“Ah think you and Ah need to have ourselves some friendship time, Sunset. Mind if Ah join ya?”

With those words, Applejack looked into her friend's teal eyes as Sunset slowly reopened her eyes. Applejack wiped away another tear that was threatening to leak out of her friend's. Sunset slowly breathed out, her breath clouding in front of her. Applejack stood up and wiped away the snow that was on the bench next to Sunset. She sat down, gently pulling the redhead into a warm embrace and laying her head onto her shoulder. She softly stroked her fingers through Sunset’s hair, whispering to her as she did so.

“Shh, Sunset. It's gonna be alright. Everythin' will be alright.”

Applejack’s soothing, soft voice hit Sunset like a ton of bricks. It brought back everything she had done, from leaving Equestria to the Fall Formal. Even The Battle of the Bands paled in comparison to how she was feeling now.

Applejack soothed her friend as she said to her while stroking her red and yellow hair, “Whatever's botherin' ya, Sunset, know that Ah'll never leave ya. You have a family with us, and yer my family. Family is more than just who yer born to. It's who loves you and cares fer you. Don’t you ever forget that, Sunset.”

Sunset fought back her tears. All of her pent-up rage and emotions had been building up to this one single moment in time. Sunset shuddered, trying hard to keep herself from crying on her friend's shoulder. While Applejack’s words might have sounded pleasant at any other time, today they only served to bring her further pain and misery.

Sunset let her thoughts dwell on something she wanted to tell her friend yet was scared to do so. Something that was so dark and so vile that it was causing the redhead to feel as if she would never belong anywhere. Not in Equestria, and not in the human world. While choking back another sob, she said, “Why, Applejack? Why are you my friend? I don’t deserve friendship like yours. I don’t deserve to be happy or to have a...a family.”

Wrapping her arms around Sunset's shoulders and holding her tight, Applejack gently said, “That ain't true, Sunset. You do deserve m' friendship, and you do very much deserve ta be happy. You do deserve ta have a family that loves ya and cares fer ya.”

Sunset pushed herself off Applejack and looked out towards the half frozen pond. Getting up, she walked over to it, just staring off into space, lost in thought and completely numb to the living world around her.

Applejack, fearing that her friend was about to do something really foolish, also got up and followed her. Coming up behind her, she gently wrapped her arms around Sunset's waist, just as Sunset said, “Tell me about your mother and father, AJ.”

“What? Ah don’t see how talkin' about my family is gonna--”

“Please, AJ. I want to know what it's like to have someone that loves you. Please, tell me about them.”

Sighing heavily, Applejack rested her chin on Sunset's shoulder, saying to her while she held her friend in her arms, “Come back to the bench, Sunset. Ah’ll...Ah’ll talk ta ya about them if ya come back to the bench.”

Sunset closed her eyes. Gently removing Applejack's hands from around her waist, Sunset turned around, looked into her friend's forest-green eyes, and nodded. The two returned to the bench, and Sunset laid her head back down on Applejack’s shoulder while Applejack spoke to her.

“My ma and pa were the most kindhearted and most lovin' people anyone on this here planet could find. Ah strive to live by their example of being an Apple, showin' kindness, truthfulness, love, understandin', joy, and above all, faith. Ma always said, ‘Applejack, ya have ta have faith in those that're in yer life,’ and Ah always will. Or at least, Ah try to. It hasn’t always worked out fer me, though.”

Sunset breathed in and out slowly, wiping away another tear that had formed. She longed secretly to have a family like Applejack’s. She wanted someone to take care of her, to help teach her right from wrong, and to simply be there for her.

“Sugarcube, why'd ya want me ta tell ya about m' family? Ah know you don’t have anyone back where yer from waiting fer ya ta come home, but still, why'd ya want me ta tell ya?”

“I wanted to know about your family, because I...I have no memory of anything about mine. I only remember Celestia and Cheerilee, but I have no memory of the ones who gave me up...” Sunset's voice trailed off as she considered telling her friend the truth of her origins.

“That's really sad Sunset. Ah wish ah could help ya Sunset ah just don't know what ta do is all.”

Again, Sunset pushed herself off of her friend. Sitting up, she crossed her arms and legs, staring coldly into the blankness of the park. Applejack shook her head. Getting up, she stood in front of Sunset, blocking her view of the park. Kneeling down, she said while taking Sunset by her hands, “Sunset, please whatever's really botherin' ya, please don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. If there's one thing Ah learned--”

“It was my fault,” Sunset said. Her words came out of her mouth coldly, so distantly, it was as if she was reliving a part of her past that was so dark that she had pushed it to furthest reaches of her mind. “It was all my fault. I caused it to happen. I don’t see how you can forgive me for what I did to you…Cheerilee.”

Looking directly into Sunset's eyes, Applejack almost fell over as she tried to step back. Sunset's eyes were completely devoid of life.

“Sunset, please come back ta me.”

Applejack reached out a tentative hand, taking Sunset by hers, causing her friend to jump. Sunset looked around, then saw her friend looking right at her with a very worried look on her face. As Applejack got up and sat back down next to Sunset, she said, “Sugarcube, Ah know it's none o' m' business, but what were ya talkin' about? And why did ya call me Cheerilee?”

“I'm sorry, AJ, I didn’t…” Sunset sighed. “Can we talk about something else, please? Anything at all other than myself?”

“Ah don’t think that's a good idea, Sunset. You were actin' mighty peculiar.”

“Please, AJ, don’t ask me anything about my past. I really don’t wanna talk about it.”

Applejack shook her head, letting out another sigh. She leaned back into the bench, allowing Sunset to rest her head against her shoulder again.

“I don’t know, Applejack,” Sunset started. “I guess I'm really homesick, is all. I came out here with the intent to read my journal, yet I haven't read it since our sleepover at Pinkie's”

“Wait, ya mean ta tell me ya ain't read that book fer a week? Why on Earth have ya waited so long ta see what Twilight has ta say ta you?”

“Because I'm scared, alright?” Sunset snapped back. “I'm scared of being alone, that to Twilight, a sleepover is a waste of time when I should be out there learning about friendship, not wasting her time with stupid reports about what it's like to get hit with a pillow or to sleep over at someone's house.”

“Now, you lookie here, Sunset Shimmer. You've wasted nobody's time, and you definitely haven't wasted Twilight's time.”

“How can you say that, AJ?” Sunset’s eyes went wide as she sat up, looking at her friend, who simply smiled back warmly to her. “How can you possibly justify saying that to me? You don’t know what I've done!”

Applejack's warm smile dropped, her patience finally gone. “Ah know all Ah need to know about you, Sunset Shimmer!” Applejack shot back, almost seething with anger. “Ah know that yer my friend and that yer a good person. Ah know that to me, yer family, that you have a home here with all of us. Ah know we all love you, and we all fuckin' care about you, ya jerk. Now, how about Ah sit with you, while you open yer journal and see what Twilight has ta say ta you?”

“Before I do, just tell me. Why do I truly deserve to be your friend? What have I actually done to show you that I am indeed your friend?”

“Oh, fer--Look, ya helped us stop the sirens during the Battle of the Bands!”

“Not good enough. Anyone could've done that.”

“True, but could anyone have pulled us together when Trixie dropped us under the stage? Or could anyone else have showed me that Ah was a real jerk ta you back then.”

“Wait, what?”

“Ah never did apologize ta you for the awful things Ah said ta you durin' the Battle of the Bands. Ah knew you were havin' a hard time copin' with breakin' up with Flash. Yet Ah went along with m’ friends and completely ignored yer feelings on the matter. Ah kept right on remindin' you what a awful person ya were until we needed ya, and Ah mean we REALLY needed ya. But, you showed me that day what true friendship is and what true honesty is, and for that, Ah'm very grateful. So, what do ya say, Sunset? Will ya forgive me fer how Ah treated ya back then?”

Applejack got off the bench, took off her hat, and held it in one hand while holding out her other to her friend, hoping she would take her hand. Sunset looked down at her friend's hand, then slowly got off the bench, taking Applejack's hand, saying while she looked at her friend with a warm smile finally showing on her half-frozen face, “I fully forgive you, Applejack, and...and I'm sorry for being out here in the cold like this.”

“Think nothin' of it, Sunset. Now, shall we see what Twilight has ta say, or do ya still need ta vent some more?”

“You just don’t know when to quit, do you, AJ?”

“Nope, but Ah’ll let it alone. However, before Ah do, Ah want ya ta know that Ah'll be there fer ya when ya need me ta be there.”

“Thanks.”

Sunset sat back down, with Applejack sitting next to her. She breathed out hard at first, then slowed her exhale before opening her journal to see Twilight's message to her.

Dear Sunset,

I am truly happy to hear that you are learning about friendship and that you have had your first sleepover. I, too, know what it is like to have a first sleepover and how fun it can be. I hope you played lots of games and are learning more about friendship every day. I also wish you a very happy Hearth's Warming Eve. Although I can’t get away right now from my duties here in Equestria, I want you to know that you will always be in my heart. I can’t wait to hear from you again. I hope you have a wonderful time this time of year.
Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle

Sunset closed the book, looked at her friend, and let out a contented sigh. Applejack got up, saying while she held out her hand to Sunset, “Come on. We have a sleepover to get to and a dance on Saturday.”

“D..Dance? Like, an actual dance? A dance where you dance on a music floor with...someone...else?”

“Uh, yes?”

Sunset gulped, something that Applejack noticed. Applejack’s eyes went wide when she realized why Sunset suddenly looked so nervous.

“Don’t tell me ya can’t dance.”

Before Sunset could get a single word in, Applejack took out her phone, pressed a few buttons on it, then held it to her ear, saying, “Hello, Rarity. It's me, AJ. Listen, can ya pick me and Sunset up at the--oh, you are? Well, if that doesn’t just beat all. Listen, since yer on yer, way can you bring some sort of music with you? Ah'm gonna teach Sunset here how ta dance before we leave the park.”

Sunset suddenly felt like she had been kicked in the stomach by one of Applejack's horses. As Applejack hung up the phone, she saw the very worried look on her friend's face and smiled warmly to her.

“Hey, don’t worry. You won’t hurt me, Sunset.”

“It's not you I'm worried about, AJ. I mean, what if I look like a fool? What if I stumble and knock something over? What if I trip over the other person's feet, or--”

“Sunset.”

“Yeah?”

Applejack looked past Sunset over her right shoulder and saw a brown station wagon pull up Rarity got out and waved to the two of them she had a pleasant smile on her face.

“She’s here.”

“Great." Sunset replied slightly rolling her eyes. "You sure we can’t just, I don’t know, skip this?”

Applejack laughed. Taking Sunset by her hand, she helped her friend up, then walked her over to Rarity, who turned to her mother and nodded. Rarity’s mother switched on a turntable, and soft violin music could be heard coming from the car.

Applejack gently took Sunset by her hand and waist, and the two slowly but surely began to dance, with Sunset trembling with each step she took and Applejack trying not to get stepped on. Rarity cut in about halfway through to show Sunset how to lead her partner in the direction she wanted her to go in.

The next few hours were spent with Applejack switching off with Rarity, each showing Sunset how to dance. All in all, Sunset began to enjoy the lessons, even starting to lead instead of being led by either Rarity or Applejack.

When it was all over, and when the three returned to Rarity's house, they saw Pinkie standing on Rarity's front porch. Pinkie had a big box of tasty treats for everyone in her hands. She waved happily to her friends, even though her thoughts dwelt mainly on the strange box she found back at the Cakes' cafe.

Next Chapter: An Evening Relaxing (Edited by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 20 Hours, 46 Minutes