//------------------------------//
// Love's Growth// Story: A Delicate Balance// by JapaneseTeeth//------------------------------//

	I don’t believe it. How could I have let this happen? Our conversation was supposed to resolve our problems, not cause more!  How am I supposed to fix this?  What if... what if I—  No.  I’m not going to even consider that. There has to be a way to make things right.
	
	
	
If, as in water stirr'd more circles be
Produced by one, love such additions take,
Those like so many spheres but one heaven make,
For they are all concentric unto thee ;
And though each spring do add to love new heat,
As princes do in times of action get
New taxes, and remit them not in peace,
No winter shall abate this spring’s increase.
	
—Love's Growth,
John Donne
	
	Twilight rolled over. She had spent most of her night readjusting herself, attempting to find a comfortable position. She had never found one. She wasn't even sure that she had ever really fallen asleep. If not for the rays of sun poking their way through the not-quite-closed curtains, she wouldn't have even believed that it was morning. Obviously getting any more rest was out of the question. She sighed and rolled out of bed.
	
	She stooped down. Her treasure chest squealed as she dragged it out from under her bed. Her heart started thumping a bit faster as she began to undo the spells that held it shut. Half of her didn't want to look into it. Some part of her brain couldn't let go of the idea that Applejack had taken such offense at the previous day's quarrel that she had snuck into Twilight's room, and reclaimed her hat. It was absurd, of course, but she needed to prove to herself that it was still there. She opened it, and let out a small sigh of relief. She ran her hoof along the brim of the hat, reassuring herself that it was really there.
	
	I can't let this go on any longer. She thought. Sometime today, I have to talk to Applejack again.
	
	A few minutes later she was on her way downstairs. Spike was still curled up in his bed, snoring loudly. Twilight sighed as she looked at the clock. She barely had enough time to eat before she had to be at Bon Bon's shop, let alone having the time to talk to Applejack, and anyway—
	
	She froze. What if Applejack wants me to quit? I can't just up and stop working at the shop. Bon Bon is just starting to get used to having me around! What would she think if I walk out on her now? She shook the thoughts out of her head. She had no idea what Applejack would say, so it was too early to worry about it. Maybe she could even get some advice. Lyra and Bon Bon had been together since before she had even come to Ponyville. Twilight couldn't imagine the two of them spending so much time together without having a tiff at some point. There had to be a secret to getting through it. I just hope it isn't too l— what's that?
	
	Twilight squinted against the brightness pouring in the front windows. There was something on the floor in front of the doorway. She bent down to look at it. It was an envelope, crinkled a bit in one corner. She picked it up and gasped as she saw the apple-shaped stamp that held it shut. Her body trembled as she peeled off the stamp and opened the envelope.
	
	There was a letter inside. Even before she unfolded it, she recognized Applejack's writing, blocky and heavy enough that it imprinted the paper. She bit her lip, not sure that she wanted to know what was written on it. Then again, not knowing was worse. She unfolded the letter and began to read.
	
	Twilight,
	
	This is probably a real dumb thing for me to do, but I couldn't get to sleep after what happened yesterday. I had to do something, and I didn't want to wake you up. I guess I should have just waited until tomorrow to talk to you in person, but I just didn't want to wait. I can't stand to think that I made you sad.
	
	So first of all, I want to apologize. I said some stuff I shouldn't have and I'm sorry for that. I was just being a blockhead. I don't think I really understood what you were trying to tell me, and I didn't really know how to say what I wanted to. I never wanted to hurt you, but I did anyway, and that's been eating away at me. I've been thinking a lot about it, and I think I have a better idea of what I was really trying to say. I want to talk to you again tomorrow, so I can apologize to you face to face. Maybe we can finally talk our way through this.
	
	You can drop by the farm whenever you feel like it. I know I made a big deal about you showing up in the middle of things, but this is more important. You come by whenever you have time and I'll do my best to make time for you. Or you want me to meet you someplace, just let me know and I'll show up. I want to fix things up between us. I want to really understand what you were trying to tell me, and I want you to understand what I was trying to tell you. I'm so sorry for what I said and I hope that you can forgive me.
	
	Applejack
	
	P.S. I hope you slept better than I did, which was not at all.
	
	Twilight's lip quivered as she read. As she reached the end, she spun around and went back up to her room, taking the steps two at a time. When she came back down the stairs, the letter was neatly folded and safely stored in her treasure chest. She knew where she was going as soon as she finished up at the chocolate shop.
	
	
	
	Applejack wanted to smack herself in the head. What had she been thinking? Was she really so impatient that she couldn't have waited a few hours and told Twilight everything face to face? A letter? Really? That was the best she could do? She couldn't even remember what she had written. Probably something stupid. She should have known better than to try something like that when she was only half- awake.
	
	It was too late to go back, now. If she wanted that letter back she'd have to sneak into the library, probably while wearing some manner of stealth suit. Even though she had gotten less sleep than usual, she could tell that that was a no-go. First of all, she didn't own any stealth suits, and second, breaking into the library would damage their relationship more than their little disagreement ever had. Whatever it was she had written in that letter couldn't possibly have been worse than getting caught climbing through a window. It wasn't as if she had written a scathing attack full of words she normally reserved for when she stubbed her hoof. If anything she had probably gone too far in the other direction.
	
	She snorted. If she could have just waited. She couldn't go and show up at the library now. Not when the letter had told Twilight to meet her at the farm. She glanced out the window, half expecting to see Twilight coming up the road. She shook her head. Twilight had to go to work; she'd never quit a job so suddenly. Or maybe she would. It wasn't out of the question that Bon Bon would give her a day off to— No, that wouldn't happen. She didn't know Bon Bon very well, but she didn't seem like the type to give vacation time for personal matters. Then again, it was still entirely possible that Lyra would convince her...
	
	She sighed. Even though the words of the letter were a bit hazy, she remembered telling Twilight that she could come whenever it was convenient for her. There was no telling when that would be. She'd just have to be ready at any time, then. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
	
	“Now, what was it I was doin' again?” She opened her eyes and found herself looking at a crusty skillet, a batter-coated mixing bowl, and a stack of plates. “Right. Dishes.”
	
	
	
	Fluttershy sighed as she towed a cart towards her cottage. She knew it wasn't any heavier than usual; she had bought twenty-seven bags of birdseed, same as always. But even so it felt like she was dragging a mountain behind her.
	
	It wasn't her fault. She knew that. She certainly hadn't done anything to sabotage Twilight and Applejack's relationship. Nothing Applejack had said implied that she held anypony other than herself and Twilight responsible for their argument. Fluttershy shook her head. No matter how many times she told herself that, it didn't stick. For a moment, just a moment, she had thought that things would be so much more convenient if her friends weren't together. Even though that had been two weeks ago, she had never actually said it out loud, and she had immediately regretted it, she couldn't help but think that some obscure force of nature had sensed it.
	
	Still, Applejack seemed to be ready to sort things out, so perhaps it wouldn't end so badly. Fluttershy struggled against the weight of the cart as she tried to haul it up the bridge. If only I could have said something more useful to Applejack, if I could help them reconcile... I could help make up for—
	
	“You need help with that?”
	
	Fluttershy stopped straining against the incline for a moment. Her momentum vanished, and her cart dragged her down the bridge. She looked back over her shoulder. Pinkie's head protruded from over the top of the cart.
	
	“I, uh...” Fluttershy was too despondent to be surprised. “Yes, some help would be nice.”
	
	“Great! Let's get going!” Pinkie put her head against the back of the wagon and started to push. Fluttershy took a few steps forward and the cart moved a bit easier. A minute later the bridge was entirely behind her.
	
	“Thank you, Pinkie.”
	
	“No problem!” Pinkie bounce over the cart and came down in front of Fluttershy. “Are you okay? You look a bit droopy.”
	
	“Oh, I do?”
	
	“Yup! Your eyes are droopy, your ears are droopy, even your mane is droopy!” Pinkie flicked the curl of hair that hung in front of Fluttershy's face. “You must really need some sugar!”
	
	“Uh, well, I guess I'm just a bit tired.”
	
	“You don't look tired,” Pinkie said. “You just look...” —she tried to think of a word other than 'droopy'— “...languid.”
	
	“I look... languid?” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. The word didn't sound right coming out of Pinkie's mouth.
	
	“Yeah! Twilight told me that word!” Pinkie beamed for a split second before putting on her serious face. “But really, you don't look very happy.”
	
	“I don't?” Fluttershy mumbled, just loud enough for Pinkie to hear.
	
	“You don't sound happy, either.” She leaned in. “Did something happen to you? Usually feeding your parrots and parakeets and flamingos and whatever makes you really happy.”
	
	“No, nothing happened...” she lowered her voice, “...to me.”
	
	“Did something happen to one of your animals? Is Angel sick? Because I told him not to eat that entire tub of frosting in the bakery!”
	
	“No, it's nothing like that!”
	
	“Did something happen to your cottage then? Rainbow Dash crashed through your roof, didn't she?”
	
	“No... it doesn't have anything to do with Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy fought the impulse to make a dash for her cottage; if Rainbow Dash couldn't escape from Pinkie, what chance did she have? “It's just... Well, I'd rather not say.”
	
	“Aw...” Pinkie sighed. “Oh well, I hope you start feeling less droopy. Maybe I'll stop by later with some cupcakes. It's hard to feel sad when there are cupcakes.” She turned and began to bounce away. Then she stopped mid-bounce and looked back at Fluttershy. “Um... this thing that happened that you'd rather not talk about... can you at least tell me if it has something to do with... um... some of our friends?”
	
	“Um, well...” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “Wait, are you talking about Applejack and Twilight's... um...”
	
	“Their heated argument that may or may not have been a fight?”
	
	“Y-yes, that. You know about it, too?”
	
	“Yeah, I was talking to Twilight about it yesterday.” Pinkie suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked sideways at Fluttershy. “Waaaaait a minute. How do you know about their maybe-a-fight?”
	
	“I, uh...” Fluttershy looked at the ground. “I was talking to Applejack about it.”
	
	“Oh, okay.” The smile returned to Pinkie's face, and a split second later her eyes bugged out. “Is that why you're sad!? Is Applejack going to break up with Twilight?”
	
	“Oh, no!” Fluttershy shook her head. “Not at all. She was sad that they had fought and wanted to sort things out.”
	
	“That's great!” Pinkie said. “That's the same thing Twilight said.” She grinned widely. “Wait a second.” The grin vanished. “If Applejack was fine when you talked to her, why aren't you happy about it?”
	
	“I-it's not like I'm happy that they were fighting or anything!” Fluttershy exclaimed.
	
	Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Well, duh. You're too nice to ever be happy about that. And you could never be sad that Applejack wants to fix things up!” She scratched her head. “Why do you feel bad then?”
	
	“It's just... well... I feel like I should have done more.”
	
	“Done more? Like what? I guess you could have brought her a cake...”
	
	“No, not like that.” Fluttershy started a slow walk towards her cottage. “I just sort of ran into her while I was looking for one of my squirrels and we started talking.”
	
	“Well, that's great! I bet she needed somebody to talk to and help her figure out what's going on!”
	
	“But I didn't really help her with anything. I just sat there and let her talk to me about what happened.”
	
	“Okay,” Pinkie said. “So, uh, what's the problem?”
	
	“I should have been able to do something! Like, I don't know, give her some advice or maybe comfort her or... do anything useful.”
	
	“That's silly!” Pinkie said. “If all she needed was somepony to talk to, you don't need to do anything else. You'd be surprised how much stuff you don't have to do to make somepony else happy. Believe me, there have been like a gazillion times where I did a bunch of stuff to make somepony happy and it turned out that I could've done something way easier!”
	
	“A gazillion?”
	
	“Okay, well maybe not a gazillion, but it's happened quite a few times.” She threw a foreleg around Fluttershy's shoulders. “But if Applejack's happy, what's the problem? You were there when she needed you and now things are all peachy keen! Or appley keen, I guess.”
	
	“But... I feel like I do need to help her out somehow...”
	
	“Why?”
	
	“Because... I think I owe them that much.”
	
	“Owe them?” Pinkie tilted her head. “Why would you owe them anything?”
	
	“Well, it's just... when Applejack and Twilight first got together...” Fluttershy couldn’t bring herself to look Pinkie in the eyes, “I... I wasn't as happy about it as all of you. I was afraid that if they were together they wouldn't have time for me anymore. It was so bad that for a moment I actually thought it might be better if they weren't together.”
	
	“Ooooooohhhh!” Pinkie nodded sagely. “You're trying to make up for that!”
	
	“I guess you could say that. All of you have been so happy for them, and you're always giving them advice about what to do, and I... I want to be able to help them too. I want to show them that I really am happy for them!”
	
	“Come on, Fluttershy, I'm sure they both know that already! I bet if you went up to Applejack right now she'd thank you for listening to her!”
	
	“That's true...” Fluttershy admitted. “But even so, I wish I could actually do something for them.”
	
	“Do what?”
	
	“I don't know. I wanted to give Applejack some advice yesterday, but I wasn't sure what to tell her. I don't know anything about romance!”
	
	“Come on, Fluttershy...” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “You don't need to know anything about romance to give advice about it! I don't know anything about that stuff, and I still managed to help Twilight out!”
	
	“But... how?”
	
	“Well, it's not like romance is all that different from friendship. I'm not sure exactly how different or what the difference is, but both of them are all about two ponies getting along with each other. Even if you don't know anything about dating, or flowers, or how to play a tuba, it doesn't matter because you do know Twilight and Applejack!”
	
	“What does knowing how to play a tuba have to do with romance?”
	
	“Exactly!” Pinkie said with an unnecessary degree of enunciation. She crossed her forelegs and nodded, clearly satisfied by her own answer.
	
	“Uh, I'm not sure I see what you mean.”
	
	“I'm just saying that if you want somepony to be happy, it's more important to know them than to know anything else.” She patted Fluttershy on the head. “If they ever need your help I'm sure you'll be able to find something to tell them.”
	
	“I suppose so,” Fluttershy said with a sigh. “I just wish I could have helped this time...”
	
	“Well, I'm sure you can think of something to do! If you can't think of anything, try baking a cake. Can't go wrong with cake!”
	
	“Cake?”
	
	Pinkie nodded. “Especially if it's chocolate!”
	
	“But what does that—”
	
	“Ahem!” Fluttershy looked down to see Angel sitting in front of her, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently. He drew a pocketwatch out of his tail, pointed at it, and patted his stomach.
	
	“Angel! You’re supposed to be waiting at the cottage.  Why are you out here?”
	
	Angel snorted and pointed at the clock tower.
	
	“Oh my! It's almost feeding time, isn't it?”
	
	Angel nodded.
	
	“Um, I should probably get moving,” Fluttershy said, slowly starting to pull the cart. “My animals are waiting.”
	
	“Alright, if you need any baking ingredients, I'll be at Sugarcube Corner! I'll make sure to save you some frosting!” She spun around and bounced away down the path.
	
	Fluttershy just shook her head and pushed the thoughts of her friends out of her head. My animals need my help more than Applejack does. Applejack never needs my help.
	
	
	
	Lyra stifled a yawn as she walked down the stairs. Never again would she eat two-week-old alfalfa casserole before going to bed. Unless there was nothing else in the fridge, and she was hungry. She poked her head into the storefront. As usual, Twilight was cleaning the counter. Not as usual, Twilight seemed to be unduly interested in making sure a small patch of glass in the corner was completely and utterly free of a single dust particle. Lyra noted the frown on Twilight's face. It was almost enough to make her feel sorry for any dust that got in her way.
	
	“Um, Twilight? If you keep polishing that spot, you're going to wear a hole through the glass.”
	
	“Huh!?” Twilight's head snapped up. “Oh, hi, Lyra.” She put on a blatantly fake smile. “How are you this morning?” she asked. She sounded so artificially chipper that Lyra wondered if she was being sarcastic.
	
	“I'm okay. A bit tired.” Lyra gave Twilight a sideways glance. “I'd ask how you are, but uh... I think it's pretty clear.”
	
	Twilight released a hefty sigh, and her cheerful facade disintegrated into a frown. “I guess acting like everything is fine doesn't work as well on you as it does on Bon Bon.”
	
	“Nah, I don't think it worked on Bon Bon either,” Lyra said. “She just didn't want to say anything. She wouldn't think that it's any of her business. Uh, not that it's any of my business either...”
	
	“You're not going to be able to concentrate on anything until you find out what's going on, are you?”
	
	“Probably not,” Lyra said with a chuckle. “But if you don't want to talk about it, I'll live. I'm not gonna pretend I'm not interested, because I am. But it's a personal thing and it's fine if you don't want to talk about it.”
	
	“No, no, it's fine,” Twilight said. “As a matter of fact, it probably makes more sense to talk to you about it. You know, since you're actually in a relationship.”
	
	“Oh, well, don't expect too much out of me.” Lyra scratched the back of her head nervously. “I wouldn't exactly consider myself an expert on relationships. I've only ever been in one, after all.”
	
	“Well, yes, but the one you're in is working,” Twilight said. “You've been together for... uh...”
	
	“Eight years, if you want the 'official' number.”
	
	“You've been together for eight years! You must be doing something right!” Twilight dropped the dust rag and put her forehooves on Lyra's shoulders. “You must know something that I don't!”
	
	“Uh, I guess...” she said, pulling her neck back so her face wasn't so close to Twilight's. “Maybe I picked something up over the years. So, uh, what's going on with Applejack? Did you two have a fight or something?”
	
	“I suppose you could say that.” Twilight looked at the floor.
	
	“So is that what's got you down?”
	
	“Yes! Well, no, not really. Kind of.” Twilight shook her head. “I mean, yes, we had an argument, and yes, that's part of it. But the real reason is because I realized that I've been an idiot!”
	
	“Uh, in what way are you being an idiot?” Lyra tilted her head. She had never considered Twilight anything less than a genius. A socially awkward genius, but a genius nonetheless.
	
	“Well, it's kind of complicated, but the short version is that I thought was being considerate when I was being anything but. I was buying Applejack all sorts of gifts and stuff because well, that's what you do when you're dating somepony.”
	
	Lyra nodded. “Okay, I'm with you so far.”
	
	“As it turns out, Applejack didn't like getting showered with gifts. We tried to talk about it, but things got heated. The whole thing was just foolish. I could tell that she didn't want me doing anything, but I just plowed ahead anyway even though it obviously made her uncomfortable!”
	
	“I see... At least I think I see,” Lyra mused. “Did she ever explain why she didn't like the gifts?”
	
	Twilight shook her head. “She tried to explain it, but I just got hung up on the fact that she wasn't being appreciative. I mean, I do think she was being too blunt about how she felt, but it doesn't change the fact that I wasn't really thinking about what she actually wanted.” She released a frustrated groan and banged her head against the counter with a loud thud. “How could I start a fight over something so stupid?”
	
	“Because nopony is perfect,” Lyra said. “What's going on with you two right now? Have you talked again or anything?”
	
	“Not in person. But she slid a note under my door last night that said she was sorry and wanted to talk things out.”
	
	“Well, that's a step in the right direction!” Lyra nodded. “What's the problem then? Are you just not sure how to say it?”
	
	“That's... part of it, I guess. But what really bothers me is that we had this fight at all! It's such a minor thing, neither of us should have been so mad about it.” She put a hoof to her head. “How are we supposed to have a working relationship if we can get so angry at each other over something like this?”
	
	“Ah.” Lyra grinned, and gestured for Twilight to come closer. “Let me tell you a little secret about relationships.” Twilight leaned in closer, her ear nearly touching Lyra's lips. Lyra's eyes darted back and forth, scanning the room in an exaggerated fashion. She whispered. “Everypony fights.”
	
	“Huh?” Twilight stepped back. “That's it?”
	
	“Okay, so it's not really a secret.” Lyra shrugged.
	
	“What's that even supposed to mean?”
	
	“What it means is that regardless of how much any two ponies love each other, they're still going to have occasional squabbles. It's a natural part of being in a relationship. No matter how close you get, you still aren't the same pony. You're gonna butt heads on some things. If you got into this whole thing thinking that it was going to be smooth sailing from here on out, you're going to be disappointed.”
	
	“That's your advice!?” Twilight asked harshly. “That's it? 'It happens. Get used to it.' How is that supposed to help me!?”
	
	“Relax!” Lyra put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “I wasn't finished yet. Fights do happen, and you do have to get used to it, but that's not the whole story.”
	
	“Then what is the whole story?”
	
	“Listen, Twilight. I'm no expert on romance, but if there's one piece of advice that I think I can give you, it's this. If you want a good relationship that's going to last, it's not about knowing how to avoid fights, but knowing how to deal with them when they come up. Don't get me wrong, you don't want to fight, and you should try to avoid them, but it's not always going to work.”
	
	“Knowing how to deal with fights?”
	
	“Yup! I don't doubt for a second that you care a lot about Applejack, but no amount of affection is going to make the two of you to agree on everything. You're going to disagree on things, and you're going to get mad at each other sometimes. And honestly, I think that's okay. Being mad at somepony hardly means that you want to hurt them or anything. And that's just what's important, being able to disagree without hurting each other.
	
	“There's a learning curve, obviously. It's pretty steep, and you're just getting started. It's not fun, it's not easy, and it's not what anypony wants when they think of romance. But it's a part of the process, and it's not going anywhere. But honestly...” she smiled, “...you seem to have it well in hoof.”
	
	“I-I do? But I have no idea what I'm doing!”
	
	Lyra shrugged. “Most ponies don't. But as far as I can tell, you're on the right track. Applejack wants to talk things out with you, and you're totally willing to do it.” She smiled. “Everypony always talks about love and affection and romance and all that stuff. Those things are definitely important, but I always feel like they're leaving something out.”
	
	“Really?” Twilight cocked her head. “What are they leaving out?”
	
	“Patience,” Lyra said. “Being willing to put up with each other until we learn how to really deal with our shortcomings. Making things work is all about getting to know your very special somepony as best you can. You have to learn where you need to compromise.  Figure out where you’re willing to budge, and where you have to stand your ground.”
	
	Twilight nodded.  “Of course.”
	
	“You have to try to understand them, and try to help them understand you. But above all, you gotta remember that, well, sometimes the two of you will mess up, and when you do it doesn't mean that you care for each other any less. It's hard, but at the same time, it's easy, because if you've found the right pony, they're working for it just as much as you.”
	
	Twilight stared at Lyra for a moment, the words sitting on her like a ton of bricks. “Wow.”
	
	“I, uh...” Lyra began to stammer. “It's not like I've accomplished all that or anything. Believe me, Bon Bon and I are still working on it. I mean, just a few days ago we had an argument over whose turn it was to do the dishes. I'm hardly like a... um... like a relationship guru or anything. It's just a suggestion, is all.”
	
	“Well, I think you know what you're talking about. You clearly understand romance better than I do.”
	
	Lyra chuckled. “That's only because I had years to figure it out. You're probably already way ahead of where Bon Bon and I were after a few weeks. Seriously, I'm sure you two will be fine.”
	
	“Thank you, Lyra.” Twilight smiled. “This whole thing just feels so overwhelming sometimes. It's hard to believe that anypony can get it to work.”
	
	“Well, relationships aren't really that different from anything else you have to work on, I guess,” Lyra said with a shrug. “Sometimes you just have to figure it out as you go. And speaking of work, you should probably clean that again.” She pointed to the face-shaped blotch on the display counter.
	
	Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, I probably should. I doubt that Bon Bon would want my snout imprinted on her display.”
	
	“I don't think so either. Anyway, I should probably get to practicing. Not that I wouldn't answer any more questions or anything if you have them.”
	
	“No, I think you've given me plenty to think about,” Twilight said. “Besides, I'm a bit behind on my cleaning.” She gestured at the counter. Aside from a small patch at the end, it was still murky with dust. “But again, thank you. I'm really glad I was able to talk to you about it. I mean, not that my friends aren't helpful or anything, but it's nice to be able to talk to somepony who's actually been there, you know?”
	
	Lyra smiled as she took a seat at one of the tables. “Think nothing of it. It's just, well, despite the bumps along the road, my relationship with Bon Bon is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I just want it to turn out just as well for you.”
	
	Twilight returned the smile. “I'll do my best not to let you down.”
	
	
	
	“I know, Angel. I'll get your lunch soon,” Fluttershy said. “I just have to finish unloading this birdseed first. I can't leave it out here! It might rain, and then the seeds might start sprouting. And then I'd have to buy more, and I wouldn't be able to afford your special imported radishes. Go back inside and nibble on some lettuce while I wait.”
	
	Angel snorted and pointed at his stomach.
	
	“I know you're hungry, Angel, but you'll only have to wait for a little bit. The birds need their food too, after all.”
	
	He frowned and slapped his back paw on the ground.
	
	“Angel.” Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. “Go inside and wait for me.”
	
	Angel sighed, and obeyed. Apparently he was in no mood to subject himself to the stare today. Fluttershy watched as he vanished into the cottage and turned her attention back to the cart. She grabbed the corner of one of the birdseed sacks between her teeth and tugged. It wouldn't budge. She sighed and pulled again, harder. It stuck for a moment and then tumbled down, landing squarely on Fluttershy. She squeaked as the sudden weight forced her to the ground.
	
	“Need some help?”
	
	Fluttershy looked up to see Rainbow Dash hovering above her. “Um, that would be nice. Unless you have something else to do.”
	
	“Not really. Scootaloo was going to drop by and practice with me, but she's still in school, so I'm just waiting for her.”
	
	“But...” Fluttershy glanced at the clock tower. “It's not even lunch time yet. School doesn't let out for a few more hours. Surely you have something better to do than help me out.”
	
	“Well, there's no major weather systems on the schedule, I slept in this morning, so I don't need a nap, and I just ate a big brunch, so I won't be able to practice for a few hours even if I wanted to.  I’d get cramps.” She landed beside Fluttershy.  “Now let's get this show on the road!” She grabbed the bag off of Fluttershy and effortlessly threw it over her shoulder. “What's eating you, anyway? Normally even you can carry these things.”
	
	“Oh, it's nothing.”
	
	“Right, so there's no particular reason that you're acting all droopy?”
	
	“Droopy?” Fluttershy's ear twitched. “Were you talking to Pinkie?”
	
	“I might have bumped into her. She said that you looked a bit down.”
	
	Fluttershy sighed. “I guess I am. A little bit.”
	
	“So, care to tell me why?” Rainbow Dash dumped the sack unceremoniously in Fluttershy's shed. “I'll take care of all this stuff. You just sit there and tell me what's on your mind.”
	
	“I guess I might as well...”
	
	
	
	“That's it?” Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy a sideways glance. “Really? Just because you had one thought, and then couldn't think of any advice for Applejack? You feel bad because of that?”
	
	Fluttershy just nodded as she watched Rainbow Dash deposit the last bag into the shed.
	
	“What makes you think that you need to give them any advice?” Rainbow Dash said. “You don't know any more about that stuff than they do! What are you gonna tell them?”
	
	“Um, I don't know,” Fluttershy mumbled. “It's not like it stopped anypony else from helping.”
	
	“Yeah, and look where that got them.” Rainbow Dash flipped into the air and landed next to Fluttershy with a dramatic flourish. “No point in trying to give them advice when you have no clue what to say.”
	
	“But... didn't you tell them what to do?”
	
	“I didn't tell them what to do so much as just telling them to get on with it. I mean, even if I don't know anything about all that lovey-dovey stuff I can tell that if you never do anything none of that matters. It's like when I'm trying out some awesome new trick. It's way easier to do something wrong and end up with your face in a tree when you're thinking too hard about how to do it.”
	
	“I-I suppose...”
	
	“Besides, it isn't like you have to be their adviser or anything.”
	
	“Then how am I supposed to help?”
	
	“You can be moral support!”
	
	“Moral...” Fluttershy turned the words over in her mind, “...support?”
	
	“Yeah! You're great at that!”
	
	“Um, what exactly does being 'moral support' mean?”
	
	Rainbow Dash put threw her leg around Fluttershy's shoulders. “You remember when I was in the Best Young Fliers' competition and wanted you to be my cheering section?”
	
	“Y-yes...”
	
	“You remember how nervous I was going into it?”
	
	Fluttershy nodded.
	
	“Well, I know it might not seem like much, but if you hadn't been willing to come along, I... uh...” She leaned in close and dropped her voice to a whisper. “I don't know if I would have been able to even enter the contest.”
	
	“Really?” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “But I don't know anything about stunt flying.”
	
	“That's my point. When you're going through something really nerve wracking and tough, sometimes just having a friend there is all you need. Sure, you might not know what anything about flying or romance or whatever, but who cares? I sure don't. And Applejack probably wouldn't care either. She knows you're there for her if she ever needs somepony to talk to.”
	
	“You really think so?”
	
	“Yeah. If you don't believe me, go ask her yourself.”
	
	“I-uh...” Fluttershy shook her head. “I think you're right.”
	
	“That's what I thought. Listen, if you want to be a good friend to AJ and Twilight, just keep doing what you're doing. Think too hard about it and you'll end up flying into a cliff. I think you can manage that.”
	
	“Yes, I think I can,” Fluttershy said with a nod.
	
	“Great!” Rainbow Dash patted her on the head and began to hover. “Now that you got that figured out, I better get going.”
	
	“Why? I thought you didn't have anything to do this afternoon?”
	
	“I don't, but you do. And I don't think I want to be around when you deal with that.” She pointed over Fluttershy's shoulder. Fluttershy turned around to see Angel standing behind her, impatiently tapping his foot. “See you later, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash rocketed upward and vanished into a cloud.
	
	
	
	
	Spike perused the wall of books, taking note of the numbered tags on their spines. Or the lack thereof, in most cases. He called out to the main section of the library. “Hey, Twilight, do the Social Science books go under 300 or 400?”
	
	“Yes,” came the reply.
	
	Spike groaned and put a claw to his forehead. He stuck his head out from behind the stacks. “That doesn't help! I need to know where to put everything.”
	
	Twilight just stuck her nose deeper into her book.
	
	“Twilight!”
	
	“Spike, Can't you see I'm trying to read!?”
	
	“Really?” Spike raised an especially skeptical eyebrow.
	
	“Yes, really!”
	
	“Even though the book is upside down?”
	
	“I- Uh...” Twilight looked at the book that she held in front of her face. “...oh.”
	
	“Besides, you usually don't get engrossed in a cookbook.”
	
	Twilight flipped the book over and looked at the cover. Mastering the Art of Fancy Cooking. “Oh.”
	
	“Unless you want to make crepes for dinner or something,” Spike said. “I'd be all for that. Or maybe some macaroons. Macaroons with powdered topaz, that would be really good.”
	
	“Uh, yeah, it would,” Twilight mumbled. “Or at least, it would be if I could digest them. What was it you wanted to ask me?”
	
	“Is the designation for social sciences 300 or 400?”
	
	“Social... uh... that goes under 300.”
	
	“Okay then!” Spike turned around and disappeared back into the rows of bookcases. A moment later a frustrated cry shook the shelves.
	
	“Spike!” Twilight sprang up and rushed to his rescue. As she rounded the corner, she saw Spike standing in front of the book case, claws in the air and grasping uselessly at some intangible thing he wanted to destroy. “Are you alright!?”
	
	“I'm fine,” he growled. “I just realized that I accidentally switched the social science section with the regular science section. It's going to take me a week to put everything where it's supposed to be!”
	
	“Why don't you take a break, Spike?” Twilight nudged him away from the books. “I know the library is technically your responsibility now, but you don't need to spend all your time on it.”
	
	Spike responded to her statement with a stare.
	
	She stared back. “What?”
	
	Spike shrugged. “Nothing, I was just remembering the time you stayed up until three in the morning trying to organize everything so that there were the same number of books on each shelf.”
	
	“Ha ha, very funny.” She gave Spike a shove. “Yes, that was pretty silly of me, but I have more important things to worry about.”
	
	“Applejack?”
	
	“Who else?” Twilight said as she took her seat at the table. “I've been thinking all day about what I'm going to say to her.”
	
	“And...?”
	
	“I think I need to worry less about that and more about listening to her. I just want to get it over with!”
	
	“Then why haven't you gone to talk to her already?”
	
	“I figure that showing up at a convenient time is the least I can do after I blew up at her. I think I'm going to head over there after dinner.”
	
	“After dinner, right,” Spike said. “What are we having for dinner anyway?”
	
	Twilight grinned. “I could go for some nachos.”
	
	
	
	“No word from Twilight?”
	
	Applejack looked up from the pile of dishes in the sink to find her brother standing behind her. His expression was mostly the same as it always was, but his eyes told her he was concerned.
	
	“Nope, haven't heard from her yet. Probably takin' her sweet time thinkin' things through.” She glanced out the window. The sun was beginning its slow descent toward the horizon. “Though I think she's probably thought about it enough by now.”
	
	“I'm sure she'll come.”
	
	“Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm sure she wants to fix things up just as much as I do. I just don't know when. If she doesn't show up soon I might go down to the library myself!”
	
	“You won't have to.”
	
	“You're right. Twilight is probably going to at least send me a note back or something. I probably won't have to head down there.”
	
	“No, I mean you won't have to.” Big Macintosh pointed past Applejack to the window. Applejack's eyes bulged as she saw Twilight trotting up the path. “I'll do the dishes.” Macintosh gave Applejack a gentle push towards the door. “You have more important things to do.”
	
	Applejack nodded and rushed out the door. It wasn't until the door slammed shut behind her that she realized that she had no idea what to say. She and Twilight both stopped. They were close enough to talk, but it still felt far away.
	
	Applejack forced herself to break the silence. “Hey, Twilight.”
	
	“Hey, Applejack.” Twilight smiled weakly.
	
	“So I, uh, I guess you got my note?”
	
	“I did.”
	
	Applejack picked at the ground with her hoof; waiting to see if Twilight would say anything else. She didn't. Applejack braced herself, and forced more words out of her mouth.
	
	“I'm sorry! I wasn't thinkin' about what I was sayin' and I acted like a jerk. It was just mean for me to say all the stuff you did for me was a waste, and I should never have said it.” She couldn't bring herself to look Twilight in the eyes. “I'm sorry for all of that. Can you ever forgive me for bein' so hard-headed about everything?”
	
	“Of course!” Twilight blurted out before Applejack had even finished speaking. She paused, realizing just how loud her proclamation had been. “I mean, of course I forgive you. How could I not? I was just as bad! Worse, probably. I just... I kept saying that I was doing it for you, but I wasn't. If I had been, I would have realized that none of it was making you happy. I got angry at you for something that was my fault in the first place. And because of that, I'm the one who should apologize. I was thinking about myself instead of you, and I'm so, so sorry for that! I never wanted to hurt you, and I—”
	
	Applejack interrupted her with a tight embrace. She whispered into Twilight's ear. “It's fine, Twi. I forgive you.”
	
	Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but decided not to, preferring to savor the moment. She wasn't quite sure how long it lasted, but it was with extreme reluctance that she allowed Applejack to release her.
	
	“Whew!” Applejack trotted in place, enjoying the sudden lightness that had flooded her body. “It feels so good to have that taken care of! I was afraid that after I blew up at you that I'd messed everything up.”
	
	Twilight shook her head. “No, never! I couldn't let things end that easily.” She sighed. “But still, I think we need to talk things out. And this time I need to listen to what you're saying. If I would've been listening from the start...”
	
	“Don't be so hard on yourself. I wasn't actin' my greatest either. And you were... well, to be honest you really weren't listenin' that great, but it's not like you were doin' it on purpose. It was an honest mistake.”
	
	“An honest mistake that hurt both of us! I'm not going to let that happen again.” She put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. “I realized that if this is going to work, we need to understand each other better. We got mad at each other because even though we've been friends for years, we still don't understand each other as well as we should. So, well, I think that sorting this out is a good place to start.”
	
	Applejack scratched her head. “So, uh, how do we go about doin' that?”
	
	“Well, I guess we start by just being honest with each other.”
	
	Applejack smiled. “I reckon I can do that.”
	
	“To start with, you still think that all the gifts and stuff are... kinda pointless, don't you?”
	
	“We're bein' totally honest, right?”
	
	“Of course.”
	
	“Yeah, I kinda do.”
	
	“Do you think you can say why?” Twilight asked. “It's just, I'm not sure why it's such a problem. I know you don't like it, but... ”
	
	“...you want to know why I don't like gettin' gifts?”
	
	Twilight nodded.
	
	“It's not like I've got anything against ponies givin' me stuff. It's just, well, when I was growin' up, we kinda did gifts a bit different. The family didn't really have a huge budget for buyin' each other stuff. It wasn't like we were poor or anything, but we just didn't like spendin' our bits on stuff that we couldn't use around the farm. We'd save it for a rainy day. You know, in case a cart axle breaks or if we have a bad crop or something.”
	
	“Or if your barn has to be rebuilt.”
	
	“Exactly. We always tried to not spend too much on extra stuff because we always had to put the money back into the farm to keep everything up to snuff. So when I was a filly, I didn't get many gifts, but when I did, they were always real special things. Personal things. My aunt would knit me a sweater, or Big Macintosh would take me and Apple Bloom to go see a rodeo, or Granny Smith would give me some sort of family heirloom; like her favorite frying pan or something.”
	
	Twilight nodded. “Okay, I can understand that.”
	
	“Sure they were few and far between, but they were all special. That's why it feels so weird to see you spendin' so much money on stuff like flowers that don't really mean much of anything on their own. I mean, it's a nice gesture, but there isn't much of a reason for it. I mean, unless the flowers mean something special to you, but if that's how it is, I wish that you'd have told me. But if not... I guess I just don't see the point of you throwin' away all your bits on something that neither of us really care much about. I don't need all that. I know that you care about me.
	
	“Although now that I think about it, things were probably real different for you. You probably don't think about gifts the same way, do you?”
	
	Twilight shook her head. “No, not at all. We gave each other things all the time. I mean, my father was a specialist in Arcane Astronomy, so he had to sleep most of the day because he had to spend so much time at the observatory.”
	
	“Arcane Astronomy? Is that even a thing?”
	
	“Yes, it's the the study of magical astronomical phenomena. Remember the Secretariat Comet?”
	
	“Of course.  How could I forget?”
	
	“My father was actually on the team that first confirmed its magical properties! Before they studied it, the magical effects of the comet were considered a myth! In fact, he also first analyzed the nucleus of the Count Fleet comet, and discovered the Whirlaway nebula! He wrote quite an interesting paper about the nature of Whirlaway radiation and its effects on weather patterns. It's really an under-appreciated field of work—”
	
	“Uh, Twilight—”
	
	“Sorry. Anyway, because of his job, he didn't get to be around a whole lot.”
	
	“Well, that's sure unfortunate.”
	
	“Yeah, it really is. It really bothered him that he couldn't be around us as much as he wanted to be, so he'd always get stuff for us. It wasn't like he was trying to buy us off or anything, he was just doing what he could for us. He always said that he gave us toys to play with because he couldn't be there to play with us himself.” Twilight stared into space, as if she could see her past hanging in the air in front of her. “I still remember when he first gave me my Smarty Pants doll.”
	
	“Smarty Pants. Right.” Applejack bit her lip, wondering if she should mention that the very same doll currently resided on a shelf in her brother's room. She decided now wasn't the time.
	
	“Come to think of it, it's kinda been like that ever since,” Twilight said. “I mean, after Shining Armor left to go to basic training, we'd always send little things to each other. It was never much; I remember I used to scour the newspaper looking for coupons for his favorite ice cream shop. I must have sent him dozens of them. Never occurred to me that he probably didn't get ice cream during training. Even back then I didn't really think things through, I guess.”
	
	Applejack chuckled. “I'm sure he appreciated it anyway.”
	
	“I sure hope so,” Twilight said. “It was the same way when I left the house to live in the dorms at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. My parents were always sending me cards. Nothing major, just little notes to tell me how proud they were and how they were thinking of me even though I wasn't around. I guess that's always how I thought of it. You never really had to think much about what the gift was. All that mattered was letting somepony know that you were thinking of them when you couldn’t be with them yourself. I suppose that's what I was trying to do...” Twilight shook her head and resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. “Which was dumb, because I see you every day!”
	
	“It's not that dumb, at least not now that I know why you were so dead set on givin' me so much.” Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “But you're right that it's kinda pointless to do that when we spend so much time together. I already know you're thinkin' about me all the time. You don't have to remind me of that.”
	
	“I'll try to resist the urge, then,” Twilight said, letting a smile creep back onto her face. “You don't mind if I keep my job at Bon Bon's shop, do you? I'd hate to quit on her, especially when she's just getting used to having me around. And even if I'm not buying lots of stuff for you it wouldn't hurt to have some extra bits on hand. Besides...” She grinned. “If it wasn't for that job, I don't know if we would have resolved this so easily.”
	
	Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
	
	“Let's just say that talking to somepony who's actually been in a relationship helped me get a bit of perspective.”
	
	“Ah, of course. Well, you know, if you like workin' there, I got nothing against it. I just didn't want you drivin' yourself nuts for no reason. If you want to keep your job, it's fine by me.”
	
	“Great! I wasn't looking forward to explaining to Bon Bon why I couldn't work there anymore.”
	
	“Yeah, that wouldn't be any fun.”
	
	“So, uh...” Twilight poked at a dirt clod with her hoof. “What about that other thing you mentioned?”
	
	“Huh? What other thing?”
	
	“Well, you were saying how it was annoying for me to show up in the middle of the day...”
	
	“Oh, right, that. It's not that I want you to plan your life around me or anything, it's just that with life on the farm, a lot of times work has to come before pleasure. I'd love to just spend all day talkin' to you, but a lot of times there's stuff that needs doin'. I can't just stop doin' my work when you come by. It's not like I don't want to see you, but I have a lot of other responsibilities to take care of. Workin' in the library and all, you understand that, right?”
	
	“Of course,” Twilight said. “It seems so obvious now. I wouldn't want to get in your way.” She shrugged. “Sometimes I forget that not everypony has a schedule that's as flexible as mine is. I'm sorry for being a bother. I just wanted to spend time with you and didn't realize how troublesome it could be.”
	
	“Well, don't get too worried about it. At worst it's just a mite inconvenient. I don't ever want you to feel unwelcome. Just keep in mind that I might not always be able talk as much as I'd like.”
	
	“I'll do my best to remember that.”
	
	“Thanks, Twilight. And I'm sorry for making such a big thing over it.”
	
	“It's okay,” Twilight said with a smile.
	
	“Great!” Applejack said. “So, uh, I got plenty of time now, if you want to talk for a bit. Why don't we head out to the stargazin' hill and you can tell me a bit more about what your pop does? I never knew that Arcade Astrology was even a thing.”
	
	Twilight giggled. “It's 'arcane astronomy'. But yes, I'd like that. I know it's only been a day or so, but not being able to talk... I was starting to miss you.”
	
	“Same here.” Applejack returned Twilight's smile and nodded towards the hill. “Shall we?”
	
	Twilight began to trot towards the hill. “Of course.”
	
	
	
	The next morning, Rarity rolled out of bed, feeling relaxed and refreshed for the first time in weeks. The paradise was immediately shattered by the sound of an angry yowl from the kitchen. Rarity descended the stairs to find Opal clawing angrily at the cat food canister.
	
	“I just fed you,” she checked the clock, “eight hours ago! Oh.” She began to pry off the top of the canister, but was distracted by a purple shape outside her store. She rushed to the storefront and poked her head out. “Twilight! How are you on this most fine morning?”
	
	“Good morning, Rarity,” Twilight said. “I was just on my way to work.”
	
	“Of course, of course. I wouldn't want to keep you. But before you go running off, could you at least tell me how your little discussion with Applejack went?”
	
	“Oh, that. It was... an experience to say the least.”
	
	Rarity raised an eyebrow. “A good experience?”
	
	“Uh...” Twilight chose her words carefully. “I think it was good that I had this experience. It's complicated. I'll explain later. But everything is great between Applejack and I, at least.”
	
	“Great.” Rarity sighed in relief. “That's all I needed to hear. You'd best be going now. Wouldn't want to be late.”
	
	“No, I wouldn't. See you later!” Twilight waved goodbye and continued on down the street.
	
	“An experience, huh?” Rarity mumbled to herself as she retreated back to the kitchen. “That doesn't sound—”
	
	Opal interrupted her with a particularly loud growl.
	
	“Fine, Opal! I'll be with you in a moment.” Rarity sighed as she opened the canister and began to shovel food into Opal's bowl. “You just don’t realize how important it is to have patience, do you?”
