Ah Don't Need Help!

When she heard Spike's screaming lapse into silence, one of Twilight's purple eyes popped open and looked at the two of them. She was just in time to see a pair of orange lips meet Spike's scaly cheek, but his furious blush went unnoticed by Applejack as she fell back asleep. The truth was, her assistant's screaming had roused her from her dreams of prancing in a field of books, but it was worth it to see this little moment between them. Her sleepy eyes softened with pride, she could sense how Spike was feeling and she could very well tell another thing.

He was awake.

His fluttering eyelids were a dead giveaway and nopony blushed in their sleep. A smile curled her lips and her eyes lidded, just observing the two of them. It was quite obvious to her by now, she'd known the signs that Spike always gave off when he felt deeper feelings than friendship for a mare. From the little filly across the street in Canterlot named Razzle Dazzle to Rarity, he always gave off signs of his affection that, while not obvious to some other mares, were glaringly obvious to herself. He'd marched right up to Razzle Dazzle's house and had offered her flowers, a teddy bear for Moon Dancer and his pining after Rarity, she knew him quite well and right now, she could tell from the redness of his scales how he really felt towards Applejack.

How he had a crush on her.

Now while it could take a while for him to realize it himself, she always knew before he did. She'd heard Applejack's stories of how he was clumsy on the farm, so much unlike his normal self. Twilight had passed it off as nerves for a new job and that she was his hero, saving him from the ravenous jaws of the Timberwolves. But once again her keen eye for her best friend's affection had come through and even then, he felt some feelings towards the farmer. He was never clumsy around her, just Rarity and Applejack. But now, now he was clumsier around Applejack then he was Rarity. The scales were turning, more of his heart on the rodeo mare than the fashionista.

It was her motherly instincts.

Twilight didn't plan to have foals. No, she was content living her life without a husband. She was much too busy, and taking a lover could only risk them being harmed by those who wanted to get to her, especially her foal. She just couldn't let that happen, for their own sakes. Of course she had those feelings once in a while for a stallion, hay she even had them for mares on some occasions, but she never pursued them. There was one that stuck in her mind, but she had no reason to let herself be lost in love. Back to the point, she never planned to have foals but still had those motherly instincts for Spike, who was more than just an assistant. He was like her son in many ways, she'd raised him since birth and had cared for him. They referred to him as a baby dragon, but he was really in his teens, just five years younger than she herself was.

She looked at him with loving eyes, watching as he drifted into a dreamy sleep, full of happy memories and wild quests. He'd eat mountains of chocolate ice cream, live in gingerbread houses and save maidens, whether they be Applejack or Rarity. Well if it was Rarity he'd most definitely save her, but if it was Applejack she had a strong feeling that the farm mare wouldn't be caught dead doing a damsel in distress act, not after last time and that she wouldn't need rescuing and would instead buck the offender in the jaw and pummel him. It was just how she worked. The only occasion she'd known that Applejack needed rescuing was just last week when a rock had fallen on her hoof and held her hostage, vulnerable prey to a giant Timberwolf before Spike had stepped in and saved her. It was the reason Applejack was on the spare bed now, hugging the librarian's assistant to soothe his nightmares.

Had fate brought them together?

Twilight's mind raced with ideas and theories. They all made sense to her, bringing the dragon and the farmer closer together throughout this month would surely be a good idea, right? They were an ideal match. Both were stubborn as mules, both had pride, both had dignity and both had a hay of a lot of trouble lying. Gender, species and few personality traits separated the two, but she could clearly see them together in a romantic way, it just fit so well together. Like two pieces of a puzzle. In the puzzle inside her head, an orange piece and a purple piece made a solid connection, fitting together in perfect shape, size and harmony, clicking together in a fragile bond.

On quiet hooves, Twilight crept up the stairs to her room. She checked quickly under her bed for any stray portals or zombies and after declaring it clear, turned on the light and looked upon her private library. Romance, science fiction, realistic fiction and true stories all stood out to her as she scanned through them, searching for a book that could help her find a way to bring her two best friends together, a way to form a bond between their hearts. Her lack of books about dragons frustrated her, but there were many others about fictional draconic characters. The Lord of the Horseshoes, Harry Trotter, The Last Dragonslayer and The Trobbit were all excellent examples of novels that featured dragons, but none held a particular romantic interest to her save Harry Trotter and the Deathly Hallows. Moving on from fantasy, she skipped over her science fiction ad those dealt with foreign planets, creatures known as 'Humans' and extraterrestrials. Realistic fiction caught her eye, but since it went for a more realistic take she couldn't find anything about dragons. Story after story flew her by until she came across one that etched itself clearly into her mind, a romantic supernatural story.

Warm Bodies.

She'd read this book many times, it fascinated her greatly. It was the story of a young mare and a breed of zombie who fall in love, the zombie showing signs on intelligence beyond most takes on the living dead. Love between two very different ponies, a hard relationship and those who set out to destroy it. She couldn't see her assistant's future with Applejack going off without a hitch, there would be those who protested and claimed it to be a vile sort of love, but she knew they would press on if it ever came to be, which it would if she could put her two cents into the matter.

Driven by determination rather than interest, Twilight Sparkle flared her magenta magic and pulled the book towards her, opening it to the first page and skimming over it. She flipped through the pages rapidly, eyes going over each word with practiced ease and efficiency. This was an advantage, a perk some would say, to being an "egghead". She could skim rather quickly, but read the story word for word in half the time it would take a less well-read pony. She stayed hunched over her book for hours, until the sun poked its way into the sky, banishing the moon. She read the last words slowly, just as she had done for the past couple of chapters. A quick look at the clock notified her she had been reading for six hours, nothing unusual for her. The sun made her eyes water as she adjusted, rubbing her violet eyes to make them stop singing when she looked upon the grass, dew reflecting the golden celestial body.

She hadn't helped him with Rarity, no his love for her was a dream, something he wouldn't achieve. She'd seen the way Rarity treated him, like an equal and a friend but no more. She could see how the designer cared for her little 'Spikey-Wikey', but it wasn't the same feelings like the ones Spike directed towards her. The love in his green eyes was met with loving blue eyes, but the love was for him as a friend and nothing more. Rarity had confessed to Twilight that she was trying to let him down gently, trying to get him to take her hints, but he was oblivious to it all, to caught up in his affections and desires. Twilight had also tried to help him understand his love was one-sided, never to be born into something that they shared, but he wouldn't listen. It was understandable for a boy to act like this, but it wouldn't be long until she would've broken his heart.

But Applejack was an entirely different story.

Carefully, the librarian set the book back into place, having an idea of where to being with her friends. She licked her dry lips, realizing her thirst and hunger. That would have to wait a moment, for now she had to write some notes. Fetching a quill, a pot of ink and some parchment, she began to jot down strategies and plans, outlining her ideas for how she would bring the two together in love. Spike already had feelings for Applejack, which made the situation a tad easier for her to plan out. Soon she ran out of room on the parchment, having just finished her last notes and looked upon the skeleton of her plans, a satisfied smile on her face. Two new pieces of parchment, the sun rising higher in the sky and the meat was added to the bones, creating a full checklist, steps and plan to how to get Applejack to share Spike's feelings and how to get a relationship started between the two. Picking up the checklist, Twilight looked over the first item.

"Item one; create checklist and plan for how to get Applejack and Spike together."

The quill scratched a check into the little box beside her writing.

"Check."

Two exhausted, determined violet eyes blazed with determination and the unicorn turned to her window, looking at Ponyville briefly before turning back, hiding all of her plans and placing everything back in its usual spot. She opened her door and saw that Spike and Applejack were still asleep, just how she'd left them and she crept back downstairs and onto the couch. Instantly her eyes drooped, fatigue creeping over her limbs and she fell into a deep slumber, just hearing Applejack yawn as she awoke before everything went black and she sank into her dreams, a small, dreamy smile on her face.

Whatever challenges she would face, Twilight Sparkle would ensure that Spike and Applejack be brought together. No matter what.