About Last Monthby Darth Link 22ChaptersThe CoronationThe Morning AfterCulture ClashRestlessnessThe CoronationIt really wasn’t fair, a black mark on an otherwise happy occasion. She had ascended, gained wings and became an Alicorn, and had been crowned Equestria’s newest Princess. That was the great part. What wasn’t great was the fact that, during the resulting parade, her marefriend wasn’t allowed to be by her side. She had to march apart while she sat in the float, grinning and waving. They had to be married for real, her officially wearing the title of “Princess Consort”, to be at her side during public events. It wasn’t fair. Applejack had been by her side for only a month as a lover, but she had been there far longer as a confidant and friend. Only her brother’s wedding existed as a black mark on an otherwise stainless record of dependability, and Twilight couldn’t pretend she was entirely blameless in that regard. Which is why she was giddy as she waited in her room in the castle. Just as she removed the last of her dress, the door opened. Before she knew it she was tackled and had a pair of lips pressed against hers. “Frisky, huh?” Twilight said as she broke away. “I had to look at pretty old you in that chariot fer hours. And that was after weeks of ya bein’ too busy gettin’ ready to be a Princess to visit. You better believe I’m frisky.” She kissed her marefriend a few more times. Twilight lit up her horn and closed the door, locking it. She broke apart long enough to speak. “Oh, you have no idea. Etiquette lessons, diction, a lot of things Princess Celestia couldn’t sneak into my lessons without me getting suspicious.” She then guided her marefriend to her bed. As the pair rolled onto the covers, kissing each other at every opportunity, Twilight wrapped her wings around her cowpony. “Just long enough to wrap around one Applejack,” she smirked. Applejack shivered at the feathers tickling her back. Then she smiled. “I think I could get used to that.” After a few more kisses they lay in each other's embrace. It was Twilight who spoke first. “I need to teach you how to preen my wings.” Applejack looked at her. “Wha... why?” “It’s an intimate act among Pegasi... and Alicorns. Ever since Luna came back, Celestia won’t let anypony else preen her, and vice versa. You’re going to be the one preening me the most, if this works out.” “Really?” “Celestia did my first preening. It’s usually something a foal learns from her mother and... well, She said she wanted to have a memory with me my mother couldn’t have,” Twilight said, smiling while a slight blush crept onto her face. “I’ll allow Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to preen me for a while, but once you get it down I want it to be you.” “Shucks, Twi, if it means that much to ya, of course I will.” “Excellent.” She kissed her marefriend again as they pulled the covers over themselves. “So... besides some wings I need ta help ya with, what’s this mean fer us?” “It means I’ll be attending a lot of functions, and you’ll be my plus one. That’s it for your duties until we actually get married.” “...And what happens then?” Twilight backed away from the Earth Pony so she could look her in the eyes. “Well... it’ll mean a lot of things. It will be your responsibility to make foreign dignitaries feel welcome when they visit, to make public appearances with me, and... you’ll be taking on a few responsibilities I’ll be delegating to my castle staff at first. It’s a lot of government things...” Twilight trailed off, and Applejack could see the worry on her face. She decided to correct that problem with a kiss. “If it means bein’ with you, I can handle it.” Twilight teared up before kissing her marefriend again. “You don’t know how much that means to me.” “You talk to Spike?” At that, Twilight actually broke away. Everything was quiet for a minute before she answered. “Yes... but I have a feeling he wasn’t entirely honest with me about everything.” “What d’ya mean?” ”Spike?” “Yeah?” “You are okay with me dating Applejack, right?” Spike stopped midway through reshelving a book. She turned to Twilight wearing the biggest, fakest smile Spike had ever worn. “Uh, why would I have an issue with it?” “Well, you seemed upset at the whole thing.” The dragon shook his head. “No... it’s just kind of weird. I never pictured you dating anypony, much less one of the others.” “...And what’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight forgot her first goal and now looked offended. “No, no, not like that, really,” Spike said, holding his hands up in defense. “But you hardly ever seemed interested in dating before. I was kind of assuming you just didn’t care. You seemed to be in love with books more than anything. Like you were... asexual, I think is what it’s called...” Twilight felt her ears drop. “I’m not that bad... and I’m not ‘in love with books’!” “Twilight, there’s a reason I refuse to touch your personal copies of anything... I mean, really, the way you stroke that one…” The purple Unicorn blushed. “Uh, well... Well, things are going to be different for a while. Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Spike smiled. “Yes, of course.” She knew that smile. It was the smile of the Spike who had snatched an extra cookie after being told not to or the one that said he was happy getting a book as a gift. It wasn’t real. “I decided to let it drop then and press more later. Then I got that package from Princess Celestia, and this whole thing ate up my time... I need to talk to him again.” Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend’s neck. “You want me there with you?” Twilight placed her head under Applejack’s chin. “Maybe... you’re worried about him?” “Well shoot, Sugarcube. If we get hitched, he’ll be my stepson. I need to look out fer him.” Twilight pulled back. “Why does everypony say that? I’m not his mom.” “You are completely his mom,” Applejack laughed. “And you outta be grateful yer gettin’ a daughter-in-law soon. You saw the way them fillies were all tryin’ to dance with him.” Twilight giggled. However, her look soon turned worried again. “I don’t know. I know I mean a lot to him, but... a mom? He’s never gotten me a Mother’s Day present or ever even called me Mom. Not even when he was a hatchling.” “Maybe he never knew better back then,” Applejack said. “I think you two need to have that talk.” Twilight sighed. “Maybe... Look, this is our first private time in a month. How about we have some fun before we worry?” Applejack put on a sly smile. “If you insist...” The cowpony kissed her marefriend again and again. The two hugged it other tightly, trying to meld into the other one. For just tonight, there were no worries. Spike shivered. “What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I don’t know... I just got the weirdest feeling Twilight is doing something that would creep me out.” The dragon drew two cards and eyed his fellow players. The five fillies all around him were all paying attention to their own cards, but only for a moment. A few squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position on the cushions that were laid on the floor. Their suite was fairly messy, as expected from five fillies given a room unsupervised, with the dresses they had worn to the coronation hung at Rarity’s insistence. “So, Spike,” Silver Spoon said. “If your mom’s a princess, doesn’t make make you a prince?” Spike stammered. “Twilight’s not my mom...” When they all gave him the same flat look, he went on. “I mean, not legally. Even if I did think of Twilight that way, which I don’t, I’d have to be legally adopted before I could be a prince.” They all looked at him. “You’ve thought about this...” “No, the nobles brought it up. They don’t want a dragon anywhere near the throne,” Spike said, bitterness in his voice. They looked at him. “They wouldn’t let Twilight adopt you?” Diamond Tiara asked. “No, she’d be allowed, but they’d vote that I don’t have any right to the crown if anything happens to Twilight.” “How could Princess Celestia allow that?” Scootaloo said, nearly throwing her cards in disgust. “Why would she give those twits so much power?” “Because Equestria is way too big for just her to run,” Diamond Tiara said. “Even she can’t be everywhere at once. Don’t you pay attention in history class?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “She had to give some ponies power, especially during Luna’s banishment.” “Not that it matters, Twilight’s not my mom.” He placed his cards down. “Full House. Beat that!” Apple Bloom ended up doing so with a Royal Flush. As Spike collected the cards to deal again, the young farm pony spoke. “Spike, look... me and Diamond Tiara have been talkin’...” All eyes turned to them. The pink Earth Pony scoffed. “We’ve been hanging out for a month. Don’t look so shocked.” “Look, we can tell ya care about Twilight. And I don’t think it’s like a special somepony...” Spike looked sickened at the implication. “How do ya feel about Twilight?” Spike looked at the deck a moment. “Why is it any of your business?” “Because we don’t want to see you throw away what we wish we still had.” Diamond Tiara’s answer was so blunt and short that everypony but Apple Bloom stared at her. The young Earth Pony went on. “Spike... have you ever really talked to Twilight about how you feel?” “I don’t need to. I don’t...” “Spike,” Apple Bloom said. “...If I promise to think about it, can we drop it for now?” He dealt the cards again. While most of the foals picked theirs up, Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom held firm. “Spike, please,” Apple Bloom said. “No.” “Spike...” Diamond Tiara said. “No.” “But...” “That’s it, I’m out of here.” Spike stood up, preparing to leave. “But I have three aces!” Silver Spoon said. “Fold,” Sweetie and Scootaloo said simultaneously, causing Silver Spoon to groan. Spike tried to storm off, but Apple Bloom blocked his way, with Diamond Tiara soon joining her. “Spike...” “I said no!” “Look Spike,” Diamond Tiara said, “this is me talking. The filly who gave you the best kiss ever...” “Excuse me?” Apple Bloom said, turning to look at the pink filly. “I kissed better than you.” “Spike declared me the winner!” “Spike didn’t declare a winner, he never bothered.” “Well do you think he’d pick a blank flank loser as the winner?” “Do you think he’d pick some prissy brat as the winner?” “Better than you!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nu... hey, where’d he go?” The two Earth Ponies looked around and found that Spike had indeed disappeared. “He walked out while you two were arguing,” Scootaloo said dealing cards to Silver Spoon and Sweetie. Sweetie giggled. “If only you two could learn to share, you could both have Spike.” The two Earth Ponies blushed. “Wh-wha?” Silver Spoon looked up. “I don’t think a stallion can have more than one wife. My mom gets upset whenever that happens with Dad.” “Plus, I think only two can have babies,” Scootaloo said. Diamond Tiara tilted her head. “Can a pony even have a baby with a dragon?” “I don’t see why not,” Apple Bloom said. Then she thought a moment. “Then again, I don’t even know how a baby is made.” Diamond Tiara scratched her head. “I think dragons lay eggs, but I don’t think ponies do that.” Sweetie nodded. “They do, I’ve seen Spike’s baby pictures.” Diamond Tiara shrugged. “Well, maybe Spike will lay the egg.” “I think I heard boys don’t do that,” Silver Spoon said. At that point, the door came open and Rarity trotted into the room. “Girls, I just saw Spike storm out of the room. He wouldn’t even say hi to me, and he’s usually such a gentledrake. I want to know what upset him so, and no force will make me leave until you give me an answer.” Sweetie Belle spoke up. “Rarity, where do babies come from? Can one of us have a baby with Spike? Can Spike marry two mares?” ... Rarity turned around and left. ... “What was that about?” Diamond Tiara asked. Apple Bloom shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out later. Right now we need to find Spike... an’ figure out how to make a baby, I’m curious now. Rarity stormed into the suite she was sharing with the others. “Rainbow Dash, we need to talk about what the fillies are doing, quickly!” “Can it wait?” the Pegasus asked. “Pinkie’s acting weird... well, weirder.” Pinkie was scribbling on a chalkboard. “This isn’t right! They were supposed to have a falling-out by now! Then they can repeat the process and fall in love all over again, at least until the next sequel!” “Pinkie... look, you need to stop this. Life isn’t a romance movie!” “You’re right, it’s something far worse than that! It’s... an actual relationship piece!” “...” Rainbow Dash shook her head, then turned to Rarity. “Okay, let’s hear it. Whatever you have to say can’t be any crazier than this.” “I think Spike is seducing our little sisters into becoming a part of this dragon harem!” “...I stand corrected.” Author's Note Well, he's chapter one. I was nervous about this chapter, because at first the jokes just weren't coming. I decided not to force anything and just let it flow. Sure enough, it all came out. This will only be about ten chapters long, and there will be no sequel after that. Hope you enjoy! The Morning After“And so that’s where babies come from!” The five fillies looked wide-eyes at Rainbow Dash, their jaws nearly on the ground. “That’s disgusting!” Scootaloo yelled. “Ew! Ew! Ew!” Sweetie said. “Wait... so Daddy wasn’t wrestling with his receptionist?” Silver Spoon asked. “Why would anypony want to do that?” Diamond Tiara demanded. “Believe me, you’ll get it when you’re older,” the Pegasus said. “I know, that sounds like a cop out, but it’s true.” Rarity, who was sitting nearby, shuddered. “I wasn’t expecting you to be quite that... blunt, Darling. And don’t you think we might have left telling Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to their parents?” Rainbow Dash waved her hoof. “Please, it’s a perfectly natural thing that everypony finds out eventually. All this embarrassment is just ponies being prudes. If they’re old enough to ask, they’re old enough to know.” “Wait,” Silver Spoon said. “So if that’s how a mare and a stallion show their love... how do two mares? What do you and Fluttershy do when you’re alone together?” “...See how easy it is, Rarity? Why don’t youtakethisoneIgottagobye!” And with that, Rainbow Dash took off down the hall, leaving Rarity alone with five expectant fillies. “...Rainbow Dash!” Twilight awoke the next morning to a pair of brilliant green eyes. Of course Applejack was awake first, a farmer’s lifestyle guaranteed she’d be up early, even if the night before hadn’t been the most restful. “Mornin’, sugarcube,” Applejack said, pressing her lips onto hers. “Mmmm... morning, Applejack.” Twilight said. “I suppose be better get up...” “Or,” Applejack interrupted, “we can stay in bed a little while longer and snuggle!” Twilight grinned. “Well, when you put it that way...” A knock at the door interrupted any sort of intimate action. “Your Highness!” a female voice called from the other side of the door. Twilight winced. “Yes, Raven?” “I’m sorry, but you need to be down in the breakfast room immediately. I have your schedule ready, and Princess Celestia wants to go over the day’s itinerary with you.” Twilight sighed. “Wait there a moment,” she said, summoning up her magic. The Element of Magic flew up and rested on her head as her crown, and a torque and set of slippers followed. Applejack moaned, getting up and placing her cowpony hat on. “Okay, come in.” Raven entered and wasted no time handing the schedule to her. “You have a full day. Several nobles want to petition you for things, and the Minotaur ambassador wants a word with you. Immediately after breakfast, you’ll be taking your first turn at...” “Pardon me, Raven, but it says here that I have some further etiquette training after lunch?” The black maned pony blinked. “Um, yes. You’re to learn Neighponese customs.” “Do I have any meetings with the Neighponese in the foreseeable future?” “No, but that could change...” “Still, please move that lesson to a later date.” Raven blinked. “But, Your Highness...” “No buts, Raven. I have something important that needs immediate attention. If I end up meeting with any Neighponeese officials, I’ll simply have to beg their pardon.” “...Very well,” the Unicorn said. “Though Princess Celestia has requested you go, so I hope you can convince her.” “Let me worry about that,” she said. “Do excuse us, Raven. I need to have a word with my consort.” “As you wish,” Raven said, bowing her head and leaving. Applejack looked at Twilight. “Yer ‘consort’? What’s wrong with bein’ yer marefriend?” “Nothing as far as I’m concerned, but you know how the Elite are. Always a stickler for things like that.” Applejack sighed. “Yeah... so what’s the deal? We havin’ some private time or somethin’?” “Afraid not. We’re going to have a long overdue talk with Spike, the both of us. I’ll be sure to tell him that at breakfast today.” The cowpony nodded. “Makes sense. Okay, I’ll be there. When are ya gettin’ off so we can have some private time? You said you wanted to try that restaurant next to the palace.” Twilight looked over the itinerary. “It looks like today’s going to be a long day. The best we can hope for is a pre-bedtime snuggling session.” Even though Twilight said the last few words with what was meant to be a suggestive tone, Applejack looked at the floor. “I guess yer gonna be busy from now on, huh?” Twilight quickly pressed her lips onto Applejack’s. When she pulled away, the cowpony was grinning, in spite of her mood. “We talked about this, Applejack. We agreed no matter what Celestia had planned for me, we would work through it.” “I know... never woulda figured she’d make ya one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria, though. Not sayin’ ya don’t deserve it, mind, but...” “We’ll figure it out. But let’s take things one crisis at a time, and right now that crisis is Spike.” She nodded. “Family is always priority number one. Let’s get ourselves some breakfast and we’ll start on it.” So they walked out into the hall, their tails intertwined together. Spike felt unusually groggy that morning, but he brushed it off. He figured it was just those crazy fillies giving him a headache. He sneezed once or twice as he got out of bed and began his morning routine. Brushing his teeth, making his bed (Twilight had pounded that behavior into him so hard he did it even when there were servants who did it for him) and doing his morning stretches. He left his room, and was relieved to see neither Diamond Tiara or Apple Bloom waiting for him. He was a few steps down the hallway when Silver Spoon caught up to him. “Hey Spike,” she said. “Hey. I wasn’t expecting any of you up so early.” “Daddy told me to be. He said I needed to talk to you in order to ‘schmooze my way into a good future,’ whatever that means.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Silver... I think you better spend some time talking to Twilight. It would do you good.” “Thanks... so are you mad at Diamond and Apple Bloom?” “Not really, just annoyed,” he said. “They mean well, but my business with Twilight is my business. And it looks like Twilight isn’t dropping it. I know before the end of the day she’ll corner me, probably with Applejack, and she’ll make me talk with her.” “Huh, that’s good,” Silver Spoon said. When Spike gave her a glare, she shrunk back, but her words remained defensive. “What? Just because I don’t say it much doesn’t mean I don’t agree with Diamond and Apple Bloom.” “Does everypony feel this way?” “Pretty much.” Spike growled. “Let’s just go to breakfast.” Twilight had always had the seat closest to Princess Celestia at any event, always. Growing up, many foreign dignitaries mistook her for the heir apparent. Twilight preferred that to what the local nobles did, namely look at her with contempt that some small child had managed to get in a position they wished they had. Twilight never understood why they were mad. It wasn’t her fault she was smarter and cuter than them. Even once Luna returned her seat didn’t change. While her sister sat at her other side, Twilight kept her position as the Princess of the Sun’s favored student. It seemed her wings only removed any pretense that she wasn’t wielding any power. And now, there was a pony at Twilight’s side. Applejack ate her meal, consisting of deep fried oats, eggs, and a glass of milk. After taking a bite, she looked up to speak to Twilight. She was turning back to take another bite when she saw two other ponies at the far end of the table. One was pointing at her and the other was giggling, as if she had done something amusing. Applejack stopped. She looked at her plate. Had she committed some sort of social faux pas? She didn’t exactly know the rules for dining in a high class environment. The only other time she had really eaten fancy was at Cadance’s wedding, and she hadn’t had much of an appetite at that time. She looked around, trying to follow the other nobles, but many were Unicorns, and she couldn’t imitate. How were Earth Ponies supposed to eat fancy? The only ones she could see were the fillies at the end of the table, and none of them were particularly interested in eating cleanly. Then she remembered back to the wedding. So many ponies who laughed at her because of her accent. What if they were just laughing at her because she wasn’t dressed fancy? Was she just embarrassing herself, and Twilight, just by sitting there? Suddenly she didn’t feel very hungry. “Applejack?” The cowpony perked up and turned to Twilight. “Yeah?” “You alright?” “Sure am, Twi, never better!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Applejack knew they weren’t believed. She was a terrible liar in the best of time, and Twilight seemed to already have the ability to see right through her better than anypony except Granny Smith. She knew then their pre-bedtime snuggles would be preempted by some serious discussion. She returned to eating, trying to do so as neatly as possible. If she was doing something wrong, there was no way to correct herself now. She would have to make do. Perhaps she could look up etiquette in the royal library later. “Are you going to be alright around the castle while I’m working?” Twilight asked. “The others are going back to Ponyville today, so you won’t have a whole lot of ponies to talk to.” “Relax, Twi. I think I can keep myself busy fer a day. It ain’t so bad.” “Perhaps you can begin learning your duties as consort,” Luna suggested. “I can at least schedule etiquette lessons for you today.” Applejack looked at the Princess of the Night and realized that she was getting an opening, and Luna was knowingly providing it. “I suppose that’s a good idea,” Applejack said. “I don’t wanna be just lounging around the castle all day.” “I think it’s an excellent idea,” Celestia said. “Since Twilight’s requested her lessons for today be cancelled, I’ll simply ask the ponies in charge to move the lesson up an hour and teach you then.” “I... thank ya kindly, Princess.” “And we can get started on some other duties tomorrow,” Celestia said. “What you are to do if someone comes by looking for Twilight when she’s not around, what you’ll need to know in case of an emergency, how to spot a Changeling...” Applejack blinked. “How to spot a what now?” she asked. “Ever since the wedding, we have studied the enemy and have made changes to our security to help detect them. Everypony living in the palace is required to learn the warning signs, you included.” Celestia finished her sentence with a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Applejack. It’s a few simple safety precautions, and since they’ve been followed, no Changeling has managed to hide out here for more than a day. Chrysalis lost so much more than a battle that day at the wedding.” “Ah, that’s good...” Celestia listed off more thing Applejack would need to learn, but she was only half listening now. She returned to her meal, eating her bites slowly as the new duties piled up. At least she would be able to get back to Sweet Apple Acres in a few days. She’d always have that. “Whaddya mean ya hired some new farmhooves?” Big Macintosh shrunk back from his sister’s angry look. “Come on, AJ, I thought it was pretty clear it needed doin’. Yer gonna be up here a lot more often now...” “I still intended to work the farm and you know it!” the little sister said. Her glower continued to intimidate a pony twice her size. “I managed to get all my work on the farm done while still doin’ all my duties as a Bearer!” “Well, yeah... but just barely. And what with all these new duties yer gettin’, we thought it’d be best to start hiring some additional workers.” “But... but...” “AJ, please,” Big Mac said. “Please, we did it fer your sake, too. If we didn’t have anypony, you’d be frettin’ and worryin’ the whole time you were here. Both the farm and yer relationship with Twilight would suffer.” Applejack opened her mouth to protest. But nothing came out. She simply didn’t have a counter to it. “...I guess yer right,” she said. Big Macintosh pulled her into a hug. “The farm’s always going to be yer home. But you have Twilight now, and you knew you would have to make sacrifices to be with her. Don’t you fret none, little sister, you’ll do just fine.” Applejack hugged her brother. “I know I will.” She wished she believed herself. Culture ClashApplejack was back in Canterlot a few days later to see Twilight. She would soon be returning to Ponyville after a proper castle was built for her, but for now she was confined in Canterlot for her own safety. She had spent a lot of that time in Twilight’s library, having more free time with Big Macintosh hiring ponies to take her work from her. While she found herself dusting and cleaning out of a desire to be useful, most of it was spent with her muzzle in etiquette books. She remembered the giggles that the Elite would give her, and was poring over the facts, trying to find what she was doing wrong. She resorted to looking through the books after Rarity proved to be too busy to consult with. After making the dress Twilight wore during coronation, she was being flooded with more orders than ever before. Her only time off, at a breakfast that the five of them attended, she was gushing about opening a new shop in Canterlot soon. So it was the books. She looked over their pages, but failed to find what she was doing wrong. The thought entered her brain yet again that she might be the problem. When the Elite saw her dining at the upper table, they’d simply see a hick who was pretending to be sophisticated, even if she was doing everything right. She tried to push that thought out of her mind. It was something she would have to deal with eventually, but it wasn’t what she wanted to deal with right now. Her marefriend was at the palace. She wanted to take full advantage of their time together. She made a mental note to check Canterlot’s library for more etiquette books. If that failed, there had to be somepony in the palace she could ask. But that was for later. There was still the matter of Spike. The former attempt to talk to him never materialized, both from a failure to find things to say and the little dragon’s efforts in avoidance. When it had been time to go home, Twilight had assured her that it was okay. Maybe Spike just needed time to wrap his head around the new status quo. She truly hoped the little dragon had grown more comfortable with this whole thing. She had been fond of the little dragon since she had met him, and didn’t want to be a burden on him. She knew he loved Twilight like a mother, and likely wasn’t fond of competing for her attention. When she got to the gates, the guards looked over her identification. Then she passed through the field that would forcibly revert any Changeling back to normal. Then another guard asked her to state her business. It was an obvious question, as the entire Guard was told who she was, but regulations were regulations. “I’m here to visit Princess Twilight.” “Yes, we were told to expect you. She left us with instructions to tell you. Head toward her quarters and wait for her. She’s in a meeting with a prominent Duke. Will you need an escort?” After debating a moment, she said yes. While she was learning the Palace layout over the course of her visit, she still sometimes found herself getting lost in the massive hallways. A guard escorted her to the room, which took nearly ten minutes. Once that was done, the guard excused herself, leaving Applejack alone. As expected, the room was neat and orderly, looking more like a miniature apartment than a bedroom. The bed was made, the books shelved, the table at one side currently bare. There was a small refrigerator and a cabinet that held snacks, but most meals would come from the kitchen. She placed her bags to the side and started unpacking what little she brought with her. A book on what was her half of the bed for reading, a bag with all her toiletries that went into the bathroom, and a small, wrapped box. Her present to Twilight. She looked at it, balanced in her hoof, then looked around the room she was in. It was a small gift in an otherwise extravagant room. She sat it on the table, allowing her thoughts to take over. She had never felt inferior in Canterlot before. She felt a bit strange while here... out of place, she supposed was the correct term. While Canterlot was a nice place to visit, she was always happy to be back in Ponyville. All of a sudden, a conversation that she had had with Rarity entered her mind. It had been after a few weeks of dating Twilight when Applejack had noted the worried looks Rarity shot them. Twilight, never one for reading a room, hadn’t noticed. Eventually, Applejack had taken her aside and asked Rarity what the matter was. When that had happened, Rarity suddenly looked nervous, like this was a conversation that needed to happen, even if it was painful. ”Applejack... forgive me. I haven’t said anything these last few weeks, because it’s not my place. But... have the two of you really discussed your future together?” Applejack leaned her head to one side. “What do you mean?” Rarity squirmed. “Well... you’re at home here in Ponyville. You love your simple lifestyle. And that’s great, believe me. I’m not judging you for it. But... Princess Celestia...” “Has far bigger things in mind for Twi. Yeah, I know. But we’ll make it work.” Rarity looked a bit odd. Like what Applejack had said had only made her worried more. “Applejack, you say that, but you’re talking about a challenge you haven’t actually faced yet.” Applejack opened her mouth, but Rarity brought a hoof up to silence her. “Applejack, you asked me what was bothering me. I’m going to tell you. Please, listen to what I have to say.” When Rarity lowered her hoof, Applejack stayed silent. So Rarity went on. “I have no doubt you mean it when you say that you can take whatever is thrown at you, but there’s a big difference between saying you can do something and actually doing something. I see you whenever we go to a fancy dinner, you’re always uncomfortable there... or at least you aren’t comfortable for very long. You always look relieved when we can leave. If you and Twilight want to really make this work, it might mean doing it every day, and never having time for the farm. You’ll be living the life you ran from in Manehattan. If you remember how unhappy you were back then, it might be worse in Canterlot.” Rarity took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve said my two bits. And that’s all I have to say on the matter. I’m truly hoping this relationship works out for you, I really do. I just fear what’s going to happen when the challenges start. But if you’re determined to face them anyway, I won’t argue.” Rarity kept her promise and never brought it up again, and Applejack never mentioned the conversation to Twilight. But it stayed in her brain, even as she tried to push it out. She told herself that Rarity was worrying for nothing, that everything was going to be okay. But now, she was starting to see her point. She decided to go for a walk. It would be a while before the meeting was done, so she could afford it. Seeing a notepad on the bedside table, Applejack scribbled a note letting her marefriend know where she would be, and walked out. She ended up getting lost and asking a guard which way to the royal gardens, but in no time she found herself there. Stepping out on the grass made her feel good. It wasn’t quite like the soil back home, but earth was earth, even if I had been moved forty five hundred meters up. She walked through the garden, occasionally seeing one of the animals. They all looked at her with wariness, if they didn’t run off entirely. The birds’ chirping came out over the low hum of a buzzard’s buzz. She simply walked for a bit, enjoying the small bit of nature in the stone jungle. She walked up to the edge, resting on the rail and looking out at the city. It could be seen fairly clearly, with only the occasional flicker from the near invisible covering of the castle, both the Changeling shield and the spell that kept the elevation at a tolerable temperature. “Quite a view, ain’t it?” Applejack jumped a bit. She turned and saw a brown-coated pony with a blade of wheat in his teeth. He was old, not quite to Granny Smith’s age but certainly past his prime. After a moment, Applejack recognized him. He was the castle gardener, one that she had seen several times, but never spoke to. “Oh, um, yes it is, Mr... uh...” “Greenhooves,” the old pony said, the wheat blade never leaving his lips. “Nice to meet ya. I’m...” “I know who you are. Yer Applejack, the new princess’s consort.” Applejack didn’t know how to feel about that, which is why she didn’t say anything in response. Greenhooves kept going. “Glad to see a real pony of the soil is gettin’ in good with the princesses. Hope Canterlot don’t do to you what it does to so many ponies.” Applejack blinked at that. “What?” “All the frilly nonsense, it’s everywhere. The only reason I don’t have to is ‘cause even they’re practical enough not to make me for this work. Still don’t let me smoke my pipe on palace grounds, though.” Applejack chose not to mention she thought smoking was a bad habit and just said what came to mind. “Yeah, the frilly stuff is a little silly. I enjoy it sometimes, but I’d rather be on the farm.” “Yer a good mare, but this town has a way of changin’ ponies. I seen it turn Restaurant Row into a flavorless nightmare.” Applejack couldn’t help but agree with that. Finding a good restaurant in this town was hard. It seemed only Donut Joe made good food here. Everything else was getting blander and blander. Fortunately, the palace chefs seemed immune. “Well, you seem to have kept yourself from dressin’ up.” “I have this place,” he said, motioning to the garden. “My own little place. Something I can always work on. You’re going to the belly of the beast. You’re going to be paraded up and danced around.” Applejack felt her stomach drop. “I can handle it. Twi’s worth it.” Greenhooves grinned. “Glad to hear that,” he said. “Little Twi’s always been a sweetie. Always plopping herself down with a stack of books. She was here if she weren’t in the library or at Donut Joe’s.” Applejack smirked. She was always hearing positive things from the castle staff. Even before she was seeking out friends, she seemed to have a habit of attracting people. “Anyways, you best take the small things while you can. Canterlot has a way of eating small folks alive, makin’ ‘em forget what’s important.” “Do you think that could happen to me?” Applejack asked. “I dunno. You are one of th’ Bearers, so you might have the stuff to resist. But you are still a pony. Stay out of your element long enough, and you might start to lose yourself.” Applejack shivered at the thought. Her memory kicked up her time in Manehattan. How she ended up missing the farm and coming back to Sweet Apple Acres. In retrospect, she simply needed time away from the farm after her parents passed. She hated the cramped nature, the noise and light pollution, the lack of familiarity with your neighbors. But even so, she couldn’t deny there were things about Manehattan she liked. She liked the convenience and variety, and she appreciated the culture, even if she didn’t immerse herself in it. She enjoyed trips to the museums, to the symphony, to plays. What if that overtook her? “My advice to you? Find a way to enjoy the old you, even up here. You might not like what you become otherwise.” Applejack and Greenhooves chatted for a bit longer about various unimportant things. Then the old stallion excused himself to return to his duties, and Applejack headed back to Twilight’s room. Twilight still wasn’t back yet, and that worried her. Sighing, she went to Twilight’s shelf. Scanning the spines, she eventually picked a novel that looked good. She barely got five sentences in. Her thoughts were overwhelming her. The door opening was the sweetest sound she could hear. Twilight barely got three steps in before Applejack was next to her. Their lips locked for a few moments. “Missed me that bad?” Twilight said. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” Applejack said. “Well, how about dinner and a show? Don’t worry, we can stay out as late as we want. Princess Celestia and Luna are taking over all my duties, so we’ll have tomorrow.” Applejack grinned. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” RestlessnessThe next morning Applejack had woken up before Twilight, a natural habit of working the farm. She lay in bed, watching her marefriend sleep. It was oddly relaxing. There were two things on her mind. The first was the matter that Greenhooves had talked to her about yesterday. It had faded as she had enjoyed an evening with Twilight, but those thoughts were starting to creep back. The second, more immediate concern, was Spike. The little dragon was bothered by the relationship, though she wasn’t sure why. He seemed mature enough to accept it even if he didn’t like it, but it was still something she was hoping that she could smooth over. She tried thinking back to her previous interactions with Spike, wondering if it could be possible she could have gotten on Spike’s bad side. She couldn’t think of any reason why. The only conclusion she could come to was that this was a typical case of a child not liking to have to share a parent. Her thoughts were interrupted by Twilight stirring. She opened her eyes, looking deep into Applejack’s. “Morning,” she said. “Mornin’.” Twilight stretched, sitting up. “What time is it... ten minutes before the alarm went off,” she sighed. She stretched out, allowing her wings to breathe. “Guess you’re gonna be busy today.” “Yeah. I’ll meet you for lunch, then when Night Court starts I’m off. We can sit down with Spike and have that long overdue chat.” Applejack nodded. She wasn’t looking forward to actually doing it, but she knew it needed to be done. “Well, first things first, breakfast. What do ya say we get down to the dining hall and rustle up some grub.” Breakfast had been a nice affair. They sat next to Blueblood, who asked them about Rarity's current health. She’d be visiting herself soon, and he was trying to decide what to get her as a gift. Applejack was grateful this wasn’t a formal meal, because she didn’t have to remember every little minutia. She leaned down, taking a bite of the breakfast hay. There was a giggle. She looked up, trying to see where it came from. She found nothing. Nopony was paying much attention to her. She suddenly felt nervous again. She flashed back to the dinners at her aunt and uncle’s as a filly. Once the thrill wore off, she felt constricted on all the things she had to do. She remembered the looks the rich friends had given her. She remembered overhearing the suggestions that she be sent to finishing school so she didn’t make a scene. And she never could figure out what she was doing wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember every little detail. She was starting to see Rarity’s point. She went back to eating. She took another bite and tried to tune out anything else. “Applejack?” Applejack looked at her girlfriend. “Yeah?” “Are you alright? You seemed a little zoned out.” “Yeah. Sorry, sugarcube, I was just thinking.” “Well, do you think Rarity would like this?” Blueblood pushed something past Twilight to Applejack. She looked. It was a fancy broach. To her, it didn’t really look like anything special. In fact, she thought it was pretty gaudy. Which meant Rarity would probably love it. “I can’t keep track of what that gal finds fashionable,” she said. “But I’m sure she’ll love it.” He grinned. “I thought so. I was just hoping to get her something nice. It’s so hard to keep things up when we both have such large workloads.” Applejack nodded. Rarity was a busy mare, it was something she had respected her for even before they had truly become friends, that night at Twilight’s house. Dating Blueblood had caused her business to expand. She was already talking about opening shops in Canterlot and Manehatten. Her visit soon would not be entirely for pleasure. “I understand. Even at home we had a hard time making that girl leave her work.” “Speaking of work, I think we better get to it,” Twilight said. “We need to look over those trade deals with the buffalo.” She turned to Applejack. “Are you going to be fine for a few hours?” “Relax, Twi, I can keep myself occupied.” Applejack glanced at the clock. It had only been an hour. She sighed, putting aside her copy of Daring Do. She had tried getting into the series to have something to share with Twilight, but they just weren’t grabbing her. She was still managing a chapter a day, mainly to have something to do. She sighed. No farm work at home, next to nothing to do here. Mainly for something to do, she went down to the library. She browsed the shelves, looking for something interesting. Nothing popped. She went back to Twilight’s chambers. On a whim, she cracked open one of Twilight’s books, but didn’t understand half the words in them. She went for a walk. She found herself in the garden again. She could at least enjoy some nature. She looked around for Mr. Greenhooves, hoping she could at least strike up a conversation. No such luck; whatever he was doing, he wasn’t tending the ground at the moment. The animals were giving her a wide berth, as usual. So she was alone. She passed by the hedge maze and felt a shiver. Even now, that maze brought up unpleasant memories. She felt uncomfortable knowing that Discord was free, even if he seemed to be behaving himself at the moment. She didn’t know how long she had wandered before she was interrupted. “Hello there.” Applejack turned and found herself facing an Earth Pony that she didn’t know, but recognized by appearance. She had seen her in passing, at the Gala and at Fancypants’s party. “Um, hello,” Applejack said. “You are Princess Twilight’s consort, aren’t you?” She didn’t like that term, but still answered. “Yes, Applejack, of Apple Family Farms. Who are you?” “I’m High Society,” the mare said. “Yes, I can tell, but what’s your name?” The pony sighed, apparently used to this. “No... that’s my name,” she said. “Oh, uh... sorry.” “Happens all the time,” the mare waved it off. “I was hoping to speak to you.” Applejack was hesitant. She knew that there was only a 50-50 chance that this conversation would be a pleasant one. “”What did you want to talk about?” “Have you ever heard of Fancypants?” It was an absolutely ridiculous question. Everypony had heard of him. He was a business pony that had the political clout of a prince and the generosity of an Alicorn. “Yeah... I’ve met him before.” She decided to keep quiet on how that disastrous party went. “I’ve been placed in charge of organizing his latest party,” she explained. “We’ll be raising bits to support Helping Hooves.” Applejack had heard of the charity before, but only had a vague idea of what they did. Really hoping to avoid revealing her ignorance, she settled on the most neutral response she could think of: “Uh-huh.” “Do you think you could convince the Princess to attend? She’s well liked among the populace, so we’re hoping to get her to support our work.” “Well... gee, I dunno Twi’s schedule. I could ask her.” “Could you? I would very much appreciate it.” “Sure. How can she reach ya if she decides to attend?” At this, High Society reached into the saddlebag she was carrying and took a business card between her teeth. Applejack took the card, and with practiced dexterity flipped it up until it was resting in the brim of her hat. “I’ll pass it along to her, but I can’t make any promises for her.” “I understand, I very much appreciate it. And of course, you will come along as her plus one, won’t you? We’re ever so eager to get to know you.” “Uh, yeah, of course,” she said. “I’m going everywhere with Twilight lately. I’ll show up.” “That’s good. You are the head of the Apple Family in Ponyville, aren’t you?” “Uh, well, no. My brother Big Macintosh runs most of the business side of things. He’s the one that has a head for numbers. I mainly do grunt work.” “Does he now? He sounds like a smart pony.” “Oh, he is. Soft spoken, but very intelligent.” She always talked about her big brother with pride, but as she did so, she looked at High Society’s face. There was something about it that was... off to her. Like she wasn’t connecting with it. “Well, you can tell us all about it at the party. I really must be going, but I hope to see you there.” The two traded goodbyes and High Society walked off. Applejack analyzed her actions, wondering if she did everything correctly. Applejack wondered if she was already becoming somepony she wouldn’t like. Prior to coming here, she had never cared what others thought of her. She had always prided herself on not caring what anypony thought of her, especially not spoiled brats. Yet she had spent all day turning over her chat with High Society. The only thing that pushed that thought out of her mind was the unpleasant task before her and Twilight. The fact that Spike needed to be sat down and talked to. They had tried rehearsing what to say. Applejack had warned her that she couldn’t plan for everything that Spike could possibly be worried about. Twilight had responded by levitating up several notecards that detailed several different possibilities. She had insisted on a three-hour review session, but Applejack thankfully talked her out of it. Spike was in his quarters, reading a comic book. He casually picked a gem out of his bowl once in a while to pop into his mouth. All in all, he looked like he was enjoying a peaceful night with a comic book. It seemed a shame to ruin it, but it looked like they had to. This had been put off long enough. “Spike?” Spike looked up. He immediately grimaced. He knew what was coming. “Yes?” There was a lot of dread in that one syllable. “Spike, we wanted to have a talk with you.” There was a lot of tension in the air. Applejack felt like she was a filly again, standing in front of Granny Smith as she lectured her on bad behavior. Even though now she was on the other end of the discussion, it wasn’t any easier. In fact, it was even harder. She was racking her brain, making sure every action was firm, yet comforting. It had been like this every single time that she had to give Apple Bloom a lecture, but in those cases Big Mac had taken on the bulk of that. True, Twilight was Spike’s sole legal parent, but she was so deeply a part of this that she just couldn’t sit back and leave the heavy lifting to her. Spike took a seat at the table. Applejack and Twilight took a seat on the other side. “Spike... we know that the last few months have brought on a lot of changes. Applejack and I have started dating, I’ve become a princess, and you’ve started to enjoy your freedom a little bit more.” Spike just nodded. His fingers drummed the table, little claws making a soft series of ticks against the surface. He was clearly waiting until Twilight was finished talking. For a split second, Applejack felt jealous. Apple Bloom was largely obedient, but she never sat this still during the difficult moments. “We’ve noticed that all these changes have been hard on you,” Twilight kept going. “We know that it can be difficult to experience, especially at your age. So we wanted to help you make this change.” Twilight had rehearsed that, but Applejack could hardly tell. She was good at speaking, a necessary skill for a politician. “What’s bothering you? Go ahead, whatever you want to say, go ahead and say it.” Spike was silent for a moment. He looked at the table, looking like he was trying to see shapes in it. When he looked up, he answered. “I don’t know.” Applejack wasn’t sure what answer she was expecting, but that wasn’t it. “Do you think that I’m taking time away from your time with Twi?” Applejack said, speaking for the first time. “Not anymore,” Spike said. For the first time, he didn’t wait to keep going. “I was worried about that. I know that’s selfish, so I never mentioned it. But now that Twilight’s an Alicorn, she’ll be around for centuries. I’ll have a lot more time to spend with her.” That sentence wasn’t spoken with denial. That wasn’t what was bothering him. “Then why...” “I don’t know!” It was amazing how much frustration came out in simple words. “I... I don’t know why it bothers me. I know it shouldn’t...” Spike just trailed off. He didn’t know what to say. He ended up just repeating his previous words. “I don’t know.” A long moment of silence hung in the air. For Twilight, this was because her mind was in overdrive, desperately reaching for a solution to a problem she wasn’t prepared for. For Spike, it was shame that he had feelings that he felt were selfish and he couldn’t articulate. For Applejack, it was because she was trying to pick her next words carefully. “You don’t want things to change.” Both Twilight and Spike looked at her. She went on. “Spike... I understand. Your life with Twilight has been a happy one, hasn’t it? It seemed perfect. I remember you looking for things to do for her when she had nothing. And yeah, I remember that whole mess after I saved your life. You defined yourself entirely by being around Twi. And now things are changing. You’re making friends, and Twi and I are dating. And it’s just a confusing mess for you, isn’t it?” Spike looked ashamed all over again, but he nodded. “Spike... you got nothing to be ashamed of. Change is hard, even when it’s for the best. It can be uncomfortable, leaving behind things you know. Even though you logically know that you have time with Twi, not having her undivided attention still upsets you, because you’re not sure what’s going to happen next.” Spike was looking around, trying to avoid eye contact. But he eventually looked at Applejack. “Yeah... I think you’re right.” “Well... there’s nothing more I can say, Spike. Change happens, and trust me, you’ll learn to love it.” Twilight smiled. “You always did have trouble. I remember your first day of daycare...” Spike blushed. “Twilight... come on...” As Twilight pulled her little dragon in a hug, Applejack felt a weight slide off her. This problem wasn’t over, but at least it was on track to get better. She just hoped that problem would hold for a while.
The CoronationIt really wasn’t fair, a black mark on an otherwise happy occasion. She had ascended, gained wings and became an Alicorn, and had been crowned Equestria’s newest Princess. That was the great part. What wasn’t great was the fact that, during the resulting parade, her marefriend wasn’t allowed to be by her side. She had to march apart while she sat in the float, grinning and waving. They had to be married for real, her officially wearing the title of “Princess Consort”, to be at her side during public events. It wasn’t fair. Applejack had been by her side for only a month as a lover, but she had been there far longer as a confidant and friend. Only her brother’s wedding existed as a black mark on an otherwise stainless record of dependability, and Twilight couldn’t pretend she was entirely blameless in that regard. Which is why she was giddy as she waited in her room in the castle. Just as she removed the last of her dress, the door opened. Before she knew it she was tackled and had a pair of lips pressed against hers. “Frisky, huh?” Twilight said as she broke away. “I had to look at pretty old you in that chariot fer hours. And that was after weeks of ya bein’ too busy gettin’ ready to be a Princess to visit. You better believe I’m frisky.” She kissed her marefriend a few more times. Twilight lit up her horn and closed the door, locking it. She broke apart long enough to speak. “Oh, you have no idea. Etiquette lessons, diction, a lot of things Princess Celestia couldn’t sneak into my lessons without me getting suspicious.” She then guided her marefriend to her bed. As the pair rolled onto the covers, kissing each other at every opportunity, Twilight wrapped her wings around her cowpony. “Just long enough to wrap around one Applejack,” she smirked. Applejack shivered at the feathers tickling her back. Then she smiled. “I think I could get used to that.” After a few more kisses they lay in each other's embrace. It was Twilight who spoke first. “I need to teach you how to preen my wings.” Applejack looked at her. “Wha... why?” “It’s an intimate act among Pegasi... and Alicorns. Ever since Luna came back, Celestia won’t let anypony else preen her, and vice versa. You’re going to be the one preening me the most, if this works out.” “Really?” “Celestia did my first preening. It’s usually something a foal learns from her mother and... well, She said she wanted to have a memory with me my mother couldn’t have,” Twilight said, smiling while a slight blush crept onto her face. “I’ll allow Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to preen me for a while, but once you get it down I want it to be you.” “Shucks, Twi, if it means that much to ya, of course I will.” “Excellent.” She kissed her marefriend again as they pulled the covers over themselves. “So... besides some wings I need ta help ya with, what’s this mean fer us?” “It means I’ll be attending a lot of functions, and you’ll be my plus one. That’s it for your duties until we actually get married.” “...And what happens then?” Twilight backed away from the Earth Pony so she could look her in the eyes. “Well... it’ll mean a lot of things. It will be your responsibility to make foreign dignitaries feel welcome when they visit, to make public appearances with me, and... you’ll be taking on a few responsibilities I’ll be delegating to my castle staff at first. It’s a lot of government things...” Twilight trailed off, and Applejack could see the worry on her face. She decided to correct that problem with a kiss. “If it means bein’ with you, I can handle it.” Twilight teared up before kissing her marefriend again. “You don’t know how much that means to me.” “You talk to Spike?” At that, Twilight actually broke away. Everything was quiet for a minute before she answered. “Yes... but I have a feeling he wasn’t entirely honest with me about everything.” “What d’ya mean?” ”Spike?” “Yeah?” “You are okay with me dating Applejack, right?” Spike stopped midway through reshelving a book. She turned to Twilight wearing the biggest, fakest smile Spike had ever worn. “Uh, why would I have an issue with it?” “Well, you seemed upset at the whole thing.” The dragon shook his head. “No... it’s just kind of weird. I never pictured you dating anypony, much less one of the others.” “...And what’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight forgot her first goal and now looked offended. “No, no, not like that, really,” Spike said, holding his hands up in defense. “But you hardly ever seemed interested in dating before. I was kind of assuming you just didn’t care. You seemed to be in love with books more than anything. Like you were... asexual, I think is what it’s called...” Twilight felt her ears drop. “I’m not that bad... and I’m not ‘in love with books’!” “Twilight, there’s a reason I refuse to touch your personal copies of anything... I mean, really, the way you stroke that one…” The purple Unicorn blushed. “Uh, well... Well, things are going to be different for a while. Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Spike smiled. “Yes, of course.” She knew that smile. It was the smile of the Spike who had snatched an extra cookie after being told not to or the one that said he was happy getting a book as a gift. It wasn’t real. “I decided to let it drop then and press more later. Then I got that package from Princess Celestia, and this whole thing ate up my time... I need to talk to him again.” Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend’s neck. “You want me there with you?” Twilight placed her head under Applejack’s chin. “Maybe... you’re worried about him?” “Well shoot, Sugarcube. If we get hitched, he’ll be my stepson. I need to look out fer him.” Twilight pulled back. “Why does everypony say that? I’m not his mom.” “You are completely his mom,” Applejack laughed. “And you outta be grateful yer gettin’ a daughter-in-law soon. You saw the way them fillies were all tryin’ to dance with him.” Twilight giggled. However, her look soon turned worried again. “I don’t know. I know I mean a lot to him, but... a mom? He’s never gotten me a Mother’s Day present or ever even called me Mom. Not even when he was a hatchling.” “Maybe he never knew better back then,” Applejack said. “I think you two need to have that talk.” Twilight sighed. “Maybe... Look, this is our first private time in a month. How about we have some fun before we worry?” Applejack put on a sly smile. “If you insist...” The cowpony kissed her marefriend again and again. The two hugged it other tightly, trying to meld into the other one. For just tonight, there were no worries. Spike shivered. “What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I don’t know... I just got the weirdest feeling Twilight is doing something that would creep me out.” The dragon drew two cards and eyed his fellow players. The five fillies all around him were all paying attention to their own cards, but only for a moment. A few squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position on the cushions that were laid on the floor. Their suite was fairly messy, as expected from five fillies given a room unsupervised, with the dresses they had worn to the coronation hung at Rarity’s insistence. “So, Spike,” Silver Spoon said. “If your mom’s a princess, doesn’t make make you a prince?” Spike stammered. “Twilight’s not my mom...” When they all gave him the same flat look, he went on. “I mean, not legally. Even if I did think of Twilight that way, which I don’t, I’d have to be legally adopted before I could be a prince.” They all looked at him. “You’ve thought about this...” “No, the nobles brought it up. They don’t want a dragon anywhere near the throne,” Spike said, bitterness in his voice. They looked at him. “They wouldn’t let Twilight adopt you?” Diamond Tiara asked. “No, she’d be allowed, but they’d vote that I don’t have any right to the crown if anything happens to Twilight.” “How could Princess Celestia allow that?” Scootaloo said, nearly throwing her cards in disgust. “Why would she give those twits so much power?” “Because Equestria is way too big for just her to run,” Diamond Tiara said. “Even she can’t be everywhere at once. Don’t you pay attention in history class?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “She had to give some ponies power, especially during Luna’s banishment.” “Not that it matters, Twilight’s not my mom.” He placed his cards down. “Full House. Beat that!” Apple Bloom ended up doing so with a Royal Flush. As Spike collected the cards to deal again, the young farm pony spoke. “Spike, look... me and Diamond Tiara have been talkin’...” All eyes turned to them. The pink Earth Pony scoffed. “We’ve been hanging out for a month. Don’t look so shocked.” “Look, we can tell ya care about Twilight. And I don’t think it’s like a special somepony...” Spike looked sickened at the implication. “How do ya feel about Twilight?” Spike looked at the deck a moment. “Why is it any of your business?” “Because we don’t want to see you throw away what we wish we still had.” Diamond Tiara’s answer was so blunt and short that everypony but Apple Bloom stared at her. The young Earth Pony went on. “Spike... have you ever really talked to Twilight about how you feel?” “I don’t need to. I don’t...” “Spike,” Apple Bloom said. “...If I promise to think about it, can we drop it for now?” He dealt the cards again. While most of the foals picked theirs up, Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom held firm. “Spike, please,” Apple Bloom said. “No.” “Spike...” Diamond Tiara said. “No.” “But...” “That’s it, I’m out of here.” Spike stood up, preparing to leave. “But I have three aces!” Silver Spoon said. “Fold,” Sweetie and Scootaloo said simultaneously, causing Silver Spoon to groan. Spike tried to storm off, but Apple Bloom blocked his way, with Diamond Tiara soon joining her. “Spike...” “I said no!” “Look Spike,” Diamond Tiara said, “this is me talking. The filly who gave you the best kiss ever...” “Excuse me?” Apple Bloom said, turning to look at the pink filly. “I kissed better than you.” “Spike declared me the winner!” “Spike didn’t declare a winner, he never bothered.” “Well do you think he’d pick a blank flank loser as the winner?” “Do you think he’d pick some prissy brat as the winner?” “Better than you!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nu... hey, where’d he go?” The two Earth Ponies looked around and found that Spike had indeed disappeared. “He walked out while you two were arguing,” Scootaloo said dealing cards to Silver Spoon and Sweetie. Sweetie giggled. “If only you two could learn to share, you could both have Spike.” The two Earth Ponies blushed. “Wh-wha?” Silver Spoon looked up. “I don’t think a stallion can have more than one wife. My mom gets upset whenever that happens with Dad.” “Plus, I think only two can have babies,” Scootaloo said. Diamond Tiara tilted her head. “Can a pony even have a baby with a dragon?” “I don’t see why not,” Apple Bloom said. Then she thought a moment. “Then again, I don’t even know how a baby is made.” Diamond Tiara scratched her head. “I think dragons lay eggs, but I don’t think ponies do that.” Sweetie nodded. “They do, I’ve seen Spike’s baby pictures.” Diamond Tiara shrugged. “Well, maybe Spike will lay the egg.” “I think I heard boys don’t do that,” Silver Spoon said. At that point, the door came open and Rarity trotted into the room. “Girls, I just saw Spike storm out of the room. He wouldn’t even say hi to me, and he’s usually such a gentledrake. I want to know what upset him so, and no force will make me leave until you give me an answer.” Sweetie Belle spoke up. “Rarity, where do babies come from? Can one of us have a baby with Spike? Can Spike marry two mares?” ... Rarity turned around and left. ... “What was that about?” Diamond Tiara asked. Apple Bloom shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out later. Right now we need to find Spike... an’ figure out how to make a baby, I’m curious now. Rarity stormed into the suite she was sharing with the others. “Rainbow Dash, we need to talk about what the fillies are doing, quickly!” “Can it wait?” the Pegasus asked. “Pinkie’s acting weird... well, weirder.” Pinkie was scribbling on a chalkboard. “This isn’t right! They were supposed to have a falling-out by now! Then they can repeat the process and fall in love all over again, at least until the next sequel!” “Pinkie... look, you need to stop this. Life isn’t a romance movie!” “You’re right, it’s something far worse than that! It’s... an actual relationship piece!” “...” Rainbow Dash shook her head, then turned to Rarity. “Okay, let’s hear it. Whatever you have to say can’t be any crazier than this.” “I think Spike is seducing our little sisters into becoming a part of this dragon harem!” “...I stand corrected.” Author's Note Well, he's chapter one. I was nervous about this chapter, because at first the jokes just weren't coming. I decided not to force anything and just let it flow. Sure enough, it all came out. This will only be about ten chapters long, and there will be no sequel after that. Hope you enjoy!
The Morning After“And so that’s where babies come from!” The five fillies looked wide-eyes at Rainbow Dash, their jaws nearly on the ground. “That’s disgusting!” Scootaloo yelled. “Ew! Ew! Ew!” Sweetie said. “Wait... so Daddy wasn’t wrestling with his receptionist?” Silver Spoon asked. “Why would anypony want to do that?” Diamond Tiara demanded. “Believe me, you’ll get it when you’re older,” the Pegasus said. “I know, that sounds like a cop out, but it’s true.” Rarity, who was sitting nearby, shuddered. “I wasn’t expecting you to be quite that... blunt, Darling. And don’t you think we might have left telling Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to their parents?” Rainbow Dash waved her hoof. “Please, it’s a perfectly natural thing that everypony finds out eventually. All this embarrassment is just ponies being prudes. If they’re old enough to ask, they’re old enough to know.” “Wait,” Silver Spoon said. “So if that’s how a mare and a stallion show their love... how do two mares? What do you and Fluttershy do when you’re alone together?” “...See how easy it is, Rarity? Why don’t youtakethisoneIgottagobye!” And with that, Rainbow Dash took off down the hall, leaving Rarity alone with five expectant fillies. “...Rainbow Dash!” Twilight awoke the next morning to a pair of brilliant green eyes. Of course Applejack was awake first, a farmer’s lifestyle guaranteed she’d be up early, even if the night before hadn’t been the most restful. “Mornin’, sugarcube,” Applejack said, pressing her lips onto hers. “Mmmm... morning, Applejack.” Twilight said. “I suppose be better get up...” “Or,” Applejack interrupted, “we can stay in bed a little while longer and snuggle!” Twilight grinned. “Well, when you put it that way...” A knock at the door interrupted any sort of intimate action. “Your Highness!” a female voice called from the other side of the door. Twilight winced. “Yes, Raven?” “I’m sorry, but you need to be down in the breakfast room immediately. I have your schedule ready, and Princess Celestia wants to go over the day’s itinerary with you.” Twilight sighed. “Wait there a moment,” she said, summoning up her magic. The Element of Magic flew up and rested on her head as her crown, and a torque and set of slippers followed. Applejack moaned, getting up and placing her cowpony hat on. “Okay, come in.” Raven entered and wasted no time handing the schedule to her. “You have a full day. Several nobles want to petition you for things, and the Minotaur ambassador wants a word with you. Immediately after breakfast, you’ll be taking your first turn at...” “Pardon me, Raven, but it says here that I have some further etiquette training after lunch?” The black maned pony blinked. “Um, yes. You’re to learn Neighponese customs.” “Do I have any meetings with the Neighponese in the foreseeable future?” “No, but that could change...” “Still, please move that lesson to a later date.” Raven blinked. “But, Your Highness...” “No buts, Raven. I have something important that needs immediate attention. If I end up meeting with any Neighponeese officials, I’ll simply have to beg their pardon.” “...Very well,” the Unicorn said. “Though Princess Celestia has requested you go, so I hope you can convince her.” “Let me worry about that,” she said. “Do excuse us, Raven. I need to have a word with my consort.” “As you wish,” Raven said, bowing her head and leaving. Applejack looked at Twilight. “Yer ‘consort’? What’s wrong with bein’ yer marefriend?” “Nothing as far as I’m concerned, but you know how the Elite are. Always a stickler for things like that.” Applejack sighed. “Yeah... so what’s the deal? We havin’ some private time or somethin’?” “Afraid not. We’re going to have a long overdue talk with Spike, the both of us. I’ll be sure to tell him that at breakfast today.” The cowpony nodded. “Makes sense. Okay, I’ll be there. When are ya gettin’ off so we can have some private time? You said you wanted to try that restaurant next to the palace.” Twilight looked over the itinerary. “It looks like today’s going to be a long day. The best we can hope for is a pre-bedtime snuggling session.” Even though Twilight said the last few words with what was meant to be a suggestive tone, Applejack looked at the floor. “I guess yer gonna be busy from now on, huh?” Twilight quickly pressed her lips onto Applejack’s. When she pulled away, the cowpony was grinning, in spite of her mood. “We talked about this, Applejack. We agreed no matter what Celestia had planned for me, we would work through it.” “I know... never woulda figured she’d make ya one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria, though. Not sayin’ ya don’t deserve it, mind, but...” “We’ll figure it out. But let’s take things one crisis at a time, and right now that crisis is Spike.” She nodded. “Family is always priority number one. Let’s get ourselves some breakfast and we’ll start on it.” So they walked out into the hall, their tails intertwined together. Spike felt unusually groggy that morning, but he brushed it off. He figured it was just those crazy fillies giving him a headache. He sneezed once or twice as he got out of bed and began his morning routine. Brushing his teeth, making his bed (Twilight had pounded that behavior into him so hard he did it even when there were servants who did it for him) and doing his morning stretches. He left his room, and was relieved to see neither Diamond Tiara or Apple Bloom waiting for him. He was a few steps down the hallway when Silver Spoon caught up to him. “Hey Spike,” she said. “Hey. I wasn’t expecting any of you up so early.” “Daddy told me to be. He said I needed to talk to you in order to ‘schmooze my way into a good future,’ whatever that means.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Silver... I think you better spend some time talking to Twilight. It would do you good.” “Thanks... so are you mad at Diamond and Apple Bloom?” “Not really, just annoyed,” he said. “They mean well, but my business with Twilight is my business. And it looks like Twilight isn’t dropping it. I know before the end of the day she’ll corner me, probably with Applejack, and she’ll make me talk with her.” “Huh, that’s good,” Silver Spoon said. When Spike gave her a glare, she shrunk back, but her words remained defensive. “What? Just because I don’t say it much doesn’t mean I don’t agree with Diamond and Apple Bloom.” “Does everypony feel this way?” “Pretty much.” Spike growled. “Let’s just go to breakfast.” Twilight had always had the seat closest to Princess Celestia at any event, always. Growing up, many foreign dignitaries mistook her for the heir apparent. Twilight preferred that to what the local nobles did, namely look at her with contempt that some small child had managed to get in a position they wished they had. Twilight never understood why they were mad. It wasn’t her fault she was smarter and cuter than them. Even once Luna returned her seat didn’t change. While her sister sat at her other side, Twilight kept her position as the Princess of the Sun’s favored student. It seemed her wings only removed any pretense that she wasn’t wielding any power. And now, there was a pony at Twilight’s side. Applejack ate her meal, consisting of deep fried oats, eggs, and a glass of milk. After taking a bite, she looked up to speak to Twilight. She was turning back to take another bite when she saw two other ponies at the far end of the table. One was pointing at her and the other was giggling, as if she had done something amusing. Applejack stopped. She looked at her plate. Had she committed some sort of social faux pas? She didn’t exactly know the rules for dining in a high class environment. The only other time she had really eaten fancy was at Cadance’s wedding, and she hadn’t had much of an appetite at that time. She looked around, trying to follow the other nobles, but many were Unicorns, and she couldn’t imitate. How were Earth Ponies supposed to eat fancy? The only ones she could see were the fillies at the end of the table, and none of them were particularly interested in eating cleanly. Then she remembered back to the wedding. So many ponies who laughed at her because of her accent. What if they were just laughing at her because she wasn’t dressed fancy? Was she just embarrassing herself, and Twilight, just by sitting there? Suddenly she didn’t feel very hungry. “Applejack?” The cowpony perked up and turned to Twilight. “Yeah?” “You alright?” “Sure am, Twi, never better!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Applejack knew they weren’t believed. She was a terrible liar in the best of time, and Twilight seemed to already have the ability to see right through her better than anypony except Granny Smith. She knew then their pre-bedtime snuggles would be preempted by some serious discussion. She returned to eating, trying to do so as neatly as possible. If she was doing something wrong, there was no way to correct herself now. She would have to make do. Perhaps she could look up etiquette in the royal library later. “Are you going to be alright around the castle while I’m working?” Twilight asked. “The others are going back to Ponyville today, so you won’t have a whole lot of ponies to talk to.” “Relax, Twi. I think I can keep myself busy fer a day. It ain’t so bad.” “Perhaps you can begin learning your duties as consort,” Luna suggested. “I can at least schedule etiquette lessons for you today.” Applejack looked at the Princess of the Night and realized that she was getting an opening, and Luna was knowingly providing it. “I suppose that’s a good idea,” Applejack said. “I don’t wanna be just lounging around the castle all day.” “I think it’s an excellent idea,” Celestia said. “Since Twilight’s requested her lessons for today be cancelled, I’ll simply ask the ponies in charge to move the lesson up an hour and teach you then.” “I... thank ya kindly, Princess.” “And we can get started on some other duties tomorrow,” Celestia said. “What you are to do if someone comes by looking for Twilight when she’s not around, what you’ll need to know in case of an emergency, how to spot a Changeling...” Applejack blinked. “How to spot a what now?” she asked. “Ever since the wedding, we have studied the enemy and have made changes to our security to help detect them. Everypony living in the palace is required to learn the warning signs, you included.” Celestia finished her sentence with a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Applejack. It’s a few simple safety precautions, and since they’ve been followed, no Changeling has managed to hide out here for more than a day. Chrysalis lost so much more than a battle that day at the wedding.” “Ah, that’s good...” Celestia listed off more thing Applejack would need to learn, but she was only half listening now. She returned to her meal, eating her bites slowly as the new duties piled up. At least she would be able to get back to Sweet Apple Acres in a few days. She’d always have that. “Whaddya mean ya hired some new farmhooves?” Big Macintosh shrunk back from his sister’s angry look. “Come on, AJ, I thought it was pretty clear it needed doin’. Yer gonna be up here a lot more often now...” “I still intended to work the farm and you know it!” the little sister said. Her glower continued to intimidate a pony twice her size. “I managed to get all my work on the farm done while still doin’ all my duties as a Bearer!” “Well, yeah... but just barely. And what with all these new duties yer gettin’, we thought it’d be best to start hiring some additional workers.” “But... but...” “AJ, please,” Big Mac said. “Please, we did it fer your sake, too. If we didn’t have anypony, you’d be frettin’ and worryin’ the whole time you were here. Both the farm and yer relationship with Twilight would suffer.” Applejack opened her mouth to protest. But nothing came out. She simply didn’t have a counter to it. “...I guess yer right,” she said. Big Macintosh pulled her into a hug. “The farm’s always going to be yer home. But you have Twilight now, and you knew you would have to make sacrifices to be with her. Don’t you fret none, little sister, you’ll do just fine.” Applejack hugged her brother. “I know I will.” She wished she believed herself.
Culture ClashApplejack was back in Canterlot a few days later to see Twilight. She would soon be returning to Ponyville after a proper castle was built for her, but for now she was confined in Canterlot for her own safety. She had spent a lot of that time in Twilight’s library, having more free time with Big Macintosh hiring ponies to take her work from her. While she found herself dusting and cleaning out of a desire to be useful, most of it was spent with her muzzle in etiquette books. She remembered the giggles that the Elite would give her, and was poring over the facts, trying to find what she was doing wrong. She resorted to looking through the books after Rarity proved to be too busy to consult with. After making the dress Twilight wore during coronation, she was being flooded with more orders than ever before. Her only time off, at a breakfast that the five of them attended, she was gushing about opening a new shop in Canterlot soon. So it was the books. She looked over their pages, but failed to find what she was doing wrong. The thought entered her brain yet again that she might be the problem. When the Elite saw her dining at the upper table, they’d simply see a hick who was pretending to be sophisticated, even if she was doing everything right. She tried to push that thought out of her mind. It was something she would have to deal with eventually, but it wasn’t what she wanted to deal with right now. Her marefriend was at the palace. She wanted to take full advantage of their time together. She made a mental note to check Canterlot’s library for more etiquette books. If that failed, there had to be somepony in the palace she could ask. But that was for later. There was still the matter of Spike. The former attempt to talk to him never materialized, both from a failure to find things to say and the little dragon’s efforts in avoidance. When it had been time to go home, Twilight had assured her that it was okay. Maybe Spike just needed time to wrap his head around the new status quo. She truly hoped the little dragon had grown more comfortable with this whole thing. She had been fond of the little dragon since she had met him, and didn’t want to be a burden on him. She knew he loved Twilight like a mother, and likely wasn’t fond of competing for her attention. When she got to the gates, the guards looked over her identification. Then she passed through the field that would forcibly revert any Changeling back to normal. Then another guard asked her to state her business. It was an obvious question, as the entire Guard was told who she was, but regulations were regulations. “I’m here to visit Princess Twilight.” “Yes, we were told to expect you. She left us with instructions to tell you. Head toward her quarters and wait for her. She’s in a meeting with a prominent Duke. Will you need an escort?” After debating a moment, she said yes. While she was learning the Palace layout over the course of her visit, she still sometimes found herself getting lost in the massive hallways. A guard escorted her to the room, which took nearly ten minutes. Once that was done, the guard excused herself, leaving Applejack alone. As expected, the room was neat and orderly, looking more like a miniature apartment than a bedroom. The bed was made, the books shelved, the table at one side currently bare. There was a small refrigerator and a cabinet that held snacks, but most meals would come from the kitchen. She placed her bags to the side and started unpacking what little she brought with her. A book on what was her half of the bed for reading, a bag with all her toiletries that went into the bathroom, and a small, wrapped box. Her present to Twilight. She looked at it, balanced in her hoof, then looked around the room she was in. It was a small gift in an otherwise extravagant room. She sat it on the table, allowing her thoughts to take over. She had never felt inferior in Canterlot before. She felt a bit strange while here... out of place, she supposed was the correct term. While Canterlot was a nice place to visit, she was always happy to be back in Ponyville. All of a sudden, a conversation that she had had with Rarity entered her mind. It had been after a few weeks of dating Twilight when Applejack had noted the worried looks Rarity shot them. Twilight, never one for reading a room, hadn’t noticed. Eventually, Applejack had taken her aside and asked Rarity what the matter was. When that had happened, Rarity suddenly looked nervous, like this was a conversation that needed to happen, even if it was painful. ”Applejack... forgive me. I haven’t said anything these last few weeks, because it’s not my place. But... have the two of you really discussed your future together?” Applejack leaned her head to one side. “What do you mean?” Rarity squirmed. “Well... you’re at home here in Ponyville. You love your simple lifestyle. And that’s great, believe me. I’m not judging you for it. But... Princess Celestia...” “Has far bigger things in mind for Twi. Yeah, I know. But we’ll make it work.” Rarity looked a bit odd. Like what Applejack had said had only made her worried more. “Applejack, you say that, but you’re talking about a challenge you haven’t actually faced yet.” Applejack opened her mouth, but Rarity brought a hoof up to silence her. “Applejack, you asked me what was bothering me. I’m going to tell you. Please, listen to what I have to say.” When Rarity lowered her hoof, Applejack stayed silent. So Rarity went on. “I have no doubt you mean it when you say that you can take whatever is thrown at you, but there’s a big difference between saying you can do something and actually doing something. I see you whenever we go to a fancy dinner, you’re always uncomfortable there... or at least you aren’t comfortable for very long. You always look relieved when we can leave. If you and Twilight want to really make this work, it might mean doing it every day, and never having time for the farm. You’ll be living the life you ran from in Manehattan. If you remember how unhappy you were back then, it might be worse in Canterlot.” Rarity took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve said my two bits. And that’s all I have to say on the matter. I’m truly hoping this relationship works out for you, I really do. I just fear what’s going to happen when the challenges start. But if you’re determined to face them anyway, I won’t argue.” Rarity kept her promise and never brought it up again, and Applejack never mentioned the conversation to Twilight. But it stayed in her brain, even as she tried to push it out. She told herself that Rarity was worrying for nothing, that everything was going to be okay. But now, she was starting to see her point. She decided to go for a walk. It would be a while before the meeting was done, so she could afford it. Seeing a notepad on the bedside table, Applejack scribbled a note letting her marefriend know where she would be, and walked out. She ended up getting lost and asking a guard which way to the royal gardens, but in no time she found herself there. Stepping out on the grass made her feel good. It wasn’t quite like the soil back home, but earth was earth, even if I had been moved forty five hundred meters up. She walked through the garden, occasionally seeing one of the animals. They all looked at her with wariness, if they didn’t run off entirely. The birds’ chirping came out over the low hum of a buzzard’s buzz. She simply walked for a bit, enjoying the small bit of nature in the stone jungle. She walked up to the edge, resting on the rail and looking out at the city. It could be seen fairly clearly, with only the occasional flicker from the near invisible covering of the castle, both the Changeling shield and the spell that kept the elevation at a tolerable temperature. “Quite a view, ain’t it?” Applejack jumped a bit. She turned and saw a brown-coated pony with a blade of wheat in his teeth. He was old, not quite to Granny Smith’s age but certainly past his prime. After a moment, Applejack recognized him. He was the castle gardener, one that she had seen several times, but never spoke to. “Oh, um, yes it is, Mr... uh...” “Greenhooves,” the old pony said, the wheat blade never leaving his lips. “Nice to meet ya. I’m...” “I know who you are. Yer Applejack, the new princess’s consort.” Applejack didn’t know how to feel about that, which is why she didn’t say anything in response. Greenhooves kept going. “Glad to see a real pony of the soil is gettin’ in good with the princesses. Hope Canterlot don’t do to you what it does to so many ponies.” Applejack blinked at that. “What?” “All the frilly nonsense, it’s everywhere. The only reason I don’t have to is ‘cause even they’re practical enough not to make me for this work. Still don’t let me smoke my pipe on palace grounds, though.” Applejack chose not to mention she thought smoking was a bad habit and just said what came to mind. “Yeah, the frilly stuff is a little silly. I enjoy it sometimes, but I’d rather be on the farm.” “Yer a good mare, but this town has a way of changin’ ponies. I seen it turn Restaurant Row into a flavorless nightmare.” Applejack couldn’t help but agree with that. Finding a good restaurant in this town was hard. It seemed only Donut Joe made good food here. Everything else was getting blander and blander. Fortunately, the palace chefs seemed immune. “Well, you seem to have kept yourself from dressin’ up.” “I have this place,” he said, motioning to the garden. “My own little place. Something I can always work on. You’re going to the belly of the beast. You’re going to be paraded up and danced around.” Applejack felt her stomach drop. “I can handle it. Twi’s worth it.” Greenhooves grinned. “Glad to hear that,” he said. “Little Twi’s always been a sweetie. Always plopping herself down with a stack of books. She was here if she weren’t in the library or at Donut Joe’s.” Applejack smirked. She was always hearing positive things from the castle staff. Even before she was seeking out friends, she seemed to have a habit of attracting people. “Anyways, you best take the small things while you can. Canterlot has a way of eating small folks alive, makin’ ‘em forget what’s important.” “Do you think that could happen to me?” Applejack asked. “I dunno. You are one of th’ Bearers, so you might have the stuff to resist. But you are still a pony. Stay out of your element long enough, and you might start to lose yourself.” Applejack shivered at the thought. Her memory kicked up her time in Manehattan. How she ended up missing the farm and coming back to Sweet Apple Acres. In retrospect, she simply needed time away from the farm after her parents passed. She hated the cramped nature, the noise and light pollution, the lack of familiarity with your neighbors. But even so, she couldn’t deny there were things about Manehattan she liked. She liked the convenience and variety, and she appreciated the culture, even if she didn’t immerse herself in it. She enjoyed trips to the museums, to the symphony, to plays. What if that overtook her? “My advice to you? Find a way to enjoy the old you, even up here. You might not like what you become otherwise.” Applejack and Greenhooves chatted for a bit longer about various unimportant things. Then the old stallion excused himself to return to his duties, and Applejack headed back to Twilight’s room. Twilight still wasn’t back yet, and that worried her. Sighing, she went to Twilight’s shelf. Scanning the spines, she eventually picked a novel that looked good. She barely got five sentences in. Her thoughts were overwhelming her. The door opening was the sweetest sound she could hear. Twilight barely got three steps in before Applejack was next to her. Their lips locked for a few moments. “Missed me that bad?” Twilight said. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” Applejack said. “Well, how about dinner and a show? Don’t worry, we can stay out as late as we want. Princess Celestia and Luna are taking over all my duties, so we’ll have tomorrow.” Applejack grinned. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
RestlessnessThe next morning Applejack had woken up before Twilight, a natural habit of working the farm. She lay in bed, watching her marefriend sleep. It was oddly relaxing. There were two things on her mind. The first was the matter that Greenhooves had talked to her about yesterday. It had faded as she had enjoyed an evening with Twilight, but those thoughts were starting to creep back. The second, more immediate concern, was Spike. The little dragon was bothered by the relationship, though she wasn’t sure why. He seemed mature enough to accept it even if he didn’t like it, but it was still something she was hoping that she could smooth over. She tried thinking back to her previous interactions with Spike, wondering if it could be possible she could have gotten on Spike’s bad side. She couldn’t think of any reason why. The only conclusion she could come to was that this was a typical case of a child not liking to have to share a parent. Her thoughts were interrupted by Twilight stirring. She opened her eyes, looking deep into Applejack’s. “Morning,” she said. “Mornin’.” Twilight stretched, sitting up. “What time is it... ten minutes before the alarm went off,” she sighed. She stretched out, allowing her wings to breathe. “Guess you’re gonna be busy today.” “Yeah. I’ll meet you for lunch, then when Night Court starts I’m off. We can sit down with Spike and have that long overdue chat.” Applejack nodded. She wasn’t looking forward to actually doing it, but she knew it needed to be done. “Well, first things first, breakfast. What do ya say we get down to the dining hall and rustle up some grub.” Breakfast had been a nice affair. They sat next to Blueblood, who asked them about Rarity's current health. She’d be visiting herself soon, and he was trying to decide what to get her as a gift. Applejack was grateful this wasn’t a formal meal, because she didn’t have to remember every little minutia. She leaned down, taking a bite of the breakfast hay. There was a giggle. She looked up, trying to see where it came from. She found nothing. Nopony was paying much attention to her. She suddenly felt nervous again. She flashed back to the dinners at her aunt and uncle’s as a filly. Once the thrill wore off, she felt constricted on all the things she had to do. She remembered the looks the rich friends had given her. She remembered overhearing the suggestions that she be sent to finishing school so she didn’t make a scene. And she never could figure out what she was doing wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember every little detail. She was starting to see Rarity’s point. She went back to eating. She took another bite and tried to tune out anything else. “Applejack?” Applejack looked at her girlfriend. “Yeah?” “Are you alright? You seemed a little zoned out.” “Yeah. Sorry, sugarcube, I was just thinking.” “Well, do you think Rarity would like this?” Blueblood pushed something past Twilight to Applejack. She looked. It was a fancy broach. To her, it didn’t really look like anything special. In fact, she thought it was pretty gaudy. Which meant Rarity would probably love it. “I can’t keep track of what that gal finds fashionable,” she said. “But I’m sure she’ll love it.” He grinned. “I thought so. I was just hoping to get her something nice. It’s so hard to keep things up when we both have such large workloads.” Applejack nodded. Rarity was a busy mare, it was something she had respected her for even before they had truly become friends, that night at Twilight’s house. Dating Blueblood had caused her business to expand. She was already talking about opening shops in Canterlot and Manehatten. Her visit soon would not be entirely for pleasure. “I understand. Even at home we had a hard time making that girl leave her work.” “Speaking of work, I think we better get to it,” Twilight said. “We need to look over those trade deals with the buffalo.” She turned to Applejack. “Are you going to be fine for a few hours?” “Relax, Twi, I can keep myself occupied.” Applejack glanced at the clock. It had only been an hour. She sighed, putting aside her copy of Daring Do. She had tried getting into the series to have something to share with Twilight, but they just weren’t grabbing her. She was still managing a chapter a day, mainly to have something to do. She sighed. No farm work at home, next to nothing to do here. Mainly for something to do, she went down to the library. She browsed the shelves, looking for something interesting. Nothing popped. She went back to Twilight’s chambers. On a whim, she cracked open one of Twilight’s books, but didn’t understand half the words in them. She went for a walk. She found herself in the garden again. She could at least enjoy some nature. She looked around for Mr. Greenhooves, hoping she could at least strike up a conversation. No such luck; whatever he was doing, he wasn’t tending the ground at the moment. The animals were giving her a wide berth, as usual. So she was alone. She passed by the hedge maze and felt a shiver. Even now, that maze brought up unpleasant memories. She felt uncomfortable knowing that Discord was free, even if he seemed to be behaving himself at the moment. She didn’t know how long she had wandered before she was interrupted. “Hello there.” Applejack turned and found herself facing an Earth Pony that she didn’t know, but recognized by appearance. She had seen her in passing, at the Gala and at Fancypants’s party. “Um, hello,” Applejack said. “You are Princess Twilight’s consort, aren’t you?” She didn’t like that term, but still answered. “Yes, Applejack, of Apple Family Farms. Who are you?” “I’m High Society,” the mare said. “Yes, I can tell, but what’s your name?” The pony sighed, apparently used to this. “No... that’s my name,” she said. “Oh, uh... sorry.” “Happens all the time,” the mare waved it off. “I was hoping to speak to you.” Applejack was hesitant. She knew that there was only a 50-50 chance that this conversation would be a pleasant one. “”What did you want to talk about?” “Have you ever heard of Fancypants?” It was an absolutely ridiculous question. Everypony had heard of him. He was a business pony that had the political clout of a prince and the generosity of an Alicorn. “Yeah... I’ve met him before.” She decided to keep quiet on how that disastrous party went. “I’ve been placed in charge of organizing his latest party,” she explained. “We’ll be raising bits to support Helping Hooves.” Applejack had heard of the charity before, but only had a vague idea of what they did. Really hoping to avoid revealing her ignorance, she settled on the most neutral response she could think of: “Uh-huh.” “Do you think you could convince the Princess to attend? She’s well liked among the populace, so we’re hoping to get her to support our work.” “Well... gee, I dunno Twi’s schedule. I could ask her.” “Could you? I would very much appreciate it.” “Sure. How can she reach ya if she decides to attend?” At this, High Society reached into the saddlebag she was carrying and took a business card between her teeth. Applejack took the card, and with practiced dexterity flipped it up until it was resting in the brim of her hat. “I’ll pass it along to her, but I can’t make any promises for her.” “I understand, I very much appreciate it. And of course, you will come along as her plus one, won’t you? We’re ever so eager to get to know you.” “Uh, yeah, of course,” she said. “I’m going everywhere with Twilight lately. I’ll show up.” “That’s good. You are the head of the Apple Family in Ponyville, aren’t you?” “Uh, well, no. My brother Big Macintosh runs most of the business side of things. He’s the one that has a head for numbers. I mainly do grunt work.” “Does he now? He sounds like a smart pony.” “Oh, he is. Soft spoken, but very intelligent.” She always talked about her big brother with pride, but as she did so, she looked at High Society’s face. There was something about it that was... off to her. Like she wasn’t connecting with it. “Well, you can tell us all about it at the party. I really must be going, but I hope to see you there.” The two traded goodbyes and High Society walked off. Applejack analyzed her actions, wondering if she did everything correctly. Applejack wondered if she was already becoming somepony she wouldn’t like. Prior to coming here, she had never cared what others thought of her. She had always prided herself on not caring what anypony thought of her, especially not spoiled brats. Yet she had spent all day turning over her chat with High Society. The only thing that pushed that thought out of her mind was the unpleasant task before her and Twilight. The fact that Spike needed to be sat down and talked to. They had tried rehearsing what to say. Applejack had warned her that she couldn’t plan for everything that Spike could possibly be worried about. Twilight had responded by levitating up several notecards that detailed several different possibilities. She had insisted on a three-hour review session, but Applejack thankfully talked her out of it. Spike was in his quarters, reading a comic book. He casually picked a gem out of his bowl once in a while to pop into his mouth. All in all, he looked like he was enjoying a peaceful night with a comic book. It seemed a shame to ruin it, but it looked like they had to. This had been put off long enough. “Spike?” Spike looked up. He immediately grimaced. He knew what was coming. “Yes?” There was a lot of dread in that one syllable. “Spike, we wanted to have a talk with you.” There was a lot of tension in the air. Applejack felt like she was a filly again, standing in front of Granny Smith as she lectured her on bad behavior. Even though now she was on the other end of the discussion, it wasn’t any easier. In fact, it was even harder. She was racking her brain, making sure every action was firm, yet comforting. It had been like this every single time that she had to give Apple Bloom a lecture, but in those cases Big Mac had taken on the bulk of that. True, Twilight was Spike’s sole legal parent, but she was so deeply a part of this that she just couldn’t sit back and leave the heavy lifting to her. Spike took a seat at the table. Applejack and Twilight took a seat on the other side. “Spike... we know that the last few months have brought on a lot of changes. Applejack and I have started dating, I’ve become a princess, and you’ve started to enjoy your freedom a little bit more.” Spike just nodded. His fingers drummed the table, little claws making a soft series of ticks against the surface. He was clearly waiting until Twilight was finished talking. For a split second, Applejack felt jealous. Apple Bloom was largely obedient, but she never sat this still during the difficult moments. “We’ve noticed that all these changes have been hard on you,” Twilight kept going. “We know that it can be difficult to experience, especially at your age. So we wanted to help you make this change.” Twilight had rehearsed that, but Applejack could hardly tell. She was good at speaking, a necessary skill for a politician. “What’s bothering you? Go ahead, whatever you want to say, go ahead and say it.” Spike was silent for a moment. He looked at the table, looking like he was trying to see shapes in it. When he looked up, he answered. “I don’t know.” Applejack wasn’t sure what answer she was expecting, but that wasn’t it. “Do you think that I’m taking time away from your time with Twi?” Applejack said, speaking for the first time. “Not anymore,” Spike said. For the first time, he didn’t wait to keep going. “I was worried about that. I know that’s selfish, so I never mentioned it. But now that Twilight’s an Alicorn, she’ll be around for centuries. I’ll have a lot more time to spend with her.” That sentence wasn’t spoken with denial. That wasn’t what was bothering him. “Then why...” “I don’t know!” It was amazing how much frustration came out in simple words. “I... I don’t know why it bothers me. I know it shouldn’t...” Spike just trailed off. He didn’t know what to say. He ended up just repeating his previous words. “I don’t know.” A long moment of silence hung in the air. For Twilight, this was because her mind was in overdrive, desperately reaching for a solution to a problem she wasn’t prepared for. For Spike, it was shame that he had feelings that he felt were selfish and he couldn’t articulate. For Applejack, it was because she was trying to pick her next words carefully. “You don’t want things to change.” Both Twilight and Spike looked at her. She went on. “Spike... I understand. Your life with Twilight has been a happy one, hasn’t it? It seemed perfect. I remember you looking for things to do for her when she had nothing. And yeah, I remember that whole mess after I saved your life. You defined yourself entirely by being around Twi. And now things are changing. You’re making friends, and Twi and I are dating. And it’s just a confusing mess for you, isn’t it?” Spike looked ashamed all over again, but he nodded. “Spike... you got nothing to be ashamed of. Change is hard, even when it’s for the best. It can be uncomfortable, leaving behind things you know. Even though you logically know that you have time with Twi, not having her undivided attention still upsets you, because you’re not sure what’s going to happen next.” Spike was looking around, trying to avoid eye contact. But he eventually looked at Applejack. “Yeah... I think you’re right.” “Well... there’s nothing more I can say, Spike. Change happens, and trust me, you’ll learn to love it.” Twilight smiled. “You always did have trouble. I remember your first day of daycare...” Spike blushed. “Twilight... come on...” As Twilight pulled her little dragon in a hug, Applejack felt a weight slide off her. This problem wasn’t over, but at least it was on track to get better. She just hoped that problem would hold for a while.
