//------------------------------// // An Age of Apples // Story: Forever (And Ever) // by RarityEQM //------------------------------// Twilight cackled madly, prancing about the library like her legs were made out of springs. She kicked and bucked, bounced and jumped and throughout it all, she had the biggest smile on her face that Spike had ever seen. She was ecstatic as a pegasus, humming, singing, twirling around as she placed books on the shelves. At one point, she'd even swept Spike off his feet and squeezed him like a plush toy, squealing with happiness the entire time. While Spike was always happy to see his sister in a good mood, he'd never quite seen her in 'this' good a mood. When he'd asked her what got her so riled up she'd started babbling about time and eternity and all the wonderful things they would accomplish in the future. Centuries into the future. "And she's been like this for how long now?" Applejack asked curiously, staring at the squealing Alicorn who was oblivious to her presence. Spike shook his head with a helpless shrug. "Err, since this morning. She woke me up asking me if I could show her how to make breakfast. She's been getting steadily, uh, 'happier' ever since. She didn't even notice me leave to go and get you. I mean, it's cool to see her in a good mood and all, but I'm getting..." Spike struggled to find the word he wanted. Nervous? Concerned? "APPLEJACK!" Twilight squealed when she finally noticed the other mare in the room. Annoyed. Spike was definitely starting to get annoyed. Not by Twilight herself, but the fact that he didn't know the reason for the incredibly good mood she was in. He wanted to find the source and prolong it for as long as possible, which he couldn't do if he didn't know what was causing it. So he had meandered off to find Applejack for help. "Howdy pardnah! Spike here asked me to come over and check out this fantastic mood ya'll seem ta be in, and well, I gotta say, ya'll sure look happier than a pig in slop!" Applejack giggled. Twilight's mood seemed horrifically contagious. For some reason, just seeing her so happy made Applejack feel happy in turn. It was strange but quite pleasant, to be honest. Twilight skipped over to her and grasped her in a loving hug, before pulling free, pausing, and hugging her again, nuzzling into her neck, like she hadn't seen Applejack in years. Years. The idea made her crack into a smile and that smile turned into helpless giggles. Years! What a funny concept! Applejack glanced at Spike who stood with a quizzled expression over his face, but didn't say anything. Even if Applejack was particularly confused by all of this, she wasn't going to rain on Twilight's parade...whatever it was? "Hahaha, Well, alright sugarcube! Happy ta see you too, heh. Why don't you tell me whats gotten you so-" Applejack began, but Twilight cut her off with a squeal. "FOREVER!" She announced, before happily returning to her books. She'd stopped placing them on the shelves and began to hurriedly pluck them off, stacking them in neat little piles. She had so much reading to do. Why waste the time putting them back onto the shelves?! "Err...Forever?" Applejack asked quietly. Twilight twisted and peered over her shoulder with a beaming grin. "Yes! Forever! Forever and ever!" Twilight explained, returning to the titles of her books. From the kitchen, she levitated a calendar over and started getting to work. Ok, this book she would read on April nineteenth, 2029, that one, April fifteenth, 2129...that one, wait, no, that one she would read in January of 3012. It was one of her favorites after all....better make it twice in 3012...Wait...would they still have books by then? Of course they would! Twilight burst into giggles at the idea that books would somehow vanish, while Applejack simply stared at her. A worried look of concern starting to shift her features. "Uhhh...alright, forever...I suppose...ya'll maybe wanna start over ...eh...from the beginning?" she cooed quietly, hesitant with her words. Twilight seemed to be picking random things to start laughing about and it was hard to get a word in edgewise without her giggling her head off like Pinkie Pie. For a brief, startling moment, Twilight looked up with wide eyes and her smile dissolving into a look of confusion. Only for a moment. Of course, poor Applejack didn't have a clue. Yet. She'd gotten so caught up in everything she was stumbling over herself to explain. The grin returned slowly, and she hopped over to Applejack with a brilliant beaming smile. "I'm an Alicorn. I will not die. I will NEVER die! And neither will you!" Twilight explained with a buzz of excitement. Applejack slowly nodded her head. Yes, Alicorns lived incredibly long lives. Was this some sort of- wait what? "Err, Sugarcube, I hate ta be the bearer of bad news, but I ain't no-" Applejack began. Twilight didn't let her finish. "You will be, princess! Hehehe! OH! OHOHOHOHOHOH Think of the experiments we could perform!! An Earth pony using magic! HA! Oh my gosh! This will be incredible! I can't wait!! We'll all be able to go to the spa and get hornjobs, like Rarity and I do! It'll be so wonderful!!" Twilight giggled, plucking book after book off the shelf, faster now. She had new plans! New and exciting plans! Teaching Applejack and Pinkie Pie non-earth pony magic would take a few years, but they'd get the hang of it! Twilight was an excellent teacher, of course! Oh, what fun they'd have, studying Starswirls spells and- wait. no, no, better start them off with something easier...Fairy Flicker's primary spells would do it. That was the big yellow book...hmmm where was that one...? "Sugarcube. I ain't no alicorn. I am an earth pony, ya hear. This ain't no whacky magic spell you're lookin' ta cast now, is it? Cause I reckon I want no part in that." Applejack said sternly. Dismissively, Twilight waved a hoof. "No no, I won't be casting it. At least, I don't think. But I'm sure you'll end up an Alicorn one day. It just makes sense now. It all makes sense, Applejack! I'm immortal, and you'll be immortal too!" Twilight explained boldly, drawing in close to wrap a foreleg around Applejack's shoulder, throwing her other hoof forwards, as if displaying an invisible future to Applejack. "Princess of Honesty. You'll have enough time to plant millions and millions of apple trees! You'll solve world hunger! You'll help generation after generation learn to be honest! You'll end lying and deceit, cheating stallions and unfaithful mares. You'll be a paragon of integrity Applejack!" Twilight gushed, barely able to control herself, or the radiating happiness that quivered inside of her. Bright like a light in her soul, she gave a happy squeal and turned back to her books, darting from shelf to shelf. "I was just a normal pony, but everything changed Applejack! Can't you see the pattern?! I couldn't see it at first, either, but it's there! Oh, it's there, Applejack, it's there! It's there, it's there! Nightmare Moon, Discord, Tirek! It's all there, Applejack! I was a normal unicorn, and then I was an element bearer, and now I'm a princess. You must think I'm crazy, but I'm not! Really! I can't explain it, but I can feel it. I can see it!" Twilight squeaked with a wide smile as she happily pranced around the library. Applejack could only slowly nod her head, trying in vain to follow Twilight's insane rambling. It was a pleasant thought, though. Solving world hunger...all the ponies she could support with her millions of acres of apple trees. All the ponies she could help feed and take care of. And teaching others to be as honest as she was? Well, that actually was rather inviting. She found herself smiling now too- Twilight's infectious giggles and happy dancing were taking hold. It was, of course, sheer insanity, but seeing Twilight so happy gave Applejack pause. She certainly didn't want to squash her spirits. But how was she supposed to tell Twilight that she had gone completely batty? She struggled to find the words, but came to a thought in her search. Why was it so insane in the first place? Until she met Twilight, she had just been a normal pony, like her. Then she'd become an element bearer, gone on numerous adventures and defeated hundreds of adversaries with her friends by her side. Tarnation, she'd helped defeated Gods of all creatures. Twice! Nightmare Moon and Discord. She'd been transformed into an Element Bearer. She'd absorbed the power of harmony into her and it changed her form and body (and mane). After that, she'd become a Breezie; an entirely different species!! Who knew, she might even become a mermare one day! The thought was laughable, but it stuck with her. Why was it so insane to think Twilight crazy for believing her friends, the legendary element bearers, heroes of Equestria, would ascend too? More importantly, what was stopping Applejack from believing in it? Why was it so crazy? She'd saved the world dozens of times by now. Was being an Alicorn some sort of reward like knighthood, but on a great and cosmic scale? Now Applejack was struggling to find a reason this was all complete lunacy. She was struggling hard. Thinking back over all the adventures they'd been on, all the trials they'd overcome, all the pain and suffering they'd endured...was it really so insane to think Twilight could be right? Was it really so far fetched? Forever...She would live forever...If Twilight had told her, years prior, she would one day become the element bearer of honesty, she'd have called it complete lunacy. Now... Applejack's muzzle slacked in confusion and slowly, slowly, she started to grin, and it turned into a giggle until that turned into boisterous, uncontrollable laughter. She wrapped her hooves around Twilight's shoulders and together, the two of them laughed helplessly as the very concept sunk in. Twilight grinned. Now she was getting it. The concept of immortality had taken her like this, at first, too. The laughter, the wild places her mind had gone, the ecstasy of realizing you had all of the time in the world to do everything you ever wanted. Applejack was experiencing all of it, just like she had. It was liberating in a sense. Really it was, and Twilight was going to be there with her every step of the way. She threw her head back and cackled with Applejack, embracing the bright, happy feature the two of them had. Spike sighed and hung his head in defeat. Twilight had gone absolutely insane, and somehow, she'd affected Applejack; the most down-to-earth one of the group. There was no hope for any of them now, Spike was sure of it. He still didn't understand what was going on, but seeing both of them so happy made him smile none the less. Maybe they'd explain it to him one day. Twilight kept saying she 'had the time.' surely she could lend a little bit of that to him to let him in on the joke. "I...uh...I'm gonna get started on dinner...so..." Spike stammered, slowly making his way towards the kitchen. Twilight was upon him almost instantly. "OH! Teach me! Teach me how to cook, Spike! Can we make hayburgers?! OH! A barbecue! I've always wondered how to grill! Applejack, do you want to grill up some hay burgers?!" Twilight squealed. Spike had never seen Twilight so excited about cooking before. It was adorable. Applejack quickly nodded her head and drew a wide grin over her lips. "I reckon I could go for some hayburgers and I reckon I could teach ya'll a thing or two bout grillin' too," she explained. Twilight rested a hoof on Applejack's shoulder and grinned, helplessly trying to fight back another onset of giggles. "Why stop at one or two? Teach us EVERYTHING. We've got the time!" Twilight announced, and both of them burst into helpless laughter again. Spike gave a little sigh and rolled his eyes. He had a feeling this joke was going to last forever...but with the way his friends were bursting at the seams with happiness, That might not be so bad. He smiled warmly, and followed Twilight and Applejack out into the backyard, to get the grill started.