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

The world was safe,

The world was beautiful,

The world was warm,

The world was wonderful.

Rainbowdash opened up her eyes weakly and looked slowly across the bed to the sleeping pony beside her.

She smiled softly, hugging her tight and Applejack just opened her eyes sleepily when she felt the warmth, looking at Rainbowdash slowly.

"Good mornin'" she said with a smile of her own.

"How was your sleep?" Dash asked quietly and AJ just yawned, stretching in the Pegasus's hoofs,

"Oh it was grand."

"You know I dreamt about you last night," Dash said with a grin,

"Not surprising," Applejack replied knowing that was usually Dash's dream.

"I dreamt you were able to run again…"

Applejack became slightly quiet when she heard that… why would Rainbowdash say something like that..? It kind of hurt her.

"Oh…" she replied quietly. Dash saw quickly her partner's eyes dim and said fast,

"I didn't mean it that way,"

"I know…" Applejack said, moving a bit in her hoofs and Dash had to tell her properly what she meant.

"I mean, I think you'll be able to run again one day,"

"You know that's not possible…" Applejack said slowly, sitting up in the bed and Dash only pulled a worried look. Applejack had so little belief that she would ever be strong again, it made her annoyed that she didn't believe her when she told her she could.

"I'm gonna go make some breakfast…" Applejack said back to her, breaking Dash's chain of thought and the Pegasus nodded, watching her leave with slightly unsteady legs and sighed.

Ever since that day when AJ woke from that brain dead stage, her body never seemed to work properly.

It was always very stiff, she wasn't a fast runner anymore and Dash had had to take on her role in the family work.

She was happy with her life, but sometimes she saw Applejack's face when the country pony thought she wasn't looking, and saw slight sadness in her green eyes… it nearly broke her heart.

Applejack reached forward to the apples on the shelf, her hoof shaking a little bit but she got one and brought it down, chewing on it softly with a sigh.

Why did Rainbow have to say she'd be running again… it wasn't fair. She knew her marefriend didn't mean anything by it and was trying to encourage her but she found it hard even doing the smallest of tasks.

Applebloom came down the stairs with a smile and skipped towards her sister.

"Hey, big sis, what's up?"

"Oh nuthin'" Applejack said with a weak smile.

"Nuthin'? If ya say so," Applebloom said with a beam and jumped on the kitchen chair, getting two apples and swallowing them down.

"Hungry?" Applejack asked with a grin.

"Of course, I'm starved, I think lately I've been eating more apples than I've been bucking."

"Well, you are a growin' filly." Applejack said smiling and Applebloom went off with that, her little sister always on the go and it made her happy that she was still alive to see her grow… but sometimes she hated the price it had taken.

There was a knock on the door and she looked over to it confused, walking over to it weakly and opening it but squinted slightly from the pain.

Fluttershy was at the door… the Pegasus often coming over these days to give her company when everyone was at work and she smiled at her friend in greeting.

"Good mornin' Fluttershy,"

"Hey…" she said quietly and looked up at Applejack slowly. The orange pony could sense something was the matter with the way the yellow pony looked and asked,

"Is anythin' the matter?"

"It's Pinkie's birthday today… I'm having her over to my cottage… would you l-like to come?"

Applejack looked at her quietly. She had never even realised that a whole year had gone by and smiled to Fluttershy awkwardly.

"I don't know… I've barely heard anything about her in months…"

"She's doing good…" Fluttershy said nervously, "She's h-happy."

Something in her voice didn't quite convince Applejack.

She really didn't know what to say… she knew Pinkie and her had been on good terms, but over the last four months since she was recovered, she had lost a lot of contact with them, only Fluttershy seeing her sometimes.

"Can I think about it?" she said quietly, "I'm just not sure."

"Of course," Fluttershy said with a shy smile, "She's coming over at six."

"Okay,"

"See you soon," Fluttershy peeped out with a smile and AJ nodded, the meak Pegasus taking flight and she watched her go, her heart dampening.

She walked slowly back into the kitchen and felt hoofs wrap around her in greeting as a voice said warmly,

"Hey."

She smiled weakly, as Dash kissed her and said with a grin.

"You look upset? What's up?"

"That was Fluttershy just at the door,"

"What did she want?"

Applejack looked at her slowly… she really didn't feel like bringing it up but said with a sigh,

"Today's Pinkie's birthday,"

"Oh," Dash said and pulled a smile out of all things "Great, I haven't seen her in a while."

"She's having a small party for her."

"Great… do you wanna go?"

Applejack looked at Dash slowly… this seemed to not nearly affect her as much as herself and said uncertain.

"Sure… I just thought it might be awkward…"

Dash looked at her confused… Pinkie may have done some bad things in the past, but she had a strong bond with her ever since that day when she laid crying in her hoofs… something she had never told Applejack about.

"Oh… I guess it might,"

She saw AJ's strained face and got slightly worried, "If you don't want to go, we don't have to."

"I know…" Applejack said and sighed, "I do wanna go… I just don't know what to say to her,"

"We don't have to stay long," Dash said with a little encouragement and AJ just smiled.

"I know… okay." She said with a braveness and Dash hugged her, kissing her on the cheek before going off to get breakfast and all Applejack did was sigh.

She felt so useless at the moment… everyone was moving forward with their lives but all she did was hold herself back… she missed her friends. The last thing she said to Twilight was thanking her for what she did…four months ago... but now she questioned if living was all that great.

She was just staying in her house, day in day out… with only her family and Dash to give her comfort, she was even more disabled than Grandma Smith.

But she was going to take a step forward today… she was going to see all her friends again after so much time.

She looked at Dash as she ate some hay and smiled… maybe this melancholy would fade that had come upon her the last couple of weeks, maybe she only had to try reach out.

XXXXX

The two arrived at Fluttershy's cottage that night at the appointed time, Applejack watching as the pony taxi galloped off. She hated how she couldn't even make it this small distance on her own.

She felt Dash touch her hoof with a smile and looked at her weakly, smiling back.

"You ready, babe?" her marefriend said and AJ only grinned, Dash rarely called her that.

"Yeah I'm ready hot cheeks," she said with a smirk and they knocked on the door, Fluttershy opening it and smiling largely.

"Oh you t-two came!" she said and led them inside, Dash helping AJ but when they approached the sitting room there sat Pinkie at the small table, looking down at her cake with quiet eyes.

"Hey Pinkie."

The pink pony looked up slowly as she saw Dash and AJ in front of her and just gave a warm smile.

"Hey guys,"

"Long time… no see," AJ said nervously and Pinkie just nodded her head,

"I'm so glad you came."

Dash helped Applejack onto the couch but AJ just pushed away saying, "No, I can do it."

"Kay..?" Dash said slowly and Applejack sat up on the lounge, smiling at Pinkie weakly, Dash going over and giving the pink pony a hug.

"Happy Bday Pinkie,"

"Thanks, Dashie." Pinkie said with a smile and Dash sat down on the couch next to her marefriend, Fluttershy sitting down on the ground to finish off the assembly.

"Is anyone else coming?" Applejack asked nervously and Fluttershy gave a peaceful smile,

"Rarity said she'd pop by for a bit, I'm so glad we're together…"

"Twilight not comin'?" Applejack asked weakly.

"No… she couldn't make it."

"I haven't seen her in so long…" the orange mare said to herself quietly and felt Dash hold her hoof with a smile.

"We'll see her again,"

"I know…" AJ said with a quiet voice, but somehow she never believed her own words.

The four all looked at each other, Pinkie just smiling happy to see her friends, happy to see Dash was happy… happy knowing things were good, that the past could be forgiven.

"So, you two have any plans for the future?" Pinkie said nervously with a big smile.

"Like what?" Dash said in wonder.

"Wedding bells, foals?"

The two went completely silent, the talk of this really something neither of them had ever discussed and Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other awkwardly.

Dash had always been too afraid to mention any of this to Applejack, she had always waited for her to bring it up and looked at her marefriend with a nervous smile.

AJ just smiled awkwardly back at Pinkie and said with a nervous voice,

"In time."

"Oh I know, but you girls must have talked about it?"

The two looked at each again… these questions were difficult and Dash only said, suddenly sad,

"…no."

"Come on Pinkie, let's blow out your candles," Fluttershy said changing the subject and Pinkie only rolled her eyes with a giggle,

"Oh alright."

She gave a big blow and soon small streams of smoke rose from the candle sticks, Fluttershy cutting the cake and handing out pieces to all her friends.

"Thanks," Dash said as she took hers and looked at Applejack nervously. They had been together for a year now… but maybe it was too soon to really be talking about this stuff. She thought about it often though.. but what was she afraid of?

The four ate their cake, Pinkie and Fluttershy laughing and talking and soon Rarity arrived, bringing a present of a new dress and Pinkie just squeaked in glee, trying it on then and there, the ponies admiring her with compliments.

Rarity smiled at her friends, saying to AJ and Dash,

"Hello you two,"

"Hey Rarity," AJ said back kindly.

"You look lovely Applejack," she said with a warm face and the orange mare smiled nervously. Ponies always treated her more carefully since that day, and she said back,

"Thanks Rarity,"

"It's a shame Twilight couldn't come," Fluttershy said sadly and Applejack just looked to the ground… out of everyone, Twilight was the one she really needed to see… ponies had always talked about how she had stayed by her side so much in the hospital, she wondered why the unicorn had just vanished from her life.

The party continued on, the girls making jokes, laughing but soon it grew late and Dash had to leave to get a taxi.

The girls all hugged AJ as she left in weak steps the cottage and soon she found herself back in her farm home, Dash making her some tea before the Pegasus asked with a nervous laugh,

"Crazy night, huh?"

"Oh yeah… it was really sumthin' seeing all our friends again,"

"It was funny what Pinkie said, wasn't it?"

AJ looked up at her confused, "What was that again?"

"About our future plans," Dash said slightly annoyed she couldn't recall… what else would she mean by what Pinkie said.

"Oh yeah…" Applejack said with a awkward smile, "I guess somepony was going to bring it up eventually."

"AJ… do you want to talk about it?" Dash said, coming over with AJ's tea cup and the orange mare just looked off nervous.

"Not tonight…"

Okay, not the answer Dash wanted.

She looked at her a little annoyed,

"Why not?"

"Well we know what we are… why do we hav' ta formalize it?"

She did not expect to hear that… how come Applejack had never spoken of this before?

"I…" Dash said, looking at her marefriend quietly, though now that she looked at her, she wished she could use a different word…

Wife,

"I don't know."

Applejack seemed a little nervous, as she stepped towards Dash and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm goin' to bed," she said with a reassuring smile and Dash just nodded slowly, watching her feeble marefriend struggle to get up those stairs.

It hurt her… she always pictured that after a year together AJ would want this to be put in stone… after everything, all she had said to her, all they were.

Maybe she had to just push them forward like she had done in the beginning.

The beginning where Applejack did not even want to admit her feelings until Dash had given her no choice.

She bit her lip scared at what she had to do.

Propose…

Maybe it was time.