//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: Of Apples and Rainbows // Story: Coming Home // by Robodog Carson //------------------------------// Chapter Eight Of Apples, Rainbows, Romance, and Grief Rainbow Dash sat outside her house, on the front porch, and checked her watch. Once again she felt restless, egging to go for a run. Looking down at her leg she realized just how impossible such an action would be, but that didn't mean she couldn't go for a jog. Checking her watch again she realized Applejack wasn't coming, and felt a little disheartened. Then she remembered the best cure for disheartenment was to get up and go for a jog. It wasn't really the best cure medicinally speaking, but that's what Rainbow Dash had decided was best for her when she felt down; cardio workouts. It had been this way since she was a little girl. Whenever she felt down she'd go running and 9/10 times she felt better instantly. Reaching for her phone, Rainbow Dash set the playlist track to HandClap by Fitz and the Tantrums. The fast-paced, toe-tapping song was perfect for jogging to. As she set off down the street, she had to make a concentrated effort not to break into a full run. It was a constant battle to keep the steady jogging pace, and she helplessly wished it would get easier the longer she kept at it. . . . A light blue blur with colorful streaks flowing out from behind it fell from the sky. Applejack recognized the blue as Rainbow Dash's beloved windbreaker, something the woman hadn't worn in years. Staring at the blurred, falling form, Applejack couldn't help but feel a twinge of pure terror. She knew full well in her heart what was bound to happen, that she would be too late, that she could never reach that spot in time. She couldn't help but feel the jerk in her stomach as she watched her friend plummet towards the ground in front of her. Time had seemed to slow down as her feet hit the surface beneath her, propelling her towards the spot where the blur seemed to be about to hit. The blur fell ever closer and closer towards that spot, and her heart was in her throat when she saw contact was made. She had fully expected the sound the hit was going to make, but it still caught her off guard, still startled her, and still made her wince all the same. In a matter of seconds, she covered the last few feet between her and the feminine form, lying still on the ground, unmoving, and even though she knew she was expecting this, the contents of Applejack's stomach still passed dangerously close to her throat. The farmgirl stood, unmoving, over the still form of Rainbow Dash, her best friend, who was now lying at her feet. The rainbow-maned woman was splayed out in the most pitiful form possible. Applejack felt a long, slow drip of salty tear fall down her face. Then another, and another. She sniffed to keep back her tears, she had to be strong now, especially now. 'Why am I cryin'?' she asked herself. She sniffed to hold back the steady flow of tears as she took an appropriate time to glance over the fallen body of her best friend. She began to sputter, and senseless sounds began to form a single word that drifted quietly, sorrowfully from her lips, "Why?" She turned her head up, and gazed with complete sadness in her eyes at the splendor of Luna's full moon. The moon stared back at her, its cool, white light illuminating the scene in a such a somber way. Applejack drank in the soft light of Luna's moon, and let the realization and emotion wash over her. Staring at the moon, she filled her voice with all the terror, fear, sadness, and regret she could ever possibly hope to muster, and yelled up into the night sky. "WHY? WHY?!" The overwhelming flood of emotion released, Applejack allowed her eyes to open up, a torrent of tears escaping over her face and falling down to the ground beside the body of Rainbow Dash. Applejack allowed the natural sobs to rake through her body as she stared back down at the face of the woman. Then, slowly, carefully, one eyelid began to lift, and the magenta iris of Rainbow Dash looked back up at her. A sparkle of mirth and life was alive and well within that eye, and in a flash, almost as if Applejack hadn't seen it at all, the eyelid flipped closed over the eye and open again before being carefully lowered back into place again. She couldn't help but smile a little from the wink. The first sound to vibrate the thin membrane of Applejack's eardrum since her own shrill cry was a deafening roar. Filling the area adjacent to where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were there were dozens, maybe even hundreds of people, and all were clapping their hands or stomping on the ground vigorously. Applejack let the sound wash over her for a moment before the fall of a heavy curtain muffled the noise. Almost immediately, the rainbow-haired woman before her leapt back up onto her feet and let out a whoop. "That was AWESOME! Applejack!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with delight "Did you see that? Amazing! It honestly felt like Minuette pushed me off the building on purpose! Like she really was the bad guy, and that crash at the end was spectacular. I bet that, plus Vinyl Scratch's awesome sound effects, made everybody out there think I actually hit the ground!" "Heh, yeah," Applejack started to reply, "It sure was somethin' mighty special, Rainbow." "You were great too!" Rainbow continued on, excitedly, "I mean, you should have seen your face when I was lying there, and your voice too. If I didn't know that this whole thing was scripted, I would say that you were actually terrified for me. You sounded that sincere! You're pretty great at acting!" "Ya think so?" Applejack asked back, not generally accustomed to this kind of praise. 'Except I wasn't really acting, was I?' She asked herself, 'Sure I was following Lyra's script, but there was real emotion there, I could never be that convincing if I was faking it.' She continued to think, not really listening to Rainbow continue to exclaim how awesome the performance had been, "Well, ah'm just glad I was able to help Lyra's little project," she finally said, noticing Dash had paused for a moment. "Come on, everybody, let's go out and take a bow!" The voice of Lyra Heartstrings reverberated through the makeshift backstage area. Behind her stood Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and quite a few other people who'd been asked to partake in the play. Lyra, who was now becoming a high-level film student at High Pointe University, and her final project before getting her degree was to create her own film piece; script, special effects, well-versed actors, sets...the works. She'd come to her friends early on in her assignment work, and gotten vows from every one of them to band together and help her set everything up. Lyra had taken on the role of director and Executive Producer, assigning roles to everyone else. The end result was a play (being recorded) that had attracted the attention of almost everyone in High Pointe. She'd set up posters all around the city advertising, and even managed to get TV commercials showcasing her work. The play was soon to be turned into a movie, with the play just being a means of spreading out the rough kinks and getting the actors used to the roles. The end result was a major turnout to watch some of High Pointe's most well-liked people succeed in the first step to following their dreams. All of the actors wore a grin on their face, and they gathered up and stepped out of the curtain to stand on the front of the makeshift stage. The continued applause of many, many, other people assaulted their ears and they all basked in the glow of the cheering crowd. Fluttershy seemed to fade back a bit at this confrontation, but Rarity and Rainbow Dash drank up the adoration, smiling their happy, cocky smiles at the crowd. Applejack just stood and smiled her honest smile, waiting for Lyra to lead them backstage again. "Thank you guys oh so much for making my play a super success!" Lyra jabbered as she bounced around back behind the curtain. "I was so worried because I had never written one before and I thought it wouldn't go well, but I wanted something extra-special for this assignment that I was doing, so when I was thinking of a special thing I could do that I had never done before I thought, 'Hey! I should write a play and have an extra special performance to go with so everyone in town could have fun watching my play and eating cake and playing party games all in the same night!'" The woman was uncharacteristically enthused and hyper, a state she deserved after such an amazing play. Lyra's constant, high-speed, run-on rambling almost made Applejack's brain hurt trying to follow along. She was glad when she heard Twilight pipe up and say: "That's great, Lyra, but why don't we head home now though, I mean, now that your play is done, and I know I'm tired. I'm sure we could all go to sleep, it is pretty late." "OK, Twi'! Thank all you guys ever so much for helping make this whole night extra super special!" Lyra bounced off the stage and into the crowd, which was only just beginning to disperse. Applejack and the others came down off the stage too, and began pushing their way through a crowd of friendly people as they tried to make their way to the road. Fluttershy, not really comfortable with being surrounded by so many other people, took off and shyly drifted through the crowd towards her house. Applejack looked over to Rainbow Dash, expecting her to do the same, but saw that the headstrong woman was still drinking in the praise everyone seemed so willing to give. It was great to see the retired Captain without her crutches, wearing that familiar blue windbreaker. It almost felt like they were teenagers again, before their relationship had been stabbed in its heart by betrayal and abandonement. Applejack regretted her younger self's decision to hurt Rainbow Dash so badly in high school, breaking up with her in a very public and emotionally detached way. Though it was by no means an excuse, the knowledge that Rainbow Dash had enrolled in the Officer Training Program at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs had hurt her. The rainbow-haired woman had practically told Applejack that her opinion (Rainbow Dash should attend High Pointe University with her and their friends) didn't matter. At the time, Applejack was unable to see that being in the military wasn't a way of saying Rainbow Dash didn't want to be around her. Applejack was close-minded at that time and found herself thinking Rainbow Dash felt so lowly about their relationship that she would run away to the Air Force and never look back. "You were all so great!" A voice cut across her musings, and Applejack found herself blushing a little to have been distracted for so long. "Thank you," Applejack could hear Rainbow boasting, "I was great wasn't I?" "Who knew we had such acting talent right here in High Pointe!" Said a different voice. "Well, of course I knew," Rainbow continued to answer the praise from everyone, and Applejack sighed at the woman's continued show-boating. Typical Rainbow Dash, though the woman had been very different for years now, she suspected. It was actually good to see her this way again, "I've always known I had talent!" "That final scene was especially good; I was really scared for a moment there!" Even more praise to add to the already blazing fire of Dash's ego. "Yes, especially your part, darling," This was Rarity, Applejack realized, and she was addressing her, "You certainly did act like a woman that had tragically lost her love, your compassion and emotion was beautiful to watch!" "Yeah, I agree," came a voice from the crowd, "you two played the romantic leads very well, especially for two girls," Applejack turned to see who was talking, and saw a tall man she didn't quite recognize right away walking beside Rainbow Dash and looking between Dash and herself. Dash was suddenly blushing and didn't seem as outgoing and boastful as she had just moments before. Applejack wondered as to the sudden change in the self-assured woman's demeanor; maybe she was embarrassed? That was a first for Rainbow Dash... Applejack watched as she tried to hang her head to hide the blush, but it didn't seem to be working. Looking up, Dash locked eyes with Applejack, and Applejack felt her own cheeks going hot with the redness of a rush of blood she knew was making her blush as well. She quickly looked down to avoid further embarrassment, and finally found herself out on the road to Sweet Apple Acres. As the rest of the crowd dispersed, Applejack sensed the presence of someone else close by. She looked up. "Hiya, Applejack," Applejack saw Rainbow Dash, now walking easily on the road next to her. The rest of the crowd had gone their respective ways, and most of the stragglers were now a good distance away, well out of earshot, leaving Applejack alone with Rainbow. Rainbow looked like she had something on her mind. Applejack felt a twinge of nervousness looking at the stunning woman next to her, but she didn't know why. "I just wanted to tell you that... um..." Rainbow Dash stopped, she seemed to be searching for words. Applejack shook herself to get out of her reverie. "Well for Celestia's sake, Sugarcube, just spit it out!" She said, a little more harsh than she had intended, and upon saying this, she detected the slightest droop in the demeanor of Rainbow Dash, a little frown, barely perceptible before the woman' face lit up again, albeit a bit seemingly forced this time. "I just wanted to say nice job acting today. I thought it would be weird playing a romantic lead with you, but it turned out awesome!" Rainbow said a little too quickly. Then, without warning, she did a little wave and then raced off towards back down the road, where Applejack knew her motorcycle waited. "YEAH, GREAT JOB..." Applejack began to shout, but then quieted when she realized the woman probably couldn't hear her, "...acting." She finished in a strangely small voice. . . . It was very late when Applejack finally pushed her way through the front doorway of her country home. She noticed the sweet, homely smell of baked apples hit her nose first. She sighed, she was home late, but if home-cooking still smelled that strong in the house, she knew Granny Smith was awake as well. She walked into the kitchen, and immediately saw Granny Smith sitting on a chair by the table, a fresh-baked apple pie out on the tablecloth. "Yer home late," Granny Smith spoke in her sweet old woman's voice. Then Applejack visibly saw something register in Granny's eyes, "Sit down child, ya look like ya have a lot on your mind. Ah think ya need somun tah talk to." Applejack reluctantly sat down. She knew Granny Smith could see there was something troubling her, and there was no point in bluffing to try and get around it. She was a terrible liar anyway. "Granny, I just got back from Pinkie's party, and we performed a play at the end..." Applejack's voice trailed off, unsure what to say next. "So Ah heard, so sorry Ah couldn't be there. Ah find it so hard to get out of th' house these days." "Granny, you really shouldn't be up this late, why don't you go get your rest?" "Don't try to change the subject, somethin's troublin' mah granddaughter, and Ah intend to find out what." Applejack sighed in reluctance. She knew she couldn't get out of this now. "Well, ah think I've fallen in... developed feelings for someone," she tried to keep it simple. Granny's mouth curled into a smile of satisfaction, "Well Ah should congrat'ah'late ya then, ya know Ah think ye've been somewhat married tah this here farm for most of yer life, just like yer brother is, an Ah was hopin' that you spending s'much time with all yer lil friends would get you more out there in th' social world. Now tell me, who's th' lucky man?" Applejack cringed, this was what she had been hoping to avoid. She knew she couldn't tell the truth. Her mind rushed, trying to think up a suitable answer. "It's Caramel," she said quickly. "Now Applejack, ya know Ah can tell when yer lyin' tah me. Why don't ya jus' go 'head and tell th' truth, mah little honest one." Applejack bit her lip. There was no point hiding it anymore. "Well," she said slowly, trying to pick her words. "They ain't exactly a...man." She finished, and hung her head, ready for whatever may come from Granny's mouth at this little revelation. Granny Smith's eyes sparked with a sudden understanding, but the smile never flinched on her face. "Now tell me, little one, why couldn't you just say that in th' first place?" Applejack looked up again, into the deep caring eyes of her grandmother. She decided then and there to just lay everything out for her. "Well, Granddad always said that it wasn't natural. That only a woman and a man could be natural. He always seemed so against the whole concept, that I just figured you might be too. Ah've been scared for years to even admit to mahself that mah barn door might swing that way, because I thought this family frowned on that stuff!" "Remember child, you need to follow yer heart. Follow yer heart to th' ends of th' earth, and you will always find happiness." "Th... thanks... G-g... Granny." Applejack managed, sniffing away tears as her heart finally won out, she knew what she felt on the inside now. "Good, now before bed, let's eat the rest of this pie, wouldn't want mah fine craftsmareship to go to waste, would we?" Granny chuckled, and began to dig in. Applejack followed suit. . . . A few days later, Applejack found herself crying. She had come to a brush with death. She had come so close to losing everything and everyone that she knew and loved, only to have it saved in the most remarkable way. Tears ran down her face as memories of sensations from the last few minutes flooded back to her. The helpless tumble of falling, the growing roar of a rushing river below, the twinge of pure dread and terror at the thought of loss and family, the sharp pain in her chest of hands grabbing her, the lifting sensation of a slowing fall, the adrenaline of realizing that she was safe. Safe in the arms of a woman, the one woman she knew she knew she loved and she now knew loved her back. Her eyes shed tear after tear as she shared a perfect moment with the woman that had saved her life. The woman she loved. The kiss made everything melt away. All of their surroundings, all other emotions, Applejack could only feel happiness and love as she kissed Rainbow Dash. Everything seemed right in the world and her moment of pure bliss seemed to stretch out into infinity until… Rainbow Dash broke away. Applejack gazed into the magenta eye of the rainbow-haired woman and saw moisture brimming there too. A pink shade crossed the cheeks of the other woman as the two stared longingly into each other's' eyes. Applejack knew that such a look must be reflected in her own features. She could feel the hot rush of blood to the surface of her face, the continued stream of tears running down her cheeks. Rainbow's survival pack dropped to the ground, no longer needing the harness it bore; the memory of strapping the rope to a rock and jumping after Applejack burned in her brain. Without needing to be bidden, Rainbow Dash leaned forward and rubbed her hand against Applejack's face, mopping up the wet tears. The heat of a compassion that Applejack never even knew Rainbow was capable of warmed her face, and a soft, contented smile graced the feature of the farmgirl. She drank in the tender affection of the loving woman and felt her mind at ease. A chorus made up of two voices broke the couple from their perceived isolation, "AAAWWWWWWWWWW!" Came the sound of two little girls from over to the side. Rainbow and Applejack both turned, still in each other's' arms, to see this sudden intrusion into their private world. Both were blushing even harder than ever now. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both had looks of abject happiness on their faces. Scootaloo just stared, dumbfounded, barely processing what she saw, "R-R-Rainbow D-Dash? Are you… Are you a… uh… Why are you…?" She never got to finish her question. Scootaloo found herself suddenly swept up in a forceful hug by Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, "Aren't they just so cute together?" Sweetie Belle cried out excitedly. "They're adorable!" Applebloom joined in, "Way to go big sis!" The two girls hugged Scootaloo tight, giggling with excitement, their previous trauma all but forgotten. After struggling at first, Scootaloo joined in the fun, rolling around giggling with her two best friends, without a care in the world. Applejack leaned her head against Rainbow's neck as she watched the three girls pile on top of each other and roll around with fits of laughter in a dance commemorating the innocence and happiness of the young. She let out a contented sigh, breathing in the scent of Rainbow Dash's hair as she inhaled again. A cool, wet scent, like the air after a good rainstorm, she realized. She breathed deeply. Applejack was glad she wouldn't have to explain her feelings to these girls, their joyous laughter seemed to just tell her that they understood, 'Our friends won't be as easy,' she thought to herself. She thought she would have enough time to think up how to go about telling them though, time to discuss things with Rainbow, time to build up the necessary courage. But fate is rarely so kind. A shrill voice broke through the air of the clearing on the cliffside, "Sweetie Belle! I was so worried about you; you should never run off in here again!" Rarity was here. She burst from the forest, her hair looking surprisingly none the worse for wear, and immediately saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash, looking completely startled. Applejack had her head buried in Rainbow's neck, her scent temporarily making her forget the predicament she was in. Rainbow had an arm draped over the back of the strong farmgirl, blushes filling both of their faces. "Darlings," Rarity began, "What exactly is going on here?" Applejack just stood there, 'Not Rarity,' she thought, 'She's always with guys. She'd probably be the least understandin' of any of 'em! Ah'm not ready to tell anypony yet, least of all her!' As these thoughts flitted about her head she didn't move, she stayed as still as a statue against the woman that made her feel comfortable. Sweetie Belle decided to answer, "Oh, sis!" She cried, "It was so terrifying but so beautiful! Me and Scootaloo and Applebloom were sliding off the edge, and Applebloom fell off, but Applejack grabbed her, and we had to hold on to keep them from falling, and then Rainbow saved Applebloom, but then I couldn't hold on any longer so I had to let go of Applejack and Scootaloo couldn't hold her all by herself so she fell and we were all really scared!" She paused for breath, sounding very much like Pinkie Pie as she ran through her story at lightning speed. "And then Rainbow Dash strapped a rope from her pack, tied it to a rock, and dived down and she was going so fast, then we saw Applejack fall into the fog below us and we were really scared because we thought she was going to die but then Rainbow fell through it after her and we saw her pull her up and lift her all the way out all by herself! She set her feet to the side of the cliff and walked the both of them back up!" She was jabbering excitedly, but Rarity seemed to be getting the entire story. A twinge of fear leapt through Applejack as she realized what was coming next. She didn't want Rarity to know, but there was no stopping Sweetie Belle. "And then they were both crying and Rainbow Dash said she loved her! So they crawled up the edge and we helped them and then they kissed! And they hugged and they kissed and they cried and it was beautiful!" Sweetie Belle finished her high speed story with a little squeal of excitement. A very perplexed looking Rarity turned towards the two women, "Darlings, is this true?" Applejack braced for the insults that she was so sure would follow. Rarity wouldn't be one to approve of lesbians. She was sure of that. Applejack felt the comforting arm leave her back. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was now stepping out in front of her, a look of bound determination spread on her face as she looked directly at the naturally-pale woman before her, "We're in love," she said simply, but with enough finality and purpose to speak volumes. "Well, darlings, that's just…" Applejack cringed as Rarity spoke, "Wonderful!" Applejack looked up, a look of confusion apparent on her face. "Huh?" She asked, unable to stop herself, "Ya'll approve? But ah thought, what with all the guys you're always with, that ya'll wouldn't take too kindly to me and Dash…" Applejack stopped before she started rambling. "Well, while I do enjoy the…erm…company…of men, anyone who knows me knows that I embrace all love! If you two are happy together, then I'm more than happy. How could you think I could be so old-fashioned so as to not approve of your little romance? In fact, this would make a fabulous romance novel! Oh, I simply must get your whole touching story so I can send it in to my favorite author for…" Rarity's fantasy was cut off as a new voice sang out through the clearing, "Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash!" It called. Suddenly, the shrubs where the other girls had walked in were parted, and, a flashlight in her hand, a woman in a lavender jacket jogged her way into their midst, followed closely by two women; one walking slowly and fearfully, wearing a yellow parka, and the other bouncing, wearing a pink hoodie. Twilight Sparkle's face turned from an expression of worry to one of joy when she saw the six women before her. Sweetie Belle, now with help from Applebloom and Scootaloo, was more than happy to regale everyone with her story of near-death and romance. Before long, every one of the group of friends was up to speed on High Pointe's newest couple. "I just knew it!" Pinkie began to sing, "I knew it ever since Dashie asked Lyra for that part in the play, and then when Applejack came looking for Dashie, I just knneeeeewww iiiiittt!" She bounced around everypony in excitement. "I'm going to have to throw the biggest party ever now! You guys are so great together!" "You two are in love?" asked Fluttershy in a small, but very happy voice. "That's so wonderful. I know several of my animal friends who behave just like you guys, and they…" Fluttershy ducked her head beneath her bangs to hide a smile that was spreading across her face at the thought. "I'm sure you'll be very happy together." She finished in a voice that barely registered, as she slyly kicked at the ground and held back giggles at an inside joke only she knew. "This is such an opportunity!" Twilight exclaimed, "I can learn so much about you two for my human interaction studies! You know, the one for my Sociology! Just think of all I can report to the Headmistress on this! Oh, where are my manners, I'm really happy for you guys!" The voices of all her best friends swam through Applejack's head as the memory faded. Everyone congratulating her and Rainbow Dash. Everyone saying how wonderful it was. Everyone wishing them happiness. Applejack's mind lingered on that day, that wonderful, magical day from many months ago. On that day, everything had seemed so perfect, everything had made Applejack happy; she had felt loved, and needed, and content. Everything in the world was as it should have been on that day when she and Rainbow Dash had embarked on a memorable journey of discovery and love. 'Not like today, not like now,' she thought to herself as she silently watched the coffin being lowered into the gaping hole that stood before her. That hole was a black mouth, swallowing all the happiness and joy Applejack had gained over the past few months and replacing it with a soul-chilling depression. The voices that she had heard over those months continued to flow through her head. The voices of her friends, her family, and one voice in particular. One voice that kept recurring and repeating in her head. One voice that she longed to hear, but as she watched the coffin slip into the black void, she knew she would never hear it again, at least not outside of her mind. As the lid of the coffin, an apple pie carved into its top, sank down into the inky blackness, that voice filled her head again. "Remember child, you need to follow your heart. Follow your heart to the ends of the earth, and you will always find happiness," and Applejack was overcome with grief. Applejack looked around to all of her friends, her remaining family, everyone gathered to mourn with her. All of their mixed relatives had descended on High Pointe for the funeral. The audience of family members surrounded her, most crying, some trying to keep a brave face, but all touched by the loss of their oldest member. Right out in front, directly to Applejack's left, Applebloom sobbed into the ground, unwilling to look up at the new gravestone or the black maw in front of it. Big Macintosh knelt over her, stroking Applebloom's hair with his hand, barely fighting back tears himself. Fluttershy, calm and collected, oddly enough considering her emotional state, hovered next to them, whispering comforting words and thoughts to him. Beyond her, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and even Pinkie Pie, her hair down and looking quite straight, all bowed their heads in respect. Even with tears dripping down her cheeks and nose, Applejack couldn't help but feel grateful to her friends for their support. She tried to sniff back tears, but to no avail. This woman, always a source of comfort, a source of advice, a source of help, a source of reason, was gone. Gone forever from the life of Applejack, Applebloom and Big Macintosh, and her passing left a hole that Applejack felt she might never refill. She looked to her right. There, standing next to her, a breeze stirring the hair colored like a rainbow, an expression of steadfast determination on her face as she stared forward, stood Rainbow Dash. She was composed, calm, quiet, and strong. She faced forward with a strength that came from a desire to not show emotion, but it was powerful. Applejack needed that strength, needed that persistence, needed someone to be her rock in such times of loss. Rainbow Dash was her rock. Without another thought, Applejack leaned over and buried her face in the fluttering hair of Rainbow Dash. She inhaled deeply, and just as it had so long ago, the cool, wet scent of a beautiful rain storm filled her mind. She felt Rainbow Dash's neck vibrate ever so gently, as the quiet Captain nuzzled her girlfriend with all the compassion and strength of a woman who was unendingly loyal to those she loved. Applejack felt supported by that strength; felt safe. With her face sheathed and protected by six-colored hair, Applejack continued to cry. Rainbow Dash didn't flinch at the tears soaking her hair and neck, Applejack needed her now, she needed her to be strong, she needed her to be there. Rainbow draped one arm over Applejack's back and held her close, continuing to nuzzle, letting her strength and comfort support the farmer who had lost so much, and was only now letting her emotions go, letting her loss overcome her in a grand display of a release of pent-up emotion and feelings. Rainbow Dash would be there for Applejack, keeping her close, to keep her from getting lost.