> Under The Light of Dusk
>  by applejackofalltrades
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Empty Stomachs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It's been two years, Rainbow Dash!" 

The cyan pony crossed her hooves, hovering over the table. "You think I don't know that, Applejack? I've been working my tail off since this whole ordeal happened," she spat. "Frankly, I don't know what else to do!" 

The dim, damp atmosphere of the underground bunker wasn't helping the mood. The ponies that were cramped in the space were all dirty, cold, and hungry. The shelves that once lined the walls with canned apples and water were now merely supporting the infrastructure. There remained virtually no food left. 

"Send a patrol to find food! Or supplies!" Applejack slammed the table with her hoof. "Anything, Rainbow Dash. Either Twilight's gonna kill us, or we'll die down here cold n' hungry." 

Murmurs of agreement spread across the cramped room. Rainbow Dash looked around to see her friends among the friendly faces of the ponies brave enough to stand up to Twilight. She gritted her teeth, trying to work out a solution. 

"Last time I sent a patrol, Ditzy didn't come back.” She rested her eyes on Applejack, who doubled back. Everypony's face seemed to darken. "We need to be strategic so we don't keep losing ponies to Twilight’s brainwashing magic." 

Even though she still looked upset, Applejack ducked her head in defeat. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," Applejack muttered. "Sorry, I reckon we're all going a bit stir crazy. Just five months ago, we were out there trying to win back some territory, and now we're down here cowering." She frowned at the table. "At least we have control of Sweet Apple Acres." 

What else is there to do? Rainbow Dash lowered down, taking a seat at the table. Half of our group was taken. She looked around at the remaining ponies. Her friends—except for Twilight of course—Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, Zecora, and a few of the Wonderbolts were all that was left of the active part of the rebellion. Everypony else was either taken by Twilight’s army or living in the underground town. 

"I noticed that a lot of the ponies in town have been really down lately," Pinkie Pie spoke up. "Maybe I should throw them a party! Keeping everypony happy is important, too," she pointed out. "Being happy and hungry is better than being sad and hungry!"

Rainbow Dash sighed. Morale was important, she knew that. "Yeah, sure, let's do that." She rubbed her temple with her wing. "Do you have enough supplies to throw a party?" 

Pinkie Pie shrugged. "I dunno. I could take the tunnel to Sugarcube Corner and get into my Party Planning Cave. Maybe I have stuff I haven't used yet." Pinkie leaned on the table, looking quizzically at the ceiling.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No, that's too dangerous, Pinkie. If you get caught there's no way you'll be able to fight off a patrol." She looked at Pinkie Pie, whose expression was still somehow happy as ever. She had to be faking it. 

"But—" 

"I said no," Rainbow Dash repeated. "It's too risky." 

"Now, hold on there, sugarcube." Applejack took off her dusty, torn hat and placed it on the table, giving the top of her mane a quick rub. "I could go with Pinkie Pie to make sure it goes smoothly," she offered. "I sneak around the tunnels all the time, and I have to go over near Sugarcube anyway. Apple Bloom told me yesterday that the pipe at the surface ain't getting water to the farm anymore. I suspect the opening over near the lake got clogged by plants again." 

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow. "Okay, I guess it'll be safer if both of you go." She glanced reluctantly between the two of them. "I trust you two to keep each other safe. Besides, we need that water problem fixed if we're going to keep the crops alive in time for the harvest. But you leave at sunset. It's safer."  Pinkie Pie and Applejack nodded in unison.

"Yay! I get to go on a mission with my 'maybe distant cousin, maybe not, who knows since the ink was smudged, but I guess it doesn't matter since we are basically together all the time now anyway' friend!" Pinkie Pie swayed happily in her seat, nudging Applejack who sighed but couldn't help the smile on her face. 

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Okay, anyway, does anypony else have another issue to bring up or anything else?" She looked around the group of ponies standing around the wooden, chipped table. After a few moments of silence, she nodded. "Okay, great! We'll do the last debriefing before nightfall. Fleetfoot and Starlight, you have the first shift tonight, so get some rest now. Starlight, you especially. You’ll have to make sure to reset the enchantment on the border, so I'll wake the both of you when it's your turn. Soarin and Fluttershy, you take the shift after. I'll take the last shift." She looked around the group, looking for confused expressions, but was satisfied when she found none. "Sounds good?" Several nods confirmed it. "Alright, now go back to whatever you were doing before. See you all in a few hours." 

As everypony started to file through the tunnel leading into the rest of the underground or going back up to the surface, Rainbow Dash remained at the table. She rubbed her temple again with her wing, the pain shooting into her skull. The more time went on, the more she knew that something had to happen. It was too idle for her liking. Anypony else would see that as a good thing. There was no more fighting every day, no more ponies being lost in battle. 

Sure, it was less risky now to go up and try to find supplies in Ponyville, but Rainbow Dash had already made the mistake of taking the situation lightly and Ditzy had been taken by one of Twilight’s patrols. Maybe it was her own fault for letting Ditzy join what was supposed to be an easy mission to clear the pipe leading to the farm. After all, Ditzy was not exactly the stealthiest of ponies. As far as Rainbow Dash was concerned, it was her fault for letting her guard down and Ditzy was the one who paid for it. 

Even with the apple orchard and the bigger farm above ground and the small farms below ground, there was not enough food to feed everypony. What they had was split first between the sick ponies, then to the oldest and the youngest ponies, then to the workers, and finally to the rebellion members. By the time it got to the rebellion, though, it was leftover scraps. They insisted it be like that, though. The rebellion was full of selfless ponies. 

Rainbow Dash's stomach growled again. It was a feeling that they all had grown used to. As far as Rainbow Dash's leadership skills went, she couldn't make food appear, no matter how hard she tried. 

Something has to be done, she thought to herself, watching the lamp hanging from above. It remained perfectly still. There was no wind underground, nor any movement from above to make it move anyway. I should be the one to find us food. She rested her chin on the table, keeping her eyes glued to the lamp. Everypony is counting on me. I can't let them down. 

Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through her mane. It felt tangled and dirty, although not surprising. Nothing could remain nice underground, much to Rarity's dismay. She kept trying though, which definitely humoured Rainbow Dash. She huffed and lifted herself from her seat, placing herself on her hooves. Never would she have thought she'd pick to walk over flying. There just wasn't enough room to fly in the bunker. 

She took the tunnel that led to the main underground town. There were multiple huts of different sizes, as well as tents and roofed-off areas. It was lit up by magical spells and lanterns. Although it wasn't usually an energetic place to begin with, what Pinkie Pie said was true. It was a lot more glum than usual. She decided to head to her shack and take a nap. She hadn’t slept the night before since she had to take the last night shift, and since she was taking it again, she needed to sleep. 

It wasn’t very big, and it was definitely no Cloudominium, but it had a bed, a small kitchen, and a place to sit, it would have to do. The floor was made up of packed dirt, but everything was already dirty anyway, so it didn’t matter. She crawled to her small bed and jumped on it. Instantly, she felt the exhaustion take over, and soon her pounding headache came to a stop.







It was a weird dream. Something about flying next to a freshly baked loaf of bread she could almost smell, but the more time she spent awake, the less she remembered it. Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes groggily and stood up. It must have been a few hours judging by how much less tired she felt. Still, she dreaded waking up, but she knew she had to do so anyway. It had to be ration time soon, and she was in charge of splitting them between her group. 

Rainbow Dash left her shack and made her way to the main opening, looking at the ponies surrounding her. Everyone was quiet, watching the tunnel on the left side of the clearing. The Apples and the other ponies who worked on the farm were due to bring back whatever food they rationed for the day at any moment. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but look as well, even though she knew she would be getting none of the food. 

The sound of rolling wheels and heavy hoofsteps echoed through the room, causing the ponies who were inside the makeshift homes to stick their heads out to look. Over at the tunnel, a red stallion with an orange mane pulled a cart of baked goods and raw fruits and vegetables through the clearing. Rainbow Dash felt her mouth water. Big Mac stopped at the opening of the large tunnel that Rainbow Dash had come from, followed by Apple Bloom. 

"Alright, everypony," Apple Bloom called loudly. "Y'all know the drill! Sick and injured ponies first!" 

Rainbow Dash watched nervously, counting the number of ponies that went up to claim food for themselves or their family. Her nerves disappeared once she saw that only three ponies went up, meaning only three ponies were sick or injured. She recognized Cheerilee first, as she had been staying in the medical tent for a sprained hoof for the past few days. 

She was glad to see that the number of sick and injured ponies dropped noticeably in the past few days. After one of the tunnels partially collapsed a month prior, a dozen ponies were injured from the collapse itself, or from helping fix it. Since everypony knew that strength came from numbers, there were hardly any complaints about what ponies got to eat first as long as it meant that nopony would be suffering. The food was usually enough for the townsponies anyway, it was the ‘rebels’ that had to worry. 

Most of the time, there was little to no food left for the increasingly dwindling forces of the active members, and when there was, it had to be split between them in rations. Some ponies got to eat some days and the other ponies got to eat other days. There were times when the town would donate food to them, but Rainbow Dash and the rest of the rebellion tried their best to make sure the other ponies were eating first. It's their job to keep them safe, after all. 

All that meant was that food and supply runs were inevitable, and had to be executed with extreme caution. There had been times where one of the runners had been captured, and way too many close calls for Rainbow Dash's taste. As soon as harvest season came, there would be no need to worry, but until then, the demand for food grew. 

She watched the cart become increasingly emptier until the farmworkers themselves got to take their share and what was left was taken to the small bunker. Rainbow Dash noticed some of her fellow rebels stalk into the room to split off rations. She gave the small town one last lookover to ensure everything seemed okay and made her way back. 

The tunnel always seemed longer on the way to the bunker than out of it. The fact that she knew she probably wasn't going to get any food definitely didn't help either. She kept her eyes peeled for any telltale signs of tunnel collapse as she walked. Other than the occasional tumbling specks of dirt (caused by earthworms or moles digging around, according to Fluttershy), everything seemed to be in place. Rainbow Dash was not going to let the same mistake happen twice. 

As she re-entered the small bunker decorated with old strategies and lists of all kinds on the walls, she was met with less than half of the ponies who were originally here. She looked at the now even smaller group with the passive frown that seemed permanently etched into her face. 

"Where's everypony else?" she asked, looking around at the ponies who were in the room with her. 

A golden pegasus with a spikey orange and yellow mane stepped forward. "I think Applejack went to go help up on the farm again, and Fluttershy is at the vet clinic I believe. Not sure where the others are though." 

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Okay, that's fine. As long as they're back for the debrief later." She looked at the items on the table. Four apples and a regular loaf of bread. "We'll leave the bread for Bulk Biceps and Lightning Dust when they get back from guard duty. We can split the apples between the rest of us," she suggested. "You and Zecora each take one, and I'll bring the other ones to Applejack and Fluttershy." She gave one apple to Zecora and one to Spitfire and kept two in front of her.

Zecora shook her head. "You have not eaten for quite a few days. If you keep starving yourself, the pain in your head won't go away." 

Rainbow Dash rubbed the front of her head in some kind of reflex. "I'll have some food next time. There's only so much to go around," she pointed out. 

"Nonsense, you must not let this go on. Take mine, I insist. You'll be glad the pain is gone." Zecora nudged her apple to Rainbow Dash with a nod of her head. 

Rainbow Dash looked at the apple reluctantly. The pain in her skull sharpened a little, and suddenly she was glad for Zecora's generous nature. She took a bite of the apple, fearing the thought of eating it too quickly. It was delicious, as was usual of Sweet Apple Acres crops. The crunchy bite with the trademark taste of the apple that only the family that shared its name could grow reminded Rainbow Dash of when things were simpler. Back when her whole friend group would sit under an apple tree in the heat, eating apples until they couldn't fit anymore. 

But those times were over. Rainbow Dash snapped out of her memories and ate the rest of the apple quickly. "Thank you, Zecora. I'd better go find the others." She took a step back. "By the way, Cheerilee seems to have hurt her hoof or something. They might need one of your potions over at the medical area," she ordered quickly. "Oh and Spitfire, could you find Soarin and go give the school-aged foals a visit? They've been asking to see some…" The words caught in her throat. Another memory of the past. "Some Wonderbolt action." 

Zecora and Spitfire nodded as Rainbow Dash sped out of the bunker, holding an apple under each wing. She rushed through the crowd, noticing Pinkie Pie bouncing around with the youngest foals, doing her best to put a smile on their faces. She waved at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash gave her a small smile in return. Pinkie Pie got to eat yesterday, she reminded herself. She can have food next time. 

The hard reality of being a leader was picking which of your friends got food, and which didn't. Rainbow Dash always wanted to be a leader. Just not this type of leader, but when somepony had to step up, Rainbow Dash knew it had to be her. It was either that or live under Twilight’s reign of terror forever. Until they could figure out a way to get to Twilight to talk some sense into her or defeat her if they must, they had to stay hidden and most importantly, stay alive. 

She recognized the animal care tent by smell before she even saw it. The mix of animal scent and medicine was now a part of this side of the underground town, and less remarkably, a part of Fluttershy. As she ran closer to the tent, she noticed numerous small rodents running around and a dog that Rainbow Dash assumed to be somepony's pet. Ducking her head through an opening in the back was Fluttershy. Her usually silky, light pink mane was now matted and dirty from being underground and working with dirty animals, but the smile on her face as she worked with those animals told Rainbow Dash that the yellow pony thought it was worth it. 

"Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash called out to her friend. "Over here!" She sat outside the tent, not wanting to disturb the animals and the other caretakers. 

Fluttershy's eyes widened when she saw Rainbow Dash. She ducked back behind the tent and ran around to meet Rainbow Dash out front. "Oh, hi Rainbow Dash. What is it?" 

Rainbow Dash eyed Fluttershy's coat. "Uh, Fluttershy? You got something right… well everywhere." She gestured at all of Fluttershy's body with her hoof. Her coat was covered in different colours of creams and salves. 

Fluttershy looked down and giggled a bit. "Yeah, I know." She shook her head with a smile. "Bigsby the dog didn't want me to put the healing cream on him," she explained, looking back at the big white dog. "I got more on me than on him, really." 

Rainbow Dash chuckled. Fluttershy always had good animal stories to tell to liven the mood. "Anyway, I'm here to give you this.”. She untucked her wing, holding out the apple under Fluttershy's nose. "It's your turn to eat today," she explained. 

Fluttershy blinked. "Are you sure?" She looked at the apple with uncertainty. "You haven't eaten in a while." 

"Yes, I'm sure. And besides, Zecora gave me her apple, so I'm okay." She pushed the apple into Fluttershy's chest. "Just take it, I have to go find Applejack." She gave her a friendly nod as she watched her take the apple with her own cream-covered wing. 

"Okay, thank you! I hope you find her quickly," Fluttershy called while Rainbow Dash hurried off. 

Finding Applejack could prove to be a problem if too much time had passed. She often went to help her family at the farm as she had done for so many years. The Apples were about the only family that could remain in any semblance of normality and routine. Rainbow Dash often thought that Applejack needed that routine in one way or another. With her position as an active part of the rebellion, she still enjoyed going to help on the farm. Maybe it's some kind of coping mechanism. 

The tunnel that led to the outside was always the one most worn down. The wooden floors that the other tunnels did not have were deemed a priority after Big Mac had fallen and hurt himself bringing the cart of food to the town months prior. They were a nice touch, Rainbow Dash decided. The dirt floors were easy to pack and harden into paths, but with the number of ponies going up and down with carts down that particular tunnel, the decision to give it proper flooring was nearly unanimous. 

Once Rainbow Dash reached the top of the tunnel, she was extremely glad that the sun wasn't high in the sky. She never really noticed just how dark it was underground, and adjusting between light levels was always hard. And kind of painful on the way up. She squinted as she breathed in fresh, apple-scented air, covering the sun with her wing. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light, but once they did, she blinked the tears away. The storm clouds over the distant Castle of Friendship remained as ominous as ever. 

It wasn't often that Rainbow Dash went up to the farm. There was no need for her to, and being around all the food just made her feel even hungrier. She couldn't help her mouth-watering as she caught sight of the maturing apples on the trees. The apple-bucking season was starting soon, and by that point, there would be no shortage of food. They just had to wait patiently for that. 

Rainbow looked around, trying to find her orange friend. Instead, she found her younger sister. She figured Apple Bloom would probably know where Applejack was. She stretched her wings, taking the opportunity to do what she once loved and flew over to her. The cool wind in her mane and the fresh air in her lungs was something she definitely missed.

"Oi, Apple Bloom!" She waved at her from the air, hoping to catch her attention. 

Apple Bloom dropped the hoe in her mouth and looked up. "Oh hey, Rainbow Dash!" She put a hoof over her chest. "You scared me! I thought you were one of Twilight’s pegasi," she exclaimed with a laugh. 

Rainbow Dash dropped to the ground, disappointed that her flying time was cut short. "Sorry," she apologized. "I was actually looking for Applejack. Do you know where she is?" 

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, racking her brain for the information. "Yeah, I think she's over by the cornfield," she suggested. "Just checking on the crops before harvest season," she explained with an excited smile. 

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but feel excited herself. "That's great! We've been really short on food lately, huh?" She made sure to employ a playful tone. She didn't want Apple Bloom to think that she was blaming anyone. 

The smaller pony nodded. "Yeah, we're working on getting more land ready for crops." She motioned to the dirt she was previously working on. "Radishes grow quickly, but we still need to grow more at a time to have enough food for everypony." 

Rainbow Dash nodded her head, although she didn't completely understand how farming worked. There was something about earth pony magic, but she didn’t know the details. If whatever Apple Bloom was doing meant that there would be more food to go around, that's all she needed to hear. “I’m sure you’ll have that worked out soon,” she assured her, hoping it was the right thing to say. “Anyway, I gotta go find Applejack. Thanks, Apple Bloom.” She dipped her head at the smaller pony who waved goodbye and picked up a packet of seeds, dropping a few into the ditch she made.

Rainbow ran off toward the field of cornstalk, keeping her eyes peeled for Applejack. It shouldn’t be too hard to find her, she usually sticks out against the crops, Rainbow Dash reminded herself. What her eyes laid upon told another story, however. No matter how much Applejack’s coat would stick out from the green husk of the corn, it was much too dense to see anything, and especially not anypony. She flapped her wings, hoping to get a better vantage point, but the view was almost worse from above. 

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. She lowered down closer to the floor, but didn’t touch down, and began searching in the maze of corn. “Applejack?” She called out cautiously. It was silly, but it was almost scaring her to be in the field. The fact that she could barely see anything past ten hoof-lengths worth of corn was putting her on edge. One of Twilight’s ponies could come to get her at any time. 

So she stayed quiet enough. She decided that looking for Applejack slowly and staying alive was safer than yelling her name and risking somepony hearing. Rainbow Dash knew it was a stupid fear, but she could never be too careful. "Hey, AJ? You around?" Her voice was barely audible through the crop. 

Then, she heard muffled arguing. Rainbow Dash froze in her place, quietly dropping to the ground, not wanting to risk rustling the corn with her wings and making any noise. She tensed her body and forced her hearing. 

"Oh fer land sakes…" 

Rainbow Dash sighed loudly in relief. It was just Applejack. Who else would it be? She shook her head dismissively, almost laughing at her own stupidity. 

"Who's there?" Applejack's voice was stern. Rainbow Dash had no sight on the pony, but she sounded closer than before. "Don't make me find you," she warned. 

And that's when Rainbow Dash decided to step out. Applejack was not a pony of empty threats, especially considering the circumstances. "It's me, don't worry," she called loud enough so Applejack could definitely hear. She found her way quickly to Applejack, who had dirt all over her. 

Applejack brushed loose soil off the brim of her hat. "What can I do ya for, Rainbow?" 

Although she'd never admit to it, Applejack sounded tired. Rainbow definitely wouldn't blame her for being tired. She was practically doing two physically demanding jobs at the same time, constantly. Rainbow Dash knew what that was like, to some extent, although for her it was more mentally exhausting than anything. She definitely held a large amount of respect for her hard-working friend. 

"Apple Bloom said you'd be here.” She walked up closer to her friend. "I came to give you this." She held out the last apple on her wing again. Talk about reliving the past. 

"An apple? You sure?" Applejack's doubt just made Rainbow Dash relive the last conversation with Fluttershy even more. 

She nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I'm sure," she groaned. "I already went through this with Fluttershy, please don't make me do it again," she whined. 

Applejack rolled her eyes and took the apple in her mouth. "Fank ye kin'ly," she mumbled through the red fruit. She lowered her head, placing it gently on the ground. 

"Don't worry about it," Rainbow Dash assured with a friendly nod. "So what are you up to?" She observed Applejack's dirty coat. It seemed like nopony could stay clean that day. 

"Nothin', really. I found a varmint hole and I wanted to make sure it wouldn't come up and mess up the crop," she explained. "I dunno if it's a mole or some kinda badger, but it's definitely big enough to uproot this corn." She gestured to a stalk of corn that was laid over on its side next to the impressive hole. 

"Why don't you ask Fluttershy for help?" Rainbow Dash assumed that anything dealing with wild animals would be easier with her help. 

But Applejack was too proud, even now. "Naw, us Apples have always dealt with critters. It's all a part of workin' on a farm," she explained dismissively. "I appreciate the concern, though. If’n you'll excuse me, I gotta get back to finding whatever is responsible for this." She stuck her head back in the tunnel. 

At least that part she's definitely used to, Rainbow Dash thought with a grin. "I'll see you soon, then. The sun should be setting within the hour." She looked at the position of the sun through squinted eyes, making sure she was right. She was. “Don’t be late or Pinkie’s going to start a search party.” 
The only response she got was a snort from Applejack.

Rainbow Dash took off to the sky, locating the barn, and next to it, the tunnel. Apple Bloom was still preparing the land and replanting seeds, and she noticed Big Mac and some other farmhooves putting away the larger machinery. It never really hit her how much work the Apples and the other ponies who worked on the farm every day did until that moment when she saw it with her own eyes. Even Apple Bloom, the youngest Apple, was hard at work every day providing food for nearly every pony and receiving a lot less than it was worth. But she assumed that helping other ponies was payment enough for the Apples. They were that kind of family. Being the very embodiment of loyalty, Rainbow Dash understood that.

Times were tough. Everpony knew that, even the young foals. At first, it was difficult for them to understand why they had to be hungry sometimes, but once they did, they were surprisingly okay with it. A lot of ponies lost friends and family to Twilight’s magic, but if Rainbow Dash and the rebels had anything to do with it, they'd bring back as many as were still alive, which was hopefully all of them. 

As Rainbow Dash entered the dark, claustrophobia-inducing tunnel again, her mind wandered aimlessly. She had been wanting answers for the last two years and it seemed like nopony had them. What really happened to Twilight was unknown, and only petty speculation was passed around. Her hooves met the worn-down wood of the particular tunnel and the sound of her hoofsteps echoed, giving her thoughts a unique cadence. 

Cadance. She clenched her jaw. What happened to the other princesses? 

That seemed to be its own mystery. Early on after the incident, before the disaster had taken place, the other three princesses had decided to go "visit" Twilight once they had become worried about her lack of letters, check-ins, and visits. The truth was, Twilight’s own friends went to Princess Celestia to inform her about the purple pony's unusual behaviour. She was bitter, rude, and a completely different pony. 

Appearance-wise, she was almost identical. Everything remained the same, except for her sclera which turned a tint of red. Twilight had tried to pass it off as pinkeye, but after a week, it had been too long. Judging by the sudden change in appearance and behaviour, it was easy to assume—or so Rainbow Dash thought—that something was wrong. 

The three princesses went in. None of them came out. With a loud crack of thunder, a giant, dark stormcloud formed over the castle, striking the top of it with an impressive show of lightning. The ponies who were fortunate enough to be inside of their homes were not affected by the ring of magic that exploded out at the same time. That had to have been how Twilight got so many ponies on her side at once, Rainbow Dash knew. 

And then she felt dirt under her hooves again. She had made it back to the underground town again, suddenly thankful for the darkness of the trench. They were well hidden this way. She looked around at the underground town they had created. It was almost normal. But not quite. Will anything ever be normal again? 

It didn't matter anyway. There was no future without action. 
> Sugarcube Corner
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Put one hoof on your head, and one hoof on your belly!" Pinkie Pie showed the activity to the group of baby ponies sitting in front of her. Only a few of them attempted to copy her. "Okay, now rub your belly and tap your head!" 

She attempted to do the action she had explained, but couldn't coordinate well enough to do it. Instead, she'd rub both her head and belly, or pat them. No matter how hard she concentrated, she just couldn't do it. With a final, tongue-out-of-mouth burst of concentration, she managed to do it. For a few seconds at best. 

"See! I did it!" As soon as she said it though, she messed it up again. "Aw sprinkles," she exclaimed with a fake frown. "Oh well!" Pinkie laughed at herself and put her hooves on the floor, waving her hind legs from side to side as she sat like a bear, or at least, what she thought a bear sat like. She’d seen Fluttershy’s bear friend Harry sit before, and it kind of looked like what she was doing. Yes, she was sitting like a bear. “I wish I was a bear,” she thought aloud to nopony.

It had been a regular day for Pinkie Pie. In the morning, she helped the Cakes get their shipment of baking supplies for the week. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make food to fill most ponies' bellies later in the day. Pinkie offered, as was normal for her, to help bake the bread that would be a critical part of somepony's day. 

There was no need to make it pretty, or even tasty for that matter, but to Pinkie, the quality was always important, even if it took all her efforts. The ingredients were there for the bones of bread, but the flavour would have been missing if not for Pinkie. She was resourceful, she knew just what she could add to give it some flavour. There was no time to fool around, after all. 

Well, that wasn't exactly true. There was always time to fool around, especially if Pinkie had a say in it – and she did. She took time out of her day to play with the foals, or keep the older ponies entertained. Some days, she did both. 

"Just because we're stuck in a cave hiding for our lives doesn't mean we can’t have fun," Pinkie Pie pointed out to the foals that definitely did not understand. One of them cooed at her, sticking a hoof in her mouth. "No, Pumpkin Cake!" She reached forward to take the hoof out of the little pony's mouth. "Your hooves are dirty." 

Pinkie Pie glanced over to the tunnel leading outside. The light that shone through it cast an orange glow on the wooden planks on the floor. It must almost be sunset! She gasped in realization. That means I can go get my party supplies with Applejack soon! She giggled eagerly at the foals who watched her with curious eyes and continued to play with them. 

"You know, when you're all grown up and this has been long over, you're going to have a really fun story to tell," she told them. “Well, maybe not a fun story, but it’ll definitely be interesting!” One of the unicorn foals blabbered something and magically lifted another foal up. Pinkie Pie reached up to bring the floating pony down with a smile. "No, don't do that, silly." 

As she continued to play with the foals, she hardly noticed the time passing. Eventually, their parents came by to pick them up. It was a relief to have somewhere to leave them from time to time, or so Pinkie assumed. To her, playtime was the best part of the day. Well, the whole day was the best part of the day, but playtime was always a blast. 

Finally, she was left alone with Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake, two of the foals she was closest with. They belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the ponies who gave Pinkie Pie a home when she first moved to Ponyville. Oh, how she loved working at the bakery and brightening ponies' days with smiles and laughter. And sprinkles. 

"Hi, Pinkie Pie," a familiar voice greeted. 

Pinkie Pie rolled her head over to look at the source of the voice. "Oh, hi Mrs. Cake! Are you here for the twins?" She glanced over at them as they stumbled around, mumbling almost-words to each other. "They're getting so big!" 

Mrs. Cake nodded with an adoring smile. "Yes, I know. They love playing with you," she pointed out with a thankful smile. "It's so great that you take time out of your day to watch other ponies' foals for a few hours to play with them." 

Pinkie Pie waved her hoof dismissively. "I love playing with foals!" She made a silly face to the Cake twins who giggled at her. She looked back at Mrs. Cake and leaned closer to her. "See? They get me," she whispered loudly. 

The older pony laughed. "I can see that," she joked. "Anyway, we should be on our way. Thanks again for taking care of the twins." Mrs. Cake reached down and picked them up one at a time, placing them into the side carriers she wore with a grunt of effort. "Oof, they're certainly getting heavy." She started stepping away. "Anyway, bye Pinkie Pie! I'll see you later?" 

Pinkie Pie nodded. "Yuppily duppily!" She waved goodbye to her and turned around. "Just another fantastic day," she hummed happily to herself. She looked at the not-light funneling the tunnel. Wait. Where's the light? She gasped in sudden realization. "Oh hay!" Her voice was shrill and loud. Several ponies turned to look at her. Her face flushed into a darker pink at her outburst. "Uh, never mind!" 

She ran throughout the crowd of ponies with an onslaught of apologies and pardons up into the darkest tunnel. It was Pinkie Pie's favourite tunnel. Not even she knew why, it just seemed to call to her. The lack of natural light in the main clearing made the tunnel even darker, and Pinkie Pie was happy to encounter the light of the meeting room. Which meant that the debriefing had already started. Aw, rats. 

She walked in awkwardly with a smile on her face. "Hey, everypony," she greeted with a laugh. "Sorry I'm late! I was playing with the Cakes' twins. They're really fun to play with, especially peek-a-boo!" 

Applejack leaned over to Rainbow Dash. “And you said Icouldn’t be late.”

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, commanding attention. "Okay, well now that we're all here," she started with a glance at Pinkie Pie, "we can start our debriefing." She chuckled slightly. "There's not much to say, so it'll be brief for sure." 

Pinkie Pie was not among the many ponies who groaned. She thought the pun was hilarious. "Good one, Rainbow!" She laughed even louder. "Brief," she echoed, turning to Applejack who stood next to her. "Can you believe her?" 

Applejack rolled her eyes, sighing in exasperation. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, Rainbow Dash, but I was wonderin’ if Pinkie Pie and I could get goin' now." She gave Rainbow Dash a stern look that only she could get away with giving her. She was basically the second-in-command, or at least Pinkie Pie thought so. 

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yeah, that actually seems like a good idea," she agreed with a shrug. "You two go, I'll fill you in on the meeting later." With a smirk, she snorted. "Well, if there's anything to say." 

Pinkie Pie jumped in place. "Yay! Let's go, Applejack!" She put her hoof around Applejack's neck, dragging her backward. 

"Okay, okay, Pinkie Pie. No need to go draggin’ me like a sleepin’ piglet," she muttered, shoving Pinkie Pie off. "Well, see y'all later then.” Applejack waved to the rest of the group with a tip of her hat. 

The entire way out, Pinkie Pie remained in a silence that was so loud, it was eating her up not saying anything. She was so excited to go back to her top-secret Party Planning Cave that her face held an almost scary smile. She knew that they had to be careful about Twilight’s ponies, but that didn’t mean that the pair couldn't have fun. 

"Aren't you just super duper excited to go back out? Being stuck in this dark, brown cave is kind of boring," Pinkie asked, hopping circles around an unamused Applejack. 

"I go out every day, Pinkie. I'm an Apple," Applejack reminded her. "Besides, we're goin’ pretty much directly into enemy territory with Sugarcube. We need to be careful," she reminded the overly excited Pinkie Pie. 

"I know, I know. But I love getting to go places! I mean, sometimes I'll go up for some fresh air, but I'm getting kind of tired of just seeing apple trees," she admitted. Applejack shot her a look. "No offense," Pinkie Pie added with an embarrassed blush. 

"Yeah, I get what you're saying, I guess." Applejack's voice dropped, seemingly following her vision to the ground. 

Pinkie Pie was an energetic pony. Silly, at the best of times. But she knew how to be serious when the situation called for it. 

"What's wrong, Applejack?" Pinkie Pie slowed down to walk alongside her friend. Her face that usually held a smile of some kind was now full of concern. It took a special kind of pony to make her shed that layer. 

Applejack exhaled sharply as she blinked slowly. "I'm just worried," she admitted. Her gaze in front of her turned hard. Pinkie Pie would hate to be on the receiving end of that look. "Whenever we risk being attacked by Twilight’s patrols, I get scared that we'll see ponies that were with us," she admitted. "I'm afraid I'll see Cloud Chaser, or Thunderlane, or !" Her voice cracked at the last pony's name. 

"It's my fault she got taken. I insisted she come with me to clean the pipe opening last time," Applejack muttered. "Hay, I thought it'd be good for the silly filly. I pushed Rainbow Dash into agreein’ and now she’s gone." With a sigh, she shook her head, trying to clear the troubles that infiltrated her mind. 

Pinkie Pie wanted to laugh at something, anything. But it was not the right reaction, and she knew that. Sometimes, you just had to let your friends feel bad because it's the only way they'll feel better. Other times, you had to say something sad, too. She looked down, kicking a rock as they walked along the long tunnel. Pinkie Pie bit her lip nervously, a tic she had developed early on in her foalhood. 

"I know how you feel," she muttered quietly. 

Applejack looked over to her, her eyes soft and understanding. "Pinkie, you don't—" 

Pinkie Pie shook her head, quieting Applejack. "No, I need to say this." She took a deep breath and effectively steadied her voice. "I'm always afraid I'll see Maud on their side," she finally spoke up. She looked over at Applejack with a slight, sad smile. "I shouldn't have let her take Boulder out for a walk." Her voice faltered. "He's just a rock, after all." 

Pinkie Pie loved her sister to bits, and she always loved Boulder as well. She knew that he was a rock, but as long as he meant something to Maud, that was good enough for her. Being in such a difficult situation, Pinkie Pie learned that some things you just have to take at face value, even if you don’t want to. Now, because of her, her own sister was on the wrong side of everything against her will. Pinkie Pie wondered if the brain-controlling magic hurt. She really hoped it didn’t, for Maud’s sake.

“How are we going to stop her, Applejack?” Pinkie Pie’s voice was uncharacteristically quiet. She looked at her friend, eyes brimming with tears. If there was anypony that Pinkie Pie could expect an honest answer from, it was Applejack.

The orange pony hesitated, looking at the floor. “I dunno, Pinkie. But we are gonna have to find out,” she decided. Pinkie Pie noticed Applejack chewing on her lip as well. Maybe it runs in the family, she thought. If we even are related.

Pinkie Pie said nothing in return. Applejack was right, after all. They would have to find out sooner rather than later. It’s been far too long already, and they couldn’t risk losing anypony else. With one last sniffle, Pinkie Pie forced a smile back on her face. 

Granny Pie always said if you fake a smile, sometimes you’ll trick your brain into making you happy. It always seemed to work for her, and it was already starting to take effect. She perked up, and if Pinkie Pie could glow from good spirits, she would be doing so right then and there. “Hey, Applejack,” Pinkie spoke, bouncing in front of Applejack once again.

“Yes, Pinkie?” Applejack followed her bouncing friend’s eyes up and down as she walked.

“Do you want to help me plan the party? I could use all the hooves I can get,” she asked with a big smile on her face.

Applejack simply couldn’t resist her huge smile, and Pinkie Pie knew it. No one, pony or not, could say no to that face. “Sure. Just so long as I finish my farm chores, I don’t have anythin’ else to do anyhow. I’m as free as a heifer at a free-range ranch.”

Pinkie Pie squealed in excitement. “Yay!” She positioned herself back at Applejack’s side, hopping next to her instead of walking. “So I was thinking maybe I could do a It’s Been Three Weeks Since Our Last Party Party,” she suggested. “What do you think?”

Applejack stared at her with a squint and a raised eyebrow. “Honestly, Pinkie, I have no idea. You’re the expert on this sort of thing, so you should be the one to decide,” she stated simply. “Whatever you come up with will be great.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, content with Applejack’s answer. She understood where she was coming from. I mean, if she asked me about farming stuff, I’d probably tell her the same thing, she thought. The two ponies had completely different hobbies and interests, but it was still nice to ask each other about it in her opinion. 

They kept walking, and Pinkie Pie pointed out things in the tunnel that she was sure Applejack had never even thought of. Things like earthworm colonies (she was sure there would be a worm war soon), and the support beams’ weird angles because they weren’t put up straight. Applejack said they’d have to fix that and told Pinkie Pie that that was a good observation. Pinkie Pie smiled in response.

The tunnel started to angle upwards, and so did Pinkie Pie’s excitement. “We’re here! Can you believe it?” 

Applejack placed a hoof over Pinkie’s mouth. “Hush, Pinkie,” she whispered. “We need to be quiet or else somepony’ll hear us.” She looked into Pinkie Pie’s eyes, serious as ever. “I’m gonna let you go. Don’t be loud, okay?” Pinkie Pie nodded wordlessly. Not like she could talk. “Okay, good,.” She brought down her hoof to reveal Pinkie Pie’s excited face.

She held back another excited scream, knowing that the risk was real. Once again, Applejack made an excellent point. She didn’t want to be responsible for either of them getting caught. Applejack motioned for Pinkie Pie to stay where she was and ran up quietly to the brim of the opening. She cleared the blanket of leaves made to cover the entrance with a hoof, then ducked low to the floor and extended her neck slowly, looking around. After a few moments, she came back down next to Pinkie Pie.

“The coast is clear,” Applejack confirmed quietly. “I mean, there’re some ponies up there but they’re all facing the other way. If we’re quiet enough, it should be easy to get to Sugarcube Corner and into wherever you need to go.” She motioned for Pinkie Pie to follow her as she crept forward.

Pinkie Pie passed a hoof in front of her own face, changing her expression from excited to serious. This was a job for serious ponies after all. Party supply retrieval was no joke. They stayed low to the ground, barely moving as they climbed through the leaves as quietly as possible. Pinkie Pie pulled the blanket of camouflaged leaves over the hole again, ensuring that their path wouldn't be found. The leaves sparkled with magical residue before completely disappearing into the background of the ground. 

"Do you think I have anything left?" Pinkie Pie whispered to fill the eerie silence. She walked slowly alongside Applejack, looking around them to be certain they wouldn't be seen. 

Applejack shrugged. “I’m not sure.” Her expression hardened. “But there better be somethin’ there, Pinkie. We shouldn’t even be here in the first place,” she pointed out dangerously. 

Pinkie Pie nodded slowly, turning her gaze to the ground instead of the surrounding area as they dashed toward a bush. Applejack lifted her head slowly, peeking out from the top. She glanced back down at Pinkie, giving her a quick nod. Pinkie Pie nodded back, letting her know that she understood the message. 

Her mind wandered as they advanced closer to the shop she once called home. They had to enter through the nearest natural clearing, which was a little ways away, but it was no problem. For the umpteenth time that day, Applejack was right again. They shouldn't be at Sugarcube Corner. It was too dangerous and silly. Not in the good way silly, either. 

Maybe if it was to get something actually important it'd be worth the risk. But Pinkie Pie just wanted party supplies. It seemed like a good idea to her at first; she could cheer up the ponies back under the farm, but maybe she was being an idiot. You don't need streamers and banners and balloons to have a party. That's something that she would have stood by when things were simpler, but things were not simple at all. 

They were there already, though, so it was too late to change her mind. Plus, she didn't want to risk Applejack being mad for wasting time on a fruitless mission, although she ran that risk already. What if there's nothing left? What if they raided my supplies? Pinkie Pie's frown deepened as she stepped on a twig. Crack. 

"Oh cupcakes," she hissed under her breath. Her gaze shot back up to Applejack, who had the same idea and glared at Pinkie Pie with furrowed eyebrows. The two of them darted behind a nearby building, and Pinkie Pie swore she could hear Applejack mutter obscenities she had never heard come out of the mare's mouth before. 

Pinkie Pie looked over the side of the house as the silhouette of another pony moved toward the now broken twig. The pony seemed to move unnaturally, in an unnerving way that neither mare liked. Pinkie Pie strained her eyes, trying to see who it was. She knew who she hoped it wasn't, but couldn't quite tell who it was until they stepped out into the light. 

Applejack gasped softly above her, putting a hoof over her mouth. Pinkie turned her gaze back to the once silhouetted pony who now was easy to distinguish under the light of the moon. Pinkie Pie shook her head slowly, putting a hoof on Applejack's side, trying to comfort her friend as they both looked on at the gray-coated mare standing in front of them. 

Applejack swallowed dryly. "Ditzy," she whispered. 

The two looked at their friend; once a part of the rebellion, now a part of Twilight’s army. Her eyes looked even more glazed over than usual as she observed the twig with the same grin on her face that she always held. She lifted her head almost robotically, staring straight ahead for a moment. Her ears were perked up, listening closely. Pinkie Pie couldn't help but force her own hearing as well and noticed the subtle background noise of crickets. 

Ditzy suddenly twisted her neck in Pinkie and Applejack's direction, forcing the two of them to duck back behind the wall as silently as possible. The two held their breath instinctively. Pinkie Pie shut her eyes, childishly hoping that if she couldn't see Ditzy, Ditzy couldn't see her. Applejack kept her eyes wide open, fixating on a brick from a wall in front of them. 

After enough moments passed without any kind of disturbance, Pinkie Pie heard hoofsteps retreating from where they once were, indicating that Ditzy had walked away. She craned her neck around the wall of the house they used as cover slightly, trying to catch a glimpse. Her assumption was correct, Ditzy had left. They both exhaled in relief, filling their lungs with air once again.

"I can't believe that was Ditzy," Applejack whispered, her voice laced with an emotion Pinkie couldn't quite place. "She had to have stationed her there on purpose, right?" 

If Twilight was interested in mentally tormenting her friends, and Pinkie Pie knew she was smart enough to consider the possibility, then the answer was probably yes. She didn't want Applejack to assume that, though, so she shrugged.

"It was probably a coincidence then." Applejack looked away, toward the entrance to Sugarcube Corner, swallowing what Pinkie Pie assumed to be guilt. "How do we get in quietly?" 

Pinkie Pie thought for a moment, trying to decide what would be the best course of action. They couldn't go in through the main door since it had a bell, and while Pinkie didn't know if it worked, she wasn't willing to risk it. She forced herself to remember how she got in and out on the days she snuck out for whatever reason she had. It was usually to attend a party. Or to plan the party. 

Then, an idea struck her. "Oh, we could use the hidden entrance," she suggested as if it was a simple matter of fact. 

Applejack looked annoyed. Surprised, but annoyed. "There's a secret entrance?" She rolled her eyes. 

Pinkie Pie laughed. "Of course there's a secret entrance!" She put a hoof over her chest. "I can't believe you'd assume any less from me. How do you think I used to sneak out to plan night parties?" 

Applejack scratched her foreleg. "I guess you're right," she responded with a slightly confused grin. "Okay, so how do we get in?" 

Pinkie Pie looked around, then rushed to the right wall of Sugarcube Corner in a pink blur. She motioned for Applejack to follow her. Applejack made sure nopony would see her, then galloped quietly next to Pinkie Pie. She motioned to the wall, then to Pinkie with a shrug. 

With a confident look on her face, Pinkie Pie shook her hooves, then pressed up against the wall, standing on her hind legs. She felt up the wall's wooden planks. Applejack quirked her head to the side in confusion. Pinkie Pie nodded at her once, then pushed a loose plank, sending it spinning and launching the pair inside the shop with a yelp. 

Applejack covered her mouth with her hooves almost immediately, stopping her surprised squeal in its tracks. "What the hay?" She looked around, recognizing the familiar shop. "A warning next time would be mighty appreciated," she scolded her. 

Pinkie Pie took a look around herself, brushing layers of dust off of empty shelves and displays. There was something somber about it, Pinkie thought. The once brightly coloured walls decorated with posters and ingredients and delicious-looking pastries were now dark, empty, and with a distinct lack of saturated colours. Instead of smelling scrumptious, it smelled old. Forgotten. 

Pinkie Pie prodded a tangle of spider silk in the corner of one of the shelves. "Wow, I'm glad there were no guards inside. We would have totally been caught," she giggled. 

"What?" Applejack ran up to Pinkie, a horrified look on her face. "You mean you didn't check through the window before you launched us in here?" 

Pinkie Pie smiled. "Nope!" 

Applejack pursed her lips, taking in a few deep breaths. She brought her hat over her face for a few moments. "Okay," she exhaled. "Don't matter now. We're in. Now you lead the way.” She pulled her hat back to the top of her head, looking calmer than she did previously. 

Pinkie Pie nodded eagerly. She decided to look around before going up the stairs. "I haven't been here in so long," she exclaimed. "It's practically the same!" 

"If by the same you mean completely different, then sure," Applejack noted with a snort. She looked inside a room, hoping to find something interesting, but ended up with a muzzle full of dust. 

Pinkie Pie looked under the island where she had stood so many days serving ponies their orders. Instead of being filled with treats and flour or sugar, it was filled with piles of built-up dust and other things she didn't want to try to recognize. But still, she just didn't want to admit that it had changed. So she shook her head. 

"Nope. I think it's the same. It might look a little different, but it still has everything it used to have," Pinkie Pie pointed out. She looked at Applejack with a big, trademark Pinkie smile. "It just needs some love, is all." 

Applejack said nothing but offered Pinkie Pie a small nod. She turned around, inspecting the area to make sure there were no hidden ponies. Pinkie resumed her snooping around if you could even call it snooping, that is. It was her home once. 

Applejack emerged from where the kitchen area once was. "Okay, everythin’ seems clear. So how do we get to this uh… cave o' yours?" 

Pinkie Pie bit her lip, holding back yet another excited squeak. "We need to go up to my room," she stated. "You're lucky you can see your room whenever you want," she added, although there was no malicious tone to her voice. "I wonder if everything is how I left it." 

Applejack bared her teeth in uncertainty. "Don't get yer hopes up, Pinkie. Judgin' from the state of the rest of the store, they mighta ransacked your room.” 

Pinkie Pie felt herself deflate a little. She knew it was silly to have hope that for whatever reason Twilight would have ordered her ponies to leave her room alone. Maybe she did remember that they were friends. Nopony actually changes that much, right? 

But walking into her room told a different story. Everything seemed to be there, just not at all how she left it. All of her stuffed animals were no longer stuffed, and instead, the cotton fillings were strewn about the room. The balloons that were once full of air were on the floor, almost as deflated as Pinkie felt. Although, the balloons were probably not entirely Twilight’s ponies' fault. 

It was a horrible sight – if she could say that about her own room. The paint was chipped and peeling off the walls, but the thing that unnerved Pinkie Pie and Applejack the most was the writing on the wall, in once bright red paint. Or at least, they hoped. 

“'Where's your smile, Pinkie Pie?'," Applejack read. "That's just horrible, ain't it?" she muttered, taking off her hat and holding it to her chest. Maybe she was paying her respects for Pinkie Pie's room. 

Pinkie Pie blinked absently at the writing, tears forming in her eyes. The Twilight she knew was not a monster like that, and that's when she knew that whatever pony was causing this to happen, it wasn't really Twilight. It might have her body, and her voice, but it certainly wasn't her friend.
> Sour Notes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That’s just horrible, ain’t it?”

Applejack sighed and held her hat to her chest for a moment before putting it back on her head. Pinkie Pie’s silence was what caught her attention and made her look over. The usually bright and bubbly pink mare deflated; metaphorically and literally. Wetness brimmed at the edges of Pinkie’s eyes as something twisted and turned inside Applejack’s chest.

“Err, look, listen, Pinkie,” Applejack started awkwardly, “I know this probably ain’t whatcha wanted to see, but… well…” She inhaled sharply, unsure of what she was even trying to say.

Pinkie looked up and curled the corners of her mouth upward ever so slightly. Applejack knew it was meant to be a smile, but not even Pinkie Pie could make that look like a real smile. “It’s okay,” Pinkie whispered. She shook her head, slowly at first, but then quickly as her mane grew back to its regular size. “It’s okay, Applejack. Really. It doesn’t matter.” Her smile was almost real-looking.

She said that, but Applejack knew that it wasn’t entirely true. Pinkie might have perked up, but she wasn’t back to her usual state. Her gaze kept drifting back to the wall and around the room, and a frown tugged at her mouth. The farm mare bit her lip and followed Pinkie as she made her way to a certain ice-cream shaped object near what was once her bed. At least they hadn’t wrecked that. 

This wouldn’t be surprising to Applejack. She had experienced the entrance to the Party Planning Cave first hoof one day by accident, and it was a rather troubling surprise—until she and her friends realized where they had been taken. As Pinkie’s floor split in half and sent the two mares down the ridiculously long slide into the secret cave, Applejack could barely bring herself to smile. Once upon a time, she might have thought the slide was fun. Now all she could think about was how they had to stay quiet. 

The slide finally ended. It was not a particularly long way down, but the anticipation and fear that somepony might be hiding down in the cave was enough to make it seem like a lifetime. Applejack hopped off the slide followed by Pinkie. Neither of them made a noise apart from the quiet hoofsteps echoing off the walls. 

A quick scan around confirmed Applejack’s hopes that they were alone. The farm pony let out a sigh and tensed muscles relaxed slightly. She could almost feel Pinkie Pie doing the same next to her. Still, they had to be careful. Applejack knew that. 

“Well, looks like there is some stuff we can use, right?” Applejack looked over to Pinkie Pie, who was peering into a toppled over filing cabinet. There were papers strewn about, which meant that Twilight’s forces must have come in here. There was no substantial damage, though, so they must have not found anything worthwhile. 

Pinkie Pie stared into the filing cabinet, unblinking. “Do you remember the party I threw for Twilight when she and Spike first got here?” She smiled weakly and turned away from the metal organizer, pushing a loose stack of stapled-together papers toward Applejack, who made her way closer to the pink mare. “That’s when I found out she’s not good with spicy food.”

Applejack looked down at the stack of papers that Pinkie Pie was motioning to. They were old and beat-up, some of the corners ripped and missing, but the front page had a picture of Twilight when she was a unicorn taped to it with her name written neatly underneath. Applejack’s mouth raised into a slight grin as she flipped the page. It was a list of Twilight’s likes and dislikes written in different colours of ink, presumably whenever Pinkie found out something about her friend. The next page was a chart of the party favours she liked and what would go well together. Seeing as how the stack had a hoofful more of pages, there must have been more information. Applejack looked up in awe. “Pinkie, that’s… amazing. I’ve seen all this before, but I never really looked at how much work ya put into it.”

“I just love to see my friends smile,” Pinkie stated simply. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out some more files like the one she had on Twilight. On each of them was a picture of the pony it belonged to and labeled with her name; Rainbow Dash’s was written with sparkly blue, Rarity’s with elegant purple, Fluttershy’s with a soft yellow, and Applejack’s with a simple red. “I have one of these for nearly everypony in Ponyville. Some of them are missing, I think. I can’t really tell. These were the only ones in this filer.”

Applejack nodded along, looking tenderly at the detailed files Pinkie Pie kept on everypony. At one point, she might have thought it was creepy, but now she knew it was only in everpony’s best interest. She always knew that. Just now… well there were worse things to worry about than Pinkie Pie being in everypony’s personal business. 

“Why do you think she’s leaving us alone?”

Applejack looked up from the Rainbow Dash file at Pinkie Pie, who wasn’t exactly looking at her, but in the general direction. “Whaddya mean?”

“Twilight,” Pinkie clarified. “Why do you think she’s not trying to… to attack us? She keeps the day cycle pretty normal, and she hasn’t really tried to come to Sweet Apple Acres in a while. Why? I know she’s stronger than the magic barrier we have around the premises. So why?”

Pinkie spoke in a way that Applejack wasn’t used to from the usually bubbly mare. The farm pony swallowed dryly as Pinkie turned to face her with a pleading expression. Applejack often thought about it. Why hadn’t Twilight tried to take them all by now? She was definitely more than capable, but instead she chose to do little things to hurt them. Erratic winters, random long days of blistering hot sun, taking ponies that strayed from the farm…

Applejack sighed. “I dunno, Pinkie. I don’t rightly know.” 

“What if she… she doesn’t want to hurt us?” Pinkie asked, a slight twinge of desperation edging her voice and making it crack. “Maybe she remembers!”

Applejack cringed. It was a good idea, and maybe a hopeful one, but it was not a feasible one. “I don’t think so. I think maybe she’s just… messin’ with us. I don’t think that Twilight—at least not that Twilight—is our friend.”

Pinkie Pie didn’t respond. Instead, she walked away from the cabinet to gather the few supplies that lay around the room. Applejack watched her closely. Pinkie Pie didn’t smile, nor did she frown. She’d been doing that a lot recently; not quite smiling, but not quite frowning either. When she thought anypony might have been looking at her, she’d smile. But Applejack was sneaky. She could see Pinkie without Pinkie knowing she was looking.

There were better things she could be doing than watching Pinkie Pie at the current moment, however. She tore her subtle gaze away from the other mare and set to looking around. There was a little bag of balloons on a countertop across from where Applejack stood. As she went to grab them, she noticed a single paper on the ground under the table. Considering all the papers that were scattered along the floor, it wasn’t particularly exciting.

However, this one had a picture of Pinkie Pie on it, and in the same hoofwriting as the files for herself and her friends, Applejack noticed just one thing written in smudged plain black ink. With narrowed eyes, Applejack read quietly under her breath. “‘Make them smile’.” The orange mare pushed her slipping hat back up her head. “Is that really all she wants? Why’s she got a file on herself, anyway?”

Applejack turned her head to look at Pinkie Pie who was in the action of putting a pile of tangled streamers into her mane where they seemed to simply disappear. The pink mare looked blankly at the ground before she lifted her head and made eye contact with Applejack. It was then that her smile returned and she pointed at her mane with the jubilation of the Pinkie Pie that everypony had once known but never knew they lost. 

As Pinkie Pie turned away, Applejack discreetly tucked the paper under her hat and returned with the bag of balloons held tightly between her jaws. Pinkie waited for Applejack in the centre of the room with a toothy smile. 

“Did you find anything? I found lots of things!” Pinkie Pie pointed at her mane. “Well, not a lot of things, but more than I need for sure!”

Applejack nodded and set down the bag of balloons. “It ain’t much but it’s… uh, the only party supplies I found.” 

Pinkie didn’t seem to care. She squealed happily and with a pink blur, the balloons were placed inside her mane. “That’s great! I didn’t find any balloons and you can only reuse balloons so many times, you know. Then they start to get all soggy for some reason. Really gross.”

The farm pony had seen things as of late. Many things. All sorts of things she wished she’d never seen, but that mental image was one of the worst. She shook the disturbing thought away and followed Pinkie Pie back to the slide. The last time she had been down here, she had to walk up the slide. It was a bit of a difficult task but she managed. 

As she was preparing for another climb up a slippery slide, Pinkie walked right past her and sat on the slide as if she had just gone down it. She then scooched back a bit and patted the space in front of her. “Sit here.”

“What.”

“Trust me!”

Applejack took a hesitant step toward Pinkie and glanced at the empty spot in front of her. “You want me to sit there?”

Pinkie nodded. “Come on, trust me! You’ll see why.”

With a shrug, Applejack sat with her back to Pinkie. There was nothing to lose, and she did trust Pinkie. Although, she did question her decision a bit as Pinkie wrapped the orange mare in a hug and told her not to scream. It took a lot of effort to keep her mouth clamped shut as the two mares somehow shot backwards up the slide. Applejack made sure to keep her hat on her head as the slide up slowed down and they shot back into Pinkie’s old room, landing with a grunt.

Pinkie Pie whooped quietly as she jumped to her hooves, leaving a distraught Applejack laying on her back on the floor of Pinkie’s old room. The farm pony stared straight up at the ceiling blankly before bursting into hearty laughter. She laughed for a long while as she draped a hoof over her chest and finally as the air ran out, she rolled over onto her stomach as the laugh died off.

“Hoo-wee, I haven’t had that much fun in ages,” Applejack breathed. With a grunt of effort, Applejack got to her hooves and shook out her pelt. “How’d you even do that?”

Pinkie opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud clanging on the bottom floor that stiffened all of Applejack’s limbs. Both pairs of ears pricked and eyes set on the staircase, Applejack slowly sidestepped until she was shoulder to shoulder with Pinkie. 

The cluttering of items continued. Applejack widened her stance, ready to fight if she needed to. She just hoped that whoever, or whatever, was making that noise didn’t have access to magic. She could deal with somepony like her. Hay, she could probably deal with a pegasus, but a unicorn with access to magic? Past experiences taught her that it wouldn’t be a fun confrontation.  

Pinkie looked over to Applejack who returned the glance. Pinkie’s eyebrows were furrowed and her mouth tensed into a tight frown. Applejack adjusted her hat and raised a hoof. She knew Pinkie Pie knew that it meant to stay put, although Pinkie’s increasingly worried expression told her that she would only do so reluctantly. 

Applejack wanted to say she’d be fine. To reassure Pinkie that it would all be okay, but Applejack was no liar, so she said nothing and instead gave her a comforting smile and took a cautious step toward the staircase. She peered down the steps. There was nothing there, but she knew there had to be something somewhere further into the room. 

It was ludicrous, but there was no other way. If there was something down there – maybe even something dangerous – Applejack knew she had to be the one to face it. It’s not that she didn’t believe in Pinkie’s ability to defend herself, but between herself and Pinkie… well, Applejack had more experience. Besides, she would hate to go back without Pinkie. 

Applejack figured she herself would be easy to replace. Big Mac was just as capable, if not more capable than her on the farm, and Spitfire seemed to be the pony at Rainbow’s right hoof. But Pinkie was not replaceable. Pinkie made sure everypony was smiling, no matter what. There was not another pony quite like Pinkie. 

Applejack had to keep her safe.

She stepped down the stairs slowly so as to not make any noise, but strong, heavy earth pony hooves were not on her side. With every step down, the wood underneath threatened to give way and creak, and every step down, Applejack found herself getting slower and slower until finally she reached the final step. 

She was almost successful. The silhouette of a unicorn stood at the other side of the room, past the counter and near the entrance to the confectionery, completely oblivious to the earth pony's existence. Right as she stepped down, the step creaked. It was so quiet. But even the subtlest of noises were enough in dire situations. 

The shadowed pony spun around and faced Applejack. From the backlight of the full moon, Applejack couldn't tell who the pony facing her down was. But she could see those blaring amber eyes and the short mane on the pony's head. 

Applejack stood perfectly still. There was a type of instinct that kicked in at situations such as the one she found herself currently trapped in. Fight or flight. Much like a rabbit will flee from a hungry wolf, or an opossum will play dead at the first sign of danger, Applejack's body begged her to choose. 

Time seemed to slow down as Applejack's heart rate quickened. She wished she wouldn't have to face a unicorn. Of course, the universe loved to play with her. The amber eyed unicorn did not blink as the elongated horn began to spark to life. It seemed slow, like molasses, but Applejack knew that she had to react quickly. 

Applejack leaped to the side as a beam erupted from the unicorn's horn. It jetted right through where Applejack was just standing. The ray passed so close to Applejack that the heat made the skin on her shoulder feel like it was burning for a moment, but luckily there was no real damage. 

Another zap. Applejack inhaled sharply as she ducked out of the way of another shot. This one opened a cut on her cheek. Desperate for a moment to think, she hid behind the counter as another ray exploded into the wall at the back of the store and left a black singe mark. 

She could only imagine the amount of noise that the encounter was making. Hopefully, there was nopony else around to hear it, or else things would get hairy. Not that they weren't already. 

Applejack cursed under her breath and let her heartbeat and shaking slow. Blood slowly dripped from the wound on her face, but it wasn't bad enough that she couldn't ignore it, so she did. There was no more magic, but there were no hoofsteps either. Should she look around the corner? It might be a set-up to get her head blown off, but if she waited too long, she'd risk getting snuck up on. 

"Dammit," she whispered under her breath. "Dammit dammit dammit." Applejack furrowed her eyebrows and clenched her jaw. She had to risk it. She knew she had to. 

With the speed of a tired sloth, Applejack peered around the corner of the counter. The unicorn was no longer where she had once stood. The earth pony's eyes widened in panic. How had she lost the unicorn? Applejack scrambled to her hooves and looked around. There was no sign of her magical adversary anywhere. 

Careful eyes scanned the vicinity until the unmistakable noise of magic charging up broke the eerie silence right behind Applejack. The large mare spun around as quickly as she could to see the unicorn mere inches away from her. 

Applejack's heart dropped as she pieced together who it was. The minty fur, the two-toned cyan and white mane, the yellow eyes…

She could only stare as Lyra Heartstrings charged up a magical blast and pointed it right at her. 

"No!" 

Lyra toppled over with a pink blur on top of her. The magic discharged and shot a hole through the ceiling, causing Applejack to break out of her stupor and swallow dryly. She wasn't expecting Lyra to have been shooting to kill. 

Pinkie pressed down on Lyra's back, keeping her as contained as possible as the minty unicorn thrashed about and uttered words that Applejack couldn't quite make out. 

"Applejack, are you okay?" Pinkie asked as she struggled to keep Lyra off of her hooves as she shot magic recklessly around. 

Applejack shuddered. "I'm fine. You saved me, Pinkie." 

Pinkie Pie grunted and squinted. "No time for that! What do we do?" 

Applejack gazed at Lyra, whose eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the room. Her horn glowed absently, although not in the colour of her magic. It dimly glowed green but before Applejack could even think about it, Lyra snapped her head up with a sudden burst of energy and shook Pinkie off into a nearby wall. Pinkie grunted as she hit it and fell to the floor. 

"She knows where you are now," Lyra growled. "And she'll come save you. It's only a matter of time before you come into the light." 

Applejack jumped in front of Pinkie protectively. If Lyra was going to hurt any of them, it wouldn't be Pinkie anymore. However, the laser never came. Lyra's horn glowed and then she popped right out of the room. Confusion was evident in Applejack's face, but she wasn't complaining. Instead, she looked down at Pinkie, who was only now getting back on her hooves, if a bit shaky. 

Applejack took a step back, still looking around them in case Lyra decided to come back for a surprise visit. "Land sakes! You alright?" 

Pinkie nodded as she tried on a smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little bit sore." 

That was a relief. Applejack walked to her friend and wrapped her in a hug. "I thought she mighta done something to ya. The way you weren't gettin' up at first…" 

Pinkie gladly returned the hug. Applejack was never more glad to feel somepony's breathing on her shoulder. "I just got the wind knocked out of me," she reassured. Surprisingly, Pinkie was the first one to break apart from the hug. She stood in front of Applejack and reached out to wipe blood off of the farmer's face. "I think you took it worse than me, silly." 

"What, this?" Applejack pointed at her cheek with a hoof. "T'aint nothing. I've gotten worse just from fallin' branches in the winter." Applejack grinned at her friend and gave her one last affectionate nuzzle with her good cheek. "Come on, we'd best head on out now. I dunno what Lyra meant by what she said, but if it means we high tail it outta here, then that's what we do." 

Pinkie nodded in agreement. "So, are we gonna go clear the waterway? You said Apple Bloom mentioned the flow wasn't reaching the farm, right?" 

Applejack bit her tongue. "I did say that, didn't I?" She frowned and sighed. "It wasn't the whole truth. Waterway's blocked. That part is true, but it ain't the one that comes by here. I just told Rainbow that so she'd agree to let me come here with you." 

Pinkie cocked her head. "So you lied to her?" 

That stung Applejack. She hated being called a liar almost as much as she hated plain lying. But she hadn't fully lied. "Kinda. But I had to. I don't like it, either, but I knew you were right about needin' to come, so I… did what I thought would make it work." 

"Aww," Pinkie cooed with a happy smile. "You totally did that just for me and that is why you are the bestest friend anyone could ask for!" 

Applejack chuckled. That was one way to look at it. Still, she had lied, and being reminded of that just put her on a sour note. She couldn't let Pinkie know though, so she just smiled back at her and gestured for her to begin walking. "Come on, Pinkie, let's go back." 

"Okie dokie!" 

Applejack led them to the door. She carefully opened it and peeked outside. It was empty. Completely empty. It was strange, but that sort of thinking could wait. Applejack took a cautious step outside and began to make her way back to the entrance to the tunnel, followed by Pinkie. 

What neither of them saw was the purple alicorn watching from the very rooftop of Sugarcube Corner. Once-purple eyes flashed and glowed red for a moment before turning back to their regular shade of purple. She watched them enter the tunnel, and with a grin, powerful wings allowed her to take flight as she returned to the storm-covered castle that sat at the edge of Ponyville.
> Things to Brush Off
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dirt was disgusting. It kept matting on everypony's coats and making their manes look extremely unkempt. How they didn't seem to have a problem with it, Rarity would never understand. The way the mud and soil would cake onto her fur made her extremely unhappy and annoyed, to say the least. It was quite possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to a pony, in her opinion. 

Well, it was on that list. Maybe not the worst thing, especially considering the things she'd seen, but it was bad. The way it felt, the way it looked, and the way it made her seem like some Neanderthal that was not worth her salt. She would have never been caught going out like this just two years ago, but now it seemed inevitable. Still, there was no reason she couldn't try to look nice, even if it was pointless. 

Rarity sat in the little hut she called home, using all sorts of varieties of brushes on her coat and mane. Some hurt a little, the rest hurt a lot. They all pulled and got caught in her mane. Sometimes, she'd brush out a twig, a clump of soil, or that one unlucky time, a bug. She shuddered at the thought. The only times she used to get that dirty, and it was rare, were on the friendship missions that they used to go on, or on their quests to save Equestria. 

She never thought she'd miss that. And yet there she was, sitting in a ditch underground, inside a very very homey hut. No matter how many times she brushed, her mane was a frizzy mess. Her naturally pearly white coat seemed to be stained light, light brown in some areas. It was absolutely horrendous. Nothing a good bath can't fix, she thought. I'll just see if any pegasi can bring down a raincloud. 

There was always the odd stallion willing to do her a favour, and pegasi were always eager to have something familiar to do. Whenever anypony needed a small amount of water, they could discreetly fly up and bring down a tuft of a cloud with enough water to fill a small tub. It was perfect. 

With a self-dignified thrust of her head, she sauntered out of her home, looking as well as she could. By the standards of the current conditions, she was still stunning. But in her mind, she knew she looked awful. That's why she wasn't past using her charm to get something to go her way. 

She searched for the nearest pegasus, anypony she could possibly have a chance of convincing to do a favour for her. In her haste, she bumped into somepony. "Oh, pardon me," she apologized, shaking her head quickly. 

"Uh, it's fine," scoffed the pony she ran into. "Why are you in such a rush, Rares?" 

Rarity exhaled sharply. "Clearly, Rainbow Dash, I am looking for somepony," she stated simply. She brushed some dirt off of her coat, picking herself off of the floor. It's not like it made a difference, considering how filthy she was. 

Rainbow Dash had the same idea, except she did not put as much effort as Rarity did into brushing the dirt off of herself. She haphazardly dragged a hoof over her coat, but noticeably did try harder to keep her wings clean. Rarity assumed that it was because her ability to fly had always been a big part of Rainbow's life. 

"Oh really," Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "Who are you looking for?" She stood in front of Rarity, somehow appearing interested and disinterested at the same time. "Maybe I can help you find them." 

Rarity ducked her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I will be fine. It's not that big of a place anyway, I'm sure I can find whoever I'm looking for quickly," she assured her. 

Rainbow Dash smirked. "It kind of sounds like you don't even know who you're looking for.” She leaned forward, grinning dangerously at Rarity. "You're not looking for another hook up are you?" 

Rarity took a step back, her face reddening. "What? That is…" She shook her head, stumbling with her words. "That's absolutely preposterous! I would never do such a thing," she deflected, although Rarity's reaction only seemed to rile Rainbow Dash up even more. 

"Really?" The corner of Rainbow Dash's mouth twitched as she held back a laugh. "'Cause I'm willing to go again," she teased with a wink. 

That was the last straw. Rarity's cheeks flared even darker, although if it was from embarrassment or anger was a tough call to make. "Rainbow Dash! You are such an inconsiderate, improper strumpet!" Her voice was shrill as she shamelessly yelled at Rainbow Dash, causing several ponies to turn their heads in their direction. 

Rainbow Dash didn't seem to mind, however. She was too busy laughing out loud like some kind of immature filly. "Oh, come on, Rarity," she spoke between laughs. "You can't insult me with words I don't know!" 

Rarity huffed in exasperation, giving the ponies around them hard glares, daring them to keep looking. All of them suddenly found interest in the colours of the walls. "Strumpet is the perfect word for a pony like you, however, to tell you what it means would mean to say some rather untasteful things I'd rather not have come out of my mouth. If you really want to know, I implore you to read a dictionary for once." She eyed Rainbow Dash up and down. "I know we would all benefit from it." 

Rainbow Dash shot back up to her hooves, frowning. "Hey," she whined. "That was mean!" 

Rarity gave her a curt laugh. "Oh, please, darling. That was nothing," she uttered casually, observing her own hoof. "Anyway, I'm glad I ran into you," she added with a more casual tone. 

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash looked to the side. "And why is that?" 

Rarity gave the faded cyan pegasus an impatient look. "Why must you be so brazen, Rainbow Dash? I was simply going to ask you a favour," she whined with the innocence of a foal. 

Rainbow Dash turned to give her wing another round of quick preening. "And what's this favour you wanted to ask?" 

Rarity gave Rainbow Dash a complacent smile. "Oh you know, it's really just a teensy favour. Naturally, I'd have to ask a pegasus, such as yourself, for assistance with this sort of thing.” She idly looked at her hoof. 

"Let me guess," Rainbow Dash muttered flatly. "You want me to get you a cloud so you can use the water to fill your tub so you can clean yourself." She gave Rarity an annoyed glance. 

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?" 

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Because I know you. You just won't stand to look like that," she pointed out, motioning at Rarity's face. 

Despite knowing Rainbow was right, Rarity gasped in offence. She desperately ran a hoof through her mane, having little to no effect on the mess on her head. After a few moments of pure exasperation, Rarity groaned in defeat. "Yes, well I suppose you're right," she admitted. 

"Always am." 

"Anyway, I'm sure only a fantastically talented pegasus could take care of it." Rarity shrugged. Her smile deepened, taking on a note of mischief. "I'm terribly sorry to have bothered you, Rainbow Dash." 

Rainbow Dash took a step back. "Woah woah woah. Are you saying I'm not talented enough to bring you a simple tuft of a cloud?" She snorted in annoyance. "Any pegasus with half a mind could do something that simple," she grumbled. 

Rarity leaned in close, pushing their snouts together. "Prove it.” She knew Rainbow Dash couldn't say no to a challenge. "Bring me a tuft of cloud and I may consider your-" 

"Awesomeness?" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Say no more. I'll be back faster than you could tell me how many ponies you've slept with in the past month," she spoke quickly. 

"Wait, what?" 

And in a flash of blue, Rainbow Dash disappeared, leaving behind a streak of colours and a confused Rarity. Within moments she was back in her spot, fur gleaming with water droplets and a considerably sized portion of cloud. The flattened mane on her head framed the smug smirk on her face nearly perfectly. It was exactly what Rarity was expecting. "So how many ponies was it?" 

Rarity looked upwards, pretending to count off ponies. She muttered numbers under her breath, making for an immensely impressed Rainbow Dash. After deciding that it was enough, Rarity stopped pulling her hoof. "Just you," Rarity admitted, using her magic to levitate the cloud from between Rainbow's hooves and trotted back to her home, a pleasantly satisfied look on her face. "As I said, not all of us like to bed any pony that's willing." 

Rainbow Dash stood, mouth agape. She wrinkled her nose at Rarity's subtle jab at her before setting off after the unicorn. "Okay, now you're just being cruel," she complained, taking a place next to Rarity. 

Rarity laughed heartily. "I do enjoy teasing, you know. What you do on your own time is of no concern to me." She gave her a half-lidded sideways glance. "Especially when you're so good at your… craft," she teased with a playful tone. 

Rainbow Dash snorted. "It takes practice, Rares. Maybe you should get some," she suggested, half-joking. 

Rarity shook her head. "Oh, heavens no. I just don't see the pleasure in it myself." When Rainbow Dash snickered, Rarity's cheeks flushed. "Rainbow Dash, you know what I meant," she hissed with a friendly grin. 

"Did you just say you don't see the pleasure in sex?" She held back another laugh. "I know it was a new experience for the both of us, but did I fail you that badly?" 

Rarity whacked Rainbow Dash in the shoulder, causing the pegasus to complain, a smile held on her face. "No, you didn't. But I like keeping my list a bit exclusive, thank you very much." She used her magic to open the door to her home. She ignored the look on Rainbow Dash's face. "Would you like to come in?" 

Rainbow Dash cocked her head. "Umm, aren't you gonna bathe?" She chuckled awkwardly. "That would be kind of weird." 

Rarity clicked her tongue. Why Rainbow Dash would have a problem with that was beyond her, but she wouldn’t ask for fear of an embarrassing explanation. "Uh yes, but I'll be quick, and I can put up a curtain if it bothers you," she offered. "I just want the company to be frank with you." 

"You? Be quick?" Rainbow Dash laughed loudly once. "HAH! That's hilarious." She wiped a single tear from her eye. "Everypony knows you take forever in the tub."

"Okay, okay, I suppose you have a point," Rarity admitted. "But I really do need to clean myself, and having somepony to talk to would distract me from how filthy I am." She looked at the state of her mane. So. Many. Split ends, she noticed in horror. 

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chin. "You know, you might be right," she muttered thoughtfully. Rarity scoffed. "Uh, not about yourself. Maybe it's time I had a bath." She gave herself a quick sniff. Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out. "Oh yeah, definitely. I'll do that whenever I have time." 

Rarity floated the cloud over on top of the empty tub she had set up in the room she specialized for self-maintenance. It wasn't as impressive as the one she used to have at the Boutique, but it was what was to be expected in a home such as that one. "I'm glad that I've inspired you to take care of yourself. I was afraid I would have to tell you myself," she admitted. "Would you mind giving me a hoof with the cloud, Rainbow dear?" 

With an annoyed sigh, Rainbow Dash glided to the cloud. "Will do, Rares." She gave the cloud a hard punch, causing it to rain down into the tub, filling it perfectly. "Hah, I knew I got the exact right amount of cloud," she exclaimed proudly. 

"Hmm, well that's why I asked for the best of the best," Rarity teased. “I’m glad you sufficed.” With a glow emitting from her horn, the water began to bubble. She carefully stuck a hoof into it. It was a bit hot, but nothing some waiting couldn’t fix. "Oh, splendid! I knew I could remember the water heating spell," she breathed out in relief. "I guess that makes the two of us very proud ponies." 

Rainbow Dash sat next to the tub, sticking her own hoof into it, and then retracting it just as quickly. "Yeesh, Rarity. You'll burn your fur right off with that. Are you sure that's the temperature you were going for?" 

It most certainly was not. "Yes, of course, darling. Whatever would make you think otherwise?" She laughed nervously, trying to play it off as genuine. 

With a look on her face that Rarity knew she didn't want to see, Rainbow Dash lifted an eyebrow. "Well go on, then." She gestured to the water. "Get in." 

"Get in?" Rarity glanced at the steaming water. "Oh, but I haven't gotten my brushes yet.” 

It was a poor excuse, seeing as how it took Rainbow Dash a matter of seconds to go and return with Rarity's entire collection of brushes. "Okay, I know you're you, but this is a bit excessive," she complained while looking at the pile of brushes. 

"Nonsense," Rarity huffed. "All of these brushes have very practical uses. Some are for your mane, some are for your tail, some are for your fur." She held up different brushes as she spoke. "And then there are the ones for dry fur, wet fur, and damp fur," she explained, holding up other brushes. 

"Wait, wait, wait," Rainbow Dash interrupted, shaking her head slowly. "Isn't damp and wet the same thing?" 

"Ha, certainly you must be joking," Rarity spoke with a quick laugh. Rainbow Dash's expression did not change, though. "Oh, you were being serious." Rarity sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's a wonder how you've managed to be so attractive your entire life," she decided with a shrug. "You don't even know the basics of self-maintenance." 

Rainbow Dash's confused expression seemed somehow even more confused if that was even possible. "First of all, you didn't even explain to me what the difference between 'damp' and 'wet' is," she started. "And second of all," she leaned on the rim of the tub, propping her head on her hoof with a sly grin, "you think I'm attractive?" 

"Well of course. I'm not blind, you know." Rarity stuck her head in a drawer, pulling out some leaves and a bag full of crushed crystals. Rainbow Dash's hoof glowed with Rarity's magic as it moved to the side, causing Rainbow's head to dunk into the water. "Despite your… rather uncouth appearance, you have a certain air of attractiveness to you," she stated matter-of-factly. "Anypony with a pair of eyes could tell you that," she ended, turning back around to find a dripping wet Rainbow Dash. 

Rainbow Dash shook hot water off her mane, effectively spraying Rarity with it. At the white unicorn's protesting squeals, Rainbow Dash grinned at her. "So I guess you could say I'm dripping with good looks."

"If you wanted to be obnoxious about it, then yes." Rarity dropped a few leaves and a pinch of crushed red crystals into the water, turning it a light pink. "Honestly, Rainbow Dash, if you weren't naturally like this, I would think you were flirting with me." 

The now damp pegasus shook her head. "No way; we're friends, and you're a mare." She observed the water with curiosity. "As you said, I'm naturally a casanova." 

"I don't believe those were my exact words." 

"Besides, you're too squealy in bed," she complained while gesturing something in the air. "I could never survive in a relationship with you, apart from the other obvious reasons." She sniffed the aroma of the water, a smile lighting up her face. "Wow, this smells great." 

Rarity took a moment to take in the scent herself. It did smell delightful. She knew it would feel even better. "Well, you're too rough," she shot back. "Isn't making love supposed to be gentle? Not whatever you were doing, certainly." She dipped her hoof back in. It felt nice, now that it wasn't scalding hot. 

As Rarity went to fetch a bathrobe from the other side of the room, Rainbow Dash decided to sneakily test the water. With her tongue. She coughed a bit, trying to discreetly brush her tongue off with her hoof. "Uh, we weren't 'making love'," she argued, her tongue was sticking out of her mouth in disgust, although if it was from her comment, or the water, Rarity would never know. "That just sounds gross. We just banged. It's not supposed to be gentle," she stated as if that was any better. "Well it can be, but I don't like it that way. And frankly, you seemed to enjoy what I was doing." 

Rarity's cheeks flared for a moment. "You think that vulgar language is more appealing?" She magically shot her bathrobe at Rainbow Dash's face. "And did I just see you drink my bathwater?"

Rainbow Dash removed the robe from her face, setting it nicely on the countertop next to her. "Nooo," she lied. "Okay, maybe. It smelled nice, alright? Can you blame me?" 

Of all of the brainless things Rainbow Dash has said, Rarity immediately decided that that one was the most idiotic of the day. "Yes, I can. Why in Celestia's name would it ever be a good idea to drink anypony's bathwater?" She climbed into her nice, warm bath, neither pony seeming to care. It's not like they wore clothes anyway. Besides, there was nothing new to see. They've been friends for so long. 

Rainbow Dash shrugged, mumbling something that resembled 'I dunno'. She smacked her lips. "I guess I'm just hungry," she mumbled, trying to find an excuse. 

"Aren't we all, darling?" Rarity sunk deeper into her water, letting the liquid soak into her fur, lifting the dirt off. "Ah, I do certainly recommend this mixture. It's quite rejuvenating and very good at making you feel clean, although you must help it along," she explained as she rubbed the water into her fur. 

"Yeah, no, thanks, but this really isn't my style. I appreciate the offer though, but I'll stick to just regular water and a lot of scrubbing." She watched as Rarity shrugged and levitated a pail into the air, then into the water, and finally poured it carefully on her mane. 

Rarity gave her a discontent hum, mainly focusing on cleaning herself. She was content with how much her fur was changing, going from a muted grey with brown patches back to the snowy white that it usually was. Her fur almost instantly felt smoother to the touch. Oh, how she missed looking clean, although she knew now she'd stick out like a sore hoof in the earthy tones of the cave. 

She opened an eye, doing her best to not get water in it, and looked around. She spotted Rainbow Dash snooping through the drawers, probably finding mane curlers or fashion sketchbooks by the increasingly surprised look on her face. Just because Rarity couldn't physically create things like before didn't mean she couldn't at least conceptualize them. She needed something to do, after all, and the best she could offer was itchy wool sweaters from the sheep on the Apples’ farm every so often. It wasn't her preferred medium, but it was definitely better than nothing. 

"And what exactly might you be looking for, darling?" Rarity spoke in a casual tone, subtly glancing over at Rainbow Dash as she let her mane soak in the solution in the water. 

Rainbow Dash closed the drawer she was looking through, looking back at Rarity with a bored expression. "Well I don't really want to sit there and watch you take a bath," she complained. "You don't have any good stuff in here. The only things of mild interest you have are those silly Shadow Spade books." Rainbow Dash held up an old copy of Shadow Spade and the Murgese Falcon and fake gagged at it. 

With a sudden appreciation for her magic, Rarity forced the book out of Rainbow Dash’s grip and placed it on the drawer from which she found it. “Stop acting like a foal. If you even gave those books a chance, I’m sure you’d find that they’re actually quite intriguing,” she spat. “They’re meant for a more sophisticated audience, so I suppose it makes sense that you don’t find them enriching.” 

"Wow. Okay. You're really not holding back with the shots today, are you?" Rainbow Dash slumped on the floor. "I'll have you know that Daring Do is so much better than Shadow Spade."

"In what way?" 

Rainbow Dash's wings extended to her side as she jumped to her hooves. "In every way! She's so cool and awesome, just like me. And she goes on these huge adventures, just like me! And she's a total badass!" 

Rarity held up a hoof, causing Rainbow to stop speaking. She took note of her extended wings with a smirk. "Let me guess. Just like you?" 

"Obviously." She forced her wings back down to her side with an embarrassed grin. "We’re both total badasses. That’s why I like the books so much. I can see myself in them.”

Apart from actually having been on some of those adventures, Rarity thought. It had been completely unexpected for Rainbow Dash to be so enthralled in a book series, and all it took was for her to hurt her wing. At least she was reading something, unlike before she had that accident. Even if it was meant for foals.

At first, Rarity had to admit she was not impressed with her own favourite book series. But once she got into it, and the fashionable characters, it was a page-turner. She stayed up late for days reading, understanding the nuances and piecing together fashion-based clues to catch the wrongdoer herself. Perhaps there were certain times when it was acceptable to act like a little filly again.

She had not even noticed the water grow cold. It really hadn't felt like a long time, but having company made time fly, Rarity presumed. That and somewhat stimulating conversation, even if it was rather foalish. With a rather disappointed sigh, she stood back up in the tub, checking that she was completely clean. Once she was satisfied, she stepped out of the tub, levitating her bathrobe over her body and tying it to her. 

"Rainbow Dash, would you be a dear and help me bring out the water?" She levitated it slightly into the air but was obviously struggling under the weight. "I don't quite have the energy to do it myself right now," Rarity admitted. 

Rainbow Dash stalked over to the tub, helping to lift it on her shoulder. She muttered some words of annoyance under her breath as the two of them walked carefully to the back door and dumped the water in the water-filled ditch behind the row of homes. With an appreciative nod, Rarity lifted the empty tub without struggle and floated it back inside. 

"Do you think Applejack and Pinkie are okay?" 

Rainbow Dash's question caught Rarity by surprise. She closed the door behind them as they walked back in and turned to face Rainbow. "Well, yes, of course." She tilted her head to the side. "Why do you ask?" 

Rainbow Dash kicked the floor uncomfortably. "I guess I'm just scared it'll happen again," she admitted. "I know it's silly. They can take care of each other. But I can't help but worry." 

Rarity stepped forward with a frown and placed a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Trust me, darling. They'll be okay." She offered her a gentle smile which Rainbow Dash meekly returned. "As you said, they can take care of each other." 

The pegasus nodded, shutting her eyes. She took a quick breath in and out. “I know, I know. I just hope they come back with no bad news,” she sniffled with a weak grin. She glanced down at the floor silently and shook her head. “Worrying doesn’t help.” She looked back up at Rarity, hoping to start a pleasant conversation, which was quite the difficult task with Rainbow Dash. “Has Applejack talked to you about the farm?”

Rarity shook her head, taking a seat on one of the chairs she had received as a gift from the mare the two had turned their interest to. She gestured for Rainbow to take a seat in the other one. “Not really. She did try to tell me about corn and… gopher holes?” She shrugged, hoping Rainbow Dash knew what she was talking about. “I’m not the right pony to talk to about farming, that’s for certain.”

Rainbow Dash failed to hold back a laugh. “Yeah, no kidding.” She leaned back in her seat, coming dangerously close to tipping it over, but used her wings to maintain balance on the back legs of the chair. “She was telling me about that too when I went to go find her earlier,” she recalled. “I hope they get it all figured out. It’d be a shame to lose any crops considering that after harvest season, the cold weather will come and I just know that there’ll be a lot of ponies who will be needing some warm soup.” She leaned back even further, and by the look of panic that flashed on her face, along with her rapidly flapping wings, Rarity figured she almost fell on her flank.

Despite herself, Rarity kept the smile in, instead opting for a more passive one. “Maybe the winter won’t be so bad this year,” she hoped. “Perhaps Twilight herself doesn’t want the extreme cold she forced upon us last year.”

The year before had been one of the roughest winters that Equestria had ever faced other than the one in the Hearth’s Warming tale, at least Rarity thought so. Twilight had accumulated so many pegasi, even a few Wonderbolts, that she had complete control over the weather, and at her slightest whim, used it against the ponies that stood against her. The crops nearly all died, and they had to use the emergency reserve of crops stored for the winter seasons. It was not a fun winter, and as much as she loved them,  Rarity didn’t particularly like eating as many onions and radishes as she had to. From what she had heard, the Apples had expanded the winter crops to include rutabagas and even more carrots than before, among other things. Maybe it would be a good winter after all. 

“Doubt it.” Rainbow Dash’s voice cut into Rarity’s thoughts, nearly scaring her. The rainbow-maned pony now sat casually on the chair, leaving it on all its legs. “I bet she’ll do anything to mess with us,” she stated flatly as if she didn’t care. At this point, Rarity couldn’t blame her. 

In fact, Rainbow Dash was probably right. No. She was certainly right. Whatever dark magic had taken a hold of Twilight, if that’s what even happened, it turned her into a monster with no remorse. As much as Rarity liked to believe that the real Twilight Sparkle was down there somewhere, she had long accepted that it was highly unlikely. There was no way to know for sure. Any attempt to get near her would certainly result in negative results. Results Rarity didn’t want to think about. Instead of replying, Rarity ran a hoof through her mane, wishing it would dry faster. 

Rainbow Dash took this as an invitation to keep talking. "Look, I also just wanted to let you know that I didn't tell anypony." 

Ah. Rarity was waiting to see when Rainbow Dash would bring the matter at hoof up properly instead of with foalish jokes. She decided to act clueless. "Tell anypony what?" She barely looked away from her mane. 

"About… You know." Rainbow Dash cringed at herself for once. "That night," she muttered quietly. Not only was it a large change in her personality, but Rainbow even seemed smaller. Rarity took solace in the fact that Rainbow took it seriously.

Instead of being upset at it being brought up again, as Rainbow Dash probably thought was going to happen, Rarity giggled a bit. "Yes, I know. It really was kind of fun. I know that sometimes, what one needs is a distraction," she spoke, placing her words carefully. "And if that's what keeps you distracted, then who am I to judge? Especially when I myself was a guilty party," she added with a wink. 

Which was true. Rarity had no time to think about romance or anything of the sort. It's not like she really wanted to, either. It was far too complicated and the risks were too high, but she knew that Rainbow Dash enjoyed the rush of adrenaline from engaging in intimacy, and to be quite honest, neither Rainbow Dash nor Rarity had ever had the chance to do anything with another mare. Since the two of them were such close friends, that was the only awkwardness they had to overcome. Really, it was a win-win situation, and both ponies came out satisfied. They even enjoyed joking about it privately. Rarity probably wouldn’t date a mare, but she had little to no regrets about the experience.

"I'm glad you understand," Rainbow Dash breathed with a relieved tone of voice. "Honestly, I thought you would think it was weird or inappropriate. Most ponies do." She leaned back in her seat again but didn't bother to extend her wings at all. 

Once again, Rarity had to admit that it was true. More or less. She used to think it was rather inappropriate when she overheard Rainbow boasting to Spitfire about her quote en quote 'body count'. But she had learned that in retrospect, it wasn't hurting anypony, and Rainbow Dash was enjoying herself. What's the point of caring about another pony's interests? It's not like Rainbow Dash was committed to anypony, so she wasn't being unfaithful. Of course, she would never be unfaithful, she was the most loyal pony that Rarity knew. 

And Rarity herself was generous if anything. She was also curious, and it would be a lie to try to say that she didn't want to know why Rainbow Dash enjoyed her... pastime so much. They were comfortable together and wanted to experiment, and so Rarity asked. Despite her often rude personality, Rainbow was actually quite well-mannered if caught at the right time, and so Rarity was surprised at her friend's constant need to be assured that Rarity did in fact want this. 

Of course, Rarity obliged. She wanted to know, and Rainbow Dash needed it. It was good for both sides, so there was no reason to disagree. It started out unsure, Rainbow Dash wanted to make sure Rarity was okay every step of the way. It ended as something more magnificent than Rarity could have ever imagined. The best part was that it was as if nothing changed between the two. They'd still bicker, and push each other's buttons. They were friends, of course. The type of friends who had sex once, but friends regardless. 

In hindsight, it didn't even matter and served more as comic relief between the two. Exclusively the two, as they both swore not to tell anyone. According to Rainbow, however, Applejack knew. Neither of them knew how, but she did. In fact, Rainbow had admitted that Applejack had never brought it up, but she was certain that their freckled friend knew. It was a stupid idea to believe it, but Rarity couldn't help but notice Applejack constantly giving the two amused glances.

"Well, at least we know that Applejack isn't one of those ponies," Rarity pointed out. She watched Rainbow Dash lean too far back and giggled as she ended up on her tail, a look of dismay on her face. 

Rainbow Dash decided to stay on the floor, pretending it was her big plan all along. "That's not entirely true. She does think it's kind of weird. Something about how 'foolin' around like that is more irresponsible than leaving the chicken coop open at night'." Her Applejack impression was horrible, to say the least. 

"That's not at all what she sounds like," Rarity pointed out with a laugh. "And well, if she knows, then she must think it's funny and perhaps not a big deal." Rarity shrugged noncommittally. "Honestly darling, it's not a big deal. Applejack is very trustworthy—and our friend." 

Rainbow Dash's face took on an expression that Rarity had never quite seen before. Her mouth curved upwards on one side but remained a frown on the other, and her eyes pivoted over to watch the floor intently. "Yeah, I know she is," she spoke with that same look. "I just wanted you to know I didn't tell her," she repeated. 

Rarity thought it was weird, but decided not to ask. Things were weird between most ponies around this time, but the upcoming harvest seemed to make it better. She got up from her seat, levitating the bathrobe off of herself, deciding that she was completely dry. Her mane was damp, however, so she decided to pick up one of her damp mane brushes and began to brush her fur with the glowing item. 

"Is that one of your damp brushes?"
> Hearing Voices
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything had been going exactly the way that Twilight had planned. Her monthly check-in with Princess Celestia via scroll had been completed, her bi-weekly rapport with Starlight Glimmer had been completed, her weekly reorganization of the library had been completed, and finally, her daily check of the checklist had also been completed. There was, strangely, nothing to do for the rest of the day. 

"Spike, are you sure that's all?" She looked down at the little purple dragon who seemed busy rolling up the intensely long scroll. There was no way that she had finished everything that quickly. 

Spike nodded. "Yes, Twilight. We've triple-checked the list. There's absolutely nothing else you need to do," he confirmed while ensuring that the scroll was neatly rolled up. 

Twilight frowned at the table she sat at. It's not that she was disappointed that there was no more work, she was upset at herself for not planning her time appropriately. "Are you sure you're sure?" She leaned over, taking the scroll from Spike with her magic and unrolling it over the table. It was so long it rolled off. "Maybe we missed something. Quadruple checking never hurt anypony!” She chuckled erratically as she scanned the list again.

Spike glared at Twilight but bit back a response. "If you say so, Twilight," he mumbled. "But I know you won't find anything you missed." He slumped back on his chair, watching the fruit of his labour be undone and dragged out on the floor. 

Twilight read through the list carefully, muttering the words she read under her breath. The farther down the scroll she got, the more her eyes narrowed. There had to be something. Something she was missing. And she would find it. Even if it took her all day, she would find something she forgot to do, or needed to complete, or work on. There was no way she was done that early. 

"Aha!" Twilight slammed the parchment on the table, startling Spike and causing him to fall off his chair. "I knew I missed something!" 

Spike looked at her quizzically, climbing on top of the table to take a look at the part of the list Twilight was referencing. It was the bottom part of it, a task that was scrawled on messily, and most importantly, a task that was incomplete. She grinned happily at the undone chore, glad that she had something to occupy her. 

"What does that say?" Spike narrowed his eyes as he read. "'Study the book hidden in the library of the Castle of Two Sisters'?" With a confused grunt, he took the scroll in his own claws and held it up close to his face. "This isn't even my writing. Or yours," he pointed out. 

Twilight beamed. "So it was magically put there?" She flapped her wings in excitement. "It must be important, maybe it's some kind of magical quest that will somehow end up saving all of Equestria," she deduced. 

Spike shrugged. "Likely," he deadpanned. "But are you sure that's the best idea? I mean, we have no idea who, or what, wrote that on the list." 

He had a point, Twilight was sure. But there was one thing that was just slightly more important than his logic. "It's on the list." She looked at Spike with a determined look on her face. "And it hasn't been completed." 

If there was anything that Twilight deemed most important, it was the merit of a job well done. And for a job to be well done, it had to be completed. She would have never been Celestia's personal student if she slacked off. Hay, she wouldn't be the Princess of Friendship if she slacked off. There was nothing to be gained from ignoring the message, but what could be gained? Knowledge. And knowledge was priceless. 

Twilight shrugged, preparing a saddlebag for the trip to the rundown castle. "What's the worst that could happen?" 





It was strange, Twilight thought, to be consumed by darkness. She never understood how anypony would let themselves get to that point unless they knew it was happening. Luckily for her, she was smarter than that. She had retrieved the book, brought it back to her own home, and begun to read it. It was full of dark incantations with the promise to make the user stronger. But Twilight knew better. You can't gain anything without giving something away. She ignored that part of the book, and instead focused on the theoretical part of it. 

It felt as though there were claws gripping her the more she read, but the more she read, the less she could handle the idea of stopping. They were cold, the invisible claws that seemed to grip her, and she was admittedly getting a little worried. She didn't stop reading though. She had to finish the task. Eventually, the strange sensation stopped. 

More and more, she found herself flipping back to the page with the spell. It would be so easy to do it, but what would she have to gain from it? She was already a princess with alicorn magic. She had even been forewarned that she would be taking over Celestia and Luna's thrones with her friends. That was the highest of honours. She didn't need more power. 

Oh, but you do. You're not done yet.

There was a voice, although it didn't scare Twilight anymore. She had heard it since she first opened the book, once the strange grip on her body disappeared. It sounded like her own voice, but somehow, she knew it wasn't really her own voice. There was a note of something deeper with it. Maybe it was her own thoughts, but that was silly. She would never think something like that. 

The only explanation she could think of was that the book was cursed, which wasn't really a big problem. The only negatives she's experienced were intrusive thoughts—if they really even were thoughts—and even then, they weren't at all debilitating. The positives were better. She was learning so much. So much she had never even known was possible. She knew that dark magic existed, but nothing quite like what she was reading about. 

As long as she didn't use it, Twilight would be fine. She did always pride herself on her self-control. There had been too many times that she had seen the effects of dark magic on other ponies or even other creatures. Her friend, Sunset Shimmer, came to mind. She wanted more power, and she became a monster while trying to obtain it. Maybe she could give her more information. 

It was an incredibly smart idea. First hoof resources were important, or rather first hand, and Twilight assumed they were hard to come by in this subject. She stood up, stretching her muscles and began to walk away. She left the textbook on the table, open on the page with the spell. 

It was a relatively simple task. Go to her room, get the book with the symbol on the front, and come back to the library. She didn't even make it out of the library before she went back to grab the textbook, closing it carefully, and putting it under her wing. Now I can talk to Sunset Shimmer, she thought. I can't leave the book just laying around. 

You need it, don't you?

Twilight rolled her eyes at the thought. "No I don't need it," she muttered quietly to herself. "I'm trying to keep Spike safe. I don't want him to get hurt," she told herself a little louder. 

I won't hurt him.

"You can't hurt him. You're not real." 

Aren't I?

She shook her head. "No. You're not. I've been reading up on hexes and curses. You're not real, you're just trying to make me fall under your spell." She thought back to her endless research when she had decided that the book, even if it did have the ability to annoy her, was harmless in the end.

Just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean I’m not real.

…

I might not be able to hurt him, but you might. 

Ridiculous. It was ridiculous, the notion of Twilight even thinking about hurting Spike. She would never do that to him; he was like her little brother. She hatched and raised him from an egg. They were family. She shook her head, deciding to stop conversing with the voice in her head. 

She marched into her room, stepping over a sleeping Spike. I'd never hurt him. It was dark, much darker than it should have been. She used her horn to cast a simple light spell, just enough to illuminate the room slightly, being careful to not wake Spike. On her bedside table, she saw what she was looking for. A book with a sun on the cover. 

It didn't take much effort to levitate the book off of the table and into her bag. She was finally ready to get some answers, provided Sunset could actually help. But she was just as smart as Twilight, so it wouldn't be farfetched to assume. 

The walk back to the library seemed much shorter now that Twilight was alone with her thoughts. She threw the book used to communicate with its counterpart on the table and placed the spellbook down carefully. She didn't want to risk harming such an interesting read, after all. 

Without giving it a thought, Twilight opened the book, flipping through the conversations she's had with Sunset. She was lucky that it seemed that her friend was near the book often, and as she found a blank page, she thought about what she would even write. 

Dear Sunset Shimmer, 

I know we talked recently, but there's been something on my mind for the past few days. I recently came across a book about dark magic and the content seemed somewhat familiar. Don't take this the wrong way, but it reminded me of that time back in human Canterlot when you took my crown. The book contained a spell that claimed to give the user more power. 

Don't worry! I didn't use it, I'm not stupid. No offense. But now I've been hearing a voice in my head. 

She stopped writing for a second, looking at the words on the page with a frown. She shook her head dismissively. 

Okay, I know that sounds weird, but it's not really my voice, although it sounds like it. I don't know how to explain it, and I don't know how to get rid of it. Does it sound familiar to you at all? You might be better versed in this topic. 

Your friend, Twilight Sparkle

She set the quill down, the pink glow disappearing from it. It didn't usually take long for Sunset to reply, but she still had to wait. The longer it took, the more she regretted it. After an excruciating few minutes of self-doubt, the book vibrated and Twilight shot her eyes to the page as the words appeared on it. 

Twilight, you do know it's like three in the morning, right? 

She did not. 

Anyway, it's fine, I just came back from a party so you didn't wake me. 

While I can't say I'm completely sure I know what you're talking about, I can recognize the warning signs. If you still have the book, I recommend you get rid of it or destroy it. I think it might be affecting you somehow, and you'd better stop it before it gets out of hand hoof. The last thing Equestria needs is someone as powerful as you getting messed up by some dark magic. 

By the way, what's the book called? Maybe I've heard of it. 

SS. 

Twilight frowned at Sunset's suggestion. While she knew it made sense, she didn't want to get rid of it. She hadn't finished absorbing all the knowledge. 

You can't get rid of me. 

It had been a peaceful moment up until the voice returned. It wasn't like it was making any sense anyway. She could get rid of it if she wanted to, she just didn't want to. It had been a skill she developed to ignore the voice, and it proved more than handy. She looked at the cover of the book she had been keeping near her. It read 'Magic and Power: Darkwood's Spellbook of the Mind'. Straight to the point. How hadn't Twilight seen it before? She soaked the quill in ink again, then thought of a response. 

I can't say I'm surprised that you were out this late. I was just doing some late-night reading, which probably isn't that surprising to you either. 

I thought about your idea to get rid of the book, but I realized that there's so much I still haven't learned, and while I don't plan on using the knowledge, it's still good to have. Besides, I don't want the book getting into the wrong hooves or anything. I'll just keep it with me in the meantime. 

I won't let the situation escalate, and if it does get out of control, I promise I will get rid of it and ask for help. My friends are pretty great, as you know. Nothing bad will happen, so there's no need to worry. 

Speaking of friends, how is everything over at CHS? Any news? 

She put down the quill and waited for an answer again. Changing the subject was the easiest way to get Sunset to drop the previous conversation. Besides, she really did want to know how things were going over there. 

Words appeared one by one, but Twilight decided to wait until Sunset was done writing to read them. Her gaze floated to the spellbook. There was nothing wrong with wanting to learn, and she would need the knowledge in case something bad happened and it was what she needed to know. 

She flipped it open once again, running her eyes through the words. " 'While it is possible to attain power through different methods, this one is the most direct and efficient. The power gained from this spell is beyond what any creature could even imagine,'" she read aloud. "But what's the catch?" 

There is no real catch. You get power. What more could you want? 

"There's always a catch," Twilight pointed out. "Power doesn't just appear, it's taken. Paid for. How do you pay?" 

There was silence. Twilight wasn't sure if she liked the silence or not, and she would have preferred an answer to her question, but it seemed she wouldn't get one. 

Your friend is waiting for you. Can't you pay attention? 

Twilight turned her head back to the book, which she had not noticed was buzzing constantly. The writing was still appearing, but it appeared like more of an afterthought than anything. 

If you think you can handle it, I believe you. Just be careful, it's easy to get carried away with magic. I would know. 

Things are pretty good over here. We don't go to the same college, but all of our schools are pretty close together, so we get to hang out a lot. I think high school graduation was the lamest thing I've ever been to, but the rest of the girls seemed to have fun which is all that matt

hoooowdyyyyy! its applejack. how you be

Sorry about that, Applejack stole my pencil. I think she had too much to drink. I managed to get Rarity to take her back to her place, though. 

I promise we're responsible. 

Twilight. 

Twilight? 

Twilight! 

Did you fall asleep? 

Twi?

Did the book do something? 

I'm kidding by the way. 

Unless it was the book. 

I hope you're just asleep. 

Twilight bit her lip. She hadn't meant to make Sunset worry. She watched as more words started to appear until she decided to respond. 

Sunset! Sorry! I got distracted. Not asleep, in fact, I'm more awake than ever. 

Sounds like a fun party, although I can't imagine Applejack drinking that much. I'm glad that you guys are still friends, you definitely look out for each other. To be honest, I would have thought that you'd be the first to get wasted. 

Are Rarity and Applejack still dating? I can't imagine them getting together here. They're always at each other's tails. 





Sleep was no longer necessary. Twilight didn't need it, nor did she want it. She spent most waking moments reading from the book. She could probably recite it cover to cover, but still, she read. 

There was still the problem about food. She had found out she still needed sustenance, because of course, she did. A few apples would suffice, however. She always had apples, thanks to her friendship with Applejack. 

Friends are so useless. 

"I disagree," Twilight responded, taking a bite of an apple. Her stomach had been growling, and she put off eating as long as possible, but once the headache started and kept her from her reading, she decided it was enough. She went to the kitchen and had been there for a few hours, satisfying her hunger whenever it became a problem. "I like being friends with Applejack, for example. She always brings us apples." 

Your friends give you things? 

She nodded, taking the last bite. "Mhm," she muffled through her mouthful of apple. It didn't taste like much, though. She hastily swallowed, eager to get back to her book. "All of my friends are useful," she stated absently. 

Oh? Really? How so? 

With a shrug, Twilight closed the book, looking at the front cover. "Well, they all help me when things are tough. Applejack's pretty strong, so she's good for when we need a strong pony on our team." She thought for a moment. "Rainbow Dash is really fast, Rarity is super resourceful, Fluttershy can converse with animals, and Pinkie Pie is super creative." The words flowed out of her easily. 

What about you?

Another silly question. "I can do magic," she pointed out. "But you already know that." 

Are you at your best?

Twilight hesitated, then shook her head. "No, of course not. You can never really stop learning," she explained. "There's always more to know." 

Then you should do the spell in the book. You'll have more power than you could imagine, and you'll be learning so much.

Out of the question. Twilight knew to not mess with dark magic, it was one of the first things Celestia taught her. "Not happening," she spoke sternly. 

Come on. Nothing bad will happen to you, I promise. You're not evil, so possessing the magic wouldn't be a problem for you. 

“I’m not evil, you’re right. But who knows what possessing dark magic could do to me?” Twilight looked down at the book and passed a hoof on the cover. “It’s too much of a risk.”

Don’t you want to learn? Reading can only provide so much. Plus, only one pony can use the spell at a time. Wouldn’t you rather it be you?

As much as she hated to admit it, the voice had a point. It's not like she would use it for anything bad, and if she had the magic, she could understand it. Keeping it out of the wrong hooves was just an added bonus. There was always a reason to risk things for science. She pursed her lips, then nodded. 

"Okay, I'll do it." 

Excellent. 

And then the voice disappeared. It felt like her mind was fuzzy with the absence of noise all of a sudden. She had learned to not mind it and instead regarded it as an equal. Someone she could talk to, even if the conversations weren't that stimulating. 

She didn't even notice that Spike entered. "Were you talking to somepony?" He rubbed his eyes, indicating that he had just woken up. If Twilight hadn't been able to figure it out from that, the long yawn that followed confirmed it. 

She didn't return the yawn. "No, I was just talking to myself," she told him calmly. "Did you sleep well?" 

Spike nodded. "Yeah, actually I slept pretty great." He hopped up to the counter taking a seat on one of the stools. "Did you make breakfast?" 

Can't he do it himself? 

Twilight opened her mouth to reply but realized that she shouldn't with Spike sitting right there. Instead, she opted to reply more subtly. "I know you usually make your own breakfast and I promised I would make it today, but I was up all night reading and completely forgot." Most of that was true. 

The dragon that she called her brother seemed more perplexed than annoyed or disappointed. It wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "You're still reading that thing?" He glanced at the spellbook. "I swear you've read it at least twenty times." 

Wrong. He was wrong. She'd only read it sixteen times. Each time was more fulfilling than the last, although Spike would never understand. "I just want to make sure I get it right," she explained through a cheeky smile. "I think we're out of food. Could you go buy some?" 

Spike checked a cabinet. "No, we have plenty of stuff. Except for apples." He raised an eyebrow at Twilight.

"Go buy some," she repeated more forcefully. She deepened her smile. "Please." 

Nice manners, Princess. 

Spike narrowed his eyes, giving her a sideways glance as he hopped off the stool. "Are you feeling okay?" He observed the book carefully. "I think the book's having some sort of bad influence on you. Remember Rarity and the Inspiration Manifestation book?" He reached over to grab it, but Twilight slammed her hoof on it before he had the chance and slid it close to her. 

Make him leave. 

"Spike. Go now," she demanded through a frown that had come out of nowhere. "I want to make sure we have enough food for next week." She lifted Spike up using magic and moved him closer to the door. 

"Okay, fine. Sheesh." With that, Spike left the room. Twilight waited until she heard the main door close and then sighed in relief. 

Finally. I thought he'd never leave. 

"He's just looking out for me." Twilight flipped the page on the book, landing back on the spell. She looked at it closely, mumbling the words on the page without the need to read them. 

He's going to stop you if you're not quick enough. 

Would that be so bad? Admittedly, Twilight had begun to have second thoughts upon seeing Spike. The chances of something going wrong were slim by her calculations, but she didn't want to risk Spike's well-being. He was like a little brother after all. 

Don't get so emotional on me. And don't you even dare back down. I may not be a physical being, but I am a part of you now. I can hurt you. 

I can make you hurt him. 

Twilight winced. That was the last thing she would ever want. "This is a bad idea. I can stop you," she told herself. 

But herself didn't listen. 

Try all you want, Twilight. But I'm part of you now. You can't stop me without stopping yourself. And I know you'd never do that, right? 

There was no point in even entertaining the thought. She would never do something like that, especially when she knew it would hurt Spike so much. So, she took a deep breath. "Do you promise you won't hurt Spike if I go along with it?" 

Now we're talking. I can't promise anything. In the end, you'll be you. All I am is a guide. The voice in your head. Your conscience. No, wait. Not your conscience. That would imply a sense of morality. If it makes you feel better, I promise that you won't hurt Spike. After all, I do have a certain amount of influence on your actions. 

All you need to do is use the spell, Twilight. And then I can help you get power, and you can help me, too. Imagine, anything you'd ever want at the tip of your hooves. It's a nice thought, right? I can feel you get excited, you know. 

Twilight frowned. It was a bad idea, but she'd at least have control over herself, right? Besides, she couldn’t let somepony else use the spell. Who knows if they could control it! Resolute in her decision, she looked back down at the book, her mind suddenly unable to remember the spell from memory. Her horn glowed as she muttered the words under her breath. Her entire body tensed, and she felt sweat beading up on her forehead. 

And then, there was darkness. It gripped all over her, pulling her in every direction, and nowhere at the same time. If she thought that opening the book at first was strange, then this was awful. It lasted forever and ended instantly. For a moment, she was too afraid to move, or even to breathe. The world felt empty and way too overstimulating. She covered her head with her hooves, unable to open her eyes as she laid on the floor. The only thing she could hear was screaming, and it fading further and further away. 

Moments passed like an eternity that lasted a few seconds. Right before she gathered the courage to open her eyes, the voice spoke again. This time, however, it came directly from her mind. Unlike before when it felt separate from herself, the voice was now unified with her thoughts. 

Sorry to lie to you, Princess. Although, I do keep my promises. I hope we do, too.
> In Her Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It came. The day everypony was waiting for. The first day of Harvest season. Despite the chill in the air teasing the uncertain winter weather, all of the underground residents were buzzing with anticipation. It would be the first of many weeks with enough food. And with the way that the Apples and their farmhoofs had been working, there would be plenty to spare. 

The party decorations on the wall had certainly helped to bring everypony's mood up as well. It turned out that Pinkie Pie and Applejack's trip to Pinkie's cave a month back had been a success, and they brought back as much as they could. Keeping morale high was important, after all. 

The balloons and streamers strewn around were fall colours. Red, oranges, and yellows, although in Rainbow's opinion, it reminded her more of the Apples than their apple harvest. Which wasn't such a bad thing, she reflected. After all, it was their farm that had been keeping everypony alive. 

It felt selfish to admit it, but Rainbow Dash was excited that she, too, could have food every day. She and the rest of the rebels, of course, and if it came down to it, she would be happy to give up a meal for somepony else. She just hoped it wouldn't come to that. 

Something about the balloons put her on edge. It's not like she expected anything bad to happen, it was just a feeling that she couldn't shake. Her eyes remained fixed on the orange balloon, and then it hit her. It's been a while since she's properly seen any of the Apples, namely Applejack. The orange mare showed up to the weekly debriefs and completed her guard shifts as usual, but other than that, she had been up on the farm almost exclusively. 

Rainbow Dash certainly wasn't complaining or blaming her. It had always been this way, and usually, she would be more worried about her own goals and achievements driving her to do her work as fast as possible. Now, Rainbow Dash assumed that what drove her was the need to help others. Maybe she could help too. 

She headed for the tunnel that headed up to the farm. The breeze hit her directly, giving her goosebumps. She shook them off before continuing, noting the quality of the wood. It was fine and should last up to, if not through, the winter. Unlike the last time she had gone up to check for Applejack, the sun was rising instead, causing it to shine directly in her eyes. The burning lasted a moment until her eyes grew accustomed to the light. It was always sobering getting to experience daily life as if everything was normal. 

"Howdy, Dash." Unlike last time, Rainbow Dash was fortunate enough to run into Applejack immediately. She noticed the sweat gleaming off of her fur despite the colder wind chill. "What brings you up here?" The wound on her cheek was healing nicely, Rainbow thought, and thankfully it didn’t need any stitching, so hopefully, it wouldn’t scar. 

Rainbow Dash dug a little hole in the floor with her hoof, pretending to think something over. "I was wondering if you guys needed any help up here?" As soon as she said it, she felt ridiculous. It's not like Rainbow Dash had any real experience on a farm, save for the times that she had come to Sweet Apple Acres to check out the apple-bucking harvest. Those were always fun visits. 

Applejack removed her hat, using it to fan her face for a moment. "Uh, I think we have as many hooves as we need," she replied, looking up at the sun with a squint. 

Rainbow Dash visibly frowned, and not just with her face. "Yeah, of course." She looked behind her at the tunnel. "Um, if you need anything I'll be back inside." With a tiny smile, she retreated, not watching for Applejack's reaction. She secretly hoped that Applejack would stop her, but wasn't surprised when she didn't. It was stupid of her anyway. Rainbow Dash turned around one last time, but Applejack was already gone. 

She made her way back down, her visit being extremely short-lived. She found herself needing something to do before she spiralled into some kind of meltdown. Her mind went to the one place it always did in situations like these, but after her encounter with Applejack, she wasn't exactly in the mood. So she figured she'd do the next best thing. 

And the next thing Rainbow knew, she was at the animal care tent. She looked inside, catching a peek at the animals inside. There was a raccoon with some kind of bandage on its body and a mole with a cast on its leg. Deciding that she would be of no help at all, and the inside of the tent seemed empty, Rainbow Dash went around back to the section that was left for the ponies who worked there. She slowly stuck her head between the opening.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash." A light yellow mare with a blue mane greeted Rainbow with a friendly smile. 

"Hey, Dr. Fauna," she replied with an equally friendly smile. "How are things?" 

An important part of being a leader is maintaining a good rapport with the ponies you were leading. Or in this case, trying to protect. 

"Things are splendid," Dr. Fauna told her eagerly. "What brings you here so early in the morning?" 

Truth be told, Rainbow Dash had a hard time sleeping the night prior. That is to say, she hadn't slept. There was no particular reason for it, and she didn't exactly feel sleepy, but she was needing something to occupy her time. 

But as a good leader, she couldn't let other ponies worry about her. "Well, I just couldn't sleep much after the amazing party that Pinkie threw, you know?" She chuckled softly to accentuate her point. "But right now, I'm just looking for Fluttershy. Have you seen her?" 

Dr. Fauna shook her head. "No, she usually comes in around this time or a little later, so she might just be back at home still." She smiled a little. "I suggest going there, and if she's not there then check back here." 

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Okay, thanks for all the help." She glanced back at the tent, remembering the animals she saw. "It seems like you have your hoofs full. Sorry to bother you," she apologized with a smile. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s always a pleasure seeing you, Rainbow Dash.” Dr. Fauna waved at her as Rainbow Dash turned around to leave.

It really wasn’t a difficult task to find someone. There are not many ponies to distract you, and the space isn’t that large. The problem was knowing if that pony wanted to be found, and as Rainbow Dash knew, Fluttershy could be a wild card sometimes.

The two pegasi had grown up together, so Rainbow Dash knew all about how Fluttershy acted, and even then it was hard to predict. She found Fluttershy’s home quickly. It was small, noticeably smaller than most other pony’s, but it was definitely comfy. She opened the door slowly, making sure there was enough time for Fluttershy to notice and tell her to leave if she was about to walk in on anything.  It smelled like animals, which wasn’t that off-putting considering it was Fluttershy’s home. 

“Hey, Fluttershy? You around?” She peeked into the room. It was a much more open concept area than her own home, but she assumed it was because she needed as much space as she could get as somepony who works with animals. She noticed her bed in the corner of the visible room, and what she assumed to be Fluttershy still under the covers. “Oh, brother,” Rainbow Dash groaned. 

She walked over to Fluttershy quietly, doing her best to not startle her awake. While she did want to wake her up, she knew better than to scare her to achieve those results. Fluttershy was definitely still asleep when Rainbow Dash came to look at the lump under the bedsheets. They looked incredibly warm. Carefully, Rainbow lifted a hoof to prod Fluttershy on the side softly. “Shy? You up?”

An unappreciative groan was the answer. She assumed that Fluttershy had probably been up late taking care of a mouse or some other woodland creature and hadn’t realized that it was late for her standards. Of course, it was still early by Rainbow Dash’s standards, and after weeks of deciding, the rebellion agreed on weekly meetings as long as everypony worked out shifts for themselves. It was working well so far, Rainbow got to sleep in a bit more, something she definitely missed doing.

Fluttershy shifted under the covers, lifting the sheet to completely cover her head, leaving only the end of her long pink mane sticking out. “Just five more minutes,” she mumbled.

Rainbow Dash glared at Fluttershy, even though she couldn’t see her doing it. For being somepony so nice, she was always so grumpy if you tried to wake her up when she was tired, especially if you happened to be Rainbow Dash. “Come on, Fluttershy, the sun’s already coming up and Dr. Fauna needs your help with some animals,” she told her, trying to entice Fluttershy to wake up. 

Surprisingly, it didn’t work as well as she’d hoped. Fluttershy stuck her head out from under the covers, sniffled, and returned to the darkness of the sheets. Was she crying? “Are you crying?” Rainbow hadn’t meant to ask it out loud, but she figured that it was probably the right thing to ask anyway, even if she hadn’t meant for it to come out as harshly as it did.

Fluttershy’s voice was barely audible from underneath. “No,” she muttered. “I’m just feeling sick.” She sniffled again, and Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure if it was true or not.

She sat on the edge of the bed, making sure to not sit on Fluttershy or her ridiculously long tail. I mean, who can manage that? She grinned at the idea of having such a long tail. While her own tail wasn’t exactly short, it couldn’t even hold a candle to the length of Fluttershy’s. She prodded her again. “Sick, huh? How’d that happen? Was it the damp atmosphere? The cold?” She gasped in exaggerated suspense. “No. It couldn’t be. Was it the animals?”

A giggle. That’s exactly what Rainbow Dash wanted to hear. Crying or not, it always felt good to make Fluttershy happy. Fluttershy uncovered her head completely for more than a moment, and Rainbow Dash got a good look at her. She definitely seemed sick. “I don’t think it was the animals,” Fluttershy told her softly. “But it has been getting cold out,” she pointed out, punctuating the end of her sentence with a sneeze.

“Bless you,” Rainbow Dash said automatically. “And yeah, tell me about it. I went up just now to see if they needed any help up there and when the wind hit me, I almost regretted it,” she joked, demonstrating how cold it was by shivering dramatically. 

Fluttershy laughed quietly. "Stop, you're making my throat hurt," she complained, rubbing her neck. "Did you get to see Applejack? I haven't seen her since last week's meeting," she asked with a frown. 

Rainbow Dash tilted her head. "Ehh, I saw her, but she was busy," she told her, not realizing how much it actually bothered her. "I didn't want to annoy her, so I came down and decided to look for you." 

Fluttershy smiled. "Well, you found me. I feel bad about Dr. Fauna, though. I'm usually there by now," she admitted bashfully. 

Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure she can handle it," she reassured her. "Plus, you can't be as much help if you're sick. You should focus on getting better so you can be back to a hundred percent quicker!" 

Not to Rainbow's surprise, Fluttershy hesitated before nodding reluctantly. "You're right," she agreed. She completely uncovered herself, taking a moment to shiver before sitting up on the cot. "I should probably go tell her I can't help out today." 

"Nah, I'll go tell her for you that way you won't have to leave." She smirked at Fluttershy before continuing. "Besides, knowing you, you'd feel bad and decide you might as well stay if you're already there." I know your logic, Shy. 

Even less surprisingly, Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment, taking the time to try to hide in her own mane. "I wouldn't do that," she mumbled. Rainbow knew better, though. 

"I'll be back in a flash.” She looked at Fluttershy and put a hoof on her back. "I'll try to find Zecora. Maybe she'll have something that can help," she thought out loud. 

Fluttershy responded with only a small nod and a cough. Rainbow Dash jumped off of Fluttershy's small cot and stretched out her wings. She didn't like flying in the cave, but since there was a reason to, she didn't want to pass up the opportunity. The trip needed to be as fast as possible, after all. She looked back at Fluttershy one more time, waving a hoof quickly, then took to the air, staying a few hoof lengths above the floor. She kicked the door closed and narrowed her eyes in anticipation. 





The trip had not been as fast as Rainbow Dash expected. First, Dr. Fauna seemed to have disappeared into thin air along with the animals that were in the tent. After ten minutes of waiting, Rainbow grew exasperated and decided to leave a messily written note explaining that Fluttershy was sick and would be staying home. 

Next, she had intended to go see Zecora, but her stand was closed, and presumably empty as well. It was not until then that Rainbow realized that she never really knew where Zecora went when she wasn't at her potion stand. The only place that Rainbow Dash could think of finding her was outside, given that most times she didn't see the zebra at all in the cave. It made sense, she had to find ingredients somehow. How she would manage to always avoid any of Twilight’s patrols was beyond her, though.

At the speed at which she was flying, it was unsurprising that she only nearly avoided colliding with multiple ponies before she got up in the sky. But she couldn't get herself to slow down. She missed the speed. She relished it, and she never noticed how much it would suck to languish in a grounded life. It sure seemed grounded, one way or another. 

The velocity that she travelled at only brought back memories. Memories of flight school, of the Wonderbolt Academy, and most importantly, of being a Wonderbolt. Pure bliss; she was living her dreams. And then her world came crashing down around her. But she wasn't the only pony that was having it rough, so there was no use feeling sorry for herself. 

She couldn't help but remember the feeling, though. How it felt to fly the first time she could remember. Her first race, which she actually lost. The resolve to be better, and the win streak that came with it. Her sonic rainboom, and her cutie mark. Flying with the Wonderbolts, becoming a Wonderbolt. It was everything she could ever want, and by the power of Celestia herself, she would get it back somehow. 

Although, Rainbow figured out that being lost in her memories wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Now, Rainbow was always a very focused flyer, even if she was thinking. But thinking is different than reliving important moments in your life, and so Rainbow found herself spiralling to the ground. She didn't know how, or why. Maybe she clipped a cloud, or the wind caught her wing in a weird way. No matter what had happened, she knew it was a beginner's mistake. And she didn't try to fix it. 

Hitting the ground hurt. It didn't happen to her often, but it had happened enough for Rainbow to recognize that nothing incredibly bad had happened. She would probably just be sore when she woke up the next day. Still, she checked herself over, noting that the only thing that really hurt was her head. What else would she expect from crashing headfirst into the ground, though? 

Maybe she wanted to stop thinking. That sure was a heck of a way to do it, though. She swore to herself that next time she'd actually stop herself from plummeting into the dirt. It'd be better to find a nice, cold cloud and stick her head in it. 

It wasn't until she tried to get up that she found herself to be a bit woozy. And surrounded by plants. She shook the dizziness off and noticed she was standing in the middle of a field of corn. Luckily, she seemed to have landed in a section that was already harvested, which brought up a whole different array of thoughts, namely excitement. 

Then, it got worse. She heard rustling and the sound of hoofsteps. Because of course there had to be somepony to witness her stupidity. She thought about flying away, but she couldn't get her wings to do what she wanted. Instead, she sat on the ground, surrounded by fallen stalks of corn, in a small trench she had made with her face. She didn't even bother to try to clean off her coat. There was just one pony she hoped wouldn't come through the crop. 

"I know I turned you away earlier, Dash, but I'da never guessed you'd be this darn excited to help with the harvest," a familiar voice said. It just had to be that pony, didn’t it? Did the universe have some kind of vendetta against Rainbow Dash? It sure seemed like it sometimes. "Although I have to say, this ain't how you harvest corn." Applejack stood over her, offering a hoof to help her up. Rainbow Dash accepted it. It was only polite, right? 

"Very funny," Rainbow Dash deadpanned. She compared the state of her own dirt-covered fur to Applejack's. "Well, at least I look the part, judging from your coat," she teased. 

Applejack whacked Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. "At least I worked to look like this. You just fell," she shot back. 

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Okay, very impressive. What, did you roll around in some dirt or something?" She swiped some loose soil off of Applejack's muzzle with a teasing grin. 

Applejack surely would have been offended if it was anypony else, but the two of them had a mutual understanding of their friendship, which often included taking friendly stabs at each other. They both knew that the other didn't mean it, and in the end, they laughed about it to signify that nopony went too far. Although, Rainbow Dash would definitely let Applejack know if she went too far, and she knew that Applejack would do the same. 

Even though Applejack was physically larger than Rainbow Dash due to her life on the farm, the sleek, made-for-flying pegasus had no problem acting like she was the bigger pony, and enjoyed teasing Applejack as such. It was only fair for Applejack to know that she was the bigger pony and tease her back. 

There was no exception this time as Applejack shoved Rainbow Dash with a competitive grin, causing her to stumble back. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, recognizing the challenge. And then the two were in an impromptu wrestling match. The scuffle dirtied up their fur much more than crashing into the ground at breakneck speeds, somehow. 

And as it turned out often, Applejack was victorious once again, sitting on Rainbow Dash's back, keeping her pinned on the floor. She looked down at Rainbow with an amused grin, silently daring her to rile her up again. "Say it," Applejack demanded with a joking firmness to her voice. 

Rainbow Dash sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're stronger than me, Applejack, and you always will be," she deadpanned, rubbing a rock that was on the floor. 

"I reckon that lacked some emotion," Applejack started, earning her a glare from the defeated pony beneath her. "But I guess it'll do." She got off of Rainbow Dash's back and offered her hoof again, this time being the reason that she was on the floor in the first place. "Didja forget how to fly or something?" 

Rainbow Dash extended her wings, flapping them a few times to remove as much dirt as possible. She'd need a good preening later. "No, I just got distracted and fell."

Applejack narrowed her eyes. "And you didn't have time to correct yourself?" 

Of course she did. She was a Wonderbolt after all. That was one of the most basic things any decent pegasus could do, especially with the time that Rainbow Dash had before hitting the ground. 

"No," she lied. 

"Now that ain't true," Applejack stated firmly. She saw right through Rainbow Dash, which wasn't that surprising considering her whole thing was honesty. Applejack forced Rainbow to look her in the eyes. "Did you see somethin' or other?" Her voice sounded worried rather than upset at Rainbow for lying. 

Rainbow Dash shook her head. She tried to maintain eye contact, but couldn't. Instead, she looked at the crop laying around them. "No," she repeated, although this time she wasn't lying. "I got caught up in some memories, and I'm not sure how I started falling." She hesitated, trying to find an explanation but found none. "I didn't even try," she admitted with a shrug. 

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, although it was placed much more gently than before. "What kinda memories were they?" Applejack's voice was soft and inviting. It was different from the hard tone she usually spoke with, and even though Rainbow Dash wasn't feeling bad, it somehow made her feel better. 

She thought back to how it felt to fly fast with a purpose. Her ear twitched. "I was remembering how much I love flying—" She cut herself off. "How much I loved flying," she corrected herself. "And then I started remembering flight school, and the Wonderbolts and everything and the next thing I knew, the floor was getting closer." 

Applejack blinked slowly. "You can still love something even if ya don't get to do it often," she pointed out. "I'm lucky enough to have what I love right here on the farm, but I know you don't get the chance to fly as often as ya'd like." She pushed on Rainbow's shoulder softly, a sign of unspoken affection that the two of them understood.

"Thanks, AJ." Rainbow looked at the damage she had made on the floor with a frown. "I know it sounded like I… I wanted it to go wrong, but I didn't." She spoke resolutely, looking back at Applejack's face. "I was being stupid." 

"So you don't want to fall," Applejack confirmed carefully. "You can tell me if yer having bad thoughts," she offered. 

"I need to be here for everyone," Rainbow affirmed. 

"That ain't what I said." 

Rainbow Dash lowered her ears slightly. She looked away from Applejack for a moment. She didn't want to think about it, but Applejack was right. The only thing keeping Rainbow Dash from disappearing was that she felt like she had a responsibility to help everypony get past everything.

Rainbow Dash was failing. She was supposed to be leading the group that would turn everything around and fix it. Instead, she'd been responsible for so many bad things, and as much as her friends tried to tell her it wasn't her fault, she knew it was. Who else's fault would it be? They got taken at her command. Under her leadership, she had lost so many ponies. She didn't want to be in charge anymore. But she didn't want to step down, she just didn't want to be here anymore. 

"I need to fix things," she stated firmly. She looked back up at her worried friend's eyes. "I need to fix everything I've done for everypony I've let down." 

Applejack didn't seem satisfied with her answer. "I know you think it's your fault, but it ain't. And I know ya ain't gonna believe me, but you know I'm not a liar. Nopony blames you, Dash, because it simply just wasn't your fault. Losing you would be…" She trailed off, and took off her hat, holding it close to her body. "Well, it'd be awful. I can't imagine what goes through yer head, but I know it ain't pretty. I just want you to know that we don't blame you, and you are a great leader. I can't imagine somepony better to lead us than you, Rainbow Dash." 

She didn't know when she started crying, but all of a sudden, she was hyper-aware of the tears on her cheeks. Applejack didn't seem to mind though. Instead, she carefully wrapped Rainbow Dash in a hug. It was strange. Rainbow Dash usually never liked hugs, and Applejack certainly wasn't the type to offer them, but regardless, Rainbow Dash found herself hugging her back. It was a tight hug on Applejack's end, and Rainbow Dash let herself fall limp in her friend's grip, but it made her feel better. She knew she was feeling bad after all.

Finally, Rainbow Dash removed herself from Applejack's embrace. Applejack looked as close to crying as Applejack ever got. Rainbow Dash knew that Applejack was not the emotional type, and normally, neither was she, but they both seemed to have gotten riled up. It was good to let it out, though. 

Rainbow Dash awkwardly pushed some dirt back into the crevasse she had made. "Sorry about your crops," she apologized with a half-smile. 

"Don't worry about it," Applejack reassured her. "We got this corn already anyway. I reckon the critter that was digging up our corn before mighta been you all along," she teased with a playful smile. 

Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly. "Maybe." She dipped her head at Applejack. "Thanks a lot for what you said. I didn't know I even needed to talk." 

"Well, 'course. What are friends for?" She placed her hat back on her head and tipped it slightly. "I'm all ears if you ever need to talk again," she reminded her. 

Rainbow nodded, acknowledging the offer and filing it in her head. She might need it sometime. "Well, I'm sure you're busy, so I'd better get back to Fluttershy before she gets worried sick." She snorted at her own comment. "Well, before she gets worried more sick." 

"More sick? Well, if Fluttershy's feelin' sick, I can make her some of Granny's famous recipe apple cider," she offered. "That'll be sure to make her feel right as rain and twice as fresh!" 

Rainbow shook her head slightly at Applejack's choice of words. "Don't you have more work to do?" 

"Of course I do," Applejack responded quickly. "But I reckon they can manage things up here for a little bit. Besides, this is just as important! One of my friends ain't feelin' right. I can't be expected to put that to the side." 

"Are you sure you're not the element of loyalty?" Rainbow Dash nudged Applejack firmly as they walked side by side. They laughed together as they went toward the barn to make the cider for Fluttershy. 
> Captain, My Captain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another day of hard work. It was nothing Applejack wasn’t ready for though. Apart from having to check and harvest more crops, it was the same routine she had been following for her entire life. The biggest difference was the different ponies who volunteered to help. It took a long while to explain to the newcomers what to do and find easy tasks for them to do. It certainly helped when the same ponies came back to help more than once since they didn’t need to be shown what to do, but Applejack found herself having to explain easy chores every day.

This one would be a far more annoying task. Applejack eyed up the pony standing in front of her. She knew her by name and from Rainbow Dash but she had never really spent much time with her. They were occasionally put on patrol together, but they never really talked. It really didn’t bring up her hopes that this new helper was a Wonderbolt. From what she had experienced, pegasi weren’t exactly as adept at working a farm as earth ponies unless they were raised on a farm. 

And she was definitely a lot prouder than Applejack would have wanted for a volunteer. That wouldn’t matter in the end, though. They needed all the help they could get, and who knows? Maybe her superb flying skills could come in handy. Applejack would find a way to make it work, she always did.

“So,” Applejack started. She made a show of trying to remember the Wonderbolt’s name. “Spitfire, is it?”

Spitfire nodded. “Yup. Come on, Applejack, I know you know who I am.” She rolled her eyes and turned to preen her wing quickly. 

Applejack’s face flushed in embarrassment for a moment. “Yeah, true.” She frowned at herself for immediately sizing Spitfire up and not giving her a real chance. “So, just a preliminary question. Why are you here?” 

Spitfire snorted. "Wow. It's almost like you don't want me to be here." She shot Applejack an amused glance. 

"Now that ain't what I said," Applejack retorted. "I just wanna know how much work you're willing to do." And I want to know why you'd come help on the farm in the first place. 

"I wanted some work, and I heard the farm's always looking for more hooves," Spitfire explained. "I'm down to do as much work as you're willing to give me." 

Applejack smirked. Sounds like a challenge. "Are ya sure? Mighty hard work on the farm, 'specially for a lean pegasus like you." She shot Spitfire a sly look. She knew that something the Wonderbolts shared was the need to prove themselves. They never backed down from a challenge, and Applejack was about ready to test that. 

Spitfire seemed to get what she was implying and narrowed her eyes at her with a grin. "Nothing I can't handle. Trust me." 

"Oh really? We'll have to see," Applejack challenged as she trotted away from the barn, eager to find Spitfire some work to do. Considering the fact that she was a pegasus, an elite flier at that, Applejack would definitely make sure to use that to her advantage. 

It was barely past sunup, and the air was a bit chilly as they stood in the clearing in front of the barn. Applejack looked around for a task to give Spitfire. Most of the other ponies who came to help were already busy with the easy tasks; watering plants, feeding the chickens, pigs, and sheep. She thought about making Spitfire fly over the orchard to check on the trees, but didn't exactly feel like explaining how to check the trees' health to her. 

A warm-up never hurt, and there was no doubt that an athlete such as Spitfire would agree. She looked at the cornfield with an agitated glare. It'll have to do for now. She gestured toward the field with her head. "I'll start ya off with somethin' easy. Fly over the corn and make sure there ain't any of them darn varmints trying to ruin the crop." 

Spitfire cocked her head. "That's it? I thought I said I could handle anything." 

"Well sure," Applejack replied coolly. "But I need to think of somethin' first." She walked over to the cornfield. Spitfire followed closely behind. "Now, I'm sure ya know what to look for. I am going to warn you though, it might be a bit hard to see from above, but that's why I need your keen eye." 

Spitfire stretched her wings out to the side and leaned forward to stretch out her leg muscles. "No problem, Applejack. You've got the captain of the Wonderbolts here," she reminded the earth pony. "I can spot when somepony's wing is a fraction of an inch too low. I think I can spot a pest." She shook her head and smoothened her mane, although it spiked up immediately again. 

Although she normally hated boasting unless it was from herself, Applejack found herself grinning at Spitfire's confidence. It seemed like a common theme with the Wonderbolts. She seemed sure that it would be a cinch, and it probably would be to her, but that was just the beginning. "Alright, Captain," she said, drawing out the title with a smile. "Get on it then. If ya find anything, signal to me and I'll run over. There's a certain way of dealin' with critters that you really just need experience for." 

Spitfire nodded. "Will do," she assured her. With that, she took off with the trademark speed of a Wonderbolt leaving Applejack's mane rustling in the wind her quick take-off left behind. 

Applejack watched as Spitfire flew over the field, probably slower than she had planned. The cornfield was so concentrated that it was probably harder to see from above than Spitfire hoped. The Wonderbolt made her way down each row carefully, making sure to not miss any details. Applejack figured she could probably be an asset to the farm if she really wanted to be. 

She realized it was probably stupid to waste time watching Spitfire do her work, so she decided to do something herself while she supervised. Next to the entry tunnel that was beside the cornfield, although still a good walking distance away, were a bunch of wooden planks that needed to be stored. Applejack was sure that Big Mac's friend was supposed to do that, but he clearly hadn't, so she figured she'd do it herself. Eager for something to do, she trotted to the planks on the floor. They were already neatly tied and on top of a tarp, so Applejack simply grabbed her lasso and attached the stack to herself and started pulling. She looked over to Spitfire for a moment, who seemed to still be carefully making her way toward the middle. 

The air was cool, but pulling planks was hard, and Applejack found herself already starting to sweat. She usually had a warm body temperature anyway, and doing work easily made her overheat. She dropped off the planks in the barn, told somepony to stack them in their place, and started to make her way over back near the cornfield. 

On her way back, though, she noticed somepony coming up the tunnel. She turned her head to see a blue pegasus squinting at the sun. She snorted at the irony. She already had one boastful pegasus up here. "Howdy, Dash," she greeted. "What brings you up here?" 

Rainbow Dash blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light, then she looked at the floor and pawed at it. "I was wondering if you guys needed any help up here?" 

Applejack’s face flushed, and the heat from her working body certainly didn't help. She took her hat off her head and fanned it into her face, hoping Rainbow Dash would assume she was just hot. Well, not in that way! 

Applejack suppressed a cough and put her hat back on her head. She scanned everywhere except in Rainbow Dash's direction and spotted Spitfire waving her hoof at her. She squinted, trying to make out exactly what she was doing in the sunlight but she could safely assume that Spitfire was trying to call her over. "Uh, I think we have as many hooves as we need." That was true, but it would have been nice to have some company that knew Spitfire so it wouldn't be awkward. 

Applejack didn't look back at Rainbow Dash as she spoke and instead tried to focus on the words Spitfire mouthed. The blue pegasus muttered something, but Applejack didn’t quite hear what she had said, so she hummed an acknowledgement, and stuck a hoof up at Spitfire, signalling to give her a moment. She turned back to Rainbow Dash, but found her already returning into the tunnel. She wanted to call her back, but found herself unable to do so. 

With an annoyed sigh, she shook her head and ran over to the cornfield. "What is it?" she asked as she found her way to Spitfire, who lowered to the ground. 

Spitfire looked around slowly. "I swear I thought I saw something out here," she explained. “And I’m never wrong. My eyes are like a hawk's.”

Applejack snorted. There it was again; the pride and the gloating. It reminded her of Rainbow Dash, which is probably why the two pegasi got along so well outside of Wonderbolt training regimens. “Dash always says you’re really commanding,” Applejack pointed out. “But you seem pretty relaxed if I have anything to say.”

The comment seemed to make Spitfire lighten up. “Crash only thinks that because she never listens to me,” Spitfire explained with a humorous tone. “So I have to be tough with her. But generally, yeah I am pretty commanding when I’m on the job.” Spitfire grinned proudly, but upon realizing what she said, the smile faltered. “Or, I guess, I used to be.”

Applejack frowned. “Well, ya love flyin’, right?”

Spitfire nodded. “More than anything.” She gave Applejack a crooked smile. “I guess I can’t stop loving something just because I can’t do it as much, right?”

That was surprisingly philosophical coming from Spitfire, at least in Applejack’s opinion. She nodded. “Right. That’s a good saying, Captain.”

Spitfire shrugged. "Hey, you're welcome to use it." Her passive grin grew deeper as she raised an eyebrow. "Are you just going to call me that from now on?" 

"I dunno, maybe," Applejack replied with a shrug. "I think it suits ya nicely. Besides, if it annoys ya in any way, then I have to." 

To Applejack's surprise, Spitfire let out a short laugh. "Hah! I like the way you think, 'Jack. I’m gonna call you that now." She gave the earth pony a quick nod. "But anyway, I saw the corn rustling from up in the sky. Any idea what that's about?" 

"Well, it could be whatever critter is burrowing underneath the corn," Applejack pointed out as she started looking around to find any clues. "We did find a little injured mole over here. Mighta been one of ‘em, although I reckon it wasn’t the only one.”

Spitfire pawed at the ground. "Well, whatever it was left. Do you think it matters?" 

Applejack snorted incredulously. "Shoot, well ‘course it does!" She gestured to an uprooted stalk of corn not too far from where they both stood. "Just one of them darn critters diggin' around underneath the crop is trouble. We can't afford to lose more of the corn; it's our largest harvest apart from the apples." 

The yellow pony nodded in understanding. “Right. I guess we’ll have to wait it out, yeah?”

“Eeyup. Not sure where it would be best to wait though.” Applejack raised a hoof to her chin. “Guess we could just stay here and watch for more movement. I don’t suppose ya could just stay in the air ‘till we spot somethin’?”

“Normally, I’d say yes, but it’s been a while since I’ve had to fly,” Spitfire admitted. “Plus, I didn’t do my stretches, you know?”

“Sure.”

“So I guess we’ll just have to hang out down here.” Spitfire took a seat and looked at the corn intensely. “We don’t really talk much. Who knows? It might be nice.”

She had a point, even if she was awkward about it. Applejack talked to most of the ponies now, but she had never been close with Spitfire. The only times they’d ever hung out was because they both shared Rainbow Dash as a friend. “Yeah, we might as well,” she agreed. 

“So what’s next on the menu, ‘Jack?” Spitfire turned to look at Applejack as she asked. 

Applejack looked around them, checking to see if anything strange was happening. She was also stalling for time since she hadn’t thought about what chore she’d make Spitfire do next. “Harvesting.”

“Harvesting?”

“Harvesting.”

Spitfire cocked her head. “Harvesting what?”

Applejack snorted. “Well, we’ve got some apples down on the East orchard that seem just about ready. We can do those, or we can dig up the first portion of carrots that we planted. Big Mac says they’re ready to go.”

“Why don’t we do both?” Spitfire smirked cockily. “I bet we could.”

Did Wonderbolts know any emotion other than overconfidence? Applejack assumed not because most of the Wonderbolts she knew were like that. Mostly Spitfire and Rainbow Dash, though. “Alright, we can sure try.”

Spitfire nodded. “Great. But for now, let’s focus on finding those pests.”

They sat in mostly comfortable silence for a while, watching the stalks for any suspicious movements and keeping their ears pierced for noises. Applejack frowned, not liking the fact that they were idly sitting by when they could be doing actual work. She groaned and looked at Spitfire. “We can’t just do nothin’. We’d better get to the rest of the work and come by after we’re done.” 

They both stood up silently and walked out of the field of corn, each glancing back one last time to make sure nothing was amiss. Applejack led them to the plot of land where the tops of carrots peeked out from the soil. She leaned down to take a closer look at one of the green, leafy tops and touched it gently with a hoof, before pulling one out with her teeth.

“Yup, these seem ready to go,” she told Spitfire as she placed the carrot on the ground. “I’m gonna go get a wagon. You start pullin’ out the carrots on this side, alright?”

After Spitfire nodded an agreement, Applejack turned toward the barn and began to walk toward it. Inside were a couple of ponies gathering tools for repairs, and a group just lounging around chatting. She shook her head in annoyance and looked at the three ponies making light conversation. “Now, I appreciate makin’ conversation as you work, but ya gotta be workin’! Come on, get on it, it’s too early to be on break and you know it!” She glared pointedly at the ponies who each grumbled and walked back out. 

Applejack let out a short hmmph and went to the side of the barn. She lifted a harness off the ground that was attached to a wagon, positioned it on herself and started walking. The wagon had seen better days, but it still worked which was all that matters. With a struggling heave to get the rusted axle moving, she made her way back out and toward Spitfire who had only taken out a few carrots and seemed to be struggling with the one currently in her mouth. She noticed the amber pony pull but ended up ripping a few of the leaves off of the carrot, leaving the full vegetable still in the ground and bared her teeth angrily at it.

The wagon-pulling mare chuckled as she walked up next to Spitfire and detached herself from the vehicle. “That ain’t how you pull carrots, Cap.”

Spitfire turned around and looked at Applejack with a hint of dismay. “You made it look so easy.”

Applejack smirked and raised an eyebrow. “That’s ‘cause I’ve been doin’ this my whole life.” She grasped the carrot’s leaves—or what was left of them—and pulled sternly once, causing the whole carrot to lift out of the ground effortlessly. “The trick is to grab the leaves as close as ya can to the top of the carrot so ya won’t just rip ‘em. And then pull really hard.”

“Sounds simple enough.” Spitfire mimicked Applejack's instructions and, after a bit of a struggle, managed to pull out the carrot. “Hey, would you look at that?” she asked through the carrot in her mouth before dropping it in the wagon. “I did it.”

“Now ya just need to do it for this entire half of the farm.” She gestured to the half they were standing on. Spitfire paled a bit at the reminder, which caused Applejack to laugh. “Go at your own pace, I’ll meet ya wherever you end up. Don’t worry about it.”

Spitfire, probably realizing she looked a bit daunted, regained her composure. “No worries, ‘Jack. I’ll have these carrots out in a jiffy.”

She really is like Rainbow Dash. It must be a pegasus thing. She grinned at the golden mare. “Right, then let’s get to it!”





Spitfire did not, in fact, get the carrots out in a jiffy. She got about a third of the way through her side of the carrot farm before Applejack caught up to her. The farmer wasted no time in teasing the mare about it, leaving Spitfire growling at the floor. “Come on, Spitfire, not all of us can be good at pulling out carrots.”

Spitfire grimaced further. “Well, I was hoping to be a bit better than that.” She dug her hoof into the soil. 

“Whatever. It don’t matter none.” Applejack gave the pegasus a friendly push. “Come on, we’ve gotta replant them now. This one should be easy for ya.” Her passive smile turned into a deeper, eager smile. “In fact, you can do this one yourself.”

The spikey-haired pegasus raised an eyebrow. “That sounds easier. What do I have to do? Drop some seeds?”

Applejack gave her a half-shrug half-nod. “Pretty much. Just fly over the carrot field and drop seeds evenly throughout. I’ll make sure they’re done properly.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Spitfire started as she grabbed the bag of carrot seeds Applejack held out on a hoof. She placed it on a wing as she spoke. “How do you guys grow things so quickly?”

Applejack flicked her ear, unsure of how to explain it. “Well, it’s kind of just… earth pony magic, I reckon.” She thought about how she was explained the concept as a filly and sat back on her haunches. “See, us earth ponies have a connection with the land. It’s different for everypony, but for us Apples at least, we have a special agricultural connection.” She rolled her hoof in the air as she tried to find the right words. “I’m not sure how to explain it, but we know where to plant, and we can speed up the rate of the crop’s growth by taking care of them.

“That’s how we have so many good apple trees over at the orchard. Usually, they’re kind of unpredictable, but we have a way of making plants grow nice and strong. That’s also how we even get food enough for everypony more or less.” Applejack chuckled darkly for a moment. “Well, around the fall harvest we usually get more. Not sure why, but that’s when we’re most connected to the land. Can’t tell you why that is, though.”

Spitfire made an ‘o’ with her mouth and nodded. “Well, I certainly never learned that aspect of earth pony magic,” she admitted. “Not that they really teach anything other than pegasus stuff up in Cloudsdale. That’s interesting though. I’ll get to the carrots now.”

Applejack watched as Spitfire grabbed the seeds in her mouth and shot into the air, leaving a gust of wind that ruffled Applejack’s mane slightly. Spitfire hovered above Applejack for a moment. The two made eye contact, and Applejack raised a hoof to signal that Spitfire should start. Carefully, the pegasus drifted along the rows, dropping carrot seeds onto the soil. For the most part, they were landing where they needed to. Only a few here and there required Applejack to nudge them with a hoof, but even then, they’d make it work. 

The more rows they did, the faster Spitfire went until about halfway through, Applejack had to go from a light trot to a canter, to a full-on gallop. It seemed Spitfire was enjoying making Applejack run, and the poor orange mare kept having to stop to quickly push carrot seeds into their proper place. 

Huffing, Applejack stood at the opposite side of where they had started and watched Spitfire casually touch down. She knew that had Spitfire been actually trying, there's no way Applejack could have kept up. “What the hay?” Applejack asked between gulping breaths. “I haven’t had to run that hard since the last time I got chased by something lookin’ to kill me.”

Spitfire laughed as she ruffled her wings before setting them back into place. “I figured some real exercise’d be good for you. Rainbow Dash is always going on about how you can never keep up with her.”

“What?” Applejack rolled her eyes. “That lazy mare? Figures she’d say that. She can’t keep up with me if it was on hoof.” She gestured to the empty sides of her barrel. “If I had wings, I’d beat her in every way possible.” Despite her comment, Applejack smiled a little. 

“Yeah, you’re right. She’s about the laziest Wonderbolt I’ve ever had the pleasure of leading. But somehow, she’s also the most dedicated.”

“She was tryin’ to get on the Wonderbolts for years. I reckon she’s a hard worker but only when she wants to work hard.” Applejack scuffed at the floor. “I mean, she’s not completely lazy. Sure, she’d always make up an excuse to procrastinate on her weather duties, but when she did ‘em, she put two hundred percent effort into it.”

Spitfire nodded. “True. She’s one of the hardest working ponies I’ve seen in a long time... when she’s feeling energized.” She turned to Applejack and smirked. “But I think you give her good competition.”

The earth pony’s eyes flickered for a moment. “Oh yeah?”

“Positive.”

The two mares stood in silence for a moment. Applejack felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her cheek. Breaking the somewhat comfortable quiet, Applejack cleared her throat. “If you want, ya can go ahead and get a drink in the barn. I’ll finish tidying up here.”

The pegasus fidgeted for a moment. “You sure? I don’t mind helping.”

Applejack looked over Spitfire’s shoulder, a sudden movement catching her eye. It was a blur of blue going up and then going back down with a crash into the cornfield. The orange mare adjusted her hat, thoroughly confused. “Yeah, actually I have somethin’ I gotta check,” she mentioned absently. She flicked her eyes back on Spitfire. “You can stay in the barn ‘til I come back. If I take too long, find Big Mac and ask him for some work. He’s always got somethin’ he needs help with.” 

“Uh, sure,” Spitfire responded as Applejack trotted off toward the cornfield. She looked at Applejack with a confused gaze, but then sighed and headed toward the barn.
> No Use Crying Over Spilled Tea
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fluttershy, I'm back." Rainbow entered the room quietly, knowing that she had taken a lot longer than she had said she would, and she didn't want to risk scaring Fluttershy in case she had fallen asleep again. 

With a shrug toward Applejack, they both entered slowly. "I couldn't find Zecora, but I brought Applejack and some of her cider," she explained, making her way toward Fluttershy's bed where the mare seemed to lay. 

"Oh, okay," Fluttershy breathed. So she wasn't asleep, that was good. She sat up again, more carefully this time and smiled in Applejack's direction. "Hi, Applejack." 

"Mornin'," Applejack replied, tipping her hat forward. "Rainbow said you were sick so I brought some Apple family hot cider for ya." She looked around, although Rainbow Dash wasn't sure what she was looking for. "I reckon it's warm enough," she decided. Applejack took a spot next to Rainbow Dash and offered the mug to Fluttershy, who took it slowly. 

"It smells delicious," Fluttershy told her with a smile. She took a small sip, then after deciding it was indeed just warm enough to drink, she took a bigger gulp. "It certainly tastes delicious." 

Rainbow Dash could smell it in the air. "Maybe I should get sick too. I'd love to get my hooves on some of that apple cider," she joked, glancing over at Applejack who rolled her eyes. 

"Now now, the time'll come." She grinned as Fluttershy took another big sip, knowing that her cider was good. "We're looking to have plenty of apples this year, so maybe we'll start offering cider as well." 

Fluttershy choked on her drink, probably from drinking too quickly. "That's a great idea." She gave Applejack a reassuring glance. "I'm sure everypony will love it, the cider is amazing." 

"As if that's some kind of surprise," Rainbow muttered. Applejack must have heard her because she noticed her sit up straighter. "Oh, don't let me stroke your ego, AJ. You know the cider's good." 

"Eeyup," Applejack replied with a smirk. "I reckon I do know that. Although I also reckon I enjoy you complimenting our hard work. Anythin' else you wanna say?" 

Rainbow Dash glared at her, although she couldn't help but feel amused by the interaction. She decided to take the attention off of Applejack, much to the other pony's dismay. "Is the cider helping at all? Applejack said it's a cure-all, so if it's not I think I'm in the clear to teach her a lesson.” 

"I never said that—" 

Fluttershy laughed at her friends' interactions with each other. It must be amusing to see them annoying each other, Rainbow thought. Surprisingly, and to their delight, Fluttershy nodded. "Actually, my throat is feeling better already," she interrupted with an appreciative glance at Applejack. "Your cheek is looking a lot better, but... do either of you want to tell me why you're both covered in soil?" 

Applejack looked victoriously at Rainbow Dash who blew a chunk of rainbow mane out of her face. "Well, I was mindin' my business doing some work so we could provide food for today when Rainbow Dash..." She trailed off, shooting a quick sideways look at Rainbow Dash who frowned. "When Dash made a spectacular entrance and ended up covered in soil," she stated with a proud smile. "I reckon she thought she could get away with teasin' me, but clearly she ain't got away with it." 

Rainbow Dash huffed. "I only let you win the fight so you could feel good about yourself," she whined, folding her forelegs over herself. 

"Ever the humble pony, huh, Dash?" 

Fluttershy giggled, her spirits seemingly lifted. "Why is it that you two are the ones who fight the most," she pointed out with an amused smile on her face.

"Because she needs to know I'm the best," they both replied at the same time. "Stop copying me! Quit it! You're so annoying!" 

They pushed their snouts together, glaring defiantly in each other's eyes before separating with yet another unified grunt. Fluttershy shook her head softly, although the smile never faded from her face. "Oh, you girls are ridiculous." 

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile despite herself. She locked Applejack in a friendly headlock and pushed her hat down on her head, rubbing her hoof into the brim. "Yeah, you're right. This one can be pretty ridiculous at times," she commented as Applejack chortled at Rainbow. 

"Me? Ridiculous?" She shoved Rainbow off with a grin. "Yer the one acting like a filly," she pointed out as she fixed her hat and mane. 

"That's ridiculous," Rainbow retorted. She turned to Fluttershy. "Who's more ridiculous, Shy? Our entire friendship hangs in the balance," she spoke, raising both her eyebrows quickly. 

"Oh, well when you put it like that…" 

"See, she's about to say it's you, AJ. Fluttershy would never betray me."

"Um, I was about to say you're more ridiculous, actually." Fluttershy smiled apologetically. 

Rainbow Dash's jaw fell. "What?" 

Applejack exclaimed loudly. "Hah! Told ya!" 

"You're both pretty ridiculous though," Fluttershy explained, adjusting herself to a more comfortable sitting position on the edge of the cot to the right of Applejack and Rainbow who took a seat near the bottom end. "But since I've known Rainbow Dash since we were little, I have a lot more experience with how ridiculous she could be." 

Rainbow pouted, looking off to the side. "That's not true," she mumbled. 

Applejack mimicked Rainbow's previous headlock, except a lot more roughly given her natural strength. "See this is what ya get for always being such a goof," she teased. Rainbow Dash struggled to free herself from Applejack who continued to grin. "I guess today's my winning day," she gloated. 

Rainbow Dash ducked her head, staring intently at a bag of birdseed on the opposite wall. 

She wasn't really upset, obviously. There was nothing wrong with the teasing, as it was normal for her and Applejack. If anything, it was more fun when Fluttershy got involved, but something was still making her feel off. Not in a bad way, but not in a good way either. It was just strange. She figured it was probably the lack of sleep. 

"Feeling better, Shy?" She hadn't even noticed herself saying it until it came out. 

"Yes, thank you." Fluttershy looked over to Applejack. "The cider was amazing. Thanks so much for bringing me some, it helped a lot." 

"Sure thing, Fluttershy." 

And then there was silence. The three of them seemed to drift off into their own thoughts, and nopony made an attempt at a conversation. Instead, Rainbow Dash was made aware of all of her senses. First, there was sight. She could see telltale signs of Fluttershy's animal companions, even if none of them were around. She already noticed the birdseed, but she hadn't noticed the various food bowls in what she assumed to be the kitchen. There were little clumps of fur in random places on the floor, and Rainbow assumed that Fluttershy had been too sick to do any cleaning in the past day. She noted Angel's food bowl with a single carrot inside it, barely nibbled on. 

Then, there was her hearing. She could hear Applejack's steady breathing and Fluttershy's occasional sniffling. Mostly, she could hear muffled conversations from ponies outside, and the faint noises of the outside world waking up. She heard several greetings, polite conversations, and promises to see each other later. There were skittering noises from what seemed to be within the wall, and baby birds chirping for their mother. They had to be somewhere in the house, above them. 

Then there was the sense of smell. The smell of spiced apple cider still filled her lungs, and it made Rainbow Dash feel warm inside, even though she hadn't actually consumed any. There was a trace of another scent. Kibble, probably. It smelled like assorted animal food, and Rainbow Dash wasn't enough of an expert to guess which type. But there was something even more familiar that she could smell, and as faint as it was, she found herself clinging to it. The earthy smell of Sweet Apple Acres, mixed with what could be cinnamon and, of course, apples. It was the smell of normality, and of her friend, Applejack. 

Now, there wasn't a lot to go off of. The air smelled like too many things to be able to distinguish anything well, but Rainbow could never confuse the particular scent that Applejack seemed to give off. As weird as it might be, she could recognize all of her friends' specific smells. Fluttershy smelled like animals, but not in a bad way. Rarity smelled like clean fabric. Pinkie Pie smelled like sprinkles and sugar. Twilight smelled like long used books, whatever that meant. Sometimes, it didn't make sense, but Rainbow just knew. 

"I wonder what I smell like," she thought aloud. 

"Huh?" Fluttershy and Applejack both turned to her. They both seemed to have been zoning out as well. 

Rainbow Dash cursed herself for saying anything. "Nothing," she said quickly, not daring to make eye contact with either of them. 

"Sure don't sound like nothin’.” She couldn't see it, but Rainbow Dash could hear the grin on her face. 

"Is there something on your mind, Dash?" Fluttershy's soft voice almost surprised Rainbow. 

Instead, she shook her head. "No, not really," she denied. It wasn’t exactly a lie, there was nothing on her mind worth discussing, it was mostly just her taking in her friends’ existence and being extremely glad for it. At least that meant there was something to be glad about. 

Fluttershy got up from the bed and walked to the kitchen area. She looked around for a moment before turning back to them. “Um, I have some tea leaves that I was growing. Do you girls want some tea?”

Despite how close she was to Fluttershy, she wasn’t aware that she was gardening. It made sense in hindsight, she probably grew food for the animals, but it had never occurred to Rainbow as a possibility. Of course, ponies were allowed to grow whatever they wanted, but they usually didn’t have their own space to do it, and if they did, it was limited. Mostly, they’d grow food for special occasions, or in Fluttershy’s case, for when you want some tea. 

She wasn’t a huge fan of tea but figured that it was the only option she had, and she didn’t want to pass up Fluttershy’s hospitality. Even if she was supposed to be taking care of her. "Sure, thanks Shy." 

It seemed like Applejack didn't want to be a bother, however. "No thanks, Fluttershy. I don't want to use up your personal store," she rejected with a respectful shake of her head. 

"Oh don't be silly, Applejack," Fluttershy responded. "I insist. You did bring me cider, anyway. This is my way of paying you back." 

Rainbow looked between the two of them. Did Applejack really plan on denying that? By the look on her face, Rainbow could tell that Applejack was having the same idea run through her head. 

"There ain't no need for you to pay me back," Applejack insisted, although Rainbow Dash could tell that she was only saying it to be polite. 

"Of course there is," Fluttershy assured her. "It's only fair that I offer you something as well." She deepened her smile, and Rainbow knew her well enough to know that it was her way of daring Applejack to refuse again. 

Applejack appeared to know better and reluctantly nodded. "Alright, I'll have some tea. Thanks," she murmured in defeat. 

Rainbow found the entire exchange, although short, pretty funny. Applejack's stubborn personality with Fluttershy's need to be kind was a good clash at times.  The victorious smile on Fluttershy's face said it all, and despite her shy, withdrawn nature, she could be assertive when she had to be. Especially when somepony was rejecting her kindness. 

Rainbow Dash snickered at Applejack who refused to make eye contact but held an irritated frown. The frown disappeared, however, once Fluttershy turned around with a piece of bark used as a tray balancing on her wings. The tray held three steaming cups of tea, which even Rainbow had to admit smelled pretty good. For tea, anyway. 

Deciding that she didn't want to risk spilling the tea on Fluttershy's bed, Rainbow stood up and suggested moving to the central part of the room where there were a few chairs. There were no objections as the group moved to the chairs, sitting in a triangle so everypony could see each other. Fluttershy passed out the cups of tea, and Rainbow scolded herself for touching it with her wings rather than her hooves. 

Surprisingly, Fluttershy was the first to break the silence. "How have you girls been?" 

Rainbow instinctively looked at Applejack, assuming that she would have something more interesting to say, or maybe she had some good news. Instead, she shrugged indifferently. "I've been okay. There's lots of hard work to be done on the farm around this time o' year, so I've been keeping busy myself." She blew into her cup and attempted to take a sip. By her reaction, it appeared to still be too hot. "But the work's been worth it, I hope. It seems to me like we'll have a fine harvest this year; enough to feed everypony and still save for winter." 

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash nodded, each of them bearing a smile. They knew firsthoof how hard it could be to not have enough food to go around, and hearing that now they might have more than enough was a welcome change. 

"That's great!" Rainbow shot her friend an awestruck smile, which Applejack had no problem returning. "I'm so glad that everything is looking up, especially when it's so easy for winters to be hard," she pointed out. She looked down at her reflection in the tea. It was tinged a warm orange and was steaming into her eyes. She blew into the cup, causing herself to ripple until she wasn't identifiable anymore. It was still too hot, and she burnt her tongue with a frown. 

"Careful, Dashie," Fluttershy warned, extending her wing to flap some air in the direction of Rainbow's cup. While it wouldn't have any real effect, she did appreciate it. "I hope this winter won't be too bad," Fluttershy hoped with a slight frown, pushing her mane away from her eyes as she looked to the floor. "I hate seeing the animals get sick." 

Even though Rainbow Dash herself couldn't tell when the animals were sick unless they were severely sick, she could see the worry on her Fluttershy's face every time there was a new sick animal, or one doing poorly due to the weather. Usually, the pegasi in charge of the weather eased into the winter to allow the animals time to prepare, but the last two winters have been nothing short of sudden and extremely difficult. There was no reason for it to be anything but, and yet, they hoped. 

Hope was a funny thing in Rainbow Dash's opinion. Sometimes, it felt stupid and foolish to hope because hope did nothing. Other times, hope was all she had. This was one of those times. She hoped that nothing would go extremely wrong during the winter. She hoped that the crops wouldn't frost before they were all harvested and stored properly. She hoped that the winter wouldn't come ahead of schedule, even if it would be a smart tactic for Twilight to employ. She hoped that it would be okay. 

It was silent for too long, and not in a nice way. Rainbow didn't want the mood to turn sour, so she did what she could do best. "I've been doing pretty fantastic. You know, I almost wanted to have some early morning fun, if you know what I mean." She smirked at nobody, forcing Fluttershy to blush and Applejack to roll her eyes. "But I was possessed by Applejack's spirit and felt like being productive for once." 

"Now that's a miracle," Applejack snorted. Fluttershy giggled, taking a sip of her drink. It seemed to work, bringing up a mildly inappropriate topic to two ponies who probably didn't want to hear it. At least they all found it amusing in some way, which was the intention. 

"The real miracle is that I didn't already have ponies lining up outside my door," Rainbow joked. Fluttershy's face seemed to redden even more, and she swore that Applejack blushed a little before covering her face with her hat. 

"Dashie, please," Fluttershy complained, now hiding in her mane. "We're practically like sisters, I don't want to hear about your…" 

"Sex life?" Rainbow filled in as she trailed off. Fluttershy squirmed in her seat, and Applejack stayed quiet, looking the other way as her hat covered her mouth. "Come on, we're all friends here. There's no need to be embarrassed, we're grown ponies." 

"I think Shy has a point, Dash." Applejack composed herself and placed her hat back on her head, although she still had a silly grin on her face. "Y'all are like kin, and I know for darn sure that I'd never discuss this sort of thing with Apple Bloom." 

Rainbow Dash snorted. "That's only 'cause Apple Bloom is like… seven."

"She's twelve," Applejack corrected. 

"Whatever. My point is, she's still a filly. Of course you wouldn't talk to her about stuff like this." Rainbow Dash exhaled in exasperation. Then, the corner of her mouth turned upward. "Hey, I don't think you've ever talked to us about your personal life," Rainbow pointed out. “If you know what I mean,” she implied as her eyebrows became worms on her face. Fluttershy's eyes flicked over to Applejack, and no matter how subtle she tried to be, Rainbow knew she was curious as she sipped her tea. 

Applejack decided to take a long drink of her tea, looking up at the ceiling. After what was too much time to actually be one sip, Applejack separated her cup from her mouth. "I don't got anythin' to say on the subject.” 

Rainbow wanted to accept that as the truth, she really did, but she wanted something interesting to talk about more. "Oh come on, AJ. I know you're busy a lot and whatever, but there's no way you've never done anything." She took the first sip of her tea and grimaced. She'd much prefer coffee. "Aren't you the embodiment of honesty?" 

That seemed to push Applejack a little further. Fluttershy seemed to agree as she raised her eyebrows and watched intently, sipping her tea slowly. Applejack hesitated, looking up to her left in thought. "Alright fine," she growled with a frown. "But ya gotta promise ya won't tell anypony." 

Now they were getting somewhere. "Okay, deal. I won't tell anybody," Rainbow promised. She certainly wouldn't break a friend's trust like that. 

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "You have my word," she swore. 

Applejack shuffled her hooves nervously. What could possibly be making her that nervous? Rainbow Dash didn't want to push her, but she was extremely curious. Applejack opened her mouth, then closed it again, pressing her lips together in a near scowl. 

"I've never had sex," Applejack blurted out. 

Rainbow Dash almost laughed out loud, but not because her friend was still a virgin. "Seriously? That's what you were making us pledge secrecy on?" 

Fluttershy brought the mug just up under her snout, although it must have been empty because she didn't take a drink. "Me neither," she admitted with a blush. Although that didn't surprise Rainbow much, she never expected Fluttershy to be like that. 

Applejack huffed in annoyance. "Of course that ain't all what I was gonna say," she exclaimed quickly, raising her free hoof to rest her head on it. "Celestia knows what goes on through yer mind," she muttered. 

Despite being slightly offended, Rainbow bit back a sly remark. Instead, she opted to continue to press Applejack. "Okay, so what? Is your big secret that you've never even held hooves with a stallion?" 

Applejack bit her lip. "Somethin' like that." She took another sip of her tea, but this time it was much shorter. "I've never even been on a date with one before."

Fluttershy took another sip of her empty mug, raising her eyebrows again. Rainbow Dash didn't get what was so interesting though. Or why she was pretending to drink from a cup that was obviously empty. 

"So? I get it, you're busy." After a moment of deliberation, Rainbow decided to chug the rest of her tea. The sudden levels of heat down her throat made her eyes tear up. She blinked away the moisture before continuing. "When it all eases up, I'm sure you'll meet a stallion that you'll like and I know he'll like you back." 

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head slowly. "Honestly, Dashie, what am I going to do with you?" She got up and took Rainbow Dash's cup and her own back to the sink. Rainbow just cocked her head in confusion. 

Applejack rolled her eyes. "I don't think that's gonna happen, Dash." She shot a look at Fluttershy who shrugged in response. 

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof. "Don't say that. I know you will! You're pretty great, and I don't say that lightly." She nodded with encouragement at Applejack. "You're hard-working, honest, probably the strongest pony I've ever met, and I know there are ponies out there who think your stubbornness is charming." 

Applejack blinked for a moment but returned to a passive smile almost instantly. "I don't want to meet a stallion if ya catch my drift." She swirled the remaining tea around in her cup, not making eye contact with anypony. 

Rainbow Dash watched as Applejack frowned into her cup. She seemed nervous, almost. Why would she be nervous? Not everypony wanted to be in a relationship – she could attest to that – and she was sure that eventually, Applejack would get around to it if she wanted to. The stress of the current situation and the amount of work that she placed on her shoulders certainly didn't help. It was still strange for her to be nervous about it. 

Applejack was not a nervous pony. Sure, she never really seemed to mind much for stallions, so why would she be nervous about telling her friends that she didn’t... like... stallions...

Oh! Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrows and turned to look at Applejack with a surprised expression. Fluttershy took her time returning to her seat, but once she did, she smiled warmly at Applejack. How did I not pick up on this sooner? Rainbow chided herself for being so oblivious. 

"I think she catches your drift," Fluttershy whispered while maintaining a smile. She reached across to pat Applejack on the shoulder. "Thank you for telling us," she added. 

Rainbow Dash didn't say anything. Of course, she had nothing against it. It would be insanely hypocritical of her considering she's slept with a mare before, even if they were just friends. When it came down to it, however, Rainbow Dash had never even thought about dating. She found herself blushing at her stupidity. 

If Applejack noticed, she didn't show it. She downed the last of her tea with a neutral expression. "Thank y'all for being so understanding," she muttered. 

"Why do you sound underwhelmed?" Rainbow leaned forward in her seat, tipping forward enough to come dangerously close to tipping forward, but not enough to actually fall. 

Applejack shook her head. "No, I'm not underwhelmed. I'm actually quite relieved that y'all took it so well.”

"Of course we would," Fluttershy insisted quickly. 

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, I mean why would I have anything against gay ponies?" 

"No, no. I know you two would be fine with it." She fidgeted, a moment of hesitation before she continued. "I'm more so talking about other ponies… and my family," she admitted with a frown. “Not that they’re judgemental or anythin’ like that, but I’m still scared to tell ‘em.”

Rainbow Dash copied her frown. It was a rational fear, she was sure, and she couldn't imagine how it must feel. "I'm really sorry, AJ." It was all she could say. She wasn't sure if a half-baked apology would help at all, but she didn't know what else to say to her. "I wish I could help, but I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like." 

Fluttershy offered a comforting smile, but Applejack didn't seem to notice. "I'm sure everypony would be okay with it. But you don't have to tell anypony if you don't want to," she pointed out. "You could always just keep it at us three, or you could tell our friends." Fluttershy scooted closer to Applejack and extended a wing over her back. "But either way, I'm proud of you." 

Applejack looked like she was about to cry, but she didn't. Rainbow Dash felt guilty for not being able to help and decided she might as well try. "I know it might not mean much, but you can always count on us," she assured her while scooting closer and mirroring Fluttershy's actions. "We'll always be here for you, no matter what." She bit her lip, not knowing what to say. 

It seemed Applejack noticed her long pause and let out an amused snort. "That does mean a lot, Dash, especially coming from somepony who's as out of tune with her own feelings as you are." She nudged Rainbow and then smiled at Fluttershy. "And thank you very much, Fluttershy. I think for now I'll leave it with you two, but it means a lot that you're so supportive." 

It would have been best to leave it at that, but Rainbow Dash was curious. "Why are you so worried anyway? I mean, I know that some ponies can be mean or judgy about that, but I'm sure your family would accept you." 

Applejack sighed, getting up and taking a few steps away from Fluttershy and Rainbow. "You just don't know 'em like I do." She looked at the potted plants growing along the back wall of Fluttershy's home, facing away from her friends. "The Apple clan has always been adamant on tradition. I'm afraid ponies like me aren't very traditional." 

Fluttershy exchanged a look with Rainbow Dash. "It might seem that way, but I'm sure that if you came out to them, they'd accept you," she assured her, not daring to move from her seat. "You're still an Apple, no matter what, right?" 

Rainbow Dash could barely see Applejack's face, but from what she saw, she could swear that there was a small smile on her face. "To the core." 
> Calm Before
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was finally time to eat, and this time, Rainbow actually had the chance to. She had been looking forward to it all morning, especially after Applejack left Fluttershy's place to get back to work on the farm. That just meant there was an extra set of hooves getting the food ready so that everypony could eat. 

There was even more food-related reason to be excited, though. Since the harvest had been going so well so far, there was enough fruit to make plenty of pies and other baked goods to enjoy, and Celestia knew how much Rainbow Dash had been wanting an apple fritter. She was always too skeptical to try it since she was never a fan of pie, but the fritter was actually enjoyable. 

Plus, Pinkie and Applejack were put in charge of baking for the day, so it had to be good. They were the most competent bakers that Rainbow Dash could think of. Whatever they made was going to taste amazing, she was sure of it. 

After Fluttershy felt a bit better, she decided to go help Dr. Fauna after all. She had left Rainbow at her place in case she wanted to stay there, but Rainbow needed something to do. She had taken the first night shift the night before, and while it was usually somewhat boring, she began to hate being stuck with nothing but her thoughts. 

That's why she left Fluttershy's soon after Fluttershy herself did. She roamed around the common area, watching how everypony's moods seemed to lift as Big Mac brought down the cart of food again. It was a normal action, but this time it held so much more weight to it. Literally. 

Apple Bloom turned to face the excited crowd with a smile of her own. It wasn't until then that Rainbow Dash noticed how much Apple Bloom had grown in the past two years, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as well. The Crusaders seldom hung out all together as far as Rainbow could tell, but when they did, it really hit her how much they seemed to grow. 

They were a bit taller, but that was a given. What really stuck out is that they matured so much. Seeing Apple Bloom work so hard every day to help provide for other ponies made Rainbow feel proud, even though she wasn't her sister. She looked stronger, and she was a lot more patient. 

Sometimes, Rainbow saw Sweetie Belle around, usually accompanied by Scootaloo. They'd both gotten taller as well, although Scootaloo remained the shortest of the group. They both continued to help the blank flanks find their special talent and helped even grown ponies reconnect with theirs. Even though the two of them goofed off a lot, they had a level of maturity that was surprising for fillies their age. 

It was easy to have difficulty doing anything but smile when the three of them found time to be together, though. Occasionally, Apple Bloom would finish up early or have extra time during the eating period to spend with her friends, and the three of them were as inseparable as ever. Even Rainbow Dash was envious of how well they all got along. 

"Hey, aren't you gonna get something to eat?" 

Rainbow Dash looked down to the source of the voice, although she didn't have to look down as far as before. "Oh hey, Scoot. I was just thinking about you actually." 

Scootaloo grinned widely. "Really?" 

Rainbow nodded. "Totally. I was thinking about how big you and your friends are getting." She held a hoof up to Scootaloo's shoulder with a reminiscent smile. "You used to be this big and now you're growing up." She wiped a fake tear off her face. 

"Oh, come on, Dash," Scootaloo groaned. "Don't get all mushy on me!" 

Rainbow laughed. "Yeah, you're right, I won't." She ruffled Scootaloo's mane with her hoof. "How are the Crusaders anyway?" 

Scootaloo's smile returned at the mention of her friends. "We're great! We don't see Apple Bloom as often now that she's putting so much work into the farm, but sometimes we visit her or she comes down here with us, and it's really fun!" She flapped her wings in excitement. "And since there's not much to do down here, there are so many other foals who want to reveal their cutie marks, so we've been really busy too," she boasted. "We've helped five ponies find their cutie marks in the past month!" 

"That's so cool!" Rainbow beamed proudly at the smaller filly. "I'm glad that you're still helping so many ponies. I'm even more glad you still make time to spend with Apple Bloom. Sticking with your friends even when they're busy is an important part of friendship," she pointed out. 

Scootaloo stuck her tongue out. "Don't tell me Twilight got you too," she joked. "You sound just like her." 

Rainbow's smile faltered for a moment, but she forced it back on her face. No reason to bring down Scootaloo. "Nah, but Starlight definitely has. All she does is teach foals about friendship, and she practices her speeches on me. Can you believe it?" She folded her hoofs. "I'm already an awesome friend, so I don't know why she's practicing on me." 

Scootaloo snorted in amusement. "That's true, she should go talk to Cranky or something. Now there's a pony who could learn from one of her speeches," she teased. 

Rainbow laughed at her joke. It had been a while since she'd spent proper time with Scootaloo, but they were just as sisterly as ever. Even if they weren't biologically related, Scootaloo had adopted Rainbow Dash as her big sister, and Rainbow happily returned the notion. She nudged Scootaloo toward the food cart, joining the line. There was still plenty of food, which was a more than welcome sight.

“Do you think they’ll have any more apple fritters?” Rainbow looked down at Scootaloo who craned her head around the line. 

“I’m not sure, they’re pretty popular. Don’t get your hopes up Dash,” she joked melodramatically, although the smile on her face gave her away. She patted her sadly on the leg.

Rainbow Dash put on a fake pout. “Aw,” she whined dramatically. “I guess I’ll just never eat again.” 

“Don’t say that!” She winced at her own outburst, then looked up at Rainbow with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” She looked distantly at the food cart as they moved closer to it. “It’s just that I know how much you guys always get to eat. Or, I guess, how much you don’t get to eat.”

Suddenly, Rainbow felt guilty. She knew how she would feel if Scootaloo was the one missing meals, and she never stopped to think about how Scootaloo must have felt. Or any of the other Crusaders, really. They were still young fillies, which meant that they were higher up on the food priority list. That was never a problem with Rainbow, of course, she loved knowing that the younger ponies were being taken care of.

But seeing one of the younger ponies be worried about her flipped the script entirely. She was supposed to be worried about Scoot, not the other way around. So instead of making it a big deal, she smirked down at Scootaloo. “You’re worried about me? That’s so adorable,” she teased.

Scootaloo huffed, giving Rainbow a stern look. “I’m not, I’m just...” She trailed off, looking angry at herself for being teased. “Come on, don’t tease me!”

"What are you too old for that now?" Rainbow ruffled her hair again with her hoof. "You're still just a filly, you know." 

They both moved up the line, coming face to face with the cart, and more importantly, Big Mac and Apple Bloom. Whatever annoyance Scootaloo had disappeared at the sight of her friend. "Apple Bloom!" 

"Scootaloo!" An equally excited Apple Bloom ran up to Scootaloo and they hugged each other roughly. "I've missed ya! Things've been so busy on the farm, I haven't got to see you and Sweetie Belle!" 

Scootaloo smiled into Apple Bloom's shoulder for a moment before stepping back. "I know, I'm so happy to see you!" She smiled widely as every second passed. "I wish Sweetie Belle was here, but she said she was with Rarity," she huffed. 

Apple Bloom waved her hoof. "Aw shucks, we should just pay her a visit in that case!" Her smile turned into a frown for a moment as she looked back to Big Mac. 

Seeming to understand what his sister wanted without her needing to even say anything, Big Mac nodded with a grin. Apple Bloom turned back to Scootaloo excitedly and the two ran off, presumably to find Sweetie Belle. 

Rainbow couldn't help but smile. She loved seeing Scootaloo happy, so much so that she forgot what she was in line for until Big Mac cleared his throat. She looked at him as he motioned to the food cart. 

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to have any apple fritters, would you?" Rainbow asked sheepishly, a little bashful for standing in line so long, but upon looking behind her, noticed she was the only pony in line anyway. 

"Eeyup," Big Mac said simply, grabbing a flat utensil of some sort and carefully picking up a fritter. He held it out to Rainbow Dash who held it on her wing. 

"Thanks!" She took in the aroma of the apple fritter, deciding that it was the best thing she'd ever smelled. "So, are all those for everypony on the farm today?" She craned her neck to the copious amount of food still left on the cart. 

"Eeyup." 

"Cool, cool." Rainbow popped her lips, remembering how much he didn't talk. "So can I join you?" Big Mac nodded his head, then turned around and began to walk toward the tunnel, Rainbow Dash following in step. "Lots of food today, huh?" 

"Eeyup." 

Rainbow Dash exhaled through her teeth in amusement. "You planning to eat most of it? Applejack tells me you have an appetite." 

"Nope." Big Mac frowned, stealing a glance at the food cart when he thought Rainbow wasn't looking. She held back a chuckle, instead choosing to walk in silence with him. 

She never really spent time with Big Mac, not to mention hung out with him. He was a bit too calm and quiet for her, but sometimes that was nice. His presence proved to be comforting when you needed somepony like him around, and even though he never talked, he was a great listener. 

Rainbow tried to make small talk, knowing exactly what topic to bring up. "Are things still good with Sugar Belle?"

Big Mac didn't even try to suppress his big, love-sick smile. "Eeyup." His voice was softer, even if it was barely noticeable. 

"I never got to say it, but you two make a really good couple, you know."
"Eeyup." Big Mac kept walking, leading them up the ramp and into the sun. As Rainbow Dash shielded her eyes with her free wing, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Right when Rainbow Dash was about to give up hope on the conversation, Big Mac inhaled a little sharper than he usually did. "It really helps when you come up here, y'know." 

Rainbow certainly wasn't expecting that. She was expecting some cheesy statement about Sugar Belle, or even something about the farm. "Really?"

"Eeyup." 

You'd think I'd have learned to avoid yes or no questions by now. "Why?" 

Big Mac wheeled the cart into the empty barn, disconnecting himself from the harness. "Because you make Applejack happy." He turned away and walked over to the entrance, grabbing a rope with his teeth and pulled on it. A bell rung a couple of times. He walked back to Rainbow Dash. 

She knew what he was talking about, and why she would seem happier when either her or Fluttershy would visit was beyond her. Despite her curiosity, she didn't want to risk asking. "I'm glad.” There was a brief moment of silence as they stood. Not wanting it to be awkward, she decided to say something else. "She makes me happy too." 

Big Mac smiled as several ponies came in, each of them either shining with sweat or matte from the dirt encasing their bodies. All of them looked like they had a hard day of work, which some seemed more tired from than others. Most of them were ponies she'd known, but didn't really talk to, although there were two that she definitely knew that were talking to each other, much to her surprise. 

She ran up to both of them. "AJ and Spitfire! Don't you two make an unlikely pair," she announced as a greeting. 

"Howdy." 

"Hey, Crash. Fancy seeing you here," Spitfire greeted her with a friendly shove. "Although it seems like you just came for the food," she joked, observing Rainbow's relatively clean fur, and mostly, the fritter she still had on her wing. 

"Oh shut up," Rainbow scoffed in return. "I come up here enough to help, ask Applejack!" She looked at the orange pony who showed no expression on her face, save for a raised eyebrow. 

"It's true enough," she admitted. "Although I reckon you could stand to put in more work." She shot a look at Spitfire who bit her lip, forcing back a laugh. 

"Okay, okay." She rolled her eyes. "So what are you doing here? I didn't take you to be interested in farming." She observed Spitfire closely, trying to find something wrong, even though she didn't want to. 

Spitfire shuffled on her hooves. "I'm not, but I wanted something to do. Menial work like this does the job well enough." 

Applejack narrowed her eyes. "Now, I know you didn't just say that farm work is menial." She looked threateningly at Spitfire. "It's a lot harder than you think." 

Spitfire held up a hoof. "I didn't mean it that way," she insisted. "I just meant what I was doing specifically. You know I respect you and your family, 'Jack." 

'Jack? Since when does Spitfire call her that? Rainbow squinted her eyes, something building up inside her. "Yeah, yeah, you guys are best friends now, we get it," she muttered. Or at least, she thought she did. It came out at a relatively normal volume, though. 

Applejack opened her mouth to say something, but Spitfire took a step forward, silencing her with a glance. "Crash, are you okay? You seem irritated." 

Truth was, Rainbow wasn't even sure. It wasn't Spitfire or Applejack specifically that was getting her riled up, but she did feel upset. At what, she didn't even know herself. So she sighed in resignation. "Yeah, I'm just hungry." 

Applejack swallowed her retort and smiled. "Well, luckily for you two, I can get us to the front of the line. Perks of being friends with an Apple." 

Rainbow glanced at her apple fritter. "I already have food, so you two go ahead and I'll find us somewhere to eat in here," she suggested. 

Spitfire and Applejack nodded. "Alright, you better not disappoint us with the spot," Spitfire joked. "Come on, Applejack, I'm craving a pie." 

"Long as we split it, Captain," Applejack responded. 

"Fine." 

Rainbow Dash watched them leave toward the cart, and then she turned around to fulfill her part. She looked around, looking for an empty spot where they could eat and her eyes fell on a table covered in power tools. She could just clear the table and not only would they have their own spot, but somewhere to put their food. 

Content with her decision, Rainbow Dash raced to the table, putting her fritter between her hooves so she could fly the short distance a lot faster than she could run it. As she came to a sudden stop, the wind she created blew her mane around for a moment. She left her mane as it was and set her fritter on the table. 

There was a saw, a hammer, and planks of wood on the table. She thought it'd be better to just move it to the side, there would still be plenty of room for them to eat, after all. She decided to wait on the left side of the table, leaving the other area open for Spitfire and Applejack. Her fritter had long since gotten cold, but she didn't mind as long as she got to eat with her friends. 

The word "friend" seemed to change definition as of late. She still spent as much time as she could with her closest friends, but she had also been forced to spend time with ponies she didn't really talk to before. It's not to say that she and Starlight, for example, were not friends from before. It’s just that they were a lot closer than before, and for all the wrong reasons. Having to work together to simply stay alive and keep other ponies alive was not really the way that Rainbow Dash would prefer to make friends.

It really must have been a perk to be friends with Applejack, because she and Spitfire came back quickly. Applejack held a steaming apple pie. They spotted her as she waved them over and they approached, both looked excited to eat the pie. 

"That looks really good," Rainbow Dash admitted. It was a warm apple pie, and even though Rainbow herself didn't even like pie, she couldn’t deny that it smelled great. 

Spitfire nodded eagerly and licked her lips in anticipation. "It sure does," she responded. "Do you want any, Crash?" 

Before Rainbow could respond, Applejack shook her head. "Might be a bit crazy, but this one don't even like pie.” She spared a glance at Rainbow and shook her head slowly. "Dunno what's wrong with her, but she's surely missing out." 

Rainbow just nodded in agreement and pulled her fritter to her. "AJ's got a point there. Besides, I have my own food anyway." She looked at the food she was about to eat, and she could just taste it in her mouth. 

"Alright, quit slobberin' all over our workbench,'' Applejack spoke. "Let's get eatin’!" 

As a response, Rainbow Dash took a bite of her fritter and Spitfire took a bite of her side of the pie. Applejack rolled her eyes and took a bite. They all moaned in delight. 

"This is… wow," Rainbow moaned in delight, taking another bite. "Did you make this, AJ?" 

Applejack shrugged. "Don't rightly know." She watched as Spitfire devoured another bite with a grin. "I'm not sure who made what, but it was either me, Pinkie or Mrs. Cake." 

"Well, whoever it was has all of my compliments," Rainbow stated. Spitfire muffled an agreement through her full mouth. 

They say that a meal spent in silence isn't a bad thing because that means everyone is enjoying their food. This held doubly true for the three mares who spent the better part of ten minutes in complete silence, apart from the occasional delighted huff. It was a welcome reminder of what the following winter might shape up to be like. 

They talked about meaningless things. Things you talk about with your friends when you want to fill the empty space where voices should be, but despite it just being small talk, Rainbow found herself enjoying the moment a lot. She was close with Spitfire, and it was safe to say that Applejack was one of her closest friends, which speaks for itself considering the nature of her friend group. 

And she was so glad that they were friends, too. She couldn't help but wonder if they would have been friends under normal circumstances. Buck it. These were the normal circumstances now, and there's no use thinking of what-ifs. They were friends, and Rainbow would never change that. 

So why did she feel weird about it? It's not that she thought they shouldn't be friends, in fact, she loved their dynamic. Something inside her hurt whenever they'd laugh at each other's jokes, though. She wasn't jealous, of course, that would be ridiculous, and Rainbow couldn't once again be more ridiculous than Applejack. The thought still lingered, and then it crept up on Rainbow Dash like the sour aftertaste of lemon. What if she's replacing me? 

She immediately scolded herself for even thinking it. Applejack would never do that, and even more so, she had no reason to. She clearly confided in her enough to tell her something not even her own family knew, so why would she ever do that? 

She wouldn't, and Rainbow knew it. But they were acting incredibly close, and it made Rainbow feel left out. It was unfair to expect Applejack to focus solely on Rainbow, and she knew that too, but Big Mac's words rang in her head. You make Applejack happy. And it hit her so hard, it almost hurt. 

She was jealous. She was jealous that somepony else could make Applejack happy like she did. 

It felt worse to acknowledge it. She didn't want to be jealous, especially over something so foalish. Then again, when had she ever been mature? She had to start at some point, and what better time? Rainbow blinked forcefully back into the moment, and it seemed like she hadn't been missed anyway. She pushed down the jealousy and jumped back into the conversation. 

"So then I dug out the mole and used my trusty lasso to drag it back up the hole," Applejack explained with actions to match her words. "Seems that the critter hurt its arm, so I took him straight to Fluttershy. Glad I did, though, she said he promised to leave the corn alone."

"Wow, that definitely tops my cloud story," Spitfire admitted with a grin. "Who would have thought that doing a simple task for Rarity would be less interesting than gopher gathering?" 

"Mole."

"Whatever."

Rainbow found the perfect spot to insert herself back in. "Rarity asked you to do that too?" She chuckled as Spitfire nodded. "Yeah, me too, last month. You'd think she'd find a better way." 

"Tell me about it." Spitfire sat up straighter. "She's so dramatic, and that desire to look nice all the time? I don't get it. Everyone looks like shit. Comparatively, she's always just gorgeous!" 

Well, Rainbow wouldn't say that but Spitfire did have a point. "I know right? It's so weird. Just chillax for a bit." 

"Come on, y'all. Let's not start talkin' behind our friend's back,'' Applejack told them sternly. "If Rarity likes getting all pretty for no reason, then that's up to her. I guess it helps her feel normal." 

Spitfire shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She scratched her mane. "I wasn't trying to be mean or anything, I do actually like her." 

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, we just like teasing our friends," she explained as she rolled a hoof. "It's a Wonderbolt thing." 

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Reckon y'all have done it to me, as well." Neither of them responded, further confirming Applejack's suspicion. "Sounds about right." 

Spitfire reached over and draped her foreleg around Applejack's shoulder. "Aw, come on, 'Jack. It's all in good fun.” She blinked innocently at the orange mare. 

Applejack pushed her off with an unimpressed look. "I think I'll stick to not talking behind other ponies' backs, thank you very much." 

Spitfire shook her head, stretching her wings for a moment. "Well, thanks for the food and the hard work," she started. "I gotta get going now, I promised Rumble I'd take him flying." 

Applejack looked over at her. "Sorry to see ya go, and thank you for helping out on the farm today." She extended her hoof, which Spitfire bumped. "Be careful, okay?" 

Spitfire nodded. "Sure thing." She turned to Rainbow and saluted. "See ya later, Crash." 

Rainbow saluted in response. "See ya. Oh, and tell Rumble I say hi." Spitfire nodded in response and ran off. Applejack watched until she disappeared, then she turned back in the direction of Rainbow, but kept her eyes fixed on the empty pie tin. Rainbow quirked her lip. "What's wrong, Applejack?" 

Applejack looked back up, her expression showing nothing but the usual passive content that she had. "Nothing. Why'd you think otherwise?" 

She didn't really have an answer. It was more of a feeling. There was no way to bring it up to her without sounding weird, so she decided to drop it. "No reason. Just thought I'd ask.” She searched for something in Applejack's eyes, but all her friend did was blink. 

"So, what brings you back up?" Applejack was smart to change the subject. There was mostly just awkward blinking happening. 

"Oh, I came up with Big Mac. Just wanted to check in, you know?" Rainbow Dash leaned on the table casually, trying to convey some sense of normality. 

If Applejack saw through it, she didn't show it. "Big Mac, huh?" She teasingly wiggled her eyebrows. "You're not looking to mess around with him, right?" Even though she was joking, it also sounded like a threat. 

"Of course not!" Rainbow's cheeks flushed as she looked away. "He's your brother, I wouldn't do that. Besides, he's with Sugar Belle. I stick to single ponies." She motioned at herself. "Element of loyalty, remember?" 

Applejack ducked her head. "Yeah, that's true." She looked at the ground. "I just don't get how you can fool around with ponies you don't even like." 

Rainbow chuckled awkwardly once. "Well it's not like I don't like them," she stated as she rubbed her hoof on her mane. 

"I meant like them. More than friends." Applejack seemed to blush as she spoke, but Rainbow couldn't really tell since she looked off to the side. 

"Oh. Yeah, I don't think I've ever liked anypony. It's not that I don't want to date, but I guess I just haven't had time." Rainbow shrugged in indifference. "I mean, if I ever did, then that'd be totally cool, but for now I'm not tied down to anyone." And if she ever was, she'd stop. She knew that.

Applejack frowned for a moment, but then shook it off. "Well, you do you, I guess. As long as you're not hurtin' anypony." She smiled weakly. 

Rainbow nodded. The conversation died as soon as Spitfire left, and Rainbow found herself wishing that her former Wonderbolt companion had never left. She cast a side-eyed glance to the barn door, and she wanted to leave. But something had Applejack down, and she felt like she just had to ask. She thought about what she was going to say carefully. 

But Applejack beat her. "Hey, Dash?" 

"Yeah?" 

Applejack was quiet. She shook her head. "Never mind, it was silly." 

Rainbow pressed her lips together. "You sure? I bet it wasn't silly, and you know you can talk to me." 

"I know." There was a pause as Applejack looked back and forth at something on the ceiling. "What do you do when the pony you like doesn't like you back?" 

Well, that was unexpected. Rainbow just gave her a weird look before getting to think about it. "Well, I mean, first you need to be sure that this pony doesn't like you back." She looked at Applejack. "Do you know that for sure? Or are you guessing?"

Applejack looked Rainbow directly in the eye. "Oh, I'm pretty sure." She almost sounded angry, but Rainbow didn't know why. 

The only pony that Applejack could be talking about had to be Spitfire, right? If that was the case, then there was reason to believe that it was mutual. "Why do you say that? I think she likes you back, you know." 

Applejack looked more confused than anything. "What?" 

"Spitfire totally digs you, AJ." Rainbow winked at Applejack, who frowned for a moment before bursting out in laughter. 

"You thought – You… Spitfire?" Applejack managed to get words out between her laughter before taking a few deep breaths to control herself. "Rainbow Dash, I don't like Spitfire." She gave her a warm smile. "Oh hayseed, you're so dense." 

Rainbow crossed her hooves. "Dense? Why would you say I'm dense?" She blew her mane out of her face, feeling thoroughly embarrassed by the ordeal. "You two were totally vibing, what was I supposed to think?" 

Applejack furrowed her eyebrows for a second. "We really only became friends today," she pointed out. Her moment of seemingly random upsetness didn't seem to last long, though. Applejack shook her head with a grin. "Y'know, I think I got my answer. I can just enjoy the good moments." 

Rainbow Dash smiled past her initial annoyance. No matter how embarrassed she felt for guessing incorrectly, there was something about Applejack's laughter that was infectious. "Well, shit. If it isn't Spitfire, then who is it?" She punched Applejack on the shoulder firmly, but still soft enough to just be friendly. 

Applejack shoved her in return. "There ain't no way I'm telling you that, ya hear?" She chuckled at the offended look on Rainbow's face. "Can't have you and your big mouth telling everypony." 

"Would you have told me I was right if it was Spitfire?" 

"Maybe, but it ain't, and that's all that matters." Applejack took a deep breath before smiling. "Even if the pony I like doesn't like me, she makes me happy, and that's all I need anyhow."

Rainbow scrunched her face. "Ew, don't get all sentimental on me here, AJ." She stuck her tongue out at Applejack who rolled her eyes. "I mean, I know that it must be weird to like a pony instead of being in love with an apple tree, but come on." 

Applejack shot daggers at Rainbow Dash with her eyes, but her mouth was still smiling. "Hey, maybe if you developed actual emotions once in a while, you'd get it." 

"Emotions are for eggheads," Rainbow retorted. "The day you see me catching feelings is the day the world ends." 

Applejack snorted and opened her mouth to shoot something back at her, but there was a loud rumble before anything was said. They both shot to their hooves, looking at the barn doors and outside. The ponies in the area all stood still in eerie silence as they looked out the door as well. 

For a moment, there was silence. Rainbow thought it was far too quiet. She could hear the blood roaring in her ears, she could hear Applejack's breathing. She could hear the wind through the trees. 

She could hear approaching screaming. Wait, screaming? Rainbow narrowed her eyes at two approaching figures, one running and one flying from the path leading out of the entrance of the farm. Trixie was running, scared out of her mind, and Soarin followed closely next to her. He must have been flying slower to make sure Trixie was okay because he could have been going a lot faster. 

Trixie ran right into the barn and threw herself on the floor. Her fur was dirty, her hat had a hole blasted through the top of it and she had scuff marks and burns around her body. Soarin didn't look much better as he landed and gasped for breath while he looked desperately behind him. 

Everypony in the area, including some who were leaving the tunnel, ran over near them. Neither of them seemed to be able to speak. 

Trixie stood up on trembling hooves. "The… The Great and… TERRIFIED Trixie wanted… she saw… I saw…" 

"They're coming!" Soarin interrupted, his voice desperate and shrill. "We tried to stop them but they were too strong! They broke through the barrier!" 

Rainbow Dash looked over to Applejack, who looked at her with a frown. Nopony moved for a moment. There was another stillness in the air, save for Soarin and Trixie who shook where they stood and gasped for breath. 

Then, another rumble, and smoke rose in the distance. Everypony screamed and began to run to the tunnel as Rainbow, Applejack, Soarin, and Trixie stayed. Spitfire came back, alongside her was Starlight, who ran to Trixie's side to make sure she was okay. 

Rarity and Fluttershy followed, looking surprised and worried. Fluttershy still looked sick. Fleetfoot flew in and landed next to Rainbow Dash, and Big Mac stood behind Applejack. Zecora came quickly as well and sported a sash that held different types of potions. Lightning Dust hovered above them, with Bulk Biceps flanking her. 

They all stood in a line in front of the barn and held their ground. Rainbow wanted to believe that they would be ready to face anything that came their way, and so she looked to each side of her for reassurance. Seeing her friends must help. 

Instead, she saw Trixie and Soarin who were already hurt. She saw Fluttershy who was sick, and Applejack who was exhausted. She saw Pinkie Pie, who appeared out of nowhere, with the unhappiest expression she'd ever seen from her. And, she saw herself, who was already tired of living. 

She snapped her head forward, having a hard time believing it would be okay. And what she saw next did not help at all. Twilight appeared first and flew in with a maniacal smile. Behind her was every pony she had reclaimed from them. Their friends. Thunderlane, Cloud Chaser, and Ditzy were among them. Ditzy. 

The most disturbing thing was who flew in next to her. She was flanked by the other princesses. Luna, Celestia, and even Cadance, although neither of them looked right. All of their sclerae were glowing red. As Rainbow processed this, the moon rose in the middle of the day and met the sun at the top of the sky. A solar eclipse. A deep red hue fell over everypony. Because of course they would do that. 

Twilight's horn glowed magenta as she set off another explosion just in front of the barn. The ponies around Rainbow Dash ducked for cover and protected themselves from the rubble. But Rainbow did not move. She let herself be hit by the shrapnel, several cuts appeared along her face, but she still didn't move. She was not afraid. 
> Party's Over
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It must have been really late by the time everyone finally got outside. The fall temperature was a lot chillier in the night than they were prepared for, and yet the alcohol flowing through their bloodstreams kept them warm. Some warmer than others. 

"Woooh!" Applejack stumbled forward and bumped into Sunset's back. She chuckled and grabbed onto her back to keep herself from falling. "Sorry 'bout that. I musta forgotten my sea legs." 

Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes. "We aren't on a boat, AJ." She grabbed Applejack by both shoulders and kept her steady in front of her. Sunset irritably looked at Rainbow Dash, who was a bit tipsy but seemed a lot better than Applejack. "I thought you were going to keep her under control." 

Rainbow held up her hands in the air next to her head. "Hey, I was watching her the whole time, except for literally ten minutes." She walked forward and poked Applejack in the arm. "Next thing I know, she's in a drinking contest with someone I have never seen before," she explained with that tone of voice that usually meant she was lying in some capacity. 

Sunset shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, well it doesn't matter anymore." She looked around to make sure her friends were all still there. Everyone was in various stages of soberness, from Twilight’s near-complete sobriety to Applejack's complete drunkenness. It was a disaster. "Can someone call a cab?" 

Twilight, who was already on her phone, nodded. "On it." She dialed a number on her phone and held it up to her ear. "Hello? Yeah, hi, can I get a cab?" She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the voice. "What? Yes, the late-night fee is fine. Yes, we have cash." She glanced over to Sunset who rolled her eyes in understanding. "Can you get a cab here as soon as possible?" 

As Twilight kept arguing with whatever poor guy was stuck on phone duty that late at night, Sunset looked over her friends. "Okay, we can head back to my place since it's the closest one to here, other than Rarity's, but I don't have to worry about keeping everything tidy." 

Rarity nodded, a pleased smile on her face. 

Fluttershy leaned on Rainbow, who kept glancing at Applejack with an annoyed glare. "Um, are you sure? We can just go back home if you want." 

Sunset shook her head. "No way. It'd be a bad idea to split up right now. Plus, I know the perfect cure to a hangover, so it'd be beneficial to you if you stayed." 

Rarity clapped her hands. "That sounds just perfect, darling! I can't wait to get back." She rummaged through her purse and took out a pocket mirror and frowned at her reflection. 

"Heh, darling," Applejack echoed. "I like that word." She continued to repeat the word, enunciating it differently each time. Rainbow groaned in annoyance, while Rarity just smiled, half in annoyance. 

Sunset absolutely hated being one of the more sober ones. She probably drank as much as Applejack, probably even more, and she was just tipsy. Curse my ability to handle alcohol! 

"Okay, I finally got the cab company to send a cab our way," Twilight groaned as she put away her phone. "I don't know why it was so hard, it's his job." 

Applejack lunged forward, landing on Rarity who nearly slapped her in her attempt to catch her. It was almost funny if it wasn't for the fact that they both almost fell backwards. Or maybe that made it even more humorous. 

Applejack frowned at Twilight. "Jobs are hard work, ya know. I work on the farm every day and it ain't easy." 

Rarity patted Applejack on the head, adjusting her hat to sit neatly on it. "We know, dear." She moved Applejack to stand next to her instead of in front of her and put an arm around her waist for support. 

Sunset's eyelid twitched. "Okay, this is a disaster. The cab better come soon." She turned to the road, watching for any activity, but other than other party-goers who disturbed the peace, there was no taxi in sight. 

Twilight narrowed her eyes and looked out into the road. "Wait, I think that's the taxi!" 

Sunset looked in the direction that Twilight pointed to see a yellow van with a glowing toplight displaying the company logo on the top of it. "Thank God." 

The taxi pulled up as Sunset waved at it. The driver rolled down the passenger side window and eyed the group. Sunset smiled meekly. "Look, we just really need a ride. It's not far, but some of us," she glanced at Applejack, "are not suited to walk right now." 

The driver shrugged and motioned for them to get in. Fluttershy and Twilight sat in the back. Rainbow Dash looked at Sunset expectantly, but Sunset shook her head. "Nope, I need to sit closer to the driver so I can tell him where to go. One of you needs to sit back there." 

Rainbow smiled awkwardly. "I'd love to but—" 

"I want to sit next to Rarity and Rainbow Dash!" Applejack whined as she grabbed both of them by the arm and brought them closer to her. She pouted at Sunset. 

Sunset rubbed her temple. She was not drunk enough for this. "Okay, so you three sit in the back and I'll sit up front with Fluttershy and Twi." 

Rarity shook her head. "I cannot stand sitting in the back of the car. It makes me feel ill, and having ingested alcohol will certainly not help my case." Applejack nodded in agreement, sticking out her tongue with a frown. Rainbow shrugged, seemingly indifferent. 

"Oh my fucking… Okay, fine. We'll do it your way." Sunset climbed in first, followed by Rarity, then Applejack, then Rainbow. It was incredibly uncomfortable. Sunset was pressed up on the window as Applejack wrapped her arms around Rarity and Rainbow Dash's necks. They both rolled their eyes, but a hint of a smile betrayed them. Sunset was just annoyed. 





Sunset rubbed her shoulder as she got out of the car. At least they were home, or nearly there. She didn't live on campus, but she had an apartment to herself, which was nice. She said her thanks to the driver, and apologized for Applejack's rendition of "A Hundred Jugs o' Cider on the Wall". The driver repressed a laugh and drove away. 

They stood in the elevator, Applejack down to eighty-four jugs on the wall. Sunset was ready to call it a day, and it seemed that Fluttershy and Rarity were in agreement. Twilight mentioned wanting to study how Applejack was responding to the alcohol for science. Sunset shrugged it off as Twi being Twi. 

And finally, they were inside. Sunset shut the door behind them with a sigh of relief. Of course, nothing was ever as good as it seemed. Rainbow Dash ran to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. Fluttershy ran in behind her, murmuring assurances and closed the door to the bathroom. If Rainbow had drunk enough to warrant throwing up, she certainly didn't show it before. 

Applejack, who certainly showed it, passed out on the couch she had chosen to throw herself on as soon as they got in. Rarity frowned at Applejack's intoxicated state, but still sat on the floor near her head, rubbing her cheek with a worried expression. Twilight sat on the loveseat adjacent to the two and looked at her phone, but occasionally glanced up at them. 

And Sunset was definitely not drunk enough for this. She contemplated popping open her own bottle of rum but decided that it was better for her to stay sober. The thought was extremely tempting, though. While she gave it a second thought, she heard a buzzing come from the counter in the kitchen. She walked over to it, not sure if it was real, or her head being fuzzy from the alcohol. 

It was the book. Sunset had never felt more glad to be receiving a message. She loved talking to Princess Twilight and all, but she desperately needed a distraction from the mess that happened behind her. She opened up the book to the most recent page as words started to appear. 

Dear Sunset Shimmer, 

I know we talked recently, but there's been something on my mind for the past few days. I recently came across a book about dark magic and the content seemed somewhat familiar. Don't take this the wrong way, but it reminded of that time back in your Canterlot when you took my crown. The book contained a spell that claimed to give the user more power. 

That was definitely not something that Sunset was expecting. She was reading it correctly, right? 

Don't worry! I didn't use it, I'm not stupid. No offense. But now I've been hearing a voice in my head. 

A pause. Was that it? Because if so, then Sunset was extremely worried. Hearing voices was never good. 

Okay, I know that sounds weird, but it's not really my voice, although it sounds like it. I don't know how to explain it, and I don't know how to get rid of it. Does it sound familiar to you at all? You might be better versed in this topic. 

Your friend, Twilight Sparkle

Sunset blinked, trying to process what she had just read. Whatever tiny effect the alcohol had on her completely cleared up. The shock and confusion were sobering, literally. 

She looked at the digital clock on the counter, then grinned at the book. Leave it to Twilight to stay up reading, even if it seemed to be a slightly concerning subject matter. 

Twilight, you do know it's like three in the morning, right? 

Anyway, it's fine, I just came back from a party so you didn't wake me. 

While I can't say I'm completely sure I know what you're talking about, I can recognize the warning signs. If you still have the book, I recommend you get rid of it or destroy it. I think it might be affecting you somehow, and you'd better stop it before it gets out of hand hoof. The last thing Equestria needs is someone as powerful as you getting messed up by some dark magic. 

By the way, what's the book called? Maybe I've heard of it. 

SS. 

Sunset put her pen down next to the book and turned around, knowing that it would take a little while for Twilight to respond. She watched the scene in front of her. Applejack remained on the couch and drooled onto her throw pillow. Mental note, take that pillow to the dry cleaner. Rarity leaned her head back on the cushion, and Applejack's hand rested on her shoulder. Sunset couldn't help but smile. 

She looked further to the right. Rainbow and Fluttershy exited the bathroom, Fluttershy let Rainbow lean on her, and they both looked relieved. Sunset knew exactly how relieving, and horrible, it felt to throw up after a long night. Twilight remained on the loveseat, halfway into one of Sunset's books. How she even read that fast, Sunset would never understand. 

The book buzzed behind her after a few moments, and Sunset turned to read it. Despite it being so late, she was at her full attention. Twilight needed her help, and Sunset just had a bad feeling about the whole thing. 

I can't say I'm surprised that you were out this late. I was just doing some late-night reading, which probably isn't that surprising to you either. 

I thought about your idea to get rid of the book, but I realized that there's so much I still haven't learned, and while I don't plan on using the knowledge, it's still good to have. Besides, I don't want the book getting into the wrong hooves or anything. I'll just keep it with me in the meantime. 

I won't let the situation escalate, and if it does get out of control, I promise I will get rid of it and ask for help. My friends are pretty great, as you know. Nothing bad will happen, so there's no need to worry. 

Speaking of friends, how is everything over at CHS? Any news? 

The first thing Sunset noticed was that Twilight avoided the question about the book's name. Or maybe she forgot. It was for certain that she was trying to change the subject though, but Sunset decided it would be better not to push it. Twilight was always a capable pony, after all. Definitely smarter than Sunset when it came to these things. 

She chuckled at Twilight's message still and appreciated her curiosity in their friends’ lives. She looked around the room, and everything was calm, although it was the type of calm that was somehow even more draining than the storm. The TV was now on; the only ones who watched were Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. It was mostly infomercials though. 

Twilight was now on a different book. Sunset was sure that there was no way she was actually reading. Nobody could read that fast, it would be preposterous. She shrugged and pulled out her phone. It was definitely way too late to text anyone. The only people who would ever be awake were the people at the party, and Sunset decided that she had enough drunk energy between Applejack and Rainbow Dash to warrant not texting anyone. 

Still, her phone buzzed. She checked the notifications but found nothing. In a moment of confusion, she opened her email, her messaging app, and all of her social medias. Nothing new. The buzz continued, though. 

"Oh! I'm so stupid," Sunset muttered to herself. She turned to the book, nearly slapping herself in the face. "What else would it be?" Maybe she was a bit drunker than she thought. 

An arm slung around her shoulder as a lot of weight suddenly threatened to bring her down. "Who are ya talking to?" 

Sunset took a moment longer to place the voice than she did to turn to actually look at the person it came from. "Applejack? Weren't you just asleep on my couch?" I think I preferred it that way. 

Applejack nodded eagerly, unaware of Sunset's unenthusiastic tone. "Yup! Good power nap's all I needed, though." She swung her arms from side to side as if to accentuate her point. 

Sunset took a deep breath. "Okay, well I'm talking to Twilight—" 

"Twilight?" Applejack expressed loudly. Twilight looked up from the book she read, which could not possibly be another different one. Did Sunset even own that many books? "Now, Sunset, I think ya had too much alcohol. Twi's right there!" She pointed at Twilight who rolled her eyes and looked back down at the book. 

Sunset bit her lip in frustration. "Not that Twilight. Princess Twilight." She gestured to the book. "It's important, so you should go back and sit with Rarity. She seems to miss you, I think." She looked over to Rarity, who was asleep on the floor in a sitting position with her head on the cushion.

Applejack snorted. "Rarity don’t need me," she argued. "Besides, I wanna say hi to the other Twilight." 

Sunset shook her head as she decided to open the book. "I need to respond to her." 

She picked the pen back up, tapping it against her chin for a moment, then began to write. Applejack stared intently at her. 

If you think you can handle it, I believe you. Just be careful, it's easy to get carried away with magic. I would know. 

Things are pretty good over here. We don't go to the same college, but all of our schools are pretty close together, so we get to hang out a lot. I think high school graduation was the lamest thing I've ever been to, but the rest of the girls seemed to have fun which is all that matt

Sunset was forced off her feet by Applejack, who despite her drunken state, was still a lot stronger than Sunset. Applejack took the pen from her hand and began to scrawl in the notebook as her tongue slid out of her mouth in concentration. 

hoooowdyyyyy! its applejack. how you be

"Applejack!" Sunset shoved an unsuspecting Applejack over and caused her to stumble, cutting her off mid-sentence. Sunset wrestled with her for the pen for a moment and eventually won once Applejack got bored. 

Sunset sat on Applejack's torso on the kitchen floor. Applejack laid under her, an upset look on her face as her arms laid crossed over her chest. Sunset put her hands on her face, taking another deep breath as she gathered herself. "Rarity!" 

There was a shuffling sound accompanied by a startled squeak. "Y-Yes, darling?" 

"Could you come get your girlfriend?" 

Rarity groaned as she walked up to the situation. Applejack grinned widely at Rarity from the floor. Rarity did not return the smile. She sighed instead and ushered Sunset off of Applejack and forced Applejack to get up. "Come on, dear. You're far too drunk to be here. I insist on taking you home now." 

Applejack snorted. "Rares… You can't just say that in front of Sunset!" She motioned to Sunset with her head. 

Rarity blinked once, her cheeks tinted with red. "Applejack." She shook her head. "My word, whatever shall I do with you," she muttered. 

Applejack shrugged, mumbling something under her breath that caused Rarity to slap her softly on the chest. Applejack laughed in return as they approached the door. They both turned to face everyone. 

"We'll be off now. I trust we will see each other tomorrow, then?" Rarity glanced at Sunset. "You must save some hangover cure for Applejack. She's going to need it." 

Sunset flashed her a thumbs up. "Sure thing, no problem." 

"Well, then au revoir." Rarity waved at everyone with one arm wrapped around Applejack. 

"That's fancy for goodbye," Applejack whispered loudly at everyone. "See y'all later!" With that, the two of them left and left the apartment in a much quieter state. 

Everyone shrugged and went back to doing what they were doing. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took the couch that had been left open since the others' departure and flipped through TV channels. Twilight seemed to be materializing books from out of nowhere, and Sunset turned back to the journal, drawing a line through what Applejack wrote with a slight smile. 

Sorry about that, Applejack stole my pencil. I think she had too much to drink. I managed to get Rarity to take her back to her place, though. 

I promise we're responsible. 

She shook her head in amusement and turned away from the book. She scrolled through SnapGab. Most of her feed was filled with blurry pictures of the same party. She rolled her eyes and opened the camera app instead. The mystery as to where her phone had been during the party was resolved as she scrolled through an apparently endless supply of Rainbow Dash and Applejack selfies. It seemed that Rainbow was the one enticing Applejack to drink. Figures.

She heard a buzz, which actually happened to be her phone that time. She opened her messaging app to a message from Pinkie Pie. She was sorry to have missed the party and wished she could have fought off laryngitis quicker. Attached was a picture of her laying in bed with a wink and a thumbs up. The lighting suggested her lights were off, but flash was used to take the photo. Sunset asked her why in the world she was still awake, and Pinkie simply replied with "Reasons." 

Sunset forced Pinkie Pie to go to sleep after a ten-minute phone call which was mostly her as she spoke sternly into the phone and Pinkie being silent since she couldn't respond. Sunset hung up the phone and placed it on the counter. She decided it was enough for the day, and turned back to the book. Too much time had passed, and Twilight probably started to get worried. 

Except that there was no response. Sunset was the one who was worried instead, but not much. Maybe Twilight was still thinking of something to say? 

Twilight. 

No response. She still wasn't worried. 

Twilight? 

Still no response. 

Twilight! 

Did you fall asleep? 

Twi?

Did the book do something? 

I'm kidding by the way. 

Unless it was the book. 

I hope you're just asleep. 

Just as Sunset was actually starting to get worried, the book buzzed again. Sunset watched in relief as words started to appear quickly. Maybe she was just a bit worried all along. 

Sunset! Sorry! I got distracted. Not asleep, in fact, I'm more awake than ever. 

That was a relief, if not a bit concerning. Why was Twilight wide awake anyway? Late night studying session, probably, but that was a bit excessive.

Sounds like a fun party, although I can't imagine Applejack drinking. I'm glad that you guys are still friends, you definitely look out for each other. To be honest, I would have thought that you'd be the first to get wasted. 

Are Rarity and Applejack still dating? I can't imagine them getting together here. They're always at each other's tails. 

Despite Sunset’s worry, she couldn’t stop the smile that grew on her face. She didn’t know much about the pony versions of Applejack and Rarity other than what Twilight had told her, but they certainly seemed like they bickered a lot more than their human counterparts. Twilight assured her that they were in fact friends, they just knew how to push each other’s buttons. Kind of like this world’s Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Sunset noted.

It was interesting to see the similarities and the differences between both worlds. Both versions of each person were very similar, appearance-wise and personality-wise, although they still had differences. The main difference that Sunset could notice based on her limited knowledge of the pony versions of her friends is their relationships with one another. In both worlds, they were all close friends, but some pairings got along differently in one world compared to the rest. Maybe someday she could go back to Equestria to make proper notes of the discrepancies. 

In the meantime, she figured she should probably respond to Princess Twilight. Her body slowly began to feel more tired, despite her attempts at the opposite. She turned around to face her friends, who had now fallen asleep on the couch and used each other as pillows. Sunset sighed and walked over, grabbing a blanket off of the side and threw it on top of them.

“So, can I stay here tonight?” 

Sunset flipped around and stared at Twilight who stared back at her and adjusted her glasses. “Twi. Oh my God. You scared me.”

Twilight giggled, putting her phone beside her. “Sorry, I have a habit of doing that. People always forget I’m there because sometimes I’m so quiet,” she noted. “I mean, I got really dragged into your books.”

Sunset quirked her head. “Oh yeah, I wanted to ask. Every time I looked over you seemed to have a new book. Do you speed read or skim or..?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m just really good at reading.”

“Right.” Sunset looked over at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who were still asleep. Rainbow Dash let out a snore and Fluttershy mumbled something in response. Sunset turned back to Twilight. “Uh, so I guess they’ve got the couch. You can sleep on my bed, and I’ll take the floor.”

Twilight tapped on the arm of the couch with her fingers. “Well, if you want, that’s fine. I don’t want to be a bother though.”

Sunset waved her hand dismissively. “You aren’t, trust me. I’d say we could share the bed, but honestly, it’s barely comfortable enough for just me.” She rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed by her cheap bed. 

Twilight smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it, really. Thanks for the offer. Now, you should probably get back to the other Twilight before it gets too late,” she suggested as she pointed at the book on the kitchen counter.

“Oh right.” Sunset chuckled. “Thanks.” She walked back over to the book and picked up the pen.

Someone’s gotta take care of our friends, right? Figured it’d be me tonight, even though Rarity and Fluttershy are both perfectly fine. And Twi, but she’s kinda doing her own thing really.

And yeah, they are still dating. Team Rarijack for the win! I don’t know about the pony versions of them, but here they are perfect for each other. They squabble a bit, but who doesn’t? They get through it pretty quickly and come out even stronger yet. 

She continued writing about all her friends and filled Twilight in on the happenings in the human dimension, while Twilight filled her in on the happenings in Equestria. At that point, Sunset decided she had to go back to Equestria for a visit sometime. 
> The Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The portal was closed. As if the world was actively trying to ruin her day, the portal was closed. Since when did it even close? It was usually open when Twilight and Sunset weren’t talking, and they hadn’t been talking. She wanted to surprise her friend in Equestria, and she was sure the portal would be open, but it wasn’t. Her hand pressed on smooth stone, her reflection stared back at her with a look of disappointment. She was disappointed, for sure, and kind of annoyed. This was the perfect time to go visit Equestria. It had been a year and a half since she last wrote to Twilight. 

Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. She wrote to Twilight, but Twilight rarely wrote back, and when she did, it was short sentences and conversation stoppers. Sunset figured she must be busy with Princess duties, or the magical map inside of her castle. But it was still strange. They always made time to write to one another at least once a week, but it had been radio silence for months. If anything, that made her even more eager to check in on Equestria. What if something was wrong? What if Twilight was in trouble? 

She thought about the last time the portal opened on its own and calculated 30 moons from that. It had been a few years ago, and according to her calculations, the portal should be opening again within the next week, and so she bided her time until then. She thought about all of the possible things that could be happening in Equestria, each more worrying than the last. If Twilight was in trouble, then what could Sunset Shimmer even do to help? She hadn’t used unicorn magic in years. Could she remember?

Of course she could, and she would. She was Princess Celestia’s prized student at some point for a reason, and if magic was anything like riding a bicycle, she would remember quickly. She had to. If she couldn’t, then was she ever really even good at magic? Her desire to learn more, to have more, brought her to this world, and her need to check in on her friends would bring her back. She snorted as she gazed at her reflection. Who would have thought? Sunset Shimmer having friends? Not even she would have ever guessed it, especially when she first abandoned her studies. If there’s anything this world had, it was surprises, and the biggest one of all might have been how much she would eventually change.

In the meantime, days passed and nights soared by. Sunset marked off her calendar until the first day the portal would open naturally. Her hopes were a rollercoaster, in the morning she would be hopeful that everything was fine and it was some kind of misunderstanding, and late into the night, she would be lying on her side with so much nausea from assuming the worst that she threatened to vomit. The in-between was somehow worse, though, just like on a real rollercoaster. Going up is scary, and the end of a drop is jarring, but the dropping is the worst part.

Finally, the day came when she had to make the trip back to her old high school again. She was almost worried the universe would fuck her over even more and somehow decide the portal just wouldn’t open, so she took in a deep breath and held it. She stuck out her hand and brought it closer to where the portal should be. She hesitated before touching it, her arm trembling with fear. With a frown, Sunset retracted her hand. She checked the saddlebag she awkwardly held in her arms with an embroidered image of her cutie mark on it. She still had some Equestrian bits, and the magic journal with her, just in case.

She took a moment to gather herself, steeling herself for the moment of truth. Nausea came back, and Sunset nearly backed out. But she knew this was important. Something inside her was telling her that she had to go through. She knew that Twilight was in trouble. So she reached out once again, her entire body tensed up in a protective state. She pushed through it and closed the space between her hand and the monument. Her hand didn’t stop though, it went through. The portal was opened.

Sunset nearly cheered in celebration but it was dark out and she didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. She smiled instead and braced herself for the horrible feeling of her body ceasing to exist and being overwhelmingly real at the same time. She walked through the portal, and the instantaneous moment felt like an eternity. She fell out of the other side, failing to catch herself with her hands. This was, of course, because she no longer had hands, she had hooves. Even though she had been expecting it, it was a shock. She rose to her feet, or hooves rather, and took an uneasy step forward. The room was eerily quiet, and the lights were off. Dust seemed to gather on the equipment Twilight built so she could open the portal at any time. Now she knew why the portal wasn’t open. Nobody had been in this room in forever. 

She put on her saddlebag awkwardly, still getting used to her new body. To say it was new was wrong though. She was still getting used to her original body. It almost felt like Sunset had been two different people somehow. She was completely different before going to human Canterlot, and the amount she had changed was basically a rebirth. She had lived two lives, and somehow, neither of them really felt right. She put the thought behind her. There was no time for existentialism. 

She raised a hoof to stroke her horn. It was strange, having another part of your body. It wasn’t like hair, though. She could feel it was there. It was new, and yet she was used to it. The feeling of magic coursing through your body was inexplicable, though. It was a surge of energy that was so vibrant and yet so dull at the same time, reminiscent of when she and her friends would ‘pony up’ except the feeling was constant and less defined. She could feel the magic flow like molasses through her body, it peaked at her horn where it seemed heavier, and reached her hooves where it seemed lighter. It was a strange feeling, and she could never put it into words. She definitely never noticed it before having gone to the human world though.

With the newfound familiar sense of magic in her body, she decided to remember how to use it. A simple levitation spell would do the trick, and so she took out a handful—or a hoofful, rather—of her bits from her bag and laid them out on the floor in front of her. She coerced the magic to focus at the tip of her horn, and focused it on one of the bits and made it float in the air. Child’s play. She lifted five at the same time and circled them around each other. It became progressively easier as she became re-accustomed to the sensation. She knew levitating was one of the simplest spells, though, but she was satisfied. She didn’t want to risk anything too noisy, after all. The bits glowed blue as she placed them back into her bag. 

Once she felt comfortable on her hooves, she walked quietly to the door. Something was off, she knew it, so she wanted to be as careful as possible. The door, despite her wishes, creaked loudly as she opened it. She winced and cursed at herself for not using magic to open it silently instead. She might have felt comfortable with her magic once again, but it still wasn’t second nature to her. She peeked out of the room and looked down both ends of the hallway. Luckily, it was empty, and it seemed that nopony heard her. She took a cautious step out of the room and this time used magic to shut the door behind her silently.  

It had been a while since she'd been inside Twilight’s castle, and it was just as confusing as ever. There were no indications of where one was heading, and no way of telling apart the hallways. Some were darker than others, and some were especially unused. The dust on the occasional floors were the only signs that Sunset had of where to go. She walked slowly, quietly, and carefully down the empty hallways. Something was definitely not right. Her hoofsteps were quiet, but the hallways were even more so. The echoes of her hooves hitting the hard floor were faint but made Sunset uneasy regardless. 

After what were the longest ten minutes of Sunset's life, she heard louder hoofsteps, hoofsteps that were not afraid to be heard. But Sunset was, so she ducked silently behind a wall. The hoofsteps reached about halfway down the hallway before stopping. There was a huff of exasperation, and then a stomp. 

"For the last time, there is nopony down there." 

Sunset froze. It couldn't be. But it sounded like it. But it couldn't be. She took her chances and looked around the corner where her eyes fell on the backside of a lavender pony. Not just any type of pony, however, an alicorn. It was unmistakably Twilight. Sunset wanted to run out to greet her and be glad she was okay, but her instincts glued her hooves to the floor and wired her jaw shut. 

"I'm not going to check," Twilight spoke again. Sunset narrowed her eyes and looked around the area where Twilight stood, but she seemed to be alone. There was no other voice to suggest somepony she couldn't see. "You can't make me." 

Who can't make you? Sunset frowned as confusion set in. She watched Twilight closely. The purple alicorn glared down the hallway at something that Sunset couldn't see, and then her entire body tensed for a second and then relaxed, although her posture changed. She stood straighter and her face was blank. 

When she spoke, it was wrong. It still sounded like Twilight, but sounded distorted, as if someone spoke over her. "I can make you do anything I want." A shudder went down Twilight’s body as she shook her head. "Don't do that," she demanded. Her voice was normal again, but a lot colder and angrier than Sunset had ever heard it be. 

Sunset clenched her jaw. Possession? She couldn't think of another explanation on the spot. Something was definitely wrong with Twilight, and if that was the case, then Twilight was probably what was wrong with Equestria. She had come to Equestria expecting to save Twilight from trouble. She hadn't expected Twilight to be the trouble. 

Sunset leaned forward more in an attempt to acquire a better view of Twilight in case there was something physically wrong with her. Her bag tilted and she turned her head fast enough to notice a bit sliding out of the pocket. It fell towards the floor, but before it could hit it, it was surrounded by a blue aura. Sunset bit her lip as she floated it back inside her bag and remembered to properly close the button. In hindsight, that was a mistake. The button clicked, and Sunset's head swiveled immediately to Twilight, whose ear flicked before her entire head turned at breakneck speed to glare in Sunset's direction. 

Sunset hissed inwardly and hid behind the wall again, but she knew she was too slow. The sound of the hoofsteps returned, but they were calm and leisurely. Sunset almost wished that they would be rushed and quick, somehow that seemed more appealing. She listened carefully and internally panicked about what to do. The hoofsteps grew closer and in a last-minute decision, she scrunched her face in concentration and shut her eyes. Her horn glowed for a moment and with an electrifying poof, she was gone. 

She was too afraid to open her eyes, but she knew she should. There was wind, which indicated she was outside, and the faint sound of leaves that rustled also tipped her off. Frozen in place, Sunset reluctantly opened one eye, then the next. She looked around and found she seemed to have teleported herself right outside of Twilight’s castle. It definitely was not as far as she had hoped to go, and she could only blame inexperience for the lack of refined magic. 

She didn't see any ponies, which was normal enough for Ponyville at night, but still, it felt wrong. Despite the time and the moon resting directly overhead, there ought to have been at least some ponies walking around and having fun, but there was nothing. No sounds, no anything. Sunset strained her ears and tried to catch any sound that would indicate that Ponyville was in fact inhabited but all she heard was the wind. 

And then, a single hoofstep. She nearly jumped, but upon realizing that it came from in the distance, she relaxed. It couldn't have been Twilight, and that meant that there was indeed somepony else alive! Sunset shook her head and told herself she was working herself up over nothing. She walked over to the origin of the noise and turned the corner and came face to face with another pony. She had a light lavender coat and a pale blue mane with white streaks in it. Her eyes were light purple and she sported a passive smile. Another rush of relief overcame Sunset. At least it isn't somepony intimidating. 

"Uh, do I know you?" The mare spoke while she tilted her head and frowned. "I don't think I've seen you around… You must be new. I'm Cloud Chaser." Cloud Chaser extended a hoof with a nervous smile. 

Sunset hesitated before raising her hoof to Cloud Chaser's for a hoofshake. "Sunset Shimmer." She took the opportunity to look around properly, her eyes more adjusted to the dark. "Where is everyone? I know it's the middle of the night, but it seems way too quiet." 

Cloud Chaser frowned. "What do you mean? Most ponies are patrolling. My station is over near the old Town Hall, but I came back to switch shifts. Did you not get your assignment yet?" She eyed Sunset and leaned in closer to take a good look at her eyes. Sunset noticed that the other mare's appeared to be bloodshot. 

Sunset swallowed dryly. The relief she felt upon initially meeting Cloud Chaser disappeared. There was definitely something wrong. "Patrolling?" She echoed. 

Cloud Chaser took a step back. "You must be really new. Who brought you in?" She looked over Sunset's body, making Sunset want to disappear again. But she needed answers. 

Sunset's mouth dried up. "Oh, I came here by myself," she said coolly. "I haven't gotten a chance to talk to anyb–pony yet, which is why I don't have an assignment." Fuck. That was a terrible lie. 

Cloud Chaser blinked, then perked up. "By yourself? Did you come from Sweet Apple Acres?" She rolled her eyes as she spoke the name of the Apples’ farm. Sunset nodded in the assumption that she wouldn't have to explain herself if she agreed. 

Cloud Chaser groaned and confirmed Sunset's suspicions as she kept talking. "I came from there too. They had me under some ridiculous illusion that they were doing what was best for everypony. I can't believe I bought into it," she spat as she laughed dryly. She took a deep breath and her laughter stopped abruptly. "That is until Dusk Sparkle showed me the path of righteousness. I never noticed how much in the darkness the rebellion was until Dusk Sparkle graciously brought me into her light." Her voice became almost monotone at the end. It sounded as if she was reading off of a script. 

Shivers ran down Sunset's back. She forced herself to remain calm, though. If she seemed creeped out by this, she'd be exposed for being out of place, and she didn't want to think about what could happen to her. She just nodded again and hoped that would prompt Cloud Chaser into speaking again. But she just looked at her in confused anticipation. Sunset quirked her head and Cloud Chaser's mouth opened, then shut as she stood up as perfect as a mannequin. Her eyes shut and she looked straight ahead. When her eyes opened again, her sclera dimly glowed red as she turned her gaze back on Sunset. Her irises glowed white against the red of her sclera. She wasn't at all taller than Sunset, but she all of a sudden held the aura of a tall, commanding pony. 

"Sunset Shimmer," a voice called. It came from Cloud Chaser, but it was not the voice she heard before. It was Twilight’s. "I thought you'd never come, although I'm surprised you're here and not with the pitiful rebels." 

Sunset didn't dare move and her voice came out in a whisper. "Twilight?" 

Cloud Chaser's body moved to fit the laugh that came from her throat. "It's Dusk Sparkle now, Sunset. I've changed. I've become better." 

Despite knowing that she could probably easily defeat this body, she was still afraid. Defeating Cloud Chaser would not defeat Twil—Dusk Sparkle. She racked her mind for a solution, anything she could do, but it came up blank. "What are you doing, Twilight? This isn't like you." 

Cloud Chaser frowned deeply, her eyes narrowed into slits before they flashed and they became normal again, although tinted an even deeper red than before. The mare collapsed forward onto the floor and stayed there. If Sunset couldn't see her breathing, she would have thought she was dead. 

Behind her was a snap. The unmistakable noise of teleportation. Sunset's heart dropped as she spun around faster than lightning. She was staring directly at a purple alicorn, although she seemed to be a few shades darker than what she normally looked like. Dusk Sparkle looked down on Sunset. Even with Sunset's taller than average height, Twilight still stood taller. Her face was cold and her eyes were the same as when Cloud Chaser's eyes changed. 

"I'm not Twilight Sparkle anymore. I'm Dusk Sparkle," the deep purple alicorn spoke. Her voice was distorted in the same way that Sunset had heard in the hallway before. "You shouldn't be here, and yet I'm not complaining." Dusk Sparkle took a step closer to Sunset, who glared in response. She looked the unicorn over, eyes deep in thought. "You will make a great addition to my army.”

Sunset shook her head, focusing on a large rock next to Dusk Sparkle. She concentrated all of her magical energy on it. "Why would I ever join you? You're not the Twilight I remember. You're not my friend," she growled. She launched the rock at Dusk Sparkle's head with all of her might. It traveled through the air as fast as Sunset could make it. 

There was no impact. The rock was encased in a magnificent magenta glow that completely snuffed the teal aura of Sunset's magic. The rock floated effortlessly next to Dusk Sparkle's ear. "You're right, I'm not your friend." Her ear flicked as the rock flew at Sunset in a blur. 

Sunset braced for impact, for what could very well be the sweet release of death, but the rock hit the ground inches away from her. She looked over, completely bewildered, and saw the rock lying in the ditch it had made on impact. Sunset's nostrils flared in a silent gasp. 

Dusk Sparkle was unbothered, glancing casually at the rock as the glow disappeared from her horn. "And you don't have a choice." She shot a beam of magic at Sunset, who even with the fastest of reactions, could not escape it. She shot up a last-second shield spell that immediately fell away, leaving her exposed. 

It hurt for a moment, immensely. Her head pounded with pain for a second, and her entire body was overwhelmed with a feeling Sunset could not describe. She screamed, but no sound came out. Her legs wobbled beneath her and threatened to give out, but still, she dug her hooves deeper into the dirt. A bright light overpowered her vision, even once she closed her eyes. 

And then, nothing. She opened her eyes again, feeling nothing. Sunset looked straight ahead at Dusk Sparkle, who grinned back at her. Sunset blinked and lowered herself to the floor in a bow. 

"I was in the dark until now," Sunset spoke. "Thank you for showing me the light, Dusk Sparkle."
> Snap Out Of It
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is bad. This is really bad. 

Rainbow stood in the middle of her friends. The dust settled around her which allowed her to see again. The cuts on her cheek stung, but they didn't bother her. She made sure that the ponies surrounding her were okay before glaring at Twilight and her army. 

"Why are you doing this Twilight?" Rainbow grimaced through her question. She knew it was futile, but she needed to buy time somehow. 

Twilight bared her teeth in a growl. "How many times do I have to say it? It's not Twilight anymore. I'm Dusk Sparkle!" She shot off another beam of magic at the group. This time, Rainbow braced herself, but the shot stopped short of them. 

She opened her eyes to see a glowing teal barrier in front of everypony as Starlight stood at the front. Rainbow’s eyes widened at her quick reaction and she shot her a nod which Starlight mirrored once the barrier fell again. They all turned their gaze to Dusk Sparkle who glared angrily at the group. The ponies surrounding her seemed to exchange a wordless compromise as they closed in on the group. They were nearly evenly matched in numbers, but Rainbow Dash knew that the other side had the upper hoof. How are we going to get out of this one?

Dusk Sparkle let out a loud cackle. "There's no point in fighting back! You're outmatched," she announced with a grin. The lighting made her appear even more sinister. 

Pinkie Pie bounded over to Rainbow Dash with a frown. “Dashie, do you see Maud? I don’t see her.” 

Rainbow Dash swallowed dryly and looked at the ponies that were actively closing in on the group. She shook her head at Pinkie, who trotted away with tears brimming in her eyes to ask somepony else. Rainbow glanced back at the ponies in front of them. They all had dimly glowing red eyes like the other princesses. She frowned, unsure of what to do. I can't hurt my friends, even if they're trying to hurt me. 

She was in a moral dilemma. Either she could let herself get clobbered by the opposition, or she could fight back but risk hurting her friends. It seemed that both options were equally disconcerting. In the end, though, she didn't have a choice, and she knew it. The only way to save her friends was to stop Dusk Sparkle, and the only way to do that would be to fight her friends. Maybe she could delay fighting them long enough to figure out another solution, though. 

"Don't hurt them! They're our friends, even if they're not acting like it right now," Rainbow commanded to the ponies that stood by her side. She looked at them to make sure they understood.

"Are ya sure? They ain’t gonna go easy on us," Applejack pointed out. "Besides, how are we gonna stop 'em if we can't fight 'em?" 

Rainbow Dash jumped out of the way of a lesser magical beam. "Just dodge their attacks and tire them out or something!" She snorted in exasperation. "I don't know! Just don't hurt them!" 

Everypony nodded nervously as they broke apart, forcing Dusk Sparkle's forces to separate as well. Rainbow took to the sky, trying to get a good view of everything. She kept an eye on Dusk Sparkle, who laughed maniacally again. 

"You know, when I said that there's no point in fighting back, I didn't think you'd actually take it to heart!" She shot a beam at Rarity, who put up a shield haphazardly, barely enough to stop it so she could move out of the way before the shield broke. "Oh well, you won't see me complaining. You're just making this easier for me!" She narrowed her eyes as she nodded to the princesses flanking her. 

The three princesses formed a line in front of Dusk Sparkle, and the four of them flapped their wings in unison. They all looked up to the sky, their horns beginning to glow and shoot a beam into the sky where their colours combined and formed a dome around the area. The dome glowed magenta and crept in on itself slowly. 

"I'd say you have about half an hour until the dome reaches the center point," Twilight warned as she broke apart from the other princesses. "If it touches you… Well, let's just say you won't have a problem with fighting your friends anymore." She cackled coldly. 

Rainbow Dash watched in panic as she saw the glowing dome moving in slowly. Everypony was forced closer together, but still far apart enough to keep engaging in one on one combat. Rainbow wasn't sure how long that'd last, though. She flew to the floor after deciding that she'd be of more use on the ground to help her friends if need be. She looked around wildly, unsure of what to do. Rarity was dodging fast punches from a flying Soarin, as Starlight faced a similar issue against Thunderlane who sat on a dark cloud several meters above the unicorn and shot lightning down where she stood. 

Everypony around her was engaged in combat, and Rainbow was overwhelmed. She heard somepony land behind her clumsily, uneven hoofsteps filling the air. She felt her muscles tighten as she turned around slowly. Rainbow's magenta eyes met cross-eyed yellow ones that dimly glowed red. She felt herself freeze in the presence of her friend. If only for a moment of pause, the gray pegasus smiled at her, and then lunged forward with uncharacteristic grace and threw a punch at Rainbow, who was too bewildered to dodge it. 

She stumbled backwards, confused and dazed by the strength of the punch. She shook her head and did a double-take. She was… strangely strong. Rainbow flexed her jaw, rubbing it with a hoof. "Ditzy?" 

Ditzy giggled blankly. "Hi, Rainbow Dash. It's so nice to see you, I was actually thinking about you recently." She took a step forward, Rainbow took a step back. "I was thinking about how you're still in the dark. I want to help you, you need to come into the light." She punctuated her sentence with a too-wide smile. 

Rainbow felt shivers go down her spine. This was extremely wrong. "I don't want to hurt you, Ditzy." She contemplated taking off into the sky, but the only ponies in the sky were all of the princesses, and she figured she'd rather take her chances with Ditzy. "You gotta snap out of it!" 

Ditzy threw another punch, the smile on her face not disappearing as she laughed softly. Rainbow managed to dodge it this time, but Ditzy was unfazed. "But I don't want to. I don't know how to explain it, but Dusk Sparkle has allowed me to make so many friends," she told her, putting emphasis on the last word. 

Rainbow Dash frowned. "You were already friends with everypony here!" She jumped out of the way of a beam of magic from Dusk Sparkle. "What Twil—Dusk Sparkle is doing is wrong. She's brainwashing you!" 

Ditzy stumbled as she took a step forward. "She's going to show all of Equestria her light! She will be the saviour!" 

Rainbow Dash shook her head wildly. "What?" She just about yelled the word as she stood her ground. "What the buck are you talking about?" She took a step closer to Ditzy, who took a step back, her face flashing confusion.

Rainbow took another step forward. Ditzy's mouth was closed in a tight line, edging on a frown. The blue pegasus inched closer. "Ditzy, please you gotta snap out of it." She looked down at her friend who stared at the floor. "You're the best mailpony Ponyville could ask for! You're super nice and you make sure to have a chat with everypony you deliver the mail to." She put a hoof on Ditzy's shoulder. "You have to snap out of it. For us?" 

Ditzy shuddered for a second and looked up to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes flickered, turning their normal colour. "Rainbow Dash?" She blinked forcefully and brought a hoof to her head and shook it. When she opened her eyes, they glowed red again. She stood up quickly and pushed Rainbow Dash back. "No! You won't ruin everything Dusk Sparkle has done for me!" She took a step back from Rainbow and turned away. 

The sky blue pegasus gasped softly. What just happened? She replayed the events in her head, even though they just happened. She talked to Ditzy, and she seemed to momentarily snap out of it. Progress was made, and suddenly Rainbow Dash realized that she found the alternative answer she was looking for. 

But first, she had to make sure it actually worked. She trotted over to Ditzy who scowled at her. It was strange to see that expression from the gray pegasus, but Rainbow hoped it wouldn't be for long. She stood in front of her path resolutely. "Come on, aren't you supposed to fight me?" 

Ditzy's mouth twitched. She rammed in Rainbow's direction, but Rainbow swiftly stepped aside. "Come on, Derpy. You can do better than that!" She grinned, putting her plan into action. Remind her of her training. She loved it. 

Rainbow clapped her hooves together once, catching Ditzy's attention. "Too slow," she stated. "Try it again, but faster." She stood in front of Ditzy, a challenge flashing in her eyes. 

Ditzy inhaled sharply and ran forward again, but as Rainbow dodged, she changed directions to where Rainbow moved and caught her off guard. With an oof, Rainbow staggered back. "Nice job! You're getting it!" She regained her hoofing and shot a proud smile at Ditzy. 

Ditzy's face twitched again, but this time a smile found its way onto her face. She blinked and her eyes became normal again. With a confused expression replacing her previous proud one, Ditzy cocked her head. "What? Rainbow Dash? Where am I?" She raised a hoof to her head and rubbed her mane. "Oh goodness, did I crash again? I really need to get better at flying," she muttered to herself. 

Rainbow would have laughed. Really, she would have. But she was too busy blinking tears out of her eyes for an astonishing couple of short moments. She finally shot forward and grabbed Ditzy by the shoulders with her hooves. "Ditzy! You're back!" 

Ditzy blinked, her face not changing from the smile she nearly always had. "Huh? What do you mean?" The smile, of course, was demonstrative of Ditzy's confusion. Well, at least Rainbow knew she was back to normal. "I didn't go anywhere. At least, I don't think I did."

Rainbow shook her head, still smiling. "Long story, but you were captured by Dusk Sparkle." She chuckled awkwardly. "But you're back now! And I need your help." 

Ditzy nodded, seemingly unbothered by the previous revelation. "Okay! So what are we doing?" She looked around, her eyes widening at the scene developing around them. "Wow, that doesn't look good." 

“It isn’t. Our friends are brainwashed, we need to make them come back.” She nodded towards Ditzy. “I wasn’t sure how to do it at first, but then I got you out of it.” She led the yellow maned mare to cover behind a pile of rubble. “I think if you can remind them of who they really are, then they’ll come around,” she pointed out. “I’m not completely sure, but it’s worth a shot. I know you're friends with everypony here. You have to help me. I know you can."

Ditzy nodded as her smile softened. "Okay! I'll do my best!" She hoof bumped Rainbow who grinned, instilled with a newfound confidence and for the first time in a long time, real hope. Ditzy trotted off, and judging by the lack of fire from Dusk Sparkle, successfully tricked everypony into thinking she was still brainwashed. As long as her friends knew it was her, it would be fine. 

Rainbow allowed Ditzy to make a getaway before she'd have to blow her cover. Ditzy ran up to Rarity and Soarin and for a second, Rarity's face flashed with panic, but Ditzy said some words to her. Rarity looked over quickly at Rainbow Dash, who nodded. Rarity dodged one of Soarin's attacks and stood next to Ditzy, her mouth opening and closing with words Rainbow couldn't hear. Soarin didn't seem to let up much, though. 

Rainbow ran over, hoping she could help bring Soarin back. She jumped out of the way of some rubble from another explosion that Dusk Sparkle caused. Up close, Rarity looked a lot more defeated than she did from afar. She conjured up another sloppy shield, barely deflecting Dusk Sparkle's beam. Rainbow Dash knew that Rarity’s magic was never really the type for fighting, and despite her best efforts, even a simple shield proved difficult for the seamstress. It seemed Soarin knew that as well and took it as an opportunity to swoop in. 

Before he could get to Rarity, though, Rainbow flew in like a flash, knocking Soarin out of the sky. He was definitely a much more formidable opponent than Ditzy was, and it took all of her concentration to keep him on the floor. He writhed furiously under her, spitting like a rabid animal. Rainbow winced and tried to keep him from hurting himself. 

"Soarin, come on. You gotta snap out of it," Rainbow pleaded. "We need your help to make everything normal again." Rainbow was much more tired this time than with Ditzy. She had a feeling it'd be a lot more difficult to break Soarin out of whatever spell he was under than it had been to free Ditzy. 

The gray mare stood next to Rarity for support as she rubbed her head, her horn smoking at the tip. Rarity didn't usually use her magic for anything more than multitasking, and even after all the training that she'd done, this was definitely more than she was accustomed to. The white pony looked completely exhausted and Rainbow couldn't help but feel bad. She turned her attention back to Soarin who, with a burst of strength and capitalizing on Rainbow's distraction, pushed her off and bucked her in the chest with his hind hooves. 

Rainbow grunted and it took everything she had to keep herself from falling backwards. She automatically held a hoof up to her chest and winced, the breath completely escaped her body and left her wheezing for a few moments. Through the pain of catching her breath, she barely registered Soarin flying above her until it was too late. He dropped on her back, sending her to the floor in a painful heap. She fought back every urge to cry out in pain, not wanting to call any attention to them. 

"Soarin, please," she wheezed. She lifted her head and spat out dirt. "I know you're still in there. You're one of the most loyal ponies I've met." She gasped as she felt her knees buckle under her in an attempt to get up. "And that's saying a lot coming from me," she joked with the faintest smile she could muster up. 

Soarin paused his assault for a moment. Rainbow used this to the best of her advantage and took the opportunity to stand up despite her wobbling legs. In her peripheral vision, she saw Ditzy and Rarity pushing back against Pinkie Pie, who seemed to have been fighting them. Rainbow let out a silent scream, realizing that the only explanation was that Pinkie had been hit by one of Dusk Sparkle's beams or walked into the dome. 

Any hope that Rainbow held was shattered. The pieces fell on the metaphorical floor inside her body, and she didn't have time to clean them up. Instead, she swept them up into a mental dustpan and put them to the side, deeming them a problem for later. She blinked tears out of her eyes and lifted her head to Soarin, who was still motionless in front of her. He shivered for a second, his eyes glowing completely red. 

"You may have saved Ditzy, but you can't save everypony." Soarin grinned widely as the voice of Dusk Sparkle came out of his body. He cocked his head toward Pinkie, who lunged at Rarity and Ditzy with a ferocity that Rainbow seldom saw. Rarity shot up a weak shield which only held Pinkie back momentarily. Eventually, the pink pony barrelled both Ditzy and Rarity over and started trying to bite them. 

In a dignified fit of panic and confusion, Rarity's horn glowed blue and Pinkie was shot back, sliding on the floor on her back for a few hoof lengths before getting up and shaking her head. She wiped her bloody snout and grinned at the ponies she called friends. 

Rainbow couldn't hold back her anger. "What did you do to her?" Her voice was shrill and directed directly up to Dusk Sparkle, who hovered above her. Her eyes glowed red like Soarin's, and then she blinked and they faded to their normal state. Soarin gasped in front of Rainbow and fell over. Above her, Dusk Sparkle looked down with a victorious glint in her eyes as she lowered herself to Rainbow's level on the ground. 

"I showed her the light," she spat. "She didn't have a choice, and soon, neither will you." Her eyes flicked to the direction of Rarity and Ditzy. "You may have saved the gray one, but she was useless to me anyway." 

Rainbow growled.  "Ditzy is not useless," she spat. 

Dusk Sparkle bared her teeth. "It doesn't matter. I have somepony more competent now. That loud pink one will be of good use to me." Her ear flicked. "Even if her thoughts are extremely loud," she muttered, although Rainbow still heard. It almost made her chuckle, if it wasn't for the circumstances. It was at that moment that she knew that Twilight was still in there somewhere. 

"That's Pinkie for ya," she joked, hoping that it would spark some memory in Dusk Sparkle's head. "She's such a great friend," she promised while ignoring the grunts of fighting in the background. 

Dusk Sparkle chuckled dryly and looked behind Rainbow Dash. "Are you sure?" Her voice was cold, unlike when she made an almost funny joke just moments prior. 

Rainbow looked behind her to see Pinkie standing over Ditzy, who laid on the floor with her hooves over her head, and Rarity who stood defiantly in front of Pinkie. She seemed to be crying, which brought tears to Rainbow's eyes all over again. She became aware of all of the noises around her. She heard the twinkling noises of magic and the grunts of physical altercation. She heard her friends pleading for their other friends to stop. She heard Starlight asking Trixie to stop. Applejack asking Big Mac to stop. Fluttershy asking—

No. This had to stop. 

"I've gotten so many of your friends." Dusk Sparkle grinned slyly. "Oh, how the tables have turned. I told you you could never stop me." She smiled wickedly as she faced Rainbow Dash, her horn charging up with a magenta glow. 

Rainbow flicked her eyes to the side towards Pinkie, Ditzy, and Rarity. Time seemed to slow down as Rainbow inhaled deeply. Ditzy was on her hooves again, holding back Pinkie as best as she could while Rarity caught her breath. She turned her gaze to her other side where Applejack took a step back as Big Mac took a hard step forward. She turned her head back to Dusk Sparkle, whose horn shimmered with the unreleased magical energy. 

"But I will." All within the same moment as time returned back to normal, Rainbow sped to Rarity and Ditzy and shoved them with her wings, dragging them along with her to a small clearing in the impromptu battlefield. In the same short moment, the magic that Dusk Sparkle set off hit the floor and created a small crater. She looked surprised at the streak of rainbow that the blue pegasus left behind her as it disappeared in front of her eyes. 

Rainbow took in a quick deep breath. "Everypony to me!" Her voice, while scratchy, was loud enough to be heard, and within moments, all of her friends surrounded her. Of course, this meant that so did the ponies trying to kill them. 

Starlight Glimmer stepped forward next to Rainbow Dash and looked at her with an assuring smile. "I got this.” Her horn lit up with a teal aura, and she pressed her eyes together as a large dome emerged from her horn, pushing back only the ponies that were infiltrated with dark magic. She gritted her teeth as she held it, the ponies outside the protection already beginning to bang on the small translucent dome that separated them. "Shields aren’t really my specialty. I can't hold this for long. Whatever you're planning on doing, do it already," she growled through gritted teeth. 

Now, Rainbow didn't exactly have a plan other than talking to the ponies attacking them. She wasn't sure how that would sound to her friends, though. But it was worth a shot, although there was nothing really she could do quickly. What if she said she had no plan? Everything she'd worked for would disappear. The respect, the leadership, the trust. She needed a solid plan, something that would actually make sense, and she had to think of it quickly. 

Not only because of the inevitable deterioration of the shield but because Dusk Sparkle's dome was closing in on them. She gritted her teeth, trying to come up with a solution. Rarity seemed to notice her hesitation and ran next to Starlight, her own horn glowing light blue as the dome seemed to fortify a little bit, now glowing with their combined colours as the mare added her magical energy to the mix. Rarity nodded to Starlight, who returned the gesture with a thankful smile. 

Rainbow felt a bit elated by the generous action. She shook her head and decided to be honest. "Okay, here's the deal. The only way I think we can reverse the effect is to remind our friends of who they were." She shot a glance at Ditzy who smiled blankly. "That's how I got Derpy back, I reminded her of her friends and of who she is." 

The grey pegasus nodded and stepped next to Rainbow. "I don't really remember anything, to be honest… Uh… But I do remember Rainbow Dash telling me a lot of nice things, and then I was back! And here I am now." The remaining ponies looked at each other and nodded. 

Applejack cleared her throat. "I reckon we also oughta make sure that nopony gets hit with one of uh…  Dusk Sparkle's magic beam things." As she gave her suggestion one of the aforementioned bursts of magic hit the top of the dome, causing it to shake. "I think that's how she gets 'em on her side but even if that ain’t the case, it’d probably still hurt." 

Fluttershy nodded, nervously trying to get everypony's attention. "That's how she got Zecora, I think." She took a step back and crouched in an attempt to hide away from everypony's eyes. 

Eager to draw the attention away from Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as another beam hit the dome. "We have to make sure we do this right. We only have one chance. As soon as this dome goes down, we need to secure the win or else we’re all screwed." 

Everypony shuffled nervously at Rainbow's words, and for a moment, she regretted her wording. But she knew that she had to be honest with her friends, it was a dire situation and she couldn't instill false hopes. If she sugar-coated it, it would benefit exactly zero ponies. 

A loud thud sound came from above them. Rainbow looked up to see Dusk Sparkle standing on the top of the dome. "Stop dawdling!" She contorted her face as she shot at the shield. "You can't get out of this!" 

Rarity and Starlight grunted with the effort to keep the dome intact. “We simply cannot hold this longer, darling. I hope you’re all ready,” Rarity spoke through gritted teeth.

After a moment, the dome exploded backwards, pushing everypony that was pounding on it back several hoof lengths, including Dusk Sparkle who seemed increasingly annoyed. Now everypony was uncovered, and Rainbow hoped nothing worse would happen. Dusk Sparkle flew back up, Luna, Celestia, and Cadance at her side. They all began to shoot colourful bursts of magic at everypony, who was managing to dodge them. Rainbow focused her attention first on Pinkie, who was hopping back to them with a genuine smile.

“Heya Dashie!” Pinkie Pie stopped in front of Rainbow Dash, who took a step back. “You will not believe what just happened to me! So there I was, trying to save our friends when bam! Meanie Sparkle shoots me with this magic beam and all of a sudden I’m trying to kill our friends instead.” She giggled as if what she said was something that could be found humorous at all. “But then I heard your speech through the bubble, which by the way is not delicious at all, and I got so giddy and happy that I didn’t want to kill you anymore!”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw hung open. “So you’re back to normal?” Pinkie nodded in response. “But I didn’t even… I was gonna… I was gonna go save you now!” Rainbow shook her head in disbelief.

Pinkie just scoffed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Don’t be silly. It didn’t take much for me to remember that you’re all my very best friends ever and that I shouldn’t be trying to hurt you! Besides, whatever magic that Meanie Sparkle is using is no match for my love for my friends!” She stepped forward and hugged Rainbow Dash. “Now come on, before she notices that I’m not being mind-controlled anymore.” She gestured to Dusk with her head.

“Well, there’s no time like the present! Let’s start reminding our friends who they are!” Rainbow ran in the opposite direction of Pinkie toward Fluttershy and Zecora. If there was anypony they needed now, it was Zecora. She was the healer, of course.

Rainbow took a deep inhale as she ran up to them, trying to drown out the other sounds of struggle around her. She had almost forgotten about the blood trickling down the cut on her muzzle. That didn’t matter now, though. They all needed her, and she had to decide who to save first, but she’d leave herself for last if it meant everypony else was okay. 
> Too Late
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was awful. Applejack couldn't stand to see her brother looking so enraged and bloodthirsty. Big Mac was such a gentle colt, and even when he got upset, he was always so reserved and calm. But whatever this Dusk Sparkle did to him completely flipped it on its nose. 

"C'mon Big Mac," Applejack tried to reason with him as she took a few steps back. "You gotta remember. For Granny?" Big Mac stomped forward again menacingly, and Applejack took another step back, strategically placing herself behind a tree. "For me?" Big Mac bucked the tree, causing apples to fall on and around Applejack. "Darn it, Big Mac! These apples weren't ripe yet!" 

Big Mac's expression hardened. "Stop runnin' away.”

Applejack chewed on her lip. She'd been trying to snap Big Mac out of it for the past ten minutes, and nothing she did seemed to get her any closer to achieving that goal. "Big Mac! We need you!" Applejack jumped out of the way of a burst of magic from above, but just barely. "Apple Bloom needs you!"

Big Mac hesitated for a moment before kicking a barrel at Applejack. She managed to dodge it almost entirely but it nicked her in the shoulder and made her wince in pain. "I can see that worked a bit," she spoke through gritted teeth. "Apple Bloom is down there, probably scared like a filly on Nightmare Night." She limped backwards, trying to keep weight off of her left foreleg. "She needs you to come back, Big Mac." 

Big Mac stopped for a moment and shut his eyes. "Stop!" He held his head in his hooves and growled. Applejack almost thought it worked until he opened them again and rammed forward, knocking Applejack on her back. 

She braced herself as she fell on the floor and quickly rolled over back on her hooves. She panted for breath, feeling scrapes along her body, but those didn't matter. "Big Mac! Look what you did, ya hurt your sister! You better be lucky that it was me and not Apple Bloom! I'd kick yer flank if ya hurt her!" 

Big Mac shut his eyes again. "I wouldn't hurt her!" He crouched down to the floor, keeping his head close to the ground. 

Applejack cocked her head. "I know you wouldn't, Big Mac, which is why I need ya to come back!" 

Big Mac stayed silent for a moment. He hid his face under his hooves and trembled as if it was cold. "I'm sorry," he apologized silently. Then he stood up, and with glowing red eyes headbutted Applejack into a tree. 

Her hat flew off her head as she hit the tree with a thud. There was ringing in her ears as her head made contact with the log of the tree and her vision went blurry. She tried to stand, but her hooves wobbled under her weight and she fell over again. As her vision went from double to a blurred single, she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof and recoiled at the pain. There was no blood to be felt, though, which made some kind of relief flow through her. She blinked groggily a few times, trying to remind herself of what had just happened. 

"Big Mac, no!" 

Applejack was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her little sister's voice. She forced herself to get up, despite her body begging her to do otherwise, and turned to the direction of Apple Bloom. The shorter filly stood behind Applejack, although she couldn't make out any details since her vision was still blurred. She could hear her voice waver though. Applejack wanted to step directly in front of Apple Bloom to protect her, but her dizziness did not allow her. 

However, nothing happened. The ringing in her ears subsided into a low hum and suddenly everything was louder. Her vision cleared, although the dizziness stayed, and she noticed Big Mac standing there with wide eyes. Apple Bloom made a stifled sob sound and Big Mac's glowing eyes faded away. He blinked a few times, then looked around and then at Applejack and Apple Bloom, who stood behind her. 

Applejack was slow to process what had just happened, but Big Mac didn't. He took a cautious step forward, which made Apple Bloom take a step back. Big Mac frowned and shook his head. "It's okay, Apple Bloom. I'm back," he reassured her with an apologetic smile. 

Apple Bloom hesitated, and then ran to her big brother and wrapped him in a hug. "Big Mac! I was so worried, I saw you and Applejack fightin' and I couldn't hold back anymore!" 

Big Mac returned the hug. "I'm real sorry.” He frowned and a look at Applejack made it known that he wasn't only apologizing to their little sister. 

Applejack simply picked up her hat again and placed it tenderly on her head as she slightly winced at the pain. She nodded with a grin, wordlessly telling him that she forgave him. She took a few unbalanced steps over to her siblings and looked down at Apple Bloom. "Now, I'm glad ya were here to snap Big Mac out of it, but you should go back into the cave now," Applejack ordered. 

Apple Bloom frowned. "But I wanna help," she whined. 

Big Mac shook his head as Applejack fixed Apple Bloom's bow. "I'm afraid you're just too little to be here. I don't wanna risk you gettin' hurt." 

Apple Bloom grimaced but seemingly understood. She nodded slightly and looked back over to the entrance. "Okay, fine. I just hope you two will be alright." 

Applejack bit her lip. "We will," she assured her. With a final hug, Applejack sent Apple Bloom on her way and turned back to Big Mac. "Glad you're back, Big Mac. Now, I think I saw Sugar Belle over there," she told him as she gestured to the other side of the opening. "If anypony can bring her around, it's you." 

Big Mac nodded with a look of forced confidence on his face. "Eeyup.” He gave Applejack a hoof bump and they exchanged wishes of good luck. 

Applejack looked around. Even though the world seemed to stop spinning significantly, she still felt really weird. But she decided to shove that to the back of her mind and try to focus on the task at hoof. She noticed that Zecora seemed to have been brought back to their side, as well as Trixie, Cloud Chaser, and Thunderlane. She was relieved to notice this, and then it struck her. That meant that Dusk Sparkle's forces were severely outnumbered now. Only the princesses remained together. 

All of the ponies on the ground congregated as a large group, and Applejack made her way over to them as well. She noticed they were all staring up at a seething Dusk Sparkle. 

"You will never get away with this," the purple alicorn yelled to the ponies below her. "You may outnumber us, but you're outmatched!" At that same instant, all four princesses shot at the group with a large, unified beam. Four different colours of magic swirled around each other and narrowly missed the group as they exploded into the floor, creating a large crater that everypony managed to jump out of the way of. 

"I hope you all know we've been going easy on you," Dusk Sparkle spoke with a confident smile. "I don't want to risk using my alicorn friends too much. Although, I do have one final soldier," she revealed with a wicked grin. "You don't know her very well, at least, not in this world. She came to me in my time of need. I needed a mercenary, and none of you pathetic fools were worthy enough.

"But then she came along, and Celestia herself told me she would be a perfect fit. I realized I could tap into her prior thirst for power. She was a perfect fit." She bared her teeth in a wide grin. "The most bloodthirsty pony I have ever met." 

The sound of crackling filled the air for a split second, and then there was a bright blue light. From it appeared a cloaked pony. Her body was covered by the cloak, although her mane and tail were still visible. Red, with yellow stripes. Something about it rang even more bells in Applejack's head, although she couldn't quite place her. The cloaked pony removed the fabric from her body to reveal herself. 

What Applejack noticed first was the pony's eyes. They were aquamarine, almost a green, and they also seemed to glow. Then, she noticed the mare's yellow fur. It was warmer and darker than Fluttershy's, but still distinctly yellow. What really turned Applejack's mental gears was the cutie mark on her flank. A sun, half red, half yellow. Now that was certainly familiar. 

"Wait," Applejack murmured. "It couldn't be-" 

"Sunset Shimmer," Dusk Sparkle finished. "She has a tremendous aptitude for magic. I'm sure you'll get to see it first hand, though." 

Before Applejack could even question what the hay a hand was, Sunset Shimmer shot a thick laser of blue magic at the group. Starlight barely had time to shoot up a shield, although it didn't hold very well and the magic easily penetrated through and flung Starlight back. Everypony gasped and Applejack looked back to Starlight on the floor, who was immediately surrounded by Zecora and Trixie. She could barely see past the two ponies, but she did notice blood trickling out of a wound on Starlight's side. Zecora quickly pressed gauze into it, and Trixie held it there with her magic. 

Applejack clenched her jaw. She glared at Sunset Shimmer, who smiled with a wickedness that Applejack had never seen before from anypony. She subtly furrowed her eyebrows and fixed her gaze on Pinkie Pie. Applejack barely had enough time to tackle Pinkie to the floor as another laser shot right where her friend had been standing not even a moment ago. Applejack sighed in relief, but it was momentary relief. 

She noticed Sunset's eyes locked on her next target, and Applejack was too far to get to them. She looked between Big Mac and Sunset and decided to try to go after Sunset. She jumped off of Pinkie and closed the distance between herself and Sunset, barreling the other pony over. Sunset was big, but Applejack had strength on her side. Sunset's shot went into the air instead of at its target, and once again, Applejack sighed in relief. 

Sunset let out a surprised grunt and glared at Applejack. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life," she growled. She wrapped her hooves around Applejack's neck and rolled over, forcing Applejack to a defenceless position underneath her as she pressed on her throat. 

Applejack struggled, trying to push Sunset off, but the lack of oxygen entering her body in addition to her lightheadedness from before made it even more impossible. The world started to cave in around her, becoming black, and she was worried that the last thing she'd ever get to see would be Sunset's face. 

Then in a streak of yellow and orange, Sunset disappeared off of her. Applejack gasped, taking in a quick breath as the world returned around her. She instantly looked over to where Sunset had gone and found her and Spitfire in a wrestling match. The two mares flipped between two positions, one having Sunset on top and the other being the reverse. Spitfire used the brief moment where she was on top to throw a punch at Sunset, who dodged it effortlessly.

Applejack sat up, but her head pounded. She wanted to run over to help, but her body did not allow her to. She noticed Rainbow Dash try to fly in, but before she could get within distance, Sunset sent out a flash of blue light that sent Rainbow Dash reeling back. She fell into her friend’s bodies as they all groaned and frowned at Sunset, who grinned as she pushed Spitfire off and gave her a punch to the face. 

“I told you, you’re going to regret that,” Sunset hissed at Spitfire as she pinned her down roughly. “But first, I need to stop your annoying friends. I could kill them all in front of you, but I think it’d hurt more if I killed you first.” Sunset’s horn glowed brightly as a barrier materialized between the rest of the group and Sunset, Spitfire, and Applejack, who was just barely within the barrier. 

Applejack managed to stand up at the same time as Spitfire kicked Sunset off of her. Muffled protesting happened outside the barrier, along with the barely audible sound of magic shots being fired at the barrier. She ignored it. Applejack took a step toward Spitfire and Sunset, but Sunset shot a beam at Applejack, who barely managed to flick her head to the side. The magic still cut along her cheek, and she instantly felt the wet feeling of blood drip down her face, but that didn’t matter. 

“Don’t you bucking dare do anything to her,” Applejack growled. She took another step, lowering her head defiantly as she glared at Sunset.

“Ah ah ah. Don’t take one more step, or your friend here gets it,” Sunset warned. She placed a hoof on Spitfire’s throat and pressed down.

Spitfire coughed. “Don’t worry about me, ‘Jack,” she choked out. “You need to stop her.” Her voice cut off as Sunset applied more pressure. 

Applejack hesitated. She wasn’t sure if Sunset was bluffing or not, but it didn’t seem like it. If she took another step, Sunset would hurt Spitfire, but if she did nothing, she would probably choke her to death. Applejack ground her teeth for a moment, unsure of what to do. 

Sunset seemed to take note of Applejack's hesitance. "What's wrong? Can't make up your mind?" She sucked in air through her teeth and grinned malevolently. "You're just like the other Applejack, you know. At least you know you're indecisive." 

Applejack frowned. She was not indecisive, she was careful. But if Sunset wanted a decision, then she would get a bucking decision. Applejack took a defiant step forward, throwing caution to the wind. Sunset growled and her horn charged up with a blue aura. Applejack opened her mouth to warn Spitfire, but it was too late. 
> Deus Ex Magica
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset growled and her horn charged up with a blue aura. Applejack opened her mouth to warn Spitfire, but it was too late.  Spitfire was launched back through the air and landed with a stomach-churning thud. Sunset stood up with an annoyed look on her face, her fur covered in blood. Applejack knew it wasn't her own blood. The barrier around them dropped as Sunset shook her head, scarlet droplets flying off of her snout. 

Without even stopping to think, Applejack stumbled over to Spitfire and looked at her friend. She ignored the sounds of a fight behind her and instead focused on getting to the pegasus. Her stomach turned over at the sight. Spitfire was covered in her own blood, most of it pouring out of a big wound along her stomach. Applejack held Spitfire up with her hooves and positioned her against a tree so she’d be sitting up. 

Spitfire, either through adrenaline or some kind of powerful spite, turned to look at Applejack with a faint smile. "Did I get her?" 

Applejack pressed a hoof on Spitfire's wounds, but it did little to stop the bleeding. Instead, she just ended up with blood all over her fur. She looked desperately at Spitfire. "Yeah, you did," Applejack sniffled through the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. 

Spitfire frowned and craned her head to look at herself. She inhaled sharply and looked away. "I'm not gonna make it, am I?" Her voice was thick with emotion and pain. 

Applejack couldn't tear her eyes away from Spitfire, her vision blurry from the tears in her eyes. "There's gotta be somethin' we can do,'' she croaked. "I can't just lose you like this!" 

Spitfire placed her hoof on Applejack's. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Her breath was rapid, a lot more rapid than Applejack would have thought would be coming from somepony who'd lost that much blood. "I had fun today," Spitfire uttered between breaths. 

Applejack choked on a sob. "Me too, Cap." She frowned as Spitfire's eyes flickered open and closed. 

"Don't forget about me, okay 'Jack?" Spitfire smiled through her pain, and Applejack didn't know how she could ever manage to do that. Spitfire turned to look at Applejack's face, tears in her own eyes. "And tell Crash… Tell Rainbow Dash that she's really lucky." Applejack coughed on her tears. She looked at Spitfire with furrowed eyebrows. Spitfire simply laughed, blood gurgling in her throat. She turned her head and spat it out. "I know you like her." She closed her eyes and Applejack felt her body go limp. "She's so lucky," she whispered with an exhale. 

And she was gone. Applejack held her in trembling hooves, staring blankly at Spitfire. At her body. She tried to hold back a sob but failed miserably. She held Spitfire's body close to her own and cried into it for a moment. “No, no, no,” she murmured. “Cap, please come back…” She hugged the cooling body tight. “Spitfire!”

But there was no response. Applejack continued murmuring into Spitfire's slowly cooling body and getting herself full of blood, but she didn't care. What she did care about was Sunset Shimmer and what she had coming to her. 

The tears stopped, and the noises from the struggle behind her rushed back into her ears. She set Spitfire back on the floor gently, setting her in a position that looked comfortable and bowed her head. She removed her hat as she paid her respects to the friend that just died in her hooves, and then set it back on her head, not caring that it was stained with blood. "I'll never forget about you, Spitfire. Nopony will. The blood on my hat'll make sure of it." She dipped her head once more before turning around. 

She saw Sunset Shimmer shooting wildly at the ponies around her, who were all dodging her attacks. Applejack noticed all of their cheeks glistened with tears as well. Her eyes fell on Rainbow Dash, who looked livid. She didn't have the telltale signs of a pony who had been crying, and in a way, Applejack knew that that was worse. 

Rainbow Dash roared. "You bucking monster!"

Sunset shot a beam at Rainbow Dash, who took it head-on and stumbled to the floor but got up almost instantly as blood dripped from her mouth. She spat it out toward Sunset, who scowled at the pegasus. 

Applejack had no plan. She just knew she had to stop Sunset Shimmer. She had to stop Dusk Sparkle. She had to avenge Spitfire. She bared her teeth and ran into the circle of ponies and charged Sunset, who turned away from her at the moment. She ran directly into her, knocking her over. Applejack wasted no time in throwing a hoof at Sunset's face. She wasn't quick enough to dodge it, and a satisfying crack filled the air as Sunset's head recoiled back and blood sprayed through the air. Sunset made no noise, though. She simply looked back at Applejack and wiped her flowing nose with a hoof. 

"What's wrong, Applejack? Are you upset that I hurt your friend?" Sunset's voice was taunting as she narrowed her eyes. 

Applejack's face contorted with anger and she threw another punch at Sunset, who didn't even try to dodge it. She took it with a smile and spat out blood. "Ya ain't just hurt her," Applejack roared. "You done killed her!" 

Applejack lifted her hoof again to get another punch in on Sunset, who again did nothing to dodge it. That made Applejack even more upset, if that was still possible. Her vision turned red with rage. She took another shot at Sunset, and another, but before she could go through with the next one, she felt herself get dragged off of the murderer. 

"Woah," Rainbow Dash's voice spoke. "Relax, AJ." 

Applejack shoved Rainbow Dash off of her and frowned. "How could you say that? Spitfire is…" Her voice trailed off as she looked away. 

Rainbow's face darkened. "I know, believe me." She exhaled sharply and nudged Applejack with her hoof. “But that’s not really Sunset, you know? She’s being mind-controlled by whoever or... Whatever is making Twilight do this. You don’t want to stoop to her level.”

Applejack couldn’t understand how Rainbow Dash was so calm. She had known Spitfire longer, and it seemed that Applejack cared more! Really, she knew that different ponies deal with things differently, and she knew that Rainbow cared. But Applejack just wanted to be mad at someone. 

“We have to save as many ponies as we can, even Sunset,” Rainbow continued. “She has friends in the other world. We can’t just let her disappear like that.”

Applejack’s ears flattened. Rainbow had a point, as much as Applejack hated to admit it. It wouldn’t be fair to punish Sunset for something she would probably have no memory of doing later. She let herself smile a little. “I got a few good punches on her though, ain’t I?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled dryly. “You did,” she admitted. “And I think we won’t have to worry about her anymore. We don’t know her well enough to bring her back, but we can restrain her until then.”

Applejack looked over to where Sunset was and found that she was indeed being restrained. She was tied to a tree using several lengths of rope and they covered her horn with a magic-resisting metallic sheath. Despite that, Sunset didn’t look defeated. She wore a satisfied smile on her bruised and bloodied face.

The hatred that Applejack felt was soon dissipated by the sight of Starlight Glimmer back up on her hooves, albeit unsteady ones, aided by Trixie who let herself be used as a crutch. The rest of the hatred she arboured was completely stripped from her as she felt Rainbow Dash wrap her wing around her. 

“We’ll make this right,” the sky blue pegasus asserted with a forced smile. “I promise.”

At that, Dusk Sparkle lowered to the ground and faced Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “The only way to make it right is by joining me,” she barked with a frown. She looked back at Sunset and shook her head, not even bothering to try to free her. “I guess she was a letdown too,” she murmured.

Without warning, she focused a laser of magic at Sunset, who let out a short scream, convulsed backwards and hit her head on the tree she was restrained to. Her body went limp from the impact. Rarity, who happened to be the closest pony, yelped and ran to her and put a hoof to her neck, then sighed in relief as she found a pulse. 

Dusk Sparkle paid no mind. “Although she did do one thing right,” she snarled as she shot a look to where Spitfire lay. 

Applejack clenched her jaw and took a step forward, but Rainbow Dash held her back. “Twilight, this isn't like you. I know you’re in there somewhere,” Rainbow spoke carefully, not daring to take her eyes off of the slightly taller alicorn.

“I’m not Twilight,” she snapped. “I’m everything she couldn’t be.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. So they were right all along. This wasn’t actually Twilight, of course it wasn’t. Their friend, the Princess of Friendship, would never do something like this. “And how’s that,” Applejack deadpanned. They needed to stall and try to force whatever was inside Twilight’s mind out of it. 

Dusk Sparkle laughed curtly. “I have more power than she does. I could bring you to your knees right now if I wanted to,” she threatened.

“But ya haven't,” Applejack pointed out. “Why is that?”

Rainbow seemed to understand where Applejack was trying to bring the conversation. “Do you feel as though you can’t hurt us because you remember us?”

“No, of course not,” Dusk Sparkle spoke coolly after a brief moment of hesitation. “I need you alive. You would be of no use to me if you were dead.”

Applejack decided to press further, noting the slight pause on Dusk Sparkle’s half. "I don't think that's true. I think somewhere inside of you, you remember." 

Dusk Sparkle shook her head. "No! Don't listen to them!" She bared her teeth, her voice sharper than before. "They're insufferable, pay no attention!" 

Rainbow Dash grinned and shot a glance at Applejack. "Come on, this is just like Trivia Trot! You always lose to Team AppleDash!" 

Applejack held back an amused laugh despite the situation. "Damn right!" She hoof bumped Rainbow Dash. "We're unstoppable!" 

Dusk Sparkle let out a snort, a tiny smile on her face, which was quickly replaced by a frown. "Stop it!" She took a few steps back, and in front of her landed Luna and Celestia. 

"Oh crab apples," Applejack muttered. "Come on now, Princesses. You can't hurt us, we're your subjects." 

Luna and Celestia were quiet. The glow in their eyes flickered, and Applejack noticed that Dusk Sparkle's did as well. She looked over at Rainbow Dash who seemed to notice this as well. If we can save Twilight, then everypony else gets saved too! 

Applejack nodded briefly at Rainbow Dash who nodded in return and the two mares separated, leaving Celestia and Luna behind. The two alicorns turned around with a surprised exclamation and attempted to get closer to them, but a barrier materialized in front of the alicorns. Applejack looked over to see Starlight with her horn glowing from the effort of keeping up a solid barrier in the state that she was in. 

Despite being infinitely stronger at magic than Starlight, the princesses did nothing to try to get past the forcefield. They just stood there, looking on at the scene in front of them.

Rainbow Dash took the lead and marched forward closer to Dusk Sparkle. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy joined them, all with pleading smiles on their faces. Dusk Sparkle looked between them all like a wild animal trapped in a corner. In a way, maybe she was. 

Rarity was the first to step forward slowly. Dusk Sparkle did nothing except watch her with a frightened expression. "Darling, we hate to see you like this," she began. "We're not sure what happened, but it could not have been good. Despite everything, we just hope you can hear us. I know you're there, Twilight." Rarity offered her a gentle smile. 

Fluttershy stepped up next to Rarity. "She's... Um… Rarity's right, you know. All we want is for you to come back," she squeaked as she pressed closer to Rarity. "And I know we're all more than willing to forgive you." Fluttershy smiled kindly at Dusk Sparkle, who crouched down closer to the floor. 

Applejack decided it was her turn to step up. "Darn right we are. I just know it was an honest mistake, and you're not yourself right now. But the Twilight I know is still in there somewhere.” Her voice felt thick and her throat was tight from crying before, but she kept a smile on her face. Dusk Sparkle buried her head in her hooves, mindlessly shaking her head repeatedly. 

"And the Twilight I know is an egghead." Rainbow stepped up next to Applejack and grinned at Dusk Sparkle. "But she's also the greatest friend anypony could have. Other than me of course." 

Pinkie bounced up next to Rainbow Dash and gave Dusk Sparkle the biggest, bright smile she could offer. "And we are so so fortunate to call you our friend. You really changed our lives for the better! I mean, look at us now!" She paused and raised a hoof to her chin. "Well, maybe not now but you get what I'm trying to say. You're the cherry on top of our six-layered, multicolour, upside down, deconstructed friendship cake!" Pinkie squeaked as she gave her over-the-top euphemism. 

Over by the fence that separated the front of Sweet Apple Acres from the trail leading to Ponyville, a little figure flew in from behind a tree and to the group. Applejack couldn't believe who she saw until he stood right in front of her, facing Dusk Sparkle. A little dragon, who was a bit worse for wear, but not hurt at all.

"We will always be your friends, Twilight." Spike smiled through the obvious pain in his eyes, but he was ready to forgive. He held out a claw as an offering to Dusk Sparkle who laid on the floor, trembling. 

The purple alicorn who seemed so much smaller than she did at first raised her head, her glowing eyes flickering. "My… friends?" Her voice was soft, a softness that Applejack didn't know she missed so much coming from that body. She blinked as her eyes became completely red and she hunched over, holding her head tight in her hoofs. "Stop listening to them, you fool!" The voice that came out of her body was different as if it belonged to a different pony altogether. 

Applejack watched in shock as Dusk Sparkle stood, with flickering eyes, and raised her head to the sky and yelled out an incantation in a language that Applejack couldn't make out. It might have been Old Ponish, but she wasn't sure. 

As she did so, a black sphere of energy encapsulated her and lifted her into the sky and her eyes shut. The dome around them, being ever closer than before, disappeared as the black aura around Dusk Sparkle entered her body through her mouth, and for a moment, she was still. 

Her eyes snapped open and glowed white, as a stream of black energy exited from her mouth faster than with the speed it used to enter. Applejack and her friends began glowing as well and then began to float into the sky on level with Dusk Sparkle. No, this was Twilight Sparkle. Applejack could feel it. 

Twilight held out her hooves as Applejack and Rainbow Dash took one on each side. Pinkie Pie held Applejack's hoof and Fluttershy held Rainbow Dash's, with Rarity on her other side. Their white light fought with the darkness of the other entity for a moment, and the darkness reached closer to them, invading their purity. 

Applejack felt the energy physically threatening to enter her body. She wanted to give up, to let it in. But Twilight’s voice snapped her mind off of those thoughts. 

"Darkwood! Your spellbook is nothing but a trap." She sounded upset, but her face showed no emotion. "I understand what you did. You trapped your soul inside the book, waiting for a powerful vessel to take." The alicorn looked to her left, then her right. "And that vessel was me. You wield a dark power that nopony should be able to have, and for that, you must be destroyed!" 

Deep, distorted laughter came from the black energy that was Darkwood. "You wouldn't do that. I'll always be a part of you, whether you like it or not. There is no way to destroy me! I'll live on inside you, in every dark crevice of your mind. Every bad thought, every impulse. That's me, Princess. You may get rid of what you see before you, but you can never get rid of me." 

Rainbow Dash was the next to speak. "Oh, but we found a way!" The confidence in her voice was evident and in unison, the six ponies lifted their hooves to the sky. "And we'll always beat dickheads like you through the power of-" 

"Friendship!" All of them spoke in unison, and upon saying the word, a large rainbow laser shot from the white aura that surrounded them and slashed through Darkwood's disembodied spirit. Pinkie whooped from somewhere next to Applejack, but all she could feel was the surge of power that came with the rainbow laser.

"Goodbye Darkwood. May you never come back to this realm," Twilight condemned definitively as Darkwood's screams vanished into thin air. 

They remained in the air for a few more seconds before being lowered back to the ground. They glowed for a few more moments, their manes flowing in the atmosphere they made for themselves, and all at once, it stopped, causing them all to blink the light out of their eyes. 

Twilight stumbled and fell onto the floor. Applejack walked over to her cautiously, flanked by her other friends and Spike. She kept a safe distance in case Twilight tried to attack them again, but when Twilight opened her eyes, they were back to normal, although a bit dazed. 

Applejack's heart dropped, though it was in a sense of relief. She was still reeling over everything, but the smile on her face was genuine, and for the second time that day, tears found a way to escape onto her cheeks. "Well howdy, Twilight." 
> Escape the Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At first, there was nothing. Whatever dreamscape she ended up in was completely empty. For the longest time, it was just barren white for Celestia knows how long. It could have been seconds, minutes, years. There was no way to tell. Occasional glimpses of the outside world, of what she would normally see through her eyes. Now, it was as if she was watching it through a screen. 

Twilight stood in the middle of the great white expanse of infinite nothing. It wasn’t cold but it wasn’t warm either. It felt like what it looked like - nothing. She could have sworn she had some kind of control in the beginning, some kind of say in what would happen, but now she was detached from her body. Like when she went to watch those mini-films in the Canterlot theatre before the performance. Was she even real? Of course, she could touch herself, but there was nothing else she could try touching to confirm.

She was stepping on something, that was certain. If she wasn’t she would have been falling. But despite this knowledge, Twilight stepped down and her hoof stopped, although it felt like she was stepping on air. Her hoofstep echoed regardless, but she had no idea why it would make a noise if it seemed like she stepped on nothing. Maybe it was a force field, that had to be the only explanation.

But as quickly as she made that theory, she debunked it. Even though she couldn’t use her magic in whatever place between realities she was stuck in, any unicorn well-versed in magic could simply sense it. There was nothing to sense. No forcefield, no anything. 

Twilight walked around, it was just about the only thing she could do. She tried flying once, but it seemed no magic existed in this realm, which meant no pegasus magic. The only thing keeping her aware of her body’s surroundings were the sounds of her friend’s voices breaking through. Wait, why do I hear my friends?

"Darling, we hate to see you like this.”

Twilight’s ears rang with the voice of her friend echoing through the endless expanse of white. The voice came from everywhere around her, filling her entire body with… with something.

"We're not sure what happened, but it could not have been good. Despite everything, we just hope you can hear us,” the voice continued. It was so loud that Twilight had to cover her ears with her wings, but even then, it did not grow any quieter. “I know you're there, Twilight." 

There was blissful silence for a moment. The white void flickered. It did not dim, but rather made Twilight’s eyes burn for a moment before a different voice spoke up. "She's... Um… Rarity's right, you know. All we want is for you to come back," it went on. Twilight knew now that the first voice was Rarity. She felt as if she had always known, but somehow had just been finding out as well. This one had to be Fluttershy, then. There was no mistaking the softness of her voice.  "And I know we're all more than willing to forgive you." 

The endless room of nothingness boomed an inaudible noise that shook Twilight to her very core. She felt her very bones shake for a moment, and she knew she was going to hear another speech. Twilight could do nothing but stand with locked knees, trying and failing to find just where the voices came from. She remembered the screen-like imagery and turned to look at it. As she thought, she could barely make out the shapes of her friends. The colours stuck out from the white, and Twilight almost cried.

The screen centred on Applejack, and then split apart. Twilight gasped as six strips of what must have been her Once Vision surrounded her, each one focused on one of her friends. The ones who had spoken were in full, eye-straining colour, while the rest were greyed out. Applejack’s segment flashed bright orange, forcing Twilight to look at it. "Darn right we are. I just know it was an honest mistake, and you're not yourself right now. But the Twilight I know is still in there somewhere.” 

Her voice sent something through Twilight’s entire being. Soon after, just as Twilight was able to focus on Applejack's smile, her legs buckled under her. Twilight fell to the ground like a foal, helpless and weeping nothing silently. A flash of blue next to her drew her blurry gaze over.

"And the Twilight I know is an egghead." Rainbow Dash’s grin was all Twilight could see, so she closed her eyes, but the image remained burned in her mind. "But she's also the greatest friend anypony could have. Other than me of course." 

She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve this. Twilight fell further into the ground. The white seeped over her fur like glue as she hid under her front hooves. The tears became the very void that slowly ate her up. Pink flashed against her closed eyelids, and no matter what Twilight did, nothing she did could drown it out. Not even screaming. 

“And we are so so fortunate to call you our friend. You really changed our lives for the better! I mean, look at us now!" 

Twilight screamed again. Claws ran down the inside of her throat, or at least, that’s what it felt like. Pinkie Pie’s voice came from the very depths of her mind. "Well maybe not now but you get what I'm trying to say. You're the cherry on top of our six-layered, multicolour, upside down, deconstructed friendship cake!" 

I don’t deserve this. Twilight tried to say it out loud, but no noise escaped her muzzle. Instead, bubbles formed around her, and she realized she was drowning. Twilight thrashed around and opened her eyes. There was nothing. Nothing around her. Somehow, the white had become her. She clasped a hoof around her mouth, but it did nothing to help. She couldn’t breathe, but she found herself not needing to gasp for breath. 

Despite being plunged into the white non-liquid pool of nothing, every time Twilight tried to breathe, only bubbles formed. The white entered her like apple juice going down the wrong part of her throat, but she didn’t feel the need to cough. Purple eyes flicked around anxiously, but there was nothing.

It seemed like hours that passed by within heartbeats. Twilight’s muscles slowed, and she found herself floating in the white expanse. Her coat clung to her body as if she was wet, but there was no water dripping from her at all. She blinked groggily once, twice, then the whole room shook. Twilight’s heart dropped as a new visual appeared. It was green and it appeared like fire. 

Twilight couldn’t even tell if her eyes were open or closed, but regardless, she could see as if she was standing on the outside. Spike was there, and he looked right through her. "We will always be your friends, Twilight." 

The entire world boomed. A deep, resonating, rumbling boom echoed Spike’s voice in every direction around her. Twilight’s body got launched upwards and nowhere at the same time until she fell. She tried to use her wings, but no part of her body wanted to move. Twilight hit the ground with a thud, but there was no pain. Not even the slightest sensation. She looked around, her fur now dry, but all was still white. 

Then, somehow, the white got brighter. It was blinding, and she felt herself momentarily return to her body, if only for flashing, fleeting moments. During whichever state of consciousness she was in, she spoke words that she didn’t know she knew. And then, the light took over every sense she had, and she closed her eyes. There was a tingling feeling all over her body, as if it had been asleep. 

Wait, a feeling in her body? She hadn’t been able to feel anything for so long. Only traces of feelings. And when had the room turned black? Oh, my eyes are closed. Unsure of what just happened, Twilight opened her eyes. 

She was expecting an endless field of white like always. The momentary glimpses of what her body was doing. The feeling of being in control and being helpless at the same time. What she saw, she was not expecting, and neither was the rush of feeling after. Her friends stood in front of her, backlit by the now rapidly setting sun. Twilight blinked a few times, unsure if she was having some kind of hallucination, but when Applejack spoke, it drove it home.

“Well howdy, Twilight.”

That was all it took for Twilight to start crying. There was too much pent-up emotion, too much frustration and guilt and anger and every horrible thing imaginable built up inside her. For the first time in two years, she was surrounded by her friends. She wanted to stand up and hug them, but she couldn’t even move. And worse of all, she knew she shouldn’t. She had just put everypony through this.

Oh sweet Celestia, I just put everypony through a horrible ordeal!

Shaking from her hiccuped crying, Twilight dropped her gaze to the floor. She took a look at herself and the floor below her. She seemed to be relatively unscathed, but she could definitely not say the same for her friends. Spike watched carefully, hiding behind Fluttershy’s hind legs. Fluttershy herself was covered in dust and scratches, a few now dry trickles of blood staining her fur. She looked down to Spike and wrapped a wing around him. The worst part was that Fluttershy seemed to be the least injured.

Rarity had a cut on her shoulder that still bled freely down her foreleg and her fur was in a state that Twilight knew it would have never gotten to normally. Rainbow Dash looked like she just got hit by a chariot, bruises darkening her fur all over, and a cut along her muzzle dripped scarlet into the grass.

And Applejack… 

Twilight shuddered. Applejack was covered in blood, nearly from nose to tail. The cut on her cheek and black eye definitely did not make up all the blood on her pelt. Twilight rationed that it couldn’t have possibly been all her own blood because nopony could survive bleeding that much, but that revelation made Twilight realize something even more horrible. If that wasn’t all Applejack’s, then who had bled all over her? What exactly had Twilight done?

In a panic, Twilight looked around. Her friends all took a step back and turned away from Twilight. She couldn’t blame them. She was a monster. What she saw brought back flashes of memories. Other ponies laid on the floor, some of them stirring and groaning as their friends went to check on them nervously. Some of them were up and rubbing their heads, blinking away the state that Twilight had put them in. Some others… didn't move. 

She noticed a group of ponies surrounding another tree, looking at it and then at Twilight with a variety of expressions on their faces. Most ponies wouldn’t look at Twilight for long. She narrowed her eyes to try to see what they were looking at. To her surprise, she saw an amber pony with a yellow and red mane tied to the tree. It took a moment to process who it was, but when it hit, Twilight sprung to her hooves, although a bit unsteadily. “What the hay happened?”

Her friends all turned back to her, eyebrows furrowed in different ways ranging from confusion to anger. Applejack took a harsh step forward but left it at that when Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her back. The farmer took a sharp breath. “What do you mean ‘what happened’?” 

Twilight recoiled at the harsh tone, although she knew she deserved it. “I just… I don’t really know what happened,” she admitted quietly, not daring to make eye contact. “I know I… I know I did something, but I just don’t know what I did.” 

“Look around, Twilight,” Applejack spat. “You did all of this. You hurt us. You hurt your friends. You... you…” The orange mare trailed off as she bared her teeth and looked to the side. 

Rarity took a step forward so she was shoulder to shoulder with Applejack. She forced the earth pony to look her in the eyes. “Darling, don’t be so harsh on her,” she whispered.

Twilight’s legs shook a little. She looked to where Applejack was looking and gasped. Her legs completely buckled underneath her. “What… how did…”

Nopony was able to hold Applejack back this time. She lunged at Twilight, stopping mere inches from her. The earth pony towered over the alicorn lying on the floor and glared at her. “You did that! You made Sunset Shimmer your lackey and you had her kill Spitfire! And then when she failed to kill us, ya almost done killed her yerself!” 

Applejack was tackled by a blur of cyan and rainbow. The two mares struggled on the ground before Applejack let herself be restrained. “Applejack!” Rainbow yelled at her. “Calm the heck down! You’re just going to make it worse!”

Twilight crumpled lower to the ground. “I… what?” She shook her head, tears threatening to come out again. The purple alicorn buried her face under her hooves. “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry…” She repeated the apology like a mantra to nopony and everypony at the same time.

Fluttershy cautiously approached Twilight and settled down next to her. “I can’t tell you that it’s okay…” Fluttershy draped a wing over Twilight, who stiffened. “But I can tell you that we’ll help you, Twilight. We’ll help you set this right.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Twilight peeked out from between her hooves at Fluttershy, who shot a dismissive glance at the two mares arguing next to them before giving Twilight a gentle smile. “I’m a monster.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, you made a mistake. And everypony deserves a second chance.” Fluttershy stood up and motioned Twilight to do the same. She offered the alicorn a steady base to hold on to as she stood. “We don’t know the full story, but we do know it wasn’t all you in there. So what about… you tell us?”

Twilight looked at the ponies who had gathered around her and ducked her head, feeling a lot smaller. They all looked at her, most of them upset, some of them with worry, and some of them with fear. What other choice do I have? Slowly, she nodded. “It all started after I found a note…”
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a rough month. Twilight had agreed to help clean up the mess she had been responsible for at Sweet Apple Acres, as well as personally apologize to everypony she hurt. It had been a long first week, going to everypony’s house. Apparently, she had hurt a lot of ponies. After crying herself to bed every night for a few days, Spike slowly warmed up to her again, although he didn’t want to talk about the whole ordeal as much. But at least he wanted to talk to her. 

She hadn’t seen Applejack much since that day, other than glimpses of her at the farm. Even then, the orange mare never even as much as acknowledged Twilight’s existence. Big Mac had talked to her more, and that was saying something. It took a few days for anypony to talk to Twilight, but maybe she looked so pathetic that they took pity on her. That had to be it, Twilight decided. 

Her other friends had visited her occasionally. Pinkie Pie came over with a lemon pie and a smattering of balloons that spelled out ‘We know you’re super sorry and it’s not your fault and we still love you!’. Yeah, that was a lot of balloons. Twilight was still finding random pieces of rubber with shriveled up letters on them all over the castle.

Rainbow Dash came twice as well, although always accompanied by Fluttershy. Fluttershy, surprisingly, did most of the talking, though. Rainbow Dash had always opted to sit at a distance from them, occasionally looking over at Twilight, and then looking away. Fluttershy kept reassuring her that she just needed more time. Twilight thought that surely meant forever.

Rarity had insisted Twilight come over for tea. She went twice. The unicorn had filled her in on some of the latest gossip and recounted stories that Twilight missed out on. Needless to say, Twilight didn’t have much fun. Maybe she should have had fun, though. Rarity was just trying to be nice and catch her up. Why did she have to be so awful to her friends?

With a groan, Twilight rolled over from her bed and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t deserve to feel sorry for herself. She deserved much worse than what she was getting. Applejack had the right idea by ignoring her. Twilight put her hooves on her face. She should just be banished from Equestria, or thrown in Celestia’s deepest dungeon to rot. That’s what monsters like her deserved, right?

The soft pitter-patter of steps interrupted her thoughts. Twilight looked to her side to see Spike running up to her. “Uh, Twi? You have a visitor.” He fiddled his fingers. “Well, I guess not really a visitor, but—” he shook his head. “Nevermind, just go downstairs. And do yourself a favour and open a window. It stinks in here.” With that being said, he turned around and walked down the hallway in the opposite direction of the stairs. Twilight shook her head, knowing that he had just left their guest alone in favour of going to his room. 

Well now I have to go down. I can’t be rude on top of everything else. With a grunt of effort, Twilight lifted herself off of her bed and stood up. She looked in the mirror she had placed near the door to her room and frowned. There was no time to fix… that, but she ran a hoof through her mane to at least make it look like she was trying to take care of herself. 

Satisfied enough, Twilight made her way down the stairs and looked at her guest. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed in surprise. “Starlight?”

The lilac unicorn waved sheepishly at her. “Hey, Twi... Uh, how’s it going?”

Twilight paused, keeping a few hoof-lengths away from Starlight, unsure of why she was being… friendly. “Oh, you know… The usual?”

Starlight nodded awkwardly and looked over Twilight, who suddenly felt self-conscious. “Listen, Twi,” she started. Twilight went rigid. “I came to talk to you because I get how you feel, in a way.”

Oh, of course. If anypony would understand, it’d be Starlight. Or Sunset, but Twilight had a feeling she wouldn’t really want to talk. Or be able to leave the hospital anytime soon. Choosing to try to stay friendly with Starlight, Twilight smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’d have some experience with making terrible decisions that almost ruin everything.”

Starlight winced. “Well, I just meant ponies having a hard time trusting me, but that too.”

Twilight paled. How could she be so stupid? Why would she say something like that? “Oh! Of course, I was just… I—”

Starlight held up a hoof with a relaxed smile. “Hey, forget it. You’re right anyway.” She looked around. “Uh, can we maybe… go somewhere to talk? Like the sitting room or the kitchen or literally anywhere we can sit?”

Twilight couldn’t help the small smile that reached her lips. “Of course. We can go to the kitchen, it’s about time I had breakfast anyway.”

As Starlight followed Twilight to the kitchen—although Twilight knew Starlight wouldn’t need a guide—she cocked her head. “Breakfast? But it’s like… four.”

“Ah, well, I guess I slept in?”

Starlight shook her head and forced Twilight to sit at the table. “Twi, trust me, I’ll make you food. You need more than just a bowl of sugary cereal.”

Twilight frowned dismissively. “Hey, I don’t just eat sugary cer…” she trailed off, looking as Starlight held up several dirty bowls that were once filled with cereal up with her magic, as well as the once-full box. Twilight flushed and rubbed her neck. “Okay, I guess you’re right.”

Starlight hummed approvingly as she levitated what clean dishes were around and opened all of the cabinets. “Sheesh, Twilight. When’s the last time you bought groceries?” She spun around to face the alicorn, who fiddled with a quill on the table.

“I haven’t gotten around to it.”

Starlight frowned. “But you’ve been back for a month. What did you eat during that time?”

Twilight laughed nervously. “Cereal?”

It went without saying, Starlight was not impressed. She sighed and face-hoofed. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” And then with a snap, a crackle, and a pop, she disappeared. 

The alicorn groaned and slammed her face into the table. “Why is she being nice to me?”

“You made a mistake. And everypony deserves a second chance.” 

Fluttershy’s words echoed in Twilight’s head. Even though they had been spoken to her a month ago, they reverberated in the deepest parts of her subconscious. She’d been trying to make herself believe it rather unsuccessfully. But having somepony outside of her main friend group—somepony who understood the importance of a second chance—made her feel a little better.

Twilight lifted her face from her table and stared ahead. She’d get through this somehow. She’d make it up to everypony.