Sunset had finished her last class for the day and was making her way to her locker to collect her science and math books for her homework. She thought back to her meeting with Principal Celestia. "All things considered, I'm pretty relieved to get some things off my chest," she thought. Even then, she found it hard to look her in the eye throughout the meeting. "Every time I look at her, I think about the other Celestia, and my blood just starts boiling." Grunting, she furiously rummaged through her locker for her books, completely unaware that a secret meeting was taking placing in the high school's library.

Pinkie was already in the library, typing on one of the many computers there. While typing up her next report to her friends on MyStable, she failed to notice that Miss Cherilee was coming up behind her.

“Oh, Pinkie~,” Miss Cherilee sang out, “I hope you're not using one of the computers for MyStable~. You know the rules about that, don’t you, dear?”

With a very light blush on her face, Pinkie looked up at her music teacher, offering her a soft, warm, yet weak, smile.

“Yes, Miss Cherilee,” Pinkie began. “I know the rules about not using school computers for personal business.” Pinkie reached over to the power switch, trying to shut off the computer before her teacher could see what was on the screen. “I was, uh, just doing research for a school paper. Yeah, that it’s, it a school paper.”

Miss Cherliee had already seen what Pinkie was typing up on the computer. She smiled to herself, turned to leave, but stopped when she realized that Pinkie was one of Sunsets friend's.Turning back around, she said warmly to her, “Listen, I'm willing to let this slide, this one single time, but you need to do something for me in return.”

Pinkie smiled, her hair slightly fizzling upwards as she replied to her music teacher, “What do you want me to do, Miss Cherilee?”

Miss Cherilee looked around quickly to make sure no one was in the immediate area before she pulled out a chair next to Pinkie and sat down. Her expression became sad as she reached into her purse, taking out a photo and giving it to Pinkie. As Pinkie took the photo, she saw Miss Cherilee's expression.

Pinkie looked at the photo, which depicted Sunset and Miss Cherliree having a music lesson together. Sunset was wearing her normal leather coat and pink shirt. Both of them looked happy in the photo.

“Tell me how Sunset is doing. I'm a little worried for her.”

Confused, Pinkie handed back the photo to Miss Cherilee.

“I don’t understand why are you're worried about Sunny; she seems fine.” Putting a pink finger to her chin and looking up towards the ceiling, Pinkie continued, “Well, expect for her outburst to Dashy today at lunch. Otherwise, yeah, she seems fine to me.”

“Pinkie, I have reason to believe she might be...” Miss Cherilee looked down for a second, sighing and finishing, “living on the streets or in a homeless shelter.”

“What?”

Miss Cherilee looked conflicted. “This is something that I shouldn’t be talking about, but I feel I need to talk to someone because I'm worried about her.”

“What's wrong with Sunny? Please, you have to tell me; she's my friend!”

“I found her sleeping in the library two days after the Fall Formal. She was ready to leave, thinking that no one would ever trust her or give her a second chance. All that girl wanted was to be loved and cared for so I...took her in. Six days after, she left my home without a word to me about it. I have been trying to get her to come to the office so that I can speak to her about it. Yet I think that she's avoiding me. I think it is out of shame, but I am not sure.”

“I’ll talk to her about that. No one should be living on the streets, but can it wait till after the holidays? I kinda want to make this special for Sunny. I don’t want this to ruin the holidays for her. Besides, I am getting the sense that she hasn’t ever celebrated the Christmas spirit.”

Miss Cherilee laid a gentle, reassuring hand onto Pinkie's shoulder, smiled warmly to her, then got up to leave. Looking over her shoulder, she said, “Of course it can wait. Just don’t take too long with this.”

“Uh, before you go, why didn’t you just have Principal Celestia or Vice Principal Luna have her come to the office?”

“I did, and every time she would show up while I was there, she would turn around and leave. I swear, I have never seen a student snub a teacher like that before. But I requested that she be allowed to come to me when she was ready. Now, it is getting late, and you need to start heading home. I’ll let you and friends stay in here another hour, but after that, I am going to have to shoo you all out the door, got it?”

“Friends?” Pinkie quirked an eyebrow as Miss Cherrilee pointed a lilac finger towards four girls walking into the library. Pinkie turned to face her friends, saying only two words as Miss Cherilee walked away, “Got it.”

“Hey yo, Pinkie!” Rainbow called out to her, “You, ready to help us with this friendship problem?”

Hopping up and down, Pinkie bounced from foot to foot, much to the annoyance of her friends as she excitedly replied to Rainbow, “YOU KNOW I AM, DASHY!”

“Pinkie, for the hundredth time,” Rainbow said, face-palming, “don't call me 'Dashy'!”

Pinkie grinned widely when Rainbow yelled at her. Hearing her friend get a tad upset about being called 'Dashy' was something that Pinkie secretly lived for.

“Alright, y’all, just settle down, now.” Applejack stepped in between Pinkie and Rainbow. “I asked y'all here to talk about Sunset, not for you and Pinkie to fight, Rainbow.” Applejack gave Rainbow a stern look which caused the blue-skinned athlete to back down.

Rainbow and Pinkie both looked at each other, then at Applejack. Both had sheepish grins on their faces. Rarity took a seat next to Fluttershy, who was already sitting down at the computer that Pinkie had been using. Before anyone started, Fluttershy read what Pinkie had posted to MyStable.

“'Oh, can’t wait to spend the holidays with my girls. I am so rocking this new outfit that Rarity helped me pick out. Can’t wait to give Angel Bunny a special Pinkie Pie carrot cake.'”

Fluttershy raised a eyebrow as she looked up from the computer screen. Pinkie saw the look on her face and smirked back at her.

“Thank you for offering to give Angel Bunny a cake, Pinkie. I'm sure he will love it.”

“Oh, no problem at all, Fluttershy. Besides, seeing his little happy smile makes me happy.”

“Okay, girls. Let's get this started, shall we?” Applejack interjected as all eyes fell on her.

“So yeah, AJ, what's up with Sunset? I mean, I know we can all sometimes get under each other's skin and and all, but to blow up to us like that at lunch was way not cool of her,” Rainbow said with a slight look of irritation in her eyes.

“Well, as y'all know, she has been working hard--and I mean really hard--at reforming.”

Rarity took out a couple of knitting needles and yarn and began to knit while calmly stating to all present, “Darling, what does that have to do with how she acted today at lunch?”

“Ah'm getting to that, Rarity. If you'll just let me finish,0 Ah think Ah might be able to get to this with a good reason as to WHY Sunset acted like that.”

Everyone fell silent. Rarity put away her knitting supplies and cleared her throat as all eyes fell to Applejack.

“Now, as Ah was saying, Sunset has worked hard to reform herself from her old, nasty ways. However, she don’t have anyone ta spend the holidays with. So, Ah think we five might be able ta help her out with that.”

“Whoa, back up here, AJ. What do you mean ‘Sunset doesn’t have anyone to spend the holidays with'? What type of bunk is that? Of course Sunset has some--”

“No, Rainbow, she ain't got nobody ta spend this Christmas with,” Applejack interrupted. “She's alone in this world. We all have our families, but she don’t have a family of any kind. At least, not here, that is.”

“That’s the most terrible thing I have ever heard! How could she not have a family?” Rarity said, her mouth slightly hanging open.

“Ah know it sounds awful, and it is.” Applejack looked to Rarity. “Rarity, you have yer sister and yer mother and father.” She looked to Rainbow. “Rainbow, you have yer sister and yer mother.” She looked over to Fluttershy, who looked away, blushing slightly. “Fluttershy, you have yer brother and both parents.” She looked to Pinkie, who gave a slight smile while her hair deflated slightly. “Pinkie, you have all three of yer sisters and yer mother and father.” She pointed to herself. “And Ah have m' big brother, Granny Smith and m' little sister.”

Applejack looked down, taking her hat off and rubbing the brim of it with her thumb and index finger. “Sunset... Well, Sunset told me that she's alone in this world. Although she calls us her family, we really ain't her family. But, Ah think we can change that by starting to act like her family and showin' her that she's loved 'n' wanted.”

“That's really cool and all,” Rainbow began, jumping out of her seat, causing Fluttershy to jump in fright, “but how are we supposed to do that, Applejack? My mom would freak if I brought Sunset home to stay.”

“Simple, Rainbow. Two words." Applejack put her hat back on, a look of pure determination in her eyes. “Slumber--"

“PARTY!” Pinkie screamed, her hair going six times fluffier. “Yesyesyesyes, we are so throwing that girl the best slumber parties EVER!” Pinkie bounced around like a rubber ball, waving her arms like a chicken.

“Yes, Ah was thinking we could have some slumber parties, and once they're done, you all, including Sunset, would come over ta Sweet Apple Acres.”

Pinkie stopped bouncing around, looked at her friends, then said as she raced towards the front door of the library, “Great! I’ll go tell Sunset the good news!”

“Wait!” Applejack called out to her.

It was too late, though. All anyone saw was a pink, fuzzy blur race out of the library towards the lockers. Pinkie charged like a rampaging bull down the hallway, knocking student after student over as she made a mad dash towards Sunset's locker. Skidding to a halt when she found her friend at her locker, she ran up to her, waving her arms around like a big, pink turkey.

“SUNNYSUNNYSUNNY!” Pinkie squealed when she got up to Sunset, "Slumberpartymyhouserightnow!”

"Wait, what?" Sunset looked at her friend, confused. "Pink--"

Before Sunset had a chance to calm Pinkie down or get another word in edgewise, she was suddenly grabbed by her arm and yanked away from her locker. The only thing anyone actually heard was a loud 'yaaaaaa' before being bowled over again by the rampaging pink partygoer. All anyone that was actually left standing in the hallway saw was a red and pink blur racing towards the front doors of the school. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were both completely bowled over by the pair. While each sister helped the other up, Rainbow and her other friends were just coming up behind the two principals.

“Sister, what was that that just knocked us over?” Luna asked, dusting herself off.

“Hmmm, I think it was Pinkie dragging Sunset behind her, sister dear.”

“WHICH WAY DID THEY GO?” All four girls shouted in unison, reaching the two principals.

The two principals looked at each other, then at the four girls, who gave them expectant looks.

“That way,” both Celestia and Luna replied, pointing towards the doors.

“Thanks Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. You've been a lot of help,” Applejack called back as they raced after her two friends.

Each of the four girls got outside moments later, only to find both Sunset and Pinkie nowhere in sight. Shaking her head, Applejack just smiled, Fluttershy let out a sigh, Rarity grinned happily, and Rainbow kept looking from left to right, trying to figure out which way to go. It only took a few moments for each of them to call their families and let them know what was going on. Applejack's brother pulled up to the school, along with Rainbow's mother. Fluttershy’s father pulled up a few minutes after Applejack, Rainbow and Rarity all left. She, like the others, was eagerly awaiting the sleepover at Pinkie's.

Next Chapter: Where's Applejack? (Edited by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 22 Hours, 18 Minutes