5 months  Cadence’s death (August 15)

        Applejack walked into the local Ponyville bar and saw Twilight drinking like a mad horse, having already gone through ten hard ciders. Along with her was Fluttershy, who had become much more of a recluse in the time following Cadence's and Skyla's death. She'd already gotten more shy after Dash had died, but with them gone, the yellow pegasus had all but fallen mute.

        “Are you sure that you haven't had enough already your highness?” the bartender asked.

        “I’ll tell you when I've had enough...” she drunkenly slurred.

        “Hey Twi,” AJ greeted, ordering a drink.

        “Hey Applejack,” the princess returned, hanging her head down.

        Applejack nodded in response to the greeting, soon taking notice of Fluttershy of all ponies in the bar nearby. “Did you invite Fluttershy?” the orange earth pony asked to Twilight.

        “No, but she must be here for the same reason I am,” she said taking another swig of her drink.

        “Which is, what?” Applejack asked sitting down in the free chair on Twilight's other side.

        The princess looked utterly exhausted, but that wasn't the reason why she was depressed and it wasn't the time to ask. She didn't answer AJ.

        “Rarity and Pinkie Pie are leaving Ponyville,” Fluttershy finally answered quietly in Twilight's stead, taking another drink.

        “I'm sorry?” Applejack asked, bewildered.

        “You heard her,” Twilight said looking at her.

        “Care to explain?” the orange pony asked as she took a drink.

        “I'm sorry, yes,” Twilight replied, taking one last shot and ordering another, “Rarity is leaving Ponyville permanently to focus more on her business and plus to micromanage her company now   .”

        “How did that happen?” Applejack asked.

        “Well, believe it or not Sliver  managed to find a home for Rarity in Canterlot that is nearby her store,” the alicorn replied

        “And he told her this…” Applejack stated, nearly turning it into a question.

        “Yesterday,” she said, “and before you ask, it's because he wanted the shop ready for her when it was to going to tell her. He wanted to surprise her.”

        “And Pinkie?”

        “She has decided to go on a 'world tour party,' as she calls it,” Twilight explained, “She didn't want Ponyville to be the only town in Equestria to experience the happiness her parties provide and decided to go to every town, city, and so on that she could in order to give others the chance to experience her parties.”

        “That's actually very nice of her,” Applejack replied.

        Twilight managed a smile. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

        “On top of that,”  Fluttershy added quietly, “Pinkie has kind of been mellowing down and getting more and more sad. I think it good for her to get out of Ponyville and go on the tour she's planning.”

        “But that's not what I'm upset about,” Twilight said taking another drink, Applejack following her, “Pinkie Pie is going back to the rock farm after the tour's over.”

        Applejack almost spat out her drink. “What in tarnation?” she almost shouted.

        “I had the same reaction,” Fluttershy said softly.

        “I know,” Twilight said with a sigh, taking another drink along with Fluttershy.

        “Why?” Applejack asked.

        “Well, she said something along the lines of family being important and all that,” Twilight said looking down at her drink, “I would ask her about it in her going away party in a couple weeks.”

        “I see,” Applejack responded.

        Twilight paid for her drinks and started wobble a little bit after she got up from the chair. Paying for her own, Applejack noticed the princess stumbling badly toward the door and helped her toward it by putting a hoof around her and supporting Twilight's weight.

        “Cya Fluttershy,” AJ said quickly.

        “Bye,” Fluttershy replied, paying for another drink.

        Once they left, Applejack felt it was the right time to ask the question she'd wanted to earlier. “Why do you look so tired Twi?”

        “I'm just s-so worried about everything lately,” Twilight hiccuped almost falling asleep, “Shining hasn't replied to any my letters, I've being worried about you guys and…and the meeting with Griffin King. I've barely slept at all lately.”

        In an ironic twist, Twilight fell asleep right after saying that. Applejack carried the alicorn on her back to the crystalline palace in which she lived, opening the door. The interior felt lonely and hollow as the farm pony traversed its many corridors to get her purple friend to her room.

        Each of us feels as empty as this place does in some way now, Applejack thought. She put Twilight in her bed with a sigh, shaking her head. “I wish things were better Twilight, but ever since RD’s death things have slowly been going downhill, but I know things get better, sooner or later. I'll be here for ya Twi...until I die.”

        She began to walk out the room until Twilight muttered something in her sleep while cuddling her blanket. “Thank you…”

        Applejack smiled and closed the door. She was beginning to head for the exit to the castle when she noticed that Twilight’s library was locked up tight.

        “Weird,” the mare said, approaching it. When she tried to open it, it shocked her. “Ouch,” Applejack said rubbing her hoof, “That's one way to keep ponies out.” She then left the castle then, but a new thought took form in her mind as her curiosity began to grow regarding the library. I should ask Twilight about that sometime when she isn't too busy. What’s so important in the library that she would purposely try to keep ponies out when she'd always had an open door policy about it before since the castle had sprung up?

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