This story is a direct sequel to "Falling from the Sky," located at: /s/8088644/1/
If you haven't read the first installment, read this story at your own risk.
(I do not own anything other than the plotline. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro.)
Crescendos and Cupcakes
Chapter 1: Bad Memories
A deep orange sky dotted with bright magenta clouds graced the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres with a serene atmosphere. A slight breeze moved gracefully through the orchard, carrying with it the familiar scent of fresh apples and sod. Sitting quietly on a hill a few hundred yards from the Apple Family's farmhouse, directly under one of the many majestic apple trees, was a small, light pink pony.
The wind stirred naturally through her mane, ruffling each strand of forest green and deep navy blue softly. The air tickled her bare back, making her coat stand on end. Her bright, neon green eyes were focused on the horizon, not faltering in the slightest. She did not smile, nor did she frown. The mare merely sat quietly beside the full grown sapling, experiencing all the sensations around her.
The sun slowly sank lower on the horizon, bidding farewell to the day and ushering in the quiet and peaceful night. Here she sat, on the cusp of twilight, marveling at the tranquility of the moment. She'd even go as far as to say enjoying the serenity.
"There y'are, Aurora! Ah've been lookin' all over for ya!"
Annnnnnnd it's gone…
The petite pink pony turned her head and found the source of the disturbance. Trotting up the hill was Applejack, the proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres, and the eldest daughter of the Apple family. As the farmhand walked closer, Aurora couldn't help but notice the color of her coat almost matched the deep orange tint the sky had displayed just a moment ago.
The wind was dying down, but a rogue gust swept underneath the mare and attempted to knock the brown Stetson hat from her head. The squall rustled her blonde mane ever so slightly, to which she didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to. Her mane and tail were tied at the ends, so a little wind wouldn't do much to upset the earthy, yet attractive look she so effortlessly carried.
"It's gettin' mighty late. Supper's about ready if'n you wanted to head inside." Applejack said, her piercing green eyes scrutinizing the pink pony. "What're y'all up to out here all by yer lonesome?"
"I'm just enjoying the quiet." Aurora said flatly. "Was enjoying the quiet."
"Hehe, sorry 'bout that." Applejack said with an apologetic smile. She turned towards the sunset, and took the beautiful sight in for herself. "It's beautiful, ain't it?"
"It's just a sunset." Aurora said solemnly. "There's one at the end of every single day."
"Well shucks, Ah'm just an apple farmer. Ah'm here workin' hard every day to keep this here farm up and runnin'. Just 'cause Ah'm here every day don't make any of the other days Ah'm here any less important." Applejack said, passing on her metaphor like a true country pony.
"I suppose you're right. We have to appreciate something as extraordinary as this, no matter how often we get to see it." Aurora replied, a sad smile creeping onto her face.
"Ah may not be the pony movin' the sun round like that, but Ah sure as sugar love the sunset like the mare that does." Applejack said appreciatively, finally looking back at the pink pony. "Ah'll leave ya alone fer a bit. We hope to see ya at dinner."
"I'll be in shortly." Aurora replied softly.
"Sounds good. Ah reckon it'd be a good idea to bring yer vest in with ya." Applejack noted as she turned and began her walk back to the farmhouse. "Ya never know what kinda critters will try to mess with it."
"Thank you, Applejack." Aurora looked down at the rugged piece of clothing at her hooves, her smile slowly fading away.
The thick barding of her combat vest remained largely unchanged since the day she received it. Its expertly woven fibers meshed together into an intricate pattern designed to stave off a large amount of physical and magical trauma. The threads, once a deep blue reminiscent of the stripes in her mane, were now slowly fading. Signs of wear were evident, as were numerous indications of damage to the fibers, both old and new.
The vest itself was a confusing object for Aurora to hold onto. The contradicting emotions attached to it were innumerable. It was her safety net, protecting her from harm on multiple occasions. Without it, she may not even be alive right now. On the other hoof, it was given to her as an accessory to one of the defining periods of her life. One of the worst times as well.
It had been so long since she had taken it off. There were never any true moments of peace. Always watching her back, never sure of where the next danger would come from. She traveled in it, she ate in it, and she slept in it. Hell, sometimes she even bathed in it. Removing the vest from her body was like she was removing a part of herself. Granted, it was a part of her that carried her worst fears and insecurities, but without it, she felt naked.
She stared at the memento of her recent past, and soon became indifferent to it. Aurora fished through one of its many pockets and pulled out a dirty scrap of paper. She held it in between her hooves for a moment, and contemplated opening it up to read the message written on the inside. She already knew exactly what it said. She wrote it after all. But something kept compelling her to read it over and over again, as if it wasn't bad enough that she had written it all those years ago.
With strenuous effort, Aurora put the paper back in the pocket she had retrieved it from and looked away. The small pink pony wore a pained expression on her face, and as she clenched her eyes shut, a few tears managed to escape and fall to the ground. She stood up and wiped her eyes clean before she slung the vest over her back and walked in the direction of the farmhouse.
By the time she had made it to the porch of the building, night had managed to creep up on the orchard. The darkness slowly enveloped everything around it, leaving the farmhouse as the only oasis of light for a good mile. The sweet smell of a home cooked meal wafted from inside the house, beckoning Aurora to partake.
Pushing away the heavy feelings swirling around her head, the petite pink pony wiped her hooves and pushed open the front door of the farmhouse, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She removed her vest from her back and rested it on a small table near the front entrance. A few steps into the kitchen, and Aurora found herself being greeted by the entirety of the Ponyville division of the Apple family.
Applejack was sitting on the other side of the table with her grandma, Granny Smith to her left at the head of the table. To her right, at the opposite end of the table, was her older brother Big Macintosh. On side nearest Aurora were two seats, the one on the left being occupied by Applejack's little sister Applebloom.
The small pink pony greeted everypony in the room and took her seat in between Applejack's siblings. Aurora looked at the spread on the table and found yet another heavenly assortment of dishes in front of her. The past few weeks had been nothing but a day of hard work, followed by an amazing meal at dinner, with the occasional lulls in between to visit the other ponies in town.
Aurora did her best to work hard while she was on the farm so that she could repay the Apple family's kindness. They opened their home to her during her stay in Ponyville and had gone the extra mile to make her feel at home as well, going as far as to treat her like one of the family. She still had trouble believing ponies could be so welcoming.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting." Aurora said apologetically, looking around the table with a smile.
"Fiddlesticks, dearie. We weren't waitin' fer longer than a minute." Granny Smith replied, brushing back strands of her aged white mane from her face. "Ain't that right, kids?"
"Eeeeeyup." Big Macintosh replied as usual, his bright red face remaining as stoic as ever.
"Ah just sat down mahself." Applejack added.
"Are you guys kiddin'? Ah've been waitin' here fer ages!" Applebloom said, shifting her gaze to the pink pony. "Rory, you best say yer sorry."
Aurora looked over at the pale yellow filly with a look of mock frustration. Her neon green eyes were focused on Applebloom intently, closely examining the angry frown she wore. The filly didn't budge however; Aurora could see the resolve in her bright orange eyes. The staring contest continued for a few more seconds, and then she finally made a move.
The small pink pony extended her hoof, and tussled the filly's bright red mane, ruffling each strand of hair and displacing the large red ribbon she wore. Applebloom's serious demeanor immediately shifted from stern to playful, and she began to struggle and laugh during her attempts to escape Aurora's hoof.
"Stop it, Ah give up! Haha, you ain't late, you ain't late!"
"No, I'm not. I applaud that stare of yours though, it's become very convincing." Aurora said, smiling widely. She removed her hoof from the filly's head and laughed. "You really had me going there for a second."
"If'n y'all are done over there, we can start the meal anytime." Applejack said with an endearing look.
"Applejack, would you like to be the one to say grace?" Granny Smith asked.
"Well, Ah don't see why not." Applejack closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, the rest of the table following suit. "Mother Celestia, we thank you fer the food, please bless it ta our bodies, we ask in Luna's name, Amen."
A round of agreement sounded across the table as everypony opened their eyes and began filling up their plates. For a good ten minutes, the only sounds heard from anypony were the sounds of food being passed around, and gratified chewing. Finally, it was Applebloom who broke the silence.
"Hey Aurora, can Ah ask you somethin'?"
"Of course, Applebloom."
"Why do you wear that vest all the time? Ah mean, it looks nice n'everything, but what's it for?" The light yellow filly asked curiously.
"Now Applebloom, that there's a personal question." Granny Smith scolded the filly idly.
"Gee, Ah'm sorry." Applebloom replied with remorse.
"No, it's fine. It's a valid question." Aurora said, turning towards Applebloom. "Honestly, I don't really need to wear it anymore. It's more of a habit than anything."
"Well then why don'tcha try to break it?" The filly pressed the question.
"Applebloom, that's enough." Applejack this time stepped in.
"Well, it holds a lot of memories for me, good and bad." Aurora said, trying to find a way to explain it to the filly. "I guess you could say it's…a part of me."
"Ya mean like Applejack's hat?" Applebloom asked enthusiastically.
"I suppose it is a little like that." Applejack tipped her hat as Aurora looked over at the blonde maned earth pony.
"Ah guess Ah get how you feel." Applebloom reached up and adjusted her ribbon familiarly.
"Ah reckon everypony's got somethin' they're attached to, ain't that right Big Mac?" Applejack said, noting the yoke still around his neck.
"Eeeeyup."
"So does that answer your question, Applebloom?" Aurora asked, smiling at the filly.
"Yea, I guess it does."
"While we're asking questions, how's everypony else doin'?" Applejack asked, taking a bite of her dinner in between sentences. "Ah ain't had the time to go visit them in town myself."
"Oh, well Pinkie Pie is acting suspicious, but that's normal. She's been busy at the bakery. The same goes for Rarity down at Carousel Boutique, with all those orders she's been aiming to fill." Aurora said flatly, running down the list of ponies in her head. "As for the two happy couples, they've been sticking together since we got here. When they aren't together, Thundervolt and Rainbow Dash have been working the weather beat, and Twilight and Fluttershy have been doing whatever it is they actually do all day. Life as usual."
"Ah'm glad to hear everypony's gettin' along well enough…and that Pinkie's bein' herself." Applejack said with a small smile. "Ah really should get around tah freein' some time up."
"Oh, that reminds me! Applejack! You were still gonna walk me over to Sweetie Belle's tomorrow, right?" Applebloom asked hopefully, widening her smile considerably.
"Ah, shoot! Ah knew Ah'd forgotten somethin'." Applejack said, causing the filly's smile to deflate. "Ah need to fertilize the western orchard tomorrow, Applebloom. Ah don't think Ah'll have the time to"—
"But Applejack, you promised!" Applebloom tried arguing, disappointment evident in her voice. "Ah don't wanna walk there all by mah lonesome!"
"I can walk with you to town, Applebloom. I don't mind." Aurora said, turning her gaze towards Applejack. "If that's alright with you of course."
"Ah reckon it's alright with me if it's alright with her." Applejack said with a smile.
"Oh boy, thank ya Rory!" Applebloom said, jumping up and hugging the pink pony, almost knocking her from her seat in the process.
"Yea, thank ya kindly Aurora. You sure it ain't goin' outta yer way?" Applejack sounded concerned.
"Not at all. It gives me an excuse to head into town for a while." Aurora looked admiringly at the little yellow filly next to her. "Besides, it just means I get to spend more time with Applebloom."
"Aw, shucks!" Applebloom giggled, sending a chuckle around the table.
"So then it's settled. Tomorrow morning bright and early, we'll head out." Aurora smiled warmly at the filly.
For the rest of the night the Apple Family and their guest enjoyed dinner as usual, each member of the group filling their stomachs heartily and partaking in friendly conversation between one another. They even got around to arguing over who could lift more: Big Macintosh or Aurora. All in all, it was a wonderful night.
A night pleasant enough to distract Aurora from her previous thoughts, if only for a few hours.
"Tell me again, why am I here?"
"You're here because life is unfair and you're not allowed to sleep."
"C'mon Vinyl, you can't expect a pony to function without resting!"
"You're right. I just like to make you miserable. How long were you asleep before I got there anyway?"
"Well let's see… You got me at eleven, and it's about twelve now. I went to bed at three this afternoon…carry the four"—
"Eight hours!? You're whining about getting eight hours of sleep!?"
"Some of us like to wake up and not be among the living dead."
"Shut up, Reggie."
The two ponies fell silent and the still sounds of the quiet night slowly took over. Vinyl Scratch looked at the train tracks a few feet away and sighed, pushing her electric blue mane from her face. Her purple goggles began to feel constricting on her forehead, and so she removed them, taking great care to slide them over her horn and around her neck. She could feel the cool night air tickling her skin, even under her pure white coat.
The train station was unusually silent, but considering their location and the time of night, Vinyl wasn't surprised. She'd lived in big cities all her life and rarely ventured out into more rural areas such as this. Coming all this way from Fillydelphia, the silence was especially unsettling. She turned her ruby red eyes towards her companion and studied him for a moment.
Reggie stood in front of her, oddly upright and attentive for a unicorn complaining about a 'lack' of sleep. His mane fell chaotically to a medium length, covering the back of his neck with jet black strands framing dark grey. His coat was a dim, yellowish khaki and his eyes a deep magenta. His cutie mark resembled a trio of question marks, which Vinyl assumed applied to his weird and rather questionable personality. Reggie looked over and noticed Vinyl observing him.
"Is there something I can assist you with, Vinyl?" The colt said derisively, his prominent voice projecting tersely off the air around him.
"Nope, I'm just trying to figure out new ways to insult you based on your appearance." The white mare replied with equal sarcasm.
"Please, have you seen me lately? I'm gorgeous." Reggie said with mock arrogance. "That's more than anyone can say for you."
"Oh really? Take a look at this ass and tell me I'm not smokin'!" Vinyl replied confidently, spinning around slowly and wiggling her flank suggestively.
Reggie obliged and took a moment to watch as Vinyl Scratch moved around. He had spent enough time with her in the past to know exactly what he was looking at already. The feature he couldn't help but notice was indeed her flank, as it was really the only thing she was moving so ardently. Her rear end was rounded well and her legs were toned, showing off her bridged eighth note cutie mark as the focus. The khaki stallion looked up and prepared his response.
"Vinyl, your ass reminded me, I think I left some cottage cheese out at my place." Reggie said with a devious smile. "I should go back and throw it out before"—
"You're aware I'm not above violence, right?" Vinyl said, whipping the khaki stallion in the face with her tail.
A low rumbling became audible in the distance, causing the two unicorns to stop their argument and look down the tracks. A lone beam of light cut through the darkness as the thundering got louder and louder, adding the clicking of metal on metal to the cacophony of noise.
"Train's here." Vinyl observed distantly.
"Where are we going again?" Reggie asked curiously, scratching his chin idly.
"Ponyville. There's someone in town I haven't seen in a long time." Vinyl said, seemingly lost in thought. "I figured you'd want to see her too."
"Wait, you don't mean her, do you?" Reggie asked doubtfully.
"Nope, it's exactly who you're thinking of." Vinyl said with a small smile. "We're going to see Aurora."
Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Crescendos and Cupcakes! I'm open to questions and comments, so don't be shy. Let me know what you think!