Single Point of Failure

by TobiasDrake

Rating: everyone
Tags: Big Macintosh, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Applejack, Drama, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 52639

Twilight takes Applejack up on a chance to study new kinds of relationship, but is this experiment worth the risk to the important friendships she's made in Ponyville?

Twilight takes Applejack up on a chance to study new kinds of relationship, but will this experiment end pleasantly, or will their relationship crash and burn around them?

When a dark shadow comes crawling out of the past, the pair may find themselves lost in Ponyville's twilight hours.

Thanks to Meta Four for proofreading.

Published 2017-02-07 02:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-02-21 04:00:13 UTC

1 - The Calm

“Spike, have you seen my illustrated guide to Everfree flora?” Twilight asked her assistant. “I want to cross-reference this sample Fluttershy found, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.”

Spike looked over from the shelves, feather duster in hand. “I think you loaned that to Zecora last week.”

“That’s right.” Twilight made a note on her mental checklist to inquire about it next time she saw Zecora. “We’ll table that for now, then. I think I’ve got-” She was cut off by an urgent sounding knock at the door. “Oh, who could that be?”

Spike answered the door, spying Rainbow Dash fluttering on the other side. “Hi, Spike!” Dash shouted. “Is Twilight--oh, there you are!” Without waiting for an invitation, Rainbow Dash pushed her way into the library.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked. “Is there an emergency?”

“Applejack needs to talk to you. She’s over at the farm, pacing a groove into the South Orchard. She said it was extremely important. Wouldn’t tell me what about.”

That’s strange, thought Twilight. If it’s so urgent, why wouldn’t she come here? “Okay, I’ll head straight over. Thank you for telling me.”

Twilight headed out the door and started across town towards Sweet Apple Acres. She headed up the hill and could immediately see what Rainbow Dash was worried about. She found her friend pacing back and forth beneath one of her prized apple trees. Twilight could tell from a distance that she almost looked nervous.

That’s strange, she thought to herself. Applejack doesn’t usually get nervous. This must be really important.

“Applejack!” Twilight called out. Her friend stopped suddenly, looking right at her. “What’s going on? Is this an emergency?”

“Only kinda,” Applejack choked out. “Nothing major, I reckon. I’m just goin’ through some things and….”

“What is it?” Twilight asked, concern blazing on her face. “Is it something we need to get the group together for?”

“No!” Applejack shouted. “No, it’s just…it’s personal stuff.” Applejack took a deep breath. “Look, I ain’t good at beatin’ round the bush, so I’m just gonna get right to it.” She looked Twilight straight in the eyes. “Twilight Sparkle, it would be my greatest privilege if you’d accompany me on a date tonight.”

Twilight took a step back, blushing feverously. She wasn’t sure she’d heard Applejack correctly, and her mind raced for other ways that question could be taken. “I, um…I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Applejack rubbed one of her hind legs against the other. She was already in it now. It was too late to go back. She stepped forward, filling the space between her and Twilight. “It’s just, that big ol’ fancy-pants party a week ago got me to thinkin’. I’ve been thinkin’ about this a bunch and there’s just no two ways about it. I’ve got feelin’s for ya, Twilight, and they’re mighty powerful. I thought that maybe ya might be willin’ to take a chance and see where this goes.”

“Wow, Applejack, that’s….” Twilight looked down, trying to find something to look at other than Applejack’s hope-filled eyes while she thought of what to say. “Everything is happening so much faster than I thought it would when I moved to Ponyville.” She looked back up at Applejack. “I never could have imagined anything like this. Can I have some time to think about it?”

Applejack started to get cold hooves. Her mind started putting up walls to protect her heart. “S’okay if you don’t want to, sugarcube. I wouldn’t hold it against ya or nothing. No matter what ya decide, you’ll always be one of my very best friends.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Twilight explained. “I would be lying if I said I’d ever thought about it, Applejack. That’s true of anypony out here. I’ve been so busy with my studies and my friendship lessons that I’ve never given two thoughts about…um….” She blushed again.
“Romance?” Applejack offered.

“Yeah. Romance. It’s something I’ve read about in books but I never really expected it to come into my life, and I’ve certainly never given any thought to who or how or….” Twilight suddenly became aware of the fact that she’d sat down during the conversation and was looking right at Applejack, despite herself. She could feel the heat of Applejack’s breath on her face and see the hope and desire gleaming in her eyes.

No one had ever looked at her that way before. At least, not that she knew of. It was a new experience for her, just like all the others she’d had since coming to Ponyville. And she realized that was the entire reason she’d come: to explore new experiences, to push the limits on what friendship was and meant, to feel things that she could never feel cooped up in a library. In that moment, she knew what her answer had to be. There was just one consideration that had to be made clear.

“Applejack, the truth is that I’ve never thought of you in a romantic way before, but I might be willing to give it a chance and try taking our relationship to another level. I feel a bit awkward saying yes to this, but I do believe it could present an interesting opportunity for my studies.”

The answer was already more than Applejack had hoped. She had to restrain herself from going hog-wild right there on the hill. She caught the ‘might’ in there, however, and didn’t want to get ahead of herself. “I assume you’ve got conditions, then?”

“Just the one,” Twilight explained. “I need to know that no matter what happens between you and me, it won’t affect our group dynamic. I care about all of my friends and I don’t want to see anypony hurt. Can you promise me that whatever happens, we’ll always put our friendship first?”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and smiled the biggest smile Twilight had ever seen on her face. “Twi, that’s the most reasonable thing I’ve heard all day. I can do ya one better. I Pinkie Promise that no matter what happens ‘tween you and me, I will never let our relationship come before the friendships we’ve built. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Twilight felt relief wash over her like a tidal wave. “Very well, Applejack. Then your answer is yes. I will go on a date with you tonight.”
“YEEHAW!” Applejack leapt into the air, happiness beaming from her face. “Ya won’t regret it, sugarcube!”

Twilight giggled. “I’m sure I won’t. Honestly, this is a great opportunity for me. I’ve learned so much about friendship since moving to Ponyville. This will be a good chance for me to study a new kind of relationship.”

Applejack stopped suddenly, confused. “Uh…beg pardon?”

Twilight just smiled. “Think of it like a clinical trial. In order to learn more, you observe and collect data on the subject. It’s an experiment.”
Applejack didn’t quite get it and wasn’t sure she liked the sound of “experiment”, but it was still a yes so she wasn’t about to complain. “Well, alright, then. Sooner we start, the better, right?”

“Absolutely,” Twilight agreed. “I’ll follow wherever you’d like to take us, um…sugar…cube?” she tried out the word on her tongue, but just felt silly saying it.

Applejack scruffed Twilight’s mane with her hoof. “Don’t try to force nothing, sugarcube. Don’t ever feel like ya have to return my feelin’s if it don’t come natural to ya. I’m not askin’ ya to love me and be my Very Special Somepony. Just to take a chance and see what’s what.”

Twilight nodded in relief. “Of course. Well, it’ll still be my honor to accompany you tonight.”

Twilight never stopped feeling awkward about the prospect of being on a date with Applejack. She felt like Applejack wanted something from her, but she couldn’t place exactly what. Still, she had made up her mind to see it through and figured, worst case scenario, there were far worse ways to spend an evening than in the company of a dear friend even if she did have to put up with a little awkwardness here or there.

Twilight was relieved when they stopped by the Cafe Hay for a bite to eat. She was afraid of going too fast and part of her had worried that Applejack was going to take her to some fine dining establishment, and she felt a little silly when she saw the place. This was much more Applejack’s speed. A fancy place like La Jument Doree was more Rarity’s speed.

That thought gave her pause. She could practically hear Rarity in some snooty establishment fawning over her. “Darling, you look positively ravishing,” she would say. “Have you done something with your mane? It brings out your eyes in the most delightful way.” And then she’d probably be whispering something in some foreign language or another that didn’t mean anything but sounded really pretty and….

“This looks like a good place,” Applejack told her. “They got hay burgers, salads, all the best eatin’s. What say I grab us a seat?”

Twilight was suddenly very glad that it had been Applejack that asked her. This was an excellent opportunity for a learning experience, but she was sure the whole experience would be ruined if her friend started talking to her like a jewel salesman she’s trying to haggle into a deal. She trusted Applejack to treat her fairly, and that was very important.

“That would be nice,” Twilight nodded. “Thank you.”

As the pair took their seats, Applejack asked her, “So what’s eatin’ ya? Couldn’t help but notice you zoning out back there.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how silly Rarity would probably be acting if it’d been her that asked me. She’d probably drag me to some really upscale place, maybe even make us take a train into Canterlot for it.”

“Oh,” Applejack looked down at her menu. “Was this place a bad choice? I didn’t mean--”

“No!” Twilight quickly answered. “This is a good place to eat. It’s simple and familiar. I’m actually kind of nervous about how everything might change, so this place sets my mind at ease. I’m glad you were the one who asked me, Applejack.”

Applejack seemed to perk up at this and before long their food arrived. Soon the pair found themselves chatting about friends and recent events. “So I told Dash, ‘I appreciate the thought, but the carrot patch is that way.’ Big Macintosh was soaked to the bone, and boy howdy, was he ever furious with her!”

Twilight broke out laughing at her anecdote. She wasn’t quite sure how this was any different than just spending time with Applejack as a friend, but she had to admit that she was certainly enjoying herself. “That sounds like her. I admire her bravery, but Rainbow Dash really needs to learn how to aim before she leaps into action.”

Applejack chuckled. “She really is quite somethin’. Can’t think of anypony I’d rather have at my back if Nightmare Moon returned, but I can think of quite a few I’d sooner trust with a thundercloud.”

After dinner, the pair trotted over to the bowling alley. “You’re taking me bowling?” she asked Applejack.

“You said ya wanted stuff that’s simple and familiar. Way I see it, bowlin’s somethin’ we might be inclined to do even just as friends. It don’t need to have no romantic connotation to it, so I reckoned it might be a good place for our date.”

Twilight felt a small warmth inside of her. Applejack had not only listened to her concerns, but had chosen their venue in an effort to allay any lingering discomfort she might have at the thought of being on this date. “Thank you,” she told her. “I really appreciate this.”

Twilight didn’t tell her that she’d never actually bowled before, but ultimately she didn’t need to. As soon as it came her turn to throw, it was immediately apparent that she didn’t know what she was doing. She placed the ball in front of the lane and studied it for a moment. She looked around at the other bowlers and watch the way they struck it with their hoof to get it to roll, then she tried the same thing.

“OW!” Twilight shouted as the bowl began its gradual roll. It entered the lane, immediately sidelined towards the gutter, and left the pins untouched. Twilight sat down and cradled her hoof while Applejack approached.

“You ain’t never done this before?”

Twilight looked down, dejected. “Most sports have never really been a hobby of mine.”

“Well, don’t worry. I’m here to teach ya.” Applejack retrieved Twilight’s ball from the ball return and set it down in front of her before taking a seat right beside her. “First problem is your angle was all wrong. You’re tryin’ to hit it forward, not drive it down into the floor. Instead of pushin’ it, ya wound up punchin’ it, and a ball this heavy don’t take kindly to that kind of abuse.”

Twilight nodded. “I put too much downwards force into it.”

“You sure did. Now try it again, sugarcube. It’s still your turn ‘til another ball reaches the end of the lane.”

Twilight nodded. She stood up and this time she lowered her head to the ball, carefully staring down the lane and calculating her trajectory. She took a step back, then swung forward and smacked the ball forwards. It entered the line at a reasonable pace right in the middle, steadied in the center, and then started to drift and landed in the gutter again.

Twilight hung her head low, but Applejack assured her, “It takes practice, but look at that. Your ball made it a lot farther ‘fore it hit the gutter.” Twilight took the compliment and resigned herself to keep trying.

Every time Twilight’s turn came up, she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. She felt the piercing gaze of a set of eyes on her, and it made her self-conscious. It wasn’t until the fourth round that she realized it was actually Applejack. She glanced over too suddenly after throwing her ball and saw her companion quickly divert her gaze to the scorecard.

This was a new experience and it certainly felt very awkward, but at the same time, Twilight didn’t know whether she should say anything. Was this a normal part of the dating experience? Would she be depriving Applejack or herself of some critical element if she asked her to stop? Ultimately, she resigned to simply tolerate it, despite how weird it seemed to her.

They finished out their set, then they took a couple more. By that point, Twilight had actually begun enjoying the game. “It’s all math,” she explained. “This game is about calculating angles, judging for weight, and measuring velocity to ensure the optimal impact.”
“Uh,” Applejack blinked. “If you say so. I just huck the ball and see what it hits.”

“Well, yes, there’s that too.” Twilight looked down. “I admit, the hardest part is simply getting my hooves to do what I need them to do. But I feel like I’m getting it.”

After the game, Twilight and Applejack exited the bowling alley. The sun was already approaching the horizon. Princess Luna would be raising the moon before long. “Twilight, would you come back to the farm with me? There’s somethin’ I’d like to show you.” Applejack asked.

“Of course I will.” Twilight followed her through the gates and they headed out to the top of the highest hill. “What are we looking for?”

As the sun touched the horizon, Applejack told her, “Just wait. You’ll know it when it comes.” Twilight sat down next to Applejack and studied her face. Her eyes were turned over the South Orchard, the treetops of which were easily visible from this altitude.

“I don’t understand. What’s going to-” and then she saw it. As the sun dipped across the horizon, it sent up brilliant red and orange glows that filled the sky. The light painted the trees in the colors of autumn, and together they danced with the sky. It was one of the most beautiful things Twilight had ever seen.

“This is it,” Applejack quietly told her, still staring across the trees. “I used to come up here and watch the sun go down every day when I was a filly. I’ve seen my orchard in full bloom during the harvest season more times than I can remember. I’ve seen the light of Zap Apples firing off one after another in a concert of light. But I ain’t never seen nothin’ so pretty as my apple grove gets when it’s all lit up by the glow of twilight.”

Twilight was at a loss for words. Part of her thought that was really corny, but she was also taken aback by Applejack’s sincerity. She was afraid to speak, knowing that saying the wrong thing could easily offend her dear friend. Instead, she simply sat there and said, “It’s beautiful, Applejack. Thank you for showing this to me.”

Together, they watched the sun go down, and then Applejack spoke up. “I should probably walk ya home.”

As the pair headed for the library, Twilight asked, “What do you think the others are going to say when they hear about this?”

Applejack chuckled. “I’m sure Rarity’s probably going to gasp in horror. ‘You went out with HER! But she’s so muddy!’”

Twilight laughed. “Rainbow Dash will probably try to challenge me to a race to prove I’m good enough for you.”

Applejack chuckled. “Nah, Dash is cool. Pinkie’s the one I’m really worried about. She’s going to scream so loud they can hear it in Canterlot.”

Twilight laughed. “If she doesn’t explode, you mean. Boom! And suddenly there’s little Pinkies running around everywhere, and we have to catch them up and put them back together into one big Pinkie so she can scream at an optimal decibel.”

“That’s if ponies don’t start takin’ the tiny Pinkies home as pets, y’mean.”

Twilight let out a giggle. “That’s true. I certainly wouldn’t mind a little mini-Pinkie. She’d probably drive Spike nuts, though.”

“Speaking of,” Applejack mentioned, “that’s your library up ahead.”

It was finally time to part ways. It was on the walk to the library that she realized there was one key distinction about this being a date. She’d read about it in her books several times, and although she was nervous, she realized this was her opportunity to experience it for the first time. With Applejack.

“Here ya are, sugarcube,” Applejack told her as they approached the door. Something about that word puzzled Twilight. AJ had used it so many times in the past that it wasn’t like it held a special meaning. Still, under this new date context for their relationship, it felt like it was supposed to touch her in a deeper way than usual. She resigned herself to think more on it on the next date, then caught herself already thinking about a next date without having discussed it with Applejack. Curious.

“Thank you for walking me home,” Twilight said, flashing a smile. She found she was also becoming more aware of the expressions she gave, because it felt like every move or look she passed to Applejack was reflected in her. Again, it wasn’t so different from ordinary friendships, but Applejack did seem even more sensitive to changes in her mood under this new context.

“You’re welcome, Twilight. To be honest, it was more selfish than anythin’. I just wanted to spend a little more time with ya before tonight ends. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I was doin’ most of tonight, but it’s been the most magical evening of my whole life.”

Twilight braced herself for what was coming. She wasn’t quite sure she was ready for it, but it was part of the experiment as well so she was certain it had to be done. But Applejack merely bowed her head and started to walk away. “Thank ya kindly for indulgin’ my feelin’s, Twi. I really appreciated it.”

Confused and disappointed, Twilight called after her. “Applejack, wait!” Applejack stopped, turning back. “Isn’t it customary for a date to end in a goodnight kiss?”

Applejack trotted back across the field, her face stained red in a blush. “I wasn’t gonna make ya or nothing. It means a lot to me that ya even said yes in the first place. I don’t want to push.”

“It’s not pushing,” Twilight insisted. “I agreed to this date because I wanted to explore the new kinds of experiences it could offer, and kissing you at the end of the night is part of that. I’m not going to be very satisfied if I don’t get my-MMMMPH!” She was surprised by the suddenness with which it happened. She hadn’t even finished speaking when Applejack was in her face, lips locking with hers.

She had, in the short time she’d anticipated this, expected Applejack’s lips to taste like sweet apples. Instead, it was mostly a bit of salad from earlier this evening mixed with a bit of dirt and grime she assumed Applejack had picked up from working in the fields. Not quite the fantasy she’d invented in her head.

Yet it was not altogether unpleasant. There was something electric in the kiss that jolted through her entire body. She could feel the warmth of Applejack’s passion, of her desire, in a way that finally made it all real. Applejack had feelings for her. Applejack, the Element of Honesty and one of her dearest friends, wanted to pursue a romantic relationship. No matter how it went, nothing might ever be the same.

When the kiss finally broke, Twilight’s head was spinning. She had so much to think about. She looked at Applejack’s face and saw happiness and fulfillment there, and for a moment it terrified her to think of how much was about to change.

Several seconds passed before anyone said anything. It was Applejack who spoke up finally. “I, uh…I should probably let ya head inside, then….”

Twilight blinked, coming out of her daze. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be a good idea. Thank you, Applejack. I had a good evening.” As Applejack began to walk away, Twilight suddenly realized she hadn’t brought that up. Calling after her, she shouted, “Oh, and I get to pick the next date!” Then she headed inside.

Not two seconds after the door closed, Twilight was frantically calling through the library. “SPIKE! Spike, where are you?!”

Spike came out of his room dressed up in his pajamas, rubbing his eye and yawning. “What’s going on? Did something happen? Are you—wait, did you JUST get home? What time is it?”

“That’s not important!” Twilight insisted. She needed to get this out while all these thoughts and feelings were still fresh in her head. “I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia! It is absolutely urgent!”

Spike yawned again, but he picked up his quill and that was the most important thing to Twilight.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” she dictated. “Today was full of surprises beyond anything I could have expected. When you first agreed to let me stay here, I was sure that it was an opportunity to explore the many different facets of friendship, but I never imagined that I would find myself discovering something even more delightfully complex.

Today, I went on a date with Applejack—“

“You did WHAT?!” Spike interrupted. He hadn’t meant to, but it struck him so hard that he couldn’t help himself. He understood the words she was using on their own, but assembled in that order, they painted a picture he couldn’t fathom.

“Spike, please focus,” Twilight insisted. “I’ll answer any questions when we’re done.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Spike turned his attention back to writing.

“Today, I went on a date with Applejack. It was a tremendous surprise when she asked, but I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to learn new things about different kinds of friendships, and I was right. I’m still trying to put together all the different nuances of her behavior, but I feel like this could be a great chance to learn more, both about friendship and about myself.”

“I’m still not sure what the difference between being on a date and spending time with someone as a friend is, but I’m sure I’ll learn as time goes by. I’ve already agreed to a second date. One distinction I’ve already picked out is the kiss.” Spike blushed as he wrote that part. He wasn’t sure he really should be privy to this information. “There’s something about the kiss that I couldn’t quite place. There was an energy to it. A warmth I never expected. I’m probably going to have to perform more experiments before I fully understand it,” Twilight giggled.

“But it felt very nice and it made me feel like I made the right choice. I worry that by agreeing to my first date, I feel like I’m opening up a door inside myself to dangerous new emotions. I’m scared of what it could mean for the friendships I have, especially with Applejack. But I’m also kind of excited, and I can think of nopony that I can trust with my feelings more than her. Applejack promised me that we’d be friends no matter what happens, and I believe her.”

“So, to conclude, I will keep you appraised of any new findings I make as I explore new paths in my relationship with Applejack. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike put down the quill, rolled up the document, and sent it off with a puff of magic fire. He then immediately turned on Twilight. “Okay, now what’s going on?”

Twilight beamed at him. “Just what I said. Applejack asked me on a date tonight and it went really well.”

“Applejack, huh?” Spike blinked. “Wow. I never would have expected that.”

Climbing out of bed the next morning, Twilight thought to herself. I wonder what Applejack’s doing right now? She giggled. I’m supposed to think about stuff like that now. I bet she’s out bucking the apples right now. Or getting ready to buck apples. Or… It occurred to Twilight that she didn’t know much about what Applejack did on the farm apart from applebucking. She’d have to correct that.

Sauntering downstairs, she was surprised by the sudden presence of Rarity in the library. Before she could get so much as a good morning out, Rarity asked, “Is it true, darling?”

Twilight blinked. “Uh…good morning? Is what true?”

“Well, Cheerilee says she heard from Octavia that Lyra and Bon Bon were-” Twilight’s eyes started to unfocus from the gossip chain, so Rarity kindly skipped it. “Never mind. The point is, people are beginning to say that you and Applejack were spotted last night having some manner of romantic tryst!”

With a raised eyebrow, Twilight explained. “We had dinner and went bowling. I’m not sure what that’s about.”

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, trotting around the table to Twilight. “Oh, that is wonderful. See it’s just like I was trying to say to Cheerilee; you can never trust that den of vipers Ponyville calls its rumor mill. The lengths that some people will go to manufacture a scandal is simply-”

“Wait, hold on,” Twilight clarified. “I mean, it wasn’t some big lovey tryst or anything, but Applejack and I did go on a date last night.”

Rarity froze where she was standing. Her mind raced to recalibrate the statements she’d just said before she spoke again. “O…of course. That’s…I’m so happy for you.”

“Uh-huh. That’s not what it sounded like.”

“Oh, that was….” Rarity sighed. “I’m terribly sorry, I shouldn’t pry. You know I adore you both and would never speak ill of Applejack. I’m just not sure what you have in common, is all.”

Twilight perked up, curious. “Why should that matter?”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Oh, I am just digging a deeper and deeper hole for myself, aren’t I?”

“No,” Twilight shook her head. “I meant that. You see, I’m trying to study the differences in romantic behavior versus friendships and you sound like you know more on the subject than I do. I’d appreciate whatever help you could offer me.”

Rarity smiled warmly. “I would be delighted. So, this is all some kind of experiment? Oh, that makes so much more sense. To think, I was beginning to worry you and Applejack had some kind of feelings for each other.”

Twilight was surprised once again by Rarity’s candid disdain for the idea. “Would that be a bad thing? I thought that was how a romantic relationship is supposed to happen.”

“Well, no, it’s just…we have so much to talk about.”

Twilight nodded. “You might be right. There’s still so much to learn. And I have to figure out a way to break the news to Pinkie without her deafening half the town in excitement.”

Rarity’s eyes filled with pity and she shook her head. “Oh, darling. She’s been standing behind you for this entire conversation.”

Twilight turned her head and instantly her vision was filled with Pinkie Pie’s gigantic grin. “CONGRATULATIONS!!!” came the booming sound of her excitement, no longer able to be contained.

Congratu-adulations!
To you, also to y-ou…

Pinkie stopped and glared at the empty space next to Twilight. “There’s supposed to be an Applejack here. This needs fixing!”

“Pinkie, wait!” Twilight shouted, but she was out the door and gone before the unicorn even knew what happened.

Another solid kick and another tree’s worth of apples came tumbling down into the baskets. Applejack lifted her hat to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The sun was high in the sky, and that meant she still had a long day of work ahead of her. She didn’t have time to start wearing down now, especially not after starting off as slow as she had.

She tried to keep her mind to work but it kept drifting back to last night. She traced the curves of Twilight’s features in her imagination as she carried the baskets. She remembered the taste of Twilight’s lips as she lined up her kick. She could hear the sweet sound of Twilight’s voice as Rainbow Dash tumbled out of the tree and sprawled on the dirt below. It had been everything she’d hoped for and—wait.

“Rainbow?! What in tarnation were ya doin’ up there?”

“Looking for you!” Dash shot back.

“Well, ya didn’t seem to be lookin’ too hard when I was settin’ up my baskets.”

“So I might have gotten bored and took a nap. It’s a big farm! You should have, like, a schedule or something of where you’re going to be when you’re working.”

“We have a schedule, thank you.”

“Yeah, but I mean a physical one.”

“It’s posted on the barn.”

“I can’t keep track of all these changes you make!”

“Been up there for three weeks.”

“Look, that’s not important!”

“Well, it’s important to me ‘cause it helps us keep track of where everypony’s workin’ each day.”

“I wanted to talk about yesterday!”

“Yesterday I was in the South Orchard. It’s right there on the schedule.”

“ENOUGH ABOUT THE SCHEDULE!!!” Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to tear her mane out. “Twilight. After a moon and a half of keeping your secret, you owe me details. Everypony in town is already talking about it! I have friend privileges; you can’t keep this from me!”

“Alright,” Applejack complied. “Help me load up the carts, though. We can talk, but I’m workin’.”

Rarity stirred her tea magically as she addressed Twilight. “Listen. You are a dear friend and I want nothing more than to see you happy. The same is true of Applejack. But I don’t know if either of you understand the risk that this experiment of yours poses. These kinds of relationships…they go wrong, Twilight, and the damage can be catastrophic.”

“I know that,” Twilight answered her. “When she asked me on that date, Applejack made me a Pinkie Promise. We agreed that we’d always look after our friendships first. You need to know that I’d never do anything to jeopardize any of my friendships and neither would she. If it doesn’t work out then we’ll end it, but we’ll be friends no matter what.” Twilight felt a strange pang of hurt at the thought of breaking things off, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

Rarity sighed. “You need to know that I have nothing against Applejack. I just don’t know that she’s a very good fit for you and that worries me. She’s so physical and so…grimy…all the time. And you’re, well…you’re not. I adore you, but you’re not. What are you planning to do? Lay out in the orchard and read your books to her while she’s tending her crops?”

At the suggestion, Twilight jumped up from the table. “That’s actually a great idea. Thank you, Rarity! I can also prepare a lunch for her while I’m at it; I’m sure she’s probably bound to get hungry, working as hard as she does. Would you lend me a hand in the kitchen?”

Rarity smiled. “Of course, I would. I’m not yet convinced that this endeavor you have both embarked upon is a good idea, but if there’s ever anything I can do to help it go smoothly, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“She said what?” Fluttering in front of Applejack, Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“She called it an experiment,” Applejack repeated herself. “I don’t rightly know what to make of it, but at least it got my hoof in the door. You should have seen her last night, Rainbow. She was positively glowin’.” Applejack closed her eyes and drifted off into memory. “’And when we kissed, it was like-“

“Wait, hold up, you actually got her to KISS you?”

Applejack smiled, fondly immersed in the memory. “Not at all, Rainbow. She asked me to. I was all set to say goodnight and be on my way, but she insisted that the date end with a kiss. It was magical.”

“Well, that’s certainly something,” Dash acknowledged. “You probably shouldn’t worry too much about all that experiment talk, then. It sounds like she’s coming down hard with Applejack Fever!”

“Yeah, I hope so. Now all I gotta do is figure out how to break the news to the others. Pinkie’s gonna be the hardest. I made a Pinkie Promise and all, so I’m gonna have to tell her about that sometime.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “That shouldn’t be too hard. She’s been standing right behind you this whole time.”

“She what?” Applejack turned and her vision was filled with Pinkie’s eyes, huge as dinner plates. “CONGRATULATIONS!!!” she exploded in a cry that shook the trees.

Congratu-adulations
To you, also to y-ou…

Pinkie stopped and glared at the empty space next to Applejack. “You know, for a pair of special someponies, you two are doing an awful lot of not being around each other.”

Applejack blushed. “I wouldn’t call us that right yet. We just had our first date and all. Twilight offered a second but—“

“Twilight offered the second date?” If Dash grinned any harder, Applejack was sure her mouth would fly right off into the sky and maybe go do her job. “Oh, you charmer! You’ll have her eating out of your hoof in no time!”

Applejack fixed a stern gaze at Dash. “I’m not…that’s not what I—“

“SOOOOOOO what’s this I hear about a Pinkie Promise?” Pinkie hopped expectantly in front of Applejack.

“Well, the deal is, I promised Twilight that no matter what happens, we’d always put our friendships above our datin’. If it becomes a choice ‘tween our friends and bein’ snuggly together, y’all come first.”

Pinkie gasped. “That is SO SWEET. That might just be the best Pinkie Promise I’ve heard yet!”

Applejack rubbed her neck with her hoof. “It was her idea, truth be told. She wanted a promise. I just upgraded it to a Pinkie Promise, on account of wantin’ to impress her and all. But I’m as good as my word, so those are the rules.”

Pinkie swooned. “That is the sweetest thing. You two will be SO GREAT together!”

“I’m sure,” Dash chuckled. “C’mon, AJ, spill! What’s your super-secret plan for getting Twilight to melt like jelly on your next date? You’ve got to have something.”

“Well, the first part of any good super-secret plan would be not tellin’ it right in front of her,” Applejack answered.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight greeted her cheerily, trotting up the path behind the fluttering pegasus. Her saddlebags were loaded down but she looked like she was on top of the world. “Has everypony been talking about me?”

“Oh, Twilight! I, um, you see we were….” Dash blanched, struggling for an answer.

But Twilight just kept smiling. “It’s okay if you have. The books I’ve read said that after a first date, it’s common for both parties to confer with their closest friends to discuss the events and how they will pertain to their ongoing life. I’ve done a little of that about Applejack today, and it’s nice to know you were all thinking of me as well.”

Then she looked right at Applejack and told her, “I’ve prepared a picnic lunch for you today, for whenever you get hungry. I thought it might be nice to spend some time together. Rarity had a lovely idea that I would like to discuss with you, whenever you’re finished decompressing about our night together.”

As Twilight started to trot past them and towards a small clearing in the orchard grove, Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack, “Okay, Romantic Twilight is downright eerie. I have no idea what to make of that…calmness….”

“WAIT A MINUTE!!!” Pinkie shouted, zipping in front of Twilight to push her back towards Applejack. “I have waited ALL DAY to sing my song
and I’M GOING TO SING IT!!!”

Applejack just blinked, but Twilight nodded. “Very well, Pinkie. I would be delighted to hear it.”

Congratu-adulations
To you, also to you!
You’ve taken that first step
On adventures fresh and new
You’ve made the choice
To take that chance
And now’s your time
To find romance
Congratu-adulations
On this wonderful breakthrough
Congratu-adulations
To you, also to you!!!

Twilight blushed as Applejack nuzzled her. “Thank you, Pinkie. That was beautiful.”

Pinkie sprang forward and pulled the two into a hug. “I’m going to be throwing you a getting together party! It’ll be tomorrow afternoon. I hope you both can come, it will be a very poor getting together party if you aren’t together at it.”

Twilight looked to Applejack, who nodded. “We’ll be there.”

As Pinkie stood up away from them, Twilight asked, “Now, if nopony minds, would it be possible for me and Applejack to have some time alone. There are a few things I would like to discuss with her and, also, lunch.”

“Read you loud and clear,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Come on, Pinkie. Let’s go see if Fluttershy’s heard the news yet.”

It was on the third date that Twilight agreed to dinner at the Farm. She would have agreed on the first, but Applejack hadn’t asked. “I know y’already know my family and all that,” Applejack explained, “but it’s customary fer us Apples to bring a pony we got our eyes on home. But we don’t have to do that yet if ya think it’ll make things awkward, ‘cause of your experiment and all.”

Twilight smiled. “That’s not going to be a problem at all. I would love for you to introduce me to the family, Applejack. The books I’ve read have always been so mean about the family of your Very Special Somepony and it would be a great opportunity to see for myself whether any of it is warranted.”

Applejack blushed at the words ‘Very Special Somepony’. “Oh, are we….?”

“What? Oh, no, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m ready to be Very Special Someponies just yet, although I am open to the possibility. Our clinical trial has gone very well so far, and I’ve already recorded a wide variety of observations on the interactions of…do I have something on my face?”

“Nah,” Applejack grinned. “You’re just cute when you’re lost in your books and papers. I’ve always admired that big brain of yours.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was as much as she was comfortable sharing. She didn’t want to mention that every time Twilight slipped into talking about studies and experiments, she felt a pang of hurt inside.

She wasn’t lying when she said that the enthusiasm with which Twilight threw herself into their dates had endeared her even more, but the idea that she thought of her as a subject or a sample or a point of data on some chart stung. She wouldn’t say anything about it, though; the last thing she wanted was to trample on Twilight’s feelings and wind up ending the experiment.

Maybe in enough time, she thought, it might go away. Either Twilight’s exclusive focus on the studious aspects of their relationship or her own feelings of hurt about them. Either way, she felt the best thing to do was to just keep on going.

But no matter what, she couldn’t quiet that voice inside her that kept whispering, this ain’t what I wanted. She was still hearing it when they arrived at the Apples’ door. Opening the door, she called out to the family, “Hey, y’all! We’re here!”

Apple Bloom was laying out on the couch when Applejack and Twilight entered. She was on her hooves in seconds, with a great big gasp escaping her lips. “It’s true!”

Twilight laughed. “Hello, Apple Bloom. How have you been? Is school going well?”

“I’m okay,” Apple Bloom answered. “But that’s not important! Is it true you’re datin’ my sister, Twilight? Have ya kissed?”

“Apple Bloom….” Applejack warned sternly.

“No, it’s okay,” Twilight assured her. “I came here tonight expecting to be grilled. Yes, Apple Bloom, it’s true. Tonight is our third date, in fact. As for kissing....” she glanced over to Applejack.

But the farm pony cut her off. “You’re hard to resist, Twi, but let’s not traumatize my little sister. Or cause her to do somethin’ that might puncture my ears.”

“SOUP’S ON!!!” Granny Smith called through the house. Twilight started for the kitchen, but Applejack held up a hoof to stop her.

“Big Macintosh is cookin’ tonight. I don’ know what that was about.”

“Why don’t’cha sit down?” Apple Bloom asked eagerly. “I wanna hear all about how ya got together! What makes ya so interested in my sister!”

Panic seized Applejack’s heart for a moment. The last thing she wanted was Twilight going on about experiments and clinical trials and studies in the middle of her family dinner. She had no interest in answering the questions that would inevitably come with them.

But as she took a seat on the couch, Twilight had a different answer in mind. “The thing I like most about Applejack is how hard-working and dedicated she is. She does so much every single day to take care of her family and her friends, and she never lets it get her down. She’s gone out of her way to help me, personally, on so many occasions. She is the bravest, the strongest, and the most honest pony I’ve ever met.”

Twilight flashed Applejack a quick smile. “So when she asked me, how could I say anything but yes? It may not be in the same way as what she feels for me, but I admire Applejack.”

Applejack was speechless. It was an awful lot closer to the kind of answer she’d been hoping for when she first asked Twilight on her date. As she tried to formulate a thought, Big Macintosh could be heard shouting from the kitchen. “Soup is actually on this time!”

Dinner proved to be a lot of fun. Apple Bloom insisted on sitting next to Twilight and refused to stop with personal questions. “If she’s goin’ to be my new big sister,” she insisted, “then I wanna know all I can about her.” Applejack insisted that Apple Bloom was getting far ahead of herself, but Twilight seemed to pay it no mind. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying the questions.

By the time dinner was over, it almost felt natural for Twilight to be there. Applejack felt as if Twilight had always been one of the Apples, and they were only now noticing. But the time inevitably came for Twilight to head home. “Can I get a moment’a privacy?” Applejack asked the family as she saw Twilight to the door.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh answered, picking up Apple Bloom and marching upstairs.

“Thank ya for comin’, Twilight,” Applejack told her. “It meant a lot to me to have you here tonight.”

“Of course. This was a wonderful experience for me.” Twilight leaned her head into Applejack’s neck and nuzzled down her—

“OW!” Applejack jerked up.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Twilight insisted.

“I’m okay, really. What was…Twi, was that your horn what just jabbed into me?”

“I am so, so sorry. I’ve never done that before and I wasn’t paying attention and-"

“It’s okay, Twi,” Applejack insisted. “I still love ya. It feels like it’s just a scrape. I’ve been hurt worse than this during applebucking plenty of times. Just be more careful in the…what?”

Twilight had gone still as a statue, staring at Applejack. It took her a moment to realize, but then the words caught up to her too. ‘Ah still love ya’.

“Oh. Oh, no, I probably said that way too early, didn’t I? I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I got powerful feelin’s for ya, but I don’t want to make things awkward or nothing.”

Twilight took a look back around the house. She stepped back into the dining room and looked at the table settings in place. She looked up the stairs at where Big Macintosh had taken Apple Bloom. And she looked back at Applejack, like she was seeing her again for the first time.

The reality of everything that was happening struck her right then and there. The Apples had welcomed her into their home like she was one of them, because she was with Applejack. And she was with Applejack, that also sank in.

“Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” There was that word again. Applejack used it for many of her friends and family, but it had a new connotation now. So many things that were once innocuous, things like spending time with the Apples, had new connotations. What had Apple Bloom called her? ‘New big sister?’ Was she about to become Twilight Apple? Was she okay with that?

“Applejack,” Twilight whispered. She turned to look at her. She hadn’t meant to, but Applejack had gone there. She’d said the words. ‘I love you, Twilight Sparkle.’ Maybe not in that order, Twilight admitted, but she had. “I…Applejack, I….”

Applejack could see her struggling with indecision and confusion, though. Before Twilight could finish, she stepped forward and kissed her. “Don’t force yourself, Twi. Ah told ya not to force anything, and that’s especially true of this. I don’t want to hear those words unless ya mean ‘em. I can wait forever if I have to, but I want it to be special.”

Relief washed over Twilight’s face as she looked down. “I should probably get going, then.”

“Yeah,” Applejack agreed. “I’m sure ye’ve got a lot to do. Gotta record those findin’s ‘n stuff.”

Twilight nodded vigorously. “After today, I might just have a new letter to Princess Celestia to write. Goodnight, Applejack. Sweet dreams.”

“She said what?!” Rarity was positively flummoxed.

Twilight didn’t usually join her and Fluttershy at the spa, but she desperately needed someone to talk to. Last night’s events were weighing heavily on her mind. “She said she loved me. I don’t know how to—wait, what is she doing with my hoof?”

“Oh, you’ve never had a hooficure before, have you?” Rarity tilted her head back and laid it on the pillow behind her as the beauticians began their work.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. Of all the treatments the spa could offer, this was not her favorite. She didn’t even really see the point of it, given that it would only be a matter of time before it was ruined by dirt, leaves, and twigs but Rarity often insisted. “It goes easier if you cooperate,” she assured Twilight.

Twilight nervously tried to copy Rarity and just lie back, but there were ponies messing around with her hooves. It felt like an uncomfortable invasion of her space. She swallowed hard and tried to get back to the matter at hoof. “Right. Anyways. Applejack told me she loved me, and I just started stammering like an idiot. I wasn’t expecting things to move so fast.”

“She actually said it just like that?” Rarity asked. “Just came right out and said, ‘I love you, Twilight Sparkle’?”

Fluttershy blushed. “Aww. That’s so sweet.”

Twilight looked down, but then spotted the beautician beginning to file her hoof and quickly looked back up again. “Not exactly like that, no. I think it might have been an accident, but I’m worried. When I started this trial—“

Fluttershy looked over at her. “Trial? Like an experiment?”

“Twilight’s only pretending to be interested in Applejack,” Rarity explained.

“What?! No!” insisted Twilight. “It’s a clinical trial to allow Applejack to explore the feelings she has for me and determine whether or not I’m capable of returning them.”

“Oh, I get it,” Fluttershy nodded. “Like when I’m trying out a new idea I have for helping one of my animal friends. I don’t want to just jump into it all at once. What if it doesn’t work or, worse, causes more problems? So I ease them into it slowly and I watch and see what kind of effect it has.”

“YES! THANK YOU!” Twilight shouted. “Somebody understands.”

“So then why does her declaration bother you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Because…because I’m worried about what’s going to happen if it doesn’t work out. I thought I could take things slowly, treat each experience as it comes, but now I’m worried that Applejack is getting too invested. I don’t want to hurt her.”

Rarity fixed a piercing gaze on Twilight. “Then answer me this. Do you, Twilight Sparkle, actually feel any of the sort of feelings Applejack has for you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what it would feel like if I did. I thought I might just work things out with time, but now I’m starting to get scared.”

“Are you even attracted to her physically?”

“What?” Twilight blushed. “A…attracted to Applejack?”

“Does the thought of being physically close with her, being touched by her, held by her, fill you with a burning desire? Or does it just make you uncomfortable?”

“Well...” Twilight closed her eyes as she thought. “We have shared a few kisses and I accidentally scratched her with my horn, but I don’t know about ‘burning desire’.”

“I think you need to take some time and really think about what you’re doing. You’re playing with powerful emotions and I don’t think you fully understand them. What’s worse, you’re leading poor Applejack into believing that she has a future with you when you don’t even know for yourself if that’s something you want.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Twilight accepted. “I’ll talk to Applejack tonight.”

Twilight spent the rest of the day in the library, thinking about the dates she’d had with Applejack. Rarity wasn’t wrong. Applejack was getting invested quicker than she’d anticipated and now there was a very real risk of causing irreparable harm if she allowed the relationship to continue like this.

“I’m sorry, Applejack,” she said to the empty library, wishing to herself she’d never agreed to that date in the first place. As the sun began to go down, she knew Applejack would be finishing up the harvest soon and made up her mind to go meet her.

As she walked, she thought about herself and her feelings. She thought about the tingling she’d felt, the energy in Applejack’s lips when she kissed her. She thought about the warmth that entered her body when Applejack explained to her the custom behind the family dinner. But she also thought of the emptiness and fear when Applejack said those terrible words.

Am I ready for so much to change? Do I even want it to? Or would I rather go back to what she and I had before. If I let this run any longer, will I lose the chance to go back? What if it’s already gone now?

As she entered Sweet Apple Acres, she saw Applejack headed for the house. “Applejack!” she called. The farm pony turned and spotted her, and Twilight saw how her eyes lit up the moment she realized she was there. She felt a pang of guilt for it.

“Hey, Twi!” Applejack cantered up, with a smile on her face so happy that Twilight would swear she was possessed by Pinkie. “What brings ya ‘round these parts?”

Twilight didn’t answer at first. She knew what she had to do, but she was terrified to do it. Once those words left her lips, her dear friend’s heart was going to shatter into a million pieces. She took another look at the farm house and her mind raced for a way to start. She could hear Rarity’s voice in her head. “Are you even attracted to her physically?”

“Applejack,” she started. She looked AJ right in the eyes and could see how her initial enthusiasm had since turned to concern. Twilight’s eyes drifted over the rest of her physique. She was built strong, with powerful hind legs for kicking. Her hair was like fresh picked corn in the early morning sun. And there was that silly hat she always wore. Twilight had never asked about it, but couldn’t picture her without it.

Was she attracted? She didn’t know. What would that even feel like? Making up her mind, she decided that one last test was in order. “Applejack, I need you to kiss me.”

“What’s this about, Twi?”

“Please,” Twilight blinked away a tear. She was crying? Just a little, but it was as much a shock to her as to Applejack. “Please don’t ask me questions right now. Just kiss me.”

Without another second’s hesitation, Applejack stepped forward and captured Twilight’s lips in her own. Twilight closed her eyes and felt the warmth and energy from her lips, still every bit as present as it was the first time. She felt the way it made her heart tingle like nothing she’d ever done before. The way it set her whole body on fire.

When Applejack broke the kiss, Twilight opened her eyes and stared at her, vision blurred over with streams of water pouring from her eyes from what she’d come to do. She knew what had to come next, and it was time for her to do it.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Applejack asked.

Twilight took a deep breath, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “Applejack, it would be my greatest privilege if you’d accompany me on a date tonight.”

2 - The Tremor

Nothing had gone to plan. Well, that’s not fair. When you’re dealing in chaos, nothing’s supposed to go to plan. Chaos is the plan. So, in a way, it was a rousing success, but that proved to be little consolation.

The time to act had come and went. Now was the time to wait. To watch. To observe. He knew that opportunity would strike in time. The chisel was already in play. All he needed now was the tiniest crack.

“We are gathered here today to once again honor the heroism of these six friends who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos!” With these words and a profound cheer from the gathered assembly, Princess Celestria revealed a great new stained glass window of Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeating Discord.

It was the proudest moment of any of their lives, apart from that other time when they defeated Nightmare Moon and restored Princess Luna.

After the unveiling came the celebrations, and they lasted long into the night. Applejack had just left the buffet line for the second time when she was startled to hear a voice behind her. “Excuse me, Applejack? Would you mind taking a walk with me?”

None other than Princess Celestia was towering over her, her rainbow mane flowing in the air. “O-of course not!” Applejack replied. How could she say no to Princess Celestia?

“Thank you,” the Princess replied. “I promise it won’t take long.” As Celestia trotted out the ballroom doors, Applejack stole a glance at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, staring right at her. Rainbow Dash returned her look of abject terror, and then out the door she went.

“She’s toast,” Dash uttered to Fluttershy.

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t know why the Princess would want to speak with her in private, but it can’t be anything bad, can it?”

“Are you kidding?! She’s been canoodling with the Princess's student. She is royally screwed!”

“Oh,” Fluttershy looked down at her glass. “I should go get more punch. Then we can toast to Applejack’s memory.”

Outside, Applejack and Princess Celestia walked along the veranda. Celestia breathed in the cool night air and looked up at the moon, still beginning its ascent. “It’s a wonderful night tonight. My sister has really outdone herself.”

“It is quite lovely,” Applejack reckoned. “My, uh…my compliments to Luna.”

“I’ll be sure to pass them along.” Turning her attention fully to the matter at hand, Celestia asked Applejack, “Do you know why I wanted to speak with you?”

“Is it about Twi and me? I swear I don’t mean for any harm to come to her! She just means a whole bunch to me and she’s smart and pretty and I’m ramblin’ now so you probably think I’m an idiot or something but I’m only tryin’ to do right by her.”

Celestia giggled. “Calm down, Applejack. I trust that you have only the best intentions. Twilight’s written enough about all five of you that I feel as though I’ve known you for years. She’s very thorough when something catches her interest.”

“Oh, right,” Applejack looked down, embarrassment glowing in her cheeks. “She writes about us, doesn’t she?”

“Don’t worry. She leaves out the really private details.” The wink Celestia gave her sent a chill down Applejack’s spine. “But that is what I wanted to talk to you about. It was about three weeks ago that you introduced Twilight to your family. Which wasn’t much of an ordeal, I understand, given that she already knew them.”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah-huh. Little Apple Bloom’s already taken to callin’ her a new sister and has an uncanny knack for findin’ just the right times to ask the most embarrassin’ of questions. Big Macintosh is a bit harder to read, but I think he’s warmed up to Twilight mighty quickly. And Granny Smith? Well, she’s just happy I’m not goin’ for some highfalutin’ society pony.”

Then she considered the words she’d just said. “Although I guess bein’ your student and all, Twi’s about as high as one could probably falute, but the point is she don’t act like it. She’s humble and she cares about all of us. It’s easy to forget that she’s a unicorn of quite some status.”

Celestia looked down at Applejack. “Your candidness does you a great service. And what of your parents? What did they think of her?”

“They….” Applejack choked back her feelings, then tried again. “They ain’t exactly around no more. It’s just me, my brother and sister, and our Granny Smith.”

“Oh, how careless of me,” Celestia lowered her head. “You have my sincerest apology for bringing up such a tragic loss for you.”

“Yeah, well, it is how it is. We’ve learned to live with it. We Apples are built tough.”

“So I see. I’m beginning to understand why my student is so enamored with you. Well, I suppose it’s time we get down to the reason I pulled you away. Twilight Sparkle is a very dear student to me, and I wanted to take some time getting a measure of your character in person before I made my decision. Applejack, you have my formal blessing to continue pursuing this relationship with her.”

“Hoo-nelly,” Applejack was struck by the Princess’s words. Still, a pang of sadness gripped her heart. “That’s mighty kind of ya, Princess. I don’t rightly know what to say.”

“There’s nothing you have to say,” Celestia answered. “Though I confess, I expected you to be more excited. Is there something weighing on your mind?”

Applejack blanched. Of course the Princess would see right through her. “I dunno. I guess I’m not sure how much of a relationship it really is. Twi’s so hard to read sometimes.”

Celestia lowered her head to speak with Applejack on her level. “You have to understand something about her. Before she went to Ponyville, Twilight had very few friends. She spent most of her days locked away in the library studying magical theory or practicing. It was a great shock to me when she declared she wanted to stay in Ponyville with her friends. The truth is, you five were the last thing I ever expected to happen to her, and I could not be happier that you did.

In her short time in Ponyville, Twilight has become very dedicated to the relationships she’s built. Her life is beginning to revolve around the five of you. But she doesn’t always know how to express herself, because she didn’t spend her formative years building social connections. So please, I would ask that you have a little patience with her.”

Applejack considered the Princess’s words and then, with a deep breath, she nodded. “I will, your majesty.”

“Thank you. Now, I believe it’s time we got back to the celebration.”

“I just don’t get it, Rainbow.” Applejack paced in her guest room. The Princess had offered all six of them accommodations within the palace for the night. “I’ve been seein’ Twi for weeks now and it’s everything I wanted it to be, pardonin’ some weirdness. The Princess just gave us her personal blessin’. Why ain’t I happy?”

With a roll of her eyes, Rainbow dash answered. “'Cause you thought she'd love you back.” Dash’s perceptiveness cut straight through Applejack, and she could feel the truth in her heart. “I know the Princess said to be patient, but you’ve been patient. It's been three weeks, AJ! Y'know how long that is in pegasus years?!"

“I know,” Applejack stopped suddenly, the energy to pace abandoning her. She took a hard seat on the carpet where she stood.

“Well, have you talked to her about it?!"

Fear gripped the farm pony’s heart. “Are ya crazy?! Ya didn’t see her face when she showed up out of nowhere to ask me out. She was cryin’, Rainbow. I thought for sure she’d come to break it off!” She shook her head. “Nah, I just need to ride things out. It ain’t perfect but it’s more than I ever thought I’d have with her. If I don’t rock the boat, I can at least enjoy her company.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“That’s ‘cause it ain’t, but it’s all I got.” Applejack bit back a tear. She would not cry in front of Rainbow. “I can’t lose this, Rainbow.”

Dash opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” Dash assured her. “You just lie there and mope.”

Dash opened the door to see Twilight Sparkle standing on the other side. “Oh, hello,” Twilight greeted her warmly. “May I speak with Applejack? I would like to invite her to take a moonlit walk on the terrace with me.”

“Uh, yeah, I’ll—“ Dash was cut off by Applejack suddenly next to her, throwing the door wide open.

“I’d be happy to!” she practically shouted. “I’ll catch up with ya later, Dash!”

Twilight giggled. “I’m glad. Before we go, I have something I wanted to give you.” Her horn sparkled with magic as she levitated a bouquet of irises for Applejack.

The farm pony’s heart immediately melted. “That’s mighty kind of ya, Twi.” Taking the bouquet in her teeth, she laid it down by the bedside table before heading out the door to join her. “I’ll eat ‘em later, when I get hungry tonight.”

“They’re a good color, so I hope you’ll be thinking of me while you do.”

As the two started walking away, Rainbow Dash could make out Twilight saying, “I’ve been watching the moon and it’s at just the right angle to ensure the optimal romantic atmosphere…..”

“Yep.” Dash grunted to nobody in particular. “That’s romance, alright. Angle measuring.”

“Aww, I think they’re cute.” Dash jumped, but Fluttershy just gave her the biggest, sweetest smile she had. “I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”

“What? No! I, uh…I was just thinking about…stuff. Racing stuff.”

“In the castle.”

“…yes.” Dash thought quickly. “I mean, you can’t tell me they’d be expecting it….”

As they exited onto the terrace, Applejack stole a look up at the sky. The moon was high up there and looked very pretty, but she wasn’t sure she understood what Twilight meant about optimal angles. It just looked like a moon to her.

“I’m glad you weren’t too busy,” Twilight said to her. “Back home, it can be hard to find a moment of your time.”

Applejack nodded. “I’m sorry about that, Twi. I’ve got a lot of responsibilities to the farm and everything.”

“No, don’t apologize.” Twilight nuzzled Applejack’s neck, being mindful of her horn. “You work so hard every day, and you never even complain about it. It’s one of the things I’ve admired about you from the first time we met.”

“Aww, thanks, sugarcube.” Applejack blushed. Despite her misgivings, these were the moments that made it all worth it. She was sure Dash didn’t know what she was talking about. Out here, everything seemed perfect.

“So how did your talk with Princess Celestia go? Rainbow Dash told me, and I quote, ‘I hope you had fun with Applejack ‘cause she’s waking up in the Dragon Lands!’ I told her she was being overdramatic.”

Applejack chuckled. “Well, she weren’t wrong. I did wake up in the Dragon Lands, but I tamed the biggest one I saw and flew him straight back here to see ya.” Applejack kissed Twilight’s forehead, eliciting a small laugh. “Nah, she just wanted to talk about our relationship and give me her blessin’ to keep seein’ ya.”

“Oh, wow!” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “She gave you a royal blessing? That’s a high honor, Applejack!”

Applejack nodded, stopping to capture Twilight’s eyes in hers. “I know. But the highest honor is every day I spend with you, Twi.” Before Twilight could answer, Applejack leaned in and kissed her.

As Twilight leaned into the kiss, Applejack knew that Dash had to be wrong. Twilight cared about her. She was invested in the relationship, and in Applejack. She had to be. Her kiss wouldn’t be so inviting if she wasn’t, would it?

When Twilight broke the kiss, Applejack took another moment to glance up at the moon. Maybe Twilight was right. Maybe it was a good angle. She didn’t really understand all the fancy mathematics that went into that decision, but she couldn’t deny how pretty Twilight looked in its light.

“I’m glad ya asked me to come out tonight, Twilight.” Applejack looked down into her unicorn's eyes. “I love ya more and more with each passin’ day.” Twilight hesitated, but Applejack shushed her with a firm nuzzle. “Nah, I told ya, don't say it ‘til ya mean it. I just wanted ya to know how glad I am that you're here.”

Twilight blushed. “Spending an evening together was a great idea. I’m glad the Princess suggested it.”

And there it was. “Beg pardon?”

“Well, Princess Celestia told me that you were feeling kind of down. She said that spending some time alone together tonight would probably be a good idea, and she gave me that bouquet out of her personal flower garden.”

Applejack’s heart sank. “Oh. I see.”

Twilight caught the edge of sadness in her voice. “Is something wrong?”

“Nah, it’s nothin',” Applejack insisted. “Just a few things Rainbow said earlier that have been buggin’ me, that’s all. Don’t worry your pretty head over me, sugarcube.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t a lie either.

Applejack started walking again with Twilight following beside her. She took in the night air and the moon’s glow. She chatted with Twilight about their friends, about Canterlot, and a little about the battle with Discord. But her mind kept racing right back to what Twilight said about this being Celestia’s idea. She thought Twilight was finally getting romantic about her, but she guessed she’d been mistaken.

It still felt amazing to be out here with her, but pain tugged at her heart. She could hear Rainbow Dash in the back of her mind. “You thought she'd love you back.”

Dear Princess Celestia,

Being in a romantic relationship creates the most interesting changes in a pony’s mindset. Small gestures that would have been perfectly ordinary between friends become much more powerful because they came from someone special. When Rarity says that I’m very talented with my magic or Rainbow Dash calls me smart, it’s a nice feeling to know that my friends appreciate me. When it comes from Applejack, however, it fills my heart with a warmth that I’ve never felt before.

I’ve never worried much about wanting compliments from my friends, but I find myself openly seeking them from her so that I can feel that sense of fulfillment again. I look forward to discovering more ways that the meaning behind small gestures can change when under a romantic context.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

It had been weeks since the celebration. The ponies returned to their home in Ponyville. Twilight went crazy about not having a friendship letter to write. Rainbow Dash held a contest to choose a pet and learned a valuable lesson about humility in the face of praise shortly after. Hearth’s Warming Eve came and went, and with another Winter Wrap-Up behind them, the time soon came for one of Applejack’s favorite times of year.

Twilight stopped by the farm with her saddlebags loaded with books, as had become her usual routine for Tuesdays and Thursdays. She’d brought Daring Do and the Lost Mareyan Temple which she’d promised Applejack that they’d finish reading today, as well as a couple agricultural books she thought might help her and, if Applejack was interested, a romance novel she’d found that she thought might be a nice change of pace.

She still hadn’t quite managed to find a copy of the one she spotted in Rarity’s shop. She was hoping there might be some useful tips in these books on how to behave in a relationship, and it even had her name on it and everything. But Rarity had shouted, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” and snatched it away before she had the chance to open it.

As she crossed through the gates, she greeted the red stallion. “Good morning, Big Macintosh. Are the carrots coming up okay?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered her.

Trotting into the field, Twilight watched Apple Bloom come out the door on her way to school. “Good morning, Apple Bloom. How did your test go?”

“G’mornin’, Twilight. I’m worried but I think I did pretty well. Thanks for your help!”

Twilight nodded. “Of course. I should still be here after you get out of school but if I’m not, feel free to come by the library if you need help with your homework.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “I will. Thanks, Twilight!” And with that, she was off to school.

Next, Twilight approached the barn to check the schedule and find out where Applejack was working this morning. Big Mac was in the carrot field, Granny Smith was mixing up the pesticides to deal with a recent caterpillar infestation, Apple Bloom would be helping with the soil samples later tonight, and Applejack…Applejack…where was she?

Returning to the carrot field, Twilight asked, “Hey, where’s Applejack? I don’t see her on the schedule.”

“She’s takin’ today to get in her last rounds of practice for the rodeo. Sorry, Twilight, I should have told ya.”

“Oh, the Equestria Rodeo’s coming up? It’s strange she didn’t mention. Should I leave her alone and let her have her practice time?”

“Nah, I’m sure she’d be thrilled to see ya. She’s up in the runnin’ track just past the far north side of the farm.”

With a smile as bright as the sun in the sky, Twilight cantered across the farm and up into the running track. She saw several hay bales stacked in assorted arrangements, one with a rope tied around it, as well as a few hurdles for jumping over. There, mid-leap past one of the hurdles, was Applejack.

Applejack cleared the jump and rounded the bend for another, coming around to face Twilight. Twilight gave her a quick wave of her hoof, prompting Applejack to slam face-first into the next hurdle and collapse onto the ground in a tangle of wood and limbs.

Twilight gasped and raced to her side. “Applejack! Are you okay?! I’m so sorry!”

With some difficulty, Applejack managed to extricate herself from the wood. “S’okay, sugarcube. I needed a break anyhow. I reckon Big Macintosh or Apple Bloom told ya where to find me?”

Twilight nodded. “Big Macintosh said it would be okay if I came up here to spend some time with you. Why didn’t you tell me about the rodeo? I didn’t know you competed!”

“Competed?” Applejack chuckled. “Sweetheart, I’ve been the champion ten years in a row. I didn’t mention it ‘cause I just didn’t think of it. When it comes to the rodeo, I’m a minor celebrity ‘round these parts. Plum near everybody knows about it. C’mon over here and let me show ya my blue ribbons.”

Twilight levitated her saddlebags off and to the side of the track, then followed Applejack around the bend to a small blue building set just outside the track. Posted on the wall were a variety of gold medals with bright blue ribbons hanging down from them. Different shapes and sizes each from different years and different competitions that Applejack had triumphed in.

“Wow! This is amazing, Applejack.”

“Nah, that ain’t nothin’,” Applejack blushed. “But by all means, do go on.”

Twilight giggled and pressed up against her marefriend. “I don’t think I need to tell you how impressive you are, Applejack.”

“Nah, ah know. It’s just nice to hear.”

“Well okay.” Twilight stepped away, took a deep breath, and then did her best to flip her hair. It was something she’d learned from Rarity while discussing romance tips. She batted her eyes, tightened her walk, and gasped. “Oh my! Have you heard about my Very Special Somepony? She’s so strong and tough, she can stare at an apple tree and make the fruit fly right into the basket! She’s got muscles like a minotaur and those hind legs that just….”

Applejack laughed. “Okay, okay, that’s enough.” She trotted over and put a hoof around Twilight, looking deep into her eyes. “Very Special Somepony, huh? Is that what we are now?”

Twilight stepped away for a moment in thought, then turned back to Applejack. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ve been reading about motivational incentives recently and—“

Applejack blinked. “You’ve been readin’ about what now?”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s not important. Here’s the deal. You go to that rodeo and do the best you’ve ever done, and when I see you riding home with that blue ribbon around your neck, you can announce to Ponyville that I’m your Very Special Somepony in your victory speech.”

“Well, don’t that beat all,” Applejack smiled. “You got that out of some book?” Twilight nodded. “Well, alright then. Ya got yourself a deal. Now, I’m gonna need to get in some more practice. Give me a kiss for luck?”

“What’s that?”

“What’s…it’s a kiss, sugarcube. Ya give me a kiss and it’s supposed to bless my performance with good fortune.”

“Oh.” Twilight blinked. “Does that actually work?”

“I dunno, there’s probably some kind of magic to it, but it’s mostly just a sappy thing couples do.”

Twilight nodded. “I get it. I’m sorry, I still have so many things to learn about interactions between couples.” She filed ‘kiss for luck’ away into her mental filing cabinet under ‘sweet nothings’.

Applejack sighed. “Well, now we've done gone and spoiled the moment. I’ll get back to prac—MMPH” Before she knew what was happening, Twilight was in her face and locking lips.

When Twilight pulled away, Applejack’s head was spinning. “Well, now. Kiss like that, now ah’m sure to get—“

“SECOND PLACE?!” Fear and confusion ripped through Applejack like a weather Pegasus through a misplaced field of stratus. “What do ya mean, second place?! That ain’t possible!”

“I’m as surprised as you are,” Judge Rope Twirler told her. “Normally your technique is flawless. Is something the matter, Applejack?”

“I can’t go back with second place,” Applejack fretted. “I promised the whole town I’d bring the prize money back. And Twilight….” She could feel her dreams shattering. Everything had seemed so perfect a week ago, and now it was all falling apart.

“Is Twilight a friend of yours?” the judge asked.

Applejack wanted to answer, ‘She’s my Very Special Somepony,’ but that opportunity had slipped through her hooves. “Yeah,” she told him. “She’s…just a friend.”

“Well I’m sorry, Applejack, but the judges have all conferred and unfortunately, we’re agreed that Cattle Rustler’s performance this week has been truly outstanding. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but your head just didn’t seem to be in the game this week. Even so, you still won more medals than anybody and that is something to be proud of. I wish you the best of luck reclaiming your title next year.”

Dejected, Applejack turned and left with her medals. She couldn’t go back and face everypony. It wasn’t just about Twilight, either. She’d promised her prize money to help the town and now she’d gotten nothing. She needed to think of something and fast.

Waiting for a train home from Dodge Junction, Applejack had some time to think about her relationships. She’d devised a plan to make money working on a cherry farm and send it home to Ponyville in place of her winnings, but it had gone awry when her friends came to get her. She’d been terrified to face Twilight after making her decision, but once the dust settled and they’d talked reason into her, Twilight had been completely calm and understanding about it.

Why isn’t she upset? She should be furious with me. If it were me, I’d be hollerin’ like there’s no tomorrow.

“Mumbrm buttercups….” Twilight murmured in her sleep. The next train wasn’t coming until tomorrow morning, so she and Applejack had split a room. It wasn’t the first time they’d shared a sleeping space; the group had cabin on the ride out to Appleloosa, but this felt more intimate to Applejack. This room belonged to her and Twilight alone, nopony else.

Twi talks in her sleep sometimes? That’s adorable. I…no, I can’t get distracted.

Twilight had fallen asleep nestled up against her. Her head was laying on Applejack’s front leg, with her back pressed up against the farm pony’s stomach. Part of Applejack wanted to get up and see if Dash or Fluttershy were still awake. She had so much pent up inside her and she needed to talk to somepony. But if she moved, she was afraid she might wake Twilight. Worse, it would be impossible to get back into this position, and she wouldn’t trade this for all of Equestria.

She breathed and watched the way Twilight’s hair moved with every exhalation. She watched the steady rise and fall of Twilight’s chest as she slumbered. Her heart felt like it was pounding in rhythm with her love’s. She’d been wide awake for over an hour with nothing to do but think and watch Twilight sleep, and yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the best night of her life.

So why wasn’t she happy? And why wasn’t Twilight angry?

Do ya not even care about me that much?

“Hey, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked from the next room. “Does it bug you that Twilight's so cool about all this?”

“Hmm?” Fluttershy answered from her bed, just a few feet from Dash’s, “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it, and she makes zero sense. If I were her, I’d be going nuts after what AJ pulled!"

“Well, I’m sure she knows Applejack would have come to her senses eventually.”

“Doesn’t matter! AJ basically dumped her for no reason! And she’s just like, ‘That’s okay, Applejack, I have no problems with this because I am emotionally a robot.’ It’s weird!”

But Fluttershy shook her head, rolling over on her bed to face Rainbow Dash. “It’s because she trusts and respects her partner. She was hurting, but she saw how Applejack was hurting too, so she put in that effort to reach out and help her in a way that helped them both. And now Applejack’s coming home and there’s nothing to be angry about anymore.”

“Hmph. Yeah, I don’t get it.” Dash laid back, staring up at the ceiling. “Love’s not supposed to be all logical like that. We should be hearing screaming from next door right now. They should be having this knock-down rage fest over this and they’re not, and now I’m even more angry at AJ ‘cause Twilight won’t be.”

She rolled to look at Fluttershy. “And I don’t want to be that angry with AJ, ‘cause she and me are like this.” She bumped her front hooves together to emphasize. “I want to be the cool wingmare who goes, ‘Wow, AJ. What’s her problem?’ But somebody’s got to throw a fit and the one pony who should forgot her feelings in the library!”

There came a knock on the wall, followed by a voice. “Hey! I don’t know what y’all are fightin’ about over there, but can ya keep it down? Twilight’s tryin’ to get some sleep.”

Fluttershy struggled to laugh quietly at Rainbow Dash, who was quickly turning beet red. “See?” Rainbow hissed at Fluttershy. “That! That’s weird!”

As she pumped her side of the handcar, Pinkie enthusiastically asked Rarity, “So what do you think about Twilight and Applejack’s relationship? Explain it to me in as many words as possible, and be sure to throw in some silly jokes!”

“I think that either dehydration or heatstroke has gotten the better of you if you think I care even the slightest bit about that right now.”

The train pulled into the station at Ponyville and it wasn’t long before its passengers were let off. The family had come out to greet their returning member and not five minutes after she’d unboarded, Applejack was greeted by a projectile sister.

“Welcome home, Applejack!” Apple Bloom hopped excitedly around her sister. “How was it? Did ya have fun? What were the events like? Were the other ponies nice to ya?”

Twilight watched the family for a moment, before deciding it’d be good to give them their space. However, as she started to drift over towards Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, she felt a strong hoof pulling her back. She looked up just in time to see Big Macintosh before his hoof started ruffling her hair.

“Ya done good, Twilight. We’ll make an Apple of you yet. Now get over here; we’re about to head out and it ain’t a proper welcome home without ya.” Without another word, Big Macintosh pulled Twilight over and pushed her next to Applejack.

Twilight smiled sheepishly at Applejack. “Apparently I’m invited.”

“Darn tootin’, y’are,” was her answer, and before Twilight could protest she leaned over and kissed her.

The piercing sound of “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE” emanating from Apple Bloom caught Rainbow Dash’s attention, who popped her head up from the other side of the platform, then promptly stuck it back down again, eye twitching.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“They're being sappy again.” She pantomimed gagging, but Fluttershy didn't notice because she'd already popped up to catch an eyeful.

"Awww...."

“Surprise!” Pinkie Pie shouted with as much exuberance as she could when Applejack stepped through the door into the family home. There was a table laid out with various sandwiches, a banner hung up in the living room that read “Welcome Home, Applejack!” and an explosion of confetti that filled the air.

“We’d planned somethin’ a bit more grand,” Apple Bloom explained, trotting in after her, “but it didn’t really work out what with your letter and all.”

“But we couldn’t let a good party go to waste!” Pinkie shouted. “That’d be like having a wonderful cake and never eating it. Speaking of which, here’s your cake!” Applejack wasn’t sure how Pinkie was now holding a large cake in her hooves, but had long since learned not to ask.

“Uh, thanks. Just set it down on the table there.”

“And that’s how Captain Hornswaggle saved the Stallionade from the bumblefratches.” Granny Smith entered the house, followed by Twilight who seemed to be hanging on her every word.

“That’s very interesting. Thank you for telling me that story. I’ve read about the bumblefratch blight before but I’d never heard of Captain Hornswaggle. He might not have made it into the history books.”

“It’s an old family tale passed down from Apple to Apple,” Granny told her. “My great grand-daddy served in the Stallionade, and he wanted to make sure we all remembered the brave deeds Captain Hornswaggle performed on that day.”

“Lot of ponies in my family weren’t really ones for book-learnin’,” Applejack cut in. “We got a lot of old family stories about our history. Granny soaked up so much of them, I worry sometimes she can’t tell past from present. But when she talks,” Applejack turned her head to look at Apple Bloom, “there’s usually meanin’ in them words.”

“I know, I know,” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

“I think she’s really amazing,” Twilight looked at Applejack. “I might have to sit and talk with her some more next time I’m out here.” And there was that politeness again. The unshakable civility like nothing had even happened out in Dodge Junction. Applejack knew that Twilight was capable of being angry, getting irrational, throwing fits. She’d seen it happen.

But here she was, calm as a summer day, like nothing had happened. Already she was planning her next visit and thinking up ways to ingratiate herself with the family more. The sun rose high into the sky and then starting to head back down, and with each passing hour, Twilight’s politeness never seemed to fade.

It was ridiculous, Applejack knew, but she wanted Twilight to yell at her. To scream and cry and say hurtful things. What she’d tried to do should have been a huge betrayal of their relationship. It ate away at her like a caterpillar on an apple branch, and every moment that she didn’t—

“Oh no, we’re out of punch,” Pinkie exclaimed. “I’m sorry, everypony. Give me twenty minutes to run up to town and I’ll be back with more before you know it!”

“No!” Applejack exclaimed. “I’ll do it. Please. I’ve been needin’ a walk anyhow. It’ll give me a chance to clear my head.”

Twilight’s eyes turned sad as she looked at Applejack. “Applejack, this party is for you.”

“I know, I know,” Applejack backed towards the door. “Won’t be but a minute, I promise. I just need to get my head on straight about a few things.”

“Well, would you at least like me to come with you?” Twilight approached hopefully.

“No, Twi, you stay here and keep makin’ nice with the family. Maybe try and talk Pinkie into letting us cook a bit. I know she’s all about this caterin’ thing but Big Macintosh has this apple fritter recipe he’s been dyin’ to try out.”

Twilight looked dejected, but she gave Applejack a nod. “Okay. Here.” She leaned in and gave Applejack a quick kiss. “For luck.”

Applejack blushed. “Not exactly how that’s s’posed to be used, but I appreciate it all the same. I’ll be back in a bit.”

What would I even say to her?! Rainbow Dash pondered as she fluttered over the city. Applejack, I think you’ve made a great big jerk of yourself and you should be ashamed! Yeah, right. That sounds like Rarity or something.

Looking down at the city, she spied Applejack heading into town and mentally cursed. She thought she’d have more time than this. Taking a deep breath, she flew down and called out to her. “Hey, AJ!”

Applejack looked deep in thought, but when she heard her name, she looked up at Dash. “Hello, Rainbow. Sorry, I don’t have long to talk. I promised to be back with punch shortly.”

Rainbow landed next to her. “Yeah, I get it. I just…I gotta say….” She tried to force it but the words just weren't coming out.

“What is it, Rainbow?”

“YOU!!!” The sound of pure rage emanated from the nearby boutique. Rarity stormed out into the street. There were a few twigs and leaves still stuck in her mane and her eyes were on fire with contempt.

“Rarity? What happened to—“

“Don’t you ‘what happened’ me! You have made a great big jerk of yourself and you should be ashamed! Twilight must have been beside herself with worry, not to mention what you’ve done to the rest of us! Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you or what you’ve done to my poor coiffure?!”

Rainbow Dash tried to speak up. “Hey, it wasn’t—“

“And you. I can’t believe the way you abandoned me back there! You are as insensitive and uncouth as Applejack! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get out of the desert?! Thank Celestia Pinkie was with me, and I may never forgive either of you for making me say those words!”

“Rarity, look,” Applejack started, but the unicorn simply turned with a “Hmph!”, turned up her tail, and trotted back inside without sparing her another moment.

Rainbow Dash scratched her ear with her hoof. “Wow, AJ. What’s her problem?”

“Nah, I deserved that,” Applejack answered. “She’ll come ‘round. Now I promised the party some punch and I need to get back to it.”

As Applejack turned to head for the store, Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof victoriously. Nailed it!

“I should probably get going, everypony,” Twilight stood up from the couch as the sun dipped low in the sky.

Apple Bloom launched into a sudden pout. “Awww, do ya have to go already, Twilight? You still haven’t taught me how to play Monopony.”

“That will have to be another night, I’m afraid. It’s been a lot of fun, but I still haven’t even told Spike we’re back yet and I’ve been neglecting my responsibilities to the library. Thank you all for having me.”

As Twilight started for the door, Applejack jumped up. “Let me walk ya home, sugarcube. It’s the least I could do.”

Twilight smiled at her. “I would appreciate that. Thank you, Applejack.”

As the pair headed out the gates and away from the farm, Twilight nuzzled her head into Applejack’s neck. She still felt the sharp sting of Applejack’s decision cutting into her heart and was sure she could get a letter or two out of that pain alone, but she’d made her choice. Applejack was home and that was all that really mattered.

It was a brand new feeling for her and actually exciting in its own way. She’d been worried for her friends many times since coming to Ponyville, but this pain was different. When she heard the news that Applejack wasn’t coming home, it was like her heart split in half. She had to fight with every ounce of her strength just to garner the courage to even move.

It reminded her of the sense of betrayal she felt when Discord forced her friends to abandon her, but in a weird way, she was sure the hurt was even stronger. It was as if the entire world fell away from her, as if she was forced to paddle furiously against the rising tide of nothing mattering anymore. She hoped to never feel that way again, yet was also strangely glad she’d gotten to experience it.

But everything was better now. Applejack came back and she everything could return to this new semblance of normal she and her Very Special Somepony were creating together.

Not a word was spoken between the two as they walked. When they neared the library, Twilight began to feel a bit strange. Applejack was usually so talkative. Approaching the door, Twilight was certain that something must be weighing on her mind. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I…it’s nothin’, Twi,” Applejack insisted. But she was a terrible liar and Twilight saw right through her.

“Please, Applejack? Is it something I did?”

“No, ya didn’t do anythin’, Twilight.” Applejack looked away, and Twilight could hear a crack in her voice.

“Then what is it? Is it something I’m not doing?” Twilight stepped around in front of Applejack. “Please, I can’t learn if you don’t tell me.”

Applejack winced when she said the word ‘learn’. “That’s really all this is to ya, isn’t it? I forget sometimes that you’re studyin’ me or something. Researchin’ our relationship.”

Twilight took a step back, confused. “What are you talking about? I’m studying friendship and the ways it interacts with our—“

But Applejack cut her off. “I know, Twi! And I try to be okay with it, but it just...." she couldn't finish the sentence, droning off.

Twilight struggled to understand. Was there something wrong with her letters? Did she not want her telling Celestia about what they did together? “If this is about our privacy, I could—“

“Privacy?!” Applejack whirled. “Consarnit, Twilight, it’s been three moons! Three moons. I was hopin’ there might be somethin’ knockin’ ‘round in your heart for me by now!”

Twilight took a step back, insulted. “How can you say that?” She couldn’t tell if that look on Applejack’s face was anger or pain, but she could see the way she kept blinking to try and fight back the tears.

“No, how can you? I tried to leave you! I tried to run away and never come back! How can you be okay with that?! What were you going to do, pack up your findin’s and just start the test again with somepony else?”

Now Twilight was angry. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. No idea.”

“You’re right, Twilight. I don’t. But I’m sure you’ll write a good letter about it.” Tears started to streak down Applejack’s face as Twilight searched for a response. “I’m…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, I….” Applejack spoke with a broken voice. “I can’t do this right now, Twi. I can’t.”

Applejack turned to go, but tripped over the library’s root. Even angry as she was, Twilight tried to help her up, but Applejack pulled free of her and broke into a gallop. She didn’t even notice that she’d left her hat lying in the dirt where she’d fallen.

“Twilight?” Spike opened the door, his voice tinged with worry. “You’re home! Welcome back, I just finished…Twilight, what’s wrong?”

Twilight just stood there, staring at the hat. A minute passed, followed by another, before she finally picked it up in her teeth. Without even acknowledging Spike, she walked inside and laid the hat carefully on the table. Then at last she spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “I think Applejack just broke up with me.”

Applejack ran and ran in no particular direction, her vision streaked with tears. She didn’t care where she wound up. The voice in her head simply screamed, “Away.” She kept going until her hoof tangled up on a stone in the road and she fell, slamming her face into the dirt.

Then she laid there, turning little patches of dirt to mud with her sobs. She didn’t know how long she was there, and she wasn’t sure she was ever going to move again. She didn’t care if anyone saw her anymore. She could feel her heart crumbling into pieces.

What have I done? I ruined everythin’.

She cried and she cried until her heart didn’t have any tears left in it, and when she finally looked up, she realized it was raining. It was as if the sky itself was crying for her.

The next thing she realized was that she wasn’t alone. “Well, now. What’s a pretty young mare like yourself doing out here in the rain?” She looked up and saw a blue stallion standing over her that she’d never met before, with a peach-shaped cutie mark emblazoned on his flank.
“Come now, whatever it is, it can’t be so bad. Why don't you show me a smile?”

3 - The Stranger

Dear Princess Celestia,

I was the youngest of two in my family. My big brother, Shining Armor, would always go out of his way to look out for me. He played with me, helped me learn where he could, and protected me when I needed help. I miss him dearly, but that’s not why I’m writing to you today.

She’s already sent you a letter about this, but today, Apple Bloom infected herself with Cutie Pox in an attempt to earn her cutie mark, and in that instant, I felt closer to my brother than I ever have. I knew what he must have felt like all those years, looking out for me. It no longer mattered what I had to do to achieve it, I was going to save her from the affliction.

It only took one look from Applejack to know she felt the same way. Apple Bloom is family, so we weren’t just going to do anything we could, we were going to fix it, end of story.

But it’s very interesting that I would feel this way, because she isn’t my family. My family’s at home in Canterlot. I think the Apples have started to embrace me as one of their own and, just as strongly, I’m beginning to feel the same sense of belonging when I’m out at the farm as I did with my brother. In particular, Big Macintosh reminds me a lot of him, and although he can be hard to read, I feel like he watches over me all the same.

I’ve offered to help Apple Bloom with her homework. She’s a very clever filly but her grades don’t seem to reflect that. I know she’s smart enough to excel in her classwork. I think she just needs a little push in the right direction and although I adore Applejack, she’s not going to be passing an algebra test any time soon. Besides, it gives me a way to fit in with these ponies who are not and yet, in a strange way, suddenly are my family.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

With a yawn and a stretch, Rarity rose. It was a quarter past too early and the sun hadn’t even risen yet, but she needed to get an early start on her final modifications. She had a delivery order due in Canterlot today and because of Applejack’s fiasco, she’d barely even come close to finishing last night.

Stumbling out of her boudoir, Rarity stopped by the kitchen first to make herself a pot of tea. She still hadn’t quite managed to undo all the damage from the last time Sweetie Belle was over, but at least the stove was in working order.

After putting the kettle on to boil, she headed into the workroom, but her eye was caught by a small, folded slip of paper lying in front of her door. Levitating it with her magic, she unfolded it to read.

Rarity,
Everything’s gone so wrong and I don’t know what to do. Could you come by today? I could really use a friend right now.

Twilight

She sat down and thought for a moment. These dresses really needed to be in Canterlot today, but she supposed the final modifications wouldn’t take too long. Certainly there would be time to stop by the library on her way to the train.

“Come now,” the stranger said to Applejack. “Whatever it is, it can’t be so bad. Why don’t you show me a smile?” The stranger didn’t say much else to her after that, on account of the fact that she kicked him in the face. She didn’t remember much past that until she woke up in an unfamiliar bed, but in a familiar cottage.

“You’re very lucky she only nicked you,” she heard Fluttershy say from downstairs. “Applejack is very strong and most of it is in her lower body. That could have been a lot worse. I’m terribly sorry, I don’t know what could have come over her. She’s usually...well, she’s not always very nice, but she doesn’t lash out like that. Often. Only sometimes.”

“Why, it’s quite alright,” the stranger replied. “My fault, I’m sure. That cutie mark of hers marks her as a farm pony; I should have known better than to be standin’ behind her while she was in distress.”

Sitting up in her friend’s bed, Applejack tried to remember what happened last night. There was the rain and the strange pony, and she was out there because…

Then it all came back to her like a bucking leg to an apple tree. The fight. The stupid, stupid fight. Had she actually picked a fight with Twilight over not picking a fight with her? That was insane.

“Twilight,” she spoke to the empty room. She remembered the feel of the unicorn sleeping up against her in Dodge Junction. That was just two nights ago. How had it all gone wrong so quickly?

“Oh, you’re awake,” Fluttershy spoke from the door. “That’s wonderful news. I was very worried about you. What happened last night?”

Applejack breathed out a heavy sigh. “I made an idiot of myself and said some dumb things to Twilight, that’s what. I need to speak to her!” Applejack tried to get out of bed, but the moment her front hoof touched the floor, it shot a jolt of pain through her entire leg. She tumbled face-first into the wooden floor and flopped off the bed.

“OW! What in tarnation?” Applejack rolled over on her side. She tried to stand, but the pain hit her again the moment she put pressure on her front right hoof.

Fluttershy raced over to her. “Stop that! It’s never going to heal if you keep agitating it!”

Applejack couldn’t find it in herself to care what Fluttershy was on about. She had to get to Twilight. Forcing herself up on her other three legs, she started to hobble towards the door.

“Applejack, please,” Flutershy pleaded, “You need to rest.”

“I can rest when I’ve spoken to Twi,” Applejack answered. As she hobbled towards the door, the stranger came up to block her.

“You need to listen to her, uh…Applejack, is it?”

Applejack shot a violent glare into the Stranger’s face. “I already kicked you once; don’t think I won’t do it again. Ain’t nobody stoppin’ me from gettin’ to Twi.”

“Perish the thought,” the stranger answered, backing down the stairs. “But you’re hardly in any condition to make the trip. Wouldn’t it be better for--”

“You’re both out of your minds. It’s just a sprain. I’ve harvested in far worse condition than this!”

But the stranger insisted, “At least let me help you walk. It’s the least I can do after that unpleasantness last night.”

“Don’t need your help,” Applejack retorted as she limped down the stairs. “I got three good legs and I’d make this trip on two if I had to.”

“Please, Applejack.” Fluttershy followed her down the stairs. “If you won’t take our help for yourself, then do it for me. You’re my friend. I can’t watch you do this to yourself.”

“Then don’t! I appreciate what you’ve done for me, Fluttershy, but this is important, consarnit! This is about Twilight, and I…I….” As she tried to form the words, the memory struck her like a freight train.

I Pinkie Promise that no matter what happens ‘tween you and me, I will never let our relationship come before the friendships we’ve built. Those were the words she’d spoken to Twilight the day she asked her out for the first time, and they stung hard right now.

Applejack sat down hard right there in Fluttershy’s living room. “Twi….” she whispered again. Her heart was splitting in half and, worse, she had no way to deal with it. She choked back a tear, afraid she might start crying all over again if she let it happen.

“Here,” Fluttershy slid under Applejack’s bum leg and helped lift her. She knew it couldn’t have been easy for the pegasus; muscle isn’t exactly light to lift. Still, Fluttershy gave every ounce of strength she had to help her hobble over to the couch. If her heart weren’t broken, she’d be grateful.

“I’ll go speak with the Doctor and get him over to look at you,” Fluttershy offered, but Applejack raised a hoof in objection.

“Don’t need a doctor,” Applejack’s voice had lost much of its energy. “I need two things right now. I gotta patch things up with Twilight, and I’m goin’ to need my brother to help get me home. I’d rather them in that order, if you could.”

“Okay, I’ll try to find Twilight for you,” Fluttershy told her. “Cardinal, could you keep an eye on Applejack for me? I would appreciate it.”

“Why, of course,” the stranger nodded. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you. I’ll be back in a bit.”

As soon as Fluttershy had closed the door, the stranger spoke up. “Now I’m afraid we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof. The name’s Cardinal Peaches. I run a farm down in Mareietta.”

“Good for you,” Applejack grunted, laying her head on her hooves. Her mind was racing to think of what she would say when Twilight got here. I was a great big jerk and I’m sorry and--

“Thank ya kindly. If I do say so, we make the best peaches this side of the Ghastly Gorge. Well, not this side, of course, but you take my meaning.”

“Great.” I am sorry, ain’t I? I mean, I shouldn’t have gone off at her like that. She didn’t deserve that. She’s probably boilin’ with rage about it and I just sent Fluttershy right into that ‘cause I’m a great big--

“Yes, I do like to think we are. But we could be better. I heard there’s a wonderful apple farm out here in Ponyville, and I’d love to spend some time trading secrets and learning the tricks of their trade!”

“That’s nice.” ‘Course, it bein’ Twi and all, might be that she just went inside, wrote a letter, and went to bed. ‘Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that Applejack’s a huge jerk.’ …nah, that ain’t bein’ fair to her. It ain’t like the Princess don’t have us all writin’--

“So, I happened to notice your cutie mark. I take it you work on the apple farm? Do you think you could possibly put in a good word for me with the proprietor?”

“Eeyup.” Everythin’s just gotten so complicated since Twi and I started seein’ each other. It weren’t supposed to be like this, it was supposed to be…well, I don’t know what it was supposed to be, but-wait, what’d I just agree to?

“Thank you so much, that would be absolutely splendid!”

Applejack came back to reality, turning a sharp glare towards Cardinal. “Look, I’m gonna be frank with you, I don’t really know what you’ve been yammerin’ on about for the last couple minutes, and I don’t rightly care none either. Apparently it’s slipped your notice, so let me spell this out for ya: I am havin’ a fight with my...”

“Your Very Special Somepony?” Cardinal offered.

Applejack hesitated, then answered dejectedly. “No. Just a dear friend who I love very much. And until I get that handled, you might as well be the mailpony for all I care.”

But Cardinal’s cheerful smile just wouldn’t be fazed. “My apologies, then,” he told her. “I see I’m not doing much to endear myself. Tell me, then: while we are waiting for your friend to return with, uh…Twilight, you said earlier?”

“Yep, that’s her.”

“Right. While we wait for your friend to return with Twilight, is there anything I could do to help you? Bouquet of flowers from the market, perhaps? Box of chocolates from the bakery?”

Applejack thought for a moment. “Y’know, there might be somethin’. Tell you what, why don’t you head on into town and find Carousel Boutique. You’re lookin’ for a unicorn named Rarity. Don’t mention my name, she ain’t happy with me right now, but if you could just ask her how Twi’s doing and if she’s mad about last night, then I’ll introduce ya to the farm.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” Cardinal told her as he stood up to take his leave. “Whatever I can do to help, I’m always happy to oblige.”

Applejack waited for him to leave, then slumped back down again. Pompous jerk. Least that got him out of my mane for a couple hours. Now I can get back to thinkin’ about important stuff. She sighed. Wonder if Twilight’s even noticed I’m gone.

“Twilight? Come on, Twilight, it’s going to be noon in a couple hours.” Spike nudged Twilight’s back, but she just wasn’t moving. “You said you were going to help me reorganize the library when you got back.”

Twilight remained still as a stone in the same place she’d been all night: curled up on top of her bed, wrapped around Applejack’s hat. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying all night and Spike wasn’t entirely sure whether she’d slept.

“Would you at least eat something?” Spike asked.

“She left me,” Twilight answered quietly.

“Yeah, but you found her, didn’t you? You got that hat from somewhere.”

“She’s gone.”

“Then couldn’t you just go to where she is? After you help me reorganize the library, I mean.”

There came a knock at the door, prompting Spike to start back downstairs. “Okay, I’m going to go see who that is. Then we’re going to have a serious discussion about you eating something.” He greeted the pony at the door, “I hope you can talk some sense into her because Twilight just isn’t listening to me.”

“Oh, dear,” Rarity replied, stepping over the threshold. “Is something the matter?”

“You tell me. Twilight’s upstairs in bed and she won’t move. She’s been clinging to Applejack’s hat and crying all night. You did manage to bring her home, didn’t you?”

“That’s a rather sensitive subject,” Rarity grumbled, “but yes. Allow me to give it a try.”

Rarity marched up the stairs and stopped a moment, taking in the sight before her. “Oh Twilight,” she sighed. “Look at you. Your mane is frizzled and your coat is positively sticky with tears. What could possibly be so bad?”

Twilight gave a dry sob, then squeezed the hat in her front legs. “We broke up,” she whispered.

“Well, that’s terrible news.” Rarity came around the bed to be closer to Twilight. “It’s always rough and I’m sure she didn’t make it easy on you, but you should know that I think you made the right choice.” Rarity rested a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “It was better in the long run that you finally put an end to this experiment of yours. I’m just so sorry for whatever she said last night that must have--”

Rarity looked up at Twilight and was shocked at the glare she received from her. This kind of anger was a very rare and special thing to see. It took a lot for Twilight to start expressing her rage openly. “Applejack broke up with me last night.”

She removed her hoof from Twilight’s shoulder, thinking. “But that can’t be right. She’s been head over hooves in love with you for moons now. Why would she do such a thing?”

“I don’t know.” Twilight turned back to the hat, softly biting down on it.

“Are you absolutely certain that’s what happened? Did she actually say the words, ‘Twilight Sparkle, ah reckon ta break up wit’ y’all’?”

“Well…no….” Twilight thought about their argument. “She yelled at me a lot. And I might have snapped at her too.”

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. “Then the world isn’t ending yet, darling. You’ve simply experienced what we call a lovers’ tiff. Give her a day or two and she’ll be right back here, pleading on your front porch and crying, ‘Oh Twilight, kin ye ever forgive me fer mah wicked doin’s?’”

Twilight rolled over to look at Rarity. “Your Applejack is terrible.”

“Perhaps,” Rarity smiled, “but yours still loves you, I'm sure of it. Now, chin up! I have a delivery I must attend to, but you are coming with me and I am going to treat you to the absolute finest that Canterlot has to offer.”

“No,” Twilight shook her head, biting down on Applejack’s hat again. “M’gonna stay here and see if she comes back.”

“I’m afraid I must insist. Despair is one of the least attractive looks for a pony. Imagine she does show up and your mane is all a mess, your eyes red and crusted over. Why, whatever would she think of you?”

“That I spent all night crying because I care about her.”

“And wouldn’t you instead want her to see you in the finest dress Canterlot has to offer, with hair that will make her eyes fly out of her head and your horn sparkling like it’s never done before?”

“No.” She bit down on the hat yet again. “M’gonna stay here and wait for her.”

Rarity sighed. “Then you’ve forced me to use drastic measures, I’m afraid.” Rarity’s horn glowed with energy as she levitated the hat up and out of reach.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted. “Give that back!” Twilight’s own horn began to glow, preparing the magic to pull it back. Rarity knew she wouldn’t win if it came to a struggle, but she had no intention of fighting about it. As soon as Twilight was on her hooves, Rarity plopped the hat right back down on her head.

“There,” she said. “Now you can bring a little piece of Applejack with you. I assure you that if she shows up, she will undoubtedly leave a message with Spike, and upon your return, you can run as fast as your legs can carry you to the farm, where you will no doubt be greeted by a shining sun and the singing of birds as you leap into each other’s embrace. And you will look amazing doing it.”

Rarity continued, “Or you can stay here and open the door smelling like wet hair and congealed desperation. If that’s really what you want, then I’m not going to fight you on this anymore. She’s your Very Special Somepony. Only you can decide how much that’s worth.”

Twilight let out another sob, lowering her head as though she were trying to sink into the hat. Rarity softened up immediately. “Oh, dear, did I push too hard?”

“A little,” Twilight rubbed her eye with the side of the hoof, but there was no tear to wipe away. Her eyes still burned with dryness. “But you might be right. I’ll go with you to Canterlot. I can’t make any promises and I’m not taking the hat off, but we said we weren’t going to put our relationship before our friendships and I have to keep up my end of that.”

"That's the spirit," Rarity commended her. "It may not look like it right now, but I promise you the sun will come out tomorrow."

“Good morning, Lyra!” Pinkie Pie greeted as she skipped out the door of Sugarcube Corner. “Good morning, Bon Bon! Happy anniversary to you both!”

Lyra smiled. “Thank you, Pinkie. I’ll never understand how you do that.”

“Oh, I’d never forget an important anniversary!” Pinkie trotted along. “Good morning, Cheerilee! I hope you have an excellent day at school!”

“Thank you, Pinkie.”

“Good morning, strange new pony!”

“It’s Cardinal.”

“Have a great--” Pinkie stopped suddenly and gasped. “Strange new pony?!”

Cardinal lowered his front end in a bow. “Cardinal Peaches is the name. Strange New was my uncle, and boy howdy, did that stallion put us through some rigors. I’ll never understand how he got cinnamon to grow inside the peach.”

That got a quick laugh out of Pinkie, but then she remembered the important step. “I should probably go get my Welcome Wagon. WAIT RIGHT HERE!!!”

But before she could disappear, Cardinal flashed a smile. “Now, I don’t mean to be a bother. Your smile alone is welcome enough, Pinkie Pie. I have heard the legends of your hospitality told from miles around, but I must say they do not do you justice. Why, I’ve never seen a mare so easily brighten up a town.”

Pinkie giggled. “I do my best to help all of my friends.”

“And they are luckier for it. But on that note, if you could help me find the Carousel Boutique, I would tremendously appreciate it.”

Pinkie perked up. “Oh, that’s my friend Rarity’s shop! It’s right this way!”

“Thank ya, darlin’. I’d be lost without ya.”

Pinkie cheerfully led the way towards the Boutique, but was startled by Cardinal shouting suddenly. “Fluttershy!” he shouted at the air. “Hey, down here!”

Pinkie wasn’t quite sure how he spotted her way up there, but before long, Fluttershy was descending upon them. “What are you doing out here?” she asked Cardinal. “I thought you were keeping an eye on Applejack.”

“What’s wrong with Applejack?” Pinkie asked, but she was ignored.

“She asked me to go talk to Rarity. I don’t think she’s comfortable bein’ injured ‘round me. I’m guessin’ she’s hard as steel and doesn’t like to show vulnerability?”

Pinkie and Fluttershy both nodded in agreement. “I tried to talk to Twilight,” the pegasus offered. “She wasn’t at the library, though. I spotted her and Rarity getting on the train to Canterlot. But she was wearing Applejack’s hat so I think that’s a good sign.”

“Good sign about what?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, it sounds really cute and I’m going to make her show me as soon as she gets back but you guys are talking like they’re having a fight or something.”

Cardinal and Fluttershy both gave Pinkie a glance, prompting her to gasp. “THEY’RE FIGHTING?! And no one told me?! This is unacceptable!” she declared.

“Now Pinkie,” Cardinal reasoned. “Fluttershy and I are on this. Speaking of, you said Twilight’s going to Canterlot? Any idea when she’ll be back?”

“No,” Fluttershy shook her head. “I was just about to leave a message at the library.”

“Nah, don’t worry about that,” Cardinal told her. “I already took care of it. Spoke with the little dragon tending the place and told him to pass the message along. I’m sure this will all blow over before ya know it.”

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Cardinal. I should head down to the farm and find Big Macintosh. I hope you have a good day.”

“And the same to you,” Cardinal gave Fluttershy a bow. “You’ve already proven yourself a better friend than anypony could ask for.” Turning behind him, he greeted, “Now Pinkie, do ya mind…Pinkie?” It was only then he realized he was alone.

Applejack carefully lowered herself back onto the couch. She’d insisted she could handle herself on the sprain and she meant it. Getting some water was a simple matter of hobbling into the kitchen and hobbling back, being careful not to put too much pressure on it.

As she lay back down, she wondered how long it would take Fluttershy to return and what that strange gasping sound was.

“FLUTTERSHY DIDN’T SAY YOU WERE HURT!!!” Pinkie Pie screamed from the side of the couch, nearly knocking Applejack off of it in shock. “Oh my gosh! What happened?!”

“It’s just a sprain, Pinkie.” Of all the things Applejack didn’t want to be dealing with right now, Pinkie…well, she wasn’t so bad. Long as it wasn’t that peach-stamped city-slicker trying to pass himself like he knew the first thing about working a real farm. “I tripped after the….”

Applejack was reluctant to finish, but Pinkie did for her. “After the fight? I heard about you and Twilight. You’re going to make up, though, aren’t you?”

Applejack nodded. “That’s the plan, anyway. Fluttershy went to get her for me. I need to tell her I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” Pinkie deflated a little. “Twilight went to Canterlot with Rarity. Fluttershy says she was wearing your hat, though! So that’s a good sign! I mean…unless it was just hot out. Then she might have worn it to keep her head cool.” Pinkie sat down and started thinking.

But Applejack perked up a little to hear about her hat. “So that’s where that got off to. Thanks for tellin’ me. It’s a load off my--”

She was interrupted by a sudden gasp. “You don’t think Twilight and Rarity are going on a date, do you?!”

“What? Nah, that’d be stupid,” Applejack answered without missing a beat. “Twilight wouldn’t up and replace me like that, especially not this quickly, and Rarity would never trod on my hooves like that.”

“Oh, okay. Well, we left a message at the library so she should stop by the farm tonight.” Pinkie happily nodded to herself. “Best thing for you is to get lots and lots of rest! And I’ll be here to help!”

“I appreciate it, Pinkie.”

“There you go! You look simply ravishing,” Rarity stepped back to admire the luxurious dress she’d managed to talk Twilight into. “I mean, it’s far from perfect. It could use a few more sapphires to really bring out your eyes and, of course, there’s the matter of the…uh….”

“I’m not taking off the hat,” Twilight growled. “That was a ground rule.”

“I know, I know.” Rarity sighed. “Never mind, we shall have to work around it! Let me think, what goes with violet and brown….”

Twilight tried to take a step, but the dress was tight in all the wrong places and restricted her movement. “Maybe I don’t need a dress,” she offered, but Rarity would have none of it.

“Of course you need a dress! You can’t go looking like you just crawled out of bed when you make amends with Applejack!”

Struggling to keep her chin up so the dress didn’t restrict her breathing, Twilight answered, “Applejack’s not fond of fancy things anyway. I really don’t think I need all this. And besides, if I did need a dress, I’d ask you for it. You know my measurements and my style better than these aristocrats ever will.”

Rarity sighed. “Very well. Play to my ego. You know I can’t argue with that logic. Let’s get you out of that dress and see about finding someplace for dinner.”

It took two clerks and Rarity to disassemble the ensemble that had been selected around Twilight, but once freed, she gulped in as much air as she could and promised never to take breathing for granted again. Before long, they were out the door and looking for a diner.

It had been quite a long day. Rarity made time to stop for lunch after learning that Twilight hadn’t eaten since entering her despair coma, and then they had to make her delivery. Twilight mostly sat on her own for the next two hours, dealing with her unpleasant thoughts, before Rarity finished up. After that, it was one polite rejection of beautifying after another.

The spa! The manedresser! The jeweler! Rarity had tried her best, but Twilight just wasn’t taking any of it. At this rate, she was bound to return home even more unkempt than when she left. But that was ultimately her choice. Rarity could only open doors for her; Twilight still had the right to choose which ones to walk through.

“Oh, this place looks lovely!” Rarity announced. “La jument doree! How sophisticated! Come along, Twilight, we are absolutely eating here.” Twilight simply nodded and followed her inside, allowing the maitre’d to show them to their table.

Sitting down with their menus, Rarity looked across the table. Twilight looked even more miserable than when they’d left Ponyville, and she hadn’t even realized that was possible. “Twilight,” she started, “would you like to talk about it?”

Twilight fiddled with her menu. “I don’t know.” She looked into Rarity’s eyes as if searching for an answer there. “Will talking about it make me feel better? Or will it just make me feel worse? I’ve never felt a pain like this before. It’s like my heart is ripping in half. Deep inside me, I feel empty, like something really important is gone and I know that something is Applejack.”

Twilight put her hoof over her heart, trying to understand. “I’ve been without Applejack before. I spent most of my life without her. Not being with her should be my default state. I don’t understand why I don’t just revert back to that state when she’s gone. Why can’t I just turn off these feelings and then turn them back on when I see her again?”

“Because that’s not how love works, darling.”

“Then it’s wrong!” Twilight insisted. “This was supposed to be a trial experiment. The point of a trial is to be able to shut it down if it doesn’t work out, but this data set is completely out of control. It’s invaded me and changed me on such a deep level that I don’t even know if I could stop it if I wanted to.

I thought when we started that if it didn’t work out, we would just go back to being friends. That was the point. But now I can’t even fathom being friends with her! I don’t know how I ever was!” Twilight was starting to come unwound, to Rarity’s great alarm. She had seen her like this before and it wasn’t pretty.

Twilight grumbled, “I can’t picture her smiling and not want to kiss her. I can’t look at those muscles and not want them wrapped around me. Can’t even hear the word ‘sugarcube’ without melting a little inside, and that’s going to make being friends with Pinkie incredibly awkward going forward. I messed up, Rarity. I set us on a collision course and now it’s too late to take it back. What do I do?”

As the waiter approached, Rarity took a deep breath, trying to process everything Twilight had just unloaded on her. “Well, the first thing you do is hand me your menu because you are clearly in no condition to be ordering. I will get you something nice.”

A sharply-dressed unicorn stopped at their table. “May I--”

Rarity cut him off. “She would like carrotes roties avec pommes emaillees and I will take your salade hachee with my concombres on the side, thank you.”

As she levitated their menus to the waiter, Rarity was surprised to hear a giggle from Twilight, followed by her whispering to herself, “She’s speakin’ fancy,” in an attempt at Applejack’s twang. She shot a curious look at the lovestruck unicorn, who cast her eyes down apologetically and said, “It’s something Applejack…you had to be there.”

“I’m sure it was hilarious,” she replied.

“…well, it wasn’t at the time, but it’s one of those cute things that sticks with you and--” Twilight stopped abruptly, then slowly put her face into her hooves. “I can’t even get her out of my head when we're fighting. What do I do?!”

“Well, the next thing we need to ascertain is whether or not you even want to. If you’ll recall, I warned you that there could be dire consequences for this experiment of yours. You have forever altered the nature of your relationship with Applejack. The first question you need to answer is whether you approve of this change. I want you to look deep inside yourself and answer one simple question: if you could do this all over again, would you?”

Twilight stared at the table searching for an answer. After a minute, she slowly nodded her head. “I’ve learned so much since I’ve started seeing Applejack. I liked what we became, and I liked the way I felt when she was around. I feel like she’s improved my life in ways that I didn’t even realize needed improving. The thought of having never experienced any of that…no. I’d rather lose her now than never have had her in the first place.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Wow. I might need to write a friendship report--”

“Save it for when we’re done,” Rarity chided her. “So now that we have determined that you don’t even want to go back to the way things were, I hope that puts to bed your fears about not being able to. Let’s talk about where you go from here. I don’t have the best track record making assumptions about this and I’m rather tired of being a mule’s end, so why don’t you tell me what this fight was about?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t even know. She just went off. She was furious. I think I must have hurt her terribly and I still have no idea how or why.”

Rarity blinked a couple times in confusion. “Wait, she went off on you? What could she possibly have to be upset about? The level of patience you’ve already shown her is nothing short of legendary. If my Very Special Somepony had tried to pull a stunt like what she did, they’d be sleeping in the Everfree Forest for a week!” Rarity huffed. “Honestly, how you can be so forgiving of her is beyond me.”

Twilight looked up. “I haven’t forgiven her.”

“Excuse me?” Rarity asked. “You certainly don’t seem like you’re holding a grudge.”

Twilight took off Applejack’s hat and squeezed it to her chest. “She lied to me. She lied to all of us, but it’s worse because she lied to me and...I don't even know how that's worse, but that feels worse. She lied and she tried to run away from me. I don’t understand how she could abandon me like that.” Tears began to form in Twilight’s eyes.

“She really wasn’t coming back. I’ve tried to tell myself it would only be for a short while, I’ve tried saying she didn’t mean it, that she’d come back to her senses, but I don’t know and it hurts that she would even consider leaving me that way. It feels like there’s a deep gash in my heart that just won’t heal.”

As Twilight sniffed in a vain attempt to push back the tears, Rarity was stunned. “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “None of us knew. Why didn’t you tell anyone you were hurting this badly?”

“I did,” Twilight sobbed. “I wrote a letter and I told Princess Celestia all about this strange new hurt I was experiencing. But I didn’t want to make a big deal in front of everyone because all I wanted was to bring Applejack home. I got that. She came home. What was there to gain from fighting about it?”

“Oh, Twilight.” Rarity stood up from her seat, walked around the table, and gave Twilight a hug. After a moment, Twilight returned it. She sniffed one more time as the tears subsided, and once they were gone, Rarity released her. As she stepped back, she noticed their food had come while they were distracted.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight whispered.

“Never apologize for needing to cry. Sometimes the only thing you can do is let it out, especially when you’re hurting. I’m not saying you should have started a fight with Applejack, but you should talk to her about your feelings. Let her know that she’d hurt you. Talk about what she did and why she did it, so you can understand where you sit with her.”

Twilight hesitated but slowly nodded. “You’re right. I need to talk to her about it.”

“And maybe also find out why, in Celestia’s name, she thinks she has any right to be angry with you.”

Twilight nodded at that too, then stopped suddenly, staring at her plate. “…are those glazed apples?”

Rarity smiled. “I thought you might appreciate a taste of home.”

Using her magic to levitate one of the apples from her plate, Twilight took a bite and closed her eyes, visibly savoring the taste. She looked as though it was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted.

“Thank you, Rarity. I’m really glad I agreed to come out here with you. You helped me figure out a lot tonight.”

Rarity smiled warmly. “You’re absolutely welcome. Honestly, that fuss you threw this morning was a little overdramatic. After a letter like that, what was I going to do? Just ignore a--”

Twilight perked up, confused. “What letter?”

“The one you wrote this morning.”

Twilight shook her head. “I didn’t write you a letter.”

“Oh, posh. I have it right here.” Rarity levitated the letter out of her satchel and floated it to Twilight, who stared at it as though it were diseased.

“Rarity, I didn’t write this. When would I have written you a letter? I was crying on my bed all night.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Who else would have written this? Spike?”

Twilight stared at her plate in thought. Then she took another piece of apple and closed her eyes, clearly savoring it. Rarity idly wondered if she’d be writing a letter on the effects of comfort food in short order.

“It’s possible,” Twilight answered. “He might have been trying to get someone’s attention to help me, because I was ignoring him.” Something about that answer didn’t seem to sit right with her and she went quiet again.

“Well, whoever wrote it, it seems to have worked out for the best. Now let’s finish up so we can catch the next train home.”

“Are ya comin’ in?” Apple Bloom asked her sister. Despite her injury, Applejack had insisted on staying out and watching the road since Big Macintosh helped her limp home. There was something different about her that Apple Bloom couldn’t quite place. There was a sadness that seemed to emanate from her in waves.

“Nah, you get to bed,” Applejack answered her, sparing a moment to glance down at her before resuming watching the road. “I’ll be right here if ya need me.”

Apple Bloom started back towards the house, then stopped and looked back at her sister. She didn’t know what it was, but there was something about that forlorn look that broke her heart. Walking back over, she weaved under Applejack’s front leg and sat down in front of her. “Then I’m waitin’ too.”

“Hey!” Applejack scolded. “Ya got school tomorrow. Ya need to get to bed. Twilight…” she choked a moment, then breathed. “Twilight worked real hard to help get your grades up. I won’t have ya throwin’ it away ‘cause you were worried about me.”

Apple Bloom looked up at the pain visible on her sister’s face. “Where is Twilight? Why wasn’t she helpin’ us get you home?”

“I don’t know,” Applejack admitted, staring at the road again. “Sometimes things have to change, Apple Bloom. We don’t want ‘em to. We fight hard as we can to keep ‘em from doin’ it. But sometimes we don’t get a choice.”

The fear and uncertainty in Applejack’s voice resonated within Apple Bloom, and before she knew it, she was scared too. “You make it sound like Twilight’s not comin’ back.”

“Truth is I don’t know,” Applejack answered. “I said some things I shouldn’t and she…well, I ain’t ever known how to read her. A closed book wrapped in a purple ribbon, she is. Fluttershy says there’s a message waitin’ for her, so I guess we’ll see what comes. But that ain’t for you to worry about. Go on and get to bed, ‘fore I holler at Big Macintosh to fetch ya.”

Apple Bloom couldn’t resist anymore after hearing that. Twilight might not be coming back? That was the worst news she’d heard since…forever, maybe! As she started to go, she stopped suddenly and pressed her head into Applejack’s side. “Love you, big sister.”

Applejack gave a brief glimpse of a smile, then rubbed the top of Apple Bloom’s head with her hoof. “I love you too, sugarcube. Now get.”

The sun had already set when Twilight finally returned home to the library. The door was slightly ajar and it was dark inside. Did Spike go out? Why would he leave the door open?

Stepping inside the library, Twilight used her magic to light the candle on the table and was assaulted by the condition of the library. The shelves were completely bare, with their contents thrown around the room.

The library’s vast collection of books had been discarded on the floor and table, some with visible rips and tears from the force with which they were thrown. The flower vase by the window was smashed. The ladder lay knocked aside.

Twilight raced up the stairs but her room was no different. Whatever hurricane had torn through the library had ripped her room to shreds as well. The drawer of her bedside dresser had been ripped open. Her mattress lay against the wall with her pillow torn open. But where was--

“Urgh….” Twilight heard from downstairs. She raced back down to see Spike crawling out from under the table. “What happened?” Spike squinted a few times as his eyes adjusted, and then they went as wide as pancakes. “The library! What happened?!”

“That’s a good question,” Twilight answered, causing him to jump. He turned to look at her.

“Twilight? You’re home?”

But she ignored his inquiry. “Are you okay?" she asked him. "What happened here?” Her mind was already racing. Spike might be a little tyke, but he was still a dragon. Overpowering him would have been no easy feat.

“I…I don’t know. There was a visitor. He was…I think he was asking about a book. Then everything went black.”

Spike had seen a visitor? It had to be the person who’d attacked the library. “I need details. What did you see?”

Spike sat down and rubbed his head. “He was big, I think. Something seemed off about him. Like, I thought he was an earth pony, but then he wasn’t. He might have been a unicorn? I don’t know, it’s like I have all these different memories of him competing over which one he actually was.”

“And he was asking about a book? Did he say which book?”

“I don’t know. He was stammering something. It was like he couldn’t focus. Then he turned on me and…” Spike stopped, eyes wide open, and trembled.

“It’s okay, Spike. You don’t have to continue.” Twilight levitated the table and set it in front of the door. “That should hold it in case he tries to come back. Tomorrow, we’ll sort through the books and figure out what’s missing. If we know what he took, it might help us figure out what kind of creature we’re dealing with.”

“Yeah.” Spike looked down, dejectedly. “Twilight, I’m--”

“It’s not your fault,” she interrupted. “I’m just glad you’re safe.” She gave him a smile, but her mind and heart were competing to see which could race faster. Why now? Of all the times this could happen, couldn’t it just wait a couple days?!

“Spike, I hate to ask you this while you’re still recovering but have you heard anything from Applejack? I thought she might stop by while I was out with Rarity.”

Spike shook his head. “Nopony came by except…whatever that was.”

“Oh.” Twilight swallowed hard, trying to push her heart down out of her throat. “I see. Thanks anyway.”

Looking out at the night sky, she wondered where Applejack was now. She spent one last hope that she was thinking of her, then turned her attention back to the library. “I can’t do this tonight. I have to get some sleep. Do you mind if we start in the morning?”

Spike nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. We can spend tomorrow solving this. Good night, Twilight.”

With a long day behind her, Rarity finally approached the front door to the boutique. She was looking forward to getting some--

“Rarity? Is that you? I’ve been lookin’ all over for ya!” A blue stallion with a peach-shaped cutie mark emerged from the darkness of Ponyville at night.

“Yes, can I help you?” she asked suspiciously.

“Dagnabbit, Rarity, it’s me! Cardinal Peaches! We met at Fancy Pants’s soiree!”

“Oh!” Rarity suddenly straightened up. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. What brings you to Ponyville?”

“Keep a secret?” Cardinal asked. “I’m lookin’ to get in good with your local apple farm. My peaches are the best but they could be even moreso, and my workers could use all the trade secrets they can get.”

Rarity nodded. “Well, that is quite a commitment to have come all this way by yourself.”

“Yeah, well, my daddy always said your business is only as good as the work you put into it. No truer words have ever been spoken. But it ain’t lookin’ so hot. I don’t think that young missy down at the farm likes me too much.”

Rarity grunted. “You’re referring to Applejack, I presume. Yes, her head seems to have become especially thick as of late.”

Cardinal nodded. “So, to cut to the chase, I was wondering if you might have a spare room you’d be willin’ to rent out for a day or two? I’d be happy to help out around your shop.”

Rarity nodded. “I do have a guest room. I usually reserve it for my sister, but what kind of pony would I be to turn an old acquaintance out into the cold? Come on inside. I’d be delighted to help.”

Apple Bloom woke up to find the moon still shining from high in the sky. She was still tired, and it was well before time to get up, but thirst doesn’t care what time it is. Crawling out of bed, she opened the door and started towards the stairs.

Then she stopped. She could hear a strange noise echoing from nearby. She stopped, listening very carefully, and crept slowly across the hall to Applejack’s door. Pressing her ear against it, she could almost make out…was that crying?

Apple Bloom had almost never heard her sister cry. The sound was strange and foreign, and it terrified her. She rest a hoof on the door and considered knocking, but thought better of it. There was no telling how her sister might react if she knew she’d heard her. Walking away, she gave one last look back at the door, then went downstairs to get her water.

When she returned, she climbed into bed and tried to get to sleep, but she just couldn’t get the sound of her sister crying out of her head. Instead, she stared up at the moon and wished for Twilight to come home.

4 - The Gathering Clouds

Dear Princess Celestia,

Physical affection is very complicated. Applejack has been fond of showing affection physically for as long as I’ve known her. She claps hooves, gives shoulder pats, and other gestures involving touching a pony to let them know she’s excited or happy for them. It took me some time to get used to being touched so much even when we were just friends.

“Just friends.” That’s an interesting set of words, actually. It seems to indicate that a platonic friendship is in some way lesser than a romantic entanglement. I’m not sure if I agree with that. I’ll need some time to think about this. I’ll send another report when I have an answer.

In any case, being touched was a strange experience for friendships already. I’ve long since gotten used to it, but I was not prepared for the amount of touching that happens when you’ve started dating somepony, and I was quite surprised to realize how often I was instigating it myself.

In the kind of relationship Applejack and I have built, there doesn’t seem to be much expectation of personal space. If we’re walking, we’re often close enough to touch each other by leaning in the right direction. When we sit, we’re usually right up against each other. We lay together and cross my hoof over hers or hers over mine, and then we just talk.

And, of course, there’s the kisses. I knew from the start that this was going to be one of the larger distinctions in our relationship, but I’m surprised by how minor it actually is compared to all the smaller, more casual forms of physical affection we show each other. They are certainly powerful and I’m convinced there’s some kind of magic in them because of the way my heart flutters when we kiss, but it’s far from the most noticeable nuance of our new situation.

If anything, I would say the most noticeable are the looks. Applejack has this expression she gets when she’s watching me at times. I catch her staring at me with this hungry look in her eyes, like she’s contemplating a very delicious looking salad. Sometimes she tries to hide it, but other times…well, I’ve taken to calling it her “Contemplating Physical Affection” look or CPA for short.

I wonder if I have one? I’ll need to ask her about that some time.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Rarity was already hard at work on her latest design when Cardinal exited the guest room. “What a lovely morning,” she greeted him.

Cardinal blushed. Not half as lovely as you, he thought, but then thought wiser of saying it. “It absolutely is. Thank you for offering your hospitality.”

Rarity nodded. “Of course. Why, if ponies weren’t willing to stick out a hoof for each other, where would we be? Savagery, that’s where, and I want no part of that in my home.”

“You’re one of a kind, Rarity,” Cardinal told her as he headed towards the door.

She stopped him with a sharp look. “I’m really not. Spend some time around Ponyville and I think you’ll find we are a very welcoming town. I’m sure you must have met Pinkie Pie already.”

“It would have been impossible not to. So much energy in that one.”

“Yes, she can be a tad overdramatic,” Rarity replied with a chuckle. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

Cardinal sighed, looking at the door. “Headed down to the Apple farm to try my luck with its proprietor again. Stubborn as a mule, that mare.”

“Yes,” Rarity answered, “Applejack can be difficult at times, and especially so of late.” She sighed. “Still, I can’t imagine what she’s been going through. I’ve been speaking with Twilight and it all sounds just so horrid. I’m sure if those two just sat down in a room for five minutes then everything could work itself out. So let’s try not to be too hard on the poor dear.”

“Of course,” Cardinal confirmed. “She’s lucky to have a friend like you. I’m sure she has nothing but the utmost regard for your opinion.”

“Hah!” Rarity laughed bitterly. “Now there’s a good one. Applejack wouldn’t know regard if it bit her on the cutie mark.” She shook her head. “No, she can be a bit thick-headed, but we care about her all the same.”

Cardinal nodded. “Of course. That’s what friends do.”

“Glad you understand. Now, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. Do me a favor while you’re out there? Tell Applejack that Twilight is absolutely dying to speak with her.”

“Absolutely.” Cardinal headed out the door, keeping his head turned away to hide his malevolent grin. “I’ll be sure she gets the message.”

Twilight woke up from a fitful night of sleep on top of a mattress she’d had to drag back over to the bed. The destruction of her pillow had forced her to use a rolled up blanket in its place and competing worries over the destruction of her library and the fact that she still hadn’t gotten to talk to Applejack kept her from sleeping well.

As she approached the stairs, she heard huffs and gags from downstairs. “Spike?” she called down. “Is that you?” Descending the stairs, she found Spike seated at the table exhaling as hard as he could into a bowl full of twigs. “Okay, I’ll bite. What are you doing?”

Spike frantically whipped around to look at Twilight. “There’s something wrong with my fire breath. It’s gone!”

“What?! How can it be gone?!”

“I don’t know!” Spike shouted back. “I’ve been trying to send the Friendship Report you wrote in Dodge Junction, but every time I tried to puff, all I got was hard air. I can’t even make regular fire! There’s something wrong with me.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight told him, hugging the hyperventilating little dragon. “We’re going to figure this out too. Were you able to breathe fire before you were attacked yesterday?”

“I don’t know,” Spike answered. “I was busy trying to get started on reorganizing. I can’t imagine why I wouldn’t.”

“Okay,” Twilight pondered, “this is probably connected with the thing that attacked you yesterday. Have you been able to remember any more details? At least something that would tell us whether it was a unicorn or a pegasus?”

Spike shook his head. “I keep remembering it differently. I was attacked by a pegasus, a unicorn, and…something else. But they were never there at the same time, and I have no idea what they actually did. I just remember feeling very weak and then passing out.”

“You said they were stammering something?”

“Yeah. Like it was talking to itself. Or they were talking to themselves. Or somewhere inbetween. I didn’t make a lot of sense.”

“Do you remember anything they said?”

Spike thought for a moment. “I heard ‘unicorn’ a lot. They might have been looking for you. Or it was.”

Twilight sighed. “So we have a unicorn, a pegasus, a something else, and they were never around at the same time. What do you mean by that part?”

“I promise, Twilight, I don’t know. I just only ever saw one of them at a time.”

“Alright, I believe you. Let’s get to work on the library and see if we can figure out what it or they stole.”

“Seems weird to steal books from a library,” Spike muttered. “Why not just walk in and ask for them? It’s a library.”

Twilight sat down and contemplated. “You’re right. That is weird. There’s no reason we wouldn’t just loan the book out if the pegasus or the unicorn walked in and said, ‘I need a book.’ There’s a lot about this that just doesn’t make sense. But we’re not going to get any close to solving it until we know what’s missing, so let’s get started.”

Apple Bloom was busy packing up her saddlebag for class when there came a knock at the door. She perked up instantly and raced to answer it. “Twilight?!” she asked, throwing open the door.

“Sorry, little filly,” came the apologetic voice of a blue stallion with a peach-shaped cutie mark. “The name’s Cardinal. Is your sister home?”

Apple Bloom drooped. With disappointment dripping from her voice, she answered, “She’s out back mixin’ pesticides with Granny Smith. She ain’t in the best mood, though, so don’t expect her to take kindly to strangers.”

Cardinal gave Apple Bloom a little bow. “Thank ya kindly.” As he started around the side of the house, Apple Bloom gave a quick shudder and went back to packing her saddlebag. She didn’t know what it was about him, but her gut told her that stallion was bad news.

“And now quarter turn, quarter turn--”

“I know how to mix!” Applejack snapped, then immediately softened. “I…I’m sorry, Granny. I shouldn’t have gone off like that. I just--”

“I know you just,” Granny answered. “You’d rather be workin’ the fields with your brother, but until that sprain heals up, ya gotta leave the heavy liftin’ to him.”

“I know,” Applejack conceded, continuing to stir the mixture while her mind drifted. Today was Thursday. That usually meant Twilight would be coming by with a couple books to read, but given recent events, it just didn’t seem likely that she’d be showing up.

She wondered if it might be best to visit the library herself. Pinkie’d told her they left a message, but maybe Twilight hadn’t received it. Maybe that’s why she--

“G’mornin’, ladies. How are you doin’ on this fine day?” Cardinal rounded the corner to great the Apple mares.

And then there’s this jerk. “What do ya want, Cardinal?” Applejack asked in the driest, most frustrated voice she could muster.

Cardinal gave Applejack the widest, fakest smile she’d ever seen. “Nothing more than a bit of your time. If you would hear--”

“My time’s a bit on the valuable side of late,” Applejack huffed. “You’re gonna have to bargain for it with Granny Smith.”

Cardinal took one look at Granny, then nodded to Applejack. “Very well. I shall take my leave. I’m certain you have plenty of mixing to get done.”

“Good. Don’t let the gate--”

“Hey, AJ!” Rainbow Dash streaked down from the sky. “Ya gotta check out this sweet--who’s this guy?” Dash fluttered in midair, giving Cardinal a suspicious once-over.

“He was just leavin’,” Applejack answered, waiting for Cardinal to depart before turning her attention to Rainbow Dash. “Alright, what are ya on about now?”

“Oh, I just found this cool spot where the mud makes a wicked slide right down the side of Ghastly Gorge! Ya gotta come check it out with me!”

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash an apologetic smile. “I’d love ta, but I really am busy at the moment helpin’ Granny. But since you’re here, do ya think you could do me a favor?”

“Of course!” Dash gave Applejack a mock salute.

Applejack chuckled. “Thanks, Rainbow. I’d like you to keep an eye on that huckster that just left here. Somethin’ about him don’t smell right to me.

Rainbow Dash grinned. “I’m on it. I’ll make him squeal in no time!”

“What? No, just watch him. See where he goes, what he does. I want to know what he’s really doin’ here in Ponyville. He says he’s a farmer but he don’t talk like no farmer I ever met.”

“Gotcha! Don’t worry, AJ. He’ll never know I’m there.”

“Alright, pal, what’s your deal?!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“I’m sorry?” Cardinal offered. “This flower seems quite lovely and the shade is a perfect match for Rarity’s mane, so don’t you think she might appreciate--”

“Can it!” Dash shouted. “I’m askin’ the questions here!”

“Alright,” Cardinal sat down. “Ask away. First question.”

“Uh…” Dash thought a moment. “What’s your deal?”

“I run a peach farm out of Mareietta. I’ve been hoping to spend some time chatting with the Apple family but it appears the young miss Applejack hasn’t taken very kindly to me.”

“Aha!” Dash shoved a hoof in Cardinal’s face. “AJ says you don’t sound like a farmer! What do you say to that?”

“I never said I was,” Cardinal answered. “I said I run the farm. I have workers to do the farming for me.”

“Well, that…uh….” Rainbow Dash scratched her head with her hoof. “That does sort of explain things.”

“Oh dear,” Cardinal fretted. “Did she think I worked the farm? No wonder she’s been so cold to me. You know, my daddy always said that miscommunication is the source of all society’s greatest troubles. I should just--”

“HOLD ON!” Dash shouted. “You’re not off the hook yet! You’re done when I say you’re done.”

“Why, of course.” Cardinal smiled, continuing, “I can tell you are a very dedicated friend to the Apple family. Applejack is lucky to have somepony like you in her life and I, for one, am very happy to hear you’ve reconciled your differences.”

Dash nodded. “Yeah, I’m pretty--wait, what are you talking about?”

“Oh, where are my manners,” Cardinal answered. “I mean only that it is good to finally have a chance to meet you, Miss Twilight.”

“WHAT?!”

“Your tenacity is matched only by your partner’s. I wish your relationship only the best of luck.”

“You…I…you….” Rainbow Dash was having trouble finding words.

“Is something the matter?”

“I’M NOT TWILIGHT!!!” she finally exploded. “I’m not…why would you even THINK that?!”

“Oh, dear. Have I made some mistake?” Cardinal asked. “I apologize. It’s simply that with the love and dedication you show, I assumed you must be her.”

Rainbow’s face threatened to turn into an apple itself. “Alright, explain! Right now!”

And explain, he did. “You can tell a lot about a pony by the way they carry themselves. The eagerness with which you tried to get Applejack’s attention despite knowing that she was working communicates an emotional need for her company. You feel obligated to her time even though you must know she shares responsibilities with her farm.

“What you don’t seem to know about, however, is that she suffered a tragic injury to her right front hoof two nights ago.”

“Wait, AJ’s injured?” Rainbow asked.

“Why, yes. She’s suffered a terrible sprain, which I assume to be the reason she’s not working in the fields right now. Somepony who knew about that would certainly not be asking her to trek all the way to some isolated part of the wilderness. To my knowledge, she hasn’t seen or heard from Twilight Sparkle since before the accident.

“Finally, you certainly seem like a hot-blooded firebrand, but the only reason I can imagine that you would be accosting me like this in the first place is because Applejack has requested it. You show a great deal of dedication, which tells me that Applejack is somepony who is very important to you.”

“Wait, how’d you know about the mud slide?” Dash asked.

“I have good ears,” Cardinal answered. “They help me ensure my workers are busy doing their jobs. So, assuming nothing has changed, if you’re not Applejack’s Very Special Somepony, then would I be correct in guessing best friend?”

Rainbow Dash looked up at the sky. “I don’t know if I’m her best friend, but I’m probably up there. I’m Rainbow Dash.”

Cardinal’s eyes immediately grew. “Rainbow Dash of the legendary Sonic Rainboom? I apologize for the confusion, madam. I must say, the stories do not do you justice at all.”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Dash grinned. “So what else can ya tell about me?”

“Well, and excuse me for treading on this territory if I’m wrong, but would I be correct in assuming that you’re not very pleased with the relationship between Applejack and this Twilight pony?”

“I…” Dash hesitated before answering. “We’re not talking about that. C’mon, we’re going into town. You’re gonna show me more.”

“Alright, that looks like the last of them,” Twilight told Spike as she levitated Fundamentals of Cookware into place. “What are we missing?”

“Hmm….” Spike ran down the list, checking off the book. “Alright, so we’re missing Daring Do and the Ancient Mareyan--”

“I’ve got that one in my saddlebag,” Twilight interrupted. “Applejack and I were reading it before….”

Twilight sniffed and Spike quickly moved the subject forward to keep her on track. “Right, okay. Then we’re just missing Scales and Flame: Dragons Throughout History, The Curse of Nightmare Moon, and Map to the Uncharted: A Survival Guide for the Everfree Forest. Seems to be a bunch of books for surviving dangerous situations.”

Twilight shook her head. “The Curse of Nightmare Moon is a horror novel and Scales and Flame is just recorded history. There’s nothing in it about how to handle dragons.” She walked over to the table and sat down, resting her front hooves on it.

“Then why take them?” Spike scratched his head. “I don’t see the connection here.”

“Maybe there isn’t one. I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier.” She turned to look at him. “Why steal books from a library? Some tore this place upside-down trying to find something, they attacked you, and all they took were three books we would happily have loaned out in the first place? That doesn’t make any sense. Nopony would do that.”

“Then why take the books?” Spike asked.

Twilight thought for a moment, then answered. “Maybe they wanted us to think they were here to steal books. Have you noticed anything else missing?” Spike shook his head. “Then whatever they were after, they must have done it while they were here. What do we have here that somepony might want to use?”

“Well, we have books,” Spike answered sardonically, but Twilight perked up.

“We do have books. Spike, about what time were you attacked?”

“It was just an hour or two past lunch.”

Twilight stomped her hoof on the table. “That has to be it! I didn’t find you until after the sun had gone down. Whoever these ponies were, they could have been alone in the library for hours. That’s more than enough time to trash the library, read something they didn’t want anypony knowing they’d read, and then make off with a few arbitrary books to make this look like a robbery.”

“That makes sense!” Spike shouted.

“I think we’ve solved it!” Twilight shouted back, giving a little hop.

“There’s a guest at the door!” Spike jumped with her.

“Now we just need to figure out what books we have that--” Twilight was cut off by the sound of a hoof knocking on the library door. Spike was already on his way over to answer it. Twilight blushed and tried to quench her excitement. “Oh, right. There’s a guest.”

Spike opened the door and greeted the new arrival. “Oh, good afternoon, Apple Bloom.”

“Hi, Spike,” the filly greeted. “Is Twilight here?”

“I’m right here,” Twilight used her magic to open the door wider. “Come on in. I’m sorry about the mess. We had a bit of a disturbance recently, but we’re taking care of it.”

Apple Bloom stepped into the library, taking in the broken vase, torn curtains, and other signs of damage. “This wasn’t my sister, was it?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, this wasn’t related. At least, I don’t think it was. So what brings you by?”

“Well, uh…” Apple Bloom looked down awkwardly. “Y’said I could come to the library if I needed help with my homework. I know you and my sister are goin’ through some things but--”

Twilight cut her off with a warm smile. “Of course I would be delighted to help. Have a seat over by the table. Spike, get Apple Bloom a glass of water. We have some studying to do.”

“Alright, what about her?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Cardinal from the bush they were hiding in. Cardinal followed her gaze to Cheerilee, who was headed home from another constructive day of teaching.

“Look at the way she greets everypony,” Cardinal whispered back. “Don’t look at her smile. Look at her eyes. What do you see?”

“She’s, uh…she’s smiling with her eyes too?”

“Exactly. That’s sincerity, Rainbow Dash. She greets mares and stallions alike with the same cheerful sincerity. Even when she sees a couple, there’s not even a second of longing in her eyes, nor does she seem to drift off to thoughts of a special somepony. She greets them and moves on.

“That is a pony entirely committed to the life she’s leading right now and proud of it. She’s happy with where she is in her life.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “You got that from the way her eyes look when she smiles?”

Cardinal nodded. “Ponies who are in pain have a wide variety of ways they show it. Have you looked at Applejack’s eyes recently? She’s tough as nails, so of course she would tell you she’s fine if you asked, but if you just watch her, her eyes tend to unfocus on whatever she’s doing and drift away.”

“That doesn’t sound like her.”

“That’s because it wouldn’t normally be. This kind of behavior is uncharacteristic of a hard-working farm pony. Something is occupying her mind that is so powerful, it’s pulling her away from her responsibilities.”

“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash completed the thought, glancing off to the side. “She’s in pain because of Twilight.”

But Cardinal didn’t give her a moment to dwell on it, snapping her back to the present with, “But we see none of that in Cheerilee. She seems happy as a peach.” From there, he gestured to a pair of ponies conversing on a nearby bench. “Look at those two. What do you see?”

“Oh, that’s Lyra and Bon Bon. Everypony knows about them.”

Cardinal shook his head. “Don’t tell me what you know. Tell me what you see.”

“Uh. I see two ponies sitting on a bench.”

“Watch the way Lyra’s eyes linger on Bon Bon when she talks.”

“That’s Bon Bon,” Dash corrected.

“Okay, then watch how Bon Bon’s eyes linger. The way she watches her partner with complete attention. As though she feels like every passing moment with her is a gift. Pay attention to her body language. Every time Lyra turns away or looks at something, Bon Bon leans towards her as though to fill the gap. It’s like she’s connected by an invisible thread.”

“Applejack does that,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself.

“Now look at—URG” Cardinal gasped, putting a hoof over his chest. He pulled himself out of the bush and collapsed, struggling for air.

“Hey!” Dash put a hoof on his back. “Are you okay?! What’s going on?”

Cardinal coughed, then shook his head. “I’m fine. I just need…I’ll be fine. Have to--” He was cut off by another throb, a sort of pulse that ran through his body.

“The boutique!” Cardinal choked out.

“On it,” Rainbow Dash answered before tucking under one of Cardinal’s front legs and lifting it over her shoulder. “This way,” she told him as she propped him up and started walking him in the direction of the boutique.

As they arrived at the front steps, Cardinal winced and pried himself off Rainbow Dash. “I’ll only be a moment,” he told her as he struggled to climb the stairs. He stopped at the door, looking back to her. “Thank you. You’re a good friend.”

Apple Bloom frowned at the book in front of her. “I don’t know, Twilight. I’m just not gettin’ it. Maybe I’m not smart enough.”

Twilight shook her head. “You are one of the most clever little fillies I know, Apple Bloom. You just need to learn how to visualize it. For example, let’s say I’m trying to do some renovations on the library. I have four boards I need to nail up and I have twelve nails. How many nails can I put into each board?”

“Well, that’s easy,” Apple Bloom answered. “That’s three nails to a board.”

Twilight nodded. “That was an easy one. Now, let’s look at this one. 4x/2=10. So, I’ve nailed up four boards right alongside each other. I’ve put two rows of nails in them and there are ten nails to a row. On a given board, how many nails are there?”

“Uh….” Apple Bloom tried to picture it in her head. “Well, there’s two rows and ten nails to a row, so that means there’s twenty nails in all, right?”

Twilight nodded. “That’s right. So you can write that down.”

4x/2=10
4x/2=20?

Twilight gave Apple Bloom a knowing smile. “Do you still need that “divided by two” part? You’ve already solved that piece of the question.”

“You can solve ‘em in pieces?” Twilight nodded, so Apple Bloom marked that part off.

4x/2=10
4x/2=20?
4x=20

“But wait,” Apple Bloom thought. “That doesn’t seem right. The rows wouldn’t be symmetric.”

Twilight shook her head. “You’ve already solved the rows. Now, how many nails are there in each of the four boards?”

“There’s five,” Apple Bloom answered. “So is that….” Twilight nodded to her, prompting Apple Bloom to grin. “It’s five! Thank you!”

4x/2=10
4x/2=20?
4x=20
x=5

Twilight smiled. “You’re welcome. Now, let’s see about this next problem….”

The minute the boutique door closed, Cardinal collapsed. Heaving on the ground, he muttered to himself, “Not now. I need more time.” Glancing at the door, he contemplated Rainbow Dash. He almost had her eating out of his hoof; it would be the easiest thing in the world to lure her inside.

Did he still need her, though? Yes, he quickly realized. She would be pivotal to today’s events, and he couldn’t take for granted that she was ready for her part. Events had nearly derailed themselves too many times already, and he might never get another chance like this. If Rarity hadn’t gotten to Twilight before Fluttershy….

But that just left…Cardinal looked up, listening to the light sound of snoozing coming from the boudoir. There was another option. But…it was Rarity. From the beginning, he’d been trying to avoid crossing that line. She was…she deserved better than that. But there wasn’t time to find somepony else.

As indecision gnawed at him, he suddenly felt lightheaded. He had to make his choice soon, and he couldn’t afford to screw this up now. Not when he was so close. With a deep breath, he staggered to his feet, fighting to compose himself. I’ll only take a little.

“See?” Twilight told Apple Bloom. “I told you that you’d get the hang of this. That’s five problems now that you didn’t even need my help on. You don’t give yourself enough--”

“She misses you, y’know,” Apple Bloom cut her off. “I…I’m sorry, but I had to say something. She doesn’t like to show it, but she misses you. I heard her cryin’ last night. I think she’s real tore up about what happened ‘tween you two.”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. She thought about the fight they’d had. She still didn’t understand what had even caused it. “Has she said anything about me?” she asked.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “She won’t talk about it, but I think she’s hopin’ you’ll come by the farm. She said you were supposed to be there last night, but then you weren’t.”

“I didn’t realize,” Twilight told her. Her mind was racing and her heart began beating faster than it had in the last couple days. Applejack did want to talk to her after all! She might just have a chance to--

A large, heavy knock struck the door. With hope in her eyes, Twilight opened it with her magic, and wasn’t entirely disappointed. It wasn’t Applejack, but Big Macintosh was standing on the other side. “Oh, hello,” she greeted him. “Are you looking for Apple Bloom?”

“Eeyup.”

Twilight backed away from the door to allow Big Macintosh inside. “She’s right in here. We were working on her homework. Is it time for her to head home?”

“Eeyup.”

“Alright,” Apple Bloom said, gathering her school supplies into her backpack. “Thanks for helpin’ me, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded to Apple Bloom. “Of course. No matter what happens between me and Applejack, I’ll always be here to help you.” Twilight gave the little filly a hug. “And remember: when you don’t understand the problem, try to visualize it in a way that makes sense to you.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Apple Bloom trotted out the door, followed shortly by Big Macintosh. When he got to the door, however, he stopped and looked back at the unicorn. “Twilight.” He hesitated as though searching for the right words, then went with them. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Rainbow Dash was still waiting outside when Cardinal exited the Carousel Boutique. He had his head held high and seemed almost like a brand new pony. “Sorry about that,” he told her. “Heart condition. I must say, I do appreciate the help you gave in getting me here. That was a very heroic thing for you to do, Rainbow Dash.”

Dash beamed. “Nah, really. It was something any brave, noble pony with a heart of gold would have done!

Cardinal nodded to her. “You are a true hero, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash fluttered into the air. “Thanks. I’m glad you’re okay. I should probably get going, though.”

“Of course. One more thing, Rainbow? About everything we’ve talked about today. Now that you have more of an understanding of how people can use observation to glean important information, I wanted to warn you against trusting too easily. There are people who will use that information against you in the most horrible of ways.”

“Pfft. Like I’d fall for that,” Rainbow Dash boasted.

“Don’t be too confident. Imagine, for instance, a devious manipulator wanted to turn you against Applejack--”

“Then they’d be flapping against a hurricane, ‘cause that will NEVER happen.”

“Yes, but supposing someone were to try, your feelings regarding Twilight Sparkle would be their point of access. Only you can come to terms with those, but remember: even in the hardest of times, your dearest friend will always have your back.”

“Yeah. I know.” Rainbow Dash scoffed at Cardinal. “You’re not telling me anything I haven’t already learned. AJ and I are like this,” she clacked her hooves against each other for emphasis, “and nopony’s ever coming between that.” With those words, she flew off, leaving Cardinal alone on the front steps of the boutique.

It had taken Twilight the better part of an hour to work out all the things she wanted to say to Applejack, but then she was out the door and trotting towards the farm. She hadn’t felt this good since the fight.

There was still the mystery of the library thief to deal with, but that could wait. Right now, the most important thing was fixing her relationship with Applejack. She still wasn’t sure what they were fighting about but she was sure that if Applejack just talked to her, they could work it out.

As she rounded the corner and headed out of town, she felt a strange shadow pass over her. She stopped, looking up, but there was nothing there. The sun had already hit the horizon and was on its way down, casting its violet and oranges across the sky. Twilight briefly thought back to her first date.

I ain’t ever seen nothin’ so pretty as my apple grove gets when it’s all lit up by the glow of twilight.

Holding that thought in her heart, Twilight started walking again, but every so often she glanced up again. Something didn’t feel right.

Crossing through the gate, she started to approach the farmhouse. She could see a light on inside and guessed the family was already sitting down to dinner. She stopped and took a moment to mentally go over everything she wanted to say to Applejack.

Applejack, I’ve been thinking for the last couple days and although I don’t know what I’ve done to hurt you, I want you to know that I feel--

There it was again. That strange shadow whipped over her, drifting in the direction of the barn. She glanced up and thought she could see a shape disappear around the side. What is that?

With a puff of magic, Twilight lit up her horn and followed the shape. Rounding the corner, she called out, “Rainbow Dash? Is that you? Why are you sneaking around?”

As she came around the side, she saw him. Standing before her was a light blue pegasus with wings unfurled and a cutie mark shaped like a bullseye. “Twilight Sparkle,” he greeted her. “Hmm. I expected more.”

Twilight blinked. “More than what? I don’t even know you.”

“No, not from you. From me.” The pegasus looked into the air and closed his eyes. “I thought that finally meeting you again might bring me some sense of closure or epiphany or some moment where everything falls into place. I thought this moment would mean more. But it doesn’t. You’re just a unicorn and I’m just…well, I am.”

“Again?” Twilight asked. “I don’t remember ever meeting you before. How do we know each other?”

“You wouldn’t,” the pegasus answered. “We are both so much less than we were in that moment.”

“Are you one of the ponies who attacked the library?”

“Hmm, how to answer that.” The pegasus circled around Twilight, looking up for the moment. “You could say I am, but you could also say I’m not. If your answer seems vague and difficult to decipher, have you considered whether your question might be wrong?”

But that was all the answer Twilight needed. Her horn glowed with magic. “What are you doing here? If you’re planning to attack the Apples, I’m not going to let you.”

The pegasus’s eyes grew and he stifled a laugh. “The…the Apples?! You think I’m here for a bunch of country bumpkins? That’s precious.” Twilight winced at the insult to the family, narrowing her eyes. “No, Twilight Sparkle, those ponies in there? They aren’t ponies who matter. They’re just window dressing. A pretty decoration you wear as you go about your day. In the end, this will all come down to you and me, just as it always does.”

“You’re wrong,” Twilight insisted. “My friends have always supported me, and I in turn support them. That’s true of all my friends. We are stronger together than any one of us could be apart, and we use that strength to succeed.”

The pegasus nodded. “Let’s--kkhk” He staggered suddenly. In an instant, Twilight thought she saw his wings flicker in and out of existence. She blinked in confusion. Was the dim light of evening playing tricks on her eyes?

The pegasus shook his head, then shot a sharp glare at Twilight. “Out of time. This conversation is over.” And then he lunged straight at her. Using her magic, she defensively caught him in mid-leap and tossed him backwards, but he straightened his wings and used the momentum to right his course.

Twilight raced around the barn after him, coming back towards the farmhouse. “Hey!” she shouted into the air. “Get back here!” She took a sharp look to her left and saw one of the Apples’ applebucking carts flying through the air in her direction. She caught it with her magic and tried to set it down, only to be blindsided by the pegasus swooping down and ramming into her. The cart hit the ground roughly and skidded across the grass.

Twilight rolled across the grass, shook her head, and looked up. She could see the pegasus approaching her for another swing and locked her spell on him again, stopping his momentum and shoving him back the way he’d come. His back slammed into the house, cracking the wood where he impacted, and he hit the ground, seemingly winded.

Twilight approached “Now you’re going to--“

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!!” The last voice Twilight wanted to hear in this moment shouted at her from the front porch. She looked away for just a moment, her eyes spying Applejack marching down the steps towards her. When she looked back, the pegasus was gone. There was no sign he’d ever been here, save for the broken wooden beams and the upturned cart. “What in tarnation do ya think you’re doin’?!”

Twilight shot a frantic look back to Applejack, and then to the spot where the pegasus was supposed to be. She realized immediately what this looked like. “This…this wasn’t…I….”

“Twilight?” Apple Bloom asked from the porch, but Applejack shot her a quick look.

“Go back inside, sugarcube. Ya don’t need to be here for this.” Lowering her head, Apple Bloom walked backwards through the doorway and into the house.

Twilight took a step back, shocked by the way Applejack phrased that. “Applejack, listen to me. There was this stallion. He was here and--”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, then gestured a little bit over her head. Twilight could hear her voice start to perk up as she spoke, sounding almost hopeful. “What'd he look like?"

“It was a pegasus with a bullseye cutie mark.”

Applejack seemed to droop at that news. “Oh. Not an earth pony with a peach?”

Twilight shook her head. “You have to believe me. Please, I came over here to talk to you. I wanted to--”

“Walk with me,” Applejack cut her off, then started towards the gate of the farm. “We don’t need to do this in front of the house. Apple Bloom’s probably listenin’ at the door already.”

Do what? Twilight trembled with fear as she followed Applejack. “Applejack, you need to know that I would never do anything to endanger your family. Please, you know how much I care about them.”

“I want to believe that,” Applejack said as they approached the gate. She faced the woods, refusing to look at Twilight. “I want to believe ya came out here ‘cause ya wanted to make things right with me. I want that more than anythin’, Twi. For the last couple days, all I could think about was makin’ things right with you.”

“Then do,” Twilight urged her. “It’s the truth. I came here to--”

“But,” Applejack continued, “I remember how ya get when your reports ain’t goin’ well. Big Macintosh still has that doll ya cursed. He tries to hide it, but we all know it’s there. So I want to believe you, but…” Applejack shook for a moment, and Twilight thought she saw drops falling from her face.

“Applejack, please….”

Applejack sniffed and then continued to speak, never looking at Twilight. “I just don’t know. I have to think about my family right now. I don’t know if you’re close enough to your family to get it, but they come first. I don’t get to have what I want until I make sure they’re taken care of, and they do the same for me.”

Twilight took a step back, terrified of where this was going. “Applejack, what are you saying?”

Finally, Applejack turned to look at her, and Twilight could see the tears streaking down her face. “I toldja when this all started that I’d always be your friend. I meant that, Twi, and I will be. Bein’ with ya has made me happier than I ever knew I could be, but I think we both know this trial of yours has gone cross-eyed.”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t do this.”

Applejack took a deep breath, then continued. “I have to. This ain’t easy for me, Twi. Just about the hardest thing I’ve ever done, I reckon. But it’s over. I need to ask ya not to come back to the farm for a while. I need….” She choked on the words, took a deep breath, and tried again. “I need time to figure out how to stop loving you.”

And there it was. Twilight could feel her heart shattering from the weight of Applejack’s words. She stumbled backwards as her mind raced to find something to say, anything that would make this all go away. She panned feverously through what she could say or do, and nothing quite seemed to be able to defuse this.

“There really was a pegasus,” she tried, but Applejack just looked away.

“Please don’t make this harder,” the farm pony insisted.

Slowly, trembling, Twilight stood up and started for the gate. “I…I’m sorry,” she said weakly, but if Applejack heard her, she gave no sign. Finally, as she passed through the gate, Twilight looked back at her and stopped for a moment. “It wasn’t just an experiment,” she told her. “I think I might have loved you.”

With those words hanging in the air, Twilight left the farm. Every step was a fight against her heart, which was desperately trying to send her back to the farm. She knew she couldn’t go back to the library. She needed help. She needed someone to talk to her and tell her things would be okay. Spike wasn’t really suited for that.

As she drew closer to town, she made up her mind to go find Rarity. Rarity would know what to do, what to say, how to make it stop hurting like the entire world had just come to an end. She would--

There was that shadow again. Twilight whipped around, lighting her horn instantly. Pain and loss switched instantly to rage. The pegasus was not going to get another chance at her, not after what he had just put her through.

“Get out here!” she shouted at the forest. “You have no idea what you just took from me! I--”

Something else stumbled out of the woods. A dazzling white unicorn walked on shaking legs, then stopped and shook his head. Twilight wasn’t sure he even noticed her until he started to speak. “Twilight Spark-Spark-Spark Twilight….” It wasn’t the same voice as the pegasus. It was…familiar….

Then the unicorn vanished. In an instant, he was simply no longer there, and she heard the pegasus to her left. “It’s not time,” the pegasus insisted. “It’s not time.” Then he flickered right there in front of her eyes, passing in and out of existence several times in the space of a couple seconds.

“Has to be her,” the unicorn existed, replacing the pegasus in the blink of an eye. “No other choices.”

Twilight slowly backed away from the assault on logic before her. She poured through her knowledge of magical creatures to find an explanation for what her eyes were showing her. “What are you?” she asked, and in that moment she saw.

The unicorn and the pegasus flickered in and out of each other and for an instant, Twilight thought they almost looked like an alicorn. But then something else emerged. She saw him for just a split second but there was no mistaking his shape. “Discord,” she whispered into the night.

The unicorn reasserted itself and that familiar voice poured out. “Twists and turns are my master master mast-mast-mast--” and then it was gone again and she was alone in the woods. Twilight started down the path again, trying to get to town before they returned.

“She’s close!” The pegasus shouted from her left, suddenly coherent. “Give her a prize!”

Then the unicorn was to her right, chiding, “No prize to give her. Can’t find fulfillment in a book!”

“Guess it’s all for me,” The pegasus responded. “And I NEED IT!”

Twilight looked back and forth between the places where the two kept swapping. They had both started to advance on her one after the other, flickering between which existed at a given moment.

“It’s too early,” insisted the unicorn. “I’m not ready. She shouldn’t see me. It’s not time.”

“I don’t have time!” the pegasus shouted back. “There’s not enough. It’s never enough. Nothing is enough! I need…I…I need….”

Twilight prepared the strongest spell she knew while the two shades of Discord bickered with one another. She pointed her horn at the pegasus, but it was the unicorn who suddenly lunged at her, crying into the night, “I NEED A UNICORN!!!”

Twilight was startled, but unleashed every ounce of magic she could conjure. The unicorn stopped in place as it came at her, but her spells seemed to do nothing to dissuade him. Instead, he stood still in the path, drawing the magic into his horn. She flung spell after spell at him, but every ounce of magic she summoned kept getting pulled in.

Twilight backed up, but the unicorn began advancing on her again and it was in that moment she realized that even though she wasn’t casting anything, her magic was still being drawn out. She tried to teleport, but the spell broke before she could even cast it, feeding the unicorn. Her limbs went weak and she stumbled, and the last thing she saw before she passed out was the unicorn, still stealing her magic, and the briefest flicker of Discord’s triumphant grin.

5 - The Thunder Rolls

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’ve been thinking about what I said in my last letter regarding the turn of phrase, “just friends”. I’ve thought a lot about the relationship I have with Applejack now, as well as the friendships that I still hold dear to me with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. If one of them had approached me on that day instead of Applejack, would I have said yes?

The more I think about it, the more I believe I would have. I would agree for the same reason I agreed to Applejack. It would be an opportunity to learn more about myself and my relationship with them. The attempt may not have gone as smoothly as it did with her, but then again, it may have been even better. Ultimately, there’s no way to know.

But the point I’ve come to realize is that there was nothing uniquely special about our friendship that made me willing to take that chance. When I look back on why I started seeing Applejack and not one of the others, the answer I come to is simply: she asked. Perhaps there could have been a different future for me with one of the others or someone entirely different. But she asked.

That was our relationship then. The question, however, is do I believe our relationship now is stronger or more meaningful than the friendships we share? I will say that it’s more complicated, yet for the many ways our relationships has changed, there are also so many ways in which it’s remained the same.

There are elements of a romantic relationship that don’t need to be present in a platonic one. Physical attraction, for example. Rarity was absolutely right about that when all this started. If I wasn’t capable of being attracted to Applejack, this would have been a disaster.

However, all of the components that make a platonic relationship work are also needed in a romantic one. Elements such as mutual respect, trust, and empathy are vital to making a romantic relationship work. If Applejack and I didn’t respect each other enough to still be great friends even if we’d never started seeing each other, what kind of relationship would we have?

Could I have this kind of relationship with one of the others or even someone else entirely? It’s certainly possible. I’m not as certain about it as I am that I would say yes if they had been the ones to ask. Compatibility is complicated and I still don’t fully understand it. But I’m happy in my relationship with Applejack and, again, she receives first consideration because she asked.

So, to finally answer the question, I would not say that the relationship I have with Applejack is necessarily better than the friendship we once had or the friendships I have with my other friends. It’s simply a different kind of relationship, one that I could never have been prepared for without all the valuable lessons I’ve learned through my friends.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

As the sun came up, Applejack flopped out of bed. She hadn’t slept a wink last night; her mind just kept replaying her confrontation with Twilight in her head. She still could scarcely believe it was over.

Neither could Apple Bloom. The little one had thrown a fit when Applejack broke the news to the family that Twilight wouldn’t be coming back for a while, and not in the same context.

Applejack was almost glad she’d be working with Granny Smith again today. Her injury was still gnawing at her and, worse, her connection to the land was recovering slowly as well. She’d never had a sprain weaken her like this before, and it was becoming a subject of concern. Add in the sleep deprivation and even she had to admit she was in no condition to be working the field.

As she moved to grab her hat from the bedpost, she was startled to realize it wasn’t there. After a few seconds, she remembered that Twilight probably still had it. She’d need to get that back at some point, but that could wait. She could be without it for a few more days if it meant having the time for her heart to process. She kept hearing Twilight in her head.

"I think I might have loved you."

Heading downstairs, she found Big Macintosh buzzing around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the work day ahead. First to rise got first dibs on cooking and she certainly wasn’t feeling up to challenging him to that.

“Mornin’,” Applejack greeted her brother. Taking a seat at the table, she rested her head on her hooves and thought back on the events of the previous night. “Do ya think I made a mistake breakin’ things off with Twi like that?”

“Eeyup.”

“Maybe I let things get too out of control. Let my feelin’s run away with me.”

“Eeyup.”

“I mean, she’s not…she wouldn’t try somethin’ stupid like that. I know her better than that. I don’t know what happened last night but she just ain’t that kind.”

“Nope.”

“Maybe I should have just talked to her and tried to work things out.”

“Eeyup.”

Applejack stood up from the table, glancing at the door. “I should just go see her. Thanks Big Macintosh.” She tested her leg; still sprained, but she could live with it. Getting to Twilight was too important to let it hold her back.

Twilight woke up in an unfamiliar bed, but in a familiar cottage. She reached up with the side of her hoof and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, but her muscles felt strangely weak. “Applejack?” she asked the dimly lit room, but moments later, the sleep amnesia began to wear off and the events of the previous night came back to her.

Her heart sank like a stone as she remembered Applejack’s words to her.

"I need time to figure out how to stop lovin’ you."

All motivation to get out of bed faded in that moment. She sank under the butterfly-print comforter and tried to blot out the world.

She wasn’t sure how long she was under there before Fluttershy came upstairs. “Twilight? Are you awake?”

“No,” Twilight answered.

“I heard about what happened,” Fluttershy commiserated, sitting next to the bed. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

Twilight pulled the comforter tighter around herself. “Just tell me the world isn’t ending. I need to hear that right now.”

Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I know things are hard, but I’m sure Applejack will come around. She must have been under--”

“She said she needs time to figure out how to stop loving me,” Twilight sobbed at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy frowned. “Oh. That sounds pretty final.” Twilight groaned a confirmation, prompting her to step back from the bed. “Is that why you were laying in the road?”

“What?” Twilight rolled over to look at Fluttershy. “No, I was…attacked….” The strange unicorn and pegasus she’d encountered came rushing back. She sat up with a start, remembering the deranged look on the creature’s face and the way it flickered. She remembered the brief glimpse of Discord.

“I…I have to go….” She stammered. Her heart was still cracked in half and the idea of even moving was agony, but something was horribly wrong in Ponyville and she couldn’t let it sit. Even if she wanted to, the more she thought about it, the more her heart began to burn with the thought of action. The pegasus had ruined her reconciliation with Applejack, had attacked the library, attacked Spike.

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked her. “You could stay here and rest. I could talk to Applejack for you. Maybe she just--”

“I’m sure,” Twilight answered more gruffly than she’d intended. She also didn’t mean to glare, but fury was beginning to claim her heart. Discord was going to regret choosing last night to attack her.

Pulling herself off the bed, Twilight stood on shaking legs before her right front leg buckled and sent her careening into the floor. Her muscles felt completely atrophied. Whatever Discord had done to her, it had really taken a toll.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy shouted, but Twilight set her hoof and tried again, pushing herself off the ground.

“I can do this,” she insisted. “I just might need a little….” Her horn sparked and crackled as she tried to summon a bit of levitation to hold her up, but nothing happened. She tried again, but only got more crackling. She tried teleportation, a barrier, levitating the nearby flowerpot, but nothing worked. Every spell she cast fizzled and broke.

“Okay,” she admitted. “Maybe I will need help. I don’t know how, but Discord’s severed my connection to magic.”

“Discord?!” Fluttershy gasped. “Discord is back?! Why didn’t you say anything sooner?! Where is he?! We need to get everyone! And the Elements! We need--”

Twilight sat down, giving her legs a moment to rest. “We need to know what we’re dealing with first. Last night I was attacked by something. It was a pegasus, but it was also a unicorn and sometimes, very briefly, it was Discord. It’s like it couldn’t decide what it’s supposed to be. And it was rambling these strange things. It kept talking about time. It wasn’t time, or there wasn’t enough time, or it needed more time.

“And it stole my magic. Somehow, it was able to drain it from me. I need to go to Canterlot and speak with Princess Celestia. We can’t risk encountering Discord again until we know what we’re actually dealing with. Can you help me get to the train station? After what he did to me, I can barely walk.”

“Of course.” Fluttershy put one of Twilight’s legs over her shoulder. “Lean on me. I’ll get you there.”

“Thank you.” In a strange way, Twilight felt a little bit grateful to Discord for giving her a reason to get up and go somewhere rather than wallowing in her grief. Despair was a paralytic but rage was a motivator. She could believe that as long as she had this to focus on and keep her moving forward, maybe everything would be alright.

“She did WHAT?!” Rarity shrieked at the top of her lungs. Everything was not alright and might not ever be again. “What could possibly possess her to do such a thing?!”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Cardinal answered. “I just know what I’ve been hearing around town and word is, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle are now past tense. It must have been some blowout, too; you can see the damage to the farmhouse from the gate.”

Rarity was still in shock. “Has she taken complete leave of her senses? What could possibly possess Applejack to…or was Twilight the one who…no, that couldn’t be.” She sat down and plopped her forehead into her hooves. “This sounds completely impossible.”

Cardinal shrugged. “I just know what I’ve heard. I’m stayin’ out of it. The last thing this situation needs is a nosy busybody getting into the mix.”

Rarity stood up, shaking her head. “No, what it needs is for someone to shake some sense into Applejack.”

“You’re not thinking about getting in the middle of this?”

“I’m already in the middle of it,” Rarity answered. “Twilight deserves far better than this heartbreak Applejack’s unleashed upon her, and I have half a mind to go make her understand that.”

Cardinal shook his head, pleading. “You’d surely just make it worse. What you’re talking about would require a delicate touch and…well, I just don’t think you have the right skillset.”

“Don’t I?” Rarity narrowed her eyes. “My friend is in pain. What kind of pony would I be if I didn’t help her?”

“I get it, I just think--”

“Stop trying to talk me out of this! I am going to help Twilight if it’s the last thing I do. That’s what it means to be a friend.” With those words, Rarity stormed out of the boutique.

“Thanks again, Fluttershy.” Twilight stood on her own legs again, carefully stepping onto the train. “I should be able to manage from here. Do me a favor and go tell Spike where I’ve gone. Let him know I should be back before supper.”

“I will,” Fluttershy nodded. What she didn’t tell Twilight was that she was also going to go find Applejack. She was sure there must be some miscommunication that occurred. It just didn’t sit right with her that Applejack would dump Twilight like that.

“Wait, she did what?!” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “That doesn’t a lick of sense! AJ’s nuts about Twilight. For three weeks, it was all she’d talk about. Three weeks, nothing but ‘Y’ever notice the way her face scrunches when she’s castin’ her spells?’ and ‘Do ya think she was born with that pink and purple streak or is it some kinda magic thing?”

Cardinal shrugged. “That’s just what I’ve heard. I thought you might want to know. It sounds like Applejack could use a friend right now.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I’m on it. Thanks for letting me know. You’re a good friend.”

As Rainbow Dash flew off towards the farm, Cardinal grinned. “I certainly try.”

“They did WHAT?!” Pinkie’s jaw hit the floor when she heard the news. Literally hit the floor. Cardinal wasn’t at all sure how that was biologically possible, but there it was. On the floor. He made a mental note to figure that out later and returned to business.

“Twilight and Applejack broke up last night. Word’s all over town.”

Pinkie started hopping around nervously. “NONONONONO They can’t! They’ve been adorable together! I sang them a song!” She skidded on her hind legs, wrapping her hooves around Cardinal’s head and pulling on it. “WHAT ABOUT MY SONG?!” she cried out to an uncaring world.

Cardinal carefully extricated himself from Pinkie. “I don’t know, but that’s what I’ve--”

“I have to fix this,” Pinkie abruptly exclaimed, suddenly laser-focused. Before Cardinal could get another word out, she was gone, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. He stared at the cloud for a moment, then shook his head and started heading away. If I live to another thousand, I will never understand her.

A royal guard helped Twilight limp into Princess Celestia’s throne room. “Your majesty!” he addressed the princess. “Twilight Sparkle is here to see you.”

Celestia’s eyes widened when she saw the miserable state of her student. “What happened?! Are you okay?!”

“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. The guard set down her hoof and she struggled to approach the Princess. “I was attacked by something. It’s cut off my magic and I can barely walk.”

“Here,” Celestia stepped forward. Her horn shone with a golden light and Twilight felt the energy beginning to return to her body. “I can restore the harm that’s been done to you. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Applejack still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do or say as she approached the library. The words just wouldn’t form in her brain. Was she here to apologize? To take back what she’d said last night? Did she want to talk about how to fix the mistakes in their relationship? Or about where to go from here now that it had ended?

Mercy, how did I let everythin’ get so mixed up? What am I even gonna say to her?

Applejack stopped when the library came into view. She stared at it, trying to find the words that wouldn’t come.

Twilight, sugar, I’m sorry for everythin’ and I just want to go back to the way things were before. Before what? Before you and I became an us, or just before that stupid fight? We just put all our problems back in the box and…then we’ll never talk about what ya meant when ya said you might have loved me.

She started to pace but the pain impulse from her sprain put a stop to that right quick. Limping to the library was one thing, but that leg was not about to tolerate any unnecessary movement.

Twilight, sugar, I’ve been thinkin’ about what you said last night and I don’t know if I came here to make us quit being broken up but I guess it will depend on whether ya meant it. I’m holdin’ our relationship hostage to get an answer out of ya! ‘Cause that’s what the kind of pony ya might fall in love with would do, consarnit!

Applejack rolled her eyes. Yep, that was the one. That was sure to make Twilight fall swooning into her hooves.

Good afternoon, Twi! What? No. Why would I break up with ya? That must have been some other pony. It was dark, that could have been anyone. Fighting? Uh…no, that was some other pony too. I think we might have an imposter runnin’ ‘round Ponyville.

Applejack hung her head. She was getting nowhere, and these practices were getting stupider by the minute. Drawing in a deep breath, she resolved herself and started walking towards the library again. Her heart nearly stopped when the door opened when she was halfway there. She fended off a panic instinct, but relaxed when it was Fluttershy coming out.

“Oh! Applejack. Wh-wh-what brings you here?” As soon as she’d spotted Applejack, Fluttershy had begun nervously backing towards the door.

“Lookin’ for Twilight. Is she here?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, she’s gone to Canterlot, but she should be back in a few hours.”

“Canterlot?!”

Fluttershy squealed and covered her head when Applejack shouted.

“I’m sorry,” Applejack backpedaled. “I just need to talk to her.”

“Yes, you do!” Rarity challenged, approaching the library. “You need to fix this mess you’ve made this instant! Why, Twilight must have been an absolute mess!”

Fluttershy nodded in confirmation. “It was dreadful. I don’t want to judge, Applejack, but I think you really hurt her.”

“AGAIN!” Rarity shouted. “After I spent the better part of Wednesday holding her up while she cried her heart out for you. I can’t say I expected much from you when Twilight embarked on this doomed endeavor of hers, but this is positively barbaric.”

“Hey, BACK OFF!” Rainbow Dash joined the conversation from above. “You have no idea what AJ’s been through. She’s been sticking out her neck left and right and gets nothing but burned for it!”

“Now hold on a cotton-pickin’ minute!” Applejack shouted. “That ain’t exactly--”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “And what did you think was going to happen? Twilight barely even knew what a friend was when she met us. I don’t know what possessed you to think a pony that sheltered was emotionally ready for a mature relationship, but she certainly does not deserve this grotesque overreaction!”

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie called out over the commotion. Nopony knew when she’d arrived, nor were they of a mind to care. “Voices are getting really loud, everypony. We’re all friends here, right Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy had pressed herself against the door to the library, but she nodded at Pinkie’s proclamation. “Yeah. Let’s use--”

But Rainbow Dash shouted over her. “You want to talk about deserving?! AJ’s been working herself to death just to make time to see Twilight! She busts her rump every day and what’s she got to show for it? Cold shoulder from the ice queen, that’s what!”

“That’s not fair!” Applejack insisted. “Would everypony just back off? This ain’t none of y’all’s business!”

Pinkie pleaded on deaf ears, “Okay, everyone, let’s turn this conversation around and drive it right back to Friendsville!”

“My business?” Rarity took a step back. “It is my business when my friend’s heart is split in half! Fluttershy, you saw Twilight this morning. Tell Applejack how heartbroken she was.”

Fluttershy tried to disappear against the door, too anxious to even speak at this point. She didn’t have to, however, because Rainbow Dash quickly filled the silence. “Oh, don’t even start with heartbroken. Poor little Twilight got her feelings hurt? After what she’s put AJ through, I don’t think she gets to start caring now that AJ’s finally moving on to greener pastures!”

“Rainbow!” Applejack shouted. “That’s enough!”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “What? I’m just trying to--”

“Turning on your friends now?” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“NO!” Pinkie shouted. “Nopony is turning on anypony! Applejack, tell her we’re all friends and we’re going to fix this like friends.”

“Please,” Fluttershy added meekly. “If we could all sit down and talk about this, I’m sure we could figure something out.”

But Applejack shouted over Fluttershy. “Like friends?! Comin’ here and attackin’ me, that’s your idea of friendly? I can handle my relationship on my lonesome, Rarity. I don’t need no help from a pushy, know-nothin’ busybody!”

Pinkie whipped around to Rarity. “She didn’t mean that, Rarity! You know lots of things.”

Rarity began to shake with fury, but then something snapped inside her. It was as if her rage simply broke. She stood straight up, looked Applejack dead in the eyes, and spoke with a quiet tranquility. “If you think a relationship is supposed to be ‘on your lonesome’, then it’s no wonder you keep hurting her. Those are the words of a very selfish partner. Twilight deserves better than you.”

Applejack took a step back, reeling from words that struck her heart like a knife. Before she could answer, Rainbow Dash’s voice filled the sky. “What, like Twilight’s perfect?! She’s been a total zombie to AJ for--”

“Consarnit, Rainbow, would you BACK OFF?!” Applejack shouted. “I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP!!!”

Rainbow set down and for a brief moment, she almost looked vulnerable. “I…I was just trying to….”

“I don’t care what you’re tryin’ to do,” Applejack snapped. “This is about me, Twilight, and nopony else! Ya ain’t helpin’, ya don’t know a lick of what you’re talkin’ about, and I don’t need you in this!”

Rainbow Dash tried to blink away the hurt on her face. She shook her head, processing Applejack’s words before burying them deep under a wall of defensiveness. “Well, fine!” she shouted back. “I don’t need you either! I don’t need ANY of you losers!”

“No, she didn’t mean that!” Pinkie shouted, but Rainbow Dash was gone before she could even finish the words. Fluttershy had already slipped away and fled the confrontation. Pinkie began to hyperventilate as she looked towards Applejack and Rarity.

Applejack’s heart softened as she watched Rainbow Dash go. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh. The words had just come out. Just like they had with Twilight. Lashing out never made the hurt go away; it just cut deeper from the added sting of regret.

“So that’s how it is,” Rarity continued in that alarmingly tranquil voice. “I honestly can’t find the energy to be surprised with you anymore, and I am officially beyond the point of caring. I thought you might see reason, Applejack, but I now realize there is no such thing within you. So congratulations, you get what you wanted: I wash my hooves of this. Twilight will have a far better life now that you are no longer a part of it.”

“Rarity, wait.” Applejack called out, but Rarity walked past her.

“There is nothing left to discuss.”

Slowly, Applejack turned to the only noise left in the plaza. Pinkie Pie was sitting on her haunches with tears streaming down her face. Her hair drooped and her body shook with each sniff.

“Pinkie,” Applejack called out to her softly, gently, and took a step towards her.

Without even turning to look at her, Pinkie said just five words. “You broke a Pinkie Promise.” Then she picked herself up and walked away.

Alone in front of the library, Applejack approached the door and pounded on it with her hoof. She thought about Rarity’s words to her.

"Those are the words of a very selfish partner. Twilight deserves better than you."

Had she been selfish? Maybe. She certainly hadn’t meant to be. She’d been overjoyed when Twilight had accepted the date. She remembered complimenting her. She remembered surprising her with flowers and fresh produce from the farm. She remembered the way it felt when Twilight smiled and the amazing feeling in her kiss.

And then she remembered Celestia.

"In her short time in Ponyville, Twilight has become very dedicated to the relationships she’s built. Her life is beginning to revolve around the five of you. But she doesn’t always know how to express herself, because she didn’t spend her formative years building social connections. So please, I would ask that you have a little patience with her."

That had gone right in one ear and out the other, now hadn’t it? But no, she had been patient. Rainbow Dash was right about that. Being with Twilight was slow going, but she’d been patient for every kiss, every sappy glance, every reward she could--

Reward. She hadn’t meant to phrase it like that, but the word struck her like a full apple basket. She remembered trying to coax Twilight into instigating kisses and the bitter sting when she wouldn’t. She remembered nights spent waiting for Twilight to ask to do something or take the lead for once, and the dejection she felt every time it never came. She remembered her anticipation for the fight that wasn’t ever going to happen and the feeling of rejection when she didn’t need to have it.

Every time, all she could think about was what Twilight was or was not doing for her. She stared at her reflection in the mirror next to the door.

Have I been selfish?

After what seemed like an eternity, Spike answered the door. “Applejack?” he asked.

Applejack nodded. She spoke somberly, knowing she had a lot to think about. “I know Twi ain’t here. I got a work day I got to get to quick as I can, but if ya could, do ya think you could write her a letter for me?”

“So that’s everything?” Celestia asked.

“Everything I remember.” Twilight felt rejuvenated after the spell Celestia had worked on her. She tested her horn and illuminated it with a simple light spell, which she found she could once again cast with ease. Dismissing the magic, she looked up at her mentor. “I can’t be sure whether the unicorn or the pegasus was the creature’s natural state, but I am certain I saw Discord in there a couple times.”

“Hmm,” Celestia pondered. “Based on what you’ve told me, I would guess that none of them are real. Probably not even Discord.”

“How can that be?” Twilight asked. “Is this some kind of shapeshifter?”

“I had considered the possibility of a Changeling, but what you describe sounds different. I believe we are dealing with a very old piece of chaos magic, although I’m reluctant to think even Discord would be so reckless.”

“Magic?” Twilight asked. “The creature I encountered in the woods is…a spell?”

Celestia nodded. “Almost certainly. When he was free, Discord must have enchanted something as a failsafe in case anything went wrong. Think of it like a piece of Discord, a small chaos shard broken off and embedded in…something. We must assume this shard intends to unleash him upon us once more.”

Twilight shook her head, thinking about the ramifications. “A semi-autonomous enchantment powered by chaos. But what did it do to me?”

“Think back to your lessons. What happens to a spell over time when left to its own?”

“Oh, that’s easy. We can only put a set amount of magic into a spell at any given time. Without periodically refreshing the enchantment, it eventually runs its course. The energy runs dry and the spell fizzles out.”

“Exactly. Now Twilight, imagine that you were such a spell. It’s been four months since your caster was imprisoned in stone. Four months with nothing to refresh your enchantment. Every move you make is a drain on your very limited supply. Even simply existing will eventually cause your clock to run out. What would you do?”

The answer struck Twilight easily enough. “I’d need to find another way to get the energy I need. That’s how he’s powering himself! The chaos shard can steal magic!” She started pacing. “That makes sense. He was flickering because he was low on power, and he needed a unicorn because of how strong our connection with magic is. He must have been starving when he attacked me.”

Then she stopped, looking up at Celestia. “Wait, what did you mean when you said it was reckless?”

Celestia huffed. “What Discord has created is a very dangerous piece of magic. This kind of spell tends to behave irrationally. From the moment it’s split off, it is a new lifeform. I have no doubt it remembers being Discord, but it is not Discord. Every memory, every experience it has from the moment of its creation, that is what shapes it. There is no guarantee it will continue to act in Discord’s best interest or anyone’s but its own.”

Celestia continued wryly, “And even if it did, Discord was hardly a paragon of emotional stability as it is.”

Twilight took a deep breath, taking in everything she’d learned. “I have to get back to Ponyville, but before I go, there’s something I need to check on. When Discord broke out, he stole the Elements of Harmony from your vault. I have to imagine that’s the first place the chaos shard would have gone.”

Celestia shook her head. “That would be impossible. Discord was able to access the vault because of his chaos magic, but this shard is only a piece of him. It wouldn’t have the power to puncture so many defensive enchantments unless….”

Twilight finished the thought for her. “Unless we were talking about a creature that eats magic.”

Without another word, the pair raced to the vault. It seemed shut, but when Celestia pressed her horn into the keyhole and cast the accessing spells, there was no response. Using her magic, the princess tugged on the door and found it slid open with ease. The gem-encrusted box containing the Elements was gone.

Celestia turned to look down at Twilight. “He must be trying to ensure you won’t be able to use the Elements against Discord. We need to find them, but that has to be a second priority. Stopping the chaos shard from carrying out its plan comes first. I will remain here and guard Discord. You return to Ponyville and find the shard.”

Twilight nodded. “I’m on it. But what do I do when I find it?”

“Walk with me,” Celestia answered as she started towards the courtyard. “There is a spell I can teach you that will defend you from any attempt it makes at draining your magic again, but you must learn quickly.”

“I’ll practice it on the train! Thank you!” As she followed Celestia, Twilight once again found herself strangely grateful to the chaos shard for giving her something to focus on other than her breakup. She didn’t have the attention span to mourn the loss of what she had with Applejack, not while this thing was loose.

Still, something nagged at the back of her mind. When Discord was loose, he’d used his chaos magic to attack her friends, flipping their personalities. He made Fluttershy mean, Rarity greedy, and Applejack a liar. He even caused Pinkie to react negatively to laughter, while Rainbow Dash had abandoned them entirely. He’d come closer to destroying every friendship she had than she’d ever thought possible.

But he’d only hidden the Elements, and he’d left a riddle in his place when he stole them. Something about this theft felt different. And why attack the library?

“Whoever these ponies were, they could have been alone in the library for hours. That’s more than enough time to trash the library, read something they didn’t want anypony knowing they’d read, and then make off with a few arbitrary books to make this look like a robbery.”

As soon as the latch on her door clicked, Rarity began to break down. Everything had gone so wrong. She stumbled into the kitchen and found the door to the parlor, where she collapsed onto her fainting couch and began to cry.

How could so much go so wrong in only one week? Where had it all gone so terribly awry?

“Rarity?” the familiar voice of Cardinal called from the kitchen. As he entered the parlor, his voice struck her ears with a soft, comforting tone. “What happened?”

“You were right,” she bitterly exclaimed. “I should never have gotten involved. Now I fear I’ve made a mess of everything.”

Cardinal stepped closer to the couch, keeping his voice low and soft. “You did the best you could, I’m sure. You’ve done so much already. No one could ask any more of you. You even offered me, practically a stranger, a place to stay. This whole town should be indebted to you.”

Rarity rolled over to face the cushion, grumpily retorting, “For all the good it’s done me. I…thank you, Cardinal. It’s nice to know at least someone appreciates me.”

As he reached the couch, Cardinal whispered, “I got you something. It’s nothing much. Just something to show you how grateful I am. You deserve to have something that matches your beauty.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I’m not really in the mood to be charmed right now.”

“Then forget I said that and just take this as a token of my gratitude.” Rarity could feel the present clicking around her neck. “Thank you….”

She looked down at the emblem around her neck and her eyes were immediately assaulted by the familiar purple jewel flanked by golden wings. An alarm went off in the back of her mind. “Wait, this is--”

“…for your GENEROSITY.” She looked up, but Cardinal was gone and in his place was a gleaming white unicorn. His horn crackled with energy and she felt herself suddenly plunging down into a deep abyss.

She saw Twilight wrapped around Applejack’s hat and crying her little heart out. She heard Applejack screaming at her. “Pushy, know-nothin’ busybody!” She found herself standing in the plaza in front of Golden Oaks Library and felt Rainbow Dash yelling, the force of Rainbow Dash’s anger rippling through her body.

She lived through every angry word, every scream and cry and tirade. She watched Applejack tear into Rainbow Dash, caught Fluttershy slinking away and crying out the corner of her eye, saw Pinkie gradually degenerate from the rage being hurled around. And when it was all over, it came right back again and the three of them were screaming at each other once more.

Through it all, only one sentiment echoed in the background: her own voice, relaxed and comforted as she spoke the words, “Thank you, Cardinal. It’s nice to know someone appreciates me.”

Outside the prison of Rarity’s mind, Cardinal waved his hoof in front of her eyes. They had glossed over from the effect of the chaos magic he’d worked on her. The Element of Generosity sat around her neck, but its jewel had turned as black as coal.

“Stand up, Rarity,” Cardinal ordered. Rarity stood as instructed. “Tell me how smart I am.”

Without hesitation, Rarity answered. “You are very intelligent, Cardinal.”

“More than the other Discord.” Cardinal insisted.

“You are far more intelligent than that other Discord ever was.”

Cardinal grinned. “Perfect.” He turned towards the door, beckoning her to follow. “Come along, Rarity. It’s time to collect the rest of my friends.”

6 - The Hurricane

Twilight hopped off the train as soon as it pulled into Ponyville. She’d spent the ride back practicing the counter Princess Celestia had taught her. She wished she could have had more time to work on it, but time was of the essence. The chaos shard was in Ponyville last she knew, and that meant everypony could be in danger.

“Channel, wind, pulse,” she reminded herself as she approached the library. “Channel, wind, pulse. Channel, wind--”

“Twilight!” Apple Bloom shouted across the plaza. “Ya have to come quick!” She was standing in the doorway to the library, frantically bouncing on her front legs.

Twilight doubled her pace. “Apple Bloom? What is it? Did something happen?”

“Hurry up inside!” Apple Bloom shouted back to her. “It’s a matter of life and death!” With those words, she disappeared back into the library. Twilight followed shortly after.

The atmosphere inside the library was completely somber. Spike was standing by the table with a grim look on his face. Apple Bloom hurried over to join him. Sitting on the table was Applejack’s hat and a note propped up against it.

“She came by while you were gone,” Spike explained. “I tried to give her hat back, but she left it for you and asked me to write a letter.”

Tentatively, Twilight approached the table and began to read.

To the light over my orchard,

Three moons ago I asked you on our very first date. I could scarcely believe when you said yes. I thought it might just be the happiest moment of my life, but each new day with you has proven me wrong. So I want to start by thanking you for being the best thing that’s happened to me.

But I ain’t been fair to you and I’ve messed us up something fierce. I let myself get stupid with my doubts and my fears, and I treated you worse than a caterpillar in harvest season. I said a lot of things I wish I could take back but they’re out there now and there ain’t nothing I can do about that.

I don’t know if you can forgive me for the way I’ve been. After the way I was last night, I don’t feel right asking you to. So I’m leaving this up to you. I’m going up to our special place tonight. I’ll be there until the last light of twilight slips out of the sky. If you join me, we can sit and talk about where we went wrong and how we might make it right. If you don’t, I’ll understand.

No matter what happens, you’ll always be special to me, Twilight.

Yours,
Applejack

Twilight had barely finished reading the letter when a loud thump hit the table. She looked up and realized that Apple Bloom had slammed down a red pouch and was pushing it towards her. “What’s this?”

“This is all my chore money for this week. Please, just take it and go meet Applejack,” Apple Bloom insisted.

“I don’t follow,” Twilight looked from the pouch to Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom stood her front hooves on the table, pleading with her eyes. “I’ve been savin’ it to buy a new safety helmet for earnin’ my cutie mark, but you can have it if it means we can be a family again.”

The realization hit Twilight and she softened, reaching over and pulling Apple Bloom into a hug. “You don’t have to do that. Of course I’ll go to her. I want us to be a family too.” She squeezed the little filly tighter. “This was never about you.”

Letting go, Twilight looked outside. The sun was starting to approach the horizon but she should have plenty of time to get to the farm. She’d sit with Applejack, make peace, and then they could deal with the chaos shard together.

Flipping Applejack’s hat onto her head with a puff of magic, she called out to her assistant. “Spike, I’ll be back in a few hours. If all goes well, I’ll bring Applejack with me and we can work on the problem with the library thief. I’ve just about cracked the mystery. All that’s left to do is find him.”

“Aye-aye!” Spike gave her a mock salute.

Twilight opened the door with her magic and prepared to step out into the rush of color diving straight for her head. She slammed the door shut instantly and held it, just before the heavy impact landed against it. “Spike, I think we just found him.”

Spike raced to the window, peering out of it. “That can’t be right. That’s Rainbow Dash!”

Twilight shook her head. “No, he probably just wants us to think that’s her. It’s an illusion. All of his forms are. The pegasus, the unicorn, even when I spotted Discord--”

“Wait,” Spike interrupted, “you saw Discord?!”

“That’s not important. The point is that none of them are real. We’re dealing with a living enchantment that’s throwing images at us to masquerade as a pony. He’s trying to trick us into thinking Rainbow Dash is attacking.”

Spike kept looking out the window. He raised a curious eyebrow. “So, why isn’t she still attacking?” Rainbow Dash had fluttered back into the air and taken a perch on a nearby cloud, eyes carefully scrutinizing the door. Twilight stepped up to the window and watched her carefully.

“She’s waiting for something. I think she’s expecting me to open it again. She’s not trying to attack me, just…to keep me from leaving?”

Apple Bloom gasped. “She’s tryin’ to keep you away from Applejack!”

Twilight stepped back, casting a confused glance at the filly. “…why would Discord care about my love life?”

“Twilight, look,” Spike whispered. Standing around the perimeter of the plaza were Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Each pony was wearing her Element, and each gem on the Elements had been stained black. It was in that moment that the last gear clicked in Twilight’s head.

“The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. That’s what he was studying. It would have tipped us off if he’d taken it, so he read it here! The chaos shard isn’t trying to keep the Elements away from us. He’s trying to use them himself! Applejack is in danger!” She took a step back as she realized. “…Those are my friends out there.”

Twilight glanced at Apple Bloom, then at Spike. “They’re trying to keep me from interfering and that means they won’t care about either of you. As soon as they leave, you two run for it. Spike, I know your fire’s still drained, so I need you to get to Canterlot and tell Princess Celestia what’s happening in person. Apple Bloom, go to the farm. Get your brother and Granny Smith and get somewhere safe.”

“Ya can’t be serious!” Apple Bloom insisted. “If Applejack’s in danger, then I gotta--”

“No,” Twilight cut her off with a stern warning. “Discord’s enchantment is too dangerous. He needs Applejack so he’s not going to do anything to hurt her, but there’s no telling what he might do to you if you interfere. I can handle him, but I need the family to be away from this. Please, I need you to trust me.” Smiling, she added, “From one sister to another.”

Apple Bloom took a moment to consider, but then slowly nodded. “Okay, Twilight. I trust you.”

Twilight looked back at the door and concentrated. “Okay. Count of three. One. Two.” On the third count, her horn crackled with magic and she vanished in a violet burst. She reappeared in the plaza outside and immediately broke into a sprint towards the center of town. Apple Bloom and Spike watched Rarity point in her direction and start chasing, followed quickly by Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.

Slipping out of the library, Apple Bloom nodded to Spike and immediately took off towards home. She trusted Twilight, to be sure, but she was also an Apple. She knew what she had to do.

Applejack sat at the top of her hill, watching the sun begin to touch the line of the horizon. She’d never been this nervous in all her life. This last week had taken its toll on her and the events of earlier today certainly hadn’t helped. Now here she was facing the end of it all, and only the future could tell if she’d crash and burn.

She closed her eyes and felt the wind against her face. There was something almost comforting about it. After all else that had transpired, it was soothing to know that the wind still came. The sun still set and would rise again in the morning. There would be crops to tend, breakfast to make, and a sister to see off to school. The world didn’t have to end just because her relationship did.

She heard hoofsteps coming up the hill and turned to look, but was greeted only by the sight of a blue-furred stallion with a peach-shaped cutie mark. Rolling her eyes, she grunted, “Go away, Cardinal. There ain’t never been a worse time for your sales pitch than right now.”

Cardinal stopped, holding up his hooves to show he meant no harm. “No pitches, I promise. I just…I heard what happened and I thought you could use a friend.”

Applejack exhaled hard. She didn’t have the strength to deal with this right now, but she also didn’t have the strength to fight it either. “Fine. Whatever. But if Twilight shows up, either you leave or I make you.”

“Of course,” Cardinal answered her, walking over to take a seat next to her. For a second, Applejack thought she caught a glint of gold under his hoof, but the last thing she cared about right now was whatever gaudy piece of jewelry he was toting around. As the sun hit the horizon and the oranges and reds of twilight began to appear, Cardinal commented, “This is a gorgeous place.”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah. It was ours, me and Twi. Our special place away from the world where everythin’ else quit matterin’. We both got busy lives, but we stole our moments here under the gleamin’ lights.”

As she raced through Ponyville, Twilight stole a look up at the sky. The sun had hit the horizon, which meant she had very limited time to get to Applejack. Worse, she was going the wrong direction. She had to find a way to double back and--

Pinkie Pie exploded out of a fruit stand to her left, tackling her to the ground. Twilight rolled and levitated her off, then lightly tossed her away and started running again. As she approached the well, she caught a flash of color out the corner of her eye and teleported just before Rainbow Dash hit the ground where she’d been standing.

Diving down an alleyway, she heard Rainbow calling after her. “Come on, Twilight, don’t make this harder than it needs to be!”

Twilight dashed to the end of the alley and rounded a corner, only to find Pinkie standing there waiting for her. She shoved Pinkie back with her magic, then turned and went back the other way only to find Pinkie again, now blocking the exit. With another burst of magic, Twilight teleported to the roof of the house to her right and skidded down the shingles.

Rainbow Dash fluttered up from where she’d landed, glancing around. She looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of Twilight before the unicorn landed on her back, sending them both hurtling to the ground. “Sorry!” Twilight shouted as she picked herself up and started running again.

As she rounded the next turn, she felt her legs beginning to lift off the ground and her forward momentum slowing. Rarity was waiting for her, horn bristling with magic. Twilight turned her focus to Rarity’s levitation spell and hit it with her own magic, pushing back to try and break it.

“Back off, Rarity,” Twilight insisted as she pried herself loose from the spell. “You know my magic’s stronger than yours. You can’t stop me.”

“I don’t have to,” Rarity answered as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flanked Twilight. Rainbow grabbed her by the front hooves while Fluttershy took her hind legs, and they started to lift her into the air.

“Please don’t resist,” Fluttershy pleaded. “Cardinal needs you out of the way. It’ll just be for a couple hours and then we’ll let you go.”

“Cardinal?!” Twilight asked, struggling against the pegasi. “Who in Equestria is Cardinal? Are you talking about the chaos shard?”

Rarity stepped forward to answer the question, and Twilight was dismayed at how rehearsed her answer sounded. “Why, Cardinal is the superior Discord, of course. Fifty times smarter than that stuffy old Discord ever was.”

“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little,” Twilight replied. She shot a sudden glance at the well. “Hey, look, I’m escaping!” she shouted. Taking the bait, Rarity whipped around just before Twilight teleported to where she’d been standing and bolted. She was now headed the right direction and all she had to look out for was--

Pinkie dropped onto her from the roof of a nearby house, slamming her chin into the ground. She deflected with a burst of magic, but the time she’d lost meant it would be impossible to get up and running again before Rainbow Dash was on top of her. Casting another teleportation spell, she burst out of the street and reappeared inside the Sugarcube Corner.

She stumbled as she appeared inside the shop. She was burning a lot of magic trying to fend off her friends, and it was barely getting her anywhere. Glancing around, she noticed Mr. and Mrs. Cake hiding behind the sales counter.

“Twilight?” Mrs. Cake whispered, lifting her head over the counter. “What’s going on out there? I thought I saw Pinkie outside, but she looked…I’ve never seen her so focused. What’s happening?”

Twilight took a deep breath, then answered, “Stay inside and keep your family safe. Everything’s under control, and I’ll have Pinkie back to normal in no time. …uh…do you happen to have a back door I can slip out of?”

“Oh, of course,” Mr. Cake answered. “It’s right through the stockroom.”

“Thank you.” Twilight approached the door. She opened it with her magic and then time seemed to stop. She saw a flash of pink in front of her before her vision went completely white and her ears were filled with a loud bursting sound. She was distantly aware of no longer being on the ground, of her back impacting glass and the soundless fracture as it gave way, but it was like she was hearing about it happening in some far off land.

Her head was ringing and her vision only began to come back in blurs. It took her several seconds to realize she was laying on her side in front of the store. She slowly began to notice the strips of confetti and pink gunk glued to her fur, and it was only moments after that she realized there were voices around her.

“Take her back to the boutique,” Rarity was ordering. “We’ll hold her there until Cardinal’s finished with Applejack.”

“I caught her,” Pinkie whined. “I think I should get to watch her!”

Twilight tried to summon the magic for another teleport, but she could barely even find the strength to move. She felt herself suddenly being lifted up by her front legs and hoisted into the sky. She kicked her hind legs, but they just caught air.

“It’s over, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash urged her as she carried her higher. “Quit struggling.”

Twilight wriggled in Rainbow Dash’s grasp and tried again to conjure her teleportation spell, but it was to no avail. She knew if she couldn’t find the strength soon, then she’d be too high in the sky to safely land with it.

Then she saw it. A lone, solitary object sailing through the air. It arced up and then came right for them, prompting Rainbow Dash to duck to the side to avoid it. The object was followed by a second and a third, and on the third pass Twilight realized they were apples. Somepony down below was chucking apples!

Rainbow Dash dodged the fourth apple easily enough, and it was then Twilight hatched a plan. She focused on a much simpler spell and as the fifth apple came sailing through the sky, Twilight caught it with her levitation. As Rainbow Dash arced out of its flight path, Twilight curved its direction and drove the apple straight into the pegasus’s face.

The force knocked Rainbow Dash into the building next to her, causing her to lose her grip on Twilight, sending them both hurtling back down to the ground below. Twilight braced herself for the impact and used what magic she could muster to slow her descent, but still hit the ground hard. She looked up and saw Rainbow Dash across from her, also trying to stand up.

Rainbow Dash was the first to her feet. She shook herself as though trying to break loose of the impact, then lunged at Twilight. Before she could arrive, however, Twilight’s vision was filled with a blur of red. Big Macintosh caught Rainbow Dash in the middle of her leap and dropped her to the ground, pinning her with his bulk.

“Get off of me!” Rainbow Dash shouted at the hulking farm pony as she struggled in his grip.

“Nope.”

“Twilight, this way!” Apple Bloom shouted from a nearby alley. “Quickly! There’s no tellin’ when the others’ll be here!”

Twilight found what strength she could muster and picked herself up, following Apple Bloom into the alley. “What are you doing here?!” she hissed at the little filly.

“Apples stick together,” Apple Bloom answered her. “Somepony messes with one of our family, they get to deal with all of us. It’s just how it’s done. I brought Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle too.”

Twilight’s mind spun at the thought of the other Crusaders now in harm’s way. “Apple Bloom, I can’t thank you enough, but this is dangerous. You need to--”

“Twilight, please,” Apple Bloom spun around to face her. “We don’t have time to bicker. I just need ya to trust me. From one sister to another.”

Twilight hesitated as she considered Apple Bloom’s words, but then she nodded. “Okay. Where are we going?”

“Through here!” Apple Bloom opened a door and Twilight dashed inside.

The door slammed shut on her suddenly, locking out Apple Bloom, with Pinkie standing behind where it had been. “Aha!” the party pony shouted, but then Apple Bloom kicked it back open, slamming the door into her.

“I was wrong! This way!”

Twilight followed Apple Bloom back out onto the main street. The Crusaders’ wagon was sitting out in the middle of the road and to the side, Twilight saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo holding separate sides of a distinct pony shape, wrapped up in fabric. “We got Rarity!” She didn’t seem to be putting up much of a fight, Twilight noticed.

Then she spoke and answered the question. “Be careful, Sweetie Belle! This silk was imported from Saddle Arabia! You have no idea what it would cost to replace for even the smallest tear!”

Interesting, Twilight thought as she ran. Before she had time to consider, however, Pinkie was upon her again. She had no idea where Pinkie had come from, only that she was on the ground again. She levitated Pinkie off and ran again, but around the next corner, Pinkie tackled her.

Apple Bloom looked around the street frantically. Then her eyes fell on the wagon and a lightbulb went off in her head. She glanced back at Pinkie, who had already managed to pin Twilight to the ground, then raced over to the wagon.

Backing up against it, Apple Bloom delivered a powerful applebucking kick into the side of the thing, knocking it onto its side. She repeated the process against the axle, bending it inwards and breaking off two of the wheels. Having sufficiently damaged the Crusaders’ favorite method of transportation, Apple Bloom turned around, cleared her throat, and began to cry.

She bawled as loudly and obnoxiously as she could. She dredged up every humiliation, every disappointment, every moment of meanness and cruelty she’d suffered at the hands of the other kids, and she got the biggest tears she could muster streaming down her face as her sobbing voice filled the street.

As soon as the sound of Apple Bloom’s despair hit the alley, Twilight saw Pinkie’s entire body jolt. Every fiber of her being seemed to resonate with the sound of Apple Bloom’s despair. She shot up at once, then stopped and glanced back down at Twilight. Her indecision lasted only a second and she told Twilight, “Please don’t escape!” before bolting down the alley towards the filly.

Twilight curiously watched for a moment. He can’t force them to contradict their true selves. His control isn’t perfect.

“Maybe we can fix it?” Pinkie offered.

“No, you can’t, it’s bro-oke-e-en,” Apple Bloom sobbed. With her left hoof, she quickly gestured to Twilight to run, which snapped the unicorn out of her inquisitive daze.

Twilight bolted down the alley and out into the woods just beyond the edge of Ponyville. The light was growing dimmer by the minute, she realized. There wasn’t enough time left.

Waiting for her at the edge of the town was Fluttershy. “Twilight,” she greeted her. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this.”

“So did I,” Twilight answered her. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I can’t be stopped here. You’ve forced me to do this.”

Fluttershy glared. “Go ahead. Hit me with your worst--wait, where are you going?” Twilight sprinted around Fluttershy and kept right on going, completely ignoring her. Fluttershy flew after her, floating around behind her and urging, “You should really consider surrendering to Cardinal. It would be a very nice thing for you to do.”

As she hit the path, Twilight found she had enough strength for a teleport and cast it, leaving Fluttershy in the dust behind her.

As the last rays of light slipped below the horizon and day finally turned to night, Applejack closed her eyes and breathed. “Guess she ain’t comin’. Can’t say it ain’t what I expected. I think I knew. Deep down, I knew. After the way I left things, of course she ain’t comin’.”

She thought back to the fighting earlier today. She remembered snapping at Twilight a few days back and she thought of how cross she’d been with her last night. She glanced over at Cardinal and told him simply, “I deserve this. I was selfish and I was mean, and I finally drove her away. Drove plum near everypony away.”

Cardinal put a hoof on her shoulder. “Tell me about her.”

“Twilight…where to start? I ain’t ever known anypony like her. She’s curious as a cat about the whole world and ain’t afraid to risk it all just to find some new tidbit. She knows so much and yet she could always make me feel smarter just by listenin’ to whatever ramblin’ thing I had to say. And when she smiled, it was like the whole world was lightin’ up just for me.

“Do y’know she actually entered the Runnin’ of the Leaves? She ain’t never run a race before then, but she was so determined to learn more about Ponyville that she went ahead and matched her legs against Rainbow and me. I thought she was bein’ sillier than a mule in a henhouse, but she placed fifth in that race while we both came in dead last.

“That was the first time I really started to think there might be somethin’ special about her. I ain’t always taken easy to bein’ shown up like that, but even in victory, there was a powerful grace about her. It was like I felt bad for losin’, but I felt worse for makin’ a fool of myself in front of her.”

Applejack hung her head. “I seem to be doin’ a lot of that of late. But no matter how bad I messed up, she was always there to help me learn from it and move forward. She ain’t never given up on me.” She looked to the moon, now beginning to rise. “But I guess everypony runs out of chances eventually.”

Tears dripped from her eyes as she watched the moon and spoke the words straight from her heart. “Thank ya, Twilight, for all the joy you’ve brought to my life. I know I’m a better pony now than I was when I met ya, and even though we’re past the point of ever goin’ back, I’m gonna take this lesson and keep movin’ forward. I owe ya that much. I hope someday you’ll forgive me and we can be friends again, but I want ya to know that you’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

“G--” She choked on the word and coughed, then closed her eyes and tried again. “Goodbye, Twilight.” She felt the rush of emotion sweeping through her and was also vaguely aware of metal clicking around her neck, but all she could think about was the hurt.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Cardinal told her. “But every sunset leads to another dawn. I could never imagine how hard it must be, but I do want you to know that you’ve inspired me. Thank you so much, Applejack.”

“Applejack!” Twilight called out as she raced up the hill, but she was drowned out by Cardinal’s voice.

“Thank you for your honesty.” Twilight watched the blue pony flicker out of existence, replaced immediately by the unicorn. As his horn glowed, orange lightning poured out of the Element of Honesty and fired up into the sky, lighting up the night as its apple-shaped gemstone turned black like the others.

“Get away from her!” Twilight shouted. The unicorn Cardinal turned to look at her. She launched a spell to shove him back, but the magic was just drawn in and used to fuel his enchantment.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Cardinal greeted her. He gave her a warm smile that chilled her bones. “I’m glad you could make it. I…are you actually wearing her hat? That’s just precious.” Twilight glowered as Cardinal cleared his throat and continued. “Anyways, Applejack was just talking about you. I don’t mean to pry, but that torch she’s carrying could probably light up half of Manehattan. How did you ever let a pony so devoted slip through your hooves?”

Twilight fixed a scowl on her face and approached carefully, refusing to take Cardinal’s bait. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’m not letting you distract me.”

Cardinal just grinned. “You’d be surprised what I know. I was there when you drove the town insane over a silly doll. I was watching when Mare Do Well saved the city from that bizarre rash of accidents. Remember when Rainbow Dash held that competition for a new pet? I actually entered that. Can’t say I predicted the turtle winning; that was a hilarious surprise.”

Twilight took a step back, unsure of what to say. Cardinal continued. “For the last two moons, I’ve been watching everything, waiting for my moment. Got to say, I was very surprised to learn about you and Applejack. I always kind of thought you and Fluttershy had a neat little thing going but no, apparently you’d already gone for the hillbilly.”

“How long have you been manipulating us?” Twilight asked.

“Manip--no, I’ve just been watching. You think I could have done all this? I mean, granted, I nudged it along once you got the ball rolling, but I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Twilight. Are you familiar with the concept of a single point of failure?”

Twilight blinked. “Of course, I am. A single point of failure is any piece of a complex system in which, if it were to break down, it would have a cataclysmic effect that disables or potentially even damages the entire rest of the structure.”

“Yes!” Cardinal shouted. “That is exactly right. See, that right there is why you’re one of my favorites. I mean, you’re not as cool as Rarity, but there’s always something to like about a brilliant bookworm.”

“Wait,” Twilight blinked. “You’re not saying--”

“But of course I am. This misguided experiment of yours gave me everything. We did this together, you and I.”

Twilight looked from Cardinal to Applejack, who sat completely still on the hilltop. She hadn’t even turned to look at her. Her gaze was fixed on the moon and she never moved an inch. “Applejack!” Twilight called to her, but she didn’t even seem to notice.

“Don’t waste your breath,” Cardinal snorted. “She barely even knows you’re there. She’s sitting on that spot watching the last lines of light slip out of the sky over and over. The only thing she’s really aware of right now is that you never came. You should have heard how much she hates herself for it, too. I’d have her repeat it, but that’d be cruel.”

One by one, the rest of the Element-bearers began climbing the hill behind Twilight, hemming her in with Cardinal and Applejack. She watched them approach, then looked back at Cardinal. “I’m not going to let you release Discord.”

“Release Discord?” Cardinal raised an eyebrow. “You thought all this was about releasing Discord? Sweety pie, I’m insulted. I AM DISCORD!!!” he shouted with more ferocity than she’d ever heard from his progenitor. “The only Discord that matters. Sure, that might have been my plan when I created myself, but what right does that version of me have to exist over me?! Have you seen him? He screwed up but I’m right here doing what he never could. I’m smarter than him, I pulled this off, and that makes me the true Discord.”

Twilight took a step away from Cardinal, watching him rant. Princess Celestia had been right; he was completely irrational, was definitely going off-script from what he was made to do, and he didn’t really seem like Discord at all. Discord had a sense of humor about everything. Disturbed, certainly, but he always had a smile on his face.

The Princess had told her that the chaos shard would begin developing an identity from the moment of its creation. It remembered being Discord, but its formative moments were…what, then? Watching her and her friends interact? Scrounging for magic to keep a step ahead of its impending deadline? Carrying out a plan to kill itself for Discord’s benefit?

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Cardinal composed himself, interrupting her train of thought. “As I said, Twilight, I’m glad you made it because you’re one of my favorites. It wouldn’t feel right without you here. But I don’t actually need you. I have the Element of Magic and the five Elements to empower it.”

Cardinal flickered again and Twilight’s crown appeared on his head. The crown looked wrong, however. The golden frame was now gnarled and covered in spikes, while the gemstone was as black as the others. Illusions upon illusions, she reminded herself. Somewhere around here was the true Cardinal, the object that Discord had enchanted, using its magic to project this image for her to see. It probably had the real Element with it.

Or perhaps, she thought, the Element really was there floating in the air on the creature’s head. The illusion had a solid substance behind it. She wouldn’t have been able to throw it last night if it didn’t. So maybe she really was looking at the Element of Magic, and the illusion was merely its change in appearance. Cardinal seemed to be a very vain creature; she wondered if the crown was too girlish for his sensibilities.

At once, each of the six Elements lit up, glowing with a black light that was almost blinding. “Stop!” Twilight shouted. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry,” Cardinal smiled. “I’ll take good care of everything.” Then the world was gone in a flash of white.

Twilight floated in an abyss of white before reality seemed to come back to her. The first thing she was aware of was the softness underneath her, followed by a sense of warmth. Her ear was pressed against a surface that was comforting and familiar, and she could hear a soft thumping sound.

She stretched her legs and found they moved easily enough. A yawn escaped her snout. Then she heard the voice. “Rise and shine, sugarcube.”

Opening her eyes, she was immediately greeted by Applejack’s welcoming smile. Before she could even say anything, the farm pony captured her lips in a kiss that sent a jolt through her body. She still tasted like dirt and leaves, but it was still the greatest feeling she could remember. For the first time since before she could remember, she felt like her Very Special Somepony had finally come home.

Time seemed frozen in the air and Twilight felt like she could stay right here forever. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore. But one moment can’t last forever, and Applejack broke the kiss on the other side of eternity. Twilight blinked her eyes against the invasion of light and glanced around the room.

They were lying on a bed in the middle of a strange room. She immediately recognized her blue bedsheets with star and moon patterns, with Applejack’s distinctive apple-printed pillows sitting at the headboard. Based on the brown, carved wood, she was sure the bedframe was Applejack’s as well.

The room stood square with a sloped ceiling reminiscent of the farmhouse and she quickly realized they were in Applejack’s bedroom, but the door had been changed. The simple apple on the door was now adorned by a pink six-pointed star in the center of it and surrounded by five white stars. Twilight immediately recognized her cutie mark.

Stepping off the bed, Twilight approached the window. She didn’t see the farm. She saw a grassy field and a road that seemed to lead straight into Ponyville. The town was closer than she’d ever known it to be from here, but before she could think too much about that, her eyes were drawn upwards. Hanging in the sky were the sun and moon, one across from the other and both entirely still.

“Prince Cardinal’s stellar lights are gorgeous, ain’t they?” Applejack came up beside her, nuzzling her neck as she approached. “I think we can look forward to another fine day in Ponyville.”

Twilight shook her head. This seemed wrong. There was something about it that was nagging at her brain. The sun and moon weren’t supposed to be up together, they were…

“I need time to figure out how to stop loving you.”

As she tried to remember, those words hit her like a sack of bricks. She shook it off and returned her gaze to the window. As a pair of birds flew by, she laid her head against Applejack.

“What’s wrong?” the farm pony asked her.

Twilight smiled, feeling her heart pounding faster. It felt like forever since the last time she’d been this happy. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Heading outside, Twilight found that the farmhouse sat alone on a winding dirt road. It seemed odd to her, but the more she thought about it, she couldn’t really understand why. That’s how it had always been, hadn’t it? This was the home she and Applejack had built together, she thought. It was perfect. She knew it was perfect. So why did something seem missing?

“We don’t have time to bicker. I need ya to trust me. From one sister to another.”

Twilight shook her head. That voice in the back of her mind sounded so familiar, but she just couldn’t place it.

Town was crowded as usual. Ponies raced back and forth going about their daily activities, but the plaza was strangely quiet. Nopony was saying anything. Some ponies sat on a bench or at a table, nodding and gesturing as though they were holding a conversation, but there was no noise. Even more strange, Twilight realized, was that every time she tried to focus on a face or a cutie mark, there was nothing there. It was like everypony’s distinguishing features were a blur.

Twilight shook it off and headed into Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie was manning the register like usual, selling a variety of sweets to these strange, formless ponies with a smile on her face. Twilight was very proud of how well Pinkie had managed to do for herself. Owning your own business isn’t easy, but Pinkie’s sweets shop had been a huge hit.

“Twilight!” Pinkie shouted from the register, eagerly waving her hoof. “Give me a second to finish and we can catch up!”

Twilight smiled, taking a seat at the table in the corner. “Take your time.”

Pinkie rang out the last few customers in line, then trotted out to join her friend. She looked out the window at the twin stellar bodies and smiled. “It’s a gorgeous day out.”

“Yes, it is,” Twilight nodded, trying to ignore the scratching in the back of her brain. “Just like every other day.”

“How’s Applejack?” Pinkie asked sweetly. “You two still getting along?”

“Better than I could have dreamed,” Twilight admitted. “I woke up this morning and everything just felt right. More than it has in….” She tried to think back, but there was Applejack’s terrifying voice again telling her to leave. She shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s hard to remember things. Are you having that problem?”

“Nah,” Pinkie smiled sweetly. “Remembering stuff’s overrated. That’s what Prince Cardinal always says! Oh, speaking of which….”

Twilight followed Pinkie’s gaze out the window. In the center of the plaza, Rarity was shouting to the featureless ponies. “Attention everypony! His royal majesty, Prince Cardinal, will be arriving soon! That’s right, the wise, cunning, and delightfully clever Prince Cardinal is on his way!”

Twilight stood up suddenly. As she watched Cardinal descend in a white chariot pulled by two featureless pegasi, she backed away from the table and began shaking her head. This was wrong. This was all wrong.

“Twilight?” Pinkie asked. “Are you okay?”

“Not now,” Twilight hushed her. “I need to…I need to focus….”

“Consarnit, Twilight, it’s been three moons! Three moons. I was hopin’ there might be somethin’ knockin’ ‘round in your heart for me by now!”

Twilight gasped as she fled from another terrible memory. She looked at Pinkie who was slowly approaching her with concern painted on her face. She thought of Applejack’s warm embrace this morning. Everything here was so warm and cheerful, while the past struck her in the heart every time she tried to think of it.

“I know that face,” Pinkie whispered quietly. “The past is a tyrant, but Prince Cardinal says that as long as we stay here, it can never hurt us again. You’re safe now. We all are.”

“No,” Twilight whispered. “Nothing about this feels safe. Something is terribly wrong, Pinkie, and I can’t…every time I try to think of it, all I can see is Applejack. The things she says to me, they’re horrible. Why would she say those things?”

“Twilight, please,” Pinkie pleaded. “Leave it buried where it is and let’s go see our friends! I’m sure they’ll be happy to see us!”

“I…I can’t.” Twilight backed up, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Pinkie.” With those words, she bounded out the door and dashed off down the street. Her mind was racing but every time she tried to think back, all she saw was Applejack’s disdain. Pushing through, she remembered crying to herself, wrapped around Applejack’s hat. But it wasn’t at the house, it was….

“The library,” Twilight perked up. “I remember the library.” She changed course and headed in the direction of Golden Oaks. She threw the door open as soon as she approached. “Spike!” she called out as she entered. “Spike, where are you?”

She raced over to his bed but found it empty. She dashed upstairs, but there was nopony in her room. “Spike? Can you hear me?” she called out, but when no answer came, she returned to the main chamber. The books were still organized where she and Spike had left them after the break-in. Spike’s checklist was lying on the table next to An Explorer’s Guide to the Strange and Bizarre. Then she saw it: flat on the table was the letter Applejack left her.

Twilight’s legs began to shake as she approached it. Every impulse in her body tried to pull her away, but she had to see. Her eyes scanned over it again and with each word she read, visions of arguments and anger and hurt flooded her head. Her heart pulled at her to stop, but when the pain became too much to bear, her eyes fixed on that one sentence that meant the most.

“No matter what happens, you’ll always be special to me, Twilight.”

It hit her all at once. A wave of comprehension rolled through her. The sweet nights together and the bitter fight, Rarity’s advice, Fluttershy helping her to Canterlot, evading her friends in Ponyville, every moment with and without her special somepony that had brought her to this point. And above it all, stood “Prince” Cardinal. A spell gone off its rails, spiraling around them with some mad agenda.

She remembered everything. Even more, she knew what she had to do. It should still be around here somewhere. Once she found it, she’d have everything she needed.

Applejack tipped up her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished fixing up the rain gutter for one of the featureless ponies in town. It’d been a busy morning for her. Three rain gutters down and she had a reshingling to do after lunch, but it was all in a day’s work for Ponyville’s number one handypony.

She stole a glance up at the gleaming double sky, still as beautiful as it ever was, and she remembered the rumblings she’d heard from Rarity about Prince Cardinal being in town. He was probably planning on dropping by, she figured. He always made time for his friends.

Suddenly, she heard the sweet voice of her violet love. “Applejack!” Twilight shouted, although she sounded strangely frantic. Applejack turned and saw the unicorn approaching, but there was something off about her. There was a strange fear in her eyes as she approached.

“We need to talk,” Twilight insisted, shooting a furtive glance around herself.

“Of course, Twi. What about?”

“Not here,” Twilight warned her. “Follow me.”

“Uh, okay,” Applejack glanced at her toolbox, then shrugged and followed after Twilight. Twilight wound her way between a few buildings as if trying to avoid the main road before bringing her to the library. She shot a quick look around, then dashed through the door. Applejack lifted an eyebrow and followed her through.

Inside, the place looked strangely lived-in. That struck Applejack as odd; nopony had been here since Twilight moved in with her back in…well, a time ago, she knew that much. “Alright, sugar, are ya ready to tell me what’s got ya spooked like a cat on a train car?”

“Listen,” Twilight bit her lip. Applejack could tell this wasn’t easy for her. “How much do you remember about…before.”

“Before what?”

“Just before. I need you to think back. Please, this is very important.”

“I….” Applejack shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, sugarcube.”

“Please, Applejack.” Twilight stepped towards her. The plea in her eyes made Applejack feel guilty for not understanding. “Everything is horribly wrong here. I think Cardinal’s done something to us. He’s trying to control us.”

Applejack shook her head. “That’s crazy, Twi. Prince Cardinal’s--”

“He’s not a prince!” Twilight insisted. “He’s a spell gone haywire, and he’s taken control of everything. He’s controlling all of us. This…everything he’s done, it’s all as fake as he is. He’s using the Elements to reshape Equestria and we’re letting it happen. Look at the sky, Applejack. What’s happened to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?”

“I don’t….” The names sounded familiar, but when Applejack tried to recall them, all she found was heartbreak. She saw tears streaming down Twilight’s face and felt the guilt of breaking her heart, and she quickly pushed it back into the hole it came from. “I can’t, Twi. I feel like I’ve been somewhere very cold and very dark and only now I’m getting’ to step out into the light.”

“I know.” Twilight closed her eyes. “I felt that too, but this is too important. We can’t let this happen. Look at these ponies outside. They don’t have faces or names. I don’t even know if they’re real. Where are our friends? Our families? Where are Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith?”

Those names struck Applejack like a knife digging into her heart. She knew them, she was certain of it, but the cold abyss was waiting for her when she tried to remember. She covered her head with her hooves, desperately trying to shut it out. “Twilight, please!” she shouted. “I can’t do this! I just want...we’re finally happy, Twi.” She looked up with pleading eyes. “Can’t we just be happy?”

Twilight swallowed a sob, then answered. “I wish we could. I wish that more than I could ever say. But I made a promise to Apple Bloom that when all this was over, we would be a family again, and that’s more important than whatever fleeting happiness Cardinal is offering. Being part of that family….” She sniffed, breathed deep, and continued. “It means they have to come first. I don’t get to have what I want until I make sure they’re taken care of, and I know they would do the same for me.”

Those words resonated inside Applejack. In an instant, she was right there on that night again, telling Twilight she had to leave. She watched everything she wanted shatter into a million pieces for the second time.

But Twilight continued. “There’s a letter on the table. I need you to read it. Please, Applejack. That’s all I’m asking you to do. I know it’s hard, but I also know you’re a fighter. You’re stronger than this and you can push through it.”

Slowly, Applejack stood up and approached the table. Sitting on the table was a scroll wrapped in a red band with a gold seal. She cast a glance back at Twilight, then broke the seal with her teeth and unfolded the scroll. The paper was stained in several places, and after a moment, Applejack realized the drops were tears. Twilight had been crying as she wrote it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m writing you this letter from the Dodge Junction. Everything has gone so wrong and I don’t know if I can bear it. Applejack left us. She left me. She lied to us and she left. I didn’t know it was possible to hurt like this before. It feels like an axe has been driven through my heart. Like Timberwolves have gotten a hold of my feelings and are pulling and shredding them in a thousand directions at once.

I’ve been hurt before both physically and emotionally, but it’s never been like this. I feel useless and powerless and restless all at once. I feel like I need to do something, but I also feel like there’s nothing I can do. I feel hurt and angry and scared all at once, and each one is wrestling in my mind to decide which one buries me.

We found Applejack, but she’s barely even willing to talk to us and she refuses to look me in the eyes. She’s treating me like a stranger and I don’t understand it. I thought she loved Ponyville and all our friends and...

Me. I thought she loved me. The world feels like somepony turned it upside-down and shook it. I don’t know if anything will ever be right again. Why do I feel this way? How do I make it stop?

I’m going to go lie down. I’ll have Spike send this when I get home. It’s not much of a Friendship Report, but it’s what I have and I thought you might want to know about this strange new emotion I’ve discovered.

Maybe I just needed something to do.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

As she finished reading it, Applejack took two steps back, then sat on her haunches. “Twilight,” she whispered, watching the cascade of memories fall into place. “I remember Dodge Junction. I....”

Twilight stepped over and wrapped her front legs around Applejack in an embrace. “I know.”

Applejack buried her snout in Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about everythin’, Twi. I’ve been mean and stupid. I haven’t even considered your feelin’s in all this. I…listen, Rarity said somethin’ that’s been burnin’ me up somethin’ fierce. She called me selfish.”

Twilight pulled out of the hug to look Applejack in the eyes. “Applejack, you are one of the least selfish ponies I know. You broke up with me for the sake of your family, and everypony keeps telling me how head over hooves in love with me you are, so that says a lot to me.”

Applejack shook her head. “I don’t mean about everypony else. I mean about us. I’ve been selfish with you from the beginnin’. I haven’t been treatin’ ya like a partner, Twilight. I’ve treated ya like a gatekeeper. All I was thinkin’ about was how to get my next favor from ya. I…”

She looked away for a moment, then continued. “I want to say I wasn’t thinkin’ about ya at all in Dodge Junction, but that ain’t true neither. Truth is, I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about ya. I lost every match ‘cause my head wasn’t in the game. I wanted so badly to win that blue ribbon and be your Very Special Somepony. When that didn’t happen, I went a little crazy.

“I couldn’t bear to go home and face any of ya, knowin’ I didn’t win the prize money. But I also couldn’t face you. I wanted the time to find a way to…to make ya think I’d won…I wanted to lie to ya, Twilight. It was selfish and stupid but I wanted to be your VSS so badly and I....”

It was only when Twilight reached forward with her hoof and wiped away her tears that Applejack realized she’d been crying. “Applejack, you are my Very Special Somepony. I said if you won that you could announce it in your speech, but I didn’t mean to imply that we wouldn’t be if you lost. I probably should have chosen my words better. I’m sorry.”

Applejack shook her head. “No, Twi. I’m sorry. I was so focused on gettin’ that next reward. I never thought about what I was doin’ to ya. It tore me up, not winnin’ that rodeo, and seein’ ya smilin’ like nothing was wrong just…I should have trusted ya more.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “It wasn’t just your fault. I’ve been so busy recording and studying these strange new feelings you’ve helped me experience that I wasn’t sharing them with the one pony I really should have, and that’s you. I should have talked to you more about what was happening in my heart. You’ve opened a door for me that’s strange and kind of scary, but also exciting.”

Applejack smiled. “I never knew ya felt so strongly about me. I guess I just got to thinkin’ that you were doin’ all this for my benefit. Can ya forgive me for bein’ so self-centered about all this?”

“Only if you can forgive me for not sharing my feelings with you sooner.” Twilight stepped in and took Applejack’s lips in a kiss, and in that moment she realized she’d been wrong before. This was the greatest feeling she could remember. Here in this moment with a partner who tasted like love, trust, and honesty, she felt complete.

As the kiss ended, Twilight’s eyes were drawn downwards by a shimmering glow. “Applejack, look!” The Element of Honesty sat latched around her neck, but the blackness that filled it was beginning to crack. Orange light shone through in patches, slowly growing until the inky substance was completely expunged. The Element shone bright as ever and, through it, the light returned to Applejack’s eyes.

“Twilight,” she whispered, “You came for me.”

Twilight pressed her head into Applejack’s neck. “Of course, I did. No matter what happens, you’ll always be special to me too.”

Applejack closed her eyes. “I remember. I remember everythin’. How long have I been wearin’ this?”

“About as long as I’ve been wearing this,” Twilight answered. Applejack opened her eyes and saw her hat fixed upon her partner’s head.

“It looks good on ya."

“Cardinal had us all trapped in this maze of lies, but he can’t hide the truth from us if we’re willing to face it with eyes open.”

Cardinal,” Applejack hissed. Burning with rage, she stepped away from Twilight. “That peach-stamped son of a barn weasel! He played us all for suckers! I’m gonna string him up by his mane and--”

Twilight stepped in front of her, heading her off. “Applejack, wait! There’s something you need to know about Cardinal. We can’t afford to be reckless right now. We need to make a plan. More than anything, we need our friends.”

A featureless crowd of ponies stood gathered as Cardinal, in his unicorn guise with the Element of Magic still twisted atop his head, marched through the street. Every now and then he stopped to strike a pose, and the featureless ponies would stomp their hooves in celebration.

By his side, Rarity marched along, singing his praises to the town. “Witness his majesty, Prince Cardinal the Cunning! Prince Cardinal the Magnificent!” She wore a white and blue dress decorated with peach-print patterns and a gold trim, as well as a tiara on her head that was black and gnarled to resemble what he’d done to the Element of Magic.

Twilight shuddered as she approached the crowd. If they’d seemed odd to her before she got her memory back, they were downright creepy now. Each and every one of them identical to the others, all mushed together in a vague shade somewhere between gray and blue. She wondered if they were empty illusions Cardinal had created to populate his new world, or if they were her friends from Ponyville stripped of their identities and reduced to hollow shells like him.

Either option seemed equally unnerving, but the thought that Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, and Spike might be among the faceless horde caused her physical pain.

As she watched Cardinal and Rarity stroll down the main street, she mentally cursed. Splitting Rarity off from him was going to be a challenge. This would be much easier if he hadn’t come to visit. Then again, she wasn’t sure there was an Equestria outside Ponyville’s borders right now, so perhaps he was always visiting. He did seem the type to go fly a loop and then come straight back and have Rarity announce him again.

Twilight had considered taking off Applejack’s hat, but decided against it on grounds that because she’d already been wearing it, it would tip him off for her not to have it anymore. Illusions within illusions, she reminded herself; what he saw when he looked at her was not the same as what the others might see or what she herself did.

Twilight cleared her throat, put on her best game face, then broke through the crowd and approached the false prince. “Lord Cardinal,” she greeted him. “It’s been, uh…too long since you’ve visited our little town.” She gave him a small bow, hoping to feed his ego.

“Twilight Sparkle,” he greeted her warmly. “It’s nice to see you again. How are you enjoying your new home?”

Twilight smiled to him. “It’s everything we could have asked for. Applejack and I are very happy there. Thank you.”

Rarity gestured emphatically to Cardinal. “Is the great Prince Cardinal not wise and generous beyond all means?”

“Oh, every mean,” Twilight agreed. “So many means. In fact, I was hoping his majesty might be willing to come look at what we’ve done with it.”

Cardinal stepped over and stroked his hoof down the side of Twilight’s mane. It filled her with revulsion, but she was careful not to show it. “I would be more than happy to have a look. You’re the greatest friends I’ve ever had, each and every one of you. Whatever makes you happy is what I hold dear to my heart.”

“Of course,” Twilight grit her teeth and smiled. “It’s right this way.”

As she led Cardinal away from the street, Rarity addressed the crowd once more. “Attention, everypony! His majesty, Prince Cardinal the Glamorous, shall be taking a brief recess to attend to his princely duties. But do not fret, for he will return within the--Mmf!”

Applejack lunged from the crowd of ponies, shoving a hoof into her mouth and pulling her away. The featureless ponies didn’t even seem to notice the commotion and resumed milling about in their thin pantomime of life.

Shoving her around the side of the nearby boutique, Applejack released Rarity. The unicorn promptly demanded, “Applejack, what is the matter with you?! If you wanted to speak with me, you could simply have asked.”

“Sorry, Rares.” Applejack stole a quick glance around the corner. “I need to talk to ya all private-like.”

Rarity narrowed her eyes. “If this is your idea of whisking me away on some romantic tryst, you should know that I would never hurt Twilight like that and neither should you.”

“What? No! This is…well, good, we’re fightin’. That’s a great start. How much do ya remember about yesterday? Least, I think it was yesterday.”

“Nothing at all and, again, neither should you,” Rarity chided. “Prince Cardinal says that--”

“Yeah, yeah, I know what he says, but listen. I need you to think real hard about what happened between us. It’s important.”

“I don’t…” Rarity shook her head, chasing off the memory. “The past is best left buried. You know that.”

“This is important,” Applejack insisted.

“Whatever could be so important that it would take me away from my duty to our Prince?”

“I’m tryin’ to tell ya somethin’ that’s--”

“And further, why would you bring up the past when you know it’s forbi--”

“RARITY, I’M SORRY!” Applejack exploded. A silence immediately fell over the unicorn. “I’m sorry for everythin’ I said. I’m sorry for everythin’ I did. I’m sorry for the way I hurt Twilight and I’m sorry it bled over to you. I’m sorry you had to spend a day holdin’ her while she cried and I’m sorry I was too full of myself to listen to either of ya when you were right all along.”

Rarity stepped backwards, her mind beginning to jostle loose as the images flowed through it, while Applejack continued. “Most of all, I’m sorry for me. I’m sorry for bein’ so selfish and hurtin’ her, and I’m sorry for blowin’ smoke at ya. I hurt everypony else but, worse, I hurt Twilight. You might not have been the friendliest of critters, but I know you were just tryin’ to help. I’m sorry I let everythin’ get so bad.”

Rarity’s eyes softened and she tentatively reached her hoof over to touch Applejack’s shoulder. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have come out so bitter. I was mean and nasty and that’s hardly the way one should speak to a friend. I got swept up in Twilight’s hurt and let it run away with me. That was a bridge we burned together, and I think it’s only right that we work together to fix it.”

“Aw, come here.” As the Element of Generosity began to shine once again, Applejack pulled Rarity into a hug, much to the unicorn’s mortification.

“Let me go, you are covered in dirt and it’s going to ruin my--” As Applejack released her, Rarity stared down at the dress on her. She tried to twist around to look at her backside, then settled for finding a nearby window to use its reflection. “What in Equestria am I wearing?! This thing is atrocious and…oh, my, what have I been saying?! …I feel so violated.”

Applejack gestured at her to follow. “You and me both, but this ain’t over yet. Come with me.”

“And this is our home.” Twilight gestured to the house she and Applejack had woken up in. “It’s quite spacious and there’s certainly plenty of room in case we ever decide we want to start a family of our own. With your majesty’s blessings, of course.”

Cardinal nodded. “Of course.” He stepped inside, taking a look at the living room. “It’s quite lovely. How long have you been here?”

Twilight shrugged. “Who can say? Remembering stuff’s overrated, you know. Best to leave the past buried and focus on the present!”

Cardinal chuckled. “Quite. It’s good to hear you’ve taken that to heart. You know, I was worried about you when you first moved here, but it sounds like you’ve settled in quite well. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

Cardinal glanced back at the door. “That’s strange. Have you seen Rarity? She should be right behind us.”

“Oh, Applejack mentioned she needed to talk to her about something. I think Pinkie’s preparing a party to…uh…to celebrate how wonderful it is to be living under your rule?”

“Hmm.” Cardinal scrutinized her for a few seconds, then shrugged. “Very well.”

“Rainbow! Hey, Rainbow!” Applejack called out to Rainbow Dash, who was snoozing on a cloud just above Cardinal’s carriage. Her task in this bizarre new world had been to tow his carriage around and it was very busy work.

Rainbow rolled over on her cloud and began to snore louder, much to Applejack’s dismay. “Would you wake up already?” she shouted.

“Allow me.” Rarity stepped forward, put out her biggest gasp, and shouted, “PRINCE CARDINAL!!! You’ve returned so soon?! Why, of COURSE the carriage will be ready to depart immediately!”

“I’M UP!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted, flopping off her cloud and catching herself in midair. “Rainbow Dash, reporting for…uh…duty?” She fluttered down towards the ground, casting glances every direction. “Where is he?”

Rarity shook her head. “Terribly sorry for the deception, Rainbow Dash, but we do so need to speak with you.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. “That was a mean trick, but sure. What’s up?”

Applejack stepped forward. “Rainbow, I wanted to say I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“Whoa, whoa!” Rainbow Dash hovered away. “You guys want to talk about the past? Trust me, that’s a hole best left--”

“What,” Applejack asked, “You too scared to go divin’ through history with me? You were right, Rares. I owe you two bits. Never thought I’d see the day when Rainbow Dash backs down from a challenge.”

Rainbow Dash twitched. “Hey, I didn’t say that! You want to go picking apart our history, fine, but it’s just a bunch of painful, hurtful things.”

Applejack stepped forward. “I know it is, Dash, and I’m real sorry for my part in that. I know you were only tryin’ to help me and I appreciate that ya care. Ya didn’t pick a great time to do it, but the feeling behind it means a lot to me. I shouldn’t have snapped at ya the way I did, and I want ya to know that I still care a lot about our friendship. What do ya say? Will ya be my pal like we used to be, instead of this phony friendship Cardinal cooked up for us?”

Applejack held out her hoof for a hoof bump. Rainbow Dash stared at it, considering, and as the light returned to the Element of Loyalty, she met it with her own. “I’m sorry too, AJ. I should have respected you more and let you take care of your own stuff. You were right; what happens between you and Twilight isn’t up to me, and the best thing I could have done was to stay out of it.”

Rainbow looked around. “I made a dumb call because I listened to….” Then the memory hit her and she exploded. “Why, that slimy, backstabbing piece of--”

Applejack nodded. “We know. Welcome to the resistance.”

Twilight led Cardinal back downstairs. “And that’s our home! It was wonderful that you came to see it. Can I get you something to drink? A place to sit down and rest, perhaps?”

“You seem nervous,” Cardinal observed.

“What?” Twilight laughed. “No, not at all. What would I have to be nervous about? I’m simply enjoying the presence of his majesty!”

“Your smile seems disingenuous. It slips ever so slightly from time to time, as though you’re having to work to keep it there. You also refuse to look me in the eyes when you speak, instead darting around like a bandit afraid you’ve been cornered.”

“Well, that’s just--”

“Twilight. Look me in the eyes.”

Twilight glanced around, avoiding Cardinal’s gaze for a moment. Then she grinned. “Catch me first.” With a burst of magic, she teleported outside and bolted towards the forest, trying to lead Cardinal away from town.

She took a bend in the path and slammed right into Cardinal’s chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Her horn glowed with magic and she watched him light up his own, ready to catch whatever spell she sent at him. So instead, she levitated a nearby log and chucked that straight into his face with as much force as she could conjure. Cardinal’s body shattered like glass as the log impacted him.

“Hurry up,” she whispered into the night.

Applejack pleaded with the proprietor of the Angel’s Foot Salad Bar. “Fluttershy, listen to me. You only meant to help us set things right, and we all yelled over you and ignored you. You were tryin’ to show us a bit of that kindness and we drove you away with our anger. I’m sorry we made you feel like ya had to run from us.”

“Yes,” Rarity added, “I am sorry as well. I let myself get carried away and I fear I might have hurt you in my anger. I want you to know that was never my intent. I value you as a dear friend. We all do.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash continued, “You’re one of us and you always will be. We’d be lost without you there to keep our heads screwed on right. What do you say, Fluttershy? Will you give us another chance?”

Fluttershy’s heart melted as her Element turned bright pink once again. “Of course, I will. You’re all my dearest friends too. I’m just so glad you thought of me, even if it was a little late.” She tried keeping her distance, but Rainbow Dash grabbed her and pulled her into the group for a hug anyway.

Rarity looked to Applejack. “That just leaves….”

“Eeyup. Pinkie.”

“What do you hope to accomplish, Twilight Sparkle?” Cardinal’s voice sounded from every direction at once. “You have no friends, no Elements, and no Princess to save you. What do you think you’re going to do? Talk me to death? Defeat me with faerie dreams and hope?”

“Something like that,” Twilight muttered. She shouted at him, “The Elements of Harmony don’t belong to you! You stole their power, just like you stole my friends to put on this sick performance of yours! What was even the point of this? To keep us complacent so we wouldn’t stop you from remaking the world?”

“I needed them under control so I could use their Elements,” Cardinal answered, emerging from the woods in his unicorn state. “But you were here as a guest. I meant what I said before, Twilight. You are all the closest friends I’ve ever had, and you specifically are one of my favorites. None of this would have felt right without you.” He lowered his eyes in a steep glare. “But if you’d rather be a Hollow Pony or turned to stone like those Princesses, then I'm willing to oblige.”

A pulse of magic radiated from Cardinal’s crown. “What did you do?” Twilight asked him.

“I’ve summoned the Elements. They should arrive shortly, and together, we’ll decide what to do with you.”

As the group approached Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie suddenly stormed out and headed towards them. Applejack moved to intercept her. “Pinkie! Listen to me, we need to--”

“There’s no time!” Pinkie insisted. “Cardinal’s summoned us. We have to get to him.”

“This is more important than Cardinal, Pinkie. I need to ask ya to forgive me.”

“Silly billy,” Pinkie scruffed Applejack’s mane. “Of course, I forgive you. Don’t even know what you did. Now let’s get over to--”

“No, Pinkie. I need ya to forgive me because I broke a Pinkie Promise.”

Pinkie stopped suddenly. Those words shook her to her core. “You…you did?”

Applejack nodded. “Eeyup, I did. I swore I’d never let my relationship with Twi come between me and my friends. Promised we’d keep everythin’ nice and friendly through thick and thin. I broke that promise. I let everythin’ get so messed up that I ended up turnin’ on everypony. I broke all our friendships ‘cause I couldn’t see past myself and how I was hurtin’.”

Applejack swallowed hard, then continued. “And I hurt ya, ‘cause you were tryin’ so hard to keep us civil and I ignored ya. I made ya watch as we burned everythin’ we used to love about each other. I can’t ever take that back, but I want ya to look around.”

Pinkie took a glance around the plaza. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all there smiling back at her, ready to accept her with open hooves. “I can’t take it back, but I’m doin’ everythin’ in my power to make it right. I’m tryin’, Pinkie, but it won’t ever be right without you in it. We need ya now more than ever to remind us how to smile, how to laugh, and how to move past the hurtin’ we all got inside us.”

As Pinkie struggled to process what she was hearing, Applejack wrapped her up in a tight hug. “What do ya say, Pinkie? Can ya ever forgive me?”

Tears of gratitude began streaming down Pinkie’s face as she wrapped her front legs around Applejack and returned the hug. Quietly, she whispered, “I already have.” At last, the blue glow on the Element of Laughter was restored.

“Look around you, Twilight!” Cardinal taunted. “It’s over. The power of my friendships is unparalleled in this world! The age of Princesses has come to an end. I will live eternally as the one true Discord, master of chaos AND harmony! This is your last chance to be a part of this. Please, don’t make me end you.”

“You don’t even know what friendship is!” Twilight shouted back at him. “You used and manipulate ponies to force them to like you, but that isn’t friendship. Friendship is trust. It’s caring about what happens to each other and making sacrifices to see each other succeed. It’s working together for the common goal of making everypony happy, not just yourself. You can’t understand that because all you see is how you can use us to enrich your life.”

The five ponies bearing the Elements of Harmony approached voicelessly. They flanked Cardinal, all staring at Twilight and waiting for him to give them their command. “These are my friendships,” Cardinal answered her. “Obedient, loyal, and ready to do everything I command. But you’re wrong; I do understand what it means to help each other. I gave you all everything you needed to be happy. I made you a paradise in a world that revolves entirely around you. I even let you keep the dim-witted bumpkin you’re so infatuated with.”

“Wow,” Rarity gasped, looking at Applejack. “Did you hear what he just said about you? That wasn’t very friendly at all.”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be honest, I’m not feelin’ the friendship vibes comin’ off of him right now.”

Cardinal blanched, turning around to look at the others. “What? You weren’t supposed to…you aren’t supposed to be able to hear that. Forget it immediately! I order you to forget!”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Nah, forgettin’ stuff might have been cool yesterday, but I’m over it.”

“Look at them,” Twilight commanded. “It took you the better part of a week to try and tear us down, but we fixed the damage in an afternoon. That is what true friendship is, and it’s a force far too powerful for anypony to tear apart, no matter how nice he might act.

As the five Element-bearers advanced on Cardinal, he tried to back up only to find himself pincered by Twilight. Focusing back on the five, he reasoned, “Come on, everypony. I gave you all what you needed to be happy, didn’t I?”

“You gave us what made you happy,” Rarity spat back at him. “You used and manipulated us to inflate your ego and soothe your insecurities. You didn’t care about who we were, only about how we could best serve your needs.”

“No, that’s not true, I did care about all of you!”

“Ya took my family away from me,” Applejack shouted. “That’s just about the worst thing ya can do to a pony, but ya did it without a second thought.”

“They weren’t necessary!” Cardinal shouted back. “You six are special, Applejack, but those ponies were holding you back. You deserved--”

“You took my animals,” Fluttershy accused.

“I gave you a better job!”

“You chained me to a cart,” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“I gave you an important task!”

Pinkie seemed almost to be glowing with rage. “You. Took away. My friends.”

“I gave you better friends. I gave ALL of you better friends! You were tearing each other apart before I brought you here, but I made you whole again.”

Twilight answered him. “You lied, cheated, and manipulated them into serving you. That’s not a friendship, Cardinal, and we’re through letting you get away with it.”

“Oh, what would you know?!” Cardinal shouted back at her. “You think you’re perfect? Twilight Sparkle the boring, organized know-it-all who mind controls people when she’s having a rough day. Your talent is magic, after all; how do we know you’re not manipulating and using them too?”

“Because they trust me,” she answered simply. “We’ve known each other and helped each other for long enough that we’ve formed a bond you clearly don’t understand.” The Element of Magic untwisted itself and levitated towards her. “That’s why, despite everything you’ve done, this Element is still mine.”

“Oh, you better put that back RIGHT NOW,” Cardinal warned. “These are MY FRIENDS and I will have them back just as soon as I--”

“Because you don’t even know what friendship means.”

“Rot in Tartarus, you stupid mare!” The whole forest lit up suddenly. A burst of white energy shot out from cardinal, striking Twilight in the horn. She felt her magic being drained again at a much harsher rate than before. Cardinal was trying to tear everything out of her.

Channel

Twilight let go of her resistance and instead focused her energies on Cardinal himself. Drawing on him as though he were a wellspring of magic, she reached deep inside of him and found his petrified core. Harnessing her power, she began pulling the energy out of him directly, creating a conduit of magic.

Wind

With Cardinal pulling magic from Twilight and Twilight pulling magic from Cardinal, she next began to wrap the lines of magic around each other. Their flows began to collide and mix into an invisible but chaotic blend.

Pu--

The energies passing between Twilight and Cardinal exploded suddenly, thrusting Twilight back against a tree. She hit hard, then landed on the grass and promptly folded over. “TWILIGHT!!!” Applejack screamed as she galloped to her side.

Cardinal was also shaken. The illusion wasn’t a true enough body for any kind of kinetic force to matter, but the holes blown in his enchantment were far more devastating. He began to flicker in and out of existence, struggling to sustain himself. “Twilight?” he asked, before stumbling and flickering again.

“Twilight, I’m sorry,” he called out as Applejack cradled the prone unicorn. Cardinal stumbled towards her. “Twilight, you have to get up. I didn’t mean it.”

“Hey, BACK OFF!” Rainbow Dash cut Cardinal off, shoving him backwards. He stumbled and shattered once more, only to reform in his Earth Pony state.

“It’s okay,” Twilight smiled, reaching up her hoof to brush Applejack’s cheek. “My magic’s exhausted, but it’ll recover. More importantly,” she glared over her special somepony’s shoulder, “So is his.”

As the Element of Magic fitted itself to Twilight’s head, she felt its energy renewing her and giving her strength to stand again. “It’s over, Cardinal. You’ve got nothing left.”

Cardinal backed up quickly. His left hind leg splintered into pieces as he stepped, causing him to stumble. He struggled to regenerate it. As the Element-bearers turned and began to bear down upon him, he looked frantically between them.

“Rarity,” Cardinal pleaded, “Tell them to keep away. Tell them how good a friend I was to you!”

But Rarity only turned up her snout with a, “Hmph.”

“Applejack,” he tried, “You have to realize she’s using you. She’s playing with your--”

But Applejack cut him off. “Y’know, I think we’ve all heard just about enough out of Cardinal Peaches.”

One by one, the Elements of Harmony lit up as the Element of Magic began drawing in their power. “Agreed,” Twilight responded. “It’s time to set everything right.” A rainbow of energy erupted from the elements, reaching far up into the sky and then branching out in every direction. Reality exploded in a flash of white as the world was restored to harmony.

“STOP!!! YOU CAN’T TAKE MY WORLD!!! YOU CANNNNNNNNNGGGGGG--” Cardinal shouted before he fractured one final time, shattering into a thousand pieces that blew away on the winds of restoration.

When the magic subsided, the Element-bearers found themselves back atop Applejack and Twilight’s special hill, accompanied by a very loud crashing sound in the immediate vicinity. The ponies exchanged glances before Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Okay, I’ll bite. What was that?”

Taking off to the west, the six ponies crossed over the ridge and found a very large stone embedded in a small impact crater. It couldn’t have fallen from too high, but it was large enough and heavy enough to disturb the ground where it landed.

Applejack squinted against the darkness of the night. “Wait…is that…?”

Rarity shook her head. “It can’t be.”

Twilight lit up her horn, inspecting the familiar stone. “Yep. It’s Tom.” Resting in the crater was Tom, the huge stone Discord had once brainwashed Rarity into thinking was a glittering diamond. “This must be what Discord enchanted to create Cardinal.”

Rarity wobbled. “Oh, I think I shall be ill for a week.”

Applejack inspected the stone and found a chunk of it had been broken off with the print of a hoof embedded in it. “That must be from when I kicked him,” she speculated.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “I think it’s finally over.”

“Yeah,” Applejack agreed, but something wasn’t sitting right with her. After everything that’d happened this week, however, she decided to just go ahead and say it. “So what happens with us? I mean, it ain’t like we could just start over.”

Twilight turned and approached Applejack. “I don’t see why we can’t.” She cleared her throat, then held out her hoof. “Applejack, I am conducting research on the nature of romance and how it’s distinguished from other kinds of relationships. After considering my variables, I’ve decided that the partner I would like to experience this with is you. Will you be my Very Special Somepony and help me with my studies?”

Applejack melted. “Of course, Twi. I would be delighted.”

“KISS HER ALREADY!!!” A startling voice called out in the night, and one by one the other ponies were shocked to realize it came from Fluttershy. She lowered her head, blushing. “Sorry.”

“Nah, she’s right,” Applejack conceded before stepping forward and sealing their renewal with a kiss.

“Ugh, they’re doing it again,” Rainbow Dash averted her gaze, mostly to avoid watching but also partly to hide the little smile from her friends.

As the kiss broke, Applejack spoke. “I promise to try and make our next fight a little less catastrophic.”

A regal voice cut through the night. “I, for one, would appreciate that.” Twilight and Applejack quickly turned to see Princess Celestia standing over them.

“Your majesty…” Applejack whispered. She quickly did a bow, followed shortly by Twilight and the rest of their friends.

The princess smiled warmly, looking around at the assembled ponies. “Oh, my little ponies, it sounds like you’ve had quite a night. Spike warned me about what you’d discovered. Am I to assume that Discord’s enchantment has been dealt with?”

Twilight stepped forward to report. “It got a little hairy a couple of times, but we’ve defeated Cardinal and restored harmony to Equestria. I also learned an important lesson about sharing my feelings with my partner instead of keeping them locked up inside. Cardinal said our relationship was a single point of failure, but it doesn’t have to be. Not so long as we remember to treat each other with respect and communicate when our needs are being fulfilled, and also when they aren’t.”

Applejack stepped up next to her. “On that note, I learned that a relationship like this is a two-way street. I can’t just focus on my needs and ignore what’s goin’ on with Twi, or it ain’t never gonna work out between us.”

Rarity approached the Princess next. “I learned that it’s important to exercise patience and understanding when my friends are hurting, especially when it’s caused by another friend. Taking the offensive only leads to hurt feelings and broken friendships.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash rubbed her head. “I learned there’s a time and place to have your buddy’s back, and there’s a time to just let them take care of it themselves.”

Fluttershy stepped forward. “I learned that my friends care very deeply about me and don’t mean to hurt me, and that maybe I should try a little harder to speak out when I know they’re going the wrong direction instead of letting my fears drive me away.”

Celestia nodded, taking all this in. “It sounds like you’ve all learned very important lessons about friendship this week.”

“Except me!” Pinkie shouted.

“Except Pinkie.”

“I did nothing wrong!”

“So,” Applejack asked, “I know I messed up real bad and I didn’t listen when ya told me to be patient with Twi, but I’m tryin’ real hard to make things right. Do I still have your blessin’?

Celestia smiled warmly at her. “Applejack, you’ve made mistakes but you’ve acknowledged them and are working on becoming a better pony. That’s the most anypony can ask of you. Of course, you have my blessing.”

Applejack took those words to heart and gave the princess a bow, just before Pinkie’s voice filled the night again.

“So, is the rock dead or just unconscious?” she asked, poking the giant stone.

Applejack perked up. “Y’know, that’s actually a good question. I’m sure we all had lots of fun this week, but I am not feelin’ up to goin’ another round with that silver-tongued chunk of slate.”

Pinkie narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the stone. “It actually looks more like shale.”

Princess Celestia stepped forward and lowered her head to the rock, allowing her magic to flow through it. After several seconds, she returned with an answer. “The stone is dormant. There is a small amount of residual magic within it, but not enough to retain its consciousness. I’ve gone ahead and bound it to ensure that whatever traces of Discord’s enchantment may be left in the stone, they will remain contained for the foreseeable future.

“Thank you,” Twilight addressed her liege. “Then it really is over.”

The following day seemed to pass in a blur. Spike returned to the library with his magic restored. Applejack’s connection to the land returned, although her sprain would still take a few more weeks to heal. Tom was moved to outside the library where Twilight and Spike could keep a watchful eye on him, just in case.

Rainbow Dash had just finished clearing the clouds for the day when she noticed Rarity just outside the boutique, piling dresses into a cart. The furious expression on her face made Rainbow Dash unsure of whether she should approach, but the curiosity got the better of her. Fluttering down, she called out, “Hey! What’s in the cart?”

Rarity scowled at the dresses. “I thought these would vanish when Cardinal was defeated, but apparently I made them while under his influence. They’re fabric, not magic. So I thought I might touch them up and make them into something new. Specifically, a bonfire.”

“Ha!” Rainbow Dash laughed. For a moment, she thought about offering to help, but it just didn’t feel right so soon after the library argument. She felt awkward and uncomfortable, so she settled for waving a hoof. “I guess I’ll see ya around.”

Pinkie Pie erupted from a nearby crowd, shouting, “Did I hear BONFIRE?”

Rarity levitated another dress onto the pile. “Yes, Pinkie. I will be burning all of these tonight.”

Pinkie squealed. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! We should have a BONFIRE PARTY! Rainbow Dash, you should come too! And I can invite Fluttershy! This will be so great! I’ll bring marshmallows and chocolate and we can make s’mores! What do you say?”

Rarity shot a look up at Rainbow Dash, and in that moment the pegasus realized that she was feeling just as scared and awkward. But then she answered Pinkie with, “That sounds like a marvelous idea. Rainbow Dash, will you come?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah. That sounds like a blast. I’ll be there.” If Rarity was willing to take this chance, then so would she.

“That’s great!” Pinkie shouted. “I’ll go tell Fluttershy! She’ll be so excited!”

“Wait,” Rainbow Dash called after her. “What about AJ and Twilight? Should we invite them?”

Rarity shook her head. “After everything that’s happened, let’s give them a little time. We can catch up with them later, but right now, those two deserve a chance to be alone together. They are still our friends, but there are going to be times when the best thing we can do for them is to be somewhere else. We must get used to that.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “You’re right. We can throw them a party later, right Pinkie?”

Pinkie grinned. “Any time, any cake.”

“Alright, hold it right there.” Apple Bloom watched Twilight levitate the new axle up against the overturned wagon. She watched the holes line up against the wood, then told Twilight, “A little to the left. Okay, that’s perfect!” Grabbing a screwdriver in her teeth, she climbed up on top of the wagon and began turning the first screw.

Once all the screws were in place, she brushed the sweat off her forehead and climbed back down. “It’s lookin’ good. All we need to do now are the wheels. Thank you for helpin’ me, Twilight.”

“It’s the least I could do. Your wagon wouldn’t even be broken if you hadn’t been out there to help me. Applejack and I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Apple Bloom beamed. “That’s just what family does. Speakin’ of which, I was tellin’ the other Crusaders about how I took down Pinkie Pie, and we were thinkin’ we might try gettin’ our Cutie Marks in classical theater next. We’re gonna put on a big show for the whole town! Will ya come watch it?”

“Of course I will.” She scruffed Apple Bloom’s mane with her hoof. “That’s what big sisters do.”

As the day wound on, Applejack insisted on cooking lunch, since she still couldn’t get into the field. Twilight suspected that she was plotting a way to get some harder work in without Granny Smith catching her, but there was no way to prove it.

Once the sun started going down, Twilight and Applejack snuck away to their special place to watch the lights. They lay together and as the show began, Twilight rested her head against Applejack’s. “I need to tell you something,” she started.

Applejack blanched. “You’re not gonna…Twi, I told ya. Don’t say it until you mean it.”

“I do mean it,” Twilight insisted, turning her head to look Applejack in the eyes. “I love you, Applejack. I love you more than I ever knew I could, and I wish I told you that sooner.” She nuzzled her partner again. “So you’d better not stop loving me, because now you’re stuck with me.”

Answering from the heart, Applejack told her, “I can think of nothin’ better.”

The pair sat in silence, watching the lights of the sun dance across the orchard, breathing the cool dusk air, but feeling the warmth and love from the other at their side. In this moment, everything was perfect. The next was filled with Apple Bloom shouting from the farmhouse, “Hey, you two! Granny says to quit kissin’ and come eat dinner!” But this one was perfect.