Remembrance

by cooopercrisp

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Sad, Applejack
Length: 5323

Rainbow Dash deals with a loss that has stricken her deeply.

As the summer days roll on, Rainbow Dash cannot forget a loss that has stricken her deeply. Memories of the past haunt her and give way to misgivings about her own life. Can she conquer her demons and learn to move on after being struck by unimaginable tragedy?

Published 2013-01-01 02:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-01 02:20:01 UTC

Remembrance

Remembrance

Celestia’s sun was radiating its warm rays across the land of Equestria on this summer’s day. In the quaint village of Ponyville, foals, free from the responsibilities of school, were playing outside without a care in the world. The flowers that had bloomed in the spring basked in the warmth of the sun, bright shades of reds and yellows dotting the grassy landscape of the hills just outside of Ponyville. Also on the outskirts of Ponyville floated an elaborately shaped cloud that housed one of Equestria’s fastest pegasi.

Rainbow Dash sat in a kitchen chair, staring blankly at a wall, trying not to move. She was trying to keep her thoughts still as well, but inevitably they wandered back to her. Rainbow Dash still couldn’t decide if she wanted to forget her or sit and daydream about her for hours. Her brain, however, had apparently done the deciding for her.

***

The orange Earth pony called up to her as she was flying overhead. Rainbow Dash smiled and eagerly dove down, happy for an excuse to talk to Applejack. Maybe this time she would notice the way she looked at her, how she laughed hysterically at all of her jokes, or how she always tried to stand close to her. But Applejack had failed to notice these things before, or if she did notice, she didn’t seem willing to do anything about it. Still, Rainbow Dash held hope as she landed next to Applejack, her face flushed from the exertion of the dive and also because of the pony who had called her.

Applejack cleared her throat. For some reason, her eyes were darting every which way, as if she didn’t dare look at Rainbow Dash. Was it a sign? Rainbow Dash couldn’t be sure.

“Well, howdy, RD,” Applejack said.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Um…fancy weather we’re havin’, ain’t it.”

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Rainbow Dash said with a smug look on her face.

“And why should ah be thankin’ you?” Applejack asked.

“Because if it weren’t for me,” Rainbow Dash boasted, “Ponyville would have been flooded by a monsoon today. I convinced the pegasi in charge to postpone it until next week, so don’t say I never gave you fair warning.”

“Oh, well then,” Applejack stammered, chuckling, “much obliged.”

“No problem,” Rainbow Dash said. “Now, you called me for something…?”

“Oh, uh, right, heh heh…” Applejack stuttered. Her eyes darted about even more, and it was hard to tell, but Rainbow Dash thought she could see Applejack’s cheeks beginning to redden. “Well, ah was meanin’ to ask you somethin’. Been thinkin’ about it fer a mighty long time now, but ah never found the courage to bring it up. But now that you’re here and ah’ve convinced mahself to go for it, here goes nothin’…” At Applejack’s words, Rainbow Dash’s stomach started to scramble and she could feel her heart pumping faster. This couldn’t be what she thought it was…could it?

“Ah was wonderin’ if you wanted to go out with me,” Applejack said, and then winced, as she was afraid to see the look on Rainbow Dash’s face. Rainbow Dash’s eyes were wide open, and she seemed to have lost control of her lower jaw, as it was hanging open. Applejack’s cheeks were bright red now, there was no denying it, but as the silence ensued she opened her eyes to gauge Rainbow Dash’s reaction. Applejack frowned when she saw the look of shock on Rainbow Dash’s face, and she traced circles in the dirt path with her hoof.

“Ah didn’t mean to catch you off guard like that,” Applejack said with a sigh. “Maybe you should forget I asked…” Something about the tone of Applejack’s voice snapped Rainbow Dash back to reality. Here she was, her opportunity falling right into her lap, and she couldn’t do more than stare blankly ahead? It was time for action.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Well, ah didn’t think ah ever would either, but somethin’ was tellin’ me it was a good idea, but ah clearly scared ya so…”

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked. “No, no way! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” Applejack smiled.

“Ya mean you’ll say yes?” Applejack asked, as giddy as a filly on Hearth’s Warming Eve.

“Well, duh. Of course I will!” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, you don’t know how happy that makes me feel! Oh, ah could just kiss ya…but ah don’t wanna move too fast or nothin’, so ah guess ah’ll wait…” Rainbow Dash laughed, her face beaming with a smile to rival Pinkie Pie’s.

***

Rainbow Dash let out a large sigh as she continued to stare blankly at the wall. That had been a good day, but that day was long gone, just as lost as every other mundane day in her life. That’s the way life is, she thought. You go through a day and then it’s over, it’s gone, it’s not coming back. So why dwell in the past?

Rainbow Dash looked up and saw her pet turtle slowly enter the room. Rainbow Dash sighed as she walked Tank crawl slowly by.

“How do you even get anywhere?” Rainbow Dash asked her turtle, knowing full well that Tank couldn’t respond. However, the turtle turned when he heard her voice and looked at her inquisitively, tilting his head to the side.

“Don’t just stand there looking at me,” Rainbow Dash said. “You need to get back to walking or you’ll never get to wherever it is you’re going. No use just sitting around.” And here I am, sitting around. I should probably be following my own advice.

Just as she thought that, Rainbow Dash felt an itch in her wings, a telltale sign that she needed to fly. Without giving the matter any more thought, she rose from her seat and leapt out the window, which was little more than a hole in the cloud. She let her body fall through the air which whipped up and sent a chill through her. Then, just before she hit the ground, her wings shot open and she lifted her body back into the air. She rose higher and higher into the sky, flapping to keep her speed up against the relentless pull of gravity. There was not a single cloud in the bright blue sky, so Rainbow Dash had no way to gauge just how high she was.

She looked down and could see all of Ponyville below her. The Everfree Forest sprawled out from the outskirts of the village. Rainbow Dash looked back up into the sky and flapped her wings faster to gain more altitude. She was having a hard time breathing the thin air, so she started to huff as she continued soaring upward. When she felt like she had finally climbed enough, she stopped flapping her wings and let herself free fall. She dove nose downward and felt tears start to stream as she picked up speed during the descent. Already she could feel the air begin to form a cone around her; it was starting to build up pressure. Rainbow Dash continued to dive, her heart racing as adrenaline coursed through her veins. She could feel the cone around her tighten, and if she continued to dive like this she knew she would burst through and unleash a Sonic Rainboom. Before she could do that, though, Rainbow Dash pulled up, thus releasing the cone of air and sending her on a glide parallel to the ground.

She could have easily pulled off the Sonic Rainboom; she had given herself more than enough altitude to do so. But something had told her that this wasn’t the appropriate time. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself right now. Rainbow Dash just glided at a coasting speed, occasionally flapping her wings to maintain her altitude, but now she was essentially on auto-pilot. With little to distract her, just as before, her thoughts wandered back to her.

***

It had been rather awkward, but Applejack had insisted they try it, so who was Rainbow Dash to deny her? Applejack was laying atop Rainbow Dash’s back, her hooves hanging limply in the air. Rainbow Dash crouched down, ready to take off of the ground. She then turned her head back to Applejack, smiling at her devilishly.

“You might want to wrap your hooves around my neck and hold on tight. I’m not going to hold back.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Applejack said, smiling as she wrapped her front hooves around Rainbow Dash’s neck.

“Just make sure you don’t strangle me,” Rainbow Dash said. Without warning, Rainbow Dash launched off the ground like a rocket, climbing higher and higher into the air.

“Whoa Nelly!” Applejack called out as she looked down at the ground as they climbed further and further away from it. Her heart was pounding and she held firm to Rainbow Dash, praying to Celestia that she wouldn’t fall.

“Don’t worry,” Rainbow Dash had told her when they had first discussed the idea. “If you fall, I’ll be right behind to catch you. I won’t let you die.”

That better stay true, Applejack thought as they continued to climb. Applejack peeled her eyes away from the ground.

“How far up are we goin’?” Applejack called. The air whipping past them as they rose was so loud that her loudest yelling was barely audible.

“We’re going to breach the cloud level!” Rainbow Dash yelled in response.

“What?” Applejack asked.

“I said we’re going to breach the cloud level!”

“Oh,” Applejack said. She looked up at the clouds, to which they were gradually climbing. Just as they had passed through the cloud above them, Rainbow Dash leveled off and started to fly forward. The sudden shift sent Applejack off balance and she tightened her hold on Rainbow Dash to keep from falling off her back.

“Not so tight, AJ,” Rainbow Dash croaked.

“Sorry,” Applejack said, loosening her hold now that she was more stable. She looked around at the clouds around her. They towered above them, almost as if they were in a forest of fluffy white trees. Occasionally, they would pass through a cloud, and cold water would gather on Applejack’s coat, making her shiver. This didn’t seem to bother Rainbow Dash, though, as she was used to flying up this high.

“Wish we could touch down and land on one of these things,” Rainbow Dash said, “but we forgot to ask Twilight to cast that cloud-walking spell on you.”

“Don’t fret about it,” Applejack said.

“So what do you think?” Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack wasn’t sure how to answer. She had never been this high up in the sky before. Even Cloudsdale had been much closer to ground level. She took another look at the clouds towering above them and smiled.

“This is beautiful,” she said.

***

Rainbow Dash nearly flew into a few birds, which snapped her back to the present. Realizing she hadn’t been paying any attention at all to her flying, she started to dive back down to ground level. Using the massive expanse of the Everfree Forest as her guide, Rainbow Dash made her way back to Ponyville. She suddenly felt like it wasn’t a good idea to be alone.

She thought about heading to Sweet Apple Acres, but hesitated and chose instead to fly in the direction of the village proper. She would take a stroll through the village and see who she could run into.

She touched down just outside of the village and walked towards it, aiming for town hall. Ponyville was bustling today in preparation of the Summer Sun Celebration, so there were ponies everywhere putting up decorations. A few ponies smiled and waved to her as she passed by. They tried to offer their condolences, but all Rainbow Dash did was wave as she kept moving. She was hoping to find a face a little more familiar so she could find a release for the thoughts that were weighing on her.

She just so happened to find Twilight Sparkle walking through the town square, using her magic to carry a large scroll. Remembering that Twilight was in charge of organizing the celebration, Rainbow Dash decided to let her take care of business, but Twilight looked up and caught sight of her just as she was turning away.

“Rainbow Dash, wait up!” Twilight called as she ran over to her.

“Oh, hi, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said. “I didn’t want to interrupt your work. You looked pretty busy.”

“I’m never too busy for my friends, especially now,” Twilight said, looking off into the distance.

“Don’t remind me,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about since she…you know…”

“I know,” Twilight said, and tears started to form in her eyes.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“It’s not you,” Twilight said, sniffling and trying to keep the tears from falling down her cheeks. “It still feels like just yesterday you came and told me the news.”

“It was only two weeks ago,” Rainbow Dash said. “That’s not a very long time.”

“It’s been the longest two weeks of my life,” Twilight said. “I just didn’t think we’d have to worry about this so soon. I mean, what if it’s Rarity next, or Pinkie Pie? What if I—?”

“Don’t even think about that,” Rainbow Dash said, now fighting back her own tears. “Let’s not even go there.”

“Oh, listen to me blubber,” Twilight said. “This has to be much harder on you than it is for me. I should be the one comforting you.”

“It’s hard for all of us,” Rainbow Dash said. “You know Pinkie’s mane has been hanging straight down ever since I told her. We’re all feeling it.”

“Did I ever tell you how touching your eulogy was?” Twilight asked.

“You helped me write it,” Rainbow Dash replied.

***

“I almost didn’t do this,” Rainbow Dash said to the ponies that had gathered in the square. She was standing at a podium just outside town hall, addressing the ponies that had come to say goodbye to Applejack. Towards the front sat all the members of the Apple family, who were numerous enough to fill the first three rows. Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh were front and center, within Rainbow Dash’s line of sight. They were all crying into handkerchiefs. Rainbow Dash tried not to look at them, because their pain reminded her of her own.

Rainbow Dash was standing quite close to the coffin, which thankfully was closed. She didn’t think she could bear looking at her.

“I had a long discussion with the members of Applejack’s family, insisting that one of them give this eulogy. But Apple Bloom is too young, Granny Smith too distraught, and Big Mac too…not very good with words.” There was some polite chuckling.

“So they asked me to deliver this eulogy, and even though I’m not so great with words either,” there was some more chuckling, “I will do it.” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat.

“What is there to say about Applejack? Sure, she represented the Element of Honesty, but she was so much more than that. She was loyal to her family and friends, always ready to lend a helping hoof, sometimes to her own detriment. She was a kind, friendly pony who treated strangers as well as she would treat her own family. She was generous to everypony she met, although she had a penchant for business as well. She may not have given away apples or apple cider for free, but she put all of her love and care into her products, and the quality showed, as the Flim Flam brothers can attest. She had a big sense of humor, and could cut the air with sarcasm, perfect for cheering up everypony. And yes, there was something special about her that can’t quite be put into words, a magical quality that made her truly shine.

“I remember when I first came into Ponyville after dropping out of flight school. Coming from Cloudsdale, you could say I was a city slicker. So when I first met Applejack, I wrote her off as some old farmhand who wasn’t worth my time. That turned out to be a big mistake. Even though I was cold to her when we first met, she came by my house with all the apple treats a pony could ever want. As much as I hate to admit it, she won me over with food, but after I learned not to write off anypony who’s different from you, I got to learn about Applejack in so many ways.

“When Twilight Sparkle first came to Ponyville and told us who Nightmare Moon was, Applejack was the one who led the charge in helping Twilight defeat her. I hate to admit it, but after Twilight told me how powerful Nightmare Moon was, I was more than willing to let her face Nightmare Moon on her own. But Applejack refused to let her go alone, and she taught me a powerful lesson about sticking by your friends no matter what.

“Applejack always had a competitive nature about her. She loved to win almost as much as I do. I remember the Running of the Leaves and how bitterly we fought each other to win that race. Well, as everyone from Ponyville can remember, we tied for last in that race. So that story shows that Applejack was competitive to a fault, but even though that day we were bitter rivals, we became closer friends because of it.

“Now, trust me when I say that I’ve never met somepony more stubborn or more determined than Applejack. The year she decided to buck all of the trees at Sweet Apple Acres, she became so tuckered out that whenever she tried to help her friends, her ‘help’ ended up leading to disaster. It sent me careening through the air, sickened a lot of ponies because of a bad batch of muffins, and caused a stampede that damaged the gardens of Ponyville. But even when Applejack had flaws, she always learned her lesson humbly and took it all in stride.

“Applejack held a lot of things dear to her, but nothing was more important to her than family.” At this, Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at the other Apples, many of whom were crying openly. Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her eye and continued.

“I became very close to Applejack when I started dating her, and I got a glimpse of what it was like to be in her family. It was about sticking together through thick and thin and catching somepony when they fell. It was about working double time when somepony else was sick and couldn’t pull their load. It was about sharing laughter at the dinner table eating the most delicious food.

“It’s moments like those that showed me who Applejack really was, and these moments I won’t soon forget. As we mourn the loss of a great pony, I want everypony to remember the good times they had with Applejack, the times where she helped you out, comforted you when you were sad, rooted you on. I think Applejack would want us to cherish each other, help each other out, and live their lives with care and compassion. To do any less would be an insult to her memory. Um, thank you.” There was applause as Rainbow Dash stepped down from the stage, exhausted and relieved that she had done it.

***

“I know I helped you write it,” Twilight said, “but you delivered it and you did an amazing job.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash said. “And thank you for helping the Apple family organize the funeral. I can tell you that it meant a lot to them.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said. “Well, I’ve got to get going. The Summer Sun Celebration won’t organize itself! Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Me? I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” Twilight looked carefully into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. She bit her lower lip nervously.

“All right,” she said. “If you need me, head to the library. If I’m not there, Spike will be sure to let me know you stopped by.”

“Okay. Thanks Twilight.”

“You’re welcome. Take care.” With that, Twilight returned to her checklist, making sure that everypony in Ponyville was doing their part to help the Summer Sun Celebration.

Rainbow Dash’s job was already done; there was not a cloud in the sky. She was wondering what she would do now. Talking to Twilight hadn’t seemed to make any difference in the way she was feeling. She wandered aimlessly through Ponyville, losing herself in her train of thought once again.

***

They were lying on a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville, watching the sun set. The two of them were laughing at a story Rainbow Dash had just told about the weather ponies in Ponyville. The sky above them was a lucid pink that even Rainbow Dash, who normally didn’t like the color, thought was beautiful. Once their laughter had finally settled down, the two laid there quietly, watching the sun set in bright shades of red, orange, and yellow.

“Ah had a really nice time with you today,” Applejack said.

“Me too,” Rainbow Dash said. Applejack scooted closer. Rainbow Dash pretended not to notice.

“What do you think…about us?” Applejack asked.

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash said.

“Like…what are we?”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash said. “Well…what do you want to be?”

“Ah really like you,” Applejack said. “If ya don’t mind, ah want to be your marefriend.”

“You know what?” Rainbow Dash said. “I want that, too. But what kind of marefriends are we? We haven’t even kissed yet.”

“Oh. Well, we can fix that.”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash said. “Wait, you mean now?”

“Why not?” Applejack asked.

“Shouldn’t it be more…spontaneous?” Rainbow Dash asked in response.

“Who cares?” Applejack asked. “There’ll be plenty of time for spontaneity later.”

“I guess you’re right.” Rainbow Dash said and she lifted herself to an upright position.

“Oh, you can stay down on the grass,” Applejack said. “Let me come to you…” Rainbow Dash lay back down on the grass. Applejack moved close, her hind legs in between Rainbow Dash’s, which were splayed out on the grass. Applejack’s front legs stood on either side of Rainbow Dash’s prostrate form. Without a word, Applejack lowered her body on top of Rainbow Dash’s and pressed her mouth against hers.

Rainbow Dash knew immediately that this was right; the feeling coursing through her was electric, even better than flying. As they settled into a deeper kiss, Applejack began exploring Rainbow Dash’s mouth. Rainbow Dash responded by wrapping her front legs around Applejack and pulling her down further. The Stetson almost fell off Applejack’s head at the sudden motion. The two of them lay there for what seemed like an eternity, until the sun gave way to the dark night, but time was nothing to them now.

***

Rainbow Dash had been ignoring all of the ponies offering their condolences to her. She looked around at the bustling village and felt lost in a sea of ponies. Ponyville’s Summer Sun Celebration was the biggest around, so there were a lot of ponies from out of town amidst those who called this village home. Even they had heard about Applejack and had been offering kind words to Rainbow Dash, but the blue pegasus had shut everypony out.

Feeling a sense of dread that weighed her down, Rainbow Dash suddenly wanted to be at home again. Without warning, she took off of the ground, rocketing away from Bon Bon and Lyra, who looked like they had been about to give her a bouquet of flowers. The hustle and bustle of the crowd immediately died down as Rainbow Dash rocketed up into the air, headed for home. She made a point to focus on her flying as she soared through the air this time.

From her vantage point in the air, she could see the expanse of Sweet Apple Acres below, though she was flying away from it. A stray thought told her to visit the farm, but again Rainbow Dash chose to ignore it. When she arrived at her house and stepped inside, she wandered into the living room and lied down on the couch.

***

“Ah’m sorry ah’m so nervous,” Applejack said, “but ah’ve never done this before and ah’m a little scared.”

“A little scared?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You’re practically shaking!”

“Aren’t you nervous, too?” Applejack asked.

“Not as much as you, but I am. I’ve never done this before either.”

“But you kept sayin’ you were hot stuff back in flight school. Fluttershy even told me so.”

“I can get Fluttershy to say anything,” Rainbow Dash explained. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Ah figured if you were so popular that you’d be a little…ah don’t know…experienced.”

“That’s a pretty big assumption to make,” Rainbow Dash said. “But I see where you’re coming from. No, there were guys that thought I was hot stuff, but I was so focused on flying that I never gave them a chance. You, however…you’re different.”

“Ah am?”

“Of course you are. So yeah, I’m a little nervous, but I’m not going to let that stop me. Are you?”

“O’ course not!” Applejack objected. “Ah just figured ah’d let you know in case ah let you down because ah wasn’t sexy enough…” At this, Rainbow Dash leaned closer to Applejack and gave her a passionate kiss. They were lying in Applejack’s bed, and the Apple family had made an unspoken agreement with them to give them privacy. Rainbow Dash was grateful for the chance to comfort Applejack and explore this exciting new frontier with her without interruption.

“Applejack,” Rainbow Dash said, breaking the kiss, “if you weren’t sexy enough, I wouldn’t be here right now, ready to do the deed with you. Now, are you going to let this happen or not?”

“After you,” Applejack said slyly, and Rainbow Dash did not hesitate to climb on top of her and kiss her deeply. In the light of the setting sun, the two ponies rustled the sheets as they laid together, pleasuring each other and stifling their cries of ecstasy. When all was said and done, the two of them laid next to each other, sweat trickling down their faces, trying to catch their breath.

“That was awesome,” Rainbow Dash said with a smile. “You were great, Applejack.”

“Ah reckon you were better,” Applejack said.

“No, I think you were pretty good,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Let’s just say we were both good,” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash laughed, and Applejack chuckled along with her. Rainbow Dash wrapped a hoof around Applejack and pulled her close.

“I love you, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash whispered, taking a deep breath and exhaling softly. She looked down into Applejack’s eyes and saw that they were beaming.

“Ah love you too, Rainbow Dash.”

***

Rainbow Dash couldn’t remember when she started bawling, but all of a sudden she had totally lost all of her composure. This was the first time that Applejack’s death had really affected her. She had been so strong for everypony else, offering a shoulder for Fluttershy to cry on, working with Twilight on the eulogy, attempting to console a grieving Pinkie Pie, but little did Rainbow Dash think that she would lose control like this. But once she started crying, she found it difficult to stop. Each time it seemed the crying would end, another memory popped into her head and the tears would start anew.

Rainbow Dash finally arose from the couch, still teary-eyed, and trotted outside, still standing on her cloud that was high off of the ground. A fall from this height would kill her, but Rainbow Dash was starting to consider if she wouldn’t be better off dying now and reuniting with her lover. She started bawling as she gazed over the void.

You can’t do this! she thought to herself. You still have friends that care deeply about you.

But what does any of that mean without Applejack? Rainbow Dash asked. She became my whole world.

What do you think Applejack would say to you if she could see what you’re about to do?

If Applejack were still here, I wouldn’t have to do anything.

That’s not the point and you know it. You know Applejack would tell you there’s more to life than this misery and grief, that there’s still an entire world to explore, new foods to taste, new sights to see, and new friends to make. Are you really willing to give that all up chasing after a ghost?

But…

What would Pinkie Pie think if another one of her friends died? She’s already unstable enough as it is; she might even be tempted to follow suit and leave the Elements of Harmony cleaved in half. What about Fluttershy, who’s been your friend since you were both just starting to fly? How would Rarity and Twilight feel if one of their most loyal friends betrayed them by jumping into the void? You can’t kill yourself now, you just can’t.

You’re right, Rainbow Dash said to herself. But what should I do?

Go to the one place you’ve been avoiding all this time. They’re there to comfort you, Rainbow Dash, and they need to be comforted as well. Go to them.

At this, Rainbow Dash leapt off of the cloud and started to fall. She pulled up just before hitting the ground and flew towards Sweet Apple Acres, using the large expanse of apple trees as her guide. She landed just outside of the farmhouse and knocked on the door. A red-eyed Apple Bloom answered it, looking up at Rainbow Dash and smiling sadly.

“Come on in,” she said with a hollow voice, and she led Rainbow Dash into the living room where Big Mac and Granny Smith were sitting.

“What’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked, trying not to cry again.

“We found our darlin’ Applejack’s very first Stetson,” Granny Smith said. “Big Mac saw it hangin’ up in the cellar.”

“How do you know it’s her first one?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s slightly burnt on the fringes from the time Applejack first tried to bake an apple pie by herself,” Granny Smith explained. “Ah remember it clear as day, the smoke comin’ out of that oven. If Big Mac hadn’t thought quickly and threw a bucket o’ water at it, we may have been out of a farmhouse.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with a sniffle.

“Now what brings you here, sugar?” Granny Smith asked. “We haven’t seen you since you delivered that there eulogy. Have you been avoidin’ us?”

“Not at all,” Rainbow Dash protested, but under the gaze of Granny Smith she sighed, hanging her head. “I mean, yes. I guess I just didn’t want to be reminded of Applejack so much, so I decided to avoid her family.”

“But we’re your family too, Rainbow Dash,” Big Mac said, sniffling again. “We all miss Applejack so much, but if we’re together, it makes the pain a little easier.”

“I guess you’re right,” Rainbow Dash said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “You know, I was in a pretty dark place today, but I convinced myself to come here instead, and I think I made the right decision.”

“Don’t you go doin’ dark things now,” Granny Smith said. “Applejack wouldn’t have wanted that.”

“You’re right,” Rainbow Dash said. “She wouldn’t.”

Author's Note

This was written after being inspired by an AppleDash writing contest. I don't expect to win anything, but I thought this would be a great idea to write about. I hope it's as original as I intended it to be.