The sun was just creeping up over the horizon, and its light reached sleepily through the curtain over the attic window. Applejack yawned and felt her thoughts, slippery as they were, poke through the fog of sleep to rouse her.

She half-heartedly opened her eyes.

Like so many things in her family, the attic room had been passed down to her. Even after months of occupying the room, it didn’t feel like it was completely hers yet.

Sometimes, she missed her old room. When Granny Smith fell down the stairs just prior to her dementia diagnosis, it had been decided that the older woman needed the ground floor bedroom, smaller though it may be. There were still touches of her grandmother’s presence strewn about the space. A framed picture of her mother and father. A ceramic figure of a cowboy on a horse. A framed cross-stitch that displayed the quote from their sixteenth president, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”

She wanted to do that. She tried every day. But it was difficult getting her bearings lately. She felt so uncertain of herself. Depressed, sure, she’d been that way for a long while now, but the uncertainty was new. Even when the gloom dragged her down, she always had a direction to head in. A task to perform. And in those certainties, she felt a confidence for the outcome. Even the things that hurt her, she found a weird comfort in knowing.

She knew she wanted Fluttershy.

She also knew she’d never have her.

This certainty released her from ever trying. She was a common redneck, and there was a grace in knowing your place. It wasn’t so bad. Her family had fought and scraped their way from poverty, establishing a respectable livelihood that was humble and sincere in its dealings. Sure, they had to hussle to stay afloat. But that hussle kept her from dwelling on what she lacked.

She’d been where the lightning tangled in her eyes, the sky booming over her as she rode horseback over the soil that knew generations of her family’s hard labor. They had made it through lawlessness and illness, blight and flood. She knew this would be where her ashes would be spread. She liked the thought of giving back to the trees that had so nourished her kin.

Applejack liked the thought of not having to struggle anymore.

She was a creature of habit, and her mornings always started the same. First came the exhausting push and pull between her melancholy for what she yearned for and a stalwart effort to just be satisfied with what she had. After some time of this, she’d grow weary of the battle and settle for thinking about the girl she couldn’t have.

Fluttershy’s sweet deference. Her coy smile. Her silky pink hair. Her pretty eyes.

Applejack thought of the time that Fluttershy had auditioned for the fall play held in their junior year. It was called Dazzled and it was an uplifting tale of a miner wanting to pursue their passion for dance. Fluttershy had asked Applejack for advice on how to get over her stage fright so that she could participate with everyone else. Half-serious but utterly sincere in her intentions, Applejack told her to imagine everyone as chickens.

Fluttershy ultimately succeeded in getting a small role in the production, and when Applejack went to congratulate her afterwards, her friend had admitted something strange.

“Instead of chickens, I pictured everyone in the audience as you, Applejack!”

Heavens, if there had ever been a time when Applejack had turned a deeper shade of red, she honestly couldn’t think of it. For so long, such small memories were all she had to find solace in. They were bittersweet, but they usually put her in a good mood. She could tell herself, with the dimmest of hope and free of pressure, that maybe, just maybe, someday her feelings would be returned.

Only this morning she felt a little disconnected from the get-up-and-go such thoughts normally fueled her with.

She rolled over in the bed, consternated. It was a queen-sized mattress, so she had plenty of room by herself. She sprawled over the sheets, her body twisting as she stretched, then blinked up at the ceiling. The space was definitely brightening.

The streak of bright yellow sunlight that banded across her slanted ceiling made her think of Sunset Shimmer’s hair.

Yesterday, Sunset had her hair up in a hasty french twist. Some of her vibrant red locks fell out the sides, framing her face. Applejack distinctly remembered the way one small lock of yellow curls had nestled over her ear. She didn’t get to see Sunset with her hair up often. In the heat of Camp Everfree, she’d put her hair up in a ponytail a few times. That was about it.

Applejack rubbed at the frown lines forming on her forehead as she tried to recall how her friend had looked then. Did Sunset have the same cute wisps of fiery hair teasing her neck at camp?

Did those long locks always burn so bright?

She felt her skin grow flush as her heart beat a little harder.

Stop it.

She gave up on daydreaming. She felt wide awake now and she could feel the worries of the day flooding her room on the back of the daylight.

Applejack was still waiting to hear from the guardian ad litem, the attorney chosen by the court to represent Apple Bloom’s best interests. She’d spoken briefly with the woman at court when she’d filed for full guardianship of Apple Bloom. Her name was Watchful Wing. The woman had promised to get in touch soon about interviewing them all and inspecting the home.

Would it be that week? Applejack hoped not. The house still felt chaotic. And Applejack couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she could feel it in her gut that something was coming. She didn’t know if it was good or bad. It was just a sixth sense, like when you knew a good rain was on its way. She hoped whatever was on the horizon was good.

She hoped and hoped.

Saturday was looming close, and Rainbow's promise to come help on the farm weighed on her. What would they talk about? Would they fight again? Her stomach lurched when she recalled how close they had been to trading blows just a few days ago. She wished she hadn't said the things she had.

She wished Rainbow hadn't said all of the things she knew to be true.

Applejack scrubbed at her face and fought down the lump that formed in her throat, tears dampening her eyelashes. She refused to let them fall.

Somehow, she found herself thinking about Sunset again. Her tense, earnest gaze as she said, "Applejack, you were in a tough situation! You still are! And you know what? Rainbow thinks it’s her fault. You’ve both got to see that the truth is somewhere more in the middle. It’s not on any one person."

Applejack didn't know if that was true. She just wished things were simpler.

An old box television sat next to the closet, an older set than the one downstairs. It even had rabbit ears, and on top of it sat an old VCR with a humble stack of VHS tapes next to it. She hadn’t had time to watch anything recently, but she used it at least once a week, just watching the same old western films over and over. She liked seeing the stalwart heroes overcoming adversity and saving the day. They seldom were perfect, but they persevered.

She wanted to persevere.

She got up, turned the TV on, and popped in Once Upon a Time in the West. She sat on the edge of her bed, watching the film begin on low volume.

She didn’t actually have time to watch anything. She needed to get up and get ready soon.

But Applejack sat rooted, watching as the main protagonist, Harmonica, disembarked a steam train whilst playing his namesake and facing down three gunslingers out to kill him.

“Did you bring a horse for me?” Harmonica asked the men after his tune was done.

“Well... looks like we're...looks like we're shy one horse,” one of the gunslingers snickered.

Harmonica shook his head. Applejack murmured his next line with a smirk. “You brought two too many.”

This was her favorite movie. She’d found the tape along with the others in a box hidden in the closet when she’d swapped rooms with Granny. She’d watched it countless times since. It touched on her anxiety about how her family was changing, the ruthless uncertainty of a capitalist world, and just some good ol’ fashioned common man’s justice delivered via a hasty bullet. Not that she thought of any of this. She didn’t analyze things like Twilight Sparkle, or even gush on about how it made her feel like Rarity.

She just knew she liked it, and that was enough for her.

If only other things could be as simple.

Principles of Biology was not what Sunset wanted to do with her morning. She was a little sore in her back and legs from the work she did with Applejack, too. She’d very nearly skipped class, but her time with Twilight Sparkle must have rubbed off on her, because the idea seemed a step too far. And it really was. She wasn’t out here learning all of this just because Princess Twilight liked her. Royal Equestrian gold was pouring into her human education, and the goal was to have a greater understanding of how the magic she had set loose had transformed the world.

Science was delightful. The principles were the same back in Equestria, but the rules were a little different here. In her homeworld, there were immutable laws much like there were on Earth, but they were just structured in a way that made magic an integral part of the way Equus worked. Here… magic was new, and she needed to see how the universal laws responded to account for its presence.

She had a theory that she was trying to prove with her independent research with Twilight. They still had so much work to do to create a viable model to take to their supervising teacher, but it was her hope that the same methods used to detect bosons and fermions could help her find magical energy particles as well. She was relieved that magic had largely remained undetected by the scientific world, but Twilight, who was better at keeping up with published research papers, warned that scientists were already aware that something was different about the natural systems, they just hadn’t found what yet.

This kept Sunset awake at night. She’d stare at the wall, wondering what in Equestria she would do if humanity realized magic was in their world. Worse, that it was something they could learn to control. Even ponykind had not been able to resist using magic for war. She trembled, imagining the holocausts that could occur if she didn’t make that breakthrough first.

She needed to see all the ways that magic functioned in this world because the unique structure of this universe’s systems necessarily made it behave differently than her world. That much was obvious just in how she cast spells as a human as opposed to as a unicorn. That’s why she also minored in Human Biology. In understanding these things, she could map out the pitfalls and dangers, and hopefully teach humanity how to safely and peacefully coexist with this new elemental force they’d never encountered before.

So she’d suffer through an unwanted class if she had to. It was her responsibility.

Sunset was long past complaining about her past decisions to anyone. If she had just taken to heart all that Celestia had tried to teach her, she wouldn’t be in this position today. But to say she didn’t grow weary of her task… Well.

There were Blues songs for that. It was Blues that had given her the skills to shred the guitar in the first place. She’d first heard it in an illegal back alley club. It was dark and dirty Delta Blues, sliding on a resonator guitar and singing about death and lost love. It had touched something in her, raw and unspoken. A sense of hopelessness. A sorrow over a life without love. The latest melancholy twisted her heart cruelly.

Applejack had been hurting herself. A lot. Sunset still ached as the memory of the still-healing wounds ran itself through her mind again. Especially the moment when her gaze snapped up to meet her friend’s. Those green depths had betrayed a deep self-loathing that smoldered intensely. Like the blues, Sunset could feel this reach deep into her chest and squeeze.

On the worst nights, when her theoretical model proved too much to work on and the bills seemed to loom insurmountable over her life, that same hateful thinking would pass through her mind.

Not good enough. Too damaged. Just a disappointment.

After treating AJ’s wounds, the dinner at the Apple home had been pleasant. Sunset wondered briefly to herself why she hadn’t tried to come and visit before on her own, and then she remembered. Suddenly. Viciously.

The Apples were the All-American family. Earnest, hard-working, and honest-to-a-fault, Sunset had always felt a little too grimy to be around them. Like she was the X-rated delinquent stuck in a PG family film. To say that the feeling had gone away after so long would have been incorrect, but they at least made her feel welcome.

In fact, she was looking forward to seeing them again that day. None moreso than Applejack.

Sunset bit her lip and let her mind wander as she thought about the feel of Applejack’s warm skin under her fingertips. It really had taken a monumental effort not to just hug her friend on the spot and not let go. Could depression be healed with cuddling? She thought she’d read somewhere that skin-to-skin contact was one of the most soothing things a person could experience. Of her lovers, she only ever cuddled with Sherry Kiss, but even that was just a brief prelude to more sex. They didn't lay around forever in each other's arms or anything.

It was a moot point to go down anyway. Applejack wasn’t ready for Sunset to express her interest yet. She really needed a clear head before she saw her friend, or she’d get ahead of herself and scare AJ off. Sunset, thankfully, had a plan for this.

Taking out her special phone, she picked out a name she hadn’t seen for a few weeks.

Diamond Roller. A young pansexual stockbroker. He was a great lover with fantastic stamina and a skilled touch. The only reason Sunset hadn’t seen him as much lately was because he’d been busy trying to seduce his fellow stockbroker and dear friend.

The coincidence wasn’t lost on her.

The thing was, this friend had a fetish for cuckolding.

They’d already done it at least twice before, where she and Diamond fucked whilst his target of seduction, Arctic Haze, looked on lustfully. It was hard coordinating when they could all meet, but as it happened, things just fell into alignment that afternoon.

After class, she drove to a parking garage where Diamond was awaiting with his beau. When she climbed off her motorcycle and pulled her helmet off, the two men exited the shiny white sports car they’d arrived in. Diamond was not much taller than her, with dusky dark skin to match hers, rich blue eyes, and short rakish frost blue hair that was swept to the side. He had on a modern dark navy suit with polished black shoes and a silk blue tie.

Even on the far side of the car, Arctic was visibly taller. He was a tall white man with a shaved head and dark five o’ clock shadow on his chiseled jaw. He had a good two inches on Diamond, so he easily towered over Sunset. His icy grey eyes watched her carefully as he circumvented the vehicle between them. He wore a white button-up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark gray suit pants, no jacket or tie.

Sunset smiled jovially at them as she shrugged off her riding jacket and tossed it onto her bike.

“Where?” she asked. Straight and to the point was how Diamond liked it. Time was money to these men. She didn’t mind. It suited her, too. She had plans with a certain Apple afterwards.

Diamond smirked. “On the hood.”

Sunset playfully bit the corner of her lip and obliged him, going to the front of their vehicle and leaning forward with her palms on the hood. The metal felt warm under her hands.

Could someone drive by and see them? Maybe. But that was part of the fun. They were on the top of the parking garage, anyway. Not as many cars came up this way save to take advantage of long-term parking. Did it make her wet to think that someone could see her getting railed, though?

Of course.

Diamond snickered briefly before he wiped at his mouth in a vain attempt to remove the massive grin on his face before he tried to purse his lips and cleared his throat.

Sunset tutted at him inwardly. Diamond was really just a giddy boy at heart. Arctic was such a serious man, and he didn’t like the mood interrupted with silliness. It was in all likelihood the single thing holding Diamond back from finally getting to suck Arctic off.

Diamond slid in behind her, and the giggles finally seemed to leave him. His hands roamed over her hips and she looked over her shoulder at him as he ground his growing erection into her backside. Diamond was certainly more than average, but he lacked the size of Kojote. When he undid and pulled down her pants, she looked forward to see Arctic was leaning on the driver side door, his hard pale cock in his hands as he stroked himself. She smirked a little. He was looking at Diamond.

When Diamond penetrated her, his firm cock reaching a respectable depth inside, Sunset could feel her mind and body relax into the familiar trance of fucking she so loved. This state, so cathartic and pleasurable, was something she had perfect control over. Because as amazing as it felt to chase orgasms, her feelings were never, ever in jeapordy. She could bliss out in a kind of happy numbness until the session was done.

Her partner started pumping his dick slowly, his hands reaching to squeeze her breasts over her shirt before he reached underneath and pulled back her bra. She moaned appreciatively when his smooth fingers caressed her pert nipples. His answer was to fuck her faster, and her pussy clenched as the tension built inside her. Diamond let out a low groan.

Arctic stood from the car and went to stand by Diamond, all the while still stroking himself. Sunset watched the reflection in the windshield and saw the taller man growl into his friend’s ear, “Give it to her. Harder.” He grabbed Diamond’s ass and squeezed. Diamond grunted, his eyes turning hooded as he pushed Sunset down flat onto the hood by her neck and really let loose, their flesh audibly clapping together.

Sunset whimpered and gasped, bracing herself on the waxed car hood as her climax shot through her like a bullet, intense, but fast.

When they were through and buttoned back up, she leaned on the concrete wall with her elbows, a lit cigarette in her hands. The view was decent from here. She could see the shape of the city, and it seemed endless. She liked the idea of getting lost in the sprawl. One thing she could count on in Canterlot City? Being able to vanish. It was one of the first things she'd learned to do as a human. She’d had to in order to survive.

Diamond appeared next to her, his own cigarette in his hands while Arctic talked on the phone in his car.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” he said with a little grin.

“I quit but picked it up again,” she said, only glancing at him.

He lit his cigarette and leaned on the wall, puffing on it a few times quickly so that his face became engulfed in swirling smoke. “How are you doing?” he asked.

She shrugged and smiled as sweetly as she could at him. “I’m all right.”

He raised an eyebrow and sucked at his teeth. “Really? Because Arctic saw you downtown again recently.”

Sunset scowled and looked back at Arctic in the car. He was now yelling curses at someone on the phone. Wall Street men were so high strung.

“What was he doing downtown?” she asked with a little tilt of her head.

“He has investments in the area. Sun, if you need help, you know you can just ask.”

“I don't need any help.” She made her voice flat when she said it.

“Bullshit. You wouldn't be seeing the Trogs so soon if you didn't.”

She hated that he knew about her relation with the Trogs. He’d learned it by chance, entirely against her will. “Diamond, I like you. We have a good thing going. Please don't ruin it.”

“By what, actually treating you like a friend instead of just a piece of ass?” he leaned in as his brow tensed over his cool gaze. “Look, I just wanna make sure you're okay. That's why I want you to have this.”

Diamond dug into his pocket and produced a small roll of bills.

Sunset backed away from him, shaking her head fervently, “What–? No! I'm not taking money from you!”

“Will you calm down? This doesn't have to be a big deal!” He held the money out. “Just take it!”

“No!” she crossed her arms and glared at him. “This isn’t what our time together is supposed to amount to!”

Diamond threw his hands up into the air and laughed harshly. “Well, it could amount to more if you’d stop holding me at arm's length! How long have we been doing this, Sunset? A year? I still don’t even know what university you go to, let alone what you’re studying! You really think telling me a little about yourself is going to amount to me slapping a chain on you? I don’t want to lock you down, I just want to be… y’know! An actual fucking friend!”

Sunset dropped her face into her hands. This wasn’t supposed to go this way. She knew Diamond was pretty tender-hearted, but he’d never done this before. Why was he doing it now?

She put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to one foot, her mouth skewing to the side. “A friend, huh?”

He nodded his head jerkily, one errant icy blue strand of hair falling over his eyes. “Yeah! Pretty much.” He shrugged and thumbed back over his shoulder. In a lower voice, he said, “I mean, after I told you about my feelings for Arctic, I kinda thought that you’d… I dunno.” His shoulders dropped, and though he still held the money out, his hand dipped a little. “I thought you’d open up a bit.”

Sunset closed her eyes and sighed. When she first met Diamond Roller, he had been a recent college grad looking to break into stock investments. He was sweet and goofy, and entirely lacked the bloodthirstiness of his competitors. But he was also brilliantly charming, financially savvy, and had a boundless energy that no drug could match. She’d tried to warn him to keep his soft side hidden more. That if he kept revealing how kind he was, that it was going to screw him over.

She supposed that’s why she liked fucking him. He had stamina almost as good as Kojote’s, but his touch was softer and he made her laugh.

This wasn’t funny, though. Quite the opposite. Even after learning about her criminal connections, Diamond had kept their meetings fairly light-hearted till now. If she didn’t already know he had feelings for someone else, she’d take it as a sign that they needed to part ways.

She opened one eye and let her head fall to the side. “Diamond, I’ve told you you’re a massive softie, right?”

A huge smile spread on his lips as he danced closer. “Sooo, does that mean you’ll take my gift?”

She puckered her lips and leveled what she hoped was a withering stare. “How much are you ‘gifting’ me?”

“Five c-notes. Come on, you know it’s chump change for me.”

“But not for me,” she snapped. “Diamond, this is a pretty big gift.”

He shrugged. “What if I promise not to surprise you anymore? Will you take it then?”

She sighed again. Slipped a tiny growl at the end of it, even. It wasn’t like she was in a great position to refuse that money… But she also hated the idea of being given so much just because she had a habit of sleeping with someone repeatedly.

Even as she thought this, an idea entered into her mind. Maybe she’d feel bad taking the money and using it for herself, but what if she gave most of it away? She could even use some of it to help AJ with the cost of her treatment that day.

Sunset chewed her lip, bouncing a little on the spot as she tried to work up any other solid reasons to refuse.

She could find none.

Stomping a heeled boot, she snatched the money from Diamond’s hand and thrust her finger in his face. “No more! You’re not my sugar daddy, alright?”

“Of course not!” He held his hands up and backed off, but he was still smiling. “I still might offer occasionally, if that’s okay.”

“I guess I can’t stop you,” she grumbled, pocketing the money.

They stood awkwardly gazing at each other for a moment.

After a short while, she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Quantum physics,” she bit out, looking at him coolly.

Diamond blinked at her. “Huh?” Then his eyes lit up. “Oh! That’s your major! Damn, I knew you were smart, but that’s pretty good!”

She tapped a boot. “I also minor in Biology.”

He sidled closer and wiggled his eyebrows. “Can I know where?”

Sunset tried to keep the smile off her face by puckering her lips. It didn’t work. She shoved him playfully. “Everfree. Happy now, dork?”

“Sure do, friend,” he said with a laugh.

Arctic Haze emerged from the car and banged on the car’s roof. “Diamond! Murphy Canyon Corp. dropped ten points!”

Diamond’s eyes bugged out. “Hell yes!” He dug for his phone and ear piece in his inside coat pocket and gave Sunset a quick wave. “Uh, see ya, Sunset!” He pointed awkwardly at his phone. “Business calls. Hope the money helps!” He had the ear piece turned on, plugged into his ear, and was speaking rapidly to someone before he even got into the car.

Sunset watched with a bemused smile as Diamond peeled out of the parking spot and sped away, wheels squealing and leaving smoke.

She waved the smell of burnt rubber away with a shake of her head. “Wall Street guys…” she muttered.

She rode her bike back to campus. She needed to put a bag together for that night. Considering how long it took to complete their work yesterday, she figured it would be easier and less time consuming to just change at Applejack’s. Not to mention cheaper. Even with her motorcyle’s modest gas tank, she found it was better to conserve as much as she could to stave off another expense.

Back at her dorm, she entered and found it empty still. Rainbow must be out. Sunset eyed her bed. She worried about her friend, but more than likely she was with Fluttershy. She would be looked after. Pinkie and Rarity, though…

Sunset sat on her bed and took out her phone. She started to tap out a text to Pinkie Pie, then swiftly deleted it. She tried next to send something to Rarity. She deleted this, too. She just didn’t know what to say that she hadn’t already. Hopefully they were supporting each other, but in the meantime she’d have to think of something more meaningful to say. Preferably at a time when she could really sit down and listen in case they did need to talk. Sighing, she set her phone aside, and when she did so, she noticed her Equestrian book was glowing on her nightstand.

Her heart leaping in her chest, Sunset picked it up and opened it to the bookmarked page. The latest words shimmered with blue light before fading to dark ink.

>SG: Hey, Sunset. It’s Starlight Glimmer. I’m afraid Princess Twilight is busy at the moment. She’s on a diplomatic mission with the Abyssinians. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. This week was parent teacher conferences at the school and I’ve had my hooves full assisting the other teachers. I feel pretty confident I can help with Rarity’s magic poisoning though! Do you think you and the others can meet me at Canterlot High tomorrow night? You all need to be there for the super duper friendship juices to get going for the healing spell. If not, we’ll have to do it three days from now. The School of Friendship is doing a joint event with Celestia’s School of Magic and I’m coordinating, so if tomorrow is a bust, I won’t be free till then.

Sunset bit her lip. Tomorrow was her busiest day of the week. In the morning was her time to work with Twilight on their project, then in the afternoon she had Global Environmental History. Usually, she crammed studying in the evening and maybe even some time at the gym, but it was absolutely important that Rarity’s mind be healed before lasting damage happened to her psyche. She just wasn’t sure when she’d make up that lost time. Her schedule that week was starting to feel a bit full.

She remembered what she had told Applejack the day prior. “No rest for the wicked,” she breathed with a wry grin.

Taking a pen from her nightstand drawer, she wrote back–

>SSh: Hello, Starlight! It’s been a while. I wish we were meeting up again under better circumstances. I’ll touch base with everyone and try to get back to you by tomorrow afternoon.

She hesitated.

>SSh: How is Sunburst doing? Please, tell him I said I

She scratched out the last line, snapped the book shut, and returned it to the night stand with a rough sigh. The next few days would be challenging enough, she didn’t need to add that massive hurdle to her list. She loved Starlight Glimmer, but it never failed to consternate her that she could speak to her brother’s marefriend easier than her own sibling.

She set aside those thoughts in favor of being productive. She was pretty sure Rainbow Dash would be free by tomorrow night, but she wasn’t sure about the others. That would be easy enough to sort out.

Grabbing her phone, she started a group text thread and typed–

>SSh: Hey every1. Star Glim got back 2 me about healing Rarity. She wants 2 meet at C-Hi 2morrow nite. We all need 2 b there 4 the spell 2 work. She said Sat could work 2.

Sunset stood and dropped her phone back onto the bed. She set about filling a duffel bag with the things she’d need for the night. She packed some of her makeup, some hair products, her go-to perfume for night’s out, her favorite faux leather jacket, her studded black choker, and her heeled studded boots. When it came time to pick out her actual outfit, she hesitated a little. She was pretty sure she wanted to look hot…but how hot?

She could play it safe and put on a flashy tank top. Or…

Sunset found a faux leather brazier she’d bought just after graduating high school. She knew it still fit. She’d worn it a few weeks ago for a fetishy night with one of her lovers.

She threw it into her bag. Blues night was one of the best places to dress dramatically for and showing a little skin wasn’t out of the norm. She wouldn’t be out of place. Applejack may be able to handle it, too. Maybe.

That still left the question of what she’d wear for pants. She had a pair of faux leather chaps she could put on over a dark pair of jeans that would probably look all right. After a moment of intense inner debate, she grabbed those items and added them to the bag as well. Just as she did so, she heard a knock on the door.

Frowning, Sunset gazed at it. She considered not answering. She didn’t know who was on the other side and the door lacked a peephole to check. When the person knocked again, frantically, she let out a nervous breath and went to answer. Better to confront whoever was on the other side of the door than to have them causing a scene and disturbing the other dorm residents. As she turned the doorknob, her mind raced through possibilities. Was it Bray? Could it be one of her friends? She wasn’t prepared for who she saw.

Standing in the hallway was Capper.

He had his hat in his hands and a nervous look on his face. His indigo hair looked disheveled. “Sunset,” he spoke quickly, “I gotta tell ya something. It’s important. You mind if I come in?” He craned his neck to look down the hall. Sweat was on his brow.

Sunset stared at him. “Capper? What are you doing here? You can’t just show up and–!”

“Please,” he begged, looking at her desperately. “Please, let me in. I gotta tell ya this quick and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Sunset gazed at him for another beat before stepping aside. Capper slipped past her. He smelled like spicy cologne and cigar smoke.

Slamming the door shut, she regarded him with crossed arms. “All right. You’re in. Now what do you want?”

Capper ran a hand over his hair and licked his lips, regarding her carefully for a moment. “Gold Fang is out to get you.”

She arched an eyebrow, even as her stomach lurched unpleasantly. “In what way?”

“You threatened his side deal. He’s afraid you’ll spill to Verko.”

“Then he’s an idiot. Why would I get myself in deeper with underworld politics? He knows I want out!”

“That’s the thing,” Capper hissed. “He thinks you might use your knowledge to gain influence with Grogar.”

“Why would Grogar even care?”

“Come on, Sun. You’re smarter than that. Whatever he’s got going on affects Grogar’s bottom line, too. It doesn’t just stop with Verko.”

Her face pulled long. What had she done? “I didn’t know that!”

“Well, he thinks you do!”

Sunset scoffed. “He really is an idiot!”

“A dangerous idiot, Sun,” Capper said seriously.

Sunset considered his words carefully. Her heart rate started to pick up. “And how does he intend to hurt me?” Her voice was low.

“Not directly,” Capper said, turning his hat in his hands. “He knows your Grogar’s pet. But he has ways, Sunset Shimmer. Maybe you should make yourself scarce while I try to talk him down.”

“I can’t do that. I have obligations here!”

“Are they worth getting your ass kicked over?”

“Yes. And anyway, I can defend myself.”

Capper’s lip curled. “You won’t be saying that when they break every bone in your hands!”

She paced the floor for a moment, her thoughts racing.

This couldn’t be happening at a worse time! Why did she have to run her mouth at Gold Fang? When would she learn to keep her head down?

“Look,” Capper said with a ragged sigh, “If you’re so dead set on keeping your neck where he can get at it, I’d at least feel better if you’d take this.” Capper reached behind him under his suit coat. From his waistband, he pulled out a revolver.

Sunset’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious!”

“I’m dead serious. Sunset, you’re in danger. I know I screwed you over in the past, but lemme do this for you!” Capper held the gun out to her. “Please, girl. Come on. Just take it.”

Sunset felt her eyes sting with tears of frustration.

Trying to keep her lip stiff, she took the gun. It was a small snubnosed six-shot revolver. She could probably fit it into her leather jacket’s inner pocket.

“Thank you,” Capper said, relief clear on his face. He put his hat on his head and their green eyes met. “If I get word that he’s making a move, I’ll try to warn you.” He dug into his coat pocket and produced a small slip of paper. "Here's my number, in case of anything."

He swallowed audibly, then murmured slowly, “Maybe this still won’t make things up to you. But I’ma keep trying. All right?”

Sunset felt a tear slip down her cheek and she hastily wiped this away. She nodded her head jerkily as she took the slip from him. “All right.” Her voice sounded small.

Capper regarded her for a moment longer before he went to the door.

Just as she heard him open it, Sunset reached out a hand and caught his elbow. “Capper!”

He looked back at her, surprised.

Another tear slipped from her eye. “I’m sorry for leaving you behind back then. Please be careful…okay? I don’t want you to get hurt for my sake.”

He gave her a pursed lipped smile and nodded once. Quietly, he left.

Sunset stared at the door, then at the gun in her hands. She opened the cylinder and saw it was filled with six bullets. She snapped it back shut and double checked that the safety was on. The gun felt heavy in her hands. Listlessly, she dropped it into the duffel bag.

Applejack was out for a ride on Brooke, her tan Quarter horse. She did this on occasion, both to keep her riding skills sharp and to give Brooke some exercise. It was important their horses got out for a good ride atleast three times a week. Sometimes Apple Bloom or Big Mac helped with that task. In fact, it seemed the only thing Applejack didn’t have to twist anyone’s arm on.

Their family loved a good ride. Apple Bloom liked to go through the drive thru at the local burger shack on horseback just to make kids laugh. Big Mac enjoyed riding alone on the nearby forested state trails. Personally, Applejack preferred a good trot along the open country roads. It was better to do it during the middle of the day before everyone was commuting home.

She usually didn’t think of much when she rode. Mostly she just enjoyed a cigarette or two while she drank in the sight of the countryside. The lush trees swaying in the breeze. The open pastures where the cows grazed. It was nice to just let static take over her brain and go on auto pilot for a while amidst such rustic beauty. But that wasn’t the case today. No. She kept thinking about Sunset Shimmer.

Since they’d started talking more, Sunset had shared enough to reveal that her past hadn’t only amounted to her villainous time at Canterlot High. She had struggled, not just in their world, but in her homeworld as well. Applejack couldn’t imagine what it was like to have such a hard time connecting with family. And just what had Sunset gone through when she’d first arrived in their world? Before high school? Did any of their friends know?

She supposed of all of them, Twilight would. Applejack had been tempted to call her and ask, but she refrained. If it had been her, she’d prefer that whoever was interested in her business go straight to the source, not ask around. Given Sunset’s less than pleased response to Rainbow’s 'surveilance' stunt, she really didn’t want to give the redhead any new cause to pull away.

She found she really liked having her around. Not just around, but…closer. Applejack was aware that she was feeling more at ease with the other girl. It felt easier to talk to her. To admit what she was actually feeling. How long had it been since she felt she could actually say what was on her mind without nervous half-truths and clever spins, and not just have it received with compassion, but understanding?

Even feeling this, Applejack knew that Sunset was still holding things back. Things about herself and her past. About her recent problems.

About her motivation to even see Applejack.

Oh, the cowgirl wasn’t a fool. She could see the twinkle in her friend’s eye and all the coy smiles. She believed it when Sunset said she was worried about her and that she wanted to help. She could feel it with every gentle touch, every soft murmur of, “How are you doing?” But there was something laced in that care that seemed… out of the norm.

Applejack’s cheeks warmed up as she lingered on the memory of her friend’s voice, earnest and breathy. “You’re not a screwed-up country hick.” How her fingertips had felt so warm against her skin. She gave her head a little shake as her heart did a drum roll.

Gotta quit that, she told herself.

She was just lonely and pent up. That’s all. It was foolish to read into things. She needed to get a handle on herself, or she’d push away the first person to get close in years. Besides, Sunset would never…

“I really want your company.”

Her brow furrowed as she gazed down at her saddlehorn, the reins wrapped around her hand as cigarette smoke streamed past her where she held the little stick between her fingers. Her skin felt hot and it had nothing to do with the sun.

Applejack swallowed with effort through a tight throat. Should she feel bad? She was a red-blooded teenager, and women were her preference, after all. Her friend was beautiful. She could acknowledge that, right? She could appreciate Sunset in a short skirt, couldn’t she? Did she have to be made of stone? She drew anxiously on her cig.

Not that it would make a difference if she was. She was sure Sunset could make the most stoic statue of a man crumble by just sashaying away.

Lord, that girl could really move those hips.

It was pointless to speculate. There was just no way her friend had any interest in her. Anyway, she was certain Sunset was straight. She’d never said or done anything to suggest otherwise, far as she could remember. And honestly, how could Sunset be attracted to her? Applejack just wasn’t all that much fun.

She huffed smokily at the thought.

Maybe she could show she wasn’t such a drag to be around? Sunset was putting all of this effort into spending time with her, the least Applejack could do was try to show a little life! Only… what did Sunset find fun, anyway?

Applejack knew she liked video games, though she thought she’d heard Sunset complain a few months ago at one of their monthly dinners that she didn’t have time to play games all that much anymore. She was pretty sure they owned a game system somewhere, but it was probably twenty years old. Maybe they could watch a movie? But she wasn’t sure what movies Sunset liked. She obviously still liked playing and listening to music… Maybe Applejack could try and share some of the bluegrass and folk music she liked? It would be nice to show her friend that country had something more to offer than Red Solo Cup. They could even jam together, and then Applejack could show how she’d grown as a bass player–

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that a motorcycle had slowed to keep pace with her and Brooke till she heard a loud, “Hey!”

Startled, Applejack looked to her left and saw Sunset Shimmer peering at her through her open helmet visor. She waved, her hand covered with a padded riding glove. “Geez, I knew I snuck up on you last time, but I didn’t think I’d do it again!” Sunset said with a little grin. She was wearing a similar outfit as the day before, but this time she had on a slate gray long-sleeve canvas shirt instead of the flannel she’d previously worn.

Applejack stiffened straight as she brought Brooke to a stop. Her cheeks burned. “Damn! I’m sorry, I had my head in the clouds!” She took a moment to flick her cigarette ahead of them onto the asphalt. It was burned low, anyway.

“It’s all right. Are you headed back to the farm?” Sunset came to a complete stop and took her helmet off. Applejack first noted that her friend sounded a little more lethargic than usual. The next thing she noticed was Sunset’s vibrant hair. How did she keep her curls looking so nice even after forcing them into a helmet?

Applejack punched her leg. Focus, stupid!

“Sure am,” she said through a grimacing smile. She’d forgotten her own strength and hit herself a little too hard. Her leg throbbed. “You still wanna go to that chop shop, I take it?”

“Yep! Though, it’s not really a chop shop. I don’t think he does amputations there.” She looked up in thought. “At least, I’m pretty sure…?”

“Well, I don’t wanna take up too much of your time, Sunset. I’ll hurry on back and then we can git.”

Sunset smiled, her lethargy seeming to vanish as a mischievous gleam took over her eyes. “If you’re gonna hurry, why not make it more interesting?”

Applejack blinked at her. “Er, how do you propose to do that?”

“I’ll race you there.” Sunset patted the side of her motorcycle. “I’ve gotten pretty good on this thing over the years. I bet I can beat you back to the farm. You can even cut through the countryside to make it fair!”

Applejack laughed in disbelief. “You don’t know what you’re asking! You realize Brooke here is an undefeated champion?”

Sunset winked. “Then you shouldn’t have any trouble riding her to victory.”

Applejack smirked. “All right. Say I took that bet. What do I get if I win?”

She received a coy smile. “I’ll buy your drinks tonight,” Sunset said with a little tilt of her head.

The cowgirl felt her pulse quicken. “Nah, come on… Let’s make it more interesting.” Applejack licked her lips as she thought. What did she want most from her friend?

Leaning forward onto her saddlehorn, Applejack tilted her hat back and said with an arched eyebrow, “I wanna know more about you. So if I win, you’re gonna tell me a bit about your life before you met me and the others.”

Sunset frowned. She looked at her handlebars, then back at Applejack with just her eyes. “That might not be as fun as you think, AJ.”

Applejack’s gaze softened. “Sugarcube, it ain’t about having a laugh. I’m interested in who you are. And truth is? Ain’t nothing you can say that would make me like you less.”

“Now that sounds like a bet I can win,” Sunset said with a wry grin. Her voice sounded a little thicker when she said this.

Applejack shook her head, concern twisting in her gut. Had something happened since she’d last seen her friend? There was no mistaking the storm cloud over her head now. “Naw, I mean it, and my word is as good as gold. So does that sound like something you could do?”

Sunset pinched her lips together in thought. After a moment, she smirked. “Maybe after a few drinks?”

“Great!” Applejack’s smile was so wide her face ached. “What do you want if you win?”

Sunset’s smile curled and her eyes turned lidded. “If I win…” She put her helmet back on. “You’re going to dance with me, tonight.”

Applejack felt her heart leap in her chest. Did Sunset mean dance with? As in literally dance with her? Or just by her, as friends did?

She didn’t get much time to puzzle out what was actually meant, because in the next moment Sunset slapped her visor down and held up three fingers. “On three!” she shouted through her helmet.

Applejack cursed under her breath. She tried to hold onto her hat as she whipped her head around. Next to them was an open grass field. She was in luck! It was Papi Artichoke’s. He didn’t mind her and her kin cutting through with the horses when they were in a hurry. But could she beat a Beni-Kawa SV650? She didn’t know a ton about bikes, but when Sunset had first acquired it some years ago, she’d looked it up out of curiosity. It had a V-twin engine and could reach up to a hundred-thirty miles per hour if she recalled right. And Sunset really was a skilled rider. Even with the shortcut, could Applejack beat her friend?

Sunset started counting down. “One!”

Applejack grit her teeth. She had her family’s pride to protect. She’d ride like hell, just like her mama taught her.

“Two!” Sunset shouted. She revved her bike’s engine.

Brooke shied a little, but Applejack squeezed her sides with her legs and gave the animal’s neck a pat. “Keep ‘er steady, Brooke…” she murmured to the horse.

“Three!” As soon as the word left Sunset’s mouth, they took off.

Sunset’s bike tires squealed before the wheels found purchase and sped her into motion. As she raced away, she took a moment to show off–a quick wheelie, just to prove how good she was–before she brought her front wheel back down and leaned close to her vehicle, the engine screaming as she tore ahead.

To her credit, Brooke didn’t spook too bad with all the noise, but she did falter a step or two backwards from the sound of the motorcycle.

Applejack let out a loud, “Hyah!” and leaned forward. Brooke gathered herself and took off, years of training and instinct taking over. They vaulted over the cattle fence that lined Papi Artichoke’s field and pushed straight into a sprint. Applejack raised herself up on her stirrups so that she could rest better in Brooke’s center of gravity and not hinder her movement. She could feel the wind tug at her hat, but she couldn’t take her hands off the reins. Instead, she bent down close to Brooke’s mane, using her wrists and the edges of her palms to steady herself against her steed’s powerful neck.

They were moving at a full gallop now, and Brooke was clearing the field quickly. Up ahead was the road that snaked up the hill to her family farm. If she could beat Sunset there, she might be able to lose her in the winding road. Thanks to the size of the field and the way the road had to circumvent it, Sunset had to take the long way around to reach that final stretch up to the farmstead, but those roads were straight and long and gave her plenty of time to reach top speeds. The last road, the one Applejack was riding hard for, the curves would take away Sunset’s ability to lean into the acceleration, mostly because Sunset was wearing her camo pants again today. If she were wearing her racing gear, she’d have the composite knee pads needed to lean hard into a turn and not lose too much speed. Still, even without that advantage, the raw power of Sunset’s bike on the straightaways could very well be Applejack’s undoing.

Gotta take advantage of the terrain and cut as straight a line as I can!

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sunset coming down the road like a bullet, her bright red hair dancing like flames in the wind.

“Come on, Brooke, gimme a little more! Let’s go! Hyah!” Applejack said loudly over the sound of the wind and the thunder of her horse’s hooves.

She supposed she could be just as competitive as Rainbow Dash when push came to shove. She hadn’t really felt the bite of winning ambition these days. All there ever was to do was work and more work. She did miss the rodeos. She missed the thrill of a victory, the cheer of a crowd, and the adrenaline rush from a good bronco ride. In those moments it was like every nerve in her body was awake and electrified, like she had the sun in her chest and she couldn’t think or speak without it being filled with sunshine.

She felt real sunny right then.

When Brooke cleared the outer perimeter fence, that’s when Sunset zipped past her. She cheekily threw up a peace sign as she rounded the bend for the final stretch. Applejack felt a momentary squeeze of alarm. Would she lose?

But after racing over the road, Brooke’s hooves thundering on the asphalt, she felt her pulse ease. Just as she had suspected, Sunset had to ease off the acceleration on the sharp bends of the ascending road.

This was no such problem for Applejack and her steed. Brooke crashed through the underbrush and up the embankment to the street. They cleared this and charged up the hill. Applejack had to duck to clear the low hanging branch of a maple, but she didn’t let up. Instead she urged her horse even more. Brooke whinnied under her as they made their way across another bend in the road. Chancing a look, Applejack could see Sunset only just clearing the first turn.

Applejack smirked. She had this.

With Brooke’s powerful stride, the distance grew and grew until the Apple Orchard Farm’s open iron archway entrance came into view. Behind her Applejack could hear Sunset’s bike’s engine still screeching up the hill. She was too late.

Applejack and Brooke cleared the archway.

She pulled back gently on the reins with a, “Woah!” and Brooke slowed to a brisk trot a little ways away. Applejack turned her horse around to see Sunset clear the archway less than a minute after them, the bike engine puttering.

Now it was their turn to show off.

Applejack called out a sharp, “Up!” squeezing her legs around Brooke’s barrel just to make sure the command registered. Her horse obediently reared, and Applejack pulled her hat off and whooped.

It still felt damn good to win.

Even so, she wondered what it would have been like if she’d lost. What kind of dance would Sunset want to do with her? Something fun and jaunty? Or maybe something slow?

I guess we’ll never know. She couldn’t deny the bittersweet disappointment this brought.

Sunset came near on the bike before she shut off the engine and pulled her helmet off. She was grinning. “You beat me,” she said, laughter in her voice. At least she was a good sport.

“That’ll teach you to bet against rodeo champions,” Applejack said with a chortle. She patted Brooke’s neck. “Ain’t that right, Brooke?” The horse let out a whuffling whicker in response.

Applejack descended off the horse, and Sunset climbed off her bike. She approached as she pulled off her riding gloves. “You know it might have turned out different if I’d had my riding pants.”

Applejack’s smile was broad. “Sure. Maybe. Just remember—us Apples don’t back down from a challenge!”

Sunset tilted her head in humble acknowledgement. “I will carry this lesson in my heart for as long as I live, AJ,” she said with exaggerated solemnity. She peeked at her friend with a mischievous grin, and that made Applejack laugh again.

“How’s your arm doing today?” Sunset asked, a tender look coming over her face.

Applejack bobbed her head from side to side. “Doesn’t feel great. I suppose you were right about seeing somebody about it.”

Sunset nodded with pursed lips.

Applejack jerked her head towards Brooke, whose reins she still held in her right hand. “Wanna follow me back to the stables?”

Sunset patted one of the cargo pockets of her camo pants with a wince. “Think we can spare a minute for a smoke over there?”

Applejack patted her breast pocket, where her own pack of cigs were. “You read my mind!”

A short time later they were sitting just a foot apart behind the stables on a rusty tractor rim, freshly lit cigarettes in their hands as they enjoyed the spanning view of the orchard trees.

“I told you to quit,” Applejack chided jokingly as she put her cigarettes back in her breast pocket.

Sunset, who was leaning forward onto a knee with a somber distant look on her face, turned to arch an eyebrow at her. “Oh, did you?”

“I sure did.”

“I don’t remember.” Sunset’s lips tugged up at the corners. “If I don’t remember, it didn’t happen.”

Applejack feigned a stern look. “Well, I’m telling you again. Little girl, you need to quit smoking.”

Sunset gestured at Applejack’s cigarette. “Hey, AJ, did you know that smoking can cause COPD and heart disease?” she asked brightly.

Applejack grinned sarcastically. “Hey, Sunset, did you know that being a pain in the be-hind can get yours kicked?”

Sunset laughed throatily, smoke rushing from her mouth as she sat back to give Applejack a playful shove. “Ugh! I get it, I get it! It’s bad. Maybe if we keep nagging each other, we can quit?”

Applejack smirked. “I think we gotta take it a touch more seriously than we’ve been doing, but sure.”

“We gotta sound more grave, then.” Sunset took a long draw on her cigarette and stood up. She stood in front of Applejack, who blinked up at her, nonplussed. Bending only at the hip, Sunset leaned forward, her red and yellow locks spilling forth before she placed a heavy hand on AJ’s shoulder. With a deathly serious expression, she said, “Applejack, listen to me. Cigarettes can kill you.” A large thick cloud of smoke billowed from her mouth as she said this.

Applejack tried to keep the smile off her face as she stared deep into Sunset’s cool cyan-green eyes.

She couldn’t keep it up, and judging by Sunset’s twitching lips, neither could she. They burst out laughing.

Sunset sat next to Applejack again, though this time, close enough that their hips touched.

“I really do feel bad, y’know,” Applejack admitted as her laughter faded from her. “You’d quit smoking for so long, then there I was just tempting you again.”

Sunset shook her head. “No. It’s not your fault.” She sighed, holding a hand over her cigarette so that silvery wisps of smoke danced around her fingers. “I just kinda felt like I’d needed a boost lately…y’know? These stupid things help me think more clearly. Or at least, that’s what I told myself when I started.”

Applejack nodded. She knew that feeling. “What are you smoking, anyways?”

“Chimera’s Southern Cut,” Sunset replied, holding her cigarette up. It had an amber-colored filter with a gold band. She gestured at Applejack’s cig. “That’s a Native Spirit you’re smoking now, right? I thought you liked Elk 100s?”

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, my throat was getting kinda sore, so when I had to get a new pack, I thought I’d try these. They’re more mellow. Box says it’s just natural tobacco.”

Sunset hummed with interest and held out a hand. “Can I try a puff?”

Applejack blinked. “Uh, sure?” she passed Sunset her cigarette and watched her friend take a quick drag.

Sunset exhaled slowly, her brow furrowing as she considered the cigarette's flavor. She passed it back. “That’s really subtle! A touch sour, but I can see why you’d switch to that if your throat’s been bothering you. Seems like it’d have a lighter throat hit, though.” She gestured at her own cigarette. “I like these. They’re really rich and sweet. The sweetest thing you can smoke without getting a cigar.”

Applejack blushed as she put her cigarette back in her mouth, feeling weirdly self-conscious of the fact that it had just been between her friend’s lips. After a quick drag, she said, “You sure know a lot about cigarettes. What’s ‘throat hit’?”

Sunset shrugged, her demeanor suddenly turning reluctant. “I might have gotten into smoke culture a little too much. Throat hit is just how smokers describe that sensation you feel when you take your first puff. It’s a tingling feeling in your throat.”

“Oh. I guess I wouldn’t know about that. I get it mostly in my lungs.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty common.” Sunset looked away, but not before Applejack spied a dark expression pass over her features.

Applejack fiddled with her cigarette as she nervously licked her lips. Did Sunset feel embarrassed for knowing what she did? At first she thought to tell her friend that she didn’t judge her in the slightest, but then she refrained. Sunset probably already knew that. If she had to guess, this was a little more deep-seated. In fact, she’d be willing to bet her hat it had to do with why Sunset was so mum about her past.

Come on, AJ. Think. How can we lighten the mood again?

Applejack bounced a knee as she tried to come up with an idea. Then her eyes brightened.

“I been practicing my smoke rings,” Applejack said with a shy grin.

Sunset looked at her, a new smile curling on her face. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Watch.” Applejack took a long drag on her cigarette, then when she felt enough smoke had collected in her mouth, she made an O with her lips and pressed her tongue flat and low. She tried to use her throat to push a small amount of smoke out, but whether it was just because she needed more practice or she was actually nervous (which she was) the smoke just puffed out formlessly.

Sunset giggled. “Nice try. You’re using your throat, right? Like you’re coughing really lightly?”

Applejack tugged her ear, her face burning with how foolish she felt. But at least Sunset was smiling again. “Yeah. I watched some video last week on how to do it. I guess I need more practice!”

“Here,” Sunset said, gently nudging her, “Watch this.” She took a long drag on her cigarette, then opened her mouth in a tighter O shape than Applejack had done. Her throat barely even moved as neat little Os puffed forth.

Applejack watched the smoke rings, dense and perfect, float away. Then her eyes moved to her friend’s pretty mouth. Funny, she’d never noticed how lush Sunset’s lips were.

Done with her trick, Sunset looked at her, beaming. “Ta-da!”

Applejack clapped, a pursed smile on her face. She felt like she was burning so red, you could see her ears from a mile away. She was envious of Sunset’s darker skin. Being so pasty white just meant that every blush showed like neon lights on her.

“Very nice,” she finally managed to say. “I have much to learn from the master!”

Sunset let her head drop for a moment before she raised it again with a wry half-smile. “Nah, I’m a bad influence.”

“Maybe I want a lesson in being bad,” Applejack said half-seriously. She dropped her cigarette and stepped on it. “I feel like I been doing everything ‘good’ for so long, but where’s it gotten me? I’m sick of being so damn responsible all the time.”

Sunset frowned at her. “Applejack…”

Applejack’s brow tightened. “I mean it.”

Sunset looked pained, her mouth turning down a little. “Don’t say that.”

Now it was Applejack’s turn to look away.

Sunset touched her arm and leaned in. “AJ… I’m serious. Please don’t say that. Please?”

Applejack felt a feather-light touch tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Sunset pressed against her, and her body was warm. Applejack swallowed hard and turned her head just enough to eye Sunset sideways.

“You take care of this family and they love you,” Sunset murmured, her face close. “Please don’t lament living your life above board.”

“It gets real tiring,” Applejack returned quietly. “Being a fixed point for everyone.”

Sunset nodded. “I know.” She laughed a little, her forehead wrinkling. “Believe me, I know!”

Applejack sighed and looked up at the sky, squinting against the sunlight. “Sunset, do you like poetry?”

She could see her friend look at her from the corner of her eye. “Sure! I don’t know much, though.”

Applejack inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of the soil and the surrounding brush. She looked at Sunset with a little smirk. “You know I ain’t really the bookish type, but I’ve memorized a few poems. Mostly stuff my Pa liked. He was the real poet of the family, always scribbling verses and quoting lines from this or that.”

Applejack looked up at the sky again. “Back when I was younger and I’d gripe about my chores, he’d recite a poem called, ‘The Cowboy at Work’.” She chuckled. “I hated that damn poem for so long… Then he was gone, and I finally understood how much it meant to him.”

She felt Sunset rub her back. Applejack let her eyes slip closed, savoring the contact. Sweet mercy, she really liked it when Sunset did that.

“How’d it go?” Sunset asked near her ear. “Do you remember?”

“Heck, I better!” Applejack laughed. She cleared her throat, feeling a little self-conscious. But when she began to speak, the nervousness eased. She knew this poem so intimately she could say it in her sleep.

“You may call the cowboy horned and think him hard to tame,
You may heap vile epithets upon his head;
But to know him is to like him, notwithstanding his hard name,
For he will divide with you his beef and bread.

“If you see him on his pony as he scampers o’er the plain,
You would think him wild and woolly, to be sure;
But his heart is warm and tender when he sees a friend in need,
Though his education is but to endure.

“When the storm breaks in its fury and the lightning’s vivid flash
Makes you thank the Lord for shelter and for bed,
Then it is he mounts his pony and away you see him dash,
No protection but the hat upon his head.

“Such is life upon a cow ranch, and the half was never told;
But you never find a kinder-hearted set
Than the cattleman at home, be he either young or old,
He’s a ‘daisy from away back,’ don’t forget.

“When you fail to find a pony or a cow that’s gone a-stray,
Be that cow or pony wild or be it tame,
The cowboy, like the drummer, — and the bed-bug, too, they say,
Brings him to you, for he gets there just the same.”

Upon finishing, Applejack doffed her cap and gave a little bow of her head.

She grinned bashfully as Sunset clapped. The other girl had an impressed expression on her face. “Wow! Nice job!” She laughed and tugged at her ear with a playful squint of one eye. “I think I can recite a dirty limerick or two? I’m better at remembering lyrics with a tune, for sure.”

Applejack’s cheeks warmed and she chuckled. “I only know one other poem like that by heart. After that I just got little fragments here and there from the cowboy poetry Pa liked.”

“I can see why that one would stay with you,” Sunset said, bumping shoulders with Applejack. “The cowboy is kind and generous. A good friend. He’s a hard worker and he’s reliable. He’ll do the work no one else is willing to do.” She winked. “Sounds like someone I know.”

Applejack tugged her hat down to hide her blush and leaned forward onto her knees. Her gaze cast down to her boots and she thought of her father, Bright Mac. His stubbled rogue’s grin. His bright red mop, the same shade as Apple Bloom’s. He had been no more learned than she, but his soul had been bigger than his big-barreled chest could hold. Poems and ballads conveyed all the things he ever wanted to but felt too simple to say. She wished she’d listened more.

“Yep,” she said to Sunset. “The cowboy was a fixed point. So was my Pa.” That is, until he wasn’t. Bright Mac had been many things, but perfect was not one of them. He had fallen when many still depended on him. She was determined not to do the same.

Sunset’s lower lip pushed up with sympathy. “That’s alot to keep up.”

Applejack shrugged. What else was there to say, after all? It was what it was.

They sat in companionable silence for a short time.

Then Sunset cleared her throat and spoke. “If you want to take the edge off tonight, we can.”

Applejack looked at her with a wrinkled brow. “What, you mean like get some drinks?”

Sunset winced a little at the question, but proceeded with her response anyway. “No, um… Have you ever smoked weed before?”

Applejack shook her head quickly, her eyes widening a little. She hadn’t expected that. “I, uh, suppose I ain’t opposed to trying it.” She was pretty sure she didn’t have to pass a drug test for her guardianship application to pass through.

Sunset pursed her lips. She sat back and took one last drag of her cigarette before dropping and stepping on it. “I can get us a dime bag for tonight,” she sighed smokily. “But just this once!” She looked at Applejack with stern eyes. “I don’t get high these days, so I don’t want you getting the wrong idea!”

Applejack chuckled bemusedly. “What idea do you think I have of you, Sunset Shimmer? So you used to smoke weed, so what! Heck, most of our classmates have and still do!”

Now she could see Sunset’s cheeks color. She supposed even her darker complexion couldn’t escape the telltale signs of a good blush. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound defensive. I just… would hate for you to think I’m slacking off or doing unsavory things.” Even as she said this, Sunset’s eyes went distant and she hugged herself tightly, leaning forward onto her knees. Almost like she was turtling.

Applejack licked her lips. After a second to work up her nerves, she put an arm around Sunset’s shoulders and hugged her to her side. Funny how easy that had been just yesterday. When did she need to muster her courage to hug a friend?

“Sunset… Have you been feeling like damaged goods or something?” Applejack asked her quietly.

Sunset chortled dryly. “Yes.”

“Why?”

Sunset looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Applejack, are you kidding? Having everyone find out I’m in cahoots with mobsters? And did we forget I turned into a devil just a few short years ago?”

Applejack squeezed her shoulder, her thumb caressing her. “Sunset, you’ve never turned into a devil since. And you aren’t mucking around with these criminals for anything nefarious. You’re just trying to survive. You can’t let this stuff eat you up like this. The past is in the past, sugarcube.”

“Not all of it,” Sunset returned with a tense face. “But I guess you’ll hear about some of that tonight, huh? You’re not going to be the only one needing a good toke.”

Applejack’s brow wrinkled. “Sun, I don’t want you to feel cornered. If you aren’t ready to tell me–”

“No.” Sunset stood suddenly and walked away. She stopped nearby, just where the ground sloped down into a thick brush of St. John’s Wort with snaking raspberry vines choking it out. “I’m going to tell you because I think you need to know.” She turned around and smirked. “Tell me, what’s a better time to spill on a sordid past than over booze, cigarettes, and Blues?”

Applejack smiled, but it was muted. “Don’t forget the weed.”

Sunset wagged a finger, “Too right! Can’t forget the weed.”

Her valiant effort at humor faded. She shifted her weight to one foot and rubbed her arm. "Applejack, I should tell you something before we head out tonight."

Applejack looked at her expectantly, trying to keep the worry from her face. Was this the thing that had been dampening Sunset's mood today? Was it something she could fix?

Sunset covered her eyes with one hand. Tightly, she bit out, "The other day I angered a member of this gang, the Badlanders. They answer to the Trog-Els, but they run their own operation. Basically, this jerk thinks I’m going to ruin some scuzzy side scheme he’s pulling, and he’s afraid I’ll rat him out to benefit myself.”

“So what is this feller fixin’ to do?” Applejack asked, tension settling around her eyes.

Sunset held up a helpless hand. “I have no idea. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be stupid enough to get me too hurt. It seems like he just wants to scare me. I can’t rule out violence, though.”

“We don’t gotta go out if you don’t want to, Sun.”

“I want to go out with you,” Sunset said earnestly. Applejack’s heart kicked a little at that. Her friend wrung her hands. “I mean it, you have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to this. I just wanted you to know, so that you could make your own decision.”

Applejack crossed her arms as she anxiously bounced her knee. “You still aim to go, though. Am I right?”

Sunset put her hands on her hips. “I’m not letting that thug scare me. And anyway…” She waved a hand. “The guy’s partner is this boy I used to run with back in the day. He said he’d try to warn me if anything was about to happen. Plus, he gave me an unregistered gun.”

Applejack’s eyebrows shot up. “He gave you a gun?”

Sunset held up a hand. “I wouldn’t try to kill anyone. Maybe just scare them off. It’s actually kind of useful. This gives me a way to protect myself without having to use my magic, and it’d be easier to get rid of!”

“But Sunset, you could land a lot of heat with an unregistered gun! I mean, shoot!” Applejack thumbed in the direction of her house. “If you needed a pistol for protection, we got several you could pick from!”

“And if I used those, they’d all get traced back to you!” Sunset said with a shake of her head.

Applejack wiped at her mouth, her eyes ticking back and forth as she tried to think quickly. To go or not to go… Well, the answer seemed clear. If Sunset still intended on heading out that evening, Applejack didn’t want her to do it alone. She sighed.

“All right, look,” Applejack said with a piercing look. “You know I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you, so that ain’t even a question. But if we’re under threat, I’m going packed too, y’hear?”

Sunset gazed at her for a long time. Finally, she allowed a tight smile to spread across her face. “Fair enough.” She jerked her head to the side. “Come on. Let’s go see our underground doc. We still have to get back in time to take care of work, right? Don’t want to dawdle.”

Applejack sighed inwardly. Sunset was all shadows and mystery. She felt in over her head.

Even so, she wasn’t interested in being saved from the deep end. Not while her friend was sitting at the rock bottom of the proverbial pool.

“Let’s get ‘er done,” Applejack said as she stood.

Sunset was quiet on the drive over in AJ’s truck, save to give instructions. She took a moment to send a text out to the one person she knew who dealt weed, but after getting their agreement to meet later that evening, she just gazed out the passenger window.

She felt guilty. Like she was contaminating her friend with her grimy, seedy knowledge. She didn’t want to be a bad influence. She just wanted Applejack to feel better.

To feel wanted.

Because Sunset wanted her. Badly. At first, she’d thought it was just a simple attraction buoyed by their pre-existing friendship. After their race, she knew this wasn’t the case. Why else did she find it so hard to resist touching her friend? It was like she was a foal again and she couldn’t keep her hooves to herself. It wasn’t usually a problem she found herself dealing with, even when seducing a new partner. Thankfully, she’d been able to keep it mostly within an acceptable range of contact–stuff physically affectionate friends might do with one another.

But she knew she didn’t do that. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity, maybe. Not her. And she could feel Applejack noticing.

Noticing…and not stopping it.

Calm down, she thought sternly to herself as the heat crawled up her neck. You’ll ruin everything. Stop acting so thirsty!

Except she wasn’t just thirsty, she was parched. Even her earlier session with Diamond Roller did little to blunt that. She’d nearly fallen off her bike when she saw Applejack and Brooke pass her up the hill. Not from the shock of losing. No. From Applejack’s incredible form, her beautiful face seized with focus as she eyed her prize, her bright hair flowing behind her. It could have been happening in slow motion in a movie, it looked so incredible. Applejack must have been a fan favorite at the rodeo. Suddenly, desperately, Sunset wished she could see her friend compete. To see her golden locks whipping through the air while she skillfully rode a bucking bronco. She hated that she never went before. She’d been a fool to miss that.

She’d be lucky if they stayed friends at this rate. Somehow, she knew, tonight was a powder keg ready to go off, but like she was being sucked into a black hole, Sunset saw what was coming and felt powerless to stop it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Wasn’t she supposed to be smarter than this? How many bridges did she have to burn before she realized she couldn’t get away with everything she wanted? There were limits and she just kept breaking them.

With her family. With Celestia. With Flash Sentry. With Canterlot High. Was she going to do it again? She’d really meant to console Applejack. Then after just a day, she’d shifted her aim to include seducing her friend. But to what end? She had to admit that she hadn’t really had a plan. Hadn’t really considered the possible ramifications if things progressed further. What scared her most was realizing…she didn’t really have any idea what was going to happen.

Not for the first time, she wondered if her being ‘good’ was just an illusion. Her namesake was fitting then. Just some wavering light to dazzle others into trusting her. The purifying rays of Harmony could only do so much, Princess Twilight had explained. Worst case scenario, the magic stripped evildoers of their power, but their hearts could still harbor ill will. She’d related stories of foes like Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow whose persistent hatred necessitated them being turned to stone.

Sunset had thought she’d been lucky to be spared this fate. She’d felt purged not just of the magic that had twisted her form, but of the black feelings it had amplified. Harmony had strengthened the purest intentions inside of her. The little voice of conscience that whispered all her wicked acts were wrong suddenly became a booming voice she could no longer ignore, and repentance had become possible.

But what if a small black spot remained? What if it grew again?

She and Twilight had talked about it at length. Her friend, who had lived a considerably cleaner life than Sunset, somehow harbored the same fears.

“When I became that horrible monster, it felt like the dark magic magnified all of my anger, fear…hatred,” Twilight had shared. “Being friendless and bullied at Crystal Prep was this wound that the power just ripped open wider. Harmony healed it, I think. Mostly. But like a real scar, it still kind of aches sometimes.”

Sunset understood. All too much.

She sat up as a green road sign came around the bend, signalling an approaching exit. Further ahead, just a little past the off-ramp sat the vet clinic. Her own doubt and angst could wait.

“You’ll wanna take this exit,” Sunset said to Applejack.

“All righty.” Sunset could see her friend glance at her. “You okay? You’ve been quiet.”

“Just thinking,” Sunset replied with a small smile.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

They left the highway, the road noise lessening as they neared the vet clinic parking lot.

Sunset looked at Applejack. Her friend had a concerned look on her face. Inwardly, Sunset sighed. She wasn’t doing a very good job of supporting her friend if all she was doing was worrying about herself.

She forced her smile wider. “Nothing to worry about.”

When they parked and exited the truck, Sunset patted her pants’ pocket. “I just got some cash. Lemme help you pay.”

Applejack shook her head quickly as she went to main entrance. “I told you, I got it.”

Sunset pouted. She should have known Applejack wouldn’t budge on that matter.

She didn’t follow her friend. Instead, she started to go around the building. “Not there. In back.”

Applejack blinked but followed. Behind the building there were a few cars parked, some pallets stacked against the building, and a large dumpster. A table and a few chairs sat near the door.

Sunset pulled out her phone and tapped a quick text.

>SSh: We’re here.

“We going in, or…?” Applejack asked with arms crossed. She was clearly feeling uneasy.

“He’ll come out when he’s ready,” Sunset answered, going to sit in one of the chairs.

Applejack looked around uncertainly before going to take the seat next to her.

“If you won’t let me help with this visit, can I at least buy you dinner?” Sunset asked. She was already pulling out another cigarette.

Applejack arched an eyebrow. “It was my plan to cook for you.”

Sunset smirked. “Cook for me? Sounds like it’s becoming a habit! What’ll the rest of your family eat if you're so busy with little old me?”

“Grass,” Applejack said readily, a smirk also on her freckled face. “And maybe I just like taking care of you.” Her voice was a murmur. “Heaven knows you ain’t eatin’.”

Sunset felt her body grow warm and tried to play it cool. Knew she failed when she giggled nervously. Did Applejack realize what that smoky southern voice did to her? “That’s patently untrue! I eat!”

“Oh yeah? When’s the last time you ate?”

Sunset faltered. “Uh… Well…” She winced with a guilty smile. “Yesterday?”

Applejack’s eyes went wide. “Yesterday? You mean the last thing you had was my sister’s soggy sandwiches?”

“They were soggy but they were delicious, AJ! Don’t be like that!”

Applejack laughed heartily, throwing her head back. “Oh, no! Heck no, I can’t let that stand, sugarcube! No, I’ll make you something nice when we get back, just watch.”

“Fine,” Sunset said, pretending to be disgruntled. She leaned on the armrest toward Applejack and cupped her chin. “But I still wanna buy you dinner. It doesn’t have to be tonight. Soon, though.”

Applejack looked at her. Looked over her, even. It had been lightning quick, but Sunset didn’t miss it. She shivered a little in excitement.

“Sure,” Applejack said with a little grin. Her eyes were hooded.

Sunset held up her phone. “By the way, did you see the text I sent everyone earlier?”

Applejack pouted in thought as she pulled out her phone from her front pocket. “No. Sorry. It’s been on silent. What’s up?”

“Starlight Glimmer is able to come tomorrow night to help Rarity with her problem, but we all need to be there for her spell to work.”

Applejack nodded. “Sounds good. I oughta be free then, long as it’s after sunset.”

“I think it will be.” Sunset glanced at the clinic door, then back at Applejack. “Um… So…” She ran her teeth over her bottom lip nervously. “Just a heads up. This guy we’re seeing. He’s kind of…got horrible bedside manner.”

Applejack’s mouth skewed to the side. “This feller’s cooler than a block of ice, huh?”

Sunset gave a little shrug. “Yes. But he does good work, I swear!”

Just as Sunset finished saying this, the clinic’s back door opened and out came a fellow with cropped forest green hair flecked with gray and a receding hairline. He had a slim lined face and focused eyes.

“Sunset Shimmer?” he said, going to her and holding out his hand. He looked her up and down like he was sizing her up. “Been a while.”

“Hello, Forest Tender,” she said, standing. “This is my friend, Applejack. She’s the one you’ll be helping today.”

Applejack stood and shook his hand as well.

“All right,” He said with a sigh. “I’m on my lunch break and I cleared an exam room, so let’s make this quick. Follow me.” He turned around and started to head back for the clinic.

Applejack looked at Sunset, her expression uncertain. Sunset leaned in toward her ear and whispered, “Forest owns the clinic, but he started this side gig a few years ago to help keep the lights on. That’s why we had to come in the back so his regular customers don’t see.”

Applejack frowned and leaned in to murmur in Sunset’s ear next, making her heart skip a beat when she felt the other girl’s warm breath on her skin. “And what about his staff? They in on it?”

Forest paused at the door, a mild expression of annoyance on his face. “Are we doing this or not?”

Sunset took Applejack’s hand. “It’ll be fine,” she said. “Come on. I’ll go with you.”

Together they entered the clinic. It was just as Sunset remembered. Cramped, but clean. Somewhere a dog was barking. They followed Forest Tender down a narrow hallway and into a small examination room. He shut the door and looked at Applejack. “All right, let’s see this arm I’ve been hearing about.”

Applejack made a face but unbuttoned her sleeve and peeled it back, revealing the large bandage Sunset had placed over her wounds.

Forest had put on disposable gloves while she did this, and when she was ready, he carefully removed the bandage.

When he was done, he whistled, his eyes quickly scanning over her wounds. “You really went to town, kiddo.”

“Can you help?” Applejack asked with a touch of impatience.

He glanced at her as he held her arm up closer to his face. “I think so.” He looked at Sunset next. “You did a decent job cleaning these.”

“Thanks,” Sunset said, crossing her arms. “So what’s the verdict?”

“Looks like some first and second-degree burns,” Forest said confidently. “I’ll have to clean a few more of these. You missed some junk. Not good to leave it. After that, I’ve got some silver sulfadiazine she can take home. It’s a topical ointment that should take care of any bacterial infection and protect against any more. She just needs to put it on twice a day, nice and thick, until they heal.”

Forest looked at Applejack. “Take a seat on the exam table. It’ll take me a few minutes to get the rest of those burns cleaned.”

Sunset leaned against the counter and watched as Forest worked. Applejack winced now and again, but for the most part, she kept a straight face through his cleaning of her wounds. She looked at Sunset and their eyes met.

You okay? Sunset mouthed at her.

Applejack smirked and gave a thumbs-up.

Sunset returned it with a grin.

“I didn’t think I’d hear from you again,” Forest remarked, looking over at Sunset. “Last I saw you, I had to get a mop for all the blood.”

Applejack looked at her in surprise. Sunset glared at Forest. “Whatever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?” she asked him coolly.

“More like nothing leaves this room. Whoever’s inside this room is privy to whatever I feel like bringing up. If you wanted my full discretion, you should’ve paid more.”

“You needed a mop?” Applejack interjected, looking at Forest. “She told me she just got grazed!”

“I did get grazed!” Sunset protested, feeling her face heat up. This was not what she had anticipated dealing with.

“Sure. The first time you came in,” Forest said with a short laugh.

Now Applejack’s eyebrows rose high. Sunset threw her hands up and hissed, “The second time it was just a flesh wound! It didn’t hit anything important!”

“Where’d you get hit, Sun?” Applejack asked, her gaze studying her carefully.

Sunset sucked at her teeth and tapped a boot. “My left arm,” she grumbled sullenly.

“Bled like hell, too,” Forest breathed as he squinted at Applejack’s arm. “Took a long time to clean up.”

Sunset pressed a hand to her face and closed her eyes. She’d forgotten how annoying Forest could be. “So sorry I had the gall to bleed so much, Forest. You charged extra for that, if I recall correctly.”

He shrugged. “I have to get what money I can,” he told her. “My special clients have a tendency of getting themselves killed. That doesn’t make for a very steady stream of income. I’d wondered if you were one of them. Glad to see I was wrong.”

“Of course you’re glad,” she said with a sneer. “More money for you.”

He chuckled. “Hey, you sent me a new client, didn’t you?”

“Don’t plan on seeing me again, partner,” Applejack said, her gaze piercing.

Forest Tender looked at her. “People don’t come to me because they’re good at keeping out of trouble. If anything, they’re nothing but.”

Sunset looked down at her boots as she fidgeted. “That’s not my life anymore.”

“Yeah. Right.” Forest returned his attention to his work. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Applejack glared at the man before looking at Sunset with a softer expression. “I think you’re doing great,” she said with a gentle smile. Sunset flashed her a look of gratitude and tried not to think about the revolver sitting in her duffel bag.

The work was done. The medicine was given. The fee was paid. Altogether it took less than ten minutes. As frustrating as Forest Tender could be, he was at least quick. He even sent them off with chocolate mints as a parting treat. “Call it an incentive to come back,” he said with a careless wave of his hand. “Remember, try not to die. I can’t get money from corpses.”

Sunset looked at the mint in her hand and then back at him, a wry grin on her face. “What, all out of suckers?”

He made a face and thrust a finger at the door. “Get out.”

They returned to Applejack’s truck. Sunset buckled her seatbelt and let her head fall back against the headrest, her brow tensed. It was a long moment before she realized her friend hadn’t started the engine. She looked over at Applejack, blinking.

“AJ? Is something wrong?” she asked.

Applejack peered at her shrewdly as she leaned against her driver-side door, one finger stroking the vinyl on her steering wheel. “I’m worried.”

Sunset frowned at her. “About…me?”

Applejack bobbed her head once. “Eyup.”

“Why, because of what Forest Tender said?”

AJ tilted her head and shrugged her mouth. “Partly.” She cut a sharp side glance. “You didn’t mention you got shot twice.”

Sunset held up a finger and made an “Eeeh!” noise. “Does being grazed really count as being shot?”

“Now you know I like mincing words as much as a dancer likes losing legs.”

Sunset leaned toward her, her elbow leaning on the back of the seat. “I promised to tell you more tonight, didn’t I?”

She got a slow nod in response. “Yep, you did.”

“And I told you that you don’t have to come with me tonight, right?”

“Sure. I wanna go too, y’know. That ain’t what’s giving me gray hairs.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at her as a small smile blossomed on her lips. “So then what can I do to prevent more of these gray hairs?”

“Remember when we made them promises to each other?” Applejack asked with one eye playfully squinted. “Y’know. About you mentioning when you had to play errand girl for that gang, and me telling ya when I get dust in my eye?”

Sunset pretended to gasp and clutched at Applejack’s shoulder. “AJ, oh no! Have you got dust in your eye?”

Applejack chuckled and shook her head. “Not right now, thank goodness.” She quieted. With one finger she tilted her hat back and leaned in toward Sunset. “Look, um… Can we expand them promises?”

Sunset searched her friend’s face. She could feel Applejack’s breath on her cheek. It was chocolatey and minty from the candy Forest gave them. “Sure,” she murmured.

Applejack dropped her gaze and swallowed audibly, her throat moving. When she met Sunset’s eyes again, they were sharp and steady. “If you need me, please tell me. It could be anything. Y’hear? Anything. Before things get too bad. I really wanna help, y’know.”

Sunset let her head tilt to the side as she leaned onto the seat rest. She smirked. “Only if you do the same.”

Applejack grinned. She settled back into her seat and turned the key in the ignition. The truck came alive with a roar. She looked at Sunset and tipped her hat. “Darlin’, it sounds like we got a deal.”

The Cowboy At Work is a real poem. The author is anonymous. Can be read in the public domain book, Song of the Cowboys.