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

Applejack started off her chores for the day at eleven, a little late if she was to be honest but she had waited up for Big Mac and Applebloom to come back but gave in to impatience and started the work day herself.

Though she was a bit afraid of when the clock struck one as she had to finally have the talk with Rainbow Dash of exactly what they were doing meant.

It all just confused her, it frustrated her that she was feeling this way and that she couldn't talk to anypony else about it.

She was doing her job of picking the bad apples off the ground when she saw in the distance her brother approaching.

"Mornin' Big Mac," she greeted with a cheery smile.

"Mornin…" Big Mac responded and Applejack could hear the sadness in his voice, she looked at him confused, putting an apple in the bucket and taking a trot closer,

"Sumthin' the matter, big brother?"

"Yup…" he said looking her dead in the face and she saw the concern in his eyes "I know you have sumthin' goin' on with that Rainbow Dash,"

Applejack froze stiff… how did he know? Her heart had literally begun drumming in worry as she said hesitantly, "What d'ya mean?"

"I saw you two a couple weeks ago in the' barn… and Applebloom got influence by ya."

"Like how?" Applejack asked nervous.

"Raspberry…" Big Mac said in one simple word and Applejack gulped, "What are ya' doing Applejack? Do ya want to confuse ya'self?"

"We were only messin'" she said fast in a hesitant lie "Applebloom must hav' misunderstood what we were doin'"

"What were ya doin?" Big Mac asked quietly and Applejack just shut up, as he knew everything and lying about something like this never worked out in the end. Big Mac saw the pained look in her eyes and sighed, saying to his sister as brotherly as he could "Maybe you should spend sometime away from that pegasus."

Applejack hated how she felt… she had been trying to do that all this time… but that was a lie to even herself… and with everpony judging her that knew… her own brother, Twilight… was what she was doing so wrong.

"Applejack?" Big Mac asked quietly.

"Yes…" Applejack finally said with a heavy breath, "Yes… I will."

"I guess we best get back to work?" her brother added trying to take the hard news off his sister and she nodded, getting back to picking the rotten apples and keeping her pain to herself.

XXXX

Rainbow Dash flew towards Apple Acres when the appointed time came, but she wanted to make her arrival there sooner. She wanted Applejack to finally admit that they liked each other, she could see it in that earth pony's eyes no matter how much she denied it, honesty always shone through.

She spotted the cowpony working away in the fields and smiled in determination, beginning to descend down in eager and landed right before Applejack, the earth pony looking sullen.

"I'm here!" Rainbow Dash said loudly with a smile and Applejack only nodded, turning to get back to work and Rainbow Dash turned confused, flying before her again "Aren't we gonna talk?"

"What's there to talk about?"

"Well that we should make it official."

"This can never be official." Applejack said angrily, Rainbow Dash looking puzzled.

"Why? Are you ashamed or something?"

Applejack paused for a second… before taking a heavy breath and saying, turning so she wouldn't have to see that Pegasus's face "No… but it's us… Rainbow… how do you think something like this could ever be real?"

Rainbow stilted… what? Again Applejack was hurting feelings and Rainbow Dash couldn't understand why she would be so cruel to her, "Because I like you… and I thought you liked me?"

"Well… I don't"

Rainbow Dash knew that was a straight out lie,

"Stop saying that!"

"You don't want to hear the truth?" Applejack said hard turning and looking at her with tears in her eyes.

"Oh I see the truth." Rainbow Dash said, her dark pink eyes glaring into Applejack's, "You're ashamed of me! Anypony else you would gladly say you were with but because it's me you think its fine to just use and abuse?"

"It ain't like that!" Applejack said quickly in tears.

"Than what is it?" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"Everypony thinks it's wrong, Rainbow we'd be fighting prejudice for the rest of our lives!"

"Why does it matter what other's think?" Rainbow Dash asked confused, her own defence slowly falling, "We'd have our friends to support us, who else matters?"

"My family…" Applejack said with a tear running down her cheek, "I'd lose my family."

Rainbow Dash just stared at her in disbelief… how could Applejack have guilt over what her folks would think? But Rainbow had never been close to her own family… she wouldn't care what her own parents would think, but the Apple family was Applejack's whole world.

"You know," Rainbow said hurt as she began to rise off the ground, "You can love your family and all, but you can't marry them. I wish you'd see that Applejack."

"I wish you'd see that they're everythin' to me." Applejack replied just as hurt, and Rainbow Dash left with nothing more, tears rising in her eyes when she was a good distance away.

Applejack had made her choice, she had made the wrong one… but she would never see that. She would never leave that land or that way of thinking, but she would also never leave Dash's mind. As Dash just went to her house and to her room, crying for the agony that this was not how she wanted things to go.

She wanted Applejack to just love her enough to choose her, to not care about other's opinions. She wanted Applejack to feel the same freedom she had felt when she was with her, instead of always looking around scared for wondering eyes.

She wanted to stay in her room forever… she wanted the sun to disappear for good, for her life to just rewind and take away the night in the Apple house.

She just wanted to stop feeling for that pony.

XXXX

"Rainbow Dash, are you alright?"

The blue Pegasus opened her tired eyes slowly, seeing it was yet another night in the four days her heart had broke. Before her fluttered Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash just sighed, turning over in her bed and asking the hovering pony annoyed.

"What?"

"Well, the girls and I haven't seen you for a while, we were getting worried."

"All the girls?" Dash asked quietly in hate.

"Of course, I-I came to get you for Cheerilee's party."

"I don't know Fluttershy… I'm pretty beat."

Fluttershy looked at her puzzled. Rainbow Dash was never beat.

"Oh… i-if you don't want to that's fine… but we'd really miss you."

"I just…" Rainbow Dash began but when she saw Flutteryshy's puppy dog eyes she felt annoying guilt in her chest "I guess I could come for a few hours."

"That's p-perfect," Fluttershy said with a meak smile and the two began their flight towards ponyville. Fluttershy seemed a little more nervous than usual as she said weakly "The other Pegasi have been saying that you haven't been doing your job lately."

"I just haven't been feeling well."

"Oh why didn't you say so!" Fluttershy said getting worried "Maybe you shouldn't come down to the party if you are feeling sick."

"No… I have to get out and stop thinking about the past."

"Oh… that's good," Fluttershy said slightly confused and the two saw Sugarcube corner, landing at the door and coming in, the ponies inside eating, drinking and laughing. It made Dash feel even worse.

"Hey girls!" Twilight said coming over to them with a smile, "Glad to see you could come."

"Oh, of course," Fluttershy said with a small smile and went with Twilight, the two mingling into the crowd.

Dash stood there, depression still deeply seated in her and she sighed, deciding to go find a small corner and to be left alone.

She did find a sit next to the punch and with one sip she could tell somepony had added alcohol to it. It didn't bother her, as she poured out a cup and drank it anyway, maybe the help of that special chemical would make her feel better, instead of feeling worse.

It wasn't till long that she had nearly drained the punch bowl, and stumbled around happily talking to other ponies, the night becoming more enjoyable and some happiness returning after so much pain.

"And I said, sure you could try! But I already finished it two years ago!" Rainbow Dash said with a roaring laugh and got one in return from the ponies she was with.

"Oh Rainbow Dash, you're such a laugh!" one of the ponies complimented her and Dash laughed confidently back, but paused when she saw that farm horse standing away in the distance,

Applejack.

Of course Applejack would be here, she was part of the group of friends, but all of Rainbow Dash's confidence seemed to vanish as she excused herself and hid among the crowd, peeking through pony gaps at Applejack and what the earth pony was doing.

"Applejack,"

Rainbow ducked as she saw Twilight approach Applejack with a colt.

"This here is Buckweed, he's a country pony just like you that has moved here."

"Nice to meet you Buckweed," Applejack said with a friendly smile.

"Glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Applejack."

Rainbow Dash frowned annoyed… who the heck was this guy.

"Buckweed is looking for some work on a farm," Twilight said helpfully, "So I thought you might be interested."

"Apple farm could always do with more helping hooves." Applejack said happily "But we couldn't pay you much."

"That's the funny thing," Twilight said sneaking in the agenda "He also needs a place to stay."

"Oh…" Applejack said a little taken back from that added information, she looked at Buckweed with an awkward smile "I'd of course have to discuss it with the rest of the Apple family."

"That's fine Miss Applejack, my folks just want me to get experience on other farms, I can understand your hesitancy."

"I'll tell you if we have anything for you tomorrow." She said with a friendly smile and Buckweed gave a gleam back, Twilight looking around as she said,

"I'll let you two get better acquainted, you probably have heaps in common."

Rainbow Dash felt her heart beating ten miles an hour… this young colt could possibly be moving into Appleacres… this young country colt.

Applejack talked to Buckweed for a while more before saying she was going to get a drink and that is where Rainbowdash approached her.

"Hey," she said making AJ jump startled and turned seeing the pegasus behind her. She seemed lost for words, before saying quietly,

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"You thought I'd leave ponyville after that day?" Rainbow Dash said defensively but when she saw Applejack's sorry looking eyes, she gave a small smile, "I can't hate you for long AJ"

"I think we just needed to be away from each other," Dash continued, though she was only saying what she thought Applejack wanted to hear "To think things over."

"I hav' been thinking about things…" Applejack said quietly, "But I thought this was over."

"How could it be? I love you Applejack."

Applejack nearly cringed in hearing that, her eyes tearing up… the first time a pony said that to her and she just looked at Dash in pain,

"But all we do is hurt each other-"

She felt Dash's lips suddenly against hers, kissing her rapidly and Applejack pushed her away in horror, tasting alcohol off her mouth and she looked before her as some ponies had seen and were whispering to each other, silence seeming to fall in the room.

"Rainbow, you drunk fool!" she said panicky and Rainbow Dash looked at her confused, "You can't be kissing everypony like that!"

The ponies gave bewildered looks before some chuckling whispering Dash had had a bit too many and Rainbow Dash just whispered to Applejack.

"I only wanted to show you there is nothing to be afraid of."

"You just don't care," Applejack said angry, "You want everypony to know?"

"Applejack,"

The orange pony just pushed her away in anger, walking away with tears of fury in her eyes as she heard Rainbow shout to her, "AJ!"

Pinkie who was the only one who had seen and heard everything was watching Rainbow Dash alone and her heart sunk fast.

She did not want to see her hurt by anyone.