The Apple To My Heart

Letters

The once friendly halls of the Evergreen Orphanage were strangely silent. There was no pitter-patter of little hooves as colts and fillies played and kept themselves busy. There was no laughter, nor shouts of warning followed by the inevitable crash of broken pottery. For lack of a better term, it was an off day for the little orphans. Nopony wanted to do much; sleeping on the couch seemed to be the preferred activity of many.

The sky outside was grey with swollen rain-clouds, and if a pony squinted they could just make out the distant black dots of weather pegasi moving clouds around. A storm was being crafted over Canterlot and the Evergreen forest surrounding it. The mood in the orphanage was never terribly bright, but today it seemed just as cloudy and grey as the sky.

Oliver Spring looked down at the letter in his hooves and made a face. It was for AppleBloom and he had hoped to have it written before the mailponies came by, but with the storm inching closer he would have to wait until tomorrow to send it. Ever since meeting the filly, the two had been pen-pals. Every week or so he would get a new letter from her; it was the highlight of the week. AppleBloom had even sent him a blue teddy bear last month; she had one just like it, but it was a girly pink to his definitely not baby-blue.

The first few letters had been so funny and cute, and she had even marked them with a kiss. But then she had told him about the break-up; Soarin and Applejack's horrible emotional breakup. Now the letters were mournful pleas for a friend, for somepony to listen to her. Each letter was stained with ink-smears and blotted with drops of dried tears. AppleBloom cried when she poured her heart out to him. Each letter back had to be perfect. The Apple filly had to know someponies still cared about her. Oliver read over the few lines he had already written, somewhat satisfied. Then a drop of cool water dripped form the leaking ceiling and smeared the ink. Oliver grimaced and crumbled the letter and tossed it onto a growing pile of previous rejects. The roof always leaked during the rain. Already he could see the drip drip drip of raindrops hitting a pan in the kitchen.

"Oliver?" A sweet, tired voice called out. The colt looked up as Susan Evergreen stepped into the room. The ceiling lights were off to save bits so the only illumination came from the darkened sky outside.

"Hello Ms. Susan." Oliver looked out the window. The older mare looked down at the crumbled letters and sighed sadly. She noticed the roof dripping and made a mental note; one more thing to fix.

"Still writing to your little fillyfriend?" She asked as she sat next to him. Despite himself Oliver blushed and grinned a toothy grin.

"Maybe." He said and Susan laughed. After a moment he added, "She's really sad."

"Why?"

"'cause she says her sister Applejack is really sad." Oliver looked at Susan, "She says Applejack misses Soarin' every day and wants him back." At this Susan was silent. "Does Soarin' miss Applejack?"

"I don't know." She responded, "I hope so. They were very cute together."

"Then why don't they get back together, Ms. Susan?" Oliver asked. The old pony smiled sadly.

"It's not that simple, Oliver." She said carefully. The colt blinked and looked at the pile of crumbled paper on the floor.

"Well...why not?" He asked, eyes wide with childhood wonder and confusion. Susan smiled sadly at him and kissed his forehead. He was too young to understand adult relationships. It was all so simple to him; two ponies go together. Applejack and Soarin' go together. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. Susan envied him that.

"Ask me again when you're older." Susan said. Oliver groaned at the all too familiar answer. It was like Ms. Susan treated him like a foal or something! The colt looked down at the remains of the letters he had written and an idea popped into his head.