//------------------------------// // Deserve // Story: Appledashery Vol. Two // by Just Essay //------------------------------// "And if we don’t get Granny’s hip replaced soon, she might be stuck with havin’ to use a miniature carriage or some other form of wheels permanently.” Applejack and Rianbow Dash strolled side by side down a cobblestone pathway leading towards the fringes of the Diamond District. The hour was late. Stars were peeking out through the dying sunset—one after another. Most of the hooftraffic had vanished, giving the alleyways a somber stillness as the pair of ponies stumbled along. “Her body has taken such a toll on her throughout the years," Applejack said in a melancholic tone. It was strangely relaxing to share this—probably because of the loyal companion she was sharing it with. "Of course, she never fusses about it, ‘cuz she’s tryin’ to keep a strong face for the rest of the family. But I can see it in her face: she’s sufferin’. We’ve gone on for far too many years, puttin’ the extra expenses on the farm without so much as payin’ her back for all of her loyalty and commitment.” “Jeez, AJ…” Raindow Dash could be heard exhaling. She hovered just a few inches above the ground, staying as close to Applejack's level as possible. The gesture was not lost on the farm mare. "I knew that getting old sucks, but when it’s somepony you know and care about…?” Applejack nodded. “Granny’s always been so strong. That’s what makes it so darn miserable seein’ her fall apart after all these years. And it’s not just her health. She’s... worried somethin’ awful about the farm.” The street went silent. Applejack didn't expect Rainbow Dash to have a response to that, but she was strangely soothed to hear the mare's cracking voice attempting something regardless: “Doessssssssssss she have something to be worried about?” The lilt in Rainbow's voice at the end of that transformed that relief into instant worry. “Oh, Rainbow..." Applejack waved a sisterly hoof, smiling bravely. "...it’s nothin’ for ya to get yer windy head all wrapped around. Runnin’ a farm ain’t exactly no vacation. There’s always bound to be some bump or another around the bend, and each passin’ year is no different from the one before it." She took a breath. "We’ve managed before and we’ll manage again!” "If you ask me, Applejack, I’d say you were getting dangerously close to cracking your Element in half!” Applejack blinked hard. Her heart went cold, and she tried shattering it with a steely frown aimed in Rainbow's direction. "I am so bein’ honest! The Apple family and I are totally gonna pull through the next two apple buck seasons!” Her own words felt distant. She winced, her ears folding back. “Somehow…” “What’s really going on, Applejack?” Rainbow flew into Applejack's vision, gesturing at herself with remarkable softness. “You can tell me.” “Oh Rainbow…” Applejack nevertheless avoided her gaze. She looked off towards where the glow of the sunset met the inevitable curtain of night oozing over the mountain, the city, and all of Equestria surrounding. “It just ain’t proper conversation for spendin’ a lovely afternoon like this with one’s best friend.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Wanna try me?” “Please, sugarcube…” “What? You think I’m not brave enough to take it?” “Huh?!” Applejack squinted up at her. “Heck, no!” “Then let ‘er rip, girl!” Rainbow Dash touched down in front of the mare. She stood so close that her ruby eyes looked brighter than ever. “I’m all ears!” Applejack took one look at her. A heartbeat. Two. She decided to laugh it off, if only to excuse the need for releasing so much air from her lungs. “Pffft… ‘thick fuzzy ears’ are more like it.” Rainbow tilted her chin up like Rarity. "Yeah, well, they’re your friend’s ears all the same.” Applejack looked at Rainbow... then away. The mirth of the night had dissolved quite swiftly, and in the sober lucidity of the moment she felt alone... and yet she wasn't. She clung to the only notion that warmed her. “It… it ain’t good, Rainbow.” “Oh?” Rainbow cocked her head aside. “Define ‘ain’t good.’” Applejack hesitated, but there was no stopping it at this point. Rainbow was just too good at clearing the skies. "Things have been pl-plum awful this year and the one before last, Rainbow. What, between Big Mac bein’ injured, the parasprite infestation, and now the Gala bein’ a bust…” She shook inside and out. By the time she felt her eyes watering, she reralized there was no turning back. She spoke like a frightened teenager trying to find answers from Granny Smith... like urging water from a stone. “I don’t want the other girls knowin’ about this, but—at the rate which things are goin’ downhill—I fear that..." The words bled out like an open wound. "...that I may have to sell half the land.” Rainbow's reaction was just as ghastly as Applejack could have imagined, and that's what hurt the most. "Half of Sweet Apple Acres?” Applejack gulped hard. “Or all of it…” Silence. "But... but that's crazy!" There was a flash of anger, but Applejack wasn't feeling it towards Rainbow Dash. Nevertheless, she frowned as she said: "No, it's reality. Sometimes life doesn't throw you the cards you wanna be dealt with. So you have to make do." "AJ, I know that. Believe me, I understand. But..." Rainbow squinted, trembling slightly. "To sell off Sweet Apple Acres? It's not just about your family... it's about Ponyville! I mean—that place is everything!" "Don't you think I know that?!" "I... I wasn't trying to pour salt in your wound, girl." "I know, it's just..." Applejack ran a hoof over her face. She sighed... sighed again... then composed herself. "... ... ...ain't nopony's fault, Rainbow. I'm sorry for gettin' sore over it." Rainbow Dash merely bit her lip. "I was hopin'... I was bettin' on the Gala helpin' out. But hope ain't everythang. At some point or another you gotta come to terms with the things in yer life that you can't fix." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, squirming for some reason. "Sure... there are things in life that can't be fixed... but... your life?" She looked up, ears folded. "Your life is... awesome, Applejack. It really is. And... and you deserve better." Applejack lowered her hoof and looked at Rainbow with a lethargic expression. Rainbow bit her lip even harder. More and more stars peaked through the darkness over them both. At last, Applejack muttered, "I have what I deserve, Rainbow." Rainbow held her breath for a moment. "Mrmmmff... t'ain't nothin' to mope over." Applejack trotted past her friend. "Land's sakes... it's gettin' late! The girls must have given up on us." "Yeah... I guess..." "Think it's time to mosey on back to Twilight's..." "Yeah..." The two slumped onwards in awkward silence.