D-I-V-O-R-C-E

by SanityLost

Confrontation

She had to keep moving, she had to keep doing something. An orange earth pony rushed back and forth from a cutting board, to a pot of boiling water on a white stove. She quickly took a cutting knife in her mouth and diced vegetables at a speed that would have made the Wonderbolts proud. When she was done dicing, she placed them in the pot, barely registering the splash they made when entering the bubbling, red tinged liquid. Without noticing, she cut up three apples and placed them into the pot as well.

"Shoot, that ain't gonna taste very good. Applejack, your wagon ain't runnin' on all four wheels today." She scolded herself when she saw cut apples bobbing in the stew. She didn't dwell on it, she had to keep moving so she wouldn't think. The earth pony quickly ran to a cupboard in her modest kitchen and took out a stack of three plates, retrieved two knives and a fork, and walked into the next room. Her green eyes focused on a round table in the center of the large, barren room. Each plate was quickly placed in front of a chair with a clang.

The table was round and made from mahogany wood that had been scuffed, chipped, and stained. In the center was a red enamel heart, on which was painted a rainbow colored lightning bolt falling from a cloud, streaking across three apples stacked in a pyramid. The enamel was scratched in places and there was a hairline crack at the bottom. The table was a wedding gift she and her wife received from her friends four years ago. It was funny how time took its toll on things.

She straightened the brown Stetson hat on her head. No time to think, she had things to do. She rushed into the kitchen, her blond mane and tail flying behind her, and looked around. The food was on the boil, there were plates and utensils on the table...That was it, that was all that had to be done. No, there had to be more work, there just had to be. Maybe she could sweep the floors again, boy those floors sure stayed dirty, or dust the counters, she had only done that twice today. Maybe she could go out into the fields for some more apple bucking. Sure it was dark, but it would keep her busy. She had to stay busy, she demanded that she stay busy.

She manically strode into the next room, and her green eyes fell across the scuffed enamel heart. Thoughts began to flood her mind. She gritted her teeth and frantically looked around the large room for something to do. There was nothing in this room, except for the table and three chairs sitting around it. They were supposed to put more things in here when they first got married.

The world around her started to blur. She blinked away tears and ran into the kitchen. There had to be something to do. Something surely had to be done. This was a huge house, surely something needed to be done. She had already straightened the pots and pans hanging on the wall four times, maybe the blinds needed another dusting...there had to be something...something to keep her from thinking...

Applejack's rump thumped against the floor. Reality coursed through the grooves of her brain and viciously stung anything in its path. Her face screwed up and her green eyes glistened. She pulled her stetson over her eyes, the darkness being only a slight reprieve from the frigid world. She dug her fore hooves into the wooden floor and sniffed hard.

After a few seconds, she heard light hoof steps coming behind her. Registering them as those from a foal, she pushed her stetson back and quickly wiped her eyes with a hoof. She straitened out her blond mane, and looked toward the left entrance of the kitchen.

A small, red pegasus filly with an orange mane walked toward her on unsteady hooves. Her wings were pressed firmly to her sides. "Mommy AJ, where did my Fleetfoot doll go?"

Applejack cleared her throat, "Ah don' know sugar cube, where'd ya put it last?"

The little filly slowly waddled up to her mother, who was nearly three times her size. She reached out with a shaky hoof and looked up at the orange pony with large blue eyes. Taking the hint, Applejack knelt down so her daughter could climb onto her shoulders.

Applejack heaved a gusty sigh, "I thought you were havin' a tea party with him a coupl' hours ago."

"Yeah, but after that, me an' Fleetfoot went on an adventure to slay a dragon. That's when he was lost."

Applejack chewed on her cheek. By Celestia, not now, she didn't want to deal with this. "Reddawn Apple-Dash, what did I tell you about keeping track of yer toys?"

"You said be careful with my dolls or I'd lose 'em."

"Yes, and did you listen?"

Reddawn's eyes began to water, her voice was a soft whimper "I'm sorry mommy, I'm sorry. I jus' wanted to play with Fleetfoot, I didn' know I'd lose 'em."

Her daughter's voice tightly constricted her heart, she cleared her throat and looked back at the filly,her agitation subsiding. "I'm sorry Reddawn, mommy is jus' havin' a hard day. I'll help ya find yer doll after dinner, okay?"

Reddawn tightly wrapped her hooves around her mothers back, tears rolling down her closed eyes, "Thank you, mommy! I'm sorry I lost it."

Applejack couldn't help but smile. Reddawn's mothers were two of the toughest mares in Ponyville, and were expected to rear up their adopted daughter to be the same way. Irony would strike when both her and Dash realized that their daughter was sensitive like their friend Fluttershy. "Oh, now don' you think nothin' of it little filly. Your mamma Applejack loses things all the time. Jus' be more careful next time. You in the mood for a bronco ride?"

The little filly grabbed her mother's mane and nodded. In response, Applejack reared up and with a "Yeehaw," began to lightly buck like a rodeo bronco.

Her daughter giggled, body twisting left and right, while her mother bucked. After a few minutes both mother and daughter were laughing. "Why don' you run along an' play, mommy AJ needs to finish makin' supper."

Applejack knelt down, and with a hug, Reddawn slipped off of her mother's back and waddled down the hallway that led toward her bedroom.

Warmth flooded through the orange mare, the pain in her chest was gone. Rainbow Dash and she had adopted Reddawn when the pegasus was a foal, a little after they decided to get married. It was funny, watching Rainbow Dash and herself learn how to change a diaper, make formula, put their foal to bed...a flood of happy memories came back to her, memories that she quickly tried to repress.

As quickly as the sadness had left her, it returned. A hard weight pressed down on her chest. She walked over to the stove and turned off of the burner, removing the pot with her fore hooves, performing a delicate balancing act as she walked on two legs to get the pot onto the table in the dining room. Rainbow Dash used to help her do these things, but lately she'd been doing them on her own.

She teetered and tottered, but she made it to the table without spilling a drop. That is when she noticed that, in her earlier rush, she had placed plates, forks, and knives on the table, instead of bowls and spoons. She sighed and pressed a fore hoof against her head. She promised herself that it would be okay, and life would still be the same. But it wouldn't be. Dash wasn't even gone yet, and she was still acting like a crazy varmint.

She gritted her teeth and fought back another gush of tears when she heard the front door slam. From the dining room, she saw her daughter excitedly bound from the kitchen toward the source of the noise. "Mommy Dashie!" Her daughter exclaimed.

"How are ya doin' squirt?" Applejack heard her wife's upbeat, rugged, tomboyish voice that used to make her heart melt.
"I'm awesome mommy! Me an' Fleetfoot had an adventure, and was slayin' a dragon."

"Oh my gosh, that's so cool!"

"But Fleetfoot got lost while we were adventurin'..." Applejack noticed the strain in her daughter's voice.

"Well don't worry, either me or mommy AJ will find it! Where's your mommy AJ?"

"In the dinin' room."

The orange pony watched her daughter bound through the kitchen and disappeared from view. A few seconds later, the cyan pegasus with rose colored eyes appeared, and leaned against the dining room entryway, "'lo AJ." The pony's voice was heavy with fatigue.

Applejack noticed that Rainbow Dash's face was a little long, and her wings drooped at her sides. The earth pony took a very deep breath and swallowed her agony. She remembered that she was a strong pony, and she had to stay strong, especially right now. "Another rough practice?"

The pagasus gave a slow bob of her head, "You have no idea. I had to do the updraft trotting barrel roll eight times today...eight! It was insane! I told Fleetfoot that I had it down perfect, but she wasn't convinced. I had to keep doing it until it was 'pin-point perfect.' I swear, that mare is never happy."

Applejack looked at the ground and counted slowly with her hoof. "So when does your next tour start?"

"The Wonderbolts go on tour next week, but we have to hit the road sooner. So...in a couple of days."

"Then you'll be gone?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, I'll be gone."

The two of them looked at each other quietly, trying to think of something to say. Silence buzzed around the room.
After a long moment, the Applejack finally spoke, "Ah made vegetable stew fer dinner."

Rainbow Dash sighed, "Again? We had stew yesterday, and the day before."

"Well, we have a lot o' vegetables in the cellar, and Ah wanted to use 'em."

"Couldn't you think of something else, though?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, like...celery burgers, or something. Anything else, but stew."

"Ah ain't heard o' no such thing as celery burgers, is that some fancy food you Wonderbolts eat?"

"No, I was just made that up, but you coulda been more creative. Anyway, what's in it? There aren't any apples, are there?"

Applejack looked to the side in contemplation, "Yeah, I think there are apples. Ah can't rightly remember what Ah put in there."

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Not again, apples make your stew taste like crap."

"Well if you were here, maybe Ah coulda known what you wanted me to put in it." A flare rose in Applejack's voice.

"We aren't gonna do this again, are we?" The cyan pegasus let out an exasperated sigh, "We've talked about me not being here to death, doesn't it get old after a while? Anyway, I told you the last time, I hate it when you put apples in stew. It would help if you listened."

Applejack spoke through gritted teeth, "Ah don' know Dashie, did what we have get old? Oh an' Ah do listen, Ah listen real good."

"No you don't, otherwise you would've heard me when I said I hate it when you put apples in the stew."

"Maybe Ah didn't hear that, but Ah hear our daughter cryin' at night cause momma Dashie ain't here. Last two nights she's been bawlin' her eyes out cause you weren't here to read stories to her before bed."

"I told you what it was going to be like when I joined the Wonderbolts all those years ago. I told you that I'd be out of the house a lot. It wasn't a problem then, but it is now?"

"I didn't think you'd be joinin' them so soon after we got married."

"I told you before we got married that there was a chance I might get invited to join. It was a little chance, but there was still a chance. Remember that letter Fleetfoot wrote me?"

"Yeah, it said there wasn't much hope o' you joinin' soon. She said you was too young, and they weren't lookin' for any new members. That's why we decided to go ahead, get hitched, and adopt Reddawn."

"Strange things happen. We talked about it back then, and you said it was fine." Rainbow stated flatly.

Applejack sighed, "Yeah, but the lengths o' your tours are gettin' longer. I've gotten used to getting along without you, but Reddawn ain't. She misses her mamma Dashie."

"We explained it all to her."

"Dashie, she's four," Applejack's green eyes bore hard into the other pony. "All she understands, is that one o' her mammas ain't here, and she wants her here."

"My parents weren't always there for me, but I made it okay." Dash puffed out her chest.

"Reddawn ain't you either, and this ain't about your parents, this is about us and her."

Rainbow Dash frowned. Reddawn wasn't her. She was a sensitive filly, not strong and bold like her mothers, even though she tried to be. "Well, the point is moot. We've talked this to death, there's nothing I can do now. Oh, we got the letter today." She retrieved several pieces of parchment, neatly folded into thirds, from a small brown satchel on her back."

Applejack took the parchment in her mouth, and trotted over to a chair at the table and unfolded it. The papers were from their lawyer. The country pony couldn't wrap her head around the legal mumbo jumbo that was spelled out on the pages, but she saw one word on just about every page she did understand. Divorce.

Rainbow Dash took a seat opposite her wife, and looked down at the papers on the table, "Well...there they are."
Applejack sighed and looked over each sheet of paper again. Each time she saw the word "divorce," an icy stab jabbed her heart. "So this is it huh?..."

"Yeah..."

There was more silence as they both stared at the enamel heart in the center of the table. This time, the silence was broken by pattering of little hooves on the wood in the kitchen. They both turned to see their daughter looking up at them, "Mommy AJ, Mommy Dashie, can you help me find my Fleetfoot doll?"

A large smile erupted on Dash's face, "Sure we can squirt, but first your Mommy AJ and I need to have a little talk, okay?"

The little filly smiled and nodded enthusiastically, and then moved back into the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the plates on the table, "So, are we gonna be having soup on a plate?"

Applejack fought to put a smirk on her face, "Yeah, Ah thought we'd try the Mediterrstallion way to eat stew this time."

"Do the Mediterrstallions use forks, too?" Dash nodded toward the utensil by the plate nearest to her.

"And knives," Applejack nodded to the knife by the plate in front of her, "Ah read it makes things more interestin'"

Rainbow Dash tried to smile, but the muscles in her cheeks felt too heavy. Both mares turned their attention back to the stack of papers. "So when does the," Applejack turned her head toward the kitchen and saw that her daughter was hopping up and down, playing some game by the refrigerator, "D-I-V-O-R-C-E become final?"

Rainbow's eyes darted to the kitchen where their daughter played, and she understood why the word had been spelled out, "two days."

"How ironic, that's exactly when you leave."

"Yeah, I didn't plan it that way, that's just kind of how it happened."

Applejack cleared her throat, "So...how's this gonna work?"

"You get everything, the house, my part of the farm, my record collection, my totally awesome Daring Do books, my Wonderbolt doll collection...everything. All of the bits we have in the bank are yours too, and I'll be sending you some money. Reddawn will be taken care of. Everything will be like it was."

"Almost like it was."

Rainbow Dash sighed, "You know what I mean."

Applejack pushed her Stetson over her eyes, "What about C-U-S-T-O-D-Y?"

"You have full cus...uh C-U-S-T-O-D-Y. AJ, would ya relax, I said I took care of everything. Remember when we got married, I told you I'd never leave ya hangin'."

"You also promised we'd stay together 'till death do us part." Applejack's voice was a quivering.

Rainbow Dash's brow furrowed, "Well, we didn't know then what we know now, did we?"

"Ah knew Ah loved you, you said you loved me..."

"I do love you, I still do. I love both of the most important fillies in my life," Dash referenced Applejack and Reddawn, "but life is taking us in two different directions. I can't help that."

"You could always help that Dashie, you're the one in control of your life, not the Wonderbolts."

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, "Um...I'm aware of that."

Applejack pushed back her hat and looked directly into her wife's eyes, Rainbow saw the moistness on her wife's cheeks. "Then how come you keep sayin' you don't have a choice? How come you keep sayin' that you can't control how many days you can spend with your family?"

"I can't control the number of days I spend with my family. Look, I'm a Wonderbolt. If I want to stay a Wonderbolt, I have to go to performances, appearances, charity auctions, or whatever else they schedule us for. I have important obligations that I have to keep, I guess you didn't understand that when you started talking about a div...um D-I-V-O-R-C-E."

"Obligations that are more important than your family?"

Dash ground her teeth, then leaned in and whispered harshly, "Look, don't try to turn this into that. You know I don't mean it that way. I told you I love you and Reddawn more than anything. I'm doing this for both you and her."

"Dashie, you lie to your friends, and I'll lie to mine, but let's not lie to each other. We're married for Celestia's sake. You're a Wonderbolt 'cause you want to be a Wonderbolt, you aren't doin' it for anyone else."

"I am doing this for you and Reddawn. Do you know how much I'll be making this year? Thirty times what this farm brings in, which is twice as much as I made when I started."

"So the Apple farm doesn't make enough for the great and mighty Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "By Celestia, why are you making this so difficult? This isn't about anything being good enough for me, it's about you and Reddawn. I want you two to have a good life. I want Reddawn to have the life I never got to have as a filly."

Applejack huffed, "But she could have a good life, even if you weren't a Wonderbolt. We made enough, even before you joined that fancy flyin' troupe."

A dark cloud came over Rainbow Dash's features, "They aren't just a fancy flying troupe, they are the best fliers in Equestria. AJ, the farm fell on hard times before I joined the Wonderbolts. You and your family were just scraping by. You had been for several years. I didn't want that kind of life for my filly, I wanted my filly to have the best of everything."

"So even mah way of life isn't good enough for you anymore, is it?"

"I'm not saying that."

"That's what it sounds like to me."

Rainbow Dash held up a hoof, "Woah, quit trying to put words in my mouth."

"I'm not putting words in your mouth, I'm just readin' between the lines."

"AJ, I know that this D-I-V-O-R-C-E has made you upset, but we gotta be grown mares about this. Look, I've told you time and time again, I don't think your lifestyle is below me, okay? Things between us kind of started falling apart when I joined the Wonderbolts, but I was perfectly happy to stay married. Remember, it was you who suggested we get this D-I-V-O-R-C-E in the first place."

"Mommy, what's D-I-V-O-R-C-E?" Both mares looked down to see their filly looking up at them with large blue eyes.

Both mares fumbled with their words before the cyan pony smiled and said, "Oh um...it's a surprise."

The little filly gasped, "Really?"

Applejack brought a faux smile on her face, "Yep, it sure is. But a certain little filly ain't gonna get that surprise if she don't let adults do their talkin'."

"Uhm...okay! But, what is C-U-S-T-O-D-Y?"

Both mares looked at each other before AJ spoke again, "Does that certain little filly want a surprise?"

The little girl nodded ecstatically, "Yes mommy AJ, I want D-I-V-O-R-C-E!"

Both mares cringed, "Then get going squirt, so we can finish talking," the smile on Dash's face was visibly pained.
"Yes Mommy Dashie," the little filly bounded out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her, down the hall where the bedrooms were.

After the filly had disappeared, Rainbow Dash's eyes became level with her wife's, "I don't see why we have to go through with all of this. I mean, seriously, D-I-V-O-R-C-E is just a little bit extreme. Couldn't we just separate for a bit and see if things cool off between us?"

"Ah told you that wouldn't work, because the fact remains. You wouldn't be around, and Reddawn needs you around."
"I'll be around, just not as often."

"Rainbow, you'll be around about 30 days of each year, for the next three years. That ain't hardly any time to spend with your daughter."

"Well, it's what I have to work with."

"That's just it Dashie, you're wrong, you have more to work with. The contract ain't finalized yet. You can just tell them you ain't going."

"Why would I do that?"

"By Celestia girl, please tell me you've been listenin' to me."

"Yeah, I've been hearing you, and all I hear is a bunch of selfish whining."

Applejack's jaw dropped, "How dare you call me selfish! When you..."

"...are just trying to do what's best for my family?" Rainbow Dash hardened her gaze, "How many times do I have to tell you, I'm doing this for Reddawn. Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E aside, I'm trying to make enough so that Reddawn won't have to worry. The only reason you are upset is because I won't be around for YOU, not Reddawn."

"Don't you dare try to turn this around on me, I'm not the one being selfish here."

Rainbow Dash smirked. "Oh really? Three weeks ago, you were whining about how much you missed making love to me. You know, it wouldn't surprise me if you were just upset because you were pent up and didn't get to taste enough of the Rainbow."

Applejack's ears flushed red beneath her fur. She pressed down hard on the table with her fore hooves, and responded in a low growl, "Ah can't believe you'd be that petty. But no Dashie, that ain't the reason. If you really want to know though, I recall tastin' the Rainbow that very night, and it fell a little short o' my expectations. You're too fast in more places than just the air, sugar cube."

Fires were lit in Rainbow Dash's eyes, she felt several insults form on her lips, but she bit them back, "If I'm not good, then why are you making such a big fuss about wanting me around?"

"Because your daughter loves you to death," Applejack looked down at the table, "and so do I."

Rainbow Dash rested her chin on a hoof, "Then, if you love me so much, why are we getting this divor...ugh D-I-V-O-R-C-E?"

"Rainbow Dash," Applejack shook her head, "do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Please do, we seem to be spelling everything else out."

Applejack looked up, her eyebrows were sewn together. Her voice was laced in venom, "We are getting this D-I-V-O-R-C-E because you are a S-E-L-F-I-S-H B-I-T-C-H."

Rainbow dash quickly flapped her wings and was on the other side of the table in an instant leaving a small rainbow colored trail behind her. She hovered in the air, staring down at Applejack. "Oh, so I'm being selfish? How?" spittle flew from her gritted teeth.

"You and Ah both know you are doing this because you like the spotlight. You love it when the crowd is screamin' your name, you love bein' the star member of that little group o' yours."

"Yeah, I'm the star of the show. I've been told as much, it comes with the territory. But they pay me to be the best I can be, so I'm gonna be the best. It'd be unfair if I didn't give 'em a big rainbow powered bang for their bits."

"Careful Dashie, your head is gettin' so big it's gonna crowd me out of the room."

"Look Buckaroo Jane, I got a right to talk the talk, because I walk the walk. Anyway, if it wasn't for my killer moves, you wouldn't be able to stay on the farm and play cowpony, while I'm up in the air earning the bread."

Applejack quickly rose from her seat. Her eyes reflected hate as she looked at the flying pegasus. They inched closer. Their muscles clenched as they both waited for the other to strike. Before either one could make a move however, they heard a small voice behind them.

"Mommy Dashie, Mommy AJ?"

Rainbow's wings instantly folded to her sides, and she dropped to the ground. Applejack spun around to see the little red filly holding a doll in her mouth. The stuffed toy resembled a Pegasus pony, with lights blue wings. It had a white mane made from soft, lose threads woven into the neck. There was dark blue fabric around most of its body and a small bolt of yellow lightning stitched on its right and left flank. It had two small, black buttons for eyes. "What can we do for you little one?" Asked Applejack, her breath heavy in her chest.

"I just wanted to tell you that I found my Fleetfoot doll, he was underneath the 'fridgerator!"

Rainbow Dash forced a choppy laugh, "How did he get there, tyke?"

"I forgot that was where the dragon's treasure was. Fleetfoot went under to get it, but then I remembered I had to get my other doll from the other room. So I forgot him. But I found him. We have the treasure and we're gonna buy an island and a big house!"

"Applejack's muscles loosened a bit and her eyes softened, "Well, make sure to build a house for me and Mommy Dashie too, okay?

"Okay mommy AJ!" With that, their daughter turned around and walked off.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash both breathed out a sigh of relief. However, their daughter turned back around, "Mommy AJ."
"Yes, sugar cube?" Applejack jumped.

"Can you please tell me what C-U-S-T-O-D-Y is?"

The muscles in both mare's necks went stiff. Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, who was quick to cover for them again, "Oh, its a special place Mommy Dashie is gonna to take you, but only if you're good and go play with your Fleetfoot doll."

"A special place? So I get a surprise and go to a special place?"

"Yep, you sure do little pardner!" Applejack gulped, her nervous smile was transparent to all but a sweet little four year old filly.

"But only if you run along and play." Said Rainbow Dash with a nervous smile of her own.

"Okay," they watched their daughter round the corner again, making sure she was gone before they continued.
"We have to make sure we keep our voices down," Applejack said in a whisper.

Rainbow Dash nodded and pulled up a chair next to her wife, "Totally, now anyway, you wouldn't be able to play cowpony on this apple farm had I not signed up for the Wonderbolts. This farm was on hard times, and your family was about to go bankrupt. I put all of my advancement money in it just to keep it afloat."

Applejack took a seat, "Yeah, well the growing season was slow that year because of the Mennigius worms that came from the Everfree Forest. They ate up a good half of our apples. Somethin' like that never happened before. It took us a couple o' years to recover, but we've been turnin' a profit since that year. If I recall correctly, my family has offered to pay you back."

"The fact still remains, you needed me to bail you out."

"Bail me out? No Dashie, I didn' need you to bail me out. All o' Ponyville woulda helped me out if I'd asked 'em to. But I never thought o' it as you bailing me out, I just thought you were trying to help support your wife in her time o' need. I guess I should thank my lucky stars the great and mighty Rainbow Dash saved me from my tribulations." Applejack was doing well to ignore the hot pins poking her heart.

Rainbow Dash's voice caught in her throat. For some reason, her mouth felt incredibly dry, "Look, quit acting like the victim here. I didn't do anything wrong except follow my dreams, and help my family live a comfortable life."

"There, you finally said it. You are following your dreams..."

"Of course I'm following my dreams!" Dash cut her off, "Being a member of the Wonderbolts is something I've always wanted. It's part of who I am. When I was a little filly, I would wake up everyday, hoping, praying that I'd become a Wonderbolt. On the day I got that letter, my life was complete. They say that at this rate, I'll be the greatest that ever lived. My dreams could be realized, I could become the greatest flying Pegasus of all time!"

"We talked about this four years ago," Rainbow continued, "Back then, you said you wanted me to go. You said you wanted me to be happy, and you said you wanted my dreams to come true."

Watery, half lidded green eyes looked into rainbow Dash's rose colored pupils, "I did Dashie, because then was a different time. You weren't gone nearly as long, and now you have something else to consider."

"What more do I have to consider?"

The cowpony nodded her head toward the direction where their daughter had gone, "Reddawn. Not once have you ever asked what she wants."

"She's four Applejack, she doesn't know what she wants. She needs to have a good life, she needs to be taken care of. For that to happen, there needs to be money involved. That's the dirty truth, and I have a way to make enough so that she doesn't have to worry for the rest of her life."

In a swift motion Applejack wiped her eyes. She felt the blood rising to her head. Her body started to quiver, and her breath came in short spurts. "She don't know what she wants? Is that really what you think? Ah guess I've never told you how often she's cried, Ah guess Ah never told you how many times she told me how much she wishes her Mommy Dashie was here, Ah guess Ah never told you all of the times she wakes up at night screamin', tellin' me she had a nightmare about her Mommy Dashie runnin' away, and not comin' back."

Applejack's muscles became heavy, and she felt her body being dragged downward by an unseen force, "Ah guess Ah never told you how many times she comes into my...our room...and asks if she can sleep with me 'cause she says she knows...she knows I get as lonely without you as she does."

The orange pony couldn't blink away her tears, droplets of moisture rolled down her cheeks. Rainbow Dash's mouth was slightly agape, and she thought her heartbeat sounded too loud at that moment.

"I don't know about you Dashie, but I think what she wants is comin' in loud and clear," Applejack's voice was barely a whisper, but each word she spoke jarred the strong Wonderbolt.

"With this contract, there will be enough that you both won't have to ever worry again. It'll just be for a few years." Rainbow pushed the leaden words through her lips.

"I can't stand a few more years of heartache Rainbow...neither can she..."

Knots formed in Rainbow Dash's gut. She raised her voice, "Look, there's no reason for this D-I-V-O-R-C-E, its stupid."
"It is stupid Rainbow, 'cause the solution is so simple," Applejack continued to let her tears fall, she hoped that maybe some of frigid pain would leak out that way.

"This isn't as easy as you think, being a Wonderbolt is a big part of me."

Applejack sniffed and shook her head, still looking down, "Aren't me and Reddawn a big part of you, too?"

Dash's voice slowly rose, "Yes you are! But it isn't just about that, I'm not just doing this for me. I'm doing this so you two can have a good life. Do you know how hard it is to go without? Do you?"

Applejack nodded slowly, "Oh yeah, Ah know what it's like to go without. Ah never had all the toys Ah wanted growing up, Ah never got to go all of the places Ah liked to go, or do the things Ah wanted to do. Ah usually had enough to eat, but that was because Ah was on an apple farm."

"Well, I never missed meals, luckily I had friends that would help me out if I needed it. But I never got to do the things I wanted to do, and I never got to see anything special, except for the Wonderbolts. When I was a kid, I had a friend whose dad always took him to see the Wonderbolts. Since my friend knew I liked them so much, he'd always ask his dad to take me along. But anyway, it hurt so bad not having anything. I don't want Reddawn to feel that pain, I don't want Reddawn to feel like she has to worry."

"Well, she won't have to 'worry,' as you put it, but she'll feel like she's goin' without."

"Come again?"

"Dashie, Ah was able to make it through all the hard times Ah went through 'cause Ah had my family. We was always there for each other, no exceptions. Even on days when there weren't enough to eat, we were still smilin'. It was always amazin' how much a hug from my Granny Smith made my grumbly tummy feel better."

Rainbow shook her head vigorously, causing her messy mane to flail about, "Look, I guess there is no way I can get you to see reason. There are some things a hug can't do. A hug can't keep up house payments, and it doesn't pay bills."

"Dash," Applejack's voice became firmer, "if money is a problem, then we'll find some way to manage. During the winter, I'll get a job in Ponyville. I'm sure the Ponyville Postal Service could use help with ground deliveries, or the city could use me as a pull pony to operate snow plows and clear the street, or...shoot Ah could think of a number of things. You could get your old job with the weather patrol back, if you don't want to work on the farm like you used to. They hired Derpy in your place, and well, let's just say clouds get crossed the wrong way from time to time. Anyway, we could make it. It would be hard, but we could make it. Reddawn would be taken care of, one way or the other, even if the farm fails."

Rainbow Dash felt cold. Her mind blanked as she tried to find an argument. She scraped for something, anything, but she couldn't find it. So, she said what was clawing at the back of her mind, "I can't handle just getting by, I can do great things. Flying has always been part of me, at one point it was my entire life. Now I'm just expected to give it up? Give up part of what makes me, me? Give up part of the reason you fell for me in the first place? I'm finally successful at the thing that defines a big part of who I am, and my wife calls me selfish for wanting to do it. Not only that, I'm selfish because I want to support my family? Tell me how that makes sense."

"First sugar cube, Ah fell for ya because, deep inside, you're one o' the kindest, sweeties ponies I know. You were loyal and always stood by me an' our friends. Ah even fell for that ornery side o' ya. You were just everythin' Ah ever wanted in a partner. Ah know that flyin' is a big part o' you Dashie, but your family is a big part o' you too. Ah wish things could be like they were so you could have it all, but you can't. As far as this decision goes, Ah don't wan't you to think about me so much as Ah want ya to think about Reddawn. Think about what she wants, then decide."

Rainbow's face burned hot, crushing pain rushed through her chest as she tried not to cry, "This is unfair, why do I have to choose? There's so much ahead of me! Why do I have to choose? Reddawn is just four though, it'll only be for a few years. Then we'll spend the rest of our lives together, then we'll all be happy."

"Ah told you Dashie, we don't have a few years. Ah am tired of seein' our daughter suffer because you aren't here."

“Couldn't you both just...come to some of the shows or something? I'd pay for it, we'll have the bits.”

Applejack shook her head, “Rainbow, it ain't the same thing. We did that before, remember? When you ain't bein' crowded by a group o' fans, you're in your room, too tired to do anythin' but sleep.”

"This is stupid," her normally boisterous voice became a small whimper, salt rivers descended down her cheeks,"this is all stupid. I can't give up who I am. This is me! I'm Rainbow Dash, the Wonderbolt. I'm not Rainbow Dash, the Cowpony or Rainbow Dash, the Weather Pony. I'm a Wonderbolt, I earned it. I'm a Wonderbolt!"

Then, I guess that settles it," Applejack pressed her hooves to her eyes and spoke through sobs, "I g-guess your l-life with the Wond-derbolts means more to you than we do. Once this D-I-V-O-...O-R-C-E is settled, I don't w-want you t-to this house unless it is for your official v-visitation days. Ya' h-hear me?"

"What?" Rainbow Dash was jarred to attention.

Applejack looked up, her body was rigid. Red cobwebs spread across the whites of her eyes. Her voice voice was sharp steel, "I don't want my daughter to know what a self-centered pegasus her mommy Dashie is."

"Self-centered? You don't understand how unfair this is! You're the one that's self-centered!" Rainbow shouted.

"Ah think we've said all we can say on the matter. I'm going to bed, you can sleep in the guest bedroom." Said Applejack curtly.

"You are so stupid, this D-I-V-...urgh,” Dash's frustration made it hard for her to spell, “this whole mess is so stupid. You don't want me to be me, so I can be the best for my family."

Applejack's voice rose a little louder than she meant it to, "Ah can't believe this, are you deaf? Maybe you're just dumb? Haven't you seen the point already? This isn't the best you can be for your family. You can be the best for your family here at the farm, here with your daughter!"

Rainbow Dash's shoulders squared. She slowly flapped her wings and floated toward Applejack. Her hooves rose as if to strike. Applejack sat stoically, "Go ahead sugar cube, I won't stop you. You want to relieve your bruised ego by bruisin' me, that's fine. Just know once you do, I'll make sure the court knows, and you won't come around here again, do you understand?

The tension fell from Dash's muscles in a quick wave. She slumped and fell from the ground, softly landing on her hooves.

She leaned against the table and roughly pressed her hooves to her eyes. She shook. She sucked in air through her teeth. "I d-don't have a b-bruised e-ego, th-this just h-hurts. I g-guess I'd b-better get ready f-for bed."

She took in another breath and continued, "D-do we have more to say about the D-I-V-O...O-R-C-E?"

Applejack sadly shook her head, "No we don't, don't you want to eat?"

Rainbow Dash quickly shook her head and moved her hooves away from her eyes. Through blurry eyes she saw her daughter standing quietly in the doorway, a hoof held to her mouth as she gnawed on it. Applejack turned and felt icy waves crash through her. How much had she heard? How long had she been there?

"Mommy AJ, Mommy Dashie," the filly spoke in a gentle whisper, "I...I don't want D-I-V-O-R-C-E anymore. I don't you to yell anymore... Is that why mommy Dashie was crying?"

"I don't know dear, why don't you ask her?" Applejack's tried to keep her voice steady as she responded.

The filly asked the same question, and Rainbow Dash worked her neck muscles and looked down at her little filly's blue eyes. "Reddawn," Rainbow had to clear her throat, "do you want mommy Dashie to go away with the Wonderbolts again, or do you want her to stay here?"

Confusion slid over the filly's small features. Rainbow Dash softly asked again, "Mommy Dashie has to leave to go to the Wonderbolts again. This time she is going to be gone a really long time. Do you want her to go with the Wonderbolts, or stay on the farm?"

The little filly quickly waddled over to her mother and wrapped her forelegs around Dash's right leg, "I don't want you to go again mommy Dashie, I want you to stay here with me and mommy AJ."

Rainbow Dash face screwed up. She felt moisture from the filly's face seep into her fur. "You heard her," Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash looked into her wife's eyes. She felt the urge to burst into tears to get rid of the heavy irons in her chest.
"I...I need to go..." Rainbow Dashed screwed her eyes shut, " I gotta think." She reached down and kissed her daughter's cheek before rushing to the guest room and slamming the door shut. Her daughter looked up at her mother in confusion as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Applejack placed her hooves gently on the ground and knelt down so her filly could climb on her back.

The orange pony looked back at the dishes and pot of now cold soup that rested on the table. "Meh, I'm not hungry, I'll get all those dishes cleaned tomorrow."

She walked with her daughter toward her and Rainbow Dash's bedroom. Knowing that her daughter would probably want to sleep with her anyway, she carefully climbed on the bed and laid down. With little ceremony, she turned the small knob on the oil lamp on the nightstand by her bed and placed her daughter beside her. Holding her daughter in her fore hooves, she pulled blankets over them both and fell asleep.

Comments

[BronyRave24]

wow, this was truly amazing.
im not even a fan of lesbian pony shipping either
I HAVE THE POWER!*clicks on chapter 2, hard*

[Johnfreemanwepon]

As a shipfic writer/sadfic writer that has enjoyed moderate success, I can, with gusto, say that you're going places. Keep this up.

[Appleloosa2011]

More!

[kladdos]

no words for this... only! ON TO CHAPTER 2!

[Agent Brony]

you douche. why you gotta make me cry so hard, there not even manly tears, just a never ending wave of tears **BRAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW** oh gods

[EonMaster]

Sad to see this story get so badly trolled by 1-star ratings in EqD. I personally find this to be a very engaging read. I've never had to deal with divorce, but I've seen my parents get into some heated arguments about these same issues(money, work, etc). Both Dash and AJ had some real good points, and both centered their argument around what they felt was best for Reddawn, which shows that they both deeply care for her and her future.

Reddawn's reaction to hearing about Dash leaving again hit hard, as I could easily see me or my younger sisters in that spot if our family ever started to break up.

[Rainbowstep]

Hmm, with Rainbow's character i really thought that she would stay with the Wonderbolts, but then again if you ended it like that I would be crying rivers even in my dreams. I do still sense a reluctance with Rainbow though, and i wonder will you continue this ship? Plz?? Write On!

[PleaseRemoveMe]

This was amazing and I truly loved it!
5 Stars!

[Professorlp]

Really? I woulD love to see more works from you !! Keep it up

[Watermelon Bung]

Since rainbow is my favorite I'm on her side nothin personal

[Borg]

I wish there was some solution to this other than "marriage crumbles because Dash is never there" or "marriage crumbles because Dash resents AJ and Reddawn for taking her dream away from her," or I suppose "AJ accept almost never seeing Dash". No matter what, Reddawn's going to be sad.