Two men watched as the blue truck drove down the road. One lit a cigarette, the other checked his phone. They were sitting in a beat-up navy blue sedan half a block away. Even in the end of the night rush from Pandora’s, it was easy to track the truck amid the sports cars, electric vehicles, vans, and compacts.

“You wanna follow?” the man in the passenger seat asked his companion. He had a narrow face short teal hair streaked with orange and yellow eyes.

The driver was a broader man with a square jaw and dark purple hair that flopped over his cold gaze. His nose was misshapen from being broken more than once. He nodded, turning on the car engine. “Yeah.”

They’d come here purely on a hunch. They’d had a lead or two from the man who’d hired them, but they hadn’t born any fruit. So, like some neo-noir anti-heroes, they’d gone and chased down answers. Bothered a few college kids. Paid a tough guy or two.

It wasn’t that Sunset Shimmer was hard to track. It was that she was hard to find at the right time. She’d given other thugs the slip before. Cronies of Grogar. Strange things happened to her tails, too. They'd get distracted by a sudden urge to sing. Or their memories of following her would be completely gone. Rumor was one street veteran had suddenly felt an overwhelming guilt so profound he'd had to pull over and call his mother to tearfully apologize for all the trouble he'd caused her over the years.

That’s why the two men in the blue sedan had kept their distance. Been quiet about it. There was more at stake than just being spotted by their mark. The head of the Trog-Els had killed for less, and they were technically interfering with his business. The open secret was Sunset Shimmer somehow brought the mob boss riches. What riches? No one knew exactly. Some thought it was priceless art. Others thought it was high-quality drugs. Maybe stolen data. Rare jewelry and antiques, even.

“We tryin’ somethin’ tonight?” The passenger asked. “I think the blonde was one of the ones Goldfang told us about. Her weird friends.”

The driver shrugged as he pulled out onto the road before too many cars could get between him and his quarry. “Maybe. Maybe not. And who cares? They might take us somewhere interesting.”

“Just so long as I don’t have to fight that roided chick. Red’s friend looked like she could make me shit my teeth.”

“Pussy.”

“You fight her then!”

The driver shrugged again, smirking now. He drove aggressively, maneuvering further and further up the lanes of cars. His companion nervously scolded him. What if they got pulled over?

But he didn’t care. This girl had pissed off the wrong guy. Now Zephyr Thorn had his chance to finally move up from a nameless grunt to a man in a suit. A real member of the Badlanders. Badasses who ruled over a slice of Canterlot City like a pack of wolves.

He’d brought Sunbeam along, less because he thought he needed backup and more because he wanted a good scapegoat in case things went sideways. It was a cutthroat business, and shit happened. You had to have contingency plans. Besides, Sunbeam wasn’t completely useless, despite his nerves.

Twenty minutes into tailing, Zephyr merged in directly behind the blue truck as they neared the city limits. There were fewer cars coming this way anyway, and if his guess was right, they were about to lose all witnesses. He could afford to be noticed now. His eyes fastened on the redhead in the passenger seat.

Tonight had been chance. A complete gamble. The tip they’d gotten had been slim. The muttering of a drunk quantum physics student in the back of a pub popular with university kids.

Sometimes, Sunset Shimmer goes to blues night at Pandora’s Box.

That was all. There was no great sleuthing at work here. No incredible ingenuity. No great connecting of the dots. Just… Tenacity over a scant couple of days and a good bit of luck.

Still, the setup was perfect. The girl, alone at night in the city? It was worth waiting to see if she’d show. Only, she hadn’t turned up alone. But Zephyr wasn’t dissuaded by this. In his experience, collateral damage made the message sink in deeper.

They drove and drove. The radio remained shut off. All in all, this was like most jobs Zephyr and Sunbeam handled. They did the dirty grunt work the made men were too good for. Dealing drugs. Stealing goods. Kicking some dude’s ass.

This was sort of like that, but special. Goldfang wanted the girl scared. Meaning hurt. Not dead. He’d hammered that into their heads enough. Do not kill her! He’d do it himself, but the girl was off-limits to him. Zephyr and Sunbeam, though…?

This girl was Grogar’s pet project, apparently. Zephyr had shrugged at the news. Mentally. You didn’t shrug in front of Goldfang unless you wanted to get pistol-whipped. But how hurt did he want the girl…? Goldfang had never said.

Zephyr smiled.

She’d be conscious at the end of it, at least. Maybe able to walk… Maybe.

The man liked his dark work. He’d grown up on the streets. Saw things. Did things. His rage was a balled fist in his chest, and he savored every chance he had a reason to lash out.

So they drove well out of the city, deep into the country.

“Hey, maybe you should back up, Zeph.” Sunbeam was looking at him askance. They were riding the truck’s bumper, practically.

Zephyr glanced at him. “No.”

“They’ll make us, man.”

“So?”

“What the hell are we even doing?”

Zephyr shrugged. The action was a common refrain in the poetry of his being. He stared at the redhead as he saw her glance back. And he smiled, showing his canines.

“Having fun.”

The time to keep a cautious distance was over. It wasn’t giving up higher ground. No. It was knocking a bitch down a few pegs. Now it was time for Zephyr’s favorite part. The game of cat and mouse.

Sunset Shimmer had been feeling giddy and blissful as they made the return trip back to Sweet Apple Acres. Her mind had been a kaleidoscope of imagery, bursting with all the possibilities that now lay before them. How long had she been waiting for this chance? Now she could finally have—

In the country road. The lights. They glared in the rearview mirror, lighting up the backs of their heads in wrathful halos.

Applejack squinted into her mirrors, scowling. “This feller sure seems in a hurry.”

Sunset stared at the dashed road lines. “We’re in a passing section. He should go on ahead soon.”

Only… He didn’t. Minutes went by, and the passing zone ended.

“Maybe he’s just nervous,” Applejack said, noting the look of disquiet on Sunset’s face. “We get deer out here all the time, hopping out of the thicket. That can make passing cars a risky business at night.”

Sunset wanted to be sure. “AJ, slow down some.”

“Huh?“

“Please slow down. Gradually.” Sunset put her hand in her pocket and gripped the pistol.

Applejack stared at her. “Sunset—”

“I don't know if it's trouble, but if they follow to Sweet Apple Acres, wouldn’t that be a cause for concern? They've been behind us since we left the pub.” She was certain of it. If she’d been relaxed in the pub, surrounded by all those people during the concert, then she’d been on alert since leaving. No more witnesses meant that, yes, even in the truck, something could happen. Was far more likely to, actually.

Sunset had been checking their mirrors and scanning the roads as if she were the one driving. The blue sedan had been behind them for a while, but while in the city, it'd been further back. She'd clocked it then, but she hadn't pinned it as a particular threat. Till now. If only she could see the faces of the people inside the car through the glare of the headlights.

Her friend's eyes went wide. Applejack eased onto the brakes, and the truck slowed. The car behind didn't back off. It just matched their speed.

“More.” Sunset pulled the gun out but kept it in her lap. She was breathing quicker now.

“Sunset Shimmer it may just be some dumb kids—”

“Maybe. Dumb city kids trying to make a name for themselves. Slower, please, until you can stop.”

“Stop?”

“Yeah. And turn on your hazard lights, but don’t turn off the road.”

“Sunset—”

“I’m casting an aura spell. It’ll make anyone who approaches the truck reluctant to start trouble. That could buy us time.”

“To do what?”

“Run. Fight. Preferably run, but you never know.”

Applejack grit her teeth as she pressed down on the brakes enough to bring the truck to a full stop. “Heaven help me,” she muttered as she squinted into the side mirror. The sedan behind them had its high beams on.

Sunset exhaled shakily as she quickly traced the runes for the aura spell into the dashboard. “Are you regretting coming out with me now?”

The other girl looked at her, then shook her head tersely as she pulled out her own, larger, pistol. “Heck no. I just don’t wanna have to hurt a feller.” She sounded very confident, if tensed.

“Me either,” Sunset murmured as she glared behind them. She thought she could make out two men, but she couldn’t see well enough to pick out details. Were they people she knew? It would help if she could get their faces, regardless. It’d make it harder for them to sneak up on her later.

Minutes dragged by. The blue sedan didn’t move, and no one said anything. They were alone on the dark country road, the moon their only witness between the sprawling alfalfa fields.

Finally, Applejack seemed to hit her limit. She leaned on the truck horn, making Sunset jump. “AJ!”

“They might be drunk,” Applejack groused. She rolled down her window and tried to wave the car on.

The blue sedan still didn’t move. Sunset’s heart thudded in her chest as she stared at the car behind them. Sweat beaded on her forehead. With encroaching dread, it began to dawn on her that the people Goldfang might have selected for his dark errand were… Different. Most thugs had a bit of a violent or even sadistic streak through them. You almost had to if you were going to be a part of the bloody underworld business.

But some were like sharks among piranhas. Some whose temperament made even their colleagues eye them sideways.

Sunset wondered, with chilled sweat, if that’s who was on her tail. She felt her fears solidify when the blue sedan finally backed up, then pulled a reckless U-turn on the road and sped away, spitting dirt on the bank and squealing tires on the asphalt. The car went so quickly that her eyes didn’t have time to adjust and see the faces of the men inside.

“What in tarnation…” Applejack breathed.

Sunset let go of the breath she’d been holding and slumped in her seat. With trembling hands, she produced a cigarette and lit it up. After a long drag, she gestured for the road. “Let’s get out of here,” she sighed.

“Dude, what was that? She might have seen us!” Sunbeam snapped. He craned to look back at the rapidly shrinking truck, still stopped in the road.

Zephyr, still smiling, snapped his teeth at him like a dog, making the other man jerk. “Shut up! I had the high beams on. There’s no way they could have seen anything important. You think this is my first time at this?” he cast a wild eye on his friend.

Sunbeam held up his hands and leaned away. “Naw, man. I just… Why’d you bail, then?”

“Bitches had something to fight with. Obviously. Why else would they stop in the middle of the road like that? I think they were packing. Blind or not, if we got out of the cars, they coulda opened up on us. A firefight might kill her. It’s good to know she’s got a gun, anyway. We’ll have to ambush instead.” His smile widened, his teeth catching the scant moonlight.

It was eerie to see him suddenly so chatty. Sunbeam was ready to call this night a bust, but clearly, his partner had a different perspective. He seemed energized by the encounter, even.

“Blondie got rattled,” Zephyr breathed, leaning forward to look up at the night sky through the windshield. “It made Red crack. She just about jumped outta her skin when the horn went off.” He settled back in his seat as he laughed, and Sunbeam stared at him uneasily. The sound was deep and vicious. And rare. Zephyr was not a laughing sort of guy.

And what amused him usually gave Sunbeam nightmares.

“Sunset Shimmer, huh? Looks like not all the rumors were just hype. Stopping the car in the middle of the road? That was good! Smart as fuck. She’s got balls. Either we woulda drove around, and she woulda seen our faces, or we got out and fought, risking killing or getting killed. Turnin’ around was the only smart play. She forced our hand. Mmm. Mmm! That bitch is smart, ha!” Zephyr struck the steering wheel, then wrung it, his eyes turning glassy as his smile gained a slant. “This’ll be fun.”

Sunbeam sank in his seat, rubbing at his forehead. He didn’t like the look in his partner’s eye.

He didn’t like any of this. But he had his reasons for staying in it. He had no choice. Being on the bottom of the underworld often meant rising or dying. He needed to rise. He needed Goldfang to sponsor his entry into the gang.

His family needed it.

So he’d try to keep Zephyr from going off the deep end. If only Sunset Shimmer knew how lucky she was that he was in on this, too.

He scoffed to himself.

Talk about small mercies. Real small.

To be safe, Applejack drove around in circles for another twenty minutes. But the blue sedan was gone, and no one seemed to be following them anymore.

When they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, it was already nearing midnight.

Applejack parked outside of her family home and turned off the engine. She looked worriedly at Sunset Shimmer. Her friend was slumped, her face lined with the weight of their strange encounter.

“It may not have been anything, Sunset,” Applejack said, not quite convinced herself. But without knowing who those men were, there was that small bit of hope to cling to. It wasn’t a lie. But she didn’t know if she was speaking the truth either.

A fact that someone as clever as Sunset Shimmer clearly didn’t miss. “That was too much of a coincidence. I put you at risk.”

“They didn’t follow us back to the farm.”

“I don’t understand. The only people I told about tonight were you and Rainbow Dash. I haven’t been to that pub in a month.”

“If it was them, which I ain’t sayin’ it was—at least they didn’t do anything tonight! For that alone, I’m grateful, y’hear?”

Sunset covered her face with her hands. “I’m a magnet for trouble. Maybe…” She sighed roughly and looked away out her passenger window. “Maybe I should just go.”

Applejack’s lips thinned. “Heck no.”

Sunset frowned at her. “I put you in danger. I got cocky. I shouldn’t have—”

“I said I wanted to go. You told me what was goin’ on, and I went anyways. Don’t you treat me like I ain’t got any say in this, Sunset Shimmer.” Applejack glared at her. “I’m grown. And I ain’t stupid. I knew somethin’ might happen, and if this is it… So what? Maybe it was them, then. What are you gonna do? Run off into the middle of the night by yourself? No. Damn that idea.” She slid closer to Sunset on the seat, her eyes blazing. “Sunset, stay with me tonight.”

And Sunset looked at her, visibly faltering. Applejack took her hand and squeezed. “Stay.”

Sunset Shimmer—smart, resilient, stubborn as all get out—just shook her head. She put her hand on the door handle. “Applejack, this isn’t like high school. I can’t solve this with a song or a smile, and neither can you.” She glanced back at Applejack with a pained expression that said so much. Frustration. Guilt.

Fear.

“It wouldn’t be right for me to stay.”

But Applejack wasn’t a fool. She could hear the reluctant phrasing. The hesitancy in Sunset Shimmer’s words. She never said unequivocally that she should leave. Or that she had to go. She was slow to slide out of the truck, as if water was holding her back.

Applejack, desperate, blurted out, “We could play a game!”

The outburst took both of them aback. Sunset blinked at Applejack. Applejack blinked back.

“A…game?” Sunset asked with a raised brow.

Applejack reached for her cigarettes and clumsily pulled one out. “Er, yeah.” She hoped her blush wasn’t too obvious in the porchlight. Sunset frowned but waited for the other girl to explain herself. Applejack took advantage of her courtesy and lit her cig. After a long drag, she said with a small hissing exhale, “I went digging around our storage and found an old game console. A TurboNinja. Uses cartridges, not discs.” She scratched self-consciously at her hairline. “I just figured… I dunno. You like games. Maybe it’d help you take your mind off things?”

She was gratified to see the sudden show of interest from Sunset. Still, the other girl didn’t return to the truck. “What games have you got?”

Applejack had to stop and think. Her heart was hammering. “Lessee… We got a fighting game I used to play a lot with Rainbow Dash called Alley Fighter 2. Then, some puzzle games, like Bibble Babble and Dr. Mars. Oh! And Ticklefruit—”

“What?”

The cowgirl jumped as Sunset Shimmer lunged toward her and grabbed her arm. She stared as she nervously swept some cigarette ash from her jeans. “I said we got Alley Fighter, Bibble Babble—”

“No, the last one! Did I hear you say Ticklefruit? As in the first Ticklefruit on the TurboNinja?!”

Applejack swallowed, completely unprepared for the hungry look in the other girl’s gaze. Her cigarette hung limply from her lips as she stared. “...Yes?”

Sunset shouted, her hands burying themselves in her hair. “H-How?!”

Now Applejack was wondering if she’d made a mistake. She’d wanted Sunset Shimmer to calm down and not be like—this. “W-Well, y’know us Apples, Sun. We never throw anythin’ out that still works or could be fixed. I think Pa bought it way back as a birthday present for Big Mac. Heck, I think I was barely outta diapers—”

Sunset clumsy sat back in the passenger seat and shut the truck door again. She stared forward. After a long moment, she turned to look at Applejack with wonder. “Do you have any idea how much that cartridge is worth? How rare it is to find?”

Applejack rolled down her window, ashed her cigarette, and licked her lips. After a brief pause, she shook her head. “Nope.”

Her friend gazed at her with both horror and anguish. When she spoke, her voice was strangled. “AJ… That’s the original Ticklefruit. Five years later, the developers released another game of the same name on the first GameStation, which is what most people assume was the first one ever, but that was a completely different game. A lot of people don’t realize the very first entry in the series was from the 16-bit era—and only 50,000 copies were ever made!! On top of that, only about half of that ever sold. It’s a miracle the series continued at all after that!”

Applejack blinked at her. After a long moment, she delicately shrugged. Sunset glared at her with wild indignation. “Seriously!” she snapped. “It’s believed the rest of the copies were lost in a warehouse fire. People just weren’t ready for how innovative Ticklefruit was back then! So to have a working copy is like—like—” She visibly fumbled, her hands reaching up as she looked around helplessly.

“Like having the last good apple of the season?”

“Yes! Wait, what? No!” Sunset buried her face in her hands.

Applejack grinned, abruptly amused by the situation. Earlier that day, she’d been despairing over her inability to be interesting or fun for Sunset Shimmer. Now they’d just wrapped up one heckuva night in the city, and even with Applejack’s humble family relics, she’d managed to get this incredible girl to gape at her as if she’d discovered the Holy Grail. And she hadn’t even had to do much apart from just being herself!

That felt… Really, really good.

Applejack gestured at her cigarette. “Lemme finish this real quick, and I’ll get it all set up for you.” She wagged a finger at Sunset. “But don’t think you’ll get by without playing me a few matches of Alley Fighter! I ain’t had a good match in a long time, and I’m fixin’ to add to my to wins.”

Sunset took a deep breath and grinned, her eyes still wide and bright as she practically buzzed in her seat. “AJ, greater mortals than you have rued the day they underestimated my fighting game skills.” She pulled out her own pack of cigarettes and lit one up. “Do you remember my game channel, Shimmer Code? I had decent views on my online fighting game vids. I’d have tried my hand at a tournament if only we weren’t so busy with school and magic problems.”

“Really? I had no idea!” Applejack blinked at her. Usually, the only one she ever played fighting games with was Rainbow. Sometimes, Pinkie or even Twilight would sit down for a round or two, but there just didn’t seem to be that much interest in the genre among their group. Too aggressive for their vibes.

“Ah. Yeah. Well, after one weekend where me beating Rainbow ten to one led to my only TV getting smashed, I kinda realized maybe it wouldn’t be so cool of me to go around smacking newbs. From then on, I refrained out of courtesy.”

Applejack paused. “Courtesy?” Her eyes slid to Sunset and narrowed. “Newbs?”

Sunset smirked. “Mm-hmm. I did mention I lost a TV, too, right? Rainbow replaced it, but I was half afraid she’d egg my apartment if it ever happened again.”

Applejack drew on her cigarette again with a stony expression. “Sunset Shimmer, you’re about to get into a world of hurt. And I promise, it ain’t gonna be the TV that’s gonna get it!”

This just made the redhead laugh. After a moment, Applejack smiled at her, like a shark smelling blood.

When they finished their smoke break, the two crept into the house. Applejack paused by the front door to turn off the porch light. No one was downstairs, though the house wasn’t exactly quiet. Upstairs, where Big Mac and Apple Bloom’s rooms were, there was some faint sound. Someone was strumming a guitar. There was also indistinct chatter, like from a television or radio. At least Granny Smith appeared to be asleep. The crack under her door was dark, and the room sounded quiet.

Sunset looked around at the darkened living room. The kitchen was lit up only by the stove light.

Applejack turned to Sunset. “Game’s upstairs. Ya want anythin’ while we’re down here? Food, drink? We still got leftovers, I think. Juice. Cider.” She glanced at the stairs and said more quietly, “Want some of Mac’s Irish whiskey?”

Sunset lifted her eyebrows. “He won’t mind?”

The cowgirl shook her head quickly. “Nah. He’s always offerin’ it to me.”

“A shot of that and some coffee sounds good.”

Applejack nodded with a grin. “You read my mind.”

Sunset felt like she could use a bump in courage. All she felt of the weed at this point was a vague exhaustion buoyed by nerves. The car incident had rattled her. She hadn’t expected that. But then, she supposed, she was used to Grogar’s men. They were more reserved. Open aggression was antithetical to their goals, after all. But those people that had tailed them tonight had been…different. Dangerous.

She hated to think that she’d put Applejack in danger. But it seemed that the men were only interested in scaring her tonight. If she’d been alone? Maybe they would have done more. She supposed that, in that respect, she was glad her friend had come with her. Still, Sunset’s stomach flopped unpleasantly.

Capper had told her to get out of town. Should she…?

But the allure of retro gaming, and being able to play one of her all-time favorite long-lost games no less, was too much to resist. That, and the earnest look in Applejack’s eyes as she’d asked her to stay, had been powerful. The other girl may as well have grabbed her friend and not let go. Even as her common sense pricked her, Sunset found herself held fast.

She’d stay. Just for tonight, at least. Maybe hang around the area till this weekend? She had promises to keep, after all. And she was enjoying herself more than she had in a long time.

She sat at the kitchen table while she watched Applejack prepare the coffee.

“It’s late,” Sunset remarked, glancing at the clock on the stove. She knew that was a bland observation, but she just wanted to fill the silence.

Applejack glanced at her as she turned the coffeemaker on. “Sure is. This coffee will give us a second wind.”

“You think the girls are still out?”

“Prob’ly.”

A pause. Applejack coughed and scratched at her cheek as she turned and leaned back on the kitchen counter. “I, uh… I think the girl Rainbow wants to set me up with went with ‘em.”

Sunset frowned. “The girl that Rainbow…” Then her mind caught up as she thought about who Rainbow had said was going out with them tonight. “Oh, you mean Sassaflash?”

Applejack smiled with pursed lips as she nodded.

“Her?” Sunset said, surprised by how surprised she was. “When did Rainbow tell you?”

“Sometime tonight. She sent me a picture of her.”

“...Can I see?” Morbid curiosity had always gotten her in trouble, but Sunset found it hard to resist even now that she was reformed.

Applejack froze, her eyes going wide. “Uh, suuure?”

Sunset smiled crookedly. “You sound worried.”

“I mean…” Applejack blew out her cheeks and took off her hat to run her hand through her blonde hair. She laughed a little. “I guess I just dunno what to think.”

“I’m just curious. Can I see? Pretty please?” Sunset put on her best puppy dog eyes.

Applejack sighed with a grin and pulled out her phone. After unlocking it and pulling up the picture, she handed it to Sunset.

Sunset looked at Sassaflash on the screen. She certainly looked very sexy, but her outfit had a bit of naughty grit, too. Sunset oohed. “Wow! She looks really good!” She looked cheekily at Applejack. “What did you think?”

Applejack rubbed at her face and took a deep breath. When she dropped her hand, she blushed behind her freckles. “Um. She’s pretty?”

Sunset’s smile curled a little. “That’s it?”

“Sunset Shimmer, are you teasin’ me?”

“What? I just want to know!”

Applejack shook her head as she crammed her hat back on. She turned around to pull a pair of coffee mugs from the cupboards.

Sunset looked at the picture on the phone thoughtfully. Minutes went by, and the conversation turned to forgettable chatter: whether or not they looked forward to school tomorrow, things they had to study, and what the weather would be like.

After a bit of this, Sunset looked at the picture of Sassaflash again. Then without any prompting, she stated, “I’d sleep with her.”

There was a clatter. She looked and saw Applejack picking up the coffee mugs from the counter. She’d dropped them.

“Did anything break?” Sunset asked, her brow creasing.

“N-No. Thankfully.” Applejack took a deep breath as she grabbed the now-filled coffee decanter and poured it into the mugs. She peeked at Sunset. “So you’d…?”

Sunset smirked. “Yeah. Wouldn’t you?”

“Well, I…” Applejack shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

Sunset sobered. She’d taken her game too far, clearly. But she didn’t really want to ease off yet. There was something she was building up to asking. Now that they were alone and out of danger, she just had to ask. She chewed her lip before checking the stairs and spoke quietly. “Applejack, did you want to sleep with me tonight?”

Applejack, who had been procuring the Irish whiskey from Big Mac’s hiding place in the kitchen broom closet, stopped dead. She turned to stare at Sunset Shimmer while she loosely held the bottle’s neck, only half risen from where she’d had to reach toward the back corner of the closet. “What was that?” her voice was a little strangled.

“I asked if you wanted to have sex with me.” Sunset sat back in her chair, her gaze steady on her friend.

Applejack straightened, and she glanced nervously toward the other side of the house where the rest of her family was resting for the evening. Then she shut the closet door and went over to the mugs on the counter.

“Did you… Not want to with me anymore?” Applejack asked haltingly.

Sunset smiled. “No, I still do. I just…wanted to ask more plainly. To be sure. Misunderstandings really, really suck.”

“And yer speakin’ from experience, I take it?”

“Yep.”

Applejack’s shoulders hunched a little as she cleared her throat. She unscrewed the bottle and splashed some whiskey into a mug. Then she paused and splashed a lot more into it until the liquid was near the top. She looked at Sunset. “You want just a shot’s worth, right?”

Sunset nodded. She wanted some help relaxing, but she’d learned her lesson earlier that night. She wanted to be mentally present for this.

She watched as her friend poured only about half as much into the other mug, then setting the bottle down, she picked up both mugs and walked over to the table to sit. Sunset watched her hands. They were trembling a little.

Applejack swore under her breath as some of her drink spilled over. She handed Sunset hers while sipping carefully at her mug. The redhead waited patiently for her friend to say something as she watched the other girl wipe her wet fingers on her pants.

After a quick grimace, Applejack set her mug back down and looked at Sunset Shimmer. “Sun, I… do want to sleep with you tonight. If I may.”

Sunset had to fight from cooing. The other girl was being so formal about it; it was adorable! Instead, she leaned forward onto the table and lifted her mug to her lips. She took a quick sip, her mouth bursting with nutty, spicy, and even caramel flavors. Then, she smiled at Applejack. “Good. As much as I’d like to play old video games, I want you more.”

Applejack choked on her next sip, and Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle a little this time.

“Girl, you are killing me,” Applejack said weakly. But she was smiling. “Seems to me like you’re just trying to find an excuse not to get your butt whooped.”

Now, Sunset set her mug down with a mock glare. “I may not have played a ton of Alley Fighter, but I bet I could still knock you flat! I have tons of fighting game experience!”

“Mm-hmm, sure.”

“Speaking of distracting from things—you still never answered me about Sassaflash.”

Applejack winced. “Oh.”

“You like her,” Sunset said, but her voice lacked the teasing lilt of before.

She watched her friend shrug. “I mean… Listen, she looks nice, but I don’t know her. I know you, and we’ve been having such a good time, but I ain’t even sure what we’re doing yet, y’know?”

Sunset nodded slowly. “Sorry. I know I’m probably kind of confusing for you.”

“A little bit,” Applejack admitted reluctantly before taking another sip. She rotated her mug in her hands. “I mean, you got multiple partners an’ all, but I’m…” she paused, frowning. She looked away. “Ah, this ain’t the time to talk about this.”

Sunset reached across the table and put a hand on Applejack’s wrist. “Hey, no. It’s okay. We can talk about this. It’s good that we do this now. Before…y’know.” She squeezed her friend’s wrist gently. “How do you feel about this whole thing? With me? Is there something you want to ask?”

Applejack took a long drink of her coffee, no doubt scalding her tongue, but she didn’t seem to care. She looked carefully at Sunset, though not quite in the eye. “Not really. I think I know the score. You ain’t interested in settling down with one person. But… Well…” she shrugged helplessly. “I just ain’t the same, Sunset. I’m an Apple, and we… We put down roots.”

“So I think the question is… Are you okay if I’m not like that?” Sunset asked quietly.

Their eyes met.

Sunset felt like so much passed between them. These little exchanges, where they said nothing and everything, were fascinating and gripping—and scary. It was hard to put into words, but if she had to explain this to Twilight later (and she feared she would have to), then the best she could frame it was like…having the whole world narrow to just the two of them. Sunset couldn’t move, could barely breathe, and without ever reaching out, she felt Applejack. And it was a warm feeling. Electric, too, like she had the rage and passion of a prairie storm in her chest. Her hair stood on end, her body grew hot, and she felt incredible understanding pass over her.

Even so, Applejack spoke the thoughts Sunset had already taken to heart through their shared gaze. The cowgirl’s soft voice, deeper from the weight of the words, conjured thoughts of the poem she’d recited recently.

But his heart is warm and tender when he sees a friend in need,
Though his education is but to endure.

And endure Applejack did until the pain started manifesting on the outside.

“Sunset Shimmer, I can’t tell ya how many nights I’ve felt like a seed buried too deep in the ground. I been cold and in the dark by myself for a long while. I worked for everyone around me. Stopped ever asking for anything for myself. It felt like that was jes gonna be my life. I was never gonna bloom. Then you showed up and…” She sighed roughly, her eyes creasing. Sunset bit her lip, stifling some silly remark about how she’d shown up and caused her friend trouble. She watched as Applejack assembled what she wanted to say.

“Heck, ain’t it something when the girl who represents Honesty stopped feeling like she could be honest? I couldn’t let anyone know about what I was feeling. Till it turned into—” And here, Applejack grabbed at her bandage, still hidden by Sunset Shimmer’s spell, and removed it, undoing the magic to reveal her burn wounds. She looked earnestly at Sunset, and the redhead felt another jolt of electricity run through her as she beheld the seared burn wounds. “But when you started spending time with me, I realized I ain’t gotta be perfect no more. I ain’t gotta be the strong one no more. I feel like I can breathe again. Maybe even do more than I ever did before. Does that make sense?”

Applejack grimaced and looked away, her cheeks burning. She had to know how unnecessary the question was. When her green eyes returned to lock gazes again, she had a rueful smile on her freckled face.

Sunset swallowed through a tight throat. She felt so much right now. But of all her emotions, she feared showing how hungry she felt. This…what was this? Rather than voice any of her befuddled thoughts, she only murmured, “Yes,” and balled her hands up under the table. If only to stop herself from grabbing her friend and kissing her fiercely.

Was it the magic connection from earlier? What…was happening between them?

Applejack’s expression turned pained. “The thing is, Sunset—It ain’t so simple with me either. I’m…still hung up on Fluttershy. I hate to say it, but I am. Even if I wanted to, I dunno if I’m ready to be anyone’s one and only. No matter how much I wanna be.” She set her mug down and reached across the table with an overturned hand. Sunset stared at it before slowly shifting her arm and grasping the other girl’s hand. Her palms were sweaty. Did Applejack notice?

If she did, she made no sign of it. Applejack went on, even softer than before: “So if ya want to be with other people, that’s jes fine with me. Y’hear? But you’re enough for me. More’n enough. So as nice as Sassaflash is, I think I’m a-gonna have to pass.”

“All right,” Sunset said with a small grin. She hadn’t been surprised to hear Applejack was still into Fluttershy. She had no delusion that she could somehow free her friend from such a longtime crush so quickly, or even at all. These were all things she understood. Was satisfied with, even.

After all, in her experience, you could be with many and be rewarded in many ways. Divided feelings? That was Sunset’s entire love life. She was just happy Applejack was even letting her in at all.

Applejack nodded, smiling back at her. All at once, the cowgirl seemed to relax, like a load had been lifted off her shoulders.

Then, in light of this shift, and because she was feeling mischievous again, Sunset Shimmer asked, “So if you’re not interested in Sassaflash, mind passing her off to me?”

Her friend kicked her under the table, making Sunset snort into a laugh. Applejack rolled her eyes, but before long, she was chuckling too.

‘What was this’? Sunset Shimmer set the question aside as she felt her resolve solidify.

This was fun, companionship, and pure pleasure, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

They finished their coffees. With Sunset’s help, Applejack reapplied the medicine Forest Tender had given her and placed a new bandage on her arm. Then they went upstairs. Applejack plugged the TurboNinja into the box TV while listening to Sunset gush about her having a CRT and the “perfect retro gaming set up for an authentic experience.” She chuckled at the look of utter nerdy bliss on her friend’s face. At Sunset’s insistence, they played Ticklefruit first.

“You have to see what you’ve been missing,” Sunset said earnestly.

Applejack just gave her a bemused look as they sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the old TV. “Sunset, y’know I’ve played this before, right?”

“Not like this! Watch.”

And Applejack did. Sunset eagerly explained as the bright and colorful start menu appeared. Jungle trees swayed in the breeze as cartoony pixel fruit smiled and swayed. “You see, the thing is that Ticklefruit had a ton of easter eggs. The TurboNinja was actually built with an internal clock. So if I entered a special button combo on the start screen—”

Sunset entered a rather complex series of button presses that made Applejack lift her eyebrows. Then her eyes snapped onto the TV screen as something strange happened.

The once bright and sunny tropical screen suddenly changed to a dark and cool-colored nighttime display. A full moon could be seen through the broad jungle leaves as one pineapple cheekily asked (via speech bubble), It’s late! Go hit the garden bed!

Applejack whistled. “That’s neat!”

Sunset grinned at her. “You haven’t seen anything yet. I think the first level has ten easter eggs alone!”

And Applejack watched, enraptured as Sunset, using the banana character “Peel,” bounced, zipped, and slid through a whimsical world of jungle vines, giant flowers, and pesky insects. Sunset hadn’t been kidding. She’d never seen this side of Ticklefruit before. When she’d been younger, she could barely get past the first level, and that was usually after using up all her lives. But somehow, her friend was playing the game with such expertise that Applejack had to ask, “How in tarnation are you doing that?”

Sunset glanced at her as she unveiled the easter egg, revealing a special powerup that allowed Peel to change colors. “Sorry, didn’t I mention? I’ve played this game before. But as a ROM on my computer. It’s the way most people play this game, y’know.”

Applejack had no idea what a ROM was or how this old game could possibly have made its way to computers. However, she still had to stare with amazement as Sunset found another special easter egg that poked fun at a famous video game character from the time: A blue hedgehog sleeping on a pile of rings in a hidden room behind a waterfall. The hedgehog was overweight, having gorged himself on various fruits. Applejack let out a laugh.

Sunset cleared the next level before stopping of her own accord. “If I don’t, I could go on forever,” she admitted with a guilty smile. She did write down the level password so that she could resume playing at level three the next time she turned the game on.

Applejack plucked up the cartridge for Alley Fighter 2. It showed one man in a red bandana bearing down on a strange green beast-man.

“Ready to lose?” she asked with a smirk.

Sunset tongued her cheek and crossed her arms. “Are you?”

“I ain’t plannin’ on it, sugar cube.” Applejack chuckled as she placed the cartridge into the TurboNinja and turned the system back on.

“Then let’s make this interesting.” Sunset gestured at the screen with an arched eyebrow. “Best of three. The loser has to lose a piece of clothing.”

Applejack paused mid-action as she tried to plug in a second controller. She could feel her heart rate kick up. But either the whiskey was doing its job, or she was getting more accustomed to Sunset’s boldness because she looked over her shoulder at the other girl and said with a wink, “Best of three? Nah. How about per round.” She sat back and grinned. “Winner gets to pick what goes, too.”

Sunset’s cheeks flushed a little, but she returned the grin and nodded.

They chose their fighters carefully. Applejack even consented to allow Sunset to look at her move list and practice for a few minutes before they began their contest in earnest.

Then… It started.

Applejack had chosen her favorite character, the green beast-man with orange hair who could channel electricity through his body. Predictably, in the past, Rainbow Dash had gravitated toward the flashy, blonde-haired Air Force pilot in camo pants. As a result, Applejack had mastered that character’s best counter—the green beast-man could easily duck several of the pilot’s attacks, and he had strong counters that prevented Rainbow from effectively using several of her character’s moves. Applejack had a few other characters she was decent at, but she wanted a strong start to demoralize her opponent.

To Applejack’s disappointment, Sunset did not choose the blonde pilot but instead chose the leggy Chinese policewoman with the twin hair buns. She watched, grudgingly impressed, as Sunset familiarized herself with the policewoman’s moves. Sunset was good. It took her less than ten minutes to have a decent handle on three of the character’s iconic moves. And she’d even figured out how to succeed at the tricky special attack!

When she was done, Sunset looked at Applejack with a confident expression. “Ready?”

Applejack licked her lips and nodded. “Ready.”

The first match was tense.

Sunset valiantly attacked Applejack’s character, but even given her startling grasp of her chosen fighter, she struggled against the cowgirl’s experience. Applejack had always had a strong defense, and her zone control could be intimidating. Just when one might be inclined to accuse her of turtling, though, she’d suddenly launched a devastating offensive. Her opponent was left sputtering.

“How did you do that?!” Sunset exclaimed as Applejack pulled off a series of heavy-hitting blows, topped off with a well-timed grapple.

“I think they call that skill, darlin’.”

“Well, I call that a stupid hitbox. Oh, come on!” Sunset dropped her controller in her lap as the policewoman let out an anguished cry upon taking a killing blow.

“KO!” the game announcer cried dramatically.

Despite her success, Applejack’s hands were sweaty. Her heart was working hard in her chest, and she bit her lip to stop herself grinning like a horny fool.

“I win,” she said, calmly looking toward her friend.

Sunset pouted at her. “Fine. What goes?”

What indeed. Applejack swallowed loudly as she let her eyes roam over her friend. Since coming up to her attic bedroom, they’d both already discarded their shoes, Sunset’s jacket, and Applejack’s hat and vest. It was still a bit uneven, Applejack had to admit. She had on an extra layer than her friend, who was only dressed in a leather bra, chapped jeans, and socks. She assumed the studded choker didn’t count.

Smirking, Applejack gestured at her socks. “Take ‘em off.”

Sunset snorted but complied. “Starting slow?”

“I ain’t in a rush. You’re about to be spanked.”

Sunset gave her a mischievous look. “Promise?”

Applejack did a double-take, her eyes widening. “Wha—no! I meant—!”

“Heads up, the match is starting.”

“Sunset Shimmer, dagnabbit—”

Applejack lost the next round. She gesticulated furiously at herself, arguing that Sunset had engaged in illegal psychological warfare!

Sunset’s only response was to look at the blonde smugly and say, “Take off your shirt.”

That shut Applejack up fast. Blushing furiously, she wagged a finger at the other girl and said with narrowed eyes. “Oh, it’s on.”

Sunset blinked at her innocently. “No. Off. It’s coming off. All of it.”

Growling, Applejack threw her shirt into Sunset’s laughing face, her dark navy bra now visible. Her chest and shoulders were a bright pink, making her freckles stand out. She tried to lower her body temperature through sheer will. She needed to be clear-headed for the next fight!

They played another round. It was a tighter fight, and it was not that Applejack could take it easy this time. It wasn’t like playing against Pinkie Pie’s wild button-mashing. Sunset was a very adaptable opponent, and she was getting a better sense of…everything. The timing of her character’s moves. The hitboxes. She was even learning Applejack’s strategy.

“You’re not stun-locking me again!” Sunset laughed as she counter-struck the beast-man’s flying cannonball across the screen with a well-timed helicopter kick.

“Damn!” Applejack cursed.

It was close, but Applejack won. With a soft whoop, she punched the air and turned a victorious gaze on Sunset. The other girl was looking at her with a resigned smile. “Okay. What do I lose?”

Sunset’s cerulean-green eyes seemed to have a daring edge to them. Go ahead, they said. Make me take it off. I know you want to.

But Applejack had more grit than that. “Lose the pants,” she said. She patted herself on the back for how steadily she’d said that.

Sunset huffed but did as she was told. Applejack looked away at first, feeling mildly embarrassed, before she remembered that looking was part of the winner’s prize. So she looked.

As her friend shimmied out of her dark jeans and leather chaps, it soon became apparent that she was wearing—

Black underwear. But the material was sheer, and the sides were mere bikini straps. From where they sat, there was just the glow of the television and the warm but humble light from Applejack’s bedside lamp. The bedroom was dim enough that shadows hugged the edges of Sunset’s smooth legs, the cool glow of the TV highlighting her contours wonderfully—the curvy line of her thigh, the crest of her hip.

Applejack was dismayed to find it didn’t light up everything. Sunset’s underwear may have been sheer, but they were still black. But, even to see as much as she did—Applejack’s breathing became more labored.

Sunset, completely at ease with the attention, looked coquettishly at her friend. “Another round?”

All Applejack could do was nod.

She decided it was time to change characters. She needed to stay ahead of Sunset’s adaptability. The trouble was she was trading her best character for one she wasn’t quite as good at. Still, she hoped the change would be enough to set Sunset off her rhythm. She picked the hairy Russian wrestler. She liked his power and his straightforward fighting style. Plus, his cyclone attack had a wide range that took the inexperienced off-guard.

And boy was Sunset off-guard.

“What the heck! That guy’s spinny attack is ridiculous. It’s like my character gets sucked in!” she complained.

Applejack only chortled. “Hey, don’t blame the game, sugar cube. It’s just an experience thing.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at her. “We’ll see how well you do after this. Top or bottom?”

Applejack breathed in deeply, then burst out laughing on the exhale. Man, she was more jittery than a jumping bean in an earthquake!

But it was a serious question. As serious as the answer to life… At least, it felt that big to her right then. Top or bottom. Top or bottom! God, did she ever think she’d face such a dilemma?

After a long moment staring at the game’s pause screen, Applejack slowly looked at Sunset.

“Bottom.”

Sunset stared at her. “Really?”

Applejack nodded, a solemn expression on her face. “Eyup.”

“Can… Can I ask why?” The cowgirl could see the thought process running through her friend’s head, and she stifled a laugh. How odd her choice must have been! Was Applejack an ass girl, not a boob girl?

The answer was far more pragmatic than that. “I aim to win, Sun. And fact is, making you topless would be a mite too distractin’ if ya catch my drift.”

Sunset batted her eyes, then laughed. “Smart!” She sighed as she stood. “But y’know, what if I need a break?”

Now it was Applejack’s turn to blink. “A break?”

“Mmhmm.” Sunset Shimmer grinned devilishly as she turned her back to the other girl, and with a wink, she pulled her underwear off. Applejack stared, transfixed, for now her friend stood in better lighting, and lord almighty, she saw everything.

And Sunset seemed aware of this, for after stepping out of her underwear, she then…stretched.

Applejack’s breathing grew more rapid as she watched Sunset set her feet wide apart, breathe in deep, and hinge forward in a perfect forward fold. Sunset smiled, and for once, her grin had a measure of self-consciousness mixed in with the amusement. But embarrassed? Heck, embarassed? Her? No. Applejack wouldn’t in a million years think that as the redhead looked at her upside down from under the open view of her exposed sex.

Applejack fought hard. She did. She kept her eyes fixed on Sunset’s for about as long as she could. But damn her brain, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing up and seeing a flash of—

Glossy pink petals highlighted by the glow of the screen, glaringly moist, peeking between two soft mounds of flesh. A smooth round ass, jiggling a little as Sunset laughed, and the cute as a button asshole winking between the cheeks.

Then it finally hit Applejack. Sunset was waxed clean all over.

Finally, Applejack slapped a hand to her eyes and turned away. “Aw, Sunset— That’s playing dirty!”

“What? I just needed a stretch. It’s tough sitting on the floor so long,” Sunset grunted.

Applejack couldn’t help it. She peeked between her fingers again, then quickly looked away. Sunset was still folded over. She was just stretching toward each ankle now.

“Sit on the bed if you’re so dang tired!”

“I’m happy to get on your bed, but only if you join me.”

“Oh for the love of—will you sit down? You’re hornier than a two-peckered billy goat!”

“Hey, I’m not the one turning redder than one of your apples,” Sunset chuckled. But Applejack heard her sit down.

When she was sure it was safe, she glared at Sunset. “You’re trying to get in my head again.”

“Am I?” Sunset asked with a curling smile.

“I’m starting to think you do need a spank.”

“Promises, promises. I’m starting to think you’re a tease.”

Applejack scratched at her head with both hands in frustration. “Rrrgh, shut up and play!”

The next match was disastrous. Applejack would have liked to think it was because she wasn’t as good with the Russian wrestler. Or that Sunset was just such a fast learner that her increasing skill with the Chinese policewoman made her inevitably more dangerous. But the fact was…

Applejack had lost her cool.

All she could think about was Sunset’s spread-ass cheeks, that smooth pussy, and her playful but heated stare.

“I win!” Sunset chirped happily.

Applejack glowered at her. “Yeah, yeah, you won. So… what do ya want me to take off next?” Her cheeks burned as Sunset flashed her teeth in a predatory smile.

“Your bra.”

“Listen, this is just cruel!” Applejack balked with wide eyes. “You know I only had two choices last time, right?”

“You could have chosen my choker!”

“Buh—I didn’t think that counted!”

Sunset crossed her arms, her gaze flatly unsympathetic. “Bra. Off. Now.”

Applejack could feel her blush creep down her neck. Her heart was just beating hard. It felt on fire. With shaky hands, she slipped off her bra straps. Sulkily, she asked, “Help with the back, would ya? I hate twistin’ these damn things around.”

Sunset’s smile turned kinder. “Sure.” She scooted so that she sat behind Applejack. There was a brief struggle, and then Applejack felt the release. Despite her nerves, she couldn’t help but sigh and stretch her back a little, flexing and squeezing her muscles. She hated wearing bras. Because of her breast size, it was practically mandatory that she wear them all the time. It was part of why she savored her time at home in the evenings when she got to be free of the evil things.

She didn’t expect to hear the appreciative hum behind her as she finished her stretch. She looked over her shoulder at Sunset, who was eyeing her with clear lust in her eye. “No wonder you’re so strong,” the redhead murmured. “Y’know, they say a lot of strength stems from the back? Yours is… Geez.”

Applejack hugged her bra to the front of her chest, not quite ready to let it go yet. Her ears felt heated now, too. “I may not try very hard like some people think, but I do work out. I share a bench press and some weights with Big Mac. It’s in one of the smaller barns.”

“Mind telling me what you can bench press? I can manage seventy pounds.”

“Oh. That’s pretty good.” Applejack fidgeted. “I, uh, I can do three hundred.”

Sunset inhaled sharply. “Three hundred??”

Applejack slumped a little, frowning. To her, this seemed less impressive and more freakish. She just couldn’t help but be honest. “Yup. Y’know, before I power up with pony ears...”

Sunset shoved Applejack in the back a little, making the blonde jerk in surprise. “You’re telling me you can bench press that much and still feel shy?! Holy crap, I just wanna see you pose!”

“I…” Applejack blinked, her brain slowly processing that statement. She looked back at Sunset in confusion. “Y-You do?”

Sunset nodded emphatically, her eyes wide. “Yes. Super bad.” She winced and then held up her hands. “Sorry, am I seeming pushy? It’s not like I’ve never dealt with confidence issues and had other people see something as great when I didn’t. I guess a part of me is a little envious.”

Now, Applejack frowned a little. “You wanna be stronger or something?”

“I guess? I work out, too, but I just don’t have as much time to devote to it as I’d like. I mostly jog and squeeze in the occasional free pilates class. I can’t afford a gym membership, and I don’t have anywhere to keep weights.”

“Huh!” Applejack lifted her eyebrows. She jerked her head toward the windows, where the barn that contained the weights could be seen just across the way. “You’re free to use ours whenever you want.” Then she chuckled. “Heck, if you keep helping on the farm and eating my food, I bet you’d bulk up, no prob.”

Sunset laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I suppose!” Her smile turned crooked. “Now… Are you gonna drop that bra, or what?”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Oh. Uh, right.” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll drop it—but just be warned, I’m pale as heck where the sun don’t shine!”

“If your chest is anything to go by, I think it’ll be fine.”

Applejack closed her eyes. Nothin’ to it but to do it, she thought with resignation.

She slipped the bra off…

And promptly shivered. “Aw dang, it’s cold!” Her nipples were peach pink. Her breasts were full and round, even she could admit. It was hard to deny the truth when they brought her so much trouble. Not just back aches but annoying attention from men. Only Pinkie beat her out on sheer size among their group.

Sunset had slid over to the side and had a quick laugh. “I’ll say! You’re really perky.”

Applejack tried to hide her hard nipples, looking dismayed. It was a failing effort. When she squeezed her crossed arms over her boobs, they just pillowed around them, no longer restrained by the tyrannical bra. “Aw, Sunset, I can’t help it,” she complained.

The other girl gave her an arch look as she reached over and gently but firmly removed Applejack’s arms from her breasts. “Hey, I’m the one sitting bare butt on your floor. Besides, I think it’s cute. And yummy.” She bit her lip, then tucked her chin and asked, “May I touch them?”

Applejack made a sound in the back of her throat. She’d initially meant it to be a growl, but it came out strangled like her growing dismay was trying to punch a mewl up instead. The sound was decidedly less assertive than she would have liked.

Sunset leaned in, her eyes hooded. “Was that a yes?”

Applejack shook her head vigorously. It was a full ten seconds before she could find the words to speak. “N-Not yet. Not till there’s a winner.”

Her friend pouted. Then her eyes brightened. “Y’know, we never decided what the winner gets aside from the other person being totally naked. I think it’d be better if there were a grand prize.”

Applejack swallowed hard. “What were you thinking?”

Sunset tilted her head to one side, her gaze smoldering. “Winner gets to kiss the other person where they want to.”

“Oh.” Applejack stared. Kiss wherever…?

“Is that okay? We don’t have to if that’s too much.” Sunset’s eyes tensed a little at Applejack’s hesitation. It was kind and sweet of her to try and be so considerate—not that Sunset hadn’t tested her tonight. Good grief, she had! But Applejack wasn’t so out of it that she failed to notice when her friend keenly recognized when the cowgirl was genuinely nearing her limit. It was interesting to see a person be so mischievous and yet so considerate at the same time.

In this case, Sunset was just being overly cautious. It wasn’t that Applejack didn’t want this. She was just trying to wrestle with her damn body right now! She felt warm from head to toe, and her lungs felt starved.

That said nothing of her sex, already wet and aching with the possibilities.

But she seized on the one sobering thing that she could focus on.

Victory.

After another hard swallow, Applejack nodded once. Her eyes blazed. “Darling, if that’s what you’re willing to risk, then I’m willing to bet. You realize I’m just one piece of clothing away from winning, right?”

Sunset smirked. “So we’re not counting the choker?”

Applejack snorted. “Heck no. ‘Sides, ain’t that just an accessory? Nobody says a pair of glasses is clothing, right?”

“A fair argument, though I think Rarity might quibble on the details.”

“Good thing she ain’t here, huh?”

Sunset’s smile widened. “Yeah.”

They resumed play. The next battle was fierce but ended in a draw. Sunset had gotten really good with her character of choice, and she deferred choosing anyone else. Applejack chose the blonde pilot with the flat-top hairdo. Part of the reason she was somewhat decent on this character was so that she could better understand his timing for when she fought Rainbow. Applejack didn’t really enjoy playing him as much, despite his popularity as a fighter. It felt too much like she was cozying up to the bully that liked to kick her butt. But for this little contest? She’d do anything to win.

Including turtling.

The pilot had one annoying ability. Never mind his ranged sonic boom attack. He could crouch and bait you into a vicious upward kick attack that was hard to avoid.

“Oh, you’re a jerk,” Sunset groused.

Applejack grinned evilly. “Hey, we’re playing for keeps, sweetheart, and y’know I ain’t one for losin’.”

“Neither am I.”

That’s when Sunset broke through Applejack’s defense. The blonde watched in shock as Sunset unleashed her character’s range attack, a white burning fireball the policewoman pushed out with both hands, then rushed in for a vicious combo. Applejack had thought the pilot crouching would be enough, but apparently, she hadn’t been blocking in the right direction because the fireball hit, stun-locking the pilot long enough for Sunset to close in.

The problem, Applejack quickly realized, was that while she’d been trying to keep Sunset off-balanced with different characters, Sunset had been steadily improving with the same one. One thing Sunset had noticed was that the policewoman actually had great range and was very good at rushing enemy opponents.

Applejack tried to recover. After Sunset’s massive attack, Applejack managed to counter the next onslaught and nail a small combo in return. But it was too little, too late.

Applejack lost.

Sunset thrust her hands up in the air. “Yes!”

“What next,” Applejack asked with a sigh.

Sunset went for blood. “Pants!”

“All right…”

She slipped off the jeans and felt like her heart was in her throat. She was wearing green briefs, whose vibrant shade didn’t quite match her now-discarded bra, but she was at least grateful she’d had the presence of mind to shave her bikini line that night.

The next match was a draw. Applejack was flabbergasted. It was hard to get a draw on this game! When they played again, Applejack could see the writing on the wall. Picking the pilot had been a mistake. Sunset had her number, and despite Applejack’s defensive play, she lost.

Applejack gave Sunset a look of profound suffering. Sunset giggled at her expression. “Okay, okay!” she said. “I’ll be nice. But it’s just staving off the inevitable. Socks off!”

They had a chance to choose new characters again. Applejack, grumbling, returned to the green beast-man. Surely she could turn this around with her best character?

It was a closer fight. Very close. But Applejack was determined not to have a draw again. She wanted to win! She wanted to taste—

Sunset struck her character with a high kick. They were both in critical health. Applejack's eyes widened, her thumbs slipping on the buttons from the sweat. She had to block! Usually, when Sunset went high, she struck low. Applejack made the beast-man duck and kick low…

But Sunset had been waiting for that. She countered, and not just that, she’d used her special!

Applejack watched, slack-jawed, as the policewoman blinked forward. A high buzz of power pierced through the background music as she unleashed a strong series of kicks that launched the beast-man across the screen to his doom.

“KO!” the game announcer cried.

“But—!” Applejack stared down at the controller. But that was her best character! How did…?

“I believe that’s a wrap,” Sunset said with clear satisfaction as she pantomimed, dusting off her hands.

Applejack glared at her. She was genuinely frustrated but wasn’t a sore loser like Rainbow Dash had once been (and sometimes still was). She could admit she’d been beaten. It still rankled her pride, though, and she said as much.

“Ya whooped me good, Sunset, but I’d like to think this woulda ended differently if I’d just played smarter.”

Sunset tilted her head in acquiescence. “Maybe.” She ran her teeth over her bottom lip and pointed delicately at the bed. “You wanna… Do the honors over there?”

Applejack stiffened as the consequence of her failure finally struck home. Now she felt her whole body turn red. She ran her hand through her hair and mumbled, “Sure.”

And suddenly, like an unwelcome guest, an old memory surfaced. A weed pushing out of the dirt, unfurling its leaves and preparing its bud. She thought of her last rodeo. Tried not to, but the thought was there all at once, and it wouldn’t leave.

They stood up from the floor, leaving the controllers behind, not even bothering to turn the game off. The old TV remained displaying the pause screen, the two fighters still squaring off for a fight that would never come.

Applejack crawled on from the foot of the bed. She only managed to get two-thirds of the way up the mattress before her shaky arms gave out, and she rolled onto her back. She couldn’t help but recall that her arms had shaken this way, too, that evening so long ago. She bit the inside of her cheek as she saw Sunset out of the corner of her eye round the bed, sitting carefully on the side and swinging her legs over. She peered down at Applejack with some concern.

“You know, we can just lay here if you need a minute,” she said gently. Her eyes met Applejack’s.

“That… Yeah, I think I need a minute.” Applejack closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead. She felt a little dizzy. Maybe caffeine and alcohol hadn’t been the best idea. For a while, she’d felt fine. Great, even. But her nerves were catching up with her.

All that bold talk… and for what? It wasn’t her. Sure, she could square up with a magical psycho or tell a bully what’s what. Matters of the heart, on the other hand? No. She was downright clumsy.

Downright stupid.

“Is this your first time?” Sunset asked. Her voice was soft. More a breath. She sounded close.

Applejack opened her eyes and turned her head to see Sunset lying on her side and gazing at her. Her heart did a little jump as her eyes met her friend’s. Almost like in the kitchen, she felt the world slow a moment. Felt her body warm, and something unspoken passed between them. But… it was weaker now. Something was in the way. Something like…

Applejack was certain the start of her crush had been Fluttershy’s eyes. Her big blue gaze was so gentle yet observant that it was easy to feel captivated by it. The earnest naivety, the sincere belief in good. The innocence and kindness had ensorcelled Applejack more times than she could count.

Those eyes haunted her. And now…? She was held fast by another beautiful gaze.

Sunset’s eyes may have been a different shade, but it was similar in sensation. The keen attention was there, the kindness too—but lacking was the naivety. How had Applejack missed it before? Sunset’s eyes held the weight of a challenging existence. One that had taken its toll. And yet, they were open. I’ve been through hell. I know what hurting is like. I’m ready to understand, they said.

But whereas almost an hour ago, such a connection would have rendered words redundant, Applejack was certain Sunset couldn't guess what had her hesitating. How nice it had been to speak her mind and sense that Sunset not only grasped her meaning but had anticipated it in some way. Even when she'd revealed her self-harm, the other girl had not been tremendously shocked or horrified. Just pained, as if she'd hoped she'd been wrong, and was saddened to see that was not the case.

It might have been supernatural. Applejack wasn't into the magical theories that could have Sunset and Twilight carrying on for hours, even occasionally gripping Rarity with the possibilities. But she knew this growing connection with Sunset felt a little stronger after their night out. Residual effects from their Harmonizing? Maybe.

If only magic could make this easier.

Applejack swallowed. She fingered the waistband of her underwear. It was late. Why talk now? They had one major plan for the evening; after that, she needed to sleep. It wasn’t like tomorrow wasn’t coming. She still had responsibilities.

She saw Sunset’s eyes flicker down. The other girl’s brow tensed, and then she shifted and placed a staying hand on Applejack’s.

“Hey,” she murmured. “What are you thinking?”

So many things. Not all of them were very convenient. But there was one thought…a memory really. Its thorns sunk deeper and deeper as the seconds trickled by. Guilt piled on. Applejack was making this uncomfortable now. She had to do something—

Sunset reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from Applejack’s gaze. “AJ.”

Applejack caught her hand, her gaze never leaving Sunset’s. “It’s not my first time,” she said quietly. She took the other girl’s hand and placed it over her left breast, where her heart was still hammering. “But it’s the only one that matters.”

Sunset’s thumb stroked the skin just over Applejack’s heart. “Your first wasn’t a good experience?”

Applejack sighed heavily. She shook her head. “Nope.” She reached over and stroked Sunset’s cheek with the backs of her fingers.

Honesty. Why did her element have to be Honesty? She couldn't lie and pretend nothing was wrong. So she made a choice. Meet the problem head-on. Speak the truth. She owed Sunset that much.

So Applejack revealed another skeleton from her closet. This one wasn't a family secret. It was all her own.

“It was two years ago after my last rodeo. A Bronco rider had been makin’ eyes at me the whole time. He was…older. Far too old to be tryin’ to do anything with me, but I was crazy lonely.”

He’d had blue eyes, too, but the emotions in them were superficial, masking a singular basic desire. She only realized that after the fact. At the time, his medium-length orange and gold hair framed his gaze like he was some kind of hero from a Western painting, and it was hard to say no to. Not because she was seriously lustful of him, but because she was desperate. After all…

Surely if someone so handsome wanted her, that meant she wasn’t so ugly?

“We’d just graduated high school, and my crush on Flutters was houndin’ me somethin’ fierce,” Applejack continued. Her voice was thicker. “I…felt worse than a runover coyote. It was the crappiest rodeo performance I’d ever had.”

She looked away. Maybe Sunset could understand. That didn’t make recollecting any easier.

“Rainbow and Pinkie were there. I think you and the others had other things goin’ on. Work. Preppin’ for college. My family was there too, o’ course. They all tried to get me to leave with ‘em after. To shrug it off and crack some jokes over a good meal. But… Heck, I just wanted to die. So I told ‘em to go on without me.”

“You felt worthless.”

Applejack looked at Sunset sharply. The other girl didn’t flinch. “He came to you when you were alone, didn’t he?” Sunset murmured. “The Bronco rider. He made you feel valuable again, I bet.”

“Yes.” Applejack’s jaw tightened.

What a fool she’d been to sit and let that man sweet talk her into something she regretted to this day.

“We’d had a few beers.” She scoffed, sucking at her teeth. “That shoulda been the first red flag, but honestly, it felt nice to have the attention. I watched my drinks, at least. Opened the beers myself. Tried to tell myself I was in control. That I wanted—” Applejack sat up abruptly, waving her hands. “This ain’t good pillow talk, m’sorry. Forget it.”

She drew one knee up and wrapped a tight arm around it, her bicep flexing and squeezing against her leg. She felt stupid and angry with herself. She'd said what she'd needed to, hadn't she? Why did she need to get all sentimental about it? It was in the past! The truth of it was plain and simple. In fact, it was so easy to say she only needed a handful of words, in the fashion of stoic country folk before her who remarked on tragedy like it was as mundane as the weather. She didn't need to spell out all the damned feelings about it—

Sunset sat up, her brow creased and her mouth set. “Listen, if you can’t talk about it, that’s fine. I just want to make sure you’re doing what you want, y’know? I’m perfectly all right. I don’t feel disappointed or impatient with you. Seriously. Even if this is all we did, I’d be okay.”

Applejack leaned on her knee. She ran her hands through her hair and blew out her cheeks. She looked at Sunset sidelong. Her guilt over derailing the evening twisted into a new shape. Keep it simple? Leave out the feelings? Is that what Sunset had done when she'd spilled her guts about her past?

Applejack ducked her gaze.

“Thanks. It isn’t that I don’t want this. It’s just…the last time I did this… Sex. It hurt. A lot.” Still, the words didn't come easily for Applejack. She felt them sticking in her throat.

Sunset winced, her expression melting to one of grief. “Did he force you?” she whispered.

“Does it matter?” Applejack said with a sarcastic smile. Then she felt bad and said quieter. “What I mean is… It wasn’t equal. It was an older man and a younger girl who was confused and lonely as all get out. So it wasn’t really…that kinda rape. But it isn’t better, is it? I’ve thought about it more since, and to think that Apple Bloom could go through the same thing,” she shook her head. “It ain’t right. All I can do is pray to God that my lil’ sis has more love for herself and doesn’t let anyone manipulate ‘er like that.”

“It wasn’t your fault either. He was the adult. He sought you out.”

“Do you tell yourself that, too?” Applejack asked, her eyes tensing a little as she looked at Sunset.

The other girl hesitated. Then she said carefully, “My situation was complicated. What happened to me wasn’t right. It shouldn’t have happened, and I wish it hadn’t. But I had more agency than you did. I was a grownup in a child’s body, and it wasn’t until a couple of years went by that my psyche started to reflect my physical age. Like a radio slowly dialing into a signal. The damage was there by the time that happened, but I was already out of the game. Even when I started having multiple partners, some of whom were older than me, like Sherry, I was physically and mentally at least eighteen years old. Does that make sense?”

Applejack thought this over. Then she slowly nodded, “Sure. Sorry, I don’t mean to compare apples to oranges, I just… When do ya take responsibility, then? Cuz I never did say stop. I thought about it. And I wasn’t afraid to, neither, I just…” her lip curled. “I just wanted to feel normal.”

Sunset slowly shook her head. “Sounds to me like you don’t have any reason to feel ashamed. You were alone and depressed. He gave you alcohol, and he preyed on you when you were weakest. Even adult women would say that was shady. We can quibble over terms all we like, AJ, but there is such a thing as dubious consent. It’s hard to justify what that man did. At worst, he was a manipulative statutory rapist. At best, he was a massively selfish creep.”

Applejack shrugged. “Maybe. He was the first one to make a move. We were in the back of the horse stalls, sittin’ on hay bales. He sat closer to me and put his hand on my leg. Then he came in close for a kiss, and I…” She sighed heavily, feeling her stomach lurch.

Sunset looked down. “AJ, it's all right. You don't need to give me a play-by-play.”

Applejack nodded gratefully and continued. “We did it standin’ up. It hurt. He wasn’t gentle. He wasn’t like…like you, always stopping to see how I feel. Askin’ what I want. Every time he thrust, I felt like I was splitting apart. And the Bronco rider? He had his good time, zipped up his pants, then left without a word. Shoot, he ran. He was probably afraid he’d get in trouble. He wasn’t local, so I never saw ‘im again.”

Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “Damn it, everything down there hurt for days afterward.” Applejack felt her throat tighten. “It was harder to look everyone in the eye after that. I used college as an excuse, but I had plenty of reasons to hide.” It was why she’d scoffed at Sunset’s claims that she and her family were somehow these ‘clean All-Americans’ that were as wholesome as apple pie.

Sunset had thought she was broken goods. If that was the case, they sat in the same section of one messed-up store.

“And that was the only time you’ve ever been with someone?” Sunset asked, her eyes creased with anguish.

Applejack smirked. “Yes. I didn’t feel eager to try again, as ya probably can imagine. The sad part was, I didn’t feel any more normal after we was through. That’s when I knew tryin’ to pretend I liked guys wouldn’t do me any good. I jes…couldn’t ever bring myself to say I liked girls, either.”

She felt Sunset hug her gently from the side. Slowly. As if to give Applejack the chance to stop her. She didn’t. After a moment, she leaned into the touch and closed her eyes. She put her hands on Sunset’s even to hold her there.

She felt unworthy of the sympathy. Sunset may have made poor choices, but evil of that sort never happened by accident. The things perpetrated against her had all been deliberate and wrong. A poor nature didn’t justify that kind of abuse. In many ways, they were not her fault, either. Applejack had one bad time with one predatory person. She tried not to say it was her fault anymore. But the sentiment was there. She knew better. She was hardly helpless. She’d had Equestrian magic, for God's sake.

And she was pretty sure that was how Rarity felt about her recent mugging. She really needed to reach out to her friend. Applejack knew what the fashionista was probably going through. It was easy to self-blame when you had magical powers.

Her thoughts and feelings were complicated and exhausting. They contradicted themselves: on the one hand, they were self-criticizing, and on the other, they were generous and gracious.

She’d been young.

She’d been foolish.

She’d been hurt.

She’d been blind.

And right now, she was ready to move on.

Applejack's voice was a shaky breath. “Sunset Shimmer, I want you to kiss me. Kiss me wherever. But kiss me. Please.”

She felt Sunset stir. Then grant her wish.

She had her arms wrapped around Applejack. She could feel the tension in the other girl’s body, each muscle rigid with a refusal to cave. Applejack’s green eyes were glistening, but they steadily beheld Sunset’s face, roaming, taking in her features. Sunset tried to keep her face neutral, but her sympathy still peeked through. She worried this would look like pity, but luckily her friend saw the expression for what it really was.

Sunset just…hurt so much for Applejack.

Earlier, her intentions had been lewd and daring, wanting to satisfy her hungry needs and to excite her partner by kissing her in an especially erogenous place. Her neck, her breasts, her inner thigh…

Now, she only leaned in and caught Applejack’s lips.

Two years ago. Two years ago was when Applejack had said she’d last kissed someone. Sunset knew now that it was that man. That terrible and despicable man. She wanted to erase his memory from her friend’s lips.

From her new lover’s lips.

Initially, her contact had been gentle, but Applejack had already experienced Sunset’s tentative advances earlier that evening. When AJ pushed in, pressing her lips with a deep exhale, Sunset responded in kind.

She kissed Applejack hungrily, her hands burying in the other girl's sunflower blonde hair, pulling her in, her mouth moving with urgency. She breathed in deep. She scented fresh sweat, salty and sharp but enticing. Sunset felt heat rise over her head, even as her chest tightened with anguish.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that happened to you. Leave it behind. Leave it far behind.

Their tongues met, warm and wet, and there was a new flavor. Coffee, whiskey, sharp, sweet, nutty, and a hint of complex tobacco. Applejack groaned as Sunset caressed and explored her mouth. Then Sunset guided the other girl down to the cool sheets.

Her hand trailed down Applejack’s side, eliciting a short but intense tremor through the cowgirl’s body. Sunset’s heart somersaulted in her chest, but when she beheld her partner’s eyes, she saw only hooded lust. Still, she broke off their kissing to ask, “Nervous?”

Applejack huffed but smiled crookedly. “Shoot. Maybe a little?” she panted, “More excited than anythin’. I feel like my heart’s chuggin’ faster’n a train.”

Sunset grinned. “Mine too.”

This surprised the other girl. “Really?”

Sunset laughed. “Yes, totally!”

Applejack’s brow tensed. She started to reach for Sunset, hesitated with a bite of her lip, then followed through, brushing back an errant lock of red curls. She cupped Sunset’s face and murmured with a deepening frown, “Why, sugar cube? I can’t imagine I’m the most interestin’ partner you’ve ever had.”

Now, Sunset mirrored her friend’s frown. “AJ, are you kidding?” She stroked the other girl’s side again, loving the curves of those sculpted muscles, her hand trailing back up to Applejack’s breasts. Her mouth actually watered as her gaze slipped down to fully appreciate those pretty peach nipples. “Have I not showered you with enough compliments? You’re hot.” Her eyes rolled shut as she pressed her face into her friend’s warm breasts, savoring the feel of those soft and relaxed nipples against her lips. She gently kneaded one breast, her thumb softly flicking a hardening nipple.

Applejack’s eyes fluttered, her breathing stopping for a moment as another excited shiver ran through her. Sunset shivered in response, and she laughed a little for what the reaction revealed. Their eyes met, and Sunset felt her face flush.

“You really mean it,” Applejack murmured wonderingly. She sounded breathless.

Sunset shrugged as she nuzzled some more against her friend’s chest. “Told you.” She felt Applejack’s tough hand slip down her back, and now she shivered of her own accord. “Ah! See? I’ve got nerves, too.” She smiled as she heard Applejack’s relieved chuckles rumble through her chest.

Sunset gently kissed the side of one breast before carefully raking her teeth along the tit flesh. Applejack’s boobs were glorious. They dwarfed Sunset’s by a healthy margin, jiggling and bouncing with every laugh, and yet they maintained a round bearing that brought to mind globes. Sinking her fingers into them was so satisfying. Their softness gratified Sunset, but their fullness would not be denied as the whole breast shifted, pushing up or together with its twin.

As she did this, she felt Applejack shudder once more, her breathing a little more labored now. Sunset hummed, her lips curling as she leaned in and let her tongue sweep over a satiny nipple in firm circles. Applejack sucked in air, her head tossing back as her lips parted and a look of palpable pleasure crossed her features. Sunset traced her finger over the other nipple as she gently suckled the one in her mouth. She shivered again and let out a little squeal as she felt Applejack shiver as well.

They laughed together. No, giggled. Sunset understood why she was shivering despite being surprised by it. As excited as she was, she’d expected to have a measure of composure. After all, she had quite a bit of experience in bed.

But she was thrilled by the taboo she was finally breaking. She was sleeping with one of her best friends! Not only that, but kissing. No making out was a cardinal rule she’d religiously abided by for years, and with good reason! Kissing engendered misplaced infatuation and possessive behavior. Denying her other partners even the most chaste of kisses maintained a degree of separation that ensured things remained simple. Sunset could tolerate friendship from some of her partners, but sex was always the goal.

So when Applejack lifted herself on an elbow, her other hand burying in Sunset’s hair to guide her partner into a deep kiss, Sunset shivered…and couldn’t stop. The trembles ebbed, but like a wave crashing over her, they would intensify again. She felt lightheaded and drunk. When Applejack gently bit her lower lip, she moaned. They were breathing hard, their hands clutching at each other, their bodies rolling back and forth as they quarreled over who would get to be on top.

Part of the reason Sunset had been so cautious in the beginning with Applejack was because once she gave in to her appetite, it was so hard to stop.

Sunset couldn’t help but groan, relieved to be so free with her desire, but she was still so woefully unfulfilled. As they writhed and rolled around the bed, she could feel her clit stiffening, her pussy lips so wet, they audibly slid together and parted moistly, the air feeling cool against her heated sex.

When she’d managed to get Applejack on her back again, Sunset settled on her side next to her friend. Applejack tried to roll over her again, but Sunset kept her down with a small shove, making Applejack blink at her in confusion. Sunset smirked as she swung a leg over to twine with AJ’s closest leg to her. She squeezed this limb over, spreading Applejack a little.

“How wet are you…?” Sunset asked with a cocked head. Her hand trailed over Applejack’s heaving chest, down her powerful abdomen, until she skated over the cowgirl’s waistband…then slowed. She let her fingernails glide softly over Applejack’s green cotton briefs. They went down…down…

Sunset kissed Applejack bruisingly as she moved her hand away from her partner’s hot center and instead traced affectionate circles on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Only when Applejack whined in the back of her throat did Sunset decide to take it further.

It was so hard to stop…so she had to be careful, or the moment wouldn’t last.

She broke their kiss and moved to Applejack’s heated neck, where she ran her teeth over the other girl’s skin before whispering heatedly, “AJ, I—” She choked on the words, swallowing as she trembled yet again. She kissed the base of Applejack’s throat with her eyes closed. She felt and heard the other girl swallow hard. Sunset tried again. Her voice was a strangled murmur. “AJ, I want to touch you. Taste you. Can I?”

“Yes,” Applejack hissed back, almost impatiently. “Do it.”

Sunset used to be a villain. She used to savor being able to take what she wanted without permission. It had delighted her, in perverse ways, to see the outrage and dismay of her victims. Harmony had burned that away. Had returned her compassion to her in such a way that such acts now made her recoil in horror and disgust.

Conversely, to have someone willing to let you in, to trust you implicitly with their care was…

Bliss.

She licked Applejack’s neck, loving the salt of her sweat, and her hand traveled back to that woefully neglected place that begged her attention. She felt a thrill when she heard Applejack whimper. The truth was, Sunset Shimmer loved the strong ones.

She loved it when they turned to mewling messes beneath her.

Applejack was beside herself. And wasn’t this all just foreplay? But the question of what was or wasn’t technically “sex” was quickly becoming irrelevant as Sunset’s hand went closer to that wet place between Applejack’s legs. She was sure her underwear had that telltale spot that belied her excitement.

And this, after what felt like an eternity of intense kissing and teasing and nipple worship had gone by, Sunset finally reached.

With just a single finger, she caressed in gentle circles the hardened clit through Applejack’s underwear. A simple touch that did so much. Applejack groaned, her pussy tightening as she arched. Her leg tensed, but Sunset managed to keep it firmly in place.

“Ah, ah,” the other girl breathed into her ear. “Stay there.” Applejack choked back a squeak as Sunset’s tongue swept over the edge of her ear. “Petting your clitty’s too fun…”

Petting her what?

The strange and subversive talk was so good. Too good. No, not enough! She needed to… To move! Increase the contact so that she could feel more!

Applejack’s heartbeat was pulsing hard through her, making her whole body throb, not unlike how it had before in the truck. She shivered and shivered, feeling Sunset do the same.

She was a little embarrassed, but she had to say something.

“Sunset,” she said hoarsely, forcing her body still. “If ya keep going, I’m n-not gonna last.” And that was the point, right? To make it last?

Sunset only lifted her head and grinned at her. “Goofball. Let go. You didn’t think this would be it, did you?” The redheaded tutted as she assertively tugged the bottom of the green briefs to one side, revealing AJ’s moist and swollen pussy. Applejack was completely shaved, and she’d done it recently too, leaving her smooth to the touch. Sunset caressed Applejack’s stiff and gooey clit with the pad of her thumb.

Applejack’s mouth hung open, her eyes fluttering as her cheeks burned, and she tried to say something.

All that came out was a strangled moan.

She clutched at her bed sheets as she felt Sunset shift. Now the other girl was kneeling over Applejack, suckling at her other breast, her tongue flicking and swirling the sensitive skin, while her now free hand massaged the first. All the while, she kept caressing Applejack’s stiff clit with eager and affectionate circles that sounded audibly and sinfully wet.

Her dark complexion against Applejack’s lighter skin seemed to emphasize their intimacy. Without finding the words to describe her sentiment, Applejack thought the difference in their skin was beautiful.

Yet she knew… Sunset was still holding herself back. Maybe she was just trying to draw this out. Applejack wasn’t sure she could wait for release anymore. She wanted Sunset’s touch so bad it was driving her crazy!

So she pushed herself up onto her elbows and rasped, “Let me take it off.”

Sunset lifted her head. Her eyes were hooded, her lips glistening. She smirked and nodded, pulling back so that Applejack could move. With a huff, Applejack hooked her thumbs into her green underwear’s waistband and slid them off, bending her legs so that she could easily slide them off her feet. This pushed her knees to her chest.

Sunset placed her hands behind her knees and kept her there when she moved to lower them. “Hold on.” Her eyes danced with excitement as she sat up and licked her lips. She grinned. “I love seeing you this way.”

Applejack blinked, not quite catching on. “Er, with my legs up like this?” Her focus had tunneled on resuming their position of before, but as her brain slowly shifted perspective, she realized with an embarrassed grimace the exact position her friend had her in. “Oh, heck. You serious?”

“Yeah,” Sunset said with a short laugh. Applejack smiled despite herself. She loved that they could laugh amidst their passions. It helped to put her at ease.

“Geez, Sunset, I feel like a roly-poly!”

Sunset smirked and arched an eyebrow before lightly smacking Applejack’s bare bottom, making the cowgirl yelp. “Hug your legs to your chest, please,” Sunset said with casual authority. Her head tilted to the side as her face took on a lustful look. “I want to play with you like this.” But she didn’t move. She was waiting. Waiting for Applejack to say—

“A-Alrighty.” Applejack let out a slow breath and did as requested.

“Thank you.” Sunset Shimmer beamed as she leaned in and kissed the back of AJ’s thigh before gently squeezing her butt. “Mmm… So good.”

Applejack closed her eyes and let her head fall back. At first, hearing her friend’s heated voice and naughty talk made her nervous. She’d never known this side of the other girl before, and that was a little intimidating. Now? She savored it.

Especially the way Sunset kept making her feel.

Applejack’s breathing stuttered as she felt Sunset’s finger gently trace the outer lips of her pussy, already slick from the way her underwear had gotten wet. She trembled, her biceps bulging as she tried to resist bucking into Sunset’s caress.

She felt Sunset Shimmer trace her sex again, before she murmured, “Look at you. You’re so beautiful.” She leaned over and peered down at Applejack. “Um… AJ?”

Applejack stared up at her helplessly. “Y-Yeah?”

Sunset’s dusky face, which was already flushed, darkened a shade as she fidgeted. “Are your feet…really ticklish?”

Applejack blinked. “I mean… No more’n anybody else, I guess. Why?”

Sunset bit her lip and fidgeted. All the while, she didn’t stop caressing Applejack’s sex, only slowed her ministrations whilst distracted with speaking. It slowed the build of tension in Applejack’s lower abdomen, but it didn’t stop the pleasure. Over the moist inner lips, the stiff clit, dangerously circling her wet hole…

“Well,” Sunset grimaced a little. “Y’see, when I came to this world, there was one thing I sort of learned to appreciate about human anatomy. Especially since in Equestria, ponies don't have them.” Her other hand traced the edges of Applejack’s upturned feet.

Applejack’s eyebrows lifted, sufficiently taken out of the moment to fix her new lover with a look so dry the other girl snorted into a laugh. “Yer kiddin' me,” she said flatly.

Sunset chuckled harder and ducked her head, and Applejack grinned weakly. She supposed it figured. The former Equestrian was bound to be fascinated with the idea of feet, given all the sensations they had over hooves.

Wryly, she noted that at least this conversation was helping her last longer. She’d been about to cum!

“I’ve always liked your feet,” Sunset admitted a little bashfully. As if this was the most mortifying and revealing thing she could admit to, even as her hand worked magic over Applejack’s pussy. “Would it be okay to kiss and massage them a little?” Sunset finally asked, her brow creasing up with her plea.

Applejack inhaled deeply, her eyes fluttering as she mulled this over. Had this ever been a thing for her? Feet worship? No. But! Like any hardworking person, she could confess to wishing for a foot massage a time or two. Maybe she’d enjoy it?

“S’fine, I guess,” Applejack said carefully. “Just go easy, huh? No ticklin’!”

Sunset flashed a massive smile, her eyes lit with joy. “Promise!” She wagged her eyebrows. “Besides, I think you’re ready for me to go inside you…”

Applejack licked her lips as they locked eyes—another moment seeking consent. What did Applejack have to do, put it all down in writing?

“Sunset, you’d better quit speculation’ and just get to it!” Applejack snapped with a stern look.

She got a snort in return. “Or what? You’ll spank me?”

Even as Sunset poked fun, she did as requested, her finger going in slowly, filling Applejack’s cunt before pulling back out with an audible wetness that made AJ shiver. Sunset went back in, and this time, she curled her finger, caressing firmly that inner spot that Applejack had long ago figured out was the quickest way to climax. Sunset’s hand turned, leaving her finger in as she used her thumb to continue massaging Applejack’s clit. She thrust steadily, in and out, the wicked stirring of AJ’s femmecum sounding so loud.

But as she did all this, Sunset Shimmer indulged in her own desires, taking hold of Applejack’s foot with her other hand and gently massaging it. Applejack hadn’t realized how fatigued her feet still were after an entire night of standing at Pandora’s Box. With firm caresses, the fatigue was worked away by Sunset's thumb. Applejack gasped, flinching a little as she watched Sunset lick her toes. Her warm, wet tongue had felt…good.

Then Sunset picked up speed, finger fucking Applejack faster as her own breath grew unsteady, and she suckled the cowgirl’s toes. Applejack’s moans became harder to hold back, so she settled to avoid being too loud. Between the moist undoing of her sopping wet cunt and the strange but titillating worship of her feet, she could feel it all coming undone.

Now, Applejack couldn’t help it. She bucked into Sunset’s hand, grinding into the other girl’s touch, the mattress squeaking a little from her desperation. Her eyes rolled up as she moaned. “Oohh…” It felt so good! And yet, she sounded so vulnerable. It was strange. Alien. The stress of this knowledge held at bay the climax that surely would have come already. Did she look foolish? She’d heard of the infamous “oh” face. Was she what raunchy comedies liked to poke fun at?

She gritted her teeth and turned her head, feeling her ecstasy curb, falling short of a satisfying finish.

Aw, hell, she was getting stuck in her head again! What was wrong with her—?

Sunset reached over and caressed Applejack’s face before leaning over her and murmuring, “AJ…” When this failed to move her friend, she said more sternly, “Hey. AJ. Applejack, baby, look at me.” Applejack was so startled by the address that her eyes snapped up, and their gazes met.

Baby? She wanted to call her—?

The world shrank.

She could only hear Sunset’s breath. Not the TV downstairs. Not the crickets outside or the whine of an airplane passing high overhead.

Sunset’s cerulean eyes held nothing but adoration. “Let go,” she breathed.

Applejack couldn’t articulate words at the moment. She nodded frantically, almost obediently, her bangs falling into her eyes. She believed it, finally. All the compliments. How else should she feel? She was losing her mind, and Sunset was still looking at her like she was the loveliest thing she’d ever seen.

Sunset brushed Applejack’s bangs away and grinned. “Can I taste you here?” And when she said here, she ground her finger into Applejack, making the girl beneath her twitch and gasp, grinding into it.

Applejack stared up at Sunset’s face. Her expression tensed like when stuck on the precipice of release. Tension and need were writ across her face, but sweet, unfettered pleasure, too. She knew what it was like to touch herself, but this was…

She nodded once, and that was all she could do. But it was enough.

Sunset leaned down and kissed her once, her tongue licking against Applejack’s lips before she pulled away with a smack of their mouths. Shifting she scooted down the bed, just under Applejack and her lifted legs, exposing her wet pussy into the air.

Sunset hummed with pleasure, her hand slipping down to touch herself gently, playing with her stiff clit. “Clitty” was the mischievous term she liked to use when she wanted to tease or rile up her partners. Out of the bedroom, it sounded silly, almost babyish, but when she was face-deep in someone else’s muff and hearing them coo her name, “clitty” was the affectionate and passionate phrase that slipped her cum-slick lips, and it fit.

She beheld the glistening folds between her friend’s legs, appreciating the creamy folds, which were a darker red at the tips than Sunset’s uniform pink. She caressed one thigh, savoring the sight of her brown skin contrasting with Applejack’s freckled white body.

Sunset lay on her stomach, squeezing both butt cheeks, modest but perfectly round and with real meaty strength, in her hands. She drew in close, loving the heady scent of Applejack’s cum, before she swept her tongue up through the wet rosy lips to the stiff clitty above. She lingered here, swirling the sensitive nub, before she descended again, her mouth energetically moving and spreading the juices so that all that could be heard was the wet undoing of Applejack’s cunt.

Applejack sucked in a breath, her grip on her legs weakening until she had to let go. Even her strength failed as ecstasy wound tight around her, rising over her head with warmth and tingling need that begged more. She let out a choked cry, spreading her legs wide and bucking her hips gently into Sunset’s voracious mouth as she squeezed her own breasts. She lifted her head and met her friend’s—her lover’s eyes. Sunset winked at her, the cheeky devil! But she had the right to be, for the redhead’s tongue was everywhere, lapping up all of Applejack’s essence, and it was enough to make the cowgirl go insane.

“Sun, ah! Yes! Yes!” she gasped. She tried to keep her voice down. She was pretty sure no one could hear anything. Still, she felt it was a close thing.

The climax ripped through her, making her stiffen. It was an outpouring of years and years’ worth of unrequited desire flushing out of her in a single go, making her choke and squeal—a rare sound from her, but entirely forgivable here considering how incredibly Sunset had just satisfied her.

Applejack’s head lolled back, her chest heaving. She was…dizzy! She’d never been dizzy after a climax before!

Sunset didn't rise up immediately, though her tongue slowed as, with eyes closed, she contentedly made out with Applejack's sopping cunt. Too spent to sit up and speak, the blonde allowed this attention to go on for almost another minute before one errant tweak of her clit made her twitch and sit up, “Gosh dang, girl, I came already! Sheesh.”

Sunset gave her cunt one last kiss before she rose up, wiping at her mouth and chin, and crawled forward over Applejack’s spent body. Her red and yellow curls swayed, and the spicy perfume on Sunset’s neck wafted down as she grinned lustfully at Applejack.

“Sorry, I can get a little pussy hungry, and you taste really good.”

Applejack squinted her eyes with a small frown. “Really?”

“Yep! A little salty, kinda savory. Made me think of curry. No, wait. Tamales! I once had these veggie tamales that were–” Sunset faltered, then smiled crookedly and shook her head. “Nevermind. Need a minute?” she asked.

Applejack blinked as she stared up at her, admiring Sunset’s elegant features and even the way the bedside light shone through her hair. It had never been a question before, but she wondered what Sunset’s ethnicity was. Not her nationality, clearly seeing as she wasn’t from here, but the precious genetics that made up the pretty girl before her. Indian? Latin? Native? African? At the mention of curry and tamales, she leaned toward the first two.

She was still a little woozy, but it wasn’t unpleasant. She didn’t have spots in her eyes, at any rate. She made an effort to answer her friend’s question. “Half a minute. And…” Then she stiffened. “Wait a second, didn't you jes’ curse?? You'll bring Pinkie on our heads!” She scrabbled for the sheets, staring around wildly. The last thing she needed was her distant cousin attacking them out of nowhere with pies—!

Sunset batted her eyes, then barked out a laugh. “What, over the word pussy? I mean, I guess it's a bit vulgar when used informally, and it can be used as an insult, but I don't think Pinkie ever counted it as a curse word. The word’s original use was perfectly acceptable. Otherwise, I couldn't say, ‘pussy cat’, yknow?”

Now, Applejack’s mouth flopped open. “What the hay?”

Sunset sniggered. Applejack blushed and hastily sputtered. “W-Well, what were you thinking, anyway?”

Sunset bit her lip, her head tilting to one side. “You don’t have to get up. But um…” She ran her hand through her hair and cheekily squinted one eye. “Can I sit on your face? Or would that be too much?”

Applejack stared up at her. What a straightforward question! Her breath was returning, but the ecstasy persisted. She felt amazing. And not just that…

She’d heard it said that sex could produce a sensation of closeness. Affection. Almost unrivaled in its potency, this intoxicating feeling brought on the need for cuddling and sudden declarations of love.

Applejack wasn’t quite feeling so articulate as for the latter, but the rest? Yes. She wanted to reciprocate! She wanted to make Sunset feel good.

She licked her lips and gestured for Sunset to come closer.

Sunset smiled so widely Applejack was certain she’d never seen her friend beam so hard before. She watched as Sunset carefully rose up and crawled over Applejack’s head. Applejack felt her heart churn hard once more as she found herself staring up at Sunset’s naked sex.

If she'd thought this moment would be terrifying… Well, she'd been wrong. But it was still intimidating as hell. She had to process a lot of things really fast, and she realized that Sunset's desire for unequivocal consent was warranted especially this time. It wasn't the pink pussy (That ain't a curse word? Really?) with its downright artful display of female desire that was oft compared to flowers or even sliced fruit. No. Applejack thought Sunset's bloom was real fetchin’. What wasn't discussed as much in polite company was the scent of a woman.

Applejack only had the vaguest idea what that complex aroma was like catching mere traces of it during her own self-satisfaction. She didn't know this, but unlike Rainbow Dash, who was often too rushed and too embarrassed to masturbate much, Applejack had explored herself with semi-frequency over the years, resigned to loneliness for an indefinite amount of time. Though, not of late thanks to stress and utter exhaustion. But the fact was, she had an idea of what female arousal smelled like. That still paled compared to now.

It wasn't unpleasant or abnormal. Just… A lot. A literal face full. Musky and maybe even a little sweet. Her nose itched from the sudden new scent for one harrowing second, and Applejack desperately rubbed at it.

“Please don’t sneeze in my vagina,” Sunset said with feigned gravity.

Applejack stiffened, locking eyes with her friend, then at Sunset’s telltale smile, she threw her head back and laughed. It was loud, full from the belly, her face turning red both from being caught out and just the silliness of it all. Sunset’s arms shook as she joined Applejack in a good chuckle.

When their humor subsided, the redhead was surprised when Applejack gave her butt a small slap, and she fixed the cowgirl with a scandalized look as AJ wagged a finger. “That’s enough, missy! No making me laugh while sitting on me, y’hear?”

Sunset rolled her eyes but grinned. “Fine.” Applejack watched, fascinated as her lover’s face shifted from mischief to affection and then naked lust.

Sunset was paradoxical. A goofball one moment, serious the next. Applejack was getting better at keeping up with it, and she appreciated the changing tempos. They came when needed, like now.

They held each other’s gaze again, and Applejack felt as much as saw the other girl’s excitement. Sunset’s chest was rising and falling deeply, her lips parted, her cheeks rosy, and her eyes were dilated. A mirror, then, of Applejack.

The other girl was still wearing her bra, which only brought a small amount of disappointment until Sunset pulled a boob out and began to fondle herself. Her nipples were smaller than Applejack’s, more pointed where AJ’s was just round, and they were a lovely shade of dark rose.

“I’ll try not to smother you, but tap if you’re having trouble, okay?” Sunset whispered, breathing heavily.

“Got it,” Applejack said, smiling. Then, without waiting for Sunset to lower herself, she lifted her head and opened her mouth.

She didn’t really know what she was doing. She tried to approach it like French kissing, only without another tongue to dance with. Sunset was so…wet. The femmecum quickly got all over her face as her tongue explored. She realized…

This was fun.

Over her, Sunset groaned but kept still. Probably wise. Applejack felt like she was still trying to figure out how to angle her head and get at all the places she wanted to without accidentally jabbing with her teeth. She realized this may be slightly easier if she weren’t on her back, but she made do. Her first overture was clumsy, testing what worked and what didn’t. Getting used to the taste. The overcoming scent of arousal. The taste was complex. It definitely had a hint of something sweet that almost reminded her of some kind of fruit. A hint of sour. Chiefly, though, it was just…animal.

“Oop, careful!” Sunset said with a little wince as Applejack accidentally moved her head the wrong way, resulting in too much teeth.

“Showwy,” Applejack said, immediately mortified, but Sunset only laughed and shook her head.

“You’re doing pretty good. Mmm, yeah. Really good!” she assured Applejack, her expression rapturous.

Finally, like figuring out how to kiss for the first time, Applejack found her rhythm. Her lips caressed Sunset’s folds while her tongue slipped between, tasting Sunset, savoring the flavor that was indescribable and undeniably maddening. She sucked gently at Sunset’s clit before lapping at it. She pushed her tongue flat against it, sweeping it across as she moved her head to the side.

She heard a squeal and a moan over her. “Ah, Applejack, that felt so good!”

Encouraged, Applejack pulled at Sunset’s hips, tugging her down as she lowered her head back to the bed. She felt Sunset carefully comply, never putting her full weight down, but enough that Applejack’s mouth was filled with her partner, her lover’s, pussy.

“Oh!” Sunset gasped over her as Applejack shook her head, driving her tongue up against Sunset’s clit once more.

Sunset whimpered, biting her lip as she slipped her bra straps off and pulled her bra down. She pinched a rosy nipple and carefully moved over Applejack’s mouth, grinding gently but needfully.

Applejack went still save for moving her tongue, her eyes slipping shut for a moment as she felt Sunset fuck herself on her face. She felt her pussy twinge, feeling the blood slowly returning to engorge her there. Climaxing just one time? No wonder Sunset had grinned at her before.

She wanted to do this again and again, and—

Sunset Shimmer had to lean forward on the bed. She was feeling a little dizzy with pleasure, her mind having gone blank over the persistent pussy worship. She loved the sounds Applejack was making. It was so wet and naughty and—

She gasped. Applejack’s tongue was…really good! Sure, there had been a moment of uncomfortable teeth, but she was figuring out what to do all on her own. Sunset supposed it wasn’t rocket science, but with men, she always had to guide them so they wouldn’t dry lick her clit. They’d even ignore her clit in favor of futilely trying to fuck her hole with their minuscule tongues. One guy had all-out bitten her pussy lips. Yeah, some men were idiots when it came to cunnilingus.

But Applejack? Applejack was a natural. By now, most people, even other women, would have begged for a break. Tired tongues and jaws. Sunset was fully prepared to rise up again to give the other girl a chance to rest, but Applejack held her down. It was almost possessive!

And Tartarus, that single thought drove her crazy! If Applejack wanted to own her pussy, she could have it, deed and all.

Applejack groaned into Sunset’s cunt, breathing hard through her nose as her eyes slit open to gaze lustfully up at Sunset. They beheld each other, spiraling together in a heady dance of desire that had Sunset moving her hips faster and faster.

She could feel her climax nearing. Sweat was on her brow, and her breath came in shuddering gasps.

“Yes,” she breathed shakily as she pushed herself upright again. She wanted to see the other girl’s face better. Applejack gazed up at her, and for a moment, it seemed like she was smiling. Hard to tell with her cunt smothering AJ’s mouth, but if she had to guess, Sunset wanted to say she was enjoying herself. In fact, the cowgirl reached both her hands up and fondled Sunset’s breasts, gently squeezing them and flicking the nipples with her thumbs.

That did it.

Sunset had tried to last a little longer, but she had enjoyed herself so much. And she’d meant what she said.

This was just the first orgasm of the night.

She let her climax come, her mouth opening wide as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stifle a yell. She felt so squeezed by it, her lips tingling a little as the full weight of sexual bliss crashed down.

Sunset, on legs that now felt like jelly raised herself, then flopped over sideways onto the bed. She tried to catch her breath, her eyes fluttering as she stared up at the slanted ceiling.

She saw Applejack appear over her, one thumb wiping a glob of Sunset’s cum off her chin before she licked it clean. She grinned almost sleepily as she lay at Sunset’s side, her head propped up on one hand, her bangs falling rakishly into her green eyes.

“Did I do good?” she asked, hopeful and amused.

Sunset glanced at her, then laughed. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d say you did.” She pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a big exhale. “That was fantastic.”

They lay there for a moment, content to experience the last of their climaxes ebb away.

It was like a dream realized. Sunset felt so light and happy. She was still shivering occasionally from the excitement. She'd done it. She'd finally got to sleep with Applejack, a crush she'd harbored but avoided directly acknowledging for so long. Four years. More if she was being honest with herself. Even before her reformation, Sunset had gazed lustfully after the cowgirl.

Her attraction then had been shallow. Objectifying. Evil Sunset hadn't believed in having lovers so much as personal playthings. But here? She could see the writing on the wall. Applejack had something her other lovers didn't.

Intimate knowledge, both of Sunset's powers and even her past. And here they lay, more open and vulnerable than ever, joyfully basking in one another's company.

Scary? Yes. Exciting? Yes.

Applejack reached over and took Sunset's hand. It was such a strange move to Sunset, after sex. Not even Sherry, affectionate as she could be, did anything so earnest. Sunset shivered again as she felt Applejack trace a lazy circle on her palm. Goosebumps rose over her whole body, and she felt a jolt through her chest as her breathing stuttered and her fingers flexed.

After a few moments of this, Applejack traced her fingers up Sunset's arm, her touch gliding next over her collarbone before slowly trailing down to Sunset's chest. Sunset's breathing became shallow as she felt Applejack trace over her soft nipples, making them stiffen, before she circled ponderously over the curves of Sunset's breast.

“That feels really nice,” Sunset finally murmured. Her eyes fluttered as Applejack skated her touch back to Sunset's firmed nipples.

“Good. Cuz I don't wanna quit.” The cowgirl’s voice was a warm murmur, almost sleepy but clearly content.

Sunset turned her head, and their gazes met. The world fell away once more.

Magic. It was their magic mingling. It must be so.

Some distant voice, the analytical part of Sunset, said this was important. This was new. It had to do with… Something. Something that still needed addressing.

If only she'd had her maturity and presence of mind from when she'd first arrived in this world. Instead, as intelligent and world-weary as Sunset could be, she was still just like any other teenager swept up in big emotions. She could have put the pieces together sooner if she'd been of a different mind. Then, she would have been less surprised by what would come next.

If only she would later lament.

Now though…

“Kiss me,” she said to Applejack.

Applejack's rich green eyes turned lidded as she rose, her blonde hair spilling like sunshine over her neck as she smiled and pressed her lips to Sunset's.

Sunset's phone buzzed from the other side of the room. She ignored it, lost in Applejack's embrace as they kissed passionately. They had both ignored their devices since early that night after seeing all the appeals to party with their friends. Sunset had assumed it was more of the same.

She'd find herself wishing she'd checked her phone sooner.

Ah, if only. If only…

Author's Note

I did it! They did it! The "its" have been done! I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd felt so obvious a choice. Maybe it's too obvious? What could be better, I wonder?

I agonized over this chapter. Honestly, the truth is, I've only written a small amount of sex scenes over the years, and I never feel confident about them. Try writing detailed sex that doesn't sound the same as the last scene you did, and also doesn't sound cartoonish. Did you giggle at parts not originally intended to be funny? Ah, don't worry, so did I! That's my favorite part about long-awaited love-making. Shrieking excitedly into pillows and tearing at my hair with gleeful horror as I shout, "No, you didn't do that! Tell me you you didn't just do that!"

Well. I did. And they did. And it's done. I hope you enjoyed.