> Off To The Races
>  by applejackofalltrades
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Ready
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dating was, of course, new to Applejack. She hadn't slept the whole night and instead spent the time thinking about what she should even do on a proper date. The hours she spent staring at the ceiling and imagining unrealistic scenarios until she drove herself to blush took a toll on her. She was tired and by golly did she know it. It was her own fault though. She should have just gone to sleep, but she didn't. 

Instead, she found herself waiting for the call of the rooster to signify work to be done. Luckily, there wasn't much to do. Most of the work had been done the day before, so all Applejack had to do was feed the livestock, water the still growing crops and check if they were doing okay. Can't have another case of crop blight, she thought irritably. 

With an unenthusiastic groan, she lifted herself off her bed. She took her hat off of her bedpost and put it on her head, then walked over to her window and opened it. The cool, early morning breeze hit the fur on her muzzle and gave her goosebumps. In the face of the familiar feeling of being awake early, she smiled. The sun was just beginning to creep up into the horizon, and Applejack could feel some of the farm animals begin to stir. 

It was quiet, the kind of quiet that could only be found on a farm in the morning. Not completely quiet because a farm was never silent, but the only noise was of the wind rustling through the trees, and the crops moving in the breeze. The silence lessened as the farm animals began to stir and make noise. She looked down on the view of the farm she had and observed the animals as they began to wake up. The rooster climbed up to the top of the coop and crowed, signifying the break of dawn. Really, Applejack thought it was funny. Most of her family must have already been awake, and so the rooster crowed for the other animals more than for the Apples, although she knew that sometimes Apple Bloom needed the extra reminder. 

After deciding that she had spent too much time lollygagging, she stepped out of her room and looked down the hall. Just as she thought, Big Mac was getting out of his room looking only slightly drowsy, and Apple Bloom was nowhere to be seen. Even Granny Smith was up and about. Applejack rolled her eyes and knocked loudly on Apple Bloom’s door to which the only response was a muffled groan. She knew her sister would get up though and made her way down to the kitchen.

Once there, she already had a plan. The easiest thing to make was pancakes, and since she still had to care for the animals, some of whom had a strict schedule, she decided easy was the way to go. Of course, they would be apple pancakes. Big Mac came down the stairs and opened the fridge and took out a jug of orange juice and placed it on the table. “Mornin’, Big Mac,” she greeted as she mixed eggs, milk and butter together in a bowl. “Sleep well?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac brought four cups to the table and poured orange juice in each of them. 

As she mixed her dry ingredients in with her wet ones, Applejack heard the unmistakable sound of Apple Bloom stumbling down the stairs. Eventually, her thoughts were confirmed as Apple Bloom appeared and mindlessly headed to the kitchen to help Big Mac set the table. Applejack rolled her eyes in amusement, not at all surprised at the robotic state of her younger sister. Apple Bloom definitely was not much of a morning pony. 

Granny Smith was the last to come down, but at least she didn’t look as drowsy as her grandchildren. With a small smile, Applejack finished making the pancakes and stacked them in a tall tower. She grabbed it between her teeth, made her way to the table and set the plate down carefully on the middle of the table. Apple Bloom licked her lips in anticipation, looking a lot more awake all of a sudden. 

Applejack took a seat at the table and waited for her family to take their share of pancakes before she took hers. She poured cinnamon syrup on hers, tore off a piece, and took a bite. It was nice and warm, the feeling of freshly cooked pancakes being a more than welcome sensation. “So, I thought I’d let y’all know I’ll be out ‘til tomorrow,” she said before taking another bite.

“Again? Ya were out yesterday too,” Apple Bloom pointed out. She took a big bite of her pancake and grinned from ear to ear. “Where are ya even going?”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “I still get my work done,” she rebutted. “And I’m not goin' anywhere specifically, I’m just hangin' out with Rainbow Dash. She told me I wouldn’t come back tonight.” It wasn’t a lie, per se. It just wasn’t the whole truth, but she’d rather not talk about it. “I’ll do double chores when I get back, promise.”

Granny Smith took a big swig of her orange juice. “Are ya sure that’s a good idea? You’ve been missing a lot on the farm,” she said dubiously. “And I reckon that Rainbow Dash filly might not be a great influence.”

Apple Bloom snorted into her cup, causing orange juice to explode all over her face. “Don’t let Scootaloo hear you say that!” She looked around as if her friend was hiding somewhere. “She’s her hero,” she whispered loudly as she wiped the juice from her snout.

Applejack bit her lip. “Well, I dunno why you’d say that, Granny. Rainbow Dash is not only the most loyal pony I know, but she's helped save Equestria a bunch." She took an uncomfortable sip of her juice. "Besides, like I told Apple Bloom, I've been doin' all my work anyway." 

Granny Smith shrugged and made a noise of indifference. "Honestly you young ponies have all lost all sense of responsibility," she complained. "Now, when I was your age, I didn't have time to…" 

Applejack let her words fade into the background as she continued eating her breakfast. She was eager to get her work done so she could get ready for her date. Her date! With Rainbow Dash! She felt like a little filly for being so nervous over something. For Celestia's sake, she was an adult, and she'd been one for a few years. There was really no reason for her to be so nervous. 

Except for the fact that she was going on a date with Rainbow Dash, that is. She felt butterflies in her stomach and because she was eating, that resulted in mild nausea. She frowned uncomfortably at the sensation, parting her lips to take in some more air as if that would help. Weirdly, it kind of did. 

What did ponies even do on dates? She knew sometimes they went out to eat, or went somewhere romantic, but she sure as hay knew that she and Rainbow weren't completely into the whole romance thing. Besides, it was only the first date after all. Would it be the same as hanging out? What even was the difference between a date and just hanging out? Heck if she knew. She knew nothing about dating. They had hung out every day since they confessed their feelings for each other, even if it was just four days ago, but today it was going to be a real date. Which she knew nothing about doing. 

Oh sweet Celestia. Applejack's heart dropped. What if she thinks I'm not good enough at dating? She toyed with her food as she entertained the unwelcome thoughts. Most other ponies her age had at least been on a date before. Even Fluttershy had been on one, and she was the shiest pony that Applejack knew! She needed to ask somepony, but who? She didn't want to ask any of her friends because then they'd want to know the details. She could ask Big Mac. He was great at advice, but then she realized that she'd have to explain to him why she needed to know. 

She couldn't have that. While Big Mac was definitely trustworthy enough, she couldn't help but fear his opinion. What if he didn't think it was a good idea for Applejack to date Rainbow Dash? They were certainly an unusual pairing, and definitely an unorthodox one at that. Not only were they both mares, but they were a pegasus and an earth pony. The belief of the importance of "pony types" in a relationship was an old one, and most ponies didn't even worry about it anymore.Sometimes, she couldn’t help but think that her family might want her to be with an earth pony who could help with the farm. 

Some parts of Cloudsdale were a lot more traditionalist than Ponyville. Especially with a top flier like Rainbow Dash, they'd want the bloodline to keep going and get more top notch fliers like her. Too bad Applejack would disappoint them in more ways than one. She chuckled dryly at the thought and pushed her cup of orange juice with a hoof. 

"What's so funny?" Apple Bloom inquired curiously, mouth full of pancake still. "We were just talkin' about harvest season. I don't see why you'd laugh at that." 

Applejack popped back into her surroundings. Right, breakfast. "Oh nothing, I was just thinkin' about something." 

Granny Smith pressed forward. "Is it nothin', or is it somethin'?" 

Applejack shook her head. "Well it's nothin' worth saying. Just something Rainbow Dash told me the other day." Technically, it wasn't a lie, Rainbow Dash had been telling her about the class system in Cloudsdale. It seemed needlessly complicated, which Rainbow Dash was in agreement with. 

Her family decided to drop the subject, much to Applejack's delight, and they finished breakfast quickly. Applejack was the first to spring out of her seat and bring her dishes to the sink. She gave them a quick wash, then set them to dry. "I'm gonna go do my chores now," she said as she trotted to the front door. 

Post-apple-buck season was always a lot of work, rivaling the apple-bucking season itself. After she dealt with the animals, Applejack checked the trees on the north and east sides of the orchard to make sure no branches needed pruning. She knew Big Mac would do the other side, and after confirming that the trees were in good shape, she moved on to the rest of her chores. The rest of the crop was coming in nicely, and she figured that there would be good selling due to the quality of the crops. 

In the barn, she finished packing bottles of cider into boxes and loaded them into a wagon for delivery the following day. Applejack decided to take two bottles for herself since there were a few extra that were left over. These will be nice for my date, she figured as she placed them into a saddlebag that was left in the barn before slinging it on her body. 

Applejack had, of course, let Rainbow Dash pick where they were going and, unsurprisingly to Applejack, she picked a race. Being a Wonderbolt herself, Rainbow Dash got access to great seats for a good price. Not that that was any issue for her. Rainbow Dash always had a fair bit of money, but the added income of being a Wonderbolt was nothing to sneeze at either. 

Not that Applejack was complaining, of course. She loved attending races. The only real difference is that the pony she normally cheered for was now her date to a race she wasn't even competing in. The racers weren't ponies Applejack exactly knew, either. She had definitely heard of at least some of them in passing, or from Rainbow Dash since some of them happened to be Wonderbolts as well, but she had never really met them. I guess I'll just cheer for whoever Dash cheers for. 

When she thought about it, it was rather strange. Obviously the pegasi who raced in big races like the ones they would be attending were excellent fliers, but it was still weird that they allowed non-Wonderbolts to race Wonderbolts. That didn't really seem fair. Applejack made a mental note to ask Rainbow Dash about it later. 

In the meantime, she made her way back out of the barn. Rainbow Dash said she’d meet her around this time, but didn’t exactly say where. Applejack figured that Dash shouldn't be too hard to find, especially if she was up in the air as she usually was. She only managed to take a few steps out of the barn before Rainbow Dash's location hit her. 

Literally. 

"AJ! Incoming!" 

Applejack barely had time to look up before Rainbow Dash barreled into her from the sky in a streak of blue and rainbow. The two mares rolled with the impact before ending up on the floor, each of them groaning groggily. 

Applejack sat up and put a hoof to her head, making sure that her hat was still on. "Rainbow Dash, what the hay was that?" This was not exactly how Applejack intended on meeting up with the pegasus. 

Rainbow Dash sprung up to her hooves. She chuckled awkwardly and dipped her head apologetically. "Sorry about that. I was going to land in front of the barn but you came out all of a sudden and I was going too fast to stop." 

Applejack shook her head, flinging specks of dirt and rocks off of it. "'S'fine. I was gonna try and find you anyway. Guess I don't exactly have to do that now." She grinned and craned her head to look at her side satchel. Nothing appeared to be broken, although she probably would have noticed cider dripping down her legs. "Aren't ya a Wonderbolt? Figured you'd've been able to stop on a whim." 

Rainbow Dash shrugged, a blush slowly creeping up her face. "Well, yeah, but I didn't really warm up or anything.” She turned away from Applejack momentarily before looking back with an embarrassed smile. "I didn't want to risk hurting myself by trying to stop so quickly, you know?" 

Applejack nudged Rainbow Dash with her shoulder. "So ya decided to crash into me? Not sure if that was much better, Dash." 

Rainbow Dash nudged her back and then rose into the air, hovering next to Applejack. "Well you do make for a comfy landing pillow.” She pointed a hoof in the direction of Ponyville. "Come on, we're going to miss the train!" 

Applejack followed after Rainbow Dash, who flew at a moderate pace in the direction of the train station. "So, where is this race you're bringing me to, anyway?" 

"Appleoosa, actually," Rainbow Dash said, and Applejack understood why they wouldn’t be back until the following day. "They set up a whole racing track and everything!" She smiled eagerly and did a quick flip. "It's going to be so awesome!" 

"Appleoosa, huh? Wonder if I'll run into Braeburn there." Applejack pondered as she continued to walk. "Oh, who am I kiddin'? 'Course I will. He loves races." She couldn't decide if she was annoyed at the prospect of running into him, or nervous. She'd rather be annoyed. 

As they walked, Applejack couldn’t keep her head completely in the conversation she was having with Rainbow Dash. Every time they walked by somepony they knew, they’d give each other a friendly wave and move on. Rainbow Dash seemed confident as she flew alongside Applejack, who could not say the same for herself. Sure, they used to hang out a lot, but this time was different. Even though no one else knew that, Applejack did, and that was enough to make her nervous. It was irrational, but it felt like everypony’s eyes were on her and Rainbow Dash.

Nope, it ain’t true. She forced herself to just look ahead of her as they reached the centre of Ponyville. Still, there was the occasional wave and greeting as they walked by the ponies that were out, but at least it didn’t feel like everypony’s attention was on her. What would they even think if they knew? There were already plenty of pairings like them in Ponyville, and most ponies were indifferent about it, but those ponies weren’t public figures like Rainbow Dash and Applejack. They had a reputation to uphold after all. What if their dating sparked a big controversy? No, that’d be silly. Surely, Ponyville would be happy to hear the news. She shook her head and jumped back into the conversation as they finally arrived at the train station.

Rainbow Dash walked up to the ticket vendor and retrieved her pre purchased tickets from the stallion working the booth. “Okay, I got us a private room on the train. Perks of the Wonderbolt paycheque,” she said with a sly grin.

Applejack stood at the train platform, smiling absentmindedly at Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, I bet that pays pretty nicely. Although, ya did already have a big house up over Ponyville, didn’t ya?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged with a slight nod. “That’s true, but now I can take you to even nicer places!” She smiled from ear to ear as Applejack blushed. 

Despite being flustered, Applejack kept her composure. “So what you’re sayin’ is there’ll be more to come in the future?”

“Well, yeah. Duh,” Rainbow Dash said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She craned her neck to look behind an extremely flustered Applejack and her eyes lit up. “Oh, here comes the train!”

Applejack snapped out of her near stupor state and looked behind her to see that the train was indeed coming. Her heart rate accelerated as the train pulled into the station. The doors opened, and some ponies exited the train before the ones waiting were allowed to step on. Rainbow Dash led the way into the train, giving one of the ponies who worked on the train the tickets. She observed them, then motioned for them to follow. The pony led them to a spacious room near the back of the train and wordlessly began to walk away.

“Thanks a lot,” Rainbow Dash called after the worker pony who turned back briefly and nodded at her. Rainbow looked inside the room where there was a set of bunk beds, a desk, and a window. She whistled and stepped in. “Sweet digs.”

Applejack followed Rainbow Dash in and looked around the room. It was nothing short of impressive, and Applejack knew that. “You said it. At least the ride to Appleoosa will be comfortable.” She took the opportunity to sit on the bottom bunk of the bed. It was almost as pleasing as her own bed. She tried not to think about how much the whole day had cost Rainbow Dash but ended up thinking about it anyway. She had to find a way to make the next date as good as this one would be. 

Rainbow Dash flew up to the top bunk and laid down with a muffled thud. Applejack craned her head up to catch a glimpse of the rainbow-coloured tail that hung off the edge of the bed. She grinned and rolled her eyes. “Too early for ya or somethin’, Dash?”

The colourful tail disappeared as Rainbow Dash shifted on the bed above Applejack. After a moment, her head swung down from above as she glared at Applejack, their noses practically touching. “No,” she said flatly. “Well, maybe. But I had to make sure we got there on time."

Applejack blew air into Rainbow’s mane which hung from her upside-down head. “We'll get there pretty early. No need to worry about that," she pointed out. She looked at Rainbow Dash's eyes for a moment before she blushed and forced herself to look away. It was then that she realized how close the two were, and she scooted back a little bit into the bed. "Well, it'll be a few hours before we get there. You should try to get some sleep. I know you'll be tired if ya don't." 

Rainbow Dash's gaze on Applejack lingered for a brief moment before she exhaled and pulled herself back up. "I'd say you're wrong, but you're not. Wake me up in a bit, I still want to catch the view." 

Applejack nodded in agreement as Rainbow Dash went silent. She couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit confused since the train ride to Appleoosa wasn't exactly the most visually stimulating unless you were a fan of the dry, desert climate. That didn't stop her from getting up and taking a seat next to the window, though. They were still closer to Ponyville, which meant that the view was a lot nicer than it would be later. 

The train moved at a steady pace, and Applejack let herself get sucked into watching the trees. Occasionally, they'd go through a shaded spot and she'd catch her reflection in the window. She frowned and looked away, focusing her attention on the room they were in instead. Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep rather quickly, not to Applejack's surprise. She eyed the saddlebag for a moment, but reminded herself that the cider was for the date. 

There was a bar in the train, though, and while it was still far too early to drink anything major, Applejack decided that she could use a drink. She was getting far too worried for her own good. She made her way quietly out of the room and shut the door silently behind her. Applejack took a note of the room number, then made her way down the long train car past most of the other passengers. She arrived at a bar with a few stools bolted into the floor and took a seat. Next to her was a dark blue pegasus stallion with bright yellow freckles and a golden and orange mane that almost reminded Applejack of Rainbow Dash's. 

The stallion seemed to take notice of Applejack and turned to look at her with a friendly smile. On top of his mane were a pair of flight goggles, and his eyes were a dark rose colour that contrasted with the rest of his body. "Say, isn't it a bit early to drink?" 

Applejack eyed the stallion, then looked at the glass in front of him. "Doesn't seem to be stopping you," she pointed out as she matched his smile. 

"Hah, true." He downed the bit of liquid in his glass and motioned to the bartender for another glass. "Get her one too," he added. He turned to Applejack. "What do you like to drink?" 

Applejack furrowed her eyebrows. She wanted something light, but enough to make her a bit less worried. "Just a glass of soda with a shot of whiskey," she said to the bartender who nodded and began to prepare their drinks. "You seem like ya had a rough night." 

The golden maned stallion chuckled. "You could say that," he said. He stared directly ahead into the countertop of the bar they sat at. "My marefriend dumped me last night." 

Applejack winced slightly. The mare who mixed their drinks put them in front of them and he immediately took a sip. "Sorry to hear that," Applejack said. "If ya don't mind me askin', what happened?" 

Another sip. "She said that she wanted to be with somepony who didn't have to travel as much as I did." He frowned and looked down into his glass as he swirled the brownish liquid around. "I guess it's some kind of stupid fate that I'm stuck on this damn train to the middle of nowhere. Wish I could get wasted, but I still have work to do later." He sighed and pushed his glass a bit further away. "And now, here I am, talking to some mare I just met about it. I really am pathetic." 

Applejack took her first real sip of her drink. It wasn't as good as cider, but it'd get the job done. "Well, buck that. If it's yer job, then you deserve to be with somepony who appreciates the hard work you do." She shot the pegasus an assuring grin. "And ya ain't pathetic. You're just going through a hard time." 

To her surprise, the stallion smiled a genuine smile. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I really love what I do, and I don't want to have to give it up for the pony I'm dating." His smile faltered. "That doesn't make me selfish, does it?" 

Applejack shook her head. "I don't rightly think so. If ya love something, ya shouldn't have to stop doing it for somepony else." She gazed into her drink for a moment. "Whoever you’re with should encourage you to do what you love, not try and make ya stop." 

"You seem to know a lot about this." 

Applejack huffed in amusement. "Not really. I mean, not about dating. I know a lot about being passionate for my work though. I live on an apple farm and I love it so much." She smiled as she took a sip of her drink. "I'm just fortunate to be with somepony who appreciates that." 

The stallion hesitated before taking his glass and held it out towards Applejack. "Cheers to that," he said. "You're lucky. I hope to find that as well." 

Applejack clinked her glass against his and they both downed the last of their drinks. "Well, it was nice to meet ya," she said as she stood up and placed a few bits on the counter. 

"Likewise," he responded. He looked at the bits Applejack placed on the counter and shook his head. "No, it's on me." 

Applejack snorted and adjusted her hat. "Well, I guess I'm just leavin' a generous tip. Thank ya kin'ly for the drink..." she trailed off once she realized she never caught the stallion's name. 

"Hot Shot," he filled in. As he said the name, he turned to look at the countertop of the bar and forced a short laugh, seemingly embarrassed by the name. "I know, my parents hate me.”

"Applejack." She tipped her head. "See ya, Hot Shot. Best of luck to ya." 

Hot Shot nodded in response. "Back at you." 

Applejack turned to walk back to her room and entered as quietly as she could. Rainbow Dash was still sleeping on the top bunk which caused Applejack to smile. She threw herself on the bottom bunk and stared upwards. 

I guess I am pretty lucky. 
> Set
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The train finally stopped at Applejack and Rainbow Dash's intended destination. Applejack was eager to leave the room and actually start their date. It had been a few hours since the two mares had first gotten on the train, and even though Rainbow Dash was awake for the better half of it, they both were growing more and more impatient. 

As they got off the train, Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground to walk alongside Applejack. “So, the race doesn't start for another hour. What do you feel about grabbing some ice cream beforehand?”

The only thing Applejack loved almost as much as apples and her family was ice cream, and she knew that Rainbow Dash knew that. She also knew that she would never say no to the cold treat. “Sure. Sounds great!” She shot a look at Rainbow Dash. “But I'm payin' for the ice cream.”

Rainbow Dash, being almost as stubborn as Applejack, shook her head. “No way. I'm taking care of this date. You're not paying for anything.” She stuck her tongue out at Applejack and sped up a bit, forcing Applejack into a trot to catch up to her. 

“Fine, but I'm payin' for the next one,” she said sternly. “And don’t ya dare try and tell me otherwise.” Before Rainbow Dash could protest, Applejack set off to a gallop toward the ice cream bar. Appleoosa wasn’t exactly known for its size, but it did have one ice cream parlour slash bar on the same side of town that they were in.

Even though Applejack had a headstart on Rainbow Dash, the pegasus decided to fly ahead and beat Applejack to the ice cream bar. The earth pony arrived at the entrance to the establishment with an annoyed smile as Rainbow Dash held open the door and motioned for Applejack to enter. 

Applejack walked past Rainbow Dash and into the bar. She turned back to face the pegasus with an amused gaze. “Where’d ya learn those manners, Dash?”

Completely aware that Applejack was teasing her, Rainbow Dash decided to play along. “Oh, I’ve known them my whole life. I just never had a good reason to bust them out, you know?” She nudged Applejack. “But I figured you’re worth it.”

Rainbow Dash seemed to enjoy turning Applejack a colour that even the sweetest of apples would envy. Applejack turned away from Rainbow Dash and did her best to suppress a smile but failed miserably. Instead, she made her way to an open table inside the bar. True to Appleoosian style, there was a live band playing on stage on the opposite side of the room. It was the kind of music that Applejack enjoyed, but she caught Rainbow Dash in the middle of a dramatic sigh. 

She ignored the pegasus and bobbed her head to the song. It was strange, she felt like she had heard it somewhere before. As she racked her brain for an answer, Rainbow Dash interrupted her thoughts. 

“Do you want to get a banana split?” 

Applejack glanced back over to Rainbow Dash who looked expectantly at her. Applejack had never had a banana split before, and she was definitely eager to have one, so she nodded. "Sure. What flavour are we getting the ice cream?" 

Rainbow Dash shifted in her seat across from Applejack and leaned back a bit. "We can get whatever you want,” she said as she eyed the menu.

Applejack didn’t really have much of an interest in the other flavours. She knew what she wanted, and it was what she always got when at a new ice cream parlour. It was the safest choice after all. “In that case, mind if we get vanilla?”

Judging by the pegasus’ reaction, it seemed as if Applejack had just completely betrayed Rainbow Dash. The blue pony gasped loudly and put a hoof to her chest. “Vanilla?” She frowned at the word. “I didn’t think you were so boring, AJ!”

“It’s the safest bet, Dash. What if we get some weird flavour an’ we don’t even like it?” Applejack put a hoof on the table and shot Rainbow Dash a look. “Ya can never go wrong with vanilla, and ya did say that I could choose the flavour.” 

Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash retreated further into her seat. “Yeah, true. Okay, we’ll get vanilla but we’re getting the strawberry syrup on top.” 

Strawberry was not exactly Applejack’s first choice, but she wasn’t going to deny Rainbow Dash the decision. “Fine. Now we’re both happy, right?”

“I’ve been happy all day,” Rainbow Dash said plainly, as if it wasn’t the most adorable thing that Applejack had ever heard her say. “Ice cream is just the beginning.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow at that, but before she could ask, Rainbow Dash quite literally dashed to the bar to give the bartender their order. It was amusing to see an ice cream joint also sell alcohol, but it wasn’t entirely uncommon. Applejack herself quite enjoyed the mix of certain alcoholic beverages and ice cream. She just wondered if foals were allowed to enter the shop. A quick look around and a few foals spotted affirmed her question. Well, this is Appleoosa, she rationalized. Just ‘cause they’re allowed in don’t mean they can get alcohol.

The shop itself was about as standard Appleoosian as it could get. Apple themed decor hung from the walls, and everything was in a brown and orange colour palette. Applejack felt right at home, of course, but it was still humorous that an entire town could have the same motif. Ponyville was always so varied, but Appleoosa wasn’t. To be fair, most of the ponies who lived in the small town in the dry plains were related to her in some way or another, so it only made sense. 

After a few moments of taking in the decorated interior, Rainbow Dash returned to their booth with a banana split served in a dish. As promised, the three ice cream scoops between the two halves of the banana were vanilla, and the syrup that was expertly drizzled on top was pink. Three bright red cherries rested on top, and Applejack grinned as she wondered if they came from Cherry Jubilee’s orchard. If they did, she knew they’d be the perfect topping since the cherries from the ranch were high quality. Eager to test one, she picked a cherry off of the scoop closest to her with her mouth and bit into it. It was as juicy as a cherry should be, and as tart as one paired with ice cream must be.

The two mares hardly spoke as they split the task of consuming the ice cream between them both. Truthfully, it was because they were too busy indulging in the rich flavour of the frozen treat. Applejack didn’t want to stop eating for even a moment and it seemed that Rainbow Dash had the same idea as she continued to devour the ice cream faster than Applejack had ever seen anypony do to ice cream. Other than Pinkie Pie, of course. The only pause the blue pegasus took was to scrunch up her face in what Applejack assumed to be a brain freeze, which was exactly what she deserved for trying to eat all of the ice cream. Applejack capitalized on this lapse in judgement and sped up her own eating a little more. She was rewarded with the last bite of ice cream. 

“Aw, no fair,” Rainbow Dash whined. She rubbed her forehead with a hoof as she squinted the brain freeze away. 

Applejack licked her lips, savouring the last of the ice cream's flavour. “Whaddya mean no fair? You ate most of it.” She leaned across the table on her forelegs and grinned. “If ya hadn't tried to eat it as fast as ya did, you wouldn't have had to stop.” 

With a defeated frown that indicated that she knew Applejack was right, Rainbow Dash placed some bits on the table and stood up. Her frown was replaced by an excited look that would suggest that she had never been bested in logic. “Come on, we have to get going. The race starts soon and we still have to get there.” 

Applejack followed Rainbow Dash back out of the bar. The closed-off scent of alcohol mixed with the sweet, milky smell of ice cream disappeared and was replaced with the fresh scent of apples in the air as the wind blew in from the direction of the apple orchard. She wondered how her prized tree was doing and decided that maybe they'd have time to check on him later. In the meantime, Applejack set her sights on the traveling race track in the distance as she and Rainbow set off toward it.

While it was commonplace for the two mares to engage in friendly competition, it still surprised Applejack when she realized that she and Rainbow had started an impromptu race. Applejack sped up slightly to gain some distance on Rainbow Dash, who had no intention of getting left behind as she sped up as well. By the time they made it to the travelling stadium, they were both at a full gallop. Applejack turned back on Rainbow Dash with a fulfilled expression.

“Hah!” she exclaimed loudly. “I beat ya this time!” She adjusted her hat on her head and shot Rainbow Dash a sly grin.

Rainbow Dash, who was surprisingly out of breath, bit her lip. “Only cause I let you beat me!” The slightly annoyed pegasus sported an otherwise amused smile and pushed Applejack’s hat down her face. It was a gesture that the earth pony had grown accustomed to from the blue pegasus, even if it was a bit annoying. 

The pair walked through the revolving doors into the stadium. It wasn’t anything like the Wonderbolts stadiums in any of the major Equestrian cities, but it had a very cozy feel to it that Applejack enjoyed, and she assumed Rainbow Dash did too by the passive smile on her face. It wasn’t a very big stadium; it barely had room for one minor league sized racetrack, and there weren’t many seats to go along with it. All in all, it could probably hold about half of the occupancy of the smallest major league multi-purpose sports stadiums, never mind a Wonderbolts racetrack. 

It was, however, a Wonderbolts sanctioned event, judging by the many posters of the famed blue and gold uniformed pegasi that served as ornamentation on the walls that had no roof. Again, Applejack was confused about how the rules of racing went as far as pegasi were concerned. She reminded herself to ask Rainbow Dash once they got to their seats. 

In the meantime, she looked around at the posters while they walked to the ticket booth a short distance away. Most of them were images of one or two of the uniform clad pegasi with some kind of slogan or motto above. She spotted one of Rainbow Dash and Spitfire posing together and giving the viewer an intense look. Applejack felt something in her stomach as she focused her gaze on the pictured Rainbow Dash who wore the unmistakable, custom tailored Wonderbolts uniform along with a cocky grin. She definitely looked like a Wonderbolt, that was for sure.

They reached the ticket booth quickly, forcing Applejack out of her thoughts. Rainbow Dash leaned against the counter and gave the vendor a quick glance. “I’m here to pick up my tickets,” she said coolly, flashing a cocky grin. 

The brown furred unicorn vendor with a white mane and thick-rimmed glasses squinted at Rainbow Dash, then looked behind her at the same poster Applejack had her focus on and opened his mouth in an ‘O’ shape. “Right, Miss Dash. I have your tickets right here.” He encapsulated two rectangular strips of paper in a green aura and floated them to Rainbow Dash, who took them in her mouth and said a muffled thanks. The unicorn nodded, looking a little bit more than excited to have recognized Rainbow Dash. "Thank you for coming to the show. Have a great time!" 

Since Rainbow Dash couldn't respond, Applejack decided to do it for her. She tipped her hat politely at the pony who gave them their tickets. "Mighty appreciated," she called to him as she followed the basically buzzing blue pegasus toward the seating area. It was amusing to see Rainbow Dash so excited to go to a race when she took part in them as much as she did. 

By the entrance to the seating area, Applejack spotted a familiar orange face. It seemed that he, too, noticed her as he turned around and waved. “Well, well. If it ain't cousin Applejack!” He waited until they were closer and took off his hat in a greeting. 

Applejack did the same. “Howdy, Braeburn! Figured I'd see you at the race. I know yer a fan of racin’,” she pointed out as they both simultaneously put their hats back on their head. 

“Sure,” the taller stallion replied. “I was gon' ask what ya were doin' here but I guess I don't need ta ask if yer with her.” He motioned to Rainbow Dash with a hoof. She flexed her wings out in response and deepened her smile in an inaudible greeting. 

Applejack looked to her date. “Eeyup, this one practically dragged me over here fer this,” she teased. Rainbow Dash shot her a look. “Though I did get some ice cream, so I guess ‘twas worth it after all.” 

Braeburn nodded. “The ice cream over at Tipsy Scoop's is the best ice cream in the area,” he announced proudly. “I hope y'all got the butterscotch or the chocolate. They're ta die for, really.”

Rainbow Dash whipped her head toward Applejack. “I tol’ you we shoulda gotten somefin’ ofer fan vanilla!” the blue pegasus complained through the paper in her mouth. 

“Y'all got vanilla?” Braeburn let out a short laugh. “Never change, cuz, never change.” At Applejack's subtle look of dismay, Braeburn smoothly changed the subject. “So, I figured that Rainbow Dash here likes racin’, but why’d she pick ya to come with her? Don’tcha have work on the farm?” 

Applejack shifted her weight between her hooves. “Well, I did most of it ‘fore I came, and I promised I'd do more than my fair share when I got back,” she explained without answering his first question. 

Braeburn, it seemed, was more observant than Applejack gave him credit for. He looked between an increasingly nerve-wracked Applejack and a too-cool Rainbow Dash and grinned knowingly. “So y’all on a date? Gee, Rainbow Dash, didja lose a bet or somethin'?"” 

Before a now completely panicked Applejack could interject, Rainbow Dash snorted in amusement and set the tickets on the floor under a hoof. “If this was the result of a bet, it’d have been ‘cause I won it.” She shot a completely obvious look at Applejack, who couldn’t help her face heating up. 

“Dash,” she hissed at the pegasus, who picked up the tickets back in her mouth and plastered an innocent look on her face. Applejack squeezed her eyes shut for a second and looked back at her cousin. “So ya don’t care?” Her voice threatened to waver, but she kept it steady. 

The hat wearing stallion turned his head with a confused look on his face. “’Course not,” he said. “Why would I care?” 

Applejack felt her entire body relax in a way that stunned her. She felt silly all of a sudden. Was she just assuming the worst? “I dunno, I just figured ya might think it’s… strange,” she admitted. “Since we're both mares ‘n all.” 

Braeburn’s face dropped into an almost empathetic smile. “Applejack, ya do know I have a coltfriend, right?” His voice was laced with a mix of amusement and pity for his cousin. 

Rainbow Dash’s eyes flashed with surprise, but she didn’t say anything. Applejack, on the other hoof, let out a surprised grunt as her jaw fell. “What? Really?” 

“Yup,” Braeburn confirmed. To Applejack’s surprise, he laughed a little bit. “I brought him to the family reunion last year, cuz. You met him.”

Applejack instantly began to file through her memories of that day. The image of a strong looking pale green stallion flooded her mind and she gasped in realization. “Oh rotten apples, I’m such an idiot. Yer talkin' about Pinecone, aren’t ya?” 

Braeburn smiled a goofy smile that made Applejack’s heart fill up. “Yeah, the whole family knows about us. I’m surprised ya didn’t. Ya always struck me as one of the more observant ones.” 

What he said was true, in most ways. Applejack always tried to learn about her family’s lives because that was important to her, although she knew she could be a little dense sometimes. Instead, she shrugged and pushed a sheepish smile on her face. “I guess I just assumed y’all were friends or somethin’,” she admitted. “Feel mighty stupid about it now, though. I shoulda known, ‘specially if y’all weren’t tryna hide it.” 

If the whole family was okay with Braeburn and Pinecone, why would they be against her and Rainbow Dash? Maybe she was misjudging her family the whole time. The thought sent a somewhat sickening feeling to her stomach. She was so worried about her family assuming things about her that she assumed nasty things about them. Applejack felt her smile fall into a frown, something that didn’t go unnoticed by either pony. Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing carefully around Applejack and gave her a gentle smile. 

“If ya were worried about tellin’ yer family, I’m tellin’ ya now. Don’t be. They won’t care, they’ll be happy fer ya,” Braeburn assured the stetson wearing mare. "Besides, at least yer family already knows Rainbow Dash, and she’s got a bit of a good reputation what with having saved Equestra a number of times.” 

Applejack couldn’t help the scoff that came out of her. “Granny was just tellin' me this mornin' that she thinks Dash is a bad influence,” she said with a teasing smile. 

Rainbow Dash ducked her head. “What?” 

“’Cause ya keep draggin’ me away from the farm, Dash,” Applejack explained as Braeburn laughed. "And 'sides, once we tell her about us, she'll be less harsh on ya.” Applejack paused and raised a hoof to her chin as an amusing revelation came to mind. “Or maybe she’ll be more harsh on ya. Don’t matter none, I’ll make sure she likes ya as much as she likes Pinkie Pie.” 

Braeburn nodded contently. "Well, the show’s gon’ start soon and I still need ta get some stuff fer Pinecone an’ me." He raised a hoof to Rainbow Dash who bumped it with her own, and did the same with Applejack along with a mutual tip of their hats. "Nice seein’ y’all, and I trust you’ll have fun. Good luck with tellin’ yer family. If ya need me, send a letter and I’ll come quicker than the pigs at dinner time.” With a final smile to them both and a wave of his hoof, Braeburn walked in the direction that Applejack and Rainbow Dash had just come from. 

To say that Applejack was relieved would have been an understatement. At first, she had been doubtful and admittedly a little afraid of the prospect of running into her cousin, but now that it had happened, she was incredibly glad. The underlying fear that once rested in her stomach had completely dissipated, and she had nopony to thank but Braeburn. She'd have to do something nice for him at some point. 

She followed Rainbow Dash through the door and the pegasus showed a gruff looking earth pony her tickets. He showed her where their seats were with a gesture and a brief explanation and the two mares set off to find their seats. They were close to the top right in the middle of the row, so they had a great view of the track. They were also more spacious than the seats they passed and had a spot next to each of them for their belongings. Rainbow Dash's face lit up as she sat in a seat and looked out into the still empty track. 

“This is awesome! I can’t wait for the race to start!” Rainbow Dash turned to look at Applejack who settled in her seat and set her saddlebag behind them. 

“Eeyup, I’m excited too,” she said as she matched Rainbow Dash'’s smile. She turned to take out the bottles in the bag and pushed one toward her date. “Brought us some cider since I know ya like it.” 

Rainbow Dash happily took hers and set it next to her. “Yes! I was going to ask you to bring some but I wasn’t sure if you had any,” she admitted. “But you really pulled through. Typical AJ.” She gave the orange pony a soft shove. 

Applejack pursed her lips in a suppressed smile as she made a point to dramatically roll her eyes. “So, who we cheerin’ for, Dash? I gotta admit, I don’t have any clue who's competin’ today.” She set her own chilled bottle of cider to her right, quietly thanking Twilight for enchanting her bag to retain the cold. 

Her question made Rainbow Dash shoot up with a sudden squeak. “Oh pony feathers!” She extended her wings. “I’ll be right back! I gotta get us those little flags to cheer him on! Oh, I’ll also get us popcorn!”

Before Applejack could even say anything, Rainbow Dash disappeared, leaving behind a rainbow coloured streak, true to her name. Applejack shrugged to herself and used the time to really look around. Just as Rainbow Dash had said on the train once Applejack woke her up, the view was pretty amazing. It was definitely a lot different than what would be considered a good view in a sport like buckball, being high up instead of down and right at ground level. She noticed that it was going to be a multi lap race with the usual amount of six competitors. There seemed to be just one Wonderbolt in the running, and Applejack wondered if they would win. She also assumed that this would be the pony that Rainbow Dash would cheer for. 

Applejack didn’t know much about the Wonderbolts apart from some of the ones she had met before. Ponies like Spitfire, Soarin, and Thunderlane she only knew because she had met them, but there were a few newer ones that she had never had the chance to meet. She wondered if this one would be one of those. 

Rainbow Dash came back impressively quickly, although that was definitely no surprise. The mare came back with two little yellow flags in her mouth that both had the same design on them; an orange and red flaming star, which Applejack assumed to be the pony they would cheer for’s cutie mark. She also had a container of popcorn in the crook of her foreleg as she floated back down and into her seat. Applejack took the popcorn so that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t risk dropping it. 

“Okay, so I got us these little flag things,” she said through the objects in her mouth. She dropped them onto her hoof and gave one to Applejack. “Now, he definitely won’t be able to see them, but at least I’ll know I had them. And then he can’t get mad at me for not buying them next practice.” She glared ahead of her as if she was annoyed with her teammate. She shook her head dismissively and her smile returned as she turned toward Applejack. “And I got us some popcorn. Extra buttery, just the way you like it.” 

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Ya mean just the way you like it,” she pointed out, although she was not at all upset. “I don’t really have a preference for butter on my popcorn, but if ya like it extra buttery, then so do I.” 

Rainbow Dash seemed satisfied with the answer as she took a mouthful of popcorn from the bag. There was a loud bang in the centre of the field as blue smoke filled the clearing. Everypony started to cheer ecstatically, which could only mean that the race was about to start. Rainbow Dash cheered loudly next to Applejack as the Stetson wearing pony joined in. 

Applejack watched in amusement as all of the competitors flew into the field each with their own entry show. There were flips, dives, and other ways of showing off that were meant to excite the audience. Applejack glanced over to Rainbow Dash who watched intently with a somewhat impressed expression, but one Applejack knew all too well to mean ‘I could do that too.’ 

Then, the exposed stadium was covered with a magical dome that blocked out most of the light and a low boom rang through Applejack’s ears. Everypony started to cheer even louder, while Applejack was left a bit confused. 

“And now, the moment you have all been waiting for,” the amplified announcer pony's voice said dramatically. 

A uniformed pegasus flew out of the competitors entrance leaving behind the usual Wonderbolt trail of thunder clouds and lightning. Applejack leaned forward to see if she could recognize him. Rainbow Dash grinned eagerly as she stuck her hooves in the air and cheered somehow even louder than before. 

“Tonight's Wonderbolt competitor…” 

The Wonderbolt did several flips in the air and moved so quickly Applejack could barely make out the electric mane of the pony. He drew out a star with his thunderous trail as he dove toward the floor at breakneck speeds. 

“Undefeated in every race he’s partaken in this season…” 

The blue and gold wearing pegasus veered up just before he hit the ground and sent a whiff of air into the crowd toward the section that Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat in. Despite herself, the orange mare could feel herself getting excited. The pegasus flew over the crowd to do a fly-by and offered his hoof to the audience for hoof bumps. 

Applejack barely saw the blur of the pony as he flew by, but there was something unmistakeable about the dark blue fur that contrasted his bi-coloured mane. Applejack cocked her head, trying to work it out. It couldn’t be. 

The announcer confirmed her suspicions after the most dramatic introduction that Applejack had the pleasure of hearing in the last few months. “Put your hooves together for Hot Shot!” 

The crowd erupted into chanting the stallion’s name as he did one final corkscrew and landed on the floor next to the rest of the competitors who had varied reactions ranging from excitedly clapping their hooves to nervously ruffling their feathers. Hot Shot confidently extended his wings and lifted his flight goggles to reveal the deep rose coloured eyes that Applejack had seen before. 

Even though nothing changed about his physical aspect, Applejack was surprised at how different he appeared. He was almost an entirely different pony than the self deprecating stallion she had met on the train. His tired smile was replaced with a confident grin and an equally cocky expression as he waved to a crowd full of fans excited to see any Wonderbolt, even if he was a newer one. 

Despite his confident appearance and the distance at which Applejack sat, she could tell that the look in his eyes was the same as before – tired. Putting up a wall was not a new concept to Applejack, and she was able to see right through it. A quick look over to Rainbow Dash made her suspect that even she didn't notice as she waved the flag in the air and continued to scream her support. Applejack shook it off and set on to support him, too. Especially after everything, she hoped that Hot Shot would win. He deserved a victory. 

It definitely wouldn’t be much of a challenge though. According to the announcer, Hot Shot was undefeated in these races. The only pegasus that had that record so far into the season was Rainbow Dash, and they had been lucky enough to not have to race each other yet. 

As the rest of the contestants settled into their spots in the floating starting line and reared up their bodies, wings flexed and ready to fly, Hot Shot seemed to relax and took an extra moment to extend his wings. He casually pushed his flight goggles back over his eyes and his face dropped into a glare of concentration. The crowd went silent as three large red orbs of light appeared in front of the racers. One disappeared, then the other, then they all reappeared in green instead. Instantly, the racers took off. 

Hot Shot lagged behind a little, although Rainbow Dash didn’t seem too worried, so Applejack assumed this was all part of the show. After all, he was a Wonderbolt. An elite flier from Equestria, there was no way that he would leave things without putting on a show to entertain the fans. Up in front, a navy blue stallion with a vibrant blue and red mane took the lead with a pleased look on his face. Not far behind, a yellow furred mare with a short pastel blue mane inched forward, now shoulder to shoulder with the leader. The next three ponies lagged behind a little more but were definitely about as skilled as the others. The first was an orange mare with dark blue and white striped mane, the next was pure white mare with a yellow mane, the other a deep golden mare with a spikey green mane. 

In the back still was Hot Shot. He flew casually, and even though he looked like he put a fraction of the effort that his competitors had, he was still barely in last place. He flew forward as they completed the first lap of ten and made eye contact with the green maned mare. He ducked his head a bit into his hooves and surpassed her as she struggled to speed up. Hot Shot maintained the position calmly. Another lap. He shot forward slightly, grinned at the white mare and waved as he dropped his head more. Next lap, he eased up and let the orange pegasus keep her hold on third place. Hot Shot pretended to fail to catch up, but as soon as they marked the fifth lap, he shot past the pegasus, leaving her dumbfounded. 

Sixth lap, the yellow mare in second place seemed to be a more competent racer as she beat her wings strongly and tried to keep slightly in front of Hot Shot, occasionally glancing over her shoulders at him. Hot Shot, much to Applejack's surprise, frowned slightly as he was forced to stay in third place for an extra lap. 

Applejack was beginning to think that Hot Shot might be forced to take bronze, when Rainbow Dash leaned over, never taking her eyes off of the race, and muttered, “She’s good, but her right wing is slightly lagging behind her left.” At that exact moment, Hot Shot reared back a bit and exploded forward on the mare’s right side. The blue maned pegasus stumbled a bit to her left as her right wing became completely disoriented from her left and she struggled to stay in the track, causing her to fall behind into last. “Hot Shot’s got this one in the bag. The leader has no stamina.” 

Rainbow Dash had her full attention on the race, and Applejack found herself unable to look away as Hot Shot inched forward until he was neck to neck with the navy blue stallion that almost exactly mirrored his own body. They shared the same colour eyes and similar shades of blue fur. They turned to look at each other and each gave the other a cocky grin. 

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Are they related or somethin’?” She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better indication of the red and blue maned stallion that Hot Shot was beginning to gain a lead on. 

Rainbow Dash let out a humm as she processed the question, her mind clearly occupied with the race. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Painted Streak and Hot Shot are twins.” She shoved some popcorn that Applejack had long forgotten about into her mouth and took a swig of cider. “Honestly, Streak definitely has the skills to be a top racer, maybe even a Wonderbolt, but he never dedicated time to it and so his stamina sucks.” She shrugged as she looked quickly at Applejack. “His technique is great though. Shame he never pursued it.” 

Applejack watched as Painted Streak indeed fell behind panting and ended up taking third place at the last second. “Well he definitely looks like he’d be a good flier,” Applejack admitted. “Any idea why he didn’t? I’d have assumed that his special talent was related to flying.” 

Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves as Hot Shot took a victory lap and formed another star in the air, except this time with a check through it and landed on the top of the podium, flanked by the second place orange mare, and his brother in third. “I’m pretty sure he likes art or something along those lines. Actually, Streak’s cutie mark is a star in front of three coloured lines.” She put a hoof up to her chin and rubbed it. “I think he changed his name or something, which is why it fits so well. Their parents were awful at naming their kids,” she said with a laugh. 

Applejack joined her in the laugh. “Yeah, I reckon that’s what he told me on the train,” she recalled. 

“On the train?” 

Applejack nodded. “Sure. Remember I told ya I had met somepony on the train that I talked to?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “It was actually Hot Shot. Small world, right?” 

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Yeah, definitely. Figures that Showboat would take a train like that instead of a private car or just flying himself.”

Applejack started to stand up to leave, and Rainbow Dash mimicked her. “Showboat?” 

Rainbow Dash smiled at Applejack as she finished the last of her cider. “It’s his Wonderbolt nickname. His first day, he tried to show off so hard that he flew right into a prop ship we were using to practice for one of our marine shows,” she explained. “Now we call him Showboat.” 

Applejack nodded in amused understanding as she finished her own cider, practically chugging it. “Right. Forgot y’all have those silly nicknames for each other.”

"What?" The pegasus scoffed and shoved Applejack. "It isn't silly, it's tradition!" 

Applejack didn’t say anything, deciding to simply stick her tongue out at her date. She gathered her saddlebags and ate the mouthful of popcorn that Rainbow Dash left, and the two started to head back out with the crowd of ponies that were buzzing with excitement. Instead of leaving the main way, though, Rainbow Dash led them to some side stairs with a sign labeled ‘Restricted Access’ and they made their way to the floor level of the arena. 

“We won’t risk getting interrupted by anypony who might recognize me,” the cyan pegasus explained. 

“Well it certainly ain’t easy ta miss you,” Applejack teased as she ran a hoof through Rainbow Dash’s mane. “But I do like this quiet more.” 

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with a smile on her face as the two made their way down a hallway with what seemed to be changing rooms. Rainbow Dash turned to glance at Applejack. “Don't worry, they usually stay in the change rooms for a bit after the race so we won’t run into any of them.” 

Applejack nodded, but she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed about not being able to talk to Hot Shot again. It seemed her disappointment, or perhaps lack thereof, wouldn’t be a problem as one of the doors opened and a frazzled looking Hot Shot exited, free of his Wonderbolts uniform that presumably was in the saddlebag on his side. His goggles still rested on his head, and he looked just like the stallion that Applejack had met on the train. The three ponies all bumped into each other. 

Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. “My bad,” she said. She took a moment to look at who she had just bumped into. “Hey, it’s Showboat! Awesome race out there, bud!” 

Hot Shot instead looked at Applejack wordlessly for a moment, then returned his gaze to the blue mare. “Oh, thanks Rainbow Dash,” he said awkwardly. He flicked his eyes back to Applejack. “Say, you’re that mare from the train, aren’t you?” He quirked his head ever so slightly. “Applesack, was it?” 

“Applejack,” the earth pony corrected as she adjusted her hat. “Nice to see ya again, Hot Shot. I gotta admit, I didn’t think I’d be seein’ you again this soon,” she joked. 

The stallion chuckled. “Yeah, me neither. I’m glad I pulled off the win, then,” he said as he rubbed his mane with his hoof. He faced Rainbow Dash with a lopsided smile. “So, this is that mare you kept going on about, is it?” 

Rainbow Dash shot daggers at Hot Shot, who did not seem to care. The blue mare's face, however, turned a noticeable shade of reddish-purple. “Yes,” she said quickly. “Now shut up.” 

Applejack leaned over to tease Rainbow Dash. “Aw, you talk about me to yer friends?” 

Rainbow Dash ignored Applejack's question, which was in turn a wise choice. “I know you like to show off, but did that yellow mare really almost have you?” She flapped her wings one after the other. “I was surprised she was even in second with that whole uneven flapping thing she was doing.” 

Hot Shot rubbed the back of his mane. “I was a bit distracted. She reminded me of somepony I knew,” he explained as he glanced to the floor. Applejack assumed he meant his ex-marefriend, and she understood why that could be distracting. It was still strange to see the stallion act so differently in front of them than in front of an audience. 

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Well, you'd better not let yourself get distracted at practice tomorrow. Spitfire will make you fly laps the entire day until the cleaning crew leaves.” She shuddered. “Trust me.” 

Applejack smiled slightly at the warning that Rainbow Dash gave, knowing that it was because she herself had been given that punishment before. Hot Shot seemed to have caught the not so hidden meaning behind her words as well, and gave his own friendly smile. He looked at the door of the changing room behind him and scuffed at the floor with a hoof. “Well, it was nice to see you both,” he said almost apologetically. “I’d better get back inside or else Streak is going to have a fit.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, we have to get going, too. Good job on the win! We’ll have to have a public race sometime so I can whoop your sorry flank,” Rainbow Dash said confidently. 

That seemed to spark some confidence in Hot Shot as he gave her a challenging grin. “You’re fast and all, but I’m younger than you. We’ll see who’s whooping whose flank soon!” 

Rainbow Dash snorted. “I’m not even that much older than you! It’s just three years!” 

“And that makes all the difference sometimes,” the navy blue stallion pointed out. Before Rainbow Dash could protest, although Applejack knew he had a point, Hot Shot retreated into the doorway of the change room. “See you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash.” 

Applejack watched as Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes so intensely she could almost hear it. She took a step closer to Rainbow Dash and tapped her with a hoof. “There there,” she said with a teasing smile. “You can beat him, I know it.” 

Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out. “I know. Come on, we should get back to the train station, it’s getting late.” 

Applejack followed Rainbow Dash back out of the stadium and toward the very same train station that they started in at Appleoosa, although a few hours later. What was it that Granny said about time when you’re with somepony you care about? Applejack pondered as she glanced at Rainbow Dash, who hovered in the air next to her. She grinned as she remembered the saying.
> Go
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash was certain that last night was a dream. No, not just last night. The entire previous day had to have been a dream. There was no way in Tartarus that it was real. In fact, she felt so overwhelmed with happiness that she practically shook. 

Wait, no, she was shaking. Or rather, her bed was shaking? Rainbow Dash took that moment to fully open her eyes. She wasn't in her room, and was met with a plain white ceiling, although it wasn't made of the same material as her home in Ponyville. Her blankets were different, too. They were still comfortable, but less fluffy than her own. 

The sleep grogginess didn't completely disappear until Rainbow Dash suddenly flew into the air and off of her bed as the entire world jumped. She was a lot higher up than she should have been and completely lacked the instinct to catch herself. Instead, she lay on the floor and groaned as she felt the impact in her bones. It wasn't exactly painful, but it was definitely not the most pleasant way to start her morning. 

Her morning was instantly ameliorated by the orange earth pony that appeared in her view, though. “Dash, you okay?” 

Not only was she infinitely better than okay now that Applejack was in her eyesight, but she was definitely wide awake. Rainbow Dash opted to sit up and look at Applejack, who sat on her own bed below Rainbow Dash’s. She had definitely also just woken up, likely by the sound of her roommate falling onto the floor, and yet she still looked absolutely fantastic in Rainbow Dash’s opinion. To say she was okay would have been a massive understatement. 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” 

“Well I’m glad yer up since we should be gettin’ back to Ponyville soon,” Applejack noted as they both turned to face the window that had the blinds shut. 

Rainbow Dash stood up and pulled them apart. She blinked the sudden light away from her eyes and focused on the trees that blurred past. Trees that meant that they were out of the desert climate. Trees that meant that they’d be back home soon. “Awesome!” 

Applejack took a seat next to where Rainbow Dash stood and rested the side of her head on her shoulder. Applejack was taller, so Rainbow Dash had to fidget a little so that they were both more comfortable. “Guess so. Although, I kinda wish it wasn’t over,” Applejack admitted with a sigh. “I was havin’ a great time.” 

“Yeah, me too.” Rainbow Dash leaned her head on Applejack’s. The farmer’s yellow mane tickled her nose in a way that didn’t make her outright laugh, but forced her to scrunch up her nose a bit. “Is it… weird that I was kind of nervous? We’ve been friends for so long, so I shouldn’t be.” 

Rainbow Dash couldn’t see Applejack’s face very well, but she could feel it adjust into a smile. “Naw, it ain’t weird. Least, not to me. I was nervous too.” She chuckled and set her gaze on their reflection in the glass rather than the outside. “I thought about what Braeburn said. I think I’m gonna tell ‘em. About us.” 

“Really?” 

Applejack brought her head off of Rainbow Dash’s shoulder to look at her directly. “Eeyup. I’m still kinda nervous, but I wanna be truthful with ‘em.” 

The light blue pegasus returned the gaze. “I’ll be right by your side, if you want me there.” She brought her head to Applejack’s and pressed their foreheads together. 

“Well, of course I want ya there,” Applejack murmured. “There’s nopony else I’d rather have.” She shuffled back and looked at Rainbow Dash’s eyes again. 

Something sparked inside the pegasus. She flicked her eyes down a bit and then back at Applejack’s eyes. If there was a better moment, Rainbow Dash would have loved to see it. “Can I, uh, kiss you?” 

One of Applejack’s eyebrows raised, but her smile widened by a fraction of an inch. “Eeyup.” 







Loyalty was the core value that Rainbow Dash believed in. It was what she dedicated her life to. Celestia knows that she would never give it up, especially as she stood at her marefriend’s side in her family’s living room. The earth pony she called her companion and her closest friend stood beside her, nearly shaking from nerves as she held her hat to her chest with a hoof. 

The farmer’s family sat in the room expectantly. The youngest, sporting her signature bow, gazed at her sister with curious eyes. The oldest looked more worried than curious, her aged wrinkles deepening with the worst assumptions of what could be making her kin so nerve-wracked. The one in between was harder to read. To untrained eyes, he was apathetic. To Rainbow Dash, who had spent enough time with the Apples, he was worried as well. 

It seemed that the naive curiosity of youth would be evident in Apple Bloom as the young filly spoke up. “What is it you wanted to say, Applejack?” 

If anything, Rainbow Dash had enough confidence for the both of them. She pressed up a little closer to Applejack and minutely moved her head to the mare’s ear and murmured, “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. I’m here, remember?” 

It seemed to heighten her spirits enough to get her to stop shaking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then cleared her throat. “Howdy, y’all. Sorry to drag ya from the farm, but I got a rather important announcement to make.” Rainbow Dash was surprised to hear the deeper voice come out as evenly as it did. Then she remembered that Applejack was always good at masking her emotions. 

Granny Smith leaned forward in her rocking chair. She had some reading glasses on and a time-worn notebook on her lap. “Well git on with, then. Ain’t no need to worry so much.” 

Applejack muttered something under her breath as she took an interest in something on the floor. Rainbow Dash gave her an encouraging nudge and did her best to ignore the increasingly frequent glances she received from the other Apples. The hat-wearing Apple shook her head and looked at her family, although she was unable to hide the apprehension from her face. 

“I know y’all have probably been wonderin’ why Dash an’ I been spending so much time together recently,” Applejack started, her voice barely wavering. She gave Rainbow Dash a quick look which was returned by a nod. She turned her attention back to the listening Apples. “This might come as a shock to ya, but…” Her voice trailed off as her expression changed into the unmistakable one of someone who was afraid. She only showed it for a brief moment before neutralizing her face, but Rainbow Dash caught it. “Well, I’m gay.” 

There was silence for a moment as the other ponies contemplated what they had just heard. Applejack had said it so quietly that it would have been easy to miss but the room was deadly silent, and Applejack’s voice sounded like she was yelling in comparison. Rainbow Dash stood firmly, but she looked nervously at the Apples, who each had a different expression. Apple Bloom looked surprised, and a bit confused, but the curiosity of a filly remained the same. Big Mac was almost as stoic as before, except for a small smile that rested across his muzzle. Granny Smith had her eyebrows furrowed as she wore a serious expression, and for a moment, Rainbow Dash was afraid. 

“Why didn’t ya say so sooner?” Granny Smith asked, although she sounded more surprised than anything else. “You know the rules about datin’. Gotta get yer work done first.” 

Applejack visibly relaxed. “I know, Granny. I have been doin’ that. Nothing to worry about.” Her nervous expression was replaced with one of full joy and relief. It almost looked like she was going to start crying. Rainbow Dash hoped she wouldn’t because then she would start crying too. 

Apple Bloom stood up and ran over to her sister. “Oh! So you and Rainbow Dash are dating?” She looked eagerly between the two mares, who looked at each other with a smile. 

Applejack nodded at her sister. “That’s right. I know it’s a bit weird, but it ain’t that big of a deal.” 

Apple Bloom cocked her head. “Weird? The only thing weird about it is that Rainbow Dash is dating you. I mean, she’s just so cool!” 

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Now, Apple Bloom, don’t be mean to your sister,” she reprimanded jokingly. She looked at Applejack and winked. “Although, you’re right. I am pretty awesome.” Applejack snorted and rolled her eyes in response. 

“Just wait ‘til Scootaloo hears about this! She’s going to freak out!” 

Applejack tensed next to Rainbow Dash. “Woah, woah. Hold on there Apple Bloom.” She gently put a hoof on her sister’s head before returning it to the ground. “I’m glad y’all are so supportive, but not everyone is gonna be like that,” 

Granny Smith rocked in her chair, creating a loud creaking noise. “Well if anyone gets on yer case about it, they’re gon’ hafta deal with a whole lotta Apple, ain’t that right?” 

Big Mac nodded firmly. “Eeyup.” 

“Besides, ya don’t gotta tell everyone. Just be normal and do normal couple things. It ain’t anyone else’s business,” Apple Bloom pointed out. “I jus’ don’t get why gay ponies hafta tell other ponies about their personal lives. They should be able to just date whoever and everyone should see it like any other relationship, not somethin’ weird and different that needs ta be explained.” 

Applejack nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. Rainbow Dash leaned against her and smiled. “You’re right, Bloom,” Applejack said as she ruffled her sister’s mane playfully. “If Dash is okay with it, I think we should tell our friends and then just go on about it normally.” 

Rainbow Dash was surprised, to say the least. Applejack had come from being so nervous about anypony knowing to not caring if anypony knew. She chalked it up to the benefits of having a supportive family and was immediately grateful for the Apples. She didn’t miss a beat in nodding her head. “Yeah, that sounds great.” She entertained the thought of what the snobby, close-minded ponies of Cloudsdale would say, and it made the idea seem even more inviting. “I can’t wait to see the look on those stupid purist pegasi’s faces!” 

Applejack’s eyes widened in some sort of realization and she turned to Rainbow Dash. “I need to talk to Dash quickly. We’re gonna go outside, I’ll be back soon to do my chores.” She turned around, not looking at her family who nodded and remained awkwardly in the room. 

Applejack led a confused Rainbow Dash back out the door and onto the porch. The early morning sun shone on both of them as Applejack stood across from the blue mare.

“What’s up, AJ?” Rainbow Dash sat on the ground and raised an eyebrow at Applejack. 

Applejack fidgeted as she took a seat in front of Rainbow Dash. “I guess I’m just worried for ya,” she admitted. At Rainbow Dash’s confused hmm, Applejack sighed in exasperation and looked squarely at the pegasus. “Ya told me the other day that there were certain ponies in Cloudsdale who were very particular about bloodlines and stuff like that.” She frowned as she began her explanation. 

Rainbow Dash mirrored the frown, unsure of what Applejack was trying to say. “Sure, I did say that.” 

“And you bein’ a Wonderbolt and all…” She trailed off and shook her head suddenly. “It ain’t gonna be a problem, right? You and me?” 

Rainbow Dash snorted as she failed to hold back a laugh. She had been expecting Applejack to bring it up sometime, but she wasn’t expecting her to be so genuinely worried. Still, she thought it was endearing for her to care so much.  “No, of course not!” She reached out a hoof and brought it to Applejack’s shoulder and pulled her in slightly in an attempt to encourage her. “You’re not my first marefriend. I already came out to my parents, and frankly if anyone has a problem with it, I don’t care.” She plastered a trademark confident grin on her face. “Besides, being a Wonderbolt means facing a bit of controversy no matter what I do. If you happen to get dragged into that, they’ll have to deal with me,” she said as she fake punched the air with her hooves. 

Applejack nuzzled Rainbow Dash’s cheek with her own. “Quit messin’ around,” she said with a laugh. They stayed like that in silence for a moment before Applejack brought her head back and glared at Rainbow Dash seriously. “Wait, did ya say I’m not your first marefriend?” 

Rainbow Dash coughed as she stretched her wings briefly. “Well I wouldn’t exactly put it that way,” she mumbled. “I went on a few dates with High Winds but we decided we were better as friends. I actually had the biggest crush on Daring Do for a bit, but I obviously got over that. And then I went on a date with Soarin but he was not at all my type, and that is when I figured out I don’t like stallions–”

Applejack cut her off with a quick kiss which left Rainbow Dash stunned. “I was just teasin’ ya. You’re definitely a lot more experienced at datin’ than I am.” 

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Barely! I wouldn’t exactly call any of those real dates. Except for High Winds, maybe. And Surprise. But, uh, surprise! We didn’t work out either.” She couldn’t help but laugh at her own joke, and despite having her fair share of failed relationships in the past, she felt different with Applejack. It might just work after all. 

Applejack shook her head with a smile on her face. She looked out into the fields of apple trees, and Rainbow Dash followed her gaze deep into the orchard. After a few moments of silence, Applejack spoke again. “I have one more question for ya.” 

Rainbow Dash looked over at her partner, unsure if she should be worried or not. “Shoot.” 

Applejack turned her gaze to Rainbow Dash, a genuinely curious expression on her face. “Why on Equestria do they let Wonderbolts compete in races against regular ol’ pegasi?” She brought up a hoof and pushed her hat a bit further up her head. “I mean, it don’t really sound fair. Aren’t Wonderbolts elite fliers? Y’all must win all the time. What’s the point of anypony else competin’ if they’re gon’ lose to a Wonderbolt anyhow?” 

It was a valid question, and Rainbow Dash knew that. Of course, being an earth pony, Applejack wouldn’t understand that being a Wonderbolt wasn’t just about speed, but about finesse and skill as well. She wouldn’t get that you could fly faster than a Wonderbolt and still lack the fundamental basics of precise wing control that Wonderbolts require, which means that one could, in theory, win in a race against a Wonderbolt. 

And she certainly wouldn’t understand that sometimes, Wonderbolts throw races on purpose to make the show more exciting for the audience and the competitors. Undefeated racers like herself and Hot Shot only existed because they either didn’t race often, or because they were setting up the circumstances for an exciting, genuine race between the two. Despite all that, Rainbow Dash found it incredibly hard to not find Applejack cute. It only solidified her feelings for the mare further. 

And so she had to explain that to her. Applejack listened intently, but still remained a bit confused. It did seem to give her the answers she wanted, though, and Rainbow Dash was always eager to answer any questions Wonderbolts related. 

She didn’t want to leave, really. But as she had warned her fellow flier after the race the day before, she had to take her job seriously or Spitfire would make her fly laps until she couldn’t move her wings. Again. 

“Well, I’d better get going now,” the pegasus reluctantly stated as she approximated the time based on where the sun was. “Spitfire wants us in early to show us a new routine.” 

Applejack nodded. “I gotta get goin’ on my chores anyhow. I promised I’d do double, so I gotta get started,” she said. “I’ll see ya around, Dash. I had fun yesterday. You better be ready for the next one, it’s my turn to plan.” 

Rainbow Dash stuck out her tongue at Applejack as she walked off the porch and prepared her wings to fly. “I had fun too. I can’t wait for next time though. I wanna see how you plan on out-doing yesterday.” 

“I’ll find a way, I’m sure,” Applejack rebutted with a grin. Rainbow Dash launched into the air just in time to hear Applejack yell out, “Say hi to Hot Shot for me!” 

As Rainbow Dash flew away, she looked back one last time to see Applejack turn around and open the door to her house to see both Big Mac and Apple Bloom fall forward through the entrance. Applejack started to yell something at them, but Rainbow Dash couldn’t quite make it out. As she got out of viewing range of the farm, she focused on flying as fast as she could to the Wonderbolt airspace. Her mind still circled back to Applejack, though, and Rainbow Dash found herself questioning for the second time that day whether or not their date was a dream. 

Applejack was the mare of her dreams, after all. Even if she wasn’t asleep, every moment from there on out was a waking dream. She smiled happily as she whiffed through the air, eager to get back to her work routine with a little extra motivation on her side.