Three days had passed since the two notebooks had been destroyed. Twilight and Cloud had spent far too many hours awake since then rewriting all of their notes from their memories alone. On the plus side, Cloud now had lots of practice in writing and was now about as fast as Spike - though that wasn’t saying much.

“...And done.” Twilight groaned, as grumpy as she was exhausted. “Alright, lessons resume in a thousand years, when I’m done sleeping.” Twilight teleported directly onto her bed and immediately passed out. Cloud, still in the lobby, was too tired to properly register what Twilight had even said.

“I… Yes,” he slurred, long after she was gone. I need… I… Unable to even think, Cloud stood motionless for a few seconds as his brain rebooted. Sleep. Now. Agreement. Cloud began to wobble towards the stairs.

The floor began to shake and screams could be heard from outside. Shit… Am I falling down the stairs…? Cloud looked at his hooves for a few seconds, blinking many times. No… I haven't climbed the stairs yet…

The front door burst open and Spike ran inside.

“Cloud!” He screamed. “There’s a stampede heading towards the town! People could be horribly injured if you don’t help!” Cloud stared at him for a few seconds, unspeaking. “C-Cloud?”

“Holy shit,” Cloud slurred, “the Ninja Turtles are real…” A few moments passed.

“I’m gonna get help from someone else!” Spike ran back outside, forgetting to close the door behind him.

“Donatello, wait!” Cloud shouted to him. “I need to get an autograph for Spike!” He quickly wobbled after him. On his third attempt to wobble through the doorway, he succeeded, and found himself surrounded among screaming, panicking Ponies. “EVERYONE CALM DOWN!” He bellowed. “I’LL GET ENOUGH AUTOGRAPHS FOR ALL OF YOU!” Cloud wobbled in rough circles for a while, not noticing the stampede of Cows getting closer and closer.

Someone who had noticed the stampede was Applejack. She was running alongside them in an attempt to herd them away from the town. On the opposite side of them was her dog, Winona, helping her to thin the drove into a skinnier line. When it was thin enough, she used her lasso carefully and managed to turn the stampede away from the town with maybe a metre to spare. With nothing immediately in danger, Applejack was able to easily stop the Cows’ charge.

“Now what the hay what that all about?” Applejack asked angrily.

“I’m very sorry about that, Ms Applejack!” Exclaimed Daisy Jo, the alpha of the herd. “We heard that Ponyville was allowing non-Ponies to visit and were heading over to do some trading, but then we saw a snake and we-!”

“Ya heard wrong!” Applejack shouted. “True, there’s a royal ambassador here fer the moment, but he’s protected by royalty! The rest of you damn animals still aren’t allowed anywhere near Ponyville! Now git outta here before I turn y’all to mince meat and sell you to those Gryphon freaks!”

“Oh my!” Daisy gasped. “V-Very well! We will not return again!” The Cows, scared of Applejack’s racism, turned and headed back the way they had come.

The previously panicked Ponies one by one realised that Applejack had gotten rid of the Cows and all began to cheer. Applejack stood in front of them and took a bow.

“Wow, Applejack!” Exclaimed a Pony in the crowd. “You’re such a good diplomat! What did you say to them?!”

“Oh, y’know,” Applejack replied, gesturing with a hoof, “I was just honest! It’s what I’m the Spirit of, after all!” Everyone cheered except for Spike. Spike, who had exceptionally good hearing thanks to being a Dragon, had overheard Applejack’s ‘diplomacy’. He stood with his mouth agape in horror.

There was another person who wasn’t cheering, however. That person was Cloud, who had passed out in the street.

Cloud awoke in his bed, in the library’s attic that Twilight and Spike had helped him repurpose into a second bedroom. Though he felt at least vaguely rested, the sunlight burning his eyes didn’t fill him with confidence. Wow… I feel terrible. I need to drink as soon as I can. I agree. I’m very dehydrated, I need to get some water. That’s not the kind of ‘drink’ I think I need.

He climbed out of bed and had a long stretch before starting towards the door. Wait, no. Twilight said I need to practice using magic as much as I can to build endurance. Cloud lit up his horn and clumsily teleported to the kitchen, almost tearing himself apart at a molecular level. Woah! That wasn’t a great feeling. It’s a good thing Twilight taught me an advanced teleport spell with safety precautions, I’m too stupid for my own damn wellbeing. He spotted the mare in question across the room, eating toast and reading a newspaper.

“Twilight!” Cloud exclaimed. Twilight looked over to him.

“...Cloud?” She asked, unsure of how to reply.

“Twilight!” Cloud exclaimed again.

“What are you doing?”

“Being an ass. What time is it?”

“About nine o’clock,” she replied. “Spike said he found you unconscious outside yesterday and brought you in.”

“Yeah, I don’t really remember much from the last few days.” Cloud scratched the back of his head. “The last thing I remember is something about a turtle.” He pointed to the newspaper. ”What did I miss?”

“Not much,” Twilight replied, looking back at the paper. “Spike thinks Applejack is a racist.”

“Bah!” Cloud waved a hoof dismissively. “He’s just paranoid. Any actual news?”

“A stampede of Cows headed toward the town was stopped by Applejack, so the town’s having a party today in the name of overreacting, some weather companies are worried that somebody’s making counterfeit storm clouds and some Ponies in Canterlot think that Princess Luna is still evil, so they’re rioting.”

“Damn,” worried Cloud, “is anyone hurt?” Twilight scoffed.

“Canterlot Ponies, Cloud,” she said, “to them, rioting is spreading gossip at formal parties. Canterlot Ponies are idiots.” Cloud frowned in confusion.

“Aren’t you a Canterlot Pony?” He asked.

“My family moved there when I was about ten so I could study under Princess Celestia, but I’m actually from-”

“Cloud!” Spike cried out as he ran into the kitchen. Twilight frowned and rolled her eyes before going back to reading the paper. “Applejack is keeping foreigners out of Ponyville with threats of murder!”

“Don’t say mean mean things about people, Spike, you bigoted dickhole,” Cloud replied offhandedly as he made himself some breakfast.

“But I heard her!” Spike continued. “After she stopped the stampede, she…!” Cloud ignored him, happily singing a song under his breath as he finished making his breakfast.

“Chortle at the kooky, snortle at the spooky~!” He muttered.

“...But I was the only one who heard her!” Spike finished. Cloud took a bite out of his toasted grass sandwich.

“Spike,” he said, spitting bits of food across the room, “unless you can prove it, I don’t care.”

“Cloud!” Twilight cried angrily, giving Spike some hope. “Don’t make a mess on the floor! I’ll have to waste energy telling Spike to clean up!” Spike’s hope vanished, replaced by anger.

“Screw both of you!” Spike shouted, double flipping the bird. “I’ll find some damn proof!” He stormed out of the room.

“Geez,” said Cloud, “what an asshole.”

“I know, right?” Twilight replied, shaking her head.

After finishing breakfast, Cloud decided to see what Applejack’s party was like.

A crowd was gathered around a stage in front of the town hall. The building itself had been decorated with apple-based banners and posters, as well as plain ribbons and balloons. They missed out not using apple shaped balloons.

“I didn’t have time to make apple balloons, silly!” Squeaked Pinkie Pie, appearing out of thin air.

“I… didn’t say that out loud,” stated Cloud.

“You sure didn’t!” Pinkie exclaimed happily. There was a short pause.

“...How did you-?”

“That’s not important!” Pinkie laughed.

“I disagree!” Cloud retorted, freaking out slightly. Could she secretly be a Unicorn under that mane? Even then, telepathy is a powerful spell, so-

“Just try not to think about it!” Pinkie squeaked. “It’s not important to the plot!”

“What plot?! What are you plotting?!”

“Look!” Pinkie pointed to the stage everyone was crowded around. “The Mayor is about to make a speech!” He looked towards the stage and saw the Mayor exit the town hall and climb onto the stage.

“Wait, but how did you know she was going to-?!” Cloud stopped when he realised Pinkie had vanished. “WHAT THE F-?!”

“...And so,” finished the Mayor, ”without further ado, it is my privilege to give the prize Pony of Ponyville Award to our beloved guest of honor, a Pony of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity. Ponyville's most capable and dependable friend: Applejack!” She gestured towards some opening curtains, but they revealed, for the second time in a month, nobody. “Dammit, not again…”

“I’m here!” Called Applejack from the back of the crowd. She walked through the crowd, making her way towards the stage until she finally climbed up. There were a few strange, red splatters on her forehooves.

“Applejack, you’re late,” said the Mayor, slightly annoyed. “Why weren’t you here on time?”

“I was busy dealing dealing with that scum Zeb- Uh, I mean, I was… harvesting apples.” She nodded. “Yup.” The Mayor smiled.

“Oh, Applejack, ever the hard worker! Nopony deserves this reward as much as you do!”

“Seriously?!” Spike shouted from the crowd. “She pretty much just admitted that she’s-!”

“Why, thank you, Mayor!” Applejack exclaimed, cutting him off. “I’m proud to live in Ponyville!” She added, glaring daggers from her eyes at Spike. “Could I get somepony to help me take this trophy back to my farm?”

“I’ll help,” called Cloud before teleporting to the stage.

“Thank you kindly, Cloud! I’m glad somepony,” she glared at Spike again, “like you is around!”

“Alright, calm down,” said Cloud, lifting the trophy with a Support Circle. “I’m just carrying a trophy.”

The two of them headed to the farm, the trophy gliding alongside them.

Twilight was out for a walk while reading a book about different teaching methods. She soon found herself at Applejack’s farm. None of this information is very useful, my lessons are far too advanced for any of this. Twilight sighed and teleported the book back to the library. She was about to teleport herself back too, when she suddenly spotted Spike shrouded in the shrubbery.

“Spike,” she said, walking up to him, “stop being weird.”

“Shh!” Spike shushed. “Applejack will hear you!”

“Yes, being heard is generally the goal of talking.”

“No!” He exclaimed. “I can’t let her know I’m here!” Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Okay; why can’t you let her know you’re here?” She played along. Spike pointed through the bush, clearly anxious about something. Twilight poked her head through the bush to see what Spike was pointing at.

“What am I supposed to be seeing here?” Twilight asked.

“Look!” Spike whisper-shouted.

“At what?!” She mockingly whisper-shouted back. Suddenly, she spotted what Spike was talking about. “Dammit.” She walked through the bush and towards Applejack, avoiding the red splashes on the ground. “Applejack!” Applejack jumped in surprise.

“T-Twilight?!” She exclaimed. “Uh, this isn’t what it looks like!” Twilight frowned.

“Applejack, I can’t believe it,” she spat, shaking her head, “using red paint on a wooden sign! Those colours clash!” Applejack looked at the sign she was holding, brandishing the words ‘ONLY PONIES IN PONYVILLE’.

“Uh, yeah, paint…”

“Also, don’t be racist,” Twilight added. “I know you’re an Earth Pony, but I didn’t think you’d be that stupid.”

“Well,” said Spike from his hiding spot, “at least I proved the Equines I was right.”

“Spike!” Cloud shouted as he passed Spike on the path away from the farm. “Don’t be so racist!”

“Go fuck yourself, Cloud.”

“I would if I could, but I can’t so I shan’t.”

Later that evening, Twilight, Cloud and Spike were back at the library. Sitting in various seats in the lobby.

“Well,” said Cloud, “today was a nice break from studying.” Twilight nodded.

“We’ll be back at it tomorrow,” Twilight replied, “so be sure to get plenty of rest.” She stood up. “Speaking of, I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” She went upstairs, leaving Cloud and Spike alone.

“Hey, Spike,” said Cloud, “I’m sorry if I’m too much of an asshole at times. I act like a jerk, but it’s mostly just hyperbole for my own amusement. No hard feelings?”

“Suck my lizard dick, you shitty rectal cavity.”

“That’s the spirit.”