//------------------------------//
// Following A Train of Thought 
// Story: Orange and Blue, I Do (Book 3) 
// by LotusTeaDragon 
//------------------------------//

CHAPTER ONE
"Following A Train of Thought"

"Ms. Tempest, we would be honored if you would take a moment to step away from your teammates, and gift us with some words. Your bravery in leading your squadron in defeating the vile serpent of the Lost Archipelago has guaranteed the safety and security of every Manehattenite, and will no doubt be remembered through the annals of Equestrian history." The red suited official smiled as he waved his hoof toward the front of the platform, the rest of the Wonderbolts were watching her with pride. Spitfire, the second in command of Equestria's greatest stunt team and aerial strike force, and who was standing to her right, gave her a half smile from underneath her mirrored sunglasses.

Violet Tempest's heart fluttered, but her only action was to turn her head back toward the front of the stage.

The official continued to smile and nod, beads of sweat beginning to form over his brow.

"Come now, Ms. Tempest, don't be shy." He stated quietly, his teeth clenched, and his voice quivering as he gave sidelong glances out to the massive throng of ponies cheering and waving for her to step up to the podium.

A nudge to her left flank from a rather amused, and likely sadistic, Soarin' surprised her enough that she nearly stumbled forward, though she caught herself with enough grace as to make it look almost natural. Almost, because Soarin' only barely managed to catch the laugh that tried to escape from his lips as she recovered. She gave him her most soul withering glare, which had no effect on him, of course, and straightened herself, taking a step forward up to the podium. Off to the side she could hear the official sigh in relief.

She stared out amonst the crowd of eager ponies, their faces shining in the sunlight, looking to her as a hero, as a leader of the greatest aerial team in all of Equestria. Stealing an extra second, she glanced around the giant structure that was Marison Square Garden, packed from front to back, top to bottom with young and old, rich and poor, and that fact never left her thoughts. She had fought hard to get to this point, and she had served the populace well, and she knew what she had to say to the waiting throng.

"I don't deserve this."

She licked her lips and took a deep breath as the crowd went wild. She could hear shouts of "Yes, you do!" and "don't be modest!" from a number of ponies in the rows toward the front, nearest the platform. She saw a foal waving a black, silver, and purple flag with a white cutie mark depicting a silver lined whirlpool.

Another breath. "Please, don't cheer for me. I don't deserve any of this!" she cried out, her voice plaintive. The crowd, sensing something was amiss, began to quiet down as she continued. "I'm nopony special, I'm not some great leader. I'm a fraud, a traitor, nothing more. I don't want this. I don't want any of this! Stop it! Stop looking at me like I belong here!"  

The crowd was deathly silent. She was shocked at not only the content, but also the force of her own words. All she knew was that her mind had gone blank, and her mouth had just uttered those treasonous syllables to a stadium of admirers, and in the presence of her teammates. She was speechless, but painfully aware of everything taking place around her, from the hyperventilating official standing off to the side of the podium, to the tears in the eyes of the fillies and colts that were looking up at her in confusion, their fragile feelings hurt by the rejection of their idol.

She fell to the platform, and covered her face in her hooves. Sobs began to emanate from behind them, as she heard the voice of Spitfire in her ear. "Miss, I think this is your stop."

"Miss?"

Violet Tempest started as somepony touched her shoulder. She looked up to see if it was Spitfire, only to realize that she wasn't on a platform at Marison Square Garden, and that the pony speaking to her and touching her shoulder wasn't Spitfire, but was instead an elderly gentlecolt wearing a small, round black hat, and a red vest. 

"Miss?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern as he leaned over and looked her in the eyes. "Are you okay? Forgive me for intruding, but I only woke you because I believe we have arrived at your stop."

Violet had recovered quickly, looking around and realizing she was on the Ponyville Express. She was on a train. She took a deep breath and gazed up at the porter, nodding her head and giving him a small "thanks". Concern still evident, but otherwise satisfied, the polite steward gave her a nod, the friendly twinkle returning to his eyes as he cantered away, eager to help the other passengers disembark.

Violet shook off the dream. It had been the second time she'd had it since she had left for Ponyville. While it didn't bode well for her emotional state of affairs, she figured as long as it stayed a dream it was harmless enough. Still, it was probably best that she didn't mention any of this to Rainbow Dash. While she was very intelligent, and very cool, Rainbow Dash had a tendency to try and "fix" things that she didn't know how to properly fix. She shoved the thoughts aside.

Her mental fog lifted and the excitement returned as she grabbed her saddlebags from under the seat, and made her way toward the exit car, smiling as she caught glimpses of Ponyville through the windows. 

She noticed immediately, as she stepped out into the bright sunshine, that few things had changed since the more than nine months she had been there for Hearth's Warming Eve. Thinking back to that wonderful holiday, she touched her saddlebags with one hoof, remembering that she still had the silver snowflake ornament that she had received from Rainbow Dash, and the red apple ornament from Applejack. They were just a few of the more important possessions she had decided to bring with her.

Stepping down from the platform, she began trotting across the pathway toward downtown Ponyville. She giggled to herself as she thought of the word "downtown" describing the center of town for a place like Ponyville. She figured it was just a side effect of living in such a large city for so long.  She inhaled deeply as she walked, taking in the fresh air of the countryside. She took note of the scent of flowers, daffodils likely, and the fresh green grass, the warm stucco of the small homes she passed, the distinct scent of... chocolate? 

I smell chocolate, she thought to herself, and it's getting more noticeable. Sure enough, the delicious aroma of chocolate was beginning to make her mouth water, and her eyelids droop in contentment. She glanced forward and caught a large pink building off to her left. It was a large, two story structure, festooned with giant "sprinkles" and colorful streamers, and Violet knew she had to step inside for just a moment if only to bask in the sweet confections that she knew beckoned to her from outside.

Pushing the door aside, the tiny bell made the occupants aware of the stranger that had stepped inside. Last time she had been here, she hadn't taken the opportunity to come down here in person, and while she regretted that, she planned on making up for it.

Walking up to the counter, she gazed at all of the delicious treats on display behind the glass. Muffins, cookies, cakes, scones, truffles, all so scrumptious and ready to be enjoyed. A squeak from her right let her know that someone had stepped through the double doors. Looking up, she saw a polite gentlecolt with light brown fur, wearing a paper hat, an apron, and a friendly smile.

"May I help you, Miss...?"

"Oh, Violet Tempest, sir. Yes, um, I wasn't going to come in, but I couldn't say no to the breeze that brought me here and forced me to your counter, but, um, do you have anything particularly chocolatey?" Violet asked the polite clerk.

"There's no need to be so formal, you can just call me Mr. Cake, if you like, Miss Tempest." He reached underneath the counter and chose a dark chocolate cherry tart with a mousse and sprinkle topping. "Does this look like the culprit?" He asked as he smiled, pushing the tart forward on the counter.

Violet's eyes shone as the rich scent from the tart invaded her nostrils. She nodded, "Oh yes, that would be the one, si-, er, Mr. Cake. I'll take it!" She began to reach into her saddlebags to remove her change purse, but Mr. Cake stopped her. 

"There's no need for payment, Miss Tempest. I'd say that since I remember Pinkie Pie telling me about you being Rainbow Dash's sister, I owe you a welcome to Ponyville token of appreciation. So please take this with my blessing." He placed the tart in a brown paper sack and slid the bag across the counter to the waiting pony.

"Oh, Mr. Cake, no, I insist on paying for this. It looks like it cost you quite a few bits to make it as extravagantly as you have. I always pay for what I need, and this is just something I want."

Mr. Cake waved her protests aside. "Miss Tempest-"

"Violet, if you please", Violet said.

"Very well. Violet, I have to give you this cherry tart. Do you know why?", he asked, a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Because I'm Rainbow Dash's sister?", Violet asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, that's part of it, though it's more that I simply want to welcome you to Ponyville, and I had missed my chance on your last visit, which was interestingly enough your first visit, but the primary reason is because this cherry tart broke the law, and forced you into this establishment against your will, and proceeded to make you purchase it, and I just can't abide a baked bad."
Violet raised both eyebrows at this. "Er, don't you mean a baked good?"

Mr. Cake chuckled gently. "No, Violet, a baked bad. It's a long story. I'd tell you to ask Pinkie Pie, but she still has nightmares. Maybe Applejack can fill you in. It's interesting, to say the least."

Violet smiled, and reached forward, taking the brown paper bag and placing it in one of her saddlebags.

"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Cake. I insist, however, that the next time I visit your establishment, you let me pay for my treats." She reached out a hoof for Mr. Cake to shake.

Mr. Cake smiled, and accepted the offered hoof. "It's a deal, my dear, and please say hello to Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Apple family when you see them." With that, he returned to the kitchen, the double doors swinging behind him as he went.

Violet was out the door and a few paces away from the building when the words struck her. Mr. Cake had said "Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Apple family".

The thought warmed her as she resumed her steps, hoping to see them all very soon. 

She continued heading into the center of town, taking note of the various shops and stalls as she approached the market square. As always, the square was bustling with happy ponies going about their business, buying, selling, and trading their various wares, bits exchanging hooves, the general chatter and hubbub that made such a place the lifeblood of any town. 

As she passed a stall selling beaded hoof bracelets, she caught a mint green unicorn pony with a white and green mane waving toward her direction. Violet turned her head and pointed a hoof to her chest, the green pony nodding and smiling in response. While she was hesitant for a moment, Violet figured that this wasn't Los Pegasus, and it was very likely the mint green unicorn wasn't out to steal the contents of her saddlebags, especially not within sight of so many other ponies.

She cantered over to the mint green pony. "Hello. I saw you waving me over. I don't think we've ever met, but do I know you?"

The mint green pony offered a hoof, and Violet shook it vigorously before letting go.

"Oh, no, you don't know me," the mint green pony began, a smile on her face, "but I do know you! Well, kind of, anyway. It's nice to meet you, my name's Lyra! You know, she's told me so much about you, and I remember seeing you last time you were here, but that must have been nearly a year ago! I'm always fascinated to meet ponies who have lived in one of the major cities. Los Pegasus right? Yeah, I've always wanted to go there, but BonBon doesn't like to travel far, so Canterlot's just about the only place we ever go, and if you know Canterlot, it's filled with uppity snooty ponies who look down their muzzles at ponies who come from the sticks, but it really is nice to meet you!"

Violet laughed. "Okay, it's nice to meet you too, Lyra. Um? When you say "she", are you referring to my sister, Rainbow Dash?"

Lyra nodded. "Yep! Rainbow Dash kept telling everypony about you the first week they came back from Los Pegasus. I was helping BonBon deliver sweets to Sugarcube Corner not long after, and Rainbow Dash followed us all the way there, which was nice because it was raining, and she was clearing the path ahead of us so we wouldn't get wet while we talked. Anyway, I didn't mean to hold you up, I just wanted to let you know it was good to see you again!"

Violet smiled and offered her hoof to Lyra, who took it happily.

"Well thank you, Lyra. I hope to get to meet a lot of ponies this time around. We spent so much family time together this past Hearth's Warming that I didn't get to see much of anypony while I was here. It was something I regretted, though I loved the time spent with the ponies I care about. You understand."

Lyra nodded. "Of course! I spend most of my time with BonBon, who is a bit of a bore but don't tell her I said that, which means I miss a lot of parties and hoofball games, and all that other fun stuff, but with all of that, I still wouldn't have it any other way. You make sacrifices for the ones you love, but they don't really feel like sacrifices because you love them. It's not a burden, it's almost like, well, like a gift."

Violet smiled at that sentiment. She turned and prepared to leave, glancing back toward Lyra. "Well, Lyra, I hope to see you again, soon, and I'd like to meet BonBon sometime!"

Lyra waved once more to Violet as the young purple mare turned and trotted away, back along the path that lead out to Sweet Apple Acres.

<(/)*(\)>

"Consarnit!"

Applejack sat up and shook her left forehoof, glaring at the offending board that had landed right on top of it. She had been working all morning, replacing the fifty meters of broken fence that had collapsed during the recent rainstorm. 

After a moment cursing every piece of wood that ever was, she grabbed the board, shoved it into place, and with one hammer swing, she drove the nail into the post. Getting back to all fours, she admired her hoofwork for a moment, and then tossed the hammer and nails into the saddlebag at her hip. She was getting things squared away, and didn't notice the pony that had joined her.

"You did a wonderful job, Applejack! This fence looks like new!"

Applejack turned suddenly, startled at the voice. Her look of surprise lasted only a moment, and then transformed into a beaming smile when she saw who was standing there.

"Well lan' sakes, Violet Tempest! Ain't ya a sight for sore eyes!"

She grabbed the purple pegasus and brought her into a strong bear hug. "It's been nearly a year since ah last saw ya! It's sah good ta see ya again!" She said, her voice muffled as her face pressed into Violet's neck. She pulled back and held Violet's shoulders, "Let me get a look at ya! Ya know, ah didn't figure ya'd be here so soon! We wasn't expectin' ya until next week! There weren't no trouble was they?" she asked, her voice taking on a tinge of concern.

Violet waved a hoof dismissively. "No, no trouble at all. Things wrapped up on the sale of the house, and I figured it was the best time to head on out. You know, save the trouble of getting a hotel for a week or so, and all that."

Her voice took on a careful tone. "That's not a problem is it? I mean, I don't want to put you or Dash out! The last thing I want to be is some kind of stone around your necks!"

Applejack laughed. "Are ya kiddin, sugarcube? Ya ain't no stone around our necks! Why both Dash and Ah have been just chompin' at the bit to see ya comin' back. Shoot, we was flattered that ya wanted ta stay here on the farm instead o' some place like Canterlot. Ah mean, livin' in a small town ain't like livin' in a big ol' city."

Violet blushed. "Oh, you're being too nice, AJ. A big city is no place to live if there's no one there who knows you. No friends makes any place lonely. I wanted to come where I would be welcome and where I could live with friends and family, and that includes you."

Now it was Applejack's turn to blush. "Aw, shucks, honey bear, ah ain't nothin' special, but Ah'm grateful that you think o' me that way."

"Now," she said in an upbeat tone, rubbing her hooves together, "what say you and ah go up to the farmhouse and get ourselves a cup o' coffee and some apple pie? Ah'm sure ya must be famished what with yer comin' out all this way, and them trains, they don't serve nothin' homemade, and ah think that's what could do ya some good right about now, and mahself too. How's that sound?"

Violet's grinned so wide her cheeks hurt. Finally, after the grin faded enough to where she could talk again, she said "that sounds wonderful, AJ! Nothing's better than pie with family! Is Rainbow Dash going to join us?"

Applejack shook her head. "Nah, she's got some kinda thang where she has ta train some kinda new colt or somethin'. She still don't know yer here." She paused for a moment and added, "ya didn't talk ta Derpy when ya got here, did ya?"

Violet shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her, though I did talk to Lyra."

Applejack nodded for a second and replied, "Well then, she probably don't know yet. Lyra don't say much ta others, but Derpy, well, Celestia love her heart, she likes to burn yer ears from one side up an' down ta other until ya cain't see from all the smoke." At this she chuckled a bit, and motioned Violet to follow her.

Together they walked up the small dirt path toward the farmhouse, side by side, looking forward to the promise of pie and pleasant company. There was only one pony she was waiting on that could make things even better, and her heart soared in expectation.


<(/)*(\)>