//------------------------------// // 9. Rainbows and Butterflies // Story: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far // by KholdstareV //------------------------------// _________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 9: Rainbows and Butterflies _________________________________________________________________________________________ Applejack followed the fading rainbow streak with her eyes. From her vantage point, she could make out with just enough clarity that it ended at the distant barn. She considered sprinting over there right at that moment to meet up with Rainbow Dash, but after a moment's thought, another idea occurred to her. She whipped around and located the rainbow streak's origin point before it completely vanished into the night air. It appeared to have come from a small, nearby open-air lounge. She decided to head there first, figuring a certain stallion would be there that she really needed to speak with. She only hoped that Fluttershy, Brawn Bones, and Rainbow Dash would all remain within their relative positions in the meantime. Applejack scanned the lounge as she approached. It consisted of a crude wooden stage situated in front of a small auditorium of hay bale seats, of which there were only enough to seat around two dozen ponies. On the stage was a jet-black mare with a long silver mane reciting poetry. Only about half the seats in the audience were occupied, so Applejack was quickly able to spot the familiar red-orange-yellow mane she had been looking for. She ran to the stallion's side and took a seat on the bale of hay to his right. "Evenin', Sweetgood Mac," she whispered, careful not to disrupt the onstage poet's performance. Sweetgood Mac did not immediately acknowledge Applejack's presence. He sat with slouched posture and a low-hanging head, his tightly shut eyes showing that he was deep in emotional thought, taking in the poet's words… "The lovely skylark sings her tune, from dreary dusk to shining noon, The day then fades, as does her song, I strain to hear, to sing along…" Applejack admitted that the poem's words were touching, even melancholy, but Sweetgood's intense concentration implied that they resonated far stronger with him. He seemed to be analyzing the poem between the lines, extracting deeper meanings from the cracks, and making parallels to his own troubled life. The muscles in his face clenched with each soft, heartfelt word the poet breathed. "Recall the day she hatched to birth, The day I freed her from this earth, My love helped her to sing and soar, But now, her song I hear no more..." The poet allowed for a few seconds of silence. She then gave a graceful bow, and exited the stage. All the dozen or so ponies in the audience clopped respectfully, including Applejack. When the applause faded, she heard Sweetgood Mac's soft voice sound from her left, "Evening to you, too, Applejack." Applejack turned to him and looked into his soft and friendly, but deeply sad violet eyes. "That poem was awfully nice, wasn't it?" she asked. "I mean, I only caught the tail end of it, but still, powerful stuff." "Sure was. Most of the poetry at this Parents' Day Poetry Showcase has been quite beautiful. She was one of the best, though. She verbalized really well the pride and pain that one feels as they watch their little one grow more and more distant…" His own voice grew more and more distant as he spoke. "Are those a pain and pride that you're familiar with, too?" Applejack asked sincerely. Sweetgood Mac merely nodded his head, staring ahead at the empty stage. "I see," Applejack replied. She thought a minute about how she should continue. "…I spoke with Aeroswift earlier. She said you and Rainbow Dash had gone off together. But I swear I just saw Rainbow Dash fly away from here... Was she just here with you?" Again, Sweetgood Mac returned a wordless nod. "Why did she fly away?" Without looking directly at her, Sweetgood Mac answered, "Well, I'm not one to hide the truth. In reality, she's been flying away for a long time now…" "Not one to hide the truth, maybe," Applejack said to herself, "but certainly one to obscure it behind some gosh dern poetic metaphors!" She continued aloud, "I'm sorry, but do you mind explaining that in more concrete terms?" "Oh, please excuse my poet's tongue," he said. "You see, ever since Rainbow Dash was born, she has been the source for all my prose. Watching her grow, and learn, and master her own abilities… It's the pride that I live and breathe for. And I know, deep in my heart, that the reason she's blessed with such skill and confidence is because I've been there to love and nurture her, to remind her how proud I am of her, to wrap a hoof around her when she's tired and sore after a hard day's work. She, herself, has told me multiple times that I am her rock that she can cling to in the raging river of life…" He paused for a moment and chuckled. "Oh, I beg your pardon. My language started to become a little flowery again there… Anyhow, in spite of all the love I've given her, I find that she's been slipping away, desiring to explore her own horizons. I've struggled to come to terms with this, but the more I imagine letting her go, the more unprepared I fear she still is. She still has many… weaknesses that I feel need to be fixed before she's ready to face the world as she wishes to." "Weaknesses, ya say?" Applejack wondered aloud. "What might those be?" "I see a certain value disorder in her. You see, with her amazing strength and skills, she has the ability to do great things, to help so many ponies in need. And yet, the more I watch her, the more I see that she tends to waste them on frivolous sport. She reserves all her time and energy to succeed in contests that benefit nopony but herself. And even when she does perform the occasional heroic act, it all seems to be for the wrong purpose. After all, what good will her trophies and prize money do for the miserable, impoverished masses who have nothing? A degree of compassion for our all of our fellow ponies, I believe, is instrumental to leading a happy, fulfilling life. 'Never look down on anypony unless you're helping them up', I always say. But it sometimes seems that all Rainbow Dash can do, when looking down on the less fortunate, is boast about her position above them, and condemn them for not being able to help themselves." He then went on to say the very thing that Applejack had been anticipating. "…No doubt, her mother's philosophy has influenced her so. It's something I greatly, greatly wish to turn around before I can, in good conscience, allow my daughter to soar away from me." Applejack could not agree with Sweetgood Mac's words in the slightest, for she knew that Rainbow Dash was much more genuinely heroic than he was saying she was. It made her wonder just how detached he really was from his daughter's life. Regardless, she simply nodded. "Ya know, when I spoke with your wife earlier, she mentioned something similar. I mean, she flipped the values on their heads, but the sentiment was the same – that she feels HER teachings are the best for Rainbow Dash, but that YOUR influence is a gnarly weed corruptin' the garden." Sweetgood Mac snickered. "Hm-hm-hmm… That was awfully poetic right there." "Well, I reckon you're influencin' me a lil' bit, too!" Applejack joked. "I suppose so! …But yes, I'm not surprised Aeroswift would say that. She's yelled things just like that to my face. And, truth be told, I've explained my point of view to her just as frequently. I only wonder how long it will be before I can make her understand…" "Hmm… despite you two lovin' Rainbow Dash so much, you seem to butt heads with each OTHER an awful lot," Applejack reasoned. "And based on what I've heard, it sounds like ya'll won't ever agree. So, Sweetgood, I gotta ask you somethin' I asked your wife – why are you two still together?" "Well, for Rainbow Dash, of course," Sweetgood Mac replied, sounding almost offended. "My wife and I disagree often, sure. Fairly heatedly sometimes, sure. And yes, she and I have spoken about the possibility of divorce. But through those talks, we did agree on one thing: that we both want to maintain our family bond however possible, because we both know that Rainbow Dash's heart would break if our family did…" Applejack felt an urge to make a comment about how their family already seemed pretty broken. She also felt an urge to bring up Aeroswift's claim that Sweetgood Mac had, at one point in their marriage, been unfaithful. However, Applejack decided that neither comment would help her cause right then, so she held back. "That makes sense, I suppose. But with all due respect, I think we kinda wandered off track from my original question: why did Rainbow Dash fly away just now?" "Oh! Right, I forgot about that," Sweetgood Mac answered sheepishly. "Well, you see, we actually got into a bit of a discussion about this very thing. The same discussion I've had with her many times before. I guess she's just gotten sick of hearing me talk about it. Frankly, I'M getting sick of hearing me talk about." "I reckon ya'll would be," Applejack said. "But somethin' else I wanna know – in all your talks with Rainbow Dash, have you ever asked her opinion about all this? What SHE wants?" Sweetgood Mac said nothing for a short while. He seemed to be digging through his memory bank. "You know," he replied, "I can't remember if I have…" He looked at Applejack seriously. "Perhaps I should, shouldn't I?" "I would say so," Applejack said with a nod. "And you'll get your chance to very soon. I promise." Sweetgood Mac, being skilled at reading between the lines, recognized that there was a hidden meaning in Applejack's words. "What do you mean?" "You'll know what I mean," Applejack replied in a hushed voice, "If you meet me at the little toolshed behind the barn at 8:15 tonight. Can you make it?" Sweetgood Mac was about to reply, but an announcement from the stage interrupted his thought. Another poet was getting ready to perform. He looked at Applejack, who was now standing on all fours, ready to leave. "Think it over," Applejack said with a wink. "For Rainbow Dash's sake." That was her last message to him before galloping off. Sweetgood Mac was left slouching on the bale of hay, his mind racing with more challenging thoughts and questions than it had been in a very long time. Even as he reeled, the new poet began to recite her words: "A honeycomb broke cannot be repaired Just melted down to sweet honey, and shared Two halves of a nutshell, cracked and near death, Must be split for the fruit to draw breath…" ~~~ Applejack returned to where she had been standing just minutes ago, and looked over at the line of hardware stands where Brawn Bones and Fluttershy had been walking. She didn't see them there now, and began to worry about how far they had wandered. "Oh golly, where'd they go? Where'd they go?" she asked herself, prancing along and scanning each stand. Her worry was short-lived, however, when she spotted the massive frame of Brawn Bones walking down the aisle further ahead, with Fluttershy still trailing closely behind. Just seeing the two again brought the whole lot of Softheart's life story surging back to Applejack's mind. It filled her with the strangest mix of sorrow and rage, which she directed at Brawn Bones from afar. It took everything she had to keep herself from sprinting right over there and crippling him with a steam-powered applebuck to the spine. Again, she knew to hold back for the sake of her plan working out, but she also held back out of fear. Indeed, seeing Brawn Bones again reminded her of just how bloody huge he was. He easily surpassed all the other ponies in the crowd in both height and girth; the only other pony that Applejack thought might compare was Snowflake, the steroid pegasus, and even then she wasn't so sure. Brawn Bones' body was a mountain of muscle and his brain a machine of cunning, and according to Softheart's testimony, he knew how to use them both frighteningly well. Applejack knew he would not loosen his iron-tight grip on Fluttershy easily, so if she planned to separate the two, she would have to do so with great care. She took a deep breath, and began to advance toward them. Applejack treaded swiftly but quietly through the crowds until she was a mere three feet behind Fluttershy. Both she and Brawn Bones were facing forward, unaware of her presence. Applejack whispered in a volume that she hoped would be loud enough for Fluttershy to hear, but not her father. "Fluttershy… Psst! Fluttershy!" Fluttershy did not hear her. However, much to Applejack's chagrin, she saw Brawn Bones perk up his alert ears, and quickly look back. The moment his tense gaze fixed on her, Applejack's breast swelled with dread. Fluttershy, startled by her father's action, turned around too, and was shocked to see her friend standing frozen behind her. "Whoa nelly, not good!" Applejack exclaimed to herself, "OK, new plan: act friendly, gain his trust, and then ask if I can borrow Fluttershy for a bit. No sweat!" She did her best to smile. "H-Howdy, Mr. Fluttershy's daddy! And hello to YOU, Fluttershy! What's happenin' with ya'll?" "Umm…" Fluttershy began, "Nothing much, really…" She looked nervously at her father. "R-right, daddy?" Brawn Bones did not take his eyes off Applejack. "What do you want?" he asked directly. Applejack realized she was shaking on her hooves. She struggled to keep still. "Why, I'm just sayin' hello! In fact, my good sir, I don't believe we've been introduced yet. I'm Applejack, partial owner of Sweet Apple Acres, and Fluttershy's most dependable and hard-workin' friend! What's your name?" "What do you want?" Brawn Bones repeated more sternly. "Well, like I said, I'm just sayin' hello!" Applejack assured. "Don't ya'll remember me? I'm the one who let you know that Fluttershy had arrived at the festival earlier tonight!" Brawn Bones nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I recognize you. I'm good with faces." "Well, color me not-surprised! I'd reckon you would be, considerin' you work for the Cloudsdale Police Department and all!" Brawn Bones raised a suspicious eyebrow at that statement. "How do you know where I work?" It suddenly hit Applejack that she had learned that particular bit of information from Softheart, something she absolutely could not reveal. She hesitated, trying to come up with a good fib. "Uh, w-well… Fluttershy told me, o' course!" "I did?" Fluttershy questioned, growing increasingly shaky. "Aw shucks, sure ya did!" Applejack said, giving her a friendly nudge. "Don't ya remember? When we met at the gate earlier today, ya told me your pa's Cutie Mark was a police badge. I even saw it with my own eyes! Purty obvious..." "Well, yeah, but…" Fluttershy shifted her eyes frightfully between her friend and her father, "I didn't say he worked in… Cloudsdale…" "Oh, you silly goose! You must be all flustered. Can't even remember the details of our own convo!" She tried to address Brawn Bones in a cheery manner. "Ain't she just the cutest lil' thang?" Brawn Bones, however, stared down at Fluttershy with a palpable disappointment. "Fluttershy, is this true? Did you tell this pony where I work?" Fluttershy gulped audibly and shrank down several inches. "N-no, daddy, I didn't. Honest…" "Then explain to me how she knows that I work for the Cloudsdale Police!" "I, umm… I c-can't. I don't know how she kn-" "Fluttershy, what have I TOLD you about revealing specifics about my job to strangers?!" "To not to. I know that, daddy. I know that…" "Then how does SHE know?! Tell me! Now!" Applejack suddenly felt herself squeezed between a rock and a hard place. If she kept up with this fib, Fluttershy would soon suffer another torrent of abuse from her father. But she couldn't tell the truth about Softheart's presence at the festival, could she? Brawn Bones' voice was growing more demanding by the second, and Fluttershy's was growing more helpless. The surrounding crowds stared and murmured, but not one pony dared get involved. Even with no clear plan, Applejack knew she needed to intervene quickly. "Wait!" Applejack shouted. "Sir, I was wrong! Fluttershy actually didn't tell me that you work in Cloudsdale!" Brawn Bones and Fluttershy immediately fell silent. They both directed their stares at her, eager to hear an explanation. "Ya see, Fluttershy told me you worked for the police, but didn't say what station you worked at. I, uhh… actually figured that out m'self!" Brawn Bones squinted his dark eyes. "How?" "Umm, b-by lookin' at your, uhh…" She did a quick survey of his body. He didn't have any giveaway clues that said ‘Cloudsdale P.D.’, but he did have his nightstick. "…y-your black beater stick thingy! Yeah, that's right! I recognize yours as being from Cloudsdale. After all, the ones the popo carry up there are a lil' different from the ones they carry here in Ponyville…" She stopped to gauge Brawn Bones' reaction. It was difficult to tell if he was buying it. "…Aren't they?" Brawn Bones appeared to observe Applejack's expression and stance for several seconds. She had heard stories of highly-trained police ponies being able to detect lies just by noticing the subtlest muscle twitch, and so tried to maintain her best poker face. He eventually looked away from her and at his own nightstick, then jutted out his lower lip and nodded. "Yeah, that's true. They are different. Slightly…" He looked back at her. "You must be pretty observant to have noticed that." Applejack made a hushed sigh of relief. "Yep. Observant like a chicken hawk, sir!" At that point, Applejack half-expected Brawn Bones to apologize to Fluttershy for yelling at her over the misunderstanding. It was what any decent pony would do, after all. However, Brawn Bones did no such thing, and merely said, "Well, Applejack, you've said hello, so we'll be on our way now." "Whoa, pull the reins there, sir!" Applejack blurted. "I actually wanted to ask if I could borrow Fluttershy for a sec. Ya see, she and I had plans to check out the petting z-" "No." Applejack was caught off guard by the sudden, sharp reply. "Uh, I beg your pardon?" "No. Fluttershy won't be going with you. She's to stay under my watch all night. After all, this is PARENTS' Day." He stared down at Fluttershy. "Isn't that right?" Fluttershy gave a weak, obligatory nod. She didn't look him in the eyes. Applejack feigned a sad face, going for the sympathy angle. "Aww, but sir, Fluttershy and I ain't seen each other since the last blue moon! Can't ya let her free for just a few minutes? I'll bring her right back, I promise!" "No," Brawn Bones replied impatiently. "And there'll be no more discussion about it. Let's go, Fluttershy." With that, he turned his back and began to continue on his way. Fluttershy, after casting a forlorn glance at Applejack, began to follow. Applejack, however, was not ready to give up so easily. She had made a promise to Softheart, and intended to keep it, no matter the risk. "C'mon, Brawn Bones, have a heart! We just want a lil' fun, is all!" Before Applejack even finished her statement, both Fluttershy and Brawn Bones halted in their tracks, stunned. Brawn Bones again whirled his head around and glared at Applejack with a raised brow. The suspicion in his face was tripled from before. "I never told you my name..." Applejack stiffened. She felt herself go numb with fear all over again. "Uh, umm… R-really? Cuz I'm puuurty sure ya did…" "Fluttershy, did you tell her my name?!" "What?! No, daddy! I would never, ever do tha-!" "You're lying to me, Fluttershy! You KNOW what I've told you about telling strangers my name!" "I know, daddy, I know. But I didn't tell. P-please, believe me…" "Then you'd better explain how she knows, or I'll MAKE you explain! Do you understand me?" "I… I…" "I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Applejack bit her hoof, trying to combat the panic rising within her long enough to decide what to do. She would have tried the "I figured it out myself" defense again, but there was no clue with his name on it that she could point to. Then, in a split-second, an idea occurred to her. It was incredibly risky, but if she could pull it off, it would not only spare Fluttershy a world of torment, but might also be the ticket to separating her from Brawn Bones… "Sir!" She yelled over his booming voice, "Fluttershy actually didn't tell me your name!" "Then who did?!" he snarled at her. "And I know you've been lying to me thus far. Tell me the truth!" "Softheart did! She's here, at this festival! Right now!" A long silence followed. Fluttershy and Brawn Bones both exchanged expressions of disbelief. However, while Fluttershy's bore a trace of joyful hope, Brawn Bones' exuded nothing but disgust. "You're still lying. You have to be." "You can look me square in the face all you want," Applejack said boldly. "Examine every muscle, every hair, every nook n' cranny. Then tell me I'm lyin'." Brawn Bones examined for a short while, as Applejack had challenged. It wasn't long before the suspicion faded from his eyes. Instead, it became replaced by a black anger. "Where is she…?" "I met her at the main gate, 'bout ten minutes ago," Applejack said. "She told me she was lookin' for her husband Brawn Bones and her stepdaughter Fluttershy. I agreed to find you two for her. Wanted to make it a surprise but, well, circumstances bein' what they are…" "Is she still waiting there?" "Yes, she is. The gate's clear across the fairgrounds, way over yonder." She extended her hoof and pointed. An aura of red rage enveloped Brawn Bones at that moment. He didn't even seem to care to pick apart Applejack's statement to make sure it was true. He fixed his eyes on the distant gate, and with a throaty grunt, thrust opened his wide, impressive wingspan. "That mare's got a lot of nerve, showing up here. She better have a damn good reason!" He flashed a stern glance at Fluttershy. "You, stay here until I get back. You're NOT seeing your stepmother tonight! Understood?!" Fluttershy gulped, and as always, nodded at his command. Brawn Bones then flapped his mighty wings and lifted off, leaving Applejack, Fluttershy, and the curious bystanders to gasp in wonder and shock. Despite his stocky frame, he flew at a speed towards the entrance gate that could only be described as phenomenal. He would reach it in a matter of seconds. There was precious little time to act. Fluttershy looked at Applejack, confused and scared. "Applejack… My stepmom, is she really-?" "Yes, she's here," Applejack replied quickly. "But she's not at the gate." "Huh?! Then why did you send my dad there?!" "To get him away from you, so I could take you to her. She has something very important to give you." "But where is she?!" Applejack figured that Brawn Bones had likely reached the gate by that point, and had likely already caught onto Applejack's lie. He would come roaring back at any second with a terrible vengeance. "In the woods. Now c'mon, let's go!" "The woods?! But what's she doing there?" Applejack could already see the distant speck that was Fluttershy's father growing bigger as he made his return trip. "I'll explain, just follow me!" "B-but, Applejack, my dad-!" "RUN!" Without another word, Applejack launched into a full gallop, aiming for the narrow space between two sales booths. Fluttershy followed just as quickly. It was unknown to them whether Brawn Bones saw their retreat or not. Applejack couldn't care at that moment. She couldn't look back. She stared only straight ahead, beyond the fairgrounds, towards the edge of the forest where Softheart awaited them. Once they reached there, she thought, they would be able to rest easy. She only hoped that she and Fluttershy would get there in one piece. She prayed with as much effort as she ran. The two forced their way through the crowds, snaking a course that took them under the cover of sales booth shadows and narrow alleyways, yet always heading for their goal. "FLUTTERSHY…!" Even above all the sounds and voices of the festival, Applejack swore she heard Brawn Bones' deep, thundering yell reach her ears. Fluttershy had, too, for she let out a yelp and urged Applejack to keep moving. "FLUTTERSHY! WHERE ARE YO-!" His booming voice seemed to be growing more distant. That must have meant they were losing him, Applejack thought. However, she dared not look back to confirm this. The sound of Fluttershy's heavy breathing sounded from close behind her every step of the way. At one point, Fluttershy shouted that she wanted to fly, but Applejack ordered her to stay on the ground, for she would remain better hidden that way. After a full minute of frantic running, the girls finally ran out from behind a game stand that marked the edge of the fairgrounds. From there, it was a lengthy sprint across the grassy field until they reached the woods. It was so close, and yet so far… For the first time since taking off running, Applejack turned her head back. Fluttershy was still hot at her heels, with petrified eyes and her coat already matted in cold sweat. However, she was astonished to see the bulky form of Brawn Bones flying high and fast over the fairgrounds, shining a high-powered flashlight down among the crowds and scanning with ferocious intensity. With luck, he would not expand his search to the surrounding fields. "FLUTTERSHY! SOFTHEART!..." The girls were now halfway across the expanse. Only another fifty or so yards and they would be safe under the shelter of the trees. "Applejack! You said Softheart has something to give me?" "Yes!" "What is it?!" "…A letter from your real mother!" "WHAT?!" "You'll see for yourself. Now c'mon, don't stop! We're almost there!" The forest edge was now mere yards ahead. A few more seconds, and they would be home free… Suddenly, Applejack saw the trees directly ahead become illuminated by a faint, moving light. Whatever the source of it was, it was behind her and Fluttershy. Could it be…? She turned back once again, and saw the distant glare of a bright flashlight beam aimed directly into her eyes. A wave of terror overtook her, and her adrenaline spiked to 11. Fluttershy, too, took notice, and in her dread, opened her wings and took flight. She soared with alarming speed right over Applejack's head and disappeared into the thicket of the trees. "FLUTTERSHY!" The monstrous voice was now frightfully close. And yet, so was the forest. Applejack felt a sensation of half-relief as she finally broke into the foliage. However, with their pursuer being so close behind, could the shelter of the trees protect them now? She didn't have time to stop and ponder, nor could she take even a second to locate Fluttershy. She could only keep running. The leaves kicked up beneath her hooves and the twigs scratched at her face, but she kept running. Even within the forest bounds, the light of the flashlight could still be seen flickering among the tree trunks. At every moment, she expected Brawn Bones’s full wrath to bear down upon her back, to put her lights out right there on the forest ground. Such thoughts only kept her running, running running… "Applejack!" Fluttershy's shrill cry stole Applejack's attention. It seemed to come some distance from her left. "Fluttershy?!" "Applejack! Help!" Applejack turned and sprinted in the voice's general direction. "Where are you?! What's wrong?!" "Help! He's got me! HELP!" Applejack gasped in horror. "Don't worry, Fluttershy! I'ma comin'!" It wasn't long before she ran into Fluttershy. Something in a bush behind her seemed to have her bound by her rear hoof. She was flailing and thrashing frantically, tears streaming from her eyes. "Applejack! He's got my rear leg! HELP ME!" With a rush of courage, Applejack dove headlong into the bush, fully prepared to tackle Brawn Bones into submission. She was undaunted by the consequences, her only goal being to help her friend escape. However, she was quickly disillusioned to find herself wrestling only with a bundle of leaves and sticks. She then noticed that Fluttershy's hoof was only tangled up in the bush's roots. She chomped down on them hard with her teeth and ripped them from the earth. Fluttershy was freed. "Oh my goodness, thank you so much! You saved me!" "Aw, come off it! It was only a bush! Now giddy up!" The two began to sprint forth again, eager to continue their escape. The light of the flashlight still danced faintly among the trees, the exact location of its source being impossible to pinpoint. They could only hope fate would be on their side that night… ~~~ Softheart sat on the bushy grass of the forest clearing, the baby blue envelope with the telltale letter lying in front of her. She wrapped her front legs around her small body, trying to fight off the chilly air that was beginning to settle around her. She was cold, hungry, tired, and alone. Every one of her bodily instincts was telling her to get up and go home. However, the sight of the envelope helped her spirit to endure. For almost an hour, she had waited, and she would continue to do so until she heard from Applejack again… As if on cue, Softheart heard a sound echoing through the trees. It was the sound of rapid hoofsteps. Then came two muffled voices, the genders of which were difficult to determine. They were most certainly heading her way. Softheart stood on all fours to greet these strangers, hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. A few seconds later, two forms emerged from the foliage and into the clearing… And Softheart felt a warm well of joy spring within her chest as her beloved stepdaughter galloped straight at her and embraced her tightly around her torso. "SOFTHEART!" "Fluttershy! Oh, my Fluttershy! Thank heavens you're safe!" The two stood wrapped in each other's forelegs for a long time, cradling one another, drawing in deep of each other's love. Fluttershy sobbed incessantly, still recovering from the fear of her narrow escape from her father, and indulging in her relief for having found her stepmother. At long last, the two parted, and looked into each other's watery eyes. "Thank you for coming," Softheart choked. "Of course," replied Fluttershy. "In fact, it was Applejack that led me to you." Softheart looked over at Applejack, who was standing by humbly and silently. "And thank YOU, Applejack, for fulfilling your promise to me. Somehow, I never doubted you." "Aw shucks, ain't no thing but a chicken wing!" Applejack answered with a smile. Softheart smiled back, and placed a gentle hoof over her heart. She then looked to her stepdaughter. "Fluttershy… I don't know if Applejack told you, but there's something we need to discuss. I have something to give you…" "She did tell me," Fluttershy confirmed. "She said you have… a letter from mom." Softheart nodded slowly. "I do indeed. It's right here..." She picked up the baby blue envelope from the grass and held it out for Fluttershy to take. Fluttershy stared blankly at the envelope for a moment, hesitant to take it for herself, lest it contain everything she ever wanted. Eventually, she reached out her own shaking hoof, and took it. "So many letters I sent, over so many years…" Fluttershy murmured, clutching the envelope tightly. "…And now, a reply! I… I don't know what to say…" "Perhaps," Softheart said gently, "you can first see what she has to say to you." A tear-filled smile crept across Fluttershy's face. "Yeah, I should… I will!" She carefully withdrew the six yellowed pages from the envelope, unfolded them, and after a deep breath, began to read the cursive letters that had she knew had been written by her own mother's pen… In that instant, Softheart turned to look at Applejack again, ready to ask her if she cared to join them in this special moment… However, she frowned in remorse, but also in understanding, when she saw that Applejack had already gone. All that remained instead was a hastily written note laid down on the grass: Meet at the barn at 8:30. See ya'll then. ~~~ Applejack's first stop, after returning from the woods, was the barn. As she had suspected, this was where she was able to find Rainbow Dash. What she hadn't suspected, though, was spotting her silhouette on top of the barn's roof. The position she was in was hard to verify in the darkness, but she could hear that she was making a faint sound. She perked up her ears. Though distant and soft, it seemed that Rainbow Dash was sharing a whispered dialogue with herself. Applejack ran around to the side of the barn, and leapt atop the mountain of hay bales that she and Big Mac had set up months ago for the very purpose of climbing onto the barn's roof for fun. Once up there, she carefully made her way across the rickety shingles to where Rainbow Dash was. Applejack was immediately struck through the breast to see that her friend was lying on her side, with all four legs huddled close to her body, muttering to herself in shuddered breaths. It wasn't long before she noticed Applejack approaching her, at which point her eyes went wide and she leapt to her feet. She cleared her throat and tried to play off like everything was fine and dandy. Applejack approached gingerly. "Rainbow Dash…?" "H-Hey Applejack! What are you doing up here?" "Well gosh, I was about to ask you the same thing!" Applejack exclaimed. "I saw you up here, and thought I'd check up on ya." "Oh, well, I'm doin' fine. No problems. Just hangin' out, ya know?" "…By yourself? On the barn roof?" "Pssh, yee-AH! Why not? All the cool ponies chill out on rooftops! Didn't ya know?" Applejack could tell Rainbow Dash was avoiding what was really on her mind, and that she was not going to talk about it of her own accord. "Rainbow Dash, I'm gonna shoot straight - I came up to check on ya because I heard you talkin' to yourself up here like some two-headed loony." Rainbow Dash's weak smile quickly dropped away. "And that ain't all. I've also spoken with both your ma and pa tonight. Clearly, there's been a lot o' friction between the three of ya this evenin'. I'll bet that's what's troublin' ya. Am I right?" Rainbow Dash made like she was about to argue. However, she reconsidered, and merely stared down at the roof shingles, rubbing one foreleg nervously with the other. A trace of despair and even anger began to form in her eyes. "Hmph… I guess you must know just about everything then, huh?" "Yep. You ain't pullin' no wool over these eyes, pardner," Applejack assured. "But don't worry, I ain't here to talk about that. At least not yet." Rainbow Dash gazed at her curiously, wondering what she meant. "First, I have a very, VERY big favor to ask of you. Can you lend me a hoof?" "Umm… That depends, I guess. What is it?" "Well, truth be told, it's actually more of a favor for Pinkie Pie than for myself." "Huh, OK. I'm listening…" "Good. First off, do you happen to know of some places called Saddlem and Gomareah?" Rainbow Dash's face scrunched into a grimace. "Saddlem and Gomareah? Eww! What about it?" "Oh, so you know 'bout them cities?" "No no no, 'Saddlem and Gomareah' isn't the name of two cities. It's the name of a nightclub." Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out in disgust. "A really, REALLY seedy one, from what I've heard. Only the lowest of the low and the crudest of the crude go there." "Hmm, well wrap me in bacon and call me sassafras," Applejack said in disbelief. "Didn't expect THAT…" "So what does Saddlem and Gomareah have to do with Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "Ugh, don't tell me she goes there…" "Oh, SHE don't," Applejack replied, "but accordin' to her, her FOLKS are there just 'bout all the time." "Aw, really? Gross…" "I hear ya, sister. But listen up – I dunno if Pinkie's confided this in you, but she misses her folks an awful lot since they're never around. In fact, she feels all but neglected by 'em. So, I figure it'd mean the world to her if, somehow, we could get 'em to leave that stinkin' pigsty and come here, to spend time with her at the Parents' Day Festival! Wouldn't ya think?" Rainbow Dash held up a hoof in protest. "Oooooh no! There's no WAY I'm setting a hoof in that place. I heard about a girl there who got her drink spiked with some magic powder. To this day, she still has kaleidoscope vision freak-outs whenever she closes her eyes!" "So what? I ain't askin' you to go there to have a drink! All I'm askin' is that you find Pinkie Pie's ma n' pa, and bring 'em back here!" "Oh yeah? Well what if they're not there?" "The odds that they would be are high enough to take the chance. Pinkie would insist so." "Well, what if they don't want to come?" "Then, uhh, tell 'em we've got beer here!" "Applejack, they're at a NIGHTCLUB. There's already beer there, not to mention a bazillion other types of drinks and substances…" "Well dag nabbit! Tell 'em it's the best diddly-dang beer in the whole wide world! Whatever you gotta say to git 'em here, just say it!" She took a minute to cool down. "…Please, Rainbow Dash. It'd make Pinkie Pie so happy..." Rainbow Dash moaned to herself. "Aww, but she's ALREADY happy all the time…" Applejack angled her lip. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Rainbow Dash... Do you remember that one birthday of hers? When we all planned a surprise party for her, but had to turn down her invitations to Gummy's afterparty in order to do so? Remember how she got?" Rainbow Dash frowned. "Ugh, don't remind me. That was so freaky…" "I know it was. For all of us," Applejack said seriously. "And I'm convinced that that dark n' twisted side of Pinkie is born out of her feelings of parental neglect. But I really feel that, if we could just get her and her folks to spend some time together, it might help put that side of her to rest for good…" Rainbow Dash was looking at the roof tiles beneath her feet again. She really seemed to be considering taking on the favor, but was not quite ready to say yes. "But… I don't even know what Pinkie Pie's parents LOOK like…" Applejack dug into her saddlebag and withdrew Pinkie Pie's crayon drawing of herself and her parents, depicting the good old days of them back on the rock farm. She handed it to Rainbow Dash, who studied it curiously. "I know it's only a drawing," Applejack said, "But the depiction's clear enough. You should be able to know 'em when you see 'em." Rainbow Dash remained silent, clearly still not completely convinced. Applejack realized this, and decided it was time to pull out the big guns. "…And don't think you wouldn't get nothin' in return, Rainbow. In case you haven't heard, I've been on a mission tonight to make sure all o' my good friends have the best Parents' Day they can possibly have. And that includes you." Rainbow Dash looked up from the drawing and into Applejack's shining eyes. "Huh? I don't follow…" "Just answer me this," Applejack said, "Wouldn't you give anything to be able to see your ma n' pa reconcile…?" "Reconcile?!" Rainbow Dash asked with a laugh. "MY parents? Ha! Yeah, maybe in some mirrored, tripped-up, parallel universe!" "There's a possibility I can help it to happen," Applejack said sincerely. "I can't go into detail right now, but… do you see that little ol' toolshed behind the barn there?" She pointed down to the small, weathered shed in question. "If you can meet me there at around 8:00 tonight, you'll see what I'm talkin' about." Rainbow Dash appeared intrigued, but still couldn't help but shake her head. "You're dreamin' Applejack. I mean, I'll see what you're up to, but… yeah, I don't expect much. No offense." She stored Pinkie Pie's drawing away, and then spread her wings open. "I'll go see if I can find Pinkie Pie's parents, though. You convinced of that, at least." "Really? Oh, wonderful! Thanks, RD. You truly are the most loyal o' ponies!" Rainbow Dash smiled proudly. "And don't anypony ever forget it!" The two gave each other enthusiastic waves before Rainbow Dash sped off like a rainbow-tailed bullet, disappearing beyond the southern black horizon… ~~~ The door to the tool shed creaked loudly as Applejack pushed it open. She stepped gingerly inside before letting it close behind her. She pulled the nearby chain with her teeth, causing the single light bulb to flicker on, illuminating the interior with a dim orange light. Various gardening and farming tools were shoved haphazardly to the left and right walls, leaving a decent-sized open space in the center of the floor. She trotted over to where she had left her hammer and nails, scooped them up, and brought them over to the rear wall which, save for the small window near the ceiling, was completely bare. She reached into her saddlebag and withdrew the various pictures she had gathered from her photo albums earlier that night. Then, one by one, she began to nail them to the wall. When all the photos were up, Applejack took a step back, and admired the collage she had just created. It was a collection of photos celebrating all the amazing things Rainbow Dash had accomplished since Applejack had first met her. Her Sonic Rainboom at the Young Fliers' Competition… Her rescue of a filly from a deep well… Her leading the team of Ponyville Pegasi to create the annual waterspout up to Cloudsdale… These and many more were featured, and at the center of it all, was a photo of Rainbow Dash proudly sporting the fabled Element of Loyalty. Applejack smiled to herself. "Now THIS is one heck of a conversation piece!" she thought aloud. The sound of the door creaking behind her made her heart skip ever so slightly. She didn't think much of it, though. "That darn door's always creakin' closed on its own," she said under her breath. She went back to observing her project. A few seconds later, a realization hit her that made her blood run ice cold: she had let the door close behind her when she entered the shed. With wide eyes, Applejack slowly turned around… The shed door was, as she suspected, now wide open. And, standing in the door frame, was the shadowed, humongous form of Brawn Bones, his face clenched in a scowl and his eyes radiating fury. He carried his black nightstick tightly in his teeth, and it was as clear as crystal that he was prepared to use it…