Thirty Minute Ponies

by ThatOneWriter

A Day Late...

Something felt off.

Rainbow Dash was usually on top of things. Okay, she was mostly on top of things. It was more than half the time. And even when she wasn't, Dash was a speed demon. She knew how to get back ahead in a hurry.

But she was pretty sure she was behind today. There was something she was forgetting. But what? It wasn't one of her friends' birthdays. Pinkie would have sent her an invitation to their party by now. There was no way it was the weather—that was the one thing she always kept up on. It wasn't a holiday, and she was pretty sure none of her friends had any favors they'd asked of her. Rainbow scratched her head.

Aw, hay. AJ'll know. She's good about this kind of stuff. That had been one of the things that had gotten Applejack and Rainbow Dash to start dating. As much as they respected each other as rivals, they had come to admire how the other came through for their friends. Applejack just happened to be better at being on time about it.

So Dash raced over to Sweet Apple Acres. Being as fast as she was, it was hardly any time at all before she arrived. She glided over the orchard, scouring the ground below for her marefriend. After spotting Applejack near the eastern edge of the farm, Dash dove toward the ground, pulling up at the last moment to land with characteristic flair. Dash loved doing that whenever Applejack was around. Applejack's eyes would widen, then after seeing Dash was okay, she'd try to scowl. She'd tell Dash how stupid and reckless that was, and then Dash would tell her how cute she looked when she was worried, and Applejack would try to scowl even more, even though her cheeks reddened and a hint of a smile always broke through.

This time, however, it seemed that Applejack dropped all pretense of being upset. She strode up to the fence, already smiling. "Well, g'mornin', sugarcube! You know what today is?"

Dash blinked. "Uh, yeah, totally!" She put on her best fake smile. It slowly faded as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Would you mind reminding me, though?"

Applejack's smile evaporated in an instant. "Consarnit, Dash!" She scowled, except this time it wasn't an act. At least, it didn't seem to be an act as far as Dash could tell. "Can't you at least keep track of the most important dates?"

"Hey, I remembered your birthday!" Dash frowned. What's she getting so mad about, anyway?

"After Pinkie reminded you that very morning!"

Dash scoffed. "I still got you a present and everything! It was the best one you got that year! You still use that hoof massager almost every day!"

Applejack shook her head. "That was two days later, Dash. You didn't even show up to the party on time."

"But I was still there, and I still made up for it!"

Rolling her eyes, Applejack turned away. She lowered her head. "You're unbelievable sometimes, Dash." The statement was so quiet and so strained that it barely even sounded like Applejack. She stared Dash right in the eyes. "You always think you can make up for everything after the fact, but sometimes, 'sorry' just don't cut it. Some things are just too important to miss."

Dash's heart sank. Whatever Applejack was mad about, it was big this time. Maybe she couldn't make up for this mistake. "What the hay are you so worked up about, anyway?"

"Dash," Applejack said in that same, quiet voice. "Today's our anniversary."

The world fell around Dash. Taking a step back, she tried to take in what Applejack had said. "W-what?"

Applejack sighed and turned away. "I kept hoping," she said. "I kept hoping that maybe, just maybe, you'd care enough to at least remember our anniversary. But I guess some things never change." Ears dropping, Applejack bit her lip, suddenly hesitant. "I don't think we can make this work. It's over, Dash."

"Applejack..." In vain, Dash reached out a hoof toward her now-ex-marefriend. She pressed herself against the fence, but she couldn't quite reach.

Tears glistened in Applejack's eyes. A soft sniff escaped her. "Now if'n you don't mind, I've got someplace else to be." With that, Applejack galloped away, not even turning to look back.

Dash fell to her haunches, stunned. She pressed a hoof to her chest to ensure that there wasn't a hole there. It sure felt like somepony had ripped her heart out.

"I'll take you to the nicest place in town. I'll get you whatever you want. I'll owe you like a hundred thousand massages or whatever." Trees became blurry green blobs with flecks of red. Her eyes burned as she continued to stare at where Applejack had stood. "Just please say it's all right," she whispered.

But despite her promises, Rainbow Dash was alone.

Author's Note:

My first official dabbling in AppleDash. The others were never finished, but they all have one thing in common: they do not go well for the two. Iunno why, I just don't see these two working out.