Spike Quits His Job and Goes on Numerous Quests

by B_25

44 – "So We're Both in the Same State"

~44~

"So We're Both in the Same State"

The doors to the front of the cart slid open, allowing in a burst of cold wind, and revealing the faces of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The doors then closed once they stepped inside, opting to eye the quickly before they took a seat.

Applejack noted how Rarity and Pinkie were sitting in the back, one lost to the view of the window, while the other stared at her pink fur in contemplation. They seemed content to their devices and would be best left alone.

Rainbow Dash eyed the distance between Twilight and Fluttershy, who despite sitting in the same row, sat in opposite directions of one another. Both manes were frizzled, though Twilight’s stood the tallest, as the mares rested their heads against the chilled glass.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked to one another with a mutual understanding of the situation they were in, deciding it be best if they just sat on their own of the cart and kept their conversation quiet.

“So I see things haven’t changed since we left,” Rainbow muttered out as she took her seat on the bench.

“Yep,” Applejack replied, who began to sit opposite of her friend.

The two allowed themselves to reintegrate to the tense atmosphere of the cart they had left for the same reason, where words were frowned upon and made them that much harder to form, nonetheless speak.

When the two were away to rid themselves of the tenseness that had washed over them on their re-entry, they began to talk once more.

“So, Fluttershy eh?” Rainbow started right at the meat of it, not quite sure if a casual conversation would be robust enough to survive the air. “I honestly expected our lifetime together would cause her to come to be first, though I can’t blame her, as living up in the clouds would render her unable to care for most of her pets.”

“The farm sure has inherited its fair share of critters. It ain’t as bad as I expected it to be, though, as most of them are only temporary there because they have some wound that needs to be healed. And any that stay on the farm for longer periods of time tend to do their fair share of work, so no sense in complaining about em.” Applejack quickly worked to bring out more information about the similar predicament that her friend was in. “I’m sure having Twilight over at first was a mighty fine time, though I can’t say I’d be overly thrilled with her trying to pack her library into my house.”

“She’s been great the whole time, at least to me anyway.” Rainbow looked down at her right hoof as she thought about how much she was allowed to share about her roommate's plights. “All the books she has now are the one’s she asked me to pick up for her from the store, and even then, it’s not as much as you would expect from a nerd like Twi. She even hasn’t gone back to the library to pick up any of her things, so I didn’t need to open more than just a bedroom for her.”

The two mares sighed, not because of their current conversation, but because of the subtle, deeper conversation hidden beneath their causal words. The story how these friends loved their new tenants, but something was amiss inside of them.

“I guess I should be a little worried that Twilight hasn’t gone back to the library since the few months she moved in with you.” Applejack tried to pass her comment off as a joke but felt it crumbling already at the half point. “Though I can’t honestly say that I’m surprised, because Fluttershy began to harvest all the things she needed to help her animals, not grabbing a single thing from her cottage either. Odd, wouldn’t you say, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow took on the biggest smile she could muster to fake. “Quite indeed, Applejack.”

The two forcefully smiling mares broke the lies by letting out a sigh, both bowing their head at the same time, with their eyes asking the floor what it was they were supposed to do next. Something had to be done while simultaneously nothing could be done, leaving them restless and cranky.

Deciding to comply with the atmosphere but go to hell with its rules, the two mares fell back into their seats.

“So Twilight refuses to leave the house.” Rainbow decided to be blunt as possible so no aversion could seize her words, and quiet enough so that her voice wouldn’t carry down the cart. “She keeps everything clean except her room, and paces around the living room when I’m trying to get some sleep. Sometimes, I find her trying to cook breakfast for me like Spike used to, though I keep finding burnt food rotting away in my garbage bin.”

Applejack’s brows shot up as a tired smile halfway formed below. “Same thing, girlfriend. Fluttershy apparently forgot how to sleep when she moved into, so she’s always doing something around the house or doing someone’s chores early for them. I appreciate the gestures, but her hoofsteps were creaking and echoing through the house is going to drive me bonkers.”

“Wait,” Rainbow began, not quite sure how to phrase her next line. “You’re telling me that Fluttershy, a mare that’s never intended harm to anyone else, is having trouble sleeping now?”

Applejack’s brows began to narrow as she leaned back into her seat. “Well, yeah. I mean, isn’t Twilight the same with you, pacing around the living room like you just said?”

“That’s only because her sleep schedule is outta whack.” Rainbow’s mind was collecting the pieces given the current situation and went to work to place them together. “I have a better chance of finding Twilight asleep than awake, regardless of what time of the day it is. She’ll sleep for the better half of a day, stay awake for a few hours, then go back to sleep for a length double of mine.”

The puzzle of sleep and dreams was shared telepathically from Rainbow to Applejack, as she too went about placing the pieces together. “It’s hard to find the time where I can remember Fluttershy sleeping, as I would let her skip a day, or even a week of work if she could fall asleep again. Her black bags are starting to grow bigger then her eyes themselves.”

The two shared the mutual silence as their individual puzzles were almost filled.

“So Fluttershy can’t sleep.”

“And Twilight can’t darn stay awake.”

The two started at one another, not knowing what was to come next out of their lips.

“Twilight is having dreams so sweet, that she can’t stay awake.”

“And Fluttershy’s havin dreams so terrible, that she can’t fall asleep.”

The two ponies responsible for opening up their homes to their friends allowed their heads to fall forward once more, heads heaving under the weight of putting the puzzle together, and discovering its answer.

“So we’re both in the same state,” they both said unconsciously, rising back up.

The soft sway of the train along its track to its destination brought a little comfort to the due, as its course became more upward.

“As much as I hate to say it, hearing that Twilight is suffering her own problems as well relieves me a bit,” Applejack said, no longer afraid of what her friend may think of her action or her words, as Dash was in a similar state. “I was thrilled that Fluttershy wanted to live with me for a bit, because I hadn’t seen any of the girls as of late. So to always have company was good in my books, and I thought Fluttershy held the same idea.”

Rainbow waved with her hoof before resting her head against it. “I get where you’re going. Twilight’s always locked in her room whenever I have company over, even though the reason I invite anyone over is to get her out of her shell. Trying to get her outside or go for any of the picnics we used to have is just an argument waiting to happen, which she always wins with some twisted logic.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and laid more into her seat. “Same thing over here. Fluttershy get’s along with Applebloom and Big Mac quite nicely, though she tends to stay away any of the other workers we have on the farm, or any guest for that matter. She can still hold a great conversation, at least to what she’s capable of, but you’ll never find Fluttershy starting a discussion on her own.”

“It pains me that Twilight’s doing the same,” Rainbow said, taking a glance at the subjects of their conversations up in the cart. “I honestly thought Twilight would still be cool with Rarity and Pinkie, but she’s so deep in whatever this funk is, that she doesn’t care for any contact that’s unnecessary.”

Applejack sighed. “Same with Fluttershy. She still makes time for her critters all right, but never anypony else. I swear the girls were starting to drift apart before the incident with Spike even happen, but I think his leaving just sealed the deal.”

Rainbow huffed and looked away. “I’d rather not even begin talking about that guy, especially after Twilight told me about the dreams she had about him. I’m going to guess Fluttershy went into detail about her nightmares as well, so let’s just try and drop the subject before we remember them.”

“Right.” Applejack too began to look out the window, as they’re serious conversation died down into a causal one. “I know the girls will probably pull through this sooner and later, but I can’t be so sure about Twilight and Fluttershy. I wasn’t able to help Flutters, and I’m going to assume things are the same with you?”

Rainbow nodded her head.

“Then I guess helping them through their issues is a bridge we’re gonna have to cross at another time, though it’s good to know now that us two can rely on each other.” Applejack watched as the land grew farther below her, provoking a batch of butterflies in her stomach. “Still, though, even though you don’t want to talk about it, I’d still wish Spike would come back to Ponyville. Even if to just clear up the air between us all, and help the girls through whatever it is they got going on.”

“Personally, no disrespect to the guy, but I’d rather he just keep being wherever he is in the world, whatever that be alive and dead. Him coming back would just stir just stir more trouble, for both the town and the girls, and we’d have to deal with anything he could possibly do.”

Applejack eyed her friend at the comment, not feeling the need to defend a friend, but rather to put facts into place. “No offense, Sugarcube. But I feel Spike is as much as a jumbled mess as they are, and need to go off to clear his head as well. Once he’s back to his old self, I doubt he’d want to create any more drama, but rather have everyone’s feelings on the table and begin to work them out.

“Whether he stays or goes after that is his call.”

Rainbow took a moment to glance out the window, even with her friend's eyes laid upon her, as she gave up with a sigh and looked back. “I guess you’re right about that. Though, if he were to stay, he’d better not try any of that rekindling stuff. What’s done is done, and it’s pretty obvious to all of us just what he thinks about us. So you guys can put an end to this chapter with his help, but he better not expect to be in our next.”

Applejack didn’t have any words to say that neither agreed nor disagree, opting to stay quiet and process her own thoughts and feelings.

“Though honestly speaking, I kinda doubt that Spike is doing better off in the world. He’s a clever guy, but not a smart one, so I don’t know how far he’s made it by himself. I wish he’s still alive and doing well, but we’ve had messages sent out to the nearest towns to keep an eye out, and so far, we haven’t received a reply.”

Rainbow looked down the rows of seats to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation, before finishing her thought. “So, truth be honest, I think Spike’s probably dea—”

The train whistled, singling to its passengers that its destination was soon approaching.

Comments

[Neutral Mike]

To bad they didn't send out messages, to further towns too. Gotta think big.

[Inferno demon Dash]

Spike's a dragon, I'd have a hard time believing it if he could not defend himself.