"Rrrr-Grrgggh!" Snarling, Applejack swung her posterior and slammed both rear hooves into yet another apple tree. Fruit went flying everywhere, with a few apples even ricoheting off her head and flank. The mare didn't seem to mind. In fact, she almost reveled in the matter. "Fine. Dun fall straight. Not like my whole darn livelihood depends on this consarn... h-hogwash!"
Panting, Rainbow Dash hovered behind the mare. "Applejack—"
"Yeah, what?!" Applejack snapped without looking back.
Rainbow Dash jolted in place, eyes wide. After a heavy blink or two, she stammered, "I... I-I just came from Sugarcube Corner—"
"Oh really?! Ain't that place grand?!" With another growl, Applejack bucked a tree at random. She didn't pause to put the apples into their respective baskets; she didn't even try. "What, is everypony expectin' me to go cartwheelin' in there with a dumb grin and start tossin' flowers around? Ain't that next on the list of time-honored traditions? Or did I miss some hoity-toity public dancin' in between?!"
"No... AJ..." Rainbow Dash squinted. She tried to contain her shivers; her heart shook with each angry outburst that rolled from Applejack's muzzle. "I was with Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy. You know... our friends?"
"What about them?"
"They're worried about you. I'm worried about you."
"Horse hockey," Applejack snorted, making her way to another tree. "You ain't ever scared over nothin'."
"You weren't at the marketplace with your apples today," Rainbow said, gesturing. "Scootaloo says that Apple Bloom was down in the dumps 'cuz her big sister was 'not acting like her normal self.'"
"That lil' filly expects every day to be the same as the last, then she's gonna grow up to be severely disappointed."
Rainbow frowned. "And on top of that, Fluttershy just got done telling me that Big Macintosh is practically screaming for bloody murder."
"Hah! Well if that ain't sublimely meat-headed of him!" Applejack smiled bitterly. "But, hey! Why not?! Stallions are what stallions do! Straight edged in one direction! No point in explainin' it! Just here and there and gone like a plow across the field!"
"Applejack—"
"Tell Fluttershy that she can let Macintosh do whatever he cotton-pickin' wants! Grnkkkt!" Thud! Applejack slammed another tree, panting, seething. "Go off and stomp a mudhole in a pony?! Sure thang! Httt!" Wh-Whack! "As if she's got any choice in the matter! I mean, why should she?! Not like he truly loves or cares about her enough to bother with—"
"Applejack!" Rainbow hollered. "He's your brother! Knock it off!"
Applejack slumped against a tree, huffing, frowning.
After a long breath, Rainbow spoke: "Exactly what happened between you and Stu?"
"Heh..." Applejack shook her head with a crooked smile. "Stu Stu Stu... is that what anypony ever asks about anymore?" She punched the trunk she was leaning against and stomped across the orchards towards another line of trees. "'Hello, Applejack. What are you doing with Stu this week?' 'Going on another date with your beau Stu, eh, darlin'?' 'Oh Applejack, ain't you and Mr. Leaves so divine!'" She kicked more trees. Her nostrils flared. "I run a farm, y'know! I have a business in sellin' apples! My family is older than Ponyville and everyone in this town wouldn't even have a livelihood if it weren't for this here blood runnin' through my vein! Does anypony ever wanna talk about that anymore?!"
"AJ, for crying out loud..." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Who's questioning you or your business—?!"
"I was doin' just fine and dandy before Stupid Leaves came along!" Applejack barked. "There! I said it! Ain't you proud?"
"Uhhhh—"
"Oh dun be a lyin' varmint, Rainbow Dash. Everypony who's anypony knows you can't stand the stallion!" Applejack spat. "So average... so wishy-washy... the last to cross the finishin' line in every race, even though he puts his heart into it... his feelings... his... his pr-promises..." She clenched her teeth, then shut her eyes. "Darn it... dang it... dang him. I ain't breakin' for no... no loser. What does he have on me, huh?! On this farm?! On this land that my folks lived for... died for! My father done nearly broke his back plantin' these here trees! I dun need any... any stupid fuddy-duddy stallion dosey-doeing his way across the precious soil they done cultivated, y'hear? I dun need it! I hate it!"
"Applejack..." Rainbow Dash landed on weak legs. She fought herself, finding the strength to stand upright. "...what did Stu do?"
"Grffff!" Applejack tried bucking another tree. Instead, she leaned limply against it, her breaths ragged and thin. "... ... ...he... he came here early this mornin' just..." She gulped. "...just to tell me that it's all over..."
Rainbow Dash blinked. Her lips pursed. "You mean that Stu Leaves dumped you."
"What, are ya deaf or somethang?!" Applejack spun, barking at the pegasus. "Dun make me repeat it, Rainbow Dash! It makes no sense to me either!"
"... ... ..." Rainbow Dash blinked. "It... I mean..." She gulped. "Just... just like that?"
"No, he also brought fireworks and a bunch of tap-dancin' elephants! Dang it!" Applejack spun, teeth showing. "He didn't even give no reason, Rainbow Dash! He just... j-just said that 'it was not meant to be' and that we couldn't see each other no more. And y'know what, if that's how vague and... and... mmmm... plum idiotic he's gonna be about it, then fine by me! I was better off without him anyway! Better off before... before I-I gave... I gave..."
Applejack's voice lost its fervor. Her breaths came in little squeaks. She hugged herself while her eyes remained steadfastly locked to some fixed point in the soil.
Rainbow Dash stared, her muzzle agape.
"Do... d-do you have any idea what... what it feels like to... t-to..." Applejack sniffled. "...to give so much of yerself that... that t'ain't no sense in tryin' to put it all back together. 'Cuz you trust one pony to hold it all in place. You dun gave him yer heart and... and it's all nothing?" She clenched her eyes shut. "Nothin' for nothin'?! And... and the worst part is that there's nothin' left to even hate myself with... cuz... cuz it's all gone. There's nothin', Rainbow. I... I tried it... I tried love and... and it's all nothin'."
A sob escaped Applejack's throat... followed by another. The mare quivered, imploded, hugging herself with shaking forelimbs.
Rainbow's body had grown numb, and it wasn't from atrophy. Her ears drooped as a foalish whimper came from her lips. "Applejack... Applejack, are... are you...?"
"For years I d-didn't thank I could ever afford it... afford to taste of it..." Tears poured from Applejack's eyes, marring her freckles in the sunlight. "...and I was fine with that. I was fine, Rainbow. And then he came... and... and I didn't think it'd m-matter until it mattered." She hiccuped, covering her face as she sobbed into her fetlocks. "After all these years, I-I thought I had actually f-found my place. It was startin' to make sense, Rainbow. But now... n-now nothin' makes sense... and... and I dun think I'll..." She hyperventilated. "...d-dun think I'll ever get to know what Ma and Pa did." She gnashed her teeth. "Such strength... that pr-preciousness..."
"But... but you are strong, Applejack," Rainbow whispered. She reached a trembling hoof out. "You're... you're the strongest—"
Applejack fell to the ground.
With a jolt, Rainbow Dash tried to catch her. She could only hug her as Applejack laid across the ground, shuddering.
"I just... j-just don't understand..." Applejack cried. "Why would he do this? Everythang was just perfect... perfect." Snarling, she punched the ground with her hoof. "Darn him! Would it kill another soul... just one soul in this stinkin' world to be honest?! Is that askin' too much?!" She shuddered. "Am I all there is?"
"You're more than that, Applejack. Please, don't cry," Rainbow Dash stammered. "You don't... don't..." She clenched her eyes shut as tears began welling along the edges. She leaned forward, nuzzling Applejack through her hat. It was the closest she felt to her... to such heavenly warmth. The scent of hay... blemished by tears. A heavy shudder rolled through Rainbow's muscles, ending in a vicious snarl. When her eyes opened, they were completely dry... and seeing red. "Wait right here."
Applejack sniffled. She rubbed her cheek. "Rainbow..."
Blue feathers ruffled. With flapping wings, Rainbow took to the sky.
Swallowing a lump down her throat, Applejack managed to tilt her head up, squinting at the clouds. "Where... what are you—?"
"I'm going to fix this."
"Rainbow...?"
"I promise." FWOOOOOSH!