“Well, okay, Sky.” Berry Punch giggled. It felt strange to laugh, she hadn’t been truly happy in such a long time. By the time Sky Star had begun to eat his breakfast, Berry was halfway done. She finished first and waited in silence while he ate the last of his pancakes. He looked at Berry for a while, as if deep in thought, then finally broke the silence.

“Hey, I just remembered! I was planning on going to the market.” He paused for a moment, then added hopefully, “Um, would you like to come with me?”

Berry wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea. Just about everypony in Ponyville knew her as the town drunk; passing out on sidewalks, vomiting in the streets, and, when she was really, REALLY drunk, pole dancing on streetlamps with a bottle of vodka in one hoof. Everypony would see her walking with Sky Star. She could just imagine what that could do to his reputation. Berry looked into his hopeful eyes and quickly pushed the thought away. If they other ponies didn’t like it, it wasn’t Sky’s problem.

“Sure.” Berry said, watching his eyes light up.

“Great! Let me just get my bag…” He got up from his seat and walked into the living room, his shiny yellow tail swishing behind him, and appeared a moment later with a bag over his back. It had two pockets, one on each side, connected by a sheet of cloth draped over his back. The bag was dark blue, three white stars on the surface of each pocket. Was there anything he owned that DIDN’T have stars on it?, Berry thought good-humoredly. “Okay, let’s go, then.”

Sky Star walked in front of her and stood back, holding open the door.

“Mares first.” He said to Berry, gazing at her fondly and gesturing with his hoof that she should go first.

“Um…Thank you?” Berry said awkwardly. Nopony had ever opened a door for her before. Unless, of course, it was the door to the bar, and she was too drunk to open it when it was time to leave. The sun was shining brightly as it rose in the cloudless sky. The pegasi have done a great job pushing the clouds away, Berry observed as she walked into town with Sky Star at her side. As they walked down the street, Berry Punch was conscious of the shocked stares of the other ponies.

“Is that Berry Punch?” Heartstrings whispered to Golden Harvest. The yellow earth pony did not reply, staring at Berry as if she had grown pegasus wings and flew into the sky. Many of the other ponies were whispering too, shooting surprised glances in her direction as they spoke in hushed voices to the ponies next to them. Berry wanted to run straight back to the observatory and hide, but she pushed the feeling away. Still feeling awkward, she lifted her head, ignoring the others, and followed Sky Star down the street. When they reached their first stop, it was at a kiosk. There were all sorts of pastries and sweets on the counter, and a pink earth pony standing behind it with a huge grin on her face.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! I’m running this stand while Mr. and Mrs. Cake are on vacation!” The pony spoke with a voice that reminded Berry of her old friend Bright Shine. Berry felt a single tear run down her face.

She missed her friends so much.

Sky Star answered the energetic earth pony.

“Um… let’s see…”, he trailed off, deep in thought as he turned his head, looking from one treat to the next. “I’ll have two of those brownies, please.”

“Okey dokey lokey!” She said, quickly wrapping the two brownies in wax paper to keep them fresh. “That’s four bits.” She informed enthusiastically, as if she was excited about making a sale. Sky Star hoofed over four little gold coins over the counter, which the pink pony quickly grabbed up, moving as if she had sugar pumping through her veins. Sky star said a quick thanks to Pinkie Pie and used his unicorn magic to lift the wrapped brownies and put them in his bag. They continued up the road and kept walking until the dessert stand was out of sight. Sky Star suddenly stopped and looked around, his eyes resting on another stand. It had bags on display, much like the one Sky Star was wearing.

“Um, I’ll be right back.” He told her, walking over to the stand. Berry wanted to follow, but common sense kept her where she was. Sky Star was speaking to the stallion standing behind the counter, occasionally glancing back at Berry and quickly gesturing in her direction. Berry wondered what they were talking about, and suspiciously focused on the conversation, the stand’s owner was speaking, and she caught a small bit of what he was saying.

“…Come back tomorrow, it’ll be finished by then.”

What will be finished?, Berry wondered, but before she had time to think about it, Sky Star was already walking back.

“Okay, off to our next stop.” He informed before walking up the street. They had left the main part of Ponyville and traveled up a gravel road. Soon apple trees surrounded them on both sides and a large red barn loomed up ahead. There was a sign at the entrance to the property that read ‘Sweet Apple Acres’. A stand was set up just on the side of the road, barrels of apples sat on either side, and an orange pony stood behind the stand.

“Well howwday!” She greeted as the two ponies walked up to the stand. “What can ah do for y-” She stopped as she noticed Berry Punch standing next to Sky Star, a grin on her face. “Well, hi there Berry! Ah haven’t seen you in a long time. Where ya been?” She didn’t know? Berry decided not to tell her.

“Oh, you know. Around. Here and there.” Berry chuckled nervously. Berry remembered Applejack from her days in Ponyville Elementary. Applejack acted as if she had no idea Berry had spent the last few years drinking, she would only have remembered Berry as she used to be, a carefree little school filly. Berry certainly didn’t want to reveal that to her if it meant one less pony would give her dirty looks.

“Well ain’t that just peachy.” Applejack said to her, then looked at the both of them. “Now, what’ll ya’ll be havin’?” She asked kindly. Berry looked the barrels, each one with a different label. Macintosh, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious ,Granny Smith, Breaburn, Honey Crisp… Berry Punch had never seen so many types of apples!

“Hmm… Five of those…” He pointed with one hoof to the Red Delicious, “Five of those,” He indicated the Granny Smith barrel. “And…five of those one’s there .” He finished, pointing at the barrel with the Honey Crisps.

“All right, that’ll be fifteen bits.” Applejack said. Sky Star used his unicorn magic to levitate the money and place it on the counter. Applejack, in return, put fifteen apples on the wood surface, and Sky Star used his magic to open the flap of one of the pockets and put them inside. As the apples levitated, they were surrounded by Sky Star’s signature dark blue aura. Berry had seen this before, long ago, when Amethyst would move something. When unicorns used their magic on something, it would be surrounded by an aura that depended on the individual.

“Well, we’d better head back, it‘s getting late.” Sky Star said, looking up at the sky. Berry had been so caught up with walking with him that she had no idea how much time had past. She was surprised when she saw the sky had turned a bright red. “Looks like Princess Luna will be raising the moon soon.” He observed. They walked back to the observatory, and by the time they returned, the building was bathed in moonlight.

Berry was preparing to get into bed when Sky Star walked into the doorway, smiling.

“Good night.” Sky Star said, watching as she climbed in under the blankets. He turned to leave down the hallway, but Berry called him back.

“Sky?” He turned back and looked at her.

“Yes?”

“I- I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.” Berry Punch said.

“Think nothing of it.” sky said, blinking fondly at her before leaving down the hall towards his own room. Berry laid her head down on the pillow, sleep washed over her like a black wave.