I knocked on Maud’s door. She opened it right up, as though she’d been waiting for me. She was dressed, and it smelled like she was cooking.

“Maud, we need to talk.”

“I know,” she said. “I made coffee and a whole box of hay fritters. Come in.”

Pie sense. Earth pony magic is awesome.

I sat down next to the blanket on the floor, and gave Boulder a pat. Maud set my coffee and the hay fritters in front of me and sat down herself.

“How did your audience go?” said Maud.

“It worked!” I said. “It really worked.” I poked half-heartedly at a hay fritter. “But it didn’t help. I got to thee my dad. But he can’t come back.”

“I’m sorry,” said Maud, looking sad. Like, actually looking sad, which is a big deal for Maud.

“It’s okay.” I took a sip of my coffee. Maud got up and sat next to me. She didn’t say anything. If there’s anything Maud is good at — which there is, she’s good at lots of things, actually — but if there’s one thing she’s especially good at, it’s knowing when to keep her mouth shut.

“Maud?” I said after a while.

“Yes?”

I tried to talk, but the words caught on the lump in my throat. “Maud… I… I…” I couldn’t say it! It was the kind of statement that was both monstrously important, and likely to go horribly, irreversibly wrong. The courage and conviction I’d felt upon waking up were rapidly abandoning me.

She patted my hoof. “Say what you need to say, Frazzle. I won’t judge you.”

I took a deep breath. “Maud, I love you.” It was out. It couldn’t be unsaid, but on the bright side I might never need to say it again. No, wait, that wasn’t a bright side.

“I know,” said Maud.

“Wait, you know?” I blinked. She knew. How did she know? Wait, I had tried to kiss her a few weeks ago.

“You’re always staring at my plot,” she said with a little half-smirk.

She’d noticed. Buck. And I thought I’d been so sneaky about it. I tried to talk. My mouth wouldn’t work. I picked up my coffee. My hoof was shaking so hard I couldn’t get it to my lips. I put it back down.

“Do you feel the thame way?” I asked.

“I really like you. And you’re very beautiful.”

I glared at her. “But you don’t love me.”

“I don’t know, Frazzle,” said Maud. “If you’d asked at another time, I’d have given it a try. But you’re clearly in love with Rarity.”

“I don’t think she really loveth me.”

Maud narrowed her eyes at me and gave a little snort. “You’ve seen what she’s been through to be with you. Do you think she likes being mocked and socially ostracized?”

My mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. I hadn’t thought about it that way.

Maud went on. “And she’s been good for you. Really good. You stand up for yourself more now.”

“I’m afraid she’ll want to change me.”

Maud wrinkled up her nose. “Wanting you to present yourself better isn’t the same as changing who you are.”

I slumped sulkily. “I’m not convinthed of that.”

“I think you should stay with her.”

I gritted my teeth. Dating Rarity was stressing me out! Maud was supposed to be my exit strategy. What the heck was she doing? Desperate to save my half-assed seduction, I leaned over for a kiss. I found a hoof on the end of my nose.

“Frazzle, no.”

I ducked my head and whimpered.

“Are you going to see her this weekend?” she said.

“Yes. I’m going to Ponyville.”

“You need to talk this out with her.” She put her hoof over my mouth, and kissed me on the cheek. The hoof-on-mouth thing made me kind of excited; I don’t think Maud realized what a sub I was. “Now eat your fritters. You’re going to be hungry at work if you don’t.”