It was a long day for Applejack, and all she wanted was a nice long snooze on the hay of the barn. She had been going at those trees all day, never stopping for even one measly moment. There had been about one hundred new trees added to the orchard this year, and three of the Apple family were barely enough to keep up with the pace of Applebuck season. In her mid-thirties, Applejack was starting to have problems in her knees, as most ponies do nowadays. She had taken her painkiller, but even magically enhanced pills couldn't keep her in tip-top shape all day. Now, she had to run a few errands while her drugs set in.
This took her on a short walk to the outskirts of Ponyville, the opposite side of the farm. If there was anywhere Applejack still loved going to, it was Fluttershy's old cottage. All the animals were still there and loved to see Applejack. Of course, she couldn't take care of them like Fluttershy did, but she did her best to ensure their safety. Feeding them, petting them, and just generally being there once a day was enough to give the critters joy in their little lives.
However, there was still a sense of sorrow. Fluttershy was the last to leave of her five friends, so only Applejack knew about her absence. There was much trouble up in Vanhoover with the moose population, so Fluttershy was offered to take care of them and write down observations. There was a large amount of bits - enough to feed her and all her animals for another thirty years - that Fluttershy simply had to take, but she couldn't take her animal friends. She asked Applejack to care for them, and since Applejack's schedule was already enough to drive her bonkers, this just added to the amount of insanity she faced.
Her next stop was across the meadow down to the marketplace to pick up a few new blankets for the family. The ones the three of them had were not enough to keep them warm during the cool autumn nights, so Applejack had Sweetie Belle sew up them for her. Now, the Apple family was certainly not in the hole they once were several years back, but they didn't want to end up there again. They had been cutting back as much as they could to ensure a good future for the family, so Applejack had ordered the lowest quality Sweetie Belle would let her. Sweetie Belle was just like her sister; always giving, but never knowing when to know her health is going out the window.
Rarity had been the third to leave the town, but it wasn't by choice necessarily. She had gone to Las Pegasus to show off her dresses in a fashion competition and won, and is now living the high life of a celebrity. Sweetie Belle had taken up the owner of the boutique in Rarity's absence and was now the full time designer. Sweetie still pursued her dream of being on a Hoofway Musical, but this was a fine job for now.
Now that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were no longer in their hooves, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have taken the role as the Elements of Harmony. Just like Applejack and her five friends, they had lives outside of saving the world, but it was anything but average. In the past for Applejack and the present for Apple Bloom, there were dragons they had to take care of, mysterious horses that had to be dealt with, and, most importantly, villains were all over the place. Nowadays, the most exciting thing Applejack would encounter would be finding bunny chocolate all over the floor, courtesy of Angel. Until today.
The route continued to the tree library. Apple Bloom had wanted to read the Daring Do books for quite sometime now. 'Just 'cause' was the only answer Applejack could seem to muster up from her. She did remember Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash having quite some history with those books, but Applejack couldn't find a reason not to get her the book. Apple Bloom couldn't get it herself because of the damage she caused the place during her Crusading days, and Big Mac had some bad experiences with the new librarian, so Applejack was the only person that could be in that place from her family.
"Good evening, Applejack," said Cheerilee with her voice slightly withered with the erosion of time. "What can I do for you today?" Cheerilee looked up from her reading of 'Twenty Spells you Probably Never Knew' and faced Applejack with her wrinkly old smile. That old thing is just the perfect replacement for Twilight. Having a bookworm in the place is something to witness.
"Daring Do, please. The first book in the series, if you have it." Applejack swallowed, trying to get her voice from the sandpaper state it was in. She had barely used her voice in the few days that had passed, but she was still able to get out a few words whenever she needed. Cheerilee went searching for the book, alongside Owlicious, as Applejack reminisced.
From the first time Applejack had been in here trying to find out what the hay was going on with Nightmare Moon to the slumber party with Rarity to trying to win the tickets for the Gala, this was the center of things that seemed to go on between the six of them. No matter how bizarre things could get, it all seemed to revolve around this tree. It made no sense to Applejack, obviously, but she still had to feel sad about not being able to just have a nice little conversation in the soothingly quiet library from time to time. If only she hadn't been the first to leave. Maybe Prince-
"Due October 27th," muttered Cheerilee, sliding the book across the desk with her nose. "Have a nice day, Applejack!"
"Thanks, Miss Cheerilee," stated Applejack as she turned to leave, "and may the wind be forever at your back." Applejack looked just as confused as Cheerilee did, until she realized she had been reading a laminated poster with a quote, probably some book Twilight had read. "I uh mean... have a nice day as well." Applejack swiftly exited the room.
Her last landmark of her journey was Sugarcube Corner. This was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cake, but their business took off and was soon an nationwide chain. It even got so popular, it was rated the number one sweet shop in Equestria. Naturally, they had to move to a much more populated location, so they decided to move to Manehatten where these types of stores were booming. Them leaving meant Pinkie was out of a job until the cake twins, Carrot Cake and Pound Cake, were old enough to run the store themselves.
Unfortunately, this was the only job Pinkie could have, so she followed the Cakes to their head shop. She was the fourth to leave. Applejack has been there, and Pinkie really wants to come back to her hometown, and now that the Cake twins own the shop, Applejack still doesn't understand why she hasn't come back...
"Hey, Applejack!" screamed Carrot Cake. She zoomed over to Applejack to greet her. "How's the harvest going? I heard you're five days in already." The girl couldn't run her mouth like Pinkie - nor was she as energetic - but it was a nice replacement.
"The harvest is going great, thank you," said Applejack, trying not to be harsh. She walked up to the counter, the mare Carrot Cake bussing tables behind her. She used her Magic fairly well for being decently young. At 16 years old they were efficient enough to work the store properly.
"I'll have three milkshakes, all vanilla chocolate fusions." Just thinking about the smooth liquid running past her gums was enough to make her stomach growl. The store was empty, so the twins heard it and chuckled, almost in unison.
"Here you go," said the hardy voice of Pound Cake. The stallion had grown into a fine pegasus, one worthy of being on the Royal Guard in Canterlot. He intimidated Applejack with his voice. In fact, it kind of reminds me of a certain cat's voice, one that was dusty and- "Well? You can't stand here all day." Applejack had forgotten for a moment.
"Hehe... sorry. This place brings back memories. I kinda got distracted." That statement was entirely true. Memories hit her like a wall as she dropped the drinks neatly in her saddlebags and said goodbye. This place reminds her of all the times they shared. From Gilda the Griffon's party to eating with the Princess, this place hosted many important parties. Pinkie always was the party pony. Without her, the parties are just, dead. Even if Vinyl is playing her rockin' tunes, she gets tired after a while and leaves.
More than anything though there was one mare nopony could replace... Applejack shook the thought from her head. You have to forget about it, she scolded herself. She's gone and she ain't never comin' back to Ponyville, no matter how much I want her to. She simply moved on with life and started to walk down the road.
Then she heard a chugging noise. A lady sounded the bell and shouted, "Arrival from Cloudsdale!" Driven by curiosity, Applejack headed toward the train station.
Rainbow Dash was having a rough day, but it was definitely worth it. All the name calling, the dirty looks, and most of all her lieutenant position; she had earned her vacation, but at a high price. This meant everything in the world to her, so all of that didn't matter. The Wonderbolts were a thing of the past. She was coming home.
She wondered how her friends were. Twilight was gone, she knew that, but she couldn't wait to see Pinkie Pie and have her throw Rainbow a party for coming home. She was excited to see Applejack, her Ponyville racing buddy, working on the farm after so long. Rarity... she could deal with her. But most of all, she was worried about Fluttershy.
Fluttershy had sent Rainbow Dash a letter earlier that month saying not to come back, apparently she wouldn't like it here anymore. How can that be? she mused. Fluttershy was her best friend since the beginning, and she was telling Rainbow not to come back. Driven by curiosity and homesickness, she had to come back.
She was not expecting what met her at the train station.
As the train appeared, Applejack sat there, her bags weighing her down. The train slowly came around the bend of a hillside as it screeched and sputtered to a stop. It was a small car, barely able to fit more than a couple passengers. Must be a private train, Applejack thought. But who would be able to afford one? Her answer was more than promising.
Out onto the platform stepped Rainbow Dash. she looked around, a sense of nostalgia across her face. As she looked more closely to her surroundings, she noticed Applejack, mouth gaping. Rainbow Dash was not as shocked to see her, but a meeting on the train was not expected. She slowly walked up to Applejack, a dignified stride accompanying her. With a toss of the hair, Rainbow Dash declared, "It's been too long."
"Well if it isn't THE Rainbow Dash, second in line for the Wonderbolts. I can't believe you came back!" And with that, Applejack flung her arms around Rainbow Dash, Rainbow following shortly, a tear quickly streaked down Applejack's cheek. "So," said Applejack, ending the embrace with a sniffle, "how are things goin' 'round your part?"
"Uh about the, uh-" Rainbow Dash chuckled "-Wonderbolts: I froze my position. I took a vacation for six months, and six months exactly. No more no less. However, I still am on the team in case of an emergency call."
"That's something to be proud of, Rainbow Dash. I just, I didn't think any of you ponies were ever gonna come back at some point. I thought it would be me alone in Ponyville, spending the nights at home with my family. Thank Cel-"
"Hold on a second!" interrupted Rainbow Dash. "What do you mean, 'alone in Ponyville?' I thought Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were still here." Applejack quickly explained what had happened to those ponies. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me! I'm gonna round 'em all up and bring those dimwits back here."
"Can we wait until tomorrow? You just got here for Pete's sake! Take at least an hour's rest before flying off like that again." Applejack grounded Rainbow Dash by grabbing her tail to make her intentions clear.
"Alright," complied Rainbow Dash. "For now we can go to the barn, I know how much Applebuck Season means to you." Applejack stalled for a second, stunned that Rainbow Dash remembered what time of year it was. "Let's walk and talk."
And down they headed to Sweet Apple Acres, catching up on random gossip, such as 'So you finally found Lightning Dust?' and 'So Scootaloo finally took flight, huh,' and so on. There were many tears to be shed, questions to be had, and stories to be told. If they hadn't been on the road, they wouldn't have realized that it was well past the time Rainbow Dash was supposed to depart. They finally reached the barn, and Rainbow Dash remembered the bomb dive she did on what once was standing here.
That's when the question came up. "Rainbow Dash, can you believe it's been ten years since we handed the Elements of Harmony to the - or what used to be - the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Rainbow Dash came to a halt at the door.
"No, I can't," said Rainbow Dash solemnly. She rubbed her shoulder, revealing a scar that she had been trying to hide. Applejack immediately went to respond, but Rainbow Dash answered even quicker, "They were from the war against the dragons. Sure, there wasn't many, and we defeated them in under three months, but almost all of us were injured, some killed. I got lucky, Spitfire didn't..." Rainbow Dash's voice trailed off for a second, reminiscing the day she saw Spitfire plummet to her death. She quickly got back on track though, "Well, I need to find some ponies and you have trees to buck, so we better get to it." Rainbow Dash was stopped by Applejack once again.
"Here, take this." Applejack showed Rainbow Dash some saddlebags, and Rainbow Dash adjusted them, preparing to take off. "Just remember that I am here," uttered Applejack, still not getting over the fact that Rainbow Dash was leaving already. Applejack could feel the tears streaming again, apparently not gone from the many times she cried the way here. Rainbow Dash could see this and decided to do the one thing she promised herself she would never do. As Applejack looked up, Rainbow gave a quick peck to AJ's cheek.
Yet again paralyzed by Rainbow's actions, she didn't realize Rainbow was already long gone from her home. Big Mac and Apple Bloom walked to AJ's side. She could only say one thing, "This is going to be the best six months of my life."
Applejack stood there, shrouded in the shadows of nighttime. The barn was pungent, and her family members were sound asleep, snoring their way into Applejack's ears. Luna's moon was full and high, casting enough light to show the path in front of Sweet Apple Acres. Flashes of light came and hit Applejack in the face as she waited, staring out the small wood paneled window. As she looked around the night sky, she saw the cloud where the flashes came from. She pulled out her own light beam that Twilight gave to Applejack on her 21st birthday. Also installed was a cup that you could get a couple sips from. Using the phrase that Twilight told her, Applejack mumbled the words in certain patterns at the immobile cloud.
"Apparatus lux sceo." The stream of light that followed looked similar to a lightning bolt: purple and luminent, running along the seams of the horizon. It lit up the trees of the orchard, coming dangerously close more than a few times, and hit it's target spot on. She did so about five times slow, once fast, and waited a minute for her response. Rainbow Dash would be waiting for her at the fence.
Applejack arrived in two minutes, about when Rainbow Dash zoomed in, halting to a stop. She made sure not to hit the ground, so her wings slowly carried her to the ground. With a soft clop Rainbow Dash landed. She brushed the hair out of her face and made the most buffoonish pose possible. They both shared a moment laughing.
After it had died down, Applejack broke the ice. "You always were luckier than me to have those." She brushed one of the wings tucked neatly at Rainbow's side. Wings were always a mystery to Applejack - unlike magic - and more than anything, that was the one gift she wanted for Hoofmas every year.
"Well you're lucky to stay here every day," she replied with a sigh. "Gosh, I missed this place. It feels so nice to finally be up to this again." She smiled, and soon they were stand a nose away, caught in each other's eyes. "Let's get this party started."
"Will do," Applejack replied. She was just as eager to start up the lost tradition that stopped after Rainbow Dash had moved. With the rest of their friends asleep, every second Saturday they took a stroll through the town. There was usually a party or a stop at Sugarcube Corner. They started their usual route.
They soon started a long conversation that lasted right up until they passed the school, which meant they were close to the town.
"So how much training do you ponies go through every day in the Wonderbolts?" Again, Applejack brought up the concept of having wings.
"Well, it usually starts with decent rations for breakfast. It isn't much compared to some of the meals I've eaten here, but it's enough to keep us going for a while. Then we go to daily five drills and other types of workouts to get us warmed up. The usual is ten laps around the place. But since ponies usually get punished, it becomes more.
"The next thing we do varies from day-to-day, so what do you want to hear about?" Applejack was slow to react. It was what most ponies wanted to hear from Rainbow Dash, being on the front lines and all. Rainbow Dash was going to go all out on this demonstration.
"Do you have mock wars and things like it?"
"On the first of every month, the bell wakes us up at three in the morning, saying that we've been deployed into. We all have to be out of bed, ready for the commander's check. If we aren't, it's an instant boot from the team."
"A little harsh, don'tcha think?" Applejack interrupted. Rainbow Dash was startled.
"Applejack, this is war we're talking about! If you aren't peachy at any time of day, who knows how well you'll perform on the battlefield? What if it was a real call to arms? If you aren't prepared, then you aren't allowed on the team.
"Which is the reason there is only ten of us. We were the only mares and stallions to withstand everything they could possibly throw at us.
"Getting back to the mock war." She got ready to give hand signals and the sort. "We would have to rush on our gear and get to the chopper ASAP! We then were carried around, not knowing at all whether it was true true or fake. They dropped us off at separate points if there was a mock war. We knew then that we couldn't actually shoot them and had been given airsoft guns. We soon sped out of the chopper, splitting up so to find where the other team could be. I usually gave this command as opposed to Lightning Dust's "Always stick together!" motto. Soon enough one of us would find it and call back to report to the team. We'd then have them all surrounded in a matter of seconds.
"There was one time when Spitfire gave them the upper hand. Lightning Dust had one of her ponies hold an EMP device, which prevented the walkie-talkies in our helmets from operating. As soon as I saw that they had one, I knew I was going to have to go one-hundred percent stealth mode. I dropped to the ground, letting my armor do the work. Before I hit the rock bottom, I sent the team a quick reading with my coordinates. I knew that without their mapping devices, it would take them a while to find me.
"Soon, Lightning Dust had found me and had me pinned against the ground. She was like nothing I had ever seen before! Her eyes were bloodshot, her mouth was dripping saliva, and mumbled under her breath, and I quote, "I've wanted this day my whole life!" And as she held up a gun to my throat, one of my team members came in to save me. She tackled Lightning Dust, and we soon had their team in our grasp. Lightning Dust and Spitfire both agreed that if my team weren't there, I would've been dead. In fact, Spitfire gave Lightning Dust the command to kill me if she could! I argued that by sending my coordinates to my team that I won, but she still gives me an extra lap every day because of it."
Applejack was so intrigued by the story that she almost didn't notice the elementary school. It went under reconstruction after the CMC were done with it. It got a brand new bell, was painted, and got an elaborate marble sign that read, 'Ponyville Elementary School.' Rainbow Dash almost went off again, but Applejack quickly pulled her back to the ground.
"Would you stop doing that?" Rainbow Dash snapped. It was about the fifth time in a week she had done so. Applejack would admit it, it was fun, but Rainbow Dash had obviously had enough.
"Sorry," she apologized with a chuckle. "But remember, the towns ponies are sleeping. We have to make sure we either go to a party to be loud - which there aren't many more of these days - or into the grass meadow by Rarity's."
"Ok, fine," she agreed reluctantly. They walked side by side as they made their way back into town. Applejack had done this so many times in the past ten years, but none of them felt as good as this one did.
Applejack had her forelegs wrapped around the railings, Rainbow Dash did the same. The wind slightly shifted their hair from time to time, and they both took in the breathtaking view from the top of Spiral Tower. They could pretty much see everything that the town had to offer, from Sugarcube Corner to Twilight's Library to the windmill, it was simply Luna's beautiful night. It looked... peaceful for once.
Never had there been a moment when Applejack was worried about how the CMC were or stressed about what might show up the next morning. She would be hurried to finish bucking the trees. She would be pacing at the thought of Fluttershy's life in Vanhoover. She had wondered if Twilight had suddenly lost her position as Princess of Magic. For once in her life, everything was settled. No more questions, no more worries, just a relaxing period. That is what the town looked like, and that is what she felt like. Except for one thing.
"Remember the time Pinkie dove off this and tried to land in the fountain?" Applejack had referred to some of the other activities the mares partook in. When the cameras weren't following them around, they had plans of their own.
"She almost broke her skull!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trying to keep quiet as not to upset Applejack for the umpteenth time. "Of course I do!" Applejack was almost on the ground laughing, Rainbow Dash followed soon after. Tears practically streamed out of their eyes as she choked out the next story. "Remember the time when Fluttershy's animals stormed through the town?"
Another sound wave of laughter came from the two, and disturbed a stallion from down below. He was sound asleep merely seconds ago, but the dreams had been disturbed by the shrieks of laughter coming from the tower. As he went over to investigate from the row of houses, Applejack continued the story.
"Well the cows nearly brought down Town Hall! The bunnies and other things of the sort were rushin' fer the sweets a the Corner! Ah what else.. Oh! Those two creatures from that other place that Fluttershy had suddenly found were burning the library down!" Laughter that couldn't be contained escaped from the mouths. The hoofsteps from the other pony walking up the tower were overpowered by the laughter emanating from those two.
"Mares," he said from the end of the stairwell. He was soft as could be, but could not get their attention. "Mares!" louder this time. He decided to go and tap the orange one on her shoulder. As he did, Applejack looked up and could barely make out anything but his solid green eyes and cherry red coat.
"Boost!" Applejack exclaimed. Apple Bloom had told Applejack much about this one, and AJ finally figured out why. Rainbow Dash looked over, confused, as the one called Boost was just as bamboozled as her.
"How do you know..." Boost looked over toward the cutie mark on the rear of Applejack. Three red apples. "Oh! You must be Applejack! I've heard so much about you from your sister. Umm... I came over here to quiet you mares down, but this is a surprise."
"Hold on a second." Applejack mused at how tall the young colt was. He was lean, but almost as tall as a full grown stallion. "Are you positive you're my sister's age?"
"Do you want me to get my birth certificate?" he asked, unamused - nearly annoyed. Applejack could tell he wasn't lying, so she let him go.
"Well, it's sure been fancy meeting you here, but my sister tells me that somethin' a little more important than this is goin' on tomorrow." Applejack chuckled as the colt jumped, his wings unfurling, and was utterly anxious to get home.
"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!" He did a small backup to the railing opposite his house. "Well, goodbye and all. See you again some other time." And with that, he got two gallops in and sprung off the tower, gliding down to his house. He raised his hoof to his head and gave a slight wave. Soon all Applejack could see was his shadow.
"Well, he was certainly interesting," Rainbow Dash butted in. "Good flyer, though. I might have to recruit him." Rainbow Dash thought about his form and how she could improve it.
"Alright, enough about him. There are still plenty more places to visit. It is pretty much midnight."
*Pan directly upwards from the shot, getting glare from the moon. Hold it there. CUT*
*Alright, come back down the opposite way you went up. Show the girls frolicking in the meadow, but not in focus. Alright now focus. Hold it there until they lay down*
Behind Town Hall, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having a friendly game of tag in the eastern orchard. They were running around, hiding, and giving each other solid pushes as 'tags'. Soon enough, they got tired and had lain on a soft patch of grass until Applejack reached up and grabbed an apple.
After taking a few bites, she tried to get a little more out Rainbow Dash and her wings. Muffled by the food in her mouth, she asked, "So how does it feel to fly?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. She was starting to get annoyed by this. She didn't mind it when she was younger, but her attention span went from short to shorter in the past decade. If anything, aging was just another way of saying 'losing everything your youth had'. "You really are fascinated by these, huh." She rolled onto her side and faced Applejack with this question, but she knew the answer already. "Why? Don't you ponies have enough on the ground? You are much stronger than us."
"Oh, you know why," Applejack replied. She swallowed and cleared her throat before saying, "That one song, it just seems so..."
"Awesome?" Rainbow Dash said it for her.
"Yeah! The wind blowin' past yer face, the clouds below yah, the stars above yah. I just wish I could experience that." She sighed. This was the one mystery she wanted solved more than anything. And, out of habit, she started singing:
If there's one place I'd rather be, It'd be in the clouds. Never felt more free. Soarin' through The clear blue sky. The one thing that keeps me More ali-ive Than you - ou - ou
And as she always did, Rainbow joined in at the chorus.
As time will turn And so will I, You'll be right there And so will the sky. We're flying high - igh - igh I'm soaring through the sky - y - y With you.
Applejack let Rainbow Dash sing this verse alone.
With the blood rushing Through my veins My heart beats faster With you in my gaze. The wind in my hair The clouds below The stars above Time has stopped. Keeps me more ali-ive Than you - ou - ou
They both sing:
As time will turn And so will I, You'll be right there And so will the sky. We're flying high - igh - igh I'm soaring through the sky - y - y With you.
And if you fall, I'll fall with with you. And if you lose yourself, I'll stay with you. And when you cry, I'll cry with you. And if you love, I'll love with you.
Soon they found themselves almost touching.
As time will turn And so will I, You'll be right there And so will the sky. We're flying high - igh - igh I'm soaring through the sky - y - y With you.
Before she even realized what happened, they embraced in a kiss. Applejack's mind was racing like a mighty river. I was just.. but then.. and then she... What?They held it for a moment, but then let go. Rainbow Dash, with love in her blood, took Applejack by the torso. Applejack nodded, and of they flew, into the stars. Here we go...
Rainbow Dash flew down to the Apple Orchard from her house in the sky above Ponyville. There was nothing in particular about today other than that it simply felt right. Down to the core, she had been feeling warm (especially in her face) whenever she got close to AJ, and the fact she was leaving three months simply revived her spirit towards spending as much time together as possible.
She checked inside the barn, but nopony seemed to be home. Must be out working the fields, she thought to herself. She soon took flight once again.
The gradient of yellow, red, and blue shone brightly as Celestia was hard at work. Rainbow Dash yet again set the schedule for a dry streak of days, so the air was crisp in the fall atmosphere. She had turned sick for a time, and this wasn't helping her get over it. She sniffled, took a second to sneeze and lowered her altitude, but then kept on flying.
Applejack had seen this, but only barely. She did want to get Rainbow's attention, but wasn't quite sure how. She put down the baskets that had been slung across her back, and started to climb one of the trees, preparing herself to wave.
From behind, she thought she heard a noise. Meh, prob'ly one o' those pesky fruit bats, she muttered. She started to raise her hoof, letting go of the branch.
"BOO!" came a shout from the trunk of the tree she had climbed. AJ lost her balance, toppling over in the tree. Rainbow was quick, but she hesitated at first, letting a second slip by before launching into action. However, by that time, AJ's face had met the soil, and Rainbow Dash stood next to her, slightly afraid to help her up because of what she had done.
"Umm... s-sorry about that...," she stuttered. AJ looked up, her hat now lay on the ground beside her. Her face was accompanied by an annoyed face that had seen better days.
Applejack wanted to be mad, but simply couldn't. It took a lot to get her upset, and this shouldn't be something that she could go off about. She sighed, the breath coming out like nails in a toolbox. "Rainbow Dash," she began, her voice hoarse from the cold, "you could've just said somethin' and at least let me see you coming." She scolded Rainbow, but not any more than she needed to.
She picked up her hat off of the ground, taking Rainbow's hoof. However, Rainbow didn't let it go quite yet. Applejack smiled as she got yanked towards Rainbow. Soon, they were both rolling on the ground, laughing, just happy to be in each others' company. The sun setting before them, it couldn't have been a better moment.
However, the day was done and over, AJ declared it was time to go. She reached for her head, and Rainbow cocked hers. AJ reached inside the hat, as if expecting something. When nothing came out, her face showed it. Soon, she was scouring the ground, looking for whatever was supposed to be inside of the hat.
Eventually, Rainbow's curiosity took over. "What could you be so worried about?" she asked, taking a look around her immediate vicinity. "What was in your hat?"
AJ looked up, irritated and not wanting to answer but instead keep looking. "There was a map o' the Orchard. Not sure where it is now. Now how am I supposed to get home?"
"Duh! I'm a pegasus, remember?" Rainbow retorted. She prepared for takeoff, scrunching into a spring-like stance, her back arched out and her head pointing upwards. However, through the dim light, she didn't realize there was a tree directly above her. Her wing caught a branch, bending it in areas it shouldn't. It was like a rocket that didn't have the correct momentum.
"Ugh," Rainbow grunted as she got up. That's karma for ya, she thought. A faceplant for a faceplant. Beautiful.
"Welp, now that your shenanigans are over with, how about you help me find a way back to the farm?"
After walking for a mile under the moon and stars, there seemed to be a calm, quiet presence over the rolling hills that were Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack had never been out after Celestia lowered the sun, so it really was a revealing experience. The stars glimmered above them, casting down their simple light as Luna's moon hung in a crescent. Applejack didn't realize how long she had been staring up at them until her neck started to cramp slightly.
As she rubbed her back and neck muscles, Rainbow was in La-La Land. Chronic pain emanated from the place where her wing got caught on the branch, so she tried her best to keep her mind off of it. She thought about the Wonderbolts, then back to her wings. It was like a never ending knife, an every time you thought you had escaped, it got you again. She thought about the apples, to the vampire bats the Fluttershy had saved, how they could fly, and back to her wings.
"Agh!" she grunted as she nearly toppled over.
Applejack stopped for a second and almost caught her before Rainbow pulled herself upright. "You alright, sugarcube?"
"Just dandy," she retorted as she dragged her hoofs as she walked. "Ugh, can we please run so we can get this over with faster?"
"Well, what happens when we miss the farm and run past it?" Applejack questioned.
"You said yourself that since the moon rose in the east, and that you had headed westward when you began, it means the farm was east!" She stamped her hoof on the ground for emphasis.
Oh how Applejack wanted to yell, but she knew not to do that when you could be near a forest in which unknown creatures lie. Instead, she went with the calm approach. She sighed a replied calmly, "You're right, but you never know if east is the exact way we came from."
Rainbow glared at Applejack, but she took no offense. She knew Rainbow too well, and that it would all just blow over soon enough. For the moment, the trek continued.
Conversation was limited, and that alone dragged out the journey. Rainbow Dash was starting to yawn, but other than that no signs of fatigue showed. Instead, she felt somewhat relieved and calm, even with what transpired in the hour prior.
She even felt a tingle of warmth every time Applejack rubbed up against her. It was telling her "come with us, we'll give you everything," but she had to resist.This strange attraction yet again let the night s-l-o-w-l-y go by.
After a few more minutes, Rainbow finally cracked. "That's it! I'm running on ahead until I get to the farm." She was off before Applejack could even react.
When she did realize what had happened, her flurry of thuds joined in with Rainbow's. When she finally caught up to her, Applejack simply tackled her, sending them sprawling.
Quickly, Applejack was on top of Rainbow, pinning her down. "Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed. "You can't let anger get the best of you!"
"What? So now you're accusing me? What if I'm tired? What if I need to get home to feed -" Rainbow was cutoff by Applejack, her lips pressed against Rainbow's. This time, Rainbow felt the shock of getting stopped in the name of love.
Even Applejack was surprised by her actions. She took a step back, unsure of what to say. Rainbow got up, but simply started walking again. After she was sure Applejack couldn't see her face, she beamed like a sailor that saw a lighthouse for the first time in years.
They were so distracted, they weren't looking to their right where a red barn stood off in the distance.
Applejack and Rainbow eventually started up some conversation, though slightly awkward at first. "So..." Rainbow began, "how has the farm been?"
Applejack smiled. "Rainbow, you're with me almost every day as it is. How wouldn' you know how the farm is?"
"Ughh! I can't take the silence!" She threw her head back, trying to give slightly more emphasis.
Applejack couldn't help but chuckle. "What's so funny?" Rainbow asked, getting closer to her face. Applejack broke down laughing, not even paying attention to the agitated Rainbow Dash. Eventually, Rainbow joined in as well. They didn't care. It was fun to be around each other, just comfortable to be together. They were good friends, maybe even something more...
Once they had stopped laughing, they lay on the grass. Applejack's eyes once again drifted to the stars above. "It's just... wow!" She tried to describe what she saw, but being away from the population and all, the scenery took her breath away. "Luna sure is some sort o' artist. If she can make somthin' as beautiful as this, she'd be noticed somethin' more."
Rainbow Dash now was emulating Applejack, hooves behind her head to prop it up, mane brushed out of her face, and eyes glazed for staring long enough. "My mother loved them," Rainbow Dash said, breaking the ice. "She would always point out different constellations and that stuff. It seemed really egghead-ish to me, but it was pretty cool. I remember one of them, I think it was called 'Drago'." She quickly scanned the stars. "Oh! There it is! You see that line of stars that kind of look like a snake?" Applejack gave a quick nod. "Well it really represents a serpent, one that lived a long time ago."
I cannot believe she's going on about this... Applejack thought. As Rainbow ran over a couple more, like Centurion, Leo, and Orion, Applejack had finally figured out the other thing that made Rainbow an "egghead": her love for the stars. It did explain a lot -- she did love to be in the sky, and disagree as you may, the stars are one-hundred percent sky.
After a while, Applejack thought back to the whole reason they were out here. "Well, the lesson was very pleasant and all, but we need to get a move on."
Rainbow snapped out of the focused state she was in and sprang upright, blushing at the fact that she had gotten offtrack. As they walked a bit further, they noticed the trees were no longer there. "Oh, horseapples!" Frustrated, she tried to get a feeling for her surroundings. As she dug her hooves in the ground, she realized that there was dirt underneath them. "Well, at least we found a path back to the farm."
When they got to the farm, Rainbow's wing was in more pain than she could handle. The Apple family treated to her, even though they were originally awaiting the return of Applejack. Rainbow Dash didn't like it, but she concurred to stay at the farm for the night and get her to the hospital tomorrow.
There was a cot pulled into Applejack's room, and this was the designated area for sleep. However, Rainbow Dash had other ideas.
"Hey Applejack," she whispered, now a bit after they had gotten cozied up.
"Wha?" Applejack asked in her half-sleep state. She tried to turn and switch the side of which she was laying, but her body said otherwise, leaving her in an awkward position.
"C-can I sleep with you? I'm kinda cold..."
Applejack returned to her former state. "Ye, sure." Soon, Rainbow had hopped in, slightly nuzzled against Applejack's back.