The next morning, I woke up to chaos.

"RAINBOW DASH!"

I barely had time to blink before something pink and fast tackled me off the couch.

"Oof-Pinkie?! What the hell?!"

She grinned down at me, her hands gripping my shoulders. "IT'S PARTY TIME!"

I groaned. "It's too early for this."

Applejack's voice drifted from the kitchen. "Pinkie, let 'er wake up first."

Pinkie gasped. "Wake up?! But, Applejack, don't you see?! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"

I frowned. "What kind of emergency?"

Pinkie hopped up, bouncing on her heels. "It's been so long since we've had a good old-fashioned Apple Family Barn Bash! And I thought-'Hey, you know who needs a party?!'"

I blinked. "Uh..."

She pointed straight at me.

"You! You need a party!"

My stomach twisted. "Pinkie, I don't-"

She grabbed my hands. "Come on, Dashie! You've been all serious and mopey! You gotta have fun again! Laugh! Dance! Eat cake until you regret it!"

Applejack stepped into the room, arms crossed, looking amused. "She ain't wrong."

I scowled. "I'm not mopey."

Applejack gave me a look.

I groaned, rubbing my face. "Fine! Whatever! Party. Cool. Let's just-" I waved a hand, still waking up. "Get it over with."

Pinkie gasped again, dramatically. "Get it over with?! Dashie! A party isn't something you endure, it's something you experience!"

I sighed. "Okay, okay! I'll experience it."

She beamed. "Yay! This is gonna be amazing! I'll go get everything ready! Applejack, you'll help, right?"

Applejack smirked. "Reckon I don't got much of a choice."

Pinkie bounced away, already talking about decorations and snacks.

I ran a hand through my hair. "This is gonna be a disaster."

Applejack chuckled, leaning against the counter. "Nah. Might be fun."

I eyed her. "You actually like parties?"

She shrugged. "Depends on the company."

Something in her tone made my heart stumble.

I looked away fast. "Whatever. I'm not wearing anything fancy."

She laughed. "Wouldn't expect ya to."

And just like that-the party was happening.

Whether I liked it or not.

The next few hours were a blur of decorations, food, and Pinkie Pie moving at impossible speeds.

I tried to help. I really did.

But after almost knocking over a whole tray of cupcakes, getting tangled in the string lights, and nearly setting the snack table on fire (don't ask), Applejack finally put a hand on my shoulder.

"Sugarcube," she said, amused but exasperated. "Maybe just... stand over there and don't touch nothin'."

I scowled. "I'm not that bad."

Pinkie zoomed past us. "Actually, you are!"

I crossed my arms. "Whatever. I didn't even wanna do this in the first place."

Applejack gave me a look. "Ain't 'bout what ya wanna do, Dash. It's 'bout the people who care 'bout ya wantin' to see ya happy."

My stomach did that weird flipping thing again. I quickly looked away, rubbing the back of my neck.

"I'm fine."

"Sure ya are," Applejack said, way too smug.

I groaned. "Can we just get this thing over with?"

Pinkie popped up out of nowhere. "NO! The party hasn't even started yet!"

I groaned louder.

Soon, the barn was full of people.

Some of Applejack's relatives, some of our friends, a few people from town-it was loud. There was music, laughter, the smell of apple pie in the air...

And I was already overwhelmed.

I found myself hanging near the edge of the party, keeping to the sidelines while everyone else laughed and danced.

Pinkie was going wild in the middle of the crowd, dragging Fluttershy into some ridiculous dance move. Twilight was deep in conversation with Big Mac about who-knows-what.

And Applejack?

Applejack was somewhere.

I looked around, trying not to look like I was looking.

I didn't even realize I was searching for her until-

"Lookin' for someone?"

I jumped.

Applejack was right beside me, holding two cups of cider, a smirk playing at her lips.

I scowled. "Could you stop sneaking up on me?"

She chuckled, handing me a cup. "Didn't mean to. Just saw ya hidin' over here an' figured you might want somethin' to drink."

I took the cider. "...Thanks."

Applejack leaned against the barn wall, looking out at the party. "Ain't so bad, huh?"

I took a sip, trying to not focus on the way she was standing-casual, confident, unfairly cool. "I guess."

She glanced at me, eyes shining with something unreadable. "Y'know, Dash... you don't gotta pretend all the time."

I stiffened. "Pretend what?"

"That you don't care."

My stomach dropped.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything-but before I could, Pinkie's voice rang through the barn.

"DANCE TIME!"

The crowd cheered.

Applejack grinned. "Welp. Guess that means we gotta join 'em."

I laughed, half-nervous. "Yeah, no. Not happening."

Her grin widened. Dangerous.

"Oh, I think it is."

Before I could escape, she grabbed my wrist-

And pulled me straight into the crowd.

I was so not built for this.

Applejack still had my wrist in a vice grip as she dragged me right into the middle of the dance floor.

People were everywhere, moving, laughing, completely unaware that I was having a mild crisis.

The music was loud, the beat was fast, and I-

I didn't dance.

Ever.

"Applejack," I hissed, leaning toward her so only she could hear. "This is a bad idea."

She just grinned. "Relax, Dash. Ain't nobody judgin' ya."

Easy for her to say. She actually knew how to move.

I, on the other hand, felt like a malfunctioning robot.

She started swaying to the beat, her body moving with an effortless rhythm that made it look so damn easy.

"C'mon, sugarcube," she teased, "ya scared?"

I snorted. "Pfft. As if."

Her smirk deepened. "Prove it."

Oh, it was on.

I started moving-badly.

Applejack laughed. "What in the world are ya doin'?"

"I'm dancing!" I shot back. "Obviously."

She shook her head, still grinning. "Alright, alright. Here."

Before I knew what was happening, her hands found my waist.

I froze.

Completely.

Everything around us blurred. The music, the people, the barn-all of it faded.

It was just her.

Her hands-warm, steady, grounding.

Her eyes-locked onto mine, watching, reading me too well.

And worst of all?

That smirk. That knowing, smug, I-got-you-now smirk.

My heart was pounding.

"Loosen up," she said, voice lower than before. "Ain't gotta think so much."

That was real funny coming from her, considering my brain had just completely short-circuited.

I swallowed hard. "I-I'm loose."

She chuckled. "Yeah? Then why you stiffer than a board?"

"I'm just-" I stammered, "-processing."

Her grip on my waist tightened. Just slightly.

I swear I stopped breathing.

"Then stop thinkin' so hard," she murmured, voice dangerously close to my ear.

Oh.

Oh, no.

I needed an escape plan. Immediately.

Applejack's hands were still on my waist. Still holding me in place. Still sending every single one of my brain cells into total, complete meltdown.

The worst part?

She wasn't even trying to be smug anymore.

No teasing smirk, no cocky challenge-just... looking at me.

Like she was seeing something.

Something I wasn't ready to deal with.

I forced out a shaky laugh. "Wow, uh, what's with the touching, AJ?"

Her grip didn't budge.

"Jus' helpin' ya out," she said easily. Too easily.

"Oh, yeah?" I tried not to sound breathless. "And you do this with all your friends?"

Applejack's expression flickered.

Just for a second.

Then, she smirked. Dangerous. Slow.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Oh. Oh, hell no.

I was not gonna let her have the upper hand here.

I squared my shoulders, planting my feet firmly into the ground. "Please. I bet you're the one falling for me right now."

Her brows lifted. "That so?"

"Yeah," I shot back. "You're practically swooning."

She let out a low, deep chuckle.

The sound of it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Sugarcube," she murmured, voice low and slow, "if I was swoonin'-you'd know it."

Oh.

Oh, that was a problem.

Because suddenly, I wasn't sure if I was falling... or flying.

I needed to get out of here.

Right. Now.

Before Applejack said something else that made my brain short-circuit and my stomach do even more of those annoying flips.

I cleared my throat, stepping back. "W-Well, gotta go! Party planning and all that. You know how it is."

Applejack just watched me. Amused. Way too amused.

"Right," she drawled, tipping her hat back. "Have fun, sugarcube."

I turned on my heel and power-walked away.

Not ran. Because running would make it obvious. And I wasn't being obvious.

...Was I?

Whatever. Didn't matter.

What mattered was getting far away from Applejack before I did something stupid.

I made it to the barn just in time to be greeted by a blur of pink energy-

"DASHIE!!!"

I barely had time to brace myself before Pinkie tackled me in a hug.

"Uh-hey, Pinks." I patted her on the back, trying not to fall over. "What's up?"

She gasped dramatically and pulled back. "What's up?! WHAT'S UP?! Only the most important thing ever!!!"

I blinked. "Which is...?"

She grinned wildly, bouncing on her heels. "The Welcome-To-Ponyville-Super-Amazing-You're-One-Of-Us-Now PARTY, duh!!!"

Oh.

Right.

The party.

The one I had zero energy for because I was too busy freaking out over Applejack.

I forced a smile. "Oh, uh, yeah! Sounds... fun?"

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. "Dashie."

I tensed. "Y-Yeah?"

Her face was suddenly too close.

"Something's up."

"What? No! Nothing's up!" I forced a laugh. "Why would anything be up?!"

She squinted harder. "You're acting weird. "

Crap.

Deflect. Distract. Anything.

"So, uh-who's coming to this party?" I asked, shifting gears fast.

Pinkie immediately perked up. "EVERYONE! It's gonna be HUGE! Music, cake, games-oh! And I was thinking of doing a super fun party game, like Truth or Dare! Wouldn't that be amazing?! OH, AND WE SHOULD MAKE ANOTHER ONE!! THIS ONE WAS TOO SMALL"

...Oh.

Oh, no.

Not Truth or Dare.

Not when Applejack would be there.

Not when I was barely holding myself together as it was.

I swallowed. "Uh. Y-Yeah. Amazing."

Pinkie giggled. "Great! It's happening tomorrow night, so be ready!"

Tomorrow.

I was so doomed.

The next day came way too fast.

One second, I was freaking out about Applejack. The next? I was standing in Sugarcube Corner, surrounded by people, trying to act normal.

Pinkie had gone all out. Streamers, balloons, an actual chocolate fountain-this party was huge. Everyone was here. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack-

Applejack.

I spotted her near the snack table, laughing at something Big Mac said, looking way too good in that flannel.

Nope. Not thinking about that. Shutting it down.

"Dashie!" Pinkie popped up beside me, grinning ear to ear. "You ready?!"

I blinked. "For what?"

Her grin turned mischievous. "The game!"

Oh.

Right.

Truth or Dare.

Crap.

Before I could escape, Pinkie was already herding everyone into a circle. I ended up between Twilight and-

Applejack.

Of course.

She nudged me, smirking. "Feelin' lucky, sugarcube?"

I swallowed. "Uh. Sure."

The bottle spun.

Pinkie clapped. "First round... Rarity!"

Rarity flipped her hair. "Dare, of course."

Pinkie's grin widened. "I dare you to jump into the chocolate fountain!"

Rarity gasped, horrified. "Pinkie Pie, absolutely not-"

"DO IT! DO IT!" the group chanted.

Rarity groaned. "Ugh. Fine."

With a dramatic sigh, she stepped forward and-

SPLASH.

Chocolate everywhere.

We all burst into laughter. Even Rarity cracked a smile as she wiped chocolate off her face.

Then, the bottle spun again.

I held my breath.

It landed on-

Me.

Oh no.

Pinkie's eyes sparkled. "Dashie! Truth or Dare?!"

I knew better than to pick Truth.

"Dare," I said, trying to sound confident.

Pinkie giggled. "Oooooh, I got a good one."

She turned to Applejack.

Oh. Oh no.

"I dare you to sit in Applejack's lap for the next THREE rounds!"

WHAT?!

My brain shut down.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

Applejack chuckled. "Well, c'mon, sugarcube. Ain't got all night."

I wanted to die.

Slowly, I moved toward her, heart pounding.

The second I sat down, I felt it-her warmth, her solid grip as she steadied me, the way her breath tickled my neck when she laughed.

I was never making it out of this party alive.

I was so dead.

Applejack's arms rested loosely around my waist, keeping me steady. She was warm. Too warm. My brain was short-circuiting.

"Comfy?" she teased, her breath tickling my ear.

I stiffened. "Shut up."

Pinkie giggled. "Awww, you two are adorable!"

I shot her a glare. I was gonna murder her.

But before I could, the game moved on. The bottle spun again, landing on Fluttershy.

"Truth or Dare?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy blushed. "Um... Truth."

Twilight smirked. "Who's your crush?"

Fluttershy turned bright red. "I-um-I think I need more punch!" She bolted.

The group laughed, and the game continued.

Meanwhile, I was still stuck. On Applejack. In front of everyone.

I tried to shift my weight, but her grip tightened.

"Stop squirmin'," she murmured. "I ain't lettin' ya fall."

FALL?! Oh, I was falling, alright.

Right into dangerous territory.

The bottle spun again.

Pinkie gasped. "Oooooh, Applejack!"

My stomach dropped.

Applejack chuckled. "Dare."

Pinkie's grin turned evil.

"I dare you to kiss Rainbow Dash on the cheek!"

The entire group exploded.

My heart stopped.

Applejack just laughed. "That all?"

Wait-WAIT-

Before I could react, she leaned in-and pressed a soft, warm kiss against my cheek.

I froze.

The room erupted into cheers.

My face? On FIRE.

Applejack just smirked. "Yer turn next, sugarcube."

I was so, so screwed.

I was going to die. Right here. In the middle of Pinkie's dumb party.

Applejack had just kissed my cheek. In front of everyone.

And my brain? Gone. Completely fried.

I barely heard the laughter, the teasing, the whistles from Rarity and Pinkie. My heart was pounding in my ears.

Applejack leaned back, looking way too relaxed for someone who had just ruined my life. "Yer up, Dash."

I blinked. "What?"

"The bottle, sugarcube," she said, tilting her head. "Spin it."

Oh. Right. The game.

I swallowed, forcing my hand to not shake as I reached for the bottle. I spun it fast-too fast. It whipped around so quickly it nearly tipped over before finally slowing to a stop.

And of course-of COURSE-it landed on Applejack.

The room burst into chaos.

Pinkie gasped so hard she almost choked on her cupcake. Rarity clapped her hands together like she'd just witnessed a royal wedding. Twilight and Fluttershy just stared.

Applejack?

That damn smirk was back.

"Well, well," she drawled. "Guess it's my turn. What's it gonna be, Dash? Truth... or Dare?"

I was in so much trouble.

I was trapped.

Applejack was still smirking, waiting for my answer. Everyone was watching me.

Truth or Dare.

If I picked Truth, I risked exposing something. Something I wasn't ready to admit-not to myself, and definitely not in front of all our friends.

But Dare? With Applejack looking at me like that? Not any safer.

My throat was dry. My palms were sweaty. I was stalling.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

My pride screamed at me to be cool, confident. So I crossed my arms and forced a smirk. "Duh. Dare."

Bad. BAD. Immediately regretting.

Applejack's smirk widened. Oh no.

"A'right," she said slowly, stretching out the moment. She was enjoying this way too much.

Then-

"I dare ya to..." She tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Kiss me."

The room exploded.

Pinkie shrieked. Rarity almost fainted. Twilight choked on her drink.

I forgot how to function.

Applejack leaned forward slightly, green eyes locked onto mine, waiting.

I could say no. I could. It was just a stupid game.

But everyone was watching. My heart was pounding.

And worst of all?

I wasn't sure I wanted to say no.

...but something in her eyes told me-

That she hadn't minded.

At all.

Applejack looked at me like she was figuring something out, like she was trying to solve a puzzle she suddenly cared a little too much about. I quickly kissed her, on the cheek.Her gaze lingered longer than it should have, and for one terrifying second...

...I thought she might actually kiss me on the lips.

My breath caught.

But then she leaned back instead, still grinning that cocky farm-girl grin, and turned toward the others.

"Well," she drawled, "that's one way to spice up a party."

The others were still recovering.

"OHMYGOSH," Pinkie finally exploded, bouncing in place like she was about to launch into orbit. "THAT WAS SO CUTE I COULD DIE!! Dashie, I didn't even think you had it in you!!"

Rarity clutched her chest dramatically. "My heart-my fragile romantic heart! That was positively scandalous!"

Twilight blinked. "I... am confused. Was that... a prank? A challenge? A declaration of emotional vulnerability disguised as sarcasm and bravado?"

"Yes," I muttered, grabbing a plastic cup off the snack table and chugging whatever was in it just to cool down.

Fluttershy peeked up from behind her hands. "It was... sweet."

I felt like my face was on fire. I'd meant it to be a joke. A challenge. A way to win. But now all I could feel was the echo of her cheek against my lips. The stupid way my stomach had flipped. How close we'd been-how natural it felt.

Ugh.

Why did it have to feel so natural?

Applejack caught my eye again, just for a second, and I saw it. That flicker.

Something had changed.

She looked at me differently now. Not just amused. Not just fond.

Curious.

Interested.

Dangerous.

I turned away, fast, pretending to focus on Pinkie trying to balance cupcakes on her nose.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

This was getting way too real.

But the worst part?

A tiny part of me-the part I tried really hard to ignore-
wanted her to look at me like that again.

The party eventually mellowed out.

Music still played softly in the background. Pinkie had somehow convinced Twilight to try a karaoke machine. Fluttershy was curled up on the couch with Rarity, quietly chatting about something I couldn't hear. Everything looked... normal.

But nothing felt normal.

Not to me.

Not with Applejack sitting across the room, tossing peanuts into her mouth like she hadn't just made my brain implode.

I kept sneaking glances at her.

She kept catching me.

And every time, she'd smirk just a little. Not teasing. Not smug.

Like she was just waiting.

Like she knew I'd come to her eventually.

I hated that she was probably right.

My heart had never been this annoying. It beat too fast, too loud. Like it was trying to say something I wasn't ready to hear.

"You alright?" Fluttershy asked gently, suddenly beside me.

"Yeah," I said, way too quickly.

She gave me a knowing look. "You know... you don't have to be scared of feeling things. Especially when it's... good."

I stared at her. "Who said I'm scared?"

"You don't have to," she said softly. "We can tell."

Before I could answer, Applejack stood up and stretched, hands behind her head, shirt riding up just a little-

(Why did that keep happening.)

-and she turned toward me.

"Dash," she said, voice casual but not casual, "walk me out?"

My mouth went dry.

"Y-Yeah. Sure."

We stepped outside into the cool night air. The porch was quiet, and the moon cast silver light across the grass. For a second, I didn't say anything. Neither did she.

Then-

"That thing earlier," I said, voice weirdly hoarse, "you know I was just messing around, right?"

She looked at me. Really looked.

And then said, so low I barely caught it-

"Were you?"

My breath caught.

She stepped a little closer.

"I don't mind if it was a joke, Rainbow. I can take a joke."
She paused.
"But if it wasn't..."

Silence.

I couldn't breathe.

If it wasn't...

She left it hanging there, waiting for me to fill it in.

I couldn't.

Not yet.

I looked away, heart beating out of my chest. "Goodnight, AJ."

She studied me for a long moment. Then, with a soft smile-

"Night, sugarcube."

And she walked away.

I stood there on the porch, frozen, my chest aching and full at the same time.

What the hell was happening to me?