//------------------------------// // 1: It starts with an idea // Story: Growth // by Squinty Mudmane //------------------------------// Applejack furrowed her brow and did her best to concentrate on the numerous facts, figures and numbers displayed on the pages of the ledger in front of her. She ran her teeth slowly along the groove she had worn in the top of the pencil held in her mouth, then scribbled another pair of notes in the margin of the piece of paper next to her. Two other sheets had already been filled with diagrams and annotations and lay discarded in the wastebin. There were very few work-related activities on Sweet Apple Acres that Applejack did not enjoy doing, but keeping the farm’s ledger up to date was definitely one of those. It was not that she was bad at maths, but checking and double-checking sales figures of apples from the past month, measuring incomes against expenses and comparing those again with the projected incomes and expenses… It was a whole lot of tedious number-crunching and sitting on her tail, and all she could think of was how that time could be better spent fixing the broken window pane in the barn. Normally her brother volunteered to do the bookkeeping, and Applejack was more than happy to let him do it. The big guy actually seemed to enjoy it. Applejack could swear she had seen him smiling while scribbling away in the ledger on more than one occasion. Unfortunately for her, Big Mac was also out of town for another two days; he and Cheerilee were on a week-long holiday to visit Cheerilee's family in Baltimare. And you were the one who assured him it was all right for him to go, Applejack reminded herself. In fact, you insisted that you wanted to try your hoof at bookkeeping again, so don’t you dare start getting grumpy at Mac, missy. And it was true; Applejack had wanted to try again. As much as she loathed that ledger and its smug cover of unassuming blankness, she also knew that it was a valuable and important skill to maintain and polish. Applejack took a quiet pride in being able to perform all her tasks well, even the ones she disliked, and if that meant spending hours working away at these darn pages, then so be it. “Psst.” She looked up from the ledger in puzzlement. Had somepony been trying to get her attention just now? She scanned the study carefully from left to right; bookshelf, bookshelf, potted plant, door, bookshelf, painting, chair, window. No, she was definitely alone in the room. She shook her head and turned her attention back to her notes. Stop procrastinating, silly filly. You have to get used to doing this. Big Mac won’t be able to take care of it for you all the time. She paused again. It was not a subject she had broached with her brother yet, but now that he and Cheerilee were getting serious, perhaps she should— “Psst!” Applejack looked up sharply. This time she was sure she had heard something. She was about to call Apple Bloom and ask her if she was playing tricks, but Apple Bloom was having a sleepover at Scootaloo’s with her friends. It could not be Granny Smith either; she was at bingo night with the other seniors in the town hall. Applejack glanced over her shoulder. Maybe a draft from the window? She trotted over to the window, idly wondering if she should perhaps get some tools to tighten any of the hinges. The window, however, was closed tight, and even though she moved her hoof up and down the length of it, Applejack could not feel even the faintest rush of wind seeping through from any cracks. Feeling almost a little disappointed, she turned back to her desk and very nearly cried out as she came face to face with a smiling Pinkie Pie. “Hiya, cousin!” Pinkie said brightly, bouncing lightly in place. “Sorry I didn’t knock first. I didn’t want to startle you. Wow, you’ve got a lot of books in here! It’s like a mini-library!” Her gaze wandered from the bookshelves to the painting hanging on the wall. “Oooh, that’s pretty… I really like that skyline! And the trees! And the itty-bitty birdies on the branches!” “P-Pinkie?” Applejack spluttered, doing her best to slow down her still-galloping heart. “What are you—I don’t mean to be rude, sugarcube, but what are you doin’ here?” Pinkie looked at Applejack with a puzzled expression for a moment, before lighting up in another smile. “Oh! I’m here to ask a favour, if you don’t mind! Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘Gee, Pinkie, isn’t this a bit of a silly time to be doing that?’ Or maybe you’re thinking: ‘Gee, Pinkie, what’s so important that it can’t wait until tomorrow?’ Or maybe: ‘Gee, Pinkie, why do you have a paper plane stuck in your mane?’ That one’s actually a funny story! You see, Pound and Pumpkin were—” Applejack placed a hoof gently but firmly on Pinkie’s shoulder to stop her before she could derail her own conversation even further. “Whoa now, Pinkie. I’ll be happy to help ya if I can, but would ya mind startin’ from the beginnin’?” Pinkie sat down on her rump and wrung her hooves for a moment, biting her lower lip. When she spoke, it was at a slower and more careful level; it might even have sounded normal coming from another pony. “Well… I got the idea of inviting my family—the Pie part of my family, that is—to come visit me in Ponyville. It’s been years since I’ve seen them, and even though I’ve asked them to come plenty of times, they haven’t shown up yet.” Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Actually, I haven’t seen them since I left home when I was still itty-bitty Pinkie.” Applejack felt her eyebrows climb involuntarily. “But that’s, what, more than ten years ago, innit? Ya haven’t seen them even once since then?” Pinkie shook her head and her ears drooped for a moment. “Not really, no. We kind of didn’t part in the best way…” She perked up again, her earlier gloom disappearing like dew in the sun. “So anyway, I wrote them a letter asking them to come here, because I’d really like to see them again and be on good terms and for them to meet you and Twilight and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and Rarity, and guess what?” Pinkie’s face lit in a radiant smile. “They finally said yes! And then I thought that it’d be super cool if they could visit Sweet Apple Acres, because Mom and Dad live on a farm too, you see, and I think they’d love to meet the Apple part of the family and see how you run things here, but then I thought it’d be super rude of me if I didn’t ask you if it was okay first before telling them they can come see your farm, so…” Pinkie finally stopped for breath. “That’s what I’m here to ask you about.” Applejack digested this verbal mouthful as quickly as she could. “So… uhm, do ya want me to give ’em a tour of the farm? ’Cause I can do that easily enough.” Pinkie’s eyes widened to saucer-like dimensions. “Really? You don’t mind?” Applejack shook her head and smiled, giving Pinkie a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Now why would I mind havin’ family come visit? It’ll also be fun gettin’ to meet others who can appreciate good farm labour. Just let me know when it is an’ I’ll give ’em the full tour.” Pinkie’s forelegs enveloped Applejack in a crushing bear hug, very nearly squeezing her lungs empty of air. “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou! They’re going to love it, I just know it! Yay!” She let go and instead bounced in an excited circle around Applejack, who was on the floor trying to recover from the vice-like grip. Applejack let out a half chuckle, half cough and rubbed her chest, making sure her ribs really were just sore and not actually broken. “It’s no biggie, sugarcube. Gettin’ to know family is always nice, but if helps you an’ your kin mend fences, I’m all for it. Besides, I’ve shown groups bigger than two ponies ’round the property before, ya know.” “Five, actually,” Pinkie corrected her with a beaming smile. “Limestone and Marble are gonna come too, and Limey’s bringing a coltfriend along as well! Can you believe it? I didn’t know Limey had a coltfriend! How exciting is that?!” “And Limestone and Marble are…?” Applejack prompted after a moment. “Oh! They’re my sisters! Which makes them your cousins! Limestone’s my little sister, and Marble’s my even littler sister!” Applejack shrugged lightly. “Well, the more the merrier. Just let me know in advance when they’ll be comin’ over so I can make sure I don’t have a lot of work to do that day.” “I will. Thanks so much, Applejack!” Pinkie gave Applejack another hug, this one gentle enough that Applejack could actually return the gesture. “I’ve gotta go ask Twilight if they can visit the library too, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know!” “I think the library’s a public place, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a wry smile as Pinkie hopped towards the door. The other pony stopped for a moment to consider this. “Maybe… but Twilight also lives there. Does that make it a public home? Hmm… I think I better ask her anyway. You know how much Twilight likes her silly schedules and checklists. You’d think a pony as smarty-party as her would just remember it all in her head!” Pinkie let out a giggling snort. “Smarty-party! That’s a funny word! Maybe it’s the kind of parties that book-ponies like to have?” Applejack shook her head with a half-smile as Pinkie disappeared out the door. It took her about thirty seconds to realize that all the doors in and out of the farmhouse had been locked prior to Pinkie’s appearance, and it took another minute or two to confirm that they were, in fact, still locked, even though Pinkie was well and truly gone. Applejack resolved not to think too hard about it; Pinkie was, after all, Pinkie, and she still had a book full of numbers upstairs just itching to keep her brain busy. She stopped by the kitchen to put over a kettle of water for some tar-black coffee. So, she’s got younger sisters, huh? she thought, idly tapping a hoof against the kitchen counter as she waited for the water to boil. Wonder if they ever worry about the same things I do. Maybe I just keep fretting over small things. Making mountains out of molehills and all that. She forced the distracting thoughts from her head and placed the coffee pot along with a cup on a wooden tray, balancing it deftly on her back as she headed upstairs again. No more procrastination; she would finish that ledger tonight. “So hey, AJ, I was thinking…” Rainbow Dash said, resting on her stomach on a small low-hanging cloud. The occasional lazy flap of her wings was all she needed to drift along and keep up with Applejack, who was hard at work below her. The farmpony delivered a swift and firm buck to the trunk of the nearest tree, sending a little shower of ripe apples into the baskets placed strategically around it. “Should I be worried?” she asked, a little smirk playing on her lips. It was still early in the morning, and the sun had only recently crawled up on the horizon. On the days where Rainbow was not at the Wonderbolt Academy, she usually slept until she had weather patrol duty, and then took forty winks afterwards before she truly became active, which was usually around midday. Rainbow had showed up some ten minutes ago and had thus far just made idle smalltalk. That she was here likely meant that the pegasus actually did have something important to say. Still, no reason not to wind her up a little first. “I was thinking,” Dash repeated, unfazed, snatching an apple from one of the crown of one of the unbucked trees, “maybe we should open up the Iron Pony competition for others as well this year.” Applejack trotted over to the next tree, clearing it of its fruit with another kick. A quick glance around with an experienced eye told her that no other apples in this end of the orchard were yet ready to be harvested. “Yeah? What makes ya think so, then?” Dash finished her snack and flicked the stripped core nonchalantly over the edge of her cloud bed. “Just thought it might be fun to get others in on it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, kicking your butt in over half of those contests was great and all”—Applejack pointedly refused to comment on that—“but it might be fun to see what others can pull off, too. I know the guys and gals from my Academy class would be psyched to join.” Applejack considered this for a bit, rubbing her chin with a hoof. She glanced up at her pegasus friend with a sly grin. “You sure it ain’t just ’cause yer afraid of goin’ up against me on even terms, RD?” “What?! No way!” Rainbow yelled, jumping to her hooves on the cloud and flaring her wings, looking highly indignant. “I’ll take you on with both wings tied and one hoof behind my back, if that’s how you want it!” Applejack let out a little chuckle and nudged her Stetson hat back a little. Riling up her competitive friend was one of her guilty pleasures, but only because she knew Rainbow could take it and readily took every opportunity to return the favour. “Simmer down, sugarcube, I’m just pullin’ yer tail,” she said, holding up a placating hoof. “Fact of the matter is, I think it’s a great idea. There were some mighty fine athletes at the Running of the Leaves. Could be fun goin’ up against one of them.” Rainbow furled her wings again and sat down on the cloud, looking at least somewhat mollified. “That’s what I said,” she huffed. “I reckon we gotta change the rules a little, though,” Applejack mused, chewing lightly on the inside of her left cheek. “Maybe make separate entries for earth ponies, pegasi an’ unicorns.” Rainbow Dash tilted her head a bit, furrowing her brow. “Huh? Why? What’s the point of that?” Applejack resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she would never call Rainbow a stupid pony, nor did she think her friend was one, but sometimes the pegasus sure was a bit slow on the uptake. “I don’t know ’bout you, but somepony might get a bit peeved if a unicorn were to use her magic to make the horseshoe hit the ringer every time, or, say, a pegasus were to use her wings to get a lil’ extra distance in the long jump contest.” Rainbow had the good grace to look duly chastised. “Okay, fine, separate contests, whatever. But then I want the pegasus competitions to give us a chance to show off some sweet moves in the air.” Applejack nodded thoughtfully. “Sure. We could have contests tailor-made for each race. Probably better that way, actually. I was just thinkin’ we forbade horns and wings from bein’ used, but that might mean you prissy pegasi and unicorns would fall behind when it came to endurance competitions.” “Hey!” “All I’m sayin’ is that it would be kinda hard to make contests where one race or the other wouldn’t be at a disadvantage if all were lumped together.” “I still came up with the idea first,” Rainbow sulked. “Sure ya did, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a little grin, unable to keep herself from prodding the proverbial winged bear a little further. “I just made it better.” Rainbow let out a little snort and pouted. “Making new contests and putting all this stuff together is gonna take forever, though.” Applejack chuckled. “Well, then it’s a good thing we know one pony who thinks organizin’ stuff is just about the best thing since apple fritters. We should probably see if we can’t drum up some support from Mayor Mare, too.” A grin spread across Rainbow Dash’s face and she flared her wings. “Race you to the library!” Applejack returned the grin with one of her own, adjusting her hat so that it was firmly in place. “Get down here on the ground with me an’ I’ll show ya how a real athlete runs.” She cast one last look around the orchard as Rainbow dropped down next to her, double-checking to make sure she had not missed any trees that were ready for bucking. She still had to carry the baskets back to the barn, but that could wait a while. Satisfied that there was nothing stopping her from being able to leave in good conscience, she turned to her friend and nodded. “On the count of three, then. One… two… three!” Rainbow took off the very moment Applejack finished the count, galloping as hard and fast as her legs could carry her, wings pressed firmly against her sides. Applejack ran after her, opting not to burn her energy by trying to pull ahead of the pegasus until the final leg of the race. Pressuring Rainbow at this stage would just result in her continuously trying to push ahead again and again to the point where one or both of them would collapse from exertion. Instead, Applejack began counting again, this time in her head. She reached nine before Rainbow glanced back at her and flashed a grin. “What’s the matter, cowgirl? Getting tired already?” Applejack just smiled back good-naturedly. It had been two whole seconds more than she had anticipated before the quip. Rainbow was improving. “Well, I wasn’t the one lyin’ on mah backside all mornin’.” Rainbow just laughed, slowing her pace slightly to something closer to a brisk canter while still keeping ahead of Applejack by a good distance, evidently confident in her victory. Around them, the leaves had taken on the golden-brown hue of autumn. A chilly wind buffeted the two ponies as they ran, carrying with it a few brown leaves that had already fallen from the trees. Most ponies, including Applejack, knew that the Running of the Leaves event was not strictly necessary for the trees to shed their leaves; eventually they would fall off on their own due to wind and weather, but it would take longer. The Running of the Leaves helped ensure that the trees were ready to endure the cold of the winter months, and that they would make it to the warmth of spring strong and healthy. It was tradition, and Applejack liked traditions; they represented stability and reliability, something that had endured generations before Applejack had been born and which could continue to endure long after her time as well. That was not to say traditions could never adapt or change, but they would retain an essence at their core that was the same through it all. Applejack enjoyed the rhythm that routine brought into her life. Each daily chore around the farm was a little tradition all on its own, from the immutable requirements that the nature of tending to apple trees necessitated to the multitude of little tasks that Applejack and her family had developed to make management of the farm more efficient. The sum of all these parts was that of something greater, something timeless, something that transcended the running of a single farm in Equestria; by doing all these things, Applejack was taking part in a craft that had been practiced since the dawn of ponykind, something as old as her race itself. The thought made her feel an almost serene calm. Sweet Apple Acres would continue to endure as well; it had only grown stronger since Granny Smith’s family had established it, and it would continue to grow and thrive under the care of the Apple family, even when Applejack herself might not be there to— Something stabbed at her chest, not hard and cruel, but tiny pinpricks that hurt nonetheless. For a fleeting moment, Applejack thought she had somehow managed to exhaust herself despite the measured pace of her running. Then she felt something deeper, a feeling of melancholia tugging at her heart. The strange feeling almost overwhelmed her for a moment. She faltered in her steps, which was probably what caused the slightly aggravated yell of “Come on, slowpoke! I thought we were racing here!” to come from the pegasus ahead of her. Applejack swallowed and shook her head, running to catch up with Rainbow, doing her best to shove her thoughts aside. She knew why she had felt what she did, and it aggravated her. You’re being foalish, missy. Look at you; you should be happy for him, but all you can do is be a worry-wart about the future! Applejack suppressed a sigh. You shouldn’t be so selfish about this. They’ll need their space, sure, but Mac getting married doesn’t mean you’re losing a brother; you’re gaining a sister. Heck, odds are you won’t even have to move. Sweet Apple Acres is plenty big to house a whole family, and then some. She resolved to talk to her Mac when he got home. It would be best to clear the air between them. She would never be able to look at herself in the mirror if she was not honest with her brother. Fortunately, Rainbow did not seem to have noticed that anything was amiss, being too focused on the race now that Applejack had caught up with her again. Applejack did not particularly relish the idea of dumping her personal problems on others, but she also knew herself well enough to recognize that she would be unable to deny anything if asked directly. Think of something else. Mac and Cheerilee aren’t gonna be home for another two days; no use fretting over maybes and what ifs just yet. Think about the Iron Pony competition. What contests should be included? She deftly leapt straight over a small stream rather than using the bridge crossing it. The barrel weave is a given. You’ve gotta be both fast and agile to do well at that. The hay bale toss is a good strength contest, and horseshoes is about precision. She began picking up speed as the first rooftops came into view over the crest of the hill they were ascending. Rainbow had not noticed her yet. I wonder if we should have the bucking contest again? That might be giving me an unfair advantage, though. Hmh… Better let Twi decide on that one. She came up side by side with Rainbow before the other mare realized the change of pace. Just as Applejack had predicted, the pegasus immediately started pulling ahead again. Applejack put her thoughts on hold and focused solely on the race. A frantic dash for the finish line began as they neared Golden Oak Library, their combined hoofbeats kicking up a cloud of dust behind them. Houses whipped past them in a blur as they thundered up Ponyville’s main street. The other early bird residents wisely gave them a wide berth, a few of them cheering. Applejack barely heard them, pushing herself to the limit. The great tree which served as both library and dwelling for Ponyville’s sole librarian slash newly minted royalty was less than a hundred metres away. Fifty metres away. Twenty and closing fast. Too fast. The door to the library shook and protested on its hinges as the two overly competitive mares collided with it at charging speed. Rainbow groaned and clutched her head with which she had inadvertently tried to ram the door. Most of Applejack’s right side and her right shoulder in particular hurt something fierce for the same reason, though she had at least managed to avert her head. “Call it a draw?” Applejack asked, wincing as she tried to push herself onto her hooves. “Yeah…” Rainbow mumbled from her position on the ground. The door to the library-tree opened after a moment. Spike looked at the two with an expression that was probably less surprised than it ought to have been at finding a pair of battered mares on the doorstep. “Can I… help you?” he asked, puzzled. He glanced at Rainbow who was still rocking back and forth on her rump, letting out little hissing noises whenever she touched the rapidly-forming swelling on her forehead. “Maybe an ice pack before that bump gets any worse?” The pegasus gave the tiniest of affirmative nods. “Do you mind?” Spike disappeared back into the library, returning after a short while with a bag of ice cubes. Rainbow gratefully took the bag and slapped it against her forehead, keeping it in place with a hoof. The diminutive dragon turned his attention to Applejack. “So, uh, is there something you need? I take it you’re not here to borrow books?” “Who says we ain’t?” Applejack replied with a little grin as she stood up somewhat painfully. “Maybe I’m here to borrow A Concise History of Equestria, or some fancy new cookbook.” “Right,” Spike agreed, turning about halfway before stopping. “Uh, are you here to borrow either of those?” Applejack chuckled and shook her head. “Naw, just messin’ with ya, big guy. Not today, anyhow. Don’t suppose Twi is around, is she?” Spike nodded and beckoned them to follow. “She’s upstairs in her room. I think she’s still sleeping. She went on this big reading binge last night. Again.” Now that Applejack was inside the library, she could see that many of the bookshelves had gaping holes in their rows where books had been removed. Some of them barely had half their books remaining. Applejack let out a low whistle. “What’s the occasion? Nothin’ serious, is it?” The dragon shook his head. “Nah, I’d have told you if it was. She’s just getting herself worked up with this whole princess thing. Politics, etiquette, that kind of stuff,” he said with a little huff, crossing his arms. “That still sounds pretty bonkers to me,” Rainbow muttered. Applejack glanced at the little custodian’s sour face for a moment. “She took one of the books you were readin’, didn’t she?” Spike scowled at her, though she could tell his resentment was not directed at her. “Dragon Diplomacy. I was just starting on it, too.” She chuckled and gave him a reassuring smile. “We’ll see if we can’t liberate it from her. Though maybe we should come back later if she’s still sleeping.” “Nah, it’s fine. I was about to wake her anyway when you two showed up. She’s supposed to be meeting Mayor Mare at ten. Go on up and I’ll get some breakfast going for her.” Applejack nodded and turned to Rainbow with a grin. “Come on, RD, let’s go wake up little Miss Princess.” Applejack pushed the door open and peeked into the dark bedroom. The curtains were drawn shut over the windows, leaving the light seeping in from the open doorway as the only source of illumination. She glanced around at the veritable fortress of books cluttering up the room, obscuring what other furniture there might be except for a table upon which stood a tray with a half-eaten meal. The room’s occupant was currently snoring on the bed, lying flat on her stomach, legs and wings sprawled on the linen. An open book rested on top of her head, leaving only a purple muzzle sticking out from beneath the bottom. “Sheesh, look at that mess,” Rainbow hissed. “Well, the room could use a bit of tidyin’ up, that’s for sure,” Applejack agreed. “Not that! Her wings! Look at them!” It took Applejack a moment to realize what it was the pegasus meant, but looking more closely, it became apparent to her just how ruffled and disheveled Twilight’s wings looked compared to Rainbow’s or Fluttershy’s. A number of loose feathers lay strewn about the bed as well. As she moved closer, Applejack could read the title of the book resting on Twilight’s face: Preening for Dummies. It looked like the poor filly was having difficulties adjusting to having an extra pair of appendages. If Spike had not told her that Twilight had a meeting later, Applejack would have been tempted to let the exhausted alicorn sleep. As it was, she cleared her throat. “Twi?” There was no response. “Twilight?” she repeated, a little louder. Rainbow trotted over to the bed and shook Twilight’s shoulder. “Hey, Twilight! Get your flank in gear! Nap time is over!” she barked, small droplets of condensed water from the ice pack running down her forehead. “Save it, RD. If our rammin’ of the door didn’t stir her, we’re gonna need some harsher methods.” Applejack knew of one way to get Twilight’s attention that worked supremely well, at least when she was awake. Odds were it might even affect her sleep too. She gave the nearest book a little nudge to let it slide from its stack. Unfortunately, she had not accounted for just how wobbly the pile was. At least the collapse of the entire book tower had the intended effect. Twilight jumped to her hooves with a yelp as the books fell to the floor, staring around wildly for a moment before her eyes settled on Rainbow, Applejack and the toppled stack of books. “Mornin’, Yer Majesty,” Applejack said with a sheepish grin. She felt a little bad for knocking over all those books, but short of firing Pinkie’s party cannon next to Twilight’s ear, she could not think of another way to have awakened the alicorn. “Yer humble subjects, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, ask for an audience with ya.” Twilight let out a little groan and rubbed sleep from her eyes. “Not now, Applejack. It’s far too early for the whole ‘princess’ thing.” Applejack nodded guiltily. She and Rainbow had been teasing Twilight since her coronation whenever the opportunity presented itself. Twilight had embraced it with a laugh, but there were evidently limits. “Sorry, Twi, but Spike told us ya had a meetin’ to get to later. With Mayor Mare.” Twilight suppressed a yawn with a hoof. “Oh, right. I had almost forgotten that…” Without looking, she began to stack the fallen books again, the soft shimmer of her magic casting the dimly lit room in a purple glow. “What’s with all the books?” Rainbow asked, indicating the cramped room with a sweeping hoof. Applejack noticed that Twilight was not just stacking the books; she was sorting them alphabetically. “Preparation.” Twilight pulled an alarm clock from beneath a paperback on her nightstand, checking the time. “I have to be ready for when Celestia or Luna sends word that they can begin instructing me in… whatever it is they expect me to do.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “They haven’t told ya yet?” “That’s the thing!” Twilight cried out, looking at her with tired eyes and frazzled mane. “Celestia just said that she would contact me ‘soon’! I’m going stir-crazy just waiting and trying to guess what I might get tested in!” Applejack let out an inward sigh. Twilight had a unique knack for overcomplicating everything, whether it was warranted or not. “So yer response is to just read everythin’?” “Well, what else can I do?” Twilight said with an exasperated expression. “Spike said ya went ahead an’ took a book he was readin’ about dragons.” The alicorn’s cheeks turned a faint shade of red. “Well… What if a delegation of dragons should suddenly show up and Celestia expected me to deal with them?” She looked from Applejack to Rainbow, but the pegasus’ nonplussed expression mirrored that on Applejack’s face. “I was going to give it back to him as soon as I finished reading! I was!” she continued defensively. “You know, you could have asked me or Fluttershy to show you how to preen yourself. I think we’re just a little bit better at teaching you that than some book is,” Rainbow said with a hint of what Applejack assumed was indignation in her voice. Twilight blinked, her mouth opening and closing without words for a moment. “Oh… right. I, uh, hadn’t actually thought about that…” Sheesh, she really needs to take her mind off this. Rarity would probably send her to the spa, but I bet she’d still be thinking about stuff there. Applejack walked up to Twilight and gently put a hoof on her shoulder. “Twi… how’d ya like somethin’ to do that ain’t about bein’ princessy at all?” Twilight’s head whirled around to look at Applejack with an intense, hopeful stare. “Yes! What do you need me to do? A thesis? Algebra? Mapping the stars again? Give me something, anything!” “How about organizing this year’s Iron Pony competition so that anypony who likes can attend?” Rainbow asked. “Applejack and I were gonna do it ourselves, but we figured it might be more fun for an egghead like you.” Twilight’s weary face lit up in a bright smile, completely unperturbed by the egghead monicker. It had long since ceased to be mocking and had turned into more of an affectionate nickname. “You had me at ‘organizing.’” Like a kitten with a ball of yarn, Applejack thought with a little chuckle. “Even so, maybe we oughta tell ya a lil’ more ’bout what we were thinkin’ of…”