Rainbow Dash lives an exciting life and is swiftly becoming the most daring, awesome pegasus in all of Equestria. She would gladly give it all up, though, just to confess her love to Applejack.
"I think..." Rainbow Dash breathed and breathed. "I think..." Her eyes darted around.
Applejack stared. Eyes bright.
"... ... ..." Rainbow cleared her throat. "I think... that you could... do a lot b-better than Stu..."
Applejack's ears folded back.
Rainbow's eyes shot towards her. "And... mmmmm... and yet..." She swallowed pins and needles down her throat. "...I think... at least I'm starting to believe... that love is what we make of it."
"How... how do you mean, Rainbow?"
"Like... for instance... you say that Stu Leaves is always trying to improve himself, right?"
"Right."
"Well... what matters more?" Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "That he'll make himself into a good stallion all because of you? Or... or that..." She fought the clattering of teeth. "...or that you'll just appreciate him because of his attempts to get better?" She fumbled with her fetlocks. "And if he can't be the best that there is... are you satisfied just with the affection you have for a pony that you know so well...?"
"Well, nopony's perfect, Rainbow."
Rainbow sniffed. "I beg to differ."
Applejack blinked. She chuckled.
Rainbow wheezed forth a meager laugh.
Applejack brushed her bangs back, sighed, then murmured: "I know that Stu ain't perfect."
Rainbow was silent. She waited for it.
"But..." Applejack cleared her throat. "I also know that I ain't lookin' for perfection. Shucks...sometimes I don't even know what I'm lookin' for."
"And yet..." Rainbow exhaled. "... ... ...you feel as though you're finding it anyways. Huh?"
"Yeah..." Applejack sighed warmly. She hugged herself. "And when I find it... I feel like somethin' far stronger and glorious-like has found me." She lifted her eyes. "Do you know what I'm talkin' about?"
"I... guess I could imagine."
"It... it would take time. And I know this. I know this." Applejack groaned. She rubbed her forehead, staring across the tent. "It'll take time to properly gauge who and what Stu Leaves is. I just... j-just reckon I ain't used to bein' like this."
"Being like what?"
Applejack gulped. "Bein' vulnerable."
Rainbow Dash blinked.
"And... knowin' that I'm settin' myself up to be vulnerable... to willfully give another pony my trust... a piece of my heart, if ya will." Applejack winced. "It... it almost feels as if I'm lettin' myself get weak. And... and in all the times I've ever lurved on my family and friends, I... I just never quite felt that before. That surrender. Because... because I know them, Rainbow. But Stu? I'm just startin' to know him. And I fear that I'll hate myself somethin' awful in the future if it turns out to be a big ol' mistake."
Rainbow Dash stared at her... at the bulbs of sweat forming along her temple. At the twinge of fright flickering across her green eyes.
And something melted deep inside the pegasus. It leaked out of her muzzle: "You? Applejack? Weak? Pffft! As if!"
Applejack looked up. "But... but Rainbow—"
"But nothing!" Rainbow Dash felt like she was plunging swiftly into the bottom of a ravine. She did the only thing she knew best in that kind of a situation. She bore a devilish smirk and faced annihilation head-on. "You're as strong and courageous as it gets! What could a silly moron like Stu do to a level-headed mare like you?!"
"But... I ain't exactly feelin' level-headed..."
"That's an easy mistake to make."
"What's that?"
Rainbow exhaled calmly. "Mixing your head up with your heart." She gulped. "But you, AJ? I don't think you have that problem." She shook her head. "I don't think you ever will. Believe me, it sucks."
Applejack's eyes darted. "Huh?"
"Errrrrr..." Rainbow Dash wheezed. "What I mean to say is... is..." She looked off. She closed her eyes. Then, leaning in, she spoke breathily. "I believe in you, Applejack." She reopened her ruby eyes, soft and sensitive. "I always have. Even back when we competed against each other... butted heads... it was just because I knew—deep down—you have more guts than me. You have more guts than anypony. What... what a pony wouldn't give..." She chuckled, shuddering slightly. "...to have even a fraction of what makes you so... so awesome." She clenched her jaw tight, eyes hard and piercing. "I believe you can do better than Stu Leaves. I believe that you deserve better. But that doesn't matter, does it?"
Applejack blinked. "Then... then what does...?"
"What matters is that you're happy," Rainbow Dash said. "And... and whatever happiness you want... that's the kind of happiness that you deserve..." She lost the air in her lungs, and it formed the words: "I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't let you have that."
Applejack gazed at her. "... ... ...it almost... sounds like you've been through what I've been through before."
Rainbow Dash smiled limply. "I've had my ups and downs, sure. But now... more than anything..." She clenched and unclenched her teeth. "...I'm proud to have such good friends. Ponies I can be loyal to. And I want them to be happy." Her eyes met hers. "I want you to be happy. Sure, there's risk involved. But you've got what it takes, Applejack. Don't... d-don't make the mistake of not going for it."
Applejack stared at her. Eventually, her eyes fell. She exhaled through a nervous smile... then exhaled again. "It's... it's that simple, huh?"
"And even if it isn't..." Rainbow Dash smiled through a bit lip. "We're all here for you."
"Yeah... reckon you are, huh?"
Rainbow nodded. "Totally," she said, and it came out easier than she had expected.
Applejack sighed once more, a weight being lifted off her fuzzy shoulders. She brushed her bangs back and smiled towards the corners of the tent. "I... I knew th-there was a reason I could tell you all that, sugarcube." Her freckles reappeared, glinting like stars. "Yer as loyal as they come."
Rainbow existed in a smile. "G-guilty as charged," she breathed.
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This fic can become so frustrating that some times I think is like a drug; I don't enjoy it, I'm just adicted to it. Damn JE, I don't know who has it worst, this RD or Austraeoh.
Dash...Celestia damn it... why? Why can't you take a bit of your own advice?
6814125 ...that could actually be good, since it's sitting next to Dash's personalized saddlebags, same colour as her fur and with her cutie mark as the clasp.
If he does, he might back off a bit.
God jesus damn WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK we were so goddamn fucking close for fucks sake I mean jesus fuckin christ what the shit GOD FUCKING DAMN IT. Ahh well, the silver lining here is the Dash is totally right. Applejack can do a fuckload load better than fuckface stu leaves. I think it would be pretty fantastic if he found the letter and backed off. But I think more likely theyre going to start dating and it will probably seem great but it won't last. Making my bets right now that Applejack won't stick with him, though it would be damn interesting if stu eventually left Applejack, and Dash swooped in. Another chapter another chunk of progress gone! But we push on...
I... I just... Sweet Celestia, Rainbow Dash how can you possibly being going so far forwards and backwards at the same time? With a net gain of zero progress like that it may be safe to say you're the slowest pegasus in Equestria. Take your own Tartarus forsaken advice! It's only too late if you think it's too late, and just because Applejack likes Stu that does not mean it's too late. It may not be a competition but that doesn't make the phrase "winning her heart" meaningless...
Pfergkahndisfjaisidiflaiofadf...
I can't find anything equivalent, so feel free to attribute this to me:
"The mark of a good writer lies in how many howls of frustration are squeezed from the readers."
6814936 The letter was lost eons ago, who knows where it is. My fear is not that he finds it, it's... something else. No, Skirts, I'm not saying shit because knowing you, I'm going to jynx everyone.
SO! Who wants to go to cider space! Fun times can be had there: creating Stu clones, Shattering Stu clones, Endlessly torturing them. I here it's therapeutic.
Needs more alcohol induced confessions on rainbow's part.
6814848 Yeah I'm not sure who has it worse either, Appledashery RD, or us.
On the bright side since the story probably isn't even halfway over hopefully this relationship won't last long. I mean half of the book can't be about AJ and Stu being together... right? Guys?
Oh sweet Celestia no
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/ULTIMATERAGE_zps63c5b168.gif
Put your right hand in, take your right hand out, put your right hand in and grab your fucking heart. Throw it on the floor and dance about, because that's what it's all about.
Well....screw this.
Last hope now is that assertive-new Fluttershy finds out about this and grabs Rainbow Dash, shoves her at Applejack, and screams "START TALKING, NOW." Not likely though.......
edit: You see gentlemen? Girls get friendzoned too
HahahahaHAHAHAFUCK.
Applejack has to suspect, right?
No one talks like that, or with so much intensity, about a close friend. AJ may not be the most perceptive pony, but she's hardly the least. Rainbow barely noticed Fluttershy and Big Mac getting together, yet she's super invested in AJ's not-yet-thing with Stu? Not too hard to read between those lines.
Option A then.
Called it... sort of.
[Screams Internally]
Well y'all Stu blatantly confirmed a changeling right here. Its fine. It's aaaaalllllll fine
This is almost painful to read, now.
Okay, come on, AJ. Dash's body language is described almost entirely as pained, miserable, crushed, any other synonym you can think of... And you still can't see it? You can't see how hurt she is? It's not hard! Just... Ask her if she's alright. Even though she'll probably lie, maybe you'll get some insight and finally get it into your thick skull that she is head over heels for you and that she's dying because of it.
... Am I the only one that thinks Stu would pursue (or let himself be pursued by) Applejack only if dragged kicking and screaming by Rainbow? Were AJ to confess right now (and with nopony else intervening), I'd expect him to drop her off at Rainbow's doorstep/hooves. And even if I'm wrong, Fluttershy's more than ready to be the contingency plan .
PS (and an even more unpopular opinion): After all the character growth Rainbow has gone trough, I wouldn't mind Stujackery at all (and I believe neither does Rainbow on a logical level, even if her emotions will say otherwise).
Uuugh, the hopeless romantic side of me wants to scream your ears off so much right now, Skirts..
6815765 Actually, that's a fair point. We've had Discord, Diamond Dogs, Sunset, Flim and Flam.
We've not yet encountered changelings, have we?
Yes. I'm going to hedge my bets on this.
I wish people in the comments would learn to appreciate the journey of a story instead of blindly raging and wanting to skip straight to the end...
Applejack and Stu are great characters with great scenes and developed emotions. But no, let's all just copy-paste the same hatred every single chapter instead of taking a moment to appreciate the story when it doesn't cater to our desire for nuzzleporn.
6817142
Sometimes wailing and gnashing our teeth are our way of appreciating the journey. It's like a roller coaster: Just because we're screaming bloody murder doesn't mean we aren't having fun.
ABORT MISSION SHIT HITS THE FAN!! I REPEAT!! ABORT MISSION SHIT HITS THE FAN!!!
6817142
Right there with you, though I think we're in the minority. I really wish RD could have taken her own advice sooner, but after all, the joy is in the journey. As it is, I'm inordinately proud of her for handling this maturely.
As for Stu, I honestly like the guy, and I'm happy for him and for AJ. I still believe (or want to believe) that the story will end with RD and AJ actually together (not just platonic cuddles), so I hope for everypony's sake that when the Stu thing goes pear-shaped it does so in a way that is positive for all involved.
...though knowing the author, I'm not placing any bets.
nuzzleporn.
lmao
This puts a whole new meaning to bittersweet.
My heart might have shattered a gazillion times watching Dash suffer inside but at the same time it's also so, so sweet. I love how JE handled this chapter. I don't know a better way RD could've said ... what she needed to say.
And I think just maybe, I wouldn't mind if AppleDash never get together romantically at the end of the story. I think it's more than enough for me to see RD coming to terms with herself and those around her.
Feel like burning in hell