//------------------------------//
// Part 2 
// Story: The Twilight Hours 
// by chief maximus 
//------------------------------//


Part 2


"Don't you think that's just a little far-fetched?" Spike asked, bringing a cup of hot tea over to Twilight as she lay sprawled out on her couch. 

"Well, yeah!" she replied, taking the tea in her magic and taking a long, slow sip before continuing. "But that's just it! What if Applejack has just been faking it this whole time? Right under my nose?"

"I'm sure she was just in a hurry," Spike reasoned, settling down next to her on the floor. "How could Applejack even function as an adult if she can't read?"

Twilight sighed. "I don't know, but she's a pretty clever pony when she wants to be." Taking another sip of her tea, she quietly contemplated how she could prove her crazy hypothesis. "I wish there was some test I could give her..."

"You think Applejack would let you test her reading skills just like that?"  

"Sure! She'd never back down from a challenge, and if she actually can read, she's got nothing to lose." Twilight smiled contently. "I'm sure we'll all have a good laugh about this afterwards," She said, glancing back over towards the misplaced books. "Then again, maybe we won't," she whined, reconsidering Applejack's apparent ability.

She clambered off the couch and stretched her legs. There was only one way to test her theory: she'd need Applejack to read something to her. But how?

I can't very well just walk up to her and ask her to read me a book! I need a way to get her to do it naturally... she thought.

Twilight looked back toward her bookshelf. The book Applejack was supposed to take sat neatly against its neighbors. 

"I've got it." Twilight smiled. She levitated the book from the shelf and into her saddlebag. "Spike, have some studying tea ready when I get back," she called upstairs, producing a small dragon head between the bannister. 

"Sure," he replied. "Anything else?"

"Make some snacks. We may have some company." 





Twilight passed through the wrought iron gate of Sweet Apple Acres. Ordinarily, her visits included keeping a sharp eye out for a certain workhorse. This time, however, his sister was on her mind. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains in the distance as Twilight strode onto their porch. Being this late in the evening, she figured Applejack's chores were more than likely finished. If the smell of country fried carrots were any indication, it was almost dinner time. 

A brief knock brought Apple Bloom to the door. "Hiya Twilight!" she said happily, her voice cracking slightly.

"Hello, Apple Bloom. How's the studying coming?"

The filly's expression dropped. "Ah haven't really gotten a chance to practice much, but Ah'll bet the homework you helped me do is gonna get me an A plus for sure!"

Twilight smiled. The look on a pupil's face when they finally grasp a hard to understand concept, or a difficult idea finally clicks into place, was almost enough to make her consider subbing for Cheerilee for a day or two. Almost. "That's good to hear." She grinned, mussing her mane a bit. "Is Applejack around?"

"She's helpin' Granny cook supper," she replied, stepping aside as Twilight entered. 

"Well hey there, sugarcube!" Applejack called from the kitchen. "What brings ya by?"

"I, uhm... well, I just... smelled the fried carrots and before I knew it, here I was!" she lied. Thank Celestia I'm better at lying than Applejack. I'd hate to do that to her, but to try and prove she can't read in front of her whole family just doesn't seem like the best way to approach the situation, she thought.

"Well Mac is still out'a town, and we've got an extra seat at the table if'n you'd like to have some of those carrots you've been smellin'."

Twilight paused, then nodded. A little food never hurt anypony, and it would be just tragic if it were to go to waste. Rationalizations rationalized, Twilight took a seat as the food was brought out. If Applejack and her family didn't do a full day's worth of labor, they'd have easily weighed a metric ton. There was food of almost every variety the farm could produce. A common misconception was that the Apples only grew apples. The orchard was the most visible, but the vegetable patches were away from the wood line to keep out animals looking for a quick meal. 


Twilight happily ate a delicious country fried dinner. Needing more time with Applejack, she even volunteered to help with the cleanup, leaving Granny Smith to tuck Apple Bloom into bed while she and Applejack cleaned up the kitchen. 

"That was amazing, Applejack," Twilight hummed, using her magic to place the dirty dishes into the soapy water and scrub them with a sponge. 

"Well, if you're gonna work hard, ya gotta eat right," she replied, drying the dishes Twilight washed with a small towel.

After not hearing anything upstairs, Twilight decided the time had come to act. Time to initiate plan Reveal Applejack's Educational Deficiencies. (R.A.E.D.) The irony of her misspelled acronym was not lost on her. 

"So, did you get a chance to look over that book I gave you?"

Applejack blinked before recalling the item. "Oh, right. Naw," she sighed. "It wasn't for me. It was for Macintosh."

"Hmm..." Twilight began, trying to think of a way to get Applejack to read. "Come to think of it, you may have grabbed the wrong book," she said as though she'd just remembered, keeping a keen eye out for any changes in her friend's demeanor. 

"Really? Ah didn't even notice!"

I'll bet you didn't,  she thought, suppressing a giggle. I almost laughed at Applejack's inability! What if the Princess found out? Bad Twilight! she scolded herself. 

"Yeah, I was actually going to run it by tomorrow, but I figured there's no time like the present!"

"Thank ya kindly, Twi," she said, placing the last dish on the drying rack. "Ah'll get the book."

Twilight was half expecting her to return with the wrong tome, though there weren't that many books in the house to start with, so it shouldn't have been too hard to find hers. 

After a few moments, Applejack returned with the book in her mouth. 

"Thish it?" she asked around the book. 

It certainly was the right book, but Twilight was still no closer to figuring out whether Applejack could read or not. The farm pony left the kitchen when it hit her. Twilight smiled deviously as she schemed. Producing a quill and ink jar—she always carried with her in case of any surprise academia—, she retrieved the paperback about the earning of cutie marks that had been in the bottom of her saddlebag for weeks. She seemed to recall one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders wanting to read it, but by the time she'd retrieved it, they'd gone on to some other sure-fire way to earn their marks. 

On the inside cover, Twilight wrote a simple inscription to Apple Bloom about studying hard and never giving up. However, she had also riddled it with intentional spelling errors and blatant misuse of words. The trap was set. "Also, I've got a book I think Apple Bloom and her friends might find useful," she called into the living room.

"Oh yeah? Which book?"

Twilight showed Applejack the cover as she set it on the table.

"Huh," Applejack mumbled. "I suppose this has somethin' to do with cutie marks?"

Twilight nodded. The image on the front cover was of a colt smiling proudly at a newly appeared hammer and nail on his flank. 

"I wrote a little note to Apple Bloom, what do you think?" she asked, opening the cover to her small paragraph.

Twilight watched Applejack's eyes dart back and forth. If she had been faking it, she'd certainly become good at it.

"Well?" Twilight asked hopefully.

"It looks great, Twi, Ah'm sure she'll love it."

Sweet Celestia in Canterlot! she thought to herself in shock. "Y-you mean, it looks okay to you?"

"Yup, sure as Ah'm standin' here." She smiled contently.

"It ain't nice ta talk about somepony when they aren't around!" An indignant filly pouted from the top of the stairs. 

"Apple Bloom, what did Ah tell you 'bout eavesdropping?" Applejack snapped as she came down the stairs. 

"Ah wasn't eavesdropping!" she replied defensively. "Ah heard y'all talkin' about me upstairs after Ah brushed my teeth." The filly turned to the book sitting on the table. 

"Is this for me?" she asked, knowing full well the answer. "A Hundred and One Ways to Earn a Cutie Mark!" She gasped sharply. "Thanks Twilight!" 

Twilight smiled, happy to have brought a bit of joy via her favorite medium. Apple Bloom looked to the inside cover, her face going from alive with passion to confusion. "Uh, Twilight, did you write this?"

"Yes I did," 

"How come you misspelled... everything?"

"It was a test! To see how good you've become at grammar and spelling!" Twilight said happily. "And you passed!"

Twilight glanced at Applejack, whose expression had soured considerably in the last few seconds. Twilight gulped as she realized Applejack had seen right through her plan. Twilight, you've got to stop using your friends as test subjects without their permission! She quickly tore her gaze away, forcing down a sudden sense of guilt. Now she probably hates me... and has every reason to. Oh well... nothing to be done about it now except hope that she accepts my apology. An unusual sense of self-loathing began to creep in as she realized how hurt Applejack must have felt. 

"Yay!" Apple Bloom turned to face her rump expectantly, though no magical test paper appeared on her flank. "Dang..." She pouted. 

"Listen, Twi, it's been great talkin' to ya, but it's late, and Ah gotta be up early tomorrow," she said abruptly, practically pushing Twilight out of her house and onto the porch. 

"Applejack, I didn't mean—"

Slam!

"—for you to slam the door in my face..." Twilight sighed. That certainly hadn't gone like she'd planned. In fact, all she had done was make things worse. Hanging her head, she began the trot back to the library. 

If only Apple Bloom hadn't shown up!  she lamented, sure that her plan would have worked flawlessly had it not been for one blank-flanked variable. Why didn't I just ask Applejack instead?

The walk home gave her time to consider Applejack's feelings. Why did I try to trick her? Ugh, stupid, Twilight, stupid!  she berated herself, her ears and head drooping lower to the ground with each step. But, it wasn't like I was trying to make her feel bad about herself! Agh, why didn't I just pull her aside and ask? Her walk was long and quiet, giving her plenty of time to ponder such questions. 

Spike greeted her with a tray of fresh snacks and tea once she arrived home. He looked around and behind her. "Didn't you say we might have some—" Spike paused mid-sentence, a deadpan stare falling over him. "You went to Sweet Apple Acres with some crazy scheme to get AJ to admit she can't read, didn't you?" he accused, setting the tray down and removing his frilly apron. 

Twilight tossed her saddlebags casually and flopped onto the couch. "Maybe," she mumbled, her head buried in one of the throw pillows. Spike usually knew when she'd messed up, and this time was no exception. 

"I see it went well," he said flatly. 

"About as well as trying to trick one of your best friends could go..." she groaned.

"See?" Spike said in annoyance. "This is why you should run things like this by me so I can tell you what a bad idea it is!" 

"Thanks for the advice," she snapped bitterly. If there was one thing Twilight hated, it was a plan of hers failing. It didn't happen often, but when it did, she'd hold on to it for weeks. 

"Look, just give AJ some time to cool off, and apologize for trying to trick her. She'll forgive you, just make sure you explain yourself." This was not the first time Spike had to rein in Twilight's shenanigans before they got out of hoof.

She sighed. "You're right. I'll head over tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully I'll get something besides a swift kick in the face..."





By the time Twilight found herself walking to the farm, her nerves had caught up with her. Still, this was Applejack, one of the most understanding ponies around!

Before she knew it, she'd been standing on their front porch for about five minutes, paralyzed by fear. Instead of knocking, Apple Bloom nearly ran into her on her way to the CMC clubhouse. 

"Oh! Sorry, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack around?"

"Ah haven't seen her; she might be in the barn!" she said over her shoulder as she galloped off down the trail. 

Twilight gulped as she made her way to the barn. She peered into the darkness, but saw no sign of Applejack. Sighing in relief, she withdrew, mentally phrasing a note to pin on the door when a sniffle from the hayloft stopped her. Carefully and quietly, she climbed the stairs to the loft. 

Leaning against a hay pile sat Applejack, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. Beside her, she noticed a rather large, but thin, hardcover book. Twilight couldn't make out the words, but judging from the size and colors, it wasn't exactly an organic chemistry textbook.

"Applejack?"

Her ears shot to attention as she hastily covered the book with some loose hay.

"Twilight? What're you doin' here?" 

Relieved that she wasn't angry with her, Twilight sat beside her pal in the itchy hay. "I came by to apologize about yesterday—"

Applejack waved a hoof to silence her. "Say no more. Ah'm the one who should be apologizin'."

"It's just that I—wait, what?"

"Ah was tired last night, and Ah had no business rushin' ya out the door like Ah did. It wasn't too neighborly, and Ah'm sorry."

It looked like she was bound and determined to keep up her charade. There was only one way to confront the issue now.

Twilight took a deep breath, and let it out sharply. "Applejack, I know your secret." 

She raised an eyebrow. "My what now?"

"I know you don't know how to read." There. She finally said it. After a slight pause, Applejack laughed. 

"Of course Ah can read! How could Ah run a farm if Ah couldn't read?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably. 

Twilight was prepared for this to drag out, but she certainly wished Applejack would've just fessed up. 

"Doesn't Big Mac handle most of the farm's finances and liability insurance?"

Applejack's ears began to twitch, her eyes darting back and forth between Twilight and where she'd buried the book. Matching wits with Twilight wasn't like convincing Granny or Apple Bloom.

"Yeah, but Ah do all the other stuff besides plowin' the fields."

Twilight looked into Applejack's eyes pleadingly. "Applejack. Please..."

"Please what?" she replied, annoyance beginning to show in her tone. "Ah done told ya Ah know how to read!"

Twilight sighed. She shifted the hay aside and uncovered the foal's book Applejack had buried. "Then what is this?"

"Uh, Apple Bloom must've left it up here..."

"Really? It seems a bit too easy for a filly Apple Bloom's age," she implied, giving Applejack one last shot to admit it before she sent her illusions crashing down around her. 

"Maybe she just likes it?" She grinned, though the blush on her cheeks indicated Twilight was inching closer to a revelation. 

Twilight raised the book in front of her and opened it to the center. "Okay then, what does this say?" She pointed a hoof to a small paragraph. 

Applejack took the book in her hooves and studied the paragraph, sweat beginning to bead around her forehead. 

"T-The... hun-hungry... sn-sn...Ugh!" Applejack roared, tossing the book into the hay bale behind her in a fit of anger. 

"Okay, fine! Ah can't read! Are you happy now?!" she screamed, tears of shame spilling from her eyes as she vented her anger. "The dumb farmer pony can't read, is that what you wanted to hear?!"

"Of course not!" Twilight pled.

"You think you're so smart because you grew up in Canterlot with the Princess herself taking care of you! You've never had to work a day in your life!" she shouted, her chest heaving. "You don't even realize how lucky you are!"

"Applejack, I didn't come here to embarrass you. I just came here to offer to help you," Twilight said calmly, before Applejack go start another rant.

"Well nopony asked you to!"

"I know," she replied as she stood up. "Sometimes a friend just has to offer help, because they know the pony they're trying to help would never ask for it." Twilight trotted slowly toward the stairs before turning back to Applejack. "If you ever want to learn, you know I'm always willing to help you."

She began down the steps before Applejack called out to her. 

"Twi? Can you keep a secret?" she asked weakly. 

For the first time since arriving, Twilight smiled. "Of course."




Applejack gathered herself and headed back inside her house. I can't believe I got so upset with Twilight... she was only tryin' to help... She sighed, nearly making it inside when a familiar voice called to her from above. 

"Hey, AJ!" Rainbow yelled.

"Howdy, sugarcube!" she forced, putting away her somber face in favor of a happy mask. 

"Okay, so tonight there's a bonfire in Carrot Top's southern field, and all the stallions in town are gonna be there! Should be fun, you in?"

Applejack would normally jump at the chance to meet some new stallions, but today something else was on her mind. "Sorry, RD. Ah've got somethin' else Ah gotta do tonight."

Rainbow's indignation was apparent. "Like what? What in Equestria is more important than drinking cider in the middle of an open field with your best friend?"    

Applejack searched the ground nervously, trying her best to hide her tells. 

"It's just... look, Ah'll just have to take a raincheck, okay?"

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Sure thing, AJ... see ya," Rainbow said as she ascended away from Sweet Apple Acres. High above the farm, Rainbow Dash formulated a scheme of her own.

"Now I have to know what she's up to," she said to herself as she perched on a cloud. She decided to forgo the party in favor of tailing Applejack. She napped for hours until she heard the front door of Applejack's farmhouse creak open. When she awoke, it was dark. Peering down from her cloud, she spotted her. Rainbow followed Applejack silently from above.

After a few minutes, she realized she was going to Twilight's. 

"What in the..."

Rainbow descended from her cloud and hid behind the bushes outside Twilight's house as Applejack knocked on the door.





"Well, how'd it go?" Spike asked as soon as Twilight stepped in the door.

"About as I expected," she replied. "Lots of shouting, some anger and tears, but overall, she finally admitted her problem." She sighed contently, happy with the progress she'd made, but worried about whether Applejack would take her up on her offer.

Spike rubbed his chin slowly. "So, you think she'll let you help her?"

"Who knows," she sighed. "I thought she'd learned her lesson about accepting help when she needed it..."

The hours wore on as Twilight assumed her usual study routine. She could hardly immerse herself like she usually did, checking the clock every few minutes, hoping Applejack had the stones to swallow her pride and let Twilight help her.

At around ten that night, Twilight decided Applejack wasn't going to show. Just as she was about to snuff out the candle, she heard a knock at the door. With high hopes, she trotted to the door and opened it to reveal Applejack.

"Are you here for the reason I think you are?" she asked softly. 

Applejack nodded, still a bit embarrassed about her outburst back at the barn. "Sorry 'bout earlier..."

"It's okay. Spike's asleep in the living room, so we'll have to go to my room." 

After they'd gone inside, Rainbow raised herself out of the bushes, her jaw hanging open. 

"Applejack would rather hang out with Twilight... than me?"