I should have waited. It's probably not a good time for her. I'm not even sure what I'm asking her. This is such a bad idea, but it's too late to turn back now.
Out of a fired ship, which by no way
But drowning could be rescued from the flame,
--A Burnt Ship,
John Donne
Applejack looked out the window and blinked, trying to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. No, she had been right; a familiar purple shape was approaching in the distance. She smiled and adjusted her hat. Twilight had already dropped by once today, but it was hardly surprising to see her again. Maybe she was bringing another card or something. Applejack tried to think of a place she could put another one. The shelf over the sink was already full, and her windowsill was already covered with flowers. She could put it on the end table in her room, but there wasn't much room on there, either.
She squinted at Twilight. She didn't seem to have any saddlebags or anything. That made things easier, if she was just visiting to chat. But what was so urgent that she needed to trot so quickly? Twilight usually didn't seem like she was in such a rush. Applejack's mind bounced back to that afternoon, when Rarity had unexpectedly shown up. She sighed. Maybe this wouldn't be such a fun visit. Only one way to find out.
She put on her biggest smile and waved. “Hey, Twilight!”
“Good afternoon, Applejack!” Twilight called back as she slowed her canter and began to walk up the path to the house. “How are you?”
“Just about the same as I was when you came by before,” Applejack answered. “Been gettin' ready for Zap Apples.” She gestured for Twilight to come inside. “They'll be poppin' up any day now.”
“Ah. That explains the paint job...” Twilight nodded at the walls, which were coated in bright polka dots.
“Yeah, some years the signs start showin' up early. Granny heard some timberwolves last night, so now we're tryin' to get everything set up ahead of time so when the zap apples show up we can focus on harvestin’ them.” She tapped the table, which was covered by rows of jam jars. “And processin’ them.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
“Well, that's why we're doin' it.” Applejack took a seat at the table and gestured for Twilight to join her. “So, uh, what brings you by again? If you wanted to have dinner you'll have to come back later. My eatin' schedule is all messed up. Had a real late lunch, so I won't be ready for more grub for a while.”
“I thought you were always ready to eat,” Twilight said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah, I usually am. I just got done havin' a snack, though.” She shrugged. “Is that even what you're here for?”
“Um, no.” Twilight shook her head. “Actually, I just came out here to talk.”
Applejack felt her muscles involuntarily tighten at the hint of seriousness in Twilight's voice. She was beginning to understand all those jokes and stories that began with “and then she said she needed to talk.” She took a deep breath. There was probably nothing to worry about besides some awkwardness. Probably. “What did you want to talk about?”
“It's just... well...” Applejack tried not to smile as she listened to Twilight stumble over the words, “I've just been thinking about... us.”
Applejack nodded. “So have I.”
“Something has just been bothering me, and I... I just wanted to get it figured out. It's not a big deal or anything. At least, I don't think it's a big deal.” Twilight rubbed her hooves together. “But even if it's not, I just want to make sure it doesn't turn into one.”
“I know what you mean.” Applejack nodded. “I've been doin' a lot of thinkin' myself. It would be real good to make sure we're both thinkin' the same way or things could get rough. What've you been thinkin'?”
“Well, I... you just mentioned something on our date, and I know you said it didn't matter, but it's just been bugging me. I tried to just forget about it, but I couldn't. I thought it would be good to just ask about it.”
“Ah.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Does this have something to do with Rarity? She showed up a little while ago and was all kinds of curious about us.”
Twilight bit her lip. Her eyes darted away from Applejack's for a moment. “Was she really?”
“Yeah, she was. I know she's a bit more into romance than you or me, but even so it was kinda weird. She's usually way more tactful about that kind of stuff. I mean, it coulda just been 'cause she was really tired, but even so...” She narrowed her eyes. “Did you put her up to that?”
“I... uh...” Twilight sighed and hung her head. “Yes and no. I was talking to her, you know, asking her for advice. She wanted to find out a bit more about what you thought before she gave me any advice on what to do.”
“Well, that's a big old waste of time,” Applejack snapped, a bit more harshly than she had intended. She let her expression soften. “If you want to find out what I think about something, you just gotta ask. No need to go beatin' around the bush like that. I'm not gonna lie to you.”
“I know, I know.” Twilight's ears drooped as she forced herself to look at Applejack. “It's just that, well, after what you said on our date, I thought it would be too weird to bring it up again. I mean, it felt like we had things figured out, and I didn't want to bring it up. Not if you were fine with it.”
“Well, it's obviously not fine with you, so you might as well ask anyway.”
“O-okay.” Twilight swallowed. “It's just... what you said about all the gifts and things I was doing for you, it made me wonder. I know you said that I should just keep doing it, but... I don't know what to do. I just couldn't help but try think of why. And, well, the only thing I could think of why it might bother you is that...” Twilight's voice was strained; as if it hurt to force the words out. “That maybe you thought I was trying to... to...”
“You were tryin' to what?”
Twilight looked down at her hooves. “...that I was trying to... I don't know quite how to say it. That I was doing so much for you because you wouldn't be interested in our relationship if I didn't.”
Applejack stared blankly at Twilight. “Huh?”
“I know that you weren't as... enthusiastic as I was about getting together at first. I was afraid that you might think that I was doing everything for you to... to make it worthwhile for you. Like I was trying to buy you off or something because you wouldn't want to be in this relationship otherwise. I know it's dumb, but I couldn't get it out of my head that you were just... putting up with me.”
“Wow.” Applejack turned the words over in her mind. “Twilight, I gotta tell you...”
Twilight leaned forward, a mix of expectation and apprehension on her face.
“...you were right.” Applejack stared into Twilight's eyes as Twilight tried not to flinch. “That really is dumb. You oughta know that I know you better than that. There's no way I'd be able to think that you'd try to buy my affection.” She snorted. “Seriously, that's just crazy. Even you wouldn't think somethin' like that.”
“Oh,” Twilight said. “Well, I'm really glad to hear that. I mean, obviously I had no intention of trying to do that, but it's good to know that we're on the same page. It's been driving me crazy!”
“Well, it shouldn't have been. You got no reason to buy me off. Besides, if you're aimin' to get on my good side, it would take a lot more than some flowers and the occasional card.”
“Really.” The sudden flatness in Twilight's voice told Applejack that she hadn't phrased that quite right. “Y-you don't like the flowers?” Applejack bit her lip as Twilight continued, her voice shaking. “Or the cards?”
“I, uh...” Applejack spoke carefully. “I like what they mean, I guess. I like the fact that you bought them for me.”
“But what do you actually think of them?”
“Well... uh...” Applejack leaned back. Twilight leaned forward.
“Come on, Applejack. I just want to understand how you feel.”
“Okay, okay!” Applejack sighed. “I just wanna be honest with you. I don't really need any of the flowers and such. I like that you care enough about me to want to give me stuff, but I really have no idea what I'm supposed to do with all this!” She waved at the windowsill, which was cluttered with vases. “I got a regular garden growin' over there. I already have enough plants to take care of without havin' to remember to water a bunch of flowers. I got no use for that stuff.”
“That's what was bothering you?” Twilight's voice had no discernible tone. “You didn't have any use for my gifts?”
“That's part of it, yeah.” Applejack scratched her head. “When I was growin' up we never really spent much on... extra stuff like this. There was always somethin' else that the bits would be better spent on. New plow, materials to patch up holes in the roof, apple carts to fix, barns to build.”
“So that's it? You don't like it because it isn't practical for you?”
“That's not it either. Not all of it, anyway. The reason it feels weird is because I'm worryin' that it's impractical for you.”
“For me?”
“It's... well, it's hard to explain. I really appreciate that you think I'm worth spendin' all those bits on, but at the same time I don't know how much I like the fact that it's makin' so much trouble for you.”
“Trouble? What trouble? It's no trouble at all!”
“You can go sayin' that all you want, Twilight, but it just ain't true!” She stomped her hoof. “It is trouble. Sure, it might not be a whole lot, and you might be totally willing to go through all of it, but it's still there. You can't tell me that you haven't been puttin' in a ton of work. You ordered like a gazillion books just to get ready to talk to me and you said yourself that you were bendin' over backwards before you even told me anything!”
“Well, yes, but that was then,” Twilight said. “This is now. I'm not consulting all those books anymore! Not as much, anyway. And I did not order a gazillion books. I only ordered about two dozen. A ‘gazillion’ isn't even a real number.”
“I know that! I was just— you know what, it's not important whether a gazillion is a real number or not. What is important is that you're still pushin' yourself too much. I mean, think about it for a minute. It might not seem like you're goin' to much trouble for flowers and whatever, but you totally turned your life upside down! You got Spike to take over the library for you, and you went and got a whole new job just so you could afford to get me stuff that I don't really need!”
Twilight stared, dumbfounded. “Y-you don't like that I'm... that I'm doing so much for you?”
“You want me to be honest?”
“Of course.”
Applejack took a deep breath. “No, I don't like it. You're doin' it because you want to be able to give me stuff and take me out on dates or whatever. I get that. And I like the fact that you're willin' to do that for my sake. But it just bugs me that you're puttin' yourself through so much toil ‘cause of it!”
Twilight's mouth moved silently, trying to form a word. “I-I just do it because I want to do something nice for you!”
“I know, and I appreciate that. But...” Applejack paused to think of whether or not to say what she was thinking. “It's just... you might want to think for a moment about whether or not I'd want you to do any of that stuff.”
“Really,” Twilight said. “Is there anything I've been doing that you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Actually, yeah, there is. Now don't get me wrong, it's great when you come by, but... well, sometimes it can be kinda inconvenient.”
“Inconvenient?”
“Yeah, inconvenient. I'll be tryin' to get something done, like helpin' Apple Bloom with her homework or buckin' trees or bakin' or somesuch, and when you show up I gotta stop so we can talk. I mean, I like talkin' to you and everything, I really do. I really like it that you visit so often, but sometimes it can just be tough to get anything done when I gotta stop what I'm doin' and put it on hold til we're done. It ain't like you gotta stop visitin' or anything, just do it after I'm done with my work for the day, or maybe tell me ahead of time so I can plan to have a break for lunch or something.”
“So basically, you only want me to come by when it's convenient for you?”
“Well, you don't have to put it like that,” Applejack said defensively. “I'm just sayin' it would be nice you took a bit more time to figure out when it would be good to drop by, that's all. I mean, I try not to pop in at the library when I know you're studyin', and I don't show up while you're workin' at the chocolate shop. I got a lot of work to do on the farm, and I can't keep puttin' it off whenever you show up.”
“Alright, so I guess I have to work around your schedule then.” Twilight snorted. “It’s not like I haven’t completely overhauled my schedule already.”
Applejack cringed. “See, this is why I decided not to bring it up. I'm just makin' myself sound ungrateful.”
“Yeah, you kind of are.”
“I know that, Twilight. I just thought it would be better to get all this out in the open. I know that you're doin' your best to make this work, but—”
“Yeah, I am!” Twilight slammed her hoof on the table, rattling the jam jars. “And apparently, that isn’t good enough for you!”
“Now wait just a minute—”
“I've been doing everything I can think of because I want you to know that I care! Because I want you to know that I want you to be happy! You know what, you're right! I have been working my flank off! I could barely sleep because I was too worried about what I was going to say to you! I completely overhauled my budget, my schedule, my personal life and it's all for you. And... and you...”
“And I haven't done anything.” Applejack said flatly. “Is that it?”
Twilight's eyes widened for a split second before turning harsh. “Yes. That's right. I've done so much! I've worked so hard...” Tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes. “...and it feels like I’m the only one who’s doing anything!”
“I’ve told you a thousand times already, you don’t need to do anything.” Applejack tried to keep her voice level. “And you’re just not listenin’ to a word I say!”
“I'm driving myself crazy for you, Applejack! The gifts, the fancy dates, the new job... and you don't care about any of it!”
“I don't care about it because all that fancy shmancy stuff is a big ol' waste of time!”
Twilight took a step back as if she had just been kicked in the face. The room was silent. Both ponies were on the verge of speaking when Apple Bloom clattered down the stairs. Halfway down, the foot of her bunny suit snagged on an edge and she tumbled the rest of the way. Twilight and Applejack stared. Half a second later, Apple Bloom sprang to her feet, none the worse for wear.
“Granny Smith patched up the holes in my bunny costume!” she said. “She wants to know if you got anything that needs mendin', and—” She noticed Twilight. “Oh, hey Twilight. I'm not interruptin' anything, am I?”
“No, I was just on my way out.” Twilight sighed, and her whole body seemed to droop. “I'll talk to you later, Applejack.” She turned around and walked out the door.
“Twilight, wait just a—” The door slammed shut. Applejack stomped her hoof. “Oh, horseapples.”
“Uh, are you guys okay?” Apple Bloom asked. “Did somethin' happen?”
Applejack groaned and shook her head. “Just me bein' an idiot.” She looked over her sister. “You okay? You took quite a tumble there.”
“I'm fine.” Apple Bloom said. She looked at the rump of her outfit. “Aww, I tore it. Granny just fixed it up, too!”
“Well, you shouldn't be wearin' that thing around the house for no reason. Now go take it back to Granny and have her sew it up. And then put it back in the drawer until it's time to actually use it.”
“Alright.” Apple Bloom began to hop back up the stairs. She got about halfway and looked back. “You and Twilight aren't breakin' up, are you?”
“I don’t think so. Not if I got anything to say about it, at least.” She waved her hoof at her sister. “Now get on up there. Careful this time.” She watched as Apple Bloom disappeared up the stairwell. Applejack turned her gaze out the window. Twilight was already gone.
Twilight resisted the urge to turn back and run back to the farm. As much as she wanted to burst back into the kitchen and say that she hadn't meant any of it... she couldn't. For the first time in weeks, she didn't want to talk to Applejack. She stared at the ground as she walked along. She had expected to feel something. Anger, sadness, regret... maybe she felt some of them, but she couldn't tell. Maybe it was a little of everything at once. As much she wanted to apologize for turning the conversation into a fight, she couldn't help but think that she was right. At least partly. After all the effort she had put in, Applejack ought to appreciate it a little. Sure, in retrospect Applejack might have had a point about how far she had gone and she knew that Applejack was never big on stuff like flowers, but to say that it was a waste of time was almost certainly overstating it.
She trotted sullenly towards the library. Should she try to explain to Spike what had happened? It wasn't like they had broken up or anything; it needn’t concern him. He had enough to worry about. Then again, he'd probably realize that something was wrong anyway. She needed to tell him something. Maybe she should just go back to the farm. Sort all this out before she had to discuss it with any—
Whump.
“Oh, hey Twilight!” said Pinkie Pie's voice. “Um, I know I smell like frosting, but can you get your face out of my tail? It's not very comfortable.”
Twilight took a step back and plucked the strands of pink hair off her snout. She sneezed and rubbed her nose. When she opened her eyes, Pinkie’s face was distressingly close to her own.
“You okay?” Pinkie asked. “You look really droopy!”
“It-it's nothing.” She tried to step around Pinkie, but Pinkie somehow managed to stay in front of her.
“It is totally not nothing!” Pinkie shook her head wildly. “And if it's not nothing, that means that it's definitely something!”
“It’s nothing that concerns you, then.” Twilight darted around Pinkie and cantered down the road. She turned back. Pinkie was nowhere to be seen. Twilight sighed in relief. Then she turned forward and found Pinkie’s face once again hovering in front of her own.
“Did you get fired from the chocolate shop? If you did, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, because—”
“No!” Twilight shouted. There was a flash of purple sparkles, and she found herself in a nearby back alley. She shook her head and muttered to herself. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but right now I’m just not in the mood for—”
“Is it Princess Celestia!?” Pinkie chirped as she popped out of a nearby trashcan. “Did she give you a bad grade?”
“No! It has nothing to do with her!”
“Hmmm....” Pinkie scratched her head for a moment. “Ooh! I know what it is!” She gasped, inhaling a few of her hairs in the process. She coughed and turned her attention back to Twilight. “Sorry about that!” She cleared her throat. “It's something to do with Applejack, isn't it?”
“...You could say that,” Twilight grudgingly admitted.
“Really? What happened? Did something happen to her?” She whipped her hooves up to hold her mane back and gasped again. “Did you have a fight!?”
“Pinkie, shhh!” She pulled Pinkie close. “Don't tell anypony, okay?”
Pinkie nodded.
"Promise?
Pinkie nodded again, very solemnly.
“We...” Twilight began. “I don't know if it really counts as a fight. It was more like a... heated discussion? Maybe an argument. I don't think it was a fight, though. Although it might have been.”
“Well, why did you have a... heated discussion that was maybe an argument? I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to have those.”
“It's... it's hard to explain.” Twilight looked up and down the street. “Why don't we go back to the library and I'll explain there. It's not something I really want to talk about where anypony could hear.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie spun around and began to pronk down the road to the library.
Twilight shook her head and shuffled along after her.
Applejack stood in her room staring blankly at the stack of cards that sat on her beside table. Sure, there were a ton of better things that Twilight could have spent her bits on, but was that really worth starting an argument over? So she had some unnecessary vases of flowers in the kitchen. That wasn't a big deal. And Twilight certainly didn't seem to mind working for the extra money it had taken to buy them. Did it really count as imposing on her when for all appearances she seemed to be having fun with it? Had any of her complaints had any point? Maybe the one about Twilight showing up in the middle of the day, but even that could definitely have waited for some other time. Some other time that wasn't the worst possible moment to bring up the subject.
A loud knock on her door broke the silence, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She took a few deep breaths. “What is it?”
“Um, Applejack?” Apple Bloom's voice was barely audible through the heavy wooden door.
Applejack tried not to sound as exasperated as she felt. “Hey, Apple Bloom. What is it?”
The door creaked as Apple Bloom slowly pushed it open and poked her head in. “Um, I was just wonderin' was goin' on with you and Twilight. Are you okay? You looked really sad when you came up the stairs.”
Applejack smiled weakly. “C'mere.” She sat on the bed and gestured for Apple Bloom to join her. Apple Bloom hopped up next to her. “Listen, I'm not gonna lie to you. Me and Twilight had a bit of a... a fight I guess.”
“A fight? About what?”
“Nothin' you need to know about. All I'm gonna say is that I got a bit mad and said some things I shouldn't have.”
“Are you still mad at her?”
“To be honest, I don't know. A little, maybe.” Applejack sighed and put her foreleg around her sister. “She said some stuff that was kinda uncalled for. I don't think she meant to say anything nasty, but it still hurt a bit.”
“You think she's still mad at you?”
“I got no idea. Wouldn't surprise me, though. Twilight's got just as much reason to be angry as I do. I said some things that were downright mean. I didn't want to make her angry or anything, but I was real frustrated and my mouth started goin' faster than my brain did. By the time I realized that I had said something awful, it was too late and she was on her way home.” She sighed and gave her sister a squeeze. “Let me tell you somethin', when you're old enough to get a very special somepony, you gotta remember to stop and think before you start talkin'. Runnin' your mouth is just gonna get you into trouble.”
“Uh...” Apple Bloom cocked her head. “You didn't set up this whole thing just so you could give me that lesson, did you?”
“Nope.” Applejack ruffled her sister's mane. “It's just something I realized that I'd rather tell you about now rather than have you learn it the hard way. I don't want you to ever feel how I'm feelin' right now.”
“O-okay. So what're you gonna do now?”
“I wish I knew. I gotta do something, but I don't know what. I can't think straight.”
“Well, I think you should go talk to her and say you're sorry,” Apple Bloom said, as if that settled the matter.
“I wish it was that easy,” Applejack said with a sigh. “You're right, though. I do have to talk things out with her. Although I really need to think things through a bit first.” She hopped off the bed. “In the meantime, though, I think I really need to find something else to occupy my mind. Just thinkin' about it is makin' my head hurt. Come on, why don't we go and make sure we got all the zap apple stuff set up?”
“You sure you're okay?” Apple Bloom asked as she followed her sister out of the room.
“I reckon I am. It's not pleasant, but I'll get it figured out. Now come on. Zap Apples are gonna pop up any day now, and we have to be ready.”
“Alright,” Apple Bloom said. “I'll go out to the barn!”
“Okay. I'll be there in a couple minutes. And Apple Bloom...”
“Yeah?”
“Don't tell anypony about what happened, okay? It's none of their business.”
Apple Bloom nodded and trotted down the stairs.
Applejack sighed and gurmbled to herself. “Don't worry yourself; you'll get it figured out.”
“—and then she said that it was all just a waste of time!” Twilight flailed her limbs. “The nerve! Can you believe that?”
“Hmmm...” Pinkie tapped her chin with her hoof. “Actually, yeah, I can believe that. Applejack can be sorta blunt sometimes.”
“I know that!” Twilight said with with a groan. “I just can't believe she doesn't appreciate everything I've done for her! I'm doing everything that a very special somepony is supposed to do, and she doesn't care about any of it!”
“I'm sure she cares about some of it.”
“You know what I mean! Applejack might not care much about flowers or cards, and I know I'm going to a lot of trouble, but you'd think that she'd focus more on the fact that I'm doing it all for her!” Twilight sighed. “I mean, it's the thought that counts, right?”
“Yeah, the thought is really really important!” Pinkie nodded like a bobblehead. “You just want Applejack to be happy, right? Can't go wrong with that!”
“Exactly! You get it, why can't she?”
“Yep! It sure is weird that she isn't having fun with all the stuff you gave her.” Pinkie paused for a moment. “Although I guess I can see why she might not think flowers are all that fun. All they do is sit there. They don't do anything funny or cool or useful. They don't really do much of anything.”
“I, uh...” Twilight blinked. “Okay, I guess she never did care much about stuff that’s just for decoration.”
“That's right.” Pinkie continued to nod. “Come to think of it, she probably wouldn't care much about the cards either, cause it's not like you wrote any of them.”
“Okay, I guess that makes sense too, now that I think about it.”
“But you're totally right about everything else, though,” Pinkie said. “You'd think somepony like Applejack would be able to appreciate hard work, even if you are doing it so you can buy stuff that she doesn't really want or need. I mean, even if you're wasting your time, she should totally care about the fact that you're wasting all that time because of her!”
“Exactly! I— wait, what? You think I'm wasting my time, too?”
“Come on, Twilight, think about it. Isn't the point of buying her gifts and whatever to make her happy?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Is all the stuff you're doing making her happy?”
“Not really.”
“Then why are you still doing it?”
“I— uh...” Twilight froze for a moment.
“Twilight?” Pinkie waved a hoof in front of Twilight's face. “Anypony home?”
“ARRRGHH!” Pinkie jumped backward as Twilight released a frustrated scream. As the shout abated, Twilight flopped forward, her forehead landing on the table with a solid thud. “I'm such an idiot!”
“Twilight?” Spike poked his head out of the kitchen. “Are you alright?” He turned to Pinkie. “What happened to her? You didn't give her one of my crushed quartz cupcakes, did you?”
“No, she's just being an idiot, apparently.” Pinkie shrugged. “I'm not sure why being an idiot would make her bang her head on the table though. I'm an idiot sometimes and I don't bang my head on the table. Sometimes I knock on doors with my head if my hooves are full, though.”
Spike patted Twilight on the head. “Why would you say you're an idiot? You're like the smartest pony in town!”
“I'm an idiot because I somehow convinced myself that I had actually put some thought into things!” Twilight lifted her head just enough to look at Spike. “This whole time I've been going on about how 'it's the thought that counts' when I haven't been putting any thought into it at all!” She thumped her head on the table a second time and emitted a long, low groan.
“What are you talking about, Twilight?” Spike scratched his head. “What haven't you been putting any thought into?”
“She had a not-fight with Applejack,” Pinkie said. “She just had an epi-pone, er, efiphan? No, that's not it either. An epipepifany? Um, a realization that the problem is because she wasn't thinking about it enough.”
“Oh. What do you mean you haven't been thinking about it enough? You haven't been thinking about much else lately.”
“That just makes it worse! I was thinking about all the wrong things! I should have been thinking about what would make Applejack happy! Not I what I thought I was supposed to be giving her! So what if most very special someponies would like getting flowers? Applejack isn't most ponies! Why on earth couldn't I see that!?” She let her head drop to the table again, but this time Pinkie slid a pillow under her. It squished as she put her head down. Her voice was barely audible through the feathers. “I'm a terrible special somepony.”
“No you aren't!” Pinkie grabbed Twilight's horn and lifted her head off the pillow. “You're just new at it! Most ponies aren't that great at stuff they've never done before. Remember when Spike tried to help out on the farm?”
“Hey!” Spike glowered at Pinkie. “I didn't mess things up that badly.” Both ponies gave him sideways glances. “Okay, so maybe I did. At least I tried.”
“See? Spike's got it!” Pinkie said. “You tried, messed it up, and now you know that you messed up so you won't do it again. It happens to everypony. How do you think I learned how to bake the best cakes ever?”
“Since when have you ever had trouble baking?” Twilight asked sullenly.
“Yeah, I don't tell many ponies about it, but the first time I tried to make a cake on my own it didn't really turn out that well. I figured that since cakes are great because they're sweet, and if sugar is what makes the cakes sweet, and salt isn't sweet, the cake would be totally awesome if I replaced the salt with sugar. And also replaced the flour with sugar, because flour really doesn't taste like much of anything. Mr. Cake had to use a power sander to clean the pan after I baked it.”
Twilight chuckled weakly. “Yeah, that is pretty bad.”
“The second cake didn't go much better,” Pinkie said. “I didn't realize that you were supposed to frost the cake after you bake it. But I actually put the flour in, so it was a step in the right direction.”
“So what you're saying is that this argument is sort of like your first cake?”
“I guess you could say that. You might have messed it up a bit this time, but now you know how not to do it! Once you and Applejack get everything figured out, everything will be even better!”
“That's easy enough to say, but... I don't know. What if Applejack is still mad at me?”
“I'm sure if you say sorry, it'll all be fine!” Pinkie patted Twilight on the back.
Twilight sighed. “I sure hope it's that easy.”
“You think the zap apples are coming soon?” Apple Bloom bounced excitedly behind her sister as she dragged another basket underneath one of the trees. “Do you? I can almost smell the Zap Apple Jam already!”
“You'd have to ask Granny to be sure; she's the only one who knows all the signs. Big Macintosh is well on his way to learnin' 'em, though.”
“Don't you know any of them?”
“I know some. Want me to tell you about one?”
“Yeah!”
“Okay. See that tree?” Applejack pointed.
“Yeah, I see it.”
“Go give it a buck.”
“You sure?” Apple Bloom tilted her head. “There's no apples on it.”
“Just go kick it.”
“Okay, then.” Apple Bloom scurried over to the tree, wound up and kicked it as hard as she could. The tree shivered for a moment before a pulse of crackling energy poured down the trunk. “Whoa!” Apple Bloom squealed as the shock hit her, blasting away from the tree. She flopped on her back in front of her sister.
“You okay, Apple Bloom?”
“Yeah, I just feel a bit... tingly.”
“Good, that means that Zap Apples will be along in a day or two. If you don't get that tingle after you get zapped it means you got like a week to go.”
“R-right...” Apple Bloom shakily made her way to her hooves. “I, uh, I think I did enough getting' ready for today. You mind if I go back to the clubhouse and see if Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are around?”
“Sure. You already did more than your fair share of stuff. I'll see you later. And remember, not a word about what happened with Twilight, okay?”
“Okay.” Apple Bloom nodded and stumbled off towards the clubhouse.
Applejack sighed and began to stack the extra baskets.
“Um, Applejack?”
She turned around. Half of Fluttershy's face was peeking out from behind a tree.
“Fluttershy? What are you doin' back there?”
“I'm sorry. One of my squirrels ran away because he didn't want to take his medicine.” She shrank back, so that only her eye and the curl of her hair was visible. “I couldn't help but overhear. I won't tell anypony. I didn't mean to eavesdrop.”
“No, no, it's okay.” Applejack gestured for Fluttershy to come out. “I need to talk to somepony about it anyway.”
“O-okay.” Fluttershy slowly stepped out from behind the tree. “So what happened?”
“Well, me and Twilight were talkin', and it kinda turned into an argument. The short version is that I feel like I'm bein' a burden on her 'cause she's always spendin' bits on gifts for me. Problem is she's doin' entirely 'cause she wants to, so I couldn't think of a way to tell her how I felt about it without soundin' like I didn't care about what she was doin'.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
Applejack took a few steps towards Fluttershy and sat down. “That's what I thought, too. At least at first. I mean, I got no reason for her to do all that stuff, right? Problem is, things got a bit heated, and I ended up yellin' that I thought it was all a waste of time.”
Fluttershy's eyes widened as she walked over to Applejack. “Oh my.”
“Tell me about it. I just feel like such a jerk. I should never have said any of that.”
“Well, um, you could just tell her that, I guess.”
“I know that! If it wasn't for the fact that I promised my sister we'd spend some time together this afternoon, I mighta very well have gone down to Twilight's to apologize already!”
“Uh, in that case, maybe you should do that, then.”
“I want to, but...”
“But what?”
“But I... I know this probably sounds kinda bad, but I really do think I kinda have a point. As sorry as I am that I blew up on Twilight like that, I'm still not comfortable with what she's doin'. I still think that there’s no reason for her work so hard for my sake, I’m just sorry for how I said it. But the fact that I messed up and said it in a mean way doesn’t make it any less true.”
“So you really do think she’s wasting her time?”
“Well, kind of. It’s nice that she’s thinkin’ of me, and I like to know that she cares, but...” She sighed. “She doesn’t need to go throwin’ bits around willy-nilly for me to know that. Just talkin’ to her is enough. I just don’t wanna see her put so much time into something that she doesn’t need to worry about.”
“I see, I guess. But if she likes doing it, I mean, couldn’t you just go with it anyway? It’s not like it’s causing you too many problems or anything.”
“I wish I could just stop carin' about it, but I just can't. I don't want to go and sweep this whole thing under the rug. I tried that already, and it obviously didn't work. I gotta think of the right way to say everything before I try to apologize or else we'll end up right back where we started. I want to solve the problem, not just push it off.”
“Um, can you tell me why you're uncomfortable with her giving you so many gifts?” Fluttershy scratched her head. “I'm not sure why that's such a bad thing.”
“It's not a bad thing. It's just... when I was growin' up, things were real... practical. We used all of our bits for useful stuff; food, farm equipment, stuff like that. It's just tough to wrap my head around the idea of somepony spendin' so many bits on something that doesn't have any real use. She could be usin' that money for books, or cleanin' supplies, or food, or whatever it is that libraries need! But instead she's spendin' it all on me! I'm usin' up a big chunk of her resources for no good reason!”
“Sort of like a leech?” Fluttershy asked as she sat down next to Applejack. “Although it's not really like a leech because you aren't really benefiting from the situation. It's still sort of the same idea, though.”
“I don't want to be a leech! That's the whole problem!”
“Of course you shouldn't be a leech. Relationships should be symbiotic.”
“Symbowhat?”
“Never mind.” Fluttershy kicked at a dirt clod. “Does Twilight know that you feel like you're being a leech?”
“...No. I just told her that I thought it was pointless.” She shook her head. “That was a regular stroke of genius there. She probably thinks I'm an ungrateful jerk. And she wouldn't be all wrong, either.”
“I don't think Twilight would be that bitter,” Fluttershy said as she patted Applejack on the shoulder. “I'm sure that if you explain why you feel that way, she'll be perfectly understanding. Maybe you should go tell her. Would now be a good time? ”
“I doubt it'll be that easy. She looked really mad,” Applejack said with a sigh. “I think it would be better to give her some space. We both gotta cool down a bit. Besides, it's just about time for dinner, and I gotta get back to the house for that.”
“Dinner?” Fluttershy asked. “Is it that late already?”
“Yeah, it's probably... I dunno, a quarter after six.”
“Oh my! I need to find that squirrel so I can get the food ready for my animals! You don't mind if I go, do you?”
“No, it's fine. We all got stuff we gotta do.” Applejack smiled. “I'm glad we could talk a bit though. I'm still not entirely sure what to say to Twilight, but I got a better idea now than I did before you showed up.”
“Um, you're welcome, I guess. I really hope things between you and Twilight turn out well.” She hung her head. “It's never fun when my friends don't get along.”
“Don't worry, Fluttershy. I plan on doin' my level best to patch things up. Now go take care of your animals. They probably need you more than I do. I'll get things fixed up, I promise. And good luck findin’ that squirrel. ”
“Okay, then.” She smiled. “See you later, Applejack.”
Applejack sighed as she watched Fluttershy trot away. “I hope so, at least.”
“Come on, Twilight, you gotta eat something.” Spike waved a sandwich in Twilight's face. “I can practically hear your stomach growling.”
Twilight didn't even bother lifting her head from the table. “I'm not hungry.”
“Yes, you are. You just don't want to eat because you feel bad about this whole Applejack thing.” Spike shoved the fruitbowl towards her. “I bet you'd feel better if you ate something.”
“I doubt it. I've been totally ignoring everything that Applejack actually wanted. And then when she tried to set me straight, I blew up at her! I don't think that eating some grapes is going to make me feel better.”
“How about an orange then?” Spike said. “Or maybe a banana!”
“I don't think so, Spike.”
“Okay then.” He grinned. “How about an apple?”
“Spike.”
“Sorry.” He put the apple back in the bowl. “Seriously, if this is bothering you so much, why don't you just go apologize already?”
“I want to, but I don't know if I have it in me right now. I just need to think it over, and right now I just can't. It's like my brain just won't work.”
“That's probably because it needs food. How about some of my famous nachos? They're your favorite!”
Twilight stared at the bowl for a moment. “Thanks, but I think I'll pass.” She stood up. “I'm going to bed. Maybe if I sleep on it, I'll be able to figure out what to do.”
“Sleep?” Spike's eyes darted to the window. “It's not even dark out yet.”
“Then I'll close the blinds.” She started up the stairs. “Goodnight, Spike.”
“Goodnight, Twilight.” Spike watched as she vanished into her room. He sighed. “I thought for sure the nachos would cheer her up.” He shrugged. “Oh well. At least she’s not eating a whole boxful of chocolate granola bars again.”
Applejack stared at the ceiling. Never in her life had she been so completely and totally awake. It wasn't fair. If she had had the same clarity of mind during her conversation with Twilight that she had right now, none of this would have happened. Her eyes drifted to the clock. 2:34 A.M. and she wasn't even a bit sleepy. She sat up. Her attention turned to the stack of cards on her nightstand. They sure weren't something worth starting a fight over.
She opened the drawer. There was another card in there. This one she cared about. She gently lifted it out of the drawer and opened it.
“I'm sorry, Twilight.” she whispered. She placed the card back in its place and closed the drawer. “And I'm gonna make this right.”
>mfw I read the chapter title
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/531/881/c54.gif
But not as disastrous as it could be! All relationships hit bumps now and again.
When you say AJ's family only spent on practical stuff, are you saying that they struggled financially, or that they were just being practical?
Dun dun dunnn!
The first fight. And while it isn't nasty... definitely heated. Eager to see how they fix things, but at least Twilight seems to be a bit clearer now...
Applejack was right. I'm siding with her.
man, someone needs to just lock them both in a room for a few hours. that always works for me!
2447484 Thanks.
2452153 This is actually going to get explored a bit in the next chapter. For now I'll say that they definitely weren't poverty-stricken or anything like that.
For a first fight that one wasn't so bad. At least they've got an idea of what to do.
I think you did a good job of writing an argument where neither side comes off sounding like a moron, which I know is hard, because I'm biased as all hell when I write arguments. Based on its resolution, however, I'd say it seems like Applejack was more in the right than Twilight.
When I first saw the title, I thought this was going to be one of those implausible misunderstandings that gets blown way out of proportion in act 2 of all romance movies. I really need to learn to trust you more.
personally i think its time to wrap this up
2452203
I agree. Fluttershy is terrible for advice, because the advice she gives is based on what she'd do. Even if Twi was doing something uncomfortable for her, she'd just smile and thank her. I've done that in some of my past relationships, and it's definitely not healthy. Both partners need to be happy and comfortable with what's going on in the relationship or it's not working. AJ is not comfortable with all the unnecessary, and frankly thoughtless presents. Buying a fucking Hallmark card for your loved one does not show them that you love them unless they are really shallow.
Make a card, include some shitty poetry you made yourself, staple a picture of the two of you to it. Make it look like the CMC did it - they will FRAME that motherfucker, because a proper loved one will value and cherish your effort and affectionate thoughts towards them. Twi hopes she isn't trying buy off AJ, but in the end that's what she's trying to do because she's not putting any thought into the swamp of flowers and stacks of Hallmarks - and just expecting AJ to be happy with it. If relationships were that easy we wouldn't have divorce court and all disagreements would be solved by whoever bought the first crappy mass-produced card and single shitty flower.
So, AJ is actually correct; Twi is making her uncomfortable and really needs to learn why that is and that she should just ease up and ENJOY WHAT THEY HAVE. Rarity is also bad at giving advice, because she's basing shit off of romance novels and the romantic inclinations of fantasy relationships. Twi is (normally) a very logical, practical person. Applejack is a very practical, down-to-earth person. They don't need flights of fancy, just need each other. Romance is just dressing up something that's already there so someone falls in love with the suit you put on rather than you - and that's honestly a failure.
2453102
No one cares what you think, get out. More Twijack!
An argument in a shipping story that DOESN'T involve a misunderstanding?!
Madness! Madness, I say!
Loved the chapter!
Great as always!
Ugg i love and hate this chapter.....very well written but reminds me of fights me and my ex used to have....
2453350 Well, it kinda does, just a different type of misunderstanding. It's more that they don't really understand the motives behind each others' actions, and when things finally come out, it's in a heat-of-the-moment fashion.
Anyway, I'm rather happy to see that you guys think I did a good job with the argument. I really wanted it to be something that stemmed from their interactions rather than an external issue, and I'm also really glad that nobody is going the "OMG (character) is being such a bitch!" The last thing I want is to paint one of them as the bad guy.
2453268 Jesus Christ, I didn't need a recap of the chapter.
2454014 That's exactly what I meant. Sorry for not being clear.
And yes, you wrote it out brilliantly.
*the next day*
Twilight: I was thinking about what you said yesterday, and I don't know how I could have been so stupid. Here, I hope this makes up for everything.
gardeningoncloud9.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/garden-hoe-01.jpg
2454344
Why would you get her a hoe?
...What are you tryin' to say...?
2453879
Can I just say that I absolutely love your profile pic? That is all kinds of hilarious!
2454517 Twilight: What?! No!!! I mean- I would never!...WHY AM I SO STUPID?!??!!?
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/tumblr_lkaiueqfo21qf3f40o1_400.gif
Twilight in a nutshell in this fic
2454547
Fillies and Gentlecolts... I present to you, the thrice Savior of Equestria.
Ow, just, ow, I could feel that argument from here. For what it's worth I think you did really well with writing that fight without either one of them looking like the bigger jerk, though some of what they said was down right nasty, I mean damn.
Really looking forward to seeing how they patch this one up.
That worst part of this for me is that the fight really had no effect on me. I didn't feel upset at what transpired, like in any way. Why?! Is it bad that I don't? I'm worried...
Don't get me wrong this was a good chapter. I just think... maybe something new needs to happen, we've seen the problem, had friends voice in. Had both parties reach a realization. Had a big argument. It's time for reconciliation and maybe a new challenge. Haven't seen much of RD for a while now. Can we see what shenanigans she's been up to?
The worst part for me was the Fluttershy-Aj talk.
At least with Pinkie we had a "realization" with Twi what went wrong despite her feeling she was right, something we were missing with AJ here. She basically was still there where she was before the whole talk started unlike Twi with Pinkie.
Sure Twis gifts were "unneccessary" as in not practical and making AJ feel uncomfortable cause SHE thinks she´s also supposed to give something back which she doesn´t though Twi never said she wanted that. I would have liked a realization as Pinkie mentioned it in her talk, that despite the flowers and cards AJ doesn´t care much about, she should care about how much Twi works for her and be proud of it instead of akward. After all Twi is doing all that hard work for her, that´s admirable not something to start a fight about. That the bits could be used better is something entirely differently.
Its why i didn´t liked Shy here much, for one cause she didn´t gave Aj any realization or any new idea and for another, cause she was the friend who always feared Twi and AJ wouldn´t be able to make each other happy for various reasons. Just now, she had her proof, aka AJ and Twi had a fight and felt bad and got no clue how to fix it. But we saw nothing of that reflected in her mind or behaviour. No silent "i knew it" or scary thoughts of Twi and AJ breaking up/not talkign to each other anymore and asking that AJ, etc.
Sure trying to comfort her friend is supposed to be a part of her but so is her own person which worried about such a scenario the day she asked Twi if she´s the pony Twi´s in love with and heard that its actually Applejack.
But we got nothing on that. All the chapters before with all the angst, gone. Just like that. If anything Shy would have been worried enough to go for Rarity or RD or Pinkie to ask for help, etc. and not to go for a squirrel who comes back anyway once dinnertime is up.
Maybe that´s just me but i´m starting to lose interest slowly. There´s no dynamic in Twijack´s relationship lately unlike when they tried to ge together, thought about it and got together and had their first date and whatnot, now it feels so "muddy" for some reason as if they either break up or get back together and make it work but i´m missing any excitement out of the whole deal.
Maybe it´d be more interesting if Twi starts to live with AJ on the farm and helps there too when she got time from her other work. I dunno, just my 2 cents feeling on that matter.
2455670 Hmmm... you definitely raise some good points. In retrospect I really should have tied Fluttershy's conversation with AJ into her previous issues with the relationship. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, I guess. Maybe I can find a way to incorporate that into the next chapter.
im so happy this updated i for one did not find anything wrong with this chapter, though i dont go looking for problems! once again here's me waiting somewhat patiently waiting for the next chapter lol
I just looked at the total words and realized this passed 100k quite a while ago. It really didn't feel like it, but this is getting up to the level of epic-length adventure stories.
And every word has been worth reading.
I agree that it's a tricky task to write an argument without making one side's position look less substantial than the other's. From what I read here, you did an excellent job of it.
2456367 I had that same sort of moment when I hit the 100K mark. I basically did a double take and went "Holy crap this is literally novel length." It's good to hear that you don't think it's padded or anything; I had always intended to take a slower approach, and one of my biggest recurring worries was making sure I wasn't going too slow. Although I have to say I'm surprised that it ended up being as long as it is. There were just a lot of threads that came up that made me thing "that's too interesting to gloss over."
I'm also happy to know that the argument worked. I spent a lot of time working on it, because it could have fallen apart really easily.
There's a lot of things to like about A Delicate Balance - it's certainly on my mental shortlist of fics I appreciate seeing updated, and enjoy reading. You write a great story JapeneseTeeth. It's not often at all in shipping stories here that you see a believable, ongoing and dynamic conflict between two characters involved with one another that doesn't involve some kind of meddling circumstances or jerkification and/or other manner of out of characterness.
Yay you, good sir/madam.
As an afterthought - the time may well be ripe to stir some motion into the story, though I trust your judgement with whatever you decide is good.
another great chapter. i think my only criticism is how you handle Fluttershy, she seems a bit... one dimensional. aj, twi and rarity are great though.
Really, really liked this conflict between AJ and Twilight. I think you accomplished what you set out to do, which is creating a believable argument between two justifiably frustrated sides with agreeable points. This argument perfectly captures AJ and Twilight's personality and flaws and pet peeves; it's very, very impressive that you were able to capture their characters so well and use that to create such a reasonable and tense problem. To nitpick and pull out some flaws with the conflict, I'd agree with 2455670 that FS's talk with AJ felt lackluster; there was no epiphany. I also felt that you made AJ snap at Twilight at the end only because AJ held the more agreeable stance and that remark was needed to make her feel more "wrong". But, of course, these are just very minor nitpicks.
But I disagree with Jame Rye's last paragraph. AJ and Twilight's chemistry is only improving and I'm becoming more fascinated and invested in their relationship. Every romance fic I've read before ends after a first kiss or first date or what have you, and it's very refreshing that this continues onward from that. The flaw with those former fics is that it always only captures that period of pure infatuation and that ends up making the romance look idealized and too cutesy. Here, there are legitimately realistic problems in the relationship, and that just makes it feel immersive.
AH! Bad things happening to marshmallow equines!
But this was awesome. Liked, favorited. Keep 'em coming!
By the way: "Neverending Strife" by H8_Seed showed up on my Pony Playlist exactly as the fight started. Couldn't have planned it better.
Okay, before I get started, I caught one mistake - “You think she's still mad at you?”
“I got no idea. Wouldn't surprise me, though. Twilight's got just as much reason to be angry than I do.
Should be - "Twilights' got just as much reason to be angry as I do."
And on to the fun stuff:
This chapter was fascinating. In retrospect, things were really all building up to this moment/chapter. We haven't had a chapter with this much buildup since the first kiss. Though you could say that this has been in the works since even before that, seeing as how Twilight's been over-stressing about her relationship with Applejack throughout this entire fic.
We kind of got a good glimpse at Applejack's reformed/regretful POV through her talk with Apple Bloom, even without the Fluttershy conversation. Though the Fluttershy conversation did add that whole part about feeling like a "leech." I didn't dislike the Fluttershy/Applejack scene (except I did wonder if this would dredge up some of Fluttershy's old worries about Twilight and Applejack's relationship), but I loved the Pinkie/Twilight scene. That dynamic was great, as Twilight realizes the errors in her logic.
"She let her head drop to the table again, but this time Pinkie slid a pillow under her. It squished as she put her head down. Her voice was barely audible through the feathers."
That. Was. Cute. Very good cute moment there, JapaneseTeeth.
And finally - Her eyes drifted to the clock. 2:34 A.M. and she wasn't even a bit sleepy.
It's 1:27 right now for me. RIGHT NOW. And I'm not even a bit sleepy.
I know, AJ. I know. Poor gal.
Sometimes, just sometimes, after reading part of this story I wish I could grab the AJ and Twilight out of this story (so, a self-contained fic-canon?) and slap them. Repeatedly. Then sigh and facepalm.
I know I'm just a voice in the background, but I was so close to saying "fuck it" by the first part and stop reading because of how incredibly silly the whole thing seems to be developing, but you had a few redeeming qualities at the end. Or maybe I'm just biased in this whole thing because the only relationship I've had is still going without any sort of crazy shenanigans such as these. I don't know. But still, I want to slap something.
Now, that's not to say the continuity is bad or something. The characterization is right for what you've established in previous chapters and this scene was a long-time coming, but... You get my point. I hope. ...I did like Pinkie's scene. I'll give you that.
Yeah, you pretty much nailed the argument. Both sides have their pros and cons, so I really can't say either is right or wrong. They both have a lot to work on.
And I really liked the Pinkie scene. It's been a while since she's done anything constructive (if memory serves), so it was definitely time to let her have a mature, useful conversation. She was also a good choice for talking about this particular issue, since she was in a similar situation herself with Cranky (trying to make him happy, and going about it completely the wrong way).
Looking forward to seeing how they work all this out.
As I read that, it was exactly 2:34 AM. I am slightly freaked out now.
I still hope this story end with a break-up. This relationship is not healty.
2469695 Out of curiosity, in what way does it seem unhealthy?
...alright. When I first read this, all I could think was:
"Twilight? Honey? Sweetie? I know you're putting a lot into this, and Applejack could have worded that last bit better, but... YOU ARE A FRICKIN' IDIOT! She was just trying to set things straight here but NOOOOOO YOU HAD TO MAKE IT ABOUT YOURSELF YOU SELFISH LITTLE... GRAH!"
But... then I actually read on further, and you actually kinda addressed that. Personally, I think Twilight was more in the wrong than anything, but she's properly beating herself up over it. Why must you properly write a dilemma that doesn't allow for one of the two to take the blame and rather make us read BOTH sides of the issue, so we understand both of them? What do you think you are, a... a good writer who knows how to properly portray human emotions?! (Answer: Yes)
All joking "complaints" aside, this was a pretty good chapter, though admittedly not one of my favorites. I can practically feel embarrassment for others, so when situations like this arise, all I can do is wince. Still... the fact that you could achieve a proper moment like that and have a significant payoff for it (not even accounting for how you plan to resolve this situation) just goes to show you're a damn good writer. (Wait, I can say damn, right? It's not too bad of a curse word, but I don't want to offend anybody. Eh, I guess I'll figure it out.)
Keep up the good work, man/girl!
Note to self: Figure out JapaneseTeeth's gender...
Talk about an ominous chapter name, even if it is following your usual named-after-a-poem theme. Funny how well that one works, though.
But you know something that's an odd sort of annoying? When you read a significant event in a story that really makes you want to offer your analysis, and you go and formulate a bunch of thoughts for a comment to make about it, but then the chapter's only half done still, so the characters go and cover most of what you wanted to mention anyway before you get the chance. Then you have to figure out how to write the rest of what you wanted to say without being pointlessly redundant with half of it.
Well, it was certainly quite a bit easier to agree with Applejack's side of this argument, even if Twilight's actions were perfectly understandable. But neither of them seemed like total jerks who deserved all the blame or anything, even if they both got a little harsher than they should have. The argument itself was very believable portrayal of the way conversations can escalate (damn it, I can't even say that word anymore without thinking of that stupid meme) due to tweaked emotions and reactions compounding on other reactions. I've heard much angrier fights arise from far pettier disagreements before, so they actually did a decent job of staying reasonable.
But so yeah, the Pinkie conversation covered much of it already (when she showed up, I started wondering if she'd been spying on them again), and the Fluttershy one hit some bits too, but the conflict largely boils down to authenticity. Part of that is the "It's the thought that counts" matter that Twilight realized, since AJ finds honest time together far more meaningful than formulated gestures based on what Twilight thinks she's supposed to do to play her role in the relationship. Plus when Twilight's bending over backwards and going unnaturally far out of her way, she's also not showing AJ her genuine self, or letting the relationship flow naturally. She's throwing her own life unsustainably off kilter, and making the relationship really uneven at the same time. (There's just all kinds of ways the fic's title is coming into play here.) And then where Fluttershy used the word symbiosis, I was going to say "mutual". In addition to the "leech" thing, a couple should be a partnership by supporting each other through other things in life, not putting the relationship into its own corner, awkwardly distinct from the rest of their lives. They should really be actually doing things together, like genuine everyday things, not making every moment together its own self-contained activity. That actually applies to AJ's other complaint too, in fact (even if she really shouldn't have brought it up when she did). I hope the zap apples give them a good opportunity to truly do something real together as a partnership.
Well, guess I couldn't help but add some redundancy after all. Oh, and it was amusing to see the nacho bit referenced, even if that seems like an odd food to be Twilight's favorite.
2469695
Ends with a break-up. Not Healthy.
I'll take you seriously when you can spell.
2453268
Well, this is the first time Twilight's had a relationship. You're right, that is dumb, but on the other hand it's the sort of thing that sounds romantic in books.
Books.
Just because it's obvious to you, as it should be, doesn't mean it's obvious to the character, which makes a more compelling story, I feel.
On the other hand Applejack wasn't exactly in the right either. It's a bit of a push-pull dynamic here.
Say that the amount of effort in a relationship needs to equal X, however X is relative to both partners. Ideally, X is the same to both, but realistically it will be larger to one. Thus one person contributes more. Now, however, X to one partner is X + Y to another, so they pull back. This makes it seem like X - Y to the first partner, so they start pushing more, making the other partner feel more smothered. It gets a lot worse over time, not better, if it's not confronted immediately. It also doesn't help that people demonstrate and receive love differently. Some genuinely think spending lots of money is the truest form of love, which is great if they're on the receiving end of it, but Applejack's showing what happens if, no, no that's not it.
Twilight doesn't think of money equalling love, necessarily, other than that she's a sciencetician. As a sciencetician she puts value on tangible, measurable qualities and emotion isn't a good measure.
The real issue is that all the gifts caused AJ to draw back and not work a schedule to suit Twilight and her needs, which made Twilight visiting inconvenient for her, which made her resent Twilight visiting even if she liked her company. This much is apparent. The worst of this would simply have been avoided if Applejack had made time for Twilight rather than showing the unintentional apathy she has been.
So, yes, it is a healthy, normal relationship, this is just some of the science behind it, because I found this story fascinating so far. So I took it too far. Merry Christmas.
2475962
English is not my Native Language, so I'm sorry if I cannot spell good enough for you but rest assured I will live a good life without being taken seriously from a jerkass like you.
2475962
Issue being, even though we know our dear purple bookworm to be utterly adorkable over books - she's had what? Two years? Maybe more? I forget when this is set... either way, she's had plenty of time to learn about ponies and friendship. She HAS to have learned when she's crowding someone, smothering them in different ways.
To counter your point of "books". I present "Pinkie Pie".
2477494
To counter your point I simply submit to you "Remember Highschool"
2478992
My highschool years involved students being dragged out of class and shot in the middle of the day. Trust me when I say that's not a good example!
Still, I see the point you're making. I just feel she should have at least had the 'idea' that maybe it was because of her actions. She has enough of a foundation to have thought so. True, she's a bit addled right now... so obviously she wasn't going to have some big epiphany and figure it out right off the bat - because that'd be boring, even if she could reasonably do that.
Just that she was being especially dense for someone who does nothing BUT work within the confines of their own mind.
2479760
Two pronged requote...
Firstly where did you grow up, out of morbid curiosity?
Secondly, and more to the point, I suppose a more apt example would be Sheldon Cooper. You've hit the nail right on the head, albeit unintentionally, with this line here:
The confines of their own mind is where I'd replace the emphasis. She's trying to approach the relationship the exact same way she'd approach, say, a math problem. A math problem doesn't change. One solution will always work. There are methods to approach.
She's too used to working with herself and her own problems she's learning for the first time those methods aren't interchangeable over multiple people, err, ponies. Just because she likes something doesn't mean Applejack will... That seems incredibly self explanatory at first but once more you have to realize Twilight doesn't understand how far the truth of this statement extends, she hasn't learned that aspect of it yet. It's not as simple as "I like strawberries and you don't, but we must still perceive subtle emotional feelings the same way because I have seen no tangible evidence to the contrary thus far."
2479821
Grow up? All over the place, military family. Any number of states, four years over in Okinawa.
If you meant where i attended high school... then urban Georgia.
As stated, I do understand that this is her issue. That she's too focused on 'approaching the issue' in front of her rather than stepping back and understanding her own part in the equation, since that doesn't really come up in the kind of studious environment she was raised in. Problems are in front of you to be solved, not that you are part of the issue on the paper in front of you that must be solved.
I'm criticizing Twilight for not knowing her own mind /well enough/ to see that she had everything she needed on hand to realize that she was smothering Applejack in their relationship. Obviously as I said before, coming to that realization early on would be boring and not help drive the story. But to not even have an inkling for someone whose mind (regardless of how it is trained to deal with and receive problems) is literally their main feature and the only one they tend to care about. It would not be a small thing, considering she has a great deal of experience as the aforementioned foundation for at least considering it.
2494538 Arg! Every time...
Glad to hear you're enjoying it, though.
2479969 Applejack is herself at fault though. Twilight tends to have a mind that works in ways antithetical to reason when she is stressed or insecure. She tried brainwashing a city in an effort to impress her teacher. What frustrates me about this resolution is it does not have Applejack realize why Twilight did what she did, however foolish it was. She's afraid she doesn't deserve Applejack's attention, and since Applejack hasn't been comfortable about giving it, she's been smothering her in the hope that applying the only solution she understands to the problem will solve it. If Applejack can't recognize that the reason she was getting a bunch of cheesy romance-book style gifts from her marefriend was because her marefriend was afraid that she wasn't being affectionate enough and hoping that she would open up to her, she doesn't have the right to complain about Twilight not taking her thoughts into consideration. If you're dating someone for their honesty and dependability, and they are neither open with you about their feelings nor consistent in their displays of affection, they're every bit as culpable as you are for priding yourself for your mental prowess while being fully ignorant.