Chapter 12

Hello and….goodbye. This is the last time I'll be seeing you, since this is the last part of the story. Say, do you know the saying, "the summer of love"? When I first heard it, it made me thing, "What is love"? To be honest, as a teenager love, crushes, liking somepony was all the same thing. Too many ponies think like this. It's sad really. I, personally (mind you this is just what I think) think love is when you can never do without the other person no matter what. No matter how many times they've been unkind, told lies, have not been loyal, yelled at you instead of laughed with you, or been greedy and not generous or maybe you two don't feel any magic between you two, you will always love them. That's being in love. Now, I must tell you the story, it's almost time for me to raise the moon.

In a long line up stood countless unicorns, a few land ponies and only 3 or 4 Pegasus. Applejack stood behind Rarity. The guards stood all around them as they all slowly walked into a chamber that looked a lot like half a bowl placed on the dirt. On both sides of the doors stood two identical grey stallions dressed in armor. One looked a bit scared and scrawny, but muscly either way, the other wasn't tall but had muscles. Applejack held onto her hat since she knew she was going to be forced to take it off. Once Rarity got to the door she hesitated then the large stallion bucked her plot to make her fall in.

"Alright, take off the hat and the hair elastics, lets go," Said the guard that just kicked Rarity. Applejack reached up and pulled out her hair elastics making her choppy mane fall down in a mess, "The hat too," Applejack just stuck her head up and walked in with the hat on her head. The guard went to follow but the guard on the other side of the door just mumbled, "leave her,"

"Well look at you Applejack, never saw THAT mane style" Rarity said in a half raspy voice from being on the verge of tears. Applejack sat down across from her as more ponies entered the large metal chamber. Applejack flicked her mane out of her eyes, "Ah shut it Rarity," she said in a snicker. Rarity smiled at Applejack. Applejack smiled back. Then, the door's closed and pitch black drowned the room. A few unicorns were screaming as they sobbed, others hugged one another. Some, said nothing and awaited death.

Applejack opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the heavy hit of Rarity's body and arms around her. For a long time Applejack didn't hug back. Rarity's arms around her felt tight and dirty, kind of uncomfortable. Applejack closed her eyes and slowly hugged back. AJ felt the warm tears go down her back from Rarity's eyes and soon she felt her own go down her face as they waited to what seemed like forever for the chamber to fill with gas or fire. Silence was all over the place now as everypony waited.

"I love you Applejack," was the only words that anypony heard. Rarity's muffled voice echoed through the chamber and tickled Applejacks neck. Applejack held onto her friend tighter and nuzzled her a bit, "I love you too Rarity,"

….

The Clubhouse was quiet. The oil lamp wasn't lit since it was now daytime and there was no point. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo sat in their usual positions, Applebloom by Sweetie and Scootaloo infront of the two. Nopony talked. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the three little foals breathing. Applebloom looked up and saw Scootaloo. She looked mad. Sweetie Belle actually looked melancholic while Applebloom looked sad and melancholic too. Sweetie Belle was the first to speak.

"You wanna…go for a walk to the pa-", "The park!?" interrupted Applebloom straightening up. She had a tiny smile on her face. She hadn't been to the park in a long, long time. Scootaloo looked up too but stayed with the mad expression, "you knuckleheads! The parks obviously destroyed!" The two slowly slouched down again. Sweetie had tears in her eyes now and Scootaloo couldn't help but feel bad.

"Remember the time I tried swinging all the way around? Thinking I'd get a cutie mark in swinging on a swing or something?" Scootaloo said while rolling her eyes. Sweetie sniffled and grinned, "Yeah you almost got all the way around too," Applebloom giggled, "ha ha! Then you wussed out halfway through!" Scootaloo laughed hard and got up and turned around, "I didn't!" she ran to the nearest crate and flapped her wings hard and jumped off, falling to her feet, "See? It's not like I was afraid of falling!"

'We-"Applebloom was interrupted by seeing something she hadn't seen in a while. Something on the floor coming in through the window. She tilted her head and walked over to it. There on the floor was a perfect square of sunlight. Her eyes widened and she turned her head towards the window. Walking over, her tiny hoofs moving quickly. Her big brown eyes glanced out at the view outside and her face broke out into a big, open mouth smile.

Pegasus were clearing out the clouds. Sun was raining down in Ponyvill. Scootaloo jumped onto Appleblooms back to get a look out and she let out a gasp as the sun filled the sky. The sky….the blue amazing sky that everyone takes for granted sometimes. Sweetie Belle started to cry of joy when she saw the Pegasus ponies kicking and bucking grey clouds away.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran outside and dashed to the nearest open field to get a better look at the sky. Finally they got to a large open field with a river near it, their hooves skidding on the ground as they stopped and looked up in awe at the beauty of natural light and the warmth of the sun. The three foals giggled, cried and sung to themselves about the amazing view. Applebloom soon interrupted their joy, "wait a minute! Why are they doin' that?"

"Didn't you hear?" a soft voice asked from behind the three. They all turned around to see a yellow and pink Pegasus floating behind them. Fluttershy. Her wings were graceful as always and her mane and coat was clean cut and beautiful. She stuck out from behind the grey and dark (now also blue) backround. Fluttershy gave them a gentle smile and the Cutie Mark Crusaders bombarded her with questions. After a while of Fluttershy giving not very good answers; "Why are they clearing the sky out now?", "oh um…well I heard is because they were told but….oh I'm not sure", "Who told them to?", "It was…Princess Celestia, I think…I-I'm not that sure heh heh", "Why would she tell them to do that? Where's she been?", "Sh-she gave the responsibility o-of Ponyvill to Princess Twilight. But um…shes uh…"she whispers "shes dead" "Do you know what happened to the pony's in the camps?" "Well…last I heard they were in the uh…chamber thing…but before they were gassed the door was broken down by another guard and um….w-well they weren't killed or anything!"

Those words, "they weren't killed" echoed through Sweeties and Appleblooms minds. Their sisters were alive. "Where is the ponies who survived!?" asked Applebloom loud in a yell. Fluttershy explained to them that they were all being taken to their home towns by train and should be back soon enough. Then for the first time in so long, Appleblooms eyes filled with tears and she cried of joy. The sun made her eyes sparkle again and the tears rolled down her face like waterfalls. Then one of them finally asked, "Why are you back"

"Oh…I came back as soon as I heard the war was over" Fluttershy said with a smile.

The End