They all left the spa and walked through Ponyville to Cafe du Mane, the only other decent eatery in Ponyville other than Sugarcube Corner. The sun was beginning to set as the mares chatted cheerfully to each other as they approached their destination. Rainbow Dash, however, was noticeably silent among the group. Applejack moved closer to her.

"Hey." She said, slightly nudging Rainbow. "You okay?" Rainbow looked at her and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She said, smiling suddenly.

"You sure? Because you were just sulkin' like you lost a pet or somethin'." Applejack said to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Really."

"You're ashamed of lettin' yourself get treated at the spa, aren't you?"

"What? No, are you kidding? I loved the treatment." Her voice got noticeably quieter as she said the last part of her statement.

"That's not what Ah asked ya, Dash." Applejack said, raising an eyebrow slightly. Rainbow looked to the side and blushed slightly. The group arrived at Cafe du Mane and was seated inside at a rather large corner booth. Rainbow Dash, of course, sat next to Applejack. The others chatted happily as they looked over their menus. Rainbow leaned over to Applejack and whispered into her ear.

"Okay, fine, maybe I'm not really feeling much like myself after that, okay?" She said. "It's just not really my thing."

"Well, ya sure looked like you were enjoyin' it." Applejack said to her.

"Well, yeah, of course I did. Who couldn't?" She countered. "It was just kind of a big change for me...I never would have just...let that happen. But when you asked me...I dunno, it just felt like I had to do it." Applejack blushed at this statement and smiled at her.

"Well, now...you didn't have to do it just for little ol' me..." Applejack said, half giggling. Rainbow smiled at her as the waiter approached the table.

"Excuse me, are we all ready to order?" He said in a very peculiar accent.

"Ah, yes." Twilight said. "I'll have the Fillydelphia Je ne se Quoi."

"I'll just have an order of hay fries..." Fluttershy said, blushing in the presence of the waiter. Applejack and Rainbow Dash frantically looked over their menus while Pinkie Pie ordered until they finally found what they had wanted just in time for the waiter to ask them.

"I'll just have the grilled daffodil sandwich." Rainbow said.

"And Ah want the fruit platter with the dippin' yogurt." Applejack added. The waited nodded.

"Very good. Your food will be out shortly." The waiter said, taking the menus and returning to the kitchen. The mares resumed talking to each other about what was going on around Ponyville and how it was affecting it's inhabitants. Meanwhile, Applejack looked over at Rainbow and smirked.

"You were sayin' when the waiter arrived?" She said. Rainbow gulped quietly.

"Well, I was just saying that you have this...effect on me, you know?" She said. At this comment, Applejack's eyes widened slightly.

"What kind of effect, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked, throwing herself into the middle of the conversation. Applejack coughed into her hoof to avoid saying anything to the pink party pony, looking at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow thought for a moment. The truth could have a great and lasting happy effect on her and Applejack, but then again, it could ruin their friendship with the others. It could go either way, and judging by how nervous Applejack was looking at the moment, Rainbow guessed she didn't want their friends to know of their involvement with each other just yet.

"Well," Rainbow said, smirking at Applejack confidently. "Applejack threw the fact that she could take all the mushy stuff and I couldn't, basically challengingme. And you know me. I can'trefuse a challenge." Pinkie nodded quickly and smiled.

"You two are so cute when you're arguing and whatnot!" She said before turning back to Twilight, who was giving a not-so-interesting speech about physics and how magic can defy it's laws. Rainbow looked at Applejack and winked, making Applejack blush and adjust her stetson slightly. They continued to wait for their food, becoming hungrier and hungrier with each passing second.

"Come on, where's the food?" Rainbow said impatiently.

"Rainbow, it's only been fifteen minutes." Twilight responded. Rainbow put her head down on the table.

"Well yeah, but I'm hungry now." She said despairingly. As she said this last sentence, the waiter approached with a large tray of food in one of his hooves. He smiled around at them, his curly moustache curling around his lips perfectly.

"Hello, ladies, my apologies for the wait. We have a shortage of cooks today due to sickness. Rainbow's head flew up as she looked up at the waiter happily, awaiting her platter. Fluttershy's plate came first, then Applejack's. After that, Twilights.

"It'll just be a few more minutes for the daffodil sandwich. Apologies." The waiter said before heading back into the kitchen. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, she raised an eyebrow and her jaw dropped, earning the laughter of all her friends, namely Pinkie Pie, who was nearly in hysterics at this new development. Applejack merely patted Rainbow on the back, chuckling.

_____

After they left the restaurant, and Rainbow finally having had her dinner, they headed toward the movie theater, eager to see what new movies were playing at the relatively new cinemas. They all ambled up to the decently long line at the box office. They looked up at the queue above the front doors and looked at the movies currently available to purchase tickets for.

"Alright, everyone...what do we want to see?" Twilight asked her group.

"Ah'm good with anything, really..." Applejack said. "Except that documentary on forest life...Ah see anough of that every day." Applejack didn't notice Fluttershy bring her hoof down from it's raised position timidly.

"My vote is with Bone-Eater." Rainbow said. "I could use a good scary movie." Pinkie Pie jumped on Rainbow's back and squealed happily.

"Ooooh, me too!" She said. "It's soooo scary looking! I just might scream in the theater!" Twilight shrugged.

"Anyone opposed?" Twilight said, raising her own hoof. Neither she, nor any of the others noticed Fluttershy's front hoof, ever so slightly raised. "Well, I guess I'm the minority here."

"Excuse me, but-" Fluttershy said, just barely above a whisper. No one else heard her. They had gotten in line, prepared to pay the fee for a ticket in. Once the tickets were bought by everypony, (Including an extremelyreluctant Fluttershy.) they all filed into the theater, none bothering to buy snacks, as they had just eaten a filling meal. They took their seats nearly in the very middle of the theater. There were a few other ponies, all either there with friends, or attending the movie alone.

The movie began with an instant jump scare, flashing a pony's corpse over the screen, nearly torn to pieces. The obvious work of the Bone-Eater. Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie all screamed, nearly in unison. Applejack jumped slightly with a small gasp and quickly put her hoof on Rainbow's, making the pegasus' heart beat like a drum in her chest. She looked over at Applejack, smirking coolly. Rainbow, even at this moment, was proud of the fact that Applejack got scared and she didn't. Applejack blushed, but did not remove her hoof, smiling at Rainbow. Fluttershy began to cry as Twilight helped her out of the theater to calm herself, leaving only Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash to watch the film. Rainbow looked over at Pinkie, who was engrossed in the film completely, then at Applejack. Rainbow winked at her and went back to watching the movie.

A tough-looking stallion was speaking to another stallion with a serious expression on his face. He locked a door behind him and grabbed a knife, looking out a window.

"Who are you?" The other stallion said nervously.

"I'm the guy who's going to save our flanks." The serious looking stallion said. Suddenly with an ear-splitting shriek, the Bone-Eater grabbed the stallion through the window he was looking out of and pulled the upper half of his body out. The other stallion screamed as the once-main protagonist of the film fell back inside without a head, spurting blood. This shocked Rainbow as she quickly buried her face in Applejack's shoulder. Applejack quietly chuckled and looked down at Rainbow with an affectionate grin. Rainbow looked up at her and smiled back, blushing. She began to inch her face closer to Applejack's, beginning to close her eyes. Applejack started to do this as well before she remembered one of their friends was still sitting right next to her. Applejack quickly stopped the movement and moved her eyes toward Pinkie and made a small head gesture. Rainbow sighed heavily and turned back to watch the movie.

'Come on, Pinkie...leave already!' Rainbow thought to herself anxiously. At that moment, however, Twilight entered the theater again and sat down next to PInkie.

"Fluttershy went home. She couldn't take it." Twilight said to her friends as they all continued to watch the movie again. Now, Twilight was also there, and she was far more observant than Pinkie Pie. Rainbow's chances of getting even a small kiss from Applejack now were virtually nonexistent at this point. She huffed to herself and continued to watch the movie again. She smiled,however, when she noticed that her hoof was still in Applejack's.

The movie finally finished as all of the mares left the movie theater. It wasn't very late, but they all parted ways and went home for the night anyway. Applejack walked alone down the path toward Sweet Apple Acres, ready for a good night's sleep. As she walked, she looked up at the night sky, appraising Luna's bright moon and took a deep breath, feeling the cool air in her lungs. The cold, late-autumn air chilled her as she smiled. She didn't mind hot weather, but truth be told, Applejack loved the cold air of autumn and winter the most of all. She looked upon the first Apple trees of the farm and sighed. Soon, she would be in her bed asleep. She loosened her grip on her thoughts and let her mind wander. Not suprising to the mare, her thoughts drifted to Rainbow Dash. The moment they shared in the theater was one she looked back on both in fondness, and in regret.

"Ah shoulda kissed her..." Applejack whispered to herself. She continued to walk down the path, feeling slightly guilty, knowing that she had probably disappointed Rainbow when they could have easily gotten away with a quick kiss. A sudden shout and something grabbing Applejack from behind made her scream. In her fright, she bucked whatever had grabbed her, hearing a familiar voice cry out in pain. She immediatly turned around to see Rainbow Dash clutching her stomach, curled up on the ground. Applejack immediately rushed to Rainbow's side and leaned over her.

"Oh, my goddesses! Rainbow, Ah'm so sorry! Ah didn't mean to!" Applejack said, her voice laden with worry. Rainbow Dash coughed roughly and looked up at her with tears in her eyes. Applejack teared up as well. "Ah'm so sorry, Rainbow..." She said. Rainbow cringed as she slowly stood up.

"It's okay...I was just trying to...scare you." She said, looking at Applejack and wiping her tears. "Remind me not to hug you from behind again...ever. Holy hay, you buck hard..." Applejack still frowned, especially considering Rainbow Dash was just trying to play a small joke on her.

"You were tryin' to hug me?" Applejack asked. Rainbow slowly nodded.

"Well, that and scare you senseless..." Rainbow said. "I think you bruised some of my ribs..." Applejack immediately grabbed Rainbow into an affectionate hug. Rainbow cringed from the squeeze, but decided not to let Applejack know and hugged her back. They separated.

"How long have you been followin' me?" Applejack asked her.

"Since we all split up." Rainbow Reponded. "Figured I'd give you a little fright...my mistake." Applejack laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeeah, sorry about that. You okay?" She asked.

"I'll be alright, AJ." Rainbow said. "Geez, that movie really must have bothered you. I've never seen you freak out like that."

"Well, yeah. It was pretty scary and Ah don't usually watch stuff like that. Besides, Ah seem to remember you buryin' your head in my shoulder at some point." Applejack retorted. Rainbow blushed slightly and looked down at her hooves. "But ya know what bothers me more than the movie?"

"What?" Rainbow responded.

"That Ah didn't kiss ya in that theater when I could've." Applejack said, raising an eyebrow at Rainbow, blushing. The pegasus blushed as well.

"Well, what's stopping you now?" Rainbow asked, scuffing her hoof on the ground. Applejack stepped toward Rainbow and brought her face toward hers, closing her eyes. Rainbow closed her eyes as well before closing the distance between them. They kissed lovingly, enjoying the feel of the other's lips. Rainbow moaned quietly, filling Applejack with adoration for the rainbow-maned pegasus. Applejack sat down and pulled Rainbow closer to her, wrapping her front legs around the pegasus' body. Rainbow did this as well as their kiss became more passionate. She slipped her tongue into Applejack's mouth, Applejack doing the same with her. Their liplock lasted nearly a full two minutes before they separated, breathing heavily. They touched their foreheads together as they looked into each other's eyes, both of their ears splayed back in affection. Rainbow smiled dreamily, eyes half lidded, as Applejack kissed her on the cheek quickly.

"I've been wanting to do that all day long..." Rainbow said. Applejack nodded and nuzzled Rainbow, Rainbow returning the nuzzle.

"Ah'm sorry Ah stopped it in the theater. Ah really should have just let it happen." Applejack said, stroking Rainbow's mane. Rainbow shook her head.

"No, AJ, seriously, don't worry about it. If you're still a little hesitant to tell our friends, I don't blame you." Rainbow said. "And besides...If we really did kiss in there, I don't know if I would have been able to stop." Applejack giggled.

"Thanks, Dash. Ah really appreciate that." Applejack said before giving Rainbow another kiss on the lips, standing up. Rainbow also stood as they began to walk side by side.

"So," Applejack said. "Why exactly did you follow me?"

"Oh, yeah. I was going to talk to you about our date tomorrow. I was thinking that we could meet and eat at Sugarcube corner or something, then go for a walk in the fields outside Ponyville." Rainbow said. "Maybe we can have a little race."

"Sounds perfect to me, Dash. Ah can't wait." Applejack said. "But don't think that since Ah'm sweet on ya now that I'll go easy on ya." Rainbow shook her head and smiled.

"Never thought so for a second." Rainbow said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Applejack."

"Ah'm definitely lookin' forward to it, Rainbow Dash." Applejack said, before giving her one last peck on the lips. Rainbow Dash smiled widely as she took off toward her cloud home. Applejack sighed as she began walking back toward her home, a happy spring in her step.