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It was a warm, sunny summer day in Ponyville. Sun shining, sky clear. The weather pegasi, including Rainbow Dash, had already finished clearing the sky so it was as blue as it could be. Rainbow, who had been working hard earlier, had flew up to her cloud house to rest. Everypony was just tending to business; Applejack working at Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity bustling to make new outfits for clients, Twilight studying up, Pinkie baking sweets at Sugarcube corner, and Fluttershy tending to her animals. Rainbow, however, was not as satisfied. Something she remembered from long ago struck across her mind today.
Many ponies before such as her friends in the Mane 6 had thought that Rainbow Dash's friendship with Gilda was nothing more than just a seemingly normal relationship with a friend from childhood. Dash couldn't let anyone know the truth, though. Gilda swore she would kill her if she said anything about what her Griffin friend had done to her in the past. She didn't only scar her with hurtful words, but beat her up with sharp talons and a beak like a knife. They were good friends at one time, but it all changed when the thing happened. The thing is still imprinted in Rainbow Dash's mind. Dash was glad that she finally thwarted off Gilda when she came to Ponyville, but that probably just put her in more danger. She was living on the edge of fear now.
Despite Rainbow's usual tough, self-centered ego, she was a real softie inside. But of course, she didn't want anyone to know that. She would swoon at puppies, and, believe it or not, she was actually a very big fan of dresses. It made it all the more hard to tell someone about her secret. But she figured it was time to take a stand. She couldn't hide behind her tough-pony image for any longer if she didn't spill this out. What kind of friend would she be then? She was the element of Loyalty and if she wasn't true to her friends, she might as well have been called a liar. But she can't tell everyone, then the rumor would get out. She needed to find someone willing to keep their mouth shut.
"Why can't I just let it GO!" she yelled to herself in the empty cloud house. "It was in the past." Dash still couldn't shake the feeling that if she said anything about the matter then she'd be in deep trouble. Not to mention Gilda's strong talons again. She just wanted somepony to know what she's been through. She couldn't live like this any longer. But who could she trust to tell? Dash thought about it for a while, overlaying each one of the Mane 6's personality in her head to find the perfect person to tell. Pinkie Pie was her best friend, but she needed to work today and Rainbow didn't want to bother her. Rarity was the gossip type, couldn't trust her. Twilight surely wouldn't know how to comfort her if she became sad. Fluttershy was a viable option, but Dash was afraid she'd make too big of a deal about it.
It was noon and most of the busy ponies in Ponyville had taken a lunch break. All except for Pinkie Pie, who was still bustling around the ovens in Sugarcube Corner to feed the ponies in the shop. But Rainbow Dash was heading all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. After a moment of thinking, she remembered Applejack. She was the toughest and most honest pony in Ponyville, Right? She would surely keep her good friend Rainbow Dash's secret. Dash took the long fly over to the apple farm to find Big Macintosh waiting for someone to show up at the barn door. Rainbow Dash and Mac hadn't spoken to each other in a long while, so it was kind of awkward.
"Well hey ther, Rainbow. Have ya seen Applejack around anywher?" The large stallion said with a smile to Dash.
"Sorry Big Mac, I haven't. I was about to ask you the same thing." Rainbow Dash said. The two sat awkwardly for a few minutes until Applebloom came Running out of the doors of the house.
"If y'all are lookin' for Applejack, I think she's out in the orchard, buckin'." The yellow filly burst out, running down the dirt path to the newly appeared Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle, the Cutie Mark Crusaders then running off. She caught a glance of Scootaloo staring at her. Typical, wanting to be like her bigger sister.
"Well, thar's yer answer." Macintosh said to Rainbow Dash.
"Thanks Big Mac! I'll see you later."
Rainbow Dash zipped off into the hoard of apple trees to the east of them. she was excited to find Applejack and finally not have to hide her pain behind a smile for so longer. She knew Applejack would be eager to listen to whatever she had to say.
When Rainbow finally reached Applejack, she was sweating, as was AJ for so many hours of bucking apples off the trees. Dash was actually surprised at how many apples she had bucked already. Applejack was not one to step down from her work. She was the most hard working pony in Ponyville, after all.
"Applejack..." Dash said panting, "I need to talk ..to you."
"What is it.... sugar..cube?" AJ said, also panting.
Both of them were glistening from the summer heat in Ponyville.
"Phew, its hot." Dash complained, slicking back her rainbow mane.
"Yeah, it is. That's not all yeh wanted teh tell meh, is it?" Applejack replied while taking her hat off and fanning herself.
"No, it's not. There's something I've been keeping in for a while and you were the one to tell."
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