The Seventh Element

Lover's Quarrel

8 Months Prior

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Applejack was sitting in front of the vanity mirror in her room, brushing her mane, getting ready for tonight.

They had met almost two years ago and had been instant friends, but ever since Twilight Sparkle had shown up in town and started showing everypony the magic of friendship, Applejack had noticed that she was starting to feel something for this pony. Actually "starting to feel something" was a lie, and Applejack knew it. Her feelings had been growing for quite a while, to the point where she knew that she would have to do something about it.

'And tonight's the night!'

Rarity was hosting one of Pinkie Pie's famous parties at her house and Applejack had told herself that she was going to make her move tonight! She knew they'd be there, she just didn't know how she was going to say it.

'That's a problem for later'

Applejack put on her favorite Stetson hat. The hat that had become a part of her persona ever since it was given to her. She didn't like getting all dolled up, but...

Tonight she was going to need all the help she could get!

Applejack went down stairs and opened the front door.

"Granny Smith! I'm goin' out now, I'll see y'all later!"

Granny Smith's voice came from the living room.

"You're moving out now? Alrighty then, be sure to visit!"

"No granny, I-"

She could hear Granny Smith snoring, so she just rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her.

It was early evening, with a cool, calm breeze that sent Fall leaves tumbling to the ground. Applejack always loved days like this, everything just seemed so calm, at peace. She walked off to meet Twilight at the bridge in to town.

The sun was already well on its way to its home behind the mountains when she had reached the bridge.

"Wow Applejack, you look great! Did you do something different with your mane?"

"Why hello there Twilight! That's mighty kind of you, thanks, but nah, I jus' brushed it out."

"So, are you ready? Tonight's the night!"

"Ready as I'll ever be I suppose."

Honestly she was getting butterflies. She would know what to say when she got there, but she was going to be more nervous than she'd ever been. In fact... Doubts were creeping in to her mind.

'Maybe this wasn' such a good idea. I mean, what if I mess up? I don' want t' hurt our friendship... No, it's not going to work. I'm just gonna go back home.'She was tossing looks over her shoulder, planning her escape, hoping Twilight didn't realize it. "If I just make a break for it maybe-

"TWILIGHT!"

She began to kick wildly as Twilight lifted her off the ground and continued walking with Applejack floating alongside her.

"Twilight Sparkle, if you don't put me down this gosh darn second, I'll... I'll..." She accentuated every word with a kick, but Twilight just kept her floating along. Eventually she just gave up, crossed her forelegs and wore a pouty face as they floated towards the market. When they reached the first store Twilight set her down.

"Now, I'm going to release you, but if you try to run again, I'm just going to have to carry you all the way there. Are you still going to the party?"

Applejack glared at her.

"Yeah, I'm goin'. She grumbled.

"What's that? I can't hear you Ms. Grumpypants!"

"I'm goin'! Now will ya let me down already?!"

"Good." Twilight set her down with a smile. "Let's go!"

Applejack followed grumpily in her friends hoofsteps, her annoyance quickly being replaced with more butterflies as she noticed other ponies who were going to the party, staring at her.

'No, no! That's just your imagination, your mind is playing tricks on you! Nopony is looking at you.'

"Look Applejack, everypony is watching you! Applejack slapped her hoof to her face. "I told you that you looked good, you have nothing to worry about, your special somepony won't be able to resist you!"

It wasn't very encouraging, but it did help a little bit. That changed of course when they were within sight of Rarity's house.

"I don' know Twi', I- I don't think I can do this! I... I'm gonna go!"

She hadn't even gone three steps before she was floating backwards in to the party.

"Sorry Applejack, but as your friend, I think you should do this and I'm not leaving, or letting you leave until you do."

Twilight walked the two of them up to the table where Rarity and Pinkie Pie were sitting. Twilight let Applejack go. Applejack gave her a dirty look before greeting the others.

"How y'all doin'?"

Hearing Applejack's voice the others turned around.

"Twilight, Applejack, darlings! How are you this evening?" Rarity gave Applejack a better look. "Oh, Applejack! You look simply divine! Did you do something with your mane?" Rarity frowned a bit. "You know it would look so much better without a hat."

"I like mah hat!"

"Quiet you silly fillies! We have more important things to worry about than manes and hats! There is a party going on! Pinkie screamed in the direction of the DJ. Pump up the voluuuuume!"

The blue haired pony obliged.

"Come on twilight! It's time to PAAAAAARRRTAY!"

Pinkie Pie grabbed Twilight's hoof and tossed her, through the air and in to the growing crowd on the dance floor.

"Pinkie Piiiiieeeee!!!!!!!!!" Twilight screamed as she flew through the air! Pinkie Pie got on the table and jumped off right in to the middle of the crowd as if she were a diver going in to a swimming pool!

Rarity and Applejack couldn't help but laugh at their crazy friend, it took them quiet a while to stop... Until they saw the two dancing. Pinkie Pie was doing some sort of dance that resembled an epileptic seizure and Twilight had that "don't touch me I'm concentrating" look on her face as she mouthed the numbers "One, two, three. One, two, three." That set it off! They couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculous dance moves for what seemed like forever and every time they stopped, it only took a look at Pinkie flopping around to get them going again!

Several minutes later, as Applejack wiped the last tear from her eye and tried to rub the cramp from her cheek, she remembered why she was there. She began looking around the dance floor for a specific pony...

"Looking for somepony darling?" Rarity winked at her.

"Yeah, I- Hey! What's with the wink?" Applejack asked accusingly.

"Twilight told me, dearie! Why do you think we're having this party? Oh, it is so cute that you are finally going to-"

"What do ya mean, finally?"

"Oh, Applejack, you aren't very subtle, dear."

'Great.'

"Yeah, well whatever... So, have you seen R-"

"RAINBOW DASH?!" Rainbow Dash burst through the front door and landed gracefully on the table they were sitting at, followed by a quickly dissipating rainbow. She stood there for a moment, majestically as her mane settled from the sudden entrance.

"Yes!"Applejack said a bit too loudly... She couldn't help it! There was just something about being around her that made Applejack excited, especially after an entrance like that!

Applejack cleared her throat, "Yes, actually Rainbow I was looking for you."

Rainbow dash was a bit taken aback.

"Oh, er- you were? Because you know, I was just being, well, me."

She grinned sheepishly.

"I didn't really think anypony was looking for me."

"Well, I-I was. Can I talk to you?"

Rainbow gave her a blank look.

"Privately?" Her face was getting warm as she avoided looking at Rainbow Dash.

"Anything for you AJ!"

She liked it when Rainbow Dash called her AJ. Pinkie Pie had used it first a while back, but Rainbow was the only one who did anymore. That was okay though, she preferred it that way.

They walked to the second floor balcony Rarity had pointed them towards and closed the door behind them, drowning out most of the party. Rainbow stood near the door as Applejack walked towards the railing. Applejack didn't know where to start, she had run through this so many different times in her head, almost all of them ending in some friendship-annihilating way where Rainbow dash called her all sorts of names for having feelings for another mare, let alone her-

'No! No, that ain't going to happen! We're friends, she would never say those things.'

Her imagination didn't always end the night badly and that's why she was here! For that sliver of a chance!

Rainbow Dash broke the silence.

"So you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah... Rainbow. I just wanted to say... I wanted to tell you that- I" Applejack rubbed the back of her head.

"Spit it out Applejack!" Rainbow was just teasing her like usual, it was their standard routine.

"Okay, Rainbow dash, I-

'Take it slow'

"-Do you remember when we first met? You crashed in to me and spilled my apples everywhere!"

Rainbow leaned back and held her ribs as she laughed at the hilarious memory.

"And that one apple flew in the air and landed on your head!"

Applejack smiled, she had forgotten that part.

"Yeah, and after we cleaned up, we raced back to the barn."

Rainbow walked up and sat next to Applejack, both watching the sunset.

"Yup. You sure were tough to beat."

"I couldn't let a pegasus beat me in my own orchard without a fight!"

Rainbow gave her a mischievous smile and a wink.

"That day while we were racing, I ran faster than I had ever run before! I could feel the air rushing in and out of my lungs, my heart beating against my chest! (ironically similar to how it was now) I had never felt more alive! You really brought out the competitive side in me! That day I knew we were rivals! Alway-

"Always pushing each other further and harder than we had before, each giving it their all and never letting the other give up."

Rainbow leaned over and playfully bumped Applejack with her shoulder.

Applejack, was turning pink.

"But somewhere along the way, things changed... We weren't just rivals, we were friends. As friends we didn't just try to beat each other, we got to know each other, we became closer. Best friends even."

Rainbow was looking a bit embarrassed herself. Neither were really making eye contact, instead they were looking towards Canterlot and the small sliver of sun that was still visible behind it.

"Well. I- uh." She wasn't really sure what to say next. "I just felt like, you know... That if you wanted to, if you felt the same way, I-I mean if it's okay with you-"

"I thought I was talking to AJ, not Fluttershy."

Applejack took a deep breath.

"I want to be more than friends. I-uh... I want to be more than best friends."

She paused waiting for Rainbow dash to say something. Rainbow looked as if she was going to, she kept opening her mouth and closing it and looking around awkwardly. Applejack's heart was starting to ache...

'I have to say it, I need to know she heard me say it'

"Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow still seemed to be struggling.

"Dashie..."

They looked away from each other.

Both ponies spoke at the same time,

"I love you"

The two fillies looked at each other for a moment, both shocked by what the other had said.

Rainbow leaned a bit closer.

"What did you say?"

Applejack made sure she had eye contact this time. "I love you, Rainbow Dash"

Rainbow Dash smiled at her.

"I love you too, Applejack."

The two embraced, but for only a second before Rainbow pulled away.

"Wait."

Rainbow Dash looked back at the balcony. Applejack followed her gaze and saw all of her friends and half of the town crowded around the windows watching them. No sooner had she looked at them then they had all scurried away, except Pinkie Pie, who was being forcibly dragged away by Twilight and Rarity.

Applejack might as well dye her coat pink, because at this rate it was going to be this color 24/7 anyway.

Rainbow Dash lifted a wing to block out any curious ponies left and looked back at Applejack.

Applejack leaned in and nuzzled Rainbow's mane. "I'm so glad! I was afraid that..."

"No need to be afraid AJ. I've loved you since we first met. You're the only one who could ever come close to beating me. You always pushed me to do better, to never give up... If I had never met you, I would be a very different filly."

"Oh, so you only love me because I can get close to beating you?" she teased.

"Well, that and you did something different with your mane."

Applejack pulled her head back so she could look at rainbow's dark pink eyes. Her breathing was getting a bit heavy and she was certain that Rainbow could hear her heart trying to break free of her ribcage, they were awfully close to each other.

Applejack decided it wasn't close enough.

Rainbow was thinking the same thing.

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Present Day

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Applejack sat in front of the vanity mirror in her room, brushing her mane and thinking about the day ahead. She was excited, but worried. The plan was to meet Rainbow Dash at the bridge and spend some time with her before they met the others. Applejack knew full well that this may be the last time she saw them all on friendly terms for a while.

She went downstairs and met Granny Smith outside the house.

"Granny Smith? Granny I'm leaving. I might not be back tonight... Or for a while actually. I've already told Applebloom and Big Mac, so they'll pick up the slack around here."

"You're moving? You said that months ago, but here ya are!"

"No Granny, I'm leaving! Leaving! I won't be back for a long time!"

"Leaving? Oh well why didn't you say so? Go have fun with that Rainbow friend of yours. Watch out for that pink 'un though. She's a bit strange."

She turned one eye to Applejack and opened it as wide as possible as she said this.

Applejack rolled her eyes with a grin and started her walk to the bridge.

"Don't worry Granny, she's not the only weirdo I know!"

"Love you too Applejack!" Granny Smith said waving goodbye.

Applejack was walking through the Orchard, enjoying the early spring apple blossoms on the trees and the feel of new grass beneath her hooves. She was going to make the most of this day if it ki-

"Argh!"

A rainbow blur tore a chunk out of the leaves in the nearest tree and collided with Applejack sending her sprawling out on the ground a few feet away.

"Urgh. Sorry about that Applejack. I was trying this new move and I just kinda... Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Dash, just try not to kill my trees next time..."

Rainbow looked back at the tree she had just torn through, petals and leaves still falling silently to the ground.

Rainbow scratched the back of her head "Yeah, sorry about that. Hey, did you do something with your mane?" she said in a clear attempt to get back on Applejack's good side.

There was no way Applejack could stay mad at this pegasus for long.

"I thought we were meeting at the bridge?"

"Well, you know I figured that we'd, you know-"

Applejack saw what was coming before Rainbow had finished her sentence.

"READYSETGO!"

And she was off! Applejack was sprinting through the Orchard weaving in and out of trees, her hooves thundering and her pace quickening.

It took Rainbow a moment to realize what had happened before she pushed off the ground and took flight! Flying low over the trees looking for Applejack.

She looked up and saw a rainbow blur gaining on her.

"Oh no you don't!"

This was going to be the day she beat Rainbow Dash! Applejack kicked it in to high gear and widened the gap between the two until the cyan pony had dropped out of sight.

'I did it! I finally beat her!'

When Applejack reached the bridge she began to cheer! She had done it! She had finally beaten Rainbow Dash!

"What took you so long, AJ?"

Applejack turned around in disbelief. Rainbow Dash was walking across the bridge from the Ponyville side towards her! She was never going to beat Rainbow.

"Couldn't you just let me win once? You did knock me over... Again!"

"You thought you had won, didn't you?"

"Oh, come on, let's go!"

The two crossed the bridge and started their way to Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow Dash put her wing over Applejack's shoulders?

Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, what do you want?"

"What, I have to want something to be closer to you?"

Applejack eyed her suspiciously.

"I guess not..."

She bumped Rainbow Dash with her hip

Rainbow smiled

"Yeah, I just felt bad that you lost so epically, so you know"

"Oho! I see how it's gonna be!"

"Well come on AJ, I did wipe the floor with you!"

"You have wings!"

"That never stopped you from trying."

Applejack couldn't do anything but smile. She lived for times like these; the times where it was just AJ and Dashie, walking together and teasing each other. She was going to miss these moments...

Applejack was looking foreword to this last day together.

They arrived at Sugarcube Corner and went inside to find a store busy with ponies buying snacks and desserts of every kind, from sugarcubes to giant multi-layer cakes! Applejack wasn't very hungry, but it was hard to argue with a display of their best cheesecake staring you in the face.

"Well look who's here."

Applejack pulled her eyes away from the displays of goodies.

"Hm? Who, where now?" Then Applejack saw them across the room. All of her friends sitting together at a table waving them over, minus 1 Fluttershy. Applejack had received the news that morning that Fluttershy was with Princess Luna.

"Let's go sit with them, AJ! Come on!"

Applejack's heart sank a little as Rainbow Dash left to go sit with their friends. She was happy to see her friends, but she was hoping for a bit more time with her Dashie.

She sighed and went to join them.

"Applejack! Applejack, we knew you wanted to see us all today and we know you two like Sugarcube Corner, so guess what we did?!"

"That's mighty kind of ya, Pinkie Pie."

"Then quit looking so down in the dumpsy-wumpsy!"

Applejack forced a smile.

"Come now darling, we just ordered some of that gorgeous looking cheesecake!" Rarity looked her up and down. "Did you do something with your mane, dear?"

"That cheesecake does look delicious, and thank ya Rarity, I brushed it this mornin'! It did look a right bit better, but somepony messed it up! she gave a fake glare to Rainbow Dash, who responded by sticking out her tongue and pulling down an eyelid.

The moment the Cheesecake arrived, they all saw Pinkie Pie dive for it, but Twilight pulled it out of the way with her magic before the earth pony could devour it whole.

"Okay Twilight, you want some cake?"

Pinkie Pie picked up the cake and threw it

*SPLAT*

Right in to Twilight Sparkle's face. Everypony went silent. Slowly a bit of cake separated itself from Twilight's face and went flying at Pinkie Pie who ducked, so it instead hit Rarity.

"Do you know how long this will take to get out of my mane?!"

Applejack spent the rest of the afternoon making a mess of Sugarcube Corner and having fun with her friends... For the last time.

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It was getting dark and the five friends had made their way to Twilight's house. The tension was thick, they could tell that something was wrong with their friend. Inside the library tree, they confronted her.

"Something has been bothering you Applejack, are you okay?"

"I- uh. I needed to talk to y'all."

"What did you want to talk to us about? Are we planning a party? Ooh, I love parties! We can have streamers and cake and pin the tail on the pony! What's the occasion?" Pinkie Pie was being her usually bubbly self, not really noticing that Applejack didn't look in the party planning mood.

"There isn't an occasion Pinkie Pie-"

"You're right, who needs a reason to have a party! We can just throw a 'Let's have a party for no reason' party and-"

Applejack was getting annoyed.

"There ain't going to be a party Pinkie!" she yelled.

The room went silent, everypony watched Applejack.

"What's wrong, AJ?"

Applejack sighed.

"No point in beatin' around the bush I suppose... Well y'all know that we freed Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon. You know that she was better, a new pony and tha' she went back to live with Celestia to help rule the Kingdom, right?"

The others gave various forms of affirmation, they mostly nodded.

"Well that last bit didn' happen."

The others looked at her with odd expressions on their faces.

"What do you mean 'that didn't happen'? They've been ruling together ever since we freed her. I even received a letter last week about how much help Luna was!"

"Twilight, I need y'all to listen to me..."

So she started from the beginning. She told the story of how Princess Celestia hadn't been allowing Princess Luna to help in anything major, understandable at first, but then for seemingly no reason. She told of how Trixie had met Luna at the castle on the day of the latest Council on Equestrian Affairs meeting and how Princess Celestia had treated the two of them. She continued the story all the way up until Princess Luna had ordered her to come here and try to recruit her friends.

"...and that's about it, really."

She looked around at her friends, each wearing a different expression on their face.

Twilight Sparkle looked shocked and in disbelief, how could her beloved Princess Celestia be like this? It must be wrong, there must be a mistake.

Rarity looked confused.

Pinkie was just staring at the floor, her mane slightly deflated.

And Rainbow Dash... Applejack looked at her and saw a tear rolling down her cheek. She couldn't bear to see that, she looked away and spoke to her friends.

"We need the Elements of Harmony gals. Without 'em or with too many of 'em in Celestia's hooves, we ain't gonna stand a chance against her... We need your help."

"No, no! This can't be true Applejack, you have to be mistaken, or- or maybe Princess Luna is trying to trick you! Maybe she has you under a spell! Maybe she-"

"No Twilight! I told ya already, I watched her destroy what was left of Nightmare Moon! There's no bad left inside of 'er! We don't even want control of the Kingdom, we only want Princess Luna to have her half! Celestia has been doing Luna's job for more than a thousand years! It's gotta be takin' its toll and eventually she won't be able t' do it any more! All she wants is to live in harmony with her sister and have control of the moon again. She wants things to be right between 'em. Is that so wrong?" Applejack had a pleading tone in her voice. She knew there was no way to convince Celestia's 'most faithful student.'

"I can't- no! Why would you create this rebellion if you didn't want more than control of the moon!"

"Celestia has already had her say, Luna will never be her equal, she is a 'Princess of Equestria in title on'y.' As long as she don't find out, this'll be short. Nopony has to get hurt."

"It sounds to me like Celestia has been more than a bit rude to her sister Twilight, and this is our friend here we're talking to. If it were anypony else asking us to join a rebellion, well of course I would say no! But applejack was there when we took down Nightmare Moon and apparently there when Luna finished the job! It sounds like Equestria is going to get nasty soon and if we can't trust our best friends, who can we trust?"

"I can trust Celestia! I grew up as her apprentice, she is my mentor, I know what she can do and I know what she's been through!" Twilight was getting defensive and angry. How could anyone doubt the Princess after all she had done for them, she was responsible for their friendship in the first place after all.

"Twilight, darling, you need to calm down, why would Applejack lie to us?"

"Fluttershy has already joined." Twilight gave her an accusing look. Fluttershy was easy to manipulate."She found us Twi'! I expected her to be here in Ponyville, but I found out where she was this morning, she's with Princess Luna."

"Well that settles it! Fluttershy is the kindest pony I know and Applejack is the most honest! If they're both with Luna, so am I!"

Applejack was appreciative, she wasn't sure where Rarity would go... Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, their eyes met. Rainbow had stopped crying, but the tears had stained her coat.

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Her loyalties were torn. She was a citizen of Equestria and a member of Clousdale. Equestria was ruled by Celestia, the first Princess Rainbow Dash had known and there was no way that Cloudsdale was going to support Luna. Princess Celestia had ruled Equatria just fine for a thousand years without her sister, why would she need Luna now? Ponies hadn't even known that Luna was more than an old ponytale until recently! Besides that, she was proud to be an Equestrian! She was proud of the ponies of this Kingdom and she would defend them against anything or anypony and it sounded like that was exactly what she would have to do. How could she not support Celestia?

The reason was looking her in the eye.

If there was anypony she was loyal to, it was that one right there. They had been friends for a long time and now lovers. They had spent so much time together, AJ made her feel things she thought weren't possible to feel for anypony but herself. They had spent so much time together and created such a strong bond... She would give her life for AJ. Was she really ready to end all that? Leaving Applejack would be the hardest thing she would have to do, she wasn't even sure if she could.

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The bond they shared told Applejack exactly how Rainbow was feeling. There was nothing she could do, except try and make the decision a little easier on her Dashie.

"I understand Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash gave her a stunned look for a moment... That was all she needed.

Rainbow stood up and spread her wings. With one mighty push she was in the air and with another out the door, leaving a rainbow streak behind her.

They heard a thunderous roar and a crack like a whip.

Rainbow Dash was gone.

She tried her best to hold back the tears, but her best wasn't enough.

"I guess I'd better get going too. Are you coming Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie's mane was completely deflated and she just stared at the floor.

"All my friends are leaving... I'm just going to stay here..."

"You know where I'll be then. Goodbye Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie."

She vanished in a flash of light, no doubt straight to Princess Celestia to report the rebellion.

"Come on Rarity... We need to leave." Tears were rolling freely down her cheeks and her voice had cracked.

"Of course, darling" She put her hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, don't worry Applejack... You'll see."

They walked outside, it had begun to rain.

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