//------------------------------//
// Prompt #453-Not What She Expected 
// Story: Ponywatching 
// by ThunderTempest 
//------------------------------//

The road leading into Ponyville held a lot of memories for Rainbow Dash. It was here that she and Pinkie had planned some of their best pranks. It was here that Twilight had lead them out on adventures, against dragons, eldritch abominations, changelings and Trixie. And it was why she was walking it, rather than just flying in. Sure, just flying in and announcing her return would have been just like her, but Rainbow felt that this deserved a bit more weight than her usual dramatics. Shortly after her adventures at the Wonderbolts Academy, the elite flight team had sent her a letter, requesting her to not just be part of the group, but have assistant captain spot for their B-team. And Rainbow had accepted without a single look back. She still kinda felt bad about that.

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly the illustrious performances she had once dreamed of, but Rainbow had known that it was extremely unlikely that they’d put her straight into the A-team. Only four Wonderbolts in the entire history had gone straight into the A-team from recruiting, but it had just been a goal. Just being a Wonderbolt was good enough for now. She could transfer to the A-team after a few years of helping run the B-team. Years, hundreds of successful performances, and a legion of adoring fans later, Rainbow was the star of the Wonderbolts. And then she quit, so now she was here. Rainbow hated to admit it, but she was slowing down. Her wings couldn’t beat as fast as they used to, her body not quite as resistant to the intense G-forces of acrobatic flight as it once was.

So now, she was walking back into Ponyville, which had somehow more or less remained the same over the years. Upon arriving back in the town, Rainbow had been mobbed by a small army of young fillies and colts, mostly pegasi. But as she signed hats, posters and memorabilia, she didn’t catch a single glimpse of the ponies she had really come back for. Wonderbolts didn’t get mail like most ponies. Rather than have it delivered out to them on tour, they had a single address in Cloudsdale, which they checked only infrequently. Rainbow had not checked it for some time, being busy with constant practice and trying to improve her slowly failing body.


Once the younger fans had disappeared, a vaguely familiar pony came up to Rainbow Dash, hat pulled low.

“Howdy, RD.”

For a second, Rainbow thought it was Applejack. But the colouring was all wrong, even though this pony was wearing Applejack’s beat up hat.

“Apple Bloom?” said Rainbow. Apple Bloom tipped the hat back, revealing her freckled face, and a wide smile.

“Ah knew you’d come back here someday, Rainbow. How ‘bout a big welcome back pie over at Sweet Apple Acres?” It was hard for Rainbow to disguise her mouth watering at the memories of the delicious pie, and Apple Bloom laughed.

“Ah’ll take that as a yes, then. C’mon.”

*******

Sweet Apple Acres was much bigger than Rainbow remembered it being when she left. Probably Applejack’s doing, she had been talking about buying a few more acres a few months before Rainbow joined the Wonderbolts. As the ex-stunt flier sat in the kitchen, watching Apple Bloom prepare the family’s signature dessert, a thought tumbled out of her mouth.

“Hey, Apple Bloom, where’s AJ? Thought she would have been around here somewhere.”

Silence fell. Apple Bloom stopped cooking, and turned away. It was a moment before Rainbow recognised the heaving of Apple Bloom’s shoulders as crying.

“Applejack’s...not here no more. Neither is Big Mac.”

[Time]

“Apple Bloom,” said Rainbow, her voice barely a whisper, “What happened?”

“Ah expect yer wonderin’ where the rest of them friends o’ yours are too.” Apple Bloom’s voice was quiet and raw. “Twi and Rarity are both up in Canterlot-Twi ‘cause she’s a princess, and needed to be up there frequently, so it jest made sense for her to move up there. Rarity’s up there because it was her dream, and she’s sellin’ fancy dresses to all the fancy ponies. Pinkie Pie moved out shortly after you left for the Wonderbolts. Said somethin’ ‘bout parties bein’ better with more ponies, so she’s gone to Manehatten.”

“Apple Bloom, what happened to AJ?”

Apple Bloom swallowed, but continued on without turning around. “Nopony in town’s seen Fluttershy for years. Her house done got swallowed up by the Everfree in one of that Celestia-forsaken forests’ growth frenzies, and nopony likes goin’ near that danged forest. Zecora tells us that she’s fine whenever she’s in town, but it’s still the Everfree.”

“Apple Bloom, what happened to Applejack?” there was silence for a while between the two ponies.

“It’ll be easier if ah just show ya,” stated Apple Bloom, leaving the remnants of the pie in the making on the counter, Apple Bloom strode out of the house, never once checking to see if Rainbow was following her. Rainbow still did, and the two walked out to one of the orchard’s feilds, and Rainbow could feel her gut sinking with every step. Because when they stopped, they were in front of the small clearing where the Apple family buried their dead. Two of the grave stones were old, and were for Applejack’s parents. Rainbow had seen these before, once. The next was for Granny Smith. And then there was one emblazoned with Applejack’s cutie mark.

“Applejack’s dead, Rainbow.”