The next day…

Rainbow Dash sat at a table in a Cloudsdale cafe. Across from her was Soarin, who had his face currently shoved in a pie, evidently enjoying himself from the loud slurps he was making.

“Geez Soarin, you know, you could just use a fork,” Rainbow eventually suggested after a while.

“Well, yeah I could, but how much fun did you have the last time you used a fork?” he reasoned. “Besides if you stop to think about it, I’m actually doing the staff a great favor by not using a fork.”

“Oh really?” Dash replied, disbelieving. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“It’s simple really. By not using a fork, the fork won’t be made dirty. Therefore, because the fork is not dirty, it means that it’s one less thing for the staff to clean. I’m effectively saving the washer ponies time that would otherwise have been lost cleaning that particular fork.”

Rainbow snorted. “Gee.” she chuckled. “That five seconds you saved them will really count towards something useful in their life.”

Soarin glared at her in mock annoyance. “Laugh all you want, my dear Rainbow.” he replied in an aggrieved air. “But just imagine if not one, but twelve ponies went without using their fork, at five seconds a fork, they would get back a whole minute. Now, a minute may not seem important to you but in a cafe that runs for seven hours a day and let’s say in each hour, twelve ponies don’t use their forks. At five seconds a fork, times twelve ponies, that’s seven minutes saved each day. Then, let’s say this cafe runs seven days a week. At the end of the week, if twelve ponies an hour went without forks, that’s seven minutes a day saved and you would end up with forty-five minutes that could be better used serving more ponies than cleaning forks. That’s without going into how much time you would save in a month if you saved forty-five minutes a week from twelve ponies saving their forks in an hour plus…”

Rainbow cut him off, laughing merrily. “Okay, you’ve proven your point mister smarty-pants. I will never use another fork in a cafe so long as I live.”

“Just as long as I’ve gotten my point across.”

“Fair enough.” After a short pause she said, “So, my friends say that you have a bad reputation when it comes to mares. Is this true?”

Soarin was hesitant to respond. “Yes, yes, it’s true I’m sorry to admit. But I assure you Rainbow, that I’ve turned over a new leaf. Everything I’ve done is in the past, mistakes I’m not proud of.

Rainbow mulled this over. “So my friends were right.” she said. “Maybe I should have listened to them.” She moved to get up, but Soarin grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye.

“Rainbow, I’m asking, no, I’m begging. Please give me a chance. I am truly sorry for the mares I’ve wronged and I want to show you that I’ve changed my ways.”

He pulled out a small, cyan-blue box from his pocket and presented it to her. Upon opening it, she found a necklace with two beautiful golden charms; one was a lightning bolt with wings, the other was a lightning bolt arcing from a cloud.

Rainbow gasped aloud. “Soarin it’s so beautiful! Why did you get me this?”

Soarin reached around the table and hugged her tightly. “Because I love you, Rainbow Dash, and I want to take our relationship to the next level. You know, coltfriend and marefriend.”

Rainbow threw her arms around Soarin and kissed his cheek. “I love you too. But you didn’t have to get me this. I believe you when you say you’ve changed, I know you’re a good guy and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

That evening…

Applejack leaned against a tree in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres. Tears slowly trickled down her face, phone clenched tightly in her hand. She had gotten news of Rainbow’s new relationship status.

“Is everything alright, Applejack?” asked her little sister, causing Applejack to stir suddenly.

“Apple Bloom? Ah didn’t hear ya approach. What’re ya doin’ out here?”

“Ah’m on mah way ta the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse fer a sleepover, but ah s’pose ah could help ya out. What’s wrong?”

Applejack rubbed her face and turned to her little sister, smiling slightly. “Naw, it’s ok sugarcube, ah jest got some… unexpected news.”

“Weel, if nothin’s the matter, than why do yeh look like you’ve jest been at a funeral?”

“It was jest, a shock that’s all. Y’all should git goin’ now. Don’t want ta be late now, do ya?”

Apple Bloom surprised her sister by walking towards her and giving her a hug. “If ya say so. But, if yeh ever need someone to talk to, y’all can talk to yer little sis y’know?”

Applejack wrapped her arms around Applebloom. “Ah love yeh, Apple Bloom.” she whispered, a few tears still trickling down her face. “Yer the greatest little sis anypony could ask fer.”

“Ah love you too, big sis.”

Apple Bloom ran off towards the clubhouse and Applejack made her way back to the barn. She turned to look back as the young girl met up with her friends. She sighed and wiped her face again. Oh, to be young and carefree, she mused, then turned back towards the barn.

When she got back, she noticed Fluttershy over by the chicken coop, gently tending to the birds. She looked up upon Applejack’s arrival and got to her hooves.

“Fluttershy? What’re ya doin’ here?” Applejack asked, “Shouldn’t ya be over at your’s tendin’ to yer critter folk?”

“I came to check up on you. I got a text from Rainbow and I wanted to make sure you were alright,” replied the shy girl. “Are you alright?”

“Uh yeah, ah’m fine,” the farm girl replied with false bravado. “Hehe, course ah am fine. H-how are y’all? Ah mean, it’s a mighty fine day.”

For a few moments, Fluttershy just stood and looked into Applejacks eyes. Finally she spoke, “Applejack, I’m one of your best friends, please don’t insult my intelligence, I can tell when you’re lying. Now come on, sit down with me.” At this, she sat down on a nearby bale of hay, motioning AJ to do the same. “Now, I’m going to ask you again, but this time, I want an honest answer. Now, Applejack, are you alright?”

“Alright, fine!” Applejack cried, anger mixing with her sadness. “Ah feel like ah’ve been betrayed! Ah feel as if mah heart literally broke.” AJ confessed, her tears increasing. “Rainbow Dash made a mistake, choosin’ him and not me!” She slumped down beside Fluttershy and threw her stetson onto the ground. “Ah love her, Shy, and she’s gone off with that fool, who’s gonna love her an’ dump her. Like he always does.”

Fluttershy pulled Applejack into her embrace and hugged her tightly. “There, there. It’s alright.”

“But it ain’t! She’s in a relationship with that jerk!”

Fluttershy put her arm around the farm girl. Apparently, seeing Applejack crying was getting to her as she started crying herself. “Nopony ever said it was going to be easy, Applejack. I know how you feel, I went through the same manure you’re going through when Derpy married Time Turner. Depression? Betrayal? I’ve felt them all, and more. Trust me when I say, “It gets better”.”

Applejack’s tears slowed. “Yer right. Thank you, Fluttershy. It’s jest hard, a-ah wish she knew how ah felt. If she was here, ah’d tell her.”

“You’re welcome.” Fluttershy let go of AJ and stood up. “Well, it’s getting dark. I should get home and feed my animals. I’ll see you later, but just remember, I’m always here for you. If you need someone to talk to, you know where I live.”

As she watched Fluttershy leave, Applejack picked up her stetson, and sighed heavily.

“Off ta bed fer me, ah think.” she eventually said to herself. Today had been emotionally exhausting, to say the least. Little did she know, this was only the beginning.

Author's Note

And that's chapter 3. Let me know what you guys think because things only get better from here, well maybe not for Applejack.