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Chapter Text

Here's the thing: Rainbow Dash likes Hufflepuffs.

Collectively, they're sweet, honest, and pretty fun to hang out with. Hufflepuffs are more talkative than Ravenclaws during class, and a whole lot more bearable than Slytherins. Okay, Rainbow's cool with some Slytherins, but the majority of them are cunning, ambitious gits. 

So, second only to the Gryffindors, Rainbow Dash likes Hufflepuffs the most. 

Or at least she had until she encountered that one infuriating Hufflepuff girl. The one who's candid but bluntly so, kind but intimidatingly strong, modest but unbelievably competitive. 

Overall, Rainbow Dash could've mistaken her for a Gryffindor. She doesn't know why she isn't one, in all honesty. But Rainbow's glad since there would be fights in her common room. 

Because Applejack, the girl who's supposed to be friendly, average and unnoticeable, is better than her at Quidditch. 

Obviously, they share different positions. There's no way Applejack would be able to outdo her in Quidditch if that wasn't the case.

Rainbow Dash is a Seeker.

A position born for daring, swift players faster than the Golden Snitch itself. For those agile enough to dive to the ground, and lift off at the last possible second, their focus unbroken by the din of the crowd. Rainbow has all of these traits and more; she has ever since she took flight on a broomstick in her first year. 

Nobody can beat Rainbow Dash in speed.

That much is clear. 

On the other hand, if Rainbow is the best at finishing games, Applejack could keep them going for hours. Quite literally, as Applejack is the Hufflepuff Keeper.

Nobody expected much from her tryouts, as the position was passed down from her brother in her second year. It was her first game that stole everyone's attention: Hufflepuff versus Slytherin. 

At first, it could've been passed off as a coincidence. Most times, the Slytherin Chasers scored, once in a while, they didn't. It was to be expected. Until the match drew on, and most times became rarely, and rarely became almost never. 

No matter how devious or witty the Chasers were in their tactics, Applejack was able to stop the Quaffle. Every. Single. Time. Hufflepuff would've won if the Slytherin Seeker - Lightning Dust - hadn't snatched the Golden Snitch in time, yet all the audience could remember was how incredible Applejack's saves were. Rainbow Dash included. 

Over these past four years, she's only grown even more reliable. Rainbow gets annoyed just watching Applejack block her Chasers' attempts at scoring.

Although she'll never admit it aloud, Rainbow is glad that she and Applejack will never have to face each other head on. 

. 

. 

. 

'Rainbow Dash, Applejack, I want to see you two play as Chasers in your next game.'

Chapter Text

Charms class is always chaotic. It's natural, considering how around thirty students are given wands and permission to practise spells until an hour passes. For sixth year students, it shouldn't be this loud, as this is when they begin learning to perform nonverbal magic. Luckily, class hasn't actually started yet, so Rainbow can make as much noise as she'd like. 

'Me? As a Chaser? I can't believe coach is tossing away one of the greatest Seekers Hogwarts has ever seen,' Rainbow scoffs, kicking back in her seat.

Beside her, Pinkie removes the wand which she had been balancing between her upper lip and nose to point it at Rainbow. 'You are super duper fast, which is one thing all Chasers have in common.'

'That's not even the main reason!' Rainbow spreads her arms wide open. 'Get this. She wants me and Applejack to become Chasers because she thinks we'll be able to "unlock our true potentials". Like, give me a break.'

Sunset, one of the only Slytherins who actually arrives early to class, leans onto the desk behind them. 'Well, it could've gone worse.'

'Oh yeah? How?'

Sunset smirks. 'Coach Spitfire could've made Applejack a Beater.'

Just the thought makes Rainbow grimace.

'What's this 'bout me?'

Rainbow almost topples out of her seat when she hears that amused Southern drawl. Twisting around, she sees two Hufflepuffs enter the classroom. Applejack places a hand on her hip, with a stack of supplies under her other arm. Recovering quickly, Rainbow straightens up.

'We were just talking about how easy it'll be to beat you now that you're no longer playing as a Keeper,' Rainbow snarks instinctively. It's always instinct with Applejack: the rivalry, the taunts, the glares. 

Applejack's emerald eyes flash.

'Careful, Rainbow. My brother wouldn't have been Hufflepuff's Keeper if he didn't practise with a darn good Chaser,' Applejack responds with a firmness only she wields. 'Besides, I already have another Keeper in mind.'

With a single step aside, Applejack lets Fluttershy come into view. Flushing at the sudden attention, Fluttershy quickly darts behind Applejack.

Rainbow tilts her head. She has never taken Fluttershy to be a remarkable flyer, but she has improved over the years. Plus, Rainbow knows that she should never underestimate anyone on the Quidditch pitch.

'It doesn't matter who your Keeper is. Gryffindor will win,' Rainbow retorts boldly. Maybe too boldly, considering how she still hasn't decided who the new Seeker will be. 

Just as Applejack opens her mouth to respond, Professor Cadance strolls in, followed by a handful of fawning Ravenclaws. If she wasn't the Head of Hufflepuff, Rainbow could've easily mistaken her to be in charge of Ravenclaw. 

'We'll see 'bout that.'

Without looking back, Applejack strides to the other side of the classroom, with Fluttershy beside her.

Rainbow's eyes follow Applejack as she walks away. 'Pinkie, we're meeting on the pitch right after classes finish. There's no way we're losing to Hufflepuff this season.'

'You got it, Captain,' Pinkie chirps, accidentally setting off sparks after doing a mock salute with her wand in hand.

'Hey, don't let your rivalry with Applejack make you forget about Slytherin. We've got a strong lineup this year,' Sunset interjects. 

'Think you'll finally get a clean win for once?'

Sunset smirks. 'We won't need to cheat, Dash. You should focus on your upcoming match.'

Of course. There's going to be a match this afternoon. Gryffindor against Hufflepuff. It's just a practice match for Spitfire to determine their team dynamics. No points towards the Quidditch Inter-House Cup, no House points, no new recruits. All in all, it's nothing special.

Still, Rainbow Dash wants to win.

She isn't sure of why Coach Spitfire's set on having Gryffindor play against Hufflepuff, especially since everyone knows the long-standing rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, but she's not about to question the Captain of the Wonderbolts. So, as Professor Cadance commences the lesson, she mentally reviews all of the tactics and hand signals her Chasers use. 

⊹₊ | ✧ | ₊⊹ 

Their last class is Transfiguration which seems to drag for hours. Rainbow can't stop herself from glancing longingly past the window. Outside, golden rays splash against the distant Quidditch stands, with a breeze rippling through the lush grass. 

It's a perfect day for flying.

When Rainbow closes her eyes, she can almost sense the slender handle of her Silver Arrow beneath her fingertips. 

At least Rainbow knows she'll be out there this afternoon without having to book the Quidditch pitch. Coach Spitfire has already claimed it in preparation for their match. 

Tearing her eyes away from the window, Rainbow looks at the clock. Just a minute left. As subtly as possible, Rainbow tidies her equipment away. By the time Professor Thorax has finished praising some Ravenclaw - ten Galleons it's Twilight - on their miniature pumpkin carriage, all that's left on her desk is a misshapen chunk of butternut squash. 

NEWTs be damned, Rainbow's determined to gather her team at the pitch as early as possible. It would be a bad look if Hufflepuff beat them there. 

Finally, the blessed bell chimes and Rainbow bolts out of her seat, schoolbag strapped across her chest and one destination in mind. 

⊹₊ | ✧ | ₊⊹ 

Walking past the lineup, Rainbow surveys her team. There's no doubt that she's the fastest player but that doesn't mean any of the other Gryffindors are weak flyers.

Bulk Biceps hardly has the nimble physique for a Seeker so he's out of the equation. His muscles are ideal for dealing with Bludgers. The same goes for her other Beater, Autumn Blaze, who only joined Quidditch because of how much she loves hitting Bludgers. Snails is only good at keeping, but that's fine because he's seriously awesome at it, and Flash has always played as a Chaser. 

It'd be best if Rainbow could select a Seeker from her Chasers, so that nobody else would have to switch positions. Night Glider is a strong candidate but her skilful feints and shadowing are what have won them several matches. She plays best as a Chaser. 

Resolutely, Rainbow stops in front of her chosen player. 

'Pinkie Pie, I want you to play as a Seeker from now on.' 

Pinkie's jaw drops comically wide. 'Don't you say that the Seeker is a position for the best of the best: the fastest, the coolest, the agilest-' 

Before Pinkie can continue her tirade, Rainbow cuts in. 

'I trust your senses, Pinkie. If anyone can keep up with the Snitch's unpredictability, it's you.' It's true. Of all her players, Pinkie Pie is an all-rounder. When they first met, Rainbow was sure that she would've played as a Beater but her boundless energy was best put to use in exhausting opposing Chasers out. And now, her infamous "Pinkie sense" will be used for catching the Snitch. 

Clearly bubbling with pride, Pinkie salutes. 'I won't let you down!' 

Satisfied, Rainbow addresses the rest of her team.

'Listen up, everyone! This is just a practice match against Hufflepuff to test out our new positions, but that doesn't mean any of you can slack off. I want us to win. Are you ready to win?'

A chorus of "yeah"s echo around.

'That's what I want to hear,' Rainbow grins. 'Now, it's time to let that show in our playing. Stay on your game, Gryffindors. We'll show coach which House is best.'

Head held high, Rainbow grabs her Silver Arrow and leads her team onto the pitch. Bright rays splash against them once they enter the field, squinting against the sunlight. Coach Spitfire is already there, the Quidditch ball crate at her side and a silver whistle dangling from her neck. 

Not long afterwards, their opponents of black and yellow approach, full of beaming faces and determination. Intrigued, Rainbow wonders what kind of speech Applejack had given them. Once they're stationed opposite each other, Coach Spitfire calls out, 'Captains!' 

Rainbow locks eyes with Applejack. After shaking hands a little harder than necessary, Rainbow swings a leg over her broomstick and readies her stance. 

The whistle blows, the Quaffle is released, and all players soar towards the sky. 

Rainbow catches the Quaffle first. Already, two players shadow her, one above and one below. 

'I'm open!' 

Whipping her head sideways, Rainbow spots Flash waving at her. Quickly, she shoves the Quaffle towards him but it's intercepted by Applejack.

'Hufflepuff Keeper, whoops, I mean Chaser, Applejack intercepts the Quaffle. She seems to have adjusted to her position relatively quickly, since Keepers always deal with the Quaffle. A clean pass to Vapor Trail and Hufflepuff gets the first score!' 

Cursing, Rainbow whips her head towards the microphone stand and catches a glimpse of dark emerald robes. 

'What's a Slytherin doing here?' 

Somehow hearing her, Pinkie flies down beside her. 'That's Starlight Glimmer, silly. Sunset must have told her about our match. Look, more of our classmates are coming to watch!' 

True to her word, a couple of curious students make their way up the stands, though the crowd is mainly made up of their own respective houses. Even a handful of Ravenclaws are watching, but they're sitting on the side supporting Hufflepuff. 

'You're doing great, Fluttershy!' 

Rainbow looks over to find Fluttershy quite literally shaking in front of the hoops. 

I doubt that. 

Still, the sight is enough to remind her that she needs to focus, especially since the Quaffle is in play again. 

'Flash Sentry passes to Night Glider, who dodges two Bludgers at once, what a dive! A swift pass to Rainbow, who's closely followed by Applejack. Looks like this is the first time these two captains are facing each other.' 

'Get away from me,' Rainbow snaps, swooping to the side.

Applejack leans closer anyway. 'This is part of the game, Rainbow.' 

Luckily, she catches sight of Bulk Biceps swinging a Bludger their way and shifts so that it hurtles towards Applejack. Wide eyed, Applejack kicks the Bludger away. 

'And that's a foul to Applejack for interfering with another position's ball. Only Beaters can touch the Bludger.' 

Opposite them, Braeburn shouts some encouragement but Rainbow can see Applejack's frown deepen. As a Keeper, she's never truly been targeted by Bludgers before. It's good to know that Rainbow isn't the only one struggling with her new position. Her satisfaction is wiped clean when a flash of gold zips past her ear.  

Derpy whizzes forwards with Pinkie hot on her tail. 

Rainbow's fingers twitch. 

Cut it out. You're not a Seeker anymore. 

'Captain!' 

Abruptly tearing her gaze away, Rainbow looks to see Night Glider gesturing towards the hoops. Right. She's the one taking the penalty shot. 

'Captain Rainbow Dash shoots and scor-hold on. Fluttershy does an incredible flip, whacking the Quaffle off course.'

Cheers erupt from the Hufflepuff stands while Rainbow gapes. Fluttershy looks just as stunned as she is, given by how her arms tremble as she grips her broomstick tighter. 

A supportive line from Flash Sentry brings Rainbow back to her senses and she gives him a tight smile. Next time, she swears to herself as she flies towards Quaffle again, I'll score no matter what. 

'Maud sends a Bludger towards Gryffindor Chaser Flash but Autumn Blaze boldly sends it right back! Talk about a battle between the Beaters. Flash tricks the Hufflepuff Keeper by making a reverse pass to Rainbow, who scores! Ten points to Gryffindor.' 

Grinning with victory, Rainbow high fives Flash. Looking below them, she spots Coach Spitfire observing them intently. A sense of fulfilment grows within her chest at the acknowledgement. She's watching. Omigosh, the Captain of the Wonderbolts is watching. 

Now that Rainbow's got her attention, she's going to make it count. 

An hour must have passed, but it's Quidditch, so an entire month could've flown by and Rainbow would still be playing. The scoreboard displays 80-70, with Gryffindor in the lead, and neither Derpy nor Pinkie Pie managed to catch the Snitch before it vanished from sight. Rainbow ignores the thought that she would have been able to seize it. 

'Chaser Coloratura tries to shoot but Snails blocks the Quaffle with ease.'

That's her cue. Narrowly avoiding a Bludger, Rainbow catches the Quaffle sent her way. She's starting to get the hang of this. Moving with the speed she normally reserves for dives, Rainbow shoots past the opposing Chasers. 

'Rainbow Dash plays true to her name. She attempts to reverse pass to Night Glider and almost succeeds! But that's a foul to Gryffindor for stooging. Only one Chaser can enter the scoring area at once.' 

Wincing, Rainbow risks a glance down at the pitch. It looks like the coach is frowning but she just gestures for her to hand the Quaffle to Applejack for a penalty shot. Unfortunately, after playing as a Keeper for several years, Applejack knows more than a handful of tricks and manages to score cleanly.

Rainbow's jaw clenches.

Once Snails throws the Quaffle back into play, Rainbow swoops up to catch it. At this point, the commentary and din of the crowd are muffling into a faint buzz.

Rainbow is here to win.

For that, she needs to focus. 

Blocking any distractions out, Rainbow flies between Double Diamond and Vapor Trail. She doesn't need to look back to know that Applejack is tailing her. 

'Watch out!'

Diving on pure instinct, Rainbow dodges a hurtling Bludger but the Quaffle slips past her fingers. 

'Nice awareness from Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash dodges Braeburn's Bludger but drops the Quaffle. Hold on, both captains are chasing the fallen Quaffle!' 

Come on, Rainbow. You can fly faster than that. 

She presses forwards. 

Rainbow Dash does not give up. 

Nor does Applejack. 

Time slows. 

Soon, the Quaffle is within her reach and-

There's a collective gasp around them. 

Starlight Glimmer curses colourfully into the microphone. 

'Both captains collide in their quest to outdo the other. Shit, Rainbow Dash is falling. Is anyone close enough to cast a levitation spell?' 

The world spins as Rainbow's broomstick slips out of her grasp. It's only when she catches a flash of nearing grass that she somehow tucks her knees in, rolling to a painful halt. By some miracle, Applejack had managed to stay on her broomstick, despite swirling haphazardly off course. As Applejack lowers herself to the ground, she staggers, plastering a hand across her mouth. 

The Quaffle rolls pitifully past them, landing at very familiar boots. The sight is more than enough to have Rainbow springing upright. 

A frightened hush spreads amongst the other players as Coach Spitfire kicks the Quaffle up, catching it in one smooth motion. Rainbow would have been impressed if her heart wasn't lodged in her throat. 

Knocking her sunglasses down, their coach gives them both a scrutinising look. Even Applejack, who looks seconds away from hurling, straightens up. 

'When I came here, I was under the impression that you two were the best captains Hogwarts has ever had,' Coach Spitfire starts. 'I have to say, I'm disappointed.' 

Shame stabs through Rainbow's chest, but she bites the inside of her cheek to battle it. 

'I get that you're not used to these positions but seriously?' Pinching her nosebridge, Spitfire faces Applejack. 'Applejack, right? I don't even know why you fly if you get dizzy this easily.' 

Wincing, Applejack looks down. 'I usually have it under control.' 

'You better,' Coach Spitfire snaps tersely. When Spitfire looks at Rainbow, her frown deepens, as if the very sight of her evokes massive disappointment. Involuntarily, Rainbow gulps. Sighing, Spitfire places her sunglasses back on. 

'Try to stay on your broomstick next time, Rainbow Crash.'

Rainbow can almost hear her heart shatter at the words spoken by her idol. Crash. She'd said it so casually. 

'Yes, coach,' Rainbow says, voice strained and brittle. Vaguely, she registers Spitfire lecturing the rest of the players, declaring that all of them need to improve their passing and tactics overall. 

'Game's over. Make sure to stretch and clean up,' Coach Spitfire declares, despite the Golden Snitch still zipping around wildly. With that final statement, she walks across the Quidditch pitch, but not without giving all of their uninvited spectators a harsh glare. 'You lot can leave too.' 

Picking up on the hint, the students begrudgingly make their way down from the stands. Rainbow watches her hero leave, her chest feeling like it had been struck by a Bludger. 

Landing on the pitch, Pinkie sidles up to her. 'Wow, that was rough. Look on the bright side! At least your arm isn't broken, am I right? Dashie? Dash!' 

Ignoring Pinkie's shouting, Rainbow stalks right over to Applejack, who was listening to whatever Coloratura was saying. Catching sight of her approaching, Applejack's expression hardens. Rainbow wastes no time in lashing out. 

'This is all your fault. If you'd just stayed out of my way, none of this would've happened.' 

'My fault? Now I've heard it all,' Applejack scoffs. 'If you hadn't been so caught up tryin' to impress coach, maybe you wouldn't have gotten flung off your own darn broomstick.' 

Rainbow could almost laugh.

And people call Applejack honest. 

'I wasn't "flung off", you pushed me,' Rainbow snarks, prodding her finger accusingly against Applejack's chest. It's instantly smacked away. 

'Now you're jus' straight up lyin'. I would never do that.'

'And I would never fall on my own,' Rainbow retorts, drawing closer despite Applejack's growing scowl. 

'Just 'cause you're fast, don't mean you're the best flyer,' Applejack snaps. 

Crimson blurs Rainbow's vision.

'What's that supposed to mean?' 

'Exactly how I said it. You ain't the best flyer. It ain't my fault you fell and embarrassed yourself in front of a Wonderbol-' Applejack is cut off when Rainbow shoves her. She stumbles backwards, crashing into Coloratura and Braeburn. 

'That's what happened up there,' Rainbow declares. 'How does that feel, Appleja-' 

The Gryffindors roar as Rainbow's head snaps sideways, pain bursting from her jaw. Raising a hand to her face in disbelief, Rainbow blinks. 'You hit me.' 

Applejack looks just as surprised, her previous glare replaced with widened eyes. 'I-' 

She doesn't finish her sentence when Rainbow crashes into her, a flurry of curses and rageful punches. Fluttershy tries to shout a warning but it falls on deaf ears. Just as Rainbow feels a sharp jab to her ribs, she's yanked away from Applejack. 

'Let me go!' she yells, voice cracking with fury. Looking up, she wilts at who stands before them. 

'Enough fighting,' Professor Celestia demands calmly. 'Come to my office.' 

Her words finally make Rainbow realise what she had been doing, and she stops struggling against Pinkie's hold. One last glance shows Applejack dipping her head with burning ears. 

Professor Celestia leaves without waiting for any explanation. Her silent departure is even more unnerving than Spitfire's harsh words. Pinkie Pie, sensing a lack of movement, loosens her grasp on Rainbow's arms. 

'Dash?' 

Grimacing at the uncertainty in her friend's voice, Rainbow musters what little rationality she has left. 'Sorry Pinks. Think you can get the team out of here?' 

'Will do, Captain,' Pinkie says, sounding relieved. Too ashamed to face her own team, Rainbow follows after Professor Celestia. She'll apologise for losing her cool during tomorrow's practice. 

⊹₊ | ✧ | ₊⊹ 

Rainbow's entire face aches.

For a Hufflepuff, Applejack sure does pack a punch. Beside her, Applejack absently rubs her cheek. Rainbow got her good. Rainbow should be smirking, especially when she looks down at how bruised her right knuckle is, but now that the adrenaline has fizzed out, all she feels is guilt.

What makes it worse is the stifling silence. It's purposeful. There's no doubt about it. The Headmistress is renowned for having a way with students, but this is Rainbow's first time actually interacting with her. Now you've made a bad impression on two celebrities. Nice going, Rainbow. 

Finally, Professor Celestia speaks. 

'If a student had not warned me in time, we may have been forced to have this conversation in the infirmary rather than my office.'

Her voice is elegant but stern, the kind which commands discipline without needing to ask for it. Rainbow pointedly looks away from Applejack, focusing her attention on the many portraits lining the walls. Their expressions all share varying shades of disapproval. 

'You are both good students at Hogwarts. By now, I trust that you are regretting your actions, but I will reiterate our school's values.' 

One particular portrait glares at her and she glares right back. 

'Rainbow Dash.' Reluctantly, she turns her head to face the Headmistress. 'Gryffindor is a House of bravery, but valour is not limited to heroic acts and daring stunts. It takes courage to own up to your mistakes.'

Shame burns beneath Rainbow's skin as she nods. 'Understood, professor. It won't happen again.' 

Professor Celestia holds her gaze, as if assessing her sincerity. Rainbow isn't sure of whether to blink or not. Eventually, the Headmistress looks beside her, and Rainbow dares to breathe again. 

'Hufflepuff values patience and hard work, both of which are traits you are usually well-versed in demonstrating. This isn't like you, Applejack.'

Applejack lowers her hand from her bruised cheek. 'I know. I wasn't thinkin' and it was wrong of me to resort to violence.' She pauses. 'I'm mighty sorry.'

Rainbow doesn't have to be a genius to know that she's directing the apology towards their Headmistress. Applejack is a good student, through and through, but she's also stubborn. There's no way Applejack would apologise to her so quickly. Not when it was mainly Rainbow's own fault. 

Professor Celestia tilts her head in acknowledgement before addressing both of them once more. 

'As a punishment, the two of you will spend all of tomorrow cleaning the West Tower, starting with the owlery. You are expected to catch up on all missed classes, as well as cancel any Quidditch practice planned for that day. Is this clear?'

Although the thought of missing out on Quidditch spears through Rainbow's chest, she nods. 'Crystal, professor.'

'Yes, ma'am,' Applejack agrees. 

Satisfied, their Headmistress gives them a heartening smile. 'Good. You're dismissed.' 

Mildly surprised, Rainbow leaves with her head spinning. She had been expecting a longer lecture, and a harsher one too, but it was effective nonetheless. As Rainbow walks down the spiral staircase, she slows her steps. It's only now that it really hits her. How she'd disappointed the Captain of the Wonderbolts, the Headmistress, her team. And herself. 

Rainbow really messed up. 

Once she reaches the bottom of the staircase, Applejack heads to the right. She's probably willing to take a longer route to her common room if it means avoiding Rainbow. Which is fair. Rainbow doesn't know why watching her leave hurts even more. 

Right. 

Rainbow had disappointed Applejack too.

It shouldn't matter but it still stings anyway. 

When she makes it back to the Gryffindor common room, she brushes off Pinkie's questioning and hightails it straight to her bed. Long past nightfall, Rainbow sleeps to the memory of falling. 

⊹₊ | ✧ | ₊⊹ 

At least she's missing Potions class, though the thought of catching up is more than enough to dampen what little positivity she has left. So, sighing, Rainbow returns to cleaning again. 

In all honesty, Rainbow could have swept the entire hall in ten seconds flat but there's no way she'd let Applejack of all people slack off, so she continues cleaning at a tortoise's pace - which is not an exaggeration, trust her on this. She's half-expecting Applejack to call her out on her clearly intentional slowness, but the girl remains silent. 

Finally, Applejack sighs.

'I...' she pauses, tightening her grasp on the non-magical broomstick as if she's seconds away from snapping it. 'I owe you an apology.'

Rainbow almost drops her own broom. 'What?'

This is not the lecture she'd been expecting. Now that Rainbow's gawking at Applejack, she notices that she's clutching the broom almost desperately, like she's debating flying away from this conversation. However, Applejack holds her ground. 

'I don't know you well enough to tell whether you were jus' frustrated or if you were provokin' me, but I still shouldn't have thrown that first punch.'

Wow. Now Rainbow can't help but feel a little guilty about her initial spite. Exhaling sharply, she rolls the broomstick between her fingers.

'You shouldn't be the only one apologising,' she admits reluctantly. 'You're right. I...I was pissed off after screwing up in that match so I took it out on you.'

Swallowing her pride back, Rainbow adds, 'I'm sorry.' 

Applejack's eyebrows raise and she stares for a while before shrugging. 'You're forgiven. Reckon I wasn't the happiest after what coach said either.'

'I got that. You almost knocked my jaw off,' Rainbow winces, unconsciously rubbing at her chin.

'Wouldn't be the first time your jaw's dropped 'cause of me.'

Snapping her eyes up at the sudden change in tone, she finds a playful quirk on Applejack's lips.

'You say that as if your eyes didn't pop out of your skull when you played against me for the first time,' Rainbow retorts, remembering that autumn match with vivid clarity.

'Only 'cause I had no idea someone could get knocked off their broomstick from that high up and not end up lookin' like apple sauce.'

'Hey, I still got the snitch!' 

'And a broken arm.' 

'I'd do it again.' 

To her surprise, Applejack actually snorts. 'You're unbelievable.' 

'I think you mean awesome,' Rainbow quips almost teasingly. 

Applejack just rolls her eyes and returns to sweeping. Rainbow, however, is thrown off by how fun their conversation was.  

As Rainbow brushes over the same patch of stone once more, she realises that Applejack is satisfied with the outcome of their unexpected interaction, having made things right between them. In contrast, Rainbow is unreasonably disappointed. She'd only just discovered how easy it is to talk to Applejack. 

'I misjudged you,' Rainbow confesses abruptly. At least it catches Applejack's attention, who gives her a curious look. 'You're a pretty cool person.' 

'Uh, thanks. You ain't too bad yourself,' Applejack responds. 

As much as Rainbow wants to tell her exactly how awesome she is, she holds back and sticks out a hand. 

'You can call me Dash from now on.' 

Luckily, Applejack catches onto her gesture and gives her a firm handshake. Bright eyes twinkling, she adds, 'And you can call me AJ.' 

Grinning, Rainbow returns her hand to the broomstick and picks up the pace. Maybe playing as a Chaser against Applejack wouldn't be so bad after all.