//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: I’m fine! // by Betsy //------------------------------// It was the start of a new week which meant Rainbow Dash had cloud-busting duty. She woke up to a cool fall breeze. Rainbow moved her back hooves so she wouldn’t kick Tank while rolling out of bed. It was only a few seconds before she remembered. It’s been two months and it still didn’t feel real.   There was a moment every morning, just as Dash woke up. Where there was a split second of peace and everything felt right. But then it all came back. She’d be reading on the couch and try to pet Tank, go to fill up his food, panic if she was outside and couldn’t hear his magic-propelled helicopter rotor.  The house was a different kind of quiet now. Before it was a quiet that Dash was ok with, Tank didn’t make much noise unless he was flying around. But now it was an empty quiet, now it was quiet because Tank was gone. As Rainbow made her way downstairs the only noise she heard was her hooves on the floor. Even with the cloud floor, her walking was almost deafening. Rainbow still kept Tank’s water and food bowls out. His slippers and robe were exactly where he left them last. She just didn’t have the heart to move them and no way in Tartarus was she getting rid of them. Each day as she went to the kitchen to make herself a meal, she’d see the spot where he used to eat. She used to stop to look at it but lately, she’d turn away and try to look at something else.  “Hello, Darlings!” Rarity trotted over to a table and sat down with four of her friends. They were at an outdoor restaurant in Canterlot. Twilight picked the place and told them that they all needed to talk. “Sorry, I’m a tad late. I just had to stop by the boutique and check on Sassy..” “Don’t worry about it Rare,” Applejack responded with a smile. “So Twilight, why did ya want us all here?” “It’s about Rainbow Dash, I wanted to help her but I have no idea how.”  “Same!.” Pinkie Pie chimed in. “She’s been reeeaalllly bummed since Tank-” She cleared her throat. “I invited her to a buckballl game in Baltimare a week ago. She seemed to have a good enough time but I know smiles and Dashies wasn’t at 120%!”  “Hello ladies, Princess,” the waiter had come to the table to take their orders. “What will we be having today?”  Pinkie got a chocolate milkshake, tea for Fluttershy and Rarity, water for Twilight, and apple juice for Applejack.  “I could throw that going away party for Tank that I was gone throw for his first hibernation.” “Girls.” “Oh come now, wouldn’t that just make Rainbow Dash sad all over again?” Rarity pointed out. “I didn't say it would be a pity party” Pinkie mumbled.  “Girls.” “Ooo yay! Drinks are here!” The girls thanked the waiter and continued in with their conversation.  “Maybe I could make her another Tank plushie- er no. I suppose it’s too early.”  “You could make a blanket or a  “Girls!” They all stopped and looked at Fluttershy who blushed slightly. “Thank you.” Fluttershy took a breath and spoke. “We just need a way to help her feel better without pushing it too far. I saw how hard she took it. Rainbow had a routine, a life that she was comfortable and happy with. All of that was just disrupted for what? So she could have Tank taken away from her?”  The girls all looked at eachother and took what Fluttershy said into consideration.  “No big gestures. One of us should just try to sit and talk with her.” Rarity finished taking a sip of her tea and said “I think it should be Twilight or Applejack. It just makes the most sense. I’ve been known to be a bit dramatic at times-”  Applejack snorted and muttered to herself. “A bit?”  Rarity shot her a look, “what was that darling?” “Nothin’, ah didn’t say nothin’. Continue.”  Rarity directed a sigh and eye roll to Applejack and continued. “As I was saying, I might not be the best pony to comfort her. Pinkie, well I love you darling but you’re just not what Rainbow needs right now.” Pinkie gasped “Whaddya mean!?” “You two have a tendency to get distracted easily. Remember when we sent you to talk her out of pranking and you congratulated her on her pranks!”  “I tried to stop her from doing the cookie prank! But yeah I see your point.”  “I’ve been trying with Rainbow for weeks but I haven’t really gotten anywhere. Every time I go to ask how she’s doing, she changes the subject, ignores it, or acts like she doesn’t know what I’m talking about.”  “I figured as much. So what do you say? Twilight, Applejack?” “Eehh. I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to talk to her. I was with her when they put him down. When we were waiting in that room, for the vet to come back, she was so quiet and I knew she was only focusing on the bad. So to break the silence and help Dash remember the good times, I started talking about fond memories I had of Tank. I don’t think it really helped any. Truth is, I don’t know what she needs right now.”  “Aww Twilight. Ya gotta know that she’s not mad at you. She’s just really fragile right now, and you know how Dashie is. She doesn’t always think before doing something.”  Twilight has actually been feeling that she was partly to blame for Rainbow feeling bad. All of the girls had, that’s why they wanted to help her so bad.  Taking the final sip of her apple juice, Applejack said “Yeah I’ll do it”  “Hey AJ!” Rainbow Dash landed next to Applejack. Applejack had seen Dash at the market a few days earlier and they made plans for her to stop by the farm.  “I was flying over the orchard for like 5 minutes before I found you. What’s this place? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this part of Sweet Apple Acres.”  “Heh, sorry sugar cube. Here, come sit next t’ me.” Applejack patted the grass right of her. Rainbow Dash took at seat and looked in the direction AJ was.  “I wanna tell y’all about this place. Ya see that there free in front of us?” “Mhm.” Rainbow nodded.  “Well this is where mah parents got married. They sealed their vows by planting two seeds.” She paused in thought. “This is what they left for us, ah don’t have much from ‘em but I have this and the memories.” Oh. Rainbow Dash knew what this was. Oh. So this is what we’re doing. “Yeah? Well memories suck, they’re just reminders. What the hell is this AJ? I thought you wanted me to come over so we could hang out, maybe play some buckball or whatever.” “Rainbow. You know exactly what this is.” Applejack gave Rainbow one of her stern looks that only she could challenge. “We need to talk.” “No we don’t.” Rainbow didn’t fall to her gaze. Instead she stood up and opened her wings. “This was completely unfair. I’m outta here.”  “Woah there Nelly!” Rainbow Dash began to fly off but not before Applejack grabbed her tail in her mouth, preventing her from escaping.  “Let go AJ!”  “No!” Applejack pulled the pegasus back down and put her hoof oh her chest so she couldn’t get back up. Rainbow struggled but was ultimately no match for the orange earth pony and her strength.  “UGH FINE! Ya wanna talk!? You’ve got me trapped so talk!”  “Rainbow.” Applejack looked at Rainbow and sighed. “Now I know ya don’t wanna talk about it but you’ve gotta. It’ll help.”  Rainbow was still fuming and looked away from Applejack. “Why can’t you just let me be?” “Cause I care about ya too damn much. Me an’ the rest of the girls are worried. Yer not ok and we want to help ya.” “Then Butt.Out.” “Dash. Why don’t you want to think about it? Ignoring the fact ain’t gonna make it go away or never have happened. Trust me, you can’t pretend forever.” Rainbow mumbled, “Watch me.” “Hon, I know you don’t want to talk about it but it’ll make you feel so much better. If y’all just remember the good times you and Ta-“ “APPLEJACK! I get… that you want to help or whatever but I don’t want it.” “But ya need it. Just listen, I know loosin’ a loved ones hard but just think about all the great times ya had with ‘em. Think about every time he made ya laugh or smile and every time he cuddled up next to ya. Those are the things worth thinkin’ about, isn’t that what Tank would want?” Rainbow shook her head, “You just done get it Applejack.”  “I do get it. When I lost Winona a while back I was just as upset. But I knew she wouldn’t want me moping around, she’d want me to move on and enjoy the time we had together, not be sad that it was gone.” Applejack loosened her hold on Rainbow and let her up, confident that she wouldn’t fly away.  “We deal with things differently. You cry on the inside because you had to learn how and I’m sorry for that. But like you said, you made peace with that a long time ago. When it was Winona's turn a few years back, I saw how you handled that. Even now, me mentioning her, you didn’t wince or back away. Because when you lose something you handle it so well because ‘that’s just life on the farm. Things change and that’s life.’ Well I don’t have that luxury. I can’t just go along with change and accept it. I HATE change. That’s just who I am! Amd who I am right now can’t stop thinking about it. Winona went peacefully in her sleep, you didn’t have to watch her leave you. I did. And now that picture is in my mind forever. I can’t just accept it and talk about all the fond memories I have like you.” Again Rainbow Dash readied to take off in flight.  “I don’t know when I’ll be able to, but until then, leave it the hell alone.” Dash was about 5 feet into the air before she stopped and looked back at her friend. Applejack was speechless and kind of shocked, “Sorry AJ.”