Apples and Affairs

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

“Hello? Hello!? Anypony there?”

The cyan pegasus pounded fiercely on the strong wooden door with a front hoof, trying to cause as much of a commotion as she could, trying to attract someone to rescue them. While meanwhile, Applejack, sat dejectedly on the cold floor, waiting for her friend to finish,

“Face it, Rainbow.” Said the farmer earth pony, “Nobody’s comin'.'”

“What about your sister? Or your brother or granny?” Rainbow Dash asked, walking back down the steps into the cellar. The day had started innocently enough, with Applejack offering to show Rainbow Dash her apple cellar, which Applejack had built with her own hooves as another place to keep the apples her family sold. Soon it started to see less and less use, and it started to become more of a place where the family kept supplies: Jars for zap apple jam, tankards for cider season, and bottles of hard cider kept in a mini refrigerator that didn’t work.

Applejack was very pleased with how the underground storage space had turned out when she finished it a year ago, but with all the adventures she had been on, plus an unimaginable amount of work, she had forgotten to fix one critical thing about the cellar: The busted door. The door she had used, taken from the barn, was one of those doors with a little button on the side of the handle that you pushed which would lock the door. This door, however, had that button stuck in place, meaning you couldn’t open it from the other side.

AJ knew there was something she had forgotten to tell Rainbow… “Apple Bloom is at their clubhouse on the other side of the orchard, Big Mac is on the other side of the orchard, and Granny won’t hear us, RD.” Applejack said, looking up at the light on the ceiling. The bulb was old and needed to be replaced, she knew from the constant flickering and twitching, “We just gotta wait until he comes to the barn to drop off the apples.”

Rainbow Dash sprawled on the floor, “But that’s going to take forever!” She whined, before coming to her hooves with a determined grin, “On second thought… Maybe we won’t be down here forever…”

Just as Rainbow Dash took off, Applejack grabbed the mare by the tail, holding her tightly, “Woah there, sugar cube.” She said between a mouthful of rainbow tail. Rainbow Dash squirmed, before ultimately giving up, “That door is mighty tough. Ah’ can’t even buck it, believe me, I tried. Ah’ don’t think breaking your hooves will be worth it, partner.”

“Then what are we supposed to do? Just sit here!?” Rainbow shouted, appalled at the very idea of sitting still and doing nothing waiting for rescue.

“Mhm.” Applejack said, tucking her hooves in, “Don’t worry, you’ll survive.”

“Why the hay did you use THAT door anyways?” Rainbow Dash asked, sitting down peacefully next to Applejack.

“‘Ah thought it would be fine. I guess ‘ah didn’t think it through.” She sighed, “This is all my fault, sugarcube. I’m mighty sorry.”

Rainbow Dash flew a brief circle around Applejack, making her smile, “Don’t sweat it, Applejack. You didn’t know.”

“Well… Technically ‘ah did.” She shrugged, “I shouldn’t have been so stupid when I did it. ‘Ah well. Once we get out of here, ‘ah’m tearing the stupid thing down. Let me tell ‘ya something about apples. We never leave our jobs unfinished.”

Rainbow thought for a moment, “What about that apple buck season?”

“That doesn’t count.” Applejack said, ignoring her friend’s smirk, “And technically ‘ah didn’t leave it unfinished, ‘ah just didn’t ask for help. Don’t tell me ‘yer about to pull a friendship lesson on me, Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash laughed, “You know that isn’t my line of expertise. Now, if ya want a lesson on awesomeness, then I’M the one you go to.” She held up a hoof and started wriggling it in midair like she was writing something down, “Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned a very valuable lesson about being awesome.”

Applejack snorted, nudging her with a hoof, unable to keep a grin off of her face, “Oh rainbow… What the hay am I goin’ to do with you?”

“Heh, I really am a hoofful, aren’t I?” Rainbow said, pressing forward, bumping her snout against Applejack’s.

“You sure are, sugarcube…” AJ said, leaning closer toward her winged friend. With Applejack now unguarded, this was the perfect time for Rainbow Dash to pull some regularly scheduled mischief! “Hey!” Applejack reached out in a rage as Rainbow Dash pulled the stetson off of her head and flew to the other side of the cellar.

“Rainbow, you get back here with ‘ma hat!” Applejack snarled.

Rainbow Dash leaped onto an empty table and twirled the hat around a hoof, “What? This hat? You’re going to have to come and get it, AJ!”

“Hmph. Alright then.” Before Rainbow Dash could fly onto another surface, Applejack turned around and kicked her powerful hind leg out, knocking one of the legs clean off. Rainbow Dash yelped, sliding down the table as it fell over. When she was within reach, Applejack simply plucked the hat off of her head, “Thank you kindly~” Applejack said politely.

“Aww… No fair!” Rainbow Dash pouted, crossing her hooves stubbornly.

“Hey, you get your fancy wings over there, us earth ponies gotta have somethin’,” Applejack said, sitting down next to Rainbow Dash once again.

“Eh, forgetaboutit. Flying is twenty percent cooler than being super strong anyways.” Rainbow Dash spread and flapped her wings, creating a soft wind between them for a moment, “That was actually pretty cool… I didn’t know you were strong enough to break stuff. That’s a pretty tough table there.”

“‘Ah think you forget that I’ve been buckin’ apple trees since ‘ah was just an itty bitty filly. Every day when ‘ah got home from school, I’d spend hours buckin’ that old tree outside of the girl’s clubhouse, honing my strength. ‘Ah suppose it paid off, huh?” Rainbow Dash examined the earth pony’s body, not like she needed to again. Rainbow Dash had spent lots of time admiring AJ’s muscular, well-built frame. Working on a farm since she was a filly from dusk till dawn every day did wonders for Applejack… More than flying ever could for Rainbow Dash. It made Rainbow Dash look… Less cool whenever she was with the earth pony, but she didn’t care… too much, “Rainbow?”

“Huh?”

“You were spacin’ out. You alright, sugarcube?” Applejack tilted her head with a look of concern, brushing Rainbow’s mane out of her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry.” She blew her mane out of her face, “I’m just uh… Thinking about… Us. But not in the gross way or anything.”

Applejack’s concern turned to a playful curiosity. The two mares had been dating for a while now, going on about three months, and it was great… But not for Applejack. She worked hard every day to provide for her family and keep her business afloat often with very little help… But she didn’t expect dating Rainbow Dash would require her to perform so much work. It felt like she was the only one who was trying to make what they had work, and oftentimes, with very little degree of success. Being stood up on dates, being abandoned on walks around town when she saw one of her Wonderbolt friends… They rarely even hugged, or showed any affection at all… Soon, Applejack didn’t have the energy to play this game of disappointment anymore, so she stopped scheduling dates or even talking to Rainbow Dash very much. And the worst thing was that Rainbow Dash didn’t even seem to care.

Applejack sighed, thinking of all the romance movies she sometimes watched on the television, the ones that made love look so easy, “‘Ah think we need to talk, Rainbow Dash. Right now, about us.”

Rainbow Dash blinked slowly, swallowing uncomfortably, “Okay… So what about us?”

Rainbow’s gaze caused guilt to well up inside of her, but as the element of honesty, she knew she had to do this. She couldn’t do it anymore, “‘Ah really like you, honest, but ‘ah feel like you ‘ain’t puttin’ much effort into our relationship.”

Rainbow Dash’s expression softened at this, and she shrugged, “I’ve just been busy! Y’know, with weather patrol and training with the wonderbolts…”

“Rainbow, weather patrol takes two hours, tops, and half ‘o that, you spend sleepin’!” Applejack growled, suddenly annoyed, “And you know you get done with practice around the same time ‘ah finish my work for the day.”

“W-Well I have a life too, you know!” Rainbow Dash said, suddenly defensive, “I’m sorry we aren’t doing enough of the cliche marefriend stuff I know you want, but I’m a busy pony!”

“‘Ah just want to do fun things with ‘ya, sugarcube! All ‘ah’ve been doing since ma and pa died is work the farm for eight long years. ‘Ah want to do things besides workin’ my hooves off… And there isn’t anypony I’d want to do it with than you.”

“And we can! Just… Not now.” Rainbow said, thinking, “Or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, or all next week.”

Applejack sighed, realizing she was dancing around the issue herself, “Rainbow, listen. ‘Ah understand if ‘ya don’t want to do those: ‘choice marefriend stuff,’ as you put it, but my point is, ‘ah want there to be more to us. Love takes work, sugarcube, and it takes two ponies to make it work.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her like she just sprouted an extra hoof, “...So what you’re saying is you want to buck more often?”

It was either that statement that AJ was very certain was a joke, or how Rainbow Dash was not taking this very serious conversation very seriously, but that actually made Applejack want to kick her teeth in, “Rainbow Dash, listen!!” She growled, “‘Ah really don’t think ‘ah’m askin’ for much. You know how sometimes when you ask to join me for apple bucking, and how ‘ya leave when we’re halfway done? That’s what you’re doin’ here. You told me you loved me, but aren’t willin’ to put in the effort to be a marefriend. You made your bed, and now you don’t wanna lay in it.”

Rainbow Dash spread her front hooves, “Applejack! You know I love you! I just don’t want to be tied down to one pony all the time, that’s all.”

“And if that’s how ‘ya feel, sugarcube, then I don’t think we’re ever going to work out, you and ‘ah.”

When Rainbow Dash heard Applejack’s stern tone, it dawned on her that she couldn’t play this one off, “AJ…”

“‘Ah know what you do when we’re not together, Rainbow.” Applejack said, walking towards the shelves of empty jars, “‘Ah know you bucked that earth pony stallion, the red one with the griffon tattoo?”

Applejack saw Rainbow dash in the corner of her eye, with a look similar to the face Apple Bloom had made when she nearly burnt down the farm trying to get a firefighting cutie mark. “H-How do you know about that?”

Applejack chuckled, “I meet a lotta nice folks sellin’ my apples, Rainbow Dash. Some who sometimes aren’t able to keep their mouths shut.” She smiled, “Fellow pulled me aside, and asked me if I was dating a ‘Rainbow Dash.’ He told me that you had briefly mentioned that you were in a relationship before y’all did it, but… ‘’Ma marefriend wouldn’t mind if ‘ah slept with you.’ He told me you had said. He felt bad and wanted to apologize. I knew right then and there what was goin’ on.”

Applejack heard Rainbow Dash curse under her breath, “You weren’t supposed to know, I-...” Rainbow Dash fumbled, trying to find the words to try and justify this, “It doesn’t mean I love you any less! It was just one time, I swear!”

She turned around, “‘Ah’m goin’ to give you ten seconds to tell me the truth, Rainbow. Was this the only time it happened?”

“Yes! I- No I-” Rainbow Dash said, sputtering nonsense for a minute before correcting herself, knowing lying would make things worse, not like they could get any better. She sighed, “I may have done Soarin and Spitfire, but that’s it, I swear to Celestia.”

Applejack closed her eyes, counting to ten, the thought of being outside, bucking apple trees and making honest bits keeping tears out of her eyes, “‘Ah see.”

“Wait… You’re not mad?” Rainbow Dash caught up to AJ, who was pacing around the cellar now.

“Mad?” Applejack laughed, “‘Ah don’t think there are words that can do justice to how I feel about it. I trusted you, I trusted that we’d able to have an honest, committed relationship, ‘ah guess not.”

“This doesn’t change anything between us! I thought about you the entire time.” Applejack looked away from Rainbow Dash, she couldn’t stand to look at her cheating face any longer.

“That doesn’t justify it, Rainbow. ‘Ah know some ponies don’t care ‘bout who or what their partners do, but ‘ah do. ‘Ah’m not that kinda pony.” She sighed again, “And you’re wrong, it does change things between us. ‘Ah don’t think we should see each other anymore, Rainbow.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Applejack said, standing in front of her soon-to-be ex-marefriend, “‘Ah don’t think I can be with somepony who’s going to sleep with ponies on the side, or somepony who cannot even stand the thought of being with just one pony.”

Applejack walked up the stairs of the cellar, stopping near the door and bucking it like she did the table. With a soft snap, it came open with hardly any effort on her part, “Huh. Guess this ‘ol door was older than I thought.” She looked back at Rainbow Dash with a shake of her head, “Sorry ‘ah wasted your time. Now if you’ll excuse me, ‘ah got apples to buck.”

And she was gone. Rainbow Dash wanted to chase after her, to beg and plead and apologize for what she did, but Rainbow Dash knew Applejack well enough. When she put her mind to something, it was final, no if ands or buts. Rainbow Dash turned around, noticing the mini refrigerator. Tears formed in her eyes as she saw the small picture on top of it: It was her and Applejack at a rodeo in Applosa, around the time when their relationship was in its heyday. Rainbow Dash took the picture in her hooves, tears falling on the glass as she realized her mistake, and how unbearable things would be without Applejack. Spreading her wings, Rainbow Dash fled for home…

Chapter 2

Today was the day!! Today was the day! Today was the day the Cutie Mark Crusaders would finally earn their cutie marks! Their mission: Go on an adventure! They planned to go to Canterlot, and then to Los Pegasus on hoof. They had the trip all planned out, and had lots of food, water, and convenient excuses for what they were up to if their parents asked.

Scootaloo, who was the one who came up with the idea in the first place, was running through the plan one more time in their clubhouse with her fellow crusaders, pointing to a map of Equestria drawn in crayon on the wall.

“When we get to Canterlot, this is going to be our only chance to restock on food and water, so we need to have lots of bits handy.” Scootaloo said, circling a picture of the distant kingdom, before drawing a line to where Los Pegasus would be, “Then it’s going to be about a five-day walk to Los Pegasus, so during that time, we need to-”

“Wait… ‘Ah’m sorry to interrupt, Scoots, but isn’t Canterlot on the side of a mountain? How are we gonna get up there?”Apple Bloom asked, raising a hoof in question.

Scootaloo nodded like she already had thought of this, “That’s simple. All we gotta do is… Is…” She looked at the map as if she didn’t consider this at all, “Uhh… Canterlot is overrated anyway, let’s go to the Crystal Empire instead!” Scootaloo’s brainstorming was interrupted as she spotted an oddly familiar rainbow mane.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo dropped the crayon she was holding and leaped over her friends to the clubhouse door to greet her idol.

Even with the events that had just transpired, Rainbow Dash was unable to keep a grin off of her face, “Heh, nice to see you too, kid.” She said, ruffling the filly’s mane. Her voice was lacking its usual gusto, and it was obvious she had just been crying. She was still holding the picture frame tight like it was a newborn filly, “I just wanted to tell you that I’m not going to be able to make it to the concert on Friday.”

Scootaloo picked up instantly that something wasn’t right, “What’s wrong?” Scootaloo said, now more worried than disappointed.

“I’m not feeling very well.” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m sorry, kid. Maybe next time.”

Well… She did seem a little under the weather… Scootaloo thought, “Well… Okay. Thanks, Rainbow Dash, please feel better soon.”

Rainbow Dash tried to smile, “I will. Thanks, kid. You three have fun.”

“Bye Rainbow.”

And then she turned and walked off. That was it. No boasting, no arrogant words, no flying around the clubhouse, she didn’t even fly out of the clubhouse, or fly into it, either! “Does anypony feel like she was acting really strange?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Well, maybe she is just sick.” Apple Bloom suggested.

“No, she isn’t.” Scootaloo said, “I know Rainbow Dash like the bottom of my hoof, something’s wrong, it’s much more than just her being sick. I think she needs help going back to her awesome self.”

“Well, we gotta help her!” Apple Bloom said, “Rainbow Dash is our friend, we can’t let her hurt.”

“But what about our adventure?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“That can wait.” Scootaloo said, going back to join the group, “Come on, Cutie Mark Crusader friendship helpers?”

“Cutie Mark Crusader friendship helpers! Yay!!” The fillies declared.
We’re coming, Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo thought, determined, You’ll be back to your old self in no time at all…

Chapter 3

The Griffin’s Gullet.

On the edge of Cloudsdale lay a bar that was a popular destination for ponies out and about at night. Not only did it sell the best brew ‘in all of Equestria,’ but it was also open twenty-four hours! What more could you ask for?

Rainbow Dash was a frequent visitor of this particular bar, coming in every night after practice with the Wonderbolts, often bringing them with her, spending lots of bits on drinks for them all, and getting drunk challenging them to drinking contests. Rainbow Dash was quite popular at this place, being there so often and getting chummy with the other ponies who came by often. Being the first to perform a sonic rainboom helped as well.

When Rainbow Dash started dating Applejack, she started going to the bar less and less, abandoning her fellow Wonderbolts to SOMETIMES spend time with her marefriend. This was the first time Rainbow Dash had been there in a long time. She had a beer in front of her, but in the hour she had been there, she hadn’t taken one sip. Rainbow Dash knew she had to leave soon, otherwise the Wonderbolts would come, and they’d notice her and want to talk to her, and Rainbow Dash didn’t want that. She didn’t want to explain to them how she ruined her relationship. She didn’t need her friends, not to mention her own instructor, to see her so under the weather, especially when this was, after all, all her fault.

She was just about to leave (without paying for her drink once again) when a gust of wind blew into the building as the door opened. Rainbow Dash cringed as she saw five familiar faces fly through in a straight line into the bar. All the patron’s heads turned, and a light cheer began as everypony recognized the wonderbolts, all except for Dash, who gritted her teeth, realizing how much of a mistake coming here was.

“Well well well! If it isn’t the legendary Rainbow Crash!”

Soarin’s voice made Rainbow Dash cringe as the group trotted over to her lonely spot. Now she had done it. She couldn’t leave now and look bad in front of her friends. She bit her tongue, forcing herself to show a somewhat convincing smile, “Hey.”

“Nice to see ‘ya, Crash. It’s been a while.” Said Spitfire, giving Rainbow Dash a little nudge with a wing. Rainbow Dash’s throat tightened as she remembered that night when she and Spitfire bucked. It was about three weeks ago. As an official member of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash was required to take part in a big show at Canterlot, where the princesses would be a part of the audience. The show was a very big hit, and all of the Wonderbolts, including the usually-serious Spitfire, showered Rainbow Dash with kind words and excited phrases. That night, they went to the bar they were at today, and after consuming a lot of alcohol, Rainbow Dash was way too impaired to fly back to Ponyville. So, Spitfire, about as drunk as Rainbow Dash was, offered to fly her home.

One thing led to another, and Spitfire was coming onto Rainbow Dash, offering to ‘congratulate’ Rainbow in a much different way. The following morning, Rainbow awoke with a pounding headache, smelling of shame, and with a mare sleeping next to her. She simply shrugged, figuring that AJ wouldn’t mind what had happened. Boy, was she wrong.

“I thought you had better things to do.” Said Soarin.

“Not today.” Said Rainbow.

“Come on, then,” Soarin said cheerfully, flicking his head as the group disappeared toward their usual spot. With a sigh, Rainbow Dash got up and walked to the table they had sat down around. Rainbow Dash pulled out a stool and sat down, and little by little, she drowned out the noises of the bar. Her friends talking, the smooth jazz playing on a jukebox in the corner, and the smashing of glass as the bartender-in-training fumbled yet another cup.

“Crash?”

Rainbow Dash hardly even heard Spitfire calling to her, remembering her ex-marefriend’s face when she had said those words: “Applejack! You know I love you! I just don’t want to be tied down to one pony all the time, that’s all.”

Why had she said that? Why? Rainbow Dash wasn’t the sharpest knife on the block, but she knew she could have said anything but that. What an idiot she was…

“Rainbow!”

“What!?” Rainbow Dash’s hoof hit the table, and all the Wonderbolts looked up at her with surprise, “U-Uh sorry. What is it?”

“Are you feeling okay?” Spitfire asked suspiciously, “You’re awfully quiet, did something happen?”

She shook her head rapidly, “N-No! I’m just… I think I’m coming down with something.”

Spitfire raised an eye, “I see.” Rainbow Dash gulped. She knew Spitfire didn’t believe her, “You guys go on ahead. I need to speak with our friend Crash here.”

She had heard those words a few times during practice, but oddly enough, it was a lot more scary when she said them when she was off-duty. “Yes, Ma’am.” Rainbow Dash said, unable to refuse. Getting up, Spitfire led Rainbow to the back of the bar towards the restrooms, allowing them to talk in peace.

Spitfire slammed the door behind her and locked it shut, whirling around towards Rainbow Dash, “Alright, Crash. What’s going on? You’re acting real strange.”

Her brain cycled through all of the excuses she had at the ready, but she knew damn well it was no use, Spitfire would see right through her. She sighed, trying to keep tears out of her eyes. She’d rather get kicked off the wonderbolts and cut off her own wings than let Spitfire see her cry, “My marefriend broke up with me.”

Spitfire’s expression softened, unnerving Rainbow Dash, “Oh man. I’m sorry.” She stepped close, wrapping a wing around her. Her breath caught in her throat. Spitfire was hugging her?! Wow… Spitfire stepped away quickly, clearing her throat, going back to her more natural stern expression.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without her, ma’am.” Rainbow Dash said, looking down at the tiled floor.

“You don’t need her, Rainbow Crash. I’m sure there’s someone better out there for you.” Spitfire said, “And you know you don’t need to call me ‘ma’am’ when I’m off-duty.” She smiled.

Rainbow Dash didn’t think there was anyone out there as cool and as awesome as Applejack, but she appreciated the thought all the same, “Thank you.”

“You know…” Spitfire said, creeping back up to Rainbow Dash, her chest brushing up against hers. Rainbow’s eyes widened, “I’ve been thinking about that night for a while now… How would you like to… Have a private flying lesson~?”

Spitfire’s breath tickled her ear as she whispered her sultry words. Spitfire did the same thing last time as well. Unlike last time, when Rainbow Dash felt flustered and excited, she felt nothing but rage. It was Spitfire who made Rainbow Dash think it would be okay to sleep around. If it wasn’t for her, she wouldn’t have thought it would be okay to sleep with Soarin, and then that Earth pony, whatever his name was, without AJ getting mad about it. It was HER fault that Applejack broke up with her, not Rainbow’s!

“NO!!” Tears spilled from her eyes as Rainbow Dash shoved the pegasus away. She was overzealous with her push, knocking Spitfire down on her rump, “I HATE you, Spitfire!! I hate you!! And I quit the Wonderbolts!! I quit I quit I quit!!” Vision blurry from tears, Rainbow Dash unlocked the bathroom door and stomped back out into the bar, attracting the attention of the other ponies.

She passed Soarin, who saw her tear-streaked face and got up, “Rainbow Dash! What happened?”

“Kill yourself, Soarin!” Rainbow Dash roared, spreading her wings and kicking off the ground, flying through the exit just as another couple of pegasi walked in. Rainbow Dash sobbed hard, thinking of Applejack the whole time as she flew back home. When she finally arrived, she landed not right outside her door, but on the roof, curling up in a ball and crying into her belly, her chest rising and falling as she began to hyperventilate.

Applejack… Rainbow Dash thought I’m so sorry… I’ll never do it again, I promise! She thought as hard as she could, hoping maybe some powerful being could turn back time, letting Rainbow Dash have a second chance to try this relationship all over again from the beginning. She would do better this time, she promised! But life didn’t work like that. Life wasn’t some cartoon…

Lifting her head, she saw five pegasi flying around Cloudsdale, no doubt the Wonderbolts in search of her, or maybe it was just her imagination? Forcing herself up, she flew off of the roof and down through an open window to her bedroom to go to sleep. But sleep wouldn’t come that night, not for a long time…

Chapter 4

The following morning Rainbow Dash went to a cafe in Ponyville. She got very little sleep that night, and her weather patrol that day was going to be miserable without some caffeine in her system. Usually, Rainbow Dash never enjoyed drinking the foul, bitter stuff, only relying on it when she absolutely had to. This was one of those days.

Rainbow Dash felt horrible that morning. Applejack breaking up with her coupled with her quitting the Wonderbolts made her irritable and depressed in ways words could not describe. She had ordered an expresso five minutes ago, but it felt like she had been sitting in the cafe booth for five HOURS. She was about to cut her losses and try doing her patrol without the help of the stimulant, but just like last night, she was too slow, and someone came in to greet her before she could leave.

A tray of two coffee cups was slid onto the table, and an orange filly wearing a helmet hopped into the seat in front of her. Rainbow Dash’s frown morphed into a small grin. Finally! A distraction from all this stuff!

“Hey!” Scootaloo greeted, taking off her helmet, shaking her head to fix her mane, and placing her helmet next to her, “I brought you something.”

“Thank Celestia!” Rainbow Dash said, taking the coffee and chugging it down in seconds. The coffee burned her throat, but once it was down her throat, Rainbow Dash felt a little better, but only a little, “Ah… Thanks, kid, I owe ‘ya one.”

“No problem!” Scootaloo said, taking the other coffee and doing the same thing Dash had just done, only to spit an entire mouthful of coffee onto an unsuspecting unicorn walking by, “Bleh! How do adults like this stuff?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Rainbow Dash said, tossing the cup towards the nearby waste bin, and missing by several inches, “So what’s up? Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“School doesn’t start yet!” Said Scootaloo.

“Really? It’s ten in the morning.”

Scootaloo looked away for a second, “Okay, I might have snuck out and I may have been following you, but I have a very good reason to!” She said frantically. Rainbow Dash folded her hooves, listening, “Yesterday you came to us all sad and stuff, and that’s not like you! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are all really worried, but not as worried as I am! I’m your number one fan, and I hate seeing you upset like this! So that’s why I’m here, I want to know why you’re so sad because maybe I can help you, you know?”

Rainbow Dash looked out the window, of course this had to be about what happened that day. She looked back at the filly, who looked so sad at Rainbow’s sadness, even a little scared. She could lie to the filly and say everything was okay, but she didn’t want to do that to the one who loved her like a sister, “Applejack broke up with me.” She confessed, “I wasn’t being a good marefriend.”

Scootaloo’s face seemed to house both sorrow and relief like she was saddened by the news, but glad it wasn’t more serious, “Well that’s dumb! Who wouldn’t want to date Rainbow Dash!? I think this is Applejack’s problem, not yours!”

That remark got a chuckle out of her, “Heh… I make mistakes too, kid. Being me has nothing to do with it.”

“Well, what did you do?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’ll tell ‘ya when you’re older, scoots.” Rainbow said quickly, not ready to get into the finer details with Scootaloo of all ponies, “Still… We’re done, Scoots. We’re through.

“But you still love her, right?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah! More than anything!”

“Then you need to tell her that!” Scootaloo said, “You need to admit that you made a mistake and that you love her very much.”

“As much as I wish I could, that’s not going to work, kid. This isn’t something you can just apologize for.”

Scootaloo pounded her hoof on the table, Rainbow Dash jumped at Scootaloo’s sudden ferocity, “Hey! Enough of that! You’re Rainbow Dash, the coolest pony in Equestria! You never give up, never! And look where you are now, you’re a Wonderbolt, you’re an element of harmony, you even did a sonic rainboom!”

She couldn’t help but smile at her accomplishments, “Technically I did two sonic rainbooms.”

Scootaloo got up on her hind hooves to get closer to her, “You see? You’re so awesome and you know it! If you can do all that awesome stuff, then you can get your marefriend back!” She sat back down, “Can you please try, for me?”

Rainbow Dash thought about what Scootaloo had said. She was the greatest pegasus in Equestria, she did two sonic rainbooms, became a Wonderbolt and an element of harmony, she even appeared in a Daring Doo book! In the blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash forgot all about her sadness. If she could do all of those things, she could make up with Applejack, and if not, then she had an excuse to go back to being sad.

“Heh heh… Alright, kid.” Rainbow Dash said, jumping onto the seat and then onto the table, Grabbing Scootaloo up to join her, “Let’s go get my marefriend back.”

“Yay!!” Scootaloo cheered, rearing onto her hind hooves, then turning her head to her flank to look for a cutie mark, finding nothing, as usual. A relationship-fixer cutie mark would look strange anyway. “I’ll go get my scooter!”

Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered she had a filly who was supposed to be at school next to her, “No, not you. You’re going back to school, I don’t need you getting in trouble for playing hooky.”

“Aww.” Scootaloo groaned.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, “Alright, you can stay with me just a little bit longer. Come on, we just need one more thing: The two things that all mares love…”

***

Rainbow Dash soared back to the Sweet Apple Acres with the speed of a bullet. She knew that Applejack was going to be there at this time of day, that was where the farmer pony was every day, anyway. Armed with new-found confidence, and the two things all mares loved: Flowers and, and a box of chocolates in the shape of a heart, Rainbow Dash was ready to take back her marefriend, and if it didn’t work? Well, she kept the receipt for both of her gifts for a reason.
Spotting Applejack below, Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and dove, extending her front hooves and tilting her head down as she neared the ground. Doing a flip in the air just as she was about to hit the ground, the pegasus landed right behind Applejack, making her jump, her stetson doing a comedic hop in the air as well.
“What in tarnation?!” Applejack shouted, nearly losing the contents of her saddlebag as she spun around, “Oh, it’s you.”
Rainbow Dash started talking before Applejack could walk away, “Brought you a little something.” She said, presenting the flowers and the box of chocolate.
Applejack looked at them with distaste. During her descent, the bouquet of roses Rainbow Dash had lost almost all of their petals. The box of chocolate was almost unharmed, except for the little dent on the box from when Rainbow Dash dropped it. Her gifts were in sorry condition, but it was the thought that counted, right?
“You shouldn’t have.” Applejack said, her tone making Rainbow Dash think if she really should have, “Are ‘ya tryin’ ‘ta win me over with cheap gifts?”
“Maybe?” Rainbow Dash asked nonchalantly, hovering in the air, “So are you done being mad at me?”
Applejack sighed, walking over to the nearest apple tree and bucking it, “Ah’m not mad at ‘ya, sugarcube. Just disappointed. ‘Ah don’t think ‘ah can stress enough that ‘ah trusted you, now ‘ah feel like ‘ah can’t.”
“Well, I wouldn’t trust me either, if I were you.” She said, flying in front of her, blocking her way, “Uh… Are you ever going to forgive me?”
“Not really.” Applejack said, walking past her and bucking the next apple tree, “Are we done?”
She sighed, “Is there anything I can do to fix this?”
“Yes, You can respect that I am no longer interested in bein’ your marefriend.” Applejack said, picking up an apple that didn’t make it into her baskets and tossing it into her saddlebag, “That’s all ‘ya can do, pardner.”
Rainbow Dash took a breath, she didn’t know what she was expecting. This wasn’t some TV show where everything was going to be forgiven and forgotten after a heartfelt apology. Rainbow Dash knew Applejack better than that. Maybe this was how their little thing ended. Taking another breath, Rainbow Dash found it in herself to accept that this was over. But before she walked away, she wanted one more thing… Then she promised she would leave Applejack alone to do whatever she pleased.
“Then uh… Can we still be friends? Please?” Rainbow asked, “I like you, and I don’t want us to be like enemies or whatever.”
She held out a hoof for Applejack to bump. A surefire sign to tell whether or not she would accept her friendship. The whole world seemed to be holding its breath, even the wind rustling the leaves of the apple trees seemed to quiet down momentarily. Applejack smiled and gave Rainbow’s hoof a gentle bump with her own, “Alright, sugarcube.” She smiled. That beautiful, pearly white smile that Rainbow Dash once fell in love with, “Thank you. Ah’ didn’t think you’d let it go that easy. Glad ‘ta see you’re takin’ this whole thing like a mature adult.”
Rainbow Dash thought back to last night at the bar. “Heh heh, you know me.” She hoped Spitfire would accept her apology if she ever had the guts to return to Cloudsdale. “I promise I won’t do something like that again, Applejack.”
Applejack nodded reassuringly, “Ah’m sure you won’t. ‘Ah’m sure you’ll make some stallion or mare real happy someday, Rainbow.”
Rainbow Dash smirked, “You sure you don’t want to be that mare?”
Applejack snorted, “In your dreams, Rainbow. ‘Jus for that, you’re goin’ to help me buck some ‘o my apple trees.”
Oddly enough, even though the sting of the breakup was still there, Rainbow Dash felt a little happier now, knowing she was back to being friends with Applejack. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be, Applejack and Rainbow Dash sticking together as friends and now lovers, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be that way. Maybe Rainbow Dash would be happier with a different mare, or perhaps a stallion, even? Or maybe she could fly solo for a little while?
“Heh, alright then, cowgirl. Let’s see how many baskets you can fill before me!”
“Ha! You’re on, sugarcube!”
Rainbow Dash didn’t know, but for right now, she was happy remaining friends with Applejack…
For now, anyways…

The end…