Homesick

“AJ? Are yuh in here?” Mac slowly closed the door behind him and entered the house. He wiped his feet on the mat before continuing in through the main entrance. He was sure he saw his sister come in a moment ago.

“Howdy, Mac! Guess who’s here?” Applejack made her way down the stairs; she was smiling ear to ear for the first time since Granny Smith had passed. Instinctively, her older brother smiled back at her – He knew only one person could make his sister pull out of the slump she had been in.

“Rainbow Dash, ah reckon?” He gave a quick shrug, as if it could have been anybody else.

“Yup! She just got here, gonna be stayin’ with us for a few weeks, helpin’ us around the farm while we get stuff sorted out.”

Mac couldn’t help but to keep smiling, he was elated to see his sister happy again. He simply nodded at her, and then continued into the kitchen. “Ah’m gonna get dinner started. Come down when yuh like”, and with that, excused himself into the other room.

“Did he say dinner?” Rainbow Dash stepped out of the guest room she had settled into, and headed towards the stairs. “I’m starved! It’s about time.”

Applejack knew no matter how sentimental or sappy she got with her friend, she would always bounce back and revert to her old self. Silly, lethargic Rainbow, who in most cases simply had flying, food or sleeping on her mind.  She caught herself staring at the Pegasus, who was slowly approaching her on the staircase.

“AJ? You coming?” She pointed downstairs, obviously too impatient to wait any longer to satisfy her insatiable appetite.

AJ blinked, and with a quick nod started following her down the stairs.

The three crowded in the kitchen, each doing a small task to help prepare dinner. Mac occasionally smiled as he overheard his sister and the cocky Pegasus banter back and forth.

“Ah know how I could get up to Cloudsdale to visit you in the future”

“Really?! That would be awesome! How?”

Applejack patted Dash on the head, “Ah could use your big head as a blimp”.

Rainbow Dash blushed, she couldn’t believe she fell for that. She wasn’t sure if it was more disheartening to know her friend was poking fun at her, or that she was joking about visiting her. She felt her friend wrap an arm around her shoulder and give her a gentle squeeze.

“Ah’m just messin’ with you, sugarcube. If it makes ya feel any better, ah’ll come to as many shows as ah can next season…”

Dash smiled a bit, it was a good start. “Any time…I’ll get you front row seats.”

For the past year, Dash had mostly played a minor part in the Wonderbolts. She definitely was not one of their stars, she appeared in a few small shows, and occasionally stood in. She mostly just trained, so there really wasn’t much of a reason to attend the shows, Applejack thought. Plus, it was rare Dash was even near their hometown anymore. But, next season, Dash would be performing a lot more often, and they were building a new performance area in Canterlot for shows. That, at least, would make it a little easier to see her friend while she was away.

“Hello? Ah’m home!” A high pitched voice squeaked. The three heard the door slam, and moments later the youngest member of the Apple family entered the kitchen “Hey AJ!  Do ya think you could help me w-“. The youngest suddenly paused, realizing there was a third person in their kitchen working. It only took a moment to recognize her, and she squeed with excitement.  “RAINBOW DASH! RAINBOW DASH!”

“Hey squirt what’s up?” Dash turned to the girl, and crouched down a bit to give her a hug. Applebloom nearly strangled her as she pulled her in. “Too…Tight….” Dash gasped.

“What’re you doin’ here? Ah thought you were gonna be with them fancy flyers for a while?” Applebloom innocently asked.

‘She sounds just like her sister’ Dash mused to herself. Before she could answer, Applejack stepped between them, and motioned the younger sibling to back up and give Dash her space.

“Dash just came by to visit fer a few weeks, then she’s right back to trainin’ with the Wonderbolts.”  She noticed the smile disappear from her little sister’s face.

“Oh. Well, it was nice of yuh to come here. Are yuh stayin’ with us?” Applebloom seemed somewhat hopeful again. “Are…Are yuh here because ah what happened?”

AJ’s heart skipped a beat. She looked over at Dash, but before either could answer, they heard the eldest Apple clear his throat.

Big Macintosh set down the knife he was using to mince vegetables, and turned to his youngest sister. “Applebloom, why donchya go upstairs and get started on yer homework… Ah’ll come up n’ help yuh, and then we can bother Dash more at dinnertime.” He looked back at the girls, who simply refused to make eye contact with him. Applebloom was prepared to protest, but she knew better than to question her brother. He folded his arms up, and raised an eyebrow at the girl. She retorted by pouting, and giving him puppy-dog eyes. “C’mon now, Ah’ll give you a piggyback ride upstairs.”

Applebloom giggled as her brother effortlessly picked her up, and rested her atop his shoulders. He turned his head back for a brief second, and winked at the two girls, before exiting the kitchen. The girls could hear him making some horsey noises as he ran up the stairs.

Applejack sighed. “Sorry, Rainbow. The whole thing has been rough on her, too, as you could imagine. Well…Actually, she’s probably been tha strongest out’f all of us. She’s young, so she don’t really hafta worry about takin’ care of the farm, and the bills and…” She paused, realizing she was unloading all of these onto Dash, who was shooting her friend a concerned look. “Anyway…”

“You can talk about it if you want, AJ.” Rainbow Dash smiled, and of course playfully elbowed her friend, as if to coax her on to talking about it. She had promised she would be there for her friend, and make it up to her for being AWOL for so long.

The farm girl shook her head. “Ain’t your concern, don’t worry yerself over it. We’re managin’, ah just don’t want Applebloom to be thinkin’ about it too much. She’s just a kid; she doesn’t need to be worryin’ about that, and certainly shouldn’t be botherin’ you about yer business.” With that, Applejack turned back to the counter, and began preparing the food again.

Rainbow Dash followed suit, and the two quietly returned to the task of making dinner.

~ ~ ~

The four really enjoyed their evening together. It had been the first time the Apple siblings felt comfortable again. A heavy burden was lifted from the middle sibling, just knowing her best friend was home supporting her. Despite the confusion, and anger she felt for Dash being gone so long, and missing something important to the young farmer, she realized it really was out of Dash's control. She did leave the Wonderbolts a few weeks early, and was here to stay for an entire month...Longer, according to the pegasus, need be it. Applejack looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was assisting Applebloom in playing with her food. Her lips curled into a smile for a second. It was comforting to know that despite them growing up, and leading adult lives, some things never changed. Rainbow Dash was just a kid at heart, making mischief, and more interested in flicking peas than the standards of polite adult society.

Eventually, Big Mac took Applebloom upstairs to get ready for bed, but said he'd be back down to clean the dishes in a bit. "Don't worry 'bout it, AJ. Ya'll finished makin' dinner, ah can take care of that."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Mac."

He simply nodded, then excused himself from the table.

Applejack seemed to be lost in her own thoughts for a few more minutes while Rainbow Dash shoveled down her second helping of food (It was really just Applebloom's left overs, but the pegasus would never let food go to waste).

“Man, I haven’t had a home cooked meal in months…I forgot how much I loved your cooking, Applejack.” Rainbow gave a satisfied smile, patting her stomach simultaneously. The farm girl chuckled, then tipped her hat slightly.

“Shucks, ain’t nothin’ special. Glad yah liked it though.” She stood up from the table and grabbed Dash’s plate, which, of course, was licked clean. After dropping it in the sink, she turned back to her friend, who was ungracefully picking food out of her teeth. Applejack shook her head. ‘How charming…’

“Hey…How ‘bout you n’ me go for a quick walk? Maybe stop into town, see a few of the girls? Ah’m sure they’d be thrilled to see ya…”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “But I’m so fuuulllll…”

“Rainbow…” The blonde glared for a moment, although she wasn’t really upset, she was hoping it could persuade her friend, she knew exactly what to do to get her way.

“Fine…But, uh…Do we have to go into town? I’m…Not sure if I’m ready to see the girls yet. I’m kind of tired from traveling, y’know?” Dash gave a quick shrug, and hoped that could gain some pity points from the farmer.

“Well…Alright, how about a quick walk ‘round the orchard, then we can settle in for the night. Sound like a plan?” AJ was usually able to bargain with her friend, and this time was no different. Dash pulled away from her seat, and let Applejack lead the way.

It was truly beautiful outside, a nice warm evening; the sky was full of stars, and not a cloud to be seen. The smell of fresh apples surrounded the duo as they took a slow stroll down the path leading through the orchards. Rainbow Dash was somewhat overwhelmed; it had been so long since she last enjoyed the smell of the farm. It was sweet, and musky, and fresh. It had been like a home to her for so long, she had just gotten used to it. She took advantage of the little pleasures the farm offered. Countless days were spent napping up in the trees, playing horseshoes with the family, sitting out on the porch and enjoying some cider while the sun set, sitting on the roof of the barn, watching Applejack work, humming some tunes as if she didn’t have a worry in the world. Applejack…

“Rainbow?”

“Huh?” She was pulled away from her memories as her friend called out to her. She realized she had fallen behind a bit; she gave her friend a sheepish smile, and dashed to her side. As soon as she was at her friend’s side again though, she put her head down and got lost in her own thoughts.

“Everything okay, sugarcube?” The farm girl was concerned, usually Dash wasn’t so quiet. It seemed she always had something to mouth off about. Some trick she did, or some Daring Do book or…Well, anything.

“Just tired, I guess. It’s been a long day and all.” That was about all the Pegasus had to offer. “Uh…Sorry…Was there anything you wanted to talk about?”

“Ah guess not. Ah’m just happy to be out here with you. It’s like old times, ain’t it?”

Dash didn’t respond, she just continued to follow the apple farmer up through the orchards, until they came to a halt. She wondered why they had stopped. She noticed Applejack had removed her hat, and pressed it gently up against her own chest. ‘Oh…’ Dash looked down, then back at AJ. She wasn’t sure what to say.

“Hey Granny Smith…Ah I was just comin’ to say g’night...”

The tombstone had a short, sweet epitaph, and was surrounded by dozens of flowers. Most of them were wilted now, but it still looked kind of beautiful, Dash thought.

‘Oh Celestia. Why did she bring me here for this? I can’t take it when AJ’s all sappy…’

The Pegasus was noticeably uncomfortable. She could hear her own heartbeat pound in her head for a few seconds. ‘ohmygoshohmygosh what am I supposed to do’ – Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand softly squeezing her own. Dash looked over to her side; Applejack was still staring down at the grave below her, but had joined hands with her friend for a moment.

“Sorry…Ah didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Ah just thought maybe…”

Rainbow understood. She knew her friend wanted to get back a moment she’d felt was lost, and Dash really did want to make it up to her. She released her freckled friend’s hand, and pulled her in to a hug. Applejack rested her head on Dash’s shoulder, and reciprocated by wrapping her arms around her.

“Ah miss her so much, Dash. Ah’m not sure how to handle all this yet…Ah’ve got a farm tah run, a sister to raise, there’s expenses to be paid, ah wish I could hear her voice one more time…Get some wisdom…Some insight…Ah…Ah don’t know…” She felt her friend stroking the back of her head gently. It brought her some comfort, at least for a moment.

“Listen, AJ. I’m not good at this stuff,” Dash whispered into Applejack’s ear, brushing a stray hair behind it before she continued, “but…If she were here, I’m sure she’d tell you you’re a strong woman. Life keeps going whether we’re ready for it to keep going or not, y’know? And…Well…” Dash could hear her friend sniffling a bit, and tried not to let it distract her.

“AJ, you’re an amazing person. You’re my best friend, you’re strong, sensible, hardworking, and you have the best family in the world backing you. I don’t just mean Big Mac and the squirt, either. I mean all of us here in town. The girls….We love you.” She knew that did the trick. Applejack started weeping into Dash’s shoulder, but at this point, Dash was used to it.

When the tears died down, Applejack pulled out of her friend’s now sopping wet shoulder, and met her gaze. She smiled, and then did something completely unexpected by the Pegasus. She gave her a quick peck on the lips, then pulled away from the embrace. Dash was in total shock, unable to move her body for a few seconds until the daze wore off.

“Uuuuuhhhhh” was all the rainbow-haired girl could manage.

“A..Ah’m so sorry Rainbow. Ah was just overwhelmed. Ah didn’t mean nothin’ by it!” AJ was the deepest shade of red Dash had ever seen. She continued to stare at her friend, still taken aback by the moment.

Rainbow Dash knew her friend had just said something, but it didn’t register. A few seconds later, she noticed her friend heading back down the path, back towards the house. Rainbow’s brain finally clicked on, and she started to follow.

“AJ?”…No reply. She decided to trail behind her, quietly letting the moment replay in her head a few times. She pressed a few fingers against her lips, then let her arm fall back down at her side. 'What...Was that..?'. When they finally reached the farm house, Applejack simply held the door open for Rainbow Dash, but otherwise the girls went their separate ways for the night without saying a word to each other.

The Pegasus was walking from the bathroom back to the guest room, and noticed Applejack’s door still open a crack. She didn’t dare enter, but she did lean in close to the door, and simply said “Good night, AJ”, before proceeding back to her room. She really had no idea of what to say or do now. She couldn’t think about it anymore, either. She was physically and mentally exhausted, so she did the only thing she could do. Dash rolled onto the bed and pulled the covers over herself, hoping a good night’s sleep would help clear her head.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Applejack was pacing back and forth in her room. Unlike the girl slumbering away in the guest bedroom, Applejack’s mind was restless. She couldn’t get to bed, instead she just tossed and turned for about an hour before she decided to get out of bed again and converse with herself.

“Oh Celestia, what’d I do? Ah must’ve scared poor Dash away fer good. She’ll probably never come back home after this…” The farm girl looked out of her window longingly towards the sky, praying maybe an angel would reach out to her. The trees rustled outside as the wind blew through them, but that was about it. No angels came crashing through her window, no fairy godmother appeared, no nothin’. Applejack sat on the edge of her bed and sulked. ‘What’s the matter with you, AJ? Y’know Dash is just yer friend…’ She let out a sigh. There was a sudden knock on her bedroom door, Applejack was afraid to respond though, thinking it may have been the very girl she’d been dreading to talk to.

“AJ? Y’alright?” A deep voice echoed behind the door.

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, ah’m fine. Y’all can come in, Mac”. The door clicked open, and her big brother came and joined her on the edge of her bed.

“It’s purdy late, sis. Why’re you still up? Sometihn’ on yer mind?”

“Well…Uh”

“Is it Granny?”

The blonde girl shook her head gently.

“…Is it Dash?”

Her silence said it all.

“Y’don’t hafta talk about it if y’don’t wanna. Just know ah’m always here tah listen.”

“Ah made a mistake, Mac. Ah….Well. We were out walkin’ in the orchard, and ah took her to the grave. Ah thought it might make me feel better, get some closure or something or, er…Ah dunno.”

Mac simply nodded. “Did that help yuh?”

“Yes…And no.” AJ buried her face in her hands, frustrated by her own actions from earlier. “Ah told her I needed some advice, that ah wanted to hear Granny say somethin’, and…She said somethin’ real sweet. It just made mah heart melt, like Granny put the words right in her mouth or somethin’. I was overwhelmed by it, and ah gave her a small peck on the lips.” She was afraid to look over at her brother, so she kept her gaze fixated at the window straight ahead.

She could tell it was a lot for her brother to take in, and just waited while Mac rubbed his chin slowly, thinking of the right words to say.

“Didja tell her all this?” He finally responded.

“Sort of…Ah didn’t really know what to say. Ah don’t even know what it meant. It wasn’t really affectionate…Ah guess I was just so happy for a split second, ah didn’t know how else to react.” She shrugged, and finally felt comfortable making eye contact with her brother. “What d’ya think ah should do now?”

Mac gave her a pat on the back, perhaps a bit too rough, but he was a big guy after all. “Tell ‘er exactly whatchya told me, AJ. She’s yer friend, and she’ll understand. Don’t go makin’ mountains out of molehills. Tha more ya overthink it, tha worse it’ll become.”

Her brother was right, of course. She gave him a quick nod before reaching over to hug him. “Thanks, Mac.”

“Eeyup”. The young man gave his sister one more pat on the leg before getting up and heading back to his own room.

“G’night, AJ. Sleep tight.”

“Night, Mac. Ah love you.”

“You, too.”

With that, Applejack rested her head back down onto her pillow, and gazed at the ceiling above her for a few minutes until her eyelids became heavy. She’d talk to Dash in the morning, she thought. Dash would understand. Like Mac said, she was her friend. So why was she so worried?

“Dash…”  She sighed before finally drifting off to sleep.