Warmth and Stillness
Stars pinwheeled above as Rainbow Dash descended in a wide, arcing spiral over Sweet Apple Acres. Her wings twitched nervously as she rode the day’s last cooling thermals. Her eyes darted around, searching the shadows for a sign of orange, a sparkle of blonde mane, the shape of a hat, the flash of a red ribbon, something.
Where in the hay had Applejack gone?
More important: why?
Rainbow tipped up the leading edge of her wings and ascended to get a higher vantage, but there was still no sign of AJ. She could be hiding under any one of the hundreds of trees spread across the Acres. Holy hoof, this farm was big.
Rainbow’s eyes drifted to the freshly planted south fields. That was where this all started.
Applejack had asked Rainbow if she wanted to join her for some spring planting. Normally that would be straight forward: dig some holes, shake some trees, hang out with Applejack, look awesome.
But this time Applejack said she had something really, really special in mind.
She wasn’t kidding. For the first time they were putting in a new orchard of zap apple trees! And all afternoon it would be just Rainbow and Applejack doing the planting.
It... was... awesome! Well, doing anything with AJ was awesome, but after Rainbow planted the first seed she discovered a way to make the work even more fun.
As Rainbow began to push dirt over the hole, Applejack smirked and said, “You might want to take a step back, sugarcube.”
“A step back? AJ, it’s just a–”
Rainbow jumped back in surprise as an entire zap apple tree burst from the ground inches from her face. She caught her breath, slowly lifted her chin, and stared up in awe at the fully grown tree, its gnarled, zig-zagging branches already filled with the unmistakable deep, deep green – almost purple – leaves of a zap apple tree. She could hear Applejack guffawing behind her.
Rainbow grinned.
Oh. It was on.
As the planting continued, she sneakily snuck behind Applejack, creeping carefully along the ground, ready to plant a zap apple seed right beneath the unsuspecting pony… but instead Dash stepped right into the trap that AJ had laid for her! A new tree burst from the ground right under Rainbow, launching the surprised pegasus skyward.
The work turned into a game, with each pony challenging the other. They simultaneously planted and wrestled, trying to catch the other pony standing over a freshly covered seed. Dodging trees as they sprung out of the ground was so cool! Rainbow was fast, but she had to admit AJ was clever.
Rainbow thought she was in the clear after dodging one of AJ’s plantings with a barrel roll, but it put her right over another fast-sprouting zap apple tree. Applejack could really dig! But Rainbow dodged the new tree with a slick backflip and caught AJ from behind and they both tumbled to the ground in laughter.
Applejack blushed a little at the physical contact. She’d been doing that a lot lately. It was really cute... in a totally awesome way. Not, like, adorable cute. Like, awesome cute.
Yeah. Awesome cute.
The horsing around probably slowed them down, but Rainbow didn’t care. And AJ didn’t either! It was so cool to see her let her hair down and have fun.
And if the day was a blast, the night was a double-blast.
After they cooked dinner together, Pinkie Pie showed up with some desserts and the whole Apple family (plus Rainbow) sat down and wow it was good. Even the parts that Rainbow had been responsible for tasted amazing, the ones that weren’t burnt anyway. Something about AJ’s magic touch could turn even one of Rainbow’s creations into mouth-watering goodness.
After dinner Rainbow played with Apple Bloom in the living room while they all told stories and laughed. Rainbow regaled them with one of her many daring adventures, specifically her proving that a pony can, in fact, create an upside-down tornado and how it was totally not her fault that Daisy’s flower stand ended up in a tree. At the big, dramatic finale Rainbow picked up Apple Bloom and flew around the room, letting the little filly play the part of Rainbow Dash heroically collapsing the runaway twister into a harmless puff of clouds.
Applejack smiled as Rainbow told the story. Rainbow had seen AJ smile – hay, AJ smiling was one her favorite things – but this was different somehow. A quiet, private smile. Something soft and small and gentle and just for Rainbow.
As the night went on, Granny Smith bid them all good night and went to bed. Pinkie went back to Sugar Cube Corner to begin work on some experimental dessert she referred to ominously as ‘The Chocolate Avalanche’ and Big Mac retired to his room, leaving Rainbow and Applejack in the living room.
It was late, but Applejack hadn’t asked Rainbow to leave. Nor did she ask her to stay. She had just acted like Rainbow belonged there.
And Rainbow felt like she belonged. That was definitely new. She didn’t quite know what to make of it, but it felt... nice.
Apple Bloom tried to stay up with them. She wanted to keep playing, but her eyes were heavy. She slowly drifted to sleep on the sofa, swearing all the while she was totally down for another round of ‘Daring Do vs. The Sky Pirates’ (the awesome game she and Rainbow invented together over the course of the night that mostly involved throwing pillows at AJ).
They carried Apple Bloom to her room together, the sleeping pony draped across Applejack's back and steadied by one of Rainbow's wings. Once they reached Apple Bloom’s room, Applejack carefully placed the little filly on her bed, humming a soothing lullaby all the while. She tucked in her little sister and kept up the wordless, blissfully serene melody as they backed out and she slowly closed the door.
That was when it happened.
They were standing in the dark hallway together, nothing but the faint light of a crescent moon cast upon AJ’s features. Her eyes were so bright as she spoke.
“That was amazin’, watching you with Apple Bloom tonight,” Applejack whispered.
“Yeah, she’s rad.”
Applejack glanced over her shoulder at the door to Apple Bloom’s room. “She looks up to you a lot, you know?”
“...Me?”
“Yup. The day she and her friends created their club, I asked her where she got the idea about doing as many things as possible to find her special talent.”
Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “Oh yeah…”
“And when I finally told her about how I got my cutie mark, it was because she ran into me while looking for you. She wanted your cutie mark story.”
“You know, that was Scootaloo’s idea.”
“But all three of them were looking for you. She thinks you’re the bees knees, RD.”
Rainbow smirked. Well, yeah. Of course! What pony wouldn’t think Rainbow Dash was awesome? Even if Rainbow Dash sometimes did really, really dangerous stuff that Applejack absolutely wouldn’t want her little sister emulating.
Rainbow grimaced. “AJ...”
Applejack hushed her with a hoof on her shoulder. “You’re the bravest and strongest pony I know and you make life a such colorful joy. I can’t think of a finer pony for her to look up to. I mean it.”
Rainbow stood speechless and utterly in awe. Applejack smiled at Rainbow and let out a soft, contented sigh, her hoof still on Rainbow’s shoulder. It was like something passed between them in that moment. Some understanding Rainbow couldn’t put words to but knew Applejack must be feeling too.
Then a strange look crossed Applejack’s features. Like she was… wistful? Conflicted? She tipped her hat low and turned away. “Excuse me,” Applejack said, a strain in her voice. “I gotta get some air.”
Then Applejack left. Down the stairs and out the front door, ribbon-tied tail and mane disappearing into the night and leaving Rainbow standing in the Apple Family’s upstairs hall, unsure of what to do.
What… huh? What had happened? She stared at the place where Applejack had stood, moonlight cast across the old wood floorboards that quietly creaked as Rainbow shifted her weight from hoof to hoof in nervous contemplation.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she shook herself out of her stupor. This was no time for thinking. It was time for action. AJ was upset and Rainbow needed to find out what hurt her so she could kick it in the face.
As Rainbow circled near the edge of the farm she finally found Applejack. The orange pony sat on a hillside, staring up at the sky away from Rainbow’s direction.
Rainbow brought her limbs in tight and made a rapid descent. She flared her wings just before reaching ground and hovered hesitantly before landing silently a few hoofsteps back from Applejack.
It was just after New Moon. As Luna pulled the early waxing crescent closer to the horizon, the full light of the stars was revealed, shining down upon the two ponies perched on a hill at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres.
“Hey…” Rainbow surprised herself with the rasping squeak that came out as she tried to talk. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Sup?”
Applejack reached out and gave the ground next to her a gentle tap.
Rainbow hesitated. “If you want to be alone, that’s cool.”
“I would very much like some company. I… I’d like your company, Rainbow.”
Rainbow nodded and sat next to Applejack.
For a while, neither said a word. Rainbow sat with her friend in silence and looked up at the night sky.
It was a clear night and the stars burned bright and unwavering. Rainbow had to admit, it really was beautiful. It was the kind of night she loved for stretching her wings. On night flights she would often see how high she could go. Then, far above the clouds, far above the world, she would glide, as if she was floating with nothing but a sea of stars about her, the earth far away and dark.
Lost in the stars, Rainbow started when Applejack finally spoke.
“Hope I didn’t worry ya, leaving all of a sudden like that.”
Rainbow ran a hoof through her mane and shrugged. “It’s aight.” She then looked tentatively at Applejack. “...But what happened? You okay?”
Applejack smiled for a moment at Rainbow before she turned back to the sky. “It was like… like we were standing outside a little filly’s bedroom, being proud of her as we watched her grow up.”
“Uh, that’s exactly what we were doing. Literally that.” Rainbow grinned. “You do know how metaphors work, right?”
Applejack chuckled and softly checked her friend with a shoulder and it was Rainbow’s turn to blush at the contact.
“Nah, I mean… sweet Celestia how do I put this?” Applejack looked at the ground and thought for a moment. “Today was so nice. The work didn't feel like work with you around playin’ and scrappin’ and the evening was so fun. Just hanging around the kitchen with you, laughing about nothin’ and everythin’, and tellin’ stories by the fire. Then... then I went and ruined it.” She shook her head. “I went and said all that stuff about you bein’ wonderful and Apple Bloom lookin’ up to you. It just felt so nice, you know? Bein’ there in the hall with you at the end of the day after we put a little filly to bed.” Applejack sighed and looked at Rainbow. “Just for a moment it felt like... like we were somewhere else, somewhere different, somewhere... ours.”
Rainbow made an ‘oh’ shape with her mouth as realization dawned. “It was like it was the future and we were in our house talking about our foal.”
Applejack nodded. “I didn’t want to ruin everything by sayin’ stuff like that when we aren’t even...” She trailed off and didn’t finish her thought, dropping her head in silence.
Rainbow stared, struck still by what her friend had just revealed. When we aren’t even…
Together. Rainbow mouthed the word silently.
AJ wanted to be with her.
But Applejack hadn’t planned on letting her feelings out. It just... happened. And when she had…
In that dark hall outside of Apple Bloom’s room, for a moment, just for one tiny moment Rainbow saw Applejack, really, really saw her friend for the first time with all guard and burden put aside and honest, pure, and gentle love in her eyes.
She was beautiful.
Rainbow’s feelings were thrown into stark clarity. She wanted to hold that beautiful cowpony and kiss her and love her and never, ever stop.
Rainbow took a deep breath.
“Applejack, what you said to me in the hallway...” Rainbow smiled. “...That is the coolest thing any pony has ever said to me.”
Applejack looked up at Rainbow, her hat tipped low, green eyes barely visible in the dark beneath the brim. “Really?”
“Yeah, for real. And I had a really good time today, too.”
“I liked having you there.” The barest hint of smile graced Applejack’s lips. Even in the dark, Rainbow could make out the redness overtaking AJ’s cheeks.
“Thanks for asking me to help with dinner. Though I don’t know if that was the smartest thing you’ve ever done. I’m not exactly the... cookingest pony around.”
“You did manage to catch the rolls on fire.”
“It was your stove’s fault! That thing is, like, crazy hot.” Rainbow smiled. “Thanks for not yelling at me or whatever.”
“Aw, t’wern’t nothing. ‘Sides, I had fun.”
“Yeah, I liked it a lot, too. I like...” Rainbow could feel her breath getting shallow, as if she was hovering above a cyclone, about to plunge into the center. This was it. “I like you a lot.”
Applejack leaned toward Rainbow and began to say something but stopped. She took a shaky, hesitant breath, clearly debating something. Finally, she gave a single, resolute nod of her head and leaned in again. “Do you want to maybe... hold me?”
Applejack looked at her expectantly and Rainbow froze. Was Applejack really asking her to… omygoshomygoshomygosh!
Applejack looked away, mild embarrassment evident on her face before she turned. Rainbow realized she had been just staring slack-jawed. She carefully extended a wing and wrapped it around Applejack.
Applejack made a surprised and pleasant “oh” sound. She must have expected a hoof and fetlock and not a downy blue wing.
Rainbow brought their bodies close together and Applejack nuzzled into her. They snuggled together in the silent stillness of the new night. The air was cool, but the soft earth below them still held lingering warmth of the day. It was as if they weren’t just at the edge of the farm but at the edge of the world itself.
It was calming. It felt right.
Applejack stayed there, curled up in Rainbow’s wings as the moon crossed the horizon, dipping below the distant hills and trees. Rainbow was only vaguely aware of its passing, her attention centered on the pony in her embrace. Applejack breathed softly with her eyes closed, her head nuzzled snuggly against Dash. Rainbow thought her friend must have nodded off until Applejack quietly spoke.
“...Your feathers.”
“Yeah?”
“They’re soft. I didn’t think they’d be so soft.”
Rainbow smirked. “You thought about ‘em, huh? What they’d feel like wrapped around you.”
“Yeah. I did,” Applejack said. “Rainbow, when I first saw you, I thought you were the prettiest darn pony I’d ever laid eyes on. I always thought so.” Applejack tensed for a moment. “You don’t like this mushy stuff, do you? Me calling your feathers soft and all.”
Rainbow smiled and lightly huffed. “You think about every pony but yourself. What do you want?”
Applejack didn’t answer for a long time. She just leaned into Rainbow. Her face had an adorable little scrunch to it as she sat in quiet contemplation. Eventually, she let out a deep, calm breath, snuggled into Rainbow’s shoulder, and said: “This.”
“I could get used to this. And, yeah, I like it when you call my feathers soft.” Rainbow brushed her bangs with a free hoof. “But don’t tell anypony.”
“Alright, partner. It’ll be our secret.” Applejack smiled and rubbed her head against Rainbow’s shoulder. Rainbow loved the tingle she got feeling Applejack’s coat against hers. She let herself nuzzle as well.
Rainbow took in the scent of her friend: the earthy hint of grass, dirt, and sweat with just a touch of the baked deliciousness of the evening. It was so wonderful, so uniquely Applejack. Rainbow could stay forever nuzzling into this unbelievable, incredible orange delight... but there was something she wanted say, something that had been building inside that she wanted so bad for the pony of her dreams to know.
“Applejack…” Rainbow whispered, as if somepony might hear them out at the edge of the farm. Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut and let it out. “You’re so beautiful. You really are and you cheer for everypony and… and I want you to have a pony cheering for you. Like you deserve. I want to be that pony.” Rainbow let out a huge breath and opened her eyes.
Applejack’s eyes were closed and she had a gentle smile on her face. Slowly Applejack’s eyes opened and she met Rainbow’s gaze. “I want you to be that pony, too, sugar. I always did.”
“So… you wanna go do some stuff sometime? Toss some horseshoes?”
“We were already planning on tossing horseshoes tomorrow,” Applejack said.
“Yeah, but now it’s a… well, I guess do you wanna go on a date with me tossing horseshoes?”
“Heh, sure thing.”
Rainbow thought for a moment. “Are we already? Dating, I mean.”
“Ain’t this the kind thing special someponies do? Snuggling, looking at the stars?”
“Hey, this isn’t snuggling. This is… intertwined awesomeness?”
“Whatever you say, sugarcube.” Applejack closed her eyes and snuggled back down into Rainbow’s embrace. “So what other kinds of things do you think special someponies do?”
“Oh, all kinds of awesome stuff! Fight dragons, race through the woods, drink hot cider…” Rainbow looked away, but kept her wing wrapped around Applejack, and mumbled: “...kiss a bunch?”
Rainbow felt a hoof on her cheek. Applejack slowly turned Rainbow’s face toward her.
Applejack leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Rainbow’s lips. Their lips opened ever so slightly and Applejack inhaled as Rainbow’s tongue lightly touched hers.
Rainbow closed her eyes. All nervousness and apprehension was gone. They melted into each other. Applejack pressed forward and Rainbow let Applejack guide her to the ground.
The kiss wasn’t long. But Rainbow could feel wonderful possibilities for the future carried with that electric kiss. As they lay snuggled on the hillside, legs and wings and bodies pressed together, Rainbow gazed into Applejack’s emerald eyes and smiled.
She drew Applejack in for another kiss and AJ gladly accepted.