Cloud Blazer saw a soldier passing by and asked, "What's going on?"
"I don't know," came a stiff reply. "You should get indoors immediately."
Cloud Blazer nodded. It looked like the entire force defending Ponyville was taking flight, heading away from the sunset. Scanning around, many posts of guards were still in position, and there were other soldiers milling about calmly. Not all of them were heading out, and no sirens had sounded. That must have meant that the city wasn't under attack.
Cloud Blazer stood watching the soldiers doing what he had been trained to do. There was a kind of majesty to their formation flying. He wondered where Scootaloo was right then. He hadn't heard from her since that last day before she departed. The thought of her made his heart heavy. Their friendship was broken, and he couldn't repair it. The all-too-familiar pain from his injuries brought him back to the moment. Deciding that the soldier's advice was sound, Cloud Blazer continued on toward Sweet Apple Acres. He'd been walking without Sweetie Belle for two days, but she still often accompanied him. He was alone today.
"Well, howdy do, there Cloud Blazer!" Applejack greeted him.
"Mayor Applejack," he said, "I was just heading back to the house.”
"Mind if I walk with ya?"
"Not at all," he replied. "You seem in better spirits today."
She sighed and said, "Yeah, today was a bit easier than most. How are you holdin' up?"
"Me? Oh, I'm the rock that's keeping everyone else steady," he replied with a smile.
Pain shot up from his hind right leg that made Cloud Blazer wince.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just my leg. It likes to argue with me sometimes."
“Heh, I hear ya,” she said, acknowledging her large belly. “This one here has taken to kicking.”
“You still have a while, yet, don’t you?”
She nodded, “Another month or two.”
He didn’t feel comfortable asking any followup questions, so they walked in silence. Before long they were approaching the farm house. The sun setting behind it looked rather picturesque. The sky was golden and it nearly made the land look ablaze. Entering the farmhouse was to make the transition from a calm evening into utter pandemonium. Children were shrieking and squealing as they galloped through the lower level. Pinky Pie was among them. The adults that were, in vain, attempting to have a quiet conversation included the Cakes, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Twinklestar, and Glitterdust.
"What are all these young 'uns doin' inside on an evenin' like this?" Applejack shouted over the noise.
"Well, we saw all those soldiers moving about so we got everypony inside quick," Mrs. Cake answered.
"Where is Big Mac?”
Apple Bloom replied, "He's in the barn; I'm sure he'll be back soon. Hey, Cloud Blazer."
"Hi.”
The noise was difficult to be heard over, but it was a pleasant change from the normal hospital sounds that filled his days. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom walked to him as the raucous laughter intensified.
"How about we go up to my room?" Apple Bloom suggested.
The other two nodded and followed behind her. The stairs were a little tricky for Cloud Blazer. His legs were now used to walking again, but he was still taking fairly small steps. Sweetie Belle walked beside him, lifting from one side while he used the bannister for support on the other. He hated tiring so easily, but it was well worth the effort to be in the company of friends. Besides that, he was on a mission. They entered the bedroom, but Apple Bloom hesitated before shutting the door.
"You can come with us if ya want to," she said into the hallway.
Glitterdust walked in, somehow looking more disinterested in everything than usual. Apple Bloom muffled the delighted sounds of the children by closing the door.
"Hi, Glitterdust," Cloud Blazer greeted the newcomer.
She nodded at him without speaking. She was only three years younger than he was, but she seemed only a child to him. He could only speculate as to the reason behind her generally foul disposition, but her family had been through quite an ordeal before arriving in Ponyville. Both of her older siblings had gone to fight a war in which their father had been killed, not to mention fleeing their home and dealing with sickness in Baltimare; that was bound to leave a mark of some kind. The three friends talked for quite a while, with Glitterdust listening, before Cloud Blazer told them why he'd come.
“I’ve actually had a breakthrough today," he said. "Pixyglitter is talking to me. I can't share what she's been through, but I think she's going to be okay. She asked if I still wanted to learn how to fly with her."
"That's great!" Apple Bloom grinned.
Sweetie Belle was more skeptical, "I don't know; it sounds really dangerous."
"It will be," Cloud Blazer said gravely, "but I'm willing to take the risk. Besides, I'll wear a parachute, and we'll practice over the pond until we get good at it."
"Where are you gonna get a parachute?" Apple Bloom asked.
"That's the catch," he admitted. "I was actually trying to find LD to ask him for one, but half the force was mobilizing, so I couldn't get through. I'm doing much better walking, but it's just a lot of ground to cover for me right now."
"I'll get you one," Glitterdust spoke for the first time.
All eyes turned to her. She still looked bored, but there was something more that was trying to reveal itself in her expression. Cloud Blazer thought it looked like sadness.
"That would be great," Cloud Blazer said. "I need a combat harness and two parachutes."
"My brother visits pretty often. I'll get him to get what you need."
"Thank you!" he said.
"Don't mention it.”
The light from the window was fading from the orange of sunset into the purples and darkness of dusk.
"I have to get back; I'm late as it is," Cloud Blazer said.
"I'll walk with ya," Apple Bloom said. "How about it; y'all up for a walk?"
Sweetie Belle yawned, "Not this time. I need a bath."
A crash was heard in the house and Twinklestar called for Glitterdust, who sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Just us then," Cloud Blazer said to Apple Bloom.
They departed the house and found Ponyville had practically fallen asleep already in the early dusk. No movement of soldiers could be seen any longer. Wherever they had gone, they were not in the area.
"So, what's goin' on with you and Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked.
Completely caught off guard, Cloud Blazer panicked and stammered, "Ah, um, er, nothing, why?"
"Come on, Brownie, I know you better than that. I know her better than that."
They stopped walking. He sighed, resigning himself to finally speak to somepony about the situation, "When I first woke up in the hospital. I told her..." fear made the words stick in his throat. He took a deep breath and let it out, "I kind of confessed my undying love for her."
Apple Bloom blinked at him, and they stood in silence for a moment. She continued walking, and he moved to keep pace with her.
"I'm sure you can guess the rest," he continued. "She kind of freaked out and things have been weird ever since."
A patrol of zebras cantered by, paying the pair little attention. Cloud Blazer's legs were aching, and every injury was now throbbing in turn. The pain in one would wane just as it would wax stronger in another area. Above it all, his heart was pounding with a sort of nervous fear.
"Are you over it?" Apple Bloom asked.
He knew he wasn't and decided to be forthcoming, "No, not yet... I want to be. I just want things to go back how they were."
"Granny Smith always used to say that a broken branch on an apple tree can't be unbroken. All you can do is let it heal."
He couldn't help but smile at this. He had heard Granny Smith say that before. She was such a dear old mare when he'd known her, and he knew that he wasn't the only one that thought so. Most of the town remembered her fondly.
"Well, I don't know what I can do," Cloud Blazer said. "I might get over all of this eventually, but how can I help Scootaloo?"
Stopping again, Apple Bloom turned to him and revealed the sadness in her eyes, "You can't. She's got some things to work out herself, and she doesn't know how to deal with 'em. All you can do is leave her be."
They walked the rest of the way back to the hospital in silence, and Cloud Blazer considered her words. Without warning, she embraced him in a hug; thankfully, she was gentle about it.
"You let me know if there's anything I can do to help," Apple Bloom said.
"Thanks," he replied. "You and Sweetie Belle have already been so helpful to me these last few months; I don't know how I could ever repay you two."
Pulling away, she shrugged and said, "What are friends for? But if ya really want to pay me back, we can always use an extra hoof on the farm." Apple Bloom grinned, and her pink bow seemed to bounce when she did.
"You never know,” Cloud Blazer snorted a laugh. “Good night."
"Night!"
She turned and walked away as dusk was giving way to darkness of night. He truly felt much better just to have told somepony what was going on between himself and Scootaloo. In that pain, though it still ran deep, he was no longer alone.