Chapter 87

Before we knew it, morning had come.

It cooled off significantly during the late hours before dawn; not quite enough to create a frost, but certainly enough that we could see our breath in the air. Despite my insistence that it wouldn’t bother them, the four girls dressed in a few extra layers to preserve their comfort, while I simply remained in the same clothes as the night before.

Applejack was the first to emerge from the house. Her hat and boots were on, unsurprisingly, and she had wrapped herself in one of Fluttershy’s comforters, wearing the blue pajamas underneath. Still half asleep, she plopped herself into one of the lawn chairs, sniffing and mumbling in a groggy voice, asking how Twilight had gotten up so early, to which the lavender girl chuckled and replied: ‘Oh, heh heh! You know me!’

Had Applejack been a little more wakeful, she may have thought about it a little more and possibly put two-and-two together, but instead she sat and watched with puffy eyes as I broke some branches to start a fire. Slowly, her interest grew along with her energy level, especially once the fire was lit and the smell of wood smoke filled the air. She watched intently as I dumped two whole jugs of canola oil into the cast iron pot, starting the slow process of heating it up over the fire.

The chain that suspended the pot had a spool with a crank to control its proximity to the heat; this was a primitive method of mine for controlling the temperature of the oil, which had a thermometer submerged at the edge, allowing me to keep it as close to three-fifty Fahrenheit as possible.

Rarity had gone inside to brew a large pot of coffee, which she then brought outside in a large carafe, along with some cups, sugar and cream.

Applejack —with a grateful nod to the fashionista— dove right in. Treating herself to a hot cup of black coffee was exactly what she needed; the warmth and caffeine surged through her in a flash, and before long she was back to her casual swearing, wise-cracking self.

No one was worried about disturbing Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, even though it was still early—roughly 7:00 am. One of them had gotten up in the middle of the night and closed the window, likely because of the cold, so we were free to talk at a normal volume and share plenty of laughs without waking them.

Fluttershy was at my side, helping me prepare the steaks.

Cooking was one of the things I truly loved doing with the shy girl. Back when I first met her, the first direct interaction she and I shared together was cooking, and still to this day, it remained my favourite thing to do with her.

Correction: second favourite.

While I waited for the oil to heat up, I gave Fluttershy the task of setting up three dishes: one with flour, one with a few eggs cracked into it and one with a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic and onion powder, salt, and finally, pepper.

I had the steaks laid out on a large tray, going through the tenderizing process using a tool that consisted of four rows of ten spikes to perforate the cuts of meat lengthwise, crosswise, then on a diagonal, both ways. Then I would flip them over and repeat the process.

Applejack had become interested in helping, but was constricted by the blanket, so she went inside to change into her clothes.

Rarity and Twilight were busy loading the picnic table with a large carton of eggs and a selection of fresh fruits, along with orange juice as an alternative to the coffee.

It wasn’t long before Applejack returned to the backyard wearing a denim jacket with a groggy Rainbow Dash in tow, causing an uproar of laughter with her matted and mixed up hair. It was multi-coloured, obviously, but in this state of bed-headedness the colours were mixed up like she’d put her head in a blender, alternating hues in a strand-to-strand basis rather than those neat, wide stripes like usual.

“Meh, I just need to run a brush through it, that’s all,” was her response, before downing a glass of juice and then pouring a cup of coffee to keep herself warm with.

As I placed a frying pan on the wire grate that resided just over the fire, Fluttershy stood and headed for the house, saying that she needed to feed Angel, Link and the kittens. Today, I had made assumption that she wouldn’t bother feeding the wild animals, what with us having a fire going with everyone hanging around the backyard.

Only seconds after Fluttershy had left, Applejack squatted down beside me to offer a hand. “Whatcha need, partner?”

“Uuuhm…” I paused, looking around at the mess of ingredients. “Better get these steaks seared, I guess.”

“You got ‘er, sugarcube,” AJ replied, tossing the first steak into the pan, which erupted into to a loud frenzy of sizzling and popping. “Whoa!” the blonde hollered, “she’s too fuckin hot!”

“That’s OK,” I said, putting my hand out to stop her from moving the pan. “We want a nice brown on the meat; it’ll add flavour later, and we need some of it to stick to the pan…for the gravy.”

Applejack paused, then smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. “Gravy, eh?”

“Oh fuck yeah,” I replied, nodding towards the pan. “OK, flip it. We don’t wanna cook the steaks completely yet; just blacken the outside. Then take it out and do the rest the same way.”

“Sure thing,” Applejack replied, grimacing against the heat of the fire as she leaned in to flip the meat, creating a fresh cloud of sizzle and smoke. After a few seconds of that, she removed the steak from the pan and set it aside, then threw on a fresh one.

After checking the temperature of the oil, I noticed Applejack grunting, trying to shield her face with her forearm.

“You OK?” I asked.

“Ugh...it’s too dang hot, man. I can’t sit this close ta the fire like you.”

“Oh,” I replied. “OK look, I have another job you can do where you don’t have to sit so close. I’ll get Sunny to sear the meat.”

Sunset was standing off to the side, arms folded, with a smirk still lingering on her face after witnessing Rainbow Dash’s grand entrance.

“Hey Sunny?” I said, taking the frying pan from the heat so the meat wouldn’t burn. “You wanna finish searing these steaks?”

She looked at me somewhat nervously, then shook her head.

“Why not?”

“I’m not much of a cook,” she confessed, “especially over a fire. I’ll probably just fuck it up.”

“Oh whatever,” I groaned, waving her off. “I’ll be here. Don’t worry.”

She still looked unsure.

“Come on! It’s too hot for AJ, and Flutters went inside to feed the cats,” I pleaded.

“What about Rare? Can’t she do it?”

Applejack, Sunset and I turned to look at the fashionista, who was in the process of moving her lawn chair, muttering something about how the smoke was ‘following her.’

I looked back at Sunset, smirking. “You really think she’s gonna get in here and get all hot n’ smoky?”

“Ugh,” Sunset groaned, shifting her sights onto Twilight. “What about Tw-“

I gave the red-head a quick glare, stopping her from finishing—luckily. I glanced at Applejack next, curious to see if she’d picked up on Sunset’s near blunder, and I was met with a pair of inquisitive emerald eyes.

”Shit…” I thought, watching as AJ glanced at the lavender nerd, then back at me with narrowed eyes.

“OK fine!” Sunset conceded hastily and knelt down beside me, hoping to distract the farm girl.

“Alright!” I said, patting the red-head’s leather-clad shoulder as I handed her the pan. “OK, you saw what we were doing: twenty to thirty seconds each side, just enough to brown the outside.” I turned to Applejack next. “OK AJ, you see these bowls of egg and flour?”

“Yep.”

“When Sunny’s done with the steaks, you’re gonna roll them in the flour first, then the egg, then the bread crumbs; then set them aside,” I instructed, to which she nodded. “Oh,” I continued, facing her again, “and let them cool first so the egg doesn’t cook.”

“Done and done,” Applejack replied with a nod. She glanced at the pot of oil and then at me, smirking. “Yer gonna deep fry these bitches, aren’t ya?”

I nodded and checked the oil temperature again. “Yup.”

“Ah-ha,” the farm girl chuckled. “So yer makin chicken-fried steaks?”

“That’s right,” I said, turning to Sunset after I felt her tap my shoulder.

“Is this good?” the red-head asked, holding the pan up to show me the steak.

“That’s perfect, Sunny. Throw that one on the plate for AJ, then do the rest just like that.”

Sunset beamed with pride and did as instructed, slapping the next strip of meat into the hot pan with a loud sizzle.

“Dang, this is gonna be good,” Applejack said, rubbing her hands together. “I fuckin love chicken-fried steak!”

“Well,” I said, “technically, it’s Wiener Schnitzel; a German dish.”

“I’ve heard a’ that,” AJ replied, rubbing her nose. “It’s pretty much the same thing, ain’t it?”

“It IS the same thing,” I replied. “It was brought over to the States by German immigrants in the 1800s, but the name was eventually changed to sound more ‘American.’”

“Huh,” Applejack stuck her bottom lip out. “I never knew that. I always thought it was American.”

“So do some Americans, and they can get sore if you tell them it’s a German dish, so just watch who you’re saying it to. The last thing you want is some pissed-off Texan in your face,” I said, just as a small, white object fluttered into the corner of my eye. “Pfffft!” I spat, waving my hand to shoo it away. When it returned a second time and fluttered its wings against my forehead, I scowled and leaned back, shaking my head. “Hey...beat it!”

Applejack let a chuckle slip as she watched the little, white creature finally flitter off into the trees.

“Anyway,” I continued, “you guys should be honored; this breakfast you’re about to have is like a piece of history.”

“How so?” Sunset asked, glancing my way as she flipped the steak.

“Because I cooked this exact meal for James Riley, back in…hm, when was that?” I paused and rubbed my chin. “I wanna say…about 1873? Maybe four? I can’t remember exactly.”

“Who’s James Riley?” AJ asked, “Someone famous?”

“Sort of,” I replied. “He was involved in the Gunfight at Hide Park a year or two before; not as famous as the Gunfight at The OK Corral, but still a pretty serious one. He’d been on the run ever since, and eventually he met me in the desert with a wagon full of supplies.”

“Wait, you had the wagon, or he did?”

“I did,” I replied. “He was on his own, and he looked pretty sick and hungry so I told him he could travel with me for a bit, and I cooked him up a steak, just like these ones.” I paused for a moment to check the oil temperature. “Too bad it was his last meal.”

“Aw…too sick?” Applejack asked.

Before I could answer, Sunset cut in. “Did you kill him?”

“Sunny!” I huffed. “What do you think I am? Some kind of wild animal who just goes round killing everybody? Is that what you think of me?”

“No!” Sunset rebutted, taken aback by my reaction. “Calm down, Golds, Jeez! If it makes you feel better, I was just kidding.”

“Well…still,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

Sunset watched me for a moment as Applejack snickered quietly to herself. Finally, she let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “Ugh…fine. I’m sorry I said that, Golds. I didn’t realise you’d be so sensitive about it.”

“It’s OK, Sunny. I forgive you.”

“Heh heh! You two are like an old, married couple,” Applejack chuckled, shaking her head. “So, what happened ta this Riley guy? How did he die?”

“I killed him,” I replied nonchalantly, to which Sunset angrily slammed the pan onto the grille.

“UGH! You are such a dick, Golds!” she shouted, causing Applejack burst out in a hearty laugh.

“Heh heh heh! Now that’s fuckin funny!” the farm girl chuckled.

I joined in and laughed along with her.

Sunset huffed and shook her head. “I swear…” she muttered, giving me an exasperated look. “Alright, so...why’d you kill him?”

After waiting for my laughter to die down, I cleared my throat and faced the red-head. “Um…he stole some shit from my wagon and tried to run off, so I pushed my thumb through his forehead.”

Applejack closed her eyes and grimaced, leaning away from me in disgust. “Aww! Nasty, man!”

“Yeah, that’s horrible,” Sunset agreed somewhat smugly, knowing she’d called me out correctly in the first place.

“What?” I shrugged. “He was fuckin-off with my turnips, what else was I supposed to do?”

Rainbow Dash, who —unbeknownst to me— was listening to our conversation, interjected from her chair. “Hold on, you killed a guy over some turnips?”

“Bah,” I waved her off. “He was a murderer anyway, remember? That’s why he was on the run in the first place.”

“Yeah, but still,” Dash shook her head. “What did you need turnips for? It’s not like you were gonna starve to death.”

“They weren’t for me,” I explained. “I was bringing them to a family I was helping; their ranch had been hit by a bad storm and most of their crops were destroyed, and they had three young children—five originally, but two of them died of illness. Anyway, they were on the verge of starving, so I made the three week trip to the next big town to bring a wagonful of food back for them.”

The girls were quiet after hearing the story, granting me a second to check the oil again.

Eventually, Sunset cleared her throat to speak. “So, why’d this Riley guy try to rob you?” she asked, placing another browned steak onto the platter before dropping another one into the pan.

“Well,” I replied, looking off into the trees as I drew a breath. “I think he realised he wasn’t going to survive travelling with me —you know, cuz I had no water or anything like that; I mean, I had a little bit for the potted plants that I was bringing for them to transplant, but not enough to drink— plus, when he met me, I was stopped an had a fire going, which is when I cooked the-“

“Wait, wait,” Rainbow Dash cut in, waving her arm and shaking her head. “Why were you stopped? Since when do you need to rest?”

“I don’t,” I replied, but it was getting dark, and the terrain was pretty rough; lots of rocks and pot holes. I couldn’t see where I was going so I stopped cuz I was worried about fuckin up the wagon.”

“Ah,” Dash replied, then took a sip of her coffee. “Sorry Golds,” she said after swallowing. “Go on.”

“OK, uh…” I mumbled, scratching my forearm. “Where was I? Oh, so anyway, at sunrise we were getting ready to move. By then, I’m sure Riley had noticed some strange things about me: like how I had no water, and how I didn’t sleep all night; plus, the wagon was fairly big and needed at least two horses to pull it, so when he —understandably— asked where my horses were, I said I didn’t have any. Then I grabbed the reins and started pulling the wagon myself...which I think may have freaked him out a little.”

“Yeah I think that mighta set me off, too,” Applejack chuckled.

“Oh for sure,” I nodded. “He was probably like: ‘fuck this,’ so he made a break for it. But before he left, he grabbed the first thing he could reach from the back of my wagon and took off with it. It pissed me off, obviously —you know, cuz he’s stealing from a family that needs it— so chased him down and…well, you know the rest.”

“Yeah we do, sugarcube,” AJ nodded, cringing again at the thought. “Did ya really have ta do it like that?”

“What, with the thumb?” I asked, to which she nodded. “That’s actually one of the most humane ways to kill someone; quick, clean, relatively painless…”

Sunset cocked her head, giving it a little more thought. “Hm. That makes sense, actually; now that I think about it.”

“Yeah, it’s easy,” I continued, “you just fuckin grab ‘em by the back of the neck and PLOP! Bob’s your Uncle.”

“Gross,” Dash muttered, her voice echoing inside the mug as she took another sip of coffee.

“So, were you able to help that family?” Sunset asked, flipping the steak.

I inhaled deeply. I already knew how the story turned out and I didn’t care much to say it, but I knew they weren’t gonna let up, so I figured I might as well just tell them. “Um, no. I couldn’t help them.”

The girls stopped what they were doing and turned to watch me.

“Why not? What happened?” Rainbow Dash asked, somewhat perturbed.

I chewed my lip for a second, then shook my head. “When I got back, they were all dead.”

Applejack hissed through her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. “Aww...dang it. They starve?”

“No, actually…uh, a band of outlaws came around while I was gone. The father was on the porch, full of holes with his rifle laying next to him, and the family…” —I paused and adjusted one of the logs with my foot— “the family was inside, all shot.”

Applejack shook her head. “Dang...ain’t that a kick in the pants.”

I glanced at Sunset, who was staring at me, not paying attention to the meat. Clearly, she had yet to come across this particular story while reading my mind. “Don’t overdo that steak, Sunny,” I said, pointing to the pan.

“What? Oh!” she gasped, looking down at the meat after giving her head a shake. “Sorry,” she said, taking the meat out to set it on the plate. “OK...that’s all of them.”

“Good job,” I said, picking up a container of chicken broth, which I opened and dumped into the steak pan. “OK Sunny, let that broth boil down. It’s gonna lift all that brown from the pan, which will add flavour to the gravy. Just don’t let it burn; when it stops bubbling, that means the water is gone and you have to take it from the heat. Just let me know when it’s there.”

Sunset nodded as Rainbow Dash spoke again. “So what did you do?”

“Huh?” I glanced at her.

“At the ranch. What did you do when you found them dead?”

“Oh…” I picked up a stick of butter from the pile of ingredients and began to unwrap it. “I buried them, of course, and then…” —shook my head and shrugged— “I just left the wagon there. I had no use for it, so…”

“Ugh,” Dash grumbled, looking down into her coffee. “That sucks, man.”

“Yeah. I’m real sorry ta hear that, partner,” AJ said, patting me on the shoulder.

“You know,” I said, holding up the half-unwrapped butter as I stared into the trees, ruminating on the distant memory. “What really bothered me about that whole thing was: that family had nothing. I mean, they were starving, had no livestock, no fuck-all. They had nothing to take, and those losers shot them anyway; kids and all. Like...why?”

Applejack sighed, looking at the ground.

“And I knew that...if I was there, I could've saved them,” I continued, “but I was off getting them food, cuz I had to, otherwise they would have starved.” With a quiet exhale, I resumed unwrapping the butter. “That was a valuable lesson for me: it doesn’t matter how tough, or wise, or skilled you are, you can’t be everywhere at once; and sometimes...you just can’t save everybody.”

“Hm.” Sunset shook her head, stirring the broth. “I’ve already learned a lot since becoming like you. Being immortal certainly doesn’t eliminate all of your problems; there’s still plenty of things to worry about. Lots of things that can go wrong.”

“Yup,” I replied quietly, dropping the wrapper into the pile next to me.

“So, what did you do then, Daddy?” Rarity asked.

I leaned over and glanced past the fire toward my violet-haired girlfriend, surprised to realise that she’d been listening to the conversation.

“Well, I figured the outlaws were there only a day or two earlier; judging by the bodies,” I explained. “I mean, the father had been picked over a bit by the vultures, but I could tell it hadn’t been long. So after I buried the family, I found the outlaws’ tracks, and...I decided to follow them.” I glanced around at each of the girls, letting a sly smirk show itself. “It took me about four days to catch up with them.”

“Oohhh boy,” Applejack grimaced, “I bet yer thumbs got a workout that day, eh?”

“No, not really. I was nowhere near as humane with those guys as I was with Mr. Riley.”

“Yikes,” Rainbow Dash cringed. “Sucks to be them…”

“They didn’t call it the Wild West for nothing,” I chuckled.

“Where was that, exactly?” Sunset asked.

I turned to look at her, puzzled slightly by the question.

“Like, was it close to where you and I were?” she clarified.

“Oh,” I said, cocking my head as I thought more about it. “I’m not sure exactly. There weren’t very many roads or decent maps back then. All I can tell you is that family’s farm was near the Texas border, which I guess is sort of on the opposite side from where we picked up Flutters.”

“Did it remind you of those times?” Sunset asked. “I mean, at some points, even I felt like we were in the Wild West, driving around the desert in that old car.”

“Um,” I sighed, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess there were a few times that I thought of those days.”

Rarity interjected next. “You know, Daddy; I said it last night, and I’ll say it aga-“

Applejack’s brows furrowed and she shook her head, bemused. “Rarity? Why in the sweet name a’ fuck are ya callin him Daddy?”

I gave the farm girl a light tap on the shoulder with the back of my hand, prompting her to look at me. “THANK-YOU!”

The fashionista was caught off-guard for a second, but she recovered quickly and stuck her nose up. “It’s just a pet-name, Applejack, and it is none of your business!” she snapped, folding her arms.

AJ rolled her eyes, followed by a chuckle. “Alright fine, what were ya gonna say?”

It took Rarity a moment to respond. Making sure to be as dramatic as possible, she glanced sideways at AJ first, and then me, before finally unfolding her arms again. “As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted,” she began, prompting Applejack to sigh and shake her head, “I think this adventure has done you well, Golds. I don’t know what it is, but I certainly feel as though something has been sparked in you.”

Applejack cocked an eyebrow when she heard this and she turned to look at me, followed by an agreeing nod as she tossed the first steak in the bread coating. “Ya know, I think yer right, Rarity,” she said. “I coulda swore I noticed something different about him when they got back, but I figured it musta been my imagination.”

“Yeah, same here,” Dash agreed as well, “I noticed it too. It’s not exactly that you look younger, cuz you look the same,” —she paused to rub her chin, narrowing those cerise eyes at me— “I don’t know; it’s like you look more…alive.”

Rarity snapped her finger and then pointed at me. “Yes! That’s it! Rainbow Dash is correct; when we first met you, although you were a very nice man, you had a certain unmistakable…hmm, emptiness, is it?”

“Yeah,” Dash nodded. “You just looked depressed when we first met you, but since you got back from rescuing Fluttershy, you definitely seem...cooler. Like, by at least a solid twenty percent.”

I glanced at Sunset, who was looking at me with a smirk on her face, letting a bit of smugness show as she removed the pan from the heat. “The uh…broth is gone.”

“OK thanks,” I said tossing the stick of butter into the pan, which broke out into a violent sizzle and began to melt rapidly. “Maybe it’s the companionship?” I suggested, watching the translucent yellow pool spread across the bottom of the pan.

Rarity rubbed her chin, then shook her head. “I don’t think so, darling. We’d been together for months before Fluttershy was taken, but this new...aura of yours didn’t surface until after the rescue mission.”

“Hm.” I looked down to open the bag of flour beside me, then reached in to take a handful of the white powder, tossing it into the pan with the butter. “Mix that up, please, Sunny,” I instructed as I clapped my hands together to beat the flour off.

“What are we making here, anyway?” Sunset asked as she stirred the ingredients together with the spatula.

“It’s called a roux,” I explained, “That’s what’s gonna thicken the gravy.”

“Ah,” she replied, stirring rhythmically as I turned back to the others.

“Well, I don’t know, guys,” I said, watching Applejack roll another steak in the coating. “I don’t really feel any different, so I’m not sure what to tell you.”

Twilight, who had remained silent thus far, raised a finger to finally offer her opinion. “Perhaps, if I could make an observation?”

“OK, shoot.”

“I think...all this time you spent living alone in these woods, spending your time alone, keeping a low profile, working a normal job; while I understand it was a necessary move, I don’t think it was particularly good for you,” she explained.

“What do you mean, ‘good for me?’” I asked, shaking some onion and garlic power, along with dried sage leaves into the pan as Sunset stirred the lumpy, sizzling concoction.

“Well…” Twilight paused, rubbing her chin with her thumb as she considered how she would put her hypothesis into words. “I believe that by living that lifestyle, you were actively denying your true calling: which is to be an adventurer; a hero. A doer of good, if you will.”

“Told ya,” Sunset whispered, followed by a playful giggle when I gave her a dirty look.

“Actually,” the lavender girl continued as she sat upright in her chair, “I think this is true for many, if not all people; I am reminded of a speech by science philosopher Jason Silva, who said, and I quote:

Rarity replied first, after giving an impressed nod. “Hm! Agreed, darling.”

Applejack was nodding as well, bobbing an index finger at Twilight. “I like that,” she said, turning to me. “I like that a lot.”

I nodded, watching the farm girl as she laid the next crumb-coated steak onto the tray, ready to be cooked. I turned to Sunset next, who I could read like a book; it was obvious that she was gloating about the others agreeing that I should be an adventurer, and that her insistence that I be a vigilante with them was justified, in her eyes.

“I don’t know, guys,” I said, shaking my head as I crushed some peppercorns between my fingers and tossed them into the pan. “I’ve had my share of adventures. More than I can count. All I really want —at least for now— is to spend time with Flutters...and you guys.”

“Aww, and that’s mighty fine of ya, sugarcube,” AJ replied, placing her hand on my thigh and giving a firm squeeze, which caught me a little off-guard. “We ain’t suggestin ya go out lookin fer trouble er nothin like that; and if ya wanna spend time yer time bein in love, then dang it! Who am I ta say ya don’t deserve it?”

Hearing this, I found myself unable to stop smiling, and I watched quietly as she dipped another strip of steak into the egg-wash. “Thanks AJ,” I said quietly, to which she returned a warm smile to me. “You know, guys,” I continued, “I was kind of hoping that you all would be my next adventure; I mean, this is the first time ever...that I haven't had to live with the knowledge that someone I love is going to eventually grow old and be gone one day, leaving me behind. For once, I can relax and not have to deal with that feeling looming in the back of my mind every day. And for those of you who want to go and have your own adventures,” —I gave Sunset a nudge— "I can always live vicariously through you."

The red-head sighed and rolled her eyes.

"But seriously, guys," I continued, "I really mean it when I say this: that you ladies are, without a doubt, the best bunch of people I've ever met." I took a quick moment to look at each of them. "Ever."

“Aww, darling,” Rarity cooed, pressing her fingertips to her chest. “You think we’re the best people you’ve ever met?”

“Of course, Rare,” I nodded, “and that says a lot, cuz I’ve known a LOT of fuckin people.”

“Heh!” Dash chuckled, snapping her fingers and pointing her thumb at herself. “Do I really need to say it? It’s gotta be because we’re so awesome!”

“That’s right,” I replied, snickering at the rainbow-haired girl.

It was a nice moment, and a nice morning, in fact. I found it nigh impossible to wipe the smile from my face as I looked around the group; each of them had their own unique qualities, abilities, beauty, and I meant every word when I told them that I thought they were the best people I’d ever met, because they truly were.

From then on, I was fairly quiet while the girls chattered on endlessly. I enjoyed listening to them; to each of their voices and expressions, their laughter, and many times I found myself laughing along with them as I perfected the gravy, adding a splash of milk here and some pepper there to give it just the right consistency and flavour.

It was time to start frying the steaks soon. I was reluctant to cook them too early so they wouldn’t get cold, but none of us knew how much longer Pinkie Pie was going to sleep, so I made the decision to cook the rest of them and set Pinkie’s aside until she was awake.

“No, AJ!” Sunset insisted, deep in conversation with the farm girl about the mission. “I’m telling you, everyone down there talks exactly like you!”

Applejack closed her eyes and raised a hand. “And I’m tellin you, Sunset: I ain’t got no family down there! This is where I’m from; born and raised. I really don’t know what else ta tell ya.”

I was in the process of setting the lid over the gravy, chuckling to myself over the girls’ little argument. I stood afterwards, ready to head into the house.

“Where are you going, darling?” Rarity asked, setting her chair down after moving out of the smoke yet again.

“Just heading inside to start the biscuits. I won’t be long.”

Twilight sprang from her seat at the news, offering her help. “Here, let me do that, Golds. Why don't you stay out here and hang out?”

Her enthusiasm stopped me in my tracks. “Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah really,” Twilight replied. “You’ve been so busy all morning, and you’re doing a great job, but...I’d like to help out at least a little bit. You stay out here and have fun, and I’ll look after the biscuits.”

“Uh…OK,” I said, unprepared for the offer. I turned around to have a quick look at the fire, then back to the lavender-skinned girl, nodding finally. “Sure thing. Thanks, Twi. That helps a lot, cuz I actually just remembered I’ve gotta start the eggs soon.”

“No problem,” she smiled, glancing back at me as she headed around the side of the house. “Where are these biscuits, anyway?”

“In the fridge. They’re just the cheap store-bought kind; just follow the instructions on the package.”

Twilight gave me a thumbs-up. “Got it!” she said as she disappeared around the corner.

I headed back to the fireside and returned to my seat next to Sunset, who was now lying back, relaxing and watching the fire.

“How’s it going?” I asked her.

“Not bad. That was kind of fun, cooking over the fire with you,” she replied, running a finger through her hair to clear it from her face.

“Yeah?” I smiled at her, moving the gravy pan off to the side, where it was just close enough to stay warm as I set a second pan on the grille and then tossed a lump of butter into it.

“Yeah,” she nodded, drawing a long, relaxed breath, letting her eyes explore the trees above.

Picking up two of the steaks, I glanced back at her, noticing a bit of distance in her gaze. “Something on your mind, Sunny?”

“Um…” she mumbled, watching dreamily as I dropped the steaks into the pot, causing the oil to erupt into a hissing mass of rolling bubbles. “What do you mean by living vicariously through us?”

I gave Applejack a quick glance. She was staring absentmindedly at the frying steaks, so I turned to Sunset to answer her question. “Like I said last night: you guys can be the heroes, and I’ll be on the sidelines; training, teaching, advising, leadi-”

“OOOOH! Like you’ll be Charlie and they’ll be your Angels?!” Pinkie squealed from Twilight’s former chair, startling Rainbow Dash in the adjacent seat, who was in mid-sip of her coffee.

“AAAAHH!” Dash screeched as the hot beverage spilled down her chest, “Fuck, that’s HOT!” She quickly pinched her shirt and pulled it away from her skin, hissing through her teeth as she glared angrily at the grinning, pink girl. “PINKIE! I swear to Christ!”

“Oops!” Pinkie gasped when she saw Dash’s steaming, coffee-soaked shirt. “Sorry, Dashie!”

Applejack sat up and adjusted her hat, scowling. “Pinkie Pie, how many times do we have ta tell ya? Stop appearin outta nowhere and screamin yer fuckin head off! It scares the bejesus outta people!”

“Yeah!” Dash added, “where the hell did you come from, anyway? We thought you were still in bed!”

Pinkie closed her eyes and gave a robust giggle, her braless bust jiggling inside her shirt. “Nope! I’m wide awake, silly!”

“Well yeah!” Dash scowled, finally letting her shirt go. “The whole fucking forest is awake after that!”

Chuckling quietly at the scene, I glanced at a smirking Sunset, which reminded me of the conversation she and I were having before the commotion with Pinkie had started. “Oh, anyways, Sunny; um, I’ll always be here for support, but like I said: I’ve had enough excitement. All I want now is to live a normal, peaceful life, out here with Flutters. And Rare. That’s why I was living alone in the woods in the first place, except now, things are better, cuz...you know...pussy."

Sunset smirked at the remark, but then it disappeared quickly. After a pause, she let out a disappointed sigh. “Fine. It just sucks, you know? You’re the best of us, and I wish you would fight the good fight alongside us, if that fight ever comes.”

I cleared my throat. “I know, Sunny, but look at the bright side: realistically, you probably won’t have to worry too much about having to fight without me when the time comes.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because things probably aren’t going to work out the way I want them to.”

The red-head raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

I let out a sigh, staring at the golden steaks floating around in the pot. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over and over again, it’s that life tends to get in the way of my plans. Every time. No matter how hard I try to avoid it.” I turned to face her, followed by a quick shrug. “Oh well, maybe this time it’ll be different. Maybe things will work out for once.”

With a sombre expression, Sunset’s eyes dropped downward to watch the fire. I turned to face Applejack and found her green eyes locked onto mine, giving me a foreboding look.

I returned my eyes to the pot to see two perfectly cooked steaks floating in the oil. “Ah!” I brought my hands together and rubbed them. “These two are done.” Without hesitation, I reached into the pot and plucked the steaks out with my fingertips, then set them down on the tray next to Applejack, who recoiled after witnessing my rather shocking methods.

“Whoa! Did you just reach inta that hot oil with yer fingers?”

I laughed out loud. “Hahaha! Yeah, I guess I did.”

“Damn partner, that sure gave me a start,” she chortled, shaking her head.

“Sorry,” I replied. “Hey, would you mind grabbing that carton of eggs from the table, please?”

“Yeah sure,” she replied, standing up to retrieve the eggs, still chuckling as Rarity got up to move her chair out of the smoke trail again.

“My goodness, Fluttershy is taking an awfully long time feeding those cats of hers,” she noted, with a glance toward the house.

“Yeah...she has been gone a long time,” Rainbow Dash agreed, pulling her phone out to check the time. “What was she doing when you came out, Pinkie?”

“Who, Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked. Dash nodded. “I didn’t see her in there when I came out; only Twilight.”

“Hm…are you certain, Pinkie Pie?” Rarity asked.

“Yup!” Pinkie replied. “Twilight was in the kitchen putting some biscuits in the oven, but there was nooooo Fluttershy that I could see!”

Rarity’s brows furrowed; she began to chew her lip, leaving her chair to head toward Fluttershy’s bedroom window. “Oh Fluttershy!” she called, daintily tapping the glass with her fingernails. After a moment and no response, she tapped the glass again, harder this time. “Fluttershy!” After another moment, a lavender face appeared behind the glass. Then the window began to glow, and it slid open by itself.

“What’s up?” Twilight asked, leaning closer to the screen.

“Ah, Twilight; is Fluttershy in there?” the fashionista asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No.”

Confused, Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? She’s not in the washroom?”

“I don’t think so,” Twilight replied as she turned to look over her shoulder at the shy girl’s bathroom. “No, the bathroom’s empty,” she replied, turning back to Rarity.

“Hm,” Rarity rubbed her chin for a moment, then gave the lavender girl a nod. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“No problem,” Twilight replied with a smile as she left the window to head back to the kitchen.

Rarity turned around slowly, stroking her chin with the knuckle of her index finger. She glanced around the yard at the rest of us, a disquieted look growing in her eyes. “Where do you suppose she is?”

Rainbow Dash set her coffee down and stood. “She’s probably just in the front yard. I’ll go check.”

Rarity smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Rainb-“

ZOOM!

Applejack snorted and shook her head after seeing Rarity’s expression. The rest of us, however, were listening closely, trying our best to ignore the crackle of the fire in front of us.

“Fluttershy!” Dash’s voice called from the far side of the house. “You up here?...Fluttershy!”

A few seconds later, a multi-coloured streak shot into the backyard. “She’s not up there.”

“W-well, where could she be?” Rarity asked. Her voice had become shaky, her face displaying the evident concern that grew from within.

Sunset stood and walked toward the fashionista. “Just stay calm, Rare. She’s probably just talking to some animals or something. I doubt she’s very far.”

“Oh…yes, of course. You’re probably right, Sunset,” Rarity replied, looking slightly relieved as she made her way closer to the tree line. Placing her hands to the sides of her mouth, she called out to her girlfriend. “Fluttershy?...Fluttershy!”

Dash decided to join in. “Hey Fluttershy! Where’d you go?”

Pinkie was next. “Fluuuuuuuuttershyyyyyyyyyyy!” she squealed.

There was no response.

This did not put Rarity at ease.

She began to pace the tree line, her breaths shallow and quick, her face contorted with worry.

I remained by the fire, unable to leave the task at hand. “Try to relax, Rare. I’m sure she’s not far,” I reassured her. “Don’t get yourself all worked up over nothing.”

My words fell on deaf ears.

“FLUTTERSHY!” She then turned to face me, her fingers covering her mouth. “Oh Golds, where could she be? You don’t suppose…?”

“Suppose what?” I replied, leaning to the side to look around the fire at her.

“That…” —the fashionista moved her fingertips to her cheeks— “that they’ve come for her...to take her back? Do you think they might have taken her away from me again!?”

Her voice had risen to a squeal by then, so I raised my hand to calm her down. “No. Rare, that’s crazy.”

With folded arms, Sunset added: “Yeah, no. They wouldn’t be able to capture her right now, even if they wanted to. They don’t have the resources.”

Rarity faced the red-head. “But…but how can you be so sure?”

Sunset stepped closer to the fashionista and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Please Rare, try to stay calm, K? I’m sure everything’s fine; I bet you anything she’s just hanging out with some critters. You’ll see.”

Rarity pulled away quickly, scowling. “NO!” she hissed. “What if they’re after her again? We simply MUST find her before it's too late!”

The rest of us stood by, watching hopelessly as the panic-stricken fashionista turned back to face the trees, calling for the shy girl again.

“Fluttershy!...FLUTTERSHY!”

Author's Notes:

James Riley
The perfect candidate for this backstory.

Also, this is the talk by Jason Silva that Twilight was referencing, remixed by Melodysheep.
Watch it. Love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBpCC8MnkCQ

UPDATE: (May 10, 2019)

”The last thing you want is some pissed-off Texan in your face,” I said, just as a small, white object fluttered into the corner of my eye. “Pfffft!” I spat, waving my hand to shoo it away. When it returned a second time and fluttered its wings against my forehead, I scowled and leaned back, shaking my head. “Hey...beat it!”

In case no one noticed, this bit was a nod to fellow author MythrilMoth—one of several homages to other site members hidden in this story. I just learned tonight that he has unfortunately passed away.

I had very little interaction with Moth during my time here, aside from a few PM’s asking for his advice on the use of story tags, as well as asking if it was cool if I used him as an Easter Egg when I wrote this scene back in late 2017.

He was quick to reply each time and always made sure I’d gotten the help I needed before the exchange was over, which I was—and still am—very grateful for.

It was a shock to hear of his passing, to say the least; I hope he is resting soundly and is happy, wherever he may be.