//------------------------------// // 72 - Amidst the Fair // Story: Re:Harmony // by starcross7 //------------------------------// Chapter 72 - Amidst the Fair   It was the second day of the fair and the second day of newfound freedom.  The majority of the city of the Empire was still in ruins, and reconstruction had barely begun.  Yet despite the loss of many homes and businesses, the citizens could not hold back the sheer joy of winning back their lives and had decided to hold a Crystal Fair several months earlier.   The Queen overlooked stalls suddenly sprouting like wildfire all over the streets.  Whole lots were fenced off to set up pettings zoos, jousting tournaments, and rugby games.  Balloons were strung up, and standing flagpoles raised the Empire's banner.  Former enemies such as the Diamond Dogs happily set up the festivities where dexterity was needed.  Heavy equipment were towed like marching ants towards the colosseum where Honorable Guest Pinkie Pie and her band were going to perform in their celebratory debut concert.   Everypony was now free to feel happy or not, and no drug or propaganda would make them so.  Yet with elevated spirits so high, the desire to have an Empire-wide party was infectious.  Cadence herself couldn't even turn her eyes away from the happiness in each and every one of her little ponies.  While she kept a genuine smile on her face, a shadow of doubt loomed over her heart, and she feared it was going to become worse.   Her Honorable Husband had summoned her late in the afternoon for a personal meeting of high importance.  Here in the castle, Cadence felt lonely as the nights she secluded herself in her bedroom for the past few years.  Almost all of the staff was released to work or participate in the festivities, and the castle, contrary to what was happening outside, felt eerily calm and quiet.  Each hoofstep of hers echoed throughout the empty halls, and she heard her breath with the utmost clarity when she strained to magically open the doors into the throne room.   She did not find the King on the throne.  He was off to the side, overlooking the buildup of the Crystal Fair from the window towards the direction of the colosseum.   "You wanted to speak to me, Honorable Husband?" she asked in a bow after she closed the doors behind her.           "Ah, Mi Amore," said Lord Umbra.  "You admit that after the near destruction of our Empire that it shines just as beautifully as it has for almost one thousand years, have you?  It isn't because of our crystalline architecture or our magic.  If not for the ponies who live here, the Empire would be nothing but a worthless bauble."   "Yes, all nations and empires are nothing without its citizens, but my King, where are you going with this?"   "I want to offer up my apologies…"   "Your Highness, we've been through this.  It wasn't your fault that our nephew sought to overthrow the Empire for his nefarious needs."   "Yet, I still had a part in it.  I myself dismissed Blueblood's wild tales of the outside world as fanciful, even though deep down I knew it was a dangerous place.  I was also arrogant to believe that a thousand years of protective isolation would have prevented any instances of invasion, and I did nothing to help prepare the Empire of this inevitability.  I put you in danger, and to my greatest shame, I put Pearl's daughters in danger as well.   "Regardless of who's to blame, I am still ultimately responsible for the Empire's safety.  Having failed that, I have decided to renounce my crown.  I will write a letter to the Court to transfer all power to you, my Queen, once the Royal Bishops have annulled our marriage."   "Your Highness…" said Cadence.  "You knew all along?"   "When you watched over that stallion who came to our Empire years ago, I knew then where your heart lied."   "Then I am also to blame for the recent invasion of the Empire.  You couldn't perform your duties because you were taking care of me--the Queen who was heartbroken over Shining Armor's sudden coldness towards her.  Lord Umbra, I beg for your forgiveness.  I did not mean to be so unfaithful to you."   "You couldn't be because there were no faith there to begin with.  After all, it was the Court who decided to we should be wedded immediately following Pearl's death.  I will not force you to love me as a husband, for I feel that would bring greater ruin to the Empire than that of what happened recently.  The Crystal Empire depends on the emotional state of the Pillar.  If you are not happy, then misery shall affect everypony.   "Also, I've been unfaithful to you as well.  Even now, I mourn Pearl's loss."   "You still loved her," said Cadence, "long after she chose your brother."   Umbra nodded.  The fearsome-looking unicorn hovered his silver crown for Cadence to see, and then zapped it with a deep violet magic to cause it to disintegrate softly.  From there, he marched stately over to the Queen to prostrated before her and kiss her hoof.   "I am at your service, my Queen," he said, "and I part from you not as a cuckold husband, but as a friend."   The Queen felt a pang of guilt for the countless days she spent tending to a unicorn stallion who came from faraway lands several years ago.  She knew of her now-former husband's past with Queen Pearl and Magnum, but she never realized how alike they were.  Yet there were different where Umbra remained imprisoned by the ghosts of the past, and that she had a bright future.  It wasn't fair, but he gave her his blessing as nobly as he could.   All she could do was bow towards Lord Umbra, releasing him of his accursed kingship and allowing him to leave her side.  Cadence did not turn around to see him off, even as the doors groaned opened.   It would make the parting even more difficult.   "You know," said Umbra, "I think he'll make a fine Prince."     Applejack just wanted to get some milk.  With the servants out celebrating, she had to throw herself into the raucous mob.   She tried to think about just getting milk, but getting it proved to be a challenge.  The minute she stepped out of the castle, ponies from all directions swarmed her begging for an autograph, a picture, or even a kiss.  Many offered gifts, such as food, jewels, and even themselves.  Supposedly, there was a grocer just down the street, but there were too many ponies.  Not even the Royal Guards on duty could stave off the swarm of fans celebrating the heroines of the Empire.   In the end, she gave up, and she went back inside the empty castle with a Geosense guard who saved her from the mob.   "This isn't like you to be scared of a hundred or so ponies who love you," said the guard.   "I ain't used to it."   "Come on.  This is a time for celebration!  Live a little.  Relish in the enjoyment.  Even heroines deserve a much needed break, Applejack."   "I sure hope you ain't one of my fans."   "Actually, we fought together."   "We did?"   "Wait, let me remove my helmet."   The guard turned out to be a mare, but all Applejack could see about her was a shimmering turquoise coat and a bundled purple mane held together by a golden laurel accessory.  Applejack could have sworn she met her somewhere.   "Don't you recognize me?" asked the guard.  "I'm Aurea Laurea."   "You're Aurea?" asked Applejack.  "You're a guard now?"   "Appointed by the King himself."   "But your mane and your coat's all sparkly now."   "After the Crystal Heart had been restored, me and my colleagues regained the natural positive sheen of the Crystal Ponies.  Thanks to you and your friends, the Empire has never shone this bright in almost a thousand years."   "But you had a hoof in it, did ya?  Shouldn't you be celebrated as heroes as well?"   "No, no.  The honor goes to you and your companions.  I was a rebel before, and we could have been punished instead being promoted to the Royal Guard.  Seeing my ponies happy is a celebration in of itself.  But Applejack, you seem troubled for some reason.  Is there something on your mind?"   Forgot.  Aurea had that Geosense ability to divine the truth from ponies, but at least she didn't have the ability to divine facts.  This wasn't looking good for the bearer of the Element of Truth, and even she could not get her own facts straight.  She needed to find out as soon as possible.   "Aurea, is Rarity here?"   "The Diamond Princess hasn't left the castle last I heard," replied Aurea.  "Do you need an audience with her?  I shall accompany you."   "No, that's not necessary."   "Lady Applejack, you are the heroine of the Empire and an honored guest.  I am charged by the King himself to attend to your needs."   "Please, drop the 'Lady' part, and I can take care of myself.  Aurea, go out and have some fun.  I'll be fine."   "But…"   "Look, how 'bout you go and find me a glass of milk?"   "As you wish, Lady Applejack.  Please remain here until I return."   The turquoise pony jetted off, and Applejack waited about a minute before she trotted up the crystalline stairwell towards the royal bedchamber complex.  Guarding the main door was armored and sparkling Castle and Quicksilver, both who have long been freed from Blueblood's mind control spell.  Unlike their last encounter, this one was outright friendly.  Unlike the last time Applejack and her friends stormed the bedchambers, Applejack was allowed in after she tipped her hat cordially towards the two new Royal Guards.   The anteroom hallway had been repaired and refurbished; it was just yesterday they witnessed a mind-controlled Shining Armor depose the King in this spot.  Rarity's bedchambers should be down the hall and on the left, and her diamond and heart-decorated door had been left ajar without a care in the world.  Applejack peered in and found a different mess of rolls of fabric streaming all over.  Clumps of yarn had rolled their strings across the floor, and the bed was littered jewels and gold accessories.   It was no surprise to see Spike running back and forth between Rarity's many rooms carrying dressmaking materials in baskets and in his arms.  The little dragon even used his own tough reptilian back as a pincushion to carry the various sewing needles.   Fluttershy's presence here was a surprise.  A while ago the yellow pegasus had shrieked and fled from her mobs of admirers back into the castle and sought solace in the garden atrium with the rest of the animal friends.  Applejack didn't expect her to seek solace here.  She didn't expect to see her expertly knitting yards of cashmere scarves and sweaters in a rainbow assortment of colors and patterns.  She barely noticed Applejack coming in, and had stopped knitting when the two made eye contact.   Then an explosion in the next room sent Spike flying out, and Fluttershy managed to catch him in time.  All the dangers of the Empire should have been driven out or at least pacified, but now this?  Was this a trap leftover from Blueblood's cabal?   In reflex, the orange pony drew her Sword of Truth and galloped into the smoke.  She didn't proceed any further once she caught the oncoming glimpse of Rarity heading into her direction gagging and coughing.  She didn't appear too fazed by the explosion, but she seemed surprised to see Applejack armed and aggressive.   "Darling, is there something wrong?"   Applejack spat aside her sword.  "Somethin' wrong?  There was a damned explosion!  You okay?"   "Singed mane excepting, a few of my work-in-progress are burnt to a crisp along with the loom I had brought in.  It's not a big deal really.  I can always start anew."   "Are you sayin' this wasn't Blueblood's doin'?"   "Of course not.  It's just a humble little accident in the name of progress.  You see, this darling of an Element of Empowerment doesn't just look good; it makes other things look good.  See this bangle?  It used to be a drab and tarnished silver--and now it's platinum!  I can also use my Element to speed up the function of my loom..."   Rarity's eyes suddenly rolled back, and she swayed side to side until the orange pony rushed to catch her fall.   "The downside is that it uses up my energy when 'empowering' any pony or an object."   "Spike!" cried Applejack.  "Fluttershy!  I thought we agreed to not allow her to use her Element willy-nilly."   "We couldn't say no," said Fluttershy.  She shared the same shameful look as Spike, and the two looked down towards the floor in guilt.   "Please don't place blame on them," said Rarity as she balanced herself back on her hooves.  "I am well aware of the risks of the Element of Empowerment, and I wanted to see how far I can push it until I pass out."         "These things ain't toys, Rarity," said Applejack "and you can't use them for mundane things."   "There's nothing mundane about fashion!  Besides, I was making durable winter clothes in the inevitable departure of you and your friends.  Is that why you came here for?"   "Not really, but it's for something else.  Uh, you think we can talk in private?  You know..."   "Hoho, I see.  Very well, we shall converse in private.  Just wait in the third dressing room past the smoldering loom while I dismiss the services of Fluttershy and Spike for the time being."   Applejack temporarily parted from the Diamond Princess and then trudged into the other dressing room while stepping over scorched fabric and the charred wooden remains of Rarity's loom.  She didn't get a breadth of how large the damaged room was, but the next room with its crystalline furniture had racks and racks of clothes were neatly stacked three levels high in an area that could house about dozen of more ponies living in poverty.  Applejack had always resented the bourgeois of the Earthy Party Elite, who evangelize equality of all earth ponies while they live in luxury stemmed from their corruption and conquest of foreign lands.  Surely Rarity had so many clothes, probably purchased or sewn from fine materials, but Applejack didn't see her as one of the Earth Party Elite snobs.  Rarity was willing to sacrifice herself for the ponies she loved.  The Earth Party Elite hid in their mansions and sent many young stallions and mares to death to do their dirty work.  What the Diamond Princess did in the past few days justifies all this.  Most of it, though.           "I've sent Fluttershy and Spike off to prepare for the concert," said Rarity as she daintily trotted in.  "So Miss Applejack, what's on your mind?"   "I need a dress."   In slow motion, the orange pony watched as Rarity's widened her eyes and her lips stretch her smile.  Applejack almost wanted to say something to the effect of breaking this strange awkwardness with Rarity beaming brightly as if her glistening crystal coat had returned to her from the abyss.  It wasn't as if Applejack said something to offend or excite her.  She just wanted a dress.   "I knew you couldn't refuse me!" cried Rarity.  "This time, I'll make a perfect dress for the perfect occasion for the perfect mare."   "I don' wanna trouble ya, Rarity.  Can't I just borrow one your existing ones?"   "That will not do!  Right now, I am reading that you want to impress a special somepony, and you want to appear more than amiable as possible.  First we'll take your measurements, and then we'll go down to my private spa and do a makeover."   "I look fine as it is."   "You do want to impress him, don't you?  Every accent no matter how subtle will go a long way in winning his heart.  If I may ask, is it somepony I know?  Wait.  You don't have to tell me.  I want it to be a surprise when you two return hoof-in-hoof to announce your betrothal.  Oh, wouldn't that be lovely?"   "All right, I get it.  Can we get to it already?"   "Patience dear Applejack.  You cannot rush perfection, and I refuse to let you go without my empowering touch.  Now hold still…"   She was never going to get used to this.  Applejack hardly had the time or the interest to keep up with the latest fashion or be concerned with her looks, and in those rare times she did it was strictly for her next rebel plot.  She understood the basics of looking good, whether it be stealing nice clothes or grooming, but she never got into the nuances like the appropriate shade of eyeshadow or what kind of lotion would enliven her orange coat.   She didn't remember standing long hours being measured by another pony.  She never used the sweet aromatic shampoo and soap in the royal spa or had her hooves filed down to perfection.  She found it wasteful that slices of cucumbers would be applied to her eyes.  Yet she put up with it, not just for Rarity's sake.  What she saw beyond the Door of Fears, Applejack had declared to herself to never, ever let happen, and she was willing to transform herself into a different pony in the process.  For the first time in a long while, she voluntarily hung up her father's Stetson.   When she finally saw herself in the mirror, she felt could thwart those visions.  Diamond earrings hung off her ears, and her mane had been curled, beautifully bundled up, and lightly sparkled to give her face an ethereal beauty.  A frilly dark purple dress complemented her body, and for her front legs she was a given purple socks and a padded horseshoe.  She never realized she could look this beautiful.   In contrast, her friend appeared frazzled.  With all of the castle staff enjoying the Crystal Fair, the Diamond Princess had taken upon herself to groom and manicure her orange friend all by herself while managing to sew into existence a custom made dress.  Applejack wondered if she used her Element of Empowerment to enhance Applejack's rustic beauty into a whole new level.  Whether she did or not, Applejack could not find any perfect words of thanks for the generosity of her new unicorn friend.   Rarity had the energy to teach Applejack how to trot like a lady before happily nudging her out of the royal bedchambers.  She was on her own but off to a good start.  Castle and Quicksilver's jaws dropped when Applejack brushed passed them with the frills of her purple dress fluttering with each dainty step.  She blushed with nervousness, yet she was happily excited all the same.   "Castle, Quicksilver," spoke Aurea as she advanced the stairs.  "I can't seem to find Apple--wha?"   "Something troubling you, darlin'?"  Applejack knew what she was saying and how she was saying it.  She retained her accent as a semi-sultry tone that bubbled naturally from her diaphragm.   "W-who are you?" "Don't you recognize me, silly?  I'm Applejack, and I request your services as my escort."   She turned heads.  She made ponies smile.  Her radiant beauty kept her admirers back at a respectable distance, making Aurea's job much easier to handle on her own.  She wasn't royalty, but she was famous.  With so many eyes upon her, she could not resist relishing with lip-biting giddy on the attention she received from ponies and the Diamond Dogs she had saved.   A little bird (Owlowiscious) had told her that she should head over to the colosseum for her destiny.  Getting in was mildly difficult: more ponies were trying to pack in than pack out for rest and refreshments.  The roaring wave of cheers filled the night air right as she stepped in the Pink Pistols had finished their song.  Even from the ground from her vantage point, Applejack could see the massively constructed stage wired with a sturdy metal rafter of lights and speakers so out of place in an isolated medieval Empire.  In line with the Empire's culture were the band's outlandish glam costumes that reminded Applejack of Gaea's bellbottom craze forty or so years ago.  This time, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Sunny had in place of rhinestone actual diamonds on their color coordinated leisure suits.  The last song must have thrown every audience member in a festive frenzy.  Both Flutterbass and Pinkie Guitar were heaving as their held their fabulous pose, while Sunny D(rummer) held three drumsticks and a gong handle with her front hooves, her good wing, and her magic respectively.   "All right Crystal Empire!" Pinkie shouted to the microphone stand.  "We're going to mellow things out for a bit, but I guarantee you'll have fun all the same!  This song's dedicated to the Crystal Queen who's finally come out of her sadness to celebrate the Crystal Fair! A one, two, three…"   Pinkie Pie strummed her electric guitar hard, but it wasn't fast and driving like her usual repertoire.  Fluttershy and Sunny kept a stable beat, and the audience started swaying left and right with calm yet euphoric bliss.  The mood couldn't be any more perfect.  All the other ponies were entranced by the slow and upbeat song, which allowed Applejack and her guard escort to pass through the crowd relatively unhindered.   They ascended through the winding stairs that made up the complex that was the colosseum, and even in the back halls ponies were still enjoying the music, eating, drinking, and conversations with themselves their newly befriended ex-mercenaries, the Diamond Dogs.  Applejack might have spotted Red Rover and his two big and small underlings the higher she went.   The further and higher she went, the more she passed by the Royal Guards consisting of the Magic Corps and Geosense Corp.  They were getting closer to the King's viewing balcony, but that wasn't her destination.  The room next to it had been traditionally reserved for a lower-ranking duke or duchess plus their entourage, and even then it was large--perhaps larger than Posey's own balcony overlooking the main streets of Gaeaopolis.   This room was not intended to house any lord at all.  It had been transformed into a command center or a control room of some sorts.  At one side a jerry-rig setup of audio mixers, lighting controls, and monitors were wired on top of thick-legged crystalline tables.  The two ponies who could possibly control them were Lyra and Bon Bon in headphones, and they too swayed left and right by the Pink Pistol's romantic 'Crystal Queen, Crystal Fortress' tune with one of their front legs wrapped around each other.     At the other end sat Captain Shining Armor and Lieutenant Comet Tail using levitating a viewing glass in front of their eyes at irregular intervals.  Their discipline and duty, Applejack felt, puts that of the most hardened soldiers of Gaea to shame.  Then again, she had a strong bias favoring the handsome and strong white unicorn stallion that was not just her savior growing up, but also a brother to her dearest friend.  Applejack had butterflies in her stomach, and she waited around until he finally noticed her.   "Oh, who might you be?" Shining Armor asked.   "Um, uh, it's me.  Applejack."   "Applejack?  I didn't recognize you.  Well, I did, but I wasn't too sure.  But wow, you look beautiful."   "Hehe.  Thank you, Shine.  Um, do you think the Captain and I can talk alone?"   Aurea and Comet Tail looked at each other and towards Applejack with confusion, but without Shining Armor's nodding gesture, they wouldn't leave them.  With the guards gone, the orange earth mare was finally alone, relatively speaking.  Lyra and Bon Bon wouldn't be able to hear her or Shining Armor talk to each other or sit by one another in awkward silence.  She pulled up close to him like a young filly in love, just like the old days.   "I wanted to apologize," he said.  "To you directly.  I wasn't able to return to you, but I had to lead the military and the mercenaries away from you while you searched for the Elements.  And I also wanted to apologize for fighting against you and your sister.  Blueblood took advantage of my loyalty, and I ended up betraying the Queen and King."   "Well, I always knew it wasn't you who said those awful things," said Applejack, "but still, you were mighty jerkish towards your sister."   "That might be nothing compared to me abandoning her and the Chieftain.  Is my mother doing okay?"   "As harsh as always."   "Figures."   "But I reckon that she does miss you a lot."   "Heh."   She saw the wistfulness in his wince, the same kind she had seen many times in Twilight Sparkle whenever the subject of Twilight Velvet came up in the conversation.  Now, they had entered into another passage of awkward silence between each other.  Applejack wanted to tell him so many things about her adventure with her sister.  She wanted to tell him about the fate of his father, if he didn't know.  She wanted to tell him about the revelations of her own family, and how Chancellor Posey, her most hated enemy, raised her little sister.  Above all, she wanted tell him the feelings that she kept ablaze for so many years.   In the end, she couldn't say it.  A gentle breeze softly touched her orange fur.  It was like her latent Geosense abilities, but she felt no danger.  Her chance to say those words were put on hold when she saw Shining Armor leap off his chair and prostrated before a figure behind her.  Lyra and Bon Bon did the same and removed their headphones.   Crystal Queen Mi Amore Cadenza entered the room in her casual regalia.  With her crystalline coat sacrificed along with her reputed immortality, only her crown sparkled, but nonetheless she retained the utmost youthful beauty.  The way the ponies threw themselves to the floor before her was no different than the fascist salutes to the Gaean Chancellor.  However, the Crystal Queen was one brave and inspirational pony Applejack would move mountains for, and at the last minute she too bowed before her.   But Applejack sensed something amiss.  The Queen didn't visit as part of an inspection or for goodwill.  She saw wrought with worry and confusion, as if she felt her own presence here was an ill omen.  The Queen motioned Lyra and Bon Bon to arise and put their headphones back on, and she ordered the door shut behind her.     "Please," she said.  "Stop bowing.  Both of you."   "My Queen," said the Captain, rising.  "Is something troubling you?"   "Um…"   The Queen threw her mighty body towards the Captain.  She stopped before she made impact and then craned her neck so that it appeared she was kissing whispers into his ear instead of speaking them.   "What?" said Shining Armor.  "The King?"   "Shh!" said Cadence.  "Nopony else should know."   "But what does that make you?"   "I'm still a queen, but without a husband.  I know I should be sad, and yet I feel as though as a heavy weight has been lifted off of me.  Shining Armor, I don't care what the Court or what the citizens think.  I love you, and I want you to be my Prince."   "My Queen…"   "No.  It's Cadence from now on."   "What I said in that hospital…  I wasn't being serious.  I thought you were just an ordinary unicorn the whole time you took care of me."   "I wasn't being serious back then.  I should have accepted your proposal back then, but I had my duties as the Princess destined to be married to the next King.  I wasn't honest my feelings, and because I was so saddened over you being mind-controlled by Blueblood the whole time, the King was distracted from his royal duties because of me.  I too share the responsibility of nearly destroying Empire, but no more will I hide my feelings from everypony."   "Even so, who's to say I won't fall under the control of another unicorn's spell?"   "As long as we're together, I'll make sure that'll never happen again."   The Queen surprised him with an actual kiss.  Applejack had expected that Shining Armor would have found some way to respectively, and without harm, push Cadence back, but to her horror he did something else.  He embraced her.  He accepted her.  He returned her feelings, or rather rekindled them, and the continuing sight of their passion knifed through Applejack's heart.  She could no longer stand seeing the couple--him especially.  It shouldn't be a surprise to her after so many years, but regardless it cut her deep.   "Hey, Applejack," spoke Shining Armor.  "Do you think you can keep this a secret until the King makes his announcement?  I don't think any of us want to reveal a scandal in the middle of an early Crystal Fair."   "We really hate to ask so much from you after helping to save our Empire," added Cadence.           "S-sure," Applejack stuttered.  "I'll keep quiet till then.  After all, I am the Bearer of the Element of Truth."   "Thank you so much, Applejack."   "I almost forgot," said Shining Armor.  "You said you wanted to see me about something."   "I…" stuttered Applejack.  "I jus' wanted to say 'hi'."   Applejack escaped the couple before they could see her break down.  She managed to hold it in so far, but she was not willing to allow any other pony see her tears.  She was in an emotional stupor, ignoring and evading Aurea as she lost herself in the cheering crowds as the Pink Pistols geared up for the next song, "Smile, Smile, Smile."  Could they get any more grossly inappropriate?  Applejack wanted to yell at Pinkie to stop singing such a ridiculously happy song, but she withheld her anger and walked on.   She passed by so many crystal ponies and unicorns.  Some noticed the growing sadness in her eyes.  A few asked her what was wrong.  She brushed them aside, cursing the Crystal Fair and cursing the restoration of the Empire.  She wished she could go back to all the danger of the days before where she didn't see his lips intertwined with the Queen's.  She wished she could go back the exciting times where she and Shining Armor roamed across Gaea to disrupt their corruption, their oppression, and their military industrial complex.  But even as a non-magic user, she knew that there would be no spell or a special technology that would take her back to the past.   Applejack knew she should be happy now.  Her friends had been rescued.  The Crystal Empire had been restored.  The citizens had been freed, and she was closer to recovering the remainder of the Elements of Creation.  But then what?  There would be nopony waiting for her in the end.  Apple Bloom sure, and maybe the rest of the Element Bearers, Spike, and their animal companions would serve as suitable platonic partners.  The Border collie was mighty friendly as well.  Her plans had been shattered right when the young Queen kissed Shining Armor, the stallion she once called 'sugarcube'.  All these years, she counted on him to help restore the Apple Clan.  Now, she felt, there was nopony left.   Somehow, she managed to climb back inside the dark and empty Crystal Castle.  Even with all the luxurious clothes and jewels on her, Applejack never felt so naked, and she prayed to heaven that Rarity had not thrown away her father's precious Stetson.  Instead of heading towards the Diamond Princess's bedchambers, however, Applejack's hooves became attracted by a curious light emanating from the King's personal library.  Each step gradually calmed her and gave her the necessary will to further withhold her tears.   Inside, several shelves of books had been moved, stacked on the floor, or placed in crates due to the recent fire damage from Sunset Shimmer's attack spells.  She heard about a magic mirror, but from what she could tell in this dim light that it was covered, wrapped with black crystal chains, and then pushed back to the corner.   Applejack carefully waded through the metropolis stack of books until she approached a large round table filled with more books.  Sitting by the table of books was purple unicorn in her own world, absorbing the meaning of ancient words under the light of six candles of varying heights.  Twilight she felt no surprise when she finally acknowledged Applejack's presence, and her adorable purple eyes caused the orange pony to blush.           "You heard me?" Applejack asked.   "I felt your presence here before you came in," Twilight replied.  "Wow, that's a pretty dress."   "Thanks sugarcube." "But it is strange to see you without your hat though.  That Stetson makes you… well, you.  So what brings you here in this dusty old library?   Shouldn't you be enjoying the festivities?" "I kinda got a little tried out since I'm still sore from all the battles a few days back," the orange pony lied.   "I guess everypony needs their rest one way or another.  I'm not that too good with parties, but I'm willing to learn.  There's even a book here on basic party etiquette for the Crystal Empire.  Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you with the contents of these old tomes." "No, no, that's okay.  In fact, I think they're mighty interestin'.  You mind I sit and read with you?"   "I don't mind.  I didn't realize that ancient history interested you."   "Yeah, it does." Applejack pretended to make her selection, and pulled from one of the myriad of stacks a book that was accessibly convenient for her.  Applejack did not see the cover, nor did she care to read it.  The first page was written in an ancient Eques dialect she could hardly read.  She just looked at words and pictures without understanding them, and then turned each page when appropriate so that Twilight would not notice her staring back at her.  As the night festivities went on, Applejack slowly realized that the words she wanted to say to Shining Armor were now being reserved for his sister.