbolt, and then less-than-gently set the tray down between her and Applejack.

“Check it out, AJ!”

The tray was full of ten or so little shot glasses, each of them filled with some viscous-looking fluid. The fluid itself looked like a rainbow that had been shot through a toxic green filter, and Applejack turned her nose away from the chemical scent.

“What th’hay is that?”

“It’s ZAP!” Rainbow exclaimed, pushing a glass towards her friend. “There was a big picture of a zap apple on the front - do you guys sell them to here?”

Applejack sniffed the glass again.

“Sugarcube, ah don’t think there’s any kind’a actual apple in there.”

“It sure doesn’t look natural,” Buck agreed, through sips of his own drink.

Rainbow Dash deflated, frowning. “Are you sure? ‘Cuz there was definitely a ZAP apple on the front!”

“Ah’m sure, Dash. I don’t think we’ve ever supplied this bar, else the cider’d be a whole lot better,” she frowned. “Kinda burns my biscuits to hear that folks’re sellin’ things with zap apples on without askin’, though, since they only grow on Sweet Apple Acres.”

She poked the glass with a hoof. “An’ if anypony tries this, they might think this is what zap apples’re really like, an’ that could drive down business!”

Rainbow frowned, guiltily. She’d wanted to cheer AJ up, but she’d obviously done the opposite, and it was totally uncool that people were selling stuff that you were supposed to think had zap apples in but didn’t. She felt dumb for not realizing sooner.

“Sorry, AJ,” she said with a frown. “Do you want me to go complain? Because I’ll give those ponies a piece of my mind, right now!”

“Nah,” Applejack smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s jes’ enjoy the evenin’, sugarcube.”

Dash brightened instantly. “That’s the spirit, cowpony! C’mon, I bet I can outdrink ya!”

“You’re on!”

And a shot glass full of green liquid poured down two pony throats, in unison.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night passed more quickly after that, or at least it was certainly more exciting. Four shots later, both Applejack and Rainbow were giggling and leaning on one another, the room spinning as they tried not to fall off their bar stools.

Buck Brown had gotten up and left after the second shot, that much Applejack remembered. She’d kept her farewell to a polite nod and a ‘be seein’ ya!’ - Dash, instead, had beckoned him closer with a hoof, and then planted a drunken kiss right on his cheek, before collapsing into laughter. Applejack thought it was lucky that Buck had laughed too.

“Y’see Applejack? Thissis… this is great, right?” Dash grinned at her friend, fumbling with her final glass of ZAP!

“It’s uh… s’been an experience,” Applejack agreed. She was trying to climb down off her stool, but the floor suddenly seemed much further away than usual. Her hindhoof reached out for it, and suddenly she slipped, landing on both back hooves with a ‘thunk!’

“Wooo-eee… Maybe we oughta be … uh… be gettin’ home,” Applejack murmured, her tongue feeling like it had a mind of its own, lazy in her mouth like an intoxicated slug.
“Awwwwww… c’mon, AJ…” Rainbow pouted, reluctant to leave her seat. “It’s not even three yet!”

“Y’can stay if you want,” Applejack said, willing her legs to let her walk towards the door. “AH’ve got t’work tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash let her eyes watch the earth pony leave. Usually she’d turn away or try to hide how her gaze followed that orange rump with the silky blonde tail… But Applejack’s focus was on moving towards the door, and Rainbow was drunk and probably wouldn’t have noticed even if the object of her affections had looked back and caught her.

AJ reached the door, finally, and left. Dash hesitated, looking glumly at the remaining two glasses - and then, impulsively, threw one back, wrinkling her nose at the still less-than-palatable taste.

“Applejack, wait up!” she called, firing up her wings, finding they didn’t work quite as well as usual - but still, they propelled her up, out of her seat, and through the bar door, worried the earth pony would gallop away before she could reach her.

In reality AJ had only taken a couple of steps before the pegasus burst through the door next to her, wings flapping frantically.

“Whoa nelly!” Applejack reared in alarm, stepping back from the door.

“Sorry! I just… didn’t want to lose you,” Rainbow’s eyes flew open wide. “I mean, I didn’t want to lose track of you! When you were, y’know, walking so fast!”

“That’s alright, sugarcube. Truth be told ah’m glad you decided t’walk home with me. Comp’ny is nice.”

Rainbow smiled in a remarkably un-Rainbow-Dash-like fashion, before her face fell again.

“S-sorry if you didn’t have much fun tonight, AJ,” she murmured, surprisingly meekly.

“Aw, I had a fine time, ah jus’... got things on my mind,” Applejack responded, looking at the floor as they both walked along. Rainbow didn’t say anything else, and Applejack didn’t either. They kept walking along, drunkenly, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

What happened next, happened slowly…

At first.

The two ponies started out a fair distance apart, but as they drunkenly wobbled towards home, a tottering step here, a stumble there, until they were side by side. Closer than that, even. Rainbow’s blue flank pressed against Applejack’s as they wandered on. AJ could smell Rainbow’s mane, the scent of clouds and sweat and-

“Whooa!” Rainbow staggered slightly, laughing at herself. Her wing flared out, wrapping around Applejack’s shoulder to support herself…

And then stayed there, as they walked on.

Applejack felt primary feathers brushing against her side, her flank, not quite touching her dock, but…

“Dash!” AJ said breathlessly. “That’s my cutie mark!”

Dash instantly leapt away, lifting her wing high and clear of Applejack. “Sorry, sorry! I just… Never mind! I’m drunk! Just… forget it.”

Applejack felt the blood coursing through her veins, flushing her face, and… other places, besides. The mood felt electric. She watched Dash’s uncertain face, the same blush on her cheeks, the same tension in her lean, athletic body - only her wings were trembling too, held aloft in a curious arc that drew Applejack’s eye.

Applejack knew that if she shook off Rainbow’s affectionate behaviour, things would go back to normal. Just like Rainbow said, they’d both ‘forget it’, and AJ could go back to her marefriend, her strange, too-intelligent, marefriend, with the weird demands, and urges.

With barely a thought, Applejack leaned forwards, her lips meeting Dash’s.

Dash backed away a half step - but then she, too, was kissing, feeling Applejack’s forehooves draw her in deeper to a passionate embrace as their explored each other’s mouths. The electricity in the air had struck, and both mares pressed their bodies hard against one another, breathing heavily, panting, before they pulled apart.

“Oh… Dash,” Applejack said, dreamily.

“AJ…” Rainbow was breathless, and not just because of the pretty mare in front of her.

“That felt real good, Dash,” Applejack murmured, stepping forwards. She wasn’t sure if she wanted more kissing because Dash felt so good, or because Dash was so uncomplicated, so unlike Twilight Sparkle.

“Let’s do that again,” AJ interrupted her own thoughts, lunging for Rainbow, more enthusiastically than she meant to.

“Wait!” Dash flapped her wings in alarm, moving back a pace. “That was… this is… I… I have to go!”

“Dash, I-”

“Ihavetogo!” Rainbow repeated, and Applejack could only watch as she rocketed into the air on unsteady wings, not looking back behind her.

And leaving AJ alone, with only her wretched thoughts for company.

Author's Note:

I've been sitting on this chapter for a while, truth be told. Don't worry - there's another, more ABDL-ey chapter after this.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Not sure I like the idea of Applejack allowing herself to kiss Rainbow Dash while she's technically Twilight's marefriend (she hasn't broken up with her yet). I know part of it is the influence of the drinks, but still.

[Darkentrophy]

By jove, he lives! Good to have you back.

Anyways, solid chapter. Going to have a little grumble about another story using alcohol instead of the canon-apprived salt licks for them to get inebriated (salt the rim of the glass for the closest approximation). No one ever uses salt and it makes me sad.

Still, enjoying the read thus far and the addition of another wrinkle in AJ's relationships, rather than the story solely focusing on her and Twilight, helps keep things fresh and interesting. I'm going to disagree with 8604504 and say you executed the scene rather well, with plenty of justification for her moment of indiscretion.