On the Road to '63

by niBBoi

Borders and Bellflowers

"Changeling Army by the Border, Canterlot Getting Nervous," the headline of a newspaper read. Spring Grass picked up the newspaper that her husband had left on the kitchen table shortly before leaving for work earlier than usual. She didn't care much for its contents, or at least, she didn't want to. When the changelings invaded Olenia just a year ago, hundreds of thousands of Olenians began fleeing across the waters into Vanhoover or braving the overland journey to reach the sparsely populated towns on the Equestrian border.

The Olenian refugees who arrived at Spring Grass' hometown of New Hearth all looked terrible. They were dirty, hungry, and tired, and the only things they could give in exchange for food and refuge were the meager valuables they had from the mountains of luggage they carried with them - their money in a currency that few Equestrians accepted. "Please! Please just take it!" a doe pleaded in Olenian. "My children need something to eat tonight, and it's all we have!" The stallion she was talking to simply hung his mouth open and shook his head confusedly, the doe's language unintelligible to him.

Spring Grass was a simple earth pony mare with a passion for gardening who worked part-time at the local tavern. Her husband Piston Fire was a rookie mechanic and a reservist in the army who was currently employed as a repair-pony for trucks that delivered construction materials for the fortifications being built along the border. Years ago, they moved out of Vanhoover when Spring Grass gave birth to their daughter Bellflower, and New Hearth had been their home ever since. Today, Spring was staying at home for the weekends while Piston continued to go to work.

Bellflower's little hooves sounded against the wooden floor as she galloped excitedly across the kitchen. Spring stopped cleaning. "Belle, don't run around the house! You might get hurt!" she reprimanded. She and Piston called her "Belle".

Belle screeched to a halt. "Sorry, mom! I'm going out early today to see Tulip and Adalia," she said. "We planned to meet each other at the creek this morning."

"Alright then." Spring said. "Oh, by the way. How's Adalia? Has she been nice to you?" she asked.

Belle replied. "Yes, but..." She looked down and rubbed a front hoof against the other.

Oh no. "Did something happen again?" Spring asked.

"Mmm-hmm." Belle nodded, her ears pinned against her head. "The other children were being mean to Adalia again. The deer threw rocks at her, and the others stayed away. Some of my friends helped us, but still..."

Spring sighed. Her family lived a quiet life up until the war began in Olenia. Spring Grass was never very interested in politics, but it seemed like politics were about to start taking an interest in her. Every time she came to work at the tavern, she saw the Olenian families staying there. The owner of the tavern was kind enough to spare them a few rooms and had the basement spruced up to give space for more. Spring Grass delivered them food whenever she could, and she always talked with them when she did. Naturally, they hated changelings.

"I just don't know why they keep being so awful to her," Belle stomped her hooves, "just because she's a changeling."

"Sweetie, you know why they may not like Adalia all that much." Spring said. "The changelings attacked the deer's homes when they shouldn't have."

"But Adalia isn't like that!" Belle stomped her hooves again, harder this time. "She isn't like the bad changelings! She's nice, and she's cool, and she gives me flowers everyday!" She frowned, her mane deflated. "I just wish others knew that..."

Spring felt bad for her daughter. "I know, sweetie. I know," she said softly. Bellflower continued looking dejected. Both mother and daughter stayed quiet like that for a few moments.

Spring Flower wished she wasn't put in such a hard place. She genuinely liked Adalia, not just because she was friends with Bellflower but also because she was one of the few nice changelings still living in the border towns after Olenia was invaded. Orphaned since she was but a hatchling, Adalia was taken in by a local changeling. She and Belle met one day, and they quickly became friends.

Bellflower and Adalia reminded Spring of a time when ponies at the border lived with changelings without any hostility, like how it had been for centuries prior. However, it wasn't like that anymore. The attack on Canterlot and the invasion of Olenia destroyed much of Equestria's positive sentiments about changelings. Rumors had been abound about changelings kidnapping people all across western Equestria and replacing them - rumors which had only increased as news about changeling military activity near the border became more and more frequent. Many saw the changelings now as aggressive warmongers and conquerors, and the Olenians certainly thought so. They were forced to leave their home into a life of destitution at the mercy of the few Equestrian settlements that took them in. They'd lost a lot, and much of the young with them were orphans, not unlike Adalia.

Someday, she'll understand. Spring Flower approached her daughter. She lowered herself and put a motherly hoof against her little filly's face. "Belle, it's alright. Don't be so sad," she said. "The time will come when everyone will see Adalia for who she is in the inside and not on the outside. And besides," Spring playfully tousled Belle's soft blue mane, "don't you have to meet your friends by the creek soon?"

"Yeah," Belle said, feeling a little better. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Oh wait! I forgot something!" The filly turned and galloped out of view, her tiny hooves tapping away as she did so. She returned a moment later with a small wicker basket held in her mouth covered on top by a small blanket.

"What's that?" Spring Grass asked.

Belle put the basket down. "It's a surprise!" she replied enthusiastically. "It's for Adalia. She always gives me flowers when we meet each other, so I thought I should give her flowers too! And I picked them from your garden because I know they'll be the best!" Belle jumped up and down and then sat on her haunches, gently swaying back and forth. "Also, Jasmine is bringing a gift for Adalia too. We both are."

Spring Grass' heart melted. "Well that's very sweet of you, Belle." She picked up the basket with her mouth, smelling its sweet contents, and gave it to Belle. "Now go on and meet your friends."

With that, Spring Grass watched her daughter say goodbye as she hurried down the dirt path from their home. Later that day while Spring was preparing supper, Piston Fire arrived home.

"Oh! You're home early. Anything happen at work?" Spring asked as she let her husband in through the door.

"Oh nothing, sugar. Slow day at work today, is all. Only a couple trucks needed some fixing, and they were both pretty superficial." Piston replied. "After that, the boss allowed us to leave early," he finished.

Despite getting an answer, Spring stayed silent. Piston noticed this. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." Spring shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. It's just... You've never called me 'sugar' before."

Piston chuckled. "Oh, is that why? Well, I thought I'd just change things up a bit, you know?" He walked past Spring and into the kitchen. "Anyway, what's for supper?"

Spring's heart skipped a beat, then she shook her head once more. Don't be so silly, Spring. Besides, "sugar" does sound sweet and is a nice change from the usual "honey" and "love". Spring smiled. "We're having mushrooms." she finally replied. "The table's all set already."

That evening, Bellflower returned home eager to share her latest adventures with her parents at the dinner table, and the family shared a nice meal of mushrooms together.

Author's Note:

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/equestriaatwar/comments/18m0d5q/borders_and_bellflowers/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Comments

[RealOtto]

Reading the title..is it (The Title) based on Road to 56?

[niBBoi]

11780517
Kind of, yeah. It's a reference to that.