The Alternate Adventures of the Power Ponies

by DisneyFanatic23


Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

"When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier."

- Roy E. Disney


The minute the elevator doors shut, Twilight let out the air she'd been holding in. She looked around hastily for listening devices or hidden cameras that were not her own. She had the sneaking suspicion that she was being observed. By whom, she had a pretty good idea. After all, how else could Sunset have known everything about her and her colleagues?

There was no way of knowing when or if she was spying on her. Perhaps some time away would confuse Sunset enough to shake her off her scent. Plus, it would provide some opportunity for Twilight to think about her current situation with her friend.

Thinking it was safe, Twilight summoned a blonde wig and a pair of shades.

Bon-Bon had been instructed to arrive two blocks down from Power Pony Headquarters in a rental car rather than the usual limo. She had also traded the uniform for some civilian clothing. As Twilight rounded the corner, she raised an eyebrow at the hot pink bug parked on the curb. She was about to pass over it when the passenger door popped open thanks to Bon-Bon's hoof.

"I thought the point of getting a rental was not to draw too much attention," Twilight whispered as she slid into the seat.

Giving a shrug, Bon-Bon replied, "In training, we learned that sometimes, the best way not to arouse suspicion is to be so totally obvious. Trust me." She put the gear into drive. "No pony will think to look for you in here."

Just in case, however, Bon-Bon took the long way to the train station, glancing in the mirrors to ensure they weren't being tailed.

Once they reached the train station, Bon-Bon leaned over and surprised Twilight with a kiss on the cheek.

"Just part of the act," Bon-Bon whispered. "Don't tell Lyra."

Nodding in understanding, Twilight opened the door and went to fetch her large mountain pack from the trunk. Once it was hauled onto her back, she sent Bon-Bon off with a friendly wave.

Alright, Twilight thought as she walked up to the platform. Now all I have to do is take the train to Canterlot, get off two stops early, take the train to Dodge Junction, get off three stops early, take the B Train for five minutes and then take a stagecoach to the docks, pretend to get on a ship but sneak off before it launches and then hike up the mountains. Simple!


Meanwhile, in Appleloosa, Applejack was bucking apple trees on Sweet Apple Acres, the family farm. Her sister Apple Bloom had a bucket on her head, running around to catch the falling apples.

"Ha!" Apple Bloom cried, setting down the apple-filed bucket. "Twelve apples in one!"

"Great catchin', sis!" Applejack said with a chuckle.

The filly raced to hug her. "I've missed havin' ya here, big sis. Chores just aren't as much fun without ya."

Smiling, Applejack patted her on the head. "I've missed this too. Not just the work, but hangin' around with ya."

"Bet there isn't a single apple tree in Maretropolis, huh?" Apple Bloom said, bouncing to the next tree.

Applejack shook her head.

"What in the world do ya do with your time if not workin' the farm?!"

"Well, ya know," Applejack said, examining the tree trunk for the weakest spot. "There are all the varmint and rascals to round up."

"Ya mean Longhorn," Apple Bloom said, hoisting an empty bucket onto her head.

"Aw, he was pretty quiet compared to all the thugs who'd like to keep us crimefighters busy." Chuckling, she moved into her bucking position. "Why, every week or so I'd be stoppin' this thievin' gang of Diamond Dogs who'd spend their nights muggin' civilians and robbin' jewelry stores." She flexed her back hooves. "They were never really much of a threat, but they'd sure give me a workout. This one time, they were tryin' to steal—"

"Ya gonna buck the tree or what?" Apple Bloom demanded.

"Oh, right."

Applejack kicked the trunk, but not with as much enthusiasm as before. Only three apples fell, which made Apple Bloom pout in disappointment.

"And then there was Trixie," Applejack said, kicking the tree again, "this wannabe magician who always had some crazy cockamamie scheme to do who knows what for whatever reason. Would ya believe she tried turnin' all of Maretropolis into dogs, and then ice cream? Why? I have no id—"

"C'mon, sis! You're barely tappin' the thing!"

Turning back, Applejack saw her back leg lightly touching the trunk.

"Oh," she said, this time using both legs to kick hard.

Unfortunately, it was so hard, it sent a storm of falling apples. Apple Bloom yelped as she struggled to keep up. She was in such a hurry she didn't notice the apple on the ground in front of her. Tripping over it, she fell to the ground, spilling the contents of her bucket across the grass. She glared at Applejack, who chuckled guiltily.


The next day, Applejack and her sister went into town to run some errands, their strong brother Big Mac pulling a cart of apples to be delivered. Ponies waved at the siblings, hollering things like:

"Welcome back, AJ!"

"All three Apple siblings together again!"

"Don't ya leave us again, Applejack! We missed ya too much!"

Applejack responded with a smile and a tip of her hat. For a brief moment, she felt the weight of Demeter's Lasso coiled inside. It'd been so long since she'd used it, she'd almost forgotten it was up there.

"See, big sis?" Apple Bloom said. "Every pony here's missed ya."

Applejack nodded. "Is it just me, or is this town a lot…quieter than I remember?"

Big Mac looked around at the wide, near-empty street and watched as a tumbleweed rolled by. "Eeyup."

"Probably cuz it ain't as crowded as them city streets," Apple Bloom said.

Catching sight of the sheriff's station across the way, she noticed the doorposts were surprisingly bare.

"No reward posters?" Applejack murmured.

Her sister shrugged. "Crime's been down since Cousin Braeburn became the new deputy."

"Braeburn?"

"Didn't I tell ya? Not long after ya left, Braeburn stopped these thugs who were holdin' up Sheriff Silverstar. He's been the sheriff's deputy ever since."

Applejack thought back on when she and her cousin would play together in the orchard as foals. He'd been a clumsy colt, often tripping over tree roots or falling into the pig sty. And he'd been really talkative, hardly ever letting Applejack get a word into their conversations. It was a little difficult picturing him as a crimefighter.

"Cousin Applejack!" cried an excited male voice.

"Speak of the devil," Applejack murmured, turning towards the sheriff station.

A yellow stallion with golden hair and green eyes burst through the swinging doors, an elated grin on his face. He tackled Applejack in a hug, causing her to laugh.

"They'd told me ya were back in town," he said rapidly. "When did ya get back? Why didn't ya call me? How rude that you were in town all this time and ya didn't look your old cousin up!"

As he rambled on, Applejack got a better look at him. He wore his usual brown Stetson and vest, only now he had a golden deputy star badge pinned to the latter. Apple Bloom hadn't been kidding.

"Nice new badge ya got there," Applejack said.

"What, this?" Braeburn said, polishing the star with his hoof. "Oh, yeah. Don't suppose ya heard how I stopped those thugs holdin' up the sheriff."

"I was just tellin' her!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"It was nothing. Actually, it was you who inspired me, Cousin Applejack."

"Me?" Applejack asked.

"Uh-huh. See, I was always kinda jealous that you got the family lasso after Uncle Bright Mac died, but I still had my old rope and well, I just lassoed it around the thugs and there they were, all tied up! Next thing I know, I'm a deputy!"

"By the looks of things," Applejack said, glancing back at the bare doorposts, "you're doin' a bang-up job."

"Well," Braeburn said with a shrug, "some pony had to keep an eye on things while you were gone. So, ya back for good or ya just visitin'?"

Before Applejack could answer, Apple Bloom piped up and said, "My sis ain't goin' nowhere!"

The mare looked down at her sister in shock. "Apple Bloom, I—"

"Oh, good!" Braeburn said cheerfully. "It'd be fun if the two of us could work together as a crimefightin' duo. I mean I know Mistress Mare-velous likes to work alone and all, but since we're family, I thought we could…"

Applejack tuned him out the moment he said "work alone." She glanced down at her hooves, which still held the golden apple anklets which contained her costume. She had told herself she wouldn't use her powers on this visit—a break was long overdue—but she couldn't help but keep her rope and costume close, just in case trouble broke loose.

The anklets also made her think of Rarity and Twilight, and how clever they'd been to make their costumes more portable.

A distressed cry interrupted her thoughts and Braeburn's ramblings.

"Stop, thief!"

The cry came from an old stallion, who lay crumpled on the ground. A tall stallion in a black mask was running away from him, carrying a sack that must've belonged to the old stallion. Applejack shook her head.

"That's just the lowest of the low."

Just as she brushed her hoof over one of her anklets, Braeburn bolted after the thief. As he ran, he reached back for the rope hanging from his belt and tossed it into his mouth. Curious, Applejack watched as he effortless spun the rope into a lasso and threw it towards the thief, catching him into the loop.

The thief cried out as the rope tightened around his stomach, forcing him to stop and release the sack. Braeburn slid on the dirt road and caught the sack on his back before it could hit the ground.

Every pony in the street cheered.

"Hooray for Deputy Braeburn!"

"Ya got him good!"

"Don't need to worry with Deputy Braeburn around!"

Braeburn looked back at his cousins, specifically Applejack, and sent them a wink.

"Wasn't Cousin Braeburn great?!" Apple Bloom said, applauding.

Applejack was unsure of how to answer. She felt a buzzing on her head and put her hoof up to her hat.

"Don't get jealous, Bessie," she whispered. "Some pony needed to keep this town safe while we were away."

"Ain't it great?" Apple Bloom asked. "Now ya don't need to worry about no bad guys while you're here! You can just relax!"

Applejack smiled a bit. "Yeah. Relax."

But Bessie was still buzzing inside her hat. Applejack couldn't tell if it was just her imagination or her rope was really upset.

Or maybe she was just looking for an excuse to use it.


With all the travel stops and precautions Twilight had taken, a trip that should have taken three hours ended up taking two days. When she finally got to the mountains, she hiked it up halfway before making camp for the night. She put a protection spell around the camp, a smaller version of the one around Power Pony Headquarters, just in case any wildlife—or wild lifeforms—should visit her in the night.

When morning came, Twilight had a bag of trail mix for breakfast, packed her tent up, and continued uphill. Every now and then, she would glance behind her shoulder and up into the skies, and even stop a moment to listen for signs of movement. At one point, she heard a rustle in the bushes, but it turned out to be a rabbit.

At last, she arrived at her destination.

Using her magic, Twilight gently brushed the shrubs aside to reveal a clearing containing an ancient stone structure. There were six broken stone pillars, surrounding a circular stone pedestal. Twilight took a deep breath as a wave of nostalgia passed over her. She hadn't been to Pone Henge since she was fourteen. Walking up to one of the pillars, she traced her hooves over the ancient runes she'd spent hours trying to decipher with no luck. Even now, after further years of studying, she could not make them out.

Removing her knapsack, she trotted up to the pedestal in the center, stepped up and sat down. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, held her breath, and then slowly released it as she began to meditate. She could imagine what Mistress Mare-velous would say if she could see her now:

Seriously? Ya hopped three trains, hailed a stagecoach, skipped a boat and hiked all the way up here just so you could sit and think?

"Yes, Mare-velous," Twilight murmured with a contented sigh. "Yes, I did."


The next morning, Applejack and Apple Bloom were in the kitchen, washing the breakfast dishes. Apple Bloom was as chipper as ever, while Applejack was still contemplating yesterday's events.

"Braeburn's pretty…good," Applejack finally said.

"Yup!" Apple Bloom said, handing Applejack a wet plate for her to dry. "Ya see the way he caught that thief?"

Nodding, Applejack absentmindedly wiped the plate with the cloth. "He wonders if he and I could team up."

"Yeah, but I don't see why." The filly dipped a bowl in the soapy water. "He's been handlin' things pretty good here."

"Yeah," the older mare said quietly, still drying the same plate. "He…doesn't seem to need any help."

"But that's good, right? This means you've got nothin' to worry about! Instead of fightin' bad guys, ya can just relax here on the farm!"

Applejack paused in her drying and touched her hat. "Ya mean…hang up Ole Bessie?"

"Well, let's face it." Apple Bloom shrugged. "Ya can't fight bad guys forever. Don't ya ever get tired of it? Besides, Longhorn's locked up."

Glancing at her anklet, Applejack replied, "W-What about Maretropolis?"

Apple Bloom waved her hoof. "They got five other heroes. Plus that dragon sidekick. They ain't gonna miss ya. Ya said so yourself you were only in Maretropolis for Longhorn, and now you're home, and ya don't have to worry about catchin' that crook!"

Applejack looked down at her sister. She was so excited as she talked about this. Oh, how Applejack dreaded the idea of bursting this sweet little filly's bubble.

"Apple Bloom, you should know—"

Just then, Applejack's cell erupted at the kitchen table. She recognized the upbeat ringtone immediately. As she reached for it, Apple Bloom gave her a disapproving look.

"Ya said ya weren't gonna check in," she grumbled. "That ya wanted your team to figure things out for themselves."

"It's Pinkie," Applejack said, picking up the cell. "She probably just wants to say hi."

"Pinkie…" Apple Bloom's mouth puckered as she tried to recall the name. "She's the one who's got that superspeed, right?"

Applejack looked at her in surprise. "I don't recall tellin' ya everyone's identities."

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Just guessed. I mean with both of 'em bein' pink and hyper and all."

She couldn't argue with that.

After sending her sister a quick smile, Applejack went into the next room and picked up the call.

"Pinkie?" she asked worriedly. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

On the other end, Pinkie snorted. "Nothing's wrong! Oh, well except this supposedly undead mummy broke into Balkham and sprung Trixie out and most possibly kidnapped four other mares and Zapp's the leader now that Matter-Horn's out of town, but it's nothing we can't handle!"

"What?" Applejack said, shaking her head. "Undead mummy? Zapp the leader? And whaddya mean the Matter-Horn's outta town?!"

"Oh, yeah. Twilight needed some space or self-reflection or something so she left Zapp in charge and after we destroyed half the museum—"

She nearly dropped the phone. "I'm on my way!"

"No, no, no! You're on vacation! Just relax, have fun with the folks! We're researching the mummy and Spike's doing hacking stuff on his computer and we'll have the bad guy in no time!" Pinkie's tone became assuring. "Seriously, AJ. We've got this."

Applejack was about to protest more when she remembered past events: when Rarity was captured by the Mane-iac and used her smarts to let the others know where she was, when Zapp and Fili-Second took on the Shadow King, when Fluttershy had faced Discord alone, and Spike's help in the Longhorn case. It took a few deep breaths, but Applejack finally calmed down.

"Right. You're right. I trust y'all. But seriously, if y'all need any help, I'll be on the first train to Maretropolis."

"Thanks, but like I said, we've got this. Oh! The reason I called is that the flour shipment came in today."

Applejack blinked, and then slapped her forehead. "Aw, I completely forgot! Did it all come in alright?"

"Yup. All fifty crates. Where do you want me to put 'em?"

"The cellar should be fine for now. We'll be sure to keep one or two crates in the kitchen, in case we have a rush and need to work quickly."

Pinkie huffed. "As if ya need to do that to work quickly. Or did you forget I can just carry the crates up and down in a millisecond?"

A smile tugged at Applejack's lips. "Right. Still, I might need flour quickly and you might be too busy with customers. Ya can't exactly use your superspeed without 'em noticin'."

"Fair point. Oh, I've come up with a new idea for a menu item! I thought of it when trying to think of a name for the bakery and thought it would be better as a pastry! It's called…Apple Berry Pie!"

Applejack frowned. "Pinkie, there ain't no such thing as an apple berry."

"Of course not, silly!" Pinkie giggled. "It's an apple pie with berries added to the mix!"

"Oh. What kind of berries?"

"That's the beauty part of it! It'll be a surprise! A different berry every time! The first pie may have strawberries, the next pie may have blueberries, or boysenberries, or snozzberries!"

Applejack had no idea what a snozzberry was, but the idea intrigued her. "I like it. Though ya may wanna check with the customers if they have any allergies, before ya bake 'em a mystery berry pie."

"Check. I'll even have some samples ready for ya when ya get home. When are you coming home, by the way?"

The question was innocent, merely one for information. However, it made Applejack's blood run cold. Firstly, because Pinkie had called Maretropolis "home," the same way Apple Bloom had called Appleloosa. Technically, Applejack still lived in Maretropolis, as she hadn't moved out of her apartment. Not to mention she'd bought a business there.

Secondly, she did not have the answer to the question.

"AJ?" Pinkie said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "You are coming home? Right?"

"Y-Yeah," Applejack said. "N-Not sure when yet, I mean…there's my sister and all and…soon, Pinkie. Real soon."

The sound of something shattering caused Applejack to spin around. Apple Bloom stood in the doorway, remnants of a plate scattered at her hooves. Her eyes were wide with shock and hurt.

"I'll call ya back, Pinks," Applejack said, hanging up. "Apple Bloom—"

"You're leavin' again?" Apple Bloom said, her voice cracking.

She knelt down to the filly, careful not to kneel on the shards. "Sis, we both know I can't—"

"Ya said you were comin' home…that you were stayin'."

Applejack shook her head. "I never said I was stayin' for good."

Tears welled up in her little sister's eyes. "But Longhorn…ya said once ya got him—"

"Just cuz I beat Longhorn doesn't mean I'm not Mistress Mare-velous anymore." Lifting her hat, she took out the rope. "Demeter's Lasso is still my responsibility. My team, they—"

"They can manage without ya!" Apple Bloom snapped.

Though taken aback at her outburst, Applejack patiently continued. "It's not just fightin' crime. I've built a life in Maretropolis. I've got a roommate, I've got a business partner I'm startin' a baker with, I've got…friends."

As soon as the word left her lips, she knew it was true. The Power Ponies had become more than coworkers, or simple backup. They'd been through so much together, from Fluttershy's rampage, to the Mane-iac's plot, the Sirens' deadly song, to her final takedown of Longhorn. She would've gone down a lonelier, perhaps much darker, path had it not been for her friends.

"They need me, sis," Applejack murmured. "And I need them."

"We need ya!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Don't ya care about us?! Don't ya care if we care if ya end up like Ma and Pa?!"

Applejack stiffened. "What?"

"They did all that hero stuff, which would've been well and good if they hadn't gotten killed and left me without a ma and pa! And now," she sniffed, "you're gonna leave me too!"

Turning on her back hoof, she dashed out of the kitchen.

"Apple Bloom!"

She was prepared to run after her, but then remembered the broken plate in front of her. It delayed her long enough for her to realize that her sister needed a little time to cool down. With a heavy sigh, Applejack fetched a broom and began sweeping up the shards, all the while thinking of what she was going to say to her sister.


Twilight hadn't moved from her spot in a little over twenty-four hours. She had used her magic to get replenishment from her knapsack, but other than that, she hardly moved a muscle. She just sat there, eyes closed, breath going in and out. The quiet sounds of the forest, the rustling of the leaves and the blowing of the grass, helped her to relax into her deepest thoughts.

As the sun was setting, Twilight's ear twitched upon hearing a new sound. It was soft, and barely made a crunch, but it was unmistakably the sound of hoofsteps. Powering her horn and pretending to get water from her knapsack, she waited for the intruder to make themselves known.

At the sound of another horn powering, Twilight sprung to her hooves and spun around as she quickly put up a shield. She was met with two surprises. One, no spell was fired at her.

Two, she knew her intruder all too well.

"Come on, Twilie, I was just messing with you," Sunset said, chuckling as she diminished her horn. "Like I'd really be a poor sport and knock you down when you're vulnerable. I just wanted to see how much you were paying attention."

Still not removing the shield, Twilight stared at her in bewilderment. "How did you know I was—?" She shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. I don't want to know."

Sunset glanced around the ruins. "Ah, Pone Henge. I have such fond memories of this place."

Scowling, Twilight put down the shield and returned to her sitting position. "Look, Sunset, I'm not really in the mood to fight right now. In fact, I came out here to get away from all the fighting."

"You mean get away from me."

Twilight closed her eyes and refused to answer.

With a tsk, Sunset shook her head. "Honestly, Twi, if you were trying to get away from me, you shouldn't have come to a place that holds such significance to us." She eyed Twilight's frozen back. "You do remember that night, don't you? We were fourteen, Princess Celestia had taken our class up here on a field trip?"

She took a step forward. Twilight didn't even flinch.

"We camped but a few miles from here, and were going to see Pone Henge at sunrise." She chuckled. "Oh, but we were such impatient, curious fillies back then, and couldn't wait that long. So, once all our classmates were asleep, we snuck out of our tent and hiked the rest of the way up the mountain until we came to Pone Henge.

"We spent hours trying to decipher these runes, trying to solve the mystery behind this place." Sunset looked fondly up at the darkening sky. "When we finally gave up, we just lay here, side by side as we took turns pointing out constellations."

She glanced back at Twilight, who still hadn't budged. Sunset heaved a heavy sigh.

"I know you hate me. The things I've done are…unforgivable." She shivered at the memory of their last kiss. "I'm not asking for forgiveness, and I'm not asking for reformation. All I'm asking is that we just forget that we're enemies for a moment and…pretend we're still friends."

She waited for an answer.

"I don't wanna fight either, Twi. Not here." She hung her head. "Never here."

There was another long period of silence. Then Twilight sighed wearily as she patted the spot behind her. Grinning, Sunset sat down so that they were back to back.

"So why did you come here, of all places?" Sunset asked.

Without turning to look at her, Twilight quietly replied, "It seemed like a good place to think."

"About…?"

"A lot of things."

Sunset nodded. "Our relationship is a bit complicated."

"Not just that," Twilight said, opening her eyes. "So much has been going on with the team."

"Right. Your lasso friend had to face a moral dilemma while taking on her greatest enemy."

Twilight groaned. "Once again, not going to ask how you know that."

"I just read it in the paper," Sunset said with a shrug. "And I kind of gathered some time ago that Mare-velous' revenge plans weren't exactly…clean."

Twilight hung her head. "So did I."

Sunset turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "And you didn't even try to stop her?"

"It wasn't my business. Though I figured if Spike tagged along—"

"Yes." Sunset's tone became slightly angry. "Because that's the best solution. Sending a child to stop a grown mare from murder."

"It worked, didn't it?" Twilight snapped.

Sunset huffed. "You have a lousy team, you know that?"

This time, the lavender unicorn did turn around. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on, you know it. That's why you're out here, isn't it? We came out here together, because that's the kind of friends we were: the ones who share and do everything together, no matter how dark our secrets nor how questionable our actions."

"And yet you didn't tell me your darkest secret about your obsession with me."

"That's not the point. You shared everything with me. But with your team, it's different. You didn't even tell them you practiced dark magic until I came along."

"I told Mare-velous," Twilight murmured.

"Oh, yes, but she keeps secrets too. She didn't tell you about Fluttershy's real connection with the God of Chaos, or what she intended to do with Longhorn. The former you learned by accident, and the latter you concluded yourself. She didn't actually trust you with any of that information. No one in your team trusts each other. Neither of your teammates even trusted you with their identities."

Twilight opened her mouth to protest.

"Yes, I know you figured it out! The same way I figured things out! You didn't trust that any of your teammates would reveal their secrets to you in their own time, so you went and dug up everything you could on them, just like I did! The only difference between you and me, Twi, is that I actually acknowledge that the things I do are wrong!"

Twilight was fuming, clenching her hooves as she tried not to scream.

"That incident with Longhorn was the final blow, wasn't it? You finally realized how little your teammates trust you, and why should they? When you don't trust anyone but—"

"You're right!" Twilight exploded. "You're right, okay?! I have trust issues! I admit it!" She took a deep breath. "Can you really blame me though? After what happened to you?"

Surprised, Sunset turned to see Twilight's drooping form.

"Like you said, we shared everything," the lavender unicorn murmured, her head sinking further. "We shared our darkest secrets…and talents. You…you cared about me so much that you…you sacrificed your freedom to help me. And…you trusted that I would help you in return." She shut her eyes. "I can't…I can't let anyone else trust me that much again. Not even…"

She trailed off, unable to continue.

"Not even Spike?"

Twilight sniffed. "He probably knows almost as much about me as you do, but…I never told him…about what we did that night…before you were arrested."

Sunset nodded. "To be fair, though, he's not exactly old enough to know about that stuff."

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I still could've let him know…we weren't exactly just friends. At least…not that night."

"That's the one thing I can't figure out about you, Twi. Why you can't admit that at some point, you didn't think of me as a friend. Are you afraid of being a lesbian? Or bi at least? That can't be it. Your family's not exactly homophobic, and at least one of your friends is non-hetero. And it's not like the public will outcast you, as society's come so far—"

"It's not that," Twilight whispered. "I'm not afraid that I might be gay." She lifted her head to look out into the woods. "I'm afraid…that I might be…not gay."

Sunset narrowed her eyes at her in confusion. "You've lost me."

With a heavy sigh, Twilight shifted her body so that she could lie back and look at the sky. Sunset did the same thing.

"That night we…" Heat rose to Twilight's cheeks. "That had been—"

"Your first time?" Sunset asked. "I know. You didn't exactly date anyone before—"

"It wasn't just my first time. It was also the first time I…" Twilight paused. "See, I never really thought about that sort of thing about…any pony, before, but…that night I…I actually…wanted it." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Because it was you."

Sunset lay still, unsure of how to respond.

"I hardly ever think about it. Except when I was with you and—"

"Flash?"

Twilight's face grew redder.

"I know. Best you don't ask how."

Twilight shook her head. "I did want it. Maybe…maybe not as much as I…did with you, but…I just felt so close to Flash that night that I…it was the same way I felt close that night with you, and…that other night. It was just the one time with him, by the way."

She paused. "Truth is I just don't know what I am. I want it sometimes, but not all the time. At least…not as much as I think you're supposed to. And if I'm really gay or bi, then why is it the only ponies I've ever been attracted to are you and Flash? What does that make me?"

Sunset took a moment to come up with an answer. "It makes you a person. I mean…who's to say you need to find every pony attractive? After all, you're the only pony I've ever thought about in that way. Why should it be weird if you've only ever liked two?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not saying a pony should sleep with a lot of ponies, but…they're supposed to want to, right? The thought hadn't even crossed my mind until we—"

"I'm an expert on a lot of things, Twi," Sunset said bluntly, "but not sexuality. The only thing I do know is that I didn't exactly choose to be attracted to you." She shifted awkwardly. "Maybe I, uh…chose the way I handled it, but…falling for you in the first place hadn't been my choice. We never choose who we fall in love with. So, if the only ponies you've ever been attracted to in the slightest are just one mare and one stallion, who's to say that was your choice?"

Twilight gazed at the stars as she thought about this. "Why couldn't we have stayed friends, Sunset?"

Sunset sighed. "We crossed too many lines since then." She sat up to look down at her. "You know? This is really something you should talk about with your teammates."

Twilight made eye contact with her. "Why? This doesn't affect the team in any way."

"They're still your friends, Twilie. If anything, they're the ponies you have to rely on in life-threatening situations. If you can't even rely on them with your emotional problems, how can you rely on them to assist you in battle? Besides, Speedy and Weather Girl would probably know about this stuff better than I would."

Twilight scrunched her muzzle in confusion. She understood why Pinkie might be helpful, but why would Rainbow Dash?

Sunset seemed to read her mind. "Just talk to her. You'll get what I mean."

"Maybe," Twilight said. "But…it's not exactly something I'm ready to talk about yet. I couldn't even tell you back in school."

"Fair enough." Sunset shrugged as she lay back down.

Twilight twiddled her hooves. "I'm glad you're here, Sunset, but…you do realize once we're back in Maretropolis, I can't ignore the fact that you're still a wanted thief?"

Sunset smirked. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

They both knew this moment was only temporary, that they would go back to being sworn enemies the next day. But for now, they weren't enemies, or lovers. They were just two mares lying beneath the stars.

"Hey, look." Twilight pointed up at the sky. "Orion's out tonight."


"Apple Bloom?" Applejack called, knocking on her sister's locked door for what felt like the thousandth time. "Ya hungry? We're havin' breakfast for dinner."

Her only response was a sniff.

"Apple Bloom, I'm sorry! Can ya please open the door so we can talk about this?"

"Go away!" Apple Bloom shouted from inside.

There was a thump against the door, most likely a pillow she had thrown. Sighing heavily, Applejack trotted away from the door and downstairs to the kitchen. Granny Smith and Big Mac were at the table with a stack of pancakes. They looked at the young mare questioningly, and she responded with a shake of her head.

"I didn't mean to upset her," Applejack said, taking her seat.

"Give her time, honey," Granny Smith said, passing the pancake platter to her. "How many?"

"No thanks, Granny," Applejack said, holding up her hoof. "I've kinda lost my appetite too."

Shrugging, the elderly mare handed the platter to her grandson. He silently scooped two pancakes onto his plate.

"Ya know we don't blame ya for wantin' to go," Granny Smith said as she served herself. "You're a grown mare. All birds have to leave the nest at some point."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said, squirting syrup onto his pancakes.

"I'm not so sure if I wanna go, Granny," Applejack said. "The reason I accepted Demeter's Lasso was so I could get my revenge on Longhorn. Now that he's put away, I…I'm not sure what to do next."

"Well, maybe he'll break out and give ya purpose again."

At this thought, Applejack slumped her head onto the table. "Did I do the right thing, Granny? Lettin' him live? I mean I know I couldn't've done it in front of his daughter, but…he is a murderer. And what if he gets out again and hurts some pony else?"

She raised her head a little to settle her chin on the table's edge. "And what if he doesn't get out? Do I keep bein' a hero? I mean…Apple Bloom's right. There are six other heroes to defend Maretropolis, and Appleloosa doesn't need me with Braeburn around. I've been doin' this for twelve years. Maybe…maybe it's time I…hang up Ole Bessie."

The rope buzzed under her hat, as if to say no.

"I mean…I can't keep doin' this forever, right? You said so yourself Grandpa retired a few years before he died. But…I'm not sure if I wanna quit yet. I…I've liked bein' part of a team. Plus, there's the bakery Pinkie and I are gonna start, but then again, I don't exactly have to be a hero to do that either. But I also don't wanna upset Apple Bloom and…"

She sighed. "What do I do, Granny?"

Granny Smith had said nothing during her granddaughter's speech, only listened. Once she was finished, the elderly mare rubbed her chin in thought.

"Do ya know why your ma took the gun?"

Applejack blinked, for this wasn't the answer she'd expected. "N-No, actually."

"Well," Granny said, cutting into her pancakes, "she didn't tell ya, cuz you were too young, but when she was just a filly, not much older than you were, she lost her ma."

Applejack raised her head further. She knew her maternal grandmother had died before she was born, but she'd never heard the details.

"What happened?"

Granny took a bit of her food. "Shot. By sheep rustlers."

Applejack's eyes widened.

"The rustlers were scared off by the law, but one of 'em, not the one who'd shot your other granny, had dropped their pistol. Lil' Buttercup picked it up and kept it until she was old enough to learn how to use it."

"But…why? I mean if a gun killed her ma, why would she use one herself?"

Granny shrugged. "It's like the old phrase: 'fight fire with fire.' Only it wasn't just your granny's killer Buttercup had a grudge against. It was all creatures who bore arms. But she didn't wanna get in trouble with the law, so she put on a mask and became Kitty Coltson, fastest gun in the West!

"As she hunted that no-good sheep rustlin' killer, she shot every gun-owner she encountered on the way, regardless of whether or not they were usin' those guns illegally." She saw the horrified look on her granddaughter's face. "Don't worry. Your ma didn't have it in her heart to kill. None of the wounds she gave 'em were fatal."

Granny's face became grim. "She would shoot for the hooves, to make sure they'd never wield their weapons again."

Big Mac put down his fork, deciding he wasn't hungry anymore.

"Did…Ma ever find the rustler who shot her ma?" Applejack asked.

Granny Smith nodded. "She wasn't gonna show him the same mercy as the others. She had her gun pointed at his heart. But then…"

She paused to take another bite of her pancake.

"What, what?!" both grandchildren asked in anticipation.

She swallowed. "Your pa burst in. Bright Mac had been trackin' the same rustler. He and your ma had had a few run-ins before, your pa with the intention of bringin' her in. He wouldn't let your ma take a life, but knew not even Ole Bessie would be faster than her trigger hoof. He talked her down, told her that this wasn't the way, that he knew how she felt, as he'd lost a parent too. Ya know, mushy stuff like that.

"Well, it was enough to convince Buttercup not to aim at the heart. Instead, she shot his hooves and took his gun for her own."

Granny turned to Applejack. "So ya see, hon, you're not the first pony who's had to face their inner demons, and ya won't be the last."

"Dang," Applejack said after a long period of silence.

"You should know, with that hoodlum permanently handicapped, he had an awful hard time tryin' to get back in the crime spree. He didn't hurt nobody again, and your ma didn't have to stoop to his level to be sure of that."

"Because Pa stopped her," Applejack murmured, "just like Spike had stopped me."

Her heart swelled at this thought, and she found she suddenly missed the little dragon and his big heart. Indeed, he and the girls had definitely become more than just teammates.

"Even if I go back to Maretropolis though," Applejack said, "would it be as Mistress Mare-velous or just…Applejack Smith?"

"Your parents asked themselves the same question," Granny said, turning towards Big Mac. "When you were born, your parents decided there was somethin' in their lives more important than fightin' crime. They wanted to protect the innocent, they wanted to protect you.

"Your ma was the first to retire. She got rid of her guns, knowing she couldn't have those with a new foal around, had 'em destroyed, so that no pony else could get their hooves on 'em and take another life."

She turned to Applejack. "Your pa didn't hang up Ole Bessie until you came along. He decided if their family was growin', both of 'em needed to be there. Even if they managed to keep both their double-lives goin', they knew what might happen if either of 'em got hurt. They didn't wanna leave ya alone."

Granny Smith hung her head. "Then Longhorn came into town. He wanted to buy up the land by force, our farm included." Her tone became one of disgust. "He even threatened you three, even though Apple Bloom was just an infant. Your parents had no choice but to take up their masks and weapons again." She was quiet for a moment. "And y'all know where that led."

The table was silent as the siblings took this information in.

"Your parents made difficult choices," Granny said. "Whether or not they were always the right choices…well, we can't be too sure. But ya know?" She took Applejack's hoof. "Considerin' they did all they could to protect you, I don't think they could've done any of it differently."

Sniffing, Applejack wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Whatever you decide, Applejack," Granny said, glancing at Big Mac, "we'll still love ya. And we'll always be here for ya. Right, Big Mac?"

Sniffing, he replied with a choked, "E-Eeyup."


When morning came, Apple Bloom heard knocking on her door once again. Her stomach growled at the thought that it might be the call to breakfast. Giving into her hunger, the filly rolled out of bed and trudged to the door with her head down. When she opened it, her sister stood in the doorway, suitcases at her hooves.

"So," Apple Bloom said with a sniff, "you're leavin', then."

Applejack studied her sister's tear-streaked face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She looked more tired than angry.

"I've got a job to do," Applejack replied softly.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Ya always were about doin' the right thing."

"It's not just that." She knelt down and laid a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Listen, Sugar Cube. I love ya, and I've loved spendin' time with ya. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. This place is my home."

"But…" the filly said, meeting her eyes.

The older mare sighed. "Maretropolis is my home too. The Power Ponies aren't just my teammates, or my friends. They're like family. And that doesn't mean you're any less my family than they are. Maybe they don't need me as much as you do, but…I need them. They've helped me fight my demons, they've helped me grow into a better hero, a better pony.

"And besides," she said, placing her other hoof on Apple Bloom's other shoulder, "I didn't just become Mistress Mare-velous so I could get revenge. I did it because of you."

Apple Bloom blinked. "Me?"

She nodded. "I couldn't let what happened to Ma and Pa happen to you. I had to make the world a better place for you to live in, for all foals like you to live in. And how can I do that if I'm just stayin' on the farm?

"You're right. I can't be Mistress Mare-velous forever, and someday, I'll be ready to hang up Ole Bessie, but…not now. Ya get what I'm sayin'?"

Apple Bloom stared at her for a long while. Then, as more tears came, she threw her hooves around her big sister and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Promise you'll come back?" she croaked. "Even if just for a visit?"

"Of course, Sugar," Applejack said, smiling as she hugged her back. "You're my little sister. I'll always come back to you."


At the Maretropolis Museum, the construction workers were still working on rebuilding the broken exhibits.

"Hey, lady!" one of the workers called to Rainbow Dash. "Where do ya want this Venus statue?"

"One," Rainbow said, pushing her glasses up her nose, "that's a Gracian statue, so it's Aphrodite, not Venus. Two, uh…I suppose you could put it over…"

"Ma'am!" another worker called. "This roof's no good! We'll have to take it down and rebuild it from scratch!"

"Take it down?! How long will that—?"

"Miss, where do you want this jar?"

"It's an amphora and it goes—"

"Lady, when's the boss coming back?"

"I don't know!" Rainbow hollered. "Maybe never! Apparently he thinks he's a pharaoh again and has klepto…klepto…"

"Kleptomania?" asked a voice from behind.

Spinning around, Rainbow gasped when she saw Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, thank Zeus!" the pegasus cried, nearly knocking the unicorn over with her hug. "I was starting to think you weren't ever coming back!"

"Nope," Twilight said with a smile. "I'm back. By the way, Rainbow Dash, can I talk to you about something…personal?"

"Personal?" Rainbow said, pulling back in confusion. "Uh, sure, I guess. Just do me one favor."

"What's that?"

Rainbow groaned in exasperation. "Never leave me in charge again, okay?"

Twilight giggled. "No problem. Oh, that reminds me. Since Mr. Fetlock is unwell, we're going to need a new head curator. You up for the job?"

Rainbow stared at her for a long while, her eyes wide in shock. Then she fainted.


Pinkie was bustling throughout her soon-to-be bakery, carrying crates of ingredients up and down the stairs to the cellar. She panted and wiped the sweat off the brow. Despite having superspeed, she lacked in super strength, and those crates were heavy!

Slowly, she made her way to the next crate and hoisted it onto her back. Her knees struggled to keep it up.

Then, suddenly, the weight felt lighter. Confused, Pinkie looked to see Applejack holding up the crate alongside her. Gasping, she threw her hooves around Applejack.

"You're back, you're back! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"Pinkie!" Applejack shouted, as the sudden impact of the hug caused them both to lose their balance.

They fell to the floor, as did the crate. It burst open, causing flour to explode everywhere. Applejack narrowed her eyes at Pinkie, who smiled guiltily. Then, seeing she was covered in flour, licked the substance off her own face.

"At least we know the flour's good!" Pinkie said with a snort.

The image and comment were both so ridiculous, Applejack couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"Ready to start a bakery, Pinkie?"

Pinkie squealed. "You bet!"