Author's Note: All I can say is… finally. You've all been patient with me, so thank you all, and please enjoy the final chapter of "The Rainbow Effect!"

Disclaimer: I don't own Hasbro, or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I don't own The Hub, or anything affiliated with any of the aforementioned above.

Hell, I don't even own a car.

Chapter 5: Silver Linings

Rainbow Dash stared at the pony in disbelief. It couldn't be. There was no way she could have caught up with her so quickly.

Yet there she was.

Her cheeks held twin trails of dried tears, gleaming faintly in the firelight, while dark silhouettes tickled the freckles at the base of her eyes. Vacant, lifeless greens were glazed over in thought, thinly veiled by strands of long, golden hair. Her red hair band was nowhere to be seen, instead her mane was adorned with tiny twigs and small, muddy patches of discoloration, falling down her back in gorgeous, gilded tangles.

But the orange pony paid no heed to any of these things.

Rainbow Dash felt her throat run dry as she stared at the pony from across the fire. Applejack… had already found her. And now she did not know what to do next.

She wanted to call out to her, to let her know she was awake. She wanted to scream at her, furious that she had chased after her through the storm. She wanted… to cry out to her, to express the remorse and disgrace that shook her fragile core.

Whatever decision she made in the end, the blue pony could not find her voice.

Rainbow Dash attempted to sit up, and just as quickly experienced a sharp pain that drove daggers into her side, her broken wing no longer supported by the ground. She cried out softly, landing in the bed of leaves with a light *shuff*.

Applejack's head snapped up at the sound, dropping her Stetson as she leaped to her hooves in surprise.

"Rainbow!"

Eyes closed and body tense from the pain, Rainbow Dash heard the sound of swift hoofsteps echoing throughout the cave, coming to a rest by her side. The pony above her was breathing heavily, and her quiet voice bore signs of cracking as she addressed her.

"Are… you okay?" Applejack asked slowly, tenderly. Rainbow Dash attempted to respond, but she still could not. A moment later she felt a cooling hoof gently pressed against her forehead, and one between her shoulder blades. Her ears picked up Applejack's breathing becoming shallow and shaky as she pulled away.

"Oh Rainbow, this is all… all my…"

'Pit… pit…pit…'

The silent pony felt her heart curl painfully at the sound.

"I… *sob*… I could've prevented this. I should have been more understandin', and I could've t-taken the time to sort this out b'tween us." Applejack's voice grew hoarse, shuddering with sobs.

"You're my b-best friend, Rainbow Dash, an' I n-never should'a yelled at you like I did. I'm… I'm no better t-than the pony I made you out t'be."

Rainbow Dash felt her heart stop as she listened, the pony's voice laden with sobs and gasps.

"I'm so sorry."

Rainbow Dash felt herself grow cold, numb to the fire before her as Applejack's admission ripped through the fragile remnants of her shattered self-image. In place of pity, she felt sorrow. Where confidence once roamed, disgust.

It was too much to bear. A burning fury took hold of her, seeking a victim, scapegoat on which she could lay out all of her grief and self-inflicted suffering.

Her eyes fell to the ground, where her tears collected in a puddle in which she could see her own distorted reflection. A loathsome, disloyal and treacherous pony stared back from the floor from shared violet eyes, watching the watery anguish trickle down towards her.

She had found one, lying in pool of shame that mingled with the dirt.

"I hate you…" she whispered hoarsely to the reflection, barely audible over the crackling flames. Applejack stiffened next to her, and let out a shaky breath.

"I… understand, Rainbow. But I ain't gonna leave you all by your lonesome out here.." she spoke lowly, head bowed to the ground. "So say what you need to say t'me."

Applejack turned towards the fire pit, and fell onto her haunches next to her charge, silent and still as the firelight filled her vacant eyes.

No more tears to spill for either of them.

Rainbow Dash was brought back to reality as Applejack's words hit her in full. What? There was no way she… how could she possibly hate her? She owed Applejack… for so much. For coming after her through a blinding rainstorm in pitch black night, saving her from making what could have been the worst mistake, and possibly even her life.

She had to find her voice. She needed to tell her… that she didn't deserve this. That Applejack had run out into a thunderstorm at her own safety's expense, for a pony that had not deserved to be found.

But there she was, sitting only a few feet away and unwilling to leave her. So many questions, so much to say, and all she could manage to whisper was…

"Why?"

Applejack did not turn around to face her.

"Because… I still consider you t'be my best friend. You ain't never done me wrong before, an' you still haven't."

Rainbow Dash began to quiver in silence. Applejack slowly exhaled, closing her eyes in resignation.

"I treated you like a traitor today, Rainbow Dash. I-I took y'all fer granted, an' you have every right t'hate me for it. But I don' care if the pony I consider m'best friend has to be the one… who hates me the most. I deserve it, then."

"NO!"

Rainbow Dash leapt to her feet in a flurry of leaves, screaming the word as the pain returned in force, yet firmly holding her stance. Applejack jumped in shock, snapping her head towards the sudden howl that shook her, as well as the cavern around them.

"R-Rainbow! I... I'm sorry, but I can't change-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP APPLEJACK!" Rainbow Dash roared, "JUST… just stop… please..." she moaned.

Applejack recoiled as the blue pony stared her down, her visage growing soft with each word while not losing an ounce of intensity. She shrunk down inside of herself, ears low and wilted in despair, willing herself to stay strong, to not lie down and curl up around her broken heart in a weeping heap…

"I… I don't hate you, Applejack."

She caught Rainbow Dash's gaze just as soon as she said those words, looking into those two violet eyes, trails of tears falling down from them… same as back in the barn, when she had been the one yelling.

However, these were filled with a fire of their own.

"I could never hate you…" Rainbow Dash continued, her voice cracking from the outburst. "You're my best friend, and best friends… they can't hate each other. I don't hate you at all… and I can't stand the thought that you… that you think I could ever…"

Rainbow Dash fell in a crumpled heap, sobbing into the floor. Applejack galloped up to her in an instant, numbly looking down at the same time Rainbow Dash looked up.

And before either pony could blink, the two were in the other's arms, weeping and locked in a desperate vice.

"Oh Rainbow, I've… I've done some terrible things today …"

*Sniff* "Me too."

"An'… when I saw you wearin' my hat, havin' a laugh with Pinkie Pie…"

"I'm so sorry Applejack, I was so worried that you would be mad at me… if you lost your hat, that you would think I was-"

"I did, an' I was. But y'all wouldn't do that to me. You n' Pinkie are much better than that, an' I should'a known better."

"I don't care anymore, Applejack."

"Never gonna happen again, I promise."

"I know, I believe you. Oh AJ, I was gonna leave Cloudsdale, and Ponyville for good…" Rainbow shuddered, her grip tightening.

*Sniff* "Wouldn't make a difference t'me, I'da found you either way, sugarcube. Jus' wait till after the storm nex' time, y'had me so worried. You slept for hours, an' I wasn't sure if… if…"

"I'm fine now. Honest."

Applejack tensed up, and slowly pulled away from the embrace at those words.

"I'm sorry Rainbow… but I haven't been."

Rainbow Dash shot her a puzzled look, shuffling closer towards the pony who suddenly avoided her gaze.

"I… haven't been honest with you, not for a long time now." Applejack stated quietly. She took a deep breath and looked Rainbow Dash in the eye. "An' I'll be a fancy-actin' city pony once more before I let you go another minute… without lettin' you how much you really mean t'me." she finished, resolutely.

Rainbow Dash stared blankly into her eyes, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "What I… mean… to you?"

The emerald-eyed pony moved in closer, steadily closing the gap between them. Rainbow Dash felt her heart pulsing throughout her chest, spreading to the ends of her legs to the tips of her ears. She could feel Applejack's breath mingling with her own, feel the tingling heat that warped the infinitely small distance keeping their noses apart, becoming smaller and smaller…

…until she could feel the whispered words Applejack spoke next, on her own quivering lips. "Yeah, what you mean t'me."

Applejack tilted her head slightly up, and the world dropped out from underneath the two, sunlight bursting into the cavern.

At least, it was as far as Rainbow Dash was concerned. She could not remember a time when she had ever felt so… warm. All that she could feel, all that existed around her was an expanse of warmth, wrapping around her and another life next to hers, relishing in the vitality that flowed infinite and freely between them.

Applejack... was kissing her!

Through the encompassing heat, Rainbow Dash felt a foreleg wrap itself around the back of her neck, drawing her close. She responded by pressing up against the precious source of warmth and life, wrapping her arms around Applejack's neck, intensifying the interlacing of their essences.

An infinity later, and the two slowly drew away from each other. Applejack exhaled a breathy laugh, fresh tears springing from apple-green eyes filled with a new energy.

"I love you, Rainbow Dash."

The pegasus pony stared blankly into those eyes, unable to move or even breathe. She already knew, Applejack's unspoken words were buzzing through her psyche and left tingling on her lonely lips, before she had pulled away and reiterated herself through sound.

But to hear those words, springing forth from lips she had just embraced…

A pleasant, numbing feeling welled up inside of her, banishing away the rest of the world and filling her to the brim with am intangible joy... as well as a new feeling she couldn't place her hoof-tip on.

Light-headedness.

"Easy there… don' hurt yerself." her partner sighed, reaching out and steadying the swaying pegasus, who stared straight ahead. She then brought that hoof up to her cheek, sliding it down to her neck and resting it above her heart.

"I said I love you, Rainbow." she said, softly.

Those words again, wrapping themselves around her and binding her in place. Violets meeting greens, her voice broke free from the spell for a moment.

"Applejack?"

"Still here, sugarcube."

Rainbow Dash exhaled lightly through her nose, cracking a tiny grin… which then grew in size, until filling the entire cavern with the joy she could not contain. She jumped up to her, wrapping her hooves around her neck and burying her face in Applejack's shoulder, the two ponies spilling joyful tears for each other, and laughing away the remainder of the bitter-sweet melancholy.

"How long? Please, I gotta know." she asked, breathily.

Applejack wrapped her own arms around Rainbow Dash's torso, closing her eyes.

"That day at Sugarcube Corner, when you were tellin' the girls 'bout the day you got your cutie mark."

"Really… but why?"

"It was that day that I learned… that it was you." She chuckled, resting her forehead against Rainbow Dash's. "You probably don' know it, but you saved a little filly from makin' a terrible mistake that day. You led the way home fer me with that Sonic Rainboom, back to my family. My true family, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, an the good folks 'o Ponyville."

The orange pony opened her eyes, apple-green orbs swimming with emotion.

"I learned that it was you all along, that you're the reason I became the pony I am t'day... an' I've loved you ever since."

Rainbow Dash hiccupped, her breath shaky with a joyful chuckle.

"I think… it started back when we first met, out in the apple orchard."

"Heh, so soon? 'Spose I was a looker back then, too."

"You kept me going, Applejack." Rainbow Dash continued, smiling. "You were the only pony who cared to see me reach my dream. Those bullies tried to keep me down, and the Wonderbolts never noticed me, but you were always there for me… and you wanted to see me make the team. You were the one who gave me a real reason to keep going, to be loyal to my cause."

Rainbow Dash sniffed, closing her eyes, and sinking into the embrace. "I think you're the reason I became the pony I am today."

Applejack chuckled, closing hers own, and smiling in-between the cascades of joy she felt spilling out from under them. "Well then, sounds like we're pretty good fer each other, don' it?"

"Yeah… I think so."

Love.

It never cared if you were stuck in a cave, miles away from home. No injury or wound could keep it away when it came, and no memory stood stronger than the feelings it brought. It created color from darkness, and music from silence, traveling through distance and time, through matter and thought, unbound by the laws of nature.

It created them.

Rainbow Dash looked to the fire, flicking with delight and vigor in a place so dark and seemingly-lifeless, and then down to the orange-coated pony who lay beside her, basking in the warm, intangible glow…

And finding herself unnaturally bound to the very same pony by that ubiquitous adhesive.

Warm and content, she glanced back to the far entrance, where the raindrops had begun to fall straight down rather than in torrential sheets of velocity, nearly soundless from where the two lay. She suddenly started.

"Wait, you said hours, right? Then…" Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open, bursting with hope. "Then that means we still have time!" She looked back to Applejack sitting up, before turning to the mouth of the cave. "We can get back and help with the par-ah!"

Rainbow Dash's breath hitched as she twisted back in place, her misaligned wing scuffing across the floor. Applejack blinked, quickly noticing the appendage.

"Rainbow, lay down."

"What? Ow!" Rainbow cried, recoiling as she tried to turn to face her. "Why?"

"Ya can't keep movin' around with yer wing like that. We need t'reset it, right now."

Rainbow Dash stiffened, and then looked ahead as she sat up straight, puffing her chest out and smirking, trying to distract from the beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she fought to maintain her pose. "H-hey… don't worry about… about…"

…

"Oh, who am I kidding." she surrendered, slouching in place. "Let's just get it over with."

Applejack smiled sadly. "I don't wanna do it either, but it'll only hurt worse later if ya leave it like that any longer. We… we best get it done now." she finished, wearily.

Rainbow Dash nodded, and slowly stretched out across the cavern floor. The hatless pony walked up to her and straddled her haunches, gingerly setting her hooves in place under the limp wing, and behind the bent joint.

"A-alrighty then. You ready?"

Rainbow Dash sucked in a breath. "Do it."

"Okay… h-here goes. One, two…"

A muffled *crack* echoed against the cavern walls, followed by a voice-cracking shout of pain. Rainbow Dash tensed up, the wave of agony tearing through the pegasus' spine, and leaving just as quickly to be soothed by a sudden trickle of teardrops.

"T-Thanks…*hah* A-Apple… Jack."

The orange pony hiccupped, steadily moving off of her and sitting down, breathing steadily. "I know that wasn't easy fer ya."

"*hah* You d-did what you h-had to do… *hah* Besides, t-the pain is almost gone. It just tingles a little."

Applejack creased the corners of her mouth up, turning and wiping her tears away to better view the entrance of the cave. Rainbow Dash caught the slight movement out of the corner of her eye, staring at her quiet friend who was gazing out into the storm with a contemplative look on her face, seemingly lost in thought.

Minutes passed, the two listening in pleasant silence to the crackling of the fire, and the faint sounds of the storm outside the , Rainbow Dash spoke.

"Alright, I… think I can sit up."

The pensive pony turned to face her friend, watching as she brought her forelegs in, and pushing off of the ground with little effort. Sitting upright, she looked towards Applejack, who spoke next.

"Feel anythin'? Any pain at all?"

Rainbow Dash did a few twists from the hip, and even flapped both wings at length for good measure, looking behind her.

"Nope, nothing!"

"Good."

And with that, Applejack tackled Rainbow Dash back onto the bed of leaves, landing on top of the helplessly-surprised filly, and enveloping her in a kiss that rekindled Rainbow Dash's heart beat.

"Wha… what are you doing?" whispered Rainbow Dash, slowly pulling back. Applejack moved in with misty eyes, nuzzling the side of her neck and effectively stopping Rainbow Dash's retreat.

"I reckon I still got a lot to make up fer, Rainbow Dash." she whispered, lovingly. "And I'll be darned if I don't show you how I truly feel 'bout you any longer."

"But, I-I thought… you said… the k-kiss…" she stammered, the heat rising up inside of her.

"Rainbow, love…" Applejack began, bringing a hoof up to her burning face, her voice taking on a low, husky undertone.

"…I haven't even begun to show you how much you mean t'me."

(The lemon scene… has officially begun! For those of you who do not wish to read it, hit Crtl+F on your keyboard, and type "Skip Lemon")

Rainbow Dash could feel the contours of her partner's face, how her nose pressed against her every time the apple-flanked pony dived down for another slow, taunting kiss on the neck, gradually making her way up and around her chin, once more on the cheek, and then full on the mouth, sending a wave of sparks jumping through her spine.

Applejack braved the tenderness of the moment, opening her mouth and signaling to Rainbow Dash her hot-blooded intentions. The disoriented pegasus returned the gesture on instinct, softly opening her own, too immersed in the heat of the moment to notice Applejack slowly slipping her tongue into her mouth.

She froze up when she did, no longer returning Applejack's affections, who then slowed down her own and pulled away to look at the hesitant pony.

"What's the matter, Rainbow?" Applejack asked in a velvety voice. Rainbow Dash turned her head away in embarrassment.

"I don't know what to… how to…"

Applejack reached her hoof up to Rainbow Dash's face, gently turning it to her own again.

"Jus' follow my lead, Dash."

She moved forward, capturing her mouth and sending her back into that insensible, musical bliss. Through the haze in her mind, she dimly became aware of Applejack attempting to repeat the passionate gesture. She reached out to gather what remained of her consciousness, and slowly opened her mouth. The golden-haired pony took no time in sliding her tongue into her quivering mouth, lightly feeling around until finding hers.

Rainbow Dash gasped as Applejack guided her tongue underneath her own, brought it up, and slowly began a lover's dance inside of her mouth. Breathless, she found the rhythm, and moved along with the silent beat, letting her partner take the lead and take her away to a painless, euphoric existence. Timeless, the two danced and loved in the world away from home. A slow, heated waltz of desire and necessity, a need to be closer in body and essence. Inhibitions and hesitance were thrown to the wind, left to drift away and vanish as passion filled their places…

…and erased their identities.

Applejack finally pulled away as Rainbow Dash felt herself drawn back to the world around them.

"Apple... Apple... *hah*..." She could not finish her sentence, particularly after Applejack captured her mouth with sweet enrapture once more. Pulling away once again, she rested her forehead atop of Rainbow Dash's, giving the bewildered pony time to catch her breath.

"That… was… amazing." Rainbow Dash breathed in-between gasps for air. "You're amazing." She finished, closing her eyes.

When she suddenly felt a pair of lips briefly flit across hers, teasingly.

"Mmm, y'all are makin' it sound like I'm finished with you…"

What?

Rainbow Dash felt her pulse quicken as she suddenly felt a hoof press against her beating heart, lightly beginning a slow trail down her chest, across her stomach and past, coming to rest torturously close to a spot that tingled with a steadily-growing desire. She closed her eyes in panic and desperation. The hoof did not move from there.

But she could feel its follower…

A kiss on the neck.

A kiss to the chest.

A kiss above her stomach.

A kiss below her stomach.

A kiss right above the hoof, which moved to make way for the powerful force that sent waves of heat soaring throughout her whole body.

And a kiss… that sent her pulse skyrocketing, eliciting a gasp that caught half-way through her throat, her body afraid of giving attention to anythingbut the overwhelming pleasure that wracked through her shaking body.

Just how much did she mean to Applejack?

She felt her legs closing in on impulse, only to be stopped by a pair of hooves.

"Applejack… w-wha…" Words gave way to harsh panting.

"Y'all are gonna give yerself a heart attack. Jus' breathe fer a moment."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, willing her heart beat to steady itself to no avail. Even with her eyes closed, she could perfectly see Applejack sitting there between her legs and staring up to her, striking greens burning through her heavy-lidded eyes. She felt a pleasing movement below, and creased her eyes open, watching Applejack idly trail a hoof down Rainbow Dash's leg, slow and sensual.

"You ain't never… 'fooled around' with yourself b'fore, I take it?"

"I-I… w-wha… you m-mean… w-well…"

"Y'all don't have to tell me if ya don't want to." Applejack cooed, trailing the hoof back upwards, almost distracting her from the orange pony's next words. "But I'll tell you what, when a pony gets in the right mood… y'all make fer some 'colorful' eye-candy."

Between Applejack's idle stroking and her fiery admissions, Rainbow Dash felt herself hopelessly tongue-tied. "A-Applejack!"

Applejack laughed quietly. "Honesty, Rainbow. I promised you nothin' but, an' I figured you deserved t'know." She glided her hoof up the back of her leg, and around her thigh, where she began tracing slow circles around her cutie mark, the full of the action causing Rainbow Dash's eyes to roll upwards in hazy elation.

"Now, be honest with me. Are you ready fer this yet?"

The feathered filly looked down at her with wide, glazed eyes, panting heavily. After a moment, she clumsily nodded her head. Finding the remaining shards of self-control left behind from Applejack's last mind-shattering kiss, Rainbow Dash slowly, but gradually spread her legs apart, giving Applejack all the consent she needed to plunge forward with a passionate tongue.

Rainbow Dash shuddered at the contact, eyes widened and sitting up slightly with a gaping mouth. Electricity flowed freely through her entire being, dancing through her nerves and stealing away any sense of self that remained. All words, thought and memory in her mind had long since vanished, replaced with the numbing ecstasy brought by Applejack's warm, wet administrations.

Adrenaline surged through her body with each tender lick, warping her world with every nuzzle and kiss. Rainbow Dash dug her hooves into the ground, barely able to breathe. Her ears filled themselves with the soft moans and 'mmm's from below, as well her own whimpers and whines of pleasure.

She gasped softly as she felt Applejack continue further… inside of her. The pegasus' legs jerked in small spasms, her back arching upwards as her lover licked along her length. The world around her was becoming smaller, and the vivacious song her madrigalist mare's poetic tongue was composing inside of her grew larger, swelling to fill her shrinking existence.

It was just her and Applejack, here… wherever here was… with literally nothing between them. The rush of love and warmth from that thought intermingled with the waves of blissful ecstasy from down below, the vibrancy inside of her growing tenfold.

It was too much! Her eyes darted around the colored haze, her mind swimming with an empty pleasure that filled every fibre of her being! She could not remember where they were, she could not remember why they were here…

She could not even remember her own name. Only the name of another pony, the only pony who mattered right now, and the only pony who could save her from this blissful suffering.

So she screamed it.

"APPLEJACK!" the pegasus cried out in a cracking voice as she lost herself completely to the chaos of ecstasy, arched and trembling as the orgasm ripped through body. Another loving lick later and she felt herself convulsing, lightly spritzing Applejack with her warm approval, who met her rapturous release with tender ardorations of her own.

She finally collapsed onto her back, the leaves beneath her making no sound as she released control of her body entirely. Her heavy panting, her erratic heart beat, all were lost to her ears as she stared to the ceiling with wide, violet eyes. With perfect clarity, she listened to the sound of her fantasy's final kiss, the sweet song of her lover smiling from below her, and the melody played upon her torso as Applejack lay herself along and on top of her, moving her forelegs around her body in harmonious embrace. The orange pony brought herself up to her face, and graced her lips to her own.

"Skip Lemon"

Slowly, the world caught up to her.

The rest of her senses began to work once more. She became aware of everything at once; the smell of their arousal, the invigorating taste of her kiss, the feeling of her and Applejack pressing against each other in desperate desire…

...and the magic she saw dancing through Applejack's green eyes, bursting with love and devotion.

"What's the matter, Rainbow?" asked Applejack in a soft voice.

Rainbow Dash struggled to respond between pants, in a raspy voice of her own. "I've never… n-never felt… where did you learn all that?"

"Learn what?"

"Everything. The kissing, you… with your hooves, a-and the… you know…"

Applejack chuckled, lowering herself and snuggling up close to the rainbow pegasus. "Twilight." she sighed.

Rainbow Dash blinked. "…What?"

Applejack kissed the dumbfounded pony's cheek. "Heh, I'm just messin' with ya. Well, sort of... Remember that day you came crashin' into Twilight's library, the day you won that Young Flyer's Competetion?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, y'all left a nice little mess fer us to clean up when you left. Can't say I blame you though, you were under a lotta pressure."

She traced a hoof along Rainbow Dash's chest. "But when we got back, I went with Rarity t'help clean up again. Found a fun little book lyin' on the floor called, "Slumber 101: All You've Ever Wanted To Know About Slumber Parties, But Were Afraid To Ask."

"But… isn't that the book she showed us when all of us slept over at Rarity's last mo-"

"The Manehattan Mare's Edition."

"…oh."

An awkward silence pervaded the moment, until Applejack began chuckling.

"I'm not so sure she even knew she had it there. Can't imagine innocent little Twi' gettin' into that sorta thing, much less tryin' anythin' from it at a slumber party." She frowned. "D'you remember who ran the library before she moved t'Ponyville?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head.

"Me neither."

Another moment of silence.

"So Applejack, a-about all that. How are we going to let the others know? You know, about us?"

Her partner clucked her tongue from within her mane. "Well, I don't imagine it'd be somethin' we'd just blurt out on the spot. An' tellin' em' one by one would make a mess o' things. Maybe we should wait fer a while, until all of this has blown over and Twilight has her party. Then I say we tell 'em all and be done with it."

"That's a pretty good idea." Rainbow Dash said, snuggling further into the embrace. "So, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"We didn't… I didn't get to… aren't you feeling-"

"Hey." she interrupted, kissing Rainbow Dash on the nose, causing her to blush. "Don' worry about it too much, this was your night."

"But-"

"Nope, you just relax. I'm fine." she assured her, nuzzling the side of her face. "Besides, between the nasty fall you took, resettin' your wing an' all the trouble we caused each other today, y'all needed the… ah, stress relief, from what I gandered." she teased, causing her friend's blush to intensify.

"But if ya really want, y'all can make it up t'me later." She said, nipping her shoulder. Rainbow Dash felt her face further heat up in surprise.

"You really don't have a problem telling me these things, do you?"

"Only with you, Rainbow. Honesty, an' nothin' but."

Rainbow Dash smiled, the last of the night's tears falling freely into her best friend's mane.

"Thank you, Applejack." she whispered.

"Anythin' fer you, love. Anythin' at all…"

Rainbow Dash awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, and a light breeze that smelled of rain, chilling the parts of her back not covered by her feathered wings. She yawned, shivering and creaking an eye open to gaze at the source that was keeping her front warm, finding herself wrapped around an orange pony.

A gorgeous, hatless orange pony.

She snuggled closer to the sleeping mare in an attempt to ward off the morning cold. Opening an eye once more, she looked around. The cavern was colored in a dim, deep blue from the dawning light outside. The fire pit had gone out, and the embers beneath all but vanished with the night

She tried to sit up, but quickly found herself bound to the pony before her, her limbs unwilling to let go of the pleasant warmth.

"Hey Applejack… you awake? Applejack?"

"C-Caramel…? Thassa red gala, you…*yawn*… silly pony."

Rainbow Dash uncharastically giggled into her partner's mane, heaving a hearty sigh. Burying her face into the sleeping pony's hair, she could not help but imagine herself lying atop a cloud, weightless and free. And so she felt, after all that had been said and done the previous night, the weight in her heart and the ache in her wings fading into a new tomorrow.

She felt like a true pegasus again.

A new tomorrow…

Rainbow Dash sat up in an instant, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"Oh my gosh, Twilight's birthday is today! Applejack! Applejack, wake up!"

Applejack stirred from underneath her arm, and sat up with a yawn, looking around the dim cavern.

*Yawn* Whassa matter, Rainbow?"

"It's Twilight's birthday today! We gotta get back to Ponyville and finish the barn for the party!"

Applejack blinked. "…oh, is that all?" she mumbled, nestling back against her warm spot on the ground. Rainbow Dash jumped up.

"What?! Applejack, we don't have time to sleep! It's already morning, look! There's so much work to be done, and the others won't be able to handle it all on their own! Twilight's going to be so di-"

Her rant caught in her throat as Applejack leaned up, and tenderly kissed the panic-stricken pony on the neck.

"Rainbow… party's not 'till tonight."

She froze, slouching in place. "I-It's not?"

" Nope. Rarity's givin' her presentation t'Hoity-Toity today, so we were plannin' on holdin' it after sundown. We jus' wanted to have it all finished a day early, so we wouldn't have s'much to be worried 'bout."

Rainbow Dash looked down at the lethargic mare, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

"I… guess I missed that part."

Applejack nudged her friend in the ribs, smiling. "I figured you might've." she chuckled, stretching out and standing up on all fours, shaking her unbound mane in fatigue. "Well, might as well get up now, seein' as I'm awake. What say we head on back t'Ponyville, partner?"

Rainbow Dash yawned, and stretched out her wings, itching to feel the breeze between them once more. "I say that sounds like a great idea!"

"Well good. Up an' at em'."

Rainbow Dash smiled back at the mare, who returned it in silence. Her cheeks tingling, the pegasus began a slow walk in the other direction, listening to the mirroring sounds of hoofsteps behind hers.

The two trotted to the entrance of the cave, and looked out at the world. The smell of meadow rain filled their senses as the morning sunrise dawned across the sky from behind a distant mountain.

Rainbow Dash walked out into the open, when she heard Applejack call out to her.

"Hold on, I almost forgot somethin'."

Rainbow Dash turned back to the cave as Applejack's tail quickly disappeared from view. Facing forward, she stretched out her wings, and flapped them a few times, hovering just above the dewy grass. The sounds of her wings beating filled her ears, as the morning light dancing across the tiny dot of Cloudsdale in the distance filled her eyes.

And close below, Ponyville was waiting for them. She had a destination again, and a pony who would travel there with her.

*Whoosh!*

*Fft!*

"Yee-haw, I'll beat Big Macintosh at horseshoes jus' yet!"

Rainbow Dash took the Stetson from off of her head, blowing her colored bangs from off of her face, and holding it back toward the owner with a smile, who shook her head.

"Nope, y'all get to wear it on the way back."

"What? Why?"

The apple-flanked pony sported a grin. "I'll tell you a little story 'bout my youth on the way back. You'll understand then, Rainbow love."

Rainbow Dash felt her heart swell as she grinned, "Deal." she exclaimed, putting the hat back on, nestling itself perfectly between her ears.

"Well I'll be, it looks like it fits good."

"Yeah, I dunno… it's not really my color."

Applejack snorted. "Like that's hardly an issue. I think y'all look jus' dandy with it on." she stated, winking. "Besides, I don' look so good in it without a ponytail, anyway."

The hat-clad pegasus smirked, "You don't look so bad with your hair down."

Applejack looked away with a blush, "Yeah, well don' get too used to it, it ain't practical in my line o' work. An' speakin' o' colors." She walked up to the pegasus, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "I say we make blue n' orange look pretty good."

"I thought I made any color look good." her partner pointed out.

"Well then," she kissed the pegasus on the cheek. "I s'pose I'll have to hang around you often as I can."

The blue pony thew a wide grin in her direction, pulling away and starting towards the horizon, her hatless lover close behind.

"Rarity'd be green with envy."

The pegasus groaned, not looking back. "That was a terrible pun, Applejack."

"Oh hush up an' get goin'."

*Shff shff, shff shff, shff shff…*

*Fwf, fwf, fwf, fwf…*

…

"So you dream about guy ponies in your sleep, huh?"

Applejack tripped over her hooves, and whipped around to face Rainbow Dash. "Say what now?"

The hovering pegasus burst into a fit of laughter. "I'm just teasing. I heard you mumbling something about Caramel in your sleep."

"Oh yeah, I remember now." Applejack mumbled under her breath. "That pony, I swear…"

She looked up. "Well, it might be a few hours' walk, but we should make it in plenty of time to help out. I wager we'll be back in Ponyville by high-noon."

"Hey, doesn't matter to me how long it takes." Rainbow Dash said, hovering close. "As long as you're here with me."

Applejack giggled, elbowing the pegasus pony. "That was real sappy, Rainbow. But thanks."

"Don't mention it." Rainbow Dash turned to her friend. "Seriously, don't."

Rainbow Dash looked away with a frown as she heard her friend chuckling, in a tone lower that she would have liked.

"Oh don' spit yer bit, I'm only messin' with ya."

…

"By the way, I'm startin' t'notice a pattern in our relationship. Must you always twist or break somethin' fer us t'have a tender moment?"

"Oh shut up, Applejack."

She heard more chuckling. "Well come an' make me, sugarcube." Rainbow Dash felt a hoof tip the hat over her face, obscuring her vision as she dazedly hovered forward.

Right into a tree.

*Thud!*

"Ow!"

Applejack burst out laughing. "Well I guess breakin' yer nose counts too! So ya wanna cuddle in the grass, or would you prefer a piggy-back ride?"

"Alright Applejack, it's on!"

Applejack closed her eyes mid-laugh, pointing at the unfortunate pony when a big clump of mud smacked into her face, filling her nose and open mouth with slimy, gritty muck.

"Eeugh! Bleck! Rainbow!"

"Haha, I'll take the piggy-back ride! You're muddy enough to be one!"

The pegasus pony went into a cackling fit at the sight of the gagging pony, laughing even harder when she found herself dodging similar clumps of dirt and mud.

"Y'all *cough!* like me bein' honest so much? Well I'm gonna kick yer hind *bleck!* up n' over your wings! You'll be wearin' yer rear as a party hat to *cough!* to Twilight's party, *bleck!* an' that's the honest truth! Now get back here!"

Rainbow Dash flew up and across the hill with her apple-flanked pursuer close behind, joyful laughter and throaty curses echoing in harmony across the meadow as they chased one another under the blazing morning sun, peaking over the horizon and heralding the dawn of a brand new day…

The End