Rainbow Dash was standing at the stove preparing breakfast when Applejack came into the kitchen with Melody at her side.
“Mornin’ Rainbow,” The cowgirl said in greeting.
“Morning Aj, morning Melody, did you sleep well last night?” Rainbow asked.
“Yeah, but I think Mom was having a nightmare again,” Melody answered.
Ever since Stevie had gone on tour with his band, Applejack had had nightmares of him leaving her for a better life.
“Oh, you want to talk about it, Aj?” Rainbow asked, flipping a pancake over in the pan that was on the stove.
“No, Ah don’t,” Applejack replied, sharply before taking a seat at the table.
“Is Sky up yet?” Melody asked, sensing the tension in the room.
“No, he’s not up yet,” Rainbow answered, smiling at her niece.
“Oh ok, I hope he gets up soon because I want to play with him,” Melody said, as she took a seat at the table.
“Well, you will have all the time in the world. Oh, and Aunt Scootaloo is coming to visit,” Rainbow said.
“Sky is going to be so happy to see Scootaloo again,” Soren said, coming into the kitchen.
“Ah can't wait to see Scootaloo again, Ah haven't seen her since she moved out to Apple Wood,” Applejack noted.
Sky, who had come downstairs quietly, sat down next to Melody.
“Aunt Scootaloo is coming?” Sky asked.
“Yes, she is.” Melody smiled at him, as Rainbow set a fresh plate of pancakes on the table.
“But isn't she on tour with the Wonderbolts?” Applejack asked.
“Scootaloo settled down in Apple Wood, she's not on tour with the Wonderbolts anymore,” Rainbow explained.
“Yeah, she doesn't want to move around too much,” Soren added, putting a hoof around his wife.
Then there came a knock on the door. Rainbow got up and walked to the front door when she opened it, she was greeted with an orange pegasus wearing a red leather jacket.
“Scootaloo!” Rainbow grinned, hugging her.
“Rainbow, I'm so happy to see you,” Scootaloo smiled as she walked into the house.
“Where is Sky? Scootaloo asked.
“He's in the kitchen with Applejack and Melody,” Rainbow answered.
Scootaloo, her figure outlined by the light emanating from the kitchen cautiously crossed over into the room and stopped, her gaze absorbing the familiar scenes and soothing scents that filled the space.
Sky’s eyes moved to the door to see Scootaloo, he got up and walked over to her.
“Hey, Sky, how are you?” Scootaloo asked, keeping her distance from him.
“Aunt Scootaloo, is that you?” Melody asked, coming over.
“Yeah, it is,” Scootaloo confirmed.
“Is Aunt Sweetie Belle coming too?” Melody asked, hopeful.
“No, it's just me,” Scootaloo told her.
“Well, hey Scootaloo. Ah haven't seen ya in a few years. How are things?” Applejack asked, coming over to her.
“I'm doing good, and you?” Scootaloo asked.
“Ah ain't doing ok, Stevie hasn't written,” Applejack admitted.
“Yeah, Rainbow told me what happened, I'm sorry,” Scootaloo sympathized.
Applejack let out a sigh, turning her head away so Scootaloo wouldn't see her cry.
“Mom, what is wrong?” Melody asked from across the table, hearing her mom cry, getting up and coming over to her.
“Oh, sugar, Ah miss him.” Applejack wept like a little filly.
Melody pulled her mom close as she cried, Scootaloo walked over to Sky and sat down in front of him.
Sky sat on the floor, oblivious to what was happening around him as he played with some pieces of cloud that he had found.
“What you got there, huh?” Scootaloo tried to make conversation with her nephew.
“Got clouds!” Sky triumphantly declared, holding up the peace of clouds.
“Nice,” Scootaloo said, smiling and reaching out a hoof to touch the cloud.
Noticing this, Sky began to fuss, didn’t she know that nobody but him was allowed to touch his clouds?
“Enh, no,” Sky whined, starting to rock back and forth covering his ears.
Scootaloo sat quietly, a sense of uncertainty clouding her thoughts, in the background.
Sky's distressed noises echoed, amplifying her feelings of helplessness.
Rainbow, always attentive to her son's needs, approached them with concern etched across her face.
"What's the matter?" she asked gently, her voice a soothing balm in the tense atmosphere.
Scootaloo hesitated before mustering the courage to speak.
"I don't understand why Sky is upset, I just wanted to share in his joy."
Rainbow's brow furrowed in confusion, her eyes searching for understanding.
"Is that all?"
Scootaloo nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of misunderstanding.
Turning to Sky, Rainbow spoke softly, mindful of his sensitivities.
"Sky, sweetheart," she began, her voice tender yet firm. "Can you tell me why you're upset with Aunt Scootaloo?" Sky hesitated, his hooves still covering his ears as he struggled to find the words.
"Upset with Aunt Scootaloo?" he finally managed, his voice tinged with frustration as he lowered his hooves, his eyes seeking solace in the familiar faces around him.
Rainbow let out a heavy sigh as she went to get her husband from the next room, a few moments later, she returned with Soren in tow.
“What’s going on?” Soren asked.
“Well, I tried playing with Sky, but he wouldn’t let me,” Scootaloo replied.
“Sky, honey, remember what Miss Horse Apple said, you need to share, even with Aunt Scootaloo, ok?” Soren reminded his son.
Sky dropped the piece of cloud he was holding and ran off to find something else to play with.
“Scootaloo you need to remember that Sky is very sensitive; he might not interact with you as you expect,” Rainbow explained, seeing Scootaloo’s confused look.
“Oh, I understand,” The orange Pegasus said.
"Aunt Rainbow," Melody chirped as she navigated toward what she hoped was her aunt's location, her hooves lightly feeling the floor beneath her hooves. “We are leaving for a bit to go out.”
Rainbow smiled warmly, her voice carrying a gentle reassurance. "Sure thing, Melody, you and your mom go ahead. We'll have dinner waiting when you get back."
"Alrighty, come on, sugar," Applejack drawled in her distinctive country accent, her hand reaching out to guide her daughter. "We're headin' out."
Once they had left, Rainbow flew back into the kitchen to clean up from breakfast and to prepare lunch, with a glance at the clock.
Meanwhile in Ponyville, Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Ray and Moonwalker were sitting in Twilight’s castle discussing what they should do for Stevie’s welcome home party in a few weeks.
“We could have it right here in the castle,” Twilight suggested.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Pinkie nodded.
“Oh, I can make him a nice tuxedo, I think I still have the fabric I used for his wedding,” Rarity smiled gleefully at the thought.
“Can I help?” Moonwalker asked.
“Oh sure, you can, darling,” Rarity smiled at him.
Ray rolled his eyes at his friend. “Ya know, you sure have been over there a lot lately, Moon, Ah’m starting to think somethin’ is going on.”
“Nothin’ is going on, Ray,” Moonwalker groaned, putting a hoof to his head. “Quit being so nosy.”
“Oh, I just know Stevie will be so surprised, has anyone heard from Applejack?” Ray asked.
“No, she’s still visiting Rainbow, but I think she said she would come back next week or something,” Twilight answered.
One week later.
Tears streamed down Melody's cheeks as she zipped up her bag, each movement weighted with reluctance and sorrow. Applejack entered the room just in time to witness her daughter's silent anguish, her heart sinking at the sight of Melody's glistening eyes.
"What's wrong, honey?" Applejack's voice was gentle, filled with maternal concern as she approached her daughter.
Melody's voice quivered as she struggled to articulate her emotions. "I... I don't know," she whispered, her hooves shuffling nervously as she reached out for her mother's embrace.
Sorrow etched into every line of Applejack's face as she drew Melody close, feeling the weight of her daughter's pain. "I know you don't want to leave, sweetheart, but we have to go back to Ponyville," she murmured, her own voice heavy with regret.
"Your dad... he said he was coming back." Applejack said.
"He's never coming back!" Melody's words erupted with raw emotion, a storm of hurt and longing crashing against the fragile walls of her heart.
Applejack's patience wavered as she reprimanded her daughter, her own grief mingling with frustration.
"Melody, that's enough," she admonished, her voice tinged with sorrow.
In the hallway, Rainbow Dash paused, her heart heavy with concern as she overheard the strained conversation. With a fleeting moment of hesitation, she knocked softly on the door, her voice filled with genuine worry, "Hey, is everything okay in there?"
Applejack's response was strained, her attempts to conceal the family's pain faltering under Rainbow Dash's persistent concern.
"Yeah, we're fine, Rainbow," she called out, her words tinged with weariness.
But Rainbow Dash refused to be placated by empty reassurances, her intuition urging her to delve deeper into the truth.
"Are you sure?" she pressed, her voice a gentle melody of empathy.
The weight of their shared sorrow hung heavy in the air, a silent plea for understanding and solace.
"Dash, I said we're fine," Applejack's words were a brittle shield, masking the vulnerability lurking beneath. With a resolve born of compassion, Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her determination unwavering.
"Clearly, you're not fine," she declared softly, her voice a beacon of unwavering support. "So I'm coming in."
In that moment, the barriers crumbled, revealing the depth of Melody's despair as she sat huddled on the floor, her tears a silent testament to the ache in her heart.
"Hey, kiddo," Rainbow Dash's voice was a soothing balm, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she knelt beside her niece. "What's wrong?"
And in the sanctuary of that shared embrace, amidst the tangled threads of sorrow and longing, Melody found solace in the warmth of her family's love.
“Ah’m very mad that we need to go, Ah’m don’t wanna leave, Ah don’t care if dad comes back,” Melody sobbed.
“Melody, how could you say that, I mean, don’t you love your dad?” Rainbow asked, taking a back by what her niece had said.
“Well, Ah guess, but it’s been so long since he left, I was very hurt when he left me and mom,” Melody embraced her aunt.
The bedroom enveloped them like a comforting cocoon, its walls adorned with memories captured in framed photographs.
The bed, with its soft embrace of quilts and pillows, beckoned with the promise of rest and respite from the trials of the day.
Sunlight filtered gently through curtains, casting a warm glow upon the worn floorboards below.
Trinkets and mementos dotted shelves and dressers, each holding a story, a fragment of their shared history. In this sanctuary of emotions, the air was thick with the weight of feelings expressed and unspoken, mingling in a delicate dance of sorrow and hope.
Melody walked over to the bed and threw herself upon it, then she burst into passionate sobbing.
Applejack could only shake her head at her daughter's childish behavior and she walked over to her and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
“Sugar, Ah understand this is hard for you, but it’s ok,” The cowgirl spoke softly.
A few more minutes of coaxing and calming later, Applejack finally got Melody to stop crying, and tell her what was wrong.
Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?" Applejack finally broke the silence after what seemed like ages.
"Daddy isn't coming back, is he?" Melody's voice trembled with uncertainty.
"Well, honestly, I'm not sure. Twilight wrote to me yesterday, saying we needed to head back to town because Stevie was coming home," Applejack replied, her tone heavy with concern.
With that, mother and daughter exited the house, dragging their bags along, while Rainbow lent a hoof with the luggage as they headed to the train station.
Once on the train, they found their seats and sat down, Applejack let out another heavy sigh, as she looked out the window as the scenery passed by.