//------------------------------//
// Chapter sixteen 
// Story: Twilight the hybrid 
// by WolfGoddess1990 
//------------------------------//

	Twi huffed, "Now I'm going inside my library and I would like some peace and quiet to finally think!" Spike and Twi went inside her library, all five friends watched as the door slammed. 
"I think we might have pressured her too much." 
"I reckon your right, we should have just waited." 
"I feel just horrible, this stress isn't good for her scales." 
"I don't think a party will cheer her up this time." 
"Um... should we, you know... apologize?" Dash went up to the door because she was the bravest and knocked.

The sound echoed through the whole library but no answer came. "Twilight, it's us, can we come in?" Moments passed and all the town ponies started going home as it was getting late, Dash was going to knock again but a click was heard and the door opened with magic, they took that as a sign to come in. It just got dark as they went in, they looked around for their friend only to see a faint glow and glowing eyes under it, before they screamed a light was turned on to reveal Twi just lying down and her horn glowing a bit.

"Can I help you with something? If you're expecting me to choose now I can't decide, I just can't decide. It's important to all of you and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you, and giving me gifts and doing me favors won't make any difference because you're all my friends and I wanna make you all happy and I can't, I just can't!" 
Her friends looked at each other, and AJ rubbed her head, "Twilight, sugar, I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you, and if it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore."

"You can give it to somepony else. I won't feel bad, I promise." 
Shy nodded, "Me too. I feel just awful that I made you feel so awful." 
Pinkie sighed, "And me too. It's no fun upsetting your friends." 
Rarity came forwards, "Twilight, it was unfair of me to try to force you as I did." 
Dash was excited, "Yes! That means the ticket is mine, I got the ticket, I got the ticket--" Until the others looked at her, "You know, I haven't perfected my signature moves for the Wonderbolts anyway, I don't need the ticket either."

"We all got so gun-ho about going to the gala that we couldn't see how un-gun-ho we were making you." 
"That outburst earlier proved that."
"We're sorry, Twilight." 
Twi smiled getting up, "Spike, take down a note." He pulled out a scroll, quill, and started to write, "Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there are not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful."

"So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala." 
They all shouted, "What?!" 
"If my friends can't all go, I don't wanna go either." 
"Twilight, you don't have to do that." 
"Nope. I've made up my mind. Spike, you can send the letter now." 
He sent it, and Shy watched it go, "Now you won't get to go to the gala either." 
"It's okay, girls. I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me, so I would rather not go at all." Twi hugged them all.

Spike burped up another letter. "A letter from princess Celestia? That was fast." 
Spike read the letter, "My faithful student Twilight, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" 
Tickets came out, "Six tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala." They all gasped. 
"Now we can all go." They all cheered. 
"How come I don't get a ticket to the gala?" Spike burped again, "And one for you, Spike." He looked at the ticket with glee, until he saw AJ's look, "I mean, gross, I have to go too?"

Twi hugged him, "It's alright Spike, we won't judge you for wanting to go too." 
Shy offered the salad bowl again, "I'm just glad you forgave us." 
Twi took it and started to munch on it, and Rarity came forwards, "Well darling do tell us about your family, we would love to hear about it." 
Twi looked at all of them, each nodded, "Take a seat, this might take a while." They all sat on the floor except Rarity who layed down on a pillow. "Well you all don't know this but my father is really sick."

"Sick with what?" 
"The doctors are unsure, but it's not dangerous to any other pony, or to any of his family members. My mother cured him of the illness in his body, but it's now attacking his mind, but my mother checked on him yesterday she said he was stable." 
"So your father ain't doing so well?" 
"Yeah, he needs consent care, and needs help remembering things, but at least it's not getting any worse." 
"You must feel awful." 
"It does hurt knowing about this and not being able to do anything."

"But my mother always said look at the bright side of things, and it turns out that my father has a sister named Twilight Velvet, who married Night Light and had a son named Shining Armor, so he's my older cousin." 
"Wow how do you know he's older?" 
"He was born before me." 
"But you're..." 
"The doctors said I would age like a pony until I reach my adult years." 
"Then what happens next?" 
Twi looked at all of them, "That's not important right now."

She smiled sadly, the truth of the matter is she will out live her friends once she reaches her adult years, her aging will slow down to dragon aging, and if Spike is still a baby dragon after 12 years... she didn't want to dwell on the fact she won't die with her friends. She will live in the moment, her mother gave her that advice, she remembered asking her mother how she's living with the fact that she will outlive Bookworm, she said, 'I'm living in the moment but I will never forget the fact that I will outlive him.'

She didn't want her friends to know, but she won't forget this fact and Spike won't as well, he knows full well that as a dragon he will outlive every pony, but he too lives in the moment. Twi hugged Spike next to her, she smiled at him with a knowing look, he smiled back with also a knowing look, yes for now they will live in the moment... "What's important is the here and now, live in the moment we always say." 
Her friends nodded, "Wise words to live by." 
Spike yawned, and Twi noticed, "Well it's getting late."

"I think we should all go to bed, see you tomorrow." 
"See you tomorrow Twilight." 
They all left as she waved goodbye, "One day Spike it will happen... but for now we will enjoy what we have." She tucked him in, then went to bed herself. 
The days passed again, Twi was just reading to Spike how to properly use his wings to fly when an earthquake broke her out of her reading, and a shout from Dash comfirmed what she thought, "Stampede!" Twi and Spike looked outside to see a herd of cows coming.

Twi's jaw watered again, ever since the whole deer eatting Twi talked to AJ about raising some meat for her to eat, now she had pig, chicken, and cow to choose from. Just because she didn't want to go through the whole song and dance with Shy when her carnivore instincts made her kill another animal, it was going to happen. But now Shy was upset these animals will be killed later in life, Twi told her to just pick which she would prefer one or two animals a week or if prepared properly one animal for one week.

Shy finally gave up and choose the second option, seeing as it was the better option and Twi finally got a pony to perpare her meats, where she got them was a small pub near the butcher's shop, she payed good money for a different cut of meat from the same animal every day. This helped keep her balanced in her diet, with plenty of pony food, some meat and a few gems now and again, did it make others nervous? Of course it did, but they understood she needed the meat as much as they needed food.

She and Spike ran out to watch AJ lasso the front cow and pull them away from the town, "Now what was that all about?" 
The cow mooed then coughed, "Oh my! Begging your pardon, Applejack, but Mooriella here saw one of those nasty snakes." All the cows looked startled, "And it just gave us all the willies, don'tcha know." 
"I completely understand. Just next time, try and steer clear of Ponyville." 
"We certainly will, Applejack. So long, Winona!" Twi watched the cows leave.

"Can all animals talk?" 
"Nope just a select few." That made sense after all Shy's special talent was talking to animals, if all animals could talk it woun't be much of a special talent. 
"Applejack was just so..." 
"Appletastic?!" Twi looked at Pinkie, that wasn't a real word... 
"Exactly. We must do something to thank Applejack for single-hoofedly saving the town." 
"Mayor that wasn't a real word." 
"Does that matter?" 
Twi held up a claw going to say something but put it back down, "No, not really." 
"I know what we can do."

"Throw a party!" 
Twi looked around, "Are we all ready?" 
"Just one last thing darling." Rarity put up a banner, "Now we're ready." 
"Is Applejack all set?" 
"Actually, I haven't seen her all week." 
"Not since the stampede." 
Twi looked a little worried, "Not all week?" 
"Don't worry, she'll be here for sure. Applejack is never late." 
"I sure hope so..." Twi went up on the stage, "Welcome, everypony! Today we are here to honor a pony we can always count on to help in matters great and small."

"A pony whose contributions to--" 
Dash flew in, "Did you see Applejack's slick moves out there? What an athlete. This week she's gonna help me with my new flying trick, and I know it's gonna be so awesome." 
Twi pushed her away, "Exactly. And..." 
Pinkie appeared, "This week, I get to run Sugarcube Corner for the first time." 
"What does that have to do with Applejack?" 
"Oh. Applejack, one of the best bakers ever, is gonna help me. Applejack makes everything great, so free samples for everypony!"

Everyone cheered, except Twi who pushed Pinkie aside, "Oh-Kay, that's great. Now if I could just make a point without being inter--" 
"Twilight?" 
"--rupted." 
"Twilight, I'm so sorry, but I just wanted to mention that Applejack is also helping me this week with the official bunny census, where we count up all the new baby bunnies that were born this season. She's gonna help gather them using her wonderful herding skills." 
Twi gave Shy a look and she crawled off, "Anyone else? Anyone? No?"

Twi looked at everypony who just stood there, "Well then, as I was trying to say..." Twi saw Mayor Mare giving her a smile, "Urgh! Never mind." Twi said tossing her notes. 
"Ah-ahem. And so, with no further ado, it is my privilege to give the prize, Pony of Ponyville Award, to our beloved guest of honor, a pony of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity. Ponyville's most capable and dependable friend: Applejack!" The curtain pulled back as ponies cheered then they gasped as they saw nothing.