"I wanna see the lemurs!"

Sunset Shimmer chuckled as Luster Dawn looked up at her with bright, pleading eyes, and she turned to her wife, Twilight Sparkle.

"What do you think, Twi? Can she see the lemurs?"

Twilight gave Sunset a conspiratal smirk as she tapped a finger to the edge of her lips in mock thought.

"I don't know, Sunny..."

"Please! Please I'll do anything!"

The wives giggled again, and Sunset turned to their adopted daughter.

"Okay, but only if you promise to play with Lil Cheese."

Luster's eyes sparkled, as, to her, she'd just been asked to play with a friend to do something she wanted to do, completely unaware of Sunset forming a convenient excuse to see one of her old friends again. At least, one of the few who still spoke to her.

Twilight smiled at Sunset, grabbing at her hand as they followed after their daughter, headed straight for the lemurs. They'd spoken to Fluttershy earlier, having had lunch while Fluttershy took her break, and so she decided she wanted to speak to Pinkie Pie too, the only other from that old group she'd kept in contact with.

It wasn't that she'd wanted to separate from that group; no, not at all. But they'd forced her out, and she'd dealt with it. Besides, it wasn't like-

"oomph-"

Sunset reached up, shaking her head as she recovered from walking straight into someone.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't-"

She paused as her eyes were met by a barrage of Rainbow prismatic hair and pink eyes.

"Rainbow Dash? What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Sunset! Language!"

"Sorry Twi."

Rainbow seemed just as surprised as Sunset did, but that didn't last when Applejack walked up behind her, resting a hand on the sportster.

"Oh, uh, heh, hey Sunset. We, uhm, well..."

Applejack rolled her eyes before stepping forward.

"We wanted to apologise."

Sunset narrowed her eyes, and saw Twilight's eyebrows shoot up in realisation, and she held out an arm to hold back her wife, who, now that Sunset looked, seemed positively murderous.

"Luster, honey, come here."

Their daughter looked at them with wide eyes before quickly scurrying to stand behind Sunset, arms wrapping around her leg. Applejack's eyes raised at the girl, and then at Twilight, who was still being held back by Sunset.

"Twilight? What are you doin' here?"

"She's not Princess Twilight."

Applejack nodded her head, and Rainbow took a step back to stand next to AJ.

"I might not be a Princess, but I have every mind to make you go away," Twilight growled.

"She uh-"

"-She knows."

Sunset's eyes narrowed further.

"If you wanted to apologise, why did you wait so fucking long? It's been-"

Sunset quickly counted in her head.

"Ten years. Pinkie and Fluttershy apologised in two."

The pair exchanged glances.

"Look, ah, Sunset, we wanted to. But we didn't know how, and, besides..."

"You were kinda hard to track down. We only found you because Fluttershy mentioned she was seeing you today."

Figures.

"So Fluttershy set this up?"

Rainbow paled.

"No, no! We, uh.."
"We came without her knowing."
"So, you went behind your friends back to apologise to an ex-friend who you haven't talked to in ten years because what? You felt bad?"

Rainbow scuffed her feet on the path.

"Look, after the Battle of the Bands, we realised it wasn't you-"
"No shit, Dash. I had to step in to stop the fucking sirens."

Rainbow blinked in surprise, and AJ stepped in.

"Look, Sunset, you transferred away the day after. We never got the chance to apologise, you'd blocked us on everything."

"With good reason.," Twilight growled.

Sunset wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Look, we know it wasn't you. We were wrong, and we drove you away from us. I'm glad things have turned out well for you," Rainbow gestured at Twilight as she spoke, "But you were one of our best friends then. We want to make it right. Or at least try to."

Sunset noted that Rainbow seemed more nervous than she'd used to be, and held Applejack's hand in her own.

"Well, Fluttershy and Pinkie managed it. You know what they did? They put in effort. They asked around."

For that, they had no response.

"And what about Rarity? She didn't come either, I see."

"Rarity moved abroad, after it all. Associated Canterlot with bad memories. But she wanted us ta say she's sorry for her, too.''

Sunset let out a grunt, and Luster pulled at her skirt, drawing her attention.

"Lemurs?"

Sunset softened, a smile taking shape on her face before she turned back to her old friends.

"Look, I can't say I'll forgive you easily. It took a while for Pinkie and Fluttershy, it'll take a while for you, too. But I am willing to give you a chance-"

"Sunset, you shouldn't."

Sunset raised an eyebrow and turned to her wife.

"They abandoned you, honey. You- you almost-"

They both flinched at that, one of Sunset's worst moments having resulted in a confrontation on the edge of Crystal Prep's roof.

"I gave the other two a chance, Twi. But if they upset me, I'll stop talking to them, happy?"

The smallest of nods.

"Right, well, you heard her. You've got one chance, and I will stick to that, because she's my wife and I listen to her like a friend."

The two flinched.

"But not right now. I'm here," she picked up Luster, resting her on her shoulder as the girl giggled, "to give my daughter a zoo experience, and we're going to see the Lemurs. You can get my number from Fluttershy."

Applejack and Rainbow nodded acceptance.

"If that's all, would you kindly get out of our way?"

"But-"

"Rainbow, it's cool. Let her go."

Applejack tugged Rainbow out of the way with a hand around her waist, and Sunset stepped around them before finding Twilight's hand and pulling her away too, despite the still near murderous look on her face. She paused for a moment before turning around again.

"Oh, congratulations by the way. I always thought you two were perfect for each other."

She ignored their surprised looks, like they thought Sunset hadn't noticed the engagement rings on their fingers.

"Come on Luster. It's time to see the lemurs."

The girl stuck her arms in the air, letting out a cheer and a giggle, and Sunset couldn't help but smile at her wife and her daughter.

"Lemurs!"

She was happy.

Author's Note

so uhm, fluffy but still angry? Balance? In a wolf fic? The world's ending. In other news, still working on both ICMIAA and Dying Rays, but I really do need to just pick one.
Leaning towards ICMIAA, but I'll let you know.
I LOVE YOU ALL GOODNIGHTTTT <3