Subsidised Friendship

“Again?!”

“Ah’m awful sorry Twilight, things are just real busy right now.”

“Rarity’s busy but she still makes the time.” Twilight Sparkle missed the split-second of annoyance that flashed across the face of her orange Earth mare friend.

“Well that’s mighty neighbourly of her but ah really cain’t make it this time. Maybe next week, yeah?”

“That’s what you said last month!” Eyes dropping and mouth curling downwards, Applejack turned to leave.

“……Sorry Twilight. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Hearing the tone, Twilight’s expression softened.

“Applejack, wait, I just-“ But the farm girl just kept walking without looking back.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

“I didn’t mean to get after her like that, it’s just that she never comes for lunch with me, I was starting to wonder whether she really liked being around me when we aren’t all together.” Sitting at the restaurant table with her, menus in hoof, Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged glances. Twilight, her head buried in the menu, failed to see this.

“Well….uh….it’s not that Applejack doesn’t like being around you Twilight, not at all. It’s just….well….” Fluttershy was trying to be diplomatic but struggled to find her words. She glanced hopefully at Rarity, who continued.

“Applejack has a lot of responsibilities. She has to prioritise.”

This was, evidently, the wrong thing to say.

Slamming the menu down, Twilight stood up sharply.

“So you’re saying I’m a low priority, that she’s got better things to do. Is that right?”

“No, darling. You’re taking this the wrong way.” Rarity tried to calm the other Unicorn down but it didn’t seem to be working.

“What way should I take it, Rarity? Hmm, Fluttershy? Should I be glad to even get a spot on Applejack’s to-do list?” Turning her nose up, Twilight teleported away, leaving the two ponies sitting in uncomfortable silence. Eventually Fluttershy broke it.

“I don’t think that went very well at all.”

“Unfortunately, Fluttershy, you’re right.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

“I don’t know but we should try. Twilight shouldn’t be mad at Applejack like this, she just doesn’t understand.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Twilight’s teleport took her to the market square. She looked around to get her bearings and spotted a familiar physique. The big stallion was towing a cartful of apples like it weighed nothing. He passed by her without saying anything. Deciding not to waste the opportunity, Twilight fell in beside him.

“Good afternoon Big Macintosh.”

“Miss Twilight.” The response was short, almost gruff, and missing Big Macintosh’s usual calm cheer. Twilight hesitantly continued,

“Uhh……..how are you today?”

“Busy. Always busy,” there was an edge in his voice, “and you?” He gave her a pointed stare.

“I’m……fine. Sundays are slow days at the library, not much to do except dust the books.” Still facing ahead, Big Macintosh took a few seconds before responding:

“Must be nice,”

“Hmm?”

“To have slow days. It must be nice.”

“……You don’t?” Big Macintosh sighed and stopped for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

“No, Miss Twilight, I don’t. Neither does my sister. We have to tend the farm, just like you tend to your library, only it takes more than a Sunday to keep things in order.”

“I……I didn’t realise.” This got another sigh.

“I know you didn’t, Miss Twilight, because you’re in a different situation from us. Your library only rents books right? It doesn’t sell them. So how do you make your living?”

“Well, the government pays me a salary to run the library for them.”

“Eeyup, the government pays you a salary. That’s fine for you so you can visit with friends on Sundays and eat at them fancy restaurants every week, but as for us…”

“As for you, the government doesn’t pay you anything, you have to make your own money.” Twilight finished for him, feeling like a complete fool.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh’s voice had softened slightly but his next words still stung.

“You’re a real important friend to my sister, Miss Twilight, and she tries her best to spend as much time with her friends as she can, but cain’t none of us afford to eat at places like you go to regular like. I hope you can understand that.”

Twilight nodded weakly, her mind full of images of all the times she’d spent with Applejack. There were a lot of them. She’d snapped at Applejack for never spending any time with her but in reality, the lunches were about the only thing Applejack didn’t attend with her. Twilight had gotten up on her soapbox about spending time with friends and had completely ignored the efforts Applejack made to do so. It was humbling to see how wrong she had been about the whole thing.

“Big Mac, I’m really sorry about how I acted. I have to go find Applejack and apologise to her too!” She teleported away without waiting for an answer. Big Mac allowed himself a small smile before continuing on his way.

“Eeyup.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Rarity picked the startled-stiff Fluttershy off the ground before facing Twilight.

“Hello again, darling, is everything alright?”

“Not really. I was looking for Applejack.” The now-recovered Fluttershy watched her cautiously.

“Um, Twilight? You’re not going to yell at Applejack again are you?”

“No. I want to apologise. I was acting-……….You two don’t think I act showy with my bits do you? Going to fancy restaurants and the like?”

“Well, you don’t eat at home much,” Twilight’s face fell at this. Fluttershy picked up where Rarity had trailed off,

“But you don’t ever rub it in anypony’s face either. So no, you don’t act showy. Liking some comforts is not a crime.”

“Do I do it too often? I know you guys have your own businesses to run, like Applejack.”

“Twilight, darling, if we couldn’t afford it we wouldn’t attend. I happen to look forward to our little get-togethers.”

“Me too Twilight, it’s nice.”

“And besides, our situations are different from both yours and Applejack’s and even from each other’s.”

“They are?” Twilight was getting thoroughly lost in all the lifestyles being thrown around.

“Yes. Since I live next to the Everfree Forest I’m basically self-sufficient, and all my animals are foragers. My clients pay the bills for the animals I raise, so it’s more like a paying hobby for me.”

“My works are custom orders which I get from all over thanks to my connections and the industry I’m in. Fabric lasts a lot longer than apples do, so I don’t need to constantly work like Applejack does to move product. The only reason Applejack works so hard is because there’s a time limit to her produce. If she had the means to move her apples longer distances while keeping them fresh she’d be richer than all of us.”

“Really?”

“Really. She still more than covers her costs as is, she just makes sure her other responsibilities come first.”

“Other responsibilities?”

“Oh yes, Applejack always thinks of her family first. She puts some money away for Granny Smith’s health and Applebloom’s education. That’s where her money goes. She’s responsible like that. If she wasn’t, she’d be better off than all three of us combined.”

“Wow……I…uh….I feel really bad now for complaining to Applejack.”

Twilight?”

“Yes, Fluttershy?”

“Why don’t you go and talk to Applejack? I’m sure you’ll feel better afterwards.”

“I think you’re right. I better get going. Bye girls.”

“Good luck, darling.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Applejack was walking Applebloom and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders home from school when she heard a pop beside her and turned to find herself nose-to-nose with a violet unicorn. She tilted her head back enough for a proper view.

“Uh…howdy Twilight.”

“Hi AJ, could I talk to you for a moment? No yelling I swear.” Applejack contemplated a number of responses to this.

“Alrighty,” she turned to Applebloom and her friends, “You three run along and play now, I need to talk to Miss Twilight for a sec.” As they scampered away, she gave Twilight an expectant look.

“Okay, here goes. I want to apologise for what I said before. It was wrong of me. I didn’t know the situation and spoke without thinking.” Applejack looked at her friend’s sincere, worried face………and almost burst out laughing. She’d really worked herself into a tizzy about this hadn’t she?

“Twilight, it’s fine. It ain’t a big deal. I just didn’t want you thinkin’ I was being a bad friend-“

“Oh no Applejack, I was the bad friend. I was pressuring you over a silly lunch, I should have known you had more important things to think about.” Applejack felt that she’d missed some vital part of that statement, but decided to keep the good feeling going.

“Well uh…..okay then. Say, soon as I get these fillies home I have some free time. Want to do sumthin’?” Twilight’s face lit up at the suggestion.

“SURE! In fact,” something Rarity said came back to her, “how’s about we get everyone together and I’ll make us some dinner at my house?”

The smile froze on Applejack’s face.

“You’re gonna cook?”

“Uh huh, I don’t think I do enough of it. I’ve got a great book to try out. C’mon, let’s get going!” Twilight led the way, bouncing happily at the thought of using her book to make her friends a great meal, while Applejack woodenly followed, wondering if she could get any more mileage out of the ‘too busy’ excuse.

Next Chapter: Platonic Comfort Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 7 Minutes