//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Long Distance Friendship // by Drag Orion //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash flew through Ponyville in a hurry, he multicolored mane fluttering in the wind. She was still dressed in her Wonderbolt uniform, though the usual excitement she had while wearing it didn’t seem to be with her. Instead, she had a very anxious look as she hurried to descend to the ground. As she came in for a landing she just narrowly avoiding colliding with Derpy Hooves who was enjoying a king-sized muffin. “Sorry about that,” she apologized, but didn’t stop running as she hurried over to Twilight’s Castle. Derpy hugged her muffin tightly after that little scare and only went back to eating it when she felt it was safe again. As she approached the towering crystal castle, Rainbow saw a couple of other ponies arriving there as well. One was Applejack who approached at a sluggish pace while muttering something to herself. Pinkie, on the other hoof was merrily bounding her way over as bubbly as ever. She was carrying the big sack of treats behind her as she approached. “Hey, AJ, is everything okay?” asked Rainbow Dash. She didn’t answered, lost in thought. “Equestria to Applejack, do you read me?” “Huh?” mumbled Applejack snapping out of her daze. “Oh, hey Rainbow. Mighty neighborly of you to stop by for a visit.” “Uh, yeah, but you do realize we’re at Twilight’s place, right?” “Oh, uh, right,” she answered a bit embarrassed. “I guess I ended up trotting over here without even realizing it.” “What were you thinking about?” asked Rainbow. “Well, I was in the barn sorting through some baskets of apples and well, did you ever stare at an apple for an hour and start to ask yourself the really big questions?” “Uh, no,” replied Rainbow Dash a bit weirded out. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked at an apple for more than five minutes and that was just to decide if I wanted to eat it.” “Hey guys!” Pinkie stated happily. “Anyone interested in some leftover leftover party treats?” “Uh, leftover leftovers?” asked Applejack confused. “Uh huh,” she nodded. “I used them for two parties and there’s still some leftover so I figured I’d bring them when I went to ask Twilight something. Did you both come to see Twilight too?” “I guess I might as well since I’m here,” replied Applejack. “I was just passing by, but I guess I’ll come along too especially if snacks are involved. I haven’t had anything to eat yet after Wonderbolt training,” answered Rainbow Dash feeling hungry. “And speaking of practice, have I got something to tell you. We worked on a new routine that I thought up and it was totally awesome.” “Well, I can’t wait to hear about it and I’m sure Twilight would love to as well,” commented Applejack. “So let’s go see her.” Opening the front doors of the castle, they proceeded down the long hall of the Castle of Friendship like they had many times before. It didn’t take them long before they heard the familiar voices of Twilight Sparkle and Spike the Dragon coming from the Map Room and headed right over. Opening the door, they saw Twilight helping Spike pack his blue backpack while Spike with quill and parchment in claw was checking things off. “One fresh toothbrush,” said Twilight as she packed it in his backpack. “Check,” replied Spike as he marked it off with simple swish and flick. “One blanket in case you get chilly,” added Twilight. “Check… mom,” Spike answered a bit teasingly and Twilight responded by rubbing back the spikes on his head. “I wouldn’t want my widdle Spikey Wikey to catch a cold now, would I?” she responded in a silly, motherly tone. “Heheh, looks like we came in on an interesting family moment,” laughed Rainbow Dash to Spike and Twilight’s embarrassment. “Sorry, y’all,” apologized Applejack. “We didn’t mean to pop in on you unexpectedly like this.” “It’s fine,” answered Twilight not the least bit upset. “We were just doing a triple check to make sure Spike has everything he’ll need while he’s away.” “And to think we’ve only been working on packing since Celestia raised the sun this morning,” Spike commented. “Are we almost done, Twilight? Ember should be coming to pick me up soon.” “There’s just one more thing,” replied Twilight lifting up Spike’s Rarity doll with magic. “One, uh, heh, Rarity.” “Heheh, check,” blushed Spike. “Ember?” asked Applejack. “Where are the three of you going?” “To the Dragonlands for the annual Festival of Flames,” Spike explained eagerly. “And it’s not the three of us, it’s just Ember and myself.” “Like the name suggests it involves a lot of fire,” explained Twilight. “And while I would have loved to go too, I’m not very fireproof. Also, it doesn’t look like dragons are quite ready to have ponies join in on their festivities, but that’s why Spike is going. He is the official Friendship Ambassador to the Dragons after all.” “And what better way to learn more about dragon culture than to be a part of one of their biggest festivals,” added Spike eagerly. “It’ll be the first dragon festival I’ve ever been a part of too and from what Ember’s told me about it, I can’t wait to go.” “And you’re okay with letting Spike go all the way to the Dragonlands without you, Twilight?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “Sure, Spike is a dragon, but he hardly reaches up to some of their kneecaps. Uh, no offense.” “Why would you think I’d be offended?” Spike answered sarcastically. “Rainbow’s just worried and so am I,” said Applejack. “I’m just surprised that Twilight is letting you go on your own.” “Well, I’m eager to see all the notes he’ll take on the festival,” admitted Twilight looking quite eager as she mentioned that. “But Spike has grown up quite a lot and I know he’s mature and capable of taking care of himself. And Ember will be there to help him too so I know he’ll be just fine without me.” She looked at Spike and couldn’t resist rubbing his head teasingly again. “And I can’t expect my little man to stay here forever, but he better remember to write to me.” “It’s only for a few days,” chuckled Spike. “I’ll be home before you even start to miss me.” “Well, I think you’re all set,” stated Twilight. “Unless you think we should do one more check.” “I am pretty sure we don’t need to,” sighed Spike. “I got all the things I need plus a dozen quills and a scroll long enough to stretch between here and the Dragonlands. Hmm, but maybe I should have brought something the share with the dragons like some cupcakes or something.” “Here you can take these leftover leftovers,” offered Pinkie hanging the huge sack over to Spike,the weight of the confections pinning him underneath them. Rainbow didn’t look very happy to see her snack come and go without getting anything from it, but Pinkie gave her some cookies she took out beforehand. “Leftover leftovers?” asked Spike a bit confused as he got himself out from underneath. Taking a look at all the treats inside he didn’t pursue the question. “Oh, thanks. These should work.” “So, now that we’re done here, is there something you girls need?” asked Twilight. “Well, I could use a book on houses covered in frosting,” Pinkie PIe answered. “Houses covered in frosting?” replied Twilight a bit confused, but approached her bookshelf and scanned the spines of the books. “Uh, well, maybe this is what you’re looking for.” Pulling the book out with magic, she floated it over to Pinkie Pie who saw a picture of a house made out of all kinds of candy and sweets. “It’s a book of all kinds of gingerbread house designs. Does that help?” “Oh, let me see!” exclaimed Pinkie as she took the book and flipped through the pages and drooled a little as she gazed upon the decadent houses. “Wow, so many tasty designs. This will definitely be a big help and Canterlot will have the tastiest bakery in all of Equestria.” “Pardon me,” interrupted Applejack with as much a dumbfounded look on her face as everypony else. “But I think the rest of us are a bit out of the loop. Just what are you planning to do, Pinkie?” “Oh, it’s not me,” she explained, putting down the book. “It’s the Cakes that are planning and they’re planning to open another bakery in Canterlot and they’re trusting me to do it for them.” “That clears things up,” said Rainbow Dash. “And a bakery like a gingerbread house does sound awesome.” “And delicious,” added Pinkie Pie looking tempted to see if the book tasted as good as it looked. “It is great and all, but you know it’ll be a lot of hard work,” commented Twilight. “It took a lot of time before Rarity was able to open up a second boutique after all.” “I know it might be hard, but I’m ready to give it my all,” she replied. “And it’ll be such a huge success that Mr. and Mrs. Cake will want me to go around and open up bakeries all over Equestria. Isn’t it exciting? I’m so excited!” “Uh, how about you focus on the the first bakery, for now,” suggested Twilight. “Now, did you two need anything?” “Me?” asked Applejack. “Naw, I was just doing some thinking and happened to pass by, but Rainbow Dash looked in a hurry to come over.” “Huh? I, uh, was just going for a run,” she lied. “I didn’t have anything to discuss.” “Didn’t you want to tell us about your day at Wonderbolt training?” she countered. “Oh, it wasn’t that great today,” she continued to fib. “But I do think Twilight would be far more interested in hearing about how you stared at an apple for an hour. Clearly you must have something on your mind.” “Not as much as you probably have,” argued Applejack as the two of them glared at one another. “Girls!” cried Twilight. “What is wrong?” Before either of them could answer, they both suddenly noticed that their flanks had begun to glow where their Cutie Marks were and they lifted up into the air to float over to the magical map of Equestria on the large table in the center of the room. “Uh, looks like there’s a problem with someone’s friendship,” answered Rainbow Dash looking relieved for the change in subject along with Applejack. “Let’s see, one... two...” counted Twilight before her own Cutie Mark glowed. “Three…” “Four!” cheered Pinkie excitedly as hers was also added. “Please not now! Please not now!” begged Spike as he looked up at the spikes on his head nervously. When they didn’t start glowing he sighed with relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “That’s a relief.” The others stared at him over his freakout. “What? I didn’t want to miss my first dragon festival and I don’t think Ember has been getting better at expressing her emotions, mostly anger at disappointment.” “I wonder where we’re being sent this time,” said Twilight as they gathered around the map and watched their Cutie Marks descend to the place they were needed. “Looks like we’re being sent to-” “Canterlot!” Pinkie answered excitedly. “Los Pegasus,” stated Rainbow Dash right after. “Uh, Dodge Junction?” questioned Applejack confused as much as the others were. “Ponyville?” groaned Twilight feeling a bit cheated. “You all were called by the map at the same time, but all to different places?” asked Spike climbing up on the table to get a better look. “That’s a first. You think the map is on the fritz again?” “It should be perfectly fine after Starlight and I fixed it,” explained Twilight. “And nobody else messed with it in any way.” “Well,” Spike spoke a bit nervous, but coughed to cover it up and then spoke normally. “I guess that means that it is working just fine.” “Now the only question left to ask is, are these all individual friendship problems or are they all somehow related,” pondered Twilight. “How could they be related?” asked Rainbow Dash. “How could anypony have a problem with friendship so far apart like this? It has to be a bunch of different friendship problems happening all at the same time.” “This is just perfect,” cheered Pinkie Pie bounding about. “I get to solve a friendship problem and look around Canterlot for where to put up the new bakery!” “Sorry, you got stuck staying in Ponyville,” Applejack told Twilight. “Oh, it’s fine,” replied Twilight before suddenly smiling big. “This means I get to try out my new friendship problem map!” “Your friendship problem map?” asked Applejack looking at the map on the table. “You mean besides this one?” “It’s only a map of Ponyville,” she explained as she hurried and retrieved a square piece of folded up paper. When she unfolded it, revealing it was quite a huge map of Ponyville with lots of arrows and notes all over it along with tons of writing on it on both sides. “But I designed it to plot out the most efficient route to search for any potential friendship problems based on where everypony is likely to be at any given time. I think it’s one of my greatest achievements of all time!” “Besides, you know, becoming the Princess of Friendship,” commented Spike snarkily. “So, any friendship problems, Spike?” Twilight asked. “I know you have the starting point here, but do you really need to ask me when you’ve been with me all day?” replied Spike. “I have to be thorough,” nodded Twilight. “No, I’m good,” answered Spike just before they heard a loud “THUMP!” outside that shook the ground. “And it looks like Ember is here so now I’m great! Time to go. Later, everypony.” Putting on his backpack and grabbing the sack of leftover leftovers, Spike waddled his way to the front of the castle. “Spike is good,” mumbled Twilight writing that down. “Ok, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie?” “I’m fine,” answered Rainbow Dash eating her cookies. “Me too,” added Applejack. “I’m excited,” grinned Pinkie already running out the door. “Well, I’m already making great progress,” stated Twilight. “I’ll solve my friendship problem in no time.” “Guess we better be off too,” stated Applejack. “See y’all when I get back.” “Yeah, see ya later,” said Rainbow Dash. They all left the Castle of Friendship and each went their separate ways.