The dance number had gone off without a hitch. The whole routine had been flawlessly executed. Flickershine had enchanted everypony’s hooves with her sound and light spell, and Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Sandow had put on quite a show, with Flickershine watching from the side of the stage. The audience had been dazzled.
So dazzled in fact, that nopony had noticed that Sweetie Belle had gone through a dramatic change of life mid routine. Sweetie Belle had placed her heart and soul into her dance, and she had shone like the star she was destined to be. It was not until afterwards when the Crusaders and many others had noticed the change.
And Sweetie Belle did not seem happy.
In the festive mood of the party that was being thrown to celebrate their dance recital and Sandow’s grand farewell, Sweetie Belle was broken hearted and had to be comforted by her friends.
“I don’t want things to change,” Sweetie Belle cried, wiping her nose with her foreleg.
All three of them were in a small changing room behind the stage. The adults had given them some space, a private moment alone with one another, a chance for friends to comfort one another during troubled times.
“Change?” asked Scootaloo.
“I don’t want to leave you two. I have mine, you don’t have yours. I don’t want to go off and face my life without both of you,” Sweetie sniffled.
“This doesn’t have to break us up,” Applebloom said comfortingly. “We can still be friends and keep crusading.”
“But if I am going to go off and be a dancer, that might mean leaving you behind,” Sweetie Belle mumbled tearfully.
“No, we can stay together. Look at my sister, and Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. They are all good friends with Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. They all have different lives but they stick together. Plus, I know a little something in store for all of us,” Applebloom said, hugging Sweetie.
“Whassat? Sweetie said, her voice hitching and halting.
“I overheard my sister talking with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They’re going to make sure that we all go to university together when the time comes,” Applebloom announced.
It was now Scootaloo’s turn to break down, and break down she did. She clung to Sweetie Belle and began to sob, muttering about Rainbow Dash being the best big sister ever. The three fillies clung to one another, all of them knowing that change was on the way, and they had seen the proof of it. A simple pink heart with two masks, one white and smiling, the other black and frowning had appeared on Sweetie Belle’s backside. What it actually meant was anypony’s guess. But it was a sure sign that change was coming.
“You don’t hate me for getting mine first do you?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“No,” Applebloom sniffled.
“Not at all,” Scootaloo added, now wiping her nose.
“It just means we did something right. We were there to support one another until it happened. Now, we stay together till all of us have one,” Applebloom said. “One of us had to be first, and I am glad it was you. If it had been Scoots, she would have bragged our ears off.”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed. “Waitaminute! Hey!”
“She’s right though,” Sweetie Belle said with a sad half hearted giggle.
“We should get ourselves together and go out and join the party,” Applebloom said.
Pinkie Pie was not enjoying her own party. Some of her curls had drooped, but she was still trying to put on a brave face. She didn’t like saying goodbye. She knew she wasn’t losing a friend, but the friend was going away. And that wasn’t easy to deal with. She sat with Twilight Sparkle, who was also being a bit of a grump. Together they were watching Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, all of whom were basking in the warm adoration of ponies praising Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Pinkie Pie wrapped a foreleg around Twilight Sparkle and heaved a Pinkie Pie Sigh, an impossibly long sigh that exited with a flood of emotion.
“I want a foal that I can feel good about,” Twilight grumbled.
“I know,” Pinkie Pie replied, rubbing Twilight’s withers.
“Look at them, I mean, look at them. Look how happy they are,” Twilight whispered, leaning in close to Pinkie Pie.
“You help out quite a bit with those fillies,” Pinkie Pie answered while hugging Twilight.
“I guess I do,” Twilight muttered. “But they’re not my fillies.”
“You really do feel strongly about this,” Pinkie Pie said, suddenly forgetting about her own troubles. Her curls sproinged as she turned to give Twilight her full attention. “Maybe you can be like Celestia and take on a full time student! It would be just like being a mother! And maybe that could hold you over until we can find you some nice stallion to settle down with and have a happy life,” Pinkie added, suddenly very bright and cheerful once again.
Twilight Sparkle sat there in stunned shock, her eyes wide with surprise. “A student? A full time student? That’s brilliant Pinkie Pie, how did you-hmmmflumphlumph!”
Pinkie Pie jammed a cupcake into Twilight Sparkle’s maw before Twilight could go into full blown Twilight Sparkle mode. “I gotta go make ponies smile Twilight, you have a nice time,” Pinkie Pie quipped as she made a break for it, wiping a frosting covered hoof across Twilight’s cheek as she departed.
Sandow was having some trouble with all the hubbub. It was a farewell party, and he was having some trouble with the idea of farewell. Part of him didn’t want to go, but he didn’t want to stay either. Second thoughts lingered in his mind.
The wagon was packed. It had new axles. New wheels. A little work had been done to the inside and the outside. A selection of books for him had been carefully stowed away. Sandow discovered that he liked reading and being taught how to read had probably been the nicest thing ever done for him. Mostly, he liked history books. He was not above stealing one of Applebloom’s Daring Do novels and trying to give it a read however.
Flickershine liked historical romance novels. He had tried to read through one but it was too embarrassing. The stuff that was in the book he had tried to read… Some of it was stuff that he suspected Flickershine wanted him to do to her. The first few chapters had caused a bit of a problem with his wings and he couldn’t understand but half of the words. The other half, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. The book was confusing and one chapter described a stallion under a mare. He had no idea how that worked and the very idea had caused his brain to burn with hidden fire.
The worst of it was, Flickershine’s bookmark fell out and Sandow didn’t know where it went in the book. And now Flickershine knew that he had been reading it. It was not a good situation to be in.
The party happened all around Sandow and Sandow somehow felt alone in the middle of it all. Applejack was with her friends. Flickershine was with the Crusaders, receiving adoration from the crowd.
The crowd was all around and Sandow didn’t know half of them. He felt badly out of place and wanted nothing more than to depart and find a quiet place of reflection. It looked as though Big Mac has already done the same thing. He had been here to watch his sister dance, and now, he was gone. Peering around him, making sure he wasn’t being watched directly, Sandow slipped away.
Once away from the gathering, he spread his wings and took off, figuring a little flight would clear his head. The coming night was cool and inviting, and the wind felt good in his feathers. Finally, he was free of the noise and the stress of the crowd.
“Oh no you jerk, you don’t get off that easy!”
Sandow winced.
“You can’t bail on us like that Sandow!” Rainbow Dash scolded. “You come back this instant!” she commanded.
“I don’t care much for crowds,” Sandow protested.
“But there are ponies in that crowd that care for you, you, you… wormy apple you!” Rainbow Dash chided.
Sandow sighed and banked to turn back, Rainbow Dash flying by his side.
Flickershine winked at Rainbow Dash to thank her for returning Sandow to the party. Sandow was sitting next to the wagon, looking a bit out of place, and Flickershine was watching him as she stood with the Crusaders, who were getting all the praise and compliments they deserved.
The crowd was what Flickershine lived for, and she saw some problems in the future with Sandow. He didn’t mind performing, but he was not one for crowds. Slipping away from the herd of ponies around the Crusaders, Flickershine made her way to Sandow.
She kissed him, passionately, in full view of everypony, causing a few catcalls and cheers. Sandow blushed and gave Flickershine a shy look, but no longer looked so uncomfortable and out of place. “Out in the road, there are going to be ponies who want to talk to us,” she warned.
“I know,” replied Sandow.
“Think you’ll be able to handle it?” Flickershine questioned, looking concerned.
“If I have you with me at my side,” Sandow said shyly.
“How do you do that? You are just too sweet for your own good,” Flickershine said. She hauled Sandow in for another kiss, a long involved kiss that left Sandow completely breathless when she finally pulled away. The crowd around them made ‘woo woo’ sounds and demanded another show.
If Flickershine was anything, she was a consummate showmare. She gave the crowd something to look at.
The party continued well into the night, and everypony managed to have a nice time.
The dawn was bright and warm and the sun shone down on Ponyville. A crowd of ponies stood saying goodbye. There were no tears, not yet, but there were some sniffles. The entire Apple family had made the trip into town to stand around Flickershine’s wagon, and to see Sandow and Flickershine off as they began their journey. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were there as well, and Cheerilee stood with Big Mac, soon to be an Apple herself.
Applebloom approached with a fresh green bandana in her mouth, and made a gesture for Sandow to kneel down. He did, and Applebloom slowly tied on the fresh green bandana after she removed the faded green one he was wearing.
“Now you come back to us when this looks ratty and faded,” Applebloom begged, tears finally starting to flow.
“Come back to us Sandow,” Sweetie Belle added. “You too Flickershine. Thanks for helping me get my cutie mark.”
“Watch out for bowlegged owlbears,” Scootaloo warned, smiling while sniffling.
“You come back once you’ve seen the world and you’re ready to settle down,” Applejack said, wrapping her foreleg around Sandow and squeezing.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.
“Come back before I get too much older,” Granny Smith said, now crying openly. “I want somepony to have some foals before I get too old to enjoy them.”
“Come back when you’ve run out of books we’ve packed up for you,” Cheerilee said, wiping her eyes with her fetlock and leaning on Big Mac.
“I love you all,” Sandow said in a small voice. “I don’t intend to stay away forever. Part of me doesn’t want to go. It will only be for a little while. Applebloom, no getting your cutie mark until I come back,” Sandow said, kissing Applebloom on her cheek.
“Okay,” Applebloom sniffled.
“That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard,” Applejack muttered, shaking her head.
“We’ll be back before you know it,” Flickershine promised, hitching herself to the wagon.
After many more words, more tears, and many promises, the Apple family watched as Sandow and Flickershine began their journey. The worlds had to end sometime, and so did the hugs and kisses, and eventually, the couple had to go, as painful as it was. The two ponies walked down the road that led out of Ponyville, Sandow turning and looking over his shoulder a few times, and Flickershine pulled her wagon.
Applebloom wanted to follow, but clung to her sister’s leg instead, bawling large tears of grief. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo did their best to comfort her as the two ponies began their walk to the horizon.
Epilogue
Applebloom read and reread the letter she had pulled from the mailbox and had torn open with her teeth. She began to dance in place, a happy dance, squealing with joy, and then she ran for the farmhouse. Sandow’s letters arrived every week, but this one was the one she was waiting for.
She flew up the steps to the porch and rammed into the door, causing to slam open. Applejack and Granny Smith stared at her, blinking, Granny looking a little annoyed about the door she had just crashed through.
“He’s coming back!” Applebloom said breathlessly. “Flickershine is going to have a foal!”
“I told you he wouldn’t last six months around that mare, she’s brazen,” Granny Smith said to Applejack with a knowing grin.
“I doubt he has had a chance to see everything yet, he’s only been gone for about five months,” Applejack said, her face happy but her voice sad. “He really wanted to see everything he could.”
“He’s seen enough to know to come home,” Granny Smith announced. “And with Cheerilee having a foal, our little patch of Apples is about to grow.”
“Yeah it is,” Applejack agreed.
“I’m going to go tell Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!” Applebloom said, running off back through the door and down the steps, and off into Ponyville.