Persona: Harmony

by sorakun555

Chapter 4

*Sunday, 9/10

*Evening*

Twilight stood still, frozen in place outside the gates of Sweet Apple Acres as gentle night breezes brushed against her, ignoring the purple locks of hair falling in front of her eyes. Her cheeks flushed, warming her face and protecting her from the first cold night since the beginning of summer and her eyes seemed to grow bigger around her pupils with each passing moment. Once the wind died, everything stopped around her, as if time itself was allowing her to think carefully. No force could ever tell her how to respond, however.

Caramel looked at the ground and avoided her eyes in fear of them, drawing circles in the dirt with his hoof. He shivered, though he made no attempt to shelter himself from the chill night air. Now that he’d gone and told her, he couldn’t just leave her. He cautiously looked up for a moment, staring deeply into her eyes to search for some sort of response.

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, only shut it and avert her eyes from his. Caramel returned his gaze to the dirt, eyeing the center of the deep circle he had made. The dirt only stared back at him, looking more and more like a pony’s gaze the longer he stared at it. There was nowhere he could go without being stared at. The feeling only made it harder to stay standing.

Twilight took a step back, the sound shattering the silence and catching his attention. He managed to get another look at the whites of her eyes before she turned and galloped quickly into town. He let his mouth hang open at the sight. His hind legs suddenly felt weak and he fell, kicking up loose dirt as he watched her shrinking purple figure disappear.

*Monday, 9/4*

*Morning

“Mornin’ everypony!” Applejack said from the front porch of the Apple family’s barn, “Ah would like ta just thank y’all fer helpin’ out this apple buckin’ season. If it weren’t fer each o’ you this farm wouldn’t be here right now.” Twilight, Caramel, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith all stood in front of her with proud smiles on their faces. Twilight looked up at her friend in wonderment. She could remember that same pony crying at her hooves, begging and pleading desperately for help to save her farm.

“Ah suspect the apples will all be picked by the end of the week,” Applejack continued, “Ah know how hard ya’ll have been workin’, and Ah really appreciate it.”

“Don’t get sappy with us now, Jack!” Caramel shouted, “You’ll never buck those trees with that attitude!”

She shot a glare back at him, then lightened up she got a look at his encouraging eyes. “Tha’s right!” she responded with more confidence in her voice, “We still got a lotta work ta do this week, so let’s give it our all!” She stood up on her hind legs and shouted a mighty “Yeehaw!” to her workers, causing a round of “Yeehaws!” back at her.

Everyone rounded the barn house together on their way to their posts-- Granny Smith and Big Macintosh taking stock in the storage shed while the rest finished collecting the apples. Just as she was about to follow suit, Twilight noticed Caramel lagging behind them. He seemed to be staring towards where everyone else was going, though at exactly what Twilight couldn’t tell.

“C’mon, Caramel!” Twilight called to him, effectively bringing him back to earth, “What are you waiting for?”

“O-oh! Sorry, guess I’m still a little tired.” He picked up his pace, quickly passing her. As he did, she could swear she saw the faintest of content smiles on his face. She brushed it off as a trick of the eyes and continued on her way, a few baskets and water bags following her from the shed.

*Afternoon*

“Say, Applejack,” Twilight piped up before she’d left with the newly-picked fruit, “what else will there be for me to do after this?” She turned to the addressed pony in time to see her stopped mid-kick. Applejack lowered her legs, resting them on the ground while she thought.

“Well, after the buckin’s done there’s countin’, bakin’, then sellin’,” She said matter-of-factly, “Granny ‘n Mac always have the countin’ done when the buckin’ is, and sellin’s just a two pony job between me ‘n him.”

“And I can’t bake. . .” Twilight said with her head hanging low, “So after this I’m done working here, huh?”

“Ah’m sorry, Twi,” Applejack apologized, “But there’s just no more work to do ‘round here. Why’re ya so upset ‘bout that, though?”

“I guess. . . I’m just going to miss coming here every day.” Twilight blushed as she said this.

“Well, ain’t t’at sweet,” the farmer hooked her arm around the unicorn in a sort of half-hug. Her eyes then opened wide as realization seemed to strike her. “Ah guess Ah’m gonna miss ya too, Twi. Ah only met ya a couple weeks ago an’ yet it feels like Ah could tell ya anythin’. Speakin’ o’ which. . .” She turned her head to Twilight, “Ah hardly know anythin’ ‘bout ya!”

She shied away from her friend’s statement, “Well, it’s not like there’s much to talk about when it comes to me. . .”

“Pish posh! There’s plenty ta talk about! Why don’t we have a one-to-one sometime?” Applejack looked at her with friendly eyes.

Twilight looked into those eyes, unable to resist their welcome gaze. She gave a soft smile before nodding her head. “Sure, anytime you’re free.”

“After the farmin’s over Ah’d be happy ta sit down wit’ ya sometime when’ Ah’m not workin’. Fer now, let’s get these trees harvested quick as can be!” Applejack got up and stood next to a tree, ready to knock the fruit off.

“Right! See you on my next round!” Twilight happily grabbed the full baskets and ran off to the next section of the farm.

She was already familiar with this new path to Caramel’s section of the farm after having to tread it a few times already. She easily weaved through the maze trees that were now bare of fruit. She noticed that without the apples on the trees the farm was starting to lose its color, slowly turning into a simple house in the middle of a controlled forest. The thought reminded her how much time has already passed since she arrived in Ponyville. She’d already met many wonderful ponies, had done things that she’d previously thought impossible for her.

A strong smell of apples brought her out of her train of thought, bringing her back to the present. She could see the red barn through the gaps in the trees, heading towards the storage shed in the back. Caramel would be around here somewhere, waiting for her to pick them up so he could continue his work.

Before she could get a chance to look around, though, the sound of two talking ponies invited her closer to the barn. One voice was deep, which she recognized as Big Mac’s, while the voice was higher, obviously feminine. She’d just popped out from behind the trees when the mare turned away from him with her head low, her face red as she walked away back to town. Big Mac simply watched her, face deadpan, though a heavy sigh escaped his lungs.

Maybe I shouldn’t disturb him. . . Twilight quickly turned back around. She jumped when Big Mac called to her. “Oh! Uhh, hey, Big Mac!” She nervously chuckled out, “I was just on my way to Caramel.”

“Sorry ya had ta see that,” he said knowingly, though slower than usual, “S’not somethin’ Ah like havin’ ta do.”

Twilight looked back at him, her puzzled look going unnoticed by him. She thought about asking him what exactly she had seen, but she was once again brought attention to her current task at hand when the faint sound of hooves meeting tree echoed from nearby. She excused herself from Big Mac’s look and galloped off to her destination.

She arrived a few moments later, seeing the stallion . . . only now filling his second basket out of five.

Twilight looked at him with a touch of disappointment, “Caramel! You’ve hardly done anything! What have you been doing this whole time?”

“I-I’m sorry, Twilight! Caramel chuckled through an awkward smile, sweat visible on his brow, “I guess I’m just having an off day.”

“You had so much energy this morning! Where did it go?”

He didn’t answer and instead stood for an awkward moment before bucking another tree free of some of its apples. Figuring he wasn’t going to answer her, Twilight picked up the two full baskets and placed her five empty ones next to him. “You really need to speed things up if we’re to finish collecting by Friday.”

“I’ll do my best. I promise I’ll have all eight of these baskets full by the time you come around again!” he replied as he gave a heavy kick, knocking the rest of the apples off the tree. The extra power came with a price, however, as he hit the tree off-center, the force seeming to bounce back at him as he yelped at the pain his hind hooves were now in.

Twilight shook her head before turning back around. When she arrived back at the storage shed, she realized just how close to the barn Caramel had been. He almost had a clear view at the spot where Big Mac was talking to that mare. Was he . . .? Of course not! Twilight thought to herself, Like he said, he was just having an off day. Putting that issue away, she continued her trot to deliver the apples to the stock team.

*Evening*

Twilight walked out of the Apples’ home, full and satisfied from the dinner they served. Even Caramel, who followed closely behind her, was dragged in to eat as a big “thank you” for helping out during the roughest season yet. She stared up at the night sky, its vision taking hold of her once again. The mere presence of it made her uneasy lately.

Recently, she’d only seen this beautiful, serene image in that other world, that world that was upside-down. She could picture herself walking on that enormous moon like she does every night. Everywhere she goes, that moon follows her. . .

“H-hey, Twilight. . .” She jumped out of her thoughts when Caramel’s light voice came up behind her, “I know it’s late and we just had dinner and all. . .” He paused to bite his lip, leaving Twilight anxious to what he was about to say, “would you like to . . . hang out a while longer before going home?”

He looked up with almost pleading eyes. She looked back at him curiously, his head hanging a little low. She nodded her head slightly, replying with a “sure”.

“Yes!” Caramel jumped for joy a good few feet off the ground before grabbing onto Twilight’s hoof. “I know this bar I’ve been wanting to try. C’mon, let’s go!” He dragged her away before she could respond, heading for the farthest edge of town.

* * *

“An’ Ah’m gonna be a Shuper Mario!” Caramel slurred, spinning around in his swivel stool. Apparently he naturally had a southern accent and simply just lost it when he started living in Ponyville at a young age. Unless he was drunk, of course, and right now he was off his rocker. Twilight watched with amusement, her drink pushed aside. She’d ordered water, being still too young to drink, though one sip and magic probing told her that spiking the water was the bartender’s idea of a joke, earning him a glare and a shamefully hung head.

Caramel stopped spinning long enough to look at her with his big, blue eyes, his cheeks flushed from the amount of alcohol he’d already consumed. “Sho, ya shay yer from Canterlot?” he asked, his balance obviously impaired as he swayed in his seat, “Tha’sh a mighty fine placshe ta live, Ah her!” He took another swig from his cup, a foam-stache occupying his upper lip when he finished.

“That’s right!” Twilight nodded with a sober and proud voice, “I attend a school that teaches unicorns like myself how to use all kinds of magic. I’m here in Ponyville to study abroad.”

“Izzat sho?” he responded. He then pointed a hoof as if he were to state a fact, “Ash a matter o’ fact, Ponyville ish a great placshe ta learn new shmarts! Fer eckshample, Ah jush’ learned not ta shpin when drunk!” His face suddenly turned green as he brought a hoof up to his mouth, “Eshcuse me!” He quickly bolted out of his seat and made his way to the restroom.

They walked out of the bar a few minutes later, agreeing that Caramel had enough to drink. His sudden wave of illness sobered him enough so he could speak coherently again.

“Where should we go now?” Twilight asked.

“Ah think Ah know just the place.” Caramel answered, still buzzed, “Ah wanna show you someplace!” He dragged her off again towards the outskirts of the town, away from any of the last few lights left on in the homes of ponies. They sat upon a grassy hill, sitting so close to the stars that Twilight could swear she could reach out and touch them. They sat together on their backs, Twilight pointing out constellation after constellation to him and giving him history lessons on how they came to be and what a few of them represented at the time they were discovered. Caramel listened with great interest, nodding along and asking questions whenever he thought of them.

They were silent for several minutes after Twilight had named a twelfth constellation, simply gazing up at the sky and admiring its amazing wonderment and possibilities. She looked over at Caramel, who didn’t seem to notice. His eyes glistened and sparkled as the light of the stars danced around his eyes, the moon’s dim light giving him an innocent presence with his young, blue eyes. He finally noticed her watching him and looked into her own purple eyes, the stars complimenting them with beauty. He opened his mouth to speak, but waited a moment or two before saying anything.

“Twilight,” he said quietly, looking down to collect his words before looking back at her, “Do ya wanna be my fillyfriend?”

---

“You what?!” AJ screamed at her friend. They were sitting in the library in the other world, Spike now hiding behind the purple unicorn after the outburst.

“He’s just so sweet!” Twilight couldn’t help but smile, not once wincing at the farmpony’s now deadly glare, “Even when he was drunk off his haunches at the bar he always had the conversation directed at me. And then when he took me to show me the stars. . .” Twilight looked up with love-blinded eyes, remembering the scene, “He stayed and listened to my every word, I just know he took in everything I said!”

“He’s a polite pony, o’ course he did!” Applejack retorted, acid dripping from her words.

“And then we looked at each other, and I could see the entire universe in his eyes.” The love-struck unicorn fell backwards on the bed, sighing loudly with a dopey smile on her face.

“Ah thought Ah told ya not ta git any funny ideas about hittin’ on ‘im!” AJ stamped her hoof on the floor.

“Technically, he hit on me.”

“That ain’t gonna work this time!” The farmer grunted loudly before stomping down the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Twilight called down to her.

“Ah’m gonna bust up some shadows. An’ don’t ya worry yer twitterpated li’l heart none, Ah’ll stay close!” The sound of a door slamming was heard, and then silence.

“You think she’s going to be alright?” Spike asked her.

“She’ll be fine,” Twilight reassured him, “But just in case, go help her out. I think I’ll turn in early. I just can’t wait to see Caramel again tomorrow!” She squealed giddily before rolling over and closing her eyes.

Spike headed for the stairs, and then stopped to turn around. He watched as her breathing evened and her body started to fade. A sudden weight took hold of him, but he forced himself downstairs and out the door to Applejack’s aid.

*Tuesday, 9/5*

*Morning*

Caramel had walked Twilight to the farm, exchanging nuzzles first, and arrived to see Big Macintosh sitting by himself on the porch. Curious, they walked up to him.

“Morning, Big Mac,” They greeted, “Where’s Applejack?”

“She’s still in bed. Hasn’t woke up yet, not even when I try ‘n shake her awake,” He said with a tint of worry in his voice, “She didn’t look too well, either. She was sweatin’ purty hard.”

A sudden wave of dread washed over Twilight, “I wonder if she got sick.”

“Should we check on her?” Caramel asked.

Twilight nodded and they both passed the large stallion and raced through the door, up the stairs, and into AJ’s room. Just as Big Mac said, she was still sleeping, sweat pouring down her face as she tossed and turned. Twilight approached the bed and tried shaking her awake to no avail.

“Applejack. . . Applejack! Are you feeling OK?” Twilight attempted to get a proper response. She got some groans instead, then a hushed, strained voice.

“T-Twi. . .” She sounded like she was in pain.

“What’s going on?” Caramel tried his luck.

“Twi . . . help. . .”

Several alarms went off in her head. She wasn’t sick, her family would be able to take care of that. No, this could only be--

She quickly grabbed Caramel by the shoulders and looked square in his eyes, “Do you trust me?” She demanded to know.

“Huh?”

“Do you trust me?” She repeated sternly.

“O-of course I do!”

“Then, whatever you do, don’t wake me up!” She lit up her horn, sending a wave of sleepiness through her body. In a matter of seconds, she was asleep, limp in Caramel’s arms.

---

The moment Twilight woke up, her fears had come true. The library bedroom was overrun with shadows, and they were immediately aware of her presence. She had just enough time to bring out Izanagi before they charged at her. Without missing a single beat, Izanagi drew his sword and brushed them all aside with a wide slash, clearing the way for his summoner. Together they charged through the shadows, not looking back or bothering to make sure they were out for good and simply searching for the orange mare and young dragon.

They raced down the stairs, Izanagi skewering the shadows occupying the narrow passage. They jumped off the edge of the stairs, right on top of one sphere shadow. A quick bolt of lightning shocked the entire room, forcing all but one shadow the fall unconscious or defeated. It stood at the doorway to the basement, apparently keeping guard. It stood over her menacingly, ready to strike back if she dared attack.

There was no room in her for fear, however. She called Izanagi back and switched for Fortuna, who quickly turned the shadow to dust with a gust of wind. The door obediently swung open to Twilight’s magic as she raced through the small corridor. As the last room came into view, hope dread hit her like the darkest black. Applejack and Spike were just barely visible underneath a crumbling stone dome, no doubt created from Applejack’s persona. A swarm of shadows were relentlessly attacking the dome, attempting to finally break the now-weak defense.

Twilight watched as the final attack shattered her friends’ last defense and the orange mare let out a scream of anguish as the pain of her broken persona coursed through her. The shadows reared back, and then charged forward at the same time.

The next moment was a blur.

Fortuna raced to get between the shadows and their prey, getting there with only enough time to take the damage for them. The lack of proper defense broke the persona on impact, forcing Twilight on the ground as well and just as weak as her friend. On a stroke of luck, however, a blast of wind ricocheted off of Fortuna before she broke, sending the shadows across the room. One of the shadows must have used a wind-based attack.

After regaining herself, Twilight crawled over to AJ and Spike and noticed the farmer’s barely stable breathing. Her eyes were nearly closed, and her breaths came out heavy.

“Twi. . .” she quietly spoke, “Ah have a bone ta pick wit’ you, leavin’ like that.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” tears flowed freely from Twilight’s eyes, “I thought you’d be safe! The shadows haven’t been able to break in after I got my persona. I don’t know how they got in now!” She met AJ’s hoof with hers, letting AJ feel her touch. “But it’s OK! We’re going to make it through this!”

Applejack reached her hooves around Twilight and brought her closer, which she returned with her own hug. The two laid there as the shadows got back up.

“Twilight, they’re coming at us again!” Spike yelled as he tried drawing her attention to the immediate danger.

As Twilight heard his desperate cries, her gusto returned. She let go of her friend and quickly stood up against the desperate cries of her own body that was still burning from the harsh damage she’d taken. A fire appeared in her eyes as a blue aura emanated around her. She stared at the advancing shadows with new confidence, ready to take them all on by herself. And then another feeling took hold of her: anger.

“You. . .” rage could almost be seen oozing out of her mouth as she spoke, “are not. . .” the aura around her pulsed, coming out of her like a reverse waterfall, “WELCOME HERE!!!”

Spike gasped through his shaking body at the sight before him. A card appeared next to Twilight, one that was easily recognizable. The card of Fortune shared Twilight’s aura, gorging itself on this new power. Once satisfied, the card boomed with pure light, a new radiance overwhelming the dragon’s senses as his readings went haywire.

“Empusa!”

The card shattered and a new persona emerged. She had the back end of a donkey, making her much taller than Twilight, and the soft paws of a lion in the front. Her head was that of a pony, a blue coat of scales shining in the light of the remnants of her card. Her mane was short and golden while her tail was silver and long. She stood with a strange delicacy, her presence stunning the shadows where they were.

She bowed her head as a small wind picked up around them, circling the group of four. It then picked up faster and faster, violently tearing at the shadows already in its path. With a shriek from her lips, the wind blasted outwards, annihilating all of the shadows around them. Though it could not be seen, the wind also spread throughout the library, shredding all of the remaining shadows and locking the front door, giving the library the protection it once held.

When the attack finally died, Empusa returned to her realm and Twilight fell unconscious, the energy drained right out of her. Applejack followed closely behind her with a smile.

---

*Afternoon*

“Twi! Twilight” the sound of Caramel’s voice rang in her head as she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to see the poor colt still holding her, tears falling down his cheeks. He smiled when he saw her purple eyes still full of life and squeezed her in a hug. She felt his still-wet cheeks and smiled, a mixture of guilt and happiness swimming in her gut.

She heard a moan behind her and looked up, recalling Applejack’s condition. She and Caramel broke from their hug and turned to the waking work horse as she massaged her throbbing head with a hoof. Before she could properly sit up the couple attack hugged her, receiving a yelp of surprise in return.

“Jack! You’re OK!” Caramel cried through sniffles.

“Yeah, guess Ah am,” she blushed, “Sorry ta worry y’all.” They stayed together for a minute before finally releasing each other, “Say, Mel, think ya could give Twi ‘n me some privacy? Ah gotta tell her somethin’ important.”

He looked back at her with surprise before nodding, “Uh, sure. See you down in the farm. We still got a lot of work to do.” He finished with a smile before walking out.

Applejack turned to the unicorn with sorrowful eyes. “Listen, Ah’m real sorry ‘bout what Ah said before. You ‘n Mel . . . Ah don’t mind none if you two’re together. It’s just that he’s family. Ah admit Ah was o’erprotective o’ him, but that’s just what Apples do. We take care o’ each other. Before you two attacked me jus’ now, I saw how well he takes care o’ you. You look like ya mean a lot ta him an’ Ah shouldn’t stand in the way.”

Twilight sat next to her friend, resting a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and smiling. “Thank you.”

In what seemed like an instant, AJ’s eyes suddenly turned serious, “But if Ah find out that you hurt that poor boy Ah swear ta Celestia that Ah’ll find ya ‘n make ya pay!”

With that, she got off her bed and left her room, aiming to make up for the time they lost with the farm work. Still shocked over the sudden escalation of that conversation, Twilight pushed her friend’s words as far back into her mind as she could and followed suit.

*Saturday, 9/9*

The entire week had been fairly monotonous. Every morning she would head over to the farm with Caramel where they would work all the way till evening. At the dead of night, she and Applejack would do their nightly shadow extermination, honing their skills for the next time they would need them. The one activity she always looked forward to, however, were the nights she would spend with Caramel. Every date was different. One night he’d treat her to dinner, another they’d picnic under the stars. They’d even sat down and read one of her library books together, a short tale about a baby foal stuck on a dark, unknown world being taken care of by a local. In the end they had to be separated once the filly had grown into an adult mare. The ending left Twilight crying and, though she knew he was crying too, Caramel comforted her until he had to return home.

She enjoyed every night with him. Every date made her feel happier than she thought she could be. She loved the feeling of having friends to talk to. Applejack, Rarity, even Fluttershy had helped her and been there for her when she needed them. The thought of knowing that she had somepony she could think of as more, somepony who was more than a friend, a coltfriend made her feel like she could soar.

However, somewhere deep, deep inside, something was nagging at her. She would never admit it, but some part of her knew something her mind wouldn’t let her accept. Something was changing. What it was couldn’t be named. Something was definitely off, though, and very, very slowly, things were changing.

*Afternoon*

“Finally, we can jus’ sit down an’ talk.” Applejack said from the other side of the table. She and Twilight decided that today was a good day to have that one-to-one. They’d gotten the rest of the apple-picking done yesterday and she was off-shift for selling apples until mid-afternoon. They sat down together at the outdoor café near the library and had already placed their orders.

“And we have a lot to talk about.” Twilight agreed.

“Our personal lives--”

“--and I’ve been noticing things about that other world.”

“Ah say we start off loose,” Applejack said nonchalantly, “Ya never told where yer from.”

“I’m from the city of Canterlot, a proud student of the School for Gifted Unicorns. And, while I don’t want to toot my own horn, my teacher is the best there is.” Twilight could’ve glowed from the pride she was showing.

Applejack cocked a skeptic eyebrow, “That’d be a purty big title ta fill ‘less if yer teacher was Celestia herself.”

Twilight remained silent, a coy smile crossing her lips. Applejack’s eyes widened as the message relayed clear to her.

“No kiddin’?” Her jaw nearly fell on the table, “The Princess is teachin’ ya?”

“And me alone.” Another prideful smile.

“Well, Ah guess that explains a thing ‘r two. I’d never seen a unicorn lift such a heavy weight with magic before! Those baskets of apples were nothin’ fer ya!”

“No, but the running was,” The two giggled before Applejack continued.

“So, what’re ya doin’ here?”

“That’s . . . a little embarrassing for me to admit.” Her smile made way for her now-reddening cheeks, “I’d always stay home and study when not in class. I’d read the entire Canterlot Library by the time the Princess sent me here to study abroad. Because of that, I never took the time to meet other ponies. The only ones I’d ever gotten to know where my parents, brother, foalsitter, the Princess, and a few of her personal guards. To be honest, you’re one of the first friends I’ve ever had.” A small smile was left on her lips as she looked up at the farmer.

Applejack tipped her hat. “Ah’m honored, Twi.”

The rest of the conversation, they shared themselves with the other. Twilight told Applejack about her brother and captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, her foalsitter and Celestia’s niece, Princess Cadance, her magic test, how she earned her cutie mark, everything she could think of. Applejack did the same, sharing about her large family spread all across Equestria and running their own farms, how she tended to the farm each season and used the money from her sales and apple cider to keep food on the table for the winter, and how she earned her own cutie mark.

The two laughed as the food finally reached them, talked as they ate, and stuck around for a little while longer to discuss the other matter at hand.

“That world. . .” Twilight’s face turned serious, “We’re learning more and more about it.”

“Yeah, that day,” Applejack held her head in thought, “Ah was still asleep long past mah usual wake-up call. An’ no matter how much everyone tried Ah wouldn’t wake up. Not until I’d fallen back asleep in that world.”

“You haven’t told me what happened yet.” Twilight’s looked at her with a seriousness in her eyes, a slight fear in the back of her mind of what they had suffered.

“Well, after Ah stormed out Ah did what Ah said and kicked some shadow patooty. Ah got tired after a while and came back in, ready ta hit the hay. When Ah did. . .”

-------------

The door of the library was slammed into, the impact making the wood bend slightly. Applejack and Spike turned around at the unusual noise. Normally, the shadows would immediately stop when they took haven in the library. Whatever was going through those shadows’ minds, AJ knew it didn’t matter. They couldn’t get in. She turned back around with a yawn and headed for the stairs to the second floor.

“Ah’m plum tuckered. Sorry ya had ta witness that earlier, Spike,” she said looking back at him, “Ah was jus’ caught by surprise is all. Ah’ll have ta apologize ta Twi in the mornin’. Anyway, see ya tomorrow night.”

“Um, Applejack,” Spike said, still watching the door as it was slammed into again from the other side, “I’ve got a very bad feeling about this.”

“Quit yer worryin’. Ain’t nothin’ comin’ through that door.”

“You don’t understand! Before, there was a kind of barrier that was set up when Twilight first used her persona.”

“So?” the farmer looked back at him with an annoyed look, “That just proves that we’ll be safe.”

“I don’t sense that barrier anymore.”

Applejack froze, eyes shot open in a horrified state. She turned to the door as it was slammed for a third time, a few splinters coming loose this time. Her legs started moving on their own as she leapt back to Spike’s side and threw him on her back, “Stay wit’ me, Spike! Don’t let go!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”

Applejack’s necklace began to glow a bright orange before letting loose a white light in the form of the Fortune card. She knew one more hit would be all it’d take for the door to give. She shifted her weight into her front hooves and spun around, extending a kick into the back of the card and yelling “Golem!” Just as it shattered the door was busted open, the shadows running in just in time to get pushed right back out by a giant, stone arm. Golem stood tall in front of his summoner, just small enough to fit inside the library’s first floor.

When Golem retracted his arm more shadows poured in like water running through an unplugged drain. Golem split himself apart and hurled individual rocks at each shadow, quickly annihilating them wave by wave. Sweat began to form on her brow, her previous training running her energy thin.

“You can’t fight them all like this!” Spike said anxiously, “You’re way too tired to be fighting as it is!”

“Where’s Twilight? We need her help!” AJ shot back, ignoring the dragon’s warning.

“She left already!”

“What?” she looked back at the dragon, shock and a touch of sadness in her eyes.

“She left when I came down to help you. She said she couldn’t wait to see that guy again.”

Applejack stood speechless, the fight right in front of her now miles away. She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, only to shut it again.

A shock of pain rushed through her as Golem was hit hard by a shadow, the force bringing her back to the battle present. Tired and frustrated, Golem did as she ordered and transformed himself into a thick rock wall and placed himself in front of the door and running over any shadows still in the library. She lowered her hind legs, causing Spike to slide off, and looked the dragon straight in the eye.

“So, what? We gotta wait till she comes back tomorrow night?!”

“I’m sorry, Applejack, but I have no idea how that barrier was set up! If Twilight were here we might be able to at least hold the shadows off until we could figure it out, but. . .”

“Isn’t there a way to call her back?”

“I can only talk to you when you’re here! It’s not like we can send a letter!”

Whatever hopelessness AJ felt at their situation was soon crushed under more pain as the shadows continued their barrage on Golem. They both knew it would only be a matter of time.

“AJ, go upstairs and get to sleep!” Spike ordered, “If you fall asleep now, you’ll be safe!”

“But then you’ll be stuck here defenseless against all those shadows!”

“Don’t worry about me! I’ve taken care of myself long before Twilight showed up. I’ll be fine!”

The shadows crashed into Golem again, causing Applejack to wince in pain. She stood firm, however, against the dragon’s orders.

“Ah ain’t leavin’ ya!”

“You have to!”

“Listen!” She snapped, “Ah owe mah life to you just as much as Ah owe Twilight. You two risked your lives to save my sorry behind, so Ah’m keepin’ mah promise ta you two ta keep the both of ya safe!”

The final strike shook Golem apart, the impact reaching Applejack full force and knocking her to the ground. When she and Golem recovered, the shadows were already covering the room, both the floor and the air. Applejack grabbed Spike by his spines and rushed down the stairs, Golem following them in parts to fit through the narrow doorway and hall.

They reached the room at the end and stood their ground, waiting to take on each shadow individually as they came through the hall. Golem shot his arm through the door, defeating a few shadows before the next few would take their place, which he would then mow down with his next arm. The attacks never ceased as the shadows never stopped coming. Each three defeated shadows would be replaced by five more, leaving the pony’s efforts futile. No matter what she did, she was merely delaying as long as she could. She needed to hold out. With any luck, Twilight would show up and save them.

The shadows were starting to pass Golem as their numbers became too great for him to deal with. He hurled rocks at them as they entered, but soon even his mighty defenses were nothing to the sheer number or enemies. They were eventually surrounded my dozens of shadows.

They all reared back together, taking aim at their helpless prey. Applejack and Spike held each other, trying to make themselves as small as possible in the hopes of suffering less damage. The shadows charged at them, ready to feast, and the two braced themselves for impact.

But nothing came. Instead, a muffled “Thud!” echoed around them. Applejack looked up to see pitch black darkness around them, though a safe feeling kept her from panicking. She knew what it was that was around them. Golem, in a last-ditch effort, set up a small dome around them. Applejack focused, lending as much of her energy as she could to keep the dome up until Twilight’s return.

Her senses suddenly felt dull. She could barely hear the shadows attack her persona, barely feel Spike’s scaled against her coat as she kept him held close. She gave all that she could, and now could only wait.

Oh, Celestia, she prayed, C’mon, Twilight! We need you in here!

-------------

Twilight looked at Applejack, guilt tugging at her heart at what transpired without her. “I’m so sorry, Applejack. I--”

“It’s OK, sugarcube,” AJ replied with a smile, “ya didn’t know. Though, that does bring up a question: why’d the barrier fail?”

“Was it . . . because I wasn’t there?” Twilight was barely audible as she murmured her question, looking down at the table rather than her friend.

“Ah don’t think so. Them shadows tend ta leave quite a bit o’ destruction as they go. If it was because ya were gone, we’d be seein’ a lot more broken library every night.”

Hearing that lifted Twilight’s spirits a bit. “But then, what was it? In fact, how did the barrier even get set up? I don’t ever remember putting it there. . .”

“Sounds like that needs a bit more investigatin’ ta know fer sure.” Applejack pushed the issue aside to make way for the next one, “Another thing that incident brought up: Ah was asleep durin’ the day. Until then, we’d only been in that world at night while we slept.”

“If the key is sleep, then that explains why I was also able to go to that world during the day. That means it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is when we sleep. We could fall asleep right now and wake up there.”

“That means we can’t be goin’ an’ daydreamin’ unless we really hafta.”

Twilight brought a hoof to her chin in thought, mulling over the word “dream.” “For future reference, I propose calling that world the Dream World. I have a feeling that word is very important.” Applejack nodded her head in agreement, letting out an exasperated sigh. All that thinking was making her head hurt.

AJ looked up towards the clock tower, noticing that it was already 3 p.m. “Aww, shoot, it’s time fer mah shift.” She stretched her legs and neck as she stood up.

“I’ll walk you there. A nice walk might bring the friendly mood back.” Twilight followed her friend away from the café. Before they’d even turned around the first corner to the apple cart, a light voice spoke up behind them.

“Jack? Twi?”

The two mares turned around to see a familiar tan stallion walk up to them. Twilight started beaming as she met him in the middle and walked snuggly against him back to Applejack, nuzzling the base of his neck. She noticed a blush come from her coltfriend, which only prompted her to nuzzle him more.

She finally let go of his neck long enough to speak to him, “What brings you here, Caramel?”

“I was just on my way to help Granny Smith and Mac with the baking since his shift was ending. I guess we’re all heading the same way?”

“Come join us!” Applejack affirmed with a nod. The three of them walked down the streets of Ponyville, the couple earning looks as they somehow managed to walk together with eight legs. After a few minutes of obliviousness, Twilight noticed the amount of looks she was getting. She blushed furiously, reflexively distancing herself from him. It was then she realized this was the first time her and Caramel had been in public together during the day. With so many other ponies looking at her, she was afraid to dare even touch Caramel again in fear of exploding somehow.

They all reached the apple cart in time to see a familiar display. A mare, this one pink with a blonde mane and tail, was talking to Big Mac. Unlike last time, however, Twilight could hear them.

“Ah’m sorry, Miss,” Big Mac said as politely as he could, “but Ah just can’t with mah obligations.”

“You,” Twilight didn’t have to see her face to know the mare was mad, “you’d just pass me up, just like that, to run this stupid stand? You won’t even give me the time of day?! Ugh, the nerve!” The mare stomped off, ignoring the many stares she was getting.

Within seconds, Caramel was already rushing over to the stallion. “Mac? Mac! You OK?”

Big Mac looked back at Caramel with his usual stoic expression, though that familiar hint of sadness was in his eyes.

“That mare didn’t say anything nasty, did she? You don’t deserve any of that!” Caramel seemed to be looking deep in his eyes, searching for any sign of wounds she may have left. He didn’t seem to notice the sadness in Mac’s eyes, though, as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Applejack and Twilight finally approached him, Applejack trading places with her brother. “Ah hope you have a good rest o’ the day wit’ Mel. Some bakin’ may take yer mind off it.”

“Maybe.” He simply replied. Caramel and Twilight nuzzled goodbye which, thanks to Twilight, lasted several minutes longer than he intended. He and Mac made their way back to the farm and Twilight said goodbye to Applejack, heading back home to enjoy the rest of the day relaxing in a book.

*Sunday, 9/10*

Caramel took the day off from helping the Apples bake to spend it all with Twilight. He’d arrived that morning with a bag full of ingredients, plus some games for them to play. Before she’d decided what to do first, Caramel took them down to the kitchen to try and teach her to bake an apple pie.

The adventure was messy as flour and two different kinds of sugar-- Twilight didn’t even know there were two kinds! -- piled themselves in many places around the kitchen. Through some miracle, and most likely a lot of Caramel’s handiwork, the pie came out edible. After cleaning up their mess, they headed back upstairs with the confection and brought out the book they’d started together: Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue, the first in the series. They read the book all the way to the end while snacking on their dessert, savoring every moment with each other that they could. Caramel even wiped the crumbs off of Twilight’s snout.

They then began playing games. First Twister, which was only made possible by Twilight’s magic. Caramel ended up being the most flexible of the two, much to Twilight’s surprise, giving him the win in the end. They then played Clue, which Twilight went in fully convinced she was going to win. She was flabbergasted as her guess was completely off, earning Caramel another win. They ended their gaming session with 20 Questions. Twilight took too much joy in her victory.

It was around 5 p.m. when they started a walk around Ponyville. They didn’t have any specific place in mind, just wandered aimlessly through the streets of the town as ponies headed home and stalls were closing and packed up. The setting sun allowed a chillier air to settle in, giving Twilight a slight shiver. Caramel took out a scarf from his bag and wrapped it around Twilight. The colors contrasted with her coat, making her stand out to others who were still heading home. She paid them no mind, though. They let each other’s body keep them warm as the sky slowly began to glow like fire, the oranges making way for reds, which made way for the purples and pinks of twilight before the starry night sky complimented the couple’s love.

They’d gone to the far end of Ponyville before meeting Big Mac on the return trip. He invited them home for dinner, to which their stomachs spoke for them.

The dinner was simple, as it usually is. A feast of delicious fruits that was more than enough to feed the two unexpected but welcomed guests was set on the table just in time for the family to sit down together. It was here that the feeling came back, that tiny, nagging itching in the farthest reaches of Twilight’s mind. She noticed it when Caramel had started fidgeting in his seat. It was subtle, though not subtle enough to avoid her notice. She didn’t to think about it. She was with Caramel, whose mere presence brought her joy. There should be no reason for suspicion.

However, the feeling never left. That tiny disturbance set herself a little on edge. She made sure it wasn’t evident in her posture or appearance, though it wouldn’t go away. She couldn’t help but pay a little more attention to Caramel’s actions. His fidgeting became more frequent, his eyes would dart around randomly, he’d even sweat a little. Twilight recognized it as she knew it only too well. He was nervous.

The dinner finally ended and the couple left, though neither of them were in any hurry home. Their ascent up the hill and to the gates of Sweet Apple Acres was slow, their bodies still glued to each other for warmth. Despite their literal closeness, however, that nagging feeling was making Twilight feel towns apart from her coltfriend. She turned to him with her loving gaze, doing her best to leave that feeling behind.

“I had a great time today, Caramel. Thank you.”

She went to nuzzle him like she usually did, but stopped when his muscles tensed. He looked at her with serious eyes, and then turned his body so they were face to face. “Twilight, I need to tell you something very important.”

Twilight looked back at him with worry, that nagging feeling coming back as strong as ever.

“Twilight, I-, you’re. . .” Caramel stopped and looked at the ground, taking a deep breath before continuing, “You have no idea how hard this is for me to say,” He dared to look into her eyes, only to regret it when the immediately recognizable signs of shock and sadness were in her eyes, “You’re a wonderful mare. You’re smart, beautiful, and you know how to make a guy feel loved.”

“What are you saying, Caramel?” Pools began to form at the corners of her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but--”

Twilight grabbed his shoulders as he averted his eyes from hers, “Caramel!”

“Twilight, please--”

“Caramel!”

“I’m gay!”

Comments

[sorakun555]

Finally, a new chapter!
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying to cram too much into one chapter. The word count is a little shy from the first chapter, but the amount of things that happened in this chapter began to pile up to the point that I'd end up with a chapter longer than chapter 3. While that wouldn't be a terrible thing, I'd rather leave those longer chapters for the finale of each arc. As a result, scenes feel emotionless at times, or too rushed or what have you. I hope I was at least able to make what happened convincing and within reason of the characters and the situations they were in. My judgement cannot be trusted, however, since I would be overly harsh of my work. That's where you guys come in! Criticism is welcomed and encouraged!
Also, an announcement. I have now set deadlines for my updates. I will attempt to write one chapter every two weeks. By every other Saturday (U.S. time) you will have a new chapter to read. Setting a deadline should keep this story on my mind and thus written. From here on, I promise no more slow updates!

[Musharna]

Well, this certainly got my attention. You can bet your bottom buck that I'll be keeping an eye on this.

[TundraStanza]

Uh oh... I have a feeling AJ's going to "kill" Twilight for hurting Caramel even though Caramel was the one to bring up the bad news.

[who149]

Awesome chapter. End was actually pretty surprising. Love every bit of this

[Jack Frankenstien]

Hmm, this was nice. The only complaint I had was that she should have noticed something off through another subtle hint during at least one of the dates, but even then that is more of an insurance tactic to make sure he revelation doesn't feel forced. However, since you foreshadowed the revelation a bit in the beginning this nitpick is easily ignorable and no editing is really required.

At any rate I look forward to what Caramel has to say about this when he had been dating Twilight right up until the confession. I think I know what he is going to say, but I want to see how you have him say it. Your writing, while not poetic or having a large word count, manages to do the job well with a nice, Persona-y flavor while the characters remain as true to the show as they can, given the crossover nature of the fic.

I also saw the bit about the story Twilight read. I am not sure HOW this fits in, but I think I know what it is dealing with. I sincerely look forward to the culmination of that little subplot.

In other comments, I love the gag Spike made about sending letters. A stroke of brilliance, I have to say. Your grammar is good and I couldn't notice anything glaring. I hope you keep this up until its finish!

[Super_actor]

Haha, that was a good chapter. I saw Caramel's surprise coming though, sort of. I wasn't sure who he was feeling sad about, the filly or Big Macintosh. But so far so good. Keep up the good work.

[Efadd]

“I’m gay!”

That was unexpected.