Chapter Three
The Thaw
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Somehow, Applejack was alive. She was so cold that she felt like she’d never be warm again, but she was tucked into a bed with blankets to warm her. She didn’t recognize the room, and she was in someone else’s clothes, but she was alive and she was slowly warming up.
The door opened, and someone walked in. Her savior walked over to the bed and set something on the table next to it, then spoke quietly. “You awake yet?”
Applejack knew that voice. The last thing she could remember before the frozen lake was hearing it yell at her. Now it was soft and full of concern. She looked up at Sunset Shimmer, and she managed to get out, “S-so c-c-cold…”
Sunset smiled at that, and Applejack knew it had all been a lie. Sunset hadn’t meant the things she said, the proof shone in her face. Sunset had saved her, and in doing so, she had finally shown Applejack her true colors.
Most of the time, Applejack tried not to think of that day. But for the past week, it had been on her mind nonstop. She turned over the day and all that it had meant. The fight, she could forgive. Sunset had made things right by going after her. But the things Sunset had said afterwards…
It didn’t matter. Time after time, Applejack reminded herself that Sunset was different now. It didn’t matter what had happened before, they could move on from it.
And their best chance to do that was upon them. It had been a week since Christmas, and no one had seen Sunset. Unlike the other girls, she did have a job, but no one really believed she worked so much that she couldn’t see her friends. No, she was avoiding them, and they all knew it.
More to the point, they knew why. The other girls didn’t know what had happened back when they were in middle school, but Applejack had admitted to getting into a fight with Sunset on Christmas Day. She was grateful when they didn’t pry too much; she didn’t want to involve them in that whole mess.
So they gave Sunset the space they thought she needed, but after a week, it became apparent that it was time to make a move. And they knew just what to do. They’d already planned on having a New Year’s slumber party, all they had to do was make sure Sunset was there and use it to remind her that they were still her friends.
There was only one problem.
“Sunset still won’t answer…” Pinkie reported, frowning at her phone.
“She doesn’t have work again, does she?” Rarity asked.
“Nah, she took off for this sleepover,” Applejack said with a frown. Of course, she had done that before the fight. What if she agreed to pick up a shift just to have the excuse not to come?
“Screw this, I’m just going to go get her.” Rainbow pulled on her coat. “She can’t ignore me when I’m pounding on her door.”
“Uhm, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Fluttershy asked. “If she wants to be alone…”
“If she wants to be alone, she can tell us that,” Applejack asked. “Jus’… don’t force her to come if she don’t want to.”
Rainbow shrugged. “I’m not gonna drag her here. Feel like coming for the ride, Shy?”
Pinkie popped up behind Fluttershy and gently guided her towards Rainbow and the door. “Good thinking! No one could possibly say no to this face!”
Fluttershy giggled. “I guess I could try to convince her to come too. We should all be together for the new year.”
Rainbow tossed Fluttershy her coat, then opened the door while she was putting it on. A cold wind blew into the house, and Applejack couldn’t help but be glad that Sunset wouldn’t have to ride her motorcycle through it.
Once Rainbow and Fluttershy were gone, Applejack turned her attention to setting up the few remaining New Year’s decorations. They were at Rarity’s house, her parents out at a New Year’s party and Sweetie Belle at Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo for their own sleepover.
“There!” Pinkie said as she finished putting up a streamer. “This place is looking pretty darn good!”
“I must say, I agree,” Rarity said. “I can hardly remember the last time my house looked so festive!”
Applejack, finished with her own decorations, took a seat on the couch. “I reckon we did a good job here.”
“And I bet Sunset will love it!” Pinkie said.
“I don’t know that Sunset cares much for this sort of thing,” Rarity said, taking a seat beside Applejack. “But I do hope she enjoys the night. Does anyone know if she’s ever been at a sleepover before?”
“I dunno, but I’d put money on this bein’ her first,” Applejack said. It was no secret that Sunset hadn’t had friends before them, so Applejack couldn’t think of whom she might’ve had sleepovers with.
“Then we’ll just have to make sure it’s extra special for her!” Pinkie declared.
“Of course,” Rarity said. “So, er, how do we do that?”
Everyone looked at one another, waiting for one of the others to answer. Eventually Pinkie spoke up. “Well, I don’t actually think she wants to be the center of attention. She always sits everything out, so maybe she just likes to watch?”
Applejack nodded. “I think we might overwhelm her if we try to make her do a bunch of stuff. Best to just let her decide what she wants to do.”
“Fair enough,” Rarity said. “I do hope she’ll let me do her makeup later, though. It’s really not fair how pretty she is, and I would love for the chance to help make her shine.”
“I don’t think Sunset cares about makeup,” Applejack said.
Rarity blinked. “Applejack, darling, Sunset wears makeup every day. You’ve never noticed?”
Applejack cocked her head to the side. “Nope. Guess I never paid much attention.”
Pinkie giggled. “Maybe Rarity’s paying attention for other reasons.”
Rarity blushed, the red showing very clearly through her snow-white skin. “Now now, just because I can appreciate feminine beauty doesn’t mean I have eyes for Sunset or any other girls.”
Pinkie wrapped her arms around Rarity. “Aww, I’m just teasing! Besides, you’re right! Sunset is so pretty!”
Rarity cupped Pinkie’s face in her hand. “Perhaps while we wait for the others, I could do your makeup? And Applejack’s as well, of course!”
“Of course!” Pinkie said.
Applejack chuckled. “What for? We ain’t goin’ anywhere?”
“No, but we can still look our best!” Rarity led Pinkie into her bedroom by the hand, and Applejack followed so as to not be alone. Rarity sat Pinkie in front of a mirror, but had her face away from it so Rarity could get to her features.
“Now hold still, Pinkie dear, and I’ll make your natural beauty shine through!”
Pinkie blushed a little. “I don’t think I have that much natural beauty…”
Rarity frowned. “Pinkamena Diane Pie, you are positively gorgeous! Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed?”
“Best listen to her, Pinkie,” Applejack said as she took a seat on Rarity’s bed. “I reckon she’s the expert in these things.”
Pinkie smiled, but she held still so Rarity could work. For her part, Applejack had no idea what was going on. She occasionally humored Rarity by letting her fashion-forward friend do her makeup, but she didn’t care much for it one way or the other.
Still, she could admire a job well done. As Rarity worked, even Applejack could tell that Pinkie’s face transformed. Not so much as Applejack might have noticed normally, she didn’t exactly go through a movie star transition. Rarity’s work was more subtle, just emphasizing what was already there.
Which suited Applejack just fine, since they were insistent that she go next. “I don’t know about this…”
“Oh come now, Applejack,” Rarity said as Pinkie admired her reflection. “It’s all in good fun!”
Applejack rolled her eyes, but she yielded. She swapped places with Pinkie, sitting in front of the mirror so Rarity could work her magic.
She sat still and listened as Pinkie and Rarity commented about how pretty she was, and she suppressed further eye rolls at every comment. She knew they were just saying that because they were her friends and wanted her to feel good about herself, but she appreciated the sentiment.
While they were working, the others came in. “Got her to come after all,” Rainbow declared proudly.
“Yeah, I’m here,” Sunset said. “So what’s everyone up to?”
Pinkie jumped to her feet. “We’re doing makeovers! Wanna join?”
“Er, maybe another time,” Sunset said.
“Oh, I’d love one,” Fluttershy said.
Rarity giggled. “I knew I could count on you, Fluttershy. Maybe we can get Rainbow and Sunset to agree by the end of the night.”
“Pass,” Rainbow said.
Rarity finished up Applejack’s makeup and spun her around to look in the mirror. It did always impress her to see what Rarity could do to her face. She was a farmer at heart, and she didn’t mind that her looks matched her profession. She was plain, but that was okay with her. But once in a while, with Rarity’s help, Applejack was reminded that she could be pretty too.
“Wow, Rares,” Applejack said, a smile forming on her ruby red lips. “You did a great job.”
Rarity giggled. “So who’s next? Fluttershy?”
Applejack stood up so Fluttershy could take the seat. She went back to the bed, where Pinkie was lying down on her stomach with her feet up in the air.
“Wow, you look so pretty!” Pinkie said.
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Applejack said with a slight grin. Even if Pinkie was just saying that because they were friends, Applejack felt pretty. At least a little.
“Maybe after this we can play Rock Star?” Rainbow said, referring to the videogame she’d brought.
“I’m game,” Applejack said.
“I call drums!” Pinkie chimed in.
“Rock Star?” Sunset asked.
“It’s a music game,” Rainbow explained. “You play with plastic instruments, and I have a full band set. It can have guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and vocals.”
“We’ll have to take turns a bit,” Applejack said. “But five of us can play at a time, so it’s a little easier to play in groups than some other games.”
“I don’t mind sitting out,” Fluttershy said.
“Shush,” Rarity chided. “You’ll make me mess up.”
“I’m gonna go get the game set up!” Rainbow said, running out of the room. Applejack suspected that had as much to do with avoiding a makeover as it did with getting the game ready.
“Sure you won’t let Rarity do your makeup?” Applejack said, turning to face Sunset.
Sunset looked away, seemingly unwilling to meet eyes with Applejack. It was the first time they had seen each other since the fight. “I’m sure. Besides, we wouldn’t want to keep Rainbow waiting.”
Applejack grinned. “Speak for yourself, making Rainbow wait for things is a favorite pastime of mine.”
“I heard that!” Rainbow called from the living room, causing Applejack and Pinkie to laugh.
Sunset glanced at Applejack, then blushed. “You, uhm, look nice, by the way.”
Applejack smiled. “Thanks, Sunset.”
“Doesn’t she though?” Pinkie sat up so she could wrap an arm around Applejack. “I’m super jealous!”
“Now now, Miss Pie, you look quite lovely in your own way,” Rarity said. “There! What do you think, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy looked at her reflection. “I love it. You always do such a wonderful job, Rarity.”
Rarity giggled. “Thank you, darling.”
“Want me to do yours?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t think I’m as good as you, but I could try.”
“Oh nonsense, you always make me look gorgeous when you do my makeup!” Rarity swapped places with Fluttershy, ready to get her own makeover.
“Come on!” Rainbow said as she appeared in the doorway. “We should play first!”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Okay, but don’t think we’re done here! I won’t rest until I get you in this chair, Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow laughed as she walked back to the living room. “Yeah, have fun trying to do mine while I’m asleep, ‘cause that’s the only time you’re gonna get me to sit still for it!”
Rarity looked around devilishly. “Well, she did say to…”
Sunset snickered. “Okay, I’m so here for that.”
With their secret plan made, the girls all went to the living room. Since Pinkie had called the drums and Rainbow claimed the guitar, they figured out who would play what of the other instruments.
“I have always wanted to try the keyboards on this thing,” Rarity said. “I did take some piano lessons, it would be interesting to see how it stacks up to the real thing.”
“I think I’ll just sing, if that’s okay,” Fluttershy said. “I, uhm, I don’t think I’d be very good at the instruments.”
“That leaves the bass,” Applejack said. She turned towards Sunset. “You wanna play?”
“No thanks, I’ll just watch. You go ahead.”
Applejack was going to insist Sunset take a turn, but then she remembered what Pinkie had said about how Sunset seemed to like sitting back and watching. She shrugged it off, strapped the plastic guitar around her shoulder, and stepped up to play.
Rainbow was snoring, blissfully unaware of how pretty Rarity had made her look. The other girls just snickered to themselves, looking forward to when she’d wake up in the morning.
“You don’t think she’ll be upset, do you?” Fluttershy asked.
“I hope so,” Applejack said with a smirk.
“Aww, she’ll be fine.” Pinkie waved her hand dismissively. “Dash loves a good prank, even if it’s on her.”
“Hmm?” Rainbow muttered.
The other girls looked to each other and barely held in their laughter, then they dispersed so as to not wake up Rainbow.
Fluttershy stretched. “I think I’ll get to sleep as well.” She stretched out on her sleeping bag, which was next to Rainbow’s. “Good night, girls.”
“Yes, I think I’ll join you.” Rarity walked over to her bed and lay down on it. “Good night, everyone.”
The others echoed the sentiment, then left the bedroom so as to not disturb them.
It had been a good night. They’d played Rock Star for a while, then put on a movie. Rarity finally convinced Sunset to accept a makeover, and she’d gotten Pinkie and Fluttershy to try on some different outfits she had on hand. They’d stayed up past midnight, celebrating the new year by popping open a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres sparkling cider.
Then about an hour after that, Rainbow had been crashing from too much sugary junk food, and she’d passed out before anyone else. Really, she should have known better.
And now, Applejack, Pinkie, and Sunset made their way to the kitchen. Pinkie pulled out a few of the cans of soda she had brought for the party from the fridge and passed them around, which they accepted with thanks.
“I’m glad we did this,” Applejack said. “Been too long since all of us have had a sleepover like this.”
“Guess that’s probably my fault,” Sunset said. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay,” Pinkie said. “All that is in the past now!”
Sunset just sipped her soda in silence.
Applejack did the same. She wanted to agree with Pinkie, but they hadn’t found a way to talk about the fight yet, and Applejack was walking on eggshells around Sunset as a result.
At least Pinkie managed to keep the conversation going. “Besides, it was never all of us before! I’m glad you showed up, Sunset.”
“Yeah, well… You sent Fluttershy to convince me to come. I can’t say no to that.”
Applejack laughed a little. “We’ll have to remember that. She can be our secret weapon next time you get all stubborn.”
“Now that’s just not fair.”
“All’s fair in friendship,” Pinkie said.
“I don’t claim to be an expert on friendship, but I doubt that,” Sunset said, but she was smiling as she did.
It was as good of a time as they were likely to get to talk about the fight, even if Pinkie was there. Still, Applejack wasn’t sure what to say. Maybe if it were just the two of them she could figure it out…
It seemed Pinkie had similar thoughts. She looked meaningfully at Applejack, then stretched and let out a yawn. “I think I’m more tired than I thought I was. I’m gonna head to bed.”
“Oh, I’ll come with,” Sunset said, chugging the rest of her soda.
“Er, Sunset,” Applejack said before she could stop herself. “Maybe we should talk first?”
“Oh. Right…” From the look of her, Applejack might as well have told Sunset that she was being fired as their friend.
“Don’t stay up too late!” Pinkie said as she walked off to the bedroom.
Applejack waited until Pinkie was gone, then sighed and turned to Sunset. “I… wanted to say sorry for actin’ like I did.”
“You’re sorry?” Sunset asked in disbelief. “I’m the one who fucked up…”
Applejack shook her head. “Look, Sunset… it was a bad idea, but you meant well. I knew that, and I just… Point is I shouldn’t have yelled at you over it. And some of what I said, well… it wasn’t nice.”
“But it was what I deserved.”
“That ain’t how friendship is supposed to work.” Applejack looked off to the side, where she could see snow falling from the window. “If you do something that I don’t like, I’m supposed to tell you straight without turning it into a fight, especially if I know your heart was in the right place.”
“Still, I was stupid. I shouldn’t have thought you’d want to do something like that with me.”
Sunset had her hands folded on the table, so Applejack reached out her own hand to put on top of Sunset’s. “Listen… What happened that day, it still hurts sometimes. But… but I know you’re trying to be better. No, I know you are better than that now. You’re doing so well, and I guess that’s why I forgot how new all this was.”
“I just… I don’t know what to do…” Sunset had her head bowed, staring at their hands together. “I keep saying I’m sorry, but I want to do more than that. I want to do whatever it takes to make things right.”
“But that’s just it, Sunset, none of us are asking you to do anything.”
“Sometimes… I kind of wish you would.” Sunset chanced a look up. “I don’t know, make me work for you on the farm, or help with your school work, or just… something. Let me do something to make things right!”
“Maybe it’d be easier if it worked like that, but it don’t.” Applejack shrugged. “If I made you work for me to get back at you for all the things that happened, well… we wouldn’t really be friends, would we?”
“I don’t know. You’re the friend experts…”
Applejack smiled a little. “If I was such an expert, I wouldn’t have blown up on you. And on Christmas Day of all times…”
Neither of them said anything. Sunset kept looking at their hands, so Applejack left her hand in place. She had just meant for the touch to be a small motion, just a quick thing before she took her hand back, but the way Sunset looked at her hand made Applejack feel like this meant more to her than it did to Applejack.
Then it occurred to her that Sunset didn’t have any family, and only had a few friends that were all still a little standoffish around her. The Apple family was so big on affection that Applejack had grown up taking it for granted, but that was something Sunset had never had.
Hoping she wasn’t wrong, Applejack took her hand back and stood up. She walked around the table to stand beside Sunset, then put her arm around her. Sunset went stiff at the touch, but she let Applejack guide her into the hug.
“We’re all jus’ tryin’ our best,” Applejack said. “And sometimes, we all mess up. We both messed up a little the other day, but it’s okay. We can do better now.”
Sunset took a deep breath, then put her arm around Applejack. “Thanks, AJ.”
Applejack smiled. She wasn’t entirely sure, but she thought they’d managed something special. This was more than an apology, it was a promise. And perhaps most of all, there was something else. “You know, this just goes to show somethin’. We’re friends through and through now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s easy to be friends with someone who never screws up, but this proves that even if we hurt each other, we’ll work it out.”
“I’d rather be the kind of friend who never hurts you again…”
“I know, but making mistakes… that’s just part of bein’ human, ain’t it?”
Sunset smirked. “You know I’m not human.”
“And you know what I mean.”
“Still… I’m sorry. Not just for Christmas, but… for everything I did. Everything I said. I thought I was trying to protect you from me, but… there was no excuse.”
Applejack let the apology sink in for a moment. Because they never talked about that day, Sunset had never apologized for it either. She had thought that was what she wanted, but now… “Thank you, Sunset. And I accept your apology. It’s… kind of a lot to forgive…”
“I know, I understand…”
“But I want to move on from it. I don’t know how I feel about all that, and maybe I never will, but… I don’t hold who you were then against who you are now.”
“Thanks, AJ.” Sunset pulled away and looked up. “So, uhm… How about tomorrow we finally have that snowball rematch?”
Applejack smiled, seeing Sunset’s offer for what it was. Sunset hated the snow, and would rather stay out of it if she could. But she knew this was an olive branch, and Applejack accepting it would mean a lot towards making things okay between them again. “Alright, but don’t expect me to hold back.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Sunset said.
Applejack stretched. “What do ya say we join the others?”
“Yeah, sounds good.” Sunset stood up. She cast Applejack a weird look. “Uhm, Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“I just…” She shook her head. “Nothing, don’t worry about it.”
Applejack elbowed her gently. “Aww come on, say what’s on your mind.”
Sunset blushed. “I just… wanted to say I’m glad we’re friends. It… it means a lot to me.”
“That’s it?” Applejack wrapped an arm around Sunset, who did likewise. They walked together to the bedroom. She shook her head and smiled. “Me too, partner.”
The others were mostly sleeping, except Pinkie, who was only pretending to sleep and snoring a little too loudly as she did so. Applejack had to wonder how much of that she’d listened into.
Sunset carefully stepped over Pinkie to get to her sleeping bag, then lay down in it. Applejack’s was over by Fluttershy, but she decided a change was in order. She picked up her sleeping bag, then carefully stepped over Pinkie and Sunset, setting her sleeping bag down on Sunset’s other side.
“What are you…?”
“Nothin’.” Applejack smoothed out her sleeping bag, then climbed in it. She looked at Sunset, whose confused expression was visible even in the low light. “Good night, Sunset.”
Sunset smiled at her. “Good night, Applejack.”
Since Sunset’s hand was up by her pillow, Applejack reached out her own hand and put it on Sunset’s. They didn’t say anything else to each other, but Applejack knew she appreciated the gesture.
She closed her eyes, and she felt warm. It was the start of a new year, and she was with all of her friends. There was nothing else in the world she could ask for, so she gave Sunset’s hand a gentle squeeze, and drifted off to sleep.
