Applejack sat alone in her room. It was completely dark save for the one candle on her desk, even though the afternoon sun was still shinning bright she didn’t feel she deserved its warmth. In front of her was a blood stained photo of the pegasus she loved, It was a beautiful picture. The sun was shining on those perfect flanks and her rainbow mane fell over her withers in a messy wave. The mare’s wing tucked neatly at her sides. It was Rainbow Dash and it was perfection at its purest on a normal day, now though it was a constant reminder to Applejack of her pain. She pushed her mane out of the way revealing the scare from her failed suicide attempt. She got lucky, she had broken things off with Dash after the pegasus had joined the Wonderbolts, she had been gone months on end Applejack decided her heart couldn’t take it. Turns out it couldn’t take losing her either. Thankfully that stubborn pony Applejack loved so much had come looking for her and found her, saving her life. It only made what had happened today harder. She had been working in the orchard again bucking apples cursing her mane as it always got in the way when she wore it down but was unwilling to tie it up because it would show her scare, when a blue pony fell from a tree.
“Man Applejack. I was having the best dream,” Dash had muttered.
“What are you doing in m’ah tree again?” Applejack demanded.
“Er…Napping.” Dash replied. Normally it was completely normal banter but it had rubbed Applejack the wrong way.
“All y’all ever do it nap. Why don’t y’all do something for once!” she shouted. Applejack knew that Rainbow worked harder than most, almost as much as she herself did, but that didn’t stop her.
“Hey AJ. Calm down. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry don’t change that ah have t’a get all these trees bucked and all y’ah are doing is interrupting!”
With that Rainbow had left and Applejack had never felt like such an ass. Tears streaked down Applejack’s cheeks as she thought about earlier that day. She had pushed her away. If only she had been less touchy. She grabbed the knife on her desk in her mouth. She had hurt Dash, more then she wanted to. She made cut on her foreleg. One cut for the pain her suicide attempt caused. The pain bloomed through her hoof, but it was good, punishment for the wrongs she had done. Another cut for that time she had been so busy she forgot about Dash’s birthday. Another for today, and a fourth for the next time. She could have kept going but she was crying too much. Blood had begun to pool on the desk, although the cuts wouldn’t kill her they were deep enough to bleed heavily. She dropped the knife into the blood and leaned forward kissing the picture of Dash.
A knock came at the door, “AJ? It’s me.” Applejack’s heart filled with an overwhelming joy. She had come back. Her mare had come back! She bolted to the door forgetting about the knife and cuts. She threw her door open and fireclay hugged Rainbow Dash.
“Y’all came back,” Applejack whispered softly.
“Of course I came back. You done with the apples yet?” Dash asked.
“Oh…uhm I was—”
“What’s with you sitting in the dark?” Dash asked. Applejack suddenly remember the evidence on her desk, she quickly swept everything into an open draw and hide her injured hand in her golden blond mane.
“AJ are you…” Dash trailed off and her eyes widened as she flexed her wings. One of which had AJ’s blood on it. Dash looked back at the earth pony. “AJ?”
“RD I’m sorry. Ah cut myself on an old fence. It ain’t stopped bleeding yet,” Applejack started to explained. Dash grabbed the hidden hoof and inspected the cuts.
“Those weren’t caused by barb wire,” Dash argued, then seemed to notice the blood on the desk. “I thought you were past this AJ?”
“Ah am! Or ah was. Ah couldn’t take the wrong ah done yah today, can yah forgive a foolish mare?” Applejack replied, tears coming back to her eyes.
“What wrong? If you talking about when you yelled at me today then we have very different definitions of wrongs.”
“You didn’t come back though. You would always come back in an hour.”
Dash gave her a look, “I had to work. Remember I told you I’d see you after work?” Applejack gave her a blank stare, “Weather doesn’t make itself.”
Applejack nodded recalling the words, “Sorry,” she muttered softly.
“Hey. Don’t apologize to me. You’re the one that got hurt.”
“Am stupider then an old rock,” Applejack lamented and Dash got a bandage from the bathroom desk.
“Probably more stubborn too,” Dash pointed out and ran a wing over Applejacks face while she dressed the wounds. Applejack shuddered. She loved the feel of Dash’s wings on her. She couldn’t get enough of it actually. She gently took the wing with her free hove and gently kissed her primary feathers. Dash stopped what she was doing to shudder.
“AJ…uhm…maybe that’s not the best idea with your family just down stairs,” Dash suggested.
Applejack looked at her marefriend in confusion but chose not to question her. It must have been some pegasus thing. The important thing was that they were together.
Rainbow Dash carefully washed the blood from Applejack’s mane. She shook her head. She hatted seeing her marefriend like this, especially when it was because of her. What had she done wrong? AJ asked her to leave and she had. It wasn’t her fault she had to work that afternoon, alright it kind of was seeing as she controlled the schedule. She carefully finished with the mane and flexed her wings finding that they had finely dried. She draped a wing over Applejack and gave her a little squeeze, making sure that her feather’s brushed the mare’s cutie mark.
“You’re beautiful with your mane down,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Thanks Sugarcube.” AJ responded. Silence followed. Dash considered what to do then tied AJ’s mane into its usual style.
“But this is more you,” she said.
“Sugar I can’t wear it like that. Everypony would see my scar.” Applejack protested.
“And all this time I thought it was for my benefit.” Dash teased, “Here I got you something.” Dash searched her saddle bags and pulled out a pieces of cloth.
“It’s the latest fashion thing in Couldsdale. I know it’s not really an earth pony thing. But I thought it would be a nice way to mark my mare,” Dash explained.
Applejack took the cloth and examined it, “Thank you Dash.”
“Recognize the pendant?” Dash smiled as AJ’ eyes widen. The pendant was a red heart with their cutie marks on it.
“But I gave you that,” AJ protested.
“No. you gave me this one,” Dash stated slipping hers on, “I had that one made. Rarity did the stitching on the fabric. It’s perfect because…” Dash put the necklace around AJ, “It shields your scar. Just like I will always shield you.” Dash laughed a little at herself for such a corny line. She considered how much she had changed since going out with AJ. All the things she thought of as just being sappy where now worthwhile doing. She smiled as she heard Applejack chuckle. Dash leaned in close to AJ’s ear and whispered, “I love you.”
“I love too Dashie. So much more then I could ever say.” AJ purred, Dash gently kissed AJ’s neck before speaking.
“Common. It’s dinner time.” Applejack complied and limped downstairs. Dash had been hoping to have a good race with Applejack before dinner but that wasn’t going to happen now. When they reached the main floor of the farm house Dash wasn’t surprised when Applebloom pointed out the bandage hoof.
“What y'all do to your foot sis?”
“Cut it on an old fence,” AJ replied.
“Again? You better be more careful yungin,” Granny smith said from the kitchen. Realization hit Dash like a freight train. Again?
“You’re right Granny.”
“You staying for dinner Dash?” Granny Smith asked.
“Nope. I’m going to take Applejack out for dinner if you don’t mind,” Dash responded quickly, not wanting her realization to appear on her face.
“Not at all. Don’t hurry back now,” Granny said happily and went back to fixing dinner.
“You wait outside okay AJ? I have to ask Big Mac something,” Dash said. She got a look from AJ, but the orange farmer nodded and retreat outside. Dash watched her go, even when that mare wasn’t trying she was sexy. She felt a presents behind her and jumped.
“I wasn’t staring,” she shot defensively before realizing that Big Mac hadn’t spoken yet.
“Eyup,” the red stallion replied. Dash fluttered her wings and looked at Mac. Should she tell him what she knew? Or keep a secret? No, she needed his help to protect AJ.
“I need you to do something for me.” Big Mac nodded. “Upstairs in AJ’s room in the top drawer of her desk there’s a picture of me and a knife. Take both of them and put them in my saddle bag while AJ and I are gone. Can you do that?” Dash asked, bluntly.
Mac’s eyes bulged, “Them cuts weren’t from no fence were they?” Dash shook her head. “Consider it done.” Mac said and left Dash to join her limping marefriend.
TO BE CONTINUED...