A strong breeze rolled through the dark streets of Ponyville, carrying the detritus of fall along with it. Only a few ponies were outside to feel the stinging chill that the wind brought, the ones who did tightening up their scarves and further buttoning up their jackets. All except Rainbow Dash, that is.
The cold bite of the wind affected her all the same, but she had not thought ahead to bring a winter jacket; she wasn’t even supposed to be out this late. She grimaced and pulled her head closer to her torso as the wind pulled at her mane and fur, both of her eyes closed.
After a few moments, the force died down and her mane returned to its normal frazzled look. She opened her eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall.
“It’s really almost midnight …?” she said, her voice unable the hide the hurt she felt.
Rainbow sighed, thinking back to the letter that she had left open next to her unwashed dishes in her sink. Twilight had explained that it was finally time, she was gonna come home. After an entire year of being abroad, her trip was coming to an end. The note had included a copy of Twilight’s train ticket home, the arrival date scheduled for nine pm that very day.
However, that had been a week ago.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Rainbow whispered to herself as she pried her frozen body from the metal bench she had been waiting on. She cast one last look at the train station’s unloading dock, fully aware that the train hadn’t arrived in the minute that she hadn’t been looking. Besides, she’d have heard it anyways.
She stretched her body, popping her joints as her wings opened up. As she lifted into the air and prepared to fly home, she made a promise to nopony in particular. “Don’t worry, Twi. I’ll be back again tomorrow, eight PM. I swear, I will be here when you finally return home.”
Little did she know that a second letter related to Twilight’s arrival had been placed in her mailbox that very night.