Lost in Her Eyes

by Clavier

Chapter 2

She was lost again. Lost in those deep, green eyes. They gazed back at her, but hollowly; she knew this image wasn’t real. This dream was altogether to familiar to her. So familiar that she could immediately know it was a dream. The dream was repeating a moment of her life, the moment that had plagued her memory for a year. This was the moment when she had first lost herself.

This was the moment when she fell in love with Applejack.

Of course, her mind twisted the original image, gave it a pleasant veneer over a sultry truth. She hadn’t really been gazing into her friend’s eyes; she was glowering. Applejack had actually beat her in a race, even after allowing her to fly! It seemed impossible. Even with that tree she hit. Ashamed and more angry than she had reason to be, Rainbow Dash’s menacing gaze had no love to it at all. To lose to Applejack running was one thing, but to lose flying? That hurt.

Their surroundings couldn’t be more serene, a placid lake reflecting the shining moon, pearls of light dancing on the golden autumn leaves of the surrounding trees. Even as she puffed and wheezed, exhausted from her run, Applejack seemed captivated by it. She didn’t even notice the angry pegasus’ stare. But Rainbow couldn’t appreciate this beauty; her childish anger was getting the better of her.

A simple question from the panting, winded earth pony changed all that.

“What’s it like to fly, Dash?”

She had expected gloating. Or even just a sly smile. All her anger melted away with this simple, earnest question.

“Um …” The pegasus honestly had no idea how to answer. How could she? This was akin to asking what it’s like to walk. It was second nature. Exhilarating, liberating, but still second nature.

“Ah guess … Ah guess Ah always sorta wished Ah could fly, like a pegasus. At least once. Just to feel it. Ah’m happy to be an Earth pony an’ all, but … well, it’s a silly foalish wish Ah suppose.” Applejack tried to smile, a foreleg twisting its way into the ground, but she couldn’t hide her embarrassment at this admission.

“Well it’s like … errr …”

Unable to put the feeling into words, an idea suddenly dashed to Dash’s mind. She smiled mischievously before turning around and sitting, wings unfurled.

“Hop on!” She beamed at her own ingenuity.

“Wh–wha? Are ya sure? Are ya sure y’all can carry me?”

As confident as she usually was in her athletic prowess, Rainbow wasn’t sure of this at all. But she certainly wouldn’t let on. “Of course!”

Applejack approached slowly. “Are ya … are ya really sure about this?”

“Oh come on, Applejack, even Fluttershy isn’t afraid to fly! … usually.” They both chuckled at the comparison.

Timidly, tentatively, Applejack wrapped her forelegs around the familiar blue neck, bringing her head close to that bright, multi-colored mane.

Rainbow Dash stood, lifting her usually earth-bound friend entirely off the ground. One by one she flexed her shoulders and hips, adjusting her weight and checking her balance. She flapped her wings a few times, feeling the lift, convincing herself that her new cargo wouldn’t prevent her from flying. Applejack wasn’t the lightest mare in Ponyville, but Rainbow Dash certainly wasn’t the weakest. With another quick nudge and the load balanced, she set herself to the task at hoof.

Not bothering to test the wind on such a calm night, and wanting to get a bit of surprise out of Applejack, she leapt into the air, and was off.

Applejack failed to suppress a scared yelp, then pushed her head deep into Rainbow’s mane. Rainbow couldn’t help but giggle; partially due to her friend’s sudden fear, partially due to the warm breath against her neck tickling her mane.

The farmpony’s heart beat fast against her back, each breath bringing it closer, then farther again. Warmth flowed through her, screening her from the biting night air. Although the legs around her neck were clinging for dear life, she liked having them there; she liked having Applejack there. She had a simple joy from helping her friend, and a sinister one from managing to help and terrify at the same time.

“You won’t see anything like that, AJ!”

Dash could feel her friend’s throat tighten before her head slowly rose. The new perspective caused her to grasp more tightly with her hind legs even as her forelegs loosened. Her steed suppressed a blush, realizing how suggestively close their bodies had now become.

Walls, carefully constructed in Rainbow Dash’s mind, were beginning to crumble. Thoughts and ideas that she had meticulously segregated from her day-by-day life were leaking, as through fissures in a breaking dam, into her consciousness. Although the attraction was purely physical, and she had more important and immediate tasks, an uncontrollable part of her mind was imagining how hers and Applejack’s bodies could be closer. Could be one.

She shook off the feeling, trying to reassert her compartmentalized mind. A trick, she was sure, would distract her.

Dash had intentionally not been living up to her name, trying to keep her friend’s first flight slow and easy. But a little bit of speed, she figured, couldn’t hurt. She dropped to the treetops and glided just above them, gaining speed and allowing her wake to rustle and dislodge leaves as she drifted from side to side. She couldn’t accelerate as rapidly as she usually would have, but that was probably for the best. Applejack was so amazed by this view of the forest she’d never experienced before, she gave no notice to the growing vortex of leaves behind them. She held tightly, not making a sound, entranced by the pegasus’ world.

The rainbow-maned mare knew exactly where she was going. They approached the edge of a ravine; just beyond, a small, conspicuous cloud floated unnaturally exactly where she’d left it. This was one of her favorite napping spots, and not a place she’d ever shared with anypony. With an exaggerated swoop, she landed on her favorite perch.

Leaves from their wake now caught up, encircling them in a rustling, golden aura. Applejack breathed deeply, lost in the scents and sounds and sights. Rainbow Dash craned her neck to watch.

But she was not watching the leaves.

The walls were crumbling again.

She watched the mare’s excitement and awe. Light broke unevenly through their autumn veil, illuminating the orange pony in random sweeps and bursts. She followed each trail of light as far back as she was able, garnering as much joy from the view as Applejack was of hers.

The walls could no longer hold back the waves. Rainbow Dash’s mind was being slowly inundated.

As the leaves began to fall past them, she watched the straw-golden mane before her bob and rustle delicately in the wind, where it wasn’t controlled by the farmpony’s trusty hat, which had somehow remained firmly attached. She watched the smile on her friend’s face and the sparkle in her bright green eyes highlight those adorable freckled cheeks. Dash was enchanted.

The walls were gone now. Rainbow Dash was more aware of herself than she had been for years. And she knew that the spectacle before her was the most beautiful she could ever be so lucky as to behold.

Applejack watched the leaves fall towards the rushing river far below for some time. She turned her head, intending to whisper into the ear of her talented blue friend. She wasn’t expecting that her friend was already looking back at her.

For the briefest of moments, by the luckiest of accidents, their lips met. Applejack blushed and pulled away. Rainbow Dash was exhilarated, as she now willingly allowed the rush of emotions to wash over her mind.

Regaining herself, the orange mare spoke simply, happily. “Thank you, Dash.”

She had no fear. She had no shame. She was Rainbow Dash! And she was ready to tell Applejack everything; ready to tell the truth about herself, the truth about her feelings.

“Applejack, I–”

But she could say no more.

She dared to gaze boldly, and for the first time, she was lost. Lost in those deep, green eyes.

The walls began to rebuild themselves, even though their master could want nothing less at the time. The flooding quelled slowly, and then stopped. She had later convinced herself to push these feelings farther and farther from her consciousness, but those moments were blissfully separate from her dream.

The image faded. This dream always ended here. Rainbow regretted that she had not acted differently this time, as if acting differently in her dreams could change her reality.

In the distant time and place where the body of this pegasus slumbered, a small patch of dirt road was discolored slightly by falling, salty droplets of water.

---

Continuity note: The events depicted in this dream make a bit less sense if they do not occur before (and probably considerably before) a particular event of season 1 episode 9, Bridle Gossip.

Comments

[ArcaneTrex]

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh

[Adam Crocker]

Now THIS has significantly picked up my regard from the story, even if I was positively disposed towards it. You've put down some very vivid and very effective descriptive language to describe how Dash fell in love with Applejack. And instead of enumerating Applejack's virtues as being why Dash fell in love, you describe the rush of emotion that comes with falling in love, a process that's not always rational or clearly explainable, but nonetheless sensibly arises in this case due to a moment of profound intimacy. You carried that out very well, as you did with how fear overtook Dash when she gazed into Applejack's eyes.

Well done. At this rate my initial reservations might not matter any more.

[Brony2]

yeah right AJ, that kiss was an accident!

[Cthulhu Likes Ponies]

Perfect song for this chapter.