An Inconvenient Attachment // Appledash

chapter 44

Around a week time jump

"AJ AJ AJ! Wake up! Do you know what day it is?" Dash excitedly called into the ear canal of the tired girl who was abruptly spooked by the sudden speech. 

"The day I get to sleep in," she grumbled back at her and leaned over in a direction away from the sound waves, pushing her head further into her pillow to block our her almost girlfriends too-loud-for-the-morning voice. 

Rainbow rolled her eyes towards the laying frame and placed a soft hand on the girls upper arm, shaking it. "No dummy, training for the friendship games start today! How could you forget!"

Applejack had indeed not forgotten, it is the only thing Dash has been talking about for the past few weeks, she just wanted to catch a few extra Z's before she had to wake up and help pull her emotionally uncontrolled girlfriend through the day.  

"I didn't forget, I just want to sleep." AJ replied as she attempted to pull her pillow over her head and push down the edges to seal out sound. Rainbow observed her and tried to flop ontop of the limp friend, her body draping over Applejack as she lay on her side.

"Come on AJ! If we want to beat Crystal Prep this year we got to start training as soon as possible so we can all be as awesome as we need to be." 

AJ lifted the pillow off her head slightly to mutter, "Dash we've never won to them in past years, they beat us at everything." 

"But they didn't have me for the past few years." Dash egotistically snarked, crossing her arms proudly as Applejack threw her pillow to the side and passing a 'really?' glance at the girl before pushing her frame away playfully to which pulled a, "I mean us," from Rainbow which read sarcastically. Applejack, slowly from somewhat fatigue, jumped ontop of Dash and tackled her to the bed, "You're so proud aren't you," she paired with an eyeroll and tried to stop the girls squirming, their competitiveness picking up as the two lightly wrestled with mirrored grins across their faces.

"Oh yeah, could beat Prep with just me on the team." Dash boasted inaccurately. 

"Yeah right." Applejack fired back, highly unconvinced. With a hard push, Rainbow moved AJ's stronger form off the top of her to lie next to her, the begging to go to training continuing. "Looks like you're up now AJ, let's go to school then. I'm sure the group will be there too." 

Applejack let out a groan. It was true that their friends would probably be there as Canterlot had opened up the schools facilities for Year 12 student access over the weekends to prepare for the challenges they may have to complete in the games. Despite the fact they hardly ever win, they try not to lose spirit and still commit to practising just incase somehow this year would be their year. "Fine, but only if you give me a kiss," AJ replied after a pause and looked hopefully at her unofficial girlfriend. 

"Now why would I ever turn that down," Dash stated as a breathy laugh exited her slightly agape lips as she leaned into the girl, twisting her body slightly so she would angle over the one laying on her back. Planting a soft kiss on Applejack, their lips connecting with her top lip ontop AJ's, they pulled away after a few seconds with a smile on Dash's face. She switched the side her body was facing so she could get up easier as AJ tried to linger on the kiss a bit longer, her expression turning to subtle disappointment as Rainbow moved further away. 

"I'll give you another one if you get up and dressed." 

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The two girls had arrived at school and were walking through the front glass doors, making a beeline for the field where they were sure they'd meet many familiar faces of their grade. They would have no idea what the possible categories of games there would be so that's why it was essential for them to try train multiple skills. They walked through the quiet hallways, the doors that let to the field coming closer into their view. Silence in the school was unnatural due to the busy character of the location they are used to when here during weekdays. The couple observed this while walking with loosely linked hands as the brightness of the light outside contrasting the dark locker lined hall grew as they knew they were getting closer to the academic ground. The still air was immediately shifted as their ears were filled with conversation, the wind shifting leaf and branch placements in trees and the sound of feet hitting the ground as Dash cracked open the glass door, her gaze meeting that of her friends. Sunset was the first to run up. 

"I'm so glad you guys made it! After a while we began to lose hope." She joked, bending her arm to nudge Dash with her elbow. Rainbow smirked in Applejacks direction as she explained, "We would've been here earlier but someone couldn't get out of bed this morning."

As Dash could see Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie make their way over, AJ gave her a light shove in response to her snark, "Not my fault we went to bed in mere hours of the morning." 

"Oh?" Sunset grinned while raising an eyebrow, insinuating something that she noted as a potential for what kept them up. 

"Oh shut up not like that Sunset." Rainbow laughed, raising a hand to push the girl away by her shoulder playfully, letting her bounce back before speaking to their other group members. 

"Hello darlings, we were just deciding what we were going to practice today. There are so many new sports that could be included as well as academic or creativity challenges, we need to somehow master all within the next few weeks," Rarity spoke, giving AJ and Dash a respectful nod in greeting to try and reinforce their platonic and getting straight to the point. 

"What if they have a baking competition! EEEEE!" Pinkie started to squeal, jumping on the spot while trying to gain minimal height in her elevation to not draw too much attention. Rarity hopped on the bandwagon, "Or a fashion show!" Followed by Fluttershy, "Or an animal challenge!" 

"How would they implement animals in a challenge Flutters?" Rainbow replied to the last girl to speak a soft smile on her face while also joking about the unlikeliness of the scenario. Fluttershy looked up at her and then away before shrugging, a hopeful smile growing, "I don't know but if they find a way, I'm excited!" 

"Do we want to divide and conquer?" AJ asked the group, sticking her head out of their circle a bit to look around at the activities going on around them, running, study groups, soccer, roller blading, archery... 

"Good idea AJ. Let's divide into groups of three, so we can all hone our skills."

"Oh no Sunset are you going to get all methodical about it? Twi really rubbed off on you huh?" Dash joked at her strategic enthusiasm. The girl smiled and accepted the tease, rolling her eyes at her before telling them the game plan she was configuring in her mind. 

"Okay Dash and AJ, you guys go practice your academic skills over with them, Fluttershy and Pinkie will go practice archery, and Rarity and I will roller blade. We can switch tasks every 30 minutes to an hour and try our best to improve in our unfamiliar areas. Okay? Yes. Lets go." Sunset rapidly explained, not even giving the girls a time to accept or decline before Sunset grasped Rarity's hand and began to pull her towards the awaiting roller blades, a girl on a mission. As Sunset escaped before she could hear an unsatisfied grunt leave Dash at hearing the command for her to study, AJ laughed at the girl, "Heh you suck at schoolwork."

"Not that you're much better Ms Average C student." 

Fluttershy and Pinkie giggled as they watched them interact, Flutters gaze remaining on Dash for a few seconds longer before Pinkie began to drag her away to archery, bidding a quick goodbye before she was taken away by the bounding girl. 

Applejack sighed and looked over at the group of students crowded around an assortment of textbooks and pens, a whiteboard too which had somehow been taken outside and removed from a classroom, noticing some familiar faces. 

"Lets just get this done and over with."