Chapter 3
"But… but AJ… I just… I just don't understand."
Applejack sighed, cringing slightly as she gazed into the confused, questioning face of her marefriend. She tried to look away, but the innocent glinting look in the mare's magenta eyes held her gaze. She found she simply couldn't look away. Applejack sighed again. This certainly wasn't easy, and it was not going very well at all for her so far. "Listen, Rainbow… Ah told ya. Ah'm just gonna leave for a while ta help mah Pa. He needs help, Rainbow, and Ah think Ah'm the only one who can give it to him."
"But why do you have to leave? I… I want you to stay. I want you to stay with me."
Applejack shook her head, trying to avoid the tears that she knew would come if she kept looking the pegasus in the eye. "Ah can't, Dash. Macintosh won't let Pa stay here, so Ah've gotta go with him. It's the only way."
"But why… why are you going anyway? He abandoned you, Applejack. He's not… he's not worth it."
"Ah know it don't make much sense, Rainbow… but… Ah think he's changed. Ah think he wants forgiveness… and Ah'm… Ah'm willin' ta give him one last shot."
"But he… he doesn't need you like I do. I… I love you, Applejack. Please stay with me."
Applejack sighed and momentarily buried her face into her hooves as she lay upon the bed. Her tail swished back and forth across the blankets behind her in agitation as she closed her eyes and tried to think of a way to get her message across. "He's… he's family, Dash. Ah've gotta believe him. Ah'm gonna hafta leave ta help him, but Ah won't be gone long."
"I don't want you to leave."
"Ah know, Sugarcube. Ah'm sorry. Ah'm sorry it has ta be this way, but Ah gotta help mah Pa."
"I don't like him, AJ. I don't trust him. He left you. He…"
"AH KNOW WHAT HE DID!" Applejack jumped up, startling the pegasus with her outburst. Rainbow Dash fell backwards onto her back in shock, unprepared for Applejack's reaction. Applejack turned to look at the other pony – now below her – and immediately felt her sudden burst of anger recede. A few flyaway strands of her golden-blonde mane were blown away from her face by her rapid exhalation as she sighed again, instantly regretting her momentary loss of control. "Ah'm sorry, Dash." She dropped back down to the blankets to lie beside the prone mare.
She rolled over to get a good look at her marefriend. Applejack cringed at the sight of Rainbow Dash's eyes, now glistening with what could only be traces of budding tears. Applejack mentally reprimanded herself for losing her cool. She knew how fragile Rainbow Dash still was, even months now after the fateful day that had thrust them together. "Pl… please, Applejack. I just… I just want to know that you still love me. I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to go away. I love you. I love you too much."
It was too much for Applejack. She hated seeing her marefriend like this, and she hated even more the fact that she herself had brought her condition about. Reaching forward, she gently lay a hoof upon her lover's tender cheek before pulling her close. Applejack stared deep into Rainbow's magenta eyes as she drew her face closer and closer to her own. Their breath mingled in the space between them for a fraction of a second before their lips touched. For a while, they simply pressed their lips into one another, savoring each other's flavor and soaking up the intimate moment. Applejack let relief wash over her as she felt Rainbow Dash expel a pent-up breath through her snout. The pegasus relaxed in her hooves.
Applejack pulled away to allow her lover to rest her head upon her chest. Rainbow Dash reopened her eyes to glance quickly up at her mare's face. Applejack brought her hoof to the pegasus's rainbow mane and played with it absent-mindedly. Rainbow Dash rolled off of her back, shifting so that she lay next to her lover and could reach out and embrace her. She held on tight, burying her face furtively into the earth pony's chest. Applejack just kept stroking her multi-colored mane. "Of course Ah love ya, Dash."
"I'm scared, AJ. I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to leave. I don't want to be alone. I haven't been without you since… since…" Rainbow Dash choked on her words, suddenly finding herself unable to finish her thought. It was too painful.
Applejack saw the pain in her lover's eyes. She immediately wrapped her forelegs around the other pony and drew her even closer. She could feel drops of moisture flitting onto her shoulder, dripping from the pegasus's eyes as she held her. Applejack felt regret welling up in her as she watched the other pony, it hurt to see her pain. She held her even closer, gripping her lithe body against her own and feeling warmth spread between the two of them as their pelts were compressed. "Ah'm sorry. Ah'm so sorry, Dash. Ah love ya too. Ah' so sorry, but Ah gotta leave. Ah won't be long."
Rainbow Dash's breaths came as ratcheting gasps. Applejack loosened her grip slightly, unaware just how tight she had been holding on. Rainbow Dash sniffed loudly and rolled onto her side, still gripping the other mare around the waist. Wiping her eyes off on a patch of orange fur, she looked up into her marefriend's face again. Applejack tried to give her a wan smile, but couldn't hold it. She sighed again as Rainbow Dash laid her head upon Applejack's chest once more. "I don't want to be away from you."
Applejack leaned forward just far enough to plane a light kiss on the other mare's forehead. "Ah know, Dash. Ah don't wanna leave ya either, but sometimes… sometimes a pony has to do something they don't wanna do because they hafta do it. Besides, maybe it'll be better for both of us."
"What… what… what do you mean?" Rainbow Dash looked up, confusion in her eyes as she tried to understand her marefriend's words. Applejack propped her head up, placing a hoof under her lover's chin so she could look right into her eyes.
"Rainbow… you've barely left mah side for more than a few hours at a time for months now. We spend almost every waking moment together, and Ah don't think it's good fer ya."
"But… I love you… I want to be with you."
"Ah know Rainbow, but you can love me without being near me all the time. Ah think… Ah think you're becoming obsessed."
"But… you saved me…"
"Pinkie saved you. Fluttershy saved you. Ah just helped. Why don't ya want ta spend time with them?"
"Because… because I…" Rainbow Dash stopped again, tears welling in her eyes again. Applejack leaned forward to kiss her forehead again. Rainbow Dash drew in a deep breath. "Because I don't feel about them the way I do about you. I don't want to lose you."
"Ah know, Rainbow. But Ah promise you that you won't lose me. Ah love ya too, don't forget that, and don't doubt it. Ah have ta leave, but Ah'll be back. Don't worry."
"I don't want to be alone."
"You won't be. Big Mac and Applebloom will be here, too. You can talk to them too."
"It's not the same."
"Ah know, Dash. But Ah think it's for the best. Ah think it'll be good for ya ta spend some time away from me. Ya need ta be strong, Dash."
"I… I don't think I can."
"Aw…" Applejack grinned slightly, playfully batting at the mare's ear. "Is this the Rainbow Dash Ah know? Not strong enough to spend a few days away from me?"
"I don't feel the same anymore. I don't feel like the strong Rainbow Dash. She's gone."
"No, she ain't." Applejack kissed her marefriend's cheek. "She's right inside ya, Dash. Ah need ya to be strong while I'm gone. Can ya do that for me?"
"I… I guess. You'll… you'll only be a few days, though, right?"
"No more than two weeks, Dash. Ah can't leave the farm for very long anyway. Ah promise Ah'll come back, and then Ah'll spend a whole day wit' ya."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Applejack grinned as she performed the slightly silly motions. Rainbow Dash giggled, a small smile breaking onto her face for the first time in a long while.
"Ok. I'll… I'll try, Applejack."
"Now that's my Dashie." Applejack nuzzled the cyan mare for a few seconds before glancing up from the bed. Her gaze fell upon the window across the room, and she was surprised to see nothing but darkness and twinkling stars staring back at her. Night had fallen without her even knowing it. Applejack glanced back down at Rainbow Dash, who had propped her head up and was staring out the window too.
"AJ?" Rainbow Dash suddenly spoke, turning around to face her lover again.
"Yes, Dash?" Applejack blinked at her, half afraid that she would start crying again, or worse, drag the issue even further out and make her feel even worse about having to leave.
"Can I… can I sleep with you tonight?"
Applejack smiled, chuckling as she glanced quickly at the forlorn, abandoned cloud bed across the room. "O' course ya can, Sugarcube. Besides, Ah need to get my fill o' ya before Ah leave." She playfully rubbed the pegasus's head, mussing her six-hued mane into a frizzy mess. She leaned over to the bedside table and blew the candle out, blinking as the room was plunged into a darkness lit only slightly by the moon's blue glow. She settled into the bed, feeling the familiar sensation of Rainbow Dash's head against her chest once again. She reveled in the sound of her lover's breaths growing shallower and shallower, as they both lay in one another's embrace, finally letting the long, dark tendrils of blissful sleep draw them into their last night together.
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Celestia's sun rose high over the countryside surrounding Ponyville. There was nary a cloud in the sky. Beams of intense light went untethered as they shone down upon the sleepy farm. The scene was bright and cheery, in stark contrast to the mood inside the quaint farmhouse.
The kitchen table was surrounded by ponies, but the conversation that might normally have flowed between the room's occupants was absent. At one end of the table, Apple Cider stood shiftily glancing between Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Rainbow Dash. Macintosh mostly avoided his gaze, unwilling to look at his father except to glare at him. Applejack would look sympathetically up at him momentarily, but she too wouldn't give him her attention very long, returning to her food often. Next to her, Rainbow Dash avoided him entirely, staring intently down at her hooves as she shifted nervously in place. She wouldn't touch her breakfast, whereas Cider had already finished his. The empty plate seemed to be glaring at him just as much as his son was. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable.
He glanced back at his daughter. Applejack could feel his gaze on her even as she ate. Inwardly, she cringed. The situation had grown extremely undesirable. She wished Rainbow Dash would quit moping dejectedly and just eat, but she knew what the pegasus was going through. She wished even more for Big Macintosh to quit acting so angrily, but she knew she probably couldn't change that either. No matter how much she didn't like his behavior, he was still her brother, and Applejack had to admit his argument held some credibility. No matter how much she wanted to believe that he had changed, she was still skeptical of her father's intentions. Secretly, she was glad that Macintosh had sent Applebloom for a sleepover at Carousel Boutique with her friends. It was probably better she wasn't here.
With one last bite of apple strudel, Applejacks plate was clear. She sighed to herself, looking up from the table to see that everypony else's gaze had fallen on her. It was time. "Dad? Are ya… are ya ready ta go?"
Cider shot a single nervous glance at his son before sighing and acquiescing. "As ready as I'll ever be." Silently, the two made their way to the front hallway. Applejack stopped to pick up a set of saddlebags she had packed earlier and slipped them over her shoulders, tightening the strap as she did so. For his part, Cider had once again dressed into his traveling cloak.
For a moment, nervous prangs of uncertainty racked through Applejack as her gaze flipped from her father, standing in the doorway now, to her brother and marefriend, who had just left the kitchen. "Can ya give us a moment, Dad?" Silently, Cider slipped out through the door, exiting onto the porch and allowing the thick wooden slab to shut itself. Applejack trotted back from her position by the threshold, sidling up to Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash with a forced smile. "Well… Ah guess this is goodbye."
"Are ya sure ya wanna do this, AJ?" Big Mac's earlier anger had been replaced by a look of concern.
Applejack reached up to give her brother a tight hug. "O' course Ah'm sure, Mac. Ah'm gonna help him, no matter what."
Big Macintosh hugged his sister back, his normal tough façade breaking down momentarily as he held her. "Ah'm worried about ya, AJ. Ah don't trust him, and Ah just want ya to be safe."
"Come on, Mac. Don't worry about me. Ah'll be back in time for harvest season."
"Ah… Ah love ya, little sis." Big Macintosh planted a kiss on the top of his sister's head, earning a blush from the slightly smaller pony.
"Ah love ya too, Mac." Applejack squeezed him for a moment more before letting go and turning to Rainbow Dash. "Ah love both of ya."
In a sudden, unexpected burst of speed, Rainbow Dash rushed up to Applejack and pressed her lips to her partner's before the earth pony even had time to register her attack. Applejack's eyelids flew wide in shock for a moment before they settled down in bliss. Her momentary surprise gone, Applejack pressed just as hard back into Rainbow Dash, their mouth's locking into each other as their tongues grappled for dominance. They could very easily have continued this, feeding off of each other's pleasure and energy, for hours, had it not been for the exaggerated cough Big Macintosh gave. As it were, the two ponies broke apart as soon as it dawned on them that they were being watched, blushing madly.
Rainbow Dash grinned stupidly before wrapping her fore legs around her marefriend. "Just something to remember me by."
Applejack smiled as she hugged the mare back, nuzzling her lovingly with a cheek as well. As much as it pained her to leave Rainbow Dash, she took some comfort in the fact that the other mare didn't seem to be crying anymore. "Ah could never forget you, Dashie."
Rainbow Dash pulled away slightly to look Applejack in the eye. "Promise?"
"Ah promise." Applejack kissed the pegasus on the nose, giggling as a blush once again flushed over cyan cheeks. "Ah love you, Rainbow."
"I love you too, AJ. I'm… I'm gonna miss you… a lot."
"Don't worry, Dash. Ah'll be back before ya know it." Applejack gave her a final kiss on the cheek before they separated. Finally, she turned around and trotted towards the door. She put a hoof to the latch, pushing so that the thick wooden panel swung open. Before she left, she turned around to look at her brother and marefriend one last time. She smiled for them. "Ah'll see you soon."
She trotted outside, shut the door behind her, and she was gone.
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A breeze rolled through the open window and fluttered the multicolored locks of Rainbow Dash's mane. As soon as Applejack had left, Rainbow Dash had galloped up the stairs, now coming to rest in Applejack's room, propped up on her cloud bed and staring out through the window she had just thrown open. She strained to see her marefriend as she receded down the road into town, growing smaller and smaller as she and the looming figure of her father drew further away. Rainbow Dash sighed as she reached up to wipe a tear from her eye. It was going to be a long few weeks.
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The two had taken the long road through the orchard mostly in silence, opting not to say a word to each other as they walked. Finally, they reached the bridge that led into Ponyville proper. They both walked across, and Applejack found herself among many other ponies she knew fairly well. They all seemed to quiet down and stare as they passed, many of them still clueless to the identity of the stranger she walked with. It unnerved Applejack slightly to see each pony drop their conversation and turn to stare as they passed by.
Applejack smiled at them, desperate to make them understand that nothing was wrong, but even more desperate to appease the growing sense of worry that had knotted up in the bottom of her stomach. She wasn't sure what it was, but she could swear there was something she had forgotten. It troubled her.
The revelation hit her with enough force to throw off her concentration and make her stumble for several paces. 'Of course!' she suddenly remembered what had been plaguing her mind only a few minutes prior. 'Applebloom! How could Ah forget?' Shaking herself, she turned to her father, who had stopped and given her a concerned look when she tripped. "Listen, Dad. Ah've got somethin' ta take care of in town. Ah'll meet ya out by the edge of town, Ok?" Her father nodded his agreement and resumed walking. When they reached the main road, he turned down it, heading towards the edge of the small town while Applejack trotted off in the direction of Ponyville's own signature dress shop.
Arriving, she knocked on the purple wood of the door and sat back to wait. Her ears were immediately met with the sound of clopping hooves as somepony rushed towards the door. In an instant, it was thrust open to reveal the beaming face of Rarity. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything… Oh, hello Applejack! Just what brings you here this fine morning, Darling?"
"Hi, Rarity. Can Ah talk ta Applebloom fer a moment? It's important."
"Absolutely. They're in back."
"Thanks, Rare." Applejack strode into the shop, past her unicorn friend and into the back room. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were there, gathered suspiciously around what appeared to be a set of blueprints.
Scootaloo, her back to the elder pony, jumped up, pointing a hoof animatedly at the documents splayed out before her. "Look, all I'm saying is it needs more power. If the trajectory is supposed to put us safely in the lake, we'll need this thing to have more muscle or else we'll fall short."
"Do Ah even wanna know?" Scootaloo whirled around and all three fillies fixed their gazes upon the orange mare as she strode into the room.
Applebloom jumped up and rushed forward. "Hey sis, we're tryin' ta earn our catapultin' cutie marks!"
Applejack sighed. "Y'all be careful now, ya hear? Applebloom, Ah've got something' ta tell ya."
"What is it, AJ?"
"Ah have ta leave for uh… a business trip. Yeah. A business trip. For the farm. It's pretty last minute, but Ah hafta go and Ah'm gonna be gone fer a few weeks." Applejack attempted to smile, but her sheepish grin very nearly betrayed her fib. It was hard enough for her to lie in the first place, but she especially hated doing it to a family member. Thankfully, Applebloom seemed to be buying it. Applejack told herself it was all for the better. She couldn't have Applebloom know her father was in town, after all. That would just lead to more problems.
"Ok, AJ. Ah'll seeya when ya get back!" Applebloom jumped up to give her sister a quick hug before rejoining her friends. Applejack sighed in relief. Lingering to steal one final glance at her little sister, Applejack turned and trotted out the door, Rarity following on her heels. They both stopped outside, allowing the door to shut behind them. Applejack turned to face the pure-white unicorn.
"Listen, Applejack. I don't claim to know much about running a farm… but I don't think you really are going on a business trip. Would you mind informing me what really is going on?"
Applejack sighed. "Was it that obvious, Rare?"
"I'm afraid so, Darling." Rarity gave her friend a sympathetic frown.
"Listen, Rarity…. Don't… don't tell Applebloom about this but… Mah Pa's back in town."
"Your father? You mean the same one who…"
"Yes. Him. That's why Ah don't want AB knowin' about him. It would just turn bad real fast if she knew."
"But, Applejack, darling, wherever are you going?"
"Ah'm goin' with him to his place fer a couple weeks. He needs help, and Ah'm gonna help him get his life back in order."
"But after what he did to you? Darling, you can't possibly be serious."
"He's family, Rarity. Ah think he's changed, and he needs help. But… please, Rarity. You can tell the girls where Ah am if they ask, but please don't tell Applebloom. Ah don't want her worryin' 'bout me."
"I promise, Applejack." Rarity still looked concerned. Applejack smiled to assuage her fears before she turned to leave. "Oh, and Applejack!" The orange mare spun around on her hooves to face the white unicorn again. "Do be careful."
"Ah will, Rarity. Don't you worry none."
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There are many ways for the citizens of Equestria to cross long distances. Trains crisscross the landscape, especially in desert areas, ready to take passengers on a speedy, if questionably comfortable, ride to where they need to go. Trains, however, are limited in where they can travel by the tracks they must ride on. As a result of this, many places on the map have no rail service, either because they are just too remote or because they just lack tracks for some other reason. Another problem with trains is that they cost money, and some ponies are simply either unable or unwilling to pay the bits required to endure a lurching ride to their destination.
For those ponies who choose to go without such vehicular modes of transportation, several options still exist. Of course, any pegasus pony will readily state that flying is the only way to travel, but even a pegasus with the most stamina will begin to grow tired and have their wings start to ache after any seriously long flight. This, however, is a moot point to ponies who do not even possess wings, and as such, they are usually left with only one feasible option for their mode of transport, provided they don't have access to such devices as hot-air balloons, hoof-built helicopters, or traveling, wheeled cider-factories. These ponies are usually resigned to walk.
This was exactly the situation both Cider and Applejack found themselves in as they made the journey from Ponyville to Cider's own home. They had begun their long walk early in the day, but as midday approached and shadows grew short, Applejack found herself wishing for some sort of protection from the hot summer sun. She mentally cursed herself for not having the foresight to bring anything capable of producing shade, and was forced to saunter along in her father's wake, letting him lead the way to whatever small town he now called home.
Of course, they had to stop multiple times along the way for water, and Applejack usually took each occasion to grab an apple or other treat from one of her saddle bags. After all, she reasoned, she would have to keep up her strength for such a long journey in the sweltering heat. The road was long, and soon enough, the sun had begun to dip low towards the horizon, casting its rays at a progressively lower angle and turning the Equestrian sky from blue to varied orange and red hues. These gradually faded into purple as the glowing orb of the day sank even lower, bringing with it the pervasive heat. This was a welcome relief to the orang pony, who started to worry less about over-exertion even as the two were forced to pick up their pace by the oncoming darkness.
No matter how difficult the journey on hoof seemed to be, however, and no matter how focused she was on her surroundings, or her destination, or the idle chit-chat she occasionally engaged in with her father, one thing always remained lodged in the back of her mind. Try as she might, she could not shake the crippling worry she felt for Rainbow Dash. Her mind was racked with images of the cyan pegasus: images of her alone, crying, and even worse. 'Ah hope Rainbow is doin' Ok.' As she struggled with her thoughts, her gaze wandered to the horizon, where the last sliver of daylight was just edging its way out of sight. Her hooves were aching and darkness seemed to be setting in with rapidly increasing speed. 'Ah hope we get there soon.'