With the carnage of the previous day, Applejack had been hoping for a relatively peaceful follow up. Predictably, this wasn’t to be the case. Lying in bed for an hour, willing her pain away, was not working. It seemed she had been transported to the dormitory sometime after her graceful exit from the conversation the night before. Every muscle, especially those in her legs, sent jolts of pain to her head as she flexed them. Her back was throbbing from hitting the water, and she swore her face was still feeling the heat of the explosion. Forcing herself up the spiral stairs, her eyes millimetres from closing, she faintly heard the youthful voice of Idared.

“Your favourite pony, Firefly, said it was fine! Last time I checked, she was in charge around here. Why do you still have a problem!?”

Applejack sighed, pausing in her ascent to rest her head against the wall. Maybe youthful was putting it lightly.

“My problem?” the gravelly voice replied, as equally intelligible to Applejack. “My problem is that you’ve learnt nothing from this. Nor the time before that. Nor the time be- You know what, I could go on all day.”

Applejack resumed her climb, eyes pressed shut. Maybe if she couldn’t see them, they wouldn’t bring her into the fray.

“And as I’ve been saying, grandpa, it works! Why fix what isn’t broke? ”

Applejack reached the top of the stairs, unwilling to enter the bar. Surely she could wait until they’d finished?

“Because one of these days you’re going to get us discovered and, worse, yourself killed!”

She could smell fried eggs. Delicious, freshly prepared fried eggs. Oh, and was that hash browns?

“Hah, like you’d actually care!”

Glen ignored the immature riposte. “Anyway, everypony makes mistakes. You know what I think about Firefly’s attitude to all this. She never learnt from the Rarity incident, nor the griffon ambassador, and she won’t learn now, so why argue?”

“Bucking hell, stop being so pathetic then!” If Idared was going down the path of petty insults, now might be a good time for Applejack to break this up. Her stomach wholeheartedly agreed. “If you have a problem with me, stop kissing Firefly’s flank whenever she disagrees!”

Applejack swung the door open and put on her friendliest smile. “G’mornin’, everypony.”

The bar was fairly empty, once again reminding Applejack how long she had taken to get out of bed. The delicious smell came from the direction of the bar, where Brie, their bartender-cum-chef, stood lazily in front of the kitchen door. She and the few other patrons were watching the two central ponies with an air of amusement. Idared was perched on a table, breathing heavily, her eyes glaring daggers into her verbal sparring partner, Glenlivet. The stallion himself was a table away, sitting down. While his posture seemed to suggest his disinterest in the argument, his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes told otherwise. As Applejack made her greeting, both turned to her in one movement. Now she’d stuck her hoof in it.

“AJ! Will you tell this mule how our plan went perfectly well! You were there, you had the best view.”

“Lass, get the wee one to quit her bull! She bucked up, and is trying to pass it off as a success.”

‘No, yer both wrong! Idared ain’t at fault. Barentu threw us into that mess of a situation, and she did what she could. But it sure weren’t no success. We killed a buncha ponies, blew up a buildin’ and barely survived! Now stop arguin’ and sit the hay down!’

These words, on the edge of Applejack’s lips, were the honest truth. But she may as well have thrown a ball of paper to stop a buffalo charge. Instead, she listened to what was currently the most rational organ in her body, and turned to the bar. “Brie. Ya wouldn’t mind rustlin’ me up some’a yer delicious breakfast, would’ja?” The yellow earth pony returned a knowing smile, and trotted into the kitchen.

Applejack took a seat at a free table, ignoring the intense stares she was receiving. “I ain’t getting’ inta it. Y’all can bicker till yer blue in the face, it ain’t changin’ nothin’. “

There was a moment’s silence. As Idared opened her mouth, threatening to break the awkward yet peaceful stillness, a pony descended the stairs from the shop above. “They’re here, finally.” It was Tera, two rolled up newspapers sticking out of the bag on her back. “You’re gonna like this.” Glen and Idared instantly lost interest in each other, and trotted over. The rest of the room murmured in interest. Reaching a table, Tera opened the first paper, Equestria Daily. “First, what the government wants people to believe.” Applejack realised this commentary was probably more for her than anypony else, so made her way over. It would be rude to not pay attention. “Not a whisper of blame on us.”

“Freak accident at Misaki HQ.” Glen began skimming the first page article. “Three dead, and seven injured. Prince Barentu among the injured. His two associates and Misaki boss, Okane Mochi, confirmed dead.” He glanced over at the ‘confirmed dead’ Applejack and Idared. “Experimental recording equipment is to blame. Misaki has ceased its research in that department. The Chancellor was quick to express her sadness over the incident in a private press conference mere hours after it took place.”

“Well, it’s all lies, ain’t it!” Applejack protested.

“Applejack, meet Equestria Daily. EQD, Applejack.” The mare rolled her eyes at Glen’s humour. “In all seriousness, we’re pretty damn lucky they’re not pointing the blame at us. I suppose they’re just afraid of implying Barentu would be working with Resistance members.”

Tera was pulling out the second paper. “Well, The Independent Hoof sure isn’t.” She unfurled it before the impatient crowd with her usual slow pace, revealing a large front page featuring Barentu. “They blame Barentu, accusing the government of being too weak to do anything about it, implying they’d rather kill their own citizens than risk insulting the zebras.”

“Of course, that’s the government’s biggest problem,” Glen grumbled sarcastically. “They’re right though. The Chancellor wouldn’t risk starting another war over the lives of a few ponies. Unicorns may realise she’s not a very good leader, Celestia forbid.”

Daybreak, a golden mare, nudged forward, ignoring Glen’s rant. “Is there anything about us in there?”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Tera flicked a few pages over. “We get a special feature.” The pages fell, revealing a large mug shot of Rainbow Dash, titled with GOVERNMENT HIDES RESISTANCE INFLUENCE. Hushed whispers echoed through the crowd.

“Well,” Glen spoke up. “I see they’re not getting bored of reusing that one Firefly picture.”

“It’s all hit and miss,” Tera explained. “There are sections that accuse Barentu’s companions of being Resistance members, and sections that accuse Misaki of being filled with our unicorn spies.” Tera giggled. “If only, right? There’s a bit near the end all about how we and the government are in cahoots, which is, y’know, really shooting in the dark.”

A question on the tip of her tongue, Applejack was immediately distracted with a small picture hidden away at the bottom. “So, uh, why’ve they got a picture of me?” It was the same picture that Applejack had seen on her first day, with her long blonde hair and Stetson, featured on the news.

“Oh, nothing much. Just a reminder of the recent government announcement about you, and some vague attempts to link it to this.” Tera looked over at Applejack, smiling warmly. “Don’t worry though. They’re way off the mark.”

“Right, right,” Applejack mumbled, her eyes fixed on the picture. She wasn’t entirely placated by Tera’s words. “Are these folks that write this on our side or not?”

Tera instantly looked to Glen to answer, who winced before responding. “It’s… complicated.”

“It’s not that complicated,” grumbled Cream Slice, an elderly stallion. “It’s written by pegasi, who are as racist as unicorns. Same bullshit, different source.” Applejack held her tongue as the urge to point out his hypocrisy rose.

“They’re useful sometimes,” Idared pointed out. “Remember the Emponium riot? They basically stopped the government’s witch hunt in a single day.”

“Yeah, that’s one incident, kiddo. Firefly had a backup plan anyway.” Idared rolled her eyes at the old pony’s response. “There have been plenty of times they’ve brought unwanted attention our way before you were even born.” As Applejack listened, she suddenly noticed Aspen, glaring daggers into Cream Slice. “Now, I remember this time when I was a lad, and the go-”

“Like I said.” Glen’s voice rose as Cream Slice trailed off. “It’s complicated. The pegasi have a tendency of wanting their independence. The government gives them some freedom on account of their invaluable service to the city.”  He looked up, as if able to see Cloudsdale through the ceiling. “If any uprising could be successful, it’d be a pegasus one.”

“Shame they love kicking our skulls in,” Tera mumbled, looking up from her paper. At Glen’s glare, she dropped her head, suddenly interested in an article on the newly appointed health minister.

“Yeah, let’s keep pegasus comments to a minimum, okay?” Glen gave a few members of the group a quick glare before turning to his office. “You’d do well to remember who our own leader is.”

At this, there were a few murmured complaints and agreements. Aspen, looking uncharacteristically furious, immediately made for the lower stairs in silence.  Then, as one, the crowd dispersed, leaving Idared and Applejack next to Tera, still engrossed in the paper. Applejack looked at Idared inquisitively.

“Pegasi are a controversial topic,” she explained. No kidding. It seemed the city’s citizens weren’t split as simply as pro and anti-government.

“Favourite ice cream flavour is a controversial topic nowadays,” Tera grumbled. “Pegasi are on a whole other level.”

“I can imagine, what with Rain- uh, Firefly leadin’ y’all.” Applejack had a fairly good idea how Rainbow would handle any racism directed towards pegasi. Then again, Rainbow had changed a great deal from the Rainbow she used to know. Who knows how diplomatically and maturely Old Dash would deal with it? Old Dash was Applejack’s new internal name for her.

“Eh, whatever.” Idared waved a hoof dismissively. “There’s only one good way to release stress here, and it’s not arguing.”

“Oh?” Applejack raised her eyebrows. “What’cha mean?” The filly wasn’t saying what she thought she was saying, was she?

Idared grinned. “I’ll show you. Meet me in the shooting range after breakfast.” Right, yeah. Of course not. “I’ll turn you into a lean, mean, fighting machine. You’ll be out there busting government heads in no time at all.” Tera’s sceptical smirk matched Applejack’s confidence in Idared’s words.

~~~~~~~~

‘In no time at all’ turned out to be quite a considerable amount of time, all things considered.

A week and a half, to be precise. Applejack’s excuses grew thin as time went on. At first it was her body, which lingered in a state of pain for a few days. Idared’s gun training had been an uphill climb, her muscles protesting every time she raised anything heavier than a shotgun shell. By the third day, however, her aim and balance had improved considerably. That’s when the next excuse came about: training.

Applejack had decided the next time she left she’d be able to at least have some competence with the shotgun. This had taken some time, as Idared had predicted, but she eventually had mastered the art of swinging it over her shoulder without accidentally firing it, as well as balancing on two legs and aiming without falling flat on her face. It was a passing grade, or so Idared said. So now she was completely prepared, without a shadow of a doubt, to leave the base once again. That is, if it wasn’t for the final excuse.

“A cold?” Glen repeated, giving Applejack the iciest stare. She nodded, and coughed for emphasis. Glen sighed, face-hoofing. “You are honestly the worst liar I’ve ever know.” They stood in the shop, Tera busily closing the place up for the night as Glen watched over her. “You’re going out tomorrow, whether you like it or not.”

Applejack had to admit, it hadn’t been the best idea. Even if they had believed her abysmal deception, a cold was hardly a good enough reason to remain inside. Aspen trotted over from the counter, crouching down. “You’re afraid to leave again, aren’t you?” His tone, while accusing, was understanding. “Your fear is well founded, but you can’t let it control you.” Since when had Aspen been so good at reading her?

Fluttershy landed at her other side, smiling gently. “The hardest step is the first one. I should know.” Applejack blinked in confusion.

“Oh, well if that’s true, why don’t we solve it now,” Idared eagerly suggested, nudging Applejack’s tail. The force was strong enough to push Applejack towards the shop door, her legs continuing the motion. “Just go outside for a moment. It won’t hurt.” Applejack felt like protesting, but her mouth was too scared to move.

Outside the shop windows, Applejack spotted movement. There was something out there. Something she didn’t want to see. Why couldn’t she stop her legs? Passing the last aisle, she spotted Tera sweeping the floor. She wasn’t doing the best of jobs. The broom was just spreading Thorough Check’s blood all over the shiny surface, without actually clearing it up. Nevertheless, Tera stopped her work to give Applejack a friendly wave.

As her legs continued their journey, Applejack turned her attention back to the window. This time the source of the movement was visible. The pitch black alicorn stood outside, waiting for her, its body unaffected by the light of the shop. Those two purple, cruel eyes glaring at her once again. As Applejack tried to scream, tried to stop her legs, the shop door swung open, slamming her in the face.

~~~~~~~~

Applejack jumped, jerking out of her sleep. Her book sat on her pillow, just as she had left it. What time had it been? It was after dinner, she knew that at least. Her dreams were still catching her off guard, and always ended with that damn alicorn. She dropped her head back down to her sheets, groaning in frustration.

“Oh, sorry.” The soft voice nearly caused her to jump again. “Did I wake you?”

Applejack looked to her side, blinking sleep from her eyes. The blurry image of Rarity came into focus, appearing concerned. “Uh… n-nah. I was just... wakin’ up.” There was a horrible taste in her mouth. “What’sa time?”

“Just past ten,” Rarity replied, a small smile curling up her lips. “In the evening.”

Applejack stumbled from the bed as Rarity giggled. “I’m awake, don’tcha worry.” As soon as her hooves were on solid ground she stretched, her back cracking. “See? Weren’t sleepin’.” Her eyelids hovered, struggling to stay open.

“Oh, I can see,” Rarity hummed, tilting her head in amusement. “I think you’ve had enough beauty sleep though. I’ve had a chat with Glen.”

Applejack blinked her eyes wide, suddenly feeling like a guilty school-filly. “O- oh?” When the word ‘chat’ is used, it’s never in an innocent way.

Rarity gave Applejack a concerned look. “From what I heard, it sounds like you’ve been avoiding the outside world.”

“That- uh.” She had been hiding the truth far too much recently, and this was Rarity she was talking to. “That ain’t entirely… wrong.”

The two mares stare at each other for a moment, Applejack struggling against her rising guilt, Rarity’s expression turning understanding. Eventually, she looked away. “Okay. Well, I’m not going to force you out. I just think it would be wonderful if you and I went out for a few drinks, chat about things, relax.” She smiled her smooth, persuasive smile. “I would love your company.”

Nope. No way. She wasn’t going to sway this farmer. Applejack’s resolve was unswayable. She had an entire anti-sway section of her brain. There was no way Rarity could guilt her into leaving the safety of this base.

~~~~~~~~

The glowing lights of Riverside mocked Applejack as she plodded down the street, her ears lowered in defeat. Rarity almost skipped at her side, the widest smile on her face.

“Oh don’t look so glum, darling.” She shifted to the side, bumping Applejack playfully. It hadn’t taken that long for her convincing to win over Applejack’s stubborn nature. “A lady needs a little sunlight. It’s good for her skin.”

In the end, Glen had been right all along. Applejack still felt on edge, but the majority of the fear had been over exaggerated by her own anxiety. With Rarity by her side, chatting away, her previous feelings seemed fairly laughable. Still, any sound nearby had her ears flicking to attention, and her eyes made sure every pony that neared them was given the once over for signs of hostility.

“Yeah, ‘cause explosions and gunfire are also great for mah skin.” She glanced to her left, where Canterlot shone between the buildings. The cool night air blew the cobwebs from her head, and she found herself full of energy as the two of them dodged around another groups of ponies, all enjoying the nightlife. They were mostly unicorns, but there were the odd group of pegasi, and the very rare group of earth ponies, looking very out of place. No mixed race groups which, while unsurprising, still disappointed Applejack. She supposed Rarity and herself were a one-off. “And where’s this sunlight anyway? It’s nearly midnight!”

“It… it was a figure of speech, Applejack. I wish you would stop complaining.” Rarity suddenly stopped, stamping her hoof on the concrete. Applejack stumbled forward, attempting to match her partner’s movements. Turning back in confusion, her words were halted when she saw the pout on Rarity’s face. “This evening is supposed to be fun!” The pout was powerful, but Applejack was having none of it. “And you will have fun, whether you like it or not!”

Her stubbornness finally waning, Applejack sighed. “I know, Rare. I’m just… y’know. Bein’ me.” She closed the small gap between them, nudging Rarity’s shoulder.  “C’mon, it’s you. How could I not have fun?” The unicorn’s face lit up.

“Wonderful! Between you and me, there’s another reason why I called you out. I didn’t forget your interest in gaining an audience with Sparkle.” She winked playfully, and then returned to her trot. “I may be … persuaded to help you out, given the right incentive.” Well that settled it. Applejack was going to enjoy the hell out of this evening. The chance to confront Twilight wasn’t something that would come around every day.

And there was something else there. Something about seeing Rarity’s good spirits and playfulness that urged Applejack into prolonging that mood. She hadn’t missed the occasional disheartened look that would flash over Rarity’s face. Applejack’s thoughts drifted back to Rarity and Rainbow’s fight, to the fate of her sister, to the loneliness of her empty house. She deserved this, above all else.

Rarity’s pace had slowed down, her eyes darting over the venues. She came to a stop in front of a small entrance, the words ‘Aces & Eights’ shone in garishly red neon. “Now, I hope you’ll like this bar. I’ve only been here once before, but it’s more your style than the places I usually frequent. It’s more …” She turned to Applejack, trying to find her words. “Rustic.”

“O’ course,” Applejack drawled, giving the nearby bars a look. They all seemed a lot less elegant than Applejack had expected. The outside of Riverside was generally the same; dark windows, emotionless metal buildings, overhanging brightly lit signs. But once she could see past the doors, she realised how different the businesses themselves appeared. This one had a warm, welcoming interior. Red leather bar stools under soft yellow lights, dimly lit rows of alcohol behind the bar, stained wooden tables. “What was wrong with yer usual joints?”

Rarity paused for a moment, concern flashing over her face. “Well, my usual … joints probably won’t, uh … accept a pony such as yourself.”

“An earth pony,” Applejack drawled. “Y’can just say it, y’know.”

“Right, right. Of course,” Rarity flustered. “I didn’t mean to … You’re not- I wasn’t-”

“Relax, Rare.” Applejack had been so used to the Resistance’s blunt way of talking about the inequality in the city that Rarity’s difficulty in addressing the subject came as a bit of a surprise to her. “Just speak yer mind ‘round me. I know yer intentions are good.”

“Oh I’m sorry, darling. Tripping over my words like this. Everything’s so dreadfully unfair, and I feel awfully guilty in my position when you-”

“Well that’s just stupid,” Applejack interrupted, fixing Rarity with a glower. “Ain’t yer fault. None of this. Now c’mon,” she opened the glass door, indicating Rarity to enter. She was instantly met with the pleasant sound of jazz music and the faint hum of conversing ponies. “Let’s enjoy the hell outta this evenin’. This place looks perfect.”

Applejack quickly followed Rarity inside. The atmosphere inside met her expectations made outside. The subtle smell of cigarettes and alcohol was overpowered by the woody, earthy smell the bar seemed to radiate. The stalls and tables were surprisingly busy, with ponies of all races engaged in conversation and laughter. The bartender, a brown pegasus with a mess of curly hair for a mane, finished serving an elderly stallion, before turning to the newest customers, his smile welcoming. “A unicorn and an earth pony coming in together. Now there’s something you don’t see every day. I swear there’s a joke that starts like that.” Applejack politely laughed, and was quickly joined by Rarity’s nervous tittering. “What can I do for you two beautiful mares?”

“I’ll have a G and T, if you would be so kind. And my companion will have …” Rarity glanced at Applejack, who had just come to the realisation that she was without a single bit to her name. She couldn’t possi- “A pint of hard cider. Your best brand.”

“Rarity!” As the bartender turned to make the drinks, Applejack turned on her companion.

“Ah! Ah! Don’t even start. I’ll be paying for your drinks, whether you like it or not.” Rarity waved her hoof dismissively, before levitating her purse out her saddlebag. “I think they take card anyway.” She slipped a small piece of plastic out the purse, covered in numbers, with the large, bold letters SABC at the top. “I’ll just stick it all on there.”

Okay. Now Applejack was lost. “Card? What d’ya mean? What’s a Sabc?”

Rarity flicked her eyes between Applejack and the card, realisation dawning in them. “O- oh! Nothing. Um … I’ll just pay with bits instead.” Before Applejack could enquire further, the bartender had returned, balancing the two drinks on his wings. As Rarity paid, Applejack scanned the bar for an empty place to sit. She had bigger fish to fry than whatever futuristic mumbo jumbo Rarity was spouting. She was seconds away from finding out how to achieve the goal that had been gnawing away on her mind since she arrived here.

They found some seats near the back of the bar, in a quiet little alcove. Rarity floated the drinks over, and took a seat next to Applejack. As Rarity began on her gin and tonic, the earth pony jumped straight to the point. “So, yer Twilight plan. What’ve I gotta do?”

Rarity sighed as melodramatically as possible, lowering her face to the table and slumping her back. Applejack waited, unimpressed, as her companion dropped her act. “I had a feeling this topic would come up rather quickly.” Rarity turned to face Applejack, her tone serious. “My plan isn’t safe in the slightest. Look, I’m going to explain it, and the moment you think it’s too risky, interrupt me. Understand?”

“Eeyup.”

“You’re not going to interrupt me at all, no matter how absurd my plan is, are you?”

“Nnope.”

There was a moment’s silence, Rarity’s expression betraying her degree of exasperation, ending as Applejack decided to elaborate. “Rarity, put yerself in mah hooves.  Y’all have had time to deal with this change, but I haven’t. I want answers, and Twi’s the only one with ‘em. If I have any chance of getting’ home, it’s through her. So no, I don’t give a hay ‘bout the risk.”

Rarity avoided Applejack’s gave for a moment. “I admit there are times I want to know. It’s like a puzzle piece that’s missing. I want to know what happened back then without hearing Dash’s version. But most of all, I want to know why, and I want to understand why, especially since Sweetie…” She laughed humourlessly instead of finishing the sentence. “I think that’s the reason why I should never hear the answer. It would never be good enough.”

“I guess,” Applejack pondered, shuffling in her seat. “But all I need’s the truth, no matter how bad it’s gonna be. I just …” struggling to find the words, she finished quietly, “gotta.”

Rarity smiled understandingly. “You want a little bit of honesty, Applejack. That doesn’t really surprise me.” She turned back to the table, resting her head in a hoof. “When I told you there was a way the first time, I was mostly humouring you. The risk was far too great. Technically, I can teleport you into the castle without alerting any of the security systems. Problem is, the destination would be random, and you’d have no way back.”

Applejack nodded hesitantly. “That don’t sound too bad. I can work with it.”

Sighing, Rarity brought her drink to her mouth, and took a sip. “No, you can’t. There’s being brave, and then there’s being stupid.” Applejack rolled her eyes. Blunt Rarity was uncommon, but it always managed to irritate her. “I’ve been working with The Specialist though, and they’ve helped me reduce the risk. A simple revision to my spell has shrunk the possible destination to a far safer range. As long as I target a room large enough, there won’t be any risk of teleporting you into a wall.” She smiled weakly, the slightest hint of pride showing through. Magic had never been Rarity’s strong point, and it looked like that hadn’t changed.  Applejack grinned supportively. “I mean, it’s no Twilight level spell, but it’ll have to do. As for return, I won’t be able to perform that spell myself. It’ll need to be down to you.”

“Uh, I ain’t sure that’s gonna work.” Applejack tapped her forehead, where a unicorn’s horn would have been. “Y’know, for obvious reasons.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. The Specialist has explained to me the art of storing spells for later use. If I can capture the essence of a teleportation spell, the destination the Resistance base, I can store it in a particular kind of gem, which any non-unicorn such as you can utilise.”

“Rarity. That’s perfect! I can get out of there at any moment with something like that.”

“Well, of course,” Rarity mumbled, trying to act modest. “As long as you don’t let the gem get taken from you or something equally stupid. Also, it’s hardly my idea. The Specialist is the one to thank. They’re the reason I’m able to bypass the Canterlot security magic in the first place.”

The Specialist, huh? You and her … him … it worked together?” Rarity’s expression was unreadable. “So … you know who The Specialist is, huh?”

“Naturally,” Rarity hummed. “Oh? You don’t know?” The unicorn’s fake shock wasn’t fooling Applejack. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you. But you have to keep it secret, okay?” At Applejack’s nod, Rarity paused, no doubt for dramatic effect. “The Specialist … is Snails.”

The words hung in the air for a moment. Applejack sat, shocked, her mouth slowly opening. Before she could get a word out, Rarity burst out laughing. “Pfff- hahaha! Oh, I’m- I’m so sorry. But you should have seen the look on your face! Hehehe-”

“Yeah, hilarious.” Applejack’s deadpan tone gave away her sarcasm. “No, really? Who is The Specialist?”

“No idea,” Rarity managed as her laughter drew to a close. “They contact me the same way they talk to anypony else. Through the written word, and memory spells. Obviously they’re a unicorn, and a powerful one at that. They also have a strong loyalty to the Resistance. The amount of aid they’ve supplied to the cause is outstanding, the amount of information they’ve given us-”

“Aside from a name,” Applejack interjected.

“Yes, yes. Aside from a name. But if an individual wants to keep their identity secret, who am I to judge?”

“Yeah, but what if it’s Twilight? The real one! And The Chancellor is a double.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, floating her drink over once again. “You’re really reaching with that one, Applejack. If that were true, why wouldn’t she just reveal herself?” At Applejack’s disappointed silence, Rarity continued. “Anyway, you’ll have a chance to ask Sparkle as soon as we’re ready. The spell to get you there is easy enough, but getting you back … well, I’ll need something very few ponies in this city actually possess. A tiger’s eye.”

“A … tiger’s eye,” Applejack slowly repeated. “Yeah, I … I ain’t so sure we’d find one of them any-”

“The gemstone, AJ. I mean the gemstone. I’ll need to store the spell in a tiger’s eye jewel.” Rarity shook her head with a sigh, as if what she was saying was quite obvious. Because, of course, Applejack had always been an expert with gems, and was bound to understand her. “They’re only found in the Griffon’s homeland,” Rarity continued. “the griffons originally came from the west. Far, far to the west, as I’m sure you know.” Applejack didn’t. Geography classes had always failed to grab her attention when she was a filly. Nevertheless, she nodded, urging the unicorn on to her conclusion. “Well, shortly before the war, some great disaster occurred in their homeland. Famine, war, who knows? Whatever it was, it drove the survivors over the sea to join their brethren living in Equestria. Most historians agree that it was the fear of another disaster befalling them that united them under Yesukhei. Strength in numbers, after all.” Applejack felt she was starting to lose track of the information. She decided to hide her confusion with a mouthful of cider. “Anyway, it was these survivors that brought the last tiger’s eyes over to Equestria.” With a relaxed sip of her drink, Rarity sat back, content with her story.

“So …” Applejack’s attention hadn’t wandered far enough to notice the absence of a certain important piece of information. “Where’re we gonna get one?”

“Right, right!” Rarity tapped her hoof to her head. “Getting one in the city won’t be possible. Well, I’m sure The Chancellor has some lying around, but I’m not breaking you into Canterlot to steal an object to help you break into Canterlot.” She tutted dismissively. “That would just be pointless. However,” Rarity paused, eyeing Applejack up and down, her expression calculating. “Glen tells me he has business to attend to west of the city, involving griffons. I … suggested you’d be excited at the prospect of seeing what Equestria’s like outside the city walls, and he agreed.”

“Outside the city!” Applejack had heard enough about the surrounding lands to realise how absurd Rarity’s suggestion was. “Yah expect me to go out there? Ain’t it a war-zone?”

The unicorn turned away, muttering to herself. “Hmm, yeah. I imagined this would be a problem …” She switched her attention back to Applejack, her voice laced with honey. “Applejack, darling, it’s hardly a war-zone. The war ended years ago. It can be a little harsh at times, but most of the rumours spread around the city are lies the government fabricated in a successful plan to keep earth ponies willingly imprisoned.” She swung a hoof around Applejack’s neck in a uncharacteristically chummy manner. In entirely unrelated news, the white pony had finished her drink. “You’ll be perfectly safe out there. You’ve just got to keep an eye out for a suitable tiger’s eye gem.”

“Rare. Y’know how hard it was to get me outta the base.” She stared her companion down, but made no attempt to remove the hoof. “How’d’ya reckon I’d fare out there in the wilderness?”

“Glen tells me you’ve been training since we last met. You’ll manage,” Rarity offered, avoiding a more complete answer. “Anyway, I do believe it is you who wants this gem so very badly.”

Applejack opened her mouth to argue, but found no excuse immediately available. If she couldn’t do a task as simple as this, how was she going to face Twilight when she needed to? As much as she hated to admit it, Rarity was completely right. Beaming victoriously, Rarity hovered her drink over for another sip, only to find it empty. “Oh. Oh my. That went far too quickly.” She glanced at Applejack’s glass, only two thirds empty. “Well, this business talk is getting far too dull for such an evening. I’ll let you think it over, but I believe you’ve already come to a conclusion.” Applejack kept her eyes down, raising her beverage to her mouth. She left it to her imagination to picture the unicorn’s smug smile.

Rarity dropped from her seat with her usual flair of elegance. “Meanwhile, I’m going to acquire a couple more drinks for ourselves.” She gave Applejack a light bump with her shoulder as she passed. “By the time I’m back, I hope to see your glass empty, m’dear.”

~~~~~~~~~

True to her word, Rarity had kept the conversation clear of any serious or gloomy topics, instead talking in length about her students and colleagues as Applejack listened in amusement. It relieved the earth pony to hear of such things, and dispelled her fear concerning her friend’s loneliness. While it was true that Rarity wasn’t in the same good cheer she had been in the past, she was the closest to what Applejack was familiar with since arriving in Nova Equestria. There was something so relaxing and comforting about listening to the fashionista ramble about nothing in particular. When it came to Applejack’s turn to provide conversation she would delve into her recent memories, retelling events such as the royal wedding in crisp detail, as to her they had only occurred weeks previously. Rarity, having mostly forgotten about the events, hung onto the cowpony’s every word.

“I’m sure,” Rarity interjected, as Applejack retold the past. “I’m very sure I forbid you from wearing your hat.” The unicorn had her head resting on her foreleg, slouched over the table. Her flushed face was fixed on Applejack, a tipsy smile adorning her features, her eyes half lidded. In the red neon lights near their table, her coat had a pink sheen. A long cocktail sat nearby, rarity’s lipstick marking the end of the straw.

“Oh, sure as sugar yah did,” Applejack sniggered. Her glass of bourbon was still in hoof. It was her fifth drink. She was sure of that. She was carefully keeping count. Or it was her eighth drink, one of the two. Or any of the numbers in between. Look, she knew it was a number under ten for sure. “But d’ya really think I was gonna listen? Mah hat wanted to see the weddin’ too, y’know.”

“Your… your hat wanted to-” Rarity lost it, rolling her face into her foreleg to suppress the fit of giggles that escaped her. For a pony ten years older than Applejack, physically, she was dangerously adorable. Her hair rippled in such a mesmerising way as the unicorn’s body shook that Applejack almost missed the muffled question. “I- is that what y- your hat told you?”

Applejack was giggling away, despite her embarrassment. “Eyup. It also liked seein’ you while you were wearin’ that fancy dress, Rarity.” There was something about Rarity that brought out Applejack’s rare teasing nature.

Rarity jerked her head up, spluttering on her laughter. “W- well, the hat obviously has good taste then. Wouldn’t you say?”

“I reckon so,” Applejack mumbled, her thoughts momentarily distracted. “Now that I mention it, didn’t Rainbow say you’d been keepin’ an eye on my hat while I was gone?”

“Of course, honey,” the unicorn hummed playfully. “I wasn’t going to lose that old thing. Naturally, I did give it a slight makeover. A few jewels, a nice bow, nothing too big.”

Applejack gulped, eyeing her friend. “Yer… yer kiddin’ me, right?”

Rarity responded by raising her eyebrows incredulously, giving Applejack a light tap on the head. Or, at least, she tried to. She ended up missing and nearly falling onto the earth pony. “What do you think, dummy?”

Applejack giggled as Rarity righted herself. “Okay, okay. So ya didn’t. No need to go fallin’ off your chair on my account.” The unicorn pouted, generating another giggle from Applejack. “I know I can’t just go ‘bout wearin’ it. I just miss it, is all. I feel naked, y’know?”

“Uh, AJ. I hate to be the one to point this out, but-” Rarity poked her in the side. Her hoof felt so warm. “You are naked.”

“Oh you know what I mean,” Applejack mumbled, rolling her eyes. “It’s just another apple to add to the … pile of apples.”

Rarity slowly blinked, her ears flicking slightly. “Apples.”

“No, uh,” Applejack pressed a hoof to her forehead. “The apples are representin’ mah problems right now, with all the time travel and stuff.”

“Of… course.” Rarity still looked lost. What part of that didn’t she understand? “How are you dealing with everything? The future stuff.”

Sighing, Applejack raised her drink. How was she supposed to respond to this when she didn’t even know the answer herself? For the first few days, she’d basically put off thinking about it in any significant way. She was determined to return, through whatever means necessary. It was this dominant thought that postponed any belief that this world was real. It was a few nights ago that it had hit her though. What if she was stuck here? What if this had to be her home from now on? Idared had been there to calm her down after that particular panic attack. Since then she had come to terms with it, or as close as she felt she could. The feeling wasn’t a particularly nice one. “I’m managin’,” she eventually replied, the taste of whisky fresh in her mouth. “As best I can. It ain’t nothing’ short’a hopeless though. I can’t stand feelin’ this vulnerable.” She gave Rarity a sad look. “Sorry. I ain’t got a better answer than that. I doubt you’d understand either.”

Silence followed this. Rarity probably regretted asking. Trust Applejack to bring down the mood. She was in the middle of another drink when Rarity spoke up. “I think I would. I felt the same thing after… after Sweetie passed on.” Applejack paused mid-gulp, her eyes wide. This was the first time Rarity had brought it up around the earth pony. “There was the court case where I had to defend my innocence.” When had this conversation taken such a horrible turn? “I had to deal with Rainbow Dash when I found out how it happened. The feelings of worthlessness I felt then… I can’t even describe it.” There was an unbearably awkward silence as the two mares attended their drinks.

But Rarity wasn’t finished. “I clearly remember the last time I saw her. She was fussing over me, as she always did.” The unicorn’s eyes were fixed on her drink. “She was the down to earth one between us. It’s why we never moved apart. I don’t think she trusted me on my own. I knew full well that I relied on her more than I should have done.” Her voice was starting to crack. “That particular afternoon I was rushing, and nearly forgot my bag. I told her I wouldn’t know what I’d do without her.”

As soon as those words left her lips, Rarity’s back shook with a heaving sob. Applejack instantly shot out a hoof, putting her foreleg around her companion. “Rarity. I’m so sor-” Her flat, empty apology was cut off at the unicorn moved, closing the space between the two of them, and firmly wrapping her forelegs around Applejack’s torso. Applejack returned the hug, feeling Rarity’s hiccupped sobs shaking her warm body. Hot breath tickled her shoulder, as her coat caught the odd tear that fell from her friend’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she finished, imagining her own sister, and filling the words with all the meaning she could manage. Rarity’s perfume enveloped her, and Applejack closed her eyes, annoyed at being distracted by something so meaningless.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Rarity whispered, her mouth surprisingly close to Applejack’s ear. “When you left, I didn’t know what to think.”

“I’m here now though.” Rarity’s behaviour was definitely different. She felt a hoof rise up her neck, playing with her short hair. “And I’ll be around for a while, I reckon.”

“I miss your mane. The yellow one.” Rarity had pulled back slightly to look Applejack in her eyes. Her eyes were still slightly wet. A sober Applejack would have realised how close they were in that moment. She could smell the fruity smell of the cocktail on Rarity’s breath. “This is nice too though. It’s fluffy.”

Biting her lip, Rarity ran her hoof up Applejack’s mane, throwing it all out of place. She giggled at some internal joke the cowpony wasn’t privy to, the laughter broken by the occasional emotional shiff. That’s when Applejack realised the cause of Rarity’s behaviour. It was obvious.

She was drunk. Well and truly drunk.

Applejack pulled back slightly, causing Rarity’s ears to visibly drop, indicating her disapproval. “I’m gonna grab us another drink,” Applejack explained. Water this time, for both of them.

Rarity whined wordlessly, then added “But I haven’t finished this one.” Her voice was distractingly flirtatious. She pushed the drink forward. “I’ll let you share.” Applejack once again noticed the lipstick at the end of the straw.

Gulping, Applejack took a few steps back, nearly tripping over herself. “I won’t be a second. I promise.” The drink had gotten to her head just as badly. Unusual thoughts danced through her head. Leaving the sulking Rarity, Applejack made her way back to the bar.

The floor swam as she pushed through the customers. Yeah, she had been drinking way too much. There was something far too tempting about forgetting her troubles with alcohol. Drunken, flirty Rarity was riskily fun to talk to, so long as she didn’t drink too much herself, and do something she’d regret. Like take it seriously.

The bartender was happy to serve her, his good mood unwavering. Hopefully Rarity wouldn’t question Applejack’s ability to buy drinks without any bits. It was far easier to get a drunk pony to drink water when you disguise it as alcohol. There was the tricky job of getting them back to the table without telekinesis. Leaving one behind, she balanced the second in her hoof, and stumbled back. This plan, in her inebriated mind, was flawless. She was almost back to her table when she took the chance to glance up, taking her eyes off the glass.

Somepony had taken her seat. That somepony was a unicorn, a stallion, possibly around Rarity’s age. He had his arms around the mare, who appeared to be giggling playfully. All the sadness seemed to have left Rarity’s features.

Gravity took that moment to notice a drunken earth pony was trying to walk with a glass balanced in her hoof, and promptly knocked it off. The deafening smash it made as it hit the floor alerted everyone in the vicinity, including Rarity and her new friend. Applejack, in the classiest manner befitting a pony such as herself, turned and ran for the exit, her emotions going haywire. Who was that stallion? Well, whoever it was, Rarity was clearly far more interested in him than she had been with Applejack. As a friend, of course she was frustrated by that. As a friend.

Bursting out into the street, into the cool night air, she gave herself a moment to think, but found her brain refusing to work. Alcohol numbed all sense of reason and logic, and only highlighted the incomprehensible anger she felt.

Behind her, she heard the bar door swing once again, and a familiar voice rang out. “Applejack. What’s wrong, darli-”

“No, don’t!” Applejack snapped, facing away from the bar and her friend. “Don’t darlin’ me.” She heard a faint mumble of confusion. “Don’t ya have a stallion to get back to?”

“W- what? Him?” There was genuine confusion in her voice. She didn’t even realise what she’d done. “I don’t know who he is.”

“Oh good. And here I was, hopin’ that it was yer cousin or somethin’. But no, turns out Rarity’ll cosy on up to any ol’ stallion that comes her way.” What was she even saying? This didn’t sound like her at all! The words just tumbled out, overriding any common sense.

“Applejack.” Rarity’s voice had gone icy cold. “I do so hope you aren’t implying what I believe you’re implying.” Applejack’s silence was enough of an answer. “How dare you! I had no idea who that colt was. Forgive me for hoping I could humour him long enough for my companion to return, and give him a piece of her mind.” Applejack swung round, the lights of Riverside spinning past, blurring her vision. It slowly focused on a furious white unicorn. “Instead, she jumps to such absurd conclusions, and storms out.” Wasn’t Rarity supposed to be drunk? “How utterly immature.”

“Immature!?” Applejack snapped, becoming defensive. She was in the wrong here, and she was fully aware of that. But in some small corner of her brain, a little voice was convincing her to not back down. She’d gone too far now to just admit defeat and apologise. “Sorry I can’t be as old and wise as you. We ain’t all unicorns!”

Rarity took a step back, as if she had been shot. The ramifications of what Applejack had just said slowly dawned on the silly pony. “You… After all I’ve…” Rarity stumbled backwards, tears springing to her eyes once again. “You certainly know how to make a lady feel special, Applejack.”

“Rarity, no. I didn’t-”

The white pony spun her head in rejection, taking her eyes off Applejack. “I think you know your way home.”

“I’m sorry!” Applejack tried, her voice breaking, but her words were disregarded. With a kick of her back legs, Rarity was gone, galloping down the street. Applejack was left on her own, head hung low, with her spinning head and guilty conscious. She had no one to blame but herself, and her stubborn argumentative nature. Glancing back up, determined to follow her companion, she found the street empty. “I’m sorry,” she repeated to the night air, her voice a whisper.