It's almost time! Did I remember everything? Maybe I should have worn the yellow dress. Applejack has never liked getting all dressed up. What if she's wearing something plain? It'll look like I'm showing her up! But then if she gets herself all dressed up for my sake, it would look like I'm not taking it seriously! I should have discussed this with her ahead of time! It's our first date. It needs to be perfect.
To what a cumbersome unwieldiness
And burdenous corpulence my love had grown,
But that I did, to make it less,
And keep it in proportion,
Give it a diet, made it feed upon
That which love worst endures, discretion.
--Love's Diet,
John Donne
Applejack trotted along more quickly than one was supposed to when wearing such an elegant dress. Never in her life had she felt more conspicuous. Despite Rarity's best efforts, Ponyville had never been a fashion hub, and any mare making her way through town in a dress worthy of the Grand Galloping Gala stuck out like a sore hoof. That went double if there was nopony with her. A pair of glitzed up ponies might catch one’s eye, but nopony would think more about it. But a mare gallivantin' down Mane Street all on her own? There had to be a story there, and there were more than a few nosy ponies in Ponyville.
And her story wasn't just any story. Most mares would just be a curiosity, but in her case it would be different. She had a reputation, one that revolved around being willing to get her hooves dirty. In fact, she didn't even consider gettin' her hooves dirty to really even be gettin' her hooves dirty. Her hooves belonged in the dirt. Gettin' her hooves all nice and shiny was what bugged her. Wearin' a dress in one of Rarity's fashion shows, for instance. That certainly hadn't been her favorite thing. What on earth would everypony say if they saw her strollin' down the way in a getup that most ponies would save for the most special of special occasions? Sure her first date ever was a special occasion, but everypony else didn't need to know that. With any luck she could get to the library without anypony noticing her.
“Applejack, is that you?” She clenched her teeth as if she had just stepped on a particularly large nail. Then she put on her most neutrally natural face and turned to see who had called to her.
“Good afternoon, Cheerilee. How are you doin' this fine day?” Applejack didn't wait for an answer. If she could get a quick word in she could preempt any questions about her attire. “Apple Bloom hasn't been givin' you any trouble has she?”
“No, no, not at all.” Cheerilee shook her head. “She's been quite the little angel lately. Her grades have even been up this semester, especially in math.”
“They oughta be after all the time me and my brother spent helpin' her with it. Although if it's math, it was probably Big Macintosh's doin'. I don't know a variable from a... an integer, I guess. That's a math thing, right?”
“Yes, it is,” Cheerilee said with a chuckle. “How is your brother doing, by the way?”
“Oh, he's doin' fine. He's been a bit busy for the past few days. I haven't been able to help out with stuff quite as much because of...” Applejack bit her tongue. “...reasons.”
“Of course, there's always something going on, isn't there?” She gestured at Applejack's ensemble. “You obviously have something big going on tonight.”
Applejack silently cursed Cheerilee's ability to segue back into the unwanted subject.
“I shoulda figured you'd wonder what was with my getup.”
“I must admit I am rather curious,” Cheerilee said. “I wouldn't want to pry, but it's not every day that I see you dressed like this.”
“Yeah, it's kind of a special occasion.” Suddenly the dress felt much heavier and tighter. “Don't go spreadin' it around or anything, but I'm actually goin' on a date tonight.”
“Oh!” Cheerilee broke into a wide grin. “Well, in that case, I suppose I should let you go about your way, then. I'd hate to make you late. I hope you have a lovely evening. And say hello to your brother for me when you get home.”
“I'll be sure to do that.” Applejack nodded, glad that the Cheerilee was so willing to drop the issue. “You have a nice night, too.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and trotted down the street towards the library. Within moments she was aware of the sound of hooves following her along, so closely that they could only belong to Cheerilee. So they were heading in the same direction, nothing wrong with that. Any moment now, Cheerilee would turn down a side road or something.
Except she didn't. Applejack could hear each step, continuing to follow her. She bit her lip. The library was only a few blocks away. Cheerilee had said she didn't want to pry, and she had never struck Applejack as much of a liar. Why on earth was she still back there?
“Uh, Cheerilee?” Applejack looked back. The awkward smile on Cheerilee's face told her that she felt the oddness of the situation just as much as Applejack did. “Is there any particular reason you're followin' me?”
“I'm not following you. I guess we just happen to be going in the same direction.”
“Where are you goin' anyway?” Applejack asked.
“I was just on my way to drop off some books at the library.” Cheerilee nodded at her saddlebags. “I actually told Twilight that I'd drop them off a few days ago, but some things came up. It's kind of strange. Last time I was this late getting a book back to her she wouldn't stop pestering me about it. Something must be on her mind.” Applejack swallowed, and briefly hoped that Cheerilee wouldn't put the pieces together. “I wonder what it could— Ohhhhhhh!” Cheerilee smiled. “So... you...”
Applejack sighed. “Yeah, I'm goin' on a date with Twilight tonight. Our first, actually. I'm tryin' to not make a big thing of it.”
“Well, in that case, the books can wait! I couldn't possibly take any more of your time. You get on your way. I'll drop this off later.”
“Ah, if you want I could drop them off for you. You know, since I'm gonna be over there anyway.”
“No, no, no! I couldn't possibly ask you to do something like that. You shouldn't be doing errands for me on an occasion like this. There's only one thing that I want you do to.”
“And that is?”
“Show Twilight such a nice time that she doesn't remember that my books are overdue! Now you get going. You wouldn't want to keep your lovely marefriend waiting!”
“No, no I wouldn't. I suppose I'll be on my way then.” She once again resumed her trot down the road.
“Have a nice night!” Cheerilee called after her. “And tell Big Macintosh that I said 'hello!'”
Applejack shook her head at herself. It's only a matter of time before other ponies realize that you're goin' out with Twilight. You gotta get used to that idea or you'll go crazy real fast. Why's it such a big deal that the other ponies know about it, anyway? It ain't like I'm embarrassed to be seen with Twilight or anything. I gotta stop worrying about that stuff.
She stopped in front of the library door and took a deep breath. At the last second, she clamped her mouth shut. Her usual greeting was to shout “HEY TWILIGHT, I'M HERE!”, but that didn't seem quite right for occasion. She let the breath out silently and knocked on the door.
A moment later it swung open, revealing Spike.
“Oh, there you are, Applejack! Twilight just finished getting ready to go.” He stepped back and gestured for her to step into the doorway. “Twilight, Applejack is here!”
The door at the top of the stairs opened, and Twilight stepped out. Applejack swallowed as she watched Twilight's graceful descent. The trail of her cerulean dress flowed down the steps behind her, the silver trim shimmering in the library's warm light. The unicorn's mane was tightly bound into an elegant Chignon knot; not a single hair was out of place. Applejack felt her blood pulsing through her face, threatening to make her sweat.
“Good evening, Applejack,” she said. “You look wonderful. I really like what you've done with your mane.”
“Aw, really?” Applejack flicked at one of her braids. “I was afraid they'd seem a bit too old fashioned.”
“Not at all. They really suit you.”
Applejack's face grew hotter. Her ears threatened to burst into flame. “You're lookin' real pretty yourself tonight.” She had to admit that even though the tight bun was hardly her favorite hairstyle, Twilight couldn't be described as anything but stunning. Twilight rarely put effort into her appearance, but when she did the result was remarkable.
“Thanks.” Twilight blushed furiously. “Fluttershy and I worked on my mane all afternoon. We probably went through half a dozen different styles before settling on this one.”
“Really? That makes me feel a bit silly for complainin' about havin' to sit still while Granny braided my hair.”
“Well, I think it was completely worth it.”
“Ahem.” Spike poked his head between the two of them. “I hate to interrupt your little fashion review, but you guys have a reservation to make.”
“He's right, we better get goin'.” Applejack nodded towards the door. “Shall we?”
“Of course.” Twilight turned to Spike. “You've got the house to yourself this evening, so just kick back and relax. You deserve it after today.”
“Sure thing!” Spike saluted and grinned widely.
“And don't go emptying the fridge again! You can have a snack, but I don't want you gorging yourself on ice cream again.”
“Fine.” Spike's face fell. “I'll save some for you. Have a nice night.”
“Good, I'll see you later.” Twilight trotted to Applejack and paused long enough to give her a peck on the cheek. “Shall we be on our way, then?”
Applejack nodded dumbly, and the two mares strode out the door side by side.
Spike sighed and closed the door. He heard a sound behind him and turned.
“Looks like it's just you and me tonight, Owlowiscious. You want to go catch a movie or something? Not like we've got anything else to do.”
“Hoo.”
“Fine, it was just a suggestion. If you don’t want to do that, I guess I’ll go over to Fluttershy's and visit Peewee. You wanna come?”
Owlowiscious flapped off of his perch and landed on Spike's head. “Hoo.”
“Well, let's get over there before Fluttershy puts him to bed.”
Applejack found herself standing in front of the Mon Chère Restaurant, Twilight at her side. Her nerves had only frayed worse and worse with each step. Not because of Twilight, of course; her company was nothing but enjoyable. It was the restaurant. The doorway alone was more ornate than anything on Sweet Apple Acres. She could have taken every aesthetic consideration on the entire farm and crammed them all into one place and the restaurant’s door would still have been several orders of a magnitude more elaborate. Did she even belong in a place like this? She was an oats and apples type of pony, not a some-sort-of-weird-vegetable-with-an-unpronounceable-name kind of pony. Memories of her time spent in Manehattan drifted into her thoughts. She had decided a long time ago that she was no fan of the upper crust. But if that was what Twilight wanted...
She took a step forward, intending to hold the door open for her companion, only to find the door already held open by waistcoat-clad stallion with a slicked-back mane. He bowed cordially, and motioned for them to come inside. Applejack paused just long enough for Twilight to move, then followed a step behind her. As she stepped through the door, her throat tightened. It was as if all the opulence of the Grand Galloping Gala had been condensed into a single, smallish building. Everything was gilding, ornamentation, and lace. Even the light was golden. And she was only in the entryway.
“So, uh, do we talk to him, or what?” Applejack gestured in the direction of a gray-maned pony who stood behind a rather gaudy counter built into the wall.
Twilight giggled. “Applejack, that's the coat-check pony.” She pointed at the sign above the window.
“Heh heh, so he is.” She followed Twilight down the entryway. They turned a corner and the hall opened into the dining room. A third jacket-clad pony stood at a carved mahogany podium. He bobbed his head graciously at the couple as they approached.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said. “Do you have a reservation?”
Applejack instinctively nodded emphatically. “We sure do! Ya'll think we'd be here if we didn't?”
The Maitre'D raised an eyebrow. Applejack clamped her mouth shut and decided not to open it again until the two of them were at their table. Twilight chuckled nervously and stepped in front of her.
“Yes, we do have a reservation,” she said. “It should be under 'Sparkle.'”
“Of course.” The stallion nodded and flipped through the pages of his guest list. “Ah, here it is. You'll be dining out on the terrace this evening. Quite lovely this time of year.” He nodded at a passing waiter. “Please take these two lovely mares to table eleven.”
Applejack followed Twilight, who followed the waiter. As they ascended the stairs to the rooftop patio, she caught a glimpse of Twilight's face. She had stars in her eyes; the unicorn was obviously fighting the urge to gawk. Applejack sighed internally. The restaurant was impressive, to be sure, but so much of it seemed so unnecessary. As long as the food was good, what did it matter that the plate was imported from Saddle Arabia and had a silver edge? And why were the plates so small? And why were there so many? They could save an hour of dishwashing time by just dumping all the grub on one plate. Everything smelled real nice, though. That's a good sign, she thought. No point in goin' out to eat if the food's not gonna be any good. I just hope there's enough of it.
The scent took her mind back to Manehattan, to that fancy banquet that her Aunt and Uncle had taken her to. The food had been good enough, but each plate had only had maybe a bite and a half on it. If it hadn't been for the dessert buffet afterward she'd probably have starved. The smell faded, and she realized that they had reached the terrace. It was every bit as reserved as the inside dining room was gaudy. The gilding and glitz had given way to ivy-covered trellises, ceramic flowerpots, and the murmur of conversation hidden behind the sound of a gentle harp. Applejack closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the music.
“Come on, Applejack.” Her eyes snapped open as Twilight poked her. “We still have to get to our table.”
“O-oh, right.” They followed the waiter to a table and took their seats on the purple velvet cushions.
“I will return to take your orders momentarily.” The waiter placed a menu in front of each of the mares. “I would recommend the asparagus gratin. It goes quite well with sparkling cider.” He paused for a moment, as if waiting for questions. When there were none, he turned and strode away.
“You looked like you zoned out a bit there, Applejack.”
Applejack craned her neck slightly to look at Twilight between the arms of the candelabra. “Yeah, sorry about that. It's just a lot to take in all at once. This is the first time in years that I've been to such a fancy kinda place. There's just so much stuff all happenin' at once, you know?”
“It is pretty overwhelming, isn't it?” Twilight said. “That's part of why I had Rarity reserve us an outside table. Well, that and it's just too nice of an evening to spend inside.”
“It sure is.” Applejack looked into the distance. The sun was just touching down on the horizon, painting the sky a vivid violet. “I definitely like it better out here. On evenings like this sometimes I like to go out into one of the fields and just kick back and relax after a hard day’s work.”
“That does sound quite nice.”
“That's cause it is,” Applejack said. “There ain't nothin' like leanin' up against a tree, takin' a big bite of an apple, and watchin' the sunset. Not that this place isn't real nice. Everythings so... uh... shiny.”
Twilight held a hoof to her mouth to stifle her chuckle. “You don't really come to places like this very often, do you?”
“I'm pretty sure the last time I was at someplace like this was when I was a filly visiting my Aunt and Uncle Orange in Manehattan. That was the year I got my cutie mark, actually.”
“Oh, your cutie mark? Come to think of it, I don't think you've ever told me the story behind it. I know it has something to do with Rainbow Dash's first sonic rainboom, but that's really all I know.”
“Really?” Applejack blinked. “I coulda sworn I'd told you that story.” She studied Twilight's intent expression. The unicorn seemed genuinely intrigued. If she had heard the story before, she sure didn't seem to mind listening to it again. “Well, when I was real little, I went to Manehattan for a week or so to visit some relatives. I was right at that age when you start worryin' about cutie marks and such, and I thought maybe spendin' some time in the city would help me get things figured out.”
“I guess that's where your sister gets it from,” Twilight said. “Did you enjoy your time in Manehattan?”
“It was real cool for a day or two, seein' the city and all, but it didn't take very long before I started gettin' homesick. My aunt and uncle were real nice, but they were pretty highfalutin' too. Whenever we went anywhere I had to spend a bunch of time gettin' all dolled up in fancy clothes, and I had to act all dignified and such. At first it was kinda fun pretendin' to be a princess or businesspony, but it got hard real fast. It felt like I was tryin' to be somepony else. I had to act like I enjoyed sittin' in a banquet hall and talkin' about stocks and fashion and fancy boats, when what I really wanted to be doin' was helpin' Big Macintosh carry the apples back into the barn, or helpin' Granny Smith sort them, or playin' with Apple Bloom.
Applejack began to fidget with her napkin. “I just couldn't take it any more. I told my aunt and uncle that I wasn't feelin' good and went up to my room. I don't really know what I was thinkin' of doin', so I just went to the window to see if could maybe see my house. That was right when Rainbow Dash did her first Sonic Rainboom. Left a big old rainbow right across the sky, pointin' right toward Ponyville. The next morning I was on the train back home.
“I remember comin’ down the road to the farm. As soon as I saw my family waitin' for me in front of the barn I just started runnin'. That was when I knew that Sweet Apple Acres was where I was supposed to be. I realized that I just wasn't cut out for livin' fancy. It just ain't me, you know? Getting' dressed up all the time and eatin' food with unpronounceable names.” She looked down at the menu. “I mean, I dunno what an 'Insalata Caprese' is, or why it oughtta cost fifty bits.”
Twilight gave an uneven smile. “I... uh, I'm sorry, Applejack. If I had known that you didn't like these kinds of places I would have asked Rarity to recommend someplace else.”
“Huh? Wait, no!” Applejack shook her head violently. “I don't mind bein' here or anything. It's fun to get all dressed up sometimes, like when we went to the Grand Galloping Gala, or to your brother's wedding. It's just something that I like to save for, uh, special occasions. Like, well, goin' on our first date.”
“Whew, you had me scared there!” Twilight drew a hoof across her forehead. “I wanted to get us off to a good start, and I thought I had ruined it right off the bat.”
“Nah, it's me who should be sorry.” Applejack massaged the side of her head. “I didn't mean to kill the mood or anything. It's just that... you know what, don't worry about it. I do feel a bit outta my league here, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy myself. I mean, I'm here with you, and that's the important thing, isn't it?”
“It sure is.” Twilight nodded. “Maybe next time we go out, I'll let you pick the place.”
“Are you ready to order?” Both Applejack and Twilight jumped in their seats as the waiter materialized next to the table. “Or would you like a few more minutes to decide?”
“Uh...” Applejack looked at her menu, then at Twilight, then back to her menu, then back at Twilight. Twilight shrugged. “I think we need a few more minutes.”
“Very well. I will return shortly.”
Twilight held up her menu. “I guess it's time to find out if this place is as good as Rarity says it is.”
Applejack nodded and held up her own menu. “Yeah, I am gettin' powerful hungry.”
“Peewee sure is excited today!” Spike watched as the tiny bird hopped off of its perch and onto his claw. The baby phoenix squawked and began to clamor along Spike's arm. “You aren't giving Fluttershy too much trouble, are you? You're being a good little phoenix, right?”
“Oh, he's been quite well behaved,” Fluttershy said. “I wish all of my animals were so cooperative.”
Peewee took a long hop and landed on Spike's head. The dragon chuckled. “That's good. I really wish I could help out more, but I just don’t have enough time to take care of a baby phoenix. That, and raising one is a bit of a problem when you live in a” —as if on cue, Peewee hiccuped, bursting into flames for a moment— “...library.” He deposited the phoenix back on its perch and began cleaning the soot from his spines.
“You and Twilight do seem to have been especially busy lately,” Fluttershy said softly. “Especially Twilight.”
“Yeah, ever since that whole thing with Applejack started, she's been going crazy. Seriously, for as long as I've known her, she's never slacked off on her studies. She's trying to get back into it now, but she has a lot of catching up to do.” Spike chuckled as he watched Peewee gnaw on a birdseed stick.
“She really thinks about Applejack a lot, then?”
“You have no idea.” Spike shook his head. “I mean, I know that sometimes when I'm around Rarity I get a bit... distracted, but that's only when she's actually there. Twilight's always had a bit of a one-track mind. You remember that whole mess when she tried to figure out how the Pinkie Sense worked?”
Fluttershy grimaced. “Twilight... tried to analyze the Pinkie Sense?”
“Remember that time you got attacked by the Hydra at Froggy Bottom Bog?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“Twilight spent that entire day trying to prove that the Pinkie Sense wasn't real. At the end of the day she gave up on that, but she spent like a week afterward trying to explain how it works.”
“Why did she stop?” Fluttershy asked.
“I don't know. She says it's because she had other things to study that Celestia actually assigned, but I think it's because she couldn't figure it out.”
“So, um...” Fluttershy turned the question over a few times in her head before asking it. “So, do you think that Twilight could ever lose interest in Applejack?”
“I, um...” Spike scratched his head. “I doubt she'd ever stop caring about her completely. I've never seen her so obsessed with anything since, well... ever.”
“Really?” Flutershy's voice nearly cracked.
“Well, I mean, it's not like she's always going to be going on about Applejack twenty-four seven. Once she remembers that she has a magic cutie mark rather than an Applejack cutie mark, she'll probably ease up a bit.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why do you ask?”
“There's... no reason.” She grew quieter with each word. “I was just curious.”
“Curious. Right.” Spike leaned in. “Are you sure? You've been acting kinda weird.”
“Weird?” Fluttershy's eyes darted around the room. “I haven't been acting weird.”
“But all afternoon when you were helping Twilight get ready, you just seemed kinda strange.” Spike tapped his claws on his chin. “It was like you almost weren't even talking to her. You were just... sitting there and listening to her.”
“I do that a lot.” She rubbed her hooves together. “Is there something wrong with listening?”
“Well, no, but you were really quiet, even for you.”
“Some days I just feel... quieter than others.” It wasn't quite a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth.
“Okaaaaay...” Spike scratched his head. “Maybe I'm just seeing things. I totally didn't realize that Twilight even had a crush until she told me, so I guess I'm trying not to miss anything else.”
“Yes, I'm fine, really—” Fluttershy paused as she felt something thwapping her on the back. She looked back to see Angel kicking her flank. Satisfied that he had her attention, he fixed her with a glare and crossed his forelegs. She swallowed and turned back to Spike. “Actually, there is something...”
“There is?”
Fluttershy bit her lip. Even in the best circumstance she preferred to keep to herself. But even so, maybe Angel was right. She should probably talk to someone who was actually capable of a vocal response. “Yes.” She clamped her mouth shut for a long moment.
“So, are you going to tell me what it is?”
“I— I guess I could. But you have to promise not to tell Twilight about it, okay?”
Spike nodded. “I swear on my spines!”
“Okay, well then, I—, wait, your spines?”
“Yeah, it's part of my dragon code. Although now that I think about it, 'spines' does sound kinda weird. I'll have to think about it some more.” He cleared his throat. “But don’t worry; I can keep a secret..”
“Okay.” Fluttershy swallowed. “It's just that I had a really terrible thought. About Twilight and Applejack. It was just for a moment, and as soon as I had it I knew that it was awful, but it just popped into my head.” Her lips began to wobble. “I— I wanted Applejack and Twilight not to go out with each other!” She collapsed to the floor and curled up as if the world was about to cave in on her.
“You... you did?”
Fluttershy uncurled just enough to glance up at Spike with glistening eyes. “I know it's a horrible thing to say, and I wish I had never thought of it! It's just that ever since she got this crush on Applejack it just feels like she's... I'm not really sure how to say it. Like she doesn't care about me as much anymore.”
“That's ridiculous!” Spike said with a snort. “What on earth would make you think that?”
“Well, since this whole crush happened, I just haven't really been able to talk to her. Whenever I try to, she's always talking about Applejack. And that's fine, and I'm really glad that Applejack makes her so happy, but... she always used to ask me little things about my day or how my animals were doing. I know that my life isn't really that interesting, but it was just nice that she asked. And I... this all sounds so selfish! She's been driving herself crazy over this and everypony else is so supportive! But me... all I can think about is how she thinks Applejack is a better friend than I am!” She buried her face in her forelegs and sniffed. “S-she's completely right. I'm a terrible friend.”
Spike reached out and patted her on the head. “Fluttershy, I'm sure Twilight thinks you're a great friend. She's just really excited that Applejack didn't turn her down. I'm sure that once she gets used to that, everything will go back to normal. And if you were a terrible friend, you wouldn't have spent all afternoon helping her style her mane. It's not like you were trying to break them up.”
“Of course not!” Fluttershy gasped. “I- I felt awful just thinking about it. I could never actually do something like that!”
“See, you're doing just fine, then!” Spike gave her a thumbs up.
“But everypony else is so happy for her! I-I’m happy for her too... I want them to be together, but It’s... I just can't get it out of my head. She's one of my best friends, and I feel like I'm losing her!”
“Twilight would never do that.” Spike snatched a tissue box off of a shelf and gave it to Fluttershy. “Not on purpose at least. I'm sure she still cares about you a lot. She's just a bit out of it at the moment.”
“I know that. At least, I... I think I know that. I just wish I could talk to her again like I used to.”
“Well, what's stopping you? I bet if you told Twilight about how you feel she'd love to talk to you about your animals or whatever. You could tell her all about Peewee or something.”
“I can't tell her! She's been so anxious that I couldn't possibly give her something else to worry about. Besides...” Fluttershy curled up again. “It's... I shouldn't bother her with it.”
“Really, Fluttershy?” Spike shook his head. “You've known Twilight for as long as I-, Okay, maybe not quite as long as I have, but you've known her for years. There's no way she'd be happy knowing she’s making one of her friends unhappy. You should tell her.”
“But... but I...” Her words degenerated into a squeak.
Spike sighed. “Will you at least think about telling her?
Fluttershy nodded. “I think... I think I can do that.”
“Good. Seriously, you shouldn't worry about it too much. Just because she's going out with Applejack doesn't have anything to do with whether you're her friend. I mean, just because I have a crush on Rarity doesn't mean I don't like spending time with you or Pinkie, or everypony else, you know?”
“You're right.” Fluttershy uncurled herself. “I'll think about it.” She stared at the floor for a moment as she tried to think of something to say. “So, it's, uh, time to feed the chickens. If I hold off for too long, they get a bit snippy...”
“You want some help with that? I can carry the feedbag for you.”
“No, no, that's fine.” Fluttershy briefly remembered the last time he had helped. She never would have believed that chickens disliked dragons so much. “You can just wait here and spend some time with Peewee.”
“Okay!” Spike turned his attention to the phoenix, coaxing it back onto his claws.
Fluttershy took a few steps towards the back door, and found Angel blocking her way. He gave her a thumbs up and nodded in satisfaction. She smiled. Maybe Spike was right.
“So Fluttershy is on the stage, upside down, flailing her legs in the air and barking like a dog.”
“And she just up and let you do all this stuff to her?” Applejack tried to wrap her head around the fact that such a thing could actually happen.
“Yeah, she really didn't want to be a model any longer, and didn't have the nerve to tell Photo Finish that she wanted to quit. Anyway, obviously the crowd didn't like it. They're snooty enough about ponies who are trying to be elegant, so when Fluttershy started flopping around they weren't happy. They were getting ready to boo her off the stage, when somepony started cheering.”
“It was Rarity, wasn't it?”
“Yep.” Twilight nodded. “She couldn't bear to see Fluttershy get embarrassed and tried to salvage it. So she started clapping and yelling something about how Fluttershy was revolutionizing the way modeling was done; trying to pass it off as avant-garde. Apparently, the other ponies were so impressed by Rarity’s dress that they decided she was right and started cheering.”
“See, I'll never get all that stuff.” Applejack shook her head. “I just don't know how anypony could start likin' or hatin' something just because somepony else says so. If I'm gonna care about something, it's gonna be because I care about it, not cause somepony tells me I should.”
“I don't get it either.” Twilight shrugged. “I've never understood all the fashion stuff. I mean, looking your best is all well and good, but sometimes it looks like they're just seeing who can get away with the most. At least Rarity doesn't go so far overboard.”
“Yeah, she's a bit prissy sometimes, but compared to some of those getups, she's bein' downright simple. What happened after the show?”
“Well, Rarity went back to see Fluttershy backstage after the whole debacle. Turns out that she was totally jealous of all the attention Fluttershy was getting, but she still couldn't bear to see her fail. And Fluttershy didn't even like modeling, for obvious reasons, but she was sticking with it because she thought she'd let Rarity down if she quit.”
“Oh wow, so they were both makin' themselves unhappy because they thought the other one wanted it?”
“Pretty much.” Twilight chuckled. “If they would've just spoken up, they would have saved themselves a lot of trouble.” She shook her head. “I know what that's like. I'm still kicking myself for not coming to you first. It would have saved me so much anxiety and stress...”
“Well, I can't blame you for that.” Applejack poked at the remnant of her meal. “Sometimes it can be real tough to say the stuff you're thinkin', even when you know it would be better to speak up.”
“I know, right? I'm so glad everypony else was around to give me a shove. If not for that I'd probably still be cooped up in the library. It's so scary trying to tell somepony something when you don't know how they'll react.”
“Yeah, that's sure true,” Applejack mumbled.
“But it's so much better when you do anyway!” Twilight tapped her hoof on the table. “Like when you told me about your cutie mark and everything. Now I know that we should save the fancy restaurant for really super special occasions. I wouldn't want to be dragging you out here all the time if you didn't like it.”
“It's actually wasn't too bad,” Applejack answered. “The food was real good. Don't know if it was quite fifty-bits good, but it's tasty enough, and they gave me a decent amount to boot. Still not sure what all these are for, though.” She gestured at the half-dozen odd pieces of silverware that she had elected not to use. There was a sneaking suspicion that it was a bit of a “foh-paw” or whatever that thing was called, but Twilight didn't seem to care, so Applejack decided she didn't either. “I like the music, too.”
“The music?” Twilight tilted her head. “I never knew you liked classical harp music.”
“I know, it's weird, isn't it? Back when I was in school we were doin' this music thing for the end of the year program. They brought in this professional harpist to come in and play while we accompanied her on kazoos.”
“Kazoos?”
“I guess they couldn't think of any other instruments for a bunch of foals to play. It sounded pretty terrible, to be honest. But during the rehearsals we got to listen to her play a lot. Maybe it was just because I was still feeling really good because I had just gotten my cutie mark, but I really liked listening to it.” She closed her eyes. “I actually remember her playing this song. It was always my favorite. Never could remember what the name of it was, though.” She sighed as the notes faded, and were replaced by another set.
“I'm sure you could ask if you wanted to know it that badly.”
“Nah, it's not that important. As long as I can remember how it goes, I think I'll be okay. The important thing is that I enjoyed myself tonight.”
“You don't know how happy I am to hear that!”
“Ahem.” Both mares turned to see the waiter standing beside the table. “Would the two of you be interested in dessert? We have a delightful crème brulee, chocolate ganache cake, and a delectable tiramisu.”
“Hmmmm.” Twilight tapped her chin. “Would you like any dessert, Applejack?”
“I guess I could go for something sweet.”
Twilight turned back to the waiter. “What would you recommend?”
“Personally, I have a taste for the tiramisu. It is our most popular desert.”
“Two of those, then.”
The waiter nodded and went on his way.
“Twilight, do you even know what tiramisu is?”
Twilight smiled and shook her head. “No idea!”
“Perfect!” Spike stood triumphantly as he surveyed the library, which for once didn't look like a disaster zone. “It's so much easier to keep this place clean when Twilight isn't grabbing books left and right.”
“Hoo.”
“I know, right? Sometimes she pulls books off the shelves faster than I can put them back up.”
“Hoo, hoo.”
“Of course I could! Just because Twilight is usually here doesn’t mean I need her help.”
“Hoo?”
“Oh, come on. I've been basically doing it all myself for the past few days! And whenever Twilight is out of town I take care of all sorts of stuff.”
“Hoo.”
“It can't be that bad. I mean, Twilight manages to take care of it while doing all of her studying. She's good at multitasking, but not that good. Maybe I should ask her if I could give it a shot. You know, give her a bit more time to spend with AJ. Or Fluttershy for that matter.”
“HOO!”
“I know! I didn't say I would tell her. Doesn't mean I can't drop some hints though. Besides, I owe Fluttershy for taking care of Peewee”
“Hoo, hoo?”
“Nah, you can stay up and wait for her if you want. I'm gonna go take a nice hot bubble bath and then hit the sack. Twilight is probably going to be talking about the date all day tomorrow anyway, so she can fill me in then.” Spike yawned and began to climb the stairs. “Goodnight.”
Applejack suppressed a belch. She wasn't a fancy pony, but she knew that it wasn't the time for that, no matter how good the food had been. She settled for a sip of water.
“So, uh...” She eyed the slip of paper that the waiter had left in the center of the table. “What do I owe you?”
“What?” Twilight snatched up the paper with her telekinesis. “You don't owe me anything. This is completely on me!”
“Twilight, I appreciate the offer, but you really don't have to pay for me. I mean, this place is real expensive and I wouldn't want you to use up all your bits on it.”
“No, no, no.” Twilight punctuated each word with a shake of her head. “It was my idea to come here, and I won't have you pay for that. Really, don't worry about it.”
“Are you sure, sugarcube? I feel like I'd be takin' advantage of you if I let you pay for everything. Can I at least cover the tip?”
“Nope.” Twilight rummaged through her purse. “I'm the one who asked you out, so I'm the one who pays. That's how these things work.”
“Alright, you win,” Applejack said. “I'll just have to take you out sometime this week to make it even.”
“You don't have to do that!”
“Maybe not, but I want to.” Applejack reached across the table and put her hoof on Twilight's. “If we want this whole thing to work out, we both gotta do stuff, right?”
“Yes, I think you're right.” Twilight put her other hoof on top of Applejack's. “But I'm still paying for tonight, okay?”
Applejack smiled. “If you insist.”
Steam poured out of the bathroom as Spike emerged, clad in an oversized bathrobe. “Ahhhhh!” He headed towards the stairs and stopped. His eyes darted back and forth between the bedroom door and the kitchen. Surely he would have time for a quick snack before going to bed. He took a few steps and heard a knock on the door.
“Hello?” A familiar voice rang through the door. “Twilight, are you back yet?”
Spike opened the door. “Hey, Cheerilee! What are you doing here so late?”
“Oh, I just came back to return some books. I was going to drop them off earlier, but I met Applejack on my way over here and realized that Twilight was... otherwise occupied. I assume she isn't back yet?”
“Nope.” Spike shook his head. “I can take care of them for you if you want, though. I've been pretty much taking care of things lately.”
“That's what I thought,” Cheerilee said as she put the books on the table. She noted Spike's garb. “I didn't wake you up, did I?”
“Nope.” He set about re-cataloging the books.
“Good. I know how Twilight hates it when books get returned late, so I thought I'd come by to check and the lights were on.” She watched Spike zip up and down the shelves, replacing the books. “You really are on top of everything, aren't you?”
“I sure hope so. Is there anything else I can get for you? Do you need more books?”
“No. Not now at least. I'll have to check my curriculum before I know what I'll need next.” She glanced at the clock. “I suppose I should get going. I'd hate to keep you up. Goodnight, Spike.”
“Goodnight, Cheerilee.”
She opened the door and took half a step out.
“Oh my.”
Applejack followed a step behind Twilight as they made their way back to the library. So that was how a date was. It wasn't too bad. She had expected herself to fidget her way through it, fiddling with her braids, readjusting her dress, or worrying about what fork to use. No doubt she had done all three of those over the course of the night, but her attention had been elsewhere. Her attention had been on Twilight.
“Didn't you have an amazing time tonight?” Twilight asked.
“As a matter of fact I did have a pretty good time. Even if I had to spend all afternoon gettin' my hair ready.”
“Tell me about it!” Twilight chuckled. “Fluttershy probably won't ever want to help anypony with their mane again after today.
“Maybe next time we'll go someplace where we don't have to worry about all that stuff.”
“That's up to you, remember?”
“Oh, right.” Her mind began to sort through all the restaurants in town, searching for one that would be a worthy follow up. “I'll be sure to get right on that.”
“Don't worry about it too much. Wherever you choose to go, I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time.”
“Y-yeah, of course.” Applejack bumped into Twilight and realized that the two of them had already reached the library. “So, uh, I guess this is where I head home.”
“I suppose it is,” Twilight said. “Well, I had a wonderful time. I look forward to seeing what you have planned.”
“I'll be sure it's something good.” Applejack swallowed. “Goodnight, Twilight.” She began to turn, but Twilight stopped her, putting her hoof on her cheek.
“Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?”
“O-of course!” Applejack went in for the kiss. They bumped noses and giggled.
“Don't worry, Applejack, we'll get it right eventually.” They tried again, and this time their lips met, just in time for the library door to swing open.
“Oh my.”
They froze mid-kiss. Cheerilee stood in the doorway, blushing slightly and grinning like a loon. She raised one eyebrow. “Oh, don't mind me. I was just dropping some books off. I hope you have a lovely night.” She winked at the lip-locked ponies before scurrying away.
Twilight and Applejack stood still for a moment before letting the kiss go.
“I guess the cat's out of the bag now,” Twilight said, her cheeks nearly glowing.
“Yeah, it sure is.” Applejack breathed deeply. “I-uh, I better be on my way. Wouldn't want Granny to wait up for me!”
“Of course, of course. I wouldn't want to keep you too long.”
“I had a real good time tonight, Twilight. Even if it wasn't quite my thing. I'll see you again tomorrow, okay?”
“I'm sure we'll cross paths.” Twilight nodded. “Goodnight, Applejack.”
“Goodnight, Twilight.”
The unicorn gave her a final warm smile before retreating into the library.
Applejack let out a long sigh. She hadn't particularly enjoyed the gratuitous fanciness, but against all odds Twilight's presence had made it bearable. She actually found herself looking forward to next time. I'm responsible for next time, aren't I? I better start workin’ on that. As she started to trot back towards Sweet Apple Acres, she could still feel the heat of Twilight's lips on her own. Maybe this whole thing is gonna work out after all.
Bon Bon took a sip of her tea and flipped the page of her questionable romance novel as she sat in her bed. It was, of course, absolute rubbish. It was the story of a lowly gardener who inexplicably won the love of a princess. This was despite having only two conversations with her over the course of the story that weren't composed entirely of romantic cliches. Their perfect passion brought peace to the kingdom, ended the famine, brought the Princesses' ailing father back to full health, and caused a variety of other side effects that made less and less sense the more one thought about it. That was the point; you weren't supposed to think about it. The whole reason Bon Bon owned the thing was that it was perfect for fooling her brain into not thinking.
In fact, reading it required so little brainpower that she was able to calculate exactly what was going on downstairs: the squeak of the front door opening, the bang as it slammed shut, the thump of Lyra shoving her harp case back into the closet, the clip-clop of her wife ascending the stairs—
“Hey, Bon Bon!” Lyra burst into the room.
“Good evening, Lyra,” Bon Bon said without looking up from her book. “How did work go?”
“It worked! It worked! It totally worked!”
“What worked?”
“The box of chocolates!”
Bon Bon looked up from the book. “What box of chocolates?”
“They had me playing the background music for their outdoor dining area!” Lyra hopped onto the bed. “You'll never guess who I saw!”
Bon Bon put the book on the nightstand. “Who?”
“Guess!”
Bon Bon scowled. “Who?”
“Twilight Sparkle!”
“Really?” Bon Bon raised an eyebrow. “Was she... with somepony?”
Lyra wagged her head up and down.
“Who?”
“Well, don't go spreading it around town or anything, but she was sharing a table with Applejack!”
“Really? I never would have expected Applejack to go to such a fancy restaurant.”
“I know, right?” Lyra bounced exceptionally high and landed on her back, shaking the bed. “At first I didn't even realize that it was her. If I see Twilight tomorrow, I oughtta congratulate her on working things out. They looked like they were having a really good time.”
“If you do, give her my congratulations as well.”
“Sure thing, Bonnie.”
Bon Bon returned her attention to her book.. “So, did you want something to eat? Your sandwich from lunch is still in the icebox, and there's still some of that casserole left. Lyra?”
“Sngnrblbbl!”
Bon Bon lowered the book to see Lyra snoring soundly. She rolled her eyes, and gently drew the blanket over her partner's body. “Goodnight, dear.”
Commence read.
more story!
Thank goodness this updated today, I haven't had my proper dose of Apple Sparkle for weeks. I really wish somebody would invent an Apple Sparkle Shot, but hopefully they wouldn't call it that due to... acronyms. Still, thank's for the save. Anymore time without my OTP and I'd have gone off the edge.
Nice Nice Nice
A minor complaint.
Chocolate Ganache cake is a superior dessert to Tiramisu. Fire that waiter!
In fact I found that entire dessert menu lacking in creativity. Everywhere does Creme Brulee., it is boring. How about a nice Creme de Caramel instead.
Yes the new chapter is here!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure "desert" is the right word to be using here...
Channeling your inner Takei I see.
To be fair, he DID steal their coop for leaf storage.
1956530: Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of tiramisu either. As for the other stuff, I know precisely jack about fancy restaurants. I'm pretty much in the same boat with Applejack in that regard; the fanciest restaurant I've ever been to (excluding stuff like wedding receptions) is probably an Olive Garden, so I really have no clue how they work. The account of the restaurant in the story is basically what someone who never goes to them imagines them to be like.
1956556 You'd think after going through the story so many times I'd have caught that...
1956907: It's actually really interesting that you bring those points up, because they're a few of the things that I actually had in mind when I was first brainstorming the story. I've was wondering when people were going to mention it.
I. The fact that AJ and Twilight are technically in a lesbian relationship. I made a conscious decision not to directly address their orientation in the story. There are several reasons for this:
1. There are a lot of other stories out there that cover that subject matter that are written by authors who are far better equipped to address that issue. As a heterosexual male who's basically never had cause to question my own sexual orientation, I have absolutely no clue how to go about addressing it, and I've always been very wary of trying to tackle subject matter that I don't have much personal experience with, especially something that's relevant to so many people. (Although I don't have much personal experience in romance either, I have observed enough of it that I can fake it.)
2. It's not really relevant to the story I wanted to tell anyway. From the get go, my goal was to always examine how the relationship would develop given their personalities; putting that on hold to address their orientations would not only make the main plot of the story move even slower, but it would also be something that I'd have to create out of whole cloth; their sexualities are never even hinted at in the show, so I'd have to decide myself whether they would be apprehensive, or willing to experiment, or whatever. With romance at least, pretty much all of it can be extrapolated from what we know of their characterization. Basically, it's something that falls outside my intended purpose for the story (something personality based), and I'm not really confident in my ability to write it anyway (see point 1). I'm sure that there's a story to be told there, but it's not something I'd personally want to attempt.
3. (this one is more ideological) I've always sort of viewed Equestria as a more idealized version of the world. Not that there isn't suffering or evil or conflict or whatnot, but that it responds to and handles those conflicts in a more ideal manner than most people manage in the real world. When you extend that to the point of sexuality, it basically results in me attempting to write the society as one that would respond to a relationship between two girls in an ideal manner. For my purposes, it simply means that the relationship just is; it doesn't need any qualifier because there's no reason to identify a f/f relationship as anything out of the norm. It isn't a "lesbian" relationship, it's just a relationship that happens to be between two female characters. Attaching qualifiers and such to the relationship just identifies it as something unusual and odd that needs to be pointed out. Most of those qualifiers carry stereotypes and connotations that I don't want to drag into the story, because as seen in reason #2, the story is first and foremost about their personalities. I'd like to think that if you switched one or both of their genders, the story would play out the same way, because that wouldn't necessarily need to change the core of who they are. A sexual orientation is that and only that: a sexual orientation. It doesn't inform any other aspects of their personality.
TL;DR version: I don't want to treat the relationship as being unusual or out of the ordinary in any fashion just because both members happen to be girls, and the subject matter is something I didn't intend to focus on and I don't feel that I could handle it well anyway.
II. The mundane-ness: This is another thing I made a very intentional decision on. I really wanted to keep the story centered entirely on the interaction between the characters. No gimmicks. It's simply "Twilight and Applejack begin a relationship". There's no "and", because I think that the story can stand on its own. One of the reasons I like this show so much is that the characters practically come to life on their own; you don't need to contrive an interesting situation for something to happen. The types of stories I enjoy most are the ones that just let the characters drive the events without having to be pushed around.
It's the same deal with the anti-grandness of it. Despite what movies and romance novels tell you, Love is freaking hard, and forming a relationship takes work. There's much more to it than just butterflies in the stomach and a jump in heart rate. And that's really what the story, at it's core, is truly about: Twilight and Applejack (and the rest of the cast, for that matter) learning what it really means to be in love with someone. Even if they're both trying their hardest to make things work, there are going to be misunderstandings and disagreements and unexpected hurdles. Romance isn't always glamorous. And to that end, I ought to say that I'm incredibly glad you noticed and enjoyed that I decided to handle it that way. From the start I wanted to sort of pick apart the idealized idea of shipping and the fact that it's appreciated means a lot.
Heck, your previous comment on here pretty much summed it up when you called this the most un-romantic shipfic you'd ever read. I think that sums it up pretty nicely.
TL:DR, I totally take "mundane" as a compliment.
III. Donne: The thing I've always liked about Donne is that even though he wrote these ornate flowery declarations of love, they're often grounded in the mundane. Take the titular poem of the first chapter, The Sun Rising. It's undoubtedly flowery and fancy, but the subject matter of the poem boils down to basically: "Stupid sun! Stop being so bright in the morning. I'd much rather spend time with my lover than with you!" I've always loved works that take extremely mundane circumstances and draw something profound from it. It's kind of a running theme in this story; taking something very down to earth and digging something amazing out of it.
...Holy Crap, this comment is gigantic. Now you know how I managed to drag the events of the story out so long. Also, hopefully I don't sound too pretentious as I explain my motivation.
Thanks for reading, everybody.
I'm curious to see where you take the Fluttershy sub plot, it seems like just something they would talk about, get over it and move on, maybe Twilight would freak out for a bit, but only a bit. Although I'm really hoping to be surprised by how it turns out
1957153
Finally, someone who gets it. You have the same view of Equestria (in that respect) as me. Orientation need not be delt with overtly or possibly at all.
Long comment is looooong. But I like the way yave been writin it. Can't say I've been to any fancy places like that either and for anyone who don't believe relationships are a right pain in the flank is either the luckiest sonofabitch alive, or hasn't had one fall apart around them. Keep it up. Love where yall are goin with it
It's nice with a shipping date not going all weird with spies, love potions and misunderstandings. Very nice indeed.
I daww and then I dawww even more! Here take some
I can't believe I didn't notice this until now: of all the characters who could have counseled Fluttershy on her feelings of jealousy, Spike is probably the most interesting choice, because he went through something similar in "Owl's Well That Ends Well". And the difference in how they handled those feelings is telling: neither of them thought to just tell Twilight that they felt she was replacing her... but Spike responded by blaming the interloper and unleashing his inner Dick Dastardly, while Fluttershy blamed herself and curled up into a ball of fear and self-loathing.
I think I enjoyed Spikes part in this chapter more so than the dinner date itself. He's involved a lot in being a friend for Fluttershy to talk to and was pretty mellow in his conversations.
Cat's outta the bag now. Ya know I'm still wondering why AJ's been so fidgety about ponies knowing about her and Twi? I guess we'll find out eventually.
This is without a doubt my favorite shipfic, anywhere. You focus on the characters without muddling the relationship with a veiled secondary plot.
The pacing is perfect, and this is one of the few shipfics that I haven't been able to say I consider to be rushing into the relationship in order to move on to the other aspects of the story. I look forward to the next chapter, and have absolutely no qualms about waiting as long as I did for this one, seeing as how you've put so much care into the story so far.
Thanks for making me go D'awwww.
1960836
As far as favorite ship-fics go, I think my personal favorite is "Those Blue Wings" where I particularly liked RD's personal drama and the gamut of emotions she goes through while she impatiently waits for Twilight to fix the teleportation spell gone wrong that caused her wings and tail to get swapped with AJ's.
1964990
I haven't read that one, I'll be sure to seek it out. Thanks for pointing me towards another good read
Is it even possible for you to write something that ISN'T incredible? Seriously, this is probably my fav ship fic of all time. You are a masterful writer, and I am so glad that you are taking the time to explore, as you said, the characters personalities.
TL;DR version. YOU ARE AWESOME!
1957290: I hope you're surprised, too.
1959547: I'm happy to hear that, given that it was byfar the most difficult section to write.
1960836: Thank you.
1966343: It sure is, but 1. I have really good proofreaders who point out when I'm being stupid and 2. If it's terrible I don't put it up here.
I still think there´s more to Shy´s jealousy than just being worried about Twi spending less time with her...
That said, this date and good night kiss was soooooo adorable~
1966591
At least one little thing slipped through your proofreaders: "which for once
wasdidn't look like"As for why lesbianism is so widespread in shipfics, the male-female ratio (at least in Ponyville) does not give fanfic writers much male material to work with so given that circumstances, it is almost as good a "solution" as any... if females outnumbered males 5:1 in real life, I presume we wouldn't question it half as much either. Some authors opt for the herd/harem solution to work around that skewed population ratio, which looks a lot more like what animals tend to do in the real world... in "Stallions on Strike", Shining Armor gets to be the only male in the Alicorn herd
So Spike can speak owl now? Cool, makes it much more interesting.
So, the first date. It went surprisingly smoothly; I kind of expected some sort of conflict to arise, but the normal and uneventful are of course more this story's style. And it was more believable this way. They're both just focused on the act of establishing their relationship right now, making things 'perfect' and such, so any problems between them aren't likely be an issue yet. I think I do see the beginnings of issues forming, though. For example, Twilight's clingy affection versus Applejack's hesitant awkwardness. Twilight keeps having to ask Appleack to kiss her... that kind of thing might spawn problems if it continues. At any rate, it's nice to see things working out for them so far. Celestia knows Twilight deserves some success after the stress of the last few months.
As for the Spike and Fluttershy scene, that was a good idea. As has been stated, Spike dealt with a similar situation in Owl's Well, so he's an obvious choice for giving Fluttershy advice. Hopefully she takes it, now. I also like the idea of Fluttershy raising Peewee. It makes sense; a spontaneously flammable baby bird and a library probably aren't the best mix. She'd love the chance to take care of such an exotic animal, anyway.
And I notice Cheerilee keeps mentioning Mac. Good...goood...
Finally got around to reading this. It was great, I really enjoyed it.
Tiramasu? Tiramasu.
Tiramasu is Italian for "Comfort Food". It is the best. Oh god it is so good guys, like, really.
I love that stuff more than I love this story and I love this story a lot so...
Sorry. You reminded me how much I love that stuff and I ate a lot of it and, err, there's a lot of coffee in it and it's 4am but so worth it tiramisu is amazing.
The end of this chapter was too cute!
Also, the date went rather well, in my opinion (and I'm sure in other's opinions as well). They were rather cute together, which reminds me of Pinkie's reaction when Applejack places her hat on Twilight's head. That whole scene was just too funny/adorable!!
1956907 About the orientation thing: In most fics I've read being homosexual/bisexual seems to be a very commonplace thing, at least among mares, and I think the reason might be that mares outnumber stallions (canon-wise) 9/1. So it's only fair that there would probably be a lot more Mare+Mare couples. But that's my logic. After all, there ARE fics where that is questioned or looked down upon by certain ponies. I think if that were in this story it would just make it more complicated.
So bon bon and lyra are married I thought they were just dating also cheerile seeing an and twi kiss was hilarious
Okay you got me hooked, just want to keep reading, only thing slowing me down is the commentary.
I'm rather amazed she isn't. Though.. looking back, did we ever actually get a description of what she was wearing? other then the lipstick and braids? Which, brings up another question. how the buck does a pony braid hair with hooves?
Twilight, relax. Remember the Gala.
Second question. Where did she even GET a 'fancy' dress in the first place?
Hmmm, so, is she just wearing her Gala dress? Only one I can think of her having a reason to own.
AJ, that was just asking for somepony to see you. And Hmm, Cheerilee. you know I wonder how ponies tell HER that they think she would be a perfect match for Twi, and what her reaction to it would be.
And again, this one is a good "bad at math" joke and made me chuckle.
But I'm going to pry anyway.
Like she'd be gong anywhere but the library.
And the gods of narrative causality and humor have been appeased.
hmm, vice that she put those things together so quick. Me like.
I have no idea what that is, and even less how AJ would know what that is.
Okay.... going by certain definitions of 'make' he's not wring, but that is a really really odd way of saying it and makes me picture them getting to the restaurant and finding out they are packed and can't get a table because they both forgot to make a reservation. then again, I have a hard enough time picturing that type of place being in Ponyville, let alone popular enough to require reservations.
Twi gets home to a half dozen tubs of ice cream lying in small pools of melted goo. Spike: 'What I saved you some!" And he points to a bowl with a single scoops worth of liquified ice cream.
Hmmm, really liking AJ's issues here, her fears, and doing it for Twilight. And then, we find out Twilight, while more comfortable there then AJ due to more experience with High Class society, still would prefer just having a quite meal at Sweet Apple Acres to a big fancy dinner, but this is what 'you are supposed to do' on a date.
Agree 100% with AJ.
Okay, Twi.. has the whole falling in love made you comptley forget the basic details of what your friends are like? first the questions to Fluttershy last chapter, now this?
...
Okay, AJ's cutie mark story... ehhhhhh.. it wasn't bad but, really just kind of.. unneeded. Yeah you told it well, but was still rather unnecessary. Just, it wasn't "Why the hell are they talking about this" bad, and it makes sense in 'verse' so don't hate it but, also, wouldn't have missed it at all if we'd just skipped it. So yeah not really bad, but totally unneeded. And this from someone that normally loves stories that take time away from nothing but plot development just to flesh out he world or characters.
Okay so not what I was expecting, but still sweet of both of them.
And now i can't help but see him as one of the ninja waiters from Order of the Stick.
Hmm, actually some good reasons why he wasn't around at all. Good one.
Huh, weird they never told her about it.
Umm, she didn't come up with an excuse, she just realized she can't figure it out and accepted it.
Hmmm, you know Spike is just the person to deal with this. cares ehough to, well care, like all her friends, but observant enough to actually notice something is going on, unlike RD or Pinkie. And blunt enough to get to the point and push her to spill what's wrong, unlike Rarity.
Must we be reminded of that episode?
Still such a really weird phrase to hear from ponies.
No, it is understandable what she's feeling just, wasn't done very well at first, has gotten better and, well glad to see it's coming to a head.
Well, months at least. Stupid unclear passage of time.
Okay the scene as a whole, pretty good. Hopefull this pus that whole sub-plot to bed. Again it wasn't really BAD, and does make sense for her to feel that way just.. wasn't well executed at first. It got beter in the last few chapters, but by then, I was so meh about the whole thing, that it wasn't enough of an improvement. Just, didn't do a good enough job giving Fluttershy reasons for it, making her feelings really feel sympathetic. At first, did do better later but, to little to late to really suck me in. And again wasn't really 'bad' just, not that great either and really stands out when compared to how amazing everything else is.
Though you did end up turning it around somewhat at least, ended it on a high note and got better with the whole idea.
Yeah I don't think ANYONE understands it.
Though, again, this is odd cause, wouldn't they have told each other about all these thing before?
Whaaaaaa...?
Me either. Or any of those.
Given what I know is coming later... nice foreshadowing.
Aww but that would have been hilarious.
One of the better fighting over who gets the check scenes.
Is that Pinkie? Is it after midnight?
D'awwww, still cute.
Way to kill the mood.
YAY! Back to them!
So, lampshade on what makes normal ship-fics so... ship-ic and makes so man avoid them versus what this one does right?
...... Why the buck did I not assume she was there? Especially after mentioning harp music? How did I miss that?
D'awwww, really reall liked this bit, no bearing on the plot, or even on the mane 6/CMC and yet, so good. Even less needed then the cuoe mark story and the recap of other episdoes, and yet, so much better. Just, love little things like this.
Well, that date went a lot better then I expected. I mean I didn't expect disaster, but expected some minor issues at least.
The recaps were a tad "Why?" First why did they have to tell them? Why didn't they tell them these things before. next why see that whole ting? why not just jump in at the very end, just enough to tell what story it was, but not to have to go over it again? And the biggest why, why is there a restaurant THAT fancy in Ponyville and how doe it stay in business?
But yeah still fun.
1957153
I love it when stories do this. There's certainly a place for stories that deal with issues of sexual orientation, but they don't all have to. It's really nice to see it just be a complete non-issue sometimes.
Also applies to real life, specifically, this fandom...
5255808 How so?
5255808
I get it