The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, decided to relax for the day and read a new book she recently purchased. Although this novel was released a few years ago, she remembered it being very popular at the time. Ponies loved it, ponies raved about it, and now Applewood planned to make a movie out of it. Before the movie comes out, she decided it was time to read what all the fuss was about. Despite the many ponies that talked about it, she never knew what the plot was as she tuned them out.
After she brewed herself a cup of tea, she took her book and walked herself to the castle library. As she walked inside, she noticed she was not alone. "Hi Starlight!" she called out with a smile.
"Good morning Twilight," Starlight said with a smile as well. "I was just studying a few of these spell books." Starlight took notice at what Twilight was levitating, "Is that a new book?"
Twilight nodded happily, "Yep. This was always on my list of things to read, but I haven't had a chance until now. I don't know what it is about, but I remember ponies were nuts about it."
"Oh really?" Starlight questioned while putting away her stack of books, "What is it called?"
"Fifty Shades of Grey."
After the words left Twilight's mouth, Starlight jumped slightly and dropped her books.
"Starlight? You okay?" Twilight asked.
"Huh? Oh uh yeah. Just fine. I uh- Thought I saw a spider," Starlight chuckled nervously. "So uh... You haven't read that yet?" she asked.
"I know I am a few years late, but better late than never right? It was written by E.L. Fame. Have you read it yet?"
"Me? Well, actually, yes I have," Starlight said with redness in her cheeks.
"You too huh? I am starting to think I am the only pony who hasn't read it yet. Well, I guess I better get started." Twilight said as she set both the book and her cup of tea down at a nearby table.
"Uh Twilight, there is something you should know about that particular book-."
"Ah ah ah! No spoilers Starlight." Twilight silenced her friend. She then pulled out the chair and made herself comfortable. Twilight proceeded to open the book and began to read aloud, "I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror. Damn my hair - it just won't behave, and damn-," Twilight suddenly stopped.
She heard a familiar chime and noticed something at the corner of her eye. She looked down her right side and saw a glow emanating from her flank. The sudden realization had hit her and she gasped with excitement, "The map is calling for me!" she shouted. Without hesitation, she jumped out of her seat and ran to the cutie map.
Starlight breathed a sigh of relief before saying to herself, "Thank you map."
***
As she ran to the throne room, she thought to herself, "I wonder where the map is going to send me. Las Pegasus? Fillydelphia? Baltimare? Oh I am so excited!" With her magic, she opened the doors to reveal the holographic map of Equestria. She stopped herself just a few inches away from the table. "Where am I going? Where am I going?" she asked herself as her eyes looked over the map.
After a couple quick seconds, she spotted her cutie mark hovering over, "Ponyville?" she asked out loud. "The friendship problem is in Ponvyille?" Although Twilight was always happy to solve a friendship problem wherever she was needed, she couldn't help but be slightly disappointed. Very rarely did the map have a mission at home.
That was not the only thing that was rare about it. She noticed that the map only called for her. Usually it would send at least two ponies or all her friends to complete a task.
Twilight's emotions changed to a mixture of both confusion and nervousness. Remembering Cadence's advice, she deeply inhaled through the nose and exhaled out the mouth. She repeated this a couple of times before regaining her composure. "While it isn't the most exciting adventure, it is still a mission and the map entrusted me alone to do it," Twilight tried motivating herself. "And you are talking to yourself. Good start Twilight."
***
Twilight thought the best way to find the friendship problem was to act normal. If there was anything she learned from past missions, it was that the problem would come to you eventually. Despite this, she kept her eyes and ears open as she walked around Ponyville.
"Okay Twilight. Just ask natural," she told herself. She walked around and was constantly observing her surrounding. With everypony she passed by, she smiled and gave a friendly "hello."
After almost an hour of patrolling Ponyville, with nothing out of the ordinary, Twilight thought it was time to take a break. She then realized that she wasn't too far from Sweet Apple Acres. "You know what? I am getting kind of hungry and Applejack usually has an apple pie ready. I hope she doesn't mind if I drop by," she thought to herself as she walked toward Sweet Apple Acres.
***
As Twilight walked down the dirt road to the home of her apple friend, she took in the sweet smell of the apples hanging from the trees. The smell caused her stomach to growl rather loudly. Thoughts began to flow through her mind of apple pie, with cinnamon flavor, and the warm crust.
The thoughts left her mind, however, once she heard a familiar voice.
"Applejack, please I'm sorry," cried Rarity.
"I don't wanna hear it. Let me just do ma chores and just forget about it," replied an upset Applejack.
Twilight was just in front of the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres upon hearing her friends. Concerned, she followed the sound of their voices. They weren't far as they were arguing in the apple family barn.
"Applejack? Rarity? What's going on?" Twilight entered.
"Twilight!?!," both the orange earth pony and white unicorn gasped.
"Uh... How much of that did ya hear?" Applejack asked.
"Not much. I just arrived. Did something happen?" Twilight asked.
"Well, you see darling-."
"Don't ya dare tell her a thing!" Applejack interrupted Rarity.
"Tell me what?" Twilight questioned.
"Well you ignoring the problem isn't making things better. We need to tell her," said Rarity.
"Tell me what?" Twilight asked again.
"You don't need to tell her anything!" Applejack shouted.
"But if I don't tell her we won't be able to resolve this!"
"TELL ME WHAT!?!" yelled a frustrated Twilight, but again she was ignored by her friends. Unable to control her patience, she released a wave of magic that wrapped her purple aura around the two ponies. Both Applejack and Rarity were unable to move. "Well girls, I think I found the friendship problem."
Applejack's eyes widened at Twilight's statement. Applejack tried to speak, but the magic prevented her from doing so.
"Applejack, Rarity, this is your friend Twilight. We have gone on many dangerous adventures together, but our friendship has overcame every obstacle. I am sure that whatever is going on between you two, can be resolved with the magic of friendship," Twilight told her friends proudly. "Now I am going to release you two. When I do, I would like to hear each side of your-." Before Twilight could finish, she was interrupted by a muffled voice. She could see that Applejack was highly against this and forcefully tried to escape Twilight's grasp. "Applejack, what has gotten into you? What could have possibly happened that you are so against telling me?" Applejack's freckles were hidden from the redness that grew in her cheeks. Twilight saw this and knew that whatever happened was very embarrassing for Applejack. "Applejack, one of the most painful things to witness is two of my close friends arguing with one another. I have a different approach we could try. I will release you and only you. If you don't want to tell me, then we will just leave it at that. However, I don't believe it is good to avoid the subject. I am going to release you now."
True to her word, Twilight released Applejack from her magic. Able to move, Applejack avoided eye contact with Twilight and looked down to the floor.
In total silence, Twilight waited for her friend's answer. She took a quick glance at Rarity and saw that she too had rosy red cheeks. It seemed
that the subject would be embarrassing for her too.
After a couple more minutes of silence, Twilight thought the decision was made. When she was about to release Rarity, the silence was broken.
"It was an accident, but... It was unforgivable!" stated Applejack.
"Unforgivable? What did she do?" Twilight asked curiously.
"She... She tripped..." said Applejack.
Twilight was confused by her answer, "She tripped? You are mad and embarrassed because Rarity tripped?"
"It was... How and where she tripped Twilight..." Applejack replied uncomfortably.
"Okay? So how and where did she trip?" Twilight awaited her answer.
Applejack's lips trembled as she tried uttering the words. "Ugh! Let Rarity explain it! It was her fault to begin with!" Applejack shouted as she ran out of the barn.
"Applejack! Wait! You get back here right now!" Twilight shouted out to her, but her friend was long gone. Out of her view, she was unable to trap her friend in magic again. Taking Applejack's advice, she turned to Rarity and furrowed her brow. "Rarity, I am now going to release you and you better tell me what the hay is going on."
Without hesitation, she released Rarity and waited for her explanation.
Rarity fixed her mane and took a deep breath. "Twilight, let me just say that what happened was a complete accident and I feel terrible. I don't blame Applejack for being upset and running out the way she did."
"I don't blame her either, but I need you to help me understand. What happened?" Twilight begged for a straight answer.
"Well..." Rarity started, with the redness in her cheeks becoming much brighter, "You see, Applejack and I were walking back to her home. I was famished and asked her if I could have one of her apple pies."
"Really? That's why I came here too," said Twilight. Rarity looked at her unamused. Twilight cleared her throat, "Sorry. Please continue."
"As I was saying, we were on our way to have some apple pie. While were walking, a bee had flown out of nowhere and frightened me. I stopped walking as I was busy swatting away at this annoying bee. Applejack, on the other hoof, was laughing and kept walking away. Unable to get rid of it, I ran back to Applejack in hope that it would leave me alone. But while I was running... I tripped and..." Just like Applejack, Rarity's lips trembled and she struggled to complete her sentence.
For Twilight, this was the major moment. This was the most crucial information that could save Rarity and Applejack's friendship. Needing to know and out of patience, she yelled at her unicorn friend, "Oh for Celestia's sake would you just tell me already!?!"
Startled by Twilight's outburst, Rarity closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then shouted, "I tripped and rammed my horn into Applejack!"
Just like that, the entire barn once again fell silent. Rarity opened her eyes and was embarrassed by Twilight's expression. Twilight was sitting down, eyes wide, and jaw dropped.
"Y-y-you did what?" Twilight asked, "You mean you?"
Rarity nodded with eyes closed.
"Your horn?"
Rarity nodded.
"Into Applejack's?"
Rarity nodded furiously.
Twilight still could not fathom what she was hearing. She felt the need to go over it with Rarity again, "Let me guess this straight. You mean to tell me you were running behind Applejack, you tripped, then you landed hornfirst into Applejack's inner sanctum?"
"Yes yes! But you understand this was an accident right?"
"That means you- She's- Then her- No friendship lessons prepared me for this!" Twilight flailed her front legs in the air.
Suddenly, without warning, Applejack burst through the barn doors. "Did you have to yell that so loud!?! I bet ponies in Manehattan heard that."
"I'm sorry, but Twilight startled me and I was stressed out," Rarity explained.
"Your stressed out? I'm the victim here. It's a good thing Big Mac is outta town, Apple Bloom is in school, and Granny could sleep through an earthquake."
"Girls stop yelling at each other and let me regain my thoughts here," said Twilight.
"There is nothing to regain. Rarity violated me," an embarrassed Applejack stated.
"How many times must I apologize? Besides, you are partially to blame. If you had come back to help me with that pesky bee, this wouldn't have happened," Rarity counterargued.
"You're a unicorn ain't ya? What's the point of having that magic if y'all not goin' to use it to take care of a little bee?" Applejack fired back.
"I said stop!" Twilight shouted and let out a wave of magic. Once again, Applejack and Rarity were trapped in Twilight's magic. If they could, both ponies would have rolled their eyes.
Twilight paced back and forth between the ponies as she contemplated the situation, "Oh what do I do? What do I do? What do I do!?! I know, I will write to the princess. She has an answer for everything. No I can't write her about something as embarrassing as this! I doubt even she has ever came across something like this. Maybe there is a book on this? No of course not. Be realistic about this Twilight. Ugh. What am I supposed to do?" The questions were outweighing the answers and she felt that she wasn't getting any closer to a solution. What could she do? Will this friendship problem ever be solved?
Things were not looking good and she felt lost. She then turned to Rarity and Applejack and a sad expression, "Girls, I'm sorry, but I am not sure what to do." Before Twilight could continue, Applejack made an effort to speak. "Applejack, please let me finish. I want to help you two, but this is a serious issue. Rarity, you... Well you... You know what you did." Again, Applejack mumbled in vain. "I know Applejack. What Rarity did is certainly out of the ordinary, but you must understand that she didn't mean it." A third time, but with more force, Applejack's muffled voice got louder. "Okay okay. What are you trying to say?" Twilight asked as she released Applejack.
Applejack took a couple deep breaths before speaking, "I was tryin' to tell ya that I have a solution!"
"You do?" Twilight was shocked. So shocked, she unintentionally let go of Rarity.
"You do?" asked Rarity.
"I do," Applejack said firmly. "I hope y'all aware, no stallion has ever taken me and I was proud of it. I was both surprised and hurt that it all ended after Rarity's 'accident.'" Applejack heavily emphasized the word "accident." She then looked to Rarity, "What I have in mind is a fittin' punishment to fit the crime. Rarity, no stallion has ever taken ya either right?"
Rarity was flabbergasted at the questioned, "How could you ask me that? Of course not. What kind of mare do you think I am?"
"Good. That is all about to change," said Applejack.
Rarity stared at Applejack with a confused expression at first. Then almost instantly, she realized what Applejack was suggesting. Her mouth was open, but could not say the words. The fact that that was Applejack's solution was too much for her to handle. "A-A-Applejack? D-Darling? You can't possibly mean...?"
"Mhm," Applejack confirmed Rarity's suspicion.
"But you can't do that! You don't even have a horn," Rarity pointed out the flaw in Applejack's plan.
"Yeah I thought about that. Ya do realize that ya aren't the only pony here with a horn don't ya?"
After hearing those words, chills ran down Twilight's spine. She turned her attention toward Applejack, "What!?! Oh no no no no no. There is no way in Tartarus I am going to do that," Twilight objected.
"Twilight, the map called ya hear for a reason. We all know it was to solve this here friendship problem," stated Applejack.
"But Applejack, you can't ask me to do such a thing." said Twilight.
"I'm sorry Twilight but... But... Consarn it! I had a unicorn's horn rammed up my hind end! Do ya know what that is like? A full bag of bits says you don't. What I had was precious to me Twilight and Rarity took it away from me. She has to take responsibility!" yelled Applejack.
"But... But I..." Twilight struggled as she did not know how to respond to her. Never in her life did she think something like this would happen. Is this what her life has led up to at this point? First she was the element of magic, then became a alicorn princess, and now she was about to shove her horn up a pony's a-.
"Do it," said Rarity.
"What?" Twilight asked.
"She's right Twilight. Although it was an accident, I have taken something very precious to Applejack. She said that this was the only way and I agree. I am sorry, but we must ask you to do this for us." Despite saying all this, Twilight could see that Rarity wasn't completely comfortable with this.
"Applejack, does she really have to do this? Surely there is another way we can compromise?" pleaded Twilight.
"I'm sorry Twilight, but I will not be satisfied until she gets what she deserves." Applejack stomped her hoof.
"Twilight, please just do as she asks," Rarity requested, "I know this is a lot to ask, but this is something we have to do." Rarity then turn around with her back toward Twilight. "Just as I did to Applejack."
This was of course something that Twilight did not want to do, but she could see that both her friend's minds were made up. Uncomfortable, she lowered her head, but her eyes were aiming at Rarity.
"Twilight," Rarity called, "I know this isn't easy for you. If it makes it any easier, I am happier knowing it was done by a caring friend."
For Twilight, it didn't make it any less awkward. It did, however, provide little comfort that Rarity preferred her to do it.
"Just... Say the word," said Twilight.
"One moment," said Rarity. She took deep breaths and proceeded to fix her tail and mane. "Okay. I'm ready."
The signal was given and yet Twilight couldn't get herself to move. She then looked to Applejack. She realized that this had to be done. It might not have been the most appropriate solution, but she understood. She bit her bottom lip as she took her first step, then second, then third. The gap between her and Rarity became smaller. This was a true moment of proving their friendship.
"Twilight stop!" shouted Applejack as she ran behind Rarity.
With only a few seconds to react, Twilight placed her hooves down and opened her wings to put herself to a halt. "Applejack, what the hay are you doing?"
"That's enough Twilight. I'm satisfied," said Applejack.
Rarity turned around to face Applejack, "What? Why? I thought you wanted this."
"I thought so too, but then I saw that you were truly serious about this. When Twilight ran toward ya, ya didn't even flinch away. I was convinced you were willin' to do whatever it took to save our friendship. That was enough for me," said Applejack.
"So? Does this mean...?" Twilight asked.
"Yes Twilight. I am fine. Although I am still mad and I won't let Rarity hear the end of it, I am okay with this," Applejack said with half a smile.
Twilight heard a familiar sound and looked back to her flank. Her cutie mark glowed, signifying that she has completed her mission. She breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, the sound was replaced by another. A rumbling sound came from Twilight's belly. She blushed as she looked to her friends.
"Honestly Twilight how could you be hungry at a time like this?" asked Rarity. However, another stomach growl followed up and it wasn't from Twilight.
Applejack chuckled, "Come to think of it, you never did get your slice of pie did ya? Care to join us Twilight?"
Twilight smiled, "Yes please."
"Well me first darling," Rarity said jokingly as she passed by Twilight, "I was here first all."
"Huh? Now wait a minute. I was-," Twilight was following Rarity, but then the unthinkable happens. "Oh no!"
"Rarity!" Applejack cried out, but...
Author's Note
Well... At least Twilight has a new book to read right?
Fun fact: I feel that I made this story a bit too fast paced. Reason being was that I thought this story would be really funny and I wanted to write it. However, when I got to the incident, I began to feel bad and uncomfortable that it was
Hope you all enjoyed!
By the way, I know my writing needs a lot of work and I apologize. I am still looking for an editor/proofreader. If interested, please pm me and lets talk.
Thank you!
