Days later AJ went to Twi's library, she was going to knock when she heard growling, she opened the door to see Twi and Spike fighting. Twi tried to bite down on Spike but he was too quick for her and rolled out of the way, he tried to bite back but she slammed him with her tail. AJ finally snapped out of it when Twi chomped down on Spike in the middle and he screamed. "Twilight?!"
Twi looked at her with Spike in her mouth, she didn't drop him so her words sounded muffled, "Oh, hi AJ."
"What in the hay are you doing? That's your younger brother!"
Twi spat him out, "Oh I know that we were just playing. Spike needs to learn how to use his claws and teeth in battle and I'm the only young dragon around to play with him."
"Yeah but she's still bigger than I am..."
He flapped his wings and attacked her biting down on her tail, she didn't even react, "So can I help you find a book?"
"Doesn't that hurt?"
Twi looked at Spike still biting her tail, "Honestly? Not that much."
Twi's tail swatted him off, "Our scales are like armor, our teeth and claws can hurt each other but as young as we are it's like a pony biting down on another pony. It doesn't hurt that much but you still feel pain, so why are you here you never answered my question."
Spike tried again biting her leg. "I just came to ask you if you can help me with something..." AJ said watching Spike try to hurt Twi.
"Oh sure, okay Spike you can cut that out now."
He let go and huffed, "At least I made a dent."
They all made it to AJ's farm, "So what do you need help with?"
"I need to get all these golden delicious in the barn by lunchtime." Twi put a basket filled with golden delicious apples on her back, Spike, as well and started walking with AJ back to her barn.
After a while, Spike started going through a different basket of apples, "No, no, nope..."
"Thanks again Twilight for helping me out. I bet Big McIntosh I could get all these Golden Delicious in the barn by lunchtime."
So that's why AJ asked, she wouldn't be able to get all these baskets into the barn by lunchtime on her own, "So what do you get if you win?"
"If I win, he's gonna walk down Stirrup Street in one of Granny's girdles."
They both laughed, "No problem at all, Applejack. I'm glad the goal is lunchtime. All this hard work is making me hungry." She said levitating back the apples Spike kept throwing.
"I know, right?"
"Ooh-wee, Spike. You've been lounging on my back all morning while we worked."
"Exactly. You two are taking so long, I missed snack-time."
Twi's stomach growls and she laughs nervously, "Eh, I guess we better get some food."
"Nope. Worm. A-ha!" He said pulling out an apple, Twi licked her jaw,
"Oh Spike, that looks delicious." He munched on it. "Spike!"
"What?" He burped out a letter.
"It's a letter from Princess Celestia."
Spike read it, "Hear ye, hear ye. Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala."
"It is to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of, eh, yadda yadda yadda, cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest."
The two friends gasped, "The Grand Galloping Gala!"
"Woo-hoo."
Spike burped again, "Look, two tickets."
"Wow, great! I've never been to the gala. Have you, Spike?"
"No, and I plan to keep it that way. I don't want any of that girly frilly frou-frou nonsense."
"Aw, come on Spike. A dance would be nice."
"Nice? It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go. Land sakes, if I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chowin' our tasty vittles 'til the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy old roof, and Big McIntosh could replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith could replace that saggy old hip, why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala."
"Oh, well in that case, would you like to--"
"Whoa!" Crash! "Ugh. Are we talking about the Grand Galloping Gala?"
"Rainbow Dash. You told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing? Spyin'?"
"No, I was busy napping, and I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?"
"Yeah, but--"
"YES! This is so awesome. The Wonderbolts perform at the Grand Galloping Gala every year. I can see it now, everyone would be watching the sky, their eyes riveted on the Wonderbolts."
"But then in would fly Rainbow Dash!" Pretend audience gasps, "I would draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut." Audience cheers, "Then, I would mesmerize 'em with my Fantastic Filly Flash. And for my grand finale, the Buccaneer Blaze! The ponies would go wild!" They go wild, "The Wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine, and then welcome me as their newest member. Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff."
"You gotta take me!"
Dash grunted as AJ pulled her back by her tail, "Hold on just one pony pickin' minute here." She said muffled and spat the tail out, "I asked for that ticket first."
"So? That doesn't mean you own it." "Oh, yeah? Well, I challenge you to a hoof-wrestle, the winner gets the ticket."
They both groan as they hoof-wrestled, Twi pushed them apart, "Girls, these are my tickets, I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much. Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?"
"Drummin' up business for the farm?"
"A chance to audition for the Wonderbolts?"
"Money to fix Granny's hip."
"Living the dream."
"Oh my, those were all pretty good reasons, aren't they?" Her stomach rumbles again and she chuckled, "Listen to that, I am starving. I don't know about you, but I can't make important decisions on an empty stomach, so I'll, uh, think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay?" They both said okay and when she left they went back to hoof-wrestling.
"So, who you gonna give the ticket to, Twilight?"
"I don't know Spike, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry, so where should we eat?"
Crash. Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie moaned, the tickets fell on Pinkie's face, "Gah! Bats! Bats on my face! Help! Wait, these aren't... tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?! It's the most amazing incredible tremendous super-fun wonderful terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always always always wanted to go!"
Pinkie sang as music played, "Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me, oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me, hip hip, hooray! It's the best place for me, for Pinkie... With decorations like streamers and fairy lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pin-cushions. With goodies like sugar cubes and sugar canes and sundaes and sun-beams and sarsaparilla. And I get to play my favorite-est of favorite fantabulous games like Pin the Tail on the Pony!"
"Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me, oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me, because it's the most galarrific superly-terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy, wheee!! Oh thank you, Twilight, it's the most wonderful-est gift ever."
Seriously where did that music come from? "Um, actually..."
Rarity gasped, "Are these what I think they are?"
"Uh--"
"Yes, yes, yes! Twilight's taking me to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot."
"The gala? I design ensembles for the gala every year, but I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamor! It's where I truly belong, and where I'm destined to meet him."
"Him! Who?"
"Him. I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder 'who is that mysterious mare?' They would never guess that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself."
"And the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance that she would introduce me to him, her nephew: the most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot. Our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage, and of course, I would say, 'Yes!' We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess, which is..." She giggled. "What I would become upon marrying him, the stallion of my dreams."
"Twilight, I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can... party, and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you? Hmph"
A bunny came and snatched the tickets, "Hey!"
Shy gasped as the bunny showed them to her, "Angel, these are perfect."
"Uh, listen, guys, I haven't decided who to give the extra ticket to."
They both asked, "You haven't?"
"Um, excuse me, Twilight. I would just like to ask, I mean, if it would be all right, if you haven't given it to someone else--"
"You? You want to go to the gala?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, no. I mean, yes, or, actually, kind of. You see, it's not so much the Grand Galloping Gala as it is the wondrous private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. For the night of the gala, and that night alone, would they all be in bloom and that's just the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna, there's loons and toucans and bitterns, oh my!"