Applejack was in the kitchen helping Apple Bloom clean up. The radio was shut off, as was the hanging light over the table, leaving the white glow from the stove light. Over in the living room, Granny Smith sat in her favorite recliner, a table lamp with a knit apple shade switched on beside her, enveloping her in a soft yellow glow, while Big Macintosh enjoyed sprawling out on the old couch. Though ‘enjoyed’ may have been a bit generous. His gloomy face was awash with the cool shine from the TV screen, dark bags under his eyes. The television simmered with applause from a family game show. Applejack frowned at him as she put a glass away in the cupboard.

“Hey,” she whispered to Apple Bloom over by the sink. “You talked to Mac, right?”

Apple Bloom looked over her shoulder at her with a creased brow. “Yeah, I apologized.” She looked down at the floor. “I think I musta really hurt his pride, though.” She sighed and shook her head. “I just screwed up again. As usual…”

This made Applejack go to her sister’s side. Her nose tickled with the earthy garlicky aroma from the remnants of collard greens still on some of the plates. She leaned her hip against the counter and looked at the younger girl earnestly. “Oh, AB don’t blame yourself too much. He knows you’re sorry. It’s just this funk he’s stuck in.”

Her sister looked at her with moist eyes and a tensed chin. “I didn’t need to kick him while he’s down, though.”

Applejack winced and shrugged one shoulder as she rubbed her sister’s back. “You said you’re sorry. That’s all that matters, y’hear?”

This didn’t seem to do much to lift Apple Bloom’s spirits. She was about to say something else when she heard the recliner squeak in the living room, and Granny Smith called her name. “Applejack, may I get a glass o’ juice, darlin’? I got a mighty thirst!”

Applejack turned to look at her and raised a hand, flashing a kind smile. “Sure thing, Granny!” She went to the fridge and grabbed the grape juice. To Apple Bloom, she murmured, “Buck up, sis. It’ll be okay.”

“Sure,” Apple Bloom said, grabbing another dirty dish. She didn’t look at Applejack anymore.

Applejack unscrewed the bottle cap and went to fetch the glass she had just put away. As she crossed the kitchen she peeked first at her sister, then at Big Mac. Great, now both of her siblings were down in the dumps. She kicked herself for saying anything to her little sister. It really wasn't the girl's fault their brother was so depressed. Ever since Sugar Belle left him he'd just been a wreck. Applejack had hoped that time would set her brother right, but it was verging on a year now and she was finally starting to think that maybe something more drastic was necessary. What exactly? She had no idea.

Whilst deep in the weeds of her worries, she heard Sunset say suddenly behind her, “What do you guys think?”

Applejack turned mid-pour, a consternated frown still on her face. As her eyes met Sunset's unexpected ensemble, the worry lines on her forehead vanished and her blank expression... froze.

Sunset Shimmer was dressed in dark jeans with leather chaps, a leather brazier, her signature leather jacket, studded boots, and her studded choker. She had done smoky cat eye makeup with her mouth accentuated by matte cherry red lipstick. She’d even styled her hair so that her locks had more body and volume. The white glare of the stove light glinted off her choker and made the small metal studs in her ears gleam through her hair.

If Sunset was impressed by Applejack’s body, it was definitely mutual. Sunset’s svelte form had delicate curves, and her skin was so smooth and even-toned it almost defied logic.

Sunset smiled radiantly as she did a little twirl. “Ta-da!”

“Wow! You look amazing!” Apple Bloom laughed as she turned off the faucet. She looked over at Applejack when she heard splashing still and her eyes went wide. “Applejack!”

Applejack started, realizing too late that she’d overfilled the glass to the point that juice was now spilling all over the counter and onto the floor. “Aw, damn!” She could feel her ears burn. Here was her beautiful friend and all Applejack could do was stumble around like a classless redneck again.

She hurried to get a kitchen towel just as her sister went to the same one and they grabbed it at the same time. Apple Bloom took a moment to lean in and murmur quickly to her, “You know you’re in trouble, right?”

“Hush and go watch TV!” Applejack hissed back. That infernal blush crawled back up Applejack’s neck again. She snatched the towel away from her sibling and she set about mopping up the juice on the counter. Apple Bloom smiled crookedly but did as she was told.

Laughing nervously, AJ said to Sunset, “Golly! You look like a fashion model!”

Sunset blushed and put her hands behind her head as she laughed and tilted her head to the side. “Thanks!” Her cyan eyes popped wide as she eyed her boots. “Oh, dang my zipper is messed up again. One sec! These boots are old and sometimes the teeth strips don’t interlock right…” She stooped down, grumbling to herself.

Big Mac, almost as if jerked alive by a puppeteer’s strings, jumped from the couch and walked over stiffly. He took the glass Applejack had been pouring as she stooped to wipe the cabinet and the floor.

“Lemme come with,” he muttered out of the corner of his mouth, eyeing Sunset through the fringe of his red hair. Sunset, meanwhile, was still adjusting the zippers on her boots and (thankfully) hadn’t noticed.

“Dream on,” Applejack whispered sharply as she rose back to her feet. She wanted her brother to get out of his funk, but not with her friend! “And put the tent away before you embarrass me!” More than she already was, that is.

He glared at her before adjusting his pants with a wince and took the glass back to Granny. The elderly woman in question seemed to not notice what was going on in the kitchen, too engrossed with the television. The family game show had ended and now Granny’s favorite soap opera was on, Whispers of Desire.

“Don’t that nitwit Carlyle realize that Miranda is in love with him?” The older woman raged to Apple Bloom. Her knobbly fists clenched as she gesticulated passionately at the screen. The tawdry saga of Carlyle and Miranda was one Applejack was well familiar with. Miranda had been giving Carlyle all kinds of signals short of flat out saying she wanted to screw him six different ways in bed. Mostly, the cowgirl just wondered why the show insisted on using such weird names. It was one thing for an animal to be named that, but a person? “He should just hurry up and smooch her already!” Granny carried on before slurping at her juice.

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom said loudly, looking pointedly at Applejack. She crossed her arms and smirked. “What is it with Carlyle? Is he blind?”

Applejack shot her a look. Sometimes it felt like her siblings’ sole purpose in life was to make her suffer.

“Sorry if I took a little long in there,” Sunset said as she rose up from the floor with a sheepish grin. “Do you guys need help cleaning up dinner, or–?” She looked around the kitchen, her words faltering as she saw how pristine everything was.

“Nope. All done with that. You wanna eat a little before we head out?” Applejack asked, looking over at Sunset as casually as she could. If she could control her sweat glands she’d stop every one of them. To her dismay, she felt as if they were all working in overdrive to leave her wetter than a fish. Hopefully the perfume she’d borrowed from Apple Bloom would mask any odor that developed… or would sweat mixed with cheap body spray actually be worse??

Sunset nodded once, oblivious to Applejack’s internal panic, her gaze ducking before returning to the other girl’s as she tucked a lock of curly hair behind her ear. “A small plate, maybe?” she said with a small squint of her eyes.

“The others already ate, but I haven’t. I’ll sit with you,” Applejack said with a shaky little grin.

Sunset gave her a thumbs up. “Cool! Thank you.”

Applejack set about making them plates. All the while, she tried to steady her nerves.

Come on, cowgirl. We got this. Just another night out with a friend.

Her really hot friend.

Yep. Be that as it may, we know we got a snowball’s chance in heck with her.

She looked really good, though.

Yeah, I KNOW that. What you trying to do to me, brain? There ain’t no way she’s interested in us! We’re just full up on teenage horniness, so just get a grip!

But Apple Bloom did say–

“Damn what she said!” Applejack snarled to herself under her breath.

“What was that?” Sunset asked from the table.

Applejack whipped around to look at her, her face pulled long and her eyes wide. “Oh! Uh, nothing. Sorry just, er... Wasn’t important.”

Sunset blinked but smiled her acceptance of the answer.

Applejack turned away again, a horrified look on her face.

After taking three whole deep breaths, she wiped the sweat from her face, hitched up a new smile, and turned back to her friend with the finished plates. “Dinner’s up!” she said.

They ate and mostly chatted about nothing. School stuff. Applejack was miserable in her Farm Business Management course. Sunset empathized by sharing her woes with Global Environmental History. Finished with their meal, they said their goodbyes to the other Apples and went to Applejack’s truck.

Since Sunset planned on drinking, it had just seemed prudent for them to go together. She brought her fake ID, but this one hadn’t been made by Capper, though he did cross her mind when she’d received it. Instead, Snips, despite his dimwitted mischief, managed a small but passable ID forging side business. He crafted IDs for all the girls in exchange for the Rainbooms playing at his sixteenth birthday party. Not everyone was thrilled with the gig, but it did allow them to attend a twenty-one and up show that featured Songbird Serenade later. Sunset hadn’t actually used the ID in a long time. Usually, when Sunset drank, it was with her lovers in private. However, considering what she was going to be sharing tonight, a bit of liquid courage felt necessary.

When asked if she would be drinking as well, Applejack quickly shook her head. The light from the farmhouse windows lit her face up with a soft warm light. “Naw, I wanna get us back in one piece. ‘Sides, I don’t like drinking outside of the farm.” She gestured at Sunset with her chin, her brow tensing over her green gaze. “Did you bring that gun of yours?”

Sunset pursed her lips. She’d half hoped Applejack had forgotten about it. “I did.” She reached into her inner pocket and pulled out the revolver.

The tension in her brow became a full fledged frown as Applejack nodded. “Safety’s on, right?” she asked.

Sunset reached up and turned on the overhead cab light. She leaned to the side, catching a whiff of fruity perfume when she did so, and held the gun up so that her friend could see the safety switch was in the right position. She was careful not to aim the barrel at either of them. She’d seen one too many thugs shoot themselves just because they couldn’t follow basic gun protocol. “Yep!” she chirped, beaming a smile that said, See? I know what I’m doing.

This earned a nod of approval from Applejack who pulled out a semi-automatic pistol of her own from her vest pocket. It was nearly as compact as Sunset’s firearm. “I’m packing, too,” she said with a sigh as she turned the cab light back off. “Let’s hope we don’t need ‘em.” From the house drifted Granny and Apple Bloom’s laughter. Sounded like Granny’s soap opera was pretty good tonight.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Sunset said with a shrug as she settled back into her seat and put her gun away. “Where we’re going, we’ll be in Trog-El territory. Gold Fang doesn’t have any sway there, and he’d get burned if he tried to make a move on Grogar’s turf.” She neglected to mention that they wouldn’t strictly be in Trog-El territory all night and she hoped her confident expression didn’t give this away. They were just making a quick stop, it should be fine.

It should be totally fine.

“So the feller’s name is Gold Fang, huh?” Applejack said with narrowed eyes. “Sounds like a tool.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”

Applejack chuckled. “Wouldn’t mind keeping it that way.”

“I’ll second that! By the way, if you’re still interested in getting a little high, we’ll need to make a quick stop on the way to the event,” Sunset said as she buckled in. Despite some of her uncertainties, she was genuinely beaming. This night was finally happening! Not only would she get to see Red Rooster, one of her favorite musicians of all time, but she was going to do it with this gorgeous stud of a girl next to her!

Applejack started her truck and glanced Sunset’s way. “Sure, that ain’t no prob. I got cash.”

Sunset shook her head vehemently. “No. You’ve covered everything else today, lemme do this for you. Besides, I know the guy I’m getting it from.”

This made Applejack pause, her eyebrows lifting. “Oh yeah? He’s a friend of yours?”

Sunset ran her tongue along the inside of her bottom lip. “Not quite. Let’s just say, he’s a familiar face.”

Applejack drove them into Canterlot City proper. The radio played country music at low volume while the air conditioning blasted on high. Seeing her friend shivering inside her leather jacket, the cowgirl apologized profusely and quickly adjusted the air conditioning. Not long after that the windows started to fog up on Applejack’s side. Blushing hard, she cracked open her window and asked Sunset nervously if that was all right. Sunset giggled and told her it was fine. It was actually a relief to know she wasn’t the only one with nerves that night.

After more than twenty minutes, they reached an apartment complex in the southeastern part of the city, where many old buildings showed signs of wear. The building they parked in front of was at least newer, but this didn’t save it from vandalism and damage. The front entrance was pockmarked with bullet holes, and there was graffiti over the display window advertising studio apartments at an inflated rate.

“Just wait for me here,” Sunset said as she hastily unbuckled her seatbelt. The sooner they were out of this neighborhood, the better.

“Are you sure?” Applejack asked, looking at her with concern. “This neighborhood seems a little rough.” So that wasn’t lost on her. Darn.

What Sunset had neglected to tell Applejack was that this was the edge of Badlander territory. It was her hope to be fast, but to say her hackles weren’t raised too would have been a lie. “I’ll be quick, I promise.” She winced after opening the door. “Um… Maybe lock the doors after I go?”

She sweated a little at the flat look her friend gave her. “I’ll be quick!” she said again in a rush before slipping out and shutting the door.

Sunset bounded over to the intercom and punched in the studio apartment number she wanted.

There was a beat of silence. Then a quick beep followed by, “Who is this?” Sunset felt her heart speed up a little at the sound of that soft German accent.

“Kojote, it’s Sunset. I’m here to pick up,” she murmured breathlessly.

There was a soft crackle over the speaker as the man chuckled. “Fantastic. Come in.”

There was a soft buzzing sound as the magnetic lock on the building entrance released. Sunset glanced nervously back at Applejack before slipping inside. Going up the elevator, she ran through what she would say. What she would do. She felt consternated with herself that she even felt the need to do that. But Kojote never let their encounters resolve in a way that left her feeling self-possessed of dignity.

His namesake was fitting. He was a coyote. A scavenger. And even this transaction would have its toll.

She’d been sorely tempted to ask Apple Bloom who sold to her and her friends instead, but she figured that was poor role modeling. Not that she thought weed was bad per se, but until it was legalized in their state, she hated to encourage engaging with criminal elements. When she’d first met Kojote at a rave, he’d tried to sell to her as well, but they’d ended up fucking instead. She’d never bought from him before, but she knew he still dealt on the side.

When the elevator arrived on his floor, Sunset stepped out to find the man waiting in his open doorway just a little down the hall. He was shirtless and barefoot, only in a pair of black boxers. His lean, powerful body cut an enticing figure against the dark of his studio. She barely bit back the hum of appreciation when she saw the claw marks she’d left on his six-pack abs a few days ago still had yet to heal.

Sunset could feel her skin turn flush. Here we go…

“You do have it, right?” she asked him warily as she approached. Her boots squeaked as she slowly moved toward him.

Kojote grinned, and his canines looked like fangs. “Of course. Now how are you going to pay for it?” He looked her up and down, his teeth catching his bottom lip. “Am I to take your outfit as a suggestion?” he asked with a tiny wink.

Sunset crossed her arms and leveled a cold stare at him. These pedestrian attempts at flirting was not what brought her back to him time and again, but he seemed convinced this false charm was what drew girls to him. Not her. She stopped five feet away. If she got any closer, it could be trouble. “I have your money. I’m not up for a game right now.” This was his preferred foreplay. To toy with her.

Kojote pouted, his brow wrinkling just a hair. “Money? What a dull offer. I was hoping you could spare a few minutes to help alleviate my boredom.”

“Not tonight,” she answered with a terse shake of her head. “I have a friend waiting downstairs.”

He raised an eyebrow and his forehead creased hard. “A male friend?”

She rolled her eyes at him, her tongue finding a place in her cheek.

His grin widened and his forehead smoothed once more. “Mmm, one of your pretty girlfriends you mentioned, maybe? Why not invite her? I could use some new company.”

“I have your money,” she repeated flatly. She pulled out the small fold of bills from her coat pocket. “You’re wasting my time. I told you, I’m not up for it right now. It wouldn’t be hard to find what I want elsewhere.”

“And yet you came here,” he retorted shortly at her, his eyes flashing. “You must have considered I’d want something less banal.”

Sunset scoffed as she pocketed the money and turned sharply with a loud squeak on her heel. “Goodbye, Kojote.”

“Wait.” His voice was rough, almost verging on a growl.

She paused and looked over her shoulder at him coolly.

Held up between his slim fingers was a small dime bag of weed. “You drive a hard bargain, liebling.”

She sucked at her teeth, debating on whether or not she should try. Eventually her pragmatism won out. She didn’t make Applejack drive out to this part of town for nothing, and she wouldn’t leave empty-handed. She went to him, reaching for the bag.

At the last second Kojote pulled it back and grabbed her tightly by the wrist, yanking her forward where he caught her around the waist and pressed her hard against him.

Sunset didn’t cry out. She knew he would do it, despite her clearly stating her boundary. He liked to toy with her agency when she resisted him. It was a part of the stupid game. She knew this behavior was enough of a reason to break off their sexual arrangement. Thing was, she’d always had trouble telling him no. She wasn’t sure if it was just because she liked when he surprised her or because she secretly hated herself.

Maybe both.

“I don’t want your fucking money,” he breathed into her ear. “I want more of your time.”

“I told you,” she hissed back. Reaching into her pocket, she pressed the nose of the revolver into his side through the leather. “My time is spoken for.”

Tonight, though? She was intent on keeping some scraps from the beast.

His eyes widened and he let her go, holding his hands up. “What’s this?”

“Me getting fed up with your crap, that’s what,” Sunset snapped, snatching the bag away from him. She threw the money onto the floor. “I’m tired of you doing whatever you feel like regardless of how it makes me feel.”

Kojote stared at her, then laughed suddenly. “You don’t really have a gun.”

Sunset arched an eyebrow and pulled out the revolver. Kojote stopped smiling. “You’ve hurt my feelings,” he said, glaring. “I thought you liked my games?”

Now she smiled thinly, her eyes flashing. “You might be my favorite distraction,” she stepped away. She didn’t stow the revolver until she was out of his reach again. “But you’re far from my favorite person.” She continued to back up to the elevator.

Kojote gazed at her, naked want writ across his smooth face. “Then I hope you’ll be in need of a distraction soon,” he murmured, one lock of sandy brown hair falling into his deep brown eyes. “Because you’ve left me feeling very hungry for another taste.”

He watched her until the elevator arrived. His gaze felt heavy, like a predator eyeing prey just before it struck. When the lift bell rang and the doors slid open, Sunset slipped inside and jammed the ‘close doors’ button repeatedly with a shaking hand. She didn’t let her breath go until the doors slid shut again.

When the lift was moving back down to the ground floor, she finally allowed herself to lean against the elevator wall and let loose the breath she’d been holding. Her heart was in her throat. What was wrong with her? Kojote was a problem. A stupid edgelord who liked messing with her, and sometimes he did it a little too dangerously.

But something about him really fascinated her. Was she just that ensorcelled by his body?

Sunset glared at her reflection in the polished metal of the elevator wall.

No. It was because with Kojote, she could reveal her old self, still buried deep inside. She liked feeling Old Sunset punished and abused. The villain getting her just desserts. When her frustrations with her life mounted, where else could she rage so futilely? The wounds she’d left on him were evidence enough of that.

When she climbed back into Applejack’s truck, she tried to smile like nothing was wrong.

Applejack wasn’t fooled. She was frustratingly good at that. “What’s the matter?” She asked with a frown.

Sunset sighed, dropping her smile. She was probably going to have to accept that, by now, Applejack was on to her usual tactics for masking her feelings. She tossed the dime bag onto the seat between them. “The guy I saw is a jerk,” she said wearily. “Don’t worry about it. We got what we need. Let’s stop at a smoke shop next. I’ll buy us a pipe.”

The cowgirl’s mouth skewed to the side. “All righty. Y’know, my brother might know a feller we can get stuff from instead. I don’t want ya feeling uncomfortable for my sake, Sun.”

Sunset flashed her a grateful grin. “Daww, you’re so nice.”

Applejack chuckled and readjusted her hat before she turned the engine back on. “Yeah, yeah…”

Thankfully the smoke shop Sunset had in mind was near to the venue they were heading to. She bought a clear glass spoon pipe with white swirls. Nothing fancy. She almost missed the glass bubbler she used to own way back when. It’d been clear with red and gold glitter.

Their final destination was called Pandora’s Box. It was a sub-level restaurant and pub with subpar food and middling drinks, but no one who frequented the place went there specifically for either. Most went for the pool tables and the music.

Street parking was a little tough to find. They had to park a block over on a dark stretch of road, and it was metered. Applejack muttered as she looked for quarters. Sunset put a hand on her arm, an amused grin on her lips. “I got it.”

That taken care of, Sunset slipped back into the truck and prepped the pipe. “You sure about this?” she asked Applejack. If her friend wouldn’t, then she wouldn’t, but she really hoped she would. Between Diamond Roller, Apple Bloom, Forest Tender, and Kojote, Sunset was more than ready to take the edge off of what had been a surprisingly challenging day.

Applejack thought about it seriously for a moment. Sunset set the pipe and lighter down as the disappointment rose up in her.

To her relief, Applejack nodded. “Yeah. Let’s light ‘er up.” She looked around nervously. “Is this a good spot, or…?”

“We’ll only take a few hits, and then we’ll be out of the truck,” Sunset said with a little chuckle. “Want to try first?”

Applejack shook her head. “Naw, show me.”

Sunset felt a little self-conscious, but she picked up the pipe and lighter. Placing the pipe in her mouth, she struck up a flame and drew in air, being sure to keep the fire over the bowl. The weed burned with a small crackle and hiss, and she inhaled deeply. She held the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds before releasing it slow. It filled the truck cab with a sweet skunky scent.

She passed the pipe to Applejack. “Keep the flame over the bowl while you inhale. Since it's your first time, I'd just take a normal breath, nothing too deep. Hold it for a few seconds, then release it gradually,” she said, smoke still curling from her mouth.

Applejack took the pipe, licking her lips anxiously. With a glance at Sunset, she did what she'd been instructed to. Almost. She took a bigger hit then Sunset thought wise. When it came time to hold it, she choked and coughed a little. “Ugh, damn!”

Sunset winced. “AJ, I said breathe in normally! You don't have to prove anything!"

"I thought I could handle the smoke! I'm nearly at a pack a day, why wouldn't I?" was the hacked out response.

Sunset chuckled at her "Because this is weed, not tobacco! The smoke and flavor is different. Anyway, sorry. I think I also left more stems in there than I meant to when I tore the nug up. It’s better to do it with a grinder than just your fingers. That might have harshed the smoke.”

“Here, take it,” Applejack rasped. She leaned on her steering wheel with squinted eyes and a wrinkled forehead.

Sunset did and took another hit. When she finished, Applejack held her hand out, small coughs still punching up her throat. However, her friend looked at her shrewdly. "Hold on. How are you feeling? That was a pretty big hit."

“Um,” Applejack worked her mouth like she was trying to figure out what she was tasting. A glass of water at Pandora's would be good. “I dunno.” She shrugged, and the action felt more exaggerated than necessary, making her whole head rock back. “Fine, I guess?”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at her. “Maybe just one hit for you. If you’ve never smoked before, then it can knock you on your butt if you take too many.” She reached down and hid the pipe under her seat. She made sure to push it back far enough that you couldn’t see it unless you opened the truck and looked under there. She tossed a greasy rag that was already under the seat over the pipe, just for good measure. “If you feel okay, we can come back out for another hit later,” she mentioned with a little grunt as she straightened.

“Okay, Mom,” Applejack teased with a little snicker.

Sunset’s eyes flashed with mock indignation and she wagged a finger at her. “Careful, or I’ll put you in a timeout, AJ!” This earned her a short laugh.

They exited the truck. Sunset shivered a little, drawing her leather jacket around her bare torso. Looking hot was great and all, but there was always the unavoidable cost of freezing your butt off.

“You’re not going to turn into an icicle on me, are you?” Applejack teased, her voice tense with apparent amusement. Her boots clicked on the asphalt and concrete till she was on the sidewalk on Sunset's side.

Sunset tried to keep her teeth from chattering as she shot her a look. “Screw timeout, maybe a smart aleck like you would respond better to no dessert!”

“Oh yeah? What was on the menu, if you don’t mind my asking?” Applejack asked with a smirk. She waited near the curb for Sunset to join her.

Pie, if I play my cards right, Sunset thought impishly as she joined her friend. She barely held back a laugh. Instead she said with a broad smile, “You’ll seeeee.”

Applejack scoffed playfully. They fell into step and proceeded down the street to the pub.

A minute of comfortable silence passed. The street around them was dark, and the clouds covered the moon from sight, peeks of its silver light reaching past the foggy edges. They passed a fabric shop and a stationary store. The street was lined with cars of wildly different tax brackets—sports cars, twenty-year-old sedans, and even a boxy electric vehicle. A car alarm went off somewhere, mixing with the indistinct hollering of a man trying to catch someone’s attention from afar. His voice lacked anger or urgency. A friend calling out to a friend.

“That should help you to relax,” Sunset remarked. She had a mischievous lilt to her voice. “You seemed nervous.”

Applejack laughed languidly, looking around the street before her eyes rested on her friend. “I was a little nervous. Yeah. You caught me.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Applejack peered at her sideways. “I mean…” she shrugged explosively again and laughed.

Sunset giggled. “What?”

Yep. They were high, all right. Kojote may have been a jerk, but his supply of weed was of good quality.

Applejack hooked her thumbs into her pockets and shrugged. “I dunno. I haven’t been out in a while.” That was an understatement. The way Apple Bloom told it, Applejack lived and breathed her work. The work ethic was admirable, but there wasn’t any room for fun living like that.

“But that’s not the real reason,” Sunset said with narrowed eyes.

“Well, it sure is part of it, sugarcube. Now you ain’t getting anything else out of me, y’hear?” Applejack feigned a stern tone but she still wore a smile.

“Fine. But can I tell you something?” Sunset asked with a little tilt of her head.

Applejack glanced at her. “Shoot.”

Sunset kicked her boots up a little higher for a few steps in a silly march like Pinkie Pie would when they went to the mall together back in high school. “I’m nervous too!” she sing-songed.

Now Applejack looked surprised. “You? Why?”

Sunset rolled her eyes and shoved her lightly with one hand. “Because I’m with you!”

Applejack’s eyebrows lifted. “I, uh… Did I do something to make you uncomfortable?”

Sunset shook her head. “No.” She looked at her earnestly. “I really want you to enjoy tonight.” She held up clenched fists. “This is the first big purely-for-fun thing we’re doing together, just us two.” She unclenched her fists and pressed them together near her grimacing mouth like she were pleading. “I guess I’d hate for you to decide you’d rather not hang out like this again.”

Applejack looked down at her passing cowboy boots. She looked back at Sunset, her gaze soft. “I gotta say, Sunset Shimmer. That feels pretty unlikely right about now. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun in a long while. In a really long while, even.”

Sunset could feel her cheeks color, and she was grateful for the darkness that blanketed the street. She clasped her hands behind her back and flashed a bashful grin. “I’m glad.”

They resumed walking in silence until they neared a small gaggle of people milling out on the sidewalk in what looked like a small line. A bright red and blue neon sign on the building read 'Pandora’s Box.

The line descended down a set of concrete steps that was the establishment’s proper entrance. A sign with fake bullet holes in it warned that patrons needed to be at least eighteen or older to enter.

“Here we are!” Sunset said with a little sigh.

“So how big is this place?” Applejack asked as they got in line. Her voice sounded thicker. Slower. Sunset was glad she cut her friend off at one hit. She didn’t want her first experience with weed to be feeling too sluggish or confused.

“Not massive, but not tiny, either,” Sunset answered, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. She, on the other hand, may have overestimated her tolerance. It had been a while, after all. She tried to keep moving to help herself stay alert. She hoped she didn’t look too strange. It was one thing to do a quick silly march for a gag, it was another if you kept bouncing in place constantly. That really was more Pinkie's thing, not hers. (Though if it made AJ laugh some more, she supposed she didn't mind.) “They have a bar, four pool tables, and a small stage. The tables are tiny and crammed in tight, so we might be happier at the bar if we can squeeze in somewhere. There’s a little dance floor near the stage for people who want to get up close.”

“You aim to dance?” Applejack asked with a quirked eyebrow. She chortled. “Or hop?”

“Sure!” Sunset answered with a quick giggle. Yeah, okay. It was worth it. “Though, it may get hard once Red Rooster shows up. Whenever the main act gets on stage that’s when everyone squeezes in to get close to the performers. But before…?” Sunset grinned coyly. “Yeah! I might if I have the right partner.”

Applejack licked her lips and adjusted her hat, her gaze flickering to Sunset’s face before dancing away nervously.

Sunset chuckled throatily and bumped shoulders with her.

Applejack bumped her back with a grin. They laughed together.

When they made it to the door and paid the entrance fee, the doorman stamped their hands. Applejack’s was red, signifying she was underage. Sunset’s, on the other hand, was green.

“The ID comes through again, huh?” Applejack snickered as they came down the short entrance hallway into the establishment proper.

The pub’s walls had photographs and framed show posters from past performers displayed on the brick walls. Greek-themed art was scattered around, but if the owner had really been intent on some kind of theme or atmosphere, it seemed as if they gave up partway through. On the right, the main floor was crowded with patrons and tables. The air was hazy with smoke and thick with the acrid aroma of tobacco. Pandora was one of the few establishments in the city that actually took advantage of adult-only establishments being exempt from state smoking laws. The opening act had yet to appear on stage, so loud music blared from the jukebox, featuring some classic hard rock.

Sunset wasn’t sure who the first band was, but she was interested in hearing them play. She was always on the lookout for new bluesy music to jam to. To the left on a raised floor were the pool tables, and they were all being used. Sunset pouted, her ears perking at the sharp clack of billiard balls striking together, but she let the disappointment go quickly. As fun as it would have been to shoot a rack with Applejack, she had a feeling the night was going to be busy with other things.

The bar was on the far wall across from the entrance. It looked like it would be a tight fit to get in a drink order. She couldn’t even see the bartenders. Despite her weed buzz, she still wanted to nurse a beer, so Sunset took Applejack’s hand and led her toward the bar.

“Bar is looking full. Where we gonna go?” Applejack asked, her voice raised so as to be heard over the rock music and thick chatter.

“We’ll find a spot, don’t worry,” Sunset replied. She squeezed Applejack’s hand. “Just don’t let go, ok?”

“All right,” Applejack said with wide eyes. She kept scanning the room. It really must have been a while since she’d been out. Maybe the weed was making her feel paranoid?

They made it through the throng of people close to the bar. Sunset tapped on a young man’s shoulder, and he and his friend turned to her, blinking. One had silky black hair, the other a thick brown mop. She smiled coquettishly at them. “Can we squeeze in, guys? Pretty please?”

The men looked them both up and down with wolfish grins. “Squeeze in? Sure,” said the black-haired man. He had a dimple in his cheek when he smiled, and he already smelled richly of booze.

Sunset flirted her eyelashes at them as they split apart for the girls to squeeze in. It was barely enough for her and Applejack to reach the bar.

“Want me to buy you a drink?” the black-haired man asked, glancing at Sunset’s hand and the green stamp on the back of it.

“We got it, but thank you,” she said, smirking.

“Howdy,” the brown-haired one greeted Applejack with the tip of an imaginary hat. He must’ve thought he really nailed it with that greeting the way his smile curled.

Applejack gave him a pursed smile. “Hi,” she said, her voice a little flat. When she met Sunset’s eyes, she raised her eyebrows meaningfully. If I feel a hand where it shouldn’t be, someone is getting their clock cleaned, her look said.

Sunset put her hand on her waist and pulled her in closer. Applejack blushed but put a hand on the small of her back in response.

All of a sudden it became much easier to ignore the horny men breathing down their necks.

Better to get out of this spot, though.

Leaning forward onto the counter, Sunset ignored the men’s next clumsy salvo to get into their pants and peered down the bar for the bartender. Her eyes popped wide and her jaw fell. “Sherry?!”

The black-haired fellow tapped her shoulder. “Hey–”

Sunset simply held a silencing hand in his direction, just as Sherry Kiss looked up from pouring out a martini on the other side of the bar. Her dark eyebrows lifted and she beamed. Her natural curls were pulled back in a high ponytail, letting their triumphant volume bob with wet appeal as she drew near. “Sunset Shimmer!” she gushed. “What’s up, baby!”

Passing the drink off to a customer, Sherry moved the rest of the way to stand in front of them. “Fancy seeing you here!”

Sunset opened her mouth to say something, but then snapped it shut. She was definitely too high for this.

The brown-haired man raised a hand. “Uh, can we get a drink for the ladies–?”

Applejack dropped a flat hand on the bar where it struck soundly. “Fellers, I think my friend mentioned that we’ve got it. But we appreciate the thought.” Her voice brooked no argument. The soft flex of her powerful arms probably helped, too.

The two men exchanged a look before glowering at them and pushing off the bar. Sunset caught Applejack’s eye and mouthed, Thank you! Pushy men were one thing, but drunk pushy men were like a whole new breed.

That was the other problem with dressing hot. Sure you attracted the ones you wanted, but for every desirable audience member there were a dozen brutes crowding behind them.

She turned her attention back on her lover. “I didn’t think you worked here,” Sunset said to Sherry with a confused twist of her features.

Sherry grinned crookedly as she leaned toward them on the bar. She was wearing a wine red bodice that did a superb job of showcasing her significant bust. “I don’t. I’m covering for a friend who works here.” She looked over at Applejack, her eyes turning lidded. “Mmm, who’s keeping you company tonight?”

Sunset shook her head sharply, making Sherry frown a little at her. Applejack didn’t know about all her partners. She wanted to keep it that way for now.

“This is my friend, Applejack,” Sunset said pointedly.

Applejack’s gaze flickered between the two of them. Clearly, she wasn’t too high to miss that something was going on.

Rather than ask about it, she held out a hand to Sherry. “Howdy, Didn’t quite catch your name?”

“Sherry Kiss,” Sherry answered, with a curious glance at Sunset.

Sunset decided that she was going to need more than beer. “Can I get a water for my friend and two shots of whiskey with a pint of whatever stout you have on tap for me, please?”

Sherry’s lips puckered as she blinked her brown eyes slow at her. “You can get one shot and a pilsner.”

Sunset’s fists balled on the counter as her shoulders coiled with annoyance and embarrassment. This wasn’t fair! Sherry wasn’t her freaking mother! She stood on the bar railing and leaned in, “Sherry, please?”

Sherry leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I know you came in here with that same fake ass ID you used last time. You’re lucky I’ll pour you anything, little girl.”

For the first time since receiving the thing, Sunset wished sorely that Capper had made her ID instead of Snips. His forgery skills could fool even eagle-eyed veterans like Sherry.

Sunset felt her face grow hot with growing frustration as she pulled back enough to glare at the older woman. “Come on! Two shots and two pilsners. Just use the rail liquor!”

Now Sherry crossed her arms and just leveled a sassy stare at her. She spoke slowly. “One shot. One pilsner. And that’s all you’re getting tonight!” She raised a sleek eyebrow and tilted her head as if to dare Sunset to push the matter further.

Sunset could feel her ears grow warm next as tension from her shoulders trickled down her chest and back, making her stomach cramp unpleasantly. What crap! Of all the nights for her to run into Sherry… After a long moment, she growled and slammed the counter with her palm. “Damn it! Fine. Just get my drinks, please.”

Sherry chuckled throatily but set about doing just that, her movements quick and confident from years of bartending.

When Sunset stepped off the railing, Applejack leaned in and asked, “What in tarnation was that about?”

“Sherry’s an old friend of mine,” Sunset grumped with a pouted lip. “She knows my ID is fake so she’s refusing to give me much.”

Applejack covered her mouth, like she was trying to hide something. Then her spine curved as a rough laugh exploded from her. Sunset’s cheeks burned, but she smirked as she waited for her friend’s humor to die down. When it did, Applejack leaned on the bar and smiled crookedly. “Well… We could always take a trip back out to the truck!” she chuckled out.

Sunset looked at her sidelong. Eventually she grinned. That actually didn’t sound too bad.

When their order was set in front of them, Sunset downed the shot and slammed the glass back on the counter. The liquid burned all the way down. Judging from the taste, Sherry had at least been nice enough not to give her the cheap stuff.

Sherry gestured beckoningly with her hand. Her lips were puckered like she was trying not to grin. “Fifteen.”

Sunset grumbled as she pulled out the bills and slapped them hard onto the counter. Applejack grabbed her water glass and toasted Sherry before taking a sip. Taking her pint glass, Sunset smiled and waved sarcastically at her lover. “Kay, thanks, byeee.”

Sherry, unfazed, blew her a kiss as she picked up the money. “Stay out of trouble, you two!” she called, laughing a little.

Sunset took a small sip of her drink and made a face. She hated pilsner beers. They were watered down and tasted like piss.

“Where to now?” Applejack asked. She still kept a hand on the small of Sunset’s back. The contact felt nice and comforting, and it soothed some of the ire away.

Sunset scanned the room, then spotted a group of people getting up and moving for the bar. They didn’t leave their things so it was fair game. “Follow me. Quick!” she urged her companion.

Dancing around the milling patrons crowding around the tables, they managed to slide into the seats before someone else did. Sunset had sloshed her drink over her wrist in her haste and she tutted with annoyance. She grabbed napkins from the table’s dispenser and dried her hand.

Applejack tilted her hat back with a grin as she reclined with her glass of water. “At least we made it!” she sighed with relief.

Sunset looked around. “It isn’t a bad spot, either. Not in the middle of the floor, but not so far from stage that it feels like a hike.”

“Try a challenging swim. It’s damn near a sea of people in here!” Applejack chortled, looking around at everyone. Her smile turned a little uneasy and she leaned in toward Sunset to ask, “You sure we’re safe?”

Sunset’s lips pulled upwards wryly as she took her leather jacket off and hung it on the back of her seat. She pulled the pocket housing the pistol over so that it rested in her lap. It wouldn’t do much good if she couldn’t reach for it quickly. “Ninety percent positive.”

Applejack pressed her mouth into a thin line and her eyes tensed. “I’m not a gambling gal, but that ten percent don’t feel great, Sun.”

“I’ve had my head on a swivel,” Sunset assured her, glancing around just to make her point. She didn’t see anything worth worrying about. Just a bunch of trendily dressed people out to have a good time. “The trick is spotting anyone out of place. Gold Fang isn’t hiring ninjas or professional spies or anything. He’s probably tapping Badlander hopefuls out to prove themselves. They’re usually kids. Rough, but inexperienced. If we stick to places with lots of witnesses, we should be fine.”

“And if that don’t work, then we’ll need to be quick on the draw,” Applejack said with a crooked mouth.

Sunset sipped her drink, grimacing again briefly, then grinned at her friend. “It’s a good thing I’ve brought an experienced cowgirl.”

Applejack rested her cheek on her fist and traced a finger over the condensation forming on her glass. “I suppose.” She looked at Sunset with a gently creased brow. “You seem to know your way around a gun. You have much experience with shooting?”

Sunset drummed her fingers on the table and gazed at Applejack for a long moment. She looked earnestly concerned. But her freckled cheeks and green eyes were relaxed again. She was just curious.

Sunset picked up her drink and downed the entire thing in a few seconds. When she was finished, she let out a loud, “Ugh!” and set the glass down hard onto the table, making it squeak from the force. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and answered, “I’ve owned a gun once, and it wasn’t just for show. I shot it a few times. Not just at the range. I never managed to hit anyone, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.”

She scooted her chair back and turned it toward her friend. Applejack blinked, but she shrugged and turned her chair toward Sunset as well so that their knees touched. Sunset held her hand out. Applejack gazed at it for a few seconds before she took it. There was that rough, warm sensation again. The skin on Applejack’s hands weren’t cracked, but she had thick callouses on her palms and even parts of her fingers. These were working hands.

Leaning in, Sunset murmured, “You sure you still want to know more about my past?”

“I want to know what’s got you so haunted, yeah,” Applejack said, leaning in as well. They had to tilt a little to the side just to keep their heads from touching.

“A lot,” Sunset said with a short laugh, purposefully locking and holding onto Applejack’s eyes. She needed to gauge the impact of what she was about to say. Since her friend didn’t seem to mind her pony habit of staring deep into her eyes, she let herself settle back into old ways. “But I guess I can just start with when I was back in Equestria. In Sire’s Hollow with my family.”

Applejack hummed, her brow tensing as she looked up briefly in recollection. “You mentioned your mom had a ton of expectations on you, and your dad wasn’t really all that involved,” she stated slowly.

Sunset bobbed her head tightly. “I also mentioned my brother, Sunburst, but I may have misrepresented why he’s not interested in building a new relationship with me.” She took Applejack’s hand in both of hers and massaged it gently. The contact felt soothing, but she still struggled to form the words. Not from anxiety. The weed and the drink was already numbing those parts of her. No. She just really had no idea what to say.

How did you soften the terrible? Maybe there wasn’t a way, and she should just stop trying. The point was to share honestly, not manipulate her friend’s perception of her.

“I was afraid he’d surpass me,” Sunset said, finally letting her gaze drop to the floor. “So I bullied him out of spite. I really felt insulted he was even born. It was like… How could they? I was perfect, wasn’t I?”

Sunset grimaced, her eyes falling closed. “We were all unicorns, so I tried to break his horn alot. I tried so many different ways. His cries of pain didn’t necessarily make me happy, but it filled me with this ugly kind of satisfaction. Like I was getting back at him just for existing. The last time I tried to break his horn, I levitated him really high into the air and dropped him on his head. He actually passed out for a few minutes. That was just before I got accepted into Celestia’s School of Magic.” She dared to look into her friend’s eyes again. She needed to know… what did she think?

“Did he ever get seriously hurt?” Applejack asked. Her voice was smooth and even, and her expression was neutral. Almost rigidly so, like she were trying to keep her revulsion from showing.

Sunset swallowed hard before doing a quick one-shoulder shrug. “Other than that last time, there were at least two times. Once I gave him a black eye trying to hindkick his horn. Then another time I lit his tail on fire. That had nothing to do with his horn, I was just being a total terrorist. He had some second degree burns, but they weren’t extensive or anything. My dad was there to put the flames out pretty quick.”

Applejack nodded, her eyebrows lifting. “I’m glad he never got permanently injured.”

Sunset smiled sadly. “Me too. Now, anyway. Not at the time.” She squeezed Applejack’s hand. “You see, I wanted you to know that, because my problems started early. And you know what? As problematic as my parents could be, they didn’t make me into a monster. I knew what I was doing was wrong. But I was…” She frowned and squinted her eyes, her head shaking a little as she tried to get the words out. “I was afraid. And I resented everyone else for not being as afraid as I was. For making me feel that way.”

“I know you’re saying it wasn’t your parents fault, but maybe if they’d just talked to you, they coulda got you help a’fore it got to the point it did,” Applejack said gently. Her expression softened as a thought seemed to occur to her. “Kinda like with me and Apple Bloom.”

“You’ve got a lot on your plate,” Sunset insisted quickly, letting her hands slide down Applejack’s till their fingertips were the only things touching. “Don’t beat yourself up so quickly. You’re only nineteen and I’ve known plenty of older adults who do a lot worse than you.”

“I don’t wanna just do better than the bare minimum,” Applejack murmured, her gaze turning pained. “I wanna do right by my family.”

“I think even setting higher standards for yourself is indicative enough of how much you really care.” Sunset flashed a brief smile. “Believe it or not, that was a big motivation for me in the beginning, too. I wanted to earn my mother’s approval. To get my father to say something to me at all. To prove myself to Celestia and bring honor to myself and my family.”

At her pause, Applejack gently tapped Sunset’s fingertips with her own before carefully lacing them together. “How did things go at the School of Magic?” the cowgirl asked.

Sunset let out one short derisive snort through her nostrils. “I did well in my classes. So well, in fact, Celestia tapped me to be her personal protege. This was a few years before Twilight Sparkle came around.” Sunset took her free hand and traced a circle on the back of Applejack’s. “I grasped the advanced techniques of spellwork and magical theory quickly. It was when Celestia began trying to impart to me the secret power of friendship that I really began to turn against her.”

She tossed her hair to the side, exposing her warm neck to the air. She felt hot, like her body needed to cool down. This made her feel better, but only a little. “Celestia trained me the exact same way as Twilight. She focused on the technical aspects of magic before moving on to introducing lessons on friendship. I’ve wondered on and off over the years where she came up with this method for training what would essentially amount as her heir to the kingdom, or if she just felt that Twilight and I just weren't ready to cover the mere concept of friendship in the beginning. Whatever the case, where Twilight met and exceeded her expectations, I fell far short of them.”

Sunset’s hand tensed, and she curled her fingers through Applejack’s until they separated again. She continued, a mournful tone edging into her words. “I was cold. I didn’t have any kindness in my heart and only scorn for everypony around me. I didn’t trust anyone, and I blamed everyone else for it.”

Applejack caught her hand again, holding it with both of hers now. Sunset sighed a little at the warmth encircling her. “You didn’t know how to reach out,” she observed kindly.

Sunset put her other hand over Applejack’s, patting gently. “You’re right,” she conceded, her eyes burning as she tried to keep her voice steady. “I really didn’t.” She let out a rough breath. “When I recall that time, all I could remember thinking about was acquiring power. I thought it would get me everything I wanted. Maybe if I finally reached some new magical height my mother would leave me alone. Maybe if ponies could see how extraordinary I was, they’d respect me and seek me out. But I didn’t get far in my lessons on friendship with Celestia. She saw very quickly that I lacked the…empathy that was needed to make connections.

“The one thing that was different from me and Twilight’s education was that Celestia had told me what awaited at the end of our lessons. The Kingdom of Equestria. Ascendancy.” Sunset made a grand sweep with her free hand, her eyes turning up to the ceiling. “To become an alicorn is to sit on a throne of influence that’s incomparable across Equus.” She allowed her head to hang again as she shook it. Lifting her tensed gaze back to Applejack’s, she recalled bitterly, “So when she informed me that I was no longer being considered for this great honor…”

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, the unpleasant memories of the rage and rejection that had coursed through feeling sickeningly strong and just as acrid and terrible as when she’d first felt them. The bile rose up her throat, and she swallowed this down with effort. Her skin felt like it was on fire, a relentless itch crawling beneath the surface. Sunset pulled away to clench her fists, resisting the urge to claw at herself. She'd literally wanted to jump out of her skin when Celestia imparted the bad news to her.

She could still smell the sweet fragrant blooms of the daisies in their regal pots near Celestia’s throne. The way the late afternoon light had shafted through the stained glass display showcasing the princess’ radiant sun shining down on Equus to color the side of her pristine white hide in deep purple with bands of bright yellow, dividing her starkly.

Sunset had been a fool back then. An angry, stupid fool. If she would have slowed down, she would have realized that Celestia simply wanted her to work on herself more. It wasn’t really a rejection. Just a challenge to grow. Instead, she’d retreated like the coward she’d truly been. Maybe still was?

“That… Musta been real hard to hear. What did you do after that?” Applejack asked quietly. Her jaw looked tight, but her eyes squeezed with compassion. Had she been rejected like that in her past? Had she failed on the scale that Sunset had?

She seriously doubted it.

Sunset scoffed, her eyes rolling. “I plotted my revenge. I was nearly as studious as Twilight, so I was well read on the accomplishments of Star Swirl the Bearded, our land’s most powerful sorcerer and the personal teacher of Princesses Celestia and Luna.

“There were ancient records that detailed his defeat of a trio of sirens that once wreaked havoc across the land of Equestria. He sent them through a portal to a world without magic.”

“The Dazzlings,” Applejack murmured with a nod. Princess Twilight had briefed them on their foes when they had fought years ago.

Sunset nodded once. “The potential to take control in this non-magical world seemed so easy to me. If I could find a way to bring magic there, I could rule, raise an army, then return and wage war against Princess Celestia and all the ponies I thought who’d shunned me. I…I didn’t count on it being so hard just to establish myself here. To… survive here, on my own.”

There was a small cheer at the back of the pub, near the billiard tables. Sunset glanced up to see a group of young men high-fiving a much shorter woman. Apparently she’d succeeded at a difficult shot.

Sunset sat back, and fanned herself. Sweat was on her brow. “Sorry, one sec. I need a cigarette.”

Applejack watched as Sunset grabbed her cigarette pack and lighter from her coat pocket, and withdrew a stick. Placing the filter in her mouth, she tried to strike the lighter up. She couldn’t. Her hands were trembling.

“Here,” Applejack said, her lips pursing with sympathy. She took the lighter and struck the flame up in one try. Sunset smiled her thanks and leaned in to the heat. Applejack’s nose tickled with the spicy, woodsy fragrance of Sunset’s perfume. It was definitely a good pick for this smoky blues night. She even detected a hint of rose. It was the subtlest scent in the mix, but this is what kept her attention arrested, like a single vibrant bloom in a big grove. It made her feel at peace, like the modern world was far off and she was deep in the heart of nature. She leaned toward it a little, inhaling again, and her eyes went low. If only she could catch this feeling and hold it.

Her eyes trailed over the fiery curls of her friend’s hair. The gentle curve of her jaw. The sensuous shape of her lips as she held the cigarette in her mouth.

After a few puffs, Sunset sat back and Applejack returned her lighter, hoping her expression didn’t give away her distraction. Being high melted away her defenses in a way that she hadn’t expected. This wasn’t without some paranoid anxiety. She could swear her breathless admiration was clear as day, but maybe her friend was just too preoccupied to notice as of yet. Applejack counted her blessings.

Sunset returned the lighter to her pocket, her gaze squinted against the smoke in her cool cyan eyes. She took a long drag, and Applejack’s attention was drawn to the way the crackling tip burned a bright orange. Sunset plucked the cig from her plush lips and delicately removed a piece of tobacco leaf from the glistening tip of her pink tongue before pulling the table’s cigarette ashtray closer to the edge. She bounced her knee as she seemed to struggle to form the next sentence.

Applejack felt her chest squeeze with guilt. Sunset had mentioned this wasn’t a happy story. It hadn’t quite come together that this could mean it was also a difficult story to relate. The country girl felt pretty stupid for not considering this possibility enough.

“I think you told me enough, y’know,” Applejack told her friend, putting her hand on Sunset’s wrist. Her face pinched with concern. “This is hard for you, I can tell.”

Sunset shook her head quickly, then tilted her head back to exhale a stream of smoke up into the air. “No,” she breathed, meeting Applejack’s eyes again. Her stare was intense tonight. “I want you to know more.”

Applejack’s gaze tensed a little. “Why?”

“Because–” Sunset broke off as the stage speakers erupted with sound. Turning, they both looked to see the opening band’s roadies had appeared and were starting their sound check with one of the guitars. The sound check guy on stage had rakish dark hair and thick black glasses with a scruffy neckbeard. He strummed his instrument a few times, then turned and said something indistinct to someone backstage.

The guitar was loud. Sitting this close to the speakers suddenly didn’t seem too ideal for this conversation. Trouble was, if they got up they’d likely lose their spot.

Sighing with a mild frown, Sunset gestured for Applejack to lean in. When she did so, the redhead put her lips near the other girl’s ear and said over the noise, “I want to finish. If we get any closer then I want you to know who you’re getting involved with.”

Applejack’s eyes widened and she pulled back enough to turn her head to catch Sunset’s hooded eyes.

She hadn’t said, “dealing with,” or “spending time with.” She’d said, “getting involved with.”

I must be losing my mind, the cowgirl thought wondrously.

The strangest part was that she kind of liked going crazy.

Applejack’s heart skipped a beat when Sunset placed a hand on the back of her hot neck, drawing her close once more. The other girl leaned in and spoke into her reddening ear, her breath tickling. “The scrolls only gave me a portion of the runes Star Swirl used to perform the interdimensional spell,” Sunset explained. “But I was determined. I’d have my revenge no matter what.”

She paused to turn her face and draw on her cigarette again. When she continued speaking, Applejack could feel the whispery touch of smoke curling around her ear. “I read everything I could get my hooves on,” Sunset continued. “I experimented secretly late into the nights. I think Celestia still had some hope that I would come around. That maybe I would even prove her wrong. But I just used the resources she gave me against her.”

Applejack’s mouth turned down as she tried to wrest enough control from her silly teenage hormones to truly consider what Sunset was saying. Even in the worst of her anger she’d never wanted to hurt someone else so much, and this was despite suffering some truly devastating loss at the hands of someone else. She struggled to imagine how one could co-exist with such an acidic desire eating away at you. Driving you.

Possessing you.

Her Pa hadn’t really been all that religious. After Ma passed, he’d kept up with church for all of a month before stopping entirely. Applejack went with Granny Smith for about a year after that before she and Big Mac both quit at the same time. They’d been six and seven respectively. On church days, the two of them would go over to Cousin Braeburn’s to be babysat while their grandmother and baby sister went in for worship. After Pa passed just two short years later, even Granny stopped going, and by extension so did Apple Bloom. Her little sister had been five at the time. Little wonder she was the rowdiest of the three of them.

She had no persistent fear of hellfire keeping her in check.

…Probably a good thing.

It was hard to keep the faith when it felt like the powers that be weren’t listening to their prayers. Applejack wondered if anything was even up there. In times of great trouble, she still couldn’t help attempting a quick appeal to upper management for a bit of help, just in case. But if there really was a higher power, she hoped there was a complaints department. Her and her kin had some feedback, that was for sure.

How many sermons had she sat through espousing the dangers of giving in to the flesh? Worse, that there were malevolent spirits out there that wanted you to give in! They’d torment you and steer you down the wrong path, blinding your eyes to salvation.

Hearing Sunset speak, she could believe this to be true.

“On a special night,” Sunset said after a quick ash of her cigarette, “when the stars were aligned to lend my magic more power, I performed a ritual on a crystal mirror. Using this power, I chanted a spell and carved the runes I’d discovered into the mirror’s frame. It created a portal to another world. This world.”

Applejack’s eyebrows lifted and she swallowed. She knew Sunset had to be some kind of magic ace to be Princess Celestia’s personal student, but completing an ancient spell that crossed dimensions? That was damn impressive! She’d technically known Sunset for years, at least when you included the time before her friend’s reformation. Even back then, Sunset had seemed like an ordinary girl. Whip-smart, sure, but not “arcane knowledge vast enough to rip holes between worlds” smart.

It was a little intimidating, to say the least. Applejack’s biggest brag was earning ninety points in the women’s bull riding event when she was sixteen. That tied her best with the national record. That was peanuts compared to what Sunset had managed. Evil intentions or not, her vast skill deserved respect, and Applejack was willing to give it to her in spades.

“The spell was meant to activate the mirror every six years for exactly three days once the stars aligned again,” Sunset went on, her touch tightening unconsciously on Applejack’s neck as she did so. Her voice took on a note of strain as she fought to be heard over the opening band’s keyboard sound tests. “To keep anypony from following me, I hid the mirror. Princess Celestia’s intuition told her my extended absence meant I was up to no good. She became worried. She sent her royal guard to search for me… but they found the mirror instead. When they reported back to her, the princess figured out what I’d done and brought the mirror back to her castle to be under armed protection.”

Sunset paused, taking a deep breath. She let her hand slide away from Applejack’s neck to rest a heavy elbow on her knee. Her words became thicker as she continued. “It wasn’t until we’d reconciled years later that she told me how much she’d despaired. Celestia felt like she’d failed me. Can you believe that? Her!” Sunset scoffed and shook her head. “I was the real failure.”

Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but was cut short. The sound check guy was back. He spoke into the stage mic. “Sound check, one, two.”

“Three!” someone shouted back playfully.

When the man stopped speaking into the mic, Applejack pressed in close to Sunset and said into her friend’s ear, “She cared about you, Sunset. The way Princess Twilight told us, she never ever stopped.”

Sunset let her head drop as she rubbed at her forehead. Lifting her face, she said in the small break between the stage noise, “I know that now. I had no idea back then. I thought she’d just discarded me. Stupid, right?”

“You weren’t stupid,” Applejack replied, her eyes sharp with her earnestness, but her words were swallowed by the sound check guy blathering into the mic again. Huffing with frustration, she leaned in to Sunset’s ear once more and insisted, “You weren’t stupid! Far from it, darlin’. Shoot, if I had half your intelligence and talent, Sweet Apple Acres would be thrivin’ right now!”

“Don’t go praising me yet,” Sunset cautioned, patting Applejack’s knee wearily. “I love Celestia like a mother now, but back then, she was just a stepping stone to me. I didn’t care about anyone but myself.” Applejack’s heart did a little drum roll when she felt her friend’s lips on her ear. Surely she was just pressing in that close to be heard. It was awfully noisy in the pub, after all.

Still, Applejack hoped she’d do it again. Grateful that her friend couldn’t see her latest blush, the cowgirl cleared her throat and asked, “Look, all I’m saying is a few character flaws didn’t make you dumb. You just had some growin’ to do. Even the oldest apple tree starts off as a saplin’, Sunset. But since you’re so keen to move on, answer me this, then... Why every six years? Seems a mighty long time for you to have your revenge.”

Sunset hummed as she tried to think of how to respond. She puffed on her cigarette in the meantime. Applejack could see her hand rise up to her face with jerky movements out of the periphery of her vision.

When the other girl spoke again, her tone was sharp and a little rushed, like she was just trying to get to the next bit in her tale. “I needed time,” Sunset explained, “I couldn’t leave the portal open without someone from Equestria trying to follow me. I knew without magic it was going to take a long while to gain influence in this world.”

Applejack saw her shrug a little, her neck moving in a swallow. “The three days thing wasn’t really my preference, but magic likes things in triplets. Celestia taught me that the number three is, from a measurable statistical view, the perfect number. It’s the number of harmony, wisdom and understanding. Multiples of three count too.” She made a small circular motion with her cigarette hand, smoke trailing through the air as she did so. “That’s why over in Equestria they have the original six elements. Here I’m… just kind of a weird addition that no one can account for thanks to how differently magic works in the human world. Like a third leg. You guys don’t need me to activate Harmony.”

“Now that’s just a lie,” Applejack remarked with a soft slap on Sunset’s lap. “We wouldn’ta known whether to check our butts or scratch our watches without you!”

“Maybe,” Sunset said with a little giggle. “Be that as it may, the function of my magic is optional for the big pretty rainbow beam to show up. I think Twilight wrote a research paper about it after she came to help us beat the Dazzlings. It was the most nerdy way of saying, ‘Magic is weird, but isn’t it fun?’” She laughed again, and Applejack smirked.

What was it like to study magic as a serious discipline and to have these crazy insights? Maybe she could get Sunset to share a little more if she traded a little of her country know-how. Not that she had much. There wasn’t anything magical about harvesting apples.

Sunset fidgeted by grinding the ball of her foot, making her shift a little to the side as she pushed her nervous energy into the floor. When she settled back into place, she wrung her hands and said, “Even though I wasn’t good at making friends, I was good at manipulating others. My plan after arriving here was to get my bearings, figure out the best avenues to power, and get as many people under my control as I could.”

Applejack tugged at her ear. Man. Such a simple and straightforward plan compared to all that technical magic stuff. “Did you count on arriving here and being so young?” she asked, the tail end of her words being swallowed by the sound of a bass guitar thrumming through the speakers. The sound was warm and deep, stirring her bones. She loved the strong pulse of a good bass.

Sunset shook her head and took another drag. “No,” she answered after exhaling long and hard. The cowgirl inhaled the smoke deeply. So far she’d been pretty satisfied with the secondhand smoke, but now she wanted a bit of the real thing.

Applejack tapped Sunset’s cigarette hand. “May I get a puff?” she asked, her voice raised to be heard over the latest wave of sound tests.

Blinking, Sunset pulled back and handed her the cigarette. She watched as Applejack pulled on the stick, the tip cherrying. The cowgirl handed it back and they leaned in again, cheek to cheek, to converse.

“When I got here, I was shocked to discover that, by human standards, I was too young to do anything substantial,” Sunset said with a smoky sigh. She snuck in another puff before murmuring between bass strums, “Biologically, I was eleven or twelve-years-old.”

“We woulda been in sixth grade by then,” Applejack muttered with amazement. Back then she’d become fresh friends with the other girls. Her biggest worries at the time was winning her next match on a fighting video game with Rainbow Dash, helping Pinkie Pie with a new pie recipe, and studying for a history test with Rarity and Fluttershy. Though her parents were gone, Granny Smith was a strong woman who didn’t falter in her role as caregiver. All Applejack’s basic needs had been met, and then some. What had it been like to not have any of those things to take for granted?

Sunset laughed a little, her breath a hot gust over Applejack’s ear. The sound was wry. “In Equestria, ponies my age were already living and working on their own, and here I was unable to drive a car or even cast a vote.”

Applejack bounced her knees. Her abdomen tightened as she realized her friend’s tale was about to take an unpleasant turn. “So what did you do then?” she asked. She could already feel her throat closing up.

Sunset sighed and ashed her cigarette again. “When I first came through Canterlot High’s horse statue, I learned very quickly that during the weekdays I was going to have to keep a low profile. Police didn’t like seeing a kid wandering around on their own during the day. They kept thinking I was skipping school. I had to get out of the suburbs and head deeper into the city. I met some other street kids, and they warned me that if I got caught they’d put me in foster care, which was a nightmare. Nighttime became when I was most active.

“I stole food and clothes. I also found an abandoned building where other homeless people were squatting in. This was in the southwestern part of the city. Things were a little rougher back then. It was also Badlander territory.” Sunset toyed with her filter a little, pushing it around with her thumb. Applejack watched her anxiously. She had an idea of what her friend would say next, but she really, really hoped she wouldn’t…

Sunset continued. “What I really needed was money. So... Um.” She toyed with her cigarette some more. “Well, there really isn’t a nice way of saying it, so I’ll just say it.” She took a deep breath. When Sunset spoke again, the words came out in a hot and breathless rush over Applejack’s ear. “Some of the other girls told me if I dressed right and stood on a corner then I’d get a decent stream of customers. So that’s what I did, and they were right.”

Applejack flinched, her body tightening. She resisted the urge to turn her head. She didn’t judge Sunset for trying to survive. She just hurt that she’d done that. Judging by the way her friend spoke, there was nothing empowering about it.

“So just to make sure I got this right,” Applejack started tentatively, “You were our age back then. Just a young girl.”

“Yes.” Sunset drew hard enough on her cigarette that Applejack could hear the leaves crackling even amidst the noise of the cymbals simmering during the drummer’s sound test. Sunset’s other hand trembled. Was she afraid of what Applejack thought? The cowgirl felt her heart twist and she grabbed her friend’s hand, giving it a squeeze that she hoped communicated her support. She wouldn’t ever judge someone for something like this. Sure, the churches she’d grown up with would have quite a bit to say about it. She was fine with adding “Get off your high horse” to her list of grievances to the proverbial heavenly complaints department.

Sunset leaned her head against Applejack’s briefly as she patted her hand in silent thanks. “It didn’t take long to earn some cash,” she said next. “Actually, I charged a premium because I was young. After a month, I managed to scrape together a decent pile of bills. I learned really quick to hide it in different places after the third time I got mugged.”

“I’m sorry,” Applejack murmured. She tried again, raising her voice a little, and still fretted her commiseration was choking out her ability to speak. “Sunset, I’m sorry you had to do that.” Not just that, but that her first foray into the human world had been so disgustingly awful. Little wonder that when Sunset’s evil nature had been revealed to Canterlot High, she’d displayed such a great contempt for human beings.

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” Sunset hissed back, her lips tickling on the ear once more. Applejack didn’t get excited this time, just sad. Her friend’s self-loathing was a persistent thing. She could sympathize. “I wouldn’t have been in that position in the first place if I had just accepted Celestia’s wisdom,” Sunset finished. Her voice sounded lower than low. It was down there cooking with the devils.

Applejack pursed her lips. “But–”

“The Badlanders caught wind of this new little girl out there earning top dollar without them,” Sunset said, raising her voice a little. She wouldn’t hear any kind words this time, it seemed. Applejack quieted, but now she was rifling for her own cigarettes. After all this, just one puff wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot. She didn’t pull away as Sunset continued. “They sent men after me. That’s when I met Gold Fang. He had gold caps on his canines and a slow Louisiana drawl, but he wasn’t a southern gentleman. He roughed me up a little and dragged me in to his leader, Verko. He’s a big guy that likes to wear these dumb steampunk goggles. He made it clear to me that if I was going to be earning any money on Badlander turf, it was going to be for him.

“Only, I didn’t want to stand on street corners anymore. The men who came to me could be horrible. Sometimes they were rough. Other times, they didn’t pay. I was tired of it. I knew I was a better thief than a prostitute, so I told Verko he could shove me into one of his whore houses, or he could let me steal an easy score for him.”

Applejack placed a cigarette between her lips. Sunset handed over her lighter. “What’d he say?” the cowgirl asked, her words muffled from the cig in her mouth.

Sunset shrugged with a short laugh. “No.” She bounced her knee again as Applejack lit her cigarette. Inwardly the cowgirl kicked herself for not bringing her fake ID. She felt like she could use a drink herself now. Sunset being a child prostitute was bad enough, but then she’d been forcibly trafficked? Applejack shook her head. She knew the world could be ugly, but… Wow.

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I guess,” Sunset stated flatly. “It’s really hard to be a human child and not have anyone there to protect you. And I know it feels like my story might sound deserving of some sympathy… But if it isn’t clear enough yet, I was well and truly on the path to pure evil. I felt the dimmest flickers of guilt, but it never slowed me down. Okay? And I wasn’t really a child, like you guys were. I was a young mare in a little girl’s body.”

“That don’t mean I gotta like it,” Applejack muttered.

Sunset nodded in agreement. “I didn’t stay there long, if it makes you feel any better. I think just a little under a week, at most. I was too defiant. I kept hurting the customers and running away. When I met Capper is when my luck started to change.”

She paused as Applejack pulled away to draw hard on her cigarette. The cowgirl looked around. Some folks who looked like they were part of the opening band were on the stage. They weren’t dressed too exotically, but they wore blue blazers, their hair was carefully coifed, and their shoes were polished to a shine. Applejack barely paid them any mind, her gaze looking through everyone around them. Her forehead creased from her intense frown. Somehow knowing all of this was in Sunset’s past didn’t stop the surge of outrage for her friend. If she ever saw this Verko…

“You okay?” Sunset asked with a wince. Her eyes were wide. A tremor shot through her, and it was apparent she was trying to stop her body from shivering. Recalling these horrible things was probably putting her in a fight or flight response. Clearly the alcohol and weed hadn’t been enough to numb her.

Applejack nodded slowly, rubbing the back of her tight neck. She leaned onto her knees and gestured for Sunset to return. The other girl did so.

“Who was Capper, and how did he help you?” Applejack asked into her ear. Near them the speaker blasted as the drummer banged out a quick rhythm. She just needed to get a grip. None of this was about her, or even her damn nosiness anymore.

It was about being there for Sunset Shimmer. She’d bear these burdens with her friend.

She’d be her fixed point.