Chapter 1
Rainbow Dash loved to relax. Everypony in Ponyville knew this. For some, it wasn't a proper day until they caught sight of the fastest pegasus in Equestria snoring on a low-flying cloud. Not to say that she was utterly lazy; when she needed to do some work, she would go right ahead and do it. After all, her designation as the Element of Loyalty was not faulty. If she wasn't needed and she had nothing better to do, though, it was naptime. In the eyes of some of Ponyville's residents, though, this was sometimes a good thing. When she was awake and active, nearly everything she did turned into a competition. Carrying things would turn into her trying to break her previous weightlifting record. Doing the weather would end up with Rainbow trying to shave milliseconds off of her fastest time. Even simple walks would become intense races, as made evident by today's events. Luckily for her, she had a marefriend who loved competition just as much (or, according to Rainbow, nearly as much, since admitting to Applejack being just as competitive as her would mean that she was not the undisputed best at something).
Rainbow and Applejack's hoofrace to the train station today was a sight to behold, as well as a potential hazard to anypony unlucky enough to accidentally wander into their path. Rainbow had won, but only by a nose, and only because Applejack had allowed herself to be overtaken. Even though she enjoyed competition as well, she knew how despondent Rainbow could get when she lost something. Dealing with an angry, or even depressed, Rainbow Dash was not the gameplan for today. Today was supposed to be a happy event. AJ hadn't seen her cousin Braeburn since the last Apple family reunion, so when she received a letter from him earlier this week stating that he was coming to visit with his new marefriend, she could hardly contain her excitement. She had decided to bring Rainbow along to have a nice double date before bringing the couple back to stay in the guest room at Sweet Apple Acres, and the last thing she needed was for Rainbow to be all pouty over having lost a simple little race.
"This train is taking FOREVER!" the pegasus said, letting the cloud she'd chosen for her relaxation drift down alongside her marefriend.
"We'll, it only seems that way cause we jus' HAD ta race here, hon," Applejack responded with a smirk. The apple farmer gently kicked a rear hoof back as Rainbow passed, taking a small chunk out of her cloud. Rainbow flailed a bit, having suddenly lost her headrest. She glared at AJ, who giggled lightly. Rainbow couldn't help but giggle in response. AJ's laugh was too cute to resist.
"Oh shush, you know you loved it," Rainbow responded. She drifted around and gave Applejack's rump a playful smack. This elicited a surprised "yipe!" from her sweet Apple, an exclamation that was soon followed up by a swat from her tail. The two eyed each other for a few moments, considering their options, before sharing a laugh and letting the whole thing drop. They both knew quite well what a playful tussle would likely lead to, and as accepting a town as Ponyville could be, that kind of behavior in public would surely be frowned upon. Nor would Applejack want it to happen; as far as she was concerned, that type of thing belonged in the bedroom. Or the living room if nopony else was home. Or maybe even the dining room, if alcohol was added to the previous conditions. Regardless, a public place was right out.
"Here comes the train!" AJ exclaimed, hopping excitedly as the train came into view. Rainbow chuckled to herself. Big, tough AJ acting like a little filly was a sight to behold.
"So what's Brae's mare like?" Dash asked, hopping off of her cloud and kicking it into oblivion.
"Not a clue," Applejack replied, staring out at the fast-approaching train. "He ain't said a word 'bout her, other'n how great she is an' how he thinks she'll get along with us real well."
"That's cool," Rainbow replied, flying lazy circles around AJ. "I'm just curious as to who he'd find. You've gotta admit, he's a bit of a silly pony sometimes." Watching the train was forgotten in an instant as the apple farmer's attention fell squarely on her marefriend.
"An' jus' what's THAT s'posed ta mean?" she asked. The venom in her tone was enough for even the typically-stubborn Rainbow Dash to drop the subject. She knew better than to make Applejack angry.
"Never mind," Rainbow said, looking down at the ground for a moment. AJ smiled; she knew Rainbow well enough to recognize this as a substitute for the dreaded apologetic "S-word" that rarely showed its face in her vernacular. Her smile grew as the train finally pulled to a stop in front of them.
"This stop: Ponyville!" the conductor yelled, and the train's doors opened.
"Cousin Applejack!" came Braeburn's voice as he galloped onto the platform.
"Cousin Braeburn!" AJ replied with equal excitement, and the two shared a hug. Rainbow opted to give them their space, her attention turning back towards the train.
"Sup, Brae," the pegasus said. "So where's this marefriend we're supposed to meet?"
"Oh, she was flyin' alongside the train!" Brae responded cheerfully. "She thought it'd be good exercise!"
"Ooh, she's a pegasus?" Rainbow asked, perking up.
"You betcha!" Brae answered. "An' there she is now!" He pointed into the sky, and AJ and Rainbow looked up just in time to see a sea-green form, accentuated by an orange streak, fly through the air, pulling into a tight loop before landing smoothly next to Braeburn. It only took a moment for Rainbow's brain to process this before her curious gaze turned into an angry glare.
"Lightning Dust?!" the cyan pegasus shouted. Lightning Dust, for her part, looked just as confused and irritated.
"Rainbow Dash?!" she replied in turn. The two of them gritted their teeth, staring daggers at each other.
"Great! Ya know each other already!" Braeburn laughed, seemingly oblivious to the tension.
"This is gonna be a long dinner," was all Applejack could say.
~~~~~~~~~~
"So...how did y'all meet?" Applejack asked once the group had been seated. She had been curious about this since the moment Lightning Dust had shown up, but had hardly gotten a chance to get a word in edgewise. In the short walk from the train station to Cafe Smiles, the restaurant where she'd made their dinner reservations, she'd had to endure a barrage of words from her excitable cousin, an unending verbal assault that would have made Pinkie Pie proud. At the same time, she had to deal with keeping herself between Rainbow and Lightning, who kept shooting nasty looks at each other. She didn't know Lightning too well, but she sure did know Rainbow Dash, and things were likely to explode if she didn't make sure to keep them apart. Even now, Rainbow sneered across the table at Brae's marefriend. Brae, on the other hoof, still seemed mostly cheery. Even this was a step for him; he could be a bit oblivious at times, but even he had started to notice the tension between the two. As was his way, though, he tried to keep up his positive attitude, almost as if he believed that being happy would make everypony else happy as well.
She jus' flew inta town one day!" Braeburn answered with his usual infectious smile. "Ah ran inta her at the Salty Spitoon, an' she was grumblin' up somethin' fierce 'bout the Wonderbolts an' how they..."
"Okay babe, that's enough about the Wonderbolts," Lightning interjected quickly. "They weren't good enough for me anyway." Rainbow's ears folded back. She wanted to tell that braggart off, tell her that she could only dream of being in the Wonderbolts. A sideways glance to Applejack stopped all of that. She knew AJ wouldn't like it if she caused a scene, even though AJ knew quite well why she wasn't fond of Lightning Dust. She chose to simply roll her eyes, hoping that her old rival would catch the subtle response of disbelief.
Rainbow watched as Lightning unfurled a wing and wrapped it lovingly around Braeburn, causing him to smile and lean against her. An odd pang of frustration hit the cyan pegasus, striking her right in her sense of competition. There was no way that she'd let this blowhard show her up. Her wing unfurled within an instant, slinking around and finding a resting place around Applejack. The farmer was surprised; it was unlike her marefriend to break out what she would refer to as "the lovey-dovey mushy stuff" in front of others. She wasn't about to complain, however. A warm, comfortable wing was always welcome. The two Apple cousins leaned happily into the embraces of their significant others, while said significant others stared each other down, almost challenging the other to make a move. Lightning gave Rainbow a smirk, before pulling her wing a bit tighter around Braeburn. Rainbow smirked right back and mirrored her actions, pulling Applejack closer. The two kept eye contact, each refusing to let the other outdo them.
"U-uh...Rainbow?" AJ spoke up, her voice a bit strained.
"Lightning, sweetie?" Brae said hoarsely. The two pegasi broke out of their trance and looked to their special someponies, who didn't seem to be taking well to the viselike grips they'd been subject to. The pegasi both blushed and released their partners from their strangling signs of affection, much to their relief. All four ponies then turned their attention to a clearing throat. None of them knew how long the waiter had been watching this display, but apparently it had been long enough.
"Good evening, everypony," the waiter said with a smile. "I'm Frigid Grin and I'll be your waiter for the evening. May I take your orders?"
"Ah'll jus' take an apple salad," Applejack answered, smiling back.
"Same fer me!" Braeburn said.
"Daisy sandwich and hay fries with a side of celery stalks," was Rainbow's reply.
"TWO daisy sandwiches with hay fries and celery stalks," Lightning said, grinning. Rainbow turned her head slowly to the sea-green menace.
"...Make that three sandwiches," Rainbow shot back, narrowing her eyes at Lightning. Grin raised a brow and began to scribble out what he'd written.
"FOUR sandwiches," Lightning said, puffing her chest out. "And a DOUBLE order of fries." The Apple cousins exchanged a look, and AJ was the first to interject.
"Cancel the salads, we'll jus' get a big ol' plate'a daisy sandwiches," the farmer said, smiling awkwardly. Grin, for his part, kept his cool and scrapped the sheet of paper he'd been writing on entirely.
"One 'big ol' plate'a daisy sandwiches' coming up," he said. "And what about drinks?" The two pegasi's eyes locked again.
"Water fer everypony!" Braeburn shouted before another back-and-forth could begin. Grin simply nodded and left the group to their own devices. Applejack turned to Rainbow, looking at her incredulously.
"Three sandwiches?" she asked. Rainbow scoffed.
"Yeah, three sandwiches!" she shot back. "What's wrong with that? I'm hungry!"
"Ah jus' don't wanna hear ya whinin' fer an antacid when we get back ta the farm," AJ said matter-of-factly. Rainbow's cheeks turned bright red, and her ears folded back as Lightning laughed at her embarrassment.
"Yeh, an' jus' think what four sandwiches'd do ta ya, sweetie!" Brae spoke up, giving Lightning a poke. "Las' time ya ate more'n two ya were moanin' an' groanin' all night!" He kissed his now-mortified marefriend on the cheek. "Ah don't mind givin' ya belly rubs, but no need ta torture yerself!"
"Oh, she likes belly rubs too." AJ asked, giving a sideways glance and a smile to Rainbow. "Ya should see the face on this one when Ah get that goin'." Rainbow did her best to hide her face with a wing.
"Yup!" Braeburn responded. "Why Lightnin's cuter'n a button when..."
"Enough!!" both pegasi shouted, eliciting looks from the rest of the patrons. The two simultaneously cleared their throats, blushing furiously. Brae looked between the two, bewildered, while AJ just chuckled to herself. A few moments of awkward silence followed, broken only by Grin returning to the table with their waters.
"So..." Applejack said, trying to cut through the awkward tension. "Whaddaya been up ta since we saw ya last, Lightnin' Dust?" The sea-green pegasus's confidence returned, her cocky grin showing back up.
"Well," Lightning began. "Your cousin here's been really helpful in getting me back on my hooves. His support's been totally amazing." She grinned and leaned over, giving Brae a kiss on the cheek. AJ beamed, giving Rainbow a nudge in the ribs when she noticed the "bluh" face she was making. "In fact, I'm thinking of starting my own flying team." Rainbow's ears perked up. Her own flying team? No, there was no way she could let her win this one.
"Yeah, I'm totally doing the same thing," Rainbow lied through her teeth. Applejack stared at her, and Rainbow smiled, trying to play it cool. Unfortunately for her, AJ knew her far too well.
"...No ya ain't, Rainbow," AJ said simply. "Don't lie, girl, yer better than that." Rainbow facehooved as the snickers once again started from the other end of the table. Braeburn, who had been sipping his water, looked up.
"Now hold on a spell, sweetie," he said, wiping water from his upper lip. "Are ya doin' the flyin' team before or after ya said ya were tryin' out for Equestrian Idol?" Lightning's face lost most of its color as she sputtered, trying to drown out what he was saying. It was too late, though, and the damage was done, as made evident by Rainbow's raucous laughter.
"Oh, don't you dare make fun'a that," AJ interjected. "Ya sing in the shower all the time." AJ and Brae shared a chuckle, one which was quickly stopped by Rainbow and Lightning clapping hooves over their mouths.
"That's enough," the two said in unison, glaring at each other yet again once they realized their synchronicity. Before they could say a word about it, Grin returned to the table, large plate of sandwiches in tow.
"Dinner is served, everypony!" Grin said cheerfully, sliding the plate onto the table. After a look at the situation around the table, he made the decision not to attempt further conversation, instead giving a pleasant "enjoy!" before leaving the area. Hooves were removed from mouths, and the four ponies began to dig into their meal.
Talking faded to a minimum while the two couples ate. Even the usually-talkative Braeburn was mostly silent, preoccupied with enjoying his meal. Rainbow stared silently across the table at Lightning Dust. Even though time had passed since the incident at the Wonderbolt Academy, the wounds were still pretty fresh. This was the pony who'd caused her to clip her wing, who'd sent the other cadets into a tailspin, and who'd caused the tornado that nearly smashed her friends, her marefriend included, to pieces. At the same time, though, she figured she could kind of understand where she'd been coming from. Before she'd gotten her own ego toned down the tiniest bit by her friends, she likely would have acted similarly. Maybe all Lightning Dust needed was some good friends to calm her down some.
Rainbow left her sandwich on her plate as she watched Lightning and Brae interact. She raised her brow, noticing the way Lightning cut the sandwich into two halves, one slightly larger than the first. She then place one elbow on the table, grinning to Brae. He smiled right back and put his hoof up too, and the two began to arm-wrestle. The cyan pegasus watched, intrigued, as the two wrestled. The contest went on for a few seconds, before Lightning leaned forward and gave Brae a kiss on the nose. His focus lost, she easily pinned his hoof and gave him a little smile. Brae rolled his eyes and smiled right back, passing her the larger half. She began to eat her larger half, but was stopped by Brae playfully tossing a lettuce leaf from the plate at her face. Rainbow winced; knowing how hot-headed Lightning was, this surely wouldn't end well. To her surprise, Lightning responded with a laugh, grabbing Brae in a headlock and giving him a noogie. The two struggled for a couple of moments, then shared a laugh and a nuzzle before going back to eating. Rainbow was astonished. This was not the mare she'd gotten to know at the Wonderbolt Academy.
"Ya know, y'all have a lot in common," Applejack whispered. She'd been watching the scene too. "An' don't try that arm-wrestlin' thing with me. Brae's a lot more easily distracted than Ah am." Rainbow tapped a hoof to her chin as AJ went back to eating. Was she wrong about Lightning? No, she reassured herself. Of course she wasn't. The Dash was never wrong about anything. She was totally right about Lightning having been a jerk at the Academy, and she had never said to anypony that she thought Lightning was still a jerk, so technically she was still right. Just like always. Maybe finding a nice pony like Braeburn to calm her down was just what she'd needed. The two certainly seemed to make a good pair. Perhaps even a cute one, though she'd never admit that part to anypony. She smiled a bit. Maybe the two could actually drop the whole rivalry thing and be friends.
"You're already half a sandwich behind," Lightning said to the daydreaming pegasus, breaking her out of her train of thought as she pointed to her untouched plate. "No way you'll beat me at this rate."
It was on.
Applejack and Braeburn were lucky to scoop their sandwiches onto their plates early, because the rest of the sandwiches all became casualties in the vicious war between Rainbow and Lightning. Neither of them dared to step in the way, lest they sustain an accidental injury. By the time they were done, Grin and the restaurant's other patrons had gathered around to watch, and Braeburn could swear he heard ponies placing bets. The two pegasi sat back, completely stuffed, as Applejack worked things out in her head.
"...Ya both ate three an' a half sandwiches," the farmer said, patting Rainbow's belly gently.
"We TIED?!" Rainbow and Lightning shouted in unison, as the spectators were torn between applause and groans over losing their bets.
"Looks like it!" Brae said, his hooves moving over to rub Lightning's shoulders. The competitors looked at each other across the table, tension once again building. The crowd started murmuring, and early bets were being placed on the winner of a hoof-fight. Such a thing thankfully proved to be unnecessary, as the pegasi burst into laughter.
"That was intense!" Rainbow exclaimed, reaching a hoof out for a bump.
"Totally!" Lightning responded, bumping her hoof. The Apple cousins sighed in relief.
"You know, Lightning Dust, you're not too bad after all," Rainbow said. "I thought you were kind of a jerk from the whole Wonderbolt Academy business, but you're pretty cool. And you seem to make Brae there happy, so I guess you're not all bad."
"Hey, I thought you were a jerk too," Lightning laughed. "But you're pretty awesome yourself! Friends?"
"Friends!" Rainbow said cheerfully. The crowd, realizing that there was no more excitement to be had, dispersed, although a few of them provided a couple of "awwws" before returning to their business. Applejack and Braeburn hugged their significant others proudly.
"Ah'm so glad y'all're friends now!" AJ said, ruffling Rainbow's mane.
"Does this mean all the competition stuff is over?" Brae asked. The pegasi looked at their special someponies, then back at each other.
"...Bet I can make her scream louder tonight," Rainbow said with a smirk, pulling Applejack close with a foreleg.
"You're on," Lightning responded, doing the same to Braeburn.
Applejack and Braeburn gulped. It was going to be a long night.