//------------------------------// // i // Story: Y'allin' // by shortskirtsandexplosions //------------------------------// “Twilight Sparkle!” Applejack shifted the weight of apple baskets on her flank and shuffled forward. “Just the Princess I wanted to see! Heheh...” She leaned in with a home-grown smirk. “I was told that ya wanted to speak to me?” “Uhhhh...” Twilight blinked. She glanced at Rarity, the stared out the front door to the Palace. “...you were?” In the distance, Rainbow Dash could be seen diving through the bright morning haze. She saluted from afar, twirled around with the hint of a smirk, and zipped off towards the glowing horizon. Twilight clenched her jaw. After a breath, she muttered, “Yeah... I was... I-I was hoping to have a word with you.” She gulped. “Or... perhaps one and a half.” “Well, good thang I was settin' out this early to sell apples downtown!” Applejack adjusted her hat. “Still, reckon I could spare a half-hour before I set up shop.” She glanced aside and nodded her head. “Howdy, Rarity. Lookin' snazzy this hour.” “Naturally.” Rarity cleared her throat. “I think I'll... uhm...” She pointed deeper into the Palace and trotted to the next room. “...I-I'll be in the library with Twilight's new dress. Counting... petticoats. And then some.” Applejack's orange brow furrowed as she watched the fashionista leave the scene. “Huh... I wonder what got stuck in her craw.” The mare shrugged. “Ah well...” She leaned against the door frame and smiled Twilight's way. “What can I do ya for, Princess?” She plucked a fruit from her basket and hoofed it out before the mare. “Want a bite? They're freshly-picked! Got up before the rooster crowed for this here bushel! Heheh...” “Thanks, Applejack...” “Now why dun y'all tell me what's on yer mind?” Upon hearing that, Twilight's eyes twitched. She looked up at the mare, her muzzle quivering. She looked at the apple offering, then at the thick paper in her grasp. “Hmmm?” Applejack leaned her smiling face to the side. “Well?” “I... I-I...” Twilight hugged the treatise tighter and tighter. Finally, a few sheets slid loose, collecting at her hooves. That's when the alicorn collapsed. Tears welled up in her eyes and she burst with a quiet sob, covering her face. “Oh Applejack... Applejack, I'm so sorry...” The farm mare's lips pursed. “Why... what's the matter, sugarcube???” She leaned in, resting a hoof on the Princess' shoulder. “What's gotten you so worked up? You can talk to me about it!” “That's j-just it...” Twilight sobbed and sniffled. She rubbed her eyes and muzzle—but still couldn't summon the strength to look the other pony directly in the face. “I wanted to talk to you about something. I wanted to talk to you about something so very badly... but now... when I see you... when I hear the warmth in your voice...” She stammered, her breath reduced to sporadic hiccups. “Twilight, just spit it out, darlin'!” Applejack cooed, lovingly stroking the mare's wet cheek. “Ain't nothin' y'all can offend me with! We're friends!” “Yes...” Twilight shuddered. “Yes, we are...” She smiled, finally making eye contact with the pony. “I love you so much, Applejack. I... I don't want you to ever change. I don't want any of my friends to change who and what they are.” “Well, I reckon not.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “But... somethang's got ya bothered real bad. Tell me, Twilight... did... did I do somethin' to offend you?” “No! Not at all!” Twilight instantly cringed. “And yet... mmmm... yes.” “Then tell me, sweetheart,” Applejack said, smiling kindly. “Tell me so that I may learn right.” “It's... it's not about learning...” Twilight shuddered, gazing at the sheets of paper beneath them, between them. “Not really. I... I just...” She ran a hoof through her mane, then exhaled heavily. Her dull eyes swam in Applejack's direction. “The other day... when the Duke visited... you know—Duke Autum Breeze of the Stone Trot Valley?” “You betcha...” “You... uhm...” Twilight gulped. “You sp-spoke with him, Applejack, and... uhm...” Her eyes twitched. “You were polite! You were on your absolute best behavior! Th-that wasn't the issue!” “Then what was, darlin'?” Applejack's lips pursed. “What was the issue?” “You... uhhh... you k-kinda sorta... referred to him with a grammatically incorrect pluralized contraction...” Twilight winced, leaning back as if preparing for a freckled cobra strike. “...even though he was only one... gazelle?” “... ... ...” Applejack stared at the Princess. “And... and do you even remember how long he just... gazed at you in awkward silence immediately afterwards?” “Hmmmmm...” Applejack leaned back, her apple baskets shifting on either side of her. “Awkward silence... awkward silence...” She tapped her chin in intense thought. “...this was when I said what now?” “Uhm... y'know... one of your usual colloquialisms... only... only I-I think it caught him off guard.” Twilight bit her lip. Applejack's eyes darted left and right for a good half-minute. At last, her gaze twitched in the mare's direction. “... ... ...you mean 'Y'all?'” “Yes! Yes, Applejack!” Twilight exhaled. “You referred to the Duke as 'Y'all!'” “Heh... fancy that.” Applejack chuckled, smiling into nothingness. A few blinks later, she looked at the Princess again. “And is that wrong or somethin'?” “You mean you don't know?!?” Applejack shrugged. “Every so often, I'm bein' told that the way I say thangs ain't proper-like. To be honest, I dun think much of it. Erm... just how many times did I use it in front of the Duke?” “Well, just one time, really.” Twilight dryly gulped. “But... but it was enough for me to notice a distinct reaction from him.” “Well, shoot...” Applejack lowered her hat to her fuzzy chest. “Hope I didn't start no war or nothin'.” She gulped. “The War of the Y'alls.” “No, Applejack—” “'Cuz that wouldn't do one lick of good, y'all bein' princess and all...” Applejack's muzzle twisted almost instantly. “Erm... I mean... y-you—” “Applejack, please...” Twilight reached forward, bracing the mare's shoulders. “Just... just...” She sighed, sniffling one last time. “Quit while you're ahead.” “But... but I dun get it, Twilight...” Applejack plopped her hat back on her folded ears. “Ain't this the heart of the issue? I'm... I'm sayin' somethin' uncivil-like, apparently.” “But you don't have to change the way you talk in front of me,” Twilight said with a soft smile. “Honestly. I... I got worked up about it, but that's my own fault. Just... erm...” She blushed slightly. “When you're talking to diplomats... I... I hope it's not too much to ask—” “That I mind my tongue a bit more.” Applejack nodded with a smile. “Can do, darlin'! Just say the word and I'll... not say the word.” “Mmmm...” Twilight sighed, covering her face with a hoof. “It... it's not that simple, really.” “Then you'll definitely have to lend me some help with the matter. Sometimes I'm so casual, Twilight, that I just can't help myself.” She pointed at the papers on the floor. “What're these? Cheat sheets for perusin'?” “A-and it doesn't have to be that complex either, Applejack!” Twilight's voice cracked. “Look, I... I overreacted.” She sighed. “As always. But... still...” She bit her lip with a humble twinkle to her eyes. “If... if you don't mind being a bit more formal with the dignitaries we're trying to be friends with?” Applejack chuckled... then chuckled harder. To that, Twilight arched an eyebrow. “What... wh-what's so funny?” “That's just the thang, Twilight. Now, I know I may not look the type...” Applejack rested a hoof over her chest. “...but I've stressed over this sort of matter myself from time to time.” “You?!” Twilight pointed with a gawking expression. “Stressed?!” “Hey, dun let it carry around, y'hear?” Applejack looked over her shoulders at the sunny lengths of Ponyville. She leaned in through the Palace doorframe. “Ever since I made the trip to Manehattan as a little filly, I've always been sweatin' myself somethin' fierce over how I make myself look and sound in front of other ponies at formal shindigs.” She leaned back with a more confident smile. “But... ever since you became Princess... eheheh... reckon I've let most of that slide. I suppose that's mighty lazy of me.” “I... I don't understand,” Twilight murmured. “Twilight, it's like this... y'hear?” Applejack trotted over and plopped down beside the alicorn. She gestured with her hooves as she spoke. “I'm most relaxed when I'm with my friends... 'bout as relaxed as I am with my family. Cuz y'all are my friends.” She blushed slightly. “Erm... by 'y'all' I'm meanin' you and the girls.” Twilight nodded. “Yes. I get it, Applejack.” “And... well...” Applejack shrugged. “If what we're destined to do in this here Palace is make new friends... with these here cutie marks flashin' super bright whenever there's a new friendship quest to be done n'whatnot...” She smiled. “Why not be relaxed and casual-like with everypony? Dun that make any sense?” “So... what you're saying is—” “Sugarcube, I can't rightly count how many times I've used 'y'all' in a way that makes yer royal skin crawl,” Applejack said. “But... I reckon it's just my means of showin' that I care deeply about y'all.” She smiled, adding with a glowing wink: “All y'all.” She chuckled in a deep voice. “And now that we have all these fancy new foreigners visitin' from Celestia-knows over yonder to make amends with the Princess of Friendship and her best gal pals, well, I want them to feel at home in my heart too! So they all... join y'all... y'all hear?” Twilight giggled. She wiped her cheeks dry and nodded with a rosy smile. “Yes, Applejack. I hear. And I understand.” She placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. “And that's very... very thoughtful of you.” “Pffft. If ya say so.” Applejack shrugged. “I figured the whole point was to not put any thought into it at all!” “Eheheheh...” Twilight nodded, sighing. “And that's a fine art that I've... been known to struggle with.” “I'd say.” Applejack looked at all the spilled notes beneath them. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you was preparin' for a griffon ambassador to set up a brief stay in yer foyer.” “Heeheehee... it's just as well.” Twilight shuddered. “You... you don't want to know how far I was going off the deep end about... about... well...” She rolled her eyes. “Guess it doesn't matter now.” “Now dun be sayin' that.” Applejack gazed thoughtfully at the Princess. “I can see how this is very important to you, bein' Celestia's representative of friendship'n'all.” Nostrils flaring, she stood up and helped Twilight onto her hooves with a strong grip. “If it means so much to you, Twilight, I'll do my darnedest to use less farmstead words around our visitors who might happen to be sportin' crowns and tiaras.” “But, Applejack, it's... I mean I don't...” Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “You really shouldn't have to change who you are or how you—” “There's a time and a place for everythang, Twilight,” Applejack said. “I'm old enough to know when to put on airs and when not to.” She smiled. “And I've been blessed to know you long enough to have an inklin' on when to flip that same etiquette switch on and off.” She chuckled. “In a way, I should be thankin' ya.” “No, Applejack. I'm the one who should be thankful,” Twilight said with a soft breath. “You've taught me long ago the value of honesty. Next time, I promise, I'll just come to you directly if I feel like there's... an issue of any sort.” “Heh... I look forward to it,” Applejack said. “Any opportunity to talk with my favorite Princess is just fine and dandy.” “Oh Applejack...” Twilight sighed, leaning forward to nuzzle the mare. “You really are best pony.” “Heheheheh... shhhh...” Applejack nuzzled her back and pointed towards the library room of the Palace. “Not so loud, darlin'. Even the ponyquins have her eyes and ears.” Twilight giggled. “Somehow, I don't think Rarity would protest.” “Whew-wee! That would be a first!” Applejack tilted her hat, then shuffled around. “Well, I'd best be gettin' to my fruit vendor. Y'all—” Her teeth gritted, nearly producing sparks. She turned the grimace into a sheepish smile about halfway through. “...you take care of yourselves... self... mrmmmf... you get it.” “Yes, I do.” Twilight waved. “And have a wonderful, prosperous day, Applejack.” “Will do.” And the mare trotted off, casually humming a countrified tune. Smiling to herself, Twilight closed the door to her palace. Picking up every loose sheet with her magic, she sighed and trotted into the center room with a delightful bounce to her canter.