I was on a food run this evening when a thought came to my mind about a possible story idea. Setting, a few weeks after MMC, and Luna is trying to get Twilight caught up on all the political stuff she tried to ignore when she was just Celestia's apprentice. When Twilight comes across a listing of which duchies comes under which responsibilities of which nobles, she freezes at a particular one.
- - -
"So, your grace, when were you going to clue us in?" Twilight asked, not upset, just a little shocked.

Applejack sighed as she looked over her shoulder. "I didn't think it was going to be so soon, your highness," she confessed in a cultured Manehattenite accent, lowering her hoof from its intended arc, turning toward Twilight. "Personally, I was hoping it wouldn't be until there was another Duchess in line."

"Applejack, you know you don't have to call me Your highness."

Applejack looked pained. "Then please don't call me your grace. I'm not even half as comfortable with the title as you are with being a princess."

"So what really happened in Manehatten then?"

- -
The idea is that what Applejack didn't admit to when she was telling her cutiemark story is that she only volunteered to go to Manehatten because she wanted to keep Big Mac from being saddled with the Duchy. Her cousins the Oranges, besides being minor title-holders, were also noted in the family for being instructors in the political wheeling and dealing and all the little 'niceties' of court. She actually saw Twilight while at court shortly after her selection as Celestia's student, and fell in crush with her, but considering she had to return to Manehatten and never got closer than a ballroom away from her, she chalked it up to another thing she hated about being a noble.

Fastforward to Twilight's arrival at the Farm years later, and Applejack tried her best to (And got a bit overenthusiastic about) greeting the filly she still carried a torch for and tried to hide. She struggled to conceal her feelings for Twilight, the whole time infuriated with herself for lying to herself about how she feels for her despite supposedly being the antithesis of deception.

Twilight's ascension both gave her hope and complicated matters even further. Nobody would give a Princess grief for taking a high-ranking Consort. But she damned herself for being too much of a coward to even give Twilight a hint that she'd be interested. It was almost a mixed blessing that Twilight returned to Canterlot. She wouldn't have to confess her cowardice. She wouldn't have to confront Twilight about her feelings.

She wouldn't have to see her every day and have her longing shoved in her face.

But Twilight's forcing the issue. Because she isn't the only one with an unrequited crush. And she doesn't give a damn about a duchess. She wants a kind, honest apple farmer.

Because Applejack wasn't the only one who fell in love that day across a crowded ballroom.

The challenge here would be keeping AJ in character - the whole aspect of being a noble might impact how she acts on things a lot, and keeping her her normal self wouldn't be very believable in that case. But the setting is interesting!

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I agree with Overlord Tchernobog. The idea is quite interesting, but to keep Applejack in character is going to be a tought challenge.

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Maybe not as hard to write under the right conditions. For one, Applejack's haritage will still play a big role. If nobility are same as they are in the human world, they still look down on her for being raised in a low enviroment like farmer, even if its only a few years. This could play out two ways, one where Applejack conforms, or the second is that becomes stuburn and fight such critism. Meaing it will be the same Applejack, but one who can act propper when the moment arrives.

Second, is which nobles she had deal. If she'll deal postivly with nobles that don't conform like Fancy Pants and negativly to the higher ups like Prince Blue Blood, then she tried to devlope a personality that she thinks is noble, which is honest and loyal to freinds rather then the back stabers in the upper crust.

She still know how to lie/avoid questions though that is not much of a change since she is shown in the show while she tries to be honest, she can lie to herself and other if need be, and more importantly avoid answering question if she knowns she cannot lie. She'll be a little better, but personality she use her skills more to detect lies then make up ones. It also go along with the theory that the elements repersent what they want to be instead of not always being what they want since we can all name moments they controdict their element, even under non-exterme addations.

It also can explain why she did not presue a relationship with Twilight for while she is the student of Celestia, it was never said if she was even minor nobility until Shinning Armor and Twilight became prince and princess. In fact it was stated all of the main six where either commoners or so low on the nobility pool there inbetween.

In that senario, Applejack would be the same except two differnces. One is she probably lose her acceccent, but that maybe a good thing since a southern acceccent is a difficult thing to write. Second is that she would have more comfortation with Rarity as it would be more of a culture conforation, it would be nobility and freind wanting the other to help rise above her postion while the other knows how terrible the postion is and want a simpler life.