“So Spike, how are things going?” Rainbow Dash asked while they were heading to the cottage than the two ponies with butterflies as a mark now shared.

“Pretty cool. I learned how to make nachos!”

“That´s cool but I was more talking about your love life…”

“Why, did Rarity said something?” Spike chirped, jumping over the pegasus.

“No,” she said pushing him. “I meant, have you mean anybody new that you kinda like?”

“I´m..not following you.”

Rainbow facehoofed, realizing that Spike was even more dense that she could ever be. “I´m talking about somebody close to you, that you may have an actual chance with?”

“Oh no, it´s true then! The boys teased me about it but I never believed it!”

“Believe what?”

“That Sweetie Belle has a crush on me! Oh this is terrible, how can I explain to Rarity that her little sister is hopelessly in love with me?”

Rainbow growled, exhausted of the little dragon who was even worse than she when it comes to love matters.

“Listen Spike,” she said, grabbing him and hovering above the road. “I´m not talking about Sweetie Belle! I´m talking a certain dragon who is very close to you as in, living in the same roof!”

“...oh, you mean Barb?”

“Who the hay is Barb?”

“Is short for Barbara. Is the nickname I gave Spines! Cute, right?”

“Doesn't make any sense…” Rainbow said, putting him down. “But yeah, I was talking about her.”

“Oh...ugh, gross! You mean if I like her like a girlfriend or anything? That´s gross!”

“How come? She´s a dragon and one close to your age too, seems like a good match to me.”

“But she is...me. I mean she is my counterpart or something like that, I didn´t quite get the explanation. But that would be really weird, imagine like if you start dating Rainbow Blitz, wouldn´t that be weird?”

“i guess so…” Rainbow Dash admitted, looking over town to the glowing barrier that shielded them from the merged Equestria. “Then again, I don´t think we´ll ever get the chance to find out.”

Spike looked at Rainbow confused and a little worried. She was always so full of energy, never showing any weakness, at least, not any that Spike had seen; but now she was looking with the saddest expression, like she was heartbroken but Spike couldn´t figure out why.

Just then, they saw Applejack, the male one that is; and Spines coming down the road.

“Well ello there, Mrs. Dash. Fancy metting you ´ere,” he said, tipping his hat.

“Heh, don´t call me that. Makes me think I´m all girly and stuff,” she said, coming down to the ground.

“Well, Granpa Smith raised me to allways be polite to mares since they´re scarce. ´sides, yah´re all girly and stuff, mrs,” he replied and she playfully punched him.

Spike took the chance to grab Spines and brought her down.

“What are you two doing here? You were supposed to be in your way to the library!” he whispered.

“I know but I got caught in the way helping Babar who´s friend wasn´t there to look after the stand in the market and then that mare who looks like Rosebud stopped us because her friends were also gone and she needed help. It seems like half the town is missing!”

Spike didn´t catch on that vital piece of information and continued with his complains. “Oh man, at this rate you´ll never get to the library before Twilight is back from Canterlot. Once she gets back she´s gonna lock herself on the lab again and not pay attention to Guy Applejack here!”

“Hey, this is harder that it seems! Applejack can´t say no to anypony who needs help!”

“Uh, reminds me of our Applejack…”

“And it's worse than you think! On the way to the farm I ran into Sweepy Bell and he said he left his girl counterpart with Butterscotch.”

“Oh great, just the filly I don´t want to see today!”

“How come?”

“She may have a little crush on me…”

“No way!”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked funny at the two whispering dragons.

“What you suppose they whispering ´bout?” he asked.

“Seems our little buddies here tried to trick us.”

“Uh, how so?” Applejack asked and Rainbow couldn´t believe it he was being sincere.

“What, haven't you figured out?” she asked and he denied with all honesty. “Come on, it´s obvious! What did she told you to come here?”

“She said that Mrs. Sparkle needed some help moving heavy furniture…”

“And you bought that? Don´t see you they´re trying to hook you up with her?”

“Really? Umh, that´s…” Applejack said, blushing a little and Rainbow snorted.

“Oh man, can´t believe you fell for that!”

“Well, ah just didn´t thoguht about it,” Applejack said, offended. “´sides, what could they possibly gain from that?”

“I don´t know. Maybe they think we´ll made better matches that way. Spike wasn´t very subtle leading me to meet Flutterguy.”

“Uh?”

“Sorry, I meant Buttersocht.”

“Oh him, well ah don´ think ya´ll make a good match fer him. Yah can be a bit forceful, Rainbow.”

“And what´s that supossed to mean?” Rainbow growled, hitting her nose against Applejack´s.

That farmer went mute, unable to reply to the bold pegasus and all he could think off was that she looked exactly like Rainbow Blitz when she acted that way. That thought made him blush since he didn´t wanted to think such a pretty mare resembled his best friend.

“Hey guys, there´s been a tiny change of plans,” Spike said while Spines made the gesture for him. “You see, Spines has told me that Buttersocht is a bit busy and Twilight is still on Canterlot so…”

“Guys, cut it out. We know what you two are up to,” Rainbow Dash said.

“You do?” Spines said, embarrassed

“Yeah and I don´t appreciate you trying to hook us up,” Rainbow said and both dragons played with their feets, obviously ashamed for what they did. “All this is because I have a thing for that Elusive guy, right?”

The three looked at Rainbow, surprised by her boldness.

“Well yeah, I mean, I had a crush on Elusive long before you showed up and now you girls are all day with them!” Spines complained.

Applejack took a look at Spike who was still playing with his feet. “Ah assume yah´re also are bothered because I fancy Mrs. Rarity then.”

“Look, I´m a man enough to handle the competition but I´m not going to lose Rarity to you, buddy!” he said, trying to look big enough but he barely reached half of the bulky stallion´s leg.

“Ah don´t think Mrs. Rarity will appreciate much being treated like a prize.”

“Same goes for the g´re youreypre not toys for you to keep Babr, they´re your friends,” Rainbow said.

“I know, I´m sorry…”

“Guess we let jealosy get the best of ours,” Spike said.

“It´s okay Spike. I remember having your age, sorta. Love can be complicated,” Rainbow said, huggin her friend with a wing.

Spike tugged Applejack from his yoke and asked. “You´re not going to tell Dusk Shine about this, right?”

“Let´s keep it our little secret,” he said, patting her head.

“Come on, let´s go home,” Rainbow said and she took flight but she soon stopped, alarmed by something that had been bothering since a little while.

They were in the outskirts of town, near the border of the Everfree Forest but even that far away from the Town Square, the magic barrier shouldn´t look so close and looming.

“Uh Mrs Dash, is it me or this barrier thinghy is getting smaller?”

The answer to that questions came from the barrier closing a few meters and taking down a tree on the way, sending a bird´s nest right to the ground. Rainbow rushed to catch it but another blur, one orange and blue got ahead, catching the falling birds in one swoop.

“Woah there little fellas, that was a close call!” the pegasus stallion said, descending to ground. He was a Royal Guard, judging by his uniform but neither pony or dragon had ever seen a Guard with that coat combination.

“Good moves,” Rainbow said, descending.

“Thank you! I mean, most thankful for your ocmpliment, ma´am!” he responded, saluting.

Rainbow rolled her eyes while the dragons hurried to meet the stallion. “That was so cool! What´s your name? You have a girlfriend?”

“Easy there, fellas! Name´s Flash Sentry and it´s nice to meet you too. And no, I don´t have a girlfriend.”

“One of yours?” Rainbow asked Applejack.

“Never seen the chap before. Maybe from your lot side of the barrier?”

Rainbow snorted at Applejack´s way of talking and shook her head.

“Hey you, what are you doing there?” Two female guards said, approaching them.

“Oh hey gals,” Flash said, trying to be friendly but the female guards were not into jokes. “Uh I just saved these little birds and then I was talking with these guys. Hey, the barrier came down a little, was that…”

“You know the orders. No contact with civilians. Meeting with Captain is now,” the guards said in unison.

“Uh I got to go. Take care of them, will you?” Flash said, handing Spike and Spines the bird´s nest.

Applejack and Rainbow looked at Flash following the female guards and crossing the barrier, feeling a little uneasy when the barrier flickered.

After that, none felt like going back to their houses so they stayed on a hill, the ponies watching the dragons play with the birds.

“They´re cute when they´re just being kids,” Applejack commented. He was laying on the grass and had left both his yoke and hat on the ground next to him.

“Yeah, when they´re not trying to play matchmaker,” Rainbow said and Applejack chuckled. Rainbow found the sound cute, similar to her Applejack´s but not quite the same. She smiled at this. “Hey Jacko…”

“Jacko?”

“You said that mares are scarce in your universe.”

“Well, compared to how many are on your side, ah think so…”

“Does that means that guys over there...you know, since they´re so few mares they rather…”

Applejack needed a second to catch what Rainbow meant and then blushed. “Oh well, ah think so, ah mean...well, ah heard a few guys in Ponyville they...their barn doors wing that way so to speak but mahself...ah mean…”

“Heh, I knew you´ll freak out. Relax Jacko, it´s not so strange. Back when I was at the Flight Academy a lot of mares were into that.”

“Does that means…” Applejack didn´t finished the question and Rainbow just looked at the sky, still looking sad. “Why are yah asking this, Rainbow?”

“I don´t know. I was thinking of something that Spike said, about how weird would be if I dated Rainbow Blitz. But truth is I don´t think it would be that weird. Can´t say the idea never crossed my mind. Ever felt that way over Applejack, my Applejack?”

“Ah just like to think of AJ as mah cousin. Makes things less complicated…” Applejack said, scratching his neck.

“See, I can´t think of Blitz that way. I´m too cool to be related to him!” Rainbow joked and Applejack chuckled again, making Rainbow smile once more.

She had been sitting on her haunches this whole time but now she leaned forward, she looked at the dragons playing around and then looked at Applejack. “You think it will be totally weird if we kiss?”

“Wha-what?”

“Oh come on, you never did it with Blitz?”

“A-a-ah…”

“I did it with Applejack once,” Rainbow admitted and the other Applejack blushed. “Hey, wasn´t like romantic or anything. Pinkie talked us into playing spin the bottle and well. Guess that were those rumours about us two began. Rarity must have slipped something in the spa.”

Applejack gulped, gathering the courage to say, “Wasn´t spin the bottle. It was a hoof wrestling contents and the loser got to be in the closet with the winner for seven minutes.”

“Woah, that´s way more that we ever did,” Rainbow said and Applejack blushed harder, almost resembling Big Mac by now.

“We just argued for five minutes.”

“And the last two?” Rainbow asked and Applejack kept blushing. “Sorry didn´t meant to make you feel bad.”

“It wasn´t that bad,” Applejack admitted.

Rainbow got up and streched her wings and limbs. “You know, it was a lot easier when it was just the six of us girls. Not that I don´t like you guys but things have been weird since we met you.”

“Ah know, ah like having meeting you but yeah, things have been weird,” Applejack said, also getting up.

“Good weird or just plain weird?”

“Good weird.”

And with both ponies leaned forward and shared a kiss. It was a strange feeling, not bad, not good, just strange. The whole minute it lasted all they could think off was that this how it felt to kiss the counterpart of said pony and maybe, just maybe, that meant it wasn´t so strange at all to feel something for their friends.

“Woah…”

Applejack and Rainbow turned to face the two awestruck dragons and got a little blush on their cheeks.

“You two just kissed…” Spines said.

“Do you know what this means?” Spike asked.

“It means we need to rewrite the entire chart!”

“Yes! Contact the Cutie Mark Crusaders, their plan is now completely ruined!”

“Our plan also needs rewriting!”

“Yes yes!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack rolled their eyes, picked up their stuff and smiled at each other, not feeling the slight regret for what they just did.

“Come on, you two!” Rainbow yelled and the two dragons followed them.

Meanwhile, the two female guards leaded Flash Sentry to a clearing on the Everfree Forest, where they met with Captain Gleaming Shield. Flash didn´t know the mare very well, all he knew was the she was basically the same as Captain Shining Armor and Flash got very well with him. He also usually got well with mares but he was afraid of saying something that may offend the mare so he kept quiet, saluting her and standing still.

“Leave us,” the unicorn ordered the two guards and once they were alone she continued. “Flash Sentry, you have been appointed vice captain of Royal Guard, assigned to the Crystal Empire to ensure the safety of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor.”

“Yes ma´am but I was also ordered to leave my place to join the forces in Ponyville,” he explained, wondering why the captain needed a reminder,

“Indeed but you arrived too early.”

Flash was about to ask what that meant when another pony approached them, a pony that looked exactly like him, down to the gender.

“Hey, what´s this?”

“Like I said, you arrived too early,” Gleaming said and fired a green beam at Flash, leaving him unconscious.

The other Flash approached him and took the uniform for himself.

“You have your orders. Don´t fail,” Gleaming said and the pegasus saluted, a green glow appearing on his eyes.

Unbeknownst to them, a cloaked figure was watching the whole even. The masked pony waited until they left, Gleaming Shield carrying Flash Sentry away from the forest, and headed herself into the darkness, disappearing in the shadows of the Everfree.