The morning sun shone brightly against the blue spring sky, reflecting prisms of vibrant light off the few drops of dew remaining on the blades of grass beneath them. Applejack sighed. It was a perfect day. Too perfect for what she had to do, in fact. But she'd taken Twilight on this walk for only one reason, even though now her stomach seemed to be tied in knots. She looked over at her marefriend with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Twilight was, of course, completely oblivious, seeming to be thoroughly enchanted by an orange-and-white butterfly that had flapped past her a minute ago. It had to be done, though, and if she waited too long, she'd give up and let things go back to normal again. Just like every other walk they'd taken in the last three moons.
Normal. Whatever that meant anymore.
No. This had to happen, and it had to happen today. She nodded slightly to herself, and, her mind made up, Applejack took a deep breath and tapped her marefriend gently on the shoulder. Twilight turned with a start, and Applejack looked her directly in her violet eyes.
"Twi," Applejack began with an exaggerated drawl, "This just ain't workin'."
"'This'?" Twilight asked quizzically, one eyebrow cocked, "What 'this'? The weather's been perfect lately, though we could always ask Dash to pull a few favors if you need a little extra rain for your crops. Or do you mean Applebloom? She hasn't been slipping on her studies again, has she? I thought we'd gotten things worked out there. Or..."
Twilight paused, trying to think of other meanings behind her marefriend's words. She clacked her hooves together, deep in thought. Suddenly, she took a deep breath, her eyes growing wide.
"It's not that your family doesn't like me anymore, is it?" she said quickly, "I mean, I know I'm not a perfect fit for an Apple, but I've really tried. I've read as many books as the library has about apple farming, I've learned your ceremonies and traditions. Oh, they don't hate me, do they? Do they?"
Applejack gaped. "Um, Twi..."
"No, no, no, Applejack," Twilight interrupted, "There's got to be some way I can work this out! Maybe I could learn to bake apple pies. I know we've got several good books in the library; I'm sure there are some more contemporary recipes that your family hasn't tried, something by Bobby Foalay, maybe. Oh, no no no, that's the wrong approach entirely," Twilight rambled, banging her head with a hoof, "The whole problem is that your family is traditional, and nothing about this is! That's ok, we've got classic cookbooks too, I know I can do this..."
"Now Twi, we've all had yer cookin'," Applejack mused thoughtfully. There was a reason Spike had done so much of the cooking before she'd moved in with Applejack, after all. Realizing she'd been distracted, though, she continued, "But, for corn's sake, that's not the point!"
"No, of course not. You're right, Applejack. Maybe they just need some space for a little while." Her eyes brightened. "Oh! I know! You can move in with me! It'll be so great! It'll be just like when we had that sleepover with Rarity, except without Rarity. And, of course, we're marefriends now. But it can be just as fun! We...oh..."
Applejack had grown increasingly impatient as Twilight rambled on, her teeth grinding to a point before Twilight took a breath and noticed the intense glare falling on her.
"Right. You probably don't want to live in a library. After all, big farm, country girl -- gah!" Twilight took a deep breath to hopefully slow her hyperventilation, "It's ok, not a problem at all. There's always another plan. And for this one, I know just the trick! I'll just get a job! Maybe Berry Punch is hiring over at The Salted Mare. Or Bon Bon might need help with the chocolates. Then..."
Twilight hadn't realized that while she was ranting, Applejack had sauntered up to her with growing frustration evident on her face, so the orange hoof that was crammed directly into her mouth caused her eyes to go wide.
"Look, Twi, its great that you're makin' all these plans and stuff, but it sure ain't makin' this any easier for me. Fact is, it ain't my family that needs space," she paused here, looking downwards with pained eyes, "It's me. I...I think maybe we should live apart for a little while."
"Live...apart?" Twilight responded hesitantly, tapping her hooves together thoughtfully. "Oh, well, yeah, sure. That makes sense. I mean, you can't just up and move out. You're too close to your family for that. They'll want time to get used to the idea of you not living at home anymore..."
"Twi!" Applejack interrupted rudely, stomping the dirt forcefully, "Why do you gotta make this so consarned difficult? Ain't nopony movin' off this farm...nopony except you! It's over, Twi. We're...we're done."
Realization finally blooming over Twilight's head, Applejack's words hit her like a manticore at full speed, and Twilight's jaw fell to the ground instantly. She stared at her marefriend, a barrage of thoughts attacking her mind simultaneously, but her mouth refused to form thoughts with any of them. First among them was the thought that she should have seen this coming, though. She'd known that something was amiss earlier, when Applejack had told her to meet on the hill that afternoon "to talk", but...still. There was no way she could have expected this, right? Or was she really that blind? Were there signs she'd missed? And...where had things gone so wrong, anyway?
"Sorry if I was a little rough there, Twilight, but ya can't tell me you weren't 'specting this," Applejack continued. Although her voice sounded confident, inside, it felt as though the words were all wrong, but she couldn't stop them from coming, "Really, it's been a long time comin'. Yeah, we had a good run, but...well, we're just two different ponies, you and me. Ah mean, what's it been, four years since you moved here to Sweet Apple Acres? And yet, Ah bet ya haven't spent more than three moons here in all that time. Yer always back there, at that library..."
Twilight glared angrily at Applejack, her thoughts now coming into focus.
"That's my job, AJ!" she shrieked as a single tear gently trickled down her face. "You can't hold that against me!"
"Sugarcube," the farmpony said with a chuckle, "Ah ain't just talkin' about when yer mindin' shop, as it were, and it ain't like Spike can't handle himself there anyways. Fact is, ya like it there. Ya belong there, hangin' out with RD, readin' yer books or doin' yer experiments or whatever."
It certainly wasn't untrue. Although Twilight enjoyed the occasional walk in the apple orchards, the farm was generally fairly...unsatisfying for her. Apple-bucking sure wasn't for her; she'd offered to help with the harvest by just magicking all of the apples off the trees, which was far more practical anyway, but the Apples always said the same thing every year: no way, no how. Around the farmhouse, few bookshelves were to be found, and the ones there were were stocked with books like The Loneliest Mare, Zap Apples and You, or Marele Haggard: The Gallopin' Kind. Decidedly not the kind of literature that Twilight found stimulating.
"You know," Twilight said hotly, her voice rising with each word she spoke, tears welling in the corners of each eye, "It's not as if I didn't try! I brought loads of books home, but Granny Smith always complained that 'Thur she goes, clutterin' up the place 'gain'. I'd try to build my experiments out in the barn – and let me tell you, that's no easy feat! – but Big Mac just complained that I was disturbing the farm animals. What was I supposed to do? Just give up on everything I cared about, on my hopes and dreams? After all, you've got all yours right here!"
"Well, Twilight, yer right about that one," Applejack responded somberly, choosing to ignore the harshest criticisms of her family, for the moment at least, "I am just a simple farmmare, and we do have ways things are done around here. But you...you're the Element of Magic, Princess Celestia's protégé, and a consarned princess yerself. Ya shouldn'ta ended up with a simple mare like me, no way, no how. And I...I probably shoulda just brought home a nice earth pony stallion like Granny wanted."
Twilight cringed at that. It had been difficult in the beginning, when they'd first decided to tell Applejack's family about their...relationship. Even though Ponyville was more down to earth than Canterlot, most ponies there had been comfortable with relationships like theirs for a long time. But the Apple family was different. They were a large clan with a long memory -- and strict traditions. So it wasn't without several askance glances -- and disagreeable whispers -- that she ate her first supper with the Apples as Applejack's marefriend.
Over time, they'd largely adapted to the situation, but Twilight still caught Granny Smith mutter "Consarned fillyfooler" or similar epithets when she thought nopony was around to hear her.
But...back to the present. Applejack was...breaking up with her, and she was cataloguing memories again!
Twilight, on instinct alone, facehoofed. Stupid. I can't get anything right today, it seems, she thought to herself. She dropped the errant hoof, grinned awkwardly, her face quickly rising to a full blush.
Applejack cocked her head, raising one eyebrow inquisitively as she stared at Twilight.
"Twilight? You feelin' okay, sugarcube?" she asked.
"Sorry. Yes," Twilight responded, too quickly, she thought, "It was just, you said one thing, and I thought another, and...oh, forget it! And...no. Maybe. I don't know! What do you want from me, anyway? Oh...right, you just told me: Nothing!"
Twilight took to the air, flustered, and rubbed her bleary eyes with a fetlock. What was she trying to say, anyway?
"I think...I think I should go..." she finally managed to sputter out, her traitorous lips seeming to fight every word.
With that, Twilight shot upward without a second look at her partner, a small, jagged hole the only evidence of her flight.
"Well, that sure wasn't what I expected," Applejack muttered to herself, "I never could figure that mare out. I guess, at least it's done now."
2. Here For You
Applejack stared distantly into the deep blue sky.
She'd stood at the top of the hill for a long time after Twilight flew off. Long enough, apparently, that now the western edge of the world was aglow with layers of crimson, pink, and orange. She shook her head, reaching a hoof up to pull her leather hat low over her eyes. She needed to hurry along back to the farmhouse, though, or Big Mac would surely be out soon to fetch her.
She rubbed her forehead with a hoof. Thinking about it, it was clear that he actually should have been out there long ago.
She sighed.
They knew. They had to know. It would just make dinner that much more awkward, she supposed. Applejack turned, placing a hoof crudely in front of her in the hope that once she began walking, it would take more effort to stop than she had the energy for.
The single hoof splashed in the sticky mud, spattering her chest as it became firmly cemented in place. Applejack frowned. This would be harder than she thought. One hoof after another then, she told herself. She focused on the large red barn; she'd just keep forcing those hooves to move forward until she got there, that's all. As it became larger in her vision, however, so too did the weight of her actions. They now seemed to press down on her like a bucket of apples balanced directly across her brow, dragging her lower and lower with each step she took. She stopped, looking down morosely at the wet mud beneath her. It was the right decision, wasn't it? All she'd done was tell the truth. And honesty was not only best for any situation, it's what she was. Or at least, what she stood for. A tear rolled slowly down her cheek; even if it was the right thing to do, it sure didn't feel like it right now. All she could feel was an emptiness somewhere behind her ribs, a hollow place that seemed like it was slowly eating away at everything else. If she hadn't been so embroiled in her inner conflict, Applejack might have noticed the fast-approaching object from her right. She didn't however, and let out a loud yelp as a rainbow-streaked cannonball slammed directly into her side and threw her into a hay pile about 20 hooves to her left.
"Oof!" grumbled Applejack, shaking her head.
"Hey AJ!" Rainbow Dash greeted her friend enthusiastically, a wide grin plastered across her face.
Applejack glanced upward. "It's not the time, Rainbow," she growled back, methodically bringing herself to her hooves.
"What's up?"
"None of your consarned business, that's what. So why don'tcha get along now and go slam yourself into a tree or some other foalish thing," Applejack's eyes narrowed. She usually enjoyed the company of her closest friend, even if she was a feather-brained pegasus. But she didn't feel like dealing with anypony just yet. What was to happen when she entered the farmhouse was nervewracking enough for her.
"C'mon now, AJ, get off it," Rainbow Dash said, giving Applejack a light nudge on the shoulder with her hoof, "If ya don't want to talk, that's fine, but at least quit looking so gosh darned mopey, or I'll have to sic Pinkie on you."
"No!" Applejack commanded loudly, her eyes lighting up. More calmly, she continued, "No. Look, Rainbow, I just...need some space right now."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "It's you and Twi again, isn't it?"
"Of course it is! But...it don't matter anymore."
"Of course it matters!" Rainbow scowled, "You two are the cutest couple of mares in Ponyville!"
"No," Applejack said quietly, her eyes sagging. "Ah..ah told her."
"You told her...what?" Dash asked densely.
"Ah...ya know. I told her what ah had ta. Ah...oh, consarn it all, ah told Twilight we were done. Over. Ah didn't think she'd even be surprised, what with how things've been gettin' along lately, but she went 'n' took off to Celestia-knows-where," Applejack admitted with a tinge of guilt, ears flat against her head. She sucked in a deep breath through narrowed lips, and looked up at her friend pleadingly.
Before she could blink, though, she felt her back slam into the hard dirt, blazing crimson eyes staring back into her own from inches away. The sharp edges of Rainbow's hooves dug into her chest as she struggled to get up, but her friend wasn't giving her an inch.
"Rainbow, what the hay did you do that for?"
"It seems to me like you needed a dose of common sense knocked into you," Dash scowled.
"If you don't get your hooves offa me right now, I'll knock more than sense into you!" Applejack threatened, her voice low and gravelly.
Rainbow blinked, opening her mouth as if to reply, but closed it before any sound could come out. Instead, she slowly backed away from her friend. "AJ," she said as her friend stumbled to her hooves, "I just...don't understand how you could break Twi's heart like that."
Rainbow's intense eyes seemed to bore into her, and Applejack had to turn her head to avoid her friend's glare. "Dash, look, I know we never talked about it much, but, you gotta remember that Ah'm the one that'd started this whole thing in the first place. Ah'm the one that fell in love with her...I fell so hard, Dash. Ah'd never even realized I could like a mare like that before Twilight came into mah life, but that adorable filly stole mah heart away. It ain't like this is easy for me; she's practically part of the family now. But...I guess it just seems like we're two different ponies these days."
"And? Ever think, you know, of talking to her about it?" Dash asked accusingly.
"Look, it ain't like I was mean about it. All Ah did was tell her the honest truth, RD," Applejack said defensively, avoiding the question. "Ah mean, Ah expected her to be upset or somethin', but it couldn't have been a surprise. Ah mean, we've barely spoke two words to each other this whole week."
Rainbow Dash stared at her friend through narrowed eyes, her mouth set in a grim line, but didn't say a word.
"It's just...it ain't there anymore. The spark. You know what I mean?" Applejack asked hopefully, rubbing her hooves together.
"I don't know, AJ," Dash responded critically, crossing her forelegs as she hovered, "What I do know is that it sounds like one of my good friends is hurt, and probably needs my help a lot more than you!"
Rainbow Dash shook a hoof at her friend as she spoke the last word, her crimson eyes cutting through her.
"Now, Rainbow, don'tcha think you're bein' a bit rash here?"
"Well, you sure haven't said anything to make me think so!" Rainbow Dash retorted, her muzzle now inches from Applejack, glowering at her through slitted eyes, "It sounds to me like you broke my friend's heart and you don't even care."
Applejack fell on her haunches.
"RD," Applejack sighed, her eyes low and tired, "Do you really think I wanted things to end this way?"
Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings, dropping smoothly until all four hooves landed gently on the ground.
"No," she said, shaking her head as she folded a wing over her friend, "No, AJ, I don't."
Applejack sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. The feathery blanket strewn over her was nice. Warm. Comforting. They'd come out here like this a lot; Twilight always wanted to watch the meteor showers, of course, but she also just enjoyed gazing at the stars from the top of the hill. They were far enough away from city lights on the farm to get a clear view of all of Luna's creation, and Twilight basked in the beauty of it all. Applejack didn't really care much for it, herself, but it was nice to just set aside everything else and sit in silent tribute.
Mostly silent, anyway. Twilight would, after they'd had a moment of peace, usually begin discussing one or another of the constellations. Applejack couldn't tell an Ursa Major from an Ursa Minor, so none of it meant too much to her, but it worked pretty well for both of them, anyway. Applejack got the time she craved with her marefriend, and Twilight was able to be the helpful mentor she aspired to.
Those times had been fewer and fewer anymore.
With another sigh, Applejack reluctantly opened her eyes, and found her vision filled with cyan and crimson.
"Hey!" Dash said, still nose-to-nose with Applejack, "You kinda...zoned out there. You alright?"
"Dash...Ah reckon Ah just dunno. But," Applejack mumbled as she slowly brushed her friend's wing off her back, "Ah gotta ask ya to keep your wing to yourself. The memories there are still too raw."
"Well...if you're so broke up about it, why'd ya do it? You still love Twilight, don't you?"
Applejack ignored the question. "Tell me, RD, you ever had a special somepony? Ever loved anypony?"
"Really?" Rainbow responded crassly, doing a quick flip in the air, puffing her chest out with a huge grin on her face, "I've got every stallion – and half the mares, too – across Equestria lined up for a chance with me! You know, because I'm awesome."
"Dash, you know that ain't what I'm talkin' about..." Applejack commented, shaking her head.
"Aw, don't be such a spoilsport.," Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at her friend, "Well, I had that short fling with Soarin', and that was fun for a while, but...you know. And...there were a couple...things when I was younger. But...something like you've got? No way! There's no mare or stallion to pin down this Wonderbolt."
"Wonderbolt Reserve, don't you mean? Anyway, you wouldn't understand, then."
"Oh yeah! Try me."
"Rainbow, look, its like this. Maybe Ah do still love her. Maybe Ah don't. Maybe Ah just love the idea of being with her. Ah can't say's Ah know anymore. But, it just don't change facts. And facts are, the two of us just aren't anymore. She does her things. Ah do mine. When we do talk, its usually because we're arguing about some fool thing like whether or not we spend mah hard-earned bits on some new silly contraption for her experiments or if we put it back into the barn, where it belongs. A lot of things happen in a relationship, Dash. And, even though nopony else sees much of it, a lot of 'em ain't good. Twilight's a good pony, and a good friend. But I just don't think we're right for each other anymore"
"Hm." Rainbow Dash grumbled, crossing her forelimbs as she hovered over her friend.
Applejack leered over her friend's back, the last beam of sunlight fading quickly into the deep purple of twilight. "Anyway," she said hurriedly, "I better get on. I reckon Ah've got some things to take care of."
"Alright, AJ. I'll...catch you around, then."
With that, the rainbow-maned mare zipped skyward, and Applejack was alone again. She rubbed her eyes with a muddy fetlock, squinting as she blinked away the tears drawn out by flecks dirt flaking off into them.
Ponyville's streets were falling quiet as the last rays of sunlight rapidly faded from the twilight sky above, the windows of each home aglow from freshly lit lamps and lanterns, the ponies inside them bustling about as they tended to their evening chores. The merchants that had crowded the streets earlier had put away their carts, packed up their wares and headed back to their personal lives. The windows of a particular treehouse, though, remained dark as the first streetlights flickered to life, concealing any activity that may have been inside. The light revealed two figures standing tensely in front of its door, each shifting from looking at the other to the door and back again.
"Twilight!" Spike banged insistently on the library door.
"So, you say she just locked herself in there all day?"
"Yep. She flew in the bedroom window, teleported me outside, and locked the door with her magic. I've been pounding on it for hours, but she just won't open it!" Spike glowered, banging the door once more with a balled-up fist. "Twilight! Open up in there! I'm cold! And hungry!"
Rarity looked down at the small dragon with the slightest hint of a smile drawn on her face.
"Oh, never mind, dear, I can handle this," Rarity commented confidently, "I may not have the Equestria-renowned magical prowess that Twilight does, but I'm quite confident that I can handle such a little thing as a door!"
A pale blue aura lit up around the white unicorn's horn, but the door, even with Rarity's magical glow wrapped around it, refused to budge.
"Hm." Rarity murmured to herself absently, "That should have done it."
"Well, that was great," Spike grumped. Crossing his arms, he looked up at Rarity. "Now what do we do?"
"Well...I suppose we could try more...primitive means..." she suggested, rubbing a fetlock across her foreleg.
"Great idea!" the dragon exclaimed. He took a deep breath, and let loose a gust of green flame towards the door, but even after several minutes of bombardment, both the fixture and its latches were unharmed.
Rarity frowned. "That's not exactly what I mean," she said as she daintily spun around on her hooves. Leaning forward, she sprung off her forehooves into the strongest -- but still delicate -- buck she could muster. The door's enchantments, though, seemed to anticipate such an attack, and she felt as though she'd been actively repelled by it, flung bodily away from the door's wooden frame. She landed ungracefully in a pile about eight paces from the door, Spike's jaw hitting the ground as he watched.
"RARITY!" he shouted, running to her side, "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Just..." she sniffed, "just my pride, that's all." She attempted to lift herself back to her hooves as quickly as possible, to avoid being noticed overmuch.
"That's good. You had me worried there."
"Yes. Well." Rarity huffed, turning her muzzle upwards slightly, "I'd suppose she just doesn't want to be disturbed right now. We must allow her top have her privacy until she decides she's ready to open up about...well, whatever is going on."
"But I'm hungry!" Spike shouted. "And cold!"
"Well, Spike, I suppose I could find room for you somewhere in the Boutique." Rarity said hesitantly, suspicuosly eying the small dragon. "But you absolute must keep that terrible flame of yours under control around my designs."
"Really! I can sleep over!?"
"Spike...if you must think of it that way, then...yes, I suppose. I couldn't just leave you out here in the cold, after all. But if you touch a single gem..."
Spike's eyes were completely glazed over, a thing string of drool dangling from his jaw. "I get...to sleep over...at Rarity's!"
"Spike!" Rarity said, stomping a hoof on the ground. "Please be serious."
"Anything you say, my lady."
"Excuse me..."
"AHHH!" the pony and dragon yelled together, eyes wide with surprise.
"Oh...um...I'm sorry," Fluttershy said from behind them, cowering low to the ground, "I didn't mean to startle you. I just, um, didn't want to interrupt."
"That's quite alright, dear," Rarity replied, smoothing her mane with a hoof.
"Oh...okay. Well, um, I heard a bit of your conversation, and I just wanted to, um, suggest that I could try flying up to Twilight's window?" Fluttershy timidly offered.
"Why, Fluttershy, that sounds like an excellent idea!" Rarity beamed. "But do try to hurry, as poor Spikey-wikey needs his home back."
"Okay." Flutershy replied, softly flapping her way up to the library window. "Um, hello?" Fluttershy said as she rapped lightly on the glass with a hoof, craning her neck to try to peek inside.
"Just go away," a gruff voice mumbled from a purple pile on the bed.
"Oh...well...um...." Fluttershy hesitated, looking back down at her friends on the ground before returning her gaze to the one in the bedroom. "No."
"What?"
"Oh, um, I said, um, no." she repeated pointedly.
The pile on the bed twitched, and slowly lifted itself off of its resting place. By the horn and wings evident in its shadow, Fluttershy could tell it was Twilight that had picked herself up and was now lumbering over to the window. The window flew open with a flick of the pony's hoof, who proceeded to stare at her friend through gaping, bloodshot eyes.
Twilight looked like she'd been through a war.
Her mane, though never as carefully styled as Rarity's (or even Fluttershy's own) was always at least tidy, but it now looked nearly as rough as when she'd sent the whole town chasing after a silly childhood doll. Her expression, however, showed none of the manic glee she'd had during that mental breakdown. Instead, her eyes seemed unable to lift up from the bottom of their sockets, her mouth fixed in a short, thin line.
"Why?" came the singular response.
"Because," Fluttershy began, looking her friend determinedly in the eye, "You need a friend right now. And you might chase everypony else away, but I'm not going anywhere."
"You know?" Twilight squeaked, a tear falling from her eye.
"Yes," Fluttershy said as softly as she could, fluttering through the open window, "Applejack and Rainbow Dash apparently...had a few words, and she told me as soon as they were done. I...I told her to let me come to you. I hope that was okay."
Fluttershy looked around. The library had certainly seen better days. If Twilight had been at war, this had certainly been the warzone. The bed had been flipped up against the wall, the blankets and pillows dangling awkwardly from various fixtures. The library books that were typically neatly arranged topically on the various bookshelves instead lay strewn haphazardly across the floor. And the picture of the six of them, the one that they all shared, had been flung from it's usual place, the glass broken, and a pony-shaped hole had been burned in it directly to Twilight's left.
"I...they....just...." Twilight stammered, her mouth moving rapidly though the words seemed to refuse to come, tears flowing from both her eyes.
"Shh..." Fluttershy held a hoof up to her friend's mouth, "Don't try to talk right now. The words will come in time." She draped her wing over her friend, drawing her tightly to her own body. "For right now, I'm here for you."
"Thank you," Twilight whispered, her tears soaking into the canary feathers that surrounded her as a gentle hoof stroked her unkempt mane. "Thank you."
