The car's engine roared softly as Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo made their way down the road towards school. The morning was cool, with the sky clear and the sun just starting to shine through the clouds. Rainbow, with one hand on the wheel and the other adjusting the music, leaned slightly towards her sister.

"So, Scoot, ready for another day at school?" she asked with a carefree smile, turning up the music a little.

Scootaloo looked out the window, where the landscape sped by, and then turned her head towards the jock. "Yeah... well, sort of. I'm not that excited about it, but I think today will be more relaxed."

Rainbow let out a small laugh. "Relaxed, huh? Enjoy it while you can. There's not much of that in college, trust me. The girls and I have had some crazy days with pop quizzes and papers due at the end of the week and we're only in the first week."

"Ugh, sounds terrible!" replied, grimacing. "At least we don't have that stuff at school... yet."

"Exactly. That's why I'm telling you," Rainbow added, lightly punching her shoulder. "But hey, don't let that get to you. I was never much of a homework person and look where I am. You don't need to be a brainiac to get ahead, you just need to be quick, literally and figuratively."

Scootaloo gave her a sidelong glance, somewhat amused. "That sounds like a recipe for trouble."

"Trouble? Trouble is there to be avoided with style," she replied, making an exaggerated gesture with her hand as if she were doing a flip in the air. "Besides, as long as you don't leave everything to the last second, everything's fine, right?"

"So you don't leave things to the last second?" asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing the answer already.

Rainbow shrugged. "Well... sometimes. But I always work it out, you know, I'm good at winging it. It's a key skill. I assure you, if you follow my advice, you'll do great."

Scootaloo smiled, a little more relaxed, although she knew that Rainbow wasn't the best example in terms of organization. "I guess I can try it my way... although I doubt winging it will get me out of trouble with the teachers."

The athlete laughed and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Not everyone is as cool as me. But don't worry, Scoot, the important thing is that you enjoy what you do. Don't let the boring stuff get you down."

Finally, they arrived and Rainbow parked the car. "Well, time to face the world! Remember, one day at a time. And don't let homework get you down!"

They both got out of the car. Scootaloo, with her backpack on her back, gave a quick goodbye to the multicolored one before heading towards the entrance.

Rainbow, meanwhile, walked slowly, looking for some of the girls until she saw Applejack's red truck pulling up.

The farmer took her time to properly arrange the vehicle, glancing sideways at her younger sister, Apple Bloom, who was in the passenger seat. She didn't love Apple Bloom taking that seat when Pinkie wasn't with them, but she let it go.

Applejack turned off the engine and looked at her sister with a slight smile. "Well, Sugarcube, you know the rule: no mischief, pay attention in class, and don't come near us when you have class."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, smiling. "I haven't done anything yet, and I haven't gotten too far from you either... but thanks for reminding me," replied in an amused tone as she grabbed her backpack.

The blonde frowned slightly. "Apple Bloom..." said in an almost serious tone.

The younger girl laughed softly. "Just kidding! Relax, AJ. Hey, are you feeling a little better now?"

Applejack blinked, somewhat taken aback. "Better? What do you mean?"

Apple Bloom adjusted the strap of her backpack, her expression a little more serious. "About yesterday... You seemed kind of down, you said you were frustrated."

The farmer was silent for a moment, searching for the right words to avoid a deep conversation so early in the morning. "I'm... working on it," replied somewhat wearily.

Apple Bloom didn't give up, staying curious. "I saw you working picking apples yesterday. I thought maybe you'd been distracted enough, like Pinkie and her novels. Is it easier to deal with that when you're an adult?"

Applejack let out a soft laugh. "I'm not sure. I'm just entering adulthood, and to be honest... being distracted helps, but it doesn't fix everything."

"Yeah, like when you went through that thing two years ago..." The younger girl lowered her voice as she remembered.

The blonde felt the smile fade from her face. "Apple Bloom... that was... you know what it was," replied with a slight strain in her voice.

"Yeah, you were upset because..." Apple Bloom hesitated for a moment, looking down. "...our parents."

Applejack nodded, looking at her sister with a serious expression. "Exactly. That's why," muttered, as if trying to convince herself. "Sorry for how I acted, but you know that was the only reason."

Apple Bloom looked at Rainbow, who was nearby, talking to another student, and sighed then turned her gaze to her sister. "But hey, you're over it now, right? And I'm sure whatever's bothering you now, you'll figure it out too," said with a smile.

The farm girl gave her a small smile back, appreciating her sister's support. "I guess so. I'll see how the day goes. For now, I'll keep my mind busy, that's the best I can do."

The younger girl nodded, smiling. "Just don't forget that you can always talk to the family if you need to."

Applejack laughed and gave her a small pat on the head. "Thanks, Sugarcube. Now, go and pay attention in class."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it," replied, smiling again before getting out of the truck and heading to the entrance, watching as her older sister stayed behind, busy with her own thoughts.

It didn't take long for her to notice Scootaloo already walking away at a good pace towards the school entrance. "She's going to get away!"

"Hey, Scoot!" called, as she began to walk faster, almost running to catch up to her.

Scootaloo, hearing her name, stopped and turned her head. "Apple Bloom," she replied with a smile as she waited for her friend to catch up. "How's it going? I thought you were stuck with AJ."

Apple Bloom arrived panting slightly, but smiling. "Nah, just a quick big sister lecture. You know how it is."

Scootaloo laughed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, big sisters are experts at that. Rainbow was just telling me about how 'crazy' college is."

"Really?" the youngest Apple asked, interested. "Applejack almost never complains about that."

"Anyway. Sweetie Belle is missing... Is she here?"

Apple Bloom shrugged. "She should be here soon."

Just then, they saw Sweetie Belle entering through the front door, accompanied by Rarity. The two sisters chatted quietly as they walked, stopping halfway down the partition. The seamstress leaned slightly towards her little sister, adjusting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Remember what we talked about, Sweetie," said with a soft smile. "If you need help with anything, just ask me, okay?"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes with a smile, accustomed to her sister's concern. "Yeah, I know, Rarity. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The seamstress nodded. "Well, take care of yourself, and let me know if anything happens, okay?"

Sweetie Belle sighed with a smile. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later."

Turning around, she saw her friends and walked over to join them, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo already waiting for her with a smile.

"Wow, you're finally here!" Scootaloo said, crossing her arms. "I thought Rarity was giving you design lessons or something."

Sweetie Belle giggled lightly. "No, just... well, you know what she's like."

"Fashion tips?" Apple Bloom asked with a mischievous smile.

"More like tips on surviving teachers," replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Although, yes, she did mention something about not letting my outfit get 'messy'."

The three friends laughed and began walking together towards side A, leaving Rarity to watch them for a few moments before turning to join her.

"I almost look like Mom," thought, letting out a laugh. "Thank goodness Mom is there for Sweetie when she needs it," thought one last time as she continued on her way.

Meanwhile the three of them were walking through the halls looking for their classroom. Once they saw the teacher approaching they sat together in the back of the Math classroom. The teacher, Mr. Vector, a tall, thin man with round glasses, greeted them and began writing equations on the board, speaking in a monotone that made the class seem like it was going to go by slowly.

"Okay, guys. Today we're going to go over basic linear equations. Make sure you pay attention, as you'll have an exercise at the end of class," said as he underlined a couple of numbers with chalk.

Apple Bloom tried to concentrate, her pencil tapping softly against her notebook. She knew that if she strayed, Applejack would surely lecture her about the importance of getting good grades. Although she understood what the teacher was saying, she couldn't help but let her mind wander from time to time, wondering what her sister was doing at the moment in college remembering that she has an arts degree.

On the other hand, Scootaloo was staring at the board with a raised eyebrow, her notebook half empty, with only a couple of scribbles on it. She wasn't a math fanatic, by any means. She leaned over to Apple Bloom and murmured,

"You do realize that all of this is going to be gone from my head when we get out of here?"

Apple Bloom suppressed a smile, whispering back, "You better not, or else we'll have to put in overtime studying... and I don't want Applejack to tell me 'I told you so'."

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle seemed to be concentrating on her notebook, meticulously writing down the equations that Mr. Vector was explaining. Although she also had her moments of lack of concentration, the youngest Belle knew that she had to put in the effort. She didn't want her sister or her mom to think that she was wasting her time at school. Still, she would let out a sigh from time to time.

"Okay, class. Now that we've gone over the basics, I want you to solve this pair of equations in your notebooks. It's pretty simple, so you can start whenever you want," Mr. Vector said, as he wrote two equations on the board.

"It's easy, just remember to solve the unknown," added, walking around the room to make sure everyone started working.

Apple Bloom started writing in her notebook, trying to solve the equations in earnest. But halfway through the first one, she stopped for a moment and looked at Scootaloo, who had the calculator in her hand and looked completely lost.

"How are you doing on the first one, Scoot?" she whispered to him.

"Uh... Well... not so good. I just don't know why there are so many letters in this. Isn't this a numbers class?" she asked, frowning as she looked at the equation.

Sweetie Belle, who had already finished the first equation, looked up with a small smile. "You just move the three to the other side and then divide the result by two."

Scootaloo looked at her with a mix of frustration and gratitude. "Okay... But I don't promise I'll like it."

The three of them continued to work in silence for a moment, although every now and then the brunette would throw exasperated glances at her friends. Apple Bloom also focused more, and after a couple of minutes, the three of them managed to finish the exercises before Mr. Vector asked for the results.

Minutes passed and the bell rang, announcing the long-awaited recess. Sweetie Belle, with a satisfied expression after finishing her math exercises, carefully put her notebook back into her backpack, while the remaining two stood up faster, glad to escape from class.

"Finally," Scootaloo sighed, stretching. "I don't know how you manage to make it so easy, Sweetie."

"It's just a matter of practice," she replied with a modest smile. "And some concentration, I guess."

"Well, I think I need more than that," Apple Bloom added with a grimace, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "I'm glad there's a recess, I need to clear my head."

The three of them walked out onto the patio, where students were grouped in circles, chatting and laughing. As they walked, Sweetie Belle looked up and noticed a familiar figure running towards them.

"Spike!" exclaimed, waving a hand.

The boy, carrying his backpack on one shoulder, arrived quickly, breathing somewhat heavily, but with a smile on his face. "Hey, girls!" he greeted, stopping in front of them. "How's school going?"

"Terrible," Scootaloo complained, crossing her arms. "Calculations... I don't even know how Sweetie manages to understand them."

"Don't even tell me," Apple Bloom added, nodding. "I'm not a math fan, but at least we survived."

Sweetie Belle smiled modestly, while Spike let out a small laugh. "Well, I don't know if I would do it any better. We're watching history and it's not exactly exciting."

"History sounds boring, but at least it's not calculus," the magenta-haired girl joked.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Are you staying with us for lunch?"

"Sure," Spike replied, smiling widely. "I brought something extra in my backpack. What do you guys have?"

"The usual," Sweetie Belle replied, pulling out a sandwich. "Nothing too exciting, but enough to get you through the rest of the day."

The girls and Spike made their way to an empty table on the patio, ready to share the break while chatting about classes and their after-school plans.

As they sat down at one of the patio tables, they opened their lunch boxes and began to eat. Spike, always curious, broke the silence.

"Any gossip you guys have?" he asked, leaning his elbows on the table with an intrigued smile.

The three girls exchanged thoughtful glances. Finally, Sweetie Belle was the first to speak.

"Rarity doesn't seem to have anything new to say," began, as she took a sip of her drink. "The closest thing to 'new' is that Pinkie and I seem to be doing better now. The rest is the same, I don't know if there's been any progress with the girls."

"Ha," Scootaloo let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes. "Dash, even though I don't know what problem she had with Fluttershy, things seem to be better. I had to sit through a conversation yesterday about 'being yourself' and all that." raised his eyebrows, as if that had been a challenge.

Spike smiled and looked at Apple Bloom, waiting for her part of the story. The younger Apple hesitated a moment before answering.

"Well, Applejack... seems to be going through something that's frustrating her. I reminded her of something," said cautiously. "She doesn't like to talk about it and I gave her the example of the game."

"What game?" Spike asked, curious.

"Remember, Scoot? That one about decisions," said, looking at his friend.

"Oh, yeah, I remember," nodded. "We were doing so well, we managed to get all the characters to survive, but..." she stared at Apple Bloom.

"In the last chapter, which is really long, I took another path thinking it was the right one. In the end, only a few survived," said with a bitter smile.

"Too bad!" Sweetie Belle commented, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I was really sorry and sad for a few days until we tried again and succeeded," Apple Bloom said, remembering the experience.

"Great, although it would be better if it worked out right the first time," Spike said with a small laugh.

"That's why!" Scootaloo added, remembering with frustration. "I got upset and Apple Bloom got discouraged."

"Yeah, that's why I gave Applejack that example. She seems frustrated, or something," continued, thoughtfully.

"Rainbow?" Spike tried to deduce.

"I don't think so," the magenta-haired girl intervened.

"I don't know, but she keeps it to herself, like when she was wrong the other time," Apple Bloom said, not realizing she had said too much.

"The other time?" Spike asked, intrigued, as did Scootaloo, who now looked at her curiously trying to remember as they remembered a situation her sisters told her about.

Sweetie Belle simply watched, somewhat confused, trying to understand.

"Ah, about your parents," the green-haired boy remembered, snapping his fingers. "Sorry... about their... well, you know." He spoke with more respect.

Apple Bloom nodded slowly, remembering. "One of the lies we told the girls," thought.

"I think Rarity once mentioned that she went to see them," Sweetie Belle intervened in a doubtful tone. "Isn't that it?" asked, thinking they were on the same page.

"No, it was when you guys had already left... wait, she went to see you?" Apple Bloom was surprised. "Applejack used to tell significant moments with Rarity when they were together. I guess it must have been something nostalgic for her not to mention it."

"Rainbow doesn't say much about her outings either," Scootaloo added. "You know how she is. She only talked about playing or some moments with the girls."

"Hmm, did she go too?" Spike wondered out loud, looking at the younger Apple and Belle. "Girls aside, do you know why things broke up?"

"Broke up?" Apple Bloom repeated, not sure what she meant.

"You mean my sister and Apple Bloom breaking up?" asked, frowning slightly.

Spike nodded.

"I don't know," Sweetie Belle said. "I just remember my aunt not finding her at the design studio. We were worried, since she wasn't answering her cell phone, until she came home with bags of ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Scootaloo asked, arching an eyebrow.

"It's her way of feeling better, I guess, when she's sad," explained, shrugging her shoulders. "She didn't say anything, she just waved, ignoring Mom's stern look, and went upstairs. My aunt thought she had heard about the trip, but Mom would later dismiss it, because I didn't even know yet. Then Mom went upstairs, followed by my aunt, and all I could hear from the stairs was Rarity crying, telling Mom that she was right."

"Reason for what?" Spike asked, growing more and more intrigued.

"Spike, don't be a gossip," Apple Bloom said, tapping him on the arm.

"Sorry," apologized quickly, but with a mischievous smile. "But I know you've all wanted to know why they broke up, too."

"It's true. I'd like to know what happened someday," Apple Bloom admitted. "I'm sure it's the same day. Applejack came home with a look on her face that I don't know how to describe, and as she usually does, she pretended to be fine, but her look said it all."

Scootaloo raised her hands in innocence at the look on Spike's face. "I don't know the reason, other than what happened with the girls."

"But, from what you told me," Sweetie Belle intervened, "Applejack started a relationship with Rainbow. Could that be a reason?"

"It could be," the magenta-haired girl murmured. "But I remember Rainbow wasn't convinced."

"Of what?" Apple Bloom asked. "Being with my sister?"

"I don't think so, or else I wouldn't be with her until now," Scootaloo said, shrugging her shoulders. "I think it was more for Rarity," added thoughtfully. "But I don't know exactly what she meant."

"Although...?"

"Although...?" they asked in unison.

"I remember hearing some words from Dash one day when the three of us went to school. Let me remember well," said, putting her index fingers on her temple as if that would help her remember. "I got it!" exclaimed, and the three of them leaned in, intrigued.

"It was something like, 'I still think we shouldn't go like this, with Rarity around.'"

"And you know what she meant?" Spike asked.

"I don't know, I got to the end, so I don't have much context," said. "And I just walked out like I didn't hear anything, and they were just there, holding hands."

"And do you remember if my sister said anything?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I think she said... um... 'She'll understand.'"

"Understand what...? 'What did you change for me?'" Spike chimed in, trying to imitate the seamstress with a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"Spike!" the three exclaimed.

"Hey, that sounded bad," Sweetie Belle commented.

"Well, sorry, but it's... remember, it's something close to our deduction," Spike commented in his defense.

"Yeah, but it sounds really bad," Scootaloo criticized.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that," apologized.

"Do you think that's how it is?" Apple Bloom asked, thoughtfully and doubtfully.

"Apple Bloom... obviously not," the youngest Belle assured, trying to reassure her. "She's your sister, obviously she would consider my sister's feelings."

"You're right," said with a smile. "It's Applejack, I'd think about how she'd feel."

"Exactly," Scootaloo agreed.

"Okay, all right," Spike said, trying to ease any possible tension. "This doesn't say much about why you two broke up."

"I hope this doesn't turn into a mission to find out," Sweetie Belle commented, pulling out her phone and plugging in her headphones. "I didn't like hearing my sister cry from my room."

"It's been years, shouldn't it not affect you anymore?" the green haired boy questioned, waving his hand.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shrugged.

"Although, I won't deny that I would like to know," Sweetie Belle admitted, putting her headphones on. "But if I ever find out, I'll think twice before saying it."

"Maybe you're right," Apple Bloom added, thinking about it. "If I find out from Applejack, I'll think twice before I say anything, too."

Side B / Music Room
Applejack was in the music room, pacing slowly back and forth. She was already on her third day and had free time at that hour, but the problem wasn't just her boredom, but the frustration that bothered her.

She walked over to one of the many guitars that were in the room. She took the acoustic one and began to play some chords calmly for a few minutes, but soon she played more roughly. Her mind was filled with thoughts that made her angry.

She stood up, put the guitar back in its place and left the room, walking for a few minutes until she felt someone bump into her. She frowned when she realized who it was.

"It had to be... But of course, it's not enough, it wasn't enough to be in the memories," said angrily, gesturing as she walked away, leaving the seamstress at first surprised.

"Memories? It was just another crash," Rarity replied with a frown. "What upset her?" wondered. "Can't you just go to the bathroom without running into someone standing near the door?" thought.

"Did I do something to upset her? We haven't even had a normal conversation," thought, now a little more annoyed, as Applejack's words sounded like it was something personal.

She looked at her for a moment longer, watching as the farm girl continued to gesture with her hands, wondering what was wrong. Finally, she lost sight of her among the students and decided to leave the subject aside to return to the classes she had left before lunch.

Side A / College
The Crusaders were in the classroom, listening to their teacher explain the assignment they were to complete.

"For this week, I want you to read chapter three and prepare a summary of the most important points. It's a simple assignment, but don't underestimate its importance," Cheerilee said with a smile. "Remember that midterms are closer than you think, so make sure you're up to date with all the material. Don't relax too much, okay?"

Apple Bloom nodded as she wrote down the assignment in her notebook. "This seems easy," whispered to her friends.

"Yeah, but we can't get complacent," Scootaloo replied, putting her notes away in her backpack.

Sweetie Belle, who was organizing her books, added, "I'm sure we'll do fine. We just have to be attentive."

"At least we're not in college yet," the magenta-haired girl commented, grimacing. "Rainbow told me she's been caught with pop quizzes and assignments due as soon as possible."

"Oops, I think Applejack mentioned something," Apple Bloom recalled.

"Strange, Rarity doesn't talk about it much... or rather, she hasn't mentioned it when the four of us are having dinner, when we usually talk about what we did," Sweetie Belle said thoughtfully. "Whether it's our parents telling us about work, or us from school, or in Rarity's case, university."

"Maybe she doesn't want to worry. Although, on second thought, why would that be a concern?" Apple Bloom mused. "It's probably something else."

The youngest Belle thought about what she said and began to form an idea of why her sister hadn't mentioned anything.

The bell rang seconds later, signaling the end of class. The girls stood up, quickly gathering their things.

They left the classroom and headed to the cafeteria, talking about homework. The line for lunch was long, but the three of them were used to waiting.

As they waited, Sweetie Belle pulled out her headphones and plugged them into her phone, putting one in each ear. She began to softly hum a tune, bobbing her head to the beat.

Apple Bloom looked at her curiously. "What are you listening to?"

Sweetie took out an earpiece and handed it to her friend. "Listen and ten cents if you recognize her."

Apple Bloom put it on and, after a few seconds, nodded with a smile. "It's great! I love the beat."

Scootaloo, who was standing next to her, raised an eyebrow. "Who is it? And what genre? If it's classical, it's not my thing. And if it's country, it's not my thing either."

"It seems you haven't kept up with the singers who are at their peak," joked with a laugh. "I kept urging Rarity to give it a chance last year."

"Hmm... you've got me intrigued. Who is it?" asked, curious.

Sweetie Belle smiled, but before she could answer, the line moved forward and just as Spike approached Ember.

"I'll tell you at the table."

Side B / Cafeteria
The girls were having lunch. The atmosphere was lively, with scattered conversations and laughter at various tables. Pinkie Pie, as usual, radiated positive energy as she watched her friends. Seeing them happy always gave her a feeling of calm, but something about Applejack seemed out of place.

While she chewed on a piece of chicken, she glanced at the farmer, who seemed to be concentrating on her food more than usual. Applejack was not as involved in the general conversation, and that worried her. She remembered the brief conversation they had the day before, and especially after seeing something on Instagram.

"What did she see?" thought as she made a mental list of possibilities. "A series? No... Applejack doesn't watch many series. Maybe a movie... or something cancelled, some plan she had that got frustrated?"

"No, it has to be something else..." whispered to herself.

In the end, none of those theories convinced her. The blonde, at first glance, seemed to be fine. However, Pinkie knew all too well the little signs her cousin showed when something wasn't right: the barely perceptible frown on her brow, the way she moved the food around on her plate without really concentrating on eating. Applejack had always been good at hiding how she felt; although she rarely opened up to girls, that didn't take away from how stubborn she was when it came to keeping things to herself.

"Just like Rainbow," thought as she watched the multicolored girl talk animatedly to Sunset Shimmer. Although the athlete always projected confidence, she also had a habit of not showing too much when something affected her. The redhead, on the other hand, was the one who usually took the reins of the group when necessary, and that's why she maintained an image of strength.

However, there was someone else who shared that same pride in not showing her emotions too much, although lately it had changed a bit: Rarity.

Pinkie looked at the table where the dressmaker usually sat, expecting to see her elegant wavy hair, but found an empty chair. She wasn't in her usual place in the cafeteria. A small look of confusion crossed the party girl's face.

"Pinkie," they called her, but she was lost in thought.

"Could she have missed it?" wondered, as she took another spoonful. But she quickly dismissed that thought. She had seen her at breaks, greeting each other from afar as they walked through the courtyard. So why wasn't she there today?

The situation with Rarity and the rest of the girls was still delicate. Even though they had said it was okay for the party girl to continue hanging out with the dressmaker, Pinkie knew that sometimes she felt in an awkward position, trying to balance her time between the usual group and the dressmaker.

"Pinkie!" they kept calling her, but she still didn't notice.

"Where is she?" thought, completely unaware that they were calling her. "This is the first time I haven't seen her at her table." A shadow of worry crossed her mind. "No, wait... now that I think about it, before the welcome event started, she wasn't there either."

"Even though there's no lunch on Mondays, she usually just hangs around killing time waiting for her sister."

Suddenly, she felt a slight pressure on her arm and realized Twilight was calling her.

"Pinkie!" said with a mix of surprise and amusement. "You're in the clouds again."

"Oh, sorry," replied, returning to the conversation with a smile that hid her concerns. However, she couldn't help but let her gaze wander back to the empty chair. "I was just thinking..." she added quickly, turning her attention to the table. Then, her eyes traveled to Applejack, who was still focused on her plate, barely participating in the conversation.

"What were you thinking about?" Sunset asked, noticing the cheerful girl's distraction.

"About... about music," lied.

"Music?" Rainbow repeated, somewhat skeptical.

"Yeah, I was wondering if they'd give us a difficult assignment. I don't want it to be anything complicated," Pinkie replied with a giggle.

"Hopefully it won't be a dissertation," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Come on, Flutters, I know you'd do great," the athlete encouraged with a smile.

The pink-haired girl nodded shyly.

"Most likely they'll have us compose a song, improvise a new melody, or turn a poem into music," the blue-haired girl said, ticking off on her fingers. "It could also be..."

"To cut a long story short, it could be anything," Sunset interrupted with a smile.

"That's what I mean. There are many possibilities," Pinkie said, nodding enthusiastically.

"You're right," Rainbow added. "What do you think, Blondie?" asked, tapping Applejack on the arm.

"What?" asked, snapping out of her thoughts, a little disoriented by the question.

"What do you think?" repeated, still smiling as the farm girl came back to reality. "About getting a job in music."

"Oh, I don't know, whatever we get, I'll do it," Applejack replied, shrugging.

"As long as it's not a singing duet, I'm fine," Rainbow added with a laugh, glancing sideways at Fluttershy, who smiled sheepishly.

"Can you imagine? A live show in the middle of class!" the party girl joked, gesturing exaggeratedly.

Sunset laughed, as Twilight looked at her watch.

"Girls, we're running out of time. Next class starts in five minutes," she said, gathering her things. The redhead nodded as she finished her drink.

"Yeah, it's almost time for music," Sunset replied. "Ready?"

Applejack nodded, though with a slight sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Pinkie, who frowned slightly. Rainbow, who had been fiddling with her tray until that moment, also seemed to notice the tension in her partner.

"Well, let's go," the party girl said with her characteristic energy, although inside she was still thinking about everything she had observed. While the others stood up, Pinkie glanced sideways at Rarity's empty table once more. The fact that the seamstress wasn't there was still on her mind. "Maybe she just got caught up in something... or maybe she wanted to avoid running into us," thought.

Once outside the cafeteria, the atmosphere changed a bit. The hallways were filled with students hurrying to their classrooms. The sound of their footsteps and conversations mixed with the echo they left as they walked down the long corridors. Twilight, Sunset, and Fluttershy walked in front, while Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack stayed a bit behind, with Pinkie sneaking glances at the farm girl, who walked silently with her eyes fixed on the ground.

The party girl decided to intervene with her usual carefree tone.

"Uh, as your distant family, I have a duty to know if you're okay," said with a playful smile, trying to keep things light, but at the same time worried.

Applejack gave her a look, clearly uncomfortable with the question, but not wanting to worry her relative.

"Pinkie, I'm fine," replied. "I'm using homework and the farm to distract myself," she half lied.

Before Pinkie could say anything else or notice the lie, she caught Rarity's eye across the hall. The dressmaker's wavy hair and graceful walk caught her attention.

"Perfect! I'm sure you'll find music more distracting," quickly replied, pointing to the classroom doors.

"Maybe. Thanks for asking," Applejack said, faking a smile. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable seeing Rarity in the distance.

Almost immediately after, Rainbow, who was walking beside her, couldn't help but chime in as well, albeit in a more direct tone.

"Hey, Blondie, I know you've been acting weird these past couple of days, but you know you can talk to me if you need to," said in a more direct and carefree tone, but one that also hid concern.

Applejack pursed her lips, visibly upset, and responded with a heavy sigh.

"Dash, what's wrong..." said, trying to find the words.

"Unless it's because of something I did... is it because I didn't write to you last night?" asked, grimacing. "I was talking to Gilda and then I went to write to Fluttershy, okay?"

The farm girl frowned. "Just forget it," added in an annoyed tone.

She walked forward, shaking her head, while Rainbow stayed behind, watching her partner's reaction with an annoyed sigh.

"Great," muttered to herself, annoyed by her attitude.

Once they arrived, the group dispersed a bit, each sitting in their respective places in the classroom, some together and others apart. The atmosphere was somewhat tense, especially between Applejack and Rainbow, but neither said anything else about it.

The teacher entered shortly after, starting the class while giving his lesson. Many glances were exchanged in the room, particularly between Applejack and Rarity. Although both tried to ignore each other, anger was present.

After a few minutes, the teacher gave instructions for a job.

"Before midterms come around, I want you to write a report on a famous composer of your choice. Analyze their life, their music, and their influence," the professor informed. "This time you'll have until next Friday to turn it in. You'll find more details in the prompt I'll give you when you come to my desk before you leave."

Some students already had ideas on who to choose, while others hadn't made up their minds yet. When class ended, one by one they approached the professor's desk to pick up the prompt before leaving the classroom.

The Mane Six gathered outside and walked down the hallway together.

"Who do you have in mind?" Pinkie asked, full of curiosity.

"I have Beethoven in mind," Twilight said determinedly.

The girls weren't surprised by their choice of classical music. Meanwhile, Rarity, who was walking a little further ahead, smiled discreetly upon hearing the glasses girl's comment.

"And you, AJ?" The blue-haired girl asked, turning to the farmer.

"He didn't mention anything about groups so I'm thinking about a solo artist," she replied thoughtfully.

"Actually, he didn't specify if it should be a group or a solo artist," Sunset said.

"Hmm, that's true. What about you, Dash?" she asked, turning to Rainbow.

"Like Sunset said, he didn't specify, so I already have my group," she said with a confident smile. "Who's the champion?" she added, putting her hands on her waist.

The girls looked at each other, somewhat confused.

"Come on, girls, I'm talking about Queen!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms.

"Ahhh..." some of them answered, finally recognizing the reference.

"Have you heard Chicken Little's version of 'We Are The Champions'? I can imitate everything and even the ending!" Pinkie assured, clearing her throat. "I am the champion, my friend..." began to sing, enthusiastically.

The girls looked at each other with a smile.

Pinkie continued singing.

"Here comes the end, girls," Fluttershy whispered, anticipating what was next.

The party girl took a breath for the last part. "on—"

Before she could finish, Rainbow clapped her hand over her mouth, interrupting her exact imitation of the song. The girls let out a sigh.

"Thanks, Pinkie, but I prefer the original version," commented with a smile.

"Okay," said, once she let go.

The multicolored one wrapped her arms around Sunset and Applejack. "Like the song says, we are champions!"

Meanwhile, Pinkie noticed Rarity, who was slowly walking a few steps ahead, as if she wanted to hear more about what they were talking about.

"Hey, Rarity! What was your choice?" asked cheerfully as she approached.

"Hey, Pinkie... I'm still thinking, but there's an artist that Sweetie Belle has been convincing me to listen to," replied with a light laugh.

"And who is this artist that she recommends so much to you?" asked curiously.

"Taylor Swift," revealed with a smile. "Sweetie keeps playing her songs whenever she's home, and although I wasn't convinced at first, I have to admit that some of the few songs I've heard have pretty deep lyrics."

The rest of the girls, who were walking close enough, reacted in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Taylor Swift... makes sense." Twilight thought. "She's known for her emotional and detailed lyrics, which reflect personal experiences. That definitely sounds like something Belle would appreciate."

"Interesting choice," Sunset thought. "Taylor is modern and trendy, and her songwriting style is definitely unique."

"I like some of her songs. They're so soft and soulful. I think she made a good choice," Fluttershy thought.

"Swift, huh? She's not exactly my kind of music, but I'll admit she's talented," Rainbow thought.

Finally, Applejack looked at her a bit with a slight frown. "Well, from what I know, she's always had a unique way of telling stories through her music."

The party girl jumped up and down excitedly. "Oh, I love some of the songs! They're so catchy and fun to sing along to."

"Yeah, I think it might be interesting to look at how her musical style has evolved over the years," the seamstress continued. "It's fascinating to see how an artist can constantly reinvent themselves and still remain relevant."

"It's a great choice, Rarity. I'm sure you'll find a lot of interesting material about her," Pinkie said.

"Thanks," she said, feeling his arm wrap around her as they began to walk forward and continue talking.

"Have you heard 'You Belong With Me'?" they heard Pinkie ask.

"Yeah, though the music video sounds like a Disney movie," they heard Rarity reply.

The girls stopped looking at them and exchanged glances as if waiting for someone to speak.

"Not a bad choice," Fluttershy commented breaking the silence.

"Not my style, but it's something for her," Rainbow said disinterestedly.

Before Sunset and Twilight could respond, Applejack abruptly intervened.

"Come on, we have training," said, starting to walk. The athlete shrugged it off and followed her.

"Ok... okay," the redhead said raising an eyebrow and starting to follow her.

"Is she upset about something?" the pink haired girl wondered.

"Come on, Fluttershy," Twilight said waiting for her friend who was falling behind.

"I'm coming."

Once they reached the classroom, they sat down waiting for their teacher, so Twilight began to look at some samples through the microscope.

"Hmm, I think these cells are pretty well defined. Though I wonder, do you think cells can be significantly altered by certain external factors? Like changes in the environment or chemicals?"

"It's possible. Cell biology is so complex..." Fluttershy commented, opening her notebook to the last notes. "A change in the environment, like temperature or pH, can affect the shape and function of cells."

The blue-haired girl nodded as she continued to adjust the microscope. "Exactly. I was reading about how certain compounds can induce mutations or alter cell behavior. It's fascinating how something so small can have such a big impact."

Fluttershy nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, it's amazing. It speaks to how delicate everything in nature can be. But, speaking of alterations and changes, I was wondering something..."

"What thing? Does it have something to do with Dash?" asked, looking up from the microscope.

"It's about Applejack. Yesterday, and she just seemed distracted. Although I've tried not to ask too much to avoid trouble like before. But, since she's my friend, I'm worried," the pink haired girl explained.

Twilight took off her glasses and cleaned them a little, with a thoughtful expression. "We've noticed it too. In fact, after you left with Dash, we had a little talk with Applejack."

"Anything I should know? Or maybe Rainbow, being her partner, should know," said Fluttershy worried.

The blue haired girl looked at her for a few seconds before answering. "Mmm... well, it has something to do with Rainbow and the group in general, but there's nothing to worry about. Applejack made it clear that everything is fine and that she hasn't misinterpreted anything."

"Misinterpret? Wait..." muttered trying to deduce. "Did some behavior with Dash make her doubt?"

"He he he, apparently. But she assured that it's okay that you and Dash are close," Twilight commented a little nervously.

The pink haired girl looked relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. I was already getting scared... although, Dash and I aren't as close as we seem yet."

"Really? I thought that with that cake she gave you, the nod and the wink, we'd be a little closer."

Fluttershy was surprised, blushing. "Umm... put like that... I understand how someone could misinterpret it. I'm glad Applejack didn't," replied, returning to her natural color.

Twilight smiled. "Yeah, and about Applejack. Pinkie Pie told me that she talked to her and it seems like she's found a way to get over this. But if she's still upset, as her friends, we can support her."

The shy girl nodded.

At that moment, they both saw the teacher come in, and quickly turned their attention to the class.

Class was over, so Applejack was driving the truck back home, with Apple Bloom sitting beside her. The silence between the two sisters was unusual, but Applejack was so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice. She gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"You okay, AJ?" Apple Bloom asked, looking at her older sister with concern, it was obvious how her day went.

Applejack sighed and relaxed her grip a little.

"Yeah, just... busy day."

Apple Bloom didn't insist.

When they arrived, the porch lights were already on, and the silhouettes of Granny Smith and Big Mac were waiting for them at the entrance.

"Look who's here!" Granny Smith exclaimed with a warm smile as Applejack turned off the truck's engine and both sisters got out.

"How did it go?" Big Mac asked, arms crossed but with a kind expression.

"All right, bro," the younger girl replied cheerfully, but the older girl merely nodded, walking toward the porch with her hands in her pockets.

"Is there anything to do?" the farm girl asked, without stopping, hoping for something to distract herself with.

Big Mac and Granny Smith exchanged a glance.

"We've already worked on everything, AJ," her brother replied. "We finished the work early today. There's more to do tomorrow."

Applejack let out a soft sigh of exhaustion, clearly trying to keep herself under control.

"Okay. I'll make dinner early then," said quietly, heading toward the kitchen.

Granny Smith watched her intently, but let her go on her way. She knew something was bothering her, but she also knew her granddaughter would need time to talk about it, if she ever did.

Dinner was simple and quick. The farmer didn't have much of an appetite, so she prepared something light for the rest of the family and retired early to her room, hoping to rest, although her mind was still full of thoughts. As she lay down, she felt the weight of everything that had happened recently, but eventually physical exhaustion overcame her, plunging her into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

The sound of a rooster echoed, but it wasn't enough to wake her. Usually, she was the first to wake up, but that morning, her body simply didn't respond. It wasn't until the sun shone on her face that Applejack finally opened her eyes. She looked at the clock with a start: it was already 9 in the morning, and she had to be at the university by 10.

"Damn!" growled, getting out of bed hastily.

She dressed hastily, without the usual energy that characterized her. The hours of sleep hadn't been enough to relieve her frustration or her accumulated tiredness. In the kitchen, she made herself a quick breakfast: just some bread and coffee, just enough to get her through the morning.

She grabbed her truck keys and left the house, briefly saying goodbye to Big Mac and Grandma Smith, who were already working in the garden.

The cool morning air did nothing to clear her mind; each step made her feel heavier. As she drove to institute, the feeling wouldn't leave her, and she knew classes wouldn't do much to distract her.

Back at institute, Applejack entered her first class of the day; arts, but she could barely concentrate. The minutes seemed to pass like hours, and the teacher's words became a distant echo in her mind.

Applejack leaned on her hand, looking out the window. Her mind was somewhere else, far from the teachings. All she wanted was for this day to end soon, but she knew that the real fight was in her head, and no matter how hard she tried to avoid it.

When lunch time came, she remained silent, which made her friends worry and think about the need to talk to her to find out if everything was okay.

They finished lunch and got up from their usual table, taking their things and empty trays, to leave them inside the cafeteria. Meanwhile, the seamstress entered through the main door with her empty tray, heading towards the place where she had to leave it.

Applejack, distracted, did not notice Rarity approaching. In the blink of an eye, both of their trays fell to the floor.

"Watch where you're going! Why are you appearing out of nowhere?" the farmer exclaimed, trying to calmly pick up her tray.

"Excuse me? You were the one who bumped into me. If you weren't distracted, maybe you could see what's going on around you," replied, as she began to pick up her own tray, casting a sidelong glance at the blonde, who frowned and shook her head.

Some nearby students watched the interaction with interest. The tension was palpable, and the usual murmur of the cafeteria died down as more people turned to see the scene.

"I'm not distracted, I just... I don't need you to keep coming closer like you always do," said, avoiding the dressmaker's gaze, clearly uncomfortable at the gazes on them.

"Come closer? All I've tried is... I don't even know why I bother trying," Rarity said, letting out a sigh.

The five friends watched the scene from where they were; behind the farmer. Pinkie, worried, looked at both of them with a frown, while Fluttershy hid behind her friend with glasses. Rainbow, on the other hand, looked confused, not knowing what to do.

"What the hell is going on?" whispered the athlete, looking at the girls.

"I don't know, but it seems like an argument fueled by Applejack," replied Sunset.

"This doesn't look good at all..." the party girl murmured, worried.

"See, there you go, making a drama scene. It's not all about you," said Applejack, trying to remain indifferent.

Some nearby students began to murmur, exchanging glances. Some seemed to enjoy the show, while others looked on with some discomfort.

"The drama between the e-" Trixie tried to say, being interrupted by an elbow from Starlight, followed by an "ouch" from the gray haired girl.

Her friend looked at the students at her table before speaking to her in a low voice. "Trixie, don't talk too much, we promised to keep it a secret."

"Sorry, but times like this are interesting, and you know I can't hold back my comments sometimes," replied quietly, rubbing her arm.

"That's why I nudged you; I knew what you were going to say," Starlight said.

"Drama? You know I've tried to be patient," Rarity said, indirectly, looking at the girls behind the blonde. "But it seems like everything I do only pisses you off more," added, turning her attention back to the blonde.

"I'm not upset, it's just... We always seem to end up butting heads in one way or another," Applejack replied, with a small grimace, trying not to raise her voice, but unable to help her tone.

"Well, it's not like I do it on purpose," replied, softening her response, but watching the farm girl with a mix of confusion and concern.

"I know you don't do it on purpose, but... sometimes it seems like you're always in my way," the blonde said, as she looked at the tray.

"In your way?" Rarity repeated, realizing that Applejack wasn't just talking about the crash, but about something else.

"I'm not trying to make this an issue. I just... feel like we still can't find a way to be okay," explained, finally looking Rarity in the eyes, her expression tired.

The seamstress took a deep breath, taking in the words, lowering her gaze a little. "I guess you're right... But it seems like your anger is coming from somewhere else. I f-" she stopped, noticing that several students were still staring at them. "I can tell you're frustrated, but you should find the cause of why you feel this way and not take it out on it," said in a calmer tone, but her expression showed a mix of worry and sadness.

Rarity left the tray on a nearby table and turned to leave. Applejack stood there doing nothing, knowing that he was partly right.

"I'm going to talk to AJ," Pinkie said, worried, setting down her tray.

"Do you think that's for the best?" Fluttershy asked in a low tone. "She seemed to have gotten over whatever was bothering her, but apparently not. We should all talk together."

"You're right... I'll talk to Rarity," replied, following her. "They'll tell me what's up with AJ later."

"Now that was unexpected..." Twilight commented, unsure of what to do as she watched the party girl try to get to the dressmaker, who was just reaching the door.

"Let's go somewhere else. Maybe AJ will finally tell us what's wrong," Sunset suggested, and the others nodded, setting down their trays.

"I'll take her," Rainbow said, starting to walk with the others. As she approached, she took the tray that Applejack still had in her hands and passed it to Fluttershy, who was coming behind her and upon receiving it saw the tray that Rarity left on a table, so she decided to return them.

The tension in the atmosphere decreased a little, but the students around exchanged curious glances, wondering what they had been talking about, since it seemed that the two girls were communicating with words that were not entirely understood.

"Hey, blondie," called, patting Applejack on the back, making her react. "I don't know what led you to this. Maybe it's what we already know... the past," whispered. "But I'm not going to leave you with those looks," added, pointing with her thumb at the curious looks. "Let's go somewhere else."

The farmer smiled a little and walked to stand beside her. "Thanks, Dash. I think I needed those words," said, putting an arm around her. "I knew you would be on my way."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, confused. "They were just words," thought, wondering what she meant by the last bit.

Outside the cafeteria the party girl hurried to catch up with the curly-haired girl. "Wait, Rarity!" exclaimed, stopping her before she disappeared into some hallway.

Rarity stopped, turning slowly with a tired and frustrated expression. "What do you want, Pinkie?" asked, her tone tired, but a little softer as she saw the concern in her friend's eyes.

The party girl walked over and took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm sorry about what happened back there. I didn't think Applejack would be like that."

The seamstress forced a small smile. "Don't worry. It's not your fault. I know her, and I know something's wrong with her... but that doesn't mean she has to say things like that to me!"

Pinkie looked at her, her expression reflecting concern. "I know. I talked to her the other day, and she seemed to take into account what we told her with Apple Bloom."

Rarity tried to put on a firm expression as she processed what the party girl said. "You know what you could do if something happens to her," continued, but the girl gently interrupted her.

"Let her do something to distract herself," finished with a smile.

"Yeah, but I think she'd need an outing with friends to clear that head of hers," Rarity said, waving her hand towards the cafeteria door.

"That's a good idea," Pinkie agreed as she watched the girls leave. "Besides her chores and the farm, hanging out with her friends would help her feel better."

"Then go with the girls so they can talk to her."

Pinkie walked a little way, but stopped and looked at her. "And you? How are you? I'm supposed to come to talk to you about what happened, and we ended up talking about how to make AJ feel better."

"I'm fine... Just processing some things she said, but I think I'll be fine," replied, staring at the floor for a few seconds.

The party girl smiled warmly. "You do it again!"

"Do what?"

"That thing about caring about others. You've always had that trait, you proved it with the bill you put in my pocket the other day," Pinkie said, remembering the moment.

Rarity laughed. "I wasn't going to let you pay for it alone. And if you insist on giving me back the bill, I'll just give it back to you again."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," said, giggling a little. "Well, I'm going with the girls, but you're not getting rid of me."

The seamstress shook her head, smiling. "If you want, you can find me after the class. We can go together."

"Obviously I wouldn't refuse!" exclaimed excitedly, coming over to hug her goodbye before heading off with the others, who were already walking away down a hallway.

"Bye, Rarity. I'll pick you up later... Where exactly?" asked from a distance.

"At my locker," she replied before turning around. "Bye, Pinkie."

"Okay, bye, Rarity!" Pinkie shouted, running off to catch up with the others, knowing where they were headed.

The wavy-haired girl, seeing the party girl walk away, changed her expression to a mix of sadness and anger, the words had undoubtedly affected her in different ways.

Pinkie Pie walked briskly through the halls, her steps light but hurried, following the echo of her friends' voices coming from the music room.

Reaching the door, she paused for a few seconds before entering, taking a breath. The music room was partially illuminated by the sun coming through the windows, and the girls were already inside, standing in a curve looking at Applejack, who sat on the step with her head down.

"Girls!" exclaimed with a smile as she walked through the door, although something in her tone suggested a hint of concern.

Fluttershy looked up. "Hey, Pinkie. Everything okay?"

The party girl nodded quickly, but without her typical energy. "I talked to Rarity... but I'm not here to talk about that. How's AJ?" asked as she approached.

"We're on it," Twilight said.

"We told him that, despite the stuff with Belle, she shouldn't take it out like that," Sunset added.

"Yeah, like Rainbow who went too far last time with those things she said to Rarity," Pinkie mentioned.

The multicolored girl raised her head, looking at the party girl. "Which of all my comments?"

Pinkie let out a nervous giggle. "Hehe, uh, one of the things you said... But we're here to figure out what's wrong with AJ, right?"

"I'm not mad," the farm girl said, raising her head and looking at her friends.

"So, what's wrong with you? We thought it was due to..." Twilight said, gesturing surreptitiously to her side, where Fluttershy and Rainbow were. The blonde got the message

"I'm not sure, but I'm telling you that I'm okay with what happened," insisted, throwing the message back.

Sunset, Twilight, and Pinkie got the hint, with the exception of the other two, who didn't seem to get it at all.

"I thought what we suggested with Apple Bloom would be enough to take some of the edge off," the party girl said worriedly.

"I made some progress on assignments and the farm on Tuesday. And yesterday, remember, is our longest day of class, so I couldn't do much and there was nothing to do at home," explained, letting out a sigh.

Rainbow frowned, crossing her arms. "So, is that what's got you like this? You're under pressure. Between the farm and your studies, you barely have time for anything."

"No, Dash, it's not that. I made some progress on both on Tuesday to clear my head, but I couldn't yesterday because..." replied.

"The long day we have," finished, nodding.

"Not everything is solved in two days by doing things halfway," Twilight said.

Fluttershy nodded softly. "Maybe your frustration is due to something deeper. Maybe distracting yourself a little will help. You don't want those emotions to build up."

"Exactly, AJ, and it's okay to let out what you feel. Whether it's with us or alone. You've done it before," Sunset said with understanding.

The girls nodded with a sad smile, while Applejack watched them for a moment before lowering her head again.

That moment reminded her of a previous time, when the farmer had felt distracted, distant and something else, but it had taken her a while to return to normal. The girls hoped that the same wouldn't happen this time.

"They're right," Applejack said, raising her head. "Today I'll focus on my classwork and tomorrow on the farm. I'll extend my distraction time more and, well, if I do explode, at least I know it will be at the right time," showed a small smile.

"And do you know where we can start, blondie?" Rainbow asked with a half smile, as she walked over to an instrument, showing it to the farmer.

The girls smiled and Applejack took her bass before standing up.

"It's time for a song!" Pinkie exclaimed. "How about Smile?"

"It's a solo," Twilight said, frowning slightly.

"But it has choruses," Fluttershy added, finding the silver lining.

"And AJ needs a smile," the party girl insisted, cheerful.

"Sounds good to me," Sunset said, picking up her guitar.

"I still find it weird that you had that dream where you were inspired to write the song," Rainbow commented somewhat incredulously, as she plugged in her guitar.

"Guys, it was just a pony world," Pinkie said as if it were the most normal thing, as she walked over to the drums.

The girls smiled, shaking their heads.

"You know, I was thinking we could go somewhere tomorrow or this weekend," said, drumsticks already in hand. "Some time with friends would sure help clear that head of yours," added, repeating almost the same words Rarity had told her.

Fluttershy smiled. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

"Count me in," Rainbow said with a half smile. "We could run around a bit. I'm sure you'd blow off some steam."

"Me too. You don't have to carry everything by yourself, AJ," Twilight added.

"It doesn't matter if it's the weekend, I can ask for time off or change my shift at work," Sunset said.

They all looked at Applejack, waiting for her response. "Thanks, girls. Sounds good,"said, looking at everyone with a weak smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

The girls smiled back.

Pinkie jumped up, regaining some of her usual glow. "Perfect! So, we're deciding if we're going tomorrow or the weekend," she said, smiling widely, glad that the plan was in motion.

"Now, what were we up to?" the farm girl asked, twirling the bass.

"1, 2, 3, 4..." the party girl counted as she clacked her drumsticks, marking the rhythm to start the song.

So the instruments played as Pinkie sang her solo and the others provided the chorus. The room filled with energy as the cheerful girl, with a big smile, threw herself into the song. Her lively movements on the drums, along with her vibrant and cheerful voice, infected everyone.

As the song progressed, Applejack couldn't help but smile at the energy of the party girl.

The girls in the choir, instruments in hand, swayed to the song, exchanging knowing glances as they watched Applejack crack a smile. And every time Pinkie accented a high note with a thump on her drums, the girls in the choir lit up with genuine smiles.

After Applejack played the last few chords on her bass, the girls all came closer, smiling. There was a sense of relief in the air, as if, for a brief moment, worries had vanished.

"See? A smile fixes everything!" Pinkie exclaimed, still fluttering from the song's excitement.

The farm girl smiled, though more at the support of her friends than the music. "Thanks, girls. I really needed it."

They all nodded, showing their support with small words of encouragement or just a squeeze on Applejack's shoulder.

"We know you have a lot on your mind, but we're here for you," Sunset added softly.

Fluttershy came over to give her a quick hug. "You can always count on us, AJ."

The farm girl, still holding the bass in her hands, looked at each of her friends, feeling an unexpected warmth.

Just then, Twilight, who was always keeping an eye on the clock, let out a small gasp. "Girls, we're already past our time! We're going to be late for class."

Immediately, the group began to move quickly, gathering their belongings and putting away their instruments.

"See you at the exit!" Rainbow exclaimed, running towards the exit with Sunset.

Twilight and Fluttershy followed suit, while Applejack waved goodbye before leaving as well.

The party girl stayed a few more seconds in the room, remembering that she had promised something important: to look for Rarity after class.

The hour passed, marking the end of classes, and the sound of the bell echoed through the halls. Pinkie quickly left her classroom, dodging the students who filled the hallways. She headed straight for the dressmaker's locker.

But before she got there, Rarity was in the teacher's office, collecting the last test of the week. Upon seeing the grade, her expression immediately changed.

"Shit," muttered in frustration as she looked over the paper.

"Miss Belle, that vocabulary," the teacher commented with a stern look.

Rarity sighed, biting her lip. "Sorry, teacher, I thought I said it in my head."

The teacher gave her a look, albeit one with a hint of understanding. "I advise you to think more about how to improve these grades before the midterms."

The dressmaker nodded, resigned, and put the paper away in her notebook with a dejected air. She gave a small nod and left, heading towards the lockers, where Pinkie was waiting with her usual smile.

"Rarity! How's everything going?" asked with her usual energy.

"So-so," replied, letting out a sigh. "Will you come with me to the library?"

"The library?" she was a little surprised, though not losing her enthusiasm. "Sure!"

The two walked to the library in silence, with Rarity clearly deep in thought. Upon arriving, the seamstress began selecting some books from the shelves.

"I think I'll need this one... and this one," said, handing two thick books to Pinkie, who held them at arm's length.

"Wow, Rarity! Are you really going to take these heavy books with you? I know midterms are a few weeks away, but I'm surprised you want to prepare so soon!"

The seamstress smiled weakly. "I'm determined. I don't want to fail. If I don't improve, I might get in trouble, and I can't afford that."

The party girl watched her friend, noticing the pressure she put on herself. Though her cheerful nature wanted to downplay it, she knew Rarity took it seriously. "Well, if anyone can handle this, it's you. And if you need a break, you know who to call!"

Rarity let out a small laugh at the hyperactive girl's contagious energy. "Thanks, Pinkie. It's good to know I have you around."

Just as they were in line to ask for the books, they saw the bespectacled girl, selecting some texts. Rarity turned around and quietly commented, "I know Twilight is already naturally smart, but... does she still need help studying?"

"I don't know, but it's Twilight. We're never surprised to see her in the library with more books," Pinkie said.

Before they could continue their conversation, they heard a voice behind them. "It's not that I study that much, but there's always something new to learn."

Rarity blushed, feeling caught out. "Ah... you're right. Sorry about that," replied, turning around.

Twilight nodded. "Sometimes, the thickest books don't always contain what one needs," commented, pointing at the thin book in her hands.

"I'm not a book person, so I don't know whether to consider your advice," Rarity said with a forced smile, trying to maintain a confident facade. "But you're the one who... knows the most," added nervously.

"Everyone has their own way of learning," said, trying to maintain a serious facade.

Pinkie, watching the interaction, just nodded.

As the last student cleared the line, Rarity asked for the books and put them in her considerably heavy backpack. As she walked away, she took a quick glance at the blue-haired girl.

"See you tomorrow, Twilight," Pinkie said with her usual enthusiasm.

The bespectacled girl smiled softly back at them and said goodbye before asking for her own books.

As they left the library, Rarity walked with her head down, and the party girl, thinking her friend was sad, searched for some encouraging words.

"Goodbye to my possible progress," she muttered. "If there ever was one."

"Come on, Rarity! It wasn't that bad. It could have been worse, but it wasn't!" exclaimed optimistically.

"Worse..." the seamstress said, exaggerating with a dramatic touch. "I offended her intelligence."

"Can intelligence be offended?" Pinkie wondered, shaking her head and then placing a hand on the seamstress's shoulder. "Rarity, remember: let things flow, and you'll see how everything gets better!"

The curly-haired girl smiled weakly. "You're right."

"And to calm you down, I have news!" Pinkie exclaimed, excited.

Rarity waited for him to continue.

"We talked to Applejack, and I think your idea of going out together this weekend is perfect."

The seamstress nodded, a little thoughtful, trying to deflect the words the blonde said to her. "I hope that helps. AJ tends to keep everything to herself."

"Yeah, but that's why we're here. So she doesn't have to carry everything alone."

Rarity nodded again. "Tell me later how it went."

"Speaking of letting me know, I realized I don't have your number yet," Pinkie said, pulling out her phone.

"True. How rude, after talking," replied, pulling her phone out of her backpack as best she could.

"Oh, you reminded me: I posted a photo on Instagram from the event and, since you have your public profile, you should have seen that I tagged you," the cheerful party girl commented.

Rarity laughed. "Yeah, I saw it. I'm surprised by the likes you have," admitted as she unlocked her phone.

"I'm followed by almost the entire university and a few acquaintances who aren't there," Pinkie explained.

"Wow," Rarity said, then shook her head. "Ok, my number is 66*****."

The party girl was writing down the number in the contact. "Perfect, now I'll talk to you non-stop." she joked.

"Why do I feel like this doesn't seem like a joke?" the seamstress thought, almost worried. "Well, ready to go?"

Pinkie nodded vigorously as she put the phone away. "Yeah! What do you want to do first? Get a drink or walk?"

"We can walk first, but first we have to find my sister."

"So, first stop: Mini Belle!" exclaimed with a sign in the air.

The two began walking towards the stairs, heading for the front door.

After meeting up with the youngest Belle, the three of them strolled around for a while, walking while chatting and eating ice cream. After a few minutes, Pinkie, Sweetie Belle, and Rarity decided it was time to head back home. The sky was beginning to turn shades of orange and pink, marking the end of the day.

The party girl, with a smile, waved goodbye, stretching a little as they walked to the corner where they would part ways. And the Belle sisters waved back, and with that, they walked back home, enjoying the moment of calm.

Friday had started out as a long day for Applejack, with classes shorter but packed with homework that left her feeling exhausted. Time seemed to drag on, and her frustration persisted throughout the day. However, her friends' invitation to hang out after school was a relief she hadn't expected. At first, she wasn't sure if she felt like socializing, but once she was with them, the tension began to fade away little by little.

Saturday came almost without realizing it. When she woke up, Applejack felt a little calmer than the previous days. Although she knew she still had work to do on the farm, but as she said it would help her distract herself.

Now she was in the barn, sweeping the floor while humming a tune. She felt that yesterday's day with the girls had really helped her. The race she had with Rainbow Dash around the square, which was packed with activities and events, helped distract her. She did her best to control herself, in case they got into an argument about who cheated, as if the multicolored one had wings to beat her.

She let out a laugh as she imagined her with wings. "Only Pinkie would be able to imagine something so crazy," thought as she continued sweeping.

She went back to her memories of the outing. She was sure that Dash had let her win, although, at first, she didn't realize it because she was enjoying the moment. Then Pinkie Pie came, always cheerful, and took them all to some inflatable games that, although they seemed designed for children, were worth it. Between laughs and pushes, they ended up climbing and jumping, regardless of age.

Sunset Shimmet convinced Twilight to join, even though the girl was hesitant at first, arguing that inflatables weren't her style. With a little insistence, Sunset managed to get Twilight to finally climb on, and the smile she gave after a couple of jumps showed that she didn't regret it.

"Keep on goin' just like you should. Call me crazy, misunderstood..." she sang as she continued sweeping and remembering more of the outing.

For Fluttershy's part, she had been watching from afar with Rainbow Dash. But the pink-haired girl when she noticed an inflatable animal-themed game was amazed, but she didn't want to leave her friends. The athlete, seeing the girl's intention, acted strong so as not to show discomfort by getting on something that was for children and convinced her to get on together wanting to please her best friend.

"If only it could be like that with me..." She suddenly interrupted and shook her head. "You're doing it again, Applejack, stop torturing yourself."

She sighed deeply as she continued sweeping. The memories of the outing kept appearing in her mind; in the end, they all had fun as if they were children again.

Without a doubt, the outing helped her to clear her mind. She couldn't solve all of her problems in one day, but being with her friends had given her the respite she needed.

Once she finished sweeping the entire barn, she thought back to her outing with the girls and laughed. A thought crossed her mind, but it wasn't one of those frequent memories, it was something she had already decided on. She left the barn and went into the house to shower and look a little more decent for where she was going.

She left the house, saying goodbye to her family before heading to the truck.

Belle Family House
Rarity sat at her desk, surrounded by papers, notebooks, and books she had borrowed from the library. The silence of her room was only broken by the faint sound of pages turning and the occasional frustrated sigh. Among the piles of academic material, one notebook in particular stood out, where she kept her grades. It was her little secret, an attempt to keep those notes away from the eyes of others. Despite her always impeccable and confident appearance, the reality was that things weren't going as well as she wanted.

With a sigh, Rarity picked up the notebook where she usually hid the notes she preferred to keep secret. She knew she had to face reality, but she couldn't help but feel a knot in her stomach every time she saw those numbers. She opened the page and looked at the note once more, the same one she had tried to ignore all day. She frowned, frustrated with herself.

"How is it possible that this is costing me so much?" she muttered, before letting out another long sigh.

Just as she was deep in thought, the door to her room opened.

"Hey, princess, how are your studies going?" her father asked in his characteristic warm tone.

Rarity jumped slightly in her chair, startled. She quickly hid the paper under the pile of books on her desk.

"Dad! You scared me..." she exclaimed with a nervous smile, trying to hide her concern.

"Sorry, honey. I didn't mean to bother you," she replied with a small laugh. "I just wanted to know how you were doing."

Although Rarity usually had deep conversations with her mother, she had always felt a special connection with her dad. However, at that moment she wasn't sure if she wanted to be completely honest with him.

"Dad..." she began, but paused for a moment, hesitating. She knew he would understand, but she wasn't ready to share everything.

"Yes, princess."

"Is mom downstairs or is she out with Sweetie Belle?"

"Yeah, they're watching TV. It's our night to relax a little, you know, while you and Sweetie have to study and work," she said with a smile. "Though I think your mother is taking that detective show a little too seriously."

Rarity let out a small laugh, thankful for the momentary relief from the tension she was feeling. Her father always knew how to make her feel better, even in the most difficult times.

"Do you want to talk to her? Something college-related, I guess?"

"No, yeah, well..." she replied, sneaking a glance at where she had hidden her grades. "... I'm not sure," she said as she let out a sigh. "I have several assignments to do, and I don't even know where to start."

"It's always better to start with the easiest ones." her father suggested, with that casual tone that sometimes made things seem less complicated than they really were.

"I've heard that it's better to start with the hardest," Rarity commented, still hesitant.

"That's true too." Hondo nodded. "If you finish the hard stuff first, the easy assignments will feel like a cakewalk."

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Dad." she said with a slight smile. Despite everything, her advice was always practical.

"Well, I'm off. Your mother and I are going to see what happens in the next chapter. I'll let you know if anything interesting happens," she added with a small laugh before leaving the room.

As the door closed, Rarity let out a deeper sigh. She looked at the stack of thick books she had borrowed from the library and then at the notebook that was related to the music assignment. Deep inside, she knew she should start with math, but something was urging her to work on the music project first. Maybe because she felt like it was something she could take refuge in, something that didn't make her feel so pressured.

Rarity took a cue from work, pulled out her laptop, and began typing into the search engine: [Taylor Swift biography] Several pages popped up, and she began to open the most relevant ones.

As she read, she began to take notes: [Natural blonde... songwriter since young...]

It all seemed pretty standard. But some things she read made her relate to a certain blonde. Applejack's words during the argument still lingered in her head. It wasn't just that she had taken it out on her, it was the mix of sadness and... anger that she couldn't shake.

"Country... Obviously it started with that," muttered, rolling her eyes as she scrolled down the page.

The more she read, the more she noticed the similarities between what she saw in the singer's biography and some details that reminded her of Applejack: the blonde hair, the connection to country music... It was impossible not to make that comparison. Rarity let out an exasperated sigh.

"What else is missing? Freckles too? Emerald eyes instead of blue?" she complained, feeling every little detail hit her like an involuntary reminder.

Frustrated, she momentarily closed her laptop and leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath. She knew she should relax, but the repressed emotions and the farmer's words kept running through her mind.

"Okay, Rarity, just relax. Don't let it get to you..." she told herself quietly, trying to calm the growing anger.

She knew she would eventually have to face what she was feeling, but for now, she preferred to keep up the facade, hide her true feelings behind a mask of indifference and continue with her work.

Elsewhere, Applejack drove her truck down a quiet road, the roar of the engine echoing softly in her ears. The landscape around her blurred into a blur of colors.

Finally, she arrived at her destination. She parked the truck and sat for a moment, taking a deep breath before getting out. A soft breeze caressed her face as she closed the truck door and made her way to the entrance of the quiet, peaceful place. Applejack took a deep breath, feeling a lump in her throat as she asked permission to enter.

Once inside, she slowly walked down the path that led her to the corresponding area. Each step seemed to weigh more than the last. Upon arriving, she stopped in front of the tombstones, looking at them with a mixture of sadness and longing. She lowered her head, closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them, giving a wistful smile.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," murmured softly, her voice shaking a little. "Forgive me for not coming sooner. University and other things haven't allowed me to come here as often." She sat down on a nearby step, her hands resting on her knees.

"May I?" asked, asking permission before sitting up fully, looking at her parents' headstones with obvious fondness.

"You know... there's been a lot going on at university lately," began, her voice lowering a bit as if she was afraid to interrupt the silence around her. She was quiet for a moment, as if she was listening to an answer only she could hear.

"No, it's not Dash again... although, for one, it does have to do with her," Applejack continued, her tone full of resignation. Again, silence. "Do you remember my second partner? Or rather, ex. The one I was telling you about who came here a few times, Belle... or as you knew her, Rarity."

She bit her lower lip, fighting back her emotions. "Well, she's back. And while I'm acting harshly towards her... for obvious reasons, it's justified. I know how I acted the other day was wrong, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Well, something about Belle is affecting my relationship with Dash."

The wind blew softly, stirring some fallen leaves near her. Applejack took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the words she had yet to say. "I know things with Dash are complicated, you know that. But now, with Belle back and after seeing her parents, and the stupid mistake of going on her Instagram, I find myself acting in a way that's affecting my current relationship."

She looked at the tombstones briefly and laughed humorlessly. "I know, I don't mean much by that."

"We had what could have been our first normal conversation with Belle... well, Rarity to you all, and she said something that left more than one of us with our mouths open... I agreed with Dash to focus on the present. But then Pinkie drew some conclusions leaving me with doubts... So I went and went to Belle's Instagram to look for some clues and... I remembered something, and that led me to a memory that just ended here, visiting them, and her putting..."

She fell silent when she saw that the plastic rose the dressmaker had left was still there. "I had forgotten that she was the one who left it there," whispered, lowering her head for a few seconds.

"Then it came to my subconscious the possible reason why I was hiding from Mr. Hondo... Belle's father. I always told him that I would never hurt his daughter, but in the end, things didn't work out the way we expected and we both got hurt. Who doesn't get hurt after a breakup?" said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not insensitive, obviously it affected me."

She fell silent as if she had been answered.

"Dad, I'm not talking about that time... I just felt bad for... for you guys, that's all..." said, clenching her fist a little. "It was just when we broke up... plus I was starting things with Dash."

Applejack closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm down. "Now I got sidetracked... What was I on?"

"The memory... Thank you, Mom." The farmer smiled a little, as if she could hear her mother reminding her softly. "Fluttershy discovered me, we talked a little about the photos we saw leaving me a little thoughtful and more with what she advised me."

"Everything seemed to be going well, even when I had the date with Dash last Friday even though it was average. But you could say I had a good time. Monday comes and Rainbow goes into surprise mode and gives Fluttershy a cake... It was a nice gesture, but it reminded me of the time Belle gave me a pear pie..."

She paused imagining as if her mother said something. "Yes... She was one of the first people I told that I liked pears before I found out you were one of them," said with a smile.

Her expression changed, remembering the initial conversation again. "I don't know why, Dad... I don't know why that exact moment I remembered it, and I go and complain to Rainbow for being more expressive with Fluttershy!"

"I know, Mom... we had already come to an agreement with Dash about that."

"And that's not the only thing that happened..." She let out a sigh. "When Dash offered Fluttershy a ride in his car, he made some gestures that I used to make when... when you know."

"I don't understand why my mind goes to those moments. It's so frustrating," said, lowering her head. "Tell me, Mom... Tell me what it means."

She paused as if waiting for an answer.

Applejack looked at her hand and made a shape as if she were holding a glass. "I'm not much of a drinker, but I could use a beer or cider right now," said, raising her hand as if she were holding an imaginary glass of cider. "It's ironic, isn't it, Dad? We usually make cider, but I hate those times when Dash drinks too much... I just let him go sometimes," said, then brought her hand closer, pretending to drink.

"I took out my frustration on Belle the other day. I know I'm indifferent to her, but I admit I went a little overboard in getting angry just for crashing into me because my mind was somewhere else. Pinkie and Apple Bloom say this feeling will pass... Their examples were unusual," she mentioned with a smile at the end. "But I think they've helped me since I went out with the girls yesterday and I was able to relax a little and I don't feel so bad... I'll just have to do more things and see how I behave from now on."

"I should focus on the present, like Dash says, but then there's what Fluttershy said about considering what I think... Although I still don't have a clear thought."

She looked at the plastic rose and stretched out her hand, hesitating to remove it or not. "Would it be rude to remove a rose for the deceased?" asked herself without doing anything and returning her arm to its position.

Applejack sighed, looking at the tombstones with a lost look. "Should I act soft with Belle or should I continue to act tough with her? What reasons are there... I've already told you what happened," said, making some gestures with her hand. "But not overdoing it."

She fell silent thinking for a bit. "I don't think anything else with her will affect my relationship with Dash... What's the worst that could happen?" letting out a laugh.

She fell silent again with her eyes closed for a few seconds and finally, Applejack stood up and looked at the tombstones. "Thanks for listening to me, mom, dad... it seems I needed to be a little honest," she concluded with a firm voice. "I know I'll find the answer to some of my problems, one way or another."

Before leaving, she leaned down and placed a hand on the ground, feeling the cold marble under her fingers. "I promise I'll be back soon," said in a whisper before getting up and walking back to her truck.

As she walked away, the wind blew softly again, a quiet sigh through the trees, and for a moment, Applejack could almost imagine her parents were there, smiling and reassuring her that everything would be okay.

Author's Note

• I wasn't sure about leaving any clues about the breakup (even though I didn't give much of anything away) but considering that the following flashbacks, despite being nice moments, also include not so nice moments, I decided to add it through the Crusaders.

• As you saw, I put the singer Taylor Swift. When I go through bad times and what happens now between Applejack and Rarity, I hear sad songs and I realized that some of them, in some way, are close to what happened, so I came up with the idea of introducing it and it will help reveal certain things about the relationship.

• I hope you're enjoying how the plot is going so far.

• It's possible that I'll be late with the next chapter, because in my country (Chile) something called the national holidays or better known as the 18th is coming up. Although, considering that I discarded some scenes by moving them to the next chapter, it's possible that it'll be sooner. That's all until next time.