//------------------------------// // Alternate/bonus chapter part 1 // Story: Flame of a Different World // by ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ //------------------------------// Sweet Silence Part 1 Blazing Streak opened her eyes to a bright, yellow ray of sunlight beaming in her face through the window at the end of the spare room at Applejack's farmhouse. She groaned a bit and sank deeper in the soft, cream coloured duvet cover with apple patterns repeating all the way across it. The ray of light still prevented her from slipping back into sleep. Sighing drearily, she crawled into a sitting position and yawned while stretching her legs, back and wings all at once. Satisfied at the clicking of her muscles, she placed a hoof on the soft carpet of the spare room, followed by her three other hooves. Ambling toward the mirror, she giggled a bit at what she saw. Her mane was ruffled as if it had fell victim to a hurricane. Shrugging, she brushed it down with her hoof until it looked somewhat normal for her. Looking down, something caught her eye. It was a silver chain with a small, bright, round red gem, surrounded by golden patterns that made it resemble the sun that rose in the sky. Blazing had kept it very close ever since her mother, Dawn Glow, gave it to her shortly before she and Blazing's father, Daylight Sky, had died. Her mood quickly soured. Why did they have to die?... To prevent herself from breaking down, she shoved the thoughts out of her mind by thinking about more recent events. She was incredibly lucky to have ended up here. She'd met six friends in the first day she was awake. They were the only ponies she'd been close to since she was eight years old. Applejack, especially. They'd spent nearly all their time together in the past two weeks, Blazing could usually be seen helping around the farm, be it apple-bucking or other simple chores that Applejack needed to get done. They'd talk the days away, mostly about normal things like the things happening in Ponyville. But sometimes they ended up having more personal conversations, things like 'Why do you like living on the farm?' or 'What's with all the apple related stuff here?'. One time, Applejack had asked Blazing Streak if she'd had any colt-friends before. This had caught her completely off guard and she swore she'd grown three shades redder in the face than normal. It was then that she'd finally realized that she swung the other way. She liked mares. Her thoughts were interrupted by an aroma coming through the door from downstairs. It smelled like someone was cooking something out of apples. Her mouth started to water from the delicious scent. Picking up the necklace and fastening it round her neck, she headed downstairs.Turning towards the kitchen, she saw Applejack at work, chopping apples and placing them into a round base made of pastry. Once she had filled it up, she sprinkled cinnamon all over the top. Blazing Streak felt a twinge of unexplained nervousness. She stepped into the kitchen. "Morning, AJ. something smells really good." She said, the last of her dreariness giving way to wakefulness. Applejack turned around with a smile on her face. "Why thank ya kindly, Blazin'! Ah'm makin' breakfast this fine mornin'! Ya up fer pie?" She replied, opening the oven behind her. She pulled out a golden brown pie which caused Blazing Streak's stomach to rumble. "Uh.. heh.. I guess so." She answered, blushing. Applejack chuckled a bit before remembering something. "Oh, Ah almost fergot, Granny, Apple Bloom and Big Mac have gone ta Apploosa to share some knowledge on makin' Apple Cider. They left me in charge of the farm, so we're alone for a few days." She said, placing the freshly baked breakfast on the table. Blazing Streak nodded in acknowledgement as Applejack sat down. After a few moments, the farm mare noticed the charm around her neck. "Is that yours?" She asked. "Yeah." Blazing replied "It's pretty, where'd ya get it?" Applejack pressed. Blazing Streak blushed slightly. "Uh, I've had it for a long time." That seemed to satisfy her, as she didn't press for any more answers. .---...---...-.-...---...---. "That was... I don't even know how to describe how good that pie was." Blazing Streak sat at the table with a content smile plastered on her face. Applejack blushed a little. "Aw shucks, Ah'm glad ya liked it, sugar cube!" "loved it!" Blazing corrected. "Uh, don't tell Granny Smith this, but I think I liked your apple pie even better than hers!" Applejack looked taken aback. "Really? Ya can't mean that!" She exclaimed. "Yeah I can, and I do mean it. Seriously, Applejack, that was the best pie I've ever had!" Blazing confirmed. Applejack still looked speechless. Blazing Streak smirked. A few heartbeats later, she heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it." She said, trotting out the room and to the door. Opening it, she saw Twilight Sparkle. "Hi, Twilight! What brings you here?" A moment later, Applejack appeared next to her at the door. "Howdy, Twi!" "Hi, girls! How're you doing?" The purple Unicorn asked. "Ah'm just dandy, thanks." "Same." "How 'bout you?" "Oh, I'm just fine. I came round to ask if you two wanted to join me and the others tonight for a sleepover! It's going to be at my place tonight at around six." Twilight invited. "Well, Ah'll probably be mighty busy fer today, havin' ta take care o' the farm all day without Big Mac, but Ah reckon Ah'll be able to make it. How 'bout you, Blazin'?" "Yeah, sure! We'll make it. There's still two of us so it will all be done twice as fast." She confirmed. "That's great! I'll leave you to your work now then. Bye girls!" She turned around, but then stopped. "Oh, and you might want to bring something to sleep on - I only have one spare bed." Applejack and Blazing acknowledged the advice with a nod. "Okay, bye!" The two at the door both called to the Unicorn, who had turned and was leaving the farm. "Well, Ah guess we should get ta work now then." Applejack stated, trotting out the door with a smile on her face. Blazing Streak followed closely. .---...---...-.-...---...---. THWAK The branches of an apple tree rustled as two red hooves smashed into it's bark. Shiny red apples dropped from the leaf covered wood above her into three wooden buckets surrounding it. Blazing Streak had been doing this task for the past five hours. All though repetitive and hard work, she didn't mind it. She worked on the row of trees next to Applejack, meaning that they could talk throughout the day. As she lined up in front of another unpicked tree, Applejack spoke up. "Ah've been wonderin'.. How come ya'll can sling fire around with yer hooves like that? I mean, ya ain't a Unicorn, last time Ah checked." She questioned. Blazing Streak paused and thought. "If I'm honest, I have no idea either. It's strange; For about six years, my life seemed so normal. I would wake up, eat, go to school, come back home and then sleep the rest of the afternoon off. But then, there was this pony at school, he was really mean to everyone. One day, when he was being a prick to one of the less 'popular' colts, I lost it. That was when I discovered my magic, I was angry at him for constantly being a twat to people he didn't deem 'normal'. That was the first time I got angry enough to burst into flames." Applejack listened intently. "I was so scared. I had no idea what was going on, or why I wasn't burning to death. The crowd that had gathered fled and hid. The bully had shrunk down, shaking violently. I had to get out of there, so I flew away, fast. The cone of fire surrounded me as it does today. Losing control, I crashed into a tall building and landed on another roof." "Ouch, musta' hurt!" Applejack said, wincing. "Yep, That's when I figured something was wrong. When I flew back to my apartment, at a similar speed, my brother saw the fire." She sighed. "That was when he ran away." "Aw, sugar cube... Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean to make ya think 'bout all that." Applejack apologized, slowly walking up to her. As much as Blazing Streak tried, she couldn't stop her train of thought from reaching her parents, and then, inevitably, Night Whisper; the pony who killed them. anger and sorrow burst from her heart and through her body. Applejack paused and started to step back with a frightened look on her face as Blazing Streak's eyes burned white. A scowl found its way onto her face as she stared into the ground. Her hooves started to glow as bright orange flames burst from within them. "I can't go a single day without thinking about Night Whisper and my parents! I wish none of it had ever happened! I wish Night Whisper was never born!" Flames engulfed the rest of her body in anger. Meanwhile, Applejack was stumbling back in fright. "B-Blazin'?! What's gotten inta you?!" The sound of Blazing's close friend's voice rang through her mind, rupturing hate filled thoughts and replacing the hatred in her heart with guilt at getting carried away. Her anger subsided and the flames shrank back into her hooves. Her eyes flashed into their normal state, leaving her standing on the spot, looking down, frowning. Tears started to stream down her face and she fell to her haunches and started to sob quietly to herself, curling up and burying her face in her hooves. Through her grieving, she felt a hoof wrap around her back, followed by another lifting her head up. Applejack knelt in front of her, concern radiating from her expression. She smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Blaze, it's all in th' past now. Night Whisper isn't anywhere near here, he can't do anything to harm you are anyone else." She whispered. "I-I know b-but... I c-can't get them out of my head!" Blazing cried. Applejack said nothing, she pulled Blazing Streak into a warm hug. The red Pegasus found herself reciprocating the gesture. They sat like that for a while, Blazing Streak quietly crying into the comforting warmth of her best friend, while Applejack comforted her further by rubbing her back gently. Eventually, Blazing managed to silence her tears and calm down. Once they separated, Blazing felt a blush form on her cheeks. She could have sworn she saw something flicker in Applejack's eyes, but she ignored it. "I'm uh.. I'm sorry, AJ." She said. Applejack tilted her head in confusion. "Fer what, sugar cube?" "For snapping on you like that. It was a simple question you asked and I got carried away." shame filled her voice. Applejack shook her head. "Hey, c'mon now, sugar cube, it's alright, Ah don't blame ya. Sounds like this Night Whisper deserves what ya feel towards him. Don't be apolagizin' ta me fer how he made ya feel." She reassured, smiling her usual bright, infectious smile. Blazing Streak was caught by the contagious smile and nodded. "Thanks, Applejack." .---...---...-.-...---...---. It was late afternoon, the sun had started to lower into the horizon, tinting everything its light touched a pale shade of orange as it barely touched the canopy of the trees in white-tail woods. The air had a pleasant chill to it as gentle breezes drifted through Ponyville. Blazing Streak strode through the peaceful town, breathing the refreshing air. It was much cooler than it was in the heat of the afternoon, which made it easier and more pleasant to breathe. Alongside her, Applejack also seemed to be enjoying the weather as she walked, a content smile slightly stretching her lips. This added to Blazing's delight. They had packed sleeping bags and inflatable mattresses, including a spare for someone else who didn't have one of their own and a hoof-pump to inflate it. Twilight's library tree came into sight.The windows were open, letting out light from within, along with the sound of laughter. Upon reaching the wooden door, Blazing knocked on it three times. A moment later, the door was enveloped in a magenta aura and swung open, revealing Twilight Sparkle. "Hey, girls! I'm glad that you could make it! Come in!" The two smiled and entered. They saw the rest of their friends sat in a circle in the middle of the room around a bottle. "We're playing truth or dare!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing happily on the spot. Fluttershy shrank back. "D-do I h-have to p-play?" She stuttered. "Well of course you do-" Pinkie Pie was cut off by Rarity. "No, you don't have to if you don't want to, dear." Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, ok, thanks, Rarity." Rarity smiled back while Pinkie Pie looked sad for a moment before bouncing back into her previous state. Blazing Streak and Applejack sat down with the rest of the group. "So how's living with AJ, Blazing?" Twilight asked. Blazing Streak smiled wider. "It's great. I get pie for helping her work." She leaned forward with a more serious expression. "You all need to try AJ's pie. As soon as possible. The best thing I've tasted. Ever." "Ah wouldn't go that far, sugar cube." Applejack said, blushing. Blazing noticed Rarity giving them a sly smile. She shifted and her wings twitched a bit. "What?" "Oh, nothing, darling! I was just glad you are having a nice time at the farm!" The white Unicorn said, innocently. She then seemed to notice something. "Oh, my! Where did you get that necklace, Blazing?" Before She could reply, Rarity had appeared in front of her and was inspecting the jewel. "Uh.. It was a gift from someone." She said. Rarity didn't seem to notice. "It's beautiful! I must look for one like this! It would go well with red velvet!" "Lets start already!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, spinning the bottle. Rarity quickly returned to her seat. Everypony stared at it as it rotated around the group. it eventually pointed to Blazing. "Already? Okay, Truth." She decided, not feeling up for some crazy dare Pinkie Pie would inevitably get her to do. Then she realized the other inevitable alternative, which Rarity enforced. "Have you ever had a crush?" She asked, smiling as if she knew something that Blazing didn't. "U-um..." She thought hard about what to say, blushing. She couldn't tell them about her crush on Applejack, that would cause all sorts of awkward mayhem. But she couldn't lie to them, especially with Applejack around - she could smell a lie. "Yes." She decided to say. Pinkie Pie gasped. "Who is he? Is he cute? Is he strong? Oh! Is he red? I bet he's red! OH! Is he Big Mac?!" Rainbow Dash stuffed a hoof in her mouth to shut her up. "Shush, Pinkie, let her speak." She said, smiling in amusement. "W-wait, Big Mac?! No!" Hot embarrassment prickled in her pelt. "Him being red doesn't mean anythin' automatically, Pinkie." Applejack reasoned. "Then who is he? Do I know him? We should throw a party for him!" She bounced even more excitedly than before. "Well, you do know... him." She said, vaguely. "Why don't you go and tell her, Blazing?" Rarity said, smirking. "Because she- Oh, fuck." Blazing cursed herself for slipping up. Rarity's eyes visibly lit up. "I knew it!" She exclaimed, bouncing over and picking up Blazing in a tight hug. "Rarity! Put me down!" She protested. The Unicorn in question seemed to ignore her as she was swung around. Blazing looked to Applejack, who watched with a mixture of amusement and shock. "H-help me!" "Um, Rarity, I think that's enough." Twilight said. A moment later, magenta magic engulfed Blazing and she moved out of Rarity's grasp. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I was just so excited for you!" Rainbow Dash could be seen guffawing as she rolled on her back in laughter at the situation. "Oh... Oh gosh my sides! Bahaha!" Blazing Streak ignored the laughing Pegasus and faced the rest of her friends. "Um.. So, you don't mind?" She said, hopefully. "No, of course not!" Rarity confirmed "Why would it be a problem?" Twilight asked. "LET'S THROW A PAR-" "Now why would we think any less of ya fer this? Applejack interrupted, smiling up at the Pegasus from her seat reassuringly, making her blush slightly. Again, Blazing noticed a shimmer in her eyes. "Yeah, you're still as awesome as you were when you managed to keep up with me the other night! She did a sonic rainboom! I'll tell ya about it later, it was sooo cool!" Rainbow Dash went on, recovering from her laughing fit. "We still love you, no matter which way you swing!" Fluttershy put in. Tears threatened to escape her eyes, but she managed to hold them back. "I-I don't quite know what I can do to thank you girls!" Blazing Streak responded. "Weeeell, you could duck!" Before she could respond, Pinkie Pie had launched a pillow, that Blazing had no idea where she got, towards her. She got hit directly in the face with a small 'pomf' sound. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie started laughing again, followed by Twilight and the others. Blazing Streak, seeing that Pinkie was distracted, smirked. Picking up the pillow with her hoof, she quietly hovered over to the earth pony, who was now too busy rolling on the floor laughing to notice her. She landed on the ground beside her, raised the pillow up and then slammed it into Pinkie's face. She fell silent for a moment. And then started laughing even harder, along with a few others. "Luckily, I bought some pillows for this occasion!" As Twilight stated this, at least 50 pillows materialized on mid-air, promptly falling on every ponies' heads. "Hey!" Rainbow protested, before picking one of the soft projectiles and launching it into the crowd, hitting Applejack in the side. The farm mare laughed a bit before kicking two pillows back. Through the corner of her eye, Blazing saw another pillow with a magenta aura surrounding it being launched at her. She ducked and threw her own back, hitting Twilight in the face. She stumbled back and fell over. Before she had a chance to worry, Applejack had snuck up behind her and was preparing to swing. Blazing turned round and was immediately struck in the face. Screwing up her nuzzle from the impact, she laughed a bit. She noticed a pillow from Rarity sailing towards Applejack. Without warning, she grabbed Applejack's shoulders and pulled her down, out of the way. The feather stuffed missile hit the bookshelf behind them, causing two books to fall. "Truce?" Blazing held up a hoof, ducking to avoid another pillow. Applejack laughed. "Truce." She replied, returning the gesture. They turned, picking up a pillow each and pelted the the others with white, feathery doom. Rainbow Dash was caught off guard as she was knocked out of the air by Applejack. Pinkie pie fell backwards from a hit to the chest. Fluttershy, who was also enjoying herself, was hit by a reflected pillow. She jumped, startled, before laying down, playing dead, but an obvious smile still lit up her face. Twilight gathered a bunch of pillows with her magic and launched them at the two at high velocity. Applejack raised a pillow to defend herself and Blazing got ready to evade. The first few she slithered away from, the third and forth, she managed to grab and throw back. Applejack, taken by surprise at the force of the pillows, stumbled back and fell over, laughing. Rarity picked up a pillow with her magic and covered Twilight's horn with it as she swiped down at the Unicorn. Having her concentration broken, Twilight dropped the remaining projectiles. By now, the library had become a battleground. Alliances were made and shattered, and ponies were struck down by soft, white death. Applejack and Blazing Streak made a wall out of some furniture and were defending it as if it was their castle. Twilight had teamed up with Rainbow Dash, pelting their fort with pillow after pillow. One almost landed on Blazing, but an orange hoof punched it out of the way. "Hah, I guess we're even!" She said. "Eyup!" Applejack replied, launching her own two pillows at Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Blazing Streak then realized something. She hadn't seen Pinkie Pie in a while. As soon as she thought that, two pillows hit them in the back of their heads. Turning around, she saw Pinkie Pie laughing. "BEST PARTY EVER! YAA-" She was knocked out the air by a pillow from Fluttershy, who looked slightly worried. "Oh are you okay? Um, I didn-" She was lightly hit with a pillow from Pinkie. They both laughed and retreated to their corners of the room before Applejack and Blazing Streak could hit them. .---...---...-.-...---...---. The game lasted for what felt like hours. Blazing Streak was starting to get tired, as well as the rest of them. Even Rainbow Dash and Applejack, two of the best athletes in Ponyville, looked tired. The entire room was filled to the brim with feathers. To a baby dragon who's job was to keep this place tidy, it looked like hell. Spike walked in and immediately froze. "DAMNIT, TWILIGHT! You're cleaning this up!" He yelled, turning and stomping back upstairs. The room went silent. Twilight had a partially shocked, partially guilty expression. Rainbow Dash started to chuckle, followed by the rest of them. Blazing then thought about something. "Hey Twilight, how come we've barely seen Spike this evening? It's like he's been hiding in his room for the past three hours or so." "Oh, he said he had a lot of reading to do with his comics, so he's keeping out of the way." Twilight explained, getting her breath back. "Yo, Blazing! You saw how much me and Twilight kicked your arse in that pillow fight, right?" Rainbow Dash gloated, a cocky smile on her face. "Hardly! Look at you! You're covered from head to tail in pillow feathers! It looks like you've been rolling around on the floor for the past three hours!" She retorted, smiling in satisfaction as the Pegasus pouted. "Sounds like fun!" Pinkie Pie jumped on her back and promptly started to roll around in the white innards of the pillows. Blazing Streak raised one eyebrow, but smiled in amusement. "I do believe Blazing and Applejack made an effective team. They were only two that stayed as a team through the entire thing." Blazing and Applejack smirked and hoof bumped. Rainbow Dash felt otherwise. "Sure, whatever you say, I still think I wiped the floor with you two." She stated, crossing her forelegs. "Does it really matter who 'won'?" Twilight said. "Fun is fun, Rainbow." The Pegasus looked as if she was about to argue more, but she sighed. "Yeah, whatever." "We need ta do that again, sometime. That was the most fun Ah've had in weeks!" Applejack exclaimed. Blazing Streak nodded. "Only next time it needs to be bigger." She agreed. The rest of them nodded in agreement. "OHMIGOSH It will be so fun! We could get the whole town involved! It could be like a civil war but with more pillows and cake and cookies and it will be like one big PARTY!" Confetti and party noises surrounded the room, confusing Blazing Streak. "Where did that confetti come from?" She asked. "Don't worry! It will be gone in the next scene!" Blazing tilted her head in even more confusion. "Next scene? What are you talking about?" "That's just Pinkie bein' Pinkie, ya'll get used to it eventually." Applejack exclaimed. the confetti was nowhere to be seen any more. Blazing Streak shrugged it off. "So, what are we going to do next?" Rarity asked. Every pony else put a hoof on their chins in thought. "Ghost stories!" Twilight exclaimed. "Yeah! I have an awesome one to tell you!" Rainbow gloated. "Is it the one about the rusty horseshoe again? Cos we've all heard it, sugar cube." Applejack said. "Uh.. maybe?" "Um, can I go into another room? I don't really like ghost stories..." Fluttershy asked. "Of course you can, darling! We'd never force anything on you that you don't want." Rarity replied, smiling pleasantly. Fluttershy brightened up. "Thank you, Rarity." She said, walking out of the room, into the kitchen. Blazing Streak thought for a moment. "I think I have one." She volunteered. Pinkie Pie jumped up. "Yay!" The lights were turned off and they were all left in pitch black. Blazing summoned a small candle flame under her face. She chuckled a bit before starting, deciding not to explain it at the star. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "It over a thousand years ago. A small house sat near the ever free forest. Inside this house, a family of three lived peacefully. The father would gather food from the forest nearby, mostly berries and even fruit. The mother tended to stay in the house to look after their young filly. The father found a rake in the forest while he was scavenging." The others listened carefully, staring with wide eyes. "He brought the rake back with him as they didn't have one of their own. He showed his family, and on a closer inspection, he saw words engraved in the handle that read. 'He is the rake.' They didn't think much of it at the time, assuming it was nothing important." "That night, the father could not get the words out of his head. They kept repeating themselves to him while he slept." She dimmed the candle flame. "As the clock struck twelve, he woke up. Opening his eyes, he saw what looked like a hairless, mulelike 'pony' sitting at the foot of his bed, facing away from him. Before he could say anything, The figure snapped it's head towards him. It scrambled right up to his face, staring with it's round, white eyes. The father was too scared to scream, or to move. The figure then turned and bolted out of the room, heading towards their filly's bedroom. Panicked, The man got up and ran after it, shaking in fright." She had raised her voice a bit now. "Upon reaching the filly's bedroom, he froze at the sight of blood staining the whole room. in the bed, he saw the mangled, mutilated figure of his baby filly. It slowly turned to him, coughing up blood. "H-he is.. the rake." That was the last thing she said, before her death. He backed away in horror, but he bumped into something. Turning, he once again saw the bright, white eyes of.." She paused, looking at her friends' horrified faces. "THE RAKE!" She exclaimed, making he candle flame explode into the figure of the being's face that she had described in the story. Her friends all screamed and shrunk back, shaking violently. "AAH!" Turning the lights on, she saw her friends huddled together. Upon noticing that she'd been seen, Rainbow Dash quickly got up and sat proudly, failing to hide her shivering wings. "I-I wasn't scared!" She boasted. Obviously faking her cocky smile. The others had started to calm down. Applejack separated. "Where in Tar-nation did ya learn that?!" She asked, eyes still shrunken. "Uhm... honestly? I don't remember. But I've never forgotten it." Blazing replied, chuckling at her friends' reactions. "I must say.. You can pull off a really convincing grim expression." Rarity said, recovering. Fluttershy, seeing the lights turned back on, trotted in the room. The white Unicorn turned to her. "Welcome back! You'd be glad that you left, even Rainbow Dash was scared half to death!" "Was not!" The cyan Pegasus tried to deny it. "Yeah, sure. Then why are ya wings still shivering?" Applejack accused. "They're not!" "They are, sugarcube." She countered, smirking. Rainbow Dash pouted. "Heh, Ah'm only teasin' sugar cube." "Yeah, yeah." Rainbow dismissed her, though she looked amused. Twilight giggled a bit before yawning. "Heh, I guess the pillow fight took a lot out of me." She said. "You're telling me! I'm starving!" Rainbow complained. "It's a good thing that I brought lots of cupcakes! They're raspberry and cherry! Who wants one?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, a tray of seemingly freshly baked cupcakes in her hooves. Everyone enthusiastically took one and began to eat. Blazing Streak, however, didn't. "Don't you want one? I made them myself!" Pinkie offered. "I'll just have mine later, I'm not hungry right now." Pinkie Pie didn't lose her usual bounciness as she nodded and put the cupcakes away... somewhere. After they had all finished their snacks, Twilight brought them upstairs so that they could sort out sleeping arrangements. "I only have one spare bed, so two of you can sleep on that. The rest of you, I'm assuming, brought things to sleep on?" Receiving a nod from everyone, she smiled. Blazing Streak and Applejack turned to collect their things, before noticing Spike, fast asleep in his small bed. They instinctively quietened down as they creeped down the stairs. "Ah'm glad that Twilight hasn't got her book on slumber parties this time." Applejack commented. "Why?" "Knowin' Twi, she'd have us do all sorts of strange things in an organized manner, like she did last time." She explained. Blazing smiled and huffed in amusement, grabbing the mattresses, which were still in their boxes, and balancing them on her back, extending her yellow tipped wings to prevent them from falling off. Applejack took the sleeping bags and the pump, and they headed back upstairs. Rarity and Fluttershy shared the spare bed, while Pinkie Pie laid down her own sleeping bag and mattress. "Damnit! I forgot to bring my things!" She complained, crossing her hooves and adorning a bemused expression. "Don't worry, RD. Ah brought spares." Applejack stated, placing her things on the ground. "Thanks, AJ." .---...---...-.-...---...---. Silence filled the room as Blazing Streak tried to sleep. Looking to the left of her mattress, she saw the face of her friend, Applejack, eyes closed and a content smile on her face. Her mane was a bit ruffled, the bands that would usually keep it neat were on the floor next to her. Blazing found it really hard to look away. She was so.... Cute. Blazing Streak shook her head to snap out of the trance she was just in. What time is it? She wondered, searching for a clock. She saw one on the wall that read '2:30 am'. She frowned, disappointed that she hadn't slept at all that night. After what felt like hours more of trying to get to sleep, Rainbow Dash's loud snoring not helping, she eventually gave up. Sighing, she sat up from her sleeping bag and looked around at her friends. They were all fast asleep, breathing (and snoring) peacefully. She noticed a door to a balcony on the other side of the room. She decided to get some fresh air. Quietly, she slipped out of her sleeping back and silently hovered to the door and opened it. Once through, she stepped towards the edge and sat down, watching the town she recently started calling home. It was like she had started all over again. Her life here was so different from her old life, and it had changed in what felt life a matter of seconds. She silently scanned the night, taking in the landmarks and beautiful night sky that was so similar to her old world's, yet so much brighter. She spotted the farm a couple of miles out, The apple trees silhouetted against the starlight. That was her home now, her real home. Not some small, dull apartment. It brought such joy to her heart. This is what she had always wanted since that night when Night Whisper screwed things up for her. This was her dream. Once again, tears rolled down her cheeks, only this time, they were happy tears. I'm way too emotional these days. she thought with a smile. She brought up a hoof and wiped away her tears. She then realized that she still wore the necklace she had put on earlier that day. She gently took it off and held it in her hooves, staring at it. Memories of her mother passed through her mind. She used to sing songs to Blazing Streak. She and her husband, Daylight Sky, would occasionally sing songs together in the living room at night when Blazing was going to go to bed, and Blazing would sit and listen to the words. There was one song they liked to sing the most, Blazing had learned it off by heart, all those years ago. She closed her eyes and recited the words. In the dark of night, It struggles through the wind, It presses on till it reaches home, And it finds it's love within. It's hate is fierce, It's sorrow's sour, But faced with kindness, It turns around. It's love is pure It's care is strong And in the end, A bond is formed. In the pain of loss, It's crippled and it's dire, The hate within threatens to burst, And its anger rages like fire. It's hate is pure, It's sorrow's strong, And faced with pain, It's something more, The rage burns on, But it's nothing more, Than a broken heart gone sour. When all is lost, A light so bright, Will close it's wings, And set things right. In the darkness, The light shines on, It cleans the hatred, And quenches the fire, It renews the love, And the heart soars higher. It's love is new, It's care is strong, Faced with new love, The heart can not go wrong. Once she had finished her song, she opened her eyes to look at the necklace again. "T-that was beautiful, Blaze." Blazing Streak heard a familiar, quiet country voice behind her. She bolted upright and gazed behind her, shocked. "O-oh, hey, Applejack... I'm guessing you heard that?" She said, just above a whisper, still stunned that Applejack, of all ponies, had heard her singing a song that was close to her heart. She turned back to look at the necklace. She heard soft hoof-steps behind her. "All of it. Where did ya learn to sing like that, sugar cube? Such heart-felt words..." Applejack praised. Blazing Streak blushed furiously. "I... It was a song that my parents used to sing a lot." Blazing Streak sighed. She had to stop hiding it, she decided to let everything out. "Back before they died, every night after dinner, they would sit down in the living room with a glass of wine each and sing songs. I guess you could call it a tradition, or something. Every night since my brother left, I would sit by them, listening to the words and sometimes, singing along. The song I just sung was my favourite one, and the one they would sing the most often." By now, Applejack had sat next to her and was looking at her with interest, but there was something else, something Blazing had seen multiple times that evening, but had never been able to identify. However, it still made Blazing Streak's heart beat faster. She closed her eyes and brought the necklace close to her chest. "A-after they died, I never gave up on that tradition. Every night, I would go as far away from everything as possible, mostly into the mountains near the City I lived in, and sing whichever song came to mind first. It's a weird tradition, I know, but I still found it kind of... Therapeutic." She finished, wiping a tear from her eye. She felt Applejack's leg around her back. She was determined not to cry this time, gritting her teeth. "Hey." Applejack said, getting Blazing's attention. "No tradition is weird to the pony who carries it out. You've lived in mah house long enough ta see some of our traditions, and Ah expect that they're kinda strange to ya'll." She reasoned. Blazing Streak shrugged. "Besides, Ah'd love ta listen to ya sing yer songs again." Blazing's blush spread across her face. "R-really?" Noticing she had spoken too quickly, she continued. "Uh... s-sure." To her relief, Applejack didn't question her, instead looking back over the town, her arm still wrapped around Blazing's back. Slowly, Blazing unfolded her wing and placed it around her friend, hoping to keep her warm from the chilly night. To her shock, Applejack slowly leaned her head on Blazing's shoulder. After a moment or two, Blazing hugged tighter with her wing. Eventually, her blush died down and she found herself relaxing. A long silence then lasted between the two. Blazing's train of thought returned to her friends and new home. Why would Night Whisper send her here? Was this a way of apologising? Or was it something more sinister? Or was it just a mistake? She had so many questions, but no one that would be able to answer them. She then figured that asking herself so many questions about it wouldn't help her at all. She decided that whatever reason Night Whisper had for sending her here, she shouldn't question it and get on with her new life. Working on the farm with Applejack was her life now, she owed the farm pony so much, and hadn't done enough to repay her debt for the warm home, food and companionship that AJ had given her every since she woke up. Guilt and shame still tugged at her heart. She needed to say something to break the silence, she needed to voice her gratitude for the earth pony. "Hey, AJ?" "What is it, sugar cube?" "I uh... I need to thank you." "Fer what?" "For everything." She took a deep breath. "Ever since I first woke up, you've shown nothing but kindness to me. When I woke up, I was half expecting you to be just another ordinary pony from my old home, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I've been so selfish, you've given me everything I could possibly need, and I haven't given nearly enough in return." Blazing started in a low voice, so that no one else woke up. "Now hold on a minute there,-" "No, Applejack, I know what you're gonna say, but you completely flipped my life the right way up. You showed me friends that would stick by each other through anything, that would do anything for each other. You gave me a proper place to live, not just some shoddy apartment." Applejack had grown quiet, and was staring wide eyed into her own. It was a struggle not to immediately get lost in them and lose her train of thought. Her mouth was slightly open, like she was about to say something, but nothing came out. "And... and I haven't given anything back. I don't know how I could thank you enough, the words 'thank you' don't justify my gratitude towards you for saving my life." She finished, struggling to keep tears from emerging once again. Applejack's voice was barely a whisper. "...You don't have ta use words, sugar cube.." She put a hoof on Blazing Streak's cheek. The red Pegasus' heart started beating faster, and another blush appeared. The arm around her back shifted to her waist, slowly pulling her closer. Blazing Streak slowly went with it, heart beating faster every moment. They were so close, Blazing could feel Applejack's warm breath on her muzzle. The world around her blurred as Applejack pressed her lips to Blazing's, closing her eyes. Instinctively, Blazing Streak did the same and kissed back. The fur along her spine stood on end and her heart skipped a few beats. She started to stroke Applejack's mane with her hoof. It felt silky under her hoof. Then it struck her. This was it; the moment she had been waiting for, dreaming about ever since she had woken up in Applejack's barn. She failed to keep back the tears this time. She felt Applejack's tongue on her lips, she parted them, allowing her entry. Apple flavour swirled in her mouth as AJ's tongue danced with her own. The force and passion escalated and Blazing was pushed onto her back. She moaned slightly, reciprocating the passion. This went on for what felt like days, but in reality, was just a few more moments. They separated for breath. Applejack was kneeling low above her, staring into her eyes. This time, Blazing Streak let herself get lost and plummet into the depths of the emerald orbs that burned into her eyes. Applejack let out a smile. "I love you, Applejack." Blazing murmured. "Ah love you too, Blaze, that's more than enough thanks fer me." Applejack replied, winking. She gently kissed Blazing on the muzzle before sitting back up and offering her hoof. Wordlessly, Blazing Streak took the hoof. Together, they sat on the balcony that overlooked the town. They pressed up against each other, Blazing had a wing wrapped tightly around her lover. Their tails wrapped around each other, entwined. Applejack laid her head on Blazing's shoulder again and gently stroked her back with a hoof. The silence that lasted between the two was sweet. They didn't need to say anything, content just with their presence. Their breathing was in complete synchronization and their heartbeats were slow and relaxed. What was going to happen next? The question creeped into Blazing's mind. She assumed they were together now, but what were they going to do? What would happen after tonight? She assumed Applejack would want to go on a date in private, but where would she want to go? She wouldn't like fancy restaurants, and even if she did, Blazing had no money - she'd been working solely for her place in Applejack's home, she hadn't asked for a single bit. These thoughts and questions were disrupting Blazing's relaxation, so she pushed them out of her mind for now. Soon enough, Blazing Streak heard a yawn from Applejack. "Ah think Ah should get back ta sleep. You should too, darlin', it's a might late." She stated. As much as Blazing didn't want this to end, it was true. "Alright." The two slowly stood up and turned around to see spike leaning on the door frame. They froze. "Well, well, well." He said, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "U-uh... Hi, spike. How much of that did you see?" Blazing asked, worried. "Eh, nothin' much. Just woke up to get some midnight snacks, If you don't tell Twilight, I won't tell her about you two, either." He bargained. The two quickly nodded and headed inside, while Spike creeped downstairs to find some food. Careful not to wake the others, even though Rainbow Dash's snoring would have woken them up first, they crept back into their sleeping bags, but not before shifting them closer together. They looked at each other one more time. "Night, AJ." "G'night, Firefly." The name puzzled Blazing. "'Firefly'?" She asked. Applejack giggled slightly. "Yer new pet name." She teased. Blazing grinned in amusement. "Love you." She said, before closing her eyes. She felt lips on her cheek. "Love you too." Her heart fluttered. She'd done it, somehow, Applejack shared her feelings and now they were together. Whatever was going to happen next, Blazing Streak looked forward to it. Wow, this chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written, and there is going to be another part to it! Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this alternate take on the confession. It was just something I've had in my mind for a while now, and I wanted to write it. Oh, and I decided to try and write a little song somewhere up there. Let me know what you think of it, if you want. Thanks for reading.