You Never Walk Alone

On the night Harmony visited Sweet Apple Acres, it was quiet. Applebloom had finished for the day and was inside making what Applejack thought smelled like a delicious Apple Crumble. Sitting on the porch on the couch, looking over the orchard, Applejack had the sense that something was watching her. Many ponies felt this way when Harmony was near—the feeling that the end was inevitable. A lot panicked, most were sad, and some were content.

She looked up and saw a rainbow revealing the shadowed pony just outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Feeling her heart race a little, she nodded to the spot beside her. “Don’t just stand there come on in.”
Harmony drifted in and sat next to her as Applejack and Applebloom ate the crumble. After they had finished, Applejack smiled, nuzzled Applebloom, stood up, and left her body behind; Applebloom will later say that it seemed her sister was content at the end.

Applejack started to walk through the orchard examining every tree placing her hoof on a tree that still had the old sign now fading that said Rainbows Napping Spot laughing to herself Applejack just walked through to the clubhouse which had 3 new foals telling ghost stories.

“Ghosts aren’t really scary, you know? My farm is the most haunted place in Equestria,” Toffee Apple declared. The others looked shocked. “My family made a promise—well, they made two. The first is, ‘Once an Apple, always an Apple.’ And the second is that they’ll always look after the farm and family for as long as it’s here.” The others were very impressed. Applejack watched them and sighed.

“Is that true?” she asked, with trepidation and hope. “Does all my family watch over this place?”

“It can be. Do you want it to be true?” Harmony asked, and Applejack thought about it for a few minutes.

“Only if it was true when they said it. Only if they meant it.” Harmony nodded, then began to walk towards an open field. As she did, her horn began to glow with powerful magic, wings spread out, and the rainbow appeared again.

Approximately 15 years before Applejack’s death, after hearing Zapp Apple and Toffee Apple claim that Sweet Apple Acres was the most haunted place in Equestria, Twilight asked to take readings there and run some tests. After promising that nothing she would do would harm any of the ghosts, she took the readings but didn’t find anything. She told them to leave the devices around the farm, and if anything strange happened, she would know.

For the first time since then, the machines detected something. As the rainbow grew brighter and larger, Applejack had to cover her eyes. It was so bright that you might mistake it for dawn, even though it was 3 am. The cloak of shadows covering Harmony protected Applejack, surrounding her, and once it was removed from her eyes, she saw clearly for the first time in decades.

“Ma? Pa?” She ran towards them, seeming to get younger, transforming from an old mare into a teenager. She nuzzled into her mother’s orange mane, feeling her father’s strong yellow forearm around her. Granny Smith, now looking as if she were in her mid-40s, stood beside Harmony and smiled at them.

“I knew I liked you,” she said, jabbing Harmony in the shoulder. “Ya’ good pony.” Harmony just bowed.

“Thank you, Granny.” But that wasn’t the last of them; soon, the field was filled with ancestors, going back to the start of the farm—149 in total, by Granny Smith’s calculation. They decided to have an impromptu family reunion.

Grandpa Pear, Pear Butter, and Bright Mac chatted while Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Mac brought over cider. With the knowledge of a party happening, Surprise flew around with food and drinks for the ghosts, while some unfortunate foals followed her around. They weren’t Apples, but she had her job to do, and a party on the moon or on the farm is a party all the same.

Harmony watched all the ponies party but kept her eyes on the rainbow. Surprise sat beside her and hoofed over some cider. “Hello, Surprise.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“You’re an Apple too, and so I’m glad you decided to come. But something’s been nagging at me. It’s been bugging me all day.” She levitated the glass to her mouth.

“Is it the foals? They’re okay now—two have left already; I think the last one will soon. Oh, or is it the crowded farm? Like, how are they going to deal with so many ponies just sort of gathered around a farm? Oh, or is it because ‘once an Apple, always an Apple,’ and Rainbow Dash isn’t here yet, and the rainbow is right there, and there’s about to be an explosion that will hurt all of them because the Sonic Rainboom has magic that affects spirits?”

Harmony calmly sipped her drink, hoofed it back to Surprise, and nodded. “Yep, that one.” In a burst of power and energy, Harmony flew down the hill as fast as possible and landed in the middle of the party, her horn glowing. “Sorry to cut the party short, but could everypony please go back to—” A circle of light surrounded them from a point 30 feet behind them. “That line, quickly, quickly—you’re ghosts; you don’t have joints to worry about.”

After everypony scrambled behind the circle to whatever location was most convenient, Applejack stood beside Harmony. “What in tar-nation are you doing?” Not directly answering her question, Harmony asked one of her own.

“Applejack, you saw the Sonic Rainboom.” She pointed to the rainbow. “If the Sonic Rainboom started from that point and spread out in a circle, where would you think is the safest place to stand?” Applejack thought for a moment.

“Just here, I should think.” After saying that, her eyes fixed themselves on the rainbow.

“10, 9, 8, 7...” Applejack held her breath. “6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” BOOM! A giant circle of colour, sound, and force washed over them; they all felt it as a cyan pegasus flew up and over them. After a moment of re-configuring herself, Rainbow Dash landed in the middle of the crater and looked around at all the ponies staring at her. She nervously chuckled and waved.

“Ummm, hi—ARG!” She was tackled by the cowpony, who kissed and held her, nuzzling her.

“Come on, RD—you’ve got to meet my parents.” Rainbow smiled, got up, brushed herself off, and bowed.
“After you.” They walked to the others as the rainbow faded away.

No longer needed, Harmony left. A guide was no longer required when everypony was already home.