Apples'n'Wrenches

Apples N’ Wrenches

By The Write Bros.

Chapter 6: Fair Game

Ficksitup stood outside the library and glanced at the balcony with scorn. It had rained for three days straight without end and there was no doubt that the floor boards from where the balcony had broken were ruined beyond salvaging. The prolonged exposure to the rain would most likely have caused the unprotected parts of the wood to rot to the core and he could only assume that mold had most likely started developing in the wood as well. In theory, the balcony would have been completely obliterated and could never be completed or repaired in under a day, which would mean more work for him. Of course, however, Ficksitup had predicted this, and brought extra boards of reinforced wood as well as other building materials. He knew the balcony was going to need to be completely redone, and was in no position to be complaining since it was his own fault for putting it off in the first place.

“That balcony is an affront to society, and darnit I am gonna’ fix it!” Ficksitup said in a rather determined tone.

“Oh, quit’cher yammerin’ and help me unload the wagon already, dammit!” Hammerplank yelled from behind.

Since Ficksitup had known the job was now going to require more advanced carpentry treatment, he had enlisted, or to put it more accurately, begged for his uncle’s help. Hammerplank had been reluctant to assist him at first, figuring that Ficksitup should own up to his own irresponsibility but at the same time knowing better than to leave an unfinished job at the hooves of an amateur. However, he eventually agreed. After all, he didn’t want his nephew putting the shop’s reputation to shame.

“Alright alright, I’m gettin’ it uncle,” Ficksitup said. “Geez. Ya don’t have to be so grumpy.”

“Ya’ kiddin’ me?” Hammerplank shouted back. “Of course I do! Do you even realize how cold it is today?”

Ficksitup shrugged. “I don’t know, about fifty or so degrees.”

“Exactly!” Hammerplank started shouting.“To me that’s freezing. Yet here I am, getting my flank up on a day when I could be sleeping in a warm bed, and just to help you fix a stupid balcony!”

“Ya would’ve had to get up to open the shop anyway and I never said you had to come along,” retorted Ficksitup. “I just asked for yer help, that’s all.”

“Yeah? Well you didn’t have to put this off for so long neither.”

Ficksitup groaned in defeat when he realized that his uncle had made a valid point. He started pulling the wood from the wagon and stacking the planks next to the tree trunk of the library. Afterwards, he put on his orange workers vest.

“Hey, Plank? I’ll get back to helpin’ ya in a minute. Just gotta’ let Twilight know we’re here.” Ficksitup called as he walked towards the front door of the library.

“Oh sure, let the old horse with the
bad back unload all the equipment while you chit-chat with your friend,” groaned Hammerplank. “Well go on, get it over with,” he added dismissively. Ficks rolled his eyes as he knocked on the door and called out Twilight’s name. Within a few moments, the door swung open. Curiously, there wasn’t anypony there to answer it.

“Uh, hello? Twilight, ya home?” Ficksitup called into the library.

“Down here...” A small, male voice answered.

Ficks looked down to see the source of the voice. Before him stood a short, purple dragon with an extremely curious look on his face.

“You need something, dude?” the dragon asked.

Like a filly that had just seen a spider, Ficksitup started squealing in panic and slammed the door shut. He dove behind the cart to hide behind Hammerplank, who was still unloading the equipment.

“What the...what in the hay is wrong with you?” Hammerplank asked, all but yelling at his nephew.

“Dragon! There’s a dragon in there....I saw it, a dragon, there is a dragon in there!” Ficksitup cried, flailing his arms around like a mad mare.

“Dragon? There is no way a freakin’ dragon could...” Hammerplank furrowed his brow. “You know what? Never mind, I don’t have time for this, just wait here.”

Hammerplank walked up to the door and knocked lightly. The same small, purple dragon opened it again and stared up at him.

“Sup?” he said, waving to Hammerplank, who simply stared at the him, unimpressed. In fact, he looked at the dragon with furrowed brows for a good ten seconds before turning back towards Ficksitup.

“You gotta be joking, right?”

“You saw it too?” Ficks gaped. “I told you, Plank, that’s a real dra-”

Hammerplank grabbed his nephew firmly by the collar of his vest, shaking him. “Get your manure together ya’ little pansy!” he whispered in a hostile tone. “It’s a three-hoof tall dragon that probably couldn’t hurt a fly!” He snorted. “I’m almost ashamed to call you my relative at this point, jeez. Never thought you’d be such a sissy over a lizard.”

“But I-”

“No, you’re gonna get this manure figured out. I am not gonna have my own nephew skip out on the job because of a little reptile!” Hammerplank yelled as he pushed Ficksitup towards the door even as he tried his best to resist his uncle. His efforts proved in vain, and Hammerplank refused to let him back away from the door, glaring. Swallowing nervously, Ficksitup put his hoof up to knock. Before he could, however, he heard a muffled argument coming from the other side.

“What do you mean somepony’s at the door?” asked a feminine voice.

“Yeah, there’s two stallions...some old geezer and another one in a hat. I think they’re trying to sell us stuff or something,” the dragon’s voice answered.

“Old geezer!?” Hammerplank shouted angrily, “Why that little f-”

“Selling stuff?” Ficksitup quickly interrupted. “We’re doin’ no such thing. Well... not intentionally.”

“Why didn’t you let them in?” the female voice asked.

“I was about to, then the one in the hat slammed the door in my face,” answered the dragon defensively. “It’s not like I’m the one being rude here.”

“Honestly, Spike I thought I’d taught you bet - wait. Did you say one was wearing a hat?” the female voice asked excitedly, and then the door opened and Twilight Sparkle stuck her head out to meet her visitors.

“Uh, hi there, Twilight,” said Ficks, tipping his hat nervously.

“Oh, hello Ficksitup!” chirped Twilight. “How are you?”

“I’m uh... I’m doing well,” answered Ficksitup nervously, refusing to take his eyes off of the dragon. Hammerplank simply shook his head in shame while Twilight turned to see what he was looking at.

“Oh, I guess you’ve finally met my assistant. Allow me to give a proper introduction,” said Twilight, clearing her throat, “This is Spike, the dragon.”

“I never would’a guessed.” Hammerplank mumbled under his breath.

Ficksitup swallowed.

“Uh... hi there, Spike. Pleased...pleased to meet you,” he finally stuttered.

“Likewise...” Spike replied rather sarcastically. Twilight smiled at their exchange before she turned to Hammerplank.

“Oh, and who might this be?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” began Ficksitup, “this is my Uncle Ha-”

“Hammerplank, Miss Twilight,” his uncle interrupted, “owner of Hammerplank’s Repair and Supplies, at yer service.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Hammerplank,” replied Twilight warmly, extending a hoof.

“The pleasure’s all mine, my dear,” said Hammerplank, taking her hoof and planting a soft kiss on the top of it. Twilight giggled softly while both Ficksitup and Spike stared at them in appalled shock.

“Dude, that’s creepy,” Spike whispered.

“Uncle!” shouted Ficksitup, mortified.

“What?” Hammerplank turned to him, quirking a brow. “Can’t an old fellow be a gentlecolt to a young lady every now and again?”

“You know exactly what,” Ficksitup muttered.

“Alright, fine.” Hammerplank sighed, and released Twilight’s hoof.

“So, what brings you two here today, anyways?” asked Twilight.

“Oh right, well to put it frankly, we’re here to fix the balcony. I figured I’ve put it off long enough.” Ficksitup said rather confidently.

“Oh, you don’t mean that balcony, do you?” asked Twilight as she looked towards where the balcony was firmly rooted into the trunk of the tree.

“Of course I mean that one,” replied Ficks, “what other balcony would I be talkin’ about?”

“Well you see, I uh... I kinda already...” She trailed off and bit her lip nervously. Ficks blinked.

“What is it, Twilight?”

She finally shut her eyes. “I already fixed it myself,” she said hurriedly, cracking one eye open to glance up at Ficks cautiously.

“Wait...wait, what? How?” he asked in shock.

“I read a book on it,” said Twilight, looking back into the library and levitating a book to the door. She dropped it into her hooves and held it up in front of Ficksitup. Squinting, he was able to read the title aloud.

“A Foal’s Guide to Enchanting Carpentry & Other Magic Solutions...” He frowned. “I didn’t even think they wrote books like these. Can you believe it, uncle?”

“Makes me wonder why the heck I’m still workin’ anymore...” grumbled Hammerplank in response.

“Wait wait wait, I gotta’ see this for myself...” Ficksitup said, backing up to get a proper look at the balcony. He had realized that ever since they had arrived at the library, he had never actually taken the time to inspect the structure thoroughly, figuring that he would get the chance to see it when they had started making the repairs. He trotted over until he was right under the the foundation. What he saw, or more appropriately, what he didn’t see, simply made his jaw drop. Where a gaping hole and several splintered pieces of broken wood should have been was the flat underbelly of the balcony. Indeed, the holes had been repaired, mended in such a way that nopony would have ever known it was broken in the first place.

“You’ve gotta’ freakin’ be kiddin’ me...” Hammerplank hissed, and shot a very unimpressed look at Ficksitup, who could tell that he was not exactly in his uncle’s good graces at the moment. Avoiding the cold glare, he turned to face Twilight again.

“So... you...fixed it? All by yourself?”

“Yes,” she chirped, “it was quite easy, really. The book pretty much walked me through it and...” She paused. “Well, okay I didn’t fix it all by myself. Spike helped. While I was reading the instructions, I sent him to the shop to get some wood for the repair itself. To be honest, that’s why I was surprised that you showed up today. I figured that when he showed up for the wood, he would’ve told you that I was doing it myself, so you wouldn’t need to come.”

Hammerplank let out a low guttural laugh which made all three of them look at him with confusion.

“That’s a good one, Miss Twilight. Yeah, listen here, sweetheart. I remember every customer that walks into my store and lemme’ tell ya, not once did I see that little pipsqueak enter my shop. Trust me, I would have noticed if he had.”

“Hey, who you calling a pipsqueak?” demanded Spike, irritated.

“Same one who called me an old geezer, pipsqueak.”

The two of them glared at each other before Twilight stepped in and put up a hoof out to stop them.

“Spike? Where exactly did you get those planks of wood?” She asked, turning towards the purple dragon who was now trying to look completely innocent. He looked up at her slowly when he began to realize that he had been caught.

“Uh... well, when I said that I did exactly what you told me to do, I kinda...lied.” He swallowed. “You see, I didn’t buy the wood from anypony in particular. I kinda...found them.” He trailed off, but Twilight could tell that there was more to it.

“Go on...” she prompted, staring at him intently. Spike was beginning to feel the tension that came from having all eyes centered on him. His gaze darted from left to right as he realized that he wasn’t going to be able slip away this time around, and with that, his prolonged confession went full throttle.

“Okay,” he began, “so I was going to the shop like you asked and I was gonna’ buy the wood, honest. But then as I was walking there, I happened to pass by some vendor in the market who was selling gems at a really low price. They looked so good and I was so hungry that I just couldn’t help it. I’m sorry, but I used the money to buy all the gems she was selling!”

And with that, Spike fell quiet, gasping for air. The three ponies merely stared at him in silence for a moment, still completely confused.

“Okay... while I appreciate the honesty, Spike,” began Twilight, “that still doesn’t answer my question. Where did you get the wood from?”

“Oh yeah, that,” said Spike, obviously relaxing. “I found them in an old cart outside the market.”

Suddenly, Ficksitup slapped a hoof over his mouth. He knew what Spike was talking about.

“Oh manure...” he muttered to himself nervously.

“It was pretty convenient, if you ask me,” Spike continued. “They had been sitting there for hours, so I figured nopony wanted them. I used the wagon to haul them here, then I returned the wagon after I was done.”

“Well how ‘bout that, eh?” Ficksitup said with another shiver of nervous laughter. He could feel his uncle’s ice cold stare baring down upon him again.

“Say, nephew...”

Ficksitup turned around slowly, too scared to attempt to run away.

“Y- yes, uncle?”

“Ya told me ya lost some wood just the other day. It couldn’t possibly be the same wood that this little guy’s talkin’ about, right?”

“D- did I say that? Coulda’ sworn it was somepony else who told ya that. I mean, I would never be so irresponsible as to- ”

“Could ya c’mere for a sec’?” Hammerplank asked with a false smile. Ficksitup slowly approached his uncle, already knowing what was in store for him. Hammerplank firmly grabbed him by the collar of his vest and pulled him close to his mouth to whisper into his ear.

“That’s strike two, mister, and I am really sure that you do not wanna hit strike three with me today. At this point, I’m convinced you’re actually tryin’ to piss me off. First you get my flank up on a cold mornin’ only to cost us the job anyway due to your lack of priority, and now you let shop resources get stolen right from under our noses by a...a reptile! This is coming right out of your freakin’ paycheck, ya hear me? You pull this manure again and I swear to Celestia I will nail you to the roof of the shop and use you as the new mascot for my store!”

“Uh-uh-understood uncle...” Ficksitup answered, still shaking, before he tilted his head to the side curiously. “Hold on...I have a paycheck?”

“Ya do now...” answered Hammerplank, releasing his collar. “I got a wild hair and figured a stallion your age could use a few extra spending bits. I intended to tell ya later, but I guess this is as good a time as any.”

And with that, Hammerplank let out a small grunt as if it pained him to make even the most feeble of attempts to be polite to his nephew. However, this didn’t matter. Even though Ficksitup had just incurred the wrath of his uncle chewing him out like that, he couldn’t help but flash a small grin at his uncle’s rather uncanny way of being affectionate.

“Wow... thanks, uncle.”

“Don’t get too cheery, buster. This month’s pay is pretty much out the window thanks to this little stunt. You wanna earn your pay? Then you’d better be ready to work your flank off next month.”

With that, the brief moment of happiness was over, and the two of them approached Twilight and Spike to continue with the matter at hoof.

“Listen, I’m sorry about all this,” began Twilight. “I feel bad that you two came all the way down here even though I already fixed the balcony myself...it’s just that with this fall weather the skies are particularly clear at night, and I knew it would be a perfect time to get some of my star gazing done, so I simply could not afford to wait any longer. Again, I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your job.”

“Don’t worry about it Twilight. It ain’t yer fault,” Ficksitup said assuringly.

“Yeah, it’s not like you were procrastinatin’ or nothin’...” Hammerplank said, shooting another glance at his nephew. Ficksitup merely sneered in response.

“Well, I guess so, but since you two are actually the experts at this kind of stuff...how did I do?” Twilight shifted nervously from one front hoof to the other. Ficksitup took a moment to take another glance at the balcony.

“Was this your first try with this kind of thing?” he asked.

“As a matter of fact, it was.”confirmed Twilight.

“Wow, I ain’t gonna lie,” said Ficks with a smile, “but you did really good on this.”

“Really?” she squealed with excitement.

“Yeah, that’s pretty impressive,” he said, “if yer that good, I’m willin’ to bet uncle ‘Plank would even let ya work at the shop.”

“I wouldn’t mind that...” Hammerplank said with a mischievous smirk. Ficksitup ignored his comment, praying that Twilight had as well.

“Aww, thank you Ficksitup” she said cheerfully, “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m better off staying at the library. You know me... can’t stay away from a good book.” .

“Yeah, I figured as much,” said Ficks with a chuckle.

“Are we done here?” Spike interrupted, “I’m hungry.”

Twilight glared down at her assistant, who just stared back up at her without a care for the current conversation. He even went so far as to open his mouth and point down his throat to emphasize his ever growing hunger.

“Yes, scales-for-brains, we’re done here,” sighed Twilight. “I’ll be inside in a moment to get you some gems for breakfast. Now go inside and be grumpy somewhere else.”

“Fine,” Spike mumbled as he slowly lumbered back into the library.

Twilight turned back to face the two stallions, shaking her head in exasperation. “Dragons...” she sighed. “They can be such grumpy creatures sometimes.”

“Oh, I think I know one creature in particular” said Ficksitup, “that can be much grumpier...” He shot a look at his uncle, and Hammerplank merely gave him a swift kick with his hind leg, causing him to nearly lose his balance. The two of them started glaring at each other, but before the situation could get worse Twilight interrupted..

“Anyways” she said cheerfully, “that reminds me, I was just about to go inside and make some tea. Would you two like to come in and join me? I’d certainly like the company, seeing as it’s usually only Spike and me who are here in the morning.”

“Oh... well, as much as we’d like to,” Ficksitup began, “we really should go, since we’ve got a lot of wo-”

“Of course, we’d love to come in!” Hammerplank interrupted. “After all, we’d hate to have come all the way down here for nothin’...” He grabbed Ficksitup by the shoulder and pulled him in close, hugging him tightly. “Right, nephew?”

Hammerplank was glaring at him full force and Ficks struggled to pull away, at this point unable to tell whether his uncle was just doing this to make him feel even more guilty about the job heist or if he had some devious plan conjured up in his head that perhaps involved a certain purple pony. Whatever the reason, Ficksitup wasn’t exactly in a position to argue about it.

“Alright...I guess it would be nice to come inside for awhile,” said Ficksitup, finally giving in. “It is pretty cold out, anyways.”

“Splendid,” said Twilight delightedly. “I’ll get started on the tea right away!”

And with that, the two of them followed Twilight into the library. While she was busy in the other room, Hammerplank and Ficksitup took a moment to settle in, beginning to peruse the many books that littered the shelves of the main room of the library.

“You know, Ficks...” began Hammerplank, “I’m taking a bit of a hit because of you. I mean, tea? You know I’m full on coffee drinker. You owe me big time.” He was looking at a book which Ficksitup which could not decipher at the moment.

“Yeah, I know that,” Ficks replied.

“Still... that Twilight friend of yours is certainly a real piece of work. So this wasn’t completely a waste of time. How come ya never mentioned her before, nephew?”

“Because of that charade you were pullin’ outside. That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you about her. And now I regret even bringin’ you along in the first place.”

“Aww yer no fun kiddo. I’m just tryin’ to make her aquaintance, that’s all. It’s completely harmless.” Hammerplank said, giving him a wink.

“Yeah sure... just don’t let it go to yer he-...er, ‘Plank...what are you doin’?” He raised an eyebrow as he watched his uncle digging through another one of the bookshelves.

“None of yer business, boy,” growled Hammerplank, “just looking for a dictionary, that’s all...” He shuffled a book across the shelf. “Geez, you’d figure a damn library would have dictionary around here somewhere...”

“Why do you need a dictionary, uncle?” asked Ficks, furrowing his brow.

“I already told you,” replied Hammerplank, “it’s none of yer business, so butt out. I just wanna look up the definition for somethin’.”

“Hey, I’ve got a definition for ya to look up,” returned Ficks mischievously.

“Oh?” Hammerplank glanced up at him. “And what would that be?”

“Why don’t ya try lookin’ up the word fillyphile?” Ficksitup insisted with a coy smile on his face.

Hammerplank looked up at him sharply.

“What’s that, nephew?” he said after a long moment, “ya say ya don’t want a paycheck?” He smirked. “Well...alright then, that works for me.”

“Knock it off, ‘Plank.”

The two exchanged glares. Breaking the tension, Twilight floated a small tray of tea into the room, and onto a table. Spike came lumbering in behind her, carrying a bowl full of assorted gems.

“I’m back with the tea, everypony,” she said cheerfully.

Ficksitup thanked her, and then Twilight noticed that some of the books had been moved around. The book next to Hammerplank was enveloped in a purple aura as she levitated it back onto the shelf.

“Were you two actually reading these?” she asked. “I didn’t think anypony else cared about reading at all, besides myself.”

“Well, no we weren’t exactly -” Ficksitup attempted to say, but he was interrupted by Hammerplank shoving him out of the way.

“Of course, Miss Sparkle, if I may call you that ma’am,” said his uncle, puffing out his chest just slightly. “Believe it or not, I happen to be quite the...ah, the bibliomaniac.”

Ficksitup rolled his eyes at Hammerplank’s sudden, gentlecoltly mannerisms, but Twilight only smiled.

“Wow, really?” she exclaimed, “no offense, but I never would have taken you as the scholarly type of stallion, Mr. Plank...if I may call you that.” She giggled softly. “Tell me, do you enjoy reading more current works or are you somepony who prefers the classics?”

She was obviously impressed, Hammerplank seemed to swell further beneath her gaze.

“You can call me whatever you like, m’dear,” he said slyly. “Now, to answer your question...while I do enjoy the works of some modern ponies, I particularly enjoy the pieces done by Louis Corral, back in his days.”

“Oh my goodness, really?” Twilight squealed, “I absolutely loved his series ‘Flora’s Adventures in Wonderland’. Oh, and his poems are so exquisite.” She sighed. “Although they’re nothing compared to some of Walt Whitmane’s work. Still, I just can’t believe I’m not the only one who knows about his writings.”

“Ah, so yer a fan of Whitmane, eh?” grinned Hammerplank. “Yeah, he’s a rather eccentric fella, but nonetheless a marvelous writer.” He paused, seeming to consider something more a moment, before the grin returned. “Tell ya what, ma’am,” he said, “why don’t you and I go in the other room to discuss some more of his work while we go over that little ordeal of you usin’ our own supplies for your personal home project? Merely as a formality of course, nothin’ personal.”

“Of course, I completely understand.” Twilight obliged, “I like your thinking. If you’ll follow me, I have the spare room in the library that we can use...” She paused. “But, are you sure Ficksitup will be alright by himself here? I feel bad just leaving him.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about him,” said Hammerplank, “he can chat it up with scaly over here while the grown ups are talkin’.” He gestured at Spike, who was sitting on the couch, munching greedily on a gem.

“But Ficksitup is technically the same age as I am, isn’t he?” Twilight asked.

“Oh sure,” drawled Hammerplank, “when it comes to age, you two are practically indifferent, but when it comes to maturity...” He shot a glance at his nephew, who was becoming increasingly irritated. “Not quite so much, I think you’ll find..”

“Oh, come on, ‘Plank!” cried Ficks indignantly. “Are you serious? I am very mature!”

Hammerplank merely awarded him an entirely unimpressed expression,, clicking his tongue once or twice against the roof of his mouth before he shook his head and turned back to Twilight.

“Now would ya’ look at that?” He gestured back at Ficks. “He’s even throwing a tantrum and everything.”

Twilight giggled softly, and by that point, Ficksitup had pretty much given up on anypony taking his side.

“Oh, Mr. Plank, please,” said Twilight, flashing a comforting grin at Ficksitup. “You really shouldn’t tease him like that. I assure you, first hoof, that I know Ficksitup can be a very charming and mature young stallion when he wants to be.”

“Are you sure you met the same Ficksitup I know?” asked Hammerplank with a chuckle, and Ficksitup glared.

“Darn it, Plank,” he hissed, “would ya stop makin’ me sound like a stupid kid already?”

Hammerplank rolled his eyes. “When yo quit whining like one, numb-skull.”

Ficksitup pulled closer to Hammerplank to whisper into his ear: “How about you quit hittin’ on mares barely half your age!”

Just as quietly, Hammerplank replied: “Touché.”

“Oh, Ficksitup?” chirped Twilight, interrupting their little spat. Ficks turned his attention away from Hammerplank.

“What is it?”

“I’d almost forgotten to mention this,” replied Twilight, “but Applejack was here a few days ago looking for you. When I told her you weren’t here, she seemed pretty concerned. Did you ever find her?”

Ficksitup suddenly felt a little uneasy in his stomach. He had tried to forget about what had happened that day, but the mention of Applejack brought up the memory of that considerably less-than-joyful moment in which he had failed quite miserably in his attempt to confess to her. He remembered how upset she had looked herself, almost as if on the verge of tears. Even as he pondered over it then, a while later, Ficksitup still couldn't fathom what had made her so upset in the first place.

“Yeah...I saw her,” he answered finally.

“You don’t sound very thrilled about it,” replied Twilight, titling her head to the side questioningly. “Is everything alright between you two? Did something happen?”

Ficksitup’s eyes shot around the room, looking at everything but Twilight. He shifted from hoof to hoof. Twilight simply waited for an answer he couldn’t give. He appreciated her concern for himself and Applejack, but the last thing he wanted was another pony involved in his private problems. Surprisingly, Hammerplank came to his rescue.

“I’m sure, my dear,” he said, “that whatever crazy things those two are doin’ is none of our business. You know how it is with youngsters... just let the boy have his secrets, Miss Sparkle.” He shot a quick look at his nephew, who was staring at him with a puzzled expression. He merely smiled and gave him a wink. Ficksitup realized his uncle’s intentions and nodded his head in gratitude.

“Well, if you insist...” Twilight said, disappointed, “I suppose if there’s nothing else to discuss then we might as well go ahead and take care of the matter involving the balcony.”

“You read my mind, Miss Sparkle. Lead the way,” Hammerplank replied with an almost-gracious smile.

“Of course, the spare room is just over here,” explained Twilight as she began walking towards the far side of the library with Hammerplank in tow. Before disappearing through the doorway, she turned around to face Ficksitup, who was currently examining the pot of tea with fixed attention. “Please help yourself, Ficksitup. We shouldn’t take too long,” she encouraged, “and as to whatever it is that’s troubling you...well, I hope you find the solution”

Ficksitup looked up at her and gave a weak smile, which she returned before disappearing into the other room. Hammerplank poked his head out around the frame of the door and gave Ficks another wink, though this one seemed far less innocent. Ficksitup gave him a scornful look as more of a warning than an expression of disappointment, fully aware of his intentions. Hammerplank let out a few light snickers before he shut the door, leaving Ficksitup alone with the dragon.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t as nervous as he had previously been around Spike. He figured it must have been because the little guy seemed far more docile just sitting there on the couch, eating his gems like they were the only thing that matter in the world. Still, Ficksitup didn’t trust him for the sole reason that his colt-hood fears couldn’t be put behind him by simply being stuck in a room alone with a dragon for several minutes.

Trying not to think about the whole situation,, Ficksitup attempted to pour himself a cup of tea, though he failed rather miserably. He fumbled about with the kettle for several seconds, nearly spilling water all over in the process. Shuffling the bulky contraption between his front hooves, he tried to get a firm grip on it so he could lift it up, but every time he nearly managed this, it would just slip out and clatter back onto the tray. The slick surface of the porcelain made it impossible to get a proper grip anywhere. Ficks bit his tongue lightly and squinted in concentration, but his growing frustration wasn’t making the work any easier. At this point, he was going to end up breaking the kettle if he squeezed it any tighter. Finally he managed to grip it just right, pinching the sides with the tips of his hooves. He slowly maneuvered the kettle towards one of the small cups on the tray. Hovering it over one of the cups, he began to tilt the kettle waiting for the broth to start pouring out of the spout. Almost... almost got it...

“Need some help?” Spike asked, right behind him.

“DEAR CELESTIA ON A ROCKING HORSE!” Ficksitup shrieked, tossing the kettle into the air. Spike watched it sail right over his head and quickly took a few steps back, catching the kettle in his claws.

“Geez, dude, calm down,” he said, setting the kettle safely back onto the tray. .

Ficksitup pressed his hoof to his chest, fearing he’d just suffered a heart attack. “Don’t scare me like that,” he wheezed.

“Sorry,” said Spike, “I was just trying to help.” He smirked. “You kinda looked like you need it.”

Ficksitup glanced back at the teaset with shame. “Yeah, I guess I do,” he admitted.

Spike walked over to the table and grabbed one of the cups from the tray. Ficksitup took a seat on the couch and watched the dragon effortlessly perform the task that he could not. Quite gracefully, Spike poured a generous amount into the cup, not spilling a drop, and set it onto the coffee table in front of the couch. After watching that, Ficksitup couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the opposable digits on Spike’s claws.

“There you go,” Spike said with a smile.

“Um, thanks,” Ficksitup replied. He stared into his cup, uncertain. He’d never had tea and had no idea what to expect. He sniffed at the stuff with curiosity. It had a strange odor that he couldn’t identify, but there was a slight herbal scent to it. Letting the aroma get the better of him, he placed the cup to his mouth and sipped. He suddenly reeled back up and cringed as the bitter liquid filled his mouth and lingered. He coughed, wiped his mouth with the back of a hoof, and sneered at the cup in disgust.

“Who in their right mind would ever drink this stuff?” he muttere to himself.

“Sugarcube?” Spike asked.

Ficksitup’s ears pricked up in attention and he spun around with a startled look on his face.

“Yes, Applejack?” he asked, stupidly.

“Wait... what?” Spike asked, completely confused.

“Oh, I uh... um, nevermind. It’s nothing,” said Ficksitup hurriedly, color flooding his cheeks.

“Okaaaay,’ said Spike, quirking a brow. “I was just asking if you wanted sugar.” He held up a small dish filled with a small white mountain of sugarcubes. “It’ll help with the bitterness.”

“Wait, you put sugar in this stuff?” asked Ficks, now surprised.

“Of course,” Spike answered. “Who’d be dumb enough to drink tea without sugar?”

“Well, I...” Ficksitup started, now feeling quite foolish. “I guess I didn’t consider it.”

“Whatever. You want one or two?” Spike held up a few cubes in his hand.

“Um, two I guess.”Ficksitup accepted the cubes from Spike and plopped them into the tea, grabbing a spoon from the tray. He stirred the cubes around until they’d fully dissolved into the liquid and set the cup back on the table.

“Try it now,” said Spike, leaning forward eagerly.

Ficksitup lowered his head and took another sip. The taste was completely different from before, just from a few lumps of sugar. In fact, it wasn’t half bad. He looked back up at Spike and nodded his head in approval.

“That’s pretty good,” he decided.

“I told you so,” replied Spike smugly, taking his seat on the opposite side of the couch. He placed the bowl of gems in his lap and continued to stuff the small jewels into his mouth. Ficksitup felt slightly disturbed as he watched the dragon swallow one gem after the other. Spike noticed his fixed gaze and looked back at him with a quirked brow.

“What?” he asked, slightly perturbed.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” asked Ficks. “I mean eatin’ solid gems like that...”

Spike looked at the half eaten gem in his hand and shook his head in confusion. “No, why would it hurt? I eat these all the time.”

“Still, I mean...” Ficks bit down on his lower lip. “Wouldn’t that like, tear up yer throat or somethin’?”

“Um hellooo...” Spike answered, pointing a finger at himself, “Dragon, remember?”

“Oh, right, sorry. It’s just that I’ve never met a dragon, so I never knew what they ate,” said Ficksitup, feeling foolish once again. “To be honest, I was always afraid you guys ate us ponies or somethin’.”

“Eat a pony? That’s disgusting,” Spike said, slightly apalled. “What the heck would make you get an idea like that?”

“Well...I...uh...” Ficksitup began, “I really don’t know, actually. Just some old story from the city, I guess.”

Spike sighed as if he had just had an enormous and exhausting epiphany.

“That’s right,” he said. “I forgot you’re not from around here. Well. No, we do not eat ponies. We dragons are on a strict gem-only diet.” And as if to demonstrate, he tossed another jewel into his mouth, biting down with a loud crunch.

“Well,” said Ficksitup, watching him chew with mild distaste. “I’m glad to know that, at least.”

Sitting there and talking with this dragon was actually making Ficksitup a little more comfortable than before. All those silly rumors and tales he’d been told as a colt were being blown out of the water one after another. This dragon didn’t seem like someone who would eat anypony in particular. In fact, considering his size, Ficksitup figured that Spike couldn’t eat anypony even if he tried. Therefore, whatever reason he had to be scared of Spike in the first place was completely beyond him.

“Since you seem pretty new here...” Spike said through a mouth full of gems. “What exactly do you do around here anyway?

Ficksitup just stared at him in shock. “Are you kiddin’?” he asked. Spike merely responded with a light shrug.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ficks began. “Just take a look right here, and you’ll know exactly who I am and what I do around here.” Pride was easily noticeable in his face as he shifted to give Spike a better view of the silver wrench adorning his flank. Spike stared at it for a second, tilting his head in confusion before looking back up at Ficksitup.

“You’re a tool?” Spike guessed.

The prideful look on Ficksitup’s face melted away instantaneously.

“Wait, what? No! I am not a tool!” he cried. “I’m a mechanic, and I fix things, darn it.”

“Oooh, now that actually makes a lot more sense,” Spike said, casually glancing up at the black hat adorning Ficksitup’s head. “But what about that hat?” he asked, puzzled, “If you’re a mechanic then shouldn’t you be wearing a hardhat or something?”

“Oh, this?” asked Ficks, taking the hat off so Spike could get a better look, “Well... to put it simply, this hat is very important to me. So I wear it all the time, regardless of what I’m doin’.”

“What’s so special about it?” Spike asked, and Ficksitp glanced away; this was something that he really didn’t want to delve into, but he knew there wasn’t any other way around it.

“It’s special because somepony special gave it to me,” he answered reluctantly, cradling the hat in his hooves. “Losing this hat would probably be the second worst thing that could happen to me.”

“What’s the first thing?”

Ficksitup swallowed.

“I’d rather not say...”

Realizing he wasn’t willing to explain any further than that, Spike resumed feasting on the last few remaining jewels in his bowl. Still holding the hat in his hooves, Ficksitup sat there quietly, thinking about that day in the rain. He had been so close. All he had needed to do was say three little words and everything would have been okay. He wouldn’t be feeling so miserable right now, sitting on that couch and racking his brain trying to figure out what he did wrong in the first place. But he was miserable, and it was all because he didn’t say three stupid little words...

“Say, Spike?” Ficksitup began.

“Hmmm?” Spike choked out through a mouthful of gems.

“I know this is a kinda dumb question to ask, what with you bein’ a dragon and all, but...” Ficksitup paused before continuing. “Say there was this mare you liked, and you really wanted to tell her how you felt... but when you tried to confess to her, ya’ ended up making her upset instead. Not sayin’ that confessin’ to her was what made her upset or nothin’,” he added hastily, “But with her bein’ upset and all, well... how d’ya suppose you could apologize to her?”

Spike stopped eating and gave Ficksitup a sincere look, “Let me guess...” he said. “It’s the same one who gave you that hat, isn’t it?”

For a baby dragon, he was pretty sharp.Ficksitup swallowed.

“Yeah...” he mumbled.

“That’s easy...” said Spike. “If it were me, I’d get her a great big gemstone to give to her. It would be my way of saying sorry”

“Really?” Ficksitup gave him a perplexed look, “That’s it?

“Oh yeah, definitely.” Spike said. “In fact, I know the mare I like would love it if she got a gem from me.” He suddenly clamped his mouth shut and looked in the opposite direction, praying that Ficksitup wouldn’t try to investigate any further.

“Wait.” Ficksitup was beyond curious. “You mean to say that there’s somepony that you like?”

“I never said that!” Spike stammered.

“Oh, yes you did,” Ficksitup sneered, letting out a light chuckle. “Come on, tell me... who is it?”

Spike looked moderately panicked.“Hey! No fair, you never told me who it was that you liked.”

“That’s because we never made that kinda deal, Scaly,” Ficksitup said with a grin.

“Scaly? Why, you..!” Spike growled. “Well, I’m not telling you anything until you promise to tell me who you like.” He crossed his arms and stuck his forked tongue out. The two glared at each other before Ficks finally sighed in defeat.

“Alright fine, ya’ overgrown lizard” Ficksitup said, “But yer gonna’ tell me first.”

“Fine...” Spike sighed. He started glancing around the room nervously to see if anypony else was around. He then gestured for Ficksitup to lean in closer so that he could whisper in his ear. Ficksitup obliged, but gave him a confused look, wondering why he felt the need to whisper in the first place.

“I’m listenin’...” Ficksitup said.

“Are you ready?” Spike asked. Ficksitup nodded impatiently in response, “Okay, the truth is...” he started, “I have a crush on Rar-”

Several loud knocks came from the front door of the library before the door burst open. Spike jumped up in surprise, letting out a yelp. The two of them stared at the doorway to see who had so abruptly arrived without warning. Rarity herself came trotting into the room, currently unaware of the two boys who were staring at her from the couch.

“Twilight, darling,” she called, “are you home? I just wanted to say thank you for letting me borrow this book on Foalkari for a few days. It was extremely useful! Who but the Ponjabi would have thought to use satin with coarse cotton?” Rarity levitated a book out of a particularly fashionable saddlebag and placed it perfectly straight on its shelf. When there was no response, she finally took notice of her surroundings.

“Twilight dear, where are you?” she called, letting her eyes wander around the room in search of her friend until her gaze finally fell upon Ficksitup and Spike on the couch.

“Uh, hi Rarity,” Ficksitup said, rather surprised.

“Ficksitup?” Rarity smiled, though she looked rather bewildered. “How good to see you of course,, but what are you doing here at Twilight’s house of all places?”

Ficksitup shrugged. “Originally, I was here for business. I was finally gonna’ fix Twilight’s balcony,” he explained. “But it turns out that she did it herself because I didn’t get here sooner...because somepony decided it would be a better idea to go to the spa instead.”

Rarity merely grinned in response to his obvious accusation. “I already told you, dear,” she cooed, “about how that appointment was booked days ago. There was no way we were going to cancel, and don’t try to deny that you didn’t have a good time, because I know you did.”

“Even if that is the case, Rarity, that doesn’t change the fact that all the supplies in that wagon were stolen while we were at the spa,” Ficksitup muttered,, slightly irritated.

“Were they really?” she asked.

“Yes.” Ficksitup confirmed, “Which if I recall, you told me ‘it’s not like anypony is going to steal a dusty old wagon’.” he said through a crude impression of her voice.

“The wagon was still there, right?” Rarity asked, ignoring his petty attempt to insult her.

“Well yeah, but-”

“Then I’m still not at fault here.” she said, grinning victoriously.

“How does that work?” Ficksitup asked, completely lost.

“I said nopony would steal a dusty old wagon, not the contents inside it.” she explained, “And since the wagon was still there when you got back, it means I am still right”

Ficksitup slapped a hoof over his face as he was forced to admit defeat to Rarity’s warped, but nonetheless, flawless logic.

“Yeah, well even if the wagon didn’t get stolen, it doesn’t exactly replace the boards that Twilight used to fix her balcony.” Ficksitup stated

““What? Twilight took them? That’s so unlike her, how can you be absolutely sure it was her?” Rarity asked, completely befuddled at the prospect of Twilight stealing anything.

“Now hold on, Rarity. I never said it was Twilight who took them.” Ficksitup quickly said.

“Well then, who else would have taken the supplies and given them to Twilight?” Rarity continued to question him.

Ficksitup’s eyes darted between her and Spike, who had a very worried expression on his face. Ficks could almost see the beads of sweat dripping down Spike’s head. He could imagine what Spike was trying to say to him with those ever pleading dragon eyes.

"Well I uh..." Ficksitup started, glancing at Spike again, "I don’t exactly know who she got them from."

“Really?” Rarity asked, unconvinced, “You have no idea who got all those planks of wood to her house?”

“Nope. Not a clue.”

“So she just happened upon the pile of boards in the wagon and decided to drag them all the way here on a whim, is that what you’re saying?” Rarity asked.

“No that’s not-”

“I can tell you’re hiding something from me, dear. You know who it was that took them, don’t you?” Rarity asked, a small grin now spreading across her face.

“I never said that.” Ficksitup stammered.

She advanced on him, one eyebrow cocked, until she was mere inches from his face, “Has anypony ever told you that you are a terrible liar, Ficksitup?

Why does everypony keep tellin’ me that? he thought, And why am I suddenly the guilty one here? Rarity pushed closer, forcing him to back away, a nervous smile on his face. Rarity merely beamed back at him, making him even more uncomfortable. Spike, meanwhile, watched from the couch, not sure how to react.

Ficksitup hit something solid. She’d backed him into a bookcase. “You’re not leaving this spot.“ she whispered, “Until you tell me the truth.”

There was no getting out of it. Rarity had him cornered and she knew that he was lying to her face. Ficksitup was beginning to think this wasn’t worth trying to save the scales of some dragon. Rarity’s eyes drilled into Ficksitup’s very being, seemingly prying at every piece of information he was holding back from her. ‘How does she do that!?’ he wondered, held transfixed by her piercing gaze.

“What do you want from me!?” Ficksitup pleaded.

“I already told you...” She said in a low, hushed tone, never breaking her grin. “The truth.”

He couldn’t fight her eyes anymore. That piercing gaze had been honed to a brutal sharpness, and he was about to break. He shot another panicked look at Spike.

Rarity caught it.

“Spike, dear?” she said, turning to face him, “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you?”

Now it was Spike’s turn to panic. “Uhh… N-No Rarity, I wasn't even near the market that day, and I certainly didn't spend all of Twilight's money on gemstones!” Spike answered, giving Rarity an awkward smile, his eyes shifting rapidly.

“Funny...” Rarity said, “I don’t recall mentioning a market.”

Spike gulped nervously when he realized he’d screwed up tremendously. Now she definitely knew that the both of them were lying through their teeth, or in Spike’s case, fangs.

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes before giving him a mesmerizing gaze as she smiled sweetly.“Awww Spikey, you wouldn't hide anything from me, would you? That would just break my little heart!” she whined, throwing a hoof over her eyes. She peeked beneath it, making certain her act was working.

Spike jumped up from the couch spilling some of the remaining gemstones on the floor. “I can’t take it anymore! It was me! I took the planks! Twilight needed the supplies and they were just sitting out in the middle of the marketplace! I didn’t think anypony wanted them, honest!” Spike bellowed. That was twice in one day that he had been pressured into confession.

Rarity shifted her attention from Ficks, who slumped to the floor in relief, and approached Spike.

“Spike!” she gasped, giving him an expression of pure shock, “I can’t believe you would do such a thing. Surely you would know better than that.”

“But...” Spike started, but Rarity simply pointed her nose up and let out a dismissive, ‘hmph’.
“But Rarity!” Spike pleaded

“But nothing, Spike,” she interrupted, disappointment evident in her voice.

At this point, Ficksitup couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little guy and tried to come to his rescue

“Come on Rarity, it’s not like he knew the wagon belonged to me.”

Spike looked up at Ficksitup who gave him a faint smile. Rarity however continued to give them both a dissatisfied look.

“Well he still should know better than that.” Rarity snapped.

“Just give him another chance.” Ficksitup pleaded, “Besides, we both know that he wouldn’t have even had the opportunity to steal the boards if we hadn’t decided to go the spa.”

“How are you still trying to blame me for this?” Rarity demanded.

“I’m not!” Ficksitup quickly replied, “I’m just sayin’ if I hadn’t left the wagon there in the first place, then he wouldn’t have stolen them.”

Rarity gave Ficksitup a sincere look before turning her gaze towards Spike again. The small dragon looked up at her with sad puppy eyes, waiting for her response.

“No. You’re right, Ficks.” Rarity said, “I’m sorry for making you leave the wagon there, it’s my fault Spike’s in trouble.”

“It’s alright Rarity.”

“Well it seems that once again I owe you for all your troubles.” Rarity sighed, “Perhaps this time we can book an appointment at the tr-”

“No no, please. Ya don’t need to do that again.” Ficksitup interrupted, waving his hooves back and forth.

“Fine, if you insist, darling.” Rarity said, “But at least let me make it up to you some how.”

Ficksitup paused for a moment, deep in thought while he considered her offer. He finally looked up at her again and gave her a sincere expression.

“There is one thing...” Ficksitup finally said.

“Yes anything, dear.”

“Since you’re here anyway” Ficksitup started, “There’s somethin’ I need to talk about with ya.”

“What is it?”

Ficksitup quickly glanced around the room making sure nopony else was there to hear them. He knew Spike was there, but he figured he wouldn’t know what they’re talking about anyway. Although Spike had figured out where the hat had come from so there was no predicting that’d he would catch on with this as well. Ficksitup however knew he didn’t have a choice and decided to tell Rarity with the dragon listening anyway.

“It’s about Ap-”

The door from the back room of the library burst open as both Hammerplank and Twilight came walking out, laughing hysterically to each other.

“Oh my gosh, I cannot believe he did that as a little colt, that is too funny.” Twilight exclaimed, almost brought to tears from laughing so hard.

“I know right?” Hammerplank choked, “You should have seen his face when I caught him in the act, priceless.”

The two of them continued to laugh before they noticed the trio standing around the couch in the main room.

“Oh hello there, Rarity.” Twilight chirped, “I didn’t even hear you come in, how have you been?”

“I’m fine darling. Just returning that book you let me borrow.” Rarity answered, approaching Twilight. She looked at Hammerplank and gave him a curious look. “Who’s this?” she asked.

“Oh this is Hammerplank, Ficksitup’s uncle.” Twilight said, introducing the older stallion, “He owns the repair shop in town.”

“I see...” Rarity said, giving him another curious look, “Nice to meet you darling, my name is Rarity.”

She extended a hoof, which Hammerplank hesitated to take at first, but eventually obliged.

“Charmed.” Hammerplank grummbled.

“We were just in the other room discussing some business matters involving the um, supplies I used from his shop.” Twilight confessed.

“Yes, I’d heard about it...” Rarity confirmed, shooting another look at Ficksitup and Spike. She continued to chat with Twilight while Hammerplank walked over to Ficksitup who had sat back down on the couch. Spike had lumbered off upstairs, most likely to avoid getting scolded by anypony else. Hammerplank took a seat next to Ficksitup and gave him a serious look.

“What?” Ficksitup asked.

“Who in the heck is this girl?” Hammerplank asked, waving a hoof in Rarity’s direction.

“She’s a friend.” Ficksitup explained, detecting the slight opposition in his uncle’s tone.

“Seems pretty stuck up to me...”

“Yeah I know that, she’s not that bad once ya get used to her though.”

“Whatever you say kiddo, but she seems... ‘difficult’ to me.”

“Ya have no idea.” Ficksitup whispered.

The two of them continued to sit there quietly while the girls chatted for several more minutes. They finally finished and walked back over to the stallions on the couch.

“Well thank you again for letting me borrow the book, Twilight dear. It was most helpful.” Rarity said, “Now then if you don’t mind, I really need to head out. Lots of things to do. Fashion and all.” she added.

“Of course, Rarity. Thank you for stopping by and returning it. I hope you enjoy the rest of your morning.” Twilight replied, cheerfully.

“I will.” Rarity said, approaching the door. Before she opened it, she turned around and glanced at Ficksitup, who was still sitting on the couch. “Ficksitup?” she called. His ears pricked up and he turned around to face her.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Aren’t you coming? You agreed that you would help me with that problem that I’m having at my boutique, did you not?” she asked, giving him a wink. Ficksitup sat there, completely confused by what she’d just said. Finally the hint caught up to him and he nodded his head rapidly.

“Oh, right. That thing, yeah. I’ll be right out.” Ficksitup replied. Rarity gave a quick smile and walked out the door.

Ficksitup grabbed his hat off the couch and started for the door. Hammerplank quickly caught him before he could reach the door and pulled him next to his face to whisper in his ear.

“What in Celestia’s name are you doin’?” Hammerplank asked, frantically. Ficksitup tugged at his arm, unable to convince his uncle to release him.

“What?” Ficksitup asked, “I’m just going to help her out with somethin’, not like it’s a big deal.”

“Are you stupid?” Hammerplank snapped.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“Look I don’t know what it is that yer doin’, but you’d better watch your ass.” Hammerplank warned, “She spells trouble.”

Realizing what his uncle was implying, Ficksitup merely shook his head in response. “Don’t worry about it, uncle. Trust me, it’s not like that.”

“Yeah? Ya say that now and then the next thing ya know, yer up to yer knees in manure. So watch it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, uncle. Can I go now?” Ficksitup asked. Hammerplank didn’t respond, only letting go of his arm. Ficksitup smiled and then headed for the door.

“Hey! Wait a minute mister!” Hammerplank shouted.

“What is it now!” Ficksitup groaned.

“Who the heck is supposed to help me get all this crap back to the shop?”

“I don’t know, maybe Twilight and the lizard can help you or something.” Ficksitup suggested, “Wait. Forget that I said th-”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea.” Hammerplank said, another mischeivous grin appearing over his face, “Forget the lizard and I’m on board for this.”

“Please stop, uncle.” Ficksitup pleaded, “Don’t try anything funny anymore.”

“Alright fine, ya buzzkill.” Hammerplank promised, “Now run along with yer little friend and get outta my hair.”

Ficksitup groaned in annoyance and ran out the door, leaving Hammerplank alone with Twilight.

“Soooo, Miss Twilight, what’dya say? You help me get this junk back to the shop and I’ll drop the charges that we worked out in the other room.” Hammerplank insisted, still grinning.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.

“Oh yeah, I think that’s a fair deal.” Hammerplank explained, “You help me out and problem’s solved.”

“Well if you insist.” Twilight said, “But we’ll at least have Spike help us out, seeing that he’s the little thief that started this.” she teased.

“Do we have to?” Hammerplank asked, “We don’t really need him, right?”

“It’s the least he can do.” she added, “Spike? Come down here please! You have one last chore to do this morning!” she called upstairs.

There was no answer from the room above. Twilight took a few steps upstairs and called Spike’s name again. There was still no answer. She looked at Hammerplank and shrugged in confusion.

“Wonder where the little runt has run off to.” Hammerplank grummbled.

“I have no idea.” Twilight admitted, “It’s not like him to just run off without telling me.”

“Let’s just hope he’s not up to anymore trouble.” Hammerplank quickly added.

***

Meanwhile, outside the library, both Rarity and Ficksitup walked around aimlessly before she broke the silence between them as they moved on.

“So what is it that’s bothering you?” Rarity asked

“I messed up.” He said, hanging his head.

“How?”

“I... I didn’t tell her; I tried to bu-”

“Ugh, darling please start from the beginning, and follow me, this is no place for such a conversation.” The two changed course, presumably to wherever Rarity was leading him, and continued the conversation. “So, you were saying?” She asked, honestly curious as to what was causing Ficksitup to be in such a terrible state.

“I ran into Applejack after you and I left the spa.” Ficksitup explained, “She asked where I had been. She said she’d been looking for me.”

“Why was she looking for you?”

“I told her I was gonna’ be headin’ over to Twilight’s to fix the balcony that day. Apparently she decided to visit me, and when I wasn’t there, she got worried and came lookin’ for me.”

“Well see? She was just worried about you and she wanted to make sure you were okay. I think it’s rather adorable if you ask me.” Rarity said with giddy shivers. “I don’t see why you should be upset about that.”

“Yeah, well she didn’t seem very relieved when I finally did explain to her where I was. I don’t understand why sh-”

“Wait! You told her?” Rarity all but shouted at him.

“Well, yeah I m-”

“Ficksitup, you imbecile! You definitely should not have done that!”

“Wait, why?” Ficksitup asked as they reached the entrance of Rarity’s Boutique.

“Because! You do not tell somepony you like that you’re going to do one thing, and then do the other. And you especially don’t tell them about it! Especially when it involves another mare!” she shouted hysterically.

“Well I can’t just lie to Applejack!” Ficksitup retorted, opening the door for Rarity, with a confused expression on his face. “And what other excuse would I have had?”

“Anything would have sufficed! But actually telling her that you were with me? That was a mistake.” Rarity said, walking into the boutique and tossing her saddlebag on the floor.

“Why would she be upset if I was with you?” Ficksitup asked, shutting the door and placing his hat on the nearby stand. “Yer her friend after all.”

Rarity sighed heavily and shook her head in frustration. “Ficksitup, you are a kind and caring stallion.” she paused, “But you are such an idiot!”

“Why am I the idiot?” Ficksitup demanded, now irritated.

“Is it really not that obvious?”

“No. It isn’t.”

“Ugh, this is going to be harder than I thought.” Rarity groaned.

“Just tell me.”

“Okay let me explain this to you as simply as I can.” Rarity started, “Whether you are aware of this or not, it’s pretty obvious that Applejack thinks very highly of you and holds a very special place in her heart for you.”

“So that means she does like me?” Ficksitup guessed.

“Yes!” Rarity exclaimed, “And if you didn’t already figure that out, then you really are hopeless.”

“But you told me not to make assumptions.”

“I never said that!” Rarity shouted, “Still, the point is that Applejack likes you very much and right now she doesn’t even know you feel the same way because you haven’t told her yet!”

“That’s because you told me to take my time.” Ficksitup said through grit teeth.

“Well now you’re out of time, dear.” Rarity said as she began pulling a piece of fabric out from one of the drawers in her dresser, “All because you decided to tell her that you were with me and now she thinks we’re an item!”

“What?” Ficksitup exclaimed, “We’re not datin’, why in the hay would she think that?”

“Ugh, use your common sense.” Rarity scolded, pointing a hoof at his forehead, “It’s the implications!”

“I’m not trying to imply anything. We were just doin’ somethin’ that you arranged for us.”

Rarity was silent for a moment while she began stitching the piece of fabric that she had cut for a dress she was making. As she continued to push the fabric through the sewing machine gently, an uneasy silence filled the room, broken only by the whirring of the sewing machine’s gears. The silence made Ficksitup uneasy. He imagined that Rarity was just standing there trying to figure out how to deal with him. Once again, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all his fault that he was frustrating everpony around him.

“Ficks’...” Rarity uttered, finally breaking her silence, “There is something that you absolutely must understand.”

“What is that?”

She turned around from the sowing machine and gave Ficksitup a sincere look. “As long as I have known Applejack, she’s never been close to anypony else, besides her friends and of course her family.” she began, “As far as I can tell, she’s never even once had a certain special somepony on Hearts and Hooves day. She’s been alone all these years.”

“Really? Nopony?” Ficksitup asked, her words finally starting to sink in.

“You understand now? She’s been waiting for you all these years. She’s been hoping for the chance to finally tell you how she’s felt and now she’s unsure of herself because she thinks that you’re no longer interested in her.”

“But I am interested in her. Heck, I lo-” Ficksitup stopped, as he was too embarrassed to say it in front of Rarity.

“I know you do, darling.” Rarity said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “But you shouldn’t be saying that to me, it’s her that you need to say it to.”

“I know, I know. But that’s what I can’t seem to do right.” Ficksitup whimpered. “Every time I try to tell her, I just... screw up.” He threw a hoof up in the air and sunk to the ground, bowing his head as he stared at the floor while he sulked. Rarity left her sowing machine and walked straight towards Ficksitup util she was standing right over him. She stamped her hoof loudly on the ground to make him look up.

“That’s quite enough out of you!” she barked. “I will not have you sit here pouting in my home any longer while she’s still out there waiting for you to confess.”

Ficksitup cringed at her sudden burst of energy. Rarity glared at him, waiting for an answer. He looked back up at her with a somewhat pitiful expression.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” he asked.

“Well sitting here waiting for the whole world to feel sorry for you is certainly not the answer!” She yelled, extended a hoof, gesturing him to take it. Ficksitup eventually took it and helped himself back up. “So you had a few bad runs and you didn’t get your chance to tell her yet, sitting here depressed isn’t going to fix that. You pick yourself up and try again.”

“I guess yer right.” Ficksitup admitted.

“You’re a stallion, are you not?” Rarity demanded, Ficksitup nodded his head furiously, “Then if you really are one, you’ll go out there and get her back!”

“Yer right.” Ficksitup confirmed.

“It’s not like she’s rejected you yet! You still have a chance!”

“Right!” Ficksitup couldn’t wait any longer, and nopony else was going to solve his problems for him. He got up, and started towards the door. “I’m gonna’ tell Applejack that I love her!” he finally shouted. Rarity started stamping excitedly in approval of his new found confidence.

“That’s the spirit, darling. Now you finally underst- Wait. Where are you going?” Rarity asked, noticing Ficksitup was walking towards the door.

“Where do ya’ think I’m goin’? I’m gonna’ go tell her right now.”

“Good heavens, darling. Are you insane? You can’t go tell her right now.”

Ficksitup stopped at the door and turned around with a confused expression on his face, “Wait whaaa? Why not?”

“Darling you still have an apology to make. If you go and confess to her now, there’s no way she’ll believe you.”

Ficksitup was completely befuddled by what she was saying. “Then what in the hay was that big speech for?”

“Well I had to get you out of your little funk somehow...” Rarity said, grinning. Ficksitup sighed glumly and walked back over to her.

“Alright then.” he said, “What do you suggest?”

Rarity stopped smiling and started pacing back and forth, obviously considering the options that Ficksitup had. While he could very well go and confess to Applejack right now, he knew that Rarity had a valid point. Whether Ficksitup wanted to accept it or not, he was still at fault for upsetting Applejack in the first place. Rarity was correct when she assumed that Applejack wouldn’t take his confession seriously if he didn’t apologize first. Once he finally considered that, Ficksitup knew he was going to have to listen to whatever plan Rarity was currently conjuring up. Her eyes suddenly lit up and the smile appeared on her face again as she made a bee line towards Ficksitup.

“I’ve got it!” she exclaimed triumphantly.

“What is it?”

“Alright, so we know that you still need to apologize to her.”

“Yeah”

“And we now know that you both like each other.”

“Of course”

“But you still need to find a way to confess so she takes it seriously.”

“I guess so.”

“Then I have the perfect solution for you.” Rarity finally concluded. Ficksitup merely stared at her with eager anticipation. “You two need to go out on a date.”

“A date?” Ficksitup asked, completely bewildered by the prospect.

“Isn’t it just divine?” Rarity chirped, “You can take her on a nice romantic date and at the end you can confess to her. It’s perfect!”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s gonna’ be that easy.”

“What do you mean, dear?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure that Applejack isn’t exactly into all that fancy romantic stuff.” Ficksitup claimed with much doubt. “I’m pretty sure she’s into more simple things.”

Rarity gave him an unimpressed look. “What would you suggest? A rodeo?”

“Hey that’s not a bad idea.” he uttered excitedly

“Oh yes that sounds like a fantastic idea.” she bellowed sarcastically, “Maybe you can confess to her right after the bull riding competition!”

Detecting her opposition, Ficksitup frowned at her and started sulking again. “Well then what do we do? I can’t do something with her I know she won’t wanna’ do.”

“Hang on, I may have one final solution.” Rarity said as she trotted over to her work desk at the far end of the room. Opening a drawer, she levitated two small strips of paper out into the open and carried them back over to Ficksitup. She made a huge grin as she presented the pieces of paper to him.

“What are these?” he asked.

“These, darling, are tickets to the upcoming Fall Harvest Festival. It’s a huge event that they hold in Ponyville every year to celebrate the upcoming harvest before winter arrives.”

“Festival?”

“Oh yes, it’s a great big fair that they set up just outside of town, rides and everything. I’ve never gone but I’ve heard it’s quite fun.”

“Then why do you have tickets when you’ve never even wanted to go.”

“A previous client of mine gave them to me to express her gratitude for a dress I made for her. You know I simply couldn’t refuse.”

“Then why didn’t you just give them to somepony else?”

“Well I-” Rarity stuttered, suddenly blushing for no apparent reason. “I originally thought that if you weren’t occupied at the time that well...” she paused, “Maybe you would have wanted to go with me.” She looked at the floor and shifted uneasily between her front hooves.

“Rarity I-”

“It’s not like it was going to be a date or something!” she suddenly shouted, “I just thought it would be nice if we both went since the two of us have never been there before. That’s all. Besides, you obviously need these now more than me. The fair is in a three days and you have to take Applejack there and use it as your chance to-”

“Rarity it’s alright, I get it.” Ficksitup interrupted, putting a hoof up, “I need to confess to her at the fair.”

“Geez.” she muttered, sticking her head in the air, “Just take the tickets and don’t make me regret helping you.”

“I appreciate it.” he said, smiling graciously as he accepted the tickets. He walked over to the rack and quickly stuffed them under the brim of his hat. After returning to Rarity, he sighed deeply with relief. “Well, I have the place to take her on the date. Now I just have to figure out how I’m gonna’ ask her out.”

“That will be the easiest thing you do.” Rarity confirmed.

“It is?”

“Yes. Those tickets will serve as your apology and your offer to take her on a date. Two birds with one stone, I say.

“Heh.” Ficksitup mummbled, scratching his chin, “That might actually work.”

“Of course it will, here, why don’t you try it now?” Rarity suggested, trotting over to her wardrobe.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you should practice with me.” she said, giggling as she pulled out a small hat.

“I don’t know Rarity...” Ficksitup said as his eyes wandered around the room, “What if somepony sees us? They might get the wrong idea and think we’re d-”

“Oh quit acting like a stubborn mule and come here.” she barked, placing the hat on her head. It was a small brown cowgirl hat that almost resembled the one that Applejack usually wore. Inspecting herself in the mirror, Rarity quickly tilted the hat upward and nodded when she was satisfied with the look.

“What exactly are you doin’? Ficksitup asked with curiosity.

“Don’t you see it, dear? I’m going to pretend to be Applejack and you’re going to pretend to ask me out.”

Taking a moment to look at her with the hat on, Ficksitup couldn’t help but admire the fact that she made it look fairly convincing. True, she wasn’t the real Applejack. Nopony could replace her, but for the sake of getting Ficksitup to play along, it did the trick.

“Oh I get it.” he said excitedly.

“Good. Now go ahead. Ask me out.”

“You mean now?”

“No. You can do it after winter is over. Of course now!” she snapped.

“Right, sorry.” Ficksitup muttered. He swallowed nervously as he tried to collect his thoughts. He bit his lower lip as he tried to force the words out. It was almost embarrassing how couldn’t even manage to say it when it was just Rarity. “Applejack?...” he finally forced out. Rarity leaned forward, awaiting the words to start flowing out. “Will you... will you go o-” His knees started shaking as he attempted to force the last part out. “Will you go out with me?” he finally shouted.

The words flew out of his mouth like a balloon slowly being deflated. It was squeaky and high pitched and it made Rarity burst out laughing.

“Oh my goodness, that’s the best you can do?” she shrieked through fits of laughter.

“It’s not as easy as it looks!” he stammered, now bright red from embarrassment.

“I know you can do better than that.” she teased. “Here let’s see if we can’t try something els- WHAAA!” she yelped as she tripped over the saddlebag that she had left on the floor.

By instinct, Ficksitup immediately threw his hooves out in front of him and caught her in his arms. Leaning into him, Rarity slowly looked up. As the hat fell to the floor, they realized they were mere inches away from each other’s faces.

“You really shouldn’t do that.” she mumbled as she looked away, now blushing.

“Do what?”

“Catch me when I fall for y- I mean...” she paused, “When I lose my balance like that.”

“I guess it can’t be helped.” Ficksitup uttered as he let her go.

“I know, but you wouldn’t want anypony getting the wrong idea now, would you?”

“No. I don’t”

The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, looking at their own hooves, too embarrassed to look at each other. It was an awkward moment that Ficksitup had not planned on having, but now that it happened, he was unsure as to how he should take it. There was this new feeling now lingering in his chest. Something that he didn’t even know he should be feeling at all. Uncertainty.

“Well then.” Rarity finally chimed in, clearing her throat, “You could still use some more practice, so let’s get to it.”

“Right.” Ficksitup agreed. He picked up the hat and handed it back to her. She gave him a faint smile as she placed it back on her head. The two of them continued to practice in her boutique, spending plenty of time getting all the words and motions right. All the while, they had been completely unaware that a small, shadowy figure was watching them from one of the far windows...

***

Around midnight, there were several taps that came from Applejack’s window. Slowly opening both eyes, she heard the noises and rolled over in her bed to look out her window. The tapping sounds continued to emanate from just outside the panes. Rubbing her eyes, Applejack sat up in bed, taking a moment to wake herself up.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on?” she mumbled as she eased herself out of bed and approached the window. She peered outside into the black void of night, trying to investigate where the sounds originated. There wasn’t anything she could distinguish among the dimly lit ground surrounding her house. Suddenly, what looked like a small rock, came sailing straight into her window, making the same tapping noise that she had heard.

“What the hay?” She threw open her window and stuck her head outside. “Who’s out there?” she whispered with hostility.

“‘Jack. It’s meeee.” A familiar voice hissed from below. Applejack couldn’t see anypony below but she knew only one stallion that called her that name...

“Ficks’? What’re ya doin’ out here? Do ya even know how late it is right now?”

“I know, I know. But I really need to talk to ya’.”

“And this couldn’t have possibly waited until mornin’?” she demanded angrily.

There was a moment of silence.

“No.”

“Ugh. Fine. Just gimme’ a minute.”

Applejack slammed her window shut and trotted out her bedroom door. She quietly eased her way downstairs, trying to avoid waking anypony else in her house. She finally stepped outside and began looking for Ficksitup. He was sitting at the end of the barn, waiting for her to come find him. As she let the door clatter shut, he looked up and smiled as she trotted towards him.

Ficksitup was about to say something, but before he could, the moon appeared from behind the night clouds, shedding a pale ray of light on the acres. In the light, he noticed that Applejack wasn’t wearing the ribbon in her mane again. It caught him completely off guard as he was forced to stutter with his words.

“‘Jack I uh... um... wow.” he finally managed to utter.

“What do you want, Ficks?” she asked, impatiently. “I’m really tired right now.”

“Oh right, well I uh... just wanted to... say hi.” Ficksitup said, giving her a stupid grin. Meanwhile in his head, all he could think was Stupid... stupid, stupid idiot...

“That’s it?”

Ficksitup continued to smile awkwardly at her, too busy racking his brain in attempt to find the right words he needed. I can’t believe this! He thought, I just went over this hours ago! What the heck am I doin’? Applejack continued to give him an unimpressed look as she impatiently waited for him to give a better explanation for his reason for showing up unannounced late a night. When it didn’t come, she just shook her head and turned around.

“I don’t know what’s gotten’ into ya Ficks but I’m goin’ back to bed. I suggest ya do the same.” she said as she started walking back towards the front door.

Ficksitup started to panic. It was turning into a repeat of what had happened that day in the rain. She was walking away and he couldn’t even muster the strength to call out to her. Applejack was only a few feet away from the door. His muscles began to tense up and he shut his eyes in frustration. His entire body was fighting against him as he struggled to open his mouth. She reached the door and began pulling it open. Ficksitup thought his head was going to burst from the tension. Please. Say something. She stopped, standing just outside the doorway, practically giving him one last chance. Ficksitup finally opened his mouth, but all that came out was a low, guttural croak. With that, Applejack opened the door all the way and disappeared into the house.

No. Not this time...

“Wait!” Ficksitup cried out, a little louder than he expected. The door opened up and Applejack peered outside in his direction.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” she repeated, confusion present in her voice this time.

“I said I’m sorry, Jack”

She stepped outside again and approached him so she could hear him clearly.

“What’re ya sorry about?”

“I’m sorry I lied to ya.” Ficksitup confessed, “I’m sorry I told ya I was goin’ to Twilight’s and then ran off with Rarity. I never meant to make ya worry about me.”

“Ficks I-”

“Wait please, let me finish.” he continued, “I know I was an idiot for sayin’ all those things to ya without even considerin’ yer own feelins’.”

“Ficks’ slow down please, I can barely understand what’cher talkin’ about.” Applejack begged.

“It’s my fault I didn’t ask you this sooner but I-”

“Ficks!” she shouted, trying to make him stop.

“Applejack, will ya please go out with me!” Ficksitup shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice practically echoed through the entire acres.

Applejack stopped and stood there, completely shocked by what she just heard. She was so surprised that she almost didn’t believe it.

“W-What?” She stuttered, still taken aback by his question.

“I messed up, ‘Jack. So, I wanna’ make it up to ya’...”

Applejack’s ears perked up, indicating that she was listening. He was relaxed now, and felt as though he could be completely straightforward with his intentions. He took a step closer to Applejack, who showed no resistance to the gesture.

“I wanna’ take you out on a date, ‘Jack.” Ficksitup said, Applejack’s eyes lit up in surprise at the proposal. “The Fall Harvest Festival is in a couple’a days, and I want to take you there.” Ficks said, his tone becoming slightly softer as he continued.

Applejack stared at him in both surprise and disbelief.

“You... You really wanna’ take me out on a date, Ficks?”

“Yeah. It’s nothin’ fancy, nothin’ too complex... Just you and me at the festival” Ficks said, inching slightly closer once more. “Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Why me?” Applejack said, tilting her head.

Ficksitup’s brow furrowed, his thoughts became confused. ‘Why me?’ she asked. Ficksitup reached out, and took Applejack’s hoof into his own. She watched his movement, but let it happen.

“’Cause. I... I think there’s somethin’ here ‘Jack, and I wanna’ show ya that I really mean it.” Ficks said in a rather frank tone. “Things have just been so outta’ whack lately that I haven’t really had the chance.”

Things had been different...

Ever since Ficksitup had come back, Applejack hadn’t been feeling quite the same. At first, he had been nothing more than just an old friend coming back home after ten years, but now there was something different. It was something she felt in her own heart that she could no longer deny. Ficksitup implying that he thought there might be something, made that feeling even stronger. Part of her didn’t want to believe it, but the more she looked at him, the more his grey eyes peered right back into hers, the more sincere his apology seemed to her and the more that feeling grew. Nopony had ever looked at her quite like that, even less, had the courage to ask her out. In reality, she could feel herself struggling to prevent herself from bursting out with irresistible joy. Her heart was fluttering uncontrollably. It was exactly what she had been waiting to hear.

“Sugarcube...”

His ears pricked up in excitement when he heard her utter that word. She said it...

She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Ficksitup’s heart leapt out of his chest. He knew that it wasn’t as electrifying as the one she had given him that night at the party, but it had an even more satisfying quality than the last. To him it meant that he’d finally done something right.

“Apology accepted.” Applejack whispered, giving him a faint smile.

“You mean...?”

“It’s a date, Sugarcube. I’ll go with you.” She said warmly.

“That’s great!” Ficksitup uttered, excitedly, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He started shaking her hoof uncontrollably. He was so happy that he couldn’t find any other way to express it. There was one other way that he wanted to however...

He leaned in to attempt to return the kiss with his own. Applejack chuckled and put a hoof to his mouth, stopping him a few inches from her face.

“Easy there, Sugarcube. Save it fer the festival.”

Ficksitup looked at the hoof on his mouth, looked back at Applejack and smiled softly, taking her hoof into his own once more, and lowering it.

“Alright.” He said softly, still staring into her eyes.

There was a moment of silence, as would happen every now and then between the two. Ficksitup kept a hold of her hoof, and guided her back to the front door of her home. Finally letting go, he opened the door for her, and he stepped aside.

“Ficks?” Applejack said, turning around one last time.

“Yeah?”

“Goodnight.” She said with a warm smile.

“Goodnight, Applejack.”

With that, Applejack closed the door, and Ficksitup started home. As he walked back, his step became lighter, and more energetic. His heart started racing, and a wide smile grew on his face. He could hardly contain his joy, and began to chuckle with glee.

For the first time he finally had a date.

And he was going to make sure that it was one night that neither of them would forget.