Fractured

“So, what have you learned about the Everfree forest today?”

“I learned that ponies don’t control the weather and that animals fend for themselves.”

“Very good. Go set up for lunch then after I will tell you another story.”

“Ok!” Dawn squeaked.

While she ran into the kitchen to prepare lunch Luna sat down to think. Her nightmare still hung fresh in her mind, constantly nagging her. What did it mean? Shaking her head she stood up and stretched. Oh well, Luna thought, I’ll think after lunch. Suddenly she saw a bright flash through the cottages window.

“Dawn! Hide quickly, just like we practiced.”

“Ok!” Dawn replied

Luna knew this could be anything, an attack, messengers, but she couldn’t be too careful. A knock on the door alerted her they were already close. She crept to the hidden side door and crept on top of the roof. She couldn’t use her wings fear of being heard. A muffled voice spoke out from underneath the overhang.

“This is the place right? You did do the spell right, right?”

“Of course I did, I studied it for hours, and this should be it.”

Luna knew the voices were familiar. But they seemed older, more mature. I’ll fly around and watch from afar, and then I’ll make my move. Slinking off the roof, Luna glided around to land behind the trio and their contraption. Sitting calmly she spoke softly to them.

“Hello there, and what can I do for you at my humble abode.”

The trio spun around to find Luna sitting calmly on the ground. Luna was shocked when the machine spoke,

“Hey turn me around y’all, I can’t see!”

Then the tallest one spoke out,

“Hey Luna don’t you recognize us? It’s Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetiebell and Applejack!”

That’s Applejack? What had happened while she was away? She quickly jumped to her feet and said,

“Why didn’t you call out? Come in! Come in!”

Opening the door she shouted,

“Dawn! You can come out!”

“Who’s Dawn?” Applejack asked.

“Why she’s my daughter. Didn’t Night tell you?”

“He’s the whole reason we came sugar cube.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Luna wondered, Could it somehow be connected to her nightmares? Applebloom pulled AJ into the cottage while Scoot and Sweetiebell followed with luggage. They have all grown so, different since I last saw them, Luna thought. All three now sported cutie marks on well trained muscles and battle hardened skin. Sweetiebell had a song note, (real surprise there) Applebloom had exactly that, an apple bloom. Finally Scootaloo’s was the strangest; it seemed to be a black shield of some sort. If only she could get a closer look. But, at that moment Dawn came sprinting into the room to find four complete strangers sitting in her house. For once she didn’t ask any questions, just sat there and stared with wide eyes.

“Now Dawn it’s not polite to stare. Why don’t you make lunch for our guests?”

“Oh Ok.” Dawn said still staring at the ponies sitting with her mother. She quietly backed out of the room, hitting the wall on the way.

“I’m sorry about that; she hasn’t seen any one accept me since she was born.”

Applejack was the first to respond.

“That’s okay; we figured you might avoid much contact with us.”

“Well my husband always kept me updated on the war effort.”

“Husband? I didn’t know you were married.”

“Of course, I’m married to a jet black colt with dark hair.”

All four sharply took in air. Applejack was the first to breathe slowly out.

“His name wouldn’t happen to be Night, would it?”

Luna looked around the room. Everyone’s eyes except Applejack’s were avoiding here gaze. She felt the rock drop in her heart. She called out to Dawn.

“Sweetie?”

“Yes mom?”

“How much longer till your done making lunch?”

“It might take awhile.”

“That’s okay, take your time.”

She turned to Applejack whose eyes were lit with pity.

“Tell me everything quietly; Dawn doesn’t need to know yet.”

“We went on a raid of the Canterlot libraries. While our army attacked the walls a small team teleported into the library. Night insisted on being in the group. Led by Trixie they managed to find what we were looking for, a spell to end the mind control. By Trixie’s account all their guards died within a minute and Night also took a hit. She went to check him and found that he was still breathing. He told her to go while he covered them. She then said he charged into the smoke and that she had to leave on fear of losing the book.”

“But why would he do that? He could have covered them and still gotten out. If…”

At that moment Dawn came in balancing a tray of plates into the room. She placed them on the table at center of the room and went over to her cushion and sat down.  The room sat in an awkward silence. Luna was the first to speak up by saying,

“That looks like a wonderful lunch you’ve made us Dawn.”

“Thanks” she mumbled. She still couldn’t break her eyes away from the four strangers in her home.

“Did you want to ask them any questions about Equstria, or the outside world?”

“There from Equstria? Does that mean they’ve met my father? What’s he like? Is the war over? Is he coming home?”

“Look darling if you’ll just let us tell you our story.”

“Wait.” Turning to Luna she said “You said he would come home when the war was over, so why isn’t he here unless…”

She sat deflated on her cushion and stared at Applejack with huge eyes.

“He isn’t coming back, is he?”

“Let me explain first, he would come back if he could but he can’t because he was captured on a mission. Otherwise he would be here instead of me.”

“So he still cares about me?”

“He never stopped.”

Dawn leaped from her seat and jumped on Applejack with a hug, tears streaming down her face.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought he may never see me!”

Dawn continued to hug Applejack, while Luna exchanged a look with her. An unspoken, will finish this later, drifted through the air. There was still much to discuss.