Fallen Eagle

Chapter 65: Seeds of my Past

Phew, damn those rewrites! Anyway guys, only a short message this time; you've waited long enough. Firstly, I want to thank everyone just for being so understanding about how long my updates have been taking. I really can't thank you all enough for your patience and especially for your support. I will say I've got a new schedule worked out that will hopefully give me equal time for both my story and my YouTube channel. Secondly, please read the author's note at the end for an important request.

Thirdly, I have a pretty big announcement! If any of you, my dear readers, plan to be in Baltimore in early August for BronyCon 2017...then you just might bump into yours truly there. That's right, I have officially purchased my airline ticket, BronyCon ticket, and reserved my hotel room for this year's convention! I'm so excited!

axelialea: Merry (belated) Christmas to you too!

Sassymouse: Thanks for the praise! That's pretty much why I changed the rating from T to M. I can't really tone down relationship troubles or some of the inner conflicts that some of the characters have, or else they wouldn't make as big of an impact. Sometimes it's good to have certain things for adults, but at the same time, present them in a way that's mature because there's a big difference between things that are mature and things that are aimed at adults. Like how King of the Hill is a fairly mature cartoon, but it's also realistic, while Family Guy is just aimed at adults and is pretty immature. Real life isn't just sugar and rainbows...sometimes we have to wade through pools of sour to deal with our problems. As for the PPP, that's definitely an idea I've kept secret since I started writing this story.

WarHusky2000: Happy New Year to you too! And yes, the PPP is like the KKK, pretty much when I had Celestia emphasize that their influence had died down to practically nothing, which is true for the KKK nowadays. I really have a hard time believing that there aren't unicorns who hate the idea of interbreeding with pegasi, or pegasi hating to marry into earth ponies.

Nostalgia Cop: Thanks, I'll check into it!

headreviewermk2: Ivan doesn't really believe in the whole dream catcher thing, but yes, Luna has to take time away from her moon duties to keep from stressing herself out too much.

Monkeyboy0118: Thanks for understanding man, I really appreciate it!

SquirtlePWN: Actually, she has nothing planned at Joe's :P She was just hungry, and I wanted to bring back her growling tummy from the Ticket Master

OBSERVER01: This was actually aimed to show how much Blueblood is coming along since he's returned :P

TigerVolcano5000: Thank you, new reader! Always good to see some new blood around here! As for your ideas, just stick around ;)

Thank you to all for your patience, and I hope you like the newest chapter! I'm gonna go try and catch up on Lunar Legacy

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(Castle of the Two Sisters; evening)

Today actually wasn't too bad. Once Twilight and I finished our meeting with the royal family in Canterlot, I got to help AJ and the family begin preparing the farm for cider season; had lunch with Fluttershy and Rarity at the only fancy restaurant in town; helped Bon Bon and Lyra at the former's candy shop; hung out with Pinkie at Sugar Cube Corner and even played with Pumpkin and Pound for a bit; and even just sat with Twilight and Flash in their castle's library, talking. Of course, Twilight and I discussed our meeting in Canterlot with everyone before I was whisked away to spend quality time with my girlfriend and gaggle of friends for the day.

I also took the time to retell the tale of my ill-fated trip to Washington D.C. to all of my friends once they were informed of Celestia's plan. Some were a little mortified of what President Walker had done, but they all, like Applejack, supported me and understood it was an accident even if a part of me still felt a twinge of guilt.

"Come on, Fluttershy!" Pinkie pushed the poor timid animal lover in front of everybody before the pegasus could even blink. Twilight definitely was right; the girls, Spike, Flash, Soarin, and even Discord put together a one year anniversary party for me in the ruins of a time beaten castle in the Everfree Forest. Though, I was informed that this used to be Celestia and Luna's old stomping grounds until one fateful night just barely over a millennia ago. "Everypony else had something nice to say to Cougar; now it's your turn!" The party pony grinned widely, stepping away to give her friend the floor.

"Oh…oh my," Fluttershy gulped, sweat forming at her hairline. "I-I'm not good with speeches."

"There's a shock," Bon Bon giggled, only to have Lyra sock her in the shoulder.

"Look Pinkie," I exclaimed as I had one arm hanging loosely around Applejack's neck, holding her close. "I appreciate that everyone else has said a few words, but I don't need praise from everyone for what they think about me."

"Nonsense, Cougar!" The bubbly pony cheered. "We've come this far; why stop now?"

"Because she's uncomfortable?" Rainbow Dash replied in a snarky tone, rolling her eyes. The cyan mare definitely loosened up and became like her old self these past few weeks, mainly because her leg was 100% healed up, she returned to her full time duties as a Wonderbolt, and she and Soarin disappeared the night her leg was healed…..

"Fret not," Discord cracked his knuckles, "moi can fix that!" And with the snap of his fingers, an abundance of Discord cardboard cutouts appeared in the room, plopping down in front of everyone. "Hmm, is it just me, or did this place suddenly get even more handsome than before?"

Applejack swiftly knocked the cardboard draconequus down with her free foreleg, grumbling at Discord's antics. "Oh Discord, I meant being put on the spot like this," Fluttershy explained softly, putting her hoof on his shoulder. "I don't mind speaking in front of friends."

"Oh very well," Discord face-palmed, running his paw down the length of his face. He clapped his paw and talons together; the cutouts vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Aww, I was gonna decorate that and use it as a sign in Sugar Cube Corner!" Pinkie whined.

"Whenever you're ready, Fluttershy," Twilight graciously gave the buttery pony the floor. After hearing a few words from everyone except Starlight since she was still getting to know me, I had no clue what else could be said. And the fact that just the get together was enough for me wasn't lost on my friends, but they insisted that they give me a few kinds words for being their friend for a year now.

"Um, Cougar?" Fluttershy's velvety sweet voice broke the waiting silence. "I can truly say that you're a real….swee….." she trailed off.

"I'm sorry?" I leaned closer to hear what she said.

"I think you're a real sweet…heart," she gulped in between words, letting out a nervous giggle. Bon Bon, Discord, Spike, Rainbow, Flash, and Applejack all snickered at how embarrassed the pegasus was.

"Ah think Ah can agree ta that!" Applejack rubbed her cheek against my arm, squeezing my waist tighter with her foreleg.

"Oh, well thank you, Fluttershy," I replied with a small grin.

"W-well, you were a little distant when you appeared in Equestria. But overtime I saw more and more that there was a sweet side to you. How you bonded with Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle; putting your life on the line for our friends at Winsome Falls and for Princess Luna in Draconia; how you went out on your own on Hearth's Warming to forgive Twilight for her mistake; and, honestly," Fluttershy paused, chewing her lower lip. "I'm really happy that you found your special somepony, even if it felt a little odd for both of you when you first felt your spark. I've actually never seen Applejack as happy as she's been since Hearth's Warming."

Everyone with the exception of Fluttershy, Discord, and Spike cooed at her words. "Aww, well thank ya, Fluttershy," AJ about cut me in half with her foreleg's iron-like grip. "He might be a bit hard headed at times," she looked up at me, giving me a questioning expression, "but Ah wouldn't want him ta change," her face softened. I rolled my eyes, bending down and pecking her on the end of her nose.

"Totally!" Pinkie's shrill voice interrupted the sweet moment. "I'm glad nopony here cares that you two are different species! Come on, Cougar, you're selfless, a hard worker, loyal, and honestly, kind of cute!"

"I'm sorry?" My eyes nearly exploded from my skull at her words.

"Well, for a human at least," the party mare shrugged. "I don't know many other humans, but if I wasn't with Cheese, and AJ didn't lasso you up already, I probably would've given you a shot," Pinkie remarked as if we'd been discussing how to bake a cake. Of course, Applejack loved teasing me, and she didn't let this opportunity go to waste. She chuckled at my horrified expression and kissed my cheek. How would I have been able to even keep up with her zaniness? Even Deadpool probably would've been freaked out a bit by Pinkie. "But if you could shoot magic ice from your fingers, you'd be perfect!" She added.

"M-magic ice?"

"You all right there, Ivan?" AJ patted my back. "Pinkie's just bein' nice; don't be gettin' second thoughts now, ya hear?" The orange mare said in a threatening tone, but she was just milking my reaction.

I gulped. "Uh Cougar?" Twilight waved her hoof up in front of my face.

"Great, Pinkie fried his brain," Spike rolled his eyes, claws curling around his cup of punch. The reptilian then jerked his arm forward, splashing what little bit of drink in his cup onto my face, snapping me back to reality.

"Well, you're too kind, Pinkie," I grinned uncomfortably as the red liquid dripped from my hair and face. Surprisingly, Twilight wasn't mad at all for Spike's method of getting me out of my stupor. The bubbly party mare giggled, lightly smacking my arm with her hoof while Starlight levitated a towel over and dropped into my hand.

"Okay, that's enough messin' with Ivan's mind fer a day," Applejack gently shoved Pinkie back over to Rarity.

"And uh, thank you for what you said, Fluttershy," I finally wiped the punch from my face, gripping the damp towel in my fist. Abashed, Fluttershy nodded with her normal sheepish smile.

"I-I hope I didn't say too much," she gently swung her right foreleg just inches above the stone ground. "I know how much you don't like praise about yourself."

"Well," I exhaled, smirking, "when it reminds me of what I've learned and gained here with all of you….I really can't complain about it." I clicked my tongue a few times, my eyes slowly descending down to everyone's legs.

"Ahem, would you like to say a few things, darling?" Rarity's elegant accent lifted my head. "It is your anniversary after all, Cougar. We've all gone through so much with you in our presence; perhaps it'd be interesting to hear your own thoughts?" The seamstress suggested.

"Ooh, I'd like to hear that!" Twilight chirped excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.

"You think so?" I flattened my eyebrows questionably.

"Hey, if you claim you've learned a few things over the course of a year with us, then I think it'd be a riveting listen!" Discord exclaimed with a snap of his talons. A bright flash of magic transformed the draconequus into a psychologists' outfit complete with a notepad, a pen, and oversized thick rimmed glasses. "Do go on," he crossed one leg over the other whilst hovering in mid air.

Rarity's words piqued the curiosity of more than just Twilight and Discord. One look around the long defunct library showed me everyone else in attendance nodding their heads in agreement with the lord of chaos. "If you want to of course," Fluttershy added with her gentle soothing voice. They knew full well that I wasn't one to brag about my accomplishments, but if my friends were pushing me to talk about what I've exactly gleaned from being apart of their group, then I wouldn't disappoint them, espeically since they went to the trouble for this party.

I exhaled and grinned at their enthusiasm, trading the towel in my hand for a fresh cup of punch. "I'll just make this more of a thank you to all of you," I announced and held up the punch in a toast, "instead of a speech about me."

"You do know nopony will mind if you're just the teeniest bit prideful, right?" Pinkie asked before Twilight shoved a cupcake in the pink mare's mouth.

I stifled a snicker before continuing, "Anyway, I honestly can't believe I've known most of you for a year now. To me, with everything we've all done together, the troubles we've gone through, the small moments, and the memories, I feel like I've been friends with you all my whole life. I've only told Applejack this, but I took my friendships with my squad mates and even my best friend, Adam, for granted on Earth. Sure, I cared enough about all of them to fly alongside them and help them out on missions, but I never really took the time to be an actual friend. I'd decline their offers to hang out more often than not, but even when I did accept an offer, I didn't actually contribute anything to what we were doing. It took until Garble beating the shit out of me and giving me this scar," I pointed to the permanent mark on the left side of my face, "for me to realize that I was pretty damn selfish for my nearly my whole life."

"How's that, Coug?" Soarin questioned after I'd paused for a brief moment.

A shameful sigh was my answer before I said, "Because, I never took into consideration any of my friends' feelings if I never returned from a mission. I always went by the mantra of If I die, I die. But I realize now that that's not the way anyone should think about heading into a dangerous situation. I should still accept what could possibly happen, yet I also should've embraced what I had and thought about how those that cared for me would feel if I didn't come back. And….I want to apologize to all of you for thinking that way before I accompanied Celestia on her mission to save Luna."

"Aw, come on dude," Rainbow took one step forward, a sympathetic look on her face. "You don't have to-"

My raised hand silenced the pegasus, forcing her to retreat back next to Soarin. "But I also want to thank you all. Thank you for accepting me into your lives as a friend, and thank you for showing me how to be a better friend and what friendship actually means. You've all taught me a thing or two on how to open up about my problems instead of keeping them to myself. A part of me wishes I could turn back the clock with my new knowledge so I can correct my mistakes on how I treated my squad mates, yet I still wouldn't want to give up the new memories I've made here in my new home. I'll never forget the morning I forgave Twilight for her mistake on Hearth's Warming Eve; I've never been the one to console someone like that before, and it just felt so good to help someone I consider a close friend feel better." The alicorn in question smiled warmly. "And of course, I'll never forget Applejack showing me how to be more than just a friend," I gently slung my arm around her neck and knelt a little closer to her, hugging the mare tight.

"Ya big goof," Applejack blushed, chuckling as I pecked her cheek and stood back up.

"I'm really just thankful that somehow I was given a second chance to learn how to be a better friend and that my life does matter to others. I know I've only said this to Applejack, but really, I love each and every one of you in a different way," I took a sip of my drink. Of course, Starlight wasn't included in that part of my speech since I was still warming up to her and she was still learning about friendship herself, but I was giving her a fair chance, so I didn't single her out. "Now don't take that-" I started before I was suddenly mobbed by every mare in the room, with the exception of Starlight of course.

"Aww, we love you too, Cougar!" Pinkie exclaimed as I was knocked backward into a wall by the wave of mares pinning me down in a giant group hug. I'd yelped in surprise from the dog pile attack, but I didn't fight against it. With a sigh, I allowed the mares to show their affection and even gave Pinkie and Bon Bon, the only mares I could actually touch, pats on top of their heads.

"Blech! All this affection is making me nauseated!" Discord whined, recoiling back. From in between the girls' manes, I could see Spike, Flash, and Soarin smirking in my direction.

"All right, Ah think that's enough," Applejack announced and detached herself from the pile of ponies. "We don't wanna smother him too much."

"You just want him all to yourself, don't you?" Bon Bon rolled her eyes at my girlfriend.

"Darn straight!"

I took in a deep breath, now that my lungs weren't being crushed, and brushed some of the fur from my shirt. "And it's just a brotherly thing for you," I assured the guys in the room.

"Thank Celestia," Soarin jokingly wiped his forehead. I couldn't help but notice that Starlight did seem a little left out from what I had to say while everyone else returned to what they'd been doing before the sudden group hug. Although I was still warming up to her after trying to Biff Tannen the timeline, I still couldn't outright call her a friend just yet. However, since she'd shown up, I could tell she was making progress with Twilight and her friends, and she seemed to enjoy helping out Dr. Whooves at his lab.

"Ivan? Whatcha doin' there, partner?" Applejack's muzzle gently dug into my palm so I'd massage her freckled cheek.

"Oh, it's nothing," I gave her furry cheek a few loving flicks with my thumb before removing my hand. "Just…give me a second," I stepped around my girlfriend in the direction of Twilight's light purple protege.

"…Okay?" Applejack replied questioningly, her head following my movements. Starlight was still looking a bit left out, not paying attention to my approach.

"Hmm?" She looked up as I stopped before her. Her ears flattened against her head when she realized that it was me that had advanced on her.

"Hey Starlight," I began as normal as possible, trying to sound somewhat friendly toward her.

"Uh…hello?" The unicorn leaned back a bit, hoisting her right foreleg off the ground in puzzlement. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that I had trust issues with her, which is why the two of us never really spoke to one another. But that's not to say we wouldn't at least acknowledge each other once in awhile. I sighed and knelt down onto my right knee to be more at Starlight's eye level.

"Look Starlight, I know the two of us aren't even close to being acquaintances at this point, but I want to apologize if I made you feel a little left out in my speech."

Twilight's student blinked, zipping her eyes all around. "Oh…that's okay; remember I told you I understood how you wanted me to earn your trust?"

"Yeah, but I can't deny the fact that you're coming along with that nicely," I flashed her a grin. "It wouldn't be fair now would it?"

"I uh, I suppose not," Starlight put her right foreleg back onto the cracked stone floor, only to nervously rub at the side of her head with her left foreleg. I let out a long sigh, reaching my hand out for the mare to rest her hoof in. Reluctantly, Starlight did so, giving me an odd look as she did.

"I had a lot to learn when I came into their lives too," I jerked the thumb of my other hand toward our friends, "so I know how much of an adjustment it can be. And just because we aren't friends yet doesn't mean I won't at least be courteous. But….I do see you and I becoming friends down the road." I gently shook her hoof, giving her the most honest smile I could muster.

"Thank you," Starlight's uneasiness morphed into a grateful smile as she shook my hand. "I hope I can earn your trust someday." We ended our hand/hoofshake with me gently patting her shoulder and getting up from my knee, glad that Starlight and I were on the same page, even though we weren't friends yet.

"What?" I exclaimed when I turned to discover everyone else, with the exception of Discord, grinning at me and the unicorn.

"You really are quite the sweetheart, aren't you, darling?" Rarity giggled.

"That was really kind of you to give Starlight reassurance of her progress, Cougar," Twilight added in her motherly voice. "And that you didn't want to make her feel left out."

"Respect goes a long way, Coug," Rainbow nodded. I held up my hands, feeling a twinge of self-consciousness heating up inside from the praise I was getting.

"Come on guys, I just don't want to make the same mistakes I did when I didn't refer to Twilight as a friend before," I chuckled. Applejack all too happily squeezed my waist with her forelegs, nuzzling her cheek into my hip.

"An' that's why we love ya, Sugarcube! Ah don't know where ya get all this sweetness from, but don't ever change," she repeated, giving my hand a quick kiss. Sighing yet again, I gently pulled the mare closer to me, scratching behind her ear.

"I don't think any of you have to worry about that."

"Well, I'm happy to hear that," Lyra bowed her head politely. All of a sudden, the light with the stone library began to fade, and the sky turned from blue to a brilliant mixture of purple and orange.

"Is it really getting that late?" I asked. Discord hummed and jammed his lion paw into a pocket that materialized onto his body, pulling out a golden pocket watch and a monocle.

"Hmm, it appears so," the draconequus huffed onto his monocle before putting it over his right eye. "Time sure flies when you spend it with good friends, wouldn't you say, Fluttershy?" He wrapped his eagle talon arm around the pegasus' torso to hug her. The animal lover agreed and hugged her secret crush in return.

"I suppose we should start packing up for home, then?" I suggested, heading over to the refreshment table to put snacks away into tubs that Pinkie had brought. Twilight's magic, however, had ulterior motives as it suddenly engulfed my hand.

"Actually Cougar, we kind of have another surprise for you," the alicorn beamed while folding her wing over Spike's back. "Everypony, the throne room is prepped and ready for our very first group slumber party!" She announced giddily. "So just head on down while we get the party put away." I had to do a double take on what Twilight had just said.

"S-slumber party?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, silly!" Pinkie appeared from atop a bookshelf I was standing next to. "What better way to cap off your first anniversary with your friends than sleeping with all of them?" My mind immediately went the 'adult' meaning of the word sleep, forcing me to look a tad mortified.

"Oh my," Fluttershy's cheeks turned red as even Discord looked a bit taken aback, his monocle falling from his face and shattering on the floor.

"Pinkie!" Lyra barked, shuddering in her spot. "Poor choice of words!"

"What? Sleeping's a ton more fun when you're surrounded by all of your bestest best friends in the whole world!" The earth pony spread her forelegs out as wide as she could make them. Rarity smacked her own hoof against her face when Pinkie failed to see her wording mistake.

"Look, everypony just head on down to the throne room while Spike and I take the decorations down," Twilight levitated Pinkie Pie down from the bookshelf onto the floor. "And no buts, Pinkie," she scolded, "you already helped set everything up; we'll put it all away. Besides, I'm sure you can find a way to entertain everypony else before we join you."

"Aww! But taking down a party helps you reminisce about the fun times you had! And it helps you get pumped for the next one."

"You need to reminisce about a party that just ended?" Soarin squinted his eye.

"I like to take pride in my work, Soarin," Pinkie grinned happily before wrapping her foreleg around Discord's neck, yanking him down to her level. "Now come on, Discord! I just know you'll love shadow puppet time!"

"No! I uh, I think Twilight might need some help with-" the draconequus tried to fight Pinkie's iron grip.

"And we'll drink some hot cocoa, make some s'mores in the fireplace…." Pinkie's voice trailed as she and everyone except myself, AJ, Rarity, Flash, Spike, Starlight, and Twilight disappeared into the corridor that lead into the old throne room of the castle.

"Ya know," Spike rubbed the back of his neck, "is it wrong that I sometimes like seeing Discord being tormented by Pinkie?"

"Well, I suppose as long as Pinkie isn't actually hurting him and just acting like herself, there's nothing wrong with it," Flash shrugged. "I think it's funny sometimes too."

"After all the teasing he likes to do to us, I see it as karma," I smirked, still scratching behind my girlfriend's ear, the mare quietly moaning from my affections. Everyone else agreed with my sentiments, but not without Twilight looking a bit confused.

"Just out of my curious nature, how come none of you went with the others? Spike and I can handle this easy."

"I thought it would just be something a friend would do to help," Starlight said honestly.

"I just like finding excuses to spend time with you and Spike," Flash ruffled Twilight's mane with his wing, causing her to blush. The princess cleared her throat to help her blush go away, looking in our general direction.

"Rarity?"

"Oh, well Spikey has helped me numerous times at the boutique; I thought I'd return the favor and assist the two of you with taking down the party," the fashionista explained as she patted the aforementioned dragon's head. "Or the three of you, I suppose," she giggled.

"And helping is the least I can do for you throwing me this party," I quickly said when Twilight turned her attention toward me, her mouth open. Twilight didn't even try to fight it, knowing how difficult it was to change my mind.

"I suppose that's fair," she shrugged and enshrouded her magic around the edge of a banner hanging above the large window of the library. "And I'm pretty sure Applejack didn't want to leave your side?" She smirked back at me.

"Was Twilight just snarky with me?" I zipped my gaze down at my girlfriend who simply patted my hip and began to dismantle the decorations along with everyone else. With a quick sigh, I followed suit and started to remove anything party related as well.

"Well, this shouldn't take too long then," Flash remarked as the two of us packed the leftover food away so we could fold up the refreshment table. "Hey Twilight, there's a spell you can cast to keep the food fresh overnight, right?" The orange pegasus cocked his head toward the mare. "I'm thinking of asking Pinkie if I can take some of this back to the castle."

"Oh of course!" Twilight squeaked and finished folding up Pinkie's banner. Her horn suddenly glowed its usual magenta color before engulfing the food containers for a few seconds, disappearing in a pop of light once she was done. "There, they should stay fresh for at least twenty-four hours." Flash thanked his girlfriend with a hug and proceeded to help me with the table.

"Glad to see your relationship going smoothly, Flash," I grunted while folding up the legs. "You and Twilight are about the only couple I've seen patch things up and actually come out looking stronger."

"Thanks Cougar," the guard flashed me a grin. "I'm happy for you and Applejack as well."

"You know," I chuckled, "if any of you had told me a year ago that I'd be with AJ, I probably would've punched them in the face," I only half-joked. Flash could tell I was being a bit serious if the sudden paleness of his face was any indication.

"I guess things work out when you least expect them too," he shrugged. The two of us flipped the table onto its side, sliding it up against the wall when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.

"And you know something else, Flash?" I nudged the pegasus once we turned around.

"Hmm?"

"Rarity's doing that on purpose." The unicorn mare in question was attempting to pack up the record player that Pinkie set up, but was clearly faking her struggles to pick it up. Spike was already on the case, helping her pick it up off its table to relieve her of her stress.

"Sweet Celestia you're right," Flash gaped. "She's uh, not usually this friendly with Spike," he noted when Rarity batted her eyelashes and thanked Spike for assisting her. I knew what Flash meant; Rarity would sometimes act a little flirtatious with the drake when asking or thanking him for help, but this…..this wasn't acting.

"You don't suppose-"

"I don't know," Flash pursed his lips, "but if she's doing what I think she's doing….oh boy Twilight's gonna go off the rails." The two of us simultaneously shifted our gazes over to where Twilight and Applejack were putting various party objects away in boxes, oblivious to how Rarity was acting around Twilight's son.

"She won't make Rarity disappear or anything, but I get where you're coming from."

"Should we-" the pegasus began before Rarity's sharp giggle halted everyone in their positions.

"Oh ho, Spike. You may be older, but you're still simply too adorable sometimes," she smiled at the drake's scarlet cheeks. In fact, Spike was holding his left arm as if he were having a heart attack.

"Spike, you okay?" Flash called out. The only movements Spike could make, other than his tail twitching, were darting his eyes toward us and nodding his head. "You sure about that?" Flash added.

"Don't be so timid Spikey; I just accepted your offer to lunch tomorrow."

"What's this about lunch?" Twilight asked as she closed the lid on a box. I raised an eyebrow at how quickly the hairs on the back of Flash's neck stood at attention as he seethed. Applejack scooted the box out of the way before looking back up at Rarity and Spike.

"Well," Rarity looked back and forth between Spike and his mother, "I suppose this is a good a time as any considering the small amount of friends around us," she gently nudged Spike forward.

"Rarity? What's going on…..?" Twilight asked suspiciously. Rarity and Spike have been known to have lunch before as a way for the former to thank the latter for helping her around the boutique or assisting her with scrounging for gems and diamonds. But what Rarity had just said completely negated what we knew of their relationship.

"M-mom?" Spike swallowed. "I uh, kind of asked Rarity on a date; we're having lunch tomorrow," he explained with a stream of sweat pouring down his forehead. The instant Spike finished his sentence, Flash's wing stretched out in front of me, pushing me back.

"….What are you saying?" Came Twilight's rather odd response. I said nothing, but my mind was screaming, 'Denial!' over and over again as I opted to only widen my eyes at Spike's announcement.

"Really Twilight?" Flash asked in disbelief.

"Come now, darling," Rarity gently wrapped her foreleg around Spike's midsection. "I've decided to give Spike a chance; we'll date for a few weeks and see how things turn out," she explained.

"I….I didn't prepare for this," Twilight stuttered. "N-No offense to either of you, but I honestly never thought you'd say yes, Rarity."

"I don't blame you mom," Spike mustered a nervous grin, "I'm just as shocked as you are." Apparently silence was showing up uninvited to the post-party. No one dared to say anything as Twilight processed a rather huge step in her son's life. Naturally, I was rooting for the dragon for at least getting a chance with the woman of his dreams, but I also understood how difficult this would be for Twilight to deal with.

"Twilight, dear," Rarity cooed. "Please hear me out. Spike truly deserves this; he's been more patient and understanding about this than anypony I've ever met. Even when we first met he respected me well enough to be my friend without expecting anything more than friendship in return. And…through a few breakups over the years, he was always there to comfort me and be somepony to talk to," the fashionista smiled sweetly at Spike. "I honestly regret not giving him a chance sooner, but I plan to rectify that mistake and be his marefriend for a short period to see where it leads."

"Don't worry, I understand that part," Twilight reassured them. "But," she bit her lower lip, "my son dating my friend? That's definitely going to take some getting used to," she admitted.

"Aw, put it this way, Twilight," Flash blanketed a wing over his girlfriend's back, "wouldn't you rather Spike date one of your friends that you know and trust? Or some mare you have no clue about?"

The alicorn sighed. "Ohhhh, well I can't argue with that. Even though this is a little hard to swallow, I promised Spike I'd give him room to grow," she managed a smile. "And I am a bit relieved that it is someone I can trust that introduces Spike to the relationship world."

"Thanks mo-"

"However," Twilight interrupted Spike, "there are a few things I want to talk about," she stated firmly. Both the unicorn and dragon nodded in response. The alicorn inhaled deeply before continuing. "First off, I'm not attempting to predict the outcome of this, but if you two find out that you work better as friends…..please let Spike down gently, Rarity."

"Oh, of course, Twilight," Rarity seemed to be caught a bit off guard. "I wouldn't dream of discarding poor Spikey-Wikey like last week's garbage or a lowlife. And I don't see any possible reason for such an outcome." Spike blushed at the use of the pet name Rarity had given him when he was a baby dragon, finding it a bit more embarrassing than in his younger years.

"She's taking this surprisingly well," I whispered to Starlight who'd been silent this whole time.

"You aren't the only one that's stumped, Cougar."

"I'm just happy to at least get a chance," Spike cleared his throat. "And I don't plan on wasting it, Rarity," he promised.

"Aww, if things don't work out, I'm still happy to have you as a friend, Spike."

"Ahem," Twilight interrupted the two. "Secondly, no spending the night at Rarity's," she narrowed her eyes at Spike. "I don't need to be in a state of constant paranoia about what might be going on." The seamstress gasped, almost in an offended tone, and gaped.

"Forgive me, Twilight, but I hardly think it's anypony else's business but my own and Spike's about what we do!" Twilight's eyes flashed open as she realized what she had said.

"Oh Celestia! N-no! I didn't mean it like that!" She frantically waved her forelegs around. "All I meant was if you two want to….cuddle or just spend some quiet time together, I'd rather it be in the castle just to keep my mind at peace while we all get adjusted to your relationship."

"I think that sounds fair," Spike laid a gentle claw on Rarity's back to get her to calm down. I really couldn't hold Rarity accountable for jumping to conclusions at Twilight's words.

"Yes," Rarity exhaled loudly, her glare softening into an understanding expression. "If it gives me an excuse to be closer to Spikey and inside that gorgeous castle of yours," she giggled.

"Glad we got that settled," Twilight sighed. "I hope cuddling is all you do though," she muttered under her breath.

"Twilight," Flash nudged the mare in the shoulder with his wing. The pegasus didn't need to say another word, for Twilight knew what he was insinuating and performed one of Cadence's breathing exercises.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized, interlocking her wing with Flash's. "I'm happy for you two, and I promise to not interfere with anything. No matter how much my instincts tell me to, I don't want to lose the trust from either of you."

"You have nothing to fear, darling," Rarity replied sweetly, "I shall treat Spikey the same way he's treated me since we've met," she nuzzled the drake.

"Thanks for being understanding, mom," Spike smiled, gaining the courage to coil his arm around Rarity.

"Well, it wouldn't be fair of me to be understanding of Cougar's situation and not yours." All of a sudden, everyone's attention turned back to me despite the topic still being about Spike and Rarity.

"….And I can't thank you all enough for that," I replied. "I mean I wouldn't blame any of you if I lost some of your trust."

"Now Cougar, it was a horrible accident brought on by your leader's actions," Rarity reassured me. "You wouldn't have been in that situation at all if he hadn't killed those innocent pilots."

"Exactly," Flash nodded. When I'd told everyone the story, Flash seemed more pissed than anyone by the president's decisions considering he himself was apart of Equestria's military. "A good leader shouldn't use their own soldiers as pawns for personal gain."

"An' don't forget," Applejack set her hoof into my hand, allowing my fingers to tenderly grasp it. "If he'd just listened ta ya, he would've lived at least until the justice system decided what ta do with the varmint."

"Although…." Twilight gulped. "I'm a little iffy on the fact that there needed to be a weapon involved at all," she admitted.

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously. Even though I was happy to have the support of all of my friends, I was honestly a little relieved to have someone critique what had gone down in that limo eighteen months ago.

"I mean, I understand completely that it was an accident, and that the president lunging at you caused the gun to go off, but to me his death would've been avoided if there wasn't a gun at all. It seems like you and the guard could've overpowered him by yourselves."

"That's like asking me to not carry a spear around you, Celestia, Luna, or Cadence, Twilight," Flash exclaimed. "Cougar, I'm pretty sure that your leader's guards have to have weapons on them in case someone does try to attack them, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, chewing on my lip. "And if the president was armed too, I wouldn't feel as guilty about it. Looking back on it, I wish the gun wasn't loaded so we could've at least tried to trick him into surrendering."

"I don't mean to make you feel guilty, Cougar," Twilight explained as she approached me. "I just prefer more peaceful and diplomatic ways to resolve situations like that." While of course, any sane person would look for a peaceful way to resolve an issue, but there do come times when peace isn't an option, and people have to do things they normally wouldn't. But since Twilight was being extremely fair in voicing her concern, I wasn't about to start an argument.

"I understand, Twilight," I smiled. "There's no shame in that."

"The point is, hun," Applejack interjected, "we're all proud 'o ya fer comin' forward ta tell everypony what happened. Ah know that wasn't easy ta do," the mare kindly prodded at the back of my hand with her muzzle.

"Well, everyone deserved to know for showing me how to be a better friend," I gently squeezed her hoof, massaging the top of it with my thumb. "Treating me like family," I added. Although AJ, Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity rarely ever said it out loud, the six of them were practically sisters in my eyes, just for how close they all were. "And for helping me trust myself."

Applejack softly chuckled and slipped her hoof out from my hand, sitting down on her haunches. "Take a seat real quick, Sugarcube," the mare patted the floor beside her, "Ah've got a lil somethin' ta tell ya myself."

"A-all right?" I incredulously replied, sitting down next to AJ who proceeded to gently place her head on my shoulder, snuggling up to me. Everyone else followed suit as well, forming a small circle in the middle of the library. They too were curious to know what Applejack had to say.

"Ivan, Ah've only told mah closest friends this, 'n practically all 'o those who were in Ponyville when it happened knows," Applejack began, sighing somewhat sadly. "But ya see, the night Applebloom was born…"

---

(Flashback; Sweet Apple Acres)

"Anythin' yet, Ma?" Young Applejack innocently asked as she poked her head through the door to her parents' room. What felt like an entire lifetime to the young filly had, in reality, only been a hair under nine months since her folks had announced that she would become an older sibling. And ever since the doctors confirmed that Applejack would have a younger sister, she couldn't wait for the day to come. Sundown may have been a sweet mare who enjoyed bringing treats to her son and daughter's class every now and then, or even helping with any project that Carrot and Cup Cake were working on, but she couldn't get enough of working outdoors and pushing herself to get the job done. The stallions in Ponyville knew she was attractive, but they were also smart enough to not try anything funny with her; Sundown had broken up a few bar fights by throwing some punches of her own, unafraid to get into a scuffle.

Her mother, a beautiful older looking Applejack but with blue eyes and a red mane and tail giggled at her daughter's excitement. "Applejack, your sister will get here when she decides she's ready," the mother gently rubbed her bulging tummy.

"Aww, why can't it be now?" The filly pouted, slipping her hoof off the handle to her parent's bedroom door.

"It'll be all worthwhile, sweetie."

"At least she's not as bad as her brother when you were pregnant with Applejack, Sundown," AJ's father Applebob chuckled heartily. AJ's father was known around Ponyville as the kind of stallion who wouldn't hesitate to drop what he was doing to help anypony that asked for it. He loved his family, and his passion for good old fashioned hard work was second to none. It didn't take much, however, for the beige colored stallion to step into a confrontation and become somepony's worst nightmare. Applebob was amongst the strongest stallions Ponyville had ever known; his son, MacIntosh, was well on his way to being a spitting image of his father, less the difference in their mane, tail, and eye color. "Every day he was non-stop chatter box, askin', "When's mah sister gonna be here? When's mah sister gonna be here?"

"Hey!" A colt's voice shouted from down the hallway. "At least Ah'll always be the older siblin'!"

"The point is, Applejack," Sundown motioned for her first daughter to come closer. "It's okay to be excited, but I can't decide when your baby sister will be born. We'd all like her to be with us right now, but believe me when I say that the wait is worth it," she smiled, curling her hoof around Applejack's.

"At least we know our baby'll have a great sister," Applebob added, grinning and ruffling his daughter's blonde mane.

Applejack sputtered, "All right, Ma. But can Ah at least name her?" She asked with anticipation. Both her ma and pa exchanged a look before shaking their heads, chuckling.

"Go on 'n get ta bed now, AJ," her father softly instructed, getting up from his bed and opening the door. "Y'all still have mornin' chores before school tomorrow."

"All right, pa," Applejack sighed, not having the courage to tell her parents that she didn't exactly yearn to have farming in her future. Nonetheless, the filly loved making her parents happy and didn't want to disappoint them. "Ah love ya both," she squeezed her father's forelegs tight.

"Ah love ya too, Sugarcube," Applebob replied with the nickname he'd given Applejack when she was a foal. The stallion hugged Applejack and pecked her forehead. "Good night."

"Night pa, g'night ma!"

"Sleep well, sweetie," Sundown smiled.

"Tell mah baby sister Ah love her too."

"Would y'all just hit the derned hay already!?" Granny Smith screeched from her bedroom.

"Ya don't wanna make grandma cranky." Applebob quickly ushered Applejack into the hallway, quietly shutting the door behind her. Though excited for the upcoming addition to her family, Applejack was feeling a bit drowsy. The filly made haste, trotting to her room directly across the hall, tossing her stetson on one of the bedposts before snuggling under her blanket.

Tossing and turning for about fifteen minutes to get comfortable, she wound up lying down on her side, facing the window and staring directly into the inky dark blue night sky. Applejack sighed, wanting to fall asleep so tomorrow would come quicker, but that only made her think of her future little sibling. "Ah hope Ah'm a good big sister," the filly uttered to herself. A thought suddenly crossed her mind, a somewhat silly thought that she knew would cause a little concern within her family. Granny Smith had told her countless times about how Princess Celestia had graciously given her and her family the plot of land that would eventually become both Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville, so the Apples had a personal tie in with the princess.

Applejack had been brought up by both school and family that Celestia was also just that….a princess; not a goddess that some ponies believed. However, it was also common knowledge that Princess Celestia was one of the most powerful beings in the world, and she'd done a lot to help ponies of the past and present, and presumably the future barring any unforeseen circumstances.

The orange pony gently rolled back over to make sure her door was latched before softly clasping her hooves together and closing her eyes. 'Might as well give it a shot,' she pondered, rolling back to the window. "Princess Celestia….Ah'm not entirely sure if y'all can hear me right now or if this is how y'all know when ta help some ponies. Ah just wanted ta ask ya one thing." Applejack paused her whispering, not only to think about what she wanted to say, but because she thought she heard something outside.

Chink!

She opened one eye and scanned around the front area of the house that was illuminated by the moon. She couldn't see any shadows of somepony prowling around or any strange hoof prints in the dirt. Nor could she hear any of the pigs, cows, or chickens causing a ruckus. Applejack shrugged it off and continued back to her little private talk.

"Ah'd love ta have my sister be born sooner rather than later, but when the time is right, and my ma helps bring her into our world, please help me be the best big sister Ah can be."

Thinking of nothing else to say, Applejack concluding her little conversation and yawned, stretching her forelegs out to prepare her body for sleep. "Hmm?" The filly rubbed her tired eyes as she took one last look out the window. She still couldn't see anything peculiar outside, but her ears twitched when she heard what she thought was the sound of splintering and creaking wood from downstairs as if somepony was bending a board.

The sound wasn't like the creaking of a staircase step, but like there was an enormous amount of pressure being applied. Just to be safe, Applejack threw her blanket off her body and slinked her way across her room to her door, opening it just a crack. The sound was a bit louder now, but still nothing to be too alarmed about.

Shiff

The sound of a what she thought to be a window opening threw the filly off course. Pulling her face away from her door, she jerked her head around to her own bedroom window, her fur standing on edge. There was nothing there. No sign of the window having been opened, nor was there someone standing on the other side. That didn't help bring her heart rate down, however.

"Come on, Applejack," she whispered to herself. "Maybe Ma's just gettin' a bit warm." It really wouldn't have surprised Applejack all that much if this were the case. Sundown had a few times needed special means to keep cool ever since she had become pregnant; she could get warm fairly quickly. "Hmm, maybe she could use a glass 'o water!" Wanting to help out, Applejack carefully swung her door open.

"HEY!"

"AHHHHH!"

The filly instantly froze on spot as the shout of her father and a bloodcurdling scream from her mother emitted from their bedroom. All of a sudden, the light flicked on from underneath their bedroom door; AJ could see the shadows of someone hustling around; loud thuds of hooves banging against the floor drowned out the grunts she'd been hearing.

"MA? PA!?" Applejack screamed, barging in through the door to a horrifying sight. Two ponies, a mare and a stallion that Applejack had never seen before, were inside the room with her parents, holding a bat, a crowbar, and a few empty burlap sacks. Applebob was struggling with the stallion, attempting to get the crowbar out of his hooves while her pregnant mother was in a defensive stance on the other side of the bed with the mare cornering her.

"AJ! Get your brother and your granny and run!" Applebob ordered. She couldn't move; the scene was too much for her body to anything but stand in shock. "DO AS I SAY!" Her father bellowed as the stallion continued to shove him against the wall, knocking several pictures to the ground.

Applejack's legs suddenly moved without her thinking. The love for both her mother and her unborn sister was too great. "Get the filly!" The stallion snarled whilst fighting for control of the crowbar. AJ lunged forward in front of her mother, trying to shield both her and her tummy.

The intrusive mare simply smacked the young filly aside with her hoof, sending her tumbling back into a dresser. "We know you make good bits farming," the mare sneered. "Where are you hiding it!?"

"You bitch!" Sundown shrieked, taking an opportunity to try and knock the bat from her attacker's hooves. She smacked the wooden object upwards and attempted to lunge forward, but due to her extra weight with the baby, she temporarily lost her balance.

Growling, the intruder regained her handling on the bat and attempted to bring it down upon Sundown's head as she tried to get her balance back. "Ma!" Applejack exclaimed, scrambling back onto her hooves despite the pain in her side from where she hit the edge of the dresser. She leapt upwards just as the intruder was swinging the bat down and wrapped her forelegs around the mare's neck as tight as she could.

"ACK!" The mare choked from the sudden loss of oxygen, stumbling around as Applejack's weight threw her off center.

"LEAVE MY MAMA ALONE!" Applejack screamed, never loosening her grip. The burglar now turned attempted murderer tried to whack the filly's head behind her, but Sundown punched the bat right out of her hooves and slugged her across the face.

"Applejack, get out and hide!" Sundown ordered while the bat clattered to the floor. Meanwhile, the struggle between Applebob and the stallion was at a stalemate. Both stallions were about equally matched. The pony holding Applebob against the wall saw out of the corner of his eye that his partner was in distress; he had a decision to make. He quickly snapped his head back to stare into Applebob's eyes before butting his forehead against the farmer's, momentarily stunning him.

"Hey!" The stallion burglar exclaimed as he whirled around to try and rip Applejack off his partner's neck.

BAM

A bright red blur came flying into the room, tackling the stallion into the nightstand next to Sundown and Applebob's bed. Macintosh held the stunned thief down on the ground and proceeded to pummel him, his hooves creating a sickening thud each time he struck the stallion's face. Reeling in from head butt, Applebob looked to see his young son taking care of the intruder. "Mac, no!" He shouted when the intruder punched his son in his cheek, knocking him backwards a bit.

Before the intruder could do anything to his only son, Applebob raced over and grabbed Mac's orange mane with his teeth, ripping him off the stallion and throwing him back toward the bedroom door where Granny Smith appeared with a lasso. Growling, Applebob turned back to the stallion, desperate to make him feel pain for daring to touch his son. He grit his teeth and locked eyes with his adversary…..only to feel a hot flash of pain jam into his chest.

"BOBBY!" Sundown exclaimed in horror, silencing everyone in the room. Applebob's limbs went stiff as boards; the stallion beneath him grinned, twisting the dagger he'd pulled from his burlap sack around in the father of the Apple family's chest.

"PA!" Mac screamed at the same time as his mother. The father grunted in pain as the dagger left his chest, dripping blood onto the stabber below, his grin still on his face. The burglar easily knocked Applebob to the side, chuckling to the horrified Macintosh. Hearing her brother scream out her pa's name like that caused Applejack to loosen her grip on the mare's neck as she turned to see what happened.

With both Sundown and Applejack distracted, the female burglar whirled Applejack around, knocking her hind legs into the side of Sundown's head. The force of the hit detached Applejack, sending her flying to the ground in front of her Granny who immediately stood in front of her. Sundown cried out in pain, stumbling backward before the intruder dove towards her. There was a terrible crash as Sundown was forcibly pushed into the other nightstand, headfirst into a lamp and belly first into the edge.

The mother cried out in agony from the shards of the lamp digging into her face and the edge of the nightstand hitting her belly. "MAMA!" Applejack shoved Granny aside and darted toward her fallen mother and her attacker. She scooped the bat up within her front hooves and swung it as hard as she could at the burglar before she could strike her mother. The bat snapped in two from the force of the hit, sending the intruder spiraling onto the bed with a split scalp.

At the same time, Granny threw her lasso over the head of the stallion that'd stabbed her son, tightening it around his neck as, in a fit of rage, Macintosh picked up the crowbar and struck it over the head of the stallion. The red colt breathed heavily through gritted teeth, fighting back tears as he used his adrenaline to pick up the stallion and throw his head straight through the window before turning around and bucking his ribs as hard as he could.

Both Apple children dropped their weapons, their attentions focusing on their injured parents. "Son?" Granny asked worriedly, kneeling down next to Applebob. The mocha colored stallion tried to roll over to look up, but his mother had none of it. She yanked her scarf from around her neck, putting pressure on his stab wound.

"M-m-mom," Applebob gargled up some blood.

"Don't talk!" Granny snapped, trying to fight back tears.

"Pa?" Macintosh asked hesitantly, his eyes watering.

"Go 'n get the wagon hitched up," Granny Smith ordered out of the corner of her mouth. "An' go help yer sister," she added when the young colt stood up.

Applejack gently pulled the remains of the lamp off her mother, squealing in terror at the trickles of blood down her orange furry face. She also took note of the bruise on her mom's extended belly, only increasing her fear. "Ma? Ma?" AJ tried to help her stand up. Her brother was over in an instant, standing on the other side of their mom to help her onto her hooves.

"B-Bobby…" Sundown whimpered.

"Ma, we gotta get ya ta the hospital," Mac tried to calmly explain. Gingerly, Applejack and Macintosh slipped underneath their mother's forelegs, allowing her to walk on her hind legs, and tried to escort her out of the room.

"Yer gonna be all right, Ma," Applejack attempted to not choke up. "Yer gonna be all right," she added as she jerked her head away from the sight of her father.

"M-mom," Applebob sputtered against her wishes. The older mare tried to put her hoof to his mouth so he wouldn't talk, but he gently pushed it away. "L-leave me here….g-get Sundown ta the hospital."

"Ah ain't leavin' mah son," Granny swore. She untied the lasso from the neck of the presumably dead pony in the window, only to retie it around her son's torso to keep the scarf on his wound. With all her strength, she carefully helped Applebob up onto his hind legs, walking him out of the room as AJ and Macintosh did with their mother. The family quickly laid Sundown and Applebob into the back of the family wagon before Granny climbed in the back to watch over her son and daughter in law. Applejack and Mac hitched themselves up with haste, giving each other mournful looks before taking off toward the hospital into the night.

(Flashback over; Ivan's POV)

"…P-Pa didn't make it ta the hospital," Applejack inhaled deeply as her lower jaw quivered against my forearm. Although Twilight, Spike and Rarity had heard the story before, they were already bawling their eyes out. Flash and Starlight on the other hand were more shocked, though they too had been crying. "The doctors put him 'n mah mom in the same room, but he'd stopped breathin' by the time they laid him in the bed," she continued in her quiet voice.

"AJ," I said, cupping my hand over her freckled cheek, "y-you don't have to-"

"Ma was barely hangin' on by the time they hooked up all them machines ta her," Applejack interrupted, squeezing her eyes shut. "The doctors said her skull was fractured 'n that she had bleedin' in her brain; they had ta cut mah ma open or else Applebloom would've died." The mare was visibly shaking like a leaf now; she was trying her damnedest to keep her eyes dry, but I knew I had to do something.

I slipped one arm around her back and the other around her rump, scooping her up and gently setting her on my lap, cradling her close. She didn't even protest. AJ buried her face into my chest, wrapping her forelegs around my torso as I gently rocked myself back and forth. "Shhh," I cooed as my own tears streamed down my face.

"Th-that's why Ah never cry o-o-n the outside, Ivan."

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked as softly as I could. The mare pulled away from my chest and laid her chin upon it, looking straight into my eyes with her now puffy emerald ones. She swallowed before responding.

"Ah had ta be strong fer her….fer Applebloom." I tried to smile for Applejack, if only to try and cheer her up. My hand held the back of her head, gently stroking the back of her mane. "A-at least ma got ta hold Applebloom b-b-before-" she slid her face back down until she buried it back into my chest. The mare was beginning to choke her sobs to keep them down, but I couldn't stand to see her like this.

"I know it hurts," I whispered, "but you need to let it out," I said with a loving peck to the top of her head. All of a sudden, Applejack began to wail loudly into my chest. Having never heard her actually cry before, it was a bit unsettling, but I was there to comfort her, like I always promised I would be.

"Ah…Ah miss them so much!" She cried, her voice muffled by my chest.

"Just let it out," I repeated, massaging her back and resting my chin on top of her head, cradling her close. I felt a little bad having to see the woman I loved crying, but at the same time, I was glad I could comfort her when she needed me. "It's okay, Applejack; I'm here," I assured the mare, nuzzling my cheek against the top of her head. "We're here for you," I quickly corrected once I remembered that she also had the support of her other friends. She continued letting her years of bottled up sadness out for a few minutes before starting to slowly calm down. Eventually, the orange pony was down to only letting out a few sobs and a few sniffles here and there. "I'm always here for you," repeated exactly what she'd told me last night, feeling happy to say it.

"Ah love you," I could barely make out what she said in her muffled voice.

"I know…."

"Ivan?" She gently pulled her head away from my chest, revealing her wet cheeks and puffy eyes to me.

"Yeah?" I was too happy to dry her freckled cheeks with my thumbs.

"Ah, Ah wish ya could've met them. Ah know it in mah heart that they would've loved ya ta death, Sugarcube." Applejack smiled through her heartbreak just for me. I couldn't help but smirk at her comment; she even chuckled at my reaction.

"I'll still try to do them proud, for you, Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Applebloom," I touched my forehead to her own, rubbing it gently. The two of us then softly pressed our lips together, relishing that we'd grown even closer within the past two nights, trusting each other with the secrets of our darkest moments, only to come out loving each other even more.

End Chapter 65

---

So yeah, this was pretty much my headcanon for what happened to Applejack's parents and how she in turn started to cry on the inside only. And I understand that the writers came out with some new information about AJ, Applebloom, and Big Mac's parents, but I've chosen to stay in the dark about that. And I hope, dear readers, you all respect that. I choose not to know; there are just some things I have no desire to know.

By the way...yes I did in fact reference a certain other fanfic...

Also, it wasn't mentioned (because I really couldn't think of a good way to word it) but my theory on how Applebloom got her name is because a new life bloomed while two others died, hence Applebloom.

Plus, I hope the names I've chosen for the Apple parents are all right. I got Applebob from the game bobbing for apples, and I chose Sundown for the mother because I think it sounds like a pretty badass name for a pony (if Sunset is any indication), and I didn't want it to have an Apple theme for fear of it being misconstrued as an insinuation of incest. It also came from the phrase my grandfather loves to use "Sun up to Sundown," as in a hard worker. And no, I did NOT realize until well after I chose it that there was a Top Gun character with the call sign Sundown; that was purely coincidental.