“So, are we actually going out?” Sonata asked Sunset.
“Like you heard, we can’t,” Sunset replied.
“Well, that’s a bummer,” Sonata said as she slumped back on the chair.
Well that’s right, it is a bummer, Sunset thought. She looked past Sonata, her mind wandering off. Just last week things were actually good, though even then she already felt that things might take a turn for the worse. She has seen it on the news and saw it online as well. Others weren’t so concerned then, but she wondered if it might hit Equestria soon.
And it did. Not to her surprise, though she wondered why others were taken off guard by this. She thought then that perhaps people weren’t as attentive as she thought. Even Principal Celestia wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of a virus.
“What are you thinking?” Sonata asked her, breaking her thoughts. She made a waving motion with her hand.
“It’s nothing,” Sunset said to her but Sonata shook her head.
“When you wander off like that, you know it’s not nothing,” she said evenly. Sunset sighed then.
“People should’ve seen this coming,” she said to Sonata, looking directly in her eyes. “Now we’re stuck here at home.”
“Well at least we’re not the only ones,” Sonata replied matter of factly.
“Let’s see how the others are doing,” Sunset said, springing up from her seat. For a moment she stood there though, unsure of whether to use her smartphone or else just go to the PC to contact the others. Finally she handed her phone over to Sonata.
“Use my phone,” she said to her. “I’ll get on the PC to check on how they’re doing.” She went to her workstation and then booted up the computer. Sonata meanwhile fumbled with her cellphone.
“You really love complicated gadgets,” she groaned as she went over Sunset’s phone. Sunset laughed as Sonata searched for the video messenger app.
“Let me help,” Sunset offered, reaching out to Sonata. Sonata handed her phone back to her, and she quickly opened the app before giving the phone back. Just in time she heard the computer finish booting, and she turned around to see her desktop come on the monitor. She then went to the video messenger on it and began sending messages to the rest of the Rainbooms.
“They should receive it soon,” she then said with satisfaction as she hit Enter. She then leaned back on her chair after that, thinking of how life would be now that they were locked in. There was no timeframe given, but she surmised that it would be long while before they would be able to go out again. The wait wasn’t particularly long. Pinkie Pie came on first.
“I’m going crazy over here!” Pinkie said loudly, grasping at her monitor as she said it. Sunset adjusted her camera as she watched in amusement.
“Quit being melodramatic,” her sister, Maud said over the background.
“I am not being melodramatic!” Pinkie hollered after her, then turned her attention back to Sunset. “You gotta save me here!”
“Wish I could do something,” Sunset replied with a shrug. “Looks like we’re all stuck like this though.” Pinkie quieted for awhile and then suddenly laughed.
“I’m just trolling all of you, silly,” she said while laughing hard. “Of course there can be lots we can do here!”
“Hmp, could’ve fooled me,” deadpanned Maud in the background. This time Pinkie chose to ignore her.
“So, what’ll we talk about?” she then asked Sunset.
“Hiyie,” Sonata interjected before Sunset could say something.
“Oh, hi there sis!” screamed Pinkie with delight. “I knew you would also be on!”
“Sunset let me borrow her smartphone,” Sonata told her, motioning over at Sunset who was seated nearby.
“I’m sure Rarity is going bonkers right now!” Pinkie said to them.
“Hardly, dahling,” said a voice, and then Rarity showed up to join their online meeting. She actually appeared composed and quite still, looking very proper then. “At least I have much time to design clothes now,” she continued on.
“Oh that’s right,” Sunset chimed in. “I forgot that you also love designing clothes.”
“Exactly,” Rarity beamed. “Now I have all the time in the world to do that.”
“Wonder how long this will last though,” Sunset muttered to them. Rarity just made a small laugh.
“Don’t you worry, love,” she said reassuringly. “You’ll think up of things to do.” Sunset nodded.
“And I think they will give us online classes soon,” she speculated.
“Well, I would think Principal Celestia would already be planning for that,” Rarity replied.
“I would think so as well,” Sunset agreed. “I don’t think people will be able to sit still inside their houses for so long,” she further reasoned out.
“I thought you might get bored,” Pinkie pointed out to Rarity.
“Oh please,” Rarity brushed it off with a wave of her hand. “I have lots of things in mind on what to do right now. I know someone who might be bored now though.”
“We’ll know when she comes on, won’t we now,” Sunset simply said.
“Like I said, she’s likely bored right now,” Rarity emphasized.
“And looks like she’s coming on now,” observed Pinkie as she looked at her notifications.
“I can’t stand it!” Rainbow Dash said as she went online.
“Really now,” Rarity calmly said. “It’s barely even a day and you can’t stand this anymore?”
“But we don’t know how long this will last,” Rainbow Dash objected. “It might take years!”
“Oh calm down now,” Rarity replied evenly. “I’m sure it won’t be that long.”
“No, I don’t think so either,” Sunset agreed. “Still, it could be long enough to make some uneasy,” she added quickly.
“That’s some people,” Rarity said pointedly at Rainbow Dash.
“My whole life is about being outside,” Rainbow Dash said. “You all know that!”
“Dear, there are a lot of things you can do in the house,” Rarity shot back.
“Maybe we can discuss this once Applejack is on,” Sunset suggested.
“Where is that girl anyway?” Rarity asked them.
“Probably still struggling with her computer,” Rainbow Dash said with a bit of a smile. She has finally calmed down now that she’s talking with the others.
“I can see it now,” Sunset nodded. Of course, that’s not entirely true, though it has become a running joke among them since initially Applejack did have problems with computers before. Nowadays though she’s perfectly fine with it. Well, mostly anyway.
“She’s coming on,” Pinkie announced to the group then as she continued to monitor her notifications.
“We were wondering when you’re coming online,” Rainbow Dash said as soon as she appeared.
“I had to help out here before I could go online,” Applejack explained briefly.
“So I guess everyone’s at home there as well,” Sunset said. Applejack nodded.
“We’re all affected by this,” she confirmed. For a moment, Sunset looked grim. She wondered how things would be moving forward. Then she looked up and tried to be cheerful.
“We’ll all be all right, I’m sure,” she said. Applejack shook her head.
“You’re not fooling us,” she replied. “I know you’re worried about it.”
“Though she’s right, we will all be okay,” Rarity reasoned. “And I’ve been making designs for masks that I’m sure you’ll love,” she added quickly.
“Oh, can you show us?” Pinkie said eagerly, clasping her hands.
“I’m ahead of you, dahling,” Rarity replied as she showed some of the masks she’s been working on.
“Oh, they’re lovely!” Pinkie said, gushing as Rarity held up a couple of the ones that were already finished.
“I can send them over if you want some,” Rarity said as Pinkie continued to gasp at the masks. “Courier, same day delivery of course.”
“So classes will be online,” Applejack intervened while Pinkie continued to look at the masks. Sunset nodded.
“That’s what I hear,” she affirmed, though she wasn’t exactly sure yet about the information. It was the most logical setup though, she reasoned to herself. Rainbow Dash sighed at that.
“Well, we have to make the most of it,” she finally said in acceptance. “It’s just tough not being able to go out.”
“I know you like sports more than anything,” Sunset said. Rainbow Dash nodded.
“It’s not easy being locked up here all day!” she finally blurted out to them.
“And not sure how long it will be,” added in Applejack.
“Think about it though,” Sunset reasoned to them, “at least we have all the time in the house.”
‘Like I said, there’s a lot you can do indoors,” Rarity said again in emphasis as she put away the masks she made.
“Hold on, we haven’t chosen what we want,” observed Applejack when she saw her put down the masks.
“I’ll send the pics through email so you can choose from my many designs,” Rarity promised her.
“So now what do we do?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“We can talk about things!” Pinkie said gleefully.
“That’s pretty helpful, Pinkie,” replied Applejack with a smirk.
“I’ll surf over the school’s website to find out what they’re planning for us,” Sunset suggested as she used her web browser and opened up the Canterlot High site. She glanced over Principal Celestia’s welcome then searched the site for upcoming news.
“Nope, nothing yet,” she announced to the group as she continued to glance over the site. “Looks like they’re caught flat footed as we are.”
“That’s just great,” Rainbow Dash said with a sigh.
“Well…if we don’t have anything yet, maybe we can meet up daily here and talk,” Fluttershy quietly suggested. It was her first time to speak up while everyone else was thinking what to do.
“Yes, that would be good,” Sunset agreed.
“So same time tomorrow?” Applejack said and everyone agreed.
“See you all then,” Sunset said as they said their goodbyes. When everyone logged off, she just sat there pondering on how they would handle the situation. Sonata went up to her to hand her smartphone back.
“You were quiet there,” Sunset observed as she received her phone.
“I don’t know what to add,” admitted Sonata. “Fluttershy’s suggestion is good though, and we can talk more.” Sunset nodded in agreement.
“Well, since we’re stuck here we might as well see what we can do,” she said as she stood up from her chair. She did think of what Rarity said though: there’s much to do inside the house if you really think about it. She was just glad she had her home gym, since at least that’s one thing that she can use more often. This was a situation that they have to adjust, but she knew that the group would be able to cope with it and come up with new things to get through.