//------------------------------// // Wishing You the Best... // Story: This Used to Be a Quiet Place... // by UnweptSchlipps //------------------------------// The night came slow over the city of Ponyville. A lone pony sat in the safety of her own kitchen table, cradling her head in her hooves. A mug of coffee was next to her head, which had been sitting stagnant and cold for quite a while. Wrinkles surrounded her sleepy eyes, which were trained on a lone walker sitting in the corner, gathering cobwebs. The room was dimly lit, and rain droned outside, smacking on the steps of the dilapidated porch. It was late; Applebloom and Big Mac had already gone to bed. But Applejack simply couldn’t fall asleep, not for the past few days. She let out a deep breath, tapping on the table, wishing that she had been dreaming for the past year. A loud knock outside jolted her upright. The cowpony slowly got up and poked her head out of the kitchen, casting a hesitant drowsy glance at the doorway. She was unable to see anything from the windows besides the rain. The thought of having a ghost in her home sent a shiver through her body, and part of her wanted to rush into her bedroom and hide in her covers. Just before she could do that, however, another knock echoed through the house. This time, Applejack gulped and walked slowly towards the front door. With a trembling hoof, she turned the knob, cracked the door open just a smidge, and peeked outside. To her surprise, it was no ghost. In fact, it was probably worse. A rainbow-maned pegasus stood alone in the cold night, her fur dripping with rain. Applejack could see a pair of pleading eyes looking straight at her through a soaked mane. Dash’s wings hung lazily at her side, as though she were too tired to fold them up. She looked very wobbly, having to lean on the door in order to stay upright. “AJ…please,” the feeble figure whispered, her voice weak and shaky. With wide eyes, Applejack slid underneath her friend’s foreleg and carried her over to the couch. Once she had been slowly lowered down, Rainbow Dash curled up into a shivering ball. Seeing this, Applejack rushed upstairs, grabbing multiple sets of towels and blankets. Without hesitation, she wrapped the coverings around her cold friend, gently patting down the wet fur. Once she had been covered up, Dash said with a weak smile, “Thank you.” “You stay right there, sugarcube. I’ll get y’all some hot water,” Applejack replied, dashing off to the kitchen. When she came back with a steaming mug, Dash was already sitting upright, wrapped in a cocoon of sheets. Her eyes had a blank stare, which caused Applejack to frown. “Dash?” she called, which seemed to bring the pegasus back to her senses. Clearing her throat, Rainbow tried to reply in the loudest voice she could manage, “Oh. Hey AJ.” “Drink this.” She extended the cup, and Rainbow gripped it with her trembling hooves. The pegasus brought the cup to her lips, some of the water spilling out onto the sheets. Taking a tentative sip, Rainbow let out a deep breath as the drink began to heat up her insides. Considering everything that has happened in the past twenty-four hours, Dash thought that feeling warm inside was a nice change of pace. Rainbow had almost forgotten that Applejack was standing across from her. The pegasus addressed her friend, stating, “Thanks…again. I’m so tired.” “Ya sure look like it, Dash,” Applejack responded with a light chuckle. “Here, I’ll get ya some medicine.” “No, no, it’s cool Applejack. I’m fine. Just need some rest.” Applejack couldn’t help but shake her head when she saw this wet, shaggy, tired pegasus try to puff out her chest and pout. “Now Dash, this ain’t no time ta be playing the tough pony here. You were standing out there in the cold rain. Yer obviously sick an’ tired, and you need some medicine.” With that, the cowpony trotted out of the room, leaving Rainbow to roll her eyes while being secretly pleased. Applejack came back with some kind of reddish broth that smelled like a mixture of cherry, butterscotch, and cough medicine. Rainbow sniffed it and winced, but after a forceful nudge, she quickly downed the mixture in one gulp. She only gagged once, and after she washed it down with a flood of water, Dash sat back on the couch and let her body go limp. Half of her really wanted to go to sleep, but the other half knew that definitely was not possible. Not with everything in her mind racing faster than a sonic rainboom. Applejack felt the anxiety emanating from her friend, taking seat on the cushion next to her. She was in no rush to pry, however, waiting for Dash to make the first sound. The pegasus wanted to oblige, but every time she wanted to say something, the words would choke in her throat and then she’d take a swing of her water. After a few more swigs, she realized the mug was already empty. Applejack saved her from her predicament, asking, “So…why were you out there?” “Oh y’know, I was just uh…getting some exercise. I kinda lost track of time, the storm was already coming in, and your house was close by. So I…” “Dash?” “Y-yeah?” “Ya can’t expect me ta believe ya now, do ya?” The pegasus peeked up from her empty cup to see Applejack looking at her with skeptical eyes. “I find it hard ta believe that you were flying at eleven o’clock at night, and that you let a storm sneak up on ya even though yer a part of the weather patrol.” Letting out a weary chuckle, Rainbow looked down and said, “Probably shoulda known, considering it's you.” “Come on Dash. You can tell me anything.” Applejack wrapped a leg around her friend, trying to catch a glimpse of those maroon eyes covered by a rainbow mane. Rainbow Dash remained silent, unable to meet AJ’s eyes. She imagined her mug filling back up so she could avoid having to say what she came to say. But it remained empty, just like the words coming out of Applejack’s mouth. “…Rainbow, what’s the matter with you?” Applejack inquired, her voice coming back into focus. “What were you doing out there in the rain?” Finally, Rainbow couldn’t hold her breath any longer. She snapped her head to side, accidentally dropping her cup. “What’s happening to us, Applejack?” she quickly asked. “Wha-?” “Why is this happening, huh? What did we do wrong?” Applejack scooted back, surprised by the sudden reaction. “W-we didn’t do anythin’ wrong, sugarcube!” “Then why are we being punished like this?” The duo looked at each other for a few seconds, the rain roaring louder than ever. Dash’s brows were furrowed and her eyes were narrow, complete with a scowl that seemed to shake the room. Her snout was thrust forward, grazing against the cowpony’s. Applejack was somewhat taken aback by the severity of her friend’s words, her mouth agape with shock. “Why would you say that, Rainbow?” Those words reminded the pegasus why she had come by in the first place. Her gaze softened and she backed away, pulling the sheets tighter around her. In a subdued voice, she uttered, “Fluttershy just told me she was leaving. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. Then…after that, I flew around. I flew around and I never wanted to stop. Even when it started pouring…” Dash realized she was tearing up, so she furiously rubbed her eyes before continuing, “She asked me to come with her. But I just can’t. I just can’t leave. I don’t know why. Every part of me is telling me to run away…but I can’t do it.” “Yer the most loyal out of any of us, sugarcube. Of course you won’t.” Applejack quickly took Dash into a warm embrace, slowly running her hooves through the drenched fur. She pondered about Fluttershy’s departure, but only for a moment. Right now, she had another friend who certainly needed help more than Fluttershy did. Dash closed her eyes, feeling Applejack’s warmth on her skin. “But…but if Fluttershy leaves Ponyville, then that only leaves…” “Shhh. Don’t think about that, Rainbow. We still got us. And we ain’t gonna let anything change that. Not the reporters, not this town, nothing. I promi-.” “Stop,” Rainbow interrupted, squeezing AJ’s leg. “Don’t do that.” “Do what?” “Make promises. I don’t make promises I know I can’t keep, AJ.” After nuzzling Dash’s neck, Applejack turned her friend so they were face to face. With a tender smile, the most sincere she could muster, the cowpony replied, “Well neither do I. And I promise you what I said before is true. Nothin’ will ever change the two of us.” The pegasus saw this compassionate smile, heard the earnestness of her friend’s words, and despite all the promises she’d heard before, something compelled her to believe this one. And so, she shot herself forward, latching her hooves around AJ’s neck. Putting her mouth up to Applejack’s ear, she whispered shakily, “She looked at me…way back, when we were in that crowd, trying to get to Twilight. I lied. She saw me. She looked straight at me. And…and she didn’t do anything…” “I know.” For the first time ever, the two ponies, a confident stuntpony and a hardened cowpony, wept in each other’s affectionate embrace. Neither wanted to leave, or to lose that rare feeling of being truly warm. Neither wanted to face the incoming storm, the rising skyscrapers, and the endless following that waited for them day after day. And so, the two tightened their grip on each other, their sobs echoing throughout the quiet farmhouse. Even as those sobs faded away, their hold remained as firm as ever, as though they would slip away into oblivion the moment they let go. “I don’t even recognize this place anymore, AJ. I barely recognize us. But this is my home…this is our home. Leaving…is like leaving behind everything we’ve ever been. I dunno if I can do that, AJ.” “Neither can I, sugarcube.” “…Please tell me they’re coming back. Please tell me I’m not waiting for nothin’.” Applejack paused, unable, for once, to say the truth. Now, more than a year after that, Dash and Applejack sat atop a hill in the wee hours of the morning, looking at the place they bitterly called home. Ponyville was nothing more than a tourist attraction and a parking lot now. Granted, it was a parking lot with a heck of a view, but it was a parking lot nonetheless. Hotels and mansions had sprung up everywhere, and at times Dash could barely tell it was the same little village she had grown accustomed to for most of her life. It had been decided to make Twilight’s Tree the center of the entire town.Thus, the oldest part of Ponyville, the place they had spent most of their friendship together, was now completely engulfed by the glitzy city lights. It seemed like the residents of Ponyville went in a cycle, because the rich came around at the same time every year to visit their new vacation homes. These same faces could be found until the season’s end, when the next bunch would take their place. Until tonight, it was as though the only year-round residents were Applejack and Rainbow Dash. As the two sat there, empty promises echoed in their minds. At least Rarity had sent some money the first few months. But since then, the letters have been scarce, and the bits have disappeared. Pinkie’s only sightings had been in tabloid newspapers and magazines. For Fluttershy, one year later, she had yet to make due on her word. And finally, there was that one promise made in Applejack's home on a late, rainy night. “I really thought she’d come back,” Dash uttered, referring to Fluttershy. “It’s the press. She’d never come back here as long as the press is around.” “What about the others, then? Why do you think they’ve stayed away?” “Come on Dash. You know I can’t answer that,” Applejack replied, staring out at the bleak horizon. “Please...that ain’t the way you wanna remember things, right?” “No…I guess not.” Rainbow Dash leaned back, letting her hooves run through the thick grass. She muttered quietly, “But it's been so long...more than three years, AJ. Three years since the coronation. That’s a lot of time to be kept waiting...a lot of time wasted.” For the brash pegasus, the past three years felt like she had been going in slow motion. She couldn’t remember how many times she had contemplated running away. But instead, she kept hanging on to that sliver of hope that her friends would return. She was the Element of Loyalty, and she tried so hard to just hold on. But as fate would have it, a pony could only wait for so long. Here she was, years later, waiting patiently for friends who were too impatient to help her. The sun was starting to rise over the hills. Soon enough, the city would be bustling again, and the paparazzi would be out and about, scrounging for the next scoop. With a sigh, Dash simply murmured, “It’s time.” The two stood up, facing each other for the final time. Applejack gazed at her friend’s face, seeing the wrinkles around her eyes and the way her ears drooped low. “I never thought this day would come,” the cowpony admitted sadly. “At least, not so soon.” “Yeah,” was all Rainbow could reply. “Listen, Rainbow. I jus’ wanted to say-.” Suddenly, Applejack found her hat toppling off her head and her breath being knocked out of her chest . Dash had thrown herself unto her friend, and began to weep in AJ’s hooves. After getting over the initial shock, Applejack closed her eyes and sullenly returned the embrace. Tears flowed down Dash's cheeks, and onto Applejack's broad shoulders. “I tried, AJ...I tried.” “I know you did, sugarcube. And that’s all I ever could ask.” Applejack began to tremble, but she somehow held back her tears. “I meant what I said before, ya know. We still got us. Even when we’re miles away.” “Thank you for never l-leaving me,” the pegasus said. “Yer the one who never left us, Rainbow. Even when they left…you never left them.” As much as she wanted to stay atop that hill, Rainbow Dash knew she couldn’t prolong things any longer. Using all the strength she had left, the pegasus let go of her cowpony friend. She slowly picked up some of her bags, while Applejack helped sling them over her back. Patting Rainbow’s shoulder, Applejack said, “I’ll try an’ write as much as I can, okay?” The pegasus simply nodded, wiped her eyes, and turned to face the rising sun. She took one glance back at the cowpony and whispered, “Goodbye.” Applejack gave a warm smile, witnessing the halo of light that surrounded Dash’s head. Taking off her hat, she replied, “Only fer now…mah friend.” Then, Rainbow Dash took one shaky step, and took off into the sky. Applejack stood alone, watching the rainbow-maned pony become but a speck on the horizon. When the speck disappeared into the light of the sun, the lone pony walked away, her hat covering her tears. She stopped at a gravestone, her eyes lighting upon it with an unspoken plea. She placed her forehoof on the stone, said a quiet prayer, and slowly plodded down the hill. The sound of a jackhammer began to emit from the coliseum just down the road. “Never make promises you can’t keep, Twi,” the lonely mare muttered to the wind. When Big Mac wandered into the orchard that morning, she was already back to work. Dear Rainbow, Gosh...I'll be honest with you, we're struggling to hold on. The harvest hasn't been doing so well these past few years, and with all the construction and factories popping up, I'm wondering if this is the kind of place we farmers belong. It ain't the kind of place I want Applebloom, or anypony, to grow up in. But even then, I just can't give up like this, especially when it comes to ol' Sweet Apple Acres. I can't just cut ourselves loose, not after the years of work we've put into this place. It's a rough time for sure. Heck, you and I have been through more rough times than most. But hey, all you can do is hold onto the blessings you've already got, right? And I'll be darned if I let some suit-wearing mules have their way. For now, I hope you’re doing well. I got your letter saying that the Wonderbolts invited you back to the Academy. That’s so great! I always knew you’d make it there one day. Soon enough, I’ll be taking the whole family to come and watch your shows! Anyway, that’s all I’ve really got to say for now. I wish you the best of luck, Rainbow, and I hope you’re wishing us the same. Until next time. Your friend forever, Applejack Dash turned the letter over to read the date. April 5th. One month ago. So far. She slid the letter back into a yellow envelope, which was creased, crumpled, and riddled with hoofmarks. She placed the letter on the dining table where it usually was, and crept outside into her yard. Her new home was atop a cloud on the outskirts of Cloudsdale, away from the hustle-bustle of the city. On her way out, she gazed at a familiar picture hanging by the doorway. It was of her friends after the Grand Galloping Gala, covered in pastries and grime, and still laughing about it. A tear cut right through the middle, where a certain lavender unicorn was standing. Words were scrawled on, words that had been ingrained into her mind, words that she could never get out of her head... Once she was outside, she waited at her mailbox for the rest of the morning, hoping that the mailpony would come with a small yellow envelope. She waited, just as she had done yesterday, and every day before that. And if nothing came today, well, there was always tomorrow.