“........wow, I know you said Princess Twilight lived in some place nice, but I didn’t realize you meant this nice…” Autumn murmured to herself as she stepped inside the castle, the place a hub of activity. Merry music was audible, coming from somewhere down the halls, which by now were decorated with yuletide garland and red ribbon. Twin trees sat on either side of the entrance way, each covered in white lights and small red baubles. Absentmindedly, Autumn reached out to bat at the baubles in some ways resembling a giant cat. ….which given she was part lion was probably an accurate statement really. There was the sound of something shattering, and Autumn blushed sheepishly as she backed away from the tree, now missing one less bauble.
To her right, Applejack sighed and rubbed her temples with a hoof. She was well aware Autumn was a bit excitable, and easily distracted but at times her friend could stand to keep her hooves to herself. The kirin wore what was an apparently traditional ceremonial dress, called a cheongsam -commissioned from Rarity- if Applejack could remember right. Not that she really cared. Couldn’t pronounce it, and looked too fancy for her tastes so it didn’t really matter to her. “Although…” Applejack thought to herself as she watched Autumn walk, the dress hugging both her and the floor, golden flowers -lotuses, of course, what else?- decorating it. “She makes it work nicely, I think.”
“Thank you for inviting me, AJ,” Autumn smiled gently, the smile feeling… just right on her, Applejack mused. It wasn’t too long ago, really, that she’d seen the kirin wearing this false smile, one that never quite met her eyes. And when she thought nobody was looking, the false smile faded. It never set quite well with Applejack, and though she never said it aloud it… nauseated her to think Autumn’s village could -and would- abandon her so readily just because she didn’t… fit. Applejack watched as her friend nibbled on an apple grabbed from a nearby bowl and sighed. Ponyville was like her family, at times. She couldn’t possibly imagine being outright banished from it.
“...My pleasure,” Applejack mumbled to herself putting on a smile for Autumn. If the kirin had noticed her frowning before, she said nothing of it and went on about her night.
Currently, the kirin was wearing a bright smile, and not one of those little false ones she used to hide the pain. It was an honest to Celestia genuine actual smile, one that seemed to light up the whole room with it. And then there was the laugh she made, almost musical in a way. If Applejack felt her heart beat just a little bit faster in those moments she declined to comment on it.
“So, you were telling me about Ponyville right?” Autumn said before she began one of her usual babbles, speaking at a speed to almost rival Pinkie Pie. Almost. “Oooh, oooh! You said it was like home to you right? Home like a nice warm fire, because those are always nice. Unless of course you actually light the fire yourself, like with yourself. Because oh, that’s never nice. Did I ever tell you about the time I almost burned down my hut? Oooh, Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands was not pleased with me that day let me tell you!”
Applejack, as ever, just smiled and let her friend ramble on. “Yeah, just about. Not about the, uh, burning down thing, but the ‘like home’ part. Home to me is friends and family, a roof over my head is nice and all but friends and family? A house wouldn’t be a home without it,” Applejack finally said after Autumn was done babbling. Something about apples, the farm pony wasn’t sure.
“Right, I know right?” Autumn continued on her attention fully on Applejack. That was something the farm mare had noticed, a curiosity. Despite her being able to be able to gravitate to one subject as easily as the next, when she actually wanted to be Autumn was almost laser-focused on something. What this meant for her, Applejack mused, she couldn’t say. “Because seriously, girl. As much as I love my house -and I do love it- it just feels empty without Eggbert. You know, the pumpkin?”
“...No, I don’t know the pumpkin,” Applejack said.
“Ooh, I’ve got to tell you about the pumpkin. Found him sitting in the marketplace once, or was it twice? I’m not sure. Maybe it was thrice. Anyways, found Eggbert sitting out there, couldn’t bear to see him -or is it bare?- alone. Adopted him really!” Autumn gushed sounding so proud of herself.
“...You adopted a pumpkin?” Applejack asked trying not to sound like she was this close to facehoofing. Because, trust me, she was. She adored Autumn, really she did! But sometimes, she wondered how her brain worked. And sometimes, she wondered if she really wanted to know. Granted, Applejack had a sneaking suspicion that all that time alone had driven her, -as Pinkie would probably say- sorta cray-cray.
“Yeah, yeah, adopted a pumpkin. You don’t do that sorta thing out here?” Autumn asked tilting her head in this actually fairly adorable manner. “Shame on you!”
“Look, Autumn…” Applejack started trying to explain to her friend that most ponies didn’t adopt fruits and vegetables. This coming from the pony who named a tree ‘Bloomberg’ and who knew Starlight had somehow named a philodendron. Okay, so yeah, maybe Applejack wasn’t the best to explain this.
“No no, I get it. It’s probably a family feud sorta thing with you, I bet. I know you’re not a fan of the Sunrise family, and you’re only now just getting over the Pear feud by the way. Oh, did I tell you how much that story broke my heart? I didn’t stop crying for days!” Autumn said even now fighting back tears. “Imagine, you giving up your whole family all for love! ...Oh, now that is devotion!”
“Y-Yeah, it is…” Applejack murmured and Autumn right about then remembered who exactly she was talking to. She sucked in a breath and muttered apologies.
“It’s… It’s okay.” Applejack muttered in response.
“No, no, it’s totally not okay!” Autumn said in response. “That was your family history I was speaking about, carelessly even! I really, really need to work on things like that! It’s just…”
“Been so long since you’ve had someone who’s willing to listen?” Applejack asked laying a sympathetic hoof on her friend’s shoulder. Autumn let out a soft whimper and wiped away what Applejack swore to be tears.
“...Y-Yeah,” Autumn said before cursing herself. “Oh, look at me. It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, and here I am getting all emotional!”
“No, no, it’s okay,” Applejack reassured. “Hearth’s Warming is a time to spend with friends, and if you need a shoulder to cry on…”
“But that’s just it! You’re all supposed to be happy and cheery and I don’t want to ruin that!” Autumn said. “...I’m supposed to save the tears for tomorrow, and even then they’re supposed to be happy tears! So no, don’t you let me get all emotional and ruin everything alright? I’m faaaaaaairrrrrrrrrrlllly certain your friend Twilight wouldn’t appreciate it if I got tears all over her nice floors. Because whoops, there someone goes tripping and falling!”
Here Autumn snorted at the mental image, and Applejack in spite of herself snorted as well. “...Oh, look at me, that’s not funny at all, and here I am…” she grumbled cursing herself.
“Hey, I got you to laugh right?” Autumn asked giving her friend a look. “See, mind off my own crippling emotional issues!”
“...when you put it like that, my mind isn’t going to go ‘off’ your crippling emotional issues anytime soon…” Applejack muttered to herself.
“No, no, better laughter and happy tears than sad ones that get everyone all worried about you, or ones that ruin nice new dresses!” Autumn said. “I’m also fairly certain Rarity wouldn’t exactly appreciate that either!”
“No… No, I don’t think she would,” Applejack admitted with a small little snort, and Autumn snorted in kind. “Rares is… well, I hate to call her a drama queen but…”
“She is?” Autumn offered. “Eh, relax. If we’re throwing shade, best we do it together eh? Besides, what Miss Priss doesn’t hear won’t hurt her!”
“...If you say so…” Applejack mumbled before she quickly decided to change the subject not feeling at all well with herself right now. She wasn’t sure why, Celestia knew she’d made jokes about Rarity before. Maybe it was because of the time of year. Call her foolish, or call her a little filly but Applejack still -when she thought nobody was looking- crept down to see, just maybe if the Gift Givers had come in the night. For obvious reasons, she never had mentioned this to anyone, even within her immediate family. Granny Smith, Applejack often thought, possibly suspected Applejack still believed but never said anything on the subject. And really, in a land where magic reigned and ponies could raise the sun and moon who’s to say they didn’t exist?
After all, three magical deer who traversed the lands in one night bringing joy to all didn’t sound that unbelieveable did it?
So yeah, Applejack was trying to be on her best behavior tonight. She knew how the old song went, that they saw you when you were awake and how bad or good you were being. ...Okay, yeah that sounded stalkerish when you said it like that. Applejack tried not to think about that particular aspect too much.
“If you do break down crying, please do it in the bathroom, and not on the floors,” a particular voice rumbled, and both Applejack and Autumn looked up. Autumn swallowed at the rather tall pony in front of them, her cherry red mane done up in a mohawk. Even the nice dress she wore didn’t detract from how intimidating she actually was. It was the scar, must have been the scar. “We, in fact, do actually frown upon that.”
It took a minute for Applejack to realize Tempe… no, Fizzlepop -as Applejack had to keep reminding herself- was in fact joking. With her, it was extremely exceedingly hard to tell at times.
“Ooooooh, wait, I know who you are!” Autumn proclaimed rushing up to Fizzlepop pen and paper in hoof, pulled out of her mane. Applejack had to suppress a groan, really Autumn? Now she would be lucky if the two left the castle in one piece! It was general common sense, really, to never ever remind a reformed villain about their past. Clearly nobody with this in mind had ever met Autumn Blaze. “You’re that kickass lady who nearly took over Canterlot and nearly defeated Princess Twilight! Storm… storm something?”
“Tempest Shadow, although it’s Fizzlepop Berrytwist now,” Fizzlepop rumbled looking very… well, Applejack wouldn’t call it flattered. Annoyed, really. “...and that doesn’t leave this room, okay?”
“What’s to be embarrassed about? It’s an awesome name!” Autumn said a gleaming beacon of positivity as ever. Fizzlepop was blushing right now, Applejack was sure of it. “...Oh, you must tell me how your parents named you! Please do leave in the complicated descriptions and comedic tangents.”
“Is she always like this?” Fizzlepop mouthed.
“Yes, you get used to her,” Applejack returned. “...usually.”
“I don’t want to get used to her!” Fizzlepop mouthed back. “She may be your marefriend, and that’s fine with me and I’m not judging you but…”
Here Applejack blushed unseen. “...she’s not my marefriend.” she mouthed back.
“Sure she isn’t,” Fizzlepop replied before looking directly at Autumn with her best shut up or I buck you through a window expression. “And how exactly am I supposed to know what was going through my parents’ heads when they named me?”
“Weeeeeeeeeeellll, I don’t know what was going through my head when I named my shadow Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands, but I still did it!” Autumn boasted proudly before nodding firmly. “And for the record, your parents had awesome naming sense!”
Here, again, Fizzlepop blushed. This time she mumbled: “You… you think so?” to herself.
“Well, duh! I mean, it’s certainly better than edgelady names like Tempest Shadow!” Autumn said finally remembering. Here, Fizzlepop looked to be severely considering bucking the kirin through a window. “It’s like a dark lord naming himself Tom!”
Fizzlepop’s glare got fiercer.
“...Best you quit while you’re still ahead, Autumn…” Applejack mumbled looking upwards with a Celestia kill me now expression.
She wasn’t sure if Autumn had heard her or not, but the kirin quickly backpedaled. Might have been Fizzlepop’s glare. Yeah, it was probably most certainly the glare. “N-Not that I’m questioning your naming sense of course!” Autumn stammered out.
Fizzlepop rolled her eyes and trotted off, but not before whispering to Applejack: “...I do hope you kissing her shuts her up.”
If Applejack didn’t know any better, she could have sworn Fizzlepop was laughing. Applejack meanwhile, had gone an interesting shade of red. “Are… are you okay?” Autumn asked waving a hoof in front of her face. “...you’re not running a fever are you?”
“No… no, I’m fine.” Applejack said her voice nearly coming out as a very undignified squeak.
“‘Cause if you are, I won’t judge. Neither will Twilight, actually,” Autumn continued to babble. “I mean, we can walk you home. I’m not worried about catching anything, if I do we can just be sick together. Suffer together! Sick buddies! I’ll get the cocoa!”
And in spite of herself, Applejack snorted. Autumn had a real way of brightening up the room, really. Applejack suspected you could substitute her for a Hearth's Warming Tree and nobody would really notice. That was just the way she was, really.
“So that was Twilight’s marefriend?” Autumn asked.
“....well, now, I don’t know if they’re dating exactly,” Applejack asked. “...and quite frankly, I’m not sure if I feel right just gossiping about Twilight and her relationship status this way…”
“Oh, but surely you must have some of the deets right?” Autumn inquired.
Applejack quirked a smile in spite of herself. “...Well, I have noticed Twilight does seem to be happier now that Fizzlepop’s around. And if anything, Fizzlepop does seem… sunnier I suppose you might say?”
“They’re dating then,” Autumn decided. “Definitely dating then!”
“W-Well, I wouldn’t exactly go that far,” Applejack stammered out. Autumn didn’t look as if she believed her really. Not even for a moment. “Now let’s not jump to conclusions!”
“Well, you said yourself right?” Autumn asked. “If both Fizzlepop and Twilight seem happier around each other, they’re probably so dating each other! Oooooh, a Princess and her guard relationship! How scandalous… how romantic…”
If Autumn could, she probably would have melted into a puddle of goo right then and there on the floor.
“...well, whatever makes you happy, I suppose. If you choose to believe that, then… well, I won’t stop you,” Applejack shrugged. “And I do admit it is… kinda sweet if you think of it like that. Oh, look at me! I’m turning into another Rarity!”
“Yeah, you sorta are,” Autumn seemed to agree before laughing. “Next thing you know, you’ll be busting out the frilly dresses and hats!”
“Oh, don’t you even dare joke about that!” Applejack said sternly though if you looked closely she was smiling. She planted a hoof on her stetson. “The only hat I need is this one right here!”
“Hmmmmm, maybe I should get one,” Autumn wondered to herself. “I bet I can make it work, I think I’d look cute! What do you think?”
“I’m sure you could pull it off,” Applejack said fighting back the urge to comment on how Autumn would probably look beautiful in anything. Goddess, what was wrong with her?
Yes, Applejack had long accepted a long time ago she had a crush on the bright-maned kirin. Applejack wasn’t sure why or how, but she knew that’s what it was. She wasn’t even sure when the crush started, maybe it was soon after the kirins got their voices back even. Applejack didn’t really care. Even now, watching Autumn stride through the halls, her cheongsam hugging her body nicely, Applejack’s heart raced doing loop-de-loops even. At times, she did wonder if she should at least tell her about her little crush. Every time, Applejack shot that suggestion down.
Autumn already had too many issues as is, without knowing her friend had a probably unreciprocated crush on her as well. She was still adjusting to having her voice, and for that matter her emotions back. She’d been trapped in her own mind for too long really, and she still needed to work a few things out. It was for the best that way, really.
“Worry about this later, okay AJ?” Applejack told herself. “You’ve got a Hearth's Warming party to enjoy, really…”
Too late Applejack realized said party would involve her being in close proximity with Autumn for at least a few hours. It would involve dancing, most likely, so that would mean intermingling bodies and… yeah, she was so screwed.
“There are better ways to get screwed over, I suppose really…” Applejack pondered. “How’d that song go? Oh you really got me girl… Yep, that’s it!”
Here she tried to ignore the blood rapidly rushing up to meet her face. Possibly dying of embarrassment, one orange farm apple-bucking pony. AKA her.
“Oh, come on Applejack, parties don’t wait for slow ponies!” Autumn called out. “You wouldn’t want to be called a slow pony now would you?”
“...Oh, so you’re making this into a competition now, are you?” Applejack grinned. “Well then, I hope you do realize, little missy, that I am a very competitive pony!”
“Oh, I do realize. I have talked to Rainbow Dash after all…” Autumn smirked. “...what was this about a Running of the Leaves and you losing to a future Princess?”
“N-Nothing you need to know about!” Applejack stammered. “N-Now don’t we have a party to get to?”
The night seemed to be flying by in a blur, really. Applejack wasn’t entirely surprised when she found herself migrating back to the punch bowl just to stop and take a breath. Wiping the beads of sweat off her face, she sighed and downed a glass. “Whoa nelly, never thought I’d be sweating in the dead of winter but that’s Autumn for you. She’s like a right tornado on the dance floor, only with less destruction I suppose.”
“Tired?” Starlight asked in sympathy seeing the whirling dervish that was Autumn out on the dance floor. Next to her, and doing the Bird and then the Monkey was Pinkie. Autumn was soon to join in on this.
“Just thereabouts,” Applejack admitted. “...Not sure what I was expecting when I brought Autumn to this here castle for the celebrations but…”
She trailed off and paused. Yes, perhaps she should have been expecting this. Autumn was like a fire, wild and uncontrollable if you really got her going. She was like a… um, blaze if you will. Suddenly, Applejack found herself craving something a little stronger. Absentmindedly, with more than a hint of caution, her eyes drifted to the punch bowl. “...I swear, she better not have…”
“Checking for spiked punch?” Starlight asked and Applejack could only nod. “....Yeah, I’ve been checking it all night. I have a feeling Gallus or Rainbow Dash might try something.”
“The mare does every year,” Applejack admitted. “Consarn that mare, she would drive someone to the drink. ...and yes, I’m well aware of the irony in that statement.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Starlight said innocently after downing a glass of her own. “Not that I think Rainbow or anyone else is going to try anything. Not with the looks Fizzlepop has been giving all night.”
“Amen to that,” Applejack said. “Oh, you should have seen Autumn when we were walking in. She actually asked for Fizzlepop’s autograph, commenting on how she almost defeated Twilight! Called her kickass, of all things! Of all things!”
“Oh, she did eh?” Starlight said with a small smirk. “Well, she’s not wrong really. While I’m no anarchist, I gotta say… Anyone who can take down both Celestia and Luna without breaking a sweat is totally fangirl worthy.”
Applejack gave her a flat stare, thinking to herself: “Bet she wouldn’t be saying that if we were talking about Chrysalis would she now?”
“You know, you already sound like a mare who’s griping about the latest stupidity your spouse pulled to the bartender,” Starlight remarked and Applejack’s face went an interesting shade of red. “...Oh, do you have something you need to share with the class Professor Applejack?”
Applejack mumbled something incoherent under her breath.
“Yeah, I thought as much,” Starlight smirked. Yep, she still had it. “Well, since you’re not feeling especially free to be sharing anything with your fellow teacher, I think I’ll take a guess. You like Autumn, as in really like Autumn. Well, I suppose I can see the attraction. Rather free-spirited really, for a mare. Basically the exact opposite of a practical mare like yourself ...though, rats. This does mean I owe Rarity a few bits. I was hoping it was going to be Rainbow!”
Starlight mimed checking a watch. Three, two, one. As if on cue, Applejack spat out her drink all over the floor in perfect classic comedic fashion. “W-What? You… you and Rares were betting on my relationship status!?!” she asked sounding rather indignant.
“Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time…” Starlight murmured.
“No, it sounded like a cool idea,” Applejack scowled. “Lemme explain the difference. A cool idea is “I wanna try and be a pony cannonball!” A good idea is “If I'm gonna do this, I'd better wear a helmet and make damn sure the net is in the right spot.” Take a guess which is which in this analogy.”
“Party-pooper,” Starlight said opting for the mature thing and sticking out her tongue at her friend. “But in all seriousness, when are you going to tell her?”
Applejack’s silence said it all.
“...Oh, so you don’t plan on telling her. Ah, I see,” Starlight mused. “...well, I’m just saying really, if you don’t tell her soon someone else might snatch her up. Autumn’s an attractive mare, probably has more than her fair share of admirers.”
“She’s also an attractive mare who’s-” Applejack started before swiftly being interrupted.
“Oh, so you admit she’s attractive?” Starlight asked. “Good to know.”
Applejack cut her off with a stern glare. “If I may continue? Okay then, good. Autumn is an attractive mare, yes that’s true. But she’s also an attractive mare who’s still working through some issues. Don’t think I didn’t notice her song included the lines ‘trapped inside a silent prison with the voices inside my head’. She only just recently got her voice back, and she’s... well, I’m just not sure of her mental state right now. Her learning I like-like her? She don't need none of that right now.”
Starlight was silent for a long while as she took this in, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke. And what she had to say was pointed and direct. Giving her friend a stern look, she said this.
“So you’d rather her suffer alone instead of suffering together?” Starlight said with a rather judgemental expression. “That doesn’t seem like you Applejack. Well, at least you’re honest about it.”
Oh, that one hurt.
“...Okay, that was just…”
“Low?” Starlight answered turning on her school counselor mode as everyone liked to call it. “Yeah, maybe a little. But let’s be honest with ourselves here, you’re worried about your reputation if you were seeing someone with mental issues. Don’t think I haven’t been noticing how you distanced yourself from Autumn periodically throughout the night. Tartarus, even coming to the punch bowl just now was an excuse to get away from her. You haven’t touched your drink but once.”
Applejack’s hooves were shaking as she struggled to hold her glass without dropping it on the floor and breaking it. “...what do you know?”
“Apparently a fair bit more than you right now,” Starlight deadpanned before shoving Applejack away. “Now go on, talk to the mare. Goodness knows she needs a friend. You invited her as your date, so…”
“She’s not my date.” Applejack muttered out of habit.
“Sure she’s not,” Starlight chuckled. “And I’m Queen Chrysalis!”
Applejack was furious, not just with herself but with Starlight. Consarn that mare, who did she think she was prying into her relationship and thinking she knew best? Sometimes she wondered if the mare hadn’t gone completely mad with power when Twilight appointed her school counselor. It didn’t give her the right to just go ahead and start prying into everyone’s business and trying to figure out how their heads worked!
...Okay, so maybe it did give her the right but that still didn’t change the fact that Starlight was poking her head around where she didn’t need to. Applejack grumbled something to herself under her breath. She could handle her own damn relationships, thank you very much! But yet, she knew Starlight was absolutely right, which only served to annoy her further. She did like-like Autumn Blaze in that way, and yet here she was trying to distance herself from the mare and not help her when she needed it.
“You’re probably disgusted with me Pa, I know it…” Applejack thought to herself. “Look at me, practically abandonin’ a friend in need.”
Wandering away from the noise of the party, the halls grew quieter some of the only sounds being the trotting of Applejack’s hooves on the crystalline floors. If anything, she had to give the Castle of Friendship this. It knew how to make itself a true palace fit for a Princess. It was all a bit too over the top for her tastes though, really. She couldn’t imagine the trouble the maids had to go through to clean the place spick and span. It was all just too… big really. Applejack couldn’t count the number of times she’d found herself lost in its halls.
Give her a nice wooden building with small corridors and a view of the sunrise over the orchards any day. Maybe she was biased.
All the same though, Applejack had to admit the castle had its perks. The large size meant when you wanted to be alone with your thoughts it was easy enough to achieve. Plus, there were other good things about it as well, such as striding out onto a balcony -as Applejack was doing just now- and being able to take in the sights of the town below. The lights rose up from the streets, and merry music filled Applejack’s ears. Carollers strode the streets, going from door to door bringing joy to all. Far on the other side of town, you could see the massive tree in the middle of the town square, the massive star atop it almost blinding in intensity.
A chilly wind bit through the air, and Applejack thanked Celestia that she had the common sense to put on one of those ugly sweaters before she’d left the house. Small flurries of snow had begun to drift down by now, some landing on Applejack’s nose. Already, the balcony was half-covered in snow. Seems a few ponies would be getting that white Hearth’s Warming they dreamed of.
“Applejack!” came a melodic voice making the mare nearly jump. “Never thought I’d find you out here. The party starting to get to you?”
Applejack swore quietly under her breath. Of course, it would be her of all mares. Just who she needed.
“...Mind you, can’t say I blame you, really…” Autumn murmured. “Rainbow? She decided to lead everyone in a very off-key rendition of Deck the Halls. Mare’s rather tone-deaf, I think. No one ever seems to tell her that, maybe I’m the only one who’s noticed.”
Applejack snorted. “I’ve been trying to tell Rainbow this for years, that her voice sounds like a cat mating behind a dumpster. She doesn’t seem to notice. Has to be that ego of hers. You probably could fill Twilight’s balloon with the amount of hot air she blows around.”
“Are you sure that’s the only reason you’re out here?” Autumn asked. Applejack started, no surely Starlight wouldn’t have… “I mean, it’s beautiful out here. Crisp new-fallen snow, that’s… that’s not something we get back home. I’m sorta jealous actually.”
Applejack allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.
“You don’t get snow back home?” she inquired. “I thought y’all lived up in the mountains or somethin’, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, that may be true but the odd climate we have means it’s sorta tropical and snow… well, that’s basically wishful thinking,” Autumn grumbled. “At best, we get rain and cold rain at that. It’s... Not pleasant. You ever have one of those days when you wake up and it’s all cold and drizzly, there’s basically no weather? Skies are clouded over and all that?”
Applejack winced.
“Sooooooooo, yeah... “ Autumn admitted with another grumble. “It’s basically like that. Give me spring over winter any day, at least back home. You know, despite my name Spring is actually totally my favorite season. Makes a mare want to sing, really, though I’m not going to right now. There’s plenty of that going around, even if I do suspect my voice would drown out Rainbow’s frankly terrible singing. Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, Spring! Budding flowers, babbling brooks, and cherry trees blossoming! Ooooooh, yes yes please!”
Applejack had to smile, Autumn was… infectious to be around really. She was babbling almost constantly about something or the other, motor-mouthed enough to give Pinkie a run for her money. And yet… that was part of her charm. Still, at times Applejack couldn’t help but worry. The line Autumn had said back when they first met, trapped in silent prison with the voices in her head? It worried her.
She couldn’t possibly imagine what it was like back in the kirin village, huddled away from civilization and with almost nopony to help them if something went wrong. To think, if Fluttershy and her hadn’t shown up when they did, the kirins probably would have gone through life silenced forevermore. Applejack gave Autumn a sad look, the kirin looking away from her at the moment out at the horizon. Every day must have been a torment for her, and why she stayed was beyond her. Again, Applejack felt her anger rising. To think, that village had abandoned their own kin like that.
To be fair to the kirins, Applejack had to remind herself, they didn’t know how to control their anger. From what the legends and Autumn herself had said, Nirik were a nightmare if uncontrolled. Applejack knew from her own experiences that managing one’s emotions was a tizzy and a half, and she couldn’t imagine what it was like if your emotions manifested as some flaming beast. So, in that regard, she supposed she couldn’t entirely blame Autumn’s village for being so cautious.
Applejack still couldn’t help but worry over her friend, and nurse a solid urge to buck Rain Shine in the face every now and again though. Carefully, she decided to approach the subject.
“Um… Autumn?” Applejack asked. “Are you… okay with living in your village? I mean, after what they did to you…”
“It’s fine, really! Transforming into angry murder beasts of fire and death -definitely death!- every time we… couldn’t control ourselves... Yeah, it was a reason to be freaked,” Autumn said in return. “We didn’t have a solution at the time, so we had to… improvise.”
“...even if that solution meant banishing you?” Applejack inquired with slightly narrowed eyes.
“You saw me, you saw my… other half. Even I took a lot of time to figure out how to control the big red flamer,” Autumn responded. “Rain Shine was just looking for the most practical solution, that’s all!”
“Right, and the most practical solution meant leaving you high and dry?” Applejack asked and she would have been a fool to miss the small flickers of flame licking Autumn’s mane.
“Rain… Rain Shine has always been one to look at the long term, if not the individual. She was just working with the best information she had at the time…” Autumn said with a trace of bitterness. Ah yes, there it was Applejack mused. So Autumn wasn’t as happy with the whole solution and wasn’t quite as forgiving as she seemed to be. Autumn quickly changed the subject. Her voice wavered. “I… I apologize for earlier AJ, I really do. If I embarrassed you I am truly sorry. It’s… it’s just well… I’m so excited to have new friends. Meeting new ponies. I don’t have many real ones, not really… Even back home I’m thought to be a bit odd. N-Not really sure why…”
“Well sugarcube, just remember that if you ever need a place to call home or someone to talk to our door is always open,” Applejack said putting a hoof on Autumn’s shoulder. “See, and… and I apologize here Autumn I really do, but you don’t have to forgive your village. Not completely. Forgiveness shouldn’t be for anyone’s feelings but your own. They hurt you Autumn, I can see it.”
“I… I know, but… but I grew up there, I had friends there!” Autumn whispered. “Real friends, not the voices in my… Oh AJ…” she whispered choking back tears.
Applejack brought her friend into a tight hug. “It’s okay… its okay, I’m here sugarcube. Whatever you need me for, I’m here.”
“O-Oh look at me, I’m getting tears all over my nice dress, and that sweater of yours,” Autumn whispered. “G-Goddess, look at me. I’m a wreck. I’ve got voices in my head and so many… so many feelings I don’t know what to do with…”
“Autumn, I… I don’t know how to say this gently, so I’ll just come out with it. I think it’s time you see a doctor, like a real one. I know this pony, he’s a real nice stallion. He’ll be able to help you. He might… No, I know he will be able to help you rid you of these voices.”
“A-Are you sure?” Autumn whispered.
“I’m sure sugarcube. I-I’ll come with you, if you like. Just as support, we can suffer together if need be okay?” Applejack asked and suddenly she was tackled to the floor in a violent display of emotion by a sobbing kirin.
“Oh AJ…” Autumn whispered. “God… can’t believe I ruined your holiday season l-like this, d-dumping all of my problems out on you. Y-You’re supposed to be celebrating the season, n-not worrying over me…”
“Maybe, but if I did it wouldn’t feel right. Someone’s already left you for high and dry once, I don’t intend to repeat that. You don’t deserve that, any of it,” Applejack said firmly. “Now after the holiday season is over, you and I? We’ll go and see Doctor Hayford, down in Ponyville proper okay?”
“O-Oh, okay…” Autumn said as she picked herself up out of the snow. “Y-Yeah, that sounds good. Oh, we really should get back to the party, shouldn’t we? Pinkie’s probably worried about us, or something. Maybe they thought we both snuck out to go make out or something.”
“Think you can stand Rainbow’s singing?” Applejack asked as she gestured back inside. She tried to fight back the blush. “If nothing else, it’ll probably both give us a good long laugh.”
“Or a headache,” Autumn remarked. “But as you said, if we have to we can suffer together isn’t that right?”
“Y-Yeah…” Applejack said. So maybe she wouldn’t confess to her friend just yet. Maybe another day. But as of right now, she knew their friendship was stronger than before. “I swear to you Autumn, I’ll be with you when you need me… every step of the way.”