Rainbow Dash flew to Sweet Apple Acres to join in conversation with the humblest, bravest, sweetest, most dependable and beautiful mare in all of Ponyville.
So maybe she just needed a sec.
Around two o’clock in the afternoon, Rainbow Dash found herself perched atop a lone cloud hovering within whistle-shot of the homely farmstead and its glistening apple orchards. It only took Rainbow five minutes to become anxiously self-aware of how lonely that cloud was, and the weather flier shot north and south specifically to grab two more clusters of mist to park around the spot so that it looked slightly less conspicuous.
At thirty minutes pass two, Rainbow was still there, staring down at the crops, pretending to be doing anything else than what she really was--which was hovering above the property like an obsessed stalker.
“Get it together, ya feather brain!” Rainbow Dash smacked herself in the skull. “She’s totally just your friend!” She smacked herself in the skull again. “All you wanna do is ask her about what happened over the past day and a half. If anypony would know, it’s Applejack!” Another thwack. “Face it! The pony likes being honest! Of course she’d give it to you straight!”
Silence.
Rainbow suddenly winced and grabbed her stinging skull.
“Owchies… nnngh… darn it! Why is this so hard for me?! She’s only Applejack!”
Just then, a glint of golden light flickered from down below. With a swish of an angelically blond mane, the mare in question trotted out of her barn with a crate full of empty baskets. She parked the thing by the side of the road and trotted around the back of the wagon, making sure the thing was latched up tight. As she paused for a breath in the warm afternoon sun, she stripped her hat off an fanned herself, straightening her glistening bangs as she smirked into the serenity of the moment. Rainbow Dash was certain she could smell the faint musk of sweat and playful scent of apples from dozens of feet up.
She blinked, then draped forward onto the edge of cloud with a prolonged sigh. “Yeahhhhh… she’s only Applejack…” the pegasus cooed, her blue smile being smooshed by the surface of the cloud. Her ruby eyes positively sparkled upon the sight of her, and it took a great deal of strength--and time--to sit herself upright once more. “Grgggh… Keep it together. Must ask her about this weekend. Must… ask about…”
Applejack opened a tool crate at the edge of the barn. She bent over and leaned her forward half into the trunk, rummaging around for a particular farm accessory as her tail swished back and forth. The crimson apples of her cutie mark glistened with perspiration across her supple, curved flank--
Rainbow Dash couldn’t see anymore because she had plastered her blue hooves over her eyes, forcing them shut. “We hung out this weekend. We went out for some cider.” She chanted. “We hung out this weekend. We went out for some cider. We…” Rainbow’s muzzle scrunched up cutely beneath her forelimbs. Her nostrils sniffed, as if imagining the aroma of the beverage as it hovered just beneath her noze. “We… talked… over cider… and Applejack…” She lowered her hooves, gazing calmly into the farmland surrounding her honest marefriend below. “...Applejack’s voice rang in my ears…”
Rainbow’s pupils enlarged as a warm breath softly left her lungs.