"The Twilight Effect"

By: Aquarian Poet

Chapter 3: Letting Off Some Steam

*Crash!*

*C-Clang!*

"Ooh, git back here little filly!"

*Thump!*

"Outta the way Apple Bloom!"

Big Macintosh sniffed, rolling over in his bed and staring up at the ceiling, drearily listening to the muffled cacophony of shouts and smashing of furniture from the hallway just outside his room. He winced as a clatter of hooves clamored past his doorway for what he counted to be the tenth time, just a few too many for the silent stallion.

Blinking away the hazy remnants of a good night's sleep, the large red pony stretched out across his bed, before slowly slumping out of the sheets, letting out a low groan as his hooves connected with the wooden floor. He began a lazy trot towards the doorway, and with a gentle push the wooden object swayed open before him, allowing the stallion to tiredly peer down the hallway, eyes crinkled with morning fatigue.

They quickly shot wide open, however, as an orange blur raced past his vision, followed by a gust of wind that nearly tore the tired pony from out of his own bedroom. Big Macintosh was left blinking at an empty hallway. Blowing the hair out of his eyes, he slowly walked out of his room, and started down the stairs. The remnants of a windstorm met his gaze as he reached the bottom, papers twirling in the wake of his sister, amidst an array of overturned furniture and debris.

The clattering sounds of pans then drew his attention towards the kitchen, where Apple Bloom was standing just outside, peering through the entryway with innocent interest. Walking up to her, he gave the filly a nudge, and the two rounded the corner, entering the kitchen in time to see the orange pony diving beneath the kitchen table, reappearing on the other side with a wide-eyed look.

For only a moment though, as the hatless pony quickly ducked with a yelp as a metal object sailed towards her, held within an old, green mare's outstretched hoof.

"C'mon Granny, I'm fine I tell you! It's been two whole days!" Applejack cried, back-paddling away from a fierce pair of sunset-red and yellow orbs that glared at her from the other side of the table.

"Nonsense! Yew could've caught yer death out there! There's no tellin' when you're gonna show the symptums!"

Applejack gulped, her eyes shifting left and right as the elderly mare made her way around the left side of the table, drawing closer and closer. Without warning, she quickly dashed forward and leapt over the large wooden object with a shout. The room shook as she landed hard on all fours, and she galloped past her two puzzled siblings at full speed into the living room.

The few picture frames and potted plants that had survived their first encounter with the orange mare quivered in the draft the hasty pony left in her wake as she screamed for the exit. Throwing the door open and hopping outside, she shut it tight within the same second, slamming her back against the door. The orange pony slumped down onto the cobblestone pathway, sighing with relief.

…before a syrup-laden spoon entered the cowpony's now-open mouth, the taste of the contents quickly causing Applejack's eyes to skew in sourness, leaving her gagging and sputtering on the floor in misery.

"Bleck! Ugh! *Cough cough* Why… *cough* why did I even need that? I hadn' even *cough* coughed once!"

"Better safe than sorry, little missy!"

The orange mare sat up after the taste had receded, holding her spinning head with half-lidded eyes while shooting a glowering stare towards the door as a bout of snickering reached her ears.

"Gee big brother, Granny Smith sure can move fast!" Apple Bloom giggled from the now-open doorway. The red stallion smirked beside her.

"Eeyup."

Applejack groaned, shaking her head before a sharp pain caused her to let out another shout. Granny Smith withdrew the wooden spoon from the top of the orange pony's hatless mane, leveling her with a look of her own.

"An' it serves you right for makin' us worry like ya did, runnin' off in the middle of a storm like that!" Granny Smith chided. Applejack let out an apologetic sigh, wearily rubbed her throbbing head.

"Look, I told y'all that I'm sorry… but I had to go find Rainbow Dash. We got into a fight, an' I did her wrong, really wrong. An' when I found her, the storm was jus' too dangerous fer us t'try an' get back home. We had t'find shelter, so we spent the night in…"

She paused. "…under a tree."

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "A tree."

"Uhh, yeah. A tree."

…

"Ms. Cheerilee says that's the worst place fer you to be in a lightnin' storm! 'Cept… maybe a lake." the filly cried, ignoring Applejack's deadpan look as she brought a hoof to her mouth. "Or on top of a mountain. Or maybe on one of them big metal rods that-"

"Alright, I get it."

Big Macintosh stepped outside, clearing his throat. "Then why didn't you come home las' night?"

Applejack shifted side-to-side, looking uncomfortable. "I offered t'help Twilight carry her presents on back home. She had a lot of stuff t'carry all by herself. You know how many gifts we tend t'give each other."

The red stallion nodded. "Eeyup."

"Well, she didn't want me walkin' all across Ponyville in the dark. She insisted on me spendin' the night there." She frowned, looking down to the ground and avoiding the varying gazes from her family. "I'm really sorry that I didn't tell ya, I swear I didn' mean t'make y'all so worried about me."

Granny Smith's wrinkled face stretchedup into a smile, taking a seat at her side. "Aww, it's alright little filly. Yer all grown up now, an' you can go to an' fro whenever you please. Y'just picked a bad time t'disappear is all."

"I promise it won't happen again. Thanks Granny." the cowpony said, taking her hoof. The old mare reached her other arm out, and took the cowpony in a quick hug.

"Well then, why don'tcha go on out an' start geettin' them apple buckets ready."

Applejack smiled gratefully, rising to her hooves. "I reckon I'll need an early start, but I've got to do something first. I'll get to it soon enough, don'tcha worry." she said with a wink.

Her family nodded in tandem, smiling as they filed their way back through the doorway. The orange cowpony turn towards the rising sun with a grin of her own, and started away from the door.

Before she could round the corner, she heard a high-pitched voice call out from behind her.

"Hey Applejack, where's yer hat?"

The cowpony froze in her tracks. "Oh, I-I think I left it at Twilight's. Musta forgot t'bring it back with me."

"Oh, alright. Bye Applejack!"

"Have fun at school, Apple Bloom." the orange mare called back, a gentle smile on her face as she watched the filly close the door behind her.

Blowing a few strands of her sun-bleached hair from her face, she started down the cobblestone path, walking beneath the white rounded gate. Passing a pile of hay bales, the pony trotted up to the back of the barn, and stopped in front of the large double-door. Raising an orange hoof, she pushed it open with a heavy creak, and peered inside.

The blue morning glow filtered in through the doorway, revealing a scene that still tickled the back of her mind with memories. Streamers and ribbons glowed in the traces of dawn leaking in from behind her. The half-eaten cake still sat on the large table in the center of the room, surrounded by cups, plates and a blanket of confetti littering the ground.

A gust of wind blew in from the doorway, tousling the decorations strung across the banisters and tossing her ponytail to the side. A few streamers fell from the top of the room, falling down to the floor in a colorful twirl.

Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the table, and dove into her work.

A half an hour passed, quickly turning into an hour, and before long the orange pony found herself dropping the last of the paper plates into a nearby garbage sack with a satisfied sigh.

Taking a moment to re-compose herself, Applejack stretched forward across the ground with a groan of content, raising her head to take the string of the garbage bag in her mouth. Pulling it taunt, she tossed the large sack beside the others, and turned to examine her progress.

The barn looked even better than it had before the ponies had prepared it for Twilight's party. The tables were clean and clear of the plates and punch-filled glasses, the latter of which were neatly stacked beside the doorway for Pinkie Pie to collect later in the day. All of the confetti and party favors had been swept and collected into the garbage sacks, and a quick take upwards revealed the banisters to be free of the colorful streamers… a feat that would have been nearly impossible, were it not for the earth pony's uncanny abilities with a lasso.

Applejack glanced back to the barn doorway. The muted glow of morning blue had been replaced by soft rays of yellow and pink, beaming through the floating dust that swayed in a gentle draft, gliding into the barn and flicking the hatless mare's strands of golden hair.

Clearing her throat, she gathered up the strings of each bag into her mouth, dragging them outside and setting them against the front of the barn. Big Macintosh would be out within the hour, and would be more than willing to take trash to the dump while she was out in the orchard.

With a satisfied nod, she trotted along the side of the barn, where she found a cart waiting for her, sitting alongside a number of neatly stacked apple buckets. One by one she stacked them into the cart, taking great care to make sure that each would be secured in place during the bumpy ride through the acres.

After the final bucket was placed, she moved to the front and hooked herself up to the cart. Making sure that everything was in order, she started down the dirt path, rounding the barn and disappearing into the glowing trees of the dawn-struck grove.

Applejack could not help but smile after only a minute of walking. Her green eyes glowed with eagerness in the morning light as she made her way through her beloved orchard, surrounded by a multitude of trees blooming with the ripe fruits of her family's labor.

The cold morning dew sent chilling sparks jumping through her legs as she walked through the wet velvet grass. The smell of Sweet Apple Acres, laced with fresh hay and the sweet scent of apples filled her senses with vitality. Applejack inhaled deeply, sighing aloud.

She had sorely missed this the past few days.

Walking down the property line, she finally came upon her destination. A small, red post stuck out of the ground in the middle of an otherwise clear section of the orchard, next to which Applejack parked her cart. Looking ahead through the expanse of trees, she could barely make out the white fence that separated the orchard from a dirt path leading straight to Ponyville.

Undoing the straps around her midsection, the earth pony stretched out once again, taking a moment to shake and loosen each limb. Finishing, she stood on her hind legs to take the first bucket from the large pile in her teeth, tossing the wooden object beside one of the many apple-laden trees. She trotted towards the tree with a sniff, cricking her neck side-to-side in preparation of the start of the harvest. Facing away from it, she raised her back leg, unconsciously donning a competitive grin.

Applebuck season had officially begun.

*shff*

Well… almost.

Applejack's smile grew soft as she stopped in place to reach up and adjust the brim of her newly-replaced hat. She felt a pair of forelegs quickly wrap around the sides of her neck in a tight embrace, feeling the small muzzle of somepony pressing against her neck. A breath of warm air caused a pleasant shiver to run down her back, as did the scratchy voice that spoke from behind her.

"Hey Applejack."

The orange pony quickly turned around, and returned the embrace in full without another word. She rested her chin atop of Rainbow Dash's head, inhaling the savory scent of her rainbow mane while taking quiet pleasure in the hot breath caressing her neck.

"Howdy Rainbow." she whispered, her voice filled with tender relief. A minute of silence was theirs before the earth pony pulled away. "It's mighty nice to see you up so bright an'…"

She trailed off, noting with wide eyes the tired look on the pegasus pony's face. Bloodshot eyes stared back at her, framed with heavy eyelids and small bags underneath. Applejack creased her own with worry.

"Rainbow Dash… are you okay?" she asked tentatively, eyebrows furrowing. Rainbow Dash's gaze quickly shot up, and the pony shook her head fiercely, giving her a beaming smile.

"Heh, nothing wrong with me," the pegasus replied, shrugging. "I just didn't sleep so well last night."

Applejack frowned. "Well y'looked plum tuckered when you left the party last night. Did'ja make it home alright?"

"Yeah, I did…" Rainbow Dash admitted, reaching a hoof up to rub the back of her neck. She looked sideways to the ground, smiling a little.

"But, well… I missed you, Applejack."

The cowpony could feel her heart pattering beneath her chest, and a red hue overtook her cheeks. She took a step forward, nuzzling her nose against the blue mare's neck with a content sigh.

"There ain't no pony in all o' Equestria that can get my heart goin' like you can, Rainbow Dash." she whispered, her voice somewhat subdued. She tilted her head upwards, and planted a soft kiss on the pegasus pony's cheek, lingering long enough to feel the spot quickly heating up. Applejack pulled away with a wide smile.

"I've got some chores I need t'get started on this mornin', so I can't talk for long. I should be done by noon, so I was thinkin' that afterwards we might-"

"Can I help?"

…

…

Crickets. The sound of morning crickets still chirping in the budding dawn suddenly became very, very loud. Rainbow Dash blinked, tilting her head as Applejack gave her a blank look, her mouth slightly agape.

"You're askin' me… if-if you, you can..." she stammered, dumbstruck. Her eyebrows shot downwards into a hard glare. "I had no idea, no wonder y'look so beat! You must have caught somethin' out in that storm!"

Paying no heed to the gaping pegasus pony, she quickly grabbed Rainbow Dash's hoof, pulling her deeper into the orchard. "C'mon Rainbow, the tree house is right up this way, you can rest there. You ain't gonna do nothin' bein' as sick as you are."

Rainbow Dash sported a heavy blush. "I'm fine, Applejack!" she scowled as she shook the earth pony's hoof from her own. "And if you didn't want my help, than you just had to say so!"

She turned away, choosing to glare at a nearby tree with a pout, before quickly finding herself pinned to the ground on her stomach. The earth pony on top of her chuckled, the sound of her laughter a ringing chime that played alongside the morning crickets.

"I s'pose it's too early to be crackin' jokes at your expense," she admitted, leaning down and kissing the side of Rainbow Dash's neck. "How come you're wantin' t'help me, though?"

Rainbow Dash shifted underneath her, a light frown on her face. "Well… I just thought that maybe, a-after you had finished, we could… y'know, spend some time together." she shakily admitted. Applejack chuckled again, nipping the side of her ear.

"I think I see what you're after. Guess I can't blame ya." She leaned closer to the blushing pony. "Or were you aimin' to 'repay' me? You're such a sweetheart, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash growled, wiggling out from underneath Applejack's embrace and whipping around to face her, sweating profusely as she quietly willed her wings to go down.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Well, it does my pride good t'know that I can turn the roughest, toughest pegasus in Ponyville into a pile o' putty at whim," the cowpony nickered. Rainbow Dash glowered lightly, but felt the heat of her embarrassment vanish as Applejack nuzzled herself against the crook of her neck a second time.

"Aww, I'm sorry Rainbow. I'm havin' too much fun at your expense, I guess." She brought her hoof up to the pegasus pony's face. "Don' take me too serious, I'd be glad to have your help."

Rainbow Dash smiled, taking Applejack's hoof into her own, and the two pulled tight against each other's. Hopping up into the air, the pegasus swiftly grabbed a bucket from the pile and placed it at the base of a tree resting beside the two, while Applejack moved alongside her own.

"I really do appreciate this, Rainbow. I'll make it up t'you when we're done, I promise."

Rainbow Dash stopped mid-buck, looking over at the earth pony. "How so?" she hesitantly asked, though a gleam rested in her eyes.

"Well, I've already got somethin' planned fer the two of us later today. Somethin' we… haven't really done before."

Rainbow Dash sported a small blush. "What is it?"

The pony forced a grin, tipping the brim of her hat. "I can't tell ya, but you'll find out soon enough… iff'n I'm gonna let you help me with my chores."

Rainbow Dash froze, giving her an exasperated look.

"If I do let you help, do ya promise t'spend the day with me? The whole day?"

Rainbow Dash eyed her warily, but shrugged with a grin as she repositioned herself in front of the tree. "I promise."

"NO WAY!"

"C'mon Rainbow!"

"You tricked me, Applejack! You tricked me!"

"You said that you were gonna spend the day with me if I let you work in the orchard this mornin'. You said you would."

"I thought we were gonna do… well, something else!"

"You promised."

"But-"

You promised!"

"But I didn't know that we were gonna go to the SPA!" the pegasus pony cried aloud, gesturing wildly with her hooves and drawing looks from many a passerby. The two ponies glared at one another at the foot of the large, tent-like structure.

"Seriously Applejack, what makes you think I'm going in there? Do I look like that kind of pony to you?"

The orange pony couldn't help but smile, though the frustration on her face was still evident. "Do I?"

Rainbow Dash frowned, bringing a hoof to her mouth. "Well… no. Then why are we here?"

Applejack brought a hoof to her face with a groan, before reaching her head back and pulling letter out of her saddlebags, flaring out in front of the pegasus.

"Becuff Rarity mde refferfations fer fhe ftwo of uff," She mumbled, spitting the paper out. "An' I plan on makin' good use of them!"

"But that still doesn't explain why we're here!" the pegasus moaned.

"Because she paid fer us t'do this, Dash."

"Well, then let someone else have it!" Rainbow Dash flew up a few feet, and turned her back to the cowpony, folding her hooves in front of her. "My wings are poison joke-free, so I'm not going in there!"

"Consarnit, Rainbow!" Applejack stomped the ground in frustration. "We can't, an' you know it. She made specific reservations under our names, and we can't get anypony else to take it fer us."

Rainbow Dash huffed, before turning her head back to the cowpony, revealing a sly grin and a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Y'ain't gonna paint up Scootaloo an' my sister, neither."

Her face dropped. "Aww come on, it would totally work!"

"Yeah, 'till they stepped in the bath water five minutes later." She snorted. "And it ain't like Aloe an' her sister haven't met us before anyway."

The pegasus sulked, landing on her rump and looking down to the ground with a defeated moan. Applejack's ears drooped.

"C'mon Dash, she spent good money on this fer us." she said, her voice going tender. She walked up beside the pegasus and took a seat. "Never mind the bits, you'd break her heart if you up and wasted her kindness like this."

"Well… but-"

"An' what about me?"

Rainbow paused, turning to look at the orange pony.

"I'm not a spa goin' pony either… but this is Rarity's way of lettin' us know how much she appreciates us. She was mighty upset when we got into that fight, an' this is jus' her way of showin' that she really cares fer us." She leaned against the pegasus pony's side. "You ain't gonna let me go in there alone, are ya?"

…

…

"Sigh…"

*clop clop, clop clop, clop clop, clop clop*

*ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling…*

*clop clop, clop clop, clop clop, clop clop*

*shmph*

Applejack sighed, looking back in the direction the pegasus had gone. Standing up, she wearily trotted through the now-open doorway of the building, passing Rainbow Dash without a word, and quietly taking a seat on the green couch beside the sour pony.

Momentarily ignoring the pouting pegasus, she took a moment to look around. Surrounding the two were walls of periwinkle, with thin, swirling designs of indigo embellishing the plain, but pleasant paint. A pair of plants, potted in ornate vases stood tall on either side of the room. A small table sat in front of them, with a jar of soothing ointment and a small pile of towels rested… with one of them being used as a leg-rest by her partner.

A moment of silence longer, and she turned to look at the rest of her friend. The pegasus was buried nose-deep in a magazine, though her eyes unfocused on the pages before her. Applejack cleared her throat.

"Y'know, it might help if you weren't readin' it upside down."

Rainbow Dash scowled from within the pages. "Well, who cares? Right-side up, upside-down, all I see is bunch of girly ponies with even girlier manes." She dropped the magazine back on the table in disgust and leaned back against the small couch, head bumping against the wall. "My mane doesn't need any special treatment to look good."

Applejack smiled. "Can't argue with that," she replied, picking up a magazine of her own. Despite the pout on her face, the pegasus was unable to hide the dusting in her cheeks. The sound of a door creaking open reached their ears shortly after, and the two ponies turned to see a figure entering the room from the back of the spa.

One that left them staring in surprise.

"Zecora?"

"Why Rainbow Dash, and Applejack." The zebra greeted the two, smiling. "What a pleasant surprise to see you back."

The two ponies shared a look.

"…see us back?"

"Why yes, or have you forgotten so, that I last saw you here a while ago?"

Applejack cleared her throat. "Oh yeah… s'pose it's been a while, hasn't it?" She let out a nervous chuckle. "So what brings you here, Zecora?"

"I was delivering some herbs to Lotus and Aloe, for their supply was running quite shallow," she replied, picking up a coin-laden bag from off of the counter, and dropping it into one of the thatched saddle-baskets that rested against her sides with a merry *clink*. "Many are common in the Everfree, so I bring them here for a modest fee."

Applejack had the grace to smile. "Well that sounds mighty fine. It's good to see you again."

The zebra nodded, before opening the lid to her other basket and pulling out a list. "Ah yes, though I'm afraid our chat will have to be brief. I am scheduled to be delivering a special leaf." Zecora glanced at a nearby clock, and her eyes went wide.

"Oh my, it seems I am going to be late!" she exclaimed, heading towards the doorway at a brisk pace. The two ponies watched as she hurried past them, her striped tail quickly disappearing from sight.

…to be replaced with her smiling head as it poked back inside.

"I hope you two enjoy your date."

And with that final farewell the zebra left, leaving the room completely silent, for all but the sound of a magazine slumping to the floor.

"…did she jus'-"

"Uh-huh."

…

"She was probably… f-finishin' her sentence with a rhyme."

"Yeeeah… probably."

"Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

The accented call for their names brought their attention to the back once again. Two ponies stood side by side behind the counter, one with a blue coat and pink mane, and the other's an inversion of the same.

Both of which were smiling politely at the two.

"We're ready for you now. Please follow us to thee back."

Applejack rose to her hooves and started towards the twins as they about-faced back into the spa. Rainbow Dash begrudgingly stood and followed suit, glaring ahead while mumbling under her breath.

"If they so much as touch my mane… I'm out."

"Ahhh! Get away from me!"

"Meez Rainbow Dash, please! Come back!"

"No! Nonononono! You're not touching it!"

"Come here! We need to-"

"I don't care what you need to do, you're not gon-NAH! Stop that! Applejack, help me!"

Applejack let out a happy sigh as she sunk lower into the water, seemingly unaware of the desperate plea. Steam rose from the surface in tiny, twirling wisps, which were quickly whisked away from view as the pegasus pony dodged left and right, hovering away from the two brush-wielding sisters on either side of the large pool.

"Y'know, this really ain't all that bad," the orange pony remarked, inhaling. "I could get used to a trip here every other week. This is relaxin'."

"Speak for yourself!" Rainbow Dash cried, dodging a hairbrush held in Lotus's mouth. "Twice in a lifetime is good enough for me!"

Applejack casually grabbed two towels sitting in a pile off to the side. "…well that's cuz you ain't relaxin'."

Rainbow Dash ducked beneath Aloe's outstretched brush and soared high above the room, frantically looking for an exit while avoiding the glares of the two sisters beneath her. Quickly eyeing the door, she made a dash for the exit, reaching her hoof out to take the handle.

It was locked.

Whipping around in a panic, she found the two sisters slowly advancing on her. She took off with a scratchy shout, screaming towards the ceiling and dodging the two ponies, desperately searching for another exit…

…when she felt something wrap around her midsection, pulling her weight down hard. With her trajectory suddenly lost and her balance thrown off, the flying filly entered a frenzied nosedive, gracelessly landing into the pool with a large *splash!*

She quickly resurfaced, coughing and gagging. "Gah, Applejack!"

The addressed pony chuckled, spitting out a rope of knotted towels. "Jus' take it easy, will ya? Sit down an' soak a little."

"I can't take it easy! Not when these crazy ponies are trying to… to my mane… in a hot… burblrblbublbrb," the pegasus gurgled as she slowly sunk into the warm water, her heavy-lidded eyes barely visible. Applejack leaned back against the large tub.

"Now that's better, ain't it?"

"Mmmb hbmbmm."

Sporting a grin, she turned to the side. "So gals, what exactly have you got planned fer us today?"

The two ponies (who had been quietly sneaking up behind the pegasus) quickly straightened up, dropping their brushes and smiling sheepishly. "Well, thee steam room should be ready in about thirty minutes."

"Right… so an hour in the bath, an' a half an hour in a room full o' steam. See Rainbow, I told'ja it wouldn't be so bad." she regarded the pegasus, who was content to stay nose-deep in the warm water, offering only a nod of agreement.

The two sisters looked at one another, confusion crossing their expressions.

"Didn't Meez Rarity say anything about thee treatment she ordered?"

"What treatment?"

"She has you both scheduled for 'Rarity's Delux de Délice' package."

"…Rarity's delicious what now?"

The twins shared a second look. "Aloe dear, do you steel haff that brochoore?"

"Mhmm." The pink pony picked up a brochure from a nearby stack of towels, and handed it to the Applejack. She watched with apprehension as she slowly unfolded it, eyes growing wider each second she spent scrolling down the creased page.

"Wha… she… h-how long is this… how long are we gonna be here?"

"Well…" Lotus brought a hoof to her mouth, thinking of a proper way to deliver her reply. "Four to five hours." she replied, finding none.

*SPLASH!*

Rainbow Dash quickly resurfaced, flinging water across the room and coughing up the liquid she had inhaled. She sent a hard glare in Applejack's direction, who could only offer a sheepish grimace.

"Well… 'least Rarity won't be complainin' 'bout our hygiene fer a while."

Rainbow Dash huffed, sending wisps of steam drifting ahead as she sat cross-legged on the long, wooden bench. She folded her forelegs in annoyance, throwing a glance in Applejack's direction.

"So what does all this steam do fer a pony, anyway?"

"Well, thee steam refreshes the mind, and helps a pony to enter a state of relaxation. It makes a wonderful precursor to our treatments."

Lotus flicked her hair from beside her sister. "And it makes your coat look simply luxurious."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "Yeah, as if I don't stand out enough."

Applejack turned to face her. "I dunno, Rainbow. You c'n be a pretty tough pony t'find sometimes," she snickered from behind her hoof. The pegasus frowned, looking away from the pony and tuning out the conversation for a moment.

Scuffing the large wooden support, she lazily looked around the steam room, drearily noting the lack of anything even remotely interesting. Applejack was sitting beside her, and the two sisters were placed on either side of a steaming pile of rocks. There were no windows in the small room, only the entryway in front of them, covered by a large flap to keep the steam from drifting into the hallway.

A loud hiss brought her attention to the rock pile, from where a large plume of steam rose, masking the silhouette of one of the twins as she placed the ladle back into a nearby bucket of water. She resigned to closing her eyes with a sigh, listening in to the current conversation being held.

"S'pose it can't hurt then, though it is a little stuffy in here."

"May I recommend taking a meditative approach? Your friend seems to have found peace of mind."

Applejack snorted with a grin. "Rainbow Dash? Meditate? Girl, you'd have a better chance o' wranglin' a herd of steer with jus' yer hairband."

Lotus let out a giggle beside her sister, who wore a sheepish grimace.

"We haff a wonderful selection of music, if you would care to try some."

Applejack pursed her mouth to the side, before nodding. "Alright, what've you got?"

"Meez Rarity is quite fond of the Tibitan bells. Perhaps you would like them too?"

"Well… sure, I'll bite."

Lotus stood up with a polite smile, and slowly walked out of the room and into the hallway. Stopping beside a record player beside the doorway, she nudged the needle with her nose, putting it into place. A low hum emerged from the rotating device, followed by the soft, deep thrumming of a sequence of bells.

Applejack looked towards Aloe, who was leaning forward on her front hooves, inhaling and exhaling the steam at a steady pace with her eyes closed. She opened them, smiling eagerly and motioning for her to repeat her example. With a skeptical gleam in her eye, Applejack followed suit, leaning forward with her eyes closed and inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, though with a slight huff of irritation on the latter.

Soon enough, even this fell away, and the sounds of her breathing fell quiet as she repeated the actions at an even steadier pace. A few minutes later, she slowly opened her eyes, looking content and somewhat relaxed.

"…well that ain't half bad." she admitted. "I've never heard anythin' like it before, that's fer sure. What'dja think, Rainbow?"

There was no reply from her side.

"Rainbow?"

She looked towards the pegasus. Her eyes were closed, and her expressionless face was directed to the floor, hidden beneath her rainbow-colored bangs. Her hooves supported her weight as her back arched forward, and she was breathing slowly.

"She looks to be deep in meditation," came a quiet voice from her side.

Applejack turned to Aloe, blinking in disbelief. "Medi… you're kiddin'?"

The former smiled. "We haff many athletes who visit the spa, and many of them choose this method of relaxation during a visit, especially before an event. It helps them to clear their minds and more easily focus on a performance."

"How about that?" Her face lit up as she turned back to Rainbow Dash. "So that musta been one o' yer secret all these years, huh? "Well I'll be, I didn't know you had it in-"

*Snort*

"…ya."

Applejack blinked. Frowning, she reaching out a hoof and gently tapped the pegasus on the shoulder. She swayed, before falling to her side with a jolt, quickly sitting upright with a dazed look.

*Snort* "Huh… who's there?"

Applejack deadpanned. "You fell asleep." she remarked, pointedly.

Rainbow Dash groaned, rubbing her eye with an idle hoof. "Well I can't help it. This lame music is making me sleepy, and I was already tired when we got here!"

Aloe giggled. "It is not for everypony."

Shaking her head, Applejack turned to her once again. "So what's next after we're through here?"

Aloe pulled out a laminated brochure from a nearby basket, similar to the one from before, and handed it to the cowpony. "Well, you will be spending a haff an hour in thee facials room, with a haff an hour hooficure, followed by an hour long mas-"

"Aloe, it is time to prepare the facials. We are going to be late if we do not hurry."

Nodding to her sister, she hopped off of the platform and quickly hurried out of the room. Lotus stepped down from her position, turning to face the two.

"I will send her back once we are ready." She turned to Rainbow Dash with a reassuring smile. "it should not take longer than ten minutes."

Rainbow Dash watched as she about-faced and disappeared behind the large flap, when something caught her eye. Applejack was thoughtfully staring after the two, and a small smile had crept up on her face as she glanced back down towards the brochure, one that sent a similarly small shiver down the pegasus pony's spine.

"What's… with the look, Applejack?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothin'."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, but said nothing back.

"This way, please." Aloe directed, gesturing the two ponies into the next room. The pair walked side by side, both glancing in different directions as they entered with the two sisters.

The walls were the same shade of purple as the ones in the waiting room, except for a large number of pearly-lavender pillars built into the walls on either side of them. Potted plants and jars of perfume lined the walls, perfectly placed to usher in an air of serenity and relaxation.

Sitting against the wall beside them were two platforms, shaped like beds but offering a sturdier surface in a light lavender color, on which a pair of luxurious, purple towels were spread out. Lotus walked up in-between them, straightening one such towel as her sister motioned for the pair to take their places.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash both hesitated for a moment, before the sound of Aloe clearing her throat got their hooves moving. The two gingerly walked up the small steps leading to their respective platforms, and sat on their haunches while eyeing one another with uncertainty.

Aloe giggled. "Please, relax. Lay down if you would."

Rainbow Dash watched as Applejack took a more relaxed standpoint. The reticent pony slowly followed her lead, lowering herself to her belly, though she remained partially raised from the platform, nervously leaning forward on her front legs.

A sudden movement to her left made her jump to her hooves, quickly turning to see Lotus holding a pair or purple pillows in her mouth. Gently tucking one beneath Rainbow Dash's chest, and another one in front, she gestured once again for the pony to lie down.

Exhaling shakily, Rainbow Dash slowly lowered herself onto the pillows. She turned her head to see Applejack comfortably resting her forelegs on two of her own, looking around the room in mild curiosity.

"Thee mixture should be ready in just a moment. We were not able to prepare it as soon as we had hoped, so we apologize."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "The… mixture?"

"Oh yes, Meez Secora delivered the ingredients not very long ago, however the mask needs time to cool in a special room." Aloe replied, walking out of the room with her sister. "I can take care of that."

"Wonderful. I will get thee horn filers."

The spa ponies looked at one another for a moment, and then back to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were giving them an odd look.

"Oh, right. I will… help you with preparations for the mask instead," she offered weakly, starting again to the doorway. Rainbow Dash's ears quickly perked up, and she spun her head towards the two.

"The mask? Wait, what mask?" she called out as the twins exited the room.

"Thee mud mask of course!" Aloe chirped, closing the door behind her. The hollow, clicking sound was followed by a few seconds of silence, and then a lengthy groan of despair filled the room, followed by the sound of something hitting a pillow.

"Mmmmmmmmph…"

Applejack didn't need to turn around to know that she would find Rainbow Dash face-down on the bed, but she did anyway, due to the difficulty of deciphering the pegasus pony's mumblings into the fluffy objects.

"Mmm mmph mhmmph mmph mmm mphmm?"

"Yeah, I've had one before. Me an' Rarity slept over at Twilight's place. It wasn't… all that bad."

"Mmmph mmm phmmph mmph phmmph."

"Well I didn' shove you through that doorway, you walked in yourself."

"Mmm hmmph."

"Did not."

"Mmm hmmph."

"Did not."

"Mmph hmmph!"

"Did not, and will you get your face outta there?!"

"Mm. Mmph phmmph mmph mm phmmph mmph mmphmmph."

"Oh yes they will. An' if they don't, then I will. You're gettin' that facial, Dash."

"Mmmmmmmmph…"

Applejack turned away from the moaning pegasus, looking helplessly in the where the two spa ponies would surely reappear.

"Well I ain't exactly tickled pink m'self." she muttered.

A few minutes later, and the two sisters entered the room. Aloe carried a pair of brushes, polished to the handles, while her sister gingerly balanced a large, crystal bowl on her back, filled partway to the brim with a light-green mixture. Carefully walking into the space between the beds, she set the bowl down onto the floor, and took a brush from her sister.

"Are you ready?" the pink pony asked.

Rainbow Dash simply sighed into her pillow, before taking a deep breath and raising her face up high, eyes shut tight and nose scrunched up in preparation. Applejack chuckled.

"Ready as we'll ever be, I s'pose."

Tools in mouths, the two ponies nodded happily, and dipped the brushes into the mixture, before moving alongside their respective pony, Lotus standing next to Applejack, and Aloe beside a nervous Rainbow Dash.

Said pegasus' face was still held high, eyes closed and tense with uneasy readiness for the incoming substance. She shuddered as the brush made contact with her cheek, a strangled squeak coming from her pursed lips as she felt it slowly sliding upwards, spreading the chilly substance along the side of her face, making her go rigid with discomfort.

An eternity later, and the intrusive brush's relentless attack came to an end. Creaking an eye open, she quickly felt two cucumber slices plastered over each one, leaving her sightless and sitting up in anxious apprehension.

"Relax, Mees Dash. That is all I needed to do." a soothing voice beside her replied, causing her stance to slacken.

"Oh, a-alright."

Letting out a heavy breath, Rainbow Dash slowly dropped to her stomach. Her ears lay flat against the back of her head, suddenly picking up the sound of snickering at her side. Reaching a hoof up to remove one of the cucumbers, she creaked an eye open, and found a facially-decorated Applejack whispering something into Lotus's ear. The spa pony giggled, a blush beginning to form across her soft blue cheeks, and quietly whispered a response that Rainbow Dash could not hear. The pegasus frowned.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

Applejack's ears perked as Lotus quickly rushed out of the room, turning her head to face the pegasus, despite her inability to see anything. "Oh, nothin'. Just askin' a question is all."

"What was it?"

"Don'tcha worry about it none, Rainbow. Jus'… try an' enjoy yourself."

The pegasus pouted, but gave in all the same, resting her chin back onto the pillow with an apatheticsniff…

…and in doing so inhaled a fairly large gob of the cold paste, causing her to gag and sputter.

*Cough cough!* "Bleck! Auugh! What's… eugh, in this *cough* this stuff?"

"Herbs zat are very expensive and difficult to obtain." Lotus replied, her ears drooping down in annoyance. "Please do not eat them."

The sound of Applejack's hearty sniggering quickly filled the room, much to Rainbow Dash's annoyance.

"Ugh, this is soooo booring." she moaned. "How long do we have to stay like this?"

"Long enough for thee mask to exfoliate and cleanse your pores."

"…huh?"

"Twenty minutes."

Rainbow Dash's ears drooped again, as did her head as her chin fell to the pillow. The swinging of an opening door brought her attention forward again as Lotus's voice rang out into the room.

"There has been a change in thee scheduling. Thee meeneral bath should be ready in a half an hour."

Rainbow Dash let out a huff of air.

"A mineral bath? Great, are we gonna sit in a tub full of rocks next?"

…

…

"Applejack?"

"Yeah?"

"This… *shlick* this isn't a rock bath."

"I, uh, I noticed."

…

"So how much longer do we have to stay in this?"

"Uhh… fifteen minutes."

"Oh."

…

…

"So this doesn't seem… odd to you?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Rarity got mad at us for getting mud all over ourselves yesterday morning. And today, she's paying for us to soak in a tub full of mud."

"Well that's… that's 'cuz…"

…

…

"That pony is so flank-backwards."

"Alright, that's it! I've had it!"

Rainbow Dash jumped out of the tub, quickly reaching out for the towel sitting at the edge of the mud pool. Applejack looked at her.

"What's the matter?"

"This! Everything is the matter!" the pegasus cried, waving a hoof to the side. She stomped over to the wall, looking into one of the mirrors resting on a nearby dresser. "I can't take another two hours of this, Applejack! I could be spending my time training for the Wonderbolts, or doing something else! Anything but this!"

"Come on, Dash. It ain't all that bad."

Rainbow Dash turned away from her friend, scowling.

"I'd rather be buckin' trees and gettin' ahead of schedule myself, but we're here now, so we jus' gotta make the best of it." Applejack replied, grabbed her towel as she clambered out of her pool, wiping down her neck and mane. Suppressing a frustrated groan, Rainbow Dash tossed her mud-soaked towel into a nearby hamper. She stretched out her wings and quickly flapped twice, shaking off any remaining clumps of mud that remained as she stood next to the edge of the mineral bath

"Well, what's next?"

Disposing of her own towel, the earth pony walked over to a nearby table and grabbed a brochure. She moved her hoof down the long list, squinting her eyes.

"Rarity got us… her special, so… since we did the mud bath first, looks like second t'last thing is a massage."

…

"A massage?"

"Wow, lookie here at all of these!" the earth pony interjected, suddenly captivated by the brochure. "I never knew there were so many! Shee-aht-su, Hoof… uhh, Eff-lu… oh nevermind. I don' understand why they gotta use these kinds o' words on every…" she tapered off, looking in the direction of the silent pegasus, who was nervously shifting in place.

"I've never had a massage before." she whispered quietly.

Applejack gave her a smile. "Well there's nothin' t'be afraid of. Granny Smith got one fer me once when I was younger, an' it feel mighty good." she commented, her eyes drifting back to the brochure. "Why I reckon a hard-workin' pegasus like yourself'd love one o' these. An' look here, says they got a special one fer pegasus ponies! How'dja like one of those?"

"I-I don't know, Applejack."

The creaking sound of a door opening cut their conversation short. Aloe's head poked in, donning a questioning glance.

"You finished early?"

Applejack shifted to the side. "Yeah. Mud's not really our thing." she replied, awkwardly. Aloe smiled politely, tilting her head to the side.

"Then please follow me, if you would."

As her bright blue tail flicked out of view, Applejack and Rainbow Dash started out the doorway, quickly catching up with her. A quick trot down a narrow hallway, and the three found themselves back inside the main spa room.

Walking around the large pool, they came to see Lotus standing next to an ornate pair of small, pink and purple massage beds. The blue pony was placing the final pillow on one of the platforms before they caught her attention.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted them. The blue pony then eyed her sister. "They finished early?"

"They… did not like thee mud bath."

She giggled, nodding her head. "If they are ready to begin, then so are we." Lotus started in the direction that the three had entered from. "Applejack, would you follow me please?"

Rainbow Dash, who was glancing around the room, suddenly realized with wide eyes what the earth pony had asked, and where she was heading.

"Wait, where are you going? Where's Applejack going?" she exclaimed, whipping her head from the spa pony to her partner. "Aren't you getting a-a massage?"

Applejack frowned. "'Fraid I ain't. Turns out Rarity went ahead and scheduled me fer a… mane treatment." Her expression turned sour. "Lotus here says that Rarity thought it needed a little… special attention, so we're headin' to a different room." Shrugging, she started after the spa pony, causing what little color remaining in the pegasus pony's face to quickly drain away.

"But wait… b-but…."

"Jus' enjoy yourself, Rainbow. It won't be so bad, I promise." Applejack reassured her, as she continued towards the door with Lotus. "Why, I reckon you'll end up likin' it a lot more than you'll expect."

Rainbow Dash watched helplessly as Applejack turned to Lotus with a nod, before the earth ponies walked out side-by-side. The pink pony turned back and closed the door with a depressingly-audible *click*,the sounds of their hoofsteps muffled and fading away into silence. The pegasus stared after them for a minute, and then fell to her haunches, suddenly feeling very alone. She slowly turned to the left and to the right, ears low and shifting uncomfortably in place.

"Do not worry, Meez Dash." Lotus spoke from behind, causing her to jump. "Thee massage will only last an hour."

"What? An-an hour?!" the pegasus cried, her heart beginning to race as she quickly turned to glace at the doorway. "B-but that's so long! And I can't, I-I mean I don't… Applejack…" she trailed off, her voice constrained.

She heard the pony's movement behind her, and slowly looked around to see Aloe standing next to the massage bed, gesturing towards the platform. The pegasus shrunk back a little.

"Please, come lay down for a moment. Thee massage will not start for a little while."

Lowering her head, Rainbow Dash let out a shaky breath, nodding. She quietly trotted over to the bed and glanced at the earth pony, who motioned once more with a reassuring smile. She forced her shoulders to relax, though she still retained the frown on her face as she clambered up onto the soft platform. Settling herself down, she sniffed, trying to get comfortable.

But not before a steaming towel was draped across her face, causing the pegasus to jump to her front hooves in a panic.

"Try and relax, Mees Dash! There is nothing for you to be worried about."

"Y-Yeah… easy for you to say." she murmured her reply, sinking down once more. "This is the worst day of my life." the pegasus moaned hopelessly.

The earth pony giggled. "Do not worry, it will get much better."

"…what makes you say that?" Rainbow Dash asked in a suspicious tone.

Once again, however, she was interrupted by the sound of an opening door.

"Sister, would you come here for a moment."

"Of course." Aloe called back. She turned to Rainbow Dash, who had started to lift a hoof towards her face. "Please do not remove thee towel, Meez Dash. You need to leave it on for thee next hour. I will be back shortly."

Rainbow Dash dropped her hoof to the bed, mumbling in acknowledgement. She listened to the sound of her trotting across the room, followed by the soft click of a shutting door. The pegasus groaned into her pillow.

Today was not good day.

She sniffed, inhaling a steamy stream of air from the hot towel resting over her face. The soothing sensation whisked away the edges of her frustration, relieving the scowl that scoured her face, and replacing it with a small frown as her thoughts twirled around the mare who wasn't in the room with her anymore.

The one that she needed to have next to her.

Rainbow Dash idly brushed a hoof across the soft fabric of the bed. Today had been bearable at best. She had gone through the motions in hopes that the spa trip might have gone faster, and it had only been because Applejack was there to suffer with her that she hadn't stormed out of the fancy establishment. If Applejack could do it, then she could stand it as well.

The pegasus let out a breath. She recalled seeing the orange sunset rays dancing on the walls of the mud bath day was coming closer to its end. It was just an hour longer, she could make it. She could handle a… massage, even if Applejack wasn't here anymore.

As if on cue, the door opened from the back, and the sound of hoofsteps drew closer to the bed, causing her to involuntarily tense up.

"Well it's about time." she managed to say, grasping onto the little bravado she could find within herself.

"I am sorry, Meez Dash." She heard the tinkling of bottles off to the side. "Did you have a lotion in mind for thee massage? We haff a variety of herbal creams for your choosing."

"…surprise me."

"Hmm... one moment." The hoofsteps sounded out the door again, re-entering the room a few moments later. Rainbow Dash heard the popping of a cap, the noise of which causing her to go rigid in preparation.

"A-Alright, let's get this o-YIKES!" Rainbow Dash squeaked, jumping upwards as a large dollop of ice-cold ointment was poured onto her back without warning. Grumbling, she forced herself to relax, and nodded her head so her masseuse could see she was ready to continue. A pair of hooves then began spreading the chilling substance across her back, and the massage began.

The substance on her back quickly warmed up with the firm gestures, bringing a somewhat pleasant feeling along with each stroke. The pair of hooves firmly pressed themselves up and down, caressing the tenderness along her spine and kneading the surrounding muscles, melting the knots and kinks with every squeeze and stroke.

A few minutes in, and she could feel herself gradually beginning to relax. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to further her relaxed state of mind. To her bewilderment, she suddenly found herself entranced by the scent of the lotion that Aloe had chosen.

Apples.

Her cheeks filled with a red hue as said hooves began working themselves lower, pressing into the sensitive flesh of her lower back, just above her rump. The sweet smell of ripened apples assaulted her senses, burying her in the illusion that the strong pair of hooves against her might have belonged to somepony else.

A small shiver ran through her body as the pleasing feelings elevated. Her wings slowly unfurled, stretching stiffly to her sides to allow further access to the tender areas surrounding the feathered appendages. The rest of her was completely relaxed at this point, and she could only bring herself to follow the ripples of pleasure that trailed behind the two hooves in her mind's eye.

She had to admit that this was much better than she had initially thought. It was so easy to envision those wonderful hooves pressing against her back, moving in gentle circles at the base of her spine. Though as the hooves moved even lower, a flush of arousal coursed through her body, and she was stunned to admit something else.

They felt just like her hooves.

Those wonderful, orange hooves…

"Eez theez th'way yoo like eet?"

Rainbow Dash would have jumped in shock at the sound of the poorly-disguised accent, had her body not been sedated with the surprisingly-skillful hooves smoothly caressing the quivering flesh beneath her wings.

"Wha... Applejack?!"

"Hmm, you're really gettin' into this, aren't you?" came the tender reply from behind her, tinted with smugness. Rainbow Dash blinked, unable to comprehend what was happening above her.

"You were, you-ahh!" she gasped, as Applejack worked her hooves in on either side of the pegasus pony's spine.

"Shh. Jus' relax, pony-girl."

"You… n-now you're a m-massager? Y... you said you've only been, you... hah... how are you doing this?!"

"It's called a masseuse, and I sure ain't one."

"Then *gasp* then how?"

"Well, where'dya think I've been fer the past half an' hour? Sure as hay wasn't gettin' my mane done." She chuckled, digging her hooves in on either side of the lightning-shaped cutie marks, causing the pegasus to moan aloud. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"Yeah… w-well I-" Rainbow Dash's fresh retort was reduced to a wisp of hot air, as Applejack worked her hooves around her right thigh, sending a shudder through her body. Applejack rolled up into her back once again, folding the flesh slightly as she dug deeper still against her taunt muscles, causing Rainbow Dash to let out a particularly loud moan.

"Guess I'm a pretty quick teach. Lotus an' Aloe gave me a lesson in back, an' taught me everythin' I needed t'know to make this here the best massage you'll ever remember. Hoofs-off learnin', o' course." she quickly added.

Rainbow Dash managed a low rumble from her chest, heady with desire and lost from the world around her, except for just how close the hooves had suddenly moved in-between her legs, causing her to tense up in blind anticipation.

"An' the best part is that we're jus' gettin' started, sugarcube."

Rainbow Dash felt her heart catch within her chest as Applejack straddled her backside, beating even more furiously when the earth pony leaned forward along her back. Her hot breath caressed the pegasus pony's ear, and a series of light nips sent sparks of pleasure jumping up her spine.

A pair of forelegs snaked their way beneath her, wrapping around her chest and pulling the earth pony tight against the eager pegasus. A small kiss was planted behind her ear, the small, almost inaudible smacking sound quickly lost to a series of moans and whimpers as Applejack dived down towards the back of her neck, assaultingher with a gentle, but passionate attack.

The rainbow-maned mare tilted her head back, the hot towel dropping to the floor and revealing a pair of lust-lidded eyes. Her chin quivered with a loss of control, and a small squeak escaped her lips with each prick of attention on her neck, entranced with the swirling sensation of her lover's tongue against the pulse of her neck, and with the blissful

The ravishment stopped for a moment, and Rainbow Dash found herself able to move for a moment. Her lust-laden mind was hard-pressed to register the feeling of somepony sliding down and off of her back. She shivered, as the feeling of her warmth was immediately missed.

But it did not remain missed, as an explosion of heat surged between her legs when she felt a gentle pair of teeth nipping at her flank. She could feel her hips clenching up in excitement, spreading slightly and pulsing with arousal and need.

A pair of hooves rested on either side of her cutie marks, kneading the firm flesh forward as Applejack kept up the offensive, causing the rainbow-maned pegasus to gasp loudly.

"I never did finish that massage," came a coy response from behind her. "Whaddya say we wrap it up with somethin' special?"

Her thighs quivered with each stroke of pressure, and her body was so enraptured in the attention it was being given that the pegasus could think of nothing to say back, only able to pant

A hot, wet object suddenly caressed the sides of her treasure, teasingly avoiding the areas that ached and burned most with desire. A hoof was pressed against the inside of her leg, eliciting a shuddering twitch with a series of firm strokes and bringing her elation to newfound heights. Her own hoof pressed hard into the bed, nearly tearing into the soft pink fabric as she was unable to voice her needs and her frustration towards the earth pony's coy administrations.

A minute, an hour, a day… she could not tell how long it had been until the mare between her legs had finally decided to love her, rather than torment her shuddering body. The warm appendage stopped its torturous journey, and started a long, slow trail along the length of her marehood. The gasp the pegasus let out echoed against the walls surrounding them, and the open air was soon filled with the sounds of love and heady approval.

Her rump rose into the air, but Applejack followed close behind, standing on her back legs to keep close to her lover. Her tongue diving ynto the fretful pegasus, a muffled yelp coming from the pony whose mouth had buried itself into the bed, unaware of the luxurious pink fabric beneath them slowly becoming stained with saliva and her fluid satisfaction.

Rainbow Dash blinked slowly, her mouth agape and eyes glazed over. Her wings were splayed stiffly behind her, twitching and coursing with excitement. Thought was incapable as her mind washed over with hazy bliss, as sharp thrills of sexual desire causes her hips to writhe in agonizing need, soaking her twitching tail in her own liquids.

The feeling of Applejack's tongue passing over a particularly sensitive spot caused her back to arch, electricity coursing up her spine. Nearly all feeling within her body went numb to her, save for the one area that mattered, the one place in the world where she and Applejack met.

Where they touched.

Her head shot into the air with a shout when Applejack quickened her administrations, focusing more intently on her most vulnerable places. A writhing shudder washed over her body as the waves of pleasure nearly drowned her consciousness. Her body seized up, her world shrank in size, and still her lover would not let up her relentless aggression.

A swift, sucking sensation wrapped itself around her sensitive button, and her tiny world exploded in a fiery wave of numbing ecstasy. Her cries of passion were strangled into a hot, breathy squeak as she released control of her being, feeling the pulsing release between her legs spread throughout her limbs. The hot, trickling fluid of her release caressed her inner thighs, as did the loving appendage that had leaded her into the throes of passion.

Rainbow Dash collapsed onto the bed after a few seconds of blissful, burning eternity. She could hear the sounds of her own panting, nearly muted by the echoing song that played below her, the feeling of Applejack's tongue lapping away at the approval that trickled from within her nethers, still winking with sensual overload.

She could only find the energy to smile as Applejack placed a small kiss on her lower lips, before moving back onto the bed, laying on top of her and across her back with a happy sigh, and wrapping her hooves around her once more, placing a warm, sticky kiss on her neck. Rainbow Dash closing her eyes in heavy-lidded content, a sleepy smile caressing her features.

"Two to nothin', Rainbow Dash."

…she creaked a single eye open.

Applejack hummed in satisfaction, removing her lust-laden lips from the pegasus pony, and nestling her face into the crook of her neck. Pressing her fluid-slick snout against her lover, she inhaled, closing her eyes and intertwining her legs with the silent pony, perfectly content to lay atop of her in silence.

And then her world was flipped upside down.

"Hey!" Applejack cried, finding herself on her back. Slightly dizzy, she stared up with wide, unfocused eyes at Rainbow Dash, who stood tall above her on all four legs. Her mane was wild and her tail was slick, flicking behind her in eagerness.

She looked up into her eyes, and found herself beneath two gleaming roses, burning brightly with eagerness and desire. Thought it was behind the layer of gleaming lust that something shown more brightly, something that caused Applejack's own eyes to widen further, feeling her chest catch and her heart pounding from within.

She had seen those same burning eyes reflected in the violet orbs looking down at her only a few days ago, when they had been filled with fear, rather than passion.

They were her own eyes, colored in shades of lusty violet instead of a passionate green.

Before the earth pony could speak, the pegasus quickly dived her head down. Applejack tensed up with a gasp, seeing Rainbow Dash dart so quickly towards her exposed neck...

…and she remained tense, for instead of ravishment, she felt the softest pair of lips brushing against the pulse of her neck, gliding up and around in a series of sweet, loving touches. She let her hooves slowly fall to the bed, quaking in confusion against the fabric beneath her.

Applejack could not control the beating of her heart, pounding loudly in her own ears. The pegasus pony's tender touch was frightening and electric, paralyzing her with sparks of fear and yearning. Every kiss was gentle, delicate as though the pegasus was hesitant to break her skin.

Rainbow Dash must have surely felt the rapid pulse against her lips, and yet she showed no sign of stopping, simply to soothe the tender flesh that quivered at her touch. She closed her eyes, willing her heart to steady while the pegasus administered her attention.

Suddenly, the lips against her neck pulled away, prompting her to shoot her eyes open. She met those two orbs once again, still burning with violet passion, but colored with deep shades of concern. She felt her gaze falter, instead glancing down to one of her shaking hooves still pressing into the bed.

"Are you okay, Applejack?"

She met the pegasus' soft gaze again, trying to find her voice. After a moment of labored breathing, she exhaled a shaky breath, nodding. Bringing a quivering hoof upwards, the earth pony wrapped it around the mare's neck and brought her close. She closed her eyes as their mouths met, and their tongues embraced in a wet and wonderful dance.

Applejack felt the warmth rising in her cheeks, the enthusiastic but gentle tongue brushing against her own, sharing the taste of her arousal from moments before. She felt a shudder spread throughout her body as a hoof trailed down her side, wrapping around her lower back, and her breath hitched when she felt the pegasus' weight settle down on her, flush with a fiery warmth that spread all across the front of her body.

As all dances end, Applejack let out a shaky sigh as she felt her pull away from her lips. Her head was swimming with heat and desire, and the faint signals telling her that Rainbow Dash had rested her forehead against hers were nearly lost to the flustered pony.

A cooling breath of air brushed against her face, prompting her to look upwards. The pegasus pony's eyes were so close to her, that she could see the shimmering circles of her own green eyes, encompassed by the gleaming orbs of rose…

…a sight that filled her heart with a strange shame, causing her to quickly look away.

"I-I thought you wanted this, AJ."

She felt a hoof pressed against her cheek, rubbing in slow circles and bringing her focus back towards the pegasus once again. She quickly reached up and grabbed it within her own, clutching it against her chest as it rose and fell at a frenzy, slowing down with each breath.

It was a full minute before she turned her head to meet the Rainbow Dash's gaze, unable to keep her eyes from filling with tears. And still she would not let go of the pegasus pony's hoof, holding it tight to her chest. Rainbow Dash let her eyes fall to their hooves, still intertwined, and her ears drooped as a slow, but sudden realization dawned on her.

"It's… it's not easy for you, is it?" she whispered.

Applejack said nothing, refusing to look at the pegasus.

"It's easy to love somepony. So easy… but it's so hard letting somepony love you back."

She shut her eyes tight and bit her lip hard, willing away the torrent of emotions that swirled within her heart.

"I want this for you, Applejack."

Rainbow Dash brushed a sweaty lock of hair away from Applejack's face, still looking up to her in fearful silence.

"You've done everything for me. Ever since day one, you've always been there." Rainbow Dash sniffed. "You helped me when I needed help, you were there for me whenever I need you there…"

Rainbow Dash's voice had fallen to a soft, happy whisper. She rested her other hoof across her neck, and began a slow stroking motion up and down the side of her face, lulling the earth pony's fears.

"And… you loved me, when I needed it the most."

Applejack took a shaky breath in, unable to break eye contact with the two roses, hovering inches above her face.

"I've never done my fair share for you, AJ. And you still do everything for me."

"Dash…"

"…so now it's my turn, Applejack." Rainbow Dash whispered, letting go of her hoof and placed her own against the earth pony's throbbing heart, leaning forward. "I want you to know what you mean to me."

And Applejack's mind drew to the cave, where she saw a frightened pegasus with a bent wing, and the gleam of life that had sparked in her eyes a single kiss later…

…after she herself had said those words.

The earth pony closed her own eyes at the memory, two hot tears leaking down the sides of her face. She threw her forelegs upwards, pulling the pony above her into a fierce hug, and burying her face into the crook of her neck. Her chest convulsed, wracked with sobs, and Rainbow Dash made no movement to pull away, instead running a hoof down behind her ear, resting against her tear-streamed cheek.

After a minute, she allowed her grip to falter, meeting glances with her once more, gleaming with appreciation. She sniffed, nodding after a moment, and the pegasus shone a smile that beamed with love, before pressing her lips against her own once more, quelling what little fear and shame remained in her heart.

"Rainbow Dash…"

"Just relax." she whispered, pulling back. Applejack wiped the salty streaks away from her face, watching the blurry blue visage of her partner washing from her sight, disappearing down her motionless body.

She felt a gentle kiss placed between her legs, a sudden feeling that brought them together in shock, though she soon felt Rainbow Dash gently spreading them apart, guiding them around her head to rest them around her shoulders. She placed a second, lingering one between her legs, nudging her lips harder into the earth pony. Pulled away, Rainbow Dash looked up so that the earth pony could see the nervous grin plastering her moistened face.

"I can't say that I've had much practice, but I did have couple of lessons from a pretty good teacher." She looked back down to her treasure with a tender, but hungry gaze. "And from the looks of things down here, I doubt it'll be that hard in the end."

Applejack frowned, about to reprimand the feathered filly between her legs when a rush of lightning surged through her spine, flattening her back against the bed and drawing a breathy gasp from her quivering mouth.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could feel the teasing vibrations coming from Rainbow Dash chuckling, pressing against her nethers. She was then subjected to a series of teasing licks, up one side and down the other of her marehood. A torturous, eternity-long minute of the same actions had the earth pony groaning in quiet, heady frustration, feeling a slight pang of guilt for having denied the pegasus immediate pleasure only minutes before.

But Rainbow Dash was not one to make a pony wait. She let her tongue explore further inward, nuzzling her snout against the earth pony's quivering clit with each stroke of her tongue, consciously aware of the earth pony's hips rising to meet her, and feeling the passionate, shuddering spasms trailing through her legs.

Applejack lost focus of the ceiling above her, her vision going cross to be replaced with a thickening film of lusty haze. Her breathing became sharper with each stroke, gasps and whines growing with every centimeter the pegasus explored further below.

But as the minutes trickled by, there was something else. Through the sensory miasma swirling through her mind,something else was keeping her consciousness attached to the present. Actions and feelings too small to be noticed through the swirling tides of sexual satisfaction.

Feelings that kept her heart afloat, and keeping her from drowning in the pleasures of carnal desire.

For every lustful lick, she felt a slow, tender nudge against her thigh. The hoof that rested against her hip was caressing the sensitive flesh below her cutie mark, and had not stopped once since the pegasus had begun. And there were seconds, long and precious, that the pegasus would simply stop to resting her lips against the quivering folds, humming in content.

And there was one such moment, she swore, that she felt small, hot streak of liquid running down her thigh between where her leg met her face. One that she knew was not her own, and a feeling that brought one of her own tears sliding down her blushing cheek.

She was no stranger to her own body, to the physical requirements that would bring about the flush in her cheeks and the wetness between her legs she felt now… but it was so different this time. The physical feelings were the same, and yet her heart was filled to the brim, threatening to spill over in the same fashion that her tears had, and in the same fashion that her marehood could not contain her hot, clear excitement.

But no matter what spilled over in the end, there was one thing she knew for certain.

Rainbow Dash would always be there… to catch every last drop.

Applejack felt a spark of passion jolting through her as the mare between her legs quickened her pace. Her actions became more aggressive, heatedly exploring her inner walls and passionately caressing every twitching, pulsing nerve inside of her. She began nipping at the sides of her opening, causing Applejack to thrust her hips forward with a cry, pressing hard against Rainbow Dash's snout, who returned the forcefulness in full.

"R-Rain… Rainbow… ahh!"

She was panting loudly, and her moans grew in length and volume, echoing off the walls. She looked down to see Rainbow Dash locking her gaze, eyes burning with desire. But for the silly remark she had made minutes before, her eyes burned up at her with a single desire.

Not for the taste, but simply for the touch. For her touch.

And as Rainbow Dash encompassed her treasure with her mouth a final time, her world collapsed below her belly, feeling every nerve fluttering and flaring with an orgasmic charge, and relishing in the timeless eternity her lover took as she lapped and licked at the source of her blissful, burning release.

She blinked when the world caught up with her, eyes staring senselessly at the ceiling when she found herself able to comprehend once again. The world was blurry and covered in a film of lusty haze, though with each patter of her steadying heart the layers began to thin. With enough effort, she brought her gaze down one final time.

She found the pegasus smiling up to her, unblinking and grinning aloud.

The earth pony closed her eyes, letting her ears drink in the cathartic chuckle trickling from between her legs, and letting out one of her own as Rainbow Dash placed a loving, drawn-out kiss on her own smiling lips.

Applejack let her legs go slack, feeling the passionate little aftershocks jumping through her limbs, bringing feeling back to her forelegs. Her energy spent, she lay in silence with her eyes still closed, feeling her heart and her breath steadying at last.

Her front erupted with warmth as Rainbow Dash snuggled herself up to the earth pony with a yawn of approval.

"So, how'd I do?

Impossibly, what little orange remained in the earth pony's cheeks was replaced with a fiery blush, though a small grin remained on her moistened lips.

"I… I reckon we're square now, Rainbow Dash."

She could feel the pegasus' cheek wrinkling up into a smile against her chest, and she unconsciously mimicked the gesture.

"I guess you were right, Applejack."

She creaked an eye open to see the pegasus beaming up at her, rose-colored eyes gleaming with joy.

"The spa trip wasn't so bad after all."

Applejack sniffed, wrapping her forelegs around the pegasus and holding her tightly, a warming tingle spreading through her chest. She let her thoughts wander around the slumbering pony in her embrace as the promise of sleep tugged at the edges of her mind.

Letting out a yawn of her own, the two laid quietly against one another, until she finally succumbed to the warmth and fatigue that encompassed her, and fell away into a dream of her own…

…unknowingly being watched through the small window of a closed door off to the side, where two ponies stood side by side.

One pink, and one blue.

Both blushing a bright red hue.

"...w-well, it seems that everything… went well enough."

"…"

"Aloe?"

"YES! I… agree! I do not believe they would have missed the hooficure and soak."

"I do not think so either."

…

"*ahem* Perhaps we should tell them that we are closing?"

"It… is fine. We can stay open for a little while longer."

The two sisters shared a giggle as they walked away from the door, leaving the two lovers to slumber in privacy.

The figure stood alone within a dark clearing on tired hooves, staring about the thick layers of vegetation that surrounded the area from every direction.

An entire day of searching had taken a toll on the weary pony. Having scoured nearly every corner of the cursed forest while keeping to the shadows as lesser beasts passed by, there had been little time for food or sleep. But the destination could not be much farther.

The pony glanced up through the thick canopy. The blood-red remnants of a late sunset peaked through the sickly blankets of moss and vine. It would be pitch black within an hour.

Glaring towards the ground, a glowing aura flickered to life around the figure's horn, and a nearby stick levitated into the air. A rush of magic and the stick lit ablaze, illuminating the mare's bloodshot, violet eyes.

Nothing would stop her now.

It was time to be Great and Powerful again.

Author's Note: Well… five months. It's been a while, hasn't it?

Not much to say this time around, so I'll keep it brief. I still haven't abandoned this story, and I'm still not planning on it.

This chapter… was way too long. I'll definitely try to cut down on the size for the next few, so updates WILL come quicker.

Next on my to do list is the next story in "The Pony Poetry Series,", so it'll be a while before the next chapter here comes out… but not nearly as long as the last time.

Anwyays, if you want to contact me, feel free to P.M. me, or add me on Steam (Aquarian Poet). You can also find me at AquarianPoet on Twitter! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hasbro, or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If I did, I would probably have a secretary who would take care of all the small and menial things in my life… like filling out my taxes. Or picking up a delicious, garnished steak for me to enjoy as I counted the stacks of money I had him/her organize for me earlier that day.

Le sigh…