Epilogue
Sometimes there's room for improvement that you may have never noticed until just now.
Sometimes an eye-openingly happy experience with a new activity can improve your mood in the long run.
The latter thing might be a gateway to the former, or at least, that's what Applejack is thinking!
These are the messages of today when it comes to a certain farm pony. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, when the competitive duo of Applejack and Rainbow Dash simultaneously have the ability to take time off, Applejack, while nonchalantly strolling around her farm without a single entry on the to-do list and a smile holding on her face, suddenly hatches up an idea.
An idea that only makes today seem even more sunny. An idea that she believes was able to come about precisely because she had let loose her embarrassing desire and had a more sunny mood.
An idea that she sees as a sparkly, shiny addition to an already great friendship.
What if... Dash and I did something that's... not competitive? What if we just casually dined for lunch at a restaurant together?
Like, I can't even remember when was the last time we had a one-on-one hangout without continuing the toughest pony competition. When was the last time?
Land sakes... I've gotta do this! I've gotta invite Dash to lunch!
AJ runs inside the barn, scoops up a brown paper off the shelf and writes the words down at no-hesitation speed, and, luckily enough, Spike was sleeping over at the farm this weekend, so she wasn't at risk of having to rely on the mail that might not be able to deliver the letter in time.
"Hiya Spike, could ya send this to Rainbow Dash?"
"Sure, AJ!"
The blow was blown, and the invitation was off to a certain cloud house.
If she accepts... it's gonna be a fun day.
Rainbow Dash, who, as a Wonderbolt, now uses the weekends to reset her muscles, especially those in her wings, had been spending the hours of the morning reading Daring Do books. Her favorite pasttime.
Guess I should check the mailbox., she thinks as the afternoon rolls around and she decides to close off her book session, making way for a mid-day meal and hopefully hanging out with some friends. That's her plan.
I wonder what exactly I'm gonna do this afternoon! What will I eat? Where will I go in town to see who's there?
She ain't havin' to wait long to figure that out, as the lone arrival in the box not to be a white envelope catches her attention, and in turn, first read. She unties and unrolls the bottle-style paper.
Hey Rainbow Dash,
Applejack here. Today I came up with the idea, and I wanted to ask you, do you think we could hang out together with just the two of us this afternoon, but doing something that's not battling each other in games?
Don't get me wrong, I love our ongoing toughness competition and all, but friendship is about way more than just that. And I don't feel like our one-on-one friendship has been expanded to what it could be, if ya get what I mean.
So... lunch today at The Sandwich Club, with a meetup time of 12:15?
Today might feature some new digs. Upon hearing her friend's perspective, Rainbow can't help but agree with it. Applejack is right; they really haven't done anything in 2-player mode except toughness gaming. Rainbow can't even recall the last time they did something more... girly, if you could call it that.
And as if that wasn't a strong enough motive to go out and do it, Rainbow had just let Pinkie Pie launch tickles all over her body only a week ago, and... she liked it. Heck, the tickling was done by Rainbow's request.
Girly? Not a problem one bit. Rainbow takes off right away to the restaurant of Applejack's suggestion.
The timing at which both ponies reached the restaurant happened to be very good, as Rainbow catches sight of her farmer friend approaching the building as soon as her hooves make the landing.
"AJ!", she happily exclaims. "Wow, I have to say, I really like this idea you came up with. I agree, we've been competing too much and not just, well, being friends enough, I'd say. Not that friends shouldn't compete with each other, it's downright awesome, but as you said, it's about the cute things too.", Rainbow says.
"I agree; I'm sure happy I hatched up this idea.", Applejack says. "And I just thought of it, in the middle of the field, when I was doin' nothin'!"
The two ponies share a quick hug before they both declare they're ready for lunch. They ring the front door bell to the light-blue inside of the cafe, take seats at their table, and give the waitress their orders, which buys them time for conversation.
"So Dash, what have you been up to recently? Nothin' but the normal stuff, or did something more... memorable happen at any time this week?"
This question puts Rainbow Dash in a stun. Something memorable? This week?
Oh, if the answer to that question wasn't ever "yes." Rainbow had made a life-altering discovery, in that, when it's done in a certain (better) setting, she turns out to enjoy something that, for her whole life, she continually insisted she didn't like. Her thoughts at bedtime were dominated by "I've been lying to myself this whole time..."
So yes, something extraordinarily conversation-worthy has definitely occurred. Rainbow wanted to blurt the awesome news out right then and there, but... remember who's on the other side of the table from her.
Ultimately, step-by-step is the truth. Rainbow may have been successful at opening the door to her more "cute" desires for Pinkie, a shameless sillyhead, but with Applejack... not as easy to do when your friendship history is dominated by "Who's the toughest?" So she sits in silence.
However, Applejack senses something to work with. Rainbow's red cheeks, puppy-dog eyes, and her own memorable experience this week brought her in for a wild, and straight-out-there, try-out. A second try-out.
"Let me guess... ya got tickled?", Applejack asks.
Rainbow gets shocked by this question so hard that her seat falls on its back as she unintentionally suspends herself in the air. Good thing she's a pegasus, otherwise there likely would have been an injury here.
"W-w-why do you guess that?", Rainbow asks in distress, breathing heavily.
Her experience being what it was, Applejack has no choice but to be lighthearted with her friend here.
"Because... I got tickled too!", Applejack says excitedly.
A baker's dozen of questions were to pop out into Rainbow's mind here, which results in her remaining silent, enabling Applejack to tell more of the story.
"I woke up in the night, and suddenly I was feelin' like I was wantin' to be tickled, which I thought was a load of dirt at first because of the experiences I remembered. Because of that, I tried to ignore it. But it stubbornly persisted, and after I caved in and took a look through some family photo albums, I discovered that I have liked ticklin' before, and so now I had incentive to try it out some."
Here's where she feels the power of that experience letting her speak about it further to Rainbow Dash, of all ponies.
"Which I did! I asked Rarity, and the result was... I had a great, fun time! I'm sure ticklish, and I loved gettin' those laughs.", she says shamelessly.
That shamelessness was not only instrumental in getting Rainbow Dash to calm down and use her chair again, but listening to AJ chronicle this hits right into the heart and mind of Rainbow Dash, because it sure sounded... a lot like her story!
"Uhh, yeah, it turns out, we've got a big coincidence going on here, because that's pretty much exactly what happened to me!"
Rainbow blushes at revealing this to her competitive friend, but, powered by what that tickle session did for her, she keeps going.
"I, just like you, suddenly developed a weird desire to try out being tickled, and I myself also thought it was nonsense at first, based on my childhood experiences. But then I realized that tickling isn't always done that way, and since I was hanging out with Pinkie Pie at the time, I had a perfect gateway to trying out good tickling."
"And I clearly wanted to try it, so I did. Result: ...I actually liked it."
Applejack's mind is blown in every way it could be.
"Wow! Ya liked it?! And we both had almost the exact same experience? Land sakes, this sure is something to tell our friends about!"
Rainbow Dash, being herself, still says, hesitantly and with blushing, "Uh... yeah." to this sentence, but upon letting in the image of Rainbow telling this story to the rest of the girls, say, at a sleepover, all she can picture is herself feeling perfectly comfortable doing so.
The times they are changing, Dash. The times they are changing.
"Just out of curiosity, what day was it that ya got tickled, if ya can remember? I did it exactly a week ago from today, on Saturday afternoon.", Applejack says.
"I also did it on Saturday!", Rainbow Dash exclaims. "Pinkie hosted a party that night that I went to, and in fact, I developed the desire to be tickled because of that party! There was an event there where ponies volunteered to get tickled; I don't think anything would have happened with me that night if I wasn't directly seeing it."
The ponies look into each other stunned. This is insane!
"I dub today... coincidence day!", a human named Player 4 suddenly says off-screen, surprising AJ and Dash. And then just casually walking out the door afterward.
"Uh... forgive me, but... what is he doin' in this story?", Applejack says. "Like, he doesn't participate in ticklin'; he ain't got no place here."
"Honestly, I am confused, but not surprised.", Rainbow responds. "He's done that before, haven't you heard? Earlier in the story?"
Applejack was feeling that a possible bombshell was on the horizon. So many thoughts and guesses, some on the more... scary side, some contradicting each other were swirling around in Applejack's mind; it would be a grueling task to give this attention.
Her goal for today was happiness, so she thought it might be best to just... move on.
"Uh... okay. But, uh, new topic, so are you thinkin' you'll want to like, move forward with tickling, since ya liked it?", Applejack asks. "I am. I want to be tickled by Pinkie Pie someday, participate in tickle parties, and maybe start being the tickler too."
"Also, since we are still competitors, ya think we could start ticklin' each other, as a new sub-game for that? And we could also do it in the way we were doin' with our ticklers before. As in, nothin' competitive. Just for adorable friendship fun."
Rainbow abruptly stops sipping on her drink. Applejack is like an idea machine today!
...But Rainbow hasn't reached that level yet.
"Uh... I'll get there someday, but, as Fluttershy would say, baby steps for now.", Rainbow says.
"I understand. I myself will probably still ask Rarity next time I want to be tickled.", Applejack responds.
"But I sure am excited for what this new addition to my life will bring me."
And Rainbow Dash was pinned again. Pinned to releasing this out.
"Honestly... me too.", she responds.
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Wow, just today, on the 10-th of February I stumbled upon this, gave a brief look and then left. And it was incomplete! I return now for closer examination -- and it's been completed just today!
10672536
Yep! I got the last chapter done really fast. Very unusually fast for me.
I also find it interesting that you saw the story as incomplete on Feb. 10 (today). When I released the last chapter, it was February 9 for me; perhaps you're in a farther ahead time zone?
10672856
Apparently, midnight passed, so the date was 10.02... Then later it was nearing midnight as well (10? 11 at night?), and it had been completed by then.
After having read this I must say: though highly amusing, it is as much highly unlikely someone would like being tickled. Everyone confessed they didn't much like it, when I did it to them
. Plus, is it fun to tickle someone for their enjoyment 
? I don't think anyone would enjoy being helpless -- and is that not the beauty of tickling?
But here we are: ponies offering tickling-services and ponies questioning their affinity to being tickled... And reasonability kicks in: not everyone is so accepting... However... for what reasons? Both Applejack and Rainbow try to banish thoughts on how they'd very much rather not... and convince themselves. Strange thoughts, at that: "too girly", "too sappy". It's not too sappy! They should get it right! They are convinced it is and think of the only reasonable conclusion: apparently, being sappy must be acceptable??? But it is called "sappy" to accentuate, that this is pushing the limits! Rainbow would on occasions refer to something heart-warming as to "sappy" -- but we know it's not! If we accepted it were, we'd have also to accept it was not what "cool ponies should do". Are we "uncool"? Heck no! But, since it is not sappy, it's OK. Calling something "sappy" or "girly" is done as to point at how "uncool" that something is. If it's not, other words should be chosen.
If it is, however, then... why would they push their limits, suffer from awkwardness and anxiety?.. Are they really so set on getting tickled?
Must also say: the ticklers are unlikely too. If I heard someone ask me to tickle them -- the poor soul dying of embarrassment -- I'd be amused. I don't think I'd object to the idea -- but would I try to put them at ease? I'd not lie to them; they were going to get tickled and to learn what it felt like; they were going to submit to my will. I would promise to them I'd go gentle on them, but as much, as convincing them they had nothing to fear or to be nervous about?? They should be nervous! What they were about to do was beyond ordinary -- and that was exciting! They'd probably not like it, and the price they were going to bet? Torture of their life! All for finding out, if it'd be torture in actuality! Nerve-racking!.. Treating that exciting experiment as something they should be relaxed about!.. I can't believe you, Rarity and Pinkie!
Who told you, ponies, that tickling was a great way to bond
? Tickle fights? Well, sure. That's cool. Taking things to the next level, though?.. Are we talking about the terror that is tickling?
Thus are my thoughts. They are not to disregard the fun that can be had with tickling. Do rest assured, I'd like to tickle them
! Tickling others is much more fun, than being tickled by others 
! Of course, it could be, they were only gentle tickles, for those, who don't like others going rough on them. But one, who sets deadly traps, should beware those traps. Otherwise getting trapped serves one right! And who bewares has nothing to fear!
If it is too much, however... Gentle tickles are the way to go
! In the end laughter is what matters most, am I right or what 
?
10675153
You're right; those things aren't sappy at all! That's why I put the words in quotation marks, or at least I think I did. If I didn't at any point, please let me know! I was trying to use the quotation marks to point out that those things aren't sappy; it's that the voices in AJ and Dash's minds were trying to tell them they were. If I didn't come across that way and it sounds like I do think they're sappy, well, that's bad
They're not! As the Rainbow Dash chapter points out with the "20% cooler" line, it's cool!
You do have a good point here. I guess I wanted to avoid the ticklers pointing out how their ticklees are submitting to their will in order to keep the story rated E. Maybe pointing out submission doesn't necessitate a T rating, but, the link in the author's note of the first chapter reveals that I had quite a bit of a hard time with wondering if I could rate this story E.
I can totally see why it is hard to believe. But it is the truth in my headcanoned MLP universe; Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Twilight (as far as I know), do enjoy being tickled, in a non-fight setting! They find that the sensation feels good and they like the playfulness of it, which includes the helplessness. Hard to believe, but they are not scared by it.
Thanks for being understanding!
Absolutely!
Thanks so much for your comment! It means a lot!
When’s the next story coming out? Soon, I hope.
I’m interested to see where this goes, and who else joins them.
10750448
Happy to hear you're interested!
Sadly, probably not for a while, as this story's sequel had to move down to the #14 spot on my story list from previously being #12 after I accepted a request for a different tickling story and didn't want to keep a request waiting for too long.
I'm currently working on stories #7 and #9 in conjunction, and also a collab story on the other user's account, so that's a long way to go.
The story list placements are also because there are stories I am slightly more excited to get to than this story's sequel. Can't work on too many at once, so I do have to create a hierarchy. It's not very fun; I wish I could give all my ideas attention now.
But hey, the list could change. It has before.
Thanks again for the read and your interest in this series!
10750474
Cool.
Any chance you could DM me through the site (or just respond to one of my comments here) when you post it? Also, what other plans do you have? I’m kinda interested to see what other gems you got. (Just make sure Spike doesn’t get carried away. 😉)
10752143
Sure thing! 👍
For only tickling stories or in general?
10752165
A little of both (for future reference).
10752169
Okay! I'll send you a DM.
I just want to make it very clear that I think this story is so dang ADORABLE, SWEET, HILARIOUS and I just LOVE IT!
11157365
Haha, why didn't you expect it?
11157483
Well... self-doubt is common when I write. Thinking that I may be a subpar author, not skilled enough to be considered worthy, don't stop, even though I've been writing on this site for nearly 2 years and went a ton of writing lessons + assignments in my school days.
11157517
Aw, I think you can write well! I like how your OC pops in, only to casually remove himself awkwardly lmao. Little things like that make me happy.
11160119
Well, thanks! Your comment really does mean a lot.
As for my OC in this story, well, I wouldn't use the term OC, as that is very much me. "Player 4" is what I call myself these days. As to why there's no self-insert tag on the story, well, you've seen that part of Chapter 1