> Too Early, Too Late
>  by Inkarus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> At the Studio
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Painting alone never used to bother Prairie Fire. A white canvas riddled with splashes of color and texture stared at him, dripping ever-so-slightly. The last few months, however, he had been trying something new, and it was starting to make him anxious; How did he know what was right and what was rubbish? He held a brush using his horn, pausing momentarily. I think it's good. Is it good? Is it okay? I think it's stupid. It's horrible. Oh Celestia, what am I THINKING? This is awful! He threw the paintbrush at the wall, splattering it with blue paint, and turned his attention back to the unfinished art piece, preparing to suffer it the same fate, when-

DING!

The bell fixed over the front door rang. A graceful white pony stepped through, saddlepurses over her flank as she pranced into the shop. Rarity. A long time customer. He sighed, defeated, and let go of the canvas he had nearly destroyed. He resisted the urge to shoot it a dirty look, one that said "This isn't over!" and instead, stepped through a purple curtain seperating his home interior and studio from the shop entrance.

"Rarity, what brings such a lovely filly to my humble shop?" A crooked smile forced its way onto his lips, as he attempted to shed his earlier frustration and panic. As expected, she gave a girlish titter and modestly denied his compliment. He didn't miss how she preened as she spoke, however.

" Oh Prairie, darling, I've come to look for a lovely addition to my front room. The decor simply MUST be reinvigorated for the season; Spring is about, and winter must be wrapped up in all facets; Ponies don't look backward, they look FORward! And who else could I come to but Ponyville's finest painter?"

His crooked grin faded a bit, coming to a tired smile instead. "You are too kind, Rarity. But I think I have just what you're looking for."

He turned to a section of the small store that had six bright landscape paintings; With big, swirling brushstrokes, they showed various seasonal images; One showed a spray of cherry blossom trees, one had a regal looking pony with a red ribbon in her hair, sitting in what appeared to be Sweet Apple Orchard, facing away from the viewer, and looking oh-so-mysterious and ladylike, another showed the ocean just before nightfall in warm, muted tones, the big dotted shapes gracing the white surface of the huge orb, and so on. 

Rarity made a pleased squeal and rushed forward to look closer at a few of them, especially the one featuring a pony, entitled "Seeds of Time." The title was on the back, however, else Rarity would have drilled him with questions about the meaning. Instead, she was just happy to trill over his "talent and vision." He stood at her back, staring expressionlessly at the painting even as she complimented him.

"I simply CANNOT see how anypony can paint; I've tried my hoof at it and, well, I won't give you details but I can leave it at this; It was NOT a pretty sight-" She turned to him as she spoke, and was greeted with a smile and clear eyes. Prairie was good at faking. "-but that's not important, what IS important is that I am buying this painting! How much?"

Free. Take it and never let me see that awful thing ever again. In fact, burn it. "One hundred fifty bits."

"Sold! Honestly dear, not that I'm complaining, but I sincerely hope this is some sort of discount you've given me over the past few years. If not, you're quite undervaluing these absolute MASTERPIECES! Society values those who value themselves, after all!" She was still chattering as she followed him to the register, floating the bits over to him, blissfully lost in her own conversation that she was having practically by herself.

Prairie didn't pay attention, mentally still behind the curtain, trying to figure out what had gone so terribly wrong with his recent piece. He passed the painting to her from his magic to hers, and they parted ways; At least, so Prairie Fire assumed. But just before he reached the blissful privacy of his hellish studio, that twittering, feminine voice shot out again. 
His short, spiky green mane seemed somehow frazzled as he turned around to face her, trying to hide his exasperation.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I nearly forgot to mention, darling, but Pinkie Pie is extending an invitation to you for her Spring has Sprung celebration tonight at Sugarcube corner. And I don't mean to push, but... It's not generally an advisable practice to decline attendance to a Pinkie party."

She was right. Prairie slowed his retreat into the back of the store, thinking. Maybe getting away from his art for awhile would allow him to come back with a refreshed perspective? That seemed like a good idea. Being invited to a Pinkie party was an experience he had ever had before, so it seemed that he would be left alone; Nobody there would bother him too much. But he could soak in the social atmosphere, have a few drinks, relax a little, come back home and have a fresh perspective. 

You can't go to parties. That's for normal ponies.

He frowned. How could that be if PINKIE was throwing the party? "Normal" and "Pinkie" didn't belong in the same sentence, much less the same party. His troubling thoughts were interrupted as the bell jingled, marking Rarity's exit. He watched her leave with her regal confidence, and made up his mind. He would go.

> A Party for All
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He left early from his home to Pinkie's party, but somehow, ended up getting there late. Everypony was already well into a good drunk on some of Applejack's special cider. Certainly, this was not a party for little fillies. His limegreen coat seemed almost fluorescent in the lonely evening outside, but faded into a pale yellow when in the presence of the mares and stallions of the town. 

The party was in full swing; Everypony was on that sweet balance between too drunk to keep the party lively, or too sober to be really silly and ridiculous. Prairie took a few shy steps in, not sure about entering, when a blast of confetti blew in from behind, thrusting him in the middle of the party. As soon as he could regain his balance, he recoiled into a stiff, frozen pose.

"HIYA PRAIRIE! Fashionably late just like Rarity, huh? You artists are a crazy bunch!"

A pink blur was flying in what seemed like every direction he looked, and finally came to a halt in front of him. Pinkie motherbucking Pie.

"Heya Pinkie..." His eyes darted around the party, trying to take everything in, but of course his vision was blocked by the over-eager, beaming face.

"Want some punch?" Before he could answer, she was already dragging him to the refreshment table. "I know you don't drink, cause you said you get all yucky, so I made some punch for you and Fluttershy! Ooh, do you know Fluttershy? She's a nice pony that lives near the scary forest! She takes care of animals, and I guess that's why she lives near the forest, so she can get the animals from the forest and take care of them, but the Everfree is so scary, I don't know why the biggest scaredy-pony in Ponyville lives near the scariest place in Ponyville, well, maybe not THE shyest pony, maybe Big Macintosh is shyer, or, GASSP! Maybe YOU'RE the shyest pony in ponyville! Oooh, we should have a contest! You three should be friends! Do you have friends, Prairie Fire?"

Prairie Fire was mesmerized by how many words Pinkie had just said; How did she talk so bucking fast? He had never been the direct object of her conversation before. It took him a moment to recover from the barrage of words, and after a sip of punch from a cup he hadn't even realized she'd poured for him, he finally gathered a reply.

" Not really. I don't have any friends."

Meeting Pinkie's eyes, he realized he had suddenly opened a can of worms he wasn't sure he could close. The sudden silence was disconcerting.

"Don't. Have. Friends?" The pink pony actually took a step back to gawk at him. "No friends?" Suddenly, the biggest grin slowly overtook her features. "Oh Prairie?"

"Uh, yes Pinkie?"

"It's time. To. Party."

And then they were across the room. Prairie and Applejack suddenly found, to their surprise, that they were shaking hooves, and gave a polite, forced greeting to each other(They had already met, and had left on rather 'awkward' terms the last time they'd encountered), but then Prairie was off again, dragged by Pinkie, and then he was shaking hooves with Lyra and Bonbon, and then Rarity ("Uhm, nice to meet you, Rarity, again?" "Er, likewise, Prairie Fire, dear...?") and then Pinkie dragged him to Fluttershy, but Fluttershy fled out of shyness, so she dragged him to Cheerilee, who brightened up upon seeing Prairie Fire, who she'd known in her fillyhood, and then immediately turned to dread upon seeing Pinkie, who had been causing destruction for her for years. 

Soon, Prairie had shaken hooves with everypony in the party, and had been made quite a spectacle of by Pinkie (Accidentally, of course) as he was dragged around the party and been thrust into everypony's conversations and groups, welcome or not.

As he lowered his hoof from the last guest, he found it taken up one last time by none other than Pinkie herself, already telling him that no thanks was necessary, even though she had just improved his life, and that now, it would be filled with friends and laughter and joy and all the things that made life worthwhile to Pinkie Pie. He smiled weakly.

No reason to let her down, champ. It's not her fault that you can't make friends with a pony that hates you by shaking their hooves. No reason she needs to know; No reason to bother her by setting her on an impossible task, a lost cause like yourself.

"Thanks Pinkie. I think it's a little late, I'll probably head-"

"Prairie Fire? C'nah have a word w'th you?"

He turned in surprise to see an orange country pony facing him with a hard look on her face. He winced. This day had been long in coming, he knew, but he'd merely hoped it would eventually go away; That they would either forget, or simply find it too embarrassing to bring up. But no, it was happening, and apparently, it was happening now. There was no denying the orange mare her request.

"S'cuse me, Pinkie, I gotta talk to her..." He lowered his head and slunk toward the blond-maned pony as she headed to the door, and Pinkie beamed, imagining them on the verge of a long lasting friendship. Her work done, she pranced away to brighten the party for everypony else, too. 

As the heavy red door closed behind them, it sent a wave of cool air over the two. She faced him with an unreadable expression as he fidgeted, eyes trained on his hooves, her hooves, then the sky, then the road next to them, then-

"Gosh darnit Prairie Fire, will ya look at me? I ain't out here with ya tah kick yer flank, though I don't think Celestia'd blame me if I did. Or that you'd blame me either, fer the looka ya."

He reluctantly faced her. Her face was still stern, but wasn't as cold as it was a moment ago.

"Guess I don't hafta ask if ya know why ah brought you out here, do ah?"

"No..." He mumbled, sighing. He knew. He knew damn well why she brought him out here.  What Pinkie obviously didn't know when she 'introduced' him to Applejack was that he used to be a farmhoof for Sweet Apple Acres.


> Joyless Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 He came to the Apples when he was a filly, just after his parents died. He had walked to Ponyville from the outskirts of Baltimare when he was no older than the Applebloom Twilight had met, and when he found them, he was half-starved and crazed from exhaustion. Never one to turn away such a pitiful creature, they'd taken him in, where he collapsed and slept for nearly two days straight. 

Upon waking, Prairie begged Granny Smith to give him a job; He was terrified of going into the or-foal-age. His older sister was already in one, and he had nearly joined her in there; The word she said to him after she was caught was simply, "Run." He followed her wishes without looking back. He never told them about his sister, however. Only that he didn't have any family or a place to stay, and he didn't want to go to the orfoalage. 

So Granny Smith let him stay, and while he was terrible at bucking apples, his unicorn magic of basic levitation proved helpful in making cider, transporting apples, and various odd jobs. Applejack even gave him her other hat, a stetson just like her own, only black. She considered him a member of the family, and her little brother, as did Big Mac. Though Prairie would never be as strong as an earth pony, he still grew up to be a strapping young colt, and he did his work faithfully and as steadily as anypony else. Still, everypony on the farm knew apples wasn't his passion. 

Applejack and Big Macintosh both already had their cutie marks by that point, but he was nearly a young stallion and still had no mark of his own. He knew, somewhere in his heart, what his special talent was. But in trying to test it out, he unwittingly changed the course of all of their lives.

One day, while accompanying Big Mac while he bucked apples, he gathered the courage to ask the strong, quiet stallion something he'd wanted to for quite a while.

"Uhmm... Big Macintosh?"

"Eeyup?"

After a few moments of opening his mouth to speak and then closing it again, and clearing his throat comically loudly, he blurted out,

"Can I draw you naked?"

"WHAT IN TARNATION?" A young Applejack suddenly burst through the apple trees before Big Mac could say a word. 

"Applejack!" Prairie Fire's eyes grew wide and he tensed up, as if expecting to be attacked. Suddenly, his expression turned quizzical. "How did you get here so fast?"

"Now, Applej-" Big Mac started, but Applejack was having none of it.

"What in the hay're you saying, Prairie Fire? That's mah brother! What're you, a coltcuddler?"

Coltcuddler, coltcuddler! Coltcuddler, coltcuddler!

Prairie stepped back, his eyes suddenly too blurry to see the two ponies, and he shut them hard, hoping that indeed, he would never have to see them again. Her words rang in his head like a hideous bell. He turned and raced through the trees; Even blind, he hardly even stumbled. He knew that apple orchard nearly as perfectly as they did, and could navigate it almost as well.

Run run run run run run run, always running. 

"Prairie Fire! Prairie!" Hollered Big Macintosh, but Prairie was too scared and hurt to think clearly and go back.
Soon, he was in his room, which had stopped being the 'guest room' almost a year ago, when they stopped thinking of him as a guest. He levitated his few belongings, as well as his saddlebags of all the earnings he had made on the farm. He raced down the steps, belongings in tow, nearly knocking over Granny Smith. She called out to him too, but he folded his ears down, trying to block out her voice, pretending he didn't hear her. Pretending he didn't know her, or that she didn't exist. 

After he was out that door, he had seen them for the last time; At least, until Pinkie's party. He had artfully blocked out his memories of staying at Sweet Apple Acres. Loneliness was his only salve for a broken heart.

---

"So," He sighed, defeated. "You're still mad, huh?"

Applejack's teeth bared, and that fear spread through him again- She was going to strike.

"Yer darn tootin I'm still mad! How could ya do that ta us?"

As he flinched back, more memories flooded him; Where he had gone after he left the Apple family he had tried so hard to forget.


> Equestria Keeps Rolling on.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He had stayed in a small lease-house nearer the town, and used up nearly the last of his earnings after paying for the place to buy the time of an amateur young model by the name of Fleur De Lis, just out of fillyhood. It was during that time (Two hours a day, every day for a week) that he made his first sketches of a pony, on the sketchbook he had secretly bought the first time he had ever been paid for his work at Sweet Apple Acres. To boot, they were of Fleur, a mare. 

He had been too ashamed, after Applejack's comment, to use a stallion.  He wasn't sure if her insult was true or not, but merely aware that "coltcuddler" was a bad term used by schoolfillies, intended to insult and humiliate.

But his first sketches of Fleur were magical; Not the least reason being that when he completed his first sketch, his cutie mark appeared; three brushes of primary colors coming out of a paint palette. He was overjoyed; he wanted to hug somepony! But only Fleur was there, giving him her cool, indifferent stare. 

Nopony cares. Nopony cares. Nopony cares.

Slowly, his heart filled with lead. The Apples, the only ponies he could call "family," were gone. He blocked the thoughts out, and puffed out his chest; He was an artist! They didn't matter; Apple who? Psh, he could be proud of his own accomplishments! An artist was SUPPOSED to be a loner! Right? He sent Fleur away for the day. He didn't need a hug, he didn't need to share his discovery, he didn't need a family! He did not, he seemed to discover, need anything at all.

---

"Prairie? Y'all at least owe me an answer!"

"I just wanted to draw him! See my cutie mark? My special talent is art! I never wanted to turn Big Mac into a..." Here, his voice strained a little, trying not to choke up, "... dirty coltcuddler, like me."

Applejack raised her hoof swiftly next to her opposite ear, as if about to backhoof him, but stopped, clearly trying to gather her emotions. She lowered her hoof, as well as her head, her eyes screwed shut.
---

He spent the rest of the day pooring over the sketch, criticizing it, staring at it, screaming at it, cuddling it. The next day, Fleur came to his apartment to find it transformed; He now had a few canvases, an easel, brushes and exactly six tubes of paint. He was also broke, but he painted madly, sometimes holding two or even three brushes at a time with magic, occasionally instructing her to move, or NOT to move, or to look a different way, and before the two hours were done, he had made two full paintings and was halfway done with a third. 

She left, poised and elegant as ever, and even as she walked out the door, he sketched her retreating figure in a sustained gesture. When the week was up, he had just enough art to fill a gallery, and realized that he HAD to sell them, or else live on the streets. His lease was up, and he had not even one bit to pay to extend it. He uniformly stacked his canvases in the air, with sketchbook and supplies on top, and headed out of the building with fear in his heart. The afternoon was warm and bustling around him, but his hooves felt cold and stiff. He had somehow found himself alone, again, with nowhere and nopony to turn to. He didn't know were he was heading, and worse, he wasn't watching where he was going, when-

BAM!

He met Rarity with a headbutt to the face; His paintings went everywhere, and her cargo, which he soon realized were silky, fine fabrics, followed suit in chaos. They both squealed in horror, but manners came to mind first, and they both fell over themselves apologizing, attempting to gather the others' precious belongings, when Rarity suddenly let out a squeal of a different pitch; Amazement.

---

"Y'all really think that's what this is about?" Applejack's voice was almost level, but a measure of testiness was clear under the surface. She raised her head to look him square in the eye, and hers red with suppressed emotion, much to his shock. "Y'all really think I'm still concerned that yer a," and here she seemed to spit the word, "coltcuddler? You think THAT'S why I'm so steamin' mad?"

He simply stared at her; Now, he was beginning to wonder if he should have asked her to explain why she wanted to talk to him. His head still didn't want to accept that this was happening at all, and instead decided this was the perfect moment to be taking a nice trip down memory lane.
> Duality.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although was much younger than the white mare at Pinkie's party, Rarity was nevertheless a blooming, cultured fashion designer in Ponyville with expensive tastes, and had been looking for something to spruce up the boutique she had just bought and moved into, away from her family.

"Oh my Celestia, this is PERFECT! Darling, you simply MUST tell me who the artist is of these GORGEOUS works of ART! I need one, I need one, I NEED ONE!" She squealed, her big fluttering eyelashes in Prairie's face. He was so taken aback that he nearly dropped her fabrics, but as soon as he felt his magic slip, gripped them desperately; He could NOT lose this opportunity.

"Well... You see, I.... Er, you know, I actually-"

"The artist?" A cool, collected voice coming from a tall, white, almost-mare interrupted him. "Why, Prairie Fire is the artist, right here. I'm the model." Fleur was suddenly beside him, striking a pose.

Rarity ignored her, eyes growing wide as she fixated on Prairie. 

"YOU?"

He gave a sheepish grin, which faded and left him blushing and staring at his hooves. It was apparently contagious, however, as it was suddenly creeping over Rarity's face, who suddenly jumped at him. For a moment, time seemed to slow in his head; She was suddenly Applejack, there to deliver the blows he expected when she heard him ask Big Mac to model for him, and his blood went cold. He was thrust back to the present.
---
"-colts or mares is NONE'O MAH BUSINESS; What IS my business is mah little brother runnin' out one day and never seein' 'im again fer TWO YEARS just cuz we had a little disagreement! I was jist a little filly, I didn't know no better!"

Applejack was yelling, but the blame seemed to have lifted from him, to herself, and even the anger seemed to be fading. In its place was all the pain he had caused his 'older sister' for, as she had reminded him, two and a half years. He never let himself believe that he had any impact on the Apples. It was easier than facing the fact that he would miss her, and she would miss him; Easier to believe that the Apple family didn't exist, than to face the fact that all of them would be hurt by his absence. But here he was, faced with the evidence.
---
Time suddenly resumed, and Rarity was hugging him and squealing like a banshee, babbling about "outsider Art" and how she was going to be famous for "discovering young talent" and how he simply HAD to sell her some of his art, because a young colt starting off with THIS much talent would simply HAVE to be famous someday, and when he was famous, even his BRUSHES would be worth millions, much LESS an actual painting. And so, for the second time in his life, Prairie Fire barely escaped homelessness.

Rarity bought all six paintings he had created and a couple of the sketches he cautiously agreed to part with, and at a price that nearly caused him to faint. She asked where he was staying, and when he told her that he was staying at the leasehouse, it was HER turn to nearly faint. 

"Oh, Darling, that nasty place? No no no no no NO! A talent like yourself simply MUST reside in a place matched to your worth!"

"Well, I don't want to live above my mea-"

"AH! I know the perfect place! Follow me!" And with that, she turned and pranced away ( And that pony truly did prance, by-Celestia), fabrics and newly acquired art floating above her haughtily.

He just stared, and for a moment, ached to sketch her. He shook his head free of the thoughts, and hurried after her, his own load now consisting only of a sketchbook and a few supplies. It almost made his heart ache to lose his first pieces of art so soon, but he was also relieved that he had been so lucky in selling them.
---
"Applejack, I don't..."

"Yeh don't WHAT?" She shot back bluntly, glaring at him. "Where've y'all even BEEN all this time? Granny Smith's been worried sick; Big Mac couldn't work fer a MONTH! We almost lost the gat-dang barn! How could y'all abandon yer family like that?"

Prairie Fire was struck again into silence. He was still reeling from the fact that she wasn't angry at him for propositioning her brother; But rather, for leaving. The one thing he thought he'd done right by them.

> Don't Forget, Prairie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon enough, they came upon a blue building about the size of Rarity's boutique, but shaped like a giant shotglass. It was painted Navy Blue and creamy off-white, with as much trim and random windows and flowerbeds as any other building in Ponyville. Prairie Fire beheld it like a newborn foal beholds a set of colorful keys. It had a "FOR SALE" sign on the front of it, and Prairie started to get a nervous wiggle in his stomach at what that implied. Rarity beamed at him, eyes sparkling.

"It's only a block from my boutique! Just think of it; We'll be two cultural gems in a rural wasteland! Oh darling, PLEEEEASE?"

Discomfort was starting to press heavily into his middle. Everything seemed to be moving so fast. And what was a rural wasteland? Sweet Apple Acres was the most rural thing in Ponyville, and he sure didn't think of it as a wasteland. He tried to wipe the farm from his mind as soon as it entered.

"I, uh, don't think I can pay for this..."

"Well, how much money do you have?" She demanded, rather tactlessly, not about to let this opportunity go. In her excitement, she dropped all pretenses of politeness and wheedled like a filly. If he wasn't so wrapped up in stress, he would have found it funny.

"Ehm, how much did you pay for my paintings?"

She flew back in a dramatic gasp.

"WHAT? That's ALL? Good grief darling, why didn't you TELL me you were in such hard times? I would have DOUBLED what I payed for your paintings! Buying art from an artist is one thing, but helping a starving artist? There IS no higher calling!" Her eyes were wide and shining with dramatic tragedy. She stopped a moment, composing herself. When her eyes opened again, they were bright with plans.

"Then I have no choice; I will pay for your studio!" She declared.

"No way!" He cried bluntly, and then seemed surprised at his own volume; By the look on her face, Rarity was as well.

"Sorry. But really, that's just too nice; You don't even know me!"

Rarity's smile was a soft one. 

"I know that you are a talented young stallion with a bright future ahead of him, but needs a little help getting to his hooves. It is no sorrow parting with bits to help a young artist find his way."

He tried to protest again, but she would not hear it, and soon, doing his best not to choke up, he accepted her help, and for the second time in his life, he was shown life-altering kindness by a pony he didn't even know. The memory faded away as Applejack's voice struck him into the present again, for good.
---

"Y'member just before y'all left, Applebloom was born?"

He did. It was the first time he'd met Applejack's parents. He had felt terribly seperated from their family. They'd brought the tiny, mewling bundle home from the hospital, and sat around and talked while Granny Smith contentedly tied up the newborn filly's mane with a red ribbon. And then, "Momma" and "Daddy" had left. 

Granny Smith had stared at the door, shaking her head tiredly, after they went through it. Applejack and Big Mac had cried, and Prairie sat on the stairs, staring at them. He wanted to go hug Applejack and tell her it was okay, but he was afraid of her tears. Much like he was now.

"Well, just after y'all left, they... We got some news." She turned away from him, a bitter hardness taking over her. "They had an accident. My momma and daddy died right after y'all left. It was like our whole family was fallin' apart."

The words after "died" faded away as realization struck his heart. Yet another sister of his had been orphaned, and again, all he did was run. He may never see his birth sister Lacquer Finish again, but Applejack was right there. Her head was down, and she was sniffing back tears her pride would not allow her to cry. Prairie tried to reach a hoof around her, but suddenly, the door exploded open behind him in a spray of confettie and streamers, and loud, upbeat music drowned out whatever words he might have had for her; He'd almost forgotten they were right outside of Pinkie's party.

"WOOOHOOO! Come again next time, everypony!" Pinkie seemed to fly out of the door somehow, bouncing around as tired but good-humoured (And a bit drunk) ponies filed out of the door. Applejack let out a half-yelp of surprise as she was carried away by the crowd. Prairie tried to follow her, but something caught his back hoof; Rarity was holding him with her magic.

She came up in front of him, unintentionally blocking his view of the orange pony's whereabouts, much to his chagrin.
"I noticed you and Applejack out here... Fancy the country fillies, do you?" A tiny bit of petulance was noticable under her charming exterior.

In his haste and urgency, he didn't even think about what came out of his mouth next; "She's my SISTER!" And tried to scrabble past Rarity, though his leg was still caught. She dropped him, shocked. 

"Y-your sister? B-b-but then, Prairie Fire, dear, why-why-" As she tried to make sense of the last two years, he raced past, into the crowd, into the late night. His earlier shyness seemed to have deserted him; All he could think was that he had to apologize, had to make it alright. 

But the crowd was already dispersing, and Applejack was nowhere to be found. He found his hoofsteps slowing as he looked around the town, soon deserted. Even Rarity, it seemed, had gone home to deal with this new revelation. He sighed. She would surely hate him tomorrow; After all, she'd payed for the studio he lived at; Surely, she had to resent him for that. He never should have let her pay for him! He could have gone back to Sweet Apple Acres... He SHOULD have gone back, actually. 

Back to his warm, cozy farmhouse, in the close, constant company of his brother and sister; Back to the nights when he would wake up in a cold sweat, crying, reaching out for Laqcuer, his sister, and being calmed by the soft sounds of breathing, carried through the night air from the other rooms, and falling back to sleep knowing he was safe, and his family was safe. He should have gone back.
> Ebb and Flow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon, Prairie was slinking back to PaintStain Studios, the place Rarity had helped him name two and a half years ago. His head sunk even lower as that little detail wove itself into his mind. She had done so much for him, on the basis of a lie.
It was nearly 1:30 am when he opened the door to his building, tears finally falling. He turned on the light only to find Rarity standing in his living room, a strange expression on her face. The green-maned colt nearly stumbled back on his haunches, stunned, but quickly remembered his manners; Wiping his face desperately to rid it of offending water, Prairie stuttered, "Rarity? What're you- I mean, welcome, but, what-"

She shook her head and shushed him. Suddenly, from the shadows separating his kitchen from living room, a large red pony- much larger than Prairie Fire remembered!- emerged. Even now, a piece of hay was between his teeth.
Prairie's panicky fidgeting stopped.

"Big Mac?" He looked to Rarity, confused. "What's going on?"s

"Darling, he told me the whole thing. I think it's time you two have a good talk."

Talk? Rarity, have you MET Big Macintosh? We'll have a good TWO WORDS and then stand in silence. And how in the hay did he 'tell you the whole thing'?

Prairie was speechless. Rarity smiled at Prairie Fire, nodded at Big Macintosh, and sauntered her way out of the building, clearly pleased with herself and her family-reuniting abilities.

Time ticked on in silence, and Prairie found his stomach wrenching a bit. He slowly retracted his head into a cower, and shut his eyes; Shame for his own past actions seemed to bubble up and almost overwhelm him; How could he ever apologize to Big Mac? What could he say? That he was too scared of being hated to face them? For TWO AND A HALF YEARS? He wasn't a newborn colt; There was no excuse for what he'd done! And to leave them in their time of suffering; He was such a mule, and-

Suddenly, a firm pressure was on his shoulder; He looked up, startled, tears still holding ground at the edge of his eyes, only to see Big Macintosh's understanding expression level with him. Prairie didn't hold back; There was a reason, he now remembered, why he'd once upon a time called Big Macintosh his "big brother." He rushed into the red pony's chest, and Big Mac embraced his little brother, a few stallionly drips coming off his own eyelids as well. 

And just like that, neither of them needed to say anything. Two and a half years of pain had been forgiven. At least, by Big Mac.

As the hug ended, Prairie Fire felt some of the huge weight lift off his back, but he was also filled with a new determination; He still needed to make it right with Granny Smith, and most importantly, Applejack.

He met Big Mac's eyes one more time.

"Eeeyup."

Prairie smiled. "Yep!" He chimed in, feeling for an instant like that little colt, levitating Applejack's hat on his head and imitating his big brother with a tiny, high pitched "Yeup!" and a giggle. It was the time he most remembered feeling love, and feeling loved.

Prairie turned to the door, and soon he was off- To the Apple farm! Big Mac slowly approached the door, and stood in the frame. He wore a contented smile; His brother was okay.

Prairie's hooves drummed the cool moonlit dirt, wind sweeping his mane back; Just like his sister, though, his hat was never flung from his head. No sooner was Prairie at the door of the house in Sweet Apple Acres than he realized it was 2:00 AM and hardly the time to be confronting his sister, but it was too late to back out now. He knew if he did postpone it, he would take the chicken's way out, and be somewhere between Appleoosa and Baltimare by morning, PaintStain Studios abandoned, Rarity be damned.

His hoof was a few inches from the door, hesitating closer and closer but never quite knocking, when a hissed whisper nearly dragged a mareish scream from his throat.

"Prairie Fire! What in tha hay are y'all doin'? GIT OVER HERE!"

He stumbled back from the front porch to see an orange shape in the corner of his vision; Applejack, gesturing wildly from the barn. Further emblazoned by her urgency, he raced over to the barn. 

"Applejack! I have something to-"

"Will ya HUSH?" She cried, closing the barn door behind him and barring it. "Yer gonna wake Granny Smith, and I ain't gonna let yah raise her hopes and dash 'em again!"

As she turned to face him, her eyes were red and angry from crying, and, well, being angry. His heart sank.

"But, Applejack-"

"What in Celestia's good name gives you the right to come down here?!"

"Applejack, I heard you out, now you gotta hear me out!"

"No!" She shot back fiercely. He stepped back, surprised. It seemed like earlier that was all she had wanted! But now she was saying no? "Rarity told me everything; How she found y'all living at the lease house, a week after our parents died. How ya got a house in town. Think it makes it better that y'all were livin' right here in Ponyville after all that happened?"

"I-"

"Well it don't! It makes it harder! Never lettin' us check up on ya, never droppin' by to tell us... Tell us you was alive...It weren't fair, Prairie... It just..." Her voice seemed to deflate, and a long, weary sigh befitting a mare as old as Granny Smith, and not one barely out of fillyhood like Applejack, flooded from her. "Just weren't fair." She dropped her head, and her piece was done. She had held it in for so long... Prairie tried to imitate his older brother. 

Slowly, his hoof went around her shoulders, and finally, she accepted his comfort, and cried a little into his shoulder. Her muzzle was warm against him, and gave a tentative finality to their discussion. Prairie relaxed finally, feeling like maybe he could still fix things, but suddenly, the whole bucking door flew open.

"Confound it, WHAT in tarnation is goin' awn out here?" A wavering but shrill voice peaked out from the night air, and a shaky old green mare limped as fast as she could into the barn; Her hooves stopped, suddenly, and for a moment, the fiesty old mare was struck dumb.

There, in the middle of the barn, was the little yellow-green orfoal she'd taken in so long ago, hugging her oldest grandfilly. 
The colt in question leapt up upon seeing her, looking stunned and a little fearful. He took a few nervous steps back, one leg involuntarily kicking at the dirt.

"Well slap me and call me a sickly sundried sausage." She murmured. Suddenly, her legs seemed unsteady, and she sank to the ground.

"Granny Smith!" Applejack called out, racing to her elderly grandmother. She lent a hoof to help prop up the mare, but Granny Smith expression was still distraught, despite the support.

"See?" Applejack pleaded, turning her eyes to Prairie Fire. "I told ya! Look what's happenin to Granny Smith?"

And then, the feeling was gone; Applejack was gone; All of it was gone. Seeing Granny just collapse like that.... Prairie found his legs moving backward before he even realized it.
> Is It Really Happening?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Run. Always running.

And then he did- All the way to the other barn entrance, where he ran face first into Big Mac's chest.

"Prairie," He said slowly, "You need to learn to face your problems." His voice was gentle but stern, and as Prairie stared, wide eyed into his brother's face, he swallowed hard, and nodded. There was no denying the red stallion; He felt humiliated; His own immaturity was only highlighted by the older pony's endless strength. Big Mac started walking him back toward Granny Smith and Applejack; Applejack's face was strained and stared at Big Mac with pain that only a little sister can muster, but Granny Smith was already on her hooves and back to her spry ways.

"Oh, Applejack, will ya quit yer cryin'? Girl, it's like yeh think I'm about to keel over right here! Now Prairie Fire, what you done's a bad thing, abandonin' yer family like that, but don't you ever forget we're yer family! You really think we'll never forgive ya?"

Granny Smith's face was full of all the maternal love Prairie always thought she saved for her real grandfoals, but as she swept him into her forhooves for a tight hug, it became clear that she, too, felt he was her real family. And for the millionth time that evening, two ponies were hugging and misting up. Applejack just stared, but Big Mac's stoic mouth was turned up a tiny bit at the corners, feeling content that his family was together. The exhaustion of the emotional reunion was beginning to wear Prairie down, as well as hunger; He'd been neither sleeping nor eating well for weeks, even by his standards, which were considerably lowered since his time off the farm. Even Granny Smith seemed to notice, giving his ribs a little squeeze as she hugged him.

"Discord's bells, Prairie, you been tryin'a live up to the starvin' artist type?"

But he didn't hear, because he was asleep in his grandmare's hooves. Granny Smith turned, business-like, toward the two older ponies.

"Well quitcher gawkin', and help me get this colt back in the house! Big Mac, you carry'im, and Applejack, you help an old filly walk back in this consarndit hour; Tarnation, but you young'ins gotta do all yer important business when Luna's got her moon high up in the sky!"

The two Apples rushed to follow her directions, while Granny gave a rueful sigh.

"I'm too old fer this nonsense..." But as her eyes traveled back to the colt, still wearing his black stetson, her mouth curled up in a smile, too. He was a good pony, she knew that. She'd always known it, even when he was a tiny little thing, covered in dirt and scratches and the horror he'd been through, begging for help. He was just misguided is all. Big Mac would be a good influence on him, and he, in turn, would be a good influence on Applejack. Such were Granny Smith's thoughts as Applejack helped her back into the house, so she could get some dang sleep!
---

"HE'S GONE!" Applejack raced down the steps, horrified- And she would never admit, but a little vindicated. "Granny Smith, Prairie Fire...is...gone?"

Her hooves slowed to a halt as she entered the kitchen, only to find Prairie Fire helping Granny Smith make breakfast. He turned to her, surprised she was up so early, and beamed. She met his eyes slowly, like a mare in a dream.

"Applejack, look! I'm makin' toast!"

Applejack did look, but not at the toast. Prairie Fire was there, in her kitchen. Granny Smith was hard at work cooking. Big Mac was sitting at the table, helping Applebloom into a high chair. The latter looked terribly pleased with the morning's happenings, shooting a toothy little-filly grin at Applejack.

"Ah gawt tew bruvers!" She squealed happily, not yet at the age of coherent speech.

Granny Smith turned around, mixing something delicious in a pan with a distinctly apple scent.

"Well, if it ain't miss sunshine! Get yer flank in here and set the table!"

Applejack automatically began setting up the table; Nothing, nothing would keep her from following an order from Granny Smith. As she hooved out the plates, a peculiar look of utter unreality overtook her eyes and mouth again. Prairie Fire was too content to notice. It seemed to him that nothing existed but that kitchen, the ponies in it, and their happy breakfast.

He wouldn't let himself think about how easy it had been to come back. How they had all just accepted him, and how unlikely that seemed. He couldn't. He needed this, this little bit of time, this memory of when everything fit, was warm and cozy and right. Soon, breakfast was ready, and everypony had a plate of apple pancakes and an apple muffin, some slices of apple, apple juice and apple sauce. How he had missed their homogeneously apple-based meals. Since he'd been trying to forget, as well as avoid, the Apply family, he'd never gone to buy any of their foods in the past two years, so he'd lived an apple free diet. 

Prairie Fire was second only to Apple Bloom as the most blissful pony at the table that morning; He ignored Applejack's piercing stare, he didn't notice Big Mac shooting worried glances at Applejack between bites, he never saw Granny Smith's quizzical frown, her eyes settled on her oldest grandfilly; He ate, he made cute faces at Applebloom (Who squealed appreciatively,) and he occasionally rambled about his life at PaintStain Studios, and flippantly invited them to come view his art. His conversations were had alone, were strained and desperate to the ears of any sane pony who might have heard them, but were idle and pleasant to his own ears.

Soon, breakfast was over, with Applejack being the last one to finish, and Prairie the first. He hadn't forgotten the rules of the house; Nopony left the table until everypony was finished. When the meal was over, Applejack stood without a word and started gathering plates; Granny Smith joined her, keeping a hard eye on the orange pony, who was currently giving the floor a look that would parallel Fluttershy's Stare. 

"-And it was the first time I'd ever painted something of winter! Rarity was so proud!" Prairie finished, eyes beaming toward Big Macintosh, who had only recently realized he was even being spoken to.

"...Eeeeeyup..." He mumbled absently, eyes still on Granny Smith and Applejack, who were heading into the other room. For a moment, hushed voices were heard from the living room, but when they suddenly started to rise, and not in a good way, Big Mac stood from the table and started to rush Prairie Fire to the door.

"Oh, you think I should go?" For a moment, it seemed that Prairie might actually clue in on the tension, but seemed like he was unable to come to terms with it; Unable to let himself. So, instead, he smiled largely, replying to himself, " Oh, of course! I have stuff to do, and you all have apples to buck, heheh, well, seeya later Big Macintosh! Tell Granny Smith and Applejack I said bye, oh, and sorry for eating and leaving, Jeez, uhh, you think I should apologize to Granny Smith myself?" He asked, by now on the other side of the door and trying to squish back in, being held back by a door firmly held in place by Big Mac.

"Eennnoope," grunted Big Mac, trying to force the door the rest of the way closed.

"You sure?" Prairie was almost wheedling now, Rarity's influence rearing its head a bit.

"Eeeeyyyup."

"Oh, well, okay then; Bye Big Mac, tell them I said-!"

THUMP

The door finally shut, and Big Mac sat back, breathing a sigh of relief.

> Foal me Twice...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"-And I don't want Applebloom gittin' all attached and whatnot, and then him just leavin' her like he did us! It ain't right!"

Form the other room, Applejack's rising voice was clear, but Granny Smith's was firmer.

" I didn't raise you to be selfish, missy! Everypony deserves a second chance!"

Big Mac slowly trotted in, injecting a rare opinion on an argument.

" Eeeeyup."

" Big Mac, you too? Dontcha see how wrong this is? Two and a half years later, and he just thinks we'll welcome him with open hooves?"

" That's what family does, girl. Now you better straighten up; Applebloom don't need ta hear no fightin'."

" But-"

" Not another word!"

Granny Smith stomped her hoof with all the might she could muster- which wasn't much, at the moment- but she got the message across, all the same. Once Granny Smith put her hoof down, that meant you lost the argument.
Applejack dropped her head with a sigh, giving in.

" Now!" Granny Smith declared. "I think I know two ponies who have some trees to buck!"

---

Back at PaintStain Studios, Prairie Fire was sketching madly from memory, the three ponies he remembered from his early colthood, and the tiny filly he'd had the pleasure of meeting that very morning. It took longer than it would have had they been right in front of him, but still, it was his special talent, and he was a much more effective artist these days. Soon, the page was alive with happy images; Big Mac playing with Applebloom, Granny Smith making breakfast, Applejack... Huh. Prairie noticed his gestures of Applejack weren't, well, quite as joyful as the others. She stood imperiously at the edge of the table, glaring at him as if from a great height.

Mesmerized by the image, he suddenly opened a new page, and there he was sketching the events of last night; He didn't think about what he was drawing. In fact, he hardly looked at the page. Soon, sketches of Applejack crying, Granny collapsing, and Applejack's face at the party when they were forced to shake hooves took up the new page. After it was filled, he took that page and snapped in onto the easel; Creativity flowed freely, and so did his oil paints.

These were the first paintings he had done with specific ponies in mind since his first ones, the Fleur series. Only as he was finishing up the first one did it occur to him that he's never painted another model since then; He'd sketched countless models (Sometimes without their knowing!), but it had been a long time since he had painted one. He wondered why not, painting from life was always better.

Big Macintosh, can I paint you naked?

With an attention span short enough to make even Pinkie Pie proud, he dropped his paintbrushes in the middle of the third piece and rushed through the curtain with plans to find himself a new model! 

Nopony was in his shop, and he doubted there were any customers who could not wait until tomorrow, so he changed the door sign from "Open" to "Closed" and rushed out. While trotting out of his building, however, he suddenly realized he had no idea where he was going. Who would he ask? Who did he even want to ask? 

You sound like a nervous filly trying to find a date for prom, will you RELAX?

Before he could even process the thought, he realized he was halfway to the Everfree forest, and recoiled. What the-? What was he doing HERE? It only took the work of a tiny tinkling voice to the East of him for it to make sense.

"Come here Angel, it's time for breakfast..."

Prairie smiled- Of course! Fluttershy was beautiful and elegant yet feminine in a youthful, natural way. Out in this beautiful, dualistic environment? The edge of the dark forest... It would be fantastic. Soon enough, he was racing toward her home; Only a moment too late, realizing his excitement would probably terrify the poor little mare.

"Angel, we..." She looked up from the rabbit, then, and saw Prairie's crazy approach, thrown even more out of control when he tried to pull to a stop and ended up only tripping forward faster, and let out a small "Eep!" before racing inside.

"Wait, Fluttershy!" He cried, nearly at the front door- WHACK! It closed on him, and soon, all the windows were drawn.
He sat for a moment in front of it, blinking rapidly-

Ooohh, pretty stars! Look Prairie, look at all the twinklies!

He shook his head, and called out, a little impatiently, "Fluttershy, I know you're in there! Also, that hurt!"

"Oh, uhm, I'm so sorry, but, please go away!"

"Fluttershy, geez, I'm not gonna hurt ya!"

(-"I ain't out here with ya tah kick yer flank... "-)

The strange parallel confused him for just a moment, making him pause before he continued.

"I just wanted to ask if, maybe, I might be able to.. Well... Paint you?"

There was a long silence. At first, Prairie was afraid she'd just given in to hiding and hoping he would go away, but slowly, the door opened and revealed one deep, shimmering blue eye. Hesitantly, she opened the rest of the door, wincing.

"You'd really like to paint me?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I think you would be a perfect model for what I have in mind."

Now it seemed, her curiosity was getting the better of her, as the door slowly opened more. "What do you have in mind?"

Prairie grinned as he figured a way to get her to agree; "Well, you won't know unless I paint it, and I can't paint it unless you model for me!"

"Well, if you really won't be able to paint it..."

"I reeeeally reeeeaaaallly can't!" He piped up, hooves together like a little filly.

"...Then I'll just have to help you." She said, nodding her head matter of factly.

He perked up immediately, a big smile on his face.

Prairie's the name, optimism's the game! Idiot.

"Thanks Fluttershy! You wanna get started this afternoon?" He asked, his bright and eager face peering into her's with all the hope and desire of a newborn bunny seeing a meal of lettuce for the first time.

"Oh," She said, visibly uncomfortable, "Well, you see Prairie, I'm a little -"

"-busy, right, of course..." He finished, his heart sinking. "Well, don't worry about it, there's always tomorrow..."

"Um, actually, Prairie-"

"Wednesday?"

"Well, see, uhm-"

"Thursday? Friday?"

"Uhm-" She peeped, cheeks now burning red.

"Right, well, whenever you're not busy!" He smiled at her again, but it was a pained, forced smile, and it broke her heart. Before she could speak, he was turning and trotting off her property.

Prairie was already in town before he was able to swallow his disappointment completely. He sighed roughly, shaking his head. No matter! It was just time to find somepony else, that's all. Who else in town would be fun to paint... Images of random ponies went through his head. Lyra? No. Cheerilee? No. Bonbon? Nope. Mrs. Cake? NO! 

Suddenly, "Cake" made him think of somepony else- Pinkie Pie! Of course! She was such a bouncy, colorful pony that she would surely inspire him and help him create something whimsical and beautiful. He found, to his surprise, he was already at Sugarcube Corner.

You never seem to take control of your life, why should now be any different?

Prairie shook his head to, for the umpteenth time, rid himself of the cruel little voice in his head, and knocked on the door, then facehooved. It wasn't a house, it was a business! He didn't have to knock. He rolled his eyes and pushed the door open, to be greeted by the pink tornado herself.

"HIYA PRAIRIE! Did you and Applejack have a good time at the party? You two were having such a serious talk, I thought about going out to make your time more fun, but then Rainbow put a lampshade on her head and started dancing, so I had to go join her, and then everypony was dancing, and we all got caught up in dancing! It was so much fun!"

"Hey Pinkie," He tried to interject, but was cut off when she continued, oblivious,

"And so, did you hear about Miss Cheerilee? She passed out and then somepony wrote bad words on her face! I hear she's giving class with a sack on her head! I bet it was probably Derpy, th-"

"Pinkie, I want to-"

"-is totally crazy sometimes! I want to do some pranks with her someday, I bet she'd be-"

"PINKIE!"

"Yes Prairie Fire?" She asked cheerfully.

Prairie sucked in a deep breathe before exclaiming; "Will you model for me so I can paint you?"

"OOOH! That sounds fun! Sure!"

"Really?" he asked, relieved. Great! He had a model!

"Of course! What do I have to do? OOH! OOH! I know! Will I get to wear one of those big fancy dresses and sit next to a bowl of fruit like this-" She demonstrated by making a squatting pose with a faux-solemn face, "-Or will I be smiling! Or- GASP! - Will I get to be all in between like the Mare-a Lisa Smile painting?"

He chuckled a little at her enthusiasm. "No, Pinkie, you'll just be yourself."

"Oh." She seemed to consider this for a second. "Are ya sure? It might be more fun if I-"

"No, Pinkie," He said, shoving a hoof in her mouth to stop her; She was starting to give him a headache. "It's fine to just be yourself for the painting. So, when can you do it?" He pulled the hoof from her mouth, and she nearly toppled forward on the floor, but recovered with a bounce.

"Not today!" She sang cheerily. "I have to take care of the store while Mr. and Mrs. Cake visit family in St. Paulamino."

His heart sank. "When will you be free?"

"Oh, I think they're coming back in a week-"

He held up a hoof to stop her. "It's okay, Pinkie, don't worry about it. I'll find somepony else."

Her smile dropped, disappointed for a moment, but bounced back up like a faithful boomerang. "Oooh! Try Rainbow Dash, I bet she'd do it for you!"

He waved a weak goodbye before heading out the door. Apparently, he was never going to find a model. And it was already noon; His stomach was grumbling loudly about the lack of food, but he ignored it. He didn't feel like eating. Instead, he decided to take Pinkie's advice and headed toward Rainbow's home. The day was starting to sit heavily on his shoulders, and his lack of sleep and food was starting to make his head hurt. But nevertheless! Onward, and, in this case, upward- To Rainbow Dash's house!

---

"But that sounds so boring!"

"But, Rainbow Dash, don't you know how important your first semi-professional portrait will be, once you're super duper totally extra famous?" 

Prairie bit his lip after speaking; Eyes screwed shut, he waited for her reaction. Hopefully, flattery indeed would get him anywhere.

"Hey..." Rainbow Dash seemed to be thinking it over, "Hey, YEAH! All my fans will look at it and swoon over the awesomeness that is Rainbow Dash! Aw yeah, this is gonna be SWEET!" She suddenly flew off her cloud and did a big excited flip.

Prairie grinned, relieved, and started to bounce a little in his spot way down on the dirt.

"Great! Great! Oh, I'm so happy to hear you say-"

"But not today! I'm training extra hard today, there's an expedition in Baltimare that I'm trying to get into!"

"Ugghhhh!" Prairie cried, and set off without even giving her an answer; Clearly, his hunger and fatigue were getting the best of his manners. But why couldn't he seem to find anypony who was free today? What's more, why did it need to be today? He didn't know, but the sense of urgency growing in his tummy was undeniable. There was one other pony who he figured HAD to be willing to help him out; She had always done so in the past- Rarity! He was fully sprinting towards Caramel Boutique now, the late afternoon air whipping his hair around, and threatening, but never removing, his black stetson.

"RARITY!" He cried, busting through the door like a rabid pony. 

"Prairie, darling!" Rarity dropped the sewing tools that had been floating next to her head moments ago, startled and concerned. "What on earth is-"

"Will you model for me to paint you today?" He barked, clearly too aggravated to bother with any pretense of niceties.

"W-well, dear, I'd love to, but..." She gestured at the window, " It's nearly sundown."

He started. Somehow, that hadn't come into his head; He looked through the window she pointed at, and indeed, the sun was nearly at the horizon. He facehoofed.

"GREAT! I finally find a willing model, and I've got maybe fifteen minutes to use her!" He groaned and collapsed on the floor, front hooves covering his face.

Rarity hesitated a moment, looking at the poor colt, and finally headed into the other room; Moments later, she returned, floating a small, decorative metal tray along behind her. Prairie hadn't moved.

"There there, darling, I'm sure this will all work itself out. There's always tomorrow, is there not?" She cooed, floating him a cup of hot tea from the tray. He sat up, accepting the cup and drinking some, only to suddenly spew out the contents to the left of him (Fortunately not on Rarity or any of her fabrics, merely the floor), much to Rarity's distaste.

"Tomorrow? You can model for me tomorrow?" He cried urgently. "You're free?"

Rarity fidgeted a bit, looking away from him. "Well, I can't say tomorrow tomorrow, but-"

His eyes closed and he stood forcefully, turning toward the door.

"Nevermind," he mumbled bitterly. "Don't worry about it."

Rarity looked crushed as he started to leave. "Please, Prairie darling," she implored, " be reasonable! Surely somepony else, Fleur perhaps-"

"UAGH!" He cried, throwing the teacup at the wall where it smashed. "Save it, Rarity!" 

Rarity gasped indignantly, but it was not heeded; Prairie was already out the door.

---

Nopony cares, Prairie. Nopony cares. Nopony cares.

That accursed voice in Prairie's head was always there to make sure he knew just how little his worth really was. This time, the message seemed to meet very little resistance. Prairie, apparently, didn't care either. He was gathering his things; All of his paintings. All his supplies. All of his belongings.

What a filly. You're leaving just because you can't find a model? What a drama queen!

"You know that's not what this is about." Prairie sighed. So now he was talking to himself; Arguing with himself, at that. Yep, it was time to go. He wasn't a stupid pony. He knew, deep down, that the Apple family was tense the morning after they all reunited. He knew Granny Smith and Applejack were arguing about him. He knew Applejack was right when she said he was just tearing their family apart. It was best if he just left; And this time, for good. As Applejack had mentioned, it didn't make anything better that he was hiding from them in plain sight, in the very town to which they belonged. He needed to go far. He needed out. 

What had started as a minor annoyance had suddenly, with the help of sleep deprivation, hunger, self-pity and insecurity like nopony's business, blossomed into a philosophical judgment of his entire life; Nopony would model for him. Not that nopony would work as a model, but nopony would model for him. He was just a bother. Even Pinkie Pie was more worthwhile to the town than him, he reasoned; At least she threw parties and made everypony smile. He was just a mule to everypony; He'd just blown up at Rarity, the pony who was the very reason he even HAD an art gallery/house to be emptying right then! Tears welled up in his eyes, and he started for the door. He had to leave; he was ruining everypony's lives!

O woe is me, I'm a jerk! So misunderstood is the melodramatic artist! You're such an idiot, Prairie.

"Shut up!" He whimpered at the voice. The sun had set, and now, he was ready to go. He took one last look in the shop, and realized there was something he needed to do. He could not do to Rarity what he'd done to Applejack two years ago; She deserved some last words from him.

So he set his things down, and ripped a couple of pages from his sketchbook, as well as a quill and inkpot; He wrote two letters, sealed them, and set them on the desk that used to have a cash register on it. One was addressed, "To the last cultural gem of Ponyville." The other, "To my big sister, and the Apples."

> Twilight to the Rescue?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You never saw him again?" Twilight and her friends sat in the downstairs of the Library, late one winter night. Her eyes were wide and blinking, trying to put absorb what she had just been told.

"He left town," Rarity remarked airily, "and never came back."

Applejack nodded her head in agreement. "Rarity's right. Ah dunno what in the hay was wrong with that boy, but whatever it was, it was stubborn as a sack'a potatoes.  And about as smart as one, too..." She muttered, a hint of resentment still in her voice.

"Well, where do you think he is?"

"Ah don't know, ah don't care, and ah'd prefer if we let the matter drop." Applejack declared, turning away from the others to head upstairs.

"Applejack, where-"

"Let her go for the moment, Twilight," Rarity interjected, holding a hoof up to her startled purple friend. "She needs to gather her thoughts."

Twilight reluctantly let Applejack head into the bedroom of the library to do... Whatever it was she was trying to do.

"Why is she so defensive about this?"

Rarity sighed a little, rubbing her face with a hoof. "I hardly expected to get into such dirty laundry when we all decided to spend the evening together, but... Applejack has felt guilty for her 'brother's' departure since she was a filly. It's one of the few strong regrets she has in her life, and although there's no way to prove the second time was because of her actions, she feels responsible and takes on the blame, still."

Twilight sat in pure amazement. " I can't believe Applejack has taken on that burden for so many years... I also can't believe you know so much about her, Rarity! I never thought you'd be so in tune with her."

"That's why they call it a mare's intuition, dear. Besides I may not have been friends with the filly in those days, but one had to be simply blind not to pick up on... Er, Fluttershy, are you alright?"

Fluttershy's face was stricken; She looked positively distraught.

"I had no idea so much had happened, I just... I should have made time to model for him, maybe he would still be with us..."

Her phrasing alarmed Twilight. "Be with us? You mean in Ponyville, right? You don't think he...?" Twilight glanced around from pony to pony, but none would meet her eyes.

Rarity lifted a hoof to admire it, being too polite to speak of such things. Rainbow was not. 

"I dunno, that colt was always really dark and gloomy, and intense artist types usually off themselves. Nopony ever said he did, but they wouldn't be surprised, either."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried, stunned. "How CAN you be so insensitive? This is a pony's LIFE we're discussing here!"
Rainbow merely shrugged.

Pinkie suddenly came flying from upstairs, letting out a startled cry, and crashed into a bookcase behind the ponies downstairs.

Twilight was the first to react, racing over to the pink pony, mouth agape.

"Pinkie, what on earth happened?"

The pink pony quickly regained her posture and stood up, yelling into Twilight's face indignantly."Applejack bucked me!"
"Bucked you? But why-"

"Yeah! Bucked me right here!" She cried, interrupting Twilight with a wild gesture to her own chest. "All I did was ask why she looked so sad, and she said, 'I ain't sad, and it ain't yer business," Pinkie's impression of Applejack was surprisingly spot on, " And then I said, well, is it none of my business that you're sad, or none of my business that you're NOT sad? Because if you're not sad, but it's not my business that you're sad, then that means you ARE sad but you're NOT sad, and that's when she BUCKED ME!" Pinkie finished petulantly, her bottom lip sticking out childishly. Twilight started to reply, but the rainbow maned pegasus butted in instead.

"What the...? Applejack, you better get your flank down here before I-"

"That's enough!" Twilight suddenly yelled, interrupting Rainbow Dash and startling everypony with her outburst. Even Applejack poked her head over the top of the stairs, eyes wide. Satisfied that she had everypony's attention, Twilight resumed calmly but firmly.

"We've all had a stressful evening and discussed sensitive things; I think it's time everypony went home and got some rest!"
"Oh yes, please," Fluttershy piped up, quiet but anxious.

Rainbow started to protest, but, seeming to think better of it, nodded her head, and moved toward the door.
"As much as I hate to make my exit on this note, darling, you're absolutely right." Rarity followed closely behind, and Applejack descended the stairs in a half-stomp, until she met Twilight's flinty eyes; After that, she seemed to calm her steps a little, apparently spooked of the purple unicorn, to which Twilight responded by relaxing a tad. Pinkie Pie was already over her drama and left with a cheerful goodbye and wave, and Fluttershy seemed more than grateful to follow her, but-

"Fluttershy!" She winced,( Freedom, so close, yet so far!) and gave the door a lingering, longing glance before turning back to Twilight.

"Um, yes Twilight?"

"Can you stay with me here tonight? I want to sort some of this out, and I could use your help."

" Oh but Twilight," Fluttershy half-pleaded, " What about Angel? And all my other animals; I can't abandon my duties to them."

"But Spike is already asleep!" Twilight retorted, also pleading. 

"Well, can't Owloysius assist you?"

Twilight immediately brightened up; Of course! The little owl had to be somewhere in the vicinity!

"Of course; Thanks Fluttershy! I guess I won't be needing any- well, any MORE help from you, after all!" She hugged her friend and, to Fluttershy's relief, sent her off. As soon as she was gone, Twilight raced to the window to call her little feathered friend, who appeared from apparently nowhere in the windowsill.

"Great! Owloysius, I need you to take this to the Royal Library," She said, writing out a letter of instructions," -and bring me back whatever they have!"

She finished it and rolled it up, tying it with a green ribbon and leaving a generous space. He flew over to her and offered his claw, to which she tied the letter in question with magic. She smiled and pat him on the head, knowing this would be faster and more efficient than her original plan of rummaging whatever sparse public records were scrambled around in her library and personal files. As she watched him leave the Ponyville Library, letter in tow, she decided to go ahead and get some sleep; He knew to wake her up when he returned, and she had a feeling it would be a long night. 

She wouldn't admit to her friends that she liked staying up long nights, solving some new puzzle; It helped make her feel like she deserved the kind praises and status she received from the Princess. She climbed the stairs as quietly as she could, feeling certain that Owloysius would come back with the tools she needed. 

Finally as she climbed into bed and snuggled into her unspeakably soft mattress (Crack! Her spine popped as she lay down, a testament to the stress of the day) she was lulled into content sleep by mental images of Applejack and her brother in a joyful embrace, reunited after years of estrangement.

Two hours later (or, as Twilight's brain told her, about five minutes later) a soft but firm "WHOO" came from Twilight's bed side table, jarring her from sleep. "Whuzzat? Back already?" She sat up with a slight groan, opening her groggy eyes to meet those of Owloysius, as well as a piece of parchment in his beak. Resigning herself to busy wakefulness, she levitated it from him and fully got up out of bed, heading downstairs where she could read it without waking Spike. She reached her table and lit a few candles in the area with a quick flame spell, and opened the letter.

Dear Twilight;
Thank you for your interest in the Royal Canterlot Public Records, but I'm afraid sending out Royal Canterlot public records by Owl is prohibited; Royal Canterlot Public Records must be accessed in the Royal Canterlot Library building. If you would like to learn more about the Royal Canterlot Library rules and regulations, please see the Royal Canterlot Library Guide in the Royal Canterlot Library. 
~Regards,
Royal Canterlot Library staff

Twilight groaned, sitting back. "Great! Just great, I forgot about that; Those rules didn't apply when I lived in Canterlot with the Princess..."

Now Twilight had been robbed of her evening plans, and it was only eleven! What was a unicorn to do? She stood up, beginning to pace a bit; could she, perhaps, just follow the rules...? She bit her lip, looking up at Spike. She didn't really want to leave him alone... Buuut... It would be so fun to go to the library (The ROYAL CANTERLOT LIBRARY, that is).... Suddenly, an idea sprung into her head; Of course! Owloysius could look out for him! She wouldn't need the little feathered assistant at the Royal Library, so he could assist her here instead.

"Owloysius!" She commanded, galloping over to the little owl, who merely fluttered a bit and stared at her. “Will you stay here and look after Spike while I go to the Royal Library?"

It nodded and blinked.

She perked up. "Excellent! Looks like I have I have a train to catch! Wait, actually..."

Suddenly, she realized she had never tried something; truly long-distance teleporting. She hesitated a moment, but finally made the decision; Why not, after all? It wasn't as if the curiosity would diminish after the idea had struck her. Hopefully, she would make TWO huge discoveries that night. Her mind made up, she started, doing her best to picture the warm, bright lobby of the Royal Canterlot Library.

Her horn was giving off little sparks of white, and she was biting her tongue, when the front door was suddenly knocked on firmly and loudly. 
> Square One?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wahh!" She half-cried, and the sudden shift in focus instead teleported her on the outside of her front door, now having her face being knocked on with an orange hoof.

"Ach-Applejack-stop-"

"Twilight-!" Applejack pulled her hoof away, looking momentarily thrown off, but quickly shook her head to straighten herself. Clearly, she had something on her mind, and wanted to get it out. "Nevermind, don't matter; I came here to ask yah not to mess with mah business! Let well enough alone, huh?"

Twilight regained her balance to stare at Applejack incredulously. Cautiously, she started, "But I wasn't-"

"Don't lie to me, sugarcube, ah know yer planning to do somethin about Prairie, and I know yer heart's in the right place, but I wanna tell you to stop right now."

"But-!"

"Twilight, I'm asking you as a friend!"

Twilight gaped at her friend, eyes like a filly whose lollipop has been taken from them. Finally, absorbing Applejack's stern expression, she relented.

"Fine, Applejack..."

Applejack heard the reluctance in Twilight's voice, and clenched one eye shut, opening the other one wide and scooting it close to Twilight's face, looking deep into her. "Pinkie promise me now!"

"Oh Applejack, I don't think that's neces-"

"Pinkie Promise!"

Twilight scowled. "FINE! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a stupid cupcake in my eye!"

"Foreverrrr..." The word seemed to drift organically from the wind, and Twilight shivered imperceptibly. Pinkie promises were forever. To break one was to destroy a friendship by the roots.

"Well alright," Applejack stated, apparently satisfied. She tipped her hat and firmly set on her way back home, without a pleasantry or farewell. Twilight sighed a moment before going back inside; Applejack never acted this way, except when they talked about Prairie. She was being... Well, kind of a jerk. Twilight didn't like this; it was like Applejack had a hole in her heart, and that hole was Prairie. She couldn't heal until she made peace with him, but she wouldn't let herself make peace with him because she had a hole in her heart! She pushed the door open to her home, heading upstairs again, muddled. 

I wish I knew what to do... But who should I even ask?

A burst of green fire a few feet from her would answer her question. Now sporting a slight headache, Twilight pulled herself up from the bed she had barely just crawled into, again, and headed toward Spike, who was making a half-cry half-groan sound as he shakily handed her the letter, collapsing back in bed, mumbling, "Sweet, sweet sleep..."

"What in Equestria could the princess want this late...?" Twilight mumbled tiredly, using magic to open the scroll.

My dearest, most faithful student Twilight;

It has been brought to my attention that you tried to access the Public Records; pardon me, Royal Canterlot Library Royal Canterlot Public Records, earlier this evening. While it is not in my jurisdiction to authorize them to be sent to you, please do not hesitate to visit the Libra- (This part was scratched out,) -Royal Canterlot Library yourself this evening! 
I understand that it is late, but between you and me, I also know that will hardly keep you from coming.

Signed, Princess Celestia

Twilight gave a sheepish smile at the scroll; Princess Celestia knew her too well! 

"Wait a second..." She murmured, thinking of all the friendship reports she had sent to Celestia. "Of course! The Princess will know exactly what to do!"

With reinvigorated fervor, she jumped up, mind once again envisioning the big warm library; She had a feeling the princess would be there, and if not, it was a hop skip and jump to the palace. White sparks started again from her horn, and this time, without any interruptions-

ZAP!

Spike groaned and covered his eyes with the blanket after the bright blast.

"Why can't she have NORMAL hobbies?"

---

"-Sparkle, it is HIGHLY reprehensible behavior to teleport on top of the bookcases, now please come down before I have to-"
An angry voice was droning somewhere around Twilight, but she was too weak and disoriented to make much sense of it, or her situation. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to focus on what was around her.

"Doctor Stuffy-Saddle, I believe I can take things from here," came a gentle voice interrupting the shrill protests of a white librarian pony with no mane. With a humph, he trotted off, and into Twilight's blurry vision came a much taller white pony with flowing, pastel colored hair.

"Princess CelestiAAAH!" Twilight cried out as she tumbled off the high bookshelf that, indeed, she'd accidentally teleported to.

"Twilight, when I said you should visit the Library-"

"ROYAL CANTERLOT LIBRARY!" Came a shout from nearby.

"-that, I didn't mean to teleport all the way here. Your aim loses precision after a certain distance, and you could easily have teleported into a bookcase, and sustained serious injuries."

Twilight groaned, sitting up after the fall, and winced. She certainly hadn't realized that.

"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia..."

"That's quite alright Twilight, I'm sure you'll take it into consideration next time. So what brings my most faithful student to the Royal Canterlot Library at three AM?"

Twilight started; It was already that late? Er, early? She didn't have much time left!

"Well, you see Princess Celestia, I have a bit of a conundrum I'm facing with a friend of mine-"

"Miss Sparkle! This is a library, and you're being very loud and disruptive!"

Doctor Stuffy-Saddle was apparently not satisfied that she was in the company of the Princess, and still wanted to protest, but Celestia cut him off gently.

"Don't worry Doctor, Twilight Sparkle and I are on our way out. Right, Twilight?"

She winked at her purple pupil, who stared back for a moment, but then furiously nodded agreement, standing on wobbly legs to follow her out. Twilight resumed her explanation as they headed idly toward the inside of the castle.

"-And now, I'm caught between helping Applejack make amends with her brother, or following my promise to stay out! I don't know what to do!"

A distraught unicorn and tall white alicorn entered a room of the castle that Twilight had not seen before; Nor was really seeing now, as she was too distracted.

"Twilight, have I ever shown you the Royal Gallery before?"

"...No?" Twilight responded, feeling a bit let-down. Was the Princess even listening?

"Well, this room is set aside for monthly exhibits of artists around Equestria. This month is one of my favourites of the millennia, a budding artist named Buffalo Paintbrush."

"That's great, Princess. I'm sure his art is lovely. But what do I-"

"Princess Celestia!" A colt's voice came from the other side of the gallery, and Twilight looked over to see a green-yellow coated pony bowing before the Princess. The alicorn smiled benevolently at him.

"Hello, Buffalo; Lovely to see you."

"Ah, but the pleasure is mine, Princess. I'm surprised you're not getting your beauty sleep, your majesty; This is Luna's time, no?"

"You're quite right, but I had some important matters to attend to with my student." Her eyes twinkled as she glanced from Buffalo to Twilight.

"Oh?" He asked, his gaze also moving to Twilight, who impatiently shot back, "Yes, very important matters, if you don't mind?"

He stepped back a bit, face falling, and nodded his head. "Of course..." And moved away to give them their privacy.
"That was a bit rude, Twilight. You never know when another pony may have the answer to your problems." The princess's eyes danced with amusement, but Twilight didn't notice.

"I'm sorry, but I have a crisis on my hooves and could really use your help!"

Celestia moved to a small section of the gallery with upwards of thirty framed scrolls; Very strange art, it seemed to Twilight.
"Twilight, do you remember when you learned about truth and promises?"

"Well..."

Celestia pointed at one of the scrolls; Suddenly, Twilight recognized Spike’s manuscript. These were HER scrolls!

Dear Princess Celestia;

Being a good friend means being able to keep a secret.
You should never be afraid to share your feelings with a good friend.

"Keep a secret...?"

"No Twilight," Celestia gently prodded, "Being able to share your feelings. You're obviously very concerned for your friend's well being. I believe Applejack will understand when you tell her that you're worried about her, and can discuss why you think it's a better idea for her to make peace with Prairie Fire."

Twilight's eyes were wide; Of course! Applejack would understand, Applejack HAD to understand! 
"Oh thank your Princess Celestia, that makes so much sense! That way, I don't have to break my promise, and I can still help Applejack!"

The princess just smiled as she watched her student race away to act on her new inspiration.

---

"What do you MEAN no?"

A frustrated Twilight banged her hoof on the table she and Applejack were sharing the next afternoon, knocking her delicious apple tarts right off the plate and onto the grass next to her.

Applejack chewed stoically, clearly upset that the "relaxing lunch on her day off" had turned into yet more bother about that mule who shall go unnamed.

She swallowed her bite.

"Yeh heard me Twilight. And y’all also promised me y'all wouldn't go pokin around in mah business."

"What? But, I told you I wouldn't go looking for your brother, not that we'd never discuss it! I'm genuinely worried about you, Applejack, this whole thing seems to really be affecting you-"

"Yer right, Twilight, it is affectin' me."

Twilight started to perk up, thinking her friend was finally seeing sense, but that was quickly nipped as Applejack continued tensely, "So that's why we should let this drop. Got it?"

"But, Applejack, I think if you just-"

"UGH!" Applejack yelled, backing up from the table forcefully. "Ya know what Twilight? Do whatever yeh please. Yer clearly on Prairie's side, so go right on ahead, find him, be best friends with 'im for all I please!" Applejack turned rudely and started heading back home, though she turned her head back to the stunned looking Twiligh to remark, "Don't expect 'im to be the new element'a honesty, though, that colt's talking with his tongue outta his hoof!"

As Applejack made her point, and her exit, Spike turned to Twilight, confused.

"Tongue out of his hoof? That's gotta taste gross."

"Oh Spike," Twilight moaned, ignoring his remark, "What am I gonna do?"

Applejack was starting to remind Twilight of Discord days, when she’d turned pale and cruel.

"Well, maybe you should listen to her," Spike looked hopeful, but he knew Twilight; It was wishful thinking, little more. Still, no reason not to try. "Applejack is upset because you all keep bringing the subject up. If you let it all drop, maybe she'll let it get out of her head and will calm down again."

Twilight lay her head on the table, irresolute. "Maybe..." But just then, Rarity passed by with Sweetie Belle. They were talking and laughing, and Twilight's thoughts bore again heavily on her heart. What would Rarity be like, if Sweetie Belle had just left one day, for two years? Even more confusing and painful, to pop back up for a night, then leave for another couple years? How could anypony sleep well at night with such a burden on their chest?

Twilight lifted her head up from the table, shaking it.

"No, Spike. We have to fix this."

A soft groan came from the little green dragon, and Twilight as usual ignored it. She knew what needed to be done. She didn't know how, but she needed to find Prairie Fire. And she would have to make Applejack, bucking and screaming, face her brother. But where to start? She stood up from the table, resolute. 

"Come on, Spike, we're heading back to the library!"

"Wait a minute, miss!"

A stallion's voice came sharply from the restaurant, and the two looked up in surprise. A tall brown pony with a waiter cutie mark blinked, and suddenly looked sheepish. 

"Well, if ya don't mind... Would you please not leave a mess at your table?"

Twilight glanced down at the ground around her, surprised. She'd forgotten about that; There were apple tarts, spilled cups, napkins and cutlery littered all around her.

Facehoof. 


> Circles and Circles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She sighed, and as she began the menial task of floating all the trash to the trashcans, righting the table, and pushing in the chairs, her mind started to drift; Celestia's words, and how they had turned out, in a very roundabout way, to be true; Applejack had inadvertently freed Twilight from the bonds of the Pinkie Promise, but not at all the way Twilight had imagined. She remembered the Princess's expression, as it always was; Caring, smiling, coy and canny at once. As if the Princess knew something she didn't; As if it was always supposed to be this way, and she knew exactly what was going to happen.
It didn't seem terribly unlikely that she DID know what was going to happen.

Twilight stopped for a moment, trash hovering just over the trash can, trying to remember everything the Princess had said, in case there was anything she'd missed;

"...do you remember when you learned about truth and promises?"

"Being able to share your feelings...."

"So what brings my most faithful student to the Royal Canterlot Library at three AM?"

"...but I had some important matters to attend to with my student."

Wait. That last one; There was somepony else there, wasn't there? Twilight strained to remember; Sleep deprivation does nothing for one's memory, but Twilight's mind's eye eventually made out the shape of a green unicorn. Ah. Yes. That's right; They were in a gallery, his gallery. The memory drew a wince from the purple pony. 

Twilight had rather rudely brushed him off, after all; She certainly hoped the Princess would not think badly of her for that! The alicorn can not have been well rested herself, yet she composed herself quite well at Twilight's sudden appearance, while Twilight had bitten the stallions head off. But Celestia hadn't reacted too badly, if Twilight remembered correctly. She'd simply said something like, "That was very rude... You never know when another pony may have the answer to your problems."

"Huh? What was the Twilight?" Spike turned around to face her quizzically, a handful of appletart slipping unnoticed back to the grass. Twilight hadn't even noticed that she'd said the last part out loud, nor did she noticed Spike's reply. Her eyes suddenly brightened; It had to mean something! 

Twilight chucked the rest of the garbage swiftly, and then threw Spike onto her back with magic; She didn't know what it meant, but she knew that she had to go find that "Buffalo Painter" or whatever and confront him immediately!

---

Several minutes later, Twilight and Spike were stepping through the library door. Well, Spike was stepping. Twilight was sprinting.

"Twilight, what are you in such a big rush for? Didn't you already check our library?"

"Yes Spike, but I'm not looking for Prairie's information here. I'm going to see if there are any spells for long-distance teleportation."

Twilight raced around shelves, looking anxiously from title to title;

Subtropical Climate and You

Legends of the Forbidden City; Tartaros

Equestrian History for eggheads

"No, no no no NO!"

It's gotta be around here somewhere...

"Hey Twilight..."

"What Spike?" Twilight moaned, "I'm looking for something!"

Ignoring her, Spike went on; 

"Well, I was wondering.... Couldn't you just teleport a normal distance a few times until you're in Canterlot?"
Immediately, Twilight brightened up. "Of course! It'll take a little longer, but I don't have to learn to do that!!"

But fate would be Celestia-damned if Twilight was going to follow a simple plan successfully; Just as her horn began to glow, with her mind's eye picturing the outskirts of Ponyville in the direction of Canterlot, an orange hoof once again assaulted the door.

"AUGHH!" Twilight groaned, but this time the spell dissolved without sending her flying through the door. Spike started to answer it, but Twilight was racing down the stairs at the object of her frustration like a bullet toward a target sign. The baby dragon shook his head and turned back to some books he wa rearranging. It simply wasn't worth the trouble. 

Twilight flung open the door to reveal a sorry sight;

Puffy eyes, no hat, exhaustion creeping out of every hair, Applejack stood in front of Twilight humbled.
"So..." she drawled, unable to meet Twilight's eyes, " I been doin' some thinkin'."

Twilight wanted to urge her to expound, but caution kept her silent. Applejack was a frightened deer and Twilight could not afford to scare her off by being too forward. 

Silence.

Still, Twilight thought uneasily, Applejack might benefit from a bit of gentle prodding.

"And?" The cautious inquiry did not startle Applejack, but made her turn her head even further down, as if it had somehow amplified her shame.

"Well... Yeh might be right... Y'know....about... Prferwnot..."

"I'm sorry?" Twilight strained, one ear lifted to try to understand Applejack's slurred mumbling.

"I said, Y'all er right about Prerfrenwhatnnt..."

"What?"

"Y'ALL ER RIGHT ABOUT PRAIRIE FIRE!" She finally faced Twilight, disheveled as she was, eyes pleading for something that Twilight was the wrong pony to give. " I'm sorry! I cain't stand this whole business, it's been tearin me apart since I was a filly!"

Applejack's head fell, and Twilight could hear her cry, even though the tears never fell. She put a hoof on her friend's shoulder.

"Applejack, I'm so very sorry." Twilight raised her head up, so that they met eyes. It broke Twilight's hear to see, by far, the strongest pony of the group so hurt. She tried not to translate that into resentment for Applejack's brother; Hate wouldn't solve anything, and there were going to be enough emotions going on when they finally did reunite without Twilight throwing her's in.

"Twilight.... D'ya really think findin' him will solve anything?"

"I know it's a risk, but a lot of time has passed; At the very least, we have to give it a shot. If repairing your heart is what we stand to gain, we have no choice but to try." Twilight was confident as she spoke, and whether Applejack thought what she was saying made sense or not, the cowpony was about ready to try anything.

The orange mare sighed, broken. "If yah say so, Twilight."

Twilight beamed. "I'm so glad you decided to make amends with Prairie Fire, Applejack, you're really going to-"

"Make 'mends?" Applejack sharply cut in. "I never said nothin' about makin amends! I'll help you find him, but I'm more like to buck him in the face than make amends with'im."

Twilight started to protest, but seeing Applejack's stern expression, and not wanting to lose the opportunity, she sighed and relented. Hopefully, Applejack would come around when the time came, but if she pushed the issue now, Applejack might just as easily discard the whole idea altogether.

Instead, she decided to let Applejack in on the lead.

"Well, I met with Princess Celestia late last night to discuss-" Twilight started, but Applejack's sudden sharp glare made her stutter. "T-to, er, discuss some spells," Applejack relaxed a little, "And, weeell, long story short, I think I know the next pony I need to talk to about the whereabouts of your brother!" Twilight declared.

Applejack looked rather unimpressed with Twilight's declaration, and just groaned, "Alright Twi, where is this mystery pony, and where do we find him?"

Trying not to betray her deflation at Applejack's lack of reaction, Twilight continued hesitantly, "Well, he's a green unicorn artist, displaying his work in the Royal Gallery, and-"

"Whoa, now hold on there, Twi. Y'all said you knew who to talk to to find my brother, yeh didn't say ya had FOUND my brother!" Applejack's eyes were quizzical as she spoke, now watching Twilight carefully.

There was a momentary pause as Twilight's expression moved into confusion, consideration, realization, and suddenly-

"UGH! Of course! Buffalo Paintbrush, why didn't I realize this sooner? I'm an expert on aliases!" Without any more explanation, Twilight ran toward an inner room of the library, where reference books were stored.

"Buffa whatsit now?" Applejack inquired, following with a rather unimpressed expression.

"Indigenous flowers, indigenous flowers, aha! Here it is, Indigenous Flowers and you; From Allium to Willow Curly."

She floated a thick green book over to a podium to flip through the pages, and landed on the page that said "Castilleja;"
"Twilight, what-" Applejack started, but was cut off by Twilight's harsh "SHH!"

So Applejack just read;

Kingdom: Plantea

Order: Lamiales

Family: Orobanchaceae

Genus: Castilleja

A genus of about 200 species, Castilleja is often referred to by one of its common names, Buffalo Paintbrush or Prairie Fire.

---

One hour and a long explanation to a confused Applejack later, the two mares found themselves standing on a train platform on their way to Canterlot. Since they had left the library, they had hardly spoken, leaving Applejack alone with her thoughts. She shifted uncomfortably on the platform, seeing yet another afternoon that was bound to pass, but it was here for the moment, and she supposed that would have to suffice. She didn't have the whole day for this, but it needed to be done, whether it was late or not. 

It was still a good half hour before the train would arrive when a dramatic scream of "WAAAIIT!" came from the direction of the town. Twilight, Spike and Applejack wouldn't have even turned if they had not recognized the voice; After all, what pony would be looking for them?

But in turning to the direction of the cry, they were indeed correct in their identification of the voice: Rarity came flying through the streets and to the platform, traveling hat and saddlebags flopping gracelessly in the wind. When she finally made it to the two gaping mares she gasped for a few moments before stuttering out,

"Fluttersh- huff- told me, -huff-, you two were, -huff- going to Canterlot, -huff- going with you - huff- find Prairie, -PHEW-!" and she half-collapsed dramatically in front of them.

Gathering that Rarity intended to join their quest in finding Prairie (Although at this point, it was more like confronting him; He had already been "found."), Twilight nervously gauged Applejack's reaction; This could throw Applejack off completely, considering how tenuous her decision to go through with any of this was in the first place.

Before anypony could say anything, the train was rumbling up. As the door opened, Applejack tersely jerked her head toward it, and all that needed to be communicated came through. The four boarded what was the longest train ride of Applejack's life so far. What the end of it held, she had no Equestrian idea.

As they settled into the cabin, Twilight chose the seat near but not adjacent to Applejack's, leaving a little breathing room for the tempermental mare. Slowly, in the hopes of offering some comfort, she remarked half to herself, half to Applejack, "You know... In Equestrian Philosophy Volume IIV, Marekowski talked about trains. He said that, "All of life is one long train ride after another."" Brightening, she finally took a direct look at Applejack, hoping that some kind of enlightenment would reflect in the orange pony's eyes, but to her disappointment, Applejack was staring out the window glumly.

"Great, sugarcube," She mumbled absently. Twilight dropped her eyes, uncomfortable, and carefully snuck over to Rarity's side of the cabin. Seconds stretched on, and the train rumbled ahead. A bout of laughter erupted from a neighboring cabin, a cruel symbol of the stark difference between now and last few times they had ridden a train together. 

Applejack was glaring out the window, Rarity was absorbed in writing down a few notes about inspiration she'd gotten on the way here (An artist never rests! She liked to say), Spike was counting his scales, and Twilight uncomfortably twiddled her hooves, feeling suddenly like a filly in a room full of strangers. Still, Twilight had never been more sure that this was the right thing to do; if the pain of this issue could put this big of a rift between such loving friends, then to mend it would bring them that much closer.

If Applejack would let it.

Twilight's mind seemed to be uneasy with that; Applejack's assent was not truly given yet; She had agreed to see Prairie. But so far, what that really meant was known to nopony but Applejack herself, and Twilight could only steal nervous glances at the brooding orange mare to even hope to guess at it. She half-wished she could use the same memory spell she'd use to un-Discord her friends, but she felt like she shouldn't interfere; This was Applejack's life, and her choice to make.

The most Twilight could do was support her. As much as Twilight knew this to be true, her heart ached for her to do something, anything. It was her responsibility to fix this! But it wasn't, and she forced herself to keep out of it; at least, beyond what she had already done. The quiet hum of the train filled up her mouth, leaving no rooms for any further words she might have been tempted to spill.
> Finality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A long and dark trail blazed with bursts of flame had brought Buffalo Paintbrush here to the gallery, bowing in front of Princess Celestia and her student. Images of the last two years surged through Buffalo's mind when his eyes settled on the unicorn prodigy; He did not know why. The thoughts he had worked so carefully to secure in his subconscious pushed rudely to the forefront of his mind. He was quite baffled that this mare would affect him so strongly. Before he could even speak, she snapped at him, sending him away. He obeyed almost unconsciously, turning and finding a nice warm corner of his gallery to sit in, staring down at his hooves, as memory swamped him, swallowing the world around him.

Running from Ponyville. Reaching Baltimare. Getting robbed. Losing his hat. Working at Diamond Dog Paradise. Meeting Cherry Bomb. Saving Cherry Bomb from Diamond Dog Paradise. Running, changing his name and dying his mane black. Escaping death. Watching a pony taking a nose-dive off a roof at a party. Hopped up on hoof dust. Homelessness. Beaten by roaming thugs. Nearly dead, dragged to a hospital by a good samareitan. Withdrawals. Horrible, horrible withdrawals. Getting a sketchbook again. Selling sketches. Buying art supplies. Discovered by an art critic. Arriving in Canterlot. Princess Celestia.

After a long and sleepless night, he dragged his hooves back again to the Royal Gallery, his colt-friend slowing carefully to match his pace, saying nothing, watching. Buffalo realized, after a couple of minutes, that he was 'shutting down,' as Cherry called it, and forced himself to relax a little, meeting the slender unicorn's eyes for the first time that morning. A tired smile did its best to reassure; It didn't, but Cherry smiled back anyway. By this time, their strides had increased and they reached the Gallery with time to spare. 

As usual, Princess Celestia was there already, and her expression was as it always was; Caring, smiling, coy and canny at once. As if the Princess knew something they didn't; As if the day was supposed to start this way, and she knew exactly what was going to happen. Buffalo and Cherry just bowed, and took the center stage where they would present and answer questions about Buffalo's gallery. Little did Buffalo know, the questions he would answer today were of a much different nature.

Thunderclouds formed as the train entered the station, a few blocks from the Castle. Buffalo did his best to clear his troubled thoughts, easing back into the role of host, taught to him by Rarity so many years ago, only made more impressive and striking by time and painful experience.

Nopony ever believed that revolving doors could be flung open before that day. Applejack had been thinking more and more as she approached the Castle, and gotten angrier and angrier. When she burst into the gallery, she may as well have been Cerberus himself, spitting flame, with Twi, Spike and Rarity sheepishly following behind, giving a half apologetic waves to the ponies in the gallery, especially Princess Celestia. Their embarrassment was unheeded by the raging frame of orange cowpony, eyes like burning coal, staring directly at Buffalo Paintbrush.

And this was it. His stomach dropped. One foot backed up a step, merely out of reflex; It was the worst thing he could have done.

Applejack lost it.

"Prairie, yer gonna run away agin? Just like yah always have, ever since you was a colt and we took yer sorry flank in and fed ya, gave you a home. Now I guess out little Prairie Fire done outgrowed his family, decided we wasn't good enough and ya'd leave to go stay in Canterlot? And don't tell me none of that "Buffalo" junk either, I know my brother when I see him, even if he dyed his mane and threw mah hat away!"

Buffalo visibly flinched at this, but when Cherry opened his mouth to protest this snarling mare's treatment of his colt-friend, Prairie stopped him, putting a hoof up at him. Cherry understood, and reluctantly backed off, though he watched, concerned.
In the next few seconds, as Applejack could only stare, uninvolved ponies inched their way out of the gallery. Prairie, for once, took a deep breath, and held his head high as he stepped toward his sister. He wasn't running anymore, not these days. 

"Okay. Do your worst. Tell me what you're here to say."

He looked deeply into her eyes, with the calm steadfastness that only a stallion who has been stepped on and smashed into the curb can muster. Time slowed down. Everypony's stomach was clenched so hard, they might as well have been fashion models themselves. Applejack's teeth were clenched hard enough to need a crowbar to split them. She stared back at this dark-maned stranger. The last six years of her life came to mind. Everything she'd wanted to do when she finally confronted him. Ten million things she needed to yell at him. A thousand curse words. A hundred kicks to the flank. Ten headbutts. But it was gone in an instant; she could only say one thing.

"I'm sorry."

Thunder struck. Twilight, Rarity and Cherry all gasped.

Prairie wasted no time whipping Applejack into a violent hug. 

She shook in his hooves, crying without crying, but he only hugged her harder. "Don't you ever be sorry. Don't you ever think it was your fault. My life has always been in my hooves." He whispered it harshly in her ears, making sure she knew he wasn't taking no for an answer. The little colt who had been unable to comfort his sister, who was so scared, was gone, and the confident, strong stallion in his place was not going to let his sister hurt any more. He wanted to keep her safe.

But Applejack had held back since she was a filly, and could hold back and be strong no more. She cried openly, for the first time in so long. Tears, unmarked by neither pride or shame, rinsed her face; and wails that came from the bottom of her stomach tore out of her throat, filling the place. The hug was fierce; They would both have bruises for several days. Featherweight's sneaky camera caught sight of this hug, and the iconic photograph would ensure his fame for years. He went unnoticed, as most of the pony's eyes in the room were too misty to see him. Well, most anyway.

"That's it?" Spike remarked, visibly disgusted. "I thought she was gonna buck his block off! Why'd she go soft?"

Twilight grabbed Spike's mouth magically, shushing him, but Rarity smiled soberly.

"It's family, darling. There's no accounting for it. Love is a reflex; we cannot control it, master it, or command it."

Although the white unicorn had been whispering, Applejack sniffled out, "I reckon Rarity's right." 

Although talking to them, she stared into her brother's warm eyes. She didn't need to expound. Before anypony could say anything else, Princess Celestia approached, eyes gleaming as usual. Suddenly, something sparked in Twilight's head, and she gasped.

"Princess! You knew who Buffalo was the whole time, didn't you?"

Celestia cocked her head to her student with a sly smile, and winked.

"Now what in Equestria would give you that idea?"

She turned from her gaping student back to the reunited brother and sister.

"Buffalo, perhaps you might like to give your sister a tour of your gallery? It seems that she has been waiting quite a long time to see your art."

It was true; Applejack had not ever seen one brushstroke of his artwork. He turned to her, a little doubtful. 

"Do you really want to see it? I mean, it's got to be weird to-"

"Naw, Sugarcube, I wanna go see Big Mac's art show in Canterlot. Course ah do, Prair- er, Buffalo, er-"

"Prairie Fire is fine." He said, smiling a little at his sister's uncharacteristic shyness. She smiled back, but then ruffled his mane hard with her hoof.

"Mah little brother, the fancy pants, hoity toity ar-teest! Boy howdy, never thought I'd see the day an Apple had himself an "art gallery!"" Her eyes were drying, and she once again put on her "big sister" face. He just swiped at her hoof and smiled back, glad that for now, the tension had been lifted. They still had much that needed to be fixed, a lot of things to talk aout, but for now, everything melted back in to familiarity in the maddening way only a family can know.

Now, it was Cherry's turn to be introduced; And he let Prairie know it was his turn by sliding up next to him and clearing his throat rather LOUDLY.

Applejack looked at him with a raised eyebrow, comments clearly just below the surface. Seeing her expression made Prairie secretly smile in fond familiarity, but he let out a good-natured groan as he submitted to the cyan unicorn's quiet/loud demand.

"Ah yes, Applejack, this is my very special somepony, Cherry Bomb. Say hello to his royal fanny."

Cherry Bomb had simply preened- At least until that last part, startling Cherry and earning Prairie a smack on the shoulder from the ruffled colt and a good hearty laugh from Applejack. Rarity, however, looked like she had found her new best friend.

"Oh my, darling, you are simply exquisite! You look like a stallion Fleur de Lil!"

"Me? Why, I should be the one complimenting you, love; I'm in the presence of the legendary disappearing icon Rarity! You were supposed to be the next Jean Paul Goatier!"

"If I had been, you would have starred both my stallions AND mares fashion collections!"

Spike silently fumed, glaring at Cherry. As the two began trading increasingly dramatic compliments, Twilight took Applejack aside, confused.

"Applejack... I'm delighted that you've forgiven Prairie, but..." She struggled for the words, but Applejack just smiled and brought her hat down, narrowing the conversation to just them.

"Twilight, when I looked in that colt's eyes, I saw mahself as a little filly, just home from Manehatten. I didn't see that little foal that ran away, who looked down when he got yelled at, and cried when he got scared of the dark. Heck, maybe ah'm a darn fool and I really should go buck 'im in the teeth, but... I think my little brother became a stallion, and if this is the journey he had to take, then ain't mah business to hate 'im for it. Rarity was right; Cain't help but love yer family."

Twilight's eyes were saucers as he friend once again proved that there really was a sharp mind under that hick stetson hat.
Finally, Prairie cleared his throat and told everypony to follow him so that he could properly show them the gallery, and everypony conceded, the anticipation clear on their faces.

He brought them back to the doors, and then headed right, into a small section with small, square canvases. Whatever small joking and conversation had existed in the group prior, faded away almost immediately as they slowed their pace, faces upturned in awe.

"These aren't at all what you described his work was like in Ponyville, rarity," Twilight whispered absently to her friend, but a glance in the white unicorn's direction showed more than Rarity could have said. 

"That's because they're not," A faint, whispered reply came and then they were all silent.

Indeed, the pieces were unlike the striking portraits and nature-based realism; In its place, there were stunning works of abstract expressionism. Textured canvases of paint that dripped and splashed in brilliant, expressive colors; With each new painting, a wave of a new, strong emotion would come over each of the ponies.

Prairie Fire walked slowly along behind them, a weary, shy smile creeping up every time he saw one of them gasp, saw their eyes widen, and saw Rarity thrust her hoof into her chest, utterly stricken. As they moved between a maze of white walls and architecture, gently led by Prairie, they came upon the main section of his gallery; His masterpieces. Everypony stopped, beyond speech. Prairie had been ahead of them, leading, but stopped and turned, his face stoic, reading their reactions.
These were a combined effort of his abstract abilities, and his portraiture. There were paintings of Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applebloom, on one wall, and on another, were Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and of course, Rarity in all her beauty. They were painted in perfect, realistic detail over a splash of abstract colors. Nopony was more shocked than Applejack.

She rushed over, reaching out to touch the single large painting in the middle of her wall, of all of them together at the table, that fateful morning. It was done in first pony perspective; Prairie's view, looking only over the table. Applebloom was on the left side, blissful,with Big Mac was feeding her. Granny Smith, on the right, was looking worriedly at Applejack. Applejack was the center of the picture, glaring straight at the viewer, domineering over the table. 

The girls stared at her, her face a mask of emotions as she looked on. Prairie looked from her to them, and pointedly waited for them to look at their own portraits. They all glanced at each other, and then turned to "their" wall. Applejack slowly turned back to him, apprehensive.

"Okay," she stated hesitantly, and was about to finish with something else, but instead just looked at him, beyond words.

He nodded.

She nodded back.

Twilight, the only one without a portrait of herself to admire, approached Prairie, starting to tell him, " Prairie Fire, this is a really phenomenal-"

He held up a hoof to her, shushing her for the moment.

"Twilight Sparkle, right? You're the one who brought my sister and I back together. There's something you need to see."
He turned and walked away, and she, confused, followed him. The rest of the girls looked at each other and shrugged; They were pretty sure they were allowed to follow, so they did.

He came to a last, tiny room with one huge painting in the middle, covered by a tarp.

"Yesterday, after I saw you, I knew that you were the last detail needed to complete my masterpiece, so I painted all day and night to finish it. You're the first ponies ever to see it."

He yanked a huge black cord, and the curtains pulled away, revealing the most beautiful and startling painting the mane six had ever seen.

It was Celestia and the six; Celestia took up more than half of the canvas on top, staring imperiously down at them, wings spread beautifully over the busts of the six ponies, who were all looking up innocently, except for Twilight whose eyes were glowing white and in the center.

"This is amazing..." Twilight half whispered. They were all perfectly detailed, as if the last time he'd seen the main six was the day before he painted it, rather than years ago. "And you only saw me for a few minutes. How did you know how I react to powerful magic? How did you capture the girls so perfectly when you haven't see them for years? When-"

"During those two years, I was in some very hard times. When you're alone, anypony special to you will imprint their image on your mind clearly."

"And you had sketches of them..." Cherry Bomb mumbled under his breath, unimpressed by his coltfriend's overly romantic interpretation, but nopony heard him.

"Well it sure is cool!" Spike remarked, staring bug-eyed at the painting.

"The other really should come admire these, don't you think?" Rarity asked, a bit breathless. For once, even she couldn't try to put together a comment on the actual painting, being so overwhelmed as she was. Twilight and Spike agreed, and Prairie smiled his appreciation, and they made plans to have everypony come spend an afternoon at the gallery soon; Meanwhile, Applejack sat away from them, lost in thought. A white hoof landed on her shoulder, and she looked up at the Princess's benevolent face.

"So, my little pony. Have you learned anything today?"

Applejack pondered the thought for a moment. She was not one to give an answer without being sure it was the honest one, and soon, her face brightened.

"I s'pose I did!"

Celestia's smile only grew warmer. "If you'll dictate it, I will write your letter right now."

Excited and honored, Applejack jumped up and bowed to her princess. "It would be an honor to have you pen it! Let's see..."

"Dear Princess Celestia;
Sometimes, a family works in strange ways. Even when you swear you're never gonna ever talk to them again, you get together and it's like nothing ever changed. Suddenly, your little brother is just your little brother again, even if you two go history that would make the sweetest apples go sour. The point is, family is always your family, and if you can't forgive your family, well, who CAN you forgive?
Signed, your faithful subject, Applejack."

Suddenly, after the letter was dictated, some young colts had come into the gallery, and noticed Cherry Bomb's hoof slung around Prairie's shoulder.

"Eew, coltcuddlers!" One of them cried, and Applejack tore into action, racing toward them.

"Y'all better git before ah tear you a new flankhole! NOPONY insults an Apple if AH have anything to say about it!"
The girls laughed as the colts scrambled through the revolving door before Applejack had their heads on a platter.
Prairie Fire looked to his sister appreciatively. He would need to teach her a few things about political correctness, but the fact that after all this time, she was on his side, meant more than he could express.