A cold wind blew in from the north, colder than anything any Windigos could have ever made.
It cut in briskly through Rainbow Dash’s primaries and into her flight muscles as she exercised them, flying with purpose to her destination through the heavy snow. The dying orange light of the sun as it set over the horizon was barely visible through the cloud cover as she breezed through the air.
Rainbow Dash had taken her immediate personal leave from the Wonderbolts as soon as she heard the news. How could she not have? She was practically forced out of the barracks by Twilight herself.
Something bad’s happened, and you have to tell them, Rainbow Dash instructed herself, trying to keep akin to it a mission she could be objective to.
The whole affair was still settling in her mind, but she knew she had to stay positive. There was still hope, after all, even just a bit. She hadn’t even known what to do at first, but she figured that there was only one place to go.
Through the chilly winter sky, Rainbow Dash soared, a foreboding frown nestled on her face. She knew what was, unfortunately, coming, and she could only imagine how it would turn out. Was there anything she could do, though? She shrugged and shook her head, clearing it of such negative thoughts. No matter what, she had to try and hope it was enough. There was no time to weigh herself down.
Finally, through heavy clouds, Rainbow Dash’s eyes landed on the ever-familiar treetops of Sweet Apple Acres. Suddenly much colder, a shiver ran up Rainbow Dash’s back and through her wings as she began her descent. Unsurprisingly, the farm seemed quiet. Too quiet for the Apple family. With a gulp and a steeling breath, Rainbow Dash’s hooves landed softly on the powder-covered floor.
The wind was not any quieter on the ground. It roared in her ears and through the bare trees, whispering in that way that hushed orchards always did. The pegasus adjusted her Wonderbolts jacket and trotted forward, carefully placing each hoof as if the wrong move would send more quiet chaos through the property than what she was about to deliver. With each hoofprint, she knew she’d never be able to take those steps back.
Finally, she reached the front porch, and she wondered why she hadn’t dropped in closer to the house. Maybe if the occupants saw her coming, it would be less of a surprise. The knot in her throat tightened as she raised a hoof to knock. Much to Rainbow Dash’s surprise, the door creaked open at the lightest of touches. With her eyes narrowed, mostly because the house was so dark, Rainbow Dash peeked inside.
“Hello?” she called into the darkness. “Anypony here?”
Silence was the response. It hung thick in the air and pressed heavy on Rainbow Dash’s muzzle, turning it down into a frown. There had to be someone home. Pressing forward, she crept inside and shut the door quietly behind her. Why was it so empty? Where was everypony?
Rose-red eyes scanned the room, sharpened for any signs of somepony else’s presence. Years of being in the Wonderbolts had set Rainbow Dash’s perception to the max, and yet, she found nothing out of place. It was all perfectly positioned as if somepony had just cleaned up. Not even a single cup was out of its usual place.
Somehow, this made the mare feel worse.
Rainbow Dash slowly made her way further into the Apple family home. She wondered if they had truly gone somewhere. Judging by the emptiness, it wouldn’t be out of place to think so. But the door being left ajar was not typical of anypony in the Apple family. At least one of them had to be around.
In the dark, silhouetted by the light that snuck in from behind one of the closed curtains, a framed family picture of all the Apples stood proudly on the mantle above the fireplace. Rainbow Dash’s eyes skimmed over it at first, but after a quick double-take, her mouth dried up. Glancing at the staircase, she decided to put that on temporary hold as she backtracked to the fireplace and gazed at the image. Darkened by the atmosphere, Rainbow Dash stared at her own reflection and sighed.
After tearing her eyes off the image, Rainbow Dash approached the staircase once more and looked upwards. The wood was worn; even more worn down than it had been when she had first come to the cozy home all those years ago, which was saying a lot. Her mouth hung open as she tried to call out for anypony who might be around, but the words died in her mouth. They were probably asleep, she realized. She knew that the Apples often got to bed with the sun.
Rainbow Dash took one tentative step onto the creaky staircase, though she stepped deliberately where the wood would not squeak. Trying again, she rubbed her eyes with a wing and cleared her throat. “Hello? I’m coming up,” she announced, not bothering to ask for anypony’s presence.
The short staircase felt like a chore as she slowly crawled up. Rainbow Dash did her best to avoid looking at any pictures on the wall leading up. Her best efforts were not enough to stop her. The higher up she went, the more recent the pictures got until finally, she spotted the uppermost one. Her younger self stared back at her, and she wondered why the pictures had stopped back then.
Creak.
The sound filled the ghastly quiet house, reverberating off the walls themselves. It was only then that she noticed the randomly placed Hearth's Warming decorations scattered around the house. Garland lay forgotten on the ground, and snowflake-shaped decorations hung from the ceiling. Now that she thought about it, the mantle around the photograph did have some holiday-themed snow globes. She somehow had missed it in the dark. Whoever had been decorating the house had stopped.
Lifting her hoof off of the ground lest it squeak again, Rainbow Dash pressed forward, this time avoiding the spot of her misstep. The door at the end of the hall was shut firmly, though she did not wish to go in there anyway. Instead, her eyes came upon the door next to it.
With lead-filled legs, Rainbow Dash approached the closed door. Instead of knocking, though, she cleared her throat and pressed her ear to the door, just enough to listen in. There was definitely somepony in there, though she was probably asleep.
“Hey,” Rainbow Dash croaked out quietly. “I know you’re in there. Can I come in?”
A faint grumble was the only noise that made its way back to the pegasus. It wasn’t a no, though, so Rainbow Dash gently pushed through the doorway and entered the room, somehow darker than the rest of the house had been. Papers were strewn about, littered with no real order. Compared to the orderly nature of the rest of the house, the room was the polar opposite.
In the bed, under the sheets, was a bulge shaped like a pony, probably still asleep. The lump rose and fell with each breath. Rainbow Dash swallowed dryly and stepped forward to place a hoof on the lump. The pony beneath stiffened in return, before going back to taking slow, steady breaths.
At that moment, Rainbow Dash realized that she had no idea how to say what she had to say. A sharp pain prodded her in the chest and threatened to close up her throat, but she swallowed the lump and shook her head. Twilight sent her to break the news for a reason. She couldn’t mess up.
“Hey,” Rainbow Dash whispered, unsure of how to even bring up the topic.
From beneath the covers, a sleepy voice muttered, “What.”
Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of the lump, preemptively trying to soothe her. “You wanna come out from underneath? Maybe catch some… fresh air and wake up?”
“No.”
Rainbow Dash frowned and glanced at her own hoof, uselessly stroking circles. She needed to move the conversation somehow. “Can I lie down next to you? I flew in from the Wonderbolts barracks and it’s snowing out.”
A pause.
“Okay,” the pony agreed quietly and shuffled over.
With a faint smile, Rainbow Dash climbed on the bed and set herself on her stomach, staring at the wall against the headrest. She adjusted her chin on the pillow, trying to find a comfortable way to rest her head before sighing. “It’s nice and warm here. How long have you been here?”
“Not long enough,” the earth pony muttered, clearly upset by having her sleep interrupted.
Sometimes, Rainbow Dash figured, it was best to just tear off the bandage. “I didn’t come just to make a friendly visit.”
A tiny snort made Rainbow Dash smile, despite herself. Soon, the empty space in the bed between them was filled as the bundle of blankets snuggled in closer. With more movement of fabric, Apple Bloom’s head popped out from beneath the covers. She stifled a yawn, but failed spectacularly. “What’s up, Rainbow Dash?”
The pegasus extended her wings and wrapped one around the blanketed lump with a frown. “Look, I’ll just be honest here, kid.” She thought for a moment, but couldn’t think of a better way to put it. “Twilight came to Wonderbolt headquarters earlier to deliver some… kind of bad news.”
Apple Bloom’s tired expression immediately changed. Her entire body perked up as she furrowed her brows. “Whaddya mean?”
Rainbow Dash hesitated. She glanced around and squinted. “Hey, where’s your brother?”
“He ain’t here right now,” Apple Bloom responded urgently. “What happened?”
The pegasus cursed under her breath. She rolled her head, the subtle cracking of her neck offering relief from her previously hunched posture. If only Apple Bloom was there… that would complicate things, but it hardly mattered. She had a job to do. “I’ll give it to you straight. You know how Applejack went off on some kind of mission with Rarity and Spike?”
Apple Bloom nodded slowly, and with worried hesitance, replied, “Yeah… They went to the Dragonlands if I remember right.”
That was good to know. In Twilight’s haste to tell her the news and give her the order to tell the Apples, Rainbow Dash hadn’t even noticed that she failed to mention where they had even gone. “Right. Twilight says that she got a letter from Spike saying… well, Applejack’s gone missing.”
Apple Bloom cocked her head, staring widely at Rainbow Dash. “Missing? Whaddya mean missing?”
She could practically feel the fear building up in Apple Bloom. She used her wing to press herself closer to the younger mare. “Hey, relax. I’ll tell you what she told me,” she assured her, though she couldn’t blame her for feeling nervous. With an almost exasperated sigh, she looked up at the ceiling. “Twilight said that something happened, but they’re not too sure what since Rarity was the only one with Applejack, and they haven’t been able to get her to say anything coherent.”
“How long ago was this?”
Rainbow Dash looked away. “Less than an hour ago. I got held up by the snowstorm on my way here, but I came as soon as I could,” she promised. “Rarity came back to Spike all… crazy and stuff apparently. Crying and charred and dirty, and… alone,” she told her. At Apple Bloom’s shocked expression, Rainbow Dash sighed. “Look, I know. But, it’s fine. Probably just lost track of each other, a-and you know how Rarity is.”
Apple Bloom turned her head to look at the pillow. She blinked back a tear and shook her head. “You’re right. It’s fine,” she muttered. With a newfound glimmer of hope in her eyes, she turned to Rainbow Dash once more. “So, what do we do now?”
Rainbow Dash thought about everything that Twilight had said. The princess was so panicked and everything was so hectic, it was almost hard to remember exactly what she said. Almost. “Twilight said that she told Spike to send doubles of each letter, one to her and one to me.”
“He can do that?” Apple Bloom asked.
The pegasus shrugged. “Yeah, I think. Anyway, so we’ll be up to date with any news, but for now… we wait, I guess.”
Apple Bloom deflated. “Alright. And what about Twilight?”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I imagine things are chaos right now,” she pointed out. “When she came to get me at the Wonderbolts headquarters, she was all frazzled and rushed. Disappeared as soon as I agreed to come here.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” Apple Bloom mumbled. “Must be a lot to try and figure out.”
The darkness of the room and the wind hitting against the wall was comforting. The quiet hit Rainbow Dash, and exhaustion took over. As long as they were just waiting, she thought it best to get rest. “Well, I’m going to take a nap and really warm up. You wanna join?”
The bigger earth pony shifted as she nodded, obviously thinking the same thing as Rainbow Dash. “Yeah.”
“You know,” the pegasus started softly as she made herself comfortable, “it’s been so weird seeing you grow. I bet Applejack thinks the same.”
“She told me that just the other day,” Apple Bloom said quietly. She nuzzled against Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and shut her eyes.
Rainbow Dash nuzzled her back and rested her head back on the pillow, shutting her eyes. “Get some rest, Apple Bloom. I’m here with you now, okay?”
A slow nod from the mare that came to be like a little sister put Rainbow Dash at ease. The darkness of the room made sleep come easy, helped by the lull of the wind outside.
The soft sound of sniffling stirred Rainbow Dash awake from a sleepless dream. Her eyes drowsily opened as she tried to take in her dark surroundings. Next to her, a pony quivered, quiet sobs wracking her body ever so slightly. Rainbow Dash blinked sleep from her eyes and shuffled closer. Her muzzle found its way to the mare’s neck as she gave her a nuzzle. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” she reassured.
At the sound of her voice, the earth pony stiffened. “Go back to sleep, Dash,” she mumbled shakily, not turning to face the pegasus.
Rainbow Dash shook her head, still resting her chin on her bedmate’s neck. “I can’t. Not when you’re crying, Applejack.”
Applejack inched further from Rainbow Dash. “I mean it,” she commanded weakly, her voice shaking with all three syllables. “Go back to sleep.”
Crickets chirped as Rainbow Dash took a moment to respond. She carefully extended a wing and draped it over Applejack’s back, who had no more room to shy away. “Come on, I’m right here. It’s okay.”
Applejack sniffled as she lifted her head. “I miss her so much, hun.”
Rainbow Dash frowned, hugging Applejack tighter as she continued to quietly weep. “I know,” she whispered, nuzzling the mare. “I know, AJ.”
“I just wanna see her again,” the mare cried, resting her head on a hoof. Applejack shook, taking a deep breath and turned slowly. As she did, Rainbow Dash was met face to face with nothing.
Heaving, Rainbow Dash woke again. She urgently glanced to her side, only to find Apple Bloom’s slumbering body. A wave of relief washed over the pegasus, though the discomfort of her dream clawed at her. A quiet bout of tears formed in Rainbow’s eyes, but she quickly swept them away.
Glancing at Apple Bloom, she bit her lip and carefully slid off the bed, using her wings to lift her into the air so her hooves wouldn’t disturb the other mare.
Gliding to the window, Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through her mane, trying to put it back in order. Luckily, the windows in the house were still easy to open up all the way, and as quickly as Rainbow Dash snuck out into the night, she shut it behind her again. A quick glance back into the room confirmed that Apple Bloom had not stirred.
With a sharp inhale, Rainbow Dash breathed in the cold winter air. The snow had stopped some time ago, layering the entire property with pristine white powder. It was almost a beautiful sight; the pegasi who were in charge of that overnight snowfall must have felt pretty good about themselves.
The pegasus took a seat on the overhang that roofed the windowsill. The snow made it somewhat difficult to maintain a grip on it, but years of expertise with all sorts of weather made it a bit easier. Rainbow Dash stared into the now clear starry skies. She’d never really been the type of pony who knew much about the stars. That was more Twilight’s thing.
It was a shame that such a beautiful holiday scene was muddied by the prospect of tragedy. Rainbow Dash rustled her wings, fluffing them up against the winter chill. It was easy to overlook the simplicity of a good snowfall, especially when she had lived her whole life helping make it. But there was one thing that stood out that winter night. She was looking out at the snow-covered orchard by herself.
“Rainbow Dash?”
The pegasus peered her head over the edge and glanced down, where Apple Bloom stuck her head out the window, glancing around. Her red mane was void of any life, flattened almost to her skull with bed sweat. The pegasus shuffled her hooves and inched forward. “Up here. Do you want me to come down?”
“No, it’s okay,” Apple Bloom responded, craning her neck up to look at Rainbow Dash for a moment. “Just makin’ sure you were still here.”
Rainbow’s expression softened. “Of course I’m still here, kid,” she reassured the young mare. Though, she was definitely not a kid anymore. “I wasn’t gonna leave you, you know.”
Apple Bloom didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she stayed quiet for a moment. Both mares looked up at the starry sky together, letting the silence grow between them. After a few short breaths, Apple Bloom said, “Did… you get a response?”
Right, Applejack. She had almost thought the whole ordeal was another bad dream. Rainbow Dash shook her head, even though Apple Bloom wouldn’t have seen it. “N-no, not yet. I was going to stay here with you until then,” she responded, not taking her eyes off of the night sky. She didn’t even know what time it was.
“Okay,” Apple Bloom muttered. “Okay, that’s good. Y’know, Big Mac said he’d come back as soon as the train line near Our Town cleared up. Y-ya see, he an’ Sugar Belle were visitin’ the folks there. I told ‘im to wait ‘til after Hearth’s Warmin’ ‘cause Applejack wanted to go to the Pies’ place again, but after she got summoned by the princess, Big Mac insisted that he an’ Sugar Belle might as well go cause it wouldn’t take long an’ that he’d be back before Applejack was,” she rambled. “I told him ‘bout the snowstorm, but he didn’t wanna listen. Stubborn as a mule, he is.”
If it wasn’t for her wavering voice, Rainbow Dash would have almost found Apple Bloom’s little tangent humorous. She knew that tone, though, she’d heard it a lot only a couple of years ago right as Granny Smith got sick. Rainbow Dash sniffed, the cold wind snipping at her eyes and making her tear up. “He’ll be here soon enough,” she promised. “You know Big Mac. Nothing stops him. He’d push through mountains if he had to.”
Surprisingly, Apple Bloom let out a choked laugh. “Yeah, you’re right, Rainbow. I just… I dunno, I’m so scared. I was fine with bein’ on my own for a few days, but now… Well, now Big Mac is held up an’ all this with Applejack. I don’t think he even knows.” Apple Bloom paused and exhaled sharply. “He doesn’t even know.”
Rainbow pursed her lips, once again at a loss for what to say. She was supposed to tell him, too, but he wasn’t even there. She thought about trying to fly all the way to where Starlight’s old village was, but she’d never make it fast enough.
Nothing I can do, she reminded herself. Just keep her calm.
Rainbow Dash leaned forward and angled her body so that the front half of her body hung down and faced into the window. Her mane hung upside down as she used her wings to keep her from falling. Apple Bloom’s orange eyes pierced into hers, but she challenged that glare with a smile. “Hey, let me carry you up here,” she offered. “You won’t fall if you sit with me, I swear.”
Apple Bloom stepped back nervously, almost seeming like a filly again. “That ain’t very safe.”
“Oh come on,” Rainbow Dash teased, “you never used to care about stuff like that.”
“I changed,” Apple Bloom defended. “Plus, it’s all snowy ‘n stuff.”
The pegasus cringed a bit but covered it up with another earnest smile. “Come on, kid. Don’t you trust me?”
Sighing, Apple Bloom acquiesced. “Fine,” she muttered, starting her climb out the window. “But if I catch a cold, I’ll be upset.”
“You’ll be fine,” Rainbow promised with a smirk, flying in front of the window to grab Apple Bloom. The mare was even bigger than Rainbow herself was, but she was still able to lift her with only a bit of effort. Once overtop the part of the roof where she had left her own imprint, Rainbow slowly dropped and placed Apple Bloom on the roof. She hovered in place next to her. “See? It’s alright.”
Apple Bloom nodded and shuffled her hooves beneath her, dropping to her stomach. “It’s really cold out,” she pointed out, still trying to adjust her position.
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Yeah, I know. But it’s nice, right?”
In return, Apple Bloom shrugged. “Yeah, it’s a nice night. The pegasi have done a nice job with the weather lately. Feels very much like the holiday season.”
As a Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash no longer particularly had time to help the Ponyville weather team, but she still helped supervise occasionally whenever the Wonderbolts gave rest days. Of course, most of her break days were spent at Sweet Apple Acres, surrounded by ponies she called family.
With a half-smile, Rainbow Dash glanced at Apple Bloom and nestled down next to the earth pony. Her lightweight body allowed her to keep from sliding off the edge, though she kept her senses perked in case the snow decided to shift under her. “It seems like the weather team does just fine without me there,” she joked.
“Well, I reckon they have more room to work without your big head,” Apple Bloom shot back with a grin.
The pegasus stared at her with an impressed grin, then snorted and shook her head. “Wow, Apple Bloom. I didn’t know you could be that snarky.” She leaned over and rubbed her hoof on the earth pony’s mane, making it stick out in even more random directions. “I know we’re both adults, but you still have to respect your elders.”
“Hey!” Apple Bloom exclaimed as she pushed Rainbow’s hoof away with a huff. “I learned from the best.”
“Oh yeah? Who?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Though, she immediately wished she hadn’t.
Apple Bloom’s joking smile faltered as she looked away. The air instantly thickened with regret as Rainbow Dash cursed under her breath and reached for Apple Bloom. Her hoof stopped right before she could make contact, and with a quiet exhale, she brought it back and tucked it beneath her barrel. The subtle wind blew Rainbow’s mane the wrong way.
“She’s fine,” Rainbow Dash stumbled out. “Applejack. She’s okay.”
Apple Bloom’s ears drooped. “You don’t know that. If she was fine, they woulda said somethin’ by now.”
She kind of had a point, but Rainbow Dash didn’t want to believe it. She shook her head. “No, come on. She’s okay. I bet they’ve just been busy trying to calm Rarity down or something. You know how impossible she gets,” she joked.
It didn’t land. Apple Bloom turned to face Rainbow Dash again, her grimace cutting deeper than the cold. “I hope you’re right.”
Rainbow Dash simply hummed her agreement in return. Together, the mares stayed under the starry sky, no longer accented by falling white snow. Despite everything, being next to another pony made it more bearable.
The weather, of course.
A sudden plume of smoke and a spark of green tore both of their attention away from the countryside. Rainbow Dash jumped to her hooves as Apple Bloom scrambled up. The pegasus grabbed the scroll as soon as it materialized, not even giving gravity a chance to play with it. Her eyes locked on to Apple Bloom’s and they shared a silent conversation.
Rainbow Dash held the catalyst in her hooves. The paper, barely rolled up, weighed a tonne in her grasp. She swallowed dryly and flew overtop of Apple Bloom, gently holding the scroll in her mouth. Wordlessly, she picked up the mare and flew down to the ground.
The world spun as they landed, and suddenly it all became very real. Rainbow Dash without even thinking slipped off her jacket and placed it on Apple Bloom’s body. She dropped the letter, making sure to not let it touch the snowy floor.
Apple Bloom was silent as Rainbow Dash unrolled the paper. Orange eyes burned into Rainbow Dash’s soul as she took an unsteady breath, struggling to even focus on the words. Understandably, Apple Bloom paced in front of the pegasus, but refused to look at the letter.
Readying herself, Rainbow Dash tried to appear nonchalant for Apple Bloom’s sake as she cleared her throat, dispelling the fear and worry from it. She immediately noticed that Spike’s usually neat, well-practised writing was little more than a shaky scribbly mess.
Twilight, Rainbow Dash,
Things are a bit hectic here. I’m sorry that this correspondence has taken so long and that it’s coming in the middle of the night. We’ve been trying to get Rarity to calm down enough to tell us what happened to Applejack.
I’m sure you’ve been worried sick, and I can’t blame you. Though, as your friend, I hate to be the one to tell you this.
Just a few moments ago, we were able to confirm that Applejack
We just found out that Applejack
Applejack is gone. I’m sorry.
I’m not too sure what happened. From what I was able to gather, there was some kind of volcanic eruption and the ground gave way beneath her hooves…
I’d ask Rarity for the details but she won’t speak anymore. I think she’s still in shock. Maybe she needs rest.
You should rest, too. I’ll send you another letter as soon as I can.
I’m sorry, girls. And Rainbow, if you’re with the Apples, try to break it to them lightly. I’ll keep in touch. We’ll be back as soon as we can.
Spike
As Rainbow Dash’s eyes skimmed further down the page, so too did her heart. The world closed in around her until it was only her and the cursed letter she held in her hand.
It had to be a joke, or some kind of mistake. Maybe they misunderstood what Rarity said. They had to have. There was simply no way.
The pegasus chuckled dryly, not tearing her eyes off of the chicken scratch writing. How could she, when the cruelest prank of them all was playing out right in front of her? She chortled, shutting her eyes to laugh at the mother of all practical jokes in her shaking hooves.
It was one thing to pull such an awful prank on her, but to have even considered bringing any of the Apples in on it? That was going too far.
Rainbow Dash glanced up at Apple Bloom, her vision blurred by silent tears.
“What’s it say?” the mare asked with the innocence of a filly.
Words seemed to elude Rainbow Dash as she uselessly opened her mouth. Everything she wanted to say, even if she didn’t know what, died before the words could even form in her mouth. Dejected, Rainbow Dash shut her mouth and reread the letter. Surely, they were about to send another one informing them of the joke.
“Rainbow, what’s it say?” Apple Bloom asked again, this time inching closer. Her eyes dropped to the paper in Rainbow’s grasp, but the pegasus clutched it closer to her to guard it from wandering eyes.
“Just wait,” Rainbow croaked. “Wait one second.” She held the paper close, uncaringly crumpling it against her chest as she leaned back on her haunches.
The yellow mare frowned, reaching forward to try to take the scroll from Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash, give it here,” she commanded.
Reacting quickly, Rainbow set one front hoof on the ground, and with the other holding the letter, she scrambled back. “Just wait!” she repeated, baring her teeth. “They made a mistake, or something!”
With a grunt, Apple Bloom smacked into Rainbow Dash, wrestling her to the ground. Rainbow Dash had more agility, but Apple Bloom had raw strength and size on her side. “Just show me,” Apple Bloom pleaded, no longer able to muster the energy to sound upset. She held Rainbow Dash, who stopped struggling, under one hoof. “Please, I gotta know…”
Rainbow Dash flicked her gaze from Apple Bloom’s teary eyes to the letter and sighed. Her grip on the scroll let up as she hoofed it over to the earth pony keeping her down. “Okay.”
With a tiny nod of thanks, Apple Bloom took the paper and stepped back, allowing Rainbow Dash to sit up. The pegasus did just that as she watched Apple Bloom brace herself and read. The earth pony shook more and more with every passing moment until, finally, she dropped the letter. Tears brimmed her eyes as she stared in Rainbow Dash’s direction, but clearly not at her.
The cold wind picked up slightly. If it wasn’t for Rainbow’s reflexes, the letter would have blown away, but she wondered if it even mattered; it was soaked by the snow anyway.
Apple Bloom’s reaction made it all too real. She stayed frozen like the unfortunate victim of a cockatrice; still and unmoving. Rainbow Dash wanted to reach out, but her hooves stayed firmly planted on the ground.
“She’s… gone?” Apple Bloom finally asked.
And then the world pieced itself together, fragmented as it was. It was no longer just the two of them and the letter. It was the stars, and the farmhouse, and the snow covered apple trees, and the white picket fence. It was everything, and Rainbow Dash was less than nothing.
It wasn’t a joke, or a prank. They wouldn’t do that, and maybe she knew all along. Maybe she was trying to protect Apple Bloom from a fate worse than death. Watching her loved ones drop around her was certainly not what Rainbow Dash would have ever wanted for the young mare.
Even so, she couldn’t even try to lie.
She nodded, slowly. A burning cold fire swelled in her throat as she managed to croak out, “Y-yeah.”
Apple Bloom stood in a stupor, completely blank faced save for the tears slowly slipping down her cheek. Her jaw worked, playing with unspoken words. Rainbow Dash knew that, she’d seen that reaction before.
“I’m sorry,” the pegasus whispered, wiping away any tears before they fell.
Apple Bloom nodded briskly. “Me too.”
They stood there under the freckled sky for a long moment. Rainbow Dash’s mind was entirely empty as she watched Apple Bloom wrestle with something inside. It showed in the way her eyes flickered, blinking erratically. The way her facial muscles twitched ever so slightly, and how her legs shook as if she was itching to run away.
Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash knew that she couldn’t just run away from everything.
“You know,” she finally whispered, “I feel like… Like something was ripped out of me.”
Apple Bloom slowly turned her head back to Rainbow Dash, who forced back a pained laugh, though she couldn’t hold back the choked chuckle that escaped her. “It’s like… Well, before I left for the training season this year, I was in such a rush to leave because I was already behind,” she said with a screwed-up smile, staring intently at her hooves.
She wasn’t sure if she was helping, but even so, the pegasus couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “I flew out so fast, I barely got to say bye. I didn’t nuzzle her or kiss her or even hug her.” The quivering smile on her face fell into an angry frown as her vision blurred with hot tears. “And now I can’t.”
Apple Bloom nodded, more silent tears forming in her eyes. “I know what you mean, Rainbow,” she responded quietly. “I was… mostly upset that she was leavin’, a-and that Big Mac was usin’ that as an excuse to leave, too.
“She was helpin’ me decorate for Hearth’s Warmin’. We, we put up some decorations around the house while Big Mac and Sugar Belle did the outside,” Apple Bloom explained with an awful smile. “An’ then she received a summons, and she left suddenly. Big Mac and Sugar Belle left not long after, and I s-stayed here.”
The earth pony shriveled up and put her face in her hooves. “I didn’t finish decoratin’ ‘cause I wanted to do it with my sister.”
It was that utterance that finally broke the yellow mare. With a wrecked sob, she fell forward to the snow, rolling up like a filly to cry. Rainbow Dash frowned, stepping forward to crouch down next to her. She said nothing as she pulled Apple Bloom into a hug, feeling her shaking body as the earth pony cried.
The tears that blurred Rainbow Dash’s vision dissipated as they gently streamed down her cheeks, hot against the cold wind that froze her face. It was déjà-vu. She held Apple Bloom tight. “Let it out,” she whispered.
Finally, Apple Bloom let up. Her cries lessened, turning more into sniffles and uneven breaths, aided by the hiccups that followed. She adjusted her chin on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, but otherwise did not let the pegasus go. That was alright; Rainbow Dash wanted to hold her close.
“What are we gonna do ‘bout Big Mac?” Apple Bloom asked quietly, mumbling her question into Rainbow Dash’s shoulder.
“I don’t know,” the pegasus replied honestly. “We gotta tell him, though. Do you think I should try to fly to Our Town?”
Apple Bloom’s hold on Rainbow Dash tightened almost painfully. “No!” she exclaimed. “No, don’t go,” she mumbled. “I don’t wanna be alone.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. What else could she do? She rubbed Apple Bloom’s back through the jacket she lent her and sighed. “We’ll wait ‘til he gets back, then. For now, I’m here with you, kid.”
“Okay,” Apple Bloom responded. She loosened her grip, just a bit, and relaxed her bunched muscles just enough that Rainbow Dash could tell. “Can we go inside? I’m cold.”
“Sure thing,” Rainbow agreed, inwardly sighing in relief. “How about you start a fire and I’ll make us some cocoa?”
Surprisingly, Apple Bloom cracked a crooked smile as she leaned back. “I think it’s best if I make it. I don’t want salty cocoa again,” she joked.
At least Apple Bloom was making jokes again, Rainbow Dash figured. She scoffed in mock offence and followed Apple Bloom back into the farmhouse. “It was one time,” she shot back, “but fine. I’ll get the fire going then.”
With the door shut behind them and the cold air trapped outside, Rainbow Dash made her way back to the fireplace. She glanced at the picture that had always been on that mantle and grimaced.
Her eyes lingered on it for a moment longer, but she just couldn’t help herself.
Applejack looked so happy surrounded by her family. She always was that type of mare, Rainbow mused. The type to be able to go through any hardship and come out stronger as long as she had family by her side.
That stupid smile on Applejack’s face always made Rainbow grin. It never failed, not even then. With a sad smile to mirror the one that her better half sported, framed to eternity, Rainbow Dash focused on the task at hoof.
The stones that made up the hearth were mismatched, but aligned in such a way that only the Apple family could have possibly made it visually pleasing. Not for the first time, Rainbow Dash found herself wondering how long the hearth had stood.
With ease, the pegasus got a spark going and, with the help of her wings, fanned it to life. Instantly, the warmth of the fire spread through the room. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly, relishing in the heat.
Before long, Apple Bloom came back into the room with a tray in mouth. She set herself down next to Rainbow Dash and put the drinks on the ground, staring intently into the fire.
The pegasus glanced at Apple Bloom and smirked. “You know, you’d make a good Wonderbolt.”
Apple Bloom froze as she reached for a mug and cocked her head. “What? I’m an earth pony.”
A snicker escaped Rainbow Dash. She rolled her eyes and prodded the mare in the side. “I meant ‘cause you look good in the jacket,” she pointed out with a grin. “I still remember when your legs weren’t even long enough to fit through the sleeves. Back when I had just become a Bolt.”
“Oh, huh, thanks,” she mumbled sheepishly. The mare pushed a mug toward Rainbow Dash. “Do ya want it back? We ain’t outside anymore.”
The pegasus shrugged. “If you want to wear it, feel free. I’m nice and toasty from the fire, plus this cocoa is definitely gonna warm me up.”
“I think I’ll take it off then,” Apple Bloom responded, shimmying out of the bomber jacket. “I’m gettin’ kinda hot now.”
With a nod, Rainbow Dash took a tentative sip of her cocoa. It wasn’t hot enough to burn, but it was warm enough to fill her insides with cozy heat. She smiled, relishing in the unique taste. Definitely much better than anything she could have made. And yet, there was something familiar about it. A flavour she hadn’t tasted in a long time. “Hey, this is really good. What’s in it?”
Apple Bloom glanced down at her drink, the corners of her mouth lifting with a subtle melancholy. “Cinnamon an’ nutmeg,” she told her. “Applejack taught me that.”
That was why it tasted so familiar, Rainbow Dash realized. She licked her lips and drank more of the delicious liquid, making sure to appreciate every drop that guzzled down her throat, warming up every inch of her.
There was nothing more to say. A heavy weight seemed to hang from Rainbow Dash’s heart, but it was lessened by Apple Bloom’s presence. Maybe it was the fact that it hadn’t really hit yet, but Rainbow Dash considered herself lucky to have been with Apple Bloom.
And she’d stay there for as long as Apple Bloom needed her. The crackling of the fire played orchestra to the quiet living room. With a gentle nuzzle, Rainbow Dash shifted closer to Apple Bloom. If anything, the yellow mare would need someone to be her rock. Rainbow Dash had wanted to be more of a sister to Apple Bloom, and she figured that it was about the perfect time.
Apple Bloom sniffed, but apart from swallowing back a sob, she just smiled in response, returning the nuzzle gently.
In time, both mugs were drained of their contents and the night sky slowly turned into the oranges, yellows, and blues of daybreak. The fire hummed quietly, on its last vestiges of life. Rainbow Dash left her head resting on Apple Bloom’s as the younger pony stayed resting, warmed by Rainbow Dash’s presence.
The pegasus wasn’t quite sure when Apple Bloom had woken, or if she had ever been asleep at all when she spoke, “Rainbow?”
“Yeah?”
She shuffled, moving back from Rainbow’s protective embrace and glanced around them. It was then that Rainbow fully realized how ready for the holiday the Apple home had been, and it almost seemed wrong for the house to appear so joyous.
The tiny, tired smile on Apple Bloom’s face put those thoughts to rest, however. “Do you… can you help me finish decoratin’? Hearth’s Warmin’ is tomorrow an’ I want… I want the house to look nice for Big Mac.”
Even through the pain that was evident in Apple Bloom’s face, through the quiver in her voice, she looked at Rainbow Dash with an expression that she couldn’t quite place.
But then, the pegasus remembered what Apple Bloom had said she hoped to do with Applejack. She had wanted to decorate with her sister, and maybe… Maybe she could still do that. Maybe Rainbow Dash could help.
She wouldn’t be enough, Rainbow Dash knew. She wouldn’t ever fill the gap, but she had to try for Apple Bloom. So she nodded, tears threatening to give her away. “Sure, kid.”
Aided by the warmth of the house, the pair stood. Both sets of eyes fell on the family picture, and congruent smiles reflected in the image. Apple Bloom and Rainbow Dash mirrored the smiles they each sported in the image, flanked by Big Mac, Sugar Belle, Granny Smith, and Applejack. For now, they were in their little bubble, and that had to be enough.
As a cold wind blew harshly outside, the warm orange glow of the sun illuminated the mares inside.
Author's Note
Happy holidays... sorry...
:P
