It's Time to Move On / Forever

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

Elbert Hubbard

= = =

Applebloom sat quietly in her house. The fire roaring, warming up her hooves pleasantly. A thin but soft knitted blanket rested around her shoulders, keeping her cozy when it was cold out in the mornings. The autumn leaves had begun to fall, and already she could feel the frost in her bones.

Her house was quaint, but not too small, it suited her just right. Art from years before hung from the walls, giving the place an almost nostalgic feel to it. Sunbeams shone through the open window as Celestia's morning sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the land and bathing the small house in its warm glow.

Applebloom rested her head against the back of the comfy armchair, looking up at the ceiling. She pondered to herself quietly, not bothering to write anything down or even remember it at all. Just for a moment, ideas and thoughts would flit through her mind like fireflies down a dark library, shedding light on interesting subjects and emotions.

She stayed still as the fireflies continued their work, flying through her memories until she found something useful or interesting. It was hard to think some days, but she was coherent at least.

She rotated her neck, peering cautiously at the small bright-green train ticket lying on a nearby oak table, it's deep brown color giving it vivid contrast between them.

Today is the day... She thought to herself sadly, I need to do this...

With aching bones and body, she stood up from her chair, keeping the thin blanket wrapped around her tightly, and walked to the table, picking up the small ticket and resting it in a small pocket on her saddle-bags.

Applebloom slowly crept to the door, afraid to see her friends again, and scared of how she would feel. It had been a long time since she had last seen them, and her memories were beginning to fade like a fog at daybreak, so she thought she might as well tell them what she was planning on doing.

As she walked out onto the street, the bitter air of the morning hit her and nipped at her exposed body. She shrugged it off, her thinning (but still thick) coat giving her adequate protection from the weak elements of autumn and the fall season.

Her house rested far off from the center of Ponyville, away from the rustle and bustle of everypony's daily lives as the city grew bigger every day, almost rivaling Manehattan and her other sister cities in size and wealth. Thanks to Sweet Apple Acres, the town had grown from a small community to a bustling hub of equine etiquette and elegant eateries. Applebloom was proud of what her family had done, and she always would be. This was her heritage, and her home, no matter how big it got.

As the city cleared more and more of the Everfree Forest each week, new housing and commercial zones became available for rising entreponeurs and buisness-ponies. As much as Applebloom missed the good old days, she was happy to see so many happy ponies in one city, sharing and making friends.

Due to Rarity's newly implemented "Share Tax", the cities less fortunate ponies thrived off the success of the ponies who could spare it, keeping everyone happy and well fed.

Old Pinkie Pie's works were apparent throughout the city as well, as the "Smile Brigade" marched through the town once a month, setting the stage for one of the greatest parties ever seen by pony-kind. Every month the Smile Brigade organized an event nearly as large as the Gala in Canterlot.

Twilight had been kind enough to suggest a project known as the "Archives of Friendship", where all the great studies of friendship and its dynamics would stay, ready to be used by anypony in need of advice and help. The Archives rested within Ponyville's magnificent town hall, which now held the most efficient town planning committee in all of Equestria.

It was quiet little Fluttershy's idea to attempt to tame the Everfree Forest, and the plan had gone exactly as she envisioned it would. Every day, as the city cut down more trees from the forest, a special team of Wildlife Preservation Authority troops would carefully and kindly round up the animals, relocating them to the Shy Ark, a massive well-kept wildlife preserve that also doubled as an animal shelter and petting zoo. The animals had never been happier!

The sky was always clear over Ponyville these days, only raining when the crack team of Rainbow Darts said it would. Rainbow Dash had gotten tired of trying to win over other's attention, and simply formed a flying team of her own. The Rainbow Darts. As the ranks of the Rainbow darts grew and grew, they began preforming all around Equestria. When auditions for the Rainbow Darts became to many for her to handle, she (not wanting to make anyone go through her own worst fear of rejection) accepted all the applicants, forming 5 more weather teams and hiring their services out to each city in Equestria. She however, always staying loyal to her friends, stayed home and led the remaining Rainbow Darts here.

But Appleblooms own sister, Applejack, was the one that made this all possible. Through shrewd marketing and massive up-sizing, her business had fed the entire town, attracting new ponies from everywhere and bringing new entrepreneurs to the sleepy town of Ponyville. Without her business, the town would have stayed exactly the same as it was all those years ago. Big Macintosh's son had recently taken over the business, and Applebloom had complete faith in her nephew.

Applebloom swore she could see the statue of the Mane 6 from here, jutting out of the town-square high into the sky, each pony striking their favorite pose. It was such a beautiful sight, and nothing made her happier. Except, seeing them herself.

As she skirted the edge of the town, following the small dirt path as she used to do often, her mind began to wander to her closest friends. Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle. Back in the years of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they had never failed to stick with her through thick and thin, and as the years went on, she felt that they had held true to that virtue. Together, they watched Ponyville become what it was today.

Scootaloo had joined Rainbow Dashes side soon on the day she turned the proper age, flying as her right hoof mare for as long as she could. Rainbow Dash had happily given up on flying with her idols, but Scootaloo would never pass up a chance to fly with Rainbow Dash. Together, they ran the Rainbow Darts as long as they could.

Sweetiebelle had found her career in singing. Using her excellent vocal skill, she wooed even the nations greatest singers. As she gained more and more fame, she left more and more often, but she always returned RIGHT after she was finished preforming, never stopping for photo shoots or signings. Her oldest hits were still played today, even though she had stopped producing music in a manner of speaking.

Her friends had stuck with her no matter what happened.

But now... Applebloom had to make an important trip. One that she would need the approval of her friends to make. One that she couldn't make on her own.

As Applebloom followed the slow, empty dirt path, she began to see the small wall of trees that had been her friends home as of late, and her heart began to swell with emotion. She hadn't seen them in so long!

She maintained her walk even as excitement and a mix of newer emotions played through her heart, compelling her to move faster from anxiety. As she reached the steel gate of their abode, she stopped, taking a deep breath before slowly pushing the gate open. It creaked as rust had eaten away at it over the years.

"I'm home everypony!" She called out with a dash of her old accent, "Happy to see me?"

Any minute now, her friends an family would rush up to her, hugging and loving her just like they used to.

But as a comfortable and peaceful silence fell over the tree grove, the cold hand of emotion grabbed her heart, squeezing it tightly until she felt like it would burst. She had to see her friends now. Maybe for the last time, she wasn't sure, but just in case.

She paused, trying to process the emotions she didn't expect.

Walking very silently to the middle two headstones, she took to her knees in front of them, using her old eyes to look at the inscriptions, even if she knew them by heart.

Scootaloo

A loyal follower, brave leader, and irreplaceable friend.

"I fly because every minute of it is another moment I spend with Rainbow Dash."

Applebloom sighed a deep and emotional sigh. Scootaloo loved that cyan pony. She spent every last minute of her life with her, even sitting there on Rainbow's deathbed, she wouldn't let go or leave. When Rainbow had finally passed on, Scootaloo was dragged from the hospital room, screaming and crying like a newborn filly.

She took a pause to swallow a lump in her throat, and read the next stone.

Sweetiebelle

Her voice graced the ears of millions, and her songs remain the anthems of lovers everywhere.

"Doing ANYTHING with all your heart means it will mean something to someone."

At this point, tears had begun to seep from Appleblooms old eyes, dropping down the the ground below, only to soak into the very ground where her friends slept forever. She shivered coldly.

"Hi guys..." She said, tears still burning her face, "I needed to talk to you about something."

She placed one hoof on either headstone, "I need to go somewhere. I need to go on one last adventure."

She wiped a tear away from her eye and sniffed,

"I, don't have much longer you know... and I need to do a few last things before I get to come and play with you guys again." She began to sob, her hearts emotions coming out her tear ducts.

"I-I want you to know... t-that I'm not leaving you guys..." She sniffed again, looking up at the sizable gap sitting next to her friends headstones, "A-and when I'm done my adventure, I'm coming to sleep with you guys... and I promise I'm never leaving again..."

It pained her that she had do go on her last adventure without her friends, but it comforted her knowing that when it ended, she would be home.

She shuddered, her frail body in the throes of emotional agony, "Scootaloo, when I get there, I want to see you and Rainbow do that trick you did for my birthday that one time... it...it was really awesome...and I miss you..."

She tapped her right hoof on Sweetiebelle's grave, "And you...Sweetiebelle... I want to hear that glorious voice of yours, singing me home... to where I belong. Next to you guys. We can gallop and have fun, just like the old days. Cutie Mark Crusaders forever...right?"

As more tears fell, she knelt there, her snout down to the ground, letting them drip off and land solemnly to the ground. It had been at least ten minutes before she worked up the courage to let go and back away, leaving her tears and her passed-on friends for the last time, before she would return to play with them once more.

As she backed away, she looked at the other headstones, peering at them one by one, remembering fond memories and happy days together.

Pinkie Pie

One smile is never enough, but three might do.

Rarity

A fabulous mare, and a caring friend.

Twilight Sparkle

The books about her will never do her justice.

Sadly, when Twilight passed on, Spike had shut down, staying in the library and not talking to anyone but Rarity once and a while. When Rarity passed from this world, he completely lost in. He was big enough that he could handle himself now, and the first chance he got, he headed for the mountains, the same mountains that Fluttershy had evicted a much larger dragon from many years before. Without Rarity and most of all Twilight, he lost all will to live, and set about hibernating his remaining centuries away so that when he "awoke" he would be with them both. Sadly, until then, no one could wake him up as he grew larger and larger. Applebloom understood him though, better than she would like to admit. When you take away a creatures entire life, what is there really to wake up to every morning? So he stayed asleep, and dreamed of happy memories. Applebloom returned to the headstones, trying not to think about poor spike.

Fluttershy

With caring hooves we cared for you, just as you did for everypony else.

Rainbow Dash

The greatest leader and most loyal friend anypony could have.

As more tears flowed directly from her heart, she turned to the right of her best friends headstones, spying Applejack's, who had in her last breaths insisted be buried next to Big Mac and the Apple family.

Applejack

Never told a lie. Never will.

Granny Smith

Lived and loved despite her saggy old hip.

Appleblooms eyes came to rest upon Big Mac and his wife, their tombstones built together in a final morbidly romantic gesture.

Big Macintosh and Cheerilee

Acta Non Verba. / The best teacher we could hope for.

As she backed away further, she laid eyes on the rows further back into the graveyard. Everypony she had come to love and know was laid to rest here. Every grey headstone was just another reminder of how everything ended. No matter if you wanted it to last forever or not. Through the good, the bad and the ugly, her friends and family stuck with her, no matter what. But now, they had all ended, one way or another, and with that, she felt sad.

Derpy Hooves

We just don't know what went wrong <3

Mr and Mrs.Cake

When a smile won't do, a cake will.

The Mayor

Why worry about today, when you can worry about tomorrow!

Zecora

Even though old life comes to an end, the world has just birthed a new friend.

Applebloom's back was to the rusty gate now and she stopped retreating to take one final look. As row after row of headstone greeted her stung eyes, and the darkness and sadness seemed overwhelming, she simply smiled, thinking of how they we're all playing together and in a place much better than this one.

Scootaloo would be with Rainbow Dash, flying through the sky with her idol for life. Sweetiebelle would be entertaining the quiet Fluttershy and a happy Pinkie Pie. Applejack would be laughing and working in the fields with Big Mac and his wife Cheerilee would be calling them for dinner. Twilight sparkle would be waiting in her new library for spike, who had yet to come join them, and Rarity would be doing Twilight's hair in the most beautiful way. The world was much prettier there, less confused and muddled. Brighter and stronger and more vivid than this old grey and boring one on this planet. Even the stars and space paled in comparison to this image she conjured up. Her friends were in a better place, laughing and having fun, not caring about anything but their own enjoyment.

As her mental image faded, she thought she could see Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle, back in their young forms, their youth and their prime, waving goodbye to her as they waited to see her again.

Her friends were having so much fun, and as soon as she was done in this world, she would come join them in the next.

"I'll be back in...well...however long I've got left... and when I come back, I'm going to lay down next to you, and be with you forever."

Applebloom slowly walked from the graveyard, tickets in her mouth as she went to experience one last bit of life before she would see her friends again.

Forever

= = = = =

I just thought of all my high-school friends, and where they are now. What their doing. Who they've changed into.

I felt compelled to write this because eventually... its going to happen to all of us...me...you guys...

But when it does... I want to be with them forever.

<3

P.s. I hope this evokes as much emotion in you as it did me.