Applejack began running down ponyville, trying to look for any signs of Rainbow Dash. She looked up to the setting sun as she felt the breeze beat against her mane. She looked everywhere, mainly looking up, in hopes to spot any streak of rainbow.
Applejack stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a faint blue dot way up in the sky. She observed the dot for a moment, realizing it was increasing in size. It grew bigger and bigger until she could finally spot a few rainbow colored strands here and there. “Rainbow Dash?” she wondered to herself, still trying to make out the figure.
Moments later Applejack could clearly define Rainbow Dash’s shape. Her heart dropped as she processed what she was looking at. Rainbow Dash was closing her eyes, limp wings, falling back first towards the ground. Applejack began panicking. Rainbow! Did she get hurt? What happened to her? Applejack thought in a panic as she looked for ways to save the blue mare.
“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack yelled out when she realized she ran out of time, and she could only watch as Rainbow was about to plummet into the ground.
Right before touch down, Rainbow opened her eyes, and with a single, strong, wing flap, flew back up to the sky. She hovered up around before spotting the farm pony, who was carrying a look with a mix of worry and annoyance.
With a heavy thud, Rainbow Dash landed directly in front of Applejack with a friendly smile. “What’s up AJ?”
It took a moment for Applejack to gather her thoughts before she gained a stern look. “‘What’s up?’ What was that all about?! Why in tarnation were you dropping out from the sky?” Applejack questioned Rainbow Dash, nearly forgetting the reason she was there.
“Uh, flight training? New move I’d planning to add to my routine for Wonderbolt singular shows” Rainbow answered as if it was obvious. “But anyways, what are you doing over here? It’s quite away from Ponyville”
Applejack took a moment to think. She was so busy trying to find Rainbow Dash that she forgot to think about what to say once she found her. “I… Uh… I was going to invite you!” Applejack nodded, seemingly proud at her own improvisation.
Rainbow Dash took off again, this time in a soft hover right above Applejack. “Invite me? To what?”
“To… a… sleep over!” Applejack smiled invitingly after figuring out her own plan. “To a sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres, with me, and the rest of the Apple family” She tipped her hat, seemingly proud of herself for coming up with the idea on the spot.
Rainbow Dash hovered around as she inverted to look at Applejack upside down. “Uh-huh, right… and who put you up to this? Twilight?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at Applejack.
Applejack chuckled and tipped her hat once again. “Nope, just ah-me. I dun’ had the idea all on my own! And uh… The rest ain’t coming, just you… and…” Her voice came to a stop as a blush began taking over her face. Applejack lowered her hat right above her face in order to hide her coming blush. “…Me”
Rainbow now looked puzzled as she landed on the floor. “And… the rest of the Apples right? But why? AJ, not to be rude but when did you start planning sleep overs? And also, why just me, what about…” Rainbow stopped mid thought as her wings dropped in a sad realization. “Wait, never mind I know why… they don’t have time.” Rainbow let out a bit of a sigh, momentarily showing her internal emotions.
Applejack chuckled awkwardly as she thought up an excuse. “Don’t know Rainbow… guess i’ve been getting a bit lonely, and I thought having my best friend hang out with my family like we did that one party couple ah moons back would be nice” This time she felt like she was speaking with honesty. Honesty… I mean this… that moment was really one of my favorite memories in recent times. Applejack thought to herself as she smiled at Rainbow Dash in a kind manner.
Rainbow’s ears perked as she listened to Applejack. “You… have been feeling lonely? Despite your family being beside you all day?” She thought for a moment, realizing that maybe, just maybe, she was not alone with her feelings, that maybe she was the one that should have been reaching out to her friends because they might feel alone too. “Sure, sounds fun! I’ll be there, let me just go to the store to buy food for Tank and i’ll be right over.” She began to hover again as she gave Applejack a playful bump.
“Alrighty! I’ll be a waitin’ for ya, come on over we’ll have treats ready. Because if I know one thing about my Rainbow is that she has the appetite of all of Ponyville combined, and then some to spare for dessert!” Applejack chuckled to herself as she put her hat back on.
Rainbow’s mind sat on Applejack’s choice of words, My Rainbow, The words kept replaying in her head before she shook herself out of it. “Yeah I’ll be there pronto! Probably even before you. Ya know, because I’m super fast at flying and everything”
Rainbow Dash shot a cocky smile before launching into the sky in the direction of the market. “Oh you cocky pegasus, You’re on!” Applejack began booking it for Sweet Apple Acres, trying to get there before Rainbow did.
====================
Rainbow took no more than 3 seconds to reach her destination, quickly buying a few vegetables. On the way back to her house, she flew a lot slower, once again dreading opening her large, heavy doors.
This time this was not the only thing plaguing her mind however, now she was having thought about the rest of her friends, how lonely they must feel.
Rarity… you’re in such a strange land with none of your friends to help you… Maybe if I had come with you, maybe neither of us would have felt lonely.
Pinkie… you- you’re probably doing fine admittedly… but, you would probably be better with some of us, with me to keep you company.
Twilight, you’re so busy all the time ruling all of Equestria… it’s probably such a big burned, such a lonely job.
Fluttershy… you- you too, you like being alone I guess, and you have discord so meh. But maybe you’d be less lonely with me around
And Applejack… my Applejack… I had no idea you would ever feel loneliness, I guess we really have not hung out as much anymore. Would I really make such a big change to your night? Among all your family?
Before Rainbow could finish her thoughts, she bumped into a very solid piece of cloud. “Ouch!” She looked up again as saw she was at the door to her own, cold mansion. “Yay… home sweet home” She put her hooves on the door and pushed.
A few months back, she would be able to swing that door open with no issue, but after Twilight’s coronation, she felt like her door was getting heavier and heavier every single day somehow. “I’m home!” She shouted into the empty hallways as she closed the door behind her. “I brought some dinner, I’m going out. Remember to lock up the house and put your plate away once you’ve finished” She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a single bowl, putting the assortment of vegetables into it.
Rainbow flew up to her room, and opened the decorated door, trying to find tank somewhere in the floor. “Here you go buddy” She set the plate down as she kept looking, and eventually found him shelled up beside a strange, opened cardboard box. “Huh, what’s this I wonder?” She got closer to the box and dug her hooves into the packing peanuts trying to feel for the package.
“Ah-ha! There you are… what are you?” She lifted the object from the box, revealing a beautiful trophy dedicated to her. “I… won”
Why don’t I feel happy about that? I should be screaming with joy, soaring through the sky in celebration… Why does this victory feel… Empty…
Rainbow stared at the trophy for a few seconds, but then her eyes began hovering all around her decorated room. Her eyes eventually settled on her friend’s pictures. She analyzed a picture Rarity had sent her when Rarity first went to Maregentina. It was a picture of her at a night club, partying out “Maregentinian style”. Her eyes then shifted focus to a picture of Pinkie Pie, partying out like she normally does. Next to that, Fluttershy, calmly brushing the fur of some feline Rainbow could not even hope to name. Next to that, Twilight in royal garments, standing proudly with Spike at her side. And right after, a family photo of Applejack, and her whole Apple family. Finally, Rainbow’s eyes dropped to see the photo oh her, with all her friends, the entire band together.
After a few seconds, her eyes dropped even further to look at the trophy again. No one is around to celebrate with me… No one came to watch one of the most important moments of my life, they didn’t even write back! I handed AJ the pass directly and she didn’t even bother to tell me she wasn’t coming!
“All of them are too busy with their perfect lives, too busy living out the ‘dream’. Too- Too busy to care about me anymore!” A tear formed in her eye as she tightened her grip on the trophy.
After a few moments of intense silence, Rainbow let out a scream as she hurled the trophy out of the window with full strength. She let herself drop on her bed, as she began sobbing. She wrapped herself in her wings as all the weight of these past few months began crushing her down. Tears kept running down her face endlessly as she sobbed without control. Now truly, she felt like she was drowning.