"So...this is it? All I have to do is sign on the dotted line?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked over the form before her, all written out in terms and words that she didn't fully understand.
It had been a full seven months to the day when she'd been welcomed into the Apple family after losing her own family, and in those seven months she really couldn't remember being happier.
At first things really weren't much different than they were any other from any other day. Rainbow Dash tended to the weather, Applejack tended to Sweet Apple Acres and when they weren't busy they hung out with their friends in Ponyville. The only difference to be had was Rainbow Dash would occasionally stop in for a home cooked dinner and share the events and stories of her day with the Apples and hear about what they did throughout the day. Sometimes she'd even stay the night and sleep in the guest room before eventually leaving in the morning to tend to the matters of her job and carry about as usual with the day.
It was a very slow, very gradual transition that occurred over the many months. At first it was just the occasional dinner and overnight but slowly it became more frequent. Rather than just occasionally dropping in it was soon once a week that Rainbow Dash would come for dinner and wind up staying late into the evening, playing games with Apple Bloom until it was time to turn in, more often than not she'd retire to the guest room. Eventually it reached the point where she was spending every other night at the Apple family residence rather than sleeping at her cloud castle home by herself.
As time went on though the shift became more noticeable even to their friends. Somewhere down the line Rainbow Dash had gone from tending to her weather duties, being a lazy slacker and obsessed with the Wonderbolts and her own aerial stunts, to still being all that and yet caring about the conditions at Sweet Apple Acres, lending a hoof where she could to help make things go easier.
However Rainbow Dash trying to learn how to do things on the farm hadn't been something easy to try and teach. She was as stubborn as any of the Apples and believed that she could adapt her cloud managing skills to manage the trees in the orchard; not that she didn't try her hardest, but sometimes a flying kick ended very badly and the results weren't pretty; either for the tree or for Rainbow Dash herself. Her heart was in it, but sometimes it sure seemed like her brain wasn't.
Other than the trouble of teaching Rainbow Dash proper apple harvesting techniques for when she helped out things went rather smoothly; most of the time anyway. As predicted there were spats resulting from a clashing of opinions, like what was the best course of action to go about getting Apple Bloom her cutie mark or some other matter. More than once she and Applejack would find themselves engaging in all out yelling for what seemed like hours on end, treating each other like the bitterest of enemies.
But they always made up and apologized for what they said to one another, always forgiving the other and going on to do some sisterly bonding, and more than once sharing the same bed and holding each other close for comfort as the tensions of the day were allowed to melt away and be forgotten. And the next day they'd act like nothing had happened and go about their day like it was business as usual.
Eventually though they'd reached a point that Rainbow Dash had secretly been dreading and trying to avoid. It was a recent development, but at the same time an uncomfortable one where she began to question (both herself as well as others) if she was simply a mooch living off the generosity of the Apple family like some sort of parasite. Despite their insistence that no such thing was occurring she still had her own doubts; doubt that just didn't want to get shaken no matter how hard she tried. She'd come to love the Apples far too much to just leaves things as they were, they'd taken her in when she was alone, given her a sense of stability when before all she knew was a sense of haphazardness. And after much thinking and soul searching (not her strongest points, she was the first to admit that fact) she'd finally reached a conclusion; she didn't want to stay an Apple in name only, she wanted to be adopted into the family for real and officially.
That lead to even more searching and eventually (as much as she hated to do it) going to Twilight for help since she'd know better than anypony how to go about it. That was what had brought her here now, staring at this piece of parchment before her. As it turned out the adoption process was a lot more complicated than she first believed, it was mainly used for foals rather than grown mares, that fact alone leading to what had turned into weeks of red tape and paperwork all on its own. The lack of legal guardians didn't help matters much either, Granny Smith being the only one present. But finally the end was within sight right before her.
"That's pretty much it. You sign right here," Twilight began as she telekinetically moved the quill about to emphasize the blank area of parchment below the other signatures included amongst all the legal jargon. "Then I sign on the bottom line to signify that as a notary pony I actually witnessed the above signing take place as detailed in the document. Then we file the form at the town hall where it all goes on record, and once it's all finalized everything is nice and legal and official, you'll be the newest member of the Apple family," she explained.
"So...this is it? All I have to do is sign on the dotted line?" Rainbow Dash asked again, not understanding most of what Twilight was talking about. Twilight frowned in annoyance.
"Yes, Rainbow Dash, all you have to do is sign on the dotted line and your part is done with," she replied, deciding to use simpler terms to address her friend.
There had been a fair bit of concern on her part about how her friends would take the news that she was a part of Applejack's family now. That had been an awkward announcement for her to make that day so many months back. But despite her concerns everypony thought that it was wonderful news; the only one objecting to the idea being Pinkie Pie, her gripe being that it wasn't fair that Applejack had asked first and she wanted to have a sister too. But after that initial bit of friction she'd been back in full Pinkie Pie swing, insisting that they needed to have a party to celebrate.
"Well then let's do this," Rainbow Dash said after a pause and took the quill in her teeth. She hesitated for only a moment, looking over at Applejack, before scribbling in her signature and giving the quill back for Twilight to use. Now it was finally over. "There. All done."
Applejack didn't say anything, rather she just stepped over and pulled her sister into a hug, who did her best to awkwardly return it despite still not liking to do the mushy displays in public. "Welcome ta the family, again," Applejack told her, before adding, "sister."
"Thanks...sister," Rainbow Dash replied somewhat awkwardly, still finding it difficult to get accustomed to the title. "So...now what do we do?"
There were chores to be done back at Sweet Apple Acres, chores that had to be interrupted and put on hold so they could actually go through with all this ridiculous paperwork just to ease Rainbow Dash's mind. They really needed to get back to them so they could be done before it got dark.
At least that's what the practical part of Applejack's mind told her. The compassionate part was telling her something else.
"Well Rarity said she got the alterations ta yer vest made, le's go check 'er out," Applejack suggested, referring to the vest like the one their cousin Braeburn wore. The last time Rainbow Dash had seem him during the most recent visit to Appleoosa she'd really wanted one to go along with the stetson she'd gotten five months back. But first it had to be altered to take her wings into account, which Rarity was only too glad to do for her friends.
"Sounds good to me. See ya later Twilight, and thanks for all your help." Rainbow Dash called as they left the library.
"Anytime girls," Twilight called back.
"...Hey...AJ?" Rainbow Dash spoke up once they were about halfway to the Carousel Boutique.
"Wha's up RD?" Applejack asked.
"Well I've been thinking about this ever since I started this whole process and found out about all that paperwork and...after we get my vest I'd like to go and see my parent's marker again. I've...got something to tell them."
"Mind if ah ask what?" Applejack asked, now curious about this change of events.
"Well I...wanna tell them that I forgive them," she paused, "and...I wanna tell them goodbye too, now that I'm a part of your family and all."
"Ya sure about tha' last part there Sugarcube? We ain' replaced 'em er nothin', nopony could do that an' we didn' bother ta try none," Applejack pointed out.
"I know that Applejack. But I'm sure on it, really. I've given it a lot of thought by now. You're my family now and that's all there is to it. I need to do this for closure's sake," she explained.
"Shoot Sugarcube yer really puttin' too much thought inta this, makin' it all more complicated then need be," Applejack told her. "But if thar's what ya want then that's what we'll do."
"Thanks AJ," Rainbow Dash replied and leaned against her. Applejack closed her eyes and leaned back. "Oh yeah before I forget there's one more thing."
"An' wha's that?" Applejack asked.
"Race ya!" she yelled and took off at full gallop, leaving Applejack behind in the dust.
"Darn ya Rainbow Dash y'all is without a doubt the orneriest sister ah ever did have! Get back here righ' now ya big cheat!" she yelled and galloped off after her, all the while trying hard not to laugh.