Twilight moved about in her bed uncomfortably. Her strong and new wings kept popping open, making the blanket jump up and fall on the ground. She sighed tiredly as she reached down to pick it up again. Spike had decided to sleep outside as she was keeping him up. Twilight pulled the blanket over herself again and tried to get comfy. A passing thought of one of her friends made her wings release and she groaned hopeless.
“What is wrong with you wings?” she asked them as she tried to pin them down to her side again. She tried lying on her back but her wings just spread out and rose her from her sleep even more.
She was still scared of this whole transition. Being a princess meant so much new. She was still a little afraid that she would be giving a kingdom to look after. That would result in less time with her friends. She was happy Celestia had chosen her for such an important role, but she had just been an ordinary unicorn before this.
Plus her friends all had lives back in Ponyville. Sure most of them could come visit whenever they felt like it… well almost most.
Applejack would probably have to stay back and work on the farm… she knew it was a bit much asking her to come to the Crystal kingdom when she was in the middle of Apple planting season. Applejack of course had been over the moon, hugging her with joy but if Twilight did get a kingdom of her own… she knew Applejack would be the friend she would see least.
Plus that whole adventure in the human world had tired her out so much. It was still her first night back and she begged for sleep but her wings were determined to keep her up.
She tossed over to her side again and felt the blanket pop off of her yet again. She growled but heard a giggle come from the door and looked up. Sure enough there was the pony she was thinking of, Applejack. She smiled awkwardly, looking over to her friend who seemed in a good mood and said with a dorky grin of her own.
“Wing problems.”
“Ah know,” AJ said and came over to her, sitting on the bed and looking at her friend with awake emerald eyes. Twilight always felt at utter ease when that country pony was around. Applejack could bring upon a calming earthy air with her presence and could make the alicorn feel connected more to the present. Applejack was just great.
“Ah could hear ya from mah room,” AJ chuckled giving Twilight a nudge with her body, “Ah see ya still havin’ trouble with ya wings.”
“Don’t get me started on it,” Twilight sighed, looking at AJ with a warm smile, “I think Celestia just gave them to me so I couldn’t sleep.”
AJ looked at her with a warm smile, as if she were completely awake. Twilight looked at her friend questionably. Applejack’s eyes were bright with the morning sun shine and vivid as the country grass. Her hair was let down and her hat was placed on it softly, Twilight had to admire how long and flowing her mane was. The blond was a crispy warmth and she dared to think of what it felt like… whether it be soft or harsh. Well she wasn’t going to be going to sleep any time soon and smiled to AJ asking,
“Can I plat your hair? I’m kinda finding it hard to sleep.”
AJ gave a wondering look but just smiled none the less and turned around facing away from Twilight. The alicorn used her magic to take off her hat and prop the hair into little plats, feeling a bit of it run through her hoof and she giggled… yes it was soft.
“Applejack what type of conditioner do you use?”
“Just soap an’ water Twi.”
“Wow, your hair is extremely soft.”
“Ah know…” Applejack said, as if it bothered her slightly and Twilight blinked confused at that. She could see AJ’s back was in a relaxed slouch, and could just make out the slightest of smiles from her view. The country pony seemed to have something on her mind and Twilight decided to keep talking asking,
“So why are you up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Why?”
Applejack sighed. Her eye looked back at Twilight from her side, and she seemed to have a bit of sadness in them as she muttered.
“Big Mac sent me a letter, says Ah need ta go home tomorrow to help out.”
“Oh…” Twilight said, suddenly saddened herself by that news. Just as she had been thinking about earlier, she now felt her time with AJ from this night forward would get quite limited.
AJ smiled at her trying to give off a warm air as she continued, “Ah guess Ah couldn’t sleep because… Ah was thinkin’ of how we won’t be seeing much of each other from then on.”
“Yeah…” Twilight said. She sighed and finished platting AJ’s hair before the farm pony turned around to face her. The two seemed to feel the real distance of space was going to affect the distance in their relationship and Twilight just tried to smile but it faltered.
AJ looked to Twilight’s desk for a second, seeing the crown that had stood so innocently on it earlier had now been locked in a box with a magical charm. She looked back at Twi, but understood her reasoning as any jealous pony could try and steal it. They had witness this first hand with Sunset Shimmer. She looked at Twilight’s bare head and put her Stetson hat on it, smiling at Twi as she joked.
“Ah think this suits ya better than a crown.”
Twilight giggled and levitated the hat off her head onto AJ.
“Thanks but it looks better on you.”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle… that’s gonna take a while ta get used to.” Applejack said with a chuckle and Twilight frowned but agreed none the less.
“Yeah, I know… but Celestia put her faith in me, so I just have to believe she knows what she’s doing.”
“Ya know…” Applejack said looking at Twi. The alicorn looked at her with a tired smile and the country pony continued, “Ah think anypony would hav’ to be crazy not ta make you a princess… Ya just too perfect to be hidden from the world.”
Twilight blushed when she heard AJ say this. She was far from perfect. But she saw the pony looking at her with an affectionate smile and said bashfully.
“I’m really not perfect.”
“Oh…” Applejack said surprised to hear this. She looked at Twilight with sad eyes.
“Twilight how can ya not think ya perfect? You’re the embodiment of love. Ya so altruistic.”
“Applejack… you don’t need to praise me now that I am royalty…” Twilight sighed and AJ looked at her lost. She saw the alicorn looking down to her hoofs in sadness and Applejack just frowned. She lifted Twilight's chin up with her hoof and said with a soft smile.
“Ah ain’t.”
“Would a perfect pony be up all night with these wings?” Twilight asked as she flapped them a little and AJ smiled, moving to behind Twilight and rubbed her hoofs into Twilight’s back.
Twilight let out a relaxed sigh, feeling warm hoofs massage through her tired bones and felt AJ run her hoofs along the rim of her wings. It nearly slipped Twilight’s mind to ask but she did,
“What are you doing, Applejack?”
“When ya work as long as Ah do, you come across a few sore backs… and I’ve found a few relaxing ways to solve any tiredness.”
“Mmm…” Twilight said and stretched out her wings. Applejack run her hoof along them, digging into the tense areas and Twilight hummed at a relax moan.
Applejack looked at the sedating alicorn with a smile… she was really going to miss Twilight not being around Ponyville as much. This change had all come so sudden and had left her lost in the dark as to how much losing her friend to royalty had affected her.
Of course, if any pony deserved it it was Twilight. But Applejack had been fighting feelings for her for a long time. When she saw Twilight blush today in front of that stallion of the guards she had tried to act like a supportive friend by teasing her… but it had really broken her up inside. It just seemed Twilight was rushing to the finish line and not taking her with her.
Ever since Twilight had come into her life she had just been so happy. She could have long discussions with her and could marvel at her magic. Twilight made her comfortable… she had even had a few dreams once a time of those two settling together… of course those were dreams. Just dreams. Now Twilight was a princess and she deserved it so much. A beauty like her had to shine.. not be with an ordinary earth pony like Applejack.
Being close to her now as she did Twilight’s wings… feeling her soft purple fur and the moans she admitted, Applejack just wish she could hold her in her hoofs and spend the night with her… feeling her every essence and loving her in a way she never could.
Her eyes dimmed a little as these thoughts just passed through her mind. She looked at Twilight’s strong wings and only wanted to kiss them, press her lips against them and…
Before she had thought straight she had planted her lips to the top of Twilight’s wings and blushed a little as she withdrew. But the alicorn had already noticed.
“Applejack…” she said in a whisper.
“Yes, Twilight?” the pony replied in a scared voice.
“I think the one who truly deserves to be royalty is you…”
Applejack blushed at that, Twilight turning around to look at her and smiled as her eyes gazed into the green ones… such warmth and love coming from them that Applejack could do nothing but stare back.
“You are the most strong, dependable pony… who has more love in her heart than the magic in my horn…”
“Ah don’t…” Applejack drawled out with lidded eyes as she stared at Twilight’s lips for a second adding, “Not really…”
“If I was to trust any pony with my crown it would be you.” Twilight said in a whisper, smiling at her and Applejack let it slip.
“If Ah was to trust any pony with mah heart. It’d be you.”
Twilight looked at AJ… and how even when her friend shared her most intimate desires with her… it just felt so safe… so true. Like AJ would never hurt her and would sacrifice all to be by her side. Twilight knew she should have been scared with that statement… but she wasn’t. It was as if everything they had been through with each other had finally clicked and she felt herself slowly moving closer to AJ, the country mare blushing as their lips touch briskly-that when they separated she only let out a high sigh. Twilight giggled.
“Ah love you, Twilight…” Applejack said, looking into her eyes and Twilight just stared back at hers, “And there’s a million reasons why that scares me. Ah could never live that royal life… Ah could never be that amazing pony you deserve… but Ah could hold ya… pretend Ah can keep ya safe… but we both know you’re the hero of this story.”
“Applejack…” Twilight said, seeing the sadness in her friend’s eyes. She moved close to her and held her, stroking her mane and lay down next to her, just staring into her eyes.
“I know you feel like you’re just a pony, but… you are more than just some pony to me, and you always have been.”
The two lay next to each other for a few minutes, just smiling and staring into the other’s eyes when Twilight finally filled the gap and kissed AJ gently on the lips.
The earth pony kissed her back slowly, their lips coming together as if by magic and AJ felt Twilight position herself above her, pushing her lips in gentle caresses against AJ’s. The country mare blushed vividly, tasting those soft purple lips, how warm and moist they seemed but felt too shy to go any further. Until she felt Twilight slide her tongue against her own and she felt like a helpless filly falling in love with an imaginary dream.
She pulled Twilight closer, running her hoofs through her mane and down her body and Twilight just giggled. Their bodies caressed in a simple warm embrace, neither of them questioning where this would go or far how long it would last. After one last kiss, Twilight broke it and stared down into AJ’s warm tired eyes whispering,
“We should try and go to sleep.”
“How can Ah sleep now?” Applejack asked hopeless as her cheeks were red and her body aroused but Twilight just giggled and slid off her.
“Applejack… I’m not that kind of pony” Twilight said and AJ just looked at her smiling. Twilight wasn’t any type of pony, she was a goddess, a princess… and she would treat her like any friend would.
“Ya right, Twilight… Ah just got ahead of mahself…” AJ said bashfully and rolled into her friend’s warm body, holding her tight, “Ah just wanted to make the most of this night in case Ah was imaginin’ it.”
“Well how about we make it a date tomorrow?” Twilight said kissing her on the cheek and holding the country mare back.
“Ya know we can’t…” Applejack said quietly and Twilight blinked… but suddenly remembered where AJ had to go.
“Oh…”
She looked at her friend and saw the love that burned in her eyes, how she just stared at Twilight with heartbreak and the alicorn just said.
“We’ll always have the Crystal Kingdom…”
“But…” Applejack said, and hated to betray her true emotions, “Twilight… Ah just want more.”
The alicorn looked into AJ’s eyes… and knew that no matter how much their lives drifted different ways… there would always be this connection, this knowing that the other just knew this night could not be forgotten.
“I know, AJ…” Twilight said and kissed her on the lips. The orange mare kissed her back with a warm embrace, holding the alicorn in her hoofs and Twilight pulled away. Sadness was there as she said,
“But where there’s a will there’s a way.”
“Come back to Ponyville when ya can,” Applejack said, stroking Twilight’s cheek as she just lay there looking at her, “And maybe we can pretend that ya are just Twilight the unicorn again.”
“I’d like that…” Twilight said and hugged Applejack tight but she could feel tears dampen her fur as the earth pony cried on her and there was no more talking as sleep soon found its way at last.
Becoming a princess was something she had never expected. But by becoming it she had to accept that things would not be the same.
And while sometimes she wished she could just be Twilight the unicorn again she knew she couldn’t. Life was about evolution… but she floated Applejack’s hat onto her purple head when she woke that morning and found it tossed onto the ground. Applejack was still in her hoofs and she said with a sad smile,
“I guess it doesn’t look too bad on me…” but took it off and placed it on her friend’s sleeping head, “But it just wouldn’t be her without it…”
She looked at Applejack and how perfect she was when she had no sadness or worry or fear in her eyes. Twilight wish she could just lie there with her forever.
…but time and life just weren’t on her side.
