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// Our Quiet Place 
// Story: This Used to Be a Quiet Place... 
// by UnweptSchlipps 
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	“I ain’t seen this place so quiet in a long, long time.”

A dim shadow sat atop a grassy hill, staring out at the horizon from underneath a lone apple tree. Another shadow hovered above her, its black head drooped while its wings flapped steadily. The two stared out at what felt like a bleakness that stretched out for an eternity.  However, it was simply night time in Sweet Apple Acres, or more specifically, very early in the morning. So early that the moon still dominated the sky and the jewels of the night still smoldered like tiny embers.

The shadow underneath the tree had her hat pressed against her chest, expelling a sad sigh. Her tired emerald eyes flicked up at the floating shadow, faltering as she gave a half-smile. “Rainbow, why don’t you jus’ take a seat, will ya? We got a lot to talk about…don’t we?”

“I don’t really see what else we can talk about AJ,” the pegasus replied quietly. But nonetheless, she lighted down next to her longtime friend, following her gaze out into the sky. “I’m pretty sure things speak for themselves.”

“Shame ain’t it?” Applejack whispered, giving a worn-out chuckle. “Used to be we couldn’t get ya to stop talking.”

“Yeah…guess things change.”

Applejack seemed to shrink when she heard Dash’s comment, shutting her eyes as those words stung her in the chest. She tried to keep the warm smile on her face, to remember what that even felt like. But when she opened her eyes, she found herself drawn to the pair of bags lying next to the tree. Each one was stuffed and labeled with a single word. Cloudsdale. As if she needed another reminder.

The pair sat in silence for a long time, neither able to meet each other’s eyes. All was still; not even a breeze brushed past, as though it also knew of the rare quietness emanating from Ponyville. The only sound was the duo’s hearts beating, pounding from the thought of the inevitable.

Finally, Applejack couldn’t let it go unspoken any longer. She whispered, looking at the bags, “So that’s it then, huh? Your mind’s made up?”

After a brief pause, Rainbow Dash sniffled and replied, “Yeah. There’s nothin’ left for me here anymore.”

The cowpony let out a muted groan, lying back on the tall grass to look up at the glittering stars. Rainbow decided to follow suit, crossing her hooves behind her head. “I can’t believe this, Rainbow,” Applejack said woefully.

Rainbow tried to shrug it off. “Well…things gotta end sooner or later.” Realizing how blunt she had sounded, the pegasus added softly, “Of course, I guess I wish it was later rather than sooner.”

Ever the pragmatist, Applejack slightly nodded her head. “Yeah…I guess you’re right.” She continued to observe the stars, eternally twinkling in the night sky; always present, always shining through the darkness, and all you needed to do was look up to find them. In the back of her mind, part of her still wished on them- still wished that she and Rainbow could be like them.

“But still,” she persisted. “It seemed so right, y’know? Back when we were...were….I don’t know…”

“Friends?” Rainbow spat.

Applejack immediately sat up, her lips curled down into a scolding frown. “Come on, Rainbow, don’t say that. Don’t you ever say that. We’re still-”

“Applejack, don't. Not after all that’s happened. You’re the Element of Honesty. Don’t lie to yourself,” Dash muttered bitterly, sitting up with her hooves crossed.

The cowpony prodded her friend in the chest. “And you’re the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow. Where did that go?”

“Don’t give me that, AJ! You know what happened just as much as I do! You know how long I’ve waited, how long we waited. We watched this place drive them away! And…and even though I knew they were never coming back, I still waited this long for them! I’ve taken the dogging, the harassment, the eyes, just for a bunch of ponies I thought I could trust. And you want to call me disloyal?”

Dash had been so caught up that she hadn’t realized she was hovering in the air, her face shoved into her friend’s, their snouts almost touching. She gave an apologetic glance, slowly settling back onto the grass, her wings hanging limp at her side. Taking a deep breath to calm down, she whispered sadly, “I miss ‘em, AJ. I miss ‘em a lot. You know, when we were hanging around, going on adventures, kicking bad guys’ butts…it was awesome. I…I never wanted it to end.”

“Well I’m still here. And so are you."

“I wish that could last too.” Rainbow Dash placed her hoof on one of the bags at her side, and both ponies let out a simultaneous sigh. “Sometimes…I wish she'd never come here.”

“Oh come on, Dash. If she hadn’t, we never woulda become the friends we are today,” Applejack stated tenderly. “She was the one who brought us together in the first place.”

“Pssh. And look where she got us today.” Rainbow Dash crept away from the apple tree, to the side of the hill that overlooked Ponyville. She could see the construction sites scattered throughout the city, which had started ever since this place was considered a “national landmark”. Tall buildings dominated the skyline, blocking off the view of mountains she knew was on the other side. In the midst of it all was a familiar tree, still standing even after its occupants had long since abandoned it, out of place amongst all the metal structures.

Many thoughts began to pop into the pegasus’s mind, some happy, some sad. As the faces of old friends formed in her head once again, Rainbow Dash whispered, “This used to be a real quiet place…’til she came along.”





“But... what do I do now? Is there a book about being a princess I should read?”

“There will be time for all that later. But for now, it’s best you all get some rest. Tomorrow, we will coronate you in front of all your new subjects. Equestria will get to meet their newest princess!” With a benevolent smile, Celestia nuzzled her faithful student's cheek, remarking, "You've come so far, Twilight. I'm so proud of you." Then she vanished with a flash, leaving seven friends standing in the middle of the night, exchanging glances that ranged from excited to baffled to everything in between. The newly transformed alicorn examined her new wings with wide eyes. She examined every inch and feather of this odd alien appendage, opening and closing them to make sure they were really hers.

As she spread her magnificent wings for all to see, Dash was the first to break the silence. She whistled and said, “Dang, Twi. Now that is a wicked pair of flyers you got there.”

“Yeah. Too bad I’m not sure how to use them,” Twilight replied, attempting to smile. However, nothing could hide the anxiety in her eyes.

Applejack began to pace around her alicorn friend, mimicking the same whistle Rainbow Dash had done. “Wow. I can’t believe it, Twilight. My own friend…a princess now! It’s crazy.”

“Now you get to do princess stuff!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking Twilight in a bouncy hug. “Like, like sit in a castle all day, and write letters, and sit on thrones, and…sit in a castle all day, and…and…huh. That sounded a lot more fun in my head.”

Gently pushing Pinkie aside, Rarity said, “Nonsense, Pinkie. Twilight is a princess now, and she can spend her time however she pleases. Oh I’m still in shock, dear. Out of pride, of course. It still seems like yesterday you were coming to help me try on my dresses.”

“Isn't that what we do almost everyday?”

“Hey, speakin’ of time, didn’t Celestia say something about a coronation tomorrow? Don’t get me wrong, this is really crazy. But you wouldn’t wanna be late to your own coronation, right Twilight?” Spike piped, loud enough for the awe-struck friends to hear.  

“So…no alicorn party?” the party mare muttered dejectedly.

“Actually Pinkie…girls…girls?” The chatter died down, and in the middle stood the soon-to-be princess. Aside from the wings, however, nothing much really changed about her. If anything, she looked more like a scared foal than royalty. She stood with an awkward, shy tilt; her eyes where slightly glistening and her hooves couldn’t stop shaking.

“C-can you all just…stay here for the night, please?” she whispered quietly, her legs about ready to collapse. “I’m just so…overwhelmed by everything. The whole destiny mix-up,  followed by the coronation, these wings! Could you just…stay with me? If this is to be my last day in Ponyville…”

“Now hold it right there!," Applejack interrupted. "This ain’t your last day, sugarcube. You’ll always have a home here!”

“But still…”

AJ looked at the rest of her friends, and each of them didn’t hesitate to nod. Shining her best smile, Applejack draped her leg on the alicorn’s shoulders and told her, “No problem, sugarcube. One little sleepover. Y’know, like good ol’ times."

“And maybe when the coronation’s over, I can teach you a few tips on wingin’ it!” Dash called.

“Yeah, party at Twilight’s house!” Pinkie hollered.

Then, as if they had read each other’s minds, the six simultaneously came together in a group embrace. Twilight was caught right in the middle with a meek smile, feeling her friends' warmness radiating through her body. Then, the six ventured inside the tree, never relinquishing their hold on each other.

As they moved inside, Twilight's eyes wandered the room, lighting upon a small photo hanging on the wall. It showed them after the disastrous Grand Galloping Gala, covered in pastries and grime, and still laughing about it. Words were scrawled on the picture, words that had been ingrained into her mind. Perhaps an utter disaster…isn’t.

She truly felt home, just as tears began to flood her eyes. “Thank you, girls. You’re always there for me. And I promise you, I won’t let anything, not even this coronation, change me, or come in the way of our friendship. You have my word.”

And the six savored that night together, the last one they’d ever have as friends.





“I personally don't think Twilight's even got an excuse!”

Walking down a dirt road with her four friends, Dash was doing what she did best: being extremely blunt. Earlier that morning, the Mayor made an announcement that Princess Twilight Sparkle was visiting the town in the afternoon, and that the residents of Ponyville should be ‘on their best, most respectful behavior’. And this happened to peeve off Dash for two reasons. “One, she didn’t even tell us she was coming. We’re her best friends, so I'd think she'd give us some kind of notice!”

“Doncha think that’s a bit self-centered, Dash?” Applejack scolded.

Ignoring Applejack’s statement, Dash snarled, “And two, we haven’t even heard from her in six months!”

“Actually…it’s been seven,” Fluttershy whispered.

“See! Fluttershy agrees with me!”

“Aw shucks, don’t be so hard on her, Dash. This ain’t just about us anymore. Twilight’s got other duties now.” Applejack placed a hoof around her friend’s shoulders. “Ain’t you read the papers? She’s learning how to run her own kingdom! I’m sure she ain’t forgotten about us. She’s just been really busy.”

Applejack’s words drifted through Dash’s mind, and she couldn’t help but admit AJ was right. But still, seven months was a long time to go without seeing a best friend, especially for a fast paced, impatient pony like Dash. The past half-year had been the definition of mundane for the group. After the dazzling coronation ceremony, they moved on their daily lives, with no exciting adventures or unfortunate mishaps befalling them, which truthfully felt a bit odd. But besides that, not much has really changed since they stood proudly on that balcony next to Equestria’s newest princess, watching confetti and cheers rain down from above. Except, of course, for the fact that their group was one pony short.

Sighing, Dash said quietly, “Maybe you’re right, AJ. But I just figured that if she was going to drop by, it wouldn’t be like-oof!”

She was interrupted when she bumped into the flank of a very large unicorn stallion, falling back onto her haunches. He wore a brown fedora, and a large camera levitated near his horn. “Hey, watch where you’re going, will ya?”

Dusting herself off, she began, “Well maybe if your giant flank wasn’t in the way…” But when she stood back up, she saw her friends had taken a step back, gazing out at something behind her. Dash followed their eyes, only to freeze in awe. “What the hay?”

Before them was a crowd of ponies who looked remarkably similar to the one Dash had crashed into. Most had cameras gripped in their hooves, trying to peek over each other’s heads.   Pegasi crowded the air, drawing the shouts and groans of the ponies on the ground. Many stood shoulder to shoulder, vying for just an inch of breathing room. The group could make out the library in the middle of the crowd, with a carriage sitting just outside.

Exchanging confused looks with each other, the five tried to muscle their way into the horde. Applejack, after receiving a very hard shove in the side, shouted, “What is this? I’ve never seen y’all ‘round these parts!”

Rarity, who let out a shriek at the crowd's replusive behavior, attempted to squeeze in with Applejack. Tapping on another unicorn’s shoulder, she shouted over the crowd, “Excuse me! Can you tell me what is this commotion about?” 

“Didn’t you hear? Princess Twilight is inside that tree right now! Everypony’s here to try and get some pictures!”

“Twilight’s here already?” Rarity reiterated, making sure her friends heard her. The news hastened their step, and the five quickly slithered through the army of reporters and paparazzi, trying to get to the looming tree in the middle. 

Rainbow Dash tried to fly over the crowd, but every time she’d hop into the air, the pegasi would force her back onto the ground.  Not one to be pushed around, Dash forced her way up, elbowing a few ponies until she finally got some flying room. Next to her, a reporter said to another, “Can you believe the princess spent two years in this dump?”

“Excuse me, but this dump is one of the nicest little towns in Equestria!” Dash shouted through clenched teeth, thrusting her face into the stallion’s snout. Fired up, she led the way for the group, her and Applejack clearing a path for the others to sneak through. “Hey! Get outta the way! We’re her friends!”

“Yeah right, and I’m the Princess of Trottingham!” one mare with a thick Manehattan accent called out.

Pinkie Pie, who wore a goofy smile, replied back, “No really! When Twilight lived here, we were like her bestest friends ever! We helped her defeat Discord and Nightmare Moon by shooting this crazy magical rainbow thingy, and…"

As she went on and on about her friends’ many accomplishments, the Manehattan reporter’s eyes began to widen. Moving up close to the group, she said, “Wait a sec’. You’re the Elements of Harmony?”

Before the party pony could answer, Applejack shoved a hoof in her mouth and uttered, “Pinkie, stop.”

But the damage had already been done. Before she had even finished her sentence, the reporter had told her discovery to another, and then another, and then another. Soon, the secret spread like wildfire, and attention started to shift from the library to the five ponies in the middle of the crowd. The reporters swarmed the Elements of Harmony, and the air became almost suffocating. 

Finally, Rainbow Dash broke through the top of the cloud of pegasi, sucking in a deep breath of fresh air. Over the crowd, something by the library caught her eye. In the ensuing chaos, a small parade of Royal Guards began to sneak out of the library, each carrying a bag full of books and other trinkets. Surrounded by those guards was a purple figure, whose crown-adorned head stayed low.

“Twilight?” Rainbow began to slowly hover through the crowd, getting closer and closer to the tree. “Hey Twilight! Ugh, move it! Twilight!”

Apparently, a few of the paparazzi overheard Dash’s frantic cries, and they began to rush towards the library themselves. This ‘few’ soon turned into a horde charging toward their beloved princess. Seeing this, the Guards began to hurry into the carriage, dropping many of the trinkets onto the ground to be trampled by the ensuing crowd.

Rainbow made her way to the front, just as Twilight began to step into the carriage. With a frantic wave, she shouted, “Twilight! It’s me, Rainbow Dash!”

At that moment, it seemed the crowd’s roar went silent. Twilight turned her head towards Dash, and for a split-second, their eyes met. Dash gave a small grin to her longtime friend, opening her mouth to try to say something. But Princess Twilight Sparkle didn’t return the gesture.

Instead, she hastily stepped inside, and a guard slammed the door shut. The carriage quickly flew away, escaping the flashing lights below. And all Rainbow could do was hover there, her smile turned to nothing, watching that orb containing her friend fly off into the sun and disappear over the mountains. Even as the cry of ‘She dropped some things!’ sounded next to her, she stayed frozen in the air. All she really saw was those purple eyes, and nothing else.

Soon the muffled voice of Applejack rang in her head. “Rainbow...Rainbow...Rainbow!" The pegasus jolted back to reality, giving a startled gasp. "So? Didya see her?”

After a moment of silence, Dash just shook her head and answered, “No. I couldn't get to her. She flew off.”

"Aw...well that's jus' too bad. Maybe next time she comes around, sugarcube. Next time."

"Sure..."

The crowd was gone now, and the last of the reporters scrambled out of the tree. The Elements made their way inside, shocked to find shelves and walls stripped of books and pictures. It was almost as if nopony had ever lived there. As Dash hobbled into the library and through the mess of items thrown on the floor, one particular object caught her eye. It was a cracked picture frame, and the photo inside was torn and crumpled from the horde of hooves. A message was scrawled onto the picture, but a part of it had been ripped off.

Perhaps an utter disaster…