“That’ll be ten bits,” Applejack said as she added up the price in her head. With a salesmare’s smile, she handed a small bag of apples over to Cheerilee who was rummaging through her saddlebags for her coinpurse. “Ya showed up in the nick of time! We were about to close up shop for the day!”
“Yes, well, I’m just grateful I managed to get here before you left.” Cheerilee swept the apples into her saddlebags. She turned to Applejack and sighed as she counted out the bits. “It’s rare, but a good few of the children stayed late after class to ask questions. I thought I’d never get away.”
Applejack chuckled and straightened her hat. “I hope mah sister ain’t causing you no trouble. Trust me, I know how she can get sometimes.” Applejack shuddered. “I can’t tell ya how many times I’ve had to clean up after her an’ her friends go crusadin’.”
“Oh no, she’s been no trouble at all! Actually, Apple Bloom’s been doing quite well lately.” Cheerilee beamed proudly at Applejack. “Her math has really improved, and she’s doing a superb job of staying on top of her homework and assignments.”
Applejack returned the smile and nodded. “Well that’s great to hear! Granny’ll be so proud.”
“Yes, I’d hope so! Oh!” Cheerilee put a hoof to her forehead. “I almost forgot, I was wondering if Twilight—or, Princess Twilight I should say—has been feeling okay lately?”
“Er, yeah, I think so. Why d’ya ask?”
“She was supposed to come to my class yesterday. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind coming in as a guest teacher to give a lesson on the importance of the magic of friendship.”
Applejack gave a knowing smirk. “Knowin’ Twilight, I’m guessin’ she said ‘yes?’”
“Naturally.” Cheerilee smiled politely, then frowned. “But, yesterday came and went, and Princess Twilight never showed up. No letter or explanation.”
It was Applejack’s turn to frown as a sliver of worry wormed in her gut. “That don’t sound like her.”
“Exactly. I was just wondering if she might have fallen ill.”
Applejack fell silent. With her head lowered, Applejack’s gaze wandered to the shadow of a six-pointed star that stretched across the marketplace. Applejack’s frown deepened and her brow creased. “Nah, not that I know of,” she said uncertainly. “If I had to guess, I’d wager that she’s busy movin’ into the castle an’ everything. Bein’ the Princess of Friendship’s probably put a lot on her mind.” Applejack sighed and fidgeted with her hooves. “I can’t say for sure though. I haven’t seen head nor tail from Twilight myself in the last few days. Spike keeps on turnin’ me away at the door when I come callin’.”
“Oh, well that would make sense. I can only imagine what she has to go through.” Cheerilee nodded. With a jovial voice she added, “I suppose even the Princess of Friendship needs a break after saving Equestria time and time again.”
“Yeah, I suppose so...”
A minute passed and neither spoke. Other ponies carried out their business around them, and soon the quiet became more than a little awkward. Applejack, however, was lost in thought. She couldn’t shake an uneasiness that sat in her gut—different from the regular queasy feeling she got when thinking about Twilight. That was definitely more of a butterflies-in-the-stomach queasy, whereas this queasy was tainted with worry and doubt.
Applejack snapped out of her reverie as Cheerilee cleared her throat and looked at her expectantly. “Oh, sorry!” Applejack rubbed her face and forced a smile. “Got lost for a spell there; long day an’ all. Anythin’ else I can help ya with?”
“Er, yes, actually.” Cheerilee smiled sheepishly. “Before I go, I was hoping to have a word with your brother. Is Big Macintosh around?”
Applejack stifled a knowing chuckle behind her hoof, feigning it as a yawn. “The big lug’s a little late today. Granny’s got ‘em up at the old barn fixin’ a leak in the roof. Now that I think about it...” Applejack tapped her chin and craned her neck, searching for any sign of her brother, “He shoulda been done and here to help me by now.” Applejack shrugged. “I guess it must’ve been worse than we thought.”
“Oh...” Cheerilee’s smile faltered and she pawed at the ground. “Well, tell him I said ‘hello’ for me.”
Applejack smiled coyly. “Ya know, if you want to talk to him so bad, then just come with me up to the farm. I’m sure between the two of us we can find him lickety-split so you can tell him ‘hello’ for yerself.”
“No, that’s quite alright. I have a stack of essays to grade, and I best get started sooner rather than later. Thank you for the offer though.” Cheerilee shifted the saddlebags on her back and turned to leave.
“Have yourself a good evenin’!” Applejack called as Cheerilee trotted down the road of Ponyville. Cheerilee turned and waved before she disappeared around a corner.
Applejack let out a sigh as she stretched out her neck and was met with a series of satisfying pops. With an equally satisfied smile, she began to pack up the cart for the day. Most of the vendors had already gone home while a sparse few other lingered in hopes of catching a last-minute customer. Applejack counted out the bits she collected from Cheerilee and swept them into her lockbox. She smiled as she heard the sharp, metallic clinking sound of the coins rustling in the box. It was the sound of another successful day spent at the market. It was also the sound of what would be putting Apple Bloom through school, maintaining Sweet Apple Acres, and covering the Apple Family’s financial needs.
Needless to say, it was one of Applejack’s favourite sounds.
Applejack hummed a tune under her breath as she finished packing up the cart. The sky was clear and a gentle breeze wafted through the town as ponies chatted idly with their friends and family. It was almost as if Twilight’s battle with Tirek had never happened.
Speaking of...
Squinting against the sun’s rays, Applejack raised her gaze skyward. The glinting crystal and star-shaped top of Ponyville’s new castle towered over shingled roof tops where the Golden Oaks Library once stood. The castle sparkled and positively radiated in the light of the sun—a beacon of friendship for Ponyville and all of Equestria. Applejack frowned and lowered her hat to block out the sun and the castle. The owner, much like the castle itself, was strangely distant from the rest of the town. Like a cherry tree in an apple orchard, the castle stood out from everything around it. It was almost like it didn’t belong. Applejack grimaced. The uneasy feeling sat heavily in her stomach, a combination of butterflies and worry.
Applejack shook her head and rubbed her face roughly. “‘Course it belongs, you silly filly,” Applejack mumbled to herself. “It’s Twilight’s new home. It’ll just take a l’il gettin’ used to.”
The castle’s shadow seemed to stretch further and Applejack’s stomach churned as the ball of uneasiness squirmed. Images of a crystal throne with her cutie mark carved into it flashed in her mind’s eye and she frowned again. “Okay, a lot a’ gettin’ used to. But nothin’s changed; Twilight’s still Twilight an’ Ponyville’s still Ponyville.” She tried to smile but faltered. Her words didn’t sound very convincing.
“Applejack! Hey, Applejack!” Applejack was pulled from her thoughts and looked across the market square. Spike was running towards her at a feverish pace, his eyes wide with worry and his arms flailing to capture Applejack’s attention.
“Howdy, Spike,” Applejack said as Spike skidded to a halt, clutching his chest for breath. “Where’s the fire?”
Heaving gulps of air, Spike wheezed out, “It’s Twilight. Castle. Need you. Talk.”
“Slow down there.” Applejack placed a steadying hoof on Spike’s shoulder as he composed himself. She ignored the ball in her gut and forced a calm, steady voice. “Now, what’s this ‘bout Twilight?”
“She’s locked herself in the library and I can’t get her to come out! I need your help!” Spike tugged on Applejack’s hoof with a claw, pointing at the castle with the other. “She’s been acting funny all week and now she’s gone off the deep end!”
“Whaddya mean, ‘deep end?’”
“Y’know, the deep end! I think she’s finally cracked! When I left I heard her sobbing through the door and she hasn’t exactly been acting like herself lately. Now c’mon!” Spike tugged again at Applejack’s hoof. Applejack, with a look of indecision on her face, pulled back.
“Spike, ya need to calm down!” Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Let’s talk this through for a minute and then—”
“But that’s exactly what we need to do!” Spike interrupted, huffing as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Somepony to go and talk this through with Twilight!”
“Talk what through? You ain’t makin’ a lick of sense!”
“Oh c’mon!” Spike flailed his arms again and started pacing the length of the apple cart. “She’s been cooped up in that castle for days! She barely comes out to eat and she’s always doing something. She hasn’t seen any of you girls and keeps on avoiding everypony! Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”
Applejack fidgeted with her mane, indecision churning in her stomach like a rotten apple. Part of her wished she hadn’t had such a big breakfast. “Yeah... Okay, I’ve been wonderin’ why she’s been keen on turning everypony away.”
“I’m worried about her, Applejack. You know she hasn’t been the same since the whole Tirek thing. It’s like she’s depressed or something, but I haven’t been able to get her to talk to anypony about it. And don’t tell me you haven’t been worried too!” Spike stopped his pacing and stared directly at Applejack. “When’s the last time you saw Twilight? I know you’ve been by the castle at least three times this week asking if Twilight wanted to go to lunch. What’s up with that anyways?”
Applejack gulped. “Well... I’ve been meanin’ to talk to her ‘bout something, but...” Her brow creased in confusion. Why was she getting all antsy? This wasn’t her. She should be galloping for the castle now, regardless of her own feelings. “...Yer right. I have been worried ‘bout her, an’ like any good friend I should be doin’ something about it. You think it might be stress from movin’ in?”
“Yeah, right.” Spike rolled his eyes. “She’s been all mopey and stuff. I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but she keeps on changing the subject or sending me to check the book orders or something.”
Applejack sighed and looked from her apple cart to Spike to the castle. Big Mac had yet to arrive, leaving nopony to take the cart back to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack grit her teeth and popped her neck in determination. “Alright, I’ll go talk to her, but I’m gonna need someone to look after my cart. Are the other girls on the way, too?”
“Uh... Not really?” Spike coughed as Applejack raised an eyebrow. “I kinda just ran out after Twilight wouldn’t talk to me. You’re the only pony I’ve run into so far.”
Applejack sighed again and turned away from Spike. “Then you best go get ‘em while I run over. I’m sure my cart’ll be fine for a while.”
“Actually,” Spike said thoughtfully, “I think it should just be you.”
Applejack raised her other eyebrow. “An’ why’s that?”
“Because Twilight will listen to you.” Spike tapped his chin. “Too many ponies might just freak her out more, right? And you’ve been able to calm her down before when she gets like this.”
“I dunno if that’s the best idea, Spike. It might be better to round up the others.”
“Look, she cares about you, okay? And trust me, she knows that you care about her just as much. She can brush the rest of us off, but I think she’ll have a harder time pushing you away.”
Applejack’s ears perked up and she fought to ignore the blood rushing to her cheeks. “Come again?”
“Just that you’re exactly the pony Twilight needs to talk to right now,” Spike said quickly. Applejack simply gaped at him, red tinting her cheeks. “You’re stubborn, no offense, and that’s what Twilight needs right now. She needs a friend who won’t be told ‘no’ as easily.”
“Oh, yeah, ‘course.” Applejack couldn’t deny that there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. “But last I checked she didn’t want to see anypony, me included.”
“C’mon, Applejack, you gotta at least try. If not for me, then for Twilight. Look, I’ll take care of your cart while you go talk some sense into her.” Spike clamoured on top of the apple cart and put on an encouraging smile. “And if it doesn’t work out then we can find everypony else and try again!”
Applejack bit her lip and tentatively raised a hoof off the ground. “You sure about this?”
“One-hundred percent positive! Now go on!” Spike cheered. “Twilight needs you and you know it!”
Applejack made to gallop away, but hesitated. Then, shaking her head, she took a deep breath and stared ahead with determination etched over her features. She looked over her shoulder at Spike and smirked. “Thanks Spike, I owe ya one.”
“No problem!” Spike shouted after Applejack as she galloped away. “If I see any of the others, I’ll let ‘em know what’s going on!” His words fell on deaf ears as Applejack had already rounded the corner and fled down the street, her mind abuzz and her stomach somersaulting in anticipation of what she would find at the castle.
Applejack prided herself on listening to her gut. It rarely ever steered her wrong, and in times of need it was her go-to source for advice. She could solve almost any problem by feeling it through and doing what felt right in her gut and in her heart.
It was simple, it was honest, and it was how Applejack liked to work things out.
Applejack always knew what her gut was trying to tell her and she took comfort in that, until now. Her stomach churned, its meaning muddled. Her heart skipped a beat, its cause lost to her. The castle loomed above her, a strange but familiar figure in the heart of her home. Applejack’s hoof came to rest on the gleaming golden door. It was supposed to be a symbol of the strength of the bond she shared with her friends, yet it felt so unfamiliar to her.
The door stood defiantly in front of her and Applejack scowled, urging it to give her some answers. When none were given, she wrapped a hoof around her midsection. Her stomach churned with what she thought was guilt for a second, then nervousness, then an uneasy dread, each laced with an undertone of emptiness. Applejack squinted at the door. Something was missing.
Lowered her hoof, Applejack bit her lip as she debated going back for Spike and the others, but she didn’t budge. She shook her head; it didn’t feel right to leave. She raised her hoof again only for her stomach to flip and for her hoof to tremble.
Applejack exhaled through her nose, rooted to the spot by indecision and uneasiness. “C’mon, Applejack,” she muttered to herself. “You really gonna let Twilight cry her eyes out in there? Alone? She needs ya, so jus’ open the door already.”
Sucking a deep breath in through her nose, Applejack narrowed her eyes and pushed open the door. She walked over the threshold with her head held high and her chest puffed out. Twilight was in need of a friend, and Applejack was not going to let her down.
The door shut behind her and Applejack slowly let out the breath she held in. It only took her a second to realize that she had no idea where the library was. “Twilight?” she called, her voice hoarse and her mouth dry. Applejack swallowed a ball in her throat and licked her lips before trying again. “Twilight? You in here?”
“Twilight? You in here?” the halls called back.
Applejack sighed. She was going to have to do this the hard way. She began to trot down the hall, trying to ignore the clicking of her hooves that echoed around her with each step. By the time she walked half the hall’s length, her head throbbed with the beginnings of a headache.
“How the hay does Twilight live with this?” Applejack whispered as she massaged her forehead. Without noticing, she had reached the throne room doors. Applejack frowned at the doors. Was the library past the throne room? She couldn’t even remember. “Well, I guess it’s worth a shot.”
The doors swung open and Applejack walked into the throne room. Light spilled in from stained glass windows, filling the room with tinted reds, vibrant greens, and tranquil blues. The crystal thrones glittered, making the whole scene seem magical. Enraptured by the light, Applejack hesitantly walked into the circle of thrones. She lay a hoof on her throne and her eyes traced over her cutie mark engraved on it.
Applejack recalled the first—and last—time she had sat on it. She remembered that it was cold, hard, and uncomfortable to sit on. She was the first to jump off her throne when given the chance. As she rubbed her flanks, she wondered how anypony managed to sit on them for hours at a time when she could barely stand a few minutes. Then, Applejack remembered that she would probably have to spend hours at a time on the throne, helping chair court or attending to other royal duties.
Applejack shivered at the thought and recoiled away from the glorified chair. She wasn’t cut out to sit on a throne. Applejack didn’t want to sit on a throne. She didn’t want to hold court, or greet foreign dignitaries, or sit in on boring meetings. Applejack was an apple farmer through-and-through. She cast a wary glance at the throne to the right. Her eyes settled on the six-pointed star engraved on it and rubbed her foreleg with the other.
Is this how Twilight felt when she became a princess?
Pictures of a newly appointed Princess Twilight Sparkle pacing back and forth, her brow furrowed and her muzzle scrunched up like it did whenever she was thinking passed through Applejack’s mind. The image brought a smile to Applejack’s face, which vanished as soon as she returned her gaze to the throne.
Her throne.
Applejack’s stomach tightened at the sight. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
Her ears flicked and she was pulled out of her thoughts by a faint whimpering. She craned her head towards the door and strained her ears. After a moment, she heard another faint whimper from somewhere in the castle. Twilight’s whimper. With one last disdainful look at the thrones Applejack left the room, eager to find her friend.
Treading as lightly as possible, Applejack began searching the castle. She strained her ears as she wandered through the halls, listening for any sign of Twilight. Within no time she was lost. Each room she poked her head into and each hallway she meandered through was just as big and just as vacant as the last. The walls were barren and most rooms were just empty rooms. The castle seemed to swallow Applejack up in their emptiness. The silence, punctuated only by the clicking of her hooves, filled the halls. Applejack felt so small and smothered by it all. She couldn’t imagine anypony living alone in a place so large and empty.
Applejack couldn’t imagine Twilight living alone in a place so large and empty.
Applejack chided herself. Twilight wouldn’t be alone. She would still have Spike with her and Applejack and the others would be only a few minutes away. Applejack tried to take comfort in the thought, but her somersaulting stomach made it more than a little difficult. In a castle this big, Twilight may as well have been alone.
Applejack groaned as she climbed a short set of stairs. She cast a helpless glance around, pleading for the library—or better yet, Twilight—to reveal itself. As she rounded a corner, the castle appeared to have granted her wish.
A wooden crate, opened and half-unpacked, sat in the middle of the hallway. Books were stacked in small piles against the crate, ready to be filed away into a library. Applejack moved to the crate and found that it was next to a set of double doors that were ajar. Through the crack, she saw a hunched-over Twilight with her back to the doors.
Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. She had found the library; she had found Twilight. She reached a hoof out to open the door, but stopped herself. Raising an eyebrow, she regarded the unlocked and opened library door.
Didn’t Spike say that she locked herself in?
A sniffle caught her attention. Peering through the door again, what Applejack saw made her heart sink. Even with her back to her, Applejack could tell Twilight looked miserable. Her wings were hanging low and her tail was curled up around her. Applejack watched as Twilight raised a hoof to her lowered face, as if to wipe away a trail of tears.
Applejack had seen enough. The hesitation from before gone, she pushed open the door and walked to her friend’s side.
Twilight needed Applejack, and Applejack was going to be there for her.
Twilight Sparkle rubbed her face roughly with a hoof, taking note of how damp it was. She made a mental note to add tissues to the list of things to buy. She cast a wary glance at the grandeur of the room around her.
Make that a lot of tissues.
She’d lost track of the time. Twilight looked around at the half-filled library, searching for a clock. Seeing none, she made another mental note to invest in clocks. A lot of clocks.
Twilight vaguely remembered Spike talking to her about... something. Twilight frowned. She couldn’t remember what is was about. She replayed the conversation in her head. Twilight and Spike had been categorizing a new shipment of books from across Equestria. Spike left the room, then came back with a parcel from Princess Celestia. Then Spike started talking about... something when Twilight opened the package. That was around when Twilight stopped paying attention entirely.
Twilight cast a sidelong glance at the contents of the package, spilled out over the table in front of her. Dozens of scrolls littered the table. A few were still bound by red ribbons and stacked neatly at the far end of the table while the rest lay unraveled and haphazardly scattered across the polished mahogany surface. The subject of her tears sat in her hooves. The parchment was blotched in places by tears, but the words were clear as day and the picture at the bottom was still pristine. Twilight could remember exactly what was going through her mind as she wrote the words. She could remember how elated and happy she was when the picture was taken.
It was the happiest day of Twilight’s life, how could she ever forget?
Her gaze lingered on the picture before it traveled upwards to the library. Crystal shelves lined the walls, half of which were filled with books. An incomplete library, was there anything ever so depressing? It was incomplete, empty, and void of something important. It was just like the rest of the castle.
Twilight blinked away another set of tears that began to collect in her eyes. Raising her head, Twilight placed a hoof over her chest as she slowly inhaled. She was being silly. She needed to calm down. A quick glance down at the scroll later and Twilight began to feel her shaky composure falter. Twilight looked away from the scroll. She needed to get back to work.
Twilight began to rise on unsteady hooves, only to stop when a hoof came to rest on her shoulder and a soothing, strong voice grabbed her attention.
“Hey there, sugarcube.”
“Applejack!” Twilight jumped, offering her friend a wan smile before rubbing her face roughly. She knew she looked horrible, and the concern in Applejack’s gaze made her very much aware of that fact. “I- I didn’t hear you come in.” Twilight inwardly cringed at how feeble her voice sounded.
“No kiddin’,” Applejack replied, her voice soft and hesitant. She rubbed her foreleg with the other and stared at Twilight, goading her to speak. Twilight averted her gaze.
“Did- uh- did Spike show you in?” Twilight asked, hiding her face as she tried to regain her composure.
“Can’t say he did. But...” Applejack brought her hoof under Twilight’s chin and turned her head. Worried green eyes met bloodshot and tearstained purple. Twilight found she couldn’t bring herself to look away. “Spike did come runnin’ down to the market, though.”
“Did he?” Twilight rubbed at her eyes, trying vainly to dry the wet trails that stained her cheeks and ignore how Applejack seemed to be gauging every word she spoke. “Is he alright?”
“Yeah... and no.” Applejack sat down and pressed her shoulder against Twilight’s. “He said you were cryin’ and locked yerself in the library.”
“...Did he?” Twilight bit her lip and a pang of guilt echoed in her chest.
“He was worried about ya somethin’ awful. And to tell ya the truth, so am I.” Applejack spoke slowly, choosing each word carefully. Twilight cast a sidelong glance at her friend. Applejack’s eyes were downcast and her ears lay flat against her head, indecision weighing heavily upon her features. Twilight’s own eyes flashed with concern and she found herself resting a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.
To her surprise, Applejack took the hoof in her own.
“Applejack...”
“We’re all worried about you, sug’.” Applejack squeezed Twilight’s hoof. “Nopony’s seen head nor tail of ya since we locked Tirek up, and I know yer busy and everythin’, but you’ve been squirreled up in this castle and...” Applejack trailed off. “I’m just... we’re just... worried.”
Twilight stared at her hoof, clasped in Applejack’s hooves. She closed her eyes as the pang of guilt resurfaced. It made her chest hurt. “There’s nothing to be worried about,” she eventually said. Twilight put her hoof over Applejack’s and forced a smile. “I’m fine, see?”
At Applejack’s disbelieving stare, Twilight widened her smile. “I had a little cry, that’s all. I mean, can you blame me?”
“No, I guess not. But Twi-”
“I mean, why shouldn’t I be happy?” Twilight’s smile faltered. “Everything’s back to normal, right? Tirek’s gone, everypony has their magic back, and I have a new castle. Everything’s... perfect.” Twilight’s words sounded hollow to her own ears. “I have you girls, Spike, my title... what more could a mare want?”
Twilight looked down and studied the crystal floor. It only made her feel worse. There were no defining features in it. It was a smooth, polished surface that reflected a blurry outline of herself back at her. There were no cracks to follow, no knots to get lost in. It was blank. It was empty.
Twilight let out a soft gasp when she felt Applejack’s forelegs wrap around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. “Twilight, what’s wrong?”
Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. Gone was the hesitation and indecision from Applejack’s voice. Her words only conveyed a genuine, honest concern that Twilight found she could not ignore. Pulling out of the hug, Twilight levitated a roll of parchment to Applejack.
Twilight waited silently as Applejack’s eyes scanned the page. Realization dawned on Applejack’s face and she looked at Twilight with empathy. “Oh, Twilight...” Twilight shied away from Applejack. “Is this what this is all about?”
Twilight didn’t need to turn her head to know what Applejack meant. The parchment Applejack held was one of the many friendship reports Twilight had written to Princess Celestia. The one in Applejack’s hooves happened to be the first friendship report Twilight had ever sent, written shortly after Twilight had been appointed to Ponyville. At the bottom of the letter was a picture of Twilight and her new friends huddled together in front of Golden Oaks Library. Each of them beamed up at the camera, wrapped up in each other’s hooves. Twilight remembered how her cheeks hurt from smiling for so long and how her ribs ached from so much laughter when they took that picture.
It was the happiest day of her life, and now thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. What was worse was that she didn’t know why.
Twilight shook her head. “No.” She sniffled and massaged her temples with her hooves. “Yes.” Her wings twitched at her sides and she scrunched up her face. “Maybe.” Her head swam and tears stung her eyes. “I don’t know!”
Sadness bled way to confusion, and confusion boiled to frustration. Twilight grit her teeth, willing her eyes to dry. “I just don’t know!” Her wings fluttered and her hooves fidgeted until she couldn’t take it anymore. Twilight jumped to her hooves and set to pacing around the library. Her wings folded up and spread back out as she stomped in a well-practiced circle, idly noting that she had much more room to pace in the new library.
“Everything should be perfect, but it isn’t! And I don’t know why!” Nostrils and wings flared, Twilight turned on Applejack. “Tirek’s imprisoned in Tartarus again, everypony has their magic back, and everything is back to normal!” With every word, Twilight’s expression grew more and more pleading, begging Applejack to give her an answer that she couldn’t find. “I-I have you girls, and now I finally know my place as a princess! We... we even made peace with Discord, so why...” Twilight trailed off, her chest heaving as she felt a familiar wetness travel down her cheeks.
She was crying again. She hated it. “So why am I crying, Applejack?”
“I... I don’t know.” A lapse of silence fell between the two. After a few moments, Applejack walked over to Twilight and with a voice barely above a whisper, said, “C’mere.” Twilight didn’t resist when Applejack wrapped a hoof around her and led her to a pair of plush cushions by one of the castle’s many windows. She stumbled onto her cushion and rested her head on the windowsill. Light poured in through the window, warming Twilight’s coat as cheers and laughter met her ears from the ponies below.
She watched as Applejack dragged another cushion next to Twilight’s and sat down beside her. She felt Applejack press her side up against Twilight’s, offering her a sympathetic gaze. “Let’s talk about this, ‘kay?” Her words were strong and soothing, and Twilight took comfort in them. “We can figure this out together, alright?”
Twilight nodded and brushed her tears away. “Okay... okay. We can figure this out.” She took a deep breath to steady herself.
Applejack placed a hoof on Twilight’s back and started rubbing in small circles. “Now, what’s been eatin’ at ya for the last couple days? Why have you been avoidin’ us? Why’ve you been avoidin’ me?”
Twilight didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied the cushion, fiddling with a loose thread as she sorted through her thoughts. She felt a frown tugging at the corner of her lips as she tried to make sense of the emotions that swirled through her. Everything was muddled, making her frown deepen.
“I...” Twilight swallowed. She could identify one feeling in the flurry that stormed inside her; guilt. “I didn’t mean to avoid you.”
Applejack sighed. “I know ya didn’t,” she said heavily. Twilight looked at her for the first time since sitting down. Applejack’s gaze was downcast and her eyes were focused on a bookshelf, lost in thought. She was choosing her words just as carefully as Twilight was. “But ya still did, all the same. Ya know I’ve been tryin’ to take you out to lunch for the last three days?”
Twilight felt her cheeks warm in what she suspected was embarrassment and shame. Like everything else though, something felt off about the warmth that filled her cheeks. “I remember Spike mentioning something about that...”
“And ya kept on turnin’ me‘n everypony else away. Spike’s jus’ as worried about you as I am, and I’m sure the others are wonderin’ where you’ve been, too.”
Twilight hung her head. Applejack’s hoof was still rubbing her back in small, soothing circles, and Twilight’s guilt deepened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make any of you worry.”
“Ya don’t need to apologize for nothin’, Twi’.” Applejack stopped her ministrations. Twilight looked up to see Applejack frowning in thought at her. “You’ve had a lot on yer mind, and I understand that. But somethin’s hurtin’ ya, and I can’t sit by and let that be. Now talk to me, sugarcube. What’s goin’ on? Is it the library?”
It was Twilight’s turn to sigh as she tucked her forehooves under herself. “I don’t know... or at least, I don’t think so.”
“Then what is it? What’s got ya cryin’ up a storm?”
Twilight shook her head and furrowed her brow. “I’m not sure. I was setting up the library, unpacking boxes and cataloguing books according to the new system. Spike was running around, helping where he could, and then...”
“And then?” Applejack prompted, pressing herself further against Twilight. She was a ballast of support, one that Twilight couldn’t appreciate more.
“Princess Celestia sent me all of our old friendship reports.” Despite herself, Twilight smiled wanly at the memories. “She wrote a note that said it made more sense for us to keep them here from now on, for other ponies to read and learn from. I took a break to read through them again, for nostalgia’s sake.” Her smile grew a little more as a similar grin grow on Applejack’s face. “I’d almost forgotten about some of them.”
“No kiddin’,” Applejack chuckled. “We’ve had some crazy adventures, haven’t we?”
“And we’ve come so far together. So much has changed since I met you, since I met the girls. In a few years I’ve gone from an isolated, friendless student to a princess of Equestria with the best friends I could ever hope for.” Twilight’s smile faltered and her ears folded behind her head. “And... and I haven’t ever really stopped to think about that. I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about it until today, when I found the first friendship report I ever sent.”
She channeled her magic through her horn and levitated a scroll from the table over. Her eyes flicked over the words before settling on the picture at the bottom. “I forgot we even took this picture.”
“Seems like a lifetime ago, don’t it?” Applejack took the scroll in her hooves.
“It does, and when I read that letter and when I saw that picture of all of us, together for the first time in the library, I...” Applejack dropped the parchment, refocusing on Twilight. Applejack’s foreleg was wrapped around her in an instant, offering support in a way that words couldn’t. “I don’t know, I just broke down. All those memories... everything that we did there, in Golden Oaks, it’s all gone now, isn’t it?”
“Twilight...”
“Sorry, you must think I’m being silly.” Twilight forced another smile. “I think I’m okay now,” she lied. “No more tears, see?”
“Yer not bein’ silly, sugarcube.” Applejack took Twilight’s hoof in her own again, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel her breath catch in her throat. “And you ain’t foolin’ nopony like that, ‘specially not me.”
Twilight’s facade crashed down around her and her face fell with it. “I know...” she mumbled, avoiding Applejack’s studious gaze. “I just- I just don’t want you to worry about me.”
“It’s a bit late for that. You’re hurtin’, Twilight, I can see it clear as day. Golden Oaks was your home, sugarcube. I don’t want ta think about what it’d be like ta lose Sweet Apple Acres.”
Twilight grimaced as the event replayed in her mind’s eye. A flash, a wave of heat, and it was all gone. Thinking about it brought back the rage, the pain, and the need to hurt Tirek boiling back to the surface. “It was devastating. My home, gone. Just like that, everything was up in smoke and flames. All those books that Pinkie convinced me not to trade away... All those memories...” She laughed ruefully. “At least I won’t need to worry about the library overflowing anymore, I suppose.”
“I’m so sorry, sugarcube,” Applejack said, her voice thick with concern. She squeezed Twilight tighter before releasing her. “I never got a chance to say it before, but I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that though. At least, not entirely,” Twilight said, drawing her hoof away from Applejack’s and bringing it to her chest. “I mean... losing Golden Oaks was horrible; it’s what made me fight Tirek like that. I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my entire life. And I had the power to fight him too, the power to hurt him, and I...” Twilight inhaled slowly, trying to make sense of the hodgepodge of feelings coursing through her. “And I never want to feel that way again.”
“We all get angry sometimes, Twilight. You did what you had to do to protect everypony, and I bet you woulda won too if Tirek hadn’t got us all. And, well...” Applejack trailed off as she leant in and nuzzled Twilight’s neck. Twilight was sure it was purely a friendly gesture, meant to comfort and support her, and it was greatly welcomed. Why then was Applejack staring intently away from Twilight? Applejack cleared her throat and straightened her hat before looking back to Twilight, the first hints of a real smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you, Twilight. You saved us all. Things ‘ve been so darn hectic that I never got to say that neither.”
“Of course I did,” Twilight said immediately. “I’d do anything if it would save you girls. Losing Golden Oaks is one thing, but I don’t know if I could live with myself if anything happened to you.” She found herself returning Applejack’s smile and staring into her eyes. “And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
A moment passed and Twilight and Applejack enjoyed a peaceful, happy silence. Out of the corner of her eye, the crinkled, brown parchment sat open on the picture of Golden Oaks. Twilight’s face fell and she dragged the scroll over to her with a hoof. She studied the picture for the upteenth time, ghosts of a happy memory pulling at her heart.
“I just wish that my last memory of Golden Oaks was as good as all the others. But, I guess even that’s gone too.” Twilight’s thoughts drifted to a burned tree stump, gnarled and decrepit and pitiful. “Or not as gone as I’d like it to be,” she said bitterly.
“Don’t focus on that memory,” Applejack said, taking Twilight’s hoof and placing it over the parchment. “Focus on this one, and on all the other ones we made there. Jus’ ‘cause the library’s gone don’t mean that everything we did there is.”
“But that’s just the problem!” Twilight shouted. “We made so many good memories there! We did so much together there, and now it’s gone!”
“That don’t mean everything that happened there is. We’re still here, Twilight, and we’re not goin’ anywhere anytime soon.”
“That doesn’t matter!” Twilight wrenched her hoof away from Applejack and jumped to her hooves. Her heart was racing and she paced up and down rows of bookshelves. With every step her heart thundered in her ears. Her head was swimming, frustration, sadness, anger, and guilt clouding her vision. She wanted to scream, she wanted to vent everything she was feeling on her new ‘home.’
Applejack was quick scramble off of her own cushion and catch up to Twilight. “You don’t mean that,” she said when she caught Twilight’s eye. “You can’t mean that, Twilight. Golden Oaks was your home, but it was just a place. I know it’s hard, but you gotta try an’ move on.”
“What do you think I’ve been doing?” Twilight snapped back. Her eyes were glassy and she blinked hard. She flinched away from Applejack when she tried to rest a hoof on her shoulder. “I thought I had moved on. Everything I’ve been doing since...” She rubbed her eyes again and scowled at the floor. “I thought I was okay, but I’m not!”
“Then don’t be! And don’t shut us out, neither! I know yer a princess now, and you gotta look strong ‘n keep up appearances for everypony, but you’re not Celestia. You’re Twilight, you’re my friend, an’ it’s jus’ you n’ me. It’s okay to be hurtin’ right now.”
“I don’t want to hurt! I want to move on, but I can’t and I don’t know why! I want to be okay, I want... I want...” Twilight choked, her voice strangled and her throat bobbing uselessly as she tried to find the words.
Her breath caught when she felt a pair of strong forelegs wrap around her and pull her into a field of orange. Twilight found herself returning the hug as she buried her face into the crook of Applejack’s neck. Without meaning to, Twilight quietly sobbed into Applejack’s shoulder, inwardly noting how Applejack’s coat smelled faintly of apples and cinnamon.
“I want my bed! I want my bed, and my books, and my telescope, and—” Twilight hiccoughed, but she had at last found the words, and now that she had, she couldn’t stop herself. “I want my home back!”
Applejack said nothing but squeezed Twilight tighter, trying to convey what words could not: an unyielding support, a shoulder to cry on, and most importantly, a friend.
“But I can’t! It’s all gone! No more Pinkie Parties, no more sleepovers, no more adventures, no more anything!” Twilight sobbed. Her entire body trembled as the words came pouring out of her mouth. “I just want to go home!”
“I know you do, sug’,” Applejack said soothingly, “It’s all gonna be okay, ya hear me? There’ll be more parties, jus’ give Pinkie the word an’ she’ll have one set up faster ‘n a jackrabbit in July. And hay, if you want to have a sleepover, all ya gotta do is ask and I’ll be here in a heartbeat with my pillow and toothbrush.”
Twilight sniffled as her eyes began to dry. “Thanks, but...” She started, her voice as shaky as her body. With bleary eyes she looked in contempt at the unfinished library around them. “It’s not the same. This isn’t the same.”
“What isn’t?” Applejack asked as she pulled away. Though her forehooves remained firmly planted on Twilight’s shoulder, a part of Twilight wished that she hadn’t ended the embrace.
“This,” Twilight said, casting her gaze at everything around her. It felt like a weight that was pressing down on her chest lessened with every word she spoke. The feeling drove her to continue speaking. “I never asked for any of this, Applejack. I didn’t ask for a castle, I didn’t ask for power, and I didn’t ever ask to be a princess.”
“I know ya didn’t.”
“All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, was to live in Ponyville with you and Spike and the girls. That night when we stopped Nightmare Moon, I found where I belong.” Twilight scowled at the crystal floor again and saw her blurry reflection scowling back up at her.
“That much hasn’t changed.” Twilight looked up from the floor and met Applejack’s eyes. “You still belong here as much as I do, and I’m not goin’ anywhere. Neither’s Ponyville, or anypony else. I’m- we’re always gonna be here for you, no matter what.”
A small smile played across Twilight’s tear-stained face. “I know.” She leaned in and nuzzled Applejack’s cheek. She heard Applejack inhale sharply before hesitantly returning the nuzzle. “And thank you.”
“For what?”
“For listening, and for being here when I needed you,” Twilight said, straightening herself with a watery smile. An equally watery laugh forced its way past her lips. “I’m sorry, I’m a mess and you must think I’m acting like a foal.”
“‘Course I don’t think that, and ya don’t need to thank me for anything.” Applejack grinned. She raised a hoof and gently brushed Twilight’s bangs out of her eyes. “And you look jus’ fine, if’n yer worried about that.”
“But I do. I’m not... okay, at least not yet. But I do feel better, I think. Kind of like a weight’s been lifted, you know?”
“I reckon I do,” Applejack chuckled. “Bein’ honest with yourself and with everypony else has always been my policy.”
“I suppose so.” Twilight sighed as her heart beat with a pang of melancholy. She had the feeling that she was going to be experiencing quite a few of those. Another heart beat, another pang and... something else.
Applejack nudged her. “You sure you gonna be alright, sugarcube?”
Twilight looked at Applejack and smiled, and this time it was a genuine one. Her heart throbbed, sending that unfamiliar pang coursing through her body. Her chest seemed to tighten, and she suddenly understood. “Yes, I think I will. It’s going to take some time to get over losing Golden Oaks, but... yes. Eventually, that is.” Applejack brushed her hoof against Twilight’s, and Twilight clasped it with her own. “I guess it’s just going to take some getting used to.”
“I know whatcha mean.” Applejack’s face scrunched up as she stared at the crystal walls. “I’m still not sure ‘bout Ponyville havin’ a castle and me havin’ a throne. It’s... weird.”
Twilight giggled. “You’ll get used to it.”
Applejack shrugged and the smile seemed to fade from her face. In its place was a shadow of worry and guilt. “I dunno, Twilight. I’m just a farmer, plain and simple. I’m no princess or anything. I ain’t cut out to sit on a throne and rule anypony or anything.”
“And I was just a student. How do you think I felt when Princess Celestia made me a princess?” Twilight tried a laugh, but it died off when Applejack didn’t laugh along with her. “Applejack? Are you okay?”
Applejack seemed to snap out of a daze and shook her head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Applejack,” Twilight warned.
“Alright, alright.” Applejack sighed. “It’s like you said, this whole thing’s jus’ gonna take some gettin’ used to. I know Golden Oaks was your home, but it was special to me too. Lotta memories there, right?”
“I know.” Twilight’s eyes threatened to water again. “It was where we first became friends, where we set out from to find the Elements of Harmony... So much happened there, so much that I’m going to treasure and remember forever.”
“I can’t speak for the others, but I can promise that I’m not gonna forget anythin’ we did there.” Applejack stared at the floor, and Twilight could see her grimace at her reflection. “I guess that makes it harder to move on, don’t it? ‘Specially with everythin’ changin’ every other day.” A wry smirk played over Applejack’s face and she prodded at Twilight’s wings, eliciting a quiet squeak of surprise from Twilight. “I just got used to you havin’ wings, and then next thing I know there’s a castle sproutin’ up in the middle of Ponyville like a corn stalk in August.”
“Hey, I’m still getting the hang of these things.” Twilight flapped her wings for effect, a coy smile tugging at her lips. “And now I have to wrap my head around this hunk of crystal as my new ‘home.’”
“Yeah,” Applejack said, a faraway expression on her face.
“I mean, my bed’s three times the size it used to be and my room’s the size of the old library’s sitting room,” Twilight said. “I still get lost late at night when I need to find the bathroom. And it’s just so empty. I have to whisper so I don’t hear myself echo around the whole castle.”
“Empty...” Applejack bit her lip, her face wary and indecisive.
“And look at the size of this library! I’ve ordered books from libraries and stores across Equestria, and it’s still nowhere near full! It’s all so overwhelming, but at least Spike is adapting to our new home well.”
“Look, Twilight,” Applejack said, her voice shaky but resolute. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she huffed. “I don’t rightly know how to say this, so I’m jus’ gonna say it. I know this place ain’t exactly home for you, but...” She paused, chewing the inside of her cheek before she spoke again. “But I’d like to change that.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I mean is, well...” Applejack trailed off and scowled. “This place ain’t home for you, right?”
“Well, not really, no, but—”
“And it don’t exactly fit in with Ponyville neither, but I reckon that we can change that. I reckon that, if we work together, we can fill this place up with as many memories as Golden Oaks,” Applejack said, her words becoming faster and more resolute. A daring smile took the place of her scowl as she spoke. “I reckon that we can make this your new home. It won’t be Golden Oaks, but I bet that it can be just as special.”
Twilight blinked and felt her chest tighten again. Her wings fluttered at her sides and she whispered, “You’d do that?”
“‘Course I would,” Applejack said at once. She coughed, her cheeks turning a light crimson. “What I mean to say is... I hate seein’ you so sad, Twilight, and I’d want nothing more than to help make this place your new home. A real home overflowin’ with happy memories so that you’ll wake up each mornin’ with a smile. That’s what I want to see, way more ‘n some crystal castle or a crown.”
Twilight simply stared at Applejack. She reprimanded her, of course one of her best friends would want to help her. But there was something glimmering in Applejack’s eyes, something in the way she spoke that left Twilight gobsmacked and with a growing heat in her cheeks.
“Applejack, I—”
“And the other girls, too!” Applejack added quickly. She seemed to be looking everywhere except at Twilight. “I’m sure everypony else’ll want to help, too. S’not like anypony else wants to see you cryin’. Heck, by the time Rarity’s done with the place it’ll be like home sweet home in no time.”
Twilight started again but stopped. She could still feel a lingering heat around her muzzle and a smile she didn’t remember starting pulling at her lips. “I’m sure they will.” She cleared her throat, which she found was surprisingly dry. “Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“I...” Twilight found herself mimicking Applejack. Her throat worked as she tried to find the right words. “Thank you.”
Applejack tilted her head, a smirk on her face. “I already told ya, you don’t need to thank me for nothin’.”
“Yes, I really do.” Twilight stared right at Applejack’s eyes, measuring and gauging every emotion that flickered within them. “Everything’s been changing so much and so fast, and it’s only going to get worse now that I have a castle. The library was my home, and I thought that as long as I had that, I could handle everything.”
“It was your rock,” Applejack said, nodding her head.
“It was, and now it’s gone. But you aren’t.” Twilight took a step forward, closing the small gap between her and Applejack. “I can always count on you to be there for me. Today, you were right here when I needed you. Even if the others have to move away to chase their dreams, I know you’ll always be here. Ponyville’s your home, it’s where you belong.” Twilight drew herself even closer and Applejack straightened. “And it’s where I belong, too.”
Applejack said nothing for a moment, but Twilight could tell what she was thinking, probably because she was thinking the same thing. Hesitance, doubt, and a sense of eagerness Twilight could not explain reflected in Applejack’s eyes. Without noticing, her hoof had somehow become entwined with Twilight’s again.
Twilight grinned as the realization of a simple fact dawned on her in the mess of emotions that clouded her mind: she didn’t want to let go of Applejack’s hoof.
“Applejack, Ponyville is where my heart belongs,” Twilight said.
“Yeah... yeah, I getcha,” Applejack said, her gaze lingering over her hoof held by Twilight’s. “Ponyville’s my home too. Bein’ in Manehatten when I was a filly was the hardest time of my life because I didn’t belong there. I belong at Sweet Apple Acres.”
“The same way I don’t belong in Canterlot anymore. I’ve made my life here, made friends here. I found what I was looking for without realizing it.” Twilight sucked in a deep breath. She knew what she wanted to say, but as she opened her mouth to say it, Applejack had already started talking.
“Twilight, before ya say anythin’ else, there’s something I gotta get off my chest,” Applejack said quickly.
Twilight’s eyes widened for a moment before her gaze fell to the pair of entwined hooves below. Encouraged by the sight, Twilight smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’m listening.”
Applejack’s hoof pulled away and she scuffed at the crystal floor, her eyes avoiding Twilight’s. “It’s somethin’ I’ve been meanin’ to tell ya for a little bit now, and I shoulda told ya a while ago. Things just kept on comin’ up.
“I mean, first you became a princess, then there was that whole mess with the keys and Tirek and everythin’ between.” Applejack shrugged. “It kept on gettin’ pushed back. It was never a good time, ya know?”
Twilight nodded, understanding the feeling well. “It’s been a busy few months, hasn’t it?” A voice in the back of Twilight’s mind reminded her that it was only going to get busier. Twilight hushed that nagging voice as Applejack started speaking again.
“No kiddin.’” Applejack scratched the back of her head with a hoof. “And now ain’t exactly picturesque or anything, but I reckon it’s as good a time as any.”
Twilight nodded again, her wingtips trembling in anticipation. She could see her thoughts mirrored in Applejack’s eyes. She followed Applejack’s gaze to the floor and saw that, for the first time, her reflection was grinning back up at her. “A good time for what?” she asked, her grin turning coy as she watched Applejack’s cheeks turn the slightest shade of red.
Applejack fidgeted with her mane. “A good time to tell you how I feel.”
It was Twilight’s turn to blush. Her heart fluttered in her chest even though she knew what Applejack was going to say. Twilight cleared her throat and her wings twitched at her sides. She willed herself to focus on Applejack, and not on the tingling sensation that was spreading down her wings and legs. “Feel about what?”
Applejack opened her mouth and closed it. Her throat bobbed uselessly and she scowled at the floor. Twilight had to bite back a giggle as Applejack huffed and grumbled under her breath. Finally, Applejack took a deep breath and looked directly into Twilight’s eyes. It was a captivating stare, one that Twilight could not look away from. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and her stomach somersault.
“Look,” Applejack said, her eyes never leaving Twilight’s. “I’m no good with words, so I’m jus’ gonna come out an’ say it. I care about you, Twilight, plain and simple.”
“I know you do,” Twilight said. “And I care about you, too.” It wasn’t a confession of any grandeur, but a simple fact that filled Twilight with warmth. “You know I’d be there to help you with a harvest in a second, and I know that you’d be here to support me. Just like today.”
“But it’s more than that. I care about the way you smile, I care about when you laugh, and I care about bein’ there for you.” Applejack sighed through her nose, the apprehension gone from her face. “What I’m tryin’ to say is that I care about makin’ you happy.”
Twilight could feel the heat in her cheeks all the way to the tip of her ears. Normally, she would look away, abashed and trying to conceal her blush. However, now she found that she could not break Applejack’s gaze. She found herself getting lost in her emerald green eyes, and she felt that she could be safe there. She felt that she could be happy there.
“And I can’t help but want to do anything I can to help make you happy, ‘cause I like seein’ you smile and hearin’ you laugh.” Applejack exhaled, finally breaking eye contact with Twilight and ending the spell that had overcome her. “Do you get what I’m sayin’ at all?”
“Yes, I do,” Twilight mumbled after a time. Despite her frantically beating heart, Twilight felt strangely calm. All of her confusion, sadness, and turmoil had crashed down around her, leaving her in a peaceful state of elation.
“And... do you feel the same way?”
Twilight locked stares with Applejack again. The answer was a foregone conclusion. “Yes,” she said with certainty. Though she did not flinch, Twilight saw relief ease itself over Applejack’s features. “I like seeing you happy. It’s why I offer to help you with your harvests whenever I can. Out there, working on the fields, you’re happy. You’re smiling and laughing and I love seeing that, and I love that I can help make you feel that way.”
“You know, I had a feelin’ you were gonna say somethin’ like that.” Applejack chuckled, an easy smile playing across her lips. “Or I was hopin’ you were gonna, but that ain’t the point. The point is that we think the same. We make a good team, Twi. I’d bet we could do just about anything together, don’t you?”
Twilight returned the smile. “I’d think so.”
“We can count on each other,” Applejack said, scooching a little closer to Twilight. “If’n somethin’ was wrong with me, you’d be right there to help.”
“You wouldn’t even have to ask.”
“And I know that, years from now, I’m still gonna be lookin’ to hear you laugh an’ see you smile. Lots of stuff is gonna change, sugarcube, but that ain’t changin’ any time soon.” Applejack bit her lip and squeezed Twilight’s hoof.
“I’m glad. I wouldn’t ever want that to change.” Twilight returned the squeeze and scooched a little closer herself.
“It won’t, not as long I have anything to say about it.” A fiery determination flickered in Applejack’s eyes. “An’, well, ‘cause of all that, I was thinkin’ that we could try makin’ each other happy. Together.”
A pause followed Applejack’s words, as if the room was holding its breath. Twilight felt as if she were on a cloud. Was she really sitting in a puddle of her own tears just a short while ago?
“Applejack, are you asking me out on a date?” Twilight asked in a voice that suggested she knew exactly what Applejack was asking.
“I guess I am.” Applejack laughed with note of pride in her voice. Then, her face turned unreadable. “Shoot, this probably wasn’t the best time to tell ya. You’ve jus’ been cryin’ and... I hope you don’t think I’m tryin’ to take advantage of you or anythin’.”
“I could never think that,” Twilight said, her voice light.
“I’d understand if’n you’d want some time to think about it,” Applejack said. “But I’d keep your heart safe. I wouldn’t do nothin’ to hurt you, and if you let me, I’d make this place a bushel o’ happy memories for you.” Applejack raised her head and grinned. Twilight, for her part, had difficulty doubting those words. “If you give me a chance, that is.”
Twilight simply stared at Applejack, briefly remembering that her hoof was currently entwined with hers. At some point, Applejack had clasped it with her other hoof and had started stroking the fur gently. Twilight thought that her answer would be obvious, but an inkling of doubt made her hesitate.
“And you’re sure about this?”
“I’ve been meanin’ to tell ya for a little while now. Nothin’s changed since then about how I feel. Not the crown, or the wings, or the castle, or beatin’ up that big oaf Tirek.” Applejack smirked. “So, I reckon I am.”
“Applejack... I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you told me that,” Twilight said. “Everything’s just been changing so much and so fast. I haven’t had any control over any of it, it’s all been so overwhelming...”
Applejack shook her head. “I know, and I don’t want ta push you into anythin’ you ain’t ready for.” She started to withdraw her hoof before Twilight clasped it back in her hooves.
“No, it’s okay!” Twilight said quickly. “That isn’t what I meant, or what I want. What I was going to say was... yes. Everything’s been changing faster than I can keep up with, but I think that this is one change that I’ll like.”
Twilight giggled at the bewildered look on Applejack’s face. “After everything that’s happened, and through everything that’s going to happen in the future, I know you’re always going to be here, by my side. You were here today when I needed you and I think... I know that I want to give ‘us’ a shot.”
“So... was that a yes?” Applejack asked, chuckling warily.
“I guess it was.” Twilight grinned. Excitement bubbled in her belly as the dawning of a realization took shape in her mind. Looking down, her hooves were still entwined with Applejack’s. Did she ever let go of them? Would she ever? Twilight didn’t know, which suited her just fine. A second later, she felt herself closing the small gap between the two.
Then, her eyes fluttering shut, she leaned in and felt Applejack’s lips meet hers. It was brief, but a promise of things to come. She pulled away, heart hammering in her chest and her cheeks a deep crimson. She was pleased to see Applejack’s cheeks were a matching shade of red.
“I guess I’d better start plannin’ our date,” Applejack said after a time.
Twilight, who had been lost in Applejack’s eyes, blushed and nodded. “Thank you,” she said as she rested her head against Applejack’s chest. She hummed in content at the warmth of Applejack’s coat.
Twilight felt Applejack laugh. “Will ya stop thankin’ me? I told you, you don’t need to thank me for nothin’. It’s all been my pleasure.”
“And again, I do,” Twilight giggled into Applejack’s coat before wrapping her wings around Applejack. “I think I need to thank the pony who gave me the first good memory in my new home.”
“The first of many, with any luck,” Applejack said as she wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s sides.
“I think it’s all going to work out just fine.” Twilight leaned in and pecked Applejack on the cheek. “Now, you said something about lunch earlier?”
“My treat?” Applejack asked as she nuzzled into Twilight’s mane. “I could smell Mrs. Cake was makin’ some cinnamon buns when I left the market. They’re probably done by now.”
“That sounds delightful,” Twilight said, ending their embrace and grinning like an idiot. She rose to shaky hooves and felt Applejack press up next to her. Twilight felt the same spell from before fall on her again as her head started drifting towards Applejack’s seemingly of its own accord.
“Twilight?! Where are you?” came a scratchy voice from somewhere in the castle.
“I told you, she’s in the library!” Spike’s voice responded, echoing throughout the castle halls.
“And where might that be?”
“Down here!”
Twilight blinked herself awake and pulled away from Applejack. An embarrassed blush coloured her muzzle and she smiled sheepishly at Applejack.
Applejack chuckled. “I guess lunch’ll hafta wait, won’t it?”
“Raincheck? Dinner tomorrow?”
“Sounds great to me,” Applejack said as their friends came barreling through the library doors, concern etched over each of their frantic faces.
Twilight smiled a true smile as several voices and hooves clamoured for her attention, wrapping her up in bonebreaking hugs and asking if she was alright. Throughout it all, a bubbly feeling filled her chest and the weight that had been pulling her down was finally lessening. As she explained to her friends, she couldn’t help her gaze from wandering to Applejack who stood by her side. Their tails entwined and their hooves were clasped together, drawing more raised eyebrows, questions, and whoops of celebration from the others.
The crystal palace may not have been home for Twilight quite yet, but at least today she made one new memory. Twilight couldn’t wait to fill the halls to the brim with more memories, each happier than the last.
Twilight couldn’t wait to be able to call this place ‘home.’
Author's Note
This has taken me far too long to finish. I actually finished drafting it way back in September 2014, but then my editor stopped editing and university semester got entirely insane. So, about four months later, I finally asked some wonderful people for help.
...Better late than never, right?
Questions or comments? Please feel free to leave 'em below, any and all input is always valued.
