“Oh come on! I put an outhouse for you people!” Sunset growled as she furiously moved her sheep to clean up after her flock. “I’m a freaking cult leader but I’m treated like a babysitter…”
She paused the game when her doorbell rang, having a good idea of who it was, and made her way to the door. She opened it and found Applejack standing on the front steps. “Well howdy Sunset!”
“Hey AJ.” Sunset said with some trepidation, still unsure about all of this. “Come in, make yourself at home.”
Applejack nodded and did just that, walking into Sunsets home and closing the door behind her. “Well Ah’ll be. Ah didn’t think yer place would be nearly this nice.”
“It isn’t that nice.” Sunset said as she saved her game and turned her console off.
“Well, for a teenager living by herself with no job, it ain’t half bad.” Applejack set her stuff down. “Ah couldn’t afford it.”
“Would you even want to live somewhere else? Don’t you Apple's share the same house for a few generations?”
“Well, some people leave.” Applejack said defensively. “It’d be pretty hard if we kept every member of the Apple Family since my great grandpappy built the house. I think that’s a total of… thirty people or so?”
“What, you can’t just expand the house?”
“For thirty people? That’s a small apartment by that point.” Applejack sat down next to Sunset.
“So like, does everyone stay in the same room since they were born?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, we alternate based on age.” Applejack said matter of factly. “The oldest gets the biggest room, the married couple gets the second biggest, and the kids get what’s remaining. The second biggest isn’t occupied right now because of… well, Ah think that’s obvious.”
Sunset hummed. “And how many bedrooms are there in total?”
“About six total.”
“And do any of you plan to move out?”
“Pfft, no. Might be the only generation that doesn’t.”
“And assuming you all get married and have kids, where are you going to put all of them?”
“Well that’s easy, Mac will get the second biggest room, Ah’ll move into Mac's room, Bloom will move into mine, Mac's kids will get Bloom's old room, my kids will get the empty room, and Bloom's kids will…” She started to trail off. “Will…”
“... Where are you going to put Blooms kids, AJ?” Sunset teased.
“Ah didn’t even think ‘bout that… maybe they can share a room with their cousins?”
“I’m going to assume you can only fit like four people in a room, so two couples can only have two kids while the other can have more.” Sunset smiled, knowing she backed Applejack into a corner. “Unless you wait till your granny dies.”
“Don’t even joke like that. Woman’s approaching her appointment with God too fast for my liking. Ah have no idea what Ah’m gonna do when that happens, Ah don’t think any of us know.” Applejack huffed. “Woman practically raised me since my ma and pa are… are no longer with us.”
Sunset's smile disappeared. She mentally berated herself, having not meant to make Applejack sad. “How… how did it… happen?” Wait, that was even worse! “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry. That’s private.”
“No it’s ok.” Applejack said quickly. “Ah said yer my family and family deserves to know. Ah know yah don’t feel like it right now, but yer still my family Sunset.” Sunset said nothing, waiting for Applejack to continue. “... It was dark out, right after Christmas. They were making a late night delivery when they… black ice Ah think. Their truck skidded out of control and uh… ended up in a ditch.” Applejack shook her head. “They didn’t make it.”
Sunset put a comforting hand on Applejacks shoulder before she gave her a side hug. “I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t mean much from me but… I’m sorry. They sound like good people.”
“They would’ve really liked yah.” Applejack said suddenly.
“You’re just saying that.”
“No really.” Applejack insisted. “Yer smart, yer driven, yah have goals, yah come from a magical world, yer a friend to a princess, yer… yer pretty.” Applejack cleared her throat. “They may not have liked yah right after the Formal, but Ah’m willing to bet they would’ve come around. Maybe if they were still alive, they would’ve given me the kick in the pants Ah needed for abandoning yah like that.”
“Well, no use speculating either way.” Sunset said in an attempt to steer the conversation. “Why was it so hard for you to call me pretty?”
Applejack blushed. “A-Ah dunno. Just… Ah think Ah’m jealous.”
“Really?” Sunset said with some surprise. “Of what?”
“The stuff Ah listed about yah is either something Ah already have or can’t achieve nor care to. But being pretty… Well, Ah dunno, it never bothered me before. Ah knew Ah wasn’t like the other girls and Ah didn’t care. At least, until Ah started high school.” She turned to Sunset. “Ah was homeschooled before, not exposed to a lot of people in my age group, then suddenly Ah was in a school full of girls that really put work into themselves. At first Ah thought it was dumb and frivolous, but then Ah became friends with everyone and... ya’ll seemed… prettier Ah guess. Especially Rarity.”
“And being around people you saw as prettier than you started messing with your self confidence, right?”
Applejack nodded. “Ah try to tell myself it doesn’t matter, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, Ah’m being vain, and we can’t afford expensive beauty care, but Ah just… Ah can’t help but compare myself to ya’ll and feel… inadequate?” Applejack huffed herself. “Yah know how many cards Rarity gets for Valentine’s Day every year? A hundred. Yah know how many Ah’ve gotten since Freshman year?” She held up her hand, forming it into the shape of a zero. “Zilch. Not a single person has ever found me attractive enough to give me a damn card.”
Sunset winced, that’s gotta hurt. “If it’s any consolation, I haven’t gotten any cards since Freshman year either.”
“Yeah, but that was because of an attitude problem, not because of yer looks.” Applejack sighed. “Ah don’t know why it bothers me, it really doesn’t matter that much. Maybe Ah’m just being overdramatic.”
“It is perfectly natural to want to feel desired and attractive, that isn’t vanity it’s just biology and psychology. It is also perfectly natural for a teenager to feel insecure about themselves.” Sunset reasoned. “You want to know why you think we’re all prettier than you? Because we all spend more time with our beauty routines and can get more beauty products, which cost time and money, time and money better spent on your farm. You are a perfectly healthy young woman with nothing wrong with her, if we were all in a room without our makeup-”
“We’d all be the same?”
“-I’d win cause I’m hotter than all of you.” Applejack gave her a playful glare and punched Sunset in the arm, Sunset smirking as she rubbed her arm. “But the rest of you would be the same. Plus, you got something none of us got.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
Sunset reached out and pulled Applejacks shirt up to reveal her toned stomach, giving it a few pats with her hand. “These big strong abs.”
Applejack seized up, blushed, smacked Sunsets hands away, and pulled her shirt down. “Hey! That’s private!”
The two laughed, Sunset studying Applejack for a few seconds when they were done. “Come on, I know what we’re going to do first for tonight.”
“What?” Applejack watched as Sunset stood up and pulled Applejack to her feet. “What are we doing?”
“Makeover.” Sunset said simply as she led Applejack to her bathroom. “I promise it’s not the prissy kind like Rarity’s makeovers. I just want to prove that you’d get the same treatment if you were subjected to our beauty routines.”
“And how are yah gonna prove that?” Applejack asked skeptically.
“I’m going to take you to a restaurant, and I’m going to laugh my ass off while you try flirting.” Sunset said teasingly as she started bringing out her beauty products. “And we won’t come home until you kiss a girl.” She said in a sing-song voice. She looked over when Applejack jumped in surprise. “Or boy, I don’t judge. Now, get over here and don’t move.”
“Ah really don’t understand how y'all can wear this stuff all the time.” Applejack said as she sat across from Sunset. She looked like a whole new person: she had a full face of makeup, eyeliner, eyeshadow, wasn’t wearing her hat, and her hair was curled. “It feels weird.”
“That’s because you never wear this stuff at all. I imagine it would feel weird.” Sunset took a sip from her Frappuccino.
“Why are we even here?” Applejack asked, looking over the entire coffee shop, various guests wandering about, including some teenagers.
“To see if you can get a guy to ask for your number.”
“Won’t Ah have to flirt with him or something? Ah’d have to at least talk with him right?”
“Are you kidding? Just bat your eyelashes and show some interest in him.”
“It can’t be that easy.”
“If there’s one truth in both our worlds, it’s that men are fucking dumb.” She took another sip. “You think some guy isn’t going to ask a pretty girl that shows interest in him for her number?”
“A-Ah don’t think Ah’m ready for a relationship, Ah’d have to call them to be polite right?”
“No.” Sunset answered simply. “I’ve given creepy guys fake numbers to get them off my back, and most of the men asking for your number aren’t interested in a relationship with you.”
“Really? What are they interested in?” Sunset gave Applejack a look. “... Oh. That’s… gross.”
“Yeah, men are gross. At least, the ones asking for your number are.”
“How do yah know that’s all they want?”
“Because this really isn’t the way to get a relationship, and I’ve literally never met a guy I didn’t feel wanted to get in my pants when they ask for my number. At least, that’s just my experience. Maybe you’ll get lucky and meet the one.” Sunset wiggled her eyebrows, causing Applejack to blush and look away with a smile.
“Well hello ladies.” Both of them looked over when a teenage boy walked up to their table. He had ashen gray skin and black hair. He was well built and wearing a sports tank top.
Sunset looked over to Applejack slyly with a victorious smile. She silently urged Applejack to go first. Applejack gulped nervously and looked at the boy. “Well howdy! What can we do you for?”
He looked surprised by Applejacks country accent but quickly recovered. “Oh, nothing really. Just couldn’t help but notice you two lovely ladies from across the room.” He crossed his arms, clearly trying to show off his muscles. “What’re your name’s?”
Applejack opened her mouth to answer but she was beaten to the draw by Sunset. “I’m Sunrise Sparkle and this is my friend Apple Butter.”
Applejack looked confused but caught the look in Sunset's eye. “Uh, yeah! We’re just hanging out before we head back home. What’s your name?”
“Me? My name’s Rapid Shadow. Maybe you’ve heard of me?”
“Uh…” She looked over and saw Sunset urging her on. “Can’t say Ah have, Should Ah?”
“Well, not to brag, but I got a pretty big following on my Insta.” He said pulling out his phone and opening an app to show her. Applejack took the phone from him and looked it over, looking at an inordinate amount of him working out and shirtless pics where he was pointing at his abs.
“Oh wow.” Applejack feigned interest, keeping herself from barfing. “Yah really… seem… strong.”
“I’m glad you noticed! I eat eggs with every meal, gotta keep these gains for the ladies.” He took his phone back and flexed his arm, Sunset struggling not to laugh as Applejack looked somewhat uncomfortable.
“Yes uh... yah almost seem as strong as my brother.” Applejack said in an attempt to dissuade him from continuing.
He stopped, though whether that was because of what she said or he was done who could say. “Can I have your number?”
Applejack's eyes widened in surplus and she looked over to Sunset. She smiled and silently urged her to. “Oh! Uh, sure.” She cleared her throat. “555-0172.”
“Sweet.” Rapid smiled as he put the number into his phone. “Well, I gotta get going, I’ll call you later. See ya Butter.”
“Yeah, see ya.” The two waited until he walked out the building. “He asked me for my number!”
“See! I told you it wasn’t that hard. You just have to look pretty and act like you’re interested, that’s all a boy could ask for.” Sunset smiled victoriously. “Total meat head though, totally ignored me and didn’t bother asking about you.”
“Yeah, and what was up with him pulling up his Insta?”
“You gave him a fake number right?”
“Of course! It was hard enough to talk to him the first time.”
“He’d probably go over his gym plan the whole time before inviting you over to ‘chill’.”
“Ew.” Applejack shivered. “Atleast take me out to dinner first.”
The two shared a short laugh. “But see? You’re just as pretty as the rest of us with the same routine. None of us are super models, except for me of course.”
“Ah guess yer right, except for the last part.” She flashed Sunset a teasing smile. “This seems like a lot of work though.”
“Well, yeah, but I dolled you up a little more than usual. Have you ever seen me with eyeliner?”
“Spring Fling and the Fall Formal.”
“Other than those occasions?”
“Well, no.” Applejack conceded. “Maybe Ah’ll pull up some makeup tutorials for a girl on a budget. Or better yet, a country girl beauty tutorial.”
“Want me to help? I know a thing or two.”
“Eh, maybe.” Applejack shrugged. “Maybe Ah’ll have yah tutor me for makeup like how yer tutoring Dash with science.”
“Just keep in mind I don’t work for free.” Sunset joked before drinking from her Frappuccino.
“Had I known the kind of chaos your school was capable of, I wouldn’t even have bothered with the Battle of the Bands.” Sunset's eyes widened and she spat out her drink all over the table, coughing incessantly.
Applejack meanwhile shot up and clenched her fists. “You!”
“Me.” There, only a foot from their table, stood Adagio. Her arms crossed while she grinned at them smugly. “Been a while hasn’t it?”