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

The moon shone brightly into the room that night, Applejack looking through the window as she was held softly in Dash's hoofs… the hill in the distance and she turned her head, looking quietly at the clock seeing it say three thirty.

She took a gulp as she loosened herself from Rainbow's grip and put her hoofs unsteadily on the floor, stepping weakly out of the room and down the stairs.

When she reached the front door, she took a big breath… but she knew she would not be able to try this if Dash woke up… and she wanted to do this by herself.

She opened the door and stepped quietly out, looking to the hill and nodded her head. She began walking with all her might up the slope, her legs killing her from the faster pace than usual.

The moon shone down on her struggling body, hitting against her skin with the dark blue sky of night spreading all around.

She tried to take strong steps but only screamed in the pain… her body aching as she reached the first fifth of the hill, trees shadowing her but she would not give up.

She panted in exhaustion, sweat coming down her body from movement she so rarely was able for but she had to at least try…

And then she fell.

She hit the ground hard, her legs burning from pain, from the force she had exerted to reach the top and she lay there, trying to get up but couldn't.

She couldn't stand, no matter how hard she struggled… but she would never stop struggling until she made it and tried harder and harder to get up.

Her legs shook as she tried so much to stand… her two front legs buckling forward but she ignored it, even pain could be overcome… pain was never going to stop her, it wasn't going to make her ever stop trying! And with one last heave she stood on all fours, panting in exhaustion.

She was shaking with exhilaration, disbelief as she stood on her four legs… lifting herself up by her own strength… and smiled,

As she stared at the hill... and took another step.

XXXXX

Rainbowdash woke up wearily that morning as the alarm chimed from the clock, hitting it sleepily but when she rolled into Applejack she blinked slowly confused as the space beside her was empty and she jumped quickly, looking around the room and shouting,

"Applejack?"

She quickly got on her hoofs, leaving the room and running down stairs, checking the kitchen and sitting room before she turned to the front door,

Seeing in opened and swinging slightly from the wind.

She nearly lost her breath as she ran outside and took to the sky, shouting in fear,

"APPLEJACK!"

Why would she leave the house? What was she thinking and froze in the air as she finally spotted a pony sitting on the hill, flying down to her as fast as lightning and landing beside her in anger yelling,

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

"Rainbow," Applejack said tiredly and Dash just glared furious eyes at her,

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SCARE ME?"

"I did it," AJ only said with a smile, "I did it."

"Did what?" Dash asked still in anger but calmed down a little and only looked at Applejack lost.

"I made it here, by myself…"

Dash slowly began to realize where they were… where Applejack was and looked at her quietly, saying,

"You made it here… on your own?"

"YES!" Applejack only said in glee, "I made it by myself."

"Do you know how terrified I was when I woke up and found you weren't there?" Dash said quietly and Applejack just swallowed adding.

"I had to do this by myself… I know I should've told ya, but do ya know what this means to me?"

Dash looked at her still a bit upset but listened,

"I can gallop one day, run if I keep pushing myself! I can become strong again!"

"I know you can," Dash said, taking a breath in to regain herself and hugged her tight, "I always knew you could."

Applejack smiled in joy, but felt guilty how she wasn't telling the whole truth until Dash let go of her and looked to her legs… seeing them bruised and looked at Applejack in fear,

"AJ, please don't do this if it's hurting you," she said now in tears of worry and Applejack smiled weakly, looking into Dash's eyes as she held her.

"Pain doesn't hurt me, Rainbow…" she said in her honest truth, "Not trying is what will kill me… I have ta keep doing this, I have to keep going even if it hurts."

"Okay," Dash said, afraid of what she was hearing but knowing this is what Applejack wanted, "But tell me whenever you are going to do something like this, I'm serious."

"You can't help me when I struggle but," Applejack told her quietly and Dash pulled a distort look at that news, "Because I know I can do this. Do you know?"

Dash bit her lip awkwardly… she knew in her heart AJ would always be trying to regain control… she knew that she couldn't stop her even if she was in pain because then AJ would simply try without telling her and she nodded her head, but it hurt her always seeing her suffer.

"I know you can… but if it gets too much, stop."

"That's when I hav' to push harder."

"This is a partnership, Applejack." Dash said sternly, "This isn't about you anymore. It's about us. Promise."

AJ only sighed… why couldn't Dash see that the pain was nothing to her, only something she'd have to live with whether she tried or not and nodded her head a little fed up,

"Okay, I'll stop when it's too much."

"Thank you." Dash said glad she was able to have her say and the two looked down the hill to the house in the distance.

Applejack looked at Dash nervous to say but still did,

"I can make it down myself."

"Nope. You've done enough already. I'm flying you."

"No way of convincing ya? How do you get so good at getting your way?" AJ said with a weak fed up smile and Dash just grinned, taking her hoofs as she lifted them both off the ground.

"Well after living with you for so long I know how you work."

"That easy?"

Dash just chuckled landing them a few minutes later back to the farm as the morning finally dawned.

XXXXX

Twilight watched as the Pegasi carriage waited outside with the last of her things before hearing a disgruntled Spike say,

"Twilight, do you really have to go?"

"I do Spike, I just need to get away from this place… if things go alright at Cantelot I'll send for you"

"But no offense, I don't want to stay with Fluttershy." He grumbled annoyed and Twilight just sighed.

"She's the only one that would keep quiet about this, please Spike."

"Yeah, yeah I know…" he said fed up and went to leave the house, "But you better come back soon, remember the wedding's in only two weeks."

"Don't remind me…" Twilight said a little disheartened by that fact… one of the reasons she felt she had to go, knowing the moment she heard that news nothing mattered to her.

For if that news didn't even make her happy,

If being with her friends that night left her feeling nothing,

Then it was really time to move on… time to go home.

When Spike opened the door, he stumbled back startled as there stood Applejack, panting tiredly and he only left hesitant, Twilight looking at Applejack bewildered to see her without Dash and asked puzzled,

"AJ? Did you walk here?"

"Yep…" the orange mare just wheezed in exhaustion as she came in and sat down on the floor in tire, Twilight just looking confused before adding.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"I've been trying to get better… the last few days… I've been walking…"

"You know one in your condition shouldn't be doing this, you look terrible. Your body is shaking, your legs are all green and blue!"

"I came… to ask ya somethin'"

Twilight looked at her confused, quieting so she could hear.

"I know you hav' read everythin' on everythin'" Applejack said as she tried to regain her breath, "And it'd really mean a lot ta me… if you could perform the ceremony."

"What…?" Twilight said in disbelief… "You're not serious, are you?"

Applejack smiled, as she finally regained herself and looked at her with sincere eyes.

"Twilight, you were one of the ponies who opened my eyes… made me see it's not just about me. You were the one that saved me from death and helped me confront what I was doing. And I can't think of any other pony I respect enough to marry me and Rainbow."

"I…" Twilight said… biting her lip as she had to explain, "I can't."

Applejack looked at her confused,

"I'm leaving…"

AJ turned her head to the open door, seeing the carriage waiting outside and replied,

"Is that why those Pegasi are there?"

"Yes."

"Why are ya goin'?" she only asked confused.

"Because my time here is over."

"Your time here with us? Your friends?"

"You don't know how I feel."

"Don't you want to be there for us? The wedding? To see me run again?"

"C'mon AJ, do you really believe that?"

Applejack lost her breath when she heard those words and looked at Twilight hurt,

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm never going to be magic again and you are never going to get better. If you keep denying this all you'll have is anger! Anger that no matter how hard you try, you will never be the same!"

Applejack only stared at her in disbelief… seeing Twilight's rage and she hated that her whole body was killing her from that walk, from every step she took.

But she responded.

"I know you're angry with how things are… I know you are hurting." She looked her dead in the eyes as she added hard "But I'll never stop trying."

"My carriage is waiting for me," Twilight said, ignoring Applejack's words as she went to the door, "I'm sorry… but sometimes it's easier to just move on… sometimes, you have to leave if it's too much."

"Please come to my wedding," Applejack said, "Please don't leave yet."

Twilight sighed… she didn't want to leave on a bad note… but knew her next two words were a lie,

"I'll try."

She left the building and Applejack walked in pain to the door, watching as Twilight got in the carriage and the Pegasi began to rise to the air.

If AJ listened to Twilight's words… if she believed for one second that this was all she would ever be, that this defined her… she knew she would not go on.

Her body had been killing her the last four days since that walk to the hill… the pain nearly becoming unimaginable as she kept on trying, but she couldn't give up.

For she had gotten back something she had lost.

Hope.

And she only hoped Twilight would get hers back too.

XXXXX

Crystal looked at her mail as she scooped it up with her mouth and headed back to her cloud kitchen. She placed it on the table and began looking through the letters but paused when she saw one with the return address and a name saying,

Rainbow Dash

She opened it quickly and looked at the letter… which wasn't a letter at all but an invitation.

A wedding invitation and she read the words quietly as they said,

Applejack and Rainbowdash

cordially invite you to their wedding

On the fifteenth of June

She listened quietly as her husband Solar Flare flew through the front door and she turned to him saying weakly,

"Solar, Dash is getting married."

Solar Flare looked at her a little confused but added unimpressed, "Right, so who's the unlucky colt?"

"Applejack." That name sounding a little too feminine that even when hearing it she knew it was a mare.

"He sounds kinda gay." Solar Flare muttered as he went to get something to eat.

"That's because he's a girl." Crystal said scared and Solar just glared suddenly at the letter, grabbing it off his wife and looking at the words.

"That little brat… she knew this would piss us off!"

"Honey, please… she might love her."

"No, Rainbow Dash is just trying to be a show off, trying to stand out in the crowd like usual!"

"I don't-"

"We'll show her… she wants to marry a bloody mare, than she doesn't want us there."

Crystal remained silent, shaking a little, as Solar Flare flew out of the house in anger and just looked back down at her daughter's wedding invitation.

Not knowing what she should do...