Lightning Blossom

Chapter 10: Emotional Distress

Rainbow's eyes opened wide as the three Cutie Mark Crusaders gasped, covering their mouths with a hoof. Applejack gave her brother a stern look before walking off, kicking the dirt as she did. She knew that what she said gave him this idea, and she hated it, she was just trying to be nice to Rainbow because she had done a good job. Now she was probably going to become her sister and Applejack hated that thought, being sisters with somepony as lazy as Rainbow Dash. Meanwhile Rainbow's mind was going at a thousand miles per second, and there were probably a thousand tiny rainbooms going off in there too. After some rather quick thinking Rainbow blurted something out.

"NO!" she screamed before running away, pushing Applejack over so that she could get away faster. Rainbow didn't know why she had said that, or why she was crying because of it. She knew that she loved Mac, but to spend her life with him? It was just too much for her to handle without any warning, so she freaked out, leaving Big Mac behind to watch her with the most painful look he could manage without crying on his face. There was an eerie silence as Rainbow ran away, no pony hearing the slightest thing until Mac's hoof fell to the ground with a thud.

"She said no..." Big Mac muttered quietly to himself before he got up and walked away, making Applejack feel as though her own heart was breaking too. Yes, she hated Big Mac and Rainbow for hiding from her, and then not telling her when Rainbow got pregnant, but she couldn't stand to watch her brother get turned down like that, it made her want to rip Rainbow's heart out like she had just done to him. With a short look to the Crusaders to tell them to go somewhere else Applejack ran off, chasing after Rainbow.

"Rainbow?!" Applejack shouted as she caught a glimpse of Rainbow's tale slipping around a tree, "RAINBOW!" With a surprising amount of effort Applejack was able to catch up to Rainbow, who had stopped to lean against a tree to try and catch her breath.

"What. Do. You. Want?" Rainbow panted, her voice sounding hoarse from running as fast as she did. Despite how fit she was something about this just exhausted her, making the run she just had almost make her pass out. Applejack was okay until she stopped running, suddenly being hit with a wave of exhaustion as well. After they both caught their breath they began to really talk.

"Why did you do that to my brother Rainbow?" Applejack asked, staring Rainbow down to see if she was going to try and avoid the question somehow, "I know I don't like that you two hid it from me, but you just tore out his heart and threw it back in his face" Rainbow's face softened for a moment as she thought about it but it quickly changed to an angry frown.

"Why are you trying to give ME a lecture?!" Rainbow shouted back, making Applejack lean back out of surprise, "If it wasn't for you being so stuck up and stupid me and Mac wouldn't have argued! I wouldn't have lost my wings!" Applejack looked at Rainbow with anger in her eyes but it changed to regret as she thought about what her actions caused. Not only did Rainbow lose her wings because of her, but Big Mac and her had been fighting ever since. It was tearing the Apple family apart and she knew it, but her own stubbornness didn't let her see it before.

"I don't know what came over me Rainbow, I was just upset that you guys hid your relationship from me, and then I started to say things I didn't really mean..." Applejack said sadly as she leaned against a tree, sliding the entire way down into the mud, "I didn't mean to cause any of this to happen..." After a few moments of silence Applejack began to sob, making Rainbow look at her with pity. Big Mac had wanted to tell Applejack about the relationship, but Rainbow made him keep it a secret, thinking it was going to make things bad for her. Rainbow was just being selfish, and now it's hurt everypony she cared about...

"I'm sorry Applejack, I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you..." Rainbow said sadly as she laid next to Applejack, putting a hoof around her neck, "It's all my fault, not yours" Applejack and Rainbow looked at each other sadly before they both looked at the ground, both of them feeling guilty and ashamed of what they did.

"I should be getting back to the farm, I bet Big Mac's ripping his heart out right about now" Applejack said sadly after a few minutes of silence, her mind having wandered off to thinking about what just happened. Rainbow seemed to tense up for a moment before pulling her hoof back from AJ's neck, allowing her to get up. Applejack gave Rainbow a sad look before turning to head back, but when she started to walk away she heard Rainbow get up out of the mud with a wet pop.

"I'm coming with you" Rainbow said, her voice sounding sad, yet determined. Applejack continued to walk forwards with a small smile on her face, which Rainbow couldn't see. As they neared the edge of the tree line Applejack and Rainbow quickly shook the mud off themselves before stepping onto the farm, the evening sun bearing down on them.

"We were in there THAT long?" Rainbow asked as she looked up at the sun, shielding her eyes with her hoof. While she looked up at the sun Applejack froze with horror before stepping backwards, running her flank into Rainbow's face.

"Hey, watch i-" Rainbow started to say, before she saw the same thing Applejack had. Granny Smith was slowly coming towards them, a cane resting on her walker. Rainbow knew what that cane was, and she was terrified, from what Big Mac had told her, Granny only takes out "The Cane" when somepony is about to get taught a lesson.

"RUN!" Applejack shouted as she turned to run along the treeline, with Rainbow soon joining her. Meanwhile Granny was laughing, having not been angry at the two of them, but had just felt like playing a small joke on them.