The Twilight Hoursby chief maximusChaptersPart 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6Part 7Part 8Part 1Part 1 The scratching of quill against parchment echoed around the downstairs walls of Twilight's library. A lone candle burned by her desktop, the wax having nearly melted away. The shimmering light of the shrinking flame illuminated the frazzled mane and sagging eyelids of a mare on a mission to finish taking notes on the last chapter of Miracles of Modern Magic before she went to bed. Twilight felt another yawn coming on, bringing her quill to a halt and raising a hoof to stifle it. A soft snoring from across the room let her know Spike had already fallen asleep on the couch. Twilight glanced behind her where her number one assistant lay sprawled out, his comic book resting over his eyes. A heavy sigh signaled it was nearing her bedtime as well. Although it wasn't that late, she found herself fighting to stay awake. She had just received this book from the Canterlot Archives, and simply couldn't sleep soundly knowing there was unlearned information calling to her from downstairs. She was a few pages away from finishing the book, but she knew continuing would only lead to her waking up with another page stuck to the side of her face and a puddle of drool warping the pages. On top of that, this happened to be a first edition hardcover, with a foreword by the author herself. There was no way she was about to ruin a book this rare because she was too stubborn to know when she needed sleep. Forcing her eyes to remain open for a few more minutes, she placed a mark in the book and set her notes inside the desk. She levitated a blanket over her sleeping dragon, and took one last look at the book taunting her from the desk. Tomorrow, Twilight. Tomorrow. She began to make her way upstairs, taking the dim candle in her magic. As she approached the steps, a gentle knocking stopped her ascent. Glaring at the door, she set the candle on an end table. Who needs a book at this time of night? she thought, kicking herself for not having changed the sign to 'Closed'. Twilight opened the door to reveal Applejack waiting outside. Noticing her frazzled appearance, Applejack withdrew slightly. "Howdy, Twilight. Uh, this a bad time?" Twilight smiled weakly. "No, it's okay," she said with a yawn. "I don't suppose you need a book?" "Naw," Applejack chuckled. "Ah just had a question." "C'mon in." Applejack trotted inside, careful not to make too much noise. "So, what's up?" Twilight asked. "Well, Mac's been in Appleloosa helpin' Braeburn and his family replant some 'a the trees they lost in a tornado. He ain't gonna be back for a few more weeks, and..." Applejack's eyes shifted from Twilight's to the floor, piquing her curiosity. "And?" Twilight completed quietly, growing somewhat impatient with her usually straightforward pal. "And... Apple Bloom's been havin' some trouble with her homework. Ta be honest, some of it's, well, out of my realm of recollection, and Granny's not very reliable for book learnin'," she admitted sheepishly. At least the lesson about asking for help seems to have stuck. Twilight thought. "I'd be happy to help Apple Bloom with her homework!" Twilight said, clapping her hooves together. "Just bring her by the library tomorrow after school, and we'll get started." "You sure it ain't too much trouble?" A grin spread across Applejack’s face. "Don't you want to know what subject it is?" "No trouble at all, I think it'll be fun!" Twilight returned her friend's smile. "Well, alright then," Applejack laughed, heading towards the door. "Thanks again, Twi." "No problem, see you tomorrow!" she said before shutting the door behind Applejack. Twilight exhaled, ready to call it a day and snuggle up in her bed for a solid night's rest. She locked the library door and ascended the stairs with what was left of her candle, careful to avoid the creaky steps. Setting the candle on her nightstand, she shimmied beneath her bedspread, having little time to ponder the exciting day ahead before the sandpony's embrace whisked her away to dreamland. Spike had never shown much interest in academics, and since he wasn't required to go to school he never had any homework for Twilight to help him with. Truthfully, Twilight had always wanted a younger sister to teach things to, or help when she had problems. She hoped Applejack wouldn't mind her indulging her latent desire to instruct on her sister. Then again, she wouldn't have asked if she didn't want her help. Twilight bottled her excitement as she fell into a deep sleep. Applejack and Granny Smith had breakfast ready by the time Apple Bloom came down the stairs. Her schoolbooks were still spread out on the kitchen table, the filly having pulled a very late night last night. "Applejack, does this look right ta you?" she asked, taking her bowl of oatmeal to the table next to Granny Smith. Applejack turned from the stove, trotting over to her sister's side. Apple Bloom studied her sister's features as she scanned over her homework. "Uh ... It looks good ta me, sugarcube," Applejack said honestly. "Are ya sure?" she whined, "Ah don't want ta get a bad grade on it!" "Don't you fret, silly filly. Twilight said she's gonna start helpin' ya after school, startin' today," she said over her shoulder, trotting back toward the stove to stir the remaining bit of oatmeal in the pot. After finishing her breakfast, Apple Bloom began putting her books into her saddlebags. She set them on her shoulders and headed out the door. “Have a good day at school!” Applejack called after her. Granny Smith retired to her rocker, tuning the radio to her stories while Applejack cleaned up the kitchen. “Got a lot of chores today, do ya?” “Naw, just my regular,” Applejack replied. “Mac was sure ta take care of his chores for the next week before he left for cousin Braeburn’s.” “Go on then, Ah’ll finish cleanin’ th’ kitchen,” Granny insisted, straining to rise from her rocker before getting her hooves under her. “Granny, you ain’t got to do that,” Applejack said. Granny raised a silencing hoof. “G’on and get yer chores done now." Her grandmother smiled, hobbling over to the kitchen sink. "Let th’ old gray mares tend to th’ housework, ya hear?” “Yes ma’am.” Applejack nodded, straightening her hat and heading out of the front screen door. “About time, AJ!” A prismatic tail hung off a small cloud above her house. “Ain’t you got a job, Rainbow?” Her friend rolled onto her belly, hanging her head and forehooves over the edge of her fluffy pillow. “Yeah, but today’s supposed to be sunny, so I didn’t really have much to do,” she explained, tilting her head to one side. “So how’s the farm been since Big left?” “Just fine," she said, flipping her mane out of her eyes. "Ah can handle it on my own for a few weeks,” “Right, just make sure you get enough sleep,” Rainbow teased. “Wouldn’t want you accidently wrecking half the town again.” Applejack’s brow furrowed as she walked to the barn to start her chores. Rainbow casually floated along behind her, pushing her cloud with a lazy flap of her wings. “Ah don’t know how many times ya want me ta apologize for flingin’ ya into Twilight’s house,” she grumbled. “Well, since my concussion took a few weeks to heal, I’d say I’ve still got at least another week of teasing ahead of me.” She smiled, hopping off her cloud and landing in front of Applejack. “C’mon, once you’re done kicking dirt around, I know a place where we can get some killer cucumber-and-daffodil sandwiches.” Applejack smiled, tipping her hat back. “Alright, but I’ll get done faster with a little help." Rainbow already knew where this was headed. She sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll help you kick trees or whatever...” With Rainbow's help, her morning chores were finished just as lunch time rolled around. Applejack shoved the last bushel of apples into the barn, wiping the sweat from her brow. “You about ready for lunch?” “I was ready when I got here!” Rainbow replied, her stomach echoing her complaints. “Alright, just let me lock up the barn and we’ll get to walkin’.” “Walking?" Rainbow complained, "No self-respecting pegasus just walks someplace! I’ll die of starvation by the time we walk there!” “Well Ah don’t know how else you ‘spect me to get there.” A sly grin crept across Dash’s face as Applejack realized what she was planning. “Don’t you even think about it! Ah swear if you try ta—” There was no stopping Rainbow once a motivation like hunger struck. She scooped Applejack up underneath her forelegs and hoisted her skyward, despite a flurry of obscenities from her cargo. Once high enough, Rainbow tossed Applejack into the air, flying underneath her in time to catch her on her back. “What did Ah tell you about that?!” “Relax, Applejack, you know I’ve never dropped you ... except that one time, and even then, I caught you before you hit the ground.” Appplejack gripped Dash’s neck tightly. Only Rainbow Dash knew how much her friend—and occasional rival—hated flying. Lucky for both of them, Ponyville proper was only a few minutes away. After landing in the center of town, Rainbow sat on her haunches. Applejack slid off her back, careful not to bump her wings. Applejack glowered at Rainbow while she re-tied her mane and tail with her signature red rubber band. “Oh come on, don’t give me that look. We’re here aren’t we?” Nothing but silence and a glare. “Alright, fine. I’ll buy you lunch. Happy?” “Very.” Applejack smiled. The two entered the courtyard and sat down, their handsome young waiter quickly greeting them to give them menus. “What are you gonna get?” Rainbow asked, scanning over the lunch specials. “Ah dunno, what looks good to you?” “Well, Pinkie says the sandwiches are pretty good here, but I might try the hayseed salad.” Applejack’s eyes darted from side to side as she tried to decide on an item. Their waiter returned with two glasses of water, ready to take their orders. “Let me get the hayseed salad, with the vinaigrette dressing,” Rainbow said. “Very good, Madame. Croutons?” “As many as I can legally have,” Dash replied, giving him her menu. “And for you, my beautiful hay flower?” “Stop.” She blushed, looking at her menu. “Uh..." Applejack nervously glanced at the waiter, and then back to Rainbow. “Y’all have cucumber sandwiches, right?” “Yes, Madame.” “Ah’ll have one of those with daffodils added, please.” “Excellent choice. Which side item would you like?” “What kind d’ya have?” “Our side items are listed at the bottom of the menu,” he replied, tapping the menu Rainbow had given him. “Right! How could Ah have missed ‘em,” she laughed, a bead of sweat forming along her brow and sliding down her jaw line. “You alright, AJ?” Rainbow asked, noticing how nervous her friend appeared. “Ah’m fine, just let me pick my side...” she replied, looking up from her menu. “What would you recommend?” “The creamed spinach is quite good today,” the waiter answered. “Then I’ll have that, thanks,” Applejack sighed in relief. “You sure you’re okay?” Rainbow asked again. “Ah said Ah’m fine, just leave it alone,” she snapped, a flash of annoyance clear in her eyes. “Okay, sheesh,” Dash mumbled. Applejack took a long sip of her water. “Ah’m sorry, Rainbow. Ah guess workin’ the farm alone is takin’ more of a toll on me than Ah thought.” Rainbow smiled at her from across the table. “It’s cool, we all get overworked sometimes.” “Yeah, Ah guess ya never realize how much work somepony does until they stop doin’ it.” “So, now that you’re done with your chores, what else you got planned?” Rainbow asked, taking a sip of her cool drink. Applejack removed her hat and placed it on the back of her chair. “Pick Apple Bloom up from school, then take her over ta Twilight’s for some tutorin’.” “Cool. I think I’m gonna grab Scootaloo and take her for some ice cream or something. I’ve been kinda blowing her off to practice... I know how much she likes to watch me.” “Aw, that’s mighty sweet of ya, Rainbow,” Applejack teased. “Yeah, well, she deserves it, and now she can’t say I’ve never done anything for her,” Rainbow replied, folding her forelegs across her chest. After they had eaten their fill, it was nearly time to pick their respective fillies up from school, meeting Rarity along the way. “Applejack! Ah got a 'B' plus on my language homework!” Apple Bloom bounded out of the schoolhouse with her paper securely in her mouth, followed closely by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Applejack hugged her sister. “That’s great, Apple Bloom! Ah’m real proud of ya!” “And how about you Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked expectantly, knowing her sister was a natural at both the written and spoken word. “I got an 'A' plus!" she said happily. "I ruined the curve for everypony!” “That’s my girl!” Rarity beamed as Rainbow Dash looked to Scootaloo. Her expression seemed to betray her grade. “How’d you make out, squirt?” The flightless filly averted her gaze to her hooves, pawing the ground nervously before staring back into her idol’s eyes. “I...” she began, only to glance away again, “got an A!” she squealed in delight, putting on quite the act before being flung onto Dash’s back. “Great job, kid! I think that deserves some ice cream, how about you?” Scootaloo hugged her neck tightly as Dash rose into the air before abruptly pausing. “You two coming with or what?” she asked, hovering above her friends and their sisters. “Well, I think Sweetie’s earned a reward for her hard work.” Rarity smiled. Apple Bloom looked hopefully to her older sister, who simply shook her head. “Sorry girls, Apple Bloom and Ah have an appointment to keep with Twilight.” “But what if we just went for a little while and—” She was cut off by an insistent hoof from her older sister. “Twilight is expectin’ us after school, and that’s when we’re gonna show up. C’mon now.” She nudged her gently as Rarity and Rainbow Dash both bid them goodbye and headed into town. Apple Bloom sighed as she put her homework back into her saddlebag and hoisted it onto her shoulders. “How come all my friends get a reward for doin’ good and Ah don’t?” “Don’t be a silly filly, we’ll get ya a right good reward when we get home," she explained, walking beside her still distraught little sister. "A pony’s word is their bond, and Ah told Twilight Ah’d bring you by after school so we could raise that ‘B’ to an ‘A’.” “But it was your word, not mine!" she whined. "Ah think Ah’m doin’ good enough in language ta pass!” “Hush now, Ah don’t want ta hear no more about it. You don’t realize how lucky you are ta even be able ta go ta school,” she admonished her sibling. “You could have ta wake up at the crack of dawn every mornin’ and break your back until sunset, only ta repeat the process every darn day like your brother and Ah do.” “It’d be better than goin’ ta school,” she mumbled as the two arrived at Twilight’s treehouse. “Please don’t make me do this,” Apple Bloom begged, her pleas falling on deaf ears. “Twilight can be so... boring.” Apple Bloom felt the smack of her sister’s hoof against her bow. “Twilight was nice enough ta offer ta tutor you without askin’ anythin’ in return, so you’re gonna get in there, and learn somethin’ or so help me Ah’ll wear your hide out when we get back ta the farm,” Applejack threatened in a very uncharacteristic tone. Apple Bloom tensed up immediately. A brief knock brought Spike to the door. “Oh, hey! Twilight mentioned you guys were coming by.” He stepped back, going to the kitchen to pick up a tea tray and bring it to where Twilight sat, nose deep in a book on her favorite reading cushion. “Twilight, your student is here,” Spike called, setting her tea down as she withdrew from her literature. She beamed with excitement at the prospect of teaching another pony. “Hi, Apple Bloom! Ready to get started?” she asked cheerfully. “Thanks for doin’ this, Twilight. Ah really appreciate it,” Applejack said, before taking a seat on the couch behind the two. "It's no problem at all!" Twilight replied as she helped Apple Bloom remove her books from her saddlebags. "Spike can point you to a new shipment of farmers' guides, if you'd like to read them while you wait on us." “Oh, uhm, that’s alright Twilight, Ah’ll just—” “It’s cool, AJ, I pulled these books out before you got here,” Spike said, waddling over with an armload of books blocking his vision. He dumped them beside Applejack, slapping his claws together proudly. “Thanks, Spike,” she said half-heartedly. “Okay then, Apple Bloom, lets get started,” Twilight said, setting a smaller cushion next to her. Her textbook in front of her, the filly climbed onto the pillow and began explaining the night’s homework assignment. As they began their work, Applejack glanced over at the books Spike had laid out for her. Picking up the first one, she cracked it open to the center, finding a few pictures of farmers from what looked like the time of her grandmother. As the hours passed, Applejack grew tired of flipping through the various books on all things agriculture Spike had given her. She yawned, stretching out on the couch, more than willing to snag a quick nap. Unlike her pal Rainbow, she wasn’t much afforded the luxury of daytime sleeping, so she took the chance and ran—er, slept with it. Her eyes fluttered open. Apple Bloom was already waiting by the door with her bags packed. “Done already?” she yawned. “Yep, it’s gonna be dark soon if we don’t get a move on. ‘Sides that, you still owe me a reward for doin’ good in school today,” the little filly was quick to remind her. “Yeah, Ah suppose Ah do,” she replied, stretching her legs and standing from the couch. “Jus’ let me put these books back. Where do they go, Twi?” “Oh, just on the third shelf. Alphabetically, by author if you don’t mind.” Applejack grinned and rolled her eyes, “Sure thing.” She took the books to the space that had been cleared by their absence and began looking at the spines, her mouth moving slightly as she recited the alphabet to herself. Just as she had placed one confidently against its neighbors, Apple Bloom hurried her. “C’mon Applejack, Ah’m gettin’ sleepy!” she whined, even her bow beginning to droop from fatigue. She threw all the books back on the shelf, disregarding the proper order in which Twilight kept her library. “Ah’m comin’, don’t get your tail in a twist,” she shot back, heading out of the library with her little sister in tow. “Thanks again, Twi!” “It was my pleasure Applejack. Can I expect you two tomorrow?” she called from her door as the two earth ponies walked down the road as the sun set. “Nope, tomorrow’s Saturday,” Applejack laughed. Twilight giggled, admonishing herself. If it weren’t for my day planner, I’d probably forget what year it was! she thought. “Right, see you later!” Later on that night, Twilight sat back on her cushion. She had just put Spike to bed to make some time for a bit of late night reading. She carefully poured herself a cup of her favorite night time tea and lit a lavender-scented candle. Setting both by her pillow with care, she sighed contently. Ritual was just as important as reading material, which was the next item on her agenda. She had poured over The Art of Peace two nights ago, and kept her philosophical train of thought going with Marestotle’s classic text, Equestrian Ethics, the night before. Now, however, she craved the lighter fare of a more modern work. Since the Apples had just been by, she thought it a good time to learn a bit about the history of agriculture in Ponyville. Trotting jauntily to the appropriate shelf, scanning the spines for a title that piqued her interest. Or, she would have, if she hadn't noticed a heinous and terrible crime had been committed against the very organizational skill on which she prided herself. Five books were out of place! This simply couldn’t be right; Spike was always careful to follow her instructions when organizing the shelves. On top of that, he hadn’t been in this section except to pull those books for Applejack. She gasped when she realized Applejack had put those books away! Didn't I ask her to arrange them by author? she wondered. Oh well, I’m sure she was just in a hurry to get Apple Bloom home for dinner, she thought, shifting the books back into their proper order before removing Farming in Ponyville: A Complete History. Settling on her cushion, she sipped her tea and began at page one. As she read, a nagging thought kept pushing its way past her general interest in the subject at hoof. How on Earth had Applejack not been able to organize six books in alphabetical order? She was just in a hurry, Twilight, you’re overthinking things again, she admonished herself. As she neared the bottom of her teacup, the silliest of ideas popped into her head. What if Applejack didn’t know how to read? She chuckled at such an idea, deciding that it was well past her bedtime. Climbing the steps to her bed, she continued to smile at the absurd idea that one of her adult friends didn’t know how to read. That is ridiculous, I bet Applejack would get a laugh out of that! she thought, placing the candle on her nightstand and snuggling into her starry bedspread for the evening. With a quick puff, she blew out the candle and fell asleep quickly. Applejack had already finished her chores by the time the sunlight peaked over the hills of her orchard. Before heading out to Appleloosa, Mac had given her a list of places he needed her to go. She walked into the house and grabbed the list off the counter. Applejack placed the list on Granny Smith's rocker as she heard the Apple elder coming slowly down the steps. She made her way to her favorite old wooden chair and noticed the list. "What's this here paper on my chair fer?" Applejack turned from the kitchen. "What's it say, Granny?" She found her reading glasses around her neck and set them on the bridge of her nose. "Says 'nails at the hardware store, quill ink at the stationary shop, and a book called Crossbreeding Apple Trees and the Genetic Implications Thereof by Scotch Bingeington." "Ah, that's my list of errands. Ah thought Ah left it somewhere." Applejack smiled, trotting over to fetch the list. After a quick breakfast, she stowed the list in her saddlebags and headed into town. The shops and stalls were all opening up just as she walked through. She loved getting errands out of the way early. There was never any lines anywhere, and all the items were always in stock at this hour. Applejack made quick work of the nails at the hardware store, and even faster work of the jars of quill ink. She recalled the last stop on her list was Twilight's. The library was on the way back to the farm so it made sense to make it her last stop. Applejack always enjoyed a visit with friends, and Twilight usually had some tea ready by this time in the morning. Twilight was already puttering about the library as Spike worked on breakfast. She removed a book she had been flipping through last night from the shelf, keeping a sharp ear out for the whistle of her tea kettle. Twilight took a seat on her well-imprinted reading cushion and removed her bookmark from Miracles of Modern Magic: Vol II. Before she could re-immerse herself, a knock beckoned at her front door. Though she was a librarian and loved helping other ponies fulfill their literary needs, she wasn't very enthusiastic about it until after her morning tea. Casting a glare at her still silent tea kettle, she trotted over to answer the door. Twilight opened the door and saw that it was Applejack, which was a modicum of good news in itself. "Hey Applejack, nice to see you." "You too, Twi. How are ya this mornin'?" She showed herself in. "I'm good. I'll be better once my tea is ready." She smiled, shutting the door behind her. "So how's Apple Bloom doing?" "She's fine, but we'll know for sure once she gets more homework." Twilight nodded. "Well, she's always welcome if she ever needs any help," she reminded her friend. "Anyway, what brings you around this early?" "Ah just came for a book. Somethin' about the genetics of crossbreedin' apple trees?" "Oh yes, that's in the 'C's I'll just—" The hiss of the tea kettle interrupted Twilight as she turned back toward the kitchen. "Tea's ready!" she sang. "Do you mind grabbing it yourself while I get that?" "Uh, sure thing Twi..." Applejack said softly. She trotted over to the appropriate shelves. Eyeing the tall shelf, she scanned the spines slowly, trying to recall which book it was her brother was after. She scratched her chin in thought as she looked over the shelf. Unbeknownst to her, Twilight was watching her from the kitchen. The absurd notion that Applejack couldn't read leapt to the forefront of her mind, nearly eliciting a chuckle. She turned back and took a sip of her tea, then set Applejack's cup down on the table. The clink of the porcelain snapping Applejack out of her trance as she grabbed what she believed to be the appropriate book. She slid it into her saddlebag and joined Twilight at her table. Normally Applejack wasn't much for tea, but after hanging out with Twilight for a while, the drink had grown on her. "So what has Macintosh been up to?" Twilight asked as innocuously as she could. Applejack smirked. She knew her brother was a hot commodity to many of the town's mares. She had learned to put up with ponies asking about him a long time ago. "He's fine. He's helpin' out in Appleloosa right now," she answered as Twilight dropped three sugar cubes into her tea. "He asked about you the other day, you know." Twilight's ears shot to attention, her cheeks flushing red as she vainly tried to hide them. "He did?" "Yep, Ah told him in a telegram how you'd helped Apple Bloom with her homework while he was away," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "Said he'll be lookin' to thank you once he gets back." Twilight's face felt as though she could start a small fire with it. "Oh, uhm... he doesn't have to—I mean, he can if he wants, I just... uhm..." It was worth mentioning Mac just to see the reactions on her friends faces. Though she knew the "thanking" Twilight was likely to get were simply flowers or something like that, Applejack couldn't help but enjoy the reactions to the idea of earning her brother's favor. After some idle chat and a cup of tea, Applejack threw on her saddle bags and headed toward the door. "Thank ya kindly for the tea, Twi." "No problem Applejack. Let me know if that book is what you were looking for!" she called as Applejack set out down the road to her country home. Twilight shut the door and went back inside. She glanced over at the section Applejack had been searching through. This is ridiculous, Twilight! Of course Applejack can read! Even though the very idea epitomized silliness in her mind, she couldn't let it go. The proof was right over there! If the proper book was gone, then she was imagining things again. If not... she might be onto something. Twilight trotted over to the bookshelf, head held high, confident she'd find the proper book missing. She reached the shelf and scanned the spines, her confident smile slowly fading until it morphed into a frown. The book was still in its place, another, completely unrelated book was missing. Spike appeared from the upstairs loft with an armload of scrolls, and noticed Twilight's static state. "Uh, Twilight? You okay?" he asked, walking next to her. Twilight swallowed, still in shock that her wild theory seemed to be holding water. "I... I think I need to lie down." Part 2Part 2 "Don't you think that's just a little far-fetched?" Spike asked, bringing a cup of hot tea over to Twilight as she lay sprawled out on her couch. "Well, yeah!" she replied, taking the tea in her magic and taking a long, slow sip before continuing. "But that's just it! What if Applejack has just been faking it this whole time? Right under my nose?" "I'm sure she was just in a hurry," Spike reasoned, settling down next to her on the floor. "How could Applejack even function as an adult if she can't read?" Twilight sighed. "I don't know, but she's a pretty clever pony when she wants to be." Taking another sip of her tea, she quietly contemplated how she could prove her crazy hypothesis. "I wish there was some test I could give her..." "You think Applejack would let you test her reading skills just like that?" "Sure! She'd never back down from a challenge, and if she actually can read, she's got nothing to lose." Twilight smiled contently. "I'm sure we'll all have a good laugh about this afterwards," She said, glancing back over towards the misplaced books. "Then again, maybe we won't," she whined, reconsidering Applejack's apparent ability. She clambered off the couch and stretched her legs. There was only one way to test her theory: she'd need Applejack to read something to her. But how? I can't very well just walk up to her and ask her to read me a book! I need a way to get her to do it naturally... she thought. Twilight looked back toward her bookshelf. The book Applejack was supposed to take sat neatly against its neighbors. "I've got it." Twilight smiled. She levitated the book from the shelf and into her saddlebag. "Spike, have some studying tea ready when I get back," she called upstairs, producing a small dragon head between the bannister. "Sure," he replied. "Anything else?" "Make some snacks. We may have some company." Twilight passed through the wrought iron gate of Sweet Apple Acres. Ordinarily, her visits included keeping a sharp eye out for a certain workhorse. This time, however, his sister was on her mind. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains in the distance as Twilight strode onto their porch. Being this late in the evening, she figured Applejack's chores were more than likely finished. If the smell of country fried carrots were any indication, it was almost dinner time. A brief knock brought Apple Bloom to the door. "Hiya Twilight!" she said happily, her voice cracking slightly. "Hello, Apple Bloom. How's the studying coming?" The filly's expression dropped. "Ah haven't really gotten a chance to practice much, but Ah'll bet the homework you helped me do is gonna get me an A plus for sure!" Twilight smiled. The look on a pupil's face when they finally grasp a hard to understand concept, or a difficult idea finally clicks into place, was almost enough to make her consider subbing for Cheerilee for a day or two. Almost. "That's good to hear." She grinned, mussing her mane a bit. "Is Applejack around?" "She's helpin' Granny cook supper," she replied, stepping aside as Twilight entered. "Well hey there, sugarcube!" Applejack called from the kitchen. "What brings ya by?" "I, uhm... well, I just... smelled the fried carrots and before I knew it, here I was!" she lied. Thank Celestia I'm better at lying than Applejack. I'd hate to do that to her, but to try and prove she can't read in front of her whole family just doesn't seem like the best way to approach the situation, she thought. "Well Mac is still out'a town, and we've got an extra seat at the table if'n you'd like to have some of those carrots you've been smellin'." Twilight paused, then nodded. A little food never hurt anypony, and it would be just tragic if it were to go to waste. Rationalizations rationalized, Twilight took a seat as the food was brought out. If Applejack and her family didn't do a full day's worth of labor, they'd have easily weighed a metric ton. There was food of almost every variety the farm could produce. A common misconception was that the Apples only grew apples. The orchard was the most visible, but the vegetable patches were away from the wood line to keep out animals looking for a quick meal. Twilight happily ate a delicious country fried dinner. Needing more time with Applejack, she even volunteered to help with the cleanup, leaving Granny Smith to tuck Apple Bloom into bed while she and Applejack cleaned up the kitchen. "That was amazing, Applejack," Twilight hummed, using her magic to place the dirty dishes into the soapy water and scrub them with a sponge. "Well, if you're gonna work hard, ya gotta eat right," she replied, drying the dishes Twilight washed with a small towel. After not hearing anything upstairs, Twilight decided the time had come to act. Time to initiate plan Reveal Applejack's Educational Deficiencies. (R.A.E.D.) The irony of her misspelled acronym was not lost on her. "So, did you get a chance to look over that book I gave you?" Applejack blinked before recalling the item. "Oh, right. Naw," she sighed. "It wasn't for me. It was for Macintosh." "Hmm..." Twilight began, trying to think of a way to get Applejack to read. "Come to think of it, you may have grabbed the wrong book," she said as though she'd just remembered, keeping a keen eye out for any changes in her friend's demeanor. "Really? Ah didn't even notice!" I'll bet you didn't, she thought, suppressing a giggle. I almost laughed at Applejack's inability! What if the Princess found out? Bad Twilight! she scolded herself. "Yeah, I was actually going to run it by tomorrow, but I figured there's no time like the present!" "Thank ya kindly, Twi," she said, placing the last dish on the drying rack. "Ah'll get the book." Twilight was half expecting her to return with the wrong tome, though there weren't that many books in the house to start with, so it shouldn't have been too hard to find hers. After a few moments, Applejack returned with the book in her mouth. "Thish it?" she asked around the book. It certainly was the right book, but Twilight was still no closer to figuring out whether Applejack could read or not. The farm pony left the kitchen when it hit her. Twilight smiled deviously as she schemed. Producing a quill and ink jar—she always carried with her in case of any surprise academia—, she retrieved the paperback about the earning of cutie marks that had been in the bottom of her saddlebag for weeks. She seemed to recall one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders wanting to read it, but by the time she'd retrieved it, they'd gone on to some other sure-fire way to earn their marks. On the inside cover, Twilight wrote a simple inscription to Apple Bloom about studying hard and never giving up. However, she had also riddled it with intentional spelling errors and blatant misuse of words. The trap was set. "Also, I've got a book I think Apple Bloom and her friends might find useful," she called into the living room. "Oh yeah? Which book?" Twilight showed Applejack the cover as she set it on the table. "Huh," Applejack mumbled. "I suppose this has somethin' to do with cutie marks?" Twilight nodded. The image on the front cover was of a colt smiling proudly at a newly appeared hammer and nail on his flank. "I wrote a little note to Apple Bloom, what do you think?" she asked, opening the cover to her small paragraph. Twilight watched Applejack's eyes dart back and forth. If she had been faking it, she'd certainly become good at it. "Well?" Twilight asked hopefully. "It looks great, Twi, Ah'm sure she'll love it." Sweet Celestia in Canterlot! she thought to herself in shock. "Y-you mean, it looks okay to you?" "Yup, sure as Ah'm standin' here." She smiled contently. "It ain't nice ta talk about somepony when they aren't around!" An indignant filly pouted from the top of the stairs. "Apple Bloom, what did Ah tell you 'bout eavesdropping?" Applejack snapped as she came down the stairs. "Ah wasn't eavesdropping!" she replied defensively. "Ah heard y'all talkin' about me upstairs after Ah brushed my teeth." The filly turned to the book sitting on the table. "Is this for me?" she asked, knowing full well the answer. "A Hundred and One Ways to Earn a Cutie Mark!" She gasped sharply. "Thanks Twilight!" Twilight smiled, happy to have brought a bit of joy via her favorite medium. Apple Bloom looked to the inside cover, her face going from alive with passion to confusion. "Uh, Twilight, did you write this?" "Yes I did," "How come you misspelled... everything?" "It was a test! To see how good you've become at grammar and spelling!" Twilight said happily. "And you passed!" Twilight glanced at Applejack, whose expression had soured considerably in the last few seconds. Twilight gulped as she realized Applejack had seen right through her plan. Twilight, you've got to stop using your friends as test subjects without their permission! She quickly tore her gaze away, forcing down a sudden sense of guilt. Now she probably hates me... and has every reason to. Oh well... nothing to be done about it now except hope that she accepts my apology. An unusual sense of self-loathing began to creep in as she realized how hurt Applejack must have felt. "Yay!" Apple Bloom turned to face her rump expectantly, though no magical test paper appeared on her flank. "Dang..." She pouted. "Listen, Twi, it's been great talkin' to ya, but it's late, and Ah gotta be up early tomorrow," she said abruptly, practically pushing Twilight out of her house and onto the porch. "Applejack, I didn't mean—" Slam! "—for you to slam the door in my face..." Twilight sighed. That certainly hadn't gone like she'd planned. In fact, all she had done was make things worse. Hanging her head, she began the trot back to the library. If only Apple Bloom hadn't shown up! she lamented, sure that her plan would have worked flawlessly had it not been for one blank-flanked variable. Why didn't I just ask Applejack instead? The walk home gave her time to consider Applejack's feelings. Why did I try to trick her? Ugh, stupid, Twilight, stupid! she berated herself, her ears and head drooping lower to the ground with each step. But, it wasn't like I was trying to make her feel bad about herself! Agh, why didn't I just pull her aside and ask? Her walk was long and quiet, giving her plenty of time to ponder such questions. Spike greeted her with a tray of fresh snacks and tea once she arrived home. He looked around and behind her. "Didn't you say we might have some—" Spike paused mid-sentence, a deadpan stare falling over him. "You went to Sweet Apple Acres with some crazy scheme to get AJ to admit she can't read, didn't you?" he accused, setting the tray down and removing his frilly apron. Twilight tossed her saddlebags casually and flopped onto the couch. "Maybe," she mumbled, her head buried in one of the throw pillows. Spike usually knew when she'd messed up, and this time was no exception. "I see it went well," he said flatly. "About as well as trying to trick one of your best friends could go..." she groaned. "See?" Spike said in annoyance. "This is why you should run things like this by me so I can tell you what a bad idea it is!" "Thanks for the advice," she snapped bitterly. If there was one thing Twilight hated, it was a plan of hers failing. It didn't happen often, but when it did, she'd hold on to it for weeks. "Look, just give AJ some time to cool off, and apologize for trying to trick her. She'll forgive you, just make sure you explain yourself." This was not the first time Spike had to rein in Twilight's shenanigans before they got out of hoof. She sighed. "You're right. I'll head over tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I'll get something besides a swift kick in the face..." By the time Twilight found herself walking to the farm, her nerves had caught up with her. Still, this was Applejack, one of the most understanding ponies around! Before she knew it, she'd been standing on their front porch for about five minutes, paralyzed by fear. Instead of knocking, Apple Bloom nearly ran into her on her way to the CMC clubhouse. "Oh! Sorry, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack around?" "Ah haven't seen her; she might be in the barn!" she said over her shoulder as she galloped off down the trail. Twilight gulped as she made her way to the barn. She peered into the darkness, but saw no sign of Applejack. Sighing in relief, she withdrew, mentally phrasing a note to pin on the door when a sniffle from the hayloft stopped her. Carefully and quietly, she climbed the stairs to the loft. Leaning against a hay pile sat Applejack, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. Beside her, she noticed a rather large, but thin, hardcover book. Twilight couldn't make out the words, but judging from the size and colors, it wasn't exactly an organic chemistry textbook. "Applejack?" Her ears shot to attention as she hastily covered the book with some loose hay. "Twilight? What're you doin' here?" Relieved that she wasn't angry with her, Twilight sat beside her pal in the itchy hay. "I came by to apologize about yesterday—" Applejack waved a hoof to silence her. "Say no more. Ah'm the one who should be apologizin'." "It's just that I—wait, what?" "Ah was tired last night, and Ah had no business rushin' ya out the door like Ah did. It wasn't too neighborly, and Ah'm sorry." It looked like she was bound and determined to keep up her charade. There was only one way to confront the issue now. Twilight took a deep breath, and let it out sharply. "Applejack, I know your secret." She raised an eyebrow. "My what now?" "I know you don't know how to read." There. She finally said it. After a slight pause, Applejack laughed. "Of course Ah can read! How could Ah run a farm if Ah couldn't read?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably. Twilight was prepared for this to drag out, but she certainly wished Applejack would've just fessed up. "Doesn't Big Mac handle most of the farm's finances and liability insurance?" Applejack's ears began to twitch, her eyes darting back and forth between Twilight and where she'd buried the book. Matching wits with Twilight wasn't like convincing Granny or Apple Bloom. "Yeah, but Ah do all the other stuff besides plowin' the fields." Twilight looked into Applejack's eyes pleadingly. "Applejack. Please..." "Please what?" she replied, annoyance beginning to show in her tone. "Ah done told ya Ah know how to read!" Twilight sighed. She shifted the hay aside and uncovered the foal's book Applejack had buried. "Then what is this?" "Uh, Apple Bloom must've left it up here..." "Really? It seems a bit too easy for a filly Apple Bloom's age," she implied, giving Applejack one last shot to admit it before she sent her illusions crashing down around her. "Maybe she just likes it?" She grinned, though the blush on her cheeks indicated Twilight was inching closer to a revelation. Twilight raised the book in front of her and opened it to the center. "Okay then, what does this say?" She pointed a hoof to a small paragraph. Applejack took the book in her hooves and studied the paragraph, sweat beginning to bead around her forehead. "T-The... hun-hungry... sn-sn...Ugh!" Applejack roared, tossing the book into the hay bale behind her in a fit of anger. "Okay, fine! Ah can't read! Are you happy now?!" she screamed, tears of shame spilling from her eyes as she vented her anger. "The dumb farmer pony can't read, is that what you wanted to hear?!" "Of course not!" Twilight pled. "You think you're so smart because you grew up in Canterlot with the Princess herself taking care of you! You've never had to work a day in your life!" she shouted, her chest heaving. "You don't even realize how lucky you are!" "Applejack, I didn't come here to embarrass you. I just came here to offer to help you," Twilight said calmly, before Applejack go start another rant. "Well nopony asked you to!" "I know," she replied as she stood up. "Sometimes a friend just has to offer help, because they know the pony they're trying to help would never ask for it." Twilight trotted slowly toward the stairs before turning back to Applejack. "If you ever want to learn, you know I'm always willing to help you." She began down the steps before Applejack called out to her. "Twi? Can you keep a secret?" she asked weakly. For the first time since arriving, Twilight smiled. "Of course." Applejack gathered herself and headed back inside her house. I can't believe I got so upset with Twilight... she was only tryin' to help... She sighed, nearly making it inside when a familiar voice called to her from above. "Hey, AJ!" Rainbow yelled. "Howdy, sugarcube!" she forced, putting away her somber face in favor of a happy mask. "Okay, so tonight there's a bonfire in Carrot Top's southern field, and all the stallions in town are gonna be there! Should be fun, you in?" Applejack would normally jump at the chance to meet some new stallions, but today something else was on her mind. "Sorry, RD. Ah've got somethin' else Ah gotta do tonight." Rainbow's indignation was apparent. "Like what? What in Equestria is more important than drinking cider in the middle of an open field with your best friend?" Applejack searched the ground nervously, trying her best to hide her tells. "It's just... look, Ah'll just have to take a raincheck, okay?" Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Sure thing, AJ... see ya," Rainbow said as she ascended away from Sweet Apple Acres. High above the farm, Rainbow Dash formulated a scheme of her own. "Now I have to know what she's up to," she said to herself as she perched on a cloud. She decided to forgo the party in favor of tailing Applejack. She napped for hours until she heard the front door of Applejack's farmhouse creak open. When she awoke, it was dark. Peering down from her cloud, she spotted her. Rainbow followed Applejack silently from above. After a few minutes, she realized she was going to Twilight's. "What in the..." Rainbow descended from her cloud and hid behind the bushes outside Twilight's house as Applejack knocked on the door. "Well, how'd it go?" Spike asked as soon as Twilight stepped in the door. "About as I expected," she replied. "Lots of shouting, some anger and tears, but overall, she finally admitted her problem." She sighed contently, happy with the progress she'd made, but worried about whether Applejack would take her up on her offer. Spike rubbed his chin slowly. "So, you think she'll let you help her?" "Who knows," she sighed. "I thought she'd learned her lesson about accepting help when she needed it..." The hours wore on as Twilight assumed her usual study routine. She could hardly immerse herself like she usually did, checking the clock every few minutes, hoping Applejack had the stones to swallow her pride and let Twilight help her. At around ten that night, Twilight decided Applejack wasn't going to show. Just as she was about to snuff out the candle, she heard a knock at the door. With high hopes, she trotted to the door and opened it to reveal Applejack. "Are you here for the reason I think you are?" she asked softly. Applejack nodded, still a bit embarrassed about her outburst back at the barn. "Sorry 'bout earlier..." "It's okay. Spike's asleep in the living room, so we'll have to go to my room." After they'd gone inside, Rainbow raised herself out of the bushes, her jaw hanging open. "Applejack would rather hang out with Twilight... than me?" Part 3Part 3 "No way! This can't be happening!" Rainbow Dash moaned, trotting out of the bushes as the lights in Twilight's house went out one by one, leaving only the light in her bedroom window. "I've got to know what's going on," Rainbow said, determination etched on her face as she took flight. She hovered just out of view of Twilight's bedroom window as she peered inside. Applejack and Twilight had just entered her room before Applejack took a seat on her bed. "Ah guess Ah'm still a might nervous. As you could probably guess, Ah've never done this before..." Applejack admitted as a blush began to form over Rainbow's cheeks. "Don't worry, Applejack, I've been at this for years! Before you know it, you'll be just as good as I am!" she assured her, to Dash's horror. "Thanks, Twi. Ya mind drawin' those curtains? Ah'd hate for somepony ta stumble across our little secret." She grinned in embarrassment as Twilight used her magic to close the curtains. That was the last straw. Rainbow had no idea what to do now. Running a hoof through her mane, she fluttered to a low hanging cloud. "Okay, Rainbow... it's no big deal... two of your best friends are hanging out with each other in secret." Dash wiped her hooves across her face as she moaned. "Oh Celestia, how is this not a big deal?" Rainbow thought for a moment, wondering why Applejack would want to hide this from her. Was she afraid she would laugh at her? Or tease her about finding her special somepony? Dash may have been a lot of things, but a jerk to her friends was not one of them. All that mushy stuff wasn't really her thing, but she wouldn't make fun of others if it was theirs. One thing was certain: she had to tell somepony about this. Not so much to expose a secret, more like to get a second opinion. After all, what if they were just meeting with each other in the middle of the night for something else? She couldn't exactly think of anything else they'd be doing, but the thought still warranted investigation. Dash tried to think of the most rational pony to present this finding to. Hm... Pinkie? Nah, she'd probably just throw 'em a party. Fluttershy? Nope, she'd just think it was none of her business and move on. Guess that just leaves Rarity. With a sigh, Rainbow headed towards the Carousel Boutique, hoping to catch Rarity before she went to bed. "I understand wanting some privacy, but I think we'll be okay," said Twilight, turning to Applejack. She hadn't brought anything but herself, so it was up to Twilight to provide the reading material. "So, I guess a good place to start would be where your teacher left off." Twilight smiled, levitating two large cushions on the floor in front of them. "How much do you know?" Applejack examined her hooves and held her tongue for a moment. "Well... Ah know the alphabet, and Ah recognize a few easy words, but... that's about as far as Ah got." A pause blanketed the room as Twilight sat on her cushion and thought about an appropriate way to start their first lesson. "That's okay," said Twilight as she levitated a book from her personal shelf in front of them. "I asked Spike to borrow a few worksheets from Cheerilee in case you decided to accept my offer, so I think that'll be a good place to start." "If you say so, Twilight," Applejack sighed, her limited enthusiasm seemed to evaporate as soon as a simple grade-school work sheet was laid out in front of her. "Okay, so let's figure out what words you know," Twilight said as she pointed to the first word in a column of many. "And," Applejack answered confidently. "Great! How about this one?" "Uhm... t-tr-tra-urgh," Applejack groaned. "Sound it out, you almost had it!" Twilight cheered. "Ah don't know what it is, Twilight!" she snapped. Twilight scrunched her face in thought before covering the first half of the word with a hoof. "Try this. Read me the first three letters." Applejack narrowed her eyes at her instructor before spitting out the first half of the word she'd already mastered. "Tra." "Good. Now this part," she said, moving her hoof. "In." "Okay, now put them together." "Tra-in?" "Close, but tra-in isn't a word. What word does it sound like?" Twilight led her, hoping she'd come to the correct conclusion. "... Train?" "That's right!" Twilight beamed at her student as Applejack caught her infectious smile. "Okay, let's keep going." With a renewed sense of vigor, Applejack sounded out and began reading words she'd have never thought herself capable of pronouncing for nearly an hour. Though they were mostly of the four-to-six-letter variety, progress was progress. "You're doing so well, Applejack! I think we're ready for our first sentence!" Twilight sang, sharing her friend's pride in her accomplishments thus far. "Alright, Ah'm ready!" Twilight levitated a quill and ink jar, as well as a blank piece of parchment, between the two of them. With a quick flourish, she composed an easy sentence. "Alright, how about this?" Twilight slid the scroll towards her, waiting with bated breath for her answer. Applejack took a few seconds to study the simple five word sentence before looking back at her instructor. "It is very hot today?" "Yes!" Twilight exclaimed, wearing a smile just as wide as Applejack's. "I knew you'd pick this up quickly!" Twilight gave her friend a hug. Slowly, Applejack returned the gesture. As she held the hug, Twilight felt the coat on her shoulder become a bit moist. Pulling away, Applejack rubbed her eyes. "Applejack, what's the matter?" she asked. "You're doing great!" "Ah know... it's just... Ah've faked this for so long. Ah've always relied on myself for everything, and this was the one thing Ah just couldn't figure out, and now..." She paused, her breathing becoming a bit more staccato than normal. "Now it's just this easy? All this time Ah could've been learnin' what Ah should've known as a filly, but instead Ah was just too stubborn to ask for help." Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder lightly. "Applejack, there's no reason to be ashamed of this. Everypony has things they're embarrassed about." C'mon, Twilight, you can't just let Applejack be the only one sharing a secret! Think! How can I level the playing field? she wondered, before an idea struck. "Would you believe that I nearly failed magical theory while I was in Celestia's school for gifted unicorns?" Applejack raised her eyes from the floor and dried her tears. "You... you did?" "That's right. The Element of Magic, barely got out of that class with my G.P.A. intact. I was mortified of asking for help. The princess herself told me I was one of the most gifted unicorns she'd ever come across in terms of magic, and I just couldn't grasp the concepts presented in that class. The professor even confronted me about it. He said 'Ms. Sparkle, if you do not earn a perfect score on the final exam, I will not allow you to pass my class,'" she said in her best Hoofington accent. Applejack giggled. "So what'd you end up doin'?" "I eventually broke down and asked a colt in my class to help me. And this was before I got over a lot of the anxiety I had about meeting new ponies," she recalled. "I was petrified of even asking him, and I'm pretty sure a lesser colt would have run away screaming if the quiet weirdo in class had asked them for help. But—to my surprise—he was glad to help me, and he explained it in such a way that it immediately made sense to me," she recalled wistfully. "When finals rolled around, I aced the exam and got my credits." "So what happened between you and 'Mr. Genius'?" Applejack asked, eyebrow raised suggestively. Twilight sighed, "He transferred to Oxenford. I never saw him again after that," she sighed. "That's okay, Twilight. Ah guess my brother'll just have to do." Twilight nodded. "Yeah, I guess he'll—what?! No! I mean, he's a n-nice stallion and all but... uhm..." Applejack laughed as her friend blushed, attempting to backpedal out of her slip of the tongue. "Look, it's getting pretty late, I think this is a good place to stop for tonight," she said, trying to change the subject quickly. "Ah reckon so," Applejack laughed. "Ah really appreciate you helpin' me, Twilight." "It's the least I could do for a friend." As she headed for the door, Twilight set her cushion and half-completed worksheet on her desk for their next session. "Have a safe walk home!" "Will do, Twi," Applejack said as she descended the stairs carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping dragon on the couch. Once outside, the air seemed fresher, the stars, brighter. Applejack was well on her way to accomplishing a long-held goal of hers, and nopony would be the wiser as to her 'deficiency'. She set off down the trail to her farm, humming her favorite country song as she went. "Rainbow, dear, don't you think you're overreacting just a tad?" Rarity asked, pouring herself a cup of hot tea. If Rainbow was going to wake her out of a dead sleep just to gossip, the least she could do is be awake to appreciate it. "Overreacting?" Rainbow parroted. "If anything, I'm under-reacting!" Rarity arched an eyebrow. "Really?" "Yes, really! She's been my bro ever since Twilight brought us all together! How could she pick her over me?" "You are aware that 'bro' refers to stallions?" Rainbow groaned. "You know what I mean!" "Don't you think you're being a little bit possessive? Is Applejack not entitled to spend her time however she pleases?" "Well... yeah, I guess," Rainbow replied, her tone softening. "But this is our thing! It's like a tradition for us, and she just... just bailed on me. Me!" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, you must respect the fact that Applejack is a grown mare, and is entitled to make her own decisions." She paused, taking a slow sip of her tea before setting it back onto the coffee table in front of her. Rainbow sat back in her plush chair, a pout across her lips. "Why exactly is it so important that the two of you spend so much time together?" Rainbow's cheeks flushed a furious red as she tried to answer the question truthfully. "Because!" she began. "Fluttershy never stays up past sundown, Pinkie is hard to find half the time, and I didn't really think you were the type of pony to drink cider in a field while watching stuff burn." "Well, you're most certainly right about that!" Rarity huffed. "All that mud and filth would be simply dreadful for my coat, not to mention the bugs!" Rarity reeled in her disgust and continued. "However, I still don't see why this was worth interrupting my beauty sleep," she said narrowing her eyes. "I was getting to that," Rainbow huffed. "I was outside Twi's place, and Applejack and Twilight started talking about 'never having done this before', and that it'd be 'their little secret'. They even closed the curtains! What could they have been doing in there that they'd need that kind of privacy?" Rarity's eyes widened at Rainbow's implication."Oh dear..." "'Oh dear' is right! Do you, do you think they're..." "No! Don't be ridiculous! My lady's intuition would have recognized when two ponies are attracted to each other, and I simply couldn't imagine Twilight and Applejack seeing each other in secret," Rarity answered confidently, content to end her remark with a closed-eyed victory sip. The teacup and saucer clanked together as she set the empty vessel on the table. "Although... why would they want to hide something like that?" "Right? We're supposed to be best friends!" Rainbow nodded. Rarity waved a hoof, "I'm sure we're simply over-thinking this entire ordeal. I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason they were together tonight. After all, I seem to recall a certain pegasus believing that reading was for eggheads?" Rainbow blushed again. "Yeah, well, I didn't try to be all secretive about it! And it is for eggheads." Rarity sighed in frustration. "Rainbow Dash, it's getting late, and I'm out of tea. I'd like to try and get back to sleep before sunrise, if you don't mind." Rainbow fluttered to her usual hover. "Yeah, yeah. See ya, Rare." Dash flew out of the window she'd flown in through, Rarity closing it behind her. Shimmying back beneath her blankets, she entertained the wild idea Rainbow had implanted earlier. "Applejack and Twilight, the farmer and the scholar! Simply ludicrous..." She yawned, though she couldn't help but smile at the adorability of the couple as she drifted off. I don't care what Rarity says!" Rainbow huffed as she flew over town towards her home. "Something's up, and I'm gonna find out—" She cut herself off upon spotting an orange dot walking slowly down a dirt road. Dash zipped downward, hovering just above Applejack's head. "So, have fun not drinking cider with your best friend?" Applejack stopped walking, a slight blush coming over her cheeks. "Oh, naw," she replied, her eyes darting between the road and her hovering companion. "Ah just... had some errands to run." "Really? Then where are your saddlebags?" Dash asked incredulously. "Uh... the stores were closed... guess I should have gone with you, huh?" She smiled, beads of sweat beginning to form beneath her stetson. "I'll bet they were, it's past high moon!" Rainbow replied. "Yeah... welp, silly me for tryin' ta get 'em done so late! G'night, Rainbow!" she said quickly, galloping past her and through the entrance to her farm. Rainbow crossed her forelegs and narrowed her eyes at the plume of dust her friend kicked up as she ran. "I don't know what you're up to AJ, but I'm gonna find out." Part 4Part 4 Applejack had barely dodged Rainbow before making it back to the farmhouse. Once she'd reached her porch, she took a deep breath while removing her omnipresent hat and wiping the sweat from her brow. "Celestia have mercy, Ah can't avoid RD forever..." With one last glance at the moonlight illuminating her orchard, Applejack carefully stepped inside. With great care, she opened the creaky screen door slowly, and the front door as well, closing them both without so much as the tiniest protest from a rusty hinge. She made her way over every creaky floorboard, reaching the bottom of the stairs before the sound of a stallion's throat clearing nearly startled her out of her coat. "Who's there?! Ah've got a knife!" Applejack snapped. Her big brother lit a match and fired the lantern beside him, his forelegs crossed. "You've got a what?" he asked. "Uh... nothin'." Applejack caught her breath. How'd he get back so soon? "What in tarnation are you doin' here?" Mac spoke calmly. "Braeburn and Ah finished the plantin' early. After we had a night on the town, Ah figured it was time for me to head back to the homestead." He shifted in his seat. "Now, you wanna tell me what kept you out s'late when we got work in the mornin'?" "Ah... Ah was out drinkin' with Rainbow!" she lied. If there was one pony in this world Applejack simply couldn't lie to, it was Macintosh. He raised his chin, looking down his muzzle at her. "We were! I found a nice stallion and everythin'!" He lowered his chin to his chest, not saying a word, simply using his bright green eyes to bore into her soul. "A-and we tag teamed him! Me and Rainbow! He loved it!" Mac raised an eyebrow, an unflattering frown etched across his face. Applejack sighed. She couldn't lie to her brother. Not only did she find it morally repugnant, but he knew her far too well to think she'd gone out and bedded a random stallion. Much less at the same time as her best friend. "Alright, fine," She huffed, tossing her hat onto the couch and letting her saddlebags slide down her back onto the floor. "Ah wasn't out drinkin'..." Mac hummed in response, as though he inherently knew she hadn't been with Rainbow at Carrot Top's bonfire. "Went ta Twilight's with some of Apple Bloom's books, did ya?" he asked in a paternal tone. Applejack was dumbstruck. Was he psychic, too? "How... how'd you know where Ah—" A gesture toward the contents spilling out of her unclasped saddlebag gave her the answer. "Heh... well... Ah thought she'd borrowed them, ya see, and Ah was... just, uhm..." Mac stood from the chair and moved to the couch, patting the seat beside him with a hoof. Applejack sat down without hesitation. For a moment, they sat next to each other, the silence enveloping them in the early morning hours. Mac had always been comfortable with silence, but his sister had never quite attained his level of appreciation for quiet moments. "Readin's hard, Applejack." She gasped. How on earth had he figured out her secret? Had he always known? "Bu—well... Ah bet it is for foals..." she whimpered. She felt a large foreleg reach across her shoulder, pulling her closer to the mass of red muscle seated next to her. Though he was toned from farm work, he was also surprisingly soft. "Even harder if ya ain't a foal no more," he completed. Though those words were supposed to comfort her, they had the opposite effect. "You mean ta tell me you knew Ah couldn't read this whole time?" she asked, her voice rising in anger as she leaned away from her brother. "A brother knows when his sister's keepin' a secret," he admitted softly, trying not to wake the other ponies in the house. Applejack had nearly abandoned all volume control at this point, unfortunately. "And you just let me fake it?" she snapped. "For ten years?!" She had thrown his hoof from around her and shot up from the couch, squaring off with him. "What was Ah supposed to do?" he whispered back harshly. "Was Ah supposed ta forget my chores just so Ah could teach you ta read?" Tears shone in Applejack's eyes as she took a step backward. "You were supposed to be a good big brother!" That comment caused Mac to rise from the couch. Though Applejack was the more headstrong of the Apple family, Big Macintosh still towered over her. "S'at right?" he growled. "Would that have been before or after Ah had been taken out of school after Ma and Pa died? Or when Ah let you sleep in my bed every night for a year afterwards? Or how about the time—" "Just shut up, Mac!" She sniffed, walking swiftly toward the stairs to her bedroom. Mac tried to put a hoof out to stop her, but all he caught was the cold night air. In the blink of an eye, Applejack had slammed her door. Mac sighed. He had only waited up for his sister because he was worried about her. Instead of a simple explanation and goodnight nuzzle, his homecoming had devolved into an argument. "Gosh darnit..." he whispered to himself, taking the lantern in his teeth and making his way up the stairs. He found Apple Bloom standing bleary eyed in the hallway, her mane disheveled without her bow to hold it in place. "Macintosh? Ah thought you were helpin' cousin Braeburn?" He set the lantern down beside her and scooped her into a hug. He'd taken the red-eye train, so he had only been home an hour or so. "Ah decided Ah missed you too much, darlin. So Ah came home early." She gripped his neck tightly as he set her on his back. "C'mon now, fillies need their sleep." Macintosh carried her back to her room and tucked her in before blowing out the lantern. After he'd put his youngest sibling to bed, he turned his attention to his other sister. He stepped carefully to her door, listening for any signs of life. A gentle sniffling echoed faintly beyond the door. He knocked gently, hoping she would at least give him the chance to apologize, even though he wasn't the one who'd allowed his temper to start an argument. "Applejack?" he whispered. Not a sound came from the room beyond. He sighed. "Ah'm sorry for snappin' at ya." He waited patiently for a response, but none came. As he was about to give up and head back to his room for the night, the soft click of an unlocking door drew his attention. Ears forward, he pushed the handle and nudged his way inside. Applejack's bed was near the door, so she had no problem locking and unlocking it from there. Inside, a sliver of moonlight streaked through her flannel curtains. She lay with her back towards the door, her mane laying haphazardly across her pillow without its red rubber band to tame it. Mac took a seat on the side of her bed. When in a foul mood, Applejack was as stubborn as they come. Ironically, he knew he'd have to do most of the talking. "Ah'm sorry for gettin' upset with you, Applejack." Mac leaned over the bed ever so slightly. Though he couldn't see her face, he recognized the dark spot staining her pillow. "Ah know you may not think this is true, but Ah'm glad you finally asked Twilight ta help you." A single sniffle was all the response he received, though in Applejack language, that meant she was at least listening. "Believe it or not, Ah hated not bein' able to teach you how to read when Ah first put two and two together," he exhaled deeply, eyes shifting back and forth between the dresser with a seldom used vanity mirror on it and his sister. "Ta see you have to shoulder such a burden, then have to deceive your friends and family just to keep it hidden... it... well, it was just plain awful." On that note, he noticed her shoulders relax as she flicked an ear in his direction. "It was hard, ya know." he began. "It was hard seein' ya love school and learnin' so much, just to have to be taken out of it to work on a patch a dirt with me ta keep us from bein' homeless... Ah hated our situation just as much." She finally rolled all the way over, her eyes dry, but still puffy from earlier. "Ah'm sorry too, Macintosh," she sighed. "It ain't your fault you couldn't teach me how ta read." Mac smiled at his sister. "Ah didn't even realize you couldn't till a few years ago. You were pretty crafty at gettin' by without bein' able to." Though she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, she nodded all the same. "Thanks, but how come you never said nothin'?" she asked. "Would you have admitted it if Ah had?" Applejack opened her mouth to reply, only to find nothing but night air on her tongue. "That's what Ah thought." She sighed. "Ah'm sorry for yellin' at ya earlier. It's just been slow goin' since it was my first night and all..." "Ya think Ah figured out how ta run the farm's finances 'n such in one night?" he asked. "No, but a foal can't do taxes. Foals sure as shoot can read..." "Hush now, you'll be readin' soon enough," he assured her. "If anypony can teach a stubborn hard-head like you anything, it's Twilight." The lighthearted ribbing earned the first smile he'd given her brother since she'd arrived home. "Thanks, Ah guess," "No problem," he said, standing from her bed to retire to his own. "Mac, do ya think you could keep my lessons a secret? Least till Ah can actually get the hang of it?" "Sure. G'night Applejack." "Goodnight Macintosh. Ah love you." "Love you too." "... I mean, what other reason could she possibly have for sneaking over to her house in the middle of the night, and then lying to me about it?" Rainbow asked, pacing around her room as Tank watched his master wear holes in her cloudy floor. She glanced at her pet tortoise. "You're a better listener than a talker." She lifted him from the floor and laid on her bed, resting him on her belly as he withdrew into his shell, only his eyes visible inside the his bony home. "You know, for being the pet of the best flier in Equestria, you sure don't like movement," she said. Dash sighed. Rarity wasn't very receptive to her admittedly soap-opera-ish theory, but Rainbow could see no other reason for Applejack to be hanging out with Twilight of all ponies at such an ungodly hour. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm losing sleep over this!" she moaned, tossing Tank beside her as she rested her forelegs behind her head. "It'd be one thing if they actually liked each other, I'd be stoked for them!" Unable to simply lay with her restless thoughts, she resumed walking laps around her bedroom. "Why would they try to be a sneaky about it? Ugh, we're supposed to be friends!" She continued until she finally decided on a course of action. "Fine, if AJ won't tell me the truth, I know I can get it out of Twilight." With her schedule now full of sleuthing, Rainbow finally put her tired mind to rest, if only for the few hours remaining in Luna's realm. Twilight's ears perked up as a rhythmic knocking at her door stirred her from her favorite dream; the one where she wrote a bestselling book about the time she read every book in existence. Peculiar to some, certainly, but dreams didn't have to make sense. She looked to the window; the hues of the sunrise were still at their peak. The library wouldn't be officially open for another hour or so. She glanced at Spike, who lifted his head from his basket to gaze wearily back at her. "Do you wanna—" Spike asked, before Twilight interrupted. "Yeah..." she yawned, figuring she'd let Spike sleep in a bit for once. Throwing her hind legs over the edge of the bed she made her way to the stairs, levitating a brush through her mane as she went. She silently swore that whoever needed a book at this hour better have a medical emergency. Otherwise, they may end up with one. She opened the door slowly. "... Rainbow?" Unable to form a coherent sentence at this hour, she was only able to ask as to the nature of the intrusion in the simplest terms. "Why?" "What, I can't stop by my friends place for some tea?" Twilight stuck her head outside and squinted, the sun just beginning its climb into the sky. She glanced at the sundial in front of her house. "One, you hate tea. Two, it's six thirty in the morning." "Uh, did I say tea? I meant... scones! I love a good... scone in the morning." The cheesy smile should have raised red flags, but Twilight was still too tired to care. "C'mon in..." she yawned, letting her friend inside. "You look pretty tired Twi, what's the matter?" Rainbow asked, feigning innocence. "Nothing... just early, I guess," she replied, rubbing her eyes with a hoof before setting a kettle on the stove. "Really? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you stayed up all night." Twilight was now awake enough to recognize Dash's tone. She turned slowly, narrowing her eyes. "Just a bit of late night studying." Of what, anatomy? Mare anatomy? Applejack's mare anatomy?! Rainbow thought, but she held her tongue. Twilight turned back to her kitchen and searched through her cupboards. She noticed that she had both a box of blueberry scones and an unopened box of crumpets. Smiling deviously, she devised a plan to expose the real reason Rainbow had stopped by so early. Placing a crumpet on a plate, she warmed it with her magic. She brought the snack out to where Rainbow had sat, placing it on the coffee table in front of her. "Enjoy your... scone," she said, careful not to let her inflection raise suspicions. "Thanks Twi, it looks great—" "Aha! That's not a scone, it's a crumpet!" Twilight snapped victoriously. "What are you really doing here?" Rainbow's face began to run red. "Uh.. I... screw this!" she said to Twilight, bolting up from the couch. "What were you doing here with AJ last night?" "That is none of your business!" Twilight shot back. "Why does it matter to you what Applejack does?" "She bailed on drinking with me and watching stuff burn! That's our thing!" Rainbow countered. Twilight was wide awake by now, and mindful of her promise to keep her friend's secret. "I'm sorry she didn't want to go do... that with you, but I'm sure she had a good reason." Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "You would know, wouldn't you?" "Like I said before," Twilight began through gritted teeth. "It's none of your concern." "What's the matter? Afraid somepony will find out the town librarian and the farmer have been going at it?" Twilight blushed furiously. "That's not what's been happening!" "Then what has?" Rainbow demanded. Twilight paused, the break in the conversation seeming to fill the room. She broke eye contact with Dash. "N-nothing, but certainly not that!" Undeterred, Rainbow fluttered over to Twilight's numerous bookshelves, scanning the spines for a particular book. After a few seconds, she retrieved a book titled: The Elements of Harmony and You: Getting to know your god-like powers. Rainbow flipped through the book and stopped about a third of the way in. "You've read this book before?" she asked. "Three times, cover to cover." Twilight replied proudly, a smug smile across her lips. "Then you know what it says on page eighty-six, paragraph three, line four?" Twilight thought for a moment before she realized what Dash was referring to, and gasped. "That's right! According to this, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony have to be in harmony with each other for them to work." "So?" "Well, secrets don't make for harmony, now spill!" Rainbow demanded once again. A scowl across her face, Twilight brought Rainbow down to her level with her magic. "I'm not going to let you blackmail me into breaking a promise!" she growled. "Especially not using the Elements of Harmony!" Rainbow set the book back on the shelf. "Fine." Rainbow huffed. "If you two want to be best friends and keep secrets, then go ahead." Twilight released her from her grip. "But this isn't over," she said sincerely, nose to nose with Twilight. "Goodbye, Rainbow!" Twilight insisted, opening the door for her. Dash instead flew through an open window. "Ugh!" Twilight slammed the door and stomped back upstairs, all the commotion having already woken Spike. "You just fight somepony down there?" he asked. "I don't want to talk about it," she replied, flopping down on her bed to get what little sleep she could salvage. Part 5Part 5 Twilight groaned, rubbing her eyes. Rainbow's gone full-on detective... she's not the longest book on the shelf, but how long until she finally figures out our secret? Spike sat across from Twilight, staring with mild disinterest. After all, as far as breakdowns are concerned, this one was relatively mild. As much as Spike loved silence, he couldn't help but offer his advice. "Why don't you just ask AJ why its such a big deal? I mean, I get that it's embarrassing and all, but why not just tell Rainbow and ask her to keep quiet about it?" Twilight raised her face from the pillow. "You realize this is Applejack, right? The pony who would rather destroy the town than ask for help?" Spike raised an eye ridge. "Didn't she learn her lesson?" "It's not about lessons, Spike," Twilight sighed. "It's about pride." "So, what?" he asked. "You think Rainbow would just laugh at her or something? That doesn't sound like something she would do." "No, I don't think she'd make fun of her, but the two of them have an... unusual relationship." Spike hopped off the couch and walked toward the kitchen. He knew one thing that would calm her frazzled nerves: a hot cup of tea. "Unusual like how?" "Well... they have a balance. If one gets leverage over the other, the balance is gone." Spike turned from the kettle. "That sounds... I don't get it." Twilight sat up on the couch, slouching against it. "Let me explain. Applejack is faster than Rainbow on the ground, but Rainbow is faster in the air. Applejack can buck apples, but Rainbow can clear clouds. See what I'm saying about balance?" "Oh, I guess that makes sense... but since when does Rainbow like to read?" Spike asked, carrying the tea tray over to her. "To my knowledge, she doesn't." Twilight poured herself and Spike a cup. "The only thing I've ever seen her read is a magazine." She sipped her tea tentatively. "Okay... but I still don't see why AJ learning to read would upset Rainbow." Twilight set her tea and saucer down with a soft clink on the table in front of her. "It wouldn't upset Rainbow. It would upset Applejack. Imagine if the whole town, or even the country found out an Element of Harmony couldn't read. The tabloids and newspapers would have a field day." Twilight rubbed a hoof against her forehead. "She'll be coming over again tonight." Spike nodded, taking a gulp of his tea. Heat was not an effective deterrent against a dragon tongue. "You want me to keep an eye out for any snooping weather managers while you two are upstairs?" Twilight chuckled. Spike chasing Rainbow away with a broom was an entertaining thought. "I think we'll be fine if you just keep an eye on downstairs. I've got a few soundproof spells I can use to seal up my room." "Okay then, but you know Rainbow isn't just going to give up on this." Twilight sighed, cursing her friend's persistence for once. "I know." Mac wiped the sweat from his brow as he shoved the last bushel into place next to the others. His sister had just taken the apple cart up to town, and he was more than ready to break for an early lunch. All the work he did on a daily basis kept him in a constant state of hunger. A high metabolism demands a constant stream of food, and there was no part of his day he looked forward to more than his three meals. Unless you counted his occasional trips to the bar. A prideful smile crossed his lips as he shut the barn doors. He turned toward the farmhouse when a brightly colored mane stopped him in his tracks. "Hey there, Big." Mac blinked. "Howdy, Ms. Rainbow." Dash rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you 'Rainbow' is fine?" "At least once more." He grinned. "Applejack's still in town sellin', but she'll probably be back in a couple 'a hours." Rainbow batted her eyes the way she'd seen Rarity do so many times before. "Don't be silly, I came to see you!" The red stallion became even more so. "M-me?" "Duh! Who else?" Mac's eyes bounced between the mare before him and the ground. "W-well..." Mac's stomach growled loudly, rendering his cheeks and even brighter shade of red. "How about we go get something to eat?" Dash offered, still keeping her cool. "I'll buy." Mac considered her proposal. He hadn't been out to lunch with a mare that wasn't a member of his family for a good, long while. Ah reckon it'd be good for me ta get back out there after my incident with Cheerilee... he thought. "All right then." Rainbow smiled deviously, departing down the trail beside her sturdy company. Rainbow watched in amazement as Mac easily put down as much food as she would have in a normal sitting. The notion of the bill wiped the blank stare from her face. "So, Mac, how was Braeburn?" Mac finished chewing and wiped his mouth. "He was fine. Just needed some help gettin' his trees planted, is all." She nodded, taking a few more bites of her salad. "Bet that wasn't too hard, huh?" Mac's strength was known around town. However, all this small talk was merely a formality as Dash built up to her real reason for asking Mac to lunch. "Nah," he replied. "So, how's AJ been lately?" she asked. "She seemed a bit worn out without you to do the heavy lifting." Mac snorted. He knew his sister would never admit to having a bit of trouble managing his chores. "Ah'd imagine so. She ain't likely ta admit it, though." Ain't that the truth, Rainbow thought. "Yeah, actually she's been acting pretty sneaky lately." An eyebrow raised from Mac's end of the table. "'S'at right?" "Yeah, she bailed on our usual trip to Carrot's farm to go hang with... somepony else." Rainbow caught herself before giving away her 'spy games'. A silent look of comprehension fell over Mac as he chewed. He had his suspicions as to why Rainbow had asked him to lunch at this point, but was still unsure of Applejack's friend and occasional rival's true intentions. "Huh. Well, Ah suppose she'll do as she wants." Rainbow frowned. Mac was either stonewalling her, or he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. Mac may have been a stallion of few words, but she'd wager he knew more about his sister's secrets than he was letting on. "Yeah, I ran into her late last night, coming back from somewhere, but she wouldn't say where." Mac smiled, recalling his late night confrontation with his sister the night before. "Maybe she's found herself a nice pony." Rainbow continued, careful to search Mac's reaction. "Nah, Ah don't think that's it." Mac shut his lips immediately, as though he could catch the words if he'd done it fast enough. "So, what do you think it is?" Rainbow asked like a detective interviewing a suspect. Mac's darting eyes let her know she was on the right track. "Ah dunno," he said quickly, setting his napkin down over his empty plate and standing from his chair. "You'd have to ask her." He removed a small bag of bits from beneath his yoke and set them on the table. "Ah wouldn't feel right makin' ya pay for everythin' Ah ate." Even though you only invited me out here ta try and get information outta me, he thought. "Have a pleasant afternoon, Ms. Rainbow." He nodded in her direction and hurriedly headed back toward Sweet Apple Acres. Once Mac was out of earshot, Dash pounded a hoof on the table and growled in frustration. "Ugh! I know he knows something!" She dragged her hooves down her face and moaned. "I don't believe this! Does everypony know about what she's been up to but me?" The waiter brought her bill and Rainbow nearly choked on what was left of her water. "That's the last time I offer to pay for a stallion's lunch!" As the moon began rising over the mountains, Twilight prepared for her student's arrival. Though only in her second day of tutoring, she could tell Applejack was enthusiastic about finally learning to read. She'd briefly stopped by her apple stand for a snack, and was treated to a free apple of her choice! Ordinarily, she'd never accept something as payment for spreading the joys of literacy, but she simply couldn't resist. Spike had already retrieved the books they would need for their session, while agreeing to read his comic books downstairs and keep an ear out for a certain pegasus. Twilight was reviewing the material for the night's lesson when she heard a knock at the door. She rose from her cushion to answer it, though Spike waved a claw and hopped off the couch. Applejack strode in, her saddlebags filled with some of the homework Twilight had assigned her. Spike looked around outside before closing and locking the door. Twilight levitated the selected book into her bedroom while Applejack opened her saddlebags. "So, how much of the homework were you able to get done?" "Most of it. I was sellin' later than usual today, so it took me awhile to get the cart into the barn and such." Applejack passed a few pieces of paper over to Twilight, who gave them a cursory glance. "This looks pretty good!" Twilight chimed. "We'll get a better look at it when we get upstairs." Applejack nodded. "Ah don't suppose you've talked to Rainbow today?" she asked. "Only this morning," Twilight groaned, recalling her confrontation with Dash. "She seems hellbent on figuring out why you are coming over here all of the sudden." A look of worry flashed in Applejack's eyes. "You didn't say nothin', did ya?" "Nope." Twilight smiled. "Your secret is safe with me." "Thanks." She sighed in relief. "It's not that Ah don't trust ya, Twi, it's just... RD can be a trickster when she wants ta be." Twilight nodded, before running a hoof through her mane in exasperation. If Rainbow kept up the pressure, it was going to be hard to explain why they kept meeting late a night in private without the truth coming out eventually. "Just today she took Mac out to lunch to try and get somethin' out of him." Twilight chuckled. "Sounds like her alright." She started towards the stairs and motioned for her student to follow. "I'm going to use a soundproof spell on my room just in case, and Spike will be down here watching the windows in case she decides to try to spy on us." "Thanks Twi, you really know how to make a mare feel at ease." They two of them trotted upstairs and shut the door while Spike sprawled out on the couch with a bowl of gems and the latest issue of his favorite dragon superhero comic Scales of Justice. Rarity trotted happily along the road from Sweet Apple Acres toward town, a bow and quiver of arrows strapped to her back as she hummed a soft tune to herself. She'd always enjoyed practicing archery with Big Macintosh, who was surprisingly adept at it, despite the awkwardness of hooves. Every week she'd head over for a friendly competition—one she usually won. Not that she cared about the outcome. The fun part was improving her talents, and perhaps the company, though she would be hesitant to admit. As she came upon Twilight's library, she glanced toward the upper windows. Candles still burned brightly within. In fact, the entire library was still lit up well past its closing time. Her thoughts drifted back toward her conversation with Rainbow the night before. "Oh Rarity, that is utter nonsense," she chided herself, giggling at the mere thought of Twilight and Applejack being romantically involved. Besides, Macintosh had told her Applejack had gone to Twilight's to have her check over Apple Bloom's extra homework! Being the patriarch of the most notoriously honest family in Ponyville, she had no reason to doubt him. She continued along the path when a bush beside the road rustled violently. She stifled a scream as she leapt back. Whatever was in that bush was much too big to be a harmless rabbit or wild deer. Thinking quickly, she drew her bow and strung an arrow, using her magic to draw it back. "Who's there? What do you want?" she snapped. "Because all you're going to get are holes!" Rarity paused to consider her phrasing. "Uhm... holes in you, not my holes—" Before she could finish, Rainbow Dash—clad in her black sneaking suit and camouflage face paint—emerged from the bush. "Relax, it's just me!" Rarity huffed and rolled her eyes, stowing her weapon. "Rainbow Dash!" she chastised. "What on earth are you doing out here dressed like some kind of... ninja?" "I'm trying to listen to what Twilight and Applejack are doing in there with this thing I borrowed from Pinkie." She held up a small radar dish and earphones. "Twilight must be blocking it somehow, because I can't hear a thing except Spike crunching on his darn gems!" Rarity rolled her eyes. This was getting far too ridiculous for her taste. "Rainbow, don't you think you're getting a tad obsessive at this point?" "Obsessive?" she repeated in outrage. "How can you not care that they've been hiding this from us? They're supposed to be our friends!" "Rainbow Dash, listen to yourself!" Rarity pled. "You're sounding like a crazy pony." "Oh yeah?" she countered. "If I'm so crazy, then why am I out here hiding in a bush and going to the bathroom in a hole while I wait for Twilight or Applejack to say something incriminating?" Rarity raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. Rainbow frowned. "Well if you're all such close buddies, why haven't they told you anything?" Rarity opened her mouth to reply to such a notion, but could muster no response. Surely Rainbow Dash isn't... right about this? she wondered. "That's what I thought!" Rarity dragged a hoof down her face, unable to believe what she was about to do. She released a heavy sigh. "Move over." "Okay, your homework looked great!" Twilight praised, giving her back the paper with only a few red marks on it. "All you need to do is find the few errors you missed in the sentences I marked and we can start tonight's lesson." Applejack took a hard look at the two sentences Twilight had circled for her. "Oh! Ah forgot the apostrophe! That makes its into it is, right?" "That's right!" Twilight beamed. Applejack couldn't help but return her smile as she corrected the last two words. "Great job, Applejack!" Twilight bit her lip, debating something internally before her pupil noticed her expression. "Somethin' the matter, Twi?" "No, but I think we're ready to give our first book a try." "F-First book?" Applejack's eyes widened as she fidgeted with her hat. "But we've only been at this for two nights countin' now!" Twilight's gentle smile didn't do much to reassure her. "Don't worry, I wouldn't throw you in the ocean after one swimming lesson!" Twilight levitated a large, colorful book from her bed. "Do you remember this?" It was the book Twilight had found Applejack trying to hide from her in the hay loft. Not the exact same, but a copy. Applejack laughed nervously. "Ah do seem ta recall this one..." "I thought so." Twilight opened the cover to the first page of the story about a very hungry caterpillar. "Just try your best, and if you get stuck, I'll be right here to help you." Twilight moved her cushion next to Applejack's and set the book in front of them as she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Okay." Applejack skipped the title page and publisher info and stared at the first sentence. "In the lig—light?" she looked to Twilight who nodded, keeping the warm smile that encouraged her to continue. "In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf." Twilight couldn't help but throw her forelegs around her student after she'd completed her first sentence. "You did it perfectly!" Applejack returned the hug. "Okay, keep going! You're doing so well, Applejack!" A soft giggle escaped her lips as she looked back down toward the pages in front of her. "On Sun-Sun..." she paused, looking to Twilight with what she could swear was fear of disappointing her friend-turned-teacher in her eyes. "Sound it out, you're almost there!" she encouraged. "Sun—day. Sunday?" "Yes!" Twilight cheered. "On Sunday mor... morning, the warm sun came up and out of the egg popped a very hungry cat... cater..." Twilight covered the latter half of the word with a hoof and allowed Applejack to tackle the long word in parts. "Cat-er-pill-ar... caterpillar?" Twilight reserved her reaction, though Applejack could not contain her pride. "Did you see how long that word was? That was the longest I've ever read!" "I know!" Twilight glowed, nearly addicted to watching one of her best friends learn so much in such a short time. "You're so good at this Applejack! Don't stop now, keep going!" "You're a unicorn, can't you use your magic to bust whatever spell Twilight is using on her room?" Rainbow asked, still trying to tune her spying device to intercept Twilight and Applejack's conversation. "In case you forgot, our dear friend Twilight is the Element of Magic, meaning her magic is quite powerful," Rarity replied. "But... I suppose I could muster the strength to penetrate her spell for a second or two without her noticing..." By now, Rarity was ashamed to admit that she was just as intrigued as Rainbow about what their two friends were up to and why it had to be such a secret. Rainbow widened the headset to allow both her head and Rarity's to fit between the headphones. Rarity scrunched her nose and concentrated her magic on getting through the spell over the window to Twilight's bedroom. The static of the spell in the headphones was soon replaced by Twilight's unmistakable voice coming through the speakers. "Okay, keep going! You're doing so well!" Rarity blushed and halted her interference. "Why'd you stop? That's barely any evidence at all!" Rarity glared at Rainbow before wiping the sweat from her brow and continuing to concentrate. "You're so good at this Applejack! Don't stop now, keep going!" At that point, Rarity removed her ear from the headphones, her face flushed with a mix of interest and embarrassment. "I knew it! I knew they were doing something!" Rainbow said triumphantly. "Who would have thought it was each other?" Rarity asked quietly. "No, no! This proves nothing!" she corrected quickly, coming to her senses. Rainbow stared at her flatly. "Really? How much more proof do you need?" Rarity rubbed her temples. "No, this makes no sense! They'd never hide something like this from us! They know we'd accept them no matter who it was they chose to love!" "Look, I'm not doubting we'd accept them, all I want to know is why they're hiding this from us!" Rainbow explained. "So, will you help me find out?" Rarity sighed. The friend in her wanted to just let Applejack and Twilight be, knowing they'd let them know what they were up to when they felt ready. But the gossip in her just had to know why they'd keep this a secret. "... Okay." Part 6Part 6 "Twilight, you've been so nice ta help me like this," Applejack said before taking a bite of a scone Spike had prepared beforehand. "It's no problem at all," Twilight insisted. "You don't have to keep thanking me, Applejack. I'm happy to do it!" Twilight took a refreshing sip of tea before setting her cup down on the table with a clink against the saucer. "Besides, you're picking this up so fast, I'll bet you'll be reading at an adult level in a few weeks!" Applejack smiled, swallowing her mouthful of pastry. "Ya think so?" Twilight nodded confidently. "I don't just think so, I know so. I tutored fillies and colts before I moved here, and I've never seen any of them pick it up this fast." Applejack blushed, adjusting her hat. "Well, shucks, thank ya, Twi. Maybe next time you can come over to th' barn instead of me sneakin' around over here?" "I think that would be a fantastic idea!" Twilight smiled. "We could call it a sleepover to avoid arousing any suspicion!" "Then it's settled," Applejack chuckled. The two ponies trotted down the stairs, and Twilight opened the door for her guest. Rarity and Rainbow Dash ducked down into the bushes, while peering through the leaves. Applejack stopped outside and turned around. "You just c'mon by the farm next week, and we'll have the whole night to ourselves." Twilight smiled. "I look forward to a repeat performance." Applejack shuffled her hooves, sticking her chest out proudly. "You'll get better than that! Ah'm gonna practice till Ah get tired, then Ah'll practice some more!" Twilight hugged her, Applejack nuzzling her in return. "That's my girl! See ya next week!" Applejack waved goodbye and trotted back toward her farm as Twilight went back inside her house. As soon as they were sure the coast was clear, Rainbow and Rarity stuck their heads out of the bushes, spitting out a few leaves as the did. "See? They're meeting every week!" Dash snapped. "What more proof do you need?" "Rainbow, we've heard nothing definitive!" Rarity whispered harshly. "All of this could be taken out of context to mean anything!" "What are you two doing in our bushes?" A deadpan voice startled them, and Rainbow jumped into Rarity's embrace. It was a few hours past Spike’s bedtime, and even the sight of his unrequited crush did nothing to shake his sullen mood. "Spike! It is quite rude to sneak up on somepony!" Rarity admonished as Dash settled on her hooves. "Yeah, Spike, don't you have any manners?" Rainbow added. "Oh sure, I should take a lesson in manners from the two ponies with spy equipment outside my house," the young dragon replied sarcastically. "That's not spy equipment!" Dash said defensively. "Then what were you doing with it?" he asked, raising an eye ridge. "We were... uhm... bird... listening! Yes, you know, like bird watching, except... with your ears." Rainbow smiled, stumbling through an explanation that seemed reasonable. "Really?" Rarity stepped forward. "Of course, Spike, my dear! Would I ever lie to you?" Spike's inquisitor's stare softened a bit once Rarity had spoken her piece, but he still had a few reservations. "It's nearly midnight. What birds could you possibly be listening for?" "Oh!" Rarity said quickly, "We were... uhm... you see—" "Owls!" Rainbow interjected. "We were listening to owls!" Spike leveled his eyes. "Owls?" "Yes! We were just so jealous when Twilight got that owl to be her pet!" Rarity smiled innocently at the skeptical dragon. "...Okay." Spike pushed his way through the bushes and disappeared inside the library. "You don't think Spike knows anything about that, do you?" Rarity asked, once she was sure he was out of earshot. Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "I'll bet he does." She turned to Rarity. "And I know just how to get it out of him." Spike climbed the stairs to their bedroom. Twilight yawned from her bed, emptying the last bit of tea from the kettle into her cup. "So, how was the patrol, Sergeant Spike?" she asked, replacing the books she had been using with Applejack. "Rainbow Dash roped Rarity into her shenanigans. They were hiding outside in our bushes," he said flatly. "I don't know why they care so much, but they had all kinds of crazy spy stuff they borrowed from Pinkie." Twilight sighed, dragging a hoof across her face. "Why do they care?" she groaned. Spike shrugged, climbing into his basket. "Who knows. I guess Rainbow just doesn't like secrets unless they're hers." Twilight shimmied underneath her blankets and extinguished all the candles in the room except the one by her nightstand. "You know, I don't mean to bust up the sneaky-ness you guys have going, but... couldn't this whole dilemma be solved if you just convinced Applejack that Rainbow wouldn't care that she couldn't read, especially when she sees how much of a sore subject it is for her?" Silence filled the room before a light snore emanated from Twilight's side of the room. Spike sighed and rolled over in his basket, pulling his blanket over his shoulders. Ugh, how many times are we supposed to go through this kind of stuff? The next morning, Spike decided it was best if he stayed as far away from the entire mess he'd uncovered as possible. He figured he could still make sure Twilight didn't do anything she'd regret, but otherwise, he would play the part of observer. Or so he believed. A knock at the library door woke Spike much earlier than he would have liked. He raised himself from his basket and looked to Twilight, still sprawled out on her bed, a thin line of saliva trailing from the corner of her mouth onto her pillowcase. Spike's attention was turned back to the door as another series of knocks echoed through the morning stillness of the library. Spike lazily clomped down the stairs, glancing at the clock. The library was actually due to open in fifteen minutes. With an indignant snort, he opened the door, expecting his scowl alone to drive away the early bird. "Hello, Spike, why so glum?" His expression instantly lightened. His one desire stood before him, looking as camera-ready as ever. "Rarity? What are you doing here so early?" She smiled, turning to the side to show him the fabrics stuffed into her saddlebag. "Oh, just here to borrow a book on Canterlonian fashion. I'll need the latest book on the subject Twilight's got." Spike nodded, stepping aside and letting her in. "Oh, no problem, I can get those for you." Against his better judgement, he thought about the encounter the night before. "Sorry about last night. I didn't meant to sound so rude, but it was way past my bedtime." Rarity waved a hoof as she took a seat on Twilight's couch. "No offense taken, Spike," she said happily. "Sweetie Belle gets the same way after nine o'clock." Spike chuckled. "So, if you don't mind my asking... what were you and Rainbow doing out there?" "Oh! Just another one of Rainbow Dash's crazy prank ideas. She attempted to rope me into it, but I told her a proper lady does not 'prank' ponies for fun." Rarity smiled, a bit of a blush coming over her cheeks. Spike bought it. "Can you tell me if Twilight is about yet?" "Uhm, actually, she's still—" "I'm up, Spike. Could you get us some tea?" Twilight called from the top of the stairs, her mane and tail still a bit disheveled from the night before. He nodded, departing to the kitchen. "So, what brings you by so early?" Rarity recoiled slightly at Twilight's accusatory tone. "Well, I came by to borrow your latest issue of Unicorn Quarterly." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Spike tells me you were in my bushes with Rainbow Dash last night." Rarity took a few indignant breaths before calming herself. "I can assure you, I had no part in whatever hare-brained prank Rainbow Dash was cooking up. In fact, Spike came upon us as I was explaining to her how uncouth playing pranks on unsuspecting ponies truly was." Spike brought them the tray of tea and set it on the coffee table, taking a seat beside Rarity. "Spike, could you be a dear and show me the gems you've collected for me? I've got a few designs I think would be just perfect with a few emeralds." He set he teacup down and sprang off the couch. "Sure thing, Rarity!" Once Spike had disappeared upstairs, she turned her attention back to Twilight. "Poor dear, I just couldn't bear to admit this in front of him." Twilight sat back against her chair. "Admit what?" She smiled, taking a sip of tea before continuing. "I met a charming stallion a few days ago, and he came by last night to ask me to an evening on the town!" "I can see why you wouldn't want Spike in the room." Twilight sat forward. "So, who is it?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Who is who?" "The stallion that asked you out!" "Oh!" She laughed nervously. "Right, uhm, his name... was..." Quickly Rarity, think of an adjective and a noun! Rarity's eyes darted around the room. "Round... Table." "Round Table, huh?" Twilight asked skeptically. "Yes, he's from... out of town. Anyway, is there anything noteworthy happening in your love life, Twilight?" Rarity asked leadingly. Twilight cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "No..." "Really? No, say... clandestine trysts or secret rendezvous?" Twilight's expression flattened. "What the... of course not! I would never keep something like that a secret." "Oh, Twilight, I know you wouldn't it's just... well, Rainbow Dash seems to think that you... and... Applejack—" Twilight grunted indignantly. "I should have known! I almost expect this kind of thing from her, but et tu, Rarity?" "Et... what?" Twilight slapped the book Rarity needed loudly on the coffee table in front of them. "Doesn't anypony appreciate Latin anymore? Anyway, there's your book. What Applejack and I do is between the two of us and Celestia." Rarity raised an eyebrow as she placed the book in her saddlebag. "So Celestia is privy to this information too?" "It's a figure of speech, and you know it! And I can assure you it is nothing like Rainbow Dash is suggesting. Applejack and I are friends, just like you and I are supposed to be!" Rarity sighed, flattening her ears. "You're right, Twilight, I've been a terrible friend," she sighed. "I apologize." She got up off the couch and strode toward the door. "Oh, and if you could have Spike run those gems by the boutique, I'd appreciate it." Twilight's expression softened. "Yeah, I'll send him by." "Thank you." With that, Rarity left the library, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. Spike was still gathering emeralds from his various stashes, giving her time to check her day planner. Levitating it from the desk drawer, she opened it to the day's date. "Let's see here..." 8:00am-11:59am Miscellaneous study/ponder lunch options. 12:00pm-1:00pm Consume lunch option. "Well, I guess I could get a head start on Applejack's next lesson." Twilight produced an unused planner and a few foal's reading workbooks and began planning their next meeting. Not long after, Spike came hustling down the stairs with a basket full of emeralds, his eager attitude dampening as he realized Rarity had left. "Where'd she go?" "Oh, she had to run, but wanted you to drop by the boutique with the emeralds," Twilight replied, not looking away from her books. As Spike made his way towards the door, she called to him. "Spike, before you go," she said, pulling herself away from her books. "I want you to promise on your 'dragon code' that you won't breathe a word of what Applejack and I have been doing to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, or anypony else, okay?" Spike's shoulders drooped. He should have kept his dragon code—something he had come up with himself—a secret. "Okay, I promise on my scales and fire I'll keep it a secret." Twilight smiled contently. "Thank you, Spike." "Well? Find anything?" Rarity rolled her eyes after closing the door to her boutique. "No, and I'd thank you to reconsider all of this nonsense." Rainbow folded her forelegs and huffed. "Twilight gave you one of her speeches, didn't she?" "Regardless of what Twilight said, I think this whole thing is silly," she replied. "Don't you have anything better to do than spy on Twilight?" "AJ and I spent all of our free time with each other! Now she'd rather hang with Twilight all of the sudden?" Rainbow hopped off Rarity's couch and strode towards her. "Aren't you even kinda curious?" She blew a stray strand of purple mane out of her face. Unfortunately, she couldn't deny her inner gossip. "Even if I was, I'd want them to tell us when they're ready, not force it out of them like some kind of inquisitor." A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "That'd be our guest of honor," Rainbow whispered before fluttering into the closet. "Work your magic, Rare!" Rarity dragged a hoof across her face, releasing a soft groan before putting on a smile and heading to the door. "Spike! So good of you to bring me those emeralds!" She stepped aside as he walked in, his basket of gems in his arms. "No problem, Rarity. Twilight had told me you had to leave early, so I figured I had time to run these over," he said happily, setting the basket down on the front desk. "Anything else you need?" he asked. "Oh no, nothing but for you to help me eat these cupcakes Pinkie brought over yesterday!" she chimed as a tray of pastries floated over from the kitchen with a pot of tea. "Sure!" he replied, licking his lips at the thought of Pinkie's famous gem-studded cupcakes. As the young dragon helped himself, Rarity poured them both a cup of piping hot tea. Spike immediately slurped his down without so much as a second to cool. Dragon's mouths were notably resistant to heat. "So, Spike, if you don't mind my asking, what was Applejack doing at Twilight's so late?" Spike paused from his eating rampage and glanced up at his hostess. "Uh, well..." How had he not thought up an excuse? Why didn't Twilight give him one?! "They, uhm... they just go into Twilight's room mostly." A faint scribbling drew Spike’s attention toward Rarity's closet before she brought him back to her. "It's just that, well... friends don't keep secrets from other friends, and if Twilight and Applejack were... involved with each other, we'd just like to know. They are our friends, after all." Spike's scales went a furious red. He'd never even considered such an assumption. "Oh, N-no way! I-it's nothing like that, I swear!" he stammered. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "But you understand our concern? I mean, why else would they be meeting in secret in the middle of the night?" Spike worked his jaw. "Uh... I... I can't say. But I know it's not that!" Another sound of faint scratching drew Spike's attention. "Is there something in the closet?" he asked, getting up from the couch and heading toward it. Thinking quickly, Rarity jumped in front of the closet. "Don't open that! Sweetie Belle trapped a raccoon in there, and Fluttershy is on her way to take it back to the forest!" Thankfully, Spike seemed to have bought it. Be it his young age or just sheer gullibility, Rarity breathed a sigh of relief nonetheless. "Well, Spike, I certainly appreciate the visit, but I have much work to do," she said, tossing the cupcakes into Spike's basket and practically pushing him out of the door. "B-but wait, don't you need any help with anything?" he asked, his claws scratching into her tile floor as he tried to stop himself. "Oh no, I'll be quite alright. Thank you, Spike!" The young dragon was quickly out the door. Rarity promptly shut it and slumped against it, crumpling to the ground on her haunches. Rainbow emerged from the closet with a notepad and quill. "Well, I hope all that scratching was worth it!" Rarity snapped indignantly. "Actually, I can't read any of this," she said looking at the random assortment of squiggles on the pages. "I forgot how bad I was at mouth-writing." Rainbow chucked the notepad over her shoulder and turned to Rarity. "Besides, I remember what he said. He knows, Rarity. He just doesn't want to say." "I don't care what he knows," she insisted, folding her forelegs across her chest. "I'm not deceiving Spike like that again." "Okay, look, just help me stakeout Twi's place one more time next week, and if we don't figure out anything new, I'll stop this whole thing for good. Deal?" Rainbow asked, helping her up off the floor. "You promise? Pinkie Pie Promise?" she asked. "Fine..." Rainbow groaned. "Okay then. You get one more chance," Rarity replied, straightening her mane. "Cool, I'll go borrow Pinkie's spy stuff." Rarity sighed, running a hoof through her mane. "You should have just left Rainbow in the bushes by herself!" Part 7Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Part 8Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Part 1Part 1 The scratching of quill against parchment echoed around the downstairs walls of Twilight's library. A lone candle burned by her desktop, the wax having nearly melted away. The shimmering light of the shrinking flame illuminated the frazzled mane and sagging eyelids of a mare on a mission to finish taking notes on the last chapter of Miracles of Modern Magic before she went to bed. Twilight felt another yawn coming on, bringing her quill to a halt and raising a hoof to stifle it. A soft snoring from across the room let her know Spike had already fallen asleep on the couch. Twilight glanced behind her where her number one assistant lay sprawled out, his comic book resting over his eyes. A heavy sigh signaled it was nearing her bedtime as well. Although it wasn't that late, she found herself fighting to stay awake. She had just received this book from the Canterlot Archives, and simply couldn't sleep soundly knowing there was unlearned information calling to her from downstairs. She was a few pages away from finishing the book, but she knew continuing would only lead to her waking up with another page stuck to the side of her face and a puddle of drool warping the pages. On top of that, this happened to be a first edition hardcover, with a foreword by the author herself. There was no way she was about to ruin a book this rare because she was too stubborn to know when she needed sleep. Forcing her eyes to remain open for a few more minutes, she placed a mark in the book and set her notes inside the desk. She levitated a blanket over her sleeping dragon, and took one last look at the book taunting her from the desk. Tomorrow, Twilight. Tomorrow. She began to make her way upstairs, taking the dim candle in her magic. As she approached the steps, a gentle knocking stopped her ascent. Glaring at the door, she set the candle on an end table. Who needs a book at this time of night? she thought, kicking herself for not having changed the sign to 'Closed'. Twilight opened the door to reveal Applejack waiting outside. Noticing her frazzled appearance, Applejack withdrew slightly. "Howdy, Twilight. Uh, this a bad time?" Twilight smiled weakly. "No, it's okay," she said with a yawn. "I don't suppose you need a book?" "Naw," Applejack chuckled. "Ah just had a question." "C'mon in." Applejack trotted inside, careful not to make too much noise. "So, what's up?" Twilight asked. "Well, Mac's been in Appleloosa helpin' Braeburn and his family replant some 'a the trees they lost in a tornado. He ain't gonna be back for a few more weeks, and..." Applejack's eyes shifted from Twilight's to the floor, piquing her curiosity. "And?" Twilight completed quietly, growing somewhat impatient with her usually straightforward pal. "And... Apple Bloom's been havin' some trouble with her homework. Ta be honest, some of it's, well, out of my realm of recollection, and Granny's not very reliable for book learnin'," she admitted sheepishly. At least the lesson about asking for help seems to have stuck. Twilight thought. "I'd be happy to help Apple Bloom with her homework!" Twilight said, clapping her hooves together. "Just bring her by the library tomorrow after school, and we'll get started." "You sure it ain't too much trouble?" A grin spread across Applejack’s face. "Don't you want to know what subject it is?" "No trouble at all, I think it'll be fun!" Twilight returned her friend's smile. "Well, alright then," Applejack laughed, heading towards the door. "Thanks again, Twi." "No problem, see you tomorrow!" she said before shutting the door behind Applejack. Twilight exhaled, ready to call it a day and snuggle up in her bed for a solid night's rest. She locked the library door and ascended the stairs with what was left of her candle, careful to avoid the creaky steps. Setting the candle on her nightstand, she shimmied beneath her bedspread, having little time to ponder the exciting day ahead before the sandpony's embrace whisked her away to dreamland. Spike had never shown much interest in academics, and since he wasn't required to go to school he never had any homework for Twilight to help him with. Truthfully, Twilight had always wanted a younger sister to teach things to, or help when she had problems. She hoped Applejack wouldn't mind her indulging her latent desire to instruct on her sister. Then again, she wouldn't have asked if she didn't want her help. Twilight bottled her excitement as she fell into a deep sleep. Applejack and Granny Smith had breakfast ready by the time Apple Bloom came down the stairs. Her schoolbooks were still spread out on the kitchen table, the filly having pulled a very late night last night. "Applejack, does this look right ta you?" she asked, taking her bowl of oatmeal to the table next to Granny Smith. Applejack turned from the stove, trotting over to her sister's side. Apple Bloom studied her sister's features as she scanned over her homework. "Uh ... It looks good ta me, sugarcube," Applejack said honestly. "Are ya sure?" she whined, "Ah don't want ta get a bad grade on it!" "Don't you fret, silly filly. Twilight said she's gonna start helpin' ya after school, startin' today," she said over her shoulder, trotting back toward the stove to stir the remaining bit of oatmeal in the pot. After finishing her breakfast, Apple Bloom began putting her books into her saddlebags. She set them on her shoulders and headed out the door. “Have a good day at school!” Applejack called after her. Granny Smith retired to her rocker, tuning the radio to her stories while Applejack cleaned up the kitchen. “Got a lot of chores today, do ya?” “Naw, just my regular,” Applejack replied. “Mac was sure ta take care of his chores for the next week before he left for cousin Braeburn’s.” “Go on then, Ah’ll finish cleanin’ th’ kitchen,” Granny insisted, straining to rise from her rocker before getting her hooves under her. “Granny, you ain’t got to do that,” Applejack said. Granny raised a silencing hoof. “G’on and get yer chores done now." Her grandmother smiled, hobbling over to the kitchen sink. "Let th’ old gray mares tend to th’ housework, ya hear?” “Yes ma’am.” Applejack nodded, straightening her hat and heading out of the front screen door. “About time, AJ!” A prismatic tail hung off a small cloud above her house. “Ain’t you got a job, Rainbow?” Her friend rolled onto her belly, hanging her head and forehooves over the edge of her fluffy pillow. “Yeah, but today’s supposed to be sunny, so I didn’t really have much to do,” she explained, tilting her head to one side. “So how’s the farm been since Big left?” “Just fine," she said, flipping her mane out of her eyes. "Ah can handle it on my own for a few weeks,” “Right, just make sure you get enough sleep,” Rainbow teased. “Wouldn’t want you accidently wrecking half the town again.” Applejack’s brow furrowed as she walked to the barn to start her chores. Rainbow casually floated along behind her, pushing her cloud with a lazy flap of her wings. “Ah don’t know how many times ya want me ta apologize for flingin’ ya into Twilight’s house,” she grumbled. “Well, since my concussion took a few weeks to heal, I’d say I’ve still got at least another week of teasing ahead of me.” She smiled, hopping off her cloud and landing in front of Applejack. “C’mon, once you’re done kicking dirt around, I know a place where we can get some killer cucumber-and-daffodil sandwiches.” Applejack smiled, tipping her hat back. “Alright, but I’ll get done faster with a little help." Rainbow already knew where this was headed. She sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll help you kick trees or whatever...” With Rainbow's help, her morning chores were finished just as lunch time rolled around. Applejack shoved the last bushel of apples into the barn, wiping the sweat from her brow. “You about ready for lunch?” “I was ready when I got here!” Rainbow replied, her stomach echoing her complaints. “Alright, just let me lock up the barn and we’ll get to walkin’.” “Walking?" Rainbow complained, "No self-respecting pegasus just walks someplace! I’ll die of starvation by the time we walk there!” “Well Ah don’t know how else you ‘spect me to get there.” A sly grin crept across Dash’s face as Applejack realized what she was planning. “Don’t you even think about it! Ah swear if you try ta—” There was no stopping Rainbow once a motivation like hunger struck. She scooped Applejack up underneath her forelegs and hoisted her skyward, despite a flurry of obscenities from her cargo. Once high enough, Rainbow tossed Applejack into the air, flying underneath her in time to catch her on her back. “What did Ah tell you about that?!” “Relax, Applejack, you know I’ve never dropped you ... except that one time, and even then, I caught you before you hit the ground.” Appplejack gripped Dash’s neck tightly. Only Rainbow Dash knew how much her friend—and occasional rival—hated flying. Lucky for both of them, Ponyville proper was only a few minutes away. After landing in the center of town, Rainbow sat on her haunches. Applejack slid off her back, careful not to bump her wings. Applejack glowered at Rainbow while she re-tied her mane and tail with her signature red rubber band. “Oh come on, don’t give me that look. We’re here aren’t we?” Nothing but silence and a glare. “Alright, fine. I’ll buy you lunch. Happy?” “Very.” Applejack smiled. The two entered the courtyard and sat down, their handsome young waiter quickly greeting them to give them menus. “What are you gonna get?” Rainbow asked, scanning over the lunch specials. “Ah dunno, what looks good to you?” “Well, Pinkie says the sandwiches are pretty good here, but I might try the hayseed salad.” Applejack’s eyes darted from side to side as she tried to decide on an item. Their waiter returned with two glasses of water, ready to take their orders. “Let me get the hayseed salad, with the vinaigrette dressing,” Rainbow said. “Very good, Madame. Croutons?” “As many as I can legally have,” Dash replied, giving him her menu. “And for you, my beautiful hay flower?” “Stop.” She blushed, looking at her menu. “Uh..." Applejack nervously glanced at the waiter, and then back to Rainbow. “Y’all have cucumber sandwiches, right?” “Yes, Madame.” “Ah’ll have one of those with daffodils added, please.” “Excellent choice. Which side item would you like?” “What kind d’ya have?” “Our side items are listed at the bottom of the menu,” he replied, tapping the menu Rainbow had given him. “Right! How could Ah have missed ‘em,” she laughed, a bead of sweat forming along her brow and sliding down her jaw line. “You alright, AJ?” Rainbow asked, noticing how nervous her friend appeared. “Ah’m fine, just let me pick my side...” she replied, looking up from her menu. “What would you recommend?” “The creamed spinach is quite good today,” the waiter answered. “Then I’ll have that, thanks,” Applejack sighed in relief. “You sure you’re okay?” Rainbow asked again. “Ah said Ah’m fine, just leave it alone,” she snapped, a flash of annoyance clear in her eyes. “Okay, sheesh,” Dash mumbled. Applejack took a long sip of her water. “Ah’m sorry, Rainbow. Ah guess workin’ the farm alone is takin’ more of a toll on me than Ah thought.” Rainbow smiled at her from across the table. “It’s cool, we all get overworked sometimes.” “Yeah, Ah guess ya never realize how much work somepony does until they stop doin’ it.” “So, now that you’re done with your chores, what else you got planned?” Rainbow asked, taking a sip of her cool drink. Applejack removed her hat and placed it on the back of her chair. “Pick Apple Bloom up from school, then take her over ta Twilight’s for some tutorin’.” “Cool. I think I’m gonna grab Scootaloo and take her for some ice cream or something. I’ve been kinda blowing her off to practice... I know how much she likes to watch me.” “Aw, that’s mighty sweet of ya, Rainbow,” Applejack teased. “Yeah, well, she deserves it, and now she can’t say I’ve never done anything for her,” Rainbow replied, folding her forelegs across her chest. After they had eaten their fill, it was nearly time to pick their respective fillies up from school, meeting Rarity along the way. “Applejack! Ah got a 'B' plus on my language homework!” Apple Bloom bounded out of the schoolhouse with her paper securely in her mouth, followed closely by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Applejack hugged her sister. “That’s great, Apple Bloom! Ah’m real proud of ya!” “And how about you Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked expectantly, knowing her sister was a natural at both the written and spoken word. “I got an 'A' plus!" she said happily. "I ruined the curve for everypony!” “That’s my girl!” Rarity beamed as Rainbow Dash looked to Scootaloo. Her expression seemed to betray her grade. “How’d you make out, squirt?” The flightless filly averted her gaze to her hooves, pawing the ground nervously before staring back into her idol’s eyes. “I...” she began, only to glance away again, “got an A!” she squealed in delight, putting on quite the act before being flung onto Dash’s back. “Great job, kid! I think that deserves some ice cream, how about you?” Scootaloo hugged her neck tightly as Dash rose into the air before abruptly pausing. “You two coming with or what?” she asked, hovering above her friends and their sisters. “Well, I think Sweetie’s earned a reward for her hard work.” Rarity smiled. Apple Bloom looked hopefully to her older sister, who simply shook her head. “Sorry girls, Apple Bloom and Ah have an appointment to keep with Twilight.” “But what if we just went for a little while and—” She was cut off by an insistent hoof from her older sister. “Twilight is expectin’ us after school, and that’s when we’re gonna show up. C’mon now.” She nudged her gently as Rarity and Rainbow Dash both bid them goodbye and headed into town. Apple Bloom sighed as she put her homework back into her saddlebag and hoisted it onto her shoulders. “How come all my friends get a reward for doin’ good and Ah don’t?” “Don’t be a silly filly, we’ll get ya a right good reward when we get home," she explained, walking beside her still distraught little sister. "A pony’s word is their bond, and Ah told Twilight Ah’d bring you by after school so we could raise that ‘B’ to an ‘A’.” “But it was your word, not mine!" she whined. "Ah think Ah’m doin’ good enough in language ta pass!” “Hush now, Ah don’t want ta hear no more about it. You don’t realize how lucky you are ta even be able ta go ta school,” she admonished her sibling. “You could have ta wake up at the crack of dawn every mornin’ and break your back until sunset, only ta repeat the process every darn day like your brother and Ah do.” “It’d be better than goin’ ta school,” she mumbled as the two arrived at Twilight’s treehouse. “Please don’t make me do this,” Apple Bloom begged, her pleas falling on deaf ears. “Twilight can be so... boring.” Apple Bloom felt the smack of her sister’s hoof against her bow. “Twilight was nice enough ta offer ta tutor you without askin’ anythin’ in return, so you’re gonna get in there, and learn somethin’ or so help me Ah’ll wear your hide out when we get back ta the farm,” Applejack threatened in a very uncharacteristic tone. Apple Bloom tensed up immediately. A brief knock brought Spike to the door. “Oh, hey! Twilight mentioned you guys were coming by.” He stepped back, going to the kitchen to pick up a tea tray and bring it to where Twilight sat, nose deep in a book on her favorite reading cushion. “Twilight, your student is here,” Spike called, setting her tea down as she withdrew from her literature. She beamed with excitement at the prospect of teaching another pony. “Hi, Apple Bloom! Ready to get started?” she asked cheerfully. “Thanks for doin’ this, Twilight. Ah really appreciate it,” Applejack said, before taking a seat on the couch behind the two. "It's no problem at all!" Twilight replied as she helped Apple Bloom remove her books from her saddlebags. "Spike can point you to a new shipment of farmers' guides, if you'd like to read them while you wait on us." “Oh, uhm, that’s alright Twilight, Ah’ll just—” “It’s cool, AJ, I pulled these books out before you got here,” Spike said, waddling over with an armload of books blocking his vision. He dumped them beside Applejack, slapping his claws together proudly. “Thanks, Spike,” she said half-heartedly. “Okay then, Apple Bloom, lets get started,” Twilight said, setting a smaller cushion next to her. Her textbook in front of her, the filly climbed onto the pillow and began explaining the night’s homework assignment. As they began their work, Applejack glanced over at the books Spike had laid out for her. Picking up the first one, she cracked it open to the center, finding a few pictures of farmers from what looked like the time of her grandmother. As the hours passed, Applejack grew tired of flipping through the various books on all things agriculture Spike had given her. She yawned, stretching out on the couch, more than willing to snag a quick nap. Unlike her pal Rainbow, she wasn’t much afforded the luxury of daytime sleeping, so she took the chance and ran—er, slept with it. Her eyes fluttered open. Apple Bloom was already waiting by the door with her bags packed. “Done already?” she yawned. “Yep, it’s gonna be dark soon if we don’t get a move on. ‘Sides that, you still owe me a reward for doin’ good in school today,” the little filly was quick to remind her. “Yeah, Ah suppose Ah do,” she replied, stretching her legs and standing from the couch. “Jus’ let me put these books back. Where do they go, Twi?” “Oh, just on the third shelf. Alphabetically, by author if you don’t mind.” Applejack grinned and rolled her eyes, “Sure thing.” She took the books to the space that had been cleared by their absence and began looking at the spines, her mouth moving slightly as she recited the alphabet to herself. Just as she had placed one confidently against its neighbors, Apple Bloom hurried her. “C’mon Applejack, Ah’m gettin’ sleepy!” she whined, even her bow beginning to droop from fatigue. She threw all the books back on the shelf, disregarding the proper order in which Twilight kept her library. “Ah’m comin’, don’t get your tail in a twist,” she shot back, heading out of the library with her little sister in tow. “Thanks again, Twi!” “It was my pleasure Applejack. Can I expect you two tomorrow?” she called from her door as the two earth ponies walked down the road as the sun set. “Nope, tomorrow’s Saturday,” Applejack laughed. Twilight giggled, admonishing herself. If it weren’t for my day planner, I’d probably forget what year it was! she thought. “Right, see you later!” Later on that night, Twilight sat back on her cushion. She had just put Spike to bed to make some time for a bit of late night reading. She carefully poured herself a cup of her favorite night time tea and lit a lavender-scented candle. Setting both by her pillow with care, she sighed contently. Ritual was just as important as reading material, which was the next item on her agenda. She had poured over The Art of Peace two nights ago, and kept her philosophical train of thought going with Marestotle’s classic text, Equestrian Ethics, the night before. Now, however, she craved the lighter fare of a more modern work. Since the Apples had just been by, she thought it a good time to learn a bit about the history of agriculture in Ponyville. Trotting jauntily to the appropriate shelf, scanning the spines for a title that piqued her interest. Or, she would have, if she hadn't noticed a heinous and terrible crime had been committed against the very organizational skill on which she prided herself. Five books were out of place! This simply couldn’t be right; Spike was always careful to follow her instructions when organizing the shelves. On top of that, he hadn’t been in this section except to pull those books for Applejack. She gasped when she realized Applejack had put those books away! Didn't I ask her to arrange them by author? she wondered. Oh well, I’m sure she was just in a hurry to get Apple Bloom home for dinner, she thought, shifting the books back into their proper order before removing Farming in Ponyville: A Complete History. Settling on her cushion, she sipped her tea and began at page one. As she read, a nagging thought kept pushing its way past her general interest in the subject at hoof. How on Earth had Applejack not been able to organize six books in alphabetical order? She was just in a hurry, Twilight, you’re overthinking things again, she admonished herself. As she neared the bottom of her teacup, the silliest of ideas popped into her head. What if Applejack didn’t know how to read? She chuckled at such an idea, deciding that it was well past her bedtime. Climbing the steps to her bed, she continued to smile at the absurd idea that one of her adult friends didn’t know how to read. That is ridiculous, I bet Applejack would get a laugh out of that! she thought, placing the candle on her nightstand and snuggling into her starry bedspread for the evening. With a quick puff, she blew out the candle and fell asleep quickly. Applejack had already finished her chores by the time the sunlight peaked over the hills of her orchard. Before heading out to Appleloosa, Mac had given her a list of places he needed her to go. She walked into the house and grabbed the list off the counter. Applejack placed the list on Granny Smith's rocker as she heard the Apple elder coming slowly down the steps. She made her way to her favorite old wooden chair and noticed the list. "What's this here paper on my chair fer?" Applejack turned from the kitchen. "What's it say, Granny?" She found her reading glasses around her neck and set them on the bridge of her nose. "Says 'nails at the hardware store, quill ink at the stationary shop, and a book called Crossbreeding Apple Trees and the Genetic Implications Thereof by Scotch Bingeington." "Ah, that's my list of errands. Ah thought Ah left it somewhere." Applejack smiled, trotting over to fetch the list. After a quick breakfast, she stowed the list in her saddlebags and headed into town. The shops and stalls were all opening up just as she walked through. She loved getting errands out of the way early. There was never any lines anywhere, and all the items were always in stock at this hour. Applejack made quick work of the nails at the hardware store, and even faster work of the jars of quill ink. She recalled the last stop on her list was Twilight's. The library was on the way back to the farm so it made sense to make it her last stop. Applejack always enjoyed a visit with friends, and Twilight usually had some tea ready by this time in the morning. Twilight was already puttering about the library as Spike worked on breakfast. She removed a book she had been flipping through last night from the shelf, keeping a sharp ear out for the whistle of her tea kettle. Twilight took a seat on her well-imprinted reading cushion and removed her bookmark from Miracles of Modern Magic: Vol II. Before she could re-immerse herself, a knock beckoned at her front door. Though she was a librarian and loved helping other ponies fulfill their literary needs, she wasn't very enthusiastic about it until after her morning tea. Casting a glare at her still silent tea kettle, she trotted over to answer the door. Twilight opened the door and saw that it was Applejack, which was a modicum of good news in itself. "Hey Applejack, nice to see you." "You too, Twi. How are ya this mornin'?" She showed herself in. "I'm good. I'll be better once my tea is ready." She smiled, shutting the door behind her. "So how's Apple Bloom doing?" "She's fine, but we'll know for sure once she gets more homework." Twilight nodded. "Well, she's always welcome if she ever needs any help," she reminded her friend. "Anyway, what brings you around this early?" "Ah just came for a book. Somethin' about the genetics of crossbreedin' apple trees?" "Oh yes, that's in the 'C's I'll just—" The hiss of the tea kettle interrupted Twilight as she turned back toward the kitchen. "Tea's ready!" she sang. "Do you mind grabbing it yourself while I get that?" "Uh, sure thing Twi..." Applejack said softly. She trotted over to the appropriate shelves. Eyeing the tall shelf, she scanned the spines slowly, trying to recall which book it was her brother was after. She scratched her chin in thought as she looked over the shelf. Unbeknownst to her, Twilight was watching her from the kitchen. The absurd notion that Applejack couldn't read leapt to the forefront of her mind, nearly eliciting a chuckle. She turned back and took a sip of her tea, then set Applejack's cup down on the table. The clink of the porcelain snapping Applejack out of her trance as she grabbed what she believed to be the appropriate book. She slid it into her saddlebag and joined Twilight at her table. Normally Applejack wasn't much for tea, but after hanging out with Twilight for a while, the drink had grown on her. "So what has Macintosh been up to?" Twilight asked as innocuously as she could. Applejack smirked. She knew her brother was a hot commodity to many of the town's mares. She had learned to put up with ponies asking about him a long time ago. "He's fine. He's helpin' out in Appleloosa right now," she answered as Twilight dropped three sugar cubes into her tea. "He asked about you the other day, you know." Twilight's ears shot to attention, her cheeks flushing red as she vainly tried to hide them. "He did?" "Yep, Ah told him in a telegram how you'd helped Apple Bloom with her homework while he was away," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "Said he'll be lookin' to thank you once he gets back." Twilight's face felt as though she could start a small fire with it. "Oh, uhm... he doesn't have to—I mean, he can if he wants, I just... uhm..." It was worth mentioning Mac just to see the reactions on her friends faces. Though she knew the "thanking" Twilight was likely to get were simply flowers or something like that, Applejack couldn't help but enjoy the reactions to the idea of earning her brother's favor. After some idle chat and a cup of tea, Applejack threw on her saddle bags and headed toward the door. "Thank ya kindly for the tea, Twi." "No problem Applejack. Let me know if that book is what you were looking for!" she called as Applejack set out down the road to her country home. Twilight shut the door and went back inside. She glanced over at the section Applejack had been searching through. This is ridiculous, Twilight! Of course Applejack can read! Even though the very idea epitomized silliness in her mind, she couldn't let it go. The proof was right over there! If the proper book was gone, then she was imagining things again. If not... she might be onto something. Twilight trotted over to the bookshelf, head held high, confident she'd find the proper book missing. She reached the shelf and scanned the spines, her confident smile slowly fading until it morphed into a frown. The book was still in its place, another, completely unrelated book was missing. Spike appeared from the upstairs loft with an armload of scrolls, and noticed Twilight's static state. "Uh, Twilight? You okay?" he asked, walking next to her. Twilight swallowed, still in shock that her wild theory seemed to be holding water. "I... I think I need to lie down."
Part 2Part 2 "Don't you think that's just a little far-fetched?" Spike asked, bringing a cup of hot tea over to Twilight as she lay sprawled out on her couch. "Well, yeah!" she replied, taking the tea in her magic and taking a long, slow sip before continuing. "But that's just it! What if Applejack has just been faking it this whole time? Right under my nose?" "I'm sure she was just in a hurry," Spike reasoned, settling down next to her on the floor. "How could Applejack even function as an adult if she can't read?" Twilight sighed. "I don't know, but she's a pretty clever pony when she wants to be." Taking another sip of her tea, she quietly contemplated how she could prove her crazy hypothesis. "I wish there was some test I could give her..." "You think Applejack would let you test her reading skills just like that?" "Sure! She'd never back down from a challenge, and if she actually can read, she's got nothing to lose." Twilight smiled contently. "I'm sure we'll all have a good laugh about this afterwards," She said, glancing back over towards the misplaced books. "Then again, maybe we won't," she whined, reconsidering Applejack's apparent ability. She clambered off the couch and stretched her legs. There was only one way to test her theory: she'd need Applejack to read something to her. But how? I can't very well just walk up to her and ask her to read me a book! I need a way to get her to do it naturally... she thought. Twilight looked back toward her bookshelf. The book Applejack was supposed to take sat neatly against its neighbors. "I've got it." Twilight smiled. She levitated the book from the shelf and into her saddlebag. "Spike, have some studying tea ready when I get back," she called upstairs, producing a small dragon head between the bannister. "Sure," he replied. "Anything else?" "Make some snacks. We may have some company." Twilight passed through the wrought iron gate of Sweet Apple Acres. Ordinarily, her visits included keeping a sharp eye out for a certain workhorse. This time, however, his sister was on her mind. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains in the distance as Twilight strode onto their porch. Being this late in the evening, she figured Applejack's chores were more than likely finished. If the smell of country fried carrots were any indication, it was almost dinner time. A brief knock brought Apple Bloom to the door. "Hiya Twilight!" she said happily, her voice cracking slightly. "Hello, Apple Bloom. How's the studying coming?" The filly's expression dropped. "Ah haven't really gotten a chance to practice much, but Ah'll bet the homework you helped me do is gonna get me an A plus for sure!" Twilight smiled. The look on a pupil's face when they finally grasp a hard to understand concept, or a difficult idea finally clicks into place, was almost enough to make her consider subbing for Cheerilee for a day or two. Almost. "That's good to hear." She grinned, mussing her mane a bit. "Is Applejack around?" "She's helpin' Granny cook supper," she replied, stepping aside as Twilight entered. "Well hey there, sugarcube!" Applejack called from the kitchen. "What brings ya by?" "I, uhm... well, I just... smelled the fried carrots and before I knew it, here I was!" she lied. Thank Celestia I'm better at lying than Applejack. I'd hate to do that to her, but to try and prove she can't read in front of her whole family just doesn't seem like the best way to approach the situation, she thought. "Well Mac is still out'a town, and we've got an extra seat at the table if'n you'd like to have some of those carrots you've been smellin'." Twilight paused, then nodded. A little food never hurt anypony, and it would be just tragic if it were to go to waste. Rationalizations rationalized, Twilight took a seat as the food was brought out. If Applejack and her family didn't do a full day's worth of labor, they'd have easily weighed a metric ton. There was food of almost every variety the farm could produce. A common misconception was that the Apples only grew apples. The orchard was the most visible, but the vegetable patches were away from the wood line to keep out animals looking for a quick meal. Twilight happily ate a delicious country fried dinner. Needing more time with Applejack, she even volunteered to help with the cleanup, leaving Granny Smith to tuck Apple Bloom into bed while she and Applejack cleaned up the kitchen. "That was amazing, Applejack," Twilight hummed, using her magic to place the dirty dishes into the soapy water and scrub them with a sponge. "Well, if you're gonna work hard, ya gotta eat right," she replied, drying the dishes Twilight washed with a small towel. After not hearing anything upstairs, Twilight decided the time had come to act. Time to initiate plan Reveal Applejack's Educational Deficiencies. (R.A.E.D.) The irony of her misspelled acronym was not lost on her. "So, did you get a chance to look over that book I gave you?" Applejack blinked before recalling the item. "Oh, right. Naw," she sighed. "It wasn't for me. It was for Macintosh." "Hmm..." Twilight began, trying to think of a way to get Applejack to read. "Come to think of it, you may have grabbed the wrong book," she said as though she'd just remembered, keeping a keen eye out for any changes in her friend's demeanor. "Really? Ah didn't even notice!" I'll bet you didn't, she thought, suppressing a giggle. I almost laughed at Applejack's inability! What if the Princess found out? Bad Twilight! she scolded herself. "Yeah, I was actually going to run it by tomorrow, but I figured there's no time like the present!" "Thank ya kindly, Twi," she said, placing the last dish on the drying rack. "Ah'll get the book." Twilight was half expecting her to return with the wrong tome, though there weren't that many books in the house to start with, so it shouldn't have been too hard to find hers. After a few moments, Applejack returned with the book in her mouth. "Thish it?" she asked around the book. It certainly was the right book, but Twilight was still no closer to figuring out whether Applejack could read or not. The farm pony left the kitchen when it hit her. Twilight smiled deviously as she schemed. Producing a quill and ink jar—she always carried with her in case of any surprise academia—, she retrieved the paperback about the earning of cutie marks that had been in the bottom of her saddlebag for weeks. She seemed to recall one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders wanting to read it, but by the time she'd retrieved it, they'd gone on to some other sure-fire way to earn their marks. On the inside cover, Twilight wrote a simple inscription to Apple Bloom about studying hard and never giving up. However, she had also riddled it with intentional spelling errors and blatant misuse of words. The trap was set. "Also, I've got a book I think Apple Bloom and her friends might find useful," she called into the living room. "Oh yeah? Which book?" Twilight showed Applejack the cover as she set it on the table. "Huh," Applejack mumbled. "I suppose this has somethin' to do with cutie marks?" Twilight nodded. The image on the front cover was of a colt smiling proudly at a newly appeared hammer and nail on his flank. "I wrote a little note to Apple Bloom, what do you think?" she asked, opening the cover to her small paragraph. Twilight watched Applejack's eyes dart back and forth. If she had been faking it, she'd certainly become good at it. "Well?" Twilight asked hopefully. "It looks great, Twi, Ah'm sure she'll love it." Sweet Celestia in Canterlot! she thought to herself in shock. "Y-you mean, it looks okay to you?" "Yup, sure as Ah'm standin' here." She smiled contently. "It ain't nice ta talk about somepony when they aren't around!" An indignant filly pouted from the top of the stairs. "Apple Bloom, what did Ah tell you 'bout eavesdropping?" Applejack snapped as she came down the stairs. "Ah wasn't eavesdropping!" she replied defensively. "Ah heard y'all talkin' about me upstairs after Ah brushed my teeth." The filly turned to the book sitting on the table. "Is this for me?" she asked, knowing full well the answer. "A Hundred and One Ways to Earn a Cutie Mark!" She gasped sharply. "Thanks Twilight!" Twilight smiled, happy to have brought a bit of joy via her favorite medium. Apple Bloom looked to the inside cover, her face going from alive with passion to confusion. "Uh, Twilight, did you write this?" "Yes I did," "How come you misspelled... everything?" "It was a test! To see how good you've become at grammar and spelling!" Twilight said happily. "And you passed!" Twilight glanced at Applejack, whose expression had soured considerably in the last few seconds. Twilight gulped as she realized Applejack had seen right through her plan. Twilight, you've got to stop using your friends as test subjects without their permission! She quickly tore her gaze away, forcing down a sudden sense of guilt. Now she probably hates me... and has every reason to. Oh well... nothing to be done about it now except hope that she accepts my apology. An unusual sense of self-loathing began to creep in as she realized how hurt Applejack must have felt. "Yay!" Apple Bloom turned to face her rump expectantly, though no magical test paper appeared on her flank. "Dang..." She pouted. "Listen, Twi, it's been great talkin' to ya, but it's late, and Ah gotta be up early tomorrow," she said abruptly, practically pushing Twilight out of her house and onto the porch. "Applejack, I didn't mean—" Slam! "—for you to slam the door in my face..." Twilight sighed. That certainly hadn't gone like she'd planned. In fact, all she had done was make things worse. Hanging her head, she began the trot back to the library. If only Apple Bloom hadn't shown up! she lamented, sure that her plan would have worked flawlessly had it not been for one blank-flanked variable. Why didn't I just ask Applejack instead? The walk home gave her time to consider Applejack's feelings. Why did I try to trick her? Ugh, stupid, Twilight, stupid! she berated herself, her ears and head drooping lower to the ground with each step. But, it wasn't like I was trying to make her feel bad about herself! Agh, why didn't I just pull her aside and ask? Her walk was long and quiet, giving her plenty of time to ponder such questions. Spike greeted her with a tray of fresh snacks and tea once she arrived home. He looked around and behind her. "Didn't you say we might have some—" Spike paused mid-sentence, a deadpan stare falling over him. "You went to Sweet Apple Acres with some crazy scheme to get AJ to admit she can't read, didn't you?" he accused, setting the tray down and removing his frilly apron. Twilight tossed her saddlebags casually and flopped onto the couch. "Maybe," she mumbled, her head buried in one of the throw pillows. Spike usually knew when she'd messed up, and this time was no exception. "I see it went well," he said flatly. "About as well as trying to trick one of your best friends could go..." she groaned. "See?" Spike said in annoyance. "This is why you should run things like this by me so I can tell you what a bad idea it is!" "Thanks for the advice," she snapped bitterly. If there was one thing Twilight hated, it was a plan of hers failing. It didn't happen often, but when it did, she'd hold on to it for weeks. "Look, just give AJ some time to cool off, and apologize for trying to trick her. She'll forgive you, just make sure you explain yourself." This was not the first time Spike had to rein in Twilight's shenanigans before they got out of hoof. She sighed. "You're right. I'll head over tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I'll get something besides a swift kick in the face..." By the time Twilight found herself walking to the farm, her nerves had caught up with her. Still, this was Applejack, one of the most understanding ponies around! Before she knew it, she'd been standing on their front porch for about five minutes, paralyzed by fear. Instead of knocking, Apple Bloom nearly ran into her on her way to the CMC clubhouse. "Oh! Sorry, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack around?" "Ah haven't seen her; she might be in the barn!" she said over her shoulder as she galloped off down the trail. Twilight gulped as she made her way to the barn. She peered into the darkness, but saw no sign of Applejack. Sighing in relief, she withdrew, mentally phrasing a note to pin on the door when a sniffle from the hayloft stopped her. Carefully and quietly, she climbed the stairs to the loft. Leaning against a hay pile sat Applejack, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. Beside her, she noticed a rather large, but thin, hardcover book. Twilight couldn't make out the words, but judging from the size and colors, it wasn't exactly an organic chemistry textbook. "Applejack?" Her ears shot to attention as she hastily covered the book with some loose hay. "Twilight? What're you doin' here?" Relieved that she wasn't angry with her, Twilight sat beside her pal in the itchy hay. "I came by to apologize about yesterday—" Applejack waved a hoof to silence her. "Say no more. Ah'm the one who should be apologizin'." "It's just that I—wait, what?" "Ah was tired last night, and Ah had no business rushin' ya out the door like Ah did. It wasn't too neighborly, and Ah'm sorry." It looked like she was bound and determined to keep up her charade. There was only one way to confront the issue now. Twilight took a deep breath, and let it out sharply. "Applejack, I know your secret." She raised an eyebrow. "My what now?" "I know you don't know how to read." There. She finally said it. After a slight pause, Applejack laughed. "Of course Ah can read! How could Ah run a farm if Ah couldn't read?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably. Twilight was prepared for this to drag out, but she certainly wished Applejack would've just fessed up. "Doesn't Big Mac handle most of the farm's finances and liability insurance?" Applejack's ears began to twitch, her eyes darting back and forth between Twilight and where she'd buried the book. Matching wits with Twilight wasn't like convincing Granny or Apple Bloom. "Yeah, but Ah do all the other stuff besides plowin' the fields." Twilight looked into Applejack's eyes pleadingly. "Applejack. Please..." "Please what?" she replied, annoyance beginning to show in her tone. "Ah done told ya Ah know how to read!" Twilight sighed. She shifted the hay aside and uncovered the foal's book Applejack had buried. "Then what is this?" "Uh, Apple Bloom must've left it up here..." "Really? It seems a bit too easy for a filly Apple Bloom's age," she implied, giving Applejack one last shot to admit it before she sent her illusions crashing down around her. "Maybe she just likes it?" She grinned, though the blush on her cheeks indicated Twilight was inching closer to a revelation. Twilight raised the book in front of her and opened it to the center. "Okay then, what does this say?" She pointed a hoof to a small paragraph. Applejack took the book in her hooves and studied the paragraph, sweat beginning to bead around her forehead. "T-The... hun-hungry... sn-sn...Ugh!" Applejack roared, tossing the book into the hay bale behind her in a fit of anger. "Okay, fine! Ah can't read! Are you happy now?!" she screamed, tears of shame spilling from her eyes as she vented her anger. "The dumb farmer pony can't read, is that what you wanted to hear?!" "Of course not!" Twilight pled. "You think you're so smart because you grew up in Canterlot with the Princess herself taking care of you! You've never had to work a day in your life!" she shouted, her chest heaving. "You don't even realize how lucky you are!" "Applejack, I didn't come here to embarrass you. I just came here to offer to help you," Twilight said calmly, before Applejack go start another rant. "Well nopony asked you to!" "I know," she replied as she stood up. "Sometimes a friend just has to offer help, because they know the pony they're trying to help would never ask for it." Twilight trotted slowly toward the stairs before turning back to Applejack. "If you ever want to learn, you know I'm always willing to help you." She began down the steps before Applejack called out to her. "Twi? Can you keep a secret?" she asked weakly. For the first time since arriving, Twilight smiled. "Of course." Applejack gathered herself and headed back inside her house. I can't believe I got so upset with Twilight... she was only tryin' to help... She sighed, nearly making it inside when a familiar voice called to her from above. "Hey, AJ!" Rainbow yelled. "Howdy, sugarcube!" she forced, putting away her somber face in favor of a happy mask. "Okay, so tonight there's a bonfire in Carrot Top's southern field, and all the stallions in town are gonna be there! Should be fun, you in?" Applejack would normally jump at the chance to meet some new stallions, but today something else was on her mind. "Sorry, RD. Ah've got somethin' else Ah gotta do tonight." Rainbow's indignation was apparent. "Like what? What in Equestria is more important than drinking cider in the middle of an open field with your best friend?" Applejack searched the ground nervously, trying her best to hide her tells. "It's just... look, Ah'll just have to take a raincheck, okay?" Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Sure thing, AJ... see ya," Rainbow said as she ascended away from Sweet Apple Acres. High above the farm, Rainbow Dash formulated a scheme of her own. "Now I have to know what she's up to," she said to herself as she perched on a cloud. She decided to forgo the party in favor of tailing Applejack. She napped for hours until she heard the front door of Applejack's farmhouse creak open. When she awoke, it was dark. Peering down from her cloud, she spotted her. Rainbow followed Applejack silently from above. After a few minutes, she realized she was going to Twilight's. "What in the..." Rainbow descended from her cloud and hid behind the bushes outside Twilight's house as Applejack knocked on the door. "Well, how'd it go?" Spike asked as soon as Twilight stepped in the door. "About as I expected," she replied. "Lots of shouting, some anger and tears, but overall, she finally admitted her problem." She sighed contently, happy with the progress she'd made, but worried about whether Applejack would take her up on her offer. Spike rubbed his chin slowly. "So, you think she'll let you help her?" "Who knows," she sighed. "I thought she'd learned her lesson about accepting help when she needed it..." The hours wore on as Twilight assumed her usual study routine. She could hardly immerse herself like she usually did, checking the clock every few minutes, hoping Applejack had the stones to swallow her pride and let Twilight help her. At around ten that night, Twilight decided Applejack wasn't going to show. Just as she was about to snuff out the candle, she heard a knock at the door. With high hopes, she trotted to the door and opened it to reveal Applejack. "Are you here for the reason I think you are?" she asked softly. Applejack nodded, still a bit embarrassed about her outburst back at the barn. "Sorry 'bout earlier..." "It's okay. Spike's asleep in the living room, so we'll have to go to my room." After they'd gone inside, Rainbow raised herself out of the bushes, her jaw hanging open. "Applejack would rather hang out with Twilight... than me?"
Part 3Part 3 "No way! This can't be happening!" Rainbow Dash moaned, trotting out of the bushes as the lights in Twilight's house went out one by one, leaving only the light in her bedroom window. "I've got to know what's going on," Rainbow said, determination etched on her face as she took flight. She hovered just out of view of Twilight's bedroom window as she peered inside. Applejack and Twilight had just entered her room before Applejack took a seat on her bed. "Ah guess Ah'm still a might nervous. As you could probably guess, Ah've never done this before..." Applejack admitted as a blush began to form over Rainbow's cheeks. "Don't worry, Applejack, I've been at this for years! Before you know it, you'll be just as good as I am!" she assured her, to Dash's horror. "Thanks, Twi. Ya mind drawin' those curtains? Ah'd hate for somepony ta stumble across our little secret." She grinned in embarrassment as Twilight used her magic to close the curtains. That was the last straw. Rainbow had no idea what to do now. Running a hoof through her mane, she fluttered to a low hanging cloud. "Okay, Rainbow... it's no big deal... two of your best friends are hanging out with each other in secret." Dash wiped her hooves across her face as she moaned. "Oh Celestia, how is this not a big deal?" Rainbow thought for a moment, wondering why Applejack would want to hide this from her. Was she afraid she would laugh at her? Or tease her about finding her special somepony? Dash may have been a lot of things, but a jerk to her friends was not one of them. All that mushy stuff wasn't really her thing, but she wouldn't make fun of others if it was theirs. One thing was certain: she had to tell somepony about this. Not so much to expose a secret, more like to get a second opinion. After all, what if they were just meeting with each other in the middle of the night for something else? She couldn't exactly think of anything else they'd be doing, but the thought still warranted investigation. Dash tried to think of the most rational pony to present this finding to. Hm... Pinkie? Nah, she'd probably just throw 'em a party. Fluttershy? Nope, she'd just think it was none of her business and move on. Guess that just leaves Rarity. With a sigh, Rainbow headed towards the Carousel Boutique, hoping to catch Rarity before she went to bed. "I understand wanting some privacy, but I think we'll be okay," said Twilight, turning to Applejack. She hadn't brought anything but herself, so it was up to Twilight to provide the reading material. "So, I guess a good place to start would be where your teacher left off." Twilight smiled, levitating two large cushions on the floor in front of them. "How much do you know?" Applejack examined her hooves and held her tongue for a moment. "Well... Ah know the alphabet, and Ah recognize a few easy words, but... that's about as far as Ah got." A pause blanketed the room as Twilight sat on her cushion and thought about an appropriate way to start their first lesson. "That's okay," said Twilight as she levitated a book from her personal shelf in front of them. "I asked Spike to borrow a few worksheets from Cheerilee in case you decided to accept my offer, so I think that'll be a good place to start." "If you say so, Twilight," Applejack sighed, her limited enthusiasm seemed to evaporate as soon as a simple grade-school work sheet was laid out in front of her. "Okay, so let's figure out what words you know," Twilight said as she pointed to the first word in a column of many. "And," Applejack answered confidently. "Great! How about this one?" "Uhm... t-tr-tra-urgh," Applejack groaned. "Sound it out, you almost had it!" Twilight cheered. "Ah don't know what it is, Twilight!" she snapped. Twilight scrunched her face in thought before covering the first half of the word with a hoof. "Try this. Read me the first three letters." Applejack narrowed her eyes at her instructor before spitting out the first half of the word she'd already mastered. "Tra." "Good. Now this part," she said, moving her hoof. "In." "Okay, now put them together." "Tra-in?" "Close, but tra-in isn't a word. What word does it sound like?" Twilight led her, hoping she'd come to the correct conclusion. "... Train?" "That's right!" Twilight beamed at her student as Applejack caught her infectious smile. "Okay, let's keep going." With a renewed sense of vigor, Applejack sounded out and began reading words she'd have never thought herself capable of pronouncing for nearly an hour. Though they were mostly of the four-to-six-letter variety, progress was progress. "You're doing so well, Applejack! I think we're ready for our first sentence!" Twilight sang, sharing her friend's pride in her accomplishments thus far. "Alright, Ah'm ready!" Twilight levitated a quill and ink jar, as well as a blank piece of parchment, between the two of them. With a quick flourish, she composed an easy sentence. "Alright, how about this?" Twilight slid the scroll towards her, waiting with bated breath for her answer. Applejack took a few seconds to study the simple five word sentence before looking back at her instructor. "It is very hot today?" "Yes!" Twilight exclaimed, wearing a smile just as wide as Applejack's. "I knew you'd pick this up quickly!" Twilight gave her friend a hug. Slowly, Applejack returned the gesture. As she held the hug, Twilight felt the coat on her shoulder become a bit moist. Pulling away, Applejack rubbed her eyes. "Applejack, what's the matter?" she asked. "You're doing great!" "Ah know... it's just... Ah've faked this for so long. Ah've always relied on myself for everything, and this was the one thing Ah just couldn't figure out, and now..." She paused, her breathing becoming a bit more staccato than normal. "Now it's just this easy? All this time Ah could've been learnin' what Ah should've known as a filly, but instead Ah was just too stubborn to ask for help." Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder lightly. "Applejack, there's no reason to be ashamed of this. Everypony has things they're embarrassed about." C'mon, Twilight, you can't just let Applejack be the only one sharing a secret! Think! How can I level the playing field? she wondered, before an idea struck. "Would you believe that I nearly failed magical theory while I was in Celestia's school for gifted unicorns?" Applejack raised her eyes from the floor and dried her tears. "You... you did?" "That's right. The Element of Magic, barely got out of that class with my G.P.A. intact. I was mortified of asking for help. The princess herself told me I was one of the most gifted unicorns she'd ever come across in terms of magic, and I just couldn't grasp the concepts presented in that class. The professor even confronted me about it. He said 'Ms. Sparkle, if you do not earn a perfect score on the final exam, I will not allow you to pass my class,'" she said in her best Hoofington accent. Applejack giggled. "So what'd you end up doin'?" "I eventually broke down and asked a colt in my class to help me. And this was before I got over a lot of the anxiety I had about meeting new ponies," she recalled. "I was petrified of even asking him, and I'm pretty sure a lesser colt would have run away screaming if the quiet weirdo in class had asked them for help. But—to my surprise—he was glad to help me, and he explained it in such a way that it immediately made sense to me," she recalled wistfully. "When finals rolled around, I aced the exam and got my credits." "So what happened between you and 'Mr. Genius'?" Applejack asked, eyebrow raised suggestively. Twilight sighed, "He transferred to Oxenford. I never saw him again after that," she sighed. "That's okay, Twilight. Ah guess my brother'll just have to do." Twilight nodded. "Yeah, I guess he'll—what?! No! I mean, he's a n-nice stallion and all but... uhm..." Applejack laughed as her friend blushed, attempting to backpedal out of her slip of the tongue. "Look, it's getting pretty late, I think this is a good place to stop for tonight," she said, trying to change the subject quickly. "Ah reckon so," Applejack laughed. "Ah really appreciate you helpin' me, Twilight." "It's the least I could do for a friend." As she headed for the door, Twilight set her cushion and half-completed worksheet on her desk for their next session. "Have a safe walk home!" "Will do, Twi," Applejack said as she descended the stairs carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping dragon on the couch. Once outside, the air seemed fresher, the stars, brighter. Applejack was well on her way to accomplishing a long-held goal of hers, and nopony would be the wiser as to her 'deficiency'. She set off down the trail to her farm, humming her favorite country song as she went. "Rainbow, dear, don't you think you're overreacting just a tad?" Rarity asked, pouring herself a cup of hot tea. If Rainbow was going to wake her out of a dead sleep just to gossip, the least she could do is be awake to appreciate it. "Overreacting?" Rainbow parroted. "If anything, I'm under-reacting!" Rarity arched an eyebrow. "Really?" "Yes, really! She's been my bro ever since Twilight brought us all together! How could she pick her over me?" "You are aware that 'bro' refers to stallions?" Rainbow groaned. "You know what I mean!" "Don't you think you're being a little bit possessive? Is Applejack not entitled to spend her time however she pleases?" "Well... yeah, I guess," Rainbow replied, her tone softening. "But this is our thing! It's like a tradition for us, and she just... just bailed on me. Me!" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, you must respect the fact that Applejack is a grown mare, and is entitled to make her own decisions." She paused, taking a slow sip of her tea before setting it back onto the coffee table in front of her. Rainbow sat back in her plush chair, a pout across her lips. "Why exactly is it so important that the two of you spend so much time together?" Rainbow's cheeks flushed a furious red as she tried to answer the question truthfully. "Because!" she began. "Fluttershy never stays up past sundown, Pinkie is hard to find half the time, and I didn't really think you were the type of pony to drink cider in a field while watching stuff burn." "Well, you're most certainly right about that!" Rarity huffed. "All that mud and filth would be simply dreadful for my coat, not to mention the bugs!" Rarity reeled in her disgust and continued. "However, I still don't see why this was worth interrupting my beauty sleep," she said narrowing her eyes. "I was getting to that," Rainbow huffed. "I was outside Twi's place, and Applejack and Twilight started talking about 'never having done this before', and that it'd be 'their little secret'. They even closed the curtains! What could they have been doing in there that they'd need that kind of privacy?" Rarity's eyes widened at Rainbow's implication."Oh dear..." "'Oh dear' is right! Do you, do you think they're..." "No! Don't be ridiculous! My lady's intuition would have recognized when two ponies are attracted to each other, and I simply couldn't imagine Twilight and Applejack seeing each other in secret," Rarity answered confidently, content to end her remark with a closed-eyed victory sip. The teacup and saucer clanked together as she set the empty vessel on the table. "Although... why would they want to hide something like that?" "Right? We're supposed to be best friends!" Rainbow nodded. Rarity waved a hoof, "I'm sure we're simply over-thinking this entire ordeal. I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason they were together tonight. After all, I seem to recall a certain pegasus believing that reading was for eggheads?" Rainbow blushed again. "Yeah, well, I didn't try to be all secretive about it! And it is for eggheads." Rarity sighed in frustration. "Rainbow Dash, it's getting late, and I'm out of tea. I'd like to try and get back to sleep before sunrise, if you don't mind." Rainbow fluttered to her usual hover. "Yeah, yeah. See ya, Rare." Dash flew out of the window she'd flown in through, Rarity closing it behind her. Shimmying back beneath her blankets, she entertained the wild idea Rainbow had implanted earlier. "Applejack and Twilight, the farmer and the scholar! Simply ludicrous..." She yawned, though she couldn't help but smile at the adorability of the couple as she drifted off. I don't care what Rarity says!" Rainbow huffed as she flew over town towards her home. "Something's up, and I'm gonna find out—" She cut herself off upon spotting an orange dot walking slowly down a dirt road. Dash zipped downward, hovering just above Applejack's head. "So, have fun not drinking cider with your best friend?" Applejack stopped walking, a slight blush coming over her cheeks. "Oh, naw," she replied, her eyes darting between the road and her hovering companion. "Ah just... had some errands to run." "Really? Then where are your saddlebags?" Dash asked incredulously. "Uh... the stores were closed... guess I should have gone with you, huh?" She smiled, beads of sweat beginning to form beneath her stetson. "I'll bet they were, it's past high moon!" Rainbow replied. "Yeah... welp, silly me for tryin' ta get 'em done so late! G'night, Rainbow!" she said quickly, galloping past her and through the entrance to her farm. Rainbow crossed her forelegs and narrowed her eyes at the plume of dust her friend kicked up as she ran. "I don't know what you're up to AJ, but I'm gonna find out."
Part 4Part 4 Applejack had barely dodged Rainbow before making it back to the farmhouse. Once she'd reached her porch, she took a deep breath while removing her omnipresent hat and wiping the sweat from her brow. "Celestia have mercy, Ah can't avoid RD forever..." With one last glance at the moonlight illuminating her orchard, Applejack carefully stepped inside. With great care, she opened the creaky screen door slowly, and the front door as well, closing them both without so much as the tiniest protest from a rusty hinge. She made her way over every creaky floorboard, reaching the bottom of the stairs before the sound of a stallion's throat clearing nearly startled her out of her coat. "Who's there?! Ah've got a knife!" Applejack snapped. Her big brother lit a match and fired the lantern beside him, his forelegs crossed. "You've got a what?" he asked. "Uh... nothin'." Applejack caught her breath. How'd he get back so soon? "What in tarnation are you doin' here?" Mac spoke calmly. "Braeburn and Ah finished the plantin' early. After we had a night on the town, Ah figured it was time for me to head back to the homestead." He shifted in his seat. "Now, you wanna tell me what kept you out s'late when we got work in the mornin'?" "Ah... Ah was out drinkin' with Rainbow!" she lied. If there was one pony in this world Applejack simply couldn't lie to, it was Macintosh. He raised his chin, looking down his muzzle at her. "We were! I found a nice stallion and everythin'!" He lowered his chin to his chest, not saying a word, simply using his bright green eyes to bore into her soul. "A-and we tag teamed him! Me and Rainbow! He loved it!" Mac raised an eyebrow, an unflattering frown etched across his face. Applejack sighed. She couldn't lie to her brother. Not only did she find it morally repugnant, but he knew her far too well to think she'd gone out and bedded a random stallion. Much less at the same time as her best friend. "Alright, fine," She huffed, tossing her hat onto the couch and letting her saddlebags slide down her back onto the floor. "Ah wasn't out drinkin'..." Mac hummed in response, as though he inherently knew she hadn't been with Rainbow at Carrot Top's bonfire. "Went ta Twilight's with some of Apple Bloom's books, did ya?" he asked in a paternal tone. Applejack was dumbstruck. Was he psychic, too? "How... how'd you know where Ah—" A gesture toward the contents spilling out of her unclasped saddlebag gave her the answer. "Heh... well... Ah thought she'd borrowed them, ya see, and Ah was... just, uhm..." Mac stood from the chair and moved to the couch, patting the seat beside him with a hoof. Applejack sat down without hesitation. For a moment, they sat next to each other, the silence enveloping them in the early morning hours. Mac had always been comfortable with silence, but his sister had never quite attained his level of appreciation for quiet moments. "Readin's hard, Applejack." She gasped. How on earth had he figured out her secret? Had he always known? "Bu—well... Ah bet it is for foals..." she whimpered. She felt a large foreleg reach across her shoulder, pulling her closer to the mass of red muscle seated next to her. Though he was toned from farm work, he was also surprisingly soft. "Even harder if ya ain't a foal no more," he completed. Though those words were supposed to comfort her, they had the opposite effect. "You mean ta tell me you knew Ah couldn't read this whole time?" she asked, her voice rising in anger as she leaned away from her brother. "A brother knows when his sister's keepin' a secret," he admitted softly, trying not to wake the other ponies in the house. Applejack had nearly abandoned all volume control at this point, unfortunately. "And you just let me fake it?" she snapped. "For ten years?!" She had thrown his hoof from around her and shot up from the couch, squaring off with him. "What was Ah supposed to do?" he whispered back harshly. "Was Ah supposed ta forget my chores just so Ah could teach you ta read?" Tears shone in Applejack's eyes as she took a step backward. "You were supposed to be a good big brother!" That comment caused Mac to rise from the couch. Though Applejack was the more headstrong of the Apple family, Big Macintosh still towered over her. "S'at right?" he growled. "Would that have been before or after Ah had been taken out of school after Ma and Pa died? Or when Ah let you sleep in my bed every night for a year afterwards? Or how about the time—" "Just shut up, Mac!" She sniffed, walking swiftly toward the stairs to her bedroom. Mac tried to put a hoof out to stop her, but all he caught was the cold night air. In the blink of an eye, Applejack had slammed her door. Mac sighed. He had only waited up for his sister because he was worried about her. Instead of a simple explanation and goodnight nuzzle, his homecoming had devolved into an argument. "Gosh darnit..." he whispered to himself, taking the lantern in his teeth and making his way up the stairs. He found Apple Bloom standing bleary eyed in the hallway, her mane disheveled without her bow to hold it in place. "Macintosh? Ah thought you were helpin' cousin Braeburn?" He set the lantern down beside her and scooped her into a hug. He'd taken the red-eye train, so he had only been home an hour or so. "Ah decided Ah missed you too much, darlin. So Ah came home early." She gripped his neck tightly as he set her on his back. "C'mon now, fillies need their sleep." Macintosh carried her back to her room and tucked her in before blowing out the lantern. After he'd put his youngest sibling to bed, he turned his attention to his other sister. He stepped carefully to her door, listening for any signs of life. A gentle sniffling echoed faintly beyond the door. He knocked gently, hoping she would at least give him the chance to apologize, even though he wasn't the one who'd allowed his temper to start an argument. "Applejack?" he whispered. Not a sound came from the room beyond. He sighed. "Ah'm sorry for snappin' at ya." He waited patiently for a response, but none came. As he was about to give up and head back to his room for the night, the soft click of an unlocking door drew his attention. Ears forward, he pushed the handle and nudged his way inside. Applejack's bed was near the door, so she had no problem locking and unlocking it from there. Inside, a sliver of moonlight streaked through her flannel curtains. She lay with her back towards the door, her mane laying haphazardly across her pillow without its red rubber band to tame it. Mac took a seat on the side of her bed. When in a foul mood, Applejack was as stubborn as they come. Ironically, he knew he'd have to do most of the talking. "Ah'm sorry for gettin' upset with you, Applejack." Mac leaned over the bed ever so slightly. Though he couldn't see her face, he recognized the dark spot staining her pillow. "Ah know you may not think this is true, but Ah'm glad you finally asked Twilight ta help you." A single sniffle was all the response he received, though in Applejack language, that meant she was at least listening. "Believe it or not, Ah hated not bein' able to teach you how to read when Ah first put two and two together," he exhaled deeply, eyes shifting back and forth between the dresser with a seldom used vanity mirror on it and his sister. "Ta see you have to shoulder such a burden, then have to deceive your friends and family just to keep it hidden... it... well, it was just plain awful." On that note, he noticed her shoulders relax as she flicked an ear in his direction. "It was hard, ya know." he began. "It was hard seein' ya love school and learnin' so much, just to have to be taken out of it to work on a patch a dirt with me ta keep us from bein' homeless... Ah hated our situation just as much." She finally rolled all the way over, her eyes dry, but still puffy from earlier. "Ah'm sorry too, Macintosh," she sighed. "It ain't your fault you couldn't teach me how ta read." Mac smiled at his sister. "Ah didn't even realize you couldn't till a few years ago. You were pretty crafty at gettin' by without bein' able to." Though she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, she nodded all the same. "Thanks, but how come you never said nothin'?" she asked. "Would you have admitted it if Ah had?" Applejack opened her mouth to reply, only to find nothing but night air on her tongue. "That's what Ah thought." She sighed. "Ah'm sorry for yellin' at ya earlier. It's just been slow goin' since it was my first night and all..." "Ya think Ah figured out how ta run the farm's finances 'n such in one night?" he asked. "No, but a foal can't do taxes. Foals sure as shoot can read..." "Hush now, you'll be readin' soon enough," he assured her. "If anypony can teach a stubborn hard-head like you anything, it's Twilight." The lighthearted ribbing earned the first smile he'd given her brother since she'd arrived home. "Thanks, Ah guess," "No problem," he said, standing from her bed to retire to his own. "Mac, do ya think you could keep my lessons a secret? Least till Ah can actually get the hang of it?" "Sure. G'night Applejack." "Goodnight Macintosh. Ah love you." "Love you too." "... I mean, what other reason could she possibly have for sneaking over to her house in the middle of the night, and then lying to me about it?" Rainbow asked, pacing around her room as Tank watched his master wear holes in her cloudy floor. She glanced at her pet tortoise. "You're a better listener than a talker." She lifted him from the floor and laid on her bed, resting him on her belly as he withdrew into his shell, only his eyes visible inside the his bony home. "You know, for being the pet of the best flier in Equestria, you sure don't like movement," she said. Dash sighed. Rarity wasn't very receptive to her admittedly soap-opera-ish theory, but Rainbow could see no other reason for Applejack to be hanging out with Twilight of all ponies at such an ungodly hour. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm losing sleep over this!" she moaned, tossing Tank beside her as she rested her forelegs behind her head. "It'd be one thing if they actually liked each other, I'd be stoked for them!" Unable to simply lay with her restless thoughts, she resumed walking laps around her bedroom. "Why would they try to be a sneaky about it? Ugh, we're supposed to be friends!" She continued until she finally decided on a course of action. "Fine, if AJ won't tell me the truth, I know I can get it out of Twilight." With her schedule now full of sleuthing, Rainbow finally put her tired mind to rest, if only for the few hours remaining in Luna's realm. Twilight's ears perked up as a rhythmic knocking at her door stirred her from her favorite dream; the one where she wrote a bestselling book about the time she read every book in existence. Peculiar to some, certainly, but dreams didn't have to make sense. She looked to the window; the hues of the sunrise were still at their peak. The library wouldn't be officially open for another hour or so. She glanced at Spike, who lifted his head from his basket to gaze wearily back at her. "Do you wanna—" Spike asked, before Twilight interrupted. "Yeah..." she yawned, figuring she'd let Spike sleep in a bit for once. Throwing her hind legs over the edge of the bed she made her way to the stairs, levitating a brush through her mane as she went. She silently swore that whoever needed a book at this hour better have a medical emergency. Otherwise, they may end up with one. She opened the door slowly. "... Rainbow?" Unable to form a coherent sentence at this hour, she was only able to ask as to the nature of the intrusion in the simplest terms. "Why?" "What, I can't stop by my friends place for some tea?" Twilight stuck her head outside and squinted, the sun just beginning its climb into the sky. She glanced at the sundial in front of her house. "One, you hate tea. Two, it's six thirty in the morning." "Uh, did I say tea? I meant... scones! I love a good... scone in the morning." The cheesy smile should have raised red flags, but Twilight was still too tired to care. "C'mon in..." she yawned, letting her friend inside. "You look pretty tired Twi, what's the matter?" Rainbow asked, feigning innocence. "Nothing... just early, I guess," she replied, rubbing her eyes with a hoof before setting a kettle on the stove. "Really? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you stayed up all night." Twilight was now awake enough to recognize Dash's tone. She turned slowly, narrowing her eyes. "Just a bit of late night studying." Of what, anatomy? Mare anatomy? Applejack's mare anatomy?! Rainbow thought, but she held her tongue. Twilight turned back to her kitchen and searched through her cupboards. She noticed that she had both a box of blueberry scones and an unopened box of crumpets. Smiling deviously, she devised a plan to expose the real reason Rainbow had stopped by so early. Placing a crumpet on a plate, she warmed it with her magic. She brought the snack out to where Rainbow had sat, placing it on the coffee table in front of her. "Enjoy your... scone," she said, careful not to let her inflection raise suspicions. "Thanks Twi, it looks great—" "Aha! That's not a scone, it's a crumpet!" Twilight snapped victoriously. "What are you really doing here?" Rainbow's face began to run red. "Uh.. I... screw this!" she said to Twilight, bolting up from the couch. "What were you doing here with AJ last night?" "That is none of your business!" Twilight shot back. "Why does it matter to you what Applejack does?" "She bailed on drinking with me and watching stuff burn! That's our thing!" Rainbow countered. Twilight was wide awake by now, and mindful of her promise to keep her friend's secret. "I'm sorry she didn't want to go do... that with you, but I'm sure she had a good reason." Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "You would know, wouldn't you?" "Like I said before," Twilight began through gritted teeth. "It's none of your concern." "What's the matter? Afraid somepony will find out the town librarian and the farmer have been going at it?" Twilight blushed furiously. "That's not what's been happening!" "Then what has?" Rainbow demanded. Twilight paused, the break in the conversation seeming to fill the room. She broke eye contact with Dash. "N-nothing, but certainly not that!" Undeterred, Rainbow fluttered over to Twilight's numerous bookshelves, scanning the spines for a particular book. After a few seconds, she retrieved a book titled: The Elements of Harmony and You: Getting to know your god-like powers. Rainbow flipped through the book and stopped about a third of the way in. "You've read this book before?" she asked. "Three times, cover to cover." Twilight replied proudly, a smug smile across her lips. "Then you know what it says on page eighty-six, paragraph three, line four?" Twilight thought for a moment before she realized what Dash was referring to, and gasped. "That's right! According to this, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony have to be in harmony with each other for them to work." "So?" "Well, secrets don't make for harmony, now spill!" Rainbow demanded once again. A scowl across her face, Twilight brought Rainbow down to her level with her magic. "I'm not going to let you blackmail me into breaking a promise!" she growled. "Especially not using the Elements of Harmony!" Rainbow set the book back on the shelf. "Fine." Rainbow huffed. "If you two want to be best friends and keep secrets, then go ahead." Twilight released her from her grip. "But this isn't over," she said sincerely, nose to nose with Twilight. "Goodbye, Rainbow!" Twilight insisted, opening the door for her. Dash instead flew through an open window. "Ugh!" Twilight slammed the door and stomped back upstairs, all the commotion having already woken Spike. "You just fight somepony down there?" he asked. "I don't want to talk about it," she replied, flopping down on her bed to get what little sleep she could salvage.
Part 5Part 5 Twilight groaned, rubbing her eyes. Rainbow's gone full-on detective... she's not the longest book on the shelf, but how long until she finally figures out our secret? Spike sat across from Twilight, staring with mild disinterest. After all, as far as breakdowns are concerned, this one was relatively mild. As much as Spike loved silence, he couldn't help but offer his advice. "Why don't you just ask AJ why its such a big deal? I mean, I get that it's embarrassing and all, but why not just tell Rainbow and ask her to keep quiet about it?" Twilight raised her face from the pillow. "You realize this is Applejack, right? The pony who would rather destroy the town than ask for help?" Spike raised an eye ridge. "Didn't she learn her lesson?" "It's not about lessons, Spike," Twilight sighed. "It's about pride." "So, what?" he asked. "You think Rainbow would just laugh at her or something? That doesn't sound like something she would do." "No, I don't think she'd make fun of her, but the two of them have an... unusual relationship." Spike hopped off the couch and walked toward the kitchen. He knew one thing that would calm her frazzled nerves: a hot cup of tea. "Unusual like how?" "Well... they have a balance. If one gets leverage over the other, the balance is gone." Spike turned from the kettle. "That sounds... I don't get it." Twilight sat up on the couch, slouching against it. "Let me explain. Applejack is faster than Rainbow on the ground, but Rainbow is faster in the air. Applejack can buck apples, but Rainbow can clear clouds. See what I'm saying about balance?" "Oh, I guess that makes sense... but since when does Rainbow like to read?" Spike asked, carrying the tea tray over to her. "To my knowledge, she doesn't." Twilight poured herself and Spike a cup. "The only thing I've ever seen her read is a magazine." She sipped her tea tentatively. "Okay... but I still don't see why AJ learning to read would upset Rainbow." Twilight set her tea and saucer down with a soft clink on the table in front of her. "It wouldn't upset Rainbow. It would upset Applejack. Imagine if the whole town, or even the country found out an Element of Harmony couldn't read. The tabloids and newspapers would have a field day." Twilight rubbed a hoof against her forehead. "She'll be coming over again tonight." Spike nodded, taking a gulp of his tea. Heat was not an effective deterrent against a dragon tongue. "You want me to keep an eye out for any snooping weather managers while you two are upstairs?" Twilight chuckled. Spike chasing Rainbow away with a broom was an entertaining thought. "I think we'll be fine if you just keep an eye on downstairs. I've got a few soundproof spells I can use to seal up my room." "Okay then, but you know Rainbow isn't just going to give up on this." Twilight sighed, cursing her friend's persistence for once. "I know." Mac wiped the sweat from his brow as he shoved the last bushel into place next to the others. His sister had just taken the apple cart up to town, and he was more than ready to break for an early lunch. All the work he did on a daily basis kept him in a constant state of hunger. A high metabolism demands a constant stream of food, and there was no part of his day he looked forward to more than his three meals. Unless you counted his occasional trips to the bar. A prideful smile crossed his lips as he shut the barn doors. He turned toward the farmhouse when a brightly colored mane stopped him in his tracks. "Hey there, Big." Mac blinked. "Howdy, Ms. Rainbow." Dash rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you 'Rainbow' is fine?" "At least once more." He grinned. "Applejack's still in town sellin', but she'll probably be back in a couple 'a hours." Rainbow batted her eyes the way she'd seen Rarity do so many times before. "Don't be silly, I came to see you!" The red stallion became even more so. "M-me?" "Duh! Who else?" Mac's eyes bounced between the mare before him and the ground. "W-well..." Mac's stomach growled loudly, rendering his cheeks and even brighter shade of red. "How about we go get something to eat?" Dash offered, still keeping her cool. "I'll buy." Mac considered her proposal. He hadn't been out to lunch with a mare that wasn't a member of his family for a good, long while. Ah reckon it'd be good for me ta get back out there after my incident with Cheerilee... he thought. "All right then." Rainbow smiled deviously, departing down the trail beside her sturdy company. Rainbow watched in amazement as Mac easily put down as much food as she would have in a normal sitting. The notion of the bill wiped the blank stare from her face. "So, Mac, how was Braeburn?" Mac finished chewing and wiped his mouth. "He was fine. Just needed some help gettin' his trees planted, is all." She nodded, taking a few more bites of her salad. "Bet that wasn't too hard, huh?" Mac's strength was known around town. However, all this small talk was merely a formality as Dash built up to her real reason for asking Mac to lunch. "Nah," he replied. "So, how's AJ been lately?" she asked. "She seemed a bit worn out without you to do the heavy lifting." Mac snorted. He knew his sister would never admit to having a bit of trouble managing his chores. "Ah'd imagine so. She ain't likely ta admit it, though." Ain't that the truth, Rainbow thought. "Yeah, actually she's been acting pretty sneaky lately." An eyebrow raised from Mac's end of the table. "'S'at right?" "Yeah, she bailed on our usual trip to Carrot's farm to go hang with... somepony else." Rainbow caught herself before giving away her 'spy games'. A silent look of comprehension fell over Mac as he chewed. He had his suspicions as to why Rainbow had asked him to lunch at this point, but was still unsure of Applejack's friend and occasional rival's true intentions. "Huh. Well, Ah suppose she'll do as she wants." Rainbow frowned. Mac was either stonewalling her, or he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. Mac may have been a stallion of few words, but she'd wager he knew more about his sister's secrets than he was letting on. "Yeah, I ran into her late last night, coming back from somewhere, but she wouldn't say where." Mac smiled, recalling his late night confrontation with his sister the night before. "Maybe she's found herself a nice pony." Rainbow continued, careful to search Mac's reaction. "Nah, Ah don't think that's it." Mac shut his lips immediately, as though he could catch the words if he'd done it fast enough. "So, what do you think it is?" Rainbow asked like a detective interviewing a suspect. Mac's darting eyes let her know she was on the right track. "Ah dunno," he said quickly, setting his napkin down over his empty plate and standing from his chair. "You'd have to ask her." He removed a small bag of bits from beneath his yoke and set them on the table. "Ah wouldn't feel right makin' ya pay for everythin' Ah ate." Even though you only invited me out here ta try and get information outta me, he thought. "Have a pleasant afternoon, Ms. Rainbow." He nodded in her direction and hurriedly headed back toward Sweet Apple Acres. Once Mac was out of earshot, Dash pounded a hoof on the table and growled in frustration. "Ugh! I know he knows something!" She dragged her hooves down her face and moaned. "I don't believe this! Does everypony know about what she's been up to but me?" The waiter brought her bill and Rainbow nearly choked on what was left of her water. "That's the last time I offer to pay for a stallion's lunch!" As the moon began rising over the mountains, Twilight prepared for her student's arrival. Though only in her second day of tutoring, she could tell Applejack was enthusiastic about finally learning to read. She'd briefly stopped by her apple stand for a snack, and was treated to a free apple of her choice! Ordinarily, she'd never accept something as payment for spreading the joys of literacy, but she simply couldn't resist. Spike had already retrieved the books they would need for their session, while agreeing to read his comic books downstairs and keep an ear out for a certain pegasus. Twilight was reviewing the material for the night's lesson when she heard a knock at the door. She rose from her cushion to answer it, though Spike waved a claw and hopped off the couch. Applejack strode in, her saddlebags filled with some of the homework Twilight had assigned her. Spike looked around outside before closing and locking the door. Twilight levitated the selected book into her bedroom while Applejack opened her saddlebags. "So, how much of the homework were you able to get done?" "Most of it. I was sellin' later than usual today, so it took me awhile to get the cart into the barn and such." Applejack passed a few pieces of paper over to Twilight, who gave them a cursory glance. "This looks pretty good!" Twilight chimed. "We'll get a better look at it when we get upstairs." Applejack nodded. "Ah don't suppose you've talked to Rainbow today?" she asked. "Only this morning," Twilight groaned, recalling her confrontation with Dash. "She seems hellbent on figuring out why you are coming over here all of the sudden." A look of worry flashed in Applejack's eyes. "You didn't say nothin', did ya?" "Nope." Twilight smiled. "Your secret is safe with me." "Thanks." She sighed in relief. "It's not that Ah don't trust ya, Twi, it's just... RD can be a trickster when she wants ta be." Twilight nodded, before running a hoof through her mane in exasperation. If Rainbow kept up the pressure, it was going to be hard to explain why they kept meeting late a night in private without the truth coming out eventually. "Just today she took Mac out to lunch to try and get somethin' out of him." Twilight chuckled. "Sounds like her alright." She started towards the stairs and motioned for her student to follow. "I'm going to use a soundproof spell on my room just in case, and Spike will be down here watching the windows in case she decides to try to spy on us." "Thanks Twi, you really know how to make a mare feel at ease." They two of them trotted upstairs and shut the door while Spike sprawled out on the couch with a bowl of gems and the latest issue of his favorite dragon superhero comic Scales of Justice. Rarity trotted happily along the road from Sweet Apple Acres toward town, a bow and quiver of arrows strapped to her back as she hummed a soft tune to herself. She'd always enjoyed practicing archery with Big Macintosh, who was surprisingly adept at it, despite the awkwardness of hooves. Every week she'd head over for a friendly competition—one she usually won. Not that she cared about the outcome. The fun part was improving her talents, and perhaps the company, though she would be hesitant to admit. As she came upon Twilight's library, she glanced toward the upper windows. Candles still burned brightly within. In fact, the entire library was still lit up well past its closing time. Her thoughts drifted back toward her conversation with Rainbow the night before. "Oh Rarity, that is utter nonsense," she chided herself, giggling at the mere thought of Twilight and Applejack being romantically involved. Besides, Macintosh had told her Applejack had gone to Twilight's to have her check over Apple Bloom's extra homework! Being the patriarch of the most notoriously honest family in Ponyville, she had no reason to doubt him. She continued along the path when a bush beside the road rustled violently. She stifled a scream as she leapt back. Whatever was in that bush was much too big to be a harmless rabbit or wild deer. Thinking quickly, she drew her bow and strung an arrow, using her magic to draw it back. "Who's there? What do you want?" she snapped. "Because all you're going to get are holes!" Rarity paused to consider her phrasing. "Uhm... holes in you, not my holes—" Before she could finish, Rainbow Dash—clad in her black sneaking suit and camouflage face paint—emerged from the bush. "Relax, it's just me!" Rarity huffed and rolled her eyes, stowing her weapon. "Rainbow Dash!" she chastised. "What on earth are you doing out here dressed like some kind of... ninja?" "I'm trying to listen to what Twilight and Applejack are doing in there with this thing I borrowed from Pinkie." She held up a small radar dish and earphones. "Twilight must be blocking it somehow, because I can't hear a thing except Spike crunching on his darn gems!" Rarity rolled her eyes. This was getting far too ridiculous for her taste. "Rainbow, don't you think you're getting a tad obsessive at this point?" "Obsessive?" she repeated in outrage. "How can you not care that they've been hiding this from us? They're supposed to be our friends!" "Rainbow Dash, listen to yourself!" Rarity pled. "You're sounding like a crazy pony." "Oh yeah?" she countered. "If I'm so crazy, then why am I out here hiding in a bush and going to the bathroom in a hole while I wait for Twilight or Applejack to say something incriminating?" Rarity raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. Rainbow frowned. "Well if you're all such close buddies, why haven't they told you anything?" Rarity opened her mouth to reply to such a notion, but could muster no response. Surely Rainbow Dash isn't... right about this? she wondered. "That's what I thought!" Rarity dragged a hoof down her face, unable to believe what she was about to do. She released a heavy sigh. "Move over." "Okay, your homework looked great!" Twilight praised, giving her back the paper with only a few red marks on it. "All you need to do is find the few errors you missed in the sentences I marked and we can start tonight's lesson." Applejack took a hard look at the two sentences Twilight had circled for her. "Oh! Ah forgot the apostrophe! That makes its into it is, right?" "That's right!" Twilight beamed. Applejack couldn't help but return her smile as she corrected the last two words. "Great job, Applejack!" Twilight bit her lip, debating something internally before her pupil noticed her expression. "Somethin' the matter, Twi?" "No, but I think we're ready to give our first book a try." "F-First book?" Applejack's eyes widened as she fidgeted with her hat. "But we've only been at this for two nights countin' now!" Twilight's gentle smile didn't do much to reassure her. "Don't worry, I wouldn't throw you in the ocean after one swimming lesson!" Twilight levitated a large, colorful book from her bed. "Do you remember this?" It was the book Twilight had found Applejack trying to hide from her in the hay loft. Not the exact same, but a copy. Applejack laughed nervously. "Ah do seem ta recall this one..." "I thought so." Twilight opened the cover to the first page of the story about a very hungry caterpillar. "Just try your best, and if you get stuck, I'll be right here to help you." Twilight moved her cushion next to Applejack's and set the book in front of them as she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Okay." Applejack skipped the title page and publisher info and stared at the first sentence. "In the lig—light?" she looked to Twilight who nodded, keeping the warm smile that encouraged her to continue. "In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf." Twilight couldn't help but throw her forelegs around her student after she'd completed her first sentence. "You did it perfectly!" Applejack returned the hug. "Okay, keep going! You're doing so well, Applejack!" A soft giggle escaped her lips as she looked back down toward the pages in front of her. "On Sun-Sun..." she paused, looking to Twilight with what she could swear was fear of disappointing her friend-turned-teacher in her eyes. "Sound it out, you're almost there!" she encouraged. "Sun—day. Sunday?" "Yes!" Twilight cheered. "On Sunday mor... morning, the warm sun came up and out of the egg popped a very hungry cat... cater..." Twilight covered the latter half of the word with a hoof and allowed Applejack to tackle the long word in parts. "Cat-er-pill-ar... caterpillar?" Twilight reserved her reaction, though Applejack could not contain her pride. "Did you see how long that word was? That was the longest I've ever read!" "I know!" Twilight glowed, nearly addicted to watching one of her best friends learn so much in such a short time. "You're so good at this Applejack! Don't stop now, keep going!" "You're a unicorn, can't you use your magic to bust whatever spell Twilight is using on her room?" Rainbow asked, still trying to tune her spying device to intercept Twilight and Applejack's conversation. "In case you forgot, our dear friend Twilight is the Element of Magic, meaning her magic is quite powerful," Rarity replied. "But... I suppose I could muster the strength to penetrate her spell for a second or two without her noticing..." By now, Rarity was ashamed to admit that she was just as intrigued as Rainbow about what their two friends were up to and why it had to be such a secret. Rainbow widened the headset to allow both her head and Rarity's to fit between the headphones. Rarity scrunched her nose and concentrated her magic on getting through the spell over the window to Twilight's bedroom. The static of the spell in the headphones was soon replaced by Twilight's unmistakable voice coming through the speakers. "Okay, keep going! You're doing so well!" Rarity blushed and halted her interference. "Why'd you stop? That's barely any evidence at all!" Rarity glared at Rainbow before wiping the sweat from her brow and continuing to concentrate. "You're so good at this Applejack! Don't stop now, keep going!" At that point, Rarity removed her ear from the headphones, her face flushed with a mix of interest and embarrassment. "I knew it! I knew they were doing something!" Rainbow said triumphantly. "Who would have thought it was each other?" Rarity asked quietly. "No, no! This proves nothing!" she corrected quickly, coming to her senses. Rainbow stared at her flatly. "Really? How much more proof do you need?" Rarity rubbed her temples. "No, this makes no sense! They'd never hide something like this from us! They know we'd accept them no matter who it was they chose to love!" "Look, I'm not doubting we'd accept them, all I want to know is why they're hiding this from us!" Rainbow explained. "So, will you help me find out?" Rarity sighed. The friend in her wanted to just let Applejack and Twilight be, knowing they'd let them know what they were up to when they felt ready. But the gossip in her just had to know why they'd keep this a secret. "... Okay."
Part 6Part 6 "Twilight, you've been so nice ta help me like this," Applejack said before taking a bite of a scone Spike had prepared beforehand. "It's no problem at all," Twilight insisted. "You don't have to keep thanking me, Applejack. I'm happy to do it!" Twilight took a refreshing sip of tea before setting her cup down on the table with a clink against the saucer. "Besides, you're picking this up so fast, I'll bet you'll be reading at an adult level in a few weeks!" Applejack smiled, swallowing her mouthful of pastry. "Ya think so?" Twilight nodded confidently. "I don't just think so, I know so. I tutored fillies and colts before I moved here, and I've never seen any of them pick it up this fast." Applejack blushed, adjusting her hat. "Well, shucks, thank ya, Twi. Maybe next time you can come over to th' barn instead of me sneakin' around over here?" "I think that would be a fantastic idea!" Twilight smiled. "We could call it a sleepover to avoid arousing any suspicion!" "Then it's settled," Applejack chuckled. The two ponies trotted down the stairs, and Twilight opened the door for her guest. Rarity and Rainbow Dash ducked down into the bushes, while peering through the leaves. Applejack stopped outside and turned around. "You just c'mon by the farm next week, and we'll have the whole night to ourselves." Twilight smiled. "I look forward to a repeat performance." Applejack shuffled her hooves, sticking her chest out proudly. "You'll get better than that! Ah'm gonna practice till Ah get tired, then Ah'll practice some more!" Twilight hugged her, Applejack nuzzling her in return. "That's my girl! See ya next week!" Applejack waved goodbye and trotted back toward her farm as Twilight went back inside her house. As soon as they were sure the coast was clear, Rainbow and Rarity stuck their heads out of the bushes, spitting out a few leaves as the did. "See? They're meeting every week!" Dash snapped. "What more proof do you need?" "Rainbow, we've heard nothing definitive!" Rarity whispered harshly. "All of this could be taken out of context to mean anything!" "What are you two doing in our bushes?" A deadpan voice startled them, and Rainbow jumped into Rarity's embrace. It was a few hours past Spike’s bedtime, and even the sight of his unrequited crush did nothing to shake his sullen mood. "Spike! It is quite rude to sneak up on somepony!" Rarity admonished as Dash settled on her hooves. "Yeah, Spike, don't you have any manners?" Rainbow added. "Oh sure, I should take a lesson in manners from the two ponies with spy equipment outside my house," the young dragon replied sarcastically. "That's not spy equipment!" Dash said defensively. "Then what were you doing with it?" he asked, raising an eye ridge. "We were... uhm... bird... listening! Yes, you know, like bird watching, except... with your ears." Rainbow smiled, stumbling through an explanation that seemed reasonable. "Really?" Rarity stepped forward. "Of course, Spike, my dear! Would I ever lie to you?" Spike's inquisitor's stare softened a bit once Rarity had spoken her piece, but he still had a few reservations. "It's nearly midnight. What birds could you possibly be listening for?" "Oh!" Rarity said quickly, "We were... uhm... you see—" "Owls!" Rainbow interjected. "We were listening to owls!" Spike leveled his eyes. "Owls?" "Yes! We were just so jealous when Twilight got that owl to be her pet!" Rarity smiled innocently at the skeptical dragon. "...Okay." Spike pushed his way through the bushes and disappeared inside the library. "You don't think Spike knows anything about that, do you?" Rarity asked, once she was sure he was out of earshot. Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "I'll bet he does." She turned to Rarity. "And I know just how to get it out of him." Spike climbed the stairs to their bedroom. Twilight yawned from her bed, emptying the last bit of tea from the kettle into her cup. "So, how was the patrol, Sergeant Spike?" she asked, replacing the books she had been using with Applejack. "Rainbow Dash roped Rarity into her shenanigans. They were hiding outside in our bushes," he said flatly. "I don't know why they care so much, but they had all kinds of crazy spy stuff they borrowed from Pinkie." Twilight sighed, dragging a hoof across her face. "Why do they care?" she groaned. Spike shrugged, climbing into his basket. "Who knows. I guess Rainbow just doesn't like secrets unless they're hers." Twilight shimmied underneath her blankets and extinguished all the candles in the room except the one by her nightstand. "You know, I don't mean to bust up the sneaky-ness you guys have going, but... couldn't this whole dilemma be solved if you just convinced Applejack that Rainbow wouldn't care that she couldn't read, especially when she sees how much of a sore subject it is for her?" Silence filled the room before a light snore emanated from Twilight's side of the room. Spike sighed and rolled over in his basket, pulling his blanket over his shoulders. Ugh, how many times are we supposed to go through this kind of stuff? The next morning, Spike decided it was best if he stayed as far away from the entire mess he'd uncovered as possible. He figured he could still make sure Twilight didn't do anything she'd regret, but otherwise, he would play the part of observer. Or so he believed. A knock at the library door woke Spike much earlier than he would have liked. He raised himself from his basket and looked to Twilight, still sprawled out on her bed, a thin line of saliva trailing from the corner of her mouth onto her pillowcase. Spike's attention was turned back to the door as another series of knocks echoed through the morning stillness of the library. Spike lazily clomped down the stairs, glancing at the clock. The library was actually due to open in fifteen minutes. With an indignant snort, he opened the door, expecting his scowl alone to drive away the early bird. "Hello, Spike, why so glum?" His expression instantly lightened. His one desire stood before him, looking as camera-ready as ever. "Rarity? What are you doing here so early?" She smiled, turning to the side to show him the fabrics stuffed into her saddlebag. "Oh, just here to borrow a book on Canterlonian fashion. I'll need the latest book on the subject Twilight's got." Spike nodded, stepping aside and letting her in. "Oh, no problem, I can get those for you." Against his better judgement, he thought about the encounter the night before. "Sorry about last night. I didn't meant to sound so rude, but it was way past my bedtime." Rarity waved a hoof as she took a seat on Twilight's couch. "No offense taken, Spike," she said happily. "Sweetie Belle gets the same way after nine o'clock." Spike chuckled. "So, if you don't mind my asking... what were you and Rainbow doing out there?" "Oh! Just another one of Rainbow Dash's crazy prank ideas. She attempted to rope me into it, but I told her a proper lady does not 'prank' ponies for fun." Rarity smiled, a bit of a blush coming over her cheeks. Spike bought it. "Can you tell me if Twilight is about yet?" "Uhm, actually, she's still—" "I'm up, Spike. Could you get us some tea?" Twilight called from the top of the stairs, her mane and tail still a bit disheveled from the night before. He nodded, departing to the kitchen. "So, what brings you by so early?" Rarity recoiled slightly at Twilight's accusatory tone. "Well, I came by to borrow your latest issue of Unicorn Quarterly." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Spike tells me you were in my bushes with Rainbow Dash last night." Rarity took a few indignant breaths before calming herself. "I can assure you, I had no part in whatever hare-brained prank Rainbow Dash was cooking up. In fact, Spike came upon us as I was explaining to her how uncouth playing pranks on unsuspecting ponies truly was." Spike brought them the tray of tea and set it on the coffee table, taking a seat beside Rarity. "Spike, could you be a dear and show me the gems you've collected for me? I've got a few designs I think would be just perfect with a few emeralds." He set he teacup down and sprang off the couch. "Sure thing, Rarity!" Once Spike had disappeared upstairs, she turned her attention back to Twilight. "Poor dear, I just couldn't bear to admit this in front of him." Twilight sat back against her chair. "Admit what?" She smiled, taking a sip of tea before continuing. "I met a charming stallion a few days ago, and he came by last night to ask me to an evening on the town!" "I can see why you wouldn't want Spike in the room." Twilight sat forward. "So, who is it?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Who is who?" "The stallion that asked you out!" "Oh!" She laughed nervously. "Right, uhm, his name... was..." Quickly Rarity, think of an adjective and a noun! Rarity's eyes darted around the room. "Round... Table." "Round Table, huh?" Twilight asked skeptically. "Yes, he's from... out of town. Anyway, is there anything noteworthy happening in your love life, Twilight?" Rarity asked leadingly. Twilight cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "No..." "Really? No, say... clandestine trysts or secret rendezvous?" Twilight's expression flattened. "What the... of course not! I would never keep something like that a secret." "Oh, Twilight, I know you wouldn't it's just... well, Rainbow Dash seems to think that you... and... Applejack—" Twilight grunted indignantly. "I should have known! I almost expect this kind of thing from her, but et tu, Rarity?" "Et... what?" Twilight slapped the book Rarity needed loudly on the coffee table in front of them. "Doesn't anypony appreciate Latin anymore? Anyway, there's your book. What Applejack and I do is between the two of us and Celestia." Rarity raised an eyebrow as she placed the book in her saddlebag. "So Celestia is privy to this information too?" "It's a figure of speech, and you know it! And I can assure you it is nothing like Rainbow Dash is suggesting. Applejack and I are friends, just like you and I are supposed to be!" Rarity sighed, flattening her ears. "You're right, Twilight, I've been a terrible friend," she sighed. "I apologize." She got up off the couch and strode toward the door. "Oh, and if you could have Spike run those gems by the boutique, I'd appreciate it." Twilight's expression softened. "Yeah, I'll send him by." "Thank you." With that, Rarity left the library, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. Spike was still gathering emeralds from his various stashes, giving her time to check her day planner. Levitating it from the desk drawer, she opened it to the day's date. "Let's see here..." 8:00am-11:59am Miscellaneous study/ponder lunch options. 12:00pm-1:00pm Consume lunch option. "Well, I guess I could get a head start on Applejack's next lesson." Twilight produced an unused planner and a few foal's reading workbooks and began planning their next meeting. Not long after, Spike came hustling down the stairs with a basket full of emeralds, his eager attitude dampening as he realized Rarity had left. "Where'd she go?" "Oh, she had to run, but wanted you to drop by the boutique with the emeralds," Twilight replied, not looking away from her books. As Spike made his way towards the door, she called to him. "Spike, before you go," she said, pulling herself away from her books. "I want you to promise on your 'dragon code' that you won't breathe a word of what Applejack and I have been doing to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, or anypony else, okay?" Spike's shoulders drooped. He should have kept his dragon code—something he had come up with himself—a secret. "Okay, I promise on my scales and fire I'll keep it a secret." Twilight smiled contently. "Thank you, Spike." "Well? Find anything?" Rarity rolled her eyes after closing the door to her boutique. "No, and I'd thank you to reconsider all of this nonsense." Rainbow folded her forelegs and huffed. "Twilight gave you one of her speeches, didn't she?" "Regardless of what Twilight said, I think this whole thing is silly," she replied. "Don't you have anything better to do than spy on Twilight?" "AJ and I spent all of our free time with each other! Now she'd rather hang with Twilight all of the sudden?" Rainbow hopped off Rarity's couch and strode towards her. "Aren't you even kinda curious?" She blew a stray strand of purple mane out of her face. Unfortunately, she couldn't deny her inner gossip. "Even if I was, I'd want them to tell us when they're ready, not force it out of them like some kind of inquisitor." A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "That'd be our guest of honor," Rainbow whispered before fluttering into the closet. "Work your magic, Rare!" Rarity dragged a hoof across her face, releasing a soft groan before putting on a smile and heading to the door. "Spike! So good of you to bring me those emeralds!" She stepped aside as he walked in, his basket of gems in his arms. "No problem, Rarity. Twilight had told me you had to leave early, so I figured I had time to run these over," he said happily, setting the basket down on the front desk. "Anything else you need?" he asked. "Oh no, nothing but for you to help me eat these cupcakes Pinkie brought over yesterday!" she chimed as a tray of pastries floated over from the kitchen with a pot of tea. "Sure!" he replied, licking his lips at the thought of Pinkie's famous gem-studded cupcakes. As the young dragon helped himself, Rarity poured them both a cup of piping hot tea. Spike immediately slurped his down without so much as a second to cool. Dragon's mouths were notably resistant to heat. "So, Spike, if you don't mind my asking, what was Applejack doing at Twilight's so late?" Spike paused from his eating rampage and glanced up at his hostess. "Uh, well..." How had he not thought up an excuse? Why didn't Twilight give him one?! "They, uhm... they just go into Twilight's room mostly." A faint scribbling drew Spike’s attention toward Rarity's closet before she brought him back to her. "It's just that, well... friends don't keep secrets from other friends, and if Twilight and Applejack were... involved with each other, we'd just like to know. They are our friends, after all." Spike's scales went a furious red. He'd never even considered such an assumption. "Oh, N-no way! I-it's nothing like that, I swear!" he stammered. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "But you understand our concern? I mean, why else would they be meeting in secret in the middle of the night?" Spike worked his jaw. "Uh... I... I can't say. But I know it's not that!" Another sound of faint scratching drew Spike's attention. "Is there something in the closet?" he asked, getting up from the couch and heading toward it. Thinking quickly, Rarity jumped in front of the closet. "Don't open that! Sweetie Belle trapped a raccoon in there, and Fluttershy is on her way to take it back to the forest!" Thankfully, Spike seemed to have bought it. Be it his young age or just sheer gullibility, Rarity breathed a sigh of relief nonetheless. "Well, Spike, I certainly appreciate the visit, but I have much work to do," she said, tossing the cupcakes into Spike's basket and practically pushing him out of the door. "B-but wait, don't you need any help with anything?" he asked, his claws scratching into her tile floor as he tried to stop himself. "Oh no, I'll be quite alright. Thank you, Spike!" The young dragon was quickly out the door. Rarity promptly shut it and slumped against it, crumpling to the ground on her haunches. Rainbow emerged from the closet with a notepad and quill. "Well, I hope all that scratching was worth it!" Rarity snapped indignantly. "Actually, I can't read any of this," she said looking at the random assortment of squiggles on the pages. "I forgot how bad I was at mouth-writing." Rainbow chucked the notepad over her shoulder and turned to Rarity. "Besides, I remember what he said. He knows, Rarity. He just doesn't want to say." "I don't care what he knows," she insisted, folding her forelegs across her chest. "I'm not deceiving Spike like that again." "Okay, look, just help me stakeout Twi's place one more time next week, and if we don't figure out anything new, I'll stop this whole thing for good. Deal?" Rainbow asked, helping her up off the floor. "You promise? Pinkie Pie Promise?" she asked. "Fine..." Rainbow groaned. "Okay then. You get one more chance," Rarity replied, straightening her mane. "Cool, I'll go borrow Pinkie's spy stuff." Rarity sighed, running a hoof through her mane. "You should have just left Rainbow in the bushes by herself!"
