When Applejack unwittingly gets caught up in Twilight's perfectionism, she quickly learns far more about the unicorn than she ever expected...
Chapters (1)
- Member Since 15th Sep, 2011
- offline last seen Oct 4th, 2021
Bookish Delight
I've moved on from Fimfiction. New works on AO3!
Bookish Delight
Joined 15th Sep, 2011 ·
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Why is this labeled as sad?
Dont seem that sad to me, its actually quite heartwarming. A happy story with a brief run in with some negative.
But, nevertheless I like it. Good job.
Cheers
~iraqlobstah
This is
4.5 stars
61484 AMEN!!
aint sad at all 
this pleases me 
My master is pleased
so much d'aww
Thumbs up!
Written well, good prose, very entertaining story. Not one of my favourites, but a good 4/5 from me. Points taken off for some obvious spelling/grammar mistakes which annoyed me.
Nice fic, really liked it.
Good story!
I really enjoyed this!
I think it fit particularly well with the characters, with the fact that you made some inferences that could be well within the real storyline, and that really impressed me! Well written and a great read, thanks! 
I'm liking this....I also agree, how is this sad? It's a touching heartfelt story, with an actual lesson in it.
Definitely not sad. There were some very minor grammar issues and the like, but they were just that - very minor. It was a heartwarming little story with an actual lesson at the end, and you stayed very close to the characters themselves.
Great work. 4.5/5 from me.
YES! YES!
But apples float.....
This is a wonderful take on both characters, the setting, and Celestia. It explores a lot about the series, in fact, and is as close to canon as it can get.
(The climbing up on her lap part at the end was a little weird; I couldn't quite picture that. Consider replacing with a tight hug that lasts a little while.)
"...after a long and hard magic session like last night's...." lolwut
D'awwwwwww Applejack = Cute
Friendshipping is never sad!
62740
Your username is fucking perfect for that comment.
This is quality material here. I will now have to read your other works.
Great work! Totally in spirit with the show!
Phew, just got done reading all your stories. Definitely a good use of my time
We almost need like... "lighter and softer sad" as a separate tag. This is a cute kind of... sad, I guess. I suppose we have the choice of Sad and Tragedy, but this almost seems like it should be less still. Like "Vaguely melancholy but with a really pleasant overall message."
But APPLES FLOAT.....
123507
Indeed! Apples float and it actually slipped my mind in editing this.
However, the apples in question underwent quite a bit of stress beforehand, and with nopony to lift them out in a timely manner (Twilight, as demonstrated, didn't count), the water did them more harm than good, rendering them unsuitable for the Apple Family's high standard of crops.
So a moot point, but yes, one I should be more careful of in the future! Thanks for reminding me... twice?
I know everyone's been saying it, but...
Sad? Huh?
Rather enjoyed that... Any More Pony Permutation Project tales in the works?
252958
), I don't write in any one tone, so tags are always a problem when I post. I've learned to accept it.
My stories are multifaceted--outside of "Heartwarming" ("WAFF" to those who were netizens of the 90s
And thanks! The P3 Project will continue until it is complete. When that is is anyone's guess!
Beautiful piece here. The more I read, the more I love your writing.
Keep scribing, keep creating.
Thanks for feeding my headcanon about Applejack. I always saw her as a good mother figure to the others, but it never gets explored in the show. But you took it to an entirely new level and it fit perfectly with Applejack's personality to the point that I was reading everything in her voice. In fact, everything was so in character, that the only thing missing was a friendship report. This is the first P3 that I read, but I'll definitely be reading them all and following you. Keep up the good work, and... uh... don't be surprised if Studio B's writers start stealing your stories and making them into episodes when they run out of ideas.
556512
Studio B's far more talented than I, I think.
Thanks a lot! I have friends who I will never hear the end of it from if I do wrong by Applejack, so I tend to take special care with her. I hope you enjoy the rest of the stories!
(And if you like her here, try P3 #9--it's an AJ focus.
)
I love this story, such an interesting flaw to have.
661910
Thanks.
The flaw in question is is also pretty canon, I think! This story was a direct result of Lesson Zero.
Yeah, this is, pretty much canon Twilight and Spike. I do love the two of them together. They just function so well.
What a wonderful story! Very touching, very emotionally charged, but never melodramatic. I adore your layered characterization of Twilight – the way her past experiences inform her current relationships, and how she’s still learning how it feels to have “real” friends. I also like your portrayal of Applejack; she’s just the right sort to administer tough love when it’s needed, but she can be gentle and understanding as well. You do a great job of contrasting the two, using their differences to play up the drama while highlighting what makes their friendship work so well: genuine care and concern for each other.
You’ve cooked up a story that showcases multiple sides of two characters, and does it in a way that’s profoundly heartwarming. Bravo!
2944324
Thanks.
...you know, one of the biggest questions which has utterly haunted me -- and which I still have no answer to -- is how this got as popular as it did back when it first got uploaded. I had no idea then, and I have no idea now. This and Slipstream are, like, the charge-leaders. The others, much as I love having written them, tend to flounder like so much beached fish.
You've come the closest to possibly shedding some light on it, I think. I'll have to meditate on this.
2957592 You're most welcome! I'm just glad my comment was helpful.
Simply excellent, excellent, excellent, Spike/Twilight interplay in this work. You completely nailed the teamwork aspect of their relationship. Well done, and I'm only sorry that I didn't find this story earlier. Have a well-deserved upvote!
3029283
Hahaha, don't fret none about only finding this now. My work's both known and obscure, mainly because I've been writing a while, but only recently begun learning to not be so much of a fandom hermit.
This was actually my first stab at exploring the Twilight/Spike dynamic soon after "Lesson Zero" struck a chord with me. I like to think I've learned more about how it works since then but I still have quite the soft spot for this attempt, and Spike in general.
Glad you found it up to your standards, and thanks so much for the kind words!
This is REALLY good, I would love to see this as an official episode.
3039975
Thanks!
Sometimes I wouldn't mind that either -- though other times I'm not sure Twi needs to be this sad. :)
This actually explains some of Twilight's neurotic behavior. (Some, but not all. Don't know where she got all those ideas about Celestia punishing her horribly.)
3043552
Perfectionism isn't rational. Take it from someone who battles with it every day.
EDIT: ...hey, 42nd comment! Where's the thread-lock button?
3040067
I think she does. Though I realize this is a "kids show" I would like to see more serious problems/dilemmas that the cast has to deal with. I feel having this back story be cannon would do well to build up not just Twilight's reputation but to also show how good a friend Spike was (and is) to Twilight, rather than just 'saying' it as they have so far.
If they could involve this with a twilicorn episode, I'm certain Celestia would be very proud of the progress her former student has made
(Plus I want to see more twilight/spike time, since after coming to ponyville, I feel like there friendship is faltering, [I don't think they spend enough time together, not working or with the others])
*Facepalm*
APPLES FLOAT!!! THEY FLOAT!!! THAT'S HOW 'BOBBING FOR APPLES' WORKS!!!!
They could just scoop the apples--- and the baskets, and the cart, which are made of wood and therefore FLOAT TOO--- off the surface of the pond!
Augh!
4495232
Whoa, a two and a half year grudge!
...
I am honored.
61484 they don't have a "heartwarming" or "heartstring-tugging" tag
4495232 Thats a really good point. But not important at all. The story wasn't about the apples that part was just an excuse to bring out what the story was really about. Suspension of disbelief and all that.
3043552 I have a theory that Twilight doesn't get jokes and Celestia likes to joke around. So she might say "Twilight, finish your homework or I'll send you to the dungeons" as an exaggeration and Twi thought she was serious.
TwiJack friendship cuddles were just what I needed right now. Great story.
Damn, girl. This was even more touching than the last chapter of "Blunder and Lightning"! If you don't make me cry with any of your stories, then something must be wrong with me.
Oh good, a story about people who can't sleep.
Amending Fences is still... four years out? Four years.
...
There's something different about the prose in this one that I can't put a finger on, but in a good way. Maybe it's the overt comedy bits, maybe it's the particular mix of characters involved, maybe it's the small cast having the most room to themselves to work with so far, or maybe it's just your style being noticeably refined over time, but it's very... smooth. The story flows naturally in a way that's pleasant to my sensibilities.
I don't think I'd ever thought about where and why Twilight picked up the habits she has. The show never focuses much on her student years and what that might've looked like, and fanfic explorations of it tend to veer off into AU. But this answer works, very and painfully well. I said Rainbow's ongoing fears over her past failure and high expectations for herself in Blunder could've been a story all its own, and this hits those same notes.
We never saw enough of this Applejack. Plenty of the AJ who occasionally gets spooked and runs from her problems, but not so much the down-home, hardworking gal who already knows how to roll with life's punches and point other people the same way with a hug and a smile. And the Twilight/Spike sibling/employer/friend thing that is their relationship is juuuuust right.
Excellent work.
That was a good story.