Half-Hour Horses

by HoofAndQuill

Bound Together [Slice of Life, Romance?]

(The prompt: Giving somepony a gift that resembles your cutie mark has a special meaning.)

"Wow! These apples are dee-lish!" Pinkie Pie laughed and ate another apple whole, only pausing a few seconds to chew.

Rarity smiled as she delicately nibbled on her own apple slices. "Yes, they truly are quite amazing. We really must remember to thank Applejack."

Rainbow Dash sipped at her cider box as she idly flew around the room. "Where is AJ anyway?"

Princess Twilight Sparkle looked around the room, and at her friends resting after a day spent restoring the ancient castle in the Everfree Forest. It had been a long day, and all of them were tired and sore. Twilight stood up, and folded her wings behind her. "I'll go look for her. You girls just keep relaxing."

"Okie-dokie-lokie, Twilight!"

--

Twilight trotted lightly down the path toward the Tree of Harmony. It was mostly clear of the overhanging vines and overgrown forest that had once blocked access, but it was still a bit creepy to walk through a dark cave like this. She slowed her trot as she got closer, and kept quiet when she turned the last bend. There, sitting on her haunches and looking up at the Tree was Applejack, with her hat respectfully removed and set on the ground beside her.

She looked up as Twilight approached. "Howdy, Twilight. Y'all doin' okay up there?"

Twilight smiled at Applejack as she sat down next to her. "We would be, if one of our friends wasn't hiding away down here. What's going on, Applejack?"

Applejack sighed, and pointed up toward the tree with one hoof. "I just can't get it outta my head about th' Elements is all. I know we had t' give 'em up t' save the Tree, but, well, I miss havin' 'em."

"I do too, Applejack, but we'll find another way to protect Equestria. Hopefully whatever is in this box will help."

"It ain't Equestria I'm worried about, Twilight. You know how I'm always givin' you girls apples, an' how Pinkie's always throwin' balloon parties, an' Rarity's gift dresses have always got gems an' what all on them?"

Twilight nodded. "You're talking about the old earth pony tradition of giving items that look like your cutie mark, to show friendship."

Applejack sighed and looked up at the tree. "Yeah, and givin' something bigger when you want t' show more. You remember what happens when we use those things, an' just how it feels. Like we're all givin' something about ourselves to everpony else. Th' Elements of Harmony are what made us friends, Twilight, an' they're what started us, uh. Well, what set us goin' toward whatever else we're startin' to be."

"Applejack, we can be friends without the Elements."

"I know that, Sugarcube, but... well, bein' honest, one day I meant t' find a way to give all you girls somethin' important to show just how much this new... relationship-friendship thing we got goin' means to me. I was hopin' it'd be my Element, seein' as how it's my cutie mark and all. There was always that one second when we were all doin' our thing with the Elements, where it felt like we were all givin' each other everything."

Twilight fought down her blush, and looked up at the tree to buy a moment. After a second or two, she smiled. "Applejack, look at the Tree of Harmony."

Applejack turned and looked up at the tree as it glowed softly in the cave. Each Element glimmered at the end of the branches. "Looks like it always does, Twilight."

"No, look closer." Twilight shuffled over beside Applejack, and wrapped one wing around the other pony, while she pointed with her hoof. "See? We all gave our Elements to the Tree of Harmony, and to each other. The magic of our friendship, or whatever we should be calling it now... it's not just that one second when the Elements activate anymore. It's all the time. Our friendship, and our love for each other... it's helping Equestria all the time now."

Applejack looked up at the Tree, at each of her friends' cutie marks on the branches, and the large symbol surrounding Twilight's cutie mark in the center. She raised a hoof and wiped her eyes. "I guess you're right, Sugarcube. I don't figure any of us know exactly what we're doin' or where we're headed with all this lately, but... but I reckon we're all in it together, an' it'll all work out."

Twilight hugged Applejack gently in her forelegs and wings, relishing the warmth of the pony against her fur, and the close bond that let them be like this without hesitation. "I love you, Applejack, we all do."

"I love you too, Twilight. Let's go on back upstairs, I can't stand missin' out on a second with all you girls."

The two ponies stood together and walked side by side out of the chamber, while the Tree of Harmony remained behind, glowing all the stronger for the six mares' growing relationship.