“Manehattan? Ah wanna go! Ah wanna go!” Apple Bloom yelled, jumping up and down in excitement.

Rarity giggled at the sight and levitated the tickets she was holding with her magic next to Applejack.

“Well, she seems enthusiastic enough. I'll take I´ll see you both at the train station at seven?” she asked Applejack.

“No.”

“No? What do yah meant no? Ah wanna go!” Apple Bloom yelled some more.

“I must insist as well, Applejack. Whatever reason you´re saying no to all expenses covered trip to Manehattan?” Rarity asked, her generous nature offended by having her friend reject her gift so bluntly.

“Ah said no because ah still plenty of work to do here and besides, ah´m already done with that city,” Applejack said.

“But Applejack, it´s Manehattan! Ah finally get a chance to see Babs again! And ah never seen the city before! Ah wanna go sightseeing, ah wanna visit aunt and uncle Orange house, ah wanna go!”

Keeping the same stern glaze, Applejack approached Apple Bloom. “You do understand we´re going to a concert, right?”

“Of course ah do!”

“Not a concert like the ones we had ´ere at the farm or the ones Pinkie pulls with her Canterlot friends. Ah mean a fancy concert in a hall filled with ponies in top hats and monocles. Where yah have you stand really, really still and quiet for over two hours?”

Apple Bloom gulped, suddenly realizing what her sister meant. She looked at Rarity that had an eyebrow raised, awaiting her response. Apple Bloom usually dismissed Sweetiés complaints about her sister but, looking at her like that, she thought Rarity seemed a stricter teacher than Cheerilee.

“Ah...ah promised to be really, really quiet.”

Applejack sighed and looked at Rarity, who was now smiling and still holding the tickets in the air.

“Ah´m going to regret this,”

*****

It was hard to tell who was more entranced by the city´s light, if Apple Bloom or Rarity, with both jumping up and down and giggling in such a silly way. Even Bas Seed thought her cousin looked a little silly being so excited. Meanwhile, Applejack was already regretting the whole thing, being forced into a very uncomfortable dress and dragged into a city she didn´t wanted to set hoof again.

“Oh, isn´t this wonderful, Applejack? Manehattan is such a wonderful city and look at the Concert Hall! Oh, I can´t believe you actually abandoned this place to return to that old, dirty farm. Oh, offenses, darling,” Rarity said.

Applejack omitted the “none taken” and simply kept walking.

“Oh Applejack, do cheer up! Look at your little sister, she´s enjoying the sights. And besides, it´s not like you actually had anything to do on Hearts and Hooves Day. You have to admit that me showing up with those tickets was a blessing,” Rarity said.

“Yah do realize by that logic, you too had nutin´ to do on this day?” Applejack teased her but Rarity rejected her with a “pfft” sound.

“Please, in the most romantic city of Equestria, in the most romantic night of the year, I´m sure to find a suitable date for the evening. I can even get something for you...”

“No, thanks.”

Rarity stopped Applejack then and held her straight, looking genuinely concerned. “Applejack, now that I come to think about it, you hardly talk about your love life. Even Fluttershy is more open about her dates. Granted, they usually end with Rainbow punching the poor stallion into a pulp for accidentally startling her. But, you...”

Applejack removed her rambling friend´s hoof from her shoulders and dismissed her worries. “Ah´m fine, Rarity. Ah just...don't like to talk about those things. That's all.”

Rarity was about to ask something more when Apple Bloom yelled at them.

“Applejack! Rarity! Come ´ere! Auntie Orange says she can get us behind stage!”

“Oh, access to backstage before the biggest concert of the year? Oh, it´s good to have a friend whose family has connections! Rarity declared, immediately forgetting about the previous issue,

Once backstage, Apple Bloom quickly became depressed once she realized that the musician were just a bunch of boring earth ponies who quietly cleaned their instruments. Applejack patted her head and looked at Rarity, who had quite the opposite reaction, pestering every single player, especially the males one. Applejack laughed, noticing how, when excited, she acted more like Pinkie Pie than her usual stiff self.

“Applejack, look who´s here! your old friend, Octavia!” Uncle Orange announced, bringing with him a grey mare with deep purple eyes.

Hearing the name, Rarity trotted next to them, taking down a few players in the way. “You know her?!”

“Of course she does! During the months she lived with us, Applejack and Octavia were inseparable. Almost like sister,” Uncle Orange causally explained.

It seemed like a simple reunion between two old friends, but Rarity´s attention to details noticed something else. She noticed how Octavia searched for Applejack´s look and she in turn shifted her eyes away.

“You two were friends then?” Babs Seed asked Octavia.

“Close friends,” she quietly replied, and Rarity once more noticed how Applejack looked away.

All her happiness banished in an instant once she understand the situation. The musicians got a call to get ready and the Oranges said it was time to return to their seats.

“It was nice meeting you again, Applejack,” octavia said but Applejack didn't replied.

Once in their seats, while the Organes tried to keep both fillies to seat still, Rarity looked at Applejack. Her friend seemed distant, distracted, like she had return to someplace deep inside her memories.

“I´m sorry, Applejack, “ Rarity said.

“Uh? What for?”

“For bringing you here. Now I understand why you never talk about your love life or about your time here in the city. It´s because of her, right?” Rarity looked at Applejack, whose face refused to show an expression. “If I can ask what happened between you two...no, no. Forget that, it´s none of my business.”

“Rarity...” Applejack said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “It´s okay. Ah´m good. Honest.”

Rarity wasn't so sure about it but say nothing and let Applejack kept smiling.

“Ah´m not mad at you. And don´t get the wrong impression either. Ah don´t hate this city, ah have...wonderful memories of it.”

“But you also have some sad ones as well?” Rarity asked.

The lights went out and the band took their places. Applejack looked at octavia taking her place.

“Well, guess that´s love for you...”

And then, the band started playing...