Enjoy :)

Applejack woke up the next morning, excited and ready to go on an adventure. They planned to go zip lining and go-carting that day. Rainbow was gonna love it. Applejack turned over in bed and looked at Rainbow. The girl was sound asleep. She looked so peaceful.

Applejack laid there for probably hours, just watching Rainbow Dash as she slept peacefully. It made Applejack feel at peace herself.

Finally, at 8:24 am Rainbow began to stir from her sleep. She blinked and yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Good mornin." Applejack greeted with a smile.

Rainbow looked at her and grinned.

"Hey."

Rainbow pulled the blanket up to her chin and sighed.

Applejack frowned. "You okay??."

She expected Rainbow to say something weird like "Yeah. Just too lazy to give a proper response" or "Tired. Let me sleep".

But no. She was quietly laying there. This only meant one thing. Applejack prompted herself on her elbow. She looked at Rainbow Dash.

"Babe. Ah know somethin's up. What's wrong??."

Rainbow shrugged. "I just don't feel good."

"Are ya sick??." Applejack suggested.

Rainbow sighed. "That's not what I meant. Nevermind."

Applejack deflated. "Rainbow. Tell me how you feel right now. And ah don't care how bad. Ah wanna know what you feel."

Rainbow sighed silently. She looked up at her.

"I.....feel like dying. I feel like my body weighs a ton. I feel like crying. I feel like screaming. I feel like telling you to go away and leave me alone, but I don't wanna be alone. I feel kinda, um..... empty inside. I feel really, really sad and I just don't wanna deal with life today."

Applejack slowly nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. That honestly really sucks."

Rainbow looked at her.

"You have no idea." She said.

Applejack had somewhat of an idea.

"Do you think you're up to horseback riding n' go-carting today??."

Rainbow's eyes widened. "I wanna go."

Rainbow pushed the blanket off of her. She sat up slowly.

"Rainbow." Applejack said, sitting up. "Stop."

She grabbed Rainbow's wrist. Rainbow looked at her.

"Slow it down." Applejack said. "It's fine. Just relax, babe."

"AJ." Rainbow whined. "I have to do this."

Applejack frowned. "Rainbow. Are you sayin' you wanna go because you truly wanna or because you feel like you have to pretend you're okay??. You don't have ta do anythin' if you don't want to. No point in doin' stuff today if you're not gonna enjoy it."

Rainbow sighed, her shoulders slouching. She looked down at her hands.

"I'm really tired, AJ. I want to go back to sleep."

Applejack nodded. "Okay. But first we gotta go down to breakfast n' you'll take your medicine n then you can sleep. After a lil bit, tell me how you feel. Okay??."

Rainbow nodded. She looked at the floor. Applejack leaned over and kissed her head.

"Ah love you, beautiful."

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Mhm."

"Go brush your teeth n' take a shower." Applejack told her.

Rainbow sighed. She laid down in the bed.

"That's a lot of work." She whined. "You know that requires movement and effort and energy."

Applejack nodded. "Yeah. It'll be good for ya. C'mon. Let's take it one step at a time. Like a checklist. Focus on one task after an another."

Applejack got out of the bed. She walked over to Rainbow's side.

"Step one. Get outta bed."

Rainbow looked at her. "Nooo."

"C'mon. You can do it." Applejack encouraged.

Rainbow sighed. She sat up. Rainbow sat there for what seemed like a few minutes. She seemed so drained and lifeless.

"C'mon." Applejack urged. "Get on up and hug me."

Rainbow looked at her. She rolled her eyes. She scooted her butt over until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Rainbow out her feet on the floor and pushed herself off the feet, landing on her feet with grunt.

"Good." Applejack praised. "See?? You got outta bed. That's an accomplishment right there. Now, step two. Go to the bathroom n' brush yir teeth."

Rainbow wrapped her arms around her. She laid her head on Applejack's chest.

"I feel like shit."

Applejack hugged her.

"Ah know you do. That's why Ah'm helpin' ya get ready. Okay?."

Rainbow nodded. "It hurts."

"What does??."

"My brain."

Applejack smiled. "Babe. Your brain can't hurt." She said gently. "C'mon. Be a big girl and go brush yir teeth."

Rainbow sighed. She pulled away and nodded. She silently trudged over to the bathroom, nearly dragging her feet. She walked in and closed the door behind her.

Applejack walked over to the bedside table to get Rainbow's medicine. There was a sudden knock at the door. Applejack walked over to the door.

"Who is it??." She called, her hand on the door handle.

"It's Jackson and Strike."

Applejack unlocked the door and opened it. She saw her dad and Strike standing there, dressed.

"You girls both awake??." Jackson asked.

Applejack stepped out of the room, into the outside. She kept the door open an inch.

"Listen." She said, her voice quiet. "Rainbow's really down today. Like. Really down. Ah'm helpin' her get ready. We're gonna eat breakfast and she's gonna take her medication n' we'll see how she is afterwards. But we can still go out with her. It'll be good for her. Take a quick walk around the place to explore n' then we'll go to the go-carting place with the horseback riding n' zip lining. If she ain't up to it, we'll just do what she can do. Ah don't wanna force her ta do anythin' she don't wanna."

The men nodded.

"How is she??." Strike asked, obviously worried about his niece, sort of daughter.

"She's tired." Applejack said. "Once ah said where we planned in goin' today, she was too eager ta go. She was kinda forcin' herself to wanna do it because we're doin' it. Because she don't want us to think that she can't today. That ain't good. She doesn't wanna do it, so she ain't gonna really enjoy it. Had ta slow her down and then she kinda shut down. Has trouble gettin' outta bed n into the bathroom. Said she wanted ta die. She felt sad, like a weight in pullin' her down, tired, like she wants ta lay down and cry, wants ta scream, she wanted to tell me ta to away. It's bad."

"Where is she now??." Jackson asked.

"In the bathroom. Ah'll go check on her."

Applejack told the men to come in, which they did. Applejack walked into the bathroom. She saw Rainbow sitting on the toilet, the lid down.

"Hey."

Rainbow didn't reply. Applejack closed the door behind her and walked over to Rainbow.

"Alright. Let me turn on the water and you can shower yirself."

Rainbow just sat there as Applejack started the shower. She stared at the floor, not having the energy to talk or do anything. Applejack turned to her.

"Alright. Think you can undress by yourself??."

Rainbow nodded but made no attempt to move. Applejack frowned.

"Not feelin' it today??."

Rainbow shrugged. Applejack watched her for a moment. She then walked up to Rainbow and knelt down in front of her.

"Look at me, please." She said gently.

Rainbow's raised her magenta eyes to look into Applejack's green ones. Applejack placed a hand on her knee.

"Rainbow. It's okay ta ask for help."

Rainbow sighed and rubbed her face with her hands.

"I know, AJ. I just don't wanna be a bother."

"You're not a bother." Applejack swore. "I love helpin' ya. It's what ah do. There's no shame in askin' for a little help. Now c'mon."

Rainbow sighed. Applejack stood up and helped her undress. She had Rainbow get in the shower and wash herself. Rainbow showered and even washed her hair. Applejack stood against the wall, on her phone, waiting.

Rainbow finished and turned the water off. Applejack looked up, putting her phone away. Rainbow stepped out of the shower, her body and hair soaked.

Applejack let her get dry, helped dry and brush her hair for her. She got some clothes for her and Rainbow got dressed and they left the bathroom. They saw the men sitting on their bed, watching tv.

"Hey." Applejack said.

The men looked up at them. Strike smiled at Rainbow.

"Hey, Soldier girl." He said, using his childhood nickname he had for her.

Applejack looked at Rainbow. The girl's eyes were looking at the floor.

"Hey, Strike." Rainbow said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Applejack wrapped an arm around her and she smiled. She rubbed Rainbow's arm gently to comfort her.

"Let's go to the buffet." She said

Applejack walked over to the beside table and grabbed Rainbow's pill bottles off the small wooden table. Strike and Jackson got up. Making sure they had their room keycard, they left.

Let me know what you guys thought