I'm Still Me

by Eliyora

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Main 6, Romance, Spike, Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh
Length: 5518

There is no such thing as rules when it comes to love.

Twilight has become an Alicorn, moved to Canterlot, and begun her new life as the princess of magic. Back in Ponyville, there are those who miss her greatly, especially one shy farm pony who regrets never admitting his feelings.

Thanks to ICCUWAUSIMTOI for being my editor!

Published 2013-02-24 01:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-01 05:59:23 UTC

Part one

I was always the quiet one, never really voicing my thoughts or feelings. There have been plenty of times where I've regretted that about myself, but never more than with her. The most beautiful, intelligent, warm-hearted mare I've ever known.

Twilight Sparkle.

I feel lucky to have met her at all, let alone to have her consider me a friend. She's easily the most precious pony I have ever had in my life, and I was stupid, so stupid! I was so shy, so afraid to tell her how I felt about her! I promised myself so many times that today was the day, that today was when I would tell her, and I never followed through once. Something about just seeing her, looking into her stunning eyes, observing that warm smile, it would always make me lose the ability to form coherent words. Now, it's well beyond too late. Twilight has become an Alicorn, and been coronated as the fourth princess of Equestria. The problem is I still feel the same way about her, even now.

My name is "Big" Macintosh Apple, and I'm in love with a princess.

"I'm Still Me"
part one

Big Mac winced as he heard the tree behind him crack. He was bucking too hard again. Luckily, this was one of the sturdier trees and it only cracked a little, instead of toppling altogether as the last two had. He sighed. He'd been finding it difficult as of late to stay focused enough to control his strength. He just kept on thinking about... things.

It had always been Big Mac's habit to let things turn in his mind while he did his work. After all, his work took up the large part of his day, so there was plenty of time to think. However, recent events had shaken him to his very core, and he was almost unable to move his mind to anything else, including the work that he had done his entire life.

Twilight Sparkle had become a princess of Equestria.

Big Mac stomped. While on one level he was very happy for and proud of her for what she had accomplished, on another he was hurting terribly. He'd always thought Twilight was a fine lady, kind, generous, and humble despite her Canterlot origins and status as Celestia's own student. Sure, she had some issues with being high-strung, but that con was far outweighed by the pros. He had always felt lucky that she even thought him to be a friend, but some part of him had always held to the hope that they could one day be more.

He still remembered the first time he ever saw her. He had been in town when she first arrived, riding a golden chariot pulled by two royal guards. Something about her had just... glowed. He had taken one look at those eyes and become infatuated. Initially that was all it was, an infatuation, and he had been certain it would fade away. Over time, however, it had developed into a crush, then into real love. Even then it had hurt, as he had always been afraid she would reject a simple farm colt like himself. Now, it was a brutal, crushing ache. He longed every day to just see her, to hear her voice, anything!

It was unbelievable how much her absence was affecting him, but at the same time, it wasn't really. At some point, how good his day was began to revolve around whether or not he got to see her, so it wasn't too surprising that her absence was so painful. His eyes drifted in the direction of the mountains where Canterlot was located. It had only been a month since her ascension, but it felt like it had been much longer. He sighed and wondered what she was doing, if she was happy where she was now.

Twilight sighed as she set down the scroll she had been going over. She normally would have been completely fine with doing her royal duties. She always had been before. It was all different now, though. The duties were nothing new; she had learned after her coronation that Celestia had been having her fulfill the duties that were to be hers after her coronation anyway, so she wasn't as strained as she thought she was going to be. No, the problem was that it all felt different.

Twilight flapped her wings a little, her ears folding back. Rainbow Dash had been delighted to see them, saying she was her "new flying buddy." Twilight had not, however, had any sort of chance to fly with Rainbow Dash since she'd gotten them. In fact, since her friends had returned home after the coronation, she hadn't gotten to see them at all. They all kept in touch, of course. Twilight made time to write to them each day, with Spike happily sending the letters. She missed actually hanging out with the girls though. And besides the girls, there were other friends she had made in Ponyville that she had never actually gotten to say goodbye to. Cherilee, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Cakes, Zecora, Big Mac...

Twilight's stomach did that funny little flip it always had when she thought of or was near the large earth pony. She had never understood why, but never really paid any mind to it. It never did any harm, only made her feel strange for a moment.

She shook her head. It didn't matter. The point was she had simply vanished from their lives without a proper goodbye. Maybe that was why she was so distracted. She had always felt bad about that, but had never done anything to fix it. Well, time to change that. She got up and went to go speak to Celestia. It was time for her to make a trip to Ponyville.

End part one

Part two

It's an odd feeling, returning to Ponyville. I was born and grew up in Canterlot, yet coming back to Ponyville makes me feel like I'm coming home after a particularly long absence. That may be because Ponyville feels so much warmer than Canterlot.

In Ponyville, you only need to be yourself. That's all that matters. In Canterlot, status is everything. It's not something I ever had to worry about, being first the daughter of a noble family, then Celestia's own student, and now a princess. Even so, I was always fully aware of the need for status in my hometown. WIthout it, you were nothing. Ponyville has none of that, and coming back, I realize just how much I missed that.

I think I finally understand why Celestia always tries to ignore her own status.

"I'm Still Me"
Part Two

"Pinkie, what in Equestria are you doing?" Rarity asked as she watched her hyper friend.

Pinkie Pie was currently attempting to bake a cake, set up a buffet table, and decorate all at the same time. On top of this, she was doing it in the library, and she refused to explain why. Clearly it was time for a party, but for the first time, she wasn't telling the reason for the party. Rarity had happened upon her when she came to check out a book on classic Trottingham fashions. Obviously the visits to the library had been drastically reduced since Ponyville's greatest librarian had moved on to other things, so seeing Pinkie setting up a party here of all places was confusing, even given her random nature.

"I'm setting up a party!" Pinkie answered cheerfully. She was absolutely bouncy. Well, bouncier than usual anyway. Or, at least Rarity thought so. It was so hard to tell where Pinkie was concerned.

"I can see that, but why? You may love to throw parties, but you always have a reason for them," Rarity said.

"It's a surprise party!" Pinkie replied, dashing into the kitchen to pull the cake out of the oven. She set it aside to cool, then began piling more food onto the already creaking buffet table. Rarity took note of one particular bowl.

"Amethysts? Quartz? Garnets?" She began to smile, the pieces coming together in her mind. "Why, that's a meal fit for a dragon."

Pinkie grinned, knowing Rarity was figuring it out. "Well of course! I like to make sure all my guests have lots of stuff to enjoy!" She then went to begin icing the cake. Rarity caught a whiff of the scent of it and smiled more.

"Cinnamon spice cake?" she quipped. "I believe that's a very specific somepony's favorite!"

"Well duh!" Pinkie answered as she finished decorating it.

"Who else knows, Pinkie?" Rarity asked.

"Nopony," she answered. "It's a surprise party, so everything's a surprise!"

Rarity giggled. "Then I'll keep my silence. I don't wish to spoil the surprise after all."

"Hey! Can you get AJ and Big Mac and Apple Bloom here? I already told Rainbow and Fluttershy to meet here at about four, but I didn't get to go to get them because I had to start decorating and they'd all be so sad if they got left out!"

"I'm already there," Rarity said, heading out the door. An elated feeling washed over her. They were coming back! The Pinkie Sense was never wrong, so if she was so sure that she was setting up a welcome back party, then there could be no doubt.

Without even realizing it, Rarity began to skip a little bit. It had been far too long since she had gotten to see Spikey-Wikey. She missed his cute little face, and his sweet, caring personality. Spike was, in her opinion, the most precious gem she had ever come across, and her shop had felt tragically empty without him dropping by for no real reason. She had always found his crush on her flattering and adorable, even if she had never said so, and though she had sometimes taken advantage of it, she truly appreciated someone caring for her so.

That wasn’t to say Rarity was any less thrilled about seeing Twilight again. The bookish mare was one of the greatest friends anypony could wish for. Twilight’s help was part of the reason Rarity was where she was now. It had gotten her out of more than a few tight spots, and also helped with her career. Twilight’s connection with the princess had spilled over to her, and had aided her reputation, something which was essential for success in Canterlot.

It occurred to her how ironic is was that she was the Element of Generosity when really, she received so much more of it than she gave out. She had to thank them both for everything they had ever given her, all that they had ever done to help her. It was all the more reason to look forward to seeing them.

Big Mac sat on the porch, staring rather grumpily at the trees. At Applejack's insistence, he was taking the rest of the day off. He had gotten his head back in the game enough that he wasn't toppling trees anymore, but he was still managing to crack them. AJ figured that a day or two to relax and get his head together would do some good, but all that meant to him was that there was now no distraction from his thoughts.

Not that Ah was real distracted from 'em to begin with, he admitted to himself.

Still, it had helped a little. Now what was he supposed to do with himself?

"Big Macintosh?”

He lifted his head up when he heard someone call him. Miss Rarity was coming his way. He nodded politely in greeting.

"Well, this is a fortunate surprise. I thought I would have to look amongst the trees to find you and your sister," she said. "I don't suppose Applejack is here as well, is she?"

"Nnope."

"Oh drats," Rarity complained. "Well, I suppose it was inevitable then. Either way, I'm here to extend an invitation to Pinkie's latest party. It's going to be at the library at four."

"Ah... Ah don't know if Ah feel up to a party," Big Mac said.

"Sure ya do!"

Both looked up to see AJ coming towards them, pulling a cart load of apples. She was smiling at the pair of them. "Ah'd say a party would do ya some good. It'll help cheer ya up," she continued.

"Wonderful!" Rarity said. She was wearing a mysterious smile. "The invitation extends to your sister, of course. I'm going to bring Sweetie Belle, and I expect Rainbow Dash will bring Scootaloo along."

"We'll be there," AJ responded. Big Mac remained silent, as always. He didn't feel like going to a party, but once again couldn't make himself protest over his sister. AJ had a habit of being right about things that would do him some good after all.

"I'll let Pinkie know right away, though knowing her she probably already knows you'll be there," Rarity replied. The girls shared a laugh before Rarity turned to head back to town.

AJ turned when Mac let out a soft snort of irritation. She knew Big Mac didn't want to go, but she also knew that he really needed a distraction. Her brother may have been a mystery to others, but she knew him better than anypony. She knew exactly what was bothering him, and wanted to do all she could to help him feel better.

Most ponies may think it odd that AJ wasn’t bothered by her older brother being in love with her best friend, but in her opinion, it was a good match. She couldn’t think of anypony else who would treat Big Mac the way he ought to be treated; with warmth, compassion, gentleness, and understanding. Especially the understanding. Many would think that sounded more like Fluttershy than Twilight Sparkle, but the fact was Fluttershy was far better with animals than with ponies. Besides that, Big Macintosh was far smarter than most would assume. He was actually close to Twilight’s level, which was all the more reason she was okay with it.

On Twilight’s end, it seemed to AJ that her friend could do with somepony like Mac; somepony who could help keep her stress-attacks in check, primarily. Big Mac had a talent for calming others, and it was no secret that Twilight needed that in her life. Applejack wasn’t sure how true this part was anymore, all things considered, but Big Mac could help get her out and about more often, rather than just staying in and pouring over books constantly. On a side note, AJ was fairly certain Twilight had a crush on Big Mac too, though she didn’t know for sure.

Big Macintosh and Twilight Sparkle were two of the most precious ponies in AJ’s life, and she wanted them to both be happy. If happiness for them was each other, so be it. Of course, this was all assuming that it could even still happen, what with Twi’s coronation and all. And of course, this brought her back to the problem.

Applejack looked at Big Mac and gave him an apologetic smile. "Ah know, big brother, but Ah really think you'll feel a bit better after a good party," she said. After a moment, she added, "It may not cure the problem, but maybe it'll help ta not think about it fer a while."

Big Mac stared at Applejack. Did she know...? By Celestia, how did she always do that?! How did she always read him so easily? She was always the only one who could do that, something which was both aggravating and a relief. One one hoof, he could always count on AJ to understand him. On the other, he couldn't seem to keep any secrets from her.

He let out a sigh. It didn't really matter anyway. Either way, it seemed like he was going to the party.

Pinkie was hopping in place excitedly, constantly looking up at the sky. Much to the bewilderment of everyone except Rarity, she wasn't letting them into the library yet. Somewhere in her high speed rambling, she had mentioned the surprise wasn't there yet. Big Mac had no idea what she was talking about. All he knew was he was getting heavily bored, and it had only been five minutes. He did not like having nothing to do, and was about to turn back to the farm when Pinkie shouted, "Oh oh!! The surprise is here!!"

Big Mac turned around just in time to see it. It was just like three years ago. A golden chariot pulled by two royal guards descended from the sky, their passenger invisible from the angle. Big Mac didn’t need Pinkie’s squealing and bouncing to figure out what, or rather who, was on that chariot.

No way, he thought. The deja vu was entirely too strong. It couldn't be...

But it was. Off of the chariot, and into his view, stepped Princess Twilight Sparkle.

End Part Two

Part three

What difference did I think it would make? Why did I believe that seeing her again would be enough? I was a fool. A lovesick, stupid fool. She’s a princess, and I’m a farmer! It’s utterly ridiculous to think there was a ghost of a chance now!

I had no doubt that she’s still the same pony. I couldn’t imagine that being a princess has suddenly made her look down her nose at ponies. All the same, she could literally have anyone she wanted. Who would be crazy enough to turn down someone as amazing as her?

I certainly wouldn’t.

I'm Still Me

Part Three

The party was in full swing. Especially with a guest list that was small for one of Pinkie's parties, the noise level was still rather impressive thanks to blasting music, gossiping and giggling mares, playful fillies, and the general atmosphere of joy that danced around within the library. Like every other party ever thrown in Ponyville, it was a fun-filled time for everypony.

Everypony... except Big Macintosh.

He didn't understand why he was feeling... the way he did. Just a few hours ago, he was so focused on seeing Twilight again that he couldn't even concentrate on his work. Now, here she was, right before his eyes, smiling and laughing as though she had never been gone. It made... no sense. He should have been dancing on air. Instead, he was sitting on... one side of the room... by himself, slowly nursing a cup of punch and feeling as though there was a lead weight in his stomach. He needed to pick himself up, go over to her, and, at very least, tell her that it was good to see her again.

"Ow! Rainbow, will you stop pulling my wings!" Twilight yelped suddenly.

Big Mac sat back down as quickly as he had gotten up, looking over at her again. That, right there, was the reason he was having so much trouble. Her wings... The very wings that now marked her as a princess. Regardless of her being in Ponyville again, she was not the same Twilight he knew. It was impossible that she was still the same. She was an alicorn now, an immortal ruler of their fine kingdom. His ears folded back and he sighed. He'd always felt his chances were slim at best. Now, how far apart were they? Here he was ... a simple farm colt. There she was ... a beautiful, magnificent princess. While he didn't doubt that she was still a good mare, kind-hearted and warm, he was mindful of station. For both their sakes, he could never tell her of his feelings.

Twilight, meanwhile, kept on glancing over at AJ's downcast brother. She was worried. Was he upset over something? She knew he was never much of a partier, but this was something else entirely. She had never seen the Pinkie Party that failed to cheer someone up. Eventually, she pulled Applejack off to one side.

"Is Big Mac okay? He's just been sitting over there looking depressed since I got here," she asked in a hushed tone.

"Ah was actually wonderin' the same thin' mahself, sugercube," AJ responded. "Ah figured he'd be tickled pink to see ya."

Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Tickled pink? Why's that?" she asked.

AJ mentally smacked herself for opening her big mouth. "Nuthin' Twi," she said, giving her trademark lying grin. "Ain't nuthin' fer ya to worry about."

"You are the worst liar in Equestria, you know that?" Twilight remarked. Applejack sighed.

"Sorry Twi, but it ain't mah place to say anythin'," she explained. She looked over at her brother again. "Maybe... maybe one of us should talk to 'im."

"Let me," Twilight said instantly. She made her way towards him, idly waving to Spike and Rarity as she passed them.

AJ smirked. The more and more she thought about it, the more and more it seemed like Twilight really did like Big Mac. Unlike her brother, she wasn't worried about station. Twilight being in Ponyville presented a golden opportunity. The only real reason Twi's coronation had been a concern of hers before was that she wasn't sure if her friend would be around anytime soon. It was almost as though fate itself had heard her thoughts. The fact that Twilight showed such concern for him was also a good sign. She decided to wait just a little bit, to see if anything happened on its own. One never knew. She had seen much, much stranger things happen with her own eyes. This was nothing.

Pinkie, meanwhile, was watching Twilight with a touch of concern, though for once she kept her thoughts to herself. Her Pinkie Sense told her that something was out of place. She didn’t know exactly what yet, but somehow, she was going to figure it out and try to make everything okay. Her friends being unhappy and uncomfortable was definitely not okay. But what was it? What was wrong? How could she help fix it?

HMMMMMM!

Pinkie had already concocted several plans, one of which involved a waffle iron, a toaster, a water balloon, gum, and a piece of string. How that plan would work is beyond even her comprehension, but it is worth a shot!

Big Mac was just staring at the ceiling, allowing his thoughts run free with no sort of restraint. In the midst of the jumble, however, Twilight remained the center focus regardless. Nothing he tried seemed to get her off his mind, and it was becoming... frustrating.

"Big Mac?"

Said pony jumped at the sound of the... musical voice saying... his name. He looked at Twilight, who was standing- right there in front of him. A concerned look was etched onto her face.

"Are you okay? I mean, I know you're a quiet guy, and all, but you haven't said a single word this entire time," she said.

After several seconds, the only response he could manage was his trademark, "Eeyup."

"Are you sure?"

"Eeyup."

"Then, why are you sitting over here by youself?" Twilight asked. "Don't you want to join the party?"

"...eeyup."

"But you're not going to?"

"Nnope."

"Why not? Is there something upsetting you?"

"...nnope."

"You're just as bad of a liar as your sister," Twilight said, frowning. "Big Mac, come on. I haven't seen you for a long time. I've missed you. I was, actually, really looking forward to talking to you again when I came back."

Big Mac gave her a surprised look. She had missed him? Him in particular? Not only that, she had been wanting to talk to him? He was more thankful than ever for his red coat, because his face felt very warm.

"Ah... Ah reckon Ah missed ya too, Princess," he finally managed.

Twilight gave him a confused look at this, then remembered the wings on her back. She had somehow managed to forget them during the party (except for when Rainbow kept pulling at them to get a better look). She had felt like just Twilight Sparkle again during this whole party. The reminder was a bit jarring, not to mention unpleasant.

She drew a deep breath. "Big Mac, you know you don't have to call me princess. Twilight's always worked before."

"Ya weren't a princess before," he said quietly, his expression sad. "Ah'm jes' givin' ya the proper respect, Princess." He bowed to her. "E-excuse me. Ah have some chores that need doin' back at the farm." With that, Big Mac made an awkward, hasty exit, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Way to go, ya idiot," he muttered bitterly to himself. "Why do Ah always have to be so buckin' awkward around 'er?" He trotted back towards the farm. Now he really needed to do some work. He really, really needed the distraction.

Twilight watched out the window as he left. Now she felt depressed. She really had been looking forward to talking to Big Mac when she got back. He was one of the few ponies she could talk frankly with, using the vocabulary she was most comfortable with. She had also been hoping that she could use this trip to figure out what it was that caused that... funny flip in her stomach when she was around him. She was only going to be in town for a little over a week, after all. That wasn't much time with him.

Or... rather... with everypony. Twilight shook her head. That was very singularly-focused. She couldn't spend her entire time focused on just one stallion, even if something in her screamed that was exactly what she should be doing. There were a lot of friends she had come to visit.

Don't forget why you're here, Twilight, she reminded herself, turning to rejoin the party. All the same, she couldn't help one more glance at the window. But why were you?

She looked down, and her ears flattened. Twilight had never seen Big Mac act like that in all the time she had known him. Was it simply because of her elevation? She couldn’t be sure, but for some reason she doubted it. Big Mac could be formal, for certain, but this was a little far for him. She wanted to know. She desired to know. She needed to know.

“Hey, Twi!”

Twilight looked over to Applejack. She and the rest of the girls were giving her looks ranging from concern to confusion, and Twilight didn’t need to guess why. She was pretty sure that she wasn’t the only one to see Big Mac’s less-than-elegant exit.

Spike and Rarity, who were still off to one side, watched as she walked towards the others. They were silent for a moment, before Spike finally sighed.

“Unreal,” he muttered.

“What’s unreal, Spike?” Rarity asked.

“It’s just... Twilight’s really been missing Big Mac, and the first thing that happens is that,” he explained, gesturing with his arm. “And now look. She’s all depressed. Big Mac is a big idiot.”

“Rather harsh, don’t you think, Spike?” Rarity argued.

“Less than you think. I’ve seen how he looks at her.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Spike gave her a surprised look. “You mean you can’t tell?” he asked. “I can just from the way he watches her when she’s not looking, or how he gets all smiley when he sees her. Or how he turns red when she smiles at him.”

“Spike, he’s always red,” Rarity pointed out.

“Well, redder than usual,” Spike corrected.

“Spike, are you saying that Big Macintosh has a crush on Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Well, duh! I mean, isn’t it obvious? I mean, I, of all dragons, should know! I’ve had one on you for years, now ...oops...”

Spike turned a shade of red to make apples jealous at this little slip. Rarity, who had of course known the entire time of Spike’s feelings, just giggled. Spike, for his part, tried to pull down a hat that he was not wearing.

Rarity gave him a comforting nuzzle. “Spikey-Wikey... you know I already knew that,” she reminded him gently. Though his blush did not lessen(in actuality, it strengthened), Spike did turn to look Rarity in the eye again.

“Yeah, yeah,” he responded in an attempt to play it cool.

For Spike’s sake, Rarity dropped the subject. “Are you so sure he has feelings for her?”

“Completely,” Spike replied with a firm nod.

“I’m not surprised, actually,” Rarity said. “When I stop and think about it, he does have a fair bit in common with her. They’re both incredibly intelligent ponies, with a dedication to the ones they love of the highest order; they’re both hard-working, and they are always willing to put others before themselves. On top of that, they are both masterfully skilled in their particular fields. And by no means are either of them bad-looking. Not that that is a sole reason for being attracted to each other, but it certainly doesn’t hurt anything, by any means.”

“True. That, and Twilight hasn’t found Miss Smartypants in a while. Last pony she remembers having it is Big Macintosh... oh, wow... he still has that thing... It’s like me and the Gala tickets, all over again,” Spike realized.

“Oh... my... goodness!!” Rarity squealed. “That’s just too precious!! I mean, I always took him for the strong, silent type, but he’s more sensitive than I thought!! That’s so... CUTE!!”

“Doesn’t mean he isn’t a bit of an idiot,” Spike replied. “He still ran off when Twilight talked to him.”

“Perhaps he was scared. Afraid she would reject him. Or afraid he wasn’t good enough for her...”

“Not good enough for her? NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER!? That makes about as much sense as Pinkie Pie ever does. That guy’s been one of my few male friends! He’s helped her enough! She’s the same pony she always has been, even as a Princess! He’s one of the most eligible bachelors in Ponyville, if not Equestria! HOW IS HE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!?”

“Spike, you know as well as I do how shy he is. Maybe even better. Perhaps, he simply needs help realizing he’s not only good enough for her, but better than many of the alternatives” Rarity suggested. “Like Blueblood...” She shuddered... very heavily.

So did Spike. “Don’t even joke about that royal prat. He makes me use fancy words to insult him. You didn’t really even know him, personally. I had to know the guy, growing up. I wouldn’t mind forgetting him.”

“You are not alone in that opinion, Spike, I assure you,” Rarity replied. “I can’t believe I ever thought about marrying him. What a waste of dreaming! At least it wasn’t my only dream...”

“Yeah, you should marry someone nicer than him!”

At that, Rarity smiled.

“Alright, Spike, I think I will!”

“Alright!” He thought for a second. “Wait... who?”

“Can’t tell you!”

“Oh, come on! That’s not fair!”

“All’s fair in love and war, Spikey-Wikey!” She giggled when Spike just huffed.

He’s adorable when he’s half-angry.

The first words out of Twilight’s mouth when she reached her friends were, “I don’t know. He just took off.”

“What did ya say to ‘im?” AJ asked.

“Just that I missed him and that I’ve been looking forward to talking to him,” Twilight replied.

“Ah see,” AJ muttered quietly, almost to herself. Her expression became thoughtful. Twilight waited a long moment to see if her friend would expand on that, but the apple bucker remained silent.

Irritated, Twilight asked, “Care to share, Applejack?”

“Still ain’t mah place, sugarcube,” was the immediate reply. At Twilight’s rather annoyed expression, she continued, “Ah’m sorry, Twi’, but he is mah brother. Ah ain’t gonna break his confidence like that.”

After a moment, the princess relented. “Alright. I have no right to ask you to do that. Just... promise me you’ll let me know if he needs anything. Help, someone to talk to, anything, alright?”

“Ah promise,” AJ said, going through the familiar motions of a Pinkie Promise. Twilight had to be satisfied with that, so she decided to try to put it out of her mind for now, turning her attention back to her other friends.

Why, indeed.

“CAAAAAAAAAKE TIME!!!”

The loud, sudden scream interrupted any and all trains of of any sort of thought for anypony in the room, and any neighboring room... and possibly any neighboring house. Everyone looked up at Pinkie as she wheeled in a cake so large it should not have been able to physically fit through the door. Rarity had to wonder how Pinkie had managed to hide this cake when she was there earlier.

Pinkie popped up from behind the monstrous confection. “For the best princess and friend in all of Equestria!! Welcome home Twilight!” Pinkie cheered loudly.

“Here! Here!” Rainbow agreed.

“Ya’ll know it!” AJ shouted.

As more and more added their own cheers, Twilight couldn’t help but smile. Regardless of what issues there were that needed resolving, it was good to be home, amongst friends who loved her so much.

End Part Three