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// Day Late, Dollar Short. 
// Story: My Little Space Empire: Mechs are Magic 
// by Wheezyandbreezy 
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Twilight left a still twitching Pinkie Pie on her bed in their room on Terra. "Wait hold on I'm not." Was all she heard her say before she appeared on the bridge of the Damocles. 

A rather startled Rarity snapped. "I really wish you would let me know you were going to do that BEFORE you did that! It's not like I'm hard to get a hold of." 

Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Rarity. I always forget how loud it is until I do it." The crew of the bridge rose and saluted. She dismissed them and called Rarity aside. "Rarity, why wasn't Applejack at the ceremony?"

Rarity looked away and reflexatorily lied. "Oh she's trapped in her room with a terrible headache." 

Twilight stared hard at Rarity who squirmed under her gaze. Twilight's eyebrows went up but Rarity didn't say a word. She squinted and Rarity slammed her eyes shut and tried to think pleasant thoughts. "RARITY!" Twilight snapped, honestly hurt that her friend would try to keep something from her.

"OH WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY TWILIGHT?!" Twilight took a step back. Rarity cast her arms about wildly as she babbled. "That our friend is drinking herself to death because the woman she loves hates her?" Rarity cursed herself. Twilight glared with a cold piercing stare. Rarity's desperation softened. "Twilight you can read people's minds from space! You should know what's been going on. While you've been down on Terra preparing for this crusade of yours, Applejack has been drinking herself into oblivion. She thinks Rainbow's mad at her, and she loves her."

Twilight nodded. "Steady as she goes Admiral." She walked off without another word. 

Rarity stood there deflated. "Applejack's gonna kill me for this.''

Twilight chose to walk the long way to Applejack's quarters instead of teleporting into the room. When she reached the hall she unfurled her large wings and floated gently to her door. The door was open and she saw her heavy weapons specialist sitting against the artificial window staring blankly at the projection of her home world. Applejack looked like she hadn't eaten, slept, or even moved in days. She said nothing, instead choosing to enter in silence and sit on the bed beside her.

After what felt like hours, Applejack finally muttered, "Nahce speech." 

Twilight nodded, "You saw it?"

The bottle Applejack was holding gently slipped from her hand. Twilight took it in her telekinesis and placed the lid on it then placed it on the nightstand. Applejack said nothing. Twilight decided to try again. "That's your homeworld?"

Applejack only muttered, "eeyup."

Twilight was beginning to get annoyed. "Applejack." The knight only turned her head and stared into her eyes. "Applejack. She's not mad at you."

Applejack rose violently and attempted to storm out of the room. Twilight shut the door on her. Applejack violently kicked the door, not caring that kicking it outward would not open the sliding door. "Lemme out Twi." She growled.

Twilight patted the bed gently. "Sit down Applejack. I've been so busy lately we haven't had a chance to just talk."

Applejack wanted to do several things at once. She wanted to scream, she wanted to sock Twilight, she wanted to vomit her guts out, and she wanted to not talk to anyone right now. Twilight met her eyes and Applejack saw the very faint edges of pleading in them. She groaned in annoyance and plopped down heavily on the bed. She snatched the bottle of the table and had a sip. Twilight took the bottle from her. She was about to protest, but she was surprised to see her take a sip before returning the bottle. She took the bottle back and had another sip. Twilight channeled her best Rarity and in a sing-song voice asked, "So how are you?"

Applejack was not a happy camper. She was about the least happy of campers ever to camp. "Drunk. Pissed. Sad. Homesick. Annoyed. Nauseous." Twilight placed a waste bin in her hands and she retched pure liquid into it. She spit several times then tried to toss the wastebasket away, but Twilight levitated it to the ground gently. Applejack got up and kicked it several times out of spite. "GODDAMMIT TWAHLAGHT WHAT D'YA WANT?!"

Twilight gently answered, "I want my friend not to drink herself to death for doing the right thing."

Applejack screamed, "THE RIGHT THING?! DID YOU SEE HER TWAHLAGHT? SHE'S MISERABLE AND CRIPPLED AND IT'S MAH FAULT! AND NOW I'LL NEVER GET TO TELL HER!~" She cut herself off and stomped around her small room.

"That you love her?" Twilight asked.

Applejack's eyes snapped to her in a mix of surprise and rage. "How did you?" Her head snapped towards the door. "Rarity. I'm gonna kill her."

Twilight finally let herself be mad. "Oh for fuck's sake Applejack! You don't have to be psychic to know your feelings for her. If you were any more obvious you'd be Pinkie Pie! Now WHAT. IS. UP? What's gotten into you?"

Applejack's mind was caught between about six different emotions, but eventually settled on broken sloppy sobbing. "She. Hates. Me. Twi." She said between sobs. "I fucked up and now she hates me." Applejack grabbed Twilight and pressed her face against Twilight's chest. She bawled heavily and Twilight had to hold her breath for Applejack's alcoholic breath. "She never wants to see me agai-ha-hain."

Twilight gently levitated her onto the bed with her head in her lap. "Now Applejack, do you really think that?" Applejack nodded her head and sniffled pathetically. "Do you believe I can see into people's minds?" Twilight asked telepathically. 

Applejack winced and said. "Twi just talk normal. Brain takin hurts mah head."

"Sorry. Sorry. Now Applejack. What do you know about Rainbow Dash?" She asked.

Applejack sniffled. "Ah knows she's a good fahghter. Ah know she's a good drinker. Ummm. I know she sucks at arm wrastlin." She chuckled weakly.

Twilight turned her head to look her in the eye. "So would she like to be seen, weak and helpless missing an arm?"

Applejack blinked several times in realization. She made several logical leaps at once. "Y'all know she don't hate me. Don't ya Twilight?"

Twilight said. "Eeyup."

Applejack asked. "She was just embarrassed about fuckin up, wadn't she."

"Eeyup."

"N I been makin an ass uh mahself haven't I?" Applejack asked.

Twilight lifted Applejack bodily up into the air to look her in the eye. "Oh yeah." She put her down and rose. "She's been missing you dearly. Every time we visit as a group the first thing she thinks is 'is Applejack with them."

Applejack put her head in her hands. "I fucked up again, didn't I Twilight?"

Twilight put a wing around Applejack. "Nothing that can't be undone." She smiled. "She graduates rehab day after tomorrow and I know she'd love to see you."

Applejack grinned. "Ya really think so?" 
Twilight looked at Applejack condescendingly. "Oh raght. Psychic. Right." 

Twilight gave Applejack a hug and whispered, "Just enough time to sober up and bathe."

She teleported away then, leaving Applejack's ears ringing. She reappeared in the med bay and scared the bejeezus out of Dr Fluttershy. Rainbow popped up out of bed. "TWILIGHT! Look, look look look look look, look what I can do now." She very delicately lifted a styrofoam cup full of water and took a sip through her grin then just as delicately released it. 

Dr Fluttershy clapped as she said, "Today's the first time since she had her surgery that she hasn't crushed the cup!" 

Twilight nodded, finally appreciating the significance of the act. "So she graduates tomorrow then?"

Rainbow Dash grew pensive. Dr Fluttershy put a hand on her arm comfortingly. "She'll pass her final test tomorrow and then she'll be back in fighting shape."

Twilight smiled warmly. "Excellent, because your new mech's almost done."

They both turned their heads sharply to Twilight. Rainbow shouted, "I GET A NEW MECH?!"

Twilight smirked, "Of course, I can't have my best knight unhorsed." She turned to walk away thinking that was a good note to leave on. She felt the joy radiating off of Rainbow Dash as she lifted the doctor into the air and spun her around. She made to teleport back to Pinkie Pie to tell her the good news when something happened that broke Twilight's heart. She, without looking, felt Rainbow Dash kiss her doctor. She felt the love both of them were expressing and she couldn't believe it. She put a hand to her heart and leaned heavily on the doorframe. "Poor Applejack" she whispered to herself.

Dr Fluttershy chided. "Not in front of the Viceroy!"

Rainbow, seeing Twilight leaned on the doorway, began to ask what was wrong, but she teleported away. She arrived back in the suite Celestia had assigned them and was instantly seized upon by an amorous Pinkie Pie. "HA! GOTCHA! Little miss leave before, oh no what happened?" Twilight spent the evening dreading tomorrow. All she could think was how this was going to crush her friend.