Alternate Universe. Twilight returns to Ponyville for the first time in years, but things aren't exactly how she pictured they would be.
After eight years of schooling in Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle and Spike, her best friend and High School drop-out, move to Ponyville. But things have changed since Twilight was last there. Her friends wont tell her what it is, but something is off about Applejack. She seems different and distant. There's a sadness in her eyes that Twilight has never seen, and she wants to get to the bottom of it.
Twilight Sparkle awoke with a yawn and a smile, the smell of fresh coffee filled her nostrils. She threw the covers off of her body and got up to stretch, hearing a small cracking sound as she raised her arms.
‘Note to self, being hunched over a desk all day will be bad in the long run.’ she thought with a sigh, walking to her personal bathroom.
“Gah!” she exclaimed upon seeing her image in the mirror. Her purple and pink hair was the very definition of messy, being flat and matted in the back as well as being wild and unruly everywhere else. Although she wasn’t big on appearances, she knew she couldn’t just live it that way. So, with a sigh and a final yawn, she reached for her brush and started fighting the wild hair monster that decided to make a home on her head.
Downstairs, a different battle was being waged. Spike was fighting the temptation to dig into the huge stack of pancakes that were laid out before him.
‘Twilight will be down in a few minutes, she can’t resist the smell of fresh coffee. It’s a big day for her, she’ll probably want to eat together. I just have to wait a little longer!’ he thought to himself, placing a hand on his rumbling stomach. It was then that he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and nearly screamed thanks to the heavens.
“Morning Twilight! Food and coffee’s ready, dig in!” he barely managed to say before digging his fork and knife into the top of the pancake stack.
Twilight couldn’t help the smile that came to her face.
“Thanks Spike, it smells delicious. How long have you been up?” she asked as she began to fill a mug with the life nectar known as coffee.
Spike forced himself to swallow what was in his mouth before answering. “I woke up at about five-ish. Shining Armor drunk dialed me again, started saying something about this dream he had where he coached a football team I was on. I couldn’t get back to sleep after that.”
Twilight held the mug close to her face with both hands to keep warm. She looked out the window to her right to see the heavy snow outside. “I don’t see how he can stand going out in this weather for fun.” she said, thinking of her older brother before looking back to spike “Didn’t he already tell you about that dream, like, a month ago? The team was called The Manticores or something like that?”
Spike shrugged, doing his best to avoid getting any syrup on his shirt or jeans and failing miserably. “He probably did, I can’t remember. I’ve sorta stopped paying attention to what he says when I hear the slur in his voice. Sometimes I’ll even put my phone down and check the call log later to see it lasted for an hour.”
Twilight shook her head and let out a small giggle, remembering how Spike was always her brothers go-to conversation partner when he was drunk, even before he moved in with his wife Cadence.
She sat down at the table, still holding the cup and trying to decide if she’d rather have the warmth inside or outside of her body. After a few moments, she finally took a sip of the coffee and placed the mug down on the table. Soon enough she was eating her own stack of pancakes. “They taste as good as they smell Spike.” she managed to say between bites, obviously not being one who cares much about table manners.
“It’s a big day for you, figured you’d want a nice breakfast to start the day off with.” the younger boy said as he sipped his orange juice, having already finished his food.
Twilight perked up a bit at this statement, looking around at the empty house. All that was around were the two plates, two cups, the utensils they ate with and an electric skillet that Spike must have used to cook. Even those few things were going into a box once they were cleaned. It was the big day afterall. “I’m going back to Ponyville.” she said with a grin on her face.
It had been a little over eight years since Twilight had been to the small town. She left after being accepted into a specialized High School right there in Canterlot. She had lost contact with her friends a bit after that, finding less time to write letters as more work was piled onto her. She did write a letter to her old friend Rarity though, to announce she would be coming back soon. If her math was correct, it should have arrived this morning, giving Rarity a few hours to tell all her old friends. She hoped they would meet her at the station, it had been way too long and she didn’t want to wait any longer than she had to to be able to see them.
“I can’t wait to see this friend of yours. Rarity you said her name was? From the picture you showed me of you graduating middle school, I bet she’s hot!” Spike announced as he began to clean the dishes he used. “You said she was really into designing clothes back in the day, right?”
Twilight smirked. Ever since Spike had seen the picture of a younger Rarity he had wanted to see her in person. “Yes, Rarity was our fashionista. We also had Pinkie the party-planner, Fluttershy who wanted to be a veterinarian, and Applejack, who was always a hard worker. Her family owns a farm back home so she sort of had dedication to hard work bred into her.” she said as she also finished her food and handed the dishes to Spike for cleaning.
As the boy washed the plates, he handed them to her to dry and then she placed them into a box laid on the floor. Once everything was dry and packed away, Twilight looked around the now barren and empty house.
“Eight years,” Spike said “you sure you’re ok with leaving it?”
Twilight nodded her head. “I’ve lived here for all this time, but Ponyville has always been home to me. Now, if you’ll just grab this box, we can be on our way.” she said as she reached for the coat and scarf that hang from the door.
As the two walked to Canterlot station, there was a comfortable silence between them. Spike held the last cardboard box that the movers left for them to take small miscellaneous things and Twilight listened to the sound of her boots crushing the snow beneath her feet. When they entered the station, Twilight paid Spikes way since his hands were full.
“The next train to Ponyville is now arriving on track 3” was heard from a nearby speaker before a train pulled up to the station and the duo stepped in.
Spike placed the box down on the middle seat of the set of three as Twilight took the window seat. “Hey Twilight, I’m a bit tired so I’ll catch a nap here. Mind waking me up before we get to Ponyville?” he asked as he stretched a bit in his space.
“Sure Spike, I’ll wake you at the 15 minute warning.” she replied as the train began to chug away. She turned her head to look out the window, watching the snowy landscape pass by. ‘I wonder if anything’s changed?’ she thought to herself.
“Fifteen minutes until arrival at Ponyville Station.” Twilight heard the announcement and closed her pocket edition book on psychology and its applications. She looked over to the boy sleeping next to her. His hair was dyed green and styled into various messy spikes.
She leaned over and nudged him. “Spike, it’s time to get up. We’re almost there.” she said
A few more nudges and the boy woke up and stretched with a yawn. “Twilight? We there yet?” he asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“The announcement just went out that we’re a few minutes away.” she replied.
Spike finished rubbing his eyes and took a look around. It was then that a thought seemed to suddenly hit him. “Hey Twilight, your friends know who I am right? Like, Rarity doesn’t think I’m your boyfriend or anything like that?”
Twilight had to let out a small giggle at that. “They should know who you are by now. I wrote in the letter that you are my best friend. I doubt they could mistake that for anything else.” she said, now being reminded of when she first met the boy sitting next to her.
It was the day after her high school graduation, and Twilight was returning a few books she borrowed from her schools library. As she turned a corner in the hallway, she bumped into someone and almost fell back, had the person not reached out and caught her. It was a boy, who seemed a few years younger than she was. He had spiky green hair and bright green eyes. Apparently he had been accepted into the school for the next semester and was on a tour but got separated after going to the bathroom. It was then that Twilight decided to give him her own tour of the building, she had nothing to do for the day anyway.
She laughed at the memory, it sounded like something from a cheesy romance story but it was just the first bond being formed between friends.
The two began to make sure that all of their belongings were still in order, Spike remembering the cardboard box and Twilight putting her book into her purse. Soon enough the train slowed down until it came to a full stop.
“Ponyville Station. Be sure to have all your belongings. Exit to the left.” the announcement rang out as Twilight felt her heart beat a bit faster with excitement.
“Come on Spike!” she said as she made her way out of the train car and onto the platform, Spike following after her excitedly.
“Do you see them?” he asked as he watched Twilight scan the crowded station for her friends. His answer was an excited gasp.
“Girls! Over here!” Twilight yelled while waving a hand in the air.
Spike followed her line of sight and his jaw nearly dropped. ‘There she is!’ he thought to himself as he watched a group of three girls walk towards him, but only one stood out. She had fair skin and light blue eyes that sparkled like gems. Her hair, a neat set of royal purple locks, bounced slightly as she walked with a slight sway of her hips.
She walked right up to Twilight and hugged her.”Twilight, darling, it’s been far too long! How have you been? Was the train ride ok?” she asked in a very polite and high-class voice.
It was then that the girl to her right jumped on Twilight as she enveloped her in a big hug. “Twilight! Oh my gosh how have you been? So much stuff happened since you left! Let’s see, the cakes opened a bakery and I got a job there and they had kids and I babysat them and they’re soooooooo cute! Oh and Rarity has a store and Fluttershy works with animals!” she practically blurted out before releasing her hold on Twilight and smoothing out her pink skirt.
“H-hi Twilight.” the third girl said as she stroked the small rabbit she held in her hands, a shy smile on her face as she did so.
‘They must be Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.’ Spike thought to himself as he watched the girls greet his friend. ‘They’re exactly how Twilight described them to be.’
“It’s so nice to see you again girls!” Twilight managed to say with a giant grin plastered onto her face.
“I suppose this would be the friend you mentioned, Spike was it?” Rarity asked, gesturing to the young man in question.
Spike placed the cardboard box down onto the ground and bowed to Rarity. “Yes that’s my name, glad to meet you.” he said as he looked up at her with a wink and a smile.
She let a small giggle escape her mouth. “Well you do seem like quite the gentleman. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” she then turned to Twilight. “Really it’s been far too long,and we do need to catch up. But I’m sure you would like to take a look at your new home and make sure everything is in order, correct?”
Twilight gave a bit of a half-nod as she continued looking around the station. After a moment she looked towards Rarity. “Hey, where’s Applejack? Busy with the farm?”
If Twilight had been studying Rarity’s face just a bit harder, she would have noticed the slight fault in the womans smile. “Shr, uhh...yes dear, she was a bit too busy to join us in this reunion of sorts.” Rarity said quickly. “Now come, let’s see your new home. You’ve taken residence where the old library was, correct?”
“Yea, I heard it was knocked down a few years back to make room for more houses. I don’t remember Ponyville being so popular a place to live in. I’m glad I managed to find the place.” Twilight said as Spike picked the box up again and they all headed out of the station.
The library was Twilights main hotspot as a child growing up in Ponyville, spending hours on end reading various fantasy books on magic and dragons and the like. It made sense to her that she would end up living where it once was. The house was very nice, although a bit bigger than the thought it would have been, judging by the price. Three stories and made of red brick, it looked cozy. The first floor consisted of a large kitchen and dining area. The second floor was made of a decent sized room, a bathroom and a large empty space that one would assume to be the living room. It was the top floor that really grabbed Twilights attention though. On that floor was the master bedroom, which came complete with its own bathroom, as well as three conjoining walls made up of bookshelves that were almost completely full of books. Sure, some were ones that she had read already, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
“Woah Twilight, this place looks awesome!” Spike said, coming up the stairs after checking out what he knew would be his room.
“Indeed it is Twilight, I can only imagine how much this cost you!” Rarity included, eyeing a book about Canterlot fashion.
“That’s the thing, it didn’t cost all that much. It must be because it’s a bit old fashioned and uses assets from the old library.” Twilight said. “The movers should be here tomorrow with all our furniture, so there’s not much else to do here.”
Pinkie Pie nodded her head ecstatically. “Yea we should go to Fluttershys house and have a party! Or Raritys house and have a party! Or maybe my house and have a party! We should just go somewhere and have a party! A ‘Welcome Home, Twilight Sparkle’ party would be amazing! Oh I’m so excited, are you excited? Oh I’ve never been this excited!”
Twilight shook her head and chuckled a bit. “Maybe later Pinkie, we can have it here after I get my things delivered. For now, I’d like to see my old friends.” she said, smiling at the girls she grew up with. “That includes Applejack. You said she was at the farm right?” she asked, looking to Rarity as she grabbed her purse.
Rarity frowned a bit. “Well Twilight, it might not be for the best to go see Applejack right now.”
It was Twilights turn to frown. “What? Why not? I haven’t seen her in years! Can she be that busy that she can’t even say hi?”
Fluttershy finally stepped forward to talk, seeing as Pinkie was being oddly quiet and Rarity was having a hard time formulating what she wanted to say. “A-Applejack isn’t how you remember Twilight.” the girl said meekly “She’s changed a lot. She doesn’t do anything with us anymore, n-not that she needs to, but what happened wasn’t her fault.”
“What happened? What do you mean what happened?” Twilight asked, sensing something was off.
“I-it’s not our place to say darling, you can absolutely visit Sweet Apple Acres but we’re just warning you of what to expect of our old friend Applejack.” Rarity piped in as Fluttershy backed away from Twilight a bit.
“I guess I’ll pay her a visit then. If you can’t say anything I’ll find out for myself.” Twilight said as she tugged on her coat. “Do you three mind keeping Spike company?” she asked, not even waiting for an answer as she walked out of the house.
“Oh dear, I hope everything will be ok.” Rarity said to no one specific.
Twilight made her way across town, having memorized the way to the farm years prior. Her breath was visible in the cold air and she could hear the snow crunch beneath her boots. ‘What could possibly have happened that would cause Applejack to distance herself from everybody?’ she thought to herself as she saw a sign with the farms name in the distance. ‘She was one of the most honest and loyal people I knew growing up.’
She crossed the threshold that led into the farm and walked the stone path that lead to a modest house which acted as the home for one of her oldest friends. She knocked three times and heard a few footsteps before the door was pulled open from the other side.
In front of her stood a woman, easily a half-foot bigger than she, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Her cheeks were adorned with freckles that lead down her neck and no doubt her chest. She wore a red flannel shirt, blue jeans, boots and a stetson atop her head.
“Well if it isn’t Twilight Sparkle.” she said in the same country accent Twilight remembered. “Ah heard you was coming back today. Sorry ah couldn’t see you arrive.”
“Applejack, it’s great to finally see you again! Yea, we missed you at the station so I had to come see you in person.You aren’t too busy now are you? Hows the family by the way?” Twilight asked, happy to finally see her friend again.
“The family is doing fine Twilight, thanks for asking. I am a might bit tired though. Would you mind if we caught up some other time?” Applejack asked, forcing a smile onto her face.
This wasn’t missed by Twilight, who also noticed how the farm-girls eyes also seemed to broadcast a message of sadness. “Applejack, are you ok? I was talking to the girls earlier and they said that y-”
“I’m fine Twilight.” Applejack abruptly cut her off. “Now please, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to rest a bit.”
“O-ok then Applejack. I guess I’ll see you around then?” Twilight replied, feeling a bit of the anger from Applejacks tone.
Applejack sighed. “Yea, sure. Welcome home, see ya around.” she said before she stepped back into the house and closed the door.
Twilight stood there for a few seconds, a debate going on in her mind. The budding psychologist in her wanted to have her friend sit down and explain what was going on, but rational thinking told her it just wasn’t the time. With a sigh, she turned and began making her way towards her new home, her mind overflowing with thoughts on what was wrong with her friend.
Applejack leaned against her door and sighed. She knew she was a bit too hard on Twilight but it just came out and she couldn’t help it. She stood back up and grabbed the coat hanging from the door. It was a bit old, but still did its job just fine. She opened the door and stepped out, taking a deep breath of cold air.
The blonde began making her way around to the back of her family's home, her thoughts a jumbled mess, but what else was new? As she rounded the corner of the house, a large empty area came into view. There was nothing but snow and a solitary headstone around. She walked right up the the stone and knelt down to wipe the snow away and reveal a name and two sets of dates.
She placed her hand on the name inscribed on the stone. “Hey, it’s me again. Do you remember that friend ah told you about a few years back? The really smart girl who got the scholarship to study in Canterlot? Well, she came back today. Ah know it should be a happy moment, getting to see her after so long and all, but ah can’t help it. It just reminded me that the world is still spinning, and everybody is moving on with their lives, and ah just can’t.” her voice began to quiver as she held back tears, her free arm wrapped around her stomach in an attempt to stay warm. “Ah can’t move on knowing you’re not gonna be there taking the steps with me, and that kills me more than ah thought was possible...ah just miss you so much Rainbow.” she said as she removed her hand from the gravestone to wipe away the tears that now streamed from her eyes.
She stood there a few moments longer, she wasn’t sure if it was because she wasn’t ready to leave yet or because she was hoping for some sort of response. But she knew nothing would happen, so she wiped her eyes once more, stood up, and made her way back home.
“Thank you ever so much for the help, there’s just so much to do!” Rarity said to Spike, who had agreed to help her in her shop while Twilight dealt with the movers in their new home.
“No problem Rarity, I’d do anything for a friend.” he replied, moving a box of gemstones to their appropriate area.
“That’s a good policy to have, but I’d still like to show you some thanks.” the fashionista replied, putting a finger to her chin while contemplating how to thank the young man. “I’ve got it! How about I let you have an outfit for Pinkie Pies’ party today?” she asked,
Spike took a second to think about it. He’s seen Raritys’ outfits and can’t deny they look amazing, but they aren’t really something he needs at the moment, he has plenty of clothes back home and he even picked out an outfit already. “Actually, I was...well I was sort of hoping you would…”
“Go on Spike, what is it?” she asked, seeing he was having a bit of trouble forming his words.
“I was wondering if we could maybe, if it’s alright with you that is, share a dance at the party?” he finally managed to say, a blush forming on his tanned cheeks.
“Aww of course I’ll dance with you, my little Spikey Wikey!” Rarity said, a very slight blush adorning her cheeks as well.
“Spikey Wikey?” Spike asked, questioning the new nickname.
“It’s a nickname. Is it not in good taste?” she asked, not wanting to offend the boy by mistake.
Spike gave a bit of a chuckle. “It’s fine if it’s just you calling me that. It’ll be your own personal name for me.”
Rarity smiled. “Agreed.” she said with a slight nod.
It was then that the door to the shop swung open and a purple haired girl walked in.
“Rarity, can I talk to you about something?” Twilight asked, taking off her coat, before noticing spike was present. “Oh, uhh...can I speak to you in private?”
The fashionista perked up a bit. Usually when someone talks to her in private, she can hear some juicy gossip.
“Why of course Twilight! We can go upstairs to my living quarters. Spike, do you mind waiting down here for a bit? Or possibly begin organization of the basement?” she said, not waiting for a response as she began to make her way upstairs.
“Uh, yea, sure.” he replied, a bit upset that his Rarity time was interrupted.
“Sorry Spike.” Twilight whispered to him before following the other girl up the stairs.
It was no secret that Rarity lived above her shop, but not many people knew what it was like up there. Twilight was one of those people obviously, given her situation. She was admittedly surprised when she did see it though. The building itself was three stories. The first floor was obviously the shop itself. The second floor consisted of two rooms, one of which was labeled as a guest room, as well as a bathroom and kitchen. Much like in her own home, the top floor consisted of a master bedroom and bathroom. All of these things looked, for lack of a better phrase, so Rarity.
“Wow Rarity, this place looks amazing.” Twilight said, admiring the other girls room.
“Why thank you Twilight!” Rarity replied “I’ve been trying to get Sweetie Belle to let me redesign her room, but she’s a stubborn one that girl.”
“I’d love to to hear more about her, she was so young when I last saw her. Five years old I think.” Twilight said, remembering the small girl with the squeaky voice “I have something I desperately need to ask you.”
The thought of gossip was now out of Raritys’ mind, her friend sounded like she was in need. “Why, whatever is wrong Twilight?”
“I need you to tell me what is wrong with Applejack.” she began “I went to see her yesterday, as you already know, and I didn’t see the girl I grew up with.”
Rarity let out a sigh. “Twilight, it really isn’t my place to tell you what someone else is going through.”
“I know that,” Twilight said “but I’m not asking for you to gossip about her. I want to know what’s wrong with my friend. I want to know if there is anything I can do to help her.” the girl pleaded, feeling a slight pain in her chest just thinking about what could be bothering her friend so much.
Rarity looked to the floor, a downcast expression on her face. “You were always the smartest of us.” she stated “You received that invitation to study at that prestigious Canterlot school. We were all so happy for you. You left, and we promised to write all the time. But, of course, real life caught up with us all and there seemed to be no time for anything at all.”
“Rarity?” Twilight called the other girls name out, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Rarity looked up at her, her eyes watering a bit. “It’s because of Rainbow Dash.”
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked “Who’s that?”
“Right, you don’t know her. I suppose that would make sense. I’ll start from the beginning then.” Rarity said before taking a deep breath and sighing. “So much changed after you left, and again, I am sorry we couldn’t keep you updated.”
“That’s fine Rarity, go on.” Twilight replied.
“It was about half a year after you left, Twilight. The Apple Family took a trip to Cloudsdale, having apparently heard of some sort of sporting competition in which Applejack joined. I myself am not completely sure of the events that transpired during the competition, but upon her return, Applejack had many stories to tell about her new friend she met in Cloudsdale. The friend was apparently a girl named Rainbow Dash.”
Twilight gave the girl a moment to breath and gather her thoughts. “What could this girl have possibly done to make Applejack act this way?” she asked.
“She showed her love.” Rarity replied.
“What? Love? You mean she and A.J were together?” Twilight asked, not against the idea of two women being together, but simply not expecting it from Applejack.
“Yes. They were inseparable really. None of us actually got to meet her until about another six months after the competition. She was a wonderful girl, and an amazing friend, although she was a bit brash at times.” she said, reminiscing about her friend.
“But what did she do? Did she dump her? Cheat on her?” Twilight asked, still legitimately confused about the situation.
“Oh goodness no!” Rarity exclaimed. “I highly doubt the thought would ever cross her mind. If there was one thing I can say Rainbow Dash was, it would be loyal. She was loyal to Applejack until the very end.”
Twilight felt a sudden weight on her heart. “What do you mean by until the end?” she asked, already having an idea.
Rarity took another deep breath and continued. “Its been about two years now, almost to the day.” she said. “I don’t personally know all the details of their relationship, but I knew they were deeply in love. Everyone could see it, and it was no surprise when they announced they would be getting married and the wedding would be held at the city hall. I was picked to decorate, I still consider it my greatest honor.”
“Rarity,” Twilight said, feeling a lump in her throat “what happened?”
Tears now fell from Raritys eyes and her voice quivered a bit. “It was the night before the wedding. Rainbows family was driving in from Cloudsdale, but needed a bit of help getting to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash planned to drive out and meet them so she could guide them safely. From what I heard, her motorcycle hit a patch of black ice on the road. She didn’t make it.”
Twilights hands flew to cover her mouth, trying to suppress whatever noise she felt was about to escape.
“Applejack wouldn’t talk to anyone after that. Even now we don’t see her nearly as much as we used to. I can’t exactly say I blame her, I’ve no idea how anyone would react to such a situation.” she finished, grabbing some tissues from a box on her nightstand and handing a few to Twilight.
Twilight accepted the tissues and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I can’t imagine what she’s been through.” she said after a moment. “But there has to be something we can do to help, right?”
“We’ve tried.” Rarity said. “Everyone has tried something and nothing has really worked. The most we can do is just be there for her.”
Twilight nodded her head. “I have to let her know that I’m here for her too. She’ll be at the party tonight right?”
Rarity gave a bit of a shrug. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. She was invited but it is ultimately up to her whether she will turn up or not.”
Twilight stood up and began to walk out of the room, Rarity following her lead. “I guess for now we can only hope. Now I need to get home so I can get ready. The movers unpacked everything and put it away but I still need to fix up a few things.” she said as she made her way down the stairs. “I’ll see you tonight...and thank you Rarity, it means a lot that you would share this with me so I can try to help.”
Rarity nodded “Absolutely Twilight, I’ll see you tonight. Sweetie Belle will be there, she’s grown so much.”
Twilight smiled. “I look forward to seeing her.” she said as she walked out of the shop.
Applejack sat on her bed, holding a small piece of paper in her hands. It read ‘You’re Invited To Twilights Super Awesome Welcome Back Party!’
“It wouldn’t hurt to go.” she said aloud to herself. “Ah was a bit rude to her yesterday, she’s been gone so long and just wanted to catch up.” She sighed as she stood up and placed the invitation on the nightstand next to her bed. “Do ah even have anything to wear? Ah would show up in my work clothes but ah don’t wanna hear any complaints from Rarity.” she said as a small smile began to form on her face.
She walked to the closet and slid it open, her eyes scanning the many jeans of various shades of blue, and more flannel shirts than a person would usually have. There was the odd sun-dress here and there, gifts from Rarity of course. Her smile vanished as she looked at the very end of her closet, a frilly white dress hung there. It was still in the same plastic bag from when she bought it, only ever wearing it when she tried it on for the first time.
She closed the closet with a slam, her heart beating faster than it was moments ago. “Maybe ah should take a shower before deciding anything.” she said before exiting the dark room.
“Let’s make this more than a party, let’s make this a paaaartay!” Pinkie Pie yelled through a megaphone as she stood on a table in Twilights living room. The house was filled with various balloons and streamers of assorted colors, the most prominent of which was pink of course. She hopped down from the table and began bobbing her head and shaking her hips to the beat of the music playing. She got local dj, and long-time friend, Vinyl Scratch to play for this party.
“Ok everybody, I want to see you dance! Ladies, shake that ass!” the dj yelled out to the crowd she was entertaining, getting a happy cheer in response.
Something caught Pinkies attention from the corner of her eye. She turned and saw a girl with light pink hair swaying side to side, doing a contained dance in the corner she stood in. A huge grin became plastered on Pinkies face and she called out to the girl. “Woohoo! Oh yea, go Fluttershy!” she yelled as she made her way to the girl who now stopped swaying and blushed deeply.
“H-hi Pinkie.” Fluttershy said as she folded her arms into a hug around herself. “This is a very nice party.”
“Well duh! I had to do my best for Twilights party!” Pinkie replied as she began to sway to the music again. “Hey, where is Twilight?”
“Oh um, I just saw Spike. He said she was upstairs, still getting ready.” Shy replied, nodding towards the crowd where she saw Spike dancing with everyone else. “He said she should be down soon.”
“Okie-dokie-lokie, that means everybody is here….well, almost everybody.” she said a bit dejectedly as she gave the crowd a once-over, looking for a familiar farm girl. The smile returned to her face as she glanced towards the stairs and saw Twilight walking down them. She gave the girl a once over, approving of the tight jeans and sequined shirt combo.
Twilight looked around and saw Pinkie and Fluttershy leaning on a wall, looking in her direction and waving. She gave a wave back and walked towards them. “Hey girls.” she said as she got to them.
Fluttershy gave a wave in response, while Pinkie enveloped Twilight in a tight hug.
“This party looks amazing Pinkie!” Twilight said when the girl released her. “Thank You.”
“Only the best for my friends!” the girl replied with a toothy grin. The song that was playing ended and the dj wasted no time switching to the next. “Oh oh oh! I love this song!” Pinkie exclaimed before she bounced away into the crowd to dance.
Twilight shook her head and chuckled. “I’m glad to see not everything has changed in these past few years.” she said, turning to Fluttershy. “I’m glad you’re doing what you’ve always wanted to do. You’ve always been so good with animals, it’s a little strange to see you without one.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh I love my animal friends so much, and I’m never without one.”she said as she opened her purse, revealing the same white bunny she had when Twilight arrived. “His name is Angel, isn’t he just adorable?” she asked as she held the rabbit out towards her friend.
“Aww he’s so cute.” Twilight said as she reached out and patted the small rabbit on the head. It responded by nuzzling its head into her palm and kicking its foot a bit. Twilight smiled at the reaction, being a fan of cute animals. “So are you having fun?” she asked.
“Yes, Pinkie throws the best parties. I’m exhausted from dancing already, I really let loose.” Fluttershy said with a small smile.
Twilight giggle, knowing that dancing to Fluttershy probably meant she shuffled her feet a bit every few minutes. With a shake of her head, she looked out to the crowd. It consisted mainly of people she didn’t know, or was never really close to. She spotted Spike, who had a scowl on his face. She followed where he was looking and chuckled at what she saw. Some guy seemed to be chatting up Rarity and Spike was getting jealous. She nudged Fluttershy and pointed out the situation, which caused the girl to giggle herself.
“That’s adorable in a way.” Shy said, smiling at the younger boy. “How old is he anyway Twilight? Not too young I hope.”
Twilight put a finger to her chin and took a moment to think. “He’ll be nineteen in two weeks, so I’m sure his crush is nothing to be worried about.” she said before she began to walk towards the boy. “Let me go talk to him, I’ll be right back.”
Twilight walked up to Spike, who was busy watching Rarity telling the guy she had no interest in him. She tapped his shoulder to get his attention. “Oh, hey Twilight.” he said as he finally noticed her. “This is a uhh...it’s a great party. Pinkie did a great job.”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “Why don’t you go talk to her Spike?” she asked.
Spike adopted a confused look. “Talk to Pinkie? Why? I already saw her.”
“Not her!” Twilight said before turning him around and pointing at Rarity who was now leaning against a wall looking around. “Talk to her!”
She gave Spike a little nudge forward and he swallowed the lump in his throat as he made his way to the girl. She noticed him heading her way and smiled.
“Hey Rarity.” he said to her, rubbing the back of his head shyly. “How are you liking the party?”
“Hello Spikey-Wikey” she said “The party has been fun, although most of the time I’ve been distracted by the advances of a few...ruffians I suppose would be a fitting word.”
“Yea,I saw.” Spike said as he nervously kicked at the floor. His own shyness was beginning to aggravate him, he usually didn’t act this way when talking to girls.
“Is everything alright Spike?” Rarity asked, sensing his apprehension.
“I was, uh, I was wondering if you were ready for that dance we talked about.” he managed to force out, fighting back the blush he could feel heating his face.
Rarity smiled and stepped away from the wall she was leaning on. “Why of course! Honestly I was hoping you would have asked me much sooner but better late than never I suppose.” she said as she held her hand out expectantly.
Spike couldn’t help but smile as he took the girls hand and started walking towards the mob of dancing people. On the way, they passed the man who had just been trying to get Raritys attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike saw the man scowl, and held back a laugh.
The dj was playing some very fast paced music, getting the crowd excited. Spike took a quick glance at Rarity, thinking that the girl wasn’t one for such music. How wrong he was. The girl had her eyes closed and her arms above her head as she shook her hips. He took a moment to watch her sensual movements before joining in. He placed his hands on her hips, causing her to open her eyes and smile at him.
The two began dancing together, nothing too exciting, just following each others movements. The music got faster and their movements followed suit. After a while, the song ended and the dj asked for a drink, giving them some time to catch their breath before the next song.
“You’re a really good dancer Rarity.” Spike said with a smile as he felt his pulse beginning to slow.
“I must admit Spike, you are quite the dancer yourself.” she responded. “I think you’ve earned another dance.” she said with a smile as she saw the dj return to her equipment.
The music started up again, starting off slow and deep. The bass went off and Spike could feel it vibrate within himself as the music sped up. The two were dancing again, closer to each other this time as the crowd around them seemed to gather together. Their breathing got heavier and their hearts beat faster as they danced and grinded on each other. Soon enough, everything seemed to stop existing to the pair. They couldn’t hear the music, or see the people dancing around them. All they saw was the other, sweating as they danced passionately.
Spike was the first to make a move, fueled by the adrenalin rush he felt from dancing. He leaned in, placing a hand on Raritys cheek. It didn’t take long for her to know what was happening, her eyes widening in realization as his lips met her own. Her body heated up as if she was in a sauna, except this heat was much more comfortable. She could hear her heart beating in her ears as she felt a foreign tongue moving against her own. She felt her knees go weak and, as much as she enjoyed her present situation, the need for air was too great and she had to break the kiss.
Breathing deeply, she placed a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm herself down. “My, how daring!” she said to Spike, who had a smile on his face as well. “A good dancer, and a fantastic kisser. I’ve got quite the catch, it seems.” she said with a giggle, placing a kiss on his cheek.
It was then that they heard something outside of the little world they seemed to have created with each other.
Twilight stood next to the dj, a microphone in hand. “Hello everyone, and thanks for coming!” she spoke into the mic. “A few of you may already know me, but for those of you who don’t, my name is Twilight Sparkle and this is my party. I grew up here in Ponyville and left a few years ago for school. I’m glad to be back now, and look forward to reconnecting with you all.” she said before handing the mic back to the dj.
“Can I hear some noise for Twilight Sparkle!” Vinyl yelled to the crowd, which resulted in clapping with various whistles and yells.
Twilight smiled as she look through the crowd, looking for some familiar faces. She was able to make out a few old friends like Lyra and Bonbon. Towards the back she saw her old friend Cherilee, who was standing next to a girl wearing a large stetson.
“Applejack?” Twilight said under her breath as she began to make her way away from the dj. She kept her eyes on the girl with the cowboy hat, she couldn’t make out her face. She made her way over to the girl who was now facing away from her. She was the right size and build, and she had blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Twilight tapped the girl on the shoulder, causing her to turn around and confirm Twilights suspicion.
“Well howdy Twi, nice get together ya have here.” Applejack said, raising the beer she was drinking to her lips.
Twilight couldn’t help herself as she gave her friend a hug. “I’m glad you could make it.” she said as she released her.
Applejack let a small smile grace her lips. “It’s good to get out every once in a while. Ah also felt like ah owed to you, on the count of how rude ah was to you yesterday.”
Twilight shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I know what happened, and I want you to know I’m here for you.” she said.
Applejack bowed her head a bit. “Ah gotta say Twi, it’s awful nice of you to say that. Ah really appreciate it, but ah’m fine.” she said.
Twilight frowned. “Just because I’ve been gone for so long doesn’t mean I know you any less than I did before. I know what happened with...her, and I want to be here to help you through it. You are my friend and I hate to see you hurt. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here back then to help you out, but I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.” she said to the girl, standing her ground.
Applejack stared at the girl for a moment. She felt strange, it was as if her muscles were about to give out. Without warning, she took the smaller girl into her arms and hugged her tightly. “Thank ya Twilight, it means a lot to me.” she said, fighting the tears that threatened to spill.
“You’ve been handling this alone for so long, you’ve been so strong.” Twilight said as she rubbed Ajs back.
“I’m tired of being strong Twi.” Aj said as she finally released Twilight.
“Well you have to stay strong, but we’re all here to help you along the way.” she said with a smile. “Now go enjoy the party, catch up with some friends, we’ll talk later, ok? I promise.” Twilight said, feeling much better now that she’s finally spoken to Aj.
“Ah will Twi, but I just really want to do something at the farm real quick. D’ya mind helping me out?” she asked in a shy tone that seemed misplaced on her.
Twilight cocked her head to the side a bit, confused about what she could possibly help with at the farm this time of night. She agreed nonetheless, and the two were soon on their way.
Aj lead Twilight up the path that went to the Apple Family home. They didn’t stay on the path though, rather, going around the house until they reached the back. There was the empty, snow covered field. Twilight saw the lonely stone, it had an unmistakable shape, and she knew what she was here for.
Applejack walked up to the gravestone and cleared the snow off of it once more. She placed her hand over the name and began to talk. “Hey Rainbow, ah brought a friend to meet ya.That smartypants one ah told you about, Twilight Sparkle. She said she’s going to help me out.” her voice began to quiver. “Ah love ya, really ah do and ah will never stop loving ya, but ah can’t live like this. Ah gotta move on.”
Twilight stepped forward and knelt down in front of the stone, placing her hand on the name next to Applejacks. “Hi Rainbow Dash.” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet you, I’m Twilight Sparkle. I grew up with Aj and went away for a while. I heard that’s when you two met. I’m glad to hear that you were good to her. All my friends speak highly of you, and I can only wish I had met you in person. I just wanted to let you know that I’m here now, and I’m going to help take care of Aj in every way that I can.”
The two girls stood there for a few moments in silence. A comfortable breeze covered them. It was an abnormally warm wind for this time of the year. A smile could be seen on Applejacks face. “She’s saying thanks Twilight.” Aj said.
Twilight smiled in response. “It’s not a problem.” she said as she stood up and held her hand out to the blonde farmer. “Come on, let’s get back to the party.” she said, pulling the other girl up and leading the way back to her home.
Applejack walked a few feet behind her, her hands in her pockets and a small on her face as she watched the smaller girl walk in front of her. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. ‘Thank ya kindly, Twilight.’ she thought to herself.
Twilight sat at her desk, she stretched an arm upwards as she yawned. That party really took a lot out of her with all the dancing and singing she did. As a book worm, she wasn’t exactly used to that sort of thing. It had only just ended no more than an hour ago, the dj barely getting her stuff out by now, but she felt like the party happened hours ago. A knock rang out against her door just before it slowly opened.
Applejack peeked into the room. “Hey Twi, just checking up on ya. Ya alright? Ya look like Apple Bloom did after her first big harvest.” the farm girl said as she stepped closer to Twilight.
“I’m fine Aj, just a bit exhausted. I’ve never been the party type you know, not to say I didn’t enjoy myself.” she said with a smile. “How about you? Is everything ok?”
Applejack put on a smile, it was a sad one but not as sad as Twilight had seen before. “Ah’m good Twilight, thanks. Seeing everyone here together helped a lot, ah’ve no clue why I didn’t do this earlier. You girls were always there for me.”
Twilight stood up and gave her friend the strongest hug she could muster. “We’ll always be there for you, don’t ever forget it.”
It was Applejacks turn to hug her friend now, and she returned it ten-fold. She spoke while trying to hold back fresh tears “Ah just want you to know, ah really do appreciate what ya’ll are doing for me. Ah know that ah ain’t nowhere near cured yet, but ah do feel happier already.”
Twilight stepped back from the hug, keeping a hand on the taller girls shoulder. “Applejack, you will never be cured.” she said, earning a set of wide eyes from her friend. “There’s nothing wrong with you, this is perfectly natural for this situation. You lost someone you love, and we just want you to know that we’re here to support you.”
Applejack let out a sigh. “Ah’ll never forget her will ah?”
Twilight gave her own sad smile, looking directly into her friends watery eyes. “Do you want to forget her?”
The flood-gates finally opened and Applejack let the tears fall down her face. “No, no ah don’t ever want to forget her. She was part of me, and ah can’t ever let that go!”
“And you should never feel like you have to.” Twilight calmly responded as she tried to hold back tears herself. She took a moment to gather her thoughts as she waited for the other girl to calm down. It was then that an idea came to mind. “Hey Applejack, do you need to get back to the farm tonight?”
Applejack wiped her eyes “No, why?”
Twilight grinned happily. “I think the best thing you can do right now, is talk about everything. How about a sleepover!”
It was then that her other three friends decided to make their entrance, followed by three younger girls.
Pinkie was the first to speak up. “Ooh ooh! A slumber party right after a party party! Twilight, that’s the best idea ever!” she exclaimed as she bounced up and down excitedly.
Rarity stepped up and place her hand on the pink-haired girls shoulder. “Darling, I’m not exactly sure we were invited.” she said.
“Of course you’re invited, you’re all my best friends!” Twilight exclaimed, looking at the three younger girls in the room. “Well, most of you. Who are you girls?” she asked.
The girl to her left had lightly tanned skin with a bow in her red hair. The girl to her left was very fair skinned, though not quite as much as Rarity. Her hair was also stylized into a set of swirls. Those two girls looked very familiar to her, but it was the third one she couldn’t recognize at all. This girl had the darkest shade of skin out of the three, and her pink hair looked like it just came out of a wind tunnel. If it wasn’t for the skirt she wore, Twilight would have thought she was a very pretty boy.
“Geeze Twilight, how could you forget about us?” the red-headed girl spoke up with a southern accent much like Applejacks.
Realization then hit Twilight. “Applebloom, Sweetiebelle! You’ve gotten so big!” she nearly squealed as she pulled the two girls into a tight hug, leaving the last girl to watch and laugh at their embarrassment. “And who are you?” Twilight asked her with a questioning glance.
“The name’s Scootaloo!” the girl said with what seemed like a forced roughness in her voice.
Applejack stepped forward and placed a hand on the tomboyish girls shoulder. “She’s Rainbows little sister.” she explained “She’s one of mah sisters best friends and basically family. Ah brought her to the party tonight, since all the other girls would be there.”
Twilights eyes widened slightly in realization. “Well it’s nice to meet you Scootaloo. You’re welcome to stay over as well.” she said with a smile. “That is, if you’re all staying over tonight.” she looked around at all her friends questioningly.
“I’m so in!” Pinkie yelled.
“I’d be delighted.” Rarity said, with a confirmation nod from Sweetiebelle
“Eyup!” Applejack and Applebloom said in unison.
“I’m sure it’ll be fun.” Fluttershy said in a voice so light it was hardly audible.
“Well I don’t see why I wouldn’t stay now, my friends will be here.” Scootaloo said with a small grin.
“It’s settled then!” Twilight said excitedly, clapping her hands. “I’ll set up the beds and sleeping arrangements while you all head home to get your things. That is, unless you came prepared with pajamas.” she said as she giggled at the ridiculous idea.
“I am!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she tugged at the shirt and skirt she wore, removing the clothing only to have rolled up sleepwear fall down and cover her body.
The other seven girls simply stared for a moment before shaking it off as her just being Pinkie.
“Ok then, since you’re already prepared Pinkie, would you mind helping me out?” Twilight asked as she lead the girl to a linen closet where she kept all her extra blankets and pillows. Meanwhile, the other girls headed out of the house and to their own respective residencies in order to collect their sleepwear and any other items they needed.
Within the hour, all the girls but one were back in Twilights house. “Where’s Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, hoping the girl didn’t decide to change her mind and not attend the sleepover.
It was then that the door opened and the girl in question stepped into the house.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, I had to feed the animals and make sure they’d all be ok for the night.” the girl said, barely.
“No worries Shy, there wasn’t a time limit silly!” Pinkie said with her usual happy smile plastered on her face.
Fluttershy gave a small smile as she looked around at the living room. There were various placements of pillows and blankets on the floor, making up five makeshift beds. “Is this where we’re sleeping?” she meekly asked.
Twilight was the one to respond. “Yea, I’m letting the girls use my room since they’re smaller and have less people. Spike will be in his room and we’ll be here.”
The girls all seemed to be on board with decision and each chose their place to sleep that night.
As soon as everyone was settled in, Twilight approached the subject at hand. “Ok girls, I love the idea of having fun with you all at this sleepover but let’s not forget that this was planned for a specific reason.” she said, referring to her conversation with Applejack earlier.
“Yes darling, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be fun.” Rarity said “I’ve already come up with a fun game for us to play!”
“What is it?” Twilight asked.
“Well,” Rarity began “seeing as you’re the one who knows the least about the situation at hand, I propose we play a game of twenty-one questions with Applejack!”
All eyes focused on Applejack, and she could feel the pressure. “Ah suppose ya’ll want to hear more about the relationship ah had with Dash?” she said, a twinge of sadness passing through her with just the mention of her lovers name.
“If you don’t mind Aj, I think it’ll help us all understand better. You don’t have to force yourself though.” Twilight said, sensing the apprehension.
“Ah reckon ah could at least give it a try. It’s more than ah’ve been doing lately anyhow.” the farm girl stated, showing some resolution.
A voice with a forced roughness then sounded out from atop the stairs. “You’re going to talk about Rainbow Dash? Then I’m in!” Scootaloo said as she bound down the steps, followed soon after by the other two girls.
Applejack swallowed hard. “Now I’m not sure if you should be hearing the type of stuff ah might say here girls.” she said.
“You haven’t said a word about her since the accident, and I want to know. She was my sister after all.” Scootaloo said pleadingly.
Applejack sighed. “Fine, just keep it down.”
Twilight smiled softly at Scootaloo, wondering how she must feel knowing that she might be learning some new things about her sister. She looked towards Applejack and cleared her throat before voicing her first question. “First thing’s first I suppose. How did you two meet?”
“Twilight, I already told you that.” Rarity said.
Then Applejack spoke up. “Actually Rarity, the contest wasn’t the first time ah met dash, but ah didn’t know that at the time.” she gave a sigh. “A long time ago, before Scootaloo and the girls were born, heck, before we were all even friends, Rainbow lived here in Ponyville.”
Scootaloo pipped in. “Yea, dad told me that. He said he worked here before we moved to Cloudsdale.”
“That’s right.” Aj nodded. “Dash was probably mah first friend, but we were so young it’s hard to remember. Your dad got a good job out in Cloudsdale and your family moved out there. Ah was too young to remember, but Dash had the pictures to prove it. Aside from that, ah never saw her again until the contest.”
Twilight nodded her head. “And what happened at this contest? Who won?”
A smile crossed Applejacks face as she felt the nostalgia. “It was a big event for me and mah family. Winner got a nice cheque to do with as they pleased. Naturally ah planned to use the money for the farm.” she said matter-of-factly. “Me an’ Mac scored within the top three every event, and then ah met Dash. We were competin’ against each other in the relay race. She was a cocky, loud-mouthed brat with a lot of attitude, but it was fun just being around her.” Aj said, getting a soft smile from Scootaloo. “She completely destroyed the competition. Ah came in second and ah was still a solid four seconds behind her. That girl could have gone pro.”
A frown began to show upon her face and Twilight thought it was time to move on. “What was she like? Outside of a competition I mean.”
Applejacks frown was replaced with shimmering eyes and a soft smile. She talked a bit lower than usual. “Dash was amazin’. She was the type of person that made ya feel more confident about every step ya took. She was really the color in mah life.”
“Awww, that’s adorable!” Sweetiebelle squeaked from her seat next to Rarity.
Applejack gave a small laugh. “She wouldn’t have let ya get away with sayin’ that about her.” she said, to which Scootaloo gave a nod. “She was just like ya Scootaloo. I see the same fire in yer eyes that she had in hers, and ah’m not sure how to feel about it. Promise me you’ll be careful Scoots, don’t push yourself too far.” she said, now staring straight at the young girl as tears threatened to spill for the third time that day.
Scootaloo was a bit shocked at first, taking a moment to process what was just said to her. “I-I promise.” she said, which was followed by a long silence before she spoke up again. “Do you...do you really think I’m like her?”
“Absolutely!” Applejack exclaimed. “Yer great at everything ya try, yer dedicated, and yer confident. Maybe a bit too confident at times but yer young. Yer exactly the way Dash was at that age. But the thing that bothers me is, ah don’t know if that’s really you.”
Scootaloo looked confused. “Wh-what do you mean?”
Applejack took off her blanket and moved a bit closer to the younger girl. “Scootaloo, when you were a kid, ah would watch you play with mah sister. Ya hated bugs, loved skirts, and wanted to do nothing but play all day. But when yer sister passed, ya changed. Ya became a mini-Dash, and ah don’t think it’s who ya really are.”
The younger girl wouldn’t face the blonde, opting to stare at the tiles on the floor. She took a look around herself. Sweetiebelle was leaning on Rarity, and Applebloom lay close to Applejack. She could feel it coming, but Scootaloo was unable to hold back the tears that forced their way out of their two year confinement. “I just want my sister!” she wailed as the tears fell heavily.
Applejack wasted no time grabbing the girl in a tight hug, tears falling from her eyes once again as well. She rocked her body back and forth while calmly shushing the girl. “Ah know, ah know. You’ve been strong for this long, but I’m here. I’m your sister too Scootaloo, don’t forget that.” she said as she guided her hand through the girls hair in order to calm her a bit.
After a few moments, all that could be heard was the calm silence that surrounded the group of friends. Scootaloo wiggled her way out of Applejacks arms and wiped the last remaining tears away. “Th-thanks Applejack.” she said, the forced gruffness now gone from her voice as she took a seat next to the blonde farmer who had a grin on her face.
“Hey, ah married yer sister, making you mah sister-in-law. It’s what sisters do, we’re there for each other.” Aj said, ruffling the girls hair.
It was Rarity who looked confused. “Uhm, Applejack, darling. Not to intrude on this beautiful moment, but weren’t you engaged, not married?”
Applejack let out a laugh before her face went straight and took on a look of sudden understanding before she laughed again.
“What’s so funny?” Twilight asked, sharing the same confused look that all the other girls had on their faces.
“Y’all really don’t know do ya?” Applejack asked when she stopped laughing. She shook her head as she looked above her with a smile. “That girl played one last trick on everyone.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked.
“Me and Dash are married, or were, however you wanna look at it. The wedding was for show, we were married way before that!” Applejack said with a slight chuckle.
“What?!?” resounded off of the walls as all the girls screamed it together. Upstairs, Spike was startled awake by the loud noise, falling off of his bed in a panic.
“What do you mean you two were already married?!?” Pinkie yelled as she jumped up and pointed an accusatory finger at Applejack. “Was there a party? Was I not invited?!”
Applejack was shaking as she tried to hold back the laughter that was building inside of her. “Nah Pinkie.” she said. “There wasn’t a party, but it was supposed to be a surprise. Ah guess Dash never remembered to tell ya’ll though.”
“Well do tell darling!” Rarity said, failing to hide her excitement.
“It’s not really that big a deal. It’s not like we’re in some crazy romance story where Dash and ah went on a big adventure or something.” Applejack said with a shrug. “We were in Manehattan, she was helping me with a Cider delivery.” she paused and smiled softly. “She didn’t really help much t’be honest, she mostly drank the extra cider ah packed. Anyway, we took a walk around the city after the delivery. Y’all know how Dash was, making decisions on the spot and never thinking twice about ‘em.” The group nodded in agreement, aside from Twilight. “So when she saw one of those fancy love chapels, she pretty much dragged me into it and that’s the end of that story.”
“Wait, then why did you have a big ceremony if y’all was already married sis?” Applebloom pipped in.
Aj sighed. “That was all Dash again. She had this idea that, since our family is pretty old fashioned, ah’d want a big ol’ wedding with a flowing dress and all the family around. Funny thing is, ah couldn’t care less. Ah just...ah just wanted to be with her.”
The feeling in the room suddenly became very melancholy, frowns adorning everyones face and Pinkies hair becoming a bit less poofy.
Suddenly Scootaloo got a look of extreme happiness on her face. She stood up suddenly and yelled “Applebloom!” before jumping at the other girl, pulling her down into a hug.
“Aaaah!” Applebloom yelled as she was dragged down onto the floor and squeezed. “What? What is it?”
Scootaloo pulled back enough to look the girl in the face but never let go of her. “Don’t you get it? If they actually did get married, then that means we’re sisters!”
It took a moment, but everyone could see the girls eyes widen in realization as she hugged her new sister back and squealed in joy.
“Aww, I wish I had a sister.” Sweetiebelle said from her seat on the floor, receiving an nudge from Rarity who cleared her throat annoyingly. “Oh, right.” Sweetie said nervously as she rubbed the back of her head.
Applejack smiled at the events. “Ah thought you all knew, or at least you Scootaloo. Ah thought that’s why you kept visiting.”
Scootaloo, who had now released Applebloom from her arms, shook her head in the negative. “Rainbow Dash never told any of us. I kept visiting because Applebloom was one of my best friends.” she suddenly got a thoughtful expression. “And, well, I liked being around you too Aj. You were always really nice to me when I was a kid. You and Rainbow Dash were like two halves of the same person, the same big sister. Rainbow Dash was there to root me on whenever I tried to do something, and you were there to pick me up when I fell.” She paused as she tried to find the words she wanted to say. “I already lost one of my sisters, I didn’t want to lose the other.”
The other six people in the room watched as Aj suddenly grabbed Scootaloo in a hug, similar to the one she had just given Applebloom. “You have no idea what that means to me.” Applejack said, her voice quivering slightly.
The group let the two comfort each other for a bit longer, until Twilight broke the silence.
“Aj, there’s been something I wanted to ask you since I first learned about Rainbow Dash.” Twilight asked a bit shyly.
“Shoot Twi.” Aj said.
“Well, first off. you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.” she started, causing everyone to feel a sense of curiosity towards her question. “Like you said, your family is very old fashioned. How did they react to you wanting to be with another girl?” she finally managed to ask.
From the corner of her eye, Applejack saw the frown form on both Scootaloo and Appleblooms faces. She wasn’t exactly smiling herself. “Twi, that’s not really something ah like to talk about. But let me tell you, it wasn’t easy on either of us.”
Twilight couldn’t imagine what the two had to deal with. Ponyville was a small town filled with a lot of old fashioned people. Sure, they were generally open-minded, but if the media was any indication, same-sex marriages were a sore topic in many places recently. “Well, I’d just like to apologize for anything that might have transpired back then. If I were here, I’d have done nothing but wish you the best.”
Applejack smiled at her friend. “C’mere Twi.” she said as she waved the book worm over. Twilight stepped over to the girl and was immediately grabbed in one of the hugs that seemed to be so prevalent in this sleepover. “Ah appreciate what you’re saying, but don’t think ah haven’t noticed how you keep bringing up the fact you were gone when everything happened.” Applejack said knowingly. “Nothing would have changed if you were here Twi, not to sound rude or anything.”
Twilight frowned. “I know that, but I would have liked to have been there for you.” She looked around to all of her friends. “Any of you. Any problems any of you have had, I wish I would have been here to help you through them. I was gone for eight years! I missed seeing the girls grow,” she said, referring to Applebloom and Sweetiebelle. “for fucks sake, I missed seeing one of my best friends find the love of their life! What makes it all worse is that I couldn’t even be bothered to send a lousy letter or make a call!”
Twilight ended her little outburst with a sigh. Fluttershy was the first to speak up, surprisingly.
“Uhm, Twilight? It’s true that I could have used a bit more help when I first opened my shelter, I wouldn’t have wanted you to stop doing what you were doing to help me.” she said softly.
“Yea!” Pinkie pie exclaimed loudly. “When the Cakes had their babies and I had to run the store by myself for a while, it was hard and I could have used help, but it also made me really really happy that they trusted me so much.”
“I agree Twilight.” Rarity said with a flick of her hair. “When I opened my boutique, it was a bit hard getting customers. Ponyville is such a small town after all. I would have loved if I had more help spreading the word around.” she said before pulling Sweetiebelle into a soft hug. “But young Sweetiebelle here helped in a big way. Telling all her friends at school about her sister being a fashion designer seemed like such a small feat at first, but she caught the eye of a certain regular client of mine during career day, and I couldn’t be more grateful.” The fashionista then let a devious little grin spread across her face. “Of course, if you hadn’t have gone to Canterlot, that would also mean I wouldn’t have met my darling Spikey-Wikey.” she cooed while Sweetiebelle made a face of disgust.
Twilight giggle a bit at that. She couldn’t deny that she had always felt a bit guilty about leaving her friends behind, but it seems like they did just fine without her. From behind her, Twilight could hear Applejack clear her throat.
“Now we won’t say that we didn’t miss you Twi, ‘cuz that’d be the biggest lie ah ever heard, but we were happy when you left. You were always the smart one, nose stuck in a book all day. It was nice to see that pay off. You left for Canterlot and we knew you’d do great things.” Applejack said with the most sincere smile that Twilight saw on her face since she arrived. “Why, ah still remember one of the letters you sent me. You said you were studying to be a teacher. Ah tell you Twi, we couldn’t be more proud of you. Don’t feel guilty about nothing.”
Twilight laughed, remembering when she wrote that letter to Applejack all those years ago. It was one of the last letters she had sent to any of them, and she was so excited to tell people what she had decided she wanted to do with her life after being so confused about it for so long. “I’m so glad to hear that from you all.” she said as she felt like a weight was lifted off of her body.
Sweetiebelle spoke up after so long. “Wait, Twilight, you were studying to be a teacher?” she asked, receiving a happy nod in response. “Since you moved back to Ponyville, does that mean you’ll be our teacher?”
Twilight took a moment to think about it. “Hmm let’s see. You girls are going into the seventh grade, right?” Twilight asked the girls now intently staring at her.
“Eyup.” Applebloom stated with a proud smile.
“Well in that case, starting next year, I’ll be your new English teacher!” Twilight exclaimed.
All three girls started cheering and giggling with happiness, liking the thought of being personal friends with a teacher.
“Hey wait.” Sweetiebelle said as she stopped laughing suddenly. “Scootaloo, what are you so excited about? Your school is in Cloudsdale.”
The girl in question quickly covered her mouth and looked to Applejack with eyes that read ‘help?’
Applejack laughed. “Can’t keep a secret huh?” she mocked the girl who only angrily blew some hair from her eyes. “Scootaloo over here will be moving back to Ponyville when school finishes. Her old man is retiring and wants to relax in the place that means most to him.” she said solemnly, knowing first-hand why the small town meant so much to the man.
Twilight knowingly placed a hand on Applejacks shoulder as the younger girls all began to hug each other and speak in, what to Twilight sounded like gibberish. She was able to make out that they were making plans to start a band and they needed a name. The older girl only rolled her eyes. ‘We weren’t anything like that growing up right?’ she asked herself.
Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. All attention was drawn to Spike, who had come down in a pair of basketball shorts and nothing else.
“Can you girls keep it down a bit? I’m pretty tired.” he said.
Most voices rang out in a “Sorry Spike”, but one distinct voice was missing.
Twilight looked to see Rarity staring, open mouthed, at her friends body. “Rarity, heel.” she said demandingly, grabbing the attention of everyone in the house and causing the fair-skinned beauty to blush a deep red.
They all had a laugh at Raritys expense, except her, and Spike who was too tired to really understand what was happening. He shook his head and turned to walk back up the stairs, giving the fashionista a look at the toned back you couldn’t tell he had with his clothes on.
Rarity began to fan herself with her hand. “I believe Spike is right, I’m sure we are all pretty tired, maybe we should go to sleep?” she asked, getting laughs from her friends and curious looks from the younger girls.
“Alright, ya’ll heard Rarity.” Applejack said “It’s time for bed, so get back upstairs and sleep tight.”
The three girls were about to argue about how they weren't tired, but a yawn from each of them destroyed the argument before it began. With sleepy waves, the pre-teens walked upstairs to Twilights room while the other five friends wished each other a good night and finally reached the ‘sleep’ part of the sleepover.
Spike stood in the kitchen, various ingredients scattered atop the counter, and the three younger girls he’d come to know were helping to pass him more. Usually he would have paid them no mind, expecting them to talk about boys and dolls or something, but he found these girls to be left outside of that stereotype. They were too old for dolls, yet not quite old enough to want to gossip about crushes and the like. They actually held some cool conversations, seeing as how they were interested in a few of the same things as he was.
Sweetiebelle passed him ingredients while Applebloom helped him prep and cook everything. Scootaloo was the one packing up the trash. Spike never had to cook for so many people, and a heart breakfast of eggs with pancakes and bacon left a lot of cartons empty.
Sweetiebelle had offered to help him cook along with Applebloom, but the other girls quickly protested the idea. Nonetheless, a beautifully delicious aroma began to fill the house, slowly waking the inhabitants.
Twilight was the first one up, always ready for a delicious meal made by her best friend. She walked to the kitchen, offering a smile to the girls before talking to spike. “Any coffee?” she asked before stretching with a yawn. She felt absolutely fantastic, considering she slept on the floor.
“I was going to, but the girls convinced me that coffee was gross.” he said before he nodded to the fridge. “We got some fresh squeezed orange juice, made by Applebloom herself.” he said. Twilight looked at the girl in question, who gave a smile and a nod.
She walked to the fridge, grabbing a glass on the way, and proceeded to pour herself some juice. “Wow Applebloom, this is great!” she said, almost downing the entire cup in one gulp.
The girls smile grew slightly wider. “Thanks Twi! It has a little bit of sugar in it to help it taste sweeter. Granny Smith taught me!” she said happily.
Applejack and Fluttershy entered the room next, each rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.
“Ya gotta believe me when ah say this Twi, if Granny Smith keeps teaching her stuff, she’ll be a grade-A cook in no time.” Applejack said, ruffling her sisters hair and messing up her iconic bow.
Twilight raised a curious eyebrow at the girl. “Is that what you want to be? A baker?”
The younger girl adopted a contemplative look. “I’m not really sure Twi. I know I want to work with my hands. I’m good with cooking and drawing. I’m also pretty good at fixing things, y’know?” she said as she listed off the things she’s experienced in her life so far.
Twilight didn’t miss the similar looks on the other two girls faces, smiling in understanding. “It’s fine, at least you have a general idea of what you would like to do. A lot of people don’t even have that much, but you have plenty of time to decide.” she said with a smile, receiving three in return.
Fluttershy took a whiff of the air around her. “Wow Spike, that smells really good.” she said as she looked at the young man who was slaving over a hot stove.
“Thanks Fluttershy, I hope it tastes as good as it smells.” he replied.
“Spoiler alert, it will.” Twilight said. “Take it from me, Spike is a great cook.”
Rarity then walked in. “That’s a good thing, is it not?” she said, letting out a dainty yawn.
The grip Spike had on his spatula wavered a bit as he heard the compliment. He turned to face the girl. “Thanks Rarity.” he said. The two shared a smile before Applejack spoke up.
“Ah believe we should wake up Pinkie. Ah swear that girl is up right on time for work but she can sleep all day if she wanted to. She should be named Tired Pie or something.” the farmer said, trying to think of a clever name.
The other girls nodded in agreement, knowing full well how hard it could be to wake a sleeping Pinkie.
The seven girls all gathered together to try and wake the girl up. The three younger girls tried calling to her, Scootaloo opting to try and poke her in the face and pull on her mouth.
When that failed, Rarity thought it would be a good idea to spray perfume around her, hoping they would act as a type of smelling salts. That idea failed.
Fluttershy thought lightly tapping the girl would work, while Applejack yelled at her to wake up. Neither worked.
“Well ah’m plum outta ideas.” Applejack said as she took a seat on the floor. “Anybody else have any ideas left?”
Twilight sat down and began to think. She watched as Spike began to bring plates of food into the dining room and place them on the table. An idea suddenly hit Twilight and she knew it was foolproof.
She walked over to the sleeping girl and got down on the floor right next to her. She lifted the fluffy pink hair and whispered “Pinkie, we’re having a breakfast party. You’re invited!” in a sing-song voice.
Twilight was nearly knocked down as the girl rocketed up from her sleeping position and ran to take a seat at the table. Nobody in the room could hold a straight face as they wondered why nobody had thought of that before.
The nine people all took a seat at the table for breakfast. It was extremely cramped, but nobody complained. The food was great, and the company was amazing.
*****
Rarity
Rarity stood in her bedroom, looking out the window at her hometown. The morning sun bathed the streets in a warm glow as she took a sip of coffee from the mug she gripped in her slender fingers. She let out a sigh as she felt the liquid warm her up from within, it was always chilly in the mornings.
A pair of hands found their way around her waist and she turned to see a man with green hair leaning in to kiss her. Sure, green wasn’t her color, but he pulled it off so well. She returned the kiss, it was soft and loving. The man moved a hand from her waist and gently placed it on her protruding belly, a soft smile forming on his face. They had been together for almost three years now, and he couldn’t be happier.
The two stood there in complete comfort for a while, just watching the calm serenity of the town. They watched as a woman walked down the road, her hair a shade of purple with a pink stripe running through it. She had a bag hung on her shoulder, books in her hands and a pencil could be spotted behind her ear. They smiled, sharing a similar though.
‘We would have never met if it wasn’t for you. Thank you Twilight.’
Pinkie Pie
Sugar Cube Corner wasn’t open yet, but everyone was already hard at work, baking takes time afterall. The Cakes were still a bit drowsy, but not a miss Pinkamina Pie. The girl was hard at work, cracking eggs and mixing mixtures. It all seemed like random things she was throwing into a bowl, but everyone knew her talent when it came to confectionaries. There was no doubt about her dedication, it had only been a half hour since she began working and she already had cakes and cookies baking.
The shop wouldn’t open for another few hours, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a few special customers. The doors to the shop swung open and she saw a familiar face enter.
“Hiya Twilight! What’ll it be today? Same old same old?” Pinkie asked as she shook some flour from her dress.
“Hey Pinkie!” Twilight replied, always happy to see her friend. “Yea just a few dollars worth of candy for the students.” she said. She came in a few times a week to pick up some sweets before work. She used them as a prize for a few of her younger students whenever they got a question right.
Pinkie got right to it, reaching for the big candy scooper and digging it into the bucket of assorted candies that the kids loved so much. She poured it all into a clear plastic jug and placed it onto the scale that was on the counter. She calculated it all and Twilight paid her, turning to leave the shop.
“Seeya later Twilight!” Pinkie called after her, a huge smile on her face.
Fluttershy
Fluttershy closed the door to the bird sanctuary as she stepped out of it. She put the bag of bird feed down and stretched a bit. It was early, and she was still a bit tired, but she couldn’t let her animal friends go hungry. Her veterinary training would be for nothing!
At the moment, all she had was a few birds and a horse. The horse was actually rather new, being that she only just got a horse stable installed in the back. He was a popular one though, the kids in the town loved to come and see him.
It wasn’t just the kids though, she had another frequent visitor who came to see the horse, who was a racing horse by-the-by, so aptly named Flash.
She heard the bell ringing, signalling the arrival of a visitor. There was only one person who would be here this early. “Hi Twilight.” Fluttershy said to the girl.
“Hey Fluttershy.” Twilight said as she reached into her bag. “Sorry I don’t have much time, I have some things to do before class. I brought this though.” she said as she pulled out a plump apple from the bag. “Can you give this to him?”
“Of course Twilight, I’m sure he’ll love it. Apples are his favorite.” Fluttershy said, taking the apple from her friend.
“Thanks Fluttershy. I’ll see you later.” Twilight said, giving the girl a brief hug before walking out of the animal clinic.
Applejack
Applejack had already been up for a while. Being a farmer, it was rare that she wouldn’t be up before the sun rose into the sky. She did her daily procedure of washing up and getting dressed, before starting breakfast. Today was a bit different though, she could feel it. She had changed a lot over these past few years, she was happier, her face had a glow to it. Her friends were to thank for that. She could always count on them to be there for her, whether she admitted she needed them or not.
That made a huge impact on her life. Her days weren’t filled with silent moping anymore. The sky didn’t always look like a grey abyss, it now shone with the colors it so rightly deserved to be seen in. This isn’t to say she never got sad anymore, that was just a human impossibility. Everytime she would look in her closet and see that unused dress, she would remember. It wasn’t a bad thing though, it served as a memento, it was a part of her life and she would never deny that.
Her eyes drifted to the nightstand that was beside her bed. It had a few things scattered on it, most of the space being taken by the lamp. There was one thing she focused on though. Leaning against the base of the lamp was an unopened envelope with her name on it. She would never forget that handwriting, especially with how horrible it looked.
The farm girl walked over to the nightstand and grabbed the envelope, looking it over a few times before reaching for the letter opener that was also on the nightstand.
“Today’s the day ah’m gonna read it.” she said to noone in particular. “Sorry for the wait.”
Twilight
Twilight walked past the gate that barred the entrance to the school. It was a large building, housing both a grade school as well as a high school. It was the first day back after a big vacation and she was excited to get back to work. The thought of giving knowledge to so many people was a pleasant thought indeed.
She opened the doors to the school and clocked in at the office. A set of stairs allowed her to reach the floor she needed to be on, and a single key opened the door to a classroom. Her classroom. She took a deep relaxing breath as she placed her things on her desk. “Welcome home Twilight Sparkle.” she said to herself before proceeding to write the days lesson on the blackboard.
It is titled "We Were..." and every chapter is a continuation of that statement. For example, chapter 1 is named "Kids" so it should be read as "We Were...Kids"
I hope you all enjoy it, and look forward to more from me soon.
