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Looking at the sky from her Cloudsdale home, the filly finished remembering her past. She stopped thinking about her friends for a moment, and starting thinking about what needed to be done.
Sitting on a cloud, she thought of the past. Her eyes closed, she imagined the events that changed her life. She let a small tear run down her cheek before opening her eyes to the orange horizon of a rising sun.
I have no choice
Scootaloo leaned over the cloud flooring before sliding off into a free-fall. She felt the wind blow her mane back as she flew past cloud layer after cloud layer. Finally, she spotted the ground below. She closed her eyes and counted.
Three... Two... One...
She extended her winds and arched her back, curving her trajectory upwards until she was parallel with the ground. Feeling gravity pulling at her stomach and not her head, she opened her eyes to the passing landscape. It had been five years since her last free-fall like that, and five years since she first opened her wings from it. Five years since she changed her mind, and two years since her perspective changed...
Five whole years...
She flew from Cloudsdale slowly; her wings seldom flapped as she eased herself into a glide. Down below, fields and forests passed her by as she headed for Ponyville. She had dreaded this day since Dash brought her to Cloudsdale, but now that it had come... she felt... hopeful. Hopeful that her friends would forgive her... and hopeful that she wouldn't be hung by the richest ponies in town. Her stomach fluttered as her mind fought.
What if they don't forgive me?
You'll never know if you don't go.
What if they want to hurt me?
Then just fly away.
And what if... if i can't forgive myself...
The question stuck with her as acres of trees speckled with red dots came into view. She didn't look down at them, she simply acknowledged them; somepony might see her, and give some sort of reaction. But, she needed everyponies reactions together... not apart.
This incident happened when they were together, and it would end when they were together.
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The tree shook, and the apples fell perfectly into the two baskets placed around it. It always amazed her how it happened, maybe it was simply Apple Family skills... or some form of 'earth-pony magic'; after all, all ponies had some magic, her apple cutie mark was evidence of it. Maybe it was her special talent expressing itself. Who knew.
Applebloom trotted over to the next tree, and bucked it. The tree shook, and once again the apples fell perfectly into the two baskets placed around it. Somehow, everyday, at almost every tree, she asked herself the same question; Each time staring at the baskets for 20 seconds, her Heart-shaped apple cutie-mark for 10 seconds, and then moving on. The farm was always slow in between cider-season & the Zap-Apple Harvest, and finding something to do became more difficult with each passing week as the funnest things she could think of would be disproved by... personal experience. However, Applebloom figured out a wonderful way to spend time today as some inspiration flew over head.
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She stood in front of the mirror, eying every last inch of herself. The curves and colors of her new dress were found to be acceptable for her next performance, and even for a nice outing with friends. The violet and cerulean beautifully brought out her curled fuchsia and lavender mane. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but smile at her sisters work. Granted, she could be a drama queen, but she could make quite a beautiful dress. Taking a look at her side, Sweetie noticed how the patterns and curves of the dress made her Minim-note cutie-mark almost glow despite its black color.
How in Celestia's name does she do that?
A cool breeze shot in from the window, sending a chill down her spine. Sweetie Belle faced it and enveloped the window in a lavender glow. However, right as she was about to close it, she noticed an orange & purple blur in the distance. She thought she saw.... a ghost...?
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Without any clouds in the sky, and the sun shining brightly overhead, the day seemed perfect. In her cloud home, Rainbow Dash flipped through the most recent Daring Do book mindlessly. Having finished all of the Daring Do collection last week, and completing the weather work for the day, she was bored. However, as she peered outside to find the time, a smirk grew on her face. Celestia's sun had reached its zenith;
about time.
Just as Dash was thinking of what would happen, and what she would do if things went wrong, a orange Pegasus flew past her window followed by a knocking at her cloud door. Opening the door she wasn't surprised.
"Right on time kid."