//------------------------------// // Where She Came From, Part 3 // Story: Where Did I Come From? // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash stepped into the room with the little green filly. She looked around furtively, but didn’t see Applejack. She sneaked over to the crib and reached out her hooves, and the little filly quickly reached back. “Ah! Ah!” she said. “Up?” Rainbow asked to clarify. “Ahh!” the filly repeated, more urgently this time. She waved her hooves at Rainbow. Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Ok, but don’t tell AJ.” She quickly scooped the filly up and lifted her onto her back. The filly giggled, squirming with excitement. Rainbow instinctively spread her wings… and then grimaced in pain. The pain seemed to be more of an aching soreness, now, more than a shooting pain like it had been. She still couldn't fly. Not yet, anyway. She looked back at the filly. I'll fly with you someday. I promise. Then again, it had only been a few weeks since her accident, and besides, a little pain wouldn’t stop her from giving the filly the freeing feeling of wind rushing through her mane. “You all comfy back there?” she asked. She got a giggle in reply. “Thought so.” She began walking out the door. “You really need a name, you know that?” The filly burbled something that Rainbow certainly didn’t understand. “Yeah, well, I can’t call you that,” Rainbow said. “But whatever. Let’s go running!” It wasn’t long before Rainbow was tearing through the orchard, with her filly laughing and squealing as she did. And then she heard a cough. She skidded to a stop as she saw Applejack, tapping her hoof. “Oh, hey, Applejack,” Rainbow said, a wide smile on her face. “Doing a little PT?” Applejack asked flatly. “It’s more like BT: bonding time,” Rainbow said, turning around to nuzzle the filly. She could do that in front of Applejack because Applejack wouldn’t judge her. Eh, who was she kidding? She’d do it in public, too. Applejack sighed. “Yeah, and that’s great and all, and it's really great that you've found something you both enjoy; but if we have to give her back…” she started. Rainbow cut her off. “She’s not an animal. We’re not going to just give her back.” “Rainbow?” Applejack said flatly. “Yeah?” “You don’t give animals back either, Rainbow. Once you take one in, they’re yours for life.” Rainbow squinted. “You don’t? But the stories…” “They’re all sad stories for a reason, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “You don’t just bring an animal into your life and then turn around and dump it; that just ain’t right. It’s like you’re makin’ a contract between you and them. You love them and care for them, and they love you right… back…” Applejack adjusted her hat. “Dang it,” she murmured, realizing just how applicable her words were. Rainbow grinned impishly. “Fine,” Applejack said, turning around. “Just stay safe, alright?” “You hear that?” Rainbow asked the filly. “It’s time for a run down Ghastly Gorge!” “Rainbow!!” * * * Applejack set the basket of apples in the cart. The filly watched as she pushed it into place. She looked up at Applejack and held out her hooves. Applejack grinned and selected a bright, shiny apple from the basket. She polished it on her coat and then gave it to her. The filly let out a cheerful squeak and began gumming it happily. Applejack chuckled. “You’re already an Apple,” she said proudly, “ain’t no doubt about it.” The filly continued to gnaw at her apple. Applejack exhaled. She knew this couldn’t last. It was too perfect. Somehow it would all come crashing down around her. She shook her head and adjusted her hat. That day might never come. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of that police officer for a couple weeks now, and she was perfectly happy keeping it that way. There was a chance he could come back, though. Until then, she would do whatever she could with the filly. “You really need a name,” she murmured. The filly managed to pierce the skin, and began sucking the juice out. Applejack couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “Well, if’n you’re still hungry, there’s plenty more where that came from,” she said. * * * Applejack walked slowly up the stairs, preparing to surprise Rainbow. Rainbow still had that mentality that she needed to appear cool at all times, and so she would find her in the cutest positions when she thought nopony else was around. Intending to catch her in one of these again, she crept closer to their bedroom. Her ears pricked up at Rainbow Dash's voice, though. "Fifty-seven! Fifty-eight! Fifty-nine!" She poked her head in and saw Rainbow Dash, doing wingups with the filly chortling on her back. She almost jumped at Applejack's sudden appearance, but then quickly recovered. "Eight! Nine! Ten! That's it," she said, laying down to retrieve the filly from off her back. "Wouldn't want to hurt myself, eh?" She looked up at Applejack and winked. Obviously, Applejack didn't buy that for a second. "Riiiight," she drawled. "Don’t do anything too reckless, Rainbow." "I’m fine!" Rainbow protested. "Just..." Her voice trailed off as she looked over and realized that the filly was prodding at her side, just like where Applejack would massage when her wing cramped. Rainbow glanced up at Applejack. "I'm totally in love," she said. Applejack chuckled. This was just too cute. * * * Applejack walked into the kitchen and stopped short. She was surprised to see Apple Bloom there, drying a dish. It wasn’t that Apple Bloom wasn’t often in the kitchen; she lived there and so did her chores on rotation just like everypony else in the house. But she had previously been watching their filly, and the filly definitely wasn't in there. “Apple Bloom? Where’s the filly?” Applejack asked, just a hint of nervousness entering her voice. She looked up, and a wide smile spread across her face. “Living room.” “Alone?” “Why don't you go and see?” Apple Bloom said, trying to hide a smile. Puzzled, Applejack trotted through the kitchen and into the living room, and then stopped short. The filly batted a ball across the floor, right into Macintosh’s open forelegs. He giggled and pushed it back. Applejack couldn’t help but laugh, relieved. The filly looked up and brightened. She raised her hooves excitedly, and Applejack came over and picked her up. She burbled something happy and pressed a tiny hoof against Big Mac’s nose, and he couldn’t help but smile. “She really is part of the family now,” Apple Bloom said cheerfully. So why did a cold shiver run up Applejack’s back? She turned around and… Oh. Never mind. She’d just ‘ralphed’ again. * * * Applejack gently lay the filly down in the crib, all bundled up and ready for her nap. She was already asleep; her lullaby had made sure of that. As she slowly backed out of the room, though, Rainbow ran in, ramming into Applejack and sending them both tumbling to the ground. “Rainbow!” Applejack hissed, rubbing at her shoulder. She glared up at Rainbow’s oddly cheerful face. “What in tarnation's gotten into you?” “I flew,” Rainbow whispered. Applejack snapped to attention. “What?” “I flew again. I mean, it was a short flight; but- but I flew. I really flew.” “You flew?!” “I flew.” "Rainbow, that's amazing!" Applejack pulled her down and kissed her full on the lips. Rainbow melted into the kiss, letting her wing drift down and brush against Applejack's right side. Applejack pulled back slightly. "Ain't that your injured wing?" she asked. "Yeah," Rainbow whispered, repeating the motion. "It was." Applejack couldn't help but arch her back. "Ah've missed that," she whispered. Sure, it wasn't anything too special--Rainbow could easily have touched her with a hoof--but it was the inherent intimacy of the gesture that really helped her feel close to her lover. Rainbow must have enjoyed it, too, because she leaned down again and tried to press her tongue through Applejack's lips. Applejack rocked her head and put up her customary struggle, all four seconds of it, before leaning back and opening her lips slightly, letting Rainbow push her tongue inside. She tasted slightly of apples; but that wasn't what kept bringing Rainbow back. There was just something about Applejack that she just couldn't get enough of. Maybe it was just how solid she was. She had been there the whole time she had been in the hospital, and had never stopped loving her. For Applejack's part, she enjoyed this contact, too. Rainbow had hid it well, but her inability to fly had really crushed her spirit. Now that the possibility was back in reach, Rainbow looked alive again. Her eyes were bright, she was smiling; even her mane looked brighter, and- "Whoa, there!" Applejack whispered as Rainbow's wing continued exploring. And she was acting much friskier than she had been in a long time. Not that Applejack was complaining, or anything. But before Applejack could attempt to return the favor, a pronounced cough from the doorway made both of them freeze. Rainbow pulled back and looked up at Apple Bloom, who was standing in the doorway, hiding her smirk poorly behind a hoof. Rainbow looked just like a little colt caught with his hoof in the cookie jar; that is, if the cookie jar were actually Applejack's mouth and the hoof in the cookie jar a strand of saliva connecting Applejack's mouth and hers. "Ah'd hate to interrupt anything important..." Apple Bloom said, still smirking. "But?" Rainbow demanded, wiping at her lips as her ears and most of her face flushed bright red. Apple Bloom jerked her head towards the west window. "Fence on the west side got knocked over again." "Aw, ponyfeathers," Applejack swore, rolling over and scooting free from under Rainbow Dash. "So Mr. Pigglesworth's out?" "Yep," Apple Bloom said grimly. "Big Mac's chasin' him now." Applejack grumbled some unkind things under her breath about that pig and how much trouble he had been--and how much trouble he was about to be in. She glanced back at Rainbow Dash. "Ah'll be back for the rest of that," she promised, cracking a smile. "I'll be waiting," Rainbow said. Applejack dashed off down the stairs. Rainbow glanced back at the filly, who was now awake and staring at her, head cocked. "What're you looking at?" Rainbow asked. * * * Apple Bloom poked her head back into the living room. "Hey, Applejack," she said. "There's a few slices of pie left, you want one?" Applejack was never one to turn down a good pie. "You betcha," she said. "Make it two, please," Rainbow requested. "Ooh! One for me, too, please!" Applejack jumped. "Pinkie Pie?!" Pinkie Pie, who had apparently let herself in, nodded eagerly. "Yep! That's me! Do I get pie, too?" Apple Bloom laughed as she walked back in. "There's always enough for friends," she said brightly, carrying all three plates on her back. "But you didn't come all this way out here just for a slice of pie, didja?" Applejack asked. Pinkie shook her head. "Nope. There's something else, something really big going to happen, and I wanted to be here to see it!" Then her neck twitched, and her left hind leg shook. "Also somepony's going to knock on the door, but that's not the big thing... thingy." Sure enough, no sooner had the words left her mouth than there was a knock on the door. It was an odd knock. It didn’t sound inviting. Instead, it sounded firm, almost threatening. Macintosh met Applejack’s eyes, then stood and walked over to the door. She had recently been having an irrational fear that the father would come back for the filly, and Mac was not about to let that happen. She was just starting to warm up to him. The very familiar-looking police officer that stood there didn't even bat an eye at Mac’s towering appearance. Or maybe he had, but his sunglasses had just kept Macintosh from seeing it. Either way, he did not appear intimidated in the least. “Good afternoon. I'm Detective Cane Sugar, and you are...?” “Macintosh Apple,” Mac rumbled. “Ah. You are Applejack's… brother, I presume?” “Eeyup.” “I have some information that I think she'll be most interested in hearing; is she here right now?” Macintosh nodded and stepped aside. In true police fashion, Cane waited until Mac had stepped completely inside to enter, so as not to let somepony get behind him. His eyebrows raised ever so slightly as he saw the whole family, standing around the filly, along with a bright pink pony that certainly hadn’t been there before. She saw his gaze slow as he passed over her, and she waved. “Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!” Cane Sugar raised an eyebrow. She was definitely an outlier; not in the family. She shrugged. “I heard there was going to be a doozy,” she said by way of explanation. Cane's eyebrows raised further. “A... 'doozy', miss Pie?” “Something completely unexpected, and it’s going to happen right here!” Cane pursed his lips, noticing that everypony else had tensed imperceptibly at her words. “Oh, I think that’s an accurate assessment.” And then his next words nearly stopped the heart of everypony present. “We found the filly's father.”