When Rarity awoke that morning, bleary-eyed and at least another hour short of feeling fully-rested, she simply allowed routine and muscle memory to guide her along initially. Arising from bed, shambling about the hotel room, drawing the shades open; these were all relegated to auto-pilot while her mind slowly acclimated to reality.
Outside, an eager sun was already peeking over the horizon, dyeing the skies with deep shades of both orange and carmine. And below all of that, Manehattan...still shined...

Was it was too much to hope that everything would somehow be clearer after a brief night's rest, or that she would feel better about herself come dawn? Apparently so, because even after weathering what was hopefully the worst of this emotional crisis, the sheer melancholia of it all still hung heavily over her. On top of that, knowing that nothing could be done about any of it for now—let alone if at all—just weighed her spirits down even further.
Simply put, this was going to be a rough few days, and she was dreading every moment of it. But, if nothing else, at least her countenance could reflect otherwise. Being fake was certainly still easy enough...

As she turned away from the balcony then, Rarity's eyes briefly swept across the room, making sure that everything was at least vaguely as it should be.

Sweetie Belle still in bed...
Her phone still on the nightstand, clearly powered on...
The doors and windows all still shut tight...

Finally, when her groggy mind was half-convinced that nothing demanded her immediate attention, she retired to the bathroom to freshen up and prepare for another glorious day in Manehattan.

...A light...

In the midst of pouring droplets and rising steam, Rarity once again found herself drifting through the past as she showered. These dalliances with nostalgia were especially annoying in the early mornings, at a time when her memories were merely a kaleidoscope of scattered images and sensations cluttering her still-waking mind.

The saccharine tingle of ice-cream melting across her tongue...
The grayish indigo of that cardigan she bought for her mother on their first tour downtown...
The endless half-started sketches and broken pencils that filled her wastebasket...

But amongst this infernal buckshot of recollections, something else was nagging away at her then.
An idea? Or perhaps a question? Regardless, this...thing...kept photo-bombing the blurry edges of her every thought, and it only seemed to grow more elusive with her every attempt to pinpoint it.

Did she leave her wallet behind at the parlor last night? Had she planned to visit a particular locale today? Did she dream of a brilliant new outfit that simply had to be transcribed onto her sketch paper post-haste!?

No, no, and begrudgingly...no.
So what then was her subconscious trying so poorly to alert her about?

...A little light...

Having finished her shower, and feeling not so much refreshed as she was annoyed, Rarity then toiled away in front of the vanity to complete her usual beauty routines. For what was supposed to be a leisurely vacation, it sure seemed as though she was working harder than ever just to put on a proper face anymore. Worse still, and as if this morning wasn't already frustrating enough, she was even starting to fail at that...
For some reason then, no matter what was covered in cosmetics or tweaked with tools, her face just wasn't coming out right, even after half a dozen attempts already. It was increasingly aggravating, especially for someone whose skills and brushes had never failed to meet the moment beforehand. And it certainly wasn't for lack of effort that things weren't going perfectly, either. She wielded her makeup as expertly as always, after all, and her beauty regimen was custom-tailored to address every possible imperfection.

Stress wrinkles? Concealed beneath an imperceptible mask of foundation!
Puffy eyelids? Vanquished by mighty strokes of shadow and mascara!
Dried lips? Rejuvenated by a moisturizing and glossy balm!
Frowny Eyebrows? Well...at least the balm tasted nice...

Perhaps that was the issue all along.
The foundation, the shadow, the handful of other instruments; maybe all of that was fine. Maybe it was just the expression that couldn't quite match the execution. Because between everything weighing on her mind then—her career, her creative stagnation, her friends' torturous silence—Rarity simply found it impossible to shine with the same confidence, the same radiance as usual...
If nothing else, it certainly wasn't helping that her brow kept furrowing in frustration, courtesy of this STUPID little niggling thought that refused to stop badgering her!
Eventually, she just threw her hands up in defeat, content with simply looking...fine enough.

Was it something she forgot!? Something that needed to be done!? Something about this morning, or about today!?

...A little, red light...

Speaking of, what was on the agenda for today? Rarity pondered that as she finished getting dressed, even though she felt little motivation to do much of anything.

Perhaps it would be best just to follow in her family's merry wanderings for the remainder of this trip. After all, her time with Sweetie Belle last night was a refreshing delight, and her parents were never lacking when it came to either activities or corny laughs to share in. Ideally, their palpable mirth might continue to rub off on her, and maybe even help her to find some peace of mind. It certainly sounded better than whiling away even more hours at that confining desk, trapped between either being ignored by her muse or trying desperately to ignore her phone...

Again, was it too much to hope that her problems with Applejack would just disappear overnight? Failing that, was it too much to try and keep her wandering eyes from glancing over at that idle device? Apparently so, because despite having already made bitter peace with her many mistakes, Rarity knew that, no matter what, she would ultimately keep checking her phone with the slightest bit of hope.
Hope that it would ring, or let out a small chirp, or even just blink with a—

A light...
A little light...
A little, red light...
...On my phone... My phone!? ...MY PHONE!

Rarity dashed from the bathroom as fast as she could, making her way over to the nightstand by her bed. In the process, she nearly slipped on wet tile, tripped over her own shoes, and almost collided with a lamp—all with the utmost grace and dignity, of course. And at the end of that protracted obstacle course laid exactly what her subconscious had promised: her phone...with a little red light shining from its corner.
As silly as it all sounded, she couldn't stop from feeling nervous then, even though that indicator could've meant anything. Spam mail; an update notification; literally a dozen other possibilities.

It couldn't have been... After everything she did, everything she said... After finally accepting that no messages were coming, it simply couldn't have been—

...It was a message...from Applejack...

Hey. Can we please talk for a spell?

It was all Rarity could do then not to let loose a sharp gasp, for fear of disturbing her little sister's slumber. Instead, she took a few deep breaths, quietly crept outside onto the balcony, and sat down to brace herself.

Her mind was a deluge of thoughts and questions.
What should she do? What should she say? Was this an invite to a friendly conversation, or to another full-blown argument? That message was so little to go off of, after all, and it was just so terribly vague! Actually, it almost seemed...strangely out of context, as if none of her previous attempts to communicate were even acknowledged. Could it be that, somehow, Applejack hadn't read any of her prior texts? Was that a realistic hope!?
...Or maybe they were all just so pathetic and pitiful that her friend didn't know how to address them—or worse, was preparing to throw them right back in her face...

She was excited. She was anxious. And try as she might to collect herself, Rarity was unable to bear it any longer. No more messages, no more fretting, no more waiting in lonely anticipation any longer!
With that, and with one final deep breath, she selected Applejack's icon and tapped the call button...

****

Applejack had been lying awake in her bed for about an hour now and had practically given up on getting back to sleep. A lifetime of farm living certainly had its advantages, not least of which being that she could actually function at the crack of dawn; however, this was early even by her own standards, and there was little that could be done to tire herself out now. After apparently running circles around them these past few days, her family had all but grounded her from getting a headstart on more chores, and even the livestock didn't take too kindly to being disturbed this early in the morning. So, with little else to do and little chance of getting any more shuteye, she opted to just gaze out at the night sky as her mind drifted along aimlessly. Better than being startled by another nightmare, anyway.

Outside, a beautiful full moon was starting to tuck itself into the horizon, and the stars still faintly twinkled like sequins across an endless cosmic cloth. With the light chirp of crickets and the occasional rustling of the wind, it was certainly a peaceful night down on the farm, and Applejack was grateful for it. After everything that happened today, a bit of downtime was more than welcomed. Of course, spending time with her friends had been a hoot as always, but almost every hour after bidding them farewell had been much less relaxing. There were just so many things that she was still so unsure of...

When and if the time finally came...what should she say?
Was it even worth trying to make a case for why she was originally so upset? Maybe it was too late for that. Maybe it was too late to make any sort of amends at all. Matter of fact, who's to say that her text had even been received? Sure, her phone was working properly now, but what about Rarity's? Her message might just remain adrift among the digital aether, for all she knew...

But ever the cautious optimist, Applejack wanted to be prepared just in case. As such, she started rehearsing as many conversations as possible, taking each topic and applying different words and emotional filters to see which responses sounded the best.
If Rarity said this, should she counter with a pinch of snark or agree with a dollop of remorse?
If Rarity brought up that, should she chuckle heartily, or hum pensively?
Should there be more emphasis on the "land" or the "sakes?" Or was that all too accusatory sounding to start!?
So many things to consider...

It was a trying ordeal, especially since that phone could've gone off at any moment and completely derailed her. However, as silly as it might've sounded, doing all of this did ease her nerves just a bit. When the stakes might be so dire, it was important to be prepared for anything, and that's exactly what she was feeling!

But for now, at least, Applejack could just ignore most of these hypotheticals and try to relax for a while. After all, odds were good that if any call was coming, it would likely be some time in the afternoon. Just the thought of that made her heart race...

Since when did friendship get so dang complicated, anyways?

Well...no point in getting more stressed over things just yet. Besides, if and when that time finally came, she was already more than prepared for whatever may—

My wheels keep turnin' (Oh, oh!). My fire's still burnin' (Oh, oh!)

The farmer let out a loud yelp then, almost tumbling out of bed as the sudden noise caught her by surprise. Why was it that nearly falling off of things was starting to become a running theme in her life!? What, was this meant to be some sign that her dream of holding the record for mechanical bull riding was ill-fated!?
Before questioning that notion any further, she realized what the cause of her startle was this time around, and it instantly put the breaks on all of her thoughts.

...Her phone was ringing.

It couldn't possibly be Rarity...not this early in the morning!
Maybe it was Sunset Shimmer or one of the others. Maybe there was some imminent problem with school, like a test or a project that they forgot about. Maybe Equestrian Magic was finally on a rampage again, or maybe—

It was Rarity...
On the screen, an image of her and Applejack in Equestria Land was being displayed, and only then did the cowgirl recognize the ringtone as that of The Other Side. It couldn't be anyone else.

It's a game of waitin' (Hey, hey!). Anticipatin' (Hey, hey!). But I keep creatin' (Hey, hey!)

And like that, Applejack's mind was a blank slate. All of that preparation and rehearsal? Completely gone.
She started to panic, debating on whether or not to answer the phone at all. There were other options. She could just ignore the call and give herself some time to regroup. She could see if a message might be left, and use that as an indicator of where their friendship stood before calling back.

Either of those options would probably be for the best. She couldn't possibly talk to Rarity now! She'd just end up sounding like a fool, or make things awkward between them, or...or something worse!

“...Just let it ring,” she whispered to herself.
“...Just...let it ring...”

So I can get to the other, get to the other si—

****

“...H-Hello?”

...It was her...after all this time...it was Applejack...
Of course it was—this was Applejack's number that she dialed, after all! But still, to actually hear from her friend again, and after being so certain that the call was just about to end up going straight to voicemail. Rarity was too in the moment to notice, but her anxiety and relief were practically canceling each other out then, leaving behind little more than stunned uncertainty as she searched for a reply.

“...A-Applejack?”

“Um...uh...h-heya, Rarity! How's it goin'?”

How's it going!? That's all she had to say!? Applejack silently cursed her own idiocy then.
Not even a sentence in, and she was already regretting answering the phone...

“Darling, it...it's so good to hear from you,” Rarity said gingerly, trying to feel out her friend's disposition.

“Y-Yeah?... I-I mean, yeah, it's...it's nice to be talkin' to you too. H-How ya—How ya been doin'?"

"Fine! Just, well...fine and—and well! A-And you?"

"Good—great!... Er, um...g-good."

"Oh, good...hmhm..."

Good lord... Walking on eggshells was one thing, but this was like tiptoeing over a minefield, with both parties too afraid of setting the other off. Eventually, however, between moments of mutual fidgeting and throat-clearing, Applejack opted to just leap first into whatever topic she could think of.

"Um, uh, well...h-how's the—how's the big city been treatin' ya?”

“......It's...w-well...”
And there it was...the question Rarity wanted so badly to just avoid altogether. She would've given anything not to discuss her time in Manehattan then, alongside all of the pain and humiliation that came with it. But after everything that she had done, and all of those texts that she sent. All the mood-shifts, demands, excuses, and pleas... Heavens, how could her best friend not think less of her after all of that?
The fashionista's eyes began to moisten then as she once again came face to face with this harsh reality. There was no denying just how awful this city was...or how awful she had been...

“...I...B-Before that, Applejack...we should probably discuss... That is, I-I'm sure that your phone has... W-Well, I—”

“I-I know it's been a while,” Applejack interrupted, desperate to explain herself before saying anything else too stupid. “But my phone's been actin' real screwy-like all week, a-an' I only just got it workin' again, an'—”

“Yes, and...I-I know that my—"
Rarity was just about to let it all out then—the wrongdoings, the misfortunes, the guilt—but her mind slammed on the breaks at the very last second. She even managed to blink back her tears then, though only out of confusion over what her friend had just told her.

"...Wait... What was that...about your phone?”

“It's... Well, it's...been on the fritz. Ain't been gettin' or sendin' any messages, far as I could tell.”

“Has... Has it not been working at all!?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“F-For how long!?”

“Well... Least fer a week now... Why?”

Had Rarity not been sitting then, she might've been toppled over by the wave of relief enveloping her. It was just as she had hoped...no matter how impossible it may have seemed. All this time, Applejack wasn't ignoring her. She didn't even sound upset anymore. And all of those embarrassing texts—those childish quips and pathetic whimperings—they were never seen...
Perhaps... Perhaps this was her one and only chance...for a fresh start.
After all, was there really any need to revisit all of that ugliness before Manehattan? Did Rarity really need to relive all of her woes, and did Applejack need to hear all about them? Did the seamstress have to confess to everything, and risk making herself look and feel even more pathetic?

...Couldn't things just go back to how they were before? Couldn't this just be two best friends catching up...after a perfectly lovely vacation?

“...R-Rarity? Y'all still there?” Applejack said, afraid that the call was already over.

It took a moment, but Rarity quickly snapped back to attention and responded...with a tone that was suddenly much more embellished...and confident!

“...I......W-Why, yes, darling! So sorry, I was just...checking my itinerary for the rest of the day, haha! Anyway, that truly is a shame to hear about your phone. I did think it a little peculiar not to have heard from anyone, but I—why, I've just been so preoccupied that I haven't had much time to notice, I suppose!”

“...Wait... Really?”

“Yes, well, life just moves at such a breakneck pace around here! And I've been enjoying it all so much that it's been rather easy for things to get lost in the shuffle, as it were, hmhm!”

“...Oh... Um... T-That's great to hear...”
Even with all the rehearsal in the world, Applejack couldn't possibly have been prepared for that. Here she was worrying about all of this silence for so long, and it turns out that Rarity had paid little mind to any of it. The fashionista wasn't upset or anything. She barely even seemed to recognize her best friend's absence...
But that was a good thing, though...right?

“...So...Manehattan's been pretty fun, huh?”

“Oh, it's been absolutely delightful!”
Rarity forced a little chuckle then, all the while hastily cherry-picking out the best parts of this trip with which to regale her friend. She needed to sell this city like no other! She needed this vacation to be perfect!

“There's just so much culture and sophistication! It truly is a place of high-society and cutting-edge fashion, if I do say so myself, haha! Why, dare I say, it's the kind of life I've always dreamed of living!” she finished wistfully.

Applejack was feeling more deflated by the moment, and like so many of her other emotions lately, she didn't understand why. She should've been happy for her friend. After all, it sounded like Manehattan was everything that a stylish and insanely talented designer could ever wish for.
Compared to all that, a small city like Canterlot didn't offer much, nor did anything in it...
...What good was a simple farmhand in a fancy world like that?

“Well, I'm... I'm really glad fer ya, Rarity,” she said, trying her utmost to disguise the growing dejection. “And, uh... Well, guess I better not keep ya too long, then... Sure y'all got plenty of excitin' things lined up fer today that...ya wouldn't wanna miss out on... Besides, it's prolly 'bout time I got outta bed...”

Rarity's stomach churned slightly then, and her heart raced at the sudden suggestion of ending the call. That wasn't what Applejack was supposed to say. She—She should've laughed, or...cracked a joke, or asked for more details. Why would she want to wrap this all up now? Why did this all feel so...wrong?

“...W-Well, there's certainly no urgency on my end, darling! Really, Manehattan is always so active and—and so full of amusements, you can easily reschedule for anything, haha! And besides, I-I was hoping that we—Wait... Did you say 'get out of bed?'”

“Yeah... I mean, the sun ain't risen yet, but...by the time I get myself all tidied up an'—”

“Oh, Applejack!" Rarity gasped. "I'm so sorry, darling! I forgot about the time difference between us. It's already in the early morning here, you see. I-I didn't wake you, did I?”

“Nah, I was already bright-eyed before y'all called... Been gettin' an early start on the farm lately. Gotta keep ahead a' those chores n' all. S-Speakin' of, I should prolly...”

“Oh...o-of course... Well, I certainly don't want to take up your time, if you have chores that need completing... I-If you want, I... W-We could...”

This wasn't normal.
Applejack wasn't usually like this. Where was that easy-going charm, those carefree laughs, and her lovably warm and welcoming manner? They hadn't spoken in so long, and now it seemed as though the farm girl didn't even want to hold a conversation with Rarity. Why?...
The call couldn't end—not like this! Not with so much unease and anxiety starting to erupt from within her. Not until things were perfect!

The young tailor grasped for whatever topic she could think of then, trying her hardest to maintain an air of positivity.

“Oh! B-Before that, I-I almost forgot to ask! H-How has everyone else been fairing as of late!? Did Twilight help Fluttershy with the—w-with her brand new computer!? I-I know she was positively giddy with excitement over it! Please, tell me all about it!”

Well, least she's plenty interested in the others...
Applejack felt herself growing weary, as well as a bit frustrated with both Rarity and herself. She hated how this conversation was eating away at her, but she had no idea how to curb that aggravation—not when she was smack-dab in the middle of it all.

“They're doin' fine, far as I can tell...”

“......Well!? Do go on!”

“That's 'bout it.”

“Applejack!”

“What!? Sorry, but there ain't really anything else worth tellin'! I ain't even seen much a' the gals lately! Had my hands full workin' on the harvest an' all!”

“Is that all that you've been doing!? Just working!? And since when do you do chores this early on a Sunday!? Honestly, I understand how important the harvest is to you, but that's—”

...That's no excuse to just neglect your friends...
That's what Rarity wanted to say then, but the words got caught up in her throat. After everything that had happened—everything that she did and was trying to get away with now—she was going to lecture Applejack on neglect!? The friend whom she neglected!? The friend whose wounded freckled face was now burned into her mind as a result!?
What kind of friend was she!? What kind of person!? THE KIND THAT DESERVED TO BE ALONE IN THIS CITY AND—

...And like that...the memories came flooding back...reality came crashing down...and Rarity's perfect fantasy came to an end...

The phone remained silent for a few moments too long, and Applejack was beginning to feel uncomfortable with it all. She didn't mean to sound so curt, and the last thing that she wanted was to sour her friend's mood or day. But as much as she wished otherwise, this conversation needed to end before that's exactly what ended up happening.

“...Listen, Rarity... I-I just got a lot on my plate right now... Maybe it'd be best if we—”

“...I'm sorry,” Rarity replied, her voice suddenly trembling and barely above a whisper.
Tears were welling up in her eyes again, and she grasped at her chest as emotion began to overwhelm her.

“...Huh?”

“...I'm sorry,” she reiterated slightly louder.
She wanted to hang up. She needed to. If she didn't then and there, everything would—

“Sorry, hun, but...I can't rightly make our what yer—”

“I SAID I'M SORRY! WHAT, DO YOU WISH FOR ME TO SAY IT AGAIN, FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO HEAR!? VERY WELL, THEN! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY! OK!?”

Applejack could only stay silent as steady panting poured in from the other end of the call. In the wake of her friend's outburst then, her own frustrations had suddenly disappeared and were replaced with stunned bewilderment.

“Um...o-ok? Why're you—”

“Because you were right! You were right...about everything... I... I... Oh, Applejack...”

A moment later, the heavy breaths were replaced with barely-stifled weeping, and they forced Applejack to clutch her chest in a cold panic. She was used to hearing Rarity cry dramatically, but these weren't the mawkish sobs that she recognized so well. They sounded very real...and very pained.

“Whoa, whoa, settle down there, sugarcube...” she said as gently as possible. “W-What are ya talkin' 'bout? What's the matter?”

Rarity gathered what little of herself that she could then. There was no hiding from reality now, no matter how ugly it all was. At this point, between sobs and sniffles, she just let it all trickle out.

“Everything you said about me... You were right... I am self-centered. I am stuck-up. I've been an awful friend to you...and I belong in this miserable city with all of these miserable people!”

“Wait, what!? When did I......O-Oh... You mean, right before y'all left...”

Applejack's obliviousness certainly wasn't helping then, especially since it just shined a spotlight on what Rarity was already painfully aware of.

“No! Right before I abandoned you! And came to this stupid place to demonstrate my stupid talents! And got devoured like the STUPID fool that I am!”

“Hey, now! I never called ya anything like that!”

“You didn't have to! I discovered it all by myself! Isn't that just wonderful!?"
She wiped the tears from her eyes before continuing, though it did little good.

"...Honestly, why did you even send me that text? Why did you wish to talk at all?... You should have just ignored me... After everything I did, you don't deserve to be wasting your time with TRASH LIKE ME!”

“WOULD Y'ALL STOP IT, ALREADY!?” Applejack shouted, much louder than intended.
Maybe that was a bit too confronting, but enough was enough! She had been prepared for Rarity to be angry with her. Heck, she even welcomed that! But for the fashionista to be so harsh and so belittling of her own self... It lit a fire in the farmer's chest that burned hotter and with more ferocity as each baseless insult was uttered. And she couldn't take it anymore.

“Now, look here! We both know y'all wear a lotta things well, but self-pity ain't one a' them, an' I ain't gonna hear it no more! Sayin' I shoulda ignored ya, and callin' yerself all them nasty things! You are bein' a dern fool right now, but that's only 'cause ya keep actin' so cockeyed!”

As saddened as she felt then, Rarity could only respond to such aggression with her own. She felt the tears that rolled down her cheeks starting to grow hotter, and her shaky voice growing louder as even more bottled up emotions began to erupt from within.
“Excuse me, but you're the one that accused me of being some of those things! And you were right to do so! Don't even pretend otherwise with me!”

“I was angry at the time! And my feelin's were hurt! And even then, I didn't mean a dang word of it! Shoot, we've both known each other fer so long, I can't believe you'd take even half a' that guff SERIOUSLY!”

“OF COURSE I DO, APPLEJACK! You have no idea how much it's weighed on me all this time! How awful I've felt for how I made you feel! And how shameful I've felt for trying to deny it! Can you even begin to guess how many messages I've sent you JUST TRYING TO APOLOGIZE!?”

“YA SAID YOU'VE BARELY EVEN NOTICED YER PHONE!”

“I LIED, OBVIOUSLY!”

“WELL, HOW WAS I S'PPOSED TO KNOW THAT!?”

“WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING AT ME!?”

“BECAUSE—”
If she were a slightly less proud woman, Applejack probably would've allowed herself to cry at that moment. Instead, however, she blinked back her tears and summoned just enough strength to keep her voice from shaking too much.

“Because...yer my best friend...an' I missed ya...”

“WELL, YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND, AS WELL! AND I...... I...... I've missed you...too...”

The two sat quietly then for what seemed like forever, completely lost and confused, afraid to speak up and shatter whatever uneasy truce this silence had forged. Eventually though, as emotions began to settle and breathing returned to normal...the stalemate was broken.

“...I....I truly am sorry, Applejack...”

“...I'm mighty sorry, too, Rarity... I know Manehattan was important to ya, and I shouldn'ta flew off the handle like I did... Yer my best friend, and I shoulda been more supportive...”

“No... It was important to me...but you're my best friend, darling...and you mean more to me than any of it... I only wish I had realized that sooner...”

The silence resumed, but at least the atmosphere was a bit more comfortable now. Applejack actually started to feel much better, finally alleviated of all that pent-up bitterness and doubt. And knowing that Rarity missed her just as much as she missed that dramatic little fashionista...it made her feel...so warm inside.
But while the farmer's own wounds had been mended, her best friend was still clearly aching, and she wanted nothing more than to fix that. It took a moment of thought, but something did eventually bounce to mind.

“...Ya know, fer what it's worth, I sent y'all a ton a' messages too. None a' them went through, though, what with the phone an' all...”

“...Yes," Rarity said, still sniffling just a little. "...I can certainly understand that...”

“...Wanna know who fixed my phone?”

“...Hmm? ...It was Twilight, I assume.”

“Nope.”

“Then...Sunset? Fluttershy?”

“Nuh-uh. Pinkie Pie.”

“Wha—H-How...how ever did she manage that?”

“...Told me to turn my phone off an' on again.”

“...You're joking... You must be, surely.”

“Nope. And it worked, too.”

“...None of you thought to do that in the first place?”

“Not a single one of us...”

In place of more sniffling then, Rarity began to giggle and had to fight hard to resist from breaking into an undignified chuckle. But when Applejack started to join in, they both couldn't stop themselves from cracking up.

“Honestly, darling,” she said between laughs, “you girls can be so silly sometimes!”

“Right!? You shoulda seen the look on poor Twi's face! It was priceless!”

That wholesome laughter continued for another minute or so, before steadily dying down. It wasn't much, but it didn't need to be. As Applejack discovered yesterday, just spending time together could be more than enough to ease a troubled mind. Speaking of, it was still rather early in the morning...and maybe her best friend could still use a bit of company...and maybe she could as well.

“So...are we alright now, Applejack?”
Rarity's voice was a little shaken, and perhaps still too hampered by remorse, but she certainly sounded a bit better.

“Almost. But first, why don't ya tell me a bit more 'bout yer trip? I know somethin' musta happened, after everything you said, an' I'd sure love to hear as much as possible...if'n you wouldn't mind.”

“Oh, darling... I'm not sure...”

“C'mon now, sugarcube," she reassured, her tone as warm and comforting as usual. "Can't start feelin' better unless ya talk 'bout it. Learned that lesson not too long ago, myself. Please?”

“...Are you really sure you want to hear more of my whining?”

“Heh. Reckon I've been missin' it fer a while, now. Actually, before all that... Got any tea?”

Next Time: Tough Love

Author's Note

Well...that only took 5 rewrites and a massive amount of cut content...yay!

Originally, I wanted Rarity and Applejack's entire conversation to be covered in this chapter. However, after reading over it and feeling like the whole thing was getting a bit long in the tooth, I decided to cut off the remainder of their talk and save it for the next chapter. That means what comes next will probably be shorter, but at least I can complete it in a shorter amount of time...hopefully.

Can't say I'm terribly happy with how this one came out, but at least it feels consistent enough. As always, constructive critique, suggestions and general comments are welcomed.