Chapters The days flew by for Rainbow Dash; she was determined to get herself back to her previous shape. She had missed out on so much flying since the accident, and she needed to make up for it. Every day she would start off with some simple workouts, and then move onto something a little more advanced.
Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, pushing them faster and faster, forcing the muscles to exhaust themselves so they would adjust and grow stronger. Once satisfied with these exercises, she cracked her wings, loosening them up as she used to, and then thrust herself towards the sky.
Today she had intended on practicing some simple tricks to see if her wings were up to it yet. Flying higher into the sky, she pulled her neck back, causing her to turn downward to the earth. The gravity helped her to gain speed, the ground coming closer. At an adequate speed, she pulled herself up, and attempted to do a spin.
Her bad wing began to spasm, and she started to lose control. Quickly, Rainbow Dash tilted her other wing to adjust and catch the proper amount of wind, hoping to sustain the flight. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and she crashed down into the ground, laughing hysterically at herself after impact.
The days crept by silently for Applejack, nothing worth noting had occurred since Heart's Warming Eve. Rainbow Dash was busy, training herself vigorously now that her wing was once again functional. With the orchards destroyed and unable to be re-sown until the cold season ended, she found herself with nothing to do most hours of the day.
Applejack understood why her loyal Pegasus took every moment she could to go out flying, she had been grounded for half a year after all. Still, she wished her love would slow down just for a few hours, and spend time with her as they used too. Apart from the flying, she suspected Rainbow Dash was also out in secret, gathering preparations for a wedding.
The wedding, Applejack really did want to spend her life bound with this pony. However, she had her doubts that any pony would host a service for two mares. There was also the issue of trying to keep a low profile; they hadn't been disturbed since the attacks a few weeks prior to Rainbow's proposal, but only a few ponies knew they had survived.
To ensure they weren't seen, they had taken the precaution of boarding up all the doors and windows, except the front door. As for the front, they had the broken down wooden door replaced with one made of steel. For good measure, they also let Twilight put an enchantment on it, so if a potentially dangerous pony attempted to come inside, it would give them a good shock. The spell continuously backfired though, reading even the slightest agitation as a threat. The two found themselves being jolted frequently so they quickly had it removed.
The feelings of loneliness began to overtake Applejack. This was the fourth day in a row that Rainbow Dash had awoken before her, and snuck off to a safe spot to practice flying. Rainbow Dash was constantly gone all day, returning home late at night completely exhausted. Without saying anything the Pegasus would head straight to bed. The orange pony would follow, hoping to at the very least, strike up a conversation, but had no such luck. There they would lie, night after night, an exchanging of words starting to become a rare occurrence.
Applejack looked at the dusty clock above the mantle. It was the first clock ever to be in Ponyville. Her great grandparents had made it when they first settled here. The smaller hand pointed towards the seven, not quite aligned with it yet though. The larger hand, which indicated the minutes, had fallen off quite some time ago so only a rough estimate of what time it was could be made.
The orange pony frowned while she looked at the faded red paint of the apple shaped clock. As she stared at it, the fading colors couldn't help her but reflect on the slowly dwindling relationship she seemed to be sharing with Rainbow Dash. Even if the two hadn't been arguing and Rainbow didn't sense the changes, Applejack could.
Now that the Pegasus had re-obtained her freedom in the skies, Applejack couldn't help but feel they were growing apart, whether intended or not. She knew it was silly, but there was also a lingering jealousy she had directed towards the sky that had begun to steal Rainbow Dash away from her.
Thoughts of self-doubt began to cloud over her; maybe she wasn't enough for her sweet, adventurous feathered pony. Maybe she had been nothing more than a distraction, a cushion to keep Rainbow's mind off things in the past months. Now that her disability was gone, maybe Rainbow Dash no longer needed her and had lost interest in her. Despite the gesture that occurred over the holiday, she couldn't help but think maybe Rainbow Dash no longer wanted her.
Applejack frowned again as she told herself that she was letting jealousy, loneliness, and stupidity get the hold of her. What she said to herself, however, didn't comfort her in any way; it just made her more upset. Either way, these feelings weren't being induced by nothing, the problem still remained; Rainbow Dash was ignoring her, whether intentional or not.
Hopping off the bed, the orange pony searched for something to distract her mind from the solitude of the empty farmhouse. Instinctively, she started to head out the door, planning to do some apple bucking. She had to remind herself that there was no orchard to buck. Pacing back and forth, glancing at the clock every so often as she racked her brain for anything to do.
There was the sound of hooves landing on the porch outside, and the steel door pushed open. A tired and sweaty light blue Pegasus walked inside. Applejack couldn't help but glare angrily as the pony entered the house. "Hi, AJ" Rainbow Dash yawned.
"Well, howdy!" she gritted through her teeth.
"You alright?" Rainbow Dash said back sleepily.
"Ah'm just fantastic." Applejack said, her voice filled with hostility and sarcasm.
"That's good, I'm gonna go to bed, it's been a long day." The Pegasus began to walk away, not sensing the irritation that any other pony would have picked up on from miles away. Applejack's agitation vanished and was replaced with the same loneliness she had been feeling earlier.
"Rainbow…" she said solemnly, the Pegasus stopped and turned her head toward her. "Ah love yah…" she whispered from across the room.
"I love you too" Rainbow Dash said casually, then headed up the stairs. The words stabbed at her, before they had seemed so genuine when they had been uttered, now they felt hallow and cold.
Applejack followed close behind, the seemingly empty response she had been returned with eating away at her. In another attempt to retrieve some form of spark, she grabbed Rainbow Dash and kissed her. She was kissed back, but it felt dry and uncaring, and their lips parted quickly.
"Rainbow, can we talk?" her tone filled with depression, which still went undetected.
"Sure, but can it wait till tomorrow, I'm really tired."
"Ah guess…" Applejack found the anger coming back to her. She wanted to scream that it wasn't okay, and that they were going to talk right now. She restrained herself, and continued up the stairs, climbing into the bed with Rainbow Dash, not even bothering to remove her hat.
The room was silent for a few moments, and then was washed over with the sound of a snoring Pegasus. The noise just annoyed Applejack, she was desperately trying to keep herself from thinking that Rainbow Dash no longer cared, and it didn't help that she had fallen asleep so easily.
Letting out a grumble, she quietly got up to her hooves and headed back down the stairs. She thought maybe being stuck in the house was just making her go crazy. Taking another quick look at the clock above the mantle, estimating it was around 9 o'clock now. She jingled her saddlebag, making sure it had some bits inside, and then she put it on.
Rainbow Dash awoke from the soft sound of the door closing. "Applejack?" she called out, receiving no answer. She trotted down the stairs, noticing that the saddlebag was no longer resting on the railing. Pausing at the door for a few moments, then she went outside as well, flying close behind Applejack.
Applejack walked down a road she had never explored before. The road was smooth and clean, either it was well maintained, or hadn't been used often, she assumed it was the latter of the two. After about half an hour, she could see bright neon lights glowing a few hundred yards away.
Rainbow Dash had planned on calling down to Applejack, but the lights also captured her attention, and she continued to fly above silently. She felt guilty for spying on Applejack like this, but she thought it was strange that she would leave without saying a word in the middle of the night.
Naturally, Applejack was curious as to what kind of place housed such lights. Lights like these were very uncommon in places like Ponyville, typically they could only be found in the big cities, such as Manehatten. As she approached, she spotted the sign of the building, all it said was, "Open" She couldn't resist the temptation, and she walked inside.
Rainbow Dash floated down towards the earth. Once she was sure she could safely enter without Applejack spotting her, she followed her inside. She continued watching her from an empty seat in the corner out of sight, where the flashing lights of the club did not shine.
The building was packed with ponies, some dancing to the obscenely loud music. Others were laughing with friends, and some sat at the bar, drinking alone. Applejack was impressed that such an out-of-the-way place such as this could be so busy. An empty seat at the bar caught her eye, and beckoned for her to sit down.
"What'll it be?" the bar pony asked as he approached her spot.
"Uh… Ah'll just have some water." Applejack said cautiously, revealing her thick southern drawl.
"Thank ye kindly." The pony laughed again and left her alone.
"That's an adorable accent, where are you from?" a voice called out next to her. Applejack looked to her side, a unicorn with a fiery red coat and an icy blue mane was sitting next to her. "Well, are you going to tell me, or do I need to buy you a drink first?" the female voice said again.
"Huh, are yah talking tah me?" Applejack asked, confusion spread across her face.
"Well who else would I be talking too? You see any other ponies around here with such a cute accent?" the pony nudged Applejack's cheek softly, causing her to blush.
Applejack looked around just to be absolutely sure she was in fact, the one the questions were directed at. "Well, ah guess not… uh, ah'm from Ponyville, the names Applejack." She said, extending a hoof outward, which was met by the other pony's.
"Nice to meet you, Applejack, my name is Ice Ember, now tell me, what's a beautiful earth pony like you, doing out here, all by herself." She said back, her voice chilling, and a little seductive.
Applejack chuckled nervously, her cheeks continuing to flush. "Ah'm not really sure, ah just went outside fer a walk, and now here ah am."
"Well, lucky for me!" Ice Ember paused, planning her next words carefully. Gently she placed a hoof on Applejack's side and stared her flaming blue sapphire eyes into the forest green eyes across from her. "So, are there any special stallions that you're seeing?" She said, her voice was almost hypnotizing.
"Uh, ah'm not really into stallions." Applejack confessed, regretting her statement immediately, she averted her gaze, and sipped her glass of water.
Ice Ember giggled, "It's alright, neither am I." Winking slyly, she stroked Applejack's side enticingly with the hoof still placed on her. Applejack's orange face was now almost completely bright red; she wasn't sure what she should do.
The fiery unicorn giggled, she could sense the orange pony's nerves growing rapidly at how forthcoming she had been. Ice Ember took her other hoof and faced Applejack's head back toward hers, and smiled softly. "Just relax and have some fun."
Applejack let out another nervous chuckle, "Well okay." The soft strokes on her side continued, she found herself welcoming the comforting touch, and without realizing it, she had placed her hoof on the hypnotizing unicorn as well.
"You seem so lonely; I can help with that, if you want." Ember said flirtatiously. Applejack said nothing; she was entranced with the icy blue eyes that were locked on her. The unicorn took this as a sign of approval and moved her muzzle in closer.
"Applejack, what are yah doing?" She screamed at herself inside her head as she moved closer as well. "Stop, stop, STOP!" her mind continued to yell, but she ignored it, the rest of her found the pony irresistible and Ice Ember was right, she was lonely.
Their faces were so close together they could feel the others warm breath on one another. "Don't do this!" her brain yelled at her desperately, she kept ignoring it, and soon Ember's lips were pressed onto hers.
The kiss was intoxicating; it comforted her, and made her feel cared for, something she desperately craved. The two broke away for a quick breath, and Applejack couldn't resist, she pushed herself back into Ice Ember's lips again.
Rainbow Dash watched in horror, tears flooding her eyes as the two embraced each other. "Applejack…" she whimpered to herself, not wanting to believe what she was watching. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore; she slipped out through one of the side doors. Her heart shattered as her mind continued replaying the scene of betrayal again and again.
As Ice Ember and Applejack went on, the two began to sink further into lust opened their lips slightly allowing one another's tongues to push through. They continued kissing for several minutes, the guilt finally catching up with her, flooding her entire body as she realized what she was doing. Quickly, she pulled back and ran from the unicorn.
"Applejack?" Ember called out, chasing after her outside the bar, but Applejack was far quicker then she was, and was left behind.
Applejack sprinted back down the road she had come from before. She didn't look back at the pony calling her name. Once Applejack felt she was far enough away, she broke down and started sobbing as her mind and body tried to cope with the combination of loneliness, regret, and guilt.
She would never be able to look Rainbow Dash in the eyes again, not after what she had just done. Her loyal lover, no matter how hurt she had been, Rainbow Dash had risked her life to keep her safe. She on the other hand, hadn't even been able to dedicate herself to Rainbow in a single moment of weakness.
Applejack was disgusted with herself, she was the element of honesty, and she had just cheated on Rainbow Dash for some stranger after only having met her for no less than a few minutes.
Rainbow Dash rushed inside the empty farmhouse, back into her bed. If she hadn't witnessed the events herself, she would have refused to accept Applejack was even possible of doing what had just happened. The Pegasus buried herself underneath the covers of the bed as she tried to control her tears.
Applejack pulled herself together, and trotted back down the road until she reached the farmhouse. She stared at it, afraid; she knew eventually she would have to tell Rainbow Dash the truth. Quietly, she slumped through the door, and joined the Pegasus in the bed. The quiet sound of sniffling filled the room emanating from the bed.
"Rainbow?" Applejack asked, "Are yah alright?"
"I-I'm fine." Rainbow Dash responded, covering her damp eyes with her pillow. "Where'd you go?"
Applejack's heart leapt, "Uh, nowhere, ah just went for a little walk" she strained a lie through her mouth as her teeth attempted to clench shut.
"Oh… okay, good night AJ… I love you." Rainbow whispered towards the earth pony next to her.
"Good night." Applejack whispered back, unable to bring herself to return the rest of the words. The events continued to eat at her, she needed to confess. "Rainbow Dash…" Her voice tensing up with regret and anxiety, "Ah need to talk with yah…"
Rainbow Dash shifted in the bed and stared at the guilt-ridden orange pony, and then she stood up. "I know you do,
Applejack." The Pegasus walked over to the large boarded up window. "I… I followed you."
Applejack's heart stopped, "Yah did what?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, "I followed you… I heard you go outside, and I wanted to know what you were doing… Then I saw you… I saw..." She began to weep.
"Rainbow-" Applejack was interrupted.
"DON'T! Just… don't."
"Ah'm sorry-" she was interrupted again.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Rainbow shouted, "Did you even know her, or did it not matter, just as long as it wasn't me!"
"Well maybe if yah'd spend even one minute with yer head back on the ground ah wouldn't be looking fer comfort from other ponies!" Applejack yelled back.
"So now it's my fault! You didn't even tell me how you were feeling, how in the hay was I supposed to know! Don't you try to pin this on me!" Fury began to boil in Rainbow Dash's eyes.
"Ah shouldn't need tah tell yah that ah want yah to spend time with me, that's just common sense!" Applejack spat back.
"This isn't about what I should have been doing; this is about what YOU did." Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath trying to calm herself.
"Well ah wouldn't have done it if yah had been paying attention tah me!" Applejack tried to calm down as well but wasn't able too.
"And maybe you would have done it anyway! After all you're nothing more than a disloyal cheat!" Rainbow Dash screamed. Taking another deep breath she said quite calmly, "You betrayed me, Applejack. Instead of telling me what was wrong, you lied to me, and sought out some pony else."
The words ripped at Applejack as they reached her ears. "Rainbow… ah'm so sorry, ah- ah'm sorry…"
Rainbow Dash walked towards the door, "I know you are and I want to forgive you AJ, but I can't." she said as she left the room.
Applejack's eyes burned as the tears streamed down her eyes. She heard the squeaking of the front door, she sprinted out of the bedroom, leaping off the stairs to the base of the house. "Rainbow!" she called out, grabbing the Pegasus's hoof, pulling her down and kissed her, but the kiss wasn't returned.
Rainbow Dash looked at her with her sad rosey eyes, "I can't… AJ, I just can't."
"Don't say that, please! Ah was weak and stupid! Just… give me another chance." Applejack pleaded.
"It doesn't matter why you did it that will never change that you still did it." Rainbow Dash pulled herself back up, and removed her hoof from the orange pony's clutches. She started to walk away; she felt bitter, and all she wanted to do was make Applejack feel the way she felt now. "You've hurt me worse tonight than when you signed away my dreams without a second thought that day in the hospital."
Applejack's wide eyes stared as the Pegasus walked outside into the darkness. The door slammed shut in front of her. The sound of the door triggered stronger tears, she understood now, this was the end. The last time Rainbow Dash had left her, it had been out of fear and a desire to protect her. Then she had a spark of hope, a chance they would come back together.
This time it was different, Rainbow Dash was leaving because she couldn't look her in the eyes without seeing a traitor. In the end, that's all she felt she was, a liar. She crawled weakly off the floor and lay down on the couch, the last words that had been said to her.
The words stabbing at her heart as they bounced around in her mind. The memories of the forest had haunted Rainbow Dash. For her, it had always been that one piece of paper, allowing them to take away Rainbow Dash's livelihood, her hopes, and her love for the sky.
One of her nightmares had finally come true, Rainbow Dash blaming her for the suspension of her wing. Even though she knew now that it was only temporary, at the time she had been told it would never heal, and she had allowed it, and she knew that's what Rainbow had meant.
Applejack glared at the small blue velvet case containing the anklet that rest on the mantle across from the couch. She snatched it up, and opened it, staring at the piece of jewelry. Her tears of sadness left her; instead she began to cry out of anger. Anger at herself for being so weak, the rage building up, and she lost control, throwing the box into the unlit fire.
The orange mare got up and tore through the house, she found herself destroying everything she could get her hooves on. The table, the chairs, and the pictures on the mantle, she crushed them all with her hooves. The faded red apple clock hanging above her, she grabbed it, and prepared to smash it into the ground, but she stopped herself.
The clock calmed her down, its soft ticking, and the slow movement of the one still functioning pointers, they all seemed to soothe her. The antique still represented something to her, even if something appears broken, doesn't mean it is. Even if she didn't have Rainbow Dash, she would manage to carry on.
She gently hung the clock back up and returned to the couch. Her body's muscles relaxed, releasing their grip on the emotions of anger. Hugging one of the throw pillows tightly as she lay on the couch, she wept quietly once more until she exhausted herself, closed her heavy eyelids, and slept.
Applejack woke up late in the afternoon; she called out for Rainbow Dash. There was no answer, her eyes shifted downward as she remembered why. She crawled off the couch, and reached for her cowboy hat, which was nowhere in sight. Tracing back her steps last night, she realized she didn't have it when she left the bar.
Applejack grumbled as she headed out the steel door, she couldn't stay inside there anymore, not with all the memories that hovered about inside. She expected the air to be cold, but to her surprise, it was warm and moist, and the sun was shining brightly, this annoyed her. It felt like even the world itself wanted to mock her.
The cheery world around her, the chirping winter birds, they all frustrated her. She wished something could not be happy just so she wouldn't feel like such an outcast. She hung her head dejectedly, staring at the dirt beneath her as she walked.
"Ah don't wanna talk and give me mah hat back!" Ice Ember frowned and her horn began to glow a red and blue swirling aura. The brown hat lifted off of her head, and landed onto Applejack's. "Thank yah, now if yah don't mind, ah'd like to be left alone.”
Ice Ember grinned, "Oh, well in that case, I do mind!" she trotted closer and nudged the orange pony playfully. Applejack glowered at her, Ember ignored the agitated look. "So what happened last night?"
"Ah told you, ah don't wanna talk!" Applejack barked at her.
"Well, that's okay! We don't have to talk if you don't want to." Ember said coyly, pressing her side against Applejack's.
"Why can't yah just go find some other pony tah bother?"
The unicorn frowned at the hostility. "Well, because they wouldn't be as entertaining to bother as you are!" she answered with a childish tone.
"Fine! But keep yer hooves to yerself." Applejack couldn't help but smile a little bit at the pony's persistence.
"Aww, but where's the fun in that?" Ice Ember pouted. "Besides, you didn't seem to have a problem with it yesterday." She winked.
Applejack stopped walking, and spoke firmly. "Last night was a stupid mistake, so don't yah go reading intah it."
A pained look spread across Ice Ember's face. "Well, I didn't think it was a mistake, I thought it was nice."
Applejack sighed irritably, "That's not what ah meant!"
"Well then what did you mean?" The unicorn prodded Applejack's stomach, pushing for an answer.
"Ah just meant ah shouldn't have let it get as far as it did is all." Applejack started walking again, the unicorn still following her.
"Why? Do you not like me?" Ember sounded a little sad.
"Oh fer Pete's sake, ah didn't say that! Yer a very nice pony."
Ice Ember spoke again, "I think you're a very nice pony too. I like you and last night it seemed like you liked me too."
Applejack sped up and the red pony matched her speed. "Well ah don't like you. Like ah said, last night was a mistake."
Ice Ember hopped in front of her blocking her path, "So, you don't like me then?"
Applejack trotted off to her side, "That's not what ah meant."
The unicorn blocked her again, "Well what did you mean?" The orange pony strode past her a second time,
"It doesn't matter what ah meant!"
Ice Ember gave up this little game, her horn began to glow once again, and Applejack's hooves froze in place. "What you meant matters to me." She said caringly.
Finally, Applejack caved in, "Last night was a mistake because ah should have been with somepony else!"
Ice Ember looked a little confused, "I'm pretty sure you were alone." The orange pony struggled to move her hooves but they didn't budge.
"Ah mean, ah was ENGAGED to somepony else last night." The aura vanished while Applejack was still struggling and she lost balance, crashing into the ground.
Ice Ember cringed, "Sorry… but… you're engaged?" She said in disbelief.
Applejack brushed herself, "Ah said ah WAS engaged. Thanks tah yer fancy smooth talk, an' those big blue eyes of yers, we aren't anymore. Now if yah don't mind ah have places tah be!"
The unicorn grinned again, "So, you two split up then?"
Applejack lost it when the idea had been suggested; she didn't want to admit it to herself, let alone to the pony that helped cause the problem in the first place. She tackled the Unicorn, no longer able to restrain her resentment towards Ember, "Just leave me alone, yah hear?
The sapphire eyes staring into her again as they had the previous night, "You're kind of cute when you're angry." Ember giggled at the orange pony pinning her to the ground. Applejack was taken aback by the comment, and the hypnotizing eyes comforted her. "There isn't any reason for you to beat yourself up over last night. It sounds to me like you weren't getting the attention you needed."
Ice Ember pushed Applejack, now pinning her to the ground. "And you definitely don't have to hold back anymore. The only difference from last night and today is now you have no reason to be restraining yourself." Her voice back in the same warm alluring tone she had used before.
Applejack found her lips quivering, and her heart beating fast again. Either she genuinely was interested, or she just didn't want to be alone, but at this point she didn't care. Applejack just wanted somepony to be close to her and Ice Ember was making it rather difficult to refuse her. "O-okay…" she uttered nervously.
"Okay? Be more specific." Ember requested, toying with the golden mane. Applejack blushed, but she felt too ashamed to answer again. Ice Ember grinned as she stared into the emerald eyes beneath her.
"Ah-hem!" Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat from behind the two. "Look, I don't mean to interrupt but, Applejack, can we talk?"
Applejack leapt off the ground knocking Ice Ember off of her. "Twilight, Ah can explain!"
The purple unicorn placed a hoof on Applejack's mouth stopping her from talking, "Rainbow Dash came by this morning bawling her eyes out, telling me to cancel all the orders she had me place for the wedding supplies… What the hay is going on, and who the hay is she?" Twilight was upset and confused at Applejack.
"Rainbow Dash and ah split up last night…" Applejack said, clanking her hooves together as she talked.
"You did WHAT? Why? And it sure looks like it didn't take you long to move on now did it!" Twilight's voice grew louder.
"Because Rainbow was ignoring me, an' ah was lonely, and ah did something stupid!" Applejack found unwanted tears coming back to her.
Twilight started shouting "Well what did you expect? Rainbow Dash has been trying to do like a hundred things at once. She was trying to plan a secret wedding, one that wouldn't get the two of you murdered. She's been working two jobs since the orchard had been destroyed and you need the money to pay for the wedding!"
Twilight took a deep breath, "And by stupid thing… do you mean?" she pointed her purple hoof over to the red unicorn that sat awkwardly on the ground. Applejack nodded guiltily at Twilight who blinked in disbelief.
"Wow… so you do something stupid, the two of you break up, and your first impulse is to jump to the stupid thing that broke you two up in the first place?" Twilight started pacing back and forth as her mind processed everything.
"Applejack, what in the hay is wrong with you!" Twilight screamed, the tears broke free and dripped down Applejack's eyes. "Applejack… I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Applejack interrupted her, "No Twi, yer right. Ah don't know what ah'm doing! Now that Rainbow's gone, ah just don't know…"
Twilight Sparkle smiled and poked her own eyeball, completing the ritual of the pinky promise. "Don't worry; I'll occupy her." Twilight said.
Applejack gasped "Wait, Twi, yer a-"
The purple unicorn interrupted her with a laugh. "I meant that I would explain what's going on, geez Applejack! Now go find Rainbow, last I saw she was at Sugarcube Corner."
Applejack nodded, and removed herself from Twilight's arms, then took off. The orange pony ran down the road, ignoring Ice Ember's calls out to her. Twilight was right, if she gave up now, they would be through, forever. However, with a little luck, Rainbow Dash may, or may not forgive her, but there could still be a chance that things wouldn't be over between them.
As she sprinted down the road, she reached just outside of town, and stepped in something sticky and warm. Applejack stopped and looked at her hoof to see what she had stepped in. A layer of damp red mud coated her orange hoof. She looked down at the road; Just in front of her, a trail of fresh carriage tracks leading away. Below her, a small pool of crimson liquid and a clump of multicolored hairs floating on top.
Applejack rushed alongside the carriage's trail until it faded away into the cobblestone streets of Ponyville. She glanced around, hoping to find any kind of indication as to where it may have gone. The only lead she could find was a red droplet staining the stone a few yards in front of her.
"APPLEJACK!" Pinkie Pie screamed joyfully, leaping out in front of her.
"Not now Pinkie Pie!" Applejack said impatiently.
"Oh! Okay! I'll see you later!" A cloud of confetti appeared, and Pinkie Pie vanished.
"Wait, Pinkie Pie!" Applejack called out to the puff of settling shredded papers. The pink pony suddenly re-appeared behind her. "Uh, how'd you do that?" Pinkie Pie shrugged her shoulders, acting as if she had no idea what Applejack was referring too. The orange pony shook her head, "That isn't important right now. Did yah see a carriage drive by anytime today?"
"Oh my gosh! I did! I thought it was kind of strange, it was being pulled by two ponies I had never seen before and I know everypony in Ponyville!" The pony shouted her frizzy hair bouncing as she spoke. "Anyway, so I tried to follow them, I asked them where they were going, and they were like 'Meh!' and kept going!"
"Pinkie, which way were they headed?" Applejack asked urgently.
"Oh-oh! They were headed um…" Pinkie Pie trotted in circles, doing strange maneuvers with her neck as she did. "They went this way! Follow me!" she shouted again as she hopped down one of the streets. "So whatcha doing?"
"Ah don't want to cause a ruckus-"
"FRACAS!" Pinkie interrupted gleefully.
Applejack rolled her eyes, "a fracas , but ah think those ponies may have ponynapped Rainbow Dash!"
Pinkie Pie gasped dramatically and then pulled a police cap from seemingly nowhere and placed it on her cotton candy mane. "Don't you worry your pretty little head; Sergeant Pinkie Pie is on the case!"
Once again, Applejack found herself baffled as to where this pony could possibly have had that hat hidden. "Thanks Pinkie, ah'd sure hate to go looking for Rainbow Dash all on mah own."
"Well of course! What are friends for?" Pinkie Pie let out another excited gasp. "They went this way!" she said, taking a sharp turn off their current path.
"How could yah possibly know that?" Applejack asked as she studied her surroundings, trying to pick up on whatever clue her companion had.
"Well silly, the road is made of dirt over here!" Pinkie Pie giggled as she continued skipping down the road, following a new trail of tire tracks.
"Oh…" Applejack let out a soft chuckle of embarrassment as she followed. "Ah knew that." She found herself much more grateful that Pinkie was tagging along, or rather that she was now tagging along with Pinkie Pie and her incredible eye for detail.
"So why would anypony want to kidnap Rainbow Dash anyway, that seems kind of silly." Pinkie Pie looked quizzically at the orange pony that straggled behind her, trying to meet her pace.
"Ah don't know Pinkie, some ponies are just crazy like that." Applejack frowned as she spoke, and pushed herself as she began to lag behind.
"Oh Applejack, I'm sure nopony wants to hurt Rainbow Dash! I'm sure it's all just a big misunderstanding." Pinkie Pie slowed down a bit, taking note that the orange pony was getting worn out trying to keep up.
"Ah sure hope yer right Pinkie, but ah can't take any chances, not with what happened at the Gorge." Applejack shivered as she remembered the events.
"This way!" Pinkie Pie shouted making another quick turn. Once again Applejack found she was trying to search for whatever details Pinkie Pie may have spotted, and again, she was unable to detect it. Pinkie Pie laughed, "There are hoof prints at the end of tracks!" she pointed her pink hoof at the ground.
Applejack tried to figure out where they were, but they had left the town limits awhile back and were in a part of Equestria she was not familiar with. "Uh, where are we?"
Pinkie Pie answered with a shrug "Beats me! I think we are somewhere in between Hoofington, and Coltsdale, but I'm not really sure." She prodded herself in the head with her hoof trying to force out a more exact answer, but she gave up, and shrugged again.
"So ah take it yah've never been out here before then?" Applejack began to get worried, the sun was going down, and she was in unfamiliar territory.
"Well, not really." Pinkie Pie said shamefully, "I mean, it's kind of hard to know EVERYPONY and EVERYPLACE as well. Besides, places can't really smile, so I don't think they feel bad about me not getting to know them… I hope" she frowned at the darkening forest, silently apologizing to it just in case.
The sun's light had completely vanished, and the moon's glow was not yet bright enough to make tracking a feasible plan. "Ah can't see a darned thing out here, what 'bout yah?" Applejack asked, straining her eyes just so she could see in front of herself.
Pinkie Pie let out another childish laugh, "Nope! I wouldn't even be able to see a giant chocolate cake if I walked into it!"
"Uh maybe we should stop fer the night, until mornin'." Applejack suggested anxiously as she tried to scout out a safe place to stay for the night.
"You mean like a camping trip? I have just the thing!" Pinkie Pie grinned widely and jumped away from her spot, up into the air, a small tent appearing where she had stood. "I've been waiting to use this for such a long time now!"
Applejack stared dumbfounded, "Yah know what, Ah'm not even gonna ask." She said as she crawled into the tent, with
Pinkie Pie soon joined her inside, looking a little confused. "Ask what?"
Applejack wasn't sure whether she should be more amazed at some of the stunts Pinkie could do, or the fact that Pinkie Pie didn't even pick up on the fact that she was the only pony who could do some of the things she did. "Uh, Nothin' don't worry yerself 'bout it. Let's just try an' get some sleep."
"Okay!" Pinkie Pie covered herself with her fluffy tail, using it as a blanket, and the tent went silent.
Applejack hadn't realized how much Pinkie Pie had been distracting her during the journey, now that everything had gone quiet, her mind wandered to horrifying scenarios that Rainbow Dash could be enduring. The orange pony rolled around restlessly, trying not to think of what could be happening to the captured blue Pegasus.
"PSST, HEY APPLEJACK! ARE YOU AWAKE?" Pinkie Pie screeched, trying to mask her voice to make it sound like she was whispering.
The incredibly loud whispering startled Applejack, "Shoot, Pinkie, if anypony wasn't awake in all of Equestria, they sure are now!"
Pinkie Pie let out another one of her giggles, "Oops! So what do you think is happening to Rainbow Dash?"
Applejack let out a noise to show she was thinking before she spoke. "Ah don't know, but whoever they are, they sure aren't takin' her for a picnic."
"Why would they ponynap her, just to take her on a picnic?" Pinkie Pie gasped when she thought she solved the mystery.
"Unless… oh my gosh, Applejack, they must be throwing her a surprise party!"
"What? Why in the-" Applejack was yet again boggled as to how Pinkie Pie had come up with this assumption. "Nevermind Pinkie."
Pinkie Pie rolled over to Applejack, "I know you're scared for Rainbow Dash, but don't worry, she'll be fine! I pinky promise!" she squeezed Applejack tightly, and then she started to make a squeaking noise that could only be the pink pony's way of snoring.
Applejack smiled at her goofy friend's extension of comfort, "Thanks, Pinkie." she said as she snuggled her sleeping friend.
Her mind couldn't help but return to her mistakes she had made since the night before. "Rainbow Dash, this is all mah fault, ah'm so sorry." She thought to herself as hushed tears slipped down her face. Applejack whispered quietly to the world, hoping that somehow she would be heard, "Ah'll find yah soon, and ah hope yer okay. Ah love you so much Rainbow."
Applejack awoke to the sensation of Pinkie Pie's body trembling from the cold air that had infiltrated the small tent. The grayish gloom of a cloud covered sun immersed the outside, the faint light revealing tiny specks that drifted above them.
The tired fluffy pony squeaked a small yawn before bursting into life. "It sure is cold out here!" Pinkie let out a shiver and rubbed her hooves on her shoulders to warm herself. "Ooh, it's snowing!" she squealed as she looked outside the tent.
Applejack didn't share the enthusiasm; a new layer of snow would make tracking nearly impossible. She exited the tent to witness Pinkie Pie had begun dancing awkwardly in the snow. "Uh, Pinkie, ah don't mean to dampen yer spirits or anything, but how are we gonna find Rainbow if we can't even see the road anymore?"
Pinkie Pie stopped dancing for a moment and thought. "Well! If we came from that way…" she pointed her pink hoof behind them, "then they must have gone this way!" she rotated her hoof pointing in front of her.
Applejack covered her face with her hoof when Pinkie Pie had failed to see the point she was making, "Well, yeah… but what if we come tah a fork in the road, then what? We could end up running into dozens of intersections and then we'd be completely lost!"
The pony paused for another moment, thinking things through once again, "That's a problem for future Pinkie Pie to solve! For now, we should go THAT WAY!" she began to bounce away from Applejack who trailed behind her, the tent had simply vanished behind them.
As they walked down the snowy path, the trees began to dwindle away. For miles all that was visible was the white snow, and the tall golden-brown grass that bordered their walkway. Pinkie Pie hummed to herself as her hooves crunched on the ice beneath her.
Applejack noticed three things that changed as they continued forward: The first thing she had noticed was that it was getting colder, her humid breath making a small fog as she exhaled. The second; was a sudden increase in silver striations that flooded the air, gently caressing her orange coat as the crystals floated downward. The third thing she spotted was a pathway of trampled golden grass that even Pinkie Pie's sharp eye hadn't caught.
The farm pony cleared her throat, "I think you missed our turn." She pointed her orange hoof at the trail. Pinkie Pie let out a small cheer and allowed Applejack a turn to lead their expedition. Pinkie Pie walked silently behind, trying to spot details so she could even the score of the game she had started playing without Applejack's knowledge.
The two monitored every last aspect of their surroundings, though for different reasons. Pinkie Pie shouted triumphantly and grabbed the golden tail of the pony in front of her, and pulled her back to the new discovery. Applejack's eyes encasing with a look of fear as she stared at the blood stained grass the pink pony had spotted.
Pinkie Pie's hair deflated when her brain made the connection of what she had most likely found. "What if RD isn't okay Pinkie?" Applejack's asked cheerlessly, breaking the silence as they gazed at the dismal sight
"Don't say that Applejack! She has to be okay!" Pinkie Pie patted the anxious pony on the head.
"What if she isn't? How can yah know?" Applejack asked in a dispirited voice.
"Because I pinky promised, and I never break a pinky promise, that's how I know! Pinkie Pie's hair re-inflated. This had been enough to comfort her, which as a result, made Applejack feel a little better as well. "Now come on, we have a Pegasus to find!" she hopped over Applejack, and bound forward.
The trail of crumpled grass came to an end, merging into a gravel road that went in only one direction. The rocks jabbed into their hooves as they marched across the unfamiliar terrain. The flakes of snow were nearly triple in size, and their rate of descent had increased as well, almost completely blocking their vision as they proceeded.
Pinkie Pie leaped up excitedly when her eyes caught glimpse of a structure off in the distance through the fog. "Applejack, I think we're here, wherever here is!" she squeaked energetically as she sped up.
"Pinkie Pie, slow down, we don't know what crazy pony lives out here!" Applejack called out after her. She tried to meet the new pace, but slipped on one of the more unsteady rocks. By the time she gathered herself off the gravel, Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen.
Applejack shouted out for the missing pony, "Pinkie Pie?" she received no answer. "PINKIE PIE!" she shouted again, much louder than before and still was given no answer. A cold sweat began to cover her as she approached a tattered brick house with no sign of her friend. "Pinkie Pie?" she attempted to shout, but her growing fear suppressed her voice.
A set of fresh hoof prints stopped a few yards from the door being replaced with the tracks of a pony that had been dragged. Applejack's first assumption was that Pinkie Pie had been clobbered over the head and dragged inside, and that they hadn't seen her because she had fallen.
The orange pony took a deep breath, and gently turned the knob of the door and pulled it open, the howling wind covering the noise of the creaking door hinges as they rotated. She prepared to trot inside, when she stopped herself.
Applejack thought better then to just bumble inside, she peaked through the crack where the door hinges met the wall, and she saw no pony. She poked her head inside the building, again, seeing no pony. Confident that she could now safely enter without having to fear being bludgeoned she slowly tip-hoofed inside the house.
Applejack looked around the square room, all she could find, was a single light switch that powered the one bulb that dangled from the ceiling. There were no windows, doorways, or hallways; the main room of the building also happened to be the only room. She looked around, confused, they couldn't have just vanished.
The orange pony walked quietly on the wooden surface, not wanting to alarm any pony of her presence in case she had been missing something. After thorough examination of the room, she still could not find anything, until she gazed back at the door. The trail of snow that had been left behind from a pony being dragged had now melted.
The trail veered off to by the wall, stopping in the corner of the room. A circular shape of different shaded wood was magnified by the droplets; it was the tiny handle of a trapdoor. Cautiously, Applejack approached it and pulled it open quietly, revealing a staircase leading down into the darkness. The sound of whimpering ponies bounced off the dimly lit stone walls, echoing in her ears.
Applejack crept slowly down the stairs that lead further into the dank catacomb hidden beneath the dwelling's surface. The sound of Pinkie Pie's squeaking of fear and pain growing louder as she reached the base of the steps. A torch placed every few yards against the stone walls illuminating the single passageway. Her hoofsteps reverberated off the walls, echoing down the dark corridors, the noise seeming to amplify with each bounce.
More than anything she wanted to flee, but Pinkie Pie's cries prevented her from doing so, and there was almost no doubt in her mind that Rainbow Dash was here as well, suffering a similar fate. She walked delicately, hushing the noise of each step as much as she possibly could. The sound of stone being scraped filled the hallway, followed by a screech of pain from who she guessed was Pinkie Pie.
The noises kept on, soon Applejack could tolerate no more of it, and she bolted onward. Any chance that she had not been detected yet disappeared as her hooves clattering loudly as they knocked against the cold rocky floor. Soon the passageway ended, converging with yet another dimly lit room, inside a unicorn stood, wearing a face that said he had been expecting her.
Even though Applejack had never met the stallion that stood across the room from her, he shared an incredible resemblance to someone she did know. The stallion's fading rugged red hair made him appear to be middle aged. His icy blue mane was torn and thinning, another sign suggesting that he was no longer in his prime. His flank was completely bare on both sides, apart from two massive scars where his cutie mark should be. He was the spitting image of Ice Ember, who she now guessed was his daughter.
In front of him; a teary eyed pink pony that lay on the cold ground cowering before him. Dark bruises began to form, covering Pinkie Pie's back. Her hooves were cracked and dull, she had been scratching down, leaving thick marks on the stone beneath her as she had tried to cope with the pain of the beatings she had received over the short duration.
The dark room revealed one other ghastly sight. An unconscious blue Pegasus rested in the corner, lacerations and discolorations covering her body. Clumps of her mane were missing and a good portion of her feathers had been ripped out as well. Purple rings surrounded her shut eyelids, and blood had dried into a dark brown color on her nose and lips.
The red unicorn spoke, using a distorted voice that she had hoped she would never hear again. As she looked at the hideous stallion, there were small deformities that covered his neck. Applejack knew now that he hadn't masked his voice that day at the gorge where she had heard it before. She had thought he had been masking his voice when in fact it was his voice. "Until quite recently, I thought I had taken care of you." He said sounding like a troglodyte when he spoke.
Applejack tried to speak, but a thin red glow covered her entire body, lifting her into the air, completely paralyzing her. The stallion spoke again, "This time, there won't be any mistakes." He floated Applejack closer to him. "But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy myself as well.” He said with a snicker.
“First, I'm going to torture this pink pony, until the pain drives her to insanity. Instead of killing the Pegasus, I'll make you watch as I have her do it. And her reward will be death. Finally, when I become tired of your screams and begging, I will oblige you with the same fate."
As Pinkie Pie listened to the unicorn speaking next to her, she remembered something, "I PINKIE PROMISED!" she screamed in an almost demonic voice, leaping up into the air preparing to tackle the pony.
The glow around Applejack vanished releasing the mystical grip. Instead, the glow now encased Pinkie Pie. With a small jerk of his head, the floating pink pony was launched into the corner of the room, her head bashing into the stone ceiling, plummeting to the floor on top of Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie Pie's distraction had provided Applejack with a small window of opportunity. She charged at the red unicorn, catching him by surprise. Before he had time to react, Applejack slammed his head into the hard rock ground. His horn took the better half of the impact, a jolt of magical electricity exploded, sending the two crashing into opposite sides of the room.
A jagged rock extruded from the wall, impaling Applejack as she collided into it. Her eyes widened with anguish, she struggled as a tightening grip closed down on her neck. Applejack grabbed at his hooves, trying to pull them off, but he held her too firmly, as her last resort, she kicked him with her powerful hind legs repeatedly, his hold weakened on her as his body adjusted to the barrage.
Quickly, Applejack slipped her head from his loose hooftips, and adjusted herself into her apple bucking position. She inhaled deeply, pulling in every bit of energy from her leg muscles. The tear on her side ripped open as she released the full force of both her hind legs, plowing into his stomach, knocking him towards the ground.
The red pony took a moment, preparing for another assault, but Applejack wasn't willing to give him the chance. She reached her muzzle inside her saddlebag, and pulled out a thick rope. She lassoed it around his deformed neck, and pulled. The defeated ex-unicorn flailed his hooves around, gasping for air as she pulled tighter.
The struggling stopped, and just as soon as it did, tears began to cascade down Applejack's sparkling emerald eyes. This was something she had never wanted, something she never fathomed she would have done but she had no choice, it had to be done, or this would never stop. "Ah'm sorry." She whimpered. Not leaving anything to chance, she continued tightening the noose for another minute or so before dropping the rope.
Applejack loathed herself as she stared at the pony whose life she had just taken. She shook her head, assuring herself it had to have been done. The corner of the room where the two ponies rested caught her attention once more. She zoomed over to them, squirming underneath them until they slept firmly on her back.
The weight of the two unconscious ponies weighed her down; each step she made out of the dark tomb was small and exhausting. Every step up the short staircase made her feel as if she had scaled one of the highest mountains. After an incredibly draining few minutes, she found herself at the exit of the brick building; she slowly pushed it open, and stepped outside.
The snowfall had grown into a blinding blizzard, rendering her eyesight completely useless, she trudged slowly, trusting only her instincts to guide her. The cold air cracked at her skin beneath her thin snow covered orange coat. The wind howled, violently whipping at her as she pushed onward, at some point the gusts had blown away her brown cowboy hat.
"Don't suppose yah have a jacket somewhere in that frizzy pink mane of yers, do yah Pinkie?" she asked at the unconscious pony. "Ah didn't think so."
Hours passed as she marched slowly through the fields of thick snow. The sun began to set, sapping away what little heat still remained on the earth's surface. Applejack's body shook as the cold continued to sting at her. The cold became unbearable, and she pushed herself to start running, hoping the burning of her muscles would help to keep her warm.
Each step she made induced a terrible ripping sensation on her side. The cold made her skin brittle, and as she moved, the stretching caused the laceration to spread further. As the gouge grew, so did the pain that occurred with each stride. The crimson blood squeezed out of the wound, painting a red trail behind her as she continued running.
Every inch of her began to spasm as it lost its ability to maintain any kind of stability. Her loss of blood caused her to grow woozy, the last thing her eyes had managed to distinguish, a familiar female unicorn approaching her as she collapsed into the snow beneath her. "Ice Ember…" She said weakly as everything faded away from her sight.
Applejack soon regained consciousness; the chill of the snow below her had vanished replaced with a warm gentle sensation that covered and lifted her from the ground. "It's okay, I've got you." The unicorn said softly, the red and blue swirling light emanating from her horn as she trotted on the cobblestone streets of Ponyville.
The freezing air soon disappeared, in its place warm stale air that smelt of cleaning chemicals she had sensed before. Applejack was placed softly on a tiled floor; the bright fluorescent lighting flooded her dizzy eyes. Next to her on the floor, were both Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. "I'm sorry this happened…" Ice Ember said quietly before turning around and fleeing the building as concerned ponies rushed over to examine them. Once again, Applejack found herself drifting into a much needed sleep as the ponies prodded the three of them as they lay on the floor.
The nurse finished binding the sewn gash that resided on Applejack's chest, "There you go, you'll be up and about in no time!"
Applejack put on a fake smile; she wasn't at all concerned with herself. "How are they?", she asked before the pony could leave the room.
"Your friend Pinkie Pie is just fine. Nothing more then a little bump on the head." The nurse pony answered trying once again to leave the room as quickly as possible.
"Wait!" Applejack shouted after her, "What about Rainbow Dash?"
The pony sighed and trotted back into the room, shutting the door. "Well, she had massive internal bleeding, and both of her wings were fractured. The cuts scattered throughout her body helped alleviate some of the internal bleeding which kept her alive. However, because of the cuts, she lost a significant amount of blood and had to receive transfusions to keep her stable." The nurse avoided making any eye contact with Applejack as she went down her list.
"But she's gonna be okay?" Applejack asked hopefully.
The nurse frowned, "Not exactly."
"What do yah mean, 'not exactly'? Applejack glared.
The nurse spoke calmly in an almost robotic voice. "Rainbow Dash's received massive blunt force trauma. To be more specific, her liver sustained most of the trauma, and has started to shut down. Due to everything that has happened to her the dialysis simply can't filter her blood fast enough to continue stabilizing her, and her body will most likely give out in the next few days. We put her on the transplant list, but organ donors are incredibly rare, and in Rainbow Dash's case, because of her unique blood type, making it even more so. There is a high probability that a donor won't be found in time."
"Can ah be the donor?"
"Even if you are a match, given your current condition, any attempt at surgery could result in serious repercussions." The nurse was talking disinterestedly once again.
Applejack became irritable and demanded an answer "Can ah be the donor, yes or no?"
The nurse flipped through the papers on her clipboard until she found the information she was looking for. "Yes, you two share the same blood type, so you could be a potential donor."
"Then ah'll do it." Applejack said flatly.
"Again, as I said before, with your current physical state, it is highly recommended that you NOT do this procedure."
"Ah said ah'll do it." Applejack repeated.
"Very well, I'll inform the doctors and we will begin prep for the surgery." The nurse exited the room.
A few hours passed, until finally, a stallion entered the room. "I think it's very brave what you are doing for your friend. Anyway, we've finished prepping for the operation, all that's left is for you to sign this form and we'll get started." The pony talked quickly, and in a joyful tone of voice.
Applejack said nothing; she grabbed the paper, scribbled her name on it, and returned it.
"Alrighty then! If you'll come with me we'll get everything underway." The pony trotted out of the room, Applejack following behind him into a clean-room where she was thoroughly hosed down, and then lead into another room where they placed her on a bed.
"We are going to put you under a general anesthesia, so you won't feel a thing. It'll be just like your taking a nap. It'll all be over before you know it." The doctor said cheerfully once again.
Applejack nodded, and a mask was pressed against her face. As she inhaled everything became fuzzy, she wasn't completely asleep, but she couldn't feel the rest of her body, and she could hardly see anything. The only sense that remained completely intact was her hearing.
The surgeon above her kept requesting items that she had no idea their purpose. She felt a strange pushing sensation on her stomach, but it didn't bother her, it just felt odd. The group of doctors soon walked away from her, and she could once again hear the surgeon requesting the same things.
Her heart began to flutter; the steady rhythm of the monitor began to fluctuate, until it was a constant flat noise that rang through her ears. Shouts came from across the room, the ponies rushing back over to her. The ringing continued, piercing into her until everything around her went dark.
Rainbow Dash woke up in a place she had been before. She was inside the room in the hospital she had first stayed at after the storm a little longer than half a year ago. Small plastic tubes attached to her nose and arm, concealed by the linen cloth blanket that covered her.
A nurse pony walked inside the room, "Ah, your awake, that's great!" she smiled politely.
"What happened?" Rainbow Dash asked groggily, unable to recall anything after her visit with Twilight to inform her that she was cancelling the wedding plans.
The nurse looked at her charts and spoke again, "You suffered from acute liver failure, fortunately a donor was found in time."
"Acute… liver failure? Wha-huh?" Rainbow Dash was confused as to how this all could have happened without her having even the slightest clue as to how it happened. "Who was the donor?" she finally asked.
The nurse looked across the charts again, "The donor's name is Applejack. It seems she was the only viable donor that could be found within your timeline."
Rainbow Dash blinked, "Applejack? Where is she? I want to see her!" the heart monitor began to beep more rapidly as the Pegasus grew more concerned.
The nurse pony frowned, "I need you to calm down, you can't see her yet, you need more rest before you go anywhere."
The frightened pony stepped away and reluctantly answered the question. "She’s in room 17."
Rainbow Dash ripped out the tubes and leaped off the bed, running down the hallway towards Applejack's room, the nurse following close behind her. She reached the door labeled with a 17 and pushed it open.
Inside, an orange pony rested silently on the bed near the window. Tubes similar to the ones Rainbow Dash had, were attached to her as well, but in far greater numbers, and spread all across her body. The heart monitor beeped a slow steady rhythm, the green line bouncing up and down the screen every second or so.
Rainbow Dash gazed lovingly at the peaceful orange pony, "When will she be awake?"
The nurse sighed; she had hoped she wouldn't have to be the one to break the news, "She won't."
Rainbow Dash looked confused again, "What do you mean 'she won't'?"
The nurse let out another sigh as she prepared her speech, "When Applejack brought you in, she had already sustained severe wounds that put her at a heightened risk for complications to occur during the transplant. We advised her against doing the surgery, but she insisted as you would not have lasted more than a few days without it. After the portion of her liver had been successfully moved, she coded. The surgeons managed to successfully revive her, but only after eight minutes had passed. That amount of time with no oxygen had caused severe brain damage. It is likely she will never regain consciousness. I'm sorry." The nurse quickly left the room, unwilling to wait for the reaction.
Rainbow Dash walked over to Applejack, softly caressing her orange cheek with her hoof, tears forming as her mind processed everything she had just been told. "Applejack… you can't leave me." The tears silently streamed down her face. "You can't leave me, please." She repeated again softly.
"You can't… I need you, please." Rainbow Dash gently shook the sleeping pony. "Please, Applejack… not like this." She nudged Applejack's still forehead with her own. "I'm sorry, so sorry, for everything." The tears completely burst from her eyes. "Please, Applejack, wake up, I can't do this, not without you."
Applejack continued to lie there lifelessly, nothing changing. "You can't do this to me" Rainbow Dash's cries grew louder. "We still have so much left, you can't leave me. Not like this, please." The last words she had said to Applejack repeated in her head. "I didn't mean it, Applejack. I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash pressed her lips against the orange cheek. "It's not your fault. I was selfish; I shouldn't have made you feel so lonely."
Apart from the rhythmic beeping, and the Pegasus's cries of sorrow, the room remained silent. Anger began to boil inside of Rainbow Dash, "This isn't how it's supposed to end!" she screamed, smashing her hoof into the wall. "We still had so much time left together!" she continued her furious onslaught into the wall, making small hoof-shaped holes with each blow. "You can't do this to me! You can't leave me!" Rainbow Dash slumped her head back onto the bed next to the unmoving orange pony.
Purely agonized cries of grief escaped Rainbow Dash. "Please Applejack, I need you so much, don't leave me. Not now, not like this." Her chin quivered violently with each word she uttered. "This was supposed to be our time. Don't let it be stolen from us."
Rainbow Dash held Applejack's hoof tightly, she had been prepared to sacrifice anything to save Applejack and now it had been Applejack's turn. She rose to the occasion, she gave up everything she could to save Rainbow Dash, and now here she lay, her body living, but what wasn't alive that made her so unique, so special, her mind.
The Pegasus crawled onto the bed, snuggling her lifeless lover, "Why did you have to do this? What am I supposed to do without you?" she squeezed Applejack tightly. "How am I supposed to keep going without ever hearing your voice again? I'll never hear you laugh again. You'll never run, or jump, or dance. I'll never hear you cry, or laugh, or sing again. It's not fair. You'll never walk down that aisle, you won't ever exchange vows with me, and we'll never join together in a kiss again."
Rainbow Dash breathed erratically, her eyes blurred with tears. "You deserve so much better than this. You deserved so much more from life than this. This isn't how it should have ended. I'm so sorry." Another powerful wave of tears escaped her, "Applejack, I promise you this. I'll always stay by your side. I will never leave you. Most of all, I will always love you, my sweet Applejack."
Rainbow Dash trotted in through the brown door, "Hey, Applejack! Look what I found!" she said excitedly to the non-responsive orange pony beneath the linen cloth of the hospital bed.
The Pegasus threw a brown cowboy hat up in the air, catching it with her teeth; she proceeded to trot over to the sleeping pony, placing it on her gold mane that ran free, no longer secured by its usual red band.
"I know how much you love this hat…" Rainbow Dash choked back sadness as she reminisced, "I know it's the only thing you have left of your mother." The blue Pegasus crawled into the bed, hugging Applejack as she continued in her deep sleep. "I'll never leave you, Applejack. I miss you, so much."
The hours crept by, turning into days. In the days that followed, she kept her promise, she returned to Applejack's side every day. The days turned into weeks, still Rainbow Dash persisted with her vow, she would talk to the quiet pony, telling her about her day, and the local gossip that was spreading around Ponyville.
The weeks grew into months, every visit became daggers plunging into her, reopening wounds that wanted to be forgotten when she returned. Rainbow Dash read stories out loud to her as she sat by her side hours on end.
The months grew into a year, and there was still no change in Applejack's condition. The small thread of hope that Rainbow Dash had held onto for so long with every passing moment. Finally it had disintegrated when she returned to the pony on the anniversary of her sleep.
Though the hope had faded, Rainbow Dash persevered with her word. After finishing her jobs around Ponyville, she returned back to Applejack's side every day, continuing on the same routine that she had started the first week. Her heart broke again, and again, whenever she walked through that door, looking at her lost love lying there on the bed, never changing.
"Applejack, I can't do this…" Rainbow Dash cried dry tears as she spoke, "It hurts too much. It's been a year now. A whole year since I've heard your beautiful voice, your comforting laugh, your soft smile." The Pegasus lifted an orange hoof, resting it over her neck.
"Please, Applejack… everypony misses you… especially me. Everypony says I need to move on, but how can I? How could I possibly be expected to just forget you? No, I could never do that to you, how could I leave you here alone day after day."
Rainbow Dash curled up onto the bed along side of Applejack. "It hurts so much, Applejack." She repeated. "You shouldn't be here, stuck in this bed, you should be out there. Outside in the shining sun, corralling critters, bucking apple trees, making cider for all the ponies, not trapped here. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could be in your place. You were so strong, Applejack. You still had so much going for you."
Rainbow Dash cringed, "And you gave it all up, just for me, and it kills me inside. I had been so weak, and you had been so strong. I'm sorry it turned out this way. A whole year now today… I love you Applejack, and I'm trying to be strong like you were, but it's so hard." The Pegasus closed her eyes and continued weeping tearlessly into the orange pony's chest.
The orange hoof wrapped tighter around the crying pony, but she took no notice of it. What caught the Pegasus's attention was the changing in the pace at which the monitor beeped. Rainbow Dash looked at the monitor, when it quickened, she feared Applejack's body had finally given out. "N-no, no, no" she cried out helplessly as she stared at the bouncing green line. The speed of the beeping restabilized itself into a rhythm using its new speed.
Rainbow Dash's heart slowed back down for a few moments, until something else caused it to leap again. Another hoof closed around her, giving her a gentle warm squeeze. The Pegasus froze, afraid this was a dream; she didn't want to do anything that could wake her up.
The hooves pulled her upward; soon she was accompanied with the feeling of soft, warm lips pushing down on her forehead. She opened an eyelid, and then the other. Looking back at her, no longer covered by a mask, or tubes, was an orange face.
Her large, shining, forest green emerald eyes sparkling as they stared back into the watery magenta eyes a few inches apart. She smiled, and pressed her lips against the disbelieving Pegasus again. She gently stroked the Rainbow Mane, and for the first time in a year, she finally spoke, "It's okay sugarcube, ah'm here."
Ribbons of white velvet draped elegantly, connecting to nearby growing saplings, forming small archways. The wind gently blowing, rustling the small leaves of the baby trees planted side by side. The morning dew captured on the tiny lime-tinted leaves produced a cleansing aroma; it was the smell of flowers in bloom, the scent of growing life. The sun gleamed powerfully, its golden glow piercing through the ribbons, casting silver shadows on the earth beneath it.
A choir of songbirds chirped, their sweet voices joining together, forming soft melodies as the tweets combined harmoniously. The peaceful symphony gently echoed through the orchard adding to the joyful serenity. The elements of the world seemed to be presenting themselves in a beautiful synchronization for this one occasion.
A single row of small chairs aligned next to one another, seating a group of close friends as they watched the event with their damp eyes. Three ponies gathered at a small marble pedestal, two facing one another, and the third monitoring both of them, as well as the spectators.
The pony on the right, an orange earthpony; she wore a tightly pressed black jacket, with small cuffs at the end of the front hoof sleeves. A small black bow-tie fastened securely on her clavicle. Her golden mane had been brushed down until it rested flat against her neck.
The pony on the left of the pedestal; a blue Pegasus wearing an intricately beaded white silk gown swaying lightly in the soft breeze that brushed past. Her usually semi-spiked rainbow colored mane woven together, partially hidden away from a white laced veil that covered her head.
The third pony who resided near the marble podium, Princess Celestia, finally broke silence, "We are gathered here today, to witness the exchanging of vows between these two mares, joining them together in the bonds of love's harmony." She cast her gaze at the orange pony, silently informing her to speak.
Applejack chuckled nervously, although she had practiced saying her vows repeatedly, now that the moment to recite had arrived, the words tried to run away from her mind, "I, Applejack, take you, Rainbow Dash, to be my wedded mare. I pledge to always care for you, and I promise to never stray my eternal devotion towards you." She fumbled the words and cut herself off early, she had so much more she had wanted to say, but now she couldn't seem to recall almost any of it.
Another brief silence, Princess Celestia nodded, then shifted her eyes towards the blue Pegasus, indicating it was now her turn.
Rainbow Dash did not experience a loss of words; instead she found her mouth dried up as it had the night of Heart's Warming eve. Her gown concealed her knees as they buckled with anxiety. "I, Rainbow Dash, take you, Applejack, to be my wedded mare. I vow to always protect you regardless of the cost. I promise to always stay by your side, no matter the circumstances. Finally, I pledge my undying love to you, every moment we share will be locked away inside my heart, being cherished forever." Even though she meant everything she was saying; her sentimentality still made her feel self-conscious and a little silly.
Princess Celestia spoke once again, "Applejack, do you take Rainbow Dash to be your wedded bride, in sickness and in health?"
Applejacks cheeks turned pink at the question, "Ah do."
The Princess once again shifted her glances towards the Pegasus, "And Rainbow Dash, do you take Applejack to be your wedded bride, in sickness and in health?"
Rainbow Dash's cheeks also met the same pigmentation, "I do!" she replied excitedly.
Applebloom trotted up quietly to the three, grinning wildly as she carried a small red pillow holding two silver anklets both of them bearing the engraving "Eternal love". Applejack picked up the anklet with a diamond cut in the shape of an apple, and Rainbow Dash followed suit with the anklet embedded with the small lightning bolt shaped gem.
Applejack raised the Pegasus's hoof, sliding on the piece of jewelry she had just retrieved from the cushion. Once finished, she allowed Rainbow Dash to do the same, their gaze never parting from one another as they did so.
The two finished the ritual, and Princess Celestia continued the ceremony, "As the ruler of Canterlot, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you both… joined together in the bonds of harmony. You may kiss the… bride." As she spoke, she had to make last second adjustments, as she was unsure how to properly rehearse the phrases, given the circumstances.
Rainbow Dash peered back into the glistening peridot eyes across from her, the choir birds starting their symphony once again. "And I love you." She said firmly, gripping her and pulling her in close, pushing her warm lips against Applejack's. The two's eyelids closed as their faces met, dedicating their memory to the feeling of one another's touch, small glittering streams of joy slipping down from their eyes as they shared the moment together.