//------------------------------// // Regaining what was Lost // Story: Restless Nights // by DJ Dreamtheater //------------------------------// Chapter 6 Regaining what was Lost It had been a few days since Rainbow Dash and Applejack’s argument. Rainbow had been keeping to herself those few days. She stayed home most of the time except when she left to go do her weather duties but even then she still kept to herself. She didn’t want to talk about what had happen, she really didn’t want to talk to anypony period, so she stayed silent and distant from her friends especially Applejack. Even though they did have that argument Rainbow still thought about her. She wondered how she was doing and if she had cooled down enough so they could talk again. All Rainbow really wanted was to just tell Applejack how she felt, what she thought about her, and if there is any way to make things work. They could back to being friends again or if by some miracle they could become more. At this point though she would just settle for seeing her friend again, at least that would give her some kind of sense that they are okay. The past few nights Rainbow was plagued by nightmares of her and Applejack not making up and Applejack going on the rest of life hating Rainbow. Nightmares that had her waking up at all hours of the night. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since the fight. Rainbow had figured that she needed to apologize but Applejack really isn’t the type to let things go. She knew AJ was stubborn and not going to admit she over-reacted so she would have to make the first move. “I shouldn’t have to make the first move. I did nothing wrong, right Tank?” She asked her tortoise as she paced the floor. In these past few days Tank has been the only one Rainbow communicated with but it’s not like he can offer any advice to the situation. That tortoise has heard more than his fair share of complaints from Rainbow these last couple days but he didn’t care. As long as he got to spend time with Rainbow he was fine. “What should I do Tank?” She laid on the ground in front of him and stared like he was going to offer life changing information or something but he just sat there and stared back. “I know I needed to talk to Applejack.” She said back to his blank stare “The problem is she might not talk back.” He just kept sitting there and staring at his owner talking to herself. “You’re right! I need to talk to somepony. Twilight is the only one though that knows about my secret and I’m not sure how much help she’ll be.” Tank the ever patient tortoise kept staring at his owner still talking to herself thinking the whole time she just might be going crazy. “All right then I guess I should go talk to Twilight. She might be able to help after all.” She left her house, for the first time in almost three days, with the intention to find somepony to talk to about her problem and hopefully get an answer as to what she needs to do. Inside she already knew the answer but that pride of hers was not about to give in and admit she did something wrong even though she knew she messed up. It was Applejack that should apologize, not her. * * * The last couple of days were hard on Applejack just as they were on Rainbow. AJ knew she had over-reacted to what Rainbow had done but she did promise she would come right back, plus Rainbow told Applejack she could trust her. If she couldn’t trust her with something simple as a delivery run then how could she trust Rainbow with something more serious? Applejack wasn’t one for reading too much into dreams but the last few nights they had been bugging her. She would wake up and go out at night for walks through the orchards. Applejack would go out at nights and go for walks so she could think and clear her head. She found the night time the best time because nopony was awake to bother her so she could just walk, think and take in the calming scenery that only the night and moonlight could bring. She wouldn’t think about the dreams she had as she walked around but she would think about Rainbow and if she was doing okay. The last time they ‘talked’ Applejack could tell Rainbow was really upset about what had happened but she was too angry to care. The past few nights her faithful pet dog Wanona would follow her as she strolled through the fields. Applejack would wonder around for a couple of hours thinking how she could make it up to Rainbow. Once she walked around for a little while she would stop at an old apple tree that had been on the farm since Granny Smith was a filly. She would sit under it and pet Wanona as she stared out at the night sky, gazed at the stars, and let her mind wander away. “Darn it, why do things like this gotta be so complicated?” She looked down at Wanona like she had an answer but she was asleep next to her master. She butted the back of her head against the trunk of the tree and moaned to herself. “We were fine as friends! Then she started workin’ on the farm and…” She paused and thought back to her dream about the two of them together. “Then things began to change. Ah changed, maybe, or Ah might have had that thought before.” She continued to sit there under that tree and argue with herself. She wondered if she had changed or if there was something there the whole time it’s just she chose to ignore it until now. “What am Ah gonna do? Ah could talk to Rainbow.” She thought “But Celestia knows how she’ll react to that and Ah’m sure not gonna talk to anypony in my family about this. They might react the same way as Rainbow.” She wanted to talk to Rainbow but didn’t know how to go about telling her something like ‘I have these feelings for you’. The only pony she could think of that could offer some kind of insight might be Twilight. “Well Ah guess that settles that. Tomorrow Ah’ll go see Twilight and ask her…” Applejack paused and thought on how she would tell Twilight. “Ah guess Ah need to work on this some.” Applejack stood up and headed back to the farm to sleep on her decision. She figured out of everypony Twilight would be the most understanding and hopefully give her some sound advice on what she should do. Confront Rainbow or just leave things alone? * * * Rainbow arrives at Twilight’s treehouse and starts to knock on the door when she hears two voices talking inside. She recognizes both voices, it was Twilight and Applejack talking about something, so she walks around to the other side and flies up to the balcony then stands at the glass door and listens to the conversation. Rainbow stood there for a few seconds but all she could hear was mumbles. She put her ear up to the glass to try and hear a little better. She heard what sounded like Applejack saying something but it was too low to really hear but she heard Twilight loud and clear. “You WHAT?!” Twilight exclaimed “Ah know. Ah should really talk to her about this but Ah’m too nervous to.” “AJ take it from me, talking to Rainbow about this will probably be a good thing.” Twilight reassured her friend “Yea but with that darn pride of hers she may just blow me off. Ah did treat her kinda hard after all.” “Applejack trust me. You are going to want to talk to Rainbow about this.” “Y’all might be right Twilight. Ah’m gonna need to think about this.” “It’s no trouble at all AJ, anytime.” Rainbow stayed glued to the glass on the door. She figured that Applejack wanted to talk about how she acted but Rainbow wasn’t aware of Applejack’s real reason for her visiting Twilight that morning. After AJ left Twilight stopped and thought about something then went upstairs and started to write something down. Just then she heard the door leading to her balcony open. She turned and saw Rainbow come walking in, after she looked around to make sure AJ was gone, and then greeted her with an unusual big smile. “Good morning Rainbow!” “Hey Twilight” “So I heard that you and Applejack aren’t talking to each other right now.” “Yea, we had a ‘disagreement’.” “I’m sorry to hear that, really I am.” “That’s why I’m here actually. I need to talk to you.” “I figured as much. You want to talk to Applejack right?” “Yea but I’m not sure she wants to.” “Well of course she does Rainbow.” “Didn’t seem like it to me.” Rainbow covered her mouth “Rainbow were you eavesdropping on mine and Applejack’s conversation earlier?” “I kinda did but I really didn’t hear anything.” “Oh okay then” Twilight looked discouraged at the fact Rainbow didn’t hear anything. Applejack had come to Twilight early that morning to talk to her about these feelings she had towards Rainbow. At first Twilight thought Rainbow had confronted AJ about her feelings but when AJ said they had gotten into a fight earlier that week and that they hadn’t talked since she was unsure what AJ wanted. After much poking and prying at Applejack Twilight finally got her to admit why she showed up. Twilight was ecstatic that Applejack had the same feelings for Rainbow as Rainbow did for Applejack. Twilight wanted to tell AJ how Rainbow felt but she promised Rainbow she wouldn’t, she couldn’t; besides this was something Rainbow had to tell Applejack personally. After Applejack told Twilight her feelings, her dreams, her fears and how she feels when she’s around Rainbow Twilight wanted to find Rainbow and tell her everything. Applejack on the other hoof wanted to talk to Rainbow so she made Twilight promise to keep this between them. Twilight had hoped while Rainbow was eavesdropping she would have heard AJ confession but it seemed like Rainbow was a little too late. Twilight was getting aggravated over the fact she had the opportunity to tell these two love struck friends the truth about each other but she knew it wasn’t her place to just come out and tell them. She could on the other hoof coax them to come together and finally talk about this. “Hey! Hello? Twilight!” Rainbow waved her hoof in Twilight’s face “Oh I’m sorry Rainbow. I guess I got lost in thought.” “I’m having a mental breakdown and you’re daydreaming?! I’m sorry Twilight it’s just I have no idea of what to do here. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” “It’s okay Rainbow, I understand, you’re feeling stressed out right now.” “Yea I guess so. Hey you wouldn’t happen to have a book on these kinds of things do you? Maybe some kind of guide lines or something?” “Sorry Rainbow I hate to say but there isn’t any guide lines to love.” “I figured as much. That’s always my kinda luck.” “You know what though Rainbow. How about later this evening you and I go for a walk around the park. We can talk there and maybe the fresh air will help you think better.” “I’m not sure. What if somepony over hears us talking?” “It will be fine Rainbow, trust me.” “Alright then. Later this evening at the park. I’ll see you there besides I have to take care of some weather stuff anyway, later Twilight.” Twilight smiled at the thought that her plan might work. Now all she has to do is extend an invitation to Applejack and hope she accepts it as well. She walked back to her desk and started writing on the parchment again. * * * The day ticked by slow for Rainbow. She normally would have taken a nap to pass the time but she really wanted to talk to Twilight. She got done with her weather duties over Ponyville early so she lazed around the park till it was time to meet Twilight. “Rainbow there you are!” “Oh hey Twilight. So are we going to talk now?” “Yup just one more minute.” “For what?” “Sorry Ah’m late Twilight Ah had to take care of some last minute things.” “Oh Celestia no, really Twilight?” Rainbow mumbled to her friend “You have to talk to her eventually Rainbow.” Rainbow shivered at the thought of confronting Applejack about everything, especially in a public place like this, even more so since they haven’t talked in a couple of days. “Hey Twilight…oh hey there Rainbow.” Rainbow stood there staring at the ground not knowing what to say. “Twilight what’s the big idea? Y’all said we should talk, you never said Rainbow was coming.” Applejack whispered to Twilight “Look you two, you have been ignoring each other for the almost a week now. It’s time you two made up!” They both stood there silent trying to figure out what Twilight’s plan is. “Rainbow your pride is what is keeping you from talking to Applejack not the fact you’re afraid if she’ll not talk back. Applejack your stubbornness is what’s keeping you from talking to Rainbow. Not to mention that the both of you are so afraid of rejection from the other you are ignoring how it’s affecting you personally.” “What fear of rejection?” Applejack asked “I’m tired of keeping your guys secrets. Somepony needs to talk to the other one or I will!” Rainbow Dash wanted to disappear but she knew that no matter how fast she could fly she wouldn’t escape the fact that Applejack was going to find out about her secret, either from her or Twilight, so it was up to her to come clean. It was time for her to own up to her feelings. Applejack was regretting showing up this evening. She could have just stayed home and been just fine but she still had not figured out how to say to Rainbow how she felt. It doesn’t matter now though, with Twilight putting the spotlight on her like this, she had no choice but to say what she felt. Rainbow reached out and grabbed Applejack on the shoulder. “Twilight is right. AJ I need to talk to you about something. Not here though, can we walk and talk?” Applejack did not know how to react. She wasn’t sure what Rainbow had to say and she really wasn’t sure what she was going to say to her. “Well alright Rainbow, if it’s that important.” The two started to walk off together in silence, neither one of them wasn’t sure what to say, then Twilight could be heard yelling to them. “I want to see progress when you return!” * * * The two friends walked for some time without saying a word to each other. Rainbow didn’t want to say anything; the time she was spending with Applejack was great even if they didn’t talk. Walking through the park with AJ on a moonlit night is what Rainbow needed to make sure that her feelings were true. Rainbow glanced over at her friend who was lost in thought, she couldn’t be sure on what, but she knew it had to be something majorly bugging her. They walked by a lake then Applejack stopped and stared out across the water. “What’s up AJ?” “Ah’ve been thinkin’ and Twilight is right. Rainbow there is somethin’ Ah’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about.” “No me first, I need to tell you this more.” “Now hold on Rainbow Ah know y’all want to apologize for earlier this week but Ah’ve got something a little more important.” “Wait, what?! Apologize? If anything you should apologize for over-reacting.” “Me? Y’all were the one who left and didn’t come back.” “That’s because I needed to talk to Twilight!” “Y’all keep sayin’ that. What could’ve been so important?” “The fact that…” Rainbow paused not knowing what to say next. Rainbow shut her eyes tight and grit her teeth. All she wanted to do was finally tell AJ the truth. “The truth is I’ve been meaning to tell you. Applejack I love you.” Applejack was stunned and speechless. She didn’t know if what she just heard had actually come from Rainbow or was it her mind playing tricks. Rainbow stood there waiting for a response from Applejack but all she was getting a black stare. “I’m guessing from that stare you don’t feel the same way. I understand I’ll just leave you alone.” She lowered her head and folded her ears back then started to walk away. “Rainbow wait!” Applejack ran in front of her to stop her. “Are y’all serious about what you just said?” “Yea, I am and I know it’s probably weird for you so I won’t bug you but I hope we can still be friends?” “No Rainbow y’all don’t understand. That’s what Ah wanted to tell y’all as well.” “What?! Really!?” “Yea sugar cube but Ah was too scared of how y’all would react.” “Me too, I didn’t want to lose you as a friend.” “Well y’all don’t need to worry about that anymore.” Applejack put her hoof under Rainbow’s chin and lifted her face up to hers. They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like a lifetime even though it was only for a few moments. They both leaned in close, both of their hearts beating a million miles a second, they could feel each other’s breath. Rainbow’s wings had shifted from being by her side to an upright position, a pegasus trait showing their love, then the whole world stopped. At least for those two it did as they shared their first real kiss. “It just like how I dreamed.” Rainbow thought “Wait; don’t let this be another dream!” She thought They stood there for what was like an eternity locked together by that kiss. The seal that showed that both of them had felt the same way. That was until Applejack pulled herself away from Rainbow. Rainbow’s expression on her face dropped instantly like her wings. “What’s wrong AJ? Did I do something wrong?” “Ah…Ah’m just unsure.” “What? Unsure about what?” “You weren’t unsure with that kiss a second ago.” Rainbow thought “Ah mean what about my family? What if they don’t approve of this?” “Well they are your family, I’m sure they can be understanding right?” “Ah don’t know. Rainbow Ah need some time to think. If y’all will give me that Ah’ll have an answer for ya.” “Wait if you’re going to talk to your family I want to be there.” “No Rainbow this is something Ah wanna do alone.” Applejack walked off into the night to think about everything that had just happen. She told Rainbow the truth tonight and Rainbow had felt the same way as well. She should be happy, stumbling over herself with happiness, but she was worried about what her family would think if they found out. Applejack finally admitted to Rainbow her love, the only pony she had felt that way for, and now she might have to choose between her loved ones. Applejack didn’t want to choose, she couldn’t choose, she needed time to think. Rainbow left the park feeling like she walk on water. Finally she had told Applejack the truth. Surprisingly Applejack wasn’t freaked out or creeped by it. Applejack actually had the same thoughts, the same feelings, and Rainbow was ecstatic by the thought. No more secrets, no more hiding stares, now they can actually move on. Rainbow felt calm for the first time in a week or so, she might even be able to sleep the whole night tonight, and there was nothing that could change that. * * * Rainbow flew home that night still not believing that what just happened was real but she knew it, she finally did it, and that thought made her the happiest pegasus ever. She wondered though if AJ was doing ok. She was pretty upset when she left. I know she wanted to be left alone to think but what if I just stopped by for a second to make sure she’s fine. Rainbow changed her course and headed towards the Apple family farm. She wasn’t going to actually stop at the place just fly by to see if Applejack is fine. She made it to the farm and it was dark and quiet. She figured that everypony was asleep so she would fly by quick then leave. She started to fly down to the far when she noticed the front door open. “Now who would be awake at this hour?…other than me” She flew down and landed expecting to see Applejack but instead it was Granny Smith holding a lantern. “Hey there Granny Smith. Aren’t you up a little late?” “Ah should say the same for you as well.” “What are you doing outside with a lantern?” “Waiting for Applejack.” “Wait you mean she hasn’t come home yet?” “No. The last I heard Applejack was going to see Twilight at the park for something. What are you doing out this late?” “Oh well I…ran into Applejack and Twilight at the park. We hung out for a bit and Applejack headed home. I was just making sure she got home safely.” “Wait! You mean you let go off alone?!” “Well yea, she said she would be fine. Why?” “There’s been an increase in Timber Wolf sightings lately.” “WHAT?! Oh nononono!” Rainbow shot off like a rocket heading back to the park. She flew as fast as she could. She couldn’t stop beating herself up in her mind. “How stupid could I be!? I should have never let her go off alone tonight!” -End of Chapter 6-