//------------------------------// // Culture Clash // Story: About Last Month // by Darth Link 22 //------------------------------// Applejack was back in Canterlot a few days later to see Twilight. She would soon be returning to Ponyville after a proper castle was built for her, but for now she was confined in Canterlot for her own safety. She had spent a lot of that time in Twilight’s library, having more free time with Big Macintosh hiring ponies to take her work from her. While she found herself dusting and cleaning out of a desire to be useful, most of it was spent with her muzzle in etiquette books. She remembered the giggles that the Elite would give her, and was poring over the facts, trying to find what she was doing wrong. She resorted to looking through the books after Rarity proved to be too busy to consult with. After making the dress Twilight wore during coronation, she was being flooded with more orders than ever before. Her only time off, at a breakfast that the five of them attended, she was gushing about opening a new shop in Canterlot soon. So it was the books. She looked over their pages, but failed to find what she was doing wrong. The thought entered her brain yet again that she might be the problem. When the Elite saw her dining at the upper table, they’d simply see a hick who was pretending to be sophisticated, even if she was doing everything right. She tried to push that thought out of her mind. It was something she would have to deal with eventually, but it wasn’t what she wanted to deal with right now. Her marefriend was at the palace. She wanted to take full advantage of their time together. She made a mental note to check Canterlot’s library for more etiquette books. If that failed, there had to be somepony in the palace she could ask. But that was for later. There was still the matter of Spike. The former attempt to talk to him never materialized, both from a failure to find things to say and the little dragon’s efforts in avoidance. When it had been time to go home, Twilight had assured her that it was okay. Maybe Spike just needed time to wrap his head around the new status quo. She truly hoped the little dragon had grown more comfortable with this whole thing. She had been fond of the little dragon since she had met him, and didn’t want to be a burden on him. She knew he loved Twilight like a mother, and likely wasn’t fond of competing for her attention. When she got to the gates, the guards looked over her identification. Then she passed through the field that would forcibly revert any Changeling back to normal. Then another guard asked her to state her business. It was an obvious question, as the entire Guard was told who she was, but regulations were regulations. “I’m here to visit Princess Twilight.” “Yes, we were told to expect you. She left us with instructions to tell you. Head toward her quarters and wait for her. She’s in a meeting with a prominent Duke. Will you need an escort?” After debating a moment, she said yes. While she was learning the Palace layout over the course of her visit, she still sometimes found herself getting lost in the massive hallways. A guard escorted her to the room, which took nearly ten minutes. Once that was done, the guard excused herself, leaving Applejack alone. As expected, the room was neat and orderly, looking more like a miniature apartment than a bedroom. The bed was made, the books shelved, the table at one side currently bare. There was a small refrigerator and a cabinet that held snacks, but most meals would come from the kitchen.  She placed her bags to the side and started unpacking what little she brought with her. A book on what was her half of the bed for reading, a bag with all her toiletries that went into the bathroom, and a small, wrapped box.  Her present to Twilight. She looked at it, balanced in her hoof, then looked around the room she was in. It was a small gift in an otherwise extravagant room. She sat it on the table, allowing her thoughts to take over. She had never felt inferior in Canterlot before. She felt a bit strange while here... out of place, she supposed was the correct term. While Canterlot was a nice place to visit, she was always happy to be back in Ponyville. All of a sudden, a conversation that she had had with Rarity entered her mind. It had been after a few weeks of dating Twilight when Applejack had noted the worried looks Rarity shot them. Twilight, never one for reading a room, hadn’t noticed. Eventually, Applejack had taken her aside and asked Rarity what the matter was. When that had happened, Rarity suddenly looked nervous, like this was a conversation that needed to happen, even if it was painful. ”Applejack... forgive me. I haven’t said anything these last few weeks, because it’s not my place. But... have the two of you really discussed your future together?” Applejack leaned her head to one side. “What do you mean?” Rarity squirmed. “Well... you’re at home here in Ponyville. You love your simple lifestyle. And that’s great, believe me. I’m not judging you for it. But... Princess Celestia...” “Has far bigger things in mind for Twi. Yeah, I know. But we’ll make it work.” Rarity looked a bit odd. Like what Applejack had said had only made her worried more. “Applejack, you say that, but you’re talking about a challenge you haven’t actually faced yet.” Applejack opened her mouth, but Rarity brought a hoof up to silence her.  “Applejack, you asked me what was bothering me. I’m going to tell you. Please, listen to what I have to say.” When Rarity lowered her hoof, Applejack stayed silent. So Rarity went on. “I have no doubt you mean it when you say that you can take whatever is thrown at you, but there’s a big difference between saying you can do something and actually doing something. I see you whenever we go to a fancy dinner, you’re always uncomfortable there... or at least you aren’t comfortable for very long. You always look relieved when we can leave. If you and Twilight want to really make this work, it might mean doing it every day, and never having time for the farm. You’ll be living the life you ran from in Manehattan. If you remember how unhappy you were back then, it might be worse in Canterlot.” Rarity took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve said my two bits. And that’s all I have to say on the matter. I’m truly hoping this relationship works out for you, I really do. I just fear what’s going to happen when the challenges start. But if you’re determined to face them anyway, I won’t argue.” Rarity kept her promise and never brought it up again, and Applejack never mentioned the conversation to Twilight. But it stayed in her brain, even as she tried to push it out. She told herself that Rarity was worrying for nothing, that everything was going to be okay. But now, she was starting to see her point. She decided to go for a walk. It would be a while before the meeting was done, so she could afford it. Seeing a notepad on the bedside table, Applejack scribbled a note letting her marefriend know where she would be, and walked out. She ended up getting lost and asking a guard which way to the royal gardens, but in no time she found herself there. Stepping out on the grass made her feel good. It wasn’t quite like the soil back home, but earth was earth, even if I had been moved forty five hundred meters up. She walked through the garden, occasionally seeing one of the animals. They all looked at her with wariness, if they didn’t run off entirely. The birds’ chirping came out over the low hum of a buzzard’s buzz. She simply walked for a bit, enjoying the small bit of nature in the stone jungle. She walked up to the edge, resting on the rail and looking out at the city. It could be seen fairly clearly, with only the occasional flicker from the near invisible covering of the castle, both the Changeling shield and the spell that kept the elevation at a tolerable temperature. “Quite a view, ain’t it?” Applejack jumped a bit. She turned and saw a brown-coated pony with a blade of wheat in his teeth. He was old, not quite to Granny Smith’s age but certainly past his prime. After a moment, Applejack recognized him. He was the castle gardener, one that she had seen several times, but never spoke to. “Oh, um, yes it is, Mr... uh...” “Greenhooves,” the old pony said, the wheat blade never leaving his lips.  “Nice to meet ya. I’m...” “I know who you are. Yer Applejack, the new princess’s consort.” Applejack didn’t know how to feel about that, which is why she didn’t say anything in response. Greenhooves kept going. “Glad to see a real pony of the soil is gettin’ in good with the princesses. Hope Canterlot don’t do to you what it does to so many ponies.” Applejack blinked at that. “What?” “All the frilly nonsense, it’s everywhere. The only reason I don’t have to is ‘cause even they’re practical enough not to make me for this work. Still don’t let me smoke my pipe on palace grounds, though.” Applejack chose not to mention she thought smoking was a bad habit and just said what came to mind. “Yeah, the frilly stuff is a little silly. I enjoy it sometimes, but I’d rather be on the farm.” “Yer a good mare, but this town has a way of changin’ ponies. I seen it turn Restaurant Row into a flavorless nightmare.” Applejack couldn’t help but agree with that. Finding a good restaurant in this town was hard. It seemed only Donut Joe made good food here. Everything else was getting blander and blander. Fortunately, the palace chefs seemed immune. “Well, you seem to have kept yourself from dressin’ up.” “I have this place,” he said, motioning to the garden. “My own little place. Something I can always work on. You’re going to the belly of the beast. You’re going to be paraded up and danced around.” Applejack felt her stomach drop. “I can handle it. Twi’s worth it.” Greenhooves grinned. “Glad to hear that,” he said. “Little Twi’s always been a sweetie. Always plopping herself down with a stack of books. She was here if she weren’t in the library or at Donut Joe’s.” Applejack smirked. She was always hearing positive things from the castle staff. Even before she was seeking out friends, she seemed to have a habit of attracting people. “Anyways, you best take the small things while you can. Canterlot has a way of eating small folks alive, makin’ ‘em forget what’s important.” “Do you think that could happen to me?” Applejack asked.  “I dunno. You are one of th’ Bearers, so you might have the stuff to resist. But you are still a pony. Stay out of your element long enough, and you might start to lose yourself.” Applejack shivered at the thought. Her memory kicked up her time in Manehattan. How she ended up missing the farm and coming back to Sweet Apple Acres. In retrospect, she simply needed time away from the farm after her parents passed. She hated the cramped nature, the noise and light pollution, the lack of familiarity with your neighbors. But even so, she couldn’t deny there were things about Manehattan she liked. She liked the convenience and variety, and she appreciated the culture, even if she didn’t immerse herself in it. She enjoyed trips to the museums, to the symphony, to plays. What if that overtook her? “My advice to you? Find a way to enjoy the old you, even up here. You might not like what you become otherwise.” Applejack and Greenhooves chatted for a bit longer about various unimportant things. Then the old stallion excused himself to return to his duties, and Applejack headed back to Twilight’s room. Twilight still wasn’t back yet, and that worried her. Sighing, she went to Twilight’s shelf. Scanning the spines, she eventually picked a novel that looked good. She barely got five sentences in. Her thoughts were overwhelming her. The door opening was the sweetest sound she could hear. Twilight barely got three steps in before Applejack was next to her. Their lips locked for a few moments. “Missed me that bad?” Twilight said. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” Applejack said.  “Well, how about dinner and a show? Don’t worry, we can stay out as late as we want. Princess Celestia and Luna are taking over all my duties, so we’ll have tomorrow.” Applejack grinned. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”