Applejack stared at the wall of her dark bedroom. She was so tired, and all she wanted was sleep. She tried closing her eyes once again, but she was greeted by the same terrifying yellow eyes, and echoing laughter. Her eyes snapped open a second later.

With her eyes open, she could see that everything was normal. When she closed them, she couldn't be sure.

From behind her in her bed, she heard a whimper, followed by a sharp cry of fear, and Dash's wings opened, ready to fly.

Applejack rolled over to face the pegasus. Rainbow Dash was still asleep, but the whimpering continued, and Applejack shook her gently. “Dash, wake up. It's a dream, Sugarcube. He ain't here, it's only me here.”

Dash gasped deeply for breath, and rose a few inches off the bed as her wings flapped in panic. She seemed to notice Applejack there and tucked her wings away, landing close against AJ. Applejack wrapped her forehooves around Dash, who returned the hug with almost uncomfortable force.

If you've never slept with someone who has nightmares, it sucks. Because you know they're going to be terrified when you wake them up, and there's nothing you can do to keep it from happening. No matter how gently you try to wake them, they're going to be startled and yell.

After catching her breath for a few seconds, Dash relaxed a little. “Sorry. You know. . .”

Applejack knew exactly. It was the reason that Dash had been sleeping at Sweet Apple Acres for the past week, and also the reason nopony knew it. Since they defeated Discord, neither of them had been able to sleep without the other. They would never admit it to anypony, and by mutual agreement they didn't say the word to each other, but they were scared.

Applejack couldn't close her eyes without seeing him. That meant that she didn't get to sleep until she was so tired she didn't know she was doing it. Dash had no problem falling asleep, but had awful nightmares once or twice a night. It was after one of those that she had flown to Sweet Apple Acres and knocked on AJ's window in a panic.

They both agreed that first night that taking over a pony's mind was low-down, dirty cheating. Fighting a dragon, they knew where they stood. Win, die, or run away. But the idea that they could have spent their lives as those hollowed out husks, never knowing friendship or love, or even that there was anything wrong with the world, was too much for the two straight forward ponies to take. They couldn't buck something that could use their own minds against them.

Okay, from an in character perspective, Discord is objectively terrifying. He can rewrite reality. He can rewrite reality. Not to mention that he's a chimera that's normally, like, five times as tall as a pony. Anyone want to face down a 30 ft tall monster who can rewrite reality? Didn't think so.

Fear burrowed into their minds even though he was defeated. They hated it, and they each knew exactly how much the other hated it. So Dash came to AJ's window every night, and they helped each other through it with as little fuss as they could.

My very favorite thing ever about this ship. AJ and Dash are the only ponies who would understand each other on this. They both like to think they're tough, they don't want to be scared and they don't want to be pitied. Now, it's a natural reaction to try to comfort someone who's scared, I'm not blaming any of the others. But none of them would understand that's not what AJ or Dash want. They want to feel strong, and in control.

AJ and Dash get each other.

“Yeah, I know. It's okay. Need some water or somethin'?” Applejack said in a low voice, so as not to wake the rest of the household.

“No.” Dash responded with a sigh, also keeping her voice down. “I just need to talk about something normal.”

Applejack nodded and relaxed into the pillow, letting go of Dash so that she could do the same. “Alright then. I got a new record.”

AJ being familiar with country music is canon (Luna Eclipsed). Dash being familiar with rock music is canon (Sonic Rainboom). They always use that phonograph thing, so I assume they buy records and listen to them.

Dash raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Is it one of those country music things?”

AJ smiled, “Sure is. I know you wanna hear it tomorrow.”

“You know, I think there's some kind of weather stuff I was supposed to do all day tomorrow.” Dash said with a smirk.

Applejack chuckled softly, “Funny how that always seems to work out.”

“It's not really that funny. You just have the worst taste in music.” Dash said as the smirk became a teasing grin.

“Beg pardon?” Applejack said, raising her eyebrows in mock offense, “You're the one that listens to that screamin' and yellin' rock music.”

Dash nodded. “Right. I listen to awesome rock, and you listen to lame country.”

Applejack grinned, “Oh, you wanted to hear me tell ya' again 'bout all the great and talented country music stars of history? Well sure. Now real country music started with-”

AJ so rarely gets to really tease Dash, so this is one of my favorite lines in The AppleDash Project.

“Please stop?” Dash interrupted. “I'll kiss you if you stop.”

Applejack chuckled, “I guess I can shut up for that.”

“Double win.” Dash grinned and pressed her lips to AJ's. It was a chaste kiss, neither of them was interested in doing anything in AJ's house.

The kiss broke, and they settled back into their pillows. AJ went on, “Anyhow, the record is Tawny Cash. You like Tawny Cash, remember?”

Johnny Cash worked so well here, having that nice pony-like noun for a last name as well as being a country musician that most rock fans have to admit is cool. And "cash" is canon for bits, I looked it up. (it's in Call of the Cutie)

“He's not bad.” Dash agreed. “Kinda mopey though.”

“Soulful is how it's generally put, Dash.”

“Whatever.” She replied. “It means the same thing. But at least Tawny Cash is tough and mopey. Maybe we can curl up and listen to it in the barn when you finish work.”

Applejack smiled, “I'd like that. I'll make a country fan outta ya' yet.”

Dash responded by rolling her eyes and pretending to gag. “Please, I was just looking to make out with my marefriend and listen to some okay music that just happens to be country. Rainbow Dash is not now, and is never going to be, a country fan.”

How most rock fans feel about Johnny Cash.

Applejack gave her a teasing grin, “I dunno, Dash, you'd look mighty cute in a stetson.”

She would.

“That's only because I look awesome in anything.” Dash grinned.

“Too bad we'd never find one big 'nough for-” Applejack interrupted herself with a yawn, “For your big head.”

“What time were you up yesterday?” Dash asked suspiciously.

“5 o'clock. Same as always.” Applejack said. Just saying it made her sleepy.

“And what time is it now?”

“1:30, or thereabouts.” AJ said as she yawned again.

“You were up this late last night, too. You need sleep, AJ.” Dash pointed out, surprisingly sensible for a change.

“I know, but I can't.”

Dash just nodded, “You should have said so earlier. Roll over and close your eyes.”

“Thanks, Sugarcube.” Applejack said as she rolled over, facing away from Dash. She closed her eyes.

There they were. Those awful yellow eyes staring back at her. The laughter started soon after that. Her body tensed, and she fought her instincts to keep her eyes closed, until she felt Dash's body pressed against her back, and heard her voice whispering, “Applejack, it's okay. He's not here. I'm here with you, I'm right here. I understand, and I love you. You're brave, AJ. We both are. We won't be like this forever. Everything out there is normal, and soon we'll be normal again too. Until then, I'll be right here for you. And you'll be here for me. That doesn't make us weak. It makes us way stronger then he was. . .”

That part makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

Rainbow Dash kept whispering to Applejack until all she could see was the darkness behind her eyelids, and all she could hear was Dash's voice. She was finally able to relax and drift off to sleep, and her last thought was of how lucky they both were to be strong enough to take care of each other.  

***

I almost never switch character perspectives in a chapter of The AppleDash Project. I write in a very tight third person (that is, it's third person but you're obviously in one pony's head.) and I'm always careful about that. It's one of my pet peeves when authors just jump around whenever they want. You're not supposed to do that in writing.

Anyway, any time I do switch it's when I change scenes, and in this story I separate that with a page break. This is one of three times I can think of, just because I wanted to add this scene.

Rainbow Dash awoke early the next morning to a knock at the door. She was expecting it, before she went to sleep she had turned off AJ's alarm clock. This plan involved making Applejack furious at her, and letting Big Mac know that Dash had been sleeping in his sister's room, but those weren't even in the top five most dangerous things she'd done this month. Of course, the Discord thing was throwing that list off a little.

Dash got up and flew to the door quickly, before the knocking could wake AJ. She opened the door to find Big Mac standing there. He looked surprised to see her, but she held a hoof to her mouth to signal him to be quiet until she could step out into the hall and close the door behind her.

AJ must have been really tired if Mac knocking woke Dash and didn't wake her. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Once the door was safely closed, Dash swallowed nervously. ”It's not what you think.”

Mac just stared at her.

“Applejack and I are. . . dealing with something. But she's barely had any sleep for the past few nights, and she can't get up and work today. So you're gonna let her sleep, and I'll do her chores. Got it?” She said, her voice barely cracking at all.

Yeah. . . "dealing with something." I probably wouldn't have bought that, if I were Mac.

“AJ know about this?” Mac asked.

“Well. . . not exactly." Dash admitted. "But you know she'll work herself to death before she'd think about taking care of herself. It's my job to take care of her, and right now that means letting her get some sleep.”

He seemed to consider this, then said slowly, “She ain't gonna be happy when she gets up.”

“Yeah, she'll be pretty mad at me, but I can take her.” Dash said, then she grumbled, “I'll be listening to a lot of country music to make up for this one.”

“Eyup.” Mac said, smiling.

Since Mac was smiling, and not trying to rip her wings off, Dash decided the plan was probably a success. The fact that success meant that she had to do AJ's chores just went to show the extreme level of sacrifice Rainbow Dash was willing to make for Applejack. “So, um, what kind of chores are these, exactly? Are there chickens to wake up or something?”

I personally love this little display of how little Dash knows about farming.

Mac raised his eyebrows, still smiling. “How 'bout if I take carea the chores, and you just deal with AJ?”

Dash grinned. “Deal.”

Mac turned and started down the stairs, while Dash turned back to the door to AJ's room.

“Sucker.” They both muttered at exactly the same time.

I think Dash got the better deal. She can always just fly out the window.

Feel free to ask about anything or leave your opinions!