//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Backlash // Story: A Unicorn's Dream, A Pegasus' Nightmare // by t_givlin //------------------------------// Chapter 4 - Backlash? The two broke away from each other, their eyes un-blinking, lost in each others gaze. Twilight smiled as every jaw in the room dropped. The two ponies finished the song, and returned their attention to remaining 4 ponies in the room. "Twi, you mind tellin us what in the hay is goin on here!?" Applejack was first to break the awkward silence that hung in the room. Twilight blushed, and Fluttershy hid her face, not able to face her friends "Well, Darling, when I asked earlier, I certainly wasn't expecting this." The fashionista was sitting on the ground, unable to maintain her posture from the shock. "That..was....AWESOME!!!!" Rainbow Dash went flying over to fluttershy and gave her a big bear hug "Good on you, Fluttershy. Ya finally did it!" Fluttersy looked into Rainbow Dash's eyes in bewilderment. "But, how, how did you know?!" Fluttershy was flabbergasted, Rainbow Dash had somehow known about her feelings. "Well, DUH. Cmon, Fluttershy, it doesnt take an egghead like Twilight to see that you had feelings for her." Fluttershy blushed a deep crimson as Dash rubbed a hoof on her head. The only pony who hadn't said anything was Pinkie Pie, who looked onto the couple with an expressionless face. "Pinkie?" Twlight looked at pinkie, who for the first time since Twilight had known her did not have a large smile on her face. "I just have on thing to say to you" Pinkie Pie finally broke her silence, and was greeted with the gazes of all of her friends. "Twilight, Fluttershy" Pinkie stopped talking as all the ponies leaned in to hear what she was going to say "I need the two of you to Pinkie promise like you never Pinkie promised before that neither of you will hurt the other........Cause if you do....I'll NEVER forive them-" Pinkie Pie put herself muzzle to muzzle with each of the ponies she was speaking to"-NEVERRRRRR" Pinkie looked to her two friends with a look of fierce honesty. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other and began reciting "Cross our hearts and hope to fly, Stick a Cupcake in our Eyes" Both ponies marked their hearts with an x, and made like they were actually sitcking an imaginary cupcake in their eyes. Pinkie looked both the ponies over, not averting her stare away from the two. "In that case" she stated "CONGRATULATIONS!" Pinkie leapt up and shot of some party poppers she had tucked away in her mane. Applejack and Rarity were off in a corner together, talking in whispers under their breath. Twilight caught eye of the unicorn and earth pony "Whats with you two?" Twilight questioned as she made her way over to the pair "Oh, Darling, its nothing" Rarity put on a false smile, and Twilight could tell. "No, its not nothing. you two haven't said much of anything" Applejack looked away from Twilights examining gaze and spoke softly. "Twilight, are you sure about this?" Twilight took a step back. Surely her friends would know that she would never make such a big decision without thinking it through "Of course I'm sure, Applejack, and my feelings about this are not whats bothering you, are they?" Applejack let out a sigh. "I just don't know Twilight, darling" Rarity stepped in to help out Applejack "I guess we just never thought that you *ahem* felt that way towards, oh, how shall I put this?" "I guess we just didn't know you two were fillyfoolers" Applejack abruptly interrupted the unicorns thought. Twilight was now fully in shock, she was certainly not expecting this sort of behaviour from her friends, and she was unsure of how to proceed. "Well, I'm sorry, but if that make us bad people, then I guess I didn't know our friends as well as I thought I did" Fluttershy had floated over to where twilight had confronted the two of them, having overheard everything that was said. "Now, Fluttershy, I believe that I speak for both Applejack and myself when I say that we bear you no hard feelings" Fluttershy was not persuaded by the words Rarity spoke, to her, they just felt like empty platitudes. "Fluttershy, I've known you since we were young-uns, and I have to say I am really shocked." Applejack was still working through the mass of emotions she had felt. Fluttershy took in a deep breath and looked sternly over to her two friends "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm happy and Twilight seems happy so what does it matter?" Applejack had no answer, and neither did Rarity. Of course they wanted their friends to be happy, but they couldn't help shake the feeling that this arrangement was in some way, wrong. After several minutes of silence, Pinkie Pie entered the group "Hey Everypony, isn't this supposed to be a PARTY?! With that Pinkie Picked up Fluttershy and dragged her and Twilight to the middle of the dance floor. "That was way too close" the party pony thought to herself "If I hadn't grabbed those two, who knows what could have happened" Pinkie began to dance and Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike all joined in excitedly, but Rarity and Applejack left the library and began walking towards Carousel Boutique. Twilight watched as two of her friends left the party, letting a sad sigh escape her lips. Fluttershy hugged her new marefriend. "Everything will be alright" was all she whispered, and that was all twilight needed to hear. Rarity and Applejack were silent the entire trip to the boutique, each not knowing what to say to the other. after a good deal of silence, the pair of ponies arrived at the door to the shop. "Hey, Rarity, mind if I come in for a spell?" Rarity nodded and brought Applejack through the store and into the back where she had a small sitting area. Pouring them each a tea, Rarity sat across from the earth pony and let out a long sigh. "I just don't get it, Applejack" Rarity buried her face in her hooves, trying hard to maintain her composure after such a long day. "Well, sugarcube, it seems as though its going to be a long standing relationship. I just wish that I could be happy for 'em" Rarity nodded in agreement The two sat in silence for a while, drinking their tea, and staring blankly into the cups. "You don't think that we acted rashly, do you?" Rarity was the first to speak, but it had been a thought she had been wrestling it since the display earlier in the evening. Applejack couldn't answer, she had no words to describe how she was feeling. The very idea that two fillies could feel that way towards one another? Sure it was common place in the larger cities like Canterlot, Fillydelphia and Manehatten, but for something like that to happen in Ponyville? Rarity finished her tea, and deposited the cup inside her sink turning to Applejack "Why do we feel this way?" Applejack lowered her head "I don't know, Rarity, I just don't know. They are our friends and all, but i just don't think I can encourage two fillyfoolers" Rarity looked into Applejacks eyes "Have you ever had a special somepony?" Rarity watched as Applejacked spit out some of her tea. "Oh, me, nah, never could find time between apple bucking season, and chores and farm repairs" Applejack began wringing her hooves together out of embarrassment, but rarity didn't seem to notice or care of her friends discomfort "Well neither have I. Is it possible that were just jealous of them?" Applejack had to stop and think really hard. Of course it would be nice to have somepony to go home to after the work was done, somepony who would she could talk to about her family. Applejack and rarity met eyes and lowered their heads, both convinced that they might have over-reacted. "Well, Rarity, thank you for the tea, I think I'm a goin to go back home and hit the hay" Rarity nodded and showed her friend to the door. After a brief wave, Applejack made her way down the street and back down to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack made her way up the stairs and curled into her bed. Applejack found herself wandering the streets of Ponyville, everywhere she turned, ponies she had known for as long as she could remember were looking at her with disgust, and slamming the doors. Applejack couldn't understand it, she was always there when somepony needed help, so now why were they treating her this way? As applejack continued, more and more ponies were closing their doors or turning their backs to the hard working pony, even Granny Smith and Big Mac turned away from their kin with looks of disappointment. Applejack sat down on the cold hard ground, closed her eyes and began to cry. Applejack sat for what seemed like forever when she felt the hoof of another pony rest on her shoulder. Opening her eyes and looking up, Applejack was starring right into the face of Princess Luna. "Rest easy Applejack" The princess of the night whispered "All is not lost" Applejack rubbed her eyes not believing what she was seeing "But, Princess Luna, what brings you down to Ponyville so late?" Luna smiled at the down hearted pony " We are not in Ponyville, but rather we are in your dream" Applejack looked around. Everything seemed so real, she could hardly believe what she just heard. "We are responsible for all ponies when they slumber, and we try to help those in their hour of need" Applejack was beginning to understand, but she still couldn't imagine why she would be dreaming that all of her friends would turn away from her. Luna withdrew her hoof as Applejack stood up "Why, Princess, Why would I feel so darn upset" Luna's smile faded away as she looked closely at the orange work pony "Do you really need us to tell you that, Applejack" Applejack's tears had yet to stop, and she lowered her head as she let out a sigh "Its Twilight and Fluttershy, isn't it?" Luna nodded her head "We are surprised, Applejack, That a pony such as yourself would speak so poorly of your friends new found happiness" Applejack raised her head as the tears continued to roll down her cheek "Applejack, we are here to warn you. While it is indeed hard to embrace the unknown or what seems different from what you think is supposed to be right, it is equally hard to reveal to your friends that you might be different from them" Applejack stood silently as Luna continued "But the friendship you share with Twilight and Fluttershy is one that has lasted through the trials that have been laid before you. Do you really think it wise to throw such a friendship away?" Applejacke wiped her tears away "Of course not, Princess" Luna smiled once again at Applejack. "Then we believe you have someplace that you should be. What do you think?" Apple jack turned, and suddenly she found herself outside of the library. "Go to her, Applejack, and remember, your friendship bears the weight of the Elements of Harmony, yours is n ordinary friendship." Applejack reached forward, and opened the library door... Applejack opened her eyes to find herself still snuggled on her bed. It may have been only a dream, but Applejacks tears were all too real. throwing her blanket off of her body, Applejack fled Sweet Apple Aces and began making her way as fast as she could down to Ponyville, unaware of anything going on around her. As she crossed the bridge and made her way onto the main street, out in front of her was another pony running in the same direction. As Applejack caught up to the stranger in the dark, she looked over and saw Rarity running right alongside her. Both Ponies stopped dead in the streets. "Well, Darling, what brings you out this late in the evening?" Rarity was only half dressed in her night robe, the cosmetic mud mask still plastered on her face. "I could ask you the same question" Both ponies looked at the other, and realized they were here to do the same thing. Rarity and applejack began to walk together towards the hollowed out tree near the centre of town, neither saying much of anything to other "What made you change your mind, Darling?" Asked rarity, giving Applejack a sideways glance as they walked. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you" Rarity turned her head to look directly at her friend "Why don't you try me, I might be inclined to believe more than you think." Apple jacked chuckled quietly to herself. "Well, sugercube, I had a nightmare, then got a reality check from a very important pony" Rarity turned her head back to look in front of her "By any chance that pony wouldn't happened to have been Princess Luna, was it?" Applejack stopped dead in her tracks "Now how could you have known that?" Rarity smiled. "Because, Darling, the very same thing happened to yours truly. I was having a dream that the entire town had rejected me, I was forced to close my boutique and move away to live in exile, when the princess flew down from nowhere and had a long talk with me" Now it was Applejack's turn to smile. "Princess Luna is some kind a pony, aint she" Rarity nodded in agreement, and the two continued walking towards the library. As they arrived, Applejack raised her hoof to knock on the door, but stopped herself just a few inches from the wood. "Do you think she'll want to see us?" Rarity's smile faded and a look of sadness spread over her mud covered features. "Thats a good question, Applejack, but, I think whether she wants to see us or not, it is vitally important that we see her tonight!" Applejack nodded in agreement and knock loudly on the door. The two ponies stood out in the cold, unaware of just how early an hour it was. From inside, the two ponies could here the muffled sounds of the baby dragon "Twilight, who could be here at two in the morning? we just went to sleep." Rarity and Applejack looked at each other and suddenly felt very uneasy about the whole encounter. Before any words could be spoken, the door to the library opened up, and before them stood Twilight and Fluttershy. Both ponies were unable to speak, but lunged forward and took both of their friends in a strong embrace. Rarity and Applejack began to cry. "Twilight, Fluttershy, were just awfully sorry for the way we were actin. Wasn't right, and I know I just feel terrible" Rarity just nodded, unable to speak through her tears. "We're very sorry and we hope that you two can forgive us, I know its late an all, but this just couldn't wait. If you need some time, me an Rarity here will completely understand." Without warning, Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around Applejack and Rarity, squeezing them as hard as she could. "Oh, of course we forgive you." Twilight gave her friends a large smile as she invited them in "You two know that we are here whenever you need us, it doesn't matter if it is two in the morning" Applejack and Rarity both wiped away their tears and hugged their friends once again, not wanting to let go. "Now, Twilight and Fluttershy, I just want to tell y'all what I should have said earlier. I am so glad that you two make each other feel so good, and I wish you two all the happiness in the world!" Rarity smiled and nodded in agreement. "You two just let us know if there is anything that we can do to make up for our terrible attitude from earlier" Twilight and Fluttershy faced each other, and a small, devious smile grew over their lips "Well" Twilight said turning away from her new marefriend "You could help us plan the wedding." Rarity and Applejack fell on the ground, mouths open in utter shock. They had only just announced their relationship, surely they couldn't be serious. Twilight and Fluttershy burst into laughter at the surprised looks on their friends faces, and Applejack and Rarity suddenly realized that their friends had just gotten back at them, and all four ponies hugged each other, and had a good laugh.