Chapter Nine
~ One Day Later ~
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “I'm sorry, but WHAT?!”
Spitfire rolled her eyes to high heaven. “I knew that was coming. Seriously, what's so surprising about me giving up the track team?”
“Um, hello, only the fact that it's been your lifeblood for the past four years!” Rainbow shouted. She had headed out to the track at 2:25 for practice as usual, only to be told that her captain was retiring and leaving her in charge. “And why would you make me the captain? I’m honored and all, and I know I'm super awesome, but why would you pick me over, I dunno, Soarin or someone?”
“Because I think you'll make a great captain. Soarin is a good guy, but he's not so hot at taking charge. He needs someone to give him orders. You, on the other hand, are the exact opposite. Plus, you and AJ have good chemistry, and that's important since you'll be working so closely with each other.” Her eyes briefly glittered with what seemed like a touch of wistfulness.
“Yeah, about that…” The rainbow-haired girl scratched the back of her head awkwardly. She had figured out that AJ was the new field captain earlier in the morning with the rest of the school due to the flyers all over campus, and couldn't believe her friend hadn't told her about it sooner. “Why are the two of us going to be sharing the same practice time again? Is that absolutely necessary?” Rainbow knew her own weaknesses, and one of them was a pretty blonde girl with an overabundance of country charm. Said blonde girl wearing a revealing field captain tank top and shorts was certain to be even more distracting than usual. And she really hoped Applejack didn't remember yesterday’s impromptu kiss.
“God, why is it so hard to retire already?!” Spitfire was clearly getting impatient. “Look, Dash, do you want to beat Crystal Prep at the sports competitions next spring or not?”
She scoffed. “Well, yeah, duh.”
“Then we’re going to follow their example and have the track and field teams train at the same time. If it works for them, we can make it work even better. Got that? Are you in?”
Rainbow heaved a small sigh. “Okay… I'm in.”
“Good. Now stop whining and start training. I know this was super last-minute, but trust me, you’ll be fine. Just do what I usually do - yell and rage and generally scare the pants off everyone.” She slipped her captain’s whistle off from around her neck and tossed it to Dash, who caught it easily. “We've got a good team - trust them to do the rest. And goddamit to hell, Rainbow Dash, if you ruin this team I will end you.” Spitfire gave her a sharp stare before abruptly turning around and walking back towards the school.
The threat was so Spitfire-like that Dash had to chuckle. “You're not going to watch my first practice and make sure I'm doing things right?” she called after her teasingly.
“Nope, I got other stuff to do. But you can bet I'll turn up to watch when you least expect it, so don't think you're getting off easy.” Spitfire offered her a parting wave over her shoulder and vanished around the corner of the athletics building.
No more than thirty seconds later, the track team swarmed out of the same building, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. A small figure slipped out of the building behind them, and Rainbow felt her heart rate soar. Only Applejack could have possibly been that tiny.
The members of the track team made a beeline for the welcoming shade of a nearby oak tree and made themselves comfortable in its branches, knowing Rainbow would call them when she was ready, as Applejack walked over to Rainbow Dash. Her wild blonde waves were carelessly tied back in a loose ponytail, and the thick leather gloves on her hands were a rather odd contrast to her new field captain uniform - a tanktop and shorts in the school’s colors of turquoise, gold, and white. It was amazing that the school had been able to find her a uniform with only one day’s notice, and that the uniform was molded so perfectly to her lithe form.
Applejack greeted Rainbow with a slightly nervous smile. “Howdy, Dash.”
“Hey.” Fortunately, Applejack didn't seem inclined to bring up the kiss, so some of Rainbow’s nervousness fell away. “You going trick-or-treating tonight?”
“Nah, Ah don' got th’ time. AB’s goin’ though.” Shading her eyes from the sun with her gloved palm, Applejack squinted at the grassy patch in the center of the track, which had been completely equipped for a field practice session, and then at the masses of students that lined the bleachers. “Heavens t’ Betsy. All these people here t’ try out?”
“You bet,” Rainbow smirked, as the students noticed Applejack’s presence and slowly began to trail over to the field. “Kicking Crystal Prep asses is always good motivation.”
Applejack shrugged and tilted her head to stare at Rainbow out of the corner of her eye. “So. Captain, huh? Y’excited?”
Her voice was calm and entirely unsurprised, like she had already known that Rainbow had been appointed as captain, but Dash didn't bother to question what this might mean. “Yep. You?”
She nodded slowly. “Ah think so, but Ah don’ rightly know.” She seemed about to say more, but closed her mouth as the hordes of highschool students arrived and slowly arranged themselves into a rough semicircle. Rainbow’s track team strode out from under the tree and joined the crowd, curious to hear what Applejack had to say.
Refusing to allow any of her nervousness to show, Applejack cleared her throat and stood up straight with her hands clasped in front of her. Normally, she would have tipped her Stetson in greeting, but she had left it inside the school for safekeeping, and also because Rarity had told her that it looked horrid with her outfit. Instead, she settled for a simple wave and a friendly smile. Her gold-flecked green eyes glinted with warmth. “Afternoon, y’all. Mah name’s Applejack, an’ Ah’m gonna be th’ captain o’th’ Wondercolts field team. Ah’m glad t’ see so many people turn up… clearly y’all want t’ win those sports competitions next spring.” A couple of boys laughed, and she directed her smile at them before continuing. “Today y’all are gonna be tryin’ out in three areas o’ specialty: jumpin’, throwin’, an’ aimin’. We're also gonna be focusin’ on three specific sports: long jump, javelin, an’ archery. Now, obviously there's more sports than these, but we're jus’ gonna start with these ones so Ah can git a sense fer which sport is yore strength. Let's start with long jump. Who wants t’ try out fer long jump?” About a third of the crowd raised their hands. “Alraght. Well, let’s - Pinkie?!”
The pink-haired party maniac had suddenly appeared amidst the crowd of students, and was beaming and waving to the bewildered Applejack. “Hi, I'm here to try out!” Twilight Sparkle, who had come to watch AJ’s and Rainbow’s first day as captain along with the rest of their friends and was now sitting in the bleachers, shrugged at Applejack as if to say, ‘I tried to stop her.’
Applejack scratched her head, and Rainbow noticed with pleasure that the adorable little wrinkle that meant she was confused had appeared between her eyebrows. “Really? But y’aint ever shown any interest in sports b’fore.”
“Well, I'm here now!”
Several of the students around her snickered as though they didn't believe Pinkie would be any good at the sport, and Applejack’s jaw hardened. Although she may have had doubts of her own, she always believed in giving people a fair chance, and she absolutely wouldn't tolerate bullying of any sort. “Okay. Fine by me if ya try out.” She crooked her finger at the students who had wanted to try long jump, gesturing for them to step forwards. They nervously followed her over to the grassy field in the middle of the track, trailed by the rest of the students, the track team, and Rainbow.
Dash casually crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot, watching Applejack as she strode out onto the grass. The farmgirl’s posture suddenly became much more assured the minute her shoes stepped onto the field - she was in her home turf now, literally. She waited for the students to gather around her and then gestured to a long rectangle of sand behind her that was connected to an even longer patch of the same reddish material that comprised the track. “This is where we have long jump. Th’ idea is t’ run down th’ runway, stop at th’ takeoff board b’fore th’ foul line -” she pointed this out - “an’ jump into th’ sand. There's a lot more to it than that, what with form an’ technique an’ all, but t’day Ah jus’ wanna see how strong y’all are, so Ah’ll leave it at that fer now. Everybody understand th’ rules?” They all nodded. “Good. Ah’ll go first t’ give y’all an example, an’ then Ah’ll call ya up one by one.”
Tucking a loose curl of her golden-blonde hair behind her ear, Applejack walked over to the beginning of the runway. Rainbow Dash instinctively leaned a bit closer as AJ turned to face the sand and prepared to run. Rainbow felt ridiculously excited: she had never seen Applejack perform long jump before, and the thought of watching that graceful form leap through the air in just a tank top and shorts was making Dash’s heart do somersaults. She actually had to force herself to look away from Applejack’s legs for a moment to give herself some time to calm down - never before had she seen her calf muscles bared like this. Usually they were hidden beneath her boots, but since Applejack was wearing sneakers Rainbow was fortunate enough to have an unobstructed view of her legs, tanned and dotted with cheerful freckles.
Thank Celestia, Applejack seemed not to notice that Rainbow was staring at her with such rapt attention. Wearing a calm, confident smile, she began to run effortlessly down the sand until she reached the takeoff board, at which point she ground her heel into the board and sprang into the air.
The crowd emitted a collective gasp of awe as she sailed effortlessly through the air. Rainbow was among them. Overcome by Applejack’s powerful beauty - this was an aspect that Dash had rarely seen in the sturdy, grounded cowgirl - Rainbow’s heart was in her throat as the sun flashed on AJ’s golden ponytail during her jump. Oblivious to the stare she was getting from her best friend, Applejack tucked her knees up as she was arcing downwards and slid neatly into the sand, springing neatly to her feet a second later. The jump was over.
Shaking off her amazement, Rainbow wolf-whistled, drawing a blush from Applejack as had been her intention. Everyone else was simply too awestruck to say anything - even Pinkie had been silenced. According to the measuring stick that was attached to the ground beside the sand, AJ’s jump had been slightly over twenty-one feet. Quite impressive, especially considering her small stature.
“Well, what are y’all lookin’ at?” Applejack’s voice was amused but firm. “That's how ya do it. Now who wants t’ go first?”
“Me me me!” Pinkie volunteered immediately. Without even waiting to hear Applejack’s words of advice, she charged over to the runway, zoomed down it like a tornado, and shot into the air. Her pink curls frizzed around her face as her rear end crashed into the sand and she bounded up. “How'd I do?”
The farmgirl’s mouth was hanging open. “Good gravy, girl. What kinda sports talent ya been hidin’? Nineteen feet on yore first try? Why, Ah couldn't even manage fifteen on mine!”
She shrugged modestly. “Well, what can I say? I'm special.”
Rainbow snorted under her breath. “I'll say.”
Applejack caught her eye and curled her lip into a small grin as though she'd heard this comment. “Nice goin’, Pinks,” she said aloud. “Well, uh, Ah guess we should move on… who wants t’ try next?”
“Can I try?” Soarin asked immediately, drawing some looks of surprise from the rest of the track team.
Rainbow frowned at him. She knew very well what he was trying to do. He just wanted to impress Applejack - and there was no way she was going to let him do that. If anyone around here was going to be impressing Applejack, it was going to be her. “Hey. Soarin. Chill. You're already on the track team. You don't need to be on the field team too.”
“That so?” AJ raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Then how come y’ain't practicin’? Don' you got a team t’ train, too?”
Rainbow paled. Crap. She's right. “Uh, yeah,” she said, trying to retain her composure. “I guess you're right.” She turned to her team, who had been busy watching Applejack, and clapped her hands sharply. “All right, losers! Let's get going!” She offered a quick pat on the shoulder and a ‘see you later’ to AJ before jogging over to the track, her body thrumming with anticipation as she prepared to launch her first track session as captain.
Knowing that her brusque insult was her way of being friendly, her teammates followed her without complaint. Rainbow stopped at the beginning of the track and turned around to face them, unconsciously grasping the silver whistle around her neck in her hand. “Right. So obviously, I'm your captain now. I know Spitfire never liked us calling her Captain, so you don't have to call me that either. Unless you want to call me Captain Awesome, in which case you definitely won't hear me complaining. But Dash will be fine.” She paused. “Did Spitfire tell you guys why she left the team?”
Soarin took it upon himself to answer. “She just said it was time for her to move on. But she didn't tell us why she picked you to lead.” His voice was filled with resentment, and Rainbow knew perfectly well why. He’d been Spitfire’s de facto second-in-command, and as such he should have been made captain when she left.
Rainbow Dash didn't feel like addressing this issue, so she smoothly answered, “Obviously, she picked me because I was the only one cool enough to replace her.” The teammates affectionately rolled their eyes, including Soarin (although Rainbow conveniently acted like she hadn't seen it). “Now. Let's get to business.” Clasping her hands behind her back, she began to pace slowly along the line of team members, who instinctively straightened their backs and raised their chins as she passed by even though she didn't look up at any of them. “Crystal Prep has been asking for defeat for a long time now. Every year now our track team challenges theirs, and every year we lose. This year, we’re going to win. You hear me?” She pointed over at Applejack. “With her leading the field team, they're guaranteed to kick Crystal Prep’s ass. And I'm not gonna let myself be shown up by her. So I expect you guys to do me proud. We're going to train hard and we're going to train reckless. We're going to win and we're going to win together. I expect of you the same things that Spitfire did - teamwork, determination, and boldness. And I expect you to show me those things two times as hard as you showed Spitfire. So.” She stopped in her tracks and stared up at her team, fire brimming in her eyes. “Who's ready to start training?”
Her audience rose their fists in the air and shouted in response, and Rainbow nodded in approval. “Good stuff. Let's do this. Just one more thing before we get moving…” She pointed at a tall, gangly freshman at the end of the line who gulped and shrank back in fear as her gaze fell on him. “Kid. What's your name?” Now that Spitfire was gone, they'd had to bring out their reserve runner to ensure that the track team still had twelve people. Rainbow had seen him at track practice a couple times before but had been too busy worrying about other more important things, such as figuring out how to ask AJ out, to remember his name.
“Runner,” he mumbled, twisting his fingers together.
“Runner? Seriously? That's your name?”
He murmured something that could have been a ‘yes’.
“Huh.” Rainbow arched an eyebrow, impressed. “Well, with a name like that, you better be good at this track thing, kid. I'm gonna be watching you. We have standards on this team. Understand?” His eyes grew wide with terror, and she felt a flash of guilt. “But, um, I’m sure you'll be fine. Okay, we're all wasting time here.” She raised her voice. “Two loops around the track!” she hollered, her raspy voice cracking from her shout. “I'm gonna be running with you and I expect to see you no more than five feet behind me! You got that?” She didn't expect them to be able to beat her - she was too fast for that - but five feet behind was reasonable. When everyone nodded assent, she blew her whistle, relishing the feeling of being in charge. “Get your butts moving!” Without waiting to see if anyone was ready, she turned around and sped down the track, her sneakers pounding on the ground and her polychromatic ponytail whipping around her face. The rest of the team quickly launched themselves into action, clustering behind her as they fought to get ahead and gain her approval.
As she ran with her typical confident grin, knowing that victory was inevitable, Rainbow chanced a glance at Applejack out of the corner of her eye and stumbled over her own foot, losing her balance because her gaze was now glued to her best friend. That girl was simply too distracting.
Unfortunately, the brief sight of her friend’s shining golden locks came with a price - Rainbow’s quick stumble, although she had recovered remarkably quickly, had allowed the tall beanpole kid, Runner, to pass her. His long legs pounded the ground once, twice, and then suddenly he was ten feet ahead.
Dash’s jaw dropped. “What the hell?” she muttered under her breath. In her four years of track, only one person had ever been able to pass her - Spitfire. She narrowed her eyes at the boy’s back, determined to win the competition that he had now brought upon himself. “Oh, it is so on.”
Her legs flashed in the air as she increased her pace, running so fast that her surroundings were no more than a polychromatic blur. Rainbow passed Runner with ease but did not bother turning around to give him a cheeky wave and a hollered insult as she might have in the past - she was in charge now. She had to establish her authority by reaching the finish line ahead of everyone else, and that meant she couldn't focus on anything but the track in front of her. Looking back was not an option, and, sadly, neither was looking at Applejack.
Naturally, Rainbow Dash did indeed finish in first place, although everyone else had managed to finish no more than five feet behind her. She spun around to face her team, flicking sweat off her brow and rubbing her arms. She was pleased to see that, like her, no one on the team was out of breath. Spitfire had trained them well. “Nice work, team,” she announced, her voice cracking as it rose and fell in timbre. “Your speed is up to snuff, so nothing to work on there. Runner - good work out there. But there's just one rule you need to remember - don't ever pass the captain, kid.” The team laughed dutifully. Spitfire used to say the same thing, and they'd known she was joking. Mostly.
Soarin smiled at Runner, who was blushing and mumbling something that could have been an ‘okay’, and then directed his gaze back to Rainbow. “Dash, can we take a water break?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Um, no? We don't break until we've been running for half an hour. You know that.” That had always been Spitfire’s policy, and Rainbow was going to stick to it.
“But - ”
“But nothing!” Rainbow raised her voice. “Listen, do you all want to beat Crystal Prep or not?”
A few people muttered responses.
“I SAID, DO YOU ALL WANT TO BEAT CRYSTAL PREP OR NOT?” she bellowed, fixing her gaze on each of them in turn.
This time, they all answered in the affirmative, and Rainbow gave a sharp nod of satisfaction. “Good. Then we can't afford to be sissies. Like I said - we’re training hard and dangerous. We’ll break for water in twenty minutes. Anyone got a problem with that?” She fixed Soarin with a piercing stare, and he lowered his head abashedly. “Okay. Then let's get back to work. I want to see two hundred jumping jacks from each of you.”
Soarin piped up again. “Weren't the jumping jacks supposed to be our warmup? How come we did two loops around the track first?”
Dash rolled her eyes. “The loops were the warm up, Soarin.”
He gulped, his spiky blue hair drooping. “Oh.”
“I'm not going to do things the same way Spits did them,” she continued, now addressing the whole team. “Hard and dangerous. That's my motto. I'm going to train you guys harder than ever before, so get used to it.” She readjusted her ponytail, grimacing as her fingers dampened with sweat. “Alright, two hundred jumping jacks! Get moving!” She paused, trying to think of a way to incentivize her team. Spitfire had never done this, but Dash thought it was high time such a system was initiated. After all, she wanted her teammates to be motivated enough to follow her lead. “First one to get to two hundred gets a free milkshake at Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie would be alright with that. Probably.
As her teammates perked up and trooped out onto the grass to start their jumping jacks, Rainbow Dash allowed herself a satisfied grin. Clearly, she was just as awesome at being a team captain as she was at everything else.
***
Twenty minutes later, as promised, Rainbow blew her whistle to signal the start of a five-minute break. Everyone trooped to the shade of the trees near the sidelines of the track, wiping their foreheads and sighing with relief. Though there was a chilly breeze rippling through the air, the sun was unforgivingly hot. Rainbow waved to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity, who were still sitting in the bleachers, before trailing after her team. She watched hungrily as everybody scooped up water bottles and started drinking, inwardly kicking herself for not bringing one.
All of a sudden, Rainbow felt a small figure come up behind her and lean against her shoulder blades, wrapping two muscular arms around her collarbones. A chill shot up Dash’s spine. “Hey,” Applejack drawled, her chin pressing gently into Rainbow’s collarbone. “How's it goin’?”
Like an idiot, Rainbow Dash panicked at the slightest touch from the girl she had a crush on. “I'm sweaty,” she stammered out, suddenly unable to say anything else.
Applejack gave a slow chuckle. “So’m Ah, sugarcube. Ah don’ mind touchin’ ya, don’ ya worry.”
“R-right… heh…” The tall athlete chuckled nervously.
Seeming not to notice her awkwardness, Applejack stepped to Dash’s side and folded her arms over her chest. Rainbow’s heart throbbed with disappointment for a brief moment and then soared again as the farmgirl nudged her with her elbow. “How'd practice go?”
“Pretty good so far, I think,” she answered. Thankfully, she was beginning to regain her natural confidence. “Um, what about yours? Have you picked out any team members yet?”
Applejack nodded, tipping her hand back over her eyes to shield them from the sun and taking a swig from her water bottle. “Think Ah got four picked out fer the jumpin’ events. Ah can only have twelve members not countin’ mahself, since th’ track team only has thirteen includin’ yoreself an’ Ah have t’ have th’ same number. So Ah’m splittin’ ‘em up by specialty - Ah want four members fer jumpin’ events, four fer throwin’, an’ four fer aimin’. Th’ jumpin’ bit is pretty much covered - Ah picked out two guys an’ two gals that Ah think’ll do jus’ fine. An’ ya know what? Pinkie Pie’s one of ‘em! Who knew she could jump like that?”
The two of them shared a chuckle. “Well, with all that sproinging and bouncing she does, I'm not surprised,” Rainbow smirked, grinning down at AJ.
“Yep. An’ Ah ain't complainin’,” Applejack said jovially. “She'll be a real asset t’ th’ team.” All of a sudden, she glanced up at Rainbow, frowned, and tossed half the contents of her water bottle in Rainbow’s face.
Dash spluttered indignantly as water dripped down her clothes, forming a small puddle around her feet. “What the hell? What was that for?”
“Ya looked like ya needed it. You were sweatin’ up a storm, R.D. Back on th’ farm, we do that five times a day at least. Keeps us cool.”
“Well, thanks, but you still could have warned me,” she protested.
Applejack ignored her. “Here. Drink th’ rest,” she ordered, reaching out and wrapping her friend’s fingers around the water bottle.
Rainbow Dash eyed it in surprise. “Don't you want it?”
She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Nah. Y’all need it more’n Ah do,” she replied with a friendly smile, her jade eyes dancing in the sunlight.
Touched by her selflessness, Rainbow thanked her and tipped her head back to drink, whimpering with relief as cold water splashed onto her tongue. Applejack, waiting patiently to get her bottle back, watched the track team mingling with the students trying out for the field team while Rainbow drank.
Finally, Dash finished drinking and handed the bottle back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She opened her mouth to thank her best friend once more and found something very different slipping out instead. “About yesterday…”
Frick. Why did I say that? That's not what I was trying to say at all!! What do I do? Maybe she didn't hear me?
But the way the gold flecks in Applejack’s eyes suddenly darkened, and the way her jaw tightened, made it very clear that she had indeed heard. Rainbow gulped and faltered on anyway, feeling that she had already messed up and might as well continue in the same vein. “About yesterday… in the evening…” The memory of that impromptu kiss, of the feel of Applejack’s cool skin against her lips, flashed before her eyes, and she suddenly realized she had no idea what to say next. She had no words to describe what had happened or what mad impulse had possessed her.
As it turned out, words were unnecessary anyway. Applejack cut her off, blushing and turning away. “Ah have t’ finish th’ tryouts,” she said brusquely, walking off in the direction of the track. “See ya later.”
“Y-yeah. Right. You go do that,” Rainbow Dash answered unconvincingly to her friend’s receding back. Then she groaned, burying her head in her hands. “Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did my stupid mouth have to go and say that?” She had no idea what she had been trying to achieve by bringing up yesterday’s embarrassing moment. Even more worryingly, what had that look on AJ’s face meant? Rainbow knew her well enough to know that it hadn't been anger. But what had it been? Fear? Embarrassment? Either way, Rainbow Dash felt far too awkward to mention the topic again. She'd just have to wonder in agonizing silence, for the rest of her life, whether or not Applejack had enjoyed or hated that kiss.
Ugh. Now Rainbow knew what Twilight felt like when she had to answer an exam question about a topic they hadn't yet covered in class (which, of course, happened once in a blue moon). Not knowing something important, and not having any easy way of finding it out, was the most annoying feeling in the world.
Sighing, Rainbow dragged her fingers through her ponytail, watching as Applejack gathered the field team hopefuls around her and began instructing them once more. After a few seconds, the farmgirl scooped up one of the school javelins that lay in a neat pile on the grass, ran a short distance, swung her arm , and flung the spear into the air as easily as she might toss a football. Rainbow had never seen her friend throw a javelin before, although she was well aware that Applejack practiced all manner of field events in her spare time back at the farm. Her eyes followed the spear as it arced into the sky, eventually landing with a soft thud some two hundred feet away. Quite an impressive throw.
Her eyes dulled. Just like the javelin, she was constantly flying further and further away from Applejack, creating a rift between the two of them that stemmed from her own inability to pull her heart away from Applejack’s charms.
Rainbow Dash bit her lip and turned away, forcing herself to drive all thoughts of Applejack out of her mind as she used her silver whistle to call her team back to practice. She couldn't think about AJ now. Right now, it was time for business.
***
Half an hour later, Rainbow Dash blew her whistle for the last time that day, signaling the end of practice. “Alright, team, listen up!” she hollered as her hot and sweaty team gathered around her. She was equally hot and sweaty, although she'd never admit it - besides, she could still run several loops around the track if necessary. She was golden. As usual. “Good practice today. We’ll spend some time working on stamina at next Monday’s practice. Spitfire also wanted us to do some work with hurdles, so I plan on getting to that in a couple of weeks.” Spitfire had said no such thing, but nobody else needed to know that. Rainbow was an expert at winging it. “Everyone go home, stuff yourselves with candy, enjoy the weekend, and come back ready to rock and roll next Monday. Got that?” Her teammates murmured assent. “Good. We've got next spring’s sports competitions in the bag if we keep up this performance. Like I said - good work. Happy Halloween. Get outta here.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the changing rooms, sticking her other hand out so that her teammates could each give her a high five as they strode by.
As Soarin made as if to leave with the others, Dash held up her index finger to stop him. “Wait. Not you. I need to ask you something.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Am I a good captain?”
Soarin frowned, his handsome brow furrowing. “Uh…”
“Please. I need to know.” Her eyes were desperate. “I need to make sure I'm leading this team to victory, not failure. I need to know.”
The dark-haired athlete scratched his head. “Well, you're not Spitfire.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know, doofus.”
He offered her a faint smile. “You're not Spitfire. But you might just be better.”
Her heart thudded. “Really?”
“Really. You inspire us, Dash. You make us want to follow you. Spitfire did too, but… not like you do. You make people love you, and not just the people on the track team.” For a brief moment, so brief that Rainbow couldn't tell whether or not she had imagined it, Soarin’s eyes flicked over to Applejack, and his features twisted wistfully. But then his calm smile returned. “So, yeah. I had my doubts, but… you're a good captain. Just, you know, don't tell Spirtfire we had this conversation.” Shooting her a conspiratorial wink, he pressed his palm to Rainbow’s in a gentle high-five before jogging after his teammates.
She stared after him for a brief moment as waves of relief cascaded through her body. If Soarin approved, she couldn't be that bad.
Curling her lips in a faint smile, she darted back to the changing rooms to grab a wet towel, wiped herself free of sweat, and then ran back outside to finish watching Applejack’s practice. Normally, a field practice would have only been an hour - the same length as a track practice - but since today was all about choosing team members, everything was moving at a much slower pace. Judging by the massive bow in her hands, Applejack had just started the archery tryouts. Rainbow unobtrusively sidled closer to watch.
Applejack beckoned for Pinkie Pie to hand her the pair of thick leather gloves that she usually wore during archery - she must have asked Pinkie to fetch them for her earlier. The farmgirl slipped them on, flexing and curling her fingers to acclimate them to the glove’s stiffness. She raised her head to address the semicirclular crowd of students around here. “These gloves are real important. Most people use an armguard, but Ah prefer gloves. It don' matter which one y’all want. But trust me - ya need somethin’ to protect yore forearms. Otherwise th’ bowstring can snap against yore arm, and that ain't fun. That usually stops happenin’ once ya get really good, but it don' hurt t’ be safe.” She raised the bow vertically and turned her body sideways, pointing to a row of targets in the middle of the grassy field. “Ah'm gonna aim at that target in th’ middle. Now listen carefully, cause archery ain't as easy as it looks.” She spread her feet slightly apart and adjusted her posture. “Turn sideways like this with yore back relaxed. Left hand holds th’ bow grip. Don’ hold it with a tight fist - grip it with yore thumb an’ let yore other fingers stick out a bit.” She demonstrated with her own bow. “If yore left-handed, hold th’ bow with yore right hand. Ah shoot both ways ‘cause Ah’m ambidextrous, but Ah don’ expect y’all t’ be able t’ do that, so jus’ pick one hand.”
Rainbow couldn't resist a little gasp. Ambidextrous. How cool could Applejack get?
“T’ shoot, draw yore other arm back t’ yore ear while holdin’ th’ bowstring.” Applejack nocked an arrow and pulled the string back with ease, her arm muscles standing out. “Place yore index finger against yore mouth. That's yore anchor point. It don’ necessarily need t’ be yore mouth, so Ah’ll let y’all experiment with what feels comfortable. But it's gonna help hold yore hand steady, so don’ forget that step.” It must have been an immense strain to keep the bowstring held back for that long, but to her credit, Applejack did not falter, and her hand did not even shake. “Aimin’, o’ course, is the hardest part. Ah don't have much t’ tell ya. Don’ look away from th’ target or drop yore bow until th’ arrow ends its flight, an’ make sure ya draw yore hand all th’ way back t’ yore ear after ya fire. Otherwise, ya might get in th’ habit o’ droppin’ yore bow too early. Good aim is really jus’ instinct, not something y’all can master with technique or somethin’. That's what Ah’m lookin’ for in you guys today - instinct.” Applejack’s voice was distinctly hoarse - evidently, she was exhausted from all of this speaking - but she powered on anyway, although she did relax her stance and drop her bow and arrow so that she could face her audience. “Every one o’ ya will get t’ shoot a full quiver o’ arrows.” She pointed to the targets, where a quiver of arrows could be seen lying at the foot of each one. “Ah'm gonna stroll back an’ forth watchin’. So good luck t’ all o’ ya. But one final word of advice.
“Archery is 5 percent sight an’ 95 percent form, as Ah like t’ say. Ya don’ have t’ see th’ target t’ shoot. How ya hold yourself an’ how ya make th’ shot is more important. T’ demonstrate that for y’all…” She hesitated and took a deep breath. Her eyes flickered with nervousness that only her friends knew her well enough to see. “Ah’m gonna fire a shot with mah eyes closed.”
Rainbow’s breath hitched. No way. If Applejack said she was going to do something, she meant it. This was really happening.
Applejack turned back to face the target and adopted her stance. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she fit the arrow to the bowstring once more, drew the string back, and fired smoothly, her hand brushing the tips of her blonde locks.
The arrow whistled through the air and thudded into the center of the target.
The students burst into thunderous applause, Rainbow Dash included. Even Fluttershy was cheering and whooping from the stands. Applejack had said before that she could shoot with her eyes shut, but that she'd only done it once or twice and that it was extraordinarily hard to do. No wonder she'd been nervous. But of course, her fears had been unfounded. It had been a perfect shot.
AJ blushed. “Aw, shucks. It wasn't nothin’.”
Rainbow Dash only redoubled her clapping. Applejack deserved it, modest or no.
The farmgirl saw her cheering two times harder than before and frowned. “Right, Ah know that rainbow-haired rascal over there is settin’ y’all a bad example, but let's move on. Ah’m sure you guys wanna get home.” Slowly, the clapping died down, and Applejack strode over to the target and yanked out her arrow. “Okay. Yore turn. Don’ be shy - take as much time as ya need t’ pick out a bow that feels right fer ya.” She gestured to a neat pile of bows by the targets, and everyone trooped over to collect one.
After everyone had taken a bow and begun preparing to shoot, Applejack strolled back and forth brought the ranks of students, adjusting someone’s stance here, nudging a trembling arm back into place there. Rainbow watched her with admiration from the sidelines. She was so gentle; so encouraging.
Finally, when all preparations had been made, Applejack strode to the end of the line of students and turned to face them. Although there were enough bows to go around, there were not enough targets, so only ten people could shoot at a time. The rest were patiently waiting their turn. “Alraght. When Ah say go, start shootin’. Shoot all th’ arrows in yore quiver an’ don' stop fer anythin.” She waited for their assent and then nodded. “Go!”
***
Half an hour later, field practice was finally over. Applejack had gathered everyone together and informed them of who had landed a spot on the team. Pinkie had been one of the lucky few, along with eleven others whom Rainbow Dash knew more by sight than by name. While the students who hadn't made it slunk away in defeat, Applejack had congratulated her new team and told them to show up for their first practice next Monday.
The only two people left on the field were Applejack and Dash. Pinkie had zoomed off in glee and dragged Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity back into the school building, probably to throw a little mini-party over her victory.
Rainbow crossed her arms, remembering the way Applejack had walked away from her the moment she'd brought up the kiss. Rainbow didn't know if Applejack was mad, or sad, or scared. Should she bother approaching her and trying to patch things up again? Was it even worth it?
No. No. She had to try.
“Hard and dangerous,” she murmured to herself. Then, uncrossing her arms and standing up straight, she jogged onto the field without hesitation.
Applejack turned to face her, her usually friendly smile wavering a little. Her eyes were unreadable, which was unusual.
Dash skidded to a stop in front of her, unsure what to say. Fortunately, words bubbled to her lips almost immediately, of their own accord. “Can I try?”
“Try what?” The farmgirl looked suspicious.
Rainbow gestured feebly to the archery targets. “The - the archery. It looks cool. I want to try it.”
Applejack’s eyes softened. She seemed to realize that Rainbow Dash was asking as a way of making up for her earlier comment about the kiss, but, tactful as always, she didn't let on. “Sure, sugarcube.” She smiled again, and this time it didn't waver.
Rainbow exhaled slowly and a wave of relief rushed through her. The awkwardness of earlier had gone for good. She smiled back, allowing a wisecrack to push itself off her tongue. “Don't be so hasty to say yes. You'll probably discover I'm actually better than you.”
Applejack gave an incredulous snort. “At archery? Honey, y’see these arms?” She flexed her muscles. “Ah bet those scrawny little arms o’ yores can't even pull back a bow halfway, Rainbow Flash.”
Rainbow mock-gasped at the insult. “Oh, really, Crapplejack? Well, let’s go find out, then. I'll bet you an apple pie that I can pull the string back all the way to my mouth.”
“What, cause yore gonna actually make me pie if Ah win?”
Dash grinned cheekily. “No, ‘cause you're not going to win.”
Applejack chuckled slowly. “Fine words, RD. But are ya brave enough t’ try it with mah bow? Or are ya a coward?”
Now it was a real challenge. Applejack’s bow was hard to lift and even harder to draw back. It was the most difficult bow to handle in the whole school, and Rainbow knew it.
But… the fact that Applejack had willingly offered to let her hold it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, so warm and fuzzy that she couldn't think straight. Applejack never let anyone else hold her bow. She didn't trust them with it.
No. This is a horrible idea. I’m going to lose.
But she trusts me. She trusts me. She trusts me - me - with her bow.
“I’m in,” Rainbow said firmly. “Nobody calls me a coward.” Plus, Applejack trusted her - really, really trusted her - and that was more than enough reason to accept her challenge. Besides, how hard could it be? Dash knew that her real strength lay in her legs, but she arms weren't that weak. Scrawny? Probably? But there was some hidden muscle in there somewhere. There had to be. “Here's the deal. If I can do it, I get a whole apple pie. And a cup of cider.”
“That wasn't part o’ th’ deal, Dash.”
“It is now, since you're making you use your bow,” she countered. “And if lose, I'll give you, um…”
The cowgirl laughed gently and swung her ponytail over her shoulder. “Ah don’ want nothin’. Seein’ ya take an interest in mah favorite sport is enough.”
“Really? But that doesn't seem fair.”
“An’ what would you know ‘bout fair? Ya cheat at everythin’.”
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth and then closed it again. “Actually, I don't have a comeback for that.”
“That means ya know it's true,” AJ teased. “Now come on.” She handed Rainbow Dash her bow, and the athlete had to bite her lip to stop herself from exclaiming. Geez, this thing was heavy. “So, before ya shoot, ya jus’ - ”
“I know how, I was watching you earlier,” she cut her off, not realizing how creepy that sounded.
Thankfully, Applejack didn't seem to realize either. She merely raised an eyebrow. “Well, if ya think yore ready, go ahead.”
There was something ominous in her bright green gaze, but Rainbow paid it no heed, eager for action. She raised the bow vertically and nocked an arrow, trying to remember Applejack’s instructions. Squinting at the target, she began to pull the bow back…
And stopped. And tried again. And stopped.
“Too heavy fer ya, darlin’?” Applejack asked innocently.
Dash rolled her eyes, feigning calm. “Shut up.” Inwardly, she was panicking. This thing was way harder than she had anticipated. How did Applejack handle it? She was strong, sure, but so small. Rainbow had counted on her larger size to give her an advantage, but apparently it really was arm and shoulder strength she needed.
You could just give up, you know. You don't have to give her anything if you lose.
But then I'll be giving up. And I don't want to give up. Not in front of AJ.
Failure wasn't an option. So it was time to try again.
Her arms straining, Rainbow began to pull back the string once more. Her index finger twitched against her mouth as her muscles wavered, but she did not allow herself to release the string. Slowly, slowly, the string began to near her ear. By now she was sure her posture must be horrible, but she'd stopped caring. She just wanted to pull the damn string all the way back.
Her body thrumming with sheer willpower rather then strength, Dash finally managed to pull the string back all the way, and let it go at once with a gasp of exertion. The arrow rocketed away with a twang from the bowstring.
A shooting pain suddenly rocketed up Rainbow’s arm, and her breath hitched as she dropped the bow and doubled over. “Ow! God! What happened?”
Applejack sighed. “Ah did try t’ warn ya, but y’interrupted. If you'd really been watchin’ me earlier, y’all woulda heard when Ah said that yore arm’s gonna get snapped by th’ bowstring if ya don’ wear a glove.”
Rainbow’s cheeks reddened at the same pace as her forearm. “Oh right.” She inspected her arm, which was now bright red. There was going to be an impressive bruise there later.
“Ya want some ice on that?” Applejack inquired with concern, taking Rainbow’s hand in her own and running her soft fingers over Rainbow’s arm.
“Nah. I'm good. I've been hurt worse before. Besides…” A slow smile spread over her face. “It was totally worth it. Look at the target.”
Applejack’s mouth fell open. “Well, Ah’ll be.”
Somehow Rainbow had managed to shoot her arrow right into the second ring. It was still a few inches away from a bullseye, but considering that she was a first-time archer and that she'd been shooting with an exceptionally tough bow, it wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all.
“So does this mean I get my pie and cider?” Rainbow asked jokingly.
“An’ then some! Hoo-boy, if only Ah hadn't already picked mah team, you’d have made a great archer! That was mighty impressive, Dash.”
Rainbow allowed her already wide grin to widen. “Thanks. I suppose I am pretty awesome.”
“Jus’ this once, Ah’ll let ya say that. Ya earned it.” Applejack’s smile faded somewhat as she stared out at the mound of the bows by the archery targets and sighed. She had to unstring all of them, carry them inside, and store them along with the quivers, which would take at least half-an-hour. And she was already late for her chores at home.
“I'll help you,” Rainbow said without thinking about it, following the path of AJ’s eyes to the bows. “I'll help you clean up.”
Applejack appeared touched, but hesitant. “Really? Don' ya wanna get home?”
Rainbow almost visibly shuddered. No, she wanted to stay away from that horrible place as long as she could. “Nah, I'm good. I can stay for a while.”
“Well… that's real sweet. Thanks.” She wrapped Rainbow Dash in a one-armed hug and then jogged over to the bows.
After standing frozen for a whole thirty seconds - she was so smooth - Rainbow recovered enough from the contact to follow. She bent down and began to work alongside AJ in silence, collecting the bows and unstringing them.
Twenty minutes later, all the archery equipment was stored safely in the school’s sports room. Applejack and Rainbow reconvened outside, knowing that it was time to leave each other but not quite sure what to say.
Finally, Applejack glanced up and cleared her throat, her freckles shifting across her cheeks. “Rainbow… cider season starts t’morrow, an’ Ah was wonderin’ if… if… if ya wanted t’ join us.” Her cheeks were lit by a rosy blush.
Dash could barely breathe. “You mean, at your house? Learning how to make cider and stuff?”
She nodded, fiddling nervously with her fingers. “Uh-huh. I-if ya want to, Ah mean, ya don’ have t’ come, but… Ah would really like it if ya did.”
Right now, going to AJ’s house for the day didn't mean having to try to scrounge up money to take the bus there only to find that Rainbow didn't have any. Right now, it didn't mean having to walk miles and miles there, and miles and miles back, all on her own. Right now, it didn't mean getting to pretend that she was warm and happy and loved for a day before returning to the cold and clammy hovel that she called home.
Right now, going to AJ’s house meant making and drinking cider and eating good food next to her best friend. It meant getting to spend one more precious day with the girl of her dreams, a special day, maybe even just the two of them, like they hadn't had in years. It meant joking and teasing and racing and wrestling, and being accepted, and being needed.
“So… do ya wanna come?” Applejack prompted anxiously.
Rainbow smiled. “I'd love to.”
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8364905
... thanks?
this.. is... AMAZING how is it possible for a fanfic to be this good all way through? Every chapter delivers, I'll tell you!
I love how you portray the buildup of Rainbow Dash and Applejack's relationship. It's not all mushy and it feels true to their characters.
8367134
Awwwww thanks:):):) I really appreciate it!!!
8367183
Thanks! Glad you think so.
You're welcome/)
More chapters are required
8367188
Thanks for the follow too:3
8367514
Haha, I'll work on it! Next chapter will be a while... I have to do a crazy amount of research on how to make cider. Haha.
Lovely. Need moar now. Or else.
8369605
Thanks!!!!!! I'll work on it. ;)
huge spoilers.
Lot of romance stories do the teasing shit. Reading so god damn many of them where the reader knows they both like eachother and yet stay at arm's reach..it's uh. Pretty overused cliche. Some cliches can be good if done well and carefully (To romance a magician and Hey, It's me come to mind), but honestly I think this story would've fared without that aspect.
Swapping between the two's perspective's can be a great tool! In your story's case, it adds double the teasing shit. I mean the one line where you deliberately say, "No, of course Rainbow wouldn't notice AJ's loving stare. Did you really think that'd happen?" Or something.
that broke the immersion instantly.
The very serious problem I have with this fic is right at the start. The prologue is meant to set the tone - or, offer foreshadowing to what's the come through the meat of the story. That's why it's best to read prologue's very carefully to find hints, (which I did and caught quite a few. Kudos) and while it's well written, I don't think it suits this story whatsoever.
From chapters 2-9, every paragraph is about how Rainbow Dash has been obsessing over Applejack for years, and vice versa. Granted, you have an absurd abundance of this sort of teasing stuff and it's written remarkably well, but you frickin' ruined it right off the bat! There is absolutely no suspense! The prologue told me that they're gonna get together. They're gonna get married! have a kid!!
The prologue would be great if the rest of the story was not focused on how they found it so difficult to tell each other their feelings. Perhaps instead if it were about their normal lives and ambitions intertwining together.
and ya know what? that does happen! The stuff with Spitfire resigning for AJ and them both being team captains? The natural chemical dialogue between them to that point? And of course the many references to Rainbow Dash's housing situation - all that shit is fantastic. awesome. b-e-a-you-tee-full. I have to mention though, that while Rainbow's crisis is very juicy and keeps me interested, it really comes out of fucking nowhere. I re-read the rest again looking explicably for any references to having to run home, sports car, lack of hanging with friends. Pretty much all that shit was piled into one chapter. I feel if it were sprinkled in the early chapters VERY subtly, it would easily be the best part of this story so far.
One disappointment was what was done with Spitfire. I feel like the drama between her and AJ could've been fleshed out to make a juicy arch. The part where Spitfire and AJ are talking and she resigns, right? AJ says something along the lines of, "Maybe we aren't enemies anymore? Maybe we could be...friends?"
The only context we have to call them enemies is that Spitfire wants to bang Rainbow, and AJ wants to bang Rainbow. Spitfire and AJ had so little contact that there's no real weight to them being enemies. It was still a juicy - absolutely juicy frickin' idea that I really like, but I feel like if you fleshed that out more, it would've made this at least 234567654x better.
Coulda been just one tiny chapter - or half of one! AJ and Spitfire could be like, out in the field. Spitfire picks up a bow and starts casually shooting targets while passively-aggressively talking about all the fun things she and Dash do/talk about. That scene alone would make some gooey fucking tension between the two.
this comes with the ideal that I firmly believe in; Show, don't tell. If you want two parties to have beef, don't say "AJ hates dis bitch". It is much more delicious to read about them two interacting and we get to feel with AJ exactly why she hates her. Otherwise it is because they both like the same woman, and ya know what? I felt more for Spitfire than AJ!
I would also like to say that sometimes you go really really hard with the descriptions of these characters. When AJ elaborates on everything she likes about Rainbow and vice versa, it is really tough to power through four paragraphs of that stuff. That is probably just me and I'm being a douchebag. Most people like that shit. So, uhh...you can keep doing that, it's totally acceptable. I, personally, am not a fan.
overall this is some dope shit that I found hard to get into at first with the prologue and absurd amount of teasing, but you totally drew me in with the rrreeeaaallllyyyyy juicy shit about Rainbow's shitty home life and the Spitfire deal. Oh! how could I be so dumb!? I forgot to mention that you give life to these characters by giving them stuff outside of their romance. Rainbow's soccer team, AJ's archery shit, Pinkie's whack-ass picture taking, the very specific studying shit (I tuned out the bits out math. no thx); because that gives depth to the characters. Love it. Good shit.
t13.deviantart.net/UH7yWqQozUA1I9R_fVjk6ins4sc=/300x200/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre15/7b75/th/pre/i/2012/258/1/1/just_admit_it_appledash_by_kyriena-d5etde1.png
EDIT: In the words of out great lord and savior Angry Joe Vargas, "Know that I criticize it because I love it."
8370559
Dude. This review is fricking amazing. It really helps me as an aspiring author to hear this kind of stuff, so thanks for taking the time to leave a nice fat review and help me out!!!! Good and bad alike, both are appreciated. Thanks man.
8371075
Ya know I love ya and gotta share it. <3
8371335
Love you too bro.
8372640
media1.giphy.com/media/jQqU9dCKUOdri/200.gif
8372929
D'awwwwww that's so cute
8374493
stream1.gifsoup.com/view2/1407257/bear-ass-kicking-o.gif
8374996
that bear has got a great back leg lol. (You can tell he spends his days bucking apples 
)
Omg what's even happening here
the burn is slow and minor grievances about sentence structure and the sea of apostrophes that is applejack's speech aside, I'm liking this a lot more than most high school appledash fics on here.
8382769
Thanks! Yeah, after the first two chapters I realized there were way too many apostrophes, but... I gotta be consistent.
8382797
it's not a big deal since everybody else does it anyways so I can read it because I've been conditioned to so no worries, and good luck in all your classes!
8383407
and thanks!!!
Lol
{{Oof, sorry I'm late to the party -again- my internet has been out.}}
I have had a spectacularly horrid couple of weeks. Between school, not having internet, and being sick I have had nothing to do but practice 4 songs, and do homework.
Upon FINALLY having a functional connection to the interwebs, the first thing I do is check for updates. I see this updated and just had to read it right away.
Another absolutely spectacular chapter, this story is just so good that it's hard to put into words. It's a weird feeling, feeling like your eyes are peeling and your throat being sliced by shards of glass and smiling all the same. Truly, thank you for this story.
Once again,
Yogi
8408244
Oh I'm sorry you had such an awful two weeks! :( I'm glad your internet is back though. Are you still sick? How do you feel?
Wow, that's quite the review. Thank you so much! I'm glad you feel that way about my story. Thanks! :3
8409114
Yeah, I'm still sick. It just kinda sucks not being able to breathe and constantly hacking up a lung in class. Other than that, I'm motivated to do indoorsy things because going outside is just too much strain. So writing has kept me busy and I'm finally actually getting good at violin. Overall, I could be better, but I could be worse.
8409462
Awww, that's too bad. I hope you feel better soon!
Oooh violin, you're so lucky! That was my first choice instrument several years ago but my parents said no, haha. What songs are you currently playing on violin?
8410157
Whoops, soz this is late, been busy. (And sick)
I'm getting a little better, I can go outside without feeling like I'm gonna die, so that's nice.
We're not doing anything someone would just know. Our main pieces right now are Egmont Overture and Idylls of Pegasus. A side piece is Brook Green Suite, and is pretty boring. My sis gave me her violin and, compared to my old one, it sounds like I'm not digging into a chalkboard with a cellophane knife. I've got playing tests first thing in the morning and I'm up writing this at 1:25, so... Probably not good.
Do you play any instrument, now?
(Sorry this is grossly long)
8414094
No worries! Glad you can go out now.
That sounds amazing. Good luck on your test! How'd it go?
Yep, I've played piano for nine years and just started ukulele lessons :3
8415896
The tests went... Good enough. A B is still a passing grade at least. I'm completely out of my element as a freshman in a class with mostly juniors and seniors, I can play, just not nearly as well as they can. It's stressing to say the least.
I don't think I could play piano, doing so many things at once seems really hard. You got your fingerplacement for two hands, where those hands are, and chords. All I have to do is move an arm and one hand of fingers with some shifting.
Ukulele huh? Odd, but interesting.
8415915
Hey, congratulations! A B is great. Especially considering you're in a class with juniors and seniors. It must be tough!
It definitely starts out a bit hard, but you get used to it. It takes quite a bit of concentration because your hands are moving in different directions and rhythms at the same time, but when you play for a long time it just becomes second nature. Concentrating isn't the hard part for me: what's hard is that I have really tiny hands, so I find it hard to play chords bigger than an octave and it takes much more effort than it should to move my hands all over the keyboard quickly.
Yep, it's a bit odd but I like it so far! It's really easy since I've been doing piano for so long.
8629565
Thanks and Merry Christmas. Here are some fish fingers and custard for my fellow brony-whovian
8629959
Merry Christmas to you too!! And ooh that's the best present ever