“That should be it!” The Princess of Equestria proclaims, “I think we can call this meeting of the Council of Friendship a complete success!” Princess Twilight lights up her aura and starts to collect every pony’s parchment spread out around the old Cutie Map table and floats it over to Spike.
“Oh, does it have to be over so soon?” Fluttershy asks in her usual timid tone, “Surely something interesting has happened in the past month?”
“I wish there was,” Twilight answers with a sigh.
“Perhaps we could stay a little longer if a certain pair of ponies would actually consider joining us?” Rarity shouts, not so subtly calling out Applejack and Rainbow Dash for their lack of participation. Shocked by the raised voice, RD jumps up into a defensive position over the large table and AJ stumbles out of her chair.
“I am terribly sorry, darlings,” Rarity continues, “but the two of you had barely said a word during the entire meeting. I only mention it because, well, I for one am worried.”
Rainbow slowly lowers herself to the ground and helps Applejack back up from the floor. The two mares look at each other for a moment until Rainbow finally speaks softly to the shaking earth pony.
“I think now is the time to tell them.” Rainbow’s voice came out in a somber tone and very unlike her. She helps AJ back on all four hoofs and the pair faces their friends.
“Tell us what?” Twilight asks.
“You two aren’t fighting again, are you?” Fluttershy asks.
“Goodness, I hope not,” exclaimed Rarity, “I don’t think the students can handle another Teacher of the Month incident! It was difficult enough to clear things up after Rainbow and I had our disagreement!”
“(Gasp) Don’t tell me there is another parasprite infestation in Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie yells out.
“Pinkie,” Twilight calls out in a slightly raised voice, “what in Equestria makes you think THAT is their problem?”
“I was just thinking worst case scenario,” Pinkie replies with a smile, “I just gave away all of my instruments to make room in my party cave for the Cakes’ stuff since Pound and Pumpkin are getting their own rooms soon!”
“Um, girls,” Fluttershy’s timid voice speaks up again, “why don’t we let Applejack and Rainbow tell us what is going on?”
It was only now that the other ponies noticed their quiet friends obviously holding something back. Applejack’s head was slumped and her body was shaking all over as if she were straining to hold up the air above her. Rainbow wrapped her wing around the earth pony and looked down on her like she does when her beloved tortoise goes into hibernation. The touchingly sweet scene lured Twilight closer.
“Is there something wrong?” Twilight asks, leaning low enough to see Applejack’s eyes.
“No, sugarcube.” Applejack answers, finally speaking for the first time since she walked in the door. With a small smile she looks up a bit and continues.
“It’s just the opposite.” Applejack turns her head and nuzzles the side of her face in Rainbow’s neck fur, “go on and tell ‘em”
“(sharp inhale) me and Applejack are dating.” Rainbow Dash proudly proclaims, “and we have been for a while.”
“YEEEEES!” Pinkie Pie cries out, leaping over the Cutie Map and literally tackling the couple with a hug so tight both sets of eyes almost pop out. The other three ponies, and dragon, join in the group hug as happy squeals come from them all. Soon the six of them released their grips and backed away to start with the questioning. All except for Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing like a pinball around the massive room shouting, “I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!!!”
“You did!?!” the remaining six collectively ask Pinkie as she came to a stop in the middle of the group.
“Uh, yeah, sillies!” Pinkie confidently proclaims, “I notice the two of them were hanging out on their own a lot ever since Twilight moved to Ponyville but didn’t think much of it because friends can do friendly things without all of their friends. But then I talked about it with Gummy and he thought they were dating and I said ‘Whaaaaat? No way!’ But then it started making since they were having one friendly competition after another after another after another. So, I finally asked if everything was ok with them, and they told me-(smack) mmph mmph mmph?”
Rainbow had stuffed her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth and continued where she stopped her, “We told her everything was fine, but that me and Applejack were dealing with personal problems we promised to keep to ourselves. And that was good enough to stop her from looking into it.” Rainbow removes her hoof as Pinkie looks at her a bit confused.
“Sorry, Pinkie,” says Rainbow, “but that was our secret to tell, not yours.”
“We wanted to tell everyone of y’all about us for a while now,” Applejack adds, “but we had to make sure this was more than just a flash in a pan.”
“And it definitely is more than that,” Rainbow says as she walks up to her mare-friend, wrapping her with her wing again and pecks a kiss on AJ’s freckles. The remaining five watches as the pair cuddles up to soak in the image, tears of joy waters their eyes with the only sound being a coo from Rarity.
A few weeks had passed since the couple had told their closest friends about their relationship. Even for a day or two afterwards, the two lovers were afraid of the changes that might have come from their confession. As it turns out, there were some changes but all for the better. Although Twilight had to return to Canterlot, they still had their other friends to call on for helpful advice on the little things. Afterall, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are not at all experienced at dating. And with that help, things between the two mares progressed faster than before, to the point where the next logical step was a serious one.
Although the sky was still mostly dark, the first colors of dawn started to shine through Applejack’s bedroom window. The slight warm glow on Applejack’s face was enough to wake her, that along with the thought of the craziest idea ever keeping her from a deep sleep. Not quite ready to start the day, she rolls over and is greeted by Rainbow Dash sound asleep next to her. Because AJ is such a bed hog, RD has learned how to sleep curled up like a pet and sleep closer to the foot of the bed. She still sucks her hoof and twitches her wings now and again, but it was something AJ learned to love about her.
Looking at RD in her bed, AJ starts to think about all the good times they had shared, both before and after they were a serious couple. From when they first met at Pinkie’s “Welcome to Ponyville” party for RD and Fluttershy to their ‘friendly’ competitions. One of which lead to their first date when RD lost a bet and had to take her on an extravagant Canterlot date. A date RD did too good a job of planning. Their first kiss at Winsome Falls that came right after RD telling her she knew how to be a great older sister to Scootaloo by watching her and Apple Bloom. The cider drinking contest that led to their first bucking. Their first ‘I love you’ they shared during the very brief moment they had doubts about beating Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. All those memories coming together filled the earth pony’s heart with more love she has ever felt at one time.
‘Well, that does it,’ Applejack thinks to herself, ‘no more thinkin bout it, this Pegasus is gonna be mine.”
With that thought, AJ slowly crawls out of the bed and tiptoes around it to get to the door. Not before planting a soft but long kiss on her lover’s forehead. Once out of her room, AJ picks up her pace going down the stairs and out the door. As if chasing down stampeding cattle, she gallops through the still sleepy town as fast as her strong legs could take her. She rounds a corner and reaches her destination, the Ponyville Post Office. After taking a moment to collect herself, AJ steps in the fully illuminated building and stumbles her way to the counter as her eyes adjust. Which they do just in time to see the happy muffin loving postmaster poke her head out from under the counter.
“Oh, hi Applejack,” says Derpy, greeting AJ with her usual smile, “gosh, I don’t usually see you here since your family does your own deliveries.”
“Hiya, Derpy,” AJ replies, “Listen, I need to…”
“Come to think of it,” Derpy continues, “No pony is usually here unless something is wrong. (Gasp) Is something wrong, Applejack?”
“(Sigh) No, nothing is wrong. But I do need to…”
“Oh, that’s a relief.” Derpy interrupts again, “but if nothing is wrong, then why are you here?”
“That’s what I am trying to tell you!” AJ says, trying to keep her frustration down, “I need to send an urgent letter to Cloudsdale, and it needs to get there quick.”
“Quick, yes. I can do that!” Derpy proudly announces, giving AJ an impromptu salute, “so, while you write the letter, who should I make the envelope to?”
“Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles,”
About an hour or so later, Applejack is pacing in the living room back at Sweet Apple Acres. She had already made Rainbow some breakfast and sent her on her way to Wonderbolts Headquarters for an important (but not really) meeting. AJ felt more frazzled in that moment than in any other point in her life. She knew this was a big decision, but now that she’s taking steps to make it everything is becoming more real all at once. This was probably the closest the farm pony as ever come to Twilighting. She was about eight topics deep into a mental ‘what could go wrong’ list when the long-awaited knock on the door finally came. Filled with a mix of delighted and terrified emotions, AJ hops from the far end of her pace to the door in a single bound and swings the door open. At first, she is surprised to see only Windy Whistles, but then she sees Bow Hothoof taking pictures of the rustic landscape.
“Howdy, Mrs. Dash!” AJ greets her with as much cheer as possible to hide her anxiousness, “so glad y’all could make it!”
“Oh, Applejack,” Windy sweetly replies, “we told you before you do not need to be so formal with us. Its Windy and Bow or nothing.”
“Oh, yeah, I keep forgettin’ about that. Speaking of ‘Bow’ where is he off to?”
The two mares look off and see the stallion walking further away from the main house.
“Well Bow was excited to get your invite to come spend the day here.” Windy answers, turning her head back towards AJ, “And honestly, I was too. Ever since our Rainbow introduced us, we have been extremely curious about you, your life, and your family.” Windy’s eyes start to drift as she looks at the hoof built home around her.
‘That’s it!’ AJ thinks to herself, ‘maybe giving them a tour would help me calm down so I don’t mess this up!’
“How about we start your day here with a tour of the Acres?” AJ suggests.
“That would be awesome!” Windy shouts out. The energetic pony throws her hoofs up as if she is on a cheer squad and then runs off to tell Bow. AJ calmly follows her with a sly smirk on her face.
A few hours later, the trio returns to the main house and plop themselves in the living room. Despite talking her head off about apples, family history, and even stories with Rainbow Dash, Applejack was still nervous about the question burning in the back of her mind. And now that she is out of other things to talk about, there is nowhere else to go.
“It’s great that our little Rainbow found you, Applejack,” says Bow, “I mean look at all this! The hardest working and most successful mare in all of Ponyville, and she’s dating our daughter!”
AJ couldn’t help but smile and blush at his true statement.
“And these apples are amazing!” Windy adds with a mouthful of apple, “You must let me have a sack or two to take home with us!”
“Thank you kindly for the compliments,” AJ remarks, “and of course y’all can take as many sacks of apples as you want.” AJ slowly clops over to a chair across from the couch Bow and Windy were in. She sits down in the chair, takes her hat off to cover her heart, and clears her throat. “Mr. and Mrs. Dash, I…”
“Now, AJ!” Bow interrupts, “we have told you, Bow and Windy or nothing.”
“You may be dating our daughter,” Windy adds, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk as friends!”
AJ tries to hide frustration from being interrupted, but her tone does grow a bit peeved, “Respectfully, I need to ask y’all something as Rainbow’s parents, not my friends.”
The slight shift in tone was enough to snap the pegasi to attention.
AJ takes a deep breath and continues in a more somber tone.
“Rainbow is the love of my life. She is beautiful, loyal, and has shown me more kindness, in her own way, than any other pony I have ever known. My life has been so much better with her in it, and even though she is already an honorary member of the Apple family I want her to become a real member. So, I’m asking both of y’all, Mr. and Mrs. Dash…oh umm, Bow and Windy, for permission to marry your daughter?”
The room becomes flooded with silence, other than another massive gulp from Windy taking the last bite of an apple in her hoofs. After what seemed like an eternity to AJ, Bow and Windy look at each other and smile. They each reach into one of their pockets and both pull out a small box. They place the two small boxes on the table in front of them. AJ, looking a bit confused, gets off her chair, places her hat on the same table, and opens both boxes. Both contain a crystal ring hung on a necklace. One was cyan, the other was orange, and both had an inscription.
On the cyan it read: ‘Best Wife Ever, RD’s Forever’
On the orange it read: ‘Best Wife Ever, AJ’s Forever’
More than a little confused, AJ looks back up at the pegasi pair, both with smiles and tears in their eyes.
“We special ordered these from a sculptor in the Crystal Empire the after we first met you.” Bow says, trying not to get too emotional just yet.
“You see,” Windy begins, also trying to keep herself together, “Rainbow has had many mare-friends, even one or two she’s called her very special some pony, but you were the first one she actually introduced to us. We knew that made you special to her,”
“So,” Bow adds, with tears of joy starting to flow, “we would be robbing our little Rainbow the greatest thing in her life if we said anything but…”
“YES!” Both pegasi scream out.
Now Applejack starts to get overwhelmed with tears of joy. Paying no mind to the table in between them, AJ jumps on and off it to land the biggest hug she could give Bow and Windy. The trio’s muscles eventually relax and they stay there for a little bit until Bow and Windy excuse themselves. AJ says her goodbyes and just about passes out from relief on the couch. The pegasi pair walk to the front gate and look back at the rustic home.
“Do you think we should’ve told her that Rainbow is thinking about proposing, too?” Windy asks.
“Nah,” Bow replies, “Rainbow is stressing about getting everything just right for it, and that will ruin it for her. Besides, if everything goes to plan, it will be the best proposal ever!”
High in the skies over Ponyville, Rainbow Dash cruises the jet stream leading to her cloudy mansion. Floating in via her bedroom window, she quickly slips off her Wonderbolt dress uniform in favor of a tortoise covered night robe. The other love of her life, Tank, is resting comfortably in his shell on her bed. The happy old tortoise pokes his head out just long enough to accept a muzzle nuzzle before retreating back in. The little guy didn’t need much but knew well enough not to be begging for anything from his cyan companion until she gets her mental reset nap.
RD falls on to her bed, drained from the mandatory sleep inducing Wonderbolt meetings that make any pony question accepting that last promotion. Although she has been in Applejack’s bed more often than her own these days, RD has found it harder to get a good nap in without someone to cuddle with. So, when she knows AJ is at the orchard working, she comes home to her second favorite cuddle partner. Gaining enough will power to move, she rolls over and pulls the little shell into to her embrace.
“I hate to say it, Tank, but I think you are getting too big for this.”
Tank pokes his head out again and gives an ‘oh well’ look to RD but keeps his head out to listen to her as she continues.
“(sigh) Or maybe I’m just getting used to cuddling with AJ. Sorry, little guy, but she is softer. And better looking. And smells better.” At first, this went on as playful teasing with the reptile, but slowly she started thinking more and more about her beloved, “She’s got a bigger heart. A beautiful mane. She’s a great cook. She always smells like apples. She knows how to keep me in check. She’s great to talk to. She’s just the love of my life.”
With that last sentence, RD goes quiet and looks back at her companion. Tank was just sitting there with a big, wrinkled smile.
“I know what you are thinking, and it’s not going to happen.” RD blurts out in an aggressive tone, “I love Applejack, and I told mom and dad I was thinking of proposing, but she’s old-fashioned! She’d expect me to get a blessing, but I can’t because her parents are gone! So, it’s never going to happen, no sense in dreaming about it!”
With that, she rolls away from Tank and starts to silently cry over what she believes is fact. No parents to ask, no blessing to give. The idea of never having the pony of her dreams as her wife was almost too much for her.
Then she feels some rustling on her sheets from Tank moving. She didn’t think much of it, ‘he’s probably just crawling off for some food or something.’ A few minutes pass and her tears slow their flow but are still coming. She feels Tank rustling the sheets again as he returns to her side. Then she feels the little guy tugging on her mane with his mouth. She ignores the first few pulls, but then gives in by the fifth tug.
“What is it, Tank?” She rolls back over and sees Tank with a picture frame under his foot. The reptile had pulled a picture from her nightstand and dragged it across the bed. The picture was from the last Sister Hoof’s Social, the one where she and Applejack convinced Rarity and Sweetie Belle to join them with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo and all three pairs got podium ribbons. It was the first time RD didn’t mind coming in second because she got to see her mare-friend win. The picture itself was the six of them all celebrating together right after Granny Smith presented the ribbons, and Tank’s foot was tapping on the little bit of Granny’s face in the picture. RD looked at Tank with astonishment.
“Do you really think that’ll work?”
Tank nods his little head. He gives a long, slow lick on RD’s cheek and then gives AJ’s face in the picture another one.
“(squeals) Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Rainbow gives Tank a big hug before zipping out like a lightning bolt and leaving her night robe to float down on her bed next to him. She zips back in and out in a blink of an eye just to leave a full bowl of food for Tank. The little guy smiles and digs in.
Rainbow speeds over to Sweet Apple Acres but slows down once she gets into view so that her rainbow trail won’t show up in the sky. She looks around the orchard to make sure Applejack is far away from the main home. Sure enough, she picks out AJ’s hat moving away from the house towards one of the newer fields in the distance. Jumping at the opportunity, Rainbow bolts to the main house and starts looking for Granny Smith. Not in the house, RD then moves to the barn and finds Granny counting the apple barrels.
“(clears throat) Um, Granny Smith?” Rainbow nervously tries to get Granny’s attention.
“Duh-what? Who goes there?” Surprised, Granny starts darting left and right until she sees RD, “Oh, if it ain’t Rainbow Dash! I hate say Applejack ain’t here, though. She just went to do sum plantin’ in the new fields.” Granny turns back around and goes back to counting thinking Rainbow was going to dart off.
“That’s not why I am here, I need to talk to you.”
“Duh-what? You need to take a shoe? Well why in the Sam hill do you need to do that? We ain’t got no shoes!” Granny yells out, turning her full body towards RD.
“I don’t need any shoes! I need to talk to you about something that’s very important!” Rainbow practically screams at Granny.
“Now, my hearing may not be what it used to be, but I ain’t deaf yet so quit ya shoutin’!”
“Ugh, ok. I’m sorry,” Rainbow begins to ask her question, but just can’t seem to get it out, “Now, I need to ask you something important, but I honestly don’t know how. You know me and Applejack have been dating a long time, and she’s told me more than once that family will always be important to her. So, even though I don’t really get why I am doing this and you are not really her dad, I need to ask… I am asking for… I… I…” unable to find the words, RD stammers until she realizes Granny’s face is unchanged. Finally giving up, she turns to leave the barn with her head slumped.
“Hee, hee, hee. Rainbow Dash, you have the Apple blessin’.” Granny says from out of nowhere. RD whips around and sees the old mare smiling so big her teeth just about fall out.
“Wait, really?” RD couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Dashie, let me tell ya somethin’,” Granny pulls her rocking chair seemingly out of nowhere and starts spinning a tail. “When Applejack was just a little filly, she was the happiest pony you’d ever meet. She always found a way to make some pony happy, especially Bright Mac and Buttercup. Shoot, the first time Apple Bloom ever smiled was when Applejack was holden' her. But all that changed when we lost her parents. She, Big Mac, and even Apple Bloom to a point had to grow up real quick. The three of them bounced back real good, but I never saw that happy filly in Applejack again for a long time. (sigh) Now you may puff up your feathers more than any other chick in the hen house…”
“Umm, thank you” RD replies with uncertainty.
“That ain’t no compliment, I’m saying ya got a big ego.”
“Oh… Hey!?!”
“Hee, hee. Ya got a big ego, but ya brought out that little filly in Applejack for the first time many moons, and that warms these old bones. Now as Bright Mac’s ma, I know that the two of ya would’ve gotten along like kinfolk and he would’ve been glad to give ya his blessin’. Now, as Applejack’s granny, I would be dumber than a barrel full of rotten apples to stand in the way of true love.”
With tears of joy in her eyes and a shaky smile, Rainbow Dash gives Granny Smith a big hug and a kiss on the forehead.
“Thank you, so much” RD remarks before taking off to go make plans.
Granny steps out of the barn and watches the rainbow trail dissipate as Big Mac and his wife Sugar Belle steps around the corner of the barn and stands beside Granny.
“Y’all think I should’ve told her I overheard Applejack asking her parents for their blessin’ and got it?” Granny asks.
“Nope.” Says Big Mac.
Several weeks go by as the pair of lovers work hard behind each other’s back to plan the perfect proposal. What could be called a testament to how well the two mares knew each other, both planned it to take place at the end of the Running of the Leaves Festival. That way the two of them could use the festival as an excuse to get away from each other long enough to put their respective plans into motion. Not to mention it was at this very festival not too many moons ago where they had their first of many competitions. Although both of them regret how competitive they got, it was still the moment where the seeds of their love were planted.
Rainbow Dash had sent invitations to every Apple she could think of so that all of Applejack’s family could be there for the big question. Definitely a great treat since the Apple Family rarely gets together as a whole. Applejack’s plan was similar, but with more friends than family. Rainbow Dash had become so busy with her Wonderbolt career lately her social life had suffered. So, AJ had sent invitations to all of RD’s friends. From Gilda to the recently retired Spitfire, Daring Do to Kerfuffle, even Miss Harshwhinny. And of course, her parents.
The easiest way for RD and AJ to keep their secrets was to spend less time together. Which went well, except for the poorly timed monthly Friendship Council meeting the day before the festival. This time, the meeting is being held at Rarity’s Canterlot Carousel Boutique so the fashionista and her store manager, Sassy Saddles, can make a new fall ensemble for the group. Once again, the dating pair had nothing to offer in regard to friendship. They were so anxious to get out of there, they didn’t even pay attention to Twilight talking about getting herself a colt-friend.
“Ok, girls!” Rarity calls out, “we have everything we need for the newest Friendship Ensemble of Fall, all that’s left is…” not waiting for Rarity to finish her sentence, Applejack and Rainbow jump at the opportunity to excuse themselves.
“Oh, that’s awesome, Rarity!” Rainbow begins, “that’s great, but I’m afraid I have to get going. I just remembered I have to um… Approve some things back at headquarters for the Wonderbolt show tomorrow, so… See you girls at the festival!” RD bolts out, leaving messed up manes and knocked over mannequins in her wake.
Applejack shakes her mane back to its natural look and adjusts her hat before excusing herself as well, “that reminds me, I got to get going, too. I promised uhh… Sugar Belle I’d show her how to cook some traditional food for the festival.” She gallops out, not even giving her friends a chance to say bye.
“Well, that was quite rude.” Rarity states as her horn lights up and she uses her magic to straighten up the knocked over displays.
“I don’t like to call any creature rude, but I have to agree with Rarity.” Fluttershy comments.
“Any idea what the heck that was all about?” Twilight asks.
“Maybe they just really wanted to have sex?” Pinkie suggests.
“PINKIE!” the other three ponies cry out.
“What? You asked for ‘any idea,’ and that was mine.”
After a collective face-hoof, the bewildered trio go back to talking about AJ and RD while Pinkie finishes off the treats she brought to the meeting.
“I doubt they are fighting again,” Fluttershy brings up.
“I agree, darling,” says Rarity, “those two have been almost insufferably open ever since they told us about their relationship. It hardly seems possible that both of them would be keeping their issues hidden from any of us.”
“Excuse me, Miss Rarity?” Sassy speaks up, “while I cannot speak for Miss Dash, perhaps Miss Applejack has some last-minute things to do for the marriage proposal.”
“The what?” Rarity asks in surprise as the other three perk up their ears.
Sassy’s aura lights up around her horn as she levitates her accessory bag in from the back room and pulls out a decorated piece of paper. She uses her magic to unfold it, revealing that it was an invitation to Applejack’s marriage proposal to Rainbow Dash. As the four friends read it, their collective jaws slowly drop.
“Wait, none of you knew!?!” Sassy asks in an almost panic.
Three of them simply shake their head ‘no’ still speechless at both the proposal idea and the fact AJ didn’t tell them what she planned to do. However, Pinkie couldn’t stay quiet.
“But, but, but, but, but, but, what!?! That can’t be!?! Applejack isn’t supposed to propose to Rainbow because Rainbow is going to propose to Apple…” Pinkie shuts herself up quickly by slapping her hooves over her mouth, but not quick enough. The focus of the awestruck ponies, which now included Sassy, switches to Pinkie.
“Pinkie,” Rarity says, “would you be a dear and please explain what you were just about to say?”
With extreme reluctance, Pinkie started to tell all, with her balloon like mane slowly deflating as she went on, “I started to get letters from my parents and all three of my sisters last week asking me what kind of engagement party I was going to throw, but I had no idea what they were talking about. Instead of writing them back, I just went to see Maud and asked her. She showed me an invitation from Rainbow Dash addressed to all Apple Family Members, and since the Apple’s and Pie’s might be distant cousins they counted as family. Like that one, it was an invitation to a surprise proposal, but switched to Rainbow proposing to Applejack. But Mom, Dad, and my sisters all thought I knew what was going on since me, Rainbow, and Applejack are so close.”
“So why didn’t you ask Rainbow or us about it?” Twilight asks.
“I thought about it, but Maud convinced me that Rainbow must have wanted the whole thing to be a surprise to Applejack, so she decided not to tell me, or any of you, about it so that there was no chance of it slipping to Applejack.”
“That does make since,” says Twilight, looking down to the floor with a hoof on her chin.
“Maybe Applejack is doing the same thing,” Rarity suggests, “she is also keeping us in the dark to lower the chances of Rainbow hearing about it through us.”
“But what about us, their best friends, how were WE going to hear about the proposals!?!” Pinkie asks in a frantic. A few moments of silence pass before Fluttershy speaks up.
“Well, maybe they didn’t think of inviting us because they know we are going to be there anyway. Rarity, you will be there selling fall and winter accessories. Pinkie, you are the event organizer and announcer. Twilight, it is your royal duty to attend and present the rewards to the runners. And I am in charge of the animal choirs who will be singing throughout the festival.”
After another moment of thought, the other three council members nod in agreement.
“Wait a minute,” Pinkie speaks up, “that means the Rainbow Dash and Applejack are going to get married!?!” With all the confusion out of the way, the four friends huddle together in a collective squeal-fest leading to a group hug.
“Umm, ladies,” Sassy speaks up, “I hate to spoil the moment, but how are these surprise proposals going to work at the same time? As I understand it, you have a massive schedule conflict in the works. Not to mention if either Miss Dash or Miss Applejack recognizes any of the special invitees, the surprise could be ruined!”
Still entangled in their group hug, the four pony’s faces go from pure joy to sudden panic with the only audible sound being a Fluttershy, “oh dear.”
They break off from their hug and start to silently ponder this new problem. They pace around the room in deep thought until Twilight finally breaks the silence.
“I think all we need is a bit of… organization.”
The anticipated day finally arrives, the day of the Running of the Leaves Festival. Throughout all of Ponyville, fall themed activities dominated the streets. Most of the crowds were made up of ponies, of course, but many other creatures were also present. Including the many creatures from Twilight’s School of Friendship taking in this cultural experience. Everywhere you looked there was laughter and excitement, except for two of the ponies who were lining up for the main event. Despite putting on brave faces for the crowd, both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were really scared as they moved up to the start line with the other competitors. Neither of them had seen any of their respective invited guests all day and both were thinking worst case scenarios again.
“Uh, Professors?” The two mares were suddenly jerked back into reality by a group of their students.
“Smolder,” Rainbow Dash yells out, “don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sneak up on you?” The orange dragon replies, “we all have been talking to both of you since we got on the track!”
“Weren’t you listening to us?” Asks Sandbar.
“Mighty sorry about that,” Applejack replies, “guess we’re just so focus on the umm… race, we weren’t paying much attention to anything else.” Again, AJ avoids looking at RD thinking she’ll see right through her fake smile.
“That’s not the only thing that’s on your all’s mind,” Gallus snickers under his breath.
“Gallus,” Silverstream says with a sharp poke into Gallus’ ribs.
“Uh ok, anyway, what were you asking” says Rainbow Dash looking for any distraction from her missing guests and AJ.
“I still feel unsure about us non-ponies competing,” Ocellus exclaims, “having changelings, hippogriffs, dragons, yaks, and griffins going against ponies just doesn’t seem fair.”
“It’s like I was saying,” Sandbar replies, “the point of the race isn’t to see who is the fastest, the point is getting the leaves down to prepare for winter and have fun with friends or make new ones.”
“Sandbar would know since Sandbar is pony,” Yona explains as she wraps one of her large hoofs around her special-some-pony. Sandbar replies by nuzzling his face in the yak’s fur. The two of them with their public display of affection weren’t making Applejack or Rainbow Dash feel any better. Silverstream notices and quickly goes back to conversation.
“And besides! Us flyers don’t usually run, so there’s our challenge, Ocellus!”
“Double challenge for me,” Smolder adds, “I had to practice running on all fours for this since I never would have stood a chance against quadrupeds.”
“That’s a big word for you! Can you spell it?” teases Gallus.
“Sure, I’ll even write it out for you in your own feathers!” Smolder replies.
The six young friends continue their playful banter on either side of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but both were once again lost in a haze of worry and disappointment. Their respective plans apparently failing before they ever got started. They each looked at the other out of the corner of their eye, both considering coming clean about the whole thing but were too depressed to do so. They would have stayed there planted like old oak trees until the end of time if it wasn’t for Pinkie’s booming announcement that the race was about to begin. They looked up just in time to see Twilight in full regalia drop the symbolic first leaf of fall to start the race.
Right as the leaf touched the ground, all the racers took off and began thundering down Ponyville’s main street out of town and into the surrounding woods. AJ and RD were only half-heartedly running and were quickly falling behind even on the short sprint to the woods. Little did they know that Twilight and the others’ plan was well underway.
Several minutes pass and the two depressed mares continue to trot slowly through the auburn-colored woods. Despite wishing to be with any other creature right now at the same time neither of them wants to be alone. Desperately, each of them looks around trying to focus their attention on anything but each other. The whole time nothing but negative thoughts about their relationship ending horribly raced through their minds. At last the weight of the awkward silence and shattered dreams was finally too much for Applejack, who started to trot even slower. She looked up at her lover’s flank as she passed and started to gather as much strength as she could for what was to be the hardest moment of her life.
“Rainbow Dash,” Applejack says with a bit of a whimper.
RD, also internally drowning in impending grief, takes a big gulp as she prepares to disappoint her lover, “Yeah, Applejack?”
But before anything else could be said, both of them hear sounds of shouting coming from ahead of them on the trail. The two mares listen and recognize Gallus’ voice as well as others overlapping each other. AJ and RD look back at each other and simply nod before running up the trail. They quickly find Gallus, Smolder, and Sandbar yelling at each other while Yona, Ocellus, and Silverstream try to hold the three aggressors back. All six of them have some amount of dirt and mud on them. When the mares got close enough, Applejack lets out a loud and long whistle that got every creature’s attention.
“What is going on with you guys?” asks Rainbow Dash.
“Oh nothing,” Gallus responds with some sarcastic snark before raising his voice again, “except I’m running with a bunch of cheaters!”
“What makes you think they are cheating?” asks Applejack?
“Smolder pushed me off the side of the trail and I went into the ditch!”
“I told you!” Smolder yells out, “I only bumped you because Sandbar bumped me!”
“And I didn’t touch anyone!” says Sandbar, “I was minding my own business until you two tackled the rest of us in the ditch with you!”
With that everyone in the group started shouting and arguing again, until Applejack whistled again and silenced them once more.
“What are you guys doing?” Rainbow says as she spreads her forelegs at the group, “don’t you remember what we taught you all? Friendship is always more important than a competition!”
“And being poor sports makes a rotten apple out of all of ya.” Applejack adds, “whatever happened here was clearly an accident and ya’ll should know each other well enough that none of ya would do such a thing!”
Rather quickly, the six friends looked at each other, smiled, and came together in a group hug with apologizes all around. Before running off, they all looked at Rainbow Dash and applejack with smiles.
“Who better to remind us of the ‘friend’ in ‘friendly competition’ than the best competing friends in town?” says Gallus.
Knowing he was joking AJ and RD laugh a bit until they end up looking at each other for the first real time all day. As their eyes lock, both of them start having flashbacks to their many friendly competitions over the years and during this very race. All the times they made fools of themselves for the sake of winning, and all the times they competed just to be with each other. Remembering how they fell in love during all of those stupid and pointless competitions. And now, realizing they didn’t need some grandiose proposal, just themselves.
“AJ, we need to talk about something important.” Rainbow says with a nervous quiver.
“I got something important, too, Dashie.” Applejack answers as they reach for each other’s hooves.
“Save it for the end,” Smolder butts in, “let’s all finish this race, together!”
The eight friends line up for an impromptu restart and all take off together. This time, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were running like they mean it and were pulling ahead. Behind them, the six friends were all high fiving each other for a job well done.
No one in the group was seeing any of the other racers, but at this point they didn’t care anymore. Applejack and Rainbow Dash knew and accepted that none of them was going to win the race but being together with friends was more important. They occasionally looked back at the young six and encouraged them to keep going and to try and pass them, but they never do.
Finally, they make the final turn and can see the finish line ahead. AJ and RD look at each other and, in their unspoken language, go for one last dash to the end. With the crowd cheering as if it was a battle for the win, they both charge up the final sprint and cross the line at the same time. The cheers continue as the mares slow to a stop and plop on the ground from exhaustion, using the last of their energy to crawl up to each other and share a muzzle nuzzle.
“I think we are getting too old for this, Dashie.” Applejack says with a pant.
Rainbow giggles, “you might be right, but let’s keep that to ourselves.”
As they lay there, the sun slowly gets blocked out as Twilight and Spike leans in over top of them.
“At least we didn’t lose to her again,” Rainbow says with a laugh, quickly followed by Applejack’s laughing.
“If you two are ready,” Twilight says with a sly look on her face, “there are some ponies who want to see you.”
With help up from Twilight and Spike, the tired ponies look around and start noticing who all was in the crowd. They became more and more bewildered with each face they pick out. Distant family and friends practically surround them, all with smiles and tears of joy in their eyes. The two lovers turn round and round until they finally stop to face each other.
“Did you…? But I…? How did…?” they both stammer in disbelief. Even before Twilight started moving into the center of the circle with them, they both knew what was coming next. Twilight gives them each a box with her magic, and Rainbow Dash is the first to drop to her knee.
“I swear, I had a speech ready for this,” she says while trying and failing to hold back the tears, “but I don’t think I can get through it now.”
“So did I, Sugarcube,” AJ replies, also failing to hold back the tears, “but I won’t get through mine neither.”
“So can we just skip to the part where you say ‘yes?’” RD opens her box.
“Only if you say ‘yes’ with me.” And AJ opens hers.
“YES, I WILL MERRY YOU!” they both shout out so every creature for miles could hear it. The crowd cheers even louder than before as the Wonderbolts take off and preform a fireworks display. Various Apple’s start bucking apples into the air where they collide into each other and explode, raining down a light sprinkle of apple juice over all who was there.
Despite the near hundred creatures celebrating for them, Applejack and Rainbow Dash could only see each other as they lean in for their first public kiss. A passionate kiss that probably would have gone on forever if it wasn’t for the bouncing Pinkie Pie diving in for a tackling hug. The now engaged pair couldn’t be mad at her and just hugged her back. Twilight, Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy weren’t far behind to add to the pile, all expressing how happy they all were for them.
“How did you guys do this?” Rainbow finally asks as the hug ends and they all start making their way into the crowd.
The group explains how after yesterday’s meeting Sassy Saddles told them about the invite she got from Applejack, which lead to Pinkie telling them about the invites her sisters got from Rainbow Dash.
“It didn’t take us long to realize it was going to be near impossible for either of you to hide such a large group of ponies from the other,” explains Twilight, “so I might have asked Spike to collect them before the festival started.”
“It was a good thing too,” Spike adds, “a lot of the Apple’s Rainbow invited were already talking to you some of Rainbow’s friends Applejack invited and were quickly putting two and two together!”
“Which would’ve ruined both of your plans,” Twilight concludes.
“Wow, Dashie,” says Applejack as she nuzzles her face into Rainbow’s neck.
“Anything for my Number One Mare,” Rainbow says followed by a kiss on AJ’s forehead, “but how did you know who to invite?”
“We might’ve had something to do with that,” Windy says as she comes out of the crowd with Bow and Granny Smith wrapped up in his wing. Close behind them was Big Mac with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo on his back, all smiling and puffy eyed from crying. The seven of them huddle together for their first family hug and the tears start all over again until the littlest two speak up.
“Wait a minute, that means me and Scootaloo are sisters?” Apple Bloom asks in excitement.
“It does!” Scootaloo remarks. The two fillies jump out of the family hug and into their own little hug screaming, “I have another sister! I have another sister!” Everyone else chuckles.
“Uh excuse me, we helped too!” Gallus says from somewhere. Rainbow and AJ whip around to see Gallus hovering over the other five students of theirs.
“Gallus!” the five of them yell out in annoyance as Yona pulls him down to ground level.
“Well,” Gallus continues, “I think we deserve a ‘thank you’ for throwing away our chances at winning the race for them. After all, if we didn’t fake that fight, they would’ve moped through the woods all day. Then how would all of this…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Applejack and Rainbow hug him from both sides.
“Thank you, Sugarcube,” Applejack says.
“You are still a jerk, though,” Rainbow adds.
“Meh, I’ve been called worse,” Gallus responds, wrapping his claws around the mares. The rest of the students gather round for one last group hug that was finished off by an eyepopping hug from Yona.
Many hours later, as the sun sets over the hills surrounding Ponyville, Applejack and Rainbow Dash rendezvous on the edge of town. They managed to sneak off from the party that was still going on strong for some much-needed alone time. They stared into each other’s eyes for a minute, chuckled, and then collapsed to the ground next to each other. The evening dusk slowly turned to night and the stars started to light up, and the now engaged lovers laid there in a content silence.
“I think Apple Dash has a nice ring to it,” Rainbow says breaking the silence.
Applejack laughs, “You mean for you, right?”
They both share a laugh then quickly stop as they lock eyes.
“It doesn’t matter,” says Rainbow Dash in a soft voice, “you can call me snowflake for all I care, I will still love you with all my heart.”
“Oh, Dash,” Applejack says, “I have never loved anyone as much as I love you.”
And with that, Applejack and Rainbow Dash lean in and kiss each other passionately as a pair of shooting stars flash overhead.