Rainbow immediately knew she said too much, the tears that began shimmering in Applejack's eyes were proof enough of this. Only her pride kept them from running down openly onto her cheeks. Instead she stared hard at Rainbow Dash, who felt her heart sink.
"Applejack..." She started to regret the fact that she hadn't simply swallowed the words, which passed through her lips only a few moments ago.
"Save it, Rainbow".
"But..."
"Ah said: save it." Interrupted Applejack; her voice now cold as stone. She turned back, starting slowly to walk towards Sweet Apple Acres. There was something incredibly painful present in her posture, as if she was seriously hurt. Her step was slow, almost forced, head down and tears still resting obviously in the corners of her eyes.
Rainbow Dash stayed in place, hovering a few meters above the ground, not sure what to do now. Applejack clearly didn't want to talk with her and she couldn't blame her. The earth ponies were always considered as the worst race of all and in the past other races often showed them a lack of respect and had a tendency to use and humiliate the earth ponies at every opportunity. They weren't treated as full-fledged citizens and their role was relegated to ensuring food and serving the pegasi and unicorns. Those times are long gone now, of course, but it was still a very painful subject, especially for ponies like Applejack, who was always proud of being who she was and would never change that. Rainbow knew she crossed the line this time. Teasing Applejack was one thing, but openly calling her race worse, even though she knew how degraded the earth ponies were in the past just because of their lack of wings or horns - it was something utterly different.
She bit her lip and started to fly toward her friend, who was almost reaching her destination by now. The outline of Sweet Apple Acres in the distance was becoming clearer and clearer.
"Applejack!" She cried out, trying to get Applejack's attention, but the mare ignored her, accelerating a pace.
Rainbow Dash landed next to her and looked at her friend's face, but Applejack's eyes were fixed straight ahead and she refused even to acknowledge Rainbow's presence.
"AJ, please!" She insisted, now standing on her hind legs and resting her fore hooves on Applejack's shoulders. "Just listen to me!"
"Why don't you just go eat dirt like every proper earth pony" Whispered Applejack.
"What?" Squeaked Rainbow, obviously taken aback by her friend's choice of words.
Applejack sighed and raised her head, looking ahead and still avoiding Rainbow's gaze as best as she could. "Those were your exact words, Rainbow Dash."
The cyan pegasus gulped. She wanted to defend herself. Turn everything into a joke. Act as if nothing happened. But she couldn't. She didn't mean it when she referred to Applejack like that, but it didn't make their argument any less real. And even though she knew that Applejack can't be mad at her forever, she simply couldn't stand the thought of letting down her best friend like that.
"I-I'll make it up to you, Applejack" Rainbow Dash whispered, her voice cracking slightly. At this point she was almost in tears.
A bittersweet smile appeared on Applejack's face. She shook her head and passed by still not looking at her pegasus friend.
"Ah don't think so, Rainbow".
"Applejack? Are you in there?"
Rainbow Dash pressed her hooves to the glass surface of a window, looking intently for some kind of a movement inside the room.
"Applejack?"
With a quiet sigh Rainbow opened the window and flew into a darkness of her friend's room. She landed on the wooden floor and for a moment just stood there, not really knowing what to do now.
The last few days were a mixture of worried glances and condolences. Usually bright and happy mood of Sweet Apple Acres was replaced by forced assurances that everything is fine and silent tears, shed when no one was looking. Granny Smith's death took everypony by a surprise. A few days ago she was here, making pancakes for her grandchildren and sharing stories from her young years, and now...
"Rainbow Dash?" She heard a quiet, hoarse voice behind her and spun around to see Applejack standing in a door frame. "What are you doin' here?"
Rainbow gave the orange mare a considering look, as if trying to figure her out. Applejack returned the look.
'What?" She asked after a short while, slightly irritated.
"AJ, you... you look awful!"
Applejack laughed dryly. Rainbow almost covered her ears at the horrible sound, so different from Applejack's usual warm and pleasant voice.
"Thanks. That's just what Ah wanted to hear."
Rainbow Dash just stared at her friend, concern and uncertainty obviously on her face. She was afraid. She was afraid of that hollow look on Applejack's face. She was afraid so much, that if it were not for her strong sense of loyalty, she would be somewhere else right now, high above the clouds, trying to fly so fast that she would forget about the events of recent days. But she couldn't do it for Applejack. She couldn't leave her, when she needed her the most. Not like that. Not in that state.
There were bags under Applejack's bloodshot eyes. Her mane was a tangled mess and she was barely able to stand straight, thanks to exhaustion. She spent the last few days sending invitations for a funeral and trying to take care of everything. Rainbow knew how much a family means for her friend, so she and the others didn't say anything, but now she felt kinda guilty. Applejack was there for everypony, always, but had she ever thought about herself? Rainbow both admired and hated it about her friend.
She hesitantly approached the farmer and looked straight into her emerald eyes, which begged her to go away. Applejack never was the one to show weakness. She was like a mother of their little group of friends, always mature and ready to lend a helping hoof. It was time to reverse the roles, even if only for a moment.
Within a matter of seconds she made up her mind.
With a slow exhale Rainbow wrapped her wings and hooves around the orange mare and drew her closer, gently kissing her friend's forehead.
"Give yourself a chance to mourn." She said softly, stroking Applejack's mane and whispering the words of comfort in her ear.
And she did.
