An Apple Shy of Happiness
An Apple Shy of Happiness
The morning was beautiful and the birds just outside of the window were chirping happily, as they usually were. Rainbow Dash counted four eggs in the nest. They would be hatching soon, she was sure of it. She'd been watching them for the last few days. They were just finishing their nest when she moved in. She felt a certain connection with the birds who occupied the very tall tree near her home in the clouds. Four eggs. Just like the four children currently running around the Apple Family farm.
Looking past the birds, Rainbow could see Applejack the proud proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres, walking down the path to pick up the morning paper. Little Apple Crisp trailed behind, her little clone, with a canvas bag slung over her back and shiny new cowboy hat (she had insisted on both for her eighth birthday). It still amazed Rainbow how much Apple Crisp looked like her mother. The spitting image. Same blond hair pulled back into the same hair-tie. Same pelt color and eyes. The only difference was the single apple cutie mark as opposed to Applejack's three.
"She's gonna be a heart-breaker when she grows up." Rainbow said to the birds, whose attention didn't wane from the eggs in the least.
She approached her uncle as he joined them and Rainbow thought she could pick up the tale-tell sound of the young filly's voice as she chatted up the ever silent Big Macintosh with the latest happenings of the farm. Big Mac smiled and nodded kindly to his niece and chuckled now and then as they walked near the orchard. It had become a ritual for those two, every morning. Take a quick stroll to the back orchard, pay their respects to the dearly departed Granny Smith, and then back to the front of the house to divy up chores. Apple Bloom had really developed into quite the young mare as well. She was working hard to take up the slack that had been created when Granny died a few years back, but she was living up to the job nicely. That's probably where she was now – in the house keeping up with the mending and washing.
Then the front door opened and there he stood; Mr. Applejack himself. Caramel stood wearing his usual beat up cowboy hat and balancing the newest member of the Apple family in a sling around his body. Behind him emerged two smaller foals, laughing and running in circles as they circled the yard.
Rainbow watched them playing and her eyes found the birds again. They were oblivious to the children, except for perhaps being grateful that they were so high up and no where near their precious nest. She envied them.
As she usually did, Applejack watched them play, smiled and pat each of them on the head before heading to towards the road. It was Tuesday, which meant it was Applejack's turn to drop the kids off at school while baby Peachfuzz went with dad to the orchard. Apple Crisp scoffed her head at her younger siblings and stood next to her mother, ever the responsible one. Lily Bloom and Sundance, six and four, made another run around the yard before skidding to a halt by their mother and waving goodbye to their father.
Rainbow often dreamed of having children. She had grown up as an only child, so the prospect of one day having a large family gave her something to look forward to in the future. Of course it would be difficult for her to have that family when she was alone. Her eyes locked on the baby around Caramel's neck and the sudden urge to vomit rose in the back of her mind. But she couldn't blame him. He wasn't the one afraid of his emotions.
Caramel laughed and pat each of his children on their heads before he walked to his wife and shared a good-bye kiss. Applejack would do as she always did and nuzzle against his cheek a bit before pulling away. Then, she bent over and kissed Peachfuzz on the head before leading the tiny herd of Apple's down the road towards the school house. Caramel watched her go, then headed off into the orchard for a long day of apple-bucking.
What was it about stallions that mare's found so attractive? Was it the ability to reproduce? Well, there were plenty of foals in the world who don't have a family, so really the reproduction factor was a rather flimsy excuse to marry a stallion. Mare's were far more satisfying and even if they did require a bit more fuss. It was Rainbow's own fault that she didn't have one now.
Applejack had always been the strong one. All through school she had been the protector type; Fighting for the meek and innocent when they couldn't fight for themselves. Rainbow's school days had been a bit less chivalrous. She spent the bulk of high school picking fights and bragging about various skills in a desperate attempt to gain some attention. But she never had to pick a fight with Applejack. Applejack always gave her the attention she desired without even asking.
A.J. was the perfect student. She always got straight As and was constantly setting school records. She never really fit into any of the clicks, because they all loved her. She pacified the jocks so they wouldn't beat up the nerds. She joked with the skaters while spending her weekends with the drama team. All of this was why Rainbow had been amazed when Applejack wanted to spend time with her.
Rainbow usually spent lunch outside playing various sports and challenging others to races, so when Applejack had asked to meet her, Rainbow hadn't hesitated when she said yes. They became fast friends and spent most waking hours together. Then the day came that Rainbow still kicked herself over.
It was junior year. The annual Spring Fling was coming up and every mare in school was giddy over being asked out. Applejack had just about every colt in their class bombard her, just hoping that she would go to the dance with them. But she never did. She never even spared them a second glance. Rainbow had always felt privileged because A.J. never once blew her off for a colt. As the dance approached, most of the colts gave up hope on A.J. and offered invitations to others, but still she hadn't asked anyone.
Finally, about a day or so before the dance, she and Applejack were standing in the hallway while Rainbow searched desperately through her torso bag for the book she swore she left there just the other day.
"Damn it! It couldn't have walked off!" Rainbow shouted into the hollow confined of her bag.
"With everythin' that's growin' in there, I don't know about that." Applejack teased from beside her.
Rainbow sent her a glare before continuing her search.
"I hear Fluttershy thinks yur gonna to ask her to the dance."
Rainbow stopped searching at the strange tone in A.J.'s voice. "Huh?"
Emerald eyes met magenta ones and Rainbow noticed something strange about her friend's demeanor. Something she'd never noticed before, but couldn't pin point it. "Fluttershy. Are ya going to ask her to the dance?" Applejack asked again.
Rainbow was dumbstruck. "Uhh…I don't know…" She gave up in her search and closed the locker door. "I guess so."
A.J.'s face became unreadable and she nodded. "Oh."
Rainbow raised a brow in confusion. "I mean, who else would I ask? Everyone else is taken by this point."
Applejack nodded. "Yeah." She agreed and walked away to her class.
The dance wasn't anything spectacular and Rainbow barely remembered it. Fluttershy had ditched her about five minutes in and spent the rest of the night in the garden with her little animal friends while Rainbow wandered from punch bowl to punch bowl. It wasn't that she blamed Fluttershy in the least- The dance wasn't exactly exciting- but it would have been nice to chat with someone. Applejack ended up going with one of the reigning jocks, Caramel. They didn't speak much during the dance as Caramel kept pulling A.J. back onto the dance floor or introducing her to his fellow Canterlot Guard trainees.
Their relationship was never the same after that. Applejack started dating Caramel and Rainbow had been pushed to the back burner. The rest of high school was filled with lonely weekends with the occasional meeting at Sugarcube Corner, but even then Caramel tagged along so Rainbow and Applejack could never have one of their heart-to-hearts that Rainbow loved so much. It went on that way for years; up to the day Applejack came out with the big news.
"Caramel and I are gettin' married."
Rainbow remembered feeling like all of the air in her body had been drained in one swift moment leaving her twitching on the floor. At the time, she didn't realize why her heart ached at those words, but it wouldn't be long before she learned the truth.
"Married huh?" Rainbow had finally managed to say. "Well, congratulations pal!"
Applejack smiled politely and nodded. She sat down when offered a chair. "Caramel wants a short engagement so we've set the date for early Spring."
"Three months?" Rainbow asked incredulously. "That's cutting it awfully close."
Applejack nodded. "I know. Tha's what I tried to tell 'im."
"Never could understand stallions." Rainbow shook her head and sat in the grass across from her friend.
"Dashie, am I making the right choice?"
Again Rainbow's jaw hit the floor. A.J. always had a way of asking just the right question at just the wrong time that left her picking up pieces of herself left from the spontaneous combustion.
"I mean, is he really the one?"
Rainbow wasn't sure how to answer. She had never been good at romance. "Well…who else would you be with?"
Applejack's eyes darkened as she looked at Rainbow. Her gaze was so intense that Rainbow actually had to shift under it. Rainbow felt her brow begin to sweat and suddenly she was very aware of how very small their picnic blanket was.
But Rainbow never said anything. Eventually Applejack left, leaving Rainbow alone in the park. Just as Caramel planned, the wedding went off without a hitch and Rainbow found herself standing next to her best friend as she said her vows. Behind her Fluttershy was crying and another friend, Rarity, was passing her tissues from with her magic. Pinkie Pie was playing the piano while Twilight Sparkle stood behind Applejack and held her bouquet during the kiss.
Applejack spent most of the reception meeting and greeting her new in-laws (and making sure Big Mac didn't get her new husband into too much trouble before they could get home) while Rainbow made small talk amongst the bridesmares. As the party began to wind down, Applejack managed to break away from the last of the guests and find Rainbow sitting alone finishing a glass of champagne.
"Have fun?" Her tone was cold and almost uncertain.
It made Rainbow shiver. "Yeah, great party." She smiled up at her friend, downing the last in her glass. "Guess I should go. You have a honeymoon to get to." She winked.
A.J. nodded, but didn't respond. The silence made Rainbow a little uncomfortable.
"So, Neighagra Falls huh? You'll have to let me know how that goes." Rainbow smiled.
Applejack nodded. "I will."She kicked the dirt floor with her hoof nervously.
More silence.
Eventually Rainbow got agitated with her behavior and pushed her forward. "I think we need to chat." She hissed before shoving her around the corner behind some trees. "What's up with you A.J.?" Rainbow asked as the door closed. "I thought this was supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but you look like someone just ran over your dog!"
Applejack's expression darkened and she seemed to become even colder. "How I behave on my weddin' day has nothin' to do with you."
"Oh doesn't it?" Rainbow asked, her voice raising. "How many times have you come to me about Caramel? I feel so in-tune with your relationship that I'm surprised you didn't ask me to say the vows with you!"
"You're a few apples short of a bushel, ya know that?" Applejack countered and made a move to leave the room.
"I'm a few apples short?" Rainbow shouted and blocked her way. "Why don't you tell me something I don't know?!"
"Okay." Applejack stopped trying to get past Rainbow and stared at her. "I'm in love with you."
There it was again. Those shocking statements that Applejack had become so good at, only this one was the most intense of them all.
"You're…what?"
"You heard me." A.J. said coldly. "Think about it, Dash. I didn't ask anypony to the Spring Fling in junior year in anticipation o' you asking me. I came to you after I got engaged hopin' you would try and talk me out of it. But you didn't. You never said or did anythin' so I did what was expected of me."
Rainbow was mentally floored. Applejack loved her. She really loved her. It all made since in an instant. The casual flirting they so loved, the attention Rainbow craved…all of it was summed up in one simple word: love. Rainbow was as much in love with Applejack as Applejack was in love with her. Why hadn't she been smart enough to see it sooner?
"A.J., I…"
"You what?" Applejack's gaze lost all compassion and longing and were nothing but cold walls. "You love me too?"
Rainbow nodded dumbly, unable to form words against the harsh tone.
"It's a little late for that, Rainbow Dash." Applejack spat. "I'm married now. That's a commitment I can't back out of. It wouldn't be right."
Rainbow was still speechless. How could she have been such an idiot?
"I love you, Dash." Applejack said again, softer this time. "I always will. But now I'm with Caramel because you didn't say anything." Without another word, she pushed herself away and left the clearing. Moments later, she was loaded into a wagon and rode off with her new husband and out of Rainbow's life forever.
They shared casual conversation over the years. Applejack kept up her friends on the progress of her ever growing family and in turn she always wanted to hear about Rainbow's weathering job. They spoke like mature mares as though they never had the conversation in the clearing so many years ago, but Rainbow remembered it.
She remembered it because it plagued her dreams every night. And now she was in a nice house, floating nicely over Sweet Apple Acres, with a nice birds nest near the front door, forced to look down every morning and see the Apple family living their nice lives. Yes, a beautiful morning indeed.
End
