Applejack walked into the kitchen and slammed the door as Rainbow was putting the cobbler pan in the sink.

"Rainbow Dash, Ah don't know what got into you earlier but you hurt our friends' feelings, care to explain?"

"AJ, look, now that I'm all yours I don't see why I have to be all extra nice. I can be myself with you and I guess I can be my outside self with them."

Applejack frowned at Rainbow but didn't want to start a fight so she thought of the right thing to say. "Rainbow Dash, I think you should sleep on the couch tonight?"

Rainbow spun around and looked at Applejack with shock. "What? Why? What'd I do?!" Rainbow hovered in the air and flew to Applejack, "Whatever it was I'm sorry."

"Rainbow, in the last two hours you went from the mare I fell in love with to the filly I knew before I started flirting with last year. I can't sleep with you if you're that filly again."

"But, but AJ, I'm sorry!" Rainbow felt shock and agony in her heart as Applejack spoke to her. "We just got engaged, we can't do this the first night! We have to celebrate and, ya know..."

"Ya should apologize to our friends before you try cryin' to me." Applejack walked to the stairs and drooped her head, "I'm disappointed in you, Rainbow Dash, I thought you were better than acting this way."

Rainbow watched as Applejack took her hat off and carried it upstairs in her mouth, her ponytail hung to her far side but everything about her conveyed sadness at the situation. Rainbow felt her sadness growing as she landed and thought about chasing after Applejack.

She's right, I had no reason to be so mean to my friends. They were only saying congratulations and they helped make it happen. She looked by the door at the bag of candy Pinkie had left and went to get a piece. I know how to make this better!

She opened the door and flew to Sugarcube Corner as fast as she could. "Pinkie! I need your help one more time today!"

---

"Applejack, you are cordially invited to Sugarcube Corner for a free Brownie Sample Platter in honor of your engagement. Please show up at 5:30pm for your prize."

Well butter my pancakes, it's so nice of the Cakes to give us a, oh. Right, I gotta get Rainbow. I guess I scolded her a little harsh, but she needed a push, I know she'll apologize and we'll be in bed cuddling in no time.

"Applebloom, ya here? A.B?" Rainbow and AB aren't here. Great, I know Big Macintosh and Granny are shopping at the market. I guess I'll unpack and get our room ready, then get the cellar ready for a long night. I gotta repair the mattress after last time, though. She chuckled as she remembered being on top of Rainbow Dash and Rainbows wings getting caught in an errant string and pulling half the bed open. They had managed to finish their sexcapade, and afterwards They spent time quick patching the mattress but it was a lost cause.

"I think I'll skip the cellar and go mattress shopping." Going to her safe she opened it and took out a 50 bit coin and a few extra, putting on her saddle bag she pocketed the money and left for the market.

"Welcome to Quills and Sofa's. Applejack! It's so nice to see you, are you here for a new bed?" Davenport winked with a smile.

"That's exactly why Ahm here. What ya got I can take apart and reassemble easy?"

Davenport was taken aback by the response. "Well, I don't really have a bed you can disassemble and reassemble. I can sell you this deluxe twin, it has a collapsible headboard." He led her to a wall with a few beds. "If you want portability I have blow up beds that aren't as sturdy as what I've heard you two can put them through, but they're easy to repair and cheap to replace."

Applejack felt herself blushing. "Davenport, we're not supposed to talk like that outside Quills parties, ya know that. I've got my secret place and we broke the," Applejack rolled her eyes as she smiled wide, "yeah, you know how we get."

With a hearty laugh that garnered the attention of the other shopper and salespony at the register he placed a hoof on Applejacks shoulder and spoke softly. "I've heard you can be heard from the barn to the edge of town some nights. Is that true?"

"Ya know it ain't. Just rumors, made by ponies like you who wanna know more than ya should," Applejack smirked, half serious. "I got a small doorway to get it into and these're all too big. I built the last one but we need an upgrade."

"Applejack, why don't you just use the house like normal ponies in relationships?"

"Well, we do get loud at the end and we have a full house. Woke up Applebloom a few too many times so we had to go into hiding to get our time."

"Applejack, I have a suggestion. Why don't you move into a house, you can make all the noise you want and have your own place when you're married, start a family." he chuckled as he winked again. Applejack took a step back, she hadn't thought about starting a family. "Never planned that far ahead, well you're gonna need more space someday, when you need furnishings, you know where to come."

"Thanks, but I don't even know where to move, Sugarcube. Me and Rainbow had a fight earlier and I'm trying to think of a way to make up."

"Oh, a fight on the first day of your engagement? Well," he leaned in close, "When I almost asked Mud Patty to marry me he was so excited he shouted yes in the middle of almost every sentence I was asking until I got fed up and decided not to ask. I still have the ring hidden under the sink, just in case. At least you got this far." He leaned back as Applejack thought about what two stallions getting married would be like and then, the wedding night. She shuddered slightly.

"Sugarcube, we did get this far and some of it is thanks to you and Muddy, but there's a lot we've been through on our own. Now, suddenly she's back to her old self like I just dropped an apple into a bucket. I don't know what to do, I told her to sleep on the couch if she doesn't apologize, but Ah don't know if I can sleep alone anymore."

"AJ, it's gonna be okay, one way or another you're soul mates and you'll work it out. I have knowledge of a nice cottage outside town with a den window facing the setting sun. The light comes in the kitchen every morning and makes the whole ground floor shine like it's made of gold in the mornings and there's a huge flower garden outside the north side, the south side has a small vegetable garden... It's heavenly."

Applejack sighed at the description and smiled as she imagined it. "Wow, how do you know so much about this property? It sounds amazing," her voice was higher than usual.

"It's mine, but I finally made the next step and I'm moving in with Muddy!" he squealed as he reared up and clapped his hooves. His salespony smiled as she came back into the shop from loading a chair into a ponies cart.

"And we're all happy for them, to finally have love. I'm so jealous, I'll never find a stallion that nice that isn't taken or..." she giggled, "you know."

"So, if you're interested darling, let me know. Talk it over with Dashie and we'll see about getting you a sturdy bed, I'll even throw in a hat rack for you if you furnish through us."

They had a good laugh before Applejack decided on a simple mattress and had it delivered to the barn while she went for a quick visit to Quills.

---

"Applejack! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I missed it! I saw the clouds though, they were beautiful. Misspelled, but still, I'm so happy to see you. Where's Dash? Oh, I know that look. What happened? Tell me all about it. Lime, we have guests." Pulling Applejack inside she closed the door and led her to the kitchen and poured her a cup of hot water then added some tea leaves. "I know I don't make tea the usual way, but I like how the aroma fills your nose from the leaves instead of after you take the first sip. Drink up, tell me everything."

Applejack had finally sat and gotten comfortable and the tea was mouthwatering in its aroma. "There must be four kinds in here, what are they? They smell amazing, Quill." She gasped as she was hugged from behind, a few strands of yellow mane fell into her face. "Hey Lime! I missed ya. I misses ya both. I was just about to tell Quill about the week in Canterlot."

"Oh, tell me too. I haven't seen you since you left last week and it was so adorable how you two are in public now. Wait, where's Dashie? Did you two fight your first day of engagement?" Applejack lowered her head and took off her hat. She hadn't tied her ponytail and her mane was messier than it had been in public in a while. "Oh, you're under a lot of stress I take it. Drink up and tell us, then we'll help you find Dashie and make this all better."

---

"I need to see Col Gate." Lime said rubbing her cheek after hearing the whole story of the week in Canterlot.

"Oh sweetie, are you okay? Did you hurt your mouth?"

"No, Quill. They're so sweet I got a cavity," Lime giggled, shortly followed by the others.

"Applejack, she's right. You two are the perfect couple. I, we really think you should just let it go and be together tonight. It's not worth having this as a memory, dear. We all have issues and secrets, 'baggage' is what they call it these days. We have to let others carry it with us and when a pony goes as far as you two have, you have to learn to share everything. Why did she suddenly act that way again, AJ?"

"Well, I dunno. We were laying in the hay and Pinkie showed up, a minute after she left it was Twilight and she was makin' plans for the wedding. Then we left and saw Rarity and Fluttershy. You know about that part."

Lime placed her hoof on her chin and thought for a couple seconds as Applejack was finishing. "AJ, you and Twilight were going out. Then you dumped her to go out with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was magically assaulted by Twilight and you all haven't really had much contact privately since then. Now she's showing up and planning your wedding? I think there's still some jealousy there, and animosity."

"Nah, we all talked it out a while back. Buried the hatchet and had lunch the next day, everything was fine."

"AJ, dear, just because a pony says it's okay doesn't mean it is. You, Twilight and Rainbow Dash aren't ever seen hanging out like you used to, it's no secret about your relationship now. That Lilli told every pony she sold flowers to about Twilight's love life after she caught Twilight documenting their time," Applejack raised a hoof to her forehead and slowly applied pressure.

"I told her to not be herself. Don't take notes, lists or documents. Don't plan, just do and she goes and acts like herself; the same Twilight that ended us. Is Lilli still in town? Can Ah help?"

The two mares looked at each other, almost daring the other to go first. "AJ," Lime started, "after you left two days went by before Lilli started acting strange. Two days before you got back she went to the police and turned in hundreds of pages of research notes that Twilight had compiled on a dozen ponies around town including your relationship with her, Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash and Soarin, among others. The police returned the documents but the damage was done between Lilli and Twilight. The police Captain handled it personally and he's well, you know."

"Muddy, right. So he kept this all secret and only a few of us know about it?"

"That's right dear. He told Quill, me and Davenport in private during our tea party yesterday. Twilight was devastated and when she found out about your engagement she went crazy happy, like 'I need medication' happy."

"That doesn't sound like the Twi I know."

"I know, she really needs somepony to talk to and everypony is busy or she's trying to avoid them. On top of all that, there's a rumor there will be a royal wedding coming up soon. I don't have any idea who but Princess Luna is available and have you seen her shape? Oh, black and blue, she can invade my dreams any night!"

"Lime!" They all laughed for a half minute before their composure returned. "Okay, so we know Twilight needs an ear and shoulder to cry on. You have to patch things up with Dashie and Limes leaving a wet spot on the floor for Princess Luna," Quill giggled as Lime gasped and punched her in the side playfully.

"Well, I have an invite to get a free brownie at Sugarcube Corner. Wanna go with me? I'd hate to eat it alone and Dashing is off doing something. Probably hiding on a cloud somewhere, cute as ever."

"Lime, we have to help them, there's no way they can have a fight like this ever again," Quill said seriously.

Lime got up and walked to Applejack, picked up her hat and placed it crooked on Applejack's head. "Ya coming? We got a job ta do."

"Lime, Ah love ya like a sister but don't speak in a country accent again or Ah'll roll ya in the mud, ya got that?" Applejack mused.

"Sounds kinky. Let's not leave Dash out of it though, c'mon."

They all left the house in great spirits walking side by side down the side of the street talking and giggling as they approached Sugarcube Corner. They opened the door and twenty ponies shouted "SURPRISE so loud the windows shook. Rainbow flew over to Applejack with a cone party hat and wrapped the string under her chin to hold it on as Pinkie blew a noisemaker in the air. Two party cannons exploded confetti and streamers across the bakery as the music turned on.

A rendition of a tune hundreds of years old that still carried the weight of joy in it's tones. Lyra Heartstings, Noteworthy and three other ponies were playing live in the living room as the rest of the ponies turned and split into smaller groups and began to enjoy each others company and the desserts Pinkie was personally serving across the room to ponies.

"Rainbow, you did this?" Applejack asked as she was pulled to her group of friends/element barers, minus Pinkie. "Thank you, Dashing. You're so awesome."

Rainbow landed and opened her wings wide and proudly as Applejacks praise washed over her. "Applejack. Rainbow apologized to us all for her attitude early this afternoon. We were a bit staggered in our seeing you and that's probably what made it more annoying, we understand Rainbow's frustration. We love you too much to be anything but happy for you in your proposals and life together."

"Twi, you're a great friend," Applejack said wiping a tear from her eye. "Rainbow, you're forgiven, c'mere."

Embracing into a hug they squeezed tightly for a moment before a quick kiss and then they joined the party.

---

The girls giggled as they left the party, minus Pinkie who was winding the party down. "Quill, Lime it was great to see you again. I hope I see you again soon." Twilight said as she hugged the duo goodbye for the evening.

"Goodbye and thanks for having us over again, Applejack." Applejack chuckled and waved goodbye.

I didn't invite them, they tagged along to a surprise party. "It was a blast, gals. See ya Friday!" Applejack said as she and the others gathered to talk about plans for tomorrow. Finally agreeing on meeting at the library at 4 PM they split up, Applejack and Rainbow walking almost close enough to rub sides Rainbow would let her wing move slightly so her primary feather tips would brush against Applejack's cutie mark.

"Hey Dashing? I always wondered why you tickle my flank so much. It never really bothers me but you do it a lot more now."

"You don't know, AJ? When a Pegasi likes you they brush their wings against your cutie mark to let you know. We also count staring at our wings a big flirtation."

Applejack slowed as she had flashbacks of dozens of Pegasi mares giving her the awkward eye while she was checking them out passively, she thought, and how many Pegasus have done just that to her while bartering for apples. "So, all those ponies that keep trying to barter th price down on my apples are trying to seduce me into lowering my prices?"

Rainbow smiled wide. "You do give good discounts so word got around that you like a little flirtation. Every Pegasi in Ponyville knows that, I guess you had to find out eventually."

"Well that's just great," Applejack said sarcastically, "hundreds of ponies think I'm dying for love and give discounts to the ones I like?"

"Yup," Rainbow said bluntly, "but they all know now you're off the market so you can expect a bump in sales. You can charge whatever you want and the extra bits can go to our wedding."

"Dashing," Applejack picked her pace up again almost fast enough to leave Rainbow behind for a moment, "I got an offer for a house. Our first house where we can start... A family."

"Woah, a family? AJ, you know we're both, yeah. But, that's a lot to think about! I mean, we don't even have a home yet and you're thinking of a family?!"

"Dashing, don't shout. We have a lot to go over still and we haven't seen the place or anything so don't worry. We have to plan a lot on who's gonna even carry it," she joked as she lightly bumped Rainbow, who stumbled and fell over but quickly got back to her hooves and sided like it was nothing. "I keep forgetting how cute and tiny you are compared to me."

"Yeah, you're a giant boulder sometimes but I still love you. Where's this house by the way, is it in town or farther out?"

"It's Davenports, he's moving in with Muddy."

"Oh my gosh! I gotta tell them congrats, that was some week we were gone, did you hear about Twilight and Lilli?"

"Yeah, I wish I could say I was surprised. Let's just get home and install the new mattress."

"New mattress, bout time. I can't wait to break it in. C'mon AJ, race ya there! Last one there's on top!"

I thought we were... "Hey, wait! No flying!"

Next Chapter: That Night Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 26 Minutes