Books.
Twilight loved them; couldn't get enough of them. Whenever there was free time to use Twilight always drifted back to her books, the sweet, savory words printed upon the page. Over the years she had developed her reading skills, honed them so that she could read faster. Faster reading meant more books.
Every day was just more time to read for Twilight. Being stuck in a library most of the day really cut down her options, the alternative to reading was cleaning, and that wasn't nearly as fun as reading. Maybe her habit of reading was passed on from when she was a filly, or maybe it was a genuine love of reading, but either way, Twilight couldn't stop. Each and every day, a new book, or two, or three, or maybe even ten. Even books that she had read three times before were subject to being read,"Just one more time."
It wasn't a particularly sunny day out, but rather overcast. There had been a storm that the pegasi had organized the day before, and the clouds were still hanging in the sky. The clouds set the mood of the day, as they always did. Dark gray clouds? Stay inside. Light gray clouds? Stay inside for the most part. Sunny? Go outside. The sky dictated the day, or at least that was how Twilight always saw it.
The overcast set it in stone, Twilight was to stay indoors most of the day. Most of the chores had already been completed the previous days, and most of them didn't have to be done in consecutive days, only once in a while. She had nothing to do most of the day, with only a couple chores to complete throughout. Looking to the shelves, she gained a small smile. She trotted over the shelves, searching for a new book.
Although she had read almost all of them, there were always one or two that were hiding in the crevices whenever she checked.
"Aha!" she exclaimed. There, right in between two dusty old books, lay a small, thin book that was hidden from plain sight. Twilight extracted the book, pulling it close to her in order to read the title.
"Green grass and hay," said Twilight. She opened the book, the dust falling off of the cover, and began to read whilst lying down.
It was a simple tale, about a mare who decided to go out to town, but some other mare continuously asked this mare if she desired to snack upon some green grass and hay.
"TWILIGHT GET DOWN!" yelled Applejack. She exploded through the door, bits of wood flying everywhere. Twilight jumped to her hooves, her breathing pace suddenly quickened.
"Applejack what's going on?" she asked as calmly as she could.
"No time to explain, just run!" she screamed. Twilight and Applejack galloped up the stairs leading to Twilight's bedroom, or lack thereof, and took cover behind her bed.
"Applejack, I demand you tell we what is happening!" said Twilight.
"The penguins Twilight! They're back!" yelled Applejack.
"Penguins?"
"Yes Twilight, penguins! There almost upon us, quickly, find something to use as a weapon."
"A weapon?" Applejack didn't hear Twilight, she was too busy searching for a weapon. She found a large dictionary.
"This should do," said Applejack.
Twilight stared in disbelief at Applejack, unsure of what could have possible gotten into her.
Maybe this is some elaborate practical joke, mused Twilight. Suddenly, the penguins burst into the room. There were hundreds of them, swarming into the library as fast as they could.
"Get ready Twi!" yelled Applejack. She let out a battle cry, or rather an exaggerated "Yeee-haw!" and jumped onto the ground floor of the library. Penguins swarmed her, coming from all sides, waddling like mad.
Applejack swung the dictionary she carried in her mouth at one of the penguins, but they dodged the attack. There were too many for Applejack to handle.
"Twilight, help!" yelled Applejack.
Twilight looked about frantically, searching for a weapon of some sort that she could use. It was to no avail, there was nothing. Applejack was neck-deep in penguins. Twilight swallowed hard and jumped into the fray to save her friend.
"I'm coming for you Applejack!" yelled Twilight.
Twilight kicked her hooves all about, not sure whether she was hitting penguins or Applejack. In reality, she wasn't hitting anything, just flailing her hooves around. The penguins had backed off at the sight of Twilight.
"I think she has rabies," said one of the penguins.
"I think you're right," said another.
"Oh no, everypenguin RUUUUNNNN!!!" yelled another. Within a moment, the penguins were fighting to get out of the library, pushing each other through the doorway. They were all gone within a minute.
"Thanks Twilight," said Applejack.
"No problem," said Twilight.
"Hey, Twi..."
"Yes Applejack." Twilight stared deep into Applejack's eyes.
"Now that we've overcome a conflict that involved us trying to reach a common goal, and involved one of us needing help and the other supplying it, I think this would be the appropriate time for me to start to develop feelings for you."
"Applejack, just because we overcame a conflict together doesn't mean... Actually you're right, this is totally the appropriate time."
"So, um, do you wanna, um, go out sometime?"
"Well considering my feelings for you have just started to develop and we've only just recently come to the revelation that we may enjoy a female partner rather than a male one, I do believe that I will say yes to your offer."
"Oh golly gee, this is great!" said Applejack, embracing Twilight.
"I can't help but think that at some point in our relationship we are going to come into contact with a speed bump that will injure it, but overcoming it will only make us stronger."
"I totally agree, Twilight."
The two ponies pulled their embrace tighter.
In the next few days, Twilight and Applejack enjoyed their life as a couple. After a few months they even revealed the information to their friends, and their loving relationship did not effect the platonic relationship they had with their friends at all, although Rarity thought it might.
Applejack was killed by the penguins seven months later. Twilight cried a lot.
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*Fast-forward 20 years*
Twilight marries a penguin.
