A friendship to remember

Once upon a time, there were two young ponies who lived in ponyville.

They were roughly about the same age and have known each other since childhood.

One of them was Applejack and the other was Rainbow dash.

Applejack has always been the strong girl out of them two and was always the one supporting Rainbow dash in whatever she was doing.

Rainbow dash on the other hand was always the mischievous one who was always leading Applejack to fun. Well sometimes troubles can be fun isnt it.

They even had fights between each other. But I mean which friendship has never had fights in it?

Nonetheless, the two of them were inseparable. You can never find one in the whole of ponyville without the other!

And so it seemed that the two of them planned to be the bestest friend forever.

Tomorrow was the very day that Applejack and Rainbow dash first met 15 years ago. 

And these two ponies had planned to celebrate the very special anniversary together.

Applejack was tossing and turning the whole night and couldn't sleep.

All she could think about is Rainbow dash and the fun they would be having the very next morning. 

“I would come pick you at nine in the morning ok! Get ready and await the sonic rainboom from the almighty Rainbow dash!” Those words rang in her head the entire night.

After what it seemed like years, it was finally nine in the morning.

No knock on the front door, no sonic rainboom, no sound or sight of Rainbow dash at all.

“Ok lets not panic” Applejack thought to herself. “Maybe Dashie is still preparing a surprise for me”

After another painful waiting for an hour, apple jack could not hold herself back any longer.

Anxiously, she trodded to rainbow dash’s house to find out what had happen to her best friend.

“Dashie?” Applejack whimpered. “Dashie, you there?” “Dashie , you hear me?”

After getting no replies from a few tries, Applejack got worried.

She tried the door knob and surprisingly it wasnt locked.

“Hmm.. Knowing Dashie, maybe it was a prank to surprise me today! 

It is our anniversary after all. The first day we knew each other”

She ran up the stairs and to her horror, she saw her best friend lying down on the bed and a doctor was attending to her.

“Oh poor dashie, what has happened to you?” That was what Applejack wanted to ask.

But rainbow dash placed her hoof on Applejack’s lips.

She then asked the doctor to leave them alone so she could speak to her best friend.

“Hey AJ, im sorry i broke my promise. I promised to take you out on this day every year. Looks like Ive got to spend our anniversary on bed”

“Oh Dashie, i was so worried” Applejack cried and hugged Rainbow dash.

“Its ok I am fine, doc says that im just down with a little flu thats all! Will be flying in a day!” Rainbow dash comforted her.

That day, Applejack just laid down beside Rainbow dash and the two of them started talking about their favourite memories together. 

“AJ, you remembered what you told me on our 8th?”

“Of course I do! I promised that I would marry you and take care of you if no other stallions in equestrial wants you!” She smirked jokingly.

“Is that a real promise?”

“Yes my dear dashie. I will always be there for you. I love you always!”

That same night, Applejack stayed over at Rainbow dash’s house to take care of her until her best friend had fully recovered.

Little did she know that Rainbow dash was keeping her from the truth of what the doctor actually told her....

Slowly, day after day, Rainbow dash grew weaker. 

Until one day, she could not even get up. 

All she could do was lie on her bed and talk to Applejack. 

Finally, Applejack broke down and cried. 

She could no longer stand that the once happy and lively Rainbow dash was now so weak she couldnt move at all. 

“Dashie, you told me you would be flying in a day! Im so scared, its been days and you are just getting worse! Maybe I should call a different doctor. This one is of no use at all!”

At last, Rainbow dash knew that she could not lie to Applejack any longer.

She picked up Applejacks hoofs and held her best friend.

“Its no use AJ, nothing can save me now. Im sorry for keep this from you. 

Remember that day on our 15th? Doc told me that I only have a few weeks more to live. 

Ive been suffering from cancer for a while now. Im so sorry that I havent told you at all. 

I want to live my last few days happy and together with you as always. 

I dont want to live with regrets and i definitely dont want to spend my last few days in tears.”

Rainbow dash could hold her tears no longer. Drop by drop, tear after tear came pouring out from her eyes.

Applejack was scared. She did not know what to do. Rainbow dash was her whole life. And it seemed that her entire world just came crashing down. She tried to stay positive but the thoughts of being alone though the rest of her life frightened her. 

Rainbow dash’s room was suddenly all quiet except for the two of them crying.

Finally, Rainbow dash tried to speak amidst the tears in her face.

“AJ, oh AJ. Im sorry, Im so so sorry for not telling you, you are my best friend but I couldnt bear to tell you about this.”

“No dashie, its not your fault, I would have done this too if it were me. 

But you could have told me so that I can try to make your remaining days happy!”

“Oh my dear AJ, I am already contented with you spending every single day with me these 15 years. 

Thank you for being around me every day of my life. 

Im sorry I broke you promise that you wont be able to marry me”

With that, the two best friends hugged each other silently and covered each other in tears.

Applejack moved over and continued to look after Rainbow dash for all her remaining days.

On that final morning, Applejack woke up to find her best friend lying on her bed with a big smile on the face. And she knew that it was all over. 

She picked up a letter that Rainbow dash was holding between her hoofs and it read, 

“Dear AJ,

By the time you are reading this, I would be long gone. Thank you for the sweet 15 years of my life. Everyday had never been happier without you. Dont be sad for I will be watching you up there with the Lord. Even though I cant be physically with you, each time you see a rainbow in the sky, remember me and know that I am always here with you. Remember you said that you would marry me and take care of me? I wanted to surprise you with a wedding on our 15th at your favourite apple tree. Little did I know that I would be sick on that day. With this ring, you are now my wife. Live for us and be happy for us. 

With lots of love

XOXO

Rainbow dashie”

And together in that letter, were two rings attached to a necklace. 

As she read the letter, her tears kept streaming down her face.

“Daashhhieee!” She cried out with all her voice and hugged the body of her best friend.

That evening, the whole of ponyville came to pay their last respect to Rainbow dash.

It was a solemn and quiet one. Not much was spoken.

Applejack insisted that Rainbow dash was to be buried next to their apple tree so that she can visit her everyday. 

For that tree was all she had left from Rainbow dash apart from the necklace. 

It was the same very tree where Rainbow dash wanted to to marry Applejack at.

And the same very tree on the top of the hill which rainbow dash brought apple jack to on their anniversary every year. 

It was also the very first tree that Applejack planted with Rainbow dash to mark their friendship for the first year. 

Memories started to seep in Applejack could not take it anymore.

That evening, she laid down next to where Rainbow dash rested.

She looked up into the horizon and said “Dashie, im scared, i dont know what to do without you.”

It was the most painful night ever. Knowing that the next day, her best friend would not be knocking on her like what she did every morning.

“Dashie, take me away with you. Somewhere where we can be alone. Together, Forever.” And with that last wish, she closed her eyes wishing that the nightmare was all over.