Lost in Her Eyes

by Clavier

Chapter 7

She was lost again. Lost in those deep, green eyes. They had a mischievous glint, but over the same compassionate friendship that was their usual veneer. More importantly, to Rainbow’s unending relief, they didn’t carry any anger or malice.

“Best athlete in Ponyville, huh,” Applejack teased, “can’t even walk for an hour without fallin’ over.”

Even though it was clearly meant in jest, Rainbow reddened and covered her eyes at the jab. She could only think of a partial change for the subject, but hoped it would be enough. “I’m tired.”

Applejack furrowed her brow and swept her vision over the horizon. By now it was too dark to see anything, and this clearly unsettled her mood. “Ah was hopin’ t’ find some shelter,” she droned, “but Ah guess this’ll have to do.” Although she made a powerful effort to hide any disappointment, she couldn’t help shivering. It was turning into a surprisingly cold night, and the dwindling sunlight and canopy of trees collaborated to chill the pair to the bone. Even Rainbow Dash, who by benefit of her pegasus nature was better adapted to the cold, was beginning to feel the night chill as the latent warmth from their walk drained from her.

Rainbow considered the situation for a moment, shifting slightly to find a suitable position amongst the fallen leaves and grass. It was surprisingly comfortable, the various bits of plant matter forming a soft, warm bed underneath her. There was only one thing that could make it more comfortable…

With mostly noble intentions, she tilted her head, indicating to her side. After all, everypony knew that sharing body heat was the best way to stay warm. Being flank-to-flank with Applejack was just a bonus.

The farmpony snickered lightly, “So this is how ye get mares to sleep with ye, eh Dash?”

“Something like that.”

Another small laugh, then the crinkling of crushed leaves sent flutters through Rainbow’s heart as her love lay next to her. Applejack was close enough to feel every rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, close enough to feel her heartbeat and the tensing and relaxing of muscles as she shifted. For a moment she just rested, looking at Dash with an unreadable expression on her face. They stared at each other, both trying to guess the others’ intentions. Then she did something that surprised herself perhaps even more than Rainbow.

With a quick and practiced motion, she removed the band which tied her mane, allowing it to fall freely. She put a hoof over the cyan mare’s shoulder, careful not to come too close to the damaged wings, then rested her head over a very shocked Rainbow Dash’s neck.

Applejack’s hair drifted down over the pair slowly, forming an improvisational but surprisingly effective blanket. Rainbow relished every moment of the sensation, each touch sending a tingling wave up and down her back. As the unfurling locks landed over her bruise, the more sensitive touch caused her wings to jerk involuntarily, reminding her once more of just how bad the damage was. Nonetheless, she managed to suppress the pain; she would have been loathe to diminish Applejack’s beautiful tranquility.

Her heart was racing. She could feel Applejack’s as well, and it was far from still. She ran through the possibilities in her mind; she knew what she was feeling, but was Applejack just exhausted? Or was there more? Could she possibly read emotions through a heartbeat? Time was passing, but she couldn’t tell how much. She wanted to say something. She wanted to do something. Surely this was a signal of some kind; she chastised herself for refusing out of stubborn pride to read Rarity’s cheesy romance novels when offered, if only to train her in the art of seduction.

“Dash? You asleep?”

Suddenly it was obvious just how much time had passed while her mind raced. Her elation over being with Applejack made sleep quite impossible. “No.”

The earth pony breathed softly into Rainbow’s ear for a moment, deep in thought. It tickled, and made her instinctively flick her ear back and forth, but she still enjoyed every hot breath.

“Where were you takin’ me to, anyway?”

“Oh, um, it’s not important … it’s kinda sappy.” Her face was suddenly flush as it dawned on her just how absurd her plan had been in the first place.

“You’re the one who hates sappy, remember?” Applejack laughed, her chest pushing slightly into Rainbow’s shoulder with each exhale.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell you.” She paused for a moment, deciding how to describe it without sinking into utter embarrassment. It really was quite sappy. “When I was a filly at flight school, I didn’t really get along so well with most of the other pegasus ponies there. I guess I always kinda wanted to get away. So I’d take whole days just to see how far and how fast I could fly.

“Every time I’d push myself just a little bit farther. I was fast, but I didn’t have much stamina, so it was probably pretty stupid of me. Eventually I got so far out that I was too tired to fly back; I’d get to a point and think, ‘This is it, Rainbow. If you fly past here, who knows where you’ll be tomorrow.’”

She smirked, “of course, that never stopped me.”

“Anyway, one day I had sort of screwed things up with Fl– err, with a friend, and I felt like I needed to get out of there more than ever. I flew farther than I ever had before. By the time my wings gave out, it was the middle of the night and I was exhausted, but it felt good.

“I found a comfortable tree branch and went to sleep. When I woke up it was morning, and I could see where I was. There was a lake at the bottom of a waterfall, and the angle of the light made rainbows on a grove of apple trees on the other side.”

Pulling back from her reverent memory, she was once again acutely aware of her situation and surroundings. “Uh, I just thought you might like to see it. I know, sappy.”

Applejack pulled away slightly to turn and face Rainbow. She gave a soft smile, and all of the pegasus’ worries sunk away as they gazed at one another. Her lips quivered slightly.

Then she burst out laughing.

“Ah’m sorry, Dash, Ah just never heard o’ ye bein’ that cheesy before,” she choked through guffaws, “Ah’m sure it would have been very–snrk–sweet.”

“Ugh.”

Applejack took a moment to calm her laughter and readjust her position, now only laying at Rainbow’s side. She had stopped shivering from the cold, and seemed to be warming up all over. Actually, Rainbow realized, the mare’s body was quite hot now, and not only in the way that the lustful pegasus had always known it to be. She was relieved that the botched situation seemed to be improving.

“But just one thing, Dash. Fluttershy and y’all are good friends now, so what do ye mean, ‘ye screwed things up’ with her?”

Rainbow pursed her lips in frustration at her earlier accidental admission. “Promise you won’t tell Fluttershy I told you any of this?”

“Ah promise.”

She paused pensively, trying to decide how much of her past was supposed to be a secret. Ultimately she decided that the story was worth telling. “When I was first … um … well, when I first was starting to figure out that I like mares, it was because I sorta had a crush.”

Applejack’s eyes widened, but she remained silent.

“And I guess it had never occurred to me that she might not like me the same way; I mean, I’m awesome, how could she not? So I might have come on a little bit strong.”

She couldn’t resist any longer. “Ye mean you and Fluttershy–?”

“No! I mean, uh, I kinda wanted to, and she was very nice about it and all, but I basically just ended up messing things up and putting a wedge in our friendship. It wasn’t until Twilight came to Ponyville that we were close again, and I guess I was always sort of scared to make the first move after that.”

Applejack donned a skeptical expression. “Ye sure as hay made the first move with me.”

“Yeah, uh, about that … Pinkie Pie kinda forced me.”

“Are you joshin’ me, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack was smiling again, rolling her eyes to taunt her rival, “Are y’all sayin’ that ye’re scared of me?”

“N–no! I didn’t say scared! I was just, uh, biding my time.”

“Uh huh.” She leaned in very close to Rainbow, until their lips were almost touching and the breath from her nose tickled the pegasus. With a smirk, she taunted again, “Ye’re afraid of me.”

“Am not!”

“Admit it, ye’re afraid of me.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Admit that ye’re afraid of me and I’ll give ye a kiss!”

“Am– what?”

Applejack just raised an eyebrow. It probably hadn’t been intended to be a seductive gesture, but it was one.

Rainbow was shocked. She was too flustered by the bizarre suggestion to know what to say. “That’s dirty pool,” she squeaked, voice cracking.

“Well?”

She twisted slightly to better look at her tormenter, the leaves crackling underneath them as she tossed herself onto her side. After a moment of pause, something clicked. This was not a difficult decision.

“I’m terrified.”

That was the right choice.

She had been expecting a light peck, probably on the cheek. Her expectations were wrong. Their lips locked, Applejack’s tongue thrust its way unabashed through her teeth, and whatever fragment of trepidation she had left was forced violently from her mind. One of Applejack’s hooves found its way down her side, and quickly hers were exploring as well. She pulled the mare she loved closer, not caring why this moment was happening, only that it continued.

But of course, it had to end.

Applejack pulled away suddenly, a mix of sheepishness and shock gracing her features.

“Um … I’m still pretty frightened?” It was worth a shot.

“Ah’m sorry, Dash, Ah just … Ah don’t wanna lead ye on or nothin’, just yer kiss before kinda through me for a loop, and now Ah don’t know what’s what.” She was sweating, and her eyes burned with a green passion under a layer of concern. Whatever complicated mess of emotions sapience was granting her, her more primal desires were quite clear.

Rainbow said nothing.

“When Ah was in Manehattan once, as a filly, Ah met this nice mare couple and got all confused. Ah asked my uncle Orange why some mares like mares, and he said, ‘Everypony’s just got ta do what comes natural for ‘em.’ Ah never really thought about it ‘til now.”

“And what … ‘comes natural?’”

Applejack gazed into Rainbow’s eyes for a tense moment, plainly lost in thought. Rainbow realized that she was, in fact, terrified of Applejack, no matter how much she’d told herself that that was just a ploy. She wanted so desperately to spark a romance here, but felt like she was barely keeping afloat in a sea of possible ways to screw things up. Applejack’s expression softened again, then became unreadable, as she’d clearly made a decision.

Rainbow bit her lip.

So did Applejack.

Before long they were moving farther, challenging each other to push the moment to new and ecstatic highs. In spite of the ever-increasing cold, Dash flipped the farmpony onto her back, biting softly at the fur on the nape of her neck and eliciting a barely stifled gasp in response. Applejack’s mane, which was still down, was collecting bits of debris, giving her a wild look that only enticed Rainbow further. Still, somehow, her hat remained on her head. Never willing to let her rival get the upper hoof, Applejack locked her powerful hind legs around Rainbow’s midsection and rolled the pair over once more, now tenting the couple under the cover of tousled locks.

Suddenly, Rainbow felt her neck tighten. The skin around her face pulled back instinctively, giving her, she was sure, a pained grimace. She felt a tight pinch in her back, where she’d now been flipped onto a jutting bit of rock. Applejack pulled away, looking confused, then concerned. A quick but jarring wave of pain ran through Rainbow’s body, and the tips of her hooves twitched as it left her.

She felt an odd sensation, somewhat like how she imagined it would feel if a warm, viscous liquid were being poured between her shoulder blades, under her wings.

Applejack now looked terrified, and seemed to float away, as the periphery of Rainbow’s vision blurred. She was screaming something, but Rainbow couldn’t hear it.

Actually, thought Dash, this sensation was exactly as if a warm, viscous liquid were being poured between her shoulder blades, under her wings.

“Oh horseapples.”

Comments

[ArcaneTrex]

OOOOOOOHHHH

[Robtari]

Something smells painful...

[bookplayer]

Ooh, cliffhanger!

I'll be tuning in next episode. Good job!

[Clavier]

654859
659510

Secretly, this whole story is just an extended prologue for my gorefic.

[Tchernobog]

Oooooh dear

[Sherlotta]

Can't wait for the next chapter! It's really nice to read!