After the six mares left the train station, the ponies started hearing about the war and gave condolences to those who's family was in the war. A month into the war and the town's ponies found themselves in lock down most of the time because bombs were dropping every few days. The first time, they were all unprepared and thirty died while twenty eight were severely injured and taken to the hospital. Five ponies died from their injuries. After that, there were three main bomb shelters built. Under Town Hall, under the school, and Sweet Apple Acres cellar. Along with any other bomb shelters were made inside ponies' houses.
Letters used to come daily from Twilight, now five months into the war, there has only been one letter every few weeks. Spike and Starlight are worried for her and are always wondering how safe she is, where she is, who's with her, and if she's injured. Starlight was one of the ones injured during the first bombing which worried Spike greatly, Twilight too, when she received the letter about it. Her horn is gone, and she can't use her left foreleg as well as the other three because she landed on it funny when the bomb hit.
"Spike!" Starlight calls from the front entry way.
"Yeah, Starlight?" Spike runs from the library to where Starlight is as fast as he can. He get's there panting. He is taken aback by the lack of horn on her head, but then remembers the incident with the first bomb. Definitely something he has to get used to.
"I'm heading to the market. Do you want anything?" Starlight asks.
"Oh, no, but we are running out of carrots," Spike points out.
"Thank you! I totally forgot to put those on the list!" she says, placing the basket down, and taking out the list and pencil and writing down 'carrots' in the messing mouth writing that she has. "See you later then," She says, putting everything back and leaving.
"Bye!" Spike says and heads back to the library. As Spike walks, he scratches the scare of where his lower half of his left arm should be. He too was injured during the bombing, but he was just glad that Starlight was alive and that it wasn't his writing hand. Dragons heal fast too, so there wasn't really a huge rush to get himself to the hospital either, Starlight was who he worried for.
The CMC walk through the town and talk about their day.
"That was a lot of fun, Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle says.
"Awe, shucks, girls. I didn't know a dance recital would get you two so excited!" Apple Bloom explains.
"Are you kidding!? When Tender Taps leaped across the stage like that, I flipped out!" Scootaloo explained.
"It's nice to know that everything is going on normally, especially since a lot of the buildings are being blown up and rebuilt," Apple Bloom states.
"Yeah, but they gave up rebuilding things after the second round of bombs took down the buildings they were rebuilding as well as others," Sweetie points out.
"Yeah, I guess that's true," Apple Bloom says.
"Wait up, you guys!" Silver Spoon calls.
"Took you long enough to get out of there," Scootaloo remarks.
"Sorry, I got caught in the crowd of ponies," Silver Spoon explains. Diamond Tiara couldn't make it because her parents grounded her for skipping curfew.
"That's okay, Silver! We knew you'd catch up," Sweetie explains.
"Are we still having that sleepover?" Apple Bloom asks Silver Spoon.
"I don't know, actually, there have been rumors that there'll be another bombing tonight so I can't have any pony over," Silver Spoon explains.
"That's understandable, but I got to head home now, Mom and Dad said to be home by 1:00," Sweetie explains.
They all say 'bye' to Sweetie Belle as they walk into town square. Soon enough, they run into Starlight who is buying some food for her and Spike. "Hey, Starlight!" Scootaloo says.
"Hey, girls! What's up?" she asks, beaming at them.
"We just came back from our friend's dance recital!" Silver explains.
"Oh, how cute! Did you have fun?" Starlight asks.
"Yeah, he's a really good dancer," Scootaloo explains.
"Oh, a 'he'!" Starlight says.
"Yeah, and Apple Bloom has a crush on him!" Silver teases.
"I do not! I just think he's a really good friend," Apple Bloom defends.
"You also think he's cute!" Scootaloo adds.
"No, I don't!" Apple Bloom says, blushing.
"Okay, well, I'll leave you three to your argument. I need to finish buying these items," Starlight says, signifying her leave.
"Just admit it Apple Bloom," Scootaloo prods.
"I don't like him like that!" Apple Bloom insists.
"That doesn't sound much like a confession!" Silver Spoon teases.
"Come on, Apple Bloom, you're totally blushing!" Scootaloo says.
"I. Don't. Like. Him!"
"Ugh! I give up... I have to go home anyway, Sunny Smiles is expecting me to be home by 1:30," Scootaloo explains. They say goodbye and the two earth ponies head towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Sweetie Belle makes it home just as her mom is calling her dad for lunch. "Oh, hello sweet cheeks! Back so soon, eh?" her dad greets.
"Yeah, I didn't want to be late."
"Well, good girl then. C'mon, Mom will make you lunch," her dad says.
The stallion and filly walk into the dinning room and sit down at the table. An open envelope is placed on the table in between them.
"A letter from Rarity!?" Sweetie asks excitedly.
"Yeah! The letter came after you left for the show!" Her mom says, levitating a bowl of soup to her dad. "Open it!" She says, placing the bowl down.
Sweetie levitates the letter to her and starts reading.
Dearest Mother, Father, and Sweetie Belle,
I am alive and well over here, though I cannot specify where 'here' is as you should know. I am so glad you're well over there too, and I wish Sweetie Belle luck on her math test. Each day is like a new circle of Tartarus, but at least we get food, water, and shelter. The enemy is not letting up though, which we have all feared. What's even worse is the Griffon army is now building and the yaks and our armies are depleting. I fear that we need to start recruiting more ponies for our army too. And if we do, I hope that you, Mother and Father, are not one of the recruited. Twilight and Shining Armour are doing their best, but it looks like recruitment is inevitable at this point. Oh, and thank you for the wishes that I get more sleep, it hasn't happened yet, but thank you. Anyway, I must go now, Twilight needs me for something. Don't worry, it's minor and will cause no harm to me or ant pony involved.
I love you all, Rarity
Sweetie sets the letter down to where she found it and starts eating the bowl of soup her mom placed in front of her while she read the letter. "We should send a letter back to her after lunch," she suggests.
"We were just thinking that, actually," her dad explains.
"Yay!" Sweetie Belle cheers.
Big Mac is cleaning the pig pen as Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon enter the farm yard. "Apple Bloom! Chores!" He calls, that the fillies stop in their tracks.
"I did them already, Big Mac!" Apple Bloom calls back.
"No you didn't! I did. That's okay though, all I ask is tomorrow you gotta do some of my chores as well as your own!" Big Mac explains.
"Thanks, Big Mac! I will!" Apple Bloom calls, running inside the house.
"Oh yeah! There's a letter from Apple Jack on the kitchen counter!" Big Mac shouts so she can hear.
Big Mac already read the letter, he already knows it by heart. Every day since her first letter Big Mac has memorized them word for word because he knows that letter could be the last, that's why he is always so excited to receive the next one.
This one says,
Howdy, ya'll!
Business as usual here, so can't complain much. The Griffon Army is gettin' bigger though, gonna need to recruit ponies soon if this continues. Anyway, how's the harvest comin'? Weather behavin'? Thanks for the victory celebration by the way, and yes it was as hard as it sounded in the letter. Probably worse. I'm holdin' up well, as well as every pony else they all say 'hi' too. Anyway, I should be gettin' back to it, I got scouting duty in about an hour so I got to be focused. Hope to be getting a letter from ya'll soon!
Love Apple Jack
He finishes up with the pig pen and heads inside the house. Granny, Apple Bloom, and Silver Spoon are waiting for him in the living room. "Hey, guys, is this an intervention? I told ya'll I'll quite when I wanna quite," Big Mac says, jokingly. But they all seem serious and Big Mac is the only one out of the loop. "What is it?" he asks.
Over all, life has been normal since the war started. Ponies go about their normal days and try to act like their loved ones aren't in constant danger. Or they themselves aren't in constant danger. the sun and moon rise and set, the birds fly in the air, the rabbits barrow below, and every pony goes along with the new normal.
The school bell rings to signify to the fillies and colts that school is starting now. "Good morning, class!"
"Good morning Ms. Cheerilee," the foals say in unison.
"How was everyone's weekends?" she asks.
Scootaloo raises her hoof.
"Yes, Scootaloo? How was your's?" Cheerilee asks.
"I got a letter from Rainbow Dash yesterday!" She announces.
"I got one from Apple Jack!"
"I got one from Rarity!"
"That is all very exciting news, girls. Any pony else want to share their weekend with the class?" Cheerilee says.
Snails lifts his hoof up, sadly, and says, "My Dad got grafted on Friday and left yesterday," a collective apology sweeps around the room. "My Mom and my sister got drafted yesterday," Dinky says, again apologies are given.
"Well, let's not dwell on the war for right now, let's instead focus on poetry!" Cheerilee explains.
Later at recess the foals didn't do much playing, they were all sad about what happened to Dinky's mom and sister, and Snail's dad. They all knew that soon enough their families might be called for the war too, and after that, it is only a matter of time before the war is done or they are done.
Never before was the entire playground in complete before today. No pony is saying anything, and no on lookers question it either. The bell rings, and class continues.