//------------------------------//
// The News 
// Story: I Pinkie Promise 
// by TheFluttershyeffect 
//------------------------------//

"Is my granddaughter okay?!" Granny Smith asked the doctor as soon as he entered the hospital room, which was also occupied by Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash, and several of Applejack's closest friends.

The doctor put on a grim expression. "She is going to live.. but she obtained severe brain damage. I'm afraid Applejack will be mentally retarded for the remainder of her life"

The realization of what this meant hit everyone at once, and all at once they started crying. All except for Apple Bloom, who didn't really understand what was going on but nonetheless could tell the news wasn't good, and cried anyway.

"Granny Smith.. what's that mean?" Apple Bloom wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"It means uh.. yer sister's gonna be.. different, from now on. She's.. she's not gonna be as smart, I guess. She might start acting like she's younger than you, even. We're gonna have to teach her everything again.." Granny Smith then broke out into tears.

It was then that Applejack woke up. "Hi guys.. hey Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh, and bestest friends!" Applejack was cheerful and clearly oblivious to everything that was going on.

"Hey.. Hey buddy!" Rainbow Dash tried her best to appear happy for her friend, and smiled. "How you feeling? You doing okay?"

"I'm doing fine! But there was a firework that went off and then it made me go asleep.. but then I woke up here. How come I woke up here?"

Rainbow's eyes teared up. "You.. your head got hurt. These nice doctors are here to make you better."

"Are they gonna get me a shot? I don't like shots!" Applejack's face changed from happy to scared.

"No, no, Applejack.. no shots..." Rainbow buried her face in her friend Twilight's shoulder and began to cry.

"Why's Dashie sad?" Applejack asked, confused.

"She's fine.. why don't you spend a bit of time talking with everyone else? We were all so worried about you, after all!" Twilight was clearly better at hiding her emotions than Rainbow Dash had been.

Applejack spent the next hour or so, then eventually her friends all had to leave. All except Rainbow Dash.

:"Er.. Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh? Can ya leave me and, er.. Rainbow Fast alone? Wait.. Rainbow Dash. Can ya leave us alone for a second?" Granny Smith requested. The two silently left the room.

"Rainbow Dash" Granny Smith started, after making sure Applejack was asleep. "I know about the promise ya made to my granddaughter.. and I want ya to keep it."

"Huh?! You.. you want me to.."

"That's right, you made a promise. And you can't lie to the Element of Honesty, that's for sure. And anyway, look at her. She's gotta relearn to walk, to eat, to go to the bathroom on her own.. that's no way to live. If I had to live like that, I'd pull the trigger on myself, though she obviously can't do that..." Granny Smith wiped a single tear from her eye.

Rainbow did the same, wiping both eyes with the backs of her hands. "I.. Alright, Granny Smith. Er, Miss Smith-"

"Granny Smith is fine"

"Okay, thanks. Granny Smith.. I am going to take your granddaughter out for the best day of her life.. and then.." Rainbow looked down, unable to let the next words out.

"Thank you, Rainbow Dus- Er, Dash. Rainbow Dash. Thank you.."

With that, Rainbow left the room in tears.

"What was that?" Apple Bloom asked her grandmother.

"Nothing.. Rainbow Dash just had to go home" Granny Smith replied, looking out the window.