//------------------------------//
// Trust and Freindship 
// Story: The Final Crusade 
// by Enfield 
//------------------------------//


Katherine started up the car and drove James and the Crusaders home, once they got home Scootaloo and Apple Bloom helped Sweetie Bell out of the car and then let James take over helping her into the house. Katherine said to James that she was going shopping for more food and would be back in an hour, she also said that Dart would only have to be taken out in the back to run around because of Sweetie Bell’s condition. 
“Good thing I only have to take him out in the back,” said James, “I can’t leave you like this, Sweetie Bell.”
“Should I go find Dart?” asked Apple Bloom.  
“Get him out of the crate and bring him to the sunroom,” James said. He led Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo to the back porch, several deck chairs and a glass table sat in front of a massive barbeque. James was particularly proud of his backyard, he had helped his mother and father with cleaning it out and having the entire yard redone, they had to do this after they got Dart because of the mess the dog made from digging holes in the lawn, after some time that problem was solved.
“What’s up with the grass?” Scootaloo asked.  
“It’s Astroturf,” James replied. 
“What’s Astroturf?” Sweetie Bell said sitting down on a folding chair.
“To put it as basically as I can, it’s fake grass,” said James.
“Why do you want fake grass?” Scootaloo asked. James heard Dart scrambling around inside on the wood floor.
“The reason will be out here shortly,” James said. 
Dart shot through the door and made headway for a concealed part of the backyard, Apple Bloom came out of the house brushing herself off.
“I got hairs all over me,” she said. 
“He does shed a lot for some reason,” said James, “Sheds anymore and he’ll be bald.” 
The Crusaders laughed at what the sight of a bald greyhound might look like, James went to search for Dart in the back followed by Scootaloo. 
“Is he back there?” Scootaloo asked.
“Should be,” James said, “Dart! Come here.” 
Dart trotted out of the shadows and walked right past James. 
“Dart,” James said, “Do you wanna play?”
The dog stopped and span around, Scootaloo only had just seen the soccer ball under James' foot that he was moving around to get Dart’s attention. 
“You can play with Dart?” Scootaloo asked.
“He may be lazy but when he’s up he will want to play with you,” said James, “If I can I’ll see if I can make him run around the yard.” 

James booted the ball across the yard and Dart went sprinting after it, Scootaloo was amazed of the speed the Dart had, she followed James as he chased Dart and tried to get the ball away from him. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell watched as James kicked the ball around for Dart and then try to get it away from him, Scootaloo joined in and gave the soccer ball an astounding kick. Dart ran after it then dropped it and started sprinting around the yard. 
“Keep out of his way,” James said, “You do not want a greyhound hitting you at high speed.” 
The Crusaders watched Dart race around the yard, they had never seen a greyhound at its top speed. But the spectacle didn’t last long, Dart stopped halfway through a run and stood by the door panting heavily. James let Dart into the house and helped Sweetie Bell back inside as well, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom followed him as well not wanting to stay out in the heat any longer. James set Sweetie Bell back down on the den couch and tended to her every need, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo helped also mainly because she was their friend and they took care of one another. 

Once night fell Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both went upstairs to bed, as for Sweetie Bell, James thought that it would be best if she slept the next couple of nights on the couch since he didn’t want her moving around on her bad leg too much. As James went to fetch a blanket and a pillow for Sweetie Bell Katherine checked up on her. 
“Has James been taking care of you?” she asked. 
“James, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have all been taking care of me,” Sweetie Bell said. 
“James had been doing a great job of keeping you all happy,” said Katherine. 
“He’s the best,” said Sweetie Bell. 
“So you’ll be sleeping on the couch for a few night according to James,” Katherine said. 
“James didn’t want me walking around a lot,” Sweetie Bell said. James came back with both a light blanket and a large pillow for Sweetie Bell. 
“I took the liberty of giving you the best of all the spare pillows,” James said handing the pillow to Sweetie Bell. 
“Well up to bed with you then,” Katherine said.
“I’m not a kid anymore, I’m sixteen now,” James said walking out of the room.
“James, wait!” Sweetie Bell said. 
“Need something else?” James asked. 
“Can you sleep here?” Sweetie Bell asked, “I don’t like being alone at night.” 
James looked at his mother and backed up into the den.
“If you say no to this then I’ll lose all trust and love toward you,” James said mockingly.
“If it’s what she wants,” Katherine said. 
“I said I’ll give her what she needs and she wants someone to keep her company,” James said, “Tell the others where I’m at.” 
Katherine left and dimmed the lights, James checked all the blinds and switched on a small light in the kitchen. 
“Thanks for staying in here with me,” Sweetie Bell said to James.
“It’s the least I can do for you,” he replied shutting the door to the den. 
“How long until I’m better?” asked Sweetie Bell.
“Two or three days,” replied James. 
“I don’t like this weird stiff feeling,” Sweetie Bell complained.
“You’ve done well to overcome it,” said James. 
“Yeah I suppose,” Sweetie Bell said with a yawn.
“Tired?” asked James, Sweetie Bell nodded in response. James settled down beside her, luckily the blanket had a sheet stuck to it so James used the sheet and rested his head on his arm. He tried to sleep but felt something being pushed under his head, he looked up and saw Sweetie Bell was pushing a part of her pillow under his head.
“Is this because I’ve been taking care of you?” James asked. Sweetie Bell nodded and smiled. James looked at her again and though about something.
“Sweetie Bell?” he said, “Do you think now after all that’s happened so far, are we all friends?”
“Do you mean that you, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and me are all friends now?” Sweetie Bell asked. 
“Yes,” James replied, “You phrased it better than me.”
“Yes, we are friends,” Sweetie Bell said, “Best friends forever.”
James felt both happy and proud, but he also was beginning to regret the day when the Crusaders would finally have to go back home to Ponyville. James remembered reading a book with a similarity of what was going on, it was something about a guy who took care of a kid that he found in a box or something then after fifteen years some people show up claiming that they own the child and the guy never sees that kid ever again. James couldn’t remember the name of the story but it did make him shed a couple of tears because of the sad ending. James decided to not think about the Crusaders going back home until the end of the summer.