I woke up the next morning quite abruptly. I rubbed my eyes and blinked, staring at the rustic ceiling of Applejack's barn. The scent of hay and earth filled my nose, but it was overshadowed by the weight in my chest. Applejack, the toughest girl I know, had lost her parents. That memory, how she looked when she told me, wouldn't leave me alone.

I sighed and turned on my side, trying to shake off the unease. My mind drifted back to another stormy day, a day that should have been terrible but felt, strangely, like a triumph.

I remember waking up to the roar of thunder, the sky a patchwork of dark, churning clouds. I was at the cloud factory, clocking in for what promised to be a gruelling shift. The storm was one of the fiercest we'd ever seen, and everyone was on edge. The air crackled with electricity, and the wind howled, rattling the factory's windows.

I loved every second of it.

There was something exhilarating about taming the tempest, about proving I could handle whatever the sky threw at me. I zipped around the factory, directing the storm clouds with precision, my movements quick and sure. The other workers shouted instructions, their voices barely audible over the storm's fury. But I thrived in the chaos, my senses sharp, my heart pounding with the thrill of it all.

It wasn't just about the challenge, though. It was a rare chance to show what I was made of, to let my skills shine. The storm was my stage, and I was determined to steal the show. For once, everyone was looking to me, counting on me to keep things under control. And I delivered. By the end of my shift, the storm was still raging, but the factory was running smoothly. We had managed to harness the storm's power, turning potential disaster into a day's work. I remember walking home that night, soaked to the bone but grinning ear to ear.

But now, as I lay here in Applejack's barn, the memory feels different. That stormy day was a triumph for me, a personal victory. But for Applejack, storms like that one only bring pain. I can't believe what she has gone through. She never told anyone. She also doesn't have any friends, and all that I do is being mean to her. I still remember when I saw her on her first day. I thought that she looked very nice, but that made me feel weak. Instead of being nice to her, I just acted tough and rude to not let anyone see that I was a weakling. How stupid of me. I can't believe that I did that, and I regret it so much. All that I can think now is that I should stop the bullying. I had used it to make me feel strong, and to distract me from the horrible things happening at home. But, it's just wrong. No one should be treated the way that I have treated Applejack since she arrived. I have to make it up to her and start treating her as she deserves. No more competing, just friendship.

I pushed myself up, swinging my legs over the edge of the hay bale I'd slept on. It had patched blankets as a makeshift bed. Applejack was probably already up, facing another day without her parents. I can't even imagine what that's like. Maybe I never really understood how much she has to shoulder, all by herself. And here I am, her supposed enemy, staying in her barn because she didn't turn me away when she had every reason to. I can't stop feeling guilty about it.

I stood up, brushing the hay from my clothes. I couldn't change the past, couldn't take away her pain. But maybe today, I could start to understand her better. Maybe I could start to be less of an enemy and more of... something else. For now, I'd take it one step at a time. First step, find Applejack and see if there's anything I can do to help. Maybe, in some small way, I can repay her kindness.

I took a deep breath and headed towards the door, the memory of that stormy day still swirling in my mind.

I slowly walked downstairs, towards the kitchen. There she was, cooking something that smelled very well. I took a deep breath and approached her.

"Erm... Hello Applejack" There was a long pause as I adhered up my emotions. "I'm really sorry for what happened to your parents. I didn't know" I muttered.

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash. It's all in the past. You have nothing to apologise for. It wasn't your fault. I just wish that they were still here today, I really miss them..." She answered, trying to keep a smile on her face. I could tell that she was heartbroken. Her eyes shed a silent tear, and I just felt even worse. I wanted to tell her just how bad I felt for bullying her all these years, but I knew that I had to start by being nice, and slowly make it up to her.

She signalled for me to sit at the dining table. A few minutes later, she served me the most delicious looking apple pie that I had ever seen in my life. It's true that I had never seen one, but it looked very tasty... It had a golden flaky homemade crust and many freshly picked apples. It had a hint of cinnamon too. I happily ate it, leaving no crumbs— literally! Afterwards, I decided to wash the dishes myself. It was the least that I could do. I could tell that she woke up early, because of her dark bags under her pretty emerald green eyes. Just as I got up to clean the dirty plates, she said:

"What are you doing? You are my guest! Leave it to me" She said, with a big smile.

"No, it's my task, since you made it" I answered. I could sense that a competition was about to happen.

"Please, I will do so" She said, with a serious look on her face.

"No, I will! I don''t mind!" I told her, starting to get even more anxious. She looked at me again.

"I will!" She said, taking the dishes away from me and cleaning them herself. Darn it, I wanted to be nice, and we nearly broke into an enormous fight! What a great way to start to be nice to her. I guess that I will have to do so with the next task.

After she was done washing the dishes, I told her to come upstairs. We still had some work to do for our project. It was very important, and we both wanted to ace the score. I got to work typing on her laptop. This was a boring topic to me, but Applejack really liked it. After only half an hour, I was already bored. Why did I sign up for this! Applejack must have noticed that I wasn't at my best, since she came closer to me.

"Urgh, I don't understand this! It's nonsense!!" I groaned and pouted. I was acting very childish, but hear me out. Writing about Agricultural Practices on Local Ecosystems isn't exactly my "forté". I wanted it to be about basketball or something, not this" I said blankly.

"It's very simple, Rainbow Dash. You just have to see it with your eyes. Instead of thinking about agriculture, think about something similar. For example, animal testing on products. From the little that I know about you, you seem to be very fond of animals, "she told me.

"Yes... How do you know?!" I was surprised. I have never told anyone, otherwise they would call me weak.

"Well, it's quite obvious. I see you at break, feeding many birds and stray cats" She answered truthfully. Well, I guess that I do feed them often... Poor things, left to starve.

"Anyway, think of it like they were being mean to them, and making them feel sick. Think of a reason that would show how they treat them" She said calmly. She bent over the table and I caught a glimpse of her arms briefly. I blushed. They were very muscular, as if she worked out. How can I have never noticed!?

"You are very muscular..." I thought out loud. Oh dear... I didn't want her to hear it! I turned even redder with embarrassment.

"Well thanks, Rainbow Dash. I guess that farm work helps in some way..." She answered, and then went back to explaining a bit awkwardly. After she told me how to think as if they were animals being tested, creatively just burst out of me. I started writing with all of my heart about agriculture, as if I genuinely cared about it. I was done in just twenty minutes.

"Done!" I exclaimed, very proud of myself.

"You see, you aren't bad at it, you just have to think with a different perspective!" She told me. She had been very helpful, and she was indeed clever.

After adding a few finishing touches, our project was finally complete. I sighed with relief, and smiled. I thanked Applejack for her help, and we decided to watch a bit of TV. About an hour later, Applejack told me that she wanted to go ice-skating, to celebrate that the project was done. I gulped. I had never gone ice-skating in my life, and I didn't want to seem like a coward.

"I would love to!" I awkwardly said.

We got ready, and walked out of her house towards the ice rink.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the doors to the ice rink, the chilly air immediately hitting my face. I tried to look casual, like I wasn't fazed by the idea of ice skating for the first time in my life. Beside me, Applejack strolled in with her usual confidence, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Alright, let's get us some skates," she said, striding over to the counter where an attendant waited. I followed, trying to ignore the nerves tightening in my stomach. I didn't want to look like a coward in front of Applejack, especially not now, when I was trying so hard to be nice to her.

Applejack handled the talking. "We need two pairs of skates, please. Size nine for me and..." She glanced at me, and I mumbled my size, feeling a bit embarrassed. She repeated it to the attendant, who handed over the skates with a smile.

We sat down on a nearby bench to put them on. Applejack laced up her skates with practised ease, while I fumbled with mine, my fingers trembling slightly. I could feel her eyes on me, probably wondering what was taking me so long. When I finally managed to get my skates on, Applejack stood up and offered me a hand.

"Ready?" she asked, her voice warm. I nodded, hoping she couldn't see how nervous I really was.

As we stepped onto the ice, I felt my feet slide out from under me almost immediately. I hit the cold, hard surface with a thud, and pain shot up my back. Heat rushed to my face as I realised everyone around us had seen me fall. Great start, Rainbow, I thought to myself.

Applejack skated over and held out her hand again, her expression a mix of amusement and concern. "Need some help?"

I grabbed her hand, my cheeks burning as she pulled me to my feet. The feel of her hand in mine, strong and steady, sent an unexpected jolt through me. I tried to shake it off, focusing on staying upright.

"Thanks," I muttered, feeling embarrassed and more than a little awkward.

"No problem," she said, still holding onto me. "Let's take it slow, alright? I'll show you how it's done."

We started moving slowly, Applejack guiding me with a firm but gentle grip. She explained the basics, her voice calm and patient. "Just keep your knees slightly bent, and try to push off with the sides of your feet. It's all about finding your balance."

I nodded, trying to follow her instructions, but it was harder than she made it sound. Every time I felt like I was getting the hang of it, my feet would slide out from under me, and I'd have to grab onto her for support. Each time, I felt that same jolt, my face flushing redder with every stumble.

"Don't worry, you're getting it," she encouraged, her smile warm and genuine. "It takes a bit of practice, that's all."

I couldn't help but feel a bit better at her words, even though I was still far from confident. We skated around the rink, Applejack keeping me steady with a hand on my arm. Her touch was surprisingly comforting, and I found myself relaxing a little, enjoying the sensation of gliding over the ice, even if I wasn't very good at it.

After a while, we stopped, and Applejack turned to face me, her green eyes sparkling. "How you doin', Rainbow Dash? Ready to try on your own?"

I took a deep breath and nodded, determined not to let her down. She let go of my arm, and I wobbled slightly, but managed to stay upright. Slowly, I pushed off, trying to remember everything she had told me. It wasn't perfect, and I still stumbled a few times, but I was doing it.

Applejack skated alongside me, close enough to catch me if I fell, but giving me enough space to try on my own. "That's it! You're doin' great!"

Her praise made my heart swell, and I found myself grinning despite my initial reluctance. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

As we skated together, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie with Applejack. We were still technically enemies, but at this moment, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the feel of the ice beneath my skates, the sound of our laughter echoing in the rink, and the warmth of her encouragement.

By the time we finally stepped off the ice, I was exhausted but exhilarated. Applejack clapped me on the back, her smile as bright as ever. "You did good, Rainbow Dash. Really good. Also, why didn't you just tell me that you didn't know? We could have gone elsewhere!"

"Thanks," I said, meaning it. For the first time, I felt a genuine connection with her, and it made me wonder if maybe, just maybe, we could be something other than enemies. "I just didn't want to seem like a coward". She smiled kindly.

As we sat down to take off our skates, I glanced over at her, feeling a mix of gratitude and something else I couldn't quite define. "Hey, Applejack... thanks for today. I... I had fun."

She looked at me, her expression softening. "Me too, Rainbow Dash. Me too."

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe things were starting to change. Maybe we could even be friends... Only time could tell. I knew that I had to do my best to make it up to her, even if it means trying new things, or being a bit scared.

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Aria speaks!

Hello again!

I have a new part for you! I hope that you like it! I'm very sorry for not updating in a while, I had final exams and didn't have my laptop with me. I hope that you enjoy this new chapter. I really like writing this story! 

Feel free to give me your opinions, constructive criticism is good!

Aria<3