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

She felt nervous coming to this get together… she really felt so out of place among the girls, all the things she had said in the past, all her actions to avoid since. But Twilight bucked up and put on a smile as Rarity opened the door.

"Twilight dear, it's so good to see you!"

"Yeah… you too," she said back with less enthusiasm and entered the house, following Rarity into her sitting room and seeing Fluttershy sitting down drinking some tea with a shy smile on her face.

"Oh T-twilight!" Fluttershy peeped a little excited, her tea cup jittering in her hoofs "I'm so happy to see y-you!"

"Yeah, I guess we didn't really get the chance to talk recently," Twilight said nervously and came over to the yellow Pegasus, sitting down slightly on edge and the two other ponies just looked at each other a little worried.

"So how are you?" Fluttershy asked quietly,

"I'm fine." Twilight said, she was getting a bit tired of ponies always asking her this, and her always having to lie to these two… but it was clear how she felt, the two girls couldn't ignore the tension that surrounded her.

"Okay," Fluttershy replied nervously with a scared smile and sipped her tea, Rarity calling to attention as the doorbell rang again and she quickly left to answer, leaving the quiet Fluttershy with Twilight.

The door opened and there stood Rainbow Dash and Applejack, bags swung over Dash's side and Rarity took a big sigh out showing them in,

"Come in girls, come in!" she said happily leading them to the lounge and moving some cushions over for a place for Applejack. AJ climbed shaking a bit onto the couch but Dash helped her and Applejack just smiled, saying wamly,

"Thanks,"

Dash smiled back as she sat down too. Applejack looked at Twilight a little nervous… remembering those words the unicorn had told her that had finally helped her realise the truth of her actions. But she also saw the hidden frustration that seethed from the mare and she didn't know in what words she could say… thank you.

"Now girls," Rarity said as she headed for the kitchen to stir the soup that was steaming on the stove, "Applejack and Rainbowdash have something to tell us tonight."

"Yeah," Dash said with a small smile as she looked at the girls, "but not until Pinkie comes,"

Somehow this whole scene seemed so familiar to Twilight, the girls gathering, an announcement to be made… it was only a year ago but she did not like the familiarity and what could come if history was to replay.

The girls all talked for a while, the only ones talking about their general day to day life being Fluttershy and Rarity… the only two that seemed to be living in a state of normality but they fear of lost contact with their friends seemed to seep through their talk.

Finally an interruption came as there was a quiet knock on the door and the girls all grew silent as Rarity led in an uneasy Pinkie Pie.

"Hey everyone," she said nervously and the girls all just welcomed her, Rarity rushing away to check on the dinner and Dash looked at Applejack quietly, asking her the question with her eyes and the orange may smiled, nodding her head.

"Err guys," Rainbowdash said with a smile, "We have something to tell you,"

"Rarity! We're ready!" AJ shouted to the kitchen and the white unicorn hurried in, beaming eagerly as she squeezed between Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Well…," Applejack said, looking at her friends and then looking at Dash who nodded with loving eyes, "We're… we're getting married."

The reaction was different for each pony.

Fluttershy just gleamed,

Rarity gasped.

Twilight only stared at them.

And Pinkie… just looked to the ground, her heart seeming to stop when she heard those words.

"Who proposed?" Rarity just burst out, eager to know who had popped the question and Dash and Applejack just laughed awkwardly.

"Well, I suppose I was the one," Dash said with a little laugh, the first time she did it not going well at all, none of the girls knowing this and the details of the whole proposal not really being gone over.

"I, I am so happy for you!" Fluttershy only squeaked so joyfully, and Dash grinned, opening her bags and adding to Rarity,

"Could you show them the necklaces?"

"Of course!" Rarity said eagerly, levitating the jewellery out and Twilight and Pinkie just stared at them quietly, the necklaces shimmering in the light.

"Oh they're beautiful," Fluttershy said as they sparkled in her eyes… Rarity being mesmerised by the jewels before asking,

"Who's is whose?"

"The gold one is AJ's, the silver one she gave to me," Dash said with so much joy that it spread to the other two mesmerised ponies and Applejack just nodded her head, only looking at Rainbow Dash with warm eyes… a future wedding needing to be mentioned,

"It's in three weeks,"

The girls all paused when she said this, Twilight's face literally looking dumbfounded by this decision and all the purple unicorn asked was,

"Why?"

"We just thought… with everything," AJ said quietly, looking more at Dash than the girls, and the blue Pegasus smiled back at her, "the future being so uncertain, it's better to do it now than in a year when things could be put in our way preventing it."

"Three weeks…?" Pinkie only said quietly to herself… this news not registering fully and she looked at Rainbow Dash and AJ in disbelief… it was all just… too soon,

"I have to go…" she said suddenly, surprising the girls as she quickly got up and Dash looked at her worried,

"What? But Darling you only just got here?" Rarity said confused and Pinkie just smiled with shaky lips.

"I just… have to go," she said and left, Applejack getting off her seat as she tried to follow her weakly, finally reaching outside and seeing Pinkie had already gone into the distance.

"Pinkie!" she yelled in a tired voice, "Please wait a second!"

Pinkie stopped in her step, she couldn't ignore that weak voice and sighed, turning back and looking at the panting pony.

"I'm sorry AJ, but can you see why I had to leave?" she said feeling pathetic and Applejack only looked at her, saying weakly,

"Rainbow told me what you did,"

Pinkie looked at her confused… feeling like she was being accused of something and added,

"What?"

"Stopped her from killing herself…"

The pink pony froze… a moment from so long ago, something she had forgotten and looked at Applejack quietly.

She asked,

"Why are you saying this?"

"I just want ta say… thank you."

"It's alright…" Pinkie said a little nervous. She never thought anyone would know, that no one needed to know. Dash had told Applejack… those two probably shared everything and she only felt like it really was time to go, not wanting to stay for the celebration, it just all… felt too soon.

"I really have to go," she said, taking a step away and Applejack just said.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie... I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"There's nothing to apologize for." Pinkie said with a weak smile, and walked away after that… Applejack watching her go and sighed, coming back inside to the noise and joy of her fiancé and her friends.

Though another pony remained separated from it all... a purple unicorn that felt after that night… she had finally arrived to her decision.

XXXXX

She didn't understand…

Dash had moved on and she could not deny that. That blue Pegasus was happy… her life was becoming whole again, her life going the way it was always meant to go,

Without her.

Pinkie was happy for Dash, she was… yet when she heard those words,

We're getting married

It made her see how little she had moved on with her life.

The less she saw of her, the better… but even though she was in a new relationship with a wonderful unicorn, she still had fear.

A fear that possessed her when she was around Lyra, afraid to let that mare know her completely. Afraid to tell her everything…

And afraid to admit to herself that the last relationship she had been in had made her scared of the new.

She sat on her bed… just thinking of the night of the party where she admitted to Dash that she loved her… an act of passion happening on this very bed… her first time, and her last time since.

She wanted to tell Lyra so much of who she was, how she felt… but the rejection was just something she feared so much.

The last time she told a pony her inner thoughts… leading to so much pain that had nearly made her take her life.

"Pinkie Pie!"

Her ears pricked as she heard Mr Cake call her name and she replied,

"Yes?"

"Lyra's here to see you,"

Her heart literally froze in its beat, as she quickly began to panic, the added words being,

"She's coming up!"

Before she had a second thought her door opened and in came the beautiful aqua coloured pony, looking at her with a shy smile and Pinkie smiled back nervously, a cold sweat running down her back.

"Hey Pinkie," Lyra said with a nervous smile as she stepped in and walked over to the bed, "You forgot to meet up with me for lunch today?"

"Oh you know me," Pinkie said quickly with a laugh, "Forgetful little ole' Pinkie,"

"Are things going okay?" Lyra asked a little afraid as she sat down beside her and Pinkie stiffened at the close proximity "I feel like you've been avoiding me?"

"What? No!" Pinkie quickly answered in defence but when she saw Lyra's warm smile, calmed down a little and just looked to her hoofs nervous of what to say.

"Wow," Lyra said as she looked around her, "I've never been in your room before… it's really cool,"

"It's okay," Pinkie said back quietly, "I know the pink is a little much to take,"

Lyra looked at her confused, examining her quietly and said, "I know something is wrong, you can tell me,"

"Can I?" Pinkie asked scared and Lyra pulled a more confused face. Pinkie sighed,

"I really like you Lyra… but the last time I let someone close to me, it didn't end well."

"But you know me," Lyra said a little upset to hear this, "You know I want to be there for you,"

Pinkie just felt her eyes water a little… she wanted to be close to Lyra, both emotionally and physically but the fear that this could all go terribly wrong scared her… she was just so afraid.

She felt lips press against hers softly, and pushed away weakly from Lyra, looking at her yellow eyes scared.

"I don't want to be hurt Lyra," she said weakly and Lyra just looked at her, replying softly,

"Neither do I,"

Pinkie looked at her confused… as if seeing something in Lyra's eyes that she had not seen before and felt their lips push against each other softly, their mouths joining in heavy heat as they kissed slowly and deeply,

They fell tenderly onto the bed, as they caressed each other gently, Pinkie feeling Lyra's kind and soft nature fill her with a emotion she was afraid to admit,

For admitting it would mean she was open to another feeling,

Hurt, if this didn't work out.

She felt Lyra press her mound against her gently as she rubbed against her in a light passion and Pinkie just pushed her away, rolling out from under her and Lyra just looked at her quietly.

Pinkie sat up on the bed and looked to the ground in tears…

"I'm sorry Lyra," she whispered, afraid to look her in the eyes, "I'm just not ready."

"That's okay," Lyra said as she came beside her and hugged her weakly, "It's okay."

"You make me happy," Pinkie added with a scared voice, and she looked her in the eyes, her own one's shining from tears,

"And that makes me afraid…"

"The only thing that'd make me afraid," Lyra said with a smile as she kissed Pinkie on the cheek, "Is if I wasn't making you happy at all."

Pinkie smiled at her weakly, looking into Lyra's amazing gold eyes… even though she was afraid, every second she was with her, it felt like she was becoming whole again and she hugged her back, whispering,

"Thank you."

XXXXX

AJ found herself always with the task of trying to do the small things… things which other's always did for her.

She was alone in the house, getting a cup for a drink of water but yet like always they were stacked up on the shelf, just out of easy reach.

She looked at them… the sun setting through the window gently and could hear the door open as Big Mac and Rainbowdash came in from the work.

She paused in her unsteady reach, as Rainbow came in the door and stopped when she saw Applejack shaking on three hoofs.

AJ smiled nervous, as she retrieved her hoof from the air saying, "Sorry,"

"No, you can do it…"

She looked at Dash confused… she knew Rainbow didn't like looking at her helpless but seeing those dark pink eyes watch her with assurance, Applejack continued and her legs buckled a little, Dash squinting in fear at the sight.

Applejack grabbed the cup and put it on the counter, catching herself from a near fall by placing her hoof quickly back on the ground and Rainbow Dash just looked at her quietly,

Saying bravely,

"I know you can do these things… I'm just here when you can't."

Applejack smiled at her, feeling like she was loving her a little bit more at that moment and muttered,

"I'm so glad I'm marrying you,"

"Well you are getting the best," Dash said with a wink and headed upstairs, AJ smiling but looked up at the hill in the distance… a feat that still seemed so unimaginable… but today… she was going to imagine.