26 – Perfect Moments
Chapter Twenty-Six
Perfect Moments
⠀
⠀
There was needing some time to oneself, and there was just outright disconnecting from the rest of the world. And after two weeks of no contact, Applejack was pretty sure she knew which one this was.
It wasn’t for lack of effort on Applejack’s part, either. She’d called plenty of times, practically daily once she’d noticed something was going on. Text messages, voice mails, messages over the group chat app, nothing seemed to be getting through.
“Hey, this is Sunset. Can’t come –”
Applejack hung up; there was no point in leaving another voicemail. She suspected Sunset was getting them just fine, it was the replying to them part where things were going wrong.
So it was time to take it out of Sunset’s hands. That was why Applejack was parked outside of Sunset’s house. She couldn’t complain it was unannounced if she wouldn’t give Applejack the chance to announce it. The phone call had only been one last attempt at doing things politely.
With a sigh, Applejack got out of her truck and walked over to the house. She wondered if Sunset had heard her pull up already. ‘Nah, she’d’ve answered the phone then.’ ”
That was unfortunate, since she was sure Sunset would have appreciated a little forewarning. But oh well, Sunset had made that decision when she hadn’t answered the phone. So Applejack didn’t feel the least bit guilty as she knocked on the door.
There was no response, so after a moment, Applejack knocked again. “Sunset? It’s Applejack. We need to talk.”
Silence was all that answered her. Applejack frowned, trying her best to not worry. She hadn’t considered Sunset might not answer, but there were a few reasons that might be. Maybe she was working different hours, or was out shopping? Lately Sunset barely left the house unless she had to, so it was unlikely to be anything else.
Applejack tried once more, and was no longer surprised that there was no answer. She hated to do it, but she pulled her keys out of her pocket. It was a large keyring since Applejack kept all of her keys on it, but she found the spare key to Sunset’s house easily enough.
“Sunset?” Applejack pushed the door open and looked inside. The first thing she noticed was Sunset sitting on the couch and staring at her. The second was that everything was a mess, from Sunset to the house itself.
Stepping inside, the smell was undeniable too. It wasn’t horribly overpowering, or else Applejack would’ve noticed it right when she had the door open, but it was there. Sunset wasn’t just a mess like her house, she was as unwashed as her house seemed to be too.
Not that Applejack would address that, at least not immediately. Instead, she frowned at Sunset and informed her, “I tried calling.”
Sunset sighed and looked away. “Yeah, I know…”
“I know you know.” Applejack closed the door behind her, which made the house dark since all the lights were off. “Why didn’t you answer?”
“Because that’s what people do when they don’t want to talk, AJ. They don’t answer their phone.”
Since there wasn’t any room to sit on the couch, Applejack stood beside it. Up close, she could also smell alcohol. Just like the rest of the smells in the house it wasn’t overpowering, but was still there. “Yeah, but if they’re bein’ friendly, they also send a message saying ‘Hey, I’m not feeling up to talking, I’ll call later’.”
“That works if I think I’ll want to talk later, I guess.”
Applejack could see that they were just going to go around in circles, so she dropped Sunset’s actions in favor of going back to why she did them. “So, why haven’t you wanted to talk to me?”
Sunset turned away. “I just… I don’t know.”
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “You don’t know?” She was met with silence.
Since Sunset wasn’t giving her much to go on, Applejack took a better look around. Most of what she saw was fairly easily cleaned. Takeout packages, pizza boxes, a few containers that had once held microwave meals, and just a few dirty dishes. Sunset and Fluttershy hadn’t been cooking.
Come to think of it, Fluttershy didn’t seem to be home at all, unless she was taking a mid-afternoon nap. “Fluttershy at work then?”
Sunset seemed to sink more into the couch. “No.”
Well that was no kind of answer. But it didn’t seem like pushing was going to get her anywhere, not right now. First thing she needed to focus on was getting Sunset more cooperative.
“Okay, come on. We’re doing this thing one way or another, even if I have to drag your ass up.”
Sunset pursed her lips and stared at Applejack, who just put her hands on her hips in response. They stared each other down for a moment, until eventually it was Sunset who folded. “Doing what? Why are you even here?”
“Because you clearly need me to be.” Applejack gestured to the mess around them, then to Sunset herself. “You’re in a pretty sorry state, and I mean to do something about it.”
“I don’t need any help.”
“Alright, you don’t need any help.” Applejack started gathering what few plates and cups were scattered around. “Ya do need to take a shower though.”
“Yeah, well fuck you too.”
“Uh huh. Don’t think I won’t drag you in there.”
The idea of Applejack dragging Sunset into the shower should have been cause for amusement. It was tailor-made to get a response from her, some sort of jab about not realizing Applejack was into that sort of thing, or how she’d have to decline because of Fluttershy.
Instead, she got a resigned sigh. “Yeah, whatever.”
Applejack was prepared to make more arguments, but Sunset just got up and walked to the bedroom. A moment later, she walked back out with a clean change of clothes and entered the bathroom.
It should have been a comfort that it was so easy, but Applejack didn’t feel very comforted. Sunset gave in without a fight, which wasn’t like her at all. What could’ve happened?
‘Reckon I’ll figure that out later,’ Applejack told herself. She took a look around at the mess. ‘For now, best make the most of my time.’
Since she’d already started gathering the plates and cups, Applejack finished collecting them then brought the stack to the kitchen. She didn’t like what she saw as she walked in.
It had been cleared from the immediate walkway to the fridge, but there was broken glass on the floor. If it had just been one thing, it could’ve been an accident. Sure, that wasn’t a good reason for why it was still on the floor, but given the state of the house, that was within expectations.
There were two cups and a plate. Bits of food still clung to the plate. It had been a meal for two in progress, but then something happened, and now it was just another thing to ask Sunset about.
But first, it was something that needed to be cleaned up. Applejack dug a trash bag out from under the sink and fitted it into the empty trash can. Broken glass was the first order of business, so she took the broom and dustpan from beside the fridge and got to work.
Once the more pressing glass was cleaned up, she turned to the rest of the trash scattered about. There was a pan on the stove that still had lasagna in it. It looked too old to be saved as leftovers, so she scraped that into the trash and set the pot in the sink. A shower didn’t give her time to do the dishes, so she just filled it with soapy water to soak before returning to the trash.
The bag filled quickly, and so did a second. By then the worst of the mess was taken care of, which was perfect timing as the sound of running water stopped. Applejack took both bags out before Sunset could leave the bathroom, eager to get it done before the inevitable objections came.
On her way back in, she paused at the door to collect herself. There were a lot of questions in her head, and Sunset had already shown she didn’t want to answer them.
‘Don’t matter. I’m not leaving here without answers, I’ll just have to find some way to get them. That’s all there is to it.’
It would be a stretch to say she was satisfied with that plan, but it was what she had to go with, so Applejack opened the door and stepped back inside. A few moments later, Sunset was walking out of the bathroom. She came out empty handed, so she must have left her dirty clothes, but just having her cleaned up in fresh clothes was a victory all on its own.
“There. Don’t that feel better?”
Sunset looked around the cleaned room and frowned. Here it came, the complaints that Applejack had done something to help her.
“I guess,” she mumbled, eyes turning towards the floor. “Thanks for cleaning.”
Oh shit, that was bad. Out of everything Applejack had seen, that was by far the most concerning thing. Sunset had never once accepted help that easily, it was a core part of her being to reject it on impulse. Whatever was going on had shaken Sunset so badly that she wasn’t herself anymore.
Time for Applejack to see if she could do something about that. “So wanna try telling me what happened again?”
“Nothing happened,” Sunset said as she returned to the couch. “I’m just a mess.”
Since it was cleared off enough for both of them now, Applejack took a seat beside her. “Not like this you aren’t. The broken glass?”
“I tripped.”
“Two sets of dinnerware?”
“I tripped twice.”
Although it was actually good to hear a little of Sunset’s usual self showing through whatever the heck this was, Applejack still fixed her with a stare that showed off how dumb that excuse was. Sunset stared back for a moment, then folded.
“We had a fight…”
Applejack bit back the snarky comment about how obvious that was, and just nodded. “And ya threw both sets of plates?”
“No, I wouldn’t –” Sunset’s words caught in her throat and she turned away. “I only… threw the first one. Just… at the floor, not, you know, at Fluttershy or anything. But it scared her and she dropped hers.”
That was pretty bad, but it was obvious Sunset was mad at herself enough over it without needing Applejack to beat her up as well. “So where’s Fluttershy now?”
Sunset sighed and shook her head. “She went to Rainbow’s house for the night.”
“I hate to say it, but I can’t really blame her.” Even if she wasn’t going to harp on it too harshly, it needed to be said. “That was uncalled for, Sunset. Especially since her past.”
“I know,” Sunset said quietly. She closed her eyes and sighed. “I know.”
Applejack put a hand on her shoulder. Things had started before last night, the state of the house attested to that. But if that’s what they were fighting about, that was yet another thing Sunset would know all too well. No point in digging her even deeper.
And really, there was no point in sitting around here moping about it. “Well, let’s see then. So Fluttershy got out for the night. Any word from her since?”
Sunset just shook her head.
“Right, so what do you say we do the same tonight? Not for the whole night or anything, I’m sure you wanna be here for Fluttershy later, but come to my place for dinner. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in days, and I’m sure sitting around this empty house ain’t good for you.”
“I… I don’t know…”
Applejack had anticipated that answer. “Come on, ya need this. I’ll send Fluttershy a text sayin’ I got you, that way she won’t show up expectin’ to find you while we’re out.”
“No.” Sunset looked up at Applejack and frowned, then turned away again. “I’ll do it. I… should message her myself.”
Applejack wasn’t sure about that, but Sunset seemed to be, so she just nodded along with it. Besides, that meant Sunset was agreeing to go with Applejack, which was more victory than she expected so soon.
Sunset got her phone from the bedroom and texted Fluttershy, then put on shoes and followed Applejack out of the house and into the truck. Applejack started the engine quickly before Sunset had a chance to change her mind, then drove them away from the lonely little house.
They didn’t speak about the fight, or Fluttershy, or anything like that as they drove. That was fine though, Applejack had expected that much. There was only so far that Sunset would go if pushed, and Applejack had already gotten her out of the house. They were playing the long game now, and there was no doubt that by the end of the night, Sunset would open up more on her own.
So instead, they talked about Sweet Apple Acres and the start of the apple harvest. “So things are working out with the new guy?” Sunset asked.
“Yeah, Trail Blazer’s been a big help so far. Plus we’ve had Pinkie ‘round to help a few days, and something’s got Apple Bloom more eager to join in lately, so things have been goin’ pretty smoothly for us.”
Even if she couldn’t see it with her eyes on the road, Applejack could hear the frown in Sunset’s voice. “Sorry I haven’t been by to help… Maybe I could sometime this week.”
Applejack didn’t like how dejected Sunset sounded, but she hid that behind a smirk. “You’re sorry? Didn’t I just say things were going smoothly?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Believe it or not, Sweet Apple Acres manages to scrape by even without the great Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset brightened a little, but her tone was still resigned even as she joked. “Yeah, well, guess I finally managed to teach you a thing or two about apple farming after all.”
Applejack chuckled. “Really now, you taught me?”
“Yes, and you should try to sound a little more grateful about it.”
Applejack paused as if considering something. “Come to think of it, maybe we could use some extra help. Then you can show us how much better you are at apple harvesting than me.”
“What, and show you up in front of the new guy? I couldn’t do that to you, AJ!”
“Aww, and when did you become so considerate?”
“Guess Fluttershy might’ve had something to do with it.”
The tone of the conversation shifted in an instant. Although Sunset had began speaking with her usual snark, it faded quickly and neither woman knew what to say.
This could be a good way to get back to the conversation while they were alone, since there was no way Sunet would open up at family dinner. Or it could be a way to make Sunset lock up even more.
In the end, Applejack decided not to risk it. “And here I thought it mighta been because of some stubborn kid ya met years ago.”
That seemed to do the trick, as Sunset was back to her usual playful self. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Guess Flash also might’ve had something to do with it.”
“Flash Sentry!?” Applejack asked in mock offense. They laughed about it, then continued joking the rest of the way to Sweet Apple Acres. As much as Applejack wanted to get to the bottom of things, Sunset’s laugh was just as nice.
She wasn’t a happy person. Applejack knew that. No matter how much she played up her ego, no matter how many jokes she made, Sunset had never exactly been what Applejack would call a happy person. At least not since graduation, and certainly not since losing Sky.
But there were moments. Perfect little moments where Sunset seemed to forget about that heavy sadness that she dragged along everywhere she went. Ever since the Fall Formal, it had become Applejack’s constant mission to look for those moments and make them grow, and it was her most sincere hope that they may someday be more than moments.
And so Applejack treasured that laugh. Because it was more than laughter, it was hope. The hope for a brighter future, one filled with happiness.
There was enough laughter to keep Applejack feeling good about her decision as she pulled into her driveway. No matter what happened, whether they managed to dig into the root of Sunset’s problems or not, it would not be a wasted day.
Applejack led them into the house, where Sunset waited in the living room as Applejack popped into the kitchen. Granny Smith was already working on dinner, and it looked like a big one.
“Smells great,” Applejack said as she put an arm around Granny Smith in a half hug.
“Don’t think sweet talkin’ me is gonna get you any before everyone else.”
“Of course not.” Applejack laughed. She looked over the food, which amounted to quite a spread. Fried chicken made up the main course, which didn’t do any good for Sunset, but there was baked mac and cheese and lemon butter collard greens that she could eat. Not to mention fresh biscuits with homemade apple butter.
It was how they always cooked – more food than they needed because between the four Apples, unexpected guests were generally expected. “Reckon we can squeeze one more plate in there? I brought Sunset by.”
“Only if she eats a proper dinner this time. That girl’s lookin’ like she’s gonna whither away these days.”
That was true. While Fluttershy hadn’t managed to lose the weight in the months after the accident, Sunset was getting thinner. “I’ll see what I can do. Ya know I’d love to see her get back to her old self much as anything.”
“Yeah, I know,” Granny muttered. Before Applejack could ask what she meant, she spoke up. “Now git so I can get back to work!”
While there was obviously something on Granny’s mind, Applejack didn’t dwell on it. She simply tipped her hat on the way out. “Yes, ma’am!”
Returning to the living room, Applejack quickly learned that all the extra food wasn’t just in case someone dropped by – someone already had. Sugar Belle was sitting on the couch talking to Sunset. It hadn’t taken long for Big Mac’s girlfriend to become a regular fixture at the Apple family household, and Applejack suspected it wouldn’t be long before things moved on past that. The only question was if she’d move into Sweet Apple Acres, or if Big Mac was going to move in with her.
“Howdy, Sugar Belle.”
“Hello, AJ,” Sugar Belle said with a smile. “Looks like we’ll be a pretty big group tonight.”
Applejack nodded. “Suppose so, ‘specially if Trail Blazer sticks around for dinner. Maybe I oughta give Granny a hand after all.”
“Oh, I could help! I love to cook.”
“Nonsense, you’re our guest.”
Sugar Belle laughed. “Hardly. This place feels more and more like home. I reckon I could help out a bit.”
Whether she did it intentionally to prove a point or if she had actually just been adapting to the way the Apples talked since she was dating one of them, Applejack couldn’t help but grin at Sugar Belle saying ‘reckon’.
“Well, guess if you’re sure.”
Sugar Belle nodded. “It’s no problem. Besides, Big Mac is out helping Trail Blazer wrap up anyway, and you’ve got a guest of your own.”
Applejack looked around. “I do? Where?”
Sunset shrugged. “I don’t know, I haven’t seen any guests here.”
Applejack nodded. “Yeah, this thing’s more like… a growth that ya just can’t get rid of.”
“That’s a fair assessment.”
Sugar Belle just rolled her eyes. “If you say so. I’ll go check on Granny, try not to bicker too much you two.”
As she left, Sunset nudged Applejack. “So, looking forward to having a new sister-in-law?”
Applejack chuckled. “Ya know, I was just thinking about that.”
“I heard that!” Sugar Belle called in a singsong voice before closing the door to the kitchen.
Both Applejack and Sunset blushed, then laughed when they saw the other was doing the same. Applejack dropped her voice as she continued, even though she had nothing but good things to say. “Honestly, I couldn’t be happier for them. I’d love to welcome Sugar Belle into the Apple family properly.”
“Yeah, I’m glad things are working out for them. Shy as Big Mac is, it kinda felt like he’d never manage to find someone.”
Applejack chuckled. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“Now we just gotta find someone who can put up with you.”
Yeah, because she hadn’t heard that a hundred times. Everyone seemed perplexed that Applejack had never bothered to try to find someone of her own. “Don’t worry, when I finally settle down, you’ll be the last to know. Don’t need you scarin’ the poor fella away.”
“Nah, I know you can manage that one all on your own.”
Applejack laughed off the joke. “In all seriousness though, you know I’m just way too busy. Maybe I’ll think about it in a year or so, once Sweet Apple Acres has had a bit of time to bounce back on its feet.”
“The idea of multitasking is completely lost on you, isn’t it?”
Well, Applejack ran a business, handling the managerial aspects mostly on her own; she still had to spend most of her time working on the farm as well as managing it; she helped raise a teenager whose only other female role model was her grandmother; she found herself more and more being the driving force of keeping her friends together, since they seemed to be doing their best to drift apart; and somehow she managed to also hold the fractured pieces of Sunset’s life together while she recovered from a tragedy.
“Nah, never really got the hang of that one.”
Sunset just shook her head. She’d tease Applejack about her lack of love life from time to time, but she didn’t ever linger on it at least. “So what about AB? She take after you, or does she actually have an interest in dating?”
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Ya know she’s still in school, right?”
Sunset looked legitimately surprised. “Sure. And you know most high schoolers do try dating, right? She’s what, sixteen? I was fourteen when I started dating Flash.”
That wasn’t technically accurate and they both knew it, although Applejack tactfully didn’t point that out. Regardless of how complicated Sunset’s age was, she did have a point. “Yeah, she’s sixteen. To tell the truth, I guess I don’t really know. I’m sure she’d tell me if she had a date or something, but she might be embarrassed to talk about a crush. But in any event, she hasn’t mentioned anyone.”
Sunset shrugged. “Guess it must run in the family or something. Took Big Mac long enough to settle down.”
“He’s dated a few girls before, but you’re right that this is the first time he’s been this serious ‘bout it. My parents also only ever had eyes for each other, or so Granny says. Guess it is just an Apple thing, we don’t usually settle down until we’re good and sure.”
“Which just means it’s even more likely you’re gonna get yourself a new sister-in-law, huh?”
Applejack laughed. “Yeah, I reckon so.”
Sunset wasn’t laughing, though. She turned away and muttered low enough that Applejack almost missed it, even though they were right next to each other. “And here I thought Fluttershy and I were going to be the ones getting married next…”
That caught Applejack off guard for a moment, but she recovered quickly. “You still can if ya want. Let things settle down a bit, but I’m sure Fluttershy would say yes if ya asked.”
Sunset shook her head. “I wish that was true, AJ. I really do.”
“What do you –”
“Anyway,” Sunset interrupted with a smile that just had to be forced, “the point is that there’s sure to be another Apple soon! And then maybe even a little Apple…”
‘Playing the long game,’ Applejack reminded herself. No point in rushing things, since Sunset seemed determined to work her way back to Fluttershy eventually. Just keep things going until then. “I think that might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Not that I wouldn’t be delighted if it happened.”
“Mark my words, you’re gonna be auntie AJ before you know it.”
“We’ll see, I suppose.”
As expected, they didn’t get back to talking about Fluttershy, but they did keep a positive conversation going. Not that they would’ve had much time to discuss things – it wasn’t too long before Granny Smith sent Sugar Belle out to bring the men in for dinner.
Surprisingly, Apple Bloom came inside with them. “What got you out in the orchard on a school night?” Applejack asked as they all filed into the dining room.
“I just thought I’d help out,” she answered with a shrug. “But I could always not bother next time.”
“That wasn’t a complaint,” Applejack answered quickly. “Just a bit surprised is all. But as long as you got your homework done, I couldn’t be happier.”
Apple Bloom showed her ever-developing teenage attitude by giving an exaggerated eye roll. “Why does it even matter? I’m just gonna wind up working on the farm anyway, who even cares about my homework?”
“I do.” Applejack frowned. This wasn’t a new conversation. “It’s important that you get a proper education, no matter if you work here or not.”
“Tch, yeah, as if I’m gonna work anywhere else.”
“Apple Bloom, don’t talk back to your sister,” Big Mac said.
Applejack wasn’t content to leave it there, though. “No one said you gotta work on the farm. Once you graduate, if you wanna work somewhere else then that’s completely fine.”
“Hmph, ain’t never been an Apple that didn’t work at Sweet Apple Acres,” Granny Smith said.
“See?” Apple Bloom arched an eyebrow.
Applejack looked between the youngest and oldest Apple. She knew better than to contradict Granny Smith, who was already unhappy with the direction Applejack was taking Sweet Apple Acres. But at the same time, she couldn’t have Apple Bloom feeling like she would be forced to work on the farm no matter whether she wanted to or not.
“There’s lots of different jobs on an orchard like this though,” Trail Blazer said with a charming smile. “Personable girl like you, you could work in sales. Big deal once Sweet Apple Acres gets bigger. Or web design, really push it into the future.”
It was a good attempt at a middle ground, but Apple Bloom just shrugged it off. “I guess.”
Whether it really worked or not, it was enough to pry Applejack out from between the rock and the hard place. For now, they could simply enjoy their dinner and the company that came with it.
At least that was a guarantee. Granny Smith’s cooking always pushed away other concerns, and Sugar Belle was none too shabby herself.
“This is fantastic, Granny Smith,” Sunset said after biting into the collard greens.
“I’ll say,” Trail Blazer agreed. “Nothing beats a meal like this after a hard day’s work.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said through a mouthful of chicken.
“Oh, well, I can’t take all the credit.” Granny Smith chuckled and looked over at Sugar Belle. “Sugar here was a big help. Even whipped up dessert for us.”
“Oh man, I gotta save room for dessert?” Sunset reached for a biscuit. “I don’t know if I can manage when everything’s this good!”
“I can,” Apple Bloom said, also failing to chew her food properly before speaking. “Sugar Belle’s desserts are the best!”
“Eeyup!”
“One of these days, we’ll have to bake something together again,” Applejack suggested in between bites of her own food.
Sugar Belle looked up from her plate and smiled. “That would be lovely, AJ.”
“And would probably send the rest into a diabetic coma,” Trail Blazer said. “Not that I’d be complaining. I’d very much like to be here for that one.”
Applejack chuckled. “Sure, once I get the time.” As much as she liked cooking and baking, Applejack wasn’t able to do much of it lately. Not with the demands of the farm and trying to be there for her friends.
“Do you also do any cooking, AB?” Trail Blazer asked.
“Nah, I leave that to the professionals.”
“Aww, she’s just selling herself short.” Applejack grinned. “She’s an Apple through and through, and there ain’t never been an Apple woman who couldn’t cook up a storm when she got into the kitchen.”
Apple Bloom grinned sheepishly. “Well, I guess I can bake a bit.”
“That would also be a treat I’d love to try,” Trail Blazer said.
Applejack nudged Sunset. “Now if we could just get Sunset to be able to make something edible, we’d be all set.”
“Hey, my frozen meal skills could put yours to shame,” Sunset shot back.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. But I said ‘edible’.”
Sunset shrugged. “Honorary Apples don’t have to cook. Besides, why leave it to the women? Let’s get Big Mac in the kitchen! Give him a frilly pink apron and everything!”
“Big Mac cooks once in a while,” Sugar Belle pointed out, causing Big Mac to swell with pride. She deflated it as she added, “I do like the sound of that apron, though.”
“So I guess it’s just Sunset and Trail Blazer who don’t cook,” Apple Bloom said.
“Now that is one thing I never quite managed,” Trail Blazer said. “I can grill hot dogs and burgers, but I’m with Miss Sunset aside from that.”
“Ooh, ‘Miss’ Sunset.” Apple Bloom smirked. “Fancy.”
“Nothing wrong with being polite,” Trail Blazer said.
Sunset chuckled. “Just Sunset is fine. We’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other, after all. I’m kind of a fixture around here.”
“Yeah, except ya ain’t been around much lately,” Apple Bloom said. “Too busy doing things with Fluttershy?”
“Something like that.” Sunset suddenly seemed to be very intent on eating.
“Fluttershy?” Trail Blazer asked.
“Her girlfriend.”
“Oh, I see.” The instantly recognizable look of a good old fashioned country boy who never thought he’d actually sit down and talk with a real live gay person flashed across Trail Blazer’s face, just as it had for most of the Apples when Sunset first came out to them.
Thankfully, the next words out of his mouth managed to not be anything stupid, even if his tone was clearly forced. “Well, that’s great. Suppose I’ll be meeting her someday as well?”
Since Sunset had conveniently shoved a bite of mac and cheese into her mouth, Applejack answered for her. “Reckon ya might. Fluttershy’s not around as much as Sunset, but we all go way back. Me, Sunset, Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom all went to school together. All of us except Apple Bloom were in the same grade.”
“How nice,” Sugar Belle said. “I try to keep in touch with a few of my old high school friends, but life seems to have a way of pushing us apart.”
Trail Blazer looked relieved to have a safer subject to move onto. “Where did you go school, Sugar Belle?”
“Equal Heights High School.”
“Oh cool, me too.”
“Oh, really?” Sugar Belle seemed to be studying him anew. “I don’t think I ever saw you around there, though. Which is surprising, since it wasn’t a big school.”
Trail Blazer chuckled. “We probably were there at different times if you’re the same age as Big Mac. I’m younger than I look, just graduated last year.”
“Oh wow, I wouldn’t have guessed.” Sugar Belle nodded. “I guess we must’ve just missed each other. I would’ve been graduating when you started freshman year. Hard to believe it’s been five years since I left Equal Heights.”
“I’m starting to see just how quickly the time does fly myself.”
“I don’t know why everyone talks about high school like they miss it so much.” Apple Bloom grinned and put her hands behind her head. “I can’t wait until I’m done with it!”
“We’ll see how you feel about that in a couple years,” Applejack said.
Apple Bloom shrugged. “Long as I’ve got Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, I won’t care about school one bit!”
Applejack almost envied her naïvety. She decided not to burst her bubble, but she hated to think of how Apple Bloom would feel if Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo moved out of town for college or work. Applejack had a hard enough time just figuring out how to make things work with her friends that still lived in Everton.
“I don’t miss school,” Sunset said, much to Applejack’s surprise.
“None of it?” Applejack asked. “Sure, waking up at the crack of dawn never suited you, but you seemed pretty happy there towards the end of it.”
Sunset shrugged. “One decent year doesn’t change twelve shitty ones.” She looked up at Granny Smith and grimaced at her own word choice. “Er, sorry, slipped out…”
Granny seemed confused at suddenly being included in the conversation. “Eh? What’s that?”
Sunset chuckled. “Uh, never mind.”
“You didn’t like anything other than senior year?” Sugar Belle asked. “Even elementary school?”
“Nope. It was all pretty awful for me. And senior year started pretty horrible for me too.”
“Yeah, same for everyone else,” Apple Bloom muttered. Applejack shot her a dirty look.
Sugar Belle looked concerned, so Sunset showed off her endless ability to disarm any situation at her whim. “Long story short, I refused to make friends with anyone because of some really stupid reasons. But then I met Applejack, Fluttershy, and all our other friends. So senior year turned around, which is great, but it’s still not what I think about when I look back on school.”
As always, it seemed to do the trick. Sugar Belle was placated by the fact that Sunset’s life sounded like it had turned around for the better, and Sunset hadn’t risked getting caught in a lie by not actually stating that outright. Sometimes Applejack envied Sunset’s ability to paint whatever picture she wanted without ever needing to outright lie.
They worked their way back to safer conversations, all about how work in the orchard was going. Applejack was delighted to hear Trail Blazer singing Apple Bloom’s praises; it seemed that while Applejack had been busy handling the business aspect of the orchard, Apple Bloom had been filling in with the labor aspect.
Sugar Belle and Trail Blazer swapped a few stories of their school and teachers that they had shared. Equal Heights was a city over, so they didn’t often compete with CHS, but that didn’t stop a small rivalry from forming among the two schools’ alumnis. Things stayed friendly however, in no small part because Big Mac clearly didn’t want to get too serious with his girlfriend around. Applejack had no doubt that it would become a recurring debate while he and Trail Blazer were working together.
Aside from a few comments about CHS, Big Mac was characteristically quiet. He chimed in with the occasional “eeyup” when Sugar Belle talked about their most recent date. It was great to hear things going well for them, but she worried Sunset had a hard time hearing about the happy couple. She didn’t say anything, but of course, she never would.
Still, it was a good dinner. Everyone had a hard time finding room for dessert once Sugar Belle brought it out – including Apple Bloom, despite her earlier insistence to the contrary. But her lemon meringue pie was simply too good to turn down, and between the seven of them, they managed to finish the whole thing off.
The evening wrapped up quickly for most of them after that. Granny Smith turned in for the night, ever the definition of ‘early to bed early to rise’. Shortly after, Big Mac took Trail Blazer home since they would also have to work in the morning. And although she got along just fine with the other women, Sugar Belle decided to call it a night and left at the same time as Big Mac.
Which left just Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sunset. “Shouldn’t you get to bed for school?” Applejack asked her sister once they were alone.
“Shouldn’t you get to bed for work?” she shot back.
“Fair enough.” Truthfully, Applejack would also have prefered to call it a night, but giving up a little sleep to try and help Sunset was becoming something of a pastime of hers. And since arguing with Apple Bloom would just have Sunset insist that she should head home herself, it looked like they’d both be missing some sleep over it.
Since warm summer nights were coming to an end and the rain storms they’d been dealing with seemed to have finally blown over, the three young women opted to sit out back. They gathered at the picnic table, Applejack and Sunset on one side, Apple Bloom on the other.
The sun had set, but the last of the light was still fading. Sunset looked up into the evening sky. “Thanks for dragging me out here, AJ. I, uh, I don’t think I thank you enough for everything you do.”
“Yeah, you’d be lost without me.”
“Yeah. I would.”
Applejack frowned. It was one thing for her to say something like that, but it was another entirely for Sunset to agree with it. “Where’s this coming from?”
Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know. You know what, just forget it, it’s nothing. Anyway, at least all that rain finally stopped.”
Applejack wasn’t going to let Sunset change the subject so easily. “It doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“Sunset?” Apple Bloom asked. “Is there a reason you’re here with us instead of home with Fluttershy?”
Sunset looked up at Apple Bloom and seemed to lose her ability to find the perfect words to say.
“You still visit us all the time, but ya hardly ever stay for dinner unless Fluttershy’s here too.”
Applejack could step in and save Sunset, but this was as good a time as any to try and get down to the bottom of things. Maybe it would’ve been a little better if Apple Bloom hadn’t been there, but she and Sunset were close enough that maybe Sunset would open up.
“I… Yeah. Yeah, there’s a reason I’m here.” Sunset took a deep breath and shook her head. “Fluttershy… isn’t at home right now. She’s at Rainbow’s.”
In a better situation, Applejack might’ve been proud of how well Apple Bloom switched from snarky teenager to compassionate friend. “How long’s she gonna be gone?”
Sunset bowed her head. “I… I don’t know…”
“Aww, it’s only been one night,” Applejack pointed out. “I’m sure she’ll come home tonight. And if you don’t want to talk to her, I can.”
“It’s been two weeks.”
Applejack blinked. “It’s… really?”
Sunset nodded slowly. “And… and, well… the truth is I don’t know if she’s coming back.”
It made sense, in a way. The state of Sunset’s house fit a lot more in the two week timeline, and that would explain why she had been so hard to get in touch with. It made sense, even if Applejack didn’t want it to.
“Don’t say that,” Apple Bloom said. “She loves you. Of course she’ll come back.”
“She didn’t say she wasn’t, did she?” Applejack asked, afraid of the answer.
“No, not exactly. She said she needs space. And that was the last I heard from her.”
Applejack frowned. “And ya didn’t think to talk to me about this? I can help! I can talk to her, see how she’s doing. I know she doesn’t want to leave you, and I’ll help her see that too.”
“No.” Sunset looked up at Applejack, full of determination. Only for one small moment however, then she folded. “She said… she said to give her space. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Sunset…”
“I can’t fuck things up again, AJ!” Sunset’s outburst nearly brought her to tears, but they caught in her throat instead.
Seeing Sunset hurting hurt Applejack too, but she knew there was no way to take that pain away. Not right now, anyway.
Apple Bloom reached across the table and patted Sunset’s hand. “Things’ll work out, Sunset. You two are perfect together. She just needs a little time away to remember that.”
Sunset composed herself and glanced up at Apple Bloom. “I hope you’re right.”
Applejack hoped so too. She wished she could be sure of that herself, but she’d seen the house. The broken glass. The alcohol. Applejack cared about Sunset as much as anything, but she knew who she was and what she was capable of. She knew there was no way to live with Sunset’s fire and not risk getting burned, and she knew that not everyone could handle that.
But more importantly, right now, in this moment, she knew her best friend was hurting. She copied Apple Bloom, reaching for Sunset’s other hand. She entwined her fingers with Sunset’s, squeezing gently to remind her that she wasn’t alone. No matter what happened, that was one thing Applejack wouldn’t allow. Sunset would not be alone, never again.
Although she wasn’t bad with words herself, she didn’t have Sunset’s gift for them and none came to her now. It didn’t seem to matter though. There wasn’t anything she could say, but she could still be there beside her friend, still hold her hand.
The three young women sat together in silence, none of them noticing how much time was passing. It wasn’t long before the stars came out, and Sunset leaned against Applejack’s shoulder as she looked up at them.
It was far from a perfect moment, but it was at least one calm moment in the storm that would be Sunset’s coming days and weeks. If nothing else, Applejack could give her that. For the rest, there was nothing they could do but wait and see.
~ End Act III ~
I hope y’all enjoyed this window into other characters’ POVs, because it was a nightmare to figure out.
And as always, here’s some music to bring the act to an end.
Stats
Page generated in 0.037 seconds
Total duration
974 users online
1,449,622 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Another two acts for you to break all our hearts, bun.
I totally agree with this statement but any ways another excellent chapter this one hit the most .I feel I can hear the notes of the bugle playing, it's soft and quiet right now but as the rest of the story progresses it's sure to get louder. Will be waiting eagerly for the rest of the story.👍👍
9683316
It's the only life I know, Ice
9683626
Sunshyne are pretty great together, no matter what hell I throw at them. And thanks, I'm eagerly awaiting more to bring to y'all! I've started writing act 4 so maybe I can have it ready for a seamless update the week after Inner Strength finishes its final update.
9683659
Yes, but you pad that angst with so much fluff to make it such a sweet, sweet poison.
Please have mercy, bun.
9683664
Lol least the Inner Strength update is fluffier than Playing House. Though pretty much everything I write is fluffier than Playing House, so... Anyway point is there's some recovery fluff on the horizon for anyone catching up on the new IS chapters
9683921
I certainly will be diving into that recovery fluff, then.
Equal Heights. I see what you did there and I laughed.
Speaking of laughter, there was none when we found out what sunset had been up to in the two weeks without fluttershy. But you can count on good old dependable applejack to take charge and turn her mood around. For a bit.
Good to see teenage Apple bloom being teenage.
And trail blaze is still an awesome name but now it seems he will become an awesome character as well, if the Apple family is going to be supporting half of the sunset-shy ship while rainbow dash supports the other.
9684454
I forget who came up with the name Equal Heights but it wasn't me. I'm rather fond of it though
Gosh I love teenage Apple Bloom. She's so sassy, I love writing her. Trail Blazer's been cool too, and you're right that you'll be seeing more of him. And of course AJ is always a treat
9701101
Idk, maybe it could be cool to see Sunset as a full set of armour too
9701685
Between them, you really think Sunset is Al and Fluttershy is Ed? I think the other way around lol
9701713
Lol, of course. Although, with what I've seen, this Fluttershy is quite capable
Typo! "Questions"
Is it bad that I just decided to start mentioning those when I see them? I just feel annoying when I do, though I do like to help
9882226
This implies I've seen more that I don't really remember right now but not enough to worry about at all
I'm always confused because I'm always thinking that Sweetie Belle is around and I confuse the two
I guess my reasoning is always that her sister isn't in town and she is alone
And then I remember Sweetie has parents
But most importantly, both characters' appearances would have the same amount of relevance.
I guess I just kinda miss the CMC's
*Snorts* I totally want to see the wedding and don't you dare ruin that, if all the rest is suffering at least this has to happen. But then you didn't give any indication you actually care because them getting married is a hundred percent canon so like... I don't think you will but still. I normally don't encourage straight behavior (I do encourage bi and pan behavior though) but this straight couple deserved happiness.
Unless, you know you haven't already changed that I'm which case I'll be damned
Just
I don't have anything to say just, how wonderfully is this written and how bad is she going to fail to do the last two
Sunset... You were 26 when you started dating. Nice age but even if what you are saying is actually true you can't really hold your point with that argument darling
I'm actually okay with them breaking things up
I've been for a while
Being in a toxic environment isn't good for either of them and with how often and how much and how intensely they are fighting it's just
Too much. They should have figured that out some time ago actually but they are people. It sucks but being apart now might be the best thing because after what happened it just won't work. I can't see them pulling through this, not really. Just giving people something to cry about in your absence. I hope your move to Florida was a good one
Apple Blooms’s change in behavior and the revelation of how young Trail Blazer is is putting me on edge
You know my thoughts on this.
One of your strongest chapters. Just.. well. You know.
I fully expected this to be the case, and yet, being confronted with the reality, it just hurts to see. D:
I think this is hitting hard because what AJ's doing is basically what my family have been doing with the house of a family member who passed away recently. ._. Oof.
Ace!Jack? :V Granted, I've been assuming Trail Blazer -- who, despite the previous descripition, I have been envisioning as an EQG'd version of Hitch from G5 -- is being set up as something of a love interest for her later on.
I'm sorry, Equal Heights? :D I love it.
Man do I love how you've gotten AB into full-on teenager mode in the most natural way, and yet she can still bring out lines like this.
daaaaaamn :O
Brilliant Author, simply beautifully, bloody brilliant you are at having the previous chapters be from the perspective of other characters instead of the two main ones so that not only are the other characters being kept out of the loop at the main driving force of conflict but also so are we, the readers as well. We get to see Sunset and Fluttershy relationship from the outside and see just how bad it’s been downhill but without seeing thing from their POVs as always, we’re left wonder who is right, who is wrong, both are, both not and just feel the unease as their friends try their best to help each one with the same limited info as them.
Simply brilliant, and very creative Krickis
11199641
Thank you so much! This idea was actually partially Pasu's (the aritst behind the majority of the WWB cover art, including this one), so I can't take full credit. When I was struggling to figure out how to plot out the act, she suggested I do a chapter from another character's POVs. I didn't want to have a stray chapter from a different POV, but I had that lightbulb moment of realizing I could do the whole act that way. As Sunshyne shut down from their friends, they also shut down from us, the audience. I'm extremely glad you liked it this much, it's an effect I'm very proud of to be sure.
That's definitely a red flag on why she's in that state.
I feel the same AJ.
Let's hope so. 🤞
And that's what currently matter atm. 😕
Lol
That whole age situation always give me a bit of a headache when thinking about it how different it is compared to ponies in equestria imo.
I mean that's what happened at the end of fim when it was seen in the song that she was working at the school of friendship with her friends.
Agreed. 😏
Same goes with mine. Since I've graduated high school back in 2020 I've only been able to stay in touch with 2 of my friends. It used to be 3 but I got into a bit of a fight with my old friend Robbie before graduating and then he blocked me all possible ways from phone numbers, to friends on discord, email, and even friends on Nintendo switch. Broke my heart when it happened as despite we did fight a few times during our time in high school he was still a great friend of mine.
Oh shit! 😦
Welp, things sure have taken a sour turn for them.
ever since I started reading this story, I have become an emotional mess lmao
But in all honesty, you have such a unique way of writing emotions, in a way that is easily picked up by us the readers, I have cried at least 3 times though out my reading adventure, laughed with them cried extra hard after reading the car accident part of the story, tho I definitely predicteded it,
all in all, the longer I read, the more my emotions go haywire, my mentally unstable mind can't keep up 
but I am loving this mental torture nonetheless 
11666223
I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so much and that the emotions hit so clearly and resonate. This story was the result of many years of practice and it's just always cool to hear that out pays off! 
Thank you for the comment because this is exactly what I like to hear