# A Delicate Balance

## by JapaneseTeeth

### A Jet Ring Sent, Part 2

I wonder what Applejack would be thinking if she knew what I was planning. Would she be surprised? Scared, maybe? I wouldn’t think she would be, but we did say we would put it off. Then again, maybe she isn’t the only one who’s thinking about this...

Be justly proud, and gladly safe, that thou dost dwell with me;

-- A Jet Ring Sent,

John Donne

Applejack stumbled down the street toward the library, not daring to stop lest she fall asleep standing up. It had happened before. Occasionally, forcing herself to stay awake had even more adverse effects, but today things hopefully wouldn’t get quite that bad. She hadn’t ended accidentally suspended herself upside down from a cart harness or given herself a concussion yet, so things had been going relatively well so far.

For the moment she just needed to get that whole pesky “marriage” question out of her head, which was easier said than done. It was like trying to squeeze a fully inflated beachball through a keyhole; she knew that it was difficult because she had seen Pinkie attempt to do it. But despite the difficulty, she knew it could be done, because she had seen Pinkie succeed. Somehow. Whatever the case, until it was out, she wouldn’t be able to get a good night’s sleep.

“I’m gonna have to deflate that beachball,” she mumbled to herself.

“Huh? Beachball? What are you talking about?”

She looked down to see Spike staring up at her, a puzzled look on his face. His arms were full of books.

“Oh, nothing. Just talkin’ to myself.”

“About beachballs?” He cocked his head. “Are you going on vacation or something?”

“No, it’s just… don’t worry about it, Spike.” She decided to change the subject. “So what are you up to today?” She glanced down, and saw how many books he was holding. “Doin’ a repossession, huh?”

“From the Mayor, of all ponies,” Spike said, shaking his head. “She thinks that just because she runs the town, she can keep everything as long as she wants.”

“Bet she’s got some heavy readin’ there, huh?”

“You could say that, I guess.” Spike held up the books. “Nivernaitian Ethics, Marechiavalli’s The Princess…” He flipped over the last book. “And The Daring Do Graphic Novel Omnibus, Volume 2: Issues 8-16. Guess she needed a break from all the politics. What are you doing?”

“I was, uh, just droppin’ by,” she mumbled. It was true enough. Left unsaid was the whole I need to put my mind at ease by rememberin’ that just spendin’ time together is more than enough for now part of the equation. Spike didn’t need to know that bit. “Twilight usually gets off of work just about now, so I figured I’d drop by.”

“Should’ve known,” Spike said, starting to walk again. Applejack trotted along beside him. “She’ll probably get back in about fifteen minutes or so. If she gets started cleaning, she’ll refuse to leave until the entire shop is sparkling,” Spike continued. “Hopefully it won’t be too long.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured,” Applejack said. “You don’t mind if I wait around for her, do you?”

“Of course not!” Spike said as he reached the library steps. “Our home is your home, pretty much. I mean, you’re around like all the time now.”

“I, uh, hadn’t realized,” she mumbled as she watched Spike kick the door open. “I haven’t been around that much.”

“Really? I’m pretty sure you’ve been by here at least once every day for like the past month. Come on in.”

She followed Spike in. The library really did feel familiar; more so than almost anywhere else in town, except for maybe her own home. The familiarity level was probably tied with the barn. The barn would’ve rated a mite higher, if not that it got its counter reset via reconstruction every few years. Still, the way she found herself seated at the table without even noticing that she had walked across the room gave her an odd sensation. It felt almost homey.

“You want a snack or anything?” Spike asked. “I have nachos.”

“No thanks. Not that I don’t like your nachos, Spike, but they’re a little spicy for my taste.”

Spike snorted. “You ponies have no tolerance for spicy foods, you know that? Except Pinkie, but I’m not sure that she counts.” He paused for a moment anxiously drumming his claws together. “Um, can I ask you a question?”

Applejack nodded. “Of course, Spike.”

“Well, uh,” he fidgeted in his chair. “Do you… do you mind having me around? You know, when you and Twilight are having lunch or whatever. If you’d rather have me go out or something-”

“Is this about that whole mess with your ‘Noble Dragon Code’ or whatever it was?”

“Uh… maybe a little bit. Kinda.”

Applejack shook her head. “Spike, I’ve told you a thousand times, I got no hard feelings about that.”

“Well, it’s not just that,” he mumbled. “It’s just… you’re around a lot now, and… I wouldn’t want to get in the way.”

“If you’re worried about bein’ a third wheel, don’t. You’ve been givin’ us plenty of space, and if we ever need more we’ll tell you. But even that doesn’t mean that we’re givin’ you the boot. You’re Twilight’s family, after all. Nothing is gonna change that, and I sure wouldn’t dream of tryin’ to.” She put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “In fact, if you ever feel like you need a bit more time to spend with Twilight, you just let me know, okay?”

“Are you sure? Because I wouldn’t want to-”

“Spike, it’s fine!” She chuckled. “If anypony is intrudin’, it’s me. Honestly, I kinda like havin’ you around. Like I said, you’re part of Twilight’s family, and I don’t mind gettin’ to know you better. That’s part of why I like spendin’ time here, rather than always goin’ out. That answer your question?”

“Yeah, that just about covers it.” He sat awkwardly at the table for a long, quiet moment. “So, are you sure you don’t want a snack or anything?”

“No, I’m-”

The library’s front door slammed open, and Twilight staggered through. Her hooves dragged against the floor, like she didn’t have the strength to lift them. Her mane was frazzled in a certain way that indicated that she had just been through the metaphorical wringer. And furthermore, her entire body, especially her mane and tail, were covered with powdery, white blotches. The bags under her eyes twitched.

“I. Hate. Powdered. Sugar!” She stomped both her front hooves, and despite having never been noted for her physical strength, it was hard enough to rattle the bookcases.

“T-Twilight, are you okay?!” Applejack asked with a start.

“Huh?” Twilight looked up, and her scowl immediately softened as she saw her visitor. “Oh, Applejack! It’s uh… good to see you.”

Applejack sprang to her hooves. “What the hay happened?” She leaned in and sniffed Twilight’s mane. “How’d you get that stuff all over you?”

Twilight sighed. “You know that thing where you try to open a bag of chips and it rips and goes everywhere?”

Applejack nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I hate it when that happens.”

“Well, turns out that sugar bags can do the same thing.” She sighed again and rubbed her forehead, succeeding only in smearing the sugar around. “It also turns out that sugar is pretty much impossible to clean. I’m pretty sure Bon Bon’s floor is going to be sticky for the next month.”

“Yeah, and so is our floor if you keep moving around!” Spike pointed at the floor around Twilight’s hooves, which already had a sprinkling of sugar on it. “Why don’t you go take a shower before you sugarcoat the whole house?”

Twilight craned her neck and looked up and down her flanks. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” She turned back to Applejack. “Sorry about that. I’d give you a hug, but I’d hate to get you messy too.”

“Eh, I don’t mind, I’m always covered with grime anyway.”

“True, but it’s not sticky.” Twilight shuddered. “Sticky is the worst kind of dirty.”

“Good point, I’ll settle for a kiss.” She pecked Twilight on the cheek, then licked the sugar off her lips. “Mmm.”

Spike snorted. “I swear, if you make some sort of ‘Oh, you’re even sweeter than usual!’ joke, I’m just going to keel over right now.”

Twilight glared at him. “Spike!”

“What? Someone was gonna say it!” He crossed his arms. “Might as well be me.”

Applejack laughed. “You should just be glad that you don’t have to listen to Mac and Cheerilee. They can get a bit sappy sometimes.”

“I thought they only talked like that when they were under the effect of that love poison,” Twilight said as she trotted slowly towards the bathroom, being careful to dislodge as little sugar as possible.

“They don’t very often. The whole love poison thing is kind of a running joke for them now, I guess. Sometimes they go callin’ each other schmoopy-doo or whatever because they think it’s funny.” She tapped her chin as she thought it over. “Though I suspect sometimes they’re doin’ it just to mess with ponies.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me that Cheerilee would do that. Your brother doesn’t seem like the type, though.”

“You wouldn’t think so, but he has a mischievous streak,” Applejack said. “He’s just real good at hiding it.”

“I see. So, uh, what’s the occasion?” She gasped. “It wasn’t my turn to make lunch, was it? Did I forget?!”

“Nah, I just wanted to stop by and talk for a bit.” Applejack resumed her seat at the table, smirking at Twilight’s momentary anxiety. “I can wait till you’re out of the shower. Unless you’d rather I just come back later.”

“No, if you want to wait, that’s fine with me,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. She stepped into the bathroom, the entrance to which was hidden in an alcove behind a bookcase. “I won’t be long. I’d hate to make you wait.” She shut the door.

Applejack listened for a moment and heard the rush of water as the shower turned on.

Spike shrugged. “Well, I’d love to hang around, but I have a bunch of books to get back on the shelves.”

“You need any help?”

“Nah, I got it.” Spike began to carry the stack of books towards his desk. He stopped mid-step, “Huh, usually I’m the one asking that.”

Applejack just smiled and let the dragon get on with his work. She had to admit, she had been skeptical of his ability to manage the entire library on his own. Twilight had insisted that he was capable, but Applejack had suspected that affection was clouding her judgment. But now it was evident that Twilight had been right. In fact, the library looked even more organized than usual, probably because Spike actually bothered to put the books back when he was done with them.

Her eyes wandered slowly around the library, and she began to wonder what it was like to live in such a place. It was basically the opposite of the farmhouse in nearly every way. Her own home had been designed to be simple and practical, no frills needed. It was made to be lived in. The library wasn’t even a building, really. It had grown in its own way, according to tree logic. And even when it had been transformed into a building, it was intended as a public service. The living considerations were secondary. There was little rhyme or reason; shelves lined part of the family room, and a line of uneven stairs curled around the wall, leading into another room that had more stairs and a platform inside it, and also a balcony. It was a miracle that Twilight could cope with living in such a bizarrely organized space.

And yet, there was something unambiguously homey about it. It had that vaguely comforting and relaxing quality that any place would eventually gain when someone had dwelled there long enough. She couldn’t put her hoof on the specifics. Maybe it was the pictures on the walls, or perhaps the faded scent of past meals. Then there was the subtle disorganization: the doors left ajar, the clutter on the table that naturally grew when someone used it regularly, and the clothing cast over a chair rather than hung in a closet. That was what made the place homey, not the shape of the building.

For the first time she began to feel truly at home. Then she began to wonder if Twilight felt the same way about the farmhouse.

“Applejack!” Twilight’s voice, muffled by the bathroom door, broke the silence. “Applejack, are you out there?”

“Yeah, I’m here!” she answered, stepping closer to the door. “What is it?”

“I left my towel out on the clothesline. Can you go grab it for me, please?”

“Sure thing, Twi!” Applejack spun around and galloped out the door. Then she realized that as far as she could see, there wasn’t any clothesline near the library. She hung her head and sheepishly head back in. “Uh, Twilight? Where is your clothesline?”

“Oh, it’s out on the balcony. Upstairs. The breeze helps them dry faster, and I don’t have to worry about anypony stealing my clothes.”

“Apple Bloom only stole your stuff once, and she ended up gettin’ grounded for a month! She’s not gonna do it again,” Applejack said indignantly. “I’ll go grab your towel. Just hang on a sec.”

She trotted up the stairs and into Twilight’s… well, it couldn’t really be called a bedroom. She sort of had that little nook at the top of the room where her bed was, but the room as a whole was too open, and too filled with other stuff to really be a bedroom. Around Twilight’s desk there were stacks of books, both scholarly and literary, and some that blurred the distinction. Owlowiscious was curled up on his perch, sleeping. Then there was the massive bulletin board, covered with notes about the intricacies of magical theory that Applejack didn’t even pretend to understand, and half a dozen telescopes pointed out various windows.

She chided herself for the distraction and returned to the task at hoof. The door to the balcony was open, a few towels and scarves swaying in the breeze. Applejack plucked the largest towel off of the line and went back downstairs. “I got it!” She knocked on the door.

“Great, bring it in.”

“Oka- wait, what?”

“Bring it in,” Twilight repeated, speaking slightly louder over the sound of the shower. “The door’s open.”

“O-okay,” Applejack mumbled. Why she had a mild aversion for barging in, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like a pony taking a shower was any degree of immodest or anything, but it had always struck her as a rather personal and private thing. You didn’t take showers with somepony else unless there was a severe water shortage or you were trying to share an intimate moment. And the former hadn’t happened in the hundreds of years since pegasi had taken over weather control. The latter probably wasn’t what Twilight was intending, but it still felt a bit weird.

“Applejack! You there?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry!” Applejack pushed the door open. As she stepped into the steamy room, the noise of the shower ceased. The shower curtain slid to the side, and Twilight stepped out. Her mane and tail were plastered tightly against her neck and flank. The slick sheen of moisture that covered her body accentuated the curves in a way that made Applejack wonder why Rarity didn’t use Twilight as a dress model more often. “Here you go,” she said, her throat dry despite all the steam.

“Thanks!” Twilight telekinetically snatched the towel out of Applejack’s hoof and wrapped it around her head. “I didn’t want to track water all over the house. Normally I’d have had Spike bring the laundry in, but I’m not used to showering so early in the day.” She finished drying her mane, and began to work on her tail. “I hope I don’t have to deal with powdered sugar again for a while. I hate cleaning that stuff.”

“Y-yeah,” Applejack said, trying not to let her attention be drawn to the wrong end of Twilight’s body by the movement of the towel. “How’s the job going, anyway?”

“Oh, it’s going fine,” Twilight answered. “I actually know a thing or two about how to make chocolates. In theory, anyway. I’m not quite as good at actually doing it. You’d think that pouring melted chocolate into a mold would be fairly easy.”

“Bon Bon’s lettin’ you do the chocolates now? I thought she didn’t like anypony touching her stuff.”

“She doesn’t.” Twilight draped the towel over the shower rod and began to meticulously smooth out the wrinkles. Applejack thought of how she treated her own towel; tossing them onto the rack and as long as they didn’t fall to the floor it was fine. “She just brings the stuff out front for Lyra and I to put together.” Twilight continued. “Nothing fancy, just pouring it into molds or making almond bark or whatever. It keeps us… well, Lyra at least, out of her hair while she works on the fancier stuff.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her. I bet she gave you a real lecture about how to do it right, didn’t she?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Twilight finally let the towel hang. “She must have gone on for half an hour about how important it was not to get hair in the chocolate. She ended up making me wear three hairnets.” She ran a brush through her mane a few times, trying to ensure that she got all the hairs in the right positions. “There we go!”

She turned around and strode out of the bathroom, shivering as she re-acclimated herself to the temperature in the library. “You coming, Applejack? Or were you planning on taking a shower too?”

“Huh? No.” Applejack snapped out of her thoughts about how little effort she put into her hair compared to Twilight.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Twilight asked, sitting at the table. “It must’ve been at least kind of important if you waited for me.”

“Well, nothing important important.” Applejack shrugged. “It’s just, well, I’ve been thinkin’ a bit, and it came to me that it would be neat if you could spend a bit more time on the farm.”

“What?” Twilight examined Applejack’s face. “But I’m on the farm a lot. I was just over there for lunch yesterday.”

“That’s not quite what I mean, Twilight.” Applejack paused for a moment as she thought of the best way to say things. “I mean that I think my family would like to get to really know you a bit better. I know you’re acquainted with Granny and Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom, but that’s just due to happenstance, you know?”

“Oh, I see,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin. “At least, I think I see. It has been quite a while since I actually had a conversation with one of your family members.”

“Right,” Applejack nodded, happy that Twilight seemed to be amenable to the idea. “I mean, it doesn’t have to be anything major. Maybe next week you can come over for dinner with the family. Just talk to everypony for a while. You’ll have a great time. You’re around the house so much you’re almost part of the family already!” Applejack bit her lip. She might have overstated her point a bit. She decided to dial it back a little. “Maybe I could talk to Cheerilee and she could come too.”

“That would be lovely,” Twilight said with a smile. Applejack resisted the temptation to sigh in relief. “I can see what you mean,” Twilight continued. “I really should get to know your family better.” She grinned mischievously. “I’m sure they have all sorts of good stories about you.”

“Y-yeah, of course.” Applejack hadn’t considered that, but she considered an acceptable loss if it meant she’d be able to see how Twilight got along with her family. If they ever did get married, in a hypothetical sense of course, Twilight would become part of the family. It would be good to find out now if that would work out. But for the time being, things were fine.

“Do you have any idea when you’d want to do it?” Twilight asked. “I want to check with Spike first.”

“That’s fine,” Applejack said. “I don’t really have much of an idea either, to tell you the truth. I just thought it up now. I’d have to make sure Granny knows. Makes it easier when she knows somepony is coming to visit. Though by the time you actually come she’ll probably have forgotten we were going to have company.”

“I guess you’ll just have to remind her, then,” Twilight said with a laugh. “I’ll let you know as soon as I talk to Spike about it. I doubt it’ll be a problem. It’s not like he needs me around or anything. He’ll probably be glad to have the place to himself.”

“Well, I’ll ask my family about it tonight, see what we can set up. It can be tough getting everypony in the same place at the same time,” Applejack glanced at the clock. “Speakin’ of which, I should probably get goin’. I’m supposed to bring Big Macintosh some more bushels for the apple cart at the market. I could swing by early and see what he thinks about bringin’ Cheerilee along.”

“Great. I have some catching up to do on some magical analysis.” She smiled and gave Applejack the customary peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, then?”

“Of course. When I get home I’ll talk to Granny about that dinner and then come over here and let you know what’s up.”

“Sounds like a plan. See you tonight!”

“Sure thing, Twilight. Have a real good day.” She turned and stepped unconcernedly out the door. They had long since passed those stages of awkward goodbyes. She remembered, not very fondly, the days when she had been almost reluctant to leave without somehow reassuring both herself and Twilight that things were going just fine. In retrospect the degree of uncertainty had been a bit ridiculous.

Twilight was thinking nearly the same thing. She didn’t even have to sigh in relief now that she was alone. In fact, she wasn’t even thinking about that at all. She was thinking more about how convenient the situation was. She had wanted an opportunity to get a feel for the state of their relationship. Even if Applejack didn’t see marriage on the horizon, the fact that she wanted to organize that sort of dinner… it was a good sign. And she really did need to get to know Applejack’s family better. She couldn’t think only of Applejack after all. If Applejack accepted the proposal, they’d certainly be affected.

Of course, before she did anything, she’d have to make sure Spike didn’t want her to be around for some reason.

“Spike?” she called. “Spike, are you here?” The only response she got was an echo. Spike must have run on an errand. Oh well, there was no hurry, and while he was gone, she could focus on her studying. But first she’d have to put her towel back on the clothesline. It would dry a lot faster out there than it would in the foggy bathroom, and the last thing she needed was some sort of mold growing in the house. She reached telekinetically for the doorhandle, but it didn’t move.

She rattled it to make sure that it was actually locked and not just jammed. She looked down and saw the hint of fog at the edge of the door. Her eyes narrowed and she rapped on the door. “Spike? You aren’t taking another five hour bubble bath, are you?” She pressed her ear to the door and heard a splash. Then, after a long pause…

“No,” Spike’s voice said sheepishly. “Not anymore, anyway.”

“Spike, you have to tell me when you’re going to take over the bathroom like that! And you can’t keep using up all the hot water. You’ve got half an hour, and no more, okay?”

“Fine,” he grumbled through the door. He had assumed that Applejack would’ve kept Twilight occupied for a little longer. He had rather expected that Twilight would cut his soak short, but he had hoped that he would’ve gotten at least an hour. Still, he could enjoy what time Twilight was allotting him. He closed his eyes and leaned back in the tub, submerging everything except for his face, which was entirely hidden except for his snout, which protruded out of the bubbles.

“Oh, Spike, I have a question!”

He grunted, lifted his head out of the tub, and tried not to sound surly. “Yeah, what is it?”

“Applejack wanted me to have dinner with her family. She wasn’t sure exactly when, but she thinks it’ll be either this week or next week. Do you have anything coming up that you need me around for?”

Spike stared at the ceiling. “Nope, nothing comes to mind,” he said.

“You sure you don’t mind? I’m sure she’d be fine with having you come along.”

“I think I’ll pass,” he answered. Now that Twilight spent so much time out of the house, he found that he was starting to get used to it. It wasn’t like when they had first come to town, when he had followed her around everywhere and getting time to himself was the exception rather than the rule.

“Because if you want to come, I’m sure it wouldn't bother Applejack.”

“Really, it’s okay!” he said. “Just as long as you bring me some pie when you come back.”

“I think I can do that. And remember, you’ve only got half an hour!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled, and sunk back into the bath. Maybe if this dinner went well, Twilight would get the motivation she needed to make the leap. After all, the only thing left that truly bothered her was the ambiguity of whether or not she could inextricably link her life with Applejack’s. Meeting the family would probably go a long way in answering that question.

And then… Spike wasn’t quite sure what would happen after that. Maybe he would get his own room. Applejack would share a bed with Twilight, and obviously they wouldn’t want him in the room, too. And it wasn’t like Applejack had a lot of stuff. He wasn’t quite sure where he’d end up. Maybe the basement. Twilight would have to move a bunch of her junk out, though. And some of it she might actually need.

He pondered for a moment how expensive an expansion to the library would be, then his thoughts wandered to the matter if expanding a tree in that manner were even possible. Probably not, at least without a lot of trouble.

Maybe he could get his own place. He could manage it. He was alone a lot of the time anyway. Having a small apartment somewhere in town couldn’t be that big of a hassle. Surely it wouldn’t be much tougher than cleaning the library on a regular basis. It would be mildly inconvenient not to live in the library anymore, though, but the trade-off would be worth it.

Still, it would be kind of awkward to have Twilight and Applejack living in the library without working there, while he ran the place despite living somewhere else. He shrugged to himself. Weirder things had happened. Maybe he could even get bonus compensation for the commute. That would be the ideal situation. He began to think of his hypothetical bedroom and where he’d put his Power Ponies posters.

“Spike!” There was a knock on the door. “Time to get out!”

“Wha?” He poked his head out of the tepid water and glanced at the clock. “Already? I hate that,” he grumbled as he clamored out of the tub. Something about the heat of the room had apparently slowed his thought processes to a crawl. He dried himself off (a quick process without fur) and emerged from the bathroom.

“See, you didn’t need a five hour bath,” Twilight said as she retrieved her towel from the bathroom. “If you need me for anything, I’ll be upstairs. Oh, and if you happen across Star Swirl’s Annotated Alchemy Almanac, can you please bring it up to me?”

“Yeah, if I run into it I’ll toss it up,” Spike said. Then he yawned. Baths had a tendency to make him tired for some reason.

“Thanks.” Twilight disappeared into her room. Spike grinned. It probably would be an hour or two before she emerged. More than enough time to perfect his Crushed Topaz Chili. He took a step towards the kitchen, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

“Hey, Spike!” said a chipper, familiar-but-not-too-familiar voice.

“Hi, Apple Bloom,” Spike said as he turned around. “You looking for Applejack?”

“Nah. Well, yeah, I am, but first I gotta get a book from you. Cheerilee gave us a science project. We’ve been talkin’ about the laws of motion and momentum and stuff, so me, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are goin’ to make a car and a ramp to launch it off of!”

“Oh, so you want a book about how to build a car?” Spike asked. “Yeah, we’ve got plenty of those.”

“No, I can figure that stuff out myself. I need a book that says how to make an airbag!”

“An… airbag.” Spike nodded. Considering the last time the Cutie Mark Crusaders had built something like this, an airbag was probably a good idea. “Um, I might have something like that. Let me check.” He shoved a ladder against one of the bookshelves and began to climb up. “You have helmets, right?”

“Of course. If my sister found out I’d been ridin’ around with no helmet, she’d probably bonk my head herself.” Apple Bloom cocked her neck. “Have you seen her? I gotta find out if she has any wheels we can use. We kinda busted up our old ones.”

“She was here like half an hour ago. I think she went back to your farm to get more apples for Big Macintosh.” He ran his claw along the row of books, looking for something relevant.

“She was here to see Twilight, wasn’t she?” Apple Bloom asked. Spike thought he caught a hint of a grumble in her voice, but he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah. She just dropped in to talk.”

“Should’ve known,” Apple Bloom said, this time clearly discontented. “Sometimes I swear she spends as much time here as she does on Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Really? I haven’t seen her around quite that much.” Spike pulled a promising-looking tome off the shelf. “Nope, that’s about hot air balloons.”

“Okay, so maybe she hasn’t, but it sure feels like it!” Apple Bloom snorted. “I mean, we still spend plenty of time together, but it used to be that whenever I needed her for somethin’ she’d always be hangin’ around the farm. Now it’s like she’s always off with Twilight doin’ stuff. And even when she is around, Twilight’s there too. Not that that’s bad. It’s great that they’re happy and all, but it just feels… different.”

“Different, huh?” Spike coughed as he pulled out another book, this one bringing a lot of dust with it. “It’s been pretty different around here, too. Twilight’s out a lot more than she used to be.” His eyes darted towards the top of the stairs to make sure Twilight wasn’t at the door. “It’s nice sometimes, honestly.”

“You mean you don’t like having Twilight around?”

“What?! No!” Spike shook his head so violently he almost fell off of the ladder. “I just like having some time to myself where I can do my own thing rather than having to help with whatever she’s doing. Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s bad.”

“Yeah, I know that,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s just weird seeing Applejack away from Sweet Apple Acres so often.”

“I know what you mean,” Spike muttered as he perused another shelf. “Twilight used to always be in here, glued to a book. At least Applejack got her out of the house. Oh, here we go!” He dusted off the cover of a book titled Pushcart Safety Manual. “There should be something about airbags in here.” He began to climb down. “It really is pretty strange when you think about it. I mean, Twilight is spending time on Sweet Apple Acres…”

“And Applejack is spendin’ a bunch of time here!” Apple Bloom nodded. “It is pretty funny, almost like they’re tradin’ chunks of their lives or somethin’.”

“Yeah, I guess you could put it like that.” Spike shrugged. “Makes sense, though. I guess relationships have a way of doing that.”

“At least they aren’t as bad as Big Macintosh and Cheerilee were when we accidently gave them that love poison,” Apple Bloom shuddered. “I don’t think I could take listenin’ my sister callin’ Twilight ‘squoogly woogly’ or whatever.”

“Ew,” Spike wrinkled his nose. “Way to look on the bright side.” He hopped up onto his stool and grabbed a stamp off of his desk. “Okay, you need to bring the book back within a week. If you need it for longer, come in and get an extension.” He stamped the inside cover and put the book in Apple Bloom’s saddlebag. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it.” Apple Bloom pursed her lips as she tried to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. “You wouldn’t happen to have a saw we could use, do you?”

“No.” Spike didn’t know whether they had a saw or not, but he wasn’t about to give them one.

“Alright, I’ll see you later, then. Thanks for the book.”

“You’re welcome,” Spike answered. “But this time, if you attach rockets to the back of the cart, make sure that it’s pointed away from Ponyville.”

Apple Bloom sniffed. “Y’all are never gonna let us forget that, are you?”

“Well, I don’t think Rarity is ever going to forget a pushcart barreling through her window.”

“Good point.” Apple Bloom had tried to explain many times that it was Sweetie Belle who had chosen the location, but apparently nopony cared about that. This time she was going to pick the place herself. “See you later, Spike.”

“Bye.”

She returned his wave and walked out the door. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were still out gathering materials, most likely. She still had like half an hour to kill before they’d show up at the clubhouse. Scootaloo would get distracted by running laps around the town on her scooter, likely while towing a full cord of wood behind her. Then she’d get in trouble for nearly running somepony over. Sweetie Belle would probably get distracted by… pretty much anything, really.

That wasn’t a problem. It just meant that she could look over the airbag design before they arrived to get in her way. And maybe scout out some of the supplies she’d need to build it. As she neared the farm, a thought came to mind. Maybe it would actually work in her favor that Applejack wasn’t around the farm as much. It gave her more chances to sneak materials out of the maintenance shed. Spike was right. Sometimes change could be good.

As if on cue, Applejack trotted down the path from the house, waving as she came closer. “Hey, Apple Bloom!”

“Hey, sis!” Apple Bloom said. She’d have to leave the scavenging for later. “What’s up?”

“I was just lookin’ for you,” Applejack answered. “I just wanted to let you know that next Tuesday, we’re gonna have a big family dinner, and both Twilight and Cheerilee are gonna be there.”

“R-really?” Apple Bloom asked with a mix excitement and surprise.

“I thought that it would be nice for Twilight to get to know the family a bit better.” Her voice suddenly grew concerned. “You don’t mind, do you? I know I’ve been spendin’ a lot of time with Twilight lately…”

“Nah, it’s fine. I like Twilight,” Apple Bloom smiled. “Maybe she can help us with our project!”

“Don’t you go draggin’ my very special somepony into your schemin’!” Applejack said with a chuckle. “She might be able to help you with your homework, though. She’s way better at math than I am.”

“That would be good, I guess.”

“So you really don’t mind it?”

“Not really. It’ll just take some gettin’ used to, I guess.” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Although what’s really gonna be weird is havin’ Miss Cheerilee around. I mean, I know that she and Big Macintosh are a couple, but they’re not quite so… obvious about it, you know?”

“I think it’ll be good for you to spend a bit of time around Cheerilee when she’s not bein’ your teacher.” Applejack ruffled Apple Bloom’s mane. “Remember how shocked you were when you realized that she didn’t actually live at the school?”

“Ha ha, really funny,” Apple Bloom snorted.

“So, what are you doin’ this afternoon?” Applejack eyed Apple Bloom’s bag. “Not gettin’ up to any mischief, are you?”

“We’re doin’ a school project,” Apple Bloom answered with a grin. “We’re studyin’ psychics!”

“Psychics, huh? You sure you don’t mean ‘physics’?” She frowned. “You aren’t gonna try to read my mind, are you?”

“Of course not!” Apple Bloom gave her sister a suspicious glance. “You aren’t hidin’ somethin’, are you? Something you don’t want me pokin’ at?”

“No, it’s because I don’t want you pokin’ around inside my head. Might make me go nuts.” She scratched her head. “Or at least more nuts than you usually make me.” She refocused her attention on Apple Bloom’s bag. “So, physics, huh? You aren’t buildin’ another catapult, are you?”

“Nope!” Apple Bloom said, truthfully. “We learned our lesson after that incident with the rocket. Miss Cheerilee says that we’re not allowed to do any projects involving catapults.” She thought for a moment. “Would it be cheatin’ if Twilight helps with it?”

“Well, you’d have to ask your teacher about that,” Applejack shrugged. “I wouldn’t think so, if she’s just helpin’ rather than doin’ the work for you. You can ask them both when they come over, okay? Who knows, if Twilight hangs around more, she might be able to help you out with all that stuff. She loves talkin’ about it. Well, you better get back to work on your project. You’re doin’ better, but I still think you could bump your grades up a notch.”

“Yeah, I should probably get on that.” Apple Bloom nodded. “I’m supposed to be meetin’ the others soon anyway, so I’m gonna head to the clubhouse. I’ll be back for dinner.” She turned and began to trot through the field toward the clubhouse.

“Just so long as nothin’ busts through any windows!” Applejack called after her. She watched as Apple Bloom disappeared into the trees. They were probably planning something, but at this point she really didn’t want to know. Her mind was occupied with other things. Like what type of conversation might come up next Tuesday. What topics would be suitable to discuss with Cheerilee and Twilight that wouldn’t utterly go over the heads of everyone else except Big Macintosh?

She shook her head. Twilight was really starting to rub off on her. Nopony else would try to plan out a whole conversation in advance. And there was really no reason to. The whole reason that she wanted Twilight to come over was to see whether or not she got along with the family. Or rather to see how well she got along with them. She knew Twilight, and she knew her family; there was no danger of a fight or anything. The real question was simply how much of an odd pony out Twilight would be.

Needless to say, Twilight was not a farm pony, no matter how much Applejack might have rubbed off on her. It would doubtlessly make for some interesting conversation, however it went. Applejack smiled. That might be her favorite part of the relationship. Besides Twilight herself, of course. But part of what made her so great was that she was so unlike the family. With Big Macintosh, with Granny, with Apple Bloom… Applejack always knew what she was getting. They saw the world the same way. Twilight… her brain worked in a completely different manner. Even after years of friendship, every conversation still seemed to have a bit of newness to it.

She turned back towards the house. Unlike the barn, the house had stood for years. Of the whole family, only Granny could remember the days before it was built. It was every bit as much of a constant presence as her family itself. Another thought shoved itself into her head: Twilight being a part of the family that had dwelled there for generations. It was an odd image, Twilight’s fresh perspective inserted into years of tradition. Applejack didn’t know quite what that would look like. She had come to know that she herself was fully compatible with Twilight, but what about the other ponies in her life besides their mutual friends?

She shook her head again. If this was how Twilight felt all the time, it was no wonder she was so stressed. Well, Applejack wouldn’t let herself get caught in that. There was nothing she could do about how things would work out, so she wasn’t about to worry over it. Whatever happened would happen. At the very least, she would finally be able to put to rest that question that had been festering in her mind all day.

Marriage. She still couldn’t help but think of it. It was still far off on the horizon of course. Just something that might happen. But now that she thought about it, next Tuesday might push it over the edge, from something that might happen to something that would, if only far down the line. Next Tuesday couldn’t come quickly enough.