Out of the Blue

by Ninestempest

Chapter 2

Applejack didn’t spend her free day seeing her friends. She didn’t leave the farm once she returned, simply deciding to read, sleep, and rest. She didn’t read often, she basically hadn’t since she was a school filly. It didn’t suit her. Big Macintosh was worried just because she hadn’t bothered to ask him if she could work. Whenever Applejack was stressed or worried, she often would work it off.

Applejack didn’t really remember what she was reading. It was glanced over, read in a rush, the events just a giant haze of general information and events. Some pony princess had been kidnapped. A group of knight ponies swore to rescue her, and one by one they died over the journey, each one having their strongest personality trait be their downfall, dying to save the others. One pony, the last one alive, ends up killing the princess under the influence of some magic spell, and he returns to the kingdom to be branded a traitor. Applejack didn’t bother with why it was written like that. She figured there was some meaning or message, but couldn’t be bothered to care about it. The book hadn’t been terribly long, for some epic journey it was supposed to be.

She held herself up in her room until it was time for dinner. When she was at the dinner table, an awkward silence hung in the air until Applebloom finally broke it, saying what was on everypony’s mind. “Applejack!” She cried, “If something is wrong, you can tell us! You’ve gotten in fights before, it ain’t that bad!”

“Applebloom, this ain’t none of yer business.” She replied curtly, which seemed to hurt Applebloom even more.

“Please big sis... you’ve been in your room all day... I’m really worried about ya...”

Applejack looked at her. The filly’s big red eyes were staring at her, those big, yearning, almost-sad puppy dog eyes. Applejack sighed. “Ah’m yer big sis, those don’t work on me. Ah had a little argument with a friend and we got really sour about it, nothin’ to fret over. Ah’ll go work it out tomorrow, first thin’, okay?”

That seemed to please everypony well enough; dinner proceeded as usual, and they all started talking like nothing had happened for the rest of that night. Applejack continued reading the book, realizing it had a sequel when she finished it. They didn’t have it in their small book collection in the house. She didn’t want to go to the library to see if Twilight had it.

-----

Applejack lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling in silent frustration. It was dark, she could barely make out the time on her clock in the moonlight. Two in the mornin’... ah should be up in about five hours and ah ain’t got a wink of sleep...

She sighed loudly, her frustration piercing the silent night air that was only filled with the sounds of crickets and the occasional breeze. She took a pillow and pulled it over her face for a few seconds, then loudly sighed directly into the pillow. She placed it back behind her head, rolling over on her side now. She couldn’t think.

“Damnit all.” she said to herself. “What did ah say to Rainbow Dash? Why don’t ah remember? Why would she kick me... kick me when ah was down...” she felt the moisture again, on her face, a tingling trail falling over the fur on her cheek. She had felt it whenever she tried to remember that night, each attempt to remember just as unsuccessful as the previous. “Why is it makin’ me cry like a little filly?”

-----

Her eyes popped open, the light seeming to magnify as it hit her face. Applejack sprung up from the bed. That sun is so bright, what time is it!?

It was ten in the morning. She sighed. That was too late in the morning; she couldn’t see Rainbow Dash then. No way would she wake her up from a nap either. She decided she’d just try to do what she did the previous day, while avoiding Rainbow Dash.

She got out of bed, brought her clothes with her to the bathroom, took a shower, put them on, and then headed out to Ponyville. Nopony had been in the house when she left.

The trek didn’t last long before something odd happened. Just after the fork in the path, she was smacked in the face by an envelope. She cautiously picked it up in her mouth and looked around, expecting some kind of menace or some laughing pony who was playing some kind of prank. Neither. She opened up the envelope, taking out what was inside.

She read the first line and knew it was an invitation to a Pinkie Pie party. She scanned the rest of it absentmindedly, noting it was at one in the afternoon, meant to include food for everypony, was to take place at Sugar Cube Corner, and had a guest from outside of Ponyville.

Everypony was invited too, she noted near the end of the invitation.

At first, she was somewhat excited. A party would be the best way for her to reconnect with everypony, and she could eat something that wasn’t apple-related (Celestia-bless the fruit, it did get old after more than a week). Seeing all of her friends would be great, they could play party games, talk, catch up...

Her enthusiasm faded as she realized that Rainbow Dash would be there. She felt her eyes tearing up just thinking the name, but she held them back, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead slowly with her hoof. Ah’ll just go apologize to her. Whatever ah said, it couldn’t be so terrible...

Then she realized something else; what if Rainbow Dash told everypony what she had done? Would she though? Applejack couldn’t think. Her heart felt heavy and her throat felt like somepony had stuck a rock in it. She breathed out, her voice almost hoarse. Ah’ll just... have to deal with it. If ah said something that’s makin’ me act like this all the time, it was probably somethin’ terrible and it would probably be best if ah just go tell her ah’m sorry. Ah just hope she’ll believe me when ah say ah don’t know what ah was sayin’...

The party was in about three hours. Rainbow Dash might just be awake by then, but barely. The chance of finding her before the party seemed minimal. Applejack then realized she hadn’t eaten breakfast, and that she was darned hungry.

“Sugar Cube Corner it is then!” She said to herself, trotting off happily. In her haste, she didn’t see the head of a familiar pink and yellow pegasus poke out from a bush at the side of the path, looking at the farmer as she walked off. She adjusted her own grip on her collection of twenty or so envelopes that she had between her forehooves, and cautiously flew off towards Rainbow Dash’s cloud home. She had a warm smile on her face the entire time.

-----

Sugar Cube Corner always struck Applejack as a very odd looking building. Unlike most businesses in Ponyville, which had either a very basic or somewhat stylistic design, it was one of the two or three buildings with a ridiculous appearance. The roof and parts of the walls all looked to be made out of cookies, streaks of white frosting around the edges and rims of the roof. Anything that wasn’t brown in some shade or the white of frosting, was a bright magenta or pink, even the windows looking to be tinted when seen from the outside. It was like a pony-tale house made out of candy, even if it obviously wasn’t. It smelled strongly of the various cookies, cakes, muffins, and other pastries that were always on sale inside, the sweet smell almost overwhelming. The invitation to the party had told Applejack that the party was to be held there, and she wanted to find Pinkie Pie before it started. She’d probably be the most uplifting of her friends to see; her cheery demeanor and playful spirit always lifted everypony’s mood.

Inside, there were various pastries on display, some being free samples (which were given out pretty freely in her experience) and more at the counter and in the windows. The strongest smell was that of something sweet baking in the oven. Mrs. Cake stood at the counter, attending to one of the pegasi from the Ponyville weather patrol. The yellow furred and teal-maned pegasus gave an acknowledging nod as she left the room. Applejack didn’t really know her, but she had seen her hanging out with Rainbow Dash often enough, and figured the pegasus had also seen her hanging out with her friend before. She asked Mrs. Cake where Pinkie Pie was, and she said that she was volunteering some of her time in the kitchen to cook, mostly for the party that was to happen later that day. She directed Applejack to where Pinkie most likely was, giving her a strange warning.

“What do you mean Pinkie Pie is a little off?” Applejack asked, curious.

“Well, how do I say this...” Mrs. Cake looked up in thought. “She’s been, well, clingy. She had an hour-long, coherent conversation with me and my husband this morning. Without us forcing her or anything! She even told us how she got her cutie mark, it was so bizarre. Just be nice to her, I don’t want to see her be disappointed before that party later...”

“Yeah, about that party. What is goin’ on exactly?”

“You got your invitation already? That was pretty fast. Some famous magician from Canterlot has been traveling around Equestria, and she is in Ponyville right now. She plans to give a show behind the store, and wanted to have a big party to get everypony gathered. She apparently does this wherever she goes, and she even paid Pinkie Pie handsomely for it...”

“That musta been awkward. Pinkie Pie always throws her parties for free...” Applejack tried to think of a time when Pinkie Pie might have had a party and then gotten something, anything, in return. Absolutely nothing came up.

As if reading her mind, Mrs. Cake answered after a few seconds, concern showing on her face. “She uses all of her own money from working here to pay for those parties. I’m not sure how she does it, she must save up everything and spend it on all of you.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “She spends literally all of her money on us and Ponyville?”

“Seems that way. She must really love her friends, I don’t think her room is very decorated even...”

Applejack could only shrug. She knew Pinkie Pie lived in a small loft on the upper floor of the building, but she herself had never actually been inside it. “Well, ah’ll keep it in mind Mrs. Cake. Ah’ll just go see her and see what the issue is. Ah’m sure it’s nothin’.” She gave a small wave, Mrs. Cake waving back as just before attending to another customer, as the farmer headed towards her destination, going to the end of the room and turning to the entrance of the kitchen sitting just behind the gap in the glass counter that might normally be reserved as an area for employees only.

Ah hope ah’m not the reason Pinkie Pie is actin’ all weird... oh ah bet Rainbow Dash did tell everypony... ah really wanted to just finish this with her. She walked into the room hesitantly, taking in the scene before wanting to even move any more.

The kitchen seemed a bit busy, with bowls and trays and other such things placed all over the place, probably being used to mix things that needed baking. In a strange contrast with the rest of the building, almost everything here was green; some plates, all the countertops and cupboards, and even the drapes over the window. She supposed that the Cakes simply liked green. After giving the kitchen a thorough look-over, she saw the pink earth pony looking into the fridge at the end of the kitchen.

“Howdy, Pinkie Pie!” Said Applejack, walking towards her slowly.

Pinkie Pie poked her head out of the fridge, her poufy magenta main bouncing as she looked to Applejack. “Oh hey Applejack! I’ll be with you in oooooone second...” she turned back to the fridge, grabbing something, when her tail and mane all stood on end suddenly and she turned to Applejack, her eyes wide in surprise. “Applejack!? Why are you here!?”

Applejack sighed. It seemed they were at least suspicious of her already. “Ah-ah’m just here to check up on how things are goin’ with the party preparations and stuff...” her voice was quiet, some words almost slurring a bit as she looked down in shame.

Pinkie Pie picked up on it instantly. “Ohnonononono, it isn’t what you think. Come on, we need to go see Twilight!” She walked over to Applejack and quickly grabbed one of her forehooves, dragging her out the back door in the kitchen, leading into Ponyville again.

“What in tarnation-“

“We’ve been really worried about you since yesterday, you silly little filly!” Pinkie Pie said, walking quickly but calmly still, without jumping around as she usually did. “Fluttershy told me all about what happened-“

Applejack swatted the hoof away, proceeding to walk on her own after Pinkie Pie. “Why would Fluttershy tell ya ‘bout what happened between me and Rainbow Dash?”

Pinkie Pie, no longer holding Applejack’s hoof, had resumed her usual style of walking: making jumps and bounds that were several feet high, but had the same pace as any pony that walked. She slowed down to fall back to the farmer’s side, explaining the situation. “Fluttershy thought that what you said might not be the truth, and only intended to hurt Rainbow Dash, and that is pretty suspicious. After all, anything you said that would hurt Rainbow Dash that much couldn’t be the truth, right?” She nodded to herself, as if to build her own confidence. “Fluttershy thinks it might be that meanie who’s after our elements!” She made an angry face as if to imitate whoever might be their culprit, and this made Applejack chuckle, despite their situation.

The Elements of Harmony. It had been long over a year since that Summer Sun Celebration, where Applejack and her four friends, and their newest friend Twilight Sparkle of Canterlot, had dove into the Everfree Forest. There they found the Elements of Harmony, Nightmare Moon, and through Twilight and the Elements, removed the spell, curse, or whatever it was that had a hold over the Princess of the Moon. Applejack figured she was just a regular farm pony until that day. She thought her place was on the farm, taking care of the orchard, her family, and her friends. She had thought that since she found her Cutie Mark, but those foundations had been shaken when she found her place as the Element of Honesty. It surprised her, and she still sometimes resented her position. Ah’m just a simple earth pony, ah don’t need no magic to do anythin’...

It seemed their time was coming again. She didn’t want to think about the elements, but how could she not? It would be dishonest of her not to, considering it seemed like they were in danger. Though everypony seemed fine for that year, that peace between their group of friends was shaken by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash vanishing for those few days. When the two did re-emerge from the forest, safely (though Rainbow Dash still with her broken leg and wing), it seemed to bring peace back to Ponyville, at least for a month. For that first month, the two seemed more withdrawn, near each other almost always, fearful, and never telling anypony what actually happened. Applejack had thought that they were just getting along better, or at least keeping each other company in light of the challenging events in the forest. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had alerted everypony to meet at Twilight’s Library. There they told everypony about what had happened; they had had an “Epiphany” as it was called, where the Element of Harmony they each held had contacted them, speaking to them in some other-worldly place. The elements only brought grave news: The elements still resided within each of them, and that somepony was trying to take them. They had tried to take the Element of Loyalty, held by Rainbow Dash. It was also when Twilight Sparkle had revealed that she knew as well, having already had an Epiphany, but was unsure of whether or not it was something she needed to bother sharing, as it seemed like a half-forgotten dream. The news seemed beyond them all, especially to Applejack. The element had no use, and she didn’t even know that she still held it, so the news to her seemed unimportant.

Applejack dove further into her own mind as she walked alongside Pinkie Pie, who had since quieted down for the walk. What happened when a pony lost their element? The elements themselves didn’t even know, from what the three ponies who had experienced the Epiphanies had said. She had no idea, and neither did anypony else. Twilight Sparkle had spent most of the month trying to figure it out with experiments and various magics, and hadn’t been any closer to finding an answer by the time her birthday came around. Would the pony die? Would nothing happen? Maybe some kind of amnesia? Maybe they’d lose their magic, skill in flying, or maybe some strength if they were an earth pony? The ideas swirling in Applejack’s head confounded her, as they usually did. She didn’t know anything about magic or science or any of that fancy stuff, why bother thinking about it when Twilight didn’t know any more than she did? Pinkie Pie telling Applejack that everypony suspected her as being some kind of target had only served to remind her of the entire situation that she would have just preferred to forget.

She glanced to Pinkie Pie as she walked beside her. She had resumed walking normally again, her face calm and somewhat concerned as she looked straight ahead. It wasn’t very often that anything but a smile crossed the bubbly-and-often-hyper pink earth pony’s face, and it made Applejack feel a ping of regret ring out in her conscience. She had basically ignored any discussion her friend wanted to have, instead withdrawing to think about what she hadn’t thought about in days.

“So Pinkie Pie...” Applejack started to say, but then she realized where she was, and smacked her own forehead with her hoof.

“Hey guys,” Said the indigo-furred and midnight blue-maned unicorn in front of them. Twilight Sparkle was her name, and being the town Librarian was her game. “Oh, if Applejack is here, I think I better tell the others. You guys won’t mind waiting for us in the library, right?” Twilight motioned for them to enter. They had arrived at the Ponyville Public Library, and Applejack hadn’t so much as spoken to Pinkie Pie for the duration of the entire walk.

The outside of the library always pleased Applejack, even if she didn’t much care for the contents of the building. It was a huge tree, with various windows and small staircases around its sides, seemingly sprawling all around it. The library being a big hollowed out tree gave it a natural feeling that made Applejack feel especially comfortable. She did go to the library often, though, more to visit Twilight than for the books. She decided she’d look for the sequel to that odd fantasy novel she had read at home, while she was there.

“We won’t mind one bit, Twilight. Ah’m hoping to get as much of this settled as possible today.” Applejack said, walking into the library. Pinkie Pie had followed her in, albeit slowly and not like Pinkie Pie at all, who only nodded after Twilight. The indigo unicorn gave a worried smile as she waved, heading off quickly in the direction of the home of one of their friends.

It seemed Spike wasn’t there either; there was a note on the library wall, mentioning how he was in Canterlot for several days to attend to some court business. It wasn’t odd, but the note had been written a few days earlier, so she figured Twilight kept it there to remind herself that Spike was gone. In fact, Applejack hadn’t seen Spike at Twilight’s birthday party, and suddenly she wanted to ask her where the baby dragon had been that night.

“Applejack...” said Pinkie Pie from behind the farmer. She turned around quickly to meet the pink pony’s face, which was one of deep thought. “Do I... am I annoying at all?”

Applejack could only blink. “Well, ah’d be lyin’ if ah didn’t think that you sometimes got a little too hyper for yer own good, but beyond that, not even a might bit annoyin’.” She smiled back at Pinkie Pie, hoping to get the warm smile from her that she hadn’t seen much of that day.

She didn’t get it, but got more of the same thinking expression. Pinkie Pie sighed. “Why didn’t you talk with me on the way here? Was I being too hyper for you? I can just calm down if you ask me! I don’t mind one bit!” She sounded desperate almost.

Applejack shook her head. “That wasn’t it sugarcube, ah was just thinkin’ of what you told me, ‘bout the Elements. Ah wasn’t really expectin’ that to come up so soon.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, smiling again. “Yeah, it was really unexpected! I was baking for the Cakes yesterday when Fluttershy SWOOPED in from the back entrance and pulled me out and started talking to me about your argument and that I had to go tell everypony else so I did really quickly and they were all really concerned because they hadn’t seen you in a week so they all were hoping you’d come by today for the party but we weren’t sure if you’d come since Rainbow Dash is coming-“

Though relieved that Pinkie Pie seemed fine again, Applejack had to interrupt her friend’s drawn out sentence. “So Rainbow IS comin’ to the party?”

Pinkie Pie nodded energetically. “She said that she wants to talk to you again and apologize and stuff, since she figures you didn’t mean what you said to her and all because it was like some kind of magic or something that made you say that!”

“Pinkie Pie, there’s somethin’ none of y’all realize ‘bout yesterday.” Applejack looked at Pinkie Pie seriously, and she stopped her bobbing head to return the gaze. “Ah don’t... really know what ah said...”

“Well that’s okay! I mean you got hurt right afterwards and you were probably all sad and regretful and stuff-“

“No, ah mean ah don’t actually remember. Ah remember wakin’ up Rainbow Dash, talkin’ a little about the dream’s Fluttershy’s been havin-“

“What dreams has Fluttershy been having?” Pinkie Pie said, tilting her head curiously. “Dawww, I bet Rainbow Dash has been keeping her company through scary nightmares every night, hasn’t she? Oh that’s soooooo sweet of her-“

“Pinkie, they’re dreams where Rainbow Dash dies protectin’ Fluttershy. Fluttershy is scared out of her wits every night, and that’s why they’ve been together every night. As soon as Rainbow Dash told me that, the events get kind of hazy until she kicked me.” Applejack sighed. From Pinkie Pie’s surprised expression, it was clear that she didn’t know the nature of the two spending every night together. Did Rainbow Dash really tell me some kind of secret, before everypony else? The thought made a small well of sadness spring up in Applejack’s mind. She had told me that after not seein’ much of anypony for a week, and ah threw it back in her face...

Pinkie Pie replied in a somewhat quiet voice, seemingly getting more loud and angry. “That’s... awful. Eugh, why doesn’t anypony tell me these things!? Why can’t you all just have fun again!?”

“Wh-what do ya mean Pinkie Pie?” Applejack asked, simultaneously surprised and concerned by her friend’s change in mood again.

“Ever since that party, almost nopony besides Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash has made an effort to... talk to me...” she said, calm again. “Seven days of being all alone and stuff... nopony wanted to see me even...”

“Well, shoot, ah’m sorry Pinkie Pie. Ah was busy with the farm all week.” Applejack felt worse now. It was rare to see anything but happiness in Pinkie Pie, and that day she had seen a flurry of motions in the span of just several minutes. It was incredibly disconcerting, and all she wanted was for her friend to be happy again. “Well, let me be the first to offer up a day spendin’ time with ya! Today in fact! After that party, we can hang out a bit, if ya’d like?”

Pinke Pie had Applejack in a bear hug, pulling one of her well-known emotional 180s, and seemingly reaching her without actually running across the room. “Ooooooh, Applejack that would make me so happy! We’ll have lots of fun today, just wait and see!” Her voice was filled with excitement again. Applejack smiled at the sound, yet had a little trouble breathing.

“Ah don’t mind one bit sugarcube, but could ya just let me breathe a little... yer hug is a might too tight for mah chest...” Applejack squeezed the words out of her mouth with concerted effort. Pinkie Pie released her instantly, bouncing around the room like her happy self again. She idly talked about making various orders and such for the Cakes over the past week to fill the time until their friend’s returned, which only took ten minutes.

Each one walked in, waving and smiling happily. Rarity, a white-unicorn with a long, curled purple mane, walked in first, the most energetic of them all aside from Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy followed her, then Twilight Sparkle, and finally was Rainbow Dash. She glanced quickly at Applejack before standing at the opposite end of the room next to Fluttershy.

Applejack was the first to speak, after several seconds of what seemed like intentional silence by the group. “So... why are we all here anyway?” She couldn’t help but notice that Rainbow Dash had rolled her eyes at the question.

Twilight answered first, confidently and loudly. “Well, with the event fresh in your mind, I wanted to ask you about it. After all, if this kind of thing happens to all of us, maybe we can realize it when we’re talking. I don’t mean to interrogate you, but if we get as many details as possible, we can analyze it more. I also wanted to see if there was some way we could counter-act it, if we figure out what happened exactly.”

Applejack nodded. It didn’t seem like a bad idea at all. So she told them what she felt during the conversation with Rainbow Dash the previous day. She narrated what she knew, that specific emotional pressure and accentuated thought in her mind that seemed to take over as she was arguing with Rainbow Dash. She described her emotions afterwards, being conflicted, knowing what her fear had been, but know remembering what actually transpired. Applejack had glanced occasionally at Rainbow Dash, who only seemed to get more distant and smaller as the discussion drew on, no doubt feeling both sad and guilty about what she had done, but in Applejack’s own mind, she had already forgiven the blue pegasus.

Though various questions had been raised, they were all answered swiftly until Rarity asked a more thorough one. “Darling, I’d like to know something a little more specific, something I don’t think Twilight noticed.”

“Well sure thing sugarcube.”

“Do you remember... exactly what Rainbow Dash said before you started forgetting what was happening?”

“Ah told ya, it was after she was done explainin’ what dreams Fluttershy was havin’ every night.”

“But the actual sentence. I’m wondering if there was a ‘cause’ for your thoughts to turn the way they did.”

Applejack thought back. The conversation played out almost word-for-word. She could even imitate the tone, the words and intention so clear in them: “’But they’re really scaring her, so I’ve been sticking with her all the time. Hehe, I don’t... mind at all...’”

Rarity smiled, and clapped her hooves once. “Well, there’s your problem!”

“What?” Asked Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash simultaneously.

“You described a fear. A fear of Rainbow Dash being a fillyfooler... sorry dear...” she had glanced at Rainbow Dash who was quietly looking down in shame. “... a fear that was overwhelming you as soon as you felt it. I think that magic made you jump to conclusions as soon as you heard that sentence. It reminded you of exactly how Rainbow Dash felt for Fluttershy, when you didn’t mention it earlier in the conversation, even though you obviously knew about it!”

“I’m not sure I see where this is going, Rarity.” Said Twilight, her expression one of thought. “But don’t let me stop you!”

“I think this ‘outside force’ that is some pony trying to make you do something, doesn’t actually have any idea what you’re thinking about.” Rarity explained. “It’s likely that they simply look for any emotion they can drive, and use it to make you do what they want. They also didn’t know what you were thinking, but when they heard Rainbow Dash’s careful sentence, it seemed to start you down that track of thinking. I don’t have a single clue about the magic one might use for this, but that’s a job for Twilight.”

Applejack understood a little more clearly now. Indeed, it wasn’t until that sentence that anything about the relationship between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was actually spoken by the blue pegasus. Even Applejack gleamed that much from the explanation; the pony invading only knew what was being told to the pony whose mind they were ‘invading’, but could still feel and manipulate feelings of the pony they were invading.

“That’s great and all...” said Rainbow Dash, walking towards Applejack intently, “but that leaves me with one question. A few actually. First off, do you want to know what you said to me?” Her lips were quivering, ever so slightly.

“Ah-ah don’t really want to know if it was so bad...”

“You accused me of placing myself before Fluttershy. That I might give into some stupid, sexual urge just because I loved her!” She was yelling now, but her legs were shaking as well. “That I might DO something to her in the nights she was spending with me! You told me that it was only because I was a lesbian that I might do those things!”

“Rainbow Dash, please stop getting mad!” Said Pinkie Pie, defending Applejack quickly. “She wasn’t herself, she didn’t really mean what she said!”

Twilight had moved up to speak, but Rainbow Dash threw up a hoof to silence her. “Rarity just explained it, the best explanation from anypony in this room. That pony in your mind may have made you feel certain emotions more and others less, but you still had to have some thoughts in there to speak.” She took a few steps closer to Applejack, now less than two feet away. “You already were thinking about that, weren’t you?! Nopony put that ‘idea’ in your head, you already were thinking about me and Fluttershy! You already thought that I might do something to her!”

The accusation hadn’t finished hitting everypony’s ears by the time Applejack dashed out of the room. There were panicked calls from her friends behind her, but she couldn’t make herself stop. She ran through Ponyville, the path set straight for Sweet Apple Acres. She smacked into a few ponies in town, and didn’t even apologize. She arrived barely minutes later, tired from her sprint across town. She walked once she arrived on her property. Her mind was flustered and her body was tired. She didn’t want to think, but her mind wandered anyway. Guess ah’m runnin’ home again... am ah gonna do this every day now? Everytime ah can’t confront somethin’, am ah just gonna run? She walked up to her room and got on top of the comforter on her bed, smashing the pillow over her face in frustration. She looked to the clock for the time.

She had an hour before the party. They had been talking in the library for a long time. She would go; she was obligated now, but she couldn’t face them again, not alone. She didn’t want to talk to them again until she had a good reason for why she felt this way.

She wanted to know why was she unable to accept Rainbow Dash for whom she was, why she was scared of her, and there was no way she could tell her friends that she was scared of what her best friend was, and why in all of her years of knowing her, the fear finally came up to reveal itself now.