When War is Close by

When War is Close by

Chapter 5
Home Sweet Home

Spike looked over the crowed which had returned to normal, trying to catch a final glimpse of the purple mare but she was out of sight.

He had asked her before she had left for her duties if it would be okay that he and Scootaloo stayed as guests at her home in the library, at least for a few days until they could make some bits to pay off a rental room.

At that the purple unicorn had giggled and with a kind of proud smile told him that the guest room still wasn't occupied since half a year ago when Fluttershy had moved into the library, the two mares had decided to move an extra bed into Twilights bedroom where the pegasus would sleep, to help her get used to living in town.

But even if the butter coloured mare had gotten used to the town around her by now she had never moved into the guest room as firstly intended, and Twilight didn't mind things as they were so she had left it as is.

The purple mare saw no problem in having her old friend and the orange pegasus living with her and Fluttershy for as long as they wanted to stay, free of charge of course, but at the one condition: to help keep the library clean and orderly.

Then she had said her goodbyes and told Spike and the orange pegasus to just go ahead and let themselves in at the library and then she had left the table alongside with the commander.

“So, Applejack”, the younger orange pegasus peered. “Where is Applebloom and Sweetie Belle?”.

“Well, they should both be in Canterlot right now since Sweetie Belles cutie mark of ah bell and ah microphone suggested that she could become ah famous singer. So she have been trying to start ah singing career using some weird talent show called Pony-Factor or somethin'”, the farm pony rolled her eyes and shrugged.

“I have heard about Pony-Factor too” came a timid response from the butter coloured pegasus who had returned to her seat when the two unicorns had left.
“I hear that admission is really strict... and time consuming too”.

“Eeyup”, the farm pony nodded, “Applebloom told me that anypony can sign up for this admission but only ah select few get past this admission thing, only to be put to some kinda trial or test, or whatever. They have to pass it, before gettin' to be part of the actual talent show”.

“Ugh, that sounds harsh...”, said the orange peagsus with a stern look, “But what about Applebloom? Why is she in Canterlot?”

“Well, Sweetie Belle is mighty nervous right now. She is part of the 'select few'” the farm pony continued, “So she asked Applebloom to come be her mental support or somethin' like that.
Since tonight is the big night where it will be announced who of the 'select few', pass the test...”

The Heterochromian pegasus had turned around to her saddlebags.
“Um, Scoots, what ya planin'?”, the farm pony asked as the orange pegasus pulled out her scooter that had been sticking out of one of the compartments.

“Well, Sweetie Belle needs all the backup she can get and since Applebloom is there too, I might as well go there myself too.”
After having checked that the scooter was good to go, she sat it down and got on it. “Where do you think I can find them?”

“They will probably stay at Rarity's 'new carousel boutique' until the announcement party starts”. The butter yellow friend answered across the table, “It's in the fashion district of Canterlot.”

“Okay got it!”, she got ready to take off but she halted herself only to turn her face, carrying a questioning expression. “Just one last thing before I go... where is Rainbow Dash?”

“Well”, Fluttershy began, “Two years ago she finally managed to get into the Wonderbolts main team. But to be able to keep up with the main teams schedule. She had to move to Cloudsdale.”

“Yea, we all agreed it would be fer the best if she did so”, added the orange farm pony.

Scootaloo nodded understandingly. “I see, when was last time you saw her?”

“Ah think it was half ah year ago... right after the Air Olympics. Ah'm not sure.”, replied the farm pony, “But we all get to see her again soon since she and the Wwonderbolts will be performin' ah 'motivational' show of some sort fer the soldiers here in Ponyville, Wednesday next week.”

“Roger!”, Scootaloo said as she leaned on her almost too small and old scooter. “I'll be sure to, at least, be back by then so I get to meet Equestias most awesome pony again”.

Then she flapped her wings and zoomed out of sight in no time, towards Canterlot.

Applejack let out a heavy sigh and frowned as she took off her Stetson, studying it as if she was thinking.

“What's the matter AJ?”, Spike asked turning to get a better look at the farm pony even if he'd rather want to ask about Rarity.

“Well ah, guess you can say ah'm a bit confused about Rainbow.” The orange pony replied, flipping over her Stetson to look at its inside. “She's been acting mighty strange towards me fer the past few times we have met.”

“Strange? Like how?”, the dragon asked.

“Well, she seems to be kinda, you know, happy to see me yet somehow trying avoid talkin' much to me”, the farm pony answered. But as the dragon only shrugged at her with a questioning look she put her hat back on her head and continued.
“Ah mean... she's always happy to see her friends but she's been kinda givin' me looks now and then.”

“But none of us have noticed anything like that”, Fluttershy added with a small worried frown.

“Ah know. Ah know”, the farm pony repeated, “But ah also know that the one time where ah showed up at one of her shows, as the only one, she just stood there starrin' at me fer like a hole five minutes or so until ah asked her if somethin' was the matter.”

“And what did she tell you?”, the butter coloured pegasus asked.

“She wouldn't say but she didn't dare make eye contact with me fer the rest of the day”, the farm pony frowned, “Well, at least we'll all be seein' each other next Wednesday at the motivational show. Maybe ah can get something out of her at that point.”

“Wait”, the dragon awoke from his thoughts of Dash's odd behaviour. “When you say 'all', does that include Rarity?”

“Well, yes”, nodded the butter coloured pegasus. “It's the first time in a half year that the six of us have the chance to spend actual time together and Rarity said she wouldn't miss it for the world”.

“I see”, the dragon nodded understandingly during his 3 years travelling period there had been a lot of times where he had wished himself back home, to safety.

After a few more sips of tea and small talk about then and now, the orange farm pony had gotten onto her hooves and bid him and Fluttershy farewell.
“Well it's gettin' a bit late and it's about time tar pack up fer today. So ah best be goin'. I'll see ya guys around, come visit me at mah apple stand tomorrow or somethin'”, she said and started to head for the market place just across the town square from Sugar Cube Corner.

“See you AJ”, the dragon and Fluttershy had replied in unison to the farm pony who had stopped to turn and wave goodbye before continuing across the town square.

Now he and Fluttershy were headed back to the library under the sky which had begun its transition from blue to dark in the east, as Celestias sun painted the west with its red and orange color palatte.

The purple dragon sighed. “It's good to be home”, as the Library door swung open only to close again behind them.