//------------------------------// // Year Six: Cloudsdale And Canterlot // Story: Sweet Apple Anthology // by Bad_Seed_72 //------------------------------// Year Six: Cloudsdale And Canterlot Libra Scales flopped off the couch, nearly crashing into a slumbering Braeburn and Citrus Blossom below. She stifled a chuckle. Her daughter and nephew were oblivious to her movements, twitching in their sleep, sharing a thick quilt on the hardwood floor. She reasoned that their dreams must be running wild, as reckless as their daytime aspirations. Libra was somewhat relieved when Citrus had chosen to stay. She wished only the best for her fillies. Canterlot had always been her eldest daughter’s dream, a star on the horizon beyond. Finding it to be a mere illusion, a careful construct of media and reckless youthful abandon, would’ve been shattering a lifetime ago. However, Libra and her daughter were tempered by Appeloosa, fine steel beneath the hammer of the desert sun and the anvil of winter’s frost. Citrus survived the cruel reality, and seemed happier because of it. There would be no more wondering. Libra quietly trotted through the living room and out the front door, careful to keep her hoof-steps light. Dawn hesitantly greeted Sweet Apple Acres. Her hooves met the cold, dew-kissed grass, sending a charge of energy through her veins. In Manehatten, the mare had struggled with depression for years. She’d tried everything she could imagine to chase it away. Strange diets, a myriad of supplements, exercise, and alcohol all fell far short of the mark. Somehow, despite their poverty, her injuries, and the aching distance between Ponyville and Appleloosa, Libra Scales was happier than she’d ever been. At times, she cursed ever leaving the settlement in the first place. Things would’ve been far easier if she’d stayed. But, then, she never would have met… him. She kept her eyes wide open for him, hoping to catch among the growing populace a sight of the beige stallion and his jet-black mane. She pricked her ears for the familiar Manehatten accent—a thick, staccato voice that only Babs Seed retained anymore. Citrus seemed cured of it, and Libra had never adopted it in the first place. Throughout academia, she’d slaved to hide her country drawl, replacing it with monotonous corporate-speak. Try as she might, it only returned to her now on several occasions. But he had spoken it then, and possibly did now. Regardless, she longed to hear again from him, accent or none. She hadn’t seen him at all throughout these six years, despite her wishes. No. It had been almost eighteen years since their first and only meeting. So long ago. Eons ago. Her own age mocked her. Sighing, Libra continued her morning walk, shaking out her mane and her reminiscence. Under an apple tree waited a tall, shadowy figure, leaning its back against the bark. She picked up her pace, her hooves eager and light. Mother found daughter and asked, “Why are you awake so early, darling? Applejack says you’re so hard to wake up, you know.” Babs chuckled and crossed her forehooves behind her head and her hindhooves across each other, stretching out on the grass. “Oh, I know. But I slept pretty good afta the party last night. Thought I’d get up early. Bloom an’ everypony else is still asleep upstairs.” Libra raised an eyebrow. “Please don’t tell me you two—“ Blushing, Babs blurted, “Ma! O’ course not!” “Good. I was worried there for a bit. Anyway,” she said, steering the conversation to a more favorable direction, “how was the party?” “Great! Lots o’ games an’ dancin’ an’ stuff. Oh, an’ it looks like Sweetie Belle finally found her special somepony. Which is nice. I was worried ‘bout her fo’ a while,” she remarked with a grin. “I’ll have ta tease her ‘bout it. Me, Bloom, Scoots an’ Sweetie are gonna meet up ta-day. I’m sure I’ll hear all ‘bout it.” “Sounds fun. What are you all going to do now?” “Aww, I dunno. Prolly jus’ catch up an’ plan fo’—“ “No, Babs,” Libra said, stretching out her own hooves as she leaned into the tree, watching the sun began its ascent in the sky. With a slight smile, she clarified, “What are you all going to do now that you’ve graduated?” The question was perfectly poised to shake Ponyville, Equestria, and Earth itself with shattering magnitude. It seemed that this question would not elude Babs, no matter how hard she tried to dismiss it. It pursued her, a ravenous timberwolf in the dark, following her with a steely glint in its eyes and an unearthly determination. Her thoughts proved to be an illusory refuge. Even there it taunted her, an endless mantra of urgency and indecision. Giving no reply, she chose to focus on the sunrise instead. Does it look the same from all angles? It seems mo' beautiful than it was in Manehatten. Manehatten. Why do I even botha ta think o’ dat place? I said it maself… there’s nothin’ there fo’ me. … Wonda what happened ta dat CMC o’ mine. Gently, Libra Scales said, “You know you’re always welcome in Appleloosa, right?” “Jus’ me, though, huh?” Youze jus’ want me ta leave dis place behind, an’ all who comes wit’ it. Don’t youze? “… Babs.” Avoiding her mother's gaze, Babs Seed asked, “What?” Sighing, Libra pleaded, “Give me time, alright?” “It’s been six years, Ma.” How much mo’ do youze need? We ain’t gonna be breakin’ up anytime soon, iffa eva. Rationality demanded that Libra Scales concede the point here. However, if she tallied and counted all their meetings since departing that wretched ghetto of the East, not even a year’s worth of days had been shared between herself and her filly. Correspondence was mainly maintained through letters. Try as she might, Libra would never obtain the wealth to purchase a home in Ponyville and relocate. She refused to burden her family any more than they already were. Ponyville and Appleloosa both faced similar economic hardships. Jobs were few and scarce. Many ponies were emigrating to the larger cities or to the frontier for a fresh start. So little had she seen of Babs Seed, and even less she had seen of Apple Bloom. Such little foundation seemed to exist between them, for better or for worse. The whole thing left her dumbfounded. Therefore, withholding judgment (positive or negative) appeared to be the most logical response. Libra dropped the subject, reasoning it was far too early to argue, anyway. “You know who you remind me of, sweetie?” Ignoring her deflection (seeing no point in confronting the issue quite yet), Babs asked monotonously, “Who, Ma?” “There was a stallion I met a long, long time ago. Long before you were born. His name evades me, but I’ll never forget his face. He was one-of-a-kind. Not like the others. He was a dreamer,” Libra said, the fire in her irises lit anew with her recollection. “He dreamt big dreams. He was always talking about his latest adventure or his upcoming exploits. He was a traveler. He went from one side of Equestria to the other at the drop of a hat. He said he was searching for some place to call ‘home,’ and he never quite found it.” “So… he was a vagabond o’ summat?” “I guess you could say that.” “Hmm. Are there a lotta ponies who live dat way?” Libra tapped her chin with a forehoof. “Well, not a lot. But there are some. We see a few of them pass through Appleloosa each month, according to Braeburn. They usually stay long enough to work a little in one of the stores or the orchards, stock up on bits and supplies, and head out someplace else. It’s a very interesting way to live. I always sort of envied that stallion… my old friend. I wonder what became of him.” Babs Seed shrugged. Hopefully, he found what he was lookin’ fo’. I think I have. An’ I think I will… Unable to contemplate an answer, Libra Scales turned back to her filly, offering a gentle smile. “When I see you, I think of him, because you both have so much potential. You’re both smart and strong. You can do anything you want. And whatever you decide to do, honey, just know that there is room for you in Appleloosa if you so choose. Braeburn just finished building a home for the three of us. It even has a guest room and living room. They’re small, but they work.” Mustering an uneasy grin, Babs replied, “Thanks, Ma. I might have ta take youze up on dat someday. Fo’ now, I ain’t sure o’ much. All I know is dis sunrise is beautiful right now, an’ I’m glad ta share it wit’ youze.” Although a good liar, there was no falsehood in Babs Seed’s words. Together, mother and daughter watched the sun rise and proliferate, mighty and radiant in the new dawn. Today was the first day of the rest of the younger’s life. In a few months, a filly would soon be a mare, crossing that threshold between continents at last. Then, there would be no stopping her in whatever she would choose. For now, they lived in the moment, enjoying what laid on the horizon, before the train would come and usher the Appleloosians back to the desert plains. ~ Citrus and Braeburn were shaken awake by a laughing Applejack, who insisted they sample another piece of her pie before departing. Two gracious maws gobbled up their breakfast and, again at their host’s demand, packed up an extra piece each to consume on the train ride home. Soon, the farmhouse came alive, the remaining Apples yawning, stretching, and muttering their goodbyes. Babs Seed trotted back to the front door with her mother and embraced her sister and cousin there, graciously thanking them for their appearance. Nopony else in Equestria meant as much as the three beaming before her. Her thoughts rarely, if ever, drifted to her remaining Manehatten relative. She referred to him, even within her consciousness, by his ridiculous legal name. He was father to nopony. Good riddance. Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Applejack stood beside and behind Babs Seed, waving enthusiastic forehooves goodbye to their three visitors. Libra, Citrus, and Braeburn cantered away, an early train ride home cutting their stay regrettably short. “Thank y’all fer comin’! Don’t be afraid ta stop by anytime!” Applejack called after the trio, waving her Stetson in the air. “Take care o’ yerselves!” Granny Smith yelled. “We’ll miss ya!” Apple Bloom shouted. “Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed. To their own ways they split, eight Apples total: three hurrying to their hooves towards the train station, five offering their farewells. Like all partings, this one would not be for too long. Geography possessed little power in the face of familial ties. Once they’d become dots on the horizon, Babs Seed turned to Apple Bloom, an impish grin on her countenance. “Think it’s time ta go find Sweetie an’ Scoots? Dey should be up by now.” “Ah don’t think so!” Applejack quipped, a devilish smile of her own speaking her intent. “Ah think ya both have some work ta do beforehoof. Y’all may not be mares yet, but Ah’ve got work fer ya.” Groaning, the fillies relented, soon becoming lost in repetitive tasks under the rising sun. ~ “Alright, everypony, watch this one!” Scootaloo spread her powerful wings and propelled off her hindhooves with a mighty bound, rocketing into the air. She beat her wings several times, catching a thermal and following it upstream into the atmosphere. Higher and higher she climbed, soaring, until the clubhouse shrunk to an insignificant blur below the clouds. Below, three Crusaders waited impatiently. The pegasus had flown far up and beyond their line of sight, seeking refuge among the cloud-cover above. None of them possessed vision perfect enough to see anything but a shapeless orange figure towering somewhere near the heavens. “Where did she go?” Sweetie Belle asked. Babs Seed opened her mouth to reply, interrupted by a speeding WOOSH! of air and pegasus. Scootaloo careened into a daring dive and pulled up mere feet in front of them, sending a gust of wind over the platform of the treehouse and her three friends. She sharply pulled back up at the last second, dodging the roof, heading headfirst into the sky. Scootaloo quickly arched her back and led with her forehooves, turning upside-down. She then completed a quick reverse loop and streaked once more, up, up, up, her wings cutting through the afternoon air. “Wowza!” Babs exclaimed, pointing a forehoof excitedly after her. Though the trio had seen Scootaloo perform her tricks on countless occasions throughout the years, her current finesse and skill exceeded anything they had previously observed. “She musta been practicin’ a lot lately!” Following Scootaloo’s ascent back up past the clouds with incredulous eyes, Sweetie Belle said, “You can say that again! Just look at her! I bet she could join the Wonderbolts if she wanted!” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and muttered, “Don’t give her that idea. It’ll go ta her head, and we won’t hear the end o’ it if ya do. She’s finally gotten off the subject o’ Rainbow Dash as o’ late.” “You don’t think she’s got what it takes?” Sweetie asked. Scootaloo rose to the top of her arc and quickly turned around, lowering her head and stretching out her forehooves once more. She accepted gravity and plummeted down, down, down towards her friends, flattening her ears and squinting her eyes. The sheer speed of her descent—coupled with her aerodynamic pose—pummeled her through the atmosphere, and her tail became as a purple comet, streaking and trailing behind her. She dove further down than her previous attempt, passing the clubhouse and still going southwards, her hooves almost touching the grass. She pulled back up in a perfectly-timed instant and soared straight up, kicking up a cloud of dust and purple steam. The pony-turned-locomotive finished with a backwards descent towards her friends, her eyes closed in pure trust of her freefall. Gently alighting upon the rooftop of the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, hindhooves first, Scootaloo stood, triumphant and declared, “What’s this I hear about the Wonderbolts?” Tapping on the platform with a forehoof, Babs Seed asked, “Why don’t youze come down wit’ us an’ talk ‘bout it? Unless youze like us lookin’ up, hotshot,” she added with a teasing grin. “Well, I’d better get used to it sometime! After all, speaking of Wonderbolts—and you all don’t think I have what it takes!—I’m gonna be headin’ to Cloudsdale in a week for training!” Silence. Three mouths went agape in shock. “I know, right?” Scootaloo boasted, fluttering her wings. “I can’t believe it either!” One of them finally found their words through the haze. Apple Bloom stammered, “C-c-could ya r-repeat that, please? Not what ya jus’ said, but befo’?” Heeding Babs’s words, the pegasus leapt from the roof and stood by the railing of the clubhouse, beaming with pride. “I said, I’m going to Cloudsdale next week! I got accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy! The letter came in the mailbox this morning. Oh, mom and dad are going to be so proud! Dad’s deployed right now with the Royal Guard, but I’ll have to write him, and then Mom will be…” Her words dissolved into excited banter, hopping on her hindhooves, oblivious to the uneasy silence that quickly stole away her friends' breath. After a minute or so, once Scootaloo had calmed, a response came from somepony at last. “… Oh.” Apple Blom tapped her hooves on the railing, briefly looking towards the orchards below. She turned back, a smile painted across her countenance without a drop of enthusiasm behind it. “That’s great, Scoots, real great!” Concerned, Scoots raised a tentative brow. “You’re… you’re happy for me, aren’t you?” “O’ course Ah am! Yer one o’ ma best friends, Scoots. Why wouldn’t Ah be happy fer ya?” “Yea,” Babs added, her expression matching her cousin’s. “O’ course we’re happy fo’ youze, Scoots. It’s youze dream, ain’t it?” Both muzzles strained under the weight of their gestures, movements that defied the instincts of their muscles. Smiling required more kinetic energy than frowning. They both pushed themselves to their limits in this regard. Applejack’s chores had been foal’s play. This, however, was a far more demanding exercise. Sweetie Belle tossed her own words into the ring. “Yeah… it’s… awesome, Scootaloo. It’s what you’ve always wanted.” Scootaloo sighed, the tension in her wings going slack. “I was afraid you three would react this way. I’m sorry. I had no idea this would happen. I applied for the Academy expecting to get rejected, so I didn’t tell you. I mean… it’s the Wonderbolts, right? But they accepted me, somehow. And…” The pegasus gulped, turning her back away from her friends. “I had no idea I would have to leave so soon.” “Now, don’t get us wrong… o’, at least, don’t’ get me wrong,” Babs began, dropping her mask. “Though, I’m pretty sure youze two feel the same way I do, don’t youze?” Apple Bloom nodded, understanding Babs’s unspoken intent, and slowly said, “Ya see, Scoots, it’s not that we ain’t happy fer ya, it’s jus’—“ “We weren’t expecting you to leave so soon,” Sweetie Belle gently finished, putting a forehoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. “I mean… we just graduated. We have the whole summer to look forward to. Well, actually, I guess our entire lives can be summer in a way, until we get jobs.” “Yea. It’s not dat I don’t want youze ta follow youze dream… I do. It’s jus’ hard, ya know?” “Ah’ll support ya no matter what ya do! That’s what friends are fer, Scoots.” Three fillies pulled a fourth into a hug. Scootaloo wrapped her forehooves around them, a solitary tear shining in her eye. Before anypony could comment on it, she quickly wiped it away, sniffling. “Thanks, everypony. It’s just…” Scootaloo took a step backwards, wrestling out of their hooves. She sighed. “It’s just…I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you all again. I know we’ll be able to write and everything but…it just won’t be the same.” An’ Earth ponies an’ unicorns don’t have much o’ a way ta see youze. Unless we borrow a hot air balloon o’ summat. An’ I don’t count on dat. Three crestfallen muzzles pondered her words, forehooves tapping chins. The three who found themselves lacking wings were in quite a quandary. No immediate solutions surfaced to mind. Suddenly, Apple Bloom broke the silence. “Don’t y’all remember what we said, all ‘em years ‘go, ‘bout crusadin’? Especially you, Babs,” she said, nudging her filly in the ribs. “What do youze mean, Apple Bloom?” “What was the first rule o’ the Manehatten CMC ya told yer friends there?” Immediately, Babs answered, “’Once a Crusada, always a Crusada.’” Apple Bloom nodded. Taking Scootaloo's forehoof in her own, she explained, “Maybe we shouldn’t worry ‘bout this kinda stuff fer now. Maybe we shouldn’t worry ‘bout it after all. Ah mean… we’ve been friends all these years. No reason ta worry ‘bout our friendship now, right?” “That’s right!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed happily. “Maybe it’ll be like how Rarity is with her friends! They don’t see each other every day, or even every week. She’s usually in Canterlot or Trottingham or working at the Boutique. But when she does see one of her friends, she says it’s just like they never parted ways to begin with!” “Yea. Yea, Sweetie’s right,” Babs said. “Kinda like how it is wit’ ma folks in Appleloosa. Like… we’re apart, but we’re not. We don’t see each otha much, but when we do, there’s nothin’ missin’. It’s complete. Maybe it’ll be jus’ like dat.” “An’ we’ll always be friends! Even if ya go on a world tour wit’ the Wonderbolts an’ we only see ya ‘round the holidays!” Apple Bloom assured. Scootaloo nervously chuckled. “Well… I hope it’s not that bad…” The three of them joined in the laughter, shattering the tension between them. The four friends spent the rest of their afternoon together in their clubhouse of old, sharing stories of past crusades and future aspirations. Not a stone was left unturned, recounting all of their failed (but laughable) attempts: skydiving, sewing, security-guarding, soothsaying. How apparent their talents were now, broadcast on their flanks for the entirety of Equestria to see. How long and arduous some of their journeys had been, blood, sweat, and tears. But, they now knew who they were, and every inch and mile had been worth it. Four Cutie Mark Crusaders they had been, and forever would be, but now they pointed their hooves firm towards the future. Sweetie Belle revealed that she’d put in an application for an internship with the Pony of Pop herself, Sapphire Shores. If accepted, she would be sent to Canterlot for a year to work under the singing sensation, opening the gates to her own musical career. Like Scootaloo, she was wished the best of luck, and they all vowed to defy the boundaries of geography and journey. Somewhere near the end of their meeting came the dreaded question once more. Sweetie was the one to bring it to the surface. “So… Babs, Apple Bloom? What do you two plan on doing? Staying here in Ponyville, on Sweet Apple Acres?” “Oh, uh, Ah dunno, Sweetie,” Apple Bloom deflected, running a forehoof over the clubhouse floorboards. Her construction proved structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing; the varnish she’d painted over the floor hid all traces of her nervous digging. “We haven’t really decided that yet.” Babs looked at her and repeated, “’We’?” “Well, o’ course, silly filly.” Apple Bloom giggled. “Did ya think Ah’d jus’ let ya go ta Appleloosa o’ the badlands alone?” Huh? “Why do youze think dat I’d wanna go there?” Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle from the corner of her mouth, “Uh oh…h ere we go…” “Well, Ah jus’ figured… ’cuz Auntie an’ Citrus are out there… An’ the way ya talk ‘bout it. It seems… how do Ah put it… mystical ta ya, the unsettled lands. Like some kinda adventure. An’ Ah know how ya like adventures,” Apple Bloom explained. True, but… “But dis is ma home, Apple Bloom. It always has been, since the first day I came heeya. Sweet Apple Acres is ma home.Youze are ma home,” Babs said, grasping a yellow forehoof between two orange ones. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exclaimed in unison, “Awwwwww!” Blushing, Babs glared back at them. I’ll get youze both fo’ dat. Apple Bloom lightly nuzzled her neck. “That’s how Ah feel, too. Though, sometimes, Ah think ‘bout what’s outside o’ Ponyville. Don’t ya do too, Babs? Don’t ya wonder what’s beyond here? What might be in the wide, wide world o’ Equestria?” “Yeah!” Sweetie agreed. “I sure know I do.” Scootaloo nodded. “That’s why we’re Crusaders, isn’t it?” “I… I don’t know…” Babs muttered. “I haven’t thought dat far ahead. I’m jus’ takin’ dis one day at a time. But everypony seems ta want ta know what I wanna do, right here an’ now, an’ I have no clue!” “An’ that’s fine. Right, gals?” In unison came the reply: “Right!” “Ya’ll know soon, Babs. We both will. Ah jus’ know it.” “… Thanks, Bloom,” Babs replied, brushing her cheek against her filly’s. Remembering her mockery, Babs Seed focused her attention to Sweetie Belle. “Hey… Sweetie?” “Yeah?” “What was dat wit’ Silva Spoon last night?” This time, it was the unicorn’s turn to take her hoof to the floorboards. It proved as ineffectual as Apple Bloom's digging. “Well, um, I guess we’re, um… dating, now…” Apple Bloom and Babs Seed exclaimed in time, “Awwwwww!” Fast on their reflexes, they easily dodged a forehoof thrown their way, and collapsed into fits of giggles. Scootaloo joined them, the sight of white cheeks deepening to crimson the most hilarious thing the pegasus had seen all day. Thankfully for the other three, Sweetie Belle’s magic related entirely to singing. Otherwise, two Earth ponies and a pegasus may have sported green manes. There was nothing worse than green manes, assuming Rarity was no liar. And Rarity seemed to know a thing or two about fashion. ~ Almost a week passed them by, the four friends utilizing all time possible. Countless memories were hashed over milkshakes, cupcakes, and cookies at Sugar Cube Corner. Apple Bloom and Babs Seed finished up their chores as quickly as possible each morning, occasionally rising before the dawn if needed. Scoots showed off her moves and stunts to the awe of the others. Sweetie serenaded them, her talent leaving her friends in awe. They wandered here, there, and everywhere throughout Ponyville, sometimes with no goal in mind. All that mattered was that they were together, if only for a little while longer, if only they could put the future on hold. The last day before Academy training would come and steal Scootaloo away from Ponyville, the cross-eyed mailmare delivered an acceptance letter to the residence of one Sweetie Belle. Unlike Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle was commanded through the parchment to pack her bags that evening for Canterlot. A train was due to arrive in the morning on her behalf. She stopped at Scootaloo’s residence first, disregarding her objection of the hour and the need for sleep. She concealed the truth of her visit, choosing to save the bittersweet revelation for the boundaries of Sweet Apple Acres. “C’mon, Scoots, we need to go see Apple Bloom and Babs right now! Can you fly us there, please?” “What do I look like, a taxi?” Scootaloo groaned. “No. Wait. Maybe?” Face-hoofing, Scootalooo mumbled, “Get on my back.” ~ “An’ that’s yer Uncle Apple Strudel tryin’ on yer Auntie Apple Sauce’s dentures, an’ this is—“ KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Granny Smith looked up from her photo album and stared at the front door. “Who could that be at this hour?” she grumbled. Babs Seed and Apple Bloom, seated on their haunches on each side of the elderly mare, merely shrugged their own cluelessness. “Ah’ll get it,” Apple Bloom said as she jumped off the couch. She trotted to the threshold and opened the door. What she found there elicited a gasp and a grin from her in surprise. “Sweetie? Scoots? What are y’all doin’ here?” “Dey’re heeya?” Babs landed on all four of her hooves and met her cousin in the entryway. “I second dat question. Youze know what time it is?” “… Nine P.M.?” Scootaloo answered, confused. Sweetie Belle shook her head vigorously. “Never mind the time! C’mon, girls! We need to go talk—“ she glanced around the corner of the farmhouse, finding a confused Granny Smith blinking back at her— “alone.” “Why? What can’t ya say in fronta Granny, Sweetie Belle?” Sweetie replied, “It’s nothing bad. Nothing that I can’t really say here, it’s… it’s just… I just would feel better if we were in the clubhouse.” Dis can’t be good. “Alright, Sweetie, Scoots, y'all go on ahead. Ah’ll go tell Granny. Babs an’ Ah’ll meet ya there in a bit.” ~ A blanket of stars concealed their voices, their whispers in the dark. The constellations were fragmented tonight, some stars aiding in the escape of their brothers. Perhaps it was the clouds that hid the handle of the Big Dipper or the spines in Draco’s back. Nevertheless, the night was silent but imperfect, a beautiful contradiction in the atmosphere. Quite fitting for such bittersweet words. Babs Seed shook her muzzle, tapping the side of her head with a forehoof near her eyes. Surely, she hadn’t heard correctly. Surely, her mind was playing tricks on her, twisting her friend’s words. Scootaloo’s impending farewell was hard enough to fathom. Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning, before Celestia even retrieved her star from its void, Scootaloo would rocket towards Cloudsdale, unsure if she should look back. Tomorrow, six years of their close friendship would dissolve into simple letter exchanges for an agonizing stretch of unknown time. No. Not Sweetie too. Not so soon. It’s barely been a week! It’s barely been any time at all! We jus’ graduated yesterday! We jus’ started our summer togetha… dis can’t be… Apple Bloom’s forehoof was on her shoulder, comforting her. Sweetie Belle’s words merged with the background, diving into the freshly painted walls and protected hardwood of the clubhouse. This wasn’t happening. Anywhere but here. Anywhere else. A lifetime away from the Orange Family Mansion, Babs Seed felt abandoned once more, a ghost in the machine. Cast into the dust, lost in the cloud of their impending farewell. Scootaloo had been bad enough. One friend she could cope with, however reluctantly. Two? It seemed impossible. “… Babs, are you alright?” Sweetie asked. “I’m fine. It’s... T-ta-night, right? Youze are leavin’ ta-night?” Babs answered, posing a question of her own. Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Well… sorta. The train will be here at four A.M., so it’s technically tomorrow, but it might as well be today!” Sweetie braced her hindhooves against the floorboards, suppressing the urge to hop and skip and jump in pure joy. “I can’t believe it! So soon! I’m going to be perfecting my singing with the Sapphire Shores! I’ll probably even get a record deal out of it in the end! I can’t believe it!” Babs Seed swallowed all her objection, casting aside her irrational, churning emotion. A few days ago, she was the one playing comforter, playing rough and tough, assuring her friends that this would not be the end. Wasn’t that true? Why, then, was she on the brink of tears now? Apple Bloom exclaimed, “Ah’m so happy fer ya, Sweetie! We’ll be sure ta write! Right, Scoots, Babs?” Both nodded in agreement. One of them piped, “Hey, what about Silver Spoon? Aren’t you going to go tell her?” Absent-minded as always, Sweetie Belle suddenly bolted to her hooves and shrieked, “Oh no! She’s going to be so upset! … Wait.” Hesitating, Sweetie recalled, “She has family in Canterlot. She goes to visit there sometimes… so, I guess it won’t be too bad, but… I need to tell her, too!” Scootaloo spread her wings and patted her back. “Hop on. I’ll play taxi again.” Giggling, Sweetie Belle turned to her friends, opening her forehooves. “One more hug before I take off?” The four of them embraced, tight enough to convince all but one of them that things would stay the same, in spite of their distance. By the time they let go, a mess of forehooves and tussled manes and contradicted tears, the moon rose to its highest apex in the sky. The night was slipping away, dust in the wind. Just like everything else. ~ Cloudsdale and Canterlot became beasts in Babs Seed’s mind. Within a few hours, they would swallow her friends whole, trapping them within their maws, taking them so achingly far away. Like all devious captors, Cloudsdale and Canterlot refused to reveal the extent of their plans. Their victims would be forced to rely on parchment until their sentences were fulfilled. Maybe, those sentences would last forever, if things went as Babs feared they would go. Once Scootaloo kicked off her hindhooves, Sweetie Belle on her back, rocketing into the stars, Apple Bloom and Babs Seed watched her depart, waving their forehooves frantically goodbye, goodbye, good friends, goodbye. “It’s crazy, ain’t it?” Apple Bloom mused, the two figures in the distance melting into the darkness of night. “They’re already set. Scoots gonna be a great Wonderbolt, Ah know. An’ Sweetie’ll be a great singer, too.” “Mmmhmm.” Babs Seed leaned against her, tracing patterns in the sky with a forehoof. Choosing to distract herself from the implications of tonight’s revelation, she observed, “Sure is beautiful out heeya ta-night.” Sensing discord within her filly, Apple Bloom asked, “Somethin’ wrong, Babsy?” Ears flattened at the mere utterance of that nickname—youze must know by now how it makes me—Babs muttered, “I’ll… I’ll be alright. It’s nothin’.” Her counterpart refused to let it slide. “Don’t ya rememba when Ah tried that line wit’ ya befo’? An’ ya said, ‘Where Ah come from, nothin’ is a whole lotta somethin’?” Eying her suspiciously, Babs asked, “How do youze rememba stuff like dat?” Apple Bloom simply shot back, “Apple Family memory. We don’t forget nothin’.” “Hmm. Maybe I’m not really an Apple, then. Guess I’ll have ta send ma cutiemark back ta the factory. Dis one’s defective,” Babs Seed joked, smirking. Their laughter echoed through the empty orchard, the two alone but for Luna’s moon and stars. “Silly filly. Well, what's really on yer mind?” Apple Bloom held her close. “Tell me.” Sighing, Babs returned the embrace and leaned against the clubhouse railing. “I guess it’s jus’ a lot ta think ‘bout. Youze know? Heeya we are, not even a week outta school, an’ our two best friends already know what dey’re gonna do wit’ their lives. Already takin’ off fo’ bigger things. I’m happy fo’ ‘em, but I’ll miss ‘em. An’, the otha thing is, I still don’t have no stinkin’ clue ‘bout what I wanna do.” “Jus’ give it time, sugarcube. You'll figure it out. An’ so will Ah. Both o’ us.” “I know. I know. Jus’… Apple Bloom?” “Yeah, Babs?” Babs hesitated at first, unsure if she should toss these cards onto the table as well, along with everything else that had happened in this brief amount of time. But her burden was heavy, threatening to break her yoke and send her stumbling, and she could bear it no longer. “Bloom, iffa I do decide ta leave… iffa I go inta the dark… Will youze follow me?” Please, please, please… Sincerely, Apple Bloom answered, no doubt within her words, “O’ course Ah will,” and kissed her. Retracting slowly, Apple Bloom added, her voice smooth as the night breeze that teased their manes, “Don't urge me ta leave ya, o’ ta turn ma back on ya. Because whereva ya go, Ah’ll go, an’ whereva ya stay, Ah’ll stay. Yer horizon will be ma horizon, an’ yer dawn will be ma dawn. “That’s what love is—stayin’ beside yer loved ones. An’ Ah love you.” It didn’t matter then, her uncertain future. It didn’t matter then, her fear of tomorrow. The compass spun, pointing towards all directions in this moment, but it would not be eternally conflicted. The day would come, Babs knew, when she either planted her roots firmly in Sweet Apple Acres for long last, or chose the road or Appleloosa or the desert instead. And she knew on that night, beyond all probability, that whatever her decision, she would not be alone. Cloudsdale and Canterlot were far, but they could be bridged. Parchment would hold them close until pegasus wings, balloons, or train tickets filled their gaps. Despite her sorrow, Babs Seed knew that her friends’ departures were not the end. Friendship has no end. No, the greatest distance in Equestria was here that night, here outside the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse during their final crusade. Under the stars, Babs Seed crossed the threshold and shattered that distance, meeting Apple Bloom in the middle. Babs Seed whispered, “I love youze, too.” Neitha does love.