Farewell, Friends

Twilight wandered listlessly back into her study, her hooves dragging with the weight of sorrow. The room felt colder, emptier, as her gaze fell on the parchment that lay mocking her from the desk. The carefully penned words, written with such painstaking effort, seemed hollow in the silence of the room. She had rewritten the speech countless times, yet nothing she could say felt right—nothing could convey the depth of the loss that haunted her. Each revision was a futile attempt to give voice to the agony that swirled in her heart, to make sense of the unbearable weight of memory.

Twilight’s heart swelled with warmth and sorrow as her memories turned to Rainbow Dash, the brash and fearless Pegasus who had filled her life with so much joy. It wasn’t just Rainbow’s daring exploits, her bravado, or even her loyalty that came to mind, but the quiet moments of love and devotion she had shared with her wife. The two had built a life together that was nothing short of legendary in its own right—a love story that had weathered countless storms, both literal and figurative.

Twilight often found herself smiling at the memories of seeing them together, their playful banter and the unmistakable sparkle in Rainbow's eyes whenever she was near her earth-pony spouse. Their bond had always seemed unbreakable, a perfect balance of strength and tenderness. It was one of the great joys of Twilight’s life to witness the happiness that blossomed between them, a love so strong it seemed almost untouched by time.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack had filled their farm with the sounds of life and laughter, their home brimming with the joyful chaos of foals. Though they could not have children of their own, their love for one another had driven them to adopt many and foster countless others, providing a safe and nurturing home for any young pony in need. Their maternal instincts, so strong and unwavering, had created a haven at Sweet Apple Acres where the orchard echoed with the patter of tiny hooves, playful giggles, and the warm embrace of family. Together, they had built a legacy of love, ensuring that their home would always be filled with the boundless energy and happiness of the foals they cherished so deeply.

But time, as Twilight had knew all too well, spares no mortal pony. In Rainbow Dash’s latter years, the toll of age had begun to make its cruel, inexorable mark on the once indomitable Wonderbolt. The signs had been subtle at first—a decrease of athleticism, moments where Rainbow’s memory would falter, and that her vibrant rainbow mane started becoming streaked with grey. Twilight had seen it happen gradually, like watching the sunset—melancholy but inevitable.

The mental decline had been the hardest to bear, both for Rainbow Dash and those who loved her. Twilight had watched as her friend's sharp mind had started to falter, moments of confusion replacing the cocky confidence that once defined her. At first, it had been subtle—a forgotten detail here, a misremembered event there—but over time, the signs of mental decline had become undeniable. There were days when Rainbow's memory seemed to slip through her hooves like grains of sand, and other days when she stared blankly into the distance, lost in a fog only she could see. Each passing day seemed to pull her further away from the mare she had once been, leaving behind a ghost of the fearless friend they all knew.

For Twilight, it was agonising to watch Rainbow Dash’s proud spirit dim, her sharp wit replaced by uncertainty and fear. No battle, no enemy could have prepared her for this slow, inevitable fading. It had hurt in a way that no villain or crisis ever could. She’d always push herself, never wanting to admit that time was catching up to her, but it was clear to those closest to her that Rainbow was slipping away. And perhaps the hardest to witness had been her pride—a part of her that had never dimmed—clashing with the painful realities of her age. Rainbow Dash was never one to admit weakness, and Twilight knew it had torn her friend apart to accept that she wasn’t the pegasus she used to be.

And yet, even as the years wore on, there was still that spark. Even in her twilight years, Rainbow had been full of life, as if her very presence could defy time itself. When her mind would slip, her body would fail, or her wings would falter, her love for Applejack and her family never wavered. It was as if that love was the one thing even time couldn’t touch, a reminder to Twilight of just how deeply her friend had lived and loved.

Her eventual passing was not just painful—it was a nightmare retold in every harrowing detail by Applejack, who had been forced to watch it unfold. Twilight could still feel the shock as Applejack's voice had trembled, recounting every moment, every sound, every cry. The memory clung to Twilight like a heavy cloak, a constant reminder that no tribute, no matter how perfect, could ever soothe the pain or bring comfort to the heartache of losing such a dear friend.

Rainbow Dash's death had come during what should have been a joyous occasion. She and Applejack had been visiting the farmstead of one of their many grandfoals, eager to meet the newest additions to their ever-growing family—their great-grandfoals. The excitement had been palpable, and Rainbow, though her body was beginning to slow with age, had radiated her usual exuberance, talking nonstop about how she would tell stories to the little ones and maybe even show them a trick or two. Applejack had smiled warmly, knowing that no matter how tired or frail Rainbow might become, that spark of boundless joy in her adopted offspring and their foals would never dim.

The journey had been a long one, out past Appaloosa, through dusty, sun-baked lands that stretched for miles. By the time they arrived, both Applejack and Rainbow Dash were utterly spent, the distance they had covered by train and coach wearing down on them more than it ever had before. It had been hard for Applejack to admit—harder still for Rainbow—but age was catching up with them both, and even such a simple journey was now an exhausting endeavour. Still, despite the weariness, the joy of meeting their family had pushed them on, giving them the strength to savour the precious moments together. Little did they know that it would be one of the last happy memories they would share.

Rainbow Dash had arrived at the farmstead with a saddlebag brimming with excitement. Among the things she'd packed were some of her favourite Daring-Do books, well-worn and dog-eared from countless re-readings. She had been talking for days about how she couldn't wait to read them to the little ones, her eyes lighting up as she imagined their reactions to the daring adventures and nail-biting escapes. Even though her own adventuring days were behind her, she could still share those thrilling stories, passing down her love for adventure to a new generation.

Applejack, ever thoughtful, had packed a basket full of freshly made candy apples, lovingly wrapped and nestled into the bottom of her saddlebag. She’d joked with Rainbow that they needed to keep up the tradition of spoiling their grandfoals and now great-grandfoals, just like they had with the many foals they’d raised themselves even if those grandfoals were fully grown now. Rainbow had chuckled in agreement, promising that she'd slip them a little extra candy before bedtime while Applejack pretended to scold her for it. The warmth between them, that shared joy in family, had made the journey worth every ache and fatigue.

Little did either of them know, those candy apples and the Daring-Do books would never get their intended audience. The joy and anticipation that filled their hearts would soon be eclipsed by tragedy.

As the wagon creaked along the final stretch toward the small holding, Rainbow Dash’s sharp eyes flicked toward the sky with a deepening frown. Over the plains beyond the nearby township, thick, pendulous clouds loomed ominously, and the gusting winds tore across the landscape with increasing fury as a team of pegasi flitted about like dots in the sky. The old weatherpony’s sharp eyes and instincts, honed over years of reading the weather with pinpoint accuracy, kicked in as she muttered under her breath. "That formation's sloppy... the team needs to tighten up before those fronts get away from them... horizontal shear’s already setting in to make a supercell." The words flowed out in the low tone of a seasoned expert who knew when trouble was brewing.

Lightning flashed in the distance, and Applejack cast a worried glance at her wife, knowing Rainbow’s gut instincts about weather were rarely wrong. She had learned long ago to tell the difference between idle weather talk and when Rainbow’s concerns were serious. Today, there was a sharpness to her muttering that pricked Applejack’s own sense of urgency. "Wagoneer!" Applejack called out, waving her hoof forward. "We gotta pick up the pace. Ain't no time to dawdle!" The heavy-set stallion pulling the wagon nodded and rallied his team, urging the coach to move faster.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the property, the storm was catching up with them. The moment the family spotted the wagon coming they had rushed out from the fields and orchards to greet their elders. It was supposed to be a day of celebration—an introduction to the next generation, the beginning of new stories, and a continuation of their legacy. But as the family gathered under the savagely violent clouds a sense of foreboding gnawed at Applejack’s heart. Something was terribly wrong.

Suddenly the storm was upon them. Rain started to pelt down in heavy sheets, and the sky groaned under the weight of the tempest. Hailstones began bouncing off the wagon, the sound a sharp staccato against the wood as Rainbow’s eyes grew even more focused. Despite the worsening conditions, Great-grandfoals, grandfoals, and their spouses all struggled through the pounding rain and violent winds with mud sucking at their hooves and the storm clouds churning overhead, eager to usher their elderly kin in from the storm to the warmth and safety of the farmhouse.

With the icy authority of a many-times-decorated Wonderbolts commander, Rainbow Dash’s expression hardened. Her once easygoing smile vanished, replaced by the sharp focus she’d worn in her prime. Without taking her eyes off the sky, she reached across the seat and grasped Applejack’s hooves with her own, the strength of her grip belying her years. In no uncertain terms, she spoke with the voice of a leader who had faced the impossible more times than she could count.

“Gather our family together. Get them into the root cellar as fast as you can,” she ordered. Her tone left no room for debate, no hesitation. The air crackled with more than just the approaching storm.

Applejack blinked, stunned by the sudden shift in Rainbow’s demeanour. They had been through so much together—decades of love, adventure, and loss. But hearing that voice, one Rainbow hadn’t used in years, sent a chill down Applejack’s spine that no storm could match.

“What... what are ya doin’?” Applejack called after her, her voice trembling with concern as Rainbow Dash shifted in her seat, her joints protesting as she rose. Despite the years that had passed, there was something unmistakably powerful in the way Rainbow moved, her old instincts kicking in as though time hadn’t touched her.

Rainbow turned, her magenta eyes hard and determined. But there was a softness too—a quiet resignation. She glanced toward the dark funnel cloud that was bearing down on the farm, the tornado swirling with a fury that would have overwhelmed a lesser pony with fear. For Rainbow Dash, there was no fear. Only duty.

“I’m buying us some time,” she said simply.

The words hit Applejack like a hammer. She knew what her wife meant, even if every fibre of her being wanted to scream, to stop her, to pull her back into the safety of the family. But Rainbow’s eyes—those eyes that had seen a thousand storms and braved every one of them—made it clear that this was a decision that couldn’t be undone.

The wagon creaked and groaned as two ponies acted in unison—one launching into the sky with a speed that defied her age, the other bolting down the path towards their family, who were huddled together, lashed by the fury of the storm.

Applejack didn’t think, didn’t pause. She scooped two of the youngest foals onto her broad flank, and with the force of a mare who had worked the land her entire life, she leapt over fences like a champion racer, her heart pounding in her chest. There wasn’t time to take the winding path that snaked through the trees. Instead, she charged straight through, dodging the whipping branches and bending trunks as the wind howled around them.

As she neared the farmhouse, a deafening crack split the air. Applejack’s eyes snapped to the sound just in time to see one of the fruit trees splinter under the force of the gale, toppling directly into their path. The massive tree crashed down, blocking their way, the sound reverberating through the storm.

With no other choice and no time to waste, Applejack skidded to a stop in the clinging mud. Her muscles burned, her lungs ached, but she wasn’t about to let a fallen tree stop her. She braced herself, ignoring the sharp sting in her joints, and delivered a mighty buck to the trunk. The heavy wood shifted, and with a second, desperate kick, she sent the tree rolling clear. She would feel that in every bone for days to come, but adrenaline—spurred by her love for Rainbow Dash and their family—was drowning out the pain.

“Keep movin’!” she shouted, pushing the ponies onward as they scrambled to follow her.

The rain was slamming into the ground like a waterfall, soaking them to the bone, but Applejack barely noticed as she sprinted the last stretch toward the farmhouse her heart pounding in her chest and the blood rushing in her ears. The wind roared like a freight train as it ripped through the orchard, and overhead the sky was a boiling mass of dark clouds. The familiar landscape of the farm had become a battlefield.

When they finally reached the farmhouse, the ponies there were already holding the cellar doors open against the raging storm. Applejack, dripping wet and panting with exertion, ushered her family inside with a voice that cut through the chaos.

“Hurry! Git on down there!” she urged, waving them toward the gaping cellar as the storm bore down on them.

Having delivered her family to safety, Applejack stood rooted to the spot, her gaze rising to the storm-darkened sky. The wind tugged at her mane and tail, but she ignored it. Her relatives, tears streaking their rain-soaked faces, tugged at her, trying to drag her toward the cellar. But Applejack wouldn’t budge. She dug in her hooves, her heart pounding as she watched the impossible battle unfolding above her.

Rainbow Dash was a blur of motion, spinning and kicking at the towering tornado that threatened to devour them all. The pegasus moved with a speed and precision that defied her age, her wings slicing through the wind with fierce determination leaving contrails from the violent shifts in air pressure. Every now and then, the storm-clouds parted just enough to reveal flickers of that once vibrant rainbow trail behind her. It was a ghost of the streaks she used to paint across the sky in her youth, but it was still enough to make the twisting, monstrous tornado oscillate left and right, struggling to maintain its shape as she fought it head-on.

Applejack’s heart tightened in her chest as she realised just how much Rainbow was giving, pushing herself far beyond her limits to keep the storm from overtaking them. It was a fight that no pegasus, no matter how great, could win forever. Certainly not one as old as the mare giving everything she had for the love of her family. For the briefest moment, in the middle of her impossible labours, Rainbow glanced down toward the farm. She saw that Applejack had gotten everypony to safety, the family safe in the root cellar. And for that fleeting heartbeat, everything stilled.

In that desperate moment, Rainbow Dash's eyes met Applejack's. Even from a distance, Applejack could see the exhaustion etched into her wife’s face. Her wings, once so powerful and full of life, now sagged, heavy with the rain that soaked them. Every movement seemed to take more out of her, the cold storm air whipping away her misting breath as she gasped for air. But still, Rainbow's lips curled into that same old smirk, the Tirek-may-care grin she’d worn through a thousand reckless stunts, as if to say, Don’t worry about me, AJ.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the black, swirling clouds and flying debris surged forward, swallowing Rainbow Dash whole. She disappeared into the heart of the storm, and was gone.

Having witnessed her wife being consumed by the storm, Applejack's legs finally gave way. Her strength, the indomitable force that had carried her through decades of trials, vanished in an instant. She allowed her family to drag her toward the root cellar, her hooves stumbling through the mire, eyes still fixed on the swirling tempest where Rainbow had disappeared. The heavy doors slammed shut behind them, muffling the howling wind and the furious crack of the storm.

It seemed impossibly quick. The violent fury of the tornado passed within minutes, leaving a deafening silence in its wake. The ponies in the cellar ascended cautiously, blinking as they stepped into the shockingly clear sunlight once more. The aftermath was stark—the orchards were scarred, a wide strip of devastation cut through the trees, and the farmhouse had lost chunks of its roof, shingles scattered across the land like fallen leaves. But through the wreckage and ruin, everypony had survived. The elderly matriarchs, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, had saved them all.

In the eerie stillness that followed, a desperate search party formed, combing the outskirts of the property with hearts in their throats. It didn’t take long. A scattering of cyan feathers was found tumbling in the wind across one of the outer fields, leading toward the edge of the plains. At the tip of that trail, they discovered Rainbow’s body.

Her wings were crumpled, and her neck lay twisted at an unnatural angle, broken from where she had been slammed to the ground by the full force of the storm. The tornado had claimed her, just as it had tried to claim the farm. Yet, in her final act of heroism, she had kept the family safe, giving her life to hold the storm at bay just long enough for them to escape.

Rainbow's body was brought back to Sweet Apple Acres by a detachment of Wonderbolts. Her once vibrant form, now still in her simple soldier's wooden casket, was laid to rest among the trees she had grown to love as much as any orchard worker. She was buried in the family grove, alongside Grand Pear and Granny Smith, where Applejack's parents had once exchanged their vows beneath the branches. It was a fitting resting place—among family, under the same trees that had witnessed so many beginnings and endings.

The clear spring air that day felt cruel. It was crisp and filled with the scent of fresh blossoms, their soft pink petals drifting down from the branches like confetti. The peacefulness of the day stood in stark contrast to the sorrow that hung over the gathering. The beauty of the world around them seemed almost mocking, as if nature itself had forgotten the weight of grief that the ponies carried in their hearts. Birds chirped in the distance, unaware of the life that had been lost.

Twilight Sparkle stood at the head of the gathered ponies, her heart heavy with the knowledge that she had stood in the same place years ago to officiate Rainbow and Applejack's wedding. Back then, joy and love had filled the air, the same trees sheltering a union full of hope. Now, the same vows seemed like distant echoes, replaced by the finality of death. As she had for Granny Smith and Grand Pear, Twilight spoke the words of the eulogy but even as they left her lips she felt detached, as if watching the scene from some far-off place.

She couldn't help but notice how time had marked her friends. Apple Bloom stood close by, her head bowed as she comforted her elderly sister, who was too tired to fight the grief alone. Applejack, now bent by age and sorrow, leaned heavily into her younger sister’s embrace. The years had weighed her down, her body worn from a lifetime of labour and loss. Twilight watched them and felt the ache of the centuries she had yet to endure. The inevitability of time hung over her like a set of invisible chains, growing heavier with each passing year, each loss. Though her alicorn immortality would shield her from the physical toll of time, it could do nothing to stop the emotional burden of watching those she loved slip away.

Twilight collapsed onto the simple stool in front of her desk. She’d always preferred the austerity of the backless, unpadded seat when working or studying, unlike her mentor, who favoured an opulently upholstered chair for her paperwork. Twilight sighed, screwing her eyes shut as she tried to block out the memories that pressed in on her, unbidden and relentless.

It was inevitable. Any thoughts of Rainbow Dash would bring Applejack to mind, as surely as night followed day. After confessing their love for each other, the two had been inseparable. If Twilight was truly honest, they’d been that way long before they were marefriends. In all the years Twilight had known them, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been the closest of friends, always side by side, bickering good-naturedly or working together on something. Their bond had been so strong that it was hard to tell exactly where simple friendship ended and romance began.

Twilight’s last memory of Applejack surfaced, bringing with it a shudder of repressed bitterness, like an unwelcome nightmare rising from the depths of a dark pool. She hadn’t wanted to remember it—not that day, not the pain it dredged up. It had been Apple Bloom’s letter that set everything in motion. The now-grown Cutie Mark Crusader—though they preferred "Cutie Mark Counsellors" in their adult careers—had pleaded with Twilight to come and see her old friend one last time.

Twilight rubbed at her temple, trying to soothe the ache of those recollections. Rainbow’s sudden, heroic death had been devastating, but Applejack’s decline afterward had been a slow torture. Applejack had always been strong, reliable, the anchor of their group of friends. Yet when Rainbow was taken from her, it was as if that anchor had been dragged up from the earth, leaving Applejack adrift. And right in the middle of it was the vividly recalled last conversation with her.