Therapy with Twilight Sparkle

The leaves of the apple trees were gently rustling in the wind. Big Mac was busy plowing the fields. Not a single unnatural sound interrupted the serene picture before Twilight.

Which is precisely why she doubled her flapping speed and rushed downwards towards Big Mac. It was too quiet. No bucking of apple trees, no friendly banter between the siblings, no yeehaws or eyups. That and Big Mac looked different today. His shoulders were slumped, his mane hung over his eyes and he clearly didn't nowhere near his usual speed.

"Big Mac! Is something wrong?"

He nodded and replied, "Eyup. I'm 'afraid it's too late to talk to AJ now."

Twilight gasped, imagining the worst. "Did she commit sui-"

"What in Tarnation, Twilight?! Why would ya even think that? Nope, she is just drinkin'. She finished her chores today, mumbled something about "Mah friends don't need no mare like me" and shut herself in with her namesake."

Twilight was visibly shocked at the news. "How often does this happen to her?"

"This is the second time. The first was when Ma and Pa went away."

"Did you even try to stop her? You are her big brother?"

Big mac huffed in irritation. "What am ah supposed to do? She doesn't listen' to me in her state. Should ah go break all the booze in the house and knock 'er out cold? My Pa once told me when ah asked about alcoholism, "You can keep a bottle from a pony, but you can't keep a pony from a bottle." If AJ wants to drink, she will drink."

"Hey Big Bro, Hey Twi! Whatcha talking about?"

"Umm, this and that sis."

"Oh, Ah thought for a moment there that you were talkin' bout Applejack drinking applejack to, how do ya adults say it, drown her sorrows?"

Twilight shook her head. The filly was growing up way too fast for her own good.

"How do you even know this, Little Bloom?"

"Ah have mah ways, " – she turned towards Twilight – "Twilight, will you please help mah sister. Ah don't how much more she can take. Ah don't know how much more Ah can take!" Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I will try to."

"Now Big Brother, Ah want two things. Some ice-cream and to cry into your mane."

He lifted her up and she finally broke down into tears. Shooting Twilight a parting glance he cantered away into the town, with Applebloom sobbing into his mane.

Twilight affixed her gaze on the entrance of the house. Preparing to see her friend's lowest point in life she opened the door, ready for anything.

Instead of a complete mess she was expecting she found the kitchen polished to perfection. The air was very musty as if nopony entered or exited the place for years. It smelled very heavily of both apples and alcohol. She heard muffled singing and guitar music from upstairs. She silently ascended the stairs, a slow, sad melody accompanying her movement. Applejack sang another short verse and continued playing.

Reaching the door, Twilight opened it with magic. The room was incredibly dark. The curtains were closed and the main lights were off, leaving the only illumination in the room to come from a lamp on Applejack's nightstand, illuminating little more than her bed. A large bottle stood there, as well as a large mug full of a translucent dark brown liquid, covered by a slice of bread, identical to the slices on a plate nearby. A veritable battery of bottles neatly lined up the outside wall of the room. Three of them were already empty. Applejack herself was sitting facing the curtains, a guitar in her hooves. Her hat rested on the bedpost. Her hair was undone and covered almost the entirety of her back. Twilight slowly circled her to take a better look. Her hooves were moving on the instrument with the skill and precision of a true virtuoso. Her face bore an unreadable expression and her eyes were unfocused, almost lifeless. She opened her mouth and sang quietly:

And there you have it girl
Your talent isn't there
Always second best
You should just confess
That you must start anew
A million miles away
Throw away your lies
Kiss your friends goodbye

Applejack finished with a beautiful harmony ending on an unsettling minor accord. Carefully setting the guitar down she hooked the mug over her hoof and upended it into herself. Cringing slightly, she followed it up with a piece of bread. She poured herself another full mug and covered it up with a slice of bread from the plate. Her hooves were noticeably shaking.

Twilight did not deem herself a connoisseur of alcoholic drinks, but she was fairly sure that ponies didn't usually drink brandy by the bottles a mug at a time. She did not know how Applejack would react to outside stimuli, so she went out on a limb and hoped she wouldn't be too violent. She reached out and touched Applejack's shoulder. No explosion of drunken rage happened. Instead, Applejack slowly turned her head and inquired with an unsure voice, "Twilight? Is that you?"

"Yes, Applejack, it's me."

"Please, Twilight, go away. Let me and my sister spirit be together. Ah don't know what Ah am going to say to you."

"Applejack, drinking is not an op-"

"Go away Twilight. You don't need me. My family doesn't need me. Nopony needs a mare who is good for nothing."

"Applejack, everypony is good for something, especially a pony like you."

"An aspiring fashionista with an affinity for gemology and finer pleasures of life. The fastest living thang in Equestria. A magical alicorn princess - one of the only four. The most cheerful and enigmatic pony in the universe. A pegasus so kind even the most fierce of beasts love her. And of course a boring earth pony with nothing exceptional to her. Ah AM good for something. Bucking apples. That's it. Mah life in two words." Applejack emptied her mug. She tried to fill it up again, but the bottle was empty. Swearing quietly, she reached down for a full bottle, but her hooves found only air.

"Stop poisoning yourself. You have had enough."

"Who are you to decide if Ah had enough? Give them back!" she was almost crying. "Get out of this here house and let me drink in peace. Ah don't want to see your kind around here anymore. Not the annoying pegasus, not the insane party mare, not the prissy unicorn, not the doormat and definitely not the pampered pony princess! Ah'm gonna drink all of that booze, wake up and then Ah am going to buck apples for the rest of my life, because that's what mah cutie mark is telling me."

Twilight leaned in close. "Okay Applejack. I can go away and return the brandy. You will NEVER see me again and you will be free to drink as much as you want. Your friends and family will slowly turn away from you and you will truly become nothing more than a dipsomaniac applebucker for the rest of your life," she paused. She knew it was just a lie and that everypony would be there for Applejack no matter her state. "Or I could sober you right up and you could tell me what's really on your mind."

Suddenly, Applejack drew her into a hug and gave a few sloppy sobs. "S-s-sober me up, Twilight."

Twilight's horn lit up. "Go straight to the bathroom," she warned. A beam of magic hit Applejack square in the chest. She wobbled towards the bathroom.

After nearly thirty minutes of coughing, vomiting, wheezing and crying. Applejack emerged from the bathroom, her body clear of alcohol. Her face was fresh but very pale, her eyes were clear and her hair was once again gathered into a neat ponytail. The window was now open and the smell of alcohol was nearly gone.

"Thank you, Twilight. So, what should ah start with?"

"Get comfortable first, Applejack." Twilight was sitting on a chair near the bed.

Applejack thought for a moment, got into the bed and curled up under the blanket. Twilight levitated a large cup of warm tea over to her which she gulped down in one sip.

"Now, my friend, tell me what's eating at you."

"Ah guess Ah should just give you the background first, Twi. As ya know, ah was destined to be an element of honesty since mah early years. As ya know, we are almost forced to stay true to our element no matter the situation, which is why Rarity nearly worked herself to death several times or why y'all take it slow and try to befriend our enemies instead of blasting them to smithereens with magic. That means several thangs for me. Firstly, Ah can sense it when a pony tells me a black, bold-faced lie.

Secondly, that means Ah mahself am very bad at any sort of direct lying. Ah can't even tell the smallest of lies without mah face comin' alive as if Ah were having a fit." She paused and then forced out, "Ah am a completely happy pony and nothing is plaguing mah mind!" Her face contorted painfully. "Ah am a very sad and lonely pony, mah life is terrible and Ah hate mah friends!" She grimaced even harder this time. "Y'all seeing that Twi? All of this means that if Ah want to go 'round without parading mah feelings for the world to see, Ah have to put a mask on erryday. Mah curt way of speakin', the stetson over mah eyes, mah mannerisms, applebucking fer hours. All a way to divert away the questions of mah friends. Questions ah am forced to answer truthfully once they have been asked. Now, this is not what has been eating at me, ah am used to living like this. When somethin' sours mah mind real bad, I go to either mah big brother or Fluttershy and let it all out. Except lately."

Twilight grimaced, imagining how hard it would be for her to live without even some small white lies. How many were told by ponies every day? Not every lie carried a macabre intent, but Applejack's element did not discern. She thought for a few more moments and then asked, "What is eating at you if not this, Applejack?"

"Ah have been thinkin' since Ah was just a little filly. What is mah special talent? Rarity's is gemfinding. Yours is magic. What does mah cutie mark mean? What is mah calling in life? Ah always thought it was working at the farm, but it has been nagging on me worse and worse lately and, well, ya know the results."

Twilight laughed darkly. Tears came back to Applejack's eyes. "Why are y'all laughing at me?"

Twilight gently stroked Applejack's head. "I am laughing at how insignificant the problem is. You've nearly ruined your life over it instead of, you know, asking me."

"Then tell me Twilight! What is mah talent! What is mah calling. Because ah don't see one."

"I will start with your cutie mark. You see, Applejack, a cutie mark is nothing but a sign of your coming of age and also signifies ONE of your special talents that came naturally without any learning. But it is just a drop in the ocean of what makes a pony. Fluttershy's talent is empathy with animals, yet she is also an amazing singer and has the grace that would make most mares in this world go green with envy. Pinkie's is partying, but she spends most of her time baking delicious pastries and doing things even an alicorn princess can't. Your "special" special talent is to increase the productivity of land. Plants you tend to, especially apple trees, grow faster and bear more fruit. But that's not what makes you. You are an ace Applejack. You are a master of anything you do. You are the strongest and most athletic pony in our group, your crafting skills rival Rarity's, your cooking gives the Cakes a run for their money and you play the most beautiful guitar I've heard in my life. When you pick up a skill, you master it to perfection, but only when you focus. Remember the rodeo where you haven't taken a single blue ribbon for the first time in your life? You let your mind get clouded with doubt and lost the will to succeed. You have been stifling your potential for far too long Applejack. You could become the greatest sportspony, Equestria's most loved guitar virtuoso, anything you want, but you stay here cooped up in your farm brooding over nothing."

"But isn't mah calling to be with mah family? Ah thought that was what mah cutie mark was telling me."

"I am going to drop a big secret on you now, AJ. There is no calling. You have grown up around Big Mac and Granny Smith and you think they stay here at Sweet Apple Acres just because it is their so-called "calling of life". No, they do it because it makes them happy. Your big brother's name could be known all over Equestria, but there is nothing that makes him happier than watching his two sisters grow up and his home prosper – and nothing makes him sadder than seeing you destroy your own life. What is MY calling, Applejack? I thought it was staying cooped up in Canterlot reading books, then I thought it was to live a humble and happy life as the Ponyville librarian, now I am an alicorn princess living in a castle. This week I am a theurapist. There is no telling what is going to happen tomorrow or next week. Applejack, just cast away the worry, do what makes you happy and let your heart soar."

Applejack smiled and drew Twilight into a hug. They quietly sat there hugging, both happy for Applejack's newfound purpose in life.

"Now Applejack. I've had the most stressful two days and that's saying something given how our lives are. Say, what do you think about a sharing a freaking drink together – as two responsible adults we are?"

"Sure as shootin!"

They went downstairs. Applejack cooked a few treats for them to eat while Twilight tidied up the room and prepared the table. They spent the rest of their evening slowly sipping the brandy, savouring the taste of Applejack's cooking and talking about small stuff.

The day was coming to an end, Sweet Apple Acres red from the low-hanging sun. Big Mac was sitting next to a lonely apple tree, cradling Applebloom, whose thoughts seemed to be off somewhere. Suddenly, the farm's entrance door opened and they both raised their heads to see Applejack slowly walk out of her house carrying something on her back and a basket in her teeth. She stopped near the tree, spitting the basket out and carefully setting her cargo down on the ground. Big Mac could smell her breath. She smelled heavily of bubble bath and very lightly of her namesake. He looked at the dark figure on the ground. Applejack's "cargo" turned out to be a passed out Twilight with the silliest possible grin plastered over her face. Not wasting a second, Applejack jumped in and hugged her siblings. She kissed them both and started speaking, "Big Brother, Little Bloom, Ah am so sorry Ah made you worry. Ah promise it will never happen again. Ah love you both so much." A warm feeling washed over Big Mac and Applebloom. "Now ah have to git Twilight to her castle and then we could talk." She wobbled slightly.

"Ah will do it, AJ."

She smiled and slowly walked to the house with Applebloom sitting on her back, happy that her sister was normal again. Big Mac let out a happy sigh and bucked the tree slightly, dropping a few apples into the basket. Securing Twilight on his back, he took the basket and set his course for the Friendship Castle.

A very annoyed Spike was waiting for him at his destination. "So, I guess she DID get her hooves on some "special juice" after all, huh?" He motioned Big Mac to follow him into Twilight's bedroom. The stallion placed the basket on the nightstand and carefully set the drunken princess on her bed. Spike expertly tucked her in and placed a glass and a pitcher full of water next to the basket. He waddled over to Big Mac and gave him a fist to hoof bump.

"Thank you for taking care of Twilight. She has been having some issues lately."

"Eyup."

Spike saw Big Mac out and went to sleep the rest of the night away.