Unexpected Confessions
Chapter Seventeen
Two of a Kind
Twilight finally slowed down as she reached Ponyville. She reached up and rubbed the last of her tears away from her eyes with her hurt foreleg. She looked around, noticing an occasional sideways glance being thrown her way. Her mind tried to run a hundred different directions at once, but any thought that fought its way to the forefront of her mind was erased by the pain of each step on her injured leg. What had started out as a twinge of pain with each step had rapidly escalated to a searing agony whenever she put any weight on it. She briefly considered trying to avoid walking on it, but figured that hobbling through town would draw more attention than trying to bear the pain.
Ow. Ow. Ow. She grimaced rhythmically as spikes of pain shot through her leg with each step. I hope nothing’s broken in there. She glanced over her shoulder, looking back down the road she had just come running down, and shook her head. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I run on it? I should know better. Her mind tortured her with images of Applejack trying to kick down the door and explaining how she wanted to go find Rainbow Dash, as if to say Yes, you should, but you weren’t thinking, were you? Her breathing finally returned to normal as she approached the library, though each breath was accompanied by a sharp stabbing pain in her side. Celestia, I think I broke a rib. She took a deep breath, wincing as several spots along her side flared in pain. Maybe more than one. She took a moment to run a hoof through her windswept mane before opening the door.
Twilight quickly glanced around the library quickly, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized that Spike wasn’t around. She hobbled into the main room and slowly made her way along one of the bookshelves and scanning the titles. J... K... L... Here we go, M. Magic, general. Magic, talent. Metaphysics. Ah, medicine. She reached up with her injured hoof and gingerly pulled a tome from the wall. She placed it on the floor and read the title. The Marvelous Multitudes of Medical Magic. Just what I was looking for. She flipped open the cover to check the table of contents, but a spot of color in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She craned her head and saw a note on the table in the middle of the room.
Calling on her magic, she floated the parchment over to her, nearly dropping it twice as the pain in her side and leg surged. She tried to focus through it, but the pain only reminded her of her outburst in Applejack’s kitchen, and the memory in turn brought back a flood of emotions. She squeezed her eyes shut against tears that were forming in them. A soft fwoosh sounded in the empty library, and Twilight opened her eyes to see the charred remains of the paper floating down to the ground.
Horseapples! Okay... no magic. She closed the book she had taken down and placed it back in the empty spot on the shelf. She stood up, holding her injured leg off the ground, walked across the room, and started climbing the staircase. About halfway up, her good foreleg slipped out from under her, and she reflexively extended her injured leg to catch herself. She landed hard on it; she heard a sickening crack and felt something snap in her ankle as it crumpled under her, sending her sprawling out on the staircase. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and tears streamed down her face.
She lay on the stairs and sobbed, though whether her tears came more from the pain in her leg and side or the one in her heart, she couldn’t tell. Minutes passed, and she faintly heard the bells of the Ponyville clock tower chime the beginning of a new hour, but still she couldn’t summon the willpower to move. Eventually, the front door opened and admitted a baby dragon into the building.
“Hey Twilight, I’m ho—” Spike’s words died in his throat when he saw his caretaker lying on the stairs, crying. “Twilight!” He rushed over to the staircase, dropping the brown paper bag he was carrying at the door. “What happened? Are you okay?” He reached out to help her up, but stopped short, not wanting to aggravate any potential injuries.
“I-I’m fine, Spike.” Twilight rubbed at her eyes with her good foreleg. “I just tripped and fell.” She braced herself to stand, not wanting to worry her assistant, but she remembered the pain of her injured hoof landing on the staircase and thought better of trying to get up by herself. “Actually, I think I might have... sprained my ankle when I fell. Could you help me up to my room?”
Spike opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and nodded. “Okay.” He squatted down and draped the unicorn’s hurt leg across his shoulders, taking care to be as gentle as possible, but the movement still made Twilight wince in pain. “Ready?” She nodded, biting her lower lip and squeezing her eyes shut. “Alright, on three. One. Two. Three.”
They stood together slowly, and Twilight drew in a pained hiss of breath. She lifted her good foreleg and planted it on the next step, pushing herself up as Spike climbed up alongside her. The pair ascended at a snail’s pace, and each step was a fresh wave of agony. The pain shooting through her leg made it difficult for Twilight to focus on anything other than the next step. However, one thought was forced through the discomfort, and in her mind she saw Applejack standing before her, tears glistening in her eyes.
Ya don’t know what it’s like. Seein’ her every day, wantin’ nothin’ more than to just hold her and let her know that you’d do anythin’ to make her happy. Knowin’ that at the end of the day, she’s got somepony to come home to, but all you’ve got is an empty bed.
Twilight gritted her teeth and pushed up onto the next step, a lance of pain running up her leg as Spike climbed the step a little too quickly next to her. Well, I suppose I should have seen this coming. She winced, letting out a pained grunt as they rose to the next step. I knew Applejack was in love with Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t expect her to just forget about that because I have some... The rest of her thought seemed to catch in her throat, and she swallowed as if to clear it. Some silly little crush on her.
“Twilight?” Spike tapped a claw against the unicorn’s chest, startling her out of her thoughts. “Could you get the door?” He waved a hand in the direction of the door, not quite able to reach the handle.
She hesitated, remembering the charred parchment on the floor from the last time she tried to use magic. “Sure, one sec.” She leaned on Spike’s shoulder, drawing a strained grunt from the baby dragon, and lifted her good foreleg to press the handle and open the door. She glanced down to see her assistant looking at her with a confused expression, but she started walking again before he could say anything. They hobbled over to the bed and Twilight climbed up onto it, wincing as the movement stretched her injured ribs. She settled into the mattress while Spike pulled the covers up over her then laid an extra pillow down for her to rest her hurt foreleg on.
“Do you need anything, Twilight? Something to eat or drink?” He tapped a claw from each hand together. “Do you want me to go get Nurse Redheart?”
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but realized she didn’t have an answer. The rational portion of her brain knew that she needed to get her leg looked at, and having her ribs checked out wouldn’t hurt, but the emotional side of her brain just wanted to lie in bed and cry for a few hours.
“Later.” She eventually said, laying her head back on the pillow behind her. “Right now, I just want to get some rest.” She paused and an errant thought came to mind. “Where were you, anyway?”
Spike shrugged. “I was at the market, getting some fresh alfalfa and wheat for dinner tonight.” He waddled over to the door, pulling it partway closed and getting ready to head back downstairs. “I left you a note on the table. Didn’t you get it?”
Twilight bit her lip, unsure whether she wanted to tell him about the parchment’s fate and worry him further. “No. I must have missed it.” She gave an exaggerated stretch, hiding a wince as it tweaked her injured ribs. “Anyway, I’m gonna get a little rest. Let me know when dinner’s ready, please.” She nestled into the bed, turning her face away from the door.
“Alright.” Spike eased the door closed and started down the staircase, several different thoughts vying for attention. Part of him wanted to march back up to Twilight’s room and demand to know why he had found her crying on the staircase when he got home, but another portion of his mind knew he needed to go find somepony to look at the unicorn’s leg. He paused a few steps down from the door, tapping a claw to his chin, but his thoughts were interrupted by a sound from Twilight’s room.
That sounded like... no, I’m sure it wasn’t. He went to resume his descent of the stairs, but stopped as he heard the noise a second time. Curiosity won out over his desire to give the injured mare some privacy, and he crept back up the stairs, pressing an ear to the wood. His stomach dropped as he listened to the sounds coming from the other side.
Twilight was crying, and Spike had a feeling it wasn’t because of her leg.
He backed away from the door and quietly retreated down the staircase. He hopped off of the bottom step, a plan forming in his mind. I’ve gotta go find Nurse Redheart. Once she’s looked at Twilight’s leg, I can get some answers. He waddled over to the front door and left the building, heading off in search of help.
*
Meanwhile, Applejack plodded her way down the road between Carousel Boutique and the Golden Oaks Library, though she had yet to decide exactly what she was going to say to Twilight. She quickened her pace, breaking into a light trot. Her mind continued to whirl, replaying the unicorn crying in her kitchen before running away.
Consarnit. She slowed back to a walk, dragging her hooves in the dirt. What’s gotten into that girl? She kicked a pebble on the road, sending it clattering ahead of her. She glanced back over her shoulder at the empty Boutique, then shook her head and replayed the entire encounter in her mind, her spirits falling with each step. Ah guess Ah was leanin’ on her pretty hard. Blowin’ her off to chase after Dash was just the apple that tipped the cart. Her head fell a little, causing her hat to slide forward. Ah reckon Ah owe her one doozy of an apology.
Applejack knew Twilight well, and she had known she'd gone too far the moment the words passed her lips. Thinking back now however, it didn't fit. She'd expected the snarkiness, hay, she'd even expected the anger. But there had been something else there.
"I wouldn't know about crying yourself to sleep at night, wishing they were there to hold you, or that you could wake up and have them be the first thing you see in the morning..." Twilight's voice had pitched there; And she'd had something in her eyes that had confused Applejack until she convinced herself that she must have been imagining it.
Hurt. A mixture of frustration, hurt and raw sadness had been there and she'd just discarded it because she couldn't understand why Twilight could be feeling that way...
She kept walking and almost stumbled over a rock in the path. She looked around and realized she was nearing the library, so she trotted over to a bench and lay down. Well, Ah think that it’s obvious she’s pinin’ after somepony somethin’ fierce... but who? And how’d Ah miss it fer so long? She thought back to their dinner from last night, only to realize that she barely remembered anything that Twilight had said, other than asking to train together. She tried to recall anything from their training session earlier, but again she couldn’t clearly place anything the unicorn had said before finally admitting Rainbow had left to go talk to Rarity.
Some friend Ah’ve been. She slumped down, resting her head on her forelegs and letting out a heavy sigh. Her eyes drifted shut, but snapped back open when a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning.
What if it’s Dash?
The earth pony swallowed. It was one thing to be competing with Fluttershy for Rainbow Dash’s affections. She knew that Fluttershy had Rarity nipping at her heels, so even if Dash chose Applejack over her, Fluttershy would still have the fashionista to fall back on. Oh Celestia, that sounds horrible. The orange mare pulled her hat down over her face.
Her initial reaction was to dismiss the idea; they were simply too different, like an apple and an orange. She chuckled silently to herself. Ah don’t think that metaphor is quite up to the task of tellin’ how far apart Dash and Twi are. They’re more like night and day. Her mirth died as she realized that the degree of difference between the unicorn and pegasus moved them out of the ‘It’ll never work because they’re too different’ category and into the ‘They’re so opposite that it works beautifully’ one. She swallowed and could feel herself starting to break out in a cold sweat.
If Twilight was interested in Rainbow, though, that... complicated things. There were certain things she could do that the farm pony just couldn’t compete with. First and foremost among them was her magic. She could do unbelievable things just as easily as she could breathe. Hay, she can even magic up some wings and fly if’n she wants to. Girl might as well be one of the princesses.
Applejack ran through the situation again mentally. Let’s start with the one thing we know fer sure; Twi’s got a mighty serious crush on somepony, but who? Snippets from the earlier training session flashed through her head. Rainbow unexpectedly showing up with Twilight, then leaving just as abruptly. Twilight being evasive, then outright lying about where Dash had run off to. The unicorn stopping her from following Dash over to Carousel Boutique before breaking down, crying, yelling, and running away. Each image drove a spike of pain further into her heart as a seemingly insurmountable pile of evidence stacked up against her.
It... fits. She bit her lip to keep a disappointed whine from escaping her throat. An urge to simply turn around and make the lonely trek home rose up in her chest, but she pushed it down and hopped down off of the bench, suddenly uncomfortable sitting still. She trotted up to the library and knocked on the door. While she waited for somepony to answer it, another rogue idea pulled at her thoughts.
It ain’t me, is it?
She chuckled and turned back to focus on the door before her. Nah, it can’t be me. What could an amazin’ mare like Twi possibly see in some plain ol’ Ponyville apple farmer? She stared at the wood grains, and her mind briefly flitted back to last night’s dinner and the morning’s training session again. So then, it’s probably one of Rarity, Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash... maybe even Pinkie Pie. She reached up and adjusted her hat, wiggling it around for a few moments before leaving it exactly where it had been.
Her eyes widened as the last piece clicked into place: her anger with Twilight for running off during their shared meal, the problems that morning in the farmhouse, all the little strains in Twilight's expressions... Oh Celestia, Ah really have been a lousy friend recently. Ah wasn't just leanin' on her, she was leanin' on me too!
After a while, she blinked and realized she had been standing in front of the closed door for nearly five minutes after knocking. Well... it is a library. She pressed a hoof to the wood and it opened easily.
“Twi?” She poked her head in and looked around the deserted main floor of the library. “Spike? Anypony in here?” She stepped through the threshold and gently kicked the door shut behind her with a soft click. She walked over to the kitchen and glanced inside, then called down into the basement, her expression becoming more and more confused with each empty area she checked. She moved back out to the middle of the main room, her hooves striking the wooden floor the only sound breaking the silence.
“Ah don’t think Twi’d leave the place empty, least not without a note on the door.” She thought aloud to herself, pacing around the table in the middle of the room. After three laps of the table and no new ideas about where to look for Twilight, Applejack let out a sigh and started for the door. Oh fer two today. She laid a hoof on the handle, but stopped as a faint noise caught her attention. She swiveled an ear around back toward the center of the room, listening for it again.
Squeak.
She stepped away from the door, turning to follow her best guess of where the noise had come from. She found herself facing the staircase, and by extension the door to Twilight’s bedroom. Well, it is the one room Ah haven’t checked yet... She took a step toward the staircase, then stopped. Then again, maybe Ah shouldn’t. She started to turn away, but her curiosity held her back. What if somethin’s wrong? Better safe than sorry, right? It was faulty reasoning, and she knew it, but it was enough for her to press onward. She waited, waiting to hear the sound one more time before going up the stairs. Time stretched on into one minute, then two, and just as she was about to give up and leave, she heard something.
“Achoo!”
Gotcha. She trotted over to the staircase, climbing it in a matter of seconds. “Twi? Can Ah come in?” She waited for an answer, but none came. She tapped her hoof, her patience rapidly waning. “Come on, Twilight. Ah know yer in there, and Ah ain’t leavin’ ‘til ya let me so we can talk.” She sat down and leaned against the wall, pulling her hat down over her eyes. “Whenever yer ready, sugarcube.” She waited and heard a few more squeaks and creaks that she assumed were from the bed springs, followed by a soft voice through the door.
“Come in.”
Applejack stood up and opened the door, pushing her Stetson further back on her head. Inside, she found Twilight sitting in bed and looking out the window, her injured leg resting on a pillow. The fur on her cheeks was wet and matted. She’s been cryin’ again... or maybe she never stopped. She walked up to the side of the bed, suddenly unsure of what to say. “H-hey, Twi.”
“What do you want?” Twilight spat, never turning away from the window.
The earth pony winced at her friend’s sharp tone, but pressed on regardless. “Ah wanted to come by and say Ah’m sorry fer how Ah was actin’ back at the farm.”
“Apology accepted.” Twilight didn’t even look at her, keeping her gaze firmly out the window and shrinking away as Applejack stepped forward. “Although, I don’t know why you would feel the need to apologize.” She continued quickly. “It’s not like you did anything wrong, did you?”
Applejack bit her tongue against the pure sarcasm dripping from the unicorn’s words, but she didn’t reply and took a deep breath instead. “Anyway, Ah just wanted to see if’n ya wanted to talk about it.” She smiled. “Seems to me we’re in the same boat, after all. So, who’s the lucky stallion?”
Twilight turned back to the window, her mouth set in a hard line, but after a moment she let out a sigh. “I... don’t want to talk about it.”
“Maybe not a stallion... a mare, then?” Applejack sat down and lifted her forelegs to rest them on the bed. “Do Ah know her?” She waited for an answer, but the other mare only shifted on the bed, edging over to the far side. “Is it Miss Cheerilee? Ah could just see you two all cozied down in front of the fire with a good book.”
“No.” The unicorn replied. She bit her lip and shot a worried glance at the other mare. “Really, AJ, it’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it.”
“Come on, Twi. Ah bet it’ll help to get it off yer chest.” Applejack reached across the bed and laid a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, but felt the other mare tense under her touch. She thought silently for a few moments before continuing. “What about Carrot Top? You’ve always been friendly with her.” She leaned forward, waiting for an answer, but Twilight merely went back to looking out the window. Her ears folded back as she stared out at the town, as if she were trying to will Applejack into giving up. “Or maybe Roseluck? Ah’ve seen ya talkin’ to her a good deal lately.” A shake of the head was her only answer. The farm pony kept wracking her brain for more possible ponies her friend could be interested in. “What about one of them spa sisters, Aloe or Lotus?”
“No.” Twilight finally spoke again, but her voice was more akin to a growl.
*
“What about Carrot Top? You’ve always been friendly with her.” Applejack leaned forward as she spoke.
Who? Twilight turned to look back out the window in order to cover her momentary confusion. She wracked her brain for a face to match with the name. She must mean Golden Harvest. Well, at least she’s on the right track. Right profession, wrong produce.
“Or maybe Roseluck? Ah’ve seen ya talkin’ to her a good deal lately.” Applejack kept trying, despite the unicorn’s wishes that she wouldn’t.
Roseluck? Really? Twilight shook her head, but as she did, her mind flashed back to several conversations she’d had with the rose salespony over the last few weeks. Though, she has a point... too bad I was only talking to Roseluck because I was trying to work up the courage to buy a bouquet of roses for you, you beautifully dense mare.
“What about one of them spa sisters, Aloe or Lotus?”
Oh, for the love of Luna! The unicorn gritted her teeth and could hear them grinding in her ears. The spa sisters? Do I look like a pony that goes to the spa a lot? Okay, Rarity used to invite me along every week, then it started getting really obvious that she had a thing for Fluttershy, but didn’t have the courage to tell her. I didn’t want to get involved with that again, not after the mess with 'Shy's modeling. She tried to remain calm, but the farm pony’s repeated and increasingly off-the-mark guesses were wearing on her patience. “No.” She growled.
Applejack glanced off to the side, seeming to wrestle with herself. After a second, she made a decision and took a deep breath before speaking. “Is it... one of our friends?” She asked, forcing herself to keep looking at her friend.
Twilight cringed at the question. She finally turned away from the window and looked at the other mare pleadingly. “Please, AJ. Just drop it.” Her gaze fell down to the bed. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. S-She’s head-over-hooves in love with somepony else.” She peeked back up and saw the other mare take a deep breath.
“Is it... Fluttershy?” The farmer ventured, rubbing a hoof along her foreleg.
The unicorn rolled her eyes, but didn’t raise her head from looking at the sheets. Sure, because she doesn’t have enough trouble with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I should throw my hat in the ring, then Fluttershy could have herself her own little harem. She sighed, letting the thoughts run their course and die out before she tried to speak. “No, it’s not her.”
“Maybe Rarity then?” Applejack’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Rarity? Oh sure, because she's a unicorn too, right? Maybe you think I'm stuck up because I grew up in Canterlot? Is that why you never... Ugh! No, it's not Rarity you stubborn, blind, adorably stupid pony! Twilight bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping at the floundering earth pony and simply shook her head.
She saw some of the color drain from Applejack’s face out of the corner of her eye. The other mare seemed to take a moment to gather her courage. When she spoke again, her voice had a slight tremor to it. “Look, Ah hate to pry like this, but it ain’t Dash, is it?”
“What?” Twilight’s head whipped up, and a spark of anger flashed in her eyes. “No, it’s not Rainbow! It’s not enough that you and Fluttershy are chasing after her, so I have to be in love with her too?” She snarled and went back to staring out the window, fuming silently to herself. In love with Rainbow Dash my flank.
“P-Pinkie Pie?” The farm pony muttered the last name halfheartedly, and the glare it earned her told her all she needed to know about that possibility. The lavender mare huffed, silently cursing her crush’s mental density.
Should I... tell her? The question gave her pause as she considered it.
What if she says yes? What if she agrees? She swallowed, trying to remove her heart from its new residence in her throat. Images flashed through her mind of her and Applejack together: the two of them resting under a tree during Applebuck Season, sitting around the dinner table at the farmhouse, and curled up in front of the fire with a good book in the dead of winter. She spared a quick glance over at Applejack, who was looking around the room, her mouth alternating between a concerned frown and a relieved smile.
The image in her head shifted, turning back to the afternoon with Applejack in the kitchen. That same wonderfully infuriating earth pony was yelling at her and trying to buck down the door to go after Rainbow Dash. Oh, who am I kidding? Twilight let her head fall, squeezing her eyes shut against tears that she could feel stirring in her chest. She loves Rainbow, plain and simple. Telling her wouldn’t accomplish anything. It would only make things awkward between us. She sat up a little straighter, making sure she had a firm hold on her emotions before speaking. “I’m sorry AJ. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. You were just trying to help.” She gave the best fake smile she could, turning to face her friend. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but some things we have to face alone.”
“Twilight...” Applejack tried to form a response, but she couldn’t find anything to say. She stood up and walked over to the door, stopping before heading back downstairs. She turned back, concern clearly etched on her face. “Just remember, Ah’m here fer ya, if’n ya wanna talk about it later.” She waited a few moments for an answer, but received only a small nod in response, so she stepped out and closed the door behind her. As she made her way down the stairs, the door to the library opened to admit Spike, who was talking to someone behind him.
“—know those three can be a hoofful, but this is a new level of carnage, even for them.” He stepped aside and held the door for a white earth pony mare with a light pink mane and a white hat. She was carrying a lumpy bag on her back with a large red cross on it. “There are only what, two, maybe three hills in the White Tail Woods, aren’t there? How do you cause a rock slide with three hills?”
“I don’t know and quite frankly, I don’t care.” Nurse Redheart stopped once she was through the doorway, pressing a hoof between her eyes and shaking her head. “All I know is that one minute I’m enjoying a nice quiet afternoon, and the next thing I know, twenty-five little fillies and colts come limping into the Emergency Room, headed by none other than Miss Cheerilee and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were somehow completely unharmed.”
“Howdy there, Spike, Nurse Redheart.” Applejack reached up and tipped her hat to the two new arrivals, earning a surprised gawk from the baby dragon and a raised eyebrow from the nurse. “Ya here to check on, Twi? She’s waitin’ fer ya.” She hurried down the stairs and stepped aside, making room for Redheart to head up to Twilight’s room.
“AJ, I thought I told—” The unicorn’s words drifted down through the open door, cutting off as she realized her visitor was not Applejack. “Oh, Nurse Redheart. What a pleasant-” The door swung shut yet again, muffling the rest of the conversation.
Applejack turned away from the bedroom door and back to Spike, who was now eyeing her with his lip drawn back in a sneer. She cleared her throat and tried to smile, but it came off as forced and nervous. “Well, Ah just came by to check on Twilight, so if’n you’ll excuse me, Ah gotta be headin’ back to the farm.” The baby dragon only narrowed his eyes slightly, so she edged her way around the room and left the building.
Well, Ah guess that settles that. She trudged away from the library, her head hanging low. She thought about how Twilight had tried to dissuade her questions, then vehemntly denied that Dash was the object of her affections. If’n it really weren’t Rainbow, Ah don’t think she’d have been so... forceful about it. After several seconds of walking, she heard the door open and close again behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Spike jogging to catch up with her.
“Hey, Applejack! Wait up!” He called after her, his clawed feet scrabbling across the cobblestones as quickly as he could move them. He came to a stop a few feet from the earth pony, crossing his arms and letting out an annoyed huff that sent a wisp of smoke curling through the air. They regarded each other coolly for a few seconds before Spike spoke up again. “Just what do you think you’re doing, AJ?”
“Uh, beg pardon there, sugarcube?” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “Ah was just visitin’ Twi, is all. Ah wanted to check up on her after she bolted from mah house like a cat with its tail caught in a wheat thresher.”
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage for one day?” Spike shot back, a tiny lick of flame spilling forth before vanishing into the air. He kept going before the earth pony could respond. “It was bad enough when she was crying herself to sleep at night, but then I come home today to find her crying on the staircase, unable to even stand up.” He began pacing, trying to burn off some of his angry energy, and his rant was accompanied by a steady stream of smoke from his nostrils and an occasional flicker of dragonfire. “Then, while I’m out trying to get Nurse Redheart to come take a look at her, you just show up out of the blue.”
“Whoa there, Nelly.” Applejack took a step back, raising a placating hoof. “What’s this ‘bout Twi cryin’ herself to sleep?” A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, but it was just Nurse Redheart walking past. She looked back to Spike, who was simply staring at her. “It’s like Ah said, Ah was comin’ by to check on her since she left mah house with a bum leg, but ya beat me to it.” She shook her head and sighed, looking up at the window to Twilight’s room. “Ah tried to get her to talk about it, but she was ‘bout as tight lipped as Big Mac playin’ charades. A blind mule could tell that she’s got it bad fer somepony, but Ah can’t get her to tell me who it is.”
Spike’s anger drained away instantly. “You don’t...” He ran a hand through the spikes on his head. When he spoke again, his tone was one of disbelief. “You don’t know?”
The earth pony shook her head. “Nnope. Ah was able to get her to admit that it was... one of the five of us.” Spike arched an eyebrow at this, so she clarified. “One of our friends. Though, Ah guess it’d be four rather than five, on account of she started yellin’ at me when Ah brought up Dash’s name.” She pulled her hat off and ran a hoof through her mane. “Mah bits are on ‘Shy. Celestia knows that mare could melt the heart of a Wendigo, but Ah reckon Twi doesn’t wanna say anythin’, what with ‘Shy already bein’ in the middle of a mess and all.”
Spike’s confusion disappeared in a flash as his anger returned with a vengeance. “No.” He growled through gritted teeth. “It’s not Fluttershy.”
“You know who it is?” Applejack moved to take a step forward, but froze in the face of the baby dragon’s intense glare. She swallowed nervously. “W-well, don’t leave me sittin’ in the dark, sugarcube. Who is it?” He didn’t respond, so she ventured another guess. “It ain’t... Rarity, is it?” She toyed with the idea. Twilight and Rarity were both very detail-oriented, obsessively so, and they were both unicorns, if that counted for anything.
Spike just shook his head, a new line of smoke trailing from his nostrils.
“P-pinkie Pie?” The orange mare suggested, wracking her brain for a way those two could work together. Like with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Twilight fell into “They’re so opposite that it works beautifully” category, but most, if not all, of Applejack’s memories with the pair centered around Twilight being upset or frustrated with one of the party pony’s nearly endless quirks and eccentricities.
“No.” The baby dragon growled, the rumble of a draconic roar echoing in his chest.
Applejack’s heart sank as she realized she only had one friend left to name. She shrank in on her self, falling to sit on her haunches. “It... it’s actually Rainbow and she was just sayin’ it wasn’t to spare mah feelin’s, isn’t it?” She stared at the dirt, unable to watch for a reaction.
Spike finally snapped, yelling in frustration. “No!” He roared, a font of green flame spilling from his mouth. It leapt forward, curling through the air toward the pony seated across from him. Applejack scrambled backward, nearly tripping over her own legs, and felt an immense heat as the flames licked at her chest, singing her coat. He stalked forward, pulling a clawed fist back as if to strike her. His hand trembled for a moment before stabbing one finger forward into the earth pony’s chest. “It’s you! You, Applejack!” He turned on his heel and started walking away. “All of this... all of it is thanks to you!”