One Night (a.k.a A taste of an Apple)

The running of the trolley down the flashing halls, Rainbow Dash only following in tears as nurses and doctors pushed Applejack into the emergency room.

All she could do was stand there, watch as her future was being taken away… her love, her purpose for staying alive through all the misery.

"Please wait out here!" a nurse told her holding her back and Dash just tried to rush past her, desperate to be by Applejack's side but she was only held back.

"P-PLEASE SAVE HER!" she begged the ponies, "DON'T LET HER DIE!"

But all she knew… the thing that made it worse than life itself…

Was that she was the one that had caused the snap…

When she caught Applejack that's all she heard.

She had destroyed the only thing that was keeping her ALIVE!

Her love… her heart.

None of it mattered now.

The future. Gone. Her friends. Gone.

Applejack…

Gone.

Hours flew by like minutes as all her former friends… Applejack's family, showed up at the hospital.

The screams, the anger.

But none of it mattered. Only the pony that was lying in the ward, machines attached to her, her body on life support and all the ponies stood there when the news was told in weak words.

Dash shutting her eyes in agony.

"The blood has been cut off from her brain…"

"she miscarried… I'm sorry."

All the ponies looking at the doctor as she said in her lifeless voice, hitting Buckweed what he had done and he just left in tears not staying to hear the last bit-

"She's brain dead."

Leaving this place and never coming back.

Dash felt herself walk backwards… backwards through time as she watched things rewind,

The fall… the pregnancy… the suicide attempt… I love you!… sleeping with a pony she didn't love… the fights and at last the rain fell around her as she stood out in that storm, Applejack ushering her inside her home where everything began that would lead up to this event.

"S-she can't be…" she said with a shaky voice, "SHE CAN'T BE!"

"APPLEJACK!" she yelled as she tried to get past the ponies to the one that lay on the bed lifeless, "TELL THEM YOU'RE ALIVE! STOP PRETENDING!"

Big Mac held her back, Dash trying to rip away from him, her tears running down her face… her life over!

When he let go of her she only fell on Applejack's bed that night… crying as she held the blankets close to her, crying there until all her tears were gone and just screamed, screamed her heart out to the very last.

Days went by… but it didn't go away.

The pain was too much, the agonizing ripping of her chest.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't stand. She couldn't see her lay there in that hospital bed, tubes connected to her… making her breathe… keeping alive a dead body.

This wasn't their destiny… wasn't meant to be.

The future didn't exist anymore,

Nothing did...

XXXX

Twilight stood by Applejack's bed, looking at her… and how the last thing they had talked about was how Applejack was cold to Pinkie.

Seeing that body lie there… no chance for recovery she finally understood what Applejack meant.

And why Pinkie had been selfish.

But there must be a way, there had to be a way to solve this.

She owed her that much… she had to at least try.

She left that room and walked through those empty halls, her life only having one purpose now, to save Applejack's.

She walked down the streets but stopped dead when she saw that pony coming toward her, her mane straight and Twilight just growled.

"Pinkie."

"Hey…" the pink pony replied quietly, afraid to look her in the eye… knowing the whole situation with AJ and how the focus had been put on someone else for a change.

"Don't just say hey." Twilight said quietly, "Do you know what happened?"

"Of course I do…" she said, her eyes growing watery, "But what can I do about it?"

"Huh," Twilight scoffed, and just looked Pinkie dead in the eye,

"You had everyone wrapped up in pain from your suicide attempt… but it didn't matter to you?"

"Why are you talking like this?" Pinkie cried.

"Because YOU had a life but you chose to kill yourself!" Twilight said in so much rage the pink pony looked at her only in tears, "But Applejack… she didn't have a choice."

"Don't you think I KNOW THAT!" Pinkie yelled, her eyes red and wet from crying.

"So why haven't I seen you by her side…?"

Pinkie became silent, only crying weak tears and Twilight just stared at her, but she didn't care how much Pinkie was in pain. Cos' Pinkie had never cared about them.

"See ya," she said with a mutter and walked past her, Pinkie watching her go with no words… knowing now the agony she had caused her friends.

And it was her own doing… that brought upon everything.

She had to see that pony… the one that couldn't talk… couldn't breathe… couldn't live.

And say her goodbye… make amends with the only one that could forgive her.

XXXX

Twilight went through all her books desperately. She read every word, looking through everything for the cure. The miracle that would fix everything but no, it couldn't be found.

She searched and searched, days going by, not eating… not drinking. There had to be fix.

"COME ON!" she yelled, frustrated as she slammed the fiftieth book to the ground… where was it! The answer that would fix this!

She looked to her book shelf and took a breath… she pulled out the book about dark magic. Magic that wasn't meant to be done, that always required a sacrifice… that was forbidden, but what choice did she have.

She opened it up on her book stand and turned the pages till she found one about life.

And the miracle was saw.

She looked at it… this was it.

Life restored to a nearly soulless body… bringing back blood in the veins, air to the lungs.

Restoring what once was.

But then she saw the sacrifice.

Magic

And that it only had a one in two chance.

XXXX

Pinkie stood there before the sleeping body… one of no consciousness and just looked at her, a scared expression on her own face as she whispered.

"Applejack…"

There was no response. Pinkie took a shaky breath and tried to talk but her words just stuttered out.

"It was never m-meant to be you… It was not your time…" she cried in lost tears "I don't know why the heavens did this… b-but if I could, I'd swap our places…" she whispered "because you didn't deserve t-this."

"Applejack." She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You n-never stole Rainbow Dash from me…" smiling as she looked at that sleeping pony

"She was always yours…"

She held her hoof quietly, feeling Applejack's warmth that was the only indication of life… she knew in a few days the plug would be pulled… that this pony would only be a memory.

A happy memory… because she was so much.

"Good bye…" she whispered, letting go of her and walking outside but when she closed Applejack's door she froze, seeing Dash coming down the hall.

All life gone from that blue Pegasus.

"Dash," she said quietly "I'm so sorry-"

"I u-understand…"

She paused, looking into the lifeless eyes and asked weakly,

"What…?"

"I understand why you did it…" Rainbow Dash only said in a voice that wasn't even there "Your w-wish came true… I know your pain."

"Dashie, I'm so sorry," she said in a whimper, trying to console her but Rainbow Dash only pushed by her, going into Applejack's room and stood there looking at the brain dead pony.

Pinkie stopped the door before it shut completely and just listened.

"Applejack…" she heard Rainbow say.

The pegasus stood there, looking over at the pony she loved.

"I never meant for this to happen… but it'll be okay."

Pinkie froze when she heard the next few words, a weak voice… one so hollow, one so empty…

"We'll be together soon."

She ran away quickly, hiding behind the wall as Dash came out, walking slowly out of the hospital. But Pinkie couldn't hide from this… she couldn't let this happen. What was she doing? She ran out to her shouting,

"Rainbow-!"

But the pegasus wasn't there. No… she had to find her.

She ran out of the hospital, yelling to the sky "RAINBOW!"

But Dash was nowhere… SHE HAD TO FIND HER.

Twilight saw the pink pony run away and she only watched her go, walking with fear into that building of death and down the hollow hall, opening Applejack's door and shut her eyes.

Every time she saw that body… her heart literally broke.

But she had to do this.

She stood beside the bed and whispered into the lifeless ear,

"Please come back… please."

As she started to recite the spell quietly,

A choice for the one on the brink of life

A choice that they behold

To come back now from all their strife

Or to simply to let go

And upon this choice a sacrifice

Magic of the unicorn

She closed her eyes, as her horn started to glow… glowing brighter and brighter till the whole room was filled with light, till the hall filled with light, till the hospital shone light through all its windows in a blast.

XXXX

Rainbow Dash had always loved excitement… loved to compete.

She loved the thrill of life… the speed, the rush.

How time always seemed to fly by and she flew with it.

How life had always giving her love and friends.

How she had been happy.

But as she flew higher and higher up in the sky, so high she nearly reached the heavens she just kept seeing what life had taken.

The pony it had taken.

A lover. A partner… a friend.

Her best friend.

Her heart.

A companion, a listener,

A soul mate…

Her soul mate.

But now she chose what was to be taken… what she had power over deciding.

Her life.

And how worthless it was now without that face smiling at her,

Laughing with her.

Kissing her…

And saying those words,

"I love you."

Rainbow Dash reached her final destination, hovering there as she looked down to the distant ground… and how she was going to be meeting it with a bang.

All she had to do was stop flying and fall.

And when she hit the ground all her pain would be gone… and she could be with her.

In bliss.

She closed her wings and fell.

Wind gushed by her, clouds passing by like lightning and all she heard was that voice,

Before I told you about my pregnancy… I was terrified that you may just leave me… but you didn't And you know why? Because the past doesn't matter… only the future.

Hearing her laughter,

We can only get better

Hearing her confession

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!

The ground getting closer and she only felt tears fly from her eyes as she heard her own voice say,

AJ… I can't live without you

And the yell suddenly reached her ears as a voice screamed,

"RAAAAINBOW!"

A voice so familiar and she felt her wings stretch out.

No she couldn't stop this, there was no point.

"PLEASE DON'T DIE!"

She opened both her wings… she was so close but when she heard that terrified voice she only saw herself,

Crying when she saw Pinkie in the hospital and landed on her hoofs softly,

Before falling over in tears.

"W-why?"

Pinkie looked at Dash angrily, tears of fury pouring down her face as she yelled, "WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO DO THIS!"

Rainbow Dash only wept, her heart beating radically as the exhilaration of the fall finally caught up and all the pegasus asked, begged,

"Why did you call my n-name?"

"Dashie..." she said heartbroken "...why?"

"I was nearly with h-her" Rainbow only cried in a stutter, and looked at Pinkie in pain "So why did you call my name?"

"Because I couldn't let you do this… when I never told you where it would take you." Pinkie said in tears, and looked at Rainbow Dash straight in the eyes,

The pegasus only looked at her in sorrow… agony.

"When I was lying there bleeding…" Pinkie whispered to her, that night in her eyes "All I saw when the life left me was,"

Dash looked at her in silence… listening.

"What…"

"Nothing…" Pinkie said quietly, and looked at her with hurt "I saw… nothing… just darkness and you know what I felt?"

The pegasus just watched her in tears.

"Pain…" she whispered "it didn't go away… it just intensified."

Pinkie tried to hold back the tears as she finally told of her experience, "And then I woke up."

"But I won't be waking up."

"It won't take you to her…" Pinkie only whispered, looking at Rainbow Dash silently "And you will lose everything you loved about her… her memory, her laugh… because all you'll have... is nothing."

Rainbow Dash only looked at her, her face in pain, soaked from tears. That couldn't be it… that couldn't be the end of it.

And she cried.

"I don't w-won't her to die…" she wailed, her tears only soaking into the ground, "I DON'T WANT HER TO DIE."

"I know you d-don't," Pinkie said quietly, sitting down beside Dash as she held the weeping pony, "But if the heavens choose to take her… it would be because, she was beautiful."

Dash cried in Pinkie's hoofs, knowing there was nowhere to go now… death not an option… but life an even worse one.

She just cried and cried until all her tears ran out and her body grew numb… until she had to breathe again…

And all she did was sit there in Pinkie's hoofs, her body feeling nothing, her soul dead from trying… until the pink pony whispered.

Knowing there was still one thing that had to be done,

Until it was too late.

"You have to say goodbye."

Rainbow Dash became silent. She looked up at Pinkie with a gulp and saw those loving eyes. She said with a weak voice.

Reality coming back into existence.

"I k-know…"