“Wow, Ah’ve never been snorkelin’ ‘afore! It was so beautiful down there.” Applejack observed to her husband, who nodded in agreement.
They were finishing the second to last day of their honeymoon. The two weeks had passed too quickly, but nothing they saw while they were there could even compare to Applejack. Spectrum had never seen anything more beautiful than the mare tucked under his wing, the salt water was tangling her hair enough to give rarity a heart attack, but her green eyes were accented by the setting sun and her mane and tail perfectly complemented by the sand.
He kissed her lightly on the cheek, causing her to blush and snuggle up tighter. “Thanks, partner.” She whispered to him.
“No problem.”
The happy moment was interrupted by the slight rumble of Applejack’s stomach, deepening her blush, “Whoops, sounds like Ah’m hungry...” she observed.
“Haha, yeah, me too, meals here aren’t like back home. They taste good, but aren’t very filling.” He looked down at his watch, checking the time for his reservation. “Hmmm... Looks like we can’t really go to dinner for another hour...” He said, frowning.
“Ah saw a smoothie stand down the beach a little way, Wanna check it out?” she offered.
“Sure, sounds good to me.” And so, they set off down the beach.
As the stand came into view, Spectrum began to develop a strange feeling. “Sweetie?”
“Yeah, sugarcube? What is it?” she asked, sensing his discomfort.
“Do you recognize the mare at the counter?”
“No, Ah don’t think so...” she was racking her brain for the identity of the older mare.
“Does this look like her?” he asked, pulling a wrinkled old photo out and showing it to her. He had shown Applejack the picture before, it was a picture of Spectrum and his family just before he joined the Air Force; Rainbow was standing proudly on his back, her wings extended proudly, and their parents were standing behind her.
He was pointing at his mom, and staring intently at the mare at the smoothie stand. Looking between the picture and the pony at the stand, Applejack realized that, sure enough, it was the same mare.
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Sunny Dash was working the smoothie stand that she and her husband had started almost seven years ago. It was a nice little stand, and had actually started a chain of the fruity stands throughout the Domaneican Republic.
Her husband was in the back unloading a cart full of fresh fruit. He was the best. He had stayed by her, helped her, and encouraged her. Their children were gone, their son died and their daughter ran away, and he still stayed with her. They had searched together for a year before their private investigator told them the search was futile, and still he searched.
Finally they accepted the loss of their daughter and moved out of Cloudsdale, everything back in Equestria made them think of their lost children; and so, they moved. They moved to The Domaneican Republic, started a fruit stand, and a new life, ignoring everything
“S’cuse me miss.” A customer called, drawing her from her reflections.
“Oh, yes, how may I help you?” She said to the customer.
“Do ya have anythin’ with apples?” The customer was a pretty orange mare with a cute country accent, topped off by her Stetson and vibrant green eyes.
“We sure do, just a moment.” She responded with a smile, before gathering some of the supplies. She pulled an assortment of fruits from the fridge, some kiwis, bananas, oranges, and apples. They got their apples from Sweet Apple Acres, there was no orchard in the world that could compare to the Sweet Apple Acres’ apples.
“What would you like, Sweetie?”
“Apples, kiwi, and some banana, please.”
As Sunny began to work on the smoothie, the mare spoke up again, “So, have ya read Princess Celestia’s book?”
“Ah, no, I haven’t kept up on Equestrian news and happenings since my husband and I moved here, eight years ago.” She said, digging out the ice for the smoothie. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, it’s very revealin’, tellin’ all sorts of secrets n’ such.” The customer said.
“I have never been too into gossip.”
“Ah think ya’d like it.”
“Why is that?”
“Because,” a slightly scratchy male voice said. “I was one of the secrets.” Sunny knew that voice. It had been almost ten years since she had heard it. She turned around slowly and saw him.
Standing in front of her was her dead son.
His bright red coat, his deep blue eyes, his vibrant full-spectrum mane, and a kind expression painted across his face.
She blinked hard, there was no way on earth that he could be there. “Specs?... Is it really you?”
“Mmhmm.” He affirmed, “And I could ask you the same thing. Rainbow misses you as much as I did. She searched for you after Nightmare Moon’s return, and nopony in Cloudsdale knew where you went.”
“Rainbow’s alive too?” Tears were welling up in her eyes, and her voice was wavering.
“Yep, and she regrets running away, but I think you should come home with us,” he said, wrapping a wing around the pretty orange mare and pulling her in tight. “And talk to her yourself.”
Tears were now flowing freely down Sunny’s face, after all these years, she discovered that both of her children were alive. She couldn’t contain herself and she flapped her wings, boosting her over the counter and right into the hooves of her long-lost son.
Finally she was able to compose herself enough to call her husband, “Storm, Sweetie, get out here, you are going to want to see this.”
“What is it, Sunny?” A voice responded from the storeroom.
“Your son.” Spectrum spoke up, just as a dark grey pegasus stallion walked through the door.
The stallion looked up, seeing something he hadn’t thought he would ever see again. He saw his wife hugging his son. At the beautiful sight he broke down and cried, humbling himself to a point that he hadn’t been to in years. The older stallion joined his wife and son in a passionate embrace.
Spectrum shortly pushed his parents away, and gestured to the mare standing beside him. “Mom, Dad, this is Applejack, co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, Element of Honesty in the Elements of Harmony, and my wife.”
“Howdy.” She said, a bright red blush covering her cheeks.
“Hello.” Her in-laws both greeted cheerfully.
“Wait.” Storm Dash said, “Did you say that you owned Sweet Apple Acres, in Ponyville?”
“Ah, sure did.”
“Well, what a small world, that is where we get all of our apples from!” He exclaimed. “You are definitely welcome in our family.” He finished up with a smile.
“Speaking of welcoming into our family,” Spectrum said, sheepishly rubbing his neck, “Rainbow is engaged as well.”
The shock from that statement hung in the air for a few moments before Sunny responded, “Well, if you approve, then I am sure we will too. I am willing to accept anypony into our family that you are.” She finished with a smile.
“Well, I definitely approve, but he isn’t a pony, he is a griffon.” More shock silenced the elder ponies.
“A-a-a griffon?”
“Yes, but he is a great guy, running his own business in Ponyville, and he truly does love her.”
“Well, I guess that is alright, what do you think dear?”
“It’s alright with me I guess.” Storm said, then looking at his son, “If you approve, I approve.”
“Well, Ah’m glad we cleared that up,” Applejack said, cheerily. “So what do ya’ll think about comin’ back with us ta see yer Daughter and ‘er fiancé?”
“When do you two leave?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“I think we could make it.”
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Rainbow Dash had developed a new flight routine with T.C. and was so excited, that she couldn’t wait for Spec’s return. Today he and Applejack were coming home and they were going to be waiting for the train to pull in.
Eventually she fell asleep on his fluffy chest, and he fell asleep with his head hanging off the edge of the bench.
She awoke to someone calling her name.
“Rainbow? Why are you here?” It was Specs.
“Specs? Oh, I developed a routine with T.C. Here, and couldn’t wait to run it by you!”
“Rainbow, I think you should see something first.”
“Fine, but make it quick.” She relented.
“Uh, Rainbow...” A familiar, sweet, voice said to her right.
“Huh, who-... Mom?”