The welcome bell rang when Rainbow Dash opened the door and cantered in, though the atmosphere itself was less than welcoming, both figuratively and literally. Sugarcube Corner lacked the laughter of the infamous, trouble making grade school twins that usually served as the soundtrack for the shop. Instead only Pinkie Pie stood behind the counter, her mane still so straight as if even it were depressed to be there, and Applejack in front of it, a tied bandana dangling from her neck.

Rainbow Dash pulled down the bandana around her own muzzle, holding back a few coughs from the still sullied air inside. “Heya, girls; what’s going on?” she asked, her hoarse voice even more so. “I was wondering why you two didn’t show at the hospital today.”

“Sorry, Rainbow,” Applejack said with a frown, “I’ve been dealing with the relief effort near the farm. Those biomancers or whatever those magic snobs call themselves told me this morning that their magic still won’t work to help the trees grow back since it’s the Everfree, and trees without magic help take decades to grow. We don’t have time for that. No trees to spread the magic from wherever it comes from in the forest, no zap apples, Sweet Apple Acres is in trouble and the town economy tanks,” she listed, nostrils flared and brow furrowed. “I’ve been writing letters to everypony in the country that could possibly help.”

Rainbow Dash flinched and cringed. “And you, Pinkie?”

“Mister and Missus Cake took the twins and went to Fillydelphia to live with relatives,” she droned. “Pound and Pumpkin were getting very sick from all the smoke and the smell of the bodies. I stayed behind to keep the doors open and the bits flowing. Not like I have anything better to do.”

Applejack shot Pinkie a glare, but the baker didn’t acknowledge it. “What we’re trying to say is that we’d love to be there for Rarity, but we’ve got other things to attend to right now,” the cowpony explained. “What brings you here?”

“Partly I was wondering where you two were, but mostly I’m here to pick up some sweets for me and Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, trotting up to the display case next to Applejack.

“Fluttershy’s eating again?” Applejack asked, her ears perking up along with her lips.

“Well… no,” Rainbow Dash admitted, her own ears lowering. “But that isn’t going to stop me from trying.”

“Oh…” Applejack sighed and sat down, adjusting her hat. “Mind if I pay for them, then? I feel bad for not showing up today. Who knows what Fluttershy must think is goin’ on with us.”

“No, it’s fine,” Rainbow insisted, holding up a hoof. “I’m good for it. I just want a few red velvet brownies.”

Before Applejack could respond, a bag of them was already in front of Rainbow Dash. “Take them; business is so slow they’d probably go to waste anyway,” Pinkie Pie mumbled, taking some of her own money and stuffing it in the cash register.

Rainbow’s ears lowered until they were flat against her head. “Pinks…”

“Don’t mention it,” she interrupted as she rang up her own cash. “I have enough stashed away for a rainy day. Besides, you’ll both need it after I finish with what I was saying before you came in.”

“Oh, right,” Applejack said with a nervous chuckle, “Pinkie said she got some info from Discord.”

“And?” Rainbow pushed.

Pinkie shut the cash register. “I won’t bore you with the details. All you need to know is that with all the legal trouble Spike is in, if he’s found guilty of all his charges, we’ll all be dead by the time he gets out of jail. If he’s extremely lucky and only gets convicted of half of them, we’ll be old and grey by the time he’s released.”

“Th-that’s insane!” Rainbow Dash sputtered, her jaw slack and wings flared in rage. “That’s practically a life sentence!”

“And ain’t those illegal?” Applejack added.

“A life sentence for a pony, not a dragon,” Pinkie corrected. “It’s actually a pretty small fraction of his total lifespan. But the bottom line is that if he ever comes back or otherwise gets caught, we’ll never see him again anyway.”

“That’s just… that’s just not fair,” Applejack mumbled, eyes downcast. “He doesn’t deserve that.”

Pinkie’s eyes snapped at her, their normal bubbly baby blue gone and an icy azure in its place. “None of us deserved any of this. But here we are.” She turned away and hopped over the counter, dragging her hooves upstairs. “You two get going. I’ll be upstairs until some new customers show up.”

Rainbow let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding and relaxed before she even knew she was tense. She shared a look with Applejack, worried frowns on both their faces. The pegasus grabbed the bag of brownies and the two silently left together, only the bell above the door bidding them farewell.

The two let out a few pained coughs before they remembered to put their bandanas on their muzzles again. The smell of death and smoke still hung heavily in the air, but the cloth veil made it slightly less overwhelming. Slightly.

“Hey, AJ,” Rainbow found herself saying as the two turned to part ways. She saw the farmpony turn back around, so she did the same. She swallowed nervously and continued, “You don’t blame Spike for this mess, do you?”

Applejack’s eyelids drooped and her gaze fell downward. “At first I didn’t, but… I’m so scared and mad right now that it’s hard for me not to. I mean, I’m looking at losing the farm here. Hay, worse than that, Ponyville could completely fall apart within the next year! My parents and Granny Smith are probably rolling in their graves right now from just the possibility. Without the town’s only real export and cash crop, what’s going to happen to us?” She sighed. “I know blame doesn’t fix anything, but when I think about all that I can’t help but look for someone to pin it on.”

“But you were the one before this whole mess that knew Twilight shouldn’t have torn Rarity and Spike apart!” Rainbow spat. “You were smarter than any of us! What happened to that?”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed and she snorted. “So that’s what this is about? You asked for my opinion, and I gave it. I can’t keep getting caught between you and Twi while you two fight like rabid dogs. I have my family to think about right now, not who most deserves a crop to the plot.” She turned around and gave a vulgar “kiss my plot” lift of her tail before trotting off. “Come and talk to me about it when you decide to stop being so petty and actually do something to help!”

“Fine!” she shouted after her. “But at least I’m not the one who ditched Fluttershy and Rarity for some stupid trees!”

Applejack flinched, but her stride didn’t break as she cantered back towards her farm.

Rainbow Dash snorted, turned tail, and took flight, soaring over the rooftops straight for the hospital. The streets below were desolate, save for a few that were galloping to get to their destination and back before the smell and the sting of smoke made them sick. Most houses were glowing with magic light; air-filtering barriers that mages from the relief effort had set up. It kept the town from dying of smoke inhalation, but little could be done about the smell of charred wood and corpses.

It didn’t take the fastest flyer in Equestria long to arrive at the hospital, despite the hell that the smoke was causing on the air currents. She circled around to the back, coming to a halt in front of the window to Rarity’s room. Fluttershy was still sitting next to Rarity’s bed, her head laid in the unicorn’s lap and Angel perched atop her head. With a frown and a sigh, Rainbow pried the window open and glided back in.

“I got some red velvet brownies,” she said as cheerily as she could manage, closing the window and taking her bandana off. “Your favorite, right?”

Fluttershy’s eyes briefly looked up at her, but didn’t linger long before returning to Rarity’s face.

Rainbow’s fake smile faltered as she rummaged through the bag. “I got plenty for all three of us, so help yourselves.” She took one out for herself and took a bite, setting the bag behind Fluttershy’s head.

Angel stirred and looked up at Rainbow before looking down to Fluttershy and back again. He sighed silently and shook his head before hopping off her head and reaching in, breaking off a piece. He opened his mouth to eat it, but froze and closed it again. He hopped around to in front of Fluttershy’s muzzle and offered it, his ears perked with a small smile.

Fluttershy mutely shook her head.

Angel sighed in defeat and stuffed it in his mouth with a scowl, hopping back atop his owner’s head.

“Thanks for trying at least, Angel,” Rainbow muttered, taking a seat to the side of the room.

Angel just shrugged and flopped over, curling up again and angrily peering over Fluttershy’s mane at nothing in particular.

Rainbow looked down at her own brownie and sighed, taking another bite. The rich texture and rush of sweetness on her tongue lifted her lips in a small smile. A few minutes and bites later, the sweet was gone and so was her smile. The only sounds were the dull rhythm of Rarity’s heart monitor and the occasional pleading groan of Fluttershy’s deprived stomach; the only smell was smoke mixed with cleaning solvents, which quickly overpowered the lingering sugar on her taste buds.

Rainbow’s ears perked up when the monotonous beeping suddenly picked up in tempo. Her head followed when she heard a series of chest-rattling coughs scrape their way up Rarity’s throat. The unicorn’s eyes were wide open in panic, trying to pull against her restraints while Fluttershy tried to hold her still.

“Wh-where am I?” Rarity rasped. Her voice had gone from melodious to grating, the difference between a ringing bell and claws against rock. “Where’s Spike?!”

Rainbow Dash hopped to her hooves and burst through the door into the hall, calling out, “Rarity’s awake, could we get a little help here?!” She ducked back in when she heard the rush of hooves coming closer. Fluttershy was croaking out something with her atrophied voice, but it was so soft that Rainbow couldn’t hear.

Nurse Redheart and Tenderheart rushed in, moving Fluttershy aside as they tried to restrain the flailing Rarity. Fluttershy timidly backed away, face hidden behind her mane with a single eye peering out, Angel standing up tall and ears perked on her head.

“Where’s Spike?” she repeated, her horn sparking erratically in her hysterics. “Someone please tell me he’s okay!”

“Rarity, get a hold of yourself!” Rainbow snapped, hovering above the two nurses. “Spike is alive and kicking, but if you don’t calm down you won’t be, got it?”

Rarity’s breathing slowed. Her struggles came to a stop as she let out another round of retching coughs, a bit of vomit leaking from her lips. She laid back and let the nurses do their jobs. “Thank goodness,” she sighed, her chest heaving with labored breaths. “Thank goodness…”

Rainbow Dash sighed in relief and put her hooves back on the floor. She looked over to Fluttershy with a grin, but wasn’t greeted with any joy in return. Her lone, exposed eye was downcast, tears forming at its edges. Rainbow’s smile wilted. She stepped forward to join her friend, but stopped when she felt the crinkle of paper beneath it. The bag of brownies had been knocked onto the floor in Rarity’s panic, many of them trampled by the nurses in their hurry.

Rainbow picked up the squished bag and looked inside. Reaching in, she produced the last undamaged sweet. She took her spot next to Fluttershy, draping a wing across her back and wordlessly offering it. After a few moments of silence and stillness betwixt the two while Tenderheart went to go get the doctor, Fluttershy took it in her own hooves and bit into it, leaning into her friend as tears rolled down her face.