Big Spoon

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

“I’m not tiny,” Twilight protested. “I’m statistically average for a unicorn.”

Applejack chuckled, lightly slapping a heavy hoof against Twilight’s barrel. “And unicorns just happen to be naturally small.”

“Maybe earth ponies are just too big.” Twilight pouted. “Did you ever think that might be a possibility?”

“Impossible. You need to be big if you wanna do the work we do.”

“Yeah well…” Twilight wheeled around and faced Applejack, scrunching her face with adorable efficiency as she glared at the towering hulk of a mare, “maybe I don’t like you pointing out how small I am?”

Applejack dipped forward, lowering herself just enough that she could plant a tender little kiss on the top of Twilight’s snout. This instantly brightened the unicorn’s lavender fur a couple embarrassed shades of red.

“Is that so?” she asked, smirking gently. “Because wasn’t it a certain mare who said she enjoyed feeling nice and small in my hooves?”

Twilight’s face continued to brighten. “That was a moment of weakness and you know it!”

“Well considering I big spoon every single night, you sure do suffer from quite a crisis of consciousness, it seems.”

“It’s not my fault,” Twilight whined, covering her face with a foreleg. “You’re just a big, old, and mean butch, bullying my poor femme resolve.”

Applejack leaned over and kissed her again, this time upon the cheek. “It’s what I do best, sugarcube. If you’d like, I might think about letting you big spoon every once and while, if you think that’d help. That is, if you think you’re up for the task.”

“I can handle it!”

“We’ll see,” Applejack said, letting out a low chuckle. “So, tell me, how have you been feeling lately?”

Twilight bit her lip and drew away from Applejack, continuing in her walk towards the Golden Oak Library.

Like a bundle of nerves and poorly concealed neuroticism that is moments away from fraying.

“Nervous,” she said.

“Nervous?”

“I got this feeling that…” Twilight sighed, failing to finish her sentence.

“That?”

“I feel like something big is coming up,” Twilight said, letting out a pent-up breath. “Like, it’s nothing concrete, but Celestia sent me a letter saying she wanted to have a conference with me about something. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing her but usually when she wants to have a conference, you know something’s about to go down.”

Applejack nodded. “Do you want somepony to keep you company when you head up there?”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “I couldn’t ask you to be away from your farm for that long. Especially not this close to the harvest.”

“While I do appreciate you being a mite concerned about my affairs, do try and remember that we’re marefriends and that I also have a commitment to you.”

“I know…” Twilight sighed, looking at the ground, “but seriously, I’ll be fine, I swear. I’ll have Spike with me and that should be more than enough moral support.”

“You sure?” Applejack asked, cocking a brow.

Twilight nodded.

“Absolutely certain?”

Another nod.

“One hundred and fifty percent?”

“Yes!” Twilight yelped, interrupting Applejack. “Yes, I am absolutely, without a doubt, certain that I can handle this on my own.”

Applejack nodded contently. “Well alright. Though, if you do need help, don’t be afraid to ask, you understand?”

Slowly but surely, their path led them into town, as farmland gave way to the fringes of the sparse settlement. As the two mares walked, they greeted neighbours who happily waved back. It was impossible to be a stranger in a town like this.

Especially, when Pinkie Pie was in charge of the welcoming committee.

Twilight smiled as memories of her first encounter with Ponyville flashed back to her. Strange to think how far she’d come in only a few meagre years.

“How have you been holding up?” Applejack asked. “You seemed a tiny bit stressed the last time we hung out.”

Twilight shrugged. “No more anxious than usual.”

“No offense, hun, but your baseline anxiety levels are a little on the high side.”

“Fair…”

“Have you been taking time for yourself?”

“Of course,” Twilight said, the grin of a terrible liar etched on her lips. “A few hours every night.”

Applejack cocked a brow. Apparently, she wasn’t buying it.

“Look!” Twilight exclaimed, gesturing with her hoof. “I swear, as soon as I get back from my trip to Canterlot, I’ll take a much-needed vacation.” She grinned. “I’ll give myself a whole day off. How does that sound?”

Applejack’s brow went higher.

“Two days?”

Even higher.

“A weekend?!”

How the hell did Applejack even manage to get her brow that high. It was probably her stupid earth pony size, giving her way more space to cock those evil accusatory brows.

“Fine, fine, I’ll take a whole week off.” Twilight pouted. “Happy?”

Applejack studied her for a moment before cracking a smile. “Very.”

“No fair,” Twilight grumbled. “You used your evil butch powers on me?”

“Oh no…” Applejack muttered, rolling her eyes, “I topped you into self care. How terrible of a thing for me to do. You should probably just break up with me already.”

Twilight stuck out her tongue. “Maybe I will.”

“Though I do wonder who you’ll replace me with? Not many ponies are as proficient with a rope as me.”

Twilight’s expression blanked. “I have regrets.”

“Oh no, no, no,” Applejack teased. “You made a very strong argument.”

“This break up wasn’t done in writing,” Twilight whined. “It’s not legally binding.”

Applejack chuckled. “Verbal contracts are a very important part of the earth pony oral tradition. You should know that, Twilight.”

“My biggest mistake was educating you,” Twilight groaned.

Applejack smirked, placing her hoof on Twilight’s back. “I’m just teasing, sugarcube.”

“I know, I know.”

Twilight looked up, just in time for them to enter the Ponyville marketplace. The open-air plaza was filled with various stalls. Some sold crafts, other fabrics, a few knick-knacks, but the vast majority were taken up by farmers who were selling all manner of agricultural surplus.

“Do you want to make a meal tonight?” Twilight asked. “Or would you rather pick something up?”

“Well me, Granny, and Applebloom baked about a hundred pies last night, so I wouldn’t be too opposed to taking it easy. What did you have in mind?”

“Uhhh…” Twilight looked at the various stalls before grinning sheepishly at Applejack. “Can I play the bottom card and make you choose?”

Applejack smirked. “Sure, but I’ll just counter that with the top card and order you to pick.” She chuckled. “I believe that’s what you’d call a checkmate, sugarcube.”

Twilight snorted and pursed her lips. “Well, salads would be a nice healthy choice and I know Spinach Dip makes a pretty good one with beets and quinoa.”

“Eh, not exactly comfort food.”

“Well…” Twilight bit her lip. “We could get some vegetable pies from Spring Blossom. Oh, oh, oh!” Twilight’s eyes beamed. “She has this new one that’s super tasty. I think she puts a little curry in there or something.”

“I’m not exactly one to try spices but I wouldn’t mind getting a good, old-fashioned shepherd’s pie from her. We could pop them into the oven and snuggle for a bit while they cook.”

Twilight nodded. “Then it sounds like a date.”

Together the two of them walked up to the vendor.

Spring Blossom was a forest green pegasus with a muted navy-blue mane. Like everyone else in town, she knew Applejack and Twilight well enough.

“Applejack, Twilight.” She grinned. “How are my two favourite ponies doing?”

Twilight instinctively leaned against Applejack, brushing her foreleg against hers.

“Pretty good,” she said. “Gotta go up to Canterlot in a couple of days.”

Spring whistled softly. “Been ages since I’ve taken the train up there. Is it for a vacation?”

“She’s been summoned by the princess,” Applejack explained, gently brushing her hoof against Twilight’s in response.

“Ah, so business and not pleasure then,” Spring said, shrugging her shoulders. “Anyways, what can I get you two?”

Twilight used her magic to pull out a bag of bits from Applejack’s saddlebag. “Can we get two pies, please. One shepherd’s and one of those new ones you’ve been making lately? You know, the spicy ones.”

Spring nodded and saluted with a wing. “One shepherd’s and one curry and yam, you got it.” She gestured to her cash register. “That’ll be fifteen bits, please.”

Twilight opened the satchel and pulled out the appropriate amount, and a moment later, Applejack and her were walking away with two fresh pies.

“When did you get so adventurous with food?” Applejack asked. “You always struck me as a veggies and potatoes kind of gal.”

Twilight shrugged. “Dating you kind of made me realize there’s a lot of gain from leaving my comfort zone every once in a while.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep.” Twilight nodded. “Like, don’t get me wrong, change is a slow process but I want to try new things, Applejack.” She leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “And I, for sure, want to try them with you.”

Applejack’s faced warmed and Twilight revelled in how easily the tables could be turned.

“Well, shucks,” Applejack mumbled. “I’m glad you feel that way. I’ll admit I, uh… I have not felt that same resolve. Though…” She smiled, “I’ll gladly follow you wherever you go, hun.”

Their conversation came to a temporary pause as they finally crossed the plaza, stopping at the base of a very familiar tree.

Twilight banged her hoof against the door before turning the knob with her magic.

“Spike we’re home,” she announced as they stepped inside.

The library was exactly the same as she left it: orderly, clean, and peaceful. A perfect blend between home and workplace, with professional apparel such as notebooks, quills, unfinished library cards, and late slips, mingling nicely with many other things. Things that made a home a home—like photographs, comfortable furniture, and trinkets and baubles acquired from a dozen adventures.

As they entered, Twilight noticed Spike lounging at a desk, his head drooped against his chest as he snored softly. She rolled her eyes, figuring it must’ve been a very slow day on the job. She levitated him out of his chair with great care and placed him in a little basket that was tucked away under the stairs.

She then glanced over her shoulder and locked the library’s door, flipping over the open sign. It wasn’t often that she allowed herself to close early, but this felt like a pretty special occasion. Though, didn’t every evening she got to share with Applejack feel like that?

“Want me to pop the pies in the oven?” Applejack asked, her mane tickling the nape of Twilight’s neck as she leaned in and delivered a kiss right to it.

Twilight gasped softly, shivering under the care of Applejack’s lips.

“That… that would be nice,” she said, cooing tenderly. “I’ll get a fire started.”

Applejack nodded and drew away, her mane grazing Twilight’s fur as she retreated.

Twilight felt a temporary pang but held her tongue. After all, what were a few moments of separation when they had a whole evening to themselves to look forward to.

Still, she made sure to subtly watch Applejack leave from the corner of her eye, glancing at her strong earth pony hindquarters swing back and forth with every step.

Once Applejack had left the room, Twilight walked over to the fireplace. As it was still pretty early in the evening, she made sure to draw the blinds. While they weren’t perfect, they still did a fine enough job at blocking out the sun, dimming the interior considerably.

This was the downside of dating a farmer. They existed in a time zone that was constantly at least three hours ahead of your own. What was your late afternoon, was their evening. And what was their bedtime, would be considered incredibly early by Twilight’s night owl standards.

Twilight focused on the firepit, arranging the half-scorched logs within it. She made sure to add a little kindling for good measure, and a few additional fresh logs just for assurance that the flames would not die down in the middle of their time together.

Then, with a quick flick of her horn, she shot a few unwavering sparks into the pit. For a second, there was nothing, then a little smoke began to billow up the chimney, followed by a bit more, and a bit more, until noticeable flames emerged, leaping across the logs.

“Cheater,” Applejack drawled from behind.

Twilight turned and pouted. “I got the flames started on my own, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but you used magic to do it.”

“That isn’t cheating. That’s simply using my natural abilities to their best advantage.”

Applejack smirked and stepped closer, making sure to take full advantage of her own natural edge: height.

“And what would you do if you were stuck in the wilderness with no magic?” she asked, cocking a brow as she looked down at Twilight.

Twilight snorted. “In all honesty, probably die.”

A moment after Applejack’s arrival, a pleasant smell wafted out of the kitchen behind her. It was a nice mixture of spices and more down to earth smells, mingling together in an utterly delicious union.

“Smells good,” Twilight commented.

Applejack nodded. “That, it does.”

“Did you…”

“The oven is set for 400, yes.”

“And the…”

“Timer is ready for forty minutes.” Applejack chuckled. “Believe it or not Twilight, this isn’t my first rodeo when it comes to baking.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, nervous habit.”

“I know,” Applejack said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

Applejack followed her kiss with a hoof under Twilight’s muzzle, drawing her in for a second. This one was upon the lips, both of them pressing against one another passionately.

Was Applejack going to…

And there was the tongue.

Twilight moaned softly into the kiss. A tiny muffled noise got caught up between her and Applejack’s conjoined lips. Their two tongues rolled around one another, dancing playfully in a crude little tango.

For all her bluster, Applejack was actually quite reserved, allowing Twilight to lead their little moment of intimacy. She enjoyed this change in dynamic, taking full advantage of it, rolling and probing and prodding to her heart’s content.

As their tongues intermingled, they drew closer, their bodies pressing tightly together. Applejack’s hoof brushed against Twilight’s, the two of them taking turns to paw at each others forelegs, stroking one anothers fur.

Twilight found Applejack’s fur to be rather coarse, tangled together in rough knots. Little specks of debris clung to it, the product of a day spent labouring in the fields.

After what felt like a good minute, they broke apart.

Applejack smiled at Twilight, her eyes half-lidded. “I love kissing you, sugarcube.”

Twilight grinned sheepishly. “I love kissing you too, Applejack.”

“So…” Applejack tilted her muzzle towards the firepit, “do you want to cuddle?”

“You know, I think I might just like that.” Twilight pulled out a thin blanket. “I might just like that... a whole lot.”

Twilight laid the blanket out upon the floor and rested atop it, laying on her side. She glanced over at the darkened shelves of her library and corked an enticing eyebrow at her marefriend.

A moment later, Applejack settled behind her, laying in a very similar manner. One of her strong forelegs pawed playfully at Twilight’s back, gently stroking her fur. The other was draped across her midsection, pulling Twilight nice and close.

Applejack was so warm and soft and strong. Her breathing came out in peaceful little bursts, brushing warmly against Twilight’s cheek with each exhale.

Twilight shuffled gently against her, placing her own hoof against the foreleg draped across her, stroking it with the same level of care that Applejack showed.

“So,” Twilight began.

“So,” Applejack repeated.

“How’s life?”

Applejack chuckled. “You know, at this moment, I’d have to say it’s pretty good. How about yours?”

Twilight nodded, smiling softly. “I’d have to agree.”

Author's Note

Hope you're enjoying this fic, the next few chapters will be releasing about once a day.

Also sorry this is a little late, I did not expect it to spiral into 10k words.

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Chapter 2

Twilight sighed as she heard a knock at the door, and looked away from her book and towards it. She knew that she hadn’t exactly been keeping the most regular of hours recently, but still couldn’t the town give her a little more time to recover?

Her wings rustled in aggravation, sending shivers down her spine. She still hadn’t gotten used to them. Nor, did she think she really would. They felt alien, strange, like a malformation. Still, this was now her reality. This was now her life.

A month had passed since her meeting with Celestia, only a couple of weeks since she’d mastered Starswirl’s unfinished spell. She was Twilight Sparkle, and she had wings.

Another knock brought her back to the moment. Clearly, it was a patron who would not be put off by silence.

Twilight grumbled under her breath and got up. Her leg felt too long as she marched towards the door. She approached, gripped the lock with magic stronger than what she was used to, and nearly tore the bolt off when she unlocked it.

Thankfully, she showed a bit more restraint and managed to gently crack open the door to peer outside.

“Hey, sugarcube,” a familiar drawl greeted.

Twilight smiled, her first genuine smile of the day.

“H-hey, Applejack.”

The mare pawed at the ground. “May I come in?”

Twilight stepped aside and very carefully opened the door, managing to do so without throwing it open with cataclysmic strength.

Maybe there was a little hope that she could actually master this body after all.

“How have you been holding up?” Applejack asked, stepping inside.

Twilight could see worry flash across Applejack’s face as she surveyed the library.

It had become a centre of disorder, in a very short amount of time. Tomes laid scattered about, many of them opened to seemingly random pages on a wide variety of topics. Scrolls intermingled in the mess. Notes covered many haphazardly, coffee or spillage stained some, and a few were currently in the midst of being drafted.

Beyond literature, there was liter, with dirty dishes and discarded take-out containers sprinkled throughout the space. Thankfully, none of them had reached the point of attracting flies… yet.

“I’ve been… better,” Twilight admitted before letting out a hollow chuckle that sounded grim, even in her current depressive state. “Finally taking a little time for myself, just like you asked.”

Applejack walked over to a scroll, reading the first few lines. “I’d hardly call whatever this is, a vacation, hun.”

“I find studying cathartic?”

“When’s the last time you’ve been outside?”

Twilight’s wings ruffled in frustration.

Stupid alien appendages, betraying emotions that were supposed to be hidden.

“I threw out the trash yesterday,” she said.

“Threw out the trash, huh?” Applejack bit her lip. “Hun, you can’t just stay cooped up here forever.”

“I know…I know.” Twilight sighed. “I’m just… I’m scared, Applejack.”

Applejack drew up alongside Twilight, nuzzling into her neck ever so carefully. Twilight closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, drawing in the familiar sweet scent of her marefriend’s shampoo.

In that moment, she was at bliss. Then, oh so cruelly, Twilight realized something.

She and Applejack were now the same height.

Of course, she knew she had gotten larger, but had she really gotten that large so quickly?

She felt tears prick at her eyes and a sob broke them free, drawing twin trails of misery down her cheeks.

Was she really going to cry over this?

Yes, yes, she was.

Applejack instantly stopped. “Sugarcube?” Her expression fell as she saw Twilight’s current emotional state. “Of gods, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Twilight fell to her haunches, wiping at her eyes with the soft fur around her hoof.

“You didn’t,” she blubbered. “I just…” Another pathetic sob. “I just realized I’m now as tall as you.”

Applejack sat beside her, placing her hoof over Twilight’s own.

“There, there, hun,” she tried to sooth, “I don’t see why that matters none?”

Twilight let out another miserable hiccup and looked away, not wanting Applejack to see her cry.

“It…it means that I’ll never get to be your small marefriend again. Now I’m just some big old clumsy marefriend.”

Applejack snorted, cocking a brow. “Now, I’ve always been the big one and that never made me clumsy or old.”

“I know, but with you it’s different.”

Applejack leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. It seemed to help slow the flow of tears, if only a little.

“I get it, hun,” she whispered. “You have a lot of changes going on in your life right now, but that doesn’t mean I love you any less. You’re still the same old Twilight I’ve always known and loved.”

“I have wings now,” Twilight murmured.

Applejack nodded, drawing her hoof away so she could stroke them.

Twilight tensed, but almost immediately relaxed as Applejack caressed them ever so tenderly. She didn’t know why, but having Applejack touch them almost made them feel normal, like they belonged.

“I know,” Applejack said. “But that just means I’ll have new and interesting places to explore and find out how to drive you crazy with. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Twilight cheeks warmed. “A little.”

“See, it isn’t all bad. Before long, it’ll feel like they’ve always been there.”

“You’re right.” Twilight sighed. “I just… I wasn’t ready for this.”

“I don’t think anyone was, not even Celestia. But hey, you can’t fight fate, right?”

Twilight snorted. “Actually, I was reading this one book, it’s called Hard…”

Applejack shut her up by placing a hoof under her chin and pulling her into a nice little kiss. It wasn’t especially passionate, but more of a comforting gesture, offering her something to anchor to in this nasty little storm that was brewing over her quaint little life.

When they broke apart, Applejack held onto her never wavering smile that Twilight found especially comforting right now.

“Do you want to talk about what’s keeping you cooped up in here?” Applejack asked.

Twilight sighed. “I’m afraid to leave and see everypony in town?”

“Why’s that?”

“Because… because I have wings now and I guess that makes me a princess and I’m worried everypony’s going to treat me differently. Like, I’m no longer Twilight the Librarian, but rather Twilight the Princess of…”

“Princess of what?” Applejack asked.

Twilight’s cheeks warmed. “Uh… Celestia and Luna still haven’t figured that out yet.”

Applejack nodded, letting out a pent-up sigh. “Twi… I don’t mean to dismiss your fears, or anything, but well… you were always a mite different from everypony else in town.”

Twilight winced.

“Now, now, let me finish. You came here as a representative to Celestia and you kind of established your reputation by defeating a literal evil goddess from the moon. That type of thing is going to stick around and set you apart. However, hasn’t Ponyville always been good to you and haven’t its ponies always treated you like one of their own?”

Twilight smiled softly. “Y-yeah.”

“So, I don’t see why a pair of wings and a tiny growth spurt are going to make that big of a difference.” Applejack chuckled, gesturing to the room. “Heck, you’re still living in the town library. It’s not like you’ve got some big fancy castle or anything.”

Twilight giggled softly. “I honestly don’t think I’d ever give this place up. It feels way too much like home.”

“And I doubt you ever will. Trees are known for living for a pretty long time. Hell, we even have a few at the orchard which are probably older than the entire Apple clan.” Applejack nodded to herself. “But yeah, as long as you don’t go pushing away the community then everything will probably go back to normal after a week or two.”

“You think so?” Twilight asked, smiling hopefully.

Applejack nodded knowingly. “I know so, sugarcube. Once you’re a part of this town, you’re always a part of it. Doesn’t matter if you move away for a few years, doesn't matter if you never come back, and it sure as hell doesn’t matter if you got wings, a horn, or both.”

“T-thanks, Applejack.”

Applejack brushed her lips against Twilight’s neck, kissing a rather receptive spot which made her wings puff outwards. This in turn, sent Twilight’s wings flying into Applejack, nearly knocking her off her hooves.

“S-sorry,” Twilight muttered, her face reddened.

“It’s all good, hun,” Applejack grunted, brushing at her chest. “I probably should’ve seen that coming. If dating Dash taught me anything, it’s that wings are deadly little critters if they get overexcited. Though…”

“Though?”

“They’re also pretty good for the old ego, let’s me know if I’m doing a good job or not.”

Applejack smirked mischievously and leaned forward. She breathed against Twilight’s wing and the warmth caressed all the wonderfully soft feathers, teasing the highly sensitive membranes that laid underneath.

Which did in fact make Twilight moan softly, her legs quivering.

“See,” Applejack said, making her voice nice and husky so each breath offered another little burst of warmth that curled against her, “they aren’t all that bad. You’ll learn to love them in no time.”

Sadly, before she went any further, Applejack drew away, surveying the room and humming softly.

“However,” she began, “before we do anything, we better get this place tidied up.”

“It isn’t that bad,” Twilight murmured.

Applejack cocked a brow. That, oh so demanding, brow.

“Alright, alright,” Twilight grumbled, “let’s get this place tidied up.”

Stupid butch powers.

Twilight walked over to her closet, pulling out a roll of white garbage bags. She then began to collect all the empty containers, pie tins, and various other debris that littered her library, shoving them in one after another.

While she did that, Applejack began to pick up all the haphazardly thrown away scrolls, collecting them together in a stack on Twilight’s desk. In total, there was probably enough scribbled-together notes to put together a whole thesis.

“What have you been researching?” Applejack asked.

Twilight sighed, tossing the collective garbage by her door. “Trying to find out all I could on alicorn ascensions. Sadly, since it’s so uncommon, there really isn’t a whole lot about it. Unfortunately, Celestia didn’t really let many doctors perform tests on Cadance when she was going through the process.”

“I’d say that’s pretty fortunate,” Applejack said. “At least for her. I wouldn’t want an army of doctors poking and prodding at me.”

“I know, I know, it’s just… it’s frustrating when you’re trying to figure something out about yourself and your best medical sources are books that are pretty much one step removed from folklore.”

“I could imagine.”

Applejack went to go pick up a plate but Twilight levitated it from her.

“How about you go get the basin filled and I’ll collect the dishes,” Twilight said.

Applejack nodded and went to the kitchen, leaving Twilight alone to collect a few days worth of dirty dishes. Thankfully, it was also a chance to hone in to her new magical power, giving her some much needed practice.

With great care, she ever so carefully picked up a coffee mug. She then tried to draw it towards herself but a surge of magic instead sent it flying against the wall where it shattered into a million pieces.

Twilight winced.

Yeah, maybe just a smidge more practice was necessary.

“Y’all okay in there?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Twilight said, “just a little magical mishap.”

With the remaining porcelaine in her aura, she walked into the kitchen, depositing it into the sink with care.

“Still getting used to whatever happened to your magic?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah.” Twilight sighed. “If I had to guess, I’d say I have close to twice the latent magical energy I had before I ascended.”

“Sounds like that could be a mite tricky adjusting to.”

Twilight chuckled and grabbed a brush, using it to scrub away at a plate. “Yeah, you could say that. Though, I better get used to it.”

“Think you’ll get stronger?” Applejack asked.

“I know I’ll get stronger. I mean, look at what Celestia and Luna are doing. They can move the freaking sun and moon, so I can only imagine I’m slowly working my way towards that.”

Applejack smirked. “Think you’ll ever need to move something that big? There really isn’t a whole lot of super big things that really need moving at this point.”

“I mean maybe? Like, what if they retire?”

“Like that would happen.” Applejack snorted. “Can you even retire from being a princess?”

“I don’t know? Maybe?”

“Gods, can you even imagine how much of a pension those two have saved up? They’ll probably bankrupt the whole freaking kingdom.”

Twilight nodded along silently, her concentration unfortunately focused on not cracking a glass under her magic grasp or flinging it against the wall by accident.

Thankfully, she managed to get all her dishes finished without any further casualties, allowing Applejack to dry them one after another.

“So, clean enough?” Twilight asked.

Applejack trotted over to a nearby window and opened it, letting the cool air flow through the room.

“Sorry just letting a little bit of fresh air into place,” Applejack commented before nodding back to the living room. “How about all those books you have laying around?”

Twilight smirked and her horn flashed. “Done.”

“No way.”

“Check for yourself,” Twilight said, her smile growing.

Applejack poked her head out of the kitchen and whistled. “How the hay did you manage that?”

Twilight walked past her and into the library’s main atrium, where all the books had magically returned to their shelves.

“I tagged each of my books with their own unique magical signature, then I marked their space on the shelf with the same tag. All it takes is a little spell and each book poofs right back into place.”

“Uh, Twi?”

Twilight looked over her shoulder. “Yeah, Applejack.”

“There might be a few kinks in your system,” Applejack said, pulling out a single volume which had at one point been two separate volumes.

Twilight winced. “N-noted.”

Applejack reshelved the joint volume by hoof and then gestured to Twilight. “So, what do you want to do now?”

“I wouldn’t mind cuddling for a little while,” she said, moving towards the stairwell. “I mean, if you’re up for it.”

“Hmmm…” Applejack tapped the bottom of her muzzle with a hoof. “Do I want to cuddle with my extremely attractive marefriend?” She pursed her lips and shrugged. “It’s a hard choice to make.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Hurry up, or I’ll hog all the covers.”

And with that she began to canter up the stairs.

Applejack waited at the foot of them for only a moment before following her. “Can I ask you a question?” she asked.

Twilight looked over her shoulder, as they entered her bedroom. “What is it?”

“As someone who has never had wings before, what's the most jarring change about suddenly having them?”

“To be honest…” Twilight chuckled softly. “They are extremely high maintenance. Like you got to preen them, and you need special cleaning products, and that’s just the stuff you got to personally worry about. Then, there’s all the extra cleaning you got to do. Like, you know how Pinkie’s mane gets literally everywhere?”

Applejack nodded. “I do.”

“It’s like that. I find feathers in my bathroom, on my bed, in my favourite chair, and pretty much every place you’d imagine. Except, unlike a mane, feathers are really pointy and they freaking hurt when they prick you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Applejack said, smiling softly.

Twilight nodded and moved towards her bed, using her magic to pull aside the covers. Thankfully, most of her moping had been done in the library proper, meaning that her bedroom had been spared, with the exception of a thin layer of grey dust on every surface. Nothing too terrible or alarming about that.

She climbed into bed first, laying down on her comfortable mattress and letting out a pent-up sigh.

A moment later, Applejack joined her. She attempted to drape a hoof over Twilight but grunted with effort, clearly having trouble with something?”

“Applejack?” Twilight asked, glancing lazily to the side, enough to catch Applejack struggling in the periphery of her vision.

“Sorry,” Applejack grumbled. “Just having a tiny bit of trouble dealing with your wings, is all. Gonna take some getting used to.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“Can you pull them a little tighter.”

“I… I can try.”

She flexed her strange new muscles, and must’ve succeeded in doing something right as she felt the downing of wings suddenly press against her sides.

“Is that better?”

Her answer came as Applejack successfully draped a foreleg across her, resting a hoof against her chest.

“Much better,” Applejack mumbled softly, stroking her chest fluff in tender little circles.

Her warm breath curled at Twilight’s back, right at the spot where her two wings met.

“You know…” Applejack began.

Twilight sighed softly and closed her eyes. “I know what?”

“If you get any bigger, you might need to start big spooning from now on.”

Twilight snorted and shook her head. “Applejack, it’ll be a cold day in Tartarus before we ever let that happen.”

Author's Note

Stupid sexy Applehorse topping me into self-care.

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Chapter 3

“When the hay did you get so tall?”

Twilight looked up from grading papers, placing her quill into its ink well.

“Pardon?” she asked.

Applejack was looking at her from across the desk, a tight smile on her muzzle.

“I can still remember when we were first dating,” she said. “You were this little unicorn and now look at you. You’re easily a head taller than me.”

“I wasn’t little,” Twilight murmured. “I was completely average for a unicorn.” She smirked. “Though, I won’t lie, I very much enjoy having the tables turned. Speaking of which, how is your grading coming along, my tiny earth pony marefriend?”

“Hardy, harr, harr,” Applejack grumbled, though her smile betrayed that there were no legitimate hard feelings. “But for your information, it’s coming along nicely. Sandbar and Silverstream wrote a mighty fine report on the importance of friendship within agriculture.”

“Sounds like they're brownnosing,” Twilight joked.

“Just a little bit, but I can’t blame them. I kind of wear my biases pretty proudly,” Applejack said, tapping the brim of her weathered Stenson. “How about you? What did you get from Yona and Gallus?”

Twilight drew out her freshly inked quill, scribbling down yet another comment on a report already burdened with in a sea of red ink.

“They wrote a nicely rounded essay examining the role of friendship within the modern labour movement. It’s alright…” She bit her lip, “just a little on the light side.”

“How long is it?”

“Only twenty-five hundred words.”

“I don’t see why that’s a problem.”

“Applejack,” Twilight whined. “I told them I was looking for something between twenty-five hundred and five thousand words.”

Applejack snorted and placed her muzzle into her hooves, looking across the table at Twilight. “Hun, you should be well aware that most students will go for the minimum word count. They’re barely older than grade schoolers and not everypony is as motivated as you once were.”

“I know, I know,” Twilight grumbled. “But still, would it have killed them to give me a little extra to work with here? They could’ve totally fleshed out their introduction and conclusion a bit better, added a little more information on the background of the Equestrian labour movement, and don’t even get me started on how little they discussed the founding mothers of the first worker’s congress. It all just feels so...”

“Just give them a B+. You know they did good work and that’s what they deserve.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Twilight grumbled. “Honestly… students these days.”

“Oh, calm down, you’re still in your twenties. You were a student pretty recently, sugarcube.”

The two of them returned to their respective papers, scribbling away in silence. Yet, even with no words spoken, Twilight still found Applejack’s presence comforting. Just having her in the same room set her at ease.

It was incredible what good company could do for somepony’s mood.

“I have a trip to Canterlot coming up,” Twilight said. “Both Celestia and Luna want to see me.”

Applejack snorted. “That’s never good.”

“I mean, they’ve gotten a little better about not dropping a national emergency on my head every couple of months.”

“Still, I know what these trips do to you.” Applejack stopped writing and reached across the table, holding out her hoof.

Twilight looked at it and leaned forward, squeezing it gently.

“How are you holding up?” Applejack asked.

Twilight smiled. “Applejack, trust me. I know I used to poorly handle these things. But I’m getting better about it, I promise.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Absolutely?”

“One hundred and fifty percent, hun,” Twilight said with a smirk.

“Well alright, I believe you. Still if you need anything, just let me know.”

Twilight nodded. “I will. Though, just having you here tonight is doing more than enough. It feels like we haven’t had a chance to hang out in ages.”

“I know that feeling but… we’re both pretty busy mares. Between my farming and teaching, and your…” She rolled her hoof, “myriad of commitments, it’s getting pretty hard.”

Twilight sighed. “I know, I know, and I’m sorry about that, but you know… this whole princess thing is kind of a huge…”

“No need to apologize, hun. I completely understand.” Applejack smiled softly. “On the bright side, at least all they have you doing is running a school. Couldn’t imagine how hard it would be trying to run an entire kingdom.”

“Well, I hope I never have to find out.” She frowned. “Well, again, anyways.”

“Considering Tirek is in a nice dark hole, I doubt you ever will,” Applejack said before glancing up at the clock. “It’s getting kinda late, have you thought about dinner yet?”

Twilight bit her lip. “How about we order some take out?”

“Take out?”

“Yeah, I send a message to a local place and they send out a waiter to bring us some food.”

Applejack snorted. “The perks of royalty?”

“One of them,” Twilight said, sticking out her tongue. “I’ve got arrangements with the local hayburger, pizza, and falafel places.”

“What the hay is falafel?”

“Uh it’s… minotaur food, they’re like these balls of chickpeas and other things. You cover them with hummus and a bunch of tasty toppings. I don’t know, Rarity got me into it.”

“Sounds like something Rarity would eat,” Applejack murmured. “But sure, I wouldn’t mind trying it out.”

Twilight smirked. “Is someone feeling a little adventurous?”

“Life’s been a mite boring lately,” Applejack simply stated. “Got find someway to spice it up a little. Just get me whatever you’re getting, alright?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Twilight pulled out a fresh scroll, scribbling a double order of her usual dish, with the only difference between them being the choice of soda. Twilight liked the lemon-lime flavour while Applejack usually went for an apple one, because of course she did. With that finished she ignited a green flame on her desk and fed the scroll into it.

A moment later, a fresh scroll popped out, confirming her order.

“The wonders of modern magic,” Twilight commented.

Applejack chuckled. “Hardly even need Spike anymore.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that. This system works well enough for sending food orders to local restaurants but I don’t know if I’d trust it to be especially secure when I’m sending government secrets to Celestia or Luna.”

“Fair enough.” Applejack motioned with her hoof. “So, what do you want to do while we’re waiting for our food?”

“I wouldn’t mind just lounging around and chatting for a bit.”

Applejack smiled. “That sounds like a pretty good plan to me.”

Twilight opened her filing cabinet and began to file away the various reports on her desk. She then looked at Applejack, who nodded and surrendered the essay she had been working on, allowing Twilight to collect it with the others.

Frustratingly, Twilight noted that Applejack had left only a bare minimum number of red inked comments on her assignment.

How were the students supposed to learn without feedback?!

She didn’t bring up the issue, however. Instead, she got up and trotted towards the door, holding it open as her and Applejack left.

Together, they walked through the school’s crystalline corridors.

“So how has the farm been holding together?” Twilight asked. “Sounded like you were suffering from some labour problems a little while ago.”

“Eh, it was just for the harvest. But with me teaching and Apple Bloom doing her little side business, we’ve been getting a mite short on ponypower. Thankfully, with the extra bits we’ve been bringing in, we could justify hiring a couple helpers.” Applejack motioned with her hoof. “Oak Grove and Lilac Bloom, two of the nicest ponies I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. They don’t slack or complain.” Applejack frowned. “I’m a bit worried, though.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked, cocking a brow. “What’s the matter?”

“Big Mac sure has a pretty keen eye for Lilac.”

“Isn’t he dating Sugar Belle?”

Applejack nodded. “They both… seem to have a pretty keen eye on her.”

“Well, polyamory is getting increasingly common.”

“I guess… I’m just afraid of losing him, is all.”

Twilight snorted. “Applejack, no offense, but I don’t think even a harem of mares would pry that colt away from your farm. If anything, you’ll have two sisters-in-laws to help you with the harvest.”

Applejack bit her lip.

“Something else on your mind?” Twilight asked.

“Just thinking about how Big Mac and Sugar Belle are finally planning to tie the knot. Feels just like yesterday, that me and him were foals running through the orchard. Now he’s getting married, Twilight.”

Twilight reached over, draping a wing across Applejack’s back. “I guess we all reach that point eventually.”

“We’ve been dating for a pretty long time, hun.”

“We have.” Twilight looked over and kissed Applejack on the cheek. “Do you want to get married?”

“Do you?” Applejack asked, stopping. She looked at Twilight, her expression tight and hard to read.

Twilight stopped alongside her, offering a warm smile. “I mean yes, I’d love to marry you.”

Applejack looked away, her cheeks freshly brightened. “Really?”

“Really?” Twilight snorted, playfully bumping into Applejack’s side. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I mean because well…” Applejack sighed, “you’re kind of going to live for a whole lot longer than me, sugarcube.”

“Applejack, haven’t we enjoyed our last five years together?” Twilight asked, drawing Applejack against her side.

“We have,” Applejack softly agreed.

“And are we going to enjoy the next five?” Twilight asked, cocking her brow.

“Probably.”

“And the five after that?”

Applejack offered a weak smile. “I see what you’re getting at.”

Twilight nodded, stroking Applejack’s side with her wing. “I know that… I know that you won’t be here for the rest of my life and I know that losing you will hurt. But I’m still more than willing to make the rest of your life as happy as possible. Doesn’t matter if it’s another decade or another eight. I will make sure that each and everyone of them are as great as possible.” Twilight leaned over and kissed her marefriend’s cheek. It had become dampened by tears. “So yes, I am absolutely certain that I want to marry you.”

They resumed their walk in silence, with Twilight shielding Applejack from the view of any passing creatures.

“Let’s do it,” Applejack finally said, regaining control of her faculties. “Let’s get married.”

Twilight kissed her again. “I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.”

“Don’t we need like rings and what not?”

Twilight shrugged and chuckled nervously. “I have no idea, to be completely honest. This is, uh… my first time doing this. I mean probably, they always seem to have rings in the books I read.”

“Then let’s get some rings.”

“Sounds good to me. We can pick some out later this week. How does that sound?”

“Good by me.” Applejack pursed her lips. “Then, after that, we should probably tell everypony.”

Twilight nodded. “Though to be honest, I don’t think it's going to be that big of a shock to a whole lot of them.”

“Nope.” Applejack chuckled. “Bet you ten bits Rainbow’s just gonna say, ‘finally’.”

“Really my money would’ve been on Rarity.”

They continued to walk, Applejack leaning against Twilight’s powerful frame. After a few steps, they glanced at each other and leaned in for a pleasant little peck on the lips.

“Though, if we do get married. Does that mean I have to become like a princess-in-law, or something?” Applejack asked.

Twilight snorted. “Honestly, I have no idea. I think Celestia always gave her lovers the title of Princess or Prince Consort?”

“Huh… so I’d be a Consort. That sounds kind of fancy.”

“I mean that’s only if you want some fancy title.”

“I think I’d be fine with good ole Applejack. If you don’t mind.”

Twilight chuckled. “Not at all, hun.”

“And will I be forced to attend parades and all those fancy royal galas and what not.”

“I mean, besides for our wedding, I don’t really plan to drag you along to all of Canterlot’s functions. You only need to do what you’re comfortable with. Though…”

“Though?”

“If you wouldn’t mind looking after Ponyville while I’m gone, that would be nice.”

“Well, considering this town is usually pretty quiet, I think that’s a job I can do.”

They finally reached their destination, coming to Twilight’s on-campus residency. For sure, it might seem a little strange to have a bedroom on a campus that was literally a couple hundred metres from her palace, but sometimes it was convenient to just have a place to crash and decompress between classes.

Twilight opened the door with a spell, gesturing for Applejack to go in.

Her campus bedroom was like any of the other dorms, being rather spartan. There was a bed, a chair, a desk, a small kitchen nook, and a few lingering personal items that helped make this place feel a little bit like home.

The room couldn’t shed the utilitarian look. Most ponies would’ve called it boring, but it offered some much-needed privacy. And, at the moment, that’s what they both wanted.

“So, how long until the food gets here?” Applejack asked.

Twilight shrugged. “No longer than an hour, usually. So, I’d say…” She glanced at the clock, “maybe another forty minutes?”

“Should give us a little time, then.”

“Want to cuddle for a bit?” Twilight asked. “After all, it’ll be our first time.”

Applejack cocked a brow. “I know for sure that this isn’t our first time cuddling, hun”

“No…” Twilight smirked, “but it is our first time cuddling as fiancées.”

“Ah!” Applejack smiled back at her. “That, it is.”

She cantered over to the bed and climbed onto it, facing away from Twilight.

Twilight followed behind and joined her on the sheets. Once settled, she draped one of her forelegs over Applejack and added a wing for good measure.

Recently, the two of them had found it necessary to switch up their roles. Twilight was simply getting too big and those wings were becoming too much of an obstacle for Applejack to wrestle with. So, they had to make the heartbreaking decision to finally let Twilight big spoon.

Thankfully, it wasn’t all bad. After all, this new perspective had its own perks. For starters, as Twilight breathed in, she could smell the faint traces of spices that lingered in Applejack’s mane. Then there was the bonus that Applejack’s very sensitive neck was free for her to tease.

She took full advantage of this, planting a playful little kiss against the crook of Applejack’s neck, eliciting a rather pronounced shudder.

“Did you like that?” Twilight asked.

Applejack nodded slowly. “Felt nice.”

So, Twilight picked a different spot and did it again. It was a very hooves-on project, to discover via trial and error which spots were the most receptive to her lips and stimulation.

Science really was a lot more fun when you got to experiment for yourself.

Applejack pawed at the wing draped over her, causing it to ruffle gently.

“This is nice,” Applejack murmured. “A mare could get used to this.”

Twilight nodded and sighed contently. “Yeah… she really could.”

Author's Note

The transformation is complete but not the sorry uwu.

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Chapter 4

If there was one thing Twilight hated about her now truly impressive stature was… well, a lot of things. Regular ponies didn’t build doors that she could easily fit through. By now, she pretty much dwarfed every single entrance that hadn’t been custom-designed with a princess in mind.

The door to the Apple’s farmhouse for instance. The fresh oak stood in stark contrast to the faded paint of the building. Twilight still remembered when she had first come to Ponyville, when this homestead had been a fresh and vibrant red.

How the years had passed.

Twilight lifted her hoof and rested it against the door. A band of silver now looped around her hoof. In the centre of it was Applejack’s cutie mark done in a series of brilliantly coloured gemstones. It too was many years old, yet it had not lost an ounce of its vibrant nature, speaking volumes to the jewelers who had crafted it decades ago.

She sighed and drew back her hoof, knocking twice in quick succession.

A few seconds later, the door opened and a crestfallen Applebloom stood there. The years had been kind to her, shaping her into a beautiful mare well into her adult years. However, even into adulthood, she still sported the bow of her youth, though the red was now replaced by a mourning black.

“Hey Twilight,” she said in an unsteady voice. “I’m really glad you could make it.”

“Of course, I could,” Twilight said, bowing her head. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Applebloom stepped aside and Twilight ducked her head as she stepped into the farmhouse. The usual cheer was painfully absent; a stifling sense of loss filled the room. Twilight had always remembered this kitchen being so loud and full of activity. It was now eerie silent.

“I’ll let the others know you’re here,” Applebloom said, and she stepped passed her into the living room.

Twilight simply nodded and stood awkwardly in place.

A moment later, Applejack appeared from the living room and rushed over to her. Not a word was exchanged as the two of them embraced, holding each other close. Twilight could feel Applejack shudder as a sob dampened her chest.

“I’m so so sorry, Applejack,” Twilight said, stroking her back with a wing. “I know how important Granny Smith was to you.”

Applejack didn’t respond and instead just clung to Twilight. So, Twilight remained a bulwark, allowing Applejack to work through her emotions, not daring to interfere with her mourning. This was her place in this, to be there for Applejack.

Finally, Applejack drew back and looked up at her.

Normally, she didn’t look any older than thirty-five, but today, the sorrow had taken its toll, creasing her miserable expression with all forty-seven years of her life.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Applejack mumbled, tears denying her more than this mere ounce of volume.

Twilight continued to gently stroke her. “Of course I could, dear. The second I got your letter I cancelled everything and came down here as quickly as I could. I’m sorry it took so long.”

“Long? It barely took you two days to get all the way up here from Saddle Arabia.”

“I pushed my crew as hard I dared.” Twilight bit her lip. “Did she pass… peacefully?”

Applejack nodded. “In her sleep.” She let out a shuddering sob of a chuckle. “Only way death had a chance of taking her. If she’d been awake there would’ve been way too much of a fuss.”

Twilight smiled gently. “That sounds like Granny.” She drew her wing back. “Is it just you and Applebloom right now?”

“Nah, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are here for Bloom, and Big Mac should be coming sometime later today with his family. Though, I thought I’d hold off for a week before planning the whole shindig with the rest of the clan.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Twilight agreed. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t…”

Applejack held up a hoof. One which held its own silver band, though this one was adorned by Twilight’s cutie mark.

“None of us had any way of knowing,” she said. “Couldn’t just cancel something like a diplomatic mission.”

Twilight sighed. “I know, I just hate knowing that you’ve been alone for the past few days.”

“I ain’t been alone, I’ve had Applebloom.” She drew back and looked towards the living room. “Speaking of which, I should probably go check on them.”

Twilight nodded in agreement and the two of them drifted into the neighbouring room. Like she said, Applebloom was flanked on either side by her two wives, all three of whom were looking at a photo album.

Sweetie Belle smiled softly. “Hey Twilight, how was Saddle Arabia?”

“It was… it was interesting,” Twilight said.

Scootaloo simply nodded towards her before looking back at the photos. All three of them had grown into such wonderful mares.

Twilight was happy for them.

Applejack settled down in a loveseat and Twilight carefully joined her, blushing as she realized how absurd she must’ve looked, towering over Applejack on this painfully normal sized piece of furniture. Still, she didn’t let it bug her as she reached over and wrapped a wing around Applejack, pulling her close.

In response, Applejack placed her hooves against Twilight’s chest and rested her muzzle against her.

“Have the other girls been around?” Twilight asked.

Applejack nodded. “Rarity took the train down from Canterlot and is staying in town for a couple days, Fluttershy has been around often, same goes for Pinkie, and Dash is well… she promised to come down in the next couple days.”

“Couldn’t get away from the Wonderbolts?” Twilight asked.

“They only give time off if it’s a death in your immediate family.”

Twilight frowned. “I’ll have to have a word with Soarin about that.”

“Don’t go causing Dash problems, she’ll be here when she can.”

Twilight sighed and glanced at the triad across from her.

“How have you three been doing?” she asked.

Scootaloo shrugged. “The weather team has been treating me pretty well. I know that advocacy work isn’t the most rewarding job in the world, but not much else you can do for them when you can’t actually fly and bust clouds.”

“Starlight’s got me a teaching position at the school,” Sweetie Belle answered. “She’s actually doing a really good job running the place.”

Twilight smiled. “So I’ve heard.”

Applebloom cracked her own fragile smile. “Same old, same old, planting, bucking, and selling apples.”

“We Apples aren’t exactly the most interesting ponies in the world,” Applejack commented.

Twilight frowned and leaned over, planting a kiss on the top of Applejack’s mane.

“I don’t know about that, I find you pretty interesting,” she mumbled. “Down right fascinating, in fact.”

“That’s because you’re biased.”

“Fair point.” She drew away and sighed. “So, what are the plans for…”

“For the funeral?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah.”

Applebloom took the lead. “Well, we’re waiting for Big Mac to come down from Apple Grove with Sugar Belle, Marble, Lilac, and their foals. Then we’re gonna do a small thing. You know, with just the immediate family, at the funeral home. Probably either tomorrow or the day after, depending how bushed our big brother is.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Then after that, we’ll probably invite the whole Apple family down. Give them a week or two to show up, and then throw one hell of a wake.”

“Mayor Cake said we could use the town square and city hall if we need to. He’s prepared to make it an official day of mourning.”

Twilight snorted. “I still can’t believe Carrot Cake got elected mayor.”

“Someone had to beat Filthy Rich,” Applejack said.

“For the sixth time,” Sweetie Belle muttered.

“Plus, he’s a real nice colt and you know this town pretty much functions exclusively on niceties.”

Twilight reached over with a hoof, brushing her wedding band against Applejack’s. Applejack looked at it for a second before their two hooves joined in union.

“Do you mind if I go for a walk?” Applejack asked, looking across the table. “I could use a little fresh air.”

Applebloom looked at them and nodded. “Sure thing, sis. I’ve got plenty of company.”

Twilight waited for Applejack to get up before she joined her, the two of them walking back through the kitchen and into the entryway. Twilight made sure to keep her head low, lest she cracked her skull against the empty door frames that separated the rooms.

As they left the house, Twilight surveyed the orchard, smiling at the sea of pleasant reds, oranges, and yellows that autumn bestowed upon the farm.

“How are you holding up?” Twilight asked, glancing away from the orchard and back at Applejack.

Applejack sighed. “It’s been tough but I know… I know that it has been coming for a while now. She was well passed a hundred. Still doesn’t make it very easy.”

“She lived a full life.”

“That she did,” Applejack agreed before looking out upon the orchard. “Thank you for being here, hun.”

“Of course, you know I wouldn’t let you mourn alone.”

“Still mighty bold of you to risk a diplomatic incident like that. Last I heard, ambassadors aren’t really allowed to bail in the middle of a mission.”

“Well as the Princess of Friendship, I believe I’m allowed to make the rules on diplomacy,” Twilight said, snorting. “Plus, we’re Equestria, we can afford to be a little brash from time to time.”

Applejack nodded before nuzzling into Twilight’s chest.

“This is… nice,” she said. “I mean not the… you know… But gods it’s been a while since the two of us have been able to take a walk through the orchard, hasn’t it?”

Twilight winced. “Yeah… sorry I’ve been…”

“Busy being a princess?”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah.”

“Don’t you worry, Twi. I knew what I was getting into when I married you. It makes all the little things we get to do together a lot more memorable.” Applejack smiled tightly before continuing, “Gods, has it really been almost thirty years since you first came to the farm?”

“It has,” Twilight said, dipping her head so she could nuzzle the top of Applejack’s. “I still remember it. You tried to induce cardiac arrest via overfeeding me.”

Applejack snorted. “Is that what I did now? From my perspective I was just trying to plump up a bean pole of a mare.”

“Well, the plumping seemed to work.”

Applejack looked up and chuckled. “You have got a little on the burly side, haven’t you?”

“It comes with the job, I’m afraid.” Twilight smirked. “Actually, part of the benefits plan. You get free food, free dental, and you double your height and triple your weight within ten-to-twenty years.”

Applejack nodded along. “We’ve had a pretty wild couple of decades together, haven’t we?”

Twilight nodded. “Saved Equestria a couple dozen times, ran a school for a decade, got married, got a pair of royal titles…”

“I still don’t know how I feel about being the Baroness of Lesser Appleton. Sounds made up.”

“That’s because… it kind of is.”

Applejack snorted. “I’ll leave the court antics up to you and the princesses.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Twilight smiled as they crested another hill, the tallest on the farm. From here, they could see, not only the entire estate, but also Ponyville, the Friendship Castle, and, on a clear evening such as this, they could also make out the Canterlot Mountains in the distance.

“What do you think the next couple decades will have in store for us?” Twilight asked.

Applejack smirked. “Knowing Equestria, I am fully prepared to be kicking butt and saving the day until I’m eighty.”

“Sounds about right,” Twilight said, looking around. “Do you remember this spot?”

Applejack nodded. “A lot of good memories here. Some of them even include you.”

Twilight stuck out her tongue. “Jerk.”

“We used to camp here and watch the night sky. You even brought your telescope from time to time. Taught me all about planets, and stars, and comets.” Applejack laughed. “How does Princess Luna have the time for all that.”

“She makes time for it,” Twilight said. “As long as ponies appreciate it, she’ll keep making time for it.”

Twilight settled down, resting on the grass of the hill. It was nice to be home, to be with the mare she loved more than anything in the world.

Applejack rested beside her, cuddling up to her side. Sensing her presence, Twilight extended a wing, draping it over her and pulling her in even tighter.

“I think we’ve done pretty good for ourselves,” Twilight said.

Applejack nodded in agreement. “I’d say so. Not every couple makes it as far as us.”

“Hey Applejack…” Twilight leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. “I have something I need to tell you...”

“And what’s that?” Applejack asked, smirking knowingly.

“I think I might love you.”

Applejack chuckled. “I think I might love you too, sugarcube.”

Author's Note

See you later Apple Cowboy.

Well thank you for sticking through until the end. Not often that I write something this long :P.

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