On Hearths Warming Eve, there was much celebration. Even though every pony waiting out a bomb shower. Starlight singing carols, Big Mac telling stories, Spike roasting Marsh mellows, the CMC drawing festive decorations on the walls with charcoal, it was pretty pleasant. The Cheerfulness was lost for a few moments after a really big bomb made the ground shutter. But after that was done things go back to the way it was. The bombs stop, almost on Que at midnight, Hearths Warming Day.
"Alright, every pony. Single file line out of the shelter! Be careful you don't step on anything, we have no hospital anymore!" Big Mac explains, half serious half joking.
The ponies laugh nervously as they follow the instructions of the farmer.
"That was fun, despite everything," he says, to no one in particular.
"Yeah, I had fun too," Spike says.
"I had fun!" Sweetie and Scootaloo say at the same time.
"Granny? Can we invite everyone to the farm for Hearths Warming? Please?" asks Apple Bloom.
"If there's a farm left, yes," Granny says.
So, Big Mac, Spike, the CMC, Starlight, and Granny all wait to get up from the shelter, and they are all taken aback by what they see. The reason they felt the earth shatter is because Town hall was bombed! Every pony's eyes go wide in surprise and shock. The most iconic and beloved building is now rubble. They cannot believe it.
Big Mac leads the ponies in the direction of the farm, careful not to step on anything that could be dangerous. "Oh my, I can't believe this is happening," he thinks. "And on Hearths Warming Day too," he adds. Big Mac looks back at every pony and knows that they are feeling the same way. He'd have to send a letter to Apple Jack explaining what happened. He thinks about Apple Jack and how this has always been her favorite holiday because it has always been about family. And he thinks of the day that the second letter from Apple Jack came. The enemy had taken their base from them and they had to find somewhere new to set up.
Spike walks in between Big Mac and Starlight. He makes a note about writing a letter to Twilight explaining what happened to Town Hall. He scratches his arm nub and thinks about what Twilight would say if she saw it. He never actually told Twilight about him losing half an arm, only that Starlight lost her horn and movement of her leg. He is sure she'd be shocked to see it, and ask him why she never heard about it. He knows the reason, because she would come back to Ponyville to take care of him, and even though he would have loved her back, he knows that Twilight is needed in battle and shouldn't come back even for him.
Big Mac leads the group to Sweet Apple Acres and they all sigh in relief that it is still in tact. There, in the mail box, there lay a letter. "It's from A.J!" Spike cheers, taking the letter out.
They all cheer in reply. Seconds after giving the letter to Granny, Spike burps up a letter in Twilight's writing. They all cheer to that as well!
They all walk into the house and sit on couches and the floor to read what the letters say,
This is Apple Jack.
By the time you read this it with be Hearths Warming Day! In that case, have a happy one! Can't talk now, I just want to tell you that I am safe and you don't have to worry about any of us. I hope all of y'all are safe!
Hello, Spike and Starlight.
I am writing to inform you that the yak army has fallen and as I you read this we are attacking the Griffon Army. Everything is Tartarus, here, guys! But we finally have surprise on our side! Many have died, and many will die still. But We are finally winning! I give Hearths Warming wishes to both of you and hope you're safe!
Sweetie Belle looks around at every pony's stunned faces and is positive the same face is on her's right now. Yak army defeated? Griffon army being attacked? Is Rarity Okay? How long will the war be?
Apple Bloom is dumbfounded. The news they just received is shocking. Is Apple Jack okay? Is she hurt?
Big Mac's head races. He's glad Apple Jack is okay, but... the Yaks are down? How long did it take? How did they do it? After a year and four months will they finally be coming home?
Spike can't believe it. He rereads the letter over and over in his head. He hopes she is alright. How did they defeat the Yaks? Sure they were the smallest army according to Twilight, but they were the strongest too!
The fact that Rainbow Dash could be in more danger than ever at this point scares Scootaloo. The looks around the room and locks eyes with Sweetie Belle. Is this even real? Will they be able to come home? She hopes so.
The rest of the day every pony stays on the farm and visits and eats meals, saying as there is no money for gifts. At the end of the day, Starlight and Spike offer to walk Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle home. Since the orphanage is closer, they go there first. Every pony walks in and sees that the foals are all still celebrating Hearths Warming. "Hey, guys!" Scootaloo says, as every pony else leaves for Sweetie Belle's home.
"Oh! You're home!" Sunny Smiles says, in a tone of voice Scootaloo hasn't heard since Rainbow told her about leaving for the war.
"Sunny? What's going on?"
"A letter came a few hours ago when you were with your friends..."
Her heart sinks. Sunny isn't happy, does that mean what I think it means?
"It's Rainbow Dash... she...."
Scootaloo doesn't want to hear the rest of that sentence, but knows she has to.
"She was attacked by a Yak soldier last Friday... she's dead, Scootaloo..."
Scootaloo drops to the floor and blacks out. She has no control of anything anymore. Scootaloo goes blank.
Day's later, and she is still in her room. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Spike, Big Mac, and every pony else has visited her and gave her their condolences, but nothing they said has made her feel any better. Rainbow Dash is dead. It feels like her life is over. Completely demolished by the fact she will never hear or see her idol ever again.
What is she supposed to do now that Rainbow isn't with her? How come it was her who died!? Why'd it have to be her!?
Scootaloo barely sleeps, doesn't eat, she doesn't feel sun light, or see the stars, all she thinks about is Rainbow Dash. And how lost she is without her. Never before has Scootaloo felt this lost, this empty, this afraid. She never met her parents and she's always lived in the orphanage so she has never felt the love from her parents only Rainbow Dash. And. Now. She's. Gone.
Scootaloo can't accept it. She thinks about how she could have died, and thinks about it over and over, each time is cooler and cooler. "She's just, gone..." Scootaloo thinks. "Rainbow Dash is gone," she whispers.
I don't believe this. I can't believe this! She's gone, but I can't picture it in my mind... "Celestia WHY??" she screams and Sunny Smiles comes racing into her room and bursts through the door.
"Scootaloo!? Is everything okay!?" she says, stunned and panicked.
"No! Rainbow Dash is dead! NOTHING is okay anymore!"
Sunny looks at the filly's glaring and tear ruined face in pity. "Oh, Scootaloo..." she says with a sigh.
After hearing about Rainbow Dash, all Big Mac can think about is Apple Jack. Is Apple Jack alive? Is she dead? When will the letter come saying that she died? Should he start writing? Asking the army to send her home? Should it matter if it does?
Big Mac is hurt and confused. Rainbow Dash was a close friend of his sister's and of Scootaloo. Now she's gone. Never to step foot on the earth again. Never to fly and make a rainboom ever again. She's just gone... It is an impossible concept but it's very real. She is dead, and there is nothing any pony can do about it.