Child Of Wonder

by Artist

Four years later

Applejack sat and stared out of the train window, trying to distract herself with the blur of passing scenery.

"Mom, you okay?" Melody asked, sensing something wrong.

Applejack wasn't feeling fine, but she didn't want to upset Melody. She hesitated before responding.
"Honestly, Ah'm not feeling fine, Melody."

“"It's Dad, isn't it?" Melody frowned.

Applejack let out a heavy sigh, not looking away from the window.

"He'll come back eventually, won't he? The record label said four years."

"You were 11 years old, Melody. There's no way you could have understood what was going on," huffed Applejack, still staring out of the window.

"Mom, please stop treatin' me like a child!" complained Melody. After a pause, she continued in a quieter voice. "When dad left, I was just as hurt as you…"

“Next stop, Vanhoover station.” The pony on the intercom announced.

Applejack let out another heavy sigh, they were going to see Rainbow for the weekend, Rainbow’s son had graduated school and his parents were throwing him a party.

“But are you excited to see Rainbow again, after so long?” Melody asked when she felt the train stop.

"Yeah, Ah guess so. But it just ain't gonna be the same without Stevie," Applejack said as she helped guide her daughter out of the train

Rainbow was waiting for them on the platform, her fur was starting to gray a little bit, and her multicolored mane was starting to dull out a little bit too, when she set eyes on Applejack and her niece a big smile came across her features.

They found Rainbow Dash waiting on the platform. Her mane had developed a few thin streaks of gray since they last met.

“Hey guys, what’s up, it’s been too long.” Rainbow said, hugging them both.

“Yeah, four years, time flies.” Applejack replied with her eyes trained on the ground, not looking at her friend.

“AJ, you ok?” Rainbow inquired, concerned at her friend's unusual behavior.

“I’m fine.” Applejack lied.

Melody just shook her head in disbelief and disappointment.

“Auntie Rainbow, it’s good to see you again, how is everything goin?” Melody asked.

"Awesome! Your cousin graduated just this summer!"

“Yeah, so Ah heard, Ah can’t wait to see him again, last time you came to visit was four years ago at my 11th birthday party.” Melody smiled, but deep down she wished that her aunt would come more often.

“Let me get those for you.” Rainbow offered, picking up Applejack's bags as she led them to her home, which happened not to be far from the station.

---

Coming up to her house, Rainbow Dash unlocked and opened the door. The moment she did, a dark blue pegasus colt with a multi-coloured mane bolted outside, skidding to a halt in front of Melody. He looked at her, then back to his mother. A wide grin spread across his face.

“Well, hey there.” Applejack began unsure of how to respond.

“Hey there.” The colt repeated in a monotone voice, looking to his mother.

Rainbow awkwardly cleared her throat.

“His name is Sky Dancer, he’s….” She looked to her husband who had come up beside her.

“Autistic.” Soren finished for her.

“How come, I’ve never met him?” Melody finally asked.

“Err, well, I..I..he….” Rainbow stuttered, looking at her husband for support.

“Why don't you two come inside?” Soren suggested, glancing at the sky where dark clouds were beginning to form and snow began to fall gently.

Applejack and Melody went inside, the orange earth pony looked around and smiled.

"Mighty fine place you have here, Rainbow… uh you too Soren," Applejack commented, as she helped Melody through the front door.

They found themselves immediately in the living room, an open-plan space that looked to take up over half the ground floor. The room was painted a pale gray-blue, with brightly coloured furniture dotted about. In the middle, was a rainbow rug sandwiched between two plush couches.

Rainbow Dash and Soren went to sit on the yellow sofa, while Applejack and Melody clambered up onto the red one.

Melody was surprised by just how soft the sofa seemed to be.
"Wow! This feels really soft," she stated as she carefully prodded the furniture with her hoof, her face brightened as she felt the curves and edges of the sofa.

"That's because it's made with clouds, kiddo," Rainbow Dash said.

"Ah thought earth ponies weren't supposed to be able to walk on clouds.” Melody said to her aunt.

"That's because it's in an enchanted fabric, to stop it from dissipating." Rainbow answered her niece.

“So Rainbow, hearts warming eve is in a week, we would love it if you could join us for the annual hearts warming party at Twilight’s castle.” Applejack spoke after a long period of silence.

Rainbow robbed the back of her neck with a hoof before answering. “Unfortunately we can’t come, but maybe next year.” She stuttered.

“But Melody was so excited when she heard you might be joining us, Rainbow Dash, this ain’t fair, Ah can’t believe ya, why would ya do something like that?” Applejack’s eyes stung with tears as she got up and ran out of the room.

“But auntie Rainbow, last time you were in Ponyville you promised you would come back for hearts warming.” Melody protested, getting up from the couch and stamping her hooves in frustration before walking after her mother.

Rainbow Dash let out a heavy defeated sigh on one hoof, she didn’t wanna leave Sky Dancer, but on the other hoof, she didn’t want to disappoint her friends by not showing up.

A short time later, Melody came back with a defeated look on her face and sat down in front of the couch.

“Mama is real upset with ya Auntie Rainbow.” Melody sobbed, breaking down in tears.

“Hey, kiddo, I’m sorry but you’re cousin can’t handle parties, his ears are really sensitive to loud noise, I really wish we could come but unfortunately we can’t.” Soren softly spoke, getting down to Melody’s level.

“Ah, understand.” Melody nodded, going over to where she knew Sky was still sitting.

Sky was waving his hooves in front of his eyes and making himself laugh.

“Hey Sky, Ah was wonderin’ why ain’t ya comin’ to the heart’s warming party in Ponyville?” Melody asked, coming closer to her cousin.

Sky Dancer briefly looked at her and then went back to his hoof flapping.

“Sky, your cousin asked you a question.” Rainbow gently prompted him.

“No thank you, too much noise.” Sky finally answered, looking at the floor the entire time.

“Oh, is that all?” Melody questioned, putting a hoof around her cousin, Sky flinched at her touch.

“Melody, sweetheart, you need to be a little careful with your cousin. He doesn't like it when ponies touch him, remember how I said he is sensitive.” Rainbow reminded her.

“Oh, I understand, but why don’t you wanna go to the party?” Melody asked.

“We don’t think it would be very good for him, like Rainbow said he doesn’t like loud noises.” Soren said.

Melody looked dejected for a moment before smiling as she got an idea.

“How about, we have a quiet party, would you like that, Sky?” Melody asked her cousin.

“You like that, hmm, yes.” Sky smiled.

“But where are we going to hold the party, should we have it here or in ponyville, with our friends?” Soren asked.

“I hadn’t thought of that, Ah guess we should hold it in Ponyville, Aunt Pinkie can throw the party.” Melody said after a moment of thought.

Right at that moment Applejack came back into the room from upstairs, her eyes still had a few remnants of tears in them.

“Hey y’all, what are y’all talkin’ about?” The cowgirl asked as she sat down on the red couch.

“We’re just discussing whether we should have Sky’s graduation party here or in Ponyville, what do you think, Aunt Rainbow?” Melody asked, turning in the direction where she thought Rainbow Dash was sitting.

“Well, I’m not sure, we never really took Sky anywhere outside of Vanhoover.” Rainbow admitted with a sheepish grin on her face.

“So, how is Stevie doing?” Soren asked, turning to Applejack.

“Honestly, I don’t know, he hasn’t written.” Applejack let out a heavy sigh.

---

Somewhere on the cold streets of Manehatten, Stevie and his band were walking back to their hotel.

“That was so awesome, we should totally do that again sometime.” One of the members smiled.

He was a gray pegasus stallion, with green eyes and a guitar for a cutie mark.

“Yeah, sure.” Stevie dejectedly replied.

“Dude, what’s wrong? I’ve never seen you this down before.” The stallion asked.

“I’m fine, Smoky.” Stevie grumbled.

“Are you sure?” Smoky asked, looking at Stevie in concern.

Stevie rolled his eyes and nodded, he didn’t want to admit that he was missing his family.

“You should be happy, after all it’s Christmas.” Smoky smiled.

Arriving back at the hotel, Smokey and Stevie headed to the bar downstairs to get something to drink, whilst the other band members went to the rooms to get some much-needed sleep.

Once inside the bar, Smokey looked around and found a seat at the far end of the room, the wooden floor creaked as the two stallions walked across the room.

Stevie let out a heavy sigh as he flopped down onto the chair. “Smoky, I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know if you can do this anymore, are you gonna quit the band?” Smoky asked when the waiter had brought them their beers.

“I don’t know, I mean being on tour and having you by my side has been the greatest time of my life, but I miss my family,” Stevie spoke after taking a sip from his beer mug.

Author's Note:

Sorry this didn’t come out on Christmas also I had help from a friend of mine, Random_Player

Smoky is not a reference to Smokey Robinson, though it might as well be, but I didn’t intend it to be a reference to Smokey Robinson, I don’t even know who that is.