• Published 26th Dec 2014
  • 1,080 Views, 23 Comments

unWANTED : Walk with Acceptance - travelingbard



With only a number for a name, a human must find his place in this new world and answer one question; What would you do to save a world you don't belong in?

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Ch. 1- Caution: Dreaming may be hazardous to your health

The sun shined bright as Princess Celestia rose it from its sleep to begin the day. The birds woke and sang their morning songs, waking the residents of Ponyville to a bright and happy existence. The rain drops from the night before glistened as the rays of the sun danced upon their surface. The apples on the trees shined their red, green, and yellow colors. The sun was waking the land. The rays of gold broke though the curtains of an orange mare's house, waking her to the best day ever. Life was good, happy, and full of life.

Applejack hated it.

"UUUUHHHHH," she moaned raising her hoof to block the light. She reached over to her night stand and looked at her clock.

6:24 a.m.

"MAAUAHH."

It was unusual for the farm pony to hate the mornings, or even still be in bed at this time. This was the time of day when she would be working hard on the farm, bucking apples off the trees.

This morning, however, sucked.

"Bucking snakes," she said to herself, kicking the sheets off of her and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, "That stupid dream again." She rested her head in her hoofs and sat there for a moment.

"Why won’t you leave?" she asked herself, tapping her head with every word.

A few more moments passed. "OK, girl. Time to get up. Let's go."

Applejack hopped off her bed and walked over to her vanity mirror. The mare staring back at her was a mess; her mane was all over the place and she looked awful, like she hadn't had a good night sleep in a couple of days. Looking closer she found dried tear streaks down her cheeks.

"Gornsarnit." She wiped the streaks away, and sat down on the pillow in front of her mirror. She picked up her brush, and started brushing out the bed knots of her mane. As the brushing became soothing, she thought of last night's dream.

**********

Her dream started out just like all the others; nice, peaceful, and right in the middle. She was on a date with HIM; Timberjack. He had taken her to the beautiful, (and stupidly expensive), Dusky Rose restaurant in Canterlot City, how he got reservations at such a hurty turty place, I'll never know, Applejack thought. Instead of his usual plaid shirt and boots, that night Timber wore a black suit with a pristine white tie. Rarity insisted Applejack to wear the fru fru blue dress she made for her, but it was so over the top AJ had no idea where her head was supposed to go and what end her legs were meant to be. She politely declined and asked for something simple; a blue dress with a small golden necklace for the evening,

"You look absolutely beautiful, Applejack," Timber said gazing into her eyes.

Applejack blushed and turned her head away, "Ah shucks. I'm nothing special."

"I think you’re the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria, Applejack," Timber reached over the table to take her hoof in he's.

"And... there's something I want to ask you."

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box.

"It's a question that I've been wanting to ask you for a long time now," he walked around the table and knelt before her.

Applejack's heart started beating so fast she thought it would burst out of her chest.

"Applejack?" Timber said as he lifted the lid on the box.

"Yes, Timberjack?"

"Will you die for me?"

"Wha..."

Black vine-like sludge exploded from the jewelry box and wrapped around her. She screamed and tried to pull free but the vines were too strong, even for her. The restaurant scene melted into nothingness and all that was left was Timberjack and her.

Timber changed as he slowly walked towards her. He got taller, and more slender. His smile grew unnaturally big for his face. His black suit crept around his body until he was as black as their surroundings.
But his eyes were the worst change. His eyes melted off into a pool at his hoofs and were replaced by gleaming red sockets, full of evil.

Applejack struggled against the vines and managed to pull one hoof free. But the vines didn't seem to like that. The tips of the vines grew snake-like-heads and bite deep into her fresh and their grip on her tightened more.

"Now now, my dear sweet Applejack," Timber chortled. His voice sounded like glass scraping across a chalkboard, “I can't have you leave just yet. Not before we have some FUN first."

Timber walked up to her and ran his hoof across her face and down to her chest. He grabbed her dress and ripped it off, flinging it into the void.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Timber’s smile grew even wider and he leaned his whole body against hers, “It'll be fun."

**********

Applejack stopped brushing and looked at the mare staring back at her. Silent tears were rolling down the mares checks from her sad emerald eyes.

Why? Applejack thought, Why won't that dream just go away?

The mare gave no reply.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Applejack? Ya’ll up?" asked a deep voice from the other side of her door.

"Yeah!" she sniffed and wiped the freshly made tears away again, "Yeah! I'm up, Big Mac!"

"OK!" Big Mac said, "Breakfast is ready!"

"Be down in a minute!"

The sound of her brothers hoof steps grew small and smaller as he descended the stairs. She turned back to her mirror and finished with her brushing. When that was done, she tied it back into a pony tail and grabbed her hat from its hook on the wall.

She walking to her door then stopped to take one more look at the mare in the mirror.

Don't worry, the mare said.

Applejack said nothing as she walked out of the room into the real world.

**********

Walking down the stairs was a lot harder this morning for some reason. Each step hurt.

That stupid dream really did me in this time , thought Applejack as she descended the troublesome steps.

"NUUH! Stupid legs! Work already!"

She finally reached the bottom without falling this time. Every other morning the stairs would trip and almost kill her.

Guess they decided to skip it today .

A small little yellow filly with a big red bow in her red mane came from the kitchen and asked, "Ya’ll OK, Applejack?"

Applejack took a couple deep breaths.

"I'm fine, Apple Bloom. Don't you worry none about your big sis. My legs are just still asleep, that's all."

Apple Bloom looked at her with her big eyes. Her sister never was good at lying.

"Ya sure, Applejack? You don't look too good."

"I said I'm fine!" snapped Applejack.

Apple Bloom stepped back a bit.

"Oh, sugar cube," Applejack went over and hugged her little sister, "I'm sorry. I'm just hungry, that’s all."

"It's OK, sis," Apple Bloom said, hugging back her big sister back, "Big Mac made breakfast! Come on! Let's go eat!"

Applejack walked into the dining room to find Granny Smith and Big Mac at the table waiting for her.

"Mornin' y'all," Applejack said.

"Mornin', Applejack," Big Mac said in his usual taciturn voice.

"Well, mornin' to ya too, young'n," Granny Smith said in her shaky voice, "Ya sleep well?"

"Yep! Slept like a log," Applejack lied. Hopefully that'll pass by Granny

"Good. Good. Well, come sit and have some breakfast, young'n," Granny Smith waved her hoof to the chair next to her.

Applejack took her seat. THEN she noticed the food. There was a lot of it; pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, hay bacon, hash browns, apple juice, orange juice, milk, oatmeal; it was never ending.

"A lot of food for just a normal day, don't ya think Mac?" Applejack said raising an eyebrow.

Big Mac stopped pouring Granny her drink to look at his sister with a confused look on his face. "Nope," he simply said.

"Yeah," chimed in Apple Bloom with her own confused look, "Arn't ya’ll meetin' up with Twilight and the others for the Grand Galloping Gala for tonight?"

"OH DAGNABIT! I completely forgot!" Applejack exclaimed. She was supposed to meet her friends at the Spa at noon before Rarity had them try on the dresses she made for them for the Gala.

She looked at the clock; 6:50 am.

She grabbed a pancake, stuck some eggs, toast, hash browns and some hay bacon and wrapped it all into breakfast burrito monstrosity thing. She grabbed the orange juice pitcher and guzzled it down as she hurried from the table.

"Big Mac, could ya bring the big wagon around the front of the barn by 11? I should be done with the north half of the apple orchard by then," she said with her panrito off to one corner of her mouth.

"Yup."

"Thanks! See y'all later!" She raced out the door to finish her work.

"Bye sweetie!" Granny said smiling and waving to her, “Have fun tonight!"

When Applejack was out of sight, Granny's smile faded into a worried look. "That pony's gettin' worse for ware everyday now. It's not like her to forget a get together with her friends."

"Yup", Mac agreed with her.

There was a moment of silence at the table.

"It was that dream again, wasn't it?" Apple Bloom asked.

No pony answered, but they all knew that it was.

"I knew she was lyin' this mornin'," Apple Bloom said. "She ain't fine! I heard her tossin' and turnin' and yellin' last night!"

Big Mac broke the glass he was holding and his usual calm demeanor suddenly turned very dark.

"I heard her cryin' when I came in last night. If I ever find the colt who did this to my sister..."

Granny and Apple Bloom knew exactly what would happen.

"Wait a minute," Apple Bloom said, "How did you know she was..." Then it hit her and she smiled despite the mood in the room.

"OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! You were out late with Ms. Cheerilee again, weren't ya?" she asked.

Big Mac's blushed cheeks conformed the questian.

“Nn...nope," he lied.

"HA! You were!" Apple Bloom yelled, pointing an accusing hoof at her brother. "Where'd ya two go? Was it romantic? Did she like it?" Apple Bloom started firing of her questions so fast it made her big brother's head spin.

Mac grabbed his food, stuffed his face, and ran out the door without answering of his sister's intense questioning.

"That boy needs ta colt up and marry that Ms. Cheerillee," Granny said.

"Eeeyup!"Apple Bloom agreed with her granny in her best impression she could do.

**********

Finished her panrito, Applejack opened the doors to the barn and got to work. She found the cart with the wooden buckets in it and hooked herself to the cart. She pulled it outside as Winona came bounding to her.
“Hey there, girl” Applejack said, petting the faithful dog on the head. “Come on, girl! Let’s go buck some apples!” The two of them trotted off to the north half of Sweet Apple Acres, with Winona bounding the entire way.

As Aj walked she took in the sight of her family farm. She breathed in the cool morning air. It felt nice to be out. Being cooped up in that room of hers was starting to get to her.

She finally made it to her destination and unhooked herself. She grabbed a few wooden buckets and placed them around the tree and got to work.

"OK girl," Applejack said, psyching herself up, "you can do this! You've done this thousands of times! Today's no different!"

She backed up to the tree, reared up on her front legs, tucked her back legs in and with all her strength kicked the tree. The sweet fruits of the tree fell into the buckets around it with a satisfying sound.

"At'a girl", the satisfied farm pony said. She walked over to the other trees and fell into her usual apple bucking routine; buckets, buck, move apple buckets. When the buckets were all full, she loaded them up in the cart and took it back to drop it off back at the barn. She grabbed another cart and did the whole routine again. She kept working like this until all of the buckets and carts were full.

"WHEW!" she said, taking off her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow, "That was a work out! What time is it?"

She looked up and judged the time based on where the sun was. At least 4 hour's had passed by.

"I reckon I could take a little rest before I meet the girls."

Before she took the last cart of the day back to the barn, she grabbed an apple from one of the buckets and walked over to one of her favorite trees on the property. She climbed the tree and rested herself in a nook where the thick tree branch meet with the trunk. The nook was perfect. The branch was wide enough to sit in comfortably and was grooved slightly inward. The trunk was grooved inward too. The whole this was like a chair made naturally. The tee was on top of the hill, so naturally it had the best view Ponyville.

Applejack sat there, eating her apple and watched the scenery of her town. It was almost noon so Ponyville was buzzing with activity. Pony’s were walking around buying or selling things. Pegasi were flying around moving the clouds. Off in the distance she could make out a city on the side of the mountain; Canlerlot, the capital of Equestria. That was where the princesses of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Luna, the two sisters, reigned of the ponies of the land.
Applejack crossed her legs and rested a hoof behind her head. She threw the rest of the apple into her mouth and her eyes were drawn to Ponyville's own castle. It looked, for all intents and purpose, like a big purpleish blueish crystal tree castle. The castle for The Kingdom of Friendship belonged to her close and personal friend; Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.

To be perfectly honest, that is a strange title , Applejack said to herself, even though Applejack did have a throne in that same castle herself.

A yawn escaped her lips. "Boy, I'm plum tired. All that work tukered my out." She made herself more comfortable on the tree and tilted her hat forward to cover most of her face, "Well, might as well rest up a bit, gettin' ready for the big shin dig tonight and all." She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of birds singing in the distance and felt the soft gentle breeze against her skin. It was good to be out.

**********

"AHHHHHH!" Applejack screamed and jerked awake, almost falling out of her tree. Her hat was not so lucky. It fell to the ground, crumpling up one of its sides. Winona shot straight up and whorled around to look for the potential enemy.

Applejack placed her head in her hoof and sobbed, "I can't even take a nap anymore without dreaming!" she screamed in between her gasping for air.

"APPLEJACK! APPLEJACK! WHERE ARE YA?!" a voice yelled in the distance.

Applejack took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, "I'm... I'm here, Apple Bloom. Up in the tree," she managed to say, wiping the tears away. She had to be strong for her little sister.

Apple Bloom rushed over to see Applejack's tree. "Ya’ll OK, Applejack?" she asked looking up at her.

"I'm fine, Apple Bloom," Applejack lied. She'd been doing that a lot lately.

"Ya sure, sis?" the concerned sibling asked, picking up Applejack's hat. "Ya almost fell out of the tree."

Applejack jumped down and landed with a thud in front of her sister.

"I'm sure, Apple Bloom!" Applejack said, grabbing her hat from her sister's mouth more forcefully then she meant to, " 'Sides, it's only a few feet of the ground. It wouldn't have hurt if I fell." She knew it was higher than that but she wouldn't admit that she almost died today.

"Anyway Apple Bloom, what are y'all doing here? I thought ya were meetin' up with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."

"I am, but Big Mac told me to find ya and tell ya your late meetin' y'alls friends."

"What?" Applejack yelled and then put a hoof to her head to make it not spin so much. "UUHHH. I ain't feeling to good. Maybe I shouldn't go toni..."

"NO!" Apple Bloom cut her off, "Ya have ta go! All ya friends are goin'! Me and Sweetie Belle and Scootallo are goin' be there too! Remember that talent contest show the school had a few days ago?"

Applejack thought of the talent show and what the Cutie Mark Crusaders did for it. "Y"all almost died when your stage props fell apart, Apple Bloom," Applejack said sternly.

"No I didn't! We were fine! Anyway, the prize for ‘Best Comedy Act’ was three golden tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!"

"Oh yeah" Applejack paused. "Wait. I didn't know you three were doing a comedy act."

"We weren't. It was supposed to be a musical." Apple Bloom said somewhat sadly. She snapped back to reality, "But that's not the point! The point is this is my first Gala and I want to have fun! And I won't have fun without my sister! Y'all been there before and had a great time!"

Applejack cringed a bit as she thought about her first Gala. It didn't go quite as planned.

"Pleeeeeease!?" the insistent filly said.

"Alright! Alright, I'll go." Applejack said.

"YEA!" Apple Bloom exclaimed hugging her sister. Then she gasped, "Ya gota' get going then, AJ! Its half past noon!"

"Oh Tartar sauce!" Applejack turned and ran down the hill towards Ponyville and hopped the fence. She turned back to wave to her sister, "I'll see ya at the Gala, sis!"

"Bye! See ya then!" Apple Bloom waved and yelled back.

When Applejack was out of sight, Apple Bloom lowered her hoof and thought of what she just did. She knew Applejack wasn't fine at all. Apple Bloom knew her sister needed to be with her friends and to have a good time. Maybe this'll bring back her sister. Make her better.

"I gotta go too!" she thought, "Sweetie and Scoots 'ill kill me if I'm late!"

She ran off in the direction of the Carousel Boutique to get ready for the night in Canterlot.

**********

Applejack ran across town to the Day Spa and burst thought the doors, surprising Lotus Blossom and Aloe at the receptionist's desk.

"Oh, Miss Applejack! Welcome!" she said in her accent.

"Sorry about that," the orange mare said, winded from her run.

"You're friends are already here," Aole said, coming around the counter, "Please follow me."

Applejack followed Aole to the back of the place to join her friends. When they reached the doors to the hot tub Aloe opened them and stood aside. "Here you are ma'am. Enjoy," she said, bowing to Applejack.

"Thankin' ya kindly, Aloe," Applejack said. She walked into the room and was immediately tackled by a pink blur thing.

"APPLEJACK! YOU'RE HERE!" the pink thing said as it gave Applejack a hug that would crush an Ursa major.

"Hi Pinkie," Applejack said as the hug got tighter, "It's nice to see you too, but could you let go please? You're crushing me!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Pinkie Pie said as she let go of the slightly blue orange mare. "I'm just so excited that we're all here and we're going to the Grand Galloping Gala and we're going to have the best time ever not like the first time when we went but this time it'll be better than ever!" Pinkie Pie had started talking a million miles an hour and started bouncing around the place, even off the walls and ceiling.

"Hey! Is that Applejack? Hi Applejack!" A blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail was face down in a massage chair. She waved in Applejack's general direction. "Glad you made it! Ah yeah. Little lower. To the left," The blue Pegasus let out a satisfied sound as the masseuse worked on her wings, "Yeah. Right there. That's the spot."

"Howdy Rainbow Dash," Applejack picked up her fallen hat and placed it on the coat rack by the door, "I thought y'all be with the Wonderbolts gettin' ready for tonight."

"And miss a chance to hang out with the gang? No way! Little to your right." Another satisfied sound came from Rainbow Dash.

"Besides," a small and tentative voice said from the hot tube, "It’s been ages since we've all been together."

"I quite agree, Fluttershy."

Applejack turned to see what looked like a bee hive head, green faced, cucumber eyes thing in the mud bath.

"I knew, right?"

This comment came from a purple mare in the second mud bath next to the first, "You've been busy with your clothing line, Rarity," she gestured to the pony in the first mud bath.

Applejack made her way to the big hot tub and sat across from Fluttershy.

"I've almost finished up my Spring Line Up," Rarity said," But what about you, Twilight?"

"What do you mean?" the purple mare in the other mud bath said.

"What do you mean, "What do i mean"?!"

Rarity took off her cucumbers and looked Twilight in the eyes, "You have a kingdom to run as the Princess of Friendship!"

Rarity bowed as well as she could in her mud bath, along with every other pony in the room. Even Rainbow Dash turned around and half-bowed, half-almost-fell-off the chair. Pinkie stopped her bouncing and bowed on the ceiling.

Twilight blushed a deep red, "Oh, come on girls. I've asked you before not to do that. Besides, you all have thrones too."

It was true. The castle created by the chest from the Tree of Harmony had six thrones in it. "We do have thrones," Fluttershy said as she looked up from her bow, "but we all have other responsibility. We can't just sit in them and do nothing all day."

"Yeah!" Pinkie said as she came off the ceiling and landed in the hot tube. She hardly made a splash. “Besides; The map hasn’t lead us anywhere for a while anyway! I've got parties to throw and the cake twins to watch every now and again!"

"I've got my apples ta buck," Applejack chimed in.

"And I have my animals to take care of," Fluttershy said.

"And Discord," Rainbow Dash snickered.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded her.

"What?"

"Oh, it's OK Twilight. Discords not so bad anymore," Fluttershy blushed so red that Applejack was sure the hot tube's temperature rose up a bit.

"Honestly, Fluttershy. You could have any colt in Ponyville. In Equestria! I don't know what you see in that ... beast," scoffed Rarity.

"He's changed after Tirek betrayed him. He's a lot better now." Fluttershy got a faraway look as she sighed, "He's kind, strong, handsome..." She sighted again.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked.

"Yes?" Fluttershy asked dreamly.

The other ponies laugh a little.

"Is he meetin' ya at the Gala tonight?"

"Yes," Fluttershy answered, still in her own little world.

"Gee, Fluttershy," Rainbow dash said, "If you like him so much, why don't cha marry him?"

This question brought Fluttershy back to reality. "WHAT?!"

"RAINBOW DASH!" scolded Twilight.

"What?" Rainbow said, "What I say?"

"Ma...mama...marriage?" Fluttershy stammered, "I...I...I..." she started to hyperventilate.

"Easy, EASY there girl," Applejack moved over to her yellow friend and rubbed her back to calm her, "Easy. Ain't no pony sayin' ya have to marry Discord." She threw Rainbow Dash a look that could cower a bull.

"Sorry Fluttershy," Rainbow said, "I was just joking."

"It's...it's OK." Fluttershy was calming down.

Applejack patted gently on the back, "Atta girl." She turned to the other girls and changed the subject. "So who ya'll going with?"

"I'm going with Cheese Sandwich!" exclaimed Pinkie. She began her bouncing again, only faster this time.

"How is he, by the way?" asked Twilight.

"He's great!" Pinkie said excitedly. "I just got a letter from him today saying he's meeting me at the Grand Galloping Gala!" Pinkie was started to turn into a blur.

"How is your long distance relationship with him, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked, returning to her position on her massage chair.

Pinkie stopped bouncing around and looked down sadly at her hoofs. "Not so good," she finally said, her usual fluffy out-of-control pink mane deflate.

"What do you mean, darling?" Rarity took of her cucumbers again and looked at the sad party pony. "He hasn't been ... unfaithful to you, has he?"

"Oh no! It's not that! It's just that I don't get to see him as often as I'd like to," Pinkie sniffle a bit. She finally came down from the wall. "But I know he has to follow his Cheese Senses and make the best parties everywhere he goes. It just gets to me sometimes."

The other ponies in the room crowded around the sad pink mare into one big group hug, giving her reassurance. Rarity quickly washed herself off of the mud and joined her friends.

Rainbow Dash's masseuse excused herself to leave the 6 best friends alone.

"Thanks girls. You’re the best friends a girl could ask for," Pinkie said. The group broke up and Pinkie turned to Rainbow Dash. "What about you, Dash?"

Rainbow walked a little away from the group and looked sad. "Oh, I'm not going with anypony..." she paused as a huge smile crept on to her face, "ANYPONY BUT MY COLTFRIEND!" she squealed with glee.

The 6 friends were stunned for a moment. Then it hit them and they all squealed in excitement with Rainbow. Pinkie's mane instantly inflated back to its original out of control state.

Everypony crowded around Rainbow and started talking all at once.

"Who is it? What's he like? When did he ask? How long have you to been together? When did this happen?"

"Whoa girls! WHOA!" Rainbow said, "One at a time!"

"Who is he?" Twilight asked.

"Soarin form my squad."

"When did he ask?" Pinkie asked.

"About a week ago."

"How did he ask you?" Rarity asked.

“We were practicing our fly-by for the Gala. After we were done for the day, he took me to watched the sun set on a set of clouds. After a few minutes of just watching the sun set, he told me he liked me.” Rainbow Dash was blushing now. “He said he's liked me since the day he saw me. He leaned over and gave me a kiss and asked me to be his marefriend."

Everypony “AWWW”ed at this.

"Rainbow Dash has her first coltfriend!" Pinkie Pie yelled, "THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!" She pulled her infamous party cannon out of nowhere and aimed it at Rainbow Dash.

"Wait Pinkie DON..." Rainbow was cut off from her protest as the cannon went off, showering her with balloons, streamers, and confetti. Pinkie had somehow stuffed a huge “CONGRATULATION!” banner in there and it flew to the wall behind Rainbow Dash and unfurled it's self.

Pinkie started to sing, like she always did when she was overly exited.

"Congratulation Rainbow!
Congratulation Dash!
You found yourself a coltfriend!
We know that it will last!”

“So, Rarity," Applejack said as the pink party pony continued to sing, "How are you and Spike?"

Rarity blushed and looked away. "We're doing fine, darling."

"Have you heard from him yet?" Twilight asked. "It's been 2 weeks since his last letter."

"No dear. I haven't," Rarity said, "And it's been a month since my little Spikey-Wikey's last visit."

"He's not so little anymore," giggled Pinkie. She had finished her song and joined in the conversation.

"He'll always be my little Spikey-Wikey to me," Rarity blushed, "But enough about me. Twilight," she turned to the lavender princess, "I heard that you and Flash Sentry were seen at the Café yesterday."

"WHAT?" Twilight yelled, losing her calm princess self, "I cast a perfect illusion spell so no pony could tell it was us! WHO TOLD YOU THIS?"

"You just did, my dear," Rarity said before she burst into laughter, along with everypony else.

Twilight blushed. "That's not funny, Rarity," Twilight said, pouting at the fact she was tricked.

"Oh lighten up, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said, "That was pretty good. Nice on Rarity." She high hoofed Rarity.

"So tell us, Twilight," Fluttershy said after she calmed down with her laughing, " What's it like dating a royal guard?"

"To be honest, it's tough." Twilight said. "My royal duties as “The Princess of Friendship” means I have no peace for myself. I can't walk 5 steps without somepony yelling, "Princess Twilight! The ambassador of so-and-so is here and we need you to go and have him thank you for saving his country from Tirek!" or "Princess Twilight! We need you to wave at some important ponies!" or my favorite, "Princess Twilight! There's a small inconsequential problem only you can fix!"! I had 3 of those this week!" Twilight was basically foaming at the mouth at this point.

"Whoa there girl," Applejack said.

Twilight's eyes refocused and blushed from embarrassment of losing her cool. "But I digress. Every free time I have I spend with him, whether it's a few minutes or a few hours. Yesterday we went to the Café and just talked about everything; the weather, the Gala, Ponyville, Cantalot, everything. He talked about being in the royal guard and how hard it was to sneak away with me to go on our little dates." She giggled at this.

"But wait, Twi," interjected Applejack, "Isn't playin' hooky for him and you really bad?"

“I told him that but he just laughed it off and said all he does ever since he got transferred here is patrolling the castle grounds. He also told me that the Court-martial would be worth it if he ever got caught."

The girls “AWWW”ed again.

“So wait. Back up a bit," Rainbow said. "You had to use a spell to go to the Café?"

"Yes. I used a spell that changed our appearance."

"Like a changeling?”

"Kind of. See, I found a book by Star Swirl the Bearded and he found that the changelings used a form of Illusion spell that..." Twilight started rambling off all that she learned from her book.

“I'm sure the spell was a work of art, dear...” Rarity interrupted, “...but why did you use it in the first place?"

"So we could walk around without everypony bowing to me. You know how I feel about that. It was also for Flash so he wouldn't get in trouble. You 5 are the only ones who knows about me and Flash."

"That is just adorable!" squealed Rarity, giving her purple friend a hug.

"So, is he meeting you there or is he taking you?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"Actually I'M taking him. He's part of my entourage."

"We'll, we can't keep him waiting!" Rarity said as she took of her bee hive towel and shook her lavender mane out. It flowed out and curled perfectly.

"Come on girls! I have new dresses for you! Let’s look fabulous for our dates tonight!" she said, rallying the troop.

"Yeah!" cried the ponies.

The 6 best friends grabbed their stuff and started heading for the door. Twilight used her magic to clean up the confetti and balloons as she walked by. Applejack grabbed her hat from the coat rack.

"Wait Rarity," Applejack said. "What about your date?"

"Oh don't worry about me. My heart belongs to Spike and Spike alone." She stopped and turned to face Applejack. "But what about you, dear? Will you be all right? Last time you went to the Gala..."

"I'm fine, Rarity. I ain't lookin' for a coltfriend. Last time... was a mistake."

"Alright, dear. I'm just making sure. I don't want my friend to get hurt again."

"Thank's for lookin' out for me, Rar, but I'll be fine. I'm going with friends tonight."

"Alright Applejack. I won't bother you with it again." Rarity said and hugged her friend. "Come on. The others are leaving us behind. Wait up girls!" Rarity ran off to catch up.

Applejack slowly walked behind her as she was absorbed in her thoughts. Last time was a mistake, she thought. I went ta the Gala and found... Applejack fought back the tears that were coming. No! Not this time! As Celestia as my witness I will have the best night tonight!

"APPLEJACK! YOU COMING?" Rainbow said.

"COMIN'!" Applejack replied and ran after her friends.