Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash had missed this place more than she thought. When the first breeze brought a hint of apples to her nose, she had brought down in nostalgic tears, hugging tightly against Spitfire and feeling vaguely ashamed as she soaked her friend’s coat with her tears. But Spitfire didn’t say a word, or even tense, just gently wrapped her friend in her warm wings, a few primaries interlocking with each other. The intimate gesture was more than enough to dry Rainbow’s tears, a tiny tremor of happiness rolling down her spine like a bolt of fire. She rather wished that Fleetfoot was there as well- her magic felt alot like a strong, cool breeze- but Spitfire needed her to get a proper patrol schedule going.

“Come on, kiddo,” Spitfire whispered teasingly, taking a step back and winking, making Rainbow blush a light pink, “Applejack is waiting, and we should help her get the picnic set up before Scootaloo comes to join us.”

That brought a smile to Rainbow. Scootaloo had grown up so much over the last year, it looked like. She was taller and thinner, and even her wings seemed a little larger. When she had stopped by the Golden Oaks, Scootaloo had been dressed in Wonderbolts Youth uniform, and that had brought even more tears to Rainbow’s eyes. Of course, seeing her pass out hadn’t gone too well, and Rainbow winced at the remembered pain. She hadn’t realized just how painful it would be for her casted hind legs to thump on the wooden floor. Thankfully they had cut them off this morning, but her legs were going to be very sensitive to any kind of shock for several weeks, Twilight had told her.

Upon approaching the farm, Rainbow Dash was actually somewhat amused to find the entire picnic already set up, with a large blanket spread out underneath a mighty apple tree, with a basket and a barrel of hard cider holding it down against the light breeze. Big Mac was already stretched across the fabric, head bowed in determination as he buttered a piece of bread. Applejack spotted them quickly, however, her hoof raising cheerfully.

“Howdy! Come on over, help yerself!” she called out to them, and Rainbow realized just how blazingly hungry she really was.

Apple pies, apple turnovers, apple fritters, apple fries… Drool filled the pegasus’ mouth as she looked the delights over, nostalgia filling her again. An orange snout nuzzled her cheek, and Rainbow gave a sheepish smile.

“S-sorry, just… just r-rememberin’,” she mumbled, looking down at her shifting hooves, “Just… f-feels like…”

“The day before they took ya.”

Rainbow Dash jerked her head up in surprise, eyes widening. Applejack’s head, in turn, was bowed, teardrops dropping down like rain onto the fabric below. Big Mac had turned his head to the side, eyes closed, but a fair bit of pain etched even on his stoic phase.

“ ‘member? Found ya nappin’ in one of my trees, invited ya back for lunch?” Applejack asked softly, voice thick with repressed emotion.

“Y-yeah,” Rainbow whispered, body trembling as the memory crept back, “W-we had apple fritters… Applebloom was wearing a new bow…”

It was surreal. That memory had been an anchor for Rainbow Dash during her darkest days with the Master; Applejack’s honest smile, the innocence shining in Applebloom’s eyes. The taste of Granny’s best fried apples, and Applejack’s special whiskey. The regret…

She chuckled faintly, “W-when you a-asked me to h-help ap-”
“AH’M SO SORRY, RAINBOW!”

Applejack lunged forward with a heart-broken sob, Rainbow giving a startled yelp as she toppled over easily. Applejack’s fore-legs were locked tightly around her neck and, for the first time in… a very long time, someone was sobbing into her fur.

“I-I shoulda made you stay,” AJ whimpered faintly, “M-made more f-food, or c-challenged you to a r-race… i-it’s all my fault, I- mmf!”

Rainbow looked up in surprise, giggling a bit; Spitfire and Big Mac had stepped forward at the same time, both shoving apple fritters into Applejack’s mouth. The two interrupters blinked at each other, chuckles bubbling out the next second, while Applejack worked frantically to chew and swallow the fritters.

“Nope.”

“B-but… B-but I coulda-”

“Not a chance, Applejack,” Spitfire added softly, “Don’t blame yourself for it. Nothing we could have done could have changed that.”

Rainbow nodded, rocking back and forth with Applejack and nuzzling into her mane. She smelled of mulch and apples, and even a little smoke from the wood-burning stove. Applejack, strong, powerful Applejack, was quivering lightly in her fore-legs, leaning back against her. For several minutes, nopony spoke, simply basking in each others presence.

“S’good to be home, AJ,” Rainbow whispered finally, smiling softly as the farmpony turned to look back at her, a smile spreading on her own muzzle.

“S’good to ‘ave you home, RD.”
***********************

The rest of the picnic went rather well. After Applejack’s outburst and the consequent group hug, they all settled back to enjoy their food and company. AJ brought out the old scrapbook, making Rainbow Dash blush furiously and Spitfire howl in laughter at some of the stupid contests they had gotten in together. The Iron Pony, the Running of the Leaves, the Mare-Do-Well fiasco. It was supremely embarrassing, but by Celestia, Rainbow Dash was having the time of her life. It almost felt like the old days, just without the burn of a recent practice session or the haze of a just interrupted nap.

“R-rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow Dash winced at the unfamiliar voice, sighing softly as she began to turn. Another pony who wanted to apologize to her, no doubt. A grey-furred earth pony and a white-furred unicorn were walking down the path towards the farm; the unicorn was sticking close to the earth pony, head ducked down a bit so that her spiky blue mane would cover her face. But when she looked up…

Oh no, Rainbow thought, eyes widening as magenta eyes met ruby, and she rose to her hooves automatically.

The pain and uncertainty in the unicorn’s eyes was identical to Rainbow’s own, and from the half-second, near-despairing glance at Big Mac before logic took back over, she could tell one thing about this pony. She’d been through a trial of her own, one similar to the hell Rainbow had been in herself. After a moment, a spark of recognition arced through her brain. She remembered a poster in Canterlot, a smirking mare with a hoof in the air, eighth notes emblazoned on her headphones…

“Y-you’re… Vinyl S-scratch, right?” Rainbow managed after a moment’s hesitation, blushing as Spitfire gave a small, surprised jerk, “The DJ?”

Did she really not talk to other ponies that much?

“Yeah, that… t-that’s me,” Vinyl replied shyly, her ruby eyes glancing down for a split moment, a dainty hoof raising up to touch her stomach.

Emotion began to rise in both mares; Rainbow’s gut rolling as she saw the self-disgust burn through Vinyl Scratch’s eyes and down her spine. She watched as the earth pony smiled down at Vinyl, and the unicorn met the gaze of her… friend? Lover? Most likely just a friend; but even then, with the pain that clouded the DJ’s face…

“D-don’t… don’t do that.”

The words slipped out before Rainbow Dash could stop them, and she was mildly surprised with herself to be stepping forward, one hoof after the other, her back legs aching from sitting down for so long.

“W-what?” Vinyl snapped out, looking up at Rainbow with some amount of hesitation and surprise.

Rainbow Dash did her best not to wince at the biting tone of the question, knowing it likely wasn’t meant to wound. As she trotted forward, the earth pony slipped a foreleg around Vinyl’s waist, and the unicorn gave a small shudder, the tiniest of smiles playing across her features. Rainbow smiled at the display, confidence emboldened. She needed to say this. She needed to tell this mare exactly what Rainbow had been figuring out over the past few weeks. Taking a breath, she reached out with a shaking hoof, settling it on the unicorn’s soft shoulder.

“D-don’t e-ever let go, M-miss Scratch,” she whispered slowly, conviction lending her tone strength as she began to formulate how she’d explain things to Vinyl, ““F-friends are the best thing w-we have. ‘specially when they want to t-take care of us. But… but it’s r-really hard for them to help us… i-if we can’t help ourselves. Trust me.”

Vinyl’s eyes had closed fearfully during the short spiel, but opened slowly to peer up at Rainbow, who was smiling down at her as convincingly as she could. She could practically feel Spitfire’s proud gaze from the picnic blanket, and heat rushed down her wings. She tried to meet Vinyl’s eyes, but the unicorn was starting to fidget.

“B-but she’s a-already-”

Rainbow shook her head slowly, raising a hoof to stop the flood of self-doubts and bargaining before it could gain a foothold in the mare’s brain.

“W-when they decide to stick around with p-ponies like us, it’s…. it’s special,” she assured softly, ducking her head for a moment as she smiled, remembering Fleetfoot’s strong gaze and Spitfire’s kind smile, “They c-care. If this o-one’s-”

She blinked as Vinyl automatically blurted out, “Octavia,” and a tiny giggle came unbidden to her lips. Now that was kinda cute, she had to admit.

She held up a hoof to Vinyl, a small smile splitting her muzzle as the DJ met it with a soft click.

“Then n-never let her go, Miss Scratch.”

Author's Notes:

Phew! Well, it's been a crazy few weeks, but Beats of Life and Rekindling are finally caught up! Yay!

I will now be updating both stories on a chapter per story, per week, at a minimum.

Keep up those comments, ponies! :D