What happened after Twilight established the "Friendship Counsel"? How was the journey back to Ponyville after the coronation? How did Appledash truly begin?
"Before Twilight and Spike came to Ponyville, they were always a quintet. They all loved and appreciated each other very much, but it felt somewhat outlandish and odd to be returning to their original setup. It was as though a huge part of them had been ripped away within mere moments, and they had to face the fact that life would feel different for quite some time"
What happened after Twilight's coronation? How was the journey home for everypony? And why are Rainbow Dash and Applejack acting so differently around each other?
Join Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as they attempt to push Honesty and Loyalty together in harmony. A story filled with comedy, romance and awesome characters.
The train to Ponyville was quiet, almost eerily quiet. Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the only ponies aboard the vehicle, and they were all sat in an abnormal silence.
Although the five friends weren’t speaking aloud, they all had the same mindset. They’d just left two of their best friends in another city; two friends who’d changed all of their lives in extraordinary ways.
Before Twilight and Spike came to Ponyville, they were always a quintet. They all loved and appreciated each other very much, but it felt somewhat outlandish and odd to be returning to their original setup. It was as though a huge part of them had been ripped away within mere moments, and they had to face the fact that life would feel different for quite some time.
The five friends were dispersed around the train’s carriage, pondering over how they’d manage to go back to normal after everything that had happened. Sure, things seemed normal before Twilight’s coronation, but that’s only because everypony put on a facade to escape the reality of what was really about to happen.
If they were honest with themselves, everything was a little too normal after the battle in Canterlot.
Ponies and other creatures carried on as normal after every Equestrian battle, but it felt like more of an obligation to remain casual, orderly and stoic after such a traumatic ordeal.
It was as though no one wanted to talk about the incident in fear of upsetting somebody else; like it was a taboo subject.
A single article in the Ponyville Chronicle was written about Cozy Glow, Chrysalis and Tirek, but after that, nothing. Complete normality.
Pinkie Pie suddenly felt that she’d been quiet for far too long, so she sat upright and presented her most glorious smile.
“Hey, remember when Twilight first came to Ponyville? I threw her that super-duper funtastic welcome party; she drank hot sauce and called us all crazy! Ah, memories.”
Pinkie placed her hoof under her chin as she was reminiscing, smiling to herself as she did so.
Rarity perked up from the seat in front of Pinkie Pie, raising a hoof to her mouth as she giggled at the memory she’d just heard.
“Oh, darling. Who could forget that?” said Rarity through her chuckles.
“I definitely wouldn’t” replied Fluttershy from across the carriage.
“Her entire face was on fire, and Pinkie didn’t even realise” the yellow Pegasus stated as she snickered.
The three friends continued in their recollecting; they laughed, quoted memories, and talked about Twilight and Spike nonstop.
They’d all moved together in one section of the carriage, all except for Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
Applejack was vaguely involved in the reminiscent discussion, but she couldn’t help but notice Rainbow Dash sat by herself on the opposite end of the carriage.
Rainbow looked like something out of a movie that Rarity would watch; one with sad, thought-provoking music in the background as the protagonist looked ominously out of a misty window.
Applejack knew Rainbow well enough to realise something was amiss, so she trotted over to the back of the carriage to check on her friend.
“You alright, sugar cube?” asked Applejack in her usual southern twang.
No reply came from the cyan Pegasus; it was as though she was in a trance.
“Rainbow?” Applejack asked again in a more concerned tone.
Rainbow was completely lost in thought; she couldn’t hear a word Applejack was saying.
With a swift hoof-punch to the shoulder, Applejack managed to gain Rainbow's attention.
"Huh? Oh. Hey, AJ. What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked in a monotone voice.
Rainbow turned her head back to the misty window, propped her elbow onto the armrest, and placed her hoof under her chin.
Applejack cocked her head slightly in intrigue, her eyes watching Rainbow’s every move.
“Y’all seem a might distracted. Everythin’ okay?” Applejack inquired.
Without averting her gaze, Rainbow Dash immediately shrugged off the idea of something being wrong.
“Ah do know you, which is why Ah can always tell when something’s eating you up”.
While narrowing her eyes and biting her lip, Rainbow Dash tried her best to remain composed in front of her friend.
Rainbow was renowned for her constant levelheadedness, but Applejack was right; something was eating her up.
A pause came between the two ponies as Rainbow Dash attempted to produce a convincing response.
“Nah, there’s nothing. I’m all good” Rainbow finally replied as her voice cracked slightly mid-sentence.
Again, Applejack was far from being persuaded, so she took a seat next to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow’s eyes darted in Applejack’s direction as she felt her friend’s fur brush up against her own. Her heart rate began to increase ever so slightly, so she took a deep but quiet breath.
“You’re mighty proud, Rainbow, and don’t think we don’t all love you for it. But, y’all know that it’s okay to not be okay, right?” said Applejack as she tried to catch Rainbow's gaze.
Rainbow’s hoof fell from beneath her chin upon hearing Applejack’s words.
The two ponies had always been rivals; frenemies, if you will. They’d always joke around with each other, compete with each other, and maybe even flirt with each other subconsciously, but Rainbow had never heard Applejack say something so sincere and meaningful to her.
Applejack was the most honest, trustworthy and friendliest pony Rainbow had ever met, but she only knew those traits from seeing how Applejack acted around other ponies.
This was a new feeling for the both of them.
True sincerity for the very first time.
It felt odd but somewhat normal too.
Without thinking, Applejack took her friend’s free hoof in her own, much to Rainbow’s surprise.
Rainbow Dash finally gave in and diverted her eyes towards the two, intertwined hooves on the seat below them.
Applejack’s hooves were pleasantly warm, which contrasted with Rainbow’s cold, chilly ones.
“Ya don’t have to be so stoic, y’know? It’s me, sugar cube” said Applejack in a calm, meaningful voice.
Usually, Rainbow Dash or Applejack would laugh off a situation like that; they’d override any form of emotion by punching each other on the shoulder or by passing a sarcastic comment.
However, neither of them seemed to mind the contact, especially Rainbow.
She found her friend’s closeness rather soothing, as though she’d discovered something she’d been missing her entire life.
Rainbow Dash’s magenta eyes shifted to meet with Applejack’s.
She’d never really noticed Applejack’s eyes before.
They were the type of green that brings the earth back to life after an unforgiving cold.
They were the colour of the forest after it rains.
There were flecks of strength, love and honesty in her eyes.
The most genuine eyes Rainbow had ever seen.
She was dumbstruck.
Lost in her tracks.
Rainbow gulped nervously, still transfixed on her friend’s adorably freckled face. She knew what she wanted to say, but at the same time, she didn’t.
“C’mon, Dashie. What’s on yer mind?” questioned Applejack after a long silence.
Rainbow couldn’t help but be taken aback a little by Applejack’s question; not by the question itself, but by the name “Dashie”.
Pinkie Pie was the only pony to ever give Rainbow the nickname of “Dashie”, aside from Rarity and Fluttershy on singular occasions, but it somehow felt more genuine coming from Applejack.
It made her feel warm, comfortable and reassured.
There was a feeling lying deep inside Rainbow’s subconscious, but there was no way of letting that feeling escape.
Rainbow rubbed her neck boyishly with her free hoof; she was determined to keep contact with Applejack, but she didn’t know why.
“Uh. Well. I think there has been something bothering me for a while now” Rainbow Dash began.
Applejack simply nodded in response, waiting for her friend to voice her troubles.
“Ya see- what with the battle and everything-“
“I think I’m... Well-“
“It was pretty scary-“
“But, I wasn’t scared scared, y’know? I’m me after all”
“But, there was a moment where I just-“
“When we thought it was all over and-“
“I just – I couldn’t stand the thought of losing y-“
Rainbow suddenly stopped in her tracks as she realised what she was about to say. She couldn’t say something like that, could she?
The cyan Pegasus gave a deep sigh before carrying on.
“I think I’m just bummed out about Spike and Twilight” lied Rainbow Dash.
Applejack parted their associated hooves for a moment before pulling Rainbow into a hug.
Again, a moment like that would usually involve laughter or passive remarks from the two ponies, but everything about it was so sincere and real.
Rainbow Dash was startled for a moment at Applejack’s sudden burst of affection, but she soon relaxed and wrapped her hooves around the Earth Pony.
The two ponies never hugged, not like that anyway. They’d give each other a friendly hoof around the shoulder every so often, but never an actual embrace.
Pinkie Pie hugged everypony, a lot! Rarity and Fluttershy were partial to hugs too, as were Spike and Twilight.
However, when it came to a certain Wonderbolt and farm pony, hugs were never exchanged in such a way.
Rainbow and Applejack were both affectionate ponies, just not with each other.
Despite this, Rainbow Dash had never felt so comfortable in her entire life. She felt as though she could stay in Applejack’s embrace forever.
She nuzzled at Applejack’s orange fur ever so slightly as the hug continued, catching a whiff of apples as she did so.
“Of course AJ smells of apples. What else would she smell like?” Rainbow thought to herself as she continued to inhale her friend’s alleviating scent.
Applejack gave a small smile as she felt Rainbow Dash burrowing into her fur; she too found warmth in their contact.
Applejack gently stroked Rainbow’s back in an up/down motion to comfort her friend even more so. It was at that moment that Rainbow let out a small, but laboured sigh of relief.
Applejack pulled away from Rainbow Dash with apprehension, adjusted her hat, and sat upright in her seat.
“Ah know that change is scary. Heck, Ah’m probably twice as scared as you are right now! But being scared’s never stopped us before, right? We’ll make it work, Ah promise you that” said Applejack philosophically.
Rainbow responded with a simple half-smile. She loved hearing Applejack’s words of wisdom.
“Well, how do I know you’re telling the truth?” asked Rainbow Dash sarcastically.
The Element of Honesty raised an eyebrow with a deadpan look on her face, but she soon rolled her eyes and smiled at her travel companion’s remark.
The two ponies laughed together for a moment until Applejack stood up from her seat, ceasing their moment slightly.
“Now, you sure you’re okay, Dash?” the Earth Pony asked in a gentle tone.
Rainbow Dash was far from being okay, but she crossed her arms confidently and nodded to shield her emotions.
“Heh, don’t sweat, AJ. Like you said, it’ll all work out” replied Rainbow with forged assurance.
Applejack knew that Rainbow was still suppressing something, but she didn’t want to pry any longer.
She gave Rainbow Dash an affectionate side smile that could have easily been mistaken for a flirtatious one, and she began to trot away to the train’s bathroom.
Rainbow’s eyes remained fixated on Applejack as she left the carriage, as if her life depended on it.
Rainbow gave a small sigh as Applejack left the carriage, her gaze still focused on where the orange pony had been.
Rainbow felt a slight punch to her stomach when she watched Applejack leave; it was as though something within her had been ripped out, and she suddenly seemed lost and quite afraid.
Dash allowed herself to linger in her emotions for a second, but she abruptly closed her eyes and shook her head to repress her feelings again.
She returned to her usual, stoic self almost immediately, and her attention drew back to the misty window.
She sat upright in her seat, crossed her arms, and watched Equestria whiz by as she stewed in her emotions.
On the other side of the carriage, Pinkie Pie had been slyly watching over Rainbow and Applejack’s conversation.
She rubbed her chin with her hoof in intrigue as Rarity and Fluttershy carried on spouting memories, completely oblivious to the other situation unfolding around them.
Pinkie Pie had watched Applejack and Rainbow Dash from the sidelines for a long time; she judged their stupidly competitive games for them, she hung around them when she knew they’d be alone, and she always liked to get them into weird situations together.
Pinkie knew that something was amiss between the two ponies after their conversation, more so than usual, so she decided that it was time to investigate.
Pinkie cartoonishly pulled a detective hat out of thin air, placed it on her head, and began to smoke a bubble-pipe as she looked off mysteriously into the distance.
Ponyville had been draped in a blanket of darkness as the train pulled into the station. The town seemed so quiet compared to the commotion of Canterlot, but the five friends found tranquility in its calm nature.
They were home, but the atmosphere felt somewhat sombre.
Not only were they missing Twilight and Spike, but there was the underlying knowledge that they’d all be heading their separate ways to peruse their chosen careers. Not at that exact moment, but they all knew the day would eventually be upon them.
Rainbow Dash felt uneasy as she made her way out of the train’s carriage. She didn’t want to go back to her empty cloud house where she’d be forced to overthink everything running through her mind, but her friends began to disperse before her.
“W-wait! Where are you guys going?” Rainbow asked anxiously.
“Don’t you all wanna hang out and talk some more?”
Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack stopped in their tracks and turned towards Rainbow, confused.
“Rainbow, darling. You didn’t say a word throughout that entire train journey, and it’s only now we’re home that you want to talk?” questioned Rarity.
Rainbow felt called out. Her face was suddenly ridden with childlike guilt as she gave an awkward smile.
“Is anything the matter, Rainbow Dash? You don’t look so good” asked Fluttershy in her usual worried tone.
“No! I mean- I’m fine.”
“It’s just- It’s not even that late.”
“We could... Go swimming!” said Rainbow enthusiastically.
“Oh, heavens, no! I’m not getting my perfectly quaffed mane soaking wet right before bedtime, thank you” Rarity responded as she flicked her mane purposefully.
“Fine. Um. How about a... Sleepover?” said Rainbow as she cringed through her words.
She hated sleepovers.
Not all sleepovers, however. She enjoyed sleepovers with Pinkie Pie, in fact, she loved them. Cupcakes on tap, spooky stories, the works.
All the same, she cringed at the idea of Rarity and Fluttershy swapping soppy stories, being roped into a dumb game of truth or dare, and eventually sporting a frou-frou facemask courtesy of Rarity.
Everypony raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Rainbow’s suggestion.
“But, ya hate sleepovers. Heck, Ah recon ya’d quit flyin’ fer a week before goin’ to a sleepover with the four of us” said Applejack whilst laughing.
Rainbow found Applejack’s laugh fascinating. It was deep, hearty and perfectly normal, but it was one of Rainbow’s favourite sounds in all of Equestria.
She found herself struck with enigmatic feelings once again. Her stomach tightened, her wings shivered, and everything else around her seemed to fade away with each little chuckle.
After realising she’d been quiet for almost too long, Rainbow spoke up.
“Pfffft, me? Hate sleepovers? Nah! What gave you that idea, AJ?”
“Uh, Ah dunno. Maybe because ya give us the most plum-ridiculous excuses to get out of em” Applejack replied sarcastically.
Rainbow laughed nervously. “Heh, like what?”
The four friends looked at each other with exasperation.
“Tank has hiccups and I can’t leave him alone” responded Fluttershy.
“I’m way too emotionally drained after reading the last Daring Do book” said Rarity as she lifted her hoof to her forehead dramatically.
“I tripped over in the shower and knocked myself out” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“There’s a rogue cloud over Ponyville that needs taking care of” ended Applejack.
“And ya ain’t even a member of the weather patrol anymore!”
Rainbow gave an accusable smile before touching down gently on the dirt path.
“I don’t know who came up with all those lame excuses, but I do know that I definitely... Love... Sleepovers” said Rainbow as she forced out her sentence.
“Be that as it may, darling. But I’m afraid I have to get home to watch Sweetie Belle this evening. If I leave that young filly alone for a moment longer, Celestia knows what my boutique will look like!” Rarity explained.
“And I really should get back to Angel Bunny and the other animals. I’ve left them for far too long already” replied Fluttershy.
“Speakin’ of which, Ah have an entire farm to check up on. Ah’ll have to catch up with y’all tomorrow” said Applejack with a nod of her stetson.
Rainbow felt a tugging at her chest upon hearing the farm pony’s words. The thought of being apart from Applejack for one evening made her tense up in fear.
Fear.
Fear.
That word played in Rainbow’s mind over and over again.
She was scared.
But the legendary Rainbow Dash never felt scared, right?
Wrong.
She felt desperately afraid. Afraid of losing Applejack.
But why?
Applejack knew how to take care of herself, more so than anypony, but Dash still couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness surrounding her body.
“Well, I need to head back to Sugar Cube Corner to check in with the Cakes, but it would be super duper awesome if you’d come with me, Dashie!” said Pinkie Pie excitedly.
Dash stood silently for a second, slightly taken aback by Pinkie’s sudden movements and close proximity.
“Eh, it’s better than nothing” Rainbow thought to herself.
“Uh- Yeah. Sounds great, Pinkie” said Rainbow Dash as she mustered a smile.
Pinkie’s counteractive smile somehow managed to make a cartoonish squeak, and she continued to make springy sounds as she bounced in elated circles around the Wonderbolt.
“YAY! This is gonna be great, Dashie! We can bake some new cakes, play games, start my latest fan fiction series, and give Gummy his bath!” replied Pinkie with growing excitement.
Rainbow Dash cursed herself mentally, but even she had to admit that giving an alligator a bath was a better option than going home by herself.
Alone.
Over thinking.
Without Applej-
Dash’s eyes darted around until she managed to bring herself back to the present moment. She finally caught Pinkie’s gaze and remembered that it was probably her turn to say something.
“Huh? Oh-yeah. It’s gonna be fun alright” Rainbow responded at last.
“Uh- Lead the way, Pinkie. I’m right behind you”.
“Okie dokie loki! Goodnight, everypony!” Pinkie almost shouted. And with that, the Party Pony began to bounce away towards Sugar Cube Corner with her signature cartoonish boing resonating behind her.
Rainbow didn’t fly away at top speed as normality would state.
She didn’t spout off a confident anecdote before departing.
She didn’t even wish her remaining friend a goodnight.
She simply began to walk away.
Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy glanced at each other for a moment, confused.
Just as Rainbow had started to get into the rhythm of walking, she felt a slight tugging on her tail. Nothing too forceful, but it was enough to startle her back into the moment.
She turned her head slightly to reveal that it was Applejack who’d, once again, caught her attention. She stood with Rainbow’s multicoloured tail between her teeth for a moment before letting it slip gently from her grasp.
Rainbow froze.
What was Applejack going to ask her?
Was she going to start a fight of some sort?
Or was she simply trying to cheer her up?
“Hey!” Rainbow said, turning her whole body to face Applejack.
“What the hay was that for?”
Applejack scratched the back of her hat somewhat nervously.
“Heh. Only way to get your attention” she explained.
“-and the only way to stop y’all doing something stupid” she added with a cheeky grin.
Rainbow only managed to muster a groan and an eye-roll. The farm pony had a tendency to make Rainbow Dash’s brain stop working.
Make it feel fuzzy.
And warm.
And- Wait.
Was she still thinking about her brain?
“You sure you’re okay, Dash? What you said on the train- Ah don’t want you to get too upset or nothin” said Applejack in a whisper.
Was she okay? She didn’t know.
“Two of my best friends are in another city, some of my other friends will be moving out of Ponyville soon to kick-start their careers, everything’s changing, and the only pony I’ve ever lov-“
Rainbow immediately ceased her train of thought. It was travelling to places she didn’t care to visit that evening. Maybe never visit.
Applejack gave Rainbow her signature eyebrow raise. She could always tell when the Pegasus was lying.
“Why the attack eyebrows, Apples?” Rainbow responded.
She only really received the “attack eyebrows” when she’d done something wrong or stupid, but she hadn’t done anything of the sort. Not that evening, at least.
Applejack could have very easily called Rainbow Dash out for lying to her, but she could see by the look on Dash’s face that it wasn’t the right moment for a fight.
Applejack sighed.
“Oh, never mind, Sugarcube. But you’re sure it’s only Spike and Twilight you’re upset about?” the farm pony asked as if she was testing Rainbow.
Rainbow opened and closed her mouth in an attempt to speak, but nothing came out. Sure, she was genuinely upset about her two friends being so far away, but it wasn’t the only reason she was feeling sorry for herself. But she couldn’t tell Applejack, could she?
It was only then that Rainbow noticed how close Applejack had become. She suddenly became very aware of the farm pony’s breathing, her smell, the way she bit her lip, and knowing that if she leaned in ever so slightly-
“NO!” Rainbow blurted out accidentally, causing Applejack to step back marginally in shock.
“Uh... I mean- I’m sure” said the cocksure Pegasus as she lifted her chin, trying to gain back some of her pride.
Just as she thought Applejack couldn’t throw her off guard any more, she felt a soft, orange hoof run through the top of her mane and down to her cheek, caressing it in the process.
“Ah worry ‘bout you somethin’ fierce, you know?” Applejack said in an honest tone.
Rainbow felt a wonderful warmth enter her body. Applejack’s words always managed to throw her, but words combined with actions threw her into a completely different ballpark.
Green and magenta eyes met for a moment as Rainbow subconsciously began to nuzzle into Applejack’s hoof ever so slightly. Everything seemed right in the world, but it was all over too quickly.
Applejack removed her hoof from Rainbow’s cheek abruptly, she shuddered slightly to regain a sense of reality, and she began to bite her lip nervously.
Rainbow Dash stood silently for a moment, bewildered. The same sense of sadness became apparent once again, but she nodded her head assuredly towards the Earth Pony.
“You got it, boss” Rainbow replied with a wink.
Awkwardness surrounded the two ponies momentarily, until they, in unison, decided to go their separate ways.
Applejack turned to walk towards the farm; her head hung low as she solemnly made her departure.
Rainbow began walking but eventually decided to hover ever so slightly; she felt being in the air may ease her nausea somewhat.
Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared from over the hill. Then disappeared. Then she reappeared. Then disappeared again. She was bouncing on her trampoline, which came as no surprise to Dash.
“Hey-“
“Rainbow Dash!”
“Are you-“
“Coming or-“
“What?” Pinkie exclaimed in increments, making jumpy, springy sounds every time she appeared.
Rainbow couldn’t help but shake her head and smile at her party planner friend. Pinkie Pie time was always the best way to distract you from yourself, and that’s all Rainbow Dash needed.
“Uh... G-goodnight” the cyan Pegasus stuttered unconfidently, turning her head towards Applejack once again.
Upon hearing Rainbow’s voice, Applejack stopped in her tracks almost too enthusiastically for her liking.
“G’night, Sugarcube. Sleep well, now” the Earth Pony responded with a flick of her stetson.
And with that, both ponies were out of each other’s sights, leaving Rarity and Fluttershy stood alone at the station, confused and intrigued by what they’d just witnessed.
“Um... W-what just happened?” asked Fluttershy timidly.
Still looking off into the distance absentmindedly, Rarity didn’t respond.
“Rarity?” Fluttershy asked again as she waved a hoof in front of the Unicorn’s face.
“What? Oh! I’m sorry, darling” Rarity responded at last.
“I’m just surprised it’s taken them this long” she added as she brought her hoof to her chin in contemplation.
“Huh? What do you mean?” the small, yellow Pegasus inquired as she cocked her head slightly.
“Come, my dear. We must hatch a plan!” Rarity responded as she trotted towards her Boutique, flicking her mane in the process.
Still baffled by the entire situation, Fluttershy simply shrugged to herself and followed Rarity’s tracks. Hatching a plan wasn’t on her to-do-list for the evening, but it seemed important, no matter how ambiguous.
As long as Angel got his carrots by the end of the evening, she was more than willing to lend a hoof.
The night grew darker, colder, and began to feel somewhat deserted; seemingly more so for Rainbow Dash than Pinkie Pie. The two ponies made their way to Sugarcube Corner in the middle of Ponyville, which wasn’t too far to travel from the train station. However, with all the foreign thoughts entering her mind, and her unusually slow-flying pace, the short journey seemed to be endless for Dash.
Pinkie Pie bounced ahead as Rainbow Dash flew slowly behind her. Dash held her head low, flew close to the ground, and didn't say a word as she continued her pursuit of the bakery. She didn't want it to happen, but her mind wouldn't give her a moment's peace. She was overthinking, which was a rare occurrence for Rainbow. She was famous for being bold, daring and spontaneous, yet there she was; calculating every possible outcome to her current mindset. Twilighting, if you will.
“WE’RE HERE!!!” Pinkie Pie screamed as the two arrived at the doors of Sugarcube Corner.
The party pony sprung inside the building with a huge, goofy smile on her face. She sprinted upstairs to greet the Cakes, tucked Pound and Pumpkin into bed, and then made her way down to tend to Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie knew that something strange was going on with Rainbow. She hadn't been acting like herself all day long.
Her constant distance and silence on the train journey; the way she looked at Applejack; her incessant squirming and stuttering; her proposal of a sleepover; and her overall depressive attitude pointed to only one thing.
And Pinkie Pie knew what that thing was.
The pink pony was determined to investigate her case further, but she knew that Rainbow Dash needed cheering up more than anything else. So she, instead, brought out her cake supplies.
"Get on over here, Rainbow! I wanna show you the new cupcakes I've been working on!" Pinkie proclaimed as she whipped out a tonne of ingredients at record speed.
Rainbow Dash, still daydreaming in the doorway of the bakery, looked up suddenly to see her curly maned friend beckoning her to the kitchen.
She couldn't help but crack a smile upon seeing Pinkie Pie's face already covered in flour, proving, once again, that nopony is more deserving of the element of laughter.
Baking cupcakes wasn't Dash's area of expertise by any means, but she didn't care. She needed a distraction from her wild thoughts, and Pinkie plus cupcakes was a pretty decent choice in her book.
"So, where do we start, Pinkie?" Rainbow inquired as she made her way into the kitchen.
"Well, I've already prepped the flour, eggs, baking powder, sugar, butter and salt. All we need to do is mix them all up!" replied Pinkie cheerfully.
Dash stood for a moment, hoping Pinkie Pie would explain her process further. Alas, she didn't.
"Uh, okay. H-how do we do that?" said Rainbow inquisitively.
Pinkie Pie cocked her head in confusion for a moment.
"Have you ever made a cake before, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked.
Rainbow's eyes widened suddenly. She'd seen Pinkie Pie and the Cakes baking tonnes of things before, but she'd never tried it herself. She genuinely had no idea how to go about it.
Giggling nervously, Dash finally spoke up.
"Heh, okay. You caught me, Pinkie. Never baked a day in my life. Mind teaching me a thing or two?" the Wonderbolt asked somewhat shyly.
Expecting Pinkie Pie to perform her infamous gasp of horror, Rainbow braced herself for the worst.
Instead, the baker of the two grinned at her prismatic friend, offered her a whisk, and began a step by step tutorial on cupcake making. The main surprise to Dash was that there wasn't a spontaneous song and dance thrown into the mix.
Despite her mediocre technique, Rainbow Dash found herself thoroughly enjoying her baking experience. She'd mixed the ingredients, preheated the oven, prepped her icing and was almost ready to cook her creations.
For the first time in the last few days, Rainbow Dash felt distracted in a positive way. Her mind had stopped racing with thoughts about the future, about her friends, about Appleja-
"Hey, Dashie! I'm going to put some apples into my mixture to test out my apple pie cupcake recipe! Wanna put anything else in yours?" said Pinkie Pie as she licked her mixture covered spoon.
Apple pie.
Apples.
Applejack.
To her dismay, Rainbow's thoughts had swiftly taken her over once more.
With her mouth agape, she stood staring at her pink friend in the hope that her words might save her.
"I mean, you don't have to put anything else in if you don't want. Might taste a little icky on it's on, though" explained Pinkie Pie with a mindful smile.
Rainbow Dash breathed sharply as she finally processed her friend's sentence. Coughing slightly, she grabbed a nearby bottle of vanilla extract and began to drop some into her mixture.
"N-Nah. I'm good with this, thanks" Dash remarked casually.
Noticing that she'd been dropping vanilla into her mixture for a while, Pinkie Pie calmly reached over, took the bottle away from Rainbow, and proffered her a wooden spoon.
Taking the spoon from her friend, Rainbow smiled as if to say "thank you". A small smile, but a smile all the same.
Going back to her side of the table, Pinkie Pie began peeling some cooking apples for her mixture.
"So, speaking of apples" Pinkie elongated.
Again, poor Rainbow's ears pricked up upon hearing that particular word. Why did it terrify her so much?
"What were you and Applejack talking about on the train? Anything juicy?" continued Pinkie.
"Oh, Celestia!"
"I knew somepony would catch on!"
"What do I say?"
"I can't tell Pinkie, can I?"
"Man, even I don't know how I feel!"
"Well, maybe I do".
"I just don't want to admi-"
"Rainbow Dash?"
The number of times Rainbow had zoned out was starting to aggravate her. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for her to be around other ponies. Her mind was getting in the way of more important things.
"Huh? Yeah. Um. I-I was pretty bummed out about Spike and Twilight earlier, so AJ came over to snap me out of it" Rainbow finally responded.
Not buying it, Pinkie stroked her chin and nodded at her friend's reply.
"She uh- She told me we'll all get through it together, just like we've always done" continued Rainbow.
Pinkie continued to nod at Rainbow's story. She knew there was more to be told, but would Rainbow Dash spill the beans? She did not know.
Realising that Rainbow Dash wasn't going to play ball, Pinkie decided to up her game.
"Yeah, it's going to be super weird not having Twilight and Spike around Ponyville" Pinkie Pie began as she threw some apples into her mixture.
"It's like my Sombra-vision all over again" she continued with a shiver.
Looking up from her bowl, Rainbow's diverted her eyes towards the pink Earth Pony.
"Your Sombra-vision?" Dash asked in a hesitant tone.
"Oh yeah! When Sombra came back and showed us all our worst nightmares right before we kinda, sorta defeated him, I saw you all leaving Ponyville. You said you didn't need me anymore, so you left me on my own" Pinkie reflected.
Rainbow's ears drooped upon hearing Pinkie's story. She knew that Pinkie became paranoid about things sometimes, but never to that extent. But there was something else. Something else that made her mind wander.
"Anyway, I know now that it was just a silly old vision from silly old Sombra. But I know what you mean, Dashie. It's going to suck for a little while, but we'll get through it together! Just like Applejack said!" Pinkie declared as she put her cakes into the oven.
Sombra-vision.
Applejack.
Rainbow's mind was whirling inside of her head. Memories were all of a sudden unlocking themselves. Memories that Rainbow had tried her best to eradicate.
Her worst nightmare had become clear as day.
Applejack was dying.
She wasn't sure why or how, but Applejack was dying.
Rainbow sobbed into her hooves as she watched the orange mare become lifeless. She felt helpless, but she managed to utter three short words before it was too late.
It was at that moment that Rainbow Dash realized something, and it frightened her more than anything else ever had.
She stood up from the table abruptly and darted towards the door, knocking over her mixing bowl in the process.
"Hey! Where you off to, Dashie? Aren't you gonna finish your cakes?" asked Pinkie Pie.
Stopping in her tracks, Dash turned to the party pony, sporting a fake smile as she did so.
"Uh. No can do, Pinkie. I've um- Gotta feed Tank! Thanks for the lesson but I've gotta go!" Rainbow replied as she shot out of the bakery in a flash of colour.
Left alone with two lots of cake batter, Pinkie Pie decided it was high time to take action.
"Time to bring in the big guns!" she told herself as she picked up her telephone with sticky hooves.
Back at Carousel Boutique, Rarity and Fluttershy were putting together their very own plan of action.
"Do you really think it'll work?" asked Fluttershy unsuredly.
"But of course, darling. It's the perfect plan. Now, let's see if we can get Miss Pie involved in our little scheme" Rarity responded as she trotted over to her desk.
"Oh, I don't like the idea of scheming" Fluttershy whispered to herself.
Just as Rarity was about to pick up her telephone, it began to ring.
"Ooh. How odd" said Rarity before answering the call.
"Carousel Boutique. Rarity speaking. How may I help y-"
"Rarity, hey! It's me, Pinkie Pie!"
"Oh. What a coincidence, Pinkie Pie. I was just about to call you" Rarity responded.
"That's super-duper crazy, Rare! You must have a Pinkie-sense like me! Or rather, a Rari-sense!" said Pinkie Pie with a chuckle.
"Eh, quite. Well, what was it you wanted, my dear?" Rarity asked.
"Rainbow Dash just bolted right outta here! We were baking some cupcakes, talking about Twilight and Spike, reminiscing about King Sombra, and then blamo! She turned tail and flew out of the bakery!" explained Pinkie as she gestured to the open door of Sugarcube corner.
"Did she say why she had to leave?" Rarity asked as she took a seat at her desk.
"Nuh-uh! I mean, she said she had to go and feed Tank, but I saw right through her. Not literally, cause that'd be crazy!" Pinkie responded.
"It's worse than I thought. We must stage an intervention!" exclaimed Rarity.
"Exactly!" Pinkie sang in an elongated tone.
"Uh, what's that?"
Rolling her eyes, Rarity gestured for Fluttershy to take over the conversation.
Nervously taking the phone from her friend, she cleared her throat before speaking.
"Um. H-Hello, Pinkie Pie" Fluttershy stuttered.
"FLUTTERSHY?! I didn't know you were there too! How ya been?" Pinkie asked as she twirled her phone wire.
"Um. I'm fine since I last saw you three hours ago, thank you" the yellow pegasus responded.
"We'd like you to come on over to the boutique to help us out with something. I-If you're free, that is" Fluttershy continued.
"Of course I can, silly filly! Does this have something to do with Dashie?" the party pony inquired.
"Well, sort of. We'll tell you when you get here, Pinkie" Fluttershy explained.
"Okie dokie loki!" Pinkie shouted.
"Will we see you soon?" the shy pony queried.
"Indeedy! I'm on my way!" said Pinkie as she slammed her phone down and raced out of the bakery.
"Oh, I do hope this works, Rarity" Fluttershy stated restlessly.
"Of course it will, my dear. I've known Applejack as long as you've known Rainbow Dash, and with Miss Pie thrown into the mix, I'm certain things will become clear to them both" countered the prim unicorn.
Just as Fluttershy was about to respond, she was knocked down by a pink blur. Pinkie Pie had entered the building.
"You called for me, ladies?" Pinkie pronounced as she tried to lean against a nearby wall, but fell to the floor instead.
The unicorn and pegasus chuckled to themselves as they watched the element of laughter struggle to find her hooves, but Fluttershy soon trotted over to help her stand up.
"Thanks, kindness!" the pink pony stated as she nudged Fluttershy's shoulder, making her blush slightly.
"So, what's the dealio?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Come and help me make some tea and we'll tell you all about it" Rarity responded as she gestured to the kitchen.
And with that, the three friends spoke deep into the night, hatching a plan for the very next day.
The next day passed just as any other day did in Ponyville. Cake making, dress selling, field ploughing, animal care, aerial stunts. The usual.
Rarity couldn't wait for her day at the Boutique to be over. She'd been as giddy as a school-filly all day long at the thought of her brilliant plan taking shape.
Her final customer of the day left the shop at precisely 6 pm, giving her just enough time to assemble the reinforcements.
Pinkie Pie arrived at the boutique covered in flour, much to Rarity's dismay. She'd been baking lots of tasty treats for the evening ahead, so she set them down on the kitchen table accompanied by balloons and confetti.
"You can't have cupcakes without party decorations!" Pinkie exclaimed as she set off her infamous party canon.
Shaking the confetti from her mane, Rarity rolled her eyes at the party pony.
"Yes, Pinkie Pie. However, this isn't really a party, is it?" the unicorn asked rhetorically.
"A party's wherever I say it is, baby!" Pinkie replied, catching a cupcake in her mouth all too effortlessly.
It was at that moment that Fluttershy trudged into the boutique with, what seemed like, tonnes of blankets and sleeping bags.
"S-sorry I'm late, Rarity. It took me a while to fly over here with all these sheets" the shy pegasus began.
Rarity gasped dramatically upon seeing her yellow friend.
"No-no-no-no! This just won't do, darling!" Rarity proclaimed as she brought her hoof to her forehead.
Being slightly taken aback, Fluttershy dropped her baggage to the ground with a squeal.
"Hey, Fluttershy! Ooh! Nice blankets!" the party pony uttered as she bounced out of the kitchen.
"No! Not nice blankets!" Rarity cried.
Fluttershy and Pinkie turned to each other for a moment, confused.
"Darling, you weren't supposed to bring any blankets, sheets or anything we can sleep on!"
"Well, why ever not? Isn't that what we normally do during sleepovers?" Fluttershy asked timidly.
"Yes, of course. But this isn't supposed to be any old sleepover, is it?" the fashionista replied.
She gestured slightly with her hooves to provoke a response from the other two.
"Oh, Celestia. I do wish Twilight was here" Rarity whispered to herself.
Clearing her throat, Rarity approached her friends, levitating the blankets into a nearby cupboard in the process.
"Ladies, do you recall anything of my brilliant plan?" the unicorn asked with a forced smile.
The two friends stood awkwardly for a moment. Fluttershy drew a small figure of eight on the ground with her hoof as Pinkie bit her lip somewhat overtly.
"Well," the earth pony began in an elongated tone.
"All I remember were the words: Cupcakes, sleepover anddon't you dare forget anything I've told you this evening, Miss Pie- oh".
Rarity threw herself onto her chaise lounge in an exasperated manner.
After reaffirming the purpose of the sleepover, it was time to initiate phase two.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash. Might I call for your presence at the boutique? There's a gown I'm altering for a client whose measurements are the same as yours. Be a dear and let me try it out on you" Rarity asked down the phone.
"Uh. Sure, Rarity. As long it doesn't have any frills or looks like something that would ruin my reputation" Rainbow Dash responded in her usual raspy voice.
"Oh, darling. I would never" said Rarity as she winked at Fluttershy and Pinkie, sparking a small snicker between them.
"Yeah. Fine. I'm on my way" the flighty pegasus ended.
Rarity hung up her phone and immediately picked it back up again. She dialled a new number and waited for a response with bated breath.
"Ah. Applejack, darling. Might I call for your presence at the boutique? There's a gown I'm altering for a client whose measurements are the same as yours. Be a dear and let me try it out on you" Rarity repeated almost word for word.
"Shoot. Course, Rarity. So long as it's not some silly frou-frou lookin' thing, that's alright with me" said Applejack with a chuckle.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stood laughing to themselves by the telephone, getting louder and louder as the conversation continued.
With a clear wave of her hoof, Rarity shooed them away to the other room so they could giggle in peace.
"Don't worry, my dear. Nothing too lavish, I assure you".
"Alrighty then. Ah’ll be right over" Applejack replied as she hung up her phone.
"Phase two, completed," Rarity said to herself with a smirk.
Rarity's gaze diverted itself to the kitchen, where she could still hear intermittent giggles and cackling from her two friends.
Rolling her eyes, she trotted towards their sounds and burst into the room.
"Ladies, please! Get a hold of yourselves!" she bellowed.
Pinkie and Fluttershy tried their best to withhold their laughter, but tiny bursts of air kept creeping out like helium from a balloon.
"S-sorry, Rarity" Fluttershy began as she spoke through giggles.
"I think it's just nerves".
"Yeah. Nerves" Pinkie agreed as she looked over at the yellow pegasus, trying to squeeze her mouth shut as she did so.
Of course, they fell into another fit of hilarity, causing Pinkie Pie to fall to the floor in exhaustion.
"Well, you better get your nerves under control-" Rarity commenced in a somewhat firm tone.
"Because it won't be long until the two of them are here!"
With a squeal from Fluttershy and a cartoonish gasp from Pinkie, the three ponies leapt into the adjacent room to prepare for the oncoming storm.
Mere seconds after they'd situated themselves in Rarity's front room, a flash of colour flew through the boutique that moved like lightning. It was, of course, Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Rares. Where's this dress you wanted me to-"
Rainbow's sentence sifted into nothingness as her eyes wandered around the room. Her magenta orbs fixated themselves on Pinkie and Fluttershy. She pondered their relevance in the current situation.
"Uh. Hey, you guys. What're you two doing here? You trying out Rarity's stuff too?"
The two ponies took a momentary glance at each other before humming a collective "um".
"Sure! Yeah! Rarity wanted me to-" Pinkie began as her eyes searched for a prop of some kind.
"Try on this belt!" she exclaimed as she tied the leather belt around her waist with great difficulty.
"It totally fits!" Pinkie strained as the belt buckle snapped off in her hooves, causing her to throw it to one side with failed subtlety.
"And-um. Rarity asked me to try on this scarf" Fluttershy finally responded as she gingerly picked up a comedically long scarf from the nearby clearance bin.
"It's a bit long" she smiled as Rainbow watched the scarf engulf her friend.
Pinkie, again un-subtly, winked at Fluttershy to signal that she'd done a decent job. Rarity, on the other hoof, gritted her teeth together in anger and nervousness.
After looking around the room in utter confusion, Rainbow gave a raspy laugh.
"Yeah. I'd say a good five foot off that scarf oughtta do the trick, Rarity!" the pegasus said through chortles.
The three schemers gave out a silent breath between them, wondering where to take the conversation next.
"Anyway, darling. I have something a little more complex for yourself" Rarity explained to Rainbow Dash.
"But don't you fret; it's nothing you Wonderbolt types would disapprove of".
"Sweet. Let's get this over with, yeah? You know what happens when I'm grounded too long" the colourful pony made clear.
"Of course, dear. I don't want you getting sick on my account" replied Rarity as she rifled through her downstairs closet.
"I didn't know you still got ground sick, Rainbow Dash" said Fluttershy as if to kindle an answer from her fellow pegasus.
Since moving to Ponyville, Rainbow Dash had always felt considerably more nauseous on the ground than she did in the sky. She discovered that she couldn't sit or generally stay still on the ground without the sensation of sickness. She and Fluttershy decided to call it "ground sickness", taken from the term "seasickness".
Sure, it had improved over the years, but living in a Cloud House and aerial training didn't help to abolish the feeling. Plus, her recent revelation about Applejack didn't make her feel any better.
Rainbow gave a confident side smile as she stopped hovering; it was as though she was trying to prove a point.
"Eh, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. Don't sweat it, Fluttershy" reacted Dash, crossing her hooves assuredly.
Wondering what monstrosity awaited her in Rarity's closet, Dash started to get a little apprehensive. Biting her lip and scrunching her face slightly, she stayed silent for a few moments, confusing her friends.
"Everything okay over there, Dashie?" Pinkie asked in her routine, bubbly manner.
Dashie.
She said that once.
There it was again.
That feeling.
The feeling of emptiness.
The feeling of fear.
The feeling of weakness.
And the underlying knowledge that the pony you love may never love you back.
How could one pony make the formidable Rainbow Dash feel so many confusing feelings at the same time?
Feelings she'd never felt before.
Feelings she never wanted to feel again.
Feelings that she wanted simplifying.
Or were the feelings genuinely so simple that they needn't be clarified any further?
She did not know.
Finally processing her pink friend's question, Rainbow nodded with false conviction.
"Yeah, I'm good. Celestia knows what's coming out of that closet, though" she ended with a breathy chuckle.
As if waiting for the exact moment, Rarity surfaced from her closet with a sleek, long, black gown.
There was no client to give it to, no measurements that needed taking, and no real need for a fitting; she just wanted Rainbow Dash to wear it for a little while.
"Here you are, darling. It's quite the number, isn't it?" Rarity asked proudly.
Rainbow rolled her eyes at the sight of her fate.
"Eh, could be worse" she thought.
Accepting her destiny, Rainbow Dash allowed her designer friend to fit her into the gown. What surprised her more than anything was that she didn't hate it. In fact, she thought she looked rather good in it.
"Pfffft, what am I saying? I look good in everything!" the Wonderbolt said to herself.
"So, Rares. Who's this dress for, anyway? Must be a pegasus if they've got a body like mine, right?" Rainbow asked as she shuffled her hooves slightly.
Blanking for a moment, Rarity ceased her fraudulent adjustments to think of a fitting response.
"But, to answer your latter question, they are, indeed, a pegasus".
Rainbow began to ruffle her wings slightly, much to Rarity's annoyance. Although she wasn't actually adjusting the gown, she needed Rainbow to stay still as she falsely pinned things together.
"Will you stay still, Rainbow Dash? One slip of a pin and you'll be wishing you never came" the fashionista exclaimed.
"Bold of you to assume I don't wish that already" Rainbow responded in a huff.
Continuing to pin her fake improvements together, Rarity rolled her eyes and lifted her glasses on top of her muzzle.
Pinkie and Fluttershy stood nervously in the corner as Rarity proceeded to work.
"Oh. I don't know how much longer Rainbow Dash can stand still like that. Where in Equestria is Applejack?" the shy pegasus murmured.
"Luna knows! She said she'd be right over!" Pinkie Pie almost shouted as she bit her hoof restlessly.
Then, right on cue, the doors to Carousel Boutique swung open, setting off the bell in the process.
"Sorry Ah'm late, Rarity. Had something to take care of just before Ah left" the orange farm pony announced.
"Now, where's this whatsit you need me to tr-"
Silence.
Silence as the earth pony became awestruck with what was in front of her.
As though the rest of her vision became blurred somehow, all she could see was a sea of black among bright, brilliant colours.
Rainbow Dash was in a dress.
A stunning dress, in fact.
Applejack was stunned by the mere sight of her colourful friend, and it wasn't the first time.
She'd seen Rainbow in dresses before, plenty of them. Every single time the Wonderbolt wore such an outfit, it lit a fire in the pit of Applejack's stomach. Feelings resurfaced, thoughts whirled inside her head and, for one of a better term, she felt as though she could vomit.
"Whoa" the farmer whispered under her breath.
Eventually realising that Applejack was in the room, Rainbow's wings shot up immediately, sending her straight into the air.
"A-Applejack?! What're you doing here?" the Wonderbolt stuttered as she hovered close to the ceiling.
Rainbow Dash became all too aware of what she was wearing at that moment. The fit of the dress, it's colour, it's fabric, what she looked like in it.
The confidence Rainbow possessed mere moments ago had been shattered, and all because of one pony's presence in the room.
"Come back down here at once, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity shrieked.
"I've never seen you so startled".
With a graceful awkwardness, Rainbow slowly descended to the floor of the boutique.
Snapping herself out of whatever fantasy she'd been in, Applejack gave a cool tip of her hat.
"A-Ah'm here to try on something of Rarity's. As is everypony else, apparently" Applejack answered as she took a short look around the room.
"Ah. Applejack, yes!" Rarity began in an alarmed manner.
"I-uh. I-I need you to try on that hat, darling" she finally decided as she pointed towards the clearance bin.
Giving a sly look to her designer friend, Applejack trotted over to where the hat was situated.
It was simple enough, but Rarity made it, so decoration was imminent.
Picking it up, Applejack inspected it further.
It was a black, velvet fedora who's edging was laced with gold. Why it was in the clearance bin, Applejack didn't know.
"That's a mighty fine piece of headgear, Rarity" the cowgirl began.
"Who's it for?"
"Oh, it's designer client confidentiality, darling" Rainbow Dash imitated with accentuation of the word "darling".
Snickering to herself, Applejack let her eyes linger on the Wonderbolt a little longer than necessary.
Trying to avoid looking at Applejack, Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through her chromatic mane.
"Are we done here, Rarity? I need to fly!" the Pegasus laboured as she attempted to stretch her taut wings through the dress.
Tutting to herself, Rarity allowed Rainbow Dash to free herself from the dress.
Gleefully jumping from the pedestal, Dash sauntered off to Rarity's closet to remove the silky monster from her nauseous body.
Her eyes still hindering on the colourful Pegasus, Applejack watched her friend walk passed her in complete silence.
"Like what you see?" said Rainbow smoothly as she looked over her shoulder at the rooted farmer, giving an arrogant smile as she did so.
Zoning back in with a cocksure flick of her fringe, Applejack returned the smile with one even more cavalier.
"In your dreams, fly-girl" she responded.
Carrying on her pursuit of the closet, while trying to hide the goofiest grin on her face, Rainbow cantered away.
"So, Rarity. Uh-You wanted me to try on this here hat?" Applejack asked as she tried to divert her eyes towards her purple maned friend.
"Why, yes, darling!" Rarity responded as she took the velvet fedora from Applejack.
Removing her beloved stetson for a moment, she placed her creation atop Applejack's head, but it was no sooner there then gone.
"Perfect. All done!" Rarity exclaimed as she threw the gold-rimmed hat back into the clearance bin as if she were discarding it.
Confused, the farmer returned Tallulah to her rightful position.
"That's it? How comes Rainbow Dash had an entire outfit to try on and Ah only had a hat to wear for less than two seconds?" questioned Applejack.
"Oh, darling. Trying on a hat and trying on a dress are two completely different entities. You can't expect me to spend two measly seconds on an entire gown, Applejack" responded Rarity as she admired her hooves.
“But you told me you needed me to try on a dress too, remember?" Applejack retorted as she raised a suspicious eyebrow.
Stopping in her tracks, Rarity began to stutter.
"I-I did?" she asked casually.
"Clear as a corn-stalk in April" the farmer answered.
Flipping her mane, Rarity chuckled anxiously to herself.
"A-um. A slip of the tongue, darling. Besides, the hat fits perfectly. No alterations necessary" said Rarity with false certainty.
Still unconvinced by Rarity's premise, Fluttershy's unusually large smile, and Pinkie Pie's nervous laughter, Applejack let out a laboured sigh as if to indicate there would be no further interrogation.
Just before the silence between the four ponies became too unbearable, Rainbow Dash floated out of the closet carrying the dress in her hooves.
"Awesome. All done, right?" Rainbow asked as she dropped the dress into Rarity's direction, dusting off her hooves in the process.
Exasperated, Rarity gently levitated the heavily pinned dress and placed it on a nearby hanger.
"Quite finished, yes" she grumbled.
"Sweet! Well, gotta dash!" the Wonderbolt announced as she began to speed out of the Boutique.
Panicking at the thought of Rarity's plan falling to pieces, Pinkie Pie leapt in front of her nimble friend and ceased her departure.
"WAIT!" the party pony yelled as she held her hooves out in front of her.
Gazing at her, as always, hard to read friend, Rainbow fell to her hooves in confusion.
Jumping into the situation, almost literally, Rarity put her hoof around the pink earth pony.
"Say, Rainbow Dash?" the fashionista began in a somewhat rehearsed tone.
"Since we're all here together, how about you all stay for a sleepover?"
Rainbow's eyes widened at the prospect.
"No. NO! Anything but that!" the Pegasus screamed internally.
"What a lovely idea, Rarity. And it's just what Rainbow Dash wanted to do yesterday. How thoughtful of you to remember" Fluttershy interjected.
Rainbow worried that her internal struggle began to reveal itself externally.
"Urgh! I didn't even want a sleepover yesterday!"
"I only said that so I didn't have to be alone!"
"I can't! I can't have a sleepover! It's all too much!"
"I gotta weasel my way outta this. But how?"
"I know! I'll tell 'em Tank's sick!"
"No. Wait. I've already used that one, huh?"
"Man, they called me out so bad yesterday! Now I have no excuses!"
Rainbow Dash continued to battle with her thoughts as the other ponies remained somewhat oblivious to her mindset.
"Ah'd love to stay, Rarity. But Ah got a buck-load o'chores to finish by the end of the day" Applejack answered.
"Oh, pish-tosh!" Rarity responded with a dramatic wave of her hoof.
"Why I spoke my Big Mac earlier, and he said he had everything under control".
"He said that? Said all that?" the country girl asked in a doubtful tone.
Feeling her unsaid words already stuttering in her throat, Rarity pawed at the floor slightly with her hoof.
"W-well. It was probably more along the lines of "eeyup", but a very reassured one at that" she finally responded.
"Why, shoot! If Big Mac says everything's under control, Ah'd love to stay!" said Applejack with a hearty grin.
Rainbow Dash soon felt her stomach tighten as if it had wrapped a lasso around itself for fun.
All she could think about was her escape plan, but she knew that any excuse she conjured would be thrown back in her face.
"I've already made too many excuses in the past. They're bound to catch on!"
"Why did I have to go and make such a huge deal about a sleepover in the first place?!"
"Why don't you just admit that you wanna spend time with her?"
"What's the harm in one sleepover?"
Dash hated her rational side almost as much as she hated her irrational side. Two overpowering and conflicting mindsets, trapped in one defenseless pony. An awesome and brave pony, yes, but beneath all the egotistical confidence, she was still just a pony.
"What's say you, Rainbow Dash?" the glamorous unicorn asked.
"Will you stay?"
"Or is there a rogue cloud circling the area that needs taking care of?" Applejack interjected with a wink.
Rolling her eyes at her crush's comment, Rainbow Dash accepted her fate and let out a deep sigh.
"Fine. I'll stay" Rainbow admitted at last.
"But I don't want any mushy, romantic nonsense from the two of you, okay?" she continued with a hoof pointing towards Rarity and Fluttershy.
Raising a hoof to her chest, Rarity's mouth became agape sarcastically.
"Who? Us? We wouldn't dream of it, dear" she replied with a brazen smile.
For the most part, Rarity's sleepover scheme went without a hitch. The only ponies in the know remained the same, everypony enjoyed Pinkie Pie's delicious treats, and Rainbow Dash only gave a total of five eye rolls during that time.
However, the chance had finally come for the schemers to hatch the next phase of their plan: truth or dare.
Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy knew for a fact that Rainbow Dash detested truth or dare. Sure, she enjoyed performing dares more than most things, but she couldn't abide Rarity and Fluttershy's "do you like anypony?" truths.
She adored them both for individual reasons, but they were far too girlie and gossipy when it came to telling truths and dishing out dares.
Giving a sly nod to her pink and yellow companions, Rarity cleared her throat and announced "Come now, darlings. Gather round".
The four other ponies quickly complied and joined Rarity in the front room. Without being prompted, they all sat in a perfect circle so everypony could be in view. Muscle memory from too many castle meetings, perhaps? Whatever the reason, there were more pressing matters at hoof.
"It was mighty kind of you to let us stay, Rarity", Applejack began as she took a seat next to her eldest friend.
"And those cupcakes were tastier than a candy apple on an Appleloosan carnival day, Pinkie".
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile at Applejack's countryisms. Although she didn't understand a lot of what the country girl said sometimes, it's what made her special.
To have even the slightest taste of Applejack's southern accent was enough to get Dash through the day, which she hated to admit. It just sounded safe; like coming home to something she didn't know was missing.
As Applejack and Pinkie continued to converse about the evening's menu, the farm pony let out a small chuckle. Applejack's freckled nose scrunched up as she smiled, causing her to emit an abrupt snort.
Without realising, Rainbow Dash proceeded to examine the orange earth pony's every move. She found her utterly fascinating.
The amount of time she'd wasted on one-upping Applejack made Rainbow Dash want to scream.
"Of course AJ's better than me", Rainbow thought.
"Why did I ever feel the need to prove her wrong?"
"I mean, the whole flying thing goes without saying".
"Pegasus. Earth Pony".
"But the rest of it?"
"All the dumb contests we've made Pinkie Pie sit through".
"The constant battle to be better than the other".
"Sure, we're just as competitive and stubborn as each other, that's a given. But why have I always felt the need to prove my worth to just one pony?"
Rainbow didn't appreciate where her mind was taking her, but she didn't know how to make it change course.
"You alright over there, Sugarcube?" the earth pony asked, concerned.
Upon hearing Applejack's voice, Rainbow, at last, returned to reality.
"Huh? What? Y-yeah. Never better, AJ", the Wonderbolt replied unconvincingly.
"We were just saying how awesometastic it would be to play truth or dare, Dashie!" the pink party pony proclaimed, raising her hooves above her head as she did so.
Rainbow's stomach churned as the words "truth" and "dare" escaped Pinkie's lips. Her worst nightmare was about to unfold around her. She knew she had to play; she couldn't leave after making such a song and dance about sleepovers the day before. She was in a bind; trapped.
Taking a deep breath to steady her words, Dash spoke up.
"Sure, Pinkie. Sounds awesome".
The words left a bitter taste in Rainbow's mouth.
"No turning back now", she thought.
"Marvellous" Rarity exclaimed as she clapped her hooves together in delight.
"I'll start".
Rarity was keen to start with Applejack or Rainbow Dash, but she didn't want to risk her plan falling through by acting too rashly. Instead, she took a long look around the circle with her hoof placed under her chin.
"Ah. Fluttershy, darling", the unicorn uttered as her eyes locked onto the yellow Pegasus.
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, her teeth gritted together angrily, and she cursed herself internally.
"Of course she'd start with Fluttershy!" Rainbow groaned to herself.
"Next thing we know, they'll be swapping mushy love stories and wearing face masks!"
Fluttershy had learnt to control her anxiety massively over the years, but she had a funny feeling it would be making an appearance that evening. She didn't want to ruin Rarity's fabulous plan, not that the fashionista would let it happen, but she felt the pressure building all the same.
"Truth or dare, my dear?" Rarity asked the worried Pegasus.
Fluttershy gave her friend a troubled look, to which Rarity returned a warm smile and a nod.
Smiling back, Fluttershy replied "um. Truth."
"Here we go", Rainbow thought as she shuffled slightly on the floor.
But, to her surprise, Rarity asked Fluttershy a question Rainbow wasn't expecting.
"Okay, darling. What's the first thing you would do if you woke up as a stallion?"
The whole room went silent, that is until Rainbow Dash fell onto her back in hysterics.
"Now, that's what I'm talking about!" she screamed as she continued to guffaw, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
As time progressed, the five friends continued to enjoy each other's company. Many truths had been answered, and many dares had been completed.
Pinkie Pie asked Rarity what her most embarrassing public moment was.
Rarity dared Rainbow Dash to do a headstand for ten minutes.
Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie if she'd ever forgotten to plan somepony's party.
And Fluttershy dared Applejack to take only one bite of an apple and leave the rest.
They were all having a wonderful time. Laughing, joking, learning. However, Rarity knew her plan was far from complete. She gave an almost unnoticeable wink to Pinkie and Fluttershy, who attempted to act as casually as possible.
"Ahem. Rainbow Dash, dear. Truth or dare?" Rarity asked confidently.
Upon hearing the sound of her own name, Rainbow Dash unfurled her wings and shot into the air.
"Duh! Dare me, Rares!" the cyan Pegasus responded as she crossed her forelegs assuredly.
"I mean, we all know you're daring already. Why not answer a simple question for a change?" Rainbow Dash remained aloft as her friends called her out, trying to keep up a fearless persona.
"Pfffft. Are you kidding? Truths are just lazy, you guys!" the Wonderbolt lectured.
"And I, Rainbow Dash, am anything but lazy!"
The four friends rolled their eyes collectively as Rainbow muttered on.
Spying an opportunity, Rarity seized it by the horns.
"Okay then, Daring Dash. I dare you to answer a truth question", the unicorn offered with a deceitful grin.
Alarm bells rang in Rainbow's head.
"Oh! Come on, Rarity! That's not fair!" Dash shouted as her voice broke slightly.
"Of course it's fair, darling. We all know the legendary Rainbow Dash would never turn down a dare. Goodness knows what the Wonderbolts would think if anything like that happened", the unicorn teased.
Now hovering just above the floor, Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at her purple maned friend.
"Touché, Rares. Touché" she responded, somewhat impressed.
Finally settling her hooves onto the ground, Dash accepted defeat and grimaced through her words.
"Fine. Ask away, I guess".
Smiling and raising excited eyebrows at each other, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy tried to hide their enthusiasm as best they could.
"Ooh! Magnificent, darling! Now, what to ask you?" Rarity asked rhetorically.
She had many, many questions she wanted to ask her flighty friend, but she had to stick to the plan.
"Ah! I know!" she announced, sounding slightly frenzied as she did so.
"Ahem. What do you think the most attractive features are of everypony present, Rainbow Dash?"
Suddenly terrified, Dash's wings rallied against her as they shot out to the sides.
"No! Oh no!" she shrieked mentally.
"Urgh! I knew something like this was going to happen!"
"Darn Rarity and her gossipy mind!"
"Wait. D-do they know?"
"No. Impossible".
"I haven't told anypony. I mean, I've barely told myself!"
As Rainbow continued to monologue inwardly, the anticipation started to build amongst the group.
"Well, RD. Make with the compliments", said Applejack from across the circle.
AJ didn't want to admit it, but she felt uneasy letting Rainbow Dash list her most attractive features.
Thoughts began to enter her mind.
"What if she can't find anything she likes about me?"
"What if she says Ah'm not attractive?"
"Heck, no pony else has told me Ah am. Why would she be any different?"
“Alright, alright!" Rainbow replied in an unintentionally sharp tone.
She shuffled under her tail as she tried to think of appropriate answers for everypony. One pony was particularly easy to answer for, but Dash didn't want to admit those feelings out loud.
She could write sonnets, sing songs, or recite poetry about her feelings for Applejack, but that would mean admitting everything to herself and everypony else.
"Uh, Fluttershy. I guess you have a nice mane?" Rainbow eventually answered, scrunching her face as she thought harder.
Fluttershy was like an older sister to Rainbow Dash, so it felt a little odd itemizing her most attractive features.
"And you're super kind, which is an obvious one I guess".
Fluttershy blushed slightly as her mane spilt out across her face. She wasn't good at receiving compliments.
"Rarity. You-um. Have nice hooves?" Dash continued as she shrugged slightly.
"Well, I'd be mad if I didn't", Rarity responded as she admired her reflection in her hooves.
"The amount of bits I've spent on hooficures over the years is nothing to sneeze at".
"And Pinkie. Well, you're just Pinkie", Rainbow said with a smile.
"Nothing short of amazing".
"Aw, shucks. You flatter me, Dashie" Pinkie replied as she waved her hoof dismissively at her pranking buddy.
Coming to an abrupt stop, Rainbow began to fidget on the spot to avoid Applejack's gaze. She had so many things to confess about her friend, but she ran the risk of losing said friendship if those feelings revealed themselves.
"And-um. A-Applejack. You-er" Rainbow struggled.
Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity waited with bated breath, leaning into the circle slightly with anticipation. Pinkie Pie pulled out a bag of popcorn from nowhere in particular and began munching.
"I-I really like your... Your voice?"
The three mares sat back on their haunches with dissatisfied faces.
"M-mah voice?" Applejack questioned as she became acutely aware of what she sounded like.
"I-I mean your accent. Like, it's nice", the Pegasus admitted as she averted her gaze once again.
"Why thank you, Dash. That's mighty kind of you", Applejack responded with a tip of her hat.
"And those little countryisms you say are super cool too! Not that I understand most of ‘em. But they're cool, nonetheless" Rainbow continued a little too eagerly.
The farm pony couldn't help but smile at her friend's compliment. It sent a shiver down her spine knowing somepony else thought that countryisms were cool, especially since that other pony was Rainbow Dash.
"Gee. That's real nice, Rainbow Dash", Applejack responded with sincerity.
She too started to avoid eye contact with her friend, and she began pawing at the ground with her hoof to distract herself.
Noticing the immediate change, the three schemers became invested in the conversation yet again.
"Eh. I-it's nothing", Rainbow said shakily.
Suddenly, the two mare's eyes finally met across the friendship circle. A mixture of anxiety and adoration churned in their stomachs. They wanted to look away, but they were somehow fixated.
"Your eyes are nice too".
Shocked, Dash immediately brought a hoof to her mouth to stop herself from spilling the rest of her guts on Rarity's imported carpet.
The three side ponies almost gave a synchronized gasp, and Pinkie Pie was close to choking on a popcorn kernel.
"W-what was that?" Applejack questioned as she leaned further into the circle towards Rainbow.
With her hoof still over her mouth, Rainbow's eye began to twitch nervously.
"What was what? I-I didn't say anything".
"Oh, darling. That's such a lovely compliment", Rarity began as she lifted a hoof to her chest.
"Praytell, what is it about them that you find so appealing?"
Pinkie and Fluttershy watched on in agony, feeding popcorn to each other as their mouths became wider with excitement.
Now watching Rainbow Dash's every move, Applejack cocked her head as she waited for a response. A response that would most likely dismiss everything that was already said.
Dash didn't have a clue how to play this one. The ball was in her court but was she supposed to defend or attack? She did not know.
"I-I dunno. They're green, I guess", she finally answered.
"No guessing about it, Dashie!" the party pony interrupted.
She grabbed Applejack's cheeks and brought her face towards her own. "Those eyes are definitely green!"
Shaking her head and letting out a small giggle, Applejack gently pushed her enthusiastic friend away.
"Anyway, they're nice, 'kay?" Rainbow continued, now hovering in the air to stretch her wings.
There was so much more to be said about those eyes. Not just their colour, but their shape, wisdom and strength too.
Applejack hid her girlish smile by hanging her head low, but that didn't hide the fact that she'd started twirling her mane between her hooves nervously.
Rarity noticed everything when it came to matters of the heart.
She knew when two ponies were crazy about each other, and she saw it right there in front of her.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash had it pretty bad, but what could she do?
Staying her temptation to squeal their secrets out loud, she took a step back and nodded at Dash's response.
"True enough, dear. Well done on completing your tru- Ahem. Your dare", the white unicorn stated.
"Dearest Fluttershy and Pinkie, might you lend me a hoof in the kitchen?" she continued as she stood up from the circle.
"Nah, I'm good here!" the party pony responded quickly, resulting in a hoof to the shoulder from Fluttershy.
Raising her brows at her oblivious friend, Fluttershy tried to get through to Pinkie Pie.
Finally realising, Pinkie gave a very unsubtle "ooh, gotcha" as she followed her friends into Rarity's kitchen.
"Oh, I don't think our plan's working", the yellow Pegasus said in an almost whisper.
"I beg to differ, darling", Rarity said, raising a hoof.
"They're exactly where we need them to be".
"Where? The living room?" Pinkie replied all too cheerfully.
Exasperated, Rarity shook her head and sighed.
"No, Miss Pie. I mean, all they need is a push in the right direction".
"Not a big push, I hope", the worried Pegasus responded.
"Not at all, dear. Follow my lead, the pair of you. Trust me", Rarity uttered as she exited the kitchen.
Fluttershy and Pinkie followed suit as instructed.
"I don't know about the rest of you", Rarity began with a fake yawn.
"But I require some beauty sleep".
The time was just a little past midnight, a lot later than anypony had thought.
Looking at the clock in the corner of Rarity's living room, Applejack's eyes widened.
"Holy mother of Equestria! Ah've been awake for over nineteen hours!" she said in shock.
"Five more and that'll be a full darn day".
Trying to copy Rarity's tactics, Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth and yawned.
"You know, Rarity? Now that you mention it, I am pretty sleepy", the Pegasus said quietly.
"Well, I feel super duper!" Pinkie Pie responded with a signature bounce.
"You know Pinkie Pie. Never ever ever ever slee-"
Being interrupted by a flick of Fluttershy's tail, Pinkie ceased her excited tone.
"I-I mean YAWN!" she continued flimsily.
"I actually am kinda snoozy".
Still hovering, Rainbow Dash stretched out her limbs and let out a yawn.
"Y'know what? I'm pretty beat too", she began.
"It's been a weird couple of days, huh?"
Everypony nodded in agreement, suddenly realising that two very prominent figures weren't around their little circle.
"Sure has, sugarcube. But like Ah told you, we'll get through this just fine as long as we're together", Applejack responded with a wink in Dash's direction.
Unable to hide her oncoming blush, Rainbow Dash flew slightly higher to avoid any unwanted questions from nosey ponies.
"Wonderful, darlings", the white unicorn began as she trotted around slightly.
"But oh dear! It would seem I have no sleeping bags or blankets for us to sleep on out here", she continued in a falsely distressed tone.
Pinkie and Fluttershy looked on in understanding. The final phase of their plan was about to launch.
"Well, um. C-can't we stay in your room, Rarity?" Fluttershy asked gingerly while also following the unwritten script.
This was their plan all along. It was in full swing.
"Far too small for all five of us, my dear", Rarity put forth.
"We'll simply have to split between the two bedrooms; mine and Sweetie Belle's".
No sooner had Rarity's words left her mouth when Pinkie Pie ran, Sonic style, into the unicorn's bedroom.
"I CALL DIBS ON RARITY'S ROOM!" she shrieked as she ran.
The four remaining ponies stood still, perplexed.
"Well, I hate to be that pony, but I would rather stay in my own room if that's alright, my dears?" Rarity admitted as she slowly slid away to her bedroom, leaving Fluttershy to fend for herself.
Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy a hopeful look, thinking her longest friend would have her flank by sharing the room with her. They'd shared rooms multiple times as foals, even as grown mares. They were close, no question about it.
"Oh. What's that, Rarity? Poor Opal isn't feeling too well?" the yellow Pegasus replied to no pony in particular.
"I'll be right there".
And with that, Fluttershy sprinted away to Rarity's room, squealing to herself internally. Rainbow Dash had a good mind to kick their sorry flanks; leaving her in a lurch with Applejack like that.
"Why I oughta" she whispered under her breath.
Dash rubbed her neck nervously, and she let out a chuckle that complimented her timidness perfectly.
"Looks like it's you and me, Dash", said Applejack, cutting through the silence like a knife.
Her tone sounded confident on the surface, but through the layers, there were hints of dread.
The two ponies had shared rooms before, yes, but never on their own. Or in the same bed, no less.
Still emitting nervous laughter, Dash managed to let out a simple "Yup".
Mortified, Rainbow flew into the bathroom to wash up. She gave herself a few motivational speeches in Rarity's mirror, told herself not to screw up, subconsciously tidied her mane and checked her breath.
Realising what she was doing, Dash smacked herself in the face.
"Pull it together, loser!"
"This is not the right time!"
"There never will be a right time!"
A few deep breaths later, Rainbow made her way to Sweetie Belle's room.
The room was large enough for the most part, but there was only one double bed adjacent to the window. A bed she would be sharing with a certain orange earth pony.
Rainbow shuddered at the thought. Not only was this her worst nightmare, but it was also a dream come true. It was complicated. It didn't need to be, but it was for Dash. Emotions weren't exactly her forte.
To her surprise, Applejack was already in the bedroom, setting down glasses of water for the two of them.
Even when she wasn't in her own home, she still felt the need to be hospitable. Rainbow loved that about her.
"Thought you might want a drink after all that food Pinkie made", the farm pony said, gesturing to the glasses.
Still in the doorway, Dash decided to float her way into the room.
After taking a sip from the glass, she turned to the bed with apprehension.
"So, how do you wanna do this?" questioned Applejack.
With the wrong thought entering her mind, Rainbow Dash jolted back into the nightstand.
"What?! Do what?!" she asked in a frenzy.
"Sleep. Ah mean, which side of the bed do you wanna sleep on? How many pillows do you want? That kinda thing", the earth pony replied as she removed her signature hat.
"Everythin' alright, sugarcube? You're actin’ jumpier than a rattlesnake in a pickle barrel this evenin'!"
Realising she was still on the floor of Sweetie Belle's room, Dash began to hover in the air almost immediately.
"Me? Jumpy? Nah!" she replied with false assurance, knocking over a plant pot in the process.
"A-anyway, I'll sleep closest to the window if that's cool?" Rainbow continued as she made the window ajar.
"I sort of need the air to not throw up".
"Beg pardon?" the earth pony asked with concern.
"You're not feelin' sick, are ya?"
"Well, not right now, I'm not. But I might feel nauseous when I lie down. No biggie", the Pegasus replied as she carefully tucked herself into the sheets.
Applejack placed Tallulah on a hook by the door, scratching her head in confusion.
"So, lemme get this straight. Ya feel fine right now but could get sick from lyin' down? Ya haven't been takin' secret helpings of cider behind mah back have ya, Dash?" Applejack teased questionably.
Dash cackled at her friend's remark. She did love Applejack's cider, but that was far from being the case.
"Nah. I just get ground sick, is all" Rainbow replied through chuckles.
"If I stay on the ground for too long, my body decides to shut down a little. It's a sort of awesome defense mechanism, now that I think about it".
Still confused, Applejack peeled back the bed sheets and clambered in next to Dash.
"Why's that then? What's so plumb-crazy about the ground?" she asked in a somewhat offended tone of voice.
"Pegasus, remember? I grew up in Cloudsdale, live in a cloud house, spend most of my time around clouds? You get the picture", Dash rambled.
Narrowing her eyes, Applejack continued her interrogation.
"Well, what about Fluttershy? Never heard of no ground sickness from her".
"That's because she's practically part earth pony, AJ!" Dash countered.
"A Pegasus who's scared of heights and lives in a woodland cottage? Man, I was convinced her wings were made out of cardboard for moons!"
The two fell into a fit of laughter atop the bed, causing the ponies next door to stir.
"Oh. Do move over, Pinkie Pie! I can't hear a thing!" Rarity muffled as she attempted to move her magenta friend out of the way.
"Come on, Rarity! It was just getting good!" the party pony responded in a huff.
"Sounds to me like they were only talking about Fluttershy", Rarity queried.
"Exactly!" Pinkie almost shouted as she pressed her ear against the wall once again.
Fluttershy's mane covered half of her face, hiding her blush slightly.
After a long while of talking nonsense, Rainbow and Applejack finally decided to get some sleep. Dash wanted nothing more than to stay up and talk to her friend all night long, but her eyes had become heavier than Bulk Bicep's dumbbells.
Dash felt like a character from a mushy romance novel Fluttershy would read. One where the protagonist spends an intimate evening with their beloved, watching them sleep, learning new things about them. The usual yucky stuff.
As much as she despised plotlines such as those, Dash couldn't help but notice Applejack's scent, how she breathed, how her freckles spread across other parts of her body beside her face.
She smiled to herself, finding herself feeling genuinely happy for the longest time.
All of a sudden, Rainbow noticed Applejack's demeanour change.
She no longer looked content in her sleep. She looked frightened.
Without thinking, Rainbow Dash began to stroke Applejack's straw-coloured mane to give her some comfort, but it wasn't working.
The earth pony started to twitch and mumble to herself, becoming more and more distressed as she did so.
Panicking slightly, Dash resulted in calling out Applejack's name in hopes of waking her up.
She was just about to try shaking her friend awake when Applejack shot up in a flash, causing Dash to fly back in shock.
"MOM!" Applejack shouted in a traumatised tone.
Taking in her surroundings, she realised she was, in fact, still at Rarity's. She wasn't where her mind had taken her, thank Celestia.
Her breath was shaky, shakier than Rainbow had ever heard.
Beads of sweat dotted her freckled face, and tears began to form in her emerald eyes.
"Whoa whoa whoa, Applejack! What happened?" Rainbow asked as she gently floated down onto the bed.
Wiping away her tears, Applejack sniffed.
"Nothin'. Don't be worryin' about it, ya hear?"
Rainbow couldn't take it. She couldn't bear to see Applejack cry. She was the bravest and toughest pony Rainbow had ever met, so when she cried, there was always a valid reason.
"Element of honesty, my flank", Rainbow responded as she took hold of Applejack's hooves.
"You're shaking like a leaf, AJ", Rainbow acknowledged.
"What's got you so spooked?"
"Never you mind!" Applejack snapped, though she was unable to remove her hooves from Rainbow's.
Attempting to hide her tears, the farm pony drew her gaze to the floor.
Rainbow was having none of it. She gently placed a hoof under her friend's chin, lifted her head, and brushed away the matted bangs from her eyes.
"You don’t have to be so stoic, y’know? It’s me, Sugarcube", Rainbow Dash said with a comforting smile.
A smile formed on Applejack's face upon hearing her own words of wisdom come out of another pony's mouth.
Quick as a flash, Rainbow brought her friend a cold flannel, a fresh glass of water, and an apple from the kitchen.
"There", she said proudly.
"No need to talk, just try to calm down, 'kay?"
Nodding through her tears, Applejack took a shaky sip of water.
Rainbow Dash ringed the flannel out slightly in her hooves, brought it up to Applejack's forehead and gently dabbed her with it.
"Thanks, Dash. What must ya think of me?" the farmer managed to muster through sniffles.
"Anything for a friend", the Wonderbolt replied as she continued to wipe the sweat from AJ's fur.
“And I think you’re awesome so less of that, thank you”.
The corners of Applejack's mouth curled up at the passing compliment.
Although Rainbow knew her friend was in an emotional bind, she couldn't help but notice how close they'd become. She suddenly became aware of her own breathing, how often she blinked, and how she smelt.
In any other situation, Dash might've closed the gap between them then and there. Alas, it was not the right time.
"What am I talking about?" the Pegasus thought to herself.
"There's never gonna be a right time!"
Giving Applejack's forehead a final check with the flannel, Rainbow flashed her friend a crooked smile.
"There, AJ", she began.
"Feeling okay to lay down?"
Applejack took a deep breath and nodded. It was always horrible coming out of that nightmare, but she was glad to have a friend with her this time around.
Rainbow hovered over Applejack's side of the bed to fluff up her pillows, then gave her friend the all-clear to lie down.
With herself and Applejack tucked in once again, Rainbow turned towards her traumatised friend.
"D-do you need anything else, Applejack?" she asked cautiously.
"A hot cocoa? Another blanket? Or a-"
Rainbow Dash was cut off as she felt two, strong forelegs wrap around her waist.
"Or-Or that?" the Pegasus replied, flimsily.
Poor Rainbow was in shock for a moment before she allowed herself to relax into Applejack's embrace.
She gently placed a hoof on top of the cowgirl's head, stroking through her mane as she did so.
"Thanks, Dashie" Applejack whispered under her warm breath.
Dashie.
There it was again.
That darn nickname.
Why did it mean so much coming from Applejack?
"No problem", Rainbow replied.
It was too late to wallow in one's feelings, so Rainbow allowed her eyes to close naturally. She was soon fast asleep in the embrace of the mare she loved. In a way, she'd never felt more comfortable.
The next morning came easily to Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy until they discovered no pony was keeping an eye on Sweetie Belle's room; they'd all fallen asleep by the wall, rendering Rarity's bed utterly useless.
The three friends scrambled out into the hallway, each trying to be the first to peek inside Sweetie's room.
As they peered through the slightly opened door, their hearts melted into a gooey fondue.
The two mares were fast asleep after their early morning exploits, and they were still snuggling into each other despite Applejack's panic being over.
"Now what do we do?” Fluttershy queried as they continued to examine their friends.
"Simple" Pinkie Pie stated confidently.
"Make breakfast! I don't know about you two, but I'm starving!"
Pinkie sang to herself as she bounced into the kitchen while Fluttershy followed eagerly.
Rarity gave a final smile to her sleeping friends.
"We wait", she whispered, closing the door behind her.
She dreamt that she was muzzle to muzzle with Applejack, snuggling her as she slept.
She inhaled her friend's intoxicating scent, allowing her to relax even further.
Unconsciously, Dash began to nuzzle Applejack's mane, tightening her embrace of the farmer as she did so.
Applejack shuffled in her sleep, repositioning herself slightly as a response to Rainbow's movements. She burrowed into the Wonderbolt's neck, allowing her lips to brush against the soft, cyan fur in her grasp.
The two intertwined ponies lay on the mere precipice of sleep, their dreams slowly morphing into reality.
With her mind and body coming back to her, Applejack became increasingly more aware of her surroundings.
The delicate, fluffy feathers that caressed her.
An undetermined, but not at all unpleasant, smell.
A fresh smell. One that didn't differ too far from rain or snow.
And Blue fur-
"Blue fur?!" the farmer thought as she opened her eyes abruptly.
Lifting her head from the nape of Rainbow's neck, she found herself in an even more compromising position.
Being muzzle to muzzle wasn't uncommon for the two competitors. It was their way of squaring up to each other during contests, races etc.
Although they knew the sensation all too well, that didn't make the current situation any less embarrassing.
Applejack lay next to her friend with her eyes wide in shock. She wanted and needed to move away, but something inside her was saying the exact opposite.
Thousands of situations played out in her mind in mere seconds. It was as though Rainbow Dash had suddenly developed a gravitational field, forcing Applejack to move in closer.
It should have made her feel uncomfortable, but she'd never felt safer.
Feeling Applejack shift slightly next to her, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to reveal two emerald orbs staring back at her.
Finally coming to her senses, the speedster loosened her wings from Applejack's body and attempted to fly away. She, instead, found herself getting coiled up inside of Sweetie Belle's bedsheets and falling to the floor.
Finally freeing herself from her luxurious prison, Dash flew backwards, away from the bed.
"Whoa! Personal space, Apples!" she said gracelessly, dusting herself off as she did so.
Shaking the last of her dream state from her mind, Applejack gave the Pegasus a cocky smirk.
"Didn't hear ya complainin' at 4 am, Dash".
Rainbow opened her mouth to conjure up a brash response but soon stopped herself.
"Y-yeah. What was all that anyway?" Rainbow asked with concern.
The tension in the room was suddenly thick enough to be sliced.
Applejack's mind began to wander through her nightmare once again. The reality of it was staggering, down to the tiniest detail. It was complete with smells, sounds, and so much more.
Throwing on her usual, aloof persona, the farmer gave Rainbow Dash a grin.
"Just a dream, sugarcube. Don't worry ‘bout it, none."
"About your parents?" Rainbow asked without thinking.
Applejack's entire character shifted, causing her false confidence to fade away.
She looked up at her friend with sorrowful eyes, sending a stabbing sensation through Dash's body.
"Oh. Gee. I-I'm sorry, AJ. I know you don't like talking about that stuff", Rainbow stuttered as she hovered towards the bed.
"J-just forget I asked".
"Y'know?" the cowgirl began as she lifted her gaze towards her friend's.
"Ah've never spoken to anypony about this before."
Shocked, Rainbow took a seat on the end of the bed. She didn't wish to pry any further, but it pained her to see Applejack so morose. Usually, she'd punch her friend on the shoulder and tell her to snap out of it, but this wasn't one of those times.
"You don't have to say anything, okay?" the Wonderbolt began.
"I can't say that I'll empathise, but I'll always be here to listen."
Looking back at her friend from across the bed, Applejack nodded as a comforting smile appeared on her freckled face.
"Mind listenin' for a sec?" she asked quietly.
Shuffling forward, Rainbow positioned herself adequately, indicating she was ready to listen.
Some time passed as Applejack recounted her dream to Rainbow Dash. Surprisingly, she shed no tears. She remained calm and poised throughout. Dash just sat back and listened, slowly understanding more and more about her friend.
"And that's why Ah still have it", Applejack said as she began to wrap things up.
"Luna wasn't around when Ah was a filly to help me deal with mah nightmares, so Ah've just dealt with it alone."
Rainbow Dash felt empty.
She couldn't believe how much mental anguish Applejack had gone through. What she was still going through.
"Gosh, AJ. I-I'm so sorr-"
Cutting the Pegasus’s sentence short, Applejack held her hoof up to her friend's mouth.
"Hush up, Dash. Don't go gettin' all sappy on me, now."
"Thanks for listenin', sugarcube. Ah do feel a lot better now" the farmer continued as she lowered her hoof.
Although she still felt the need to comfort her friend further, Rainbow sensed their conversation had come to a close.
"Anytime" she replied in a raspy tone.
"It must've been pretty tough, though. Watching your nightmare come to life halfway through a battle", Dash continued inquisitively.
Confused, Applejack cocked her head slightly.
"Whattaya mean, Dash?"
"When we fought Sombra that time. Couldn't have been easy for you to see all that stuff and carry on fighting", Rainbow explained.
The cogs inside Applejack's brain began to turn. It was as though some pony had oiled every rusty bolt to get her memories churning again.
Her subconscious wasn't somewhere Applejack liked to visit. She was a practical mare, and she lived her life in the present. She refused to look towards her traumatic past, and she hated the thought of the future. There were far too many variables; it made her uneasy.
Although her mind didn't want her to go there, she slowly sifted through her memories to find something specific.
Something that had been nagging her subliminally for moons.
Her Sombra-vision.
Anypony would believe Applejack's worst nightmare to be about her parents. As far as they knew, there was nothing more horrendous to the farm pony than losing her family.
Applejack believed that notion too until Sombra showed her otherwise.
During their battle, Applejack braced herself for her recurring nightmare. She was expecting to see a Chimera in the middle of a fiery swamp. She waited to see her parents draw their last breaths right in front of her. But no.
What lay before her was a dying Pegasus. A blue Pegasus with a colourful mane and tail. There were no injuries, so signs of sickness, she was simply fading away.
Applejack didn't need any more proof as to who the Pegasus was. It was pretty obvious. What wasn't obvious was why. Why Rainbow Dash?
Then, all of a sudden, it hit her.
All the contests, their friendly rivalry, the constant need to one-up each other, the flirtatious banter, the fights over nothing in particular, the awkward compliments, and the sly looks they'd exchange now and again.
They were all excuses; excuses made by Applejack to get closer to Rainbow.
And she'd succeeded. Too well, in fact.
Applejack always joked that the Pegasus was her worst nightmare, but never had that sentiment meant so much more.
Rainbow wasn't Applejack's worst nightmare. Losing her was.
Noticing that her friend's face had become reminiscent of a blank canvas, Rainbow began to move her hoof back and forth to grab her attention.
"Earth to the Earth Pony", Dash stated, still waving her hoof.
Finally zoning back into the present, Applejack blinked multiple times as she shook her head.
Avoiding Rainbow's gaze wasn't easy all of a sudden.
All Applejack wanted to do was stare into those magenta pools for the rest of the day, but she could feel herself beginning to panic.
"Y-yeah. It wasn't easy, Ah'll tell ya", Applejack finally responded as she shifted her eyes around the room.
Fluttering off the bed, Rainbow grabbed Applejack's signature stetson from the nearby peg and placed it confidently on the cowgirl's head.
"Perfect", the Pegasus said proudly, making Applejack's cheeks redden.
"Don't know about you, cowgirl, but I'm famished! What's say we join the others for some breakfast?" Dash continued.
Unable to conjure a verbal response, Applejack nodded at her friend and made for the kitchen.
Rarity's kitchen had practically transformed into a Pancake Parlour thanks to a certain Party Pony. Five plates circled the circumference of the table, each plate containing a stack of fluffy pancakes and various fruits.
While magically pouring herself a cup of tea, Rarity gave a sly look towards her fellow schemers. Their test subjects had finally emerged.
"Oh. Morning, darlings", the unicorn began nonchalantly.
"I trust you had a pleasant sleep, both of you."
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy flashed hopeful smiles in their friend's directions, trying not to look too enthusiastic.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash froze in the kitchen's doorway, feeling very conspicuous all of a sudden.
"Y-yeah. Awesome, thanks", Rainbow muttered as she hovered towards the table.
Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged a look of confusion.
Applejack, still halted in the doorway, darted her eyes back and forth nervously.
"Looking a little jittery over there, AJ," Pinkie began.
"But fear not. Pinkie Pie's Practically Perfect Pancakes will tell those jitters to beat it!"
The Party Pony placed her entire stack of pancakes in her mouth, impossibly, resulting in an elated smile afterwards.
Forcing her body to move, at last, Applejack took a seat at Rarity's table. The ponies in the know had purposefully sat together, making it impossible for the farmer and Wonderbolt to be apart. They were hoping to witness some lovey-dovey looks, hoof holding; you name it. But they were met with a strange silence.
Disappointment washed across Rarity's face. How had her brilliant plan failed?
Noticing her friend's distress, Fluttershy decided to take the reins.
"You know? Last time we did this, Twilight fell asleep in her pancakes", she began with a giggle.
"I can't believe how long ago that was."
The five mares joined together in a collective smile, which turned into a series of chuckles, laughs and sighs.
"Heh, you're right", Rainbow responded, her mouth overflowing with fruit.
"The poor dear was so exhausted", added Rarity.
"You're telling me! I don't think I've ever made so many pancakes! Twilight helped me set a new record!" Pinkie exclaimed, pouring masses of syrup onto her stack.
As their laughter continued, Fluttershy couldn't help but notice Applejack's silence and lack of pancake-eating.
"Is everything okay, Applejack? You've barely touched your food," the shy Pegasus asked tentatively.
Hundreds and thousands of thoughts made their way through Applejack's mind; about her Sombra-vision, about Rainbow Dash. She'd never been so distracted.
"A-Ah'm fine", she began shakily.
"B-but Ah best get goin'. Plenty of chores need gettin' done."
Without looking anypony in the eye, the orange Earth Pony stood up from the table and practically ran out of the Boutique.
Running outside with a full plate in her hoof, Pinkie Pie shouted: "BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR PANCAKES?!"
Realising the farmer was already out of sight, the magenta maned pony shrugged, devoured the pancakes and headed inside.
"Goodness, Rainbow Dash. What in Twilight's name happened to Applejack last night?" Rarity asked, sipping her tea.
Knowing her friend's behaviour must have been related to her nightmare, Rainbow Dash decided it wasn't her place to divulge such a private matter.
"Beats me" the Wonderbolt replied, avoiding any prolonged eye contact.
"She seemed fine earlier".
"Huh, I bet she did", Pinkie insinuated under her breath with a smile, causing Rarity to kick her under the table.
During their conversation, Fluttershy had been, very quietly, reading the Ponyville Chronicle to herself. She suddenly came across an article that made her ears prick up. She had an idea, a brilliant one too.
"Um, sorry to interrupt. But, is everypony free for the rest of the day?" she asked.
Confused as to where the conversation was diverting, Rarity gave her yellow friend a look.
"Well, I do need to sort my dress shipment to Canterlot" the fashionista began.
"But, I suppose it can wait another day. Why do you ask, dear?"
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at her friend as she slid the newspaper across the table. Upon reading what was in front of her, Rarity began to understand the unspoken plan.
"Ahem. Pinkie, darling. What's say you? You don't have to rush off, do you?"
Still tucking into her pancake breakfast, Pinkie Pie gave a cartoonishly loud gulp.
"Well now you ask, I was planning on reorganising my party planning cave, sending a letter to Prince Rutherford, hanging out with Maud, and-"
Rarity and Fluttershy cast an ominous glare in Pinkie's direction, cutting her sentence short.
"Buuut, I guess the Best Sister Friend Forever party can wait 'til tomorrow", Pinkie continued with disappointment.
"Rainbow Dash? You don't have anywhere to be, do you?" Fluttershy asked, hopefully.
"I thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon at the museum".
In the middle of drinking her coffee, Rainbow Dash did a genuine spit-take as she heard her friend's suggestion. She hated the museum. One, it was boring. Two, it wasn't cool. And three, it was far too quiet. It was somewhere Twilight loved to visit; all the old books, fossils and paintings drove her crazy. But not Dash. Oh no.
"What?! The Museum?! Nuh-uh! No way, Fluttershy!"
"Aw. Come on, Dashie", Pinkie encouraged.
"Forget it! I'm not demolishing my reputation as Equestria's Coolest Pony by visiting a crummy, old museu-"
"There's a new Daring Do exhibit", Fluttershy added casually.
"I'LL MEET YOU THERE!" Rainbow shouted as she flew out of the Boutique at record speed.
Rarity and Fluttershy hoof-bumped successfully, knowing Plan B was ready to unfold.
Rainbow Dash waited anxiously outside Ponyville’s Museum. Sure, the Museum was boring at the best of times, and far from cool, but Daring Do was the complete opposite of boring.
Finally, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy arrived, much to Dash's delight.
"What took you three so long?" she queried in frustration.
"N-never mind. You're here now. Let's go!"
And with that, she bolted into the building with sheer exhilaration.
The three schemers shared a look between them before following their nerdy friend.
Rainbow flew by the ancient books, past the fossils, and through the art gallery, where she finally came across her destination.
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" Rainbow excerpted, spiralling in the air as she did so.
The room was chock-full of ancient artifacts and relics that Daring Do had collected over the years, ones that Rainbow herself had helped retrieve too.
"The Sapphire Stone!"
"The Griffon's Goblet!"
"The Ring of Destiny!"
"The Seven-Sided Chest of Chicomoztoc!"
The fan-pony continued to whiz around the exhibit, naming every relic aloud for everypony to hear.
It was then that Rainbow noticed another artifact hanging on the wall, away from the other cased items.
"Ha! No way! Fluttershy, remember this?" she exclaimed, pointing a hoof towards the golden antique.
It was none other than the Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh, the ancient piece of jewellery that Rainbow and Fluttershy had come across on their last adventure together.
"Oh, of course. How could I forget?" Fluttershy giggled, giving an indicating glance at Rarity as she did so.
"Seems like Ahuizotl decided to lend it to the museum for a while. How kind".
The Talisman had been mounted to the wall, and above it read a sign: "Dare to be Daring? Test your honesty".
Flying purely on instinct, Rainbow made her way towards the Talisman.
"Well, go ahead, everypony", Rainbow began as she held her hoof out towards the necklace.
"Ask me something!"
Rarity stepped forward and gave her friend a skeptical look.
"Oh? And here I thought you hated truths, Rainbow Dash", she responded almost sarcastically.
"Yeah! You said: Truthsare just lazy, you guys. And I, Rainbow Dash, am anything but lazy!" Pinkie added while doing her best Rainbow Dash impression.
Rolling her eyes and letting out a breathy laugh, Rainbow hovered towards her friends.
"That was before we were face to face with an ancient truth-telling artifact, dummies!" she said brashly.
"This thing lets you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Right, Fluttershy?"
"Oh, yes. The whole truth", the yellow Pegasus replied, accentuating her words as a signal to her friends.
"Cool. So, I'll ask you again. Ask me anything", Dash declared, her hoof wavering dangerously close to the Talisman.
"Anything?" Rarity teased, raising an eyebrow confidently.
"Anything!"
Fluttershy threw Rarity a look as if to say "trust me", and the unicorn nodded in response.
"Okay, Rainbow Dash. Do you, or do you not-" Rarity began slowly.
"Have a crush on Applejack?"
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy gritted their teeth in anticipation.
Suddenly, the jewels on the necklace began to glow an iridescent green colour, causing Dash's eyes to do the same.
From her previous experience with the relic, Fluttershy knew what was about to happen.
"What? A crush? Nah", Rainbow responded as the Talisman took her over.
The three friends gave a collective sigh of disappointment.
Rarity, ever the dramatist, raised a hoof to her forehead in despair.
"Try absolutely head over hooves in love with h-" the cocky Pegasus continued, cutting herself off at the very last minute.
The silence in the exhibition room began playing all too loudly.
The schemers stood with their mouths wide open, a mixture of shock and happiness running through their veins.
Rainbow, on the other hoof, became frozen in fear. With the Talisman's powers wearing off, the glowing in Rainbow's eyes began to cease.
She'd never admitted her feelings for Applejack to herself, let alone to the majority of her friendship group.
"Did I just say all that out loud?" she wondered hopelessly.
"Of course you did, idiot! It's the gosh darn Truth Talisman!"
"This. Is. AMAZING!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, setting off her Party Canon out of nowhere.
Dash's mouth went dry, her eyes became filled with fear, and her stomach wanted to throw up everything she'd ever eaten.
"Rainbow Dash?" said Fluttershy timidly.
"A-are you oka-"
"I have to go" Rainbow interrupted shakily, soaring out of the Museum in a flash of colour.
Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were left alone, confused beyond belief.
"Oh, goodness. I didn't know it was that serious", Fluttershy admitted as she nibbled her mane nervously.
"I thought it was just a crush. Now what do we do?"
Nodding to herself, Rarity hatched a new, internal plan.
"I need to get to the farm, stat!" she announced, rushing out of the exhibition room on her polished hooves.
Perplexed further, Pinkie and Fluttershy stood among a sea of confetti.
"Soooo, wanna check out the food court, Fluttershy?" the Party Pony said with a bounce.
"I spotted a triple chocolate cheesecake earlier with my name on it!"
The dainty Pegasus let out a small giggle as she looked upon her excited, pink friend.
"Lead the way, Pinkie", she replied, gesturing with her hoof as she did so.
"Awesometastic!"
"Hey, when we're done, we should totally check out the butterfly room. You'd love that!" Pinkie added as she skipped away into the distance.
Hiding her blush slightly with her mane, Fluttershy couldn't help but crack a smile.
The sun began to set ever so shakily over the hills of Ponyville as Rarity reached the outskirts of the farm. As she looked towards the glistening ball of light and fire, she pictured Twilight in Canterlot Castle. She imagined her standing on the balcony, using her newly found magic to lower the sun and raise the moon. The fashionista smiled to herself fondly, a mixture of sadness and pride washing over her.
It was clear that the alicorn princess still had a lot to learn about Celestia and Luna's abilities, but if anypony could master the magical arts, it was Twilight Sparkle. Even so, Starlight Glimmer agreed to stay alongside Twilight after the coronation. Just for a few days, however; until Twilight felt confident enough to raise the sun and moon by herself.
As Rarity continued reminiscing, she saw the sun move abruptly to the East, then back to the West. It darted up and down and sometimes flew in a squiggly formation, causing the unicorn to emit a slight chuckle.
As she focused back in on her task, Rarity began to trot through the all too familiar apple orchard.
Although Rarity was so much more than just a "small town pony", she never managed to forget her roots. She grew up in Ponyville, spending the majority of her time at Sweet Apple Acres. She and Applejack would play up in the clubhouse almost every day, waiting for Buttercup to call them inside for dinner. A wave of nostalgia came across Rarity as she eyed the Crusader's hangout, inducing a laboured sigh as she recalled so many fond memories.
Just then, her eyes became transfixed on three colourful blobs exiting the clubhouse. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom ran down the wooden stairs, followed closely by a scootering Scootaloo. She revved her minuscule wings and managed to jump over her fellow Crusaders, hoof bumping the air as she did so.
"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused.
"What're you doing here?"
Rarity trotted eagerly towards the three young fillies, realising the vast resemblance between them and her friends.
"Oh, darlings. I can't stop", Rarity began as she caught her breath.
"I simply must know where Applejack is right this moment".
The Crusaders shared a confused glance between them, eventually prompting a response from Apple Bloom.
"She's doin' some sortin' in the barn, Ah think", the yellow Earth Pony replied.
"Although, she's been in a mighty strange mood since she got back from your sleepover".
Pricking up her ears at the latter comment, Rarity was no sooner there then gone. She ran towards the barn immediately, still unsure how to word Rainbow Dash's confession to her friend.
The Crusaders were left bewildered, focusing on Rarity until she was out of sight.
"What's got her mane in a knot?" Scootaloo asked as she tightened her helmet.
"Could be anything. I mean, you know Rarity", Sweetie Belle began.
"This is the. Worst. Possible. Thing!"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined together in laughter upon hearing Sweetie's spot-on impression of her sister. She even lifted her hoof to her forehead for dramatic effect; perfect. All that was missing was a flawlessly placed chaise lounge that she could collapse onto.
Rarity had almost forgotten how big Sweet Apple Acres was. She misjudged the distance to the barn completely, getting out of breath within a few feet of running.
At long last, the large red barn was in her sights. It had never looked so inviting.
Slowing down as she reached the wooden doors, Rarity tossed her mane to the side and wiped her brow.
The delicate unicorn raised her hoof towards the splintering door, deciding it might be best to knock before entering. However, she soon retracted as she heard faint sounds of distress coming from inside. Rarity pressed her ear against the door gently, trying to decipher the muffled voice.
"Ah can't just come right out and tell her how Ah feel! That's plum ridiculous!"
"She'll never want to speak to me again!"
"Then again, Ah can't very well lie to her either".
"Shoot! Ah'm so confused Ah don't know mah flank from mah elbow!" It soon became clear to Rarity that it was Applejack talking to herself in the barn. The countryisms gave her away every time; that and the accent.
Casting a band of aqua magic around the door, Rarity pushed it open with ease. She inspected her surroundings as she entered the humble building, noticing familiar smells, sounds and touches as she did so.
Applejack hadn't noticed her friend's presence; she was still internally monologuing while she moved large boxes of apples with her head.
"Ah just can't do it!"
"But Ah ain't no liar".
"Consarn it!" she grumbled to herself.
Stretching her neck forward inquisitively, Rarity slowly made her way towards her perplexed friend.
"Ahem. Applejack, darling! Just the mare I wanted to see!" she stated with confidence.
Turning towards the recognisable voice, Applejack's orange fur became almost as white as her friend's.
"R-Rarity?!" she stuttered as she leant on a nearby box all too inelegantly.
"Uh. What're you doin' here? Thought y'all had big plans for the day after Ah left".
Rarity opened her mouth to speak but realised she did not, in fact, have any idea what to say.
Thinking for a moment, she flicked her mane effortlessly to buy herself some time.
"That's just it, darling", she began nonchalantly.
"You ran out of the Boutique in such a hurry this morning that I thought it best to check up on you. And to lend a hoof where I can".
Rarity grimaced slightly at her latter statement.
She knew from experience that she wasn't best suited as a farm pony.
Applejack raised an unconvinced eyebrow, and a small chuckle followed shortly afterwards.
"You? Lend a hoof on the farm?" she asked rhetorically, letting out remnants of laughter with every syllable.
Rarity curled her lip in disdain.
"Guffaw all you want, darling. You can't very well ask me to stop being generous now, can you?" the unicorn replied.
Still chuckling to herself ever so slightly, Applejack's eyes began to roll. There was no way in Equestria that Rarity wanted to do farm chores at sunset; Applejack knew her far too well.
"Not even when Ah know you had a hooficure two days ago before we left Canterlot?" the farm pony questioned, a smirk growing clearer on her freckled face.
"Not even when Ah know that nice, expensive hooficure would chip away within seconds of touching these here boxes?"
Rarity grit her teeth together as she backed away from her menacing friend, a sweat growing ever more prominent on her brow
"All those bits wasted. No more Ms Shiny Hooves. Chip. Chip. Chi-"
"Alright, alright!" Rarity squealed in somewhat fright.
Letting out her long-held breath, Rarity decided there was no point lying to the Element of Honesty.
"Look, Applejack. I shan't dither any longer" she announced, at last, raising her hoof.
"We had an... Insightful experience at the museum this afternoon. And, well, you need to have a long talk with Rainbow Dash, my dear".
Applejack's ears flickered slightly at the mere mention of Rainbow's name. Attempting to hide her intrigue, she continued moving the apple-filled boxes around the barn.
"What she do? Sonic Rainboom in the art gallery? Crash land in a pile of fossils?"
Pursing her lips and furrowing her brows, Rarity thought for a moment.
"It was of a somewhat explosive nature, yes", she responded as she recalled the events of the day.
"Whatever it is, Ah'm guessing she needs a stern talkin' to, huh?" the Earth Pony replied indifferently.
Rarity knew her oldest friend was stubborn as Tartarus, but she also knew her weakness; lying.
Deciding to go for the immediate kill, Rarity cleared her throat and stood tall.
"I know how you feel about Rainbow Dash. We all do”.
Dumbfounded, Applejack was lucky that she didn't trip over her box in absolute shock.
Words tried to escape the dismayed cowgirl's mouth, but nothing came. All she could do was stand still among the hay, waiting for Rarity to continue the topic.
"It isn't hard for me to spot a crush, Applejack", the fashionista resumed.
Complete and utter nonsense was what Applejack eventually voiced. Her voice was shaky, her sentences unstrung, and her eyes were wide.
"It isn't hard for me to tell when you're lying, either", Rarity said with a wink.
Realising she had been caught, Applejack scrunched her face in annoyance. That annoyance soon turned into a deep sadness, one which Rarity recognised all too easily.
Placing a hoof on her friend's shoulder, Rarity looked on in endearment.
"Talk to her, darling" she proffered.
"And say what, Rarity?" the farmer chimed in, her voice trembling.
"Tell her that all those years of fightin' and competin' were just excuses to get closer?"
"Tell her that Ah feel like hittin' her across the head one minute and kissin' her the next?"
"Tell her that losing her is mah worst nightmare?"
"Worse than losing mah parents?!"
Applejack's final statement almost got caught in her throat; as if something inside her didn't want it to escape.
Small tears began to form in the corners of the Earth Pony's eyes, causing her to lower her head in shame.
"Ah- Ah can't tell her, Rarity. Ah'm too scared to lose her".
Without a second thought, Rarity wrapped Applejack in a comforting hug. She knew firsthoof how much Applejack had been through as a foal; she was there for the most part. Losing Bright Mac and Pear Butter was tough on everypony, but for Applejack, ever the stoic, the trauma was more severe.
Rarity continued to stroke her best friend's mane, shedding a single tear to herself.
"Trust me, Applejack", Rarity began as she lifted Applejack's chin.
"You won't lose her".
Wiping away residual teardrops from her orange face, she finally joined her friend's eye line.
"W-Whaddaya mean?" Applejack asked hesitantly.
As her farmer friend looked up at her rather innocently, Rarity couldn't help but crack a small side smile. She took hold of Applejack's hooves, raised an eyebrow and said: "Trust me. Talk to her".
Back at the Cloudominium, Rainbow Dash had been in a state of panic for well over an hour. She flew frantically around her bedroom, cursing herself as she did so.
Tank watched on in dismay from his bed, wishing more than ever that he could talk to his owner.
"Urgh! What am I gonna do, Tank?!" the Wonderbolt asked the silent tortoise.
He blinked.
"Oh, sure. You say that. But it's another thing to do it!"
"I can't just tell her how I feel, right?"
"What if I do tell her and lose her? Just like in my Sombra-vision!"
Tank let out a deep yawn.
"It's not worth the risk!” Rainbow roared.
Applejack ran around Ponyville in an absolute frenzy, determined to find Rainbow Dash for their "talk".
She searched the market, the park, the town centre, and a variety of other locations. But Dash was nowhere to be found.
Applejack drew her gaze towards the sky. Twilight's sun had finally set, leaving flecks of pink and yellow towards the south.
"Never thought Ah'd wish for wings, but here we are", Applejack muttered to herself, praying that Rainbow hadn't flown too far for her to reach.
Staring longingly at the vast, open sky, Applejack sighed deeply. It was getting late, and, although she trusted Rarity with her life, she felt her mission was a lost cause anyway.
As she turned her focus from the heavens, she began to walk in the direction of the farm, hanging her head low as she went.
Just as she'd gotten used to the idea of calling it a night, Applejack heard a vague but familiar sound coming from above.
Narrowing her eyes and darting her head to find the source of the noise, she finally realised that Rainbow Dash's Cloudominium was directly above her.
Her heart stopped for a moment.
She wanted to find Rainbow Dash, but, deep down, she also didn't want to.
She hoped things would stay the same without admitting her feelings, but she couldn't lie. Sure, she could try, but everypony knew her tells by now.
Gulping nervously, Applejack wandered underneath the cloud house to reach Rainbow's bedroom's side.
"I mean, it's not like I don't wanna tell her, y'know?" Rainbow blathered as she began to pace anxiously on the ground.
"I'd love to just walk up to her and say 'Hey, Apples. I'm completely and totally in love with you. Have been for years. Wanna grab a cider and talk about it?' But I can't!"
Dash fell on her haunches hopelessly, as if she were ready to give up. As she cupped her tiny face in her hooves, her colourful mane spilt across her magenta eyes, hiding her successfully from the world.
"Ah rather fancy a cider mahself".
Silence.
Rainbow's hooves fell from her face, her ears opened up, and her eyes scanned the room wildly.
"W-What was that?" she said in Tank's direction, hoping somewhat that her pet had suddenly learnt to speak with a southern Equestrian accent.
Tank shook his head slowly, indicating that the sound hadn't come from him. He threw a reassuring smile in Rainbow's direction, diverting his head towards the open window afterwards.
Rainbow Dash followed her pet's movements as if it were a copying game. She peered cautiously over her shoulder, letting out a breath she'd been holding for, what seemed like, an eternity. After contemplating several thousand thoughts in a matter of seconds, Rainbow stood up and walked apprehensively towards the window.
She had a pretty good idea who the mystery voice belonged to, but she hoped to Celestia that it was some form of cruel joke plotted by Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow propped her hooves over the windowsill and inspected the ground below her home.
Unsurprisingly, she locked eyes with a certain blonde farm pony who gave her a mock salute followed by, what looked like, a slight blush.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, y'know?" the speedster stated flamboyantly, as she placed a hoof under her chin.
"Hard not to when the topic's so interestin'", Applejack responded with wit, flashing a flirtatious smile upwards as she did so.
According to their usual rapport, it would have been time for Rainbow to retaliate with an even more arrogant response. But, given the circumstance, she believed she could let it slide just this once.
Everypony knew that Rainbow Dash had a soft side, even though she liked to keep it under wraps a lot of the time. Annoyingly, her "softer side" didn't make it any easier for her to express complex emotions. The cards never seemed to be in her favour.
Unfolding her cyan wings, Dash hovered through her bedroom window and landed gracefully on the ground.
She stood somewhat awkwardly for a moment, her right hoof rubbing against the left. She held her head low, and her usually confident persona had been replaced with sheer vulnerability and openness.
The sight turned Applejack's stomach.
That wasn't the Rainbow Dash she knew.
Or was it a brand new, susceptible side that no pony had ever seen?
"I-I guess you heard what I said, huh?" the Pegasus asked, already knowing the answer.
Still standing a fair distance apart, Applejack began to close the gap by walking towards her troubled friend.
"Yeah. Ah guess Ah did", replied Applejack, her blush growing ever more prominent.
Fighting back her tears of both anger and sorrow, Rainbow let out a raspy sigh of defeat.
She avoided Applejack's gaze as if her life depended on it, keeping her head low towards the ground.
"Look, AJ. I won't lie and say I didn't mean any of that. In fact, I haven't been so sure about anything in my whole life. Just took me a while to get there. Plus, there's no point lying to the element of honesty at this stage, right?" she spoke through nervous giggles.
The cowgirl smiled at the mention of her element, somehow making her emerald eyes shine even more brightly.
"I-" she attempted, exhaling through her nose in frustration.
"I- I love you. And I have done for a while", Rainbow finally managed.
"I didn't say anything cause I was afraid of losing you as a friend. Didn't want to make you uncomfortable, y'know? I guess it didn't work out" Dash continued, her words now flowing like cider from the barrel.
Another sigh escaped the Wonderbolt's mouth. A small whisper of freedom. Although there was so much more to say, Rainbow had done enough for the time being.
She lifted her head reluctantly, terrified of being greeted with a frosty look from her friend. Instead, she found that Applejack had gotten seemingly closer, and the look she emanated was pure warmth.
"Ah wouldn't say that", Applejack replied amorously, stepping even closer to her friend as she did so.
Rainbow Dash became abruptly aware of their closeness. The feeling of Applejack's breath mingling with her own was enough to drive her insane.
"Those eyes. Mother of Celestia, those eyes", Rainbow voiced privately.
Panicking slightly, she shifted her vision every which way as she attempted to surface her words.
"W-what do you mea-"
It was at that moment that Rainbow Dash got cut off. Not by somepony else's words, but by somepony else's lips.
Widening her eyes in shock, she found her mouth becoming overwhelmed with the taste of apples.
The taste was twenty percent cooler than anything she'd ever encountered; including cider.
Although their kiss was a mere peck, it managed to convey thousands of emotions all at once. Everything suddenly made sense. Their rivalry and constant disagreements didn't matter any more. All that mattered was that they were together. Alone.
"Hey, you two. Twilight sent me home early to look after the school. She's still got a long way to go with the whole 'moon raising' thing, but she's definitely getting bette-" said a familiar voice before an abrupt ending.
Stepping back from each other in dismay, Rainbow Dash and Applejack spotted a very bewildered Starlight Glimmer trotting towards them.
With their mouths frozen ajar, Starlight's look of surprise soon became one of understanding and complacency.
"Well, it's about time!" she exclaimed joyfully.
Still suspended on the spot, the two elements of harmony shared a look before darting back to the Head-mare.
"I've got a letter to write, so I'll leave you two to it", Starlight concluded, casting a suggestive look in her friend's directions before departing.
Finally looking at each other, the farmer and Wonderbolt shared a silent moment before laughter ensued.
"Okay. Totally not what I thought was gonna happen", Rainbow Dash admitted through her chortles.
"But I'm glad it did", she continued in all seriousness.
It was then that she felt a familiar sensation coursing through her body. The feeling of Applejack's hoof sifting through her rainbow mane, ending its journey at her cheek as she nuzzled into it.
"You're mah worst nightmare", she confessed in an almost whisper.
As Rainbow stared into the green pools that were Applejack's eyes, she caught her drift immediately.
"And you're mine", she responded truthfully, adjusting Tallulah the hat as she did so.
Their moment continued a little while longer; taking time to explore each other's facial features with their eyes.
Lowering her hoof somewhat reluctantly, Applejack gave a determined look towards her marefriend.
"Say, there's still a bunch o' cider back at the farm", she began.
"How's about we head back over there and open a barrel?"
The Wonderbolt's magenta eyes lit up like Manehatten at nighttime, followed by a competitive smile Applejack knew all too well.
She reached over the farmer's golden mane, grabbing her beloved stetson and manoeuvring it onto her own head in one smooth movement.
"Last one there's a rotten apple!" she announced before disappearing in a flash of colour.
Rolling her eyes and smiling fondly to herself, Applejack ran in the direction of the farm, taking in the rising moon as she did so.
Back at the School of Friendship, Starlight Glimmer had greeted Sunburst and the majority of her students before entering her office.
She sat in her familiar chair, levitated a quill and ink towards her and straightened out a piece of parchment.
Lifting her quill in and out of the inkwell, Starlight began to write.
