//------------------------------//
// The Girls are Back in Town 
// Story: Friendship is Revolution 
// by ultiville 
//------------------------------//

"I've had better apples," Applejack says around the mouthful of food, "but puttin' this cheese and honey on 'em's a great idea, and the bread ain't half bad neither.  What'd you say this cheese was?"  She's sitting with Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Rarity at the just-opened bar, waiting for Twilight to come back from the park.  Her friends have given her the very quick rundown on the situation, and now the ponies are enjoying a selection of the vegetarian appetizers.

"Brie, dear," Rarity says.  "We have it back home as well, though it's imported from Prance so we don't often see it in the Ponyville market."

"Fancy it goin' so well with apples, then."

Rarity rolls her eyes.  "You do know apples don't just grow in Ponyville, or even just in Equestria, don't you?"

"'Course I do," Applejack huffs, "but all the ones worth eatin' do.  I guess that's why they need to dress these up all fancy-like."

Pinkie giggles at her.  "Don't worry Applejack, I'm sure this would be even better with Sweet Apple Acres apples!"

"Darn right," Applejack nods, then pauses before changing the subject.  "So, what's the story with that weird human with the purple dress?  She was followin' after Twi' like Scoots does with Dash."

"Hey now," Dash says, "Scoots is way cooler than that.  She just doesn't have much family, you know?  She just thinks of me like a big sis.  Those humans think Twi's some kind of..."  She looks a bit lost for words.

"God, is the word Twilight used," Rarity says, "I gave in and looked it up later.  It's...quite the large concept.  They're kind of like the Princesses, supposed to be like humans but far more powerful.  But of course, humans have no magic at all, and gods supposedly do.  But if they exist at all, they're very...distant.  So different groups have had different gods, or even just believe in one, and most say the others aren't real or true.  I could barely sort it all out, though the stories were interesting.  Twilight says most of the differences go back to no humans at all living longer than a century or so.  We know what things were like thousands of years ago, at least in part, because we can just ask the Princesses, or a dragon if we're lucky.  Nothing that can speak and think lives that long here so they just have to sort it out as best they can."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this place," Applejack looks down at her food.  "But why do they think Twi's like that?  She must've told 'em.  I reckon with some diagrams."

"Oh yeah she told 'em first thing," Rainbow says, "but they just said she was better, since she's actually around.  Seems right to me, who needs gods that never show up when you've got Twi'?"

"Oh, poor Twilight," Fluttershy says, "all that attention, all those expectations."

"Oh yes," Rarity says, gesturing at the tree turned shrine out the window, "all those little pieces of paper are requests to her, or thanks for things she's done.  She reads them all, of course, but I think they make her a bit sad.  Not the thanks, of course, but the requests."

"Huh," Applejack says, sipping her hard cider, "well, y'all aren't gods.  No one'd ever mistake Rainbow here for some all-powerful critter."  Rainbow scowls at her.  "How're y'all gettin' on with the natives?"

Pinkie grins wide and nudges Rainbow.  "Yeah Dashie, how're you getting on?  Where is your mare, uh, womanfirend anyway?"

Applejack nearly spits out a mouthful of cider.

"Pinkie," Applejack would have described Rainbow's tone as a whine, though not to her face, "they say girlfriend.  And Mary's not my girlfriend, so I don't need to know where she is."

"Oh thank Celestia," Applejack says, "so you didn't go sleepin' with a human?"

"What?  No, I totally did, it was awesome, we're just not together or anything, we're just friends.  Friends with benefits they say here.  It's pretty cool."

Applejack shakes her head.  "Well, you are always goin' on about your speed, I guess."

"What's the matter AJ, jealous?"

"You know I ain't, ya fool filly.  I just...y'know what, never you mind, I don't want to know how that works."

"Oh, well, um," Fluttershy says, "humans are clearly mammals.  I'm sure you could figure it out.  I can and you have plenty of animals too."

Before anyone else can respond, Pinkie falls over on the table laughing, managing to smear her face with ranch dressing and the remains of an onion ring.  Dash narrowly rescues her cider and scowls at her, but her laughter's contagious, and within a few moments, everyone else is in stitches as well.

"Oh, girls," Rarity says, "I'm so glad all of us are together again.  The four of us against the world felt so hopeless, but the six of us?  Well, that's just every day, now isn't it?"

Applejack can't help but agree.





The clear tone of Twilight's phone cuts through the peaceful, quiet skies as she's flying back from the park to the bar.  Sean's testimony is already making the social media rounds, and she's reasonably confident the two guards Polaris arranged for his small tent will keep him safe from any "accidents".  She isn't expecting a call, but breathes out when the number isn't unknown or Mr. Gray's (she put the number on the card in her contacts, just in case), but Alanna.

"Hello Alanna!  What can I do for you?"

"Twilight, I just saw that buy's story online.  You really turned a government agent?"

"Well, I'd say turned is a bit much, Fluttershy just looked at him for a bit and he gave up.  It seemed like he wasn't very happy working for Mr. Gray."

"That's not the point!  That was a huge risk, Twilight, and you already know they know where you live!  You're pushing them into a corner.  You might get what you want, but if you don't...look, we shouldn't talk seriously this way.  They might be listening."

"They can do that?"

"It depends, but probably.  The bar's open, right?"

Twilight glances at the time displayed on her phone.  "Yes, they opened about half an hour ago."

"Good, the crowds should make it safe.  Make sure all your friends are there, I'll be there as soon as I can.  See you soon."

The line goes dead, and Twilight calls up Rainbow Dash's number.

"Dash?  Are you at the bar?  Great.  Is everypony with you?  Great.  Get Mary there too.  Alanna's worried about us, she's on her way to talk.  No, she's worried our phones are being monitored.  Apparently.  Good, see you soon."

Hanging up, she tosses the phone back in the saddlebags, and beats down harder with her wings.