Breathless

Rainbow Dash groaned as she more or less became aware of her surroundings.

If there were any.

As she took note that her eyes were closed, and hence she couldn't see anything, she smirked. Duh.

That was when two voices asserted themselves. The pegasus froze, attempting to make out what they were saying. Though the words bounced erratically around in her head, and were nearly impossible to discern, she could hear a few faint words shot back and forth.

"Five days? Five whole days?"

"I'm afraid it's a little more than a simple cut or two. Rainbow Dash did suffer some rather severe blood loss, and a slight stutter to her respiratory efficiency, and a mild case of thorough exhaustion. As such, she'll have to either stay here to recover, or..."

"Or what?"

"...or one of her friends or relatives can take her in, provided that they allow her plenty of water, rest, and-"

One of them chimed in, with a tone of complete certainty.
"I'll take it."

The other voice had a questioning, almost astounded ring to it.
"Are you sure? Caring for a nearly completely incapacitated pony is a great difficulty. Do you even know if they-"

"First of all, I." corrected the voice. "Second, if ya'll think I can't handle this, do ya' really think I'd be offerin'?"

"Well, many ponies think they can. In reality, it ends up too much for them to handle, and...they end up back here." said the first voice. It had a rich, deep accent, quietly polished with the tones of a northern origin.

"Ah don't care!" cried the other voice. It had a rather distinct southern tone, and perhaps it was the speaker's intention, but it cut clearly throughout the air, despite her rapidly dwindling grasp on consciousness. "Do ya'll even know what I'd do for this pony? Why I do it? How I feel?"

The last words that Rainbow heard faded away before a clear statement could finish itself. "I do this because she's more than a friend! Rainbow Dash is..."

--
"Is she waking up?"

"I dunno'! I mean, she looks all tired and stuff, so it could be a while."

Slowly, the pegasus attempted to force her eyes open. Despite her attempts, it took quite a bit of flickering before they finally came open.

The five blurry figures around her immediately hushed, and an excited voice spoke up. "Ooh, she is, she is!"

Dash squinted, trying to sharpen her vision. Her vision was swimming, and it was almost impossible to make heads or tails of anything. This is worse than the time I whacked my head into a really big cumulonimbus cloud...

"Be quiet, ya'll," commanded a stern voice. "Let the mare get herself aware and what not."

Still attempting to pierce the haze that covered her vision, the cyan mare spoke. "I-...ugh...where am I?"

A tap on her shoulder quickly drew her attention, as the strong, commanding voice spoke out again. "I think ah can answer that one. Welcome to the Apple Residence, where there's a two cider minimum, good health permittin' of course."

Rainbow Dash blinked, managing a weak shake of the head. An orange splotch made its way into her sight, followed by everything else around her.

In front of her stood a smiling orange mare, with a yellow, braided mane, and a stetsoned head to top it all off.

Next to her stood a gently bouncing pink earth pony, who beamed at her as she noticed the pegasus' gaze.

Standing quietly and acceptingly off to the side was a yellow pegasus, who hid behind her bubble gum pink mane while gazing with concern at the cyan mare. Her eyes seemed to be stained with a few tears.

A white unicorn stood next to the yellow mare, gently cradling her with a lone hoof-it appeared that she was unaware of Rainbow's awakening.

And lastly, a lavender unicorn mare stood on the other side of her, occasionally stealing glances at the orange mare on the other side of her.

It was only then that she noticed her actual surroundings-she was in a wide rustic-orientated bed, possibly big enough for two ponies, propped up by two pillows instead of one. A softly colored orange and brown blanket was spread over her, sheltering her from whatever cold gusts might exist in the room. She noted that it was a very soft thing, as if hand- knitted with extra care. The supposedly wooden walls were colored, of all colors, with a deep green that almost made the pegasus feel like she was sleeping in a tree.

"...Applejack?" she asked, trying to corral all the questions she had into something coherent. "Did you...I mean, how did I..."

Taking a hint, Applejack launched into an explanation. "Y'see," she began. "You were more or less cleared to go, even though the doctor said you lost a lot of...um...well, blood."

An almost unanimous wince rippled across the room, before the orange earth pony continued. "But he said as long as someone could take ya', you could go. So I went for it, but I tell ya', I was worried."

"Didn't you say something about that argument in the waiting room, like, you told me that you-" The sudden outburst of a certain pink mare was quickly silenced by a quick whack to the chest by the country pony.

"Not now, Pinkie..." grumbled Applejack, putting a noticeable staccato on each word. "You'll. Blow. It."

The pink mare cocked her head, raising an eyebrow. "Really? I was talkin' about Cider Season, but all right! Hey, Rainbow! Did you also know that-"

Instead of the orange earth pony interrupting the rambling mare, it was Twilight Sparkle that now cut in. "Pinkie," she began. "You really shouldn't tell her that. She's obviously still a little shell-shocked, and something that big won't help much."

"Oh..."

"Uh, girls..." said Rainbow, frowning. "I'm still here. And...can anypony tell me what this big old secret thing is?"

Almost in perfect unison, all the ponies in the room turned to Applejack. Even Fluttershy raised her head hesitantly.

The orange mare stared back, taking a reluctant step back. "...can ah finish my little explanation first?" she asked quietly, a slight tinge coming to her cheeks.

"But of course, darling!" said Rarity. "But you know, if you keep these things bottled up, it does horrible things with your emotions!" The white unicorn sighed, glancing towards the ground. "Of course, I'd know that result...these things always stay unrequited if you keep them secret."

Applejack cleared her throat. "Ahem, riiiggghhhttt..." Rolling her eyes, the farm pony continued. "Anyways, when I got ya'll back here, you were tossin' something fierce. You looked like you was fighting some sort of invisible ghost pony or somethin'."

Twilight raised a hoof, and the orange mare glanced quizzically at her. "Yes, Twi'...?"

"Are you entirely sure that you can handle this?" asked the lavender mare. "Taking care of a-"

"Twilight, you sound just like that doctor, so I'll ask that ya' stop right there." said Applejack. "I can full well handle it-when ah make a promise, ah keep that promise."

At this, Pinkie Pie glared. "Are you suuuurrreee?" she asked, layering her voice with obvious contempt.

"I'm sure, Pinkie," assured the stetsoned mare, giving a nod towards Dash. "If I promise that my friend's gonna' be okay, she's gonna' be okay."

Fluttershy took advantage of the silence that settled briefly over the room. She stepped forward, looking over the other pegasus with concern. "Are you...all right now?" she asked, with a noticeable quavering in her voice.

Rainbow wanted to say that she didn't know, seeing as she truly didn't. Lying down, sure, she felt more or less fine. But standing? Sitting up? Let alone anything like flying?

But the way that the timid mare's gaze wavered, the way that her upper lip trembled, and even the way that a few tear stains remained on her cheeks made the pegasus sigh, and change her mind.

"Yes, Fluttershy." she said, managing a fake smile. "I'm good enough right now."

"Now then," continued the orange earth pony. "Since we've all made sure that Rainbow here's all right, how 'bout we can get ourselves a little time alone?"

Twilight Sparkle frowned. "Applejack, are you really going to-"

"Relax, Twi'," interrupted Applejack. "It's jus' that if ah caused this while mess, I should say somethin', and...well, ya'll are kinda' making me nervous here. You keep slippin' this way and that, and one more slip and poor Dash there ain't even got a chance to react correctly."

The other mares nodded-they were well aware of the possibilities of saying a few wrong words around a stricken pony. "Come on, girls." instructed Twilight, starting off for the door, allowing the others to follow. "Let's do as she says-I'm sure Rainbow needs her rest anyways."

As soon as the soft click shot through the air, the orange mare turned back to the cyan pegasus, her expression solidifying. "Tell me, Rainbow." began Applejack, taking a seat next to Rainbow Dash on the bed. "What would ya'll describe flyin' to be?"

Rainbow frowned. "What does that have to do with anything? I thought we were-"

"Jus' tell me. Ah'm a little curious. Plus it'll give you a li'l something else to focus on, other than...y'know..."

The pegasus took it into thought with a gentle 'Hmmm'. "Well, there's kind of three ways I can describe it, because like...well, one's real, and the other two are just kinda'...I dunno', just sort of made up."

"Tell ya' what," said the orange mare, reclining back opposite to the pegasus, resting her back on the bedpost. "How 'bout ya'll humor me, and try to 'splain them all."

Huh? "Well, I still don't get why, but all right." said Rainbow Dash, shrugging. "The first one's the real one-you're actually flying. Like, the wind's in your mane, your heart gets faster, and speed is the thing. That's like the second best type."

The orange mare arched an eyebrow at the young flier. "Second?" she asked, her tone taking on a strange, hopeful tone. "What would the first one be, then?"

Aw jeez... thought the pegasus. I gotta' stall here, she knows what I'm talking about... "I'll get to that," she said. "Next up is the first 'fake one', or 'one that I'm not even completely sure of'."

The earth pony nodded, motioning for her to go on.

"You know that feeling you get when you're fighting for something, like, victory in that big race, or trying to reach that cider goal?"

Again, Applejack nodded wordlessly. It made the cyan mare unusually uneasy about continuation, but nonetheless, she went on. "That's the second one," she explained. "It isn't actual flight, but it's right behind it. The way it also gets you pumped up and ready for action...you know that, right?"

The stetsoned mare chuckled. "Sure do," she said. "This is a lot better than just sittin' around doin' nothin', huh?"

"Yeah."

A silence fell over the room, and Rainbow began to breathe a sigh of relief. Thank Celestia, I can at least wai-

"So tell me, Dash," said Applejack, as if intentionally interrupting the pegasus' respite. She took off her brown hat, and began tossing it back and forth in such an easy manner, that Rainbow Dash could have sworn she'd been possessed by the ghost of coolness.

If that sort of thing existed.

"What exactly would the best form of flight be?" asked the orange mare, finally flipping the hat onto the bed next to her. "Ah'd love to hear it."

"Oh, uh..." Dash looked around the room, trying to avoid the earth pony's gaze. "It isn't much. Kind of a pegasus thing."

Yet again, Applejack raised an eyebrow-come on, quit doing that!-but this time accompanying it with a gentle smile. "More than actual flyin'?"

The cyan pegasus growled a low growl. Caught the bull by the horns, eh...? she thought. All right. Let's dance, Applejack. "Oh whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. "Fine."

"Ah knew ya'd come around."

"You ever been around that one pony?" asked Dash. "The one whose name makes you quiver in your hooves in nervousness?"

"You bet yourself two hundred bits ah have," said the earth pony.

"You know, the one whose name you whisper to keep your head up on a cloudy day...the one who brings the sun to any day you have...the one who you even dream of just being able to simply be with, and each moment is a huge gift?"

By now, it seemed less and less like Rainbow Dash was talking about flight, but the orange mare nodded, with a soft "Eeeyup."

"The one whose mane catches your eye from afar, as does her wonderful figure, and sparkling eyes?"

Applejack chuckled. "Well now, who knew ya'll were a li'l bit 'poetic'?"

"Ah, shut up." spoke the cyan mare. "Trying to make a point here...though all the time spent near Twilight doesn't really help..."

"My lips are sealed." promised the farm pony, making a quick 'zipper-across-the-lips' gesture.

The rainbow maned pegasus swallowed- unusually nervously, it might be said-before continuing. "The pony who would do anything for his- or her, I don't judge-sister or brother, and who also isn't afraid of a little competition?"

A consenting, ever silent nod came from Applejack as the cyan pegasus went on.

"Have you...ever been...in love?"

"Sure have," replied the orange pony. "And I know what ya'll are talking about."

"No, Applejack, you...don't." insisted the polychromatic pegasus pony. "I've felt that way before. She was a nice mare, and pretty much all of the stuff that I just said. But...what if I told you that she's somepony that you know?"

By now, the pegasus had the orange mare's attention. Applejack crept forward, until she was next to the pegasus once more. "Do say more..." she said, looking with curiosity towards the blue pony.

"Well, she's a pony that I know pretty well, too," explained Rainbow. "She's 'bout as tall as me, 'bout as awesome, but those eyes...hay, I could get lost in those things. But the thing is, she..."

Rainbow Dash coughed. "...I have a feeling that she knows. It's just like she says nothing, just so it isn't awkward."

The orange mare let out a thoughtful 'hmmmm...' as she rested her chin on a hoof in thought. Eventually, she sat up. "I think I know what ya'll are tryin' to get at..." she said, a sly smile spreading across her face. "This ain't about flyin' no more, is it?"

The pegasus' face set in serious lines as she clapped slowly. "Bravo, Applejack. You cracked the case. You're a master of investigation."

"Aw, hush up, now," said the blonde-maned pony. "Let me see if ah can help-ya'll seem to be awfully on the fence 'bout this friend of yours."

"Yeah, sure, let's put it that way."

Applejack cleared her throat. "So tell me, sugarcube. How long ya'll been feelin' that way?"

The pegsasus shrugged. "Dunno'. Few months? A year? Hard to tell."

"Ah see." The earth pony shifted around slightly in response to this statement. "So you say that this pony's willin' to do anything for her family, and most likely, her friends. The question is, what would ya'll do for her?"

At this, Rainbow scoffed. "Pretty much everything," she said. "Fly 'round all of Equestria, or just simply get her a cup of coffee-whatever she wants, I suppose."

The farm pony made no response, except to nod. She replaced the stetson back on its resting place, tilting it forward so that her eyes were obscured. With a slow-and strangely funny-dramatic movement, she gently tipped the brim up, and spoke.

"Would this here pony be called 'Applejack?'"

Immediately, Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously. "Uh, w-what are you talking about? You know that this is a different pony, right? I mean, come on! You're kidding, right?"

The earth pony only smiled back at her friend. "I know this one nice mare, too." she said, gently brushing aside the reaction that the cyan pegasus had hurriedly thrown out. "Thing is, she has a few issues of sayin' stuff when the opportunity presents itself ta' her. Y'know what her name is?"

Glad for the supposed change in subject, the pegasus shrugged. "I 'unno'."

Applejack's grin budged only the tiniest margin as she rose, creeping with a careful gait until she was directly above Rainbow. The cyan mare shrunk back as much as was possible, drawing deeper into the pillows that propped her head up at a suitable angle. Despite her efforts, the orange farm-pony's gaze approached hers, and she found her own words echoing in her head soon enough.

'Those eyes...hay, I could get lost in those things.'

The crispness of the orange earth pony's breath slowly registered in her brain as those emerald eyes that sparkled so valiantly finally came to a halt.

"Some call her 'the best flier in Equestria'..."

With each second, Dash could feel her heart rate picking up-despite this being pretty much what she wanted, the possibility that it was a dream was too much not to simply freak out silently, as she did now.

"Some call her a downright trustworthy weathermare...but ya'll know what I call her?" Applejack's voice had slowly dropped in both tone and volume as she crept closer and closer to the last words, as if relishing the suspense that she was creating. Without waiting for a response, the blonde maned pony leaned close enough to virtually be touching noses with the polychromatic pegasus-only millimeters separated them now.

"Ah just call her 'Rainbow Dash'."

...

...

A/N:BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

*breath*

...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I got you going SO FUCKING GOOD. HA! You're on the edge of your seat now, aren't you?

My original intentions were to end the story progress after Chapter 1, releasing 2 a while later. But instead?

I give you two, but give you the worst cliffhanger ever. How does Rainbow react? Will our pthalocyanine pegasus emerge perfectly pristine from this particular predicament? Will Pinkie choose the worst time to bust in? Will a flying spaghetti pony mess up Ponyville? Find out next chapter!