Octavia sighed, her stare as blank as the sheet of paper lying in front of her. The wedding was only two days away, and her attempts at composing a suitable song for the occasion was met with limited success.
Music practices with Fluttershy and the other musicians ended a few days ago. Their last session was nothing short of stupendous, and so they all agreed that they would all just spend the remaining days resting up for the big day and continue practicing on their own time. Fluttershy went on to help the rest of their friends, while Octavia used the extra free time to work on her reception performance.
She had managed to cobble together one composition, and it was decent enough. However, decent did not sit well with Octavia, and so she sat herself back in front of her desk, racking her brains to try and come up with a more worthy piece.
The process was proving difficult. She lacked the inspiration or spark to help her portray the love felt when one was with their special somepony, and it was annoying her immensely. Before the wedding, she never put too much, if any, thought on romance, somewhat content with just her family, her music, and Fancy Pants’s insufferable company. Spending time with Applejack and her friends had opened her heart and mind to the possibility that there was so much more out there.
A frown was etched onto her face as Octavia’s mind drifted to her other distraction: Twilight. While Octavia and her other friends were completing their parts in the wedding and enjoying their time together, the paranoid unicorn was slowly getting worse. Besides begrudgingly doing her job in helping to keep track of everything for the wedding, Twilight spent a great deal of her time trying to stalk Cadance. The meager time that Octavia and her friends were able to spend with the purple unicorn was often just filled with rants of how awful the bride to be supposedly was.
They tried to calm her down numerous times, but Twilight was adamant on her hostile stance. Since they were not getting through to her, they tried to get somepony else that would get her to listen.
Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, would likely sway her, but the two of them were flying in and out of Canterlot everyday, investigating the possible threat while also juggling their usual duties.
Shining Armor was also unreachable. As Captain of the Royal Guard, he was in charge of maintaining Canterlot’s defense. Not only that, he was the sole caster that produced the massive barrier that surrounded the city. Even without much knowledge of spells, Octavia knew that keeping the shield up must put a heavy strain on anypony, and hearing that the captain was exhausted and suffering from frequent migraines only confirmed it.
Even Twilight’s parents were not available, having been called away for urgent work matters. It almost seemed like something behind the scenes was working against her.
As a last resort, they urged Twilight to have a long, civil talk to Cadance, but after the hostile pony refused, calling the pink alicorn a liar, narcissist, and many more harsher names, the idea was quickly discarded.
Octavia sighed again and set down her quill. Thinking of Twilight’s unfortunate circumstances as well as not being able to conjure up a better song was proving tiresome, prompting her for a break.
She went down to her kitchen and started preparing some coffee. Her kitchen was restocked a day after her return to Canterlot and after she paid Fancy Pants a visit, thanking him for his help and adding a few more choice comments about his housekeeping abilities. She was also pleased to find out that smacking her friend was still an enjoyable activity. The visit ended some time after Fancy Pants informed Octavia, between his supposedly exaggerated yelps of pain, that he would also be attending the wedding.
Under normal circumstances, she would have instead use the break time to check up on her friends, but today, Princess Celestia had scheduled a rehearsal of the wedding ceremony, and her friends were part of it.
Just yesterday, Cadance had unexpectedly replaced all of her bridesmaids for her friends. She did not give any reason, but they all guessed it was a reward for their hard work. Everypony but Twilight was ecstatic, and the joy grew even more when Cadance invited Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo to be the flower girls.
Just as the coffee finished brewing, somepony knocked on the door.
Octavia made her way to the door and opened it. She let out a gasp.
Applejack stood before her, and she looked awful. Her body sagged as though there was a heavy weight on it, and even though there was only a small frown on her face, Octavia could see the dejection in Applejack’s slightly-reddened eyes.
“Applejack, are you alright?” Octavia asked.
“Not really,” Applejack weakly answered. “You mind if Ah come in for a talk?”
“Of course,” Octavia quickly obliged, ushering Applejack inside and seating her at the kitchen table.
“Careful, I just finished making the coffee,” Octavia warned as she swiftly poured a cup of coffee and placed it in front of Applejack. “It’s a bit—” Her eyes widened when her friend promptly grabbed the cup and took a hefty swig of the hot beverage. “—hot…”
Applejack panted heavily as she roughly slammed her cup back onto the table.
“What happened, Applejack, and why are you not at the rehearsal?” Octavia asked.
Applejack sighed and rested her forelegs on the table, covering her face with her hooves. “Twilight,” was all she said.
Octavia felt a chill run through her. “What did she do that made you like this?” she asked as she sat down on the opposite side of the table facing Applejack.
Applejack sighed again while her hooves slowly dropped from her face onto the table. “Twilight was supposed to be there as Shinin’ Armor’s best mare, but since she did not show up, we decided to continue on without her. A few minutes later, she barged into the room, shoutin’ that Cadance was evil. She still thinks Cadance is terrible because of her demands, but she also accused her of doin’ somethin’ to the bridesmaids before us, and even claimed that she saw Cadance perform some sort of spell on Shinin’ Armor when she tried to talk to him last night.”
Applejack’s gaze drifted down to the table. “It was scary watchin’ her, but we were all too shocked to do anythin’. Even worse, she was grinnin’ for almost the entire time. Even when Cadance burst into tears and fled the room, she chased after her, shoutin’ that Cadance was just tryin’ to ruin her brother’s life.”
“Oh Twilight…” Octavia shook her head. She let out a small sigh and looked back up at Applejack. “What happened next?”
“Shinin’ Armor got Twilight to listen to him as he pretty much shot down each of her reasons one by one. Cadance’s spells were meant to help keep him healthy, so he could maintain the big shield around the city, and the former bridesmaids were replaced because they were usin’ her to meet other important ponies. Shinin’ Armor was so angry, he was almost shoutin’ at Twilight before he pretty much uninvited her to the weddin’ and went after Cadance.”
Octavia let out a groan and buried her face into her forehooves. “And what did the rest of you do?”
“We were also mad at her for what she did, not to mention disappointed. She took it too far. Even Princess Celestia was unhappy. We ended up agreein’ to leave Twilight alone to think about her actions while we go help Cadance and Shinin’ Armor.” Applejack slumped into her seat. “We just left her there…”
Octavia sat silently, looking down at the table as she mulled over what she had just heard. Twilight was usually so friendly and considerate of others. Hearing about her behavior was shocking and distressing.
Glancing up at Applejack, she saw that her friend was also staring at the table, and the morose look on Applejack’s face told her that she was taking the event hard. Whatever Applejack was dealing with was likely much worse since she actually witnessed it.
“How are you feeling?” Octavia asked.
“Confused,” Applejack replied as she lay the side of her head onto the table. “It’s all just a big mess, and it’s really eatin’ me up.”
“Then let’s get through it together. That’s why you came here, isn’t it?”
“Yea. The others were still too angry, and Ah was hopin’ since you weren’t there, you would have a clearer head to help me out.”
“I’ll do whatever I can. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Well, when we left Twilight, Ah was still fumin’ over what she did, but right before we went to search for Cadance and Shinin’ Armor, Ah took one last look back at Twilight.” Applejack shut her eyes and let out a huge sigh. “The look on her face… Ah never saw her that sad before… That’s when Ah excused myself and came here…” Her eyes opened again, looking directly at Octavia’s. “Ah just dunno if Ah should still be angry at her or feelin’ sorry for her.”
Octavia slowly nodded. “Keep going. We’ll figure it out.”
Applejack sat back up, taking another deep breath before continuing. “It’s just that this whole thing could have been avoided if she wasn’t so stubborn and just listened to us.” She shook her head. “Doesn’t she trust us? Ah know we were all busy with our jobs, but we still saw her often enough to try and convince her.”
Applejack’s frown grew bigger. “When Ah saw how we left her, it made me feel like we were abandonin’ her. We’re her friends. We’re supposed to stick together no matter what, even if…”
“Even if what?” Octavia asked when Applejack trailed off.
Applejack sighed. “Even if she might have deserved it.” She shut her eyes and hung her head. “Ah’m probably an awful friend for just thinkin’ that.”
“Applejack, you’re a wonderful friend,” Octavia replied. “Don’t ever forget that. We’re just caught up in one big unfortunate and confusing situation.”
“Then what do you think of the situation?”
Octavia took a moment to tap her chin with her forehoof. “I think you’re angry and disappointed at Twilight because you feel betrayed. She did not just hurt Cadance and Shining Armor, but she hurt you as well. She ignored us. We were there for her, but she did not listen to us. I know I’m feeling the same way, and I’m guessing the others are as well.”
“So, are you sayin’ she deserved what we did to her?”
Octavia shook her head. “I didn’t say that.”
“Then you’re sayin’ she doesn’t.”
Octavia shook her head again. “I didn’t say that either.”
Applejack cocked her head. “Ah’m not sure Ah’m followin’ you.”
“Don’t get me wrong, what Twilight did was awful, but we both know that she would never hurt us intentionally. She loves her brother very much and only wanted to help him, but there’s the saying, love makes us do crazy things. She got overprotective of her brother and convinced herself that she was right despite the evidence contradicting it. She let her emotions cloud her judgement.”
“So, did we do the right thing?”
Octavia sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t think there really is a right answer for this situation.”
Applejack wilted. “Ah see…”
The two of them drifted back into silence, an oppressive weight permeating the room.
“Do… do you think after all this, Twilight still think of us as her friends?” Applejack suddenly asked.
Octavia’s eyes shot wide open. “W-what makes you ask that?”
Applejack bit her lip. “Well, considerin’ everythin’ that just happened…”
Octavia slowly nodded. “I guess that is true…” She sat back into her seat, folding her hooves across her chest. “Let me ask you this, do you still want to be her friend?”
“Of course Ah do,” Applejack replied immediately.
“Then yes, you’ll still be friends,” Octavia answered.
Applejack stared at her with wide eyes. “Just like that? How can you be so sure?”
“You girls faced numerous dangers and accomplished great feats that many ponies will remember for a long time. You wouldn’t be able to do all that if you all weren’t such great friends.”
“Yea, but in all those times, we worked together towards a common goal. This situation ain’t nothin’ like that. Instead of fightin’ some villain, we’re fightin’ each other.”
“That may be true, but I also remember a bunch of stories you told me of how you girls sometimes had an argument or fought with each other. Every one of them ended with you working through each other’s differences and becoming better friends. This whole wedding debacle might seem bleak, but this is just another obstacle I know you girls will overcome. Do you really think after all you had been through together, one mistake is going to bring it all down?”
“Ah guess not…” was Applejack’s reply, but it was laced with uncertainty.
“There’s no guessing,” Octavia stated. “You either want to stay friends or not.”
“Ah want to,” Applejack replied with determination.
“Then fight for it. If you keep on doubting yourself and Twilight, things will never get better.”
Applejack sat silently, looking right into Octavia’s eyes. After a moment, a smile appeared on her face, the first since she arrived. It was a small smile, but just seeing it on her friend’s face filled Octavia with relief. “You’re right,” she said. “Ah got to stop mopin’ around, so we can fix this. We just have to figure out what to do with Twilight.”
“It probably would be for the best if we all just slept on it tonight,” suggested Octavia. “It will allow everypony to clear their heads, but tomorrow, we need to get everypony together and have a long talk.”
Applejack nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me. A long talk will do us all a world of good, and then after that, we can help Twilight convince Cadance and Shinin’ Armor to let her stay for the wedding.”
“I’m sure they will after everything is explained. Once that’s over, we can finally enjoy the wedding.”
“Yea, finally. Ah think we all need a good break after all this. Maybe we could stay in Canterlot with you for a bit before headin’ back.”
“My door is always open to you all,” Octavia replied with a smile.
“Yea…” Applejack’s eyes glanced back down to the table. “Hey listen, Octavia, Ah just want to thank you… for everythin’.”
Octavia waved a dismissal hoof. “Really, it’s no big deal. We all have been on edge lately with the wedding, and despite what happened, I’m glad we found a solution.”
“Not just here, I mean everythin’. Helpin’ out at Sweet Apple Acres, stickin’ with me at the family reunion, bein’ nice to my family, and even…” Applejack paused for a breath. “even for… you know…” She took another breath. “Everythin’ that you done for me, it means a lot.”
Octavia placed one of her forehooves on Applejack’s, causing her to look up at her, and gave her a soft smile. “Don’t forget, you helped me as well. Not only with my music, but my life. Before I met you, I only really cared about my parents and my music. I even had Fancy Pants as a friend. I thought all of that would be enough for me. Now, I have a bunch of wonderful friends that have given me many of the happiest memories of my life.”
Applejack smiled back. “Same here. Havin’ you at Ponyville was some of my best times as well.” She bit her lip and started fidgeting nervously. “What Ah want to know is… um… well, what are you gonna do after the weddin’?”
Octavia’s smile slowly disappeared as she stared at Applejack.
Applejack bowed her head. “Sorry, Ah know Ah ask you this kind of thing a lot. It’s just that Ah really like havin’ you around, but Ah also understand that your music is important to you, and Canterlot is the best place for it. Ah know it’s not like you’re gonna disappear if you stay here since Ponyville is just a train ride away, but Ah thought it would be kind of nice if you happen to live in Ponyville, and Ah’m sure all of our friends would think the same thing, not to mention my family. In fact—”
“Applejack, stop,” Octavia interrupted.
“Sorry, guess Ah got carried away,” Applejack apologized sheepishly.
“It’s alright,” Octavia assured. “And to answer your question… I don’t know.”
“Oh,” was all Applejack uttered with a tinge of disappointment.
Octavia sighed. “To be honest, I have been thinking about this for some time, but I still don’t know what I want. Choosing one place over the other means I will have to sacrifice something. If I stay in Canterlot, it would be easy to continue my musical pursuits, but then I wouldn’t be able to see you all as much.”
Applejack just slowly nodded.
“On the other hoof,” Octavia continued. “if I did happen to move to Ponyville, the reverse would be true. I’ll be able to see all of you everyday, but there would not be as many opportunities to perform.”
“Would it be possible to just commute to Canterlot everyday?” asked Applejack.
“I thought about that too. It would seem like the best of both worlds, but the logistics don’t add up. Even though a train ride from Ponyville to Canterlot is not too long, it’s still taking a good chunk of my day just riding it back and forth. On the busier days, I would just be waking up in Ponyville, spend the entire day in Canterlot, and then come back to Ponyville to sleep.”
“Kind of defeats the purpose then, huh?”
“I apologize if it just seems like I’m making excuses, I just have to figure out what is more important to me. My music or my friends?” Octavia grimaced. “I’m sorry, that just sounds absolutely horrible.”
Applejack shook her head. “No, it’s alright. Ah get it. Performing music is your special talent and your dream, and Ah know Ponyville ain’t exactly the best place to help with that.”
“But you’re all important to me too,” Octavia protested. She let out a huff. “At least if I pick Ponyville, I will make you and the others happier.”
“But would you be happy with it?” Applejack asked.
“Well, of course. I’ll be able to see you all.”
“And can you honestly say that you would not regret it, knowing how it could affect your music career?”
Octavia bit her lip as Applejack stared into her eyes. “Um, yes?”
One of Applejack’s eyebrows raised.
Octavia groaned. “Ok fine, I don’t know.” She rubbed her temples with her forehooves. “I must seem so selfish, but it’s just all so complicated.”
“Sugarcube, you’re the exact opposite of that,” Applejack stated. “Ever since we met, you have been helpin’ out and carin’ for me, my friends, and my family. Ah understand what you’re goin’ through. Havin’ to choose between somethin’ you have been workin’ on for your whole life and somethin’ else is tough.”
“But I will eventually have to choose,” Octavia reminded.
“Look, don’t worry about this. Maybe we should just do what you recommended earlier and sleep on it,” suggested Applejack.
Octavia nodded. “You’re right. We should be concentrating on taking care of Twilight first anyway.”
“Yea, it’s not like you have to make your decision now,” Applejack remarked. A small smile appeared on her face. “Look, while Ah would like it if you moved to Ponyville, Ah’ll support whatever you choose. Just know that you’ll always be welcome at Sweet Apple Acres.”
Octavia smiled back. “Thank you.”
Octavia glanced at a clock. “My goodness, we have been talking for a long time. It’s getting late.”
Applejack checked the clock herself. “Guess it is. Ah suppose Ah should be headin’ back.”
After bidding each other goodbye, Octavia watched Applejack get up and start walking out of the kitchen, only to stop.
“Is something the matter?” Octavia asked when Applejack just stood there for a few moments.
Applejack turned back around to her and rubbed the back of her head with a forehoof. “Well, Ah was kind of thinkin’ that since we might not be seein’ each other as much after the weddin’, do you think it would be alright if Ah could maybe… stay the night?”
Octavia chuckled. “Of course.”
Applejack sat back down and the two of them continued to talk with each other well into night, enjoying each other’s company.
As they conversed, Octavia remembered she still needed to see if she could compose a better song, but she quickly dismissed it. At least for tonight, Applejack was more important.