The rain battered the window panes just outside of the barn. Apple Bloom watched in amusement as they splashed against it's glass. However, the couple of ponies sitting behind her, one a unicorn, and the other an earth pony, were not so happy.
It had been the same like almost every afternoon it seemed. Rarity had been shopping for some thread and needles when the sale's clerk refused to sell her the products. And why? Because Granny Smith had told everpony that Rarity was a lesbian with Applejack, and now, not even the rest of their friends, or family would speak to them.
Was it so wrong to love another female? Rarity wondered a lot of the times. If it was true love, it didn't seem so wrong to her.
And Applejack felt the same way, and that's because they bonded. That's what married couples needed nowadays, but nopony seemed to understand.
"Ah don't get why Ah have to stay in side," Apple Bloom complained. "Playin' in the rain is one of my favorite things to do."
"'Cause Ah don't want you hangin' around with those pony folk," Applejack explained to her again, nuzzling up against her sad companion. "They're bad ponies."
"Sweetie belle and Scootaloo aren't bad," Apple Bloom objected. That was true, too. Sweetie Belle was still sweet to her sister, as was Apple Bloom to Applejack. "That's the only ponies Ah play with, after Twist and Ah had a 'lil disagreement."
"She can go play with them if she wants, can't she?" Rarity implied, her eyes puffy from crying. Her words came out in choppy fragments, due to the hiccuping she had developed.
"Fine, but if Ah see her with anypony else - well Ah don't wanna think about that," Applejack told her younger sister.
"Ah promise Ah won't," Apple Bloom truthfully said, skipping out the door.
Applejack watched the filly hop into every puddle purposely outside on her way to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's house.
"I hope she doesn't become a lesbian," Rarity wiped some stray tears from her crystal eyes.
"And why is that?"
"Because I don't want her to feel the torture like we do."
Applejack felt her heart grow soft. She embraced Rarity and kissed her on the cheek, "Even if Apple Bloom becomes gay, Ah want her to be a fighter, like you and Ah."
Rarity perked her ears up when she heard a knock on the massive doors of the barn.
"Ah'll get it," Applejack said, releasing Rarity and walking over. She opened the top door and peeked outside.
Fluttershy was there, looking with wide, turquoise eyes at the orange, earth pony.
"What do you want, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked rudely, possibly ruder than she ought have been to one of her closest friends.
"I bought you that thread, Rarity," Fluttershy held up the spool of thread, looking farther inside the barn. At least Fluttershy was still kind. She could never go against her friends, no matter what anypony said.
"T-thank you, Fluttershy," Rarity hiccuped. She took the thread with her magic. "What do I owe you?"
Fluttershy smiled, "It's free of charge. I just- I felt sorry for you."
Rarity felt happy tears fill her eyes.
"Ah appreciate your kindness, but no need to feel sorry for us. But thank you anyway."
"Er.. Okay," Fluttershy turned away and started to walk back to her cottage.
"I wish more ponies were like Fluttershy," Rarity sighed.
"Don't we all?" Applejack agreed, closing the door to seal the coldness of the storm out.
Rarity felt tears come to her eyes again.
"I can't take it anymore, Applejack." she sobbed.
Applejack hugged her once more and rubbed her back gently, "We don't need them. We're fighters, Rarity."
"I can't fight anymore," Rarity continued to bawl.
"Yes you can, Rarity," Applejack comforted. "You just can't fight here any longer. We'll move. We'll go some place nopony will ever discriminate us."
"Where is that?" she asked, her eyes pouring tears out.
"The happy place," Applejack closed her eyes quietly. She walked inside her house quickly, trying not to be noticed by her family, and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from the arts cabinet that Apple Bloom liked to play with.
She quickly wrote something on the paper and grabbed Rarity's hoof.
"Where's the happy place?" Rarity asked, as she got pulled along by her companion.
"Ah don't know where it is, but before Granny Smith hated me, she told me everpony's got one that they go to when they feel lonely and want some peace."
"How will we be able to find it?" Rarity wondered.
"Granny Smith said you're able to sense it," Applejack informed, her hat absorbing the rain.
I hope Granny Smith was right, Rarity thought to herself.
Applejack raced past the ponies who were staring at them, angry and confused, with big, yellow umbrellas above their heads to keep dry.
They rushed all the way to the Everfree forest. Fortunately, the long limbs of the trees provided protection from the precipitation.
Applejack set rarity and herself down, just a few drops of rain sputtering on their noses.
Meanwhile, an hour after Apple Bloom had finished playing with her filly friends, she came back home, her mane and tail dripping wet, and a wide smile plastered on her sweet face.
"Applejack! Ah'm home!" Apple Bloom called, going into the bathroom quickly and wrapping a towel around her neck.
She looked around. She didn't see her sister anywhere, but instead, noticed the tiny sheet of paper Applejack had written on before.
Apple Bloom picked it up, her hooves making the edges wet and soggy. She read it aloud.
" Dear Apple Bloom,
I figured I would only write you a message since you're the only one who cares about me in this family now. Rarity and I have ran away, so please don't come looking for us. I love you little sister, but I can't stand all these ponies torturing Rarity and I. Best of luck in your life, and always be a fighter.
Love,
Applejack."
Apple bloom dropped the note, her orange eyes starting to fill with tears. She ran into the house again and embraced Granny Smith.
"Apple Bloom, what in the hay is wrong?" the crinkly, lime pony asked.
"A-Applejack's gone! She left with Rarity," the filly sobbed, her tears falling on Granny Smith's leathery coat.
Granny Smith's face morphed into anger, as she continued to squeeze her granddaughter, "Don't you worry, Apple Bloom. Applejack ain't part of this family anymore."
"W-why not?" Apple Bloom asked, letting go of her grandma.
"Homosexuality ain't right," Granny Smith bluntly replied.