"NOOOOOOO!"

"What's wrong?" Tempest asked, raising a brow while steadily whisking.

Pinkie Pie opened and closed the cupboard rapidly, seemingly trying to make something appear or manifest in vain. She put both hooves to her cheeks, her pupils pinpricks. "We're out of apples!"

"This bakery is out of apples?" Tempest asked in specification.

"We've had a bajillion orders with apples recently!" Pinkie exclaimed, throwing her forelegs into the air for emphasis.

"Do we have to use apples?"

"Yes! I promised to help make apple pies for Applejack's cart for this year's Gala. And I forgot to pick up more from her."

"Gala?"

"The Grand Galloping Gala!" Pinkie emphasized.

Tempest dismissed the response. "Do you want me to go get them?"

"Would you?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Oh, you're such a lifesaver, Tempest! Don't worry," she said, darting to a small green alligator's side on the messy countertop, "Gummy will be my second assistant while you're gone."

In response, the purple eyed alligator slipped its forked tongue from its jaws and licked the flour from Pinkie's cheek.

Pinkie trotted to Tempest's side, taking the mixing bowl from her and resuming her progress, but instead used her mane to hold the whisk.

Tempest sauntered out of the kitchen and out of Sugarcube Corner, the midday sunlight causing her to squint for a few moments before she began down the dirt path.

A little while later, she began down a white fenced path with apple trees on either side. She passed a crescent bushed entrance, a wooden sign with an apple cutout dangling above.

Ambling further inside, she looked from left to right, attempting to find somebody to talk to.

Her ears flicked to the sound of a distant rustling thud. Tracing it, she came upon the beginning of the orchard, noticing a familiar farm pony bucking a tree.

Apples fell from the tree, the buckets below managing to catch most of them when her emerald eyes met Tempest's cyan ones. She smiled.

"Howdy, Tempest," Applejack greeted, sauntering toward her.

Stopping just next to her, she used a foreleg to wipe any sweat from her forehead before readjusting her stetson. "What can I do for ya?"

"Pinkie forgot to pick up some apples," Tempest informed.

"Was wonderin' why she didn't come down. Usually I bring a cart full but I guess it's been a busy week for both of us. Well right this way and I can get you some," she waved to follow.

Not long after, there was barking that rapidly closed distance, drawing Tempest's attention. Out of caution, she raised her foreleg, her gaze following the panting dog with its tongue hung out. "I see you have a guard dog."

"Winona?" Applejack chuckled. "Don't worry. She don't bite."

The dog had a big smile as it followed alongside her.

"She seems to like you though. She must've smelled your spirit and thought it was good," she chuckled.

"That's debatable," Tempest replied.

Applejack chortled in response. "Well, if it means anything, I think you do."

Before Tempest could mull over her statement, her ears flicked upon hearing an old mare's voice call out for Winona.

"Go on, Winona," Applejack coaxed.

In response, the dog ran toward the main house in excitement.

"Is this a family business?" Tempest inquired.

"Yep. We work pretty hard to maintain our quality and integrity."

They arrived at the barn where a dozen or so buckets of apples were placed along with a few bags.

"Do you still plan on going back home and visiting your family?" Applejack inquired.

"It's complicated," Tempest admitted.

"Ya not in a good relationship with your folks?" Applejack asked, turning to face her, standing next to the bags.

Vague memories manifested in Tempest's mind of her life as a filly. Before the event.

"I'd understand if ya don't wanna talk about it," Applejack offered gently.

"I never knew my mother. And my father was never really there."

Applejack's head fell ever so slightly. "I can relate," she replied, her voice low and tone sincere, as she readjusted her stetson.

Leaning down, Applejack bit down on a rope, pulling both bags on either side of her as she approached Tempest.

Applejack raised her head, hinting at her intention to put the rope over Tempest's. Taking the cue, Tempest lowered her head, the rope wrapping over her back as both bags hung at her sides. She withdrew her head from Tempest's side. "Alrighty then. You're good to go Ms. Tempest!"

"Thanks," she said, turning and beginning toward the entrance.

"Don't be afraid to come back now, ya hear!" Applejack called.

Tempest continued on, passing the gate starting down the fenced path.

It wasn't long before she arrived back at Sugarcube Corner, pushing past the saloon doors, then walking through the lobby before entering back to the kitchen.

Before Tempest could process anything, a pink blur darted in front of her before she felt forelegs wrap around her.

"Eee!" Pinkie squeed, "you made it!" Tempest raised a brow before she pulled away. "Just in time!" She said trotting back to the counter.

"Where do you want these?"

"You can put them next to the counter for now," she suggested.

Following her suggestion, she sauntered forward dropping off the bags of apples, making sure they didn't fall over.

"And if you could, would you grab six apples?"

Tempest did as directed and retrieved them placing each one on the counter away from some of the mess.

Pinkie clapped her hooves together. "Now we can get to the even fun-er stuff. Let's get peelin'!" She proceeded to grab a knife in her hoof and cut into the apple, turning the apple in the frog of her hoof.

Tempest followed suit, though at a much slower pace. Pinkie humed as she continued, able to get four of the six apples peeled, while Tempest finished the last.

"Now we cut them into pieces with this handy device!" Pinkie exclaims, pulling from nowhere a kitchen tool that had eight blades conjoining to a circular blade at its center.

"Handy?" Tempest asked.

"So, we take an apple like this and-," she stood the peeled apple up and aligned the tool above it with both hooves before pushing down, creating eight slices of the apple and its core. "It's a cinch," Pinkie said, extending the cutter out to Tempest.

Tempest took it, following the same process she was shown, creating a cutting sound followed by a thud five times.

"Great!" Pinkie cheered. Discarding the cores, she took the slices and put them in a bowl. "Now we can get to the funnest of the fun-er stuff! So first, let's add everyone's favorite ingredient, sugar," she said, dumping a small cup of it on the sliced apples. "Then some flour, then a pinch of salt, then some cinnamon, and you guessed it. Lemon," she said, squeezing a half of a lemon over the bowl, its juices drizzling onto the mixture.

Lemon isn't what Tempest thought.

"Oh, Gummy, don't worry, you'll be my assistant tomorrow," Pinkie winked, taking the kitchen spoon from Gummy's maw. "Then we mix!" Pinkie exclaimed, extending the bowl and spoon to her.

Tempest took them and stirred the contents together until the apple slices turned a pleasant golden brown.

"Great! Now we dump it into this tray. Then we take this rolling pin and roll up this dough, then we unroll it over the top of the tray," she said, the flat dough now covering the apples. "Then we crimp the edges." She said, beginning to make indentations, slowly making her way around the circumference. "And if I had a Bit for every time I've said 'then' then I'd have seven. Make that nine!"

Tempest watched as she made her way around until it was complete.

"Now we make a few incisions to let the pie breath. That sounds kind of creepy," she noted.

"So the steam can come out?" Tempest offered.

"Exactly!" Pinkie exclaimed, before cutting three lines toward the center.

"Finally, we put this bad boy in the oven and bake at three hundred and seventy five degrees!" She said, holding out an oven mitt.

With some apprehension, Tempest leaned forward and bit the mitt before grabbing the tray. She turned noticing Pinkie holding the oven open for her.

With minor trepidation, she sauntered forward and leaned down; the heat of the oven oppressing her face before she slid it on the rack. Pulling away, the residual heat on her face faded, before she dropped the oven mitt on the counter.

The oven shut before Pinkie trotted to her side. "Easy as pie, right?" Pinkie asked with a wink.

Tempest couldn't help but smile.

"I really like your smile. When you smile it feels extra special," Pinkie said, expanding her hooves apart for emphasis. "You should do it more often!"

"It doesn't happen very often," Tempest admitted.

"Do you like going to parties?"

"Uh, not particularly."

"You should go to more!" Pinkie gasped. "Maybe I could invite you to one with the others and we could all play poker!"

"Maybe."

"C'mon it'd be super duper fun!"

Tempest's eyes passed Pinkie and to the clock on the wall. "Actually Pinkie, I have to go."

"Aw," Pinkie pouted. "Would you come to my party if I planned it?"

"I'll think about it," Tempest replied, sauntering toward the exit.

"Okie dokie, have a nice day, Tempest!" Pinkie called, waving goodbye.

Tempest left the kitchen then the building and began down the dirt path once more.

Not very long later, she stood before a certain boutique. She knocked on the door and after a few seconds the door opened revealing the infamous fashionista.

"Hello, Tempest, darling! Come in! Come in!" She ushered, opening the door wider and gesturing for her to enter with a hoof.

She obliged, the door shutting behind her.

"So, first things first," Rarity said, trotting past her, "I'd like you to come upstairs."

She followed her upstairs into her room before she trotted toward a few mannequins with dresses and clothes on them.

"This outfit here," Rarity said, gesturing to a tuxedo, "what do you think of it?"

The tuxedo was black with a subtle dark rose embroidery and had short but sharp flaps at the back obscuring part of the haunches. The white undershirt wasn't as exposed with most of the black tie hidden from view with the short lapels outside the small curved V. Her eyes traveled to the legs, noticing the tight black pants. Altogether it conveyed a fierceness, and was sharp, but somehow also had a feminine aspect and flair.

Tempest's knowledge was sparse when it came to fashion. Pretty much nothing as she didn't know the intricacies or what was considered amazing. But to her it was… "It looks good," Tempest answered.

"Just good?" Rarity asked, her eyes displaying some worry. "Well, I was hoping you would love it, but I suppose you're honest and I respect that."

Tempest raised a perplexed brow.

"This was supposed to be yours as a gift."

Tempest's eyes widened.

"It's why I took some measurements from you on your last visit," she said with a lidded sly smile. "And of course it's why I wanted you to come back today! But alas it seems I have made a lapse in my assessment," she said, examining the tuxedo. "Surprise gifts are indeed difficult."

Her eyes went back to the suit, examining it once more in its beauty and quality. "You made this for me?"

"Why yes of course. Is something else wrong?"

"Why?"

"Oh, well, I just got inspired and I felt like making something fabulous for you. Which I remember you saying you weren't really into fancy clothing but I was up to the challenge and thought I could make you something appealing."

Tempest ambled forward, standing just before the outfit, her hoof touching it.

"I tried to make it dark but not necessarily gothic. I also tried to make it tight but somewhat flexible, and non constricting while it's worn, or partly aerodynamic as Rainbow Dash would say, which was a challenge. Especially considering most dresses aren't meant for such things. But I think you could move quite a bit without a tear or rip.

"Actually, I do really like it," Tempest admitted.

"Are you just saying that?" Rarity asked.

"No, I-I just…" Tempest averted her eyes before sighing. "I'm just not really good at conveying things like this."

Rarity gave a gleaming smile. "Oh, I'm so happy you like it. Here," she said, her horn alight. She effortlessly pulled the clothing off the mannequin before gracefully folding the pants and suit.

"Didn't you need help?" Tempet asked, the clothes levitating onto her withers.

"Oddly, it's been fairly relaxed here today so I think you're fine to head home. And if I'm being completely transparent, I didn't plan on having you help."

"I guess I'll be on my way then," Tempest said, now even more perplexed than before.

"Bye, darling! If you need anything stitched come right back."

She went downstairs and through the door, causing the bell to ring before the door shut.

Alone with her thoughts, she tried to wrap her head around such a random act of generosity. To her, she never expected such things. If anything was given then something must be given back. It was no small act either, as she'd never received something of such quality or passion. With one exception.

After all the terrible things she'd done, she received another thoughtful and beautiful gift, and on top of it, forgiveness.

Surveying her surroundings, she tried to think if there was anything else she wanted to do before she went to the castle. Nothing coming to mind, she continued down the path, until she arrived at the giant Crystal Tree she temporarily and loosely called home.

The ginormous door opened then closed with a resounding thud that echoed through the spacious hall. She sauntered down it, able to navigate the labyrinth unlike her last visit.

Shutting the door to her room behind her, she sauntered to the empty dresser, placing her new attire on top of it. She took a seat on her bed, or what she called her bed.

Despite living in the room for a while, she found it still felt alien to her. It didn't have an inherent comfort, one that would allow someone to be more relaxed or at ease.

She'd traveled the lands, disclosing the fall of her leader, sightseeing, but she would be lying if she didn't say she had been searching for something else.

Her ears flicked to the sound of knocking at her door. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing a familiar lavender Alicorn mare. "Hey," she greeted with a smile. "I just came to check on you to see how you're doing."

"I'm doing fine," Tempest said, idly staring at the floor.

"That's good. How was baking with Pinkie?"

"It was fine."

"What'd you bake?"

"An apple pie."

"What's that?"

Looking up, Tempest followed her gaze and hoof point to the top of the dresser. "Rarity made me a tuxedo."

"Can I see?"

Tempest nodded.

Twilight levitated the suit, examining its design and quality. "Wow. You could wear this to the Gala," she noted.

"The Gala?" She asked for the second time today.

"That's right. You probably don't know what The Grand Galloping Gala is," Twilight noted. "It's an event held in Canterlot celebrating the completion of its construction after Equestria was founded."

"Like a party?" Tempest alluded.

"Sort of. Not exactly," She admitted. "You have to have a Golden Ticket to go. But a ticket wielder can bring a plus one. Did you not get one?"

"No?"

"Do you wanna be my plus one?"

Tempest's eyes widened before ricocheting around the room.

"C'mon it'd be fun. I'm sure Starlight, Trixie, and Discord will be there too."

She was relectant to go for multiple reasons. But what Pinkie said earlier echoed in her mind. "I guess I have nothing better to do."

"Great! Tomorrow's the twenty-first so I'll be back here around six to pick you up."

"Alright."

"I guess I'll see you then?"

"Yeah."

Twilight sauntered to the door, opening it with her magic. "Have goodnight, Tempest," she said with a departing smile.

"You too."

The door shut, leaving Tempest alone.

Tempest mulled over what to do in the meantime. She figured she could wallow in useless sorrow and self pity some more, but she had to admit she was tired more than anything.

Looking out the window, she judged the sun hadn't even set and was still on its descent toward the horizon.

Sighing, she pulled the blanket up before letting it fall over her, resting on her side with her poncho and scarf still on.

So this is a continuation of the edgehorse saga, but as stated before, you don't need to read the prior story to understand this one. There may be a few references and spoilers for the first story, but you can read this without full context. And as you can probably tell, this story isn't going to be as grand. If you care, I'm planning on releasing a final story to wrap it all up, but it probably won't be the next one I post.