Winter had come early to the city of Canterlot. The wind blew lightly across the frozen landscape, blowing up the hair of a red- and yellow-haired girl as she stepped off the city bus. Her boots made a soft crunching sound as she walked through the snow-covered sidewalk leading to the local high school. Sunset stopped briefly to look up at the grey sky above, thinking to herself as the snow fell on her face and boots. She let out a breath of air as a contented sigh.

“Ah, home. I wonder if this is what it truly feels like to have a place to call home?”

Sunset had spent the last few days with Applejack and her family at Sweet Apple Acres. Thanksgiving had long since come and gone. It was now December, Monday the Fifth, 7:30 a.m. Sunset made her way down the sidewalk towards Canterlot High School, stopping only when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her from behind her.

“Hold up there, Sunset,” the voice called out to her.

She turned around to see Applejack coming up behind her, her brown Stetson hat tipped back on her head revealing her golden blond hair. Her forest-green eyes sparkled with a majesty that showed awe and wonder. As Applejack got closer to her, Sunset saw her breath come out in a fog, making her look more like a dragon and less of a seventeen-year-old girl. Sunset offered the farmer a warm smile and a happy nod to her.

Turning back around to face the school, Sunset said, “Wow, this is really beautiful, isn’t it, Applejack?”

“Yep, it sure is, Sunset.” Applejack looked up at the cold sky above, smiling. “It looks like a winter wonderland, don’t it?”

“Yeah, it does.”

The two looked both ways before crossing the street, heading to the nearby school. The school was blanketed in a soft layer of white, fluffy snow. Icicles hung from the building, adding to the already beautiful scene. Snow fell lazily down around the two as they made their way to the double doors leading inside the school itself.

With each snowflake that fell, Sunset saw more beauty and more gorgeous serenity than before. Getting up to the doors, Applejack turned around. Her gaze fell upon the wide open space of the street and the lawn out in front of the school.

“Ah love the winter, Sunset. There's just something about this cold, chilly time of year that makes me wanna just sit at home in front of m' fireplace with a good book in one hand an' a cup of hot cocoa in the other.”

Sunset also turned around, her gaze also falling to the same place that Applejack's had, drinking in the white-covered lawn. Applejack continued to speak while Sunset let out a contented, happy sigh.

“You know what the very best part of the upcoming holidays are, Sunset?”

“No, what, AJ?”

“It's bein' able ta spend time with your family, getting to see them having fun, and experiencin' the laughter and joy ya get when ya see yer family openin' the gifts ya got 'em.”

Sunset’s facial expression instantly changed from one of happiness to one of sadness in a matter of seconds. She lowered her head, letting out a slightly forced sigh.

“I wouldn’t know about that, Applejack. I haven’t been home in a...long time.”

“Oh, Ah see. Don’t ya have anyone ta spend the holiday season with, Sunset?”

Sunset didn’t reply right away. She turned around, took a hold of the door opened it, and walked inside the school, her head hung low. Getting inside, Applejack followed Sunset to her locker and watched her put her things away as Sunset replied, “I wouldn’t know what it's like to spend time with family because I...don’t have any family.”

“That's…” Applejack swallowed hard. To hear her friend had no one to turn to during the holidays almost broke her heart. “That's...awful, Sunset.”

“Yeah, I know. Even before I came to this world, I was alone.” Sunset closed her eyes. Her jaw quivered slightly, something that Applejack noticed. As she shut her locker, while Applejack opened the one next to hers, she continued, “I was only a little filly when my….Well, it doesn’t matter, Applejack. I have all of you, now, so yeah, it really doesn’t matter.”

“I see. Tell me, Sunset. Do they have the same holidays back, uh, where yer from?”

“I don’t know about the same ones, but yes, every pony--er, everyone--does get together with their family and loved ones at this time of year. They sing songs, much like you do here, and they drink hot cider and generally have a good time.”

Taking a hold of Applejack, Sunset gently pulled her friend into a warm hug, saying to her as she hugged her tightly, “Look, AJ, there's no need for you to worry about me. I’ll be fine. I promise, you’ll see.” Ending the hug and looking Applejack in right in her forest-green eyes, she finished, “You need to get to class. I’ll catch up with you later on today, during lunch.”

Applejack looked down, then back up into Sunset cyan eyes as she replied to her, “O-Okay, Sunset, if you say so. I’ll see you at lunch, then.”
Sunset waved her goodbyes to her friend, turned to the left, and headed to class. Once Applejack was sure she was out of sight, she smiled slightly to herself. Taking out her cellphone she typed a message out on it.

"Hey girls! Friendship emergency! Secret meeting in the library after school!! DON’T TELL SUNSET."

After sending it and making sure it was sent to Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, she headed for her own class.
Pinkie was already in the library, rocking back and forth on a chair with her legs crossed out in front of her, balancing her phone on the tip of her nose. She fell out of the chair, hitting the ground with a painful yelp when her phone bleeped out, “Incoming text.”

“Huh?” Pinkie climbed back to her feet, looked at her phone, then swiped the screen to see the message. “Oh no, a friendship problem with...Sunny?!” she thought to herself as she read the message. Her hair slightly deflated when she got done reading the message.

Rainbow was in her own class, tapping a pencil back and forth, when her phone bleeped out as well. Taking the phone in her hand, she, like Pinkie, swiped the screen, saw the message and texted back right away.

"Be there as soon as School lets out! Don’t worry, I won’t tell Sunset about this. But this better be good, AJ. I don’t like keeping secrets from my awesome friends."

"I know you don’t, but this is important, Rainbow!"

Applejack texted back,

"I have something very important to talk to you all about. Please just show up after school. I’ll explain then."

Fluttershy and Rarity both had the same class together. Fluttershy heard her phone bleep out just as Rarity sat down next to her. Picking up her phone, she swiped the screen, read the message, then looked at Rarity, saying to her, “You wouldn’t happen to know what Applejack wants to talk to us about, would you, Rarity?”

Rarity set down her purse, took out her own phone, read the message, then replied, “No, darling, I am not sure what is going on either, but I can assure you Applejack wouldn’t want us to keep this from Sunset unless it was something truly important.” Placing a snow-white finger to her chin, she tapped her chin a few times, “Hmmm, maybe she wants help in finding Sunset a new wardrobe of some sort. I mean, Christmas is only a few weeks away.”

Fluttershy looked down at her desk she meekly squeaked out, “You don’t think it might be anything bad, do you Rarity?”

“Oh, perish the thought, dear. Sunset has been our friend ever since the Fall Formal. So, no, I think I'm pretty sure it's nothing to be worried about.”

“Okay. So, do you think I should still go to the meeting, then, Rarity?”

“What? Yes, you should still go, darling. We all should be there. Besides you might be able to think of something that we might not.”

The teacher walked into the classroom at this time, causing Rarity to turn her attention towards the teacher and end her conversation with Fluttershy. As the time slowly ticked by, Fluttershy’s thoughts rested on what Applejack had meant by "friendship emergency". It wasn’t until she heard Rarity’s name being called up to the front desk that her attention suddenly snapped back to the class. She watched as Rarity got up, straightened out her dress, and headed up to the front of the class. Fluttershy looked at Rarity as she returned a few minutes later with a slightly confused look on her face.

Beaming at Fluttershy, Rarity said, “Oh, I just got the best news EVER!”

Rarity took her seat, pulled out her note book, jotted something down, then put it back into her backpack, leaving Fluttershy even more confused than she was before. When Rarity looked back up, she saw the confused look on Fluttershy’s face, smiled warmly to her, and said, “Oh, darling, my fashion show for the Christmas pageant has been approved! I can’t wait to get you up on stage and in one of my new Christmas outfits.”

Hearing this, Fluttershy sank deeply into her chair. A look of fear came over her face. Although Rarity usually meant well, being up on stage and in front of the whole school nonetheless gave the timid girl an awful fright. Trying to hide how worried she was, Fluttershy tried to reply, yet nothing came out of her mouth other than small squeaks. Rarity mistook this as Fluttershy wanting to take part in the show. A half-hour later, the bell rang out signaling that it was time for the next class. Both Rarity and Fluttershy got up and headed out into the hallway. Fluttershy felt her stomach turn as she followed her friend to her locker to collect her books for her next class.

Next Chapter: Cafeteria (Edited by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 22 Hours, 34 Minutes