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Rarity and Applejack had always been an odd pair. Twilight thought so since she first met them. A fashionista and a farmer. Everything about them contradicted but somehow it’s what made their relationship so perfect. It was admirable, really.
But recently, something about their special bond had crumbled, or maybe transformed. Whether it was like a spring day’s bloom or like the rotting of flowers and fruits, Twilight couldn’t tell. But she was definitely the only one who saw it.
She first noticed it on a perfectly random day during their lunch break. Twilight was focused on her salad and the seemingly never ending tomatoes. She didn’t mind it, she loved tomatoes. She did, however, catch from the corner of her eye, odd gestures coming from her two friends. Rarity tilted her head to the side and widened her eyes. Applejack shook her head and rolled her eyes.
After dancing this way for a few minutes, Rarity abruptly stood up and the conversation died down to stare at her.
“Ah…sorry darlings, I think I am going to head back now. It’s been busy today,” Rarity blushed. Everyone accepted it, as if it was completely normal. And it was. Until, Rarity passed by Applejack and she too stood up.
“It has been a busy day, can’t leave Rare tah handle it herself, see ya’ll,” she stammered. And then Applejack was off too, jogging to catch up with the girl.
Twilight’s eyes followed them until she heard a snap in her ears.
“You okay?” Sunset asked.
“Did you see that? That was weird, wasn’t it? Do you think they’re fighting?” Twilight rambled in a low whisper.
Sunset flicked her eyes to the girls and shrugged. “Best to keep your nose out of it Twi.”
“But-”
“Twilight,” Sunset said sternly but she chuckled afterward. And quite a beautiful sound it was to distract her thoughts.
–
The next time Twilight noticed it was another impeccably normal day. She had just put her bag in her locker and pulled out her physics text book.
Sunset’s locker was right next to hers so they always happened to find each other every morning. And this one was no different. The fiery haired girl jogged up to her locker, she was later than she usually was. “Hi Twi,” she said breathlessly.
“You’re late,” Twilight stated and handed her a bottle of water.
Sunset hesitantly took the water and gulped it down in one swig. A dribble of the liquid seeped down her chin, it was difficult not to notice. Or to stare. But Sunset wiped it away before it began to look odd. “Thanks, I had to go back to my house, I had forgotten something,” Sunset chuckled.
“What’d you forget that was so important?”
“Oh. Yeah. It’s for you actually,” Sunset unzipped her leather bag, took Twilight’s hand into her own and dropped a little keychain into her palm. It was a three-dimensional atom. “I saw it in the shop and thought of you.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “It’s even modeled after my favorite element! Sunset, this is…I love it!” Twilight exclaimed as she fumbled with her bag to snap the keychain on.
Sunset shrugged but before she could put her shoulders down, Twilight had wrapped her in a warm embrace that made her freeze. But, just when Twilight was about to let go, her eyes caught emphatic purple curls coming out of the…janitors closet? And shortly behind her came the clack of cowboy boots!
The two looked sweaty and red, especially Rarity! And Rarity, she looked upset, her arms crossed and turning her face in the opposite direction of Applejack, no matter where her smug smile landed!
“Sunset, look!” Twilight gripped her tan chin to direct her sight to the scene. “Something is happening between them. Shouldn’t we help? They’ve been like this for weeks! What if they keep arguing and then-”
“Twi…”
“-stop talking! And then they start hating each other! And it splits our friend group-”
“Twilight…”
“-and then none of us will be friends anymore! Not even you and me, Sunset! And I don’t think-”
“Twilight!” Sunset slams her hands down on the other girl’s shoulders.
Twilight halts her anxious babble, “Yes?”
“You really should just-” Sunset paused, “Let them work it out themselves, okay? They’ll tell us when they’re ready- I mean, when everything is resolved.”
Now that Sunset was only a breath away from her, Rarity and Applejack’s ordeal didn’t seem so worrying. Twilight’s breathing regulated and she nodded.
–
Twilight tried to drop it. She really did! But at every convenience, they always acted so…strange! When they were all together, they behaved normally, just like before. But, they kept throwing weird looks at each other! And when they were alone–which Twilight hardly saw anymore–they always looked red and disgruntled!
Recently, another peculiarity had come up. Rarity and Applejack’s job at the Boot Barn typically let them out later than the rest of the group but, so did Twilight’s. But! Twilight hadn’t been seeing them leave when she did. It was odd.
Twilight spied the two girls leaving the storefront, giggling and red. She looked at her watch. It was thirty minutes after their shift ended.
Her turquoise eyed best friend, who decided to stay back with Twilight despite the late hour, cleared her throat “Twi, would you want-.” She followed Twilight’s locked gaze to the two girls. “Is that seriously what you wanted to stay behind for?” Sunset muttered as she chewed the straw of her milkshake.
“Sunset, I am really worried about them! It’s been months-”
“Twi, let’s go home. I’ll drive you, okay?”
“I’m going to follow them,” Twilight asserts.
Sunset grips her wrist before she can get a step out. “Twilight,” she paused and looked up to the ceiling. Sunset always did that when she was trying to rephrase her words, trying not to be mean. Did Twilight do something that would require such harshness to be leveled out?
“What? What did I say?” Twilight tilted her head.
“Twi, I think Rarity and Applejack are just-” Sunset paused again, “In a specific time of their relationship and, I’m sure they’ll tell us if something’s up? Because, that’s what friends do?” Sunset’s voice got suspiciously higher and higher.
Twilight looked back at the empty Boot Barn entrance and sighed. It was still weird but…she had learned, friends trust each other. So, that’s exactly what she’ll do. She’ll wait for her friends to open up about whatever issue was plaguing their friendship.
With that resolved, the two girls walked through the stars to Sunset’s beat up car.
“Earlier, you wanted to say something,” Twilight mentioned as she snapped on her seat belt.
“Oh, yeah. Forget about it,” Sunset smiled awkwardly.
How odd.
–
Really, Twilight didn’t mean to this time.
It was a regular gym class, really. Rainbow Dash was throwing a plethora of dodgeballs, Pinkie Pie was jumping to talk to every single soul in the gym dragging along Fluttershy who cowered behind her, Sunset was laying on a bleacher playing some mobile game with her head on Twilight’s thigh and Applejack and Rarity were…no where to be seen.
Sunset put her phone down and shifted her lollipop to one side of her cheek, “Twi, I’ve been thinking-”
“I forgot my book,” Twilight suddenly noticed.
Sunset jumped up. “I can get it for you.”
“It’s ok, I’ll just grab it really quick.”
Sunset nodded.
So, she had forgotten her book in her gym bag, all she did was go back to get it. How was she supposed to know?
Twilight sauntered into the locker room and spotted her bag. She unzipped it and-
“Applejack-“
“Don’t worry none sugar cube.”
…
Was that Rarity and Applejack she heard? She peeked at the corner. From the showers? What would they be doing there?
Twilight inched a little closer.
“Mm- darling I told you, not the neck- mmph!”
…
Suddenly, the cogs in Twilight’s brain clicked into place. Those two were most definitely NOT fighting! Or at least not fighting the way she believed they had been!
Oh my god? Oh my god?!?
What was she STILL doing in here?!!?!
As if her mind had been read, a hand caught her wrist and led her out of the room but not before she could deduce the devious moans coming from her fashionista friend.
Of course, the one who pulled her out was none other than Sunset Shimmer.
“THEY’RE-”
Sunset covered her mouth, “Fucking, I know. I think everyone does,” she shrugged.
“I didn’t!”
“You are a little oblivious.”
“I am not!”
Sunset sighed. “Look, just keep it a secret, okay? They haven’t told us yet, so I doubt they want anyone to know. And I’m sure there's a good reason for that.”
“How am I-?!? What do I-!?!?”
“Just…don’t think about it. There’s more important things than whatever Rarity and Applejack do together in their free time.”
Sunset had this suspicious way of being able to calm her thoughts, no matter how silly or how serious. And that’s exactly what she did. All the questions and concerns in her brain seemed to pop out of existence due to Sunset’s smooth words of advice. It all seemed so easy and obvious the way she put it.
Twilight shook it all away and stammered, “You, uh- you had something to tell me didn’t you?”
Sunset blinked, “Just about a stupid video game. Don’t worry about it, let’s go back now.”
“I never got my book…”
Sunset pressed her hand against the small of Twilight’s back and led her back to the gym. “I’ll entertain you,” she chuckled.
–
The days went on typically, this was a day just like any other. The fair had just opened for the season and Sunset Shimmer proposed a trip to it. Last time’s villains shouldn’t detract them from having fun, she said.
But despite everything, Twilight still found her eyes lingering on all the odd things Rarity and Applejack shared. It all seemed so obvious now. Really, how had she missed it? The bruises peaking out from Rarity’s neck, the remnants of lipstick on Applejack’s lips, Rarity’s perfect hair suddenly imperfect!
Maybe she really was oblivious.
Twilight and Sunset waltzed through the carnival tents. It was late now and they had played their way through multiple rigged games, alone together. They hadn’t learned their lesson the first time. And now, they sauntered silently, looking at the bustle around them.
“Twi, could I talk to you?” Sunset whispered to her in a crackly voice.
Twilight blinked. “Sure, what is it?”
Sunset stopped so Twilight did too.
“Ok. How do I say this?” Sunset clenched her fists into her skirt. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times but, no words strung out.
It was rare to see Sunset so flustered, it made her heartbeat a little faster. “Are you okay? Are you dehydrated? Hungry? Tired? Maybe we should go home,” Twilight trailed off.
“No. None of those,” Sunset chuckled. Then she allowed a long silence to blanket over them. She took a deep breath and looked into Twilight’s confused eyes.
“Twilight, we have been through so much together, and throughout it all I’ve figured out that I love giving you all my tomatoes because I know you like them and it makes you smile. And I like staying with you after work, just to spend a little more time with you and hear you laugh. And I want to buy all the gifts in the world that remind me of you, even if you don’t want them because…I just- I like you Twilight.”
“Oh,” Twilight tilted her head, “Well, of course, I like you too Sunset.”
“No! No, Twilight, I like you,” Sunset stammers. She should have expected Twilight to do this! She was too oblivious! Why didn’t she make some grand gesture to make the point clearer?!?
Twilight stared at her.
Then her eyes widened and her heart stopped.
Then her jaw dropped, she pointed at Sunset then to herself.
‘Oh god this was not going well at all!’ Sunset thought. “I should go, right? Sorry. I didn’t mean to spring that on you! You don’t need to say it back or reciprocate! It just felt wrong to hide it when we’ve been-”
“I like you too!” Twilight interrupted. “I like you too Sunset.”