Canterlot, a city where Canterlot University is located. Boys and girls study what they will develop into and become in the future. At this university everything is calm, anyone would want to finish their studies here. This was the case for six friends who were starting their senior year.
At the entrance there was a girl with glasses talking to her friend with yellow/orange hair. They were waiting for their friends, they all agreed to meet at the entrance.
“Hello girls”
The two heard a low voice, they both turned and found a girl with pale yellow skin and aquamarine eyes.
“Oh Futtershy, hello, how are you?” Twilight said, greeting her friend with a hug.
“Hello Fluttershy, are you just here?” Sunset Shimmer asked, greeting her friend with a hug as well.
“I'm fine, thank you and no, I actually arrived a few minutes ago,” answered the pink-haired girl. “I called them about three times, but they seemed so focused on their conversation that I didn't want to bother them,” explaining.
"Oh really?" Twilight asked. “Sorry, it seems like I got really excited telling Sunset about my technological advances that she made on vacation,” she said, scratching her head, a little embarrassed for not noticing her friend.
“Only you would think of continuing studying even on vacation”
The three saw where the voice was coming from. Not so far from where they are, they saw three girls walking towards them. One girl with pink hair looking very happy, the other a blonde with her classic cowboy hat and the last one who made the comment had multicolored hair.
“How are you girls? "I missed you so much," said Pinkie, catching the three of them in a hug with a big smile.
“We miss you too Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, barely breathing.
“Pinkie, I think they understand that you missed them,” Applejack said, trying to get the pink haired girl to let go of the others who seemed to be barely breathing.
The party girl released the hug, freeing her friends. Pinkie was very affectionate when it came to her friends or family.
The girls moved a little away from Pinkie Pie so they could breathe.
“Uff, thanks Applejack.” Twilight said relieved.
“Seriously, Twilight, vacations are for having a great time, not for studying,” said Rainbow Dash, shaking her head.
"Dash is right, I should at least give you time to yourself," the blonde said, putting an arm around Rainbow's shoulders.
“Also to cook cakes or cookies,” Pinkie said as she pulled a cookie out of her hair and ate it.
“Says the one who spent half of her vacation harvesting apples,” Rainbow said, raising a somewhat annoyed eyebrow.
“Hey, I already told you I had to help my family that day… Big mac got sick,” Applejack said, rolling his eyes and moving his arm away from his girlfriend's shoulders. “Besides, I'm not the only one who had an excuse to miss our outing, again,” the blonde continued, making quotes with her hands.
“Mine is justifiable,” said Rainbow, “I want to stay in shape to be the captain of the team, and it is obvious that they are going to choose me, I am amazing,” she pointed out to herself.
“Okay girls, we understand,” Sunset interrupted before the discussion could go any further. “I don't think it's necessary to ask them what they did on vacation,” she thought. “It's good to see you again”
“It's also a pleasure to see you Sunset and you too,” Applejack said, referring to Fluttershy and Twilight, who had remained silent. They responded with a smile.
“For your information, Rainbow, I wasn't studying all the time,” Twilight said, looking at the sporty girl.
“Really, then what did you do?” She asked, crossing his arms with a smile.
“I went on a cruise with my family and Shining Armor and Cadance were able to go with the newborn Flurry Heart,” Twilight said with joy at seeing her brother again and her sister-in-law.
Rainbow opened her eyes more “I admit, you beat me… that must have been amazing”
“Wow,” Pinkie expressed with excitement.
“Although Shining got a little dizzy, he thought he was over it,” Twilight confessed a little sadly.
“It must be horrible to feel that, is it better?” Fluttershy asked, a little worried.
Hearing the pale pink haired girl, Rainbow looked at her askance. She hoped this time to achieve her goal.
“It was only for a while after he got over it, but at least we had a good time.”
“How good… I can't imagine how she felt… ha ha ha” spoke Applejack, who had remained silent when he mentioned dizziness. But he couldn't hide. “I know very well how she feels,” thought.
“Everything okay blonde?” Rainbow asked, looking away from Fluttershy.
“Yes, everything is fine,” she replied, showing a half-fake smile.
“Of course…” she said, not so convinced.
Pinkie Pie did her best not to laugh, she knew well that Applejack also gets seasick with anything related to the sea.
“Changing the subject, are you ready for our last year?” Sunset commented.
“I'm going to miss you girls,” Pinkie said sadly.
“Pinkie Pie… we're just starting the year,” Fluttershy answered calmly, putting a hand on Pinkie's shoulder.
The girls nodded.
“Exactly, we still have the rest of the year to learn new things,” said Twilight, adjusting her glasses. “And speaking of studies, I think we should go in.” Seeing how the other students entered, leaving few outside.
“You're right, we're all here,” said Applejack.
They all started walking to the door meanwhile, Pinkie Pie jumping next to Applejack, Sunset Shimmer walking ahead and Twilithg reaching the door about to open it, until a blue haired boy opened it for her.
“Wait, let me open it for you” The boy said politely, until he saw the girl to whom he opened “hello Twilight” he said friendly looking at the girl with violet eyes. “Hello girls,” He said, looking at the others who approached. Pinkie and Applejack who were about to reach the door waved at him.
“Hello Flash,” said the girl with glasses as she entered, “thank you for letting us in.”
“How are you Flash?” Sunset commented, arriving at the door, “How's the band going?”
"Well, we hope to move forward," Flash answered as he entered, "hey, have you considered my suggestion of creating a band with your friends?" I ask.
“To tell the truth…” Sunset was going to answer, while she thought about what her friend suggested to her a couple of months ago.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack were about to enter until they noticed that two of her friends were missing.
Rainbow Dash, who was a few steps behind the others, She looked at her yellow-skinned friend and approached her. “Hello Fluttershy, how… have you been…?” asked forcing a smile
“Hello Rainbow Dash,” the pink-haired girl greeted. “Everything is fine… I guess…” she answered, looking down.
“Cool…” said Rainbow scratching her head, she was hoping to have a topic to talk about, but again an awkward silence was present.
“Girls, are you coming or what?” Pinkie Pie shouted from the door with Applejack next to her. Breaking the silence.
Fluttershy started walking, leaving Rainbow behind. The athlete looked down, sighing in defeat and walked.
Lately the two friends have had problems communicating. Before they were close since they have known each other since they were little. Rainbow Dash doesn't quite know when her friendship started to decline, but this year she's determined to find out why. Fluttershy for her part knows very well the reason for his estrangement.
On the outskirts of the city, specifically at the airport, a purple-haired girl was coming out with a wheeled suitcase in her hand, accompanied by her family.
“It's nice to be back,” said the older lady.
“You said it yourself Cookie,” her husband replied, hugging her from the side. “It's been like 2 years since we've been back” he turned his head to look at her daughters “happy to see your friends again Sweetie Belle?” Hondo asked the younger girl with a smile.
“I can't wait to see the girls,” Sweetie Belle answered with a happy expression.
The mother smiled when she saw her daughter happy. “And you, Rarity, are you happy to be back?” Her gaze went to the eldest daughter who was distracted looking around her. “Rarity…” called to her daughter once again.
"Hmm…?" Finally the eldest daughter reacted. “Sorry mother, did you say something?” Rarity asked, directing her gaze towards her mother.
“Ask if you are happy to return”
“I really don't know how to feel,” Rarity responded, looking down. “Besides, I don't have friends to socialize with.”
“Come on, honey, don't make that face, I'm sure you'll make good friends at university,” said her father, putting a hand on her shoulder showing her support.
"Yes, sister, don't be discouraged," the youngest spoke, showing a smile.
"They are right... and mother, I will not disappoint you with my studies" Rarity said with confidence.
“That's how you talk,” she responded, returning a smile to her daughter.
“Well, how about we go eat something, we still have to wait for the other things to be brought,” Hondo said to change the topic.
The family was heading inside the airport to go to the cafeteria.
Back at Canterlot Univercity. The girls were in the hallways where the lockers are. After finishing the first hours of classes.
“Mmm… too bad… I was hoping that this year we would share classes together” Pinkie Pie commented a little discouraged while she compared the time sheets of her friends.
“I don't think it's that big of a deal, let me see?” Applejack said taking the leaves comparing them.
The girls got together to see what classes they shared.
“Well, some of us have arts together,” Applejack began to say.
“Apparently Sunset and I share Calculus” Twilight continued.
“There is also pastry, but only some of us share it,” Fluttershy followed.
“But at least we have music and sports all together,” Dash finished. “Get ready girls, I'm going to kick your asses,” he commented smugly, crossing himself.
“Yessss…” Said the party girl, not so convinced of what her friend said.
“What was that Pinkie?” Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You forget that Sunset and AJ will be there,” Twilight said.
“Ahhh right,” she let out a defeated air, “but I will do whatever it takes to keep them from taking my position as captain,” Dash said defiantly.
“I'm not interested in being one,” Sunset said with a calm face.
“Me neither,” Applejack said.
“Well, unless you and Applejack start compe-” Pinkie was interrupted by Sunset's hand before she finished saying the last word.
Sunset looked at her and Pinkie nodded her head hoping she would get her message. She slowly removed his hand from her mouth. Pinkie just smiled at her friends, the three of them sighed in relief. They knew perfectly well how Applejack and Rinbow Dash got when they started competing. On the other hand, the two girls looked at their friends a little confused, they were going to ask, but they let it go.
“Hello girls, shall we interrupt something?” They heard a voice behind them, they turned around. She was a girl with purple and teal hair accompanied by a gray-haired girl with a star-shaped brooch in her hair.
“Hello Starlight, hello Trixie,” Twilight greeted. The others also began to greet
“And regarding your question, you didn't interrupt anything, we were just talking about the difference in schedules we have,” Sunset spoke. “Pinkie Pie is a little sad about that” pointing at her
“Yes, with Trixie we also noticed that there is only one class that we do not share.” Starlight commented. Trixie nodded.
"What!?" Pinkie exclaimed, appearing behind them, surprising both girls, then she took the papers of Trixie and Starlight to compare them with the others. “It's not fair, we barely share some classes,” Pinkie said, a little sad.
“We meet Lyra and Bon Bon, they seem sad about it too” Trixie said.
“I imagine being away from your girlfriend would make you like this,” Applejack said feeling empathy.
“But it's not that they don't see each other all day, she also needs time to spend with friends, so she doesn't feel alone,” Rainbow Dash continued sympathetically. “The two of you would see each other during recess or if you have, in music or sports like us,” he finished saying, looking at the blonde with a smile. Applejack put an arm on the athlete's shoulders.
“Rainbow is right,” Pinkie said, changing her expression from sad to a smile. “Let's look for the bright side.”
“But you were just sa-“ Trixie was interrupted by a nudge from Starlight. This after looking at her she smiled at Pinkie Pie
“It's a matter of time to get used to it, you'll see, it will almost be as if we were not separated” Sunset said looking at her friends with a smile.
In another part of the city, a car was parked outside a large house that looked like a mansion. Once parked, the family got out of the vehicle.
The two daughters opened the front door.
“I didn't remember it being that big,” said the youngest girl, surprised, seeing the inside of the house.
“It's normal for you to see him like that, since you're still little,” said Rarity, smiling at her sister. “To my taste, I see it a small.”
“Come on, Rarity, I grew up a little,” said Sweetie Belle, pretending to be upset.
“Girls, less talk and more help,” said her father.
The two turned around heading to the car.
“It's going to take us forever to get all this down,” Rarity said, looking at the trunk and the moving truck.
“Rarity, don't exaggerate,” Cookie said, taking a box. “At least a few days, but counting the cleaning, perhaps in a week we would be settled. Now start helping”
“You heard her mother,” Hondo continued, taking another box. “Look for the positive side”
“This way I will take advantage of buying new clothes, the ones I have in the closet must have already gone out of style” Said the eldest daughter.
She went to the trunk to start helping unload the things, followed by her younger sister and the Belle family entered the house.
It was morning, a girl with purple hair was sleeping peacefully.
Sweetie Belle entered the room, approached the bed, moved the mask that her sister was sleeping with and began to shake her gently to wake her up "Rarity wake up, we're going to be late"
Rarity just grumbled.
"Come on, sister," she insisted once more. The youngest trembled again, she stopped when she noticed that her sister opened her eyes, but not completely.
"What happen dear?" Rarity asked sleepily.
"Remember we have class today" said Sweetie Belle.
Rarity blinked before processing the words and then widened her eyes, getting out of bed. "What? It can't be, we're going to be late!" she said, heading to the bathroom.
"That's what I just said," she commented before leaving the room.
Downstairs his parents were putting cups on the table to start breakfast. They both saw her youngest daughter appear in the dining room.
"Has Sleeping Beauty woken up yet?" Hondo asked as he took a sip of her coffee.
“Yes, she immediately went into the bathroom,” the minor said as she sat down.
Her parents looked at each other and laughed. A few minutes later they heard Rarity coming down the stairs.
"Here I am" Rarity said a little embarrassed, sitting in her place.
"You forgot to set the alarm, didn't you?" Cookie spoke.
"Yes, I'm sorry mother."
"Okay, daughter, but let it be the last time," her mother said sympathetically, "just this once I'll let them be a little late."
"But it was Rarity who fell asleep." younger one complained.
"Honey, you fell asleep too and I had to go wake you up," her father said.
"Uh...well I..." Sweetie was going to speak, but she grabbed her glass of milk and started drinking, avoiding the topic.
Rarity looked at her sister, nudged her gently, and smiled. "I promise it won't happen again."
Once the conversation was over, they prepared to continue with breakfast.
Once the family finished breakfast, the sisters went to get their things. They walked towards the door.
"Bye, mom, bye, dad," Sweetie said goodbye.
"Goodbye and good luck with her job," Rarity said goodbye to go with her sister to Institute.
While at the University of Canterlot, the students were in their respective classes. Currently, all six were in sports playing against men.
"And Gooaaalll" Pinkie Pie exclaimed happily.
"It's said points," Rainbow Dash said as she picked up a ball and then threw it.
"In soccer you say goal," said Sunset Shimmer and then dodged a ball that almost hit her.
"This is a dodgeball" Applejack said as he tossed a ball, "by the way, how many do we have left?"
"Well, they eliminated Trixie" she started counting Sunset on her fingers "they eliminated Twilight almost at the beginning" she continued counting "Fluttershy is running away out there and-" she was interrupted.
"What, like over there?" Rainbow Dash asked looking at Sunset. The yellow/reddish haired girl pointed her finger at her. Rainbow continued to look at her and saw Fluttershy running around avoiding any ball, at which point she screamed and ducked, but in doing so she eliminated Lyra. "She would normally be behind me," thought, sighed and concentrated on the game.
"Another less," Pinkie Pie said. Another scream was heard followed by the sound of the whistle "and Fluttershy too" with a smile
Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie with a "Seriously Pinkie" look.
"Come on guys, we can still win," Caramel said, cheering the others on.
"Ugh, I'm barely there," Flash said as he rested his hands on his thighs.
"Where were those Flash muscles?" Timber asked next to her.
"Okay, but-" Flash replied.
"No buts. As Rainbow would say...we're going to kick their asses," Caramel said confidently.
"Last minutes guys" the teacher shouted as he shoved the whistle into his mouth.
Both boys and girls looked at each other defiantly waiting for it to ring.
*whistle sound*
Rarity and Sweetie Belle arrive at the main admission building. They knocked on the door and then entered.
"Good morning, are you Chancellor Celestia?" Rarity asked.
"Yes, that's me," Celestia responded, looking away from the computer, "please sit down. This must be Sweetie and Rarity Belle?"
"Yeah"
"Yes, and we're sorry for the delay," Rarity apologized.
they both sat down
"Just because you're new, you can't afford to be late, but just this once I'll let it happen.
"It won't happen again," Rarity said, lowering her head slightly. "My first day and I already have my first disciplinary sanction," thought. raised her head again
"Miss Belle, I was looking at your notes..." Celestia began to speak, with a serious expression. "Despite being average, you still do what is necessary to continue studying... I am sure that now that is present she will manage to upload the notes" she finished speaking, changing her serious expression to a smile.
Rarity sighed in relief. She knew well that the career he chose was a bit difficult, but thanks to his mother he was able to pass some courses when he studied online. Although her mother helped her understand some things better, she will not always be there for her and is too old to have to help her with her studies. She will have to fend for herself, now her mother will be there to give her advice.
"As for you," Celestia said, referring to Sweetie Belle this time. "Principal Luna already spoke with a teacher to take her to side A"
"Excuse me, I don't want to interrupt, but shouldn't I talk to Principal Luna?" Rarity asked.
"Let me explain. My sister Luna is in charge of side A, which corresponds to the lower level, that is, the school, she is a little busy right now. My work is on side B, which corresponds to the upper level, that is say, the university." Celestia explained. "Any doubt can come to me, since sometimes also takes care of some things at the bottom."
"Thank you, I think I understood better"
"You're welcome. The teacher should be arriving by now" Celestia continued.
At that moment someone is heard knocking on the door.
"Gloriosa, right on time. This is Sweetie Belle, a new student or rather a former student, according to the record."
Gloriosa looked at Sweetie Belle. "I introduced myself, I'm Gloriosa Daisy and I will be in charge of guiding you either in your schedule or if you get lost where each place is, but apparently you have already studied here before so you should know the classrooms"
The minor got up from his seat. "It's a pleasure. Yes, I studied here and so did my sister," said, pointing to his sister.
Gloriosa looked at the girl, the wavy hair noticed her gaze and got up from her seat.
"Where are my manners? My name is Rarity Belle," she introduced herself.
"The pleasure is mine Miss Rarity, my name is Gloriosa Daisy" Greeting Gloriosa
After introducing herself, Gloriosa returned her attention to Sweetie Belle. "Now that we've been introduced, how about I take you to your classroom?" suggested.
"Yes" she got up from the seat and when she was going to walk she stopped. "but first" she turned to her sister and hugged her. "Have a good day on your first day."
Rarity smiled and hugged him back. "You too, Sweetie Belle."
Then he let go of his older sister and walked out the door with the teacher.
"Miss Belle, before you go I want to tell you a few things about Sweetie Belle's rules."
Rarity agreed and sat back down.
Locker Room
The girls changed after sports class even though they have recess, they were delayed further.
"I knew we would make it," Rainbow said, proud of her victory.
"Honestly, I didn't think we'd make it, but we did," Bon Bon said, high-fiving Rainbow.
"I would have liked to help," Lyra said.
"Um... I'm sorry" apologized Fluttershy, who had approached the couple.
"Don't worry Fluttershy, I'll be more attentive next time," Lyra said reassuring the pinkette.
"We were a little distracted too," Bon Bon said.
Fluttershy seemed less guilty
Before Rainbow could speak to encourage Fluttershy, the pair interrupted her.
"See you later" said Bon Bon.
"See you"
"Bye" Rainbow said goodbye to the couple. "Flut-" blinking as she realized that the pinkette was already where she had her things to change. "Next time..." she said to herself.
She watched as the pair said goodbye to the few girls left in the locker room and headed out the door.
Outside the locker room Applejack was waiting with Pinkie Pie for the others.
"Are they leaving yet?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Yes," Lyra answered.
"Do you know if Rainbow and the others are ready yet?" Applejack asked.
"Rainbow was still in her sports clothes, Fluttershy is close, as is Sunset, but Twilight was already ready so she will be out soon" Bon Bon responded this time
"OK thank you"
Bon Bon took his partner's hand. "Bye AJ, bye Pinkie, see you soon"
"See you later girls"
Lyra and Bon Bon left holding hands, Applejack looked askance at that little scene. Then he looked at his hand. "When was the las-"
"Is something wrong Applejack? Did you hurt your hand?" Twilight asked coming out of locker room
"No, calm down, I'm fine... I was looking at my hand, I thought I saw a stain"
Okay... Twilight said with a raised eyebrow. "Applejack, you really are a bad liar," thought.
"With that in mind, you can leave," the chancellor finished explaining. She then saw the clock in her office. "Right now some students must be on break and after that you can go to your second period of classes, Miss Belle"
"Thank you Chancellor Celestia," Rarity said, standing up.
Locker Room
"Is there much left, girls?" Twilight asked. "Some students are already having their break and among them we are supposed to be Sunset too."
"Sorry, but Rainbow...let's just say she brought other clothes that aren't hers" Sunset explained on the other side of the door.
"What are you talking about?" Twilight asked
"I think it was a mix-up," said Rainbow.
"What if we go ahead?" Applejack asked Pinkie and Twilight.
"I don't like being late to class," said the girl with the glasses.
"That's fine with me," Pinkie said.
"We're going to go ahead," Twilight said a the three girls
"Okay, we'll catch up with them after" Rainbow said on the other side.
Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Applejack began to walk down the hallway until they came out to the front yard. Pinkie stopped near a vending machine, making the other two stop too
"Pinkie we'll be late" said twilight
"Come on twi, I just have to put the coin in and that's it"
"Good, but fast"
Applejack looked around her, a few steps ahead was the main building. Out of simple curiosity, she began to walk when she noticed that someone opened the door and it was not Chancellor Celestia.
She saw a girl with violet wavy hair coming out. The girl turned around to close the door. Something about her appearance seemed familiar so she began to walk further, almost being in front of the main building.
But before seeing who it was, he turned his head to see how his friends . She watched as Pinkie reached her arm into the machine to remove a seemingly stuck candy. Twilight was at his side, one arm crossed and the other placing the palm of her hand on his forehead.
Applejack laughed a little at the scene. "She should be used to the things my cousin does. How long do we have? Almost three years of friendship."
She looked forward again. The wavy-haired girl turned and met the blonde's gaze. They both opened their eyes wider when they saw each other.
Applejack couldn't believe who was in front of her. Despite the years he could still recognize her well, the girl was nothing more than Rarity Belle. The girl for whom his heart once beat strongly.
On side A, Gloriosa was explaining Sweetie Belle where some places are like the library, cafeteria and other rooms, etc. For the pink/purple haired girl it wasn't much difficulty since she was remembering, but some things were new.
They headed to a living room. Gloriosa knocked on the door and a few seconds later a woman with moderate cherry hair and skin of the same color, but paler, opened the door.
“Teacher Cheerilee, I bring you the new student.”
“Perfect, thank you, Professor Gloriosa,” said Cheerilee, letting the new student pass.
“You're welcome... Goodbye Sweetie Belle, have a good day,” said Gloriosa.
“Goodbye and thank you,” Sweetie Belle said and then she entered.
“Okay, students, pay attention,” ordered Professor Cheilee. “Today a new student is joining,” she looked at the pink/purple haired girl. “Please come to the center and introduce yourself,” the teacher asked.
The minor listened to him. “Good morning my… my name is Sweetie Belle” she introduced herself with a little nervousness.
In the back row, two girls who were not paying attention were surprised to hear that name.
“Wait, did he say Sweetie Belle?” a red-haired girl murmured to her seatmate. They both looked ahead and saw the girl standing there. "I can not believe it! It's her, Scootaloo."
“You can sit down now, Miss Belle.”
“Thank you,” said Sweetie Belle, heading to a seat in the back row.
“Sweetie belle!?” exclaimed a girl with short magenta hair.
“Scootaloo, Apple Bloom? you are!" the pink/purple haired girl said with excitement.
"girls you will have time to talk at recess,” the teacher said, drawing attention.
“Sorry, I'm sitting down,” said Sweetie Belle then sat down.“I wonder how Rarity is?” thought.
Side B / Outside the Locker Room The three girls were ready. Sunset Shimmer locked the door and they started walking.
“You see girls, I told you I would fix it” Rainbow said with a half smile.
“Yes, although… uhg. Remember not to unzip your jacket” Sunset said.
“Don't worry, everyone will think I'm wearing a short shirt,” the girl multicolored hair said confidently.
“How come you confused your shirt with Scootaloo's?” the yellow/reddish haired girl asked.
"I think I know how it happened," Rainbow began to explain. “Yesterday Scoot asked me for help with something at school and I was just packing my suitcase for today. When I entered his room I had my shirt in my hand and I left it on his bed. After that I must have taken one of his shirts, mistaking it for mine."
“Next time confirm that you have everything in your bag” Sunset suggested.
“This way you avoid getting confused again,” said Fluttershy, continuing with Sunset's suggestion.
Rainbow Dash thought this might be an opportunity. She approached the pink haired girl and spoke. “If you are right, I should consider it.” Fluttershy just nodded. Silence again
"What was that?" Sunset asked the light blue skinned girl.
“Nothing,” answered the girl multicolored hair. “I know talking about my clothes wasn't a good topic of conversation, but at least I tried,” thought.
Sunset looked a little thoughtful at the two. “This isn't the first time I've seen this between Fluttershy and Dash,” she thought. “This isn't even recent. I thought they had fixed things during the holidays, but I see that they haven't.”
She put that topic aside for the moment and they continued walking to the front yard. They looked around for the other three girls until they saw the girl with glasses and the pink-haired girl, next to a vending machine.
“Finally, I took it out” said the party girl simply, seeing the candy in her hand.
“You could have gotten stuck,” Twilight said with a little worry.
“Now what happened?” sunset asked
Twilight pointed to the vending machine and Pinkie Pie. The three of them had an idea of what could have happened.
“Where is AJ?” Fluttershy asked.
“was here a moment ago,” Twilight said, confused when she didn't see her friend.
They all looked around her. Pinkie Pie saw her in the background near the administration building. “Look, there it is,” said the party girl, pointing her finger at her. The rest looked in that direction and saw Applejack standing without moving.
“Why is standing there?” Rarinbow wondered.
“What if we go see?” Sunset suggested. The girls began to walk in the direction of the blonde.
Applejack still couldn't believe who was in front of her, but she wasn't the only one surprised. Rarity couldn't believe it either. They were both in a state of shock. So much so that the farmer girl didn't it when her girlfriend spoke to her.
"Hey what's wrong?" Rainbow asked, arriving with the others. Some didn't know why Applejack was like this, while others like Fluttershy and Sunset, when they reached the top, looked in the direction where the farm girl was staring. Opening your eyes more.
Pinkie looked at her cousin and then at Fluttershy and Sunset with curiosity so she followed her gaze. She saw a girl in front of her. “Rarity…?” said surprised
Twilight and Rainbow, upon hearing that name, turned their heads and met Rarity's gaze. Rainbow's expression changed to one of anger. The girls now understood why Applejack was like this. They never expected to meet Rarity Belle, an old friend or rather an ex-friend.
Different emotions invaded the girls. Anger, disappointment and sadness.
On the dressmaker's part it was worse, many memories invaded her mind accompanied by regret. “This can't be happening, they're all here” thought.
No one seemed to break the silence until the chanciller Celestia appeared.
“That's good, I hoped you hadn't left yet,” said chancellor, approaching Rarity. Making her come out of her trance like the others, but avoiding looking at the violet-haired girl. “I forgot to give you this… it's your class schedule.” I gave the paper to the dressmaker and she just noticed the group of her friends. “Hello girls, can I offer you anything?” asked.
“Nothing, just… we were passing by,” Applejack finally spoke, avoiding the violet-haired girl's gaze.
“Taking advantage of the fact that they are here. I present to you a new student. She is Rarity Belle, she transferred to finish her last year here,” the chanciller presented.
Rainbow Dash tensed up a little when she heard that.
“How… good it is… to see you again… Rarity” Pinkie tried to sound natural.
“Do you already know each other?” She asked with a surprised expression.
“Unfortunately,” Rainbow murmured resentfully. Rarity could hear and lowered her head.
“What did you say Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked.
“What…”
“What he meant…” Fluttershy tried to say.
"Yes, we know her, but due to some circumstances... we didn't know about her for a long time," Twilight explained.
“Then could you guide her and take her to her second class?”
"What!?" the group of friends exclaimed in unison
The chanciller was surprised by the response "Somethi-"
The dressmaker interrupted what the chanciller was going to say. “I was thinking that I could go on my own and get to know the place better,” said Rarity. The group of friends did not question what the dressmaker said.
“But Rarity you barely know this side of the university.”
“…” the violet-haired girl didn't know what to say.
“Chanciller Celestia, I brought you the papers that she asked for,” a professor interrupted.
The girls took advantage of the teacher's arrival to leave there.
Rarity noticed her escape. I look at the girls with sadness. “How small the world is, I never imagined I would meet them again.”
"Thank you." She said receiving the papers, vacating herself and looking ahead. "As said... Where did the others go?" Celestia asked, observing that the group of friends were no longer there.
“I think her classes were about to start,” Rarity said, thinking it was the logical option.
The Mane Six walked until they reached an area, near the classrooms.
“We have to talk about what just happened, I feel like I'm going to explode” Rainbow said with a frown.
“I think the same, I'm as surprised as you,” said Sunset.
“Girls, in a few minutes my class is going to start along with Sunset and in half an hour you have your respective classes,” Twilight said.
“We have the second break to talk,” Fluttershy proposed.
“Then we'll see them,” said Sunset, then she approached Rainbow and took some keys out of her pocket. “I don't know if this is a good time, can you pass it on to Professor Spitfire?”asked, feeling the tension in the air.
Rainbow received the keys without saying anything. Then Sunset Shimmer left with Twilight to her next class.
The four of them watched them leave. Rainbow turned around looking at the farmer, “hey Apple-“ she was going to ask her girlfriend something.
“I need to get some air,” Applejack said abruptly, walking towards the door.
“mmm…” Rainbow expressed angrily. “Just his presence is enough to cause problems” said as she watched Applejack walk toward the yard. “I'm going to give the keys to Professor Spitfire,” she said, leaving the two pink-haired girls behind.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy looked at each other a little sad.
Rarity was arriving at her class with another teacher who helped her locate her corresponding room. After knocking on the door and her guide explaining that she is a new student, she let her in.
After introducing herself to the others, she opened her eyes wider to see two acquaintances. “This has to be a joke,” Rarity thought. Seeing Sunset Shimmer and Twilight sitting in their respective places, they were as surprised as she was. “If I keep meeting the others...what a shitty day I'm going to have,” thought, looking down, until she thought of something else more important. "Although now I can apologize for what happened three years ago, but how they acted recently will be difficult."
Rarity sat in an empty seat. Listening to the teacher's explanation. From time to time throughout class Rarity would glance at the two girls or they would also glance.
Side A / School After class they rang the bell for the students to leave for their break. The crusaders were already sitting on the stairs.
“Now, tell us when you came back” I speak Scootaloo
“Where to start” Sweetie Belle said putting a finger on her chin. “We moved two weeks ago, it took us a little longer than expected to move”
“That explains why you just came in,” Apple Bloom deduced.
“A part,” then Sweetie lowered her head. “Sorry for losing contact with you a year ago.”
“Don't worry, at least we were in contact for a year and a half in,” said the redhead.
Sweetie Belle raised her head at the comment. “Although... I still wouldn't tell them that I was moving and that I would be at this school,” she said with a smile.
"Because?" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom asked in unison.
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she explained.
“And boy did you surprise us,” said Apple Bloom.
“Yes… and I doubt you went to another school,” commented the magenta-haired girl.
“That's true, that another school in Canterlot has a division and union of college and university” continued the redhead.
“Good point, but my parents considered, if Rarity hadn't started studying online,” Sweetie Belle commented.
"I see"
“Is Rarity here too?” Scootaloo asked.
"Girls, I already told you that Rari-"
“We know, calm down Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom tried to reassure her friend.
“It bothered us at first, but I think we understood it... in our own way. "She was asking more about our sisters," Scootaloo explained.
“But what happened in the past stayed in the past, didn't it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It's our point of view, we don't know what others think” Apple Bloom said, she stood up and looked at the two girls still sitting. “The important thing is that the crusaders are finally reunited,” then she put a hand forward. The two also stood up and joined hands.
Side B / University
After leaving their respective classes, the girls gathered in the music room. As soon as she entered, Rainbow Dash began to retaliate, pacing back and forth.
"What the fuck is she doing here?!" she started to speak rainbow angrily
“Studying fools”
“Pinkie, that's obvious,” said Sunset.
“just trying to calm things down.”
“This isn't the time,” Twilight said.
“Are you done?” Rainbow said, her hands on her waist. The three just nodded. the girl multicolored hair paced back and forth again. “Of the universities in Canterlot, it had to be right here?!”
“It's strange that she just started classes now,” Twilight said curiously.
“It wouldn't make any difference if she came in at the beginning of the month,” said Sunset.
“That's true,” said Fluttershy.
Rainbow stopped and looked at the blonde. “And why aren't you saying anything?”
“What would I have to say?” Applejack asked with a frown.
"I don't know. Maybe... because my damn ex-girlfriend is at the same university as me,” said Rainbow, imitating the farmer in a mocking way.
“Hey… I'm still processing seeing it again! and you don't have to imitate me like that” the girl farmer complained.
“You don't have to say it in a rude way either,” said the party girl.
“You forget that because of her I almost got expelled from school” exclaimed the girl multicolored hair
“I know,” Pinkie said, crestfallen.
“I still remember it,” Twilight commented. “I thought we were friends,” she said disappointed.
“We all thought that,” said Sunset, looking at her friends.
“Yes…” Fluttershy said with her head down, “I couldn't believe it when we found out.”
Rainbow looked at the four nodding and then fixed her gaze on the blonde. “Look, you have these options for how you should feel: disappointed, angry or frustrated. Pick one, my love,” she said angrily.
“You can stop doing that,” the girl farmer replied with a frown.
“Girl, let's try to calm down,” Sunset intervened.
Rainbow stopped looking at her girlfriend and looked at the others. “Now that she's here, maybe she has something planned.”
“Dash... do you think she is back to pay off debts?” Pinkie asked.
"Maybe"
“I think you're exaggerating,” Pinkie said.
"Pinkie, why do you defend her?" Rainbow exclaimed angrily.
“I'm not defending her, I'm just saying you're going too far in what you're saying. I don't think this is like the series I watch... this reminded me of a series I saw” said Pinkie, approaching Rainbow, looking at the blank wall and moving her hand imagining a scene.
"Oh no," said one of the girls and they shook their heads.
Pinkie began to explain with a serious tone delving into the story. “I don't remember the name, but it was about a billionaire girl who had in the palm of her hand the boy that anyone wanted to have, time passed and the boy fell in love with the protagonist, the bad girl was ruined. and alone. The protagonist felt compassion for her... giving her a second chance and they became friends with her. "The antagonist redeemed herself and accepted the protagonists' relationship," she explained, stopping looking at the wall and looking at Rainbow, who still had a disgusted face. The party girl smiled and took a step back.
"AND...?" Rainbow asked, upset.
Pinkie Pie changed her expression to a slightly frustrated one. "In the second season he returns for revenge, leaving his character development in the trash as if it never happened."
"Ha! You see-" Rainbow was going to comment but the party girl interrupted her.
“But even I know that this is real life… Rarity is not a millionaire and she had no subjects to give orders to,” finished explaining.
“Exactly, we were her friends,” Sunset said.
"But she was manipulative," Twilight said. “I don't like the comparison between reality and the series that Pinkie watches… but coming back for revenge? That’s a lot,” she said, a little incredulous.
Pinkie didn't say anything and just looked at her friends with a sad expression. “At that time I believed it too, but I came to understand… they have the wrong idea of what Rarity is like,” thought. She changed her expression to a neutral one to hide how she really felt.
"I don't think there's anyone who will hold a grudge for years to get revenge in the future," Fluttershy said.
Rainbow took a deep breath to calm herself. "She may be exaggerating a little, but I'll be watching her if she wants to do something."
The atmosphere seems to calm down a bit.
"So what do we do now that we know she's going to be here for a year?" Applejack asked.
“We'll see about it later,” Sunset said.
"We might share a class with her," Fluttershy said.
Sunset looked at Twilight. They both thought about the same thing. Things are too tense to mention that they share a class with Rarity.
“I doubt it's sport,” said the girl with multicolored hair, with a half smile.
Twilight deduces “no advanced calculations”
“Physics?” commented the blonde.
"Now that we're okay, how about we play a little?" suggested sunset.
(Short note: when I play a song, imagine that another of the mane six sings the part of Rarity)
The Mane Six took their places.
“Shake Your Tail?” Applejack suggested, as she took the bass from him.
“I don't know if it comes to the occasion, but it will lift our spirits more,” said Sunset.
“Although it could also be awesome as I wanna be” said Rainbow as she put on the guitar (the guitar strap). she looked at the others. “You know I'm joking, let's hit it with Shake Your Tail. 1 2 3”
While they were playing Applejack noticed that there was something different about Rainbow Dash's appearance, she waited until they finished the song to ask.
“Rainbow, what are you wearing?” Applejack asked.
The others look at rainbow in more detail
“Or rather, what you are not using” Pinkie said with a half smile.
“Wait dash... are you only in your bra? twilight asked
Rainbow Dah laughed “Yeah... I had to tell the boys that I was wearing a short shirt. Can you imagine if I told you that I forgot to bring my change of t-shirt and I didn't have anything underneath?
“HAHAHA, I would have liked to see her face if you told them the truth,” said the party girl, laughing.
“HAHAHA I know” the girl with multicolored hair continued laughing.
“not funny Dash,” Applejack said with a serious look. “You could have said that you didn't have another shirt and one of us lent you another one.”
“Let's see spoilsport,” Rainbow said, pulling her guitar back to cross her arms. “Who would bring two shirts to change into in case something happens to the first one?” I ask sarcastically. “The only one I can think of would be Twilight but I doubt that-”
“The truth is, I do bring another one,” Twilight confessed, with a little shame.
"Really..." said in disbelief
“I'm not surprised,” said Sunset.
“I can lend it to you and you can give it back to me tomorrow,” Twilight suggested.
“There you had the solution,” said Applejack, still with her serious expression.
“I understand blonde… thank you Twilight” she said the first thing with annoyance and her tone of voice changed when he thanked her. she took off his guitar and started unzipping his jacket.
"What are you doing!?" Twilight exclaimed, a little alarmed by what the athlete was about to do.
“Well, taking off my jacket to put on my shirt,” Rainbow responded as if it were the most obvious thing.
“I don't have it here.”
“ohhh…” was the only thing he said and he started to pull up the zipper, he turned his head looking at the rest of the men.
Pinkie Pie was trying to suppress her urge to laugh, Applejack rolled her eyes and shook her head, Fluttershy covered her eyes with the tambourine, Sunset Shimmer seemed to give the same thing, and Twilight was blushing a little at the situation.
After that situation Rainbow Dash went with Twilight to pass her the shirt and each one went to their respective class, as the hours flew by so did the day.
It was is sundown, the girls were at the entrance of the institute saying goodbye. Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Apple Bloom headed to the parking lot, got into the red van heading to Sweet Apple Acres.
The other four girls walked away. Sometimes they leave in vehicles, but this time they decided to walk.
“I still can't believe that bitch is back,” said Rainbow.
“Okay Rainbow, first the vocabulary, your sister is here and second we can't do anything” said Twilight
“She's not going to listen to me, she's skating.”
The four of them saw Scootaloo skating a few steps ahead, just enough distance to not lose sight of her.
"They see him"
“Maybe avoid saying rude things, if Spike were here I would immediately cover his ears with my hands” said Twilight.
"How's Spike?" Fluttershy asked.
“Is better that you no longer have a fever and in a few days you will be able to go to school.”
“excellent,” said Sunset.
“Girls, don't deviate from the topic,” commented the girl with multicolored hair
“What topic?” twilight asked
“That bitc…” she was going to say it again until she heard Twilight cough. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “from her… I just hope that I don't get a shared class”
“It was our turn,” confessed Sunset.
"Which?"
“Mathematics” Twilight commented
“Math, but did that happen to you before we talked?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yes, but we thought it wasn't the time to talk about that, it was enough to know that we are going to study with her,” said Sunset understandingly.
“Well that's true,” Rainbow commented. “What are the chances that we will have more shared classes?”
Sweetie Belle and Rarity were walking towards their house, but the silence was evident. The youngest noticed how her sister seemed lost in her thoughts and somewhat sad.
“Something tells me that she met the others,” the youngest thought. She was going to ask him how her first day was, so she decided to talk about something else. "You know, Mom and Dad could lend us the car so we don't have to walk," she suggested.
"Eh what…?" said the dressmaker, emerging from her thoughts.
“I said you could borrow Dad's car.”
“Sweetie know that they are businessmen and they should use it very frequently”
The minor thought of another option “Or…”
"Or…?"
“Maybe you could tell Mom that she'll compensate you with a car if you do well,” Sweetie Belle proposed.
“Although I would like to very much, I don't want to use that for my benefit, what I want…” Rarity stopped before saying the last words. “It doesn't matter… it's impossible now” she said the last thing almost inaudibly. Sweetie Belle overheard and got an idea of what she was referring to. "Besides, it was only my first day, the exams still have to come."
“And it will be fine for you.”
Rarity smiled at her sister's support. “I hope so, I don't want to disappoint mom.”
After that conversation the atmosphere changed to a calmer one.
The Apple family and a Pie had already arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Now Applejack was opening the door to enter.
“You seem happy, Sugarcube,” the girl farmer said to her sister.
“If Sweetie Belle is back, isn't she great?”
Applejack's expression changed to unreadable, she didn't know what to say. Pinkie Pie realized that, she also knows what it meant to mention the youngest Belle.
“Yes, she's great.” Pinkie came forward to answer for her cousin. “How about you go up, you surely have tasks to do.”
“Ooouuhh cousin Pinkie, you had to mention the tasks” the redhead complained.
“How about I make some cupcakes?”
“mmm…” Apple Bloom thought about it. “You win, but with chocolate chips”
"Made"
Apple Bloom started to walk up the stairs. Pinkie turned her head and realized that her cousin was no longer in the living room, she wondered where she was until she heard a noise coming from the kitchen.
She headed to the kitchen and saw Applejack pulling out a vase of juice.
“Pinkie, I know you want to tell me something,” said the blonde, closing the refrigerator and looking at the party girl. “Just ask.”
At first she hesitated to ask, but she decided to do it. “Wh...what do you think about Rarity's return?
The farmer stopped the movement she had made when her cousin began to speak. She put down the glass she had taken out of her cabinet and placed it on the table. She was silent for a few seconds. “I don't know Pinkie, I don't know how to feel about her coming back.”
“How would yo-”
“Don't be like Rainbow, how I must feel” she said raising her voice, stopped when she realized how she said it. “I'm sorry, cousin, you know I don't like it when people decide for me,” Applejack apologized.
“Calm down, cousin, I understand why you get like that, you haven't seen her in almost three years.”
“Yes... it's just that the last thing I heard about her was that she had left without saying anything, or giving an explanation of what she did to her,” she said, taking the glass again and pouring herself the juice.
“I try, but... mmm even I feel bad for how I acted” Pinkie thought with her head down, but she tried to hide it as soon as her cousin looked at her again.
“After she left she left me with a…” she sighed before deciding to say what she thought. “I'm still a little upset about what she did to Dash,” I reply.
Pinkie nodded understandingly. “Do you somehow feel better?”
“I think that by letting off steam a little I feel a little better. I'm going to my room to play the guitar a little and then I'll help in the garden if they need me.”
“Don't you have a date with Dash in an hour? Pinkie asked, heading to the cabinet, sticking out a spleen.
“Yes, but she'd better leave it for another day… I'm not in the mood. I'm going to send him a message,” said the farmer, taking out her cell phone, opening the contacts looking for Dash's. While she was writing she noticed her cousin's gaze. “Pinkie, you know this isn't the first time we've canceled a date,” she said calmly.
“I know,” she said, taking the vase and pouring juice. “Although it would be ideal if you called her,” thought as she took a sip. After drinking the juice she headed to the pantry
“Ready, I sent it." She said while she put her cell phone in her pants and then looked at the pink haired girl taking some products from the pantry. “What are you doing?”
“Ah… I told your sister I would make her some cupcakes in exchange for you doing her homework.”
"Did you know…? change of mind. "I'm not going to my room, but I'll see if it's the right amount for Apple Bloom."
“Whaaat… you don't trust me.”
“Yes, but do you remember when you did more than necessary?” said the blonde, crossing her arms.
“Pff… it was just a few days in bed” Pinkie said finishing the sentence with a fake laugh. “In my defense she sneaked out.”
“That's true, but you should have done the right amount.”
“Ehhh…” The party girl didn't know how to defend herself, but an idea came to her: “What if we cook together? Let this be an Apple and Pie preparation!” she said with a smile
Applejack smiled and went to get an apron. “a family moment wouldn't be bad”
On the streets. Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were still walking, but they stopped at a corner.
“Hey Scoot, come here, you went too far, we have to turn!” Rainbow yelled at her sister to stop.
“Rainbow Dash, it's not necessary, my house is around the corner,” Fluttershy said. This seemed strange to Sunset and Twilight.
“Like n-” Rainbow was going to object.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Her sister shouted from a distance on her scooter.
“Come here!” I shout back and look at the yellow skinned girl.
“I insist, it is not necessary,” Fluttershy insisted again.
“But-” she couldn't finish as a message notification rang on her cell phone. “Wait a second” she took out her cell phone and saw who she was. Rainbow took the cell phone away from her and looked at her friend. “Is AJ, it's about our date,” explained.
“I think I should go now and you should go to your date,” said Fluttershy.
“…” Rainbow sighed defeated “Yes… if you say so.”
Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “Goodbye Rainbow Dash, goodbye to Scootaloo, goodbye girls,” she said goodbye. The girls also said goodbye. Fluttershy turned around and walked around the corner heading towards her house.
“Ready, I'm here…” said Scootaloo arriving on her scooter, “where do we have to turn?”
“It doesn't matter anymore,” said Rainbow, a little discouraged.
“Everything okay Dash?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, everything is fine,” responded, hiding his discontent.
“O…okay then, shall we go ahead so you can get to your appointment?” asked the girl with glasses
“It's not necessary, AJ canceled the departure” responded.
“Oh sorry, I guess I shouldn't have asked.”
Rainbow smiled. “Twi, calm down, it's just a way out,” said simply.
“Then let's continue” Sunset suggested a little awkwardly.
“You don't have to make life bitter,” said the girl multicolored hair, starting to walk.
The three looked at each other and walked again. Except for Scootaloo who got back on her scooter, but this time at a shorter distance.
After a few minutes in silence. Rainbow broke it she wanted to ask the girls something
“Twilight, Sunset”
“Yes Rainbow.”
"Yeah?"
“Have you noticed that Fluttershy is… I don't know… distant towards me?” I ask the girls
“Could it be that she is going through a bad time or in her days?” Twilight tried to deduce, although in a way she knew it wasn't that.
“At first I thought about it… not about her days" cleared her throat to continue. “The bad time and that bad time has dragged on for a long time,” Rainbow said, emphasizing. “We don't go out like before and the most notable thing… she no longer calls me Rainbow or simply Dash like the others do. Now it says my full name,” explained her frustration.
“Mmm… I hadn't noticed that until now, she doesn't call you names anymore and what she did just now… normally when the three of us go out, we leave her in front of her house” Twilight said thoughtfully.
“Another piece of evidence, when I offered to accompany her she refused.”
“I have also noticed these attitudes and it is not recent, it has been going on for a while,” said Sunset.
“Did you do something to upset her?” Twilight asked.
“That's the thing… I don't know exactly what I did!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Have you tried talking to her?” Sunset asked.
Rainbow Dash stopped. Making the others do it too. “Every time I try, I stay in the middle of the conversation or I can't even find a topic to talk about or when I want to talk on messenger the same thing happens and now I don't dare to write to him”
“Is that why you tried to chat with her about your clothes? The yellow/reddish haired girl asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Of your clothes dash?” said the girl with glasses.
“I know it wasn't the best conversation she was going to have, but she had to try.”
“Well, it was an attempt…” Twilight said sympathetically. “How long have they been like this?”
“I don't even remember,” Rainbow replied, lowering her head.
“Don't worry, you'll have time to find out,” said Twilght, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.
“Also reconcile whatever happened between you.” Sunset also put her hand on her other shoulder, giving her support.
“Thank you girls” Rainbow raised her head.
They returned with their walk and each one said goodbye when they arrived at her destination. Only Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were left, who were already arriving at her house.
At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had finished preparing the cupcake with the necessary quantity that the blonde had agreed upon.
on the second floor, Apple Bloom was doing her class assignments.
“mmm… how boring, I bet at the university they don't give them homework. I've hardly ever seen Applejack have to do it," she said to herself.
Seconds later she heard someone knock on her door and then open it.
“I brought you some cupcake,” Applejack said.
“Thank you, I thought cousin Pinkie would bring them?”
“Let's say I keep an eye on her... I brought you two,” the blonde said, leaving the plate with the cupcake on her desk. Her younger sister took one and started eating. "How are with?"
“I understand, but it doesn't take away the boring part,” the youngest responded.
“Anything, I'll be in my room" She looked down the hallway and saw the smallest of the apples again. “when it comes back up”
Apple Bloom laughed a little at that.
Applejack was about to go, but before doing so, he looked at the younger girl again. “What you mentioned, about the fact that we don't have tasks... It's not that they don't give us tasks, it's more jobs, it also depends on each career, designers have more manual jobs."
“Aren't all jobs manual?” “we use our hands”
“True, but there are also digital ones where you only show a work through your computer… or pendrive? You know I don't know much about that, that's more about Twilight,” Applejack said. “As I said, designers have to do manual work to demonstrate what they are capable of as future designers. For example, I have Arts and they specialize in that area and if not, they will learn it. And despite not knowing how to draw well, I have to try, but my thing is more about plans.” I finish explaining
"I think I understood"
“You'll understand when you're in college. "I'll let you continue with your homework," said Applejack, closing the door to her younger sister's room. After walking down the hall, he went down the stairs and saw his Grandma and Big Mac coming in through the front door, heading to the couch or in Grandma Smith's case, her rocking chair.
“Big Mac, are you done?” the blonde asked
“Yep,” he responded. As always, her brother answered with a simple word.
“I was going to go to the barn, but it looks like you didn't need any help.” Applejack said, sitting next to him.
“Nop.”
“Cupcake Grandma Smith?” Pinkie said, appearing in the living room. Also offering big mac
“They're delicious, right,” Pinkie asked.
“They are delicious,” commented Grandma Smith.
"Yep"
“I helped her and at the same time kept an eye on her in case she went a little too far, do you remember what happened with Apple Bloom the last time?”
"Yep"
“Where is she now?” Grandma Smith asked.
“Upstairs doing your class assignments,” replied the girl farmer.
“Apple Bloom could help more in the garden” suggested the elderly woman
“Grandma, she can barely handle schoolwork like she can handle the garden,” commented the farmer.
“Apple Bloom helps when they need an extra pair of hands, isn't that the same as working?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Yes, although he does it when the work is almost finished and not when it has to be done from the beginning” explained Grandma Smith.
“Okay,” Pinkie said.
“The only thing it doesn't help, is when we make cider,” said Applejack.
“In my time I worked since I was a child, that's how it was with Bright Mac…” she sighed to continue. “Later when she married Pear Butter, she continued it with you,” said the elderly woman, with a smile remembering her son.
Bic Mac put his hand on his sister's shoulder, they both smiled nostalgically. “Dad and mom taught us the essentials, they were good parents”
“At first I didn't like their relationship, then I realized how special your mother was to Bright Mac and she was to him,” Grandma Smith admitted, although it wasn't the first time she had mentioned it.
“Special…” Applejack said, something about that word almost clicked in the blonde's mind. “What i remembers about Mom and Dad being very close, Grandma Smith has also told me a lot about what they were like. She thought.
Dash Family House Rainbow and Scootaloo were in the girl with multicolored hair's room playing Mario Kart.
“I'm beating you,” Scoot said.
"beginners luck"
“That would be you,” Scoot said, almost defiantly.
“True… you know I like them with more action” said Rainbow.
After the mini talk they returned to concentrating on the game
“Girls, dinner is about to be served,” said an older man with light gray-blue skin and rainbow hair. "They heard me?"
“Yes, dad,” they both said in unison.
The older man looked at the time on his wrist watch and then looked at the younger one. “Scoot, did you do your class assignments?”
“…” the youngest paused the game and looked at the older man. “I would do it, but I lent my notebooks to a classmate so she could catch up,” Scoot replied.
“And they didn't give you any guide?” the older man asked once again.
"No"
“Okay, but don't play for too long,” Bow said, ending that topic. “don't delay.” After saying that he left the room.
“were you saved from,” Rainbow said gracefully. He stood up, leaving the joystick aside. “Let's go.” His sister did the same and they headed to the door.
“Next we play Need For Speed” said Rainbow.
“I haven't heard about that game in a long time, I thought it was forgotten”
“It was more or less like this”
When he got to the table, his mother was finishing setting the table, after everyone sat down they started to eat.
“Any news either at school or university?” Windy asked, starting a topic of conversation.
“The Crusaders are reunited again,” said Scootaloo.
“Does that mean-” Bow was going to ask, but Scoot interrupted.
“Sweetie Belle is back, I lent her the notebooks”
"She's not the sister of-" his mother was going to ask, but this time it was Rainbow who interrupted.
“Yes, is who you think,” she said, looking at her parents. “Mom, do you remember what happened?”
"Yes doughter"
“She Now she came back, from one day to the next” Rainbow complained.
“It reminds me of you,” said his mother, thinking a little about the past.
"What...? I'm nothing like that!” protest
"I do not mean that"
“I think what your mother is referring to is that you also arrived in Canterlot from one day to the next,” Bow clarified.
Rainbow opened her eyes a little, understanding what she meant. “Now that you mention it…” she said. “It's like deja vu, but in reverse. I just didn't come from nowhere, the girls already knew about me” thought
“If you think about it, any new student arrives overnight,” Scootaloo commented.
“You're right, Scoot,” his dad said.
“Whether it is an old or new student, they arrive without prior notice, on very few occasions the teacher announces the arrival of a new student” said his Mom.
“Let's change the subject, I thought you were going out with your friends” said his dad.
“Actually, it was going to be with AJ, but I cancele and before you ask, does it bother me? No, it doesn't bother me at all.” Both parents looked at each other. “You took the word out of our mouths,” the older man said.
Seeing that the topic was over, they decided to continue eating.
Rainbow still seemed a little thoughtful about the topic and she remembered a time when she considered switching to Canterlot.
Three years ago Rainbow and Fluttershy were walking through the mall, eating some popcorn they bought at a store.
“How is everything going at your school?” Fluttershy asked.
“Boring, sometimes I don't even feel like going,” Rainbow said with annoyance.
“Canterlot, I wouldn't say it's more entertaining, but it has its good things,” said the pink-haired girl. “I still think you should go in.”
"That's it again," Rainbow said with a laugh.
Fluttershy has suggested that Rainbow Dash enter Canterlot Institute several times. When they were younger they went to the same school, but when they started growing up they both changed schools. Even so, they have not lost contact.
"I said I don't feel like going, but where I am... it's not that bad, not counting that unbearable Lightning Dust... at least I have Gilda" said the girl with multi-colored hair.
Fluttershy looked at her with a bit of concern.
“Don't worry, Fluttershy, I haven't gotten into trouble,” Rainbow said so as not to worry her friend. “At least I'm not with the Crystal Prep know-it-alls.”
The pink haired girl changed her expression to a calmer one. “I knew a girl who went there,” said Fluttershy.
"Oh really"
“Yes, her name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Didn't you tell me that Canterlot and Crystal don't get along?” the girl with multicolored hair asked, confused.
“Differences can be put aside,” said the pink-haired girl with a smile.
"Maybe…"
“Apparently Twilight wasn't having a very good time at Crystal, the atmosphere there… it's not at all what one would imagine, so she transferred to Canterlot last year.”
“It's good that she changed…” Rainbow said, then he put another popcorn in her mouth. “About Canterlot, what other reason would I have to study there? The only thing that comes to mind is you.”
"What?" Fluttershy asked, not understanding.
“You know… I wouldn't want them to pick you up and from what I know I'm your only friend and possibly that girl Sparkle.”
“Actually, I did make more friends,” Fluttershy admitted with a slight blush, “well, I don't know if they consider me her friend, since I recently met them. This Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, she is the first friend that Twilight made when she arrived in Canterlot, and also Pinkie Pie” she revealed. “oh… also yesterday I met two others and one is Pinkie Pie's cousin.
“Wow, you've met a lot of girls, are they trustworthy? “You have to know a person well” Rainbow asked suspiciously.
“Don't worry dash… I'm sure they are trustworthy.” said the pink haired girl, sure of herself. “The most curious thing is that we were all in the same institute a long time ago, we were just in different courses, that's why we never got to know each other, not to mention Twilight who transferred last year.”
“Is the institute that small?” Rainbow asked ironically.
“You could say… you'll like them” she said, she started thinking about another reason. “Another reason you might study, besides meeting the girls. At school you could demonstrate your abilities. The other day I heard some students talking about a teacher called Spitfire who helps you prepare to be a great athlete. From what I know, she is the teacher of Side B” Fluttershy explained.
That caught the attention of the multicolored haired girl. “Wait…” she said, stopping walking. “Then next year, when I go to university, I could teach myself more things related to sports and who knows… maybe I will be a very well-known athlete” Rainbow finished, smiling sideways.
"Exact"
“You're right, I'm going to talk to my parents about being able to change.”
They walked again, eating the popcorn and talking about other topics.
Present
Rainbow sighed in frustration as she finished remembering. “It all started with Fluttershy's suggestions... How did we end up like this after transferred to Canterlot? Although at the beginning we were still like before... only something changed over time and we are no longer" thought.
The girl with multi-colored hair took her cell phone out of her pocket and opened Messenger. “Before I changed, we talked naturally…” thought, sliding around looking for Fluttershy's contact. “She was online 10 minutes ago, at least I'm glad to know that he possibly wanted to hear from me”
“Rainbow, what have we said about cell phones when we are eating?” said his mother
“Sorry, I just wanted to see something,” Rainbow apologized. She put her cell phone away and continued eating, until she remembered something.
"Mom?"
“Yes, rainbow?”
“I know it's still missing, but... is there any news about the family meeting?”
Windy looked at her husband and her youngest, she turned her gaze to her daughter. “It's like you said rainbow, we still have to think about that and we don't know if the Shy people will be able to this time”
“Is this because you were absent last time?” the older man asked
“I was late, it's not the same, plus I wanted to teach that Lightning Dust a lesson.”
Her parents looked at her a little seriously.
Rainbow let out a laugh. “It is not a good excuse and that is why I ask, since on the one hand it is because I am late”
Like Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, they have known each other since they were very young. It didn't take long for the parents to realize that both girls were going to be great friends. Time passed and, as expected, they became great friends. Sometimes Rainbow would go to the pink haired girl's house to hang out and the same thing happened with Fluttershy, so her parents decided to create a tradition in which both families would meet on a specific date to pass the time.
“When we have news we will let you know” said his dad.
“How is Fluttershy? "She hasn't come to visit us in a long time," Windy asked.
“Okay,” Rainbow replied. “When we get together with the others, I haven't seen anything happen to her, just when she's busy or if she gets sick,” thought. “We're in college, so it takes up a lot of your free time for her to come,” she lied, faking a smile.
“I understand, let's hope we see her again soon” commented her dad.
“Me too,” Rainbow murmured, barely audible.
Scootaloo didn't say anything in the middle of the conversation, as she was a little thoughtful about the conversation.
Belle Family House Rarity was in the kitchen, she was going to prepare a preview for dinner like she used to do when her parents took longer than usual because of her work, like on this occasion.
“Preparing dinner again?” Sweetie Belle asked from the kitchen door.
Rarity turned around to look at her sister. “Mom sent a message that they were going to be a little late,” she replied. "Can you set the table?"
“Sure, but… I was thinking we could watch a movie and have some sister time while we wait.”
“Mmm… I haven't started cooking yet so it wouldn't get cold at all” said the dressmaker, looking at the kitchen, then at her younger sister. “Okay, wait, did you make progress on any assignment they gave you in class?”
“Scoot lent me her notebooks to stay up to date”
Rarity wasn't too surprised by the mention of Rainbow Dash's younger sister. If she saw the girls on side B, it wouldn't be difficult to deduce that her sisters would be on side A.
“Have you passed cleanly?” the dressmaker asked
“Yes I did… well a little” the youngest admitted.
Rarity thought about it. “I'll let it go for now. What movie do you want to see?”
“Yes,” the youngest girl went to the couch and looked for the control to turn on the television and enter an application. “Let's see what there is”
The two sisters were already on the couch. Rarity was the first to look for a movie, but she didn't find one that caught her attention, so she handed control over to Sweetie, who opted for a classic, The Lion King. They have both seen it countless times, it is part of several people's childhoods.
“Even though I've already seen it, it's still sad to see what happens to Simba,” said Sweetie Belle, a little sad.
“I can't imagine what it's like to go through that loss,” Rarity commented with empathy. “At least the songs help pass the moment”
“Like Hakuna Matata, look, it's just about to start,” said the youngest excitedly. As soon as the song played, she began to sing. Rarity smiled.
The movie was progressing and now it was shown on the screen how Scar betrayed Simba in front of all the lionesses. Rarity felt something on her chest, the smile she was wearing was changing. Simba was apologizing for what he supposedly did, while Scar was cornering him. That scene became very familiar to Rarity and the feeling of it on her chest became more and more intense. She decided to close her eyes thinking that by not seeing the screen it would go away, but she was wrong.
Rarity was walking through the school hallways, despite looking empty, some students were still circulating.
She was dressed in a pale blue blouse, with a belt that connected to her purple skirt, and boots of the same color with a diamond decoration.
Had received a message from Twilight summoning her to a specific location. When she read the message she had a feeling.
When she arrived at the destination she could distinguish the girls, their faces seemed calm at first. But as she got closer and they became aware of her presence, the girls' expressions changed.
Sunset was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and frowning, Twilight with the same expression, but she was a little further ahead. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were on one side, looking at the dressmaker with disappointment and finally Rainbow and Applejack were standing next to the wall, Rainbow was angry and Applejack had a neutral expression. Rarity saw that these two were holding hands, seeing that made the dressmaker sad. She acted tough and tried to hide it.
Almost in front of the girls, she expected them to speak, but she went ahead.
“I received your message Twilight, is something wrong?” The dressmaker looked askance at the others, she felt a little nervous. It was clear what she was about.
“You know Rarity… something a little peculiar happened” Twilight began to speak.
"What thing?" the dressmaker pretended not to understand
“Someone broke the display case and took something out…” Sunset continued.
“Did they find out who did it?” she asked, acting again.
The six girls looked at each other and started laughing. Rarity didn't understand why she was laughing and started to back away. Abruptly the girls returned to their previous expressions.
The girls left their places and began to approach the dressmaker, this made the dressmaker back away even more.
For some reason everything around her began to darken. Rarity turned around, seeing how everything was absolute darkness, there was only one light that illuminated the place, illuminated only by Rarity.
"What's going on?" she asked herself, a little scared. She turned around again, looking in front of her to see the girls, who had stopped in a curve.
She could see their silhouettes, they were barely illuminated, the light and shadow on their faces did not help. Rarity began to get more and more nervous as she saw that they began to move, approaching one by one, passing by and starting to talk, but her voices were heard with an echo.
“We thought we were your friends…” "What kind of friend are you…"
“No…” Rarity muttered.
“You are just as you appear…” “You used us…”
"ENOUGH…!" I shout this time. The girls kept appearing and disappearing in the darkness telling them things. Rarity covered her ears so as not to listen.
"I thought you were different…" “You punctured the balloon of joy…”
“STOP…!” She felt salty drops coming out of her eyes. Despite covering her ears, she continued listening to them.
Another girl was approaching, she could make out that it was Applejack who had never moved and was just looking at her from the darkness. When she was close enough to her he tried to stop her by putting her hand on her blonde's shoulder. “Why haven't you told me anything?” asked through tears.
The girl blondi turned her head and looked at her indifferently. “I don't need to tell you anything…” was the only thing she said. The dressmaker's eyes widened and she shook her head. After saying that, the blonde followed her path, disappearing into the darkness.
“No… what you said is not true…” looked down at her for a few seconds, when she raised it she realized that none of the girls appeared and neither could her silhouette be seen in the darkness.
“Whe…where are they?!”looked around and then lowered his head fists and gritting her teeth. "I can handle it myself,"murmurs. released his grip on her and looked around her again. “But… I don't want to be here,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut.
Rarity opened her eyes, she was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Sweetie Belle, apparently her younger sister woke her up.
Between gasps the dressmaker looked around, she was in the living room sitting on the sofa.
“Rarity, are you okay?” her sister asked with concern.
"What happened?" I asked agitatedly
“Looks like you fell asleep, are you okay?” the youngest asked once again
“Yes, I'm fine,” replied the dressmaker.
“Are you sure you're not having another anxiety attack?”
“Sweetie, It's been a long time since they gave me, don't worry, it was just a bad dream.” she replied with a fake smile, her breathing seemed softer. “Since I haven't seen them in a while, I remembered when they discovered me, counting the looks... It makes sense that they look at me like that, even though I did something immature... by doing so I lost their trust." thought. I try to put those thoughts aside. “Why did you wake me up?”
Sweetie Belle knew there was something else, when she realized that her sister fell asleep, she said some things in her sleep that Sweetie didn't understand and she saw some tears coming out of her sister's eyes, so she decided to wake her up.
“The movie ended a few seconds ago and I just heard Dad's car” explained his younger sister.
"Seconds? “I thought it had been minutes.”
They hear the door opening, but not the main one but the kitchen door that leads to the patio.
“We have arrived,” her father greeted, entering with his wife.
Cookie looked at her oldest daughter and noticed that she looked like she had seen a horror movie. “Daughter, are you okay? You look a little agitated.”
“I'm fine mother, I just had a bad dream.” replied, She looked at the table and remembered dinner. “Sorry, when I fell asleep, I didn't get ahead of myself with dinner.”
“Don't worry, daughter, you don't always have to do it,” said her mother.
“Luckily we brought some pieces of cake,” her father mentioned.
“How delicious,” said the youngest.
The Belles walked to the table and sat down.
“How did my two little princesses do?” said their father.
“Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore,” Rarity said, a little embarrassed that her parents sometimes treat her like that.
“For us they always will be,” said Hondo, with affection. Cookie didn't say anything, just blinked slowly, showing a smile.
“Since I started two weeks late, I had to ask a classmate for her notebooks to catch up,” said Sweetie Belle.
“For me, not much to tell,” replied without giving more details. While she was eating a piece of cake she began to remember her dream. “When I left town, they weren't the only ones who were angry. I was too, but that anger soon turned to regret. I knew that maybe I would meet them in the city, at least some of them, but I never thought I would see them all at the university.”
The next day at the university As always, the girls were in their respective classes or some in the same class, in the case of Applejack she had arts with Sunset Shimmer and other acquaintances, but this time a new classmate will also share classes with them.
Applejack was entering the classroom, he stopped when he saw a certain violet-haired girl. "Brilliant" thought sarcastically. “It was obvious that some of us were going to be involved with Rarity.” she realized that where the dressmaker is sitting is right next to her seat, he saw her again and noticed some changes that he had not noticed the day before. “Now she wears a blouse with buttons, apparently she left behind the pale blue blouse that she used to wear, also her violet boots… well we are already 22 years old, it is normal that we change our style.” she put that aside and approached her seat.
Rarity was settling into her place when she saw a certain blonde in a cowgirl hat starting to put down her things. After a few seconds of silence, Rarity decided to break it.
“Hello AJ… how have you been?” Rarity asks, hoping for an answer.
Applejack does not answer, but she is not so rude to leave her with the word in her mouth. “Good…” she answered with disinterest. “…and only my friends call me AJ,” commented with her gaze on the lectern.
“You're right,” Rarity apologized, lowering her gaze, although a little saddened by Applejack's curt attitude. “How do the rest-”
Applejack was annoyed, as Rarity was babbling like it was nothing. She started taking her things to change places. The violet-haired girl realized what she was going to do.
“Wait you don't have to do that,” Rarity said waving her hands as a sign for her to stop. “I was the one who invaded your workspace… I better change,” commented, taking her things and heading to the back.
Applejack didn't say anything, but looked at her out of the corner of her eye. watched as Rarity seemed to ask Sandalwood for something from her, then she moved her hair. “Using your charms,” Applejack thought, shaking her head, stopped looking at her and waited for the teacher to speak.
The boy went to the place where the dressmaker was supposed to be. Meanwhile Rarity was arranging her tools, a girl greeted her.
“Hello,” a girl greeted.
The dressmaker looked to the side and saw a girl with purple and teal hair.
“You're Rarity, right?”
"Yes, it's me"
“My name is Starlight” she introduced herself.
"A pleasure. Mine is Rarity and apparently you already know it.”
Seconds later two girls appear. One with cyan hair and a white line. The other one with navy blue and pink hair.
“Hello,” the cyan-haired girl greeted.
“Sorry for asking. What happened to Sandalwood?" The girl with navy blue and pink hair asked.
“…” Rarity guessed that it was the green-haired boy, whom she asked to change places. “What happened is that the sun was hitting my face a lot and even though it is good for the skin, I can't let it blind me, allowing my clothes to get stained with the paint, they don't know how long it would take for the paint to come off. such a fine fabric” explain
“We haven't had to paint yet, this week we have only drawn” said the girl with navy blue and pink hair.
"Exact. Although we love that Sandalwood talks about the band he has with Flash, sometimes we get into what he says, that the teacher catches our attention," said the one with cyan hair.
“I introduce myself, my name is Bon Bon” said the girl with navy blue and pink hair.
"And my name is Lyra... and you must be Rarity" said the cyan-haired one.
“I realized that the three of you know my name, but I didn't introduce myself to you,” Rarity commented, without understanding.
“You've only been here for two days and everyone is talking about you,” said Bon Bon.
"And because? It's not that it bothers me, because I'm delighted that they talk about me."
Lyra looked knowingly at Bon Bon and pointed at her with both hands. Giving us an understanding of its appearance
"I see"
“Some people talk about the hot new girl in math class,” said Lyra, heading to her workplace with Bon Bon.
“I've barely arrived, everyone already knows about me and I still don't know anyone, not counting you three obviously,” commented the dressmaker.
“Four, if you count Applejack,” Starlight commented, pointing at her.
Rarity was a little shocked by mention of the blonde's. “Yes… I just met her” she responded with a slightly discouraged tone, hiding it well.
Bon Bon looked at Applejack and next to him was the green-haired boy. “I understand, you should sit next to him,” said, looking at the dressmaker.
“She seemed a little upset,” Starlight said, a little confused.
“It must be that I invaded her workplace,” said the dressmaker. “The previous excuse was somewhat true, I wouldn't want my clothes to get stained, but as the real reason for sitting somewhere else would say, I think it's better that they think that I just met Applejack” thought.
“Few things bother AJ… i would say, but I wouldn't want to say too many things,” said Starlight.
“I understand, I wouldn't like them to talk about my private things either.”
“There are more things that are seen in plain sight or heard,” thought Starlight.
“If you met Applejack, you will soon meet the Mane Six,” Lyra said.
“Mane Six?” Rarity asked curiously.
“That's how your group is known,” said Bon Bon.
“Also The Rainbooms,” said Starlight.
“They already have nicknames,” Rarity thought. “they seem to be popular”
"what? No." Starlight said, shaking her head. “Everyone has their own group of friends, even so, we all talk”
“Could I know more about the Mane Six?” Rarity asked.
“We could tell you the basics” Starlight said looking at the two girls, they nodded.
“The Mane Six are made up of: Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash,” Lyra began.
“Pinkie Pie is very imperative and she is almost always baking some cupcake or doing one of her crazy things,” Starlight continued.
“Sunset is very talented, she does everything, she could have been the captain of the women's soccer team, but she refused from the beginning,” Bon Bon continued.
“Twilight, there's not much to tell, she's like the genie of the room.” Said the one with cyan hair.
“Fluttershy, well she's a little shy, not so much now. She is very kind and she really likes animals and she is even studying something related to that,” commented Starlight.
“Rainbow dash is very athletic, it still surprises me that she doesn't get tired of having many classes related to sports.” He said bon bon
“Not everything is physical, she has some that have to do with the psychological,” Starlight clarified. “Her teacher Spitfire named her the captain of the women's soccer team.”
“We are here too,” Lyra mentioned. Referring to her and bon bon.
“Lastly, Applejack, she also likes sports, but she specializes more in what has to do with carpentry,” said Starlight.
“Apparently they continued with what they said in the past. Pinkie has hardly changed, I remember she said that she was interested in cooking. Sunset, she can do everything at once, she was luckier than me. Twilight, i see that it was the list of the group. Fluttershy apparently was able to overcome some of her insecurities. Dash… just as she said, she is specializing in the area of sports and AJ-" The dressmaker's thoughts were interrupted by bon bon.
“As far as I know, they have studied in Canterlot since they were on Side A.”
“What else can we tell you?” starlight wondered
“Applejack and Rainbow Dash have been together for almost two years” bon bon
“Weren't there three?” Lyra asked.
“As I understand it, they have been they have been together almost two years, ¿or three?” bon bon he questioned
“That's stranger, when I saw them together the first time, I understood that they were already girlfriens,” the dressmaker thought, confused.
“Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are good friends,” said Lyra.
"They are?" ask this time bon bon
The dressmaker raised an eyebrow, it was already twice. “Why do they ask it like that? It's the same as how they knew my name or when they wondered about Applejack's relationship."
“What happens is that it is almost normal for rumors to circulate the university about what happens to each student; most of them are true and very rarely they are false.” Starlight explained
“I understand,” said Rarity. “Could it be true that they are in a bad? They were always good friends."
“So watch your movements,” Lyra said, with a serious expression.
“Ehh…”
"It's a joke. We told you that gossip is normal, but it is occasional,” Lyra said, changing her expression.
“Back to the topic of the Mane Six. In fact, they are all friends, but one always gets along better with another.” I end bon bon
"Often happens". Rarity said. "I wonder who she's been close to if she hadn't fractured our friendship, maybe it would have been with-"
“Oh, the teacher is about to speak and believe me, even though you is the new one, she is not going to let you be late,” Starlight commented, interrupting the dressmaker's thoughts.
"Good to Know"
After art, the students had their third class, and after that class, it was time for lunch.
Cafeteria/Side B The Mane Six were heading with their tray of food to their usual place to eat, outside the cafeteria, an open area where there were more tables. They began to eat and talk, until Dash saw someone
“Look there it is”
The girls turned their gaze to a certain girl with wavy hair, who was heading towards a completely empty table.
“Of all the seats, she had to sit there,” Rainbow complained.
“Rainbow isn't that close, she's only two rows away,” Pinkie said.
“We still see it”
“Not even if she was invisible,” said Sunset.
“Can you believe she's only been here for two days and everyone mentions her as the hot girl,” Rainbow mentioned.
“Even when she was with us on side A, she was named the cutest, along with Fluttershy,” said Pinkie.
“Emm…” Fluttershy didn't know what to say, she was blushing a little.
“You don't have to be ashamed of that Fluttershy,” Applejack said with a smile.
Rainbow didn't want to be left behind this time. “Exactly, we are all cute here, you, sunset, twilight, pinkie, Aj, there are no differences”
Twilight touched her forehead, gently with the palm of her hand.
“What they are trying to say, is that don't feel ashamed because they find you pretty, because you are and you should tell yourself and realize that you are beautiful,” said Sunset, sympathetically. The others agreed.
Fluttershy's blush faded. "Thank you... it's been a long time since they mentioned and I had forgotten when they named me the prettiest," said softly.
“That makes sense,” Pinkie Pie said. “Did any of you have any classes with Rarity, besides Sunset and Twilight having math with her?” she asked
“How did you know?” twilight asked
“I felt it”
Applejack and the others preferred not to continue asking, it was Pinkie they were talking to. “With sunset we had arts with Rarity.” I mention the blonde
“Arts, how did I not see it?” Sunset wondered.
“Since you arrived a little late, you didn't see that she went to the back row,” Applejack explained.
“No wonder I didn't see it.”
“Arts, math… what else is next, sports” Rainbow Dash joked.
"I really do n't know why I was surprised to see her in arts, it makes sense, all of that has to do with design and mathematics with measurements, that leads to-" Applejack's thoughts were interrupted by her friends, who were already getting up.
"Come on?" sunset
"Already?" the blonde asked
“It's still a little early, but we could get there sooner,” said Fluttershy.
“What if we go play a little?” suggested rainbow
“I don't think we would make it,” Twilight said.
Applejack got up and the girls went to put down their trays, then headed to the exit/entrance to go inside the cafeteria. Before following the rest, Pinkie looked at the table where Rarity was still eating, without noticing her. Under her gaze, she saw her once more and left after the others.
The girls were walking through the hallways heading to the music room. Sunset, Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy were in front, Rainbow and Applejack were in back.
“You know yesterday I had a conversation with Grandma Smith,” Applejack comments to her girlfriend.
"And now..."
Applejack omitted the tonality with which his girlfriend spoke. “As he said i talked with Grandma Smith about if…”
Rainbow initially heard what she was saying, but when she looked ahead she saw her yellow-skinned friend.
“Yesterday I remembered when she suggested the Canterlot thing to me, but she didn't question the main thing. What have I done? It would be that time when we all went to the water park, I would take her to one where if you slid you could see the fish swimming, I knew she would like it and somehow I convinced her to go to the extreme one that I wanted to try. I'll never admit that it scared me a little, but I'm sure Fluttershy ended up liking it or maybe I looked wrong... Or was she really upset when I mistakenly gave the shelter animals the wrong food? Wait is she still volunteering?" thought
Meanwhile the blonde was finishing speaking. “But I told him that Apple Bloom can barely handle his homework.” Applejack waited for his girlfriend to speak. "Rainbow?" The farmer nudged him.
“Hey…” Rainbow said, coming out of her thoughts and looking at the blonde.
They both stopped walking, remaining in the middle of the hallway.
“Did you hear anything I told you?” he asked with a frown
"About what?"
“Seriously, Dash!” Applejack looked at her angrily. “I told you yesterday I talked to Grandma Smith.”
"And…?"
“It doesn't matter anymore,” said the farmer and started walking.
“Now what did I do” she thought. She followed the blonde, towards the music room.
The rest of the girls were arriving at the music room
“Don't you think it would be easier if the class were in the other music room? That way we would avoid tuning the instruments again,” Pinkie said.
“I agree with that, but the teacher already decided that this would be the music room,” said Sunset.
“Someone else wonders why we have music if we already know how to play instruments,” Pinkie commented.
"Well Pinkie, you see, it's one thing to know how to play them and another to know the concept of music," Twilight responded.
Fluttershy looked at the door noticing that two of her friends had not yet arrived. “Has anyone seen…” but it wasn't necessary to ask since Applejack was entering the classroom and behind her was Rainbow.
“They didn't know they were left behind, is something wrong with you AJ?” Sunset asked.
“I'm fine, I'll get over it,” said the blonde, downplaying the concern of her friends. She went further into the classroom and went down the steps to sit in one of the seats. Pinkie, Sunset, Twilight, and Fluttershy looked at each other and then turned their gaze to the rainbow-haired girl.
“Don't look at me, I don't know what I did,” Rainbow said defensively.
Pinkie looked at her for a few seconds. “Okay,” she said with a smile, heading to the stairs, sitting in another seat. “Hello Vinyl,” Pinkie greeted a girl with a hearing aid sitting next to her. This one she just waved.
"Hmm…. The professor doesn't seem to have arrived yet," said Fluttershy, looking at the table where the professor would be. “So it seems,” said Sunset.
They started to talk a little until someone comes through the door, they turn around to find a surprise. Once again in front of her, the girl with wavy violet hair was in her presence.
“Ehh… hello girls” Rarity greeted, a little nervous. Rainbow frowned.
“I think we should sit down,” Twilight suggested almost with a difference.
“Yes, you're right, the professor must be arriving,” said Sunset. Fluttershy didn't say anything, she just followed her friends and entered the classroom.
Rarity lowered her head. “Her looks are the same as those in my dream or rather in my memories, with some differences, in that they are not as intense.”
“Oh, hello Rarity,” said Starlight, from the door.
The dressmaker stood firm again, turned around and saw Starlight, next to her was a gray-haired girl with a star-shaped brooch.
“I present to you she is-”
“Don't worry, I introduce myself… I am the great and powerful Trixie,” she introduced herself.
“…the pleasure is mine, I am Rarity” said the dressmaker, leaving aside the drama of the gray-haired girl. “Do you know if there are any free seats?” asked
“If you want, you can sit with us,” Starlight suggested. “There are no specific seats for one.”
Fluttershy was walking up the steps, gave a slightly sad look at Rarity, and left he went to a seat.
“It seems that this time the teacher arrived earlier or else he would still be-” Pinkie couldn't finish speaking as she saw Rarity leading to the other side of the classroom. “ohh…”
“Yes ohh…” Rainbow said with her arms crossed.
“I didn't think she would be here,” Twilight said.
“Would you play an instrument?” Fluttershy asked.
“If she doesn't do it, she will learn it here,” said Sunset.
“Well, I don't care to know,” said the rainbow-haired girl, heading to a seat. Feel like someone is sitting next to you.
Applejack moved to sit next to Rainbow. “Hey, dash… sorry about earlier.”
“You got angry alone, so I don't know why you acted like that,” Dash commented.
“I was talking to you, you should listen to me from time to time.”
“I was thinking about something else,” Dash said simply.
Applejack took a deep breath and let it go. “About yesterday…”
“Okay… and why are you thinking of apologizing now?” Rainbow asked
“mmm…” Applejack put a finger on her chin “I wanted to try something different, I thought about it more because yesterday Grandma Smith mentioned my parents” she started to think a little more. "You're right". Applejack said. The girl next to him nodded.
“I was searching on Instagram-”
“You using Instagram?” Dash asked in disbelief, interrupting the blonde.
“Yes, I'm using Instagram,” the blonde said, rolling her eyes. “I want to go to a place that I haven't been to in a long time... I mean, we should go, you might like it, I just haven't found confirmation yet. For the moment we could go somewhere else.”
Rainbow thought about it. "ok"
Applejack nodded. “This way I make it up to you for canceling in case you felt bad.” comment.
Rainbow frowned, she was going to speak, but the professor just arrived and started to speak.
“Music, what is music?” The teacher began to explain.
"Something happens?" Applejack asked in a low tone.
“Nothing, it's okay… let's go somewhere else and we could even go with the others” Rainbow commented.
“Lately I don't understand you” was the only thing Applejack said and then paid attention to what the teacher was saying.
“…It is also a method to better express what one feels, whether in the moment, or something in the past that they wanted to bring out now in the present,” the professor continued explaining. “For that they need a song, but something very important is needed, the lyrics. Did you know that you can write songs through a poem? But we will leave that topic for later…”
This is how the professor continues explaining to his students.
The students were walking through the hallways after finishing their music class. Each student went their separate ways, either to go to another class or to their homes.
As Twilight and Sunset Shimmer walked ahead, Rainbow Dash stepped forward a bit to talk to them.
"Girls, after practice, I want to tell you something I discovered. It's not really a discovery, as Twilight would say," Rainbow said.
"About what?" Sunset asked.
"It's about Fluttershy, but since we have practice with Sunset and AJ, I can't say it clearly," the athlete explained.
"Fluttershy? What happened with Fluttershy?" asked the party girl, who had approached sensing gossip.
Seeing that Pinkie was still searching for answers, Rainbow decided to tell her: "I'll tell you..."
While Rainbow, Sunset, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie talked, Fluttershy was lost in thought behind them, which Applejack noticed, so she decided to approach her.
"Everything okay, Fluttershy?" asked the farmer. "You seem lost in thought."
"Yes, it's just..." the animal lover hesitated a bit. "I'm not sure if I should say it because it's about..."
"You don't have to force yourself to say something that makes you uncomfortable," said Applejack, showing understanding.
"It's actually more about you," Fluttershy clarified, softening her voice.
"About me?" the blonde wondered.
"It's about Rarity... I can't find the words to describe her return... if I have a feeling, but it's for something else," said Fluttershy without giving more details. "And you...? I don't know how you're taking it, you know... you two were together," Fluttershy added.
"Yeah..." the blonde lowered her gaze discreetly. "I understand, I didn't know how to feel either. That's why I stayed quiet yesterday when we were talking about it. Seeing your ex is..." the blonde sighed, "especially with what happened, I feel somewhat angry."
"I... feel somewhat sad," said Fluttershy.
"Sad?" asked Applejack, with a confused expression. She noticed that Fluttershy didn't seem to want to elaborate more on that. The farmer understood well, as she also didn't know how to feel and decided not to ask further about it. "I guess we all had different feelings seeing her again".
The animal lover nodded. "I thought you might take it badly to talk about her".
"Something tells me we'll talk about the topic more than once," said the farmer. "Apparently talking to my cousin yesterday helped at least to talk a little about this."
Fluttershy knew that talking about this topic was kind of complicated for Applejack, so she decided to change the subject of conversation.
"Is Rainbow Dash okay?" asked the animal lover, redirecting the conversation to another topic.
Applejack noticed Fluttershy's change of topic, but decided to continue with the conversation. "She's fine. Why wouldn't she be?" responded the blonde, somewhat surprised by the question.
Despite being distanced, it doesn't change the fact that she wants to know if something is wrong with the athlete.
"In class, I saw her with an upset expression, so I thought maybe something happened or you had an argument," Fluttershy said.
"We did, in the hallway, before reaching the music room. In fact, I got upset," said the blonde.
"Now, what could it have been about?" wondered Fluttershy.
"But it's over, I apologized to her and also for the date. And did you go out with her? You're her friend, so I think when she cancels our date, she should go out with you," said the farmer.
"Did you cancel your date?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yes, I wasn't feeling up to it," confessed the blonde.
"Oh, I see. About what you said, I didn't go out with Rainbow Dash," said the pink-haired girl.
"Oh, really?" said the surprised blonde. "Haven't you been out these days?" asked the farmer.
"We haven't had time," the pink-haired girl lied.
"Maybe when you have free time," suggested the farmer. "That's weird, I always thought that when she cancels or isn't interested in inviting Dash, she hangs out with Fluttershy. Now, remembering, Rainbow used to tell me when she went somewhere with Fluttershy, but now she doesn't mention her as before. It might be because we don't have dates frequently. Have they fought at some point?" thought. Then, she returned her attention to the pink-haired girl.
"Do you think Rainbow Dash felt bad because you canceled?" asked Fluttershy. "Since it's been a long time since I've talked directly with Rainbow, I don't know if she'll be bothered by canceled dates. Knowing her, I think not, since she's never been in a relationship before, but now she's with AJ, so she might get upset, I think," thought, not so sure.
"I don't know," sighed the blonde. "I don't understand her anymore. I even suggested going out again, she got upset and commented that we should invite the others."
Fluttershy didn't listen, as she was lost in her thoughts. "Do you also think that happened with the vacation thing?" she asked, remembering when they talked on the first day.
"What?" Applejack looked at the animal lover a little confused by the change of subject. "Vacation?"
"Did Rainbow Dash mention that you were working when they were going to go on vacation? Do you think she felt bad about that too?"
"I think she was more upset than feeling bad," said the blonde. "The thing is, we had plans to go out, but she canceled, so I went out with the Apples and, by coincidence, I saw her on the street with Gilda. The most curious thing is that she told me she was going to train on her own, you know, to show Spitfire that she would be the best option as captain."
"She mentioned it when we got together the first day," said Fluttershy.
Applejack nodded. "It seemed strange to me, so I told you I had training. So I approached her. She explained that after finishing her training, took the opportunity and invited her friend Gilda out, and apparently they were planning to go to the stadium to watch a game.
"Another game of the same team, like last time?" asked Fluttershy.
"Do you know about that?"
"Rainbow Dash called me saying she didn't understand why you supported the opposite team."
"I saw some details, so I thought that team would win, and she got upset about that," explained the farmer.
"What happened after she told you she was going to a game?"
"I asked her if I could go, but Dash didn't seem too keen on that," the blonde recounted.
"Isn't that almost like inviting yourself? Maybe Rainbow already had everything planned to go with Gilda," thought the animal lover.
"Somehow I convinced her by offering to lend the truck to take them. The day came, and Big Mac got sick, so I had to step in for farm chores."
"That's why you couldn't go," Fluttershy said. The blonde nodded.
"And Dash got upset because she couldn't make it to the start of the game."
"But did she go anyway?"
"It seems so. I found out later. Although it makes sense, if she already bought the tickets, she wouldn't waste them."
"You're right," said the animal lover. "And yesterday they were supposed to have a date, and you canceled, wanting to clear things up, and for some reason, Rainbow Dash got upset."
"Yeah, we cancel quite often, and, let's say, I started thinking," the blonde began to explain. "We used to go out more frequently before, but now they're infrequent, so I told myself that if I cancel a date or she does, I should change the strategy."
"Infrequent?"
Applejack nodded again. "I don't know why it just doesn't work out," commented the farmer, shrugging her shoulders. "So I invite her out when I feel the need."
"I guess she thought that since she goes out less with Rainbow now, she would hang out with me," Fluttershy thought sadly, once again lost in her thoughts.
"Yesterday I remembered a place I hadn't been to in a long time, and I told myself again, if it's important to me, I should invite Rainbow, she's my girlfriend, so I should invite her, right?" commented the blonde.
"Eh?" said Fluttershy confusedly, snapping out of her thoughts.
"What's wrong?" Applejack inquired, noticing her friend's distraction.
"Sorry, I got distracted," said Fluttershy, shaking her head.
"Don't worry, you have a lot on your mind," said the understanding farmer.
"What did you say before?"
"I mentioned a place I hadn't been to in a long time, it's like a party actually," clarified the blonde.
"And why haven't you been to that place before?" asked Fluttershy.
"They usually do it in other cities, so it's unlikely they'll do it here. Besides, the last time was three years ago," revealed the blonde.
"And are you waiting for them to do it here this year?"
"Yes," she affirmed. Applejack thought for a moment about their conversation and lowered her head.
"Do you feel bad?"
"I feel like I talk to you a lot about my issues with Rainbow, and I shouldn't," explained the farmer.
"Why do you say that? That's what friends are for."
"I know, but talking too much about it... wouldn't you feel overwhelmed by that?" the blonde posed, with a concerned expression on her face.
"I've gotten used to it," Fluttershy blurted out without thinking.
"What?"
"Nothing," said the pink-haired abruptly.
"Alright...", said the blonde, not entirely convinced.
"I don't know what it feels like when you have romance-related problems, but we can still give advice," said Fluttershy.
The two stopped.
"Have you ever been interested in someone?" asked the farmer.
"Not yet," admitted the pink-haired girl.
"Not even a crush?" the blonde insisted, with a curious expression on her face. Fluttershy shook her head. "One day your boy or girl will come... maybe in this last year of university, that person who touches your heart will come into your life," said Applejack with a smile. "Love comes when you least expect it, you'll know when it happens."
"..." Fluttershy said nothing in return, just returned the smile. "Was it like that when you met Rainbow?"
“So you think you did something to Fluttershy and you're trying to figure out what it was?" Pinkie asked, finishing listening to what the athlete had said. She nodded.
"That would be a summary of what's going on," said Twilight.
As she was about to continue speaking, they heard a small scream.
"What was that?" Twilight asked ironically.
"It's Fluttershy, silly," said Pinkie.
"Pinkie, it's obvious, we know it's Fluttershy's scream," commented Sunset. "We should see what's going on."
"Girls, this might be my chance to talk to her," Dash commented.
"You said you can barely come up with a conversation topic," said the redhead/yellow.
"Hey girls, we're talking and we still haven't turned around to see if something's wrong with Fluttershy," said Twilight.
"Right…" commented Dash. The four turned around to see what was going on, but everything seemed fine.
"Fluttershy, is everything okay?" Sunset asked.
"Is everything alright, Fluttershy? Since you scream-" Twilight was about to say.
"And it's one of the few times you do," said Pinkie.
"Everything's fine, we were just talking about something, and she got surprised," the blonde said.
"If that's what happened, I'm fine, girls," said Fluttershy.
"Are you sure it was just nothing that you screamed?" Pinkie asked insistently.
Fluttershy hesitated for a moment before responding.
"Pinkie, don't insist, she said everything's fine," Sunset intervened.
"Great, everything's fine, but I won't miss the opportunity," thought Rainbow, determined.
*Whistle sound*
Just as she was about to take some action, Professor Spitfire appeared blowing the whistle, unaware that the six of them had come near the open field court area. There were also other students there.
"Alright, Wonderbolts, go change for training," ordered the teacher, raising her voice slightly.
"This has to be a damn joke," Dash muttered, with evident frustration.
"Next time will be…" said Sunset, putting her hand on the athlete's shoulder.
"See you, we have biochemistry with Fluttershy," said Twilight, taking a few steps to stand next to the animal lover. Slowly, the two began to walk away.
"See you later, girls," Fluttershy bid farewell with her characteristic soft voice.
"I'm free, so I'll be around or I'll watch the training," said Pinkie, starting to jump away from the girls.
"See you at the exit," said Applejack, saying goodbye to the three and approaching the athlete.
"See you there, or maybe sooner," said Sunset, starting to walk towards the locker rooms with the other students.
The blonde was about to put her arm around Rainbow, but she was also about to do it, so they both stood still.
"You or me?" the farmer asked, looking her.
"I'll do it," said the athlete, putting her arm around her girlfriend and they began to walk towards the locker rooms.
Side A/Yard
On side A, the students were on break. Among those students, three girls were walking suspiciously towards a part of the school's center.
"Where are we going, Crusaders?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"We're going to side B," Scootaloo replied.
"To side B!? But we're not allowed, Rarity told me about the rules. Plus, how would we even get to the other side? As far as I know, only the main entrance connects us, and it's near the administration building, and Principal Luna wouldn't approve," said Sweetie Belle.
"That's why we sneak out in the middle of recess," said Scootaloo as if it were the most obvious thing.
"There's a gate nearby that they sometimes leave unlocked, and we take advantage to get through," said Apple Bloom.
"Oh."
"Come on, I want to see Rainbow train," said Scootaloo.
"See Rainbow? But wouldn't they be on break like us?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Applejack has explained to me several times that they have different schedules, either short or longer, depending on the grade... I think they call it a period. That's why some students on side B may be in class and others not, and they stay to hang out doing other things or just leave," explained the redhead.
"Aren't you curious?" Scootaloo said.
"Before leaving, not really, since I never had any reason to go to the other side, and now Rarity is on the other side, so now I am curious to know what's over there," said Sweetie, remembering.
"Exactly," said Apple Bloom excitedly.
The Crusaders continued to sneak away, and after a few minutes, they reached a gate that led to a hallway, seeing a light at the end.
"Where are you going?" a voice asked.
The three were startled by the sudden voice, backed away a bit, turned around, and saw a boy with light violet skin and green hair.
"Oh, Spike, you almost scared us to death!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, putting a hand on her chest.
"For a moment I thought it was a teacher," said Apple Bloom.
"Or Principal Luna, when she gets mad you don't know what she'll do," said Scootaloo.
"Sweetie Belle just arrived, and they're already going to get her into trouble," Spike commented, crossing his arms.
"Seriously, Spike, you've also gone to side B several times," said the redhead raising an eyebrow.
"Well... it's because sometimes I get bored, and the other side is more fun."
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at each other knowingly.
"Do you want to come?" Apple Bloom suggested.
"Why would I?"
"You just said you sometimes get bored, and that's why you followed us," said Scootaloo with a half-smile.
Spike didn't know what to say when caught. "Alright, you got me," admitted. "But if Twilight shows up, I'm on side A, and I never followed you."
"Deal," said Scootaloo.
"Wait, you mentioned Twilight as if you knew we were going to the other side," said Sweetie Belle confused.
"It's because our sisters know," Spike commented.
"And they allow it?"
"At first, no, as they were a bit upset when they found out we were sneaking out and skipping classes," began the redhead.
"But then they realized that sometimes our schedules don't clash, so they allowed us to go with the condition that it be few times and we didn't go anywhere else other than to watch them train, either soccer or to see the Rainbooms, who just this year formed the band," Scootaloo continued with the explanation.
"Also because it benefited them in another way," Spike continued.
"What's that?" leaving Sweetie in doubt.
"We'll show you at the end of class," commented Apple Bloom.
"Alright. So why don't you want Twilight to know we're going to side B if our sisters already know?" Sweetie asked, referring to what the green-haired boy had mentioned earlier.
"It's because last week I went to side B and, accidentally, I sat near a student who was sick, so I caught it. Today I was able to come because my fever had subsided, and I woke up feeling better," Spike explained.
"That's why you want us to cover for you if we see Twilight," Sweetie Belle deduced.
"Yes, because she scolded me for going to side B too often," Spike confessed.
"If we've explained everything, shall we go?" said Scootaloo, nodding towards the gate with her head.
The three said nothing and just approached the gate, opened it, and started walking.
Side B/Open Field The women's soccer team was in the middle of training, dressed in their characteristic uniforms: blue jerseys, matching shorts, and the classic socks that also served to cover their shin guards. Meanwhile, the opposing team and Rainbow Dash's team were wearing sports bibs of different colors to distinguish themselves.
Rainbow Dash dribbled the ball, skillfully dodging her teammates. Seeing Lyra approaching, she passed the ball to another player and kept advancing, while Applejack passed the ball back to her anticipating Sunset's approach. She was close to the goal, but still had to overcome another obstacle to score. A girl slightly taller than her, with short white hair, tackled her again.
"Ah, shit, Gilda! Always so rough," expressed Rainbow Dash, sitting on the ground resignedly.
"Hey, Dash, I'm just following orders," replied Gilda, extending her hand to help her up.
"Remember, Rainbow Crash, that in any match, you'll face players of different heights and builds. You have to be prepared for that," shouted the coach.
Rainbow hated that nickname, but she let it slide. The coach said it when she failed in some of the training sessions or friendly matches.
"Next time I'll get past you," Rainbow promised with determination, accepting Gilda's hand to get up.
Sunset approached her. "How are you holding up?"
"That was quite a tackle you took, are you okay?" Applejack also approached.
"Yeah, I'm fine, it was nothing," replied the athlete, stretching a bit. "Let's go, this time I know I can do it. Here I come, Gilda," said with determination, getting back into action.
"I'll be waiting for you in defense," said Gilda, challenging her.
After their brief interaction, they dispersed to resume their positions.
Outside the field, from the stands, Spike and the Crusaders watched the practice.
"Ouch," said Spike when he saw Rainbow fall.
"Oof, that must have hurt," commented Scootaloo.
Apple Bloom noticed Sweetie Belle's gaze wandering around the field. "What are you looking for over there?" asked.
"I was looking for Rarity, but I guess it's obvious why she's not here," replied Sweetie Belle sadly.
"¿You mean-" Scootaloo began to ask, but Spike interrupted her.
"You mean what Rarity hid in Rainbow's locker?" Spike said quietly.
"Shhh..." the three shushed him with fingers to their lips.
"No one here knows what happened three years ago," whispered Spike. "Twilight said there were barely any people that day."
"But it's better not to mention it," added Apple Bloom.
"Okay... okay."
"I saw her looking a bit down yesterday, and Rarity would hide well if something is bothering her, unless it's something big. If I ran into you guys, she surely ran into our sisters and the others," Sweetie Belle deduced.
"I think they didn't take it very well. At first, I didn't think much of it when Applejack didn't respond when I mentioned you, but then I thought about it," Apple Bloom commented.
"The same with Rainbow," added Scootaloo.
"Do you think they'll ever talk about it?" Spike asked hopefully.
"I hope so," whispered Sweetie Belle.
After a brief silence. "Did they sneak out again?" asked a voice, with its characteristic cheerfulness and overflowing energy.
The four startled to see her. They looked back, Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere.
"Were you here all this time?" Spike asked.
"I just got here," replied Pinkie with a smile, offering candies she had taken from a vending machine. "Want some?"
"At what point did you come up-" Sweetie Belle was about to ask, but remembered Pinkie's unpredictable nature. "You know what, better not ask," decided, taking some candies from the envelope the partygoer had offered. The other two Crusaders and Spike did the same, following her lead.
"How's the training going?" Pinkie asked, watching the players.
"Rainbow just got tackled by Gilda," Spike reported.
"Hmm..." pondered Pinkie. "Last year she was facing taller players; now she's up against the bulkier ones."
"Let's keep watching if she makes it," proposed Apple Bloom.
"She'll make it!" affirmed Scootaloo confidently.
Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle were sitting together in their biochemistry class. Fluttershy was focused on examining some samples under the microscope, while Twilight, with her glasses and thoughtful expression, flipped through a textbook. Twilight stopped flipping through the book, wanting to subtly help Rainbow.
"Have you noticed anything about Rainbow Dash lately, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, trying to be discreet.
Fluttershy, looking up from the microscope, with a pensive expression and a gesture of confusion. "Rainbow Dash? No, not really. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I just noticed she's been a bit down lately, don't you think?" Twilight said, trying to sound casual.
Fluttershy frowned with concern. "Down? I hadn't noticed. Is there anything in particular that makes you think that?"
"Well, I've just noticed she hasn't been as lively as usual and thought maybe something was on her mind," Twilight said, nervously scrutinizing the textbook.
"Yeah, now that you mention it... she seemed to have an argument with AJ, maybe that's why," Fluttershy commented.
"They're just the typical problems any couple faces," said with a grimace as she was veering off-topic. "Maybe we should try to find out if something else is bothering her. You're very close to her, after all," Twilight said, trying to keep calm.
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, we could talk to her later. We're her friends, so we should find out if everything's okay," said with a slight distraction.
"Yeah, that would be great," Twilight said, feeling frustrated that she hadn't achieved her goal.
Despite her efforts, Twilight failed to capture Fluttershy's full attention on the topic. Fluttershy seemed more concerned about her friend's well-being than Twilight's intentions, and the conversation faded as the professor began to speak. Twilight sighed and decided to wait for a more suitable opportunity to address the issue at another time.
The last few minutes passed, and class ended. As she was packing her things, Twilight waited for her friend to finish packing hers. In the midst of that, she noticed a sheet that caught her attention.
"A musical score? Could she be working on another song for the Rainbooms? Or for a future music performance?" Twilight thought.
Ready to go, Fluttershy and Twilight left the biochemistry classroom together, walking through the university hallways.
"Hey, Fluttershy, how about we go watch Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow's practice?" Twilight suggested.
Fluttershy stopped in her tracks and looked at Twilight with interest. "That sounds great! We could see how they're doing."
The two friends continued on their way to the university's sports area.
Side B/Open Field Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow had been training for almost an hour, focused on perfecting their skills. Suddenly, Twilight and Fluttershy approached the field, observing the training session with interest.
Taking a quick look around, the animal lover spotted some girls they knew well in the stands. Fluttershy approached timidly, offering a friendly smile. "Hello, how are you?"
Twilight nodded, adding, "Hi, girls, what are you doing here?"
The Crusaders returned the greeting, and it was then that Fluttershy and Twilight noticed Sweetie Belle was also with them. The three friends exchanged quick glances, and Sweetie Belle felt Twilight and Fluttershy's attention focus on her.
"Oh, we were just here watching the training," Scootaloo explained enthusiastically, trying to cover the situation.
Twilight and Fluttershy shared an understanding smile between them, deciding to proceed with naturalness. "Is Spike with you today?" Twilight asked.
The Crusaders exchanged nervous glances; they had seen the girls coming in, so they warned Spike to hide. Before their friends could respond, Apple Bloom stepped forward. "No, Spike isn't here today. I think he had to stay a bit longer in class to finish an assignment."
Fluttershy noticed the tension in the air and looked around, sensing something suspicious. "Are you sure about that?" she asked gently.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was feeling unsure whether to join the lie or not. With a nervous look, she wasn't sure what to do.
Before Twilight could respond, a slight movement in the stands caught her attention. She turned to see Spike hidden among the seats. "What's he doing there?" she wondered aloud.
The Crusaders looked at each other, realizing they had been found out. "Uh, yeah, sorry, Twilight," Sweetie Belle admitted. "Spike is there hiding. Sorry for lying."
Twilight smiled at the confession. "It's okay, girls. I just wanted to know." Then she headed towards the stands.
Spike emerged from his hiding spot in the stands, trying to quickly come up with an excuse to Twilight: "Oh, hi, Twilight! I was..." couldn't find an excuse.
Twilight, with a raised eyebrow, looked at her brother. "Spike, what did we agree on?"
Spike scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Sorry, Twilight. I just wanted to watch a bit of the training," apologized.
Twilight nodded understandingly. "It's okay, Spike. But remember, you're still recovering," reminded him, with a gentle but firm tone.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy approached the Crusaders with a gentle expression. "Girls, shouldn't you be in class now?" asked curiously, softly.
The Crusaders nodded nervously, surprised at how quickly time had passed. "Oh, yes, Fluttershy! Time flew by!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, looking at her friends with big, surprised eyes.
Spike got up with the Crusaders from the stands to head to the entrance/exit. The Crusaders and Spike quickly said goodbye to Twilight, Fluttershy, hurrying back to their last class.
Pinkie approached Twilight and Fluttershy with a bright smile. "Doesn't it feel like today has been a day full of surprises?" she asked, her voice full of enthusiasm.
Twilight and Fluttershy nodded.
"Hey! What do you think if we organize something fun? We could throw a surprise party or something like that!" The idea seemed to lighten the mood a bit, and the three girls smiled at Pinkie's suggestion.
Rarity was standing in front of the school's main entrance. She was waiting for her sister Sweetie Belle, who was supposed to meet her to go home together.
However, time passed, and Sweetie Belle didn't show up. Rarity began to feel restless, wondering where her sister could be. Frowning slightly, she looked around, searching for any sign of her whereabouts.
That's when an unfamiliar voice interrupted her thoughts. "Rarity, right?" asked a brown-haired girl approaching her. "Are you looking for your sister?"
Rarity nodded cautiously, feeling somewhat puzzled by the question from someone she didn't know. "Yes, have you seen her?"
The girl smiled kindly. "Yes, I saw her heading towards the parking lot a few minutes ago."
Rarity's eyes widened slightly at the revelation. "Oh, wow, thank you for letting me know," she responded gratefully, feeling a slight nervousness about her sister's delay. But wondering what she would be doing in the parking lot knowing she doesn't have a car.
The girls were leaving the school, each busy packing their things to go home through the door that led to the parking lot. Each student headed to their respective cars.
"Girls..." Rainbow called out to Twilight and Sunset. When they realized they were being called, they turned around and approached the athlete, with curious expressions.
"What's up, Rainbow?" Sunset asked.
The athlete approached them and put her arms around their necks in a close and friendly gesture. "Do you remember what I mentioned in the hallway?"
"About Fluttershy," Sunset asked, with an inquisitive look.
"Yes."
"You said you discovered something," Twilight commented, with interest in her tone.
"I'll tell you, but first, did you... by any chance, manage to talk to her?" Rainbow asked hopefully, her eyes showing a hint of anxiety.
"I wanted to try when I was in class, but I didn't succeed," Twilight said, with a slightly frustrated expression on her face.
"Dash, it's not like we'd just go up to her and ask. Like, 'Hey, Fluttershy, is something up because you're ignoring Rainbow?'" Sunset said, with a touch of humor in her tone.
"Good point..." Rainbow said, nodding in agreement and showing a grimace of understanding.
"And are you going to tell us what you found out?" Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yesterday I was thinking, and I had an idea of what could have happened or when things happened," Rainbow said, with a determined gleam in her eyes.
"What did you deduce?" Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly to one side.
"I remembered the time Fluttershy suggested, one of the many times she did, that I transfer to Canterlot."
"So it all started when you transferred to Canterlot?" Sunset asked, with a mix of surprise and skepticism in her tone.
"It doesn't add up, because I remember they were still close," Twilight said, slightly furrowing her brow as she thought.
"Exactly, so something happened in between, but it's progress, right?" Rainbow said, though more to convince herself.
"Yes..." Sunset nodded, smiling encouragingly at Rainbow.
When Rainbow mentioned Fluttershy, Twilight had a memory flash, her eyes lighting up with a spark of understanding.
"Hmm... I remembered something," Twilight commented.
"What?" Sunset asked, leaning forward a bit.
"When Fluttershy talked about you transferring," Twilight said, referring to Rainbow.
"I remember, we hadn't known each other for long, and the six of us started hanging out..." explained Sunset, with a pensive expression on her face.
"What's up, Sunset?" Rainbow asked, with a touch of impatience in her tone.
"With the six of us... we counted Rarity," Sunset said, looking at Twilight.
"Oh, right... it was one of the recent outings the six of us had, so Rarity also commented on some things," Twilight said, nodding in agreement.
"Well... um..." Rainbow didn't know what to say. Despite being angry, she felt some curiosity, so she had no choice. "Okay, what happened? I never knew when you found out about my arrival, since we met on the basketball court when you and AJ started playing."
Sunset and Twilight began to talk about that day.
Three years ago
The girls had known each other for a short time, so now they were gathered in a quiet café in the city center. They sat on wooden benches, while one of the girls stayed behind to answer a call.
As the five girls began to talk, commenting on some things about the others due to their recent encounter, suddenly the animal lover appeared.
"Sorry for lagging behind, I got a call on my phone," Fluttershy said as she approached the group, with an apologetic expression for arriving late.
"Don't worry, we haven't started yet," Sunset replied, approaching the animal lover with a warm smile.
"What a relief," Fluttershy sighed, relieved to see that she hadn't missed anything important, while curiously observing Pinkie Pie and Twilight approaching. She looked confused not seeing the purple-haired and the blonde. "Where are Rarity and Applejack?" she asked, furrowing her brow slightly.
Twilight pointed to a table in the corner.
The couple seemed to be absorbed in a conversation. As they spoke, Applejack stroked the fashion designer's hand with her thumb, and although they seemed to be talking, they were more lost in each other's gaze.
"They're in their own world," Sunset joked with a playful smile.
"It seems like they won't realize you're here... well, that we're here, until they come back to reality. I've seen this before with my brother," Twilight commented with a small laugh.
"We were chatting, but when we finished talking about trivial things, they started saying sweet things to each other, so we gave them some privacy," Sunset explained.
The four girls looked back at the loving couple with a mixture of curiosity.
Rarity took out her phone and stretched her arm to take a selfie with the blonde. They changed to other poses, and in one last pose, Applejack kissed Rarity's cheek. The fashion designer seemed happy with that gesture, closing her eyes with a smile so wide she forgot to take the picture. She lowered her phone, turned around, and they looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Then, Rarity wrapped her arms around Applejack's neck and kissed her, initiating a kissing session.
The four stopped looking to give them some privacy, exchanging glances and giggling a bit.
"Let's let them be in their own world," Sunset suddenly said, with an expression of respect for the couple's intimacy.
"It's better if they're in their own world," Twilight agreed.
"Don't let them get too hot," Pinkie added mischievously, with a playful smile on her lips.
"Please, Pinkie!" exclaimed Sunset, putting a hand on her face with a mix of surprise and amusement.
That innuendo made Fluttershy blush, who covered her face slightly with her hands, while the other girls laughed gently at the joke.
"Isn't that... normal?" Pinkie asked, with a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Yes, but that's something private," Sunset said, blushing a bit at the idea of talking about such intimate topics in public.
"You're partly right. At 18, it's normal for our hormones to start experiencing some changes due to puberty, like physical, emotional, and... sexual aspects, such as the desire to have..." Twilight didn't want to continue the next sentence, feeling her cheeks color at the mention of such personal topics. "Oh, Pinkie, don't make me go on," said, laughing softly as she tried to steer the conversation to a more comfortable topic.
"How about we change the subject?" suggested Sunset, trying to lighten the mood and return to a more neutral topic.
"I wanted to say something, but I think it might sound bad," Fluttershy said, a little unsure about expressing her thoughts out loud.
"I don't think it'll be that bad," said Pinkie, encouraging her with a smile.
"I agree with Pinkie," added Sunset, showing her support for Fluttershy.
"Okay... umm... I didn't think Rarity would be Applejack's type, or that Rarity would be interested in someone like Applejack," Fluttershy said, with a concerned expression in case her comment sounded inappropriate.
"Don't worry, we understood perfectly," said the bespectacled girl, trying to reassure Fluttershy and make her feel comfortable.
"I was surprised too... well, a little, since we teased her a bit when they met," added Pinkie, ending with a giggle.
"You see, girls, you can have a type, but you don't choose who you fall in love with. For example, have you ever wondered why you like vanilla ice cream more? Or when you chose it as your favorite? It happens unconsciously," explained Twilight.
"Um... I never thought about it," Fluttershy murmured delicately.
"Yes, from my perspective, I also want to share something. When I saw Rarity in the hallways, I thought she was one of those selfish girls," added Sunset.
"I thought the same thing," admitted Twilight, lowering her head.
"And what did you think of us?" Pinkie asked, with excitement in her eyes.
"Well, Pinkie... you always seemed very... unique to me," said Twilight, trying to find the right words to describe her friend respectfully and affectionately.
"Fluttershy, you... you're a very sweet girl," said Sunset, with a kind smile as she sought the right words to describe her friend sincerely and affectionately.
"The same," Twilight agreed, nodding with a smile.
"Truth is, yes, I am. Is that bad?" Fluttershy asked, looking at her friends with a vulnerable expression and concern if her more reserved personality was a problem.
"I think we just need to get to know each other better and grow in personality," commented Twilight, trying to encourage Fluttershy and make her feel more confident.
"You're right, it's not about judging by appearances," said Sunset, nodding seriously as she expressed her opinion on the matter.
The three knew that with appearance they were referring to Rarity.
Remembering the couple. Twilight, feeling curious, broke the silence: "How did you two meet?" asked with interest.
Pinkie let out a playful laugh. "Someday I'll tell you that story! It's quite funny," promised.
"If you say so," responded Sunset with a smile.
Pinkie's expression changed to a more serene one. "I'm happy for my cousin. With the last one she dated... well, let's say... she was difficult," confessed.
"Has she dated someone else before?" Twilight inquired curiously.
"I think it would be better if AJ tells it, if she wants to," Pinkie suggested, somewhat unsure.
"Sorry, I asked too much," apologized Twilight, lowering her head. Sunset put a comforting hand on her shoulder, she knew Twilight well.
"It's okay, it's a somewhat complicated topic to tell," admitted Pinkie
"Not that I want to continue with the topic, but I didn't imagine Applejack as a girl who showed her feelings a lot," commented Sunset, changing the subject.
"She kind of is," Pinkie agreed. "With those closest to her, she's more open."
"That reminds me of Rainbow, she's also like that," added Fluttershy.
"Your friend?" Twilight asked.
"The one who's going to transfer?" Pinkie asked excitedly.
"Yes, and that's why I stayed behind a bit. She confirmed that everything is ready and that she'll be with us within the week. Although she's going to transfer on the condition that Scootaloo also transfers," explained Fluttershy.
"Who's Scootaloo?" Sunset asked, showing interest in meeting her friend's sister.
"Her sister," Fluttershy responded.
"So, she'll meet Apple Bloom and Spike," said Twilight.
"You must be happy that your best friend is in your same Institute?" Sunset asked, showing interest in the relationship between Fluttershy and Rainbow.
"Yes, it'll be less complicated to meet... not that we had complications before, but I had to leave school and take a taxi to meet her after class, and now it won't be necessary because she'll be with us and we won't have to walk that much," Fluttershy said, with an excited smile as she imagined all the advantages of having her friend closer.
"I can't wait... the group keeps getting bigger!" exclaimed Pinkie, with a joyful smile at the thought of having Rainbow as part of their circle of friends.
"Is she always this euphoric?" Twilight wondered, showing curiosity about Pinkie's energetic and cheerful personality.
"Did we miss something?" Rarity asked, joining the group with Applejack and intertwining their hands in an affectionate gesture.
"Or is it my cousin being herself?" the blonde joked, trying to make a joke.
The three girls looked at each other with a questioning expression, wondering what Applejack meant by that enigmatic comment.
"You'll understand in time," Rarity said, "Believe me, it happened to me when I met her a few months ago. I don't know if she's been like this since she was a kid, only Jackie knows," concluded with a giggle.
Applejack also laughed a bit and, after planting a kiss on Rarity's forehead, looked at the girls. "I'll just say you'll get used to it."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm being me," said Pinkie, downplaying her cousin's comment.
The girls decided to leave it at that and see what happened over time.
"What were you talking about?" Applejack asked, showing interest in the conversation they had just had.
"Do you remember I told you about my friend Rainbow Dash? Well, she just confirmed to me that she'll be with us in a few weeks," said Fluttershy, with an excited smile as she remembered the news she had just received.
"So, more for the runway. Maybe I can try some designs with her," said Rarity, excitedly, imagining the possibilities of having Rainbow as a model for her creations.
"Designs?" Twilight asked, interested.
"Rarity is quite the design artist. She has a talent for creating different styles of clothing," explained Applejack.
The fashion designer moved away from the farmer a bit, letting her creativity flow. "Designing is my passion. I can visualize the perfect design," she said, raising her hand and tracing a sketch in the air.
At that moment, Pinkie, Sunset, Fluttershy, and Twilight approached out of sheer curiosity to see what Rarity was imagining.
"She's unique in her designs, just like she is to me," added Applejack, with a proud smile as she tenderly wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders.
"Oh, Jackie," responded Rarity, affectionate, planting a kiss on the blonde's cheek, expressing her love for her girlfriend.
"Ahem," Sunset interrupted with a smile, delicately pointing out the romantic diversion of the conversation.
"Oops, sorry," apologized the fashion designer, returning to her previous position next to the blonde and wrapping her arm around hers.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" Applejack asked, trying to pick up the thread of the conversation after the brief exchange of affection with her girlfriend.
"I'm not sure if Rainbow will like the designs. She's more into the sporty style, so I don't know if she'll be willing to try something new," Fluttershy commented, with a doubtful expression as she reflected on her friend's preferences.
"Ah, then she'll get along well with Jackie. Apparently, they have common tastes," said Rarity, with a smile, showing optimism about the possibility that Rainbow and Applejack shared similar interests.
"Same with you, Sunset," said Twilight, showing appreciation for her friend as they shared a smile.
"Do you like sports too?" Applejack asked, interested in learning more about Sunset's personality.
"Yes," Sunset replied, with a smile, sharing a common interest with her new friend.
"Great," said Applejack, showing enthusiasm.
"No need to say more, there's no doubt we'll get along," said Pinkie, with a radiant smile as she hugged the girls effusively, celebrating the connection they were forming.
Present "Each one of us was giving our point of view on what we thought about each other, and that's when Fluttershy mentioned that your style is more similar to Applejack's when it comes to sports," Sunset concluded with a reflective tone as she looked at Rainbow.
"Even Rarity mentioned that you two would get along well because of those common interests," Twilight added, finishing her reflection with a raised eyebrow curiously. "Who would have thought that commonalities would be what brings you closer to AJ?"
"Uh-huh," Rainbow expressed, and that was all she said on the matter.
Rainbow's response seemed odd to both Sunset and Twilight. The bespectacled girl wondered if it had something to do with the fight Fluttershy mentioned in class.
"So Fluttershy was excited because we would be in the same Institute, not surprised, but... what changed?" Rainbow asked, letting out a sigh as she brushed aside the girls, her expression showing a mix of confusion.
"As we said, we'll find out in time," Sunset said, offering her support with a reassuring smile.
Rainbow nodded, thankful for her friends' support, though her expression still reflected some unease.
Just as Rainbow was about to continue talking about what Sunset had shared, the three of them stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing a girl with purple hair standing in the parking lot.
Minutes Earlier Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Spike, and Sweetie Belle arrived at the parking lot, the afternoon sun casting long, warm shadows.
"This is the other reason we use the gate or shortcut," Spike replied with a friendly smile.
Sweetie Belle nodded, taking in the information enthusiastically. "Wow! That's great. But do you always take it after classes?"
"Not really, Sweetie," Apple Bloom interjected. "Sometimes we run into our older sisters here or in the cafeteria," she explained.
"Exactly," Scootaloo added, smiling. "Plus, it saves us time. We don't have to wander around the whole Institute looking for them."
Sweetie Belle nodded in understanding. "I see. What a great idea," she said, admiring her friends' cleverness.
"Isn't it, though," Apple Bloom agreed, with a proud smile as she looked at her friends.
After that brief conversation, the girls began chatting animatedly among themselves, enjoying the quiet afternoon in the parking lot.
Rarity had arrived at the parking lot, searching among the cars with a worried expression. Finally, she spotted Sweetie Belle, surrounded by her friends. Relieved, she approached her with a smile.
"Sweetie Belle, is everything okay? I was waiting for you at the main entrance," said with a tone of relief and concern.
Sweetie Belle turned to her sister with a surprised expression. "Rarity! I'm sorry, I lost track of time. The Crusaders showed me a shortcut, and we got caught up in conversation."
Rarity furrowed her brow slightly, intrigued by the term "shortcut," but before she could ask, she noticed the presence of the other girls around her.
Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and, in the distance, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle, were watching Rarity. The tension in the air was palpable, due to the fact that all of them were together in the same place.
Applejack frowned, feeling uncomfortable with Rarity's presence at that moment, her gaze alternating between Rarity and the rest of the group.
Pinkie Pie, always sensitive to others' emotions, noticed the tension and bit her lower lip with concern. "I feel like the atmosphere is a bit... tense," said quietly, trying to break the ice. Fluttershy nodded silently.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle exchanged worried looks. They knew that the relationship between Rarity and their older sisters didn't seem to be going well, and seeing them together in the parking lot only confirmed their suspicions.
"Apple Bloom, do you think we should do something?" Sweetie Belle asked in a low voice, looking at her friend with concern.
Apple Bloom sighed, feeling equally concerned about the situation. "I don't know, Sweetie Belle."
The three friends exchanged looks, unsure of how to approach the situation. They knew they had to be careful and respectful, but they also felt the need to help their friend if something was wrong.
Meanwhile, Rarity tried to maintain her composure in front of her sister, but her evasive gaze revealed her discomfort. "Sweetie, let's go home, alright?" she said, trying to divert the girls' attention.
Sweetie Belle nodded as she said goodbye to Spike and the Crusaders, following her sister.
In the distance, Rainbow Dash frowned.
"This seems a little tense, don't you think?" Sunset commented to Twilight. She nodded
"This year is going to be very intense," added Rainbow, her voice laden with uncertainty.
Rarity was now in class, the projector illuminated the dark room showing some numbers that the dressmaker could barely understand. She could now tell the difference between when she was studying online and now being in person.
"It's been a few weeks and I understand less and less, but at least I'm not in Sports, that day was horrible," Rarity thought, remembering. "At least the rumor didn't spread so much, at least they didn't make fun of me like I thought would happen, but I did feel ashamed of what happened that day..."
A few days ago
On the covered sports field, full of animation. The Mane Six were practicing volleyball together with other students. The boys were in the other half with their teacher Bulk doing something else, this time not participating with the girls.
The students wore a variety of sports attire, from classic shorts and T-shirts paired with sneakers to more varied styles. Reflecting the diversity of styles and preferences among the students.
Many girls tossed the ball in the air so that, when the time came, they could hit the ball to the other side of the small net with their other arm and thus make it reach the other student for her to respond. They all seemed to do it well, even some who were a little bad at that sport could barely hit it properly, but still managed to get it over the mini net.
Among those girls was one who couldn't even hit the ball properly with the palm of her other hand when it was in the air.
"There it goes!" Rarity attempted to hit the ball. It passed by her face and fell to the ground.
Dash frowned, "Really?" she said, seeing the dressmaker's failure not too far away.
"It looks like someone should have spent more time practicing instead of choosing their outfit," Sunset commented sarcastically.
Rarity blushed, visibly frustrated by her lack of ability. At that moment, Professor Spitfire approached the field with a serious expression.
"BELLE!" the teacher shouted.
The dressmaker startled at hearing her name again, turning towards the teacher. She knew what was coming.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked, with a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"I see you're still struggling to keep up with the game. Have you been practicing like I told you?"
"Well, I've tried to practice, but it doesn't seem to be working," Rarity lowered her gaze, feeling ashamed of the teacher's reprimand.
"It's not enough! You must try harder if you want to improve! Mediocrity is not acceptable on this team!" the teacher exclaimed. "SOMEONE TEACH HER HOW IT'S DONE!"
Rarity felt even more embarrassed by the extra attention she was receiving.
"Sports isn't her thing," Fluttershy commented sympathetically.
"Then what is she doing here? If it's obvious that this isn't her thing," Rainbow added, crossing her arms.
"Sports is not part of the design unless she takes additional classes," Sunset remarked.
"It doesn't make sense for her to take this additional class and it wouldn't even be part of her career," Applejack said with a furrowed brow.
Starlight approached Rarity alongside Trixie.
"I didn't know you were this bad," Trixie joked.
"Trixie!" Starlight intervened, elbowing. "At least try to get it over to the other side," she suggested.
"How do I do that? I've only managed to get it close to my face," Rarity responded, frustration in her voice.
"You take the ball and gently toss it in the air, then with the other arm you kick it to get it to the other side of the net," she explained, demonstrating the motion with her hands.
Rarity got into position to try again, determination on her face.
"Come on, Rarity, you can do it," murmured Pinkie Pie, trying to cheer her up.
"Did you say something, Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy asked, curious.
"No, nothing," Pinkie responded with a nervous smile.
Carefully, she took the ball and gently tossed it in the air, following Starlight's instructions. Then, with a quick movement, she kicked the ball with the other arm, sending it to the other side of the net.
"See, there you go. We'll be over there," Starlight said, pointing to the other side of the court. Rarity thanked her and nodded, Starlight and Trixie began to walk away.
Rarity was so focused on throwing the ball that she didn't notice the presence of the student on the other side of the net. Suddenly, the ball came back with force, hitting her directly on the forehead. A cry of surprise escaped Rarity's lips as the impact took her by surprise.
The dressmaker brought her hands to her forehead, letting out a dramatic groan. "Oh, Heavens! I feel like a bolt of pain just struck me directly in the forehead!" she exclaimed.
"I think she forgot that they would return the ball to her," Trixie commented to Starlight with a chuckle. They had turned around upon hearing the scream.
"The Drama Queen's comeback," Rainbow commented, rolling her eyes.
They couldn't identify it, but someone around them let out a small laugh, though it wasn't a mocking laugh. The girls assumed it was one of their classmates nearby. So, they didn't pay much attention to it.
"That must have hurt. But at least it wasn't in the stomach like that time Twilight got hit by a ball," Pinkie mentioned.
"Yeah, Pinkie, it definitely wasn't a pleasant experience. I remember when the ball came straight at me. I felt like all the air was knocked out of my stomach. I couldn't breathe for a while, it was completely disastrous," Twilight said, rubbing her stomach as she remembered the sensation she felt at that moment.
On the other end of the court, beyond the volleyball net, a group of boys was doing warm-up exercises. Among them were Caramel, Timber Spruce, and Flash Sentry, among others. As they stretched, they couldn't help but notice the commotion unfolding on the other side of the court.
Timber raised an eyebrow when he heard a cry of surprise. He turned to see what was happening and saw a purple-haired girl on the ground, holding her forehead.
"Oh, looks like there's some action on the court," he commented casually.
"That's the new girl, Rarity, right? The one they say is hot," Caramel commented with interest.
"If it's her, Sandalwood told me that when she arrived on her first days, she asked to change seats in art class," Flash said, then changed his expression to a playful smile. "Looks like her charm isn't protecting her from the ball," he joked, making the other boys laugh.
Caramel chuckled softly, while Timber nodded with a smile. "I guess nobody's perfect, huh?" he remarked with a playful glance at the girl.
"Oh, wow! Looks like the new miss is having some trouble with the game. I hope she can improve soon, it would be a shame to see someone so pretty suffer like that," Feather Bangs added as he approached the other boys.
The boys continued to watch the scene with interest, exchanging occasional comments and laughing among themselves as Rarity got up from the ground.
The Mane Six hadn't noticed that the ball had rolled near them. They looked at each other, someone had to throw it back or return it in person. Applejack took the initiative, crouched down to pick up the ball, and headed towards the purple-haired girl.
Rarity was getting up from the ground and saw someone approaching. Sitting down, she began to apologize: "Teacher, I know what you're going to say...". She stopped when she realized who was standing in front of her and looked up. There was the blonde with a serious expression and the ball in her hand.
"You know, many take extra classes for sports or because it's part of their curriculum, like those who want to specialize in sports. I guess everyone has their reasons for being here. Anyway, I don't know how long you plan on staying in this," Applejack commented casually. The farmer dropped the ball next to Rarity and walked away, returning to her friends.
The dressmaker caught the ball just in time before it veered off. Rarity lowered her gaze, pondering what the blonde had said. "I don't have to tell you," muttered.
"Despite being annoyed by what she said, I wasn't going to back down. Although... she was right about what she said last time, before I left town," Rarity thought, lowering her gaze. She closed her eyes and tried to suppress that memory, pushing it aside.
The projector on the board switched to another page with numerical calculations. Rarity frowned in confusion as she tried to solve them.
The dressmaker returned to her thoughts. "After that, I changed my clothes and when I left the locker room, I ran into the girls and tried once again to find a way to apologize and...
Rarity was on the other side of the dressing room, finishing putting on her everyday clothes. She glanced at the mirror to check for any bruises or anything, as she was feeling a slight pain. Then, she headed to the door and opened it. As she walked a bit, she encountered them. The girls seemed to have noticed that someone else was present. When they turned, they found the dressmaker again, showing various expressions among the six at her presence.
Rarity wanted to say something, took a deep breath to speak. "Hey, about what happened..."
"We don't need your drama right now," Rainbow interrupted firmly, crossing her arms with a serious look.
"We really don't have time for this, we have classes," Twilight commented.
It wasn't difficult for Rarity to understand that they were avoiding her. It's been several times now, although this time they didn't leave her talking alone, they were direct with her. The dressmaker, without further ado, turned around and left the place, shoulders slumped and a resigned expression on her face.
Pinkie watched her leave and tried to hide her sadness. She looked at her friends. "Girls, have you considered the possibility that...?" Pinkie hesitated to say the last words, nervously fidgeting with her hands. "...what if Rarity wants to talk to us like she just did?" she asked, changing the last words with a feigned smile. "Talking to her was what I meant," she thought.
"She's already tried, Pinkie, and you know it, also it just happened," Twilight responded, raising an eyebrow.
"And the answer is obvious... like it just happened, say a few things so she gets the message," Rainbow said.
"Though it sounds a bit harsh, I prefer to keep our distance," Sunset declared, crossing her arms with a serious look.
Fluttershy glanced at Sunset. What she said echoed in her head and then she looked at Rainbow, with a sad expression.
"Do you have something else in mind, Pinkie?" Applejack asked, with a calm yet observant smile, showing curiosity.
"Nah, girls, hahaha," Pinkie tried to play it off, laughing nervously and twirling her hair. "As if we'd listen to someone who betrayed us," she added with a fake laugh, avoiding eye contact.
"Like you said, she betrayed our trust," Twilight affirmed, with a serious and firm gaze.
"Time goes on," Pinkie tried to play it off again, with a forced smile and showing slight tension in her posture.
"How do we know if she really changed or, rather, if she's pretending?" Sunset asked, furrowing her brow.
"it is not known" Fluttershy responded, with an expression of uncertainty and compassion.
Pinkie sighed discreetly and lowered her head at her friends' words. She wanted everything to go back to how it was before somehow.
Elsewhere, by the lockers, Rarity was at hers, looking at herself in the mirror she had placed there when she arrived on the second day of class. Starlight and Trixie, who were passing by, approached Rarity.
"How's your forehead?" Starlight asked with a compassionate tone, noticing the mark on her forehead.
"Oh, I'm fine," responded, trying to downplay the incident. Although inside, she was dying of embarrassment for what happened.
Trixie frowned as she examined the mark on Rarity's forehead. "Are you sure? It looks painful."
The dressmaker nodded. "It hurts a little, but nothing serious."
"It will probably disappear soon, but as a precaution, you should put some ice on it," Starlight suggested optimistically.
"I will when I get home."
Starlight nodded. "Well, if you need anything, we're here," she offered sincerely.
"Thank you, girls," Rarity thanked them, feeling comforted by their kindness.
Trixie stayed quiet for a moment, then gave Rarity a pat on the shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry. You'll surely recover quickly."
When classes ended, Rarity and Sweetie Belle were already at home. Just as Starlight had advised when she arrived, Rarity went to the kitchen for some ice. Minutes passed, and the other family members had already arrived.
"Darling, what happened? Are you okay?" Cookie asked, entering the dressmaker's room and seeing her with an ice pack on her forehead.
Rarity, with a gesture, placed a hand on her forehead and sighed. "Mother, you won't believe what happened."
"Tell me," said Cookie with concern.
"I was playing volleyball, and out of nowhere, I got hit in the forehead with a ball," recounted, pausing dramatically before continuing her story.
"Oh, Rarity, you nearly scared me. I thought it was something more serious," her mother expressed, with a tone of relief.
"That's what I told her," commented Sweetie from the doorway, with an amused smile.
"Just as a precaution, I put on the ice pack since I felt a bit of pain afterward and a mark appeared," explained Rarity as she held the ice pack to her forehead.
"Let me see," requested Cookie, approaching to examine the mark.
Rarity removed the ice pack, and as she did, she winced slightly. "It's red, but it might be from having the ice on my forehead for too long," opined her mother. "Does it hurt?"
"Not anymore, but my forehead feels cold," replied Rarity, slightly furrowing her brow at the sensation of cold.
"Then don't put that on again, just let it pass," advised Cookie with a reassuring smile.
Sweetie looked at her sister curiously. "Is it really painful?" asked.
Rarity nodded. "When I got hit, yes, and afterward, a little," admitted.
"Well, Rarity, I wanted to ask you, how are your classes going? Any difficulties or anything I should know about for a note?" her mother asked.
Rarity straightened up a bit at the question, but then her shoulders relaxed. "Not at the moment, you know I'm just starting, so I haven't had assignments yet," responded.
"This is your last year, Rarity, no distractions," said Cookie, raising a finger in a warning gesture.
"I know, mother, I'm determined to do well this year," Rarity affirmed with determination.
"I hope so, and try not to stress out, I don't want you to have another episode like the other day," added her mother with concern, while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"From what I saw, it didn't seem like an episode," Sweetie interjected, who hadn't left yet.
"Exactly, it was just a nightmare," confirmed Rarity with a reassuring smile.
"Alright. I can't help but worry, you know?" sighed her mother as she crossed her arms.
"Don't worry," replied Rarity, trying to reassure her mother with a comforting smile.
Then, Cookie looked at the younger one. "Sweetie Belle, remember to do your homework," she said with a stern yet affectionate look.
"Do you think I can go play with Apple Bloom after I finish my homework, Mom?" asked Sweetie Belle, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Of course, as long as you finish everything on time, okay?" her mother replied with a smile, gently stroking her hair.
"Thank you, Mom!" exclaimed the younger one, jumping.
"You're welcome, dear," said Cookie tenderly, returning the smile.
"Well, I'll leave you to continue with your activities," said her mother, starting to walk towards the door. "We'll call you later for dinner," she added with a wave goodbye.
"Yes, Mom!" exclaimed Sweetie, returning the gesture.
"Yes, Mother," Rarity nodded, with a gentle smile.
The youngest frowned, took a few steps, but stopped, looked at her sister. "Rarity?'"
"Yes, Sweetie?"
"..." The younger one hesitated, she's always wanted to ask something, but she decided to leave it for another time. "Forget it."
"Okay," replied Rarity a bit confused, shrugging with a kind smile.
"I'll leave you, sister," said Sweetie Belle before leaving, with a last glance over her shoulder.
Present
"Fortunately, the mark has disappeared," thought. She glanced at the board, another calculation; this time, she decided to take notes. "I wonder what Sweetie Belle wanted to ask me that day." The dressmaker continued writing; luckily, she did it in time, as seconds later the lights were turned on, and the projector was turned off. Then, the teacher ended the class.
Rarity left her classroom and headed to the cafeteria.
Upon arrival, she grabbed her tray and chose her lunch before heading to her usual spot in the cafeteria, which was two rows away from the Mane Six. Although she sometimes talked to Starlight and Trixie, or to Lyra and Bon Bon, Rarity was almost getting used to being alone at lunchtime.
What she should get used to is the weight of the gazes from the Mane Six during lunchtime, which made her uncomfortable.
The Mane Six stopped looking at the fashionista and began to eat and talk about trivial things, until Pinkie Pie wanted to talk about something she had noticed in recent weeks.
"Girls, doesn't it seem strange what Rarity is studying?" Pinkie asked, causing the others to raise their eyebrows in surprise.
The girls stopped their movements. Despite being an uncomfortable topic to discuss, they decided to find out what their party-loving friend meant.
"What do you mean by that, Pinkie?" Applejack asked, curious.
"You said you got literature with Twilight and Rainbow," Pinkie continued.
"It could be like Rainbow, who took an additional class for some particular liking, like Dash with Daring Do," Applejack tried to deduce, downplaying its significance.
"Twilight always said that literature could broaden our horizons and other things," Rainbow added, trying to disguise her discomfort.
"Not only that, you could analyze and discuss not only Daring Do books but also other literary works," explained the bespectacled girl, moving her hands to emphasize her words.
"What she said," Rainbow added, slightly tangled by her friend's explanation, furrowing her brow slightly.
"And Twilight is in literature because..." Applejack wanted to explain, but she preferred her friend to explain.
The bespectacled girl lowered her head slightly. "You know I sometimes have trouble relating to others, and I thought that reading about characters facing challenges and overcoming obstacles, perhaps similar to mine, might help me feel identified and overcome my own obstacles," she explained.
"You've made progress in that, and I'm sure literature will help you," Sunset said, supporting her friend with a understanding smile. The others nodded with a smile.
"And what about the most striking thing... Sports?" Pinkie continued, returning to the initial topic, raising her eyebrows expectantly.
"It's true, in all the shared classes I didn't expect to see her there," Rainbow commented, nodding in agreement.
"And she was really bad at volleyball; next thing you know, she'll be trying out for soccer or basketball, and we all know how bad she is at sports," Sunset added, grimacing.
Applejack recalled the other day when she was straightforward with her. She didn't regret what she said, but the purple-haired girl seemed determined when she attempted the volleyball shot, so she figured Rarity wouldn't pay any attention to what she told her.
"And the hit she took," Fluttershy mentioned, feeling empathy.
"I kinda agree with what Pinkie said; I didn't bring it up earlier. The other day, I saw her leaving a class," Twilight said, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
"And...?" Pinkie prompted, expectantly.
"Just out of simple curiosity, I passed by to see what classes she was taking, and it was accounting," Twilight revealed, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Accounting?" Sunset asked, astonished. "That doesn't seem to have anything to do with fashion design."
"Exactly! I saw her leaving an accounting class," Twilight confirmed, nodding. "And I wondered the same thing. What does that have to do with fashion design?"
Applejack furrowed her brow in confusion. "It doesn't add up at all. When I saw her in marketing, I wasn't too surprised, and in art when I saw her, I was surprised since I didn't expect to share classes with her, but it made sense because of the drawings; that has a lot to do with designers," thought. "I remember we used to support her, and then..." she lowered her head, remembering, shook it to shake off that memory.
The girls exchanged confused looks as they tried to understand Rarity's class choices. But they didn't want to dwell on it because, despite not wanting to know anything about her, conversations about her always came up and made them uncomfortable.
Side B / Locker Hallways After lunch, some of the girls headed to their lockers to prepare for the next class. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stayed behind. Pinkie skipped down the halls, Applejack had something to attend to before her class, and Rainbow Dash wanted to take a stroll.
Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight were discussing classes as they approached the hallway where their lockers were located. They split up once they reached them.
Minutes later, Rainbow Dash arrived and approached Twilight and Sunset as they were organizing their things in their lockers.
"Hey, Rainbow!" greeted Sunset as she packed her backpack, while Twilight did the same next to her.
"Hey, guys, what if I just apologize and be done with it?" Rainbow asked, looking directly at Fluttershy.
"Apologize? What?" Twilight asked, a bit confused.
"To Fluttershy. I was thinking of apologizing, and maybe things will be sorted out," explained, not taking her eyes off the shy girl, with a hint of hope in her eyes.
"I don't think that would be a good idea," Sunset intervened, shaking her head slightly.
"Why not?" Rainbow asked, turning her head to look at both of them.
"Well, you might end up making the situation even worse," Twilight began. "Imagine if you apologize for something you think caused her distance, but then you mention something that makes her feel misunderstood. That could just make things worse."
"Ugh... hadn't thought of it that way," Rainbow admitted, thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want her to end up avoiding me or even rejecting group outings because of me."
"Have you tried inviting her out like before?" Sunset asked.
"No, it's like talking on Messenger," Rainbow replied, shrugging with some resignation.
"You should give it a try," Sunset suggested.
"Uh... I'm not sure," she hesitated.
"Where's the determined Rainbow Dash we know?" Twilight chimed in, with an encouraging tone.
"Yeah, Rainbow, are you going to let fear of a mistake hold you back? You're stronger than that," Sunset challenged.
The girl athlete stood firm at those words. "Yeah, I could give it a shot," said determinedly, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin with resolve.
"Remember to start with a good conversation starter," Twilight suggested.
"Come on, Twilight, who are you talking to?" Rainbow said, crossing her arms with arrogance.
Twilight signaled Rainbow to approach Fluttershy, who was taking some things out of her backpack. The girl athlete began walking forward.
"Do you think she'll make it?" Sunset asked, looking at the athlete with curiosity.
"If she chooses her words wisely, maybe," Twilight replied, watching as Rainbow headed toward Fluttershy.
Rainbow approached the animal lover with confidence, but as soon as she reached her side, she felt a knot in her stomach.
"Hey, Fluttershy," she greeted with a forced smile, leaning against a locker. "Have you seen the new murals in the gym? They're amazing!"
Twilight slapped her forehead and Sunset shook her head, fighting the urge to laugh at Rainbow's unexpected choice to start the conversation.
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, I saw them," replied briefly before continuing to put her things away.
The athlete shifted her eyes a bit. "Did you like them? I thought the artist really captured the essence of... well, whatever they're trying to convey," commented.
Fluttershy glanced up briefly, but her gaze was distant. "Yes, they were fine," replied, returning to her task, leaving Rainbow feeling uncomfortable.
The athlete felt frustrated by her inability to maintain a meaningful conversation. "Well, is there anything more interesting that's happened lately?"
The pink-haired girl shook her head, not looking up. "Not really," responded as she now put some books in her backpack.
Fluttershy's lack of response left Rainbow feeling even more uneasy. "Ah, well... okay then," murmured, not knowing what else to say.
Rainbow glanced at Sunset and Twilight out of the corner of her eye, noticing Sunset signaling her with her hand in an attempt to bring up the other topic.
"Would you like to go to the movies this Saturday?" the athlete asked, a mix of hope and anxiety in her voice.
"The movies?" Fluttershy asked, apparently considering the idea.
"Yes! You could even pick the movie," Rainbow suggested, trying to sound enthusiastic.
The shy girl considered it for a moment. "That would be... wait, will Applejack and you be there?" asked.
"Well... she would have to be, although not necessarily," the athlete responded, trying to sound calm despite her nervousness. "It would be fun if we went out... if AJ goes, the three of us would have fun," she added, forcing a smile.
Fluttershy sighed regretfully. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, I remembered I already have plans for that day. Maybe next time."
"Oh, okay. Next time then," responded resignedly.
Fluttershy closed her backpack and her locker. "I have to go, Rainbow Dash. See you later," said, turning around and walking away.
"Yeah, see you." Rainbow sighed, feeling frustrated.
After the animal lover went on her way, Sunset and Twilight approached.
"That was... um..." Sunset tried to find the right words, feeling empathy for her friend's situation.
"Your clothes and now murals," Twilight said incredulously, but with a hint of amusement in her tone.
"I just said what came to mind at the moment," Rainbow mentioned, trying to downplay it.
After the comment, Sunset frowned. "There were no murals, were there?" she asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"No, I made them up," Rainbow admitted.
"So, Fluttershy just played along with you," Twilight concluded with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by the revelation.
Twilight nodded, reflecting on the situation. "Yes, it's a bit unusual."
"I was also surprised, but I was more focused on talking about something and then asking her why she played along," Rainbow confessed, with a tone of bewilderment in her voice.
In another hallway of lockers, Pinkie Pie was skipping along and greeting everyone as usual. Suddenly, she stopped upon seeing Rarity further ahead. She was close enough to be seen but far enough for the fashionista not to notice her presence. Pinkie thought about approaching, something she had wanted to do since Rarity returned. She lowered her head, lost in her thoughts.
Three years ago: That day
In the school hallway, the atmosphere was very tense. Pinkie Pie and the others were near a broken showcase, with Rarity standing in front of them, trying to explain.
"But listen, listen!" exclaimed Rarity, desperately trying to justify her actions. "There was a reason behind what I did. It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone."
Sunset interrupted sharply. "A reason? That doesn't justify anything, Rarity! You had no right to do what you did."
"Do you think that reason would change anything? You betrayed us. Or rather, you betrayed me. You can't just excuse yourself and expect everything to go back to how it was," said Rainbow, her voice filled with disappointment.
Remember how Fluttershy told you she considered you a friend. Those words echoed in Rarity's head. After that silence, Pinkie pulled something out of her pocket.
"Do you know what this is?" asked the party girl, with a serious tone.
"A deflated balloon?" Rarity asked.
"It's punctured, it's what you did. You punctured the balloon of joy... and friendship," said Pinkie with seriousness and a touch of sadness in her voice. "The friendship we had built together. I don't know if I can look at you the same way again..."
Remember how the fashionista had lowered her gaze and then turned it towards the blonde, who despite not saying anything, her silence spoke volumes, making Rarity feel the weight of her gaze. Within seconds, the fashionista's gaze returned to the party girl. "Pinkie, please understand... I don't know what came over me. It was a moment of weakness, a foolishness..."
"A foolishness?" Pinkie replied, her voice trembling with emotion. "Is that really an excuse, Rarity?"
The girls had nodded in agreement, showing expressions of disappointment on their faces. None found anything valid to justify the actions of the fashionista.
"We understand that people make mistakes, but what you did affected all of us. You failed us, Rarity. You failed us all," said Fluttershy, her voice full of sadness.
"Failed us? You have no idea what you're saying! I..." she began to protest, but the stern looks from her friends left her speechless.
Pinkie was surprised by what the fashionista said at that moment. She still remembers the harsh words Rainbow and Twilight said to her for that sudden attitude. Maybe before she didn't understand why Rarity showed that side. But now Pinkie has an idea of why.
"I just... I..."
"You know why you can't say anything? It's because you have no excuses," declared Twilight, crossing her arms.
Present
"Maybe if I had one..." Pinkie murmured, still with her head down. She pushed that thought aside and began to take a few steps towards the fashionista.
As she approached, she looked around, observing the lockers and the students using them. Some were open, with students rummaging through or leaving their belongings. She saw a boy who seemed downcast and felt the urge to approach and cheer him up, but then noticed another student trying to do the same. She experienced a sense of déjà vu witnessing that scene.
Three Years Ago
Pinkie Pie walked through the hallways with a somber expression. Her friends immediately noticed the change from her usual bubbly demeanor.
"Are you okay, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, concerned.
Pinkie sighed, looking down. "I don't know, girls. I've been feeling a bit down lately. I can't shake the feeling that nothing I do is good enough."
"Oh, Pinkie, that can't be true!" exclaimed Rarity, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're the spark that brightens our lives. Without you, our adventures wouldn't be half as fun."
"But I feel like I'm always trying to be funnier, more exciting, and it's never enough," murmured Pinkie.
Rainbow gave her a friendly tap on the shoulder. "Pinkie, you're the best at being yourself. Don't try to be anything else, okay?"
Applejack, Fluttershy, and Sunset Shimmer, who had just arrived, joined the group, looking at the party girl with concern.
"Pinkie, are you alright? You don't seem very lively today," the girl farmer asked.
"Do you need a hug? We're here for you," Fluttershy said.
Pinkie let out a sigh. "I just feel a little disheartened lately, like I'm struggling to fit into a mold that just isn't mine."
"Hey, Pinkie, I get how you feel," began Sunset, sympathetically. "We all have days when we question ourselves. But remember, you don't have to be perfect or meet anyone else's expectations."
"Exactly. Darling, real fun doesn't come from trying to be someone else, it comes from being yourself," Rarity said softly. "You're unique, Pinkie, and that's what makes you so special."
The other girls nodded in agreement. With the support of her friends, Pinkie Pie felt a little light return to her heart. She knew that no matter what, she could always count on them to lift her spirits.
"Thanks, girls," Pinkie said with a sincere smile. "You always know how to make me feel better! I'm grateful to have such amazing friends like you!"
With a comforted smile, she looked at her friends with gratitude in her eyes, feeling the warmth and love they radiated.
Present
Exiting that memory, Pinkie paused her steps; a small doubt invaded her. "She betrayed our trust," she remembered Twilight's words. "I'm sure we can trust her again," she murmured to herself.
The party girl struggled between being loyal to her friends' words or following her gut feeling. She looked at the fashionista again and then glanced around, undecided about what to do. She stepped back, turning around, and began to walk quickly, bumping into some students along the way.
"Careful, Pinkie," said a boy with blue hair.
"Flash, sorry, I was... um..." Pinkie began, searching for an excuse. "I'm just in a hurry... I remembered I had rehearsal with the Rainbooms," Pinkie replied, trying to get out of the awkward situation.
"Aren't some of them supposed to have classes?" Flash asked.
"What was that?" Ringo asked, furrowing his brow slightly.
"Pinkie being Pinkie?" Sandalwood suggested with a playful smile.
"That Pinkie is always in her own world," Brawly commented, chuckling. "You never know what to expect from her."
Flash's group began to walk, leaving Pinkie behind.
"Rarity..." Flash greeted, approaching with his friends.
"Flash, guys," Rarity responded, returning the greeting. The boys walked past. Then, Rarity returned her gaze to her notebook from the previous class. "Just when Mom asked about classes, I told her everything was fine, but now that I'm going to tell her...," thought with concern.
"Hey Rarity," greeted Lyra, snapping the fashionista out of her thoughts.
"Lyra..." Rarity greeted, looking up.
"Did you notice they're not talking about you anymore?" Lyra remarked. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "It's true that maybe we left out some things from the gossip and they could take what really happened out of context." added, smiling nervously.
After a few seconds, Rarity nodded. "Yes, it seems rumors can easily spiral out of control in this place, right? Fortunately, what happened wasn't big enough to be heavily gossiped about," she replied.
"Exactly," Lyra nodded. "People forget about these things quickly," she said optimistically, though in her mind, she thought that if the gossip was potent enough, it could linger.
"Yeah, you're right," Rarity said.
Lyra looked around. "For being the new girl who catches the attention of many, I'm surprised other students aren't approaching you to be your friend or go out with you," she commented curiously, changing the subject.
Rarity lowered her gaze, feeling a knot in her stomach. "As you said, I'm new here and still getting to know people..." responded cautiously.
"Well, you'll make more friends soon. If you consider me a friend or acquaintance, I'm still here if you need anything," Lyra offered.
"Thank you, Lyra," Rarity said gratefully. "Regarding dating someone, I admit I've seen many cute guys who caught my eye, but for now, I don't have any plans to date."
"Of course, Rarity! It's important to do what makes you feel most comfortable and happy," Lyra said kindly.
After the conversation, Rarity stored her things in her locker and then began to walk with Lyra through the university halls.
Parking lot Once classes were over, the Mane Six gathered in the parking lot, waiting for their siblings.
Rainbow tried to force a smile as she spoke with Fluttershy. "I can't wait to see my sister. I'm sure she has something exciting to tell us," said.
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, I'm sure she does," replied.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie watched her friends closely and frowned upon noticing the tension in the air. "Girls, are you okay? I can sense something in the air," commented, breaking the silence.
The other girls glanced at each other, knowing that Pinkie could tell when things were tense or when the girls were feeling down. Dash sighed. "Things have happened," she said.
"They're probably like this because exams are coming up," Twilight intervened, lying, knowing the real reason.
"Is it because of what Rainbow told us about Fluttershy? She must have tried something and failed," Pinkie thought. Always ready to lift spirits, she proposed an idea. "I have an idea! How about we have an outing on Friday? Plus, we get out earlier on Fridays. We could go see a movie or go out to dinner together," she suggested enthusiastically.
The girls nodded in agreement, looking forward to the idea of spending time together. Twilight and Sunset glanced at the animal lover and the athlete. If Rainbow couldn't invite her, at least going out together would be the next best thing.
After agreeing, the girls headed to their respective vehicles, except for Rainbow and Applejack, who were still in the same place.
The farmer let go of Rainbow's arm, and the athlete stepped back a bit. "See you later," Rainbow said, her voice neutral.
"See you," Applejack replied with a faint smile, watching Rainbow walk away before joining Pinkie, who was waiting with a bright smile.
Sunset watched the scene from her motorcycle. "Okay, that's the most normal...," muttered to herself. "Seriously, that already—" her thoughts were interrupted when he saw the pink haired girl
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were the only ones without vehicles. There was no problem with Pinkie, as she would go with Applejack, while Fluttershy could only walk or take a taxi, unless her friends suggested giving her a ride.
"Fluttershy, do you want a ride?" suggested.
Fluttershy, with a slight expression of nervousness on her face, replied, "Speed isn't my thing, but still, thank you... I hope it doesn't bother you."
"Sure thing, don't worry," Sunset said, offering a sympathetic smile. "It's funny how in some mechanical games she likes speed."
Just then, Twilight approached. "I can give you a ride," offered kindly.
"Thank you, Twilight," Fluttershy accepted, grateful for her friend's suggestion. "Spike still hasn't arrived?"
"No, not yet," Twilight replied.
"Goodbye, Sunset, and sorry again," the pink-haired girl bid farewell, heading towards Twilight's car with a apologetic expression.
"Goodbye, and don't worry," Sunset replied with a smile, watching Fluttershy walk away.
The blonde reached her truck and stood next to the party girl, both leaning against it.
"Pinkie, are you okay?" Applejack asked, watching her cousin closely.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Pinkie replied, trying to maintain a smile on her face.
"You suggested we go out on Friday, besides cheering up the others as you always do, is also for you, something is wrong, isn't it?" the blonde pointed out.
"Oh, well, um..." she hesitated, trying to find the right words.
"Do you want to talk about it?" the blonde asked, with a tone of understanding.
"How could I bring up Rarity's example without her noticing?" thought. She knows her cousin can recognize when someone is lying. "Could it be a no for now?" asked, with a nervous smile. It wasn't really a lie.
"Alright, but isn't it something I should be concerned about?" the blonde insisted, showing her concern.
"No, there's nothing to worry about," Pinkie assured her.
Applejack knew there was something, but she respected her wish not to talk about it for the time being, so she decided to leave it at that.
With the conversation over, they continued to wait until finally the sisters, or in Twilight's case, the brother, arrived in the parking lot and got into their respective vehicles.
Getting out at a corner from Twilight's car and bidding farewell, Fluttershy headed to her house's door. She opened the door and entered with a sigh of relief. Instantly, she was greeted by her mother, Cloudy, who was preparing something in the kitchen.
"Hello, dear! How was your day?" Cloudy asked with a warm smile.
Fluttershy returned the smile. "It was... fine, mom," she replied.
From the living room, her father's voice was heard. "Fluttershy, you're home!" he greeted happily. "I hope you had a good day."
"Yes, dad, thank you," she replied as she made her way up the stairs to her room.
Upon reaching the hallway, she encountered her younger brother, Zephyr, who was busy playing his guitar in his room.
"How's it going, Flutters?" Zephyr greeted with a carefree smile.
The pink-haired girl returned the greeting with a small smile. "Hi, Zephyr," she replied.
Unlike Fluttershy, Zephyr had chosen not to attend college and instead decided to work.
"How was work?" She asked.
"Not bad, the day flew by," her brother responded. "And how was your day?" he asked.
"Ah... the usual, nothing new to report," she replied kindly, still thinking about her conversation with Rainbow. "I'm going to my room," she said before heading to her own room.
Once inside, she closed the door behind her and flopped down on her bed with a sigh. "I almost thought it would work..."
The conversation with Rainbow had been uncomfortable, like many others lately. She had hoped that the movie invitation would be an opportunity to reconnect, but once again, things didn't go as she had hoped.
The animal lover closed her eyes, recalling every word of the conversation. Her attempts to keep the conversation light, her forced smile. But no matter how hard she tried, there was always a barrier between them, a distance.
"I knew how it was all going to end," muttered to herself, feeling the weight of disappointment on her shoulders.
She got up from the bed and walked over to her desk. There, lay a small framed photograph.
The photo showed Fluttershy alongside Rainbow Dash and her other four friends, smiling and laughing together. They had been taken at a happier time. But now, looking at the photo, she realized how much things had changed.
A pang of sadness pierced her heart as she looked at the image. How had they come to this point? How had they gone from being best friends to barely being able to hold a conversation?
With a resigned sigh, Fluttershy put the photo back in its place and sank into her chair. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the good times, but she also knew she had to accept the reality of the situation.
It was already Friday and, as they had agreed during the week, they all met at the entrance of the mall. After waiting for everyone to arrive, they finally decided to go in to enjoy their outing together.
"Wow, it's been so long since we came to the mall together!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with enthusiasm, jumping up and down with joy.
"Yes, it's going to be great!" Fluttershy agreed with a smile.
Sunset looked around, observing the stores. "It's nice to go out and do something fun together."
"Totally," Twilight agreed. "It's good to take a break from our studies once in a while."
As they walked through the corridors full of stores, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were a little behind the group, chatting with each other.
"What do you think about going to that electronics store?" suggested the farmer, pointing to a store that displayed the latest technological gadgets.
Rainbow glanced at the pink-haired girl; it seemed that Pinkie was asking her to go with her. They were all together, so if she hadn't managed to invite her during the week of classes, at least she could try to strike up a conversation with her. She looked at the farmer to respond. "Fine by me."
Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Pinkie decided to venture to a candy store they had seen nearby, excited about the prospect of enjoying some sweet treats together.
"Look! They have a great variety of candies!" Pinkie exclaimed, pointing to the shelves full of sweets.
Fluttershy smiled shyly and nodded. "Yes, they look very delicious."
The party girl picked up a handful of different flavored candies and put them in a bag. "Let's try a little bit of everything!"
Twilight stopped in front of a bookstore and was mesmerized by the books adorning the shelves. "Oh, look at all these novels," she whispered in admiration.
Sunset approached her and smiled. "Do you want to go in and take a closer look?"
Twilight nodded, and together they entered the bookstore to explore the titles and immerse themselves in the stories.
Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued exploring the electronics store, examining the latest models of phones and tablets with interest.
"Have you seen these new headphones?" Applejack pointed to a particular model on the shelf. "They say they have incredible sound quality."
"Is something wrong?" asked the blonde, noticing how distracted Rainbow was.
"Uh-huh," murmured again, her gaze lost in the store's horizon.
Seeing that the athlete wasn't paying attention, Applejack decided to change her approach.
"I hope you don't consider this as the group date you wanted to have," said the farmer, crossing her arms and looking at her intently.
"Uh-" Rainbow started until she processed what her girlfriend had said. "What?!" exclaimed in surprise.
"It's what you said the other time," Applejack continued in a firmer tone. "And now you're finally listening to me."
"Seriously, blondie, you're bringing this up now?"
"It's just that you seem more distracted than usual on our dates," Applejack said, showing her frustration.
"Wait, is that why you suggested coming to the electronics section? To talk about this?" Rainbow asked, frowning.
"Not exactly. You seemed distracted, and I thought, 'Hey, maybe I need to talk to my girlfriend to see if something's wrong,' and since you weren't listening, I brought up this topic," she explained, with a hint of irritation in her voice.
"Ah... you could have just asked me earlier," Rainbow said, annoyed.
"Okay, maybe I should have done it differently," the farmer admitted, still visibly upset. "Is everything okay? Does it have something to do with Fluttershy or is it something else?" she asked in the same tone.
"How do you know about that?" the athlete asked.
"It's pretty obvious," Applejack replied, with a mix of annoyance and concern in her voice.
"I'll just say, I don't know exactly what's going on," Rainbow said, frustrated.
"You don't know exactly what's going on? What kind of answer is that?" Applejack asked, her tone harder.
"It's the honest answer, I don't know what's wrong with Fluttershy," Rainbow replied, growing more upset.
Applejack took a deep breath. "Alright... any progress on that?" she asked, more calmly.
"Nothing," Rainbow replied, frustrated.
"Okay."
They stayed silent for a moment.
"So?" Applejack asked, trying to break the silence.
"So?" the athlete replied.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Maybe we should have another outing. Last time I canceled, and I told you about that place. Plus, you haven't suggested any place."
"Alright, let me think," Rainbow responded, with a serious look.
"And don't even think about suggesting a bar," she added, with a warning tone.
Rainbow frowned, about to say something, but decided to keep it to herself. "How about going bowling?" she finally proposed.
After exploring the stores for a while, the Mane Six gathered in the center of the mall.
"Well, where do we go now?" Applejack asked, looking at her friends with a smile.
"We could go to the games and then the food court," suggested Pinkie enthusiastically.
"Or to the food court and then the games," proposed Twilight thoughtfully.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I vote for the games," she affirmed with determination.
Sunset nodded. "I say we eat first," she added.
The girls looked at Fluttershy and Applejack, waiting for a tiebreaker.
"I'm fine with either option," said Fluttershy in her usual soft voice.
Applejack smiled. "I'm also okay with either option," added.
"seriously!" complained Rainbow, looking at her girlfriend.
"You asked me to decide, and I did," the farmer responded calmly.
"Why don't we play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide? It's fair," suggested Sunset, trying to mediate.
"Yes, I love that idea! Let's play!" exclaimed Pinkie, excited.
The others nodded. After several rounds, they finally came to a decision. In the end, they decided to go to the games first and then have lunch.
What the Mane Six didn't know was that in another part of the mall, a girl with wavy violet hair was with her family.
Cookie was leading the expedition, carefully looking at each storefront, while Sweetie Belle and Rarity followed her excitedly, occasionally stopping to look at the displayed products.
"Look at this beautiful dress!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, pointing to an elegant dress in one of the shop windows.
Cookie stopped next to her, evaluating the dress. "It's quite striking, but don't you think it's a bit too much for you, Sweetie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rarity joined the group, examining the dress with expertise. "I agree with Mother. Maybe you should look for something more suitable for your age," she suggested while adjusting her purse.
Hondo approached. "Well, Sweetie, how about that outfit we saw in the previous store? I think it would look great on you," he recalled with a smile.
Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I loved that outfit. Let's go find it," said excitedly.
As they continued exploring the mall, the Belles enjoyed their time together, taking advantage of this rare opportunity for a family outing since their return to the city.
As the girls entered the arcade, they found themselves immersed in a lively environment full of bright lights. Around them, they saw a variety of arcade games, from classic pinball machines to the most modern virtual reality games. The sound of coins dropping into machines and the laughter of players filled the air with joy.
"This looks awesome!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie with enthusiasm, pointing towards the various options in front of them.
Fluttershy smiled shyly as she observed the bright Air Hockey table in the corner of the arcade. "I think I'd like to try this game," she said, pointing to the table.
Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "Great! It looks fun. Let's play."
Together, they approached the table, where Twilight inserted some coins and picked up a plastic mallet. Fluttershy chose the other mallet with an eager smile. Each of them hit the puck with the mallet. The pink-haired girl moved gently, while Twilight adopted a more focused stance, calculating each move.
Meanwhile, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset headed toward the basketball machine, where they could score as many shots as possible in a given time. Each one had a ball in hand, ready to have fun.
"Come on girls, let's start the fun!" exclaimed Sunset, smiling with excitement.
"Yeah, I'm ready for a good time!" added Rainbow, preparing to throw her first ball.
Applejack nodded. "This is gonna be great! Let's see who can make the most baskets!"
They started throwing the balls, enjoying the game and cheering each other on. Each one tried to make the best plays.
Applejack threw the ball hard, but it bounced off the rim and flew away. The blonde frowned as she missed.
"Almost got it! You were so close," commented Sunset.
"I know, I almost had it! Oh well," responded Applejack.
Rainbow, with determination, concentrated to throw. "You know, this could be like our training for when we start with basketball," she said almost jokingly.
"Yeah, definitely! But we still don't know what's next after volleyball. Soccer or basketball?" said Sunset. After Rainbow, Sunset took another ball and positioned herself to shoot towards the hoop.
"Hmm, good question," said Applejack, waiting her turn.
With Twilight and Fluttershy nearly finishing their game, they moved the mallet, exchanging laughs and comments as they tried to win.
Finally, after an exchange of hits, Twilight managed to score the last point, securing her victory. Fluttershy congratulated her friend on a game well played.
The two moved away from the Air Hockey table, looking for another game that was free to play.
Pinkie Pie was immersed in one of the virtual reality shooting games, moving from side to side while exclaiming, "Pow! Pow! Take that, villains!" She took a few steps back as if avoiding attacks. "I'm on a winning streak!" she said after shooting again, then jumped for joy when she hit the last enemy.
After taking off the virtual reality visor, Pinkie looked around, her eyes lighting up with joy when she spotted the Dance Dance Revolution machine. As she approached, she saw Fluttershy and Twilight.
"Hey girls, want to play?" asked Pinkie, excited, pointing to the dance machine.
"Sure," said Twilight, looking at the machine. "This is your favorite, isn't it?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes, I love it," responded Pinkie with joy.
"Who goes first?" asked the pink-haired girl.
"Why don't you go first, Fluttershy?" suggested Pinkie.
"Okay," the animal lover agreed.
Both stepped onto the platform and, after inserting the coins, began to move to the rhythm of the music in an exciting game of Dance Dance Revolution. Twilight watched.
After a few minutes of fun, Sunset thought about leaving the couple alone. "Girls, I'm going to try another game," she announced. "But you keep having fun, see you later."
"Sure," said Rainbow with a smile.
Applejack nodded. "Yeah, see you later."
As Sunset walked away, the farmer looked at the athlete. "What do you think, Rainbow? Ready to compete?" Applejack challenged with a smile, inserting more coins to start the game from scratch.
Rainbow accepted the challenge with a determined look; she would never turn down one. "Of course! Get ready to lose, Blondie."
Both began throwing the ball skillfully, competing with each other to see who could score the most points. The competition between the farmer and the athlete intensified with every passing second.
"That's another point for me! Can you feel the pressure?" the athlete teased, with an arrogant smile on her face.
Applejack frowned, focusing on her next throw and scoring. "Oh, I'm sorry, Dash, did you think I was going to let you win that easily? You're about to see what I can do."
As Sunset walked, she saw her three friends at the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Fluttershy watched with curiosity, while Twilight tried to keep up with the rhythm but couldn't match Pinkie's moves, who was dominating the game. The party girl won again and then saw her other friend.
"Hey, Sunset! Want to join us? It's one of my favorite games, and I want a challenge!" exclaimed Pinkie, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The red-and-yellow-haired girl approached them. "Sure, why not?" she replied with a smile.
"Let's see if you can beat her," Twilight said as she stepped down from the platform, looking exhausted and leaning on her knee.
"Let's see if I can," Sunset chuckled lightly, seeing her friends tired. She stepped onto the platform and prepared for the challenge. Pinkie inserted another coin into the machine to start the game.
"It still amazes me how Pinkie doesn't get tired with all her movements," commented Twilight with a tired smile.
"I guess we shouldn't be surprised anymore, but she still manages to," said Fluttershy with a small laugh. "It's like Rainbow and sports."
"Exactly. Many wonder how she doesn't get tired. Well, she used to, but her body got used to the effort, and most people don't consider that it's not all physical; she must learn some psychological skills," Twilight continued.
"That doesn't exempt her from getting hurt by overexerting herself," expressed Fluttershy with a bit of concern.
"You know Rainbow, despite being a bit irresponsible, knows her limits. She wouldn't overexert herself unless she wanted to, but it has never happened," Twilight explained, nodding.
"You're right," Fluttershy said, relaxing a bit.
"By the way, where could she be?" Twilight wondered, frowning as she looked around.
"She might be at another game, or if Applejack isn't here, they might be together," Fluttershy deduced, shrugging.
"That's most likely," Twilight said, thoughtfully. "Hmm... Fluttershy has been with Pinkie and me, and for now, it seems they haven't spent much time together. We still have the afternoon for something to happen, and if not, another day it will be." Twilight looked back to see if she could spot Rainbow, then turned her attention back, glancing sideways at the pink-haired girl. "What could have happened? Rainbow said it all started when she arrived at Canterlot's Side A. Although they were still close, at some point something happened that made Fluttershy distance herself, and now they can barely talk. It really surprised me when I saw them talking that day. You could feel the tension and awkwardness in the air..." she thought, recalling the conversation. "Wait, Fluttershy was about to accept Dash's outing until she mentioned Applejack... Hmm, it has something to do with Applejack," she came out of her thoughts, still needing to analyze the situation to know if her blonde friend was really involved. She then turned her attention to Pinkie and Sunset's showdown.
In another part of the arcade, the shots continued, quick and precise, as both girls tried to outdo each other. However, as the score evened out, the atmosphere became more tense.
"You're cheating, Rainbow! It's obvious you're shaking the machine to favor yourself!" accused Applejack, frustrated by her lack of success.
Rainbow frowned, indignant at the accusation. "That's ridiculous, Applejack! You're making excuses because you can't keep up with me. But I'm not going to let you get away with it."
The argument intensified, with both girls exchanging insults and accusations as the competition became more aggressive.
The other four girls had reached the basketball machine. After playing, they decided to look for the two remaining girls until they found them, but not as they expected.
"Oh no, not again," said Twilight, frowning and shaking her head.
"I think we should've gone to the food court," commented Pinkie with a frustrated grimace at seeing both girls immersed in the argument.
"I guess it's my fault for leaving them alone at that game," admitted Sunset.
"Are they really going to start this again?" Fluttershy commented with a worried tone before heading towards her two friends.
The four knew well how competitive Applejack and Rainbow Dash could get when they challenged each other; sometimes it bothered them, but they were their friends, so they had to accept that competitive side of them.
"Girls, shouldn't we relax a bit?" Fluttershy timidly intervened, trying to calm them down.
But Applejack and Rainbow were too caught up in their rivalry to listen to her. They continued arguing, ignoring the rest of the group watching them.
Fluttershy looked at Sunset Shimmer, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie, hoping one of them would try to stop them. Sunset was about to take the initiative to stop the argument, but was surprised to see the party girl step forward and address the two.
"That's enough, girls!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie finally, raising her voice to be heard. "This was supposed to be a fun outing with friends, not a damn cockfight!"
Pinkie's words seemed to snap Applejack and Rainbow out of their trance. They looked at each other, taking deep breaths as they put aside their rivalry.
These are some of the few times Pinkie is seen angry, and it always surprises her friends, as she is usually the cheerful and euphoric one in the group, and doesn't seem to worry much about what happens.
"You're right, Pinkie," admitted Applejack. "We should relax and enjoy our time together."
Rainbow nodded with a smile. "Yeah, we definitely need to chill out a bit. How about we go grab something to eat as we planned?"
The others nodded in relief, grateful that the tension had dissipated. Together, they left the games behind and headed to the mall's food court, ready to enjoy a relaxed meal.
The Belle family was strolling through the clothing store, observing the different styles. Cookie, always with a critical eye, examined the garments closely, while Sweetie Belle and Rarity made comments and pointed out things that caught their attention.
"Oh, look at those shoes! They're perfect for your outfit, Rarity," suggested her younger sister, pointing to a pair of elegant heels.
Rarity smiled and nodded. "You're right, Sweetie!" She looked at the heels and then said, "But I think I have a similar pair at home, so I'll leave these for someone who really needs them."
Sweetie Belle nodded and headed to the blouse section.
The fashionista continued browsing clothes with Cookie following closely. "Look, Mother, that dress is absolutely charming!" exclaimed Rarity, stopping in front of an elegant evening gown.
Cookie, with a thoughtful smile, nodded. "Yes, dear, it's very pretty. But remember, you need something you can wear both for special occasions and day-to-day."
"I know, Mother, I'm just admiring the craftsmanship," replied Rarity.
Meanwhile, Hondo, the only man in the group, watched patiently from the side, observing with interest the women's choices.
"Are you looking for something?" asked a sales assistant nearby with a friendly smile.
Hondo nodded with a smile. "Yes, we're looking for some clothes for my daughters and my wife. It's a family shopping day," he replied.
The assistant paused and commented with curiosity, "You're the only man in the family, right?"
Hondo chuckled softly. "That's right, I'm the only man among all these women. Imagine what it's like at home!"
The assistant smiled understandingly. "I completely get it. I'm the only woman in my family, so I know how it feels."
Hondo nodded in solidarity. "It's a challenge, but at the end of the day, they mean everything to me."
The assistant nodded with a smile. "Exactly, family is the most important thing."
"Dad, look," Sweetie Belle exclaimed, holding out a shirt.
"Have a nice day, sir." The assistant smiled as she bid farewell and walked away to continue her work. Hondo nodded gratefully to the assistant as she walked away, then turned towards his younger daughter and began to walk towards her.
"What do you think?" she asked, holding a plaid shirt in front of her. "Do you think this color suits me?"
Her father looked at the shirt. "Hmm, it's not bad, but I think a lighter tone would suit you better," he suggested.
"You're right," the younger girl agreed.
Meanwhile, Rarity couldn't resist having a little fun. She picked up a black leather jacket she had been eyeing, walked over to her father, and put it on him. "What do you think, Dad? Do you think this style suits you?" she asked, barely containing her laughter.
Hondo chuckled softly. "I think these are a bit too much for me, Rarity. But they'd look great on you."
"Oh, come on, Dad! Just try it for fun," Sweetie Belle urged.
Hondo decided to join in the fun and put on the jacket, causing laughter among the women in the family. He looked at himself in the nearest mirror and, to everyone's surprise, he looked quite good. "Not bad. What do you think, Cookie?"
Cookie couldn't contain her laughter at seeing her husband in the leather jacket. "I think it's an interesting look, dear," replied with a smile.
"You're quite the gentleman, Dad," added Sweetie Belle.
Rarity took out her phone and captured the moment with a photo. "This definitely goes into my favorite memories," said with a smile.
"Rarity, can you send it to me so I can share it with Auntie?" the youngest requested.
"It would be better to keep it private for now. Maybe we can share it later," said Hondo, embarrassed by the situation.
"Yes, it's better not to involve her right now. You know how my sister is, always so... cautious," Cookie responded seriously.
After having fun trying on different clothes and taking pictures for memories, the Belle family finally decided on the items they would take home.
Rarity watched attentively with her parents as the items were being checked out at the register. The cashier indicated the total, and she was ready to pay, but suddenly, her parents exchanged worried looks.
"Don't you have the card, dear?" her mother asked, frowning as she checked her purse.
Hondo searched his pants pocket and shook his head.
"Could it be that we left it in the car?" Rarity quickly deduced, trying to stay calm.
"Possibly, we might have dropped it while checking that we had everything," said her father, putting a hand to his forehead.
"Rarity, dear, could you go fetch it?" her mother asked.
The fashionista nodded with determination. "Of course, Mother. Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute," she replied firmly, before turning and heading towards the store exit.
However, as she started walking, she was abruptly interrupted when she encountered the Mane Six, who appeared unexpectedly in her path. Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing them.
"Rarity!" exclaimed Pinkie with surprise, catching the attention of the rest of the group.
The other gazes turned towards Rarity, and she found herself caught in the center of their attention.
Rarity took a deep breath, determined to address the uncomfortable situation. "Girls, I've been wanting to talk to you..." she began, but before she could finish her sentence, the girls started walking away.
The fashionista clenched her fists. "Wait...!" exclaimed, her brow furrowed. "I really want to apologize for what happened," she said with a tone of desperation. "I'm truly sorry, but..."
Some of the girls abruptly stopped, turning to look at her with clearly visible expressions of annoyance on their faces.
"But?" Twilight asked incredulously.
"A 'but' in an apology? Seriously..." said Sunset, her voice containing a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
Rarity realized what she had said and grimaced at her mistake. "I misspoke, that's not how I wanted it to sound," she admitted.
"It's not just that, you approach us as if nothing happened, and it's not the first time," Applejack interjected, with an indifferent tone.
Fluttershy nodded sadly. "I don't know if I'm ready to listen to you."
Pinkie nodded silently, her eyes reflecting a mix of compassion and sadness. The athlete just sighed and looked at her seriously.
Twilight sighed and commented, "You know we always supported you and you..." Pinkie and the others, upon hearing those words from Twilight, looked at her.
Three years ago: that day Fluttershy, Pinkie, Sunset, and Twilight were walking through the school hallways. After a while of walking, they saw Rarity taking a sip of water from the cooler and noticed her popping a pill into her mouth. The four of them had the same thought and approached their friend.
"Hey, Rarity!" greeted Pinkie.
Rarity didn't respond as she was still drinking water. After swallowing, her friends continued to inquire.
"Are you okay, Rarity?" asked Fluttershy softly, noticing the tension in her friend's shoulders.
"As if you care," Rarity muttered without thinking, feeling her friends' gaze on her.
"What?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
The fashionista blinked. "Nothing... I just have a headache..." she corrected, looking at her friends.
The four of them observed the dark circles under her eyes and the tired expression on her face. They knew she had been going through a tough time with stress and also because of her breakup with Applejack.
"You should take some time to rest," suggested Sunset. "That way you won't stress out so much."
"We're here for you, Rarity. If you need anything, just let us know," commented Twilight nervously. She was worried about her friend.
Rarity felt overwhelmed by her friends' support, but at the same time, a sense of loneliness washed over her. "Thanks, girls," she said with a weak attempt at a smile.
"We care about you, Rarity," said Fluttershy, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder, although for some reason, she felt uneasy doing so.
"I hope Pinkie's words helped her; I wish I had been there to support her," thought Twilight.
Despite feeling the support of her friends, Rarity sensed a tense atmosphere, and the others noticed it too.
Rarity discarded the cup in the trash can. "I think I should get some fresh air," she said, though her voice sounded more subdued than usual.
The girls nodded understandingly as Rarity walked away, but once she was out of earshot, they began to exchange worried glances.
"Tell me I wasn't the only one who felt that?" Twilight asked, letting out a sigh.
"That tension in the air? Something didn't seem right," said Fluttershy with concern.
Sunset nodded slowly. "Yeah, we all definitely felt it. Do you think it has something to do with her breakup with Applejack?"
"I think that's the most obvious explanation," said Pinkie, looking downcast. "The dark circles and she seemed like she had been crying recently."
"Yeah, you're right; I don't know why I asked. She's also been stressed, but I think we can put that aside," admitted Sunset.
"Yeah, that might not be related, but it's also because of Applejack and Rainbow," added Twilight. "I hope there hasn't been any tension between them."
"Maybe we should talk to her about it," suggested Fluttershy.
With that decision made, the girls set off to find Rarity and make sure she was okay. However, none of them could imagine the chain of events that would unfold in the next few hours.
The girls stopped looking at Twilight and directed their gaze at Rarity.
"That's right, you made them, and I handled it poorly," said the fashionista, acknowledging what had been said. "Mistake after mistake," she thought sadly.
"And now onto your 'but'," said the athlete seriously. "Tell me, Belle... was anyone forcing you?"
"Forcing...?" wondered the fashionista. Rainbow looked at her with a furrowed brow, and that's when Rarity realized what she meant and lowered her gaze.
After taking a breath, Rarity walked through the hallways. She stopped, took a deep breath. She knew she would encounter the others. That feeling of hearing them flooded back to her. She lowered her head, her gaze shifting to the showcase displaying an important trophy for the institution.
An idea crossed her mind. As she got closer, she felt an internal struggle. She quickly stepped away from it, shaking her head to push those thoughts away.
"What am I thinking," she muttered to herself, clenching her fists with determination, taking steps back.
Rarity moved away from the showcase, resisting the urge to give in to her darker desires. She knew that making that impulsive decision would only bring trouble.
The girls headed to the locker hallway after waiting for Rarity to take a few minutes to talk, each with a heavy heart due to the inexplicable tension they had perceived in their interaction with her.
Finally, they reached the locker hallway, where they saw Rarity picking up books from her locker with a serious expression. The girls exchanged glances before approaching their friend. They wanted to address the issue of Applejack and Rainbow subtly. Despite their own concerns, they made an effort to keep smiles on their faces.
"Hi Rarity... again," Pinkie began a bit nervously, feigning a smile.
"Hi, girls. Is there something else?" Rarity asked, glancing at them out of the corner of her eye and returning her attention to her locker.
The girls exchanged sidelong glances and nodded.
"Rarity... I know things have been a bit... difficult for you lately," Twilight began. "Sometimes, relationships can be a real challenge, but we're here for you."
It took the fashionista a few seconds to understand what they were referring to; she simply listened.
"We want you to know that we're here for you. Friends are there to support each other, right?" expressed Sunset.
Rarity opened her eyes a bit wider but returned to her previous expression, not commenting and once again just listening.
"Exactly. We know things can be a bit confusing. If you need to talk about anything, you can always count on us," said Fluttershy.
"Of course! Friends are always there to help each other, even when things are a bit complicated. So, even though we may not fully understand what you're going through, we're here for you, Rarity," Pinkie concluded.
The girls waited nervously for her response. Despite offering her support, they felt that tension again. For some reason, Rarity turned her head in the opposite direction and seconds later looked at the girls.
"I know you'll be there," the fashionista finally responded with a half-smile.
The girls' words dissipated into the air, leaving a feeling of discomfort floating around Rarity. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached.
the fashionista looked up and saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash walking hand in hand. A wave of emotions flooded her immediately.
Rarity directed her gaze towards the blonde. However, Applejack seemed unable to meet her gaze. Her eyes shifted away, avoiding any eye contact with the fashionista.
Meanwhile, the athlete, although not showing the same avoidance as the farmer, also didn't seem entirely comfortable. Still, she kept her gaze fixed on Rarity, without looking away.
Applejack tried to break the silence, asking curiously, "What are you talking about?"
Sunset quickly responded, "Rarity was telling us about her designs," trying to hide the real reason.
The farmer frowned at the mention and turned her head.
Rainbow Dash continued the conversation. "Have you finished your designs already?"
"I just have a few more, and I'm ready," Rarity replied.
A silence fell.
Pinkie tried to break the silence and the tension that seemed to be returning now that they were all together again. "And then you'll see that you'll be recognized for your designs."
"Yes, of course you will," said Fluttershy.
"I agree, but I suggest you take some time so you won't have a headache anymore," said Twilight.
"Are you still in pain? Maybe you should take some pills," Rainbow suggested. "I have some in my locker," she added, heading to her locker and entering the combination to open it.
Rarity, despite the tension, approached to tell her that she had already taken some, but she got distracted looking at the numbers of the combination. Upon opening it, Rainbow searched and pulled out some pills, turned around, and approached the fashionista to hand them to her.
"Thank you, I had already taken some, maybe I'll take them if it doesn't go away," Rarity replied.
Rainbow nodded. Applejack glanced at the fashionista for a moment and then quickly looked away, taking the athlete's hand and pulling her close. "We should do something else while we wait for the next class," the blonde suggested, for some reason, she couldn't look the fashionista in the eyes, faking a smile.
The fashionista didn't miss that attitude. "What about going to the cafeteria?" Rarity suggested.
"Huh?" Applejack expressed.
"To the cafeteria?" asked the party girl. Pinkie put a finger on her chin. "Girls! It's taco Wednesday!" she exclaimed with joy.
"Let's go then, and then we'll head straight to our class," said Twilight, accepting the suggestion.
"Maybe if we all have lunch together, the strange tension that's forming will calm down a bit," Sunset thought.
"I'm not going to miss it," said Rainbow, starting to walk.
"Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'll be right there, I'll put away the pills and follow you," Rarity said, pointing to her locker and walking towards it.
"Okay," Pinkie said, starting to walk with the others.
Once the girls were out of sight, Rarity lowered her head and thought about following them, but something else crossed her mind. "1,6,4," she murmured and glanced at the end of the hallway leading to another hallway where the showcase was. She looked back where the girls went, thought once again. She closed her eyes after a few seconds, opened them, closed her locker, and headed to the end of the hallway opposite to where the girls went.
Present Rarity lifted her head, looking at the girls. "No, no one forced me to hide the trophy in your locker," she acknowledged.
Sunset, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow looked at her with a serious expression, while Pinkie and Fluttershy looked at her with a sad expression.
"That's what I was hoping to hear," Rainbow affirmed with the same expression. "We didn't expect anything less from you."
"I think there's nothing more to talk about," said Sunset. The girls didn't say anything and started walking, but Rainbow stopped.
"You know... there's something I've wanted to tell you since you did that," she added, turning around. Rarity didn't say anything, just waited for her to speak. "I bet when you were with Applejack, you were just using her as a puppet, manipulating her everywhere, that you didn't even truly love her," she expressed.
That comment left Rarity stunned, while Applejack frowned at the remark. The other girls were also a bit surprised by the comment. With that said, Rainbow began to walk with the girls, leaving Rarity behind.
Rarity was paralyzed by the words, watching as the others left, not feeling her sister.
"Sister, do you have the card already?" Sweetie Belle asked, snapping Rarity out of her thoughts.
"What...?" Rarity asked absentmindedly.
"The card-," she was going to comment again, but stopped upon noticing something. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Why do you ask?" Rarity asked.
Her sister pointed to Rarity's face. "You have a tear on your face," she said.
The fashionista moved her hand to her face, and as Sweetie Belle said, there was a tear. She wiped it away and looked at her sister, who was looking for an explanation.
"You know, when I see something, I get very excited," she tried to explain.
Her excuse was not very believable, but Sweetie Belle bought it for the moment. "Okay, do you have the card then?"
"The card... The card!" Rarity exclaimed, remembering the initial reason they left the store. She began to walk towards the escalators.
The younger sister watched her sister, a little worried about how she saw her, but decided to put it aside. "I guess that's a no," she said, turning back to the store.
The girls sat at a table in the food court of the mall, enjoying their individually chosen meals while the hustle and bustle of the place mixed with their conversations. However, there was a palpable tension in the air since they encountered Rarity.
Pinkie nervously played with her food, glancing at Rainbow and Applejack, who were sitting together at the other end of the table. She decided to address the issue.
"Dash?" Pinkie called out to her friend.
"What's up, Pinkie?" the athlete responded, looking up from her food.
"Don't you think you went a little overboard up there just now?" Pinkie said.
"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Well... that thing you said about Rarity and my cousin. It seemed like a bit of a... harsh comment," Pinkie continued, firmly.
Applejack nodded slowly. "Yeah, Pinkie's right. That was a bit out of line... I felt a little uncomfortable with what you said," she added, furrowing her brow.
Rainbow frowned, feeling uncomfortable under her friends' gaze. "I didn't think you'd take it like that. Besides, don't tell me you don't think something similar when she showed that side of herself that time?".
"Probably in a different way, but the comment wasn't relevant," commented Sunset.
"We're upset, that's true, but that doesn't justify saying something like that," said Twilight, with an understanding gesture.
Fluttershy nodded. "It's important to be careful with what we say, especially when we're angry," she murmured.
"I wanted to tell her once, but she had just left town when I had the chance, and I mentioned it upstairs, but as they say, it wasn't relevant," said Rainbow, shrugging.
The girls nodded. With the atmosphere a little more relaxed, they continued with their meal, leaving behind the discomfort that had been present moments before.
Sweet Apple Acres The afternoon was falling when Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned after spending the day with the other Mane Six. As they approached the house, the farmer noticed that her brother and Granny Smith were at the entrance of the barn, looking at something with a mixture of surprise and dismay. Applejack furrowed her brow and approached, with Dash following closely behind.
"What's going on here?" the farmer asked, not understanding what was happening.
"Oh, Applejack, Rainbow Dash. Look what Apple Bloom and Scootaloo have done," Granny Smith pointed out, indicating the inside of the barn.
Rainbow stepped forward to observe the painted apples while Applejack raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Wow, this is... colorful," exclaimed Rainbow with a chuckle.
"What the heck have you done with the barn's apples?" asked Applejack.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom emerged from behind a pile of boxes, with a nervous smile.
"Hey, Applejack, Rainbow... What do you think of our natural art exhibition?" Scootaloo began.
"Scoot, what did you do with the barn's apples?" Rainbow questioned with a mixture of amusement and reproach.
Scootaloo shrugged. "Uh... well, we thought we could do something fun with them."
"We wanted to add a touch of creativity to the barn. You see, we thought we could do something fun with the apples and... well, here we are," explained Apple Bloom with a somewhat forced laugh.
"I'm sorry," Scootaloo apologized, lowering her head. Dash sighed and then gave her sister a light tap on the shoulder.
"Well, at least you tried to do something different. But next time, ask for permission before using the apples for artwork," said Rainbow.
"I appreciate your creativity, but now we have wasted apples and a mess to clean up," declared Granny Smith, shaking her head.
"Hey, look on the bright side," said Apple Bloom.
"What's that bright side?" asked Rainbow, raising an eyebrow.
"If Sweetie had agreed to come... it probably would have been even worse," said Scootaloo.
"I'm not sure about that," Big Mac commented with crossed arms.
"Probably not," Apple Bloom admitted.
"Was she going to come?" Applejack asked curiously.
"She was... but she had a family outing," revealed the younger Apple.
"That explains why she was at the mall," Rainbow thought with a furrowed brow.
"So, the Belles were inside the store" the farmer thought.
"Less talk, we need to clean up the mess," Granny Smith called attention, pulling the blonde and the athlete out of their thoughts.
Everyone started to help with cleaning up the mess the two younger ones had made. After the cleanup was finished, Rainbow asked her sister to clean her hands, as they were covered in paint. While waiting outside, near her car, Applejack approached to say goodbye.
"Remember we have plans for...," the farmer was going to continue.
"I know, on Sunday," Rainbow finished for her.
"Okay," Applejack nodded.
"Ready, we can leave now," Scootaloo said, approaching them.
"Did you say goodbye?" Dash asked, walking towards the driver's door.
"I did inside, goodbye Applejack," Scoot said, opening the passenger door.
"Goodbye, and to you too," she said, referring to Rainbow.
"See you," the athlete said, getting into the car.
Once inside, Dash started the car and reversed to head home, while Applejack made her way to the front door of her house.
Three years ago: that day The seven friends walked through the hallways, chatting animatedly after the last class of the day. Rarity remained in the shadows, trying to go unnoticed while her heart pounded in her chest as she realized which hallway they were walking down.
"Girls, I just remembered something," said Rarity, breaking the conversation.
"Okay, see you later," responded Pinkie, as the girls stopped to listen to Rarity.
The athlete stopped in front of her locker. When she opened the door, her expression changed to one of confusion and surprise.
"What the heck happened here? Who put this trophy in my locker?" exclaimed Rainbow, carefully pulling out the trophy. The group of friends approached to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" asked Sunset, furrowing her brow as she saw what her friend was holding. "Isn't that the school trophy?"
"Dash, what's that in your locker?" asked Applejack.
"I have no idea!" Rainbow was visibly bewildered and upset by the situation.
Principal Mare happened to pass by the hallway at that moment and stopped upon hearing the commotion. "What's happening here?" she asked, approaching the group.
"Principal Mare, someone put this trophy in my locker and I have no idea who could've done it," explained Rainbow, showing the trophy.
The principal examined the trophy with a serious expression. "It's the trophy that was taken when the showcase was broken."
"What?!" exclaimed the girls in unison.
"A few hours ago, someone broke the showcase and stole the trophy," said the principal. "This is serious, Rainbow Dash. Come with me to my office immediately to discuss this."
"But I didn't do anything!" Rainbow was visibly distressed by the accusation.
"Principal, you should..." Twilight tried to intervene.
"I said immediately," the principal interrupted.
"But ahhh..." Rainbow followed Principal Mare with the trophy in her hands.
The other five girls exchanged worried looks among themselves. They knew something wasn't right, but they couldn't understand how a trophy had ended up in Rainbow's locker without her knowledge.
Meanwhile, Rarity watched the scene from a distance, feeling the weight of her guilt crushing her once again. "It's done, there's no turning back," she murmured to herself, feeling the anxiety overtaking her once more. "Not again," she said, heading towards an empty spot to sit down.
She felt a sudden increase in her heart rate, accompanied by trembling hands and difficulty breathing. A feeling of tightness in her chest. She struggled to control her breathing, focusing on inhaling and exhaling slowly to calm the overwhelming anxiety that consumed her. After a few moments, she managed to regain her composure.
Present The dressmaker snapped out of her memory. She was sitting on her bed in her room, and she had been distracted since she returned home with her family from the mall, and she knew they noticed.
The dressmaker sighed. "That was one of my first anxiety attacks, I suppose it was a reflex from my actions," she said sadly.
Then she remembered what happened at the mall when she tried to apologize. "I was so desperate that I didn't even realize my words... I've never apologized... only to my parents."
The dressmaker got up and headed towards the stairs. On the first floor, she could hear the sound of the TV. When she walked a bit, she could see her parents were there.
She approached her parents with hesitant steps. She looked at her mother and father, who were sitting on the couch, absorbed in the television. With a nervous sigh, she broke the silence.
"Can we talk for a moment?" the dressmaker asked, trying to maintain her composure.
Cookie, always attentive to her children's affairs, sensed the tension in Rarity's voice and looked at her attentively. "Does it have something to do with university?" Cookie asked seriously.
Rarity glanced away for a moment. "Mother, for now, can we put that aside? It's something else that's bothering me," she said.
Seeing her daughter's expression, her mother decided to let it pass this time and muted the TV to listen to what her eldest daughter had to say.
"Do you remember what happened three years ago at school, right?" she asked, embarrassed.
Hondo and Cookie exchanged meaningful looks, remembering the situation that caused such a stir.
"Yes, we remember," replied Hondo seriously, while his wife nodded silently. "But you made up for your mistake in the past," he said with a smile.
"With you, yes," Rarity said, looking downcast.
"What do you mean, daughter, and what's this about?" Cookie asked.
"Well, when I went to my first day of university... I ran into the girls again," Rarity confessed.
Her parents widened their eyes in understanding. "That... sounds complicated," murmured Hondo empathetically, placing a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"It is... and I've wanted to talk to them, but..."
"They... don't want to know anything?" Cookie asked with concern, anticipating the answer.
Rarity nodded sadly, feeling the weight of loneliness on her shoulders. "I don't know what to do. How can I apologize to them?" she pleaded, seeking guidance and support from her parents.
Hondo and Cookie exchanged a look full of understanding before enveloping Rarity in a comforting hug. Together, they would devise a strategy and suggestion on how to address the situation and repair the relationships with her friends.
It was Sunday. Sunlight streamed through the window of a colorful room. Pinkie Pie's mind was in a turmoil as she tried to decide what to do.
"What am I going to do?" she murmured, pacing back and forth. "Maybe I should give it a chance."
A silence settled in.
"Perhaps I should try," Pinkie said. "But what if talking to Rarity makes my friends think I'm not being loyal to them?"
She stopped and turned toward the small stuffed crocodile lying on the bed.
"Oh, Gummy, what should I do? My friends don't want to know anything about Rarity, but she seems so remorseful..."
Gummy didn't respond.
"I know it's not easy, but... maybe, just maybe, if I talk to her and give her a chance, things could get better... or worse."
Pinkie sat on her bed, hugged her stuffed animal tightly. Her thoughts were tangled, but deep down, she felt she knew what she had to do.
"You're right, Gummy, maybe I should go out for a bit and clear my head. I wish I had work today at Sweet Snacks Café to distract me, but maybe having a milkshake will help me think."
Put Gummy back in his usual spot on the pillow, got up, took a coat just in case, and headed to the bedroom door to leave the house.
In another part of the city, a girl with wavy hair stepped out of her house.
"I'm going out for a while, I'll be back soon," the seamstress bid farewell to her family.
Rarity closed the door of her house with a sigh, trying to shake off the discomfort from her last encounter with the girls at the mall. She needed to clear her mind and decided that a walk in the park might help.
Sweet Snacks Café Starlight and Trixie were walking in to buy some takeaway cappuccinos. While they waited for their order to be ready, someone caught the attention of the gray-haired girl.
"Isn't that Pinkie?" Trixie asked, pointing at her. Starlight followed her gaze with curiosity.
Pinkie was sitting at a table in the back of the café, playing with the straw of her milkshake. She looked thoughtful and a little disheartened.
"It does seem like her," Starlight nodded.
"Here are your cappuccinos!" the barista announced with a friendly smile.
"Thank you," they both responded, taking their cardboard cups.
They exchanged a glance and headed to the table of the downcast party girl.
"What's wrong, Pinkie?" Starlight asked.
The party girl sighed and looked at her friends with sadness. "Hi, girls," she greeted with a forced smile.
The two decided to sit across from Pinkie Pie to find out what was bothering the usually cheerful girl.
"What's going on? It's not normal to see you like this," Trixie commented, puzzled. "You're always so happy, bouncing around."
"Girls, what would you do if an old friend showed up who did things in the past and therefore your friends don't want anything to do with her?"
"Hmm... I don't know," the gray-haired girl said thoughtfully.
"It depends on what she did," Starlight added. "Does it have to do with Rarity?" she asked.
"How do you know?" Pinkie asked in surprise.
"Well, lately we've noticed that every time she tries to get close to you guys, you leave her behind before giving her a chance to interact," Starlight explained carefully. "At first, I thought you didn't notice her presence, but it became more and more apparent that something was going on there."
Trixie nodded.
"I really need advice, so I'll tell you what happened," the party girl said.
"Okay, we're listening," Starlight said.
"It all started with Applejack and Rarity..." Pinkie began. Took a deep breath. "In the past, they were a couple, but their relationship ended badly. Then, Rarity did something that upset us. She left and came back to town, things got even more complicated. And now, I don't know how to act." Spoke quickly and anxiously.
"Wow, slow down, Pinkie," Starlight requested.
"Yeah, I barely understood and I think I misheard," said the confused Trixie. "Because I thought I heard you say they were a couple."
"Okay, I'll start slower," Pinkie agreed. "And you didn't mishear, Trixie... AJ and Rarity were a couple."
"They were what!?" Trixie exclaimed in disbelief.
"Rarity... and Applejack?" Starlight asked, a little incredulous.
Pinkie nodded. "Well, it all started four years ago when we went with the Apples to the beach..."
Four years ago The Apple and Pie families were enjoying a sunny day at the beach. The Pie parents stayed back at the rented house to rest. They preferred not to go out as much and enjoy the tranquility.
"Hey Maud, do you want to swim?" Pinkie asked.
"No, I'm going to take Roca for a walk," Maud replied in her usual monotone voice as she held a small rock.
Pinkie nodded and turned to her other sisters. "And you, Marble?"
Marble nodded shyly.
"And you, Limestone?" the party girl asked.
"I'm going to stay here and make sure everything is in order. Someone has to watch our stuff," Limestone said firmly, crossing her arms.
"Alright. Enjoy keeping watch," Pinkie said with a smile.
"What if we go for some ice cream? It's hot," Apple Bloom suggested, brushing the sand off her feet.
Pinkie, who was about to walk into the sea, stopped and considered the idea. "Ice cream! That sounds delicious! I changed my mind, let's go for ice cream." She turned around.
"Good idea, Bloom," Applejack said, getting up and shaking the sand off her legs. "Do you want to come, Big Mac?"
"No, thanks. I'm going to stay here and swim a bit," Big Mac replied.
"Okay, does anyone else want to come?" the party girl asked eagerly.
Marble shook her head timidly and pointed to herself and the ocean waves. "I'm going to stay here, Pinkie. I'd rather swim for a while."
"And you, Granny Smith?" Apple Bloom asked.
"I'm going to rest under the umbrella for a while. I'm not up for walking around much anymore," Granny Smith said, settling into her beach chair.
"Alright, then we'll go for ice cream," Applejack said, looking at her cousin and sister. "Let's go."
To accompany her cousins, Pinkie Pie wore her colorful one-piece swimsuit, light denim shorts, and a sleeveless pink shirt. On her feet, she wore pink rubber sandals.
Applejack, who never changed out of her clothes to swim, wore a casual green hoodie with the zipper pulled up, exposing part of her chest before the neck, and with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, which she paired with blue denim shorts and beach sneakers. Instead of her usual hat, she opted to leave her hair loose.
As for the youngest of the Apples, she sported a sleeveless lime green shirt with a drawing of a red apple in the center and light blue denim shorts. On her feet, she wore brown leather sandals with buckles.
"I hope they have my favorite mint with chocolate chips," Apple Bloom said.
"And I want to try one of those crazy flavors they always have at beach stalls," Pinkie added.
As they made their way to the ice cream stand, one of Apple Bloom's sandal buckles seemed to have come loose, causing her sandal to slip off.
"Are you okay?" Applejack asked with concern.
"Yeah, just my sandal slipped off," the youngest replied.
"Go ahead, I'll take care of it," Pinkie offered, squatting down to help her cousin.
"Thanks," the blonde said before heading off to the ice cream line.
Applejack headed towards a small line to buy ice cream, not too far away, so Pinkie could see her from where she was. As the blonde waited, Pinkie helped Apple Bloom fix her loose sandal.
The line moved quickly. The party girl and the youngest finished fixing the sandal and joined the farmer just in time; now there were only two people ahead of them, a girl with a little girl who were buying their ice creams.
With their ice creams in hand, Applejack started to walk, but she didn't notice that the girl who had been in front of her in line had stayed to the side for some reason.
Accidentally bumping into her, she caused the wavy-haired girl to spill her own ice cream.
"Ahhh," the girl started to scream, bringing a hand to her stained lavender blouse.
"I'm really sorry," Applejack apologized, embarrassed, as she looked at her cousin and handed her the ice cream, then took the napkins she had in her other hand.
"Do you have any idea what you've done!?" the wavy-haired girl exclaimed, her tone annoyed, slightly frowning.
Apple Bloom and Pinkie, seeing what was happening, took a few steps back, moving aside but staying close enough to hear and see the scene.
"It really was an accident," the blonde apologized again, looking at the girl from the side.
"Can't you watch where you're going?" the girl complained without looking at the blonde, busy trying to get the ice cream off her blouse.
"But you were the one standing there," Applejack responded in an annoyed voice. "Look, here, I have something for you to clean up with," she offered, extending the napkin towards the girl.
The girl lifted her gaze a little, seeing only the napkin in the blonde's hand. When she tried to take it, it slipped from her hand, but luckily there wasn't much wind to blow it away. Both bent down to grab the napkin, applying pressure to keep it from flying away.
"It wasn't necessary, I could do it," the girl said.
"Seriously, you should be more..." Applejack started to say.
"…"
Whatever she was going to say hung in the air, because when they lifted their heads, they looked into each other's eyes, emerald green meeting sapphire blue. Suddenly, it felt as if time stopped and the noise around them was replaced by a harmonious sound.
They stayed like that for a few seconds until the violet-haired girl reacted and took the napkin, then stood up. Applejack did the same.
"Uh... yes, you're right. I shouldn't have stopped in the middle," the wavy-haired girl admitted, calmer and with a soft tone.
"Yeah, and I... should have also paid attention... if someone was in front of me," Applejack added, putting her hand on her neck and lowering her head a bit, but still looking her in the eyes.
"Sis, here, I brought more napkins," the little girl said, returning with more napkins.
The wavy-haired girl blinked twice and turned her head to see the child. "Thank you, Sweetie," she said, taking the napkins and starting to clean herself.
The girl was wearing a sleeveless lavender cotton blouse with an elegant halter neck paired with a short white denim skirt with lace details on the hem. She wore flat sandals adorned with small gems. Her violet hair was tied in a high, loose, wavy ponytail.
"Is something wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked, seeing her sister's expression.
"Uh?" the girl said, somewhat distracted. "Yes, I'm fine," replied, stopping cleaning. "Let's go, Mom and Dad are probably wondering why we're taking so long." She gave one last look at the blonde, with a mix of confusion and amazement, then turned and started walking with the little one.
Applejack watched the wavy-haired girl walk away with her sister.
Pinkie and Apple Bloom, who had seen the whole scene, looked at each other and then at their relative with a knowing smile. Applejack turned to them; she still had an expression of amazement.
"What happened there?" Pinkie asked, raising and lowering her eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" Applejack said, starting to blush a little.
"It seems like my sister had her heart stolen," the youngest commented.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she tried to cover up.
"Uh-huh," Apple Bloom said, holding back laughter. "Tell us, when's the date?" she joked.
"Apple Bloom!"
"I want to be in the front row for the wedding," the party girl joked.
"Pinkie!"
"...and then, when they both bent down to pick up the napkin, they looked into each other's eyes and it was like... boom! Sparks flying everywhere!" Pinkie finished telling with enthusiasm.
"Wow, love at first sight," Trixie said, impressed.
"It's amazing how sometimes the most unexpected things can lead to something so special," Starlight commented with a smile.
"Yeah, sometimes a simple accident can change everything," Pinkie added, reminiscing about the moment.
"And to think it all started with an ice cream... who would've thought!" Trixie said.
"Of course, my cousin acted all indifferent at first, though it didn’t last long..." Pinkie paused dramatically.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie is intrigued. What happened next?" Trixie asked with curiosity.
"Well, as I said, my cousin pretended to be indifferent. When we got back to the house we had rented and told everyone what happened, it was obvious AJ wanted to know more about her. So, one day we went out and..."
Pinkie and Applejack left the beach house with the intention of going to the craft fair to see if they could find a certain girl. The blonde had a feeling, as her cousin would say, a 'Pinkie sense,' that something would happen there.
"What are we looking for, cousin?" Pinkie asked, bouncing.
"The girl from yesterday," replied.
"Ooh, is it to ask her out?" the party girl teased.
"What... I just want to apologize! I don't want any misunderstandings and give her a bad impression," Applejack tried to excuse herself.
"Bad impression, ehhh...?" Pinkie insinuated, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.
"Impression... of, um... well, you know... of..." Applejack didn't know how to excuse herself. "Let's just go, Pinkie."
Applejack tried not to seem interested and kept walking with Pinkie following her.
"Well, I don't think she left yet... since, as we saw, she has a little sister. They always indulge the youngest despite the vacation ending soon," the blonde tried to find hope in her words.
"You know, since we saw that girl, I noticed something curious," Pinkie commented, frowning.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sure I've seen that girl before, but I don't know where," the party girl said thoughtfully. "Maybe in the city or... somewhere else."
"Do you think so?" Applejack exclaimed almost excitedly.
Pinkie gave the blonde a playful look.
Realizing what she had said, Applejack coughed, trying to downplay her excitement. "What I meant was that the city must be very small not to notice that she had always lived here."
The party girl raised an eyebrow. "AJ, you're almost always helping at the barn and don't do much else after school."
"Eh... good point," admitted.
After that, Applejack and Pinkie walked a little more until the hustle and bustle of the craft fair surrounded them. Although Applejack tried to seem carefree, she hoped to meet the mysterious wavy-haired girl again.
They had already walked along the exhibits, and Applejack was starting to lose hope of seeing the girl again. Pinkie, noticing her cousin's expression, decided to cheer her up by distracting her a bit.
"What do you think of this bracelet?" Pinkie asked, holding a bracelet decorated with bright colors.
The blonde smiled. "It's nice... we could see it for Apple Bloom."
"Hmm... let's go there," the party girl suggested, pointing to another bracelet exhibit. They walked to see what kind of bracelets they had. The party girl took one and showed it to the blonde.
"That bracelet looks great. But I think... eh," murmured, looking at a bracelet that caught her eye. She took a few steps to the other side of her cousin to see it better.
She reached out to grab it, but another hand touched hers, feeling a spark. She quickly turned her head to see who it was. Standing there beside her was the wavy-haired girl.
The girl took her hand, feeling that strange sensation and frowned slightly, confused. "I apologize, I liked that brace-" She stopped realizing who she was talking to. Remembering their previous encounter on the beach, she decided to break the ice casually.
"Hello again," she greeted with a friendly smile.
Applejack was surprised to see the wavy-haired girl again but was glad to meet her. "Hi! Uh... how are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. You're the girl who stained my blouse at the beach, right?"
The farmer nodded, smiling somewhat shyly. "Yes, I'm really sorry about that."
"Don't worry, although I'll have to do a few things to get the stain out," she replied kindly.
"To make up for it, take the bracelet. Though honestly, I'm not sure a charming girl like you needs it."
For some reason, the girl felt something unfamiliar inside her. "Thank you, I was looking at it for my sister. It was her idea to come here," said, taking the bracelet. In a few seconds, she heard her sister's voice.
"Rarity! Did you find something?" Sweetie Belle approached and greeted the fashionista enthusiastically.
Rarity pointed at the bracelets. "I'm looking at these bracelets. What do you think of this one?" she asked, showing the bracelet in her hand.
"Oh, it's very pretty," the little girl said, looking at the bracelet. "Do you think mom and dad will let me buy it?"
"How far did you go to see and ask them to pay?" the fashionista asked.
"Not too far, I'll be right back," her sister replied before running off.
Rarity smiled and turned to the blonde.
"Rarity..." the farmer smiled, finally knowing the girl's name, thinking how well it suited her.
The fashionista was surprised to be called by her name. "Yes... my name is Rarity," she introduced herself, feeling a slight blush on her cheeks.
"I know you didn't ask me," the farm girl said, scratching her head a little, "but... my name is Applejack."
"Nice to meet you, Applejack," Rarity replied with a smile.
"Same here, Rarity," Applejack replied kindly.
The younger sister rushed back, holding some coins in her hand. "Rarity! Here you go to pay for the bracelet."
The fashionista accepted the coins and gave them to the vendor, then handed the bracelet to her sister. Sweetie Belle put the bracelet around her wrist and then looked at the blonde with curiosity.
"And who are you?"
Before Applejack could respond, Rarity intervened. "She's Applejack. We met a few days ago."
"Hi, Applejack," the little girl greeted. "Hmm... have I seen you before?"
The blonde let out a laugh, remembering that Rarity's sister was also there. "Yes, it was at the ice cream parlor."
"Oh, you were the one who stained my sister," the little girl recalled.
"But it's all sorted out, and everything's fine now," Rarity clarified, so her sister didn't extend the topic further. The farmer seemed grateful for that.
"Okay... Mom and dad said we should hurry," Sweetie Belle commented. The older sister nodded and looked at the blonde.
"Well, goodbye, Applejack. I don't know if we'll meet again someday, but see you," the fashionista said goodbye.
"Goodbye, Rarity."
After saying goodbye, the fashionista began to walk away with her sister.
Pinkie, who had watched the scene from the next exhibit, approached her cousin, seeing the girl leave again. "You're right, the world is so small. And by the way, did you flirt with her?" asked with a mischievous smile.
"Flirting? It wasn't that, I just wanted to be decent in front of her," Applejack replied.
"And who would have thought you'd like a refined girl like that Rarity?" Pinkie said.
"I don't like her that way," the farmer insisted, trying to hide her feelings, though she felt a slight warmth on her face.
"Whatever you say. I have good news for you about that girl," Pinkie said.
"What do you mean?"
"No wonder she seemed familiar, and now that I heard her name, I know why," Pinkie commented.
"So, where do you know her from?" Applejack asked, trying to sound casual.
"She goes to our school," the party girl revealed excitedly.
"What? She goes to our school? Wait, do you know her because she's in your class?" Applejack asked, surprised.
"No, she's not in my class, but since I roam the 'A side' a lot, I sometimes see her walking down the halls, and she's considered one of the prettiest girls," Pinkie explained.
"I see why she's considered the prettiest," Applejack said with a sigh.
Pinkie gave her a half-smile and nudged her gently.
"I mean because she's pretty and nothing else," the farmer added.
"It's true, she is," the party girl acknowledged. "The good thing is you'll see her again, eh..."
"Pinkie, stop," Applejack said, crossing her arms, but her gaze softened as she looked where the fashionista had gone and smiled.
"Applejack was almost losing hope, so I decided to try to cheer her up and we went to see one of the exhibits, and then it happened... they met again. It was so exciting!" Pinkie exclaimed, waving her hands enthusiastically.
"Wow, it seems like destiny keeps playing an important role in their lives," commented Trixie.
"Definitely. It's amazing how they keep bumping into each other again and again," added Starlight.
"Exactly! It sounds like something out of a movie," Pinkie added with a wide smile.
"No doubt," affirmed the gray-haired girl.
"Sometimes I think the universe conspires to bring the right people together at the right time," said Starlight.
"Totally agree! Isn't it exciting to think about all the possibilities and what would have happened if...?" the party girl continued, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"And their sisters had something to do with it," Trixie pointed out.
"Chains of events..." Starlight nodded. "If Apple Bloom hadn't wanted to get ice cream, AJ wouldn't have bumped into Rarity."
"And also with Sweetie Belle. If she hadn't decided to go to the craft fair, they wouldn't have seen each other again, or they might have met again at school," added the gray-haired girl.
"What a thing, right? And you're not wrong, Trixie, they saw each other again, but since I wasn't there that time, I'll tell you what my cousin told me," Pinkie continued.
The gray-haired girl took a sip of her cappuccino and put it back on the table, intrigued by what would come next.
"Well, the week went by and classes started. The two of them met again at school. According to what Applejack told me, it was quite an unexpected situation. AJ had to stay a bit later than usual and unexpectedly bumped into her in the hallway, and when Rarity saw her, she seemed as surprised as she was excited..."
"... My cousin told me that she saw how Rarity's eyes opened wide in recognition, as if she had seen something she didn't expect to find there. Her expression was a mix of surprise and something else..."
"... Then they started meeting during recess, and my cousin said that all along she could see a struggle on Rarity's face, as if she was discovering a part of herself that she didn't even know existed."
"Did they start dating after that?" asked the gray-haired girl, curiously.
"No, actually, they started getting to know each other," Pinkie replied.
"I thought they would already be a couple. Wasn't it love at first sight?" said Trixie, looking confused.
"Trixie, even if it was love at first sight, you need to get to know the person well. You might fall in love with the wrong person," Starlight clarified, frowning slightly.
"Hmm... I hadn't thought about that, but I guess that was part of it too," the party girl said, looking thoughtful.
"A part of it? Wait, internal struggle? ... I think I understand," Starlight thought. "And what happened next?"
"I think we'll need more milkshakes or coffee," said Pinkie, pointing to her empty glass. "Hey!" she called to an assistant and at the same time one of her coworkers.
"Hmm?!" exclaimed Trixie, looking at the party girl confused.
The boy approached the table. "Yes, Pinkie? More milkshakes?" her coworker asked with a friendly smile.
"You read my mind," Pinkie replied, winking.
Trixie and Starlight looked at each other, intrigued.
"Get ready, girls, because this is just the beginning of their story..." the party girl announced with an enigmatic smile.
The fashionista arrived at the park, feeling a bit more relieved as she saw the lively activity around her. She decided to enter, hoping to find some distraction.
She strolled along the paths, admiring the natural beauty around her and enjoying the fresh air. However, her mind kept returning to the conversation with her parents about how to handle the situation with the Mane Six.
Stopped near a bench and sighed. "Why does it have to be so complicated? I know I'm responsible... I wish I hadn't let myself get carried away," murmured to herself.
"Hi, Rarity!" Lyra greeted, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Hello, Rarity! How are you?" Bon Bon added with a smile.
Rarity turned and returned their smile. "Hello, girls."
"Exploring the city?" Bon Bon asked.
"No, I already know it. You know I'm new, but I used to live here before," she explained.
"Sorry, I thought..." Bon Bon quickly apologized.
"It's okay... I came for a walk," the seamstress responded. "And you?"
"We're on a date, and like most couples, we usually walk around here after or before our date," Lyra explained, holding Bon Bon's hand.
"I understand, I used to do the same when..." Rarity stopped, realizing what she almost said.
Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged curious looks.
"With whom did you used to do that?" Bon Bon asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.
The seamstress smiled. "Oh, just things from the past."
"One day, you'll tell us about that beau," Lyra commented with a giggle.
The seamstress looked surprised at the comment. "Uh... maybe," was all she said.
"Well, we're off," Bon Bon added.
Rarity smiled as she bid them farewell. "Goodbye, girls."
"Goodbye, Rarity!" Lyra and Bon Bon replied, continuing on their way hand in hand.
Watching them walk away holding hands and remembering what she almost revealed, Rarity had a small flashback of when she was with Applejack. She remembered meeting her at the beach, then meeting again at the craft fair, and later at the school. It was so unexpected for her to see her there, but a part of her had hoped to see her again, though she didn't understand why at the time. She was surprised to find out they had always been at the same school, just never crossing paths.
They shared lunches, helped each other with school projects despite being in different classes. She remembered how the farmer was always there for her when she needed it. Although Rarity didn't like activities related to the earth, she made an effort to accompany Applejack when she was in the barn or picking apples.
"Beau..." the seamstress chuckled humorlessly. "I don't seem like that kind of girl... I don't blame them, I thought the same too."
A memory came to mind. "Ha, I still remember that time. It was so embarrassing..."
Applejack got out of a taxi, apparently alone, and approached a large house. She checked a piece of paper where Rarity had written her address to make sure she was in the right place, as she hadn't expected to see such a big house. After confirming she was in the right place, she rang the doorbell and waited. Seconds later, a young woman with red hair opened the door.
"Ah, hello. Does Rarity Belle live here?" the blonde asked.
"You must be Applejack," the red-haired woman responded. "Hello, I'm Roseluck, Rarity and Sweetie Belle's aunt. The girls are under my care while their parents are away."
"I see," Applejack said.
The fashionista approached the door. "Auntie, I'm not that young. I'll be 18 soon," Rarity commented.
Roseluck nodded with a sympathetic smile. "I know, dear, but you'll always be the little girl I watched grow up," she added affectionately. "Besides, I can't leave my nieces alone," she said as she went back inside, leaving her niece at the door.
"Hi, Applejack," Rarity greeted with a dreamy smile.
"Hi, Rarity," Applejack responded with a similar smile. "Uh... I know you said you only invited me, but I couldn't leave my sister."
"I don't understand," the fashionista said, frowning slightly, confused.
"Apple Bloom, come on," the blonde called to her sister.
"Hi, Rarity," greeted the youngest Apple as she approached the door.
"No one was going to be home, so I had to bring her," Applejack explained, a bit embarrassed. "I hope you don't mind," said with a forced smile.
"Hello... unexpected surprise..." Rarity said, surprised, and then put a hand on her chin. "You can have fun with Sweetie Belle."
"Sweetie Belle?" asked the younger girl.
Rarity opened the door wider and stepped aside, letting the two sisters in.
"Sweetie Belle, can you come here?"
The younger sister came out of the kitchen and approached. "Yes, Rarity," responded, surprised to see someone her age.
"Sweetie Belle, this is Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom, this is my sister Sweetie Belle," Rarity introduced her sister.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle greeted each other shyly but quickly began to converse, finding common interests. Meanwhile, the older girls watched the interaction with smiles.
"I'm glad you could come," Rarity confessed, looking at the blonde with a slight blush. "I wanted to spend more time with you."
"I wanted that too...," Applejack responded, looking at her with a soft expression.
The two girls looked at each other for a moment, feeling a special connection.
"Shall we go inside? You can show me where you work your magic," Applejack suggested, breaking the silence.
"Sure, come on in. I'll show you," Rarity agreed with a smile.
The fashionista turned to close the door.
"Come. I'll show you my sewing room. It's where I spend most of my time creating," Rarity said, taking her by the hand.
"Sure," the blonde responded.
Rarity guided Applejack to her sewing room, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went to another part of the house to play. Once inside the room, the fashionista realized their hands were still joined, so she slowly let go. Both seemed to blush, and Rarity tried to change the atmosphere by beginning to show Applejack her materials and designs.
"This is where all the magic happens. I love creating beautiful things from these simple fabrics," Rarity shared, pointing to a table full of fabrics and sketches.
"Wow. You're really talented. All of this is impressive," the blonde praised, looking around.
The fashionista felt flattered by the compliment and continued showing her work.
"I always knew you were amazing, but this is even more than I imagined. You have a gift," Applejack expressed with a warm smile.
Rarity stood there looking at her, feeling her heart race. Applejack's words moved her deeply, and the mix of emotions began to overwhelm her. She started to get lost in the features of the farmer: her freckles, those emerald eyes, and her smile.
The farmer was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with green details on the edges of the sleeves, which were rolled up. In the center of the shirt was a drawing of an apple. This outfit was complemented by blue jeans and light brown cowboy boots, finishing with her characteristic hat.
"I... um... thank you. It's... it's really nice of you," the fashionista stammered.
"I really mean it. You're a wonderful person," affirmed Applejack, taking a few steps towards her.
Rarity felt a warmth in her face and began to sweat slightly. She tried to keep her composure, but the blonde's proximity and her words made her increasingly nervous.
"I... I also think that you're... wonderful. What you do in the barn is great," she responded.
"Thanks, Rarity. That means a lot to me," said Applejack, smiling even more.
The seamstress looked at the table trying to find something. "Oh, look, this... this fabric is... is silk. Yes, silk."
"It's really beautiful. You have a great eye for details," appreciated the blonde, getting closer.
"Yeah, well, thanks... um, do you want to see... see more fabrics?" Rarity said nervously.
"Of course, I'd love to," the blonde accepted. "Although I don't know much about it," she thought with amusement.
The seamstress began frantically searching for the fabrics. "Here... here it is... oh, no, this one isn't it. Um... here... Oh! Look at this, it's... it's cotton. No, wait, it's linen... no, no, yes, it's cotton. I think," she said even more nervously.
"Relax, Rarity. You don't have to get nervous," said the farmgirl, laughing softly.
"Yeah, sure, I'm not... not nervous. It's just... it's just hot in here, don't you think?" Rarity said trying to hide her nervousness.
"Yeah, it could be. Maybe we should take a break," suggested Applejack, noticing the girl's attitude. Something told her she knew the reason for her behavior.
"Yeah, yeah, that would be... great. Let's go for a drink..." said the seamstress quickly, opening the door.
"Perfect, let's go," the blonde agreed, following her.
"What's happening to me? I've never felt like this before..." she wondered.
Applejack followed Rarity as they headed to the kitchen.
"Follow me. The kitchen is just this way," Rarity indicated, trying to sound calm.
"Thanks. I didn't want to get lost in your mansion," the blonde commented, letting out a laugh.
"Oh, it's not that big. Just a little... spacious," Rarity replied.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, Rarity served the drinks while Applejack observed her, noticing the elegance with which she moved.
Both took their drinks and headed to the living room. Roseluck was nearby, watching the little ones as they played, but she observed the interaction between the two older girls with curiosity.
"So, Applejack, tell me more about your farm. Must be a lot of work, right?" Rarity asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
"As I told you before, it's more of a mini farm since we have apple trees and the barn. And yeah, it's quite a bit of work, but I enjoy it. Every day brings something new, and it's rewarding to see the results of our effort," explained Applejack.
"I admire your dedication. I... I couldn't do it; I'm not much of an outdoor worker," admitted Rarity with a slight smile.
"Well, you have your own impressive skills. I couldn't imagine myself doing what you do with fashion," commented Applejack.
"Oh, well, thank you. It's just... um, what I'm passionate about," responded Rarity, trying not to stutter.
"It's great to find something you're so passionate about," commented the farmgirl, looking at the seamstress warmly.
"Yeah, it's... it's important to follow your dreams, right?" she responded nervously, with the drink trembling slightly in her hand.
"Absolutely," said Applejack with a smile that made Rarity's heart beat faster.
Roseluck, from her nearby position, watched with a mixture of curiosity and understanding. She saw how Rarity was getting nervous and decided to intervene a bit to smooth things over.
"It looks like you two get along very well. It's nice to see my niece with such an attentive friend," commented the red-haired woman with a friendly smile.
"Yes, Applejack is... is a great friend," said Rarity, trying to calm down.
"And Rarity is a very important friend to me," added Applejack, looking at her affectionately.
The seamstress felt her cheeks grow warmer. Her heart beat strongly every time the blonde looked at her like that, and she started to stutter again.
"I... um... yeah, you're also... Applejack. It's... it's great... to be with you," said Rarity, trying to smile, but clearly nervous.
"Everything okay?" asked the farmgirl, noticing the modiste's nervousness.
"What? Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine, just... it got a bit hot again, didn't it?" she responded.
Meanwhile, Roseluck, with a subtle smile of complicity, moved slightly away from the scene, giving space to the two young women.
"Yeah, maybe a little. Why don't we open a window?" suggested Applejack, laughing softly.
"Yeah, yeah, that would be... that would be good," agreed Rarity.
As Rarity got up to open a window, she accidentally tripped over a table, spilling a bit more of her drink. Applejack quickly approached to help her.
"Relax, Rarity. It's okay," said the farmgirl, smiling softly.
"I... I'm so sorry," she apologized. "Why am I acting so clumsy?" Rarity thought, her face red with embarrassment.
"Don't worry, it happens to all of us," assured Applejack, helping her clean up.
Rarity opens the window and returns to her seat, trying to calm down. Applejack looks at her with a comforting smile, making Rarity feel a little calmer. They both look at each other for a moment. Roseluck watches from a distance, seeing the sincere friendship. Something tells him that she is going to have a talk with her niece.
After Rarity calmed down and got back on track, the two returned to her room, where the dressmaker showed her some sketches that she was working on, but that are not yet finished.
After a while, they moved to the living room along with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. After a moment, the doorbell rang.
"Oh, that must be my parents. Come, let me introduce you to them," said Rarity, heading to the door.
She opened the door and greeted her parents with a warm smile. The two sisters got up to greet them.
"Mom, Dad, let me introduce you to Applejack, a friend from school, and her sister, Apple Bloom," introduced the fashionista.
Rarity's parents greeted Applejack and Apple Bloom kindly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Applejack, Apple Bloom. Rarity has told us a lot about you," said Cookie.
"Yes, she's told us things, but how about we go for dinner and continue the conversation there?" suggested Hondo.
Although Applejack initially declined the idea, mentioning that they should leave before it got late, she eventually accepted the invitation. With everyone at the table, Hondo began the conversation on some topic.
"Tell us, Applejack, what do you like to do in your free time?" asked Hondo.
The blonde smiled. "Well, I love working in the barn we have at home, taking care of the animals, and spending time outdoors."
Rarity's parents nodded with interest as the conversation continued.
"That sounds like a very active and rewarding life," remarked Hondo.
"And tell me, do you have any more... sophisticated hobbies? Something not related to the farm, let's say," asked Cookie.
Applejack hesitated for a moment, surprised by the question. "Well, I'm not sure if you'd consider it sophisticated. I'm interested in construction because I enjoy working with my hands and seeing how things take shape. I'm still learning," she replied.
Cookie nodded with a serious expression.
Rarity smiled, pleased that Applejack was making a good impression despite her mother's unexpected question.
"Is there anyone special in your life?" Rarity's mother asked again.
The blonde, taken aback by the question, was about to speak, but before she could respond, they heard Rarity cough; apparently, she had choked on her tea. Roseluck rubbed her niece's back to help her get rid of the cough.
"Rarity, are you okay?" her aunt asked.
The seamstress nodded as best she could.
"Responding to your question, I don't have a partner, but there is someone very present in my daily life," said Applejack, looking at Rarity, who finally stopped coughing and blushed at those words.
"Yes, and it's..." Apple Bloom was about to reveal who it was, but Sweetie Belle gave her a slight kick. "Ouch! Hey..." exclaimed.
"Come on, Apple Bloom, what are you saying..." said Sweetie Belle with a playful smile.
"I agree, you shouldn't spill the beans prematurely," added the aunt.
"I agree with Rose. Darling, are you feeling better now?" asked Cookie.
"Yes, Mom, I just got distracted, and that happened just now," replied Rarity, trying to cover up.
"So, Applejack, have you ever thought about exploring other areas of interest besides farming and construction?" asked Hondo.
"Well, actually, yes. Lately, I've been interested in learning more about music and art. Although I don't have much free time between the farm and school, I try to dedicate a few hours each week to practicing guitar and attempting to draw," replied the farmer.
"How interesting! Music and art are wonderful forms of expression. How do you feel when you play the guitar or paint?" asked Cookie.
"When I play the guitar or try to paint, I feel completely at peace. Everything else fades away, and only the music or art remains," explained the blonde.
"It sounds like you've found a way to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in your own creativity," commented Rarity.
"Exactly. It's like a refuge where I can set aside all worries and simply let myself be carried away by the creative flow," said Applejack.
"Rarity also finds refuge in music. She must have told you that she plays an instrument," added Roseluck.
"Really!?" exclaimed Applejack and Apple Bloom.
"She can play the piano excellently!" said Sweetie Belle.
"Come on, Sweetie, don't be modest. I can play, it's true, but I do tend to make mistakes in some notes," admitted Rarity.
"Just like my sister, she often makes mistakes," said Apple Bloom.
"It's normal, dear, you start slowly. Later you'll see that you'll know everything by heart and maybe you'll even play more instruments," said Cookie.
The farmer thanked them; she could see they were a very close-knit family. The conversation continued, but as Applejack shared her experiences and passions, she began to feel a slight knot in her stomach. Memories of her parents, who always encouraged her in her artistic interests, flooded her mind, causing a mild sense of nostalgia and melancholy. Although she tried to stay present in the conversation.
Applejack, Apple Bloom, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle were waiting outside as they waited for their Uber to arrive. Applejack, spending most of her time working, wasn't familiar with modern things, so she didn't know what an Uber was.
"Are you okay, Applejack?" Rarity asked.
"Yes, why do you ask?" responded.
"I saw how you got lost in the conversation," Rarity said.
"I felt nostalgic being surrounded by your parents. It reminded me of... well, you know..." confessed the blonde.
Rarity nodded understandingly, recalling previous conversations in which Applejack had talked to her about her past.
"Sometimes, remembering those who are no longer with us can be difficult. But it's nice to think that they're always with us," commented the seamstress, searching for the right words.
"Thank you, Rarity. It's just that... sometimes, I miss my parents. I wonder how everything would be if they were still here," said Applejack, a little subdued.
"I imagine... um, I don't like to think about what would happen if..." she tried to continue.
"I understand. No one would like to think about it," added the blonde.
Applejack seemed on the verge of tears, but she struggled to stay strong. Rarity noticed this, so she placed a comforting hand on the blonde's cheek, looking at her with affection.
"You don't always have to be strong and tough. It's okay to show your emotions and allow yourself to feel. We all need support from time to time," expressed.
The farmer was moved by Rarity's words and placed her hand over hers. "You're right. Being with you makes everything better," admitted with a smile.
The seamstress felt her heart beating a little faster and blushed. She saw the charming eyes of the blonde, those emerald greens she had seen the first time she met her, and those freckles that, even though Applejack herself said she didn't like how they looked, Rarity thought looked cute.
"T-that's the least I can do, I... your... side... always. Um, what I meant is being... by... your... side... oh, sorry, I can't speak," stammered the seamstress.
Applejack smiled. She knew exactly what was happening, and she wasn't going to force her to realize it. She knew it would be complicated for her. The blonde had been through that situation before.
The two younger ones who were having fun in the front yard saw some of their sisters' interaction.
"Hey, your sister really got to mine. Applejack doesn't usually open up to just anyone," commented Apple Bloom.
"I could tell, but my sister doesn't like girls," Sweetie asserted confidently.
"Then why did you hit me at dinner?" asked Apple Bloom, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not entirely sure what's going on with Rarity," said Sweetie, pausing a bit to sigh, "but I think it was better not to say anything to avoid causing a stir in my sister's head, who seems to have her mind all over the place," she explained.
Minutes later, the Uber arrived, but before leaving, Applejack approached and hugged Rarity tenderly.
"Thank you, Rarity. I had a nice day with you," said the farmer.
"Goodbye, Applejack," Rarity bid farewell.
"Goodbye, Rarity," said Apple Bloom.
Rarity said goodbye to the younger of the Apple sisters and watched as both of them got into the vehicle. She unconsciously smiled, feeling a mixture of emotions. She remembered Applejack's words throughout the day and how she made her feel. She widened her eyes in surprise, wondering if that's how it feels... But she immediately tried to dismiss that idea.
"I was surprised to realize that my preferences leaned that way," Rarity murmured to herself as she watched Lyra and Bon Bon disappearing into the distance, lost in their own world. She lowered her head with a slightly sad smile. "I remember trying to deny what was happening to me... trying to deceive myself."
How could it be that her sexual orientation had taken such an unexpected turn? That was the question she asked herself years ago.
She lifted her head and saw some leaves fluttering in the wind, which brought a smile to her face. "Sooner or later, I had to accept it..."
The dressmaker was sitting on the bed in her room, with her hands on her face and her elbows resting on her thighs. Roseluck entered the room and gently closed the door behind her.
"Are you okay, dear? I've noticed you've been a little quiet lately," her aunt asked.
Rarity lifted her head, sighed, and looked down, unable to find the right words to express what she was feeling.
"I don't know, aunt. I feel confused. But I think I have the answer, although at the same time I don't know what to think," she replied.
Roseluck sat next to Rarity and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Confused about what, honey? You can talk to me, I'm here to help you," her aunt said.
"It's just...lately, I've been feeling strange things towards Applejack. Things I've never felt towards a person before," she confessed.
Roseluck nodded in understanding.
"I understand. What exactly do you feel?" her aunt asked.
Rarity looked at her aunt, doubting her a little.
"At first I didn't know for sure, but the other day I confirmed it. When I'm around her, my heart beats more than usual and every time she says nice words to me... And with my actions the other day it was something embarrassing "Rarity explained.
"Yes, the other day he gave you everything. It was your way of showing your love," said Roseluck.
"But I shouldn't..." the dressmaker muttered.
"Why shouldn't you?" Roseluck asked.
"She's a girl and I shouldn't feel that way either." she began, pausing a little. "We were always taught how couples should be. But when I met Applejack, I felt like the world stopped. It was the most beautiful thing that happened to me," she said as she began to shed tears, but with a smile.
"What you are experiencing is completely natural, Rarity. Sometimes, love and attraction can manifest in unexpected ways. There is no one right way to feel," Roseluck assured.
Rarity nodded slowly, absorbing the words of her aunt, who began to wipe away her tears.
"Thank you, Auntie. I feel a little better knowing I can talk to you about this," Rarity said.
Roseluck tenderly hugged her niece, assuring her that she would always be there to support her every step of her journey.
"I will always be here for you, dear. Don't be afraid to be who you are and follow what you feel in your heart," her aunt added.
Back in the present, as she looked around her, her aunt's words echoed in her mind.
"Don't be afraid to be who you are," Rarity murmured to herself. "They already have an idea of what I'm like, if I could just show them... that I'm not that person."
Although she still wasn't sure how to approach the topic, the idea of being honest with herself and others resonated in her mind. Even with doubts, she decided to walk a little further to see if she would find more answers. Her parents had already given her advice, but she also had to think about what would happen next.
Pinkie continued her story about the relationship between her cousin and the fashionista to Trixie and Starlight.
"Then Applejack mentioned how much Rarity stammered and didn't want to force her. She thought it was cute, seeing that awkwardness from Rarity... although it didn't last long," the party girl recalled, remembering her cousin's words. "It seems she had a conflict in her mind."
"I see, that's what you meant by the other part," Starlight commented.
"Huh?" expressed Pinkie.
"You said they took time to formalize their relationship for another reason besides getting to know each other better," Starlight reminded.
"Ohhh... now I remember. Yes, that's the reason."
"Did I miss something? What are you referring to?" asked the gray-haired girl, a bit confused.
"Come on, Trixie. Discovering a part of herself she didn't even know about, internal struggle, awkwardness," Starlight explained to help her friend understand.
"Ohhh..."
"For Rarity, it was something new to realize she was attracted to a girl, and apparently, she had never been in love before," Pinkie continued.
"She must have felt out of her element," commented the gray-haired girl.
"From what I know, she also confessed to Big Mac about what was happening. She said that the more time she spent with AJ, the more she realized she had feelings, but she didn't know how to respond if the time came for AJ to confess to her or for her to confess. She didn't know what to do because she was afraid of how her parents would react," Pinkie explained.
"Big Mac!?" exclaimed the gray-haired girl, a bit incredulous. "But he hardly says anything."
"I know, but he's really good at giving advice," the party girl pointed out. "I learned a few things from him and Granny Smith when I was little."
"How old were they then? When Rarity had her self-discovery," Trixie asked.
"17 years old," Pinkie answered.
"That's just the age when one is learning about sexuality, so it makes sense that Rarity had a hard time," said Starlight.
"When my cousin realized her preferences, she didn't complicate things too much," Pinkie recalled. "Actually, she did go through something similar to Rarity, but not as much... because AJ was taught about that."
Trixie nodded. "So, from what you're saying, Applejack and Rarity were somewhat aware of their feelings?" asked, interested.
"Isn't that cute!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"And what happened next?" asked the gray-haired girl, eager to know more.
"Well, they became close, almost like Fluttershy and Rainbow," Pinkie continued. "Although now not so much, since they hardly talk," thought. "They would go to each other's houses... um... they also hung out at school events, and yes, some people were surprised that someone like Rarity would hang out with someone like Applejack."
"Yeah, someone so elegant, hanging out with someone of lower status..." commented Trixie.
Starlight looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow.
"No offense," added Trixie. "You know, it surprises me that Rarity didn't ignore AJ to maintain her popularity... No offense again."
"Don't worry... but in a way... Rarity does seem like the typical popular girl who could do that, and AJ was afraid that hanging out with her might lead to that."
"But she isn't someone who lets herself be swayed by what others say," Starlight concluded. The party girl nodded sadly. That caught her attention, but she preferred to let the girl finish the story.
"And when did they become a couple? Do you have any details?" Trixie asked.
"You'll love this... not that I was there, but..."
"Wait, you still weren't hanging out with Rarity or didn't even know her?" Starlight asked, interrupting the party girl.
"Nope," Pinkie responded, shaking her head. "My time came later, although I would have liked to introduce myself earlier. But I would have missed those jokes," said with a giggle, sipping some of her milkshake.
"Jokes?" asked the gray-haired girl.
"What were we talking about?" the party girl asked with a hand on her chin, downplaying the gray-haired girl's question. "Oh yes... the day, or rather, the night of the confession," said with a touch of drama.
Trixie seemed eager, so she took a sip of the milkshake she had ordered.
"AJ wondered where she could take Rarity, to a place she would like and that had a bit of her style, and then the moment would come. So, I suggested..."
Applejack insisted on taking Rarity to a special place for the afternoon, keeping the destination a secret. Rarity, curious but trusting her friend, agreed to follow without asking many questions. After a short Uber ride, they arrived at an enclosed location.
The fresh air hit them as they stepped out of the car, a pleasant contrast when they entered inside, as the temperature was controlled. The place was adorned with bright lights and decorations.
"Ice skating?" Rarity asked with a mix of surprise and excitement in her voice. "I haven't skated in years."
Applejack smiled, enjoying the expression on the fashionista's face. "I thought it would be fun. Besides, you're always so elegant. I bet you skate like a ballerina."
Rarity blushed slightly at the compliment but quickly regained her composure. "Well, I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best."
Pinkie Pie, who had arrived earlier and was unaware that a blonde was nearby with a fashionista, was just finishing tying her skates. Once tied, she got up and approached the entrance to the rink.
Meanwhile, Applejack was putting on her skates but stopped when she saw someone she knew well by her distinctive hair.
"Hey, Rarity? Can you wait for me a bit? I'll be right back," Applejack said, standing up from her seat.
"Oh, it's fine," Rarity responded, picking up a skate to put it on.
Pinkie was about to enter the rink when she heard a familiar voice, so she turned around.
"Pinkie?" the blonde asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi, Applejack!" Pinkie greeted with her usual smile. "I came to skate. This time of year is magical. Did you see they already put up decorations?"
"Yeah, I saw... but you had to come today," the farmer replied with a slightly exasperated tone.
"Hey, that sounded mean," Pinkie replied, pretending to be offended.
"Sorry, it's just that I'm a bit anxious," Applejack confessed, lowering her voice a bit.
"Anxious? Wait, are you here because of the suggestion the other day?" Pinkie asked excitedly. "Is Rarity here? I want to introduce myself—"
"No," the blonde interrupted, putting her arm in front of Pinkie to prevent her from passing. "Sorry, yes and no. She's putting on her skates," indicated, pointing to a seat.
The party girl saw the fashionista trying to put on her skates. "Come on, AJ, I already want to meet her officially," she insisted.
"Pinkie, please, I want this moment to be for the two of us," the blonde requested with a smile. "Why are you coincidentally here today?" asked thoughtfully.
"In my defense, you didn't tell me what day you were coming, so you can't complain that I'm following you," the party girl defended herself.
Applejack was going to say something but realized that when she asked her cousin for a suggestion if she knew a place with an elegant touch to spend some time with her friend, she didn't mention the day.
"You're right," the farmer admitted, sighing.
"See?" said Pinkie, spreading her arms and smiling widely.
Applejack nodded. "You can introduce yourself another day and try not to make a 'ruckus.' I want this day to be special," she murmured, lowering her gaze a bit, blushing, and biting her lower lip slightly.
"Okay, I'll leave it for another time," the party girl conceded. "And don't worry, AJ, it will be like I'm not here, and I'll just do basic maneuvers," she added, entering the rink. "Good luck," she whispered softly before starting to skate.
The blonde smiled at her words of encouragement. Pinkie took a few steps on the rink, turned her head, and watched as Applejack returned to Rarity.
"How's it going?" Applejack asked the girl trying to put on her skates.
"As best as I can," Rarity responded, somewhat embarrassed.
The farmer knelt in front of the fashionista and took a skate. "Let me help you, Cinderella," said, laughing.
Rarity smiled at the compliment and, seconds later, joined in the laughter. "Thank you, my noble prince charming," said. Both laughed again at the joke.
Once ready, they headed to the rink, with Applejack taking Rarity's hand to support her.
"Come on, don't be afraid," the farmer said, her voice full of confidence.
Rarity smiled gratefully and held onto Applejack's hand as they took their first steps on the ice. At first, their movements were clumsy, but slowly, they began to find their rhythm. The blonde, being more experienced thanks to the times she skated with her cousin, guided the fashionista with patience.
"See? It's not that hard," Applejack commented, laughing softly.
"Well, that's because I have an excellent instructor," Rarity responded, smiling back.
As they advanced, their hands remained intertwined, a simple but meaningful gesture. Both felt the connection between them, their mutual feelings resurfacing with each step.
After a while, the fashionista began to feel more confident and decided to let go of the farmer's hand to try skating on her own. She took a few tentative steps but soon found her balance.
"I did it!" she exclaimed, turning to look at Applejack, her eyes shining with excitement.
Applejack watched her with pride and something more in her eyes. "I knew you could do it."
Pinkie was skating and doing basic movements, avoiding 'the ruckus' as her cousin called her attention-grabbing skilled maneuvers. She wondered how her cousin and the fashionista were doing, so she looked around, turned halfway, and there were the two girls skating peacefully.
She caught the blonde's eye and couldn't help but give her a thumbs up from afar. The blonde shook her head but with a smile. She looked to the side to see how the fashionista was doing and noticed her difficulty, so she gave her cousin a signal that she initially didn't understand but quickly comprehended.
Rarity stumbled, and Applejack hurried, taking her hands again.
"I've got you," the blonde whispered, her heart racing from her slip-up.
"Thanks, AJ, that was close," Rarity responded, breathing a sigh of relief.
They looked into each other's eyes, the moment filled with a sweet and inexplicable tension. The feelings both harbored in their hearts, neither of them dared to break the spell of the moment.
Pinkie watched the scene with a satisfied smile. She knew this day would be special for both of them, and she felt happy to have contributed to it. Later, she would ask the blonde for details about what was going to happen.
Rarity continued walking through the park, emerging from that memory of the ice-skating rink. She had remembered it upon reaching a part of the park where many people were holding hands with their loved ones.
"If I went to the rink now, I'd be just as rusty. It's been so long since I skated," she murmured to herself.
She looked around and saw more couples. She knew the park was popular among those in relationships, but this side of the park seemed new to her. It was evident that in those three years of absence, there had been some changes in the city, but she hadn't imagined they would expand the park.
She walked a bit further, coming across a small pond. "It looks a bit like the other one, but the other was larger, more like a river, and... 'that'... happened not far from where we went skating."
Once they had skated for a good while, the girls decided to walk under the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the leaves of the trees. Applejack and Rarity were talking about how much fun they had on the ice rink. After a few minutes, they stopped, admiring the nocturnal landscape near a large pond that reflected the stars and the moon.
Rarity sighed, gazing at the sky. "It's such a beautiful night, don't you think?"
Applejack smiled. "Yes, it's incredible. But not as beautiful as you."
The fashionista blushed at the compliment, but a shadow of doubt crossed her expression. She had the feeling that the moment had come.
"Are you okay, Rarity?" asked Applejack, noticing the change in her expression.
"Yes. I just... um..." Rarity hesitated.
Applejack stepped closer gently. "Do you want to talk?" she asked, giving her a reassuring smile.
Unable to find the right words to express what she was feeling, Rarity bit her lower lip, struggling with her emotions as her heart pounded.
"It's just... there's something I want to tell you," began Rarity with a tremor in her voice.
Applejack gently took her hand. "Rarity, you can tell me anything. You know you can count on me. I also want to tell you something..."
The fashionista felt comforted by the farmer's words, a small smile forming on her face as she met the warm emerald eyes.
"Thank you," Rarity said, her voice trembling. "I- I want to tell you..."
Applejack caressed her hand gently to calm her. Rarity inhaled and exhaled.
"I think it's clear what's happening between us, and with my clumsiness the other time, it's very obvious."
The blonde laughed softly. "Yes... I thought you were adorable, and I know this is new for you, but I want you to know that I haven't felt this way in a long time, the way I feel when I'm with you."
Rarity remained silent for a moment, processing Applejack's words. Then, a tear of relief rolled down her cheek.
"Oh, Applejack... I've been afraid of what might happen."
The farmer wiped away her tear with her thumb. "You don't have to be afraid. I've been nervous too...," she took a deep breath, looking directly into the sapphire eyes, "I want us to try this together. I want us to be something more."
Rarity felt a wave of relief and happiness at those words. Her eyes shone with excitement. "I want that too, Applejack. I want to be with you."
The blonde smiled broadly. "That's all I wanted to hear," she said, her eyes reflecting the same emotion. "We have nothing to worry about. We just need to take it one step at a time, together."
"Together," repeated the fashionista with a smile.
They moved closer to each other, their lips almost touching. Rarity shyly pulled back.
"Shh... it's okay, all in due time," the blonde murmured, caressing her cheek.
"No... this is what I want," replied the fashionista with a smile, leaning in again.
They both moved slowly, closing their eyes and feeling the warmth of each other's lips in a soft and delicate kiss that sealed their love.
The kiss was brief but significant, filled with possibilities for the future of Rarity and Applejack. When they parted, they looked at each other with a new understanding and complicity, knowing they were ready to explore this new path together.
"Talking to Big Mac, as well as Aunt Roseluck, really helped me for that night," murmured the fashionista, sighing. "Who would have thought we’d end up like this?"
She remembered how Big Mac had been a silent support, listening attentively as she confessed her other fears. She also recalled the wise words of her Aunt Roseluck, who had given her the courage to accept herself. Those moments were crucial for her to take that step toward Applejack that night.
She shook her head slightly, realizing what she had been thinking about.
"I don’t know why I’m remembering this now. I came out to get some air and think about what to do with the girls." She looked down a bit and then lifted her gaze forward. "Though, in remembering, I’ve gotten some possible solutions." She glanced at the sky. "I’d better head home," she told herself and began walking back the way she had come.
Returning to the party girl
"And under the moonlight, with the stars shining, they decided to talk and it happened... they officially became girlfriends," Pinkie said, waving her hand in the air as if painting the scene.
"That very night, Applejack came to my house. My parents wondered what was going on with her because when they opened the door, she kept sighing. When she headed to my room, she greeted me with a big smile and sat on my bed..." Pinkie paused to take a sip of her milkshake.
"I asked her how it went, but her smile and sigh said it all. Still, I wanted her to tell me..." Pinkie put her glass on the table and began waving her arms, imitating Applejack's excitement. "Then she stretched out on my bed and said, 'It was as magical as I imagined it,'" mimicking the blonde with a wide smile.
"That's so sweet!" said Starlight, smiling.
"Yeah, it really is," added Trixie, her eyes shining with excitement.
"And that's how their relationship started. They did couple things, spent a lot of time together, always so happy... time passed," Pinkie said, pausing to let her friends absorb what she had just shared. "And finally, I came into the picture..."
Starlight leaned forward. "How did you get involved?"
"Well, I'm always involved in everything, right? So..."
In the kitchen, Pinkie was attentively watching Grandma Smith, who was teaching her some baking techniques. Lately, Pinkie had taken an interest in everything related to baking, and she had already learned to make some sweet mixes, although sometimes she went overboard or missed steps.
"So, you have to be careful when separating the yolk from the white," Grandma Smith said, holding a cracked egg in her hands. "Pay attention, from one side to the other."
"Got it, from one side to the other," Pinkie mimicked, trying to follow the movements.
Suddenly, they heard whispers and the front door closing. At first, they thought it was Big Mac and Apple Bloom, until they recognized Applejack's voice along with another peculiar voice, which they deduced was Rarity's.
Pinkie wanted to officially meet Rarity, but first she had to finish here, so she just listened.
"I want to prepare you a dish," Applejack said.
"I would like to try it," Rarity replied.
"Also a dessert, with apples. You'll like it," the blonde continued.
"I rarely eat apples, but it doesn't hurt to eat more," the fashionista said.
"Oh, and if you're cold, I could make a hot dish," Applejack commented.
"Let's hope it doesn't burn me," Rarity joked.
"I doubt it. I could make it at an intermediate level or warm it up enough to warm you up," the blonde said.
"Be careful, that dish of yours might heat me up more than enough," Rarity continued the banter.
"I'd like to see that," Applejack paused, "I could consider it my favorite dessert," said playfully.
"Are we still talking about food?" Rarity asked, with the same tone.
"I don't know, if you want we could go upstairs and find out," the blonde said teasingly.
"That sounds tempting. We could find out, just like we did last time," the fashionista responded.
Pinkie blinked, surprised by the tone of the conversation. She looked at Grandma Smith. Her family taught her little related to those topics, but her distant family had taught her enough to know what the two girls on the other side of the wall were talking about.
"So you can see what hormones do at this age, Pinkie Pie," Grandma Smith murmured.
"I'm noticing," Pinkie murmured, both eyebrows raised.
Seconds later, they couldn't hear anything, just some faint muah!
On the other side of the wall, Rarity and Applejack were on the couch, kissing.
"Hi, hi, hi!" Pinkie said, suddenly appearing on a chair.
"Ah, Pinkie!" Applejack exclaimed, surprised by her cousin's sudden appearance, quickly separating from her girlfriend.
"Cousin! What are you doing here?" the blonde asked, still a little dazed.
"Wait, Pinkie's your cousin?" the fashionista asked, surprised by the revelation.
"Yes... how do you know her?" she asked, looking at her girlfriend.
"In Institute, I hear about a hyperactive girl with pink hair named Pinkie Pie," Rarity explained, returning the gaze.
"That makes sense," the party girl said, still sitting on the chair.
"You haven't answered my question," the blonde insisted, looking back at her cousin.
"My parents went out, my sister Maud went with my other sisters to the rock museum, and I decided to come and ask Grandma Smith to help me with the kitchen," explained. "In fact, I just came from the kitchen."
"From the kitchen? Grandma Smith? Did you... hear... anything?" Applejack asked, nervous. The fashionista also seemed a little uncomfortable.
"Nothing important... if you call their sex-related jokes important-"
"Pinkie!" they both said simultaneously, their faces flushed.
"But setting that aside," Pinkie said, standing up with a smile. "Let me introduce myself, I'm Pinkie Pie, Applejack's cousin."
Rarity, returning to her usual tone, looked at her girlfriend. "We're distant relatives," the farmer explained.
"Oh, that makes more sense," the fashionista thought aloud. She looked back at the party girl. "The pleasure is mine... I'm Rarity Belle," she introduced herself, extending her hand. But Pinkie hugged her sideways, surprising the fashionista.
"I can see that, Rarity... we're going to be great friends," Pinkie said, raising her arm in front as if imagining a future scenario.
"hahaha, you should have seen their faces when I appeared in the middle of their moment and made that comment," Pinkie said, laughing.
Trixie dropped her straw into her glass, looking at the party girl with wide eyes and blushing. "Um... I didn't expect it to be like that," she commented.
Starlight also blushed a bit. "Yeah, it's quite unexpected. I never would have imagined that Applejack and Rarity had such... a passionate relationship."
"Interesting, isn't it? And that's what I meant by missing out on the jokes," Pinkie added, wiping a tear from laughing so much. "It was a moment I'll never forget."
Starlight and Trixie looked at each other, still processing the information.
"Well, that definitely explains why they were always so close," Starlight said, regaining her composure.
"Yeah, but still, it's a bit shocking," Trixie added, taking a sip of her milkshake to calm down.
Pinkie nodded. "Yeah, it was, but it was also nice to see them so happy together. And that's what really matters, right?"
They both nodded, sharing a smile with Pinkie.
The party girl continued with the story. "At some point, their parents found out. I don't have much context on whether they opposed or accepted their relationship, since Rarity started to be more open, to the point of posting pictures with my cousin on her social media."
"Did they find out about their preferences or that she was with AJ?" Starlight wondered.
"Somewhere in between, some things happened," the party girl continued.
"Fights?" Trixie guessed.
"Not... well, they did have their fights..."
"... Like that time Rarity told me they briefly argued about going to an outdoor place related to the earth and she wanted to go somewhere else that had nothing to do with what AJ wanted... among those there were other disagreements."
"It's normal for couples to have those kinds of fights," Starlight said.
"But what I was going to mention was something external..." the party girl remembered, regretting almost bringing it up, changing her expression. "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have mentioned it... but that affected Rarity a lot and my cousin felt a little guilty about it."
Trixie and Starlight wanted to know more, but it was clear that Pinkie didn't want to talk about that topic. "It's okay, Pinkie, we won't ask."
"Thanks... once that problem was solved, they spent time together like couples... on cloud nine... all over the place. They went back to the classic things that lovebirds do. They also talked to me about it or doubts regarding..." the party girl didn't finish.
"Regarding...?" the two friends asked.
Pinkie smiled and began to tell them.
Pinkie was at the Apple's house as usual. She was climbing the stairs heading to Applejack's room. Upon arrival, she knocked on the door and opened it after a few seconds.
"Hey, cousin, dinner's re-"
She stopped upon seeing Applejack's nervous expression, quickly trying to hide something on her desk.
"What are you doing?"
"Just a drawing," the blonde responded, trying to sound casual as her hands attempted to cover the paper.
"What are you drawing?" Pinkie asked, approaching the desk. It was impossible to see what her cousin was doing.
"Nothing..."
"Okay, what's that?" Pinkie asked with a mischievous smile, pointing in the opposite direction.
"What thing?" Applejack turned her head confused, a moment Pinkie took advantage of to grab the sheet. "Wait..." she said quickly standing up as she realized what was happening.
Pinkie examined the sheet curiously. "Is this supposed to be a heart?"
She knew the farmer had skills in playing guitar and painting, but clearly, drawing wasn't her forte.
"Yeah... it's a heart split in half."
Pinkie put on a concerned expression. "Is something wrong with Rarity? Do you want me to talk to her?"
"What? No, not at all, we're fine. It's just..." Applejack began to blush.
"It's for Rare, I want to give her something. I know I've done it several times, I know it's still early for our first anniversary together, and I thought about having a necklace made with my initials in the middle of a heart," explained, avoiding eye contact.
"Do you think it's too much? Do you think she'll like it?" she asked with a shaky voice.
Pinkie smiled seeing the sweetness and concern in her cousin's eyes. "AJ! That's a wonderful idea! Rarity will love it."
The blonde sighed in relief. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course!" exclaimed the party girl, approaching to hug her. "She'll love it. How could she not? It's a gift full of love and meaning."
Applejack hugged Pinkie, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. "Thank you, Pinkie. Sometimes, I worry too much."
"That's because you love her a lot, and that's okay," said the party girl, pulling away from the hug and winking at her. "Now, let's go have dinner. And then, we can plan more details for the necklace."
Applejack nodded and then they left the room.
"Hahaha," Pinkie couldn't stop laughing.
"Ah, Pinkie, what's so funny?" Starlight asked.
"Shouldn't it be cute?" wondered the gray-haired girl
Pinkie stopped laughing. "Sorry, girls, it's just that I'm surprised by the connection they had."
Trixie and Starlight exchanged confused looks.
"Connection?" Starlight asked.
"Yes, what do you mean?" her friend added.
"You see..."
Pinkie and Rarity were sitting on a bench in the plaza, enjoying the afternoon together.
"What have you been up to today, Rarity?" asked the party girl.
"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. I've been working on some sketches for future designs."
"That sounds interesting! Can I see them?" Pinkie asked, curious.
The fashionista nodded, taking out a small notebook from her purse and passing it over. "Sure, but they're just preliminary sketches."
The party girl opened it and started flipping through the pages. "The sket... aren't..."
"It's called 'sketches'," Rarity gently corrected when Pinkie tried to pronounce the word.
"I don't know much about modeling, but they look nice." Pinkie moved to another page of the notebook, finding another somewhat peculiar drawing. "Half of a heart?"
"Ah, Pinkie!" the designer tried to intervene, trying to cover the drawing with her hand.
"Is it a separate design for a dress?" the party girl asked curiously. "And why a heart split in half?"
Rarity sighed and decided to confess. "Actually... I've been thinking about giving something special to AJ. I've seen couples wearing necklaces with initials or hearts, and I thought about combining both."
"Oh! That sounds adorable. But, do you think Applejack would like to wear a necklace?" the party girl asked, trying to imagine the farmer with such a delicate accessory.
"I know she doesn't like wearing bracelets or necklaces, but this would be something very special and meaningful," said Rarity, smiling.
"I don't know much about romance, but seeing how you two are, anything that comes from you she's liked. It must be the same with you with AJ's gifts."
"Um, yeah," Rarity responded, blushing. "She's given me a few things, even some roses she finds. Sometimes it's not necessary, but Jackie somehow knows I'll like it."
"Don't roses deteriorate?"
"That's why I take a photo of them. I could have them digitally, but I prefer it in physical," explained the fashionista. "I learned a bit from her," she murmured. "Now, about the necklace... I don't know if I should give it to her on our anniversary or extend it to Christmas."
"Wow, you two have a special connection, don't you," Pinkie thought, remembering when Applejack showed her drawing. "I think it should be for your anniversary," said the party girl with a smile.
"PERFECT!" Rarity shouted and then coughed as she realized her excitement. "I mean, perfect. Do you think it makes me conceited to give her something with my initial?"
"Not at all, she'll love it. And a suggestion: make it on the left side," said Pinkie.
"Left side," she nodded
"Have you thought about how you'll give it to her? You could do something special, like a picnic or a walk in a field."
Rarity smiled. "It's still early to think about it, but I have to keep in mind some places. Although your suggestions sound lovely."
"Wow, what a connection!" said Trixie, still amazed. "I can't believe neither of them knew what the other was doing."
"Right? It's incredible!" exclaimed Pinkie, laughing. "They had no idea I was helping both of them. And the funniest part is that they were both so worried about surprising each other."
Starlight smiled. "It must have been hard to keep the secret, especially knowing you."
"Oh, it was," admitted. "I had to bite my tongue more than once. And I almost let it slip several times!"
"Really?" Starlight raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "How did you manage to keep it a secret?"
"I had to be very, very careful. And every time one of them mentioned something about gifts or surprises, I quickly changed the subject," Pinkie explained.
"Good strategy," said Trixie.
"After a while, some time passed. Applejack, always so direct and honest, and Rarity with her touch of drama, but always so attentive. And then we met the others."
"How did they meet?" Starlight asked.
"Well, it happened that I wanted to pull a prank, but it didn't turn out as I wanted..."
Pinkie Pie was putting the finishing touches on her latest big prank. She had tied a small water balloon to the door of the math classroom, hoping that an unsuspecting victim would push it and end up soaked. Pinkie hid behind a locker, stifling her laughter as she waited.
However, things didn't go as planned. A girl with slightly lighter pink hair than hers was passing by the hallway and noticed that the door was slightly ajar.
"Oh, this is curious," murmured to herself. She decided to approach and close the door.
Just then, a teacher appeared in the hallway. It was Professor Cranky Doodle, known for his bad mood.
"What's going on here?" he asked in his usual tone.
The girl with the light pink hair, nervous in front of authority, tried to explain. "Oh, umm, I was just trying to close the door, professor." Then she grabbed the handle.
But before she could say more, Pinkie, who had come out of her hiding spot to intervene, tripped over her own feet and accidentally pushed the girl towards the door. The water balloon burst over the head of the light pink-haired girl, soaking her completely.
"You!" exclaimed the professor, pointing at Pinkie. "What is this? Another one of your pranks?"
Pinkie, wide-eyed and feeling guilty, tried to apologize. "I'm sorry! It wasn't for her, just... oh no."
The girl with the pink hair, soaked but always kind, tried to intervene. "It was an accident, professor."
"You orchestrated this prank for me. Both of you, detention. Now," the professor interrupted. "I won't tolerate this kind of behavior."
Pinkie and the other girl looked at each other, one with guilt and the other with understanding, and walked towards the detention room.
"I'm so sorry... I didn't want this to happen to you," murmured the prankster.
The girl, wiping the water from her face, smiled faintly. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it. Just... next time, be more careful, okay?"
Pinkie nodded. "I promise I'll be more careful. I'm Pinkie Pie, by the way."
"Pleased to meet you, Pinkie Pie. My name is Fluttershy," she introduced herself with a shy smile.
Pinkie and Fluttershy entered the detention room, looking for a place to sit. They saw two girls already present in the room, one of them engrossed in a book, while the other looked at the ceiling with a bored expression.
The prankster approached with her characteristic energy. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is Fluttershy. Are you also here for some mischief?"
The girl reading looked up from her book and smiled kindly. "Hello. No... I'm here because... well, apparently doing chemistry experiments in the hallways isn't allowed."
The other girl straightened up upon hearing Pinkie's animated voice. "Wait, Pinkie Pie? Aren't you the girl who's always bouncing around?"
Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! That's me. Do you already know me?"
The girl with red and yellow hair nodded with a smile. "Yes, I've heard some things about your funny antics. And from what I see, they seem to have caused a little trouble this time."
Fluttershy, maintaining her typical shyness, sat down next to the girl with navy blue hair.
Pinkie, unable to contain her excitement, started talking rapidly. "Wow, what an interesting day. And what exactly did you all do?"
The girl with red and yellow hair, observing Pinkie with curiosity, replied with a smile. "Well..." she looked at her glasses-wearing friend. "I was in the library looking for a book on the top shelf, I lost my balance and knocked over a whole bookshelf."
"Wow, that's quite something," said Fluttershy. "I'm sorry..."
"It's okay... and my friend here was waiting for me and started mixing things in the hallway," said, pointing to the other girl.
"I wanted to advance a bit in what we learned in class while waiting for you and 'boom', it exploded since I got distracted when the teacher noticed what I was doing," explained the girl with glasses.
Fluttershy looked at Pinkie, hoping she would explain. The prankster, taking a deep breath to share her situation, explained: "I tried to pull a prank, but it went wrong and we ended up here. Professor Cranky saw us and, well, he sent us to detention."
The girl with navy blue hair nodded understandingly. "I understand. Sometimes pranks can get out of control."
"Yes, we all make mistakes," commented the girl with red and yellow hair.
"Although Fluttershy got punished because of me, and she had nothing to do with it," admitted Pinkie.
"Don't worry..." said the pink-haired girl. "You reminded me of a friend who's just as much of a prankster."
"Really?" asked the prankster.
"Fluttershy? Sorry, I didn't hear your name properly... aren't you the one who's always handing out animal pamphlets?" asked the glasses-wearing girl, looking at the pink-haired girl.
"Um... yeah, that's me," said Fluttershy timidly.
"Right, I think I've seen you a couple of times," commented the girl with red and yellow hair, looking at the pink-haired girl.
"It can't be, were we always here and didn't know about each other's existence... was it fate?" said the excited prankster.
The three of them smiled at each other.
"It's curious how we never crossed paths before, considering how close we were in high school," commented the girl with navy blue hair.
"Yes, it's strange. I guess each of us was caught up in our own world," said the girl with red and yellow hair.
"What a crazy coincidence! Who would have thought that destiny would bring us all together here in detention?" said the excited prankster. "By the way, what are your names?"
"Twilight Sparkle."
"Sunset Shimmer."
After introducing themselves, they continued chatting and discovering more things, like the courses they were taking.
Present "Destiny never ceases to amaze me," said Trixie.
"So you were always in the school, but you never crossed paths due to circumstances. It's a bit similar to what happened with AJ and Rarity," said Starlight.
"Not all of us, since Twilight transferred a year ago at that time. But it's incredible that we were all there and didn't even know it, we had only seen each other a couple of times and nothing else happened," she said excitedly.
"Until the four of you were punished and sent to detention," Starlight concluded for Pinkie. She nodded.
"So all that was left was for everyone to meet, including Dash," said the gray-haired one.
Pinkie raised her head and put on a slightly serious expression. "Yes... this is where we enter the final stretch of a series," she said enigmatically.
Starlight and Trixie looked at each other and then back at Pinkie.
"It seems that at some point before we all met, excluding Rainbow still, Rarity met Fluttershy, since we saw them talking when we were waiting for her. Although at some point, I was planning to introduce Rarity and AJ, but that wasn't necessary either, since I was looking for 'Rare', as she used to call her, and that's how the six of us met..."
"... And now comes when we all met Dash, in the middle of Dash and AJ's relationship, and later what Rarity did, which disappointed all of us," said Pinkie, somewhat sadly.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were in a red truck, arriving to play bowling as they had agreed on Friday.
"Ready for a fun afternoon?" Rainbow asked with a smile as they both entered the bowling alley.
"Sure am," Applejack replied. "No competition this time, remember?"
The athlete nodded with a smile, and they both headed to the counter to rent shoes and choose a lane. Once ready, the blonde headed to where the balls were.
"Who's going first?" Applejack asked.
"I don't mind," replied the athlete, sitting down.
"Well, you go first," said the blonde, but upon seeing the girl sitting, she changed her mind. "Or better yet, I'll go first."
Applejack took the ball, made the classic movements, and threw it, knocking down some pins.
"My turn," said the athlete, heading to the ball rack to take one. The blonde crossed her arms as she watched her girlfriend prepare to throw. Rainbow positioned herself and rolled the ball, hitting the center. "Got it," she said, looking at the blonde.
"I saw it," said the farmer, still with her arms crossed. She headed to the ball rack and took another one. Applejack threw the ball determinedly. "Well, finally hit some," she commented with a half-smile.
"Uh-huh," said the athlete, taking the ball and throwing it confidently, knocking down most of the pins on the lane. "Now that's what I call a shot!" she exclaimed, with a satisfied smile.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "My turn."
As the game progressed, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were neck and neck in points. The farmer couldn't help but check her phone from time to time, responding to messages from her family about farm matters.
"Hey, blonde, it's your turn."
"Okay," she said, getting up and putting her phone away.
Rainbow watched as the farmer positioned herself and decided to bring up a conversation topic. "Did you see that game last night?"
"What game?" she responded, not taking her eyes off the bowling lane.
"It seems that team you supported last time played," explained the athlete. "Dad mentioned it to me."
"Oh, no, I didn't see it," replied the blonde, throwing the ball.
"Alright," was all Rainbow said.
After a couple of games, they both started to check the scores, and it seemed they were tied.
"How about we just play one more round and then we head out?" suggested Rainbow.
"What if we leave it at that and go get some ice cream?" the blonde asked.
"Agreed."
They both returned the shoes and headed for the exit.
"Huh, interesting."
"What's that?" asked the blonde.
Dash pointed to the sky, still sunny but with some clouds approaching. "No wonder I felt like time was passing slowly."
"You're right," said the blonde, looking at the sky. "Shall we go get some ice cream?" she asked.
"Let's go," replied the athlete, and they both continued on their way to the ice cream parlor.
Pinkie finished explaining. "Well, that's what happened," leaving her third empty glass on the table and concluding the story of her cousin's relationship, her friendship with the girls, and the fight with Rarity.
"Wow, it sounds to me like that happened more out of jealousy..." Trixie commented, surprised by the information she received.
"I know... it could be a possibility," Pinkie responded, startled. "At first, I didn't realize it because I was also angry about what Rarity did," she added, looking downcast. "Well, it seems the girls didn't realize it either because they felt betrayed."
"I'm still surprised that Rarity went down that route," the grey-haired girl mentioned. "From appearances, it seems like she would be looking for someone elegant or well-educated; I would never believe she would be attracted to someone like Applejack."
"Girls..." Starlight tried to get their attention.
"Actually, it's both," clarified Pinkie. "I forgot to mention that, before they were girlfriends, Rarity went out with some guys. Nothing serious, just dates. She never had a stable relationship until she met Applejack."
"So your cousin was her first official relationship," said Trixie.
"Yes."
"Interesting," mused Starlight thoughtfully, "but let's get back to the main topic," continued to stay on track. "Let's recap what you just told us. The seven of you met before Rainbow arrived in Canterlot..."
"... You had a great friendship, and apparently Rainbow and Rarity did get along, which I thought their personalities would lead to a fight, as they are now. When AJ met Dash, there was chemistry," she added.
"Yes, it seems, from what we saw, they clicked," Pinkie agreed.
"Is it always love at first sight?" complained Trixie, rolling her eyes.
"Not necessarily. You can be friends with someone and not feel that special connection until after a while of being friends and then start to fall in love," explained Starlight.
"I wish it had been like that for them," said the grey-haired girl, leaning on her hand.
"But it was more or less like that," pointed out Pinkie.
"And what does Applejack say about Rainbow?" asked the grey-haired girl.
Pinkie smiled at the memory. "My cousin always said things like 'Oh, look at those muscles, you can tell she works out' when talking about Dash."
The two friends looked at each other curiously. "Did that happen when she first met her?" Starlight asked.
Pinkie nodded. "Yes, at the beginning, Applejack always commented on how athletic Rainbow was. It seemed like she admired her strength and energy a lot."
"And was she still with Rarity when that happened?" Trixie asked. Pinkie nodded again.
"Okay... at some point, they had a big fight, and she broke up with Rarity, and a week later AJ was already with Dash," said Starlight, raising an eyebrow.
"If you're wondering, my cousin never did anything with Rainbow while she was with Rarity. She's not the type to cheat on her partner."
"I understand... but that doesn't explain my expression. Can I say something about AJ? And I hope you don't mind," Starlight commented.
"It depends, but go ahead."
"I think AJ was a bit insensitive and hypocritical with what she did."
"... What?" Pinkie asked confusedly.
"As you told us, it was clear how much Applejack and Rarity loved each other, and just days after they broke up, she was already with Rainbow," she tried to explain, showing some annoyance.
"Yes, that's what I said."
"It seems like all that romance vanished. She went with someone else, leaving Rarity behind as if nothing. I'm not saying what Rarity did was right, but what AJ did looks bad."
"I still don't understand," said Pinkie, confused by the girl's annoyance.
"Imagine you're with someone, and that person shows you how much they love you-"
"I've never had a partner to understand," interrupted.
"Let me see, do you have someone special you care about, a family member?" Starlight asked.
"I love my friends, my family, and then there's Gummy, my stuffed animal. Sometimes I wish he were real."
Starlight looked a bit incredulous. "Okay, imagine your stuffed animal... Gummy. You love him very much, right?"
Pinkie nodded again with a smile.
"Imagine if he were alive and he was always with you, your whole life, and then, in the blink of an eye, another person appeared, and Gummy turned his back on you and went with that person."
"What!? No!" exclaimed Pinkie, imagining that scene.
"That's what I mean. Do you understand now?" Starlight asked.
Pinkie calmed down a bit and thought about the example and then about her cousin's relationship. "Ohhhh... I see what you mean. It sounds pretty bad when you put it that way." Then she remembered a bit of that moment when Rarity saw Applejack with Rainbow.
"The truth is, it looks pretty bad," Trixie affirmed, nodding.
"I'm not sure if it's entirely true that she forgot about her when she just started dating Dash. I know now, seeing that point of view, it looks bad."
"Why do you say that?" asked the gray-haired one.
"I don't know, it's something I noticed in my cousin when we found out Rarity left... maybe it's just my idea."
Trixie and Starlight looked at each other, but they preferred not to say anything and return to the initial topic.
"Then there’s the trophy incident where Rarity blamed Rainbow," Trixie continued.
"Exactly… if this were a telenovela, Rarity would be the Queen Bee who had her girl stolen and acted out of jealousy," Pinkie added.
"Yeah, it sounds like a telenovela," commented the grey-haired girl. "Do you know why they broke up?"
"Trixie, let’s not delve too deep," Starlight intervened. "Besides, we’re getting the events mixed up."
"I can give you the answer," offered the party girl. "Applejack never told me the reason, but I think it might have been a misunderstanding or some other unknown reason. All I know is that it happened during the contest."
"Contest?" both asked at the same time.
"Rarity entered a sort of contest to prove she could be a great designer. Her aunt even rented her a boutique to design in, as the one she had at home wasn't big enough," explained.
"Rarity is a designer?" asked the grey-haired girl.
"Yes… but I don’t think it was a good idea. I’m not saying she’s a bad designer," the party girl corrected herself. "It’s just that it came right during the final exams period, and we could see she couldn’t handle everything."
"Although it’s possible to do several things at once, you can’t do everything. Studying for finals and creating designs must have stressed her out," Starlight commented empathetically.
"You could tell she wasn’t doing well. She wouldn’t let us help, so we left it in Applejack’s hands," the party girl recounted. "For some reason, Applejack broke up with her and then started dating Rainbow."
Starlight nodded. "Let’s go over this again in order… They broke up in the middle of this contest. Then AJ began her current relationship. After that, Rarity saw the two of them together. Possibly out of jealousy, she broke the display case on side A, took a very important trophy, and hid it in Rainbow's locker, blaming her for something she didn't do."
Pinkie nodded again. "When Rainbow opened her locker and saw the trophy, Principal Mare took her to her office. The five of us followed and waited outside. Then we saw Dash’s mom at the school, so Twilight and Sunset realized this was getting worse. So, we decided to enter without permission. Obviously, the principal was angry. Then we explained the reasons why Rainbow couldn’t have committed the act, and, as if we were detectives, she gave us until sunset to find the culprit."
"How did you find out it was her?" asked Trixie.
"You see, when Rarity broke the display case, she waited until there weren’t many students around. After taking the trophy, she took it to Rainbow’s locker… and how do I know that part? Well, Rarity didn’t realize the janitor was wandering around. When we were looking for evidence, we ran into him and asked if he saw anything…"
"...He told us he saw a girl with wavy hair walking through the halls suspiciously. We asked for more details about the girl’s description, and when he gave them to us, everything pointed to her. Although at first, we didn’t want to believe it."
"I see," said the grey-haired girl. "Did you notice anything suspicious about Rarity before she committed the act?"
"She was acting a bit distant, and despite our support, for some reason, we felt an uncomfortable tension growing… it was very strange," the party girl recounted.
"Maybe there’s something you didn’t see at that moment that motivated her to do that. Something tells me there’s more behind it. Maybe you guys… I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but maybe you did something unintentionally."
"Actually, I do think it’s possible," Pinkie admitted.
"Now we get to the part that left me a bit..."
"Oh, I know what you mean!" said the party girl, resting her face on the table, interrupting her.
"From what you’ve told me, everyone was so angry and didn’t let Rarity fully express herself."
"Shouldn’t you at least have let her speak?" asked the grey-haired girl.
"Because of the way she acted, we didn’t. And as I said, we were angry and disappointed. Also, Rarity was very prideful," the party girl explained, still with her face on the table.
"People with strong personalities often put their pride first," Starlight commented. "Did you try to talk to her again to find out her reasons?"
"No, and for two reasons. One, we had just met her, so we thought she was actually hiding her true personality. And number two, if we were going to talk at some point, it was already too late because she left town a week later," Pinkie explained, lifting her head. "Afterward, I started realizing her possible motives and that we might not have been good friends."
"And I think you judged her a bit by her appearance," Starlight commented. "Now I understand her expression from before."
"That’s another reason I feel bad because the girls and I gave our opinions on how Rarity seemed to be," said with a sad expression.
Starlight was going to say something about not judging someone by their appearance but chose to keep it to herself upon seeing the party girl’s expression.
"At any point after she left, did you talk about the topic again?" Trixie asked.
"No, because after Rarity left town, we decided to leave the topic of Rarity aside and omit it," explained. "After a while, I tried to contact her, but it seems she changed her number."
"I see."
"And now that she’s back, the girls don’t trust her," the party girl continued, distressed. "With Fluttershy, I have some doubts, but the others don’t want to know anything."
"Has she shown any signs of wanting to do something bad in these weeks?" Starlight asked.
"No, from what I’ve noticed. In fact, she seems to be seeking our forgiveness," Pinkie answered, disheartened. "Just the day before yesterday, we coincidentally ran into her at the mall, and she tried to apologize."
"If she seems remorseful and wanting to make things right, I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to give her another chance. I know forgiveness is earned over time, and it seems that was the case for you."
"I did forgive her, but the girls don’t want to..."
"Pinkie, you choose for yourself. If you believe you can trust her again, you don’t need anyone’s permission to do so," Starlight said determinedly. "You know, that speaks well of you. You’re wanting to make peace with the past."
"Forgiving is letting go, releasing. It’s freeing yourself, not having negative things inside you. If someone has wronged you, they must have a full reason for doing such a thing."
"Thank you, that’s a lovely phrase. How do you know so much about this?" she asked with a smile, feeling better.
Starlight smiled. "Because I’m studying something related to psychology."
"That explains why you know some things about romance despite not having been in one," the party girl commented. "No offense."
"I’m not offended," she responded with a smile. "Pinkie, I think you should follow your hunch."
"Has your Pinkie sense ever been wrong?" Trixie asked with a smile.
"Not that I remember," the party girl smiled. "Thank you, girls. I think the answer was there; I just needed to be heard."
The two nodded with a smile.
The couple was in the truck, as after finishing their ice creams, they decided to leave. The farm girl was arriving at the athlete’s house to drop her off.
"Well, here we are," said Applejack.
"Yeah, thanks for the afternoon," replied Rainbow, getting out of the truck and walking towards her house's door.
Applejack got out too and approached to say goodbye.
The blonde leaned in to kiss Rainbow on the forehead while the athlete extended her arms for a hug. They stopped and looked at each other, each changing their mind. The athlete leaned forward, trying to kiss Applejack’s forehead while the blonde extended her arms for a hug. They stopped again.
"Make up your mind, Dash," said the farm girl, somewhat annoyed.
"Decide-? You know what, let’s just leave it," said Rainbow, giving up with a sigh. "See you tomorrow, AJ."
"See you," she replied, walking back to her vehicle.
She got into her truck and started it, watching the athlete as she went inside her house. When she was alone, Applejack muttered to herself, "We’re such a weird couple." With that thought, she drove off, pondering some unimportant things.
Inside the house, Rainbow closed the door behind her and headed to the couch. Sitting down, she let out a sigh.
"What’s that sigh for?" asked Scootaloo, appearing with something in her hands.
"Nothing, sometimes I just don’t understand relationships," the athlete replied tiredly.
"Okay… You got back early from your date."
"Yeah, we bowled and when the game ended, we called it a day. Apparently, it didn’t even last one hours. Then we got ice cream and decided to head home," explained.
"Better, since they predicted rain," said Scootaloo, looking out the window.
"Mmm... I think I saw it getting cloudy," Rainbow recalled. Then she looked back at the younger girl. "What were you doing?"
"I wanted to play some video games here, so I was bringing the console," she replied.
"If you want, we can play. Remember I told you I’d teach you to play Need for Speed?" the athlete said with a half-smile.
"Yeah, I’d like that," replied.
Scootaloo sat next to Rainbow on the couch and handed her the console controller. The athlete accepted the controller with a smile. After a while of playing, the younger girl had learned some tricks.
"Alright, now activate the nitro," Rainbow instructed.
"Got it," said Scootaloo, pressing the button and watching her car speed up impressively.
"That's it, you did great! Now watch what’s ahead so you don’t crash."
"Okay," the younger girl said, focusing on the screen. "You know... I’m glad you have more time to spend at home now."
Rainbow lifted her gaze from the game, surprised by the comment. "What do you mean? How do you figure I have more time now?"
"Well, lately you’ve been less busy, don’t you think?" the younger girl continued.
"I hang out with you and the others," the athlete said with a smile, though a bit doubtful about the topic.
"Yeah, but not individually since you’ve been in a relationship," said Scootaloo. "I guess now you and AJ agreed to spend more time with the others," added with a smile.
Rainbow pondered those words. "I suppose so," she responded, somewhat thoughtfully. "Could that be the reason...?"
The younger girl tried to read her sister’s expression. "Are you okay?"
She nodded silently, letting her sister's words sink in as they continued playing. But she had something on her mind: tomorrow, she would talk to Fluttershy. Maybe she had found the possible cause of her behavior.
Starlight and Trixie were walking through the streets, using their usual shortcut to get home. Unfortunately, the path passed near a newly opened bar and it had started to rain. Taxis passed by frequently, which would be useful for Trixie to take one and get home before the rain got heavier.
"Hey, Starlight," called the grey-haired girl.
"Yes, Trixie."
"I was thinking about Applejack and Rarity’s relationship."
"Which part of the relationship?"
"Do you think they exchanged necklaces? According to what Pinkie said, both wanted to give each other that detail without knowing it, which I thought was sweet," Trixie commented with a somewhat sad tone.
"I don’t have a definite answer, but I think and hope they didn’t. On Rarity’s part, I think she did, but on Applejack’s part, I hope she didn’t," Starlight reflected.
"Why do you say that?"
"I made a mental timeline of the events," explained Starlight.
Trixie looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Blame Twilight for doing most of the assignments with her," said, rolling her eyes. "According to my calculations, they became a couple around Christmas, at the end of the year."
"Okay..." Trixie waited for her friend to continue.
"They met the girls halfway through the next year, and then they met Rainbow almost at their anniversary. As Pinkie said, they clicked or felt attracted. And almost at the beginning of the following year, Rarity and Applejack broke up..."
"...Why give that gift if you felt something for someone else? In cases like this, when it’s about giving something very special and significant, sweet words and promises are exchanged. If the gift exchange happened, then those were empty promises without feelings," finished explaining.
"It sounds sad, but it makes sense. Why give it if Applejack would break up with her a few months later?" said Trixie with a sad expression.
"Exactly, that’s why I hope she didn’t give it," she commented with the same expression.
Ending the conversation, Trixie said goodbye to her friend, took a taxi, and Starlight headed home, the rain falling softly around her.
