Author's Note: You've all been waiting for this one, and I told you that it would come… so here it is! Twice the humor, three times the lemon, and delectable drama aplenty! (At 130+ reviews on the last story, I think I'm entitled to a little bit of shameless promotion.)

A fair warning to any newcomers:This story is the sequel to "The Rainbow Effect", an AppleDash fic which contains a fair amount of sensuality, as well as a lemon scene. You can expect much of the same in this story, probably more so than in the previous story, so read on with caution. Or anticipation.

Just read on either way.

One final note before the story begins, I'll admit that Twilight's birthday in "Sweet and Elite" kinda had me sweating this chapter… until I got thinking. That episode happened in Season 2, and they never mentioned that it was her first birthday with her friends, which (one would think) would have had a much greater impact on Twilight's overall reaction to the party. I think it's fair to consider that episode to be part of year two of Twilight's life in Ponyville.

Details. Psh.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hasbro, or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Applejack is the single-most underrated pony in the series. These two statements are unrelated in every way, except that they are entirely true. All but one of the above statements was made for entertainment purposes.

"The Twilight Effect"

By: Aquarian Poet

Chapter 1: Dawn of a Brand New Day

The fields of grass and morning dew glittered brightly around the wakingtown of Ponyville. Sunlight danced in between the droplets of water, sparkling and shining throughout the sunny vale in stirring splendor.

The pegasus ponies' rainstorm had finally passed, leaving a numberof leaves and twigs scattered across an otherwise pristine clearing. Birds and animals had long since left their nests to be seendarting and fluttering across the area, foraging through bushes and gathering up the debris with which they could use to repair their nests.

Among the morning wildlife, two ponies walked together underneath a cloudless sky. The sounds of shuffling hooves in the grass and a silent conversation followed closely behind them.

"It was very kind of Big Macintosh to stay up with us as long as he did." an alabaster unicorn quietly remarked.

Her winged companion nodded, watching a pair of squirrels beneath a nearby tree. "Oh yes. He's a very nice pony." was her reply.

The first pony smile wistfully. "He can be quite the gentlestallion… for a pony so rough around the edges." she quickly added, donning a look of indifference.

Fluttershy nodded her head, and the two continued their trot along the pathless hill in silence. The pegasus let her eyes wander across the dewy field, focused in thought.

Earlier, Rarity had arrived at her doorstep to ask her to join her on a morning walk, much to her surprise. It was very unlike her to make impromptu arrangements with her friends, usually planning a get-together days in advance to fit in with her busy schedule. Her proposal was even stranger, considering that the unicorn was not a very early riser, opting to spend long hours into the late-fallen night in studious designing.

In time, Fluttershy came to understand her friend's proposal; she was looking out for her. The previous night had taken a heavy toll on the group, and Rarity had been generous enough to walk the weary pegasus home after they had finished their duties. It was very much like her to be concerned for a friend.

In truth, the two had never taken a morning walk together, and the silence between them did little to stay the memories of the previous night, weighing heavily in her hooves. Still , she had seen no reason to turn her offer down, and had felt that a morning walk would do her good. And even if that was not so, it was her own duty as a friend to make sure that Rarity was well herself.

It had not taken her long to notice her friend's weary demeanor, softened with a practiced grace, but not so much that the pegasus pony was fooled. The bags underneath the seamstress' eyes told the story of a struggle with a sleepless night, the same lonely hours that she herself had spent listening to the sounds of the storm, in which two of her beloved friends were lost.

Fluttershy tiredly shook her mind clear of her thoughts, looking to her side. Rarity was as quiet as she was, head bowed and eyes low to the path. It would not do to give her more reason to worry. The mare sighed, inhaling deeply after a moment. The cool scent of the morning air, lightly laced with the ghost of a rainstorm filled her senses, helping to banish the dark thoughts from her mind.

A pair of butterflies crossed her vision, capturing her attention. Dancing around each other in a pleasing simplicity, she watched as they flit away from the meadow, becoming colored specks as they flew over the edge of a far-off hill…

…to be replaced with two other colored specks slowly cresting the same horizon.

She watched with building hope as two ponies walked side-by-side in equal silence, headed for the town behind her. Fluttershy could only barely make out their faces, weary but relaxed, their eyes locked on the buildings ahead as her own slowly filled with tears. She found herself mirroring their contented expressions as she reached out a hoof to gain Rarity's attention.

Ponyville.

It had been the longest twelve hours that Rainbow Dash could ever remember being away from home. Maybe it was because she had decided to trot alongside her companion in agonizing slowness, instead of opting for her usual speedy methods. Maybe it was because she had dislocated her wing and passed out the previous night before, only to awaken and fall back asleep an eternity later.

More likely than not, it was because she had never expected to return.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash relished in the afterscents of the storm, fresh with the smell of meadow grass and morning dew. Her ears caught the sounds of the wildlife around them, and the sounds of her hooves stepping through the wet grass, alongside the rhythm of another set that matched her own.

A smile broke across the pony's victorious visage. It didn't matter now, all of that was far behind her.

Literally.

She flapped her ears freely in the cooling breeze that picked up around them. Her new marefriend had long since taken her hat back as to not raise any suspicions (or eyebrows) from their friends. Twilight's birthday party was tonight, and there would be plenty of time for explanations afterwards.

She looked to her left, where Applejack was trotting alongside her. The orange cowpony had gone agonizingly quiet at the end of their little… squabble. After retrieving her mud-caked Stetson from the unrepentant pegasus, she had given her a single kiss on the cheek, and walked ahead without another word.

Rainbow Dash, as full of vigor and vitality as always, had found herself exhausted. The walk back had been a quiet one, and she would have been more grateful for the reprieve had she not been so worried the rest of the way back. Applejack was never a pony to toss her words about… but this was different. She almost looked disturbed by something. Removed.

Withdrawn.

The proud pegasus blew her bangs from out of her face as the wind picked up once again. Maybe she was reading too far into things. Everything that needed to be said had already been said between the two the previous night, and a quiet walk together had been enjoyable; a definite change of pace from her hasty nature of doing things.

So with a light smirk on her face and a bounce in her step, the two drew near the waking town in pleasant silence.

Until Applejack let out a shout.

Rainbow Dash turned in time to see a blur of white and purple overtake her friend in a full body tackle.

"Applejack, darling! I-"

That was all she was able to comprehend before catching a flash of yellow and pink in her peripherals. A world-shaking collision later, she found herself blinking away a half second of free-falling surprise, before finding herself back against the cold, dewy grass with a pony on top of her.

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy softly exclaimed, holding the pegasus tightly. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay! We were so worried that something had happened to the both of you!" She placed a hoof atop her forehead. "Oh you shouldn't have gone out into the storm like that. How are you feeling?"

Yesterday, Rainbow Dash would have gently pushed the pegasus pony away, shrugging off the heartfelt gesture. She would have said she was fine, had it not been the day after she had truly convinced herself that she would never see her friends again. Friends that she suddenly came to appreciate so much more.

Any other day, and she would have told her off for being so sensitive.

So she threw all care and conservationto the wind, and hugged her fiercely, eliciting a surprised squeak from the pink-maned pony.

"I'm fine, Fluttershy." she whispered, biting back tears and basking in the kindness and concern radiating from the yellow mare, cracking an eye open to see an exasperated Applejack shoving Rarity from off of her. "Better than ever, really."

"I'm so glad. We all missed you so much yesterday. Oh Rainbow Dash, I was so scared that… you were, well… p-please don't do that again." the pegasus silently pleaded.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart spilling over, as well as her resolve to keep her tears at bay, giving the sisterly mare a tighter hug.

"I can't believe I ever thought of leaving you guys." she murmured into her mane.

"Huh?"

The blue pony sniffed. "Nothing." she replied, smiling.

Eventually, the two ponies withdrew themselves from their newfoundfriends, standing across from the two, side-by-side. Rarity timidly spoke up after a lengthy pause.

"So, the two of you have had… time, to sort things out?"

Rainbow Dash grinned as she wiped a hoof under her nose, throwing her other around Applejack's shoulder. "Yeah, we're cool now. We just needed a little time to… make things right."

Applejack chuckled, returning the gesture with a smile of her own. "We're just peachy, Rarity."

The unicorn sighed, her posture becoming noticeably straighter. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." she breathed.

Fluttershy let out a quiet noise from her side, gathering the other ponies' attention. "Umm, w-would you two… like to come with us? Me and Rarity were about to head back to the barn, to finish getting ready for Twilight's birthday party." she asked, looking hopeful.

Applejack withdrew her hoof from the pegasus pony's shoulder. "Why of course we will! We made a mess o' things last night, an 'I reckon we made a big enough scene t'keep y'all from getting everythin' done. I saw we… uhh, you gals hear somethin'?" Applejack stopped, one ear raised and looking side to side.

*THUMP*

"Ow!"

"Ouch."

*GASP!* "You found Rainbow Dash! You found her! -" The pink pony's tirade was cut short as a cyan-colored hoof was forced against her mouth, the offending pony not bothering to look up.

"Hey there, Pinks. We're back."

Pinkie Pie hopped off of the two flattened ponies as they began brushing themselves off, standing up to face the pink pony who was avoiding the orange mare's gaze.

"Applejack..." Pinkie Pie began. "I'm really, really sorry about yesterday. We found your hat, and I didn't think about finding you and returning it." She sniffed, wiping a hoof across her nose. "I-I just wanted to have some fun with Rainbow Dash, but I should have-"

"Hey, none of that now." The orange mare interjected softly, moving in with Rainbow Dash to hug the pony, stroking a tear away from Pinkie Pie's face. "Y'all didn't do anything wrong. You were just wantin' in on a little bit o' fun, an' things got outta control between me and Rainbow. T'aint your fault in the least, sugarcube."

Pinkie Pie sniffed, and returned the two mare's embrace, at which point Fluttershy and Rarity joined in, completing the silent group hug. The five friends held fast to one another, not a word passing between them as each one of them relished in the joy of being reunited once-

"Oh come on! That's like the fifth hug I've seen since I got here!"

All five ponies let out a startled shout, whipping around to see a small baby dragon standing a few yards away, tapping a clawed foot impatiently.

"Spike! W-what are you doing here?" Rarity stammered, smiling innocently. Spike folded his arms in annoyance, addressing the unicorn with uncharacteristic touchiness.

"I've been looking all over for you guys! I just wanted to let you know what Twilight's going to be doing today, so you'll know when to invite her to the surprise party. But geez, you girls are so sappy." he groaned, sticking his tongue out and pointing a finger to his mouth.

The five ponies stared at him, blinking.

"Wait, you knew that we were throwin' a party for Twilight? This whole time?" Applejack asked, shakily. The baby dragon nodded his head, huffing.

"B-But how? Twilight never told any of us when her birthday is."

"Rainbow Dash had to fly all the way to Canterlot to find somepony who did! She couldn't possibly be expecting one!"

"Oh, she's not."

A five-part, dissonant 'Huh?' reached the dragon's ears before he continued.

"Nope! She's definitely not expecting one. Geez, I can't even remember the last time we actually celebrated her birthday. She would always hole herself up in the Canterlot library, studying whatever new books her parents and Princess Celestia sent her." Spike paused, snorting. "But some ponies…" he trailed off, eyeing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, both looking sheepish. "…almost blew it yesterday."

"How so?" Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow at the two ponies.

"Well, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were acting really strange yesterday, and carrying two pairs of saddlebags somewhere in a hurry. Pinkie Pie's was full of markers." The dragon lifted two sets of two fingers up, and placed them side-by-side, arching an eyebrow for emphasis. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. Thankfully she's none the wiser. She thought you two were playing a game of hide-and-seek, though she was wondering why Rainbow Dash was wearing Applejack's hat."

Three of the ponies turned towards Rainbow Dash, who shrunk on the spot, albeit with a cheeky grin.

"Eh heh. Just a… friendly prank?"

Applejack snorted from beside her, concealing a smile.

"Well then, things seem to have taken a turn for the better!" Rarity suddenly interjected from the group, standing upright. "Alright girls, we still have work to do! Let's head back to the barn and get everything ready so we can all enjoy the night together!"

The other ponies let out a cheer, raising a hoof into the air and doubling back towards the town. Rarity suddenly slowed her pace after a few steps.

"And Applejack? Rainbow Dash?" She paused, prompting the two headstrong mares to halt. "It's… good to see you two back again." she admitted, turning back with a smile. The ponies gave her a modest grin, tilting their heads toward each other.

…before Rarity's smile disappeared.

"But first we need to get you two cleaned up! I mean really, you're both filthy and smell absolutely horrendous! Honestly, did you two get into a mud-fight on the way back?" she snapped, trotting back in the direction of Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack shared a look.

"Alright gals, so what's left to do?" asked Applejack, her clean orange coat gleaming brightly in the sunlight as she led the group of ponies into the barn.

"Let me see..." Rarity horn lit up, a red pince-nez and clipboard gracefully soaring out of the saddlebags on her back and in front of her eyes. "Hmm… Pinkie Pie already left to pick up a piñata from Sugarcube Corner, and I will be going after her shortly to assist her in moving the cake to the barn. All that's really left to take care of would be the… streamers. We finished most everything else..." she trailed off, looking uneasy.

A knowing smile crossed Applejack's face as she walked up beside her, looking around. "Well it looks like y'all did a fine job without us after all."

Rarity smiled gratefully, blushing and clearing her throat.

"So, once you three are finished here, that should be everything. Fluttershy will be attending to her animal friends for the remainder of the afternoon, so the two of you will need to be someplace I can find you, to let you know what time the party will be starting after I talk with Spike."

"Sounds like a plan. Me an' Rainbow Dash will be at home gettin' ready." the Stetson-clad pony replied, eyes locked on the rafters. "Just holler fer us when you get the details."

The unicorn's eye twitched, though her smile remained genial. "Yes, *ahem* I'll… 'holler' for you two." she muttered.

As Rarity left through the open doorway, Rainbow Dash looked up into the rafters, and back to Applejack, whose stare was still held high, seemingly lost in thought. "You know what Fluttershy…" Rainbow Dash began. "We've got this covered. Why don't you go ahead and leave this to us?"

"Oh, a-are you sure?" she asked.

Applejack broke her gaze for a moment, giving her attention to the pegasus ponies.

"Sure I'm sure! It doesn't take three ponies to do a job like this! Not when you've got me here!" Rainbow Dash declared, striking a pose.

Fluttershy looked to Applejack for a second opinion, who nodded in agreement.

"It's alright, Fluttershy. We all know that you've got a mighty big job to do, takin' care of all those critters, and you gals did a fine job without us last night. Me an' Rainbow Dash can finish this up lickety-split." Applejack lightly nudged her fellow pegasus pony. "Get on up there."

"You got it!"

Fluttershy stood in place, her pink mane tousling in the wind as Rainbow Dash took off in a blur. An uncertain look spread across her face, disappearing quickly as Applejack looked back to her, smiling.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine."

With that, she quickly galloped over to the pile of streamers on the floor on the other side of the room, leaving the yellow pegasus at the foot of the door. She watched as Applejack took a line of streamers, and began swinging it in a hoop, tossing it up to her pegasus friend like a lasso. Applejack then turned back to look at her once more, giving her a small wink. The corners of her mouth creasing upwards, Fluttershy nodded, and trotted out of the barn.

Applejack's smiled followed her out the door, slowly dropping as she turned her attention to the other pegasus in the vicinity. Rainbow Dash gleefully looped around another set of rafters above her, a stream of colored ribbons weaving close behind.

"Alright, toss me another one!" she suddenly called out.

Wordlessly the orange pony took another roll, and began swinging the colorful line as per her fashion, before tossing it upwards. The bright blue pegasus deftly caught the colorful line in her mouth and continued her duty.

Applejack exhaled, leaning against a nearby table and watching the pony soaring high above her. She hadn't sat down since she woke up next to her feathered friend early this morning, and was slowly becoming aware of a dull pain arising from the bottom of her legs. There was work to be done, however, and she did not plan on forgoing her duties any longer.

Still, it was good that everything was finally coming together. In less than half a day, Twilight would walk through the door behind her, and into a night that she would remember for the rest of her life.

The orange pony allowed herself to smile, looking towards the table at a spot where a large birthday cake would soon complete the festive scene. Just a little while longer and all of their hard work would pay off in full. The thought of her friend glowing with surprise, and a night of nothing but festivities was more than enough to whisk away the dull ache in her hooves.

Not to mention that it felt good to work with Rainbow Dash like this.

Her smile faded away as her expression turned blank.

'For once.'

"Those ponies sure outdid themselves last night." she suddenly mused aloud, her tone low.

"Uh-huh." Rainbow Dash replied through her teeth, soaring across another wooden support. Applejack willed her focus towards the décor, readjusting her hat and bringing it up a ways to better view the barn as a whole.

It suddenly struck Applejack just how much had been done while the two had gone missing. The hay floor beneath them was clean of dirt or rocks, a chore that Applejack knew better than anypony was more than tedious. Up on the ceiling, a large number of party balls had been set up. The task had been meticulously done, scattered in various places around the ceiling, the largest of which had been strategically placed above the door and around the table where the cake would sit.

Applejack followed the wiring that connected each colored ball on the ceiling, converging to a single line that dangled almost invisibly in the center of the large room, one tug of which would rain streamers and confetti down onto the unwitting unicorn when she walked inside the barn.

'Fluttershy must have spent a long time on those.' she thought to herself. Suddenly, she felt much better that the two had relieved the shy pegasus from finishing up.

But better didn't necessarily mean 'good'.

"Applejack."

The hat-clad pony jumped in surprise as her eyes snapped back up, her full attention on the pegasus pony standing in front of her, no longer soaring around the wooden supports.

"Yeah?"

Rainbow Dash slowly trotted forwards, frowning. "You know, there's a reason I suggested we let Fluttershy off. We need to talk."

The orange pony recoiled slightly. "A-About what?"

"About you!" The pegasus pony stopped a few feet away, pointing an accusing hoof in her direction. "Applejack, you're starting to scare me! You've been spacing out all day, and you've hardly said a word to me since we got here! What gives?"

Applejack froze up. "I'm… I, uh… just… it's nothing." she stammered, wincing. Rainbow Dash hung her head low.

"Look, I might not be smartest pony on the block…"

"True." The orange pony admitted, before quickly biting her tongue. Rainbow Dash took the word in stride, walking up her and putting her hooves around the pony, bringing their faces close.

"…but if something has my marefriend all worked up like this, I'd be really stupid not to notice." she finished quietly. "Come on AJ. Please… talk to me."

Applejack sucked in a shaky breath. She brought her gaze up to the pegasus' face, taking a glance into violet-tinted windows of concern, before looking away with a hopeless grimace. Sighing, she sat down and slowly leaned forward into the embrace.

"Rainbow." she started. "This… this ain't gonna work."

"What isn't?"

"You… an' me. We can't be like this. We just… we aren't like this."

The barn had gone completely silent, for the length of a breaking heartbeat."You mean… you're having second… d-did I do something-"

"No!" Applejack cried, lunging towards the pegasus and holding her tight. "Oh no… you haven't done anything wrong, and I ain't never gonna regret this. Never." She whispered, nestling her face into the crook of her neck. "That wasn't what I meant. I-I just meant that… this isn't us, Rainbow."

The pegasus held her breath, waiting patiently until Applejack continued.

"I… I wasn't kidding… when I said that you always end up breakin' or twistin' somethin' fer us to have a tender moment." She let out a weary chuckle. "Sometimes it's yer wing, sometimes it's yer leg, and even though you don't mean to…" Her grip suddenly tightened.

"…sometimes it's my heart."

She felt the pegasus pony's grip tighten.

"But it ain't your fault!" She quickly stated, sighing after a moment's pause. "Look at us now, Rainbow. When was the last time we were workin' together like this? There ain't no two ponies that get into brawls and fights like we do."

"Applejack."

"I can be such a stubborn pony when I don't feel like I'm doin' my best, an' I let my heart get stiff as a board." Her voice started to quaver, growing in volume. "I got so worked up about the party that I just about wrecked everything between us. Yellin' and hollerin' at you, callin' you 'worthless', I-I never felt so sick in my life!"

"But-"

"The whole thing was my fault from the start! I could'a gotten both of us killed in that storm!" Her voice grew hysterical. "If I hadn't found you when I did, y-you'd be dead right now!"

"Applejack!"

"IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!" she screamed, pushing the pegasus away and flying to her hooves, her hat falling to the floor. Rainbow Dash raised her head from the floor, looking up toward the orange pony in shock, her tear-stricken visage twisted with regret.

"Even after I found you, an' after everything that happened back there, I still tried t'get you all riled up, Rainbow Dash!" she shouted, tears trailing from her freckled eyes. "I was so happy, Rainbow! I was so… happy! We were finally together, an' the first thing I do is provoke you! It wasn't even twelve hours after we kiss n' told that we got into a fight, right outside the cave!"

Applejack shut her eyes tight, stomping the ground.

"Don'tcha get it, Rainbow? You an' me are always getting' into fights or arguments! W-We can't even have a game o' horseshoes without one of us tryin' t'start somethin'! How… how are we gonna make this work? H-How are we s'posed to keep a re… relation…us together?"

She brought a hoof up to cover her face, quietly sobbing as she continued in a subdued voice.

"I-I know things always work out fer us in the end, and that it's usually all in good fun, but we fight so much… a-and it hurts so much. I'm just so worried that the next time we get into a fight… it's gonna hurt a lot more, an' I don't know if I'll be able to keep my head, now that we're… t-that the two of us..."

The hatless pony collapsed to the floor, bitterly weeping into her hooves. Rainbow Dash slowly moved up to her and reached out a hoof, before finding Applejack wrapped tightly around her neck, pouring tears into her rainbow mane.

The pegasus remained silent, pondering her words and waiting until Applejack's shuddering breaths had begun to slow down, resting her head against the earth pony's as she spoke again.

"I told you a long time ago that you're my best friend, Rainbow." she choked. "And friendship has gone and given way t'love for us. But now, I've gotta be better for you. Better for us. 'Cause now that I've got you…" she wept, her voice a strained whisper.

"I'm just so afraid of losin' you again."

The trembling of her body suddenly ceased, as she felt a warm hoof trailing upwards along her neck, and resting against her cheek.

"Applejack."

She blinked at how soft the voice spoke her name. Her gaze darted upward, desperate green eyes meeting a passionate pair of violets that stared back for a fraction of a second, before closing and moving forward, as Rainbow Dash placed a gentle kiss on her quivering lips.

The touch immediately banished away the fear and remorse that she held in her heart. Lost from her own worry, Applejack closed her own eyes, leaving her hesitance behind and allowing herself to be found by the sweet enrapture brought from her feathered friend's soft-lipped reassurance.

The pegasus pony slowly pulled away, their noses lightly pressed together. Applejack began to stand up.

"Rainbow Da-"

"Sit down."

Applejack blinked. She opening her mouth to protest, and found herself mute as she found herself staring into a pair of glaring violets. The look softened instantly, and she watched as her face lowered itself to her shoulder, lightly pressing against her collarbone, and effectively bringing her down to the floor on her haunches. She felt Rainbow Dash wrap her hooves down her front, resting her face against her neck.

"Take it from me, Applejack. You're making way too big of a deal of this."

"Rainbow..."

She nipped at the orange pony's neck, stopping her interjection.

"Just hear me out for a second." The pegasus sighed. "What happened back there, that was nothing. That was just us… being us."

Applejack made a motion to speak, but found the words locked inside of her throat, where Rainbow Dash continued her tender administrations.

"Ever since Twilight came to Ponyville, I've been learning a whole lot of stuff. Not just about friendship, or loyalty, but about myself. Things that I haven't realized until either her… or you pointed them out.

She paused, struggling with the words that came next.

"I… don't always think things through. When I see something that I want, I go for it, and I'll do anything it takes to win it. And sometimes I don't think about what would happen if I did." Rainbow Dash chuckled dryly. "You'd probably know that better than anyone else." she remarked, placing a kiss on a particular spot on Applejack's cheek, one that suddenly tingled with the familiar pain of a tree branch smacking into her.

"I'm not very patient. I don't always take the time to listen to what other ponies have to say, even if it's something that I need to hear… especially if it's something I don't want to hear. And because of that, I'm pretty sure that the fights we get into… are usually because of me."

"But you know something? Whenever I've been around you, I've always liked bragging, and a lot of the time I've gone out of my way to try and start something with you." Rainbow Dash sniffed. "You know why?"

Applejack mutely shook her head.

"Because that night, the first night that we camped out in the orchard together… you gave me hope." she stated, her voice beginning to crack. "I was a complete wreck. I'd never felt so worthless in my life, and for the first time, somepony actually believed that I was worth something. I wanted to show you that I could be just as tough a mare as you knew I could be." She closed her eyes. "I'd always get into fights with you, because I've always had the most to prove to you."

Applejack closed her own eyes, one last tear making its way down her cheek.

"But now, being with you like this…" Rainbow Dash sniffed, lightly nudging her nose against Applejack's tear-streaked cheek. "I feel so… real. I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anypony, because maybe… just maybe, if I can win myself a marefriend as amazing as you, then maybe I've really got something to brag about."

Applejack smiled as she felt Rainbow Dash's hoof wipe the tear away, chuckling as she leaned further into the embrace. Rainbow Dash nuzzled her hatless mane, inhaling deeply before putting her chin on top of her head. "You're right, we do fight a lot. Best friends fight all the time, and something tells me that we're still going to get into fights, for one reason or another."

Rainbow Dash tightened her grip around Applejack's torso. "But this is us, Applejack. We've been best friends since day one, and we've stayed that way for all this time. We didn't get to be like this by fighting all the time. We got this way… because we love each other."

A settling peace descended around the cowpony as she listened to the pegasus' words.

"It's only been a day, you know. I understand why you're upset right now, but just… stop being so hard on yourself. We've still got time to be us, Applejack." Rainbow Dash smirked from above her head. "And as unbelievable as it sounds, I think you are good enough for me."

The silent remnantsof a laugh and a sob emerged from the orange pony in her embrace, the full of her weight settling against her as she finally relaxed.

"Thanks, Dash. I… I really needed to hear that."

Rainbow Dash gave Applejack a light squeeze, before releasing her and bending down from their shared position, picking the hat up in her teeth, and gingerly placing it back on Applejack's head.

"You're right, Rainbow." The orange pony said, taking off her Stetson and fondly brushing off the dust and the hay from the brim. "It's only been a day. I got a little… carried away, what with everythin' that's been goin' on."

"Yeah, just a little."

Applejack chuckled, kissing the underside of Rainbow Dash's chin. "Alright then. Whaddya say we finish up here, an' then settle ourselves down a bit fer the afternoon?"

Rainbow Dash silently nodded, trotting to the side with a smile as Applejack passed her, and watched as she took a long line of streamers from the floor, beginning to work out the tangles and knots…

The two ponies worked in silence the next hour. The pile of streamers grew steadily shorter as Applejack attended to the unwinding and untangling of the colorful decorations. Rainbow Dash either soared high above her with the colored cords, or watched the earth pony work in pleasant silence, waiting patiently for the next streamer to be done.

A small yawn escaped Applejack as she reached for one of the final lines of colored paper.

"…I reckon we'll have enough time to take a little nap before heading' down to the party tonight."

"Good idea." Rainbow Dash replied from the table, stretching as she mimicked the contagious gesture. "Mind if I join you?"

Applejack blinked, her cheeks tinting pink. "That, uh… wasn't exactly what I meant."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I was talking about the streamers." she remarked, gazing at the tangle of colored paper in her hooves, while the corners of her mouth slowly creased upwards into a smirk.

The orange pony blinked, looking sheepish. "R-Right, sorry." she replied, turning back to the streamers with a blush.

"No-no-no, I completely understand." came a coy reply from the scratchy voice behind her. "I almost forgot, you never really got your 'stress relief', did you?" The voice had moved closer, her hot breath brushing against her ear with each word.

Applejack slowly turned her gaze behind her, her face heating up as she met a pair of pegasus eyes, staring back at her with a mischievous, purple gleam. "T-That'd kinda defeat the point of 's-settlin' down', don'tcha think?" she stammered.

Rainbow Dash grinned at the reaction, holding the pony's wavering stare for a moment before replying. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I think I'd be a little too much for you to handle right now, so I'll just let you get back to work…" She trailed off, unfolding her wings in a flaring sweep before sauntering off towards a pile of streamer rolls witha flick of her rainbow tail, a noticeable sway in her hips.

Only to find her perfidious progression come to a halt, as a lasso of streamers roped themselves around her torso, bringing her rump to the ground and her hooves bound to her sides. A quick jerk later, and Rainbow Dash found herself in front of Applejack, and at the mercy of two hooves delivering a wonderful pressure to her shoulders.

"Now I jus' might take you up on that little challenge right now, if that's how you're gonna be…" came a husky whisper to her ear.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, and her rebuttal was replaced with a low moan as her hooves worked their way over her shoulders, past her wings and down to her lower back. Applejack grinned.

"I daresay Rainbow Dash, at this rate it'll be two t'nothin'. You've got some catchin' up to do."

Rainbow Dash let out a groan of content as Applejack's hooves drew nearer to her flank. "You know better than anypony else that I hate losing."

Rainbow Dash suddenly whipped around, and kissed Applejack hard! The cowpony's grip slackened instantly, the colorful bonds loosening from around the pegasus pony enough for her to wrap her hooves around the stricken mare. Rainbow Dash quickly traced her way down her back and against her rear, kneading her hooves into her apple-flanked hips.

The Stetson-clad pony gasped, the act of which caused her mouth to open ever so slightly, just enough for Rainbow Dash to dart her tongue inside, capturing Applejack's and entrancing the earth pony in a fiery dance, the two ponies sharing the searing heat, sharing the same breath…

Rainbow Dash pulled back from the kiss, prompting Applejack to open her eyes, mouth slightly open and still quivering with passion as her swimming vision filled with violet mischief, the pegasus pony no longer faking entrancement.

"Yep, definitely too much for you to handle."

Tongue-tied and fiercely flushed, the orange pony helplessly sat in place as Rainbow Dash softly kissed her cheek, and slowly unwrapped the rest of the streamers from off of her body. A sly wink and a chuckle later, she took flight once more, the colored lines trailing loosely behind.

Applejack sat silently in place for a minute longer, before letting her head droop, readjusting her hat and speaking upafter her heart had settled enough for her voice to stop rattling.

"Jus' when did you get t'be such a tease, Rainbow Dash?"

She heard a cackling laugh above her. "Aww come on, you've always brought out the best in me!" came a cheerful reply, somewhere above her.

"Shh, they're going to hear us!"

"Ow! Rarity!

"Sorry."

"Ooh! They're coming, they're coming!"

"I reckon it might be in here, Twi. Might've left it on the table in the barn, why I didn't even know it was your birthday till this mornin'!"

"Applejack, you really didn't have to get me anything."

"Well shewt, why not? You're my friend, ain'tcha?

*Creeeeak…*

*clop… clop… clop clop*

"It's too dark in here, I can't see any-"

*click*

*POOF!*

"SURPRISE!"

Twilight Sparkle suddenly found herself on her haunches, stunned and otherwise baffled as the lights turned on, her five friends flanking her from every which way and drawing her into the middle of a massive, confetti-covered group hug.

"Happy birthday, sugarcube!"

"Happy birthday, Twilight!"

"Hee hee! *snort* We got you good!"

"Ow! Rarity, that's my tail!"

"Sorry. Again."

Twilight looked around at her friends in disbelief. "Y-You guys… threw me a… birthday party?"

"Of course!" Fluttershy stated from the side, beaming.

"We sure did!" Pinkie Pie chirped from over the pegasus pony's shoulder.

Applejack was the first to pull away from the hug. "Well, wouldj'a look at that. Guess I really did leave it on the table." she playfully observed. Her vision blurry from the sudden lightand the tears in her eyes, Twilight looked to the middle of the room and saw a large table, half covered in presents and half covered in plates, cups, and a cake bearing a frosty caricature of the guest of honor.

"I can't believe that you guys went through all of the trouble… to throw me a party!"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity started from the side, dramatically offended. "Could you really expect any less from your best friends?"

The cowpony grinned, lifting a hoof to center her party hat. "Y'all live in Ponyville now, sugarcube. You shouldn't be too surprised."

"Yeah! We've only gotten to throw you one party so far!" Rainbow Dash piped from her side.

The unicorn smiled at the two while Pinkie Pie enthusiastically bounced over to her, giggling as she slid a sparkle-adorned party hat on top of her head.

"Thank you guys. This is wonderfull! I don't even know what to say!"

"How about-"

"Enough chit-chat!" Pinkie Pie called out, her face aglow in seriousness. "There's a slice of cake with your face on it, with my name on it!" she declared, pumping a hoof into the air as the other ponies let out a cheer.

"It's party time!"

Woo-hoo! Author's notes! It's been a while since I've written any of these!

Oh it's good to be back! I went one week. One entire week without writing, and it was miserable. It can be a pain to write, but even more of a pain to keep my finger from hitting the Instant Launch button on my laptop for more than a day.

Truth be told, I had originally planned to turn this chapter into the epilogue for the last story, but I decided against it. It's high time that I got this story in the works, and I don't plan on keeping you waiting any longer than necessary!

So some of you were probably hoping to see the party. Well, you will next chapter! I simply felt that this story needed one more gritty scene before I could move the storyline along. Next chapter, the pieces are going to be put into play, and the plot will begin to unravel!

And the next chapter after that? Well… I can guarantee that some of you will be VERY excited for what lies ahead. ^_~

So, chances are that I'll be posting a series of short stories in-between chapters of this story. Most of these stories are close to being completed, so don't expect to wait too long for an update to this one. I'm sure I'll toss out a story or two that will catch your attention, so go ahead and give them a chance!

And finally, It's been far too long since I've heard from many of you, and I'm dying to know what you think of the first chapter to this story… so please, read and review!

(Or just send me a P.M. to my Inbox.)