She flew against the wind toward Cafe Du Mane, looking down momentarily to see if any others were out at the moment, in the cold like she was. No other ponies walked the streets of Ponyville tonight, aside from a few getting from their respective point A to point B. Rainbow Dash finally touched down in front of the eatery, walking promptly inside. The hostess, an attractive Pink Unicorn with a blue mane in a fancy outfit smiled at her.

"Good evening, miss." She said. "How may I help you?" Rainbow Dash's frown remained in it's original position, not budging a centimeter.

"You can't. I'm meeting somepony here." She said. The Unicorn raised an eyebrow and frowed slightly.

"Alright then. Go ahead in." She said, sounding slightly offended. Rainbow Dash wouldn't usually be so curt or rude with someone she had just met, but she was on a mission and absolutely nothing was getting in her way. The pegasus entered the main atrium of the restaurant, looking around, not seeing Applejack. The fancy lights that always used to thrill her so glowed brightly in contrast to the night darkness coming in through the windows. Different groups and couples of ponies sat, chatting happily and making merry, possibly in celebration of the impending Winter months. Rainbow Dash, of course, was in no mood to celebrate tonight.

Slowly and methodically she walked through the restaurant, her eyes darting back and forth almost frantically as she searched for Applejack, most likely pretending to laugh at one of Caramel's not-so-funny jokes. A glimpse of orange made her heart skip a beat, but it turned out to be an orange stallion with a red mane. Shaking her head, she continued on through the place, continuing to search for the farm mare she loved. The back room was all that was left. Indeed, through a large window on the wall seperating this room from the rest of Cafe Du Mane, Rainbow Dash saw Applejack, smiling at Caramel as he carried on with one of his tales.

Rainbow Dash's heart beat faster than it ever had as she struggled to make her legs move to carry her closer to the door to the room. She slowly walked, not taking her eyes off of Applejack. The innate urge to run and fly away back to her cloud home struck her, but she stood firm and continued to walk, furrowing her brow. She stopped in front of the door and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.

'Alright, Rainbow Dash...it's now, or never.' She thought to herself, putting a hoof on the door. 'One final shot...you can't mess this up. You can't lose her...not Applejack!' With this thought burning into her mind, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and pushed the door open, walking into the room. She looked at Applejack, only seeing the back of her stetson.

"Applejack!" She said louder than she had planned. Nearly everyone in the room turned and looked at her. She did not falter or move, she only kept her eyes on Applejack. Applejack was the last one to turn around, a look of disbelief on her face. Applejack was completely suprised, and somewhat elated, to see Rainbow Dash again. Rainbow looked sternly into Applejack's eyes, never breaking her gaze.

"Rainbow Dash...Ah...What're ya-"

"What am I doing here?" She said. "I'm here to talk to you of course. Why else would I be here?" Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash with incredulity that matched the pegasus' determination. The farm mare frowned.

"Ah don't think now's the right time." Applejack said angrily.

"Oh, I disagree, AJ. I think now's the perfect time. Did you want to talk outside, or among everypony else here, including Caramel." Rainbow said, gesturing to Applejack's date for the night. "Hey, Caramel." Caramel waved back slightly.

"Ah'll meet ya tomorrow, and we can talk then." Applejack said through clenched teeth.

"We can talk now." Rainbow reaffirmed. Applejack narrowed her eyes at Rainbow and turned to Caramel.

"So, go ahead and continue, Caramel." Applejack said, choosing to ingnore the pegasus. She knew that there wasn't even a possibility for Rainbow to make such a scene in public.

She was wrong.

"Fine." Rainbow said, narrowing her eyes. "I know why you want to just keep trying to cover up the fact that we were in a-"

Rainbow was interrupted by Applejack sprinting across the room to put a hoof over her mouth. Rainbow, in outrage, slapped Applejack's hoof away roughly. Applejack moved her face closer to Rainbow's, Rainbow Dash doing the same, both of their eyes ablaze with fury, both clenching their teeth in anger.

"Your choice, Applejack." Rainbow said, words sharper than a spear of Celestia's Royal Guard.

"Fine. We can talk outside." Applejack responded, venom mixing in her words. Rainbow smirked and proceeded to turn around and head for the exit of the restaurant. Applejack quickly turned to Caramel and frowned.

"Ah'm really sorry, Caramel." Applejack said.

"Hey, by all means. You and Rainbow have always been good friends. If you're angry at each other, you guys need to hash it out." Applejack smiled at him before following Rainbow through the restaurant. Rainbow smiled to herself as she felt her stomach become light.

'Alright! It's working! Keep the pressure on, Dash...' She thought as they exited the restaurant and walked a small distance away. The wind had ceased to blow, leaving behind a chilling still air that made Applejack crave indoor heating, and making her all the more angry at her former lover for dragging her out here.

"What in the hay are you doin' Rainbow Dash?!" Applejack said angrily.

"I'm doing what's right." Rainbow responded. "Whyare you hiding from the truth?!"

"You still on that, 'You're scared, Applejack.' Thing? Ah told you, no matter what, it's over, and Ah was never afraid of nothin'!"

"Goddesses, why are you sostupid?!" Rainbow exclaimed, raising a front hoof, eyes widening slightly.

"Excuse me?" Applejack said, again in shock at Rainbow Dash's pure audacity.

"You go parading yourself around like your above me, like you're too good to admit that you actually did love me at some point!" Rainbow yelled. Applejack felt shame shoot through her body. "But I know, and have always known, that it's nothing but a big, stupid cover-up for the fact that you're too much of a coward to face what others think of you!"

"You Take. That. Back." Applejack said, fury rising up inside of her. Applejack's mind was being assaulted with so many different emotions at this point. Suprise, anger, shame, sadness, dread. All coming together to make her feel generally unpleasant about this whole situation.

"No." Rainbow said flatly. "If you really are going to end it with me for good, then atleast have the common decency to admit to me the true reason for this!"

"What's that?" Applejack said, a sweat breaking from her brow, despite the cold.

"That you're scared. You fear other's opinions, when they shouldn't even matter to you!" Rainbow said. "Don't lie to my face like you've been doing. Just at least be a good friend and tell me the truth!"

"Ah ain't gotta explain myself to you!" Applejack responded. "You don't own me!"

"But I did call you mine for a time, remember?" Rainbow said. "And you called me yours!"

"So what, you're gonna try to kiss me right now or somethin', right?" Applejack asked, half chuckling.

"No. I'm done with that." Rainbow said.

"You'll never be done with it!" Applejack yelled. "You'll never let go!"

"I will if you justtell me the bucking truth!" Rainbow screamed. They stood before each other, each in a defensive stance. Rainbow Dash noticed that Applejack was trembling. Whether it was because of the cold, or because she was truly getting to her was unclear, but the pegasus decided to press the assault.

"It looks to me like you're the kind of mare that just plays with other ponies hearts before throwing them away, huh? You can't just kiss me and start all of this and then throw me away when you get a little frightened! How long until you ditch Caramel for some stupid reason?!" Rainbow continued to press on. "Maybe I should go let him know!"

"Shut up." Applejack said.

"I always knew you were tough, Applejack, but I never knew you could change into a coward so easily when the pressures on!" Rainbow continued to shout at the farm mare. Applejack began to tear up.

"Shut up!" Applejack said again, her voice breaking slightly. Rainbow noticed this.

'It's working! She knows how wrong she is!' She thought. 'Time for the finisher!'

"You know, maybe you aren'tthe element of honesty! Maybe there was a mistake!" Rainbow yelled, stepping toward Applejack. Applejack's ears splayed back as she backed into a tree. "You sure don't have any trouble lying to me!"

"AH HATE YOU!!!" Applejack suddenly screamed in Rainbow's face, making the pegasus jump back in suprise. "Get outta my life!" Applejack herself was suprised at the statement.

It took Rainbow no time at all to register what Applejack had just screamed at her. She stumbled back, eyes wide as plates, pupils shrunk. Her mouth hung open slightly as her entire resolve, this huge tower built up over the previous weeks, crumbled into nothing. Her ears splayed back and her breathing increased in frequency as tears immediately began to flood her eyes and streak down her face. Applejack hadn't looked away. She hadn't stuttered.

Rainbow Dash merely sat and stared at Applejack in silence. Applejack stood, breathing heavily, tears running down her face as well. Rainbow Dash struggled to speak through her tears.

"F-fine!" Rainbow said with a sob. "You want me out of your life? You got it!" It was at that moment that Applejack realized that what she had said was going too far.

"Rainbow..." Applejack barely said before the pegasus turned and immediately took off into the sky. Applejack's heart dropped as she sprinted with all of her might after the pegasus. "Rainbow!!!" Applejack screamed, but Rainbow Dash was gone, disappeared into the night sky. Applejack's blood ran cold. She wished with every fiber of her being that she could take back what she had said.

"Rainbow Dash..." Applejack whispered, the tears on her cheeks stinging from the cold. Shame burdening her as she slowly walked back to Cafe Du Mane. The warm temperature or the company of Caramel could not console her, however, as she remembered Rainbow Dash...and how she had just lost one of her best friends.
Rainbow Dash flew through the sky, freezing cold wind buffeting her as she continued to cry. Applejack said that she hated her. That she wanted Rainbow Dash out of her life. Despair eroded her insides as the statement continued to play over and over in her head like a sick, sadistic tape recorder. If Rainbow Dash were to fall, crash and freeze to death overnight, she didn't care. She couldn't care. She felt truly and immovably alone. For right now, the pegasus had one place on her mind.

Rainbow touched down in front of Swingin' Manes, the local bar-dance club. She heard no music thumping from outside, however, so it must have been a slow night. Perfect. Rainbow tromped in and stumbled to the bar. She wiped her nose and sniffled.

"What'll it be, sugar?" The bartender, a red unicorn stallion with an orange mane asked her.

"Vodka. Straight." Rainbow said. "Gimme the whole bottle." The bartender whistled to himself.

"You sure about that, sweetheart? Seems a little bit too much for ya." He said.

"I'm not going to drink the whole thing, stupid!" Rainbow exclaimed, a tear falling down her cheek. "I just...like to serve myself." The bartender noticed her sorrow and took pity on her. He put the bottle and a shotglass on the counter in front of the heartbroken mare. She immediately poured a shot and downed it without a single grimace or frown.

"Heartbreak, huh?" The bartender said, looking at her.

"I wonder what gave me away." Rainbow said flatly.

"Who was the moron stallion that dumped you?" The bartender asked.

"Are you hitting on me?" Rainbow asked him before downing another shot. She raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But the question still stands." He replied simply. Rainbow looked around the club. Aside from another pony at the bar, no other soul occupied the club besides employees.

"Well, it was a mare, actually." Rainbow said. "And, uh...it's a long story."

"So you're bar door swings both ways, huh?" The bartender inquired. Rainbow nodded before downing another shot. "Well, I'm here until three. I've got all the time in the world." Rainbow chuckled.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. I didn't mean anything by it." She said to him. He put up a hoof.

"Don't worry about it." He said to her.

"Well, y'know, me and this mare...we were going steady for a while. Things were getting pretty serious, and I was loving it. I really...felt for her. Well, she was always scared to be seen with me in public." Rainbow took another shot. "I understand why she was at first, but then it got to a point where she wouldn't even really hug me in public."

"Sounds like she was ashamed of you." The bartender said. Rainbow pointed a hoof at him.

"That's exactly what I said!" Rainbow exclaimed. "So, she keeps denyin' it and sayin' that she isn't. So we get into a lil' tiff and go our seperate ways. The next day, she breaks up with me!"

"Harsh." He commented. Rainbow nodded as she poured and downed yet another shot.

"So, I keep trying to rekindle it with her, ya know? But she keeps lying to me and saying that she doesn't love me anymore. We even had sex after that and she said that it was just to get me off of her back!" Rainbow ranted, throwing a hoof into the air. "And so, after all that stupid crap, I went to her for one final try tonight and she told me that she hates me." Rainbow downed another shot. "And now I'm here..."

'That's 80 proof Vodka...she must be able to hold her liquor.' He thought to himself. Rainbow Dash buried her face in one of her front legs on the counter.

"I love her!" She said. The bartender patted her shoulder. He had seen many cases like this before. "She told me..." Rainbow raised her face up from the counter. "That she wants me to get out of her life...so that's what I'm doing..." She took the bottle of vodka. "Right now!" She began to drink from the bottle before the bartender took the bottle back.

"Okay, hon. I think you've had enough." He said. "My advice to you is try to forget about her. It can only add painful association at this point." Rainbow got up out of her seat.

"Just...put it on my tab." She said.

"Don't worry about it. It's on the house. You needed it." He said. Rainbow nodded at him before exiting the club back out into the freezing cold of night. "Don't drink and fly, hun."

_____

Fluttershy was stirred awake by a heavy knocking at her door. Her eyes grew wide in fear and apprehension. The timid pegasus barely made a sound as she got out of bed. Another knock rang through the house, startling her yet again. She walked slowly and quietly to the door and opened it. There stood Rainbow Dash, shivering and crying.

"Please..." Rainbow barely sputtered. "Let me in..." The yellow pegasus immediately stepped to the side.

"Oh, come in, Rainbow." She said. "Why are you in the cold, if you don't mind me asking?" Rainbow stumbled to the side before straightening herself again. She plopped down onto the couch.

"I'll tell ya what, Flutters..." Rainbow said. "You come sit here on this couch with me an' I'll tell ya all about it." Fluttershy nodded timidly before heading to the couch and lightly sitting down on it with her friend.

"Well, Applejack and me are done." Rainbow spouted.

"W-what?" Fluttershy said in dismay. "What happened?"

"Funny, I've already told this story once tonight..." Rainbow said. "Well, it all started out the night Applejack and I hooked up." Fluttershy silently gasped to herself. "We decided to start dating, and so we did. We had a lot of fun together. We'd go on walks, we'd have picnics, we'd go eat together...well, at first she was kinda scared to be see with me in public. But after a couple weeks, when she hadn't changed, I called her out on it. Of course, she denied it. Next thing ya know...she breaks up with me! Well, I tried to get her back a few times, but eventually it came to a pretty big argument tonight and she told me..."

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash eagerly, awaiting her to finish her story.

"What did she say, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. Rainbow looked up into Fluttershy's eyes. Fluttershy noticed how Rainbow Dash's eyes looked slightly deadened.

"She told me that she hates me." Rainbow said dejectedly, dropping her head. Fluttershy covered her mouth and gasped.

"I...I don't-"

"Gosh, Fluttershy, you're sopretty..." Rainbow said randomly, looking up at Fluttershy, seemingly in a stupor.

"Oh, why, thank y-" Fluttershy was interrupted by Rainbow Dash's lips on her own. She squealed slightly as she pushed Rainbow Dash away. Her mouth tasted of alchohol. "You're drunk." Fluttershy said. Rainbow's eyes widened as she shook her head slightly, a look of terror on her face.

"Fluttershy! I-I'm so sorry!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, now much more aware than she was. "I don't know what came over me!"

"It's okay..." Fluttershy said. "You're under the influence and you didn't mean it. You're sleeping here tonight. Come on. Let's get you to bed." Fluttershy helped Rainbow up off the couch. Rainbow put a front leg around Fluttershy's shoulders. Halfway to the bedroom, Rainbow collapsed onto the floor. She sobbed.

"I'm so sorry..." Rainbow said hopelessly, crying. "I just...I lost Applejack...I couldn't get her back..."

"You didn't lose Applejack, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said, stroking her multicolored mane on the floor. "She abandoned you."

Oh, GAHD! It seriously hurt my heart to write this chapter. Will it get better for our heroes Rainbow Dash and Applejack?! Will old wounds finally heal?! Or will Rainbow Dash find a new lover? Will Applejack atone for her sins? Will I stop asking these annoyingly unhelpful questions?! Probably not..