Following her recent concerns with Apple Bloom and how she appeared to be growing up far too fast, Applejack had resorted to consulting with others on how she was going to live with Butter. They hadn’t really discussed it at length, just taking the punches as they came and dealing with them. But seeing just how fast Apple Bloom had grown made her wonder about her own growth. So far it had been pretty consistent; something around a quarter of an inch a day, but that wasn’t to say that it could suddenly change. For all she knew, she could suddenly grow to be twenty feet tall before the end of the week and that wouldn’t be good. What if it happened at a time when Butter was close? Like when they spent their nights close together; a sudden growth spurt could crush him. Or if it was even bigger than twenty feet, then she could lose him on her body and she wouldn’t even realise. He could end up hanging on her hair or even worse, ending up stuck inside her mouth. Truly that was one of the worst things that could come from a sudden growth spurt. She shivered as the possibility of killing Butter crossed over her mind, quickly dismissing it.

She needed someone to talk to, someone who could understand her plight. The problem there was that she exceeded the average height that most ponies reached by quite some distance. Butter was considered a little bit over average at six feet tall, while Big Macintosh was well above average at six feet and six inches. Apple Bloom bucked that trend given her current size, but was still in a realm like the others that Applejack could no longer live in. Still, the point was that nobody around town or the local area could help her. Well, they could listen to her plight but as far as suggesting solutions based on their own experiences, that much was dead in the water. Though, she did recall one set of people that would be able to help her. The Royal Sisters over in Canterlot were hardly average by anyone’s standards. If her memory served correctly, she had seen the heights of the sisters somewhere before. Celestia was somewhere around eleven and a half feet tall, whilst her sister stood around nine feet and seven inches. Celestia was closest to Applejack in terms of height, if still smaller, but the pair were likely the best chance she had.

She needed a way to meet them though, and given their status, that was going to be harder than expected. Applejack had met both of them on several occasions, usually when the fate of the world was at stake. Not exactly prime time for getting to have an in-depth talk about relationship woes and the like. She wasn’t one for trying to take over the world or presenting a great threat to Canterlot or Equestria either. So that idea was completely out of the window. The only other option she had was to secure a meeting through Twilight. Princess to Princess was bound to yield some kind of good results. Applejack just wasn’t sure how she might put the question across though. Twilight would be more than willing to help a friend, but also very inquisitive over why she wanted this. After all, what would she need to talk to Celestia about that she couldn’t with her own friends? In the end, Applejack decided that she had to try nevertheless, and be firm on keeping it confidential.

Butter was out in the town at the moment, so if they crossed paths she could easily shrug it off as coincidence. The less he knew about it the better, just in case things didn’t go as she planned them. She left the barn and ventured into town, working and reworking her idea with each step. When she made it into town she rushed through it, not stopping to correct any errant stares or discuss pleasantries with her friends. She was a mare on a mission and although she might pay for ignoring everyone, this was a time of utmost urgency. Twilight’s castle loomed on the horizon, as big and sparkly as it always had been; one would think it had been designed to appeal to young children. Applejack wasn’t here to critique the decor though; her barn was hardly a castle on its own, which didn’t give her much right in that regard. She marched inside, Twilight’s open door policy proving to be most useful once again, and strode straight for the map room. If Twilight was going to be anywhere, it would be in there, watching for friendship troubles across Equestria and beyond.

Applejack barged in and found she was right. Twilight was sitting in her throne, book and a small sandwich on one armrest, watching for anything that required friendly intervention. Applejack rested her hands down on the map across from her and leant in close, her shadow encompassing most of the mini-Equestria on the table. Had it been representative of the world as it was outside the castle, then several settlements outside of Manehatten would be no more and a third of Equestria would be in darkness. At first, Twilight pulled an annoyed expression, ready to cast out the intruder and give her a stern talking to. However, upon seeing it was Applejack, her expression softened somewhat, if still keeping a little of the frustration. Applejack took a moment to compose herself, taking her hands off the map and slotting herself awkwardly into her throne. When the castle had formed she had been her expected lifetime height of six feet and ten inches. Obviously, not even the mysterious magic had built it with her growth in mind, so the term sitting wasn’t really appropriate for how she looked. Her legs were too long to fit under the table, so she had to lay them out on the throne next to her. This meant her body was turned in the direction of that, rather than facing Twilight. Her butt was too big to fit into the tiny seated section of the throne and so rested more on each armrest while one entire cheek hung over the edge. She bent her neck somewhat painfully to look at Twilight before speaking. The whole farce was ridiculous, but Twilight was concerned about what had her so friend looking so worried.

“Twilight, ah, ah wanted t’ ask ya a favour…”

“Well, I’m always open to hearing them - wouldn’t you rather stand though? That doesn’t look really comfortable…”

Recognising it as more of an instruction than a request, Applejack stood up. “Ah yeah. Listen, as wus wonderin’ if ya could set me up a meeting with th’ Princesses? Sometime soon?”

“The Princesses? You know you are talking to one right now - maybe I could help?”

“Hmmm, nah. Ah don’ mean t’ offend ya, Twi, it’s jus’ th’ Princesses have a little more experience in what ah need t’ ask about…”

“Well, if it’s bothering you that much, we could go and see them right now? I know they held a Summit yesterday, but from what I’ve seen, they usually don’t have much to do on the days after.”

“T’day? An’ when ya say we, d’ya mean yer’d be in th’ room with me while ah speak t’ them?”

“Well, I don’t have t-”

“Thanks, Twi. I’d like t’ keep it between me ‘n them if ya don’ mind.” Applejack quickly interjected. Twilight blinked at the strange behavior from her largest friend.

“O-Of course, Applejack! I just want you to remember that even if you don’t get the answers you want, I’m always here if you need to talk it over with somepony else.”

“R-right. Thanks, Twi.”

“Well, if you’re ready, I’ll send us there now, shall I?”

Applejack nodded and Twilight cast the spell. There was a blinding flash of purple light and before they knew it, the pair were standing just outside the gates of Canterlot Castle. The guards at the castle did their job the moment that they arrived. They pulled their weapons at the sight of Applejack, but when they saw that Twilight was involved, they lowered them slightly. Suspicion rightly hung in the air, as they tried to figure out why a giantess and a Princess were travelling together. Twilight explained the situation away, telling the guards that she was here with a friend to bring a problem to the attention of the Princesses. The guards gave the pair a rundown of the time they could expect to have with the Royals and they learnt that Twilight had been right. They were given an allotted time of around seven hours, give or take, depending on whether or not any severe problems reared their ugly heads along the way. That time limit didn’t apply to Twilight of course; she was able to sit in on any matters that came into being, and in fact it was often requested. So off the two went, Applejack having to duck under some of the doorways that had been built for use by the Princesses and nothing more. They weaved their way through the corridors with Applejack gaining quite the variety of looks from the staff. The cleaners looked on in disgust as Applejack left muddy shoeprints all over their nice and clean floors. The guards gave her stern looks that said ‘don’t try anything while we’re around.’ The other staff such as servers and attendants all held the same confused look, expecting there to be news coming that a fifth Princess had been located. Eventually, the pair reached the throne room, where, true to her word, Twilight remained outside, leaving Applejack alone in an empty throne room.

She walked over to the empty thrones and stood before them, expecting the Princesses to simply poof into the room, like Twilight was prone to doing. Instead they entered through two side doors, one to the left and one to the right of the thrones, the sisters sitting on the throne closest to the door they arrived through. Applejack did the polite thing and bowed when they entered, but the Princesses were quick to dismiss such a formal gesture for someone such as Applejack. As far as they were concerned, Applejack was a close and personal friend of theirs; after all she and her friends had done for Equestria, bowing seemed a little unnecessary too. Applejack stood in front of them, nervously wringing her hands and stuttering as she tried to find a way to start. Celestia leant forwards to try and see if Applejack was indeed saying something or whether or not she was simply babbling with sounds. Luna showed genuine concern for Applejack, racking her brain for a way to make things a little easier for her to speak. After a few minutes of incoherent nonsense, Applejack drew in a deep breath and found her first words.

“Ah was wonderin’, if ya don’ mind me askin’...how ya deal w’ bein’ uh, bigger than uhm, everyone around here…”

The sisters exchanged a look. “That’s not an uncommon question, Applejack, but one that I feel has a little more to it than you’re letting on…” Celestia encouraged.

Applejack drew in another long breath. “Hooo boy. Look ah, well ah’m lookin’ fer some advice...an ah figured that seein’ as yer th’ only other people around here that’re tall like me, maybe ya could help…”

“Your statements are most intriguing, Applejack. What is it that you believe we can assist you with?” Luna exchanged another look with Celestia. Unlike her sister, she had a faint idea of where this might be leading.

“Well, ah wus hopin’ yer could help me t’ deal w’ havin’ a boyfriend that’s smaller…” Applejack pulled her hat down over her eyes, her cheeks flushing red as the comment passed her lips.

The Princesses blinked, looked at each other, then at Applejack, and then back at each other again for another round. Applejack lowered her head, pulling the hat further down so she couldn’t see the Princesses at all. This had been a terrible idea. What was she thinking? Asking the Royal Sisters for advice on boyfriends? They were used to giving much more practical advice to their subjects; reassuring them during times of crisis, helping them out when things seemed grim, that sort of thing. But dating? It was far too personal a question to ask. The secret lives of Royals was likely not something they were eager to discuss, in fact they were probably going to chastise her even asking. She listened for any sounds of talking, for any keywords that might help her to understand just what the Princesses were thinking. A soft cough not far from her made her break from her thoughts. She raised her hat a little to find that both the Princesses had gotten to their feet and were standing in front of her.

“Applejack, in light of your…somewhat personal...question, we have decided to answer it individually, so as to allow you the best chance of getting an appropriate answer. Do not worry - each conversation will be between you and whoever you choose, not a soul more.” Luna began.“So, would you prefer to speak to myself or my sister first?” Celestia finished..

“Uh...ah’d like t’ talk t’ yerself first, Princess Luna. If’n that’s fine w’th ya.”

“Very well. Come with me.”

Luna bid her sister farewell for the moment and lead Applejack out of the throne room, down several corridors. All the way, Applejack felt that awkwardness increasing. Primarily because of the height difference between the two. Luna looked very much like a child in comparison to Applejack; looking more like a mother and daughter walking together instead of what it really was. Thankfully, the deeper they went into the castle, the less people there seemed to be milling about. Less eyes to witness the strange sight that Applejack was a part of. As Luna let her into one of the many rooms of the castle, she couldn’t help but feel that perhaps she had made a mistake in not bringing Butter along with her. After all, this was all about him and he could do with learning about what to be careful of around her and such. Still, she was here now and if Butter wanted to come for advice, he was going to need to make an appointment himself. Luna took her seat in the room, a grand high-backed affair, sitting before a marble fireplace. There was another similar chair by the fireplace, which Applejack struggled into, until Luna stepped in with magic and made a bigger chair for her.

The room on a whole was rather cosy. A couple of tables and chairs were placed in the northwest and northeast corners of the room respectively. Large windows decorated the east and west walls, leaving the south wall windowless. In place of a window, there was a grand painting above the fireplace. It depicted Canterlot in days gone by, far too many for Applejack to count. The city itself was nearly half of its current size, with pieces of the castle still being constructed. To add to the cosy factor, Luna lit the fire with her magic, casting a warm and orange glow into the room, hardly noticeable on Applejack. Now that they were both settled in, Luna leant forwards and stared at Applejack, her mind deciding where best to begin. Applejack glanced around the room, just to be sure that they were alone together and upon seeing they were, began to relax a little more. The combination of the fire and the close proximity to the Princess, along with their apparent acceptance of her problem, made her relax a lot. She stretched a little in her seat, waiting patiently for Luna to speak.

“Now, if I am correct, it is relationship advice you seek, correct?” Luna asked again.

“Yeah, ah need some help w’ mah friend Butter. Ah uh…ah worry that ah might be too much fer him.”

“This ‘Butter’ you speak of, he is the one I saw in your dream correct? Has he expressed any kind of uncertainty about you? Does he spend a lot of time with you, or does he try and keep his distance?”

“Uh no. Actually, he’s kinda th’ opposite. He’s always tryin’ t’ get closer t’ me. Ah’m just unsure about lettin’ him. Ah mean he’s barely th’ height of mah thighs now, an’ ah can’t always be lookin’ down t’ see where he is.”

“Hm... have there been any incidents in the past that might give you reason to worry?”

Applejack tapped her finger against her chin. “Well, there was th’ time when ah came home from mah chores an’ ah sat on him - didn’t know he wus there until th’ mornin’ really. He didn’t seem t’ mind, but then ah know he’s always had a thing fer mah rear. There wus even that time when he ‘n ah went t’ Rarity’s an’ he got himself wedged between th’ door an’ mah hips.”

Luna’s eyes widened at Applejack’s stark admissions, blushing a little at the candidness of it all. “Were there any injuries?”

“There weren’t, well, he said there weren’t...d’ya think that he might’ve been lyin’?”

“I don’t want to make you worry, or think Butter is being unfaithful to you but...hmm. Perhaps I could visit him during the night, in his dreams, and observe how they go? There’s no way he could hide his true intentions or feelings in his own dreams.” She paused and hesitated. “You understand that I would not offer this service lightly, yes? I prefer to curate the dreams of my subjects and only invade when I see them in great distress. This is a one of a kind thing, understood?”

Applejack nodded. “Ah do, an ah thank ya fer doin’ it fer me.”

“Very well. I shall retire early and locate this ‘Butter Nut’. I assume he’ll be spending this night with you?”

“Yeah, ah’m certain o’ that.” Applejack stated with a strong nod.

Then Luna upped and disappeared, teleporting herself out of the room, leaving Applejack all alone by the fire. Not for long though. No sooner had Luna left the room, did her sister enter through the door. There was a brief pause between the two, but sure enough, Celestia was in the room and ready to discuss things with Applejack. She walked to the seat that Luna had been using, and after making it a little bigger to suit her, took her place upon it. Applejack was feeling much more relaxed now that a possible solution had been worked out for her fears. She was actively looking forwards to discussing some of the more practical ideas with Celestia, the one who was closest to Applejack in height. Plus, unlike Luna, she had spent the best part of one thousand years walking amongst her subjects; she was bound to have some tips to proper interaction.

“So, Applejack, what were you hoping to discuss? Or were you serious about your earlier question?” Celestia smiled invitingly.

“Well, ah might not have said it how ah wanted t’ say it. What ah meant t’ say was that ah wus hopin’ ya could tell me some o’ th’ best ways t’ interact w’ folks who’re smaller than yerself. Ah’m havin’ a little trouble, what w’ the low doorways an’ th’ not fittin’ where ya used t’, y’know?”

“So you were serious about your earlier question, I see. Well, as far as dealing with standing out is concerned, you will eventually develop a ‘sense’ about you. It’ll help you to gauge just how high and wide something is - help you to avoid all those embarrassing moments.

“Ah yeah, ah’ve had a lot o’ them in th’ past. Butter seems t’ like it when ah get into them though, he’s an odd one fer sure.”

Celestia giggled suddenly, the princess waving off Applejack’s concerned look. “Eheheh, do not tell my sister this, but when she arrived back in Equestria, there was a small joke I played on her. I had the doorways in the castle lowered a little, just enough that she would need to duck to pass them. It was only a temporary thing of course, but oh! You should have seen her face – she was so embarrassed!” She sighed. “I think it went far in breaking some of the tension between us over the terrible events a thousand years ago. She eventually saw the funny side too, though truth be told, I’m sure she’s plotting some kind of revenge against me.”

Applejack laughed, recalling Luna’s own admission some time ago; imagining Celestia’s overblown dream rump brightened the mood considerably. “Heh, ah’m sure that ain’t th’ case. Though ah have t’ admit, ah didn’t see you two as th’ type t’ be playin’ pranks on each oth’r.”

Celestia waved her hand at Applejack’s comments. “Oh, we have to pass the time on these slow days somehow.”

“Ah guess.”

“Now, I realise this doesn’t help you immediately, but it’s important to make sure you spend time with the locals. Keep your image fresh in their minds, so they know you’re about and can prepare.”

“Prepare fer what?”

Here, the mood turned toward the serious again. “For you, Applejack. If you’re to remain living in Ponyville, and they want to keep your attention and business at your growing size, then they should attempt to accommodate you. Even if it’s building an outside section just for you - they’ll have to want to try and suit you. Something that can only happen provided you don’t hide yourself away.”

“Huh, ah never really thought about it like that. Ah jus’ assumed that th’ bigger ah got, the more ah should hide away y’know? T’ avoid people getting scared and running off. Ah mean, ah don’ wan’ t’ be th’ one who makes Ponyville a ghost town…”

Celestia smirked. “Oh Applejack, there are worse things than you out there that are capable of doing that to Ponyville. Besides, your friends aren’t just going to up and abandon you are they? As long as that’s the case, there’ll always be somepony there.”

Applejack smiled back. “Yeah, ah guess yer right. Thank ya, Princess. Yer’ve given me a lot t’ think about.”

“Always happy to help, Applejack. Would you like me to lead you back to Twilight?”

“How did ya kn-”

“We spoke for a little while during your chat with Luna - do not worry, she knows nothing of our business here.”

“Oh, then yeah, ah’d like that lead, if ya don’t mind.”

Celestia smiled and lead Applejack back through the corridors with a certain swiftness. One would think she had the blueprint to the entire castle stored within her head, with the ability to recall it at will. She took Applejack all the way back to the throne room, where Twilight was chatting away with Luna. Whatever business they were discussing was soon dropped the moment Applejack strode into the room. Luna and Celestia walked off to one side to discuss something, Applejack wasn’t too concerned with what it could be. Instead, she approached Twilight, explaining that her business was concluded and that she was ready to go back home. Twilight kept to her word and did as she was asked, keeping the questions to a minimum. She knew Applejack wasn’t the type for disclosing personal information as easily as that, but she made it clear that if she ever wanted to speak about it, then she was here to listen. When they arrived back at Twilight’s castle, Applejack thanked her and bid her farewell.

Applejack strode through town with a somewhat renewed sense of confidence, at least for the time being. She still found her eyes ducking down to the floor to make sure that there was nobody getting underfoot. The words of the Princesses were still fresh in her mind and she couldn’t wait to hear what Luna found in Butter’s brain. He could be a little hard to read sometimes, always putting on a brave face to avoid getting other people down. It was as tiresome as it was adorable. She couldn’t fault his effort, but she still felt like it was something he could forget about when it came to just the two of them. That was a conversation for another time though, as for now she’d simply wait and see what news Luna had to offer her. As she came up on the barn, she dismissed the thoughts from her mind, storing them away for a later date. All she wanted now was to simply settle down and relax. She entered into the barn and settled down on the couch. Butter had returned home long before her and was already settled in. Upon her arrival, he snuggled up to her side, placing an arm over her thighs. The two of them began to discuss the days they’d had and all through the conversation, Applejack held a smile on her face, her efforts today leaving her reassured. For Butter, all felt right in the world seeing her smile so freely. It made both of them feel like everything was going to be just fine.