How Could'ja Do This Tah Me?
"Applejack?" Pinkie Pie called out into the orchard. She got no response as she continued to bounce around the apple trees. "Applejack~?"
Pinkie had checked her schedule that morning and found that she had marked today as this month's 'Surprise visit AJ Day'. Truth be told, she just decided to mark it as so that very same morning; she just felt like paying her BCFF (Best Cousin Friend Forever) a visit. Unfortunately, when she arrived at the Apple Family house, she found that Applejack wasn't there. Big Mac had answered and when Pinkie questioned him on AJ's whereabouts, he admitted to not knowing and suggested checking the orchard. Well, more specifically, Pinkie suggested checking the orchard and Big Mac just went 'Eeyup'. However, Pinkie had no luck so far in finding her.
As she continued her searchful frolic through the orchard, she came upon something quite interesting. It wasn't Applejack, or at least not all of her. Pinkie trotted over to a familiar Stetson hat laying upon the grass. "That's weird," Pinkie said to herself. "Applejack's hat, but no Applejack with it." Figuring AJ must have lost it, Pinkie picked up the hat, intending to return it to it's rightful owner. But before she continued her search, she got an idea.
Pinkie put the Stetson on her head and, suppressing her giggles, adopted a proud stance and put on her best AJ voice. "Well, howdy there, partner. Name's Applejack; the roughest, toughest mare ever born here in good ol' Ponyville. Yeehaw!" Pinkie broke into a fit of giggles.
Unbeknownst to her, that very same pony, having heard her friend's voice, wondered into the opening to see her friend. When she saw what was happening in front of her, she froze in place; her eyes widened.
Unaware of the pony behind her, Pinkie continued her game. "Yeah siree, I've bucked more apple trees than... uh..." Pinkie struggled to come up with one of AJ's signature country phrases. "Than a... apple tree bucking machine... that's been running since... forever?" Pinkie rubbed the back of her neck. "No, that's not good."
As Pinkie tried to think of a better phrase, Applejack slowly walked up behind her.
Feeling her friend's presence, Pinkie turned around to find her search ended. "Applejack, I found you!" Pinkie said with a big smile. "Well, actually, I guess you found me. I wanted to see you, but you weren't in your house, so I was looking through the orchard and I found your hat and I thought it'd be funny to... uh, Applejack?" Pinkie's mile-a-minute talking was halted as she comprehended the look on AJ's face.
Applejack looked to be in a daze, a look of disbelief on her face. Pinkie wondered if the cowgirl even heard a thing she said. The look on her face then turned to a look of hurt, her eyes watering.
Pinkie took a step closer to friend, intending to comfort her. "Applejack, are you o-"
"Ah knew it!" Applejack suddenly shouted, causing Pinkie to step back. "Whaddaya have to say for yourself?!"
Pinkie looked around in confusion.
Applejack further interrogated, with a stern yet tearful glare. "What do yah have to say for yourself, huh?"
It was then that Pinkie realized that Applejack wasn't looking at her, but at the hat on her head.
"All these years..." Applejack continued. "After all these years together?! Do ya know how long?! How could'ja do this to me?! How could'ja do this..." AJ bit back a sob and leveled her glare at Pinkie. "And you! What do ya have to say, huh? You even have anything to say?!"
Pinkie stood in place, bewildered and uncomfortable, and slowly removed the hat from her head. "It's... not what it looks like?"
"Not what it looks like?!" AJ repeated incredulously. "You tryin'a tell me that Ah didn't just walk in and see you together? You sayin' Ah didn't see him right on top'a ya?! And in mah own orchard?! You take me for a fool? It looks like crap and it smells like poop; how ya gonna stand there and tell me it ain't feces, huh?!"
Pinkie's eyes darted every which way as she slowly laid the hat down between them. "I, uh, I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" AJ laughed bitterly as she wiped her eyes. "Now, you're sorry? After what you just did, you think 'sorry' is gonna make it better?!"
Pinkie started walking backwards. "Eh, I, uh-"
"I don' wanna hear it, Pinkie Pie." AJ interrupted with a raised hoof. "Just go. Just go, Pinkie. I can't even look at you right now."
"I, uh, okay. Sorry." Pinkie then turned and speed-walked away from the distraught cowgirl.
AJ then glared down at the hat on the ground. "An' you, whadda you have tah say, huh? Whadda'ya have to say, ya traitor?! Ninety percent felt and ten percent whore, ain't that right?! You are a whore! A treacherous, lyin' slut! Ah gave ya the best years of mah life and this is how ya repay me?!" The tears finally fell down her cheeks. "Do ya love her? I said do ya love her?! Was she better than me?! Did'ja just wrapped yourself up in her mane, no protection?!"
Falling on her haunches, AJ cried out to the heavens. "Why God?! WHYYY?!" She collapsed to the ground, still shooting angry glances at the offending article of clothing. "My momma was right about you, ya backstabbing little whore! Ah shoulda listened, Momma! I'm so sorry!" Out of breath, AJ curled up and cried.
At some point during this meltdown, Apple Bloom passed by, sipping on a juice box. She paused and looked over to her raving sibling for a moment before casually walking off. This is just one of those days. She thought to herself.
Also witness to this episode was Pinkie, who was peeking from behind a tree. Watching Applejack, she felt many different emotions. Confusion, sadness, fear, regret, intrigue, concern, and probably a lot more. She turned away and started walking away from the scene. Then trotting. Then sprinting.
The next day, Pinkie found herself joining Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack (hat in place) in Sugarcube Corner. She was uncharacteristically hesitant to join them, but as it was her break time anyway, she didn't have much excuse not to join them.
Twilight and AJ were shooting the breeze together; at one point, Applejack mentioned going to couple's therapy, which confused Twilight, but the conversation steered off before she could further question it. The entire time the four talked together, Pinkie continued to cast nervous glances at Applejack.
Rainbow Dash noticed this behavior and leaned in to ask Pinkie. "Hey, Pinks, why do you keep looking at Applejack like that?"
"I... I don't wanna talk about it."
