Parasol could barely see an inch in front of her. It was that strange time of twilight, when night and day blended and merged together, the invisible lines between today and tomorrow fading away.
Squinting hard, she stared out at the hill around her but couldn’t see anything other than shadows and imaginary shapes. Empty packets of saltine crackers crunched underneath her hooves as her body practically vibrated with energy. She sat down, extended her right wing to pluck some feathers, then stood up again with a huff.
“Someone’s impatient tonight.”
“What if we get caught, Apple?” Parasol asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Apple Bumpkin didn’t reply. Their face was briefly illuminated by a match as they hunched over the circular tube in front of them. Seconds later, the firework shot out and up into the sky, exploding into a flash of color that for a few seconds drowned the night in color.
“We’re supposed to be doing this,” they finally said as she reached for another one. “Trixie ain’t usin’ ‘em and Twilight don’t want ‘em sittin’ around.”
“Still, what if someone gets upset?” Parasol asked.
“They can take it up with her,” Apple Bumpkin answered.
Parasol sighed, taking another step away from the small pile of Romane Candles next to Apple Bumpkin. “But still, we’re not qualified to do this.”
Apple’s face glowed again in the flame of her match as they lit another. “All you need is common sense, sugarcube.”
Parasol groaned, flopping down into the grass again and staring up at the endless night sky. “Just... be careful?”
“Of course.” The candle shot up into the air again, but Apple Bumpkin didn’t pay it much mind. “You’re nervous about somethin’,” they said neutrally.
“Yeah, I’m nervous you’re going to set us both on fire,” Parasol replied, sitting back up.
“Ain’t that,” Apple Bumpkin said. “Somethin’ else is eatin’ you. You’re restless, Sol. What’s on your mind?”
Parasol folded over, dipping her head down and drooping her ears. “I’m just… Apple, where are you gonna go?”
The air was quiet, except for the soft country music playing from Parasol’s radio.
“Could go home, but I ain’t gonna,” Apple Bumpkin replied, lighting another match. “Ain’t a point in that.”
“Then stay here,” Parasol implored. “With me.”
The match went out and another Romane Candle flew into the air. “You know that ain’t what I do. I’m a wanderer, Parasol. That’s what I told you when we met.”
“That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Parasol cried, stamping her hoof into the ground. “I’m worried about you, Bumpy. You don’t sleep in hotels every night, sometimes you don’t even eat for days… every time you come visit you look worse and worse.”
Apple Bumpkin held another candle in their hooves, but they didn’t light a match. Instead they sat there, nothing more than a silhouette in the moonlight.
“Bumpy… I want you to be who you are,” Parasol tried. “But more than that I want you to be safe.”
“I know,” Apple Bumpkin replied, turning the rocket over slowly in her hooves. “I wish I could promise you that. But I told you, Sol, you gotta share me with all of Equestria.”
“Because one day you’ll take the world,” Parasol muttered, ears drooping down. “Am I… am I not enough?”
The silhouette set the rocket back down on the grass and stood. It walked over to her and sat down next to her. They leaned forwards and pressed their forehead against Parasol’s. “Sugar, you’re more than enough. But I can’t stay. I’m… worried that I ain’t gonna find myself.”
“Then let me help,” Parasol whispered, feeling like crying. “Come on. I need you here. You’ve been on the move for years and it hasn’t worked. Please. Just… just try staying?”
Apple Bumpkin pulled away, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark. “Alright, sugar. Alright.” They leaned in again, this time closing their eyes and letting their lips guide them.
When they pulled apart, Parasol spread a wing around Apple’s side and pulled them tight, leaning her head into their neck.
Apple lit another match, letting the warmth wash over their bodies. “Some day, I’ll own the world,” they said over the music of the radio.
Parasol smiled gently. “And Equestria?”
“And Equestria, too.”
They were quiet for a moment, leaning into each other as the faint hum of music filled the air.
Eventually, Apple grabbed another rocket.