It’s a new day after a concert and at a fan meet, when the Apple sisters approach V. They notice that the stallion has just finished crying. “Hey,” says Applejack. “Are you okay?”
“No, honestly no,” V finally admits. “It’s been three years since I lost my grandmare. She raised me.”
“Hey, we get that,” responds AJ, “we were raised by our granny as well when our parents died.”
“Well, I’m glad somepony relates,” says V as he lets a smile slip.
“I bet we can relate in other ways too,” says AJ, “instruments maybe? Farm life?”
“Actually yeah, both,” responds V. “I was raised on a farm and played saxophone as a colt.”
“Farm, guitar, and banjo,” responds AJ.
“I’m actually working on trumpet, actually,” V finally opens up.
“That’s cool,” responds AJ.
“I’m just glad I’ve met some ponies who get it,” says V with a bit of a blush. “Thanks for that. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course, anytime y’all visit Ponyville, feel free to stop by the farm, by Sweet Apple Acres,” says AJ.
“Before you go, here’s some signed posters,” says V as he uses his magic to sign two posters and floats them into the sisters hooves. The three share a hug before they part ways. The others look at V with smiles on their faces as he watches the sisters walk away.
V turns and looks at his bandmates. RM finally speaks up. “It’s nice to see you smiling, Bear.”
V blushes and smiles back. “It’s nice getting to talk to ponies who can relate to all I’ve been through,” he says as he lets out a sigh. “It’s so so refreshing!”
“Yeah, sounds like,” responds RM. “I heard you talking your grandma with them and your childhood, I take it that’s what y’all related over?”
“Yeah,” responds V. “It was nice.”
The stallions soon head off back to the train station to head off to the next stop on their tour of Equestria. As he looks out his window seat next to Jimin, V can’t help but smile. After all, it’s the happiest he’s been on one of the anniversaries of his grandmare’s passing in awhile and it’s all thanks to the Apple sisters and how they could so easily understand all he’d been through because they’d been through it as well.
As they are sitting on their seat on the train, Jimin finally turns to talk to Taehyung. He leans in and wraps his wing around his best friend in a hug. “Hey, I’m glad you were able to talk through your experiences with somepony who understands you today. I can tell how much it’s lifted up your mood.”
“Yeah, me too,” says V with a sigh. “It was so nice, Chim. So so nice. Applejack and Apple Bloom are so sweet and the fact they understood me, how I grew up, it was nice. I’ve never been able to relate to fans in that way before. It was a mutual shared experience and foal hood. It was nice…”
V soon lets out a yawn and puts his head down on Jimin’s lap and falls fast asleep.
Meanwhile back at Sweet Apple Acres, the Apple sisters are greeted by Big Mack and Sugar Belle. “How was the concert and the fan meet afterwards?” Inquires Big Mack of his sisters.
“It was honestly an unforgettable experience, especially the fan meet more than the concert itself, not gonna lie,” responds AJ.
“How so?” Inquires Big Mack puzzled.
“One of the stallions, V, he had a life similar to ours as a foal, so we talked about it. Growing up on a farm, being raised by our respective grannies, different instruments we play, it was nice. And we could tell afterwards that it quite made his day as when we went it was the third anniversary of his gran’s passing apparently. He was happy to talk to somepony who could understand all he was going through.”
“Yeah, I bet,” responds Big Mack.
“Yeah, you should’ve seen his smile after our conversation, he was absolutely beaming, radiating,” responds AJ. She and Apple Bloom soon set their posters on the counter and unroll them to reveal V’s message and signature. AJ looks at it in shock before reading it aloud.
“Thanks for being somepony who understands, it means a lot, V,” reads Applejack.
“Mine says the same,” responds Apple Bloom as she looks up at her sister. “It really left an impression on him.”
“Yeah, he must not interact with fans who understand all he’s been through that often, so I can understand his gratefulness towards us,” responds AJ in response to her little sister. The two mares go down the hall and hang up the posters in their respective rooms.
A few hours later, the Colts arrive in the Crystal Empire for their second stop on the tour. All the while V’s mind is back in Ponyville and at that conversation exchange with the Apple sisters. “Snap back to it, Tae,” says Jimin as he snaps his feathers in front of his soulmate’s face. “It’s time to get to practice. Stay focused.”
“Oh sorry,” blushes V quite embarrassed. He follows Jimin and the rest towards their practice space at the performing venue. Once back there, Jimin and V sit down for a few minutes to talk a bit more before starting on practice alongside the rest since Everypony else knows Jimin can get V to focus better than any pony else.
“Are you good now? Ready to practice?” Says Jimin as he raises V to his hooves with his wings.
“Yeah, I’m all good, thanks,” responds V. “Now let’s start practice.”
Practice then continues to go without a hitch as does the concert that night which is attended by the Crystal Empire royal family (Cadence, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and Flurry Heart). The royals even come up to the Colts afterwards and they exchange in conversation. Twilight talks with the maknae line while RM converses with Cadence and Shining. As she’s talking with the maknae line, Twilight focuses in on V.
“AJ wrote me today telling me about your exchange and how much she appreciated it as well by the way, thought I’d let you know,” says Twilight to V.
“Thanks for letting me know, I appreciated it as well, appreciated talking to somepony who actually understands me,” responds V blushing once more.
“Anytime,” responds Twilight with a smile before flying off to rejoin the rest of her family. Meanwhile V slips backstage to cry and let out all his pain, once again rejoined by Jimin. Jimin takes V’s head in his lap and strokes the stallion’s mane with his wings as he comforts his friend. They stay like that for hours until the next concert. Right now, after all, the last thing V wants is to be left alone and Jimin knows that more than any pony. After all, the two have been together through thick and thin and that is never ever gonna change.
