Yet again, Applejack glanced up from the dinner dishes as the old chandelier swayed uncertainly above her. The muffled music was indistinct, but still loud enough to be distracting, even through the old wooden building. Not to mention…
“What the hay they doin’ up there now?” she muttered as she dried the last few plates. “Tryin’ ta stomp through the floor?”
“I’ll git it,” said Granny, forcing herself up onto her hooves.
“Now, Granny—”
“T’ain’t no bother,” Granny interrupted, waving Applejack’s concerns away. “Been dealin’ with young’uns since Ponyville was founded. They don’t change much.”
The ancient mare scooted her walker to the stairs, then started laboriously pulling herself up.
Applejack frowned. “You know, I could just hop up there—”
“I’m already here, grandchild. Yew jest relax. I got this.”
“Well, okay…”
Once Granny reached the second floor, there was a brief moment when the music stopped. Applejack smiled, relieved, as she finished up her drying and started in on the cookery.
Then, the noise started again, even louder.
Applejack glanced up, half expecting the lamps to have blown out. Then, with a noise of sheer frustration, she dropped the pan she’d started scrubbing back into the water with a ploonk! and headed upstairs herself. She could make out lyrics now as she made her way up, louder and clearer even before she opened the old oak door. Sounded like the CMC were screaming right along with ‘em, and their chaperone’s voice wasn’t lacking for volume, either.
One! Something’s got to give!
Two! Something’s got to give!
Three! Something’s got to give!
Yeeeeaahhhhhhhhh!
Applejack shoved the door open, and the sheer noise like to have pushed her back into the hallway. There were Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, sure as anything, jumpin’ around like they were on fire. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were linked at the elbows, swinging themselves in a circle faster and faster like a dosado from Tartarus. Sunrise was jumping alongside Sweetie Belle, and Granny was sitting in a chair in the corner. And all of them, bobbing their heads to the beat, like they were tired of them being attached and just wanted to be rid of them once and for all.
They didn’t hear Applejack come in and cross over to the phonograph. They just kept jumping up and down, eyes closed, hollering along with the record they had playing:
Let the bunnies hit the floor!
Let the bunnies hit the floor!
Let the bunnies hit the… flooooooooooooor!
The song came to a jarring halt as Applejack scratched the needle off the record, and they all looked at her.
“What in the name of all good sense are you all a-doin’?” she demanded.
An out-of-breath Sunrise grinned, moving a sweat-soaked lock of her mohawk back into line.
“Pre-concert party,” she managed.
“Head-banging!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle.
“Jitterbuggin’,” Granny said contentedly, still nodding to the now-absent beat.
“Woah, now I’m all dizzy,” Apple Bloom managed, staggering in a circle.
As the little earth pony fell on her butt, Scootaloo grinned at her. “Lightweight.”
Applejack cast a dubious look at all of them, including Granny.
“Well, I’ll allow I cain’t be sure just who’s bein’ a bad influence on who,” she said at last. “But if all y’all’s done tryin’ ta wreck the house, I do recollect somethin’ about a concert certain ponies had tickets to tonight …”
Sunrise glanced at Apple Bloom’s clock. “Woah! C’mon guys, we’d better motor. Thanks, AJ!”
There was a scramble for tickets and bits, a quick series of good-bye hugs, and the CMC were on their way.
Applejack caught Sunrise at the door. “An’ you’ll be careful,” she said.
Sunrise smiled, but her voice was serious. “You know I will.”
They exchanged a quick hug, and then Sunrise was gone, as well.
“An’ then it was quiet,” Applejack sighed with relief.
Then, looking at Granny with a smile and shook her head. “An’ at your age, too,” she added.
Granny chuckled softly. “It does strain credulity.”
“It does.”
“Dunno when ye got so old.”
“I know. Just when you—what now?”
“I do declare, it is a strange thing to see,” Granny went on. “Why, I remember back when you was a young gal…”
Applejack sputtered slightly while Granny made her way to the doorway, shaking her head.
“I swon t’goodness, it does jest boggle the mind. When did this harridan move into my house, anyway?”
Then, as she reached the hall, she gave Applejack a wink.
“Guess I need younger friends,” she said.
Applejack made an exasperated sound, rolling her eyes.
Granny Smith, meanwhile, was making her way to her room again. “Kin yew git the lights tonight? I’m feelin’ a mite tuckered out.”
“Cain’t imagine why,” offered Applejack.
“Me, neither.”
“’Less’n it’s your age,” muttered Applejack.
Granny craned her neck to look at Applejack, giving her a mock glare. “What was thet?”
Applejack stared at the ceiling, trying desperately to look innocent. “Nuthin’,” she said.
“Huh. Thought yew said somethin’ for a minnit, there.”
“No, ma’am. Not a thing.”
Then she met Granny’s gaze, and both of them struggled to keep straight faces. Their composures broke at about the same time, and for several seconds they shared a warm and comfortable laughter.
“Well, anyway,” said Granny. “I set some cider t’cool, fer when Rarity an’ comp’ny git here. It should be nice an’ chilled by now.”
Applejack’s eyebrows went up. “For when…?”
“Aw, shoot, Applejack, I was a big sister, once.” The door closed behind here, but Applejack could still hear her muffled voice, “I put in two jugs, in case a’Dash showin’ up, but I reckon she’ll be up t’the shindig, so one’ll likely do…”
A few moments later, Granny’s soft snores could be heard, and there was a knock at the Apples’ front door. Smiling, Applejack went back downstairs, and let Rarity and Twilight in.
The opening band played on in the crowded hall, even as the ponies cheered and danced. Four, in particular, were grooving towards the back. Eventually, the song ended, leaving the tavern’s throng cheering and ready for more.
“Man, who are these guys?” Scootaloo wondered.
“Beats me,” Sunrise shrugged. “I mean, they’re really retro to open for Black Rainbow. But you have to admit, they’re tight as heck.”
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom agreed, twirling with Sweetie Belle. “An’ that sax player can make his horn talk!”
A few moments later, the music started again. Every member of the band took a turn, singing about magic, affirmation, and life. It was electrifying, a writhing and stomping tune as the band plainly made love to their instruments, giving the piece everything they had.
“Man, those guys are tearin’ it up now!” exclaimed Apple Bloom happily.
“What about closer, up by the stage?” asked Sweetie Belle, already starting to prance forward. “Let’s dance over there!”
“Uh, no,” Sunrise quickly reached out and touched the foal’s shoulder. “That’s the mosh pit, honey. Let’s stay back here.”
“Awwwwwwww…” three identical pouts laid siege to the fortress of her resolution without mercy.
But for the moment at least, Sunrise stood strong.
“Nope. Maybe next time. Hey, I know where you’re coming from,” she added, seeing their disappointment. “But we agreed: I get three vetoes. This is my first one. No mosh pit.”
Sweetie Belle frowned. “I thought your first veto was no hard cider.”
“No, that was your sister’s veto. I just stood in for her.”
“Well, shoot.”
“Yep. Sorry. But trust me, once the main act starts up, you‘ll probably want to be back here anyway.” Sunrise’s eyes grew mischievous as she glanced up. “But you can still mosh here, a little.”
“Well, just what is a mosh, anywaaaaaah--!” exclaimed Scootaloo as Sunrise grabbed her and tossed her into the air. Rainbow Dash caught her without missing a beat, tossing her in turn, laughing and whooping and somersaulting in the air, to another pegasus, who tossed her to another, and another. Apple Bloom and Sunrise jumped and banged their heads, manes flailing wildly, while Sweetie Belle rode Sunrise’s shoulders and rocked out, her own horn’s dancing lights adding to the audience’s light show, even as the pegasi flew and danced above them.
The song’s end was its climax, and plainly the band had saved the best for last.
“Can you picture that?” They sang. “Can you picture that?”
“CAN YOU PICTURE THAT!” the crowd roared.
There was a great and powerful explosion of fire and light that consumed the stage. When it cleared, the band, their instruments, even the set pieces, were simply gone. There was a heartbeat of silence, and the crowd burst into cheers and applause.
“That was awesome!” exclaimed Scootaloo as Rainbow Dash dropped her back onto the floor again.
“The band, or the dancing?” Rainbow grinned.
“Both!”
“Well, we’ve got a minute while they set up for the main act,” said Sunrise. “Anypony besides me up for a hayburger?”
Rainbow’s ears perked up. “You buying?”
“I’m buying.”
“Then, heck yeah!”
The CMC’s eyes all lit up. “Us, too!” they chorused.
Sunrise smiled at them. Kids were kids – or foals – no matter what the world. “Yeah, I think that goes without saying. C’mon, let’s grab some more dance fuel before the real party starts.”
Sometime later, three mares sat around an ancient table at a farmhouse, a jug of cider half empty between them. Conversation had meandered here and there, until, at last, a semi-comfortable quiet had encompassed them all. Eventually, Rarity broke the silence.
“You know, they’re perfectly fine,” she said.
“I know it.”
“And Rainbow Dash was going to the same concert,” Twilight pointed out. “And it’s not like this is the first time they’ve tried something new without you there.”
“I know it.”
Rarity took another sip of cider. “Granted, this is their first rock concert with such an… unusual performer.”
“Yeah.”
Twilight’s ears shifted slightly. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
“Maybe a little.”
“A little?”
Applejack gave a long sigh of annoyance. “Okay, maybe more than a little. This feller’s…” She gestured vaguely. “He ain’t right in the head.”
“He’s a shock rocker, darling,” Rarity pointed out. “He lives at an intersection between catharsis and performance art.”
“Sure, but look at some a’his songs,” Applejack insisted. “Anti-Alicorn Megastar, Sugar Covered Nightmare…”
She shook her head. “An’ that ain’t even gettin’ into the one about the kitten.”
“Yes, but there’s also The Long Hard Road from Tartarus, and Get Your Dagger,” Rarity pointed out. “It’s a mixed bag, no argument, and certainly not my cup of tea. But he seems intent on provoking thought almost as often as provoking shock.”
“And if you didn’t know they would be alright, you wouldn’t be here,” Twilight added. “You’d be there with them, or you’d have told Apple Bloom she couldn’t go.”
Applejack shrugged helplessly. “She was dead set on goin’. You gotta pick your battles with that filly.”
“And you’re here instead of there because…?”
“I wanted her to know I trust her. An’ I do. Even without Sunrise with ‘em.” She considered her cup, poured in more cider. “An’ Sunny’s okay, too. I knew the foals were gonna be safe with her, even without you vouchin’ for her.”
Twilight cocked her head. “Okay, so, why so worried?”
“’Cuz she’s my sister, I guess.”
Rarity nodded. “Agreed. After all, I’m waiting up as well.” She raised her cup, and the two toasted and drank.
“And so are you, for that matter,” she added, looking at Twilight.
Twilight blinked. “What? No I’m not! I mean I am, but not like…” she trailed off at her friends’ identical knowing looks.
“Okay,” she sighed. “I mean, I know she’ll be okay, and she’s not a foal. But she’s new to Equestria, and she’s my apprentice, and, well…”
“And you just wanna be sure,” Applejack nodded.
“Yeah. Just in case she needs backup for something.”
“Well,” Rarity said jauntily, adding more cider to every cup, “Here’s to being ready to back one another up.
“After all,” she added, smiling to both her friends, “That is what we do.”
The three toasted and drank again as the door opened to three bouncing foals and a cheerful mare.
“Hey!” Apple Bloom greeted her sister with a hug. “Ya didn’t have ta wait up!”
“That’s what big sisters’re for,” Applejack grinned. “Besides, you’re back early. How was the concert?”
All three foals paused. “Welllllllll…”
Sunrise glanced from the CMC to the mares and back as she hung up her cloak.
“Well, the opening band was great,” she offered.
Scootaloo nodded vigorously. “Yeah!”
“They were awesome!” Apple Bloom chimed in.
“And tight,” Sweetie Belle confirmed. Then, to her sister, “That means their coordination was perfect.”
“I know what ‘tight’ means in the musical vernacular, dear,” Rarity assured her, amused.
“An’ the main event?” Applejack prompted.
Again they paused. “Welllllllll…”
This time, Sunrise said nothing, simply leaning on the door behind her, observing the foals.
“I mean, mostly, the music was okay,” Scootaloo said.
“Different from his recordings,” added Sweetie Belle.
“Makes ya wonder if he’s like that all the time,” Apple Bloom pondered.
“Mumbling to himself?” Scootaloo asked.
“Staggering around blindly?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“All a’the above.” Apple Bloom frowned. “Heck, coupla times, I thought he was gonna fall off the stage.”
“That’s just the bad alchemy,” Sweetie Belle nodded sagely
Rarity’s eyebrows shot up.
“I know, right?” Apple Bloom agreed. “He must’ve been on everything but roller skates.”
Applejack’s eyebrows, already raised, began clutching frantically for her mane.
“I admit, I was kinda mad at first,” Apple Bloom went on, oblivious. “An’ I guess I still am, a little. I mean, we spent good bits for that show!”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “His recordings are so awesome. But then he came on stage…”
“And it wasn’t too bad, at first. He even did the song about the kitten. But after a while, it was just sad.” Scootaloo said, shaking her head. “I mean, even just his voice. Can the poor guy even talk anymore?”
“Yeah, that’s my point,” said Apple Bloom. “I mean, when y’think about it, he’s really destroyed himself.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Sunrise said at last. “Sometimes, a pony just needs that moment of clarity, to pull themselves away from the brink.”
She shrugged as she continued, “But even then, it’s never easy. Mostly, you need friends to see you though it. And by then, you’ve usually driven your friends away. Hopefully, he gets better. Who knows? Tonight might even have been the wake-up call he needed.”
Then Sunrise shook her head. “But, I hear you. I saw him on his Anti-Alicorn Megastar tour, when he was in his prime. And the guy was an amazing artist. Seriously, words fail.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head, sadly. “I wish we could have seen that.”
“Yeah, well. Unfortunately, it’s been a long time since Black Rainbow was Black Rainbow.”
“Huh,” Apple Bloom said, contemplating this. Then she turned to her sister. “Applejack, can Sweetie Belle an’ Scootaloo spend the night?”
“Can I?” Sweetie Belle bounced at Rarity.
“I know it’s okay if I do,” Scootaloo said to Applejack, “If it’s okay with you.”
Applejack and Rarity looked at one another, then Rarity gave a small shrug. “”I yield,” she said.
“I guess it’s okay,” Applejack said.
“Yay!”
The chorus was scarcely out of their mouths when the three of them zipped upstairs to Apple Bloom’s room. The door banged shut, and then there was quiet.
The clock on the wall ticked gently in the night.
Applejack gestured. “Y’wanna take a seat?”
“Sure.” Sunrise sat at the table, not sure what was coming. None of the mares seemed angry, exactly. But they weren’t cool with something. That much was obvious.
Applejack poured Sunrise a cup of cider, her face a perfect exercise in calm detachment.
“Thank you.”
“Uh-huh.”
Sunrise started bringing the cup to her mouth, then set it back down. “Okay, I obviously made a mistake somewhere. Would somepony be willing to tell me what it was?”
“You knew,” Applejack said.
“That he’d be messed up?”
A nod.
“I suspected.”
“So, why take them there at all?” Rarity asked. “You might have said something. Surely, watching a dangerously intoxicated stallion make a fool of himself on stage is hardly the proper occupation of three young ladies.”
“I disagree.”
“Pardon?”
“I disagree. Please,” Sunrise added as all three mares opened their mouths, “hear me out. I knew the music would be good if he was straight. And they already wanted to go, right? They worked for the money for their tickets on their own. But, I also knew he might get up there and turn into a living dope show. I mean, no guarantees, this is a different world, but the Black Rainbow where I’m from is a train wreck. So, I volunteered to go along as a chaperone.
“The CMC knew what they were looking at right away. And I mean, instantly. They brought up his being on bad alchemy while he was still on stage. And they didn’t just know a few words. They started debating what he might have taken.”
She shrugged. “They didn’t know a lot, exactly, but they knew enough to get started. Just, you know, the stuff you hear on the playground and the street. And of course, some of what they thought they knew was dead wrong. I mean, sure, Cheerilee may run a tight classroom, and she’s doing what she can to keep young ponies from fucking themselves up—”
“Um, Sunrise, d’you mind?”
“Sorry, Applejack. Anyway, she’s doing her best to help them make good life decisions. But when it comes right down to it, sometimes she doesn’t know what the heck she’s talking about. And that way leads to disaster.”
Sunrise sighed, looking into her cup. “Where I come from, they have programs in schools, to keep foals off bad alchemy. But they’re mostly a joke. Then, when kids find out something they were taught in them isn’t true, sometimes they decide it’s all lies. At which point, they can be preyed on.
“And, well… some of them are.”
Rarity, meanwhile, had been studying Sunrise carefully as she’d spoken.
“But not you,” she observed.
Sunrise shook her head, looking up at her friends again. “No. Not me. You see, when I was growing up, one of the places I stayed was kind of an unofficial halfway house. You have those here?”
The other mares gave her a blank look.
“I take that as a no. Well, it’s basically a place for a person to get their act together when it’s been wrecked beyond all recognition. Some are better than others. And while you’re staying at one, you’re supposed to stay off the stuff.”
Sunrise made a sour face. “Some can. Some can’t.
“So, for almost a year, I saw people struggling with all kinds of addictions. Sometimes, if I could, I helped them. Sometimes, I just listened when they talked. But through it all, I got to observe first-hoof the best and the worst that bad alchemy has to offer.
“And truth be told, the best can be pretty awesome. But the worst can be a freaking hellscape.”
She sighed, looking past the other mares and into the past. “Plus, not all drugs are created equal. Some are worse than others, and a few are just poisons. And a lot of times, those are the ones that are easiest to get. Especially if you’re a foal.”
She took another drink, then continued, “But by the time I had access, I didn’t need to experiment and I couldn’t be suckered in. Not because I’d been lectured or taught, but because I’d seen it all already.”
“So you wanted them to see some of what you’d seen?” Twilight frowned. “This struck you as a good idea?”
Sunrise sat back, shaking her head again, clearing away the memories. “No. But if they did see anything tonight, I wanted them to have a guide. Someone who knew what was going on, and who they could talk to.”
She sighed, adding, “They weren’t the only foals there, either. And when those other kids go home, they’ll want to ask questions. Some of them will get real answers, but most of them probably won’t.”
Then she sighed again, “And some won’t even ask. Which helps exactly no one.”
“And that’s because?” Rarity prompted.
“Because, well… okay,” Sunrise leaned forward. “Look, any time a child is in danger, whether it’s from others or themselves, it’s a crisis. We can all agree on that much, right?”
The other mares nodded.
“Okay. So, name me a crisis that’s better handled through ignorance than through knowledge.”
Silence reigned for several moments, broken only by the clock’s quiet voice.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Y’shoulda told us,” Applejack said softly.
“Agreed,” Rarity nodded.
“Yes, I should have. And if anything ever comes up like this again, and I can talk to you first, I will,” Sunrise said. “I’m really sorry I didn’t tonight. It honestly never occurred to me. They had questions, I had answers, and I wanted them to have facts instead of half-truths or even outright lies. I guess I’m still getting used to the idea of having people in my life I can talk to. It’s…”
Ruefully, she shook her head again. “It’s a little weird. But you’re right. I should have talked to you first. I screwed up, and I‘m really, really sorry.”
“Fair ‘nuff,” said Applejack. “Afore we move on, is there anythin’ else you oughtta tell us?”
“Actually… yeah.”
Sunrise took another drink of cider, then spoke into the uncomfortable quiet.
“When we were done talking, I asked each of them, if for some reason their brains ever turn to applesauce and they decide they just have to try the stuff, to promise that they’ll come to me for it.”
“WHAT!?!” Applejack was standing, now, her chair overturned behind her.
With deliberate calmness, Sunrise said, “I explained to them that as soon as something becomes illegal, ponies who don’t care about anything but money will cut it with whatever they want.
“Meanwhile, amateurs like their peers will get into the act,” she continued, “sometimes making dangerous mistakes when they’re cooking. But that if they come to me, I can find something that won’t be either dangerously miscast or cut with something that could kill them.”
“WHAT THE EVER-LIVIN’ HAY WERE YOU THINKIN’?!?”
Sunset sat back, looked at the wall. “I was thinking that I don’t want them to die if they make a stupid decision. If they come to me, we can talk about it. If they go to some rat on the street, we won’t know anything until it’s too late.”
“THEY GOT NO BUSINESS GOIN’ TA ANYPONY FER THAT AT ALL!”
Sunrise nodded. “Sure. But that’s not up to us.”
She took another sip to relax her throat enough to keep talking, then made herself meet Applejack’s gaze.
“Look, I understand you don’t agree,” she said. “You can even hate me if you want. But this way, they’ve got a safety net they might otherwise never have had. Hopefully, they never need it. But if they ever do, I’ll be there for them.”
Rarity continued to study Sunrise carefully, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“As their dealer?” she inquired.
Fidgeting slightly, Sunrise glanced over at Twilight. “Well, actually, right now I only know one pony around here I’d trust with those stakes.”
Twilight’s eyes bugged. “Me?!?”
“I don’t think it’ll ever come up,” Sunrise went on, her voice becoming more strained. “But they did promise, all of them. Which means, if it does come up, that promise will make sure they think it through. Thoroughly. Probably multiple times. And again, that’s infinitely better than getting stars-know-what from a classmate, or from an alley somewhere.”
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Sunrise glanced over to Applejack.
“Do you want me to leave?” she asked softly.
Applejack ran her hoof through her mane as she sighed. “Gimme a second. I’m workin’ on that.”
Sunrise nodded, looking down at the table.
“Yeah,” she said in the same voice. “That’s fair.”
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
After several moments, Rarity put her cup down. “I believe I’m siding with Sunrise on this one.”
Twilight and Applejack stared at her.
“Say again?” Applejack asked.
“I will acknowledge that, again, Sunrise should have spoken to us about the matter first,” Rarity said. “But now, should Sweetie Belle ever make such a decision – or even be on the cusp of such a decision – she will go to someone she can trust to wish her no harm.”
Applejack looked uncertain. “Well…”
Rarity placed a hoof on Applejack’s. “My darling, remember, I have spent some time in Manehattan. Along with other large cities, of course. And even Canterlot has its… well, shall we say, its unsavory side?
“Besides which, who do you think makes most of the substances in question, especially among the school-aged? Unicorns.”
Rarity shook her head sadly. “Perhaps there is a way you can shelter Apple Bloom from certain realities. But I know that for Sweetie Belle, there really isn’t.”
Looking down, she added, “There certainly wasn’t for several of my friends, growing up. So, I am well aware that when it comes right down to it, every cellar, tree house, and forgotten attic is a potential laboratory. As a society, we may not speak of such occurrences– after all, they’re both infrequent and uncomfortable – but that doesn’t make them go away.”
Rarity dragged her eyes back up, to look into Applejack’s. “And I can guarantee you, none of the ingredients are hard to acquire. All you need is the knack for alchemy, and there are one or two in every class who have it. So, barring a way to protect our sisters forever, this gives them a safety net.”
She took another dainty sip. “I won’t pretend to be completely at ease with the idea, by any means. But that being said, I can certainly understand Sunrise’s reasoning.”
Applejack favored Sunrise with a sour look as she considered this.
Finally, she said, “Alright, let’s say you came to us first. We talked about it, an’ we all said no. What then?”
“About the same,” Sunrise admitted.
“So you’d keep it a secret from us.”
“No. You’ve got a right to know, regardless.”
Applejack peered at her. “Uh-huh. You got any idea what could happen to you over somethin’ like that?”
“Some,” Sunrise admitted. “You’re strong, even for an earth pony, and an experienced fighter. That’s not even counting your element. Plus, you’d have an extended family behind you.”
Applejack blinked, somewhat taken aback. “Um, yeah... I was thinkin’ more if we went to Cheerilee about it? Could cost you your job, easy, ‘fore you even start. Not to mention if we went to the law.”
“Oh. Well, sure. That, too.”
“Uh-huh. An’ you’re… okay with all that.”
“To help keep them alive and healthy, against what they could lose over bad luck and a bad decision?” Sunrise nodded. “Yeah. I am.”
Moaning slightly, Applejack buried her face in her hooves.
“Sunny, I do declare, this is just about the most irresponsible, hair-brained, bone-headed thing I have ever heard in all’a my days! I am tryin’ ta see some sanity here, I truly am, an’ I am comin’ up with exactly nuthin’. Just exactly what in tarnation convinced you that this might even be a good idea?”
Sunrise’s voice was still quiet. “Ever watch someone die from bad alchemy?”
Applejack’s head whipped up to stare at her, incredulous. “No.”
Sunrise looked down again, then met Applejack’s gaze with her own.
“I have.”
Tick...
Tick...
Tick...
Tick...
Applejack sighed. Finally, looking at the clock, she said, “Well, it’s late. I gotta get to bed, so I’ll be chasin’ you folks out fer now.”
Sunrise nodded again. “That’s cool.”
As she rose and got her cloak, the other three exchanged hugs and farewells. Then, as she started towards the door:
“Hey, now.”
Sunrise turned to see Applejack standing by the table, one foreleg outstretched.
“Ain’t’cha forgettin’ somethin’?”
Sunrise hesitated. “I, uh… I thought you were still mad at me.”
Applejack nodded. “I am. An’ there’s a lot about this I’m still mullin’ over.”
Then she cocked her head with a smile, adding, “But that don’t mean we ain’t friends, does it?”
Sunrise gave a grateful smile.
“No,” she said as she crossed the room. “No, it doesn’t.”
The two mares hugged, and then Sunrise and Twilight said their final farewells and stepped out into the night air. As Applejack closed the door behind them, she could just hear Twilight’s voice as they walked away, “You do realize, we are not done talking about this…”
Rarity, for her part, gave Applejack a quick peck on the cheek and started up the stairs. Perhaps halfway up, Applejack heard her say, “Excuse me, my dears,” and then the opening and closing of the door to their bedroom.
Applejack sat back down at the table. Picked up her cup, swirled its contents. Then put it down.
“Apple Bloom!”
“Yes’m!” came the reply from the stairs.
“You gals c’mere a minute.”
In a few seconds, the CMC were gathered before her.
“Coupla things,” she said. “First off, it ain’t polite ta eavesdrop.”
All three off them looked down.
“We know,” they chorused.
“I’ll allow part a’that was me raisin’ the roof, but still.”
Applejack took a drink, then said, “Second, I hope you know what a friend you’ve got there, for all that she’s got way more guts than sense. Don’t you never take that for granted.”
Still looking down, they made various noises of agreement.
“No, dang it, this ain’t the time for one a your ‘yes, ma’ams’, an’ then more a’your hair-brained business-as-usual stunts!” Applejack snapped. “That there gal’d take an arrow through the eye for you foals, an’ that’s a fact. Which means you three need ta make dang sure she never has to! Not ever! You understand me?”
Silent nods.
“An’ third…”
Applejack looked them over, then focused on her sister.
“I can’t say much to you other girls, but I hope you know if you ever do get into that rotten stuff I’m gonna have me a new throw rug made’a Apple Bloom hide! Anythin’ left – an’ this ain’t a promise there would be – I’m handin’ over t’Zecora! You get me, girl?”
Apple Bloom stared with wide eyes. “Yes’m!”
“Alright then. To bed with you.”
The three fillies galloped upstairs again, and again the door slammed shut.
Applejack poured the last of the jug into her cup, then took another drink, looking at the outside door.
“No more brains than a bag a’brass hammers,” she sighed, shaking her head, “Guts a’solid rock, but not a lick a’sense.”
She tossed her cider back, stood up.
“Good luck, Twi.”
Then she turned off the lights, and went upstairs to bed.
Author's Note
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For those who are curious, the fate of the opening band is covered here.
The Sunset Rising timeline continues with Back to School.
And, of course, the seminal story that starts it all begins here.
As always, polite discussion in the comments is welcome. 
