The Last Winter

by Lilith Evanson

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Romance
Length: 6232

An unexpected hospitalization brings two ponies closer together.

A quick trip to Canterlot for what should have been a regular checkup proves to be more than just that. When Rarity is unexpectedly hospitalized during the worst winter storm in years, Rainbow Dash fights through the blizzard to be by her marefriend's side.

Well, after she finds out through an emergency letter sent to Applejack.

Vectors for cover art by birthofthepheonix, StillFire, and BonesWolbach.

Published 2014-05-19 17:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-19 17:40:02 UTC

Chapter One

Rarity stared blankly at the old stallion’s desk sitting across from her, books and sheets of data scattered on top randomly. She could see from her position her medical file laid out before him, all her information exposed to anypony who could walk in. There was an old image of her on one of the reports, a picture taken three years previous judging by the outdated hairstyle. Ah yes, everypony had been wearing their manes straight during that time. Of course, her style was a bit more unique as she had decided to add a side fringe and—

“Rarity, did you hear me?”

Shaking her head slightly, Rarity looked upwards with tired eyes and stared at the old stallion’s mouth. She watched as his lips moved up and down, his tongue rolled against his somewhat crooked teeth, but she couldn’t hear him speak. The clock ticked behind her and the pounding in her head thumped along as it counted the seconds of time that passed her by. She could hear everything but the pony in front of her. Grabbing her head, she listened to the plinking noise of ice pellets smacking against the window to her left and the howling, winter wind banging against the outside of the office walls. In her mind she imagined it calling for her in a raspy, cracking voice. It was born from cyan wings. Its one mission was only to free her from the stuffy office she nervously sat in to bring her home to Ponyville.

Well, that may have been a bit overdramatic. Pinks and her pegasus always joked she was too much of a roma-

“Rarity!”

Jumping in fright, Rarity lightly placed a hoof to her heart. “Oh my! I’m so sorry. I must have dozed off there for a moment.” She padded her chest and swallowed. “I have a bit of a headache, darling, so I fear I didn’t quite catch what you were saying.”

The greyed stallion peered over his desk, an eyebrow raised in question. His serious gaze scrutinized her as if she were an insane patient waiting for asylum. She wished he wouldn’t look at her with those pitiful, grey eyes. Or perhaps it was pity towards her she saw in them instead.

“The medication we prescribed you isn’t working.” He blinked once at her then floated a sheet of paper towards his face and adjusted his glasses to read the small text of data. “Recent tests suggest the amount of red blood cells in your system are dramatically low. I’m sure you’ve felt the effects.” He turned her way and lowered his glasses to knowingly gaze into her eyes.

Quickly, she responded by hurriedly shaking her head but regretted it feeling dizzy. “I-I’ve felt nothing out of the ordinary, Doctor. Perhaps a bit tired but I am constantly working on new projects. I’ve also been spending much of my time helping my partner train. She’s in the Wonder…the um, the Wonder Dash…no that’s not right. Well, she’s in the reserves, you see, so that might be a reason behind my exhaust-”

“Rarity, I’m not a fool so please do not treat me like one.” He cut off her rambling with a frown.

“Excuse me?”

“Though I may look like a senile, old fruit bat I am anything but. I was trained by the best to have a doctor’s keen eye and what I’m seeing now is only confirming the data I’ve gathered from your tests.”

Rarity furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and irritation. “I’m sorry?”

“My test don’t lie, Rarity, and your symptoms will only confirm the evidence I’ve collected.”

“My symptoms? You believe you know my symptoms?” She scoffed.

“I don’t believe, my dear, I know.”

An awkward silence filled the stuffy room. Rarity chewed the inside of her cheek in irritation as she watched the doctor pull away from her anxious stare to tug at his bottom drawer and rummage inside. A flare of frustration and exhaustion overcame her. She rubbed her forehead to relieve the pain that was building in her horn.

Now she remembered why she despised traveling to Camelot for her checkups. Her doctor, while an intelligent, respected physician in his field, was an annoying, egotistical stallion in her opinion. He may know an awful lot about her ailment as well as be good friends with her parents but that didn’t mean he was a sympathetic pony.

Perhaps it was the way he was taught or maybe it was old age, but whenever she came for an appointment, he always worked to put up an air of mystery around her illness. She felt romanticized, like all the broken female characters in her radio dramas she secretly stood up to listen to when her pegasus was asleep. She felt naked in front of his foggy, decrepit eyes and it was annoying as…disturbing as…oh this headache! She couldn’t even come up with a decent simile.

She pulled her hoof away from her forehead and frowned. Jackapple had been right. She should have him replaced with somepony more competent and less cantankerous. If only the farm pony had come with her to this sudden meeting. It would have been bearable, no doubt. Jackapple always had a way of pushing her doctor’s buttons. Anytime she brought her along, the old drama queen would rush to finish the meeting if only to be free of the sarcastic, rough and tumble pony in his office playing with all his little medical trinkets. Yes, next time she’ll bring Apple along for the ride if only not to suffer alone.

‘Dashel should come, not Apple.’

Ignoring the still rummaging stallion behind her, Rarity tiredly walked towards the only window in the small room and peered out. The blizzard outside was growing. It was the last winter storm until spring but the worse of them all. Her pegasus had warned everypony about it for months as she prepared her team in...prepared her team at home to handle the crisis. If she were home now, Rarity would be helping prepare too instead of twiddling her hooves while staring at a wall of awards and diplomas.

A huge gust of wind slammed into the window causing Rarity’s heart to jump. If she didn’t leave the hospital soon she would be stuck in the city. Dashel had been adamant that Rarity change her schedule and leave for Canter another time. If it weren’t for the doctor’s frightening letter that arrived early that morning, she would have fulfilled Rain’s wishes.

‘Oh, darling.’

Twirling around, Rarity stalked towards the doctor. “Excuse me, sir, I understand this meeting is very important but I really must be getting home. So if you could just prescribe me different medication I can be on my way.”

Her head was fuzzy and her vision blurred as she made her way towards the old pony. She latched onto the corner desk and held steady for a moment before swallowing. Looking up, Rarity noticed the doctor staring at her with eyebrows raised.

“This isn’t something that is to be taken lightly, as you understand.”

“Of course I do.” She frowned.

“Then you realize how important it is I know everything, correct?”

Rarity was silent for a moment; her quivering hoof gripped the desk harder. “The storm is getting worse and I really need to leave. Now, I’ve had low red blood cells in the past but it’s never been an issue.”

The greyed stallion shook his head and sighed. “When you had the right medication, of course.”

Rarity squinted her eyes. “Then prescribe me something different.”

“I can’t and you’re changing the subject.” He grunted loudly as he pulled a file out from his drawer, much thicker than her own, and flung it onto his desk. He slammed the drawer shut louder than was necessary, or so Rarity thought. She held onto the desk watching him open the folder and peer inside.

“Right now I want to focus on how you’re feeling.”

“Oh, you must be joking!” She rubbed her forehead in frustration with her other hoof. “I don’t have time for this. If you don’t mind, doctor, can we not dance around this anymore.”

“About two weeks ago we did a biopsy on your horn.” He replied ignoring her.

Rarity shuttered recalling the thin needle they stuck into the side of her horn. “How could I forget?” she sarcastically replied. “It wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.”

“No, but it was necessary.” He flipped through the folder with a bored expression. “The result came back. They’re very worrying.”

“Yes, my test. You mentioned that in your letter. The one you had rushed delivered. Yet, you continue to jump around this subject.” Rarity slowly let go of the desk and made her way towards her chair. “What are the results, hm? Am I dying? Are you afraid to tell me?”

The old stallion pushed his glasses farther up his muzzle and cleared his throat. He levitated a notepad and quill towards him and situated himself more comfortably. “I will explain in a moment. However, I need a little more information. Go on, then. How have you been feeling this past week?” He nodded towards her.

She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you already knew my symptoms?”

“Now is not the time to play games, Rarity.”

She gritted her teeth and silently cursed him for making her do something so deplorable and angry. If she weren’t a lady she would have, as her pegasus would say, decked him in the jaw for his cockiness. Here he was playing games with her and she’s the one who is scolded. Still, if she wanted to leave quickly, she needed to play along.

“What I am going to tell you is no more different then all the other times I have felt this way.”

“Humor me.”

She spared a quick glare in his direction before focusing her attention back on the blizzard. “I may have been having some difficulty staying awake this past week.”

“Just this week alone?” He glanced at her skeptically.

She sat still for a moment then let out a small sigh. “For the past few months I have had trouble keeping myself attentive.”

“What else?” He quickly scribbled down a few words but his gaze never left her face.

“I’ve woken up a few times with a fever-“

“What was your temperature?”

She jumped lightly from his interruption. “I-I believe one hundred and seven. It may have been higher.”

“You didn’t deem it important to notify me of this?”

“I’ve had fevers before. You even once told me it was a normal symptom I would have often.”

The old stallion grunted and murmured a string of colloquial expressions to himself as he tore his attention away from his patient to his notepad. “Tell me more. What about your heart?”

“My heart?” She asked perplexed. For the first time all day a true smile overcame her. “Haven’t you heard? I’m in love.”

The doctor glanced up blankly and raised his eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“For half a year now.” A large grin stretched across her face. “She’s a bit of fool and is extremely boastful but she does have her sweet moments.” Her grin faded to a small smirk as she learned towards the desk. “My heart beats faster when I’m with her. Perhaps that is what’s causing me to feel ill.”

“You aren’t very witty, you know.”

Rarity frowned and crossed her hooves in derision. “I wasn’t trying to be. You wanted honesty. Well, I’m giving it to you.” She shrugged. “After all, honesty is a good friend of mine.”

“You do want to leave here quickly, don’t you?” He peered over his notepad not amused.

“Yes.”

“Then be serious about this, Rarity, and tell me the truth. How is your heart?”

Rarity turned away from his gaze. “I’ve been out of breath. Sometimes doing a simple chore is too much for me. At night I wake up in a cold sweat and my heart pumps faster than normal. If I didn’t know any better, I would have confused it for an anxiety attack.”

“I see.” He scribbled away. “Any other physical ailments?”

Her hoof gently brushed against her horn but she felt an uncomfortable tingling sensation and quickly tore her hoof away. “My magic has been weak. It fluctuates from time to time but this past month it’s been difficult to control. I used to be able to hold twenty objects at a time and now I can only hold five.”

The doctor nodded. He placed the notepad and quill down on his desk as his magic disrupted. The old stallion raised his hoof towards his glasses and peeled them off his muzzle, gently placing them near her medical file. He rubbed his eyes briefly as he sat up from his wheeled desk chair and walked around towards her.

“There’s one more thing I need to know.”

Her confused gaze followed him as he sat down in front of her chair. His ancient eyes stared deep into her own youthful, scared ones. He grabbed her shaking hoof in his own and held on tight. “W-wh-“ She cleared her throat. “What is it?”

“What is my name?”

Rarity leaned back in shock. “I’m sorry?”

“You haven’t said my name this entire session. You’ve only called me doctor or sir. In fact, when we greeted each other you simply called me ‘darling’.”

“I call everyone darling. It’s a term of endearment. An example would be Jack calling you ‘suga’ cube.’” Rarity mimicked her friend’s southern accent as she shrugged her shoulders. “Also, I don’t always use your name in conversation.”

“Oh, but you do.”

Rarity frowned and rubbed her forehead. “Excuse me, I don’t seem to understand.”

“Rarity, we’ve known each for ten years. I’ve been a friend of your parents longer. We shed formality a long time ago.”

“So?”

“So what is my name?”

Rarity shook her head but instantly stopped. She held her head in her hoof and grimaced. “It’s…ah.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just a headache.” She padded the hoof holding her own. “But I’m still confused.”

The old stallion nodded. “I know you are. That’s because you are experiencing another symptom.”

Rarity looked into his eyes and glared. “What symptom? It’s just a small headache.”

“You and I both know it’s not a small headache.” The doctor raised himself up and walked back towards his desk, his magic grabbing hold of multiple files at once. They spun around his head as he read off his findings. “You are experiencing short term memory loss, Rarity. It’s a common symptom of the medication we prescribed you. Thankfully, it’s not permanent.”

“Memory loss? No, you must be wrong. I remember my pegasus and Apple. I remember my friends Twilight, Shy, Pinks, and Spike. My mother and father, Sweetie Ball, all my family and friends.”

“You believe you remember them but did you hear what you just said?”

Rarity looked down.

“Can you remember your pegasus’ name?”

She sat quietly for a moment and stared out the window. The blizzard outside grew stronger, the wind slammed harder and harder against the windowpane.

“I-It’s…oh, Dashel. No! Rain…Rain…oh! How could I forget my own marefriend?”

The old stallion sighed. “You called your friend Applejack by the wrong name, along with several other ponies. Your memory is faltering. That would be the medication, unfortunately. It’s not doing the job it was made to do and it’s failing your body.” He walked closer to her, the swirling pieces of parchment gliding along with him. “However, your other symptoms are severe and are caused by your illness.”

Rarity held herself shaking in fear. Her eyes watered in panic. “I didn’t feel like this earlier. What is happening, doctor?”

He walked calmly to her side and sat down. The flying parchment levitated behind him. Rarity closed her eyes and looked away from his glowing magic. “It’s alright, just relax. You’re panicking which is causing the symptoms to worsen.”

“I feel lightheaded.” She grabbed onto her doctor and held his shoulder tight. “I’m frightened.”

“Rarity, I need you to listen to me, alright?” The old stallion turned his body towards her and held her up to look into her eyes. “The biopsy results show you have a very low count of red blood cells in your system. Your bone marrow isn’t producing enough to make up for the ones that are dying too quickly.”

“Doctor, I know this already.” Rarity shook her head. “It’s why I was taking the new medication.”

“Yes, but the medicine is having a negative side effect on you and it’s speeding up the process. Your heart rate has increased and that is by your own and my own observation. Your liver has also enlarged, Rarity. It’s swollen. Have you’ve felt pain near your stomach?”

Rarity hesitated a moment then nodded. “I don’t feel it now but earlier this month I was having some pains. After the tests were done.”

“You should have told me.”

“I was scared.” She looked away.

The doctor was silent for a moment then continued on. “The biopsy we did on your horn gave us similar results. We took a small amount of fluid from the bone marrow and found a few abnormalities in the way the cells are being produced. They’re a strange shape, Rarity, and that isn’t good. Your spleen doesn’t recognize them as normal and thus they’re being killed.”

“Wonderful. By own body is destroying itself.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “I suppose this all has to do with my magic?”

“Well, since your body isn’t working right, your magic is obviously failing you. It’s not protecting your body nor healing it correctly. You can’t even use it properly.”

“What else?”

The doctor sighed and held onto Rarity tighter. “We’re going to have to do a blood transfusion.”

She stared at him in shock. Her eyes widened in fear and she pushed herself away from the doctor. “What? A blood transfusion? I don’t need that!”

“You do.” The old stallion pushed himself from the ground and began to walk towards the closed office door. “A blood transfusion is in order to increase your red blood cell count and replace the destroyed ones. The way you are now is too dangerous, Rarity. We need to act quickly.”

Rarity watched as his opened the door and signaled for a nurse to come in. A young mare walked in pushing a wheelchair with a hoof. She smiled towards Rarity and calmly reached for her hoof.

“My name is Nurse Nurture. I’m going to take you to the third floor and get you prepped, alright?”

Rarity shook her head in fear and confusion. She pushed the mare away from her and quickly stood up from her seat. As quickly as she stood, her vision blurred suddenly but she ignored it to point towards the doctor.

“Why didn’t you tell me all this the moment I walked through that door? Why didn’t you explain in the letter you sent?”

The old doctor walked towards her. “I needed to see the signs. Also, you would have been frightened. I knew you wouldn’t have come and with this blizzard brewing, your condition would have worsened. But with the data I have and your appearance, I can safely hospitalize you for further treatment.”

Rarity shook her head. His stiff words angered her. “That is not how things are done!” She stomped her hoof to the ground. The room shook causing the two other ponies in the room to stumble. The mare beside the old stallion leaned against the wall for support. She looked at the doctor in shock.

“What on earth just happened?”

He looked towards Rarity in slight awe. “I had forgotten you're an element bearer. Unfortunately, that magic won’t save you either.” He shook his head and walked further into the room. Rarity backed up against the window, the cool glass pressed against her shaking figure. “What you need now is type E blood. Its healing properties are full of life magic. It will help your body repair a bit from the illness and get you back to your normal self. Once the procedure is over, we can set you up on new medication.”

“I sat in this room with you for an hour and a half, listening to you ramble on about idiotic things. This whole time you could have told me I was going to be hospitalized but you said nothing. Instead, you played your silly games and had me sitting here believing I would receive my medicine and go home to my family. Why didn’t you ask me earlier how I felt? Why didn’t you warn me there was something wrong?”

“Rarity-”

“I have no one with me. D-Do you understand that!? I told no one I was coming here. I’m alone.”

“Miss, it’s alright. We already thought of that.” Nurse Nurture said as she held her hoof towards Rarity to take. Rarity turned to her in disbelief.

“Excuse me?”

“We looked into your file and found your emergency contacts. We’ve already sent letters out to the ponies you listed on the sheet.”

Rarity froze. Her whole body stiffened upon hearing those words. “W-Who did you contact?”

‘Please not her. Please not her.’

“Your parents were top priority so we sent a letter to them.”

“They won’t receive it. They’re on holiday in Trottingham visiting family.”

“Oh.” Nurse Nurture looked down for a moment. “Well, the next pony to be reach would be…” She poked through her pocket for a moment before pulling out a crinkled piece of paper.

‘Not her. Not her!’

“Ah! Here it is. We sent a letter of emergency to Miss Jacqueline Apple. Do you believe she will be receiving our letter?”

A great sigh of relief escaped Rarity’s lungs as she made her way towards the seat in the middle of the office. She sat down and grasped her chest calming her racing heart from its panicked state. It had been close, too close. She was lucky this time.

‘It wasn’t her. Oh, thank the sun, it wasn’t her.’

“Yes, Miss Apple will definitely be receiving your letter and coming to, hopefully, bail me out of this horrible place.”

The old stallion shook his head. “She’ll only be coming to support you, Rarity. She’ll take you home when you're good and ready.”

Rarity glared. “I am good and ready.”

“Forgive me. When the hospital says you’re good and ready.”

Rarity huffed and held her still throbbing head in her hooves. “Now what?”

Nurse Nurture pushed the chair next to Rarity and smiled. “Now we get you ready for the procedure. If you would place yourself in this chair, we can get going.”

She stared at the chair in disgust. “It’s so tacky and ugly. Don’t you have something a bit more, I don’t know, colorful?”

Nurse Nurture chuckled. “Sorry, black is all we have. We never had a patient complain about them before.”

“Yes, well, I am. Black is for funerals, darling, and for accents during the winter to make the figure seem thinner. But black at a hospital? A bit depressing, especially for those ponies who know they won’t be leaving.”

Nurse Nurture nodded, playing along. “I’ll talk to my superiors about changing the color to something a bit more cheerful.”

Rarity stared at the chair for a moment longer before sighing. She carefully placed herself onto the seat and closed her eyes. Nurse Nurture patted her shoulder lightly before pushing the fashionista towards the door to the hallway. Rarity glanced towards the old stallion and glared.

“After this is over, I never want to see your face again. If I do, I’ll sick Jack on you.”

She never got to see the saddened look befall the old doctor’s face. Instead, she focused on the howling wind outside, its raspy screams getting louder as it smashed and banged harder against the office window. The only thing it could do was watch her broken body be courted farther away from home.

Pinks and her pegasus always did joke she was too much of a romantic.

Author's Note

Gosh, I wish I could have done better with this story. It all seems so rushed. I'm not used to writing Rarity at all, guys. *bows in apologies*

Chapter Two coming later today.

Chapter Two

Applejack’s knife slipped from her frozen hoof, the apples she had been chopping lying scattered across the countertop. Her breathing sped. She turned to face the pacing pegasus behind her and stared at the mare in confusion.

“Did you just say Myrical?”

Rainbow walked back and forth in frustration, her wings flapping spontaneously in agitation. “Yeah. Doc Myrical, that’s what she called him. You know him by any chance? Rarity said he was a good friend of hers.” The cyan pegasus walked towards the window and plopped herself down on the countertop beside it. “I think she was lying.”

Applejack quickly turned and walked towards the stove to stir the pot of cider that was bubbling. “Never heard of him.”

“Me neither. I mean, I don’t remember all the ponies she works with but if I heard a name I think I would recognize it.”

Rainbow reached over towards a bowl filled with fruit and snatched an apple from the group. She threw it up and down in the air, the green apple twirled between her hooves. “She left for Canterlot the moment she finished reading his letter.”

“You read it?” Applejack stiffly moved away from the stove and placed the hot cider off to the side. She made sure not to look Rainbow in the eye while she walked passed. Her twitchy hooves searched for things to touch and work with as she kept her head down.

“Didn’t get a chance. She stuffed it in her bags before she took off.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” Applejack gave a small, comforting smile to her friend before she turned around and released a quiet sigh of relief. Never had she felt so happy to know a friend didn’t find out the truth. She trembled a bit at the thought and scolded herself for that type of thinking. Shaking her head, Applejack walked towards her friend and patted the mare on the knee.

“Maybe you’re just overreacting. That gal’s probably fine. Just meetin’ a client, is all.” She walked back to the pan of cider and scooped up a few drops of the golden liquid, handing the spoon off to Rainbow.

“Try this. It’ll make you feel better.”

“I don’t know, AJ. I still think she lied to me.” She took a sip from the spoon and licked her lips. “Mmm, this is good. You add something?” She shoved the spoon back in her mouth.

“Just a few things to help bring out the taste. Family recipe, sug’. Can’t tell ya.”

Rainbow chewed on her spoon and scoffed. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Anyway, you afraid she’s off line dancin’ with somepony else?”

Rainbow gave her friend a blank stare and raised an eyebrow. “Line dancing? Really? That’s the best you got?”

“We got little fillies playin’ outside. I don’t want them hearin’ anything inappropriate.” Applejack aimed her own spoon towards Rainbow causing the cyan pegasus to jump. “You better respect that, missy. No foul language in this kitchen.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay! I won’t say anything nasty. But really, line dancing? How ‘bout something like hobbling the horsey?”

“Dash!”

Rainbow laughed and shook her head. “Relax, mom. Your baby kiddies are safe. For now.” She chuckled hearing her friend groan.

A brief moment of silence fell upon the two ponies. Rainbow watched her friend move back and forth between the stove and counter making lunch for the three fillies outside playing in the snow. She sat on the counter beside Applejack rolling the spoon in her mouth while playing with the green apple still in her hooves. The hearty moment didn’t last long as Applejack’s previous question reminded Rainbow of her troubles. The cyan pegasus sighed and rubbed the back of her neck in frustration.

“I’m not worried about her cheating on me or something. I trust her. I know she would never hurt me on purpose.”

“Good. Rarity ain’t that kind of gal, you know.”

“No, she isn’t.” She banged her head against the cabinets behind her. “I’m just curious about why she felt she had to lie about going to Canterlot. It makes me feel itchy all over.” She fidgeted and her wings ruffled in example.

“Well, I imagine she had a good reason. Maybe it was to help a friend.” Applejack swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth from her lies. “Or she was probably asked to be discreet.”

“Maybe.” Rainbow lifted herself from the counter and flew towards the window to look out. The clouded sky seemed to darken every time she stared up to check on them. The snow would fall in a couple of hours and the wind made special by the highest of weather patrol ponies up in Cloudsdale would be following after. She was going to have to meet with her team to catch it before it hit Ponyville. While the weather teams up in Cloudsdale were professional, they always tended to make the winds too strong and destructive. Unbeknownst to them, Rainbow always made sure to catch them before they reached her small town. Bigger cities like Manehatten and Canterlot might be able to handle them but Ponyville would shatter in an hour under such deadly winds.

“I don’t think she’s gonna even make it home. The blizzard is already in Canterlot. She might be stuck out there.”

“Don’t go sayin’ things like that. It ain’t right.”

“I’m not saying it to be mean! I’m just telling the truth. You of all ponies should at least respect that.”

A choking noise distracted Rainbow and she swirled around to stare at the farm mare. “Woah, you okay?”

Applejack covered her mouth with her hoof and cleared her throat. “Mmhm, yeah. I just…choked on my own spit.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Anyway, I’m just being honest. No pony wants Rarity home more than me but the way this storm is going, I don’t think she’ll make it back.” Rainbow turned to look out the window again.

Applejack watched her friend sit forlornly watching the dreary clouds. It saddened her she couldn’t say the words that so desperately wanted to be let out. Biting her lip, the farm pony calmly walked towards Rainbow and sat down beside her on the ground. She patted her friend on the leg once more before sighing and watched the clouds swirl in the sky.

“Rarity’s my friend too, Dash, and I’m a bit worried myself but she’s a grown mare. She’s faced off worse than a storm and some pony asking for help.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Imagine Pinkie Pie out there alone.”

Applejack froze. “W-what?”

“She’s out there all alone in a bad storm hours away from home. Sure, she’s got enough friends in the city to lend her a place to stay but how do you think she would feel being away from Ponyville during a time like this?”

Applejack closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I reckon my mare would be torn to pieces worrying about us.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure Rarity’s worried too but I feel more like Pinkie Pie right now. I just get this weird feeling like she needs us. Needs me.” She sighed.

Applejack peered over to her friend, a look of worry overshadowing her face. She took hold of Rainbow’s hoof and held tight. “This just ain’t about the storm, is it?”

Rainbow shook her head. They sat in silence for a moment staring out the window before Rainbow rounded up the courage to speak. “Something’s been going on with Rarity for a while now and I don’t know what it is.”

“What do you mean?” Applejack frowned.

“Don’t…don’t say anything to the others, okay? I don’t need them freaking out about this.” Rainbow turned towards Applejack and scowled. “Or thinking I’m paranoid or something.”

Applejack paused. “I Pinkie promise.” She crossed her heart and poked her eye.

Rainbow nodded. She turned and walked towards the kitchen table. Placing the green apple on a chair, Rainbow turned to Applejack and frowned. “Rarity’s been acting really weird for a couple of weeks now.”

“Weird in what way?”

‘Oh no.’

Rainbow shrugged. “Just weird. At first I thought it was, like, the flu or something or maybe she was working too hard but it’s been getting worse.”

“Rainbow, what on earth are you talkin’ about?”

Rainbow sighed loudly and rubbed her hooves against her eyes. “Okay. Here’s an example. A couple of days ago Rarity was working with a client. Somepony who wanted her to make a winter dress for some fancy party, right?”

Applejack nodded.

“I’ve seen this pony before. Can’t remember her name but Rarity’s worked with this mare plenty of times. They’re on, like, a first name basis and stuff. Well, everything’s going great and then Rarity kinda just freezes.”

“Freezes?”

“Yeah, she get’s this really confused look on her face. At first, I thought she forgot something important and was trying to remember but then she looked at her client and goes, ‘Excuse me, darling, but do you need help with anything?’” Rainbow mimicked the fashionista’s accent. “She just completely zooned out and didn’t even remember talking to the mare.”

Applejack shook her head in shock. “I-”

“That’s not all, either. A few times she’s called me Dashel or Rain. I figured since we’re a couple and all, maybe she was just trying to come up with a cutesy nickname. You know, she’s just being Rarity. But after a while…”

Rainbow looked up towards Applejack. “She forgot my name.”

Applejack stared in disbelief. “Oh, honey.”

“I don’t know what to do, AJ.” Rainbow plopped herself down, defeated. She rubbed her face in her hooves, her whole body limp and pale. “She’s woken up a few times with a fever. At least when I stayed over she did. She’s forgotten dates and ponies. Her magic’s been out of whack too.”

The farm mare walked up to Rainbow and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Have you talked to her about it?”

“Well, sorta. Every time I try she changes the subject. I think she knows but maybe she’s afraid.” Rainbow’s wings fluttered in agitation, a scowl formed on her face. “I’m getting real sick of it. I have no clue what’s going on and I’m sca-” She coughed. “I’m…confused.”

Applejack’s gaze left the broken pegasus and focused on the wooden floor. This was it. If there was any moment where she had to tell the truth, it was now.

Rarity was going to be so disappointed in her.

‘Sorry, girl. I just can’t hold it in no more.’

Applejack glanced back up at Rainbow with a determined look. “Rainbow, there’s somethin’ I need to tell y-”

“Applejack! We’re back. Is lunch ready?”

Both ponies jumped and spun around to look towards the living room. Three young fillies piled inside shaking off their boots and coats, their manes wet from sweat and snow. Sweetie Belle noticed the two adults staring at them and frowned.

“Um, are we in trouble?”

Applejack blinked. “Oh, no hon. Just wasn’t expectin’ ya’ll.” She smiled. “Come on in, let’s get some food in ya. I’m sure ya’ll are hungry ponies after all that runnin’ around, hm?” She walked past a very confused pegasus and ushered the girls inside the kitchen. Turning to Rainbow, she gave a small smiled and mouthed, ‘We’ll talk later.’

Rainbow nodded and gave a crooked smile back. She followed the girls into the kitchen and led them towards the table. Applejack, meanwhile, stood behind when she noticed one of the fillies missing. Applebloom was digging into her jacket’s pocket searching deep.

“I got somethin’ real important for ya, Applejack.” Her tiny tongue stuck out as she rummaged around until finally, with a low exclamation, she pulled out a small scroll and handed it to her sister. “Derpy came by a few minutes ago with this in her hooves.”

Applejack took the small scroll and patted her sister on the head. “Thanks, sugarcube. Now, why don’t you go get yourself a cucumber and apple sandwich and I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

Applebloom nodded, running towards the loud sounds of Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash exchanging stories. Applejack peered down at the scroll in her hooves and frowned. As she turned it around, she noticed a peculiar seal on the back. She had seen it before somewhere but the memory wouldn’t come forward. Shaking her head, the farm mare opened the scroll and began to read.

Author's Note

I'm most likely not going to make the deadline for the RariDash contest. I tried, really I did. But I kinda found out about this three weeks ago and...yeah. I was working on two other stories at the time so it's my fault. Well, doesn't matter. I got another story up and it's for something not AppleDash! Huzzah!

Two more chapter to go for this baby. They'll be up in the next few days. Hey, at least another story can be added to the RariDash group! SUPPORT!