//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: 9x - 7i > 3(3x -7u) // Story: The Apple Tree // by junebud //------------------------------// Chapter Eight: 9x - 7i > 3(3x -7u) My Dearest Love, Fate has conspired to throw us together, much like a mad chemist throwing ingredients into a crucible.  Of love!  How I lived without your presence in my life is one of life’s biggest quandaries--and one which I intend to put to rest.  Your eyes, so full of rampant hormones and biological responses to my statistically-above-average aesthetic make your romantic intentions to me as obvious as the solution to the following equation: 9x - 7i > 3(3x - 7u)... The answer to that is i<3u, by the way. O my darling!  The quantum string theory of our hearts is as entangled as a pair of subatomic particles in a singlet state!  I am almost afraid to ask if you feel the same way as I much prefer the Uncertainty of our relationship as it is.  At least now, the state of the system is in flux... If we discuss our feelings for each other, one waveform will collapse into another and I simply cannot bear a negative result!  But still, my mind is as afire as my heart, my love!  I simply must know if you love me in proportion to my love for you! Twilight had to put the letter down.  Tears were streaming from her eyes.  She couldn’t breathe.  Spike rushed into her bedroom, eyes wide and frantic, “Twilight,” he shouted in a panic, “are you okay!?  I heard this awful cackling and I thought maybe a spell had been cast on you!”  He paused as he saw Twilight still gasping for breath, laughter choking off her response.  “Is it a spell!?” Twilight shook her head helplessly and pointed a hoof to the letter that had fallen next to her.  Spike raised a scaly brow in incomprehension and walked over to it, picking it up.  His green, reptilian eyes scanned over the words rapidly and his expression only became more quizzical as he looked up.  “I don’t get it.” Twilight finally was able to quiet her laugh down to a few giggles and stood up on shaky legs. “That’s what’s so,” she giggled again, “funny!  It’s complete nonsense!” “Uh, okay,” said Spike slowly, “that’s great.  But I still don’t get it.  Who sent it to you?” Twilight took a deep breath, all the laughter out of her system, though a small smile still played at the edge of her mouth.  “Applejack.”  Spike’s mouth dropped open. “Or so I’m supposed to believe.” Spike scratched his head, looking down at the letter again, “So she didn’t send this to you?” Twilight sighed and plucked the letter out of Spike’s claws with her telekinesis.  She folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope.  “Can you imagine Applejack saying any of that?” “Well...” Spike hedged. “Exactly.  So it was somepony else.  Somepony who knows about my...feelings...for Applejack.” “Wait now, what do you mean, ‘feelings’?  What feelings?” Twilight walked over to her bed and flopped down onto it.  She heaved another sigh, all traces of her good humor gone now.  “Oh, Spike!  I don’t know... I think I’m in love with her!”  She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the accusation or disgust she thought must be painted on his face. Spike walked over to her and put a comforting claw on her shoulder, “Wow... Applejack huh?”  Twilight nodded, still not opening her eyes.  “Not Rarity then?”  Twilight shook her head.  “Whew!  I mean, uh congratulations then!” Twilight lifted her head off the bed, finally opening her eyes to find Spike smiling at her but blushing at the same time.  “Thanks, I think?” “What do you mean, ‘you think’?  Aren’t you happy?” “I don’t know what to think!” Twilight wailed, “I don’t know anything about love!  It hasn’t exactly been a subject of study for me, Spike!”  Twilight glared moodily out of her bedroom window at the twinkling stars.  “I’ve been studying friendship.  But this is a bit more than friendship!  Pinkie told me to give it a shot... But it’s so confusing!  And that letter didn’t exactly help.” “Well,” Spike said slowly, one claw tapping at his chin in a thoughtful manner, “let’s work with something a bit less confusing, okay?”  Twilight cocked an eyebrow at him and he continued, “The letter, I mean.  You say that you’re sure that Applejack didn’t write it.  Well, I have to agree with you there.  So who do you think did?” “Rarity.”  Twilight said it without pause, even rolling her eyes a little.  “I mean, come on!  It’s so obvious!” Spike’s face darkened, “So... Rarity wrote you a love note?”  He shook his head emphatically, “No way.  Rarity wouldn’t write you a love note.  She wouldn’t.” Twilight cleared her throat a little uncomfortably.  She put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder and was surprised when he shrugged it off.  “Spike,” she said hesitantly, “I’m not in love with Rarity.  I mean, I’m not even in love with anypony!  I don’t think... I mean, I have these crazy feelings which seem to revolve around Applejack, but I don’t know if I’d call it love...”  She cut herself off.  “Sorry,” she murmured, “I’m rambling.  The point is that I don’t think that Rarity actually likes me anyway.  Did you really read that note?” Spike crossed his arms, refusing to look at Twilight for a long moment.  Then his shoulders slumped and he nodded.  “Yeah,” he muttered, “I read it all right.  Whoever wrote it knows you pretty well.  I mean, all that math and science-y talk... It’s right up your alley!” Twilight stifled a giggle as the phrase ‘full of rampant hormones and biological responses’ resurface.  “While I admit it was...interesting... I can honestly tell you that it was pretty much all horseapples.  You can tell from reading it that whoever wrote it has only a passing familiarity with science and math and no clear idea at how the two interact in any meaningful way.  It reads like someone who’s heard me drone on about it over and over again would interpret it. “And besides,” she took a deep breath in again, “and I really cannot stress this enough, I don’t feel that way about Rarity.  She’s a great friend, to be sure--this letter not withstanding--but she’s definitely not a romantic interest.” Spike finally looked at her, “Are you serious?” “Definitely.” Spike’s smile returned and he nodded happily, “Good!”  He suddenly looked contrite and more than a little embarrassed, “Uh, let’s not mention this to Rarity, okay?”  Twilight yet again successfully suppressed a giggle and mimed a zipping motion over her lips.  “So why would Rarity send you a note like that if she’s not, uh, that is, if she doesn’t... you know.” “That’s what has me stumped, Spike!  I mean, the only other ponies who know even a little bit about how I feel are Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie!”  Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, “Fluttershy!” “Fluttershy?  What does she have anything to do with it?” Twilight hopped down from her bed and began pacing back and forth as she spoke, “Well, Fluttershy and Rarity are best friends right?  I mean, they have a standing weekly spa thing they go to together.  I’ve been there with them a couple times before and all they do is talk about... well, all sorts of stuff really.  But Rarity loves to gossip and this is the kind of thing she’d just love.  I bet Fluttershy told Rarity!” Spike cast a dubious look at Twilight.  “So Fluttershy flew into town to tell Rarity that you like Applejack?” “Yes!”  Twilight announced triumphantly, “Of course she did!  It’s so blindingly obvious!  And then Rarity cooked up some kind of half-baked scheme where she thought she’d write me a love letter and make it sound like it was from Applejack so we’d stop dancing around the topic and declare our feelings for one another!”  She stopped, reflecting on what she just said.  “But that sounds stupid.  I mean, I know Rarity’s into that romance novel trash, but I wouldn’t think that she’d buy into it that much!” “Maybe you’re just overthinking it?”  Spike suggested tentatively, “I mean, yeah, it sounds pretty far-fetched, but it’s also not all that important, right?  Maybe you’re avoiding what’s really bugging you.” Twilight’s first instinct was to turn her nose up and declaim that she was not overthinking anything, but she stopped herself because the simple fact was this: Spike was right.  She was overthinking the letter because it gave her something to latch onto.  A mystery to solve that was external--and therefore easier--than the current conundrum she was facing.  She sat down on her haunches, perplexed and irritated at herself.  “Goodness Spike,” she said softly, “you’re right.  The letter doesn’t really matter.  It’s just... what do I do about Applejack?” ~*.*~ Rainbow Dash finally woke up from her morning nap as the sun was setting.  She blinked blearily at her surroundings: a small room with wooden walls, a few colorful cushions scattered here and there and enthusiastic, if unskilled likenesses of her pinned to the walls.  Her muscles had a deep ache which hurt, but in a good way.  It was like the Running of the Leaves all over again, except she didn’t remember the Running of the Leaves being a full-contact race.  Rainbow got to her hooves a little stiffly and stretched gingerly.  Nothing hurt too badly, but it was a good idea to go slowly.  She heard the slap of tree branches against the wooden walls of the tree house and yawned mightily.  Part of the stiffness, she knew, was because she’d slept on the ground; nothing could beat a cloud for a bed.  It was time to finish her rest back home.   She ruffled her wings grimaced as she felt several of her feathers tug and pull oddly.  It was going to take hours of preening to get her wings in anything approaching good flight order again.  Still, she could at least get home before she got started on that chore.  She walked over to the doorway of the treehouse and prepared to leap into the sky when she heard a thumping noise from over near Applejack’s house.  What’s going on?  she wondered, I better check it out, just in case.  Fitting thought to action, she jumped out of the treehouse and flapped her wings a few times, the weird way the wind felt as it flowed over her feathers setting her teeth on edge. What she saw when she got there was a little odd to say the least.  In a little clearing in the backyard of Applejack’s house, with a couple of firefly lanterns providing a little light to see by,  Applejack was bucking a rock.  A boulder, really.  It was twice as tall as Applejack and looked solid and heavy.  Applejack’s kicks were full-powered and made sounds like firecrackers exploding when her hooves impacted with the stone.  It looked like Applejack had been doing this for a while.  There was a red envelope on the ground near the farm pony with a crumpled note next to it.  Rainbow Dash decided she simply had to find out what was going on, so she landed a few feet away from Applejack.  “Hey there AJ, what’s kickin’?” Applejack sent another kick at the boulder, not even turning her head at Rainbow’s greeting.  “Things are just--” she grunted as she kicked again, “--fine!” Rainbow nodded and fluttered her wings around to take a look at the boulder.  “Did the boulder insult Granny Smith?” Applejack scowled and shook her head irritably.  “Nope.” Rainbow sighed as Applejack went back to her methodical pulverizing of the massive boulder.  She trotted over to the envelope and the crumple letter lying next to it.  “So, uh, you won’t mind me reading this then, right?” Applejack’s next kick went wildly wide of the mark and she barked her cannon on the stone.  A stream of cursing followed that impressed Rainbow for its variety and fluency.  She waited while her friend’s tirade wound down and Applejack limped over to the letter and stomped it flat with one hoof.  “Y’ain’t gonna read that, it’s personal!” “So... You’re mad about the letter then.” “Ye’re consarn right I’m mad about the danged letter!”  Applejack ground the paper into the grass with as much venom as she could.  “I thought she liked me!”  This last outburst seemed to come out almost against her will and Applejack shut her eyes as angry tears sparkled against her orange fur. “Woah,” said Rainbow, hurrying next to her friend and draping a wing over her shoulders in a hug.  “What’s wrong AJ?” Applejack let out a shuddering breath and opened her eyes.  The tears were gone, but her voice shook, “I... I don’t rightly know, RD.  It’s... complicated.”  Rainbow just waited; Applejack heaved a sigh and continued, “You remember breakfast this mornin’?” Rainbow smiled at the memory of the awkward breakfast so tense she’d been able to play AJ and Twilight like a guitar.  “Heh, yeah I remember that.  So, did you finally kiss her?” Instead of getting the rise that Rainbow had expected, the farm pony just sighed again and nodded.  “More or less.  She kissed me anyway.  It was... nice.” “That’s awesome AJ!”  Rainbow hugged her closer and Applejack smiled bashfully and her cheeks colored with a light blush. “It was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.”  Applejack scowled, “Confusin’ too.  I had a nice long talk with Big Mac ‘bout it and thought I had it all sorted out.  But then he gives me this letter.  From ‘a filly who really hoped I fell in love’ he said.  What with one thing an’ another, I thought he meant Twi.” Rainbow nodded, “Okay, I’m following you so far...” “So I read the letter.  And I got so all-fired mad at the consarn thing!  I mean, it’s like whoever wrote it is havin’ a laugh at me!”  She ground her hoof down on the letter savagely, “And the only filly I can think of that’d even think o’ writin’ me a letter’d be Twilight!  But she’d never write what... what was in the letter.” Rainbow frowned, “AJ, c’mon, it couldn’t be that bad.  I mean, you’re tougher than whatever’s on that letter!  You’re like the bravest pony I know--except for me of course--and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry.  Now you’re bawlin’ over a letter?  That’s not like you.” Applejack hung her head, “You’re right about all that, o’ course RD.  But I ain’t never really had much reason t’ cry before.  Nopony ever trampled on my feelins like they did on that letter... And I ain’t never really felt what I’m feelin’ before.” “Then it wasn’t Twilight who wrote it,” Rainbow said flatly.  Applejack looked at her, the question on her lips, but Rainbow answered before she could ask, “Come on AJ, you and I have known Twil for a long time now.  Has she ever done anything that’d make a pony cry?  I mean, bore you to sleep, sure, but cry?  I don’t think that pony actually can be mean.  A little snooty and know-it-all maybe, but mean?  Nah, I don’t believe it.  Now, are you gonna let me read the letter or are you just gonna stomp it into its grave?” Applejack reluctantly picked up her hoof and smoothed out the letter for Rainbow to read.  Rainbow squinted at it trying to make out the spidery writing in the dim light of the firefly lanterns. “Dear Bloom o’ mah heart’s desahr,”  she read.  “What’s ‘desahr’?” she asked. “I think it’s supposed to say ‘desire,’ RD,” Applejack said morosely, “I had a bit o’ trouble with it too.  The whole letter’s like that.” Rainbow shook her head and went back to reading, “Ah cain’t wait t’ see ya next.  Yew make mah bosom heave, O Violaceous Vixen and I do declare that yew are the apple o’ mah ah.  I cain’t thank what Ah’d dew if’n Ah didn’t see yew again.  I treasure yer kisses lahk I treasure apples and that’s a lot.  Yew set mah marehood on fire with desire.  Mah love fer yew is like a complicated and country metaphor that’d sound real witty but ain’t.  I gotta know if’n yew love me lahk that.  Please oh please tell me yew dew.” Rainbow set the note down gently, “I can’t read the rest of this,” she said, her mouth twisting up, “It’s pretty bad... Though in a sickly sweet kind of way, I think.  Who the hay wrote this thing?” “Ain’t it obvious?”  Applejack snorted, “Twilight!  She’s makin’ fun o’ my accent!  Or tryin’ to talk on my level, and I don’t know which is worse.  That she’s makin’ fun o’ me, or that she thinks I’d write like that or could only understand somethin’ written like that.” “Oh come on, the only one who I’ve ever even heard talk about your accent is...” Almost as if by reflex, Applejack said, “I don’t have an acc--” Applejack suddenly stopped and her eyes narrowed, “Rarity.  Rarity!”  She dug a hoof at the grass, almost like she was getting ready for a rodeo.  “Why, I just bet it was that stuck-up, frou-frou, fancy,”  her voice trailed off in muttering.   Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and knocked her hat off her head with a quick wing strike.  Applejack left off her angry muttering and demanded, “Now what’d you do that for?!” “Applejack, get your head right, girl!  Even if Rarity wrote the letter--and thinkin’ about it, it kinda fits her style--I can’t think that she was tryin’ to make fun of you.  I mean, have you ever even seen Rarity make fun of someone?  She thinks the worst insult you could give a pony is that their fashion sense is tacky.  This’d be some kind of messed-up mean--totally not the way Rarity works.” Applejack frowned, then sighed.  “You’re right, RD.  I--I just... I don’t know.  It ain’t somethin’ I’m used to, y’know?” “Well, why don’t you go talk to her?” “Who, Rarity?” Rainbow rolled her eyes and chucked Applejack on the shoulder, “No, you dork.  Twilight!  That’ll clear things up, plus you’ll actually be able to talk to her about your feelings.  I mean, I’m way cooler than anypony in Ponyville, but feelings and stuff just aren’t my thing.  I figure, if you want to figure out what’s really going on, you should talk to youre marefriend.” Applejack bridled, “She ain’t my marefriend!  Leastways, not yet... I don’t think.  But you’re right, RD.  I shoulda done it soon as I read that danged letter.” “You do that, lovebird; I got some winks I gotta catch up on.  And some preening.”  Rainbow gave her another quick wing hug and then launched into the air.  Within a few seconds, she had spiralled up into the night.  But not before kissing sounds drifted down to Applejack along with some raucous laughter.  Applejack scowled, then smiled as she began the walk back into Ponyville. ~*.*~ The brooding silence was getting too much for Spike.  He began fidgeting on the bed next to Twilight as she stared out the window, a pensive frown on her face.  At least she’d stopped pacing.  He kicked his legs and looked up at the ceiling, blowing smoke rings distractedly.  The silence stretched on and on and judging from Twilight’s unfocused stare, it would probably continue for hours.  He jumped off the bed and began compulsively tidying up the room. He started with the detritus around the bed itself.  For being so compulsively organized, Twilight’s room typically looked like a focused hurricane had touched down and strewn things from one corner to the other.  He sighed as he straightened stacks of books that had toppled and reorganized piles of parchment.  He gathered up dresses designed by Rarity that Twilight had shucked and dropped on the floor into a pile for the laundry.  Various and sundry odds and ends went into a variety of drawers and shelves.  After twenty minutes, the room was more or less clean, though there were some truly impressive dust bunnies in the corners that Spike eyed dangerously.  Just as he was deciding to go downstairs and grab a broom and a mop, an idea hit him.  “What about a date?” he said slowly. Twilight blinked, but otherwise didn’t respond at all.  Rolling his eyes, Spike walked over to the bed and tapped Twilight on the flank, “Hey, Twilight!” She shook her head and glared at him irritably, “Spike,” she admonished, “can’t you see I’m trying to think?” “Twilight,” he repeated, “what about a date?” “What about a date, Spike?  My calendar is absolutely--” her eyes went wide and a silly grin spread over her face.  “A date!  Of course!  Why didn’t I think of a date before!  This is a classic romantic-interest-pursuit tactic and I completely forgot about it!  Spike, you’re a genius!” Spike buffed his claws on his chest modestly, “I know,” he said, grinning. Twilight bounded off the bed, lighting up her horn as she did.  A dozen books leapt off the shelves, three drawers opened themselves and a ream of paper along with bottles of multicolored ink and at least eight quills.  Spike sighed and ducked as a book rocketed at his head.  So much for tidying up, he thought.  Twilight would probably be at this for the rest of the night and it was probably safe for him to turn in for the night.  If she needed him, she’d wake him up.  Twilight was muttering to herself excitedly and he edged out of the room quietly so he didn’t interrupt her again.  He shut the door behind him and breathed a sigh of mingled relief and exhaustion.  Who knew love could be so tiring? Spike wandered downstairs and put away a few last-minute returns, humming the Winter Wrap-Up song from a couple of years ago as he did.  Just as he was about to deactivate the runelamps, and plunge the library into darkness, a businesslike knock on the library’s door interrupted him.  Now who could that be?  He walked to the library’s front door and hesitated a moment before opening it, familiar nervousness giving him pause.  Please don’t let it be Pinkie with her party cannon... he pled silently before grinding his teeth and opening the door. Applejack stood on the doorstep, looking more than a little uncomfortable.  She was shuffling her hooves on the ground and avoiding looking at Spike.  She cleared her throat and said, “Now listen Twi, I’m right sorry I showed up here on your door all unannounced-like... and so late and all, but believe me, it’s for a good reason.  I-I got, I guess y’could call ‘em feelin’s for ya.  No, consarn it, that ain’t right.  Twi, I think I might--really really--and I cain’t believe I’m sayin’ this-- I think I--” she looked up at Spike then, who stood in the door frozen and darting his eyes around like a trapped animal. Applejack let out an explosive breath and groaned, sinking down to her haunches and covering her face with her forehooves.  “I cain’t believe I thought this was a good idea...” she said, her voice muffled behind her hooves.  “Spike, d’ya think ya might close the door and forget this ever happened?” “Uh,” Spike said intelligently. “No?  I guess I cain’t blame ya... Maybe you could do the next best thing an’ just dig my grave here on the doorstep.  I woulnd’t a’ believed it was possible to die from embarrassment before now, but fool me once an’ all that.” “Uh,” Spike said again, then shook his head and puffed out a breath.  “C’mon inside.  I think Twilight wanted to see you.” Applejack’s eyes peeked up from her hooves.  She cleared her throat and straightened up, brushing herself off self-consciously.  Spike wordlessly gestured her inside and Applejack smiled sheepishly and walked past him into the library.  “Go on up,” Spike said, “I’ve got a few more things to take care of down in the library.” Applejack nodded gratefully and walked up the stairs to Twilight’s room.  She could see purple flashes of light emanating from under the door and she glanced back at Spike nervously.  The little dragon wasn’t paying any more attention to her though; he was walking into the kitchen grumbling under his breath about not being paid enough to deal with emotional ponies.  With more than a little trepidation, Applejack opened the door to Twilight’s bedroom. Twilight was hunched over at her desk, a half a dozen books floating in the air around her, four quills writing on four separate pieces of paper.  Twilight herself was busily reading two books laid open at different pages on her writing desk.  She didn’t look up when Applejack nervously stepped into the room.  “Spike,” Twilight said, still bent over the books, “what kind of food do you think Applejack’d enjoy more: spicy Indoneighsian or traditional Canterese?” “I think she’d prob’ly just like somethin’ a bit more down-home,” Applejack said slowly. Twilight let out a surprised Eep! and the magical glow around her horn abruptly extinguished and all the books, quills, and papers fell to the ground in a heap.  She looked up from her books, her face bright red and a little gasp escaped her mouth when she saw Applejack standing in the doorway.  Twilight hopped out of her seat and approached the farmpony a smile at the corners of her mouth.  Hesitantly, she nuzzled Applejack and stepped back, the blush somehow even more obvious.  “Hi,” she said softly. Applejack felt her own face heat up, but returned Twilight’s affectionate nuzzle and felt a smile tugging at her own mouth.  “Hi,” Applejack said. Silence stretched between them, thick and tense.  Twilight stared at Applejack, feeling herself getting pulled into the earth pony’s bright green eyes.  Before she could get lost in them, she broke the silence, “So, uh, what brings you here?  I mean, not that it’s a bad thing or anything, because it’s not!  But, uh... yeah.  What’s up?  Um, heh heh... Oh Celestia, I’m bad at this!” Applejack chuckled and shrugged, “I, uh, just had a question about, uh, this letter thing... But it ain’t really all that important.  You seem, uh, pretty busy so I think I’ll just mosey on back home...” “No!”  Twilight cried, lunging for Applejack when the orange pony turned to leave.  Applejack stopped and Twilight smiled bashfully, “That is, you don’t have to go.  I mean, I was busy, but it was about you... Or us, really.  I...um, I could use your input.” Applejack turned and raised an eyebrow curiously, “Oh?  What about us?” Twilight giggled and cleared her throat, “Well... I was thinking... Would you like to go out with me to a social function or maybe to consume some food at an exotic purveyor of delicacies or maybe just perambulate around a municipal recreational area with a strong predilection for decorative angiosperms?”  At Applejack’s mystified look, Twilight took a deep breath and started over. “That is, um... Would you uh... Like to um, maybe sort of go out on something like a date?  With me?  I mean, if you don’t want to that’d be fine, you’re a busy pony I know and your farm needs you and Apple Bloom needs you and I’m sure that there are a thousand other things that need your attention--” Applejack put a hoof to Twilight’s lips to stop her stream of nervous babbling.  She lowered her hoof and smiled, “You askin’ me out, sugar cube?” Twilight’s eyes darted around, almost panicked before she squeezed them shut and took a deep breath.  She nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak.  Applejack nodded once and said, “Meet me at the farm at sundown on Saturday then, sugar cube.  I cain’t wait!” Twilight opened her eyes in surprise and her whole face lit up with a smile.  She leapt at Applejack and tackled her in a hug.  “Ooh,” she squealed happily, “I can’t wait!  We’re going to have a wonderful time!  I just know it!” Applejack hugged the lavender unicorn back, then carefully disentangled herself and smiled.  Then she remembered the reason she’d come here in the first place.  “Uh, Twi,” she said slowly, “about that letter...” “You got one too?”  Twilight said, cutting off her glee, “Rarity is going to have a lot to answer for this time!” “Rarity wrote it?” “Well of course!”  Twilight scowled, “You should have seen the letter she sent to me.  Full of pseudo-scientific nonsense!  I think she meant to make it sound like it came from you, though I still haven’t figured out why.” Applejack remembered the hurt and betrayal she’d felt when she first read the letter and felt her face heat up in an embarrassed blush.  Of course it weren’t Twi, you big ninny! she thought.  And o’ course it’d be Rarity stickin’ her high-falutin’ nose up into my romantic life...  Aloud, she said weakly, “Yeah, ain’t that somethin’?  Uh, listen, I really do have to be goin’ now.  It’s a mite late an’ I have some chores that need early attention tomorrow.  I’ll uh, see ya later then?” “Right!  Of course!  I’m sorry to have kept you for so long... So I’ll see you Saturday at sundown then?  Only, that’s not really a very specific timeframe... I’ll make sure to get there a little early and then, if you need some help around the farm, I can do whatever you ask!” “Sure thing, sugarcube,”  Applejack answered.  She turned to go but paused when Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. “Um...”  Twilight glanced down at her hooves, “What if I, um, want to see you before Saturday?  I mean, that’s a really long time from now--almost a hundred and twenty hours--and I kinda maybe want to see you before then...” Applejack smiled and leaned close to Twilight.  She brushed the purple unicorn’s lips with her own in a sweet but short kiss.  She pulled back and nuzzled Twilight murmuring into her ear, “O’ course we can see each other before Saturday, you silly filly.”  She stepped away from Twilight, who still seemed a little dazed from the intimate contact.  “G’night, Twi.  See ya tomorrow then!” “Um, yeah,” Twilight said, her voice distant as a silly grin spread over her face, “See you tomorrow!”  Applejack left her room and walked slowly down the stairs, a smile of her own on her face as she went.  Spike was sitting in one of the overstuffed armchairs, plucking small sapphires from a little bag and munching them one by one like shiny bonbons.  He looked up when he saw her coming down the stairs and let out a relieved sigh. “So you worked things out with Twilight?” Applejack smiled, the remembered caress of Twilight’s lips on hers still making her a little giddy, “Ayup.  Be seein’ ya ‘round, Spike.” “Finally!”  Spike muttered.  He pulled the ties of the little bag tight and hopped down from the armchair and headed for the stairs.  He paused as he passed Applejack on the way up, “Uh, so are you and Twilight... together now?” Applejack thought about the question and its hidden implications.  She thought perhaps a little longer than the question warranted.  Innocent though it was, the question was not unimportant.  Finally, she nodded.  Spike just looked at her, then he smiled back at her and hurried up the stairs.  Applejack waited a moment, letting the remembered kiss linger on her mouth, her smile widening as she heard Twilight’s musical voice, muffled through the closed door but still clearly audible, “Yesyesyesyesyesyes!”  She heard the clopping of hooves on the wooden floor and the image of Twilight performing her adorable little Yes Dance filled her mind.  The thought had her smiling all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres and into bed.