Twilight opened the door to the throne room in her new castle, her eyes scanning around the circle of monolithic stones that happened to have places to sit on the front of them. Spike had said Applejack asked to meet her in here. Twilight thought her library, or even the castle kitchen, would be more comfortable, but Spike said Applejack had refused.

She spotted Applejack looking up at the apples on her throne. Hoofsteps echoed through the nearly empty room as Twilight approached, she didn’t need to announce her presence, but Applejack didn’t look up. As Twilight neared, Applejack cleared her throat.

“Twi? I came here ‘cause there’s somethin’ important I gotta tell ya’, and I reckon it’s the sort of important thing this room’s here for.” Applejack finally looked over at her.

Twilight nodded, feeling a slight tension in her muscles at her friend’s serious demeanor. But she fluttered her wings and forced a smile. “Sure! I mean, this room should be good for something, right? It’ll probably work better for important things than relaxing… these thrones are really uncomfortable.”

Applejack smirked and eyed her throne. “I reckon they are, but somepony’s gotta sit on ‘em. That’s why I’m here, as it turns out. I made up my mind.”

“About… what?”

“This.” She nodded toward the throne. “You remember I was none too happy to be givin’ up the Elements of Harmony, right?”

“Of course. And I think we’re standing in some solid proof that drifting away from each other was a silly worry.” Twilight relaxed and smiled.

“Yeah…” Applejack closed her eyes and bit her lip. “I dunno if ya’ noticed, but I work a lot.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding.”

Applejack smiled a little. “Well, I always been a right friendly pony, too, to all the folks in town. But when we got the Elements… havin’ a bunch of best friends takes time. Time I never really tried to make before that. My element was kinda… a rope. Pullin’ me towards you girls. Then my cutie mark was a rope in the other direction, towards my farm. With both of ‘em, I could balance, I was just as much in one direction as the other. When we gave up the Elements, I just had to try and balance myself, makin’ sure I was givin’ as much to y’all as I was to my farm. I reckon it was workin’... maybe not quite as easy as with my element in the back of my mind, but I was gettin’ by.”

“You’ve always been a great friend. I know I can depend on you for anything in the world.” Twilight said, but a tiny worry about the direction of the conversation buzzed around her mind like a gnat, just barely noticable and all the more annoying for it.

“Good. I reckon that’s how a friend oughta be.” Applejack looked down, which did nothing to ease Twilight’s mind. ”But there’s other folks that depend on me, too… sometimes that’s hard.”

“I know. You really run that farm for your family. And Apple Bloom, well you’re practically her--” Twilight stopped as she noticed Applejack just barely cringe. She went on more carefully, “I know you two are close. Is everything okay?”

Applejack nodded. “Just fine. I just… I need to finish talkin.”

“Go ahead…”

“Well, now this ol’ heap of rock popped up. And Princess Celestia said you’d need us all to be Princess of Friendship, and there’s that big ol’ throne there with my cutie mark, and… it’s big, ain’t it?” Applejack looked up, maybe at the tall stone, maybe at the high ceiling of the room, Twilight wasn’t sure. “This is bigger than bein’ a good friend to you girls and sometimes slappin’ on a magic necklace.”

Twilight swallowed. “It might be.”

Applejack nodded. “That’s a decision for me, Twi. Things are outta balance, and they ain’t goin’ back. Something’s gotta come first.”

“I understand.” Her mouth felt dry as she said it. “You never asked for this, and your farm… well, it’s your family, your cutie mark.”

“I know that. Sweet Apple Acres is my home, and as much as my folks need me, I gotta take care of things,” Applejack said, full of certainty.

Twilight’s stomach felt queasy. She’d been so happy when she got her title, finally understood her place as a princess. But her place came with six thrones spread equally around a circle. Princess Celestia’s words seemed to echo in her head, what is a Princess of Friendship without her friends?

“On the other hoof…” Applejack said, taking a deep breath, “I always been pretty darn hooves on there, gettin’ stuff done myself. I was talkin’ to my cousin Fritter about whose farm she’s gonna be at for harvest. I was about to tell her me and Mac were fine, then I started to wonder if I could be sure of that.” She tapped the base of stone with a hoof. “So, I got ponies we can call to help, and Mac’s there to keep an eye on things, and Apple Bloom’s gettin’ smarter and stronger every day... I reckon a pony that’s got a throne oughta learn when to tell somepony else what to do and leave ‘em to do it.” Applejack wrinkled her nose.

“I know what you’ll give up to help ponies. I can’t let you do that just so I can have a castle and be a princess,” Twilight said softly. “This isn’t what you want, is it?”

Applejack shrugged. “It ain’t what I expected, that’s for sure. As to what I want… I want my farm to make money, and my family cared for. But, as much as I don’t wanna admit it, I ain’t the only pony who can make that happen. And I wanna help you be the princess you oughta be, and spread magic all over Equestria, and when it comes to it… this magic castle seems to think I’m the pony who oughta be doin’ that. My cutie mark’s right here.” She swallowed and looked at the three apples. “It feels like… like the same thing. Like bein’ here’s my special talent, too.”

Twilight looked down at her own cutie mark in the center of the circle. “I think I know exactly what you mean.” She looked at Applejack with a wan smile. “You know, I never expected to be a princess. I always thought I’d spend my life doing magical research. Rooms full of books, late nights writing new spells that might advance magic for everypony in Equestria… My cutie mark was on the tree of harmony, and here on my throne, and this feels right. But some days, I feel like that other life, that’s where I was supposed to be. Like either one would be right, but my path led to this.”

Applejack nodded. “You get it.” She looked Twilight in the eye as she went on, “So, that’s what I wanted to tell ya’. I’m still gonna be livin’ on the farm, and runnin’ it best I can, but… I’m at your service. First. All the way, if you need me. Magic friendship stuff is my business, and on my down time I’ll get to farm some apples.”

“I guess I do need to ask you for that… thank you,” Twilight said. “I mean it, Applejack. I know how hard this decision was for you. You and the other girls didn’t just help me become a princess, you’re what makes me a princess. I need all of you.”

“Well, I reckon if I was gonna make a princess, you’re just the princess I woulda made, so I got no regrets there.” Applejack grinned and gave Twilight a nuzzle. “Now, I best be back to the farm. I gotta talk to Mac about hirin’ some hooves and keepin’ them in line. Maybe that oughta’ be my first magic friendship job, teachin’ my brother to talk to other ponies.”

Twilight giggled. “You really do like a challenge, don’t you? Good luck!”

As Applejack turned to leave, Twilight’s eyes fell on the other thrones. She couldn’t help but linger on the three diamonds that belonged in a posh Canterlot boutique, then the rainbow lightning bolt that was supposed to be under a Wonderbolt’s flight suit.

“Applejack?” Twilight called. Her voice echoed through the chamber, much larger than she felt.

Applejack stopped and turned to her with a smile. “Darn it, ya’ need me already?”

Twilight had to smile, but it fell quickly from her face. She nodded towards the other thrones. “You’re not the only pony who’s going to have to make this choice, are you?”

Applejack followed her stare, and took a deep breath. “I sure hope I am, Twilight. Maybe they’ll find some way to make it balance.”

“If they can’t?” Her ears started to droop, that queasy feeling from earlier returning.

“I can’t answer for them.” Applejack walked back to Twilight and leaned against her. “I know I had to look deep for this, at the things I really wanted for me, for my family, and for you girls and Equestria. What I found is what I told ya’, but everypony’s different. Heck, If Apple Bloom was a bit younger, or I didn’t have Mac around… I mighta had to come up with somethin’ else.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I guess it will depend on where they are if they have to make a choice.”

Applejack sighed and looked at Twilight. “I know I’d never blame ‘em for whatever they decide.”

“I won’t either…” She nuzzled Applejack. Feeling her friend next to her, warm and solid, brought a smile to her face. “But I am glad to know I’ll never be alone here.”

“You know it.” Applejack smiled and nudged Twilight towards the door. “Now come on, let’s get outta here. We both got stuff to do today. I’ll bet ya’ two bits there’s some book you wanna be readin’ that I pulled you away from.”

“I am not taking that bet.” Twilight smirked. She walked with Applejack out of the large, cold chamber to return to her much more comfortable library.