Rainbow Dash arrived home to the acres as the sun was setting. She would only admit it to Applejack but watching the sunset was the best thing for her some days. She laid on one of her clouds over the orchard and watched the colors change and meld into a symphony of beauty that was unrivaled in the world, second to waking up in the morning and seeing her lovers freckles on her cheeks move slightly as she breathed in her slumber.

Rainbow let her thoughts drift to the morning when she woke up as the moon was setting before the morning light painted the sky it's orange hues, laying in bed staring at her orange mare sleeping. A stream of drool hanging from her cheek and a light snort every so often as her rear leg would twitch and buck slightly. Rainbow imagined Applejack bucking trees in her sleep, a true passion... or obsession. But who was Rainbow to critisize with her endless flying and practice for a dream that wouldn't come true.

Her smile soured into a grimace. It's because of him. The image of Soarin filled her mind as she shut her eyes and groaned. If it wasn't for him I'd still have my dream of being a Wonderbolt, I'd still have my cloud house, I... I wouldn't have AJ. I wouldn't have such great and supportive friends like Quill, and Lime. I wouldn't know Davenport or Muddy the way I do and I know I'd be awful to them. I'd still be drinking cider at the the Silly Filly bar until I couldn't walk and have to be dragged out so I could fly home and throw up all over my doorway.

Rainbow opened her eyes and noticed she had missed the rest of the sunset and gazed at the moon as it rose above the horizon but didn't care. She was in a better place and Soarin was to blame, or thank? She may have to take a sick day tomorrow to work these thoughts out but she couldn't avoid him forever. Not in a town as small as Ponyville and with Pinkie undoubtedly planning a party she would have to attend to welcome him to town.

I'd better go tell Pinkie to not mention my relationship with him.

Rainbow pushed herself up and took to the skies, the air rushing past her body was exhilarating as always making her want to go faster, her rainbow contrail followed her as she zipped to town weaving through the clouds spinning around some and others she looped over making sure not to bust any after hours or that weren't on her orders.

She arrived over Sugar Cube Corner and quickly landed outside the door, the sounds of clatter and giggling could be heard behind music and the lights flashed and flickered through the windows. What the hay is goin on in there?"

Opening the door a party was in full swing and dozens of ponies were in attendance. Walking in she looked around and saw nearly every pony from the office, their dates and friends and even three of her fellow element bearers who she made her way to right away, flying over the crowd and dodging a large set of balloons and another Pegasi that was trying to get to the other side of the room for her own reason.

"Rare? Twi? Pinkie? What's going on? There's a party and you didn't invite me or AJ? What the hay?"

The three stopped their conversation as they snapped their heads to the Rainbow manes mare landing into their group with a confused look.

"It was them, they made me not invite you, I'm so sorry Dashie. Is AJ here? I'm SOSOSOSOSOSO-gasp-sossosorry." Pinkie cowered back and hid under a table behind her trembling.

"Wait, so you're having a party and you actually didn't invite somepony? Especially your two best friends and Fluttershy?"

"No darling, we didn't mean any harm by it and Fluttershy had a critter to help, or something like that," Rarity said lifting a hoof to her chin trying to remember.

"What's important is that we didn't want you here for your own good, Rainbow. We're sorry but we had a good reason," Twilight said trying to salvage the conversation and calm the fraying nerves of her colorful friend.

"What reason could you possibly have to make this okay? Is this because I'm a les-"

"Rainbow Dash!" A voice called from right behind her startling her. Her wings fell to her sides as she straightened her back. "Well, I haven't seen you like this for a while," the voice said in amusement with a chuckle as her Twilight and Rarity hoof faced and Pinkie had vanished from where she was a second before.

"...Soarin," Rainbow said in a whisper as she looked at her friends' faces. She turned around and looked at the confident white stallion before her and felt her heart drop. She couldn't figure out what to do, slap him or run. Should she say something or just stare at him like an awestruck filly?

"Well I knew you'd be surprised to see me but I didn't expect you to be silent for once. How about we blow this party and... catch up?" he winked obviously seductively. A retching sound from Rarity came from behind them but Soarin never broke his confident facade.

"Uh, no. No thanks I'm just gonna go and... be somewhere that's not here." Rainbow backed slowly into between her horned friends and wrapped her wings over them. "We've gotta go, right girls?" Rainbow said with a forced grin, pulling her friends closer and tighter against her.

"You're not leaving yet, are you?" Pinkie said appearing from behind them wearing a pout.

"Uh, I-"

"Of course not, Pinkie Pie. We're just starting this party, right ladies? Tell me about some of your adventures Rarity, I hear you're a designer of some sorts?"

"Some sorts?!" Rarity gasped placing a hoof to her chest before breaking free from Rainbows wing on her back and in front of Soarin beginning a discussion of her works.

"He's gonna be there for a while, let's go Twi."

"No Rainbow, now that you're here I'll tell you why we didn't invite you. Its because Pinkie planned this party for your ex, the stallion that ruined your life."

"Twilight," Rainbow gasped as she folded her wings to her body and stepped back.

"Uh-oh," Pinkie whispered as she lowered a tray of colorful cupcakes she had produced while the others were talking.

"Ruined my life? Ruined my life?!" The party went silent as the musicians and everypony stopped what they were doing to look at the scene unfolding. Twilight flattened her ears to her head and cowered back slightly. "You think that plot hole ruined my life?" She pointed her wing primaries to to Soarin who took a step back letting his smile fall. "It's thanks to him that I got away from stallions. It's thanks to him I lost my job as a manager and got my life back. It's thanks to that jerk that I'm not drinking anymore and it's thanks to his horrible sex that I fell for the best mare in Equestria and we're gonna be married someday. Ruined my life? He saved it a dozen times and he doesn't even know it yet!"

The party guests were silent as they watched Rainbow shout at Twilight like an angry mother at a colt who just broke her favorite vase. Rainbow blinked and realized her wings were flared and she was holding an aggressive stance toward her friend. She quickly looked at Soarin and Rarity hopped out of her gaze landing a length back to watch the scene as two ex-lovers quarreled.

"You," Rainbow stepped towards Soarin, "you saved my life and thanks to you being such an awful lover and coltfriend. You did hurt me in a lotta ways and I'll never forgive you for that but," Rainbow lowered her wings and softened her posture and expression as she approached Soarin who was starting to sweat.

Stopping in front of him she raised a hoof and smiled. "I forgive you and thanks."

Soarin stared at Rainbow mouth agape and glanced back and forth between her extended hoof and her face. "So, no hard feeling over everything?" He asked almost sheepishly. For a moment many ponies envisioned Fluttershy speaking through him. He raised his hoof and connected with hers and she nodded as the ponies around them cheered in joy enveloping the duo and hoisting them up almost to the ceiling. The music began again as the duo were carried laughing to the punch bowl.

Pinkie was there with two cups of dark pink punch ready as they were lowered to the floor. She reached across the table and hoofed a cup into each other their extended fore hooves beaming with a traditional Pinkie smile. Looking at one another they drank their punch in one swig gulping it down as the ponies cheered and downed their drinks or clapped and their hooves in approval. A moment later the party was back in full swing with music and flashing lights, conversations were being held and Pinkie was on the other side of the room handing out party horn topped cupcakes to a few delighted earth ponies that were gathered together.

"So, that's how it is then? One one sided shouting match and we're friends again? And, you're a filly fooler?" Soarin said with an awkward smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Yup, and now that you're in town I actually have competition when it comes to flying. Ya know I had to ghost race myself earlier just to get a challenge?"

Soaring refilled their cups. "So, I haven't heard of that for ages and then it was only a reference at Wonderbolts boot camp. You actually do that?"

"Well duh," she replied taking the cup and walking with him to a wall where they could talk, "all you have to do is race your trail, pass it and you're faster than you were, can't catch it and ya better get training; hard core," she said with a confident look.

"So, you actually raced your own contrail and did you win?"

"I guess I'm averaging a wing power of 26 now."

Soaring spit his punch out of his mouth in a fine mist across Rainbow Dash beginning to cough with surprise. Pinkie galloped over smiling with two towels and dried Rainbow quickly before zipping away into the kitchen almost faster than most ponies could see.

"26!? That's almost the sound barrier, how can you do that?" He asked incredulously.

Rainbow turned slightly and looked at her form and opened her wing fully cantering it slightly showing off her body professionally. "I watch my diet so I don't have any unnecessary fat. I exercise for hours a day and stretch for 30 minutes every six hours, every muscle in my body from my ears to my tail tip. I preen my wings a dozen times a day and spend every free second hovering unless I'm gonna be stretching or napping soon. Plus I have my mare friend who makes time to help massage or preen me when I need it."

Soarin smiled a cocky grin. "Well she's one lucky Pegasus to get a mare like you."

"She's an earth pony," she said smirking as he swallowed a gulp instead of spitting this time.

"What? You said earth ponies could never hold a mare as awesome as you down and now you're with a female earth pony to boot?" He shook his head in disbelief as Rainbow turned to face him.

"And engaged to be married," she added. Soarin sat down on his flank and felt his wings starting to open. "You're getting a wing boner, calm down you're not gonna see anything."

He snapped back to reality and looked to his sides blushing trying to will his wings down unsuccessfully. "Wow, you really get aroused easily, not that that's anything new."

"Oh shut up Dash, I've gotta go to the restroom, where is it?"

Rainbow laughed as she pointed to his underside. "You're poking out, you nasty male you! It's over there, and wash your hooves when you're done," she pointed at a room at the base of the stairs, he got up and galloped to the room. "I'll see you in six minutes, just like old times," she quipped as she hobbled with his wings fully opened to his sides covering himself like a teenager in high school.

"Oh that's rich, I've gotta tell AJ about this. She waved goodbye to her friends and pranced to the door. Pinkie was just outside the door holding a small box.

"This has a cupcake for you and AJ to share, okay Dashie? I'm really sorry I didn't invite you but I didn't want your feelings hurt and so did the others. I can throw you a 'sorry-I-didn't-invite-you-to-the-welcome-to-Ponyville-Soarin-party'."

"No, that's okay. Let's just let this one go, it went better than I ever thought it would so that's all the party I need. Thanks for the cupcakes and I'll make sure she gets one. You're a great friend, Pinkie. Random and I really wish I knew how you dissappear and appear everywhere but that's what makes you, you!"

"Awe, thanks Dashie. Someday I'll tell you and the same goes to you, my friends outside the fourth wall," she smiles at you warmly.

Rainbow looks in your direction but sees nothing but the town. "Pinkie, who are you talking to?"

"Our readers and viewers, silly filly. I've got a party to get to so I'll see all of you later!"

What the hay? Random doesn't begin to describe that mare...

"Honey I'm home," Rainbow called as she opened the door to the farm house to see a dozen ponies in the kitchen looking at her. Most were holding empty jars while wearing bunny suits, Granny could be heard singing the alphabet in the den as the others turned away and began hopping in unison around the table.

Applejack pranced happily into the room with her coat matted with Zap Apple juice in several dozen spots and a grin on her face. "What kept ya?" She asked entering into a gallop and tackling Rainbow back to the closed door with a thud the windows rattled startling the others in the room, Granny poked her head from the den not stopping her alphabetic chant. Seeing the couple against the door made the elder mare smile before stomping her hoof and the others began hopping again.

Pressing Rainbow by the chest into the door Applejack leaned in and gave a light kiss to Rainbow. "Rainbow, I don't know how ya did it but this is gonna make our cider season look like a drop in a barrel. Hun, we can't thank you enough," Applejack said looking passionately into Rainbows ruby eyes feeling herself get lost in them.

"AJ, I don't know how Ah did it but I'm gonna do it again, not just fer you but cuz it's the right thing ta do," Rainbow said softly as she felt herself getting lost in the deep emerald pools Applejack called eyes as she leaned in to kiss her.

"Get a room you two," a stallion in the hopping group called out making the others who were mostly mares giggle.

"Uh, AJ. They're looking at us," Rainbow said looking behind Applejack at the ponies that were sneaking a peek focusing more on the scene at the door which was naturally more interesting than hopping around a table to an elder singing a child song. Rainbow felt herself blushing as Applejack leaned over into her view again.

"Rainbow, I think purple looks really good on ya. Let's go upstairs and talk about the day," Applejack released Rainbow who fell to all fours and coughed lightly as Applejack trotted past the group to the stairs.

The group made a 'Ooooo' sound in unison as Rainbow walked past. "Hey, quit yer noise makin and get back to hoppin so them jars vibrate with happiness to help keep the colors separate."

"Yes Granny," one of them called back as the rhythmic chanting resumed. The scent of sweet apple pie filling filled the house Rainbow noticed as she reached the stairs and ascended behind Applejack she looked behind and stuck out her tongue at the hopping bunnies just as they disappeared from view behind the walls.

Rainbow followed the hoof sounds to their room where Applejack had entered, looking in she saw Applejacks hat on the dresser and the mare herself looking at herself in the mirror. "Rainbow, do I look happier to you?"

"Well, I dunno. I guess you're always happy so I dunno... Whacha mean?"

"Well, all day I've been runnin' crazy like a chicken from a timber wolf, but I've been so happy Ah don't even feel tired. Rainbow," she turned to look at Rainbow who was in the room now and taking off her saddle bags casually listening, "There's no way for me to every thank you enough. Every drop ya drank from the barrels down below, this makes up for 'em."

"AJ, I didn't do it because I wanted to pay you back, I didn't even know it'd happen. All I wanted to do was show you I," Rainbow looked at the floor and poked it once with a hoof before stomping hard and looking at Applejack firmly, "I love you and you're the best thing to happen to me."

Applejack smiled and approached Rainbow but Rainbow held a hoof up stopping her approach. "AJ, I thought a lot today and a lot happened that we'll talk about later but the biggest thing is that I made peace with Soarin tonight."

Applejack stood taller and looked at Rainbow skeptically. "Say what now?"

"Remember I said he was gonna be my boss?"

"Ya never told me that! When'd ya find out that little bitta news?"

"Oh yeah, I was gonna tell ya but then you got all wowed by the apples and all that and I guess I figured that was more important. Anyway, I was gonna come home and I found myself at a Pinkie party for him."

"What? What's this about a Pinkie party?"

"I know, I know. She didn't invite us," Rainbow said taking a seat on the bed motioning for Applejack to join her, "well, it was to spare our feelings and starting a fight. I guess there was a little bit of a fight when I got mad a Twilight, but she said he ruined my life."

"He did Dashing. He ruined so many things for you," she said softly placing a hoof on Rainbows withers just above her wings.

"No, no he didn't. If it wasn't for him I would still be drunk and I wouldn't have you or Quill and Lime. So many things have gone right since he left me and, since you found me," Rainbow said lowering her head deeply, "yer the reason I'm a better mare than ever before and I, Ah owe you so much," Rainbow shuddered slightly as she was quickly wrapped in Applejacks tight embrace she let a stifled sob leave her lips. Squeezing her eyes tightly she fought to keep control.

"AJ, you're the only pony I can see myself with for the rest of my life and I, I..." Rainbow acted like she was coughing to cover her sobs for a moment, "I wanna be a mom with you."

Applejacks grip tightened as she felt the words echo in her head several times. She listened and scanned it over and over for humor or sarcasm or anything but all she, her element, her soul told her was this was the honest truth she was hearing.

"R-Rainbow Dash, are you serious?" She asked keeping her tight squeeze on the cyan mare stifling blubbering sounds into her chest.

A moment passed before Rainbow nodded softly. She pulled her face from the rainbow matted fur and giggled slightly. "AJ, you're covered with apple jam." She joked. "Let's get washed before we go to bed, Ah think we're both in need of a good bath after our day."

Applejack smiled and pulled back giving a playful punch to rainbows foreleg. "Ya know what, yer talkin' a little more normal every few days. I like it," she hopped off the bed and trotted to the door opening it quickly and leaving.

Rainbow watched Applejack leave and cocked her head. What's she mean talkin' normal? I always talk normal. Maybe she's getting crazy like Pinkie. Nah, she smiled as she flapped her wings and took off after Applejack to the bathroom.

*Shower scene Next Chapter... for the weak of heart and constitution this'll be the first love scene of this story so if you wanna skip it I understand.