Morning greeted Ponyville with the warm glow of the sun. As it rarely did this time of year, so it was a nice surprise. It shone through Twilight's window, causing her to stir and wake up. Upon doing so, she nearly met the floor as she was half hanging off the bed. Catching herself, she shook herself awake and saw that Navi had cuddled up to her companion. Twilight came down the stairs to see Spike passed out on the couch with a book in his lap. Poor little guy... she thought. Quietly, she returned the book to its proper position on the shelf.

Spike woke up to this, having been moved while asleep. "G-good morning, Twilight..." he said sleepily. "Morning chores, check..." He made quick little 'check's with his claw as he headed for the kitchen. Peeking above the counter at all the cupcakes, he added, "... I guess I could go wake up Link first."

Before he got to the bottom step, Link appeared at the top, and Navi on his shoulder all smiles. "Goooooood morning library!" Navi called, almost sending Link off balance.

"I didn't think you'd be asleep for much longer. ... Think fast!" Twilight shot a small ball of energy at Link, who blocked it with a magic shield over his hand. "Still sharp. Good. Never stop improving.. Our friends will be arriving early in the morning, so we need to get this place cleaned up bef-"

Pinkie bursted into the library. "Darn... I thought I was gonna be the first one here..."

"You are the first one here, Pinkie. A whole hour before everypony else."

"Nope. You guys are here. You beat me." Suddenly, getting close to Twilight. "Did you camp out at the doors?"

Spike sighed and looked at Pinkie. "We all live here, of course we'll get here before you..."

"Oh right, silly me." She made her way to a couch and sat down. "Soooo. ... Where's everypony else?"

"Getting ready, I hope. I had Link put invitations in everypony's mailbox to be here in ..." she looks at her wall clock. "15 minutes!"

Fluttershy walked in, with a rather small box under her wing, which was unnoticeable at the time. Followed closely by Rarity, who had a slightly larger box. Rainbow and Applejack tried to beat each other through the open door, flinging themselves inside, landing in the middle of the floor. "I win!" they both said, glaring at each other. The former held a rather large box on her back, which made it a ground race.

"Or... no time at all to clean up..." Twilight looked at Applejack, to see whether or not her attitude changed. Seeing that it didn't, she got everypony's attention. "Okay, you're all here a little early, so ... I need help cleaning up. Who can help?"

Navi went into the kitchen, and Link went back upstairs to the room to wake Epona. Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Rarity helped tidy the place up, while Applejack went into the kitchen with Spike. Pinkie was anywhere but the kitchen. She got the stuff out for their trading party.

After a small musical number, everything was where it should be, and the library seemed to glow. Link returned downstairs with an unwrapped book, close behind was Epona. Not exactly a morning pony, so her mane was a mess. As they all gathered around a round rug on the floor, Link offered his hat as the name basket, letting his blond hair take a breath.

"Alright. The names are still in, so without further ado," Twilight picked a paper out at random with her magic. She levitated it to her and read aloud, "'Rarity', you're up first. What'd you bring?"

"Oh, I was so, so, so hoping not to go first, but it can't be helped." Standing up, she walked over to Spike, and gave him a little black box with a red bow. "For you, Spikey."

Spike took it, and unfurled the bow, opening it to reveal a shining green gem. "Wow, it's beautiful."

"That, dear Spike, is Jade. A rare gem, I had to go to Canterlot to get it. With Link's assistance of course."

"I'll put it in a glass case and keep it as long as I live. My turn," he said, as Rarity found her seat. "I've got... Rainbow a present." He held up a shimmering silver ticket and aimed it at Rainbow, who's jaw practically hit the floor.

"Is that what I think it is?!" she exclaimed, taking it out of his claw in the blink of an eye. "It is! It's a backstage pass to the Wonderbolt's New Year's Performance! These tickets are ..." she paused, and looked at the back. "It's even signed by the Wonderbolts! 'Spitfire' 'Soarin' 'Fleetfoot' and wait... It goes to the next day?! Can this day get any better?!" Rainbow's outburst of happiness lasted a few minutes before finally calming down. "How'd you get it?"

"I asked Princess Celestia for a favor. She called one in to Spitfire personally. and was given this. Now, it's yours."

"Awesome!" She looked at the ticket again. "Oh right, my turn." She turned to Link. "This is for you, kid. Wear it with pride." Rainbow handed him a large box.

He carefully opened the box. It was easy, only taped shut. What he didn't get, was why there was another box inside it. ... So he opened it, also easy, to find another box. Setting the others aside, he continued opening the gradually smaller boxes, with increasing difficulty as the rest of the 'audience' started laughing. The almost smallest box was wrapped so thick in tape, it was ridiculous. Once he got it off, which took a while, he found a simple white box. Opening it revealed a black braided string attached to the three sacred triangles that resembled the one on his hand. Standing up, he spread his arms, and embraced Rainbow in a hug. The others smiled, and quieted their laughter.

After releasing the pegasus, he held up the book he had bought that first day, and handed it to Applejack. She read the title aloud, "'Artemis Foal, The Diamond Deceit', a book. That's, uh, interestin'. Not what Ah expected, but given who gave it to me, Ah guess it makes sense." She paused for longer than she should have.

Twilight knew it was coming... And she feared for the worst. Applejack stood up and cleared her throat. "Mah gift is for Twilight. And this might take some time, so bear with me. Ah ain't real good at piecin' stuff together, and for the whole day after our first meetin', Ah didn't know what t' get. Applebloom saw it way before Ah did, an' Big Mac even sooner. But they refused to tell me anythin'. Said it wouldn't mean nothin' if Ah was told. Ah got to the fields yesterday, and Twilight came by." She paused and walked over to Twilight, and sat next to her. "She said she only wanted one thing. So Ah went to sleep that night, and y'know what Ah came up with? Twilight Sparkle, Ah give to you, a date. Ah want to know if what Ah feel is the real deal, or just fleeting feelings."

Twilight wrapped Applejack in a hug. She didn't say a word, she didn't have to. Applejack knew exactly how she felt, and knew that words would ruin the moment, so she let the hug happen. It wasn't too long until she knew what she could say. "How about ... new years? We can go star-gazing?" With a small nod to the pony still huging her, Applejack agreed. "Thank you... for handling that better than I would have."

"Anytime, sugarcube~" Applejack responded.

"Yeah, yeah. Mushy mushy, get on with it," Rainbow piped up, getting impatient.

"So not romantic, darling. Perhaps you should try some 'mushy' stuff as you call it." Rarity was quick to retort.

"No, she's quite right," Twilight defended. "Time to move on." Removing herself from around her neck, she held onto Applejack's hoof, as if in assurance this just happened. With a sigh of relief, the red flushed from her face. "My turn." Twilight levitated a box around the corner and levitated it towards Fluttershy. "You can thank both me, and Spike for this one. He wrote the princess and she sent this. It's one of her own, so be careful with it."

"I plan to. Thank you, both of you." She blew it as a few birds flew into the open window, landing around Fluttershy's hooves. "My turn. Angel wasn't too happy about it, but he was able to part with this, so here you are Navi." She pulled out a small box from under her wing and held it out to the fairy. Link took it and served as the table for Navi to open it.

"It's a ... brush. The one you use on my hair. And now it's mine?" Navi looked up at Link, who frowned a little. "Hey, listen. You've got no reason not to brush my hair, so you can start now." With a small laugh, he took the brush, and with greater delicacy than she thought possible, he began brushing her hair. "Spike, could you do me a favor and bring them in here?"

Spike got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a tray of cupcakes. "Here you are. And they look even better than the ones yesterday."

"Pinkie, I don't really know your other hobbies, so I went to the bookstore with Link and got a recipe. Here's how they turned out. You can have them for yourself or share them. Your choice."

Pinkie got up, and took the tray from the little dragon. "Rarity told me I couldn't do that, though. Why does she get to?"

"Besause, you do that for a living, darling. It means more if it's not something you do for a living."

"Aww..." Pinkie looked at the cupcakes. "They do look delicious. Everyone want one?"

Applejack got up. "Ah'll get 2 for us." Everypony else followed suit, getting their cupcake.

"My turn, right?" Pinkie swung her head up and out came a set of nicely crafted saddlebags. It flew all the way to Epona. "That's yours now. I made it. It's-"

"New saddlebags! That's gonna be really helpful! Thanks, Pinkie!" She got up and gave the party planner a greeat big hug, almost crushing her in the process..

"Ok, you can put me down, now... losing... breath..." She gasped for air as she was released.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Epona returned to her seat beside Link, who was still brushing. "Oh, right. That means I'm up next. One moment." She quickly ran up the stairs and returned a moment later, an object in her bag. "Just for you, from the Docter himself." Epona pulled it from her bag and ossed it to Rarity. "It's a-"

"A pincushion! Sweetie Belle took all of mine for some 'crusader' business and hasn't returned them. This is the best gift I could have gotten. But, how did you know I needed it?"

"How did you know it was a P.I.N. cushion? The Doctor called it a 'puncturing instrument neutralizing cushion'. P.I.N. cushion for short."

"Interesting," she replied. "Who's the doctor?"

"I don't know. But he's got a crazy house outside of town. It's got 4 stories inside, but only one outside."

"Epona, you and I are the only ones that know about that in this timeline." Pinkie explained. "Nopony else."

"And since I already did mine, that ends our little exchange. I now have the means to continue my work, so I'll bid you all farewell." Rarity walked to the door, pincushion floating by in her magic.

"And I've got to get ready to see the Wonderbolts give their New Year's show. It's gonna be at least 20% cooler than any other show this year!" Rainbow blew past Rarity on her way out, causing the unicorn to fumble the pincushion.

"If you all don't mind... I left my animals home alone. So I'll just be on my way." Fluttershy walked out behind Rarity.

Link stood with Navi and Spike. "We've got stuff to clean up, so ... we'll be..." Link points to the kitchen. "Yeah, what he said... or ..." The three of them vanish into the kitchen, and peer over the counter.

"I, uh..." Epona tried to find something to do. "I need to um... Brush my hair." She again returns to upstairs.

"I'm off to share my last two cupcakes with the Cakes. See ya later~" Pinkie bounded off towards Sugarcube corner. Leaving Applejack and Twilight alone.

The two smiled at each other, then giggled softly. "I didn't know you felt that way. You're really good at hiding your feelings." Twilight broke the small silence.

"Twilight, last night, Ah brought up what ya said to mah family. Y'know what they said? 'Why, Applejack, it's about time that filly got the gumption t'tell ya how she feels.'" Applejack tried her best 'Granny Smith' impression. Applebloom was next. "And then, 'Ah told ya it wouldn't mean nothin' if we told ya. It wouldn't have the same effect on ya if we did.' Then Big Mac, stoic as always, 'Eeyup.' He nodded as he usually would."

"So, your whole family knew? And you didn't?" Twilight wondered how that was even possible.

"What can Ah say, besides Ah'm willin' to chance this. Ah don't know about you, but Ah want this to work out. And if this turns into reciprocated love, then Ah know Ah'd have made the right choice in marefriend." Applejack leaned her head onto Twilight's, and closed her eyes.

"Because Ah realize how much you could mean to me, and it didn't feel like somethin' Ah wanted to let slip away, because Ah was too fool to see it-"

Twilight kissed Applejack's cheek. "You could just sit here with me in silence. I understand. Completely."

Part 3/3 Hope you all enjoy. Will get back to the regular story now. And yeah, I'm hinting at TwiJack