The days flew by for Rainbow Dash; she was determined to get herself back to her previous shape. She had missed out on so much flying since the accident, and she needed to make up for it. Every day she would start off with some simple workouts, and then move onto something a little more advanced.
Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, pushing them faster and faster, forcing the muscles to exhaust themselves so they would adjust and grow stronger. Once satisfied with these exercises, she cracked her wings, loosening them up as she used to, and then thrust herself towards the sky.
Today she had intended on practicing some simple tricks to see if her wings were up to it yet. Flying higher into the sky, she pulled her neck back, causing her to turn downward to the earth. The gravity helped her to gain speed, the ground coming closer. At an adequate speed, she pulled herself up, and attempted to do a spin.
Her bad wing began to spasm, and she started to lose control. Quickly, Rainbow Dash tilted her other wing to adjust and catch the proper amount of wind, hoping to sustain the flight. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and she crashed down into the ground, laughing hysterically at herself after impact.
The days crept by silently for Applejack, nothing worth noting had occurred since Heart's Warming Eve. Rainbow Dash was busy, training herself vigorously now that her wing was once again functional. With the orchards destroyed and unable to be re-sown until the cold season ended, she found herself with nothing to do most hours of the day.
Applejack understood why her loyal Pegasus took every moment she could to go out flying, she had been grounded for half a year after all. Still, she wished her love would slow down just for a few hours, and spend time with her as they used too. Apart from the flying, she suspected Rainbow Dash was also out in secret, gathering preparations for a wedding.
The wedding, Applejack really did want to spend her life bound with this pony. However, she had her doubts that any pony would host a service for two mares. There was also the issue of trying to keep a low profile; they hadn't been disturbed since the attacks a few weeks prior to Rainbow's proposal, but only a few ponies knew they had survived.
To ensure they weren't seen, they had taken the precaution of boarding up all the doors and windows, except the front door. As for the front, they had the broken down wooden door replaced with one made of steel. For good measure, they also let Twilight put an enchantment on it, so if a potentially dangerous pony attempted to come inside, it would give them a good shock. The spell continuously backfired though, reading even the slightest agitation as a threat. The two found themselves being jolted frequently so they quickly had it removed.
The feelings of loneliness began to overtake Applejack. This was the fourth day in a row that Rainbow Dash had awoken before her, and snuck off to a safe spot to practice flying. Rainbow Dash was constantly gone all day, returning home late at night completely exhausted. Without saying anything the Pegasus would head straight to bed. The orange pony would follow, hoping to at the very least, strike up a conversation, but had no such luck. There they would lie, night after night, an exchanging of words starting to become a rare occurrence.
Applejack looked at the dusty clock above the mantle. It was the first clock ever to be in Ponyville. Her great grandparents had made it when they first settled here. The smaller hand pointed towards the seven, not quite aligned with it yet though. The larger hand, which indicated the minutes, had fallen off quite some time ago so only a rough estimate of what time it was could be made.
The orange pony frowned while she looked at the faded red paint of the apple shaped clock. As she stared at it, the fading colors couldn't help her but reflect on the slowly dwindling relationship she seemed to be sharing with Rainbow Dash. Even if the two hadn't been arguing and Rainbow didn't sense the changes, Applejack could.
Now that the Pegasus had re-obtained her freedom in the skies, Applejack couldn't help but feel they were growing apart, whether intended or not. She knew it was silly, but there was also a lingering jealousy she had directed towards the sky that had begun to steal Rainbow Dash away from her.
Thoughts of self-doubt began to cloud over her; maybe she wasn't enough for her sweet, adventurous feathered pony. Maybe she had been nothing more than a distraction, a cushion to keep Rainbow's mind off things in the past months. Now that her disability was gone, maybe Rainbow Dash no longer needed her and had lost interest in her. Despite the gesture that occurred over the holiday, she couldn't help but think maybe Rainbow Dash no longer wanted her.
Applejack frowned again as she told herself that she was letting jealousy, loneliness, and stupidity get the hold of her. What she said to herself, however, didn't comfort her in any way; it just made her more upset. Either way, these feelings weren't being induced by nothing, the problem still remained; Rainbow Dash was ignoring her, whether intentional or not.
Hopping off the bed, the orange pony searched for something to distract her mind from the solitude of the empty farmhouse. Instinctively, she started to head out the door, planning to do some apple bucking. She had to remind herself that there was no orchard to buck. Pacing back and forth, glancing at the clock every so often as she racked her brain for anything to do.
There was the sound of hooves landing on the porch outside, and the steel door pushed open. A tired and sweaty light blue Pegasus walked inside. Applejack couldn't help but glare angrily as the pony entered the house. "Hi, AJ" Rainbow Dash yawned.
"Well, howdy!" she gritted through her teeth.
"You alright?" Rainbow Dash said back sleepily.
"Ah'm just fantastic." Applejack said, her voice filled with hostility and sarcasm.
"That's good, I'm gonna go to bed, it's been a long day." The Pegasus began to walk away, not sensing the irritation that any other pony would have picked up on from miles away. Applejack's agitation vanished and was replaced with the same loneliness she had been feeling earlier.
"Rainbow…" she said solemnly, the Pegasus stopped and turned her head toward her. "Ah love yah…" she whispered from across the room.
"I love you too" Rainbow Dash said casually, then headed up the stairs. The words stabbed at her, before they had seemed so genuine when they had been uttered, now they felt hallow and cold.
Applejack followed close behind, the seemingly empty response she had been returned with eating away at her. In another attempt to retrieve some form of spark, she grabbed Rainbow Dash and kissed her. She was kissed back, but it felt dry and uncaring, and their lips parted quickly.
"Rainbow, can we talk?" her tone filled with depression, which still went undetected.
"Sure, but can it wait till tomorrow, I'm really tired."
"Ah guess…" Applejack found the anger coming back to her. She wanted to scream that it wasn't okay, and that they were going to talk right now. She restrained herself, and continued up the stairs, climbing into the bed with Rainbow Dash, not even bothering to remove her hat.
The room was silent for a few moments, and then was washed over with the sound of a snoring Pegasus. The noise just annoyed Applejack, she was desperately trying to keep herself from thinking that Rainbow Dash no longer cared, and it didn't help that she had fallen asleep so easily.
Letting out a grumble, she quietly got up to her hooves and headed back down the stairs. She thought maybe being stuck in the house was just making her go crazy. Taking another quick look at the clock above the mantle, estimating it was around 9 o'clock now. She jingled her saddlebag, making sure it had some bits inside, and then she put it on.
Rainbow Dash awoke from the soft sound of the door closing. "Applejack?" she called out, receiving no answer. She trotted down the stairs, noticing that the saddlebag was no longer resting on the railing. Pausing at the door for a few moments, then she went outside as well, flying close behind Applejack.
Applejack walked down a road she had never explored before. The road was smooth and clean, either it was well maintained, or hadn't been used often, she assumed it was the latter of the two. After about half an hour, she could see bright neon lights glowing a few hundred yards away.
Rainbow Dash had planned on calling down to Applejack, but the lights also captured her attention, and she continued to fly above silently. She felt guilty for spying on Applejack like this, but she thought it was strange that she would leave without saying a word in the middle of the night.
Naturally, Applejack was curious as to what kind of place housed such lights. Lights like these were very uncommon in places like Ponyville, typically they could only be found in the big cities, such as Manehatten. As she approached, she spotted the sign of the building, all it said was, "Open" She couldn't resist the temptation, and she walked inside.
Rainbow Dash floated down towards the earth. Once she was sure she could safely enter without Applejack spotting her, she followed her inside. She continued watching her from an empty seat in the corner out of sight, where the flashing lights of the club did not shine.
The building was packed with ponies, some dancing to the obscenely loud music. Others were laughing with friends, and some sat at the bar, drinking alone. Applejack was impressed that such an out-of-the-way place such as this could be so busy. An empty seat at the bar caught her eye, and beckoned for her to sit down.
"What'll it be?" the bar pony asked as he approached her spot.
"Uh… Ah'll just have some water." Applejack said cautiously, revealing her thick southern drawl.
The bar pony laughed at this "Suit yourself." He walked away for a few seconds and then returned with a large mug filled with water.
"Thank ye kindly." The pony laughed again and left her alone.
"That's an adorable accent, where are you from?" a voice called out next to her. Applejack looked to her side, a unicorn with a fiery red coat and an icy blue mane was sitting next to her. "Well, are you going to tell me, or do I need to buy you a drink first?" the female voice said again.
"Huh, are yah talking tah me?" Applejack asked, confusion spread across her face.
"Well who else would I be talking too? You see any other ponies around here with such a cute accent?" the pony nudged Applejack's cheek softly, causing her to blush.
Applejack looked around just to be absolutely sure she was in fact, the one the questions were directed at. "Well, ah guess not… uh, ah'm from Ponyville, the names Applejack." She said, extending a hoof outward, which was met by the other pony's.
"Nice to meet you, Applejack, my name is Ice Ember, now tell me, what's a beautiful earth pony like you, doing out here, all by herself." She said back, her voice chilling, and a little seductive.
Applejack chuckled nervously, her cheeks continuing to flush. "Ah'm not really sure, ah just went outside fer a walk, and now here ah am."
"Well, lucky for me!" Ice Ember paused, planning her next words carefully. Gently she placed a hoof on Applejack's side and stared her flaming blue sapphire eyes into the forest green eyes across from her. "So, are there any special stallions that you're seeing?" She said, her voice was almost hypnotizing.
"Uh, ah'm not really into stallions." Applejack confessed, regretting her statement immediately, she averted her gaze, and sipped her glass of water.
Ice Ember giggled, "It's alright, neither am I." Winking slyly, she stroked Applejack's side enticingly with the hoof still placed on her. Applejack's orange face was now almost completely bright red; she wasn't sure what she should do.
The fiery unicorn giggled, she could sense the orange pony's nerves growing rapidly at how forthcoming she had been. Ice Ember took her other hoof and faced Applejack's head back toward hers, and smiled softly. "Just relax and have some fun."
Applejack let out another nervous chuckle, "Well okay." The soft strokes on her side continued, she found herself welcoming the comforting touch, and without realizing it, she had placed her hoof on the hypnotizing unicorn as well.
"You seem so lonely; I can help with that, if you want." Ember said flirtatiously. Applejack said nothing; she was entranced with the icy blue eyes that were locked on her. The unicorn took this as a sign of approval and moved her muzzle in closer.
"Applejack, what are yah doing?" She screamed at herself inside her head as she moved closer as well. "Stop, stop, STOP!" her mind continued to yell, but she ignored it, the rest of her found the pony irresistible and Ice Ember was right, she was lonely.
Their faces were so close together they could feel the others warm breath on one another. "Don't do this!" her brain yelled at her desperately, she kept ignoring it, and soon Ember's lips were pressed onto hers.
The kiss was intoxicating; it comforted her, and made her feel cared for, something she desperately craved. The two broke away for a quick breath, and Applejack couldn't resist, she pushed herself back into Ice Ember's lips again.
Rainbow Dash watched in horror, tears flooding her eyes as the two embraced each other. "Applejack…" she whimpered to herself, not wanting to believe what she was watching. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore; she slipped out through one of the side doors. Her heart shattered as her mind continued replaying the scene of betrayal again and again.
As Ice Ember and Applejack went on, the two began to sink further into lust opened their lips slightly allowing one another's tongues to push through. They continued kissing for several minutes, the guilt finally catching up with her, flooding her entire body as she realized what she was doing. Quickly, she pulled back and ran from the unicorn.
"Applejack?" Ember called out, chasing after her outside the bar, but Applejack was far quicker then she was, and was left behind.
Applejack sprinted back down the road she had come from before. She didn't look back at the pony calling her name. Once Applejack felt she was far enough away, she broke down and started sobbing as her mind and body tried to cope with the combination of loneliness, regret, and guilt.
She would never be able to look Rainbow Dash in the eyes again, not after what she had just done. Her loyal lover, no matter how hurt she had been, Rainbow Dash had risked her life to keep her safe. She on the other hand, hadn't even been able to dedicate herself to Rainbow in a single moment of weakness.
Applejack was disgusted with herself, she was the element of honesty, and she had just cheated on Rainbow Dash for some stranger after only having met her for no less than a few minutes.
Rainbow Dash rushed inside the empty farmhouse, back into her bed. If she hadn't witnessed the events herself, she would have refused to accept Applejack was even possible of doing what had just happened. The Pegasus buried herself underneath the covers of the bed as she tried to control her tears.
Applejack pulled herself together, and trotted back down the road until she reached the farmhouse. She stared at it, afraid; she knew eventually she would have to tell Rainbow Dash the truth. Quietly, she slumped through the door, and joined the Pegasus in the bed. The quiet sound of sniffling filled the room emanating from the bed.
"Rainbow?" Applejack asked, "Are yah alright?"
"I-I'm fine." Rainbow Dash responded, covering her damp eyes with her pillow. "Where'd you go?"
Applejack's heart leapt, "Uh, nowhere, ah just went for a little walk" she strained a lie through her mouth as her teeth attempted to clench shut.
"Oh… okay, good night AJ… I love you." Rainbow whispered towards the earth pony next to her.
"Good night." Applejack whispered back, unable to bring herself to return the rest of the words. The events continued to eat at her, she needed to confess. "Rainbow Dash…" Her voice tensing up with regret and anxiety, "Ah need to talk with yah…"
Rainbow Dash shifted in the bed and stared at the guilt-ridden orange pony, and then she stood up. "I know you do,
Applejack." The Pegasus walked over to the large boarded up window. "I… I followed you."
Applejack's heart stopped, "Yah did what?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, "I followed you… I heard you go outside, and I wanted to know what you were doing… Then I saw you… I saw..." She began to weep.
"Rainbow-" Applejack was interrupted.
"DON'T! Just… don't."
"Ah'm sorry-" she was interrupted again.
"JUST SHUT UP!" Rainbow shouted, "Did you even know her, or did it not matter, just as long as it wasn't me!"
"Well maybe if yah'd spend even one minute with yer head back on the ground ah wouldn't be looking fer comfort from other ponies!" Applejack yelled back.
"So now it's my fault! You didn't even tell me how you were feeling, how in the hay was I supposed to know! Don't you try to pin this on me!" Fury began to boil in Rainbow Dash's eyes.
"Ah shouldn't need tah tell yah that ah want yah to spend time with me, that's just common sense!" Applejack spat back.
"This isn't about what I should have been doing; this is about what YOU did." Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath trying to calm herself.
"Well ah wouldn't have done it if yah had been paying attention tah me!" Applejack tried to calm down as well but wasn't able too.
"And maybe you would have done it anyway! After all you're nothing more than a disloyal cheat!" Rainbow Dash screamed. Taking another deep breath she said quite calmly, "You betrayed me, Applejack. Instead of telling me what was wrong, you lied to me, and sought out some pony else."
The words ripped at Applejack as they reached her ears. "Rainbow… ah'm so sorry, ah- ah'm sorry…"
Rainbow Dash walked towards the door, "I know you are and I want to forgive you AJ, but I can't." she said as she left the room.
Applejack's eyes burned as the tears streamed down her eyes. She heard the squeaking of the front door, she sprinted out of the bedroom, leaping off the stairs to the base of the house. "Rainbow!" she called out, grabbing the Pegasus's hoof, pulling her down and kissed her, but the kiss wasn't returned.
Rainbow Dash looked at her with her sad rosey eyes, "I can't… AJ, I just can't."
"Don't say that, please! Ah was weak and stupid! Just… give me another chance." Applejack pleaded.
"It doesn't matter why you did it that will never change that you still did it." Rainbow Dash pulled herself back up, and removed her hoof from the orange pony's clutches. She started to walk away; she felt bitter, and all she wanted to do was make Applejack feel the way she felt now. "You've hurt me worse tonight than when you signed away my dreams without a second thought that day in the hospital."