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// Left Hanging 
// Story: The Colorful Aftermath 
// by Comma Typer 
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It was early morning in Ponyville, the sun merely inches above the apple tree hills. The trees themselves proved to be formidable barriers to the sun's warm light, their foliage thick with both leaves and apples. A soft, crisp breeze rushed through, rustling the leaves and shaking a few loose apples to the ground with its green tufts of trimmed grass—over here, there's an apple, rolling around, underneath the white picket fence, and on to the dirt path.
If a pony were to tread this dirt path, he would find himself at the family farm of Sweet Apple Acres. That huge red barn taking up all the space and the attention for any visitor—this was the centerpiece of the farm, although there were other things to appreciate, too, like the chicken coop by the vine-riddled entrance and the well just across. Despite the name, apples were not the only produce here; opposite the apple trees, past the barn, were the corn fields with budding stalks, and the carrots and radishes growing from beneath. What made the place complete were bales of hay laying here and there.
In front of the barn's huge doors which led into a big open space inside, a table was set. Covered in red and white cloth designed like a picnic mat, the surface was beset with the overwhelming aroma of farm fare: steaming hot apple pies accompanied by sizzling and appetizing apple fritters, thick candied apples coupled with sweet and moist apple cake, apple turnovers topped with sliced apples and apple-flavored cream—which had a tinge of red—and all of this was topped with mugs of apple cider.
Seated around the table were those six friends: Applejack, wearing her trusty hat over her blonde mane; Fluttershy, staring at the smorgasbord of food before her; Pinkie Pie, licking her lips so much, she let some of her saliva splash onto her slice of apple pie; Rarity, busy with tying a napkin around her neck and levitating her utensils into their correct positions; Twilight Sparkle, watching all of this activity happen with a hoof on a book entitled Apples: How This Fruit Shaped Equestria as We Know It; and, finally, Rainbow Dash, still not taking her seat, opting to hover over her wooden stool while also adoring the food before her, examining each unique meal from afar.
"You know what, Twilight?" Applejack said in her country accent. "I still can't believe they're talkin' about us!"
Twilight smiled. "Well, of course, Applejack. What else could they do when they see us as the mares who single-hoofedly protected Equestria from certain doom?"
Fluttershy blinked. "But, i-it's been days. It's uncomfortable to have a pony come to my c-cottage out of nowhere."
Twilight twirled her hoof around. "Just hold it off, Fluttershy. Give it a week, and it'll all cool off."
Rainbow sat down, smiling. "A week would be more than enough! Do you know Scootaloo?"
Twilight shook her head, letting her mane flip about. "I've heard her name before. Who's she?"
"She's the president of the Official Rainbow Dash Fan Club! Wants to be just like me, and, last time I heard, I'm getting a substantial following there."
Twilight rolled her eyes, let out a small laugh. "We might have to write to Princess Celestia about your ego issues."
Rainbow raised a brow. "Ego issues? You could say I brag a lot, but it isn't bragging if it's true—" and proceeded to cross her forelegs.
Twilight moaned, noticing the looks she was garnering from her friends. "Well, maybe a pie or two would lighten up the mood and make you more...comfortable?"
Rainbow felt and heard her stomach rumble.
Everyone looked her way.
She shrugged her shoulders. "What? I woke up early and cleared the skies for you."
Rarity closed her eyes and tilted her head upward, appearing snooty. "If you're hungry, Rainbow Dash, don't make it obvious. There is such a thing as 'table manners'."
"I can't control my stomach, OK?" Rainbow countered.
Applejack stretched a hoof to the table, keeping up a smile. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here! The food's gettin' cold, and I don't wanna be servin' you stale breakfast."
Pinkie nodded, slobbering all over her plate except for her pie slice. "Finally! Somepony I could agree on!"
Fluttershy nodded, too. "I-I d-don't like a-arguing over food...or, a-at all. Especially in the morning."
Twilight placed her book away. "Then, let's chow down, shall we?"
With Pinkie Pie the first one by slurping the whole slice into her mouth, chewing three times, then gulped it down.
Twilight gasped, gawking at her with shock. "Even this early, you eat like that? How do you do it?" She levitated a quill and a notepad into view. "Is it genetic?"
Pinkie shook her head. "Silly Twilight! It's not like I have a black hole inside that sucks up everything I eat!"
Twilight placed her writing material back, ears drooped in confusion. "Uh, you...don't?"
Rarity quietly cutting her slice of pie into neat little apple cubes, floating her knife and fork just so.
"Let her be," Applejack said to the curious Twilight, motioning to a sloppy Pinkie pouring pecans into her mouth. "She's good for leftovers, at least."
Twilight nodded. "Oh. If that's the case...I'll get on with eating."
She floated an apple, took a bite out of it.
Rainbow Dash rubbed her hooves, her mouth watering at the sight of all the overflowing plates of fresh food. "This is gonna be a treat! Thanks, Applejack!"
The farmer chuckled a bit. "Don't mention it. Just me being generous with y'all—"
"Hey!" Pinkie shouted, her mouth half-full. "Shouldn't Rarity be the generous one? You're stealing her Element!" She gulped down the rest of her food, screamed, and opened an umbrella. "Applejack's going to steal all of our Elements and take over the world with her apple trees!"
Fluttershy shuddered, but still went on, eating her mushroom soup garnished with apple slices.
Applejack groaned. "For the third time, Pinkie, I don't have plans for takin' over Equestria!"
Rainbow, ignoring the farmpony's futile argument against the pink mare, stretched her arms, cracked her neck, and let out a sigh of relief, her eyes resting upon her first serving of apple breakfast. "Alright! Time to rest in the fruits of awesomeness again!"
"Mail for Rainbow Dash," a voice said.
Rainbow turned around. "What?"
Saw a pegasus in yellow armor with a sealed scroll in hoof.
Twilight blinked at it. "Wow! The royal couriers still service us?"
Rarity's eyes glowed, beholding the scroll. "Who could it be from, Rainbow Dash? It must be from somepony famous, congratulating you for your bravery!"
"Her bravery?" Applejack pointed out. "What about our bravery? I'm wonderin' who this fellow is!"
Fluttershy dropped her spoon, spilling a little soup on to the table cloth. She wiped the stain as best as she could with her napkin.
Pinkie Pie grabbed the scroll. "Ooh! I wanna see it!"
Rainbow yanked it away. "Gimmie that! It's for me, so I get the honor of reading it first!"
Pinkie cocked her head a bit. "Aww! You're no fun!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes as she took out the seal and opened the letter.
Everyone else leaning in, even the guard despite his stoic face.
"What does it say?" Twilight inquired.
"I haven't even started," was Rainbow's frustrated reply.
Twilight blushed. "Oops!"
Rainbow then went to reading it, eyes scrolling left to right.
Gulped.
"Who's the writer?" Applejack asked, trotting to Rainbow's side.
Rainbow felt sweat going down her face.
Rolled the scroll closed.
"Um, it's nothing much!" Rainbow said, hiding it in her mane and herself behind a smile. "Just a letter from my parents about how proud they are for me and—"
"Wow!" exclaimed Twilight, beaming. "Pegasus families are known to take pride in the achievements of their foals! I'm glad it's showing itself right now!"
Rainbow sighed. "It's not just that. I'm invited to return to Cloudsdale to have a 'Princess Luna Returns and Equestria is Not in Danger Anymore' party. Luna herself isn't going there since she's busy reconciling with Celestia, but it's a full-day affair, and Mom and Dad aren't the ones who thought it up—the mayor herself wants all Cloudsdale-born ponies to go, which includes me."
Fluttershy raised her head, dismayed. "That includes m-me, too!"
Rainbow grumbled, surveying the food on the table again. "I mean, as much as I want to stay here and chat, the party's starting half an hour from now. Don't know why they're this late, but...better than nothing, right?"
Fluttershy shivered, her eyes darting back and forth in fear. "Do I h-have to pack my b-bags? What should I bring?"
Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. "What about I go home with you and help you prepare for the party?"
Leaving those two alone, Rainbow turned to the rest of her friends. "I can just bring myself, you know! And, sorry Applejack, but I'll take a few gobbles and move up—they're going to be cooking in the clouds!"
Applejack chuckled again. "I do wonder how they cook food way up there."
Pinkie grinned, stole Applejack's hat, and put it on her own curly pink mane. "What about I make a cloud grill and show you?"
Applejack took the hat back.
Rarity rested a hoof on her cheek, the only one still sitting down. "And, here I am, alone and with lots to eat...."
Rainbow sighed, looking at them while hovering to Fluttershy. "Gotta go accompany her to Cloudsdale! No time to waste!"
Fluttershy and Twilight smiled, as they and Rainbow left the table and the farm altogether.



Fluttershy's house was in a precarious location, perched by the edge of a short cliff. However, it had the advantage of taking in the cool winds and breezes that drifted by once in a while. What made it truly stand out, though, was the abundance of animals frolicking beside it, around it, on it, under it, and inside it. Rabbits and bunnies hopped around on the path leading to the front door, birds sat either by branches' nests or hanging birdhouses made specifically and specially for them, turtles walking slowly about by the trees and under the shade—over here, just like back in Sweet Apple Acres, thrived a chicken coop where the sounds of chickens cluck-clucking mingled with the birds' chirps and the owls' hoots and the ducks quacks, and many more.
Walking out the front door were Twilight and Fluttershy, the latter carrying a light saddle bag.
Waiting outside was Rainbow Dash, flapping her wings above the path and staring at Fluttershy with an impatient look. "Come on! Let's go already and get it over with!"
Twilight sighed. "Patience, Rainbow. The party is going to start in ten minutes, and Cloudsdale's just over there—" in which she pointed at the floating cloud city not so distant in the sky.
Rainbow grunted, looked at that nervous Fluttershy. "So, are you ready? You didn't miss anything? You're definitely sure you got all you need?"
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Wait! Let me check."
She opened her saddle bag.
Inspected it, fumbled her hoof around inside it.
Rainbow rolled her eyes again.
Swooped in, grabbed her, and carried her away into the sky.
Leaving Twilight dumbfounded, standing on the grass and watching them fly away. "Rainbow Dash!"



Those two pegasi, alone in the sky, the vast blue sky.
Approaching Cloudsdale, that marvelous city made of clouds there with their coliseums, arenas, column-stuffed structures, weather facilities, houses, stores, falls of water and rainbows—all of these floating up there, held up by a cloudy "ground".
The both of them silent, feeling the rush of the wind, flapping their wings.
"Uh, wh-what's wrong, Rainbow?"
Rainbow did not look at her. "What do you mean, 'what's wrong'? I wasn't told about it earlier, that's all. Besides, if there's anything to it, the Wonderbolts are gonna be there, and it's the perfect opportunity to rub shoulders with them! See if I can ask for a personal show with them, fly and loop around—let them see why I'm Wonderbolt material!"
Fluttershy gulped. "But, when you read the letter, you were more than surprised. You were...embarrassed."
Rainbow gulped. "Embarrassed? Who told you I was embarrassed?"
Fluttershy shrank away, though keeping pace with her in flight. "Uh...n-no one."
Rainbow smiled again. "There's nothing wrong, Fluttershy. It's an all-day celebration. We're back to two Princesses, we won't have any eternal night, and everypony's safe and sound. What more could you ask for other than getting the letter sooner? It's going to be great, Flutters!" and poked her on the head.
"Eep!"
Rainbow laughed. "Yeah, you really need to toughen up. I think Hoops and his buddies are coming as well."
Fluttershy shuddered yet again, placing her forehooves to her mouth.
"But, if they even think of hurting you, I'll be there!"
The two of them smiled.
Then, looked forward, closer and closer to Cloudsdale.
Which was good for Rainbow Dash, since that meant she would clatter her teeth and continue her worrying in secret.