Chapter One

"Alright, class. Today we'll be talking about vectors, so I hope you all completed your preparatory homework."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as Twilight Sparkle nodded her head fervently - the only one of the students to do so - and adjusted her glasses. That girl was such an egghead.

As the other students took out their pencils and tried to resign themselves to the prospect of sitting in math class for the next forty-five minutes, Rainbow Dash found herself spinning around in her seat and eyeing the classroom for lack of anything better to do.

There were thirty-three tables in the room, three of which were built for two people to share and the rest of which were ordinary one-person seats. Rainbow waved to Pinkie Pie, who had intentionally nabbed a seat at the very back of the room (probably so she could plan parties and eat cupcakes without anyone else noticing). Rarity and Fluttershy were sitting in adjacent one-person seats a few rows ahead of Pinkie, talking quietly as they waited patiently for class to start.

Rainbow sighed. There was nothing there that she hadn't seen before.

Feeling grouchy, as she always did when forty-five minutes of math was imminent, she slowly turned herself around and slouched in her chair, casually crossing her legs on the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Twilight feverishly checking and double-checking her preparatory homework. Rainbow stifled a snicker as the math teacher eyed Twilight approvingly. She was the class favorite of just about every teacher in Canterlot High, and sat directly in front of the teacher's desk in literally every class. That seat was generally saved for the smartest student, so most of the other kids referred to it as the 'Smart Seat', but Rainbow Dash preferred to call it the 'Nerd Chair'.

A warm body suddenly slipped into the seat next to hers, and Rainbow found herself face-to-face with Applejack. "Sorry Ah'm late," the farm girl greeted her cheerfully with a dazzling grin, her grass-green eyes twinkling from beneath the rim of her trusty Stetson as she gave Rainbow a friendly one-armed hug. "Th' ol' pickup stalled again. Ya know how it is."

Rainbow laughed quite a bit longer than Applejack's statement warranted, trying to disguise the way she shivered with glee whenever Applejack hugged her. "Yeah, sure! I know how it is... heh...". Her voice trailed away. Why was she being so bizarrely loud and cheerful? Real smooth, Rainbow. Real smooth.

Fortunately, Applejack didn't seem to notice her strange behavior. Rainbow sighed in relief as Applejack laid a couple sheets of ruffled notepaper on the table, simultaneously flicking her golden bangs out of her eyes.

She and Applejack had somehow ended up right next to Twilight at the front of the class, sharing one of the three two-person desks in the classroom (one of the other similar desks was occupied by BonBon and Lyra and the last one was occupied by Vinyl Scratch and Octavia, both of whom were established couples). It was no wonder, then, that a whole bunch of dirty rumors regarding Rainbow and Applejack were flying through the school. To Applejack's credit, she either didn't know about them, or didn't care. In her mind, it was perfectly acceptable for best friends to sit together if they liked, and that was that.

As for Rainbow Dash... she mostly just wished that those rumors were true.

Yes, Rainbow was definitely in love with Applejack, and she had been ever since the beginning of high school. They'd become fast friends when they met in kindergarten, and and only been growing closer and closer since, but Rainbow had taken far longer than she should have to realize just how dear Applejack was to her. And it wasn't just her looks, although Rainbow would be the first person to admit that AJ's Southern charm and tomboyish features were insanely hot (actually, maybe she wouldn't be the first to admit it. The whole school knew Applejack was a total looker, and she already had at least twenty guys, not to mention a few girls, hard on her heels). No, it was her attitude, her outlook on life, that was attractive; the way she smiled at Rainbow, the way she hugged her, the way she always had Rainbow's back. She was so honest; so ridiculously nice that it hurt to even look at her smile. She was so optimistic and friendly and bold. She was so humble. And she was stubborn, too. Stubborn as hell. Not to mention insanely clever (even if not many people knew it), stoic and thoughtful, ridiculously athletic, fiercely competitive, overprotective, sarcastic, and both overly cautious and dangerously reckless all at once.

Exactly Rainbow's kind of girl.

If only Rainbow had the courage to tell her.

She sighed unhappily, feeling dejected, and -

Applejack suddenly flicked her with her pencil. "Hey, Dash. Could ya move yore big feet? Ah'm tryin' t' write."

Rainbow shook herself out of her reverie and shot Applejack a sneaky grin. She'd never stop enjoying moments like these, despite the feelings she may have had for her best friend. "Make me."

Applejack's lips curled slyly; she was evidently taking this as a challenge, just as Rainbow had known she would. "Alraght." Her eyes glinting mischievously, she reached out and lightly brushed her hand against the underside of Rainbow's knee.

Rainbow doubled up with laughter and instinctively took her legs off of the desk. "Hey!" she wheezed, still giggling. "You cheated! You didn't say tickling was allowed!"

Applejack shrugged. "Sorry, sugarcube. Ah won fair an' square."

Rainbow was about to deliver an indignant response that may or may not have involved a fair amount of cursing, but was interrupted by a dry cough. "Ahem... Miss Dash?" Their math teacher peered down at her irritably. "Would you care to share the reason for your mirth with the class?"

She opened her mouth to claim responsibility for the incident before Applejack could get in trouble, but was interrupted yet again. "Sorry, sir. It was mah fault. Ah won't let it happen again."

Rainbow stared at her friend in amazement as the teacher accepted this explanation, sighing noisily, and returned to the front of the classroom. Part of her was touched by Applejack's willingness to stand up for a friend. The other part was annoyed that Applejack had stolen the words right out of her mouth.

"Alright, class," the teacher announced, quieting the muffled snickers and whispers of 'Awww, they're so adorable together' that had ensued after Applejack had spoken up. "Time to get started. Can anyone tell me what a vector is...?"

Rainbow Dash barely listened as Twilight, predictably, rattled off the correct answer and the teacher continued his lecture after nodding approvingly. A few random words occasionally assailed her ears - 'vector' and 'scalar' among them - but she neither knew nor cared what they meant.

Her patience reached its limits after no more than a minute, and Rainbow could practically feel her already minimal attention span heave a sad sigh and die out completely. Bored, she allowed herself to stare around the classroom, idly tapping her foot and her pencil in an obnoxiously synchronized beat (which Applejack paid no attention to, much to Rainbow's annoyance, already being far too used to Rainbow's antics). Her eyes settled on Applejack, who was... taking notes?!

Rainbow's eyes widened and she sneaked a closer look. Applejack was staring up at the teacher with rapt attention, occasionally pausing to scribble down notes in her firm but graceful handwriting. Her ruffled blonde bangs fell into her eyes, but she made no move to brush them away, and Rainbow had to resist the temptation to reach out and move them herself.

Dash spun around to glance at Twilight Sparkle, who sat on her left. Twilight and Applejack wore identical expressions of interest. Turning around again, she cracked a smile. Who'd have thought it - AJ was a secret nerd! This warranted some teasing after class.

"Vectors have both magnitude and direction, while scalar quantities possess only magnitude," the teacher droned on, his gaze flat and unwavering. Rainbow groaned quietly, just about ready to tear her hair out. She gave up all hope of understanding the lesson and decided to spend the remainder of class watching Applejack (well, why not? She was frickin' adorable). Currently, the farmer girl's tongue was poking out of her mouth just a little as she wrote down a particularly complicated vector equation in her clear, sure script. Her freckly forehead was scrunched in concentration, and Rainbow suddenly noticed that her hair was still tousled from sleep.

Rainbow smiled with a hint of longing at how adorable she looked, and then nudged her bare leg with her own. Applejack jumped as her concentration was shattered and looked over at Rainbow, misreading the seductive 'Hey, sexy' grin on her face as a 'please-talk-to-me-I've-got-nothing-better-to-do' grin. With a quick smile and a flicker of a wink, she squeezed Rainbow's hand under the table and returned to her work, shifting her booted feet into a more comfortable position. Rainbow felt a thrill of pleasure as Applejack's boots brushed against her sneakers. It was quickly replaced by a feeling of helplessness. How could anyone be so close to you, and yet so far away at the same time?

She groaned and massaged her forehead, sensing an oncoming headache (induced both by mathematics and by her current romantic situation - that is to say, her nonexistent romantic situation). This was going to be a long class.
***

Exactly forty-seven minutes later, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood in a huddle near the wall of Canterlot High's circular main atrium, enjoying their few minutes of break before the next class was scheduled to start. Rainbow idly watched hordes of people stroll by her, ranging from first graders to high school seniors, and mused over the fact that this was the probably one of the only schools in the country where you could find such a diverse student population. Although their school was generally referred to as Canterlot High, mainly because highschoolers comprised the greatest part of the student body (well, duh, why else?), it actually taught all grade levels. The school was separated into three buildings, arranged in a three-sided rectangle: highschoolers were in the middle, and the elementary and middle grades were on the left and right respectively. The highschoolers' building was the largest, because it contained a cafeteria that was shared by all of the grade levels as well as the principal's office. The school grounds were split up into three separate areas divided by grade level (much to Rainbow's relief - she didn't want any elementary-school midgets running around and getting in the way of her awesome athletics).

Right now, the group wasn't doing much. Rainbow Dash herself, apart from silently seething about the amount of math homework they had been given, was watching the people in front of her killing themselves as they practically trampled each other trying to get to their next class on time. Pinkie Pie was peering at all of her friends through binoculars - a pointless exercise, as she was no more than two feet away from each of them - but no one bothered questioning it, because Pinkie Pie was Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible as she fed her animal friends, snuffling hungrily at her fingers, inside her backpack. She was succeeding, too. That girl could even blend in with a wall the color of Pinkie Pie's hair. Rarity had pulled a piece of fabric out of her purse and was examining it critically, poking it with her perfect fingernails, her sapphire eyes narrowed in concentration. Twilight, naturally, had her nose buried in a book, her shoulders hunched beneath the weight of a backpack that probably contained a horde of fat tomes.

And Applejack... Applejack was watching the proceedings with mild interest, her arms crossed casually over her chest and one of her legs tucked up against the wall. Applejack could probably carry Twilight's backpack as easily as she could pick up a table... Rainbow Dash found herself dreamily imagining that scenario as her eyes traveled over AJ's smooth neck, her prominent collarbones, protruding from beneath the low, rumpled collar of her orange plaid shirt...

No. No, bad Dash. Unstick your eyes, you idiot. Think about something else.

With an effort, Rainbow managed to tear her eyes away and nearly sighed with relief as a conversation topic presented itself to her. She gave Applejack a rough nudge. "So, I didn't know Twilight had a twin, AJ," she teased.

Applejack flushed, knowing exactly what Rainbow was talking about, but reluctant to say so. "Huh?"

"C'mon, tell me! Why the sudden note-taking and stuff? You're turning into another Twilight!"

Twilight frowned, her dark hair hovering over her forehead as she lifted her head and snapped her book shut. "Rainbow, don't be crude. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking notes. In fact, Applejack, I'm very proud of you."

"Uh, thanks," Applejack muttered, blushing further and pulling her hat lower over her eyes, as she always did when someone complimented her.

"But why?" Rainbow pressed impatiently. Pinkie Pie's binoculars suddenly vanished inexplicably and Rarity and Fluttershy halted their respective tasks as all three of them looked up, curious to hear Applejack's answer.

Applejack shifted her feet uneasily, embarrassed by all the attention. "Well... Ah ain't th' smartest out o' y'all, but Ah don't see no harm in doin' my best. 'Sides, Ah'm gonna take over the farm someday, so Ah need to be real good with numbers so's Ah can calculate profits an' all. Y'know?"

Before Rainbow could comment on how boring a reason that was, Twilight tapped AJ's shoulder. "Hey, did you write down everything the professor said about applications of vectors in physics?"

She furrowed her brow. "Uh... most all of it, Ah think. Ah'm pretty shore Ah missed what he said 'bout polar form t' rectangular form conversions, though. Might hafta ask ya fer help on that."

Twilight smiled brightly, pleased that her expertise might be needed. "Of course!"

"I might need some help too, Twilight," Fluttershy murmured in her soft voice, deftly brushing a stray strand of soft pink hair behind her ears. "If you don't mind. I didn't really understand the lesson at all."

"Ditto," Rarity chimed in, barely glancing up from her piece of fabric.

"Yeah, ditto!" Pinkie agreed cheerfully. "Whatever that means! Isn't ditto a color of ink, or something?"

Dash groaned. Not only was this conversation rapidly decreasing in awesomeness, but it was also becoming increasingly random (well, that was to be expected whenever a certain curly-haired party planner was around). Time for a change of topic.

Her lips curled in a slow smile as her gaze settled on Twilight Sparkle, who was absentmindedly pushing her glasses higher up on her nose as she reopened her textbook. Rainbow tapped her elbow, intentionally almost (but not quite) causing her to drop the book. "Do you even need those nerdy glasses, Twilight?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, huffing loudly as she closed her book for good - it was impossible to keep reading when she was surrounded by so many distractions. "Yes, of course. I can hardly see the blackboard without them."

Dash snickered. "You're already, like, in the Nerd Chair." Seeing Twilight's look of blank confusion, she added, "You know, where all the smart ones sit. You're so close to the blackboard anyway! How do you even need glasses?"

Applejack suddenly intervened, picking up on Twilight's embarrassment. "Stop teasin' th' poor gal," she scolded Rainbow, draping a protective arm around the purple-haired girl's back. "And if th' front o' th' class is fer the smart kids, then how come yore sittin' there, huh?"

Rarity applauded from the sidelines, her rich purple curls bouncing as she laughed daintily. "Bravo, Applejack! Fabulous comeback."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the implied insult, but chose to twist it to her advantage. "Because I'm such a troublemaker the teacher needs to keep an eye on me," she answered smoothly, flipping her polychromatic hair over her shoulder. "Why are you there?"

Some of the fire vanished from Applejack's eyes as a faint blush tinged her freckled cheeks. "Jus' so's Ah can keep ya company, Ah guess," she answered softly.

And, honestly, she was such a good person that Rainbow suspected she was probably telling the truth.

Applejack shuffled her feet and looked away, slouching against the wall and seeming far more embarrassed than the situation warranted. Rainbow just decided to attribute it to her lack of having an awesome reason to sit at the front of the class, like Rainbow did.

Suddenly Applejack looked over at Twilight, her eyes brightening as she found a different conversation topic. "Hey, Twah, can Ah try those glasses o' yores on? Ah wanna see what they're like."

"Sure." Twilight carefully removed her glasses and handed them over.

Applejack perched them over her ears. They were a bit too big for her pert nose, and slipped a bit. She blinked and stumbled backwards. "Whoa. Ah can hardly see in these things!"

"You look kinda cu- er, crazy," Rainbow corrected herself hastily, suddenly feeling her heart rate speed up but doing her best to disguise it. Applejack did look pretty adorable; it was almost a pity that she didn't need glasses herself.

Applejack punched her playfully. "Oh, keep yore cakehole shut."

All of a sudden, a loud voice proclaimed, "Don't move! Say cheeeeeeeese!" Startled into submission, Applejack stood stock-still, blinking, as Pinkie produced a camera apparently from thin air and snapped a picture of her wearing glasses. "That one's going in the yeeeearboooook!" she sang out gleefully, stowing the camera away somewhere... where? In her hair? In her pocket? The movement had been too fast for Rainbow to see.

Applejack groaned with disgust and quickly handed the glasses back to Twilight. "Great." Lately, the group had become seriously skeptical of Principal Celestia's mental faculties, as she had, for some unknown reason, elected Pinkie this year's Yearbook Photographer. Ever since then the girl had been walking around the school taking pictures of anything (and everything) that caught her fancy, including plenty of her friends' most embarrassing moments.

Rainbow cackled with laughter and crossed her arms casually. "Get me a copy of that picture, Pinkie."

Applejack's emerald eyes looked positively icy. "If ya get yore hands on that picture, Rainbow Dash, so help me Ah'll -"

Fluttershy cleared her throat softly, and Applejack stopped talking at once. Most people wouldn't even have heard her quiet attempt to break up the argument that had surely been about to start, but Applejack had remarkably good hearing. "Um... excuse me. Sorry." Her voice faltered as all of her friends stared at her, and she cowered down and tried to hide behind her hair. "I... I think it's time for your class," she whispered, her words barely audible through her pale rose waves of hair.

Applejack's face paled as she instantly forgot her annoyance. "Consarn it! Yore right, 'Shy. Thanks."

Rainbow felt her face fall at the prospect of being separated from Applejack for an hour. Every Tuesday, she was allowed to skip English class so that she could take remedial French instead. Rainbow would have laughed her head off if she hadn't had to take remedial math every week. On Mondays and Fridays.

This was probably the only school in the country where you were allowed to skip another subject in order to take remedial studies. But Principal Celestial had allowed it because Applejack's English grade was, perhaps surprisingly considering the amount of 'ain't's she tended to use in her speech, a steady A - second only to Twilight's. In fact, all of Applejack's grades were higher than average, because she was a hard worker and so stubborn that she refused to stop tackling a problem until she'd figured it out. It was kind of funny, actually. French was the only subject that she just couldn't seem to get a handle on, no matter how much Rarity tried to help her (Rarity, of course, the only other one of the group who took French, had flawless pronunciation and a good memory for all of the words and phrases). Poor Applejack could barely even say 'Bonjour' with her Southern accent, let alone spell it. She was a good speller, but that only applied to English. "How'm Ah supposed to spell somethin' when Ah can't even say it an' hear what it sounds like?" she'd groused to Rainbow more than once.

Of course, Rainbow Dash had tried to convince her to take woodwork with her, but Applejack hadn't listened, arguing that she already knew how to do woodwork and wanted a challenge. Canterlot High's system was strange: you could choose between taking a language or a hands-on elective. Rainbow had chosen woodwork as her elective, while Fluttershy and Pinkie stuck with painting. Twilight, naturally, had chosen both, electing to take Latin and painting...

There was only one word for that, in Dash's mind, and it started with 'egg' and ended with 'head'.

Dash was shaken out of her reverie as Applejack bid a hasty farewell. "I'll see y'all at lunch." She gently nudged Rainbow's leg, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "Bye, ya idiot." Without waiting for a response, she turned around and strode confidently away, her booted feet thumping authoritatively on the linoleum floor.

The atmosphere grew noticeably duller as she left, and everyone felt themselves letting out a collective sigh. When Applejack was around, she brought so much warmth; so much vivacity. When she wasn't... well, Dash felt like there was an apple-shaped hole in her heart.

Twilight shook herself and turned back to the group, excitement bubbling in her eyes. "I'm so excited for English class! I can't wait to opine my thoughts on the last book we read."

Everyone stared at her blankly.

"Doesn't anyone remember yesterday's word list?" she asked exasperatedly. "Can't any of you tell me what 'opine' means?"

"Opine: to hold and state as one's opinion," Rainbow Dash said slowly.

Twilight stared. "Rainbow? How did you -"

"Your English notes are sticking out of your backpack," she said, grinning devilishly.

Twilight looked genuinely disappointed in Rainbow's lack of interest in English as she stuffed the notes back into the pack slung over her shoulders and zipped it up. "I do wish you all could be a little more sesquipedalian," she remarked with a touch of irritation.

She was met with another round of stares, and opened her mouth again - probably to ask, "Haven't any of you ever taken English class?" - but was interrupted by none other than Rarity.

"Il ya plus à l'intelligence que de grands mots, ma chère," she said smugly, tossing her hair.

Twilight looked furious, evidently desperately wishing that she knew French. For once, she couldn't answer back.

The five of them, even Twilight (eventually), indulged in a hearty round of laughter as they strolled off to English class. But Rainbow Dash's laughter was merely a facade. She only barely heard Twilight begging Rarity to tell her what she had said in French; she only barely heard Rarity's impressive arsenal of different ways to say 'No'; she only barely saw Pinkie Pie dancing around and madly snapping pictures of every speck of gum on the wall; she only barely saw Fluttershy hastily shoving the protruding head of Angel Bunny back inside her backpack... no, she was occupied with thoughts of one person and one person only.

Applejack... I wish you were here.

Chapter Two

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Rainbow Dash threw herself down at her desk, propped her chin up on her fist, and sighed huffily, blowing her choppy bangs out of her eyes. Fluttershy, who was one of her closet friends and was remarkably adept at telling the difference between a 'get-me-out-of-this-lame-o-class' sigh and an 'I'm-hurting-and-I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it' sigh, peered at her worriedly, her big blue eyes wide with concern. "Um... Dashie? Are you alright?"

Rainbow glanced over at the conspicuously empty seat on her right where Applejack usually sat. Her heart surged with longing for that warm smile, those friendly green eyes, that adorable drawwwwwling voice, that trademark Stetson perched carelessly above those silky swinging locks. Being without Applejack was almost a physical ache; being without her was like being hit with a punch to the gut; being without her was a loss whose pain refused to fade until she was there again, smiling and laughing and listening with her typical patience and warmth...

"Yeah. I'm totally fine."

Fluttershy bit her lip, looking skeptical. "If you say so..."

All of a sudden, Twilight Sparkle spun around in her seat and flapped her hands at Rainbow impatiently. "Shush! Class is starting!"

Their English teacher, Miss Oswald, beamed at her students. "Good morning, class. Now, before we discuss last week's book, let's have a tiny pop quiz on Stylistic Elements..."

Dash groaned with disgust and slouched down in her seat. Twilight, on the other hand, sat up a little straighter and primly folded her hands, her look of absorption unmatched by any other student in the room. Rainbow smirked to herself. Nerd alert!

"Can anyone tell me what 'asyndeton' is?"

Naturally, Twilight was the first (and only) one to raise her hand. "Asyndeton is the absence or omission of a conjunction between two parts of a sentence," she answered in a tone that could only be described as 'Walking Dictionary'. "As in the quote, 'I came; I saw; I conquered'."

"Ten points to Ravenclaw," Miss Oswald teased. Twilight beamed at the reference to one of her favorite book series and hastily adjusted her glasses, as was her wont whenever she was pleased or embarrassed. "Well, I guess that concludes our pop quiz for the day. Let's move on."

Frankly, Rainbow had been lost at 'Stylistic Elements'. What did 'stylistic' mean, anyway? 'Cause it sounded like 'style', which was, of course, something that she knew a lot about, being as awesome as she was.

Dash found herself staring blankly at the chalkboard as their teacher wrote something down, her brain taking in all of the individual letters but unable to combine them into a meaningful word. She felt annoyed, not at anyone in particular but at the world in general, for forcing her to adopt a schedule that required her to be apart from Applejack for an hour every Tuesday.

Her gaze drifted around the classroom as she started idly tapping her faded sneakers against the leg of her chair. She was surrounded by her closest friends on all sides: Fluttershy sat on the left, behind Rarity (Rainbow had a perfect view of her checking her reflection in the small pocket mirror that she had sneakily concealed in her textbook!) Directly in front of her was Twilight, and Rainbow had to admit that she was pleased with this seating arrangement... it was absolutely hilarious to launch little wads of paper at the back of her head and then pretend to be innocently reading or writing as Twilight looked around furiously for the culprit. In all their years of friendship, Twilight had never suspected that it was actually Rainbow - she'd never even think to suspect someone who was 'engaged in academic pursuits', as she put it, of committing such an offense.

Applejack, of course, sat on Rainbow's right, and Pinkie sat behind her. This was a pity. Pinkie was always fun to watch in class. One time she'd even managed to smuggle in a cake disguised as a textbook. Now that had been a masterpiece... until she'd tried to open it to prove to the teacher that it really was a book and ended up sending cake flying across the room in all directions.

Rainbow Dash licked her lips just at the thought and sighed; lunch was still an hour away. She rested an elbow on her desk and used it to prop up her chin, trying (and failing) to suppress a massive yawn. Sunlight slanted in through the window and fell onto the desk, sending little dust motes swirling through the air.

Hey, even dust is a lot more fascinating than English class. Rainbow tilted her head, staring out through the window, which looked out onto the lawn. The grass sparkled in the sunlight, gleaming with tiny droplets of dew. Rainbow wasn't much of a nature lover - well, it wasn't that she didn't like nature, she just didn't pay much attention to it - but even she had to admit the fresh, clear green of the grass blades was one of the most beautiful colors she'd ever seen.

Yes, it was a gorgeous shade of green, but Rainbow had seen better. There was only one other hue more pure, more clear, than the color of that grass, and it resided in Applejack's eyes, those beautiful, honest eyes.

Rainbow grinned as she always did whenever her thoughts turned to Applejack, recalling how long it had taken her to fall for the farm girl... and how hard she'd fallen when she finally had.

She'd fallen in love with her eyes first. Those soulful, emerald eyes, with their long eyelashes and the little crinkles that appeared around the corners whenever she laughed. Applejack's eyes could see right into your soul, but they also let you see into hers. They were open and raw; they hid nothing. But they weren't vulnerable - far from it. Those vibrant irises, flecked with barely visible streaks of gold that shone like little pieces of the sun if you looked closely, were piercing and filled with a kind of warm, quiet inner strength that was always present but rarely revealed itself. They were beautiful, beautiful eyes, but you had to be wary of them, too, for they could draw truths and secrets out of you that you sometimes weren't even aware of yourself. Rainbow's mouth twitched in a smile as she recalled all of the various times Applejack had read her mind simply by looking at her, not to mention those of all her friends. She seemed to have a knack for it.

Yes, it had been Applejack's eyes that has attracted Rainbow to her first. And then it had been her heart. Applejack had the biggest heart of anyone Rainbow had ever met, and what was really adorable was that she didn't even know it. In her own eyes, she was nothing special, just your average farm girl with an average life. But Rainbow Dash could see how special she really was; Rainbow could see and admire the honesty and loyalty that permeated every fiber of Applejack's being. Not to mention the gentleness, generosity, humor, steadfastness, determination, cleverness, wittiness, and the frickin' impossible humility. Her character was so admirable that it almost made Dash want to cry tears induced by the presence of pure awesomeness (almost, but not quite, because of course only Rainbow herself could be purely awesome).

Still, Applejack was incredible. She had room for everyone in her heart, and gave her love and openness and patience freely; she always saw only the best in people. She was good at anything she put her mind to, thanks to her stubbornness and perseverance, and she was a firm friend. She'd never hesitate to help someone in need, and Rainbow had to admit that Applejack was just as good as she was at risking her butt to save someone else. She was good-natured and had an insanely clever wit that mostly came out in the form of sarcasm. And yet she'd developed the perfect blend of being sarcastic while avoiding hurting people's feelings... Applejack rarely criticized people without need, which was why all of her friends usually turned to her for advice and help. She was the glue that held their friend group together... and boy, did she give the term 'hot glue' a whole new meaning. Plus, she had no qualms about getting dirty and being rough-and-tumble, and the fact that she was the only person in school - heck, probably the only person in the entire city - who could beat Rainbow in any kind of athletic competition only made her even more attractive.

That's not to say that Applejack didn't have her faults. She did, and they were glaring ones. But Rainbow loved them just as much as she loved her strengths, because they were crucial aspects of her character and Applejack wouldn't be Applejack without them.

She was overprotective and occasionally honest to a fault; she was stubborn and sometimes a little slow on the uptake; she was often more cautious than a situation warranted and was unwilling to admit when she was wrong; she was competitive and tenacious; she was a control freak and wasn't good at dealing with change; she tended to lash out and hurt people's feelings on the rare occasions when she did get angry. Additionally, Applejack had the amusing and rather oxymoronic habit of being politely rude - at least, she did whenever she was around Rainbow Dash; Rainbow had no idea how she behaved when she was around people who weren't her close friends or family. For example, if Rainbow was standing in her way, she'd give her a rough nudge and then follow it up with a "'Scuse me, sugarcube" or a "Mind if Ah squeeze by, darlin'?" She wasn't trying to be coarse or presumptuous, it was simply part of her nature.

So Rainbow Dash had fallen in love with Applejack's eyes, and then her heart. And then, slowly but surely, she'd fallen in love with the rest of her. Her tanned skin and numerous freckles, which were especially prominent across her pert nose. Her muscly arms that she usually hid beneath a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. Her perfectly toned legs, partially concealed beneath her trademark denim skirt. Her prominent collarbones and her alluringly rumpled collar. Her slender neck and her slim waist...

Rainbow loved the soft golden eyelashes that lined her eyes. The low but musical Southern twang that sent a shiver up Rainbow's spine whenever she heard it. The wide, open smile that she cheerfully bestowed upon everyone she met. The way her hair, sometimes flaxen and sometimes bright gold depending on the angle at which you looked at it, was always tied back with same faded red ribbon and swung around her shoulders when she walked. The way she sometimes tied a red bandana around her hair so that her blonde bangs poked out from underneath. The way the tips of her hair were actually curly, the way her bangs were always ruffled, the way little strands of blonde hair were constantly escaping her neat ponytail.

The way her lips were equally suited to smiling or pouting (although she definitely did more of the former). The way her early-morning voice was even huskier than Dash's. The way she always wore the same pair of boots and her trusty hat. The way she occasionally wore leather elbow-length gloves. The way she sometimes came to school with her face smudged with dirt; the way she didn't care one whit for her appearance. The way she always drove the same old rusty, battered pickup truck to school every day. Th way that she was too modest to admit that she was actually one of Canterlot High's most talented musicians, who could proficiently play fiddle, bass guitar, banjo, and harmonica, and who was remarkably adept at improvising and learning to play new instruments. The way her whole face lit up when she and Rainbow played guitar together and made up songs, as they sometimes did whenever they had time in the afternoons.

The way she stuck out her lower lip when she was feeling particularly stubborn. The way she stood, crossing her arms and sticking out her hip in her trademark confident stance, with one of her booted legs jutting out to the side. The way her tongue poked out of her mouth when she was focusing on something. The way she interacted with people, instantly making herself likable. The way she knew how to fix everything from a broken heart to a broken refrigerator.

Perhaps the cutest thing about her, though, was her stature... Applejack was the shortest one in the group, standing at five feet three inches with her boots on. Even Fluttershy was a good inch taller, and Rainbow herself was taller by at least six inches. Applejack had to stand on tiptoes whenever she wanted to whisper something to Rainbow, and it annoyed her to no end. Naturally, Rainbow teased her mercilessly, even though she secretly thought it was adorable. However, AJ looked far taller than she actually was due to her cocky attitude, and despite her shortness, Rainbow, to her chagrin, was still terrified of her when she was angry (you'd be a fool not to be; the girl had a ferocious temper). Applejack was clearly a leader, small or not. She might have been short and stocky, but she made up for it by being slender and well-built (How can someone be slender and stocky at the same time? Rainbow had no idea, but Applejack certainly managed it).

All of a sudden, a sharp voice rudely yanked Dash out of her all-too-pleasant daydreams. "Miss Dash? Would you care to share with the class the source of your unfocused eyes and evident mental vacancy?"

Rainbow yelped and shot up in her seat. Miss Oswald was staring down at her, looking completely unamused. Curse you, stupid green grass that reminded me of Applejack's eyes! Her eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall and she stifled another yelp. Sweet Principal Celestia, she'd been zoning out and thinking about Applejack for nearly forty-five minutes!!!

"Well? Do you care to share your thoughts?" Miss Oswald raised an eyebrow, ominously tapping her foot against the floor.

Rainbow gulped, her throat dry. "No," she said hoarsely, her voice cracking in her fear. What if someone guessed that she liked Applejack? She'd never be able to live it down.

Miss Oswald pursed her lips. "Hmmm. Well, by rights I should be giving you detention... but I won't, only because I want you to be spending all of your free time practicing on the sports field so we can destroy Crystal Prep during the sports competitions next spring."

A ripple of laughter ran through the class, and Rainbow Dash found some of her confidence returning. "I promise to deliver," she replied with a roguish curl to her lips and a cocky wink.

"Make sure you do. And please try to pay attention for the remaining fifteen minutes of class." The teacher returned to the front of the classroom and cleared her throat. "Now, back to work..."

Twilight spun around and glared at Dash with such disapproval that she found herself almost feeling guilty. Sighing, she sat up straighter and folded her slender hands on her desk, resolving to try to listen.

It was going great... until a neatly folded sheet of paper landed on the floor by her sneaker. Rainbow jumped, her concentration shattered, and frowned at the seemingly innocent note. After glancing around warily to make sure no one was watching, she bent down and snatched it up with the speed of a tiger.

She unfolded it as unobtrusively as possible. The note was short and sweet; in large, loopy letters, it read, 'Are you okay, Dashie?'

Rainbow felt involuntary tears well up in her magenta eyes and hastily brushed them away. She twisted around to stare at Pinkie Pie, whose eyes were huge with concern, and felt another tear come dangerously close to slipping down her cheek. Pinkie Pie was far more observant than people gave her credit for, as evidenced by her uncanny knack for being able to tell when her friends were hurting. And her willingness to risk getting herself in trouble by sending a note in class just to make sure Rainbow was okay was too touching for words... Hence the tears.

Rainbow Dash picked up her pencil, rolling it around in her fingers, and then scrawled a simple reply. Yes.

Casually dropping the crinkled note to the floor, she used the back of her foot to kick it back to Pinkie's desk. She never heard Pinkie pick the note up, but a second later it was back on her desk.

Raising an eyebrow, Rainbow flipped the note open.

A tiny sugar cookie covered with orange and blue sprinkles sat in the middle of the page, still warm, as though it had just come out of the oven. But that was impossible, wasn't it... actually, never mind. Nothing was impossible when Pinkie Pie was around.

There was a large, scribbly smiley face drawn next to the cookie in orange and blue marker. Orange and blue sprinkles, orange and blue marker... Rainbow idly wondered if that was supposed to symbolize her and Applejack, or something. But Rainbow had never hinted that she liked Applejack to any of her friends, especially not to Pinkie, so that really was impossible.

Probably.

Dash shook that thought out of her head, biting back a smile at the thoughtful gift. She hastily popped the cookie in her mouth before the teacher caught sight of it. It was delicious, as Pinkie's desserts always were, and she spun around to mouth a 'thanks', which was received with an ear-to-ear grin.

The rest of the class was uneventful. They were given a ridiculous amount of homework to do as per usual and then dismissed, with a reminder that next week they needed to write a ten-page comparison of the last two books they had discussed. Oh joy.

Rainbow Dash and her friends walked over to their lockers to deposit their things before lunch. "I can't believe you didn't pay attention for forty-five whole minutes!" Twilight groused. "Forty-five! And the book we were discussing was absolutely fascinating!"

Rarity draped a soothing arm around Twilight's back, her sapphire eyes soft and sympathetic. "Relax, darling. Dashie obviously has something else on her mind right now."

Fluttershy slipped her hand into Dash's and murmured something in her ear. "If you ever want to talk, I'm right here," she whispered in her characteristically soft tone.

Rainbow smiled and squeezed her hand. She normally disdained hand-holding, but Fluttershy was her oldest friend, so she figured she could make an exception for her. "Thanks, 'Shy."

Pinkie Pie skipped along next to them, completely oblivious to their muted conversation. "I'm so excited for lunch! I wonder what they have this time. Yesterday it was some kind of mystery meaty thing. So this time I brought my own lunch just in case, 'cause I like surprises but not the bad kind, like getting a mystery meaty thing when I really want cakes and sprinkles!"

They all shook their heads fondly at her randomness as they reached their respective lockers and opened them. Rainbow unceremoniously tossed her English folder inside and prepared to close it back up, but something caught her gaze on the back wall. She peered closer, her eyes fighting to adjust to the dinginess. It was a picture of her and her five friends, standing in a line with their arms around each other's backs. Rainbow smiled wistfully as she stared at herself and Applejack, standing next to each other with their hands wrapped around each other's waists. The picture had been taken a few years ago, but even then AJ had been the shortest one in the group. Her head was turned sideways and she was staring at Rainbow's face with a tiny smile on her lips. For a brief moment, Rainbow allowed herself to dream... did that expression in Applejack's face signify a little more than just friendship?

Then she sighed unhappily, her polychromatic bangs falling over her eyes, making no move to brush them away. No. No, that was just wishful thinking. Applejack was so honest; surely if she had a crush on Rainbow Dash she'd have told her by now.

"Rainbow Dash? Are you coming? We're going to lunch." Twilight deftly slung a strand of dark hair behind her ear as she awaited Rainbow's response.

Her forehead creased as she came to a decision. "You know what, Twi? You guys go on without me. I'll catch up. I'm going to wait for Applejack." Her voice caught slightly as she said the name.

Pinkie Pie stared at her, narrowing her eyes, and for a brief, terrifying moment Rainbow thought she'd guessed her secret. But then she leaned away and shrugged, her pink curls flouncing as she moved. "Okay! If you say so! We'll take our usual seats!" She snapped a quick picture of Rainbow's face for unknown reasons and then turned around and brightly skipped away, humming a cheerful tune to herself.

One by one, the rest of her friends followed. Rainbow watched them go and then sighed and leaned against her locker, bending her knee so that one of her feet was pressed against the cold gray metal. She didn't have long to wait. Applejack emerged from the sea of students heading to the cafeteria within a few seconds, her eyes lighting up as she caught sight of Rainbow. "Hey, Dash!" she called, giving her a sunny smile. "Nice of ya t' wait." All of a sudden she dropped a book on her foot, wincing as it hit her toes. "Awww, shoot."

Rainbow snickered, and Applejack frowned at her as she picked it up. "It ain't nice t' laugh at other people's bad luck, Rainbow," she scolded her.

Dash laughed and shrugged, feeling confident and at ease as she always did when she and Applejack were bantering. "Hey, you know what they say. Best friends will always pick you up when you fall down... after they've laughed their butt off."

"An' who said that?" Applejack asked sourly, depositing her books in her locker, which was adjacent to Rainbow's.

"Me," she said slyly.

Applejack shook her head and adjusted her Stetson. "Yeah, Ah thought so." She suddenly flashed Rainbow another smile and nudged her elbow. "C'mon, let's go t' lunch." She proffered her hand for Dash to take.

Rainbow stared at it. It was small and slender - surprisingly so, for someone who spent their days working on a farm. But it was beautiful. Her eyes rover over the faint lines on her tanned palm, the calluses near the bases of her fingers from holding farm equipment, the creases were her knuckles were. Was it even possible to fall in love with someone's hands?

Apparently so.

Suddenly Applejack chucked her gently under the chin, jolting her out of her reverie. "Honey? Ya there?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She shook her head and reached for AJ's hand, nestling their fingers together and feeling her heart thudding. She knew Applejack was only doing this in a friendly way, and she called everyone 'honey' (although she used the term only rarely), but oh, how she wished it meant something more!

Applejack tilted her head, seeming to pick up on her discomfort, and then grinned. After all these years of friendship, she knew exactly what to do when Rainbow was in a bad mood. "Ah bet Ah can beat ya t' th' cafeteria."

Rainbow instantly forgot her sadness at the prospect of a competition. "You're so on!" she shouted, dropping Applejack's hand and surging forward with a wild grin.

Chapter Three

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"Tie!" Applejack declared a few minutes later, skidding to a stop at the entrance to the cafeteria, only slightly out-of-breath.

Rainbow frowned at her, her magenta eyes narrowing. "No way. I totally kicked your butt."

"No, we tied! Ah was watchin'."

"Yeah, so was I. And I won."

Applejack grunted with exasperation and threw her hands up in the air. "Alraght, how 'bout we jus' have a rematch later then?"

Dash mulled it over and then nodded slowly. "Sweet! I like it. So, truce?" She stuck out her hand, looking down at Applejack with her trademark cocky smirk.

"Fer now," Applejack agreed, shaking the proffered hand with a tiny smile of her own and simultaneously tucking her curling blond bangs behind her ear. "But yore goin' down, darlin'."

Rainbow laughed out loud as she turned around, heading over to the serving counter to pick up a tray. "You wish, AJ."

The farmgirl stared after Dash as she strode easily away, her calves rippling with smooth muscles - the muscles of a runner. Applejack's piercing green eyes took in the swish of her jagged polychromatic hair across her back, the gracefulness of her tall, lithe figure...

Applejack sighed unhappily and rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe the image of Rainbow's sarcastic self-centered smirky overconfident proud gorgeous face out of her mind. It didn't work. Rainbow Dash always lingered behind her eyes whenever she closed them. She was always there in the depths of Applejack's mind. Once you let Rainbow into your head, she never left...

She suddenly felt a tug on her messy ponytail and jumped, startled. A pair of hands slid over her eyes. "Guess who? Guess who guess who guess who?!"

Despite her inner turmoil, Applejack found a grin tugging at her lips. "Howdy, Pinkie."

"Awwwwwww..." Pinkie Pie removed her hands and slumped, seeming defeated. "How did you know it was me?"

"Jus' a hunch." Applejack gave Pinkie a friendly nudge with her elbow. "Can Ah help ya?"

"No, I just came to tell you where we're sitting! We're over there!" She zoomed away without a backwards glance or even a helpful point of her finger to clarify what 'over there' meant.

Applejack snorted to herself. "Gal's crazier 'n a cuckoo clock."

Fortunately, she had sharp eyes, and was able to spot her group of friends within a few seconds. Carefully clutching the brown paper lunch bag that she'd grabbed from her locker, she began to slip through the throngs of lunchgoers, her boots clicking authoritatively on the floor as she maneuvered around groups of chattering students.

"Hey there, y'all," she greeted her friends, plopping her lunch bag down on the table. She grabbed a chair with her left hand and spun it around so it faced away from the table. Then, in a practiced motion, she slid onto it, rested her elbows on its back, and swung her legs around to either side, in her trademark sitting position.

Suddenly she felt a flick to the rear brim of her hat, which promptly fell over her eyes. "Hey, cowgirl," a familiar scratchy voice teased.

Frowning, Applejack straightened her hat and glared up at the culprit. "Rainbow!"

Smirking, Dash slid into a chair across from Applejack, smoothly setting her lunch tray on the table. "What did you guys think of the lunch today?"

Applejack bit her lip, feeling a flash of wistfulness; if only Dash had sat next to her instead...

Rarity, sitting next to Applejack, disdainfully poked her pile of mashed potatoes with her fork. "Well, perhaps the food could have been a little more gourmet..."

"And healthy," Twilight, who was sitting opposite Rarity and next to Pinkie Pie, added darkly. "Did you know that people who consume a lot of baked or mashed potatoes can become an extra 1.3 pounds heavier every four years?"

Looking appalled, Rarity slid her mashed potatoes as far away from her as possible while Fluttershy, sitting on her left, patted her shoulder soothingly.

Applejack chuckled and opened her lunch bag, extracting a cucumber sandwich and a sugar cookie. But just as she was about to bite into her sandwich, Rainbow gasped dramatically, reached across the table, and batted it right out of her hands.

Applejack blinked in surprise as her lunch fell onto the table. "Dash - what -?"

"It doesn't have apples in it," she hissed, adopting a mock horrified expression.

She sighed and rolled her eyes as Rarity tittered and Pinkie Pie burst into raucous laughter. Not this again. Every time she ate something that didn't contain apples, Rainbow acted like it was the end of the world. Applejack narrowed her eyes at her and picked up her sandwich again, shielding it from Rainbow's advances. "Alright, first of all, we eat more'n jus' apples, ya know. We ain't made o' apples or anythin'. An' second, we grow more'n jus' apples too. An' Ah know ya know that, 'cause you've been showin' up at th' farm ev'ry weekend fer a good ten years now."

"I know, I know. I was just kidding around," Rainbow said, a devilish twinkle in her eye. Applejack felt her heart flutter as Dash's lips curled in a grin, and hastily looked away and bit into her sandwich, almost choking on it in her haste.

"Um, Pinkie Pie, where's your lunch?" Fluttershy asked softly.

Pinkie beamed and produced a lunchbox out of thin air. "Oh, I brought my lunch from home today! See?" She flipped it open and shook its contents out onto the table. "Two cupcakes, five chocolate candies, a sugar cookie, and a doughnut! Yummy!"

Rarity emitted a rather unladylike retching sound and buried her head in Fluttershy's shoulder. "Fluttershy, darling, if I faint now I entrust you with taking care of me." Fluttershy stroked her comfortingly but looked more than a little nervous. Rarity's fainting fits were quite terrifying.

Applejack was torn between laughing uproariously and giving Pinkie a good scolding. She finally opted for the latter, feeling that it was her duty to prevent all of her friends from experiencing death by baked goods. "Sugarcube, what were ya thinkin'? Ya can't eat all that. It ain't healthy." She fished another cucumber sandwich out of her bag and tossed it to Pinkie. "Here. Ah got an extra."

"Yeah, because you eat enough for a horse," Rainbow snorted, her magenta eyes gleaming wickedly.

Applejack crinkled her freckled nose and stamped on Rainbow's foot, intentionally using the hard heel of her boot. "Ah do not! Ah jus' need t' eat a bit more'n usual 'cause Ah do so much work on th' farm. Ah gotta git energy from somewhere, don' Ah?"

"It's true," Twilight affirmed. "Food provides -"

"Yeah, okay, don't need to know," Rainbow said, tossing her hair idly as Twilight frowned, affronted. "Save it for science class."

Applejack bit her lip to hold back a laugh. Normally she would have told Rainbow to back off, but today, today... she just looked so ridiculously gorgeous, her polychromatic hair outlined in soft sunlight, that Applejack didn't even trust herself to speak without gasping. If only she could share her feelings with someone... but Applejack had never been one to share details of her personal life to the whole world. Her usual go-to for sharing this kind of information was Rainbow Dash, who was her best friend and was remarkably (and surprisingly) good at giving helpful advice.

But, of course, the problem with being in love with your best friend is that you can't tell your best friend about it...

"Hey, Applejack. Are you alright?" Twilight peered at her concernedly from behind her thick glasses.

Applejack blinked and shook her head, tugging uncomfortably at her plaid collar. "What? Oh, uh, yeah. Ah'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Rainbow drawled around a mouthful of potatoes, her chin propped up on her arm. "Because you were staring at me for, like, thirty seconds."

Applejack flushed and pulled her hat down lower over her eyes as she always did when she was trying to deny doing something that she knew she'd been doing. "No Ah wasn't! Ah was just thinkin', that's all."

Was that a flash of disappointment in Dash's eyes? Surely not... that was just wishful thinking. And yet something like sadness was written all over her face as she replied teasingly, "Dangerous pastime, AJ."

Applejack forced a smile and looked down at her lunch, foregoing any kind of sarcastic response, which was fairly unusual for her. Nobody seemed to notice, however; the others continued to chatter on about happier things such as Pinkie's latest baking experiments and Fluttershy's fundraisers for the animal shelter.

Not that Applejack minded. She didn't need anyone to share her problems with. She could deal with this on her own.

Absent-mindedly fingering a strand of her long blonde hair, she continued to eat her sandwich, savoring the crispness of the fresh cucumbers and feeling a touch of pride despite herself. There wasn't anything more delicious than good old Sweet Apple Acres produce.

Applejack's thoughts turned to her family, and she felt an uncomfortable lump rising in her throat. How would they feel about her liking another girl? In every family reunion photo album, at every Apple family gathering, the couples were the same: one man, and one woman. Always. It was basically a fact of nature.

That meant that Applejack would be the first. The first one to defy tradition. And probably the first one to be kicked out of the family, too. For surely no one would approve of her, not once they knew her secret. 'Apple family' and 'traditional' were near-synonymous terms. And traditional meant loving who you were supposed to: a big, strong, hardy man who could help you raise children and support your farm.

Applejack felt her heart sink. There was no way that Rainbow would like her, anyway. In all their years of friendship, Dash had never given any indication that she was anything but straight. And even if she did like her, Applejack would be forced to choose between her family and her best friend - an impossible decision for someone who loved both her family and her friends with all her heart. Either way, she lost.

Dash, ya dadburned, beautiful idiot. Yore ruinin' my life. But... Ah love ya.

"So will you help me?"

The words jolted Applejack out of her reverie, and she realized that Rainbow Dash was staring at her expectantly. "Uh, what?" She cursed her own inattentiveness. This kind of behavior was just the kind of thing that got her into trouble with Granny Smith and Big Mac - she'd learned that the hard way as a child, and had been remarkably good at paying attention ever since. So why was she so vacant today?

Dash rolled her eyes impatiently. "I said, I have do this this dumb sewing project for Home Ec, can you help me?" She reached over, plucked the sugar cookie off Applejack's napkin, and took a large bite of it. "Mmmm. Good stuff."

Applejack glowered her. "Not if ya keep eatin' mah dessert, Ah won't. Sides, why don'tcha ask Rarity? She knows more about all that sewin' stuff than Ah do."

"Because I only need to know how to sew a handkerchief, not, like, an entire dress."

"I can sew handkerchiefs," Rarity protested. "Dashie, it would be an absolute dream to teach you to sew. Please let me? Please?" She fluttered her eyelashes charmingly.

Applejack didn't get to hear Rainbow's response, as she suddenly felt a tap on her elbow. "Hey, sis, can Ah ask ya somethin'?"

The farmgirl glanced over her shoulder and grinned at her little sister, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Sure, Applebloom! What can Ah do ya for?" Her little sister never failed to cheer her up with her unflagging enthusiasm.

"Can Ah sleepover at Sweetie Belle's tonight? She asked me."

Rarity looked horrified. "She did?"

Applebloom didn't pick up on her distress. "Yeah! So please please please, can we?"

Applejack beamed at her. "'Course ya can. Jus' make shore ya get all yore homework done."

"I don't suppose I get a say in any of this," Rarity complained loudly.

"Ah don' think so. Sounds t' me like Sweetie's got this all planned out," Applejack chuckled. "Best jus' let 'em do their thing."

"Thanks!" Applebloom gave her older sister a crushing hug and then took a huge bite of her sugar cookie. "Bye!" She dashed off, whooping with excitement.

AJ smiled fondly at her sister's receding figure as Dash groaned and threw her arms in the air. "Oh, sure. Your little sister can get away with stealing your dessert, but I can't?"

"Ah hold ya t' higher standards, Dash," she said patiently. She picked up her half-eaten cookie and glanced at it wistfully before shrugging resignedly and popping the rest of it in her mouth.

"Everyone, we only have five minutes left until science class. Why don't we wrap up?" Twilight finished her lunch and neatly organized all of her trash on her plate in what Applejack thought was probably some sort of fancy mathematical pattern.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie answered cheerfully, her lunchbox suddenly vanishing as inexplicably as it had arrived. "Done!"

"Yeah... some of us have to do it the normal way." Rainbow swung herself gracefully out of her chair and got to her feet, stretching like a cat. "Coming, Shorty?" she said to Applejack, wearing a crooked grin.

AJ knew she was short, and didn't really mind, but for some reason that comment stung more coming from Dash then it would have from anyone else. She wished that, just once, Rainbow would compliment her. Applejack knew she didn't need to be pretty, but still, it was nice to have someone tell you that you were sometimes, wasn't it?

Then she felt ashamed of herself. Granny Smith hadn't raised her to wish - or fish - for compliments. Ah ain't a baby. Ah don' need people always sayin' nice things t' me. "Yeah, Ah'm comin'," she replied, resolving to stop feeling sorry for herself and just enjoy her time with her friends.

They walked to the trash can together and got rid of their trash, chatting amiably the whole way. Applejack felt a surge of happiness. Maybe Rainbow didn't like her back, but she was still her best friend. And in these moments, when they were together, Applejack felt truly happy... When you have a friend like Rainbow Dash, it's hard not to.

Pinkie Pie stared after the pair of them with narrowed eyes as they strode away. Her Pinkie Sense was activating. Something big was going on here. Something secret. By which she meant that the two of them were keeping a secret from each other.

How did she know that?

Her ears were twitching. When one of them twitched, it meant that someone was keeping a secret from her. When both of them twitched, it meant that two people were keeping secrets from each other (or a giant banana was about to fall on someone's head, but this time Pinkie was pretty sure it was the former).

She whipped out her trusty camera, snapped a candid shot of Rainbow and Applejack's receding backs, and chuckled to herself. Now she had evidence.

Or was it a clue? Hmm. Well, whichever came first.

Pinkie trailed behind her friends as they walked to science class, adopting an unusually thoughtful expression. She was going to get to the bottom of this.

***

About an hour later, the six friends left the science classroom, heading down the hallway to their lockers and discussing their physics lesson animatedly (well, Twilight was. The rest had understood so little of the lesson that they felt unqualified to talk about it).

"Wasn't that bit about Kirchhoff's law just fascinating?" Twilight gushed, clasping her hands and staring dreamily in front of her. "Of course, I studied that years ago, but it was great to have a review!"

Applejack scratched her head. "Ah dunno. Seemed pretty weird t' me."

Rainbow Dash casually mussed her hair. "Yeah. Today's lesson was 100 percent uncool."

Twilight frowned and pursed her lips. "Rainbow Dash, how can you say that? Electricity is extremely fascinating."

"Of course it is," Fluttershy hastened to reassure her. "I think what Dashie is trying to say is that it was a little bit difficult to understand."

"Huh, you can say that again," Applejack snorted. "An' jus' think of all that homework... say, do y'all want t' come t' th' farm after school? We could do our homework t'gether. An' there's cider," she added with a broad grin.

"Sweet!" Rainbow's voice cracked in her excitement. "I'm so in!"

The others gave their consent, and Applejack pulled out her phone to send a quick text to Big Mac. We're all coming over after school. AB's staying at Sweetie's.

He responded with a simple 'Yup', and Applejack laughed and slipped her phone back into her skirt pocket. "Alraght. RD, Ah reckon it's time we headed outside."

After school, the two of them headed out to the school grounds to practice. Rainbow was the captain of the school soccer team, and played on the track team. Applejack's main sport was archery, but she often participated in some of the rougher sports such as football, and occasionally practiced discus and javelin. Every so often she even let Rainbow convince her to do track for an afternoon. They were two of the best athletes in the school, and enjoyed ending their school day with a bit of friendly competition (although, to her annoyance, Applejack almost never got to compete against Rainbow).

Sometimes their friends would stay and watch them play from the bleachers. They didn't have to participate in any of the sports themselves, as Canterlot High didn't really have any P. E. requirements - they just had interschool sports competitions at the end of every year, and students only had to participate if they wanted to. Which was strange, but hey, no one was complaining, particularly not Rarity.

Rainbow nodded sharply. "Yeah. You're right." She glanced at the rest of her friends. "You guys staying to watch?"

They looked at each other and seemed to come to an unspoken agreement. "Sure, why not?" Twilight answered.

"Cool!" Rainbow flipped her bangs over her forehead and raised her eyebrow at Applejack. "Bet I can beat you outside!"

"No chance," Applejack replied firmly. "Ah don't have t' change into a soccer uniform - Ah'm just headin' straight out."

"How much do you wanna bet?"

She mulled it over. "Ten bucks. An' whoever loses has t' wear a dress fer a day."

"Done." Rainbow's eyes gleamed at the prospect of a competition. Obviously, she was confident she could win, or she never would have agreed to that bet. "On your marks, get set, GO!" She streaked down the hallway like a bullet, without giving Applejack any warning that the race was starting.

Applejack made a grab for her but missed. "RAINBOW DASH!" she shouted furiously, her boots slamming onto the floor as she gave chase, one of her hands pressed firmly over her hat to make sure that it stayed on her head.

How did Ah fall in love with such a rascal?

Chapter Four

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"Dash, Ah'm tellin' ya it was a tie," Applejack growled for the second time that day, her arms crossed over her chest and her cheeks flushed from the exertion of their race (although she was far too fit to be out of breath).

"It so was not," Rainbow protested. "I got outside a split second before you did!"

Applejack clicked her tongue, exasperated, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her leather boots striking the hard-packed earth with a muted thud. "Rainbow, mah foot hit th' doorstep at th' exact same time yores did. An' I remember it, 'cause ya panicked an' tried t' shove me t' th' side to stop me from winnin'!"

"I did not! I just accidentally stuck my arm out to the side and happened to hit you with it."

Applejack knew Rainbow Dash well enough by now to know that this was a blatant lie. Shaking her head smilingly, she stepped forwards and placed a cool hand on Dash's forearm, feeling her heart thrill a little as their skin made contact. "Look, it ain't a big deal. Let's jus' call that bet off an' say neither of us has t' wear a dress, alraght?"

Rainbow hesitated, staring down at Applejack's freckled hand, and then nodded slowly, deciding to accept this peace offering. "Fine."

"Good." Straightening her denim skirt, which had been rumpled during the course of their race, Applejack swept off her hat and used it to wipe her face. "Hoo-boy! That was some race. How'd ya get outside so fast, anyways?" she asked, twirling her hat around her finger as she often did when she was asking a question or was deep in thought. "What with havin' t' stop at th' changin' rooms an' all?"

Rainbow winked and tossed the soccer ball she'd had tucked under her elbow up in the air, deftly spinning it on one finger. "I'm faster than the Flash, I'm the awesome Rainbow -"

Applejack gave her a shove and swatted her with her Stetson. "Oh, be quiet. Don' go gettin' a big head... if it ain't already too late, that is."

"Very funny." Rainbow threw her soccer ball up in the air and bent down, catching the ball on her back and expertly rolling it back and forth. "I gotta go to soccer. My team's waiting for me. Think you could do track with me later?"

Applejack's heart leapt. She pretended to hesitate, even though she already knew what her answer would be. "Well... Ah guess," she answered, fighting to keep her tone of voice calm despite her inner excitement.

"Cool!" Rainbow's long legs flashed in the air, a blur of motion, as she casually juggled the soccer ball with her knees. "Then see you soon?"

"Shore thing... Rainbow Flash."

The athlete rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever... uh... Crapplejack?" She obviously couldn't thing of anything else.

Applejack chuckled as she settled her hat over her golden bangs. "Lame. Now git goin'."

"Yes, ma'am." With a final wave, Dash spun around and ran lightly over to the soccer field, dribbling her soccer ball with ease.

Applejack bit her lip and sighed as she turned around to head over to the archery range, which just happened to be right next to the soccer field.

And then, cursing her inability to ignore her heart's urges for even a single second, she whirled around again to watch Rainbow Dash. Her heartbeat quickened as she caught sight of her slender, powerful legs, covered by her soccer shorts only to the middle of her thighs. The large, white number one emblazoned on the back of her soccer uniform - which was turquoise, gold, and white, the school colors - flashed in the sunlight beneath Rainbow's jaggedly-cut, polychromatic locks. Applejack thought she could probably watch Rainbow's smooth, cocky stride without getting bored until the end of her days; it was so careless, but so confident -

She shut her eyes and firmly pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ain't no use lookin' at things yore never gonna git," Applejack murmured softly to herself, recalling one of Granny Smith's old proverbs.

Then she forced herself to turn away and walk firmly over to the archery range without looking back.

***

Thud.

Applejack's first arrow slammed into her target. It was a perfect bullseye, as usual.

Feeling a sense of grim satisfaction, she drew another arrow from the quiver secured to her back, hooked it to the bowstring, and brought her bow up for a second shot. Glancing over to her right, Applejack caught sight of Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie sitting in a cluster in the bleachers, watching intently. She paused to tip her hat at them, rolling her eyes in exasperation as Pinkie insisted on taking a picture of her, before returning to her shooting. Her hands, sheathed in elbow-length leather gloves to protect them from being injured by the bowstring as it vibrated forwards, ran along the smooth, wooden body of the bow in a practiced motion. Although this bow belonged to the school, it was basically hers, since the other students were smart enough to realize that only Applejack could handle it. Indeed, its draw weight was over a hundred pounds, making it the hardest bow to handle in the entire school. But for Applejack, who was used to doing copious amounts of farm work for hours at a time, could pull back its string with an almost ridiculous ease.

Muscles rippled beneath her arms as she drew the bowstring back to her ear and rested her index finger against the corner of her mouth, her other hand curled around the grip of her bow. She sighted along the shaft of her arrow and smoothly released, her booted legs spread out to either side and her back ramrod straight, as was the expected stance for archery.

Thud. Another perfect shot.

Applejack fired again, her fingers a blur of motion as she reloaded her bow, drew it back, and made her next shot in less than five seconds. This time, the arrow bounced off the back tip of her last arrow with enough force to dent it, and flew away into the grass. If the first two arrows hadn't been blocking the center of the target, this shot would have been another bullseye. Applejack nodded with satisfaction as she allowed her posture to slump somewhat; her last few shots had been impeccable.

After flexing her fingers and stamping her feet against the ground to loosen up her muscles, Applejack hefted her bow again, feeling her heart coursing with excitement as it always did when she was outside doing something physical. She slid another arrow out of her quiver, fitted it to the bow, carefully took aim...

Her eyes strayed to the left. A tall figure that was unmistakably Rainbow Dash was shooting goals left and right, the unfortunate goalie cowering as a multitude of soccer balls were launched towards her. Normally, Rainbow would have been shouting at the goalie for letting every one of her shots in, but she appeared to be too busy congratulating herself for her awesome shots instead.

Thud. Applejack jumped as she realized that she had accidentally fired the arrow. It just barely grazed the edge of the target and skipped away into the grass.

Numb with shock, she stared at the target, where there should have been another bullseye. Distracted by Rainbow Dash, Applejack had just made her worst shot in years.

"This is gettin' ridiculous," Applejack said furiously to herself. Tearing her eyes away from Rainbow, who had now (finally) started to berate the incompetent goalie, she trudged over to the target to collect her arrows, firmly ignoring the concerned gazes of her friends. She knew they would be wondering why she had missed the shot, and didn't want to have to explain right now.

Tipping her Stetson lower over her eyes to shield her vision from the unwavering afternoon sunlight, Applejack slid all of the arrows back into her quiver and prepared to begin anew.

But as she drew the bowstring back to her ear, she stopped, a wave of emotion akin to fear roiling through her, her fingers stiffening. What if she got distracted again and missed this shot? What if she missed all her shots? What if Rainbow saw her mess up and laughed at her?

Then Applejack remembered something. Something that her Pa had told her once, many, many years ago, but something that she hadn't been able to forget ever since.

"Pa? How come yore so big an' strong?"

He laughed, his mouth beaming beneath his dark, scruffy beard, his eyes twinkling, and picked his little girl up, his big hands stroking her flaxen hair. "Do Ah look big an' strong t' you, mah little Applejack?"

"Yes, Pa. Real strong!"

He looked deep into her eyes. "Well, now, that's 'cause Ah ain't really strong at all. At least, Ah didn't used t' be. Y'see, everybody's got some things in 'em they don' like. Things that they think make 'em weak. Anger. Jealousy. Greed. Fear. An' oftentimes a lot o' heartbreak. But if'n you can turn those into strengths, then you ain't weak no more. You can use 'em to make you strong, so you never back down from anythin'. That's how Ah look so strong."

"But how?"

"Well, you jus' say t' yoreself, 'Sure, Ah'm angry. An Ah'm scared, an' Ah'm hurt. But Ah got so much happy in me too. An' if I use all that anger an' fear an' hurt to fuel mahself, an' to make a promise t' mahself to keep mahself goin', then Ah can be even happier. 'Cause then there won't be anyone who can stand in mah way an' stop me from gettin' the things that make me happy.' " He pressed a kiss to Applejack's forehead. She shrieked with laughter as his beard tickled her cheeks. "Jus' you remember that, Applejack. Jus' you remember."

Applejack felt a solitary tear trickle down her cheek at the memory of her father. She hadn't known what her Pa had meant then, but now she thought she knew.

Brushing away the tear, she set her jaw and stood up to her full height, determination coursing through her body. Yes, she was sad that her best friend would never realize just how much she meant to Applejack. Yes, she was scared - of heartbreak and of rejection and of hurting the person closest to her.

But fear is a superpower, and anger is a motivation.

Applejack sighted along the shaft of her arrow, her emerald eyes riveted on the bullseye. She would continue to shoot, and every single one of her shots would be perfect. They had to be.

In a smooth, practiced motion, Applejack closed her eyes and released. She didn't even need to look to know that it had hit the center of the target.

Thud. Thud. Thud. More of her arrows hit the target in quick succession. An image of Rainbow Dash's face hovered in Applejack's mind, and she poured all of the love and sadness and warmth that underlay her feelings for Rainbow into her archery.

Thud.

Rainbow's eyes, shining with little flecks of violet and ranging anywhere from magenta to dark purple depending on the angle at which you viewed them, full of confidence and pride and warmth and humor, always glinting with suppressed mischief. Her grin, which lit up the whole room with its brilliance and was often flashed at the most inappropriate of times, such as during a lecture in the middle of class. Her hair, long and jagged and wonderfully prismatic, always falling over her eyes in choppy streaks.

Thud.

Her fingers, slim and deft and perfectly suited to crashing out tunes on her rock guitar. Her body, slender and agile. Her long, well-formed legs - the legs of a runner. Her casual way of somehow managing to be both clumsy and graceful at the same time. Her playful charm that shone through in all of her movements, all of her facial expressions.

Thud.

The way her voice shot up two octaves and cracked when she was excited, much to her chagrin. The way she walked, in a loping, easy stride with a cocky sway of her hips, and the way she ran, her arms and legs blurs of motion as she sped ahead of everyone else. The way she sang, low and husky, while her fingers whirled at lightning speed over the strings of her guitar. The way she always had to be the best at everything, and usually managed it. The way she insisted on a rematch every time she lost. The way she loved to compete with Applejack and wasn't above tackling her to the ground and wrestling her just to win their competition. The way she didn't mind getting dirty or making a mess. The way she tended to miss the obvious and ignore established norms in favor of blazing her own path. The way she was a good head taller than Applejack, which meant that when Rainbow hugged her she could wrap her entire body around Applejack and rest her chin on top of her head (which she often did). The way she made weird faces at Applejack in class, trying to get her to laugh. The way she was absolutely obsessed with apple cider. The way she was both obnoxious and instantly likable at the same time. The way she was admired by everyone in the school for her good looks and athleticism. The way she could be surprisingly gentle and always knew what to say, be it a sardonic comment or a pep talk. The way she was the most loyal of friends anyone could ever find, and always had your back.

Thud.

The way she'd completely stolen Applejack's heart.

Thud. Applejack blinked with surprise, feeling as though she had returned to reality after being in a long trance, as her final arrow slammed into the target. She lowered her bow and stared at the target, feeling a rush of pride. All of her arrows were clustered in a tight circle, no more than a centimeter apart from each other, in the red circle that marked the center. It was exceptionally fine shooting.

"Not bad, cowgirl," a familiar scratchy voice said in a teasing voice. "Good aim."

Hardly daring to hope, Applejack looked over to her left.

Rainbow Dash was watching her from the edge of the soccer field, a half-smile playing on her mouth, her soccer ball tucked under her elbow and her cleats and socks spattered with muddy grass.

A smile broke out on Applejack's lips. "You ain't too bad yoreself," she replied lightly, referring to Rainbow's remarkable soccer shots from earlier as she planted the bottom tip of her bow on the ground and rested her gloved forearms on its top tip.

"Yeah, I totally kicked butt out there, didn't I?" Rainbow came a little closer, her forehead scrunched as she peered at the target. "Seriously though, did you really shoot all those? That's, like, incredible."

Applejack felt her face flush. "Well - that's, uh, real sweet."

"AJ, I'm not being sweet. I'm being dead serious. You're awesome. You should start joining competitions and stuff... hey, speaking of competitions, you wanna have an archery competition sometime?"

Applejack scoffed as she began collecting her arrows. "You kiddin'? I'd clobber ya in ten seconds flat." Her mouth twitched in a smirk as she employed one of Rainbow's trademark phrases.

"Yeah, I guess you're probably right.. " Rainbow sighed and mussed up her hair, idly smoothing out her soccer uniform.

Applejack cocked her head amusedly. "Am Ah just imaginin' things, or was that th' sound o' Rainbow Dash bein' humble?"

The athlete rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. What are you, my mom?"

Applejack's low laugh rang out out over the archery range. "Jus' teasin', sugarcube. But Ah am five months older'n you, an' don't ya forget it."

"As if you'd let me." Rainbow glanced up at the position of the sun and frowned. "Okay, it's getting late. I have to go to track. Are you coming?" She smoothed out her soccer uniform, which she also wore for track, probably just because she enjoyed the feeling of having a number one on her back.

"Yeah, yeah, Ah'm comin'." Tucking all of her arrows into her quiver, Applejack glanced over her shoulder and beckoned to her friends, indicating that they should move to a row of bleachers closer to the track. "Ready."

The two of them fell into step with each other, bantering animatedly as usual, both of them reveling in each other's company...

And both of them wishing with all their hearts that they had enough courage to say to the other what they were really thinking.

***

The members of the Wondercolts track team were already milling around the track when Applejack and Rainbow Dash arrived, chatting animatedly to each other and performing warm-ups in preparation for the running session. Applejack leaned her bow and quiver against a nearby tree, under which Rainbow had left her soccer ball, and then carefully rested her Stetson on top of the quiver. Dash shifted her weight from foot to foot, watching impatiently. Applejack chuckled and swatted her with one of the gloves she had just taken off. "Hold yore horses, Rainbow. Ah'm comin'."

The captain of the track team glanced over and spotted the two of them. "Hey, Dash," she called in a raspy voice, jogging over to them, her eyes sensually half-lidded as she smiled at Rainbow (at least, they were in Applejack's mind). "What kept you?"

Applejack clenched her fists, inwardly stewing. That's mah nickname for Rainbow. How dare she use it? She narrowed her eyes, sizing up the captain's jagged orange-and-yellow hairstyle and tall, svelte form.

Spitfire was one of the most popular girls in the school. It wasn't that Applejack didn't like her. She was friendly, smart, and funny. And she was incredibly hot.

But that was exactly the problem. If Rainbow Dash had a crush on anybody in the school, it would be Spitfire, and Applejack was painfully aware of that.

What was worse was that Spitfire had been crushing on Rainbow Dash for four years, and was quite vocal about admitting it. The only person in the school who didn't seem to know about her crush was Rainbow Dash herself. Of course.

Still, Applejack's personal code of honor didn't allow her to be impolite. So as Spitfire neared them, she nodded in her direction and reached up to tip her hat, hastily lowering her hand when she realized that it wasn't there.

"Hey, Spits," Rainbow answered casually. "I was just recruiting AJ for the team today... if that's alright."

Applejack's eyebrow twitched. 'Spits'? Really?

Spitfire eyed her up and down and then shrugged. "Sure. No problem. Anything for my number-one runner. Hey, Applejack."

"Howdy," she grunted, forcing a smile and doing her best to repress the urge to vomit. Spitfire was clearly trying to get into Rainbow's good books.

Rainbow slung an arm around Spitfire's back in a friendly way and walked off towards the track with her. "So, I wanted to talk to you about that hundred-meter dash..."

Applejack glowered after them, pretending to herself that she was annoyed at Rainbow for ditching her, but knowing that deep down her anger was really directed at Spitfire. However, she couldn't honestly say that she wasn't jealous. She knew she was overreacting, and she was ashamed of herself for doing so, but every time Rainbow looked into Spitfire's eyes Applejack couldn't help imagining that she was in love with her.

Rainbow glanced back. "Applejack? You coming?" Spitfire looked back at Applejack with a sly, superior smirk that indicated that she knew exactly what Applejack was thinking about Rainbow.

She set her jaw and jogged after them, determined not to take the bait. "Yeah."

There were fifteen students on the track, sixteen including Applejack. Applejack couldn't help feeling a little awkward and out-of-place as she followed Rainbow and Spitfire into the thick of the group, since she was by far the shortest and stockiest one there; everyone else was slim, lean, and at least five foot eight. Even Dash, who was one of the tallest people Applejack knew, was only slightly taller than average in this group.

Applejack suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and spun around. A tall, muscly young man with shoulder-length blue hair and a firm jaw was leaning over her. "Hey, Applejack," he said shyly.

Applejack sighed. "Hey, Soarin," she answered patiently. Soarin thought he was being very covert about his crush on Applejack, but he was failing miserably, to the point where even Applejack herself knew about it. She felt bad for the poor guy. He was charming, and she quite liked him, but... her heart had already been stolen. She just hoped that he was too shy to ever ask her out on a date, because she didn't want to have to hurt his feelings.

"Are you running with us today?" Soarin asked, smoothing down his ruffled hair and crossing his arms.

Applejack just barely managed to bite back a sarcastic response ("Well, that's why Ah'm here, ain't it?") "Shore thing," she replied instead, her eyes searching the crowd of runners for Rainbow Dash.

Soarin seemed to sense that she was distracted, but was far too polite to say anything. "Happy to hear that. Well, why don't you go line up to run with everyone else? And, uh... let me know if you ever bring any of those apple pies to school again, okay?"

Despite herself, Applejack laughed. "Will do."

A slim hand slipped out of the group of athletes and snatched at Applejack's sleeves, which she'd rolled up to her elbows. "Applejack. We're lining up. C'mon. I saved you a spot next to me." Rainbow Dash gazed at her best friend, her eyes bright and expectant.

Tucking her blonde bangs behind her ears, Applejack followed her friend as the rest of the runners got into position after completing their stretches. Rainbow was bouncing on the backs of her feet and stretching her arms behind her head, continuing to limber up before the start of practice. She glanced over at Applejack and noticed that she wasn't stretching. "Applejack? Aren't you gonna stretch before you run?"

Applejack's lips curled in a slow smile as she stared ahead at the sloping track ahead of them. She'd been waiting for Rainbow to ask that exact question. "No Ah ain't. Ah can beat ya without stretchin'."

Rainbow lowered her arms and stared at her incredulously. "Oh yeah?"

"Absolutely."

She narrowed her eyes, a sly smirk tugging at her lips. "You are so on." She spat on her hand.

Applejack did the same and then smacked her palm against Rainbow's, completing their special handshake. "May the best gal win, Rainbow Flash."

"Yeah, it'll be me," Rainbow snorted.

Applejack raised her eyebrows. "Oh, Ah wouldn't be too shore."

The sound of a whistle being blown effectively put an end to their conversation. Spitfire stepped up in front of their team, pacing back and forth and glaring at everyone who dared to look her in the eye. "Alright, listen up! I need to see some major improvement today if we ever want to beat Crystal Prep at the sports competitions next spring! Soarin, do you have any idea how long it took you to run a mile yesterday? I can't even bring myself to say it, it was too embarrassing. And Fleetfoot, where the hell where your fleet feet? I could have sworn I saw you actually stumble a couple times during yesterday's practice!" The two unfortunates who had been singled out flushed and mumbled apologies. Spitfire nodded her head sharply and continued. "I want to see perfect form today. From all of you." Without warning, she blew her whistle again. "So get going! One loop around the track! Go, go, go!"

The track team burst into action, their legs pumping as they shot ahead. Rainbow, of course, streaked ahead of the pack, her long, polychromatic hair whipping behind her. She twisted around to stare over her shoulder at Applejack, who was at least twenty feet behind. "Come on, slowpoke!" she shouted. "You're too far back even to eat my dust!"

Applejack's heart was racing, the excitement of competing with her best friend coursing through her veins. Her plan had been to start out slow and steady and eventually speed up when Rainbow was tiring, but now she threw all caution to the winds. She narrowed her eyes and bounded forwards, her ponytail swinging behind her, her boots thudding against the track as she sped up. The paved red ground and the backs of the other runners faded away; all Applejack could see was Rainbow Dash.

A few seconds later, Rainbow spun around again to make sure she was still a safe distance ahead of Applejack... And blinked. And blinked again.

Applejack wasn't there.

Frowning, she turned around again. "What the -"

Her eyes widened. Applejack was five feet ahead of her, looking back at her with a broad smile. "Come on, slowpoke," she teased, crooking a finger. "Yore too far behind t' eat mah dust!"

Rainbow growled under her breath and shot forwards, her feet seeming to barely skim the ground. "Oh, you wish, cowgirl."

Applejack felt exhilarated as she pounded down the track, breathing in the sharp, clean air, her denim skirt whipping around her knees. Her happiness was only intensified by the sight of Rainbow Dash, running on her left, her eyes flashing. She'd never looked more beautiful.

The other runners were hot on their heels, but Applejack and Rainbow, driven by their determination to beat each other, were unstoppable. First Rainbow was ahead; then Applejack; then Rainbow again, both of them vying for first place. The two of them were neck-and-neck as they neared the finish line, their eyes narrowed and their jaws set as they gathered all of their concentration for the last few seconds of the race. Applejack's chest heaved, and a sharp stitch flared in her side. Jus' a little longer...

"HA!" Rainbow shouted as she crossed the finish line victoriously, her arms raised in celebration. "I beat you! I beat you! I - WHAT?!"

Applejack was right next to her, having crossed the finish line at the same time as Dash. Rainbow couldn't deny that Applejack had finished first; if Applejack had finished second then she would have been behind Rainbow rather than next to her.

Nonetheless, Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Did I just... tie? Again?"

Applejack casually dusted off her skirt as the other runners streamed past the finish line. "Think so, sugarcube."

She groaned with frustration and ran her hands through her windswept hair. "How do you always manage to do that every time?"

Applejack's lips quirked. "Ah'm faster'n the Flash - "

"Oh, shut up!" Rainbow scowled and turned to Spitfire, who was eyeing the two of them approvingly. "Spitfire, I want a rematch."

Spitfire smirked amusedly. "Face it, Dash. It was a tie, fair and square." She cocked an eyebrow at Applejack. "Sure you don't want to join the track team? You're a good runner. We could use you."

Applejack accepted the compliment modestly. "Thanks fer the offer, but Ah'm gonna have t' say no. Mah archery keeps me pretty busy." It didn't, but she didn't want to have to stare at Spitfire trying to seduce Rainbow Dash for half an hour every day during track.

Rainbow threw up her arms and stomped off, looking seriously annoyed. "I've tied with you three times today! Three times! It's not FAIR!"

Applejack grinned and strode after her.

***

Half an hour later, Dash's good mood had been regained, mainly because Applejack had let her win all the rest of their races. In truth, though, Applejack thought she probably could have tied with Rainbow every time if she'd wanted to; belonging to a farming family engendered nothing if not endurance.

The track team had just finished its final exercise, and most of its members were now heading back to the changing rooms. Soarin gave Applejack a final wave before striding back to the changing rooms himself, clearly exaggerating the rolling of his muscly shoulders just to show off. Applejack rolled her eyes and turned around, planning to collect her archery equipment from under the tree.

"Applejack..." Rainbow came up behind her, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

"Yeah, sugarcube?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well... your hair came loose while we were running."

Applejack's eyes widened and she instinctively reached around to her back. Sure enough, her golden locks were swinging loose around her shoulders, falling in flaxen waves to midway down her back. "Aw, shoot," she swore. Her hair tie must have fallen out somewhere along the track, and she wasn't about to go looking for it. "Guess Ah can ask Rarity fer another -"

"No!" Rainbow yelped. She hastily lowered her voice, seeming uncharacteristically shy. "No, don't... it - it looks nice. I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down." She stepped forwards and hesitantly ran a finger along the curly edges of Applejack's hair.

Applejack stood stock-still, hardly daring to disrupt this moment of intimacy. But it ended far sooner than she would have liked: Rainbow seemed to realize what she was doing and hastily stepped back, blushing profusely and looking nothing at all like her usual, confident self. "I - I gotta go. I'll meet you and the girls in the parking lot." She turned around and ran lightly back towards the changing room without looking back.

Confused, Applejack stared after her. That look in Dash's eyes... her blush... what did it all mean? She didn't know what to think.

"Applejack? Can I talk to you?" Spitfire's raspy voice floated towards her.

She rubbed a hand across her eyes, trying to clear her head, and turned around, her bewilderment making her words seem more brusque than she had intended. "If this is about joinin' the track team, then Ah already told ya -"

"No, it's not about the track team." Spitfire stared down at Applejack, sizing her up. "I wanted to talk to you about something else. You know how CHS has a whole bunch of sports teams. Soccer, track, basketball - you name it, we have it."

"Uh... yeah?" Where was Spitfire trying to go with this?

"Well, that's not quite true. What we don't have is a field team." Spitfire's eyes were piercing and hard to read. "I think you should talk to Principal Celestia about forming one. I've watched you before. You're more than qualified to be the captain of a field team. You can do every single field event. And this school needs a field team. Not having one is a major weakness. Every year in the past we haven't been able to compete against Crystal Prep in field just because we don't have a team."

Applejack just stared. This was the first time anybody had ever brought up this conversation topic with her.

"All I'm saying is to think about it." Spitfire's voice was soft. "Being a team captain is pretty awesome." Without waiting for a response, she turned around and strode away, eventually breaking into a jog.

"Huh... that ain't a bad idea," Applejack said aloud in a musing tone. Canterlot High did need a field team. Her heart began to pound as a rather pleasant thought struck her like a lightning bolt.

All of the school's sports team captains, from soccer to football to track, had to work very closely with each other. They got to have special meetings once a month to discuss team progress, and they often spent free periods at school hanging out with each other. They were also the ones in charge of planning all of the school's athletics events together - including deciding which hotels to stay at, discussing team strategy, and throwing after-game parties. So by inviting Applejack to become a team captain, Spitfire was... was...

Ensuring that Applejack had an excuse to spend more time with Rainbow Dash.

But Spitfire had a crush on Rainbow.

Why would she be trying to help Applejack?

Or maybe she wasn't trying to help Applejack. Maybe she was just heavily invested in the state of her school's sports department.

Applejack groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head was starting to hurt from all this puzzling.

Life was complicated.

She forced herself to push all thoughts of Spitfire, sports teams, and Rainbow Dash out of her head. There would be plenty of time for mulling everything over later; right now, Applejack just wanted to get back to Sweet Apple Acres, pour herself a nice, calming cup of hot apple cider, and enjoy some time with her best friends.

Applejack walked over to her bow and quiver, slung them over her back, and placed her Stetson over her ruffled bangs, sighing with relief as its familiar weight rested on her head once more. She then turned to the bleachers and gestured to her friends, indicating that she was done. Twilight nodded her assent and stood up, leading the rest of the her friends out of the bleachers and heading instinctively for the parking lot, which was the group's usual meeting place.

Applejack, on the other hand, headed directly back to the school, in order to store her archery equipment. Her hair rippled around her shoulders as she walked, which was rather uncomfortable; she was used to having it tied up. But a tiny smile played on her lips as she walked.

Yes, life was complicated. But right now, things were looking up.

Author's Notes:

I am so sorry for the long wait. I have been so busy. I've literally had to stay awake until two in the morning some nights to finish this chapter.
So, I have a question for you, which I'd like you all to vote on. In most Appledash stories, Spitfire kind of seems to be the antagonist, you know? The one who tries to steal Rainbow Dash away from Applejack. Well, as evidenced by this chapter, I was kind of thinking that maybe she could actually help Applejack. But of course, I want to write stuff that you guys like to read. So if the idea of a nice Spitfire seems too weird, then it's not too late for me to make her the antagonist. I'd appreciate if you guys could tell me your thoughts on this in the comments.
Now, I have to warn you it could be a while before my next chapter, because I have to update one of my other stories and I'm working on finishing this other Appledash story I have (I'll give you a teaser: It's about the real reason why Dash likes cider so much). I tried to give you a bit of a longer chapter than usual today to make up for the possible delay. In the next chapter, we're back to Rainbow's perspective, and the plot is actually going to start to advance a little.
Thanks so much for reading. Stay tuned for more.
OH! I almost forgot. In the last chapter I said that Dash played on the soccer team and was captain of the track team? Well, I changed that. She is now captain of the soccer team and Spitfire is captain of the track team. Just to clear that up in case any of you were confused.
P.S. Virtual cookie to you if you caught the Doctor Who quote in there.

Chapter Five

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Rainbow's vision was filled with gold. And it wasn't from the sunshine, either.

She and Applejack were walking towards the school parking lot with their friends, all of whom were chatting animatedly amongst themselves about their homework and complaining about how heavy their backpacks were. But Rainbow Dash couldn't bring herself to join in, let alone listen. Watching the girl in front of her was far more entertaining.

Applejack had a very interesting way of walking. Perhaps to make up for her rather unimposing stature, she tended to stride with a slow roll of her shoulders and with her chin tipped up a little, her fists clenched at her sides. Rainbow didn't know if any of this was intentional or not, but it certainly added to her charm.

Today, however, all of Rainbow's attention was trained on the curtain of loose blonde hair that tumbled down the back of Applejack's orange, checkered shirt. Her Stetson was tilted further over her forehead than usual, revealing the dark roots that lay beneath her golden waves. Her hair glinted with flecks of sunlight in an almost blinding effect, curling around her elbows and rippling like a wheat field in a breeze.

Yeah. Lame comparison. Similes weren't Dash's strong point.

Still, Rainbow had to pinch her arm to stop herself from reaching out and caressing that beautiful flaxen hair - she'd already made that mistake once today. It was just so hard to exercise self-control, considering that this was the first time Applejack had ever had her hair down like this.

Well, at least she could admire it from afar. Dash sighed contentedly as she at stared into that field of deep green -

Wait, what?

"Sugarcube, Ah can feel yore eyes borin' into mah back like nails. Ya mind not starin' at me?" Applejack had swung around and was now eyeing Rainbow with a touch of annoyance, hence the sudden transition from blonde to emerald.

Dash opened her mouth to counter her blunt statement with some comment that she hadn't actually thought of yet, but was fortunately saved by Twilight.

"That doesn't make sense. Fingernails can't bore into things. Neither can toenails, for that matter. They're not quite that sharp; in fact -"

"Darling, I believe she was referring to the other type of nails," Rarity interjected helpfully.

"Oh." Twilight's face fell and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. "Right."

"Heavens t' Betsy, gal, we need t' get ya out on th' farm," Applejack snorted, shaking her head pityingly and hefting her backpack, which she'd slung over one shoulder, further up. "Make shore ya can tell somethin' ya hammer from somethin' ya bite."

"I don't bite my nails," Twilight protested as everyone around her tittered. Even Fluttershy, who was never particularly fond of teasing her friends, couldn't help a smile from breaking out on her lips.

"Sure," Rainbow smirked, feeling relieved that Twilight had saved her from having to answer Applejack's accusation. "Tell that to your nails." She indicated Twilight's fingernails, which were, indeed, rather rough and jagged. It was a known fact that Twilight had a habit of chewing on her nails when she was stressed out, which happened far too often to be healthy.

The purple-haired girl frowned and opened her mouth to retaliate, but was effectively halted by the sound of someone's voice calling her name. "Twilight?"

Vice Principal Luna was hurrying towards them, looking cool and collected as usual in a crisp, navy blue dress that perfectly matched the hue of her shimmering hair. "There you are. Sorry to bother you as you're leaving, but I was wondering if you and a few of your friends could stay a few more minutes to talk to me about this year's Halloween Party."

Twilight, in addition to all of her other academic responsibilities, was also the secretary of the student body. It was therefore her duty to help plan all of the school's major events. Although Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy weren't technically required to help, you'd be crazy not to ask them to, since Pinkie was essentially the Party Queen and both Rarity and Fluttershy possessed remarkable designing and decorating skills. Being three of Twilight's best friends, they had already cheerfully offered their services, and Twilight had been far too smart to say no.

"I suppose we can spare a few minutes," Fluttershy responded softly. "I mean... if you guys don't mind..."

"Of course not!" Pinkie shrieked, all of her limbs vibrating hyperactively. "More party planning time! Yay!"

"I must agree with Pinkie's... erm... enthusiasm," Rarity added. "I think we can take a few minutes."

"Of course!" Twilight gushed hastily, nearly stumbling over her words in her effort to please the vice principal. "We have a few minutes. Let me just..." She twisted around. "Applejack? We're still heading over to your house, right?"

"'Course," she promised, giving her a sunny smile.

"Great. Well, why don't you and Rainbow head over and we'll join you later. Don't wait up." Shooting Applejack a final grin, Twilight turned around and walked away with Luna, followed closely by Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash stared after her friends, three of whom were walking and one of whom was bouncing. "Well, all I can say is that I'm super happy I never offered to help Twilight plan that party. Principal Luna's already got her eye on me all the time. I really didn't need the extra few minutes." She wriggled her shoulders, trying to ease her back, which was sore from carrying her backpack. The thing weighed more than a small child.

"Oh, hush," Applejack fired back. "That ain't nice. Heck, Ah'd have offered t' help mahself, 'cept Ah got too much work t' do on th' farm."

"Can you believe they're doing a Halloween Party though?" Dash complained as they started walking again, idly running a hand through her wind-ruffled polychromatic locks. "I mean, we already have to go to the Fall Formal. Why do they have to dump another weird party on us? This is my senior year. I don't want to have to go to a bunch of dumb dances." Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Rarity's parents drive into the parking lot and slow to a stop in front of the school's main entrance, probably to pick up Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle for their sleepover. Her suspicions were confirmed as the two kids burst out of the school, followed by Scootaloo, and piled into the back seat of their expensive Bentley, whooping with glee. Scootaloo unobtrusively slid in after them, although whether Rarity's parents noticed her remained to be determined.

"Dash, may Ah remind you that attendance is optional," Applejack said, rolling her eyes. "An' Ah know fer a fact that yore gonna go anyway, 'cause all th' rest of us are gonna be there." Her sharp eyes picked out Apple Bloom in the back seat of the Bentley, hanging out of the window, and she waved at her little sister, her face wearing that familiar expression of watchfulness that read, 'Be on your best behavior or I'll tan your hide.' Rainbow Dash had been on the receiving end of that expression many times.

Rainbow bit her lip, unable to deny AJ's statement. Her best friend was right, as usual. She knew Rainbow too well. Why did Applejack have to be so damn levelheaded all the time? Arguing with her was no fun. You always lost.

"'Sides, Ah think this is gonna be fun," Applejack continued as they stepped onto the asphalt of the parking lot and began weaving their way through a series of gleaming sports cars and vibrantly colored Volkswagen Bugs. "This is the first Halloween Dance ever. An' Ah really want t' see ya wearin' that ladybug getup again..."

Dash groaned. "Can you, like, stop talking about that? Forever? Please?" When she was eight, she had attended a costume party with her friends dressed as a ladybug, complete with antenna and a giant plastic carapace attached to her back. As expected, no one had ever let her forget it.

Applejack gave her a winsome smile, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Not a chance, darlin'."

Rainbow grunted under her breath and narrowed her eyes in a surly stare. "Well, how 'bout I tell everyone about that time I caught you wearing a bright pink ball gown and posing in front of a mirror..."

She blushed profusely and averted her gaze. "Alraght, alraght. Ah won't tease ya no more."

"Good." Rainbow smiled viciously.

An invigorating September breeze whispered in their ears as they continued through the parking lot. Rainbow Dash could already make out Applejack's pickup truck about thirty feet ahead of them. First of all, it was the only car in the lot painted bright red. Secondly, it was also the only car that was perfectly preserved. While most of the cars in the lot were paint-chipped and splotched with patches of rust, Applejack's pickup was in pristine condition. Its windows gleamed like diamonds and its strawberry-colored exterior was shiny enough to make Rarity drool. Applejack didn't have many possessions (although technically the car belonged to Granny Smith, who had bought it years ago and just never had occasion to drive it very often), but she worked hard to keep what she did own as neat and clean as possible. Rainbow Dash could attest to that fact: AJ had been wearing that same old Stetson for all of the years they'd known each other, and it was still, somehow, spotless. Dash figured that Applejack must have secret superhero cleaning powers.

Applejack stepped up to the truck and gave its hood a fond pat. "Reckon Ah better git goin'. Rainbow? Where's yore car?"

Rainbow's smile faltered. "I - I didn't bring it."

"What? Why not?" Her forehead creased in a frown. "Look, Dash, ya keep sayin' ya have a 'hot sports car'. How come ya never bring it t' school?"

Rainbow's pulse began to race. Oh, this was bad. She should have been prepared for someone to start asking questions eventually. "Um, well... it's because I'd rather run instead," she blurted out, spouting off the first lie that came to mind. "It's fun. And, um, good exercise. For track. And stuff. Uh... you know?" She laughed weakly.

Applejack pursed her lips suspiciously. "Rainbow..."

"I'm not lying! I promise."

"Ya wanna give me a Pinkie Promise on that?"

Dang. This girl was good. If you were lying to someone, you couldn't Pinkie Promise that you were telling the truth unless you had some kind of death wish. No one yet knew what Pinkie would do to you if she found out you'd broken a Pinkie Promise, but no one really wanted to find out, either. "Well, maybe not..."

"So ya are lyin'." Applejack crossed her arms over her chest, leaning casually against the pickup's side, her golden hair rippling very distractingly around her back as she moved.

Rainbow sighed and pressed her hands over her forehead, forcing herself to look Applejack in the eye - never an easy feat for anyone, as her eyes were so unnervingly keen. You could hide nothing from that penetrating green gaze. "Look, AJ, you're my best friend, okay? But there's some stuff I just don't want to share right now. Because reasons. But I promise I'll tell you someday. Pinkie Promise. Okay?" Rainbow really didn't want to talk about the tragic details of her life right now. After all, she hung out with her friends in order to escape from her life, not to revisit it in conversations.

Still, if her friends knew how she really lived, knew the torture she went through from the moment she woke up to the moment she went to bed...

They would be appalled. And that was exactly what Rainbow didn't want: a pity party. She was strong. She was tough. She could deal with her life on her own, and always had been. She was fine. Just fine. Just. Fine.

She was also a brilliant liar. To her friends. To her teachers. And to herself.

The farmgirl tilted her head, studying Dash meditatively. She was far too wise, and knew Rainbow far too well, to keep pressing for information. "Alraght, sugarcube. Ah'll let it go. Fer now. But... are ya tellin' me ya run to school ev'ry mornin'? That's gotta be, what, five miles?"

Rainbow opened her mouth to proudly say, "Actually, it's ten miles." But she stopped herself just in time. As far as Applejack knew, it was only five miles from Rainbow's house to Canterlot High. Because as far as Applejack knew, Rainbow still lived in a house. As far as Applejack knew, Rainbow still lived in that small but charming Tudor home in that secluded suburban neighborhood with that aunt and uncle who doted on her.

As far as Applejack knew...

Feeling like a despicable human being, Rainbow Dash forced herself to continue with her complicated charade, biting back the 'ten miles' before it could spring from her lips. "Yep. Five miles. But I'm, like, the best runner in the school. That's a piece of cake for me. And running to your house is going to be a piece of cake too."

Applejack arched an eyebrow quizzically. "Whaddya mean, 'runnin' t' mah house'?"

Rainbow scoffed. "Well, I don't exactly have a car, and I have to get to your house somehow, don't I?"

"R.D.," Applejack said firmly, "ya must be loopier'n Pinkie Pie on steroids if ya think Ah'm gonna let ya run all th' way t' th' farm. It's fifteen miles away from here!"

"But -"

"No way, no how. Yore comin' with me." Her jaw set determinedly, Applejack opened the passenger door of the pickup and crooked her finger. "Git in."

Her tone brooked no argument. "Yes ma'am," Rainbow Dash smirked, stepping up to the car and clambering into the passenger seat, which was faded and pockmarked with age. Definitely not as well-kept as the exterior. Applejack slammed the door behind her and walked around to the other side of the car.

The pickup rattled a little as she slid into the driver's seat and closed the door, trailing her elbow out of the open window. She dumped her backpack into the space between the two seats and gestured for Dash to do the same. Then she procured her keys from her shirt pocket and started the car. Dash winced as the engine rumbled to life with an ominous shudder, rather like a squeaky cough, that belied the pickup's true age. "Are you sure this car is safe to ride in?" she asked dubiously as she buckled her seat belt, remembering that AJ had said earlier that the car had stalled on her way to school. "It sounds like Sunset Shimmer with a sore throat."

Applejack laughed at the reference to their friend, who was spending the whole year studying in Europe thanks to a special study abroad program Canterlot High offered (although she still made sure to talk to all of her friends back home at least once a week). "This baby's been drivin' fer a good twenty years. She ain't gonna die on us now, sugarcube." Her lips curled in an amused smile as she steered the pickup out of the parking lot, her strong fingers guiding the steering wheel with ease. Her tanned forearms glowed in the sunlight, tendons rippling in her wrists as her hands shifted over the wheel.

Rainbow settled back in her seat, feeling slightly reassured. She cranked her window down - Applejack's car was so old that it had cranks to lower the windows - and rested her elbow on the rim. As always, she found her eyes flicking over to Applejack. Her blonde hair rippled faintly in the breeze from the open window as she drove and her eyes were staring straight ahead in concentration, but her face wore an easy smile.

"Dash? Yore starin' at me again."

Okay. Apparently Applejack's eyes weren't as forward-facing as Rainbow had thought.

Rainbow Dash had to think fast. "Um, yeah, that's because I was about to ask you a question."

"Well, Ah'm listenin'." Applejack reached the lot's exit and turned right onto the two-land road that ran by the school, heading deeper into the Canterlot suburbs. To the left, the grand buildings of Canterlot City gleamed in the distance, looming high into the clouds.

Fortunately, Dash's bluff quickly became reality as an actual question presented itself to her. "Okay. Um, I saw you talking to Spitfire earlier when I came out of the changing rooms. What were you two talking about?" She suddenly felt nervous, wondering if she really wanted to know the answer to that question. A part of her had wondered at the time if Spitfire herself had a crush on Applejack. What if Applejack confirmed that? What if Applejack actually liked her back? Rainbow could hardly bear the thought.

For some reason, Applejack's smile faltered, and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Uh - she was jus' - well, it wasn't a big deal or nothin'," she hedged, refusing to meet Rainbow's gaze.

Rainbow arched an eyebrow. "Spill the beans, AJ."

She sighed and bit her lip. "Spitfire asked me if Ah wanted t' be th' captain of a field team."

Rainbow's jaw dropped. All thoughts of Spitfire crushing on Applejack vanished in her overwhelming excitement for her friend. "Seriously? No way! Applejack, you totally have to say yes!" Her voice cracked in her eagerness.

"Ah dunno... Ah'm pretty busy with farm work'n all." Her eyes darted uneasily from side to side, as though Spitfire had told her something else that she was reluctant to share.

Dash was too focused on Spitfire's proposal to notice Applejack's nervousness. "C. H. S. really needs a field team. And I can't think of anyone better to lead it than you."

Applejack's eyes brightened. "Ya - ya think so?"

"I know so!" Rainbow knuckled Applejack none-too-gently in the shoulder. "You absolutely can't turn this down. Plus, if we're both captains then - " Her eyes widened as she realized she was saying more than she had meant to, but it was too late to stop. "Then we'll get to hang out together a lot more," she finished softly, lowering her eyes. Idiot. Why did I have to go and say that? I sound like a total creep.

A faint flush rose to Applejack's cheeks, although Rainbow didn't notice it. "Ah - Ah reckon Ah'd like that," she answered quietly, her hands trembling on the steering wheel.

Rainbow perked up. Maybe there was a chance to salvage the situation. "Me too. We don't really get to hang out much anymore, outside of classes."

The pickup truck rattled as it chugged over the bridge which officially marked the beginning of the countryside. Applejack sighed and tugged at her shirt collar, meaning to straighten it but ending up unintentionally making it even more crooked. The smooth, freckled skin beneath her collar seemed as though it were lit with an inner glow, and the edges of her collarbones gleamed in the sunlight that sliced through the window. "Well, since ya brought that up... Dash, ya haven't been over t' the farm since we were sixteen." Her country accent was slightly more pronounced than usual, as per usual when she was nervous. If she hadn't been driving, she probably would have taken off her Stetson and started wringing it in her hands - another one of her habits when she was worried.

Rainbow squirmed in her seat as a pang of guilt struck her. Had it really been that long? She hadn't even noticed. When they had entered high school, they had naturally had less time to see each other, but they had always, always, managed to figure out ways to wrest a few extra minutes with each other out of their busy schedules. Even though it was torture being around the girl she loved without being able to tell her, Rainbow refused to let that deter her from spending time with her best friend - and, as such, the two of them had been with each other whenever they could spare a moment. Now that Rainbow thought about it, however, she realized her junior year had been so busy that it was quite plausible that she really hadn't been to AJ's house all year. The thought made her sad. Since when had she stopped having time for Applejack? Or any of her other friends, for that matter? She hadn't been to their houses in a while, either.

Applejack was still talking. "An' ya know what else? Ah don't think Ah've been over t' yore house since we were sixteen, either."

Rainbow gulped. Busted.

"Ah used t' come over t' yore house almost ev'ry weekend," Applejack continued, finally glancing away from the road in order to meet Rainbow's gaze. Her freckles glinted in the sunlight streaming in through the front window. "Yore aunt an' uncle were always so nice t' me. How're they doin'?"

Lies. Everything Applejack thought she knew about Rainbow's life was a lie. And it was Rainbow's fault.

"They're doing fine," she promised scratchily, feeling proud that her voice didn't even betray a hint of a quiver. "They're, you know, busy. With business trips and stuff."

Yeah. So busy they hadn't even wanted to keep Rainbow at their house anymore. If only Applejack knew what Dash's aunt and uncle had really been like.

"That's nice, Ah guess. But it still don't explain why ya stopped havin' me over. It's been so long that Ah might jus' start comin' over without bein' invited."

"Granny Smith would totally kill you if she saw you do something that rude," Rainbow wisecracked, finding a glimmer of humor in the situation despite herself.

"Maybe," Applejack conceded with a smile, the slight cleft in her chin vanishing as her lips spread in a grin. "But she'd be more likely t' kill me if she saw Ah was lettin' my best friend slip away from me. So c'mon. How come you've been avoidin' me?" Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were brimming with concern.

Rippling fields of farmland rolled past outside the window as Rainbow debated how to answer that question. "I just... got busy, I guess," she finally replied, staring out of the window so that she didn't have to look Applejack in the eye while she lied. Her polychromatic bangs blew in her eyes from the force of the wind, but she made no move to flick them away.

Applejack took a hand off the steering wheel, reached out, and tucked Rainbow's jagged bangs behind her ear. Her eyes were sad. "Ah miss ya, is all," she murmured, her forehead creased. She knew that Rainbow was hiding something, especially after that conversation they'd had earlier about Rainbow running to school each morning, but she knew from years of experience that Dash wouldn't talk until she was ready. There was no point in asking any more questions - Rainbow's answers would only get more and more vague until they drove Applejack to the brink of irritation.

Dash stared into those beautiful emerald eyes, at those long, curling, eyelashes, and was overcome by a wave of horror. Oh, God. How long can I keep lying to her like this? I'm a monster. A monster. "Y - yeah, well," she forced out, clearing her throat and abruptly turning her head. All she wanted to do was to wrap her best friend up in a hug and say 'I miss you too', but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Sappiness wasn't acceptable.

Applejack awkwardly pulled her hand back and gripped the steering wheel once more. "Well... Ah jus' want ya t' know Ah'm here fer ya."

Rainbow's eyes stung, and a lump rose in her throat. She didn't trust herself to speak.

Applejack shook her head and reached out to turn on the radio, fiddling with the dials until she found a station she liked. The strains of a banjo and a harmonica wafted through the air. "Alraght. Ah know yore gettin' uncomfortable, Dash. Ah guess Ah'll stop talkin'. This day's too nice t' be all mopey anyway."

Rainbow Dash had to agree - on days like this one, when everything was dappled with gentle sunlight and the air was crisp with a hint of the upcoming winter, it was impossible to stay sad for long. She wiped her eyes, took a deep breath, forced herself to regain her composure, and casually crossed her long legs over the pickup's dashboard.

"Hey!" Frowning, Applejack lunged across the car and swatted her legs off. "Git off mah car! I jus' cleaned the dashboard!"

"Chillax! My sneakers are totally clean." Grinning evilly, Rainbow displayed the soles of her shoes, which were splattered with mud and flecks of churned grass. "See?"

Applejack set her jaw. "If I weren't drivin' right now, Ah'd give ya a real tellin-to." Her face was stern, but a low laugh lurked in her voice. That was what Rainbow liked so much about AJ's voice - apart from the adorable accent, of course. You could always tell when she was amused, because her whole voice seemed to ring with laughter. It was just part of that country charm that made her instantly likable.

"Fine, I'll take them off," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes and removing her legs with a sigh. "But can I choose the music at least? I don't want to listen to this country crap all the way back to your house."

"No," Applejack informed her snippily, stubbornly turning the music up even louder. "Mah car, mah rules."

Shaking her head good-naturedly, Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at her friend and then contentedly stretched out her arms, crossing them behind her head. It was kind of nice to be able to relax like this, even if she had to listen to bad country music.

Okay, scratch that. It sucked. Rainbow Dash was suddenly reminded that she found it harder to sit still for more than a few seconds without getting bored. Twisting her lips in a grimace, she uncrossed her arms and stuck her right elbow out of the window, tapping her fingers obnoxiously against the side of the car.

"Please stop makin' that noise," Applejack said in a patient tone of voice that nonetheless communicated her irritation.

Rainbow groaned, not bothering to hide her annoyance, and dragged her arm back inside. She wrapped her hands around each other and started fidgeting, simultaneously scuffing her shoes together. Why wasn't there anything to do?

Her eyes settled on the glove compartment and her face broke into a grin. Perhaps there was something to do after all. She leaned forwards in her seat and slyly opened the compartment. She was almost certain that Applejack was watching her out of the corner of her eye, waiting to see what she did. Rainbow stuck a hand inside the compartment and rummaged around. A pair of thick, heavy-duty gloves (well, it was a glove compartment), a car instruction manual (wow, Rainbow had thrown away her car instruction manual the day she got it), a book, a collection of random odds and ends that included a crumpled gas receipt and a pen that had been snapped in half, and a bar of chocolate, which Rainbow promptly stole. Applejack raised an eyebrow, but graciously chose to let her have it.

There was even a spare hair tie in the compartment, which Rainbow hastily pushed out of view. She didn't want Applejack to tie her hair up - she was enjoying seeing it down probably far more than she should be. Feeling a little disappointed that she hadn't discovered anything more interesting, like a severed arm or something, Dash closed the glove compartment and sat back in her seat, huffing impatiently.

Applejack glanced over with a teasing smirk. "What? Are ya bored? Am Ah drivin' too slow fer Miss Rainbow Flash?"

"Yes," Rainbow protested, flailing her arms. "You drive like an old granny!"

AJ scoffed. "Not mah old granny. She used t' drive like a cat bein' chased by a rattler. Why, Ah remember bein' scared fer mah life sittin' in the backseat while she drove!"

"Seriously?" This was a rather interesting snippet of information.

"As Ah live'n breathe!" Applejack assured her. "Hoo boy, Ah've never been more terrified in mah life than when she drove me t' school in th' mornin's."

"Huh." Rainbow was impressed. Granny Smith had just become twenty percent cooler. "Not bad. But that still doesn't explain why you're driving so slow. We've been driving for ten minutes, and we're still not even halfway to your farm! Or maybe it's your car's fault. You need to get rid of this old clunker."

The friendly atmosphere in the pickup withered and died. Applejack reached out and turned off the radio. Her mouth was set in a thin line. "No one insults mah car," she told Rainbow in an even tone of voice that had been known to turn grown men into stammering puddles.

Dash curled her lips in a reckless grin, her amaranth eyes flashing with excitement. "Prove it."

Applejack glanced in the rearview mirror, her bangs blowing over her forehead beneath her Stetson. There were no cars behind them, or in front, for that matter. No one was watching.

She spun back around and shot a sly grin at Rainbow, her jade eyes glinting. "Yore on." Without warning, she sat forward in her seat and floored the gas pedal, smiling confidently.

Rainbow Dash yelped with surprise as the pickup sped down the road at full throttle, trees and fields flashing by the windows too fast to see. She couldn't help noticing that Applejack was driving as expertly as though she had done this before. Suddenly feeling reckless, she unbuckled her seat belt and stuck her whole torso out of the window. She stared ahead with a wild grin on her face, her eyes watering from the force of the wind and her hair whipping across her forehead. A surge of elation coursed through her veins, and she gave a whoop of pure joy, pumping her fist in the air. Applejack let out an answering whoop and pressed down on the gas even harder than before, spurred on by Rainbow's enthusiasm. Her face was alight with glee as the wind tossed around her golden hair and nudged her Stetson.

The moment ended all too soon. As the paved road slowly gave way to crumbly gravel, Applejack slowed the pickup truck to a steady crawl once more, wiping her hair out of her eyes. "Land's sakes! Haven't done that in a while." Still smiling, she turned the car onto the long dirt road that served as the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Why'd you stop?" Rainbow complained as Applejack halted the truck at the end of the driveway. She reluctantly pulled herself back inside the car. "You could've stopped, like, an inch in front of the house. Like in the movies. No one's watching."

Applejack snorted. "Granny's always watchin'. An' jus' 'cause she drives like somethin' possessed don't mean she likes me doin' it." She turned off the pickup and patted the dashboard. "So? What'd ya think?"

"That was totally awesome!" Rainbow exclaimed in her trademark scratchy voice. "This baby's still got some life in her!"

Applejack gave a low, rough chuckle. "She sure does." The two of them scooped up their backpacks and let themselves out of the car. "C'mon. Let's head in. Th' rest o' th' gals'll be here soon."
***

The porch steps creaked as Applejack and Rainbow trod on them, sagging rather alarmingly beneath their feet. A scuffed wooden rocking chair stood on the porch by the front door, swaying slightly in the cool breeze. Two baskets overflowing with spider lilies and begonias hung over the roof of the deck, which curved around two sides of the house. Beyond the porch, fields of rippling green grass stretched into the distance, surrounded by a weathered, rickety fence on three sides and a shaggy forest of pine trees on the fourth. Staring at the faint green haze that marked the beginning of the forest, Rainbow couldn't suppress a wistful grin. She couldn't count the number of times she and Applejack had gone exploring in the woods together as children and come back out with matching smiles and matching outfits covered in mud and tree sap. From her spot on the porch, she could even see the treehouse perched in a tree at the edge of the forest, which had been her and Applejack's special clubhouse. Now, though, Apple Bloom had repurposed it as a headquarters for her and her friends.

Behind the Apples' house, which was a vibrant red with a lavender roof and white trim, there proudly loomed a barn and a low-ceilinged stable of the same color scheme. Rolling fields of farmland stretched away on all sides, where Rainbow knew the Apples grew various crops from carrots to turnips. The Apple family actually owned several acres of land, including at least ten acres of apple orchards that had lent the farm its name. Rainbow could see the edge of one of these orchards now, full of trees whose ruby-red apples oscillated in the faint breeze like pendulums. Rather impressively, the Apples actually grew over twenty different types of apples on their farm.

Turning away from the bucolic scene, Rainbow unobtrusively sidled as close to Applejack as possible, breathing in her heady apples-and-spices-and-earth-and-sweat scent. Rather an odd combination of smells, but Dash knew that there was no one else in the whole world who smelled like that, and that was what made it so special. Applejack was one of those people who smelled like wherever she'd been. Rainbow could tell everywhere she'd been today with just a single sniff: the faint whiff of apples and earth indicated that she'd been working in the orchards and the fields before school; the tang of spices indicated that she had probably baked something with nutmeg in it earlier this morning; the sweat indicated that she had been exercising. There was even a subtle scent of evergreen in there - perhaps she'd gone for a walk in the woods before breakfast. Rarity would probably find the idea of smelling like the places you'd just been appalling, but Rainbow thought that it totally increased her best friend's coolness factor.

"Stupid door," Applejack muttered suddenly, jolting Rainbow Dash out of her reverie as she jiggled the front door futilely. "Dang thing needs a replacement." She was holding a key in her hand, and Rainbow guessed that the lock had gotten stuck. The rest of the door certainly seemed to confirm that assumption - the cordovan paint was peeling and scuffed, revealing flecks of the wood underneath. The door was worn out but well-loved, like the rest of the house and everything else the Apples owned.

Applejack finally got the door to open and let out a huff of pleasure. She pocketed the key and stepped aside, gallantly waving Rainbow through.

Feeling something akin to nervousness pounding in her chest - it had been a very, very long time since she had set foot in this place - Rainbow swallowed tensely and set foot over the threshold.

Well, the place hadn't changed much since the last time she'd been there. As Rainbow's eyes swept over the house, she felt a deep sense of peace ease over her. The battered but cozy sofas, the fire crackling invitingly in the hearth, the pictures hung crookedly on the walls, the rustic dining table, the spacious kitchen bursting with comfort and charisma; everything looked exactly like it had the last time Rainbow had come to the house a year ago. Things here were so different from her own lonely abode. This house looked lived-in - a strong, firm house that required a lot of care to maintain but that gave so much in return: comfort, warmth, and security.

So maybe the house wasn't in the best of conditions. Maybe the walls were scratched and the rugs were fading and the furniture was drooping with age. But there was so much love within these walls that it made Rainbow's heart ache. If only her house could be anything like Sweet Apple Acres. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be in a real house. In fact, she felt more at home here than she did in her own house. All of her nervousness vanished in an instant, replaced by a deep-rooted sense of... rightness. This place just felt right. Why, exactly, had she stopped coming here again? Dash was finding it harder to remember the answer to that question by the minute.

Applejack closed the front door behind her and gestured to the sofa immediately in front of the fireplace, simultaneously swinging her backpack off her shoulder and dropping it to the floor. "Dash, why don'tcha make yoreself comfortable while Ah - gah!"

A fluffy, brown-and-white blur had just launched itself across the room at top speed and thrown itself on Applejack, knocking her to the floor and pinning her beneath its weight. It barked happily and proceeded to give her face a nice, shiny coating of slobber, resting its forepaws on her chest and wagging its tail frantically across her legs.

Looking annoyed, Applejack crinkled her nose as a wet tongue swiped over her cheeks, but eventually broke out into laughter. "That's mah girl, Winona," she cooed, wrapping her arms around her dog's scruffy back and kissing her muzzle. "Nice t' see ya too."

Seeming pleased with herself, the border collie lapped at her owner's face, nuzzling her neck. Rainbow stepped closer to admire the spectacle. Last time she'd seen Winona, the dog had still been a puppy, small enough to hold in your arms like a baby. Since then she had developed into a powerful, well-muscled dog. But Winona was still a teenager - you could see it in her long, gangly legs. Still, she would probably be bigger than Applejack herself soon.

Then again, Applejack was tiny, so that wasn't saying much.

Grunting from the effort, Applejack finally managed to roll out from underneath her dog. Undeterred, Winona bounded to her paws and began trying to jump up on Applejack, giving her face a series of sloppy licks. Applejack scooped her dog up into her arms, her muscles rippling, and brushed her forehead against her muzzle. "It's real nice t' be back with ya, Winnie. But ya gotta stop knockin' people t' the floor like that. Alraght?" Winona's jaws gaped open in a mischievous smile, and Applejack sighed, shaking her head. "Yore gonna do it anyway. Alraghty then." She crouched down, allowing the dog to hop to the floor, and gave her a brief belly rub. The dog seemed to vibrate with pleasure. "Go on, ya crazy canine! See if ya can get Mac t' take ya on a walk!"

After pausing to very enthusiastically attempt to climb onto Rainbow's stomach - Winona evidently still remembered Dash's scent, although she hadn't smelled it in a while - the dog skittered off into the dining room, barking happily. Now that her owner was home, her enthusiasm knew no bounds.

Applejack brushed off her shirt, and a rain of brown and white dog hairs drifted to the floor. "Hoooo-eeeey! That dog's got more energy'n Pinkie Pie!"

"Does she always greet you like that?" Rainbow asked.

"Most always. She jus' loves it when Ah get back from school. But don't let all that excitement fool ya. She's a real good guard dog too. And she does all sorts o' work around th' farm - carryin' baskets an' whatnot. Winona's th' best pup Ah ever saw." Her voice was laced with pride. Granny Smith and Big Mac had given Winona to Applejack as a birthday present last year, when she had turned sixteen, and the two had bonded instantly. Although Winona loved everyone else in the Apple family, she obeyed orders from Applejack and Applejack alone, and would only take her daily walk with someone else if Applejack really didn't have any time to take her herself. Sometimes she even curled up on Applejack's bed and slept with her, but she never deigned to bestow the same privilege upon anyone else.

"Dash, ya can sit down, ya know," Applejack said, staring at her curiously. "We got sofas."

Rainbow shook her herself out of her reverie. "Right. Sure." She threw herself down on an armchair and dropped her backpack to the floor in front of her feet. "Um, where's everyone else?"

"Well, Big Mac's prob'ly out in th' orchards workin' so that he don't have t' talk to a big group o' girls," Applejack chuckled. "Ya know how he is. An' Granny Smith's nappin' upstairs, Ah expect." She strode over to the kitchen, giving Rainbow a friendly pat on the back. "Ah'm gonna go get th' cider ready."

Dash's mouth watered. "YES. God, I need cider."

As AJ's curtain of blonde hair disappeared around the corner, Rainbow settled into her chair with a contented sigh and drew her knees up to her chest. Her gaze flicked around the room. There was a cozy window seat in the corner, facing the front porch, several feet away from a circle of couches and armchairs that ringed the fireplace. A mirror hung on the wall next to the hearth; Rainbow stared into it and nodded appreciatively at her reflection. She looked good with windswept hair. Perhaps the most prominent aspect of the room, however, was all of the pictures that hung on the walls - far more than in any normal household. From where she was sitting, Rainbow could just barely make out some of the tiny faces. Applejack and her siblings, Granny Smith, aunts and uncles and cousins, and... Applejack's parents.

Applejack was the perfect mix of both of her parents' best features. Green-eyed and stocky like her dad; small, slim, and blonde-haired like her mom - the only one of the Apple children to have inherited their mother's flaxen hair. Apple Bloom and Big Mac both had a variant of their dad's ginger locks.

Rainbow's heart wrenched for her friend. Rainbow herself had never known her parents. But she thought that it must be a hundred times worse to know your parents and then have them ripped away from you.

Applejack returned before Dash could continue that train of thought. She placed a tray that bore six mugs of steaming sweet apple cider on the coffee table. It was probably from last year's batch, since this year's cider season hadn't begun yet - the Apples usually kept some barrels of cider in their cellar all year round. Rainbow's eyes lit up, and she reached out to grab one before Applejack could stop her. Disregarding the stick of cinnamon that had been stuck in the mug like a straw, she tipped it back and took a long draught.

"AAAGH!" It took all of her willpower not to spit the cider out all over Applejack's face. "Why the heck is it still so hot?!" She hastily swallowed the cider before it could inflict further damage, coughing as the heat prickled her throat. Involuntary tears welled in her eyes as she experimentally swished her tongue around the inside of her mouth. Yep, her tongue was definitely swelling up.

"Cause Ah jus' warmed it up, ya knucklehead!" Applejack answered affectionately, rolling her eyes as Dash dramatically flapped her lips back and forth. "Ah kinda thought that was obvious."

"How was that supposed to be obvious?" Rainbow fired back raspily.

Applejack stared. "Uh, 'cause th' mug was hot on th' outside?"

Rainbow paused. "Oh. Right."

AJ's grass-green eyes sparkled with laughter. "Ya want me t' get ya a glass o' water?" she inquired, taking pity on her friend.

With as much dignity as she could muster, Rainbow haughtily drew herself up in her seat and answered, "No. My mouth can take it."

AJ shrugged. "Suit yoreself. How 'bout ya wait a minute before th' next sip, though. Plus, it ain't polite t' start eatin' an' drinkin' without everyone else. The gals'll be here any time now, anyway."

Right on cue, the doorbell rang, a croaky, obnoxious tintinnabulation that further hinted at the age of the house. Applejack jumped up good-naturedly and went to answer it. "Hey, y'all," she greeted the rest of her friends cheerfully, stepping aside to let everyone in.

A chorus of 'hello's' and one 'Hi, my name's Pinkie Pie! Oh wait, you already knew that' sounded in response as Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie trooped in, all clutching their backpacks. Rarity stared at Applejack's boots, and her eye twitched in that way that suggested that she was suppressing a shudder of disgust. "Applejack, darling, must you wear your shoes on inside the house?"

Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose. "Rarity, we've been over this," she reminded her wearily. "Ya bring this up ev'ry time you come over. Ah've been wearin' shoes inside th' house since Ah was little an' Granny, Mac, an' Bloom have been doin' th' same. Ah don' care if ya take yore shoes off in yore own house or not, but at least let me keep 'em on in mine."

"But it's just so... so... unsanitary," Rarity protested. "I mean, those shoes go everywhere! Can't I just take off my shoes and walk in my bare feet?"

Applejack's eyes twinkled. "An' put yore feet all over th' dirt from our shoes? Be mah guest."

No one could resist a chuckle as Rarity realized that she had been outmaneuvered. Seeming thoroughly repulsed, she gingerly lowered one of her high-heel-clad feet to the floor while everyone around her shook their heads at her hesitation and walked around her.

"Applejack, your hair looks nice when it's down like that," Fluttershy complimented her shyly.

Rarity's head snapped up. Even having to wear shoes inside the house couldn't keep her from admiring someone else's style. "Oh, my. I can't believe I didn't notice it before!" Her eyes dreamy and unfocused, she perched gracefully on the couch, seemingly enthralled by Applejack's mane of gold. "Applejack, your hair looks simply divine! You absolutely can't tie it up again!"

Applejack threw her hands up in the air, annoyed. She'd been about to go upstairs and do just that. "What is it with y'all an' mah hair?" Still, a tiny smile played about her lips as she sat down next to Rarity and threw her arm around her back in a friendly way. Rarity rested her head against Applejack's shoulder after taking pains to make sure that her carefully coiffed curls weren't being crushed. The two of them seemed to fit next to each other perfectly, despite Rarity being several inches taller than Applejack. Or maybe they only fit together perfectly in Rainbow's head.

Rainbow Dash felt an irrational pang of jealousy, and abruptly crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. Maybe it was ridiculous, but she wished that Applejack had put an arm around her instead.

A pile of backpacks quickly built up by the couches as everyone took their positions. Twilight sat on AJ's other side, looking prim and businesslike with her neatly collated stacks of papers. Pinkie Pie, inexplicably, snapped a picture of something with her ever-present camera before plopping into the only remaining armchair, tossing a random rubber duck in the air in a one-person game of catch. Her corkscrew curls bounced around her head like a wobbly halo. Only Fluttershy was left without a seat. Rainbow, feeling slightly guilty, scooted aside to make room for her in the voluminous armchair. Murmuring a soft thanks, Fluttershy delicately sank into the space next to Rainbow, her thin yellow sweater brushing against Rainbow's elbows. She was so thin that there was plenty of room for the both of them.

"Don' forget th' cider, gals," Applejack announced, gesturing to the tray on the table in front of them. "There's more in th' kitchen if ya want it. It should be cool by now," she added, glancing mischievously at Rainbow.

Flushing, Dash reached out for her cider mug and took a cautious sip.

Perfection. Complete and utter perfection.

She couldn't stop herself from emitting a groan of pleasure. How did Applejack manage to make the cider perfect every time? Although the cider was an old Apple family recipe that had been handed down through the ages, Applejack was the one who was responsible for making it each year - something about it being family tradition for the eldest daughter in the family to be in charge of the cider. Well, correction: everyone else helped with the cider, but the eldest daughter was always in charge of operations. Rainbow didn't know how that custom had originated, but she knew that it had applied to Granny Smith, and then Applejack's mother, and then Applejack herself. And probably a bajillion Apples before Granny Smith too.

Closing her eyes in satisfaction, Rainbow Dash took another sip of the cider, allowing its fruity, faintly spicy tang to melt on her tongue. The cinnamon caressed her taste buds, adding some zest to the crisp warmth of the apples. Rainbow could definitely understand how this cider had made the Apples famous throughout the whole city; she loved it more and more every time she had some. Which seemed impossible, considering that she'd been obsessed with cider from the very first time Applejack had given it to her.

The others seemed to be experiencing similar emotions, as they all quickly chimed in with compliments. "Aw, shucks. Yore makin' me blush." Modest as always, Applejack glanced down at her lap, pleased but embarrassed.

"Seriously though," Rainbow interjected. "This stuff is amazing." Not as amazing as you, she thought silently. But that was far too nauseatingly sappy to say out loud. "How much does it cost to buy a barrel?"

"More than you can afford," Twilight giggled.

Everyone others stared at her perplexedly. Had Twilight Sparkle just made a joke? A joke that other people could actually understand?

She blinked back at them from behind her thick glasses. "What?"

"Never mind, dear," Rarity told her, suppressing a grin. "Let's just start our homework, shall we?"

Rainbow made a face and reached into her backpack to pull out some notepaper. Fluttershy's pale hair tickled Dash's cheeks as she, too, bent down and extracted some schoolwork from her backpack, smiling soothingly into the depths of her pack and sticking her hand inside to fondle something lovingly. This would have looked rather strange to someone who didn't know her, but Rainbow and her friends all knew that her backpack contained a special secret compartment that housed anywhere from one to five of her animal friends. She'd even installed special food dispensers and cut air holes into the fabric. Sometimes Rainbow Dash thought that Fluttershy was crazier than Pinkie Pie.

Seriously, what did she do when one of her pets had to use the bathroom in there?

"Alright, let's start with English," Twilight declared, taking charge of the situation as always. "Ahem. We have a test on our Stylistic Elements unit coming up next month. I need someone to quiz me."

"Next month?" Fluttershy repeated. "Isn't that, um, a while from now?"

"Well, yes. But it's always a good idea to start studying early! So who wants to quiz me?"

No one volunteered.

"Ah'll do it," Applejack finally conceded with a sigh of resignation. She was always the first one to cave in when one of her friends needed something done.

Twilight beamed. "Thanks, Applejack." She handed Applejack a sheet of paper. "Can you just read off the list of stylistic elements for me so I can make sure I remember what they are?"

Applejack looked dubious - there was no way that Twilight hadn't already memorized everything on the list - but decided to just comply. "Uh... sure." She held up the paper with the hand that wasn't wrapped around Rarity's shoulder and squinted at it. Her eyes crossed and her mouth dropped open. "Shoot, Ah don' even know how t' pronounce these," she said slowly. "A - asinduhton... Asendaton..."

"Asyndeton," Twilight said patiently. "The act of omitting a conjunction between two parts of a sentence. Miss Oswald asked us that one in class today."

Rainbow smirked a little. Not that she would have been able to pronounce the words any better than Applejack, but it was still entertaining to watch.

"Right..." Applejack licked her lips nervously and pressed onwards, her eyes roving down the list of words. "Uh... let's see... synecdok... sinecdosh..."

"Oh, you mean synecdoche? That's a literary device that uses a part of something to refer to the whole. Or vice versa."

Applejack frowned. "Twi, if ya know 'em all, why do ya need me t' quiz ya? Fer Pete's sake, Ah can use these things in mah writin', but don' make me say 'em out loud!"

"But I have to be quizzed just in case there's something I don't know! Please?" Twilight clasped her hands together pleadingly.

AJ looked torn. "Well... Ah guess Ah could -"

"I could quiz her!" Pinkie chimed in suddenly, shooting up in her seat suddenly. "I know them all. See?" She drew in a huge breath and then launched into a rapid-fire barrage of Stylistic Elements. "Anagram is when the writer jumbles up parts of the word to create a new word, like when you mix up Pinkie Pie into Inkie Epip except that isn't a word so it doesn't really make sense but whatever because it's just an example, and then chiasmus is when you have two phrases that are parallel but inverted to each other, and then anthropomorphism is when you give a human quality, emotion or ambition to a non-human object or being - like if a cake started talking - ooooh, that would be so cool! Except what if a cake does start talking? Then I would feel bad about eating it because -"

"PINKIE!" Rainbow shouted. "I think we get it!"

Twilight's eyes were shining. "Pinkie Pie? Do you really know all the stylistic elements?"

"Absolutely!" Pinkie replied with a wink.

Her friends looked more than a little startled, having all assumed that Pinkie spent all of her class time eating cupcakes and planning parties. Apparently, she could listen to the lessons at the same time. Rainbow Dash wished that she could stare at Applejack and listen to the teacher at the same time... maybe she should ask Pinkie to teach her her ways.

"That's great!" Beaming, Twilight practically ripped the list of Stylistic Elements out of Applejack's hands and shoved it into Pinkie's lap. "So you can quiz me instead of Applejack!"

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie stared down at the list and began to quiz Twilight, who was leaning forward so rapturously that Rainbow began to wonder how much farther she could lean before she fell off the couch.

Applejack swept off her Stetson and used it to wipe her forehead, looking relieved. "Whew. Least Ah don' have t' do that anymore. Rares, ya think we should git started on our homework too?" She took another sip of cider, cradling the mug in her firm hands.

"Certainly! We have a French test on Friday; why not study for that?"

AJ's face fell. "Oh. French."

"Oh, come now, Applejack," Rarity scolded her. "We've only just started school a few weeks ago. We're still doing a review of the French we learned last year! You simply must master all of it before they start teaching us something new!"

"Ah know, Ah know," Applejack sighed, wearily passing a hand over her face. "Alraght. Let's jus' git this over with."

Rarity twisted her lips thoughtfully. "Not quite as enthusiastic as I was hoping, but I suppose it'll do. Now. I will ask you a question in French, and you will answer it. Comprenez-vous?"

"Uh, yes. I mean, oui."

"Good." The fashionista cleared her throat daintily and then began. "Excusez-moi, je me demande où se trouve la salle de bain la plus proche, ça vous dérangerait de m'aider?" Her accent was flawless.

Applejack blanched. "Uh... à quinze milles d'ici?" she suggested hopefully.

Rarity pursed her lips. "Applejack, do you even know what I just said?"

"Heh..." She laughed abashedly. "No, not really. Ah just heard somethin' about 'nearest' an' decided t' hope ya were asking 'bout th' closest gas station or somethin'."

Rainbow snorted. "A gas station. Good one, AJ."

"Darling, I was asking where the closest bathroom was," Rarity said, clearly doing her best to stay patient.

Applejack blushed, twisting her hands around each other. "Oh."

Rarity sighed. "Let's try again... perhaps something a little simpler this time. Pouvez-vous me donner une pomme?"

Applejack's face brightened. 'Pomme' - 'apple' - was a word that she was very much familiar with. "Uh, oui, un moment," she answered, trying and failing to keep her Southern drawl out of her words.

Rarity cringed at her horrible accent but opted not to mention it. "Very good, Applejack. So you understood?"

"Ah sure did," she replied, grinning proudly. "Uh, do ya actually want an apple?"

"No, that's alright. I just thought it would be a nice question to ask. Let's do another, shall we? Combien de cultures faites-vous à la ferme?"

Her smile vanished. Applejack heaved a sigh and leaned back, her eyes narrowed. "Ah think yore askin' how many kinds o' crops we grow on th' farm... Ah think it's, uh... fourteen."

"In French, please," Rarity prompted.

"Oh, right... uh... cat-ors... cath-ores..."

"Quatorze,"Rarity supplied. Clearly, her patience was wearing thin.

"Yeah. That." Applejack smiled sheepishly and glanced over at Rainbow, who wiggled her eyebrows, smirking to let her know that she'd witnessed the entire conversation. Applejack's blush deepened. "Think we could jus' look at th' word lists an' stuff fer a bit instead o' all this talkin'? Please?"

"Very well. But you're not off the hook, Applejack." Rarity handed her a few sheets of paper. "Let's get started."

A gentle hand tugged at Rainbow's shirt. Startled, she glanced over her shoulder. Fluttershy was staring expectantly at her with those big bashful eyes. "Um, Rainbow? Why don't we get started on that paper for English?"

"Sure, 'Shy," Rainbow agreed reluctantly, setting her now-empty cider mug aside and looking at it wistfully.

"Okay. Um, Miss Oswald said we have to partner up, so... what do you want to write about?" Fluttershy tugged at her pale yellow sweater sleeves, stretching them over her hands.

"I dunno. What do you want to write about?"

Fluttershy blinked, looking terrified at being asked for an opinion. "Oh... um... well... we could write about the animals at the pet shelter."

The only reason Rainbow didn't violently reject that suggestion was that Fluttershy was her oldest, and one of her closest, friends. Also, the poor girl probably wouldn't be able to survive the shock of being violently rejected, anyway. "I guess that sounds cool," Rainbow answered casually. "But only if we can write about that one time my tortoise raced that rabbit at the shelter and totally won."

Yeah. Tank was the coolest pet ever.

"Oh, well, I don't know..."

Dash arched an eyebrow. "Do you want to write about the animals at the shelter, or not?"

Fluttershy bit her lip. "Yes," she whispered. "All right. We'll mention Tank." She pulled a sheet of empty notepaper out of her backpack, saw that Rainbow already had a few sheets of notepaper on her lap, and dropped the sheet back in. "Let's start listing ideas..."

Rainbow groaned internally, already bored, and allowed her gaze to wander... to Applejack. Where else? Whenever Applejack was in the room, Rainbow found it hard to look at anything else.

Right now, Applejack's tongue was poking out of her mouth a little as she devoted every fiber of her being to understanding French. And there was a little wrinkle between her eyebrows, that wrinkle that appeared whenever she was forcing herself to focus on something. Her green eyes were alight with a fierce concentration, and her mouth was moving almost imperceptibly as she murmured words to herself.

"Dashie?" Fluttershy was waving a hand in front of her face. "Dashie, I asked you if you were okay with the first idea I'm writing down..."

Rainbow's vision focused on Fluttershy, and she felt a sudden surge of contempt for her own weakness. Her own infatuation with Applejack was causing her to ignore her other friends - even Fluttershy, her first friend, the girl who had been with her for every step of her life since preschool. How long had she been zoning out while Fluttershy tried to talk to her? A minute? Two minutes?

Suddenly, staring into Fluttershy's trusting turquoise eyes, Rainbow made a decision. A split-second decision. A decision that she would probably regret.

She stood up and collected her mug, forcing herself to sound calm and begging her knees not to tremble. "Sure. It's a great idea. I'm gonna go get some more cider. Fluttershy, will you come with me?"

"Oh, thank you, Rainbow, but I don't actually want any more cider right now, so... eeeeepp..." The rest of her sentence was swallowed by a squeak of fear as she saw Rainbow glaring daggers at her. "I mean, um, I would love to..." She got to her feet and followed Rainbow uncertainly, her shoulders trembling.

Once they were out of sight of the rest of the group, Rainbow Dash turned to Fluttershy and grabbed both of her hands, pressing them with her thumbs. "Fluttershy, I didn't call you here for cider. I have to tell you something," she murmured. Her heart was pounding. Right now, standing in a pool of sunlight streaming though the window of Applejack's kitchen, she was more scared than she ever had been in her life.

But she had to do this. She had to. Maybe, just maybe, having someone to talk to would help her. It never had before - when she'd tried to talk to her aunt and uncle, they had laughed at her; sent her away. Except this was Fluttershy. The girl who had always trusted her implicitly from the first day they had met, whom Rainbow had soon found herself unconsciously trusting back. Well, Rainbow would trust all of her friends with her life (okay, maybe not Pinkie Pie, because... Pinkie Pie). She trusted each and every one of her friends, and they'd never failed her before.

Still, in a situation like this... Rainbow just knew that Fluttershy, and no one else, was the right person to talk to. The only person who would listen without throwing a dramatic fit or trying to logically analyze the situation or randomly giving her a cupcake.

How would Fluttershy react, though? For that matter, how would any of her friends react? Would they disapprove? Would they refuse to associate with Rainbow anymore? Rainbow had been too scared to tell any of them her secret before, for that very reason, and none of them had ever really discussed something like this amongst themselves. But now, now that she was finally realizing how her secret was hurting her other friendships - by causing her to ignore her friends; to not even hear them when they spoke - she didn't think she had a choice. If her friends hated her after they knew, if they stopped talking to her and ostracized her, well, at least Rainbow would know that she had tried to do the right thing by telling them. She had tried to be brave.

And if Applejack hated her, then... then...

Then Rainbow would deal with that when it happened. Because the thought was too painful to even consider right now.

Fluttershy's eyes were wide and fearful. She was only an inch or so shorter than Rainbow Dash, but for an instant, she looked so small and scared that Rainbow began to wonder if she should reconsider what she was about to do. Then Fluttershy set her jaw and stood up to her full height. Usually when someone said 'I have to tell you something', it wasn't a good thing. It meant that they were going to tell her something that was going to make her want to hide behind the sofa. But she could tell by the look in Rainbow's eyes that she really had something important to say, and that she wasn't going to tell anyone else but Fluttershy herself. "W - what do you want to tell me?" she whispered shakily, shrinking back as if to protect herself from feeling the fear that lurked in Rainbow's own eyes.

A choking, half-laugh, half-sob noise escaped Rainbow's throat. This was it. Once she opened her mouth, the words could never be retracted.

"Fluttershy," she croaked hoarsely, her eyes shut, her lips trembling. "I..."

"I have a crush on Applejack."

Author's Notes:

The plot thickens. Well, I did tell you this chapter was going to get the plot going.
Sorry for the wait. I know it's been a month, I'm sorry, I've had a lot going on... but I tried to give you an extra-long chapter to make up for it! 10,000 words! That's pretty good!
So the next chapter will be Dashie's POV again, then we'll switch to AJ's. Events should start moving a lot faster now (they kinda have to, because this story is supposed to cover a whole year and I've written five chapters that all happen on the same day. So.)
Before I let you go, I have a couple questions. First of all, what do you think about me writing Applejack so small? I feel like a lot of people see her as being the biggest of the group. But I just see her as being small. I don't know why. It just makes her seem a lot.... stronger, I guess. I don't know. Secondly, how many of you have noticed that Pinkie Pie has taken a picture in every chapter so far? ;)

Chapter Six

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For a brief moment of heart-stopping terror, Fluttershy looked abjectly terrified, and Rainbow Dash was worried that she had broken the poor girl or, worse, completely disgusted her.

Then Fluttershy's eyes softened and she stepped forwards and wrapped Rainbow in a warm hug, standing on her tiptoes in order to reach Dash's ears. "Oh, Dashie, I'm so proud of you," she murmured gently, her small hands pressing into Rainbow's shoulders. "I've been waiting for you to tell me for so long..."

Rainbow's hands dangled lamely at her sides. She couldn't lift them to hug Fluttershy back. In fact, she couldn't move at all. "But... y-you knew?" she stuttered, nearly forgetting to keep her voice down in her shock.

Fluttershy cast a fearful glance at the four girls in the living room. "Shhh.. yes, I knew. I've seen the way you look at her, Rainbow. Like you could look at her for days and days on end and still not be satisfied. Like the whole world is in her eyes... and no, I don't think anyone else has noticed," she added, in response to the unanswered question that lurked in Rainbow's eyes. "Just me. Because I know you."

"Because you're my first friend," Dash realized aloud. "My oldest friend... oh, 'Shy... but you aren't grossed out?" Her hands began to tremble. "You sounded so scared..."

"About what?" The svelte young girl drew back and stared at Rainbow in innocent bewilderment.

"About me being... you know... gay?" Rainbow choked over the last word and had to turn her face away to hide the shameful stinging in her eyes. This was the first time she had ever used that word to describe herself; the first time she had claimed it as her own. She had been terrified of that word since she was young - her aunt and uncle had been very vocal about exactly what they thought of such 'vile behavior', as they so kindly put it. Rainbow had never had the courage to tell them. And her fear of telling them had eventually morphed into a fear of telling everyone, her best friends included.

Fluttershy only hugged her all the tighter. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that who you love doesn't matter... it's how you love. And I know that you love your friends - and Applejack - with all of your heart. You have nothing to be ashamed about. I was only scared because... I wasn't expecting you to tell me today..." she glanced down with a shy smile. Everyone knew she didn't like surprises. "But I would never, ever be scared of you. You're the kindest and loyalest person I know, and Applejack would be lucky to be your girlfriend."

Tears of joy sprang unbidden into Rainbow's eyes, and she was finally able to lift her arms and slide them around Fluttershy's back in a crushing embrace. What had she done to deserve a friend like her? "Thank you," she breathed hoarsely, pressing a sisterly kiss to the top of Fluttershy's mousy hair, all of the inner conflict she hadn't even known she'd been carrying around with her vanishing in an instant. "Thank you so much."

Fluttershy squeaked. "Can't... breathe..."

"Oh, sorry..." Fearing for her delicate friend's ribs, Rainbow hastily set her down and backed away. She gave Fluttershy a watery smile, swiping moisture out of her eyes. "I - I really needed to hear that."

"I know," Fluttershy answered softly, tucking her mussed hair behind her ears. "I know you did."

Rainbow sighed and twisted her fingers around each other, some of her sudden elation fading back into despair. "I - I don't know how to tell her I like her. Part of me really wants to tell her, and the other part just wants to - I don't know, run away and never come back so I don't have to worry about it at all! What do I do? How do I do this? And what if she doesn't like me back?" Her eyes brightened as a thought struck her. "Can you help me tell her?" she asked hopefully.

Fluttershy shook her head gently but firmly. "No, Dashie. I won't tell her for you. This just needs to be something you do on your own. But I can give you advice."

Dash twisted her lips into a pout. Fluttershy was usually a total pushover, but on the rare occasions when she said no, she really meant it. She could be quite adamant when she needed to be. "Fine. Can you at least promise not to tell anyone else? Yet? I just don't think I'm ready." This was one instance where Rainbow wasn't at all embarrassed to be holding back. This time, she just wanted to take things slow and easy.

"If you don't want me to, I won't," she replied readily. "Although I'm sure they won't think of you any differently after they know. And speaking of the others, I'm sure they're getting suspicious by now..."

Right on cue, Pinkie Pie's ebullient voice floated into the kitchen (or, more accurately, rocketed into the kitchen at a pitch loud enough to shatter glass). "HEY, GUYS! What's taking you so long?! Did you find hidden cupcakes under the floorboards or something?! OH MY GOODNESS, DID YOU FIND HIDDEN CUPCAKES AND NOT SHARE ANY WITH ME? DO I NEED TO COME IN THERE?!"

"NO!" Rainbow yelped. "Um, I mean, no, no cupcakes, sorry. We'll be out there in a second." She poured herself and Fluttershy a mug of cider. "Okay, coming back out." We can finish this conversation later, she mouthed to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. "Just one last thing..." She worked up all of her courage and said, in a voice that was somehow small and assured at the same time, "I don't know if Applejack likes you, or if she even likes girls at all. But I think you two are perfect for each other." Blushing at her own boldness, she shot Rainbow a parting smile and exited the kitchen, cradling her cider mug against her chest.

Rainbow Dash stared after Fluttershy with her mouth open, a giddy smile tugging at her lips. Really? She thinks we'd be perfect together?

Fluttershy was a remarkably adept judge of character, so maybe there was some hope after all. Her confidence bolstered by the conversation of the past few minutes and her heart flipping in joyous loop-de-loops, Rainbow trailed slowly after her friend, feeling happier than she had in years.

***

Rarity gave Applejack a warm hug and stepped out of the house. "I'll see you tomorrow. Make sure your study those French verbs! Your pronunciation is simply atrocious. Also, work on your spelling."

"Thanks fer the enlightenin' commentary on mah inadequacies, Rarity," Applejack replied dryly, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"My pleasure, darling." She didn't seem to be picking up on the sarcasm.

"Work on your polar form to rectangular coordinates conversions too," Twilight chimed in. "You're really good at it, and I know you're good at polar form and vectors in general, but you'll need to be even better to ace the test we have coming up. I've already used one of my probability formulae to put together what I think is a fairly accurate model of a practice exam, and polar form takes up 37 percent of it."

This time, AJ and Rainbow rolled their eyes simultaneously. Applejack's voice was resigned but tinged with amusement as she responded. Twilight was never going to change. "Will do, Twi."

Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight filed out of the front door after Rarity, pausing to thank Applejack for inviting them to her house and feeding them cider (Pinkie paused only to snap a photo, the subject of which remained undetermined). Applejack and Rainbow watched from the doorway as the four girls piled into their respective cars, backed down the driveway, and drove away, their headlights throwing whorls of light onto the dusky road.

Applejack closed the front door with a sigh as her friends' vehicles were swallowed up by the darkening sky. This was the longest time she and Rainbow had been able to spend with their friends outside of school for a while. Their friends had been at Applejack's house for at least two hours, doing homework together, chatting about life, and in Pinkie's case, producing random baked goods from nowhere.

Well, if Rainbow was being honest with herself, she hadn't done any homework at all. Fluttershy's words had been ringing distractedly in her ears for an hour and a half. The kindest and loyalest person I know. Applejack would be lucky... It was no wonder that Dash had been distracted. For the first time in her life, she'd felt encouraged. Justified. Comfortable in her own skin. In comparison to that feeling, homework rated at like a negative thousand on the Scale of Relative Importance.

Although, in retrospect, perhaps Rainbow should have tried to focus a bit harder. Now her and Fluttershy's English report was going to consist solely of animal pictures and anecdotes from Fluttershy's afternoons at the pet shelter.

Rainbow Dash shook herself out of her reverie, not wanting to be caught zoning out, and reopened the front door. The sun was sinking lower and lower, and she wanted to get back home as soon as possible so that she could continue her conversation with Fluttershy over the phone. "Well, thanks for having me over, AJ. I'm gonna head out."

"Wait," Applejack blurted out, her face red. "Rainbow... will ya stay fer dinner?" Seeing Rainbow staring at her in shock, she hastily pressed on. "It's jus'... Ah hardly git t' see ya anymore. It would be real nice t' have some more time t'gether. We used t' be best friends," she added softly, her tone pained. The implications were clear.

Dash felt guilty at once. Ironically, her infatuation with Applejack had ended up leading her to spend as little time around the farmgirl as possible, outside of school. But now, with Fluttershy's words of encouragement fresh in her mind, Rainbow felt like she could do anything... even willingly spend a whole evening with the girl she loved but would never get, something she'd balked at before. It had been too painful. "We still are best friends," she corrected her firmly. "And... yes. I'd love to stay for dinner."

Applejack's eyes brightened. "Really?"

"Really." Rainbow spread her hands innocently. "Do I look like the kind of person who would lie to you?"

"Uh..." Applejack arched an eyebrow. "Yes."

"Okay, I asked for that one." Rainbow peered beyond Applejack into the kitchen. "I don't see any dinner..."

"Don' be rude," Applejack chided her. "Dinner'll come when it comes. Granny has t' make it first."

"Well, where's Granny? And don't you help with dinner?"

"She's upstairs, nappin'. Like Ah told ya when ya got here. An' yeah, sometimes, but we're havin' quiche t'night an' Granny always likes t' make that herself." Applejack strode over to the coffee table and effortlessly collected all six cider mugs, looping a finger through each handle. "Ya wanna help me with th' chores?" she called over her shoulder as she took them to the kitchen.

"If they involve scooping up poop or giving the pigs slop, no," Rainbow answered cheekily.

A loud sigh emanated from the kitchen. "Ah don' know why Ah put up with ya. No, it don' involve any o' that. Ah jus' have t' go out, bring in some more firewood, an' feed th' horses. Big Mac shoulda taken care o' th' other animals by now."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I'll come." Rainbow wasn't really interested in performing farm chores, but she knew better than to say so in front of AJ.

Applejack returned from the kitchen, dusting her hands off, and shot Rainbow Dash a slightly dimpled smile. "Ah'm gonna go git a jacket an' wake up Granny... an' tie mah hair back, now that Rarity's finally gone."

Rainbow wanted to protest - she was enjoying seeing her hair down far more than was healthy - but she knew that doing so would sound extremely suspicious. "Sure. I'll wait here."

Applejack darted nimbly up the stairs and headed to her bedroom, the ceiling creaking slightly beneath the thudding of her boots. Rainbow shoved her hands in her pockets and wandered idly around the living room. She definitely didn't steal a tiny framed picture of Applejack that was perched crookedly on the mantelpiece. There were so many pictures of the Apple family children up there that Rainbow figured no one would notice one's absence. Well, she hoped.

Just as she was bending down to peer at a faded photo of a much younger, gap-toothed Applejack with her arms and legs thrown around her already tall and stocky big brother Mac, Applejack came pattering down the stairs again. Rainbow Dash hastily withdrew and crossed over to the front door, whistling tunelessly in an attempt to seem casual. She glanced over at her friend, grinning as she caught sight of a red bandana tied around Applejack's neck for warmth. "Hey, I remember that bandana!"

"Yup." Applejack swung her hair, now loosely ponytailed and tied with a red ribbon, over the left shoulder of her red and white plaid jacket. "Remember when Ah wore it on th' first day o' high school an' ya told me ya hated it?"

"What?" the tall athlete protested. "No I didn't. I never said -"

"Rainbow, ya said, an' Ah quote, 'That bandana makes you look like even more of a hayseed.'" She had managed a passable imitation of Rainbow's voice.

Rainbow flushed. Now that Applejack mentioned it, she did seem to remember making such a comment. Still... had she really said that to her best friend? Especially considering how amazing the bandana looked on her now? "Yeah... I was kind of a jerk, sorry..." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

Applejack placed a warm hand on her shoulder and gave her a rough pat. "S'okay, sugar plum. We were young. Besides, Ah forgave ya right after Ah punched ya in the face, so we're even."

Rainbow grimaced. She remembered that too. "Yeah, that hurt... Applejack, what's a sugar plum?" It was a term of endearment that she used only rarely, but Rainbow had been wondering for a while. She suspected that Applejack had been called that by her parents and had borrowed the phrase from them, but she was reluctant to ask Applejack for confirmation and bring back sad memories.

Applejack gave a low chuckle, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "They're little hard candies."

"But are they sour? Is it an insult to be called a sugar plum?" Rainbow flashed Applejack a small grin to let her know that she was joking (mostly).

Applejack rolled her eyes. "No, Dash. They're sweet an' tasty."

Rainbow wiggled her eyebrows.

It took Applejack a few seconds to realize how what she had said could be misconstrued. Mortified, she groaned and pulled her Stetson down over her eyes. "Not like that, ya idiot!" She turned away to hide her growing blush and opened the front door. "C'mon, we better go outside. B'fore it gets any darker. An before ya start talkin' any dirtier."

Rainbow Dash chortled under her breath and followed her onto the front porch. Applejack closed the front door behind her and descended down the porch steps. Rainbow made as if to clamber onto the porch railing and slide down, but Applejack halted her with a single glare. "Don' even think about it. Dang thing's shaky enough as it is without yore extra weight."

"You calling me fat?" Rainbow demanded, swinging her legs over the railing and sliding down anyway.

Applejack looked unsurprised. When you told Rainbow not to do something, she was going to do it. It was a fact of life. "If that's what it'll take t' get ya t' stop, then yes." She swung around and walked off around the side of the house, heading for the barn a hundred or so feet away.

Rainbow jogged lightly after her and fell into step at her side, wisps of their breath hanging faintly in the air before them. The two of them crunched through swirls of the first fall leaves to the barn in silence, taking in the scenery. A stinging mid-September breeze nipped at their faces, whispering through the evening sky, and Rainbow hugged her arms to her chest, beginning to wish that she had brought a jacket with her (but she was way too cool to ever admit that she was cold). Hints of deep blue night were beginning to show through, curling wispily above the splashy reds and oranges of the setting sun like paint running down a canvas. The apple trees were visible in the distance as dark smudges swaying slowly in the wind.

Within a minute, they had reached the barn. Applejack opened both halves of the bright red Dutch door and slipped inside, Rainbow hot on her heels. The temperature warmed considerably as they entered, and Rainbow dropped her arms to her sides in relief. The air smelled strongly of horse sweat and hay - not altogether a bad smell. Applejack stamped her feet on the hay floor, wiping off mud, and grabbed a rusty pitchfork that was hanging on the wall. "Well, c'mon. Horses ain't gonna feed 'emselves," she declared, crooking her fingers in Dash's direction and marching off to the back of the barn.

As Rainbow followed her and her eyes slowly adjusted to the dimmer lighting, she was able to make out the barn's inhabitants - four horses, pacing patiently in their stalls and snorting softly as they waited for food. Rainbow's face split into a grin. She remembered these horses - back when she used to spend every spare minute of her time at Applejack's horses, they had spent many of their days playing in the barn with them. "Hello, beautiful," she crooned, stepping closer to a small dun mare and scratching the underside of her neck. The mare whinnied with pleasure and nuzzled closer to Dash, her eyes dark, liquid pools of wisdom. This was February, Apple Bloom's personal horse - so named because the horse had been born in February (well, duh). "Remember me? I know I haven't been here in a while, but I'm back now, and... well... it's good to be back," she finished lamely. "Yeah. I'm talking to a horse."

"Ah'm sure she's listenin'," Applejack murmured from behind. Rainbow jumped and spun around, unaware that her friend had been listening. "Y'know, sometimes I think horses are smarter 'n humans... th' way they look at ya... ya know, Dash, ya should come back on th' weekend sometime. We can go ridin'." She brushed a hand along February's muzzle, patterned with a thin blaze, and nudged the stall door open with her foot. In her right hand, she was still gripping the pitchfork, the prongs of which were stuck firmly into a hay bale. Applejack must have been incredibly strong to hold all of that weight with one hand. And Rainbow definitely didn't find the casual way in which she managed to do everything one-handed attractive... or the way her arm muscles rippled... nope, definitely not...

Alright, losing battle. Moving on.

Rainbow continued to stroke the mare's side as Applejack went about her business almost effortlessly, her years of practice and expertise asserting themselves. She planted the hay bale down on the ground, stuck her foot on it, and yanked the pitchfork out. Then she twisted a squeaky tap in the wall, producing a stream of water that flowed into the horse's trough, and refilled the oats bag dangling against the wall from a large sack of oats leaning against the wall outside the stall. She spoke as she moved, although Rainbow wasn't sure who Applejack was talking to. "February ain't gonna eat this hay all in one sittin'. She's been trained not to - all th' horses have. It'll last her a day or two - or maybe three, 'cause we'll be sendin' her out t' pasture tomorrow like we usually do... Normally, Bloom would be takin' care o' all this, but with her gone it's mah job t' help with th' horses. Ah don't think Brue minds though, do ya, girl?" She gave the horse's side a rough pat. Rainbow normally would have objected to having to listen to so much 'farm talk', but here, with the comforting scent of animals and the soft lighting and Applejack's slow, rich voice... she didn't want this moment to end.

Applejack kissed February's muzzle and slipped out of the stall. It was clearly time to feed the other horses. Dash, tired of feeling useless, hurried over to the back wall and scrutinized the neatly stacked bales of hay. Picking one up couldn't be that hard. She wrapped her arms around a bale, lifted it into the air, and promptly dropped it on her foot. Barely suppressing a yelp of pain, Rainbow prayed that Applejack hadn't noticed.

She had no such luck, however. Applejack snorted into her fist. "Lookin' real fine, sugarcube."

Rainbow flushed. "Hey! These things are heavy! I mean, holy crap! It was like a hundred pounds!"

"Ah know they're heavy," she chuckled. "That's why Ah didn't ask ya to help."

"Well, we can't all be good at heavy-lifting," Rainbow fired back sulkily, crossing her arms and looking pointedly away.

Applejack's laugh sounded like warm apple pie. "Ah don't want ya t' be. Ah like ya jus' th' way ya are." An observer might have noticed the way her cheeks reddened as she said this, or the way she couldn't quite meet Rainbow's eyes, but Rainbow Dash was far too preoccupied with regaining her composure to pay attention to these things.

What? You thought Dash was actually going to notice? Haha. Think again.

Applejack picked up the hay bale on the ground, stacked it on top of another, and gathered them both into her arms at the same time, grunting slightly from the effort. Then she carried them over to the stall opposite February's and dropped them inside.

This stall was home to two strapping Clydesdales named Clyde and Dale. Very original. They were family-owned horses, but Big Mac usually took it upon himself to care for them. He used them to plow the fields in the spring (yes, the Apples were rather old-fashioned when it came to farming).

Clyde and Dale nuzzled at Rainbow's fingers as Applejack entered the stall, prepared their food, and shoveled up a small pile of manure, which she chucked out of the window into a compost bin outside the barn. "Good fer fertilizer," she explained with a crooked grin in response to Rainbow's expression of disgust.

Dash wandered over to look at the next stall. There was a horse in it that she didn't remember seeing before - a graceful but sturdy coal-black mare about as tall as Rainbow Dash. "Who's this?" she asked, putting her fingers out to the horse's muzzle. Hot breath steamed over them as the horse arched her head and snuffled at Rainbow's hand.

"She's mine," Applejack answered proudly. She'd finished with the draft horses and was now leaning over the stall door next to Rainbow, stroking the black horse's mane. "A Friesian. Ah got her a few months ago." Applejack went into the stall and threw her arms around the mare's neck, rubbing her withers and humming soft words against her muzzle. "Hey there, mah girl... Ah missed ya..." The mare whickered lovingly at her owner and bent her head so that she could nuzzle AJ's back.

Rainbow Dash loved watching Applejack talk to horses. She was so attuned to animals - perhaps not as deeply as Fluttershy, but she had her own unique way of dealing with them. Gentle but firm, rough but loving... they loved her and she loved them back (Unless they were 'varmints', as she put it. Much to 'Shy's sadness, Applejack no longer had any patience for such creatures. They had made nuisances of themselves around the farm one too many times).

"What's her name?" Rainbow inquired, her lips twitching in a smile as the horse nibbled gently on her fingers. She really was a beautiful creature.

Applejack blushed and moved abruptly to the horse's other side, where Dash couldn't see her anymore. She mumbled something that Rainbow couldn't quite make out. Rainbow frowned. "Uh... AJ?"

A muffled sigh came from the mare's other side as Applejack realized that she couldn't dodge the question. "Dash," she whispered, and Rainbow knew her well enough to know by the tone of her voice that she was mortified. "Her name is Dash."

Rainbow blinked. "Whoa. Did you name a horse after me?"

"Uh... maybe..." Still refusing to meet Rainbow's eyes, Applejack unhooked a brush from its spot on the wall and ran it over her horse's coat. A rain of thin black hairs drifted onto her plaid jacket.

"Is that an insult? Are you saying I'm big and smelly and poop a lot?"

This accusation was finally enough to force Applejack out of her silence. "No, 'course not! Ah - Ah named her after ya 'cause yore, well, mah best friend. An' she reminds me o' ya... tall an' strong an' proud an'... beautiful." Her emerald eyes flicked upwards to meet Rainbow's gaze, and Rainbow saw the uncertainty in them. Applejack was always honest, but this was a different level of honesty. She rarely ever let people see her be this vulnerable.

Suddenly, what AJ had said sank in. "Y-you think I'm... beautiful?" Rainbow stuttered, her eyes wide.

Applejack sucked in her cheeks. This conversation was growing rapidly more and more awkward. "Uh... well... yes, Ah do." Her voice shook a little, but she kept her composure. "An' Ah know An ain't th' only one. Half th' school's in love with ya an' th' other half wants t' be ya." She turned away, her blonde ponytail swinging around her shoulders, and hung up the grooming brush.

Rainbow's mouth hung open, and she could feel her cheeks growing redder and redder. Did she just tell me she thinks I'm pretty? For a wild moment, she considered returning the compliment... she had wanted to tell Applejack how pretty she was for years. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity.

No... no. There was nothing romantic about what she said. Just a compliment from one best friend to another. That's all it was. Just a compliment.

Dash felt her heart sink a little, and she hated herself for it. Applejack had just proven, yet again, what an amazing friend she was, and all Rainbow could do was stand there and mope?

A slow smile came to her face. She did just name a horse after me. I mean, that's pretty cool. Rainbow was suddenly overcome by a wave of affection for her friend. In a single, smooth motion, she swung her legs over the stall gate and wrapped Applejack in a hug. "I'm not weirded out at all by having a horse named after me, in case you were worried," she promised. "I think it's great. Thank you. Just, you know, don't let your horse replace me or anything."

Applejack noticeably relaxed and gave her a rough pat on her shoulder. "Don' worry. Yore rudeness an' gen'ral obnoxiousness is irreplaceable."

"It better be." Laughing, Rainbow ran her fingertips along Applejack's neck, where she knew she was ticklish, and backed away. "Okay. Can we get going? I'm starving."

"Hold yore horses, Dash. Ah gotta finish givin' her her food." Applejack made sure her horse had enough hay and oats, and then bid her farewell for the evening with a kiss on the muzzle and a whisper in her ear. "Alraght, Rainbow. Jus' gotta hang up th' pitchfork an' Ah'm good t' go."

Rainbow Dash lingered behind as Applejack strode over to the barn door. "So, your name is Dash, huh?" she murmured to the Friesian mare, fondling her ears. "You must be one heck of a horse... but not as awesome as me, of course." As if the horse had heard her, she huffed and stamped her hoof. Rainbow laughed softly. "What would you do about Applejack? Would you tell her?"

The horse quieted down and stared Rainbow directly in the eye, and Rainbow felt an uncannily powerful sense that the horse was trying to tell her 'yes'.

"Well, we can't all be as brave as you..." Rainbow whispered. "You're more of a Rainbow Dash than I ever was."

"Ya comin', R.D.?" Applejack called, her piercing grass-green eyes scanning her critically. "Ah'm ready t' head out."

Nodding her assent, Rainbow cast a final wistful glance back at the mare that bore her name and then followed AJ out of the barn.

***

By the time they reached the house, each bearing an armload of firewood, a full meal had been set out on the table and Granny Smith was sitting patiently at the table, waiting for everybody else to arrive, her slightly twisted cane leaning against the table next to her. "Did your Granny just cook a whole meal in like ten minutes?" Rainbow breathed into Applejack's ear.

"Yep," she answered with a hint of pride.

"She must be magic..." Boy, if Rainbow could have cooking powers like Granny's, she'd be set for life.

Granny gave her granddaughter a toothy smile, her eyes crinkling like Applejack's sometimes did when she laughed, and waved a hand. "There ya are, Jackie! Ah was jus' about t' call ya in! Yer dinner's ready." She patted a few strands of her silvery-white bun back into place. "Ah see ya brought a guest," she added, staring hard at Rainbow. "Well, if it ain't Miss Dash! Been a good long time since ya been here! Suddenly decided ya didn't like us no more, is that it?"

"Granny!" Applejack chided her, wide-eyed, while Rainbow stuttered and fumbled for an answer.

"Oh, hush, child," Granny cackled. "Ah'm jus' messin' with ya young un's! It's good t' have ya back, Rainbroom! Now sit yer can down at th' table an' dig in! Get some meat on those bones o' yers!"

Applejack groaned and facepalmed. She'd been trying to tell Granny for years that her name was 'Rainbow', but the old woman stubbornly persisted in referring to her as a cleaning instrument anyway. Rainbow smiled shakily in Granny's direction, desperately hoping that she wouldn't have to answer any more awkward questions, and sank into a seat across from Granny. Applejack washed her hands at the kitchen sink, dried them on her denim skirt, and plopped into the chair next to Dash, hanging her Stetson over the back of her seat.

Granny Smith's eyes narrowed at Rainbow. "Didja wash yer hands?"

"Uh..." She stared down at her horse fur and dirt covered fingernails. "I'm gonna say... no?"

"Better do it, sugarcube," Applejack chuckled. "Granny ain't gonna let ya eat otherwise."

Grimacing, Rainbow got up, jogged into the kitchen, and stuck her hands under the tap. She didn't see any soap out, so maybe she could get away with just rinsing her hands with water.

"An' don't do a shoddy job, neither!" Granny called out. "Soap bottle's in th' drawer t' yer left."

Rainbow's jaw dropped. Time to add mind-reading to the list of Granny Smith's creepy fake-but-possibly-real-powers.

As she strode back to the dining table, the back door in the kitchen opened and a burly, muscular young man with huge, heavyset shoulders and carrot-orange hair strode in. This was Applejack's twenty-year old brother, Big Mac. He had green eyes like hers, similar facial structure, and only a tiny bit more muscle, but that was where all similarities to Applejack ended. Big Mac was at least six foot four, and was thick and sturdy while Applejack was slender and graceful.

Also, he almost never spoke. In fact, Rainbow had no clue what his voice sounded like. He was friendly enough, but didn't seem to like talking to company much, and Rainbow knew almost about nothing him except that he'd stayed back on the farm instead of going to college and that he was the one who managed the more manual aspects of farming such as plowing and cider pressing.

Stamping his enormous black boots on the rug, Mac glanced up and caught sight of Rainbow watching him. He looked mildly uncomfortable for a second, but his eyes softened as he recognized her. He gave her a simple nod and then seated himself at the head of the table after smiling at Granny and ruffling his sister's golden hair with his huge hand.

Winona shot through the door after him, barking her head off, almost bowling Rainbow Dash over completely. She made a beeline for Applejack, jumping up on her chair and slavering all over her face. "Down, girl!" AJ shouted, laughing despite herself. "Easy, easy!"

Rainbow took her chair, warding off a few slobber baths from Winona, who eventually quieted down and thumped to the floor by Applejack's seat, her eyes bright and her tail wagging. Dash expected some sort of table blessing, but all Granny said was, "Eat up b'fore th' dog gits it all!"

Almost drooling in her enthusiasm, Rainbow Dash reached out and shoveled just about everything within reach onto her earthenware plate. She hadn't had a real, old-fashioned Apple family meal in way too long.

Then she hesitated. Would Granny Smith think that she was being rude?

Much to Rainbow's relief, the old woman beamed at her and nodded proudly. "Nice t' see someone doin' mah food justice!"

Applejack shook her head fondly at her grandmother and then eyed her friend's plate. "Here, Dash, try some o' these 'taters. Granny cooked 'em in butter an' rosemary."

When her plate was fully loaded, Dash tapped AJ's elbow to get her attention and grinned slyly. "Eating contest?"

Applejack didn't hesitate for a second. She flashed Rainbow a confident smile, her eyes brimming with boldness. "Ah can eat ya under th' table, ya lightweight."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow challenged. "Bring it on."

***

Well, Rainbow lost, but it was the most satisfying defeat that she had ever experienced.

In the past half-an-hour, she'd eaten her way through a slice of delicious cheese and spinach quiche, four helpings of potatoes, a bowl of salad, half a loaf of bread, and two pieces of incredible apple pie that Applejack had made the day before. Everything had been amazing. If Rainbow had to lose the contest, at least she lost it while eating the most mouthwatering home-cooked fare in the world. Which counted as a win in her book.

However, Applejack had still eaten her under the table, as promised. She'd eaten perhaps slightly less than twice the amount Rainbow had, and looked ready to keep going. She'd told Rainbow before that the Apples had the most prodigious appetites in all of Canterlot, but Rainbow hadn't believed it until now.

Applejack smirked at Dash, who had leaned back in her chair and loosened her shorts. "Done already?"

"Yes, I'm done. I can't eat another bite. I have no idea how you pack all that food away. Granny, everything was amazing... and AJ, your apple pie was incredible. That crust was, like, the best pie crust I've ever had. What was in it?"

"Lots o' love an' butter, darlin'," she answered, carving herself another slice of said pie.

Rainbow Dash stared around at the ancient, scuffed dining table, feeling more warm and content than she had in years. Everyone looked so happy: Granny was happy that all of her dinner guests were enjoying her food, Applejack was happy just to be surrounded by her family and friends, and Big Mac... well... Dash assumed that he was happy, but she couldn't really tell, as his head was still bent over his dinner (the big guy had already eaten at least four platefuls of food, and was still going strong. Farming, apparently, gave one the appetite of a horse). Even Winona looked happy, her muzzle stretched in a crooked grin. She'd scored a sizable amount of choice tidbits from Applejack and Rainbow.

Yes, Rainbow was truly enjoying herself, in this house where everyone treated her with so much kindness that she felt comfortable calling someone else's grandmother Granny. But just as Rainbow was really starting to relax, she froze up again. Crap. It's dark out and I still have to get home.

If that dump where I live can still be called a home.

She ran through some quick mental calculations. She was no Twilight, but anything that had to do with athleticism, particularly running, was her forte. Okay, I know I can run a mile in five minutes, so that's a hundred and twenty-five minutes... with a rest every few miles...

Her face fell. Allowing some time for rests, and taking into consideration the fact that she wouldn't be able to keep up her pace as she got more and more tired, Rainbow was looking at more than three hours of running in total darkness. Why, oh why, hadn't she realized this sooner?

Inwardly kicking herself but trying to appear casual, Rainbow scraped her chair back and stood up, dropping her napkin on the table. "I better be going. My aunt and uncle will be worried. Thanks for the amazing dinner."

"Mah pleasure. Come back soon, ya hear? Ah ain't done feedin' ya up yet; yer thinner'n a feather! What've ya been eatin'?"

Not much, believe me. If only Granny knew.

Big Mac gave Dash another pleasant nod and Winona licked her knees as she made her way to the front door. Applejack accompanied her, grabbing her Stetson as well as her car keys, which she'd thrown onto the coffee table. "Right, let's get ya home, R.D."

What?! She can't see where I live! "NO!" Rainbow yelped frantically, her voice cracking.

Applejack scrutinized her strangely. "Pardon? Ya don' want me t' take ya home?"

"Uh... I mean..." Her brain was abruptly jolted out of the lovely vacation it had been on during dinner. "I - I -um, I already texted my uncle. While you were feeding the horses. He's going to come pick me up at the bus stop near your house. It's just a fifteen minute walk."

"Ah'd feel more comfortable drivin' ya there, sugarcube," Applejack said slowly. "Ah mean, its dark, an'... well, not that ya can't take care o' yoreself, but... anythin' could be out there. We've heard wolves and coyotes an' th' like b'fore."

Rainbow appreciated her friend's concern, but why did she have to be so damn honorable all the time? She was really screwing with Rainbow's plans, albeit unknowingly. "It's fine, Applejack. If something tries to kill me, I'll kick its butt. Besides, all the traps in the woods have probably scared everything away. I'll enjoy walking to the bus stop on my own. I'm a bit of a loner anyway." She tried to smile and probably failed miserably.

"No, yore not," Applejack whispered. "Trust me..." She stepped forwards and placed her hands on Rainbow's shoulders. "Rainbow Dash... did ya really text yore uncle?" Applejack only ever used Dash's full name when she was really worried for her.

"For God's sake, Applejack!" Rainbow snapped, her emotions suddenly boiling over. She just wanted to get out of there and get back home. "Yes, I did! Okay? And even if I hadn't, I don't want you coming over to my place anyway! It's a total mess right now!" That was the first even mildly true statement she had made in the past few minutes. "Just leave me alone, okay? I'll be fine!"

Applejack recoiled, looking hurt, and Rainbow realized that was the first time she had snapped at her like that in years. Her anger was replaced by crushing guilt. "Oh God, I'm sorry," she whispered, sweeping Applejack up in a hug and burying her nose in her golden mane. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to yell... I'm just a little stressed right now..." A single tear trickled down her cheek and slipped into AJ's hair, but if she felt it, she didn't say anything. The only good thing about his conversation was that, somehow, neither Granny nor Big Mac had heard any of it.

Applejack hesitated to hug her back, probably still feeling stung, but when she finally did it was gentle and loving. "Shhh, it's okay," she murmured into Rainbow's ear, the front of her hat pressing into Rainbow's chin. She had to stand on her tiptoes to do it, which Rainbow would have found hilarious at a less distressing moment. "Ya didn't mean it, Ah know... Ah'm jus' worried, is all."

Rainbow collected herself and withdrew, setting her jaw. She needed to stop behaving like a wimp. "I know. I'm sorry. I know you're worried. But I swear it's only fifteen minutes to the bus stop, I'll be fine."
I hate all this lying I hate it I hate it I hate it but I can't tell her... I can't tell anyone...

"Pinkie Promise?" Applejack asked softly, regarding Rainbow with sad, long-lashed eyes. She was smiling, but her heart clearly wasn't in it.

Rainbow choked up and turned away. She couldn't bring herself to say the words 'Pinkie Promise' in return, and both she and Applejack knew it. "Yeah," she croaked. "Okay." She opened the front door and slipped outside, taking a deep breath. I need to act normal. Like I'm not terrified of having to spend three hours running through the dark. She turned around to give Applejack a much-too-wide parting smile. "I'll tell my aunt and uncle you said hi. Thanks for having me over. Later, gator." Before Applejack could respond, she gave her a cocky wink, closed the door behind her, and tore down the driveway, little more than a barely visible silhouette in the torpid darkness. If she really hurried, maybe she could still talk to Fluttershy before bed.

Applejack watched her best friend's receding figure from the window, her eyes pained but thoughtful. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong. Rainbow Dash clearly needed help, although Applejack didn't know what kind. But perhaps she could give it somehow. She was Dash's best friend, after all.

Then again, Applejack knew that she wouldn't be able to help anyone until her own problem was fixed, especially Dash, the source of her problem in the first place. Applejack was finding it harder and harder to focus on anything, period. From French to farmwork. A certain rainbow-haired athlete had completely invaded her thoughts. To help Rainbow, Applejack needed to be able to give her her full, undivided attention, and she couldn't do that... ironically, because of Rainbow. Funny how life works sometimes.

Applejack's eyes brightened. Good gravy, why didn't Ah think o' this before? Ah know jus' who t' talk to.

But then... she'd actually have to tell someone about her crush...

Steeling herself, Applejack marched away from the window and into the dining room. She wasn't going to allow herself to hesitate. She was going to do the dishes, and then she was going to go upstairs and call someone - perhaps the only person who would be able to understand her feelings and then help her understand her feelings.

After all, if Rarity couldn't help her, then Applejack didn't know who could.

And if she couldn't help?

She has to. She jus' has to.

'Cause Ah got nowhere else t' go.

Author's Notes:

Poor Rainbow Dash. So clueless.
Sorry for the long wait between chapters, I have three physics exams in two weeks and I've been studying like mad. I'm gonna fail lol. Anyway, I just want to let you know that this chapter, as well as the next one, are both filler chapters. They don't push the plot forward much, but they are important to the story nonetheless because I'm trying to delve a little deeper into the characters' emotions as well as make you a little more curious about Rainbow's backstory. Next chapter, you're going to get Applejack's POV, and it'll be a shorter chapter than usual. In the chapter after that, it'll be AJ's POV again, and we're going to finally start getting into the plot. I swear.
See you next time, my faithful students (READERS. I mean READERS).

Chapter Seven

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Applejack flung herself onto her bed and rolled over, crossing her muscular arms behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes roved over the dark mahogany walls of her bedroom, bare except for the occasional stain as well as two portraits, one of her family and one of her friends, that hung on opposite walls. Her bedroom was cramped at the very back of the house and was the smallest of the six bedrooms, containing little more than a bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a small armchair, and a closet. There was just barely enough room for her to stretch out on her floor, and every time she wanted to use the bathroom she had to head all the way to the other end of the hall. But Applejack never complained - in fact, she had selected the bedroom herself, because the white-shuttered window looked right out onto the rolling backyard. On weekends, she sometimes woke up even earlier than usual, curled herself into the little window seat below the window with her blankets, and watched the sun rise over the apple orchard. None of the house's other inhabitants could claim such a privilege, as the rest of the bedrooms all faced the driveway and Applejack was the only one who ever got up before dawn. She was the only one who knew how the sun resembled an orb of frosty light turning the snow into glitteringly reflective shards in the winter, and how it rose pale pink and orange in the spring. And all thanks to her well-positioned but tiny bedroom.

Another prominent feature of Applejack's room was its rather ramshackle nature. The ceiling and the walls sloped in odd ways, the floorboards creaked horribly, the wooden walls were dotted with dark splotches, and the closet doors came off their hinges almost every time Applejack tried to open them. Still, these imperfections somehow just made the room seem even more comfortable and homely. This snug atmosphere was intensified by the fact that her bedroom faced the sun and was thus always the warmest in the house (though in winters this was appreciated, it was slightly less of a blessing come summertime), as well as her own personal touches. Applejack had taped some of her pictures and drawings to the back of her door, stacked a heap of her favorite books in her armchair, and placed some of her most treasured stuffed animals and other childhood memorabilia on a wall shelf that she and her Pa had built together so many years ago. Even her closet was full of items she'd received over the years that she had promised herself she'd keep forever - presents from friends; trophies from sports.

After all, who needs clothes, right? Applejack was content with the few she had... but she also knew that she could never let Rarity see into her closet. The poor girl would have a heart attack - but first, she'd drag Applejack to the mall to take her shopping, and that would be dangerous for both parties involved.

So, all in all, Applejack's bedroom was not lacking in cosiness. But right now, the farmgirl was feeling less at home than she ever had in her life. She felt scared, and small, and helpless. Powerless to stop the thoughts that raced through her mind with every waking mind - thoughts of that certain rainbow-haired, mischievous someone who was currently staring at her from the picture on the wall right now -

"Grrr!" As soon as she made eye contact with the picture, Applejack rolled over again and buried her head in her pillow, gripping it tightly and not caring that she was mussing the crimson bedsheets that she tried so hard to keep neat during the day. The mid-thigh-length white T-shirt that served as her pajamas rode up around her waist, but she didn't really care. One thing her bedroom did have room for was a lock, so Applejack knew that there was no chance of snooping siblings barging on in her.

Applejack shut her eyes tightly despite the fact that they were already covered, trying to blot out the image of Rainbow's face. Sighing as she accepted what she had already known - that her efforts were futile - she swept her Stetson onto the pillow next to her, undid her ponytail with deft fingers, and turned onto her back once more. Her eyes flicked over to the nightstand, upon which rested her phone. Despite her earlier resolution, Applejack had spent the past ten minutes internally debating whether or not she should actually call Rarity.

Would Rarity approve of her feelings? If she didn't, would she refuse to speak to Applejack ever again? Or if she did, would she treat it as gossip and 'accidentally' tell the whole school?

Somehow, Applejack wasn't sure which fate was worse.

She sat up and leaned against the headboard, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them. "Ah'm bein' ridiculous," she chided herself softly. "Rarity's mah friend. She'd never do that." Hoo-boy, if Rainbow were here she'd be callin' me a sissy fer not havin' th' guts t' jus' pick up th' dang phone.

That thought drove Applejack over the edge. Resolving to be brave, she set her jaw and reached out to scoop up her phone. Not allowing herself to hesitate, she dialed Rarity's number and pressed call, her fingers shaking.

After ringing several times, a voicemail message sounded. Hello, you've reached Rarity Belle. I'm probably out being fabulous right now, but -

With a deep exhale, Applejack ended the call and tossed the phone onto her pillow, massaging her forehead. She was both relieved and disappointed. Her practical mind took charge as usual, charting the best course of action. Applejack didn't need to tell anyone about her feelings; she could just -

The phone rang.

Applejack glanced at the caller ID and saw Rarity's name, as expected. Experiencing the odd feeling of her heart both sinking and soaring at the same time, Applejack picked up the phone and answered the call, cradling it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Applejack, darling? You called? I'm sorry, I was in the next room over and couldn't reach my phone in time. How can I help you?" Rarity's voice floated through the speaker, tinny and crackly but nonetheless elegant.

Upon hearing the comforting sound of her friend's voice, Applejack felt all of her fears washing away. Suddenly, the prospect of pouring out her worries to one of her best friends sounded surprisingly endearing. "Oh, Rares, Ah need yore help with somethin'," she blurted out. "Somethin' real important."

There was a short pause, and Applejack experienced a flash of doubt. "Uh, did Ah interrupt anythin'?"

Rarity did not hesitate this time. "Well, I was in the middle of making a dress for a particularly demanding client. But I know that tone in your voice - you need someone to talk to, and I'm never one to turn down a friend in need." Her voice was warm.

"Are - are ya sure?" Applejack asked nervously. "Ah don' wanna take ya away from yore work..."

"Positive," Rarity assured her firmly. "Now tell me everything."

Applejack shut her eyes tight and opened her mouth, not one to beat about the bush once she had committed to doing something. "Ah'm in love."

The loud squeal of glee that ensued caused the farmgirl to wince and gingerly hold the phone away from her ear. "Oh my goodness, you finally figured it out! Have you told Dashie yet?"

Applejack bit her lip; now came the hard part. "Well... thing is, it ain't exactly a guy... Ah'm -" Suddenly, Rarity's words registered, and the rest of her pre-prepared sentence died on her lips. "Wait, what?"

"Well, I assume it is Rainbow that you are in love with, am I right?"

Applejack's jaw dropped. "Ya knew..." she whispered, her jade eyes filled with bewilderment and horror. "But... how?"

Rarity scoffed, and Applejack could almost picture her airily waving her hand. "Psssh. To put not too fine a point on it, darling, you were about as discreet as a herd of camels."

A slow blush crept up the farmgirl's freckled cheeks. "But..." she stuttered, waving her tanned arms helplessly. Her slim fingers curled further around her phone as she struggled to process what was happening. "But..." For once in her life, she was truly speechless.

Rarity's tone softened. "Applejack, did you honestly think I wouldn't notice the little glances you kept stealing at her? The way you watched her every time she turned her back? We're good friends, are we not? By now I should hope I've learned to read your emotions."

Applejwck twisted her lips. "True, but... but..." Her shoulders sagged. "Yore not... disgusted?"

"By what?" The fashionista sounded genuinely perplexed.

"By me, y'know... likin' another girl?" She had to force the words out through clenched teeth, and cringed away from the phone the moment she had said them as though she feared a scolding. She had been so scared to admit those words to herself, let alone to her family, that saying them aloud felt like some kind of betrayal.

"Applejack, darling, really!" Her tone of voice was hurt. "It takes all kinds to make a world, and I wouldn't want to live in a world without you in it. No matter whom you love, or how you choose to style your hair, or what clothes you wear, even if you wear a plaid shirt with a patterned bandana - oh, I think you get the picture. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Feeling as though a crushing weight had been lifted off her shoulders, Applejack smiled a bit tearfully and swiped at her eyes with her knuckles. Rarity was wonderful, even if she did have a habit of delivering backhanded compliments. "Thanks, Rares," she managed. "That makes me feel better."

"Of course. I'll always be here for you." A touch of excitement crept back into Rarity's words. "And now that we've got that of the way, you can give me all of the juicy gossip! Er, if there is juicy gossip, that is."

Despite herself, Applejack couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "No, there ain't no gossip. Ah don' think there ever will be. Ah mean... there ain't no way Rainbow likes me."

"And what makes you say that?" Rarity's voice was sharp.

"Well... she's never said anythin' about likin' girls, an' even if she did, Ah ain't, well..." Applejack stared down at her calloused hands and slightly dirty fingers, then at the faint reflection on the phone screen of her freckled cheeks, and sighed. "Ah ain't pretty. Ah don' care much fer about how Ah look most o' th' time, but... sometimes Ah jus' wish Ah could be a little better-lookin'. Ah know Ah ain't got much in th' way o' looks."

"Applejack Apple, don't you dare underestimate yourself," Rarity told her, her voice lower and fiercer than Applejack had ever heard it. "You are beautiful, inside and out. Why, most girls would kill to have that lovely blonde hair of yours. And your eyes are simply out of this world. I don't know what mirror you've been looking in, but you have nothing to fear. Besides, you have so many other wonderful features that are more important - you're honest, kind, loyal, and a good friend. And Rainbow doesn't care about looks. She just wants someone who can keep up with her at everything, and you are certainly the only one able to do that."

Applejack's lips twitched in a smile. "But she doesn't want someone who can keep up with her too much, or she risks losin'."

Static crackled over the phone as Rarity laughed. "That's true. But trust me, Applejack. You have everything she could ever want in a love interest."

Touched, Applejack allowed her grin to widen. "Thanks, Rares." Her smile faded somewhat as she remembered the reason she had called Rarity in the first place. Sighing, she flopped back onto her pillow, absentmindedly running her fingers through her loose blonde waves. "This whole thing is jus' a big mess. Ah got so many questions. How do Ah tell if she likes me in th' first place? How do Ah know if she even likes girls? How do Ah tell her Ah like her? What if she hates me? An' mah family..." her voice broke. "How do Ah tell mah family? What if they kick me out, what if they -"

"Relax, Applejack, relax," Rarity soothed her. "Worry about one thing at a time."

"Well, which one do Ah worry about first? They're all so... so... worryin'!" She finished lamely, for lack of a better word.

"Alright. I'll help you de-stress. Let's go through those questions one by one, alright?"

"But ya got work t' do..." Applejack desperately wanted Rarity to stay and talk to her, but her moral compass was reminding her that Rarity had her own life to attend to as well.

"I think I can safely say this is more important." A rustling noise crackled over the phone as though Rarity were moving around. "Now. You're worried about telling your family, I believe you said? Well... most people are. You're no exception. But I think that your family loves you for who you are, Applejack. I highly doubt they would 'kick you out', as you put it, over something so trivial."

"That's jus' th' thing! It ain't trivial!" In her worked-up state, she found herself violently flailing her arms, and forced herself to calm down. "In all th' generations o' th' Apple family, there ain't been a single soul who was - was - like me," she concluded weakly, still unable to say the word. "Ah'd be th' first. An' mah family don' like firsts. We're a real traditional family, one o' th' oldest in th' area, an' that means we do things th' same way generation after generation. Apple family gals marry big strong guys who can help take care o' th' farm an' give 'em strappin' children who can carry on th' bloodline. That's jus' how it works." Applejack felt a faint churning in her stomach as she realized how awful the future she was expected to have had always sounded to her. Ever since she was a young girl, the idea of following that particular tradition had always filled her with disdain, but she had only recently entertained the idea that it was because her barn door swung right off its tracks in the wrong direction. "Ah'd be th' first," she repeated softly. "An' Ah don' wanna be th' first."

"There's nothing wrong with being first," Rarity reminded her. "I was the first in my family to express an interest in fashion, and now I own my own successful boutique. Being first isn't always bad."

"Alraght, point taken," Applejack sighed. "But what do Ah do about Dash? Ah still got no clue how t' tell her, an' Ah don' want her t' hate me."

"Now you're just being ridiculous. Rainbow's your best friend. Knowing that you like her will probably only make her big head even bigger. It wouldn't disgust her. Besides, Dashie pretends to be cool and aloof, but she has a big heart. Who's to say she doesn't have enough room in it to love you back? You just have to give her a chance."

Applejack scratched her head, feeling slightly calmer thanks to Rarity's reassuring comments, but still fairly stressed. "Yeah... but Ah still don' know how t' go about tellin' her in th' first place."

"Oh, that's easy. Ask her to go with you this year's Halloween Party."

"WHAT?!" Applejack jumped so violently she almost rolled off the bed. "Rarity, are y'all tryin' t' pick th' apples without a bucket?!"

"... I bet your pardon?"

Apparently, the countryism had been lost on her. Applejack clicked her tongue in exasperation. "Ah mean, are y'all crazy? Askin' her out jus' like that is th' most harebrained scheme Ah ever heard!"

"Oh, no, darling, you misunderstand!" Rarity giggled. "I meant you should ask her to go with you as friends. Sort of, you know, ease into things slowly. Ask her to go with you as friends. But try your best to look nice and behave even more wonderfully than usual - open her eyes to your charms. Wear an adorable costume, or even opt to wear your dress and braid your hair and all that. And don't try to tell me you don't have a dress; I know for a fact you have one sitting in the back of your closet. You should wear it more often; the red matches superbly with your hair."

The farmgirl paled. "How do ya know about that dress?"

"Ladies always know these things, Jackie. Get used to it."

Shaking her head resignedly, Applejack decided not to bother Rarity's disturbing statement. "Okay. But what do Ah do next?"

"Well, you could try asking her to dance. Just in a friendly way, of course. Then after this dance, you'd have two months between this one and the Winter Formal." Canterlot High, at the request of the students, had chosen to do a Halloween Dance and a Winter Formal instead of a Fall Formal. "You have all that time to show you how wonderful you are - if she doesn't already know, that is. Perhaps you'll even be able to ask her to the Winter Formal as a little more than a friend. But no matter what, Applejack, I think you should tell Rainbow about your feelings before the year's over."

"Tell her?" Applejack echoed, her voice hollow. "But..."

"Trust me on this. Whether or not Rainbow likes you back, she's not going to refuse to associate with you just because you have feelings for her. I think you're underestimating her, darling. Trust me, and trust her. You need to be honest with her."

A frown flickered on her forehead. She knew that Rarity's advice was sound, but that didn't make it any less terrifying. "Ah see yore point. Well, thanks fer the advice."

"My pleasure, Applejack," Rarity replied warmly. "Call any time you need me. See you at school tomorrow?"

"Shore thing. See ya, Rares." Applejack made as if to hang up, but Rarity's voice crackled through the speaker one more time.

"Oh, and Applejack? That was very brave, what you just did. Talking about your feelings is never easy." A smile lurked in her voice. "Remember that bravery is something she admires. With courage like yours, winning her affections should be triflingly easy."

Applejack blushed, relieved that Rarity couldn't see her face. "Thanks," she murmured.

"You're most welcome. Goodbye, dear." Rarity hung up with a click, leaning Applejack alone with her thoughts.

Heaving a sigh, the blonde slung her arms behind her head again, her chin tipped backwards as she stared up at the ceiling. Her conversation with Rarity had answered many of her questions, but had also caused many new ones to spring to mind.

Still, Applejack knew that she needed to trust her friend's expertise. She had five weeks before the Halloween Dance - more than enough time to acclimatize herself to the idea of asking Rainbow to the dance as friends and then furthering her advances from there. Applejack could do it. She could.

A soft rap sounded on the door, jolting her out of her inner musing. "AJ? Ya doin' okay in there?" a baritone voice queried.

Pursing her lips and huffing another sigh, Applejack rolled her eyes. Big Mac was only three years older then her, but he still felt the need to check up on her in every spare moment. The fact that her door locked hardly counted - he came to check on her regularly nonetheless. Applejack loved her big brother with all her heart, but she sometimes wished he give her a little more privacy, although she knew he was only looking out for her. "Yes, Mac, Ah'm fine," she answered wearily.

The door creaked as though he were leaning his bulky frame on it. "Goin' t' bed already? 'S only 8:30."

Applejack rubbed her eyes, suddenly realizing how tired she was. She'd already brushed her teeth and completed the last of her chores, so she might as well go to bed. "Y'know what, Ah think Ah will turn down fer th' night."

When Big Mac didn't say goodnight and tromp down the hall to his own room, Applejack frowned and cocked her head. "Mac? Still there?"

He hummed his assent. "Jus' thinkin', that's all." Thinking was one of the things he did best, powering through problems with the slow logic characteristic of most Apple family members. "Yore friend Rainbow Dash left real quick tonight. Everythin' okay with her?"

Applejack groaned. "Ah dunno." Ah dunno if everythin's even okay with me. "Ah'm worried about her, is all. She's been a bit more, well, cryptic lately. Not quite herself. An' she don' say nothin' when Ah ask. So Ah jus' dunno."

She could almost picture her brother slowly nodding his head as he digested that information. "Right. Well, jus' let her know she's always welcome here." His bones creaked as he stretched his muscly arms behind his head to loosen his back. "Ah'm goin' t' mah room. G'night. Love ya, little sis." His voice was soft.

A smile broke out on Applejack's lips. "Love ya too, Mac." As the thumping of his heavy boots faded away down the hall, her smile faded away, and she flipped over onto her stomach and wrapped her arms tightly around her pillow, burying her head into its comforting warmth. Would Big Mac still love her if he knew about her feelings for Rainbow?

Rarity's words floated through her mind. Worry about one thing at a time. Resolute, Applejack nodded and loosened her grip on the pillow. She could worry about telling her family after she had figured out how to tell Rainbow.

Her grass-green eyes thoughtful and brimming with hope, Applejack reached out to switch off her desk lamp and slid under her blankets, smoothing out the hem of her pajama shirt. She stared out at the open window, at the curtains rippling faintly in the breeze, at the stripes of moonlight that illuminated her pale skin and gave her flaxen hair an otherworldly silver sheen, and then shut her eyes, casting her mind out to the rainbow-haired girl who occupied her thoughts in her every waking moment.

"Ah love ya," she whispered, a peaceful smile flickering across her lips as she drifted off into sleep. "So much."

Little did Applejack know that halfway across town, that same rainbow-haired girl was murmuring those same words under her breath.

Chapter Eight

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Five weeks later:

The Halloween Dance was tonight.

Applejack had neither found an appropriate costume nor plucked up the courage to ask Rainbow to accompany her to the dance.

Yep, things were going great.

With a heavy sigh, the cowgirl tugged off her leather gloves and set them on the coffee table, having just come in from some after-school chores. Almost as soon as she did so, Granny Smith, who was dozing in a chair by the crackling fireplace, called with her eyes closed, “Gloves off th’ table, Jackie. They ain't clean.”

“Yes ma’am.” She scooped them up again and took them into the garage, laying them down on the rough-hewn table, littered with boxes of tools, that served as her and Mac’s shared workshop. Then, dusting her hands off and flexing her fingers to relieve the stiffness, Applejack trooped back inside the house and into the kitchen. She snagged a warm apple fritter from a plate on the counter and returned to the living room, munching it broodingly.

“When’s th’ dance?” Granny Smith asked her. Her eyes were still closed.

“Starts at 7:45. Ah gotta leave at 7:30,” AJ answered, her words muffled by thick fritter crust and gooey, cinnamon-y apples. “‘Bloom is goin’ with Rarity an’ Sweetie Belle, so it's jus’ me.” An’ Rainbow, if'n Ah can get mah act t’gether an’ call her.

“Mmmm.” The old lady finally opened one piercing amber eye and scanned Applejack up and down. “Where's yer costume, child?”

“Don’ have one,” she grunted, finishing the fritter in a single enormous bite. Apples were known for their prodigious eating skills. “Jus’ gonna have t’ go as mahself.”

“Best costume there is, an’ don' ya ferget it.”

Applejack had to smile. “Thanks, Granny.” She stooped down to give her a gentle hug. “Ah’m gonna go outside. Ah’ll be right back.” She went into the kitchen and exited through the back door. Winona, who had been curled up in a lazy ball on the back porch, shot to her feet and bounded over to her owner, barking happily. “Whoa!” Laughing, Applejack wrestled her to the ground and sat down next to her, running her hand through her silky brown and white fur. “That's mah girl. Stay calm now, ya hear?” At the low, soothing tones of AJ’s voice, Winona quieted down and rested her head in her lap, staring up at her adoringly. Applejack fondled her ears and gazed out at the rolling farmland that comprised the backyard. The apple trees were bare; the Apple family had spent the entire month of October picking them in order to prepare for cider season. Today was a Thursday, the day before Halloween; two days later, on November 1st, cider season would officially begin, as it did on that day every year. The official cider season announcement would be given by Applejack herself, as per usual, and then the family would set to work, led by Applejack, also as per usual (it was tradition for the eldest daughter to lead the proceedings). The next two to four weeks would be a frenzy of activity, even more so than usual, as the Apples worked overtime in order to ensure that they didn't neglect their other farm crops while trying to produce as much quality cider as was physically possible. Big Mac could even be seen strolling leisurely through the orchards right now, checking to make sure that they hadn't somehow left any apples behind on the trees. Unlikely, but certainly possible.

Applejack blinked and rubbed her tired eyes, and the apple orchards suddenly stopped looking slightly fuzzy. All of this farm work was wearing her down, but she loved it with every fiber of her being, so she would never complain. She glanced down at Winona, who had miraculously managed to fall asleep within the past few seconds. “Musta learned it from Rainbow,” Applejack smirked. “Ya dozy dog. Oh, well. Guess Ah better do what Ah came out here for.” She fished her phone out of the pocket of her baggy overalls, pausing to deftly retie her loose blonde ponytail, and swiped to the home screen. Rainbow’s phone number, under the contact title ‘Rainbow Flash’, was still number one in Applejack’s speed dial.

She gulped, her callused fingers wavering over the call button. “Well, here goes nothin’.” She pressed call and cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder, idly rolling her checkered shirt sleeves past her biceps and crossing one booted leg over the other while she waited for Rainbow to pick up.

“Hey, Shorty,” a raspy voice suddenly greeted her into her ear. “‘Sup?”

Applejack felt some of her exhaustion melting away - that familiar scratchy voice always energized her and made her heart soar. She even managed to ignore the annoying nickname. “Hey. Nothin’ much, what about yoreself?”

“Meh. You know, just chilling. Doing anything but getting my homework done.” Applejack chuckled. Typical Rainbow. “So. What's going on? You're going to the dance tonight, right? Please tell me you are. I don't wanna be the only weirdo without a costume.”

“Well, thanks.” AJ rolled her eyes. “Actually, that's what Ah was callin t’ talk t’ y’all about.”

“Oh?” Applejack heard a thudding sound and a hissed whisper of ‘Crap’ as Rainbow dropped her phone. “‘Kay, sorry. I'm back now.”

“Real smooth,” Applejack snorted. “Anyway, Ah was jus’ wondering if y’all wanted t’… um… y’know… do ya want me t’ drive ya t’ th’ dance t’night?”

Silence. Then, in a sly tone of voice: “If you want to ask me out, you should just ask.”

Now it was Applejack’s turn to drop the phone. Still recovering from the shock, she picked it up again and held it to her ear, feeling her face turning beet red. “Ah - no! Ah was jus’ tryin t’ be a good friend an’ save ya th’ trouble of drivin’ yoreself!” A smidgen of guilt squirmed within her. It wasn't quite a lie - she hadn't intended on asking her out at all - but she did want to.

AJ could practically hear Rainbow roll her eyes over the phone as she made a clicking sound with her tongue. “Geez, lighten up, man. I was kidding. What am I gonna do with you?” When no response was forthcoming, Rainbow sighed and softened her tone. “I’d love a ride, AJ. Thanks for the offer. Be here at 7:45, okay?”

“No,” the farmgirl snapped, “th’ dance starts at 7:45. Bein’ fashionably late may work fer you, but it sure as heck don’ fer me, an’ Ah’m drivin’ so Ah get t’ call th’ shots.”

Dash gave an easy chuckle. “Guess I can't argue with that. Fine, I'll be ready at 7:30. Happy?”

“Sure.” Applejack flicked her emerald gaze upwards to scan the sky. The sun was dropping slowly but surely, and Applejack was suddenly reminded of all the homework she had to finish before the dance. “Well, Ah better git goin’. See ya at 7:30, Flash. Don’ be late.”

“I'll be on time if you are,” she fired back without missing a beat. “See ya later, Crapplejack.” Intentionally not allowing AJ any time to think of a clever retort, the rainbow-haired girl hung up with a click.

Applejack shook her head fondly and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Winona stirred at the motion and cracked one eye open, then the other, coming awake with a joyful bark. She bounded up to lick Applejack’s face and then trotted away into the apple orchard, her tail wagging frantically. Applejack wiped the drool off with her already-dirty shirt sleeve and then stood up to go back inside.

“Howdy.” Big Mac came up behind her and tousled her hair, his tall shadow falling over and enveloping her smaller one. Apparently, he'd finished his own chores and was now heading in as well.

Applejack grinned up at her big brother, shading her eyes from the sun with a freckled hand. “Hey, Mac.” His eyes shot a question at her, which she understood easily - Applejack was one of the few people who could accurately read his silences. “Jus’ talkin’ t’ Rainbow. Ah offered t’ drive her t’ th’ dance.” The guilt returned as she remembered her actual, and completely selfish, motive for being so charitable.

Mac gave a simple nod, his ginger hair flickering in the sunlight like tongues of flame. “Got a costume?”

The freckles twisted on her cheeks as her lips formed a pout. “Nope.”

Big Mac thought for a while. Finally, the corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile. “Ah may have jus’ th’ thing.”

***

It was 7:25. The sky was dark, save for the gentle neon glow of the polished street lamps that lined the nice, quiet, suburban neighborhood road.

Rainbow Dash hated it.

This neighborhood was where she had spent sixteen miserable years of her life, until her aunt and uncle had finally deemed her old enough to live on her own and had kicked her out. In fact, Rainbow was standing right in front of their house, a simple two-story affair, praying that they wouldn't look out the window and see her. She was now cursing herself for accepting Applejack’s offer of a ride, charming as it may have been. She would have been very happy to never see this house again, but she'd realized that Applejack didn't know where she really lived and still thought she lived with her aunt and uncle, and so she'd had to walk all the way over here to be picked up.

But, of course, walking a few miles hadn't been a problem at all. Rainbow could totally handle it. It was the boredom that was driving her nuts - she'd already been waiting for an entire minute, which was longer than she was used to waiting for anything because she always showed up late.

Huffing an impatient sigh, Dash made as if to shove her hands in her pockets, realized that she had no pockets, and flung them irritably by her sides instead. She cast an anxious glance at the lit windows of the house behind her and then reprimanded herself for being so twitchy. She forced her eyes to rove over the night sky instead, taking in the faint spattering of stars hidden behind low-hanging clouds of pollution, and listening to the sound of silence…

… which was suddenly shattered by the wheezing chug-chug-cough of Applejack’s pickup truck rolling bumpily down the street, accompanied by the flickering glare of headlights yellowed with age. That truck was so damn loud. But right now, it was the happiest sound Rainbow had heard. It meant she could get away from his stupid house and go spend a fun-filled evening with her friends. And, of course, it meant that Applejack was coming. That sound meant blonde hair and soft green eyes and a lilting accent that made Rainbow’s breath seize in her throat with its beauty.

Rainbow Dash heard a loud blast as Applejack mischievously honked her car horn, waving to Rainbow from the window. There was something different about her face, but Rainbow didn't have time to notice; she was too busy sighing with relief as she cast one final stare back at the house she hated and stepped onto the road.

Applejack leaned over to open the passenger car door and then hollered to Rainbow. “Well, whatcha waitin’ for? Git on in!” Without warning, she gunned the engine and sped down the road at a speed that belied the pickup’s age, whooping with glee as wind streamed in through the open window and ruffled her hair.

Rainbow grinned; this was an old (and slightly dangerous) game of theirs. Applejack would drive away with the door open and Rainbow had to chase after her and hop into the car without using her hands to touch any part of the vehicle. Not wasting a single second, the athlete cracked her knuckles and then took off after the car, no more than a fuzzy, multicolored blur in the curtain of night. Her feet barely touched the ground as she easily caught up to the car and jumped neatly into the passenger seat. Her finger just barely nicked the doorframe. “Aw, dangit! I lost. I touched the car.”

“Naw, that was pretty good. Let's call it a win,” Applejack said in her warm voice. “That was a nice jump there.”

Not out of breath in the slightest, Dash closed the door and turned her head to thank Applejack for the compliment. Her jaw dropped. “Oh. My. God.”

She looked different. Very different. Good different, but weird different.

Applejack was wearing a white blazer above a grey and crimson plaid skirt that was slightly too tight and showed off way more leg than she was usually comfortable showing. She'd traded out her thick, knee-length boots for black ankle-length ones, but she had tall white socks pulled up to her knees. A grey and crimson tie that matched the skirt was tied carelessly around her neck, her blonde hair was braided loosely over her shoulder, and a pair of Potter-esque round glasses without lenses was perched above the faint constellation of freckles that crossed her nose - that explained why her face had looked different.

Damn. She looked fine.

Rainbow Dash finally managed to rearrange her hanging jaw into a semblance of normality, but she still couldn't take her eyes off her best friend. She'd never seen her like this before. It was very different from her usual look, and Dash missed the country charm made apparent by her Stetson, boots, and bandanas, but this was still a pleasant surprise. “What…” she croaked, clearing her throat and trying again. “What are you wearing?”

Applejack mistook her pleased awe for shock, and a faint blush rose to her starry cheeks. Now distinctly uncomfortable, she turned her head and mumbled, “Ah know Ah said Ah didn't have a costume, but then Big Mac dared me t’ dress like a nerd fer Halloween. Said he’d clean th’ horse stalls fer a month if Ah did. So Ah borrowed the boots, skirt, an’ tie from Apple Bloom, who got ‘em from Sweetie Belle.” So that was why the skirt was a bit too tight… not that Rainbow was complaining. “Blazer’s mine. Ah wear it t’ farmin’ conf’rences an’ stuff. An’ th’ glasses are a spare pair o’ Granny’s that got their lenses knocked out.” The blush deepened. “But it's still mighty embarassin’, so please don’ laugh or nothin’. Ah think Ah might die.”

“Laugh?” Of course, the moment Applejack suggested it, Rainbow felt an overwhelming urge to do so, and had to force her giggle back down. “It's actually not a bad costume.” Who am I kidding? She looks amazing. Who knew she'd make such a cute nerd? Holy hell, I gotta get a picture of her somehow before the night’s over. “No, it's actually pretty good. A nerd, huh? Man, Twilight’s gonna have a field day with this one. You know, ‘that's so offensively stereotypical!’ She made air quotes as she spoke the last three words, raising her raspy voice to a higher-pitched imitation of Twilight’s.

Applejack chuckled low in her throat. It was reassuring to hear - she might look wildly different, but she was still the same old AJ. “Yeah, Ah reckon.”

Rainbow laughed with her. “Yeah. Seriously, though. Pretty cool costume, AJ. Points for effort… even if you look like, well, a total nerd.” It was the only thing she could say to conceal how hard her heart pounded in her chest every time she cast a sideways glance at the adorable outfit, and the adorable person wearing it.

She fake-laughed at her own joke while Applejack rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks, Ah think.” She tilted her head to stare at Rainbow’s own outfit. “Ahhh. Ah see ya found a costume too, huh?” Farmland and trees rushed past them as they coasted into the more populated part of the city.

Rainbow Dash shrugged nonchalantly. She'd wanted to surprise (and possibly, okay, definitely seduce) Applejack with a cute costume of her own, although Applejack was definitely taking the prize for cutest costume tonight. “Meh. Just a little something I put together.” She was dressed as an athlete - she was wearing some of her normal athletic gear, including the scuffed sneakers she usually wore to track and soccer, and she'd even cut out and spray painted aluminum foil gold medals which were now hanging around her neck. “I'm dressed as this super-awesome track star who's won, like, every gold medal at her school.”

“So, basically yore dressed as yourself, ‘cept yore costume’s missin’ some extra ego an’ pride.”

“Ouch.” Dash mock-winced. “Burn.”

The farmgirl-turned-nerd cracked a smile. “Kiddin’, honey, it’s a good costume. Ya look real nice.”

And suddenly, the fact that Applejack had complimented Rainbow and called her ‘honey’ in the same sentence made the two hours Rainbow had spent cutting her gold medals to look perfect - nothing but the best for AJ - totally worth it.

***

About ten minutes later, Applejack pulled into a spot in the crowded school parking lot and stepped on the brake. She and Dash hurried into the school, drawing their arms around them for warmth; the late-October air was chilly. Although they were right on time for the start of the dance, the gym was already full of students ‘milling and chilling’, as Dash might have said. Applejack and Rainbow strode into the gym and stopped in their tracks, staring around in amazement. “Whoa,” Applejack breathed, awestruck. “When Vice Principal Luna asked Twilight an’ th’ girls t’ decorate, Ah never expected this.”

The gym had been draped in black and orange sheets that reflected the overhead lighting, ensuring that the room was bright enough to see by. Streamers of painstakingly-made papier mâché bats and spiders hug from the ceiling, and black and orange confetti was everywhere. A neat space had been cleared out for dancing in the middle of the floor, over which hung a glittering disco ball, and the far wall was lined with a dessert and drinks table. Pinkie had even hired Vinyl Scratch to DJ. All in all, the room was decorated with a bit of Twilight’s careful planning, Rarity’s finesse, Pinkie’s randomness, and Fluttershy’s soft touches such as the disco ball.

“You like?” Rarity sang, popping out of nowhere and admiring the gym with shining eyes, as she always did when she had helped to create something. “The papier mâché bats and spiders were my idea. Tasteful, but not too intrusive, if you know what I mean.” They didn't, but she didn't mind. She entangled Dash in a hug and then Applejack, pausing to whisper in her ear, “Lovely costume, my dear. I see you took my advice.” Then she stepped back and bestowed them both with a wide smile, allowing them to see her costume. She had come as a princess, complete with silk ball gown, ornate crown, and scepter. All the boys were visibly ogling her.

The rest of the girls came over to say hello, looking tired but happy. They had stayed behind at school for an extra few hours to help set up the party. Twilight - who was wearing a white lab coat with test tubes in the pockets - complimented both of their costumes but frowned when she saw AJ’s. “That is so offensively stereotypical.”

“What’d I tell you?” Dash muttered into Applejack’s ear, much to her amusement.

Fluttershy hugged both of her friends as well, drawing back to stare at Applejack from a distance. “My, that's a wonderful outfit. You look so different.” She tugged self-consciously at the sleeve of her unquestionably adorable bumblebee costume.

“I'll say!” Pinkie Pie chimed in, suddenly appearing in front of them with a halloween-themed cupcake in each hand. She’d refused to let Twilight, the person who had planned the party as part of her student body secretary job, cater food for the event and had actually made everything herself. Pinkie was wearing a tweed suit that clashed horribly with her hair - Rarity had already pointed this out several times in the past few minutes and had an arsenal of further similar comments to make about throughout the rest of the evening - as well as a fez and a bow tie. Nobody knew what this outfit was, but nobody questioned it, attributing it to Pinkie’s usual randomness.

“It's really cute though,” Pinkie continued, pulling on the sleeve of Applejack’s blazer as though confirming that it was real. “You look all Twilight-y and stuff. I love it!” Twilight frowned, wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but Pinkie didn't allow her to deliberate for too long and changed the subject with her usual rapidity. “I made some cupcakes I want you guys to try, come on! Let's get partying!”

She grabbed them all at once and dragged them into the crowd of students towards the food table, ignoring Fluttershy’s muffled ‘eep’ of protest and Rarity’s wails about her hair being mussed. Many of the students they passed turned to stare at Applejack in open-mouthed awe as she went by them, making her feel uncomfortable once more. Applejack was known for her good looks, although she'd never figured out that this was the reason boys and girls alike stared at her as she walked by them in the halls. Seeing her in a new and tight costume only increased their interest - but Applejack was squirming. Like her big brother, and unlike her little sister, she hated being the center of attention. She was content to sit back, let others shine in the limelight - the ones like Rainbow Dash, who craved it - and only step up to lead if she had to.

Pinkie dragged them over to the dessert table and left them there, pointing out the specific foods she wanted them to try and even pausing to shove a vanilla cupcake in Applejack’s mouth before zooming away, shouting something about giving an announcement. The rest of her friends snickered while Applejack gagged on the cupcake but somehow managed to swallow it. “Hey, this is actually really good. Y’all should try one.”

If Applejack, a baking connoisseur, liked it, then that was good enough for the rest of her friends. They each took a cupcake and tried it for themselves, chiming in with praises for Pinkie’s talent.

A hum of static creaked somewhere in the room as a microphone was suddenly switched on, and the crowds quieted a little. “Ahem, ladies and gentlemen! How are you enjoying the party?” It was unmistakably Pinkie. She was standing on a makeshift stage at the opposite end of the gym from the food table.

A few people mumbled responses.

Pinkie frowned. “I SAID, HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING THE PARTY?!” Her voice rapidly rose in pitch with each word, causing people to cringe and step back from the microphone.

This time around, people responded with a loud cheer, realizing that she wouldn't be appeased by anything less. Pinkie was suddenly all smiles again. “That's better! Okay people, let me tell you the plan! Eat and dance!” She paused. “That's the whole plan! Enjoy!” She put the microphone back in its stand and darted off the stage as everyone around her gave a collective laugh and returned to their small talk.

Twilight shook her head. “Well, that definitely warranted an announcement,” she said dryly.

Rarity smiled. “It's Pinkie Pie, dear, what did you expect?”

Pinkie Pie returned to the group and the six of them spent a few minutes chatting amongst themselves and eating as well as admiring everyone else’s costumes. Pinkie told them that there was going to be a contest at the end of the dance for funniest costume - judged by her, of course. Much to her embarrassment, Applejack learned from Pinkie that she was already in the running.

When Pinkie judged that the mood was right, she winked at Vinyl Scratch, who nodded her head and started the music. The buzz of chatter was replaced by excited murmurs as people led their dates onto the dance floor - this was the part of the evening that everyone had been waiting for.

Applejack eyed Rainbow uncomfortably, wondering if she should ask her to dance. Fortunately, Pinkie solved that problem for her. “Come on, guys! Let's dance!” She dragged them all out to the dance floor, once more paying no more attention to their protests. But the music soon proved too catchy to ignore, and the six girls soon found themselves getting into the swing of things and dancing along with the crowd. Applejack was clearly having a hard time figuring out how to move in a skirt, to everyone else’s amusement, and kept stumbling over her own shoes.

Within a few minutes, the six of them had managed to clear out a sizable space for themselves on the dance floor - well, that was really thanks to Pinkie and Twilight. Pinkie kept accidentally booting people away from her with her exuberant dance moves, and Twilight’s dancing looked like she was having some kind of seizure, so it was no wonder that no one wanted to dance near them.

Applejack was snickering with Rainbow Dash over Twilight’s poor dancing abilities when she suddenly caught sight of Apple Bloom at the far end of the gym, dancing with… a boy. Her big sister instincts set off a glaring alarm at once. “What in tarnation? What's he doin’ t’ her?” Applejack balled her fists, preparing to march over there and give him a piece of her mind. “Why, Ah outta - ”

“Whoa there, cowgirl!” Rainbow managed to restrain her with difficulty by wrapping her arms over her shoulders, practically able to feel the anger vibrating through her small frame. “Leave her alone. She's a cool kid. She's sensible. Takes after her big sister like that.” She flashed Applejack a cocky smile. “Besides, I know that boy. He's one of Scoots’ friends. He's a good dude. Well, as far as boys go. But seriously, don't go over there. Apple Bloom’s gotta start making her own choices sometime, right?”

Applejack sagged in her arms. “Ah know. Ah jus’… don’ like seein’ her growin’ up so soon. She ain't even in high school yet.” She heaved a heavy sigh and turned away from her little sister. “But Ah don’ want her t’ hate me fer interferin’, so Ah’m gonna trust ya an’ follow yore advice. Jus’ this once,” she addd sharply, catching sight of Rainbow’s proud grin. “Don’ go gettin’ a big head.”

“Wouldn't dream of it,” the rainbow-haired wonder replied smoothly.

“Hmph.” Applejack didn't believe that for a second.

The song ended and switched to a slower-paced one. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly - people drew closer to their dates; the chatter softened. Applejack looked Rainbow in the eye. Maybe now was a good time to ask her to dance.

And then, once again, the problem was solved for her. Soarin, dressed as an old-fashioned sailor, suddenly appeared out of the crowd, his eyes riveted on Applejack as he politely asked people to move aside so that he could reach her. His handsome face wore a bright, hopeful smile, and Applejack knew with certainty that he was coming to ask her to dance. She also knew that she had no real reason to refuse him, since no one else had asked her to dance - and she was too kind-hearted to refuse him, anyway.

But all of a sudden a pair of strong hands grabbed her own, and Soarin slunk away, disappointed. Applejack felt a thrill of excitement as her fingers were grasped and covered. She knew these hands. She had been holding these hands, been punched and nudged by these same hands, for more than ten years.

Slowly, Applejack lifted her head to stare into Rainbow Dash’s eyes, which carried just as much surprise as her own. If Applejack had been able to read Rainbow’s mind, she would have realized that the bold move had been entirely unintentional - her body acting on a mad impulse against the wishes of her mind, grabbing AJ’s hands so that Soarin would think she was taken and go away.

Applejack couldn't read her mind, so she didn't know this. But she could read her eyes, and they were scared. For some reason, Rainbow was scared that she was going to pull away. So, acting on a mad impulse of her own, she drew closer until their bodies were almost touching and squeezed Rainbow’s hands tighter. “Why?” she murmured softly.

“I - I don't know,” Rainbow stammered, entirely lacking her usual calm, unruffled demeanor. “It was an accident… I didn't want you to leave with Soarin and I just…” Her voice faltered.

Applejack brushed her thumbs along the backs of Rainbow’s hands, wondering somewhere in the back of her mind if she was going too far. “Well, thanks fer savin’ me… mah knight in shinin’ armor,” she added teasingly.

Rainbow blushed deeply and refused to say another word. Suddenly embarrassed - and for good reason, as the two of them were starting to attract unwanted attention - she loosened her hands from Applejack’s grasp. Disappointed and equally embarrassed, fearing that she had indeed gone too far, the farmgirl dropped her hands to her sides and cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Miss Applejack?”

Applejack turned her head to the side and her eyes widened. Principal Celestia was standing in the middle of the dance floor, her pastel hair swirling regally around her shoulders. “Might I have a word?” she asked kindly. “That is, if you aren't busy.” Her gaze swept over the rest of Applejack’s friends. “Lovely job setting up the party, by the way,” she added to Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity, who all beamed with pride.

“Oh, er, no ma’am,” Applejack stuttered hastily. “Ah got time.” She eyed her friends apologetically. “Be right back.” Rainbow glanced up at her. She wasn't smiling, but there was an encouraging glint in her eye, even though her cheeks were still red from her earlier blush. Not knowing what any of this meant, Applejack offered her an uncertain smile and nervously fell into step behind Princess Celestia.

“Quite an interesting costume you have there,” Celestia commented mischievously. “My sister Luna would love it. Anyway, I'm sorry I had to pull you away from your friends. You're not in any trouble, don't worry. I just wanted to talk to you about something and was too busy to bring it up during the day.” She led Applejack outside the gym and closed the door, instantly muffling the sound of the music. “That's better. Now.” As was her wont, she launched right into business. “Five weeks ago, Spitfire spoke to you about forming a field team, am I right?”

“Uh, yes?” Applejack was so taken aback by the topic that she forgot to say ‘ma’am’.

“I believe she also told you that you should talk to me about forming one. May I inquire as to why you never did?” Her eyes were not stern, but rather gentle and curious.

“Oh.” Applejack blushed faintly. “Ah jus’… kinda forgot about it, Ah guess.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. She knew there was more to the issue. Applejack fidgeted and looked away. “An’… Ah was scared. T’ be in charge o’ somethin’ big like that… Ah don’ wanna mess up.” An’ Rainbow’s a team captain too. Ah don’ want her t’ see me mess up… t’ laugh at me…

“Oh, Applejack.” The principal’s voice softened. “You're a good student, a good athlete, and a good person. There's no one I would trust more with this job than you. I can't decide for you, of course, but I think you should take Spitfire’s advice and form the team. The school can provide you with all the necessary equipment. Pardon my language, but… Crystal Prep has some asses that need kicking at next spring’s sports competitions.”

Applejack blinked in surprise at Celestia’s language, but her lips slowly curled into a smile. “Well… An guess it would be nice t’ have a team t’ challenge theirs. We've never been able t’ have field competitions with ‘em before…” She faltered. “Uh… how’d ya know about all this, anyway?”

“Spitfire came to talk to me herself on Monday. She seems to think this is a wonderful idea, and I have to agree with her. I've been meaning to speak to you about it all week, but this is the first time I've been able to get a break.”

“Oh.” AJ frowned. The notions of Spitfire trying to help her and simultaneously having a huge crush on Rainbow were not quite compatible in her mind. “Well, Ah suppose if ya think it's such a good idea, Ah’ll… Ah’ll do it.”

“Wonderful!” Celestia beamed. “I'm proud of you, Applejack, and I know my sister and I will be very excited to let Cadance know that her field team will have some real competition this year. She's been resting on those laurels for far too long. Anyway, tryouts will be held tomorrow at 2:30 in the afternoon. I know that's short notice, but you should start training your team as soon as possible to make up for the two months you missed. I plan on making a lunchtime announcement tomorrow to notify the school, and I've already printed out flyers which will be all over the school by tomorrow morning.”

“Ya made flyers beforehand? But how'd ya know Ah was gonna accept th’ job?”

Celestia winked at her. “I trusted you to do the right thing.”

“Oh.” Applejack smiled softly. “Well… thank ya kindly, then.”

“Certainly. And, as your principal, I should tell you that I think this will be a great opportunity for you, Applejack. To lead your team to victory.., alongside Rainbow Dash.” She flashed a knowing smile.

Applejack jumped, accidentally letting a countryism slip out in her shock, praying that Celestia hadn't somehow figured out about her enormous crush on her friend. “What in tarnation? What does this gotta do with Dash?”

“Well, the track and field captains must work very closely together, do they not? They must have even more intimacy with each other than they do with the other team captains -” Applejack blushed at the probably unintentional wordplay “-because they share the same practice space and the same practice time. They also have to be willing to discuss strategies and timings with each other when necessary. After all, track and field are often referred to together for a reason. They are very deeply related.”

“That's all well an’ good, but…” AJ scratched her head. “Rainbow still ain't th’ track team captain.”

Celestia’s smile faded somewhat. “And this is where I leave you with someone more qualified to discuss this than me. Have a nice night, Applejack. I'll expect you to be out on the track for field auditions tomorrow at 2:30. Audition however you think is best, and train your team however you wish. I trust you completely. Good luck. I have faith in you.” With that nugget of mysterious and slightly terrifying encouragement, Principal Celestia patted Applejack’s shoulder and strode off in the direction of her office.

Completely nonplussed, Applejack stared straight ahead for a few seconds and then spun around to stare at Celestia’s receding back. ‘Someone more qualified to discuss this than me’? Who was she talking about?

Her question was answered as a tall, lithe figure stepped slowly out of the rippling shadows in front of her. Spitfire, dressed in a majestic phoenix costume complete with yellow and orange wings arching around her back.

The two of them sized each other up in silence, Applejack desperately wishing she were taller. It was impossible for them to truly like each other, thanks to their shared affections for Dash. But they respected each other and had always managed to maintain somewhat friendly relations. “Hey, Applejack,” Spitfire finally greeted her, her voice hoarse and soft like she was preparing to say something she didn't want to say.

“Howdy,” AJ replied cordially, still confused as to what was going on.

“I bet you're wondering what's going on, huh.” It wasn't a question. “I'm giving up the track team.”

A beat. Then: “What?”

“Don't pretend you didn't hear it. I'm giving it up. Backing down. Resigning as captain. Whatever you want to call it. I already talked to the Principal about it. She agreed. It's official. The team is no longer mine.”

“But… why?” Applejack couldn't believe her ears. Spitfire being captain of the track team was a fact of life. She had started the team herself and captained it to glory for four years - even at the young age of only fourteen, the principal had recognized her talent and allowed her to lead. And now she was resigning?

“Because… Applejack, do you know why I asked to form the track team in the first place?” Her voice was even softer than before.

“Uh… no,” she confessed suspiciously, not sure where this was going.

Spitfire took a deep breath, looking hesitant and unsure. “Because… because I wanted to entice Rainbow Dash into joining. All of this was about Rainbow Dash. Forming the team, working my ass off to get really good so I could be captain - it was all for Rainbow.” Now that she'd started, her words began to flow quicker and quicker. “I loved her from the start. I thought if I started the track team, she'd be the first person to want to join - she loves running and she loves glory. Sure enough, when I went out to the track to hold auditions, Dash had already been there for ten minutes, waiting for me to arrive. I let her on the team after watching her do one lap around the track. Just one. She was good enough. And I thought if I kept her on the team every year, treated her well and made her feel special, let her win trophies at all the competitions… maybe she'd start to love me back. And then you came into the picture. I hated you at first, you know. You were Dash’s best friend. If she loved anyone, it would be you. I didn't have that spark of closeness with her like you did. We were teammates who worked hard together, nothing more. And I hated you for that spark, I really did.” She sighed. “But then I thought about it, and… I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to keep pretending like Rainbow is ever going to like me when I know it won't happen. So I'm resigning. I started the team for completely selfish reasons anyway. It's someone else’s turn to captain. Someone else’s turn to lead the team to victory… someone who has the team’s best interests in mind, not their own.” She hung her head.

“An’ who are ya thinkin’ o’ promotin’?”

Spitfire sighed. “I think you already know.”

Applejack nodded. She did, and she wanted this badly. But she still needed to do the right thing. “Ah can't let ya do this,” she said firmly. “Ah can't let ya give up th’ team fer me. Ah don’ care why ya started it, y’all’ve been a great captain, an’ yore teammates love ya.”

“Applejack,” Spitfire said flatly, “I'm not joking around. I mean it. I'm leaving the team. Everyone's gotta go sometime, anyway, and Dash is the only one good enough to take my place. So she's the most strategic choice - even Principal Celestia realized that, or she never would have agreed to my plan. Besides - ” she flashed a crooked smile “ - I'm not giving up on sports or anything, don't worry. I already kind of have a monopoly on the other sports teams, so it's not like this is a huge loss.” This was true - Spitfire was co-captain of the basketball and football teams as well as captain of the swimming team.

Applejack took a deep breath. “Have ya already talked t’ Rainbow about this? What if she doesn't want t’ be captain o’ th’ track team?”

“If she gets to work with you as the captain of the field team? Trust me. She'll want to. I'm gonna talk to her about it tomorrow at lunch, but I don't doubt that she’ll say yes, even though it's kind of a sudden change. She won't hesitate to take the job.” Her words were bitter but resigned.

Applejack hesitated, feeling torn. “Ah - Ah still don’ feel comfortable with this… ya don’ have t’ leave th’ team. Ah mean, Ah could work with ya, we could figure things out, it jus’ don’ seem… fair.” She echoed Spifire’s sigh. “It don' seem fair that ya should have t’ leave… an’ why would ya do this fer me, anyway? Why me? Why would ya think Ah have any more chance with Rainbow than you do?”

Spitfire stepped forward and placed a cool hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder, her eyes glinting in the faint light. “Because I know Rainbow. I know what she likes. And trust me, she doesn't want someone exactly like her. So… I have about a snowball’s chance in hell with her.” She managed a short laugh. “Trust me, Applejack. I want to do this. I want to. My teammates are good people. They'll understand, and they'll trust my choice. Now you need trust it, too.” She indicated her drooping phoenix wings with a sad sigh. “I already had my chance, Applejack, and I didn't make it. It's time for me to fall into the flames and come out again… stronger… without Rainbow Dash. I'm giving you your chance now. Don't mess it up, rookie.” Some of her usual joking tone slipped back into her words.

Applejack hesitated. She was perceptive enough to realize that Spitfire was telling the truth - she really did want to give Rainbow her captaincy. But she was still reluctant to let her do so. It seemed like a huge and unnecessary sacrifice. “Ah - Ah dunno…”

“God, you are so stubborn.” Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Say yes already. I'm giving you the chance you've always wanted, and it doesn't come with a catch. You should be happy! Just let me do this, before I come to my senses, realize how stupid I'm being, and decide to stay captain. Okay?” Her eyes were almost pleading.

Applejack came to a quick decision, realizing she couldn't force Spitfire to stay captain anyway. “Okay,” she whispered. “Yes. Ah won't bother ya no more. Y’all can resign if ya want. An’… thank you.” In a sudden surge of happiness at the prospect of working so closely with Rainbow, she reached out and shook Spitfire’s hand with the firmness that had been cultivated by her many years of farm work. “Thank you so much.”

Spitfire wavered, unused to physical contact, before settling her hand uncertainly in Applejack’s and returning the shake. “Yeah, yeah. Don't get all sappy on me, shortstuff.” Applejack had to smile at the nickname. Perhaps the two of them were becoming… friends. “Just… don't mess things up. And try not to distract Rainbow too much, ‘kay? She's still gonna have a team to run.”

“Y’kiddin’?” Applejack smirked. “With that hair o’ hers, how could Ah be th’ distractin’ one?”

“Fair point.” Ruffling the wings on her costume, Spitfire walked over to the gym door and held it open for Applejack, her sharp eyes scanning the dancing crowds inside. Her usual gruff demeanor had returned, squelching the emotion that had shown through during their conversation. “Don't mention anything about this to Rainbow or any of your other friends. I'll tell her tomorrow. This conversation is officially over.”

“Shore thing.” Applejack paused and tilted her head back to stare into Spitfire’s eyes. “Jus’ one more thing. Ah jus’ want ya t’ know… Rainbow’s gonna make ya proud. Ah’ll make sure o’ it. An’ Ah’ll make ya proud too. Ah’m gonna do that fer you.”

“No,” she said firmly. “Don't do it for me. I sure as hell didn't give this up for you. I did it for Rainbow. She needs you, Applejack. So don't you dare do anything for me.” She calmly held Applejack’s gaze. “Do it for her.” Then, without another word, she slipped away into the crowd, leaving Applejack standing by the door and watching her in bewilderment.

Shaking her head perplexedly, Applejack adjusted her fake glasses and went to find her friends - which was an easy task, as the mane of pink, fez-covered curls bouncing high over the crowd every few seconds quickly gave their position away. Applejack didn't know what to think about her conversation with Spitfire. She was still bothered, but she felt waves of happiness rolling beneath her doubt. She decided to think about it later - she wanted to enjoy what remained of the party.

Applejack gave her friends a welcoming smile. “What did Principal Celestia tell you?” Twilight cried almost immediately, hyperventilating. “Are you okay? Are you in trouble? Oh no, are we in trouble? Are - ”

“Relax, honey,” AJ chuckled. “Ain't nothin’ like that. She was jus’ talkin’ t’ me about some sports stuff. Y’all’ll find out soon enough.”

“Whew,” Twilight sighed. “That’s a relief. I thought you were going to be expelled or something.”

“Egghead,” Dash snorted, slipping a friendly arm around Applejack’s waist. She seemed to have recovered from her fit of odd behavior earlier. “Hey, was that Spitfire I saw you talking to a second ago?”

“Uhhhhhhh…”

Fortunately, Applejack was saved from having to answer by the opportune arrival of Pinkie Pie on the makeshift stage. “Ladies and gentlemen!” she announced ebulliently. “It's tiiiiiiiime for our costume contest!” The overhead lighting snapped off, and a spotlight beam made a few rotations of the gym before settling on Pinkie. “All of you guys have amazing costumes! But, of course, only one can win! I've spent the whole evening thinking really, reeeeaaaaaally hard: which of you has the funniest costume? There’ve been some amazing contenders, but in the end I had to go with… our very own Applejack! Give her a round of applause as she comes up to collect her prize!”

A second spotlight flickered into existence, right over Applejack. Rooted to the spot in her horror, AJ groaned and buried her head in her hands while Rainbow Dash roared with laughter. Seeing that she wasn't moving towards the stage, Pinkie leaped down, grabbed her arm, and dragged her onto the platform, beaming broadly. The partygoers stared in admiration at her nerd costume, some giggling, some wolf-whistling. Applejack’s face burned with embarrassment. “Pinkie!” she hissed. “What in th’ hay was that for?”

“Well, duh, it's because I thought you had the funniest costume! Here's your prize! Yay!” Pinkie shoved a bag of Skittles into her hands. “I already ate half the bag, hope you don't mind! Also, don't worry, I didn't individually touch all the Skittles in there, only about half. Now let me get a picture of your costume!”

“What? No!” Horrified, Applejack attempted to leap off the stage, but Pinkie’s arm snaked out and caught her at lightning speed. Pulling her camera from her hair, the party animal shrieked, “Say cheese!”

Her camera flash was echoed by another coming from the space next to Rainbow. Big Mac stood there grinning, an old-fashioned camera wrapped in his meaty hands. Rainbow howled with laughter. This was just too perfect.

Applejack growled and clenched her fists. “Mac? What're ya doin’ here?”

“Y’all didn't think Ah was gonna miss mah lil’ sis dressin’ up fer Halloween, didja?” he smirked. “‘Specially not with a costume like that.” He stared down at the camera and nodded approvingly. “This one’s goin’ in th’ family album.”

Apple Bloom, who had pushed through the crowds to witness the spectacle, cackled. “Serves ya right fer borrowin’ mah clothes without askin’!”

Narrowing her eyes at her siblings, Applejack heaved the bag of Skittles go Big Mac, who caught them easily. “Ah shoulda known ya were up t’ some kinda prank,” she muttered angrily. “Ah can't believe ya got th’ nerve t’ show up here after askin’ me t’ wear that stupid costume!”

“Hey, chillax, cowgirl,” Rainbow chuckled, still wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “‘S’all in good fun. Besides, you got a back of Skittles… even if they are half-eaten.” She eyed Pinkie dubiously.

Pinkie beamed back brightly. “I may have also mixed some M&M’s in there.”

“Alraght, now that's jus’ a crime.” Applejack sighed and then smiled at her friend. “Ah guess Ah can forgive ya this once. But you - ” she added sharply, spinning around to face her taciturn big brother, “- you an’ Ah are gonna be havin’ a talk t’night.”

“Oooooh.” Rainbow whistled. “Busted.”

Big Mac knew when he was beaten. He turned around and made a hasty retreat towards the gym door, still clutching the enormous bag of Skittles.

Still smiling, Pinkie leaned into the microphone. “Well, that's all for tonight, folks! I hope you had a fantabulawesomazing - ”

“Ahem.” Rarity coughed delicately. “Pinkie, darling? Our plan?” She indicated Applejack and Rainbow Dash with a quick shake of her head, although neither of them noticed.

Pinkie Pie paused. “Oh. Riiiight. Sorry guys, I forgot! We have one more thing on the schedule for tonight. We're going to have a Couples Dance! Everyone has to pair up with someone, regardless of whether or not they brought a date - we don't want any poor people left out!”

“Um,” Fluttershy said softly, “what if someone doesn't want to dance?”

“When I said everyone, I meant everyone!” Pinkie cried in answer to her question. “But there's no pressure - Vinyl Scratch will set up a nice, slow waltz, and we’ll take it from there! Now, enjoy the dance, and I hope you guys had a great Halloween Party!” She jumped off the stage amidst a chorus of whoops and hollers - everyone apart from Fluttershy was excited to have the opportunity to dance with their dates again, and those who hadn't brought dates were even happier. Now they had an excuse to dance with someone.

Rarity beamed proudly. This had been her idea, of course. She had seen how quickly Rainbow had grabbed Applejack’s arms when Soarin came by, and instantly put two and two together. Clearly, Rainbow Dash was just as much in love with Applejack as Applejack was with her - the two of them were simply too obtuse to realize it. So Rarity had pulled Pinkie aside while AJ was talking to the principal and asked her to suggest another dance, without telling her the reason why (she didn't want to tell Pinkie about Applejack’s feelings without permission from Applejack herself, since their phone conversation had been confidential). Maybe, if Rarity played her cards right, she could set AJ and Dashie up together without them ever finding out that she'd had a hand in it.

Now, as the lights dimmed and the music started up, Rarity had to execute her plan. She unobtrusively nudged Twilight in Flash Sentry’s direction, and he was more than happy to ask her to dance, although Rarity was certain that if Sunset Shimmer had been around Twilight would have been far more enthused to dance with her. Pinkie had already bounced away with some random boy, so that was taken care of. Only one last step left. The fashionista tapped Fluttershy’s wrist. “Fluttershy, dear? Would you care to dance?” She may or may not have been furthering her own romantic agenda.

Fluttershy blushed violently but accepted, knowing that Rarity was probably the least likely person to step on her toes or scare or hurt her in any other way. Nodding her head meekly, she let Rarity slip an arm around her waist and the two of them waltzed away, both of them glancing back anxiously at AJ and Rainbow. Fluttershy had guessed Rarity’s plan, being herself privy to Rainbow’s feelings. Applejack and Rainbow were the only two people in the room who weren't paired off… but that was clearly about to change.

Applejack stared up at her best friend, swallowing nervously as she realized how little distance remained between their warm bodies. Rainbow was close. Very close.

“Well, um, I guess it's just us, then. Can you dance?” Rainbow’s voice cracked in her anxiety.

“You kiddin’?” The farmgirl did her best to keep her voice calm. “Ah been dancin’ since Ah was a toddler. Why, Ah could dance circles ‘round a whirlwind. Can you dance?”

“Better than you can.”

“You gonna put yore money where yore mouth is?”

“Let's find out,” she whispered, her beautiful magenta eyes flashing in the overhead lighting. “Will you dance with me?”

Applejack felt almost dizzy with happiness, but she knew she needed to keep a cool head. “Don' seem like Ah got much choice, does it?”

And now came the smile - the warm, genuine smile that Rainbow never showed when she was trying to act ‘cool’, the smile that slipped out whenever she was truly at peace with the world. “Then let's get this party started.”

Slowly, slowly, Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her polychromatic hair swishing around her back, brushing against the tips of Applejack’s curly blonde waves. Slowly, slowly, she slipped an arm around Applejack’s waist, gently clutching the fabric of her shirt, and reached out to slip her other hand into Applejack’s. And slowly, slowly, looking deep into each other’s eyes but not saying a word, their noses an inch away from each other, they started to dance.

They were awkward and halting at first, but quickly fell into step with each other, their smiles growing as they found a natural rhythm and realized how perfectly their bodies fit together. Rainbow’s hands were sweaty in her own, probably from nerves, but still, Applejack couldn't have been more charmed if she had tried. She glanced down at Rainbow’s feet and saw that even her footwork was expertly executed, without a single stumble or falter. Rainbow hadn't even stepped on her toes yet. “Where th’ hay did ya learn t’ dance?” she whispered softly.

“Don't you remember?” that scratchy voice whispered back softly. “You taught me.” She released her arm around Applejack’s waist, sending her out for a spin, before taking her into her arms again and bending her head to speak into her ear. “When we were little. We were in the barn and you had just invited me to your eighth birthday party…”

And all of a sudden, the memories came flooding back. Seven-year-old Applejack standing next to Rainbow Dash, both of them the exact same height back then. There's gonna be dancing, Applejack had said. After dinner. Why? Rainbow had asked. Because Ah love dancin’, she had answered simply. I don't know how to dance. From Rainbow Dash - a pause; doubtful hesitation. Then Ah’ll teach ya. So Applejack had held her around the waist with her grubby, child-sized fingers and taught Rainbow how to waltz, explaining kindly until everything was perfect. And after dinner that night, there was, indeed, dancing. Applejack’s friends and family danced with each other and on their own, with their own friends and family and with the people they didn't know. But the two of them, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, were the stars of the show.

Applejack blinked the memories away and stared at Rainbow Dash, admiring the strong curve of her jaw and the lean muscles in her arms. Taller now than when they had danced as children, but no less beautiful. “Yore right. Ah did teach ya how t’ dance, didn't Ah? Ah’d forgotten.”

Rainbow chuckled softly. “Good thing too, isn't it, considering how awesome I am at it now.”

“If Ah recall, ya stepped on mah toes at least fifty times, an’ ya complained th’ whole time about how ‘uncool’ dancin’ was while ya were doin’ it, too.”

“Well, what can I say?” Rainbow leaned even closer as they swayed in time to the music, her lips almost brushing Applejack’s ear. “I've been practicing.”

Applejack allowed herself to be carried away by the music as Dash lifted her arm and she twirled in a full circle beneath it, coming to rest on her muscled shoulder as Rainbow supported her with her other arm. Now pressed against Rainbow’s chest with her face turned away, Applejack felt her heart rate skyrocket. She didn't dare to hope that Rainbow felt the same spark of love for her that she felt for Rainbow. She couldn't. It would be too cruel to let herself hope.

Instead, she closed her eyes and pretended. Yes. Rainbow Dash was her girlfriend. They couldn't have been more in love. And this was their first dance, which was soon to be followed by their first kiss.

The thought made Applejack happy, but somehow, it didn't make her any happier than she had been before. Perhaps just being here, dancing with her best friend and surrounded by her strong arms, was enough.

So, as the music came to an end, Applejack found herself feeling warm and content rather than wistful or yearning. The last violin note faded away, but Rainbow and Applejack did not pull away from each other, still looking deep into each other’s eyes. It was only when the lights were returned to their full intensity that they were reminded to pull away, and they did so as hastily as possible, as if embarrassed to be seen wrapped around each other.

“That's all for tonight, folks,” Pinkie said, returning to the stage, in an uncharacteristically quiet and thoughtful tone. Maybe she had seen Rainbow and Applejack dancing. “I hope you enjoyed the evening. Happy Halloween, and see you at school tomorrow.”

The costumed guests trickled away one-by-one, leaving the gym empty except for Pinkie and her five friends. The place seemed oddly gloomy after everyone had left. Out of a sense of duty, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stayed behind to help clean up even though they had not been asked to assist with setting up the party in the first place. Neither of them spoke to each other; both were far too preoccupied with thinking about the dance.

Finally, after trashing every last fake spider and piece of confetti, the girls left the gym and headed outside, leaving Principal Celestia to lock up the school for the night. They bid each other farewell, made promises to sit together at lunch the next day, and headed to their respective cars. Applejack and Rainbow climbed into the old pickup and began the drive back to Rainbow’s ‘house’, still not speaking to each other. Applejack was too worried that speaking would somehow shatter the new intimacy that had slipped between them, and Rainbow Dash was still dazed at her own audacity in asking Applejack to dance.

When Applejack pulled up the curb in front of the house, Rainbow quietly thanked her for the ride and unbuckled her seatbelt. She knew she was going to have to walk all the way back to her apartment in the dark, but for the first time, she relished the trip: it would give her some time to think.

Another impulse suddenly presented itself to the rainbow-haired girl, even more daring than asking AJ to dance, and Rainbow acted on it instantly, as usual not giving herself any time to hesitate. Without warning, she leaned forwards and kissed Applejack gently on the cheek, her poky eyelashes brushing against Appejack’s long ones. “Goodnight, Applejack,” she said softly. Then, without another word, she abruptly slid out of the car and strode away, slamming the car door behind her. She was terrified that she was going to look back and see a look of disgust spreading across Applejack’s face, so she didn't look back at all. Please let me not have just ruined our friendship.

But nothing could have been further from the truth. Applejack blushed and touched her fingertips to her cheek, the aftereffects of the kiss warmer than apple pie. And yet she still couldn't let herself hope that this was anything more than friendship. Rainbow Dash had just been… caught up in the excitement of the dance, that was all. If Rainbow had really been in love with Applejack she'd have told her long ago; she was usually so bold about such things, Applejack reasoned. Besides, friends kissed each other on the cheek all the time - Rarity could be found doing it every other minute.

Still. A kiss was a kiss. Feeling a smile spread across her cheeks, Applejack started the pickup engine to life and drove away. When she pulled into her driveway, she stepped into the house, hastily ripped off her horrible costume, gave Big Mac the stern talking-to she'd promised, bid Granny goodnight, tucked Apple Bloom into bed along with a big-sisterly warning about boys, snagged a quick late-night snack, brushed her teeth, slid into her own bed, and, exhausted by the day’s physical and emotional exertion, promptly fell asleep.

Through it all, the memory of the kiss tingled on her cheek like a soft summer breeze.

Author's Notes:

So. New chapter, a super long one, and it only took two weeks. Not bad at all. I'm putting you guys through some real emotional turmoil though, aren't I... there were some suprises this chapter. ;) Just a couple things I wanted to say:
1) This story is now officially longer than my novel.
2) I swear you'll found out more about Rainbow's housing arrangements and family situation and stuff soon... I'm kinda ripping clues but they're not really obvious.
3) Anyone who knows what Pinkie's costume is and can tell me gets a virtual cookie. ;)
4) That Phoenix metaphor tho.
5) I am going on vacation and will be gone for a week... so if you liked this chapter leave me a nice comment to read when I'm back! and check out my story Twister that I'm gonna publish today!

P.S. that amazing fan art was done by the wonderful milla0126!

Chapter Nine

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~ One Day Later ~

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “I'm sorry, but WHAT?!”

Spitfire rolled her eyes to high heaven. “I knew that was coming. Seriously, what's so surprising about me giving up the track team?”

“Um, hello, only the fact that it's been your lifeblood for the past four years!” Rainbow shouted. She had headed out to the track at 2:25 for practice as usual, only to be told that her captain was retiring and leaving her in charge. “And why would you make me the captain? I’m honored and all, and I know I'm super awesome, but why would you pick me over, I dunno, Soarin or someone?”

“Because I think you'll make a great captain. Soarin is a good guy, but he's not so hot at taking charge. He needs someone to give him orders. You, on the other hand, are the exact opposite. Plus, you and AJ have good chemistry, and that's important since you'll be working so closely with each other.” Her eyes briefly glittered with what seemed like a touch of wistfulness.

“Yeah, about that…” The rainbow-haired girl scratched the back of her head awkwardly. She had figured out that AJ was the new field captain earlier in the morning with the rest of the school due to the flyers all over campus, and couldn't believe her friend hadn't told her about it sooner. “Why are the two of us going to be sharing the same practice time again? Is that absolutely necessary?” Rainbow knew her own weaknesses, and one of them was a pretty blonde girl with an overabundance of country charm. Said blonde girl wearing a revealing field captain tank top and shorts was certain to be even more distracting than usual. And she really hoped Applejack didn't remember yesterday’s impromptu kiss.

“God, why is it so hard to retire already?!” Spitfire was clearly getting impatient. “Look, Dash, do you want to beat Crystal Prep at the sports competitions next spring or not?”

She scoffed. “Well, yeah, duh.”

“Then we’re going to follow their example and have the track and field teams train at the same time. If it works for them, we can make it work even better. Got that? Are you in?”

Rainbow heaved a small sigh. “Okay… I'm in.”

“Good. Now stop whining and start training. I know this was super last-minute, but trust me, you’ll be fine. Just do what I usually do - yell and rage and generally scare the pants off everyone.” She slipped her captain’s whistle off from around her neck and tossed it to Dash, who caught it easily. “We've got a good team - trust them to do the rest. And goddamit to hell, Rainbow Dash, if you ruin this team I will end you.” Spitfire gave her a sharp stare before abruptly turning around and walking back towards the school.

The threat was so Spitfire-like that Dash had to chuckle. “You're not going to watch my first practice and make sure I'm doing things right?” she called after her teasingly.

“Nope, I got other stuff to do. But you can bet I'll turn up to watch when you least expect it, so don't think you're getting off easy.” Spitfire offered her a parting wave over her shoulder and vanished around the corner of the athletics building.

No more than thirty seconds later, the track team swarmed out of the same building, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. A small figure slipped out of the building behind them, and Rainbow felt her heart rate soar. Only Applejack could have possibly been that tiny.

The members of the track team made a beeline for the welcoming shade of a nearby oak tree and made themselves comfortable in its branches, knowing Rainbow would call them when she was ready, as Applejack walked over to Rainbow Dash. Her wild blonde waves were carelessly tied back in a loose ponytail, and the thick leather gloves on her hands were a rather odd contrast to her new field captain uniform - a tanktop and shorts in the school’s colors of turquoise, gold, and white. It was amazing that the school had been able to find her a uniform with only one day’s notice, and that the uniform was molded so perfectly to her lithe form.

Applejack greeted Rainbow with a slightly nervous smile. “Howdy, Dash.”

“Hey.” Fortunately, Applejack didn't seem inclined to bring up the kiss, so some of Rainbow’s nervousness fell away. “You going trick-or-treating tonight?”

“Nah, Ah don' got th’ time. AB’s goin’ though.” Shading her eyes from the sun with her gloved palm, Applejack squinted at the grassy patch in the center of the track, which had been completely equipped for a field practice session, and then at the masses of students that lined the bleachers. “Heavens t’ Betsy. All these people here t’ try out?”

“You bet,” Rainbow smirked, as the students noticed Applejack’s presence and slowly began to trail over to the field. “Kicking Crystal Prep asses is always good motivation.”

Applejack shrugged and tilted her head to stare at Rainbow out of the corner of her eye. “So. Captain, huh? Y’excited?”

Her voice was calm and entirely unsurprised, like she had already known that Rainbow had been appointed as captain, but Dash didn't bother to question what this might mean. “Yep. You?”

She nodded slowly. “Ah think so, but Ah don’ rightly know.” She seemed about to say more, but closed her mouth as the hordes of highschool students arrived and slowly arranged themselves into a rough semicircle. Rainbow’s track team strode out from under the tree and joined the crowd, curious to hear what Applejack had to say.

Refusing to allow any of her nervousness to show, Applejack cleared her throat and stood up straight with her hands clasped in front of her. Normally, she would have tipped her Stetson in greeting, but she had left it inside the school for safekeeping, and also because Rarity had told her that it looked horrid with her outfit. Instead, she settled for a simple wave and a friendly smile. Her gold-flecked green eyes glinted with warmth. “Afternoon, y’all. Mah name’s Applejack, an’ Ah’m gonna be th’ captain o’th’ Wondercolts field team. Ah’m glad t’ see so many people turn up… clearly y’all want t’ win those sports competitions next spring.” A couple of boys laughed, and she directed her smile at them before continuing. “Today y’all are gonna be tryin’ out in three areas o’ specialty: jumpin’, throwin’, an’ aimin’. We're also gonna be focusin’ on three specific sports: long jump, javelin, an’ archery. Now, obviously there's more sports than these, but we're jus’ gonna start with these ones so Ah can git a sense fer which sport is yore strength. Let's start with long jump. Who wants t’ try out fer long jump?” About a third of the crowd raised their hands. “Alraght. Well, let’s - Pinkie?!”

The pink-haired party maniac had suddenly appeared amidst the crowd of students, and was beaming and waving to the bewildered Applejack. “Hi, I'm here to try out!” Twilight Sparkle, who had come to watch AJ’s and Rainbow’s first day as captain along with the rest of their friends and was now sitting in the bleachers, shrugged at Applejack as if to say, ‘I tried to stop her.’

Applejack scratched her head, and Rainbow noticed with pleasure that the adorable little wrinkle that meant she was confused had appeared between her eyebrows. “Really? But y’aint ever shown any interest in sports b’fore.”

“Well, I'm here now!”

Several of the students around her snickered as though they didn't believe Pinkie would be any good at the sport, and Applejack’s jaw hardened. Although she may have had doubts of her own, she always believed in giving people a fair chance, and she absolutely wouldn't tolerate bullying of any sort. “Okay. Fine by me if ya try out.” She crooked her finger at the students who had wanted to try long jump, gesturing for them to step forwards. They nervously followed her over to the grassy field in the middle of the track, trailed by the rest of the students, the track team, and Rainbow.

Dash casually crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot, watching Applejack as she strode out onto the grass. The farmgirl’s posture suddenly became much more assured the minute her shoes stepped onto the field - she was in her home turf now, literally. She waited for the students to gather around her and then gestured to a long rectangle of sand behind her that was connected to an even longer patch of the same reddish material that comprised the track. “This is where we have long jump. Th’ idea is t’ run down th’ runway, stop at th’ takeoff board b’fore th’ foul line -” she pointed this out - “an’ jump into th’ sand. There's a lot more to it than that, what with form an’ technique an’ all, but t’day Ah jus’ wanna see how strong y’all are, so Ah’ll leave it at that fer now. Everybody understand th’ rules?” They all nodded. “Good. Ah’ll go first t’ give y’all an example, an’ then Ah’ll call ya up one by one.”

Tucking a loose curl of her golden-blonde hair behind her ear, Applejack walked over to the beginning of the runway. Rainbow Dash instinctively leaned a bit closer as AJ turned to face the sand and prepared to run. Rainbow felt ridiculously excited: she had never seen Applejack perform long jump before, and the thought of watching that graceful form leap through the air in just a tank top and shorts was making Dash’s heart do somersaults. She actually had to force herself to look away from Applejack’s legs for a moment to give herself some time to calm down - never before had she seen her calf muscles bared like this. Usually they were hidden beneath her boots, but since Applejack was wearing sneakers Rainbow was fortunate enough to have an unobstructed view of her legs, tanned and dotted with cheerful freckles.

Thank Celestia, Applejack seemed not to notice that Rainbow was staring at her with such rapt attention. Wearing a calm, confident smile, she began to run effortlessly down the sand until she reached the takeoff board, at which point she ground her heel into the board and sprang into the air.

The crowd emitted a collective gasp of awe as she sailed effortlessly through the air. Rainbow was among them. Overcome by Applejack’s powerful beauty - this was an aspect that Dash had rarely seen in the sturdy, grounded cowgirl - Rainbow’s heart was in her throat as the sun flashed on AJ’s golden ponytail during her jump. Oblivious to the stare she was getting from her best friend, Applejack tucked her knees up as she was arcing downwards and slid neatly into the sand, springing neatly to her feet a second later. The jump was over.

Shaking off her amazement, Rainbow wolf-whistled, drawing a blush from Applejack as had been her intention. Everyone else was simply too awestruck to say anything - even Pinkie had been silenced. According to the measuring stick that was attached to the ground beside the sand, AJ’s jump had been slightly over twenty-one feet. Quite impressive, especially considering her small stature.

“Well, what are y’all lookin’ at?” Applejack’s voice was amused but firm. “That's how ya do it. Now who wants t’ go first?”

“Me me me!” Pinkie volunteered immediately. Without even waiting to hear Applejack’s words of advice, she charged over to the runway, zoomed down it like a tornado, and shot into the air. Her pink curls frizzed around her face as her rear end crashed into the sand and she bounded up. “How'd I do?”

The farmgirl’s mouth was hanging open. “Good gravy, girl. What kinda sports talent ya been hidin’? Nineteen feet on yore first try? Why, Ah couldn't even manage fifteen on mine!”

She shrugged modestly. “Well, what can I say? I'm special.”

Rainbow snorted under her breath. “I'll say.”

Applejack caught her eye and curled her lip into a small grin as though she'd heard this comment. “Nice goin’, Pinks,” she said aloud. “Well, uh, Ah guess we should move on… who wants t’ try next?”

“Can I try?” Soarin asked immediately, drawing some looks of surprise from the rest of the track team.

Rainbow frowned at him. She knew very well what he was trying to do. He just wanted to impress Applejack - and there was no way she was going to let him do that. If anyone around here was going to be impressing Applejack, it was going to be her. “Hey. Soarin. Chill. You're already on the track team. You don't need to be on the field team too.”

“That so?” AJ raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Then how come y’ain't practicin’? Don' you got a team t’ train, too?”

Rainbow paled. Crap. She's right. “Uh, yeah,” she said, trying to retain her composure. “I guess you're right.” She turned to her team, who had been busy watching Applejack, and clapped her hands sharply. “All right, losers! Let's get going!” She offered a quick pat on the shoulder and a ‘see you later’ to AJ before jogging over to the track, her body thrumming with anticipation as she prepared to launch her first track session as captain.

Knowing that her brusque insult was her way of being friendly, her teammates followed her without complaint. Rainbow stopped at the beginning of the track and turned around to face them, unconsciously grasping the silver whistle around her neck in her hand. “Right. So obviously, I'm your captain now. I know Spitfire never liked us calling her Captain, so you don't have to call me that either. Unless you want to call me Captain Awesome, in which case you definitely won't hear me complaining. But Dash will be fine.” She paused. “Did Spitfire tell you guys why she left the team?”

Soarin took it upon himself to answer. “She just said it was time for her to move on. But she didn't tell us why she picked you to lead.” His voice was filled with resentment, and Rainbow knew perfectly well why. He’d been Spitfire’s de facto second-in-command, and as such he should have been made captain when she left.

Rainbow Dash didn't feel like addressing this issue, so she smoothly answered, “Obviously, she picked me because I was the only one cool enough to replace her.” The teammates affectionately rolled their eyes, including Soarin (although Rainbow conveniently acted like she hadn't seen it). “Now. Let's get to business.” Clasping her hands behind her back, she began to pace slowly along the line of team members, who instinctively straightened their backs and raised their chins as she passed by even though she didn't look up at any of them. “Crystal Prep has been asking for defeat for a long time now. Every year now our track team challenges theirs, and every year we lose. This year, we’re going to win. You hear me?” She pointed over at Applejack. “With her leading the field team, they're guaranteed to kick Crystal Prep’s ass. And I'm not gonna let myself be shown up by her. So I expect you guys to do me proud. We're going to train hard and we're going to train reckless. We're going to win and we're going to win together. I expect of you the same things that Spitfire did - teamwork, determination, and boldness. And I expect you to show me those things two times as hard as you showed Spitfire. So.” She stopped in her tracks and stared up at her team, fire brimming in her eyes. “Who's ready to start training?”

Her audience rose their fists in the air and shouted in response, and Rainbow nodded in approval. “Good stuff. Let's do this. Just one more thing before we get moving…” She pointed at a tall, gangly freshman at the end of the line who gulped and shrank back in fear as her gaze fell on him. “Kid. What's your name?” Now that Spitfire was gone, they'd had to bring out their reserve runner to ensure that the track team still had twelve people. Rainbow had seen him at track practice a couple times before but had been too busy worrying about other more important things, such as figuring out how to ask AJ out, to remember his name.

“Runner,” he mumbled, twisting his fingers together.

“Runner? Seriously? That's your name?”

He murmured something that could have been a ‘yes’.

“Huh.” Rainbow arched an eyebrow, impressed. “Well, with a name like that, you better be good at this track thing, kid. I'm gonna be watching you. We have standards on this team. Understand?” His eyes grew wide with terror, and she felt a flash of guilt. “But, um, I’m sure you'll be fine. Okay, we're all wasting time here.” She raised her voice. “Two loops around the track!” she hollered, her raspy voice cracking from her shout. “I'm gonna be running with you and I expect to see you no more than five feet behind me! You got that?” She didn't expect them to be able to beat her - she was too fast for that - but five feet behind was reasonable. When everyone nodded assent, she blew her whistle, relishing the feeling of being in charge. “Get your butts moving!” Without waiting to see if anyone was ready, she turned around and sped down the track, her sneakers pounding on the ground and her polychromatic ponytail whipping around her face. The rest of the team quickly launched themselves into action, clustering behind her as they fought to get ahead and gain her approval.

As she ran with her typical confident grin, knowing that victory was inevitable, Rainbow chanced a glance at Applejack out of the corner of her eye and stumbled over her own foot, losing her balance because her gaze was now glued to her best friend. That girl was simply too distracting.

Unfortunately, the brief sight of her friend’s shining golden locks came with a price - Rainbow’s quick stumble, although she had recovered remarkably quickly, had allowed the tall beanpole kid, Runner, to pass her. His long legs pounded the ground once, twice, and then suddenly he was ten feet ahead.

Dash’s jaw dropped. “What the hell?” she muttered under her breath. In her four years of track, only one person had ever been able to pass her - Spitfire. She narrowed her eyes at the boy’s back, determined to win the competition that he had now brought upon himself. “Oh, it is so on.”

Her legs flashed in the air as she increased her pace, running so fast that her surroundings were no more than a polychromatic blur. Rainbow passed Runner with ease but did not bother turning around to give him a cheeky wave and a hollered insult as she might have in the past - she was in charge now. She had to establish her authority by reaching the finish line ahead of everyone else, and that meant she couldn't focus on anything but the track in front of her. Looking back was not an option, and, sadly, neither was looking at Applejack.

Naturally, Rainbow Dash did indeed finish in first place, although everyone else had managed to finish no more than five feet behind her. She spun around to face her team, flicking sweat off her brow and rubbing her arms. She was pleased to see that, like her, no one on the team was out of breath. Spitfire had trained them well. “Nice work, team,” she announced, her voice cracking as it rose and fell in timbre. “Your speed is up to snuff, so nothing to work on there. Runner - good work out there. But there's just one rule you need to remember - don't ever pass the captain, kid.” The team laughed dutifully. Spitfire used to say the same thing, and they'd known she was joking. Mostly.

Soarin smiled at Runner, who was blushing and mumbling something that could have been an ‘okay’, and then directed his gaze back to Rainbow. “Dash, can we take a water break?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Um, no? We don't break until we've been running for half an hour. You know that.” That had always been Spitfire’s policy, and Rainbow was going to stick to it.

“But - ”

“But nothing!” Rainbow raised her voice. “Listen, do you all want to beat Crystal Prep or not?”

A few people muttered responses.

“I SAID, DO YOU ALL WANT TO BEAT CRYSTAL PREP OR NOT?” she bellowed, fixing her gaze on each of them in turn.

This time, they all answered in the affirmative, and Rainbow gave a sharp nod of satisfaction. “Good. Then we can't afford to be sissies. Like I said - we’re training hard and dangerous. We’ll break for water in twenty minutes. Anyone got a problem with that?” She fixed Soarin with a piercing stare, and he lowered his head abashedly. “Okay. Then let's get back to work. I want to see two hundred jumping jacks from each of you.”

Soarin piped up again. “Weren't the jumping jacks supposed to be our warmup? How come we did two loops around the track first?”

Dash rolled her eyes. “The loops were the warm up, Soarin.”

He gulped, his spiky blue hair drooping. “Oh.”

“I'm not going to do things the same way Spits did them,” she continued, now addressing the whole team. “Hard and dangerous. That's my motto. I'm going to train you guys harder than ever before, so get used to it.” She readjusted her ponytail, grimacing as her fingers dampened with sweat. “Alright, two hundred jumping jacks! Get moving!” She paused, trying to think of a way to incentivize her team. Spitfire had never done this, but Dash thought it was high time such a system was initiated. After all, she wanted her teammates to be motivated enough to follow her lead. “First one to get to two hundred gets a free milkshake at Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie Pie would be alright with that. Probably.

As her teammates perked up and trooped out onto the grass to start their jumping jacks, Rainbow Dash allowed herself a satisfied grin. Clearly, she was just as awesome at being a team captain as she was at everything else.

***

Twenty minutes later, as promised, Rainbow blew her whistle to signal the start of a five-minute break. Everyone trooped to the shade of the trees near the sidelines of the track, wiping their foreheads and sighing with relief. Though there was a chilly breeze rippling through the air, the sun was unforgivingly hot. Rainbow waved to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity, who were still sitting in the bleachers, before trailing after her team. She watched hungrily as everybody scooped up water bottles and started drinking, inwardly kicking herself for not bringing one.

All of a sudden, Rainbow felt a small figure come up behind her and lean against her shoulder blades, wrapping two muscular arms around her collarbones. A chill shot up Dash’s spine. “Hey,” Applejack drawled, her chin pressing gently into Rainbow’s collarbone. “How's it goin’?”

Like an idiot, Rainbow Dash panicked at the slightest touch from the girl she had a crush on. “I'm sweaty,” she stammered out, suddenly unable to say anything else.

Applejack gave a slow chuckle. “So’m Ah, sugarcube. Ah don’ mind touchin’ ya, don’ ya worry.”

“R-right… heh…” The tall athlete chuckled nervously.

Seeming not to notice her awkwardness, Applejack stepped to Dash’s side and folded her arms over her chest. Rainbow’s heart throbbed with disappointment for a brief moment and then soared again as the farmgirl nudged her with her elbow. “How'd practice go?”

“Pretty good so far, I think,” she answered. Thankfully, she was beginning to regain her natural confidence. “Um, what about yours? Have you picked out any team members yet?”

Applejack nodded, tipping her hand back over her eyes to shield them from the sun and taking a swig from her water bottle. “Think Ah got four picked out fer the jumpin’ events. Ah can only have twelve members not countin’ mahself, since th’ track team only has thirteen includin’ yoreself an’ Ah have t’ have th’ same number. So Ah’m splittin’ ‘em up by specialty - Ah want four members fer jumpin’ events, four fer throwin’, an’ four fer aimin’. Th’ jumpin’ bit is pretty much covered - Ah picked out two guys an’ two gals that Ah think’ll do jus’ fine. An’ ya know what? Pinkie Pie’s one of ‘em! Who knew she could jump like that?”

The two of them shared a chuckle. “Well, with all that sproinging and bouncing she does, I'm not surprised,” Rainbow smirked, grinning down at AJ.

“Yep. An’ Ah ain't complainin’,” Applejack said jovially. “She'll be a real asset t’ th’ team.” All of a sudden, she glanced up at Rainbow, frowned, and tossed half the contents of her water bottle in Rainbow’s face.

Dash spluttered indignantly as water dripped down her clothes, forming a small puddle around her feet. “What the hell? What was that for?”

“Ya looked like ya needed it. You were sweatin’ up a storm, R.D. Back on th’ farm, we do that five times a day at least. Keeps us cool.”

“Well, thanks, but you still could have warned me,” she protested.

Applejack ignored her. “Here. Drink th’ rest,” she ordered, reaching out and wrapping her friend’s fingers around the water bottle.

Rainbow Dash eyed it in surprise. “Don't you want it?”

She lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Nah. Y’all need it more’n Ah do,” she replied with a friendly smile, her jade eyes dancing in the sunlight.

Touched by her selflessness, Rainbow thanked her and tipped her head back to drink, whimpering with relief as cold water splashed onto her tongue. Applejack, waiting patiently to get her bottle back, watched the track team mingling with the students trying out for the field team while Rainbow drank.

Finally, Dash finished drinking and handed the bottle back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She opened her mouth to thank her best friend once more and found something very different slipping out instead. “About yesterday…”

Frick. Why did I say that? That's not what I was trying to say at all!! What do I do? Maybe she didn't hear me?

But the way the gold flecks in Applejack’s eyes suddenly darkened, and the way her jaw tightened, made it very clear that she had indeed heard. Rainbow gulped and faltered on anyway, feeling that she had already messed up and might as well continue in the same vein. “About yesterday… in the evening…” The memory of that impromptu kiss, of the feel of Applejack’s cool skin against her lips, flashed before her eyes, and she suddenly realized she had no idea what to say next. She had no words to describe what had happened or what mad impulse had possessed her.

As it turned out, words were unnecessary anyway. Applejack cut her off, blushing and turning away. “Ah have t’ finish th’ tryouts,” she said brusquely, walking off in the direction of the track. “See ya later.”

“Y-yeah. Right. You go do that,” Rainbow Dash answered unconvincingly to her friend’s receding back. Then she groaned, burying her head in her hands. “Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did my stupid mouth have to go and say that?” She had no idea what she had been trying to achieve by bringing up yesterday’s embarrassing moment. Even more worryingly, what had that look on AJ’s face meant? Rainbow knew her well enough to know that it hadn't been anger. But what had it been? Fear? Embarrassment? Either way, Rainbow Dash felt far too awkward to mention the topic again. She'd just have to wonder in agonizing silence, for the rest of her life, whether or not Applejack had enjoyed or hated that kiss.

Ugh. Now Rainbow knew what Twilight felt like when she had to answer an exam question about a topic they hadn't yet covered in class (which, of course, happened once in a blue moon). Not knowing something important, and not having any easy way of finding it out, was the most annoying feeling in the world.

Sighing, Rainbow dragged her fingers through her ponytail, watching as Applejack gathered the field team hopefuls around her and began instructing them once more. After a few seconds, the farmgirl scooped up one of the school javelins that lay in a neat pile on the grass, ran a short distance, swung her arm , and flung the spear into the air as easily as she might toss a football. Rainbow had never seen her friend throw a javelin before, although she was well aware that Applejack practiced all manner of field events in her spare time back at the farm. Her eyes followed the spear as it arced into the sky, eventually landing with a soft thud some two hundred feet away. Quite an impressive throw.

Her eyes dulled. Just like the javelin, she was constantly flying further and further away from Applejack, creating a rift between the two of them that stemmed from her own inability to pull her heart away from Applejack’s charms.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip and turned away, forcing herself to drive all thoughts of Applejack out of her mind as she used her silver whistle to call her team back to practice. She couldn't think about AJ now. Right now, it was time for business.

***

Half an hour later, Rainbow Dash blew her whistle for the last time that day, signaling the end of practice. “Alright, team, listen up!” she hollered as her hot and sweaty team gathered around her. She was equally hot and sweaty, although she'd never admit it - besides, she could still run several loops around the track if necessary. She was golden. As usual. “Good practice today. We’ll spend some time working on stamina at next Monday’s practice. Spitfire also wanted us to do some work with hurdles, so I plan on getting to that in a couple of weeks.” Spitfire had said no such thing, but nobody else needed to know that. Rainbow was an expert at winging it. “Everyone go home, stuff yourselves with candy, enjoy the weekend, and come back ready to rock and roll next Monday. Got that?” Her teammates murmured assent. “Good. We've got next spring’s sports competitions in the bag if we keep up this performance. Like I said - good work. Happy Halloween. Get outta here.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the changing rooms, sticking her other hand out so that her teammates could each give her a high five as they strode by.

As Soarin made as if to leave with the others, Dash held up her index finger to stop him. “Wait. Not you. I need to ask you something.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Am I a good captain?”

Soarin frowned, his handsome brow furrowing. “Uh…”

“Please. I need to know.” Her eyes were desperate. “I need to make sure I'm leading this team to victory, not failure. I need to know.”

The dark-haired athlete scratched his head. “Well, you're not Spitfire.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know, doofus.”

He offered her a faint smile. “You're not Spitfire. But you might just be better.”

Her heart thudded. “Really?”

“Really. You inspire us, Dash. You make us want to follow you. Spitfire did too, but… not like you do. You make people love you, and not just the people on the track team.” For a brief moment, so brief that Rainbow couldn't tell whether or not she had imagined it, Soarin’s eyes flicked over to Applejack, and his features twisted wistfully. But then his calm smile returned. “So, yeah. I had my doubts, but… you're a good captain. Just, you know, don't tell Spirtfire we had this conversation.” Shooting her a conspiratorial wink, he pressed his palm to Rainbow’s in a gentle high-five before jogging after his teammates.

She stared after him for a brief moment as waves of relief cascaded through her body. If Soarin approved, she couldn't be that bad.

Curling her lips in a faint smile, she darted back to the changing rooms to grab a wet towel, wiped herself free of sweat, and then ran back outside to finish watching Applejack’s practice. Normally, a field practice would have only been an hour - the same length as a track practice - but since today was all about choosing team members, everything was moving at a much slower pace. Judging by the massive bow in her hands, Applejack had just started the archery tryouts. Rainbow unobtrusively sidled closer to watch.

Applejack beckoned for Pinkie Pie to hand her the pair of thick leather gloves that she usually wore during archery - she must have asked Pinkie to fetch them for her earlier. The farmgirl slipped them on, flexing and curling her fingers to acclimate them to the glove’s stiffness. She raised her head to address the semicirclular crowd of students around here. “These gloves are real important. Most people use an armguard, but Ah prefer gloves. It don' matter which one y’all want. But trust me - ya need somethin’ to protect yore forearms. Otherwise th’ bowstring can snap against yore arm, and that ain't fun. That usually stops happenin’ once ya get really good, but it don' hurt t’ be safe.” She raised the bow vertically and turned her body sideways, pointing to a row of targets in the middle of the grassy field. “Ah'm gonna aim at that target in th’ middle. Now listen carefully, cause archery ain't as easy as it looks.” She spread her feet slightly apart and adjusted her posture. “Turn sideways like this with yore back relaxed. Left hand holds th’ bow grip. Don’ hold it with a tight fist - grip it with yore thumb an’ let yore other fingers stick out a bit.” She demonstrated with her own bow. “If yore left-handed, hold th’ bow with yore right hand. Ah shoot both ways ‘cause Ah’m ambidextrous, but Ah don’ expect y’all t’ be able t’ do that, so jus’ pick one hand.”

Rainbow couldn't resist a little gasp. Ambidextrous. How cool could Applejack get?

“T’ shoot, draw yore other arm back t’ yore ear while holdin’ th’ bowstring.” Applejack nocked an arrow and pulled the string back with ease, her arm muscles standing out. “Place yore index finger against yore mouth. That's yore anchor point. It don’ necessarily need t’ be yore mouth, so Ah’ll let y’all experiment with what feels comfortable. But it's gonna help hold yore hand steady, so don’ forget that step.” It must have been an immense strain to keep the bowstring held back for that long, but to her credit, Applejack did not falter, and her hand did not even shake. “Aimin’, o’ course, is the hardest part. Ah don't have much t’ tell ya. Don’ look away from th’ target or drop yore bow until th’ arrow ends its flight, an’ make sure ya draw yore hand all th’ way back t’ yore ear after ya fire. Otherwise, ya might get in th’ habit o’ droppin’ yore bow too early. Good aim is really jus’ instinct, not something y’all can master with technique or somethin’. That's what Ah’m lookin’ for in you guys today - instinct.” Applejack’s voice was distinctly hoarse - evidently, she was exhausted from all of this speaking - but she powered on anyway, although she did relax her stance and drop her bow and arrow so that she could face her audience. “Every one o’ ya will get t’ shoot a full quiver o’ arrows.” She pointed to the targets, where a quiver of arrows could be seen lying at the foot of each one. “Ah'm gonna stroll back an’ forth watchin’. So good luck t’ all o’ ya. But one final word of advice.

“Archery is 5 percent sight an’ 95 percent form, as Ah like t’ say. Ya don’ have t’ see th’ target t’ shoot. How ya hold yourself an’ how ya make th’ shot is more important. T’ demonstrate that for y’all…” She hesitated and took a deep breath. Her eyes flickered with nervousness that only her friends knew her well enough to see. “Ah’m gonna fire a shot with mah eyes closed.”

Rainbow’s breath hitched. No way. If Applejack said she was going to do something, she meant it. This was really happening.

Applejack turned back to face the target and adopted her stance. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she fit the arrow to the bowstring once more, drew the string back, and fired smoothly, her hand brushing the tips of her blonde locks.

The arrow whistled through the air and thudded into the center of the target.

The students burst into thunderous applause, Rainbow Dash included. Even Fluttershy was cheering and whooping from the stands. Applejack had said before that she could shoot with her eyes shut, but that she'd only done it once or twice and that it was extraordinarily hard to do. No wonder she'd been nervous. But of course, her fears had been unfounded. It had been a perfect shot.

AJ blushed. “Aw, shucks. It wasn't nothin’.”

Rainbow Dash only redoubled her clapping. Applejack deserved it, modest or no.

The farmgirl saw her cheering two times harder than before and frowned. “Right, Ah know that rainbow-haired rascal over there is settin’ y’all a bad example, but let's move on. Ah’m sure you guys wanna get home.” Slowly, the clapping died down, and Applejack strode over to the target and yanked out her arrow. “Okay. Yore turn. Don’ be shy - take as much time as ya need t’ pick out a bow that feels right fer ya.” She gestured to a neat pile of bows by the targets, and everyone trooped over to collect one.

After everyone had taken a bow and begun preparing to shoot, Applejack strolled back and forth brought the ranks of students, adjusting someone’s stance here, nudging a trembling arm back into place there. Rainbow watched her with admiration from the sidelines. She was so gentle; so encouraging.

Finally, when all preparations had been made, Applejack strode to the end of the line of students and turned to face them. Although there were enough bows to go around, there were not enough targets, so only ten people could shoot at a time. The rest were patiently waiting their turn. “Alraght. When Ah say go, start shootin’. Shoot all th’ arrows in yore quiver an’ don' stop fer anythin.” She waited for their assent and then nodded. “Go!”

***

Half an hour later, field practice was finally over. Applejack had gathered everyone together and informed them of who had landed a spot on the team. Pinkie had been one of the lucky few, along with eleven others whom Rainbow Dash knew more by sight than by name. While the students who hadn't made it slunk away in defeat, Applejack had congratulated her new team and told them to show up for their first practice next Monday.

The only two people left on the field were Applejack and Dash. Pinkie had zoomed off in glee and dragged Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity back into the school building, probably to throw a little mini-party over her victory.

Rainbow crossed her arms, remembering the way Applejack had walked away from her the moment she'd brought up the kiss. Rainbow didn't know if Applejack was mad, or sad, or scared. Should she bother approaching her and trying to patch things up again? Was it even worth it?

No. No. She had to try.

“Hard and dangerous,” she murmured to herself. Then, uncrossing her arms and standing up straight, she jogged onto the field without hesitation.

Applejack turned to face her, her usually friendly smile wavering a little. Her eyes were unreadable, which was unusual.

Dash skidded to a stop in front of her, unsure what to say. Fortunately, words bubbled to her lips almost immediately, of their own accord. “Can I try?”

“Try what?” The farmgirl looked suspicious.

Rainbow gestured feebly to the archery targets. “The - the archery. It looks cool. I want to try it.”

Applejack’s eyes softened. She seemed to realize that Rainbow Dash was asking as a way of making up for her earlier comment about the kiss, but, tactful as always, she didn't let on. “Sure, sugarcube.” She smiled again, and this time it didn't waver.

Rainbow exhaled slowly and a wave of relief rushed through her. The awkwardness of earlier had gone for good. She smiled back, allowing a wisecrack to push itself off her tongue. “Don't be so hasty to say yes. You'll probably discover I'm actually better than you.”

Applejack gave an incredulous snort. “At archery? Honey, y’see these arms?” She flexed her muscles. “Ah bet those scrawny little arms o’ yores can't even pull back a bow halfway, Rainbow Flash.”

Rainbow mock-gasped at the insult. “Oh, really, Crapplejack? Well, let’s go find out, then. I'll bet you an apple pie that I can pull the string back all the way to my mouth.”

“What, cause yore gonna actually make me pie if Ah win?”

Dash grinned cheekily. “No, ‘cause you're not going to win.”

Applejack chuckled slowly. “Fine words, RD. But are ya brave enough t’ try it with mah bow? Or are ya a coward?”

Now it was a real challenge. Applejack’s bow was hard to lift and even harder to draw back. It was the most difficult bow to handle in the whole school, and Rainbow knew it.

But… the fact that Applejack had willingly offered to let her hold it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, so warm and fuzzy that she couldn't think straight. Applejack never let anyone else hold her bow. She didn't trust them with it.

No. This is a horrible idea. I’m going to lose.

But she trusts me. She trusts me. She trusts me - me - with her bow.

“I’m in,” Rainbow said firmly. “Nobody calls me a coward.” Plus, Applejack trusted her - really, really trusted her - and that was more than enough reason to accept her challenge. Besides, how hard could it be? Dash knew that her real strength lay in her legs, but she arms weren't that weak. Scrawny? Probably? But there was some hidden muscle in there somewhere. There had to be. “Here's the deal. If I can do it, I get a whole apple pie. And a cup of cider.”

“That wasn't part o’ th’ deal, Dash.”

“It is now, since you're making you use your bow,” she countered. “And if lose, I'll give you, um…”

The cowgirl laughed gently and swung her ponytail over her shoulder. “Ah don’ want nothin’. Seein’ ya take an interest in mah favorite sport is enough.”

“Really? But that doesn't seem fair.”

“An’ what would you know ‘bout fair? Ya cheat at everythin’.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth and then closed it again. “Actually, I don't have a comeback for that.”

“That means ya know it's true,” AJ teased. “Now come on.” She handed Rainbow Dash her bow, and the athlete had to bite her lip to stop herself from exclaiming. Geez, this thing was heavy. “So, before ya shoot, ya jus’ - ”

“I know how, I was watching you earlier,” she cut her off, not realizing how creepy that sounded.

Thankfully, Applejack didn't seem to realize either. She merely raised an eyebrow. “Well, if ya think yore ready, go ahead.”

There was something ominous in her bright green gaze, but Rainbow paid it no heed, eager for action. She raised the bow vertically and nocked an arrow, trying to remember Applejack’s instructions. Squinting at the target, she began to pull the bow back…

And stopped. And tried again. And stopped.

“Too heavy fer ya, darlin’?” Applejack asked innocently.

Dash rolled her eyes, feigning calm. “Shut up.” Inwardly, she was panicking. This thing was way harder than she had anticipated. How did Applejack handle it? She was strong, sure, but so small. Rainbow had counted on her larger size to give her an advantage, but apparently it really was arm and shoulder strength she needed.

You could just give up, you know. You don't have to give her anything if you lose.

But then I'll be giving up. And I don't want to give up. Not in front of AJ.

Failure wasn't an option. So it was time to try again.

Her arms straining, Rainbow began to pull back the string once more. Her index finger twitched against her mouth as her muscles wavered, but she did not allow herself to release the string. Slowly, slowly, the string began to near her ear. By now she was sure her posture must be horrible, but she'd stopped caring. She just wanted to pull the damn string all the way back.

Her body thrumming with sheer willpower rather then strength, Dash finally managed to pull the string back all the way, and let it go at once with a gasp of exertion. The arrow rocketed away with a twang from the bowstring.

A shooting pain suddenly rocketed up Rainbow’s arm, and her breath hitched as she dropped the bow and doubled over. “Ow! God! What happened?”

Applejack sighed. “Ah did try t’ warn ya, but y’interrupted. If you'd really been watchin’ me earlier, y’all woulda heard when Ah said that yore arm’s gonna get snapped by th’ bowstring if ya don’ wear a glove.”

Rainbow’s cheeks reddened at the same pace as her forearm. “Oh right.” She inspected her arm, which was now bright red. There was going to be an impressive bruise there later.

“Ya want some ice on that?” Applejack inquired with concern, taking Rainbow’s hand in her own and running her soft fingers over Rainbow’s arm.

“Nah. I'm good. I've been hurt worse before. Besides…” A slow smile spread over her face. “It was totally worth it. Look at the target.”

Applejack’s mouth fell open. “Well, Ah’ll be.”

Somehow Rainbow had managed to shoot her arrow right into the second ring. It was still a few inches away from a bullseye, but considering that she was a first-time archer and that she'd been shooting with an exceptionally tough bow, it wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all.

“So does this mean I get my pie and cider?” Rainbow asked jokingly.

“An’ then some! Hoo-boy, if only Ah hadn't already picked mah team, you’d have made a great archer! That was mighty impressive, Dash.”

Rainbow allowed her already wide grin to widen. “Thanks. I suppose I am pretty awesome.”

“Jus’ this once, Ah’ll let ya say that. Ya earned it.” Applejack’s smile faded somewhat as she stared out at the mound of the bows by the archery targets and sighed. She had to unstring all of them, carry them inside, and store them along with the quivers, which would take at least half-an-hour. And she was already late for her chores at home.

“I'll help you,” Rainbow said without thinking about it, following the path of AJ’s eyes to the bows. “I'll help you clean up.”

Applejack appeared touched, but hesitant. “Really? Don' ya wanna get home?”

Rainbow almost visibly shuddered. No, she wanted to stay away from that horrible place as long as she could. “Nah, I'm good. I can stay for a while.”

“Well… that's real sweet. Thanks.” She wrapped Rainbow Dash in a one-armed hug and then jogged over to the bows.

After standing frozen for a whole thirty seconds - she was so smooth - Rainbow recovered enough from the contact to follow. She bent down and began to work alongside AJ in silence, collecting the bows and unstringing them.

Twenty minutes later, all the archery equipment was stored safely in the school’s sports room. Applejack and Rainbow reconvened outside, knowing that it was time to leave each other but not quite sure what to say.

Finally, Applejack glanced up and cleared her throat, her freckles shifting across her cheeks. “Rainbow… cider season starts t’morrow, an’ Ah was wonderin’ if… if… if ya wanted t’ join us.” Her cheeks were lit by a rosy blush.

Dash could barely breathe. “You mean, at your house? Learning how to make cider and stuff?”

She nodded, fiddling nervously with her fingers. “Uh-huh. I-if ya want to, Ah mean, ya don’ have t’ come, but… Ah would really like it if ya did.”

Right now, going to AJ’s house for the day didn't mean having to try to scrounge up money to take the bus there only to find that Rainbow didn't have any. Right now, it didn't mean having to walk miles and miles there, and miles and miles back, all on her own. Right now, it didn't mean getting to pretend that she was warm and happy and loved for a day before returning to the cold and clammy hovel that she called home.

Right now, going to AJ’s house meant making and drinking cider and eating good food next to her best friend. It meant getting to spend one more precious day with the girl of her dreams, a special day, maybe even just the two of them, like they hadn't had in years. It meant joking and teasing and racing and wrestling, and being accepted, and being needed.

“So… do ya wanna come?” Applejack prompted anxiously.

Rainbow smiled. “I'd love to.”

Chapter Ten

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~ One Day Later~

The next day, Rainbow Dash shot out of bed at precisely five thirty in the morning, not wanting to annoy her best friend by showing up to her farm late. Although AJ hadn't told Rainbow to arrive at a particular time, the athlete knew that turning up early would impress her, and Rainbow wasn't one to ever miss an opportunity to impress.

Just to confirm the time, Rainbow rubbed the sleep from her eyes and squinted hard at her battered alarm clock. Yep, it was actually 5:30, thank goodness; her sleep patterns hadn't been negatively affected by the enormous amounts of candy she'd consumed yesterday for Halloween. She sighed with relief, impressed at herself for actually hearing the alarm clock and jerking awake. It was incredibly easy to mistake an 8 for a 6 when you were half-asleep - that mistake had made her late to school many times before - so she didn't have much faith in her early morning time-reading abilities. At least she’d been able to scrounge up a couple dollars last night for a bus ticket - otherwise she'd have had to wake up a couple hours earlier so she could walk to Sweet Apple Acres on time.

Yawning attractively (well, of course, she was Rainbow Dash, it was physically impossible for her to do anything unattractively), she stretched her arms behind her head and flexed her legs to relax her muscles. Loose strands of polychromatic locks tangled together across her forehead as she raked a hand through her hair. Dash turned around, regarding her rumpled blankets with a look of flat annoyance. She really didn't feel like making her bed.

Shrugging, she carelessly tossed her sheets over her lumpy pillow and gently arranging the teddy bear she refused to admit to anyone that she owned on top of her mattress (his name was Apples. Absolutely not inspired by Applejack. Not at all). Then Rainbow cracked the window open, illuminating her dreary bedroom with its cracked and stained walls in pale grey light - the sun hadn't quite risen yet.

Rainbow’s bedroom was a small, hole-in-the-wall affair, with barely enough room for a bed and a desk. She had almost no room to maneuver in it and had had to stuff most of her few personal possessions in her cramped closet, and there was no ceiling fan. In summer, the oppressing heat was so unbearable that she often slept on the cold kitchen tiles in order to stay cool - and in winter, it was so cold that she often awoke to find her poorly insulated windows coated in a sheet of ice. Sadly, with her current circumstances, this pathetic bedroom and apartment was all she had.

The bedroom would have been quite Spartan in style if Rainbow hadn't plastered the walls and ceilings with posters of her favorite sports teams and pictures of her friends. Every day when she came home from school to this miserable hellhole, these pictures were all she had to remind her that she wasn't the only person who thought she was awesome. She had six amazing friends who cared about her and loved her, and she could be grateful for that if nothing else.

Brushing her jagged bangs out of her eyes, Rainbow left her room and slipped into the kitchen. It was hardly a long walk; this apartment was so small that you could get anywhere you needed to go in ten steps or less. Rainbow tapped the light switch and a dingy fluorescent bulb flickered on, humming loudly. It was second nature by now to ignore the obnoxious sound. Feeling a rumble in her stomach, the tall girl opened the fridge and stared hopefully at its dismal contents. Leftover chocolate cake from one of Pinkie’s recent sleepovers, a few bags of old spinach that were probably moldy by now, some lettuce leaves, a carton of orange juice, and several cups of yogurt. That was it. Her pantry wasn't any better: a box of Cheerios, a plastic bag full of dry-looking almonds, and an unopened container of tomato soup.

Dash’s lips curled in distaste at her choices. Ewww. I really have to go shopping soon. The chocolate cake was the most appetizing thing on the menu, but Rainbow’s stomach couldn't handle so much sugar first thing in the morning, and she'd rather die than be sick in front of AJ. With a reluctant groan, she grabbed a vanilla yogurt container and a handful of almonds and scarfed them both down in a few seconds. She wasn't too fond of either, but she knew they were healthy and helped contribute to a good runner’s diet, so she put up with them.

Dash chucked the empty container into the overflowing kitchen trash can. Her stomach mewled into protest, demanding more food, but Rainbow had nothing to give it. At least she didn't have to wash any dishes. Forcing her hunger aside, she stepped over to the kitchen sink to peer out of the grimy kitchen window at the dreary street scene below.

It was depressing, as usual.

Rainbow’s eyes dulled. Unable to bear the sight anymore, she went back to her bedroom, past her tiny armchair and twenty-year-old TV set, and scooped up some clothes before heading to the bathroom.

The bathroom was just as shabby as the rest of the apartment. Mold curled over the ceiling above the bathtub, and the mirror seemed permanently fogged with condensation. The tiles were chipped and broken, and the sink released no more than a thin trickle of water that was actually slightly red with rust for a few seconds after you turned it on. But Rainbow didn't have any money in her budget to fix these problems, so she did her best to ignore them. She slipped out of her pajamas, a faded white tank top and black running shorts with a white stripe, and stepped gingerly into the shower. As usual, the water was freezing. Oh joy. Rainbow showered as fast as she could, hopping from one foot to the next and cursing loudly as the cold sank into her very bones. Shivering, the athlete towered herself off and changed into a pair of jeans and a thin T-shirt. As an afterthought, she added a sweatshirt to the ensemble, realizing that the day would probably be crisp and chilly.

Finally, Rainbow stepped closer to the mirror, impatiently swiped it with her jacket sleeve to clear away the moisture, and ran her hands through her hair until it stood on end. She nodded smugly, flashing herself a cocky grin. Satisfied, she darted out… and then sheepishly trooped back in, remembering that she'd forgotten to brush her teeth. No way in hell was she letting this day be ruined by some potentially bad breath.

Now she was ready to leave. Rainbow swiped her tongue around her teeth in satisfaction, a heady, minty flavor coursing through her mouth, and left the bathroom. Tank, her tortoise, silently and slowly pawed the bars of his cage when he saw her emerge. Rainbow paused to slip a lettuce leaf into his cage and affectionately rub his head before slipping out the door of her tiny flat and locking it behind her.

The tall buildings of Canterlot loomed behind her as she left her apartment, dull and gray in the early-morning light. By now, wisps of red and pink were beginning to peep over the horizon. Rainbow exhaled slowly, turned away from the city, and began to march towards the sunrise - towards hope, and towards Applejack.

Her flat was right on the edge of Canterlot City, surrounded by a horde of similarly dreary apartment buildings. At least the streets were wide and well-organized, and sometimes the sunshine, when there was any, made the windows sparkle like diamonds. It was a rather crime-ridden area, however. Rainbow had had to learn how to take care of herself real well and real fast. At least school was only ten miles away - a pain in the ass to run that far, but she could do it in fifty minutes. It was too bad she didn't really have that ‘hot sports car’ she kept telling everyone about. Then again, living in the city meant that she only lived a few blocks away from everywhere she needed to go (except school), and there was a bus stop five minutes away if she really needed to travel a long distance and had enough money to actually do it.

Rainbow Dash headed in the direction of this bus stop now, shoving her hands in her pockets, tucking her hair into the hood of her sweatshirt, and arranging her face into a mask of cold confidence in an attempt to look cool and dangerous. There were usually some unsavory characters prowling the streets at this time of day - and at all times, really - and she'd learned that looking like somebody you didn't want to mess this was the first step to keeping these sorts of people away from her (It also scared away most ordinary, innocent people, apart from the people she personally knew, but Rainbow was beyond caring).

A tall man with blue-tinged skin smirked at her as she walked by, and she shivered beneath her sweatshirt. His name was Talzotl, and he was well-known around these parts of town for his willingness to do anything for the right price. Even Rainbow was a bit creeped out by the thought of approaching him. Drawing her shoulders together, she hurried on.

Miraculously, a bus was already waiting at the bus stop when Rainbow neared the curb. She wordlessly hopped aboard, nodded to the surly-looking driver, and fed her money into the meter, feeling a pang of sadness as the machine swallowed it. At least she had enough money left over for a return ticket.

The bus driver pulled the bus away from the curb before Dash could even sit down, the jerky movement causing her to stumble backwards and fall into a seat with a painful thud. “Jerk,” she muttered darkly, regaining her balance and crossing her arms moodily. At least she was the only person on the bus, so no one else had witnessed her embarrassing moment.

Forcing herself to put her annoyance aside, Rainbow drew in a deep breath, Applejack’s calming face swimming into her mind. Lost in thought, the athlete barely noticed as the dilapidated bus left the city behind and chugged hoarsely into the countryside, belching out clouds of black smoke.

The bus soon pulled up to the curb at Applejack’s atop, about fifteen minutes by foot from her house, and Rainbow shook herself out of her reverie and dismounted. As she strode down the road, her shoulders hunched, the crumbly gravel eventually gave way to pure dirt. Sweet Apple Acres soon came into view around the bend, its weathervane swinging slightly. Rainbow grinned in anticipation and picked up her pace, a bounce in her step. She stifled a tiny smirk as she caught sight of a strand of fake cobweb draped over the balcony; apparently, the Apples had gotten into the Halloween spirit yesterday and left a little something behind.

Applejack was perched on a stool at the edge of her driveway, wearing jeans and a flannel jacket and idly working her jaw. Her jade eyes brightened when Dash loped into view, and she stood up to pull her into a rough hug. “Nice t’ have ya, R.D. What took ya so long? Ah was waitin’ fer ages.”

“What?” Rainbow protested. “But I got here so early!”

AJ laughed. “Jus’ messin’ with ya. Ah'm impressed ya got here before sunup - nice job. Though we ain't startin’ th’ cider-makin’ fer a while yet.” She leaned back and scrutinized Rainbow with a frown. “How come ya look so thin?”

Heh, probably because I don't have anything to eat in my fridge except spinach. “Uh, you know, just trying to stay slim.”

Applejack snorted. “Well, yore a farmer t’day, gal. That means yore gonna eat jus’ as much as th’ rest of us. C’mon - let's getcha fed.” Her blonde braid, tucked beneath her trademark Stetson, swung around her flannel as she hooked her arm inside Rainbow’s and dragged her inside the house.

A warm fire crackled in the hearth, negating the effects of the chill breeze that has been prickling the hairs on the back of Rainbow Dash’s neck. She sighed with relief and stretched her fingers towards the cheerful flames, reveling in the coziness of her friend’s home, as Applejack headed into the kitchen. Rainbow could hear Big Mac’s deep baritone, Apple Bloom’s shrill soprano, and Granny’s warbling tones coming from upstairs, and smiled a little to herself. Trust Applejack to be the first one downstairs and ready to start the day.

The cowgirl soon returned bearing a glass of milk and a plate on which lay a steaming hot apple turnover and a piece of lightly buttered, slightly burnt toast - just the way Rainbow liked it, although she wasn't sure how Applejack could possibly have known that. “Baked th’ turnovers this mornin’,” AJ said casually. “So they should be pretty fresh.”

Rainbow’s jaw fell open. That meant she'd been up since at least four-thirty.

Applejack didn't seem to notice. “An’ here's some milk.”

Dash turned up her nose at the proffered glass and crossed her arms. “Milk’s for little kids.”

AJ gave her the evil eye. “It’s nutritious. Take it.”

She took it.

Clutching her plate and the glass of milk, Rainbow followed Applejack out onto the front porch and settled comfortably into a rocking chair with a wistful look back at the fireplace inside the house. She bit into the turnover, murmuring her approval as the soft tang of apples and cinnamon filled her mouth, and followed it up with a sip of fresh milk (which, she had to admit, tasted really good). The two girls watched in silence as gold and pink streamers shot across the sky like shooting stars, heralding the sun’s ascension over the horizon. Rainbow bit her lip to prevent a choked sob from coming out: sitting here, watching the sunrise with Applejack, was a miracle that she hadn't even dared to dream about for years - but here she was.

Without warning, Applejack reached over and took Dash’s hand in her own, still staring straight ahead at the sunrise. Maybe she'd somehow read Rainbow’s mind, or maybe she just felt like holding someone’s hand. Either way, Rainbow was grateful for the contact. She stared down at Applejack’s hand, taking on the freckles that dotted her wrists and the smooth granules of flour that lined the creases of her knuckles from her baking endeavors earlier that morning, and felt warmth rise to her face. Crap. Is this romantic or just friendly? Should I squeeze her hand back? Gah. What do I do?

Fortunately, the problem was solved for her as Applejack suddenly disentangled her hand and brought it up to her head to adjust her Stetson. Rainbow took the opportunity to snatch another quick bite of the turnover, getting sticky apples all over her fingers in the process. She grinned wickedly, seeing a way to lighten the mood, and held her hand up for AJ’s inspection. “Still wanna hold my hand, cowgirl?”

Applejack crinkled her nose. “Ew. Think Ah’ll pass this time, thanks.”

Dash shrugged and wiped her hand on her sweater, ignoring her best friend’s stare of disapproval. “Suit yourself. So what happens next? When do we get started with the cider making?”

She must have unobtrusively licked her lips or drooled or something at the mention of cider, because Applejack’s frown cleared and she laughed and shot Rainbow an easy smile. “Well, what happens next is we wait fer’ th’ farmhands and th’ other Apples t’ show up. Farm’s usually jus’ th’ right size fer me, Granny, Mac, and Bloom t’ handle, but not on cider makin’ day.” Still smiling, she leaned forwards and lightly touched her index finger to Rainbow’s nose. “Ah’m goin’ in t’ get some food. Y’all comin’?”

Rainbow felt a blush rise to her face. Play it cool, Dash. Play it cool. “Uh, s-sure.” She stood up and followed the farmgirl inside.

***

Half an hour later, AJ, Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom had gathered in a clearing in the middle of the apple orchard, surrounded by a smattering of hired farmhands and other Apples who’d come from out of town to join in the fun (They usually came once in early November for the cider making and then again for an Apple family reunion sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas so they could taste the cider after it had been aged). Rainbow herself, feeling slightly uncomfortable, lurked in the back of the group beneath the shade of a large apple tree.

An expectant hush fell over the glade as Applejack cleared her throat and stepped up to a small hill that served as her podium, Winona prancing around her heels. Applejack was not only the eldest daughter in her immediate family but currently the oldest teenaged girl in the entire Apple clan; as such, the responsibility of giving a speech to open cider season fell on her shoulders, according to some weird Apple family tradition. Her freckled cheeks flushed red in the cold, early-morning air, and her hair seemed to glow with gold. “Uh, thanks fer comin’, everybody,” she began plainly, twisting her hat in her hands and looking rather uncomfortable. Rainbow couldn't resist an eye roll. Why do they make her do this every year? She's clearly horrible at it. She knew how much AJ hated being the center of attention.

The cowgirl squared her shoulders and made a brave effort to continue. “Uh, well, welcome t’ Cider Season. We, uh, had a real good crop this year, an’…” She paused, racking her brains. “…And, and, Ah think we’re gonna make some delicious cider t’day. Y’all know the drill. Hosin’, pressin’, lunch break, more pressin’, barrelin’.” Her voice slowly grew in strength as she grew accustomed to speaking. “So without further ado, let th’ cider season begin!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Winona barked frantically and jumped up on Applejack’s chest to give her an excited lick. Laughing, AJ gently pushed her down and then hopped down off the hill, jamming her Stetson back on her head. Her firm stride exuded confidence: Apple family tradition - that same oldest-daughter-in-the-family thing - dictated that she was in charge of the cider-making today, so despite her distaste for being the center of attention she still had to act the part of a leader. Rainbow, though, could tell that a AJ was a born leader, even if she didn't know it herself yet.

As the athlete watched, the farmhands and family members huddled around AJ to receive their instructions. Applejack sent several of the biggest, most strapping young men, including Big Mac, in the direction of the barn. Curious, Rainbow slunk closer and tapped her friend on the shoulder. “Hey, AJ. Where are they going?”

“Ah sent them t’ get the cider presses an’ th’ apples,” she whispered back.

An elderly lady who looked just a little bit younger than Granny Smith beamed in Rainbow’s friend. “Oh, Jackie, you didn't tell me you brought your friend Rainbow Smash along! Do you remember me?” The last part was directed to Rainbow.

Rainbow cringed a little at the horrific injustice done to her name but knew Applejack would pound her into the ground if she said anything rude to her family. “Um… yeah, of course I remember you, heh,” she lied. “Long time no see?”

The old lady cooed in adoration. “Oh, I should say so! Why, last time I saw you, you were just a little slip of a girl. You sneaked into our family reunion several years ago with Applejack's help and we caught you two diving naked into the pond when - ”

“Alright, that's enough, Great-Auntie,” Applejack cut in, just as red-faced as Rainbow. “No more. Please.”

Granny Smith cackled. “Still have a picture of you two skinny-dippin’ in th’ family album.”

“Oh my God,” Rainbow said. “Shoot me now.”

Fortunately, before the talk could degenerate even further, the boys returned from the barn. Most of them were lugging two wheelbarrows full to the brim with apples, and the rest were each carrying a cider press. They set down the items in front of Applejack and waited silently for her next instructions.

“AJ, can I? Can I?” Apple Bloom begged silently, offering her big sister a huge, gap-toothed smile.

A gleam came into AJ’s eyes. “Ah reckon now’s as good a time as any,” she conceded. “AB, go git th’ hose.”

Whooping with glee, Apple Bloom bounded off and returned a few seconds later dragging a huge green hose behind her. Grinning broadly, she hefted the hose as high as she could and beckoned to her cousin Babs, who had come all the way from Manhattan. “C’mon, Babs! Let's spray ‘em!”

Together, the two girls dragged the hose over to each wheelbarrow in turn as Applejack strode over to the barn and cranked the water on. The hose was old like the rest of the farm and sputtered a bit at first, but soon a strong jet of water shot from its tip and thoroughly doused all the apples. The girls shrieked with glee as a fine mist of water sprayed over them, but they continued onwards anyway to the laughter of the grown ups behind them. Winona pranced around beneath the water, her brown coat dampening to a sparkling black, then came and shook herself off all over Applejack, inciting even more laughter.

Rainbow grinned as Applejack frowned at Winona, her honey blonde hair dripping down her back. Raising an eyebrow, the cowgirl took off her hat and deliberately wrung it out so that droplets spattered Rainbow’s face. The tall athlete only grinned wider. Standing her amidst a horde of Applejack’s relatives, being teased by her best friend and watching Applejack and Babs play in the water, Rainbow felt like she was with the family she'd never had.

Soon enough, the apples were all clean, their skins glowing in brilliant hues of red and green. Apple Bloom hurried off to turn off and stow away the hose while Applejack issued instructions to the rest of her family. “Alraght. Let's git t’ pressin’.” Most of the people in the glade sat down at one of the cider presses, which were all neatly clustered in a circle so that everyone could talk to each other while they worked, each one next to a wheelbarrow full of apples. “Guess Ah don’ need t’ tell y’all how these work,” she conceded with a smile as everyone nodded assent and got to work. A rumble of chatter rose in the air as the Apple family took the opportunity to catch up with relatives both old and young.

Applejack turned to the remainder of the people who hadn't sat down at a cider press, most of them old women and a few young girls. “Granny, do you wanna take everybody here inside t’ get th’ lunch started?”

“Sure as sugar, Jackie,” she answered, fondly patting her granddaughter’s cheek. Granny raised her voice. “Last one in’s a rotten apple!” she hollered, gathering her skirts and sprinting inside with in an unexpected display of agility Rainbow had never expected, followed by a horde of similarly impossibly fast old women.

Dash’s jaw dropped. “Whoa.”

AJ chuckled. “Mah Granny was a big racer back in her day. Won all th’ Apple family competitions. Still ain't lost her fire.”

“No kidding,” Rainbow agreed, awestruck. “I should race her sometime. Who do you think’d win?”

Applejack snorted. “Ya kiddin’? Granny, o’ course.”

Rainbow laughed, but then her smile faltered. “Hang on, was that a joke?”

AJ shrugged mysteriously, turned around, and strode off, her boots thudding against the grass. Rainbow dashed after her. “Hold up, where are we going? How come we're not cider pressing?”

“‘Cause we’re gonna go fetch th’ barrels first,” she answered, without turning around.

“Ugh. When are we gonna get to the actual cider?”

“Hold yore horses,” AJ said amusedly. “Gotta do th’ hard work b’fore we can have some fun.”

Light dappled the floor of the barn as Applejack creaked the door open. The horses had been out to pasture, so the barn seemed eerily empty. The back wall was lined with thick wooden barrels. Rainbow Dash frowned. “We have to carry all of these out?”

AJ raised an eyebrow. “How else they gonna git out? ‘Course we’re gonna carry ‘em. Or ya can roll ‘em, if yore too scared t’ work yore muscles.”

Oh no she didn't. “Are you kidding me?” Rainbow challenged, crossing her arms. “My arms are way stronger than those puny little things you try to pass off as limbs. Let's do this.”

“Wow, ain't Ah lucky t’ be around someone so mature,” Applejack fired back sarcastically. To an outsider, it might have appeared as though the two of them were gearing up for an argument - but they both knew they were having the time of their lives. “Alraght then, show me whatcha got, R.D.”

She picked up a barrel and promptly dropped the damn thing on her toe.

With a supreme amount of willpower, she managed to avoid howling in pain and hopping around the barn while clutching her toe. Instead, she swore violently, taking some pleasure in the sight of Applejack’s rapidly reddening face. “What's the matter, cowgirl?” Dash wheezed. “Never heard some real swearing before?”

The concern in Applejack’s face quickly melted away, replaced by amusement. Rainbow must have been feeling better if she was able to insult her. “Ah did warn ya,” she chided her, her freckles seeming to twinkle boldly in the light flickering through the barn door. “Ain't mah fault ya got a mule’s mind under that eyesore ya call hair.”

Rainbow winced. “Jesus, AJ. Let up a little, I just smashed my toe!” In other words, she didn't have a good enough comeback for that.

Applejack sidled closer and plucked the barrel off Rainbow’s foot with ease, inspecting it closely. “Well, at least ya didn't dent mah barrel.”

“Are you kidding me? That's what you're worried about?”

Tipping her Stetson back over her forehead, Applejack shot her a winning smile. “Believe me, if’n you’d really got hurt, Ah’d’ve carried ya t’ th’ hospital mahself. But ya seem fine, so suck it up an’ come help me git these outside.”

Her words sounded a bit harsh, but Rainbow loved her to death for them. Out of all their friends, even though she never failed to show concern when Rainbow got hurt, Applejack seemed to trust more than anyone that Rainbow could take care of herself. She never tried to hold her back or restrain her limits, and Rainbow loved that when she was AJ, she was free to fly sky-high. So instead of firing back with a sharp retort, she snapped a quick salute and took her barrel back from Applejack, managing not to drop it this time - although she came very close to doing so out of distraction when Applejack scooped up not one but two barrels, one under each arm, her muscles straining very attractively.

It took the two girls several trips throughout the course of an hour to transport all the barrels outside. Near the end, Rainbow Dash was so exhausted that she had to resort to rolling the barrels after all, much to her chagrin. Applejack, kindly, never said a word, just continuing to carry two barrels at a time with her usual mild demeanor and friendly smile. Finally, when the last barrel had been brought to the clearing, Rainbow cracked her knuckles and stood to her full height, her muscles shivering. Her tanned body was gleaming with sweat. I must look disgusting.

“Ya look disgustin’,” AJ said, handing her a damp towel. “Here. Dry off.”

“Gee, thanks.” Glowering, Rainbow snatched the towel and swiped it over her face and hands. It came away even damper then before. Not even remotely grossed it - Rainbow handled sweaty towels all the time after track - she tossed it mischievously to AJ, who cringed as it stuck to her shoulder with a wet plop. “Dangit, I was aiming for your face.”

Without missing a beat, Applejack plucked the towel off her shirt and threw it at Rainbow’s face so forcefully that it almost knocked her over. “Bulls-eye,” she smirked.

“No more tomfoolery, you two,” Mac called out, his arms steadily working the cider press as he glanced over at her. “Git t’ work, now.”

“She started it!” they protested jointly. Applejack narrowed her eyes at Rainbow. “Liar.”

Dash blew her a very mature raspberry.

“Hmph.” Without sparing her a backwards glance, Applejack strode off towards the only cider press that remained unclaimed. Allowing herself a pat on the back for her victory, Rainbow jogged after her.

The clearing resounded with friendly greetings from the Apple clan as Applejack took her seat at the cider press. Rainbow crouched next to the press, her hand spread against an apple barrel for balance. “So how does this work?”

Arching an eyebrow, Applejack gestured to the rest of the cider presses currently being used. “How do ya think?”

She felt stupid instantly. “Oh, right. Turn the crank, the apples get crushed.”

“Bingo. It ain't rocket science.” She chuckled, her nose crinkling adorably, and Rainbow felt her heart lurch a little. To disguise the sudden blush that had crept over her cheeks, she reached into the apple barrel and fished around for a shiny red apple. “Uh, here. I can feed in the apples.”

“Fine by me.” Slipping off her flannel jacket and rolling up her sleeves to reveal her tanned, muscular forearms, AJ dropped Rainbow’s apples into the cider press and began cranking, whistling a cheery tune under her breath.

Even her whistling is gorgeous. I can't stand it. Dash pretended not to be listening and continued throwing apples in AJ’s direction, occasionally missing on purpose just to watch AJ’s flat stare of annoyance as an apple bounced off her elbow or shoulder and, one time, even her nose. They continued in the shame fashion until the sun was almost directly overhead, at which point Granny Smith stuck her head out of the farmhouse and yelled, “Applejaaaaaack! We need yore help with th’ lunch!”

The entire yard quieted as everyone turned to stare, and AJ’s face turned bright red. “Wow. Your granny is loud,” Rainbow commented, mainly just to break the silence.

Applejack exhaled, pushing air past her lips and wiping a droplet of sweat from her forehead. “Tell me about it. Well, guess Ah better git on inside. Ya comin’?”

“Nowhere else I'd rather be.” Slipping off her own jacket and letting it collapse onto Applejack’s stool, Rainbow followed her friend into the farmhouse.

Actually, it was more like a madhouse at the moment. The walls seemed to vibrate with activity as raised voices hollered from the kitchen, and various smells seemed to compete with each other for dominance. Rainbow caught a whiff of baking bread, apple pie, and sweet potato stew. Licking he lips instinctively, her stomach growling, she trailed after AJ in the kitchen.

“What can Ah do, Granny?” Applejack asked dutifully, squeezing past the ten other women who crowded the space as they worked finish making lunch, arguing about whether or not pie crust should be refrigerated before use and other such nonsense that Rainbow neither understood nor cared about.

“Salad,” Granny answered at once, her eyes clear and alert. She was always at her more attentive when she was in the kitchen. “Over there by the window. Needs tossin’. An’ a bit o’ that apple vinaigrette, Ah’m thinking.”

“‘Kay. C’mon, Dash. You can help me out.”

It turned out that ‘helping out’ involved picking through spinach leaves and sorting out the good ones from the bad ones. “This is incredibly undignified,” Rainbow whined. “How come you're stuck making salad, anyway? Can't you bake, like, the best pies ever and stuff?”

“Ah’m just doing what Ah was asked t’ do,” Applejack said reprovingly, her eyes streaked with gold in the sunlight streaming through the window. “This ain't mah fav’rite thing t’ do. But ya just gotta be happy with whatcha got, y’know?”

She held up her hands in defeat. “Whoa. Okay, Principal Celestia.” But secretly, Rainbow admired AJ for her outlook, for the intelligence that gleamed in her eyes, as wise and green and beautiful as an ancient forest.

Not that she'd ever admit it.

Finally, when they had finished the salad, a procession of old ladies streamed from the farmhouse out onto the lawn, proudly bearing the fruits of their labor, also with a very sour-looking Rainbow Dash. Neither she nor Applejack had wanted to carry the salad bowl outside with the rest of the food, so they had settled the decision with a brief tussle (which AJ had won, much to Dash’s annoyance. Now she had to watch Applejack smirking at her, arms crossed, from the sidelines).

The men had been busy as well. Several long trestle tables jostled for position in the clearing, at which everyone was already impatiently seated. As quickly as possible, Rainbow deposited the salad bowl and backed away. “Okay. What now?”

AJ slung a friendly arm around her back, and Rainbow was so caught up in the thrill of the moment that she forgot to feel flustered. “Ya eat. What else?”

***

The afternoon passed quickly after the meal, which, as expected, had been delicious. A chill breeze began to whip through the air, and Rainbow had to shrug on her jacket once more. She marveled at AJ’s endurance; she was like a walking sea of freckles bearing a hurricane as she strode forward, hollering orders, without her jacket.

All too soon, the cidermaking process was finished. Every last drop of cider had been barreled and infused with spices, and the entire family had helped roll them into the barn for storage. Soon, they all began to trickle away, promising to return in December for their annual family reunion, leaving the Apple siblings, Granny Smith, and Rainbow all alone on the lawn. Leaves whispered around their feet, stirred by the wind, and Rainbow felt her cheeks beginning to tingle from the cold, but she didn't want to leave just yet. If she was cold here, then her apartment would be even colder. Besides, she just didn't want this day to end. She knew she might not have another one like it for a long time.

Apparently, Applejack was of the same mind. “Rainbow, do ya wanna take a walk around th’ farm a little? There ain't much cleanup t’ do from t’day, an’ Ah finished mosta mah chores yesterday, so…”

“I’d love to,” she answered immediately. “Hey, race you to the woods!” Laughing mischievously, she dug her heels into the loam and then streaked off like a rocket, basking in the rush of cold wind streaking by her face. Behind her, she dimly heard Applejack swearing at her as she followed in pursuit, but Rainbow pretended to ignore her and increased her speed.

The farmgirl was hot on her heels when Rainbow Dash suddenly skidded to a stop, her chest heaving. “You guys have leaf piles?” She pointed to the left at the tall stack of leaves that had caught her attention. “I thought her hat was, like, only in books and stuff.”

Applejack scratched her head in bewilderment. “Uh, nope. Why wouldn't they be real?”

She shrugged. “Dunno. Just seems really old-fashioned.” Crouching, Rainbow curled her fist around two leaves and them shoved their stems up her nostrils. “Hey, look at me.” She crossed her eyes and gave Applejack a goofy grin.

The farmgirl pretended to be unamused, but her mouth was twitching in a smile. “Yore a riot, Dash.”

“Don'tcha know it, baby.” Rainbow glanced up just in time to see Applejack’s body shudder briefly. “Hey, are you cold?” She crossed over to AJ and gently swung her own jacket around her shoulders, finding it adorable that the sleeves were long enough to cover her hands, but knowing that if she said so aloud she risked getting a handprint embedded in her face.

Applejack tried to protest, but Rainbow was having none of it. “I'll be fine, AJ. I’m not cold at all.”

That was a lie, and they both knew it. But Applejack also knew that the only person who could match her own stubbornness was Rainbow herself. So rather than continue her protests, she merely cupped a hand to Rainbow’s cheek and said, “Thank ya, darlin’.”

Her hand was freezing, but somehow her touch filled Rainbow with warmth anyway. Not knowing how to respond, she jerked away. “Come on. I wanna jump in that huge-ass leaf pile.”

“No, wait.” AJ caught her by the arm. “Let's wrestle first. Ya know, like we did when we were kids.”

Rainbow grinned, recalling their childhood days when they would troop back into the farmhouse covered in dirt, leaves, fresh scratches - and broad, matching smiles. “Alright. You wanna go for a roll with me, cowgirl?” She stoped herself just shy of making a sly innuendo.

Without pausing to answer, Applejack kicked off her boots, threw herself at Rainbow, and tackled her to the ground.

Rainbow yelped in surprise as she was thrown backwards. She started laughing. “So you really wanna do this? Alright, let's do this!” She rolled out from underneath Applejack and gave her a playful shove that knocked her backwards.

They laughed heartily as they tussled, rolling back and forth surrounded by a cloud of dust. Applejack whipped her hair across Dash’s face to disorient her, and Rainbow retaliated by mischievously running her fingers down the length of Applejack’s sides, where she knew the farmgirl had ticklish spots. Applejack snorted with laughter and nearly lost her balance, but regained it just in time. She pinned Rainbow’s legs down beneath her own so that her toes brushed against Rainbow’s ankles, placed her hands on her shoulders and settled herself atop Rainbow’s torso.

Their laughter died down as they found themselves staring deep into each other’s eyes.

Applejack’s chest heaved as she tried to get her breath back, the tips of her flaxen ponytail swinging in the slight breeze and tickling Rainbow’s nose. Her cowboy hat had blown away in the tussle long ago.

Applejack suddenly threw herself on top of Dash so that her cheek pressed against the side of Rainbow’s head and wrapped her arms around her back, holding her close. “Ah wish it could be like this all th’ time,” she whispered, her lips moving against Rainbow’s ear. Without warning, she shifted her head, lowered her face down to Rainbow’s, and kissed her…

On the cheek.

Rainbow felt a momentary surge of disappointment that it hadn't been on the lips, followed by a wave of elation. Applejack had really kissed her! With her real, actual lips!

But Applejack seemed to be experiencing very different emotions. Looking horrified, she shoved Dash away and unsteadily rose to her feet, holding a hand over her mouth. “Ah - Ah’m sorry - Ah didn't mean t’ do that,” she stuttered, her voice trembling. “Ah - Ah gotta go.”

“No - Applejack, wait - ” Rainbow staggered to her feet, holding out her hand.

“Bye, Dash,” AJ choked out, turning away, a tear slipping down her cheek. She paused only to grab her boots before running away to the farmhouse at full speed, still wearing Rainbow’s jacket, its sleeves flapping forlornly in the breeze.

She didn't look back once.

Rainbow stared after her, horrified, feeling tears well up in her own eyes. Why had she looked so shocked; why hadn't she kissed Applejack back; why hadn't she told Applejack how much she loved her?

She let loose a guttural scream of rage and misery and collapsed to her knees. She’d probably just irreparably destroyed her friendship with the person she loved most in all the world - and all because she'd let Applejack think she hadn't enjoyed her affection. A phrase came to her lips unbidden; she murmured it once, then again, then again, until her throat was raw from saying it.

“I'm sorry.”

***

Applejack ran inside, pounded up the stairs to her room, slammed the door, and threw herself on her bed, feeling hollow and empty as she remembered the look of shock on Rainbow’s face when she'd kissed her. She has recklessly endangered her friendship with her best friend… what had she been thinking? Feeling too tired and sad to support her body weight anymore, she slowly collapsed into her pillow and began weeping again, harder than she had since her parents had died, and occasionally murmuring a single broken phrase into the depths of her pillow.

“Ah’m sorry.”

Chapter Eleven

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Author's Notes:

Heya.

I'M BACK I'M FINALLY BACK WITH A NEW CHAPTER!!! Ahhhh!! I'm such a jerk, sorry for that crazy wait! I think it's been more than a year. Ewwww. Sorry. School really took over. In fact, it's still taking over, and I do have to go to college in the fall - but I'm hoping that I can return to this story anyway. Updates might be slow, but hopefully not nonexistent, although I don't really know for sure. I still have plans for this, so I hope to finish. Hopefully this new chapter doesn't disappoint all of you... I feel like I've forgotten how to write this story, if that makes any sense. But at least it's less of a nasty cliffhanger than the last chapter had.

Also, I feel like this is my third Rainbow Dash chapter in a row; the last two were from her POV and so is this one, whereas normally I have two chapters from one's perspective and then two from another's Sorry, AJ. I still love you. I'm coming back to you next chapter.

Enjoy!

~ A week later ~

Rainbow trudged up the driveway to Applejack’s front door, her sneakered shoes trailing through the pile of crumbling fall leaves. Red, yellow, bronze; they poked petulantly at her shoes as if to slow her down and distract her from her objectives, but she knew that she would be a coward if she listened to them. And Rainbow Dash was not a coward. Mostly.

She had found herself here every day for a week. Well, that was a lie; ‘found’ would imply that it been an accident, and she had very much come here on purpose, despite having to drag her feet here as they wrestled with her very stubborn brain. Her mind had told her to chill out, to ‘hold her horses’, as AJ would have put it. It had reasoned that AJ didn't want to see her for a while and that she should give her some time.

But Dash had never been very obedient, and apparently her constituent parts weren't either, because her feet had insisted on coming here anyway.

Whenever she rang the doorbell, AJ’s silhouette bobbed up behind the screen door and then went away without opening it. That had hurt. If you were banned from entering the Apple family’s house, you must have done something really wrong. Rainbow kept trying anyway, though.

Perhaps that was for the best. Because today, the silhouette behind the screen was taller, and broader, and far bulkier. It was Big Mac’s.

“What are ya doin’ here?” he growled, stepping outside and crossing his forearms so that every band of muscle was starkly visible.

Dash gulped. She was tall and strong, but Mac could squeeze her to a pulp.

“I'm here to see AJ,” she squeaked out, her throat wobbly, as though a bird had settled in there and was trying to beat its wings around.

“Well, she don't wanna see you.” Big Mac leaned against the doorframe and the whole house shook. “Ah don't know what ya did to her, but Ah don't like it. You better stay out.”

“I didn't do anything!” Rainbow yelped. “Applejack - ” Then she came to her senses. What was she going to say? That Applejack had kissed her? She wasn't going to out AJ to her brother without her consent.

Instead, she dropped her chin to her chest. “I came to make things right,” she said in a low voice. Which was true, in any case. “We had… a thing happened. Alright? I can't say anything else. But I have to fix it.” I have to let her know that she wasn't wrong. That I love her, too.

Mac scowled, his lips tugging at his faint gingery stubble. “That don't sound very honest. Ah don't think yore tellin’ me the full story.”

“It's as honest as I know how to be,” Rainbow whispered, which was also the truth; she was used to hiding everything about her life from everyone else. “Please. Just let me in. I need to see her.”

Something in Mac’s eyes gave way, and his craggy brows uplifted. “Well. Ah don’t wanna be the one standin’ in the way of gettin’ a friendship back… so Ah guess Ah’ll let ya in.” He stood back, but as Rainbow crossed the threshold, he reached out a meaty hand and placed it firmly on her shoulder, his gaze snagged firmly on hers. “But if ya hurt my sister, Miss Dash, let me tell ya: nothin’ an’ no one will be able to save ya from me.”

Then he stepped outside onto the front porch and closed the door behind him.

Rainbow sucked in her breath and teetered into the house, her heels feeling just about as brittle as her heart, as though they might crack and dump her onto the floor at any minute. Winona was curled up in a heap by the fireplace, and she lifted her eyes and wagged her tail but did not bother getting up. It was almost as though she, too, could sense AJ’s current reticence and felt the need to emulate it.

The house was eerily silent; Apple Bloom was with with Sweetie Belle — Rainbow had heard them discussing a sleepover at school — and Granny Smith was either napping somewhere or buying groceries. It was just Rainbow Dash and Applejack, then. The way it always had been when they were kids, but now, somehow, it was much, much scarier.

She clambered ponderously up the steps, debating whether or not she should just turn back, but finally found herself at the top. Steeling herself, she knocked briskly on Applejack’s closed door. Too late to turn back. Plus, if she did, she might see Big Mac waiting there to pummel her into the ground.

“Who is it,” came the weary answer from inside. It wasn't even a question, as though Applejack hadn't had the energy to modulate her voice. “Mac, if that's you, Ah’ll say it again: Ah’m not comin’ out.”

Slight play on words there, but Dash knew this wasn't the moment to point it out. She cleared her throat. “Er, Applejack,” she rasped. “It's… it's Rainbow Dash.”

“What?” Her voice was shot through with alarm. “Dagnabbit! Ah told Mac t’ keep ya out!”

That hurt, but Rainbow forced herself to keep going. “No, AJ! I had to see you! I…” She slumped against the door, pressing the flat of her palm to it, the wood seeming to fog under her breath. “I have to talk to you. About what happened.”

“Well, Ah don’ wanna talk about it.” Applejack’s voice broke on the last syllable, indicating that she very much did want to talk about it. Rainbow had always been able to read AJ like a book. Everyone could. That was just her nature. She hid nothing; she couldn't even if she wanted to. “Why are ya even still here? Why haven't ya… Ah dunno, unfriended me? After what happened? Why do ya still want to see me?”

She could be so obtuse sometimes. Rainbow ground her teeth. “Godamn it, Applejack. Can you please just let me in? Don't you see? Don't you know why I still want to see you?”

Silence.

“You idiot,” Rainbow groaned. “AJ, I'm not mad because you kissed me. If anything, I'm mad because I didn't kiss you first.”

Another silence, and then the door creaked open, as if Applejack had been waiting on the other side of it. Her eyes were streaked with tears, and her hair and clothes were as crumpled as though she hadn't looked in a mirror for days. “What did ya say?” she whispered, not quite staring Rainbow in the eye, as though if she did she would find something scary in her friend’s gaze.

“I said — ” Dash really did try to remember, but she couldn't seem to think anymore, now that she was seeing Applejack again for the first time in a week. Her heart began to beat as if it were playing jump rope, and Rainbow had to firmly step on the rope in order to trip it. “I said… oh, for the love of Pete! This is what I said.” She crossed the threshold, grabbed AJ’s face between her palms, and bent down to kiss her, not taking care to do it slowly or meekly. Their knees knocked together and Rainbow knew her front was sweaty from walking all the way here, but she didn't care. It was perfect.

For a glorious moment, AJ kissed back, her mouth moving hungrily over Rainbow’s — but then frantically pulled away. “No, Dash… we can't do this! Why do ya think Ah ran away in a panic the first time?” She sat down on her bed and buried her head in her hands. Tears trickled out from the gaps between her fingers. “My family won't like this. How can Ah keep goin’, knowin’ they wouldn't want this? They'd be so disappointed…”

Rainbow kneeled and seized her hand, her gaze so intense that AJ felt it as much as she saw it. “Who cares what they want? AJ, you're too nice all the time! Stop worrying about other people. What do you want? Or if you are gonna worry about other people, then why not worry about me? Because I want you. I love you, Applejack.” She paused and then added, “And I have for ages. So tell me, Applejack. What do you want?”

Applejack hesitated for the briefest of moments. Then she said, simply, honestly, in the manner that she was famous for, “Ah want to kiss ya again.”

Rainbow’s whole body unclenched with relief. “Then just do it already,” she murmured, but scarcely had she finished when AJ’s lips were on hers once more.

Still sitting on the bed, the cowgirl ran her hands over Rainbow’s forehead, her cheeks, her neck. Elated, Rainbow picked her up and swung her around, her eyes still shut in rapture.

Finally, when Dash’s noodle-arms were burning from the strain of holding AJ - who, despite her diminutive stature, was nonetheless compact and heavy - she set her down on the dresser, keeping her hands pressed into the small of her back. Their foreheads pressed together, and AJ’s breath was hot on her nose, but Dash kept her eyes closed. She didn't want to open them only for Applejack to disappear, and discover that all of this was a dream.

“How long?” she whispered. “How long have you loved me?” Because that sort of kiss wasn't the kiss that you gave to a mere crush. It had been intense, burning, passionate; the sort of kiss that said you had found your soulmate and weren't going to let them go. “I've been madly in love with you since freshmen year. Can you believe that? All this time and I was too chicken to say anything… Rainbow Dash, the daredevil, the cockiest kid in town…” She snorted.

“Ah wouldn't beat yoreself up about it,” AJ whispered back. Her accent sounded that much more musical now that her voice was washing right over Rainbow’s face, close enough that you could feel the warmth in it. “Ah’ve liked ya for wayyy longer than that.”

“How long are we talking?” Rainbow murmured, scooping AJ into her arms and settling her on the bed so that they could lie down next to each other.

AJ sucked in a playful breath, her eyes crinkling as she fiddled with the edge of Rainbow’s shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles in it. “Oh, Ah dunno. Eight or nine years? Give or take a little?”

Rainbow’s jaw wrenched open in shock. “Holy shit. Really?”

Now the farmgirl seemed bashful, a blush highlighting her freckles, either because of the swear word or the information she had just shared. “Yep. Been a while, huh?”

“Geez.” Rainbow scrawled a hand through her polychromatic hair, staring up at the ceiling. “How did you deal with it for that long? I was already going crazy, and I'd only known I liked you for half that time.”

Applejack shrugged. “Good at keepin’ my feelin’s a secret. All Apples are. It's a family trait. Yeah, Ah thought Ah might go crazy, too. But Ah knew it'd be even worse if Ah told ya an’ ya freaked out, so that was good enough motivation t’ keep my trap shut. At least, it was until last week. Ah dunno what happened… Ah just had t’ kiss ya.” She cringed at the embarrassing memory.

Dash grabbed her hand. “And I'm glad you did,” she promised her warmly. “But I’m not sure how you didn't know I was flirting with you! Like, even though I was terrified to actually tell you, I was still flirting. And I've never been… y’know, discreet. About anything. Seriously.”

AJ gave a rueful smile. “Obvliviousness is another Apple family trait.”

They held hands for a while, lying on Applejack’s bed as though they had all the time in the world. Finally, Rainbow Dash rolled over to face Applejack, propping her elbow up to support herself. “So. Who all do we tell?”

AJ sighed and passed a weary hand against her face, slumping her shoulders against her pillow. “Ah wish Ah could tell mah family… but Ah can't, Dash, Ah just can't. Ya understand, don’t’cha?”

Applejack knew Rainbow well enough to know that Dash would want to scream this good news out to the world, hence the apologetic look in her eyes as she asked Dash to keep it a secret from her family for a while longer. Rainbow, however, was not as put out as AJ would have thought, even if she was a little disappointed. She knew that AJ needed a home and a family who loved her, and, disgusting and unfortunate as it was, she might not have that if she told them that she was dating Rainbow. Dash wanted to share the good news with them, too, but she could forego that if it meant keeping Applejack safe. “Of course I understand,” she promised. “People have dated in secret for centuries. No biggie. We’ll be like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Well, now ya jinxed it,” AJ said drily. “We’re both gonna die gruesome deaths.”

“Since when do you even read Shakespeare plays?” Rainbow demanded.

“Since Ah had t’ take tenth grade English - the same class where you started readin’ ‘em. Pay attention.” Applejack chucked Dash lightly under the chin, but she was grinning broadly, and it was evident that they had both equally missed this playful banter.

“So who else are we telling?” Dash asked. “Our friends, obviously. I mean, I already kind of talked to Fluttershy about my feelings…”

“An’ Ah already talked t’ Rares,” Applejack admitted sheepishly. “So Ah bet the two of ‘em figured we'd eventually get together anyway. That means the only two left are Twilight ‘n Pinkie. Wouldn't be surprised if Pinkie already knew. Ya know how she is.” They shared a chuckle. “As for Twilight, there's no way she knows anythin’. Girl wouldn't know romance if it kissed her on the lips, ya know?”

“Yep. And I'm pretty sure Sunset Shimmer’s tried to a couple times,” Rainbow chortled. “Anyway. It's settled then. We can tell everyone at school.”

“Great. What about yore aunt an’ uncle? They wouldn't care, would they?”

A wave of unease wiggled into Rainbow’s stomach. She still hadn't told Applejack about the whole situation. Maybe now was the time. She took AJ’s hand, fingering her callused knuckles. “AJ… about my aunt and uncle. I have to tell you something.” But when she tried, the words wouldn't come. They were stoppered up in her throat, burning into it like acid, but they still wouldn't budge. She gulped. “I - maybe I should just show you.”

Confused, Applejack let Rainbow lead her outside to the driveway. Their hands swung together, and Rainbow still felt lightheaded with glee, but her stomach simultaneously churned with nerves. She hadn't told anyone her secret before, not even AJ, whom she trusted more than anyone else in the world.

“Where's yore sports car?” Applejack asked. “Didn't ya drive it here?”

Rainbow grimaced. “Not quite. Can I get a ride?”

Chapter Twelve

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Applejack felt lightheaded all the way to… well, to wherever Rainbow Dash was making her drive. After a miserable week of brutally kicking herself for being so forward, their friendship hadn't ended after all. Instead, it had grown into something new; something better. They were still best friends, but now they were something more, too. It was like they huddled under an umbrella of love that encompassed all the feelings they had ever had for each other, whether friendly or more-than-friendly. All of the feelings were wrapped up into one, so neither of them had to miss out on anything. And from under the umbrella, Applejack was safe from the rain of the outside world. She still didn't know what she would do when her family found out. But until then…

AJ reached across the car and grabbed at Rainbow’s hand, twining their fingers together. She couldn't count the number of times she had wanted to do this. Without taking her eyes off the road (because, duh, she wasn't going to jeopardize their lives just to be romantic) she smiled, knowing that Rainbow was watching her. “Ah missed ya,” she said. “An’ Ah’m glad we're back together now. As friends an’… y’know. Girlfriends, too.” The word melted on her tongue, infusing her mouth with sweetness. It was a word she had never imagined using to describe herself, let alone to describe herself and Rainbow Dash.

Dash squeezed her hand. “I missed you, too. And yeah. Same.” She smiled, but there was something missing from it.

Applejack knew her well enough to know that something was wrong. She slid her foot over to the brake pedal as they neared an intersection, and twisted to stare at her friend. “Dash, won't ya just tell me what's wrong?”

She moved to flick the right turn signal on, since this was the intersection where she had to turn to get to Rainbow’s aunt and uncle’s house, but Rainbow stopped her. “No, drive straight. We're going somewhere else today.”

Confused, Applejack did as she asked. “Honey, that didn't answer mah question. It just made me more confused.”

Dash pursed her lips, refusing to look her in the eye. “It did answer the question… you just don't know it yet.”

AJ sucked in her breath. When Dash wanted to be difficult and cryptic, there was no prying any useful information out of her. She pressed a kiss to Rainbow’s hand and returned both palms to the steering wheel. “Alright, darlin’. Just, ya know, ya can talk to me whenever ya need me.”

“That's why I’m here,” Rainbow said, her breaths choppy and uneven. “To talk to you. Because I haven't been saying what I should have, not for years and years. And it's finally time to… to…” She swallowed, her throat bobbing like a bird. “To be honest.”

“Honest?” Applejack was so surprised she almost jerked the steering wheel. “Ya sayin’ ya been lyin’ to me? Ah don’t think so. Ah’d’ve noticed.”

“Not this time.” Dash stared ahead grimly. “It's hard to notice a lie when you've been hearing it for years.”

“Years? R.D., what in the hey is goin’ on?”

Dash didn't answer. “Keep driving. Right into the city, go on.”

Although she was growing more perplexed by the minute, Applejack kept holding Dash’s hand as Canterlot loomed in the distance. When the pickup reached the edge of the city, the part where the countryside melted into humps of brick and glass and depressed apartment buildings, Rainbow instructed her to turn left off the highway, and Applejack followed her directions to one of the smaller apartment buildings on the right. “Dash… what are we doin’ here?” she asked as the car idled at the curbside in front. Strangers glared at her as they hustled down the sidewalks, and she revved the engine nervously, prepared to make a quick getaway. These weren't nice country folk at all.

In answer, Dash pulled out a key from her pocket and stared hard at Applejack, as if daring her to comment, and AJ felt her heart sink. It had a label on it, just in case Dash forgot what it was for: APARTMENT DOOR. “Oh, no. Oh, no no no. Rainbow Dash, please tell me you're jokin’.”

“I wish,” came the acrid reply. “Park the car. There's spots under the building. Then come on up and see the lie I've been telling you guys for years.” Her voice rasped sharply as though nails were stuck in her throat.

She almost couldn't believe it as she parked the pickup truck. What had happened? Why wasn't Dash living with her aunt and uncle? And why lie about it all, anyways? Poor thing. If only Applejack had known… but she hadn't, and now the knowledge was slamming into her like a truck.

The lobby might have looked like it had seen better days, except that it didn't look like it had seen good days at all. The walls looked like mold and the floor was squishy; a layer of dust hung over anything. There wasn't even a security guard. This place wasn't safe at all. Swallowing hard, AJ eyed the elevator. “Ah… Ah’m not too sure Ah trust that.”

“I wouldn't if I were you. Come on, we'll take the stairs… all ten flights of them. At least I have a good view.”

At the top, Rainbow stuck the key into the door at the far end of the hallway. It creaked in protest but refused to move, and Dash swore. “Crap. This thing’s always so sticky…” She jiggled the door until it wrenched open, and took a deep breath before looking at Applejack with a pained smile. “Don't hate me for lying. Please.”

“Zip it, Dash. Ya know Ah could never hate ya. Ah…” Her voice faltered like a stalled engine, but when she tried to start it up again, the words wouldn't come.

Applejack stared all around the room in shocked silence, taking in its contents: the tiny armchair and television set so old it should’ve had a funeral, which comprised the only pieces of furniture in the apartment; a kitchen more gray than white which even an ant would have problems maneuvering in; a grimy window; and nasty carpeting. She could have crossed the whole apartment in ten steps. Tank’s cage was in the corner, and Applejack’s heart melted when she saw that Rainbow had done her best to make it seem homely, stuffing it with vegetation and rocks.

“Rainbow…” Applejack’s voice was hoarse, accompanied by tears welling up in her eyes. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Dash, what…?” She gestured to the room. “You've been livin’ here this whole time?”

Rainbow flung herself down in the armchair, which creaked ominously, and snorted bitterly. “Yeah. My aunt and uncle kicked me out as soon as they figured I was old enough. They never liked me. They took me in out of duty, after my parents, you know…” She swallowed. “They always put on a nice act, to fool everyone who came over. But they weren't nice at all. They got rid of me as soon as they could. They don't even send me money. All I’ve got is the money I earn from the mall, and that all goes to rent and food. I don't even have enough money to buy bus tickets, let alone a heckin’ bike. So I have to run to school every day. I always make sure I get there before you guys and leave when you're all gone, so nobody asks me any questions. That hot sports car I kept telling you about it? I don't have it. I told you I don't bring it to school ‘cause I like running. Man, that was bull. It's all bull. My whole life is bull.” She swung around to bravely face Applejack in the eye, but the farmer could see how hard she was trying not to cry.

Applejack strode over and knelt down by Rainbow, grabbing her hands just like Rainbow had done to her only a couple of hours ago. Tears brimmed in her own eyes. “Sugarcube, Ah’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Ah had no idea yore aunt an’ uncle did that to ya.” Rage overtook her at the thought of it, and she had to beat it back down. “Ah… Ah don't know what else to say. Why didn't ya tell any of us before? We coulda helped ya.”

Rainbow wouldn't quite meet her gaze, and Applejack knew exactly why. Dash had always been a proud girl, and letting Applejack see her fall this far must have been a huge blow. “Because I was embarrassed,” she muttered, confirming AJ’s suspicions. “I didn't want you guys to see me like this. I can look after myself. And more then that, I didn't want to be a burden to you.” The words were heavy and clearly forced out only thanks to a supreme amount of willpower; Dash had also never been very good at talking about feelings. “I didn't want you to have to stoop down and pick me back up. It would have been way too much work. I didn't want to put you guys through that.”

There it was, that heart that Applejack knew Rainbow had. Always looking out for other people even when she was struggling herself.

But she was still, sometimes, a blithering idiot. “Rainbow,” Applejack said slowly, cupping Dash’s face in her hands. “We know you can take care of yoreself. But did it ever occur to ya that we might want to take care of ya sometimes, too? That yore our friend an’ we love ya an’ would do just about anythin’ for ya? You didn't wanna put us through anything? What about what yore bein’ put through? Did ya ever think that we might wanna help ya with that? Ya ain't a burden, Dash. Not ever.” Applejack reached up to stroke her forehead, her eyes tender. “The only burden is seein’ ya like this an’ knowing Ah didn't know about it for years.”

“I…”

Dash lowered her head, ashamed, and Applejack squeezed her hand. “Look. We got two possible courses of action. First: we drive to yore aunt an’ uncle’s place right now, an’ Ah pummel ‘em into the dirt. Or…” She stood up and tapped a finger on Rainbow’s nose. “Ya get all yore stuff into a duffel bag an’ we drive back to mah house.”

“Okay, the first option is the only one I actually understood. Why do I need a bag?”

“Sugarcube, if ya think Ah’m lettin’ ya stay here one night longer, you're outta yore mind. No way, no how. You're comin’ back t’ my house. At least ‘till we can find ya a better place to stay somewhere else and help ya get back on yore feet.”

“What?” Dash seemed almost alarmed by the suggestion. “No, AJ, I can't stay with you guys, I can't make you take care of me, I” —

“Stop talkin’. It's already decided.” Applejack strode firmly into Rainbow’s bedroom. She cringed away from its shabbiness but tried to maintain a brave face for her friend. “If ya don't come in here of yore own accord, Ah’m gonna start pickin’ things for ya at random. So git yore butt over here.”

Rainbow trailed in a second later, her face dreary. “AJ, this is embarrassing. I don't want you guys to have to put up with me. Like I said, I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, but ya shouldn't have to fend,” Applejack argued back. “Ya should just be able to live. An’ ya can't do that here. We're goin’ back to mah house an’ ya can stay in the guest bedroom until yore back on yore feet. Okay?”

Dash slumped against the wall, but her lips were curled in a tentative smile. “I… okay. Thanks, AJ.” Her eyes said everything she couldn't say aloud. They expressed a gratitude that couldn't fit in words, a relief that she was too embarrassed to admit, and a love that she couldn't ever hope to be able to quantify.

Applejack patted her on the shoulder. She knew exactly how she needed to handle her — Rainbow was a proud girl, and was probably mightily embarrassed right at this very moment. Applejack needed to downplay the service that she was offering and make it seem like none of this was a bit deal. “Hey, no worries. Pals gotta come through for each other.”

“More than pals, now,” Rainbow corrected. “Right?”

In response, Applejack leaned forward and kissed her long and hard. “There's yore answer. Now git to packin’.”

It wasn't until Rainbow had turned away and was rummaging in her closet that Applejack finally allowed herself to close her eyes and rest her head against the wall, wrestling with the pain that she felt for Rainbow’s plight.

Finally, Rainbow emerged from her closet with a handful of clothes and tossed them onto the bed. Her jaw worked as she stared up at the wall that Applejack was touched to see she had decorated with pictures of her friends. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Rainbow lowered her eyes. “Well… these photos have been my lifeline. Literally, they're the only things that keep me sane and remind me I’ve got friends who love me. I wanted to take them with me to your place, too. But taking them down off the walls feels so permanent, and… what if getting out of here isn't permanent? What if I end up back here after all? Maybe I should just leave the posters up.”

In answer, Applejack strode up to the wall and started ripping them off. Rainbow Dash stared, dumbfounded, at the scene before joining in. “You are not comin’ back here,” AJ said firmly. “Ya take every last damn thing out of this apartment that ya care about, do ya hear me? Cause yore never settin’ foot in this place again. Do ya hear me?” she repeated more forcefully.

“Loud and clear,” she whispered with a shy grin, as though she couldn't believe this was really happening.

Everything Dash needed fit inside her duffel bag, save for Tank’s cage, which AJ decided to carry down. Rainbow reached into the fridge and pulled our half a slice of chocolate cake, which she crammed down her throat faster than Applejack could eat an apple (a noteworthy feat). “What? I care about chocolate cake, too,” she mumbled through a mouthful of it, her eyes glinting devilishly. Applejack let it slide, relieved to see her friend regaining her spirits.

Dash hefted the bag up to her chest. Despite being so tall, she seemed small and forlorn as she stared around the apartment one last time. “Good riddance to this hellhole,” she announced as bravely as she could, flipping the entire apartment the bird. “See you never.”

Applejack took her hand and pressed a kiss into her polychromatic hair. “C’mon, honey. Let's get the hell outta here.”

***

When the two of them got back to the Apple family farmstead, Big Mac was waiting for them on the porch. He raised an eyebrow. “Well, Ah see ya two made up.”

“Yep,” Rainbow said nervously, her breath pluming in the air.

“Good. But let me tell ya, Miss Dash — don't try somethin’ like that again. Had AJ miserable for a whole week, ya did.”

“You don't have to tell me,” she mumbled. “I already know I screwed up.”

“Mac, leave her alone,” AJ admonished him, throwing a protective arm around her shoulders (even though she had to stand on her tiptoes to get her arm all the way around). “It's all in the past.” She steered Rainbow into the house, leaning closer to whisper to her. “Ah have to tell Granny why yore here. How much can Ah tell her?”

Rainbow pondered the question for a moment, clearly relieved that AJ had had the courtesy to ask. “Uh… just tell her I fell on some hard times and need a place for a while. Don't go into the details.”

“Sure thing, sugarcube. Well, let's see ‘bout getting ya set up in the meantime then, since Ah think she's out with Bloom buyin’ groceries.” Applejack steered her down the hallway to the guest bedroom on the first floor. It was bright and clean and seemed recently-slept-in, of course, because the Apples always had some manner of friend or family over. “Just make yoreself at home. Put whatever ya want up on the walls an’ all. Bathroom’s down the hall, an’…”

“I've slept over, like, fifty thousand times. I'll be fine.” Rainbow hefted her bag onto her shoulder with a watery smile. “Thanks, AJ. For everything. I mean it.”

By way of answer, Applejack leaned forward and placed her hands on Rainbow’s shoulders. “Ya know ya can always talk to me, right? Always. ‘Cause Ah think ya forgot for a while there.”

Rainbow nodded slowly. “Don't worry. You helped me remember.”

“Well, there's something else ya gotta remember too.” Applejack kissed her on the forehead and wrapped her in a hug. “I love ya. Always remember that, alright?”

Dash remained silent long enough that Applejack knew she was trying not to cry with emotion. When she finally pulled out of the embrace, all that was left were faint tear tracks on her cheeks. “Geez, AJ. Always gotta be so sappy,” she joked brightly. But Applejack knew the sentiment had taken hold.

Our Year

by AJtheRaven

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve