The Deadly Flower: Part VII

DAY SEVEN

Rainbow Dash laid in a slump as the realized the time was half over, and she only had one more week to live. She let out a great sigh, and rolled over on her back. She was finally in the acceptance stage, or at least close to it. She knew it was coming and nothing could prevent it, but one never truly welcomes this feeling. She lifted her head, looking around the room full of animals and laid her head back down on the pile of hay she had been sleeping on the past couple of days. She didn't have her own room, and there wasn't a guest room, yet Applejack still insisted she stay there.

Eventually, she mustered the energy to stand on all fours and walk towards the barn door. She looked outside, but didn't see anyone in the field. She sighed, and walked over to the living area, where all the other ponies were. She looked around, and saw that Applejack wasn't among them, so she decided to go look for her.

"Hello?" She said as she poked her head in Applejack's room and saw the orange pony asleep on her bed. She smiled to herself and trotted over to the bed, then began nudging the sleeping pony. Applejack rolled over with a loud, undignified groan and brushed Rainbow Dash away.

"Hey! Wake up!" She said, biting the blanket and trying to pull it off of her. Little did she know, it was wrapped around Applejack, causing the pony to fall on the floor with a thud.

"Well, confound it, Rainbow!" She yelled, "Ah's sleepin'!" She looked up at the Rainbow Pegasus that was all too pleased to see her misery. Applejack glared at her with squinted eyes until the Pegasus insisted that she follow her outside.

"C'mon! I wanna tell you something!" She yelped as she jumped around in excitement, then pranced out of the room, to god knows where. Applejack sat for a moment, trying to register what she had just witnessed, but finally decided to go outside as instructed. She brushed herself off, trotted over to her mirror, and began brushing her mane. She cringed as the knots in her mane put her through agony.

Finally, she'd cleaned herself up and threw on her hair ties and hat. She trotted outside and saw the Rainbow Pony under the usual tree, facing her with an eager grin on her face.

"Now what's this all 'bout?" Applejack asked as she approached the Pegasus, only to be interrupted by a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. She stared for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I have something to ask you!!" Rainbow Dash asked with nothing but pure excitement in her voice. Applejack decided to play along, even though she easily figured out what she was talking about.

"An' what's that?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash grinned and walked closer, kissing her on the cheek before whispering in her ear.

"Will you be my marefriend?" She asked, then pulled away with an eager grin on her face.

"Aw. 'course I will..." She said with a grin, almost forgetting that it would come to a screeching halt in a week.

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The two ponies, now in a relationship, were hanging out with their friend Twilight Sparkle.

"I'm sorry, guys..." She repeated, "But I told you, I've studied all of my books on the flower, and there's absolutely no antidote... You'll just have to accept it..." She said, looking away with sorrow. Rainbow walked up, and patted her on the back, not believing SHE had to comfort EVERYONE ELSE about her own death.

"I'm... I'm gonna miss you." Twilight said, with tears in her eyes, before turning around and locking a gripping hug around Rainbow Dash. Dash immediately regretted her irritation towards Twilight's behavior, and hugged back, feeling a tear forming in her eye.

Applejack watched as she began to fight tears as her friends held each other in anguish. She walked over, and joined the group hug, biting her lip to keep herself from crying. The three stood there for several moments, not ending the embrace before Rainbow Dash stepped out of it.

"Hey, Applejack?" She said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" The orange pony nodded skeptically then walked over to her marefriend.

"What's troublin' ya, Dash?" She asked.

"Well... Would uhm... You mind if we just told Twilight?" Rainbow Dash whispered. Applejack glanced back and forth, then with an awkward smile, told her it'd be fine.

"SWEET! HEY, TWILIGHT!" She said, jolting over to her purple friend.

"What is it, Rainbow?" She said with a surprised look on her face.

"Okay, well first of all, I'm a fillyfooler. Second of all, Applejack and I are together now!" She said with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh. Well uhh... Great?" She said, not seeming surprised at all.

"What? Did you already know?" Rainbow asked with confusion.

"Uhm... No!" She assured her. Rainbow Dash remained skeptical, but walked back over to Applejack anyway.

"Okay!" She said, kissing Applejack on the cheek, "Let's go!"

"Err... Right!" She said, beginning to walk out the door before she was stopped by Twilight.

"You said you weren't a fillyfooler..." Twilight said to her in a low tone.

"Yeah..." Applejack said quietly, "I'm not."

TO BE CONTINUED.