Twilight runs a brush through her mane, tugging at a small tangle somewhere in the back. She watches her own face in the mirror as she works at the knot. She's scowling more than she would've thought – this knot just won't come out! She tugs again, hard, and the brush breaks free, gliding smoothly through on further strokes.

Ahh... much better.

She's wearing a nice saddle. Rarity made it for her, of course, for some forgotten occasion. No, this one was just because... Twilight remembers now. Just a design she was trying out, and it happened to be Twilight's size. That was what Rarity said, anyway. She smiles at herself – it's not often that Twilight really thinks about how she looks, even rarer when she thinks to feel pretty. But she's looking pretty good tonight.

Mental Note, Subject: Sex. Sex can be a bit of a confidence booster, apparently.

She spies a faded bruise on her neck. It's almost gone, but still visible if a pony was really paying attention. She frowns and opens a drawer, trying to decide between a scarf or a collar...

"I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"Of course, darling, anything – oh! Oh my." Rarity drops what she's doing the moment she turns to Twilight, staring at her neck.

"...Yeah. That."

"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity glares over the frame of her glasses. Twilight just sighs and nods.

"Ah, the marks of love. Well, maybe not love, as it were. Not to worry, Twilight, I have just the thing." Rarity starts opening drawers and digging through an endless variety of garments, tut-tutting all the while. Twilight doesn't watch too closely – she's too busy wallowing in embarrassment.

"Here we are! A wide variety of scarves and collars. A lady must have discretion about her indiscretions, after all." Rarity giggles smugly as she offers a pile of cloth to Twilight.

"Oh, thank you, Rarity! That's perfect. But... um... I have a few others..." Twilight glances back at her own rump. Rarity gives her a blank stare and then turns a little red.

"Oh... well, uh... ahem... I see things really did go swimmingly, then?" Rarity shoots Twilight a very amused smile. Twilight replies with her most unamused stare.

"You're in luck, dear. Long, flowing skirts are in this season."

Twilight checks herself out in the mirror. She shakes her rump a little, sending waves through the long pleats of fabric hanging off the back of her saddle. Then she ties a cute little silk scarf around her neck. Nopony will be the wiser.

I could get used to this.

Usually she doesn't wear clothes, but she's been wearing some kind of covering for the last few days straight. She levitates a pair of earrings up and starts fastening them in place.

The door of her bedroom swings open and Spike barges right in. Twilight frowns for just a second at his lack of knocking, but she just keeps putting on her earrings.

"Hey Twilight. Whatchya doing in... you're all dressed up?" He freezes. "Is everyone dressing up tonight? I didn't know this was all formal."

"It's not. I don't know about the others. I just felt like it," she lies.

"You think Rarity will be dressed up?"

Twilight smirks. "Of course she will."

"Aww..." Spike sulks, kicking the floor with a foot. "Why can't I go?"

"Sorry, Spike. This is a girl's night out." She finishes with her earrings and turns away from the mirror. "Besides, we might stay out kind of late."

"Awwwww!" Spike crams his claws into his little pocket flaps, sulking even harder. "I wanna stay up late."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "You would just fall asleep. And then I would have to carry you home."

"Would not!"

"Besides, you're in charge until I get back. You can stay up if you really want to."

"In... charge?"

"Yup. You are my number one assistant, after all. That means when I'm gone, you are officially the librarian."

Spike's eyes go wide, twinkling with possibilities. "Hey, yeah... I'm the man of the house!" He strikes a tough little pose. Twilight giggles at him.

"Don't stay up too late," she says, knowing he won't. Her ear twitches – someone is knocking on the library's front door. Spike looks like he heard it, too.

"Can you get that?" Twilight says. Spike hurries off, and Twilight starts searching around her room for a purse.

Who could that be?

One of my friends stopping by on the way?

It's still way too early, isn't it? And it's way too late to be a customer... it's probably Rarity, come to fuss over my outfit.

"Uh... Twilight?" Spike opens her door again, sounding a little hesitant. "Braeburn is here to see you."

Twilight jumps in place, turning on Spike. "Wha... how... Braeburn?" she says.

"Yeah, he's downstairs. He said he wanted to talk to you alone, but... I don't know, something's up. He's acting funny." Spike crosses his arms.

"Funny? Like... how?"

"I don't know. He wasn't smiling. He's always smiling." Spike looks perplexed.

Twilight gulps loudly.

Maybe I can just teleport out the window.

No, that's stupid.

"Alright... um... bring him up here, I guess."

"...Okay." Spike gives her a confused look and goes back downstairs.

Why is he here?

Oh no, what if he's mad at me?

Okay, okay, calm down... calm. Twilight Sparkle is calm. She makes one quick glance at the mirror to make sure that her love bites are, in fact, covered up. They are. She sighs in relief.

And then Spike walks back in with her one and only stallion.

"Howdy," Braeburn says. His eyes cut into hers. She can't figure out the look he's giving her, all that registers is that he's not smiling. Is he angry?

Why oh why am I so bad at reading faces?

Braeburn looks down at the little dragon by his side. "Beggin' yer pardon, Spike." He nods towards the door. "If you don't mind," he says.

Spike looks at Twilight and raises an eyebrow. She nods back at him. He scuttles off, closing her bedroom door behind him.

Heavy silence hangs in the air between them. Neither moves for a few seconds. Twilight can feel a light sheen of sweat forming under her bangs. Braeburn just stares at her. He looks determined, unwavering.

"You look nice. You goin' out?" he says suddenly. Still not smiling.

"Yes. With my friends," she says. His face does a weird turn – he always, always looked so cheerful before. Twilight is starting to figure out that he looks sad, somewhere under that hard resolve, and it almost hurts to notice.

"I didn't know you were coming back to Ponyville," Twilight says.

"It's just for the weekend."

"You could've told me you were coming to visit." Twilight smiles nervously.

"Sorry. I took the next train after I got your letter. Didn't think to send one back 'til I was already halfway here."

"Oh. So... you got that." Twilight winces.

"I most certainly did."

Twilight looks down at her hooves.

Then why are you here?

"I s'pose I just wanted to hear it straight from you," he says, like he heard her thoughts.

"Why?" she asks. She really doesn't understand – this was hard enough to write out.

Braeburn glares at her a little, but it fades away quickly and he sighs. "I jus' couldn't believe it, I guess." He steps a little closer to her. "I mean, that night together. I thought we really had somethin'."

She hangs her head. "Braeburn... I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry? That's it?" That anger in his voice flares up and fades just as quickly. "You... you... all that, and then... one letter and that's it. Sorry."

She doesn't look up, but she can feel his glare on her, hear his hooves on the wood as he inches closer.

"What happened?" he asks.

"I explained in the letter."

Braeburn snorts and glares at her again. "Is that right?" he says. Now she does look up, in time to see him take his hat off and pull a very familiar-looking piece of paper from inside it.

No, that can't be... it is... oh no...

"Dear Braeburn," he reads. "Your letter was very touching. I'm sorry I have to tell you this, but I can't accept..."

"Braeburn, stop." Twilight winces again, putting a hoof to her forehead. He ignores her and keeps reading.

"...can't accept your love. There's someone else. Unfortunately, I can't explain..."

"Stop it!" Twilight feels tears welling up, she can't tell if it's in anger or sadness. She crushes her eyelids shut, shaking her head. It feels like someone's tightening a sharp coil of wire around her heart.

"...more than that. I'm sorry that I misled you. I should've told you before we..."

"Braeburn!" she almost screams. He stops mid-breath, shocked by the anger and pain in her voice. "Stop it. Please!"

The letter falls from his hooves and floats to the floor. A long, painful moment passes. Braeburn's mouth moves, forming silent words, but before he can put them in order there is the sound of stubby claws running up stairs and the door slams open.

"Twilight!" Spike jumps in raring for a fight, all his spines standing on end. He immediately deflates when he sees them standing far apart from each other.

"Uh... everything okay?" he says, confused.

"Go to your room!" Twilight snaps at him.

"But..."

"Now!"

Spike hangs his jaw open and slowly backs away. The door closes quietly behind him.

Great... just great.

She turns back to Braeburn and now he's just staring at his hooves. His face looks almost as hurt as Spike's did.

"I..." she starts to say, but her voice cracks and croaks. She clears her throat and tries again. "I'm sorry. I really am," she says. His head snaps up and his face is all steely resolve again.

"Is it true? What you wrote? There's someone else?" he asks.

Twilight can't meet his eyes. "...Yes," she says.

"Does he know about us?"

He?

"Who?" Twilight asks.

Braeburn blinks his eyes in disbelief. "Who?!" he says.

"Oh! Uh..." Twilight fidgets around with her hooves.

"I guess that's a no?" Braeburn says, looking down his snout at her. She briefly considers playing along for the sake of keeping things simple.

That is insane! Just tell him! No more lies!

"She knows, actually," Twilight says.

Braeburn starts to say something and then his eyes practically bug out. "She?" He sits down on his rump and stammers.

"Yes, she. And we... we talked about it. She said it was okay."

Twilight can see the race between his head and his facial expression. "She? You... you? She? Okay?"

Yeah, that was my reaction at first, too.

"I know it sounds strange..." she starts to say.

"It's... okay?! That's a load o' horse apples. That's crazy!" he snaps.

Something about his eyes on her starts to hurt, and Twilight slides back out of instinct. She can feel tiny tremors of panic in her chest.

Do something! Explain!

"Look, I... I wanted to try a stallion," she says. His eyes go wide and then he glares at her slowly, really glares, and that feeling of his gaze being painful on her doubles.

"Wait! Wait, that sounded awful..." she says.

"Yeah." He narrows his eyes. "Yeah, it kinda did."

"I can explain!" Twilight says, desperation creeping into her voice. Braeburn sighs and shakes his head slowly. He stands up and starts to walk away.

Twilight blinks twice. "Where are you going?" she yells.

He doesn't answer. She hears his heavy hooves thud down the short staircase to her bedroom door, and then she is alone.

"Hey! Braeburn, wait!" She rushes downstairs. Spike is nowhere to be seen – his door is closed. Braeburn is already halfway through the library's main room when she catches up to him. She grabs at his vest with a hoof and he turns on her, batting her arm away with his own.

"That's all I am to you?! Just a... a..." He fails to find words and snorts instead. Twilight stares in shock. His face is twisted up in anger, it's painful to even look at. He steps back, growling and stomping a front hoof. Twilight just sits there, gawking at something she never thought she would see. She didn't think it even existed.

And then he freezes. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, letting it out over several stretched-out seconds. When he opens his eyes again the sight of them just about breaks Twilight's heart.

"Did I hurt your arm?" he asks.

"What? Oh..." Twilight holds up her foreleg, faintly remembering that he pushed her away. "No, it's fine."

He lets out a breath and nods at her. "I should go," he says, and turns back towards the door. Twilight's brain scrambles for language.

I can fix this, somehow... right? This can't be the only way.

"You don't have to go," she says, stretching a hoof out to him. "We can talk about this. I care about you."

Braeburn freezes. His body doesn't move but his ears twitch back towards her.

"I probably shouldn't say that. But it's true. I care about you. But I don't love you. I'm sorry... I'm so, so, sorry..." she says. Braeburn bows his head slowly.

"I never wanted to hurt you. But I didn't think about what I was doing... what we were doing... and..." She feels like she's choking again, it's getting hard to talk. "I really messed this up..."

Braeburn turns around, looking strangely calm. "There's nothin' more to say. I love you. I would give everythin' to have you for myself. But..." He closes his eyes hard, like he's trying to force back tears. He succeeds. He gives one manly sniff and turns for the door again, but pauses halfway. "This ain't right. It just ain't right."

She doesn't say anything. She's not sure if she even could at this point.

"I wish you both the best," he says, opening the door.

"...Goodbye?" Twilight says.

"So long." He looks back at her one last time. The door closes.

Twilight slumps down onto the floor. She's supposed to be meeting her friends soon, she remembers faintly. She wipes at her face with her hooves. The tears threatening to spill out before are leaking out of her slowly now, and she wipes furiously at them.

Stupid... awful... stupid, stupid, stupid...

Just... just get a grip. It's over. It's over, it's done, I can move on. Move on to...

Luna!

Sour resentment rises up in her throat. It's been a few days since she sent that letter.

I'm going through all this... I did that to poor Braeburn... and she hasn't even replied?

Braeburn...

He didn't deserve that... did you see his face when he left? I broke his heart.

It echoes through her mind.

I used him. I broke his heart. I... me. I did that. Luna... why?

Don't blame this on her. She didn't ask you to do that. She asked you to find love.

And I broke his heart instead.

She sinks lower onto the floor and then the real tears come.

Twilight stares down at her drink. She hasn't touched it, just as she barely touched her dinner or any of the many, many plates of nachos Pinkie keeps ordering.

She snaps her eyes up from the shimmering liquid and tries to engage a little. She's out with her friends, after all. She had been excited for tonight. They're supposed to be having fun.

They're at that nice pub, the one she likes. The place isn't too crowded. In fact, it's pretty perfectly cozy. Small groups of friends are at almost every table, talking and laughing and having a great time.

Her and her friends have a big table in the corner all to themselves.

It's not like the other tables.

Twilight glances around. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are next to each other, pounding down shots joylessly. They had pretended to make a competition out of it at first, but now they're just tossing back drinks like old, bitter alcoholics. Dash is glaring at Rarity. Rarity is studiously ignoring the attention, pretending to be engrossed in conversation with Fluttershy. Fluttershy isn't listening. She keeps nervously glancing at Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

Pinkie Pie is, of course, obliviously chomping down nachos.

Twilight turns her gaze back around to Applejack and jumps a little on her cushion – Applejack is staring right at her. She freezes and stares back. Applejack cocks an eyebrow at her and glares like that. She finishes her drink, not taking her eyes off Twilight.

"Umm... everything alright, AJ?" Twilight fakes a smile.

"Just peachy." Applejack wipes her mouth with a foreleg, hiccupping. It's the first thing she's said to Twilight all evening.

Oh god she knows... well of course she knows, where else would he be staying?

"You run into my cousin yet? He's in town for the weekend." Applejack scowls at her. This grabs the attention of everyone else at the table – Rarity's smoke screen of gossip stops dead. All eyes turn to Twilight.

"Um... yes, he stopped by the library."

"Oh yeah? You two have a nice talk?" Applejack says.

"Braeburn is here? In Ponyville?" Rarity gasps out.

"Butt out!" Applejack barks at Rarity.

"Excuse me? You brought it up!" Rarity fumes back at her.

"I ain't talkin' to you."

"Well you are talking at the table in front of all of us," Rarity says.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash cuts in. "Rarity would never bring up stuff like that in front of everypony," she says, narrowing her eyes at Rarity. Rarity gives her a weird look and then falters, shifting uncomfortably on her cushion.

Silence rules their table for a long, awkward moment.

"Well?" Applejack growls at Twilight.

"Well what?" Twilight says.

"Did you stomp all over his heart real thorough like, or just a little?" Applejack scowls.

Twilight feels a little surge of anger in her throat but quells it. "That's not fair. It hurt for me, too," she says.

Applejack just snorts at her. "Didn't stop you from movin' right along on yer little ruttin' quest." She turns her glare on Rainbow Dash. Dash is sucking greedily at her drink, but slams it down when she feels Applejack's eyes.

"...What?" the blue pegasus says.

"That was different! We talked about it. I learned my lesson," Twilight says.

"Well la-dee-frickin'-da for you." Applejack waves her hooves around, jostling Rainbow Dash. "So who's next? You gonna screw yer way through the rest of your friends or just hunt out another stallion to play with?"

The whole table is stunned into silence. Rarity looks down at the floor. Pinkie Pie hangs her mouth wide open, melted cheese and bits of nacho dripping out.

"Applejack..." Twilight feels that anger again, like bile in the back of her throat. "I didn't mean to hurt him. You know that."

Applejack just scowls even harder at her and works her jaw, racing to come up with a comeback.

"Girls!" Pinkie Pie shouts suddenly, full of uneasy cheer. "What's with all the angry, meany faces? We should be having fun, happy party faces!"

"She's right," Rarity adds. "Let's just calm down and try to enjoy ourselves."

"Good idea, Rarity." Rainbow Dash perks up. "Hey, I don't know how to enjoy myself. Do you know anything about how to enjoy me?"

Rarity gives her the most indignant glare possible.

"Dashie!" Pinkie Pie says. "No no no, that's all wrong. I said LESS meany faces!"

"Dash, what the hay are you on about?" Applejack blinks at Rainbow Dash.

"Nothing. She is on about nothing," Rarity says, not taking her eyes off Dash.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Rainbow Dash crunches down a mouthful of nachos, then stares directly at Rarity. "It was nothing."

Rarity looks for just a second like she's about to blow up at Rainbow Dash, but she catches herself and slides back into a haughty, faux-calm expression.

"Can all of you stop arguing please?" Fluttershy says, almost resting her chin on the table.

"Who's arguin'? Nopony's arguin'!" Applejack yells at her.

"Oh." Fluttershy shrinks into her bangs. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on."

"There, there, Fluttershy." Pinkie Pie slides over to Fluttershy and wraps the yellow mare in her arms, stroking her hair. "Let's just wait this out until these meany angry party poopers turn those frowns upside down."

"Well I hope yer happy," Applejack says to Twilight. "You've even gone and upset poor little Fluttershy."

"Yeah. I did that," Twilight says, rolling her eyes.

"Well she's probably scared you're gonna try and take advantage of her," Applejack says.

"What is your problem?" Twilight yells.

"Yeah, AJ, lay off a little," Dash says.

"You lay off!" Applejack says at Rainbow Dash.

"Okay, okay, jeez." Rainbow Dash throws her hooves up.

"Nice effort, Dash," Rarity says. "Good to see you still take off at the first sign of resistance."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash flares her wings up. "Well my hoof is gonna resist your ass if you don't..."

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone freezes and stares at Twilight. She slides her hooves down from where she pounded the table. She hit much harder than she meant to – a few empty glasses tumbled over.

"You two!" She points at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "Just... enough! Give it a rest. I can't take it right now. And you!" She turns to Applejack. "I'm sorry! I don't know what else you want from me, but I'm sorry!"

Applejack gives her a confused look. "Hold up just an apple-pickin' minute. What is up with those two?" She scratches her head.

"Uh... yes, Twilight, what are you talking about?" Rarity says. Twilight feels Rarity's hoof nudge her under the table, stomping at her, begging her to make up something.

"You know what? She's right." Rainbow Dash stands up. "Enough! I've had enough of this hush-hush crap. Me and Rarity had sex."

"Gasp!" Pinkie Pie says, arms still wrapped around Fluttershy.

"What?!" Applejack yells.

Twilight slaps a hoof to her forehead.

"Don't be ridiculous." Rarity looks completely unfazed. "That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard. Where do you get these spurious notions?"

"And she had sex with Twilight, too," Rainbow Dash says.

"AAAH!" Rarity panics completely.

"Double gasp!" Pinkie Pie says, squeezing her friend harder.

"Twilight!" Rarity looks like she's about to cry. She tries to hide under her own hooves, but gives up and just looks around her in fear. "You... we... you told... why?"

Twilight can't take the sight of Rarity, so she just hides her face in her hooves. "Oh no..." she mutters, shaking her head.

"What?!" Applejack yells. "What?! What?! When... you..." She blinks her eyes rapidly. "So you're tellin' me that you two... and you two... AND you two?" She points at each couple in turn. Even Dash looks a little ashamed.

"I can't believe this!" Applejack yells, almost quivering with fury. "All my friends are just... havin' dirty, sexy... doin' it with each other behind my back this whole time. Anything else I don't know?" She glares at all of them.

"Uhhhh..." Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash say in unison, trying hard not to look at each other.

Applejack just stares at them, wide-eyed.

"...gasp?" Fluttershy says quietly.

"This is crazy! Y'all are crazy!" Applejack yells.

"I haven't done it with anyone," Fluttershy says.

"Thanks, Fluttershy. Hey, there's an idea! Why don't I take Fluttershy here and we'll go have some fun? I bet y'all would like that, wouldn't you?" Applejack says, her voice dripping contempt.

*pomf*

Rainbow Dash's wings shoot straight out, pushing into Applejack.

"Heh... heh heh..." She blushes and tries folding them down with her hooves.

"That does it!" Applejack springs up, bumping the table and making even more of a mess. "Since you bunch are havin' sooooo much fun without me!" She walks away from their table, swaying uneasily.

"What are you doing?" Twilight says.

"Getting' some for my own self. And you just stay outta my way, you hussy!"

Twilight looks to the rest of her friends. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are wrapped together like mother and foal, gawking. Rarity is trembling and mumbling to herself, stomping her hooves in agitation. Rainbow Dash is staring slack-jawed at Applejack as she approaches another table.

"Help me!" Twilight says to Dash.

"What?"

"Help me with her!"

"No way, I wanna see this!"

Twilight groans in disgust and follows Applejack to another table. Three older stallions are sitting there, quietly nursing beers. Applejack trots right up to the closest one and gives him a come hither look.

Wow that is way better then my seductive smile. How is she so good at that?

"Well howdy there, handsome," Applejack says, stopping their conversation cold. All three of them stare at her, and her target smiles nervously. "Stud like you wouldn't wanna be goin' home alone tonight, would you?"

"Uh... heh... sorry ma'am but I'm married."

"Oh. Well what about your..."

"Married. Happily!" the second stallion says. The third stallion smiles and raises his arm but his friends both block his mouth with their hooves.

"Don't listen to him. He's VERY married," the first one says.

"Aw, come on, guys!" the third one whines.

"Sorry to bother you gentlemen, then. You have a good night." Applejack curtsies and trots on to the next table. Twilight just stands there for a few seconds trying to get a handle on what she just saw.

"Uh... is that your friend?" the first stallion says.

"Wha..." Twilight tears herself back to reality. "Yes."

"I think she's had a bit much. Maybe you should take her home?"

"Believe me, I'm trying." Twilight hurries over to the next table, this one with three younger guys.

"Applejack, stop right..." Twilight starts to say.

"Shut up!" Applejack hisses at her. "I'm workin' my mojo here!" She turns back to the young bucks. "Whatsa matter, gentlecolts? You can't talk to a pretty mare?"

The three of them look at their hooves or each other, but none of them will meet Applejack's eye. She waits for a few seconds, looking less and less inviting, then turns to walk away.

"...slut," one of the bucks says as soon as her back is turned. Twilight winces.

"Excuse me?!" Applejack is back at their table in an instant, pounding her hooves on the wood. "Which one o' you low-down snakes said that?!" She glares around at them, but again they just look away. "Ain't one of you yellow little colts got the balls to say somethin' to my face?"

Silence. The whole bar is watching this spectacle now. Twilight is frozen in horror.

"Fine!" Applejack slams her hooves down again, cracking the table, then sweeps her foreleg across it, sending bottles and glasses clattering across the floor. She turns and walks away, nose in the air, twitching her rump right at them. "Y'all ain't stallion enough for this piece, anyhow!"

Twilight steps in front of her, holding her hooves up.

"Applejack, listen to – oof!"

Applejack pushes her aside effortlessly and prowls up to the bar.

"Barkeep!" she yells. "A double of whiskey, if you please."

"I think you've had enough, ma'am," the bartender says, not moving.

"Dagnabbit, I say I ain't had near enough. And the customer's always right! Now pour!"

"Young lady," he says, obviously containing a great store of anger. "You gonna pay for the mess you're making?"

"We'll take care of that later. Right now I need you to take care of me." Applejack pounds the bar. "Whiskey! Chop chop!"

"Ma'am..."

"My NAME is APPLEJACK, and I would like a drink now. PLEASE."

The bartender scrunches his face up like things are about to get ugly, but then Applejack floats up into the air, surrounded by a purple glow.

"What the...?" Applejack flails her limbs around for a second before they go stiff at her sides, like she's being held by an invisible hand. Twilight turns her around in the air so she can see what's going on. Applejack growls as soon as she sees Twilight and her glowing horn.

"Let me go!"

"No. You're out of control. You need to calm down," Twilight says.

"You... you...!"

And then all hell breaks loose out of Applejack's mouth. Everyone in the bar who wasn't already staring drops what they're doing and gawks at the floating earth pony. Glasses and plates shake. Empty chairs skitter across the floor. Miles away, Celestia feels burning in her ears and stirs in bed, frowning in her sleep.

Applejack's epic tirade of obscenities almost causes Twilight to lose focus on her magic. Almost. Instead she reaches a telekinetic hoof up and closes Applejack's snout.

Everyone sighs in relief.

Twilight isn't sure what to do now. Applejack is still floating and giving her a look of pure, animal hate.

"Twilight?"

She turns at Rarity's voice. Rarity has obviously recovered a bit. "Take her outside. We'll settle things up here," the white unicorn says.

"Are you sure?" Twilight asks.

"Don't worry, we got it," Rainbow Dash says. "We'll be right down."

Twilight walks out, apologizing profusely to everyone around her. She makes her way down a dark staircase, floating Applejack along behind her, and smiles for the first time in some hours as the cool night air hits her.

She stops right outside the door to the pub. It's late enough that she's alone with her captive.

What now? Wait for the others?

No... we need to talk some things out. Just me and AJ.

"I'm going to put you down now. You aren't going to hit me or anything, are you?" Twilight asks. Applejack doesn't move, of course.

Gosh, how bad is this? I never thought I would have to say that...

Twilight gently lowers her to the ground and releases her, grunting at the sudden lack of effort. She tenses up on her hooves, but Applejack just stares at her and paces back and forth, snorting and whipping her tail around. Her eyes are shining, burning with anger like Twilight's never seen before. They're...

They're beautiful. She's... she's gorgeous right now... No! Not the time! What is wrong with me?

Focus, Twilight. You need to fix this. Here and now.

"Well?" Applejack spits out, her nostrils flaring.

"Let's talk," Twilight says.

"Yes. Let's do that." Applejack sits on her rump in front of Twilight.

Okay. Delicate situation. Keep it cool. Let's work this out.

"I'm sorry for what I did to Braeburn. Really, I am," she says.

Applejack looks away, like she's loath to give up any of her anger. After a few seconds, she grudgingly speaks.

"Yeah, I know."

Okay... good start, good start...

"Are you angry about me and Dash? Or me and Rarity?" Twilight says.

"I suppose not. Y'all got the right to make your own decisions."

"So what's wrong? Don't tell me you feel left out?"

Applejack snorts louder than ever. "If you're serious with that, then you can go buck yourself." She looks at Twilight like you would look at a crazy pony.

Calm... Twilight Sparkle is calm. Reasonable. Twilight Sparkle doesn't get angry.

"What is it then? Really, Applejack. Talk to me."

"Talk to you? Talk to you..." AJ splutters, stomping her hooves again. "You drag me down here with your stupid magic and now it's all, ooh, let's talk."

Calm! Calm, I said! Not angry. Not irrational.

"You weren't acting like yourself. You're drunk, and angry. I was trying to help you."

"You're one to talk. You can run off and do whatever or whoever, but if I'm lookin' for some sugar, it's wrong. Is that it?" Applejack growls.

Not angry! No anger here, nope. Calm. Calm, darnit!

"Applejack, I would love for you to find someone. But not like that."

"So what, I should be more like you? Right, I'll just betray my own friends. That's much better."

"Ugh! I... you... arg!"

CALM

Twilight takes a deep breath and counts to five. She's gone up against Applejack and her stubborn attitude in the past, but this is something else entirely. She focuses like she does with her magic, giving up her body to her rational mind. Her anger ebbs away to a dull background noise.

"Why are you so mad at me?" she asks.

Applejack rolls her eyes. "What, I gotta spell it out for you? I thought you were the smart one."

"I appreciate that, but apparently you do have to spell it out for me. I don't understand. Is it Braeburn still? I'm sorry. I really am. I feel awful about the whole thing. I learned my lesson."

"You didn't learn a darn thing."

Calm... remember, calm...

"No, I did, Applejack. I'll never hurt someone like that again."

"But you're still lettin' that dang Princess run you around."

Twilight steps back, taken by surprise. "What?" she says.

"Luna. She's got you doin' all this crazy stuff. For what?"

"I love her!"

"Then yer a fool." Applejack looks at her, almost with pity. "She doesn't love you."

YOU BITCH WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE

"What?!" Twilight balks. The hairs on her neck stand on end, and she feels herself tense up in an attack stance. "That's stupid. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"If she loved you, she wouldn't be sendin' you around to mess with other ponies. She's playin' with you."

"You don't know that. You don't know her! You weren't there!"

"Maybe so. But I ain't wrong."

"You... you..." Twilight quivers with rage, her thoughts a torrent of nasty words. "You're awful! You're just jealous!"

What are you even saying? That's stupid!

"Jealous?" Applejack looks genuinely perplexed.

"Yes! That's the only way this makes sense. She loves me, and you must be jealous because you don't have anyone!"

"I ain't nothin' of the sort!" Applejack yells. "That stupid Luna has got you so twisted up and turned around you don't even know what's right anymore!"

"You take that back!" Twilight digs her hooves into the ground, her heart thumping in her chest.

"Make me!" Applejack looms larger somehow, digging her own hooves into the dirt.

"Uh..." Twilight's anger falters suddenly. She drops her head and folds her ears back, her knees start shaking a little.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Applejack shakes her head and turns away. "You're sad, Twilight. I feel bad for you."

Anger burns up through her chest again, not as intense as before but sharper. Uglier.

"You don't understand. You're just a dumb... earth pony... hick!"

Twilight's eyes go wide the moment the sounds leave her lips. Her stomach flops around a few times.

Did I just... say that?

Applejack leans in nearer, getting dangerously close. Twilight cowers, she's afraid for a moment that Applejack really is going to hit her, but instead the orange mare just spits on the ground right at Twilight's hooves.

"Goodbye." Applejack turns and stomps away. Twilight immediately feels a sickening wave of remorse wash over her.

Shoot shoot darn shoot stop her!

"Wait!" she cries.

Applejack keeps walking. Twilight wants to give chase but her hooves won't move.

Stupid stupid why did I say that I can't do this not twice in one day what is happening...

"I'm sorry!" she cries out. The words fall dead in front of her. Applejack trots down the street and disappears around a corner.

Twilight flops down in the dirt right where she's standing. Her eyes burn but nothing comes out. She feels empty. Hollow. She spends some time just looking at her own hooves in the hard, packed down earth.

She doesn't love you.

I lost my temper. I lost my temper and now I've lost my friend and why?

She's playing with you.

No!

That's crazy. She asked me to do all this because she loves me. So we can be together.

Right?

So twisted up and turned around

Well I am all that. Applejack was right... about that... about only that, and nothing else.

Sure...

No! Luna wouldn't do that! She wouldn't! She cares about me!

"Are you okay?"

"Aah!"

Twilight jumps up on her hooves, startling the fuchsia-colored mare next to her. She hadn't even heard anypony walk up.

"Oh! Excuse me, I didn't mean to startle you," Cheerilee says.

"Sorry..." Twilight sees the group of ponies now, standing near the door to the bar. They must be Cheerilee's friends... yup, that's Bon-Bon, and Bon-Bon's girlfriend, and a few other mares. All of them are staring at Twilight, looks of morbid sympathy, the way you would look at a carriage accident.

Twilight shrinks back on her haunches.

Maybe if I just don't look at them I can be invisible.

Maybe I should close my eyes and use my horn and zap myself home. Or to the Everfree Forest. Or to the moon.

Cheerilee goes to her friends and says some things that Twilight doesn't hear. They go upstairs to the bar, but Cheerilee stays behind. She walks over to Twilight and sits down in the dirt next to her. Twilight turns her face away like a sulky teenager.

"You look awful," Cheerilee says, then catches herself. "I mean, you look like something awful happened."

Twilight sniffs and forces herself to meet the teacher's eyes. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.

"Alright, Twilight, it's alright. You don't have to talk about it. I'm sure everything will be fine." Cheerilee puts a hoof softly on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight gets the urge to just hug the older mare immediately and bawl her eyes out...

Don't do that, what is wrong with you? You hardly know her this is awkward enough as it is.

But she just sits there.

"Is there any way I can help? Do you need to find one of your friends, or go somewhere?" Cheerilee looks at her warmly, pleadingly. Twilight thinks of Fluttershy with her animals.

"...no," Twilight chokes out. Now, of all times, the tears start to come back.

"It's okay Twilight. Don't hold it in. I'm here for you."

Twilight feels forelegs wrap around her shoulders and everything goes blurry as her eyes water up.

Darn it darn it why does she have to see me like this? What is wrong with me? When did I become such a mess?

Mental Note, Subject: Love. Love can make you into a total emotional wreck, apparently.

Twilight chokes out a sobbing laugh, then takes a deep breath.

Get it together. No reason to make Cheerilee all worried.

She clears her throat, wiping at her eyes. "I'm fine," she says, sliding out of Cheerilee's embrace.

"Really?"

"I'll be okay. Thank you, though." She puts on a mask of normalcy. It must not be very good, because Cheerilee stares at her the way those other mares were looking.

"Are you sure?"

The look Cheerilee is giving her almost makes her annoyed. Yes, darn it, I'm fine. I am Twilight Sparkle. I am NOT a crying little lovesick filly straight out of one of Rarity's dumb novels. I can deal with this.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Twilight. I want to help."

Embarrassed... yeah, that's the word, alright. Crying in an alleyway being pitied by the local schoolteacher.

At least this day can't get much worse.

As if on cue, two more ponies round the corner, headed for the bar. One of them is a big red stallion, and the other...

"Oh no," Twilight groans.

The two stallions stop short right in front of Twilight and Cheerilee. Braeburn looks terrible – his hat is crooked and his head is bowed, snout almost touching the ground. They both stink of some kind of horrendous alcohol.

"Um... hi?" Cheerilee says.

Braeburn looks up and jolts the moment he sees Twilight. He immediately stands up straight, puffing his chest out. The gloom in his face hides behind a haughty, drunk glare.

"You okay?" Twilight squeaks out, feeling stupid the moment she says it.

"Okay? I'm fine. Juuuuust fine. Fine all on my lonesome, thank ya kindly," he slurs, making Twilight wince at the ugly anger in his voice. He seems to realize it, too, because he immediately looks apologetic. "Uh... I mean..."

"Ahem!" Big Mac clears his throat like a slow rumble of thunder, stopping everyone's thoughts. "Say, cuz, why don't you go on up and get us some seats. I gotta trade some words with these fillies here."

Braeburn stares right at Twilight.

"Right," he says, and goes up to the bar, not looking back. Twilight's eyes follow him until he's gone, then she snaps back. She's surprised to see Big Mac looking at Cheerilee instead of her.

"Mac," Cheerilee says, smiling.

"Cheerilee." He nods at her.

"...How have you been?" she asks.

"Oh, you know." He glances over at Twilight, but only for a second. "Been a while," he says to Cheerilee.

"Yes. Yes it has," she says.

A weird little moment passes, Twilight staring at these two ponies staring at each other.

Big Mac tilts his head at Twilight. "Uh... sorry, but... you mind?"

Cheerilee looks back and forth between Mac and Twilight.

"Right, sorry." She says to Big Mac, then turns to Twilight. "I'll see you upstairs?"

Twilight clears her throat again, trying to regain those elusive last bits of her composure. "Sure," she says without thinking.

"Good." Cheerilee smiles at her and then she goes into the bar and she's gone, and it's just Twilight standing on a dark street with a stallion almost twice her size. Twilight looks up at him and feels those bits of her composure threatening to run off again. He's not smiling. He's just looking down at her with that same laconic face he always has.

"Uh..." Twilight can't even bring herself to greet him properly.

"So..." He talks slowly, like nothing in the world matters. "I happened to pass by my little sis just now. I'm guessin' you two had it out."

Is he glaring at me?

I can't even tell, everyone's been glaring at me today. Oh no, he's probably about to give me some kind of vicious tongue lashing.

Not that I would really mind a tongue lashing from him. Oh, for pony's sake, really?! Now?! What is wrong with me?

If Big Mac has any idea what she's thinking, he doesn't show it. He just keeps on with his slow drawl.

"And on top o' that, I got my cousin here just to see you. And now he's cursin' yer name... when he ain't moanin' about how he loves you, that is. Sounds like you might be havin' one o' those interestin' days."

"I'm sorry!" she blurts out. It's almost a reflex by now.

"Sorry?" he says.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Twilight says.

"Ha!" Big Mac's laugh sends a shock of startled fear through her chest. She swears she heard the windows shake in the houses around them. "Now why would I be mad?" he says.

Wait a minute... someone ISN'T mad at me? This can't be right.

"Mac, I... I really hurt Braeburn. Didn't I?"

Big Mac takes a thoughtful look around, and his drawl gets just a little somber.

"Yeah, that's the truth. He's mighty heart-broke at the moment." Mac looks down at her, but instead of the anger she expected she sees a wry smile. "But he'll be fine. There's a good lot you don't know about my cousin. It wouldn't be proper for me to divulge, but he's been through far worse than what you done to him. An' he's still standin'."

Twilight cocks an eyebrow at him. She's not sure how to take that. He's being so nice to her that it's putting her on edge. On top of that, she's never heard Applejack's brother talk this much at once. She doesn't even think to respond.

"Shoot, Twilight, you ask me, that boy needs a good fling or two. You almost did 'im a favor."

Twilight gulps nervously. "Did he tell you about... me and him?"

"Naw, he ain't said much. But I can put two and two together, contrary to what some may think."

"Oh." Twilight can't help but feel a little bad. She hadn't even realized until just now, but she had always assumed Mac was a little... well, maybe not slow, but somehow beneath herself.

Wait, did he even mean me? No, he's still smiling...

"Don't you worry none about him. I'm takin' him out – have some drinks, blow off some steam, maybe find 'im a mare that'll take his mind off you for a minute. Give him some time, he'll be right as rain."

"I hope so. He's a good guy." Miraculously, Twilight feels a little bit better.

"Indeed he is. Now, you and my sis..."

Twilight gulps nervously.

Nope, not feeling better anymore.

"...I don't know the details. I don't think I should. But she's had her tail in a twist over you for a fair little while now. You two were bound to have it out sometime. At least now it's done with."

"I don't know Mac... I said some awful things. I've never had such a terrible fight with one of my friends. She was... I think she hates me now."

"That's a bunch of hogwash. She don't hate you. She had some drink in 'er, and she has a mean temper sometimes. I know that, believe you me." He rolls his eyes. "But Twilight, you're a friend of the family. AJ's your friend. And some harsh words ain't near strong enough to break that. Why, you come by the farm tomorrow an' I bet my collar she'll be fallin' all over herself to apologize."

"Really?" Twilight asks, almost sarcastic.

"I mean it. Heck, she's probably frettin' over it right about now. It's a long walk back to Sweet Apple Acres. Just you and yer thoughts." Mac looks away ruefully for a second. "You said some awful things, huh?"

Twilight just nods glumly.

"I doubt you meant a word of any of it," he says.

Twilight looks up at him – her surprise is all the answer he needs.

"Eeeeeyup. " He smiles warmly at her. "Way I hear it, mean just ain't something Twilight Sparkle can pull off. Unlike my sis – she's got a way to her. And it's the ones she loves most that set her off."

Twilight starts to respond, but finds herself speechless – put there by Big Mac, of all ponies.

Talk about role reversal.

But she gets it. She really does feel a little better now.

"Should I go talk to her now?" she asks.

"Ah – hmm." Big Mac starts a little and grimaces. "Maybe give her the night. To sleep it off, at least."

"That sounds like a good idea, actually."

"I'm glad you think so. Now..." He glances up at the lit windows of the pub. "I say you take a few moments to compose yerself. And then you and your friends try to have a good time." He looks back down at her. "If you'll excuse me, I gotta spend the next hour agreein' with my cousin that one Twilight Sparkle is somehow the most purest angel in Equestria and the deadliest, most two-faced heartbreaker in Ponyville. All at the same time." He smiles and winks at her.

"Oh..." She looks down at the hem of her skirt bunched up on the ground, matted with dirt now.

"Don't worry. Like I said, boy just needs to blow off some steam." He turns and starts to walk towards the stairs.

"Wait... you two are hanging out here?"

"Well..." Mac puts a hoof to his chin. "If you and yer friends ain't movin' on, I'll figure out a way to take him somewhere else."

Twilight thinks about the drama that just played out in the pub, and decides that it would be a splendid place for Big Mac to hang out with Braeburn. Her friends should be out soon, anyway. What's taking them so long?

"You have a good night, Twilight." Mac opens the door to the pub.

"Mac?"

He turns back to her, paused in the doorway.

"Thanks." She smiles at him.

"Anytime."

And then she's alone again. But it's different this time.

I hope he's right.

Of course he's right. Big Mac knows his own cousin. And nopony knows Applejack better than her own brother. Right?

She sits in the dirt for a few minutes more, trying to think.

I can't believe I said those things to her. What is wrong with me?

No, give it a rest. It's going to be alright. First thing tomorrow I'm going right over to that farm and apologizing my dumb, stupid heart out.

This has definitely been one of those interesting days.

She twists up one corner of her mouth and heaves a long, deep sigh. The door to the pub opens. Rainbow Dash and Rarity come out.

"Where's AJ?" Dash says immediately.

"She went home. We had a fight. Out here," Twilight says.

"Oh, Twilight. You look just despondent. And your mane... and your skirt... here, let me help you." Rarity starts fussing with Twilight's saddle, brushing dirt off of her.

Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes. "So what happened?" she asks.

"We yelled at each other... and..."

No, I can't do this anymore. Not tonight. Too much.

"...I don't want to talk about it right now," Twilight says.

"Aww..." Dash kicks at the ground.

"There, there, Twilight, that's perfectly understandable. This has been a bit of a disaster. Take all the time you need," Rarity says.

"Is everything alright up there?" Twilight nods to towards the pub's windows.

"Don't worry, we settled everything," Rarity says.

"Yeah, Rarity paid for all the stuff Applejack messed up. Crazy!" Dash says.

Twilight stares at Rarity in amazement as the classy unicorn finishes mussing around with Twilight's clothes.

"There! Fabulous again. Sort of. For now," Rarity says. Twilight only looks a little disheveled.

"You paid for everything?" Twilight says.

"Well, one of us has to be reliable." Rarity casts a sidelong glare at Rainbow Dash.

"You tryin' to say somethin'?" Dash scowls back at her.

"I am not trying. I did, in fact, say something. But I am done talking to you for the night," Rarity says, turning up her nose.

"I don't get what you're so pissed off about. I wasn't the one being all secret and stuff," Rainbow Dash says.

"Twilight, since I am not talking to this most churlish pegasus, would you please inform her that she is..."

No! Enough! No, no...

"No, no, no!" Twilight yells out, pounding her front hooves. Both her friends pause and stare at her. She's reached the ends of her reserves of sadness and anger. All that's left is annoyed and bossy.

"What is wrong with you two? It's not enough that I'm screwing up everything all the time? You two have to be at each others' throats?"

They both glance at each other and then back to Twilight, totally taken aback.

"You are friends! We are all friends! We are going to be friends and like each other and be happy!" Twilight yells.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity look at each other again, but they glare and turn away.

"Well I'm not gonna just pretend like nothing happened. I'm not like her." Rainbow Dash crosses her arms.

"I don't have the faintest idea what you are talking about," Rarity says venomously.

"You're mental! We had sex!" Rainbow Dash says.

"You and I did not have sex," Rarity says.

"Rarity, it's okay. We can talk about this," Twilight says, a little calmer.

"There's nothing to talk about," Rarity says.

"Rarity!" Dash says, stomping a hoof. "There's only the three of us here. And you did it with both of us. We all did it with all of us! It's no big deal."

"It IS a big deal!" Rarity is hysterical, almost out of nowhere. "Just because you think it isn't doesn't make you right! It IS a big deal! And it doesn't even matter, I'm not like that. I don't like mares."

"Right. Sure." Rainbow Dash waves her hoof in a circle to the side of her head and whistles, crossing her eyes.

"Dash!" Twilight scolds her, and Rainbow Dash stops. Twilight turns to Rarity. "It doesn't matter? You and me...?"

Rarity gets a deer-in-headlights look and then fidgets nervously, darting her eyes around. "Twilight, I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean it like that. Of course you matter to me. But... I don't mean..." Rarity bites her lip and presses her hooves to the sides of her head. Dash gives Twilight a worried look, and Twilight motions for her to stay quiet.

"I like you, of course I do, both of you mean so much to me..." Rarity squirms uncomfortably, looking at the ground. "But that doesn't mean I'm... I... I just get these feelings sometimes, and I don't even know where it comes from. It's not me! I don't know, I don't know... what is wrong with me..." Rarity trails off, on the edge of crying.

Rainbow Dash looks at Twilight again. She's frowning, full of sympathy, for once. She nods towards Rarity, and Twilight edges over and drapes a foreleg over the conflicted unicorn's shoulders.

"Shh, Rarity. It's fine. Nothing's wrong with you." She pats Rarity with her hoof.

"Am I gay?" Rarity looks up at them, almost sobbing. One of her eyes twitches. "I don't know how to be like that. I don't know if I can handle it. What will everypony think? Oh, the rumors, the gossip, the looks!" She puts one hoof to her forehead, pretending to swoon.

"Eh, it's not so bad." Rainbow Dash shrugs. "Besides, you aren't gay."

"I'm not?" Rarity gasps.

"Naw, you like guys, right?"

Rarity sniffs. "I suppose so, yes. Not that I would really know." She casts a wistful look at the ground.

"Alright then, it's simple. You're like Twilight. I mean, like, the opposite. Remember that scale?"

"Scale...?" Rarity blinks her eyes.

"You said you were a nine," Twilight says.

"I am a nine," Rarity says.

"What?!" Rainbow Dash says.

"I want to find my true love. And my true love is a stallion. I'm a nine," Rarity lifts her nose into the air.

"Rarity, you had sex with both of us," Twilight says.

"I did NOT have sex with Rainbow Dash!" Rarity fumes, throwing off Twilight's foreleg.

"Fine, fine..." Rainbow Dash says, "We didn't technically have, like, official sex. But still... I mean, come on!"

Rarity fidgets in place for a few seconds, glancing back and forth at Twilight and Dash.

"Rarity, she's right," Twilight says. "You shouldn't deny a part of yourself like that. Even if it's a little different from what you're usually like. It's not healthy."

Rarity heaves a deep, grudging sigh. "Fine..." she says, not looking up. "You're right. I suppose there must be a part of me that does..." she sighs again, "...like mares."

Rainbow Dash and Twilight exchange a questioning look.

"Is it really all that bad?" Twilight says to Rarity.

"No!" Rarity looks just a little panicked again. "No, no, please don't think that of me! There's nothing wrong with being that way. I would never judge you girls."

"Then why are you so broken up about it?" Dash says.

"I don't know." Rarity looks puzzled. "I've just never thought of myself like that. This can be so difficult to sort through sometimes. We can't all have it as easy as you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash puffs her chest out, smiling. "Yeah, I'm pretty great," she says.

Twilight rolls her eyes. She sees Rarity doing the same, and they share a smile. Rarity looks worlds better – all the conflict twisted up in her face is fading away.

"I... I'm so sorry about before. To both of you," Rarity says. "I was so confused and ashamed, and all for nothing. I made a complete mule of myself. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Hey, you finally just admitted it. We're cool." Dash shrugs.

"Twilight?" Rarity looks at her.

"As long as you can forgive me for telling Dash our little secret."

"Oh, she told me about that." Rarity waves a dismissive hoof. "Upstairs, after you left. She had it figured out already. I'm not surprised, really. It had to be that. I knew you would never break your promise." Rarity smiles at her.

"Well, alright then. Good. Now, that just leaves Rainbow Dash," Twilight says. The two unicorns turn on her.

"...What?" Rainbow Dash gives them a blank look.

"Don't you have something to say to Rarity?" Twilight says.

"Uhhh..." Dash looks like she really doesn't know. "I guess I'm sorry that I told... well, everyone... about you. Before you were ready?"

Twilight gives Dash what she hopes is a very stern look. Rainbow Dash scratches her head and shrugs.

"Hint?" she says.

"I may be a little more open than I realized. When it comes to physical love," Rarity says, suddenly glaring at Dash a little. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to be treated like a lady."

"Right, yeah..." Rainbow Dash rubs the back of her neck. "Uh... I might've, maybe come on a little strong. That night."

"I forgive you," Rarity says instantly, extending a hoof. "Friends?"

"Sure thing." Rainbow and Rarity bump hooves and shake, and Twilight breathes a sigh of relief.

There... finally something's going right today.

"Great!" Twilight clops her hooves together. "I'm so glad that's settled. Now hug!"

"What?" both her friends say in unison.

"Hug! Like good friends. No hard feelings!" Twilight says.

"Um..." Rarity leans back.

"Do we have to?" Dash says.

"I said hug!" Twilight stomps a hoof, glaring at them. Rainbow Dash and Rarity look at each other and back to Twilight, wide-eyed. They each put one foreleg around the other awkwardly and grin, not taking their eyes off Twilight.

"Perfect!" Twilight smiles in smug triumph. Rainbow Dash and Rarity immediately back away from each other.

"Hey... wait a minute." Twilight's head is a lot clearer now. "You left the other two up there?"

Dash suddenly gets a sneaky smile. "Well, yeah, uh... we didn't want to cramp Fluttershy's style."

Rarity stifles a laugh. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, stop it! You're terrible."

"...What?" Twilight says.

"She wanted to talk to Big Mac." Dash waggles her eyebrows. Twilight raises her own.

"Oh, the poor dear. I don't know if she really will. She's just going to sit there all night thinking about it, I know it," Rarity says.

"What about Pinkie?" Twilight asks.

"She called dibs on Braeburn the moment he walked in," Dash says.

"What?!" Twilight almost falls over.

"Yes... it was a bit strange..." Rarity says.

"Don't tell me you're upset? I mean, you don't want him," Dash says.

"Yeah, but..." Twilight pauses.

Am I upset? How stupid would that be?

Twilight just shakes her head. "I have to go home. This night has been too much." She turns to leave.

"What about you and Applejack?" Rarity asks.

"I'll see her in the morning. It'll be okay. I think. I hope." Twilight hangs her head. She gasps a little as she feels Rarity's mane against her face, and then her friend is nuzzling her tenderly. It's short as it is sweet, and Rainbow Dash chucks Twilight lightly on the shoulder as soon as there's an opening.

"I'll talk to her," Dash says. "We'll smooth it out. It's cool."

"Indeed, Twilight," Rarity chimes in. "Tonight was a bit ugly. But I think everything will be just fine."

A little bit of moisture creeps out of Twilight's eyes somehow.

I guess I must still have happy tears left.

"Thanks, girls. You're the best."

The library is dark when she gets home. She lets herself in and creeps less-than-quietly upstairs to her room.

She goes to her mirror and starts taking her earrings off. She's a complete mess. Her mane is tangled, her eyes are puffy, and her hooves and skirt are still dusty from the road. She heaves a long, tired sigh.

There's an envelope resting on the wood in front of her mirror.

That wasn't there before.

An earring clatters to the floor. She's so excited she can hardly grasp the paper with her magic. She goes to tear it open and nearly rips it in half, letter and all.

This is it this is it this is it!

Twilight's heart pounds as she holds the paper up, reading it by the glow of her horn.

My Eager Student,

I'm impressed with your studies. You've come so far in such a short time. Making up for lost days, no doubt. I do sometimes wish you would share more detail with me. Nothing too much – the best parts are better left to tell in person, I think. But you haven't even told me their names. Are you really in such a hurry?

Which brings me to this. You say that you are ready. Sadly, I must disagree. Knowing a lover's touch is a fine start. Knowing several lovers is even better. But you do not yet understand the true nature of love. You must experience a more serious relationship, my Twilight. Love changes with time in ways no being can predict. It is a special and enigmatic form of love, and your education cannot be considered complete without it.

It pains me to keep you waiting. But know that it is necessary.

Your Midnight Princess,
L

Her eyes scan the paper over and over again. The sound of her heartbeat thuds in her ears. Her jaw hangs open. Nothing runs through her mind. Nothing. She just takes in the words on the paper over and over again, her mind refusing to put the pieces together.

She shakes her head. This can't be right. Something's gone wrong. I missed something. Read it again.

Disagree?

A serious relationship?

Necessary?

How can she ask me to do that, after all I've done for her?

Isn't it enough? Aren't I good enough? I can learn! I can learn from her! Oh dear sun in the sky I just want to learn from her...

She doesn't love you.

"No..." she whimpers, feeling like she's been kicked in the gut. She can't breathe.

She's playin' with you.

That is not true! It's not true, it's not true, it's not!

If she loved you...

"No!" Twilight yells out loud and throws the letter with all her might. It catches air and flutters to the floor a few inches from her. She watches it land silently.

Pathetic.

She dives onto her bed, still wearing her clothes and one earring. She doesn't cry or sob or anything. She's utterly spent.

I can't do this.

How am I supposed to have a relationship? How can I find someone? Do I just dump them the moment Luna thinks I'm ready?

I can't. I didn't even mean to do that to Braeburn. I can't do it on purpose.

But... but... Luna!

She squeezes her eyes shut and buries her head in a pillow.

I can't just give up. I'll figure this out.

Just go to sleep.

Everything will be okay in the morning.

She is amazed to find that she feels tired. Her whole body aches.

What a night...

Her eyes creak shut. Alone, in the darkness of her own thoughts, she starts to drift down and away. Warm, drowsy relief washes over her. She yearns for sleep, to not think about anything until morning light.

Someone knocks on her door. She sits up in bed.

"...Spike?"

Her door opens and a second later Spike's little green eyes are poking above the top of her staircase.

"Twilight? You awake?"

Well, I am now...

"Sure. What are you doing up?" she says.

"I can't sleep." He fumbles his claws together, looking extraordinarily bashful. "Is it okay if I...?" He reaches behind him and drags his old basket bed up the last step.

Twilight feels her lips curl up into an exhausted smile. "Not so grown up after all, huh?" she says.

"Aw, c'mon Twilight!" He looks really upset. "The library's so quiet when you're gone! And that stupid owl just stares at me all creepy."

"Spike! Owloysius isn't stupid," Twilight scolds him.

"Well he's still a little creepy."

Twilight sees her owl in her head, twisting his neck around like Pinkie and staring at her. Just staring.

"...Yeah, he is a little creepy," she says. "Come on in."

Spike drags his basket over, wagging his little tail, and lays it down at the foot of her bed. Right where he always used to sleep. She hears him snuggle into his sheets, just like she always used to hear right before falling asleep herself. She scootches to the foot of her bed and peeks her head over the side. Spike is lying below her, eyes wide open. They stare at each other for a moment.

"Hey," Twilight says.

"...Hey?" Spike says.

"I'm really sorry about earlier. When I yelled at you."

"Aw, that's okay." Spike waves a claw. They stare at each other again for a moment, and Spike suddenly looks away, frowning. "I shouldn't have barged in on you two like that."

"Were you listening?" she asks.

"I was trying not to. But I heard you yelling."

At least he didn't do that the first time we were up here yelling...

Twilight shakes her head, desperately trying to not picture that.

"Thanks, Spike," she says.

"Thanks?"

"Yeah."

Another pause. Spike looks like he's thinking, like he's unsure about something.

"Are you wondering what happened with me and Braeburn?" she says.

Spike nods. "He was so cool the first time he came over. But tonight he was..."

Twilight makes a hushing motion with her hoof. "It's complicated. I'll explain in the morning."

"Oh. Okay." Spike accepts that so easily.

Weird.

"Were you worried about me? When you heard me yelling?" she asks.

"I guess so." He yawns and rolls over. "I don't know why. I mean, you're Twilight Sparkle. You're the most magical unicorn in Equestria. And Braeburn's not a bad guy."

"But you still came running up here."

"Yeah..." Spike looks confused. "I dunno. Maybe it's stupid. But you're my family. That's what you do for your family. Right?"

Twilight's heart swells a little. She feels a lump in her throat. She pretends to cough. Spike doesn't seem to notice. He's rapidly falling asleep. Like he always does.

"Family, huh?" Twilight says, once she thinks she can talk without croaking.

"Mm-hmm," Spike says, closing his eyes.

"I never had any little brothers or sisters," Twilight says.

"Yeah, I know," Spike mumbles.

"You're a good little dragon, you know that?" she says, rubbing the spines on his head with a hoof. He just mumbles some drowsy nonsense.

She sits there watching him until she's sure he is asleep. It doesn't take long.

Mental Note, Subject: Friendship. Friends can make even the worst nights bearable.

No, wait. That's wrong. Well, it's not wrong. But this is different.

Mental Note, Subject: Family. Family can make even the worst nights bearable.

Much better. She smiles and flops back onto her sheets. She falls asleep almost instantly.