The bell ringing was the signal that morning had come to an end, the sudden screeching and clinking of metal against tile floor ever the reply as students made haste to depart for their next destination. Perhaps one or two would hang back for friendly chatter or to speak with their teacher, but the majority simply wished to be anywhere else rather than where they were. Friends were strewn across the building, significant others wished to be reunited, or others simply wanted a moment of rest. But the last bell of morning? That was the ultimate social call, a singular source of satisfaction now calling out their name. Empty stomachs pleaded to find respite, and wearied minds enduring the long morning were eager to comply. Lunch was at hand, and the call for social relaxation beckoned to all.

Except to one, if she could see her way about things.

“Wait, you don’t wanna come to lunch?” Sunset stared at her friend with a cock-eyed gaze, not sure if what she were hearing was a joke. After all, Granny Smith was the one who held charge of the kitchens- and this was her granddaughter. “Are… you sure you’re feeling OK?”

“I’m fine. I promise, I really am,” Applejack declared, still yet to look her friend in the face as she tended to the numerous items that held space within her locker. “I’m just not super hungry, I figured I’d enjoy the sunshine for a bit. It’s nice outside.”

“I mean, it was this morning,” Sunset countered. The sound of thunder above their heads reverberated through the school for added emphasis, the comfortable roar above their heads not the A/C but rather the consistent pitter-patter of raindrops droning down in a fury. “I think you’d catch a cold more likely than a sunbeam.”

The blonde farmgirl pulled a face that only she would bear witness to, the tightness of her lips a secret known only to one. She wasn’t lying, amazingly enough; she’d meant what she said when she’d mentioned enjoying the sunshine. The alternative wasn’t a whole lot better, really. “I’m still not all that hungry,” she added, as though the words would somehow bring about a change in reality. She wasn’t, but that would have little effect on her friend’s concerns.

“You don’t have to eat. I don’t think we’re gonna force you!” Sunset said, humor in her smile as she said so. “Come on, we’ll be glad to have you for company. That’s never gonna change, you know that!”

You sure about that? Applejack wanted to challenge that statement, more than she ever had anything in all her young life. She’d been used to being their little group’s den mother for years at this point, the steadfast hand that kept them grounded and centered upon a singular point- one another. Now, however, her purpose within their mix was more than a little muddled, if not lost to the sands of time in its entirety.

Her time with the ones she called friend certainly didn’t help to clear matters up in the slightest. They’d kept to their usual bench in the cafeteria for four years now, so comfortably part of their world that it might as well have their name written upon it. Surrounded by the chatter of others, the numerous lives and events that made up their own, they had their strange bit of solace in a public place. But that had been another time, another life; Applejack’s seat in their midst had found its way to being what was more or less relegation. No longer did she sit fully in the center, the even keel that kept them tempered. She had been shunted, though she admitted not unkindly, to the side. After all, everyone else needed a seat next to someone else- why shouldn’t she be willing to comply?

“We’ll be glad to have you for company.” Sunset’s words seemed to ring hollow when set before the presence of current reality, if Applejack had anything to say about it. They were all adults, and she was the only one who didn’t have any sort of attachments to weigh her down. Watching her friends interact with one another, it was clear that how they operated in regards to her was of a different, less intimate fashion; Rarity was more than happy upon Sunset’s lap, the two lovebirds possessing their usual bravado that was a mixture of tactful and eager. Even how they interacted with one another was always on the razor’s edge of decency, never quite one way or the other. A hand trying to ply beneath clothing that would soon be slapped away; a kiss upon neckflesh that would be chided- each moment the two spent together was on the cliff’s edge of something else far more passionate.

If it had just been they two, then perhaps it could have been bearable. But Applejack’s gaze shifted from the lovey couple across the table from her and found itself settling, albeit temporarily, on the eagerly entwined pair to her side. To see Twilight and Rainbow so eagerly glued together wasn’t exactly an unusual sight for her to see; who the source of their passions came from was unknown to her –in all honesty, it might be both- but the two had apparently decided that a time together spent not kissing was a moment wasted. Judging by the sounds they made as their enjoyment rose, not to mention their rather extravagant handsiness, this was likely one of their more tame activities together.

At least, in her discernment, the most tolerable pair she had to endure was that of the softest in their midst. Pinkie’s exuberant personality still found its times to shine when the moment permitted, but Fluttershy’s more reserved nature had made them a tolerable couple to be about. Their presence together was peaceful and kind, built upon softly whispered songs and small touches that brought about giggles. The two still found ways to look out for others, but their focus nonetheless remained upon one another when the chips were down. Alone, a solitary dyad amongst others, they were lovely.

Applejack wanted to appreciate them all. They were her friends, each and every one of them. Speaking to them one-on-one was a joy, a gift; she loved them with the wholeness of her heart. Kindred that went beyond blood, without a doubt; but this past year had seen them find romance amidst each other, love blossoming and turning into a sickly sweetness. One morsel of candy was a pleasure- a pound of sugar every day for every week was enough to make one sick. And considering that this had endured for over six months…

“This is unbearable,” Applejack muttered.

She’d thought the words had been spoken quietly. A dim, dulled musing spoken to the tile floor rather than to anyone that could hear them. But the sweet nothings spoken between fire and diamond came to an abrupt halt at the sound of such an abrasive tone arising from the unexpected source; the two turned from one another and to the dour blonde in their company, taking note of her unexpected malcontent.

“Applejack? What’s wrong, darling?” Rarity inquired.

So innocent an inquiry. Her friend wasn’t meaning anything but kindness, if her guess was correct. Applejack knew it as well as she knew anything. But how did the words rankle her, bring about such a vexation! “I’m fine,” she said, hoping that her words came across as something mild. “Just talking to myself, that’s all.”

The beautiful farmgirl was the incarnation of honesty, truth spoken into human form and given life; not one of their number could find it in themselves to believe her, especially when her words carried such rancor. “You really don’t sound like you’re fine,” Sunset said, allowing Rarity to slither from her lap so the two could face their friend. “Sounds more like something’s bothering you. Are you OK?”

The genial chatter all about her was fading fast. The serene world of Fluttershy and Pinkie shattered, the whispers of something foul coming their way and bringing a fetid stink: even Twilight and Rainbow’s slickened kisses had come to a halt so as to better focus upon their friend’s malcontent.

But it wasn’t malcontent. Honest. Applejack wasn’t bitter, she was glad for each and every one of them. This wasn’t an anger at being passed over, it was not a frustration that her friends’ lives were happier than before because of the increased presence of another- no, it really wasn’t so. But she couldn’t shake the prickling upon her neck, the heat on her senses. “You don’t want an answer,” she said swiftly. If only her words had the strength to dissuade them.

“You’re my friend. Why would I not want an answer?” Rainbow inquired, hearing her longtime friend carry a vitriol. She hadn’t heard the farmgirl ever sound like this before.

“Because you won’t like it.” So please stop asking, Applejack added, silently begging for the conversation to come to a close and cease before she really did any damage. Let her cantankerous words fall away into unhappy memory, let no truth lash out to deal wounds that might not heal; these were friends that she wanted for the rest of her life, please don’t let one bad attitude ruin that-

“That’s OK. It’s really OK,” Sunset insisted. The fiery girl’s expression was that of sympathy, clearly invested in the current situation and wanting to know the truth. “Come on, it’s just us- no one’s listening in, you can tell me the truth-”

“Y’all drive me nuts!” Before she’d even been able to find a kinder, gentler translation, the words had slipped out and dealt their hammering stroke upon every single one of her friends. With fire, with wrath, she had lashed out and managed to hurt all of them with just four simple words. That’s not even one word for each of them. Good grief, how sore are you? “That- that was really bad, I’m- I’m super sorry, y’all.” The effect had been immediate, her outburst met with wounded expressions and wide eyes. What she’d said had been the honest answer, but the one she’d least wished to say; all she could do now was prevent further fallout.

“AJ, I’m-” Sunset was the first to gain her voice and just as quickly lost it, either too wounded or too confused to give a definite response. “I don’t want to- look, whatever it is we did –I did- I am really sorry. I’m just worried about you, I wasn’t wanting to be a bother.”

“You’re not being a- forget I said anything,” Applejack said. Better to be forgotten than this continue on.

“No. Hey, come on, you’re my best friend. What’s the deal?” Allowing Twilight the chance to slip out from her grasp and into a more respectable position, Rainbow turned herself about so as to focus upon the farmgirl.

“It doesn’t matter-”

“It matters to me. Why not just tell us?”

“It won’t help anything, that’s why!” Applejack said heatedly. She’d never been more eager to seep into the ground and never be seen again. “Please, can we just let this go?”

“But you’re mad at us, what’s going on? What did we do?”

“Haven’t any of you even noticed what’s happened?” Applejack asked them. If they were going to be this insistent, then why bother with subtlety? It wasn’t as if she could be dishonest and get away with it. “Are we even friends anymore? I’m talking to three people here and y’all know it.”

Those of sun and earth across from her were the swiftest to understand her words, Sunset trading an awkward glance with her girlfriend while the others seemed unable to quite understand what had been thrust upon them. Fluttershy and Pinkie had yet to really recover from the insult, while Rainbow seemed perfectly capable of speaking for two people. “Uh, AJ, there’s six people at this table- OK, seven with you-”

“No, there’s not. There’s you,” she said, pointing a pair of fingers at the befuddled pair before turning to the pair of pink-haired young women. “Then there’s you. And then there’s you,” she finished as she turned to the pair across from her. “We used to be friends. Now every single time we hang out together you only pay attention to just one person. It’s like everybody else doesn’t exist! Why’d this happen, why are we even OK with it?”

Perhaps more sober-minded than their compatriots, Sunset and Rarity felt the judgment weigh upon them more heavily. “AJ, you’re- we’re sorry for making you feel left out. I know that wasn’t right of us at all,” Sunset murmured.

“What are you talking about? We hang out all the time!” Rainbow protested.

“Do we really, though, Rainbow?” Rarity asked. “When was the last time you even said hello to me without Twilight by your side?”

Rainbow, ever the brash personality, was perfectly keen on continuing the debate. Twilight, more quick to pick up tack, put a finger to her girlfriend’s lips. “She’s not wrong. So maybe let this one slide.”

The once-joyful group of friends had gone quiet thanks to this unwelcome, accurate observation. Their former unity had begun to fracture in the face of time, longtime bonds beginning to break the more they grew and found identities of their own. Where camaraderie had once held them fast, now did a deeper feeling course through and hold them close, yet not all to one another; the peaceful heart of their world was starting to break apart forever.

Perhaps it was something that shouldn’t be said, but the sight of her longtime friend so bereft was difficult for even a quiet spirit to endure. Looking upon her dejected companion, Fluttershy felt the need to speak out to the true source of such discomfort. “Applejack,” she began softly, “are you lonely?”

“I am-” the heated response fell away sharply, whether it be the biting back of anger or something else altogether. “I’m just worried. About us. It’s like we don’t care that we’re not friends anymore.”

Rarity’s initial response would have been all adequate, save for the fact that the one speaking was the odd woman out. A group date night would be lovely for everyone but one- and was that the issue here? Was Applejack being forced to see the romantic affection of others and simply endure it? Was she jealous, perhaps? Wishing that it was she was not so? If that was the answer, then how she replied was a bit sticky; she’d have to be especially considerate, seeing as everything Applejack had said wasn’t without merit. “Darling, what are you doing after school on Friday?” she inquired. “Sunset and I were thinking of visiting the night market in butchertown, would you like to join us?”

Despite her occasionaly bumpkin looks, Applejack was no fool; the look she gave the fashionista was both bitter and sorrowed. “Ah gotta work late that day,” the farmgirl said. “Granny Smith’s taking Apple Bloom to that robotics competition in the morning, and Big Mac’s going with so he can work out a business contract while they’re there.”

So you’ll be alone on your birthday. Oh, Applejack… No wonder she was having difficulty keeping her deeply-buried emotions to herself, Rarity surmised. “Would we be able to come by and celebrate with you, at least?” she asked. “Even if it were only for a little while?”

“I’ll be pretty tired, honestly. I’d be no fun for any of ya,” Applejack answered, though it was the first smile they’d seen upon her face all day. Taking to her feet and shaking her hat clear of crumbs, the melancholy blonde took a moment to recompose herself. “I’m sorry… for what I said. I’m glad y’all are happy, I- really. I’m just being a little selfish is all. See ya.”

With even Rainbow possessing the tact to keep her mouth shut until the farmgirl was well out of earshot, the six young women watched as their warm companion strode away in total dejection, ashamed of both feelings and the actions that had been brought about on their behalf. But the moment that she was out of sight-

“We have got to get her laid,” came the overwhelming response. And their response to one another was disaster.

“Laid. That’s going to solve her problems?” Sunset asked, staring at Rainbow as if she couldn’t believe it. “She’s lonely, that doesn’t help.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Oh no, it really does. Try and prove me wrong!”

“For maybe, like, five minutes. But this is a heart issue, darling, not a physical one,” Rarity replied.

“It’s probably both,” Twilight interjected, adding her voice to the mix. “She’s lonely, yeah, but she’s us with one another every single day. It has to wear on her a little.”

“Isn’t there something we can do that’ll make her feel better, though?” Fluttershy asked aloud. “And it- umm- it not be with us acting as couples right in front of her?”

“We’re her friends, why can’t we just hang out like always-”

Fluttershy nodded, but still bit her lip all the same. “Do you really think she’d believe it of us right now? Would we be able to keep away from each other and not just make her feel worse?”

The answer was honest even if they didn’t wish to give it. Applejack’s birthday deserved to be treated as something special, a chance for her to feel as though she belonged. With each of them so deeply entangled, it was likely that it would come across as rubbing salt in the wound rather than being of any help- justified or not.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Sunset muttered. “OK. So what do you think we do? Can’t exactly take her to a bar to pick up girls.”

Rainbow took a moment to answer the question, poring over possibilities within her fast-paced mind- and coming to a conclusion that made her eyes gleam with delight and mischief.

Anyone who knew the prismatic young girl well could foresee trouble in those eyes; Sunset, knowing Rainbow for years, saw the train of thought lined out before her. “No- no. Absolutely not, that’s a terrible idea. Not-”

“Why not her?” Rainbow pressed. “She’s the best at it, and it’s not like it’d be abnormal for her. Gods’ sake, how many girls has she helped out with the exact same damn thing?”

“Because Applejack doesn’t know that she’s still around is why!” Sunset countered. “AJ’s gonna freak when she sees who it is, and she’ll get super pissed when she figures out why she’s there at all!”

“Wait, you’re surely not-” Rarity cottoned on and understood the reference, eyes wide as her vivacious friend’s intent sunk in. “Rainbow, you’re- she’ll be horrendously expensive.”

“She’s a professional. And she’ll be super nice about it,” the athlete insisted. “Come on, it won’t be a pity fuck-”

“Language,” Twi warned-

“Oh calm down- it’s not gonna hurt her pride too bad if we did it as a birthday gift. And then we come celebrate with her on Sunday, she always just relaxes on Sunday! Come on, do you wanna see her like this all the time?” Rainbow asked.

“It won’t change how she thinks about us,” Sunset warned.

“It will a little. It’ll get her to relax a little. And then we don’t rub it in her face so much, be nice about it!” Rainbow said. “It’s as good a deal as any.”

Fluttershy had been watching the whole debate from proverbially afar, left confused by the subtlety and references she had yet to fully understand. “Umm, I’m- I’m sorry, but I’m a bit confused,” she said. “Aren’t we wanting to help Applejack feel better?”

Sunset took in her surroundings, making sure that no teacher or staff was passing by before turning back to her friends; what they were about to do was something incredibly clandestine. “We want to help her as best as we can, right?”

“Duh.”

A sigh, the first concession she could make. “And this is really what you think will help most.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Absolutely.”

“Even though it’ll be a lot of money.”

“Make up your mind already.”

“Oh hush,” Sunset chided. “OK, so- so what are we going to ask her to do?”

Author's Note

I've been sitting on this idea for a while. Wonder how I'll fare with it.

Segmented so individual chapters don't feel so huge. I think long chapters are harder for y'all to read and I don't want that.