• Published 3rd Jan 2013
  • 7,087 Views, 241 Comments

Chocolate Covered Grapes - Callisto



After an incident between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the two are finding it hard to communicate with each other. However, a trip suggested by a friend might bring their problems to light.

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Chapter 1

The bonfire popped and crackled while the six pony friends roasted their marshmallows in the flame. The night was clear, and the stars shone bright over Sweet Apple Acres.

Pinkie Pie was just at the end of a story depicting her latest babysitting job for the cakes - a harrowing story about how Pinkie was flown throughout town clasping onto Pound Cake while holding Pumpkin Cake by the diaper with her teeth. "Don't LAUGH!" she said, her eyes wide in horror. "The cakes are never going to trust me with the babies again! ...after this next week of babysitting, that is. Though, since the whole town saw that happen, I don't think anypony else will babysit for them."

"I'm sure they'll trust you fine, Pinkie," Twilight said, poking at the logs in the fire with a stick. "We don't mean to laugh. It's just funny how you tell the story."

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said, mouth full of a freshly made s'more. "And maybe you know how it feels now having to deal with you."

"Rainbow!" Twilight scolded.

"What!?" she said. "I'm just saying."

Rainbow Dash looked to her side. Applejack was laying on her belly next to her, but her attention was elsewhere. She looked up at the sky, as though she were searching for something. Rainbow Dash ignored whatever Pinkie had said to make the others laugh and leaned in close to Applejack. "Hey."

Applejack's attention shot back to Rainbow Dash, taking a moment to switch from her previous mindset to a friendly smile. "Hey, Rainbow."

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been pretty quiet all night."

"Have Ah?" Applejack asked, shaking her head. "Sorry, got a lot on mah mind, lately."

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said. "Me too."

"Hmm," Applejack said, looking back up at the skies. Rainbow Dash frowned. She was hoping Applejack would want to talk some more. But if she didn't want to talk about it with her, she was hardly going to force the issue.

"So, AJ," she said, talking in her normal voice again. "Didn't you say you had something for tonight? Some....cider." She nudged the pony with her elbow. "You know...nudge, nudge; wink, wink?"

Applejack furrowed her brow as she looked at Rainbow Dash. "Ya don't need ta be talkin' in code, Rainbow. Everypony knows I have some hard cider saved away for tonight."

"Right," Rainbow Dash said. "But, it's not here..."

Applejack got to her hooves. "Alright, alright, Ah'll go get it."

"I'll go with you!"

"Nah, it ain't that much. Ah'll just run and get it."

"Uh, hello? Between you, me, and Pinkie, we're going to need a LOT more than you can carry on your own. Let me help!" Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash's eager smile, and shrugged her shoulders, indicating for the pony to follow her. "Alright! Hey, guys, we're gunna grab some of the....you know....'cider'," she said with a wink.

Fluttershy tilted her head. "Is there something in your eye, Dash?"

"No, deary," Rarity said. "Either they're going to get hard cider, or they're going off to do something naughty in the barn. Either way, Rainbow would like it to remain a secret."

"Naughty in the barn?" Applejack asked, blushing slightly and rolling her eyes. "Really, Rarity, don't talk like that. What if somepony heard you. Right, Rainbow?" She looked back to Rainbow, who was blushing.

"I, uh..." she said, shaking her head. "That...was not...what I meant."

Rainbow Dash could hear Pinkie Pie and Rarity chuckling as she and Applejack walked towards the apple cellar. Her face had heated up so much from that comment, she could only hope her blushing was misinterpreted for mere embarrassment at having her statement turned into something it wasn't. She dared to glance at Applejack, but she seemed to be fine. "Could you imagine?" the earth pony said with a chuckle. "Naughty in the barn..."

"Yeah..." was all Rainbow could manage to reply. Her mind however was booming the question in her head: COULD she imagine? Knowing she couldn't let this subject simply slip away, Rainbow asked, "But, I mean, it's not like it's something that's impossible, right?" Applejack gave Rainbow a worried look which caused the Pegasus to stammer. "I, uh, I mean, I'm not trying to say anything. Just...I can see how she could think that. We're together a lot."

"Huh," Applejack said, tilting her head to the side. "Well, yeah, we are. Ah'm just used to havin' you 'round. Ah guess Ah don't even notice, anymore." She flicked her blonde tail, putting her ears back.

Rainbow ruffled her feathers, watching Applejack closely. "What? You don't NOTICE me anymore?"

Applejack shook her head. "No, not that, Rainbow. You know...you're just always there. It's like when Ah'm out on the field and Winona is by my si...oh, well, I notice that she's there, nevermind."

Rainbow Dash sputtered. "So....so you can't even compare me to your DOG?"

"It's just different with you, is all," Applejack said as they arrived at the apple cellar. She used her mouth to pull the door open before continuing. "Ah can't describe it. Like, I'm comfortable 'round you. Maybe...too comfortable," she added, not looking at Rainbow.

"Uh-huh," Rainbow Dash said, suddenly very annoyed.

"Oh, don't take it wrong, Sugarcube," she said, putting a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder. "Ah just meant to say that what Rarity said is silly, is all." Then she started down the stairs, before forcing a chuckle. "Could y'imagine? And if mah family heard us? That'd be a mighty fine mess to be in."

Rainbow Dash was unsure if she should have been happy that Applejack was amused and not disgusted with the idea, or annoyed that her first concern went to what her family would think. Just like she figured would happen. But at least they were talking about it, somewhat...

"And what if, say..." Rainbow Dash was blushing, but a part of her was dying to know. When Applejack turned on the lantern to light up the apple cellar, Rainbow Dash saddled up next to her. She felt the other pony get tense. "Okay, let's pretend for a second that what Rarity said was true."

Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash, eyes wide in wonderment at how close she had gotten, how her expression changed to something she had never quite seen before, how she was harping on a subject she didn't want to talk about. "Why is it important, Dash?"

'You know why,' is what she wanted to say. Instead, she said, "It's a bonfire party. We ask stupid 'What If' scenarios all the time, so the other can answer honestly. So! What if we left the party, pretending to go get some apple cider. We come down here. It's dark, intimate, and we're alone. And things get...well, let's just use Rarity's word and say, 'naughty'. What would you think of that?"

Applejack looked down to the ground, frowning in thought. Her mind wasn't in the right place to think about this, to begin with, let alone work out the scenario to the end in her head. The ground didn't look too comfortable. They'd probably have to bring in some straw. And it could probably get loud, so they'd have to close the door...

And...

Applejack whinnied with surprise when she started picturing exactly what being "being naughty in the barn" would entail. Very vividly. Maybe a little too accurate to make her feel comfortable being so close to the mare in question at that moment.

Applejack's face turned scarlet red. She looked to Rainbow Dash, who was looking at her, waiting for an answer, then looked away quickly. "Rainbow!" she said. "We're here to get cider!" She brushed past the Pegasus without looking at her, and opened a case of hard cider she had stored away.

"Okay, okay," Rainbow Dash said. "It's not like I'm the one who brought it up in the first place. I just wanted to see how you'd react!" The mare went up to Applejack, who was still taking out cider, not looking at Rainbow, her face still red. "I'm just noticing you didn't say no."

Applejack dropped one of the bottles on the floor, before looking up at Rainbow. Their faces were really close, and Rainbow jerked back in surprise. "Rainbow," Applejack said, "This is ridiculous. Ah don't have time for your silly questions! Ah got a lot of things on mah mind and a lot of things to take care of, and right now Ah just wanna have a nice night with mah friends and not think anything else. And Ah certainly don't need thoughts of you and me in any questionable situations swimmin' round in mah head, what with everything else Ah've got to think about. So, d'ya wanna help me with this cider or not?"

Rainbow Dash frowned. She went silent as the two packed up some cider into two baskets. The sound of clinking bottles seemed to get louder and louder as time passed, until it was almost unbearable to be in that apple cellar anymore.

Rainbow Dash broke the silence, saying, "You're not the only pony with problems, AJ. Maybe if you weren't so focused on yourself right now, you'd see that." She picked up the basket with the cider and flew up and out of the wine cellar as quickly as she could.

Applejack looked back to her basket. She handled that badly. Again. She just couldn't seem to talk to Rainbow Dash anymore, and it was wearing on both of them.

She shook her head. She really didn't have time to think about this. Her mind was so muddled. With a sigh, she picked up her basket, and left the apple cellar.

-=-=-=-=-

The night inched along after that. Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't say much to each other on the way back to the bonfire, didn't say much when they handed out refreshments. Didn't say much to each other after the first two ciders. That was when Applejack stopped drinking.

Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash didn't have that good sense.

"Geez...Olive cider soooo much," Rainbow said. She was on her fourth bottle, and it showed. She was lying on her back, her hooves stuck in the air, while her front hooves clutched a bottle of hard cider. She tilted it to her open mouth. When nothing but a few drops came out, she started to lick the bottle opening. She moaned in annoyance, turned to the side, and threw the bottle pathetically on the ground. "Another!"

Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other with concern. Applejack, who had switched her position to be next to Twilight, just rolled her eyes.

"Rainbow, dear," Rarity said, stepping over to the Pegasus. "Don't you think your time would be better spent talking with everypony rather than...drinking to yourself?"

Pinkie Pie, who had put away a few herself, appeared behind Rainbow Dash with a huge smile on her face. "Yeah! It's not a party if everyone's not partying!" She yanked the cider bottle Rainbow Dash had managed to acquire for herself from her hooves, and was met with whiny protests. Pinkie Pie ignored her and dragged Rainbow Dash to her feet.

Rainbow Dash immediately fell over.

"Ooh," Pinkie Pie said. Then in a loud whisper to Rarity, "She's WASTED." She giggled and snorted.

"N'aahm not," Rainbow said, struggling to turn herself correctly and get onto her feet. Fluttershy raced forward and helped Rainbow Dash to get up away from the fire. But the help just made her take a few steps forwards and hit her head against Rarity's. Pinkie Pie thought the entire spectacle was hilarious, and was on her back, holding her stomach from laughing so much.

Applejack, watching the whole thing, scoffed when Rainbow Dash cupped Rarity's face in her hooves and tried to get her to make a duck face by making one herself. "Honestly, Rainbow," she said. "Just cause we had a little spat don't mean you gotta go and drink yourself stupid."

"Ah'm not stupid," Rainbow Dash said, looking over to Applejack. She started to make her way over there, and Fluttershy walked between Rainbow Dash and the bonfire, squealing in fear that she would end up getting burned because of this. "This is...sooo like YOU, Apf...appa...shack!"

"Okay, Rainbow," Twilight said. "Calm down. She wasn't calling you stupid."

"Ah can hear, Night Light," she said, plopping down in front of the two. Fluttershy finally relaxed once Rainbow sat down.

"What 'Night Light' was sayin'," Applejack said, "Is that Ah'm calling what you're doin' stupid. Now, no more drinkin' for you. You're ruining everyone's night."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash said, any anger or annoyance fading away. "S...sorry."

Pinkie Pie came up behind Rainbow and hugged her. "It's okay, Rain--"

"Ah juss wanna cheer y'up, Snaffelack." She got very close to Applejack, who's ear twitched in annoyance. "You're with the....and the sad. Why're you so sad?" She put a hoof to stroke Applejack's mane.

"Sugar, can ya just let me be right now? Ah don't wanna talk to you when you're this way."

"Y'need cheering up! You juss wait, and..." Rainbow closed her eyes, thinking hard. "And...muffins!" she said like it was a revolutionary idea.

Pinkie Pie gasped. "Of COURSE! Muffins!" The two collapsed on each other in laughter.

Rarity sat next to Twilight, staring at Rainbow and Pinkie. "Well, this can't be good for any of us."

"She's been dong this a lot, lately," Twilight said, shaking her head.

"Oh, she's always been like that," Rarity said, shaking her head. "So! I saw you looking up at the sky before this all started. Applejack was looking earlier to. I'm starting to feel like I missed the memo on a meteor shower."

"No, no, it's actually very interesting...I'm looking for a star. You see--" Their conversation was interrupted when Applejack yelped. Rainbow Dash had made an attempt to pounce her, but managed to only crash into her. She was laughing to herself as Applejack was on her side, looking at Rainbow Dash in shock.

"What in the hay do you think you're doin'?"

"Juss....playing a game," Rainbow said, smiling as she tried to focus on Applejack. "You need to loos....lose it? ...Loosen. Up." Rainbow was making an effort to keep her eyes open and focused on the mare in front of her.

"Ah don't need to loosen up," Applejack said, getting to her hooves.

"Yeah, you do," Rainbow said.

"No, Ah don't need you jumpin' on top of me whenever ya feel like it!"

"You need, like...a stick removal or something."

"No, what Ah need is to get away from you!" Applejack turned and walked towards her barn. She looked back to Twilight. "Get her home, or something, will you?" She barked.

Rainbow Dash took a few steps forward, before falling backwards, and once again being saved from the bonfire by Fluttershy. "Affleyack!" she yelled.

Pinkie Pie giggle. "Affleyack. OH! That's a GREAT baby name! That is SOOO going in the list." She pulled out a notebook and wrote down the name.

Rarity shook her head. "Maybe you should just never have babies, Pinkie Pie."

"I never said the name was for MY baby."

"Alright, guys," Twilight said, using her magic to lead Rainbow Dash towards her instead of towards where Applejack made her escape. "I guess the night's over. I'll take Rainbow to the library for now. I don't think she could fly right now even if she tried."

"Good idea," Rarity said. "And even if she could fly, we don't need her ending up at Appleloosa and having no idea how she got there."

"I once had a friend," Pinkie Pie said, "Who got SO drunk, that she ended up dancing in a punch bowl..."

Twilight frowned. "That was you, Pinkie."

"With an alligator on her head..."

"That was YOU, Pinkie."

"And juggled papayas."

"That was you, Pinkie."

"And none of her friends tried to stop her."

"That's not TRUE, Pinkie," Twilight said, tugging Rainbow Dash with her magic towards her, as she was still trying to make her way to the barn, but only getting a few feet away before toppling over. "Fluttershy tried to stop you, and you knocked her into the wall with a power hip-bump!"

Fluttershy shrunk down. "I couldn't hear in my right ear for days."

Pinkie Pie pursed her lips. "They didn't do ANYTHING to stop me."

-=-=-=-=-=

Twilight made the long trek home with Rainbow Dash in tow. It was hard to control her. Every once in a while, she would try to fly home or gallop off, or head towards something that she was looking at. She would then trip on a pebble, or the slightest disturbance would tip her over. But Twilight didn't expect all the talking.

"It's kinda like flying," she said, with no context for Twilight to pick up her train of thought. Her slurring had improved quite a bit, though. "You fly up, then down, and it all feels, you know? It all feels."

"What all feels, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, using her body to try and keep her walking in a straight line.

"The feels, Twightlight. The feels?"

"Okay, Rainbow. I know all about the feels."

"Good," she said. "Cause they're not easy. NO!" She said so suddenly, Twilight Sparkle jumped. "Not flying. It's like...being hungry. You know what eating is like, right?"

"Of course," Twilight said, rolling her eyes.

"And she would be soooo gooood," Rainbow said, hanging her head. "She has to be. She's so beautiful. With that....mane. Have you seen her mane? It's like hay, but....it's like...not for eating."

"Well, most manes aren't for eating," Twilight said, grateful to have finally arrived at the library. She opened the door with her magic and tried to lead Rainbow in. Unfortunately for Twilight, just inches from the door, the pegasus slumped down on the ground and refused to budge any more. "Rainbow! Just come through the door! You'd feel better if you were sitting down or something."

"And, jeez, have you seen her eyes?" She asked, pointing a hoof to her own eye and accidentally poking it, followed by a delayed, "Ow...No, her eyes are like...those things that Rares uses....the....green ones. Like, Spike should want to EAT them, they're so gorgeous."

"Emeralds?" Twilight asked, making one final tug with her magic, and pulling Rainbow Dash into the library. With a sigh of relief, she shut the door. After taking a deep breath for a job well down, she looked down to see Rainbow Dash was sprawled out across the floor, her hind quarters in the air, and not bothering to move. "Aren't you uncomfortable like that?" There was no answer at first.

And then...

Snoring.

"Oh, NO!" Twilight said, poking Rainbow Dash hard in the ribs. Rainbow jerked away, before closing her eyes again. "Rainbow, you CAN'T sleep here right by the door. You're going to get in the way. You can use my bed, but ONLY if you can manage the stairs. Alright?"

"No, this is good," Rainbow said, finally adjusting herself, and laying on her side, letting out a burdened breath.

"No, it's no---DON'T GO BACK TO SLEEP!" Twilight yelled. Rainbow Dash jerked awake, straining to keep her eyes open. Twilight sighed, frowning. "Who are you talking about, anyways?"

Rainbow Dash swung her head around and settled her unfocused gaze on Twilight. "Who else would I be talking about," she cleared her throat loudly, but didn't continue on that train of thought.

"Well, tell me about her while I help you up the stairs." This seemed to prompt Rainbow to actually try to do what Twilight said.

But even the first step was a matter of massive difficulty. Rainbow placed a hoof out, touched the step, but teetered backwards instead. Twilight caught her with her magic, and used it to help propel her up the first few stairs. After she let go of her magic, Rainbow Dash immediately began to teeter backwards again. Twilight came up behind her, put her hooves on Rainbow's hind quarters, and started to push Rainbow forward. With a few more attempts and a few magical interventions, Twilight finally got Rainbow Dash into her bed room and headed towards her bed. "NOW!" she said as she let Rainbow try and drag herself over to the bed. "Who are you talking about?"

"About?" she asked.

"Yes. Inedible hair, dragon edible eyes. OH! Are you hungry? I don't think you ate much at the bonfire."

"Oh, she is soooo delicious," Rainbow whined, turning to Twilight, and plopping down on the floor. Twilight groaned, looking towards the bed and just how far away it was from the pegasus who was supposed to sleep off her alcohol in it. "Her cutie mark is like candy. Her coat is like honey, I just want to lick it. She looks luscious, like chocolate, but juicy, like a grape. I want to eat her."

"I'm suddenly uncomfortable with this whole train of thought..."

"And eat chocolate covered grapes for dinner every night."

Twilight sighed. "Great, now I'm hungry."

"But she doesn't want me." At this, Rainbow's voice began to break. "Why doesn't she want me, Twilight?"

The unicorn was taken aback. She had never seen Rainbow cry before, even when slobbering drunk. "Oh...Oh, Rainbow. Who?" She reached out a hoof and pulled the toppling pony into a hug.

Rainbow's body heaved with sobs. "Why doesn't she want me? I've...always been there. I don't want to f-fee-feel this way." Her words caught in her throat as her sobbing won out.

Twilight thought for a moment before the pieces slowly started coming together. Her eyes widened at the realization. Shocking that Rainbow Dash would admit it, but not incredibly surprising once she realized it. "Rainbow, you don't know that she doesn't want you. She was just upset tonight."

"She doe-doe-doesn't w-want me!" Rainbow said, gasping heaves becoming more prominent than actual words. "Why won't she have me? I-I can m-make her happy!"

"Rainbow..."

"I want to f-feel happy again! I don't wanna f-feel this way! Why did I have to fall in l-love with her?" At this, Rainbow descended into sobs and found no way back from them. Twilight rubbed her back as comforting as she could. Rainbow cried on her shoulder for a long time until she cried herself to sleep.

Twilight sighed, using her magic to levitate Rainbow to the bed, covering her with a blanket. She took a deep breath to steady her overused magic that night - it was so difficult to steady a moving target with magic, and Rainbow Dash made all her spells feel so hard to control.

After taking a moment to rest her thoughts and ground her magic, Twilight thought about what she had heard her friend tell her that night. It broke her heart to see Rainbow in such pain, especially over another friend. She didn't have any of the details, but she could certainly see what had transpired after the fact. And seeing her so miserable made her wonder if there was really anything she could do to help her short of giving her exactly what she wanted.

Sometimes, she wished magic was just that easy.

No, this was something she really couldn't control, which made things harder on her. She just had to hope an opportunity would come up for Rainbow Dash to finally resolve all her feelings, whatever the outcome of her love was. She hoped, for Rainbow's sake, that it would be soon.