Chapter 83

A day with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy was a fun, but interesting prospect, to say the least.

Pinkie did a satisfactory job of driving the old car...at least I think she did. To be honest, I can’t say for sure how well she did since I spent most of the trip to Canterlot in the back seat with Fluttershy, lost in her sparkling eyes and cotton-candy hair.

The only time the shy girl acted out-of-sorts was when we passed the curve with the bent guard-rail, where she’d lost her battle with seven CIA agents and ended up captured.

Something about that event bothered me. It happened in the middle of the woods, with literal armies of animals surrounding them. How is it that Fluttershy failed to escape? It just didn’t make sense to me. As curious as I was about it, however, I was happy to have her at my side again and both of us were in high-spirits, so I decided not to ask her any difficult questions.

At the grocery store, Fluttershy and I got ourselves a cart and sauntered around the store like an elderly couple, enjoying the leisurely pace of the day together. For the most part, we kept our distance from Pinkie, mostly due to the fact that the party-girl insisted on getting around the store by skipping, no matter how many times Fluttershy and I reminded her that she wasn’t wearing a bra and was therefore only one cell phone shot away from being featured on 'PeopleofWalmart.com.'

After gathering everything we needed, paying and then loading the groceries into the car, we headed back to the shy girl’s house and brought everything inside. I then left Pinkie and Fluttershy to sort everything out and put away what was unneeded, hopping into the Diplomat once again to head back to my shop to build a metal saw-horse that would stand over the fire pit and suspend a large cast-iron pot above the heat, which I planned on cooking the steaks in.

Upon my return to Fluttershy’s, I found Rarity’s car parked in the driveway. Rainbow Dash was standing by the front door of the house, enjoying the outdoor air. Today, she was wearing her usual outfit, adjusted for the fall season of course; a short fuchsia skirt with white stripes down the sides and a pair of black leggings underneath, topped off by a white, long-sleeved shirt under her favourite blue jacket.

Once I parked and got out of the car, the rainbow-haired girl left the front door and appeared by my side in an instant, leaving a rainbow coloured streak in her wake.

“Dafuq’s goin on, Golds?” she greeted cheerfully, chuckling as she leaned down to look through the rear side window. “Whatcha got in the back seat?”

After recovering from her unexpected approach, I reached out to open the back door. “It’s for cooking over the fire,” I replied. “Could you give me a hand? I gotta take it to the backyard and put it together.”

“Sure,” Dash said, reaching into the back seat to grab one of the A-frames.

As she did so, I rested my forearm on the car’s roof and began to explain the contraption. “Yeah I had to build it in pieces becau-“

I stopped abruptly when she took off like a shot, leaving a trail of colours that led around the house and into the backyard.

“Hm.” I chewed the inside of my cheek as I glanced toward the corner of the house, waiting for her to come back.

Seconds later, Dash returned to my side with another trail of colours bringing up the rear. “Sorry Golds, what were you saying?” she asked, reaching into the car to pick up the next piece.

“Uh, I was saying it wouldn’t fit in this car-“

Again, she sped away in mid-sentence, leaving me alone in the driveway, talking to myself a second time. Sighing, I drummed my fingers impatiently on the metal roof, waiting for Rainbow Dash to return for the next part of the stand.

She zoomed around the house and returned to the car again, snickering when she saw the look on my face as she reached in to pick up the final piece of the stand. I paused this time, waiting for her to take off again; but instead, she stood there for a moment, looking as though she was waiting for me to continue.

Falling for it, I began to speak. “So, like I was sayin-“

ZOOM!

Dash took off like a shot and left me standing in her dust for a third time, rolling my eyes at my own naïveté.

As I watched the ribbon of colours fade away, a smirk crossed my face as an idea for getting her back began to formulate. After waiting a few seconds for her predicted return, I began speaking, starting mid-sentence to look as though I’d been talking the whole time she was gone.

“-and totally splooged on her ass!” I laughed, just as she returned to my side, chortling at her own trick before picking up on what I said.

“Haha! I got you aga…wait, WHAT?” she exclaimed, turning to me with wide eyes.

“Oh nothing,” I said, shaking my head as I reached into the back seat to grab the box of wrenches and bolts, handing it to her.

“No seriously,” she insisted, taking the box. “Who splooged on whose ass?”

“Well, if you’d stuck around to listen, then you would’ve heard, wouldn’t you?” I replied, reaching into the car one more time to retrieve the large, cast iron pot with a heavy chain coiled up inside.

As I nudged the door shut with my hip, Dash let out an exasperated snort. “Oh whatever, Dad!” she chided as I carried the pot around the car and headed for the backyard.

“Walk with me, Dashie,” I said, glancing back at her.

She jogged a few steps to catch up, jingling noisily as the hardware bounced around inside the box she carried.

“So like I was saying,” I continued, “I had to build this thing in sections because it wouldn’t fit in the car in one piece, and I don’t seem know where my truck is at the moment.”

“Ah,” Dash chuckled, glancing at me. “You might wanna ask ‘Little Miss Turbodiesel’ about that.”

“Who?”

“Heh. Rarity,” Dash chuckled. “She was driving it quite a bit while you were gone.”

“Really?” I asked, confused. “I thought she hated my truck?”

“I dunno,” she shrugged. “All I know is she borrowed it to go to the city to pick up a shipment of supplies for her shop or something.”

”Ah...the materials for the suits,” I realised, staring at the ground as I walked along.

“She even showed up at my apartment at the crack of dawn that day trying to get me to go with her,” Dash continued, “but I had to stay home cuz I felt super shitty that morning. I think she ended up taking Pinkie Pie instead.”

“Oh yeah…” I replied absentmindedly as we arrived in the backyard, stopping next to the fire pit. “That makes sense, actually.”

“What does?” She set the box down in the grass.

“Well, I asked Pinks where my truck was this morning and she said to ask Rare, which made no sense to me so I didn’t really listen to her,” I explained.

“Heh! Yeah, no one really listens to Pinkie. Everyone thinks she’s nuts,” Dash replied, reaching up to tighten her pony tail. “Which isn’t too far from the truth; I’d go nuts too if I lived in that house.”

I was propping up one end of the stand to bolt it together, occasionally glancing at Dash as she talked. “Yeah, she mentioned something about that this morning; about how her family gets under her skin sometimes. Did you know she was staying here while Flutters was gone?”

Dash nodded. “Yeah,” she replied, watching me use the wrenches to tighten the bolts. “Hey, if you’re so strong, why can’t you tighten those bolts without using tools?”

I glanced at her briefly before answering. “Because my fingertips tend to flatten the bolt heads. Then it’s hard to loosen them again, and you can’t get a wrench on them once they’re deformed.”

“Ah,” she nodded, watching me line up the other end of the stand to fasten it together.

“Hm, well...” I mumbled. “I guess I’d better ask Rare about my truck when I get inside, eh? She is in the house, right?”

“Yeah. We just got here a few minutes before you.”

I nodded, then spent a couple minutes tightening and re-checking the bolts, after which I tossed the tools into the box. “So,” I began, then paused before deciding to take the risk of asking Rainbow Dash a personal question. “Does using your speed like that bother your ankle?”

She stared at me for a moment, then folded her arms across her chest when she gathered that I must have heard about her injury. “Uhh...no,” she replied, gently kicking a twig that sat in the grass near her foot. “My magic kind of protects it. It actually hurts more when I run normal.”

“Oh,” I muttered, turning back to inspect the stand.

“Um…how did you know about that?” she asked, looking a tad vulnerable.

It was a look I’d never seen on Rainbow Dash’s face before. Normally, she had an air of confidence about her that was so profound it border-lined on arrogance, or even narcissism, but now, she looked so defenseless I actually felt remorseful for bringing it up.

“Um…the others told me about it,” I confessed.

“Oh,” Dash replied quietly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah, that whole thing sucked. It’s OK though, it was pretty easy to get through; all I had to do was give up on my dreams n’ stuff.” She forced an awkward chuckle.

I sighed, wishing I hadn’t opened my mouth; the mood was more sombre now, and it was my fault. “Sorry I brought it up, Dashie. And please don’t be mad at the others for telling me.”

She brought her gaze up, locking onto me with those striking cerise eyes. Finally, after staring long enough to make me feel a bit of discomfort, a smirk began to spread across one side of her face.

“Nah, it’s cool. You were gonna find out eventually, right? No biggie,” she shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess.”

The stand was ready by then, so I picked it up and placed it over the pit so it straddled the pile of wood, waiting patiently to be burnt. “Listen,” I said. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

Dash nodded, but remained silent.

“I’ve known a LOT of people,” I continued. “And I’ve seen some of them go through some pretty fucked-up shit, so there’s really nothing you could tell me that’s gonna put me off, or make me think you’re crazy or anything like that. Anything goes, Dashie...anytime you wanna talk.”

“OK. Thanks man.”

When I glanced over at her again, I noticed she was biting her lip as if something was on her mind. I was about to ask her if something was up, but just then we heard the sound of a noisy old V-8 rumbling into the driveway.

Dash’s eyes lit up suddenly. “AJ’s here!”

ZOOM!

I chuckled and shook my head after she sped away to meet her friend. A second later however, the rainbow-haired girl zipped back to the fire pit. “She’s on her way back here.”

About half a minute later, Applejack rounded the corner of the house with a scowl on her face, her arms spread in exasperation. She was wearing her hat, of course, as well as her white button-up shirt with the green shoulders and a pair of dirty, worn-out jeans. “What the hell, Dash? I was tryin ta fuckin talk ta ya!”

“Hey, chillax, AJ!” Dash replied, chuckling. “What were you saying?”

“Well, I was tryin ta tell ya about mah day,” Applejack continued as she stepped up beside me. “Hey sugarcube,” she greeted shortly, nodding.

“Hey,” I replied as Dash came up behind us and hopped up to snatch the Stetson off Applejack’s head, then plopped it down on mine.

I chuckled at Dash’s antics, shaking my head as the smell of the farm girl’s hat wafted into my senses. Apparently, dust, cigar smoke and a hint of sweat was the order of the day when it came to Applejack’s choice of scents.

Applejack was not impressed. “HEY! Git that off a’ him!” She quickly snatched the hat back, almost yanking me off my feet in the process.

“Jeez!” I grunted, staggering sideways. It was a rare thing for me to be thrown off-balance like that, but if anyone had the strength to do it, it was AJ.

“He don’t wanna wear that filthy fuckin thing!” she scolded, giving the hat a couple slaps to knock the dust out of it before placing it back on her matted hair.

After seeing her friend’s response, a less jovial Rainbow Dash's asked: “Something wrong, AJ?”

“Yeah, there is!” Applejack replied, turning to Dash with a sharp glare. “I’m fuckin madder ‘n a wet hen over here, but you wouldn’t know that since ya ran off while I was tryin ta tell ya ‘bout it.”

Rainbow Dash glanced at me for a second, to which I returned a shrug. “Well...sorry,” she said, turning back to the farm girl. “I was just messin around; I didn't know you were in such a bad mood.”

“Aw...it’s alright,” Applejack replied, putting her hands on her hips as she studied the cooking stand.

“Well, what’s eatin ya?” Dash asked.

“Aw, Filthy Rich is bein a thorn in mah side again,” she explained. “He showed up at the farm this afternoon—rollin up in his goddamn fuckin limo like owns the place...” She paused and gave her head a shake. “Anyway...he gets out and starts runnin his mouth at me and Big Mac, thinkin he’s gonna start tellin us all about ourselves...”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Ugh, what’s his fucking problem now?”

“Same as b’fore,” Applejack answered, “another shipment of cider with broken jars in it.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Dash groaned and shook her head. “Ugh! Why don’t you just switch to us?” she asked. “I keep telling you, I can get your shit delivered faster, cheaper, AND safer than those retards ever could.”

“I know, I know,” Applejack replied, “but Granny has the final say in that, and she’s been using the same shipper fer years and she don’t wanna switch.”

“Yeah, but they’re costing you guys money! And if you lose that contract with Filthy Rich, you’re gonna be outta some huge coin,” Rainbow Dash argued.

“I know. They did a great job for a long time, but the people they got workin there now are fuckin morons,” Applejack replied before turning her attention to me. “What’s this gizmo you got goin on here?”

“I’m gonna cook with it,” I replied, glancing away from the heavy pot, which I was in the process of hanging over the pit.

“I thought you were cookin steak and eggs?” Applejack asked. “What’s with the pot?”

“I am. It’s an old German recipe,” I replied, “but I’m cooking it American style; it’s a dish that became popular after the Germans immigrated to the southern states in the nineteenth century.”

Rainbow Dash lightly tapped Applejack on the arm with the back of her hand to bring the farm girl back to their conversation. “Hey, you want me to talk to Granny about switching shippers?”

“Uh,” Applejack paused, turning away from the pot to glance at Dash. “Nah. That won’t do ya any good. Granny’s pretty stuck in her ways. I appreciate the offer, Dash, but I think it’s best ta just leave it be fer now.”

“Fine,” Dash said, folding her arms.

“Ta be honest, I don’t even wanna think about it right now,” Applejack confessed. “I just wanna have a good time. Who else is here?”

“Uh...Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are in the house,” Dash answered. “And Sunset and Twilight are on the way, as far as I know.”

“Hm...well, I reckon it’s about time ta head inside,” Applejack said, turning to me. “How’s Fluttershy doin? She feelin better?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty much back to normal,” I replied. “We had ourselves a little heart-to-heart chat, and she eventually came around.”

“Aw that’s great to hear, sugarcube.” She glanced at the cooking contraption for a brief moment, then let out a sigh. “A’ight...I think I’m gonna go in n’ see her.”

“Hey,” Dash interrupted, with a mischievous tone. “I’m guessing after your heart-to-heart, you guys had a little dick-to-pussy action, eh?”

I turned to her with a smirk as she let out a suggestive chuckle. “Uh yeah, there may have been a bit of that going on,” I replied. “Very tactful, by the way; thanks for that.”

Applejack shook her head, letting out a quiet laugh.

“Anyway, I’m pretty much done here,” I continued, “I’m gonna head inside too. I gotta ask Rare where the hell my truck is.”

“Heh!” Applejack chuckled, adjusting her hat as she headed for the front yard. “Yeah, Rarity was quite the diesel dyke fer a bit there while you was gone.”

“Well, she’s bi, technically,” I joked, following her around the house with Dash at my side.

“No shit,” Applejack replied flatly. “I’ll be right in, you guys. There’s some apple fritters in the truck. I’m ‘a go grab ‘em.”

*****

In the house, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity were sitting at the table in that order, with Pinkie closest to the couch, and all three facing the counter.

Pinkie had changed by then, and was now wearing her white shirt with the heart on the front, the little blue jacket overtop and her pink skirt underneath.

Rarity had changed for work that morning and therefore had her hair styled in that always-elegant coiffure. She was wearing the loose, light-coloured shirt as always, with her purple skirt completing the ensemble.

“In the hotel shower?” Rarity was asking Fluttershy.

“Oh, yes,” the shy girl replied, clutching her hands to her chest with eyelids all-a-flutter. “He took such good care of me, Rare...”

“And he cleaned you off, like…everywhere, darling?” Rarity pried.

“Um, yes.” The shy girl nodded, blushing slightly. “He washed my hair, my face, my body, even my…”—red-faced, she lowered voice to a whisper and ducked her head before continuing— “e-even my bum.”

“WOW! Now that’s love!” Pinkie jumped in.

With impeccable timing, the front door opened and Rainbow Dash stepped inside, followed by me.

The sweet, aromatic smell of baking filled the house, bombarding mine and Dash’s nostrils with the mouth-watering scent, sending the rainbow-haired girl into a lip-licking frenzy as she bounced up behind Pinkie and Fluttershy.

“Oh my god, you guys!” she shouted, putting her face between her friends’. She hooked her arms around their necks to pull them close, sandwiching her cheeks between theirs. “What in the actual fuck have you two been baking in here? It smells totally awesome!”

“Why don’t you go see for yourself, Dashie?” Pinkie giggled, pointing to a tin foil covered platter on the counter.

Dash stood upright and gasped excitedly, then she zoomed around the table towards the mysterious dish.

Meanwhile, I had approached Rarity from her right, leaning around her to plant a kiss on her cheek as she watched Dash uncover the treasure beneath the foil.

“Ooh!” she squealed, turning to face me with a giggle. “There you are, darling!”

“How was work?” I asked. “Did you get those dresses figured out?”

“Ah yes,” she replied, rolling her eyes with a limp-wristed wave. “My goodness, such drama queens they were! The difference in size between the two who had the mix-up was so minor, they probably could have simply worn them as is. But, being the generous individual that I am, I made the changes and got them on their way.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s cool. Good job. So where the hell’s my truck?”

Rarity looked rather stunned. She stared at me with pinpointed pupils, which then began to dart rapidly around the room. “I-I’m sorry? Oh! Uh, your truck, uh, heh heh! It’s...er, in town, parked behind the boutique.”

“...OK.”

“I…I needed to borrow it, darling. Was that OK? Did I overstep my bounds?”

“Nah,” I replied, rubbing her shoulder. “It just would have been nice to have it here is all. There’s no key for Flutters’ car, so we had to take that old Diplomat to town for groceries, and I’m pretty sure we spent more on gas than the actual food.”

“Oh...my apologies, heh!” she replied, looking slightly relieved. “I didn’t mean to cause you any inconvenience, my love, but I simply cannot imagine your truck being any more efficient than that car; I found it to be quite hard on fuel myself.”

“Well, only if you drive the bag off it.”

The fashionista’s eyes widened again. “Er…well, I-I mean, uh...” She glanced down at the tabletop, stuttering anxiously.

“Anyway,” I continued, paying no attention to her response, “I’m gonna need it this week cuz Flutters’ car needs to have a new key programmed at the dealer, and we’re not paying a fortune to have it towed all the way to town, so I was gonna grab the trailer from my place and take it on that.”

“Ah. I see,” Rarity replied. “You will be needing your truck for that task, I suppose. Well, I will be at the boutique on Monday. Would it be possible to meet me there in the morning and I can give you the keys then?”

“Sure.”

“OK then! I…I shall see you Monday morning, bright and early!” she said with a smile, just as the front door opened again.

As Applejack entered, carrying a gym bag and a tray of apple pastries, Rarity leapt from her seat to approach the farm girl.

“Applejack!” Rarity greeted enthusiastically. “How are you, darling? It is SO good to see you!”

AJ, caught off-guard and looking a bit overwhelmed, scowled in response to the greeting. “Uh, I’m good Rarity, thanks. Now could ya please back the fuck up?”

“Ah! Truly sorry.” Rarity retreated a step or two. “Can I take your tray for you?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Applejack replied, slinging the bag over her shoulder so she could take her hat off and then hang it on the coat rack. After kicking her boots off, she turned to look briefly at everyone and then put a smile on her face, heading towards Fluttershy. “Howdy Fluttershy!” she greeted. “Feelin better?”

“Oh!” Fluttershy replied, turning to face her friend. “Um, yes. I feel wonderful, Applejack! Thanks.”

“Glad ta hear it, sugarcube. Listen, I’d love ta chat fer a bit, but I wanted ta ask a favour first.”

“Um, a favour?” Fluttershy asked.

“D’ya mind if I use yer shower?”

The shy girl’s eyebrows went up, followed by a nod. “Oh! Yes, of course. Help yourself.”

“Sorry, I didn’t have time before I left home,” Applejack explained. “I had a shitty day with things goin on at the farm and what not, and I just had ta get outta there.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Applejack. Did you wanna talk about it, um…later?” Fluttershy asked.

AJ smiled at the offer. “Nah, I just need ta warsh up; then I’m gonna relax, hang out with you guys and not think about it. Thanks fer the offer though, Fluttershy.”

“Oh. OK, um…n-no problem,” Fluttershy replied as Applejack reached over the table with the tray of pastries.

“Here, have some fuckin fritters,” she said quickly, dropping the plate on the table with a loud clunk. Then she headed down the hall with the gym bag over her shoulder.

Dash rolled her eyes after the blonde left the room. “God, she’s in a mood, eh?”

“Indeed,” Rarity agreed, returning to her seat as the rainbow-haired girl transferred the plate from the counter to the table, then peeled the foil off.

“YES, PINKIE!” Dash cheered, throwing her fists in the air. “YOU MADE BEAR TURDS!”

The rest of us, even Pinkie stared at her in silence, watching her pick one of the up treats to take a bite.

They looked something like a doughnut, except log-shaped, and were obviously chocolate cake based. Mixed into the crust were what appeared to be bits of nuts and berries of some sort, making me realise pretty quickly why Dash had given them such a name.

”Gross…”

“OOOOOHHH!!!” Pinkie howled suddenly, followed by a fit of laughter as she hunched over, clutching her stomach. “Now I get it! Bear turds! Cuz there’s nuts and berries mixed in! HAHAHAHA! You’re so funny, Dashie! Now I know why you’ve been calling them that all these years!”

Dash cocked a brow at the party-girl. “Uuh, yeah Pinkie. Why else would I call them that?” she asked with a full mouth.

“It totally looks like...” —Pinkie paused to laugh some more— “it looks like a huge bear just got up on the table and squatted over the plate and took a giant crunch! HEHEHEHE!”

Dash let out a loud, full-mouthed cackle, sliding the tray towards Fluttershy and Rarity to offer them some.

Fluttershy took one. She had spent the afternoon helping Pinkie make them, so she knew exactly what was in them and was looking forward to having one.

Rarity, however, grimaced.

“What’s up, Rare?” Dash asked. “Don’t you want one?”

“Ehhh,” Rarity cringed. “I’m afraid not, thank you. I am…struggling somewhat, with the mental image you two have just created.”

“Heh, suit yourself,” Dash replied with a shrug. She offered one to me next. “Come on, Golds, go for it!”

“Alright; I guess I’ll sample one of your turds, ladies,” I replied, smirking as I picked one up.

Holding it in my hand, I couldn’t help but notice how much it really did look like animal shit. “It’s warm…” I said, glancing up at Dash, who laughed out loud at my look of disgust as I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take a bite while trying not to snicker. It was a pleasant surprise, however; the crust was crunchy, as were the nuts that were interspersed throughout, and it had a sweet, sugary glaze on the outside that played well against the tartness of the berries. What stopped me in my tracks, though, was the soft, gooey center.

“What is that?” I asked with a full mouth.

“What’s what?” Dash replied.

“Why is it gooey in the middle?”

“It’s like a lava cake!” Pinkie replied, turning to me.

“Ah,” I replied, nodding slowly as I looked at the cross-section where I’d taken the bite from.

*****

About twenty minutes later, the shower had stopped. Applejack was drying off and dressing herself in Fluttershy’s room.

The rest of us had moved to the couch by then and were busy loading YouTube videos on the TV, having fun chatting and laughing together. Fluttershy had assumed her position on the chaise lounge, curled up in the corner with Rarity next to her, resting her head on the shy girl’s shoulder, their legs intertwined and stretched out on the cushion. I was seated to the left of Rarity, my right hand joined with hers while holding a bear turd in my left.

“These are friggin good Pinks, despite the name,” I said, giving the pink girl a nod of approval.

Pinkie was at the far end of the couch, looking my way with a big, toothy smile on her face. Dash was seated next to her, leaving a fairly wide space in the middle of the couch.

I turned to Rarity. “Psst!”

The fashionista turned her head part way to see what I wanted.

“You want a bite of my turd, Rare?” I asked, holding it out to offer her a piece.

Rarity snorted quietly, rolling her eyes as she went back to relaxing on her girlfriend’s shoulder, enjoying her body heat.

Eventually, Applejack emerged from the hall and made her way around the end of the couch, running a brush through her long, wet hair.

I was shocked by how different she looked compared to her typical dirty, farm-girl self.

First of all, she was clean. This alone made a tremendous difference, bringing out the shine in her surprisingly pretty emerald eyes while making her freckles more vivid against her tanned skin. She wore some fairly comfortable-looking long-sleeved pajamas, coloured in royal blue and covered in a pattern of light blue apples. They were just form-fitting enough to show off her tall, yet surprisingly feminine figure, while still being loose enough to hide her muscular physique. It was obvious that she wasn’t wearing a bra, showing off a bust that was larger than I expected, given how lean she was; though they weren’t anything quite like Sunset’s or Fluttershy’s breasts, and certainly not like Pinkie’s.

I must have been staring without realising, because it wasn’t long before I found my gaze locked squarely with her bright green eyes. “Why don’t ya take a picture, sugarcube? It’ll last longer,” she chided as she kept her head tilted slightly, running the brush through her long, golden locks.

I turned to Rarity. “Hey Rare, you got your phone on you? I have to take a picture of AJ.”

Applejack groaned, rolling her eyes as she finished brushing and then tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Ugh, it was just a figure a’ speech,” she grumbled, sitting on the couch in the space between me and Dash, who was chuckling at the exchange.

“You’re looking pretty gangster in that outfit, Applejack!” Pinkie squealed.

Applejack coughed, then let out a flat chuckle. “Heh heh, yeah you better watch yerself there, Pinkie Pie, or I’m a’ hafta bust a cap in yer big ass.” The farm girl smirked, crossing her legs as she settled in next to me. Her scent promptly wafted over; a strangely familiar one since she’d obviously used Fluttershy’s products in the shower.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said, turning to AJ as Pinkie continued to giggle, “you still in a shitty mood or what?”

“Well, I’m a bit better now that I’m all showered up,” Applejack sighed. After taking a moment to look around at the rest of us, she grunted quietly and shook her head. “Aw shucks; I’m sorry everyone, fer bein such a cunt tonight. I mean, yeah, I had a shitty day, but it weren’t y'all's fault, and ya’ll don’t deserve ta have me actin like this.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” Dash replied. “That Filthy Rich is a dick. I can’t believe your Granny started dealing with him even after how he acted at the camp.”

“I know,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “I warned her, but she wouldn’t listen. He’s too big of a customer. Ugh...knowin him, he probably has plans to buy our damn farm right out from under us one of these days.”

“Nuh-uh!” Dash sneered, “not as long as you’re still walking this Earth!”

“Yeah, I s’pose,” AJ mumbled, biting her lip as she folded her arms, staring at the TV screen.

“Here, let’s watch some funny shit,” Dash suggested. “That’ll get you cheered up.”

Pinkie had the controller. “What should we put on?”

“Uuhhh,” Dash rubbed her chin for a moment, staring at the ceiling as she thought to herself. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she turned to Pinkie. “I know! Let’s watch that Knorr commercial!”

“OOH!” Pinkie giggled. “I love that one!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Knorr commercial?”

“Just watch,” Dash assured as Pinkie brought the video up on YouTube. “You’ll love it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRERguvfFC0

The six of us watched the video. By the end, Dash was bent forward, clutching her stomach and screeching with laughter.

Pinkie was giggling profusely as well, and I had to admit, I found it pretty amusing myself.

Even Applejack had a good, hearty chuckle over it. “Heh heh, that was pretty good.”

Dash leaned back, wiping a tear from her eye. “On my god, that’s good shit,” she said in a high-pitched whisper, out of breath from laughing.

Rarity’s attention had been captured by the video, prompting her to raise her head and look at the screen. “Goodness me, is that a real commercial?”

“Yeah,” Pinkie giggled, “I actually remember seeing it on TV when those first came out!”

The fashionista shook her head. “Well, I only ask because I’ve had those entrées and they’re quite delicious, though I simply cannot believe that was their marketing strategy.”

“It’s fucking genius,” Dash replied. “I love it.”

“Heh...yeah I hafta admit, I kinda liked that one,” AJ nodded, finally wearing a genuine smile.

“Ahh fuck…OK, what else is there?” Dash mumbled casually, glancing at Pinkie.

As Pinkie hummed to herself, trying to think of another good video, Applejack turned to me, locking her emerald-green eyes on the treat in my hand. “Did ya try one a’ mah fritters yet?” she asked, bringing her eyes up to meet mine.

I shook my head.

She scowled slightly. “Aw fer sweet apple’s sake! What in tarnation are ya waitin for?” she asked loudly, pointing to the table behind us with one hand while taking the chocolate treat from me with the other. “Here, go grab one and try it out. I’ll finish yer turd fer ya.”

“Alright alright.” I obeyed, standing up from the couch and glancing down at Rarity, whose head was resting on the shy girl’s shoulder again. “Too bad, Rare; you missed your chance. No turd for you.”

“A pity,” she replied dryly, keeping her eyes closed.

I made my way around the couch, heading to the table for one of the apple treats. After peeling the plastic wrap back, I picked one of the pastries up and gave it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was soft and sticky, covered in a nice, sweet cinnamon glaze on the outside with bits of fresh-tasting apple nestled throughout.

“Very nice,” I said, to which Applejack turned around and faced me over the back of the couch.

“We don’t fuck around down at Sweet Apple Acres, let me tell ya.”

I nodded, giving her a brief smile before taking another bite.

“OOH!” Pinkie squealed suddenly. “I’ve got one!” She busied herself, quickly bringing up a new video on the TV. “It’s a shorty, but it sure is a goodie!”

I remained beside the table, leaning on it with one hand as I took another bite of the fritter. The girls sat on the couch, watching Pinkie bring up the video, which turned out to be only three seconds long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpc53FvcZ4c

“Haha! WHAT?” Dash cackled.

“What in the hell?” AJ shook her head, chuckling.

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity chided, lifting her head to look at the TV.

Fluttershy didn’t speak, but giggled softly, covering her mouth with her fingertips.

I shook my head, watching the four girls respond in unison to Pinkie’s video. After swallowing a mouthful of fritter, I spoke up. “That’s Japanese.”

The girls spun around to face me.

“What he just said,” I continued, pointing at the TV.

“What’s he saying?” Pinkie asked.

“'Godzilla’s leaving' or 'escaping,' or something to that affect. Like I said, it’s Japanese, but it obviously bares an unfortunate similarity to a certain English phrase,” I explained, smirking.

“I’ll say,” AJ chuckled, turning around again. “Heh! Good one, Pinkie.”

I continued to enjoy the pastry while the girls turned back to face the TV, watching as Pinkie searched for the next video. While this was going on, I heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching outside.

“That’s gotta be Sunny and Twilight,” I figured, looking over my shoulder at the front door, listening closely as the noise got louder.

I finished the apple fritter hastily, then made my way to the sink and rinsed the sticky glaze off my hands. The sound of the bike had gotten quite loud, then stopped abruptly just as I reached for the towel to dry my hands, figuring that she had parked the bike and shut it off.

Seconds later, the door opened and the lavender-skinned girl stepped inside. I had made my way back to that side of the table again, placing me fairly close to her when she came in, wearing a light blue T-shirt under an unzipped, purple hooded sweater, along with a pair of blue jeans.

She looked much different than I remembered, and the absence of her glasses quickly reminded me of our time alone together in Rarity’s bathroom, when she took them off to do the deed with me on the vanity top. Her hair was down as well —her bangs the same as always— but without her pony tail, it hung straight down her back like a short cape.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw me, looking unprepared and somewhat nervous about my presence.

“TWILIGHT!” everyone shouted from the couch in unison, drawing her eyes away from me.

“Oh, hey everybody,” she waved humbly as Sunset stepped in behind her, carrying a plastic bag with her as she shut the door.

I was struck immediately by the red-head’s appearance.

Apparently, she had a spare jacket, which she had decided to wear that night. It was a bit different than the one she’d lost, however; this one was slightly longer, and had three silver studs on each of the collars rather than the orange chevrons on the sleeves. Under the jacket was a light purple T-shirt with the red and yellow sun on it; hanging below that was an orange pencil skirt with two slanted stripes off to the side, one yellow and one light purple, like the shirt.

Her hair and make-up were very nicely done. After being on the road together for so long, neither of us cared about our appearance after a few weeks, so I had gotten fairly accustomed to her natural face as a result. But now, she stood before me with subtle eye shadow and mascara framing her big turquoise eyes, her olive cheeks smoothed by a powdery concealer, and her lips darkened by a deep crimson lipstick. Her hair was styled as usual, albeit neater than what it typically was on the road, with those darker layers underneath still remaining from the dye.

As she kicked her tall, black and purple boots off, Twilight’s voice sounded from my right, stealing my attention away from the red-head.

“Um, hi Golds.”

I turned to meet her violet eyes with mine, suddenly feeling a bit awkward in her presence. “Oh hey,” I said, flashing a quick smile, “how’s it going, Twi?...Light?”

“I’m good!” she replied with a nervous smile. “It’s good to see that you guys made it home...and you got Fluttershy back all safe-and-sound,” —she paused for a quick second— “well, I mean, she would have been safe regardless, but…I mean, like, she’s home…now. Which is good!”

I bit my lip, then nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s good. Definitely good; I uh...double checked.”

We stood in silence for a moment, fidgeting nervously as we purposely looked past each other, avoiding eye contact.

Sunset had taken position to the side of us by then, shaking her head with a smirk on her face.

Twilight noticed this, and decided to force the conversation to resume. “Sooo,” she said, bringing her index finger up to rub her earlobe. “I uh, haven’t seen you for quite a while.”

I drew a quick breath. “Uh yeah, no…yeah,” I stumbled, “It’s been a couple months, at least.”

“Yeah...actually, I think the last time we saw each other was-“ she stopped abruptly, her eyes widening. “Uh…I-I mean, we, um…nevermind.”

“Yeah…” I said, pausing for a second. “I uh...yeah.”

“Heh...um…” She seemed to be struggling to think of something to say, and she began to rub the back of her neck as she glanced at the treats on the table.

“So you’re not wearing your, uh…” I waved my index finger around my eyes, indicating that I was referring to her glasses.

“Oh! Right,” she replied, raising her eyebrows when she realised I hadn’t seen her without them yet. “Yeah, turns out I don’t need them anymore. Pretty crazy, eh?”

“Yeah. Who’d have thought?” I replied, chuckling slightly.

“I know,” she agreed. “It’s crazy though, I feel like I’m still wearing them sometimes,” —she let out a giggle— “I keep reaching up to adjust them and they’re not there!”

“Oh yeah,” I said, rubbing my chin. “What’s that called? When you feel like you still have something on even after it’s gone?”

“Stimulus adaptation.”

“Oh yeah,” I replied, snapping my finger and pointing at her. “Stegosaurus addiction. That’s... that’s right.”

Sunset snorted suddenly, followed by a groan as she rubbed her forehead.

Twilight giggled, wringing her hands as she looked down at the floor.

“I like it,” I said quickly, trying to recover. “You look good like this.”

“Oh,” she replied, looking at me again, surprised somewhat by the compliment. “Um, thanks,” she said, her cheeks flushing as she began to twirl her index finger through that wavy lock of hair by her ear.

”Shit...” I began to worry that I’d gone too far, which brought the awkwardness of the situation to nearly unbearable levels. ”I gotta get outta here.”

Sunset remained at the side, rolling her eyes at us.

“OK well,” I said, gesturing to the deserted corner by the door, where the shoe mats and coat racks sat. “Uh, I’m just gonna go over there for a bit, and uh," —I gestured to the couch next— "why don't you go have a seat and mingle and make yourself at home, and uh, there’spopinthefridge.”

Sunset glanced at the fridge, Twilight glanced at the couch, then they both looked at me with furrowed brows as I passed them on my way to the corner.

Once alone, I began straightening out the girls’ boots, starting with Applejack's, since she’d kicked them off rather haphazardly when she came in.

Twilight did as suggested and made her way to the couch as Sunset joined me in the corner, folding her arms.

“Well, thanks for not making that weird,” she sighed.

I glanced up at her. “What? It wasn’t weird.”

“Uh, yeah it was,” she replied sternly.

I straightened myself up. “Nah, Sunny. That’s crazy talk. You’re crazy.”

“Crazy talk?” she huffed. “Those are bold words coming from you: Mr. ‘Stegosaurus adoption’ or whatever the fuck you just said.”

“Ugh...” I groaned, mumbling to myself as I bent to straighten out more of the footwear. “I don’t even know where the fuck that came from. It wasn’t even remotely close to what she said.“

“It was kind of cute, to be honest,” Sunset confessed, smirking.

“What? Me and Twilight?”

“No,” she shook her head, “well, maybe a little, but I was mostly talking about you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I mean...toughest guy on the planet, reduced to a nervous wreck by a nerdy little girl,” the red-head chuckled.

“Well,” I scowled a bit, looking down at the floor. “It’s just…I don’t know.”

Pinkie appeared at our sides suddenly. “Hey, Sunset Shimmer...” she greeted with a sly, yet cheerful tone and a wide smile.

“Hey Pinkie,” Sunset replied, returning a smile to the party-girl.

“Hey,” Pinkie whispered, leaning closer to Sunset. “Are you two gonna sneak off and do it later?”

Sunset gasped deeply, turning to me with eyes like saucers.

I groaned, shaking my head. “Thanks Pinks, I really appreciate that,” I said sarcastically.

The party-girl shrugged. “What?”

“Wait, everybody knows?!” Sunset asked me, whispering loudly.

“No, just Pinks,” I said, shaking my head.

“How does she know? How do you know?” she asked, turning to Pinkie for the second one.

“Pinks was here when we got home, and we didn’t know cuz she was laying down on the couch where we couldn’t see her,” I explained quickly, “and she overheard Flutters and I talking about it.”

“Ugh,” Sunset groaned, rubbing her face. “That’s just great. This is so embarrassing.”

Pinkie waved her off. “Not as embarrassing as what Goldie and Fluttershy were doing when they were talking about you!”

Sunset stopped to look at the party-girl, who was now pointing at the table.

“Uh, actually Pinks, you don’t need to-“

“They were going at it like rabbits right there by the table,” Pinkie explained, “and Fluttershy was saying all kinds of crazy, sexy stuff and I was RIGHT THERE ON THE COUCH THE WHOLE TIME!”

“SHHHHH!” I glanced at the couch to see if anyone else had heard, which they didn’t, fortunately.

Sunset was laughing by that point. “Ha! Are you serious? That’s hilarious! HAHAHAHA!”

Pinkie joined in slowly, her giggles building intensity until eventually, she was laughing giddily along with the red-head. “Hahahahaha...AH-HAHAHAHAHA!”

I sighed, shaking my head as I looked at the floor, waiting for them to get it out of their systems.

“Haha! Wow Pinkie, what did you think of that?” Sunset asked between snickers.

Pinkie’s laughter stopped instantly, her eyes wide. “Scary.”

“Serves you right; fuckin weirdo,” I grumbled as Sunset continued to snicker.

“HEY SUNSET!” Dash yelled, after turning around on the couch to face us. “You’re wearing your old ‘bad girl’ outfit! I didn’t think you still had that one!”

“Oh yeah, well I lost my other jacket in Tucson, so this one’s the only one I have; and I figured if I’m wearing it, I might as well bring out the whole ensemble.”

“Looking good!” Dash complimented, adding a thumbs up.

I glanced at Sunset again, taking in the sight of her made-up face and hair, and I was struck again by how beautiful she looked.

The red-head’s voice abruptly pulled me out of my trance, and I gave my head a quick shake. “Sorry, what?”

“Where’s your truck?” Sunset asked again. “I thought you left it here when we left for the mission; didn’t I have to pick you up here in the rental car?”

“Yeah, it’s in town. I guess Rare borrowed it to pick something up or something,” I replied, to which Pinkie jumped in with a reply of her own.

“Yeah, I was with her that day!”

“Hey, I hear that thing’s got some serious balls,” Dash shouted from the couch, “and that Rarity was driving the hell out of it!”

The fashionista perked up from her spot on the lounge, looking quite perturbed by the conversation. “Uh, darlings, could we please change the subje-“

“YEAH!” Pinkie squealed overtop of everyone. “It IS fast! That time I was with her, she actually made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs!”

Dash let out a loud chuckle at the reference, followed by an unaware Twilight turning around on the couch to face us.

“Um, actually, Pinkie Pie, a parsec is a measurement of distance, not time,” the lavender-skinned girl corrected.

Pinkie waved her off. “Aw, you don’t get it, Twilight!”

Twilight paused and arched a brow, then turned slowly to face the TV again.

The red-head chuckled as Pinkie skipped back to the couch to sit next to Rainbow Dash, who had found another video to watch.

Sunset and I stood alone in the corner for a moment, watching the group having fun together in front of the TV.

I brought my eyes back to her after a moment, looking her outfit up and down once more before my eyes settled on her face. “You look nice,” I said.

She stopped and looked at me, unprepared for the compliment. Then, to my delight, her cheeks began to darken and she smirked bashfully, looking down at the floor.

“And you look the same,” she replied, giving me a light elbow to the ribs.

I cleared my throat. “Oh, yeah I’ve been busy all day. Haven’t had a chance to clean up or change yet.”

“Hm.” She smirked.

“You wanna sit, Sunny?” I asked, gesturing to the table.

“Sure.”

So we sat at the table together, watching the girls over the back of the couch, who were watching another video. I wasn’t paying much attention to what it was, though it sounded like a documentary of some sort, which I found strange, given that they’d been enjoying mostly funny videos thus far.

It felt strange to be with Sunset in a social setting. After being on the mission with her for so long, we’d gotten accustomed to spending most of our time planning and prioritizing, but now, we were free to relax and enjoy ourselves, and I found myself worried that we might not know how. It was like hanging out with a co-worker; you spend the majority of your time at work every day talking to them about the tasks at hand, but when hanging out with them at a barbecue or a bar, you don’t really know what to talk about. It can become quite awkward.

“Um...did you want a fritter, Sunny?” I asked, sliding the plate towards her.

“Oh, nah I’m good.”

I nodded and pulled the other plate closer. “OK, then can interest you in a delicious turd?”

“Uh...no, I had a yellow snow-cone on the way here, thanks.”

Despite the levity, I got the sense that Sunset felt the same awkwardness as me. She turned to me for a moment, looking as though she was trying to think of something to say. As she did so, however, I saw a familiar look begin to spark in her eyes, and she opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who had sped over to the table, stifling her laughter.

“Hey guys, check it out!” she whispered, pointing at the lavender-skinned girl. “We’re pranking Twilight!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh no...what are you doing to her, Dash?”

Snickering, Dash turned to point at the TV. “We put on an Eric Dubay video!”

“Who in tartarus is Eric Dubay?” the redhead asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“He’s a ‘Flat Earther!’” Dash snorted, her composure nearly slipping away before she caught it with a hand over her mouth.

Sunset let her head tip back, eyes closed. “Oh fuck, Dash! Don’t make Twi watch that shit; you’re gonna give her a brain aneurism or something.”

“I know!” Dash chuckled, turning to look at the lavender nerd.

Poor Twilight was sitting next to Applejack with the cushions gripped tightly in her fists, grinding her teeth with a look of anguish on her face as she watched the video.

“HhhhhhhhhhhHA! Hahaha!” Dash laughed, trying to keep her volume down. “Look at her! She’s losin’ her shit!”

Sunset shook her head. “You guys are fucking cruel.”

“Listen,” Dash whispered, leaning in close to Sunset as she pointed at Applejack. “I’ve got AJ in on it. She’s instigating; pretending like she believes it!”

On the couch, Applejack leaned closer to Twilight. “I reckon NASA’s got some ‘splainin ta do, eh Twilight?”

Twilight swallowed, then faced at the farm girl. “Huh? Explain what?”

“All these fake pictures a’ the ‘ball Earth,’” Applejack replied, doing quotes with her fingers. “I mean, who da they think they’re foolin?”

“Actually, there is literally no limit to the amount of photographic, physical and mathematical evidence that we live on a globe,” Twilight explained, “all it takes is a simple-“

“I wouldn’t be so sure a’ that, Twilight. This Dubay guy’s makin alotta sense, ya know? He’s given me an awful lot ta think about,” AJ said, cocking her head at the lavender nerd, who slowly turned to glare at the farm girl, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“AJ, please tell me you don’t actually subscribe to thi-“

“I mean, that’s gotta be where earthquakes come from, right?” the blonde cut in.

Twilight sighed. “I’m afraid to ask, in all honesty.”

“Nah, hear me out; now it doesn’t say in this video, but in another one I saw, they said the Earth, which is like a big dinner plate,” —she held her hands out, creating the shape of a circle with her fingers— “rides on the back of a giant tortoise in space…I think…but anyway, when it gets cold, it shivers, and I betcha that’s where earthquakes come from.”

Twilight stared vacantly at her friend, totally floored by the gibberish she’d just heard. “Um, AJ? Tortoises are cold-blooded; they don’t shiver.”

Applejack folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at Twilight. “And I s’pose NASA told ya that?”

“Oh dear god…” Twilight whispered, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips.

After doing so, the lavender-skinned girl let her hands rest on her lap. Glancing over, Applejack noticed Twilight’s hands, which were smooth and perfect looking. The farm girl cocked an eyebrow, thinking back to Thanksgiving weekend, when Twilight had tripped and fallen into the fire, shoving her hands into the coals.

“Hey Twilight, how’s yer hand?”

Twilight looked at Applejack apprehensively. “Oh, uh…” Looking past Applejack, she could see Rarity, who had overheard the question and was watching to see how Twilight would respond. “It’s…it’s fine. Thanks for asking,” she replied. “It turned out to be not that bad; a few blisters, which broke and drained after a few days. I put a medicated cream on it, and that seemed to help it heal up pretty quick.”

Applejack chewed her bottom lip, watching the lavender-skinned girl suspiciously for a moment before nodding finally. “Well...that’s good ta hear, sugarcube. Glad it wasn’t as bad as we all thought,” she said, giving Twilight a half smile.

“Thanks Applejack,” Twilight replied as she folded her hands to hide them.

Relieved, Rarity returned her temple to the shy girl’s shoulder as Twilight and AJ resumed watching the video, prompting Applejack to point her finger at the screen.

“Now here’s a question: why won’t the UN let anyone go ta An’arctica, huh?” she asked. “Cuz they don’t want anyone to know that that’s actually the edge of the world?”

Twilight shook her head in frustration. “What? They let science expeditions go to the Antarctic all the time!”

Sunset shook her head at the pranksters, and then glowered at Rainbow Dash. “Listen, if she gets irritated by this shit and goes all ‘Midnight Sparkle’ on us, that’s gonna be on you, Rainbow.”

Dash waved her off and headed back to the couch. “Oh that hasn't happened for years! Jeez Sunset, learn to live a little.”

Sunset snorted. “ME? When’s the last time you broke into the CIA, huh?”

The rebuttal stopped Rainbow Dash in her tracks. She looked back at Sunset with a defeated expression for a few seconds, then she smiled defiantly and shook her fist. “Alright. You win this round, Shimmer,” she chuckled, then pointed her finger at the red-head. “You have GOT to tell us about that, by the way.”

Sunset smirked. “In a bit.”

After Dash returned to the couch, Sunset and I sat at the table for a few minutes, watching the video. Finally, she turned to me.

“I wonder if this Dubay guy is Equestrian,” she joked, “cuz this whole ‘flat Earth’ theory of his is pretty much the way it really is in Equestria…minus the tortoise.”

“Hm,” I chuckled, “I think ‘minus the tortoise’ is pretty much a given, Sunny; no matter what dimension you’re in.”

Sunset snickered a bit, looking down at the tabletop right when a loud cry of protest rang out from the couch.

Apparently, Twilight had had enough.

She had leapt off the couch, pulling her hair in frustration. “What the…IS THIS GUY RETARDED? What the hell does he mean, ‘there’s no such thing as gravity?’ WHAT THE FFFF-“

She spun around to face the couch suddenly, huffing angrily through her teeth when she noticed everyone in the room staring at her with shocked faces.

“Uh…” she muttered shakily, drawing into herself again as she reached up to adjust her glasses, only to find that they were missing. Instead, she folded her hands in front of herself, her face burning with embarrassment. “S-sorry... everyone.”

After a few seconds pause, Dash threw her head back and howled with laughter, clapping her hands in celebration. “Hahaha! Do NOT apologise for that, Twilight! That was awesome!” She leaned closer to AJ, giving the farm girl a high-five. “I have always wanted to see Twilight fly off the handle like that!”

“What?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Heh heh, we was just messin with ya, sugarcube,” Applejack explained with a chuckle. “We don’t really believe in this bullshit.”

“You don’t?” the lavender girl replied, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Nah,” Rainbow Dash said, patting the couch cushion next to her, inviting Twilight to sit back down. “We were just giving you the gears to see if we could get a rise out of you, and wow! We were not disappointed!”

“Oh...heh.” Twilight chuckled somewhat bitterly as she sat down between Dash and Applejack. Looking at the TV again, she realised the video was still playing. “Um, could we please turn this off?” she asked, wincing.

“Yeah Rainbow,” AJ agreed. “Turn this shit off. It’s hurtin mah brain.”

“Fine,” Dash replied, grabbing the remote to pause the video, before perking up with another idea. “OH! We totally have to read the comments section!”

Sunset had turned to face me after witnessing the outburst, her brows furrowed as she chewed the inside of her cheek.

“What is it?” I asked, noticing the gears turning in her head.

She focused on me for a second, then shook her head. “That was pretty crazy.”

I nodded, snickering. “Yeah.”

“No, I mean...I’ve known Twi for a long time and I’ve never seen her freak out like that before.”

I leaned back to study the girls on the couch. To the untrained eye, they looked like a completely normal group of friends, laughing hysterically as Rainbow Dash read the comments to the video out loud. Both Sunset and I looked down at the table top, studying the lines in the wood as we ruminated about what we just saw.

“Hey you guys,” Dash called to us, “you gotta check out these comments, they’re fucking hilarious!”

Sunset was snapped out of her thoughts by her friend’s voice, and she promptly stood up to speak. “Later, guys. Right now, I think we need to talk about what’s happened over the past five weeks,” she said authoritatively, capturing the rest of the girls’ attention.

Applejack nodded. “Hell yeah, I wanna hear about yer big adventure!”

“Yes!” Dash yelped excitedly, bouncing on her knees on the cushion. “I wanna hear how you snuck into the CIA!”

Sunset headed for the front door, where she retrieved the plastic bag she had carried in. She walked around the front of the couch next, standing in front of the TV, holding the bag at her side.

I stood from the table and made my way to the couch, leaning on the back of the chaise lounge to be close to my girlfriends.

The girls all sat attentively, their eyes glued to the red-head in anticipation.

Sunset took a deep breath, looking around at everyone before speaking. “OK guys,” she paused to bite her lip, “you know as well as me that over the past eight years, nothing has really been going on —you know, magic-wise— even though I was always stressed about it after what happened at Camp Everfree. I felt like we’d been given these powers for a reason, but I never figured out why we had them, aaaaand then nothing ever really happened. So, we all settled into normal lives.”

“I know what ya mean,” Applejack nodded. “I reckon that’s why we kept so close all these years; in case anythin ever did happen.”

I found the sudden shift into seriousness surprising; it was fascinating to see the girls fall into line the way they did, but why wouldn’t they? They had a respectable leader like Sunset, who was now standing before them, speaking with conviction, and they hung onto her every word.

Sunset nodded, pointing at AJ. “But something did happen, didn’t it?”

The farm girl nodded.

“But it wasn’t magic we faced this time,” the red-head continued. “It was spies, guns, and surveillance; rogue government officials and corrupt global entities, owned by the richest and most influential people in the world. This time, it was magic versus technology.”

The girls took a moment to glance at one another, raising eyebrows and rubbing chins.

“And then there’s the wild card,” Sunset said, gesturing to me. “Golds came out-of-nowhere and gave of us the gift of immortality —unintentionally in some cases— and...he’s taught us things. Amazing things. Things that made it possible to bring our friend home. He is completely invincible, unbelievably powerful, and possesses a level of wisdom and experience that no one else on the planet could ever dream of matching, despite his occasional lack of maturity.”

I flipped Sunset off.

"Yeah, case in point," the red-head replied, gesturing to me.

“You forgetting something, Sunny,” I said. “All of the things we faced were seeds from my past. If I hadn’t been around, you wouldn’t have needed to know these things to bring Flutters home, cuz she never would have gotten captured in the first place."

Fluttershy glanced up at me, sticking her bottom lip out. “Oh Goldie, don’t blame yourself for what happened. It wasn’t your fault.”

Rarity spoke up as well, wagging a finger above her head at me. “You’re forgetting the school shooting as well, darling. We may very well have lost Fluttershy during that incident if it hadn’t been for the abilities you’ve given her, and none of us would be sitting here in this house right now, enjoying each other's company.”

“Yeah,” Dash interrupted, rolling her eyes, “so, we’re totally awesome. We get it. What’s your point, Sunset?”

Applejack nodded in agreement as she leaned back, folding her hands behind her head. “This is all stuff we already know, Sunset; no offense. Why don’t ya tell us ‘bout the rescue?”

“Well, there’s something else,” Sunset replied. “Something I think that happened to Fluttershy when she was alone. Something that hasn’t happened in a long time, which I hadn’t even thought about until I saw this.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a tattered, gray piece of fabric, holding it up for everyone to see.

It was a shirt; filthy, ripped, cut, burnt, full of bullet holes and splattered with brownish-red blotches of dried blood.

The girls cringed in unison, except for Fluttershy, whose face instantly drained of its colour.

“Gah! What is that disgusting thing?” Rarity asked, pointing at the garment as she pinched her nose. “I can smell it from here!”

“This is the shirt Flutters was wearing when we found her in the desert,” Sunset answered. “This is what she looked like from head-to-toe after being in there for a month.”

“Is…is that blood on there?” Pinkie asked, squinting at the shirt.

“Yeah, Pinkie. It is,” Sunset replied. “But that’s not what I wanna talk about.” She turned to look at Fluttershy next. “I hate to do this to you, Flutters, cuz I know you don’t want us to know about the things you did in there…”

Everyone shifted their eyes onto the shy girl, causing her to sink back into the lounge, hiding behind her hair.

“But I don’t wanna talk about what you did,” Sunset continued. “I wanna talk about what happened to you.”

“Um, to me?” Fluttershy replied meekly, peeking out from behind her hair.

Sunset sighed and tossed the shirt to Dash, who recoiled as she caught it, scrunching her nose at the smell. “Oh god! This thing smells like truck shop and...ugh! Roadkill!”

“What do you notice about it?” Sunset asked.

“Uh,” Dash mumbled, holding up the shirt to study it. “I don’t know…it’s fucked?”

“Look at the back,” Sunset instructed, folding her arms.

Rainbow Dash sighed and turned the shirt around to look at it again. This time, she noticed two large tears in the fabric; each one located approximately where the shoulder blades would be. “There’s a couple of big holes in the back,” she thought aloud. “And they look like they were torn, not cut or anything like that.”

“What about the position?” Sunset asked.

“Uh…” Dash looked again. “I dunno, they’re up by the shoulder blades,” —she shook her head, furrowing her brows— “almost like…where her wings would be if she-“

Rainbow Dash stopped when the realisation hit her, and she turned slowly to look at her friend with a shocked expression.

“Whoa whoa whoa…” Dash exclaimed as all eyes fell onto the shy girl. “No…friggin...way!”