A Pony a Day

by OfTheIronwilled

Bark (9/12/2016)

Author's Note:

This snippet is a continuation of Date.

Good news everypony: I'm healthy again! Well, mostly. At least good enough to write frequently again. So assuming my cold/infection doesn't decide to get worse again for some reason, we're back on track!

Applejack kicked a tree. An apple fell out, ruby red and shining, into her basket.

"Nope. Ain't talkin' about it."

"Oh Applejack, darling, please. We simply wish to help you... get through this."

Applejack walked past Rarity, turned her tail, and bucked another tree. The bark wobbled, but no apples fell out. Just leaves. At that, Applejack snorted and ground a hoof into the dust.

"Ain't nothin'--" smash! "--to get through. I'm just doin' my work, and then I'm gonna hang up my hat for the night and sleep."

Rarity whinnied, and tapped in place while her tail flicked wildly. Her head tilted to the side, her wide eyes drooped down low. "Applejack, you can't make this more difficult than it needs to be. You would willingly just... sleep the day away?"

A leaf landed on Applejack's head. She whipped it away with a twist of her neck, and then she smashed her hind hooves to the wood behind her in a resounding snap of noise. No apples. Simply leaves. Yellow and orange ones, frayed at the edges; unusual for the summer air, but there they were.

"Yup. I would, and I will. And ain't no fussin' about it is goin' to stop me either."

Beside the two of them was a guttural groan. Rainbow Dash, bobbing in the air, smacked her forehead and growled -- something deep in her throat, in her chest. When Applejack only rolled her eyes at the noise, Rainbow snorted. Her wings stopped, and Rainbow landed on the ground. She cleared her throat, her eyes thinning to menacing slits, and forced herself toward Applejack. One step and Rarity could hear Dash's angry breath. Two steps and she could hear Applejack's.

By the time the two of them were nose to nose, it looked as if Applejack was ready to snap the pegasus in half.

"Applejack, come on, girl," Dash whinnied. "So what if somepony said no to you? There's always going to be more mares. Plus, like half of all Ponyville has a major crush on you; you could just walk out the door and go find Golden Harvest. I don't see what your problem is."

"Rainbow Dash, please!" Rarity sighed. She folded a hoof to AJ's withers, and dutifully ignored the way they twitched as if shaking away flies. "Applejack has just experienced rejection! It's our job as our friends to comfort her, not to question her emotions."

Rainbow Dash scoffed sourly as she snaked her tail over the grass, beating up dust. "Yeah, and I'd be totally down for that if not the fact that she's lying!"

"I am not lyin', Rainbow Dash," Applejack ground through her teeth. She butted her shoulder forward, her forehead smashed up against Rainbow's. Their manes whisked together in a cruel knot, and the two mares stabbed each other with their eyes. "I was rejected by a mare and that's that. No buts about it."

"Yeah, but you're hiding something. You haven't even told us who it was yet, and now you're just... just pushing us away!"

"'Cause it ain't any of your business who I hold affection for. This don't concern you, Dash!"

"How do we know that?"

"Because I'm asking you to trust me! There ain't..."

Applejack sagged, just slightly. Rainbow's gaze bore into her, and the green in the earth pony's eyes shone just a little more. "There ain't... I..."

Her eyes hardened again, but she gulped and tilted at her head. "Well, all right. This might affect you girls too; or... it might have. But it is done with now, and I ain't goin' to let myself get hung up on it... no matter how much my friends keep pokin' into my business."

Rarity didn't well know what to say. Rainbow Dash said nothing, simply standing firm at her glaring spot -- a hot snort blew out of her nose, and the two friends in front of Rarity went stock still. They stared and stared, Rainbow calm but strict in her gaze, and Applejack slowly growing more frenzied. Her mane frizzed out in a frustrated shiver, her mouth and nose twitched as a bead of seat rolled down her cheek, and her face grew to a volatile red flame. Eventually, after full minutes, Applejack backed away. Slowly. Stiffly.

Above her another orange leaf fell from the tree.

"Fine," she muttered. "If you've gotta know, it was..."

She sighed and stirred her hoof into the dirt. Rainbow softened her gaze when Applejack's face drooped. Rarity picked herself up like a dignified lady, as one should, and offered a gentle pat to Applejack's neck.

"It's alright, Applejack. Say it... but only if you'd like. I didn't want to get in the middle of your spat, but I'll say this now," She turned tail and gave Rainbow an admonishing raise of an eyebrow. "Rainbow Dash, while you had our friend's best intentions in mind, you shouldn't have pushed Applejack like that. Why, the mare is heartbroken; she needs calm words and... and more gentle goading, please. Or none at all -- this is a delicate matter of the heart and should be treated as such. Not with... bullying."

When Rainbow lowered her head ever so slightly, Rarity nodded, adjusted her billowing mane, and faced AJ with a small fragile smile.

"Now! Darling, if you feel ready, there's no pressure. You and I could always just stop by the Boutique if you'd rather speak in private there, or if you just wish to relax... though, I do think it would be helpful to get your feelings out there."

Silence. A final, lone, orange leaf floated down. A few seconds after a yellow leaf followed it, but instead of joining its counterpoint it was caught up in the wind and tumbled away. More silence.

Applejack sighed and shook her head. She looked down at the ground and took off her hat to hold it to her chest.

"It was Fluttershy. I went and asked Fluttershy to be my special somepony... and she said no."

Gasps. Then silence.

Silence.

More silence.

And then Rainbow Dash barked out a single bitter laugh.