9 - For Love of a Princess
The guest room bed was softer than Applejack preferred, but she’d already expected that. This was hardly her first night in Canterlot Castle’s guest wing. The feeling that it wasn’t her bed was inescapable, but she’d learned to quiet it and managed a fitful attempt at sleep.
Like clockwork, Applejack rose with the sun. She let out a long yawn and stretched her legs before testing them on the floor below. Idly, she took the sheet in her teeth and pulled it over the side where she’d slept before repeating the process with the comforter. She tucked them both neatly into the mattress, then grabbed her hat off the bedpost with her teeth and flipped it up onto her head, adjusting with a hoof.
She had to admit that the washrooms in the castle were a luxury she enjoyed indulging in during her brief stays in Canterlot. She was always awake before the rest of the group, which meant she usually had time to savor them well before they were filled with the whispers and giggles of her pals. She loved her friends dearly, but most of them had never quite been able to appreciate a good, comfortable quiet.
Absently, her mind drifted to Twilight. Twilight understood the value of quiet. She loved to listen to her read, but her memory was also full of those special evenings where she could lay with her and simply be.
Now, Twilight didn’t know how to just be, of course. Twilight’s mind buzzed at a thousand miles per minute. She couldn’t turn it off if she wanted to. But she would spend those nights reading, thinking, and occasionally breaking the silence with the kind of chatter that required minimal response from Applejack. Mostly she thought aloud; it was rarely anything that would actually disrupt the peaceful quiet in Applejack’s mind.
Smiling to herself from the fond memory, Applejack reached out with her snout for the knob on the guest room door. She wanted to get to the washrooms before Rainbow Dash showed up to disrupt the peace. The others usually rose at predictable times but Rainbow Dash seemed to wake and sleep sporadically. It was impossible to know when she’d be up.
Something didn’t feel right as Applejack twisted the knob, but she couldn’t quite place it. Pulling the door open, she stepped out into the hallway, orienting herself. The washrooms were--
“Good morning, your highness.” A chipper, feminine voice sang out from across the hall. Applejack was too lost in thought to register at first, but the words rang in her mind until they suddenly clicked.
“Your highness!” she called out, going quickly into a bow. She turned, frantically shouting, “Beggin’ your pardon, majesty, I….” The west end of the hall was devoid of life, save for two royal guards flanking the door at the end. She looked the other way, but all she saw was a tan unicorn standing up from a bow.
The unicorn resumed sweeping the marble floor. “Are you okay, your highness?” she asked with a courteous smile.
Applejack blinked in surprise and took another look around the hall. Tentatively, she asked, “You, uh…you talkin’ to me?”
“Oh!” The unicorn exclaimed. “Am I not supposed to? I apologize.” The unicorn bowed her head in respect, then returned her attention to the sweeping.
“No, it’s okay!” Applejack said quickly. “You, uh…you can talk at me all you want. But why are you--”
At that moment, a patrolling guard passed behind Applejack. “Good morning, your majesty,” the guardpony greeted her with a bow of his head.
Why is everypony--
Everything clicked into place at that moment. Twilight’s challenge! This had to be part of--
Applejack raced back into the bedroom, suddenly realizing that Twilight explicitly told her not to make her bed. She’d been awake five minutes and she’d already failed. Panicking, Applejack leapt onto the bed and thrashed about. She rolled onto her back and threw her legs out, then squirmed back and forth. She rolled and tossed until the covers lay every which way.
Breathing heavily, Applejack gave herself a moment to indulge in the satisfaction of a job well done. She sat up, fit her hat back onto her head, and was just about to step down when she spotted the servant from outside, now standing in the room and staring at her.
Applejack froze in place. How long had she been there?! What did she see?!
“When you’re finished, I would be happy to make your bed,” the servant said flatly. She feigned a smile, but Applejack could see in her eyes that she’d witnessed the entire affair and had not appreciated it.
Reflexively, Applejack wanted to tell her no. She looked at the work she’d made for this pony. The sheets were pulled up on all sides, the pillows lay everywhere, and the comforter was squirreled into a nest of sorts. This bed was a complete disaster, and now this pony was going to have to sort it out for her.
“I’m mighty sorry,” Applejack said sheepishly. “You, uh…you do good,” she added quickly. “You do good work.” She quickly vacated the guest room, feeling like a heel. She decided instantly that she hated this. She hated feeling like she’d made that pony’s work harder. The guilt had already started to gnaw at her brain, knowing she couldn’t do anything to help.
But at least she could get a shower and a royal soak out of all of this. Dejectedly, she dragged herself down the hall towards the west door. Just before she reached it, the door opened, revealing Spike.
“Applejack!” he called. “I was just on my way to see you. You’re up early!”
“No, I ain’t,” she replied. “You’re just used to Twilight sleepin’ in, I reckon.”
“This is going to be great!” Spike shouted, holding the door for her. “I can’t wait to hear what you come up with. I’m ready to help however I can. What should I do first?”
“You got me,” Applejack admitted. “I’ve been back and forth thinkin’ of ways to help Sweet Apple Acres, but there ain’t nothin’ I can do from here. What I really need’s a hot soak to get out some of the tension.”
“Of course! And I can--”
“Let me stop you there,” Applejack chastised him. “What I need is a quiet soak. I don’t need you washin’ my mane or scrubbin’ my back or nothin’.”
“You’re right,” Spike admitted. “I’d just be getting in Magenta Swirl’s way. Can I go tell the kitchen to start breakfast for you?”
“Knock yourself out,” Applejack said idly. Spike dashed off, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She still couldn’t get over how bad she felt about the bed, and she certainly wasn’t ready to start dealing with Spike yet. She hadn’t lied about her project, either; she had no idea what to make. Back home, there’d be a thousand things to do, but none of it could be done here.
She didn’t want to let Twilight down, but she’d been awake for less than an hour and she was already miserable. Spike was certainly going to make it worse. Not that he meant to. He never meant to. The aggravating fact of Spike was that he usually meant well enough. It made it hard to be mad at him when he got excited the way he does.
Twilight had compared him to Apple Bloom, and she supposed that was an apt enough comparison. Apple Bloom was impossible to rein in sometimes. Once her little head was set on something, she--wait, what had Spike said? Magenta Swirl? Who in tarnation was--
“There you are, your highness!” A shrill, high-pitched voice echoed in the corridor. Directly outside the washroom stood a unicorn whose bright pink flank would give Pinkie Pie a run for her money. Her mane was a lighter, more purplish shade with a single white stripe. It ran up her neck, then curled into a circle at the top.
Beside her stood two actual royal guards, each in position by the door. The washroom had never been guarded like this before, not in any of her visits. On her approach, both guardponies saluted her. The pony on the right declared, “Washroom is secure, ma’am.”
There was something in this setup that made Applejack’s skin crawl. This couldn’t actually be what Twilight’s time in Canterlot was like, could it? She hadn’t been a princess until well after her arrival in Ponyville.
“You don’t think this is overkill?” Spike asked Twilight, the night before. She stood by the window in her own guestroom, staring at the starry night above. Spike continued, “I mean, we weren’t exactly flanked by royal guards everywhere we went when we lived here, and some of these other things--”
“It’s supposed to be,” Twilight answered. “I can’t go easy on her, Spike. I need to see how she’s going to react under this kind of pressure.”
“And then what?” Spike asked. “This was a really easy test before you started rigging it. Are you looking for an excuse to take her back or to not?”
Distantly, she answered, “Both.”
“Oh nonononono, zese split ends will nevair do!” Magenta Swirl declared.
Applejack’s hat sat on a pillow that rested on a stool across the room from the washtub. The tub was carved from marble with a gold trim around the rim. A silver faucet shaped like a crane loomed over her, looking strangely ominous. In the past, the crane had made this her favorite washtub, but something about it just seemed angry today.
“You sure you gotta be doin’ this?” Applejack asked just before a bucket of warm water sloshed over her. Another dollop of shampoo squirted into her mane, followed shortly by Magenta’s hooves scrubbing up and down her neck.
Her legs reflexively curled up under her, closing her off from the room. She was no stranger to her friends coming in to chat while she washed up, but this was different. It felt more personal in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.
“Oh, absoluteliment! Ve are under order to make ze Applejack presentable, oui oui croissant!”
“You really do this for Twi?” Applejack asked skeptically. Twilight depended on Spike for many things and she assumed there were more that the servants had done for her before coming to Ponyville, but having another pony bathe her didn’t sit right. She was pretty sure Twilight knew how to work a soapy rag.
“Not as always,” Magenta admitted, “but ze Princess Celestia, she has few vices but a love of ze pampering is certainly one. Zis is for your comfortable, your majesty.” Applejack winced at that phrase again. She wished Twilight hadn’t told the staff to call her that.
For the second time, she wanted to quit. She wanted to tell Twilight that she’d won and go home. The voice in the back of her mind told her it wouldn’t matter anyway. It said that all she was doing was making this harder on herself. It was Twilight’s time to go, and deep in her heart, she knew that it was right.
But she didn’t want it to be. She could see the clear and logical truth but she wanted it to be wrong. She was tired of being right. In the back of her mind, she could hear Granny Smith’s voice echoing in her memory.
“Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?”
She’d made the wrong choice before. She knew that. And if Twilight needed her to do this in order to forgive, then she’d do it.
“You, uh…you got some accent,” Applejack said casually, trying to find something to take her mind away from how uncomfortable this pampering felt. “Ain’t never heard nothin’ like it. Where you from?”
“Are you sure, your highness?” Magenta asked nervously. “I can’t imagine she’ll appreciate this.”
“No, she won’t,” Twilight agreed. “But that’s the point. I need to know how she reacts.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Magenta answered, but Twilight could see that there was something bothering her. Her eyes were distant and her lips downturned as she considered Twilight’s words.
“Is there something bothering you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Magenta replied. “With all due respect, it seems mean-spirited. Are you certain you’re not being spiteful here?”
Twilight opened her snout to dismiss the accusation, but her voice caught in her throat. Maybe this was a bit too far. She’d told herself it would be good for the experiment. She’d convinced herself that it was an opportunity to test how far Applejack was really willing to go. But that hadn’t been the agreement, had it? This was supposed to be a day in her life, and it was only for special occasions that she’d been subjected to a royal pampering.
But Twilight had to know. She’d run a thousand scenarios in her head, trying to make sense of Applejack’s behavior, but it never sat right. She could see the clear and logical truth and she knew that it was right, but she didn’t want it to be.
“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. “I do want to see how she reacts, but maybe there’s more to it.”
Magenta nodded. “As you wish, your highness. Can I do my accent?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Your what?”
“It’s a little joke I like to play when the nobles come around. The housekeeping staff gets a kick out of it. It’s silly, but some of the nobles are so stuffy that they actually think that’s what we sound like. Like we all came here from distant shores following a dream of cleaning toilets for important ponies.”
“And that works?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, absolutely. A bunch of us have started doing it. It really helps pick the dignitaries apart. You can always tell who’s a jerk because they’re the ones that don’t ask. Either they’re too stuck-up to notice or they go, ‘Yep, that sure sounds like a peasant, it does.’”
“I…I am from around….” Magenta said hesitantly.
“You ain’t from any kind of ‘around’ I’ve heard of, and I got family in parts across Equestria. They talk like that in South Equestria?”
Magenta stopped scrubbing Applejack’s mane for just a second, letting a chuckle escape her lips. “Maybe Twilight was right about you.”
Applejack blinked. “Good way or bad, you reckon?”
But no answer came. “Next ve rinse, zen ze tail!”
“Two and a half hours,” Applejack muttered to herself in the castle courtyard, draped in light blue silk. She still couldn’t believe how much time she’d spent in there. Magenta Swirl had insisted on washing her mane, scrubbing her coat, combing and dressing her ponytail into a bun, sampling perfumes, styling makeup….
She hadn’t been gussied up this much since Shining Armor’s wedding, and even then, Rarity managed it in half the time. Was she supposed to go the whole day like this? She could hide the bun as best she could under her hat, but the makeup made her feel--
“There you are!” Spike called out to Applejack. “I’ve been looking all over for you! What happened to you?”
“Magenta Swirl happened,” Applejack said solemnly. “How bad do I look?”
“You look…ladylike,” Spike answered, his voice filled with wonderment.
Applejack sighed in relief. “I can live with that.”
“We have got to take a picture of this!”
“Oh, no, Twilight already had to see me with a Rarity makeover a time or two; I don’t know I want her seein’ a royal one.”
Spike shook his head. “Not for Twilight. Big Mac will never forgive me if he misses this!”
Applejack’s eyes shot wide open. “You are barkin’ up the wrong tree, you think that’s ever happenin’!”
“Oh, come on! We could--”
“Nothin’ doin’. C’mon, let’s at least get breakfast. I’m hungry enough to eat the north-end of a south-bound pony right this second.”
“Okay, but then we should get started on your project!” As Applejack trotted inside, Spike jogged to keep pace with her. “You figured out what you want to do yet? When can we get started?”
“Cool your heels,” Applejack answered. “I ain’t got that all worked out just yet.”
“We could make a new plow! Sweet Apple Acres could probably use another one of those.”
“I thought about that, but it’d be a lot of work to lug out to the train station. We ain’t exactly close to the crops here.”
Spike considered for a second. “Ooh, what about a tiller?”
“See, that’s the same problem as the--”
“Barn repairs?”
Applejack sighed, refusing to even dignify that suggestion. “I’ll think of somethin’,” she said noncommittally.
“I can help you think! I’m really good at coming up with—your majesty!”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “You start doin’ that too and I’m liable to….” Applejack glanced back at Spike, but he wasn’t talking to her. He’d gone into a bow, looking towards a side door. She followed his gaze and there in the doorway stood Princess Celestia. “Oh!” Applejack caught herself, bowing quickly. “Beg pardon, your highness, I didn’t, uh…didn’t realize you were there.”
“Applejack,” Celestia said neutrally. “Would you come with me, please? I would like to have a word with you.”
Twilight paced the corridor outside the throne room, taking in the stained-glass windows that adorned the hall. Her eyes drifted as she walked, taking in these momentous instances of Equestrian history. Discord sealed away! Nightmare Moon defeated! The Changeling Invasion repulsed!
She stopped at the newest addition to Princess Celestia’s gallery; her ascension as Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight stared up at the glass and wondered what her life would have been like if that hadn’t happened. She remembered the rush she felt on her anniversary. Could she have been happy that way, spending her life like that? Would she have felt satisfied, never taking this step?
No, she wouldn’t. She knew that with little question. Becoming a princess was an amazing experience for her. It was a great honor and an opportunity she didn’t even know was possible, and she was thrilled to see where it was going to lead her. Never before had she needed something so badly and yet never known until she had it. This was her moment.
Applejack and Rarity ruined it. Two out of the five ponies she trusted more than she’d ever trusted anypony who wasn’t an authority figure.
Their betrayals hurt in a way that was disquietingly familiar. It reminded her of the Changeling Queen, who had taken the form of her foalsitter Cadance and had put on a rather poor imitation, all things considered. The way she felt about Cadance’s behavior and Shining Armor’s refusal to listen, that was how she felt now.
Her friends hadn’t supported her then, either.
“Twilight, whatever are you talking about? Cadance is an absolute gem!” “She was probably just tryin’ to spare my feelin’s.”
She wandered back to Nightmare Moon, her eyes taking in the clash between the Elements of Harmony and Luna’s hate. She remembered what Princess Celestia had told her about hate born of love. Deep inside, she still wanted to hurt Applejack.
She wished she could go back to before this had happened, minus the treacherous use of time travel as an option. However, she could not for the life of her decide whether she wanted to prevent this from happening at all, or to break Applejack’s heart first. The idea that she could have protected herself by striking first seemed strangely enticing.
“Is this how you felt?” she asked the window.
“We all carry the darkest shadows of ourselves deep inside, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight screamed and stumbled back from the glass, tripping over herself in the process. From the heap of confusion and despair she landed in, she looked up to see Princess Luna standing at the entrance to the corridor.
“Oh,” Twilight muttered. “That makes more sense. …did you know there’s a chunk of pineapple stuck to your cheek?”
Princess Luna scowled, levitating the errant food away and hoisting it out a distance. She glared at the offending produce as though it had insulted her family.
“Bad day?”
“I know I ain’t exactly put my best hoof forward, your highness,” Applejack said quickly, following after Princess Celestia. “Also, I undermined you yesterday and I beg a thousand pardons for doin’ that. And I hurt Twilight, but I am tryin’ to make that right, swear to Celest--uh, to, uh, to you that I am.”
Princess Celestia said nothing, merely allowing Applejack to vomit words at her.
“You know I got nothin’ but respect for you and her. She’s gonna make a fine Princess and I want to support her in that, ‘cause she means a whole lot to me. And you’re already a fine Princess, what with how you raise Equestria and lead the sun and all.”
“Applejack,” the Princess said gently.
“And you used to raise the moon and Twilight could maybe learn to raise the moon and still be in Ponyville but your sister’s got the moon so I guess that ain’t what she’s gonna--”
“Applejack,” the Princess said, more firmly this time.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I want you to listen to me very carefully. This is a matter of the utmost importance, and right now, it’s something that only you are capable of solving. I have a question for you, and I need to know that you will treat it with the severity it deserves.”
Applejack bowed to the Princess, answering, “Of course, your highness. Anythin’ I can do to serve Equestria.”
“Very good. Then answer this for me,” the Princess said with grave urgency. “How much do you know about pancakes?”
Applejack blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the question she’d been asked. “In my house, we call them flapjacks,” she said tentatively, wondering if perhaps she’d missed some hidden meaning or usage to the term. “But you surely didn’t mean--”
“Yes, those. Exactly. Would you say you have a lot of experience with them?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. Trying to follow the question, she answered, “They’re quick, easy, and delicious. Best way to start a hard day’s work is with a plate.”
“I could not agree more,” Princess Celestia said warmly. “Please, follow me.”
Where is she goin’ with this?!
Applejack had been prepared for an interrogation or a speech or something, but flapjacks? There was something ominous about the Princess’s strange non sequitur. Why flapjacks? What could they possibly have to do with what had happened between her and Twilight?
“Right this way,” the princess said, opening the door to the dining hall. “I would like to--”
Applejack stepped through the door, and her eyes fell instantly on Princess Luna. A long table sat in the middle of the room, decorated by a white cloth. At one end of the table rest a small chair with red cushions, while Princess Luna sat at the other end in a chair with blue cushions.
What caught Applejack’s eye, however, was the pineapple lodged in the Princess’s mouth. Her head lay sideways on the table, her eyes only half open, as she mindlessly gnawed on the coarse fruit. Smears of pineapple juice and errant chunks ran down her lips and across her cheeks.
Princess Luna spent a few seconds idly chewing before she realized that she was no longer alone in the room, at which point she froze. Slowly, carefully, she removed her teeth from the pineapple’s hide and sat up, straightening her posture. Wordlessly, she levitated a napkin from beside the pineapple and wiped her mouth, missing a single chunk on the side of her cheek. Then she looked to Applejack, who merely gaped with open snout at the display she’d witnessed. Her eyes drifted to Spike beside her, then back to Applejack.
Nervously, Princess Luna stated, “That, uh…that concludes the…royal demonstration of….” Her declaration hung in the air for several seconds, searching for a conclusion. At that point, she promptly gave up. Knocking over her chair as she leapt to the floor, Princess Luna dashed out a side door and was gone from the room.
Applejack looked up at Princess Celestia beside her. “Reckon I wasn’t supposed to see that, huh?”
Celestia stared at the discarded remnants of pineapple. With a forlorn sigh, she levitated it off the table and dropped it in the nearby waste basket. “The one time she eats in the dining hall,” the Princess muttered to herself.
“Somethin’ amiss?” Applejack asked, stepping into the dining hall.
Princess Celestia sighed. “Don’t worry about it. That’s not why I asked you here. I need to borrow your experience.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You want me to make flapjacks for you?”
“No, nothing of the sort. I was hoping you might be able to help me improve my recipe.”
“You’re askin’ me for tips?”
“I am asking you for critique. I am going to prepare a plate of pancakes for…your palate.” She giggled to herself for a moment. “Alliteration,” she explained. “In any case, I want your honest opinion on them, based on your experience.”
Applejack’s hackles shot straight up. She was supposed to judge Princess Celestia’s cooking?! What would she even say? What could she say? “Of course, your highness,” she answered, fighting a losing battle against the panic attack swelling up inside of her. She tried to think of what Twilight would do in her position.
Twilight’s hackles shot straight up. She was supposed to judge Princess Celestia’s cooking?! What would she even say? What could she say? “I’d be honored to,” she answered, fighting a losing battle against the panic attack swelling up inside of her.
That was less than helpful.
“Spike, would you please come help me in the kitchen?” Princess Celestia asked.
Applejack’s heart leapt to her throat when she heard that. “Hold on a second, I don’t know that that’s such a good idea,” she said, cutting off Spike with a hoof.
“Why not?”
Spike raised an eyebrow, looking up at Applejack. “Yeah, why not?”
Applejack instantly regretted bringing it up, but there was no going back now. “It’s just, I’ve seen Spike in a kitchen and it ain’t exactly….”
Raising an eyebrow, Princess Celestia asserted, “Spike’s been preparing meals for years, both here and in Ponyville. He knows his way around a kitchen. Who do you think does Twilight’s cooking?”
Applejack spent a moment taking in the Princess’s words. A feeling of embarrassment and shame crept over her, and she conceded, “You’re right.” The worst part was that she’d known that, but after that day on Sweet Apple Acres, it was easy to forget.
As she watched the dragon race off after Princess Celestia, Applejack’s mind wandered back to that day at the farm when Spike had promised her a life-debt.
Spike does know how to find his way about a kitchen. Course he does. Why’d he mess up so much in mine?
“How did you do it?” Twilight asked, walking the corridor with Princess Luna. “What made you decide to come back? How did you stop hating your sister?”
Princess Luna let out a long yawn, followed by a statement. “I never hated her, Twilight. Not truly. I felt angry and hurt by her, and I allowed that feeling to take control of me. It was not my proudest moment.”
“Right. That. How did you stop doing that?”
“Twilight….” Princess Luna sighed. “There’s no easy answer for what you’re feeling. I wish I could tell you some life lesson that turned my world around, but the truth is, my relationship with my sister took time to rebuild. It’s something I’m still working on. There are times when I still feel the same hurt I did then, but I try not to let it bother me. I’m sure she does as well.”
“Why?” Twilight asked.
“Because I want to be better than that. There is no other reason. Every evening, I wake up and I try to be the kind of pony that I would want to be.” She let out another yawn, leading Twilight down the hall towards her bedchamber.
“That’s it?” Twilight asked, unable to disguise the disappointment in her voice. “That’s your secret? You’re sure there’s nothing else?”
“There is nothing wrong with asking questions, Twilight. But you should be certain that you’re asking the right ones.” With those words, Princess Luna ducked into her room and closed the door, leaving Twilight alone in the hallway.
Twilight stared at the door for a few seconds as her mind pored over a variety of questions raised in the wake of Princess Luna’s brief talk. Finally, she settled on one, demanding of the door, “What the hoof does that mean?!”
Princess Celestia laid a plate on the table in front of her own chair, which appeared visibly empty. Applejack sat on her haunches beside it, smiling innocently. “Applejack,” she said wearily, “you may use my chair if you’d like.”
“Of course, your highness,” Applejack answered, climbing up into the chair.
Piled on the plate were three pancakes covered in whipped cream, topped with an assortment of raspberries and blueberries. Applejack stared nervously at the treat before her. It was certain to be good, of course. Princess Celestia had made it, so it had to be good, right?
Opening her snout, she took her first bite, and her senses were immediately assaulted by the thick texture and dry taste. She struggled through her first few chews, then swallowed it down as quickly as she could. Looking up, she found Princess Celestia looking down at her, gauging her reaction.
“How is it?” the Princess asked hopefully. Her eyes beamed with pride for her creation as Applejack struggled to take a second bite. This was just as terrible as the first, leaving her straining to gulp it down.
“It’s, uh….” Applejack strained her mind trying to find the right words to put to it.
“Please, Applejack, I need your honest opinion. This is important to me.”
Applejack took a deep breath. “Well, it ain’t great,” she admitted. “Your crust’s dry and flaky, but inside it’s too chewy. There’s somethin’ in the flavor I’m tryin’ to place…olive?”
“I thought it might spice them up,” Princess Celestia admitted.
Applejack shook her head. “You never want to mix your palettes like that, uh…your highness.” She felt suddenly ashamed for being so critical, but Princess Celestia seemed to take it all in with grace. “That’s, uh, that’s just my opinion, though.”
The Princess’s smile had evaporated and she closed her eyes, as though considering what Applejack had said. “Thank you. Your honesty is appreciated. Would you be willing to try another plate?”
Applejack nodded quickly. “Course, I will. It’d be my honor.”
The second plate came out quicker than the first, and Applejack braced herself this time before biting into it. “You got the taste better, but this is drier than the last time. You givin’ the batter a proper rest?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Princess Celestia admitted.
“You gotta rest the batter after mixin’. Ten minutes ought to do it, but quick as that came out, I’d reckon you went straight to cookin’.”
“Rest the batter,” Celestia repeated. “I’ll try that. Another plate?”
Applejack smiled. Despite herself, she was actually beginning to enjoy this. “I’d like to see you stop me,” she jested.
The third plate came out with visible burns around the edges. Sullenly, Princess Celestia told Applejack, “You don’t need to taste this one. I just wanted to show it to you. I can’t figure out what I keep doing wrong.”
“You want, I could lend you a hoof in the kitchen,” Applejack offered, stepping down from the Princess’s dining chair. “We’ll cook ‘em up together, and I can watch what you’re doin’.”
Princess Celestia brightened at Applejack’s offer. Walking back towards the kitchen, she stated, “That would be delightful.” After a few seconds, she asked, “Oh, but who can we get to try them?”
“Why not invite the staff?” Applejack suggested. “We can cook up a whole mess of flapjacks for everypony!”
Princess Celestia giggled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. We just need to spread the word.”
“Spike!” Applejack called out as she entered the kitchen. “Put down that whisk. I got a task for you.”
What kind of pony I want to be.
Twilight stumbled on Princess Luna’s words. She’d never put much thought into it before. She led a busy life, and being Twilight Sparkle ultimately left her with very little time to try and define Twilight Sparkle.
For hours, she stared at her ascension, reflecting on the events that had brought her to this point. She remembered Discord thawing Sweet Apple Acres. Against everything Twilight felt was right, Princess Celestia had insisted on giving Discord a chance. Twilight was certain it would end in disaster, but somehow, Fluttershy’s kindness actually seemed to reach him.
She remembered Sunset Shimmer climbing out of that crater. Tears had streaked down Sunset’s face as she realized what she had done and how far she had gone in the pursuit of her anger. Seeing the pitiful wreck she’d become, it was impossible for Twilight to stay angry. She’d made a choice then, just as Fluttershy had for Discord.
Princess Twilight Sparkle. What kind of pony is Princess Twilight Sparkle?
Her train of thought was interrupted by the gurgling of her stomach. “A hungry pony,” she answered herself. Spike was with Applejack today, which meant she’d need to fetch lunch from the cafeteria.
As she entered the foyer, she was surprised to see crowds of ponies drifting towards the cafeteria. The hall echoed with unintelligible chatter, which seemed to be coming from the direction of the kitchen. Confused, Twilight drifted into the crowd, heading towards the source of the commotion.
“She’s still at it!” a royal guard said eagerly to a housekeeper. “You’ve got to try her pancakes.”
Twilight blinked. All of this fuss was about pancakes? That didn’t make any sense at all. Pancakes were great, but they weren’t exactly something to draw a crowd over.
Twilight followed the crowd, entering the cafeteria to find it bustling with castle staff. Just as the guardpony said, plate after plate of pancakes sat in front of countless ponies, with more still waiting to be served. She spotted a platter that seemed to be moving between tables and stepped around to investigate.
“SPIKE?!” Twilight called out in surprise. Spike carried the platter loaded down with pancakes over his head, with several plates balanced on his left claw.
At hearing his name, Spike replied, “Hey, Twilight! Did you come to try some flapjacks? These are amazing!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be with Applejack right now?”
“I am! We’re cooking up a storm in there!”
Twilight’s heart seized. She’d specifically said Applejack wasn’t supposed to be making food. That defeated the entire point of the experiment. Had she not listened? Twilight bolted for the kitchen, needing to see for herself why Applejack was disregarding her instructions.
She reached the door quickly, but hesitated outside. She looked back at the crowds enjoying Applejack’s cooking. She’d told her not to make her own food, but this wasn’t that, exactly. If anything, what she was doing actually seemed to be improving morale. The castle staff were thrilled. Was this her project?
Easing the kitchen door open, she could hear Applejack from within. “You should have seen the state of it. There was puddin’ here to Yakyakistan, and there’s Apple Bloom sittin’ in the thick of it with her friends, smilin’ all cute like she ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”
Twilight was startled to hear Princess Celestia break into laughter from inside. “She was trying to get her Cutie Mark?” the Princess asked.
“You guessed it. So I told ‘em, ‘Either you get your Marks in cleanin’ up the kitchen or you’re about to get ‘em in runnin’ for the hills when Granny sees this.’”
Another laugh came from Princess Celestia. “Those fillies sound adorable. I would love to meet them sometime.”
“What’s going on in here?” Twilight asked, pushing the door open to a sight she never expected. Princess Celestia stood over a counter, clutching a wire whisk between two hooves. Beside her, Applejack had reached her right foreleg under Celestia’s so that her hooves could grip the outside of the Princess’s, and together, they were mixing a bowl.
Applejack froze when Twilight entered. After a few seconds, she disentangled herself from the Princess, calling out, “Mornin’, Twilight! Or, afternoon, I suppose. It’s afternoon now?”
“It’s 3:47,” Princess Celestia replied cheerfully.
“Afternoon, Twilight!” Applejack smiled chipperly. “I was showin’ Celestia an old family trick with the batter. I reckon y’all are used to mixin’ with magic but it just don’t lead to good cookin’. You gotta have that personal touch or it don’t come out quite right.”
“Is this your project?” Twilight asked.
Applejack shrugged. “Ain’t much I can do from here to help Sweet Apple Acres. You said I can’t make food for myself, and I ain’t eaten a bite of my own cookin’ today, but workin’ with Celestia gave me a chance to help the ponies ‘round here in my own way. Reckon that’s got to count for somethin’.” After a few seconds, Applejack seemed to become suddenly aware of herself, adding, “I mean, helpin’ the Princess and all.”
Twilight opened her snout to speak, but before she could, Spike’s voice called through the door, “In!” Twilight quickly moved away from the kitchen door just before he barreled through it, carrying a tray loaded with dirty dishes. He piled them into the sink, then asked, “How are we looking on dishes?”
Reflexively, Twilight answered, “I think there’s--”
“We’re good on dishes for now,” Applejack answered at the same time, cutting her off. “You get to cookin’. We got a lot of hungry ponies out there and less time to feed ‘em in.”
“On it!” Spike raced to the skillet, picking up the first bowl of resting batter.
Twilight took a step towards the door, stating, “I guess you have everything under control here.” She couldn’t mask the dejection in her voice. Applejack seemed to have slipped right in with no difficulty. She didn’t know if she was disappointed or glad for her experiment’s success.
Chipperly, Applejack said, “Nah, don’t go, sugarcube. We could always use another set of hooves.”
Stepping forward, Princess Celestia added, “I think that would be a wonderful idea. I’m afraid I do need to step out. I do have duties to attend to today, after all. Twilight, why don’t you take my place? I’m sure that you and Applejack have much to discuss.”
“But I don’t even know how to make these!” Twilight protested.
Princess Celestia smiled warmly. “I am certain that your friend would be more than happy to teach you.” She looked to Applejack, adding, “Regardless of what you decide.”
“Course I would,” Applejack replied. “Whatever happens between us, Twilight, I’m always gonna be your friend. You know that, right?”
“I’ll let you talk,” the Princess said. “Applejack, Spike, thank you both for a wonderful day. Have a pleasant evening.” Princes Celestia stepped with such grace that she seemed to glide through the door as she departed.
“Wait!” Twilight called after her, bolting through the door with the dignity of a frightened bull. She leapt in front the Princess in the cafeteria, demanding, “What did you do?! Applejack looks comfortable in there. She’s been freaking out about me being a Princess and then a few hours with you and she’s…what, fine with everything?! How did you do that?!”
“Why, Twilight, whatever do you mean?” Grinning to herself, the Princess explained, “All I did was ruin a few batches of pancakes.”
When Twilight returned to the kitchen, she found Applejack busy at the mixing bowl. She clutched a wire whisk between her teeth and held the bowl still between her hooves, whipping up the batter in a frenzy. Twilight watched silently as she moved from one bowl to the next in sequence. Spike grabbed a bowl from the counter, pouring it on his skillet, but several bowls sat between him and Applejack.
Twilight had always loved watching Applejack cook. It was one of her favorite things about her time at Sweet Apple Acres; the way Applejack and Big Mac floated through the kitchen had seemed like magic to her. She’d tried it once on a whim, but hadn’t been able to quite capture the artistry that Applejack brought.
Stuck for what to say, she settled for asking, “Why are there so many bowls? Are they not getting cooked fast enough?”
Applejack released the whisk, tossing a smile over her shoulder. “Nah, sugar, those are restin’. You gotta let the batter rest or it don’t come out right. C’mon over and I can show you.”
“That’s not going to happen,” she said firmly.
“It ain’t, huh?”
Twilight shook her head. “I know what this is. I know exactly what this is. She did this. Princess Celestia did this.”
“Did what?”
“She set this up so that….” Twilight let out a sigh, frustrated with herself. “She’s making me choose. She set this up so I couldn’t take the excuse.”
Curious, Applejack set down the whisk. “There’s an excuse?” she asked.
“YES! There was supposed to be an excuse! You were going to hate my life and you were going to leave again and then I could say that I tried but you were just….”
Horror spread across Applejack’s face at Twilight’s words. “Wait, that’s what this was about?!”
“No!” Twilight shouted. “I really did want to see how you’d do, but that was the probable outcome. It seemed impossible that you’d actually…that you’d do all of this for me.”
“Truth told, I didn’t,” Applejack admitted, taking a slow step towards Twilight. “Startin’ out, this was about you, but once the Princess and I got to talkin’, I was enjoyin’ myself. What we’re doin’ here, Twi? This ain’t about you. I’m doin’ this for me.”
“And now you’re saying things like that, and it’s…it’s perfect. It’s exactly what I wanted to hear. And you’re getting along with Spike!”
Applejack held up a hoof. “I can’t take credit for that. I ain’t got the foggiest how you and Princess Celestia do it, but he’s been right as rain all day.”
“It’s--”
“Nah, don’t tell me. I want to find out the trick to it on my own.” She took another step towards Twilight, smiling. “I’m hopin’ I might be seein’ more of-”
“STOP,” Twilight shouted, prompting Applejack to back off. “Just stop!” She let out several heaving breaths, tears streaking down her face.
Applejack held up her hoof again, telling Twilight, “Of course. Whatever you want, Twi.”
“Why do you have to be so nice?” Twilight demanded through tremoring breaths. “You broke up with me, Applejack. You broke my heart. Twice. How did I become the unreasonable one here?! Why is it suddenly my fault if we don’t get back together?!”
“It ain’t,” Applejack insisted. “Nopony’s sayin’ you got to do nothin’. I pro--”
“Why couldn’t you just be a bad pony so that I could hate you and move on with my life?”
“Is that what you want?” Applejack asked earnestly. “Twi, I said what I came to say. You want me to leave, I’ll go.”
“What I want is for you to stop hurting me,” Twilight said plainly.
“I know, Twi. I--”
“I don’t think you do! I really don’t think you know how I feel. Fifteen, Applejack. Fifteen times, you’ve done this, and not once have you ever been the one having your heart broken. Not once did you have to look somepony you loved in the eyes and watch them stop loving you. You don’t know what it’s like to hurt like this; you just know how to cause it.”
Applejack took a deep breath, “Reckon that’s fair. Twilight, I am sorry--”
“I don’t want you to be sorry,” Twilight interrupted. “I want you to stop doing this to me.”
“I mean to, Twilight. I truly do. But I gotta know what you need from me if’n I’m to help.”
No answer came from Twilight. Her knees shook as she sobbed to herself. Applejack looked quickly to Spike, who shrugged and gestured helplessly at her. Cautiously, Applejack took a step forward; the motion caught in Twilight’s vision, prompting her to look up.
Applejack paused, looking straight in Twilight’s eyes. A heartbeat passed. Then another. On the third, Twilight closed her eyes and nodded, welcoming Applejack into her personal space. Applejack stepped forward and wrapped a hoof around her, squeezing Twilight’s neck and letting her cry into her mane.
“I love you, sugar,” Applejack whispered, running her hoof lightly across Twilight’s spine.
“If’n,” Twilight said finally.
“Beg pardon?”
Twilight looked up, smiling through puffy red eyes. “I like your dialect,” she said, choking on a sound that for the life of her, Applejack could not tell if it was a sob or a giggle. “It’s simple and it’s blunt but there’s a subtle eloquence hidden just under the surface.”
Applejack blushed at Twilight’s complimentary non sequitur. She looked at Spike, hoping for some kind of translation, but was met only with a confused shrug. Turning her attention back to Twilight, she asked, “What do you want me to do?’
“I want to make pancakes,” she said simply, using a hoof to wipe her tear-stained eyes.
“You sure ‘bout that?”
“I don’t know if I can forgive you, Applejack,” she said bluntly. “But I want to try.”
“Don’t reckon I know what I did to change your mind, but--”
“You didn’t do anything,” Twilight said. “I’m not doing this for you, Applejack. I’m doing this for me, because I want to be a pony who believes in second chances.”
“Thank you, Twi--”
“But,” Twilight said, holding up her hoof. Her voiced turned ice cold as she spoke. “If this ever happens again, it will be the last time. I’m not going to let myself be taken advantage of, Applejack. Especially not by one of my best friends. Are we clear?”
“Cryst--,” Applejack said, cutting herself off. Sheepishly, she rubbed her neck with a hoof. “I mean, uh, yes’m. We’re clear.”
Twilight breathed, calming herself. “We should probably relieve Spike, then. He looks like he’s finished with the backlog.”
“Oh, THANK CELESTIA!” Spike shouted from the stove. “I didn’t really want to say anything, but I need to get these delivered and we’re about to run out of rested batter.”
“Is this good?” Twilight asked, clutching a wire whisk between her hooves. She stirred slowly and evenly, just like Applejack had showed her. “I’m not slowing you down, am I?” she asked gently.
“A bit, but s’okay,” Applejack answered quickly. “Orders are dyin’ down anyway. Most of these ponies came over ‘cause of Princess Celestia cookin’. Reckon a lot of the buzz left with her.” A few seconds after, she added, “So, we finish up here, you really comin’ back to Ponyville with me?”
“Of course I am,” Twilight answered. “Not because of you, either. I was upset when I left, but I love Ponyville. It’s my home, Applejack. There is nowhere in Equestria I’d rather be.” She eyed the mixture in her bowl. “You said it shouldn’t be smooth, right?”
Applejack slid a trio of plates to Spike, who piled them onto his platter and went for the door. Crossing to Twilight, Applejack inspected her bowl. “You mixed it too much,” she said bluntly.
Frustrated, Twilight pushed the bowl away. “How many seconds am I supposed to be stirring for?”
“Until it’s mixed.”
“But not too mixed,” Twilight said with a frustrated sigh. “What does that even mean?”
Applejack reached over and pulled an empty bowl in front of Twilight. “How ‘bout we do this one together and I can show you what I mean?”
Twilight nodded at Applejack’s suggestion. She levitated the milk, carefully measuring out two cups. Applejack wrapped a hoof around the vegetable oil and quickly dabbed a quantity into the bowl without pausing to measure. Twilight still couldn’t understand how she could be so certain of the right amount, but there was generally no arguing with the results.
“You and your family have done a lot to make me feel welcome,” she admitted, pouring the milk into the bowl. “Thank you for that. But I’d like to think that even if you and I had never happened, I’d still be staying there. I’ve never felt like I belonged somewhere so much as I have there.”
Twilight levitated a pair of eggs over the bowl. With a localized exertion of force, she cleanly split the eggs around the middle, then pulled the halves apart to allow their yolks to fall into the bowl.
Delicately lifting the whisk between two hooves, she maneuvered it into the bowl. “I don’t know what Princess Celestia is planning for me, but I wasn’t planning on going anywhere before you and the others….”
“I’m sorry, sugar.” Sidling up next to her, Applejack slid her hooves over Twilight’s, encouraging her to beat the whisk faster. “I meant what I said before; you do got a bright future in front of you. I want to be a part of that. I just don’t want to hold you back from it.”
“That was never going to happen,” Twilight stated. “I love you, Applejack. I do. But we’re talking about my life’s work. I may not have realized exactly what direction it would go,” she said, fluttering her wings for emphasis, “But this is what I’ve been working towards since I was a filly. I’m not putting my life aside for you; I’m trying to include you in it.”
Reaching deep inside herself, Applejack asked, “Even if I ain’t needed in it?”
“You’ve never been needed,” Twilight answered flatly. “Not in that way, anyway. I’ve told you this before: I’m here because I like who you are. You were the one who said that we aren’t meant to be, we’re just two ponies finding happiness in each other. Did you really think I was here because I had to be?”
Applejack’s hooves sheepishly slid away from Twilight’s. “You like who I am?” she asked, trying to deflect the topic.
“Of course I do. You have a very strong sense of responsibility and purpose in your life, and you work harder than anypony I’ve ever met to fulfill both of those. When you see a problem, even one that isn’t yours to solve, you’re quick to act. You aren’t just willing to take on other ponies’ burdens, you take initiative on them. You’re also smarter than I think you give yourself credit for. You’re very talented at taking apart a problem in front of you and finding new angles to approach it from.”
Applejack blushed, unable to keep a grin from spreading across her face. “Thank you ki--”
“You’re also stubborn,” Twilight interjected before Applejack could finish. “You’re pig-headed and refuse to listen to advice. You’d rather keep bashing your skull against a problem until it gives you a concussion than ask for help. You worry too much about things that are out of your control, then unilaterally make decisions on other ponies’ behalf. You seem to take it as a personal failure if you can’t carry the world on your shoulders alone.”
Applejack shrank away from Twilight. “Ain’t this supposed to be about you likin’ me?”
Twilight stepped away from the counter, following Applejack. “But what really gets me about about you is that after everything you’ve done, you have the audacity to be humble. You’re so proud and so stubborn when it’s about what you’re doing, but the slightest bit of recognition and suddenly you’re nopony special. ‘Oh, no, it’s nothin’. Anypony would have done it, I reckon.’”
“Well, it’s true, ain’t it?” Applejack asked. “Twilight, I learnt a long time ago that I ain’t fit for nothin’ above my means. Any time I got too big for my britches, it ain’t never worked out. I’m a workin’ pony through and through.”
“I respect that,” Twilight told her. “I just wish you understood how big your ‘britches’ are. It’s not every pony that gets to be on a stained glass window in the East Wing. You’re worth more to Equestria than I think you realize. But that doesn’t matter; even if you weren’t, it wouldn’t change the fact that I want to be with you.”
Twilight stopped suddenly, catching herself. “…at least, I did,” she said, drifting back towards the counter. “We should probably--” Twilight’s bowl no longer sat where she’d left it. Spike had it with two other bowls at the stove, cooking up the next set of orders.
“No, don’t mind me,” Spike said dryly. “I’m just cooking. Your drama’s what these ponies really came here for.”
“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said, returning to the counter and starting another bowl. She privately thanked him for the interruption; she still had a lot of feelings to sort out and she wasn’t sure how many she wanted to share. “Applejack, will you help me mix this bowl?”
“Thank you for everything,” Twilight said to Princess Celestia, standing outside the front doors of the royal palace. The belongings she’d brought were loaded into a cart, which Applejack had stepped forward to pull. “It’s been…interesting….”
The Princess smiled, stepping forward. “You are always welcome here,” she said simply. “I admit, I was never entirely certain if I could help you, but I’m glad to see that it all worked out for the best.”
“About that,” Twilight said, thinking back. “Did you mean for me to take Applejack back?”
“Of course not, Twilight. This decision was yours and only yours to make.” Princess Celestia reached out her left wing, embracing Twilight. “I would have supported you no matter what you decided. Your happiness is the most important thing to me.”
From the cart’s harness, Applejack watched. She couldn’t shake the feeling of the familiar, seeing the Princesses interact.
“No matter what happens, no matter what you decide or who you love, you do it knowing that your mama will always love you.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said simply.
Princess Celestia used her wing to wipe a single tear from Twilight’s cheek. “You had better get going,” she told her simply. “You don’t want to miss your train.”
“Of course. Thank you, again.” With a heavy heart filled with uncertainty, Twilight stepped away, following Applejack and Spike down the path. She still had no idea where she was going from here. Her faith in her relationship was shaken. But there was something comforting in the knowledge that whatever happened, she would always have a home somewhere.
“I still don’t know how to feel about everypony,” Twilight admitted, stepping off the train to Ponyville. It was a relief to see the town, all the same. Whatever else, it felt like coming home.
“Give it time, sugarcube,” Applejack told her. “Reckon we all need….” She droned off, looking past Twilight. “…could you pardon me for a sec?”
Climbing out of the harness, Applejack left the cart with Twilight and Spike and crossed the road. Twilight shot a glance at Spike, who shrugged, then followed after her. When she realized where she was going, however, she stopped in her tracks.
“So I asked him, ‘Do you find something funny about Symporia’s Third?’” Octavia Melody recited, trotting along the path. Beside her strode Vinyl Scratch. Her headphones rest around her neck and a large grin plastered across her face, she listened intently to Octavia’s story.
“He seemed confused,” Octavia continued. “So I told him, ‘There must be something funny about the music, because I would hate to think you were chuckling about--”
“Hey, ‘Tavi?” Applejack cautiously greeted her, approaching from the side.
Octavia stopped instantly in her tracks. Vinyl Scratch responded quickly, shooting a warning glare at Applejack and placing a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder for support.
Applejack stepped forward, cautiously asking, “Can I borrow a moment of your time?”
“It’s okay,” Octavia whispered to Vinyl. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”
Vinyl took a few slow steps away, watching Applejack carefully. With one last concerned glance back at Octavia, she picked up her pace.
Applejack waited a few seconds for Vinyl to get out of earshot, then said, “DJ PON-3, huh? Seems nice--”
“That is hardly your concern,” Octavia snapped.
“You’re right,” Applejack said quickly. “You’re right. Ain’t a great way to start. Look, I want to apologize. I got my head twisted ‘round and I’m sure I hurt you somethin’ fierce. I shouldn’t have quit on you like that. It was mean and it was selfish, and I never meant to hurt you, but I did it anyway. I’m sorry, ‘Tavi. You deserved better than that.”
Octavia listened to Applejack’s apology, carefully scrutinizing her words. She picked them apart, searching for some kind of hidden message or deeper excuse, but finding nothing. “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted. She’d be combing over this apology further but at least for the present, it seemed strangely genuine.
“You don’t got to say nothin’,” Applejack assured her. “This is me tryin’ to make right what I made wrong. I can’t take back what I did to you, but I am mighty sorry I did it. I’ll be on my way now.”
Applejack drifted away, walking back towards Twilight. She was halfway across the road when Octavia called out to her. “Applejack!” she shouted. When Applejack turned to look at her, Octavia told her simply, “…take care of yourself.”
“It’s what I’m tryin’,” Applejack answered plainly. She returned to the cart, sliding back into the harness. “You two ready to go?” she asked Twilight and Spike.
“That depends,” Twilight answers. “How are you feeling?”
“Honest? I’d rather go another round with Nightmare Moon than ever have that conversation again.” Applejack sighed. “But I reckon I still got a lot of apologies to make.”
Twilight smiled, assuring her, “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”
Applejack blushed. “That’s worth a lot, sugarcube. Thank you for bein’ in my life.”
“We have something important to tell you,” Rarity said carefully. At her request, Rainbow Dash had gathered Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie into Twilight’s library. The words stuck in her throat as she said them, but it was something that the others deserved to know. “You know it’s not easy for me to say, but…Twilight Sparkle is gone.”
Pinkie Pie cocked her head to the side. “Twilight’s gone a lot, though. Why’s that a problem?”
Rarity cleared her throat. “Let me reiterate, darling. Twilight has left and she’s not coming back.”
Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no!”
“That can’t be right!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “Where did she go?!”
“Look,” Rainbow Dash asserted, “She left ‘cause we messed up.”
“We have to do something,” Fluttershy insisted.
“Fluttershy’s right!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “We have to go find her and bring her back! As a team! Because that’s what friends do for each other!”
Seconds later, the door slid open. Twilight stepped into the library, followed shortly after by Spike. She stopped suddenly, seeing her friends standing together. “Hi, everypony,” she said cautiously.
“Twilight’s back!” Fluttershy cheered quietly, smiling to herself.
Pinkie blew streamers into the air. “Good job, everypony! Great teamwork!”
“Hey, Twilight, you want me to start--” Applejack stepped through the door, meeting Twilight’s confusion at the large presence of ponies within the library.
“What’s going on here?” Twilight asked.
Rarity raced forward, darting between Fluttershy and Pinkie to get to Twilight. “Twilight! Darling, I am so sorry for everything. I never meant--”
“I know,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof. “I know. Applejack explained everything to me and….” She took a moment to consider her words carefully. “I want to say that you should have come and talked to me, but it’s hard for me to imagine what I would have done in your place.” Addressing the others, she said, “You all hid this from me, and it hurt so much when I had to discover it the hard way.”
“We hid something?” Fluttershy asked.
Rainbow Dash whispered to her, “I’ll explain later.”
Twilight continued, “I need some more time to think about how I feel, but I still want to be friends with you all. I love having you in my life, and I love being a part of yours. I don’t know what the future will hold for me or for any of us, but I want to face it together. We’ve all made mistakes and we’re going to make more, but together, I believe that we can achieve anything.”
Twilight raised a hoof, gesturing for an embrace. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie closed in instantly, hugging her together, but Applejack and Rarity hung back. “You too,” she told them, prompting the pair to join their friends in welcoming Twilight home.
And for one shining moment, everything felt right.
Apple Bloom sighed, puzzling over the equations in her book. She’d been over this problem three times, and she’d gotten a different answer each time. The more she studied them, the more she was convinced that none of her answers were right, but she couldn’t for the life of her tell why.
A light knock at her bedroom door fill her with relief, because it gave her the excuse to put this assignment off for a little while. “C’mon in,” she called out from the comfort atop her bed.
“How you feelin’, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, stepping in the door. “I know we aint’ exactly been on the best of terms of late, but you know you’re my sister, right? I’m always gonna be here for you, come hay and high water.”
“I know,” Apple Bloom said sadly. “It ain’t my place to say who you should date, neither. But Twilight was really nice to me. She’s been helpin’ with my potions and my homework, and I didn’t want to lose that. I know you said she ain’t family but she sure felt like family to me!”
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Applejack admitted. “Twilight felt like family to me too. I don’t regret nothin’ I said half as much as I regret those words, and let me tell you, I got a lot of regrets about the rest.” She climbed up on the bed, laying down beside her sister. “You were right, sugarcube. I was bein’ foolish and I said a whole mess of stuff I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Apple Bloom smiled warmly to herself. “Well, I might,” she said, glancing down at her book. “But only if you help me with my homework. I can’t quite seem to make this come out right.”
Applejack glanced down at the book, then winced visibly. “Ooh, I’m mighty sorry, sugar.” She stood up from the bed, walking over towards the door as she said, “I’d love to help, really I would, but I ain’t allowed to do math in front of you no more. You mind if I get somepony to tap in?”
At Applejack’s cue, the door opened. Apple Bloom’s face lit up immediately. Pouncing off the bed, she screamed, “TWILIGHT!!!” and leapt into her, wrapping her forelegs around the Princess’s neck. Twilight barely had time to let out a scream before she was on the ground in the hallway, bowled over by the might of earth pony enthusiasm.
“Pardon,” Apple Bloom said with a blush, climbing off of Twilight. “But you’re back! Are you back-back or just stoppin’ by?”
Twilight looked up at Applejack. “We’re still talking about that,” she said, climbing to her feet. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but whatever happens, I want you to know that you’re always welcome in the library.” She put a hoof out and squeezed Apple Bloom to her. “I’ll be here for you whenever I can. That’s a royal promise from me to you,” she said, letting out a giggle at herself.
Apple Bloom said nothing, choosing instead to nuzzle into Twilight’s chest. After a few seconds, Twilight asked, “Why don’t you show me this problem that’s giving you so much trouble?”
Applejack watched Twilight take her place in Apple Bloom’s humble room and smiled to herself. “I’ll go get started on supper,” she said to two of the most important ponies in her life, leaving them to their time together.
“Shame you couldn’t stay the night,” Applejack admitted. It was a beautiful night in Ponyville, with stars as far as the eye could see, matched only by a moon that seemed to be shining just for them. Twilight lit the path with her horn, and under its glow, she looked as beautiful as Applejack had ever known her.
“It’s too soon,” Twilight said simply. It wasn’t the entire truth, but it was enough. She still had a lot of feelings to sort through, and as much as she wanted to say that nothing had changed, the truth was far from it. There was a darkness tainting her feelings for Applejack now. A bitterness that crept in when she least expected it, and she wasn’t certain it would ever go away.
As the library came into view, Twilight hated that she was about to be apart from Applejack again, but at the same time, part of her was anticipating it. She needed time. She thought about talking to somepony, but the pony she’d usually go to was Rarity, and that was its own tangle of feelings.
“I know,” Applejack said. “I’ll wait long as you need, Twilight. I’m sorry, again.”
“I know you are,” Twilight said quietly. She was grateful for Applejack’s understanding. She knew she’d need it. “Thank you for walking me home,” she said gently, arriving at the library’s doorstep.
“Yeah. Guess this is your stop.” Applejack took a deep breath. She took a moment to think, then cautiously asked, “Hey Twilight? We, uh…you reckon we’re gonna be alright?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. “But I want us to be.” She moved to kiss Applejack, to give her a tender goodnight farewell before sending her home, but her muscles faltered. Her heart screamed to kiss her, but her legs held fast.
Instead, she spoke the only words she had, “Good night, Applejack,” before stepping inside and closing the door to her heartbreak.
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Well, that was never going to be resolved easily... most series would probably end a scene or two earlier, in the knowledge that even if things aren't as they were, everyone's willing to give it another go. But you're certainly not most writers. At least things hopefully can't get too much worse again, even with as much struggle remains. And Twilight's ultimatum at least makes it seem likely that they won't tread through this particular batch of horseapples again.
And hey, Celestia actually helped after all!