The Cutie Mark Crusaders walk home after a long day at school. They are all tired and all just want to sleep. Ms. Cheerilee decided it would be a good idea to have a dodge ball game: colts vs fillies. The fillies won because of Twist's tail flips and aiming skills, but every pony was tired so Cheerilee decided to send every pony home early.
"That was hard," Sweetie recalls.
"My joints ache more than they do after working the farm!" Apple Bloom protests.
"I think I sprained my right hoof after I tripped over that rabbit hole," Scootaloo complains.
They walk on and continue to their separate ways. Apple Bloom to the farm, Scootaloo to the orphanage, and Sweetie Belle to her sister's boutique.
As Sweetie walks towards the boutique, she often stops by Sugar Cube Corner for a cookie and is always greeted by Pinkie! But this time, she walks in and sees Mrs. Cake waiting for Sweetie Belle. "Nice of you to drop by, Sweetie," Mrs. Cake says, trying to sound pleasant, but there is an underlying sadness to what she says.
"Hi, Mrs. Cake! Where is Pinkie?" Sweetie asks, concerned.
"Oh, up stairs taking care of the twins," Mrs. Cake says, in forced casualty. She waves her hoof dismissively.
"Oh," Sweetie says, not buying Mrs. Cake's charade.
"Here's your cookie, Sweetie Belle, you should start heading home now," Mrs. Cake says, handing Sweetie Belle her cookie.
Sweetie Belle takes the cookie, says thank you and pays, and then leaves to head for the boutique. "That was weird," Sweetie thinks. "What was wrong with Mrs. Cake? Why was she acting so strange?" she questions. She walks through the town wondering what was going on that Mrs. Cake is so forced. "Is it Pinkie? Is she okay? Is it the twins? Mr. Cake?" Sweetie didn't know what to think. Sweetie reaches the door to the boutique and walks in, not noticing the closed sign prematurely hanging on the door.
"We're closed!" Sweetie hears, walking in the door, triggering the bell.
"Rarity! It's Sweetie Belle! What do you mean closed?" Sweetie Belle says.
From the back of the store, Rarity emerges. "Oh, Sweetie Belle, I wasn't expecting you for another fifty minutes," Rarity says.
Rarity walks up to Sweetie Belle, gives her a hug, and levitates her book bag to the top of the stairs. The hug is nothing new, but Rarity has never levitated Sweetie's book bag to the top of the stairs before. "What's wrong, Rarity?" she asks.
"What? Nothing is wrong. What would give you such a silly idea, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asks in a tone that confirmed that something is, in fact, wrong.
Sweetie Belle looks up at her sister and notices that even though Rarity looks the same as any ordinary day, tear marks are noticeable. "Rarity? Have you been crying? What's wrong!?" Sweetie asks, panicked and concerned for her sister.
"Oh, Sweetie, there is nothing that get's past you, you should have gotten your cutie mark in detective work, fine. Come to the back room with me, there is something you need to see," Rarity explains, defeated. Fear creeps up and all around Sweetie Belle's insides. What is going on?
Apple Bloom is tired. After a dodge ball game against the colts at school, she feels as though she needs a nice relaxing bath. She is close to the farm when she is stopped by her brother Big Mac. "Wait sis! You aren't supposed to be home for another fifty minutes or so! What are you doing back?" he asks, panicked.
"Ms. Cheerilee let us go home early, why? What's going on?" Apple Bloom explains.
"What? Nothing, just surprised, that's all," Big Mac says, hiding something.
"Big Mac, What's going on?" Apple Bloom says, seeing through the obvious lie.
"Nothing."
"Really? Then I'd like to hear the truth. Where's Apple Jack?"
"Uh... not here, the map called her to... Appleoosa!"
"I don't believe that. Where's Granny?"
"In town!"
"Fine, I'm just gonna go to the house then."
"No! Why don't you help me with some orchard work instead!"
Big Mac is a terrible liar, and Apple Bloom knows that. She also knows that she is small enough to run under him to get to the house, so that's what she does. "Wait, Apple Bloom!" Big Mac calls, in panic, but she ignores him. Even still, he was trying to not go to the house and that makes Apple Bloom slow down a little bit.
"What is gonna happen when I open the door? What is Big Mac trying to avoid?" She asks, slowing down to a trot. She get's worried. She hates worrying, but Big Mac planted it in her head that something is wrong. What is Wrong? Apple Bloom walks into the house, Big Mac seconds behind her.
"I tried my best, A.J, I swear I did!" Big Mac calls, out of breath.
Apple Bloom, too, is out of breath, but that doesn't stop her from searching the house for Apple Jack and Granny. "Granny? A.J?" she calls.
"In the kitchen, Apple Bloom!" Granny calls.
"Granny, what's going on? Why is every pony on edge?" Apple Bloom asks, walking to the kitchen table. She sees Granny smiling at her, trying to hide the fact that she's sad. Apple Jack; however, has tears falling openly down her face and her eyes are closed tightly. facing her floor.
"What's going on?"
"How was school today, Apple Bloom?"
"Why is Apple Jack crying?"
"Never mind your sister, Apple Bloom, help me bake a pie while you tell me your day."
"What's that in her hooves?"
"Apple Bloom, let's just stop talking about it and move on with this pie," Granny says, warning deep in her voice.
"But-" Apple Bloom tries to say.
"No, Granny's right, you-" Big Mac steps in, but is cut off too.
"Dawgonnit you two! She want's to know, so I'll tell her! She has a right to know!" Apple Jack shouts.
"But, Apple Jack, you said," Big Mac starts.
"I know what I said, Big Macintosh! But it was wrong of me to try and hide this from her!" Apple Jack shouts.
"Hide what from me?" Apple Bloom asks, cautiously.
"This," Apple Jack says, handing Apple Bloom the letter.
Big Mac watches his sister's face go from scared, to confusion, to shock, to fear while she reads the letter. Apple Jack was drafted in a war between Yak-yakastan, the Griffon Kingdom, and Equestria and his sister is to be part of the fight. When Apple Jack came from the mail box, Big Mac knew something was wrong instantly. And when he read the letter, he was in shock. All three of them sat in silence, Granny and Big Mac trying to comfort Apple Jack. At the same time, Big Mac was trying to hold back tears of his own. "Who is gonna tell Apple Bloom?" Big Mac asked quietly.
"No pony," Apple Jack said in a quiet, broken voice.
"Say what now, young filly?" Granny asked, sternly.
"I said no pony will tell her! At least not yet. Not until we're all prepared. Actually, we just won't tell her at all. I can't break her heart like that," Apple Jack explained, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"But when you leave, won't she become suspicious?" Big Mac asked.
"We'll tell her the map called me," Apple Jack explained.
"Big Mac, go keep a look out for your sister. I need to talk with Apple Jack alone," Granny said, sternly.
"There is nothing to talk about Granny, I made up my choice," Apple Jack stated, coldly.
"What if you die, Apple Jack!? I'm sorry to have to bring this up, but there is a very real possibility that it's gonna happen! Doesn't Little Apple Bloom have a right to know how and why you died!?" Granny demanded, slamming her hoof on the table and shouting.
"I'll make sure I won't die then!" Apple Jack shouted back.
That was when Big Mac decided it would be a good idea to leave and look for Apple Bloom. He thought about what the two mares were fighting about and knew that Granny was right, but A.J's stubbornness didn't falter that easily. He was glad that Apple Bloom wasn't due until 4:00, otherwise he would have to stop her from going in until A.J and Granny stopped fighting. Only two minutes of thinking on that matter stopped because Apple Bloom was coming home early and was almost to the farm! He didn't think, he just did, and it ended badly.
Now he is going up the stairs where Apple Bloom just ran to. "I'll talk to her," he says, walking up behind her.
"Apple Bloom?" he asks.
"Go away!" he can hear through muffled tears. He takes it as a sign to walk in. "I said, 'go away!'!" she shouts, throwing a pillow at him as he walks in.
"Apple Bloom, let's talk about this," Big Mac says, as comforting as he can.
"Why are you not as upset about this!?" Apple Bloom demands, as Big Mac sits on the side of her bed.
"Now, Apple Bloom. Don't think for one second that I am okay with this. I am as heart broken as you are that Apple Jack is leaving us to go fight in a war no pony wanted," Big Mac explains.
"Sure seems that you are," Apple Bloom mutters.
"I am not. Ever since I found out I have been asking myself 'why?' and 'what would happen if she didn't come back?'," Big Mac explains.
"Don't say that, she will come back!" Apple Bloom protests.
"I'm just saying that this is a real thing that's happening and we can't rely on hope alone," Big Mac explains, staying calm.
Spike is locked in his room, crying. He just found out that Twilight has been drafted into war and has to leave the next day. The worst part about it is that he received the news before Twilight has come back with her flight with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. *Knock* *knock* *knock*. "Spike? I've been looking for you, are you in here?" It's Twilight. "Spike?" he hears again, and his door opening. "Spike, why are you in your room with no lights on?" Twilight asks, turning them on. He throws the crumpled, tear stained letter on the floor and hears Twilight levitate and un-crumple it.
"Any second now," Spike thinks.
"Oh, Spike!"
"Yup, just what I thought," Spike thinks.
"Spike..."
"Don't say anything, Twilight, it'll only make it worse for the both of us," Spike says, monotone. His back is towards Twilight so that he doesn't have to look at what he knows is her sad, fearful look; and so she doesn't have to see his broken, devastated face.
"Okay, Spike, I have to leave tomorrow, so just know that I love you and hope to see you soon," Twilight says, shutting the lights off and leaving.
It was only going to be him and Starlight for the next month or so, he wishes it's only going to be a few months. Until Hearths Warming at most.
"Spike? Are you still here?" Starlight. Twilight must have told her what had happened.
She walks in just as Twilight had. "Good after noon, Spike," she says, trying her best not to over step a boundary.
Spike let's her talk and tries to listen to her, but all he can think about is that letter Celestia wrote. Eventually Starlight gives up on trying to talk to him and leaves the same way Twilight did. He knows that tomorrow will be the most heart breaking day of his life.
Scootaloo enters the orphanage and is greeted my Sunny Smiles, the provider of the fillies and colts living there. "Hello, Scootaloo, glad you could make it so early! Supper is being cooked now, and I'm happy to say that Rainbow Dash is waiting in your room, Scootaloo," she says. Scootaloo is all excited and buzzes her wings excitedly. She runs down the hallway to her room and sure enough, Rainbow is there! But she's upset, and Scootaloo get's nervous.
"Rainbow?"
"Hey, Scoot. What's up?" she says, her voice more raspy than usual.
"What's up with you?" Scootaloo asks.
"Oh, you know, Wonderbolt stuff," she says, forcing a casual tone.
"What's really up, Rainbow Dash?"
"It's hard to say..."
"What is?"
"I'll be leaving for a while, Scoot."
"For how long?"
"I don't know... I don't even know if I'll be coming back..."
"Huh?... N-no..."
"I'm going to be fighting in a war, Scootaloo."
"NO!"
"I'm leaving tomorrow," Rainbow explains.
Scootaloo cannot believe what Rainbow is saying. "Don't go tomorrow then! Stay here with me!" she bags.
"I can't disobey direct orders from Celestia. The letter states that since I am the Element of Loyalty and a Wonderbolt, I am required to be present," Rainbow Dash explains, and if Scootaloo hasn't started crying yet, she starts now.
"Rainbow, you- you can't go! Youcan't go! I need you, Rainbow Dash!" she says through tears.
Rainbow Dash walks towards Scootaloo and hugs her. It is the first time Rainbow Dash has hugged her since the day she got her cutie mark, "Only two months ago, was it?" Scootaloo thinks to herself.
The next day they all stand on the platform waiting for the train in silence. A few of them are already starting to cry. Then, the train arrives.
"Goodbye, Sweetie Belle. Be good for Mother and Father, would you?"
"I will, come back though," Sweetie says, her voice cracking from tears.
"Bye-bye Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Pond Cake and Pumpkin Cake..."
"Goodbye, dear... be safe..." Mrs. Cake says, crying.
"Come back to us, Pinkie," Mr. Cake says, holding his wife.
Just tears came from the twins.
"Goodbye Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny... I'll see you when the war is done."
"Bye, Apple Jack... I'm gonna miss you" Apple Bloom says, tearing up.
"Bye, A.J..." Big Mac says, doing the same.
"Goodbye, Apple Jack. Come back safely now, okay?" Granny says, smiling, not letting her family see her cry.
"Goodbye, you two. Keep each other company while I'm gone, okay?
"Sure thing, Twilight..." Starlight says.
"I'm gonna miss you, Twilight..." Spike says.
"See yah, kid, behave, okay?"
"Rainbow, please don't call me 'kid' right now..." Scootaloo says.
"Okay, Scootaloo. I'm gonna miss you..."
"You sure that you'll take good care of my animals?"
"Of course I will, Big Sis! Come back though, promise?" Zephyr says, tearing up.
"Okay, I'm going to miss you so, so, so, so much!" Fluttershy says, crying openly.
They all hug for as long as they can and the six ponies get on the train, leaving their loved ones behind.