Streaks of Fire

“All aboard! Last train for Canterlot, stops at Las Pegasus and Ponyville. All aboard!”

The train whistle screeched at the passengers still waiting to board.  Here and there, ponies said goodbye to their loved ones, tears falling on the dusty platform. Fillies and colts were hugged by their grandparents, the older generation of ponies promising extravagant delights at the next birthday party the young ones had. Friends chatted hurriedly, not letting a moment of time slip away from the long lost bond they shared. Lovers kissed and nuzzled each other, fearful that the next time they met, their love would no longer be enough to carry them through the miles.

Such was the case for two ponies in particular. Cinnamon Mills looked longingly at the silver mare in front of him, their eyes glistening with unshed tears. They held hooves tightly, unwilling to let each other go.

On the platform behind them, Thaddeus Mills was saying goodbye to his long-time business partner and friend.

"Are you sure you can’t stay any longer, Mrs. Dash?”

“Unfortunately, no, Mr. Mills. Your generous hospitality aside, I do have a business to run. Although these past few weeks have been most enjoyable, we do have to get back to Canterlot. I dread to think how things have been running in my absence.”

“I understand, Mrs. Dash. I hate to see a beautiful lady like yourself get out of my hooves, but I understand responsibility all too well.”

“Mr. Mills, you are quite the charmer! No wonder Silver is smitten with your son! If he is anything like his father, she doesn’t stand a chance!”

“Quite the contrary, Mrs. Dash. He was merely captivated by Silver’s beauty, a trait that, I must say, runs in your family quite well. Such a shame to separate them so soon, though.”

“Indeed! I have struggled with that thought, and I may have come up with a solution. Have you ever considered expanding?”

“Expanding? Mrs. Dash, I’m not sure what you are getting at. It would take a lot of preparations, such as scouting out new sites and getting all the necessary permits.  We’d have to get new mill stones made, and that takes an inordinate amount of time and money. Not to mention we would have environmental impact studies and the local government to worry about. I don’t even know which city we would have to work with!”

“Why, Canterlot of course, Mr. Mills!”

“Canterlot? But there isn’t enough land avail---Ah! Mrs. Dash you are a genius! Canterlot, of course! I couldn’t possibly stay away from the mill for the, oh six months, it would take.”

“I think six months should be long enough to determine if there’s some promise.”

“And naturally I will have to send somepony I trust!”

“Naturally, Mr. Mills.”

“And he would need to be shown around Canterlot properly by somepony who knows the area well. Maybe an old business partner has a pony in mind?”

She glanced meaningfully at her granddaughter. “I’m sure I can think of somepony.”

“Splendid! Then let’s say, two weeks from now?”

“Two weeks, Mr. Mills. And I’ll make sure whomever you send will have all the necessary accommodations.”

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Dash.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Mills. The question becomes, do we tell them now or make them wait?”

“Oh definitely make them wait. After all, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

The train whistle screeched again as the conductor shouted out the final call for boarding. Mrs. Dash and her granddaughter climbed aboard, the latter constantly looking out the train windows towards the platform. Mr. Mills waved goodbye as the train pulled away, his son staring at Silver leaning out the first class cabin window. She blew a kiss towards Cinnamon as he chased the train to the end of the platform. He stared until it disappeared over the horizon. Head hung low, he made his way back to where his father was standing.

“Cheer up, Cinnamon. It’s not like you won’t see her again. There’s always next year’s party.”

The younger Mills said nothing as he walked down the platform, head down. He turned towards the mill standing tall behind the town of Applewood. The elder followed, a smile creasing his lips as he walked behind his son.

Cinnamon reflected back on the way his plan was going. The meeting with the Mayor had gone exceedingly well.  She had been enthusiastic about the idea of a new business coming into Ponyville, especially one as lucrative as the mill could be. The only stipulation she had was that it be well received by several of the townsfolk. Apparently, Mayor Mare did not want anything that would upset the residents of Ponyville.

The talk with the city planners, however, had not gone nearly so well. They had informed the young Mr. Mills that there was no land large enough to set up a mill inside the city limits. He would have to find land on the outskirts, specifically near the Everfree Forest or Sweet Apple Acres.

Considering the rumors he’d heard about the Everfree Forest, the choice was made to approach the owners of Sweet Apple Acres about buying or renting some land.

And so they headed out, the sun baking the earth as they walked. Although the trip to Sweet Apple Acres had been relatively short compared to the grueling journey from Applewood, the heat of the day had made the outing rather uncomfortable quickly, especially for Fireball. The complaints started soon after they stepped outside and had been unrelenting most of the way to the farm. It wasn’t until Cinnamon submitted to the young pegasus’ requests that he was finally able to think about who they were supposed to meet.

“I need you on your best behavior for this meeting, Fireball. You did well in town, but this is very important.” Cinnamon looked down at the young filly trudging along the dirt path beside him.

The road to Sweet Apple Acres was well worn and shaded beneath the boughs of several apple trees. The sunlight streaming through the green leaves turned the trees into a gem field; emeralds and rubies shone brightly in the mid-day sun, blinding Cinnamon with their beauty. The richness of the orchard brought forth a strong desire to hoard these precious gems like a dragon about to slumber.

I wonder if they taste as good as they look, he thought.

“But it’s hot! I wanna go swimming!” The yellow pegasus grumbled as she kicked a clod of dirt, a cloud of dust rising into the air as the offending pile was destroyed.

“We’ll go swimming once we’re done here. Right now, I have some business I have to take care of. It shouldn’t take too long. If you’re good, we’ll even get ice cream.”

The attitude of the yellow filly brightened immensely. She spent the rest of the walk in silence, looking around at the bright foliage and listening to the sounds of the farm animals. The birds chirped noisily in the trees, chiding the squirrels as they playfully jumped from branch to branch. Pigs squealed in the distance, and every so often a resounding thwack would echo through the trees.

They were stopped in the path by the approach of a rather large Earth pony pulling a massive cart. The stallion’s red coat glistened with sweat, and he grunted with strain as the cart moved down the path. The cart was full of barrels, and each barrel appeared fit to burst. The weight in the cart was causing it to sag noticeably.

“Excuse me, Sir? I was wondering if you might know where I can find the proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres.” Cinnamon asked as the cart came to a stop.

The red stallion looked at Cinnamon curiously, not quite sure of the question.

“New?” said the red pony, raising an eyebrow.

“Sort of. This is our first time at Sweet Apple Acres. I’m Cinnamon Mills, and this is Fireball.”

“You’re big,” said the young filly, her eyes wide as she looked up.

“Eeyup,” said the stallion, chuckling slightly.

“Fireball! Don’t be rude! I’m terribly sorry,” Cinnamon said, glaring at Fireball who was still staring at the new pony in front of her.

The stallion waved a hoof dismissively. “Name’s Big McIntosh. Friend’s call me Big Mac.”

“Like, really big.” The young pegasus stood with mouth agape.

“Fireball! Come over here! Sorry again about that. I don’t know where she gets her manners. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McIntosh.  Do you know where I might find the owners of Sweet Apple Acres? I have a business proposition I wish to discuss with them.”

“Well, it’s me or Applejack that run the place. I’m oldest so…New business or old?”

“New business. It concerns a partnership, of sorts.”

“Interestin’. I reckon I won’t be back ‘til tonight, tho’. Meet me at The Griffon’s Beak, say 9? It’s a bar in town.”

“Of course, Mr. McIntosh. Tonight at 9.See you there.”

“Eeyup.” They waved goodbye as the big red stallion pulled his cart away from the farm.

“Alright, Fireball. Let’s go swimming.”

The squeal of delight echoed from the filly’s mouth as she bounced down the dirt path, all four legs leaving the ground at the same time. Cinnamon chuckled as she tried to spread her fledgling wings to keep herself in the air as long as possible. Alas, Fireball’s wings provided little help; they became a hindrance, causing her to lose her balance when she landed. Undeterred, she bounded along the path as though each wobbly landing could not diminish her enthusiasm one bit.

She’s going to need flight training soon. Maybe once I get the new mill set up.

Fireball let out a gasp as the town swimming pool came into view. The clear water scattered the sun’s rays into millions of tiny crystals, each gleam and glint temporarily blinding Cinnamon when the sun hit the water just right. The sounds of joy and laughter echoed clearly across the field where the pool was, as well as the small hum of many ponies talking to each other. Cinnamon looked out at the large crowd gathering, and he groaned inwardly. While not afraid of large gatherings, the tall Earth pony was anxious about only knowing a handful of ponies scattered here and there. A cacophony of screams, laughter, and splashing could be heard coming from the shallow end as, to Cinnamon at least, it appeared every young filly and colt in Ponyville was gathered at the smaller end of the pool. The deeper end was noticeably emptier, with most adult ponies lounging around the pool or watching the youngsters enjoy themselves. Occasionally a pony could be seen jumping from the high dive; some were graceful, but most landed somewhat awkwardly with a large splash.

“Now Fireball, I want you to remember the rules. No running around the pool. Stay where I can see you, please. And do you remember our password?”

The yellow pegasus rolled her eyes at Cinnamon. “Yes. If somepony says you’re hurt or something, I ask them what the password is. And if they don’t say Silver, I yell ‘Stranger! Stranger!’ as loud as I can and run away from them.”

“Very good, young lady. I also don’t want you going into the deep end by yourself. You can go if I or your Aunt Rainbow shows up. Are we clear?”

“Yep. Will you take me on the high dive later?”

“Maybe. For now, go along and play with the other kids. I’ll find a spot next to the pool where I can keep my eye on you.” Cinnamon watched her gallop off towards the shallow end as they approached. His eyes scanned the surrounding grass, trying to find a spot that he could watch the young filly from. As his eyes passed over the ponies lounging lazily by the pool, he caught sight of a familiar rainbow colored mane.

The cyan mare was talking animatedly to two other ponies next to her, a butter yellow pegasus with a cascading waterfall of pink mane comfortably seated on the grass, and a white unicorn lying on a lounge chair, using a reflector of some kind to tan. Her perfectly styled mane and tail never touched the ground, and she wore two cucumbers over her eyes as though she were at a spa.

Cinnamon called out to Rainbow Dash. She turned and waved a hoof, motioning him to come over. He trotted to her casually, curious as to what she wanted to talk to him about. As he approached, he noticed the yellow pegasus start to hide behind her voluminous mane, while the unicorn paid him no mind, seemingly lost in her own world.

Typical, he thought.

“Hey Cinnamon! Where’s Fireball? I was hoping she could cheer me on since Flutters is too scared to get close to the water.” Rainbow looked out over the crowd of ponies, trying to find where the young filly was.

“Hello Rainbow. She’s actually at the shallow end of the pool. Let’s see…” He scanned the pool and noticed Fireball was off to one side, talking to a trio of fillies. A small white unicorn with a pink and purple mane stood in front of Fireball, flanked on either side by a yellow Earth pony with a bright pink bow, and an orange pegasus with a shock of purple mane. They appeared to get along quite nicely. “There she is. She’s talking to those three ponies over by the side of the pool,” Cinnamon said, pointing.

Rainbow Dash looked where he indicated and smiled. “Looks like she’s making friends. Just be warned, Cinnamon, those three cause trouble. Not on purpose, and nothing bad, usually, but they have this insane talent for breaking things. The yellow one with the bow is Applebloom. She’s Applejack’s sister. The pegasus is Scootaloo, she’s awesome. Not my level of awesome, but still she’s cool. And the unicorn is Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s sister. Oh!”

She turned and motioned to her friends next to her.

“This is Fluttershy,” she pointed to the yellow pegasus who was now desperately trying to cower behind her mane completely. The timid mare let out a small squeak. “And this is Rarity,” motioning to the white unicorn who had put away the cucumbers and the reflector, and was looking eagerly at the new pony in front of her. “Gals, this is Cinnamon.”

“Nice to meet you, ladies.”

“Our pleasure, Mr. Cinnamon. Do forgive Fluttershy, Darling. She can be timid meeting new ponies. What brings you to Ponyville? Business or pleasure?”

“A little of both. And please, just Cinnamon will do. I actually have something I need to talk with Rainbow about, so please excuse us for a minute.”

Cinnamon led Rainbow away from her friends a little ways, keeping his voice low.

“I was wondering if you could watch Fireball for me tonight. I’ve got a business meeting at 9 and I’m not sure how long it’s gonna be. Think you can help me out?”

“Sure, Cinnamon. What time do you want me to come over? And what’s your room number?”

“Actually, the hotel’s undergoing renovations. We’re staying at the old house. The current occupant, Ms. Star, had a room she was willing to let out for the summer. So instead of trying to figure out a new part of town, I thought why not stay at the old place?”

“That’s your choice, I guess. What time do you want me to stop by?”

“I think 8 or so; should give me plenty of time to get to the meeting. Thanks again, Rainbow.”

“No sweat.”

They returned to the other mares, who were now joined by three young fillies. Sweetie Belle was talking to her sister; Scootaloo and Fireball were both looking towards Cinnamon and Rainbow Dash expectantly. The other one, Apple Bloom, was nowhere to be found.

When the older ponies arrived within the small circle forming around Rarity and Fluttershy, they were immediately bombarded by the exuberant fillies.

“Hi ya Cinnamon! This is Scootaloo and that’s Sweet-“

“Hi Mr. Cinnamon! We were wondering-“

“And we thought it would be cool-“

“If it’s alright with you, that we could have Fireball-“

”They wanna know if I can stay at their clubhouse!”

“If she could sleep over.”

“I don’t know,” said Cinnamon. “Rainbow was supposed to be looking after you while I had my meeting tonight. I suppose it’s going to be up to her.”

“Please Aunt Rainbow? Can I go?” Fireball looked up at the cyan mare, eyes as wide as the little filly could manage.

“Fine by me. Just try not to get too carried away with the crusading. We don’t need anypony hurt,” said Rainbow Dash, smiling down at the bouncing fillies before her. The squeals of delight could be heard as now all three of the youngsters ran off to the shallow end of the pool, laughing and talking to each other.

“Looks like I won’t need you tonight after all, Rainbow. Are you sure she’s going to be fine?”

“Don’t worry, Cinnamon. Applejack’s one of my best friends. They’ll be safe.”

“Alright Rainbow I trust you on this.  If anything happens to her…”

“Relax, she’ll be fine. Since I have no cheering section today, I better get to work. We’re supposed to have a huge rainstorm tomorrow night, and we have to go get the clouds from Cloudsdale. Apparently, somepony didn’t hear me say to keep some clouds in Ponyville. I’ll see you all later.” With that, she flew off into the sky, a multi-colored trail left in her wake.

“Oh dear. If we’re going to have rain, I have to tell all the animals. Um, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Cinnamon. Bye, Rarity.” Fluttershy flew off. The light brown Earth pony watched her fly no more than a few feet from the ground, and noticed she was nowhere near as fast Rainbow Dash. He thought such a contrast rather comical, and smiled as she left.

“So you and Rainbow Dash are…..related?” Rarity raised an eyebrow at the Earth pony sitting beside her. He had turned back to the pool and was watching the young fillies play.

Great, he thought. Why couldn’t she have left as well?

“Not really,” said Cinnamon, curtly.

“I’m not sure I understand, Darling. I could have sworn your, um….”

“Sister.” The word came out short, almost as if Cinnamon was trying to bite it off before it could escape his lips.

“Right, sister. I heard her call Rainbow Dash her aunt.”

“Yes…” The drawn out sound of the word reminded Rarity of an old play she designed for, where the actor playing a snake would utter the same long hissing sound at the end of each line. She looked at Cinnamon closely. Although he had not noticeably moved, the set of his shoulders and the way his ears laid a little flatter on his head warned her she had said something she shouldn’t have.

“Do forgive me for prying, I meant no offense. It’s just that Rainbow Dash never talks about her family, so the girls and I were starting to get a little worried that she had none.”

“She probably didn’t want the whole slew of questions that always follows having to explain things to nosy individuals.”

Rarity’s mouth hung open, the heat rising to her cheeks at the sheer venom in his voice. Not even Applejack had been this rude; even during the height of their misunderstanding, there had always been a forced politeness between the two of them. This, however, was something she had not experienced before. This Earth pony hated her, and Rarity could not understand why.

“Excuse me, Cinnamon. I was merely trying to get to know somepony who happens to be somehow related to one of my best friends and I-“

“Oh come off it. I know exactly what you were trying to do, and it isn’t going to work. Don’t try to give me that ‘I’m just a caring friend’ crap. All you and your kind care about is yourselves. You aren’t tricking me into believing that whatever you say isn’t some ploy to take advantage of me or anypony else.”

“Well! I never-“

“What? Never had somepony call you out? Never had somepony who is smart enough to see your ploy for what it is: a desperate attempt to control the lives of those around her? Thought not. Why don’t you go back to Canterlot or Manehattan or wherever you come from? Go make art or whatever other useless thing you do and leave the ponies who actually contribute something to society in peace.”

The disdain with which the brown Earth pony uttered these words was more than Rarity could bear. She bolted from the side of the pool, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her sobs could be heard by several ponies as she passed them, each set of eyes staring first at her then back the way she had come from. They turned from concern to scorn as they settled on the pony that was the apparent source of the beloved fashionista’s distress.

Cinnamon stared back towards the pool where the fillies were playing. He ignored the quiet whispers and harsh looks he was getting from the ponies around him. His mind was too busy replaying what had just happened.

Apple Bloom returned, and behind her was an older Earth pony mare with an orange coat and bright blonde mane and tail tied up with small bands. On her head, she wore a dark brown Stetson, and she was pulling a small cart behind her.

As she set down the cart next to the four fillies, Cinnamon noticed a trio of apples on her flank, and realized this must be the Applejack Rainbow Dash was referring to.

Odd, Applejack sounded like a stallion’s name, he thought.

Cinnamon quickly became aware that Fireball was talking to Applejack now, and was pointing in his direction. She waved a hoof at him while the orange Earth pony tipped her hat. He smiled and waved back. At least Fireball’s made some friends.

The next few hours flew by as Cinnamon watched the young ponies play. Their laughing and splashing brightened his mood, and he was in high spirits when he watched them leave, the exhausted fillies piling in the back of Applejack’s cart.

He waved one last goodbye to the disappearing group, and stood up. He looked around and saw that there were very few ponies still at the pool this late in the day. Most of these ponies were going on with their routines, scarcely noticing the tan Earth pony standing by himself.

Cinnamon was  not bothered by this; he actually preferred being in the background. Nopony laughed at you for making mistakes. Nopony got hurt if you said something you shouldn’t. It was only the ponies in the spotlight that had to worry about these things. Ponies whose decisions could affect the lives of those around them, for better or worse; those ponies had to deal with the attention that came with being somepony special. And Cinnamon was glad he was anything but special.