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

A new day came, the sun shining in brightly into the house and AJ just sat in the lounge room, her heart beating weakly, her body sore like always and she only looked outside the window, seeing the bright blue sky clear of clouds and grass so green it could blind.

Granny Smith was away on her rocking chair, knitting some clothing with a cheery face on, as she hummed loudly to herself a song Applejack could only assume was from the old days.

Granny Smith was the one that usually stayed in the house with her, sometimes Fluttershy came over but that was usually only once a week.

She watched her grandma rock back and forth as she knitted some type of clothing but for the life of her she couldn't make out what it was.

"Hey, Granny…" she said softly and Granny Smith looked up at her with a question mark.

"Yes, sugarcube?"

AJ giggled a little, knowing that's where she got the habbit and only sighed,

"Does life ever get any easier the longer it goes?"

"Applejack, it gets ten times better, look at me!" Granny said with a cheer "I'm ninety eight and I'm as fit as a fiddle!"

"Yeah…" AJ said with a smile. She remembered when she was a young filly how Granny Smith used to tell her stories… and ever since coming back from the brink of life, she had started to hear them again as she stayed in the home with her during the day.

But today she had to do something else… today she had to make a re-acquaintance with a friend she hadn't seen in so long.

She sighed… she had only been in Ponyville town a few times in the last few months, she had forgotten nearly how it looked like in her head. She could make out the usual details but today she would see it all again and then see Twilight.

"Granny, could you call for Rainbow dash for me?" she asked weakly and the elderly green mare nodded, walking off in quaky steps to the door but when she reached it her voice yelled so shrill,

"RAINBOW! APPLEJACK WANTS YOU!" AJ blocked her ears from the pain of the scream and Granny Smith just licked her dry lips, coming back to the lounge room and her granddaughter said quietly,

"Thanks,"

"Oh anything for you, dear"

The door opened shortly after with Dash zooming into the house and looked at AJ worried,

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," AJ lied, but Dash wasn't convince, and the orange pony continued weakly, "Could you call me a taxi?"

"Why, where do you need to go?" Dash asked quickly, AJ never left the house.

"I want ta go visit Twilight…"

"Oh," the Pegasus said surprised, she didn't expect that the party last night would have such an affect on her, "Sure, I'll go get one,"

"Thanks," AJ said with a quiet voice and Dash took one last look at her, before flying out of the house to go look for one.

She was so glad Applejack was finally reaching out again to others, she knew once they had their friends back things would get so much better for her. She admired her for how she survived day in day out in that house, knowing herself she would've gone crazy in the first week.

She got the pony taxi ten minutes later and arrived back at her marefriend's home, helping AJ to the cart and sat beside her, but AJ only said,

"Ya don't have ta come,"

Dash looked at her confused, why was AJ so resistant to her so much lately?

"But I want to," she said quietly and her marefriend just looked off to the floor in a weak nod.

Once they arrived to Ponyville, Applejack just looked out into the streets of happy ponies going about their everyday lives and sighed… but she had to see her friend, she couldn't keep up this depression.

They reached the library a few minutes later and Dash helped AJ down, going over to the door and knocking on it.

They stood there for a few seconds, Applejack just getting a little fear in her chest as her heart fluttered faster but the door was opened and there stood Twilight, her face tired and worn but she paused when she saw the two, and said a little surprised.

"Applejack, Rainbow Dash?"

"Hey…" AJ said nervously and Twilight led them in but before Dash stepped in Applejack said to her weakly,

"Can I speak to her for a few minutes alone?"

Dash looked at her slowly confused… why would she exclude her from this when she had come all this way?

She gave a weak smile as she said in fake reassurance,

"Sure…"

"I'll only be a few minutes,"

Twilight looked at Applejack quietly, she did not want to have a big discussion, but she watched as Dash stepped aside, the door being closed but creaked opened just a little bit.

"What do you want AJ?" Twilight asked then and there and the orange mare sat down tiredly, her legs too worn to lift her any longer.

"I just wanted ta see how ya goin'? That's it,"

"Me… well, it could be better…" she replied honestly and AJ just looked to the ground sadly.

"Is it weird, not havin' it anymore?"

"It never stops being weird." Twilight said and walked over to her kettle, turning it on but just felt her eyes water weakly.

"I'm glad you're alive…" she said quietly, not looking at the pony behind her, "But I can't be anything now…"

"What do ya mean?"

"I'm not Celestia's prodigy anymore… I'm not the element of magic… I'm just… a pony."

Applejack became silent, what Twilight had given up to give her back her life… something she only wished sometimes now was never given back.

"Can I just ask you one thing?" Twilight said as she finally turned to look Applejack in the eyes, her own purple ones filled with tears, "Are you happy?"

Applejack looked slowly to the ground, her hoof rolling on the wood and she said in a sad voice,

"I don't know…"

Rainbow Dash felt her heart stop beating when she heard those few words, she had stayed by the door listening…

AJ… wasn't h-happy?

She left in tears, flying so high in the sky so no pony could see her cry. She knew Applejack didn't have the life she remembered, she knew things were so much harder for her… but Applejack had her?

…was she not enough?

"But you chose to come back?" Twilight said confused and AJ nodded barely, "Are you saying you regret it now?"

"I…" AJ said weakly… no one really asking her opinion now that she had the life she had, "I don't know…"

"Please tell me what I did wasn't for nothing?" Twilight asked, as if slightly angry… all she had done so this pony could live and AJ just looked at her… she had to say.

"It wasn't… I know it wasn't… I just miss you all. I want your friendship back, Twilight."

The unicorn took a sigh… she knew she was being too hard on this weak feeble pony, AJ was just confused with how everything turned out and she said with a weak smile,

"I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch… I just… it's nothing,"

"What?" Applejack asked confused.

Twilight looked at her sadly,

"I just thought… as I wasn't an element any longer… our friendship didn't matter anymore."

"You know we weren't friends with you for that reason," Applejack said a little startled to hear this, and Twilight looked off nervously.

"I know…"

The two looked at each other quietly… Twilight's words not seeming sure and AJ just sighed… after everything they had been through… how come she found it harder to talk to that unicorn now than in the beginning?

"Could you get Rainbow?" she asked… feeling like she didn't have the energy to be here any longer… Twilight's hidden anger and pain nearly matching her own… but Twilight was just a pony now… whereas she was an invalid for the rest of her life.

Twilight nodded, and went over to the door shouting,

"Rainbow Dash! Where are you!"

Rainbow Dash heard the call and wiped her eyes weakly… she didn't want to go back… she didn't want to see AJ's unhappy face that just wouldn't change…

But she loved her…

She had to always go back.

Twilight looked as Dash flew down with a shaky smile and heard the unicorn ask confused,

"Are you okay?"

"Me, oh yeah…" she said trying to put on a nonchalant voice and Twilight looked at her unsure, before Dash saw Applejack struggle to come back out and it hurt her heart looking at her forever like this… forever not the pony she used to be.

"Here," Dash said as she helped her back into the pony cart and Applejack just sighed, pushing Dash away before looking down to Twilight.

"Will I see you soon?" she asked the unicorn afraid that all this had been for naught and Twilight smiled weakly,

"Yeah… you'll see me soon."

Applejack smiled hearing that… her friend still wanted her in her life… things could get better again and the cart pulled off, Applejack looking over to Dash who had been quite quiet.

"You okay, hun?" she asked confused. Dash looked over to her weakly, not saying anything at first but when she saw AJ's slightly worried eyes just nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine…"

"Thank you, for comin' with me today."

"It's fine…" Dash said and felt AJ snuggle into her… the warmth of her marefriend all she wished she could concentrate on but what she heard outside the library… it still hurt her… it still made her feel pathetic that even though she tried so hard, her marefriend just seemed to get more and more withdrawn from life.

But yesterday and today were good stepping stones… and once she proposed, she knew AJ would say yes and would be happy… she would give her everything and she would be happy… she knew this would do it.

The next couple of days Rainbow looked through the jewellery shop for rings but none of them meant anything… they were all stupid. She wanted AJ to have something she could wear everyday, to always remind her she was loved and then it hit Dash…

A necklace.

Ponies couldn't wear rings unless they were unicorns… but with a necklace Dash could see it on her everyday… see that AJ was hers for the world to know instantly.

But none of the necklaces would do… they just weren't the ones.

She sighed as she shook her head for the twentieth time and eventually gave up, heading back to the farm but when she arrived in she saw a wrapped up present in the kitchen.

She looked at it confused, more confused when she saw her name on it and called out,

"AJ..?"

"I'm here…" AJ said weakly and she walked slowly into the room, Dash looking at her confused.

"Did you get me this?"

Applejack nodded with a nervous smile, just saying, "Open it."

Dash looked at her a little lost, but complied and her eyes nearly blew open in glee as before her was a ticket to the WonderBolts next show in Canterlot.

"OMG, you didn't?" she said so happy she could explode and Applejack just nodded slowly, "Oh thank you!" Dash said running over and giving her a huge hug, "Thank you, thank you! THANK YOU!"

"That's alright," Applejack said weakly and felt Dash shaking with glee,

"You need the break."

Dash paused when she heard that added sentence, and looked back at the ticket… realising there was only one.

"You only got one?"

Applejack looked off nervous, "I would just hold you back the whole time…"

"AJ," Dash said hurt that she would even think that, "I want you to come with me...?"

"No, it's fine… it's your day, I want you to enjoy it."

Dash didn't understand why she was saying this… did she think she didn't deserve to go and she only said weakly,

"Applejack?"

"I want you to be happy…" Applejack said with a small smile, "I got this for you… a break from the farm,"

This just kept making Dash sadder and sadder… she wanted Applejack to go with her… but she wouldn't… did she think that Dash would have a better time without her?

She saw that country ponie's green eyes look at her with love…but this still didn't make her feel any better and said, not knowing why she would even agree,

"Okay."

She felt AJ kiss her, as the orange pony walked weakly off and Dash just watched her go…

Not afraid anymore of Applejack withdrawing from life.

Afraid she was withdrawing from her…