At this point, it’s been a year since I came to Ponyville, I was still living with the Apple family, but I was making money and paying for food and equipment, so I was welcome. Rainbow Dash and I flew around with each other when we weren’t changing the weather. Rarity had even made an ensemble based on my mane. Pinkie Pie and I had parties frequently. I even became friends with Fluttershys animal friends, and helped her on occasion when she needed it. The only friend of Applejacks that I hadn’t gotten very close with yet was Twilight Sparkle, though it was mostly due to her being so lost in her studies.
I sat on the balcony in, what was now, my room, watching the night sky.
“Applejack, can I talk to you?” I called to her
“What about sugar cube?” she asked as she walked into my room. She walked onto the balcony and sat next to me.
“I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stay so long, it means a lot to me” I started, “when I came to ponyville, I didn’t know who, or where I was, all I knew was my name. And you took me in, gave me a home, and put my life back towards the better. Thank you” I said with a nervous tone that she picked up on, because she began to slide herself closer to me.
“Well someone had to help you, you were all alone in that field, you were hurt, and… well, after I met you, I knew I liked you” she said a bit shyly
“I like you too Applejack” I said as Applejack sat closer and closer to me. She was now sitting right next to me, her side pressed against mine.
“So, you’re a pegasus and I'm an earth pony, I think we can make that work” she said as she rested her shoulder on mine, and we sat and watched the sky together.
The next morning I woke up, walked out onto the balcony and flew off to work. When I was flying over town, I spotted Twilight Sparkle and Spike walking through the market.
“Hey Twilight, hey Spike” I said as I hovered above them, “Hey Kestrel, how are you doing today?” Twilight asked
“I'm fine I guess. So, you taking a break from your studies today?” I asked as I landed and started walking beside her
“Yeah, Spike wanted to go see Rarity” she said with a chuckle. Spike followed behind, lost in thought, completed with a lover boy look on his face. Twilight and Spike must have went to the market to buy some flowers for Spike to give to Rarity.
"Those for Rarity, lover boy?" I asked him "uh-huh" he mumbled, not even breaking stride
"Ha! he doesn’t even know I'm here does he?" I laughed
"Probably not, he has such a crush on Rarity, it's actually really funny" Twilight giggled.
"Well, I need to be getting to work" I said as I spread my wings
“Think we could hang out later?" I asked her
“Sure thing, I'll be taking a break for a few days" she said as Spike jumped on her back
"ONWARD TO RARITYS HOUSE!" Spike yelled, holding his bouquet like a sword.
After work and a flying session with Rainbow Dash, I flew back to the house.
"I'm home!" I shouted as I walked up onto the porch.
"Applejack and Big Mac are out in the orchard right now, they'll be back in a bit" Apple Bloom said from inside the house.
"Oh, okay, I'll be up in my room if you need me" I said as I flew up the stairs to my room.
It wasn’t too long before Applejack and Big Mac were back from the fields. "Is Kestrel home yet?" Applejack asked Apple Bloom when she walked in
"Yeah, he's up stairs" Apple Bloom replied as Applejack rushed up stairs and into my room.
"There you are" she said when she saw me. She ran at me and tackled me with a hug.
“Nice to see you too" I said with a chuckle as I hugged her back.
“Got any big plans for the rest of the week?" she asked me when we were finished hugging
"Not much, me and Twilight are going to hang out sometime this week, she's finally taking a break from her studies" I said as we walked downstairs into the kitchen for dinner.
Three days later I flew into town to see if Twilight Sparkle could hang out. As I flew over the library, I saw a puff of green smoke fly out of the window
“Hmm, I wonder what’s goin on in there” I thought as I landed at the front door.
I knocked at the door, "come in" I hear Twilight say from inside.
When I walk in I see Twilight and Spike looking on the shelves of the library, and Rainbow Dash sitting on the stairs reading a book, "heya Kestrel, how's it going?" Dash asked as she flipped to the next page in her book.
"Eh, not too bad" I said as I walked closer to Twilight
“Hey Twi, you doing any studying today?" I asked as Twilight stepped off a ladder
“Can't talk, the Princess gave me a special assignment that has to be completed before sundown, and the clock is ticking" she rushed off to another stack off books, she seemed panicked, almost crazy, her mane and tail frizzy and unkempt, which was a rare sight for her
"Uh, okay, think I could help you in any way?" I offered as she ran from book shelf to book shelf
“Yes, you could help me find a book with a gold embroidered leather spine, and a blue oval insignia" she said as she continued to search franticly through all the books.
"I'll keep my eyes open" I said as I began to poke through the stacks.
A few hours of searching later, I had finally found the book.
"Here it is!" I shouted as I picked up the book that Twilight, Spike and I were searching for all day.
"Finally, where was it?" Twilight asked as her horn began to emit a soft purple aura, and the book shared the same glow, and started to lift off the floor.
"Dash was sitting on it the entire time" I said with a laugh
"Well, thanks for finding it. Spike, send that to the princess right away" she commanded him
"On it Twilight" Spike said as he took a deep breath and blew green flames on the book, when the whole book was nothing but green ash, it flew out the window into the sky.
"Thanks again Kestrel, I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t found it" she said with I sigh of relief as we began to pick up all the books that had been thrown onto the floor.
"I'm always happy to help, and if you need someone to help you clean up the books after one of your big study sessions, don’t be afraid to ask" I said as I put a few books back onto the shelves
"I'll be sure to remember that" she said with a smile.