//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Fading Colors // by J-Webb //------------------------------// Chapter 1: | ------------ |Shipping| |Sad| |Dark| *Note* The concept of this fanfic is based upon real life events that I went through in school. The story is fiction, but the emotion is real. Please enjoy. --- The skyline was glowing faintly, as the sun cast out its final rays of the day. Two friends stood upon a low hill, casting long shadows over the ground below them. Their manes danced in the calming wind, seeming to float elegantly in place. "Rainbow, Ah… Ah got somthin' to tell ya," Applejack confessed in a nervous tone. Across from the Earth pony stood Rainbow Dash, gazing into Applejack's eyes with content. The cyan Pegasus's natural rainbow mane was slightly messy from her flight to Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash's full attention was on Applejack, her face full of excitement and curiosity as to what the farmer pony had to tell her. "Well, duh! That's why you told me to meet you here, remember?" sneered Rainbow Dash, becoming a little annoyed with the Earth pony's loss of words. Applejack had not forgotten why she asked Rainbow to meet her on top of the hill just south of her farm, but she had forgotten what she was going to say. Even after rehearsing it many times, it seemed to disappear as she looked at the pony in front of her. The Earth pony lowered her head a little and let out a long sigh. "Rainbow, promise me we'll still be friends after Ah tell ya this?" "Applejack, I'll always be your friend, no matter what," Rainbow Dash assured. The rainbow-maned Pegasus swung around to the Earth pony's side, draping a wing over her friend, pulling her closer in a comforting embrace. "C'mon, Applejack. If something's on your mind, you can tell me. I'm sure it can't be so bad that it would make me hate you." Basking in her newly found confidence, Applejack turned to look the multicolour-maned Pegasus in the eyes. The farmer pony found herself becoming lost in those rose-colored eyes of her crush. Time seemed to slow to a stop, her vision tunneling around the Pegasus. The only thing left that Applejack could see was Dash's eyes. She felt her soul melting in pure ecstasy at how beautiful they were. Applejack shook her head, coming back to reality. She wondered how long they spent locked eye-to-eye; it could not have been too long she thought, as Rainbow Dash did not seem to mind. "Rainbow… Ah… Ah love you!" Closing her eyes, Applejack braced herself for the worst. An eerie silence lingered in the air, causing the Earth pony to reopen her eyes. The pair stood rooted in place for what felt like hours, staring into each other so deeply their souls seemed to intertwine. Finally, Rainbow Dash broke the painful silence; Applejack feared the worst as the Pegasus began to speak. "Applejack… I, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!" Applejack slowly drifted back into consciousness at the call of the morning rooster. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, the Earth pony yawned. "Just another dream…" Applejack found herself having them a lot lately. Some were nightmares, with Dash not accepting her affection and running off, never wanting to speak with her again. Alternatively, it would be a good dream, where Dash confirmed her feelings, and all her stress would dissipate as she embraced her lover in a blissful kiss. Sadly, they were just dreams, and they were starting to get to the Earth pony. It had been weeks since she really got a restful night's sleep. She was exhausted, and if she wanted to get any bucking done this apple buck season, she had to get this off her chest. "Now which one of mah friends would keep this between us? Hmm…" Applejack thought aloud. --- "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Are ya'll home?" called Applejack, knocking loudly on the timid Pegasus's cottage door. The apple farmer had made herself a quick breakfast, which she had inhaled. In addition, she had half-assed her morning chores to get to Fluttershy's as fast as she could. She had to get this off her chest right now, or she felt like she was going to explode. 'Now where could that silly filly be at?' Applejack asked herself. "Fluttershy?" she called out, knocking harder and more frantic this time. The door swung open before Applejack was finished knocking, causing her to fall face first into the doorway of the cottage. A pony answered her, but not the pony she expected. "Hah hah! Hey there, AppleSmack! What brings you out here so early?" Applejack slowly pulled herself off the floor, rubbing her head with a hoof and letting out a soft groan. She then realized who had spoken to her. "R-Rainbow Dash!" Applejack jumped back from the cyan Pegasus. "The one and only!" Dash replied, puffing out her chest in confidence. "You still never answered my question." The Pegasus lifted an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to the left in curiosity. "Ah… Ah, uh… Um…" Applejack stumbled in speech. Her mind held a million words, but it was still drawing a blank. "Hah hah, what's the matter, AJ? Cat got your tongue?" Dash let escape a soft giggle at her friend's expense before turning her attention back to Fluttershy, who was standing not far behind her. "Thanks again for the help, Fluttershy. I'd love to stay and see what Applejack has to say, but I think I can hear my bed calling my name." The cyan Pegasus let out a yawn before turning back to face the stuttering Earth pony at the door. "Cya later, Applesmack!" Dash walked past Applejack, giving the pony a light smack in the face with her tail before taking off into the skies toward her cloud home. As Rainbow's tail passed over Applejack's face, she inhaled deeply, scrambling her brain even more. The only thing she could focus on was the newly found fragrance of her friend. It held a musky scent of a humid rainstorm, charged with static and the sensation of brisk wind. Applejack let the scent engulf her senses, savoring every second of it. Applejack's mind was lost in her daydreams about Rainbow Dash. She could not take it anymore, she needed to let the cyan Pegasus know how she felt, now! "Umm… is there something you need, Applejack?" questioned Fluttershy, appearing in the doorway. Applejack jumped, having forgotten where she was, not to mention who she came to see. Applejack snapped back to reality. In her daze, she had absently watched Dash take to the air, a fading rainbow trail left behind. Applejack turned to face Fluttershy before realizing her face was lit deep red from blushing so hard. She turned away from the shy pony, blushing even more from embarrassment. Fluttershy giggled at the love struck sight of her friend. "Would you like to come inside?" --- "Would you like some tea, Applejack?" the timid Pegasus quietly asked as her friend slowly made her way into the cottage. Closing the door behind her, Applejack finally spoke. "Sure, tea sounds great, sugarcube." Fluttershy walked off into the kitchen to grab the requested pot of tea. Applejack made her way over to the couch, settling down atop of the soft green sofa. She had been to Fluttershy's cottage many times before, but she never really noticed how critter-friendly the home was. Birdhouses hung from nearly every corner of the living room, and there were mice holes in some of the walls. The one thing Applejack found off was the lack of critters themselves. She wondered silently to herself where they could be when the yellow-coated Pegasus returned, carrying a tray with two cups of tea laid upon it. Fluttershy placed the tea on the oak table in front of the Earth pony. Applejack picked up her cup, drinking from it slowly. Her nerves seemed to calm with every sip as the hot liquid flowed down her esophagus. Walking around the table, Fluttershy took a seat on the couch next to Applejack. "So what brings you here today, Applejack?" questioned the yellow-coated Pegasus, picking up her cup of tea, sipping from it slowly. "Ah'm sure you know why Ah'm here Fluttershy…" Applejack trailed off, thinking back on what had happened only moments ago. The timid Pegasus let out a small laugh. "It wasn't that hard to guess." Fluttershy smiled at the orange Earth pony sitting beside her. "After being around my animal friends for so long, picking up on love comes easy." "Where are the little critters anyway?" Applejack asked, wanting to buy some time before having to discuss her emotions toward her friend. "Oh well," the timid Pegasus answered, "Dash likes it quiet when she comes over to, umm… talk about her past." Applejack stared at Fluttershy with a face full of confusion. What in Dash's past could she only talk to her about? "Fluttershy, if ya don't mind me askin', what happened to Dash?" Fluttershy looked away from the Earth pony, clearly thinking hard if she should say anything about the subject. "Umm… I guess I could tell you. But, this never leaves the two of us." Applejack placed a hoof to her chest. "Ah promise, sugarcube." "Pinkie Pie promise?" demanded Fluttershy, whose gaze focused intently on the farmer, before falling back into her calm demeanor. "I mean, if you want to that is…" As silly as the Earth pony felt going through the motions, she knew it meant a lot amongst her friends. She signed out the promise, repeating its mantra. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye." Fluttershy looked comforted by the ritual. "All right, if you really want to know…" --- "Nice going, Kluttzershy!" laughed a brown-coated colt, flying down to where the yellow filly had crashed. "They ought to ground you permanently." A tan colt with three basketballs for a cutie mark soon joined him. "Ha! My baby brother could fly better than you!" he exclaimed. Fluttershy lay there, accepting the insults of the two colts. As she looked up at her tormentors, she saw a rainbow streak pass through the clouds behind them. In just a moment, a young filly with a rainbow mane landed between her and the colts. "Leave her alone!" the filly yelled. The bullies stood in surprise at the defensive sight of the Pegasus. Rainbow Dash had seen the spectacle from above and was not going to let the colts continue to berate the shy Pegasus. Regaining his composure, the orange colt spoke. "Ooh, what are you gonna do, Rainbow Crash?" "Keep making fun of her and find out!" Dash retorted, narrowing her sight on the pony before her. "You think you're such a big shot? Why don't you prove it?" challenged the brown colt, stepping towards the pair of fillies. "What do ya have in mind" replied Dash. --- "Before Dash pulled off the Sonic Rainboom and earned her cutie mark, she wasn't really noticed in flight school," Fluttershy explained. "After that race, she was the talk of the school for the longest time. She really seemed to enjoy it, too. Nevertheless, some ponies grew jealous of her newly gained popularity, and they started picking on her. Dash still has not told me much about it, although I was around her sometimes when it happened. Oh, it was just terrible, Applejack. Listening to the names float around the school about her, I just do not know how she could stand the teasing for so long… I remember her last day at flight school perfectly; I don't think I'll ever forget it…" --- Fluttershy was walking down the hall of flight school. She and Dash were going out for lunch that day instead of eating in the cafeteria. Dash had told the quiet Pegasus to meet in the lobby after class. Running a little late after visiting her locker, Fluttershy was pushing her way through the busy hallways trying to get to the lobby. Suddenly a rainbow blur flew by overhead, drawing her attention. No question about it, Rainbow Dash was the pony making the rainbow trail. She knew Dash was reckless when it came to rules, but flying in the hallways is a serious offence. Many Pegasi found that out the hard way. Soon Fluttershy noticed two other ponies chasing after Rainbow Dash. She picked up her pace, forcefully pushing her way toward the colorful Pegasus now. By the time Fluttershy got to the lobby, a large crowd had gathered. Many ponies were laughing and pointing at a sobbing Rainbow Dash, while the two bullies she had once stood up to loomed over her. Backed into the far corner of the lobby was Rainbow Dash, hot tears streaming down her cheeks and falling into the cloud floor below. Her wings stood flared out, waiting for the moment her mind told her body to get the hell out of there. The two colts stepped toward the filly, now mere inches away from her. Rainbow Dash screamed through her tearful expression, rocketing off towards the front door of the school and plowing right through it. The last words the bullies uttered lingered in the halls long after the scene; "Rainbow Dyke!" --- Fluttershy found Rainbow Dash on the edge of Cloudsdale, the crying Pegasus' face buried in the clouds. There was an eerie silence, broken only by the hard sobbing of the cyan Pegasus. "D-Dash? It's me, Fluttershy…" the timid Pegasus spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "Go away! I want to be left alone!" hissed Rainbow Dash, lifting her head from the cloud floor to face her only friend. Fluttershy noticed her eyes were bloodshot from crying. She cringed at the sight of the cyan Pegasus. Fluttershy pulled back. "Oh… Um, okay… if that's what you want…" As the quiet Pegasus turned to walk away, Dash shot a pleading call. "Wait, Fluttershy, come back. I didn't really mean it..." Fluttershy turned back, walking over to the crying Pegasus and hugging her for comfort. They sat together for a long time, and soon enough Rainbow had stopped crying. "Thank you…" The yellow Pegasus looked down at Dash, locking eyes with her. "What did I do?" Rainbow sniffed. "Fluttershy, if you hadn't shown up, I… I, don't know what I would have done." It was then that Fluttershy realized they were only feet from the edge of the cloud city. She was struck with a fear that Rainbow may have jumped if she had not come along. She embraced the cyan pony again. "Don't worry, Dash. Those bullies won't bother you anymore," she promised. "You're right, Fluttershy…" Dash replied. "Because I'm leaving." Fluttershy stood up, a look of pure horror across her face. "B-but, Rainbow Dash, where will you go?" she managed to question, holding back tears of her own. "I don't know," replied Rainbow Dash, joining Fluttershy on her hooves. The cyan pony cast a glance over the edge of the cloud city. "But I have to get away from here." Rainbow Dash had made her decision; there was no going back now. The two ponies shared one parting goodbye hug before Rainbow took off, leaving the cloud city and her only friend behind. --- "Years later, Dash ended up in Ponyville," Fluttershy concluded. "I saw her in town one day and invited her back to my cottage. Next thing I knew, she was living here in Ponyville." The Pegasus reached down for her tea, finding that it was now cold. Applejack, for the most, part was at a complete loss of words. Something that had been happening to her a lot recently, she thought. "Gee, Fluttershy, Ah had no idea that Dash had such a rough past." Fluttershy finished her tea, placing the empty cup back on the table. "She's only told me some of what happened, but I know it still haunts her every day. I fear it will stop her from embracing what she truly wants." Applejack turned away from her friend, looking out of the window beside the cottage door. "Fluttershy, Ah gotta tell her, Ah just gotta…" "Applejack, please don't be mad at her if she isn't ready to be true with herself yet," pleaded the timid Pegasus. "She just needs time to heal." Applejack sat for a minute, thinking over her friend's advice. "Thanks for the advice, sugarcube. Ah know what I gotta do." With that, Applejack left the simple home, running towards a certain cloud castle. --- "Rainbow!" Applejack yelled up to the cloud home hovering just outside Ponyville. "Rainbow, get up ya lazy filly!" she called again. The only thing that returned her calls was silence. As the Earth pony turned to leave, she heard a sleepy voice answer her pleas. "I'm coming, geez…" The voice from above could only belong to the rainbow-maned tomboy Pegasus. Applejack's spirits lifted immediately from hearing Dash's voice. It was like music to her ears. She quickly turned herself back around, looking up at the cloud home again. Dash poked her head over the edge of the cloud, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Applejack?" she questioned, flying down to join her friend. "I needed that nap you know…" she started, only to be cut short, finding an orange hoof jammed in her mouth. "Sugar," Applejack asked, "are you busy tonight?" Removing her hoof, Applejack let the pony speak. "Well I do have weather duty, but I should be free after dinner, around sunset. Why?" Sunset, thought Applejack. The same time it was in all of her dreams she'd had about admitting her feelings to the Pegasus in front of her. "Meet me behind Sweet Apple Acres at sunset then. Ah got a surprise for ya." She spoke as nonchalantly as she could muster, secretly brimming with anxious emotion as to what she was planning. Dash immediately lit from her tired expression. "I love surprises!" she exclaimed joyfully, flipping in the air before coming back to the ground. Applejack couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the cyan Pegasus's joy. She felt a hotness rush to her face, lowering her head from her friend to try to hide her blush. "Alright then, sugarcube. Ah hafta get back to tha' farm. Big Mac is probably wonderin' why my afternoon chores ain't done yet." Feeling her blush subside, she raised her head back up and locked eyes with the rainbow-maned pony before her. "Ah'll see ya tonight then?" "You betcha!" replied Rainbow, brimming with confidence. With that, Applejack smiled and said goodbye as she started towards home. --- Applejack stood on the little hill behind Sweet Apple Acres. Sunset was just minutes away. 'Rainbow will be here any minute,' she thought to herself. She looked to the sky, trying to calm her nerves a little. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. 'The weather team did an excellent job today,' Applejack remarked. The atmosphere held the slightest orange tinge, interlocked with light purple, as Celestia's sun just touched the horizon. With her hat fastened tightly on her head, the earth pony did her best to keep from shaking out of it from nervousness. Applejack thought back on how the rest of the afternoon had gone. It was painfully slow for her, not to mention her nerves got the better of her more than once. She put dinner on and had forgotten all about it, her mind clearly too focused on what she was going to say to the mare of her dreams tonight. It also didn't help that Big Macintosh had found out about her feelings. He had pulled her aside after dinner to talk with her. She tried lying to him but it was no use. "Big brother, Ah told ya Ah'm fine. Ain't nothin' Ah need ta talk about," she explained to him with a stern tone. The big stallion just stood there, looking at her with his usual neutral expression. "AJ, look at yerself…" Applejack complied with her brother, glancing over her body to try to understand what the stallion was getting at. She didn't see what the big pony was referring to. Big Macintosh rolled his eyes. "Ah ain't seen ya this tired an run down since last Applebuck season." It was true, she had seen better days. Sadly, two weeks without good sleep will do that to a pony, she thought. "Ah've just had a lot o' stuff on mah mind," she stated, hoping the stallion would settle for it. "Come with me," Big Mac insisted. She followed the workhorse out of the farmhouse. After a short walk, she found herself alone with Mac inside the barn. "Now, just what in the hay are we doin' out here?" she questioned, becoming a little angered with her brother's antics. His voice was soft but stern at the same time. "Somthin's been eatin' ya up Applejack. It's best not to keep these things locked up." His calm tone sent chills running up her spine; she hated her brother for that. She sighed deeply, knowing her defeat. It wasn't something she admitted often, but she knew her brother's persistent nature. Eventually he would get it out of her. "Mac, this stays between us! Ya got that?" She was face to face with the stallion, glaring daggers at him. The big stallion looked unfazed by the threat, giving a simple unjustifiably bleak response in return. "Eeyup." She breathed in, preparing herself to say what was on her mind. "This ain't easy ta say Mac… Ah've sorta fallen' for some pony." "Who is she?" "She… Wait! How did ya know it was a she?" The stallion had caught her off guard, revealing that he knew more than she expected. Big Mac laughed softly. "AJ, Ah am your brother after all. Ah reckon Ah know ya better than ya think Ah do." Applejack took a breath, trying to calm down her racing heartbeat. 'At least the hard part is over with,' she thought to herself. "Well… Ya see Mac, Ah've fallen' for Rainbow Dash…" Her nerves stood on edge at ever little sound, thinking it would be one of her friends eavesdropping on the private conversation. The red stallion's expression never faltered at the answer, as if he already knew. "You gonna tell 'er?" "Actually, Ah am t'night." "Well Ah shouldn't keep ya from it then." With that, the stallion started towards the farmhouse. He was passing by the open barn door when Applejack called out to him. "Mac?" The red stallion turned around, hearing the call from his sister. "Thank ya kindly for bein' so understandin'." The stallion just smiled back at her before turning to leave again, but that smile was all she needed. --- Something moved out of the corner of Applejack's eye. She quickly snapped back to reality, investigating the spot where she had spotted the object. It must have been moving swiftly, as there was no sign of anything left. 'Am Ah losin' mah head?' she thought to herself. Rainbow Dash approached the grassy hill where Applejack stood, the downward force of her wings causing the grass to blow violently as she touched down atop of the hill. The knoll sat just outside Sweet Apple Acres, not far from the last row of apple trees. Sunset was minutes away as the sun grew restless in the sky. Mere feet in front of the Pegasus stood the orange Earth pony with a vibrant blond mane, adorned by three freckles on each cheek. Upon her head sat a straw cowboy hat, made only better by time. The rainbow-maned Pegasus was smiling with anticipation and curiosity of what surprise the Earth pony held for her. Applejack was taken aback by the sight before her eyes; she felt star stuck. The rainbow-maned Pegasus looked better in this moment than she ever had in any of Applejack's dreams. For a third time today, the Earth pony found herself at a loss for words. "So… Applejack! What's my surprise?" the Pegasus asked joyfully. 'Now or never AJ, C'mon you can do this.' "Well ya see…" 'This is our only chance, quit stallin.' "Rainbow… Ah..." Fluttershy's words rang loudly in her head. 'Please don't be mad at her if she isn't ready to be true with herself yet' Applejack clenched her eyes tight, forcing out the words that fought restlessly in her throat. "Ah love you, Rainbow Dash!" Silence fell deafly between the two. A silence that Applejack knew she would be remembering for the rest of her days. If Rainbow Dash's thoughts could have been heard aloud, it would have sounded like a Sonic Rainboom had gone off. The expression on Dash's face suddenly snapped to one of anger. "NO! I am not a filly-fooler!" the Pegasus screamed, tears now streaming down her face. "I thought I escaped you bullies back in Cloudsdale! Stay. Away. From. ME!" she screamed, taking off into the sky faster than ever before, flying on pure adrenaline and anger. Applejack wanted to call out to the Pegasus, but she was far-gone, leaving only a fading rainbow trail in her wake. Applejack found hot tears running down her cheeks. At the rejection of her love, at her friend's hurtful words that now stung at her heart and at herself for her confession. The Earth pony's body finally gave in and she collapsed atop the hill. "Well, Ah did it," she told herself. "Ah've ruined our friendship…" As much as she wanted to cry right now, her body and mind begged to sleep more. Applejack found herself drifting into a deep slumber, her dreams filled with vivid scenes. However, something had seemed off about her dreams that night, almost as if the color itself was slowly fading away. --- Rainbow Dash flew in no particular direction. Tears stained the Pegasus' face as they flowed freely down her cheeks, and ripped back by the wind. The only thing on her mind was the painful memories that haunted her every night. Memories of how she had always been picked on by bullies in school for being 'different.' On top of old memories came the new ones, which until just now remained deep down inside. She had repressed them so far into the back of her head that she had forgotten about them until Applejack had admitted her feelings. Unfortunately, for Applejack, Fluttershy was right. While Dash's heart was fully ready to accept her, Dash's mind was not. She snapped, slowly losing her grip on the real world, descending into the madness locked away in her head. --- Rainbow Dash burst through the door of her cloud castle, not even bothering to close the door behind her, as she made a beeline for her bedroom. Dash felt nauseous, her world now flipped upside down. "Go away!" she yelled aloud, as the memories of her fillyhood came rushing back all at once. Collapsing on the cloud bed, Rainbow Dash began to weep uncontrollably. She was powerless against the agonizing assault that had just been unleashed upon her mind. "Oh Celestia, I love you too, Applejack!" she shouted, grasping her head as a sharp pain shot from deep within. "Remember, Dash, you are not a filly-fooler!" replied her mind, hitting the rainbow-maned Pegasus with another bolt of pain. Rainbow Dash screamed. "Make it stop!" she pleaded, as fresh tears spilled forth rolling down her cheeks. Her mind slowly continuing its decent into insanity; her body shook in torment as it was continuously assaulted by painful bursts. Every time her mind released another bolt of pain, the cyan Pegasus would scream. The pain was becoming too much for her, and soon she found her world fading away. --- As Applejack awoke, the first thing she noticed was a wooden ceiling above her. Slowly coming to her senses, she rolled over on her side. Looking around the simple room, she recognized it as her own. The Earth pony cast a glance out the window. By the looks of the sun, she was able to guess that it was just after sunset. 'What in the hay is goin' on?' she thought to herself. 'Was it just a nightmare?' The door to her room opened. A tall red stallion stepped in, carrying a plate of food. He set it down on the dresser. "How ya feelin'?" "Well rested, thank ya. Mac, how did Ah get here?" Her eyes went wide, suddenly remembering what had happened between her and Dash. The Earth pony sprang to her feet, forgetting about her previous question, "Mac, how long 'ave Ah been out?" Her voice carried a panicked tone. She looked around her bedroom for her hat. "It's downstairs, AJ," reassured the stallion, somehow knowing what she was looking for. "Ah brought you back a day ago." "What! Ah've slept a whole day?!" she screamed, feeling as though only minutes have passed. "Ah'd love to stay for dinner, Mac, but Ah had to find somepony right now…" "Ah understand, AJ. Be safe." With that, Applejack took off toward Fluttershy's home. --- Applejack's panicked mind made her journey to Fluttershy's cottage seem longer than it really was. She found the timid Pegasus tending to her chickens for the night. Immediately, she told Fluttershy what had happened. "Applejack, it's not your fault," Fluttershy told her, embracing the crying Earth pony in a comforting hug. "Ah don't want our friendship to be over," Applejack sobbed. "But Ah'm sure she hates me now…" "I am sure she will still be your friend, Applejack. How about we go see if she's home? She must feel worried too, I'm sure." Fluttershy was right. Applejack almost forgot how hurt the cyan Pegasus had looked. The walk to Rainbow's home was short, but it did help Applejack regain her composure. "I'll be right back," Fluttershy told Applejack, as she flew up to the cloud castle above them. Applejack found herself alone with her thoughts. 'Ya know she'll never talk t'ya again, right?' 'You're wrong! Even if she don't feel the way Ah do, Ah'm sure we'll still be friends.' 'Even after she took off like she did?' her mind retorted back to her. 'She… just didn't know how ta handle it.' Applejack's confidence was falling by the second. 'Ya ruined the best friendship ya ever had.' Before she could respond to her own mind, Fluttershy's voice broke the silence. "Applejack! Help!" The timid Pegasus's voice was not the calm quiet one it always was. It sounded frantic. The farmer looked up to see the yellow Pegasus swiftly descending toward her, carrying something on her back. Fluttershy touched down seconds later, almost collapsing under the weight of her newly acquired load. Applejack became aware of what she was carrying; her face recoiled in utter horror at the sight of her motionless friend. It was the worst state she had ever seen Rainbow Dash in and it scared her. Under her eyes were heavy bags. Her rainbow mane and tail were tattered and almost completely void of the vivid colors that usually adorned them. Applejack's mind went into survival mode. "Give 'er here." Applejack rushed to Fluttershy's side, bending down as Fluttershy slid Rainbow onto the Earth pony's back. As soon as Applejack was sure her unconscious friend was secure, she took off towards Twilight's library as fast as her legs could take her. Fluttershy was struggling to keep pace with the toned Earth pony. "Where are we going?" Fluttershy yelled from behind. "Twilight's. Ah'm sure she'll know what ta do," AJ called back, pressing on harder. --- Twilight was hunched over her desk, reading 'Canterlot History,' while Spike was finishing stacking the remains of her latest studying binge. The library's door burst open, nearly ripping from its hinges. The sudden commotion caused Spike to fall off his ladder, taking multiple books with him. Twilight also managed to fall back in her chair, landing hard on the floor. It took Twilight a few seconds to right herself; she looked at the now half destroyed door. Applejack stood just inside the doorway, a look of pure fright drawn across her facial features. On her back was a familiar, speedy Pegasus who had seen better days. Beside Applejack was Fluttershy, who was now lying on the floor, panting for air. "Applejack? Fluttershy? What happened?" Twilight questioned, rushing over to help the Earth pony lower their friend to the floor. "Fluttershy found her like this. Twilight, ya gotta do something'!" Applejack pleaded, tears now finally making it out of the apple farmer's eyes. Twilight hugged her friend, comforting her. "Applejack, I don't know how I can help… I've never seen anything like this before," she said hesitantly. Applejack pulled away from Twilights embrace. "Well then you send a letter to Celestia! Now!" A flurry of anger and panic rose in her voice. "Ah won't lose her, not if Ah can help it…" Applejack broke down, falling to the ground and sobbing harder than she ever did before. By this point, Fluttershy had caught her breath; she started running her hoof through the Earth pony's mane, comforting her once again. "But, what if she's busy? I can't just send her a letter. There must be another way," Twilight assured, digging through the piles of books for something to offer a cure. "Twilight, please. Ah'm beggin' ya. Please save my Dashie…" pleaded Applejack. Twilight now found tears stinging at her eyes. Afraid of losing her friend, only one solution came to mind. "Spike!" she yelled, looking around for the little dragon. A pile of books moved, "Ughh…" Twilight grabbed the books with her magic, throwing them in all directions. "Spike, no time for fooling around. This is serious!" she half yelled, panic gripping her deeply. "Take a note please." Spike rushed over to an empty scroll and quill, which had fallen from earlier. "Dear Princess Celestia, we have a very big problem. I am requesting your assistance right away, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. Now, send it!" Spike took a deep breath, blowing out purple and green fire, engulfing the scroll. 'Now for the hardest part,' Twilight thought, 'the waiting game.'