Invisible Relationship

The thick maple door creaked open slowly, and Applejack walked into the small hospital room, the contents of the brown paper bag in her mouth shifting as she did so. Dash had been fading in and out of consciousness over the last four or five days, and apparently the cycle was currently on 'sleep'. She was on her right side, her eyes closed and her nose twitching slightly. At first glance, she appeared comfortable; she was curled up beneath the light sheets and her face was relaxed and calm.

Applejack smiled, walked over to the visitors' seats adjacent to the bed, and sat down, opening the brown paper bag and pulling out her lunch. For her, it was the standard two green apples, two red apples, but she'd brought something special for her friend. If she ever woke up.

She sat in silence, chewing one of her apples while staring at Dash (more like past Dash) thoughtfully. Now, she would never know how much it hurt to have a wing broken, but she could infer by now that when Dash woke up, she would most likely be in pain. She sighed as she thought about the expressions that she'd seen on Dash's face for the last few days. It was good that she was out for most of them; more often than not, they scared Applejack.

Dash had been Applejack's best friend for quite a while now. It hurt her to see Dash sustain such an injury while she was with her, an it hurt more to think that she could have kept it from happening. She remembered with overwhelming guilt the bet she'd made with Dash on who could climb to the top of an apple tree first. She remembered with sorrow the short scream she heard, before she turned and saw Dash falling to the ground. She remembered with a pang in her heart the terrible crack that filled the farm. It felt even worse knowing Dash tried to hide her pain from her.

It was this, this reason alone, that she'd been staying with Dash almost 24/7. Right?

She shook her had and snapped back into conscious thought, noticing to her great chagrin that she'd been staring at Dash's flank while she was thinking. How could she have not noticed? She looked to the door, checking to see whether anypony might be checking in on them, and sighed to herself, smacking her forehead and blushing lightly. This kind of thing had been happening for too long - it was just strange.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a groaning and shifting coming from the bed and she gasped, shifting her view quickly as Dash sat up, exhausted, the hospital bed creaking beneath her. She opened her eyes and glanced around the room hazily, her eyes finally coming to a rest on Applejack.

"Hey, what's up, AJ?" she said, smiling. "When'd you get here?"

Applejack stood up, bringing the bag over to Dash's bedside. "Ah only left fer maybe ten minutes. But ah got ya somethin' on mah way back," she continued, opening the bag and taking out a steaming object wrapped in tinfoil. "It's a hayburger," she said, tossing it to Dash. "Ah heard ya say you didn't like none-a this here hospital food, so ah just... well, ah got ya somethin'."

Dash grinned. "Well, thanks, AJ," she said gratefully. "What do I owe you?"

"Consider it a treat. Ah don't want nothin' back." Applejack nodded her head. "Go on, eat. It's noon already."

Dash opened the foil and bit into the still-warm burger. "Oh, mmf, it's rlly gud," she said, savoring it. "How long's it been?" she replied, swallowing.

"Ah dunno, four or five days, ah reckon," Applejack replied, returning to her seat and picking up her apple. "The doc says y'all are gonna be out soon."

Dash smiled, staring out the window with a faraway look in her eye. "I can't wait."

Applejack smiled, "So, how's yer wing feelin'? Ain't hurtin' too much, ah hope?"

"Well, no, not really, but it's boring as hay here. There's never anything to do."

Applejack laughed. "Well, wouldn't 'cha be doin' the same thing anyway?" she asked. "Jist nappin' all day."

Dash laughed with her friend. "Yeah, probably, except I'd be doing it in the trees or in the clouds or something."

Applejack calmed down and bit into her apple. The room quickly became silent again. "...Have they told ya anythin' about yer flyin'?" she asked quietly.

"No," came the reply, almost sounding annoyed. "You know, I really don't wanna talk about it."

Silence reigned in the room, until Dash interrupted it momentarily. "Thanks for the burger, though."

Applejack didn't say anything. It wasn't so much out of Rainbow's snappy answer, but because she was already post in thought again. Rainbow's life revolved around flight; if the damage to her wing was too great to support her weight anymore, Applejack couldn't live with the idea that she essentially caused it.

"Hey, AJ!"

She snapped out of her guilt for a second. "Ah'm sorry, Rainbow, what's up?"

"Can I ask you a really big favor?"

"Go ahead."

"Can you see if Twilight's got the new Daring Do book in yet? I've been waiting for, like, ever," she said, shifting her wing a little.

"On it, sugarcube," Applejack replied, leaving the bag where it was and turning to the door.

"Wait," came Dash's voice from behind her.

She turned her head back. "Yeah?"

"You're a good friend, AJ," she said, grinning.

Applejack said nothing, but on her way out the door, a smile and a blush quickly found their way to her face.

It was a bit of a walk to the library from the hospital, but Applejack didn't mind. It was a great day, a perfect day to be outside... doing chores. And helping around the farm. The guilt in her heart increased little by little as she thought of the work her family would have to do to make up for her absence. But she couldn't just leave Rainbow. She couldn't.

She sighed, and kicked a loose stone as she walked down the lightly-populated street. Most everypony was in eating lunch, or out with friends. A few light thoughts bounced around her head, one or two making her blush.

"Git outta mah head, dammit," she cursed lowly and increased her pace to a trot. That's not th' kinda pony ah am. Ah'm not one-a those ponies. Ah'm not.

Immersed totally in her thoughts, she almost ran headlong into the library. She stopped herself quickly before trotting into the thick wooden door and knocked twice.

"Howdy, Twi," she said as the door swung open. "Ah won't be long, just need ta pick up a book fer Dash."

"Oh, yeah, that came in a few days ago. Come on in, I'll go get it," Twilight replied, disappearing into the library again. Applejack followed her in, glancing around the nicely organized bookshelves without too much thought.

"So, how's Rainbow doing, anyway?" Twilight asked from beneath a nearby counter.

"Uh... fine, ah suppose. She'll be out in a few days, ah reckon."

"Oh. Okay, good. I've been worried." She stood from behind the counter, levitating a short blue novel over to the orange mare. "There you go, Daring Do number... whatever whatever. They're up to the hundreds, now, I think."

Applejack grabbed the book absentmindedly. "Yup, one twenty-eight," she mumbled, placing it carefully in her mouth. "Well, ah should be off, Twi -"

"Hold up, AJ, I've been wanting to ask you something," Twilight interrupted. "Why have you been visiting Dash so much? I stopped by the farm the other day and they told me you'd been at the hospital for the past few days. That's a long time to stay with anypony."

Applejack was immediately flooded with conflictions. First off, she hadn't really considered why herself. Second, if she gave her best reason, was it enough? She couldn't lie; not to herself or anypony else. What could she say?

"Ah just wanna show support," she replied after a few seconds' pause.

"Well, so do I, but I-" Twilight stopped when she saw the look on Applejack's face. Wow, she really doesn't wanna talk about it. "Okay. Um, bye, AJ."

Applejack turned and trotted quickly out of the library and away from Twilight. That one question brought up tons of questions for her to answer: Why am ah doin' this? Twilight's right; even a good friend shouldn't feel the need to... so why do ah? Ah don't understand. There's somethin' goin' on here. Ah wish ah knew what it was.

~~~~~(Back In The Hospital)~~~~~

Applejack leaned over her friend, who had slipped from consciousness again. She laid the book next to her slowly rising and falling chest, taking care not to touch the wings as she did so, which were still outstretched by a series of wires and cords.

She looked so peaceful as she slept, the brow that was usually creased in determination resting still above her eyes, which were closed without any hint of emotion. Her rainbow mane was lying in its vibrant colors across her face and covering one ear, and her lips were loose and open slightly. She just gave off an air of tranquility.

Suddenly, an impulse leapt upon her and, without thinking, she acted on it. She leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on Rainbow's lips, before pulling back in shock at herself, a deep shade of red dimming the white freckles on her face. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became shallow as she leaned against the wall, blankly staring at Dash's calm face and reaching a hoof up to her mouth in surprise.

She bit her bottom lip, and stood shakily. Everything began coming together, and at the same time, everything began falling apart. Her views of herself were shattered. What had just happened? Should she tell Dash? Would she accept it? Would she make fun of her because of their rivalry? Would their friendship end? What-

Her thoughts were interrupted harshly by a yawn from the baby-blue mare in front of her. Those light rosy eyes that she knew so well were soon open and staring back at her. "'Sup, AJ?" Dash asked, smiling drowsily.

Applejack didn't say anything at first, and was saved for a few seconds from a rather awkward silence by Dash noticing the book. "Hey, thanks, AJ, I knew I could count on you," Dash said, holding it up to the light and flipping through it. She sat up and leaned forwards, giving her healing wing a chance to get situated. "I'll read it as soon as I can."

Applejack still couldn't find the words to speak; her throat had became dry. What on earth could she say?

"Applejack?" Dash was saying. "Hey, AJ, are you there?"

Applejack snapped out of it for a moment, and turned to look around the room, praying she looked casual.

Apparently not. "What's up, AJ?" Dash asked, catching Applejack's attention.

Truth. Truth and honesty. "Rainbow, would you go out with me?" She felt a burning in her cheeks and a terrible pang of chagrin the moment the words left her mouth. That had to be the worst way to begin that particular conversation.

She couldn't bear to look at Dash, and turned her head, embarrassed beyond belief. Silence quickly filled the room; a tangible, stressed silence, the kind that could deafen and choke.

She felt worse when she heard Dash's voice from behind her. "...Is that why you've been staying here with me?"

She didn't respond.

"Do you really like me that much?"

The only respond she could give was a forced nod. Then, silence.

"...Did you know I was bi?"

Applejack shook her head. That was new. It was good for her, but it was new. It also gave her a renewed sense of how much of a risk she just took - she didn't even know that Dash was a - a fillyfooler or not.

"I... I guess we could try... but nopony can know, okay? Not for a while."

Applejack still didn't know how to respond. Both joy and frustration flew into her heart; joy that there was a chance, and frustration that there probably wasn't.

"Once my wing's all better, we can talk about it," Dash said quietly, the room still emanating a terrible silence. "...Did you know you were a-"

"No! Ah didn't!" Applejack nearly shouted, more to herself than to Dash. "Th' thought hadn't ever even crossed mah mind! Ah don't know what happened!" She turned, finally, ignoring the few tears that came to her eyes. She noticed that Dash was blushing, too. "Ah'm still not sure. Ah just... ah don't know what happened."

Applejack stared at the ground, still blushing furiously. She'd quickly become angry at herself.

Dash sighed, and brushed a hoof through her mane. "I - I don't know what to say," she admitted. "The thought hadn't really, well, crossed my mind, either. I mean, it's not like you're not nice or attractive or anything -" Applejack blushed deeper "- but I hadn't really thought about asking you about something like this before."

Applejack finally pulled together her remaining courage and looked up into Dash's eyes. "Ah should leave."

"No, wait, Applej-" Dash was cut off by the shutting of the door. She looked around the room, and brushed a tear out of her eye. She didn't cry. Never. She picked up the book and opened to the first page, but she just couldn't concentrate on words. There was too much else to think about now.

~~~~~(A Little Later, At Sweet Apple Acres)~~~~~

Applejack walked up behind Big Mac slowly. He was walking along one of the many cross-hatching paths in the acres, towing behind him a cart filled with the rotten apples that he was cleaning out of the trees. One of mah duties, she thought with another pang of guilt in her heart.

"...Big Mac?" she asked quietly.

He turned in surprise. "AJ?" he asked, and, catching her eye, dropped the cart and ran forward to hug his sister. "Ah ain't see ya round fer days."

She returned the hug. "Ah know. But ah'm back now, and that's what counts, right?" Hearing no reply, she pulled away and continued, ashamed to look into her brother's face. "What if ah... can ah tell ya somethin' real strange, Mac?"

"Eeyup."

"What if ah... wasn't... attracted ta colts?"

The same tangible silence that she recently experienced in the hospital sprang up here, along with the terrible embarrassment.

"Um... Ah'm... ah'm gonna be goin' out with Rainbow Dash sometime soon," she added weakly.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow.

Applejack sighed. "Ah'm just lettin' ya know."

He shook his head. "It just ain't natural, AJ."

"Wha- but, but Mac, ah -" she stopped, seeing the look on Mac's face. He was grinning, an uncharacteristically mischievous gleam in his eye. "Ah hate you, big brother, this ain't a laughin' matter."

"Sorry, AJ, but it sure was funny. Okay, ah'm alright with it. That's all ya needed, right?" He turned away and picked up the yoke, walking along at the same pace he was, as though the news hadn't affected him at all. For some reason, this infuriated Applejack.

She stomped the ground, but as a new wave of thoughts entered her mind, she shook her head and sighed. How was she going to tell Applebloom? Or Scootaloo, for that matter? They were both young mares now, and it wasn't exactly like it was a super-foreign idea, but... it just felt so strange to say. To accept.

Applejack scolded herself as she walked back towards the barn. Yer makin' a big deal outta this, AJ, and you know it ain't. It ain't that different.

The minute the barn was in sight, she accepted a hug from Granny and went straight up to bed. It was barely three-thirty, and Applejack wasn't the type of pony to nap. But if anything, she needed rest; tomorrow she would want to tell her little sister, and Granny. Then, if she had the courage; she would go back up to the hospital. It had been quite a day.

Tomorrow would be quite a day, too.