"AJ, we need to find some shelter - now."
After emerging from the crypt, the two mares had a brief period of sunny weather before finding themselves in the midst of a terrible storm. Twilight Sparkle had conjured some ponchos for the two of them, but it simply wasn't enough - with gusting wind, hard sleet and rain, and muddy footing, progress was nearly impossible and visibility was nil. The longer they stayed out here, the higher their chances of getting a cold or pneumonia, and an illness of any kind would end up delaying their arrival to the tree. In Applejack's mind, such a thing was not an option. To make matters worse, the weather had been getting increasingly more cold, and the sleet was making things much too slippery for them to safely continue. Through the haze of the storm, the earth pony could vaguely make out what appeared to be a hollowed-out portion of rock within a larger outcropping - it wasn't ideal, but it would have to do.
"This way, Twi! Hurry!"
The two of them scampered across the muddy ground, retreating into the safety of their new-found shelter. Though it was still cold, it was at least dry, and that was the important thing. After setting their saddlebags upon the ground, they both immediately went to work - Twilight pulled the tent from Applejack's bags and deftly began to assemble it with her magic. She still felt just the slightest bit nauseous, but was nonetheless feeling well enough to fully use her magic once more. As she constructed it, Applejack was working on a campfire, a flint and steel striking together to bring it to life. It took a few breaths to coax it into a roaring flame, but the orange mare succeeded and was content with her work. With their camp fully set up, both of them took a seat by the fire, and a brief flash from the unicorn's horn caused the ponchos to dissolve into the air. Applejack sighed and took off her hat, setting it aside as she warmed herself by the fire. "Heck of a time fer a storm, ain't it?"
"Well there's no pegasi out here to really control the weather or anything. I guess it's like the Everfree Forest, in that aspect."
"Ugh." She shivered at the mere mention of that place. "Don' remind me. I like knowin' that goofy stuff only happens in one part of Equestria, an' nowhere else."
Twilight giggled and levitated a piece of fruit out of her bags, taking a bite out of it and grinning at her friend. "What's the matter, Applejack? Scared?"
"I ain' scared! You of all ponies oughta know that by now." Applejack huffed and flopped over onto her side, reaching into her bags and pulling out the harmonica to play with it. She wasn't scared of the Everfree Forest, not really - she just found it incredibly bizarre and unsettling. "How long do ya reckon we've been gone now?"
"I guess... two days? Maybe three? It's kinda hard to say, really." The unicorn took another bite, setting the fruit to the side. "We were underground for a bit, so that complicates things. Let's... just go with two to three days."
Two to three days - it was a pretty solid pace, but it also meant they were about halfway through their supplies. Either they were close, or they'd have to start scavenging for food soon... or even hunt. Applejack was particularly dreading that last option. She knew some animals ate meat, but ponies certainly were not on the list of carnivores. If it came down to survival, though, they might not have much of a choice. Twilight, thanks to her magic, could certainly handle any potential tools or weapons easier than she could, but the earth pony had doubts as to whether or not the unicorn would be able to actually kill anything. It wasn't a question of skill, but of conscience. If that happened, then that meant that only one pony would be able to hunt with any real success - herself. That made the possibility of hunting even worse for her.
"-you alright? ...Applejack?"
She quickly shook her head, glancing over at her friend to see a worried look upon the mare's face. "Huh? Yeah, I'm... I'm fine, sugarcube. Was jus' thinkin' is all."
"Thinking about what? You had this really odd look on your face..."
"Well, I see no harm in tellin' ya. I got ta thinkin' abou' how long we've been out here an' all, an' if we take long enough that our supplies start runnin' out, we're gonna have ta get some stuff elsewhere."
"So we'll just gather fruit or something. Or graze." The unicorn shrugged and finished off her fruit, tossing what was left out into the rain. "It can't be that hard."
Applejack sighed. "I dunno about that, Twi. Worse comes ta worse, we might have ta hunt."
"But... ponies don't hunt." The lavender mare chuckled at first, though it soon turned to nervous laughter once she saw how serious her friend was. "...they don't hunt, right? ...Right?"
"Ponies haven' hunted at all, but... we might have ta. I ain't lookin' forward to it either, Twilight. We ain't exactly 'spose ta eat meat, but... if we gotta, we gotta."
"You can't be serious, AJ. Tell me you're joking." Twilight stared at Applejack, her eyes constantly darting about as she searched for anything, anything at all that might give this away as a lie.
The orange mare sat back up and returned the gaze. "Look... Twilight. I know the idea of us havin' ta eat meat is hard ta stomach... er, no pun intended."
"None taken."
"Anywho, if it comes down ta survival, there ain't no time ta hesitate. It's that, or... we starve an' die. Iffin' ya don' wanna hunt, that's fine - I'll do it mahself. Like I said, I ain' pleased with it either, but there it is."
"...I can't believe we're actually having this conversation." Twilight laughed softly as she idly rubbed her face. "Ponies. Eating meat."
"Twi, yer not mad at me fer mentionin' it or anythin', are ya?" Her ears were already flattened and she found herself unconsciously backing away from the fire - and Twilight Sparkle, to a lesser extent.
The unicorn quickly dropped her hooves from her face, blinking at Applejack. "What? No, of course not! It's just... I don't know. It's hard to both picture and believe, you know?"
She solemnly nodded and began to reach for an apple in her bags before withdrawing her hoof.
Her appetite was gone.
-----
The problem of the lone sleeping bag had finally come full-circle. The sun had set, it was still raining, and temperatures continued to plunge downwards. Blankets wouldn't be enough tonight, yet there were two of them and only one sleeping bag. Both mares had simply stared at the sleeping bag for a while, unsure of what they should even do. Applejack decided to take the initiative on the matter.
"Jus' take it, Twi. I'll sleep outside."
She was already gathering up the blankets for her to use when she heard Twilight speak sternly, a tone of voice she rarely used. "You'll do no such thing."
"...what?"
"You heard me, Applejack. You're not sleeping outside." The unicorn stepped up and was nose-to-nose and eye-to-eye with the earth pony. "If you sleep out here, blankets or no blankets, you won't make it through the night. You'll freeze to death."
The orange mare blinked, slowly attempting to back away - each step backwards was met with a step forwards from Twilight. "Twilight, I don' think ya understand. There's only one sleepin' bag."
She smiled sweetly in return. "Exactly. We'll share it."
"So... wait. Ya wan' both of us ta get in there? An' we'd both be sleepin' in there at th' same time?" Another nod from Twilight, and Applejack nervously glanced about. "Doesn' that seem a bit... awkward to ya?"
"Okay, Applejack? I know I can be horribly naive, but this isn't about 'us being together' or anything like that. Either we both get in the sleeping bag, or one of us is as good as dead. It's only weird if you make it out to be weird. Now shut up and get in."
Applejack stared blankly at the unicorn, not knowing she could even be this assertive, and began to do as told. She stuffed her hat into her saddlebags and then slipped into the sleeping bag, scooting as far in as she could. Twilight Sparkle buttoned the tent shut and walked over, getting in behind Applejack - the lavender mare wiggled her way in, squeezing in just behind the earth pony. Applejack had shared beds with friends before, with the last time being at Twilight's first slumber party, but those were just that - beds. Beds had more room, and sleeping bags? Sleeping bags were certainly cramped quarters. Even now, with the feeling of Twilight pressing against her back, Applejack had to do her best to hide a blush. The last time she had been this close with any other pony had been when Apple Bloom was especially young, and that was only when the filly had nightmares. Yet here she was, doing the exact same thing with her closest friend. She had to repeatedly remind herself that this was for survival and was perfectly justified, and yet-
"Are you honestly embarrassed by all this, AJ?"
She yelped, quickly shutting her mouth with her hooves before releasing them. "I... uh... no, no I ain't. What made ya think that?"
"Well, for starters, I'm right behind you and I can see how red your face is." The unicorn giggled, and Applejack could feel - actually feel - her laughter from their close proximity. "I know this isn't ideal, Applejack, but... we don't have much of a choice in the matter, do we?"
"Nah, I 'spose we don'." She went silent and simply lay there, still slowly adjusting to every little thing - the rustling of her mane by Twilight's own breathing, the press of her body against the unicorn's. She had already stopped blushing, but was still finding it difficult to fall asleep, and a question began to form in her mind. Part of her screamed out, telling her that such a secret was expressly forbidden from being revealed, but the other part thought of all that Twilight Sparkle had ever done for her. She soon came to a decision, and there was no looking back. Everything was about to be put out into the open. "Hey... Twilight? Ya still up?"
"Hm?"
Applejack had 'felt' the reply more than she actually 'heard' it, and soon continued. "What's it like havin' parents?"
"...that's an awful odd question, don't you think? I mean, you've had parents too."
"Yeah, but..." Even now, it had already begun to sting a bit, but she had to press onwards. "Ya asked me what it was like havin' siblings. It's only fair that ya answer me back."
There was a brief silence, and the unicorn sighed. "You have a point, AJ. Well... it's hard to explain, I guess. Having parents is wonderful. They're kind and caring, they give you shelter and love... there's lots of things they do, and I can't really describe all of it. Why?"
The earth pony chewed on her lip and let out a deep breath as she took that fateful step forwards. "I never knew mine. That's why."
"...what?"
"I said I never knew mah parents, Twilight." Her heart was already aching at opening up such an old wound - it had been a deeply private matter, shared only between her and Big Macintosh, and she had vowed to never speak of it again lest it drag her down once more. "Mah... mah Mom passed away when I was real young. Big Macintosh said it was right after she had Apple Bloom. She jus' kinda... drifted away one night while she was sleepin'." Tears had already begun to roll down her cheeks, but she soon swallowed her sorrow and continued, leaving Twilight to lay there in stunned silence at her friend's secret. "Pop got real depressed right after she died, or that's what Big Macintosh tells me anyways. He took all three of us, mahself, Big Macintosh, an' Apple Bloom, an' jus' dropped us off at Granny Smith's. Didn' say where he was goin' or if he was gonna be back, jus' that he loved us an' would always be proud of us. We kinda guess that... he drank 'imself ta death or somethin'."
"...Applejack, I..." A pair of forelegs wrapped around the earth pony's body, pulling her into a tight hug. "I had no idea. I'm sorry I ever mentioned it... I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, sugarcube, jus'..." She couldn't hold it back anymore, and her body shuddered as she silently wept over those who had long since passed on. Applejack had kept it buried for years, never wanting to fully confront it - yet she finally did. She felt the unicorn pull her tighter into the embrace, and it felt... warm. Comforting. Not unlike a mother's love, in fact. As the years slowly worked their way to the surface, the orange mare could no longer keep the years of grief quiet. She shut her eyes tight as she began to cry, and through it all, Twilight never once let go. Through every wracking sob, Twilight never once let go. Applejack had been down this road before, but it had always been alone - now was a different matter. She had the care and affection of a close friend, and though it was still terribly painful for her, she began to slowly feel at peace with herself. Many minutes passed as the two of them lay there in the dark, one friend comforting the other while she grieved. With her emotions having fully run their course, she began to calm down, snuffling as she did, and yet there was something more. A gentle, caring whisper that caused her ears to twitch with every word.
"Shhh... it's okay, Applejack. I'm here." Twilight's horn softly glowed in the darkness as she plucked a bandage from the saddlebags outside, sending it into the tent and dabbing at Applejack's tears. The earth pony couldn't help but laugh softly as she watched the bandage fly about.
"I... thanks, Twilight... Fer everythin'. I mean it."
"I know you do. Feel better?"
She sighed and snuffled once more. "...Yeah. Jus'... don' tell none of the others how much I've been cryin'. I don' want 'em ta think I'm a big softy or nothin'."
"Sure thing, AJ." The unicorn set the damp bandage on the floor, the tent returning to its usual darkness as the magic dissipated.
There was one last thing Applejack wanted to ask, and she felt horribly embarrassed by it. "...hey, Twi? Can I ask ya one last thing?"
"Go for it."
"Could ya maybe... um... not let go?" She felt her face get hot as the words left her mouth, and she felt slightly selfish for asking such a thing of a friend. Still, she couldn't get over how warm or comforting it had been. She wanted more.
Twilight Sparkle giggled in response. "You don't want me to let go the entire night? Aren't you afraid that the other girls are gonna think there's something going on?"
"Nah, I ain't afraid anymore. Jus'... don' let go?" The unicorn gave her another squeeze, and she felt herself begin to smile.
"Oh, I don't see why not. We better get some sleep though." Twilight closed her eyes and snuggled up against the earth pony. "Good night, Applejack."
"G'night, Twi." Even as she began to drift off to sleep, Applejack couldn't get over how... nice this felt. How nice it felt to have such terrible secrets off your chest, and how nice it felt to truly open yourself up to the wonders of friendship.
It would prove to be the best sleep she had gotten in years.