Two Small Problems

Walk-In Appointment

Twilight paced back and forth between one side of the room and the other, muttering things that were barely intelligible.

This was not supposed to happen. She was certain that she was careful enough. Was she not?

'...If only Princess Celestia hadn't sent that letter. It just had to be when I was walking in the door, didn't it?' She grumbled and found a new route in walking around the room, rather than from side to side. After a few minutes of this path, she stopped walking and sighed heavily, taking a look around the room to see if her assistant was anywhere in sight.

Nope.

"Spike?" she called out. There was nothing heard. "Spike, where are you?" She then heard the soft rustling of sheets and blankets from behind and above her. She turned and looked up, furrowing her eyebrows. "Are you in... my bed?"

"I guess so."

"What? But your bed is--" She shook her head and organized her thoughts quickly. "Look, I know you feel really bad about scorching the plant that I was going to use for research, but it really wasn't your fault. You just happened to be receiving a letter from Princess Celestia as soon as I walked in from the lobby." She heard a prolonged groan of self-pity, followed by a few mumbled sets of words.

"I already told you. I'm just tired, okay? I also don't wanna burn up anymore... uh... just anything, really."

"Well, could you at least come down here so we can talk about it?"

"Is there really anything to talk about?"

There wasn't.

"No... but I do need you to come with me to help pick out a another one."

"Why would you want me to do that? I'll burn it! I know it! Just watch, it'll happen. We'll be walkin' back into the library with a fresh, new Poison Joke weed, ready for studying and whatnot, then bam! There's another 'Oh, and don't forget' from the Princess. The plant's gone, and there's ash everywhere."

"Speaking of which..." Twilight muttered.

"Yeah, fine. I'll get that done, just... go and... get the dumb plant..."

Twilight huffed, shaking her head. 'I don't get it. He's not usually this difficult or stubborn. It's almost as if he's been substituting for both Rainbow Dash and Applejack for the moment.' She gave small snort of disappointment, before turning, levitating her saddlebags, and heading for the door to the main room of the library. As she walked down the stairs, she stopped and turned her head to the doorway to the upstairs room. 'Well... I guess that's kind of mean to say, isn't it? I mean, he's already under enough stress as it is... Maybe I should try to cheer him up before I go...'

(/)(/)()

The library's inside seemed like a cave, vast in height, width, and length. At least, to them it did.

This 'size' thing was really beginning to get to Rainbow Dash, feeing like she was no longer on top of the world, but now the world was towering over her as if she was lower than the dirt under the ground. She was always used to being so high off the ground that she somehow felt bigger than it, but now things had taken a turn. A big turn...

...Or, if you will, a small turn.

She felt tiny...

She felt insignificant...

She felt--

"Dash, this is the third time now. What more do ya want after bein' told several times ta cut it out? Seriously... Ah mean, it's not like yer bein' clingy or anythin', ya know..."

Clingy. That was the word. Yes, clingy.

"Rainbow," the farm mare deadpanned, turning her gaze backward, toward the one she was referring to as clingy. "Let. Go." Rainbow wouldn't budge, almost as if she had been oblivious to the command. She just kept looking around at various things, not really eyeing anything in particular. "Rainbow!" Applejack snapped, finally earning the Pegasus's attention. It was then that Rainbow realized just how intimidating it was at the receiving end of Applejack's glare. "Let go of mah flank!"

With her attention finally given, Rainbow did so. She now kept all four hooves to herself and on the floor. As she finally took in the glare she was still receiving, she sat down on the floor and looked away, feeling quite sheepish. "Sorry, AJ..." she said guiltily. "I-I'm not entirely sure what came over me. I guess maybe I just feel really uncomfortable being this small."

Applejack snorted and kept walking. "Huh. Wuss."

"What?"

"You're scared."

"I'm not scared!" Rainbow cracked. "I'm just... uncomfortable. I already said that, okay?"

"Oh, so if you're not so scared, what would explain all the butt-grabbin', huh?"

Rainbow grimaced. "Don't say it like that..."

"What? Yer the one who did it."

Rainbow stood up and scoffed. "Look, I didn't grab it, alright? I was just... I-it was just... the closest thing I could hold on to. I mean you. You were, uhm, are the closest thing--uh, pony."

Applejack stopped walking and turned her head to look at the Pegasus. "Ya really think mah rear end is gonna protect ya?"

"Well, maybe I do and I just don't know it. Maybe I find comfort in--..." Rainbow halted her mouth, realizing she was about to refer to her friend's behind as a source of comfort. "No, nevermind. We need to find Twilight. I don't need comfort, anyway." She started a quick trot past the farmer, in the direction of the stairs.

Applejack followed. "Ah agree, Dash, but ya know this is still gonna be creepin' me out fer a while, right?"

"Yeah, just... try not to mention it, okay?"

"Again, Ah agree, but it still won't be easy, knowin' yer obsessed with mah behind."

"Okay, would you please cut it out?"

"Ah'm jus' sayin'..." Applejack paced ahead, intentionally swaying her hips more than necessary.

Rainbow grumbled and quickened her own pace to match the farm pony's, lowering her gaze as to not fall under Applejack's tease. "Ugh... That pony..."

As they reached the staircase, they both stopped in front of it, noting how challenging they had woefully not foreseen this to be. Applejack looked up at the ledge, knowing that it would be a toughie to reach. Unless...

"Hey, Dash?"

Rainbow looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What? Let go of your flank? Psh, I'm not holding onto it, anyway."

"No, not that, uh... Ya think you can fly us up the stairs?"

Rainbow looked back at her wings and expanded them. "Yeah," she said. She looked back at her friend. "Why didn't you think of that earlier?"

Applejack stepped closer to her. "Ah didn' need it earlier. Ah have hooves ta walk with, but no wings ta fly. An' besides, Ah don' like flyin' anyhow. This, however, is an exception." She then looked at Rainbow's back. "Now, how're we gonna do this? Am Ah gonna be on top or on bottom?" Rainbow almost successfully stifled a laugh. Applejack looked her in the eye. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Rainbow chuckled, regaining control of her fits. "I just don't think we'll need to go that high..." She began to look away, putting a hoof over her eyes and smiling widely, but not showing her teeth.

Applejack understood more now. Frowning, she turned Dash's head toward her again. "Look, Dash... Ah ain't afraid of heights, Ah just don't like flyin', ya hear? There's a difference, ya know..."

Rainbow was having trouble believing that she was hearing this. She was actually listening to Applejack try to reason with her about actual flying, but she really had no idea what was actually being hinted. It was too much fun, she had to go for another one.

"Well, okay then," she said haughtily. "If you're not scared, then you can ride on top. You'll get a better view from there, anyway." She couldn't have missed that. It wasn't possible to pass by.

"Of the library?" Applejack asked quizzically.

'Oh. My. Gosh,' thought Dash. 'There's no way she's that oblivious! The joke was supposed to refer to--' She stopped her train of thought, realizing where this was quickly leading her to. Having a mental image brought to her mind, she stopped smiling as well, and coughed aloud quietly. How could she think of a thing like that? The image of herself and orange mare... cuddling... was not an activity that she would have ever thought to have been thinkable. She and Applejack had been best friends for the longest time, and now she thought of herself and her friend in bed together, all over each other?

She felt a pang of remorse course through her being as she could no longer keep the images away from her mind. 'Just my stupid, perverted thoughts...' Attempting to straighten her posture and regain control of her thoughts, she cleared her throat. "Yeah, a better view of the library, I guess. I mean, what else is there?"

Applejack sighed. "Yeah. Guess yer right. Well, Ah'll go ahead an' climb aboard then, if you'll let me."

Rainbow closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to clear her mind of the unclean thoughts brought on unintentionally by the farm mare. "Go ahead," she invited nervously.

Applejack noticed her tone and raised her eyebrows. "What's the matter?" she asked.

Rainbow looked at her and then looked away again. "Nothing. You just missed a few bad jokes, that's all."

"Well, Ah won't bother askin'. Ah'm already thinkin' good thoughts today, an' Ah don't need no dirty ones." She moved over to Rainbow's side and prepared to board. Rainbow was envious of her friend's ability to think much purer thoughts than her, despite the hints and missed jokes.

Awkwardly climbing atop the Pegasus, Applejack tried to get as comfortable as she could, shifting and wiggling until she felt comfy. "Ya ready, Rainbow?"

'And so begins the most awkward flight and ride in history...' Rainbow crouched down slightly. "Yup."

"Wait...!" Applejack whispered.

"What? What is it?" Rainbow whispered back.

"Ah think somepony's comin'..."

Rainbow then looked up the stairs and listened intently. Indeed, there were hoofsteps, heavy and quick. But she something else. Muttering. It was muttering. Somepony was muttering. Twilight.

Twilight was muttering.

They both knew that this was bad. Immensely bad, especially coming from Twilight Sparkle. The muttering quickly turned to loud rambling joined with a harsh tone and what were considered facts.

"...And no, I am not physically challenged! With magic, I can lift tons of books! Can you? No!" The source of shouting came into view, taking much-heavier-than-needed steps as she made her way down the stairs. "And by the way, if you're not going to brighten up and help me clean up the mess you made, than could at least see that you leave your snarky comments to yourself! That way, I can keep mine, too, and I wouldn't be having this outrageous lament!! And, if you think I'm gonna just baby you around until you snap yourself into shape--"

"Then you've got another thing coming..." the two shrunken ponies predicted in unison.

"Then you've got another thing coming, Spike!" Twilight quickened her pace down the stairs, letting out a frustrated growl. "Gah!"

Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other one was still atop the other. "Why would she be angry with Spike?" asked Rainbow.

Applejack shrugged. "That one definitely beats me. She gits upset all the time, but not so much with Spike. Ah mean... Ah've seen her mad before."

"We both have."

"Exactly, so you should know. Anyhow, have ya ever seen 'er this mad at Spike before?"

Rainbow thought for a moment. "Not really, no..."

"Right. So, that means Spike probably did or said somethin' real dumb or stupid. Prob'ly just now, actually."

Rainbow quirked a brow. "Are you saying you wanna investigate?"

"No." Applejack watched as the angered unicorn stomped by, not noticing as she passed over them and headed for the door. She then decided to climb off of her friend's for the time being. "But maybe we should..." She looked at Rainbow again. "What do you think?"

Sighing, the Pegasus nodded. "Let's do what we can..."

"Twilight!" shouted the farm pony, startling both of the other ponies in the room. The unicorn flinched while the Pegasus jumped. However, said unicorn did not stop, but opened the door and grabbed her saddlebags. The other two were confused immensely as to why she didn't stop. "Hey, Twilight!" Applejack tried again.

Without turning around to look at them, Twilight huffed and said, "I don't have time to help you two with any 'walk-in appointments' for any problems you probably have right now! I'm not just some miracle pony who can fix every little thing that happens! And speaking of little, I don't know how you two managed to become that size, but it sure as hay is not my problem as of now!"

The thundering boom of the front door slamming was more colossal than normal due to their size, and no other sounds were made for thirty full seconds, aside from the ticking clock nearby. Applejack and Rainbow Dash could only breathe slowly for that moment, trying to take in what had just occurred. Every once in a while, one would glance at the other to make sure they had also witnessed it. They both felt a shiver crawl down their bodies.

"That didn't just happen, did it?" Rainbow asked suddenly.

Applejack shook her head a bit, breaking her gaze from the library's front door. She looked at Rainbow, and then the floor. "Ah guess so."

"Well... That can't be good."

Applejack looked her again and raised an eye brow and sarcastically replied, "Gee, ya think?"

Rainbow looked away sheepishly and then looked at the staircase Twilight had come down from. "What did that dragon do?"