"Aaah, the smell of antiseptic and chemicals, and the feel of electricity from Tesla coils. Truly, it feels like Christmas down here," I snarked as I carried Applejack down the stairs to Twilight's lab. The aforementioned Earth Pony was still snuggling into me as I followed Twilight and Spike down the stairs. Even if her hoof was no longer glowing, I didn't want to risk her touching the ground and doing something to the library. If I could help it, I would save the Golden Oaks from being destroyed by Tirek.

"Jethro, could you put Applejack in that chair over there?" Twilight asked as she pointed to the same machine she'd attached to Pinkie once upon a time and to me a few times.

"What about mah hooves touchin' the ground?" Applejack asked worriedly.

"I'll just have you sit on my lap," I said reassuringly as I took the seat instead, placing a somewhat blushing Applejack in my lap and holding her in such a way that she wasn't touching the ground. I turned to Twilight. "That work for you, Twi? Does she need to take off her clothes?"

"It should be fine, and could you take off your clothes, Applejack?" she asked. "They might interfere with the readings," she added as she trotted quickly over to Applejack, the latter of whom removed her denim jacket and scarf and handed them to me. I placed them carefully over the back of the chair we were sitting in. Before Twilight did anything, she turned to her friend and asked, "Now, before I do anything do I have your permission to perform some noninvasive tests on you? I'll only be attaching a few electrodes and this magic detecting helmet to you. Is that okay?" She'd begun asking these questions to me every time on my suggestion.

Applejack nodded quickly. "Ah wanna know what just happened. Ah might have hurt somepony."

"If there's anyone who can find out what's happening, it's Celestia's prized pupil and my first magic teacher," I said. "But Twilight, what about Sunset? Shouldn't we have her down here too? She might know something you don't."

"She's actually not here right now," Twilight said. "She said she had something to take care of. She wouldn't tell me what. She looked a bit nervous, though."

"Really? I hope she's alright," I said, feeling a bit worried for her.

"She's a grown mare, Jethro," Twilight said, "she's older than I am. I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah, you're probably right," I said. I was slightly disappointed that we didn't have another magical expert here, but I trusted Twilight. She was right. Sunset was a grown mare and could handle herself just fine.

"She lived on Earth for ten years, so she'll be okay here," Twilight said as she tightened one of the straps around Applejack's hooves.

"Ah! Watch it, Twi! That hurt!" Applejack winced.

"Sorry!" Twilight said apologetically as she slightly loosened said strap. "That better?"

Applejack nodded. "Just not too tight, okay Twi? Mah hooves feel a mite sensitive all of a sudden."

"Sensitive how?" Twilight asked.

"Ah'm not too sure. It's like ah've been walkin' fer days. They're just sore is all."

"I'll try and be careful, but I can't have these be too loose," Twilight explained as she began to attach another strap. "It'll give me unreliable readings."

"Ah guess ah understand," she said. "Ah'll tell yah if it hurts more."

"Please do," Twilight said. After she attached straps to all four of Applejack's hooves as carefully as she could, she went to an antique looking control board with dials and paper readouts. She used her magic and hooves to begin flipping switches and turning knobs and dials. Spike came over and began doing similarly to another side with practiced ease. When both were finished Twilight flipped a lever and there was a slight hum, like the sound of fluorescent lights at full hum. "Alright, don't do anything for a minute please," she said.

"She's setting a baseline," I said to a confused Applejack by means of explanation. "Basically, she wants to see what your normal magical output is when you aren't doing anything."

"Oh, ah see," Applejack said with a tone that said she was still confused but with a look of trust in her eyes directed towards me.

"Twilight can figure this out, don't worry," I said.

Applejack nodded and continued sitting in my lap for the remainder of the minute doing nothing. When that was done, Twilight nodded. "Okay, I have a base. Now then, Applejack? Can you remember what you were doing or thinking about when that magic was cast?"

To my surprise, Applejack looked away from me and I saw a bit of red around her ears. Slowly she said, "Ah think so." Turning back to me, she said, "Ah was wavin' tah Jethro here. Like so." She raised her hoof and waved.

Twilight looked at her machines carefully. "Okay…nothing yet. Can you remember what the magic felt like?"

"Ah think so," she said.

"Great! Can you describe it?" Twilight asked, grabbing a notebook and quill.

"It was like there was somethin' flowin' from mah heart. Or maybe mah soul. Mah…Ah can't think of the word."

"Your very being?" I suggested.

"Maybe," she acknowledged. "Ah can't rightly describe it. Ah'm not smart like you, Twi."

"That's okay," Twilight said, "I think I get what you're saying. I feel something similar whenever I cast magic." She let her horn glow and closed her eyes. A purple glow surrounded Applejack's hoof. "Did it feel anything like this?"

Applejack looked at her hoof and a thoughtful look passed over her face. Finally she nodded. "It did tingle, yes," she said.

"Can you emulate what you were doing, feeling and thinking when it happened?" Twilight asked.

"Ah can," she said, and immediately she locked eyes with me, raised her hoof again and began to wave with a kindly and warm smile. The kind of smile I'd seen on her face more and more lately whenever she saw me.

And then her hoof began glowing.

Twilight's machines began going haywire, needles on the paper began wobbling, lights went on and off and alarms began going off. Applejack's eyes widened in alarm. Twilight, on the other hand, was staring at her instruments with the concentrated look I'd gotten used to whenever she tested me.

Another minute passed and then Twilight nodded. "Okay, Applejack, you can stop."

"Ah'm now sure how," Applejack admitted, a slight tremble in her voice.

Reaching out, I took her glowing hoof in my hand. I felt a tingling surround me and tightened my grip on her hoof. Just like her voice, she was trembling as well. "Focus on your breathing, AJ," I said softly. "I remember when I first used magic I was so scared too. Just take deep breaths, focus your mind on something that relaxes you, and let go. Does that make sense?"

"Ah think so," she replied, closing her eyes and visibly relaxing. The glowing magic around her hoof slowly vanished until it was no more. As it did, I felt the tingling sensation that had surrounded my hand dissipate as well.

I gave her hoof a squeeze. "It's gone."

She opened her eyes and looked at the hoof. The one I was still holding. She looked slowly over at me and raised an eyebrow. "Yah plannin' on holdin' mah hoof all day there, pardner?" she asked with some snark but with a blush as well.

I chuckled and let go. "Sorry, guess I need to take my own advice on being overprotective."

"Ah guess so," she said. "Ah gotta admit, though, yer hands felt nice and warm."

I smiled. "And your hoof is surprisingly soft for a farm mare. Taking some secret trips to the spa in your spare time, country girl?"

"Ah don't go fer that fancy mumbo jumbo," she said.

I decided to leave it be and looked over at Twilight, who was watching this exchange with a not-so-subtle hint of jealousy. A look which vanished after I asked, "Twilight? Did you find anything?"

"Huh? Oh! Right! Let's see here…" she looked down at her charts and readouts, Spike doing the same. The two talked a bit, Spike telling her a few things he saw, which she wrote down in her notebook. After a minute, she turned back to Applejack. "Applejack, you have an abnormal amount of magic inside you. I compared the readings to some of the standard ones found in Earth Ponies. Heck, even when I was trying to study the Pinkie Sense, her magic was lower than what you're showing. But it's not like Unicorn magic."

"Could you explain please, Twi?" I asked, "and use simple language. We're not really as magically knowledgeable as you or Sunset."

Nodding, Twilight said, "Okay, so simply put, every Pony race has some kind of magic. That's Pony Biology 101. Unicorns have the most control over magic which we channel through our horn, Pegasi can naturally control weather and fly despite otherwise being physically impossible, and Earth Ponies have an innate sense of dealing with not only farming, but the ground in general. Think of it like a sixth sense they have. Applejack, you told me once you can sense when there's the right time for applebucking, right? And your grandma has even more experience in that area, right?"

"Sure do," she affirmed. "We just know when our produce is ready fer harvestin' and so on," she said.

"Don't forget nontraditional farms," I added. "Pinkie Pie grew up on a rock farm. There's an episode of the show where one of her sisters identifies a geode even before she breaks it. Although that could just be her knowing what a rock knows like. And then there's Maud Pie, a veritable expert in rocks and crystals."

"Exactly," Twilight said. "Think of it like this: Earth Ponies are in tune with the ground and earth below their hooves. Does that make sense?"

"Eeyup," Applejack said.

"Unicorns have the most control over their magic, but the downside is that they need to study how to master their magic," Twilight continued to explain. "Pegasi only need to learn how to fly. They can already walk on clouds and can naturally make the weather. To them, it's like an extra muscle, the more they use it, the better they are at it. And then Earth Ponies have the least amount of magic, but what they do have is completely natural to them, more natural than anything a Unicorn or Pegasi have. Pure instinct."

"So…what did ah just do, then?" Applejack asked, looking at her hoof.

"AJ, your normal magical output is almost ten times that of a normal Earth Pony," Twilight said. "Almost to the level of a Unicorn."

"What?! How?!" Applejack shouted in alarm.

I pulled her closer, wrapping her in my wings. "Just take a few deep breaths, AJ," I said reassuringly.

Thankfully, she took my advice and did just that, calming down after a few seconds. "Ah'm sorry," she said.

"It's alright," Twilight said sympathetically. "And to answer your question, I don't know where this magic came from. By all accounts, it shouldn't be there. And even if it is, it should be dissipating, but it's not."

"So what can we do?" I asked. "We can't just give her gossamer wings for the rest of her life like you gave to Rarity when we went to Cloudsdale."

"Can yah get rid of this new magic?" Applejack asked.

"Without knowing where it came from, I'm not even sure where to start," Twilight said. She sounded lost. "The wavelength is also not like that of a Unicorn. It's almost like your normal magic got some massive boost."

"Is there somepony yah can ask?" Applejack asked. "Maybe the Princesses know somethin'?"

"Yeah…good idea. She'll probably know something about this."

"And if not, there's probably another pony she might know who is an expert," I added.

"Exactly. Spike, take a letter, please," Twilight said. After Spike produced one of the pens I'd given to him and a scroll, Twilight continued. "Dear Princess Celestia. I'm writing to inform you of an unusual magical incident. My friend Applejack has just gained a surprising boost in her magical aura, and it's given her the ability to make plants grow at an accelerated rate. Her aura waveforms have been amplified. Unlike a Unicorn, her magical focal point seems to be at least one hoof for the moment. I'm at a loss as to what to do. If you have any advice on how I should proceed, please let me know. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle."

After Spike sent the letter, I looked at Twilight. "Do you think it's safe to put her down somewhere?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "Honestly, I'm both a bit excited about some new magic to study, but I'm also scared too. All I can think of is that this could be something natural that Earth Ponies are capable of doing."

"Ah don't think it's a good idea tah set me down inside a tree," Applejack pointed out.

"Good point," I said. "What about…the burned down part of the Everfree Forest? It's far away from Ponyville that it'll be safe, and it's a perfect testing ground for whatever's going on with AJ."

"Maybe…" Twilight said.

"Ah don't wanna be some kind of experiment," Applejack said with a frown.

"You aren't," I said reassuringly running a hand through her blonde mane, "but until we know how this magic works, do you really want to be around "

At that moment, Spike opened his mouth and breathed out a blast of green fire, which solidified into a scroll. That had been another change with his unusual growth spurt. Instead of burping out a scroll, this time he just breathed out a flame which would materialize. He had said it was far less uncomfortable than it had been before. He reached out and grabbed it. Opening the scroll, he read out, "I'm on my way with an expert."

To me, it felt like the temperature in the room instantly dropped about ten degrees. There hadn't been any Dear Twilight or anything. I couldn't really comprehend how seven simple words elicited so much fear in all of us, but it did.

Applejack was the first to speak after a full minute. "There's somethin' wrong with me, isn't there?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"No there isn't," I said as I began to undo the straps around her. Once she was free, I lifted her up in my arms and began walking up the stairs with Twilight and Spike following close behind me, the latter having grabbed Applejack's clothes. "You'll be fine," I added, wrapping her in my arms and wings.

When we reached the main level, I walked over to one of the couches in the main room and sat down. I'd never seen Applejack so distraught before, and it broke my heart. All I could do was hold her close. Spike went to the kitchen and Twilight sat next to me, looking at her friend worriedly. "Are you okay, Applejack?"

"Ah just made the Hearth's Warmin' Tree in Town Square grow, Twi," she said in a sudden testy voice, "how could ah be now?!"

"Applejack Apple!" I said, looking at her sternly. "That was rude!"

She flinched at me using her full name, then her ears flattened. She looked sorrowfully at Twilight. "Ah'm sorry, Twi," she said softly.

"I forgive you," Twilight said reassuringly. "I'd be scared, too."

At that moment, the front door opened and all three Apple family members came rushing in. Granny Smith was the first by her granddaughter's side. "How are yah doin', sweetie?" she asked kindly as she took a seat next to me, reaching out a tender old hoof to her granddaughter.

Applejack reached out her own hoof and touched Granny's. "Ah'm nervous, Granny."

"What happened?" she asked tenderly. "Tell me everythin'." And so she did. I added my own version of events after she was done. The three Apples listened intently until we had both told our story. Even Twilight joined in and, in dumbed down language, explained what she'd found. When we all finished, Granny Smith nodded. "Yer scared, aintcha?" She sat up on her haunches, patting what on a human would have been her lap. "C'mere."

Applejack crawled out of my lap and lay her head on Granny's lap. The old matriarch stroked Applejack's mane after removing the old Stetson. The orange Pony curled up, hiding her face under the hat. It was a bit weird seeing the normally stoic Earth Pony like this, but I could understand her terror. I slowly got up, only to be confronted by a stern but worried looking Big Mac. Apple Bloom had gone to her sister's side, looking worried as well. Big Mac motioned for me to follow him. I did so, and we both headed outside. After the door was shut, he whirled on me, and I could tell he was going to go overprotective brother on me. "I know my sister, Jethro," he said, "and she's never looked at anypony like she's looked at you. She's scared, and she's lookin' up to you for help and support."

I let out a long sigh and leaned against the library's trunk. His speech sounded like Malcom's own similar speech to me back on Earth, but I didn't mention that. "And I'll give her that," I replied. "As of now, she's one of my closest friends. I care about her deeply. Seeing her like this isn't easy."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said. "What are you gonna do about it?"

I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "What do you want me to do? She hasn't said anything to me."

"And you're just gonna wait until then?" Big Mac asked.

I was about to say yes, but then I thought back on it. With every confession having been one I'd received, maybe it was time for me to take some initiative and do something for her and with her first before whatever confession might come. I licked and pursed my lips before facing Big Mac again. "When did you get so smart?" I said in a teasing tone.

Big Mac finally smiled a bit and hit my arm gently with his hoof. "We're the same age, and I've seen a lot," he said. "But you didn't answer my question."

"I'll come up with something," I promised. "Come on. Let's go back inside. It's freezing out here."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said as we both turned to head inside.

However, at that moment, I heard the sounds of galloping hooves approaching from behind us. Both of us turned, and I saw the rest of the Mane Six galloping, or flying in Rainbow's case, towards us. Rainbow was wearing a purple beanie with an orange and yellow stripped scarf and four coverings over her hooves, purple with red, orange and yellow stripes on the bottom. Fluttershy was wearing a purple turtleneck and a pair of earmuffs with a purple flower on them, Rarity was wearing a light blue flapless ushanka hat with a scarf that had a purple representation of her cutie mark on the front and a pair of purple tinted glasses and dark green and white furred hoofshoes, and Pinkie Pie was wearing a bright blue and yellow striped beanie with a blue scarf that had yellow polka dots sewn onto them.

Rarity was the first to speak up when they all arrived, breathless. "We came…hah…as soon as we…hah…heard! Oh my, I'm sweating."

"Is she okay?" Pinkie asked with her own brand of concern, holding up a small glass of what looked like eggnog. "Can she have some of this?"

"What happened exactly?" Rainbow asked.

"Inside, everyone," I said, "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you all." I opened the door and Big Mac and I let the other mares in first before we went in behind them, shutting the door behind us.

The others gathered around Applejack, who was now sitting up and sipping carefully on a mug of some hot beverage, which smelled a lot like hot cider. She looked a lot better now and was doing her best to reassure everyone that she was alright. When she looked up at me and locked eyes with me, I saw there a hopeful glance that she seemed to spare only for me.

One I returned with a reassuring smile as I approached my friends. "You feeling better there, AJ?" I asked.

"Yeah, ah'm feelin' a mite better now," she said. "Sorry fer worryin' yah."

"It's alright," I said with a chuckle, "there's nothing to be sorry for. You've just experienced something nobody else has. And something I haven't even seen in the show. I'm used to having a lot of the answers, so I'm just as scared as you feel."

"Then how come you're not freakin' out?" Apple Bloom asked, wide eyed.

I turned to the little filly, knelt so I was closer to her level, and reached out to stroke her mane. "Because right now, freaking out is the last thing we should be doing," I said. "Believe me, all I want to do is go home, snuggle with Zecora and Scarlet and forget this entire day is happening, but that would be the wrong thing to do. I saw what happened. I got involved. And Applejack's one of my closest friends. I can't just sit back and do nothing while something's happening to her. Even if I can't do anything about it like Twilight or Celestia can, I can at least be there for her." I looked up at a now blushing Applejack. "Because that's what friends and loved ones do for each other."

"Very well spoken, dear knight," a regal female voice said from behind me.

As everyone else in the room bowed to the alabaster Alicorn, I stood and whirled to see a smiling Princess Celestia standing in the middle of the room, wings spread wide. I smiled and walked over to her. "Thank you for coming," I said.

"I didn't come alone," Celestia said, folding her wings to reveal the very last Pony I expected to see.

The Unicorn before me was cream colored, with amaranth, purple and grayish violet striped mane and tail, the former of which was tied up in a very familiar bun. She had on a pair of thick black rimmed glasses with white tape on the bridge. She wore a scratchy looking dark grayish blue turtleneck with bright pink buttons down the center. She was wearing a pair of brown saddlebags with a dark purple crescent moon and three bright purple stars scattered around. She had a scowl on her face as she looked around the library, then locked eyes on Applejack. "Is that her, Princess?" she asked.

"Correct, my little Pony," Celestia said softly.

The Unicorn's eyes then latched onto me. To my utter surprise, her dark purple eyes widened and she rushed up to me, a very wide smile forming as she said, "Sir Jethro?! Is that really you?!"

I raised an eyebrow, but smiled. She sounded like the few fans of mine that I'd met since I'd become a knight. "Yes, that's me," I chuckled softly as I held out my hoof. "Hello there, Moondancer."

Her eyes went even wider. "You know my name?!" she almost squealed in excitement.

"I've seen you in the show a couple times," I admitted as she put her hoof almost reverently in my extended hand. "I'm guessing you're a fan?" I asked.

"Are…you…KIDDING?!" she shouted happily as she hastily shook my hand. "I'm one of the original members of the Canterlot Branch!"

"Well then, it's really nice to meet a fan," I said, "but I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short for a bit. My friend Applejack could use some help."

"Oh, um, right, sorry," Moondancer said a bit sheepishly before she took a deep breath and walked over to Applejack. "So, Miss Applejack, I wasn't told much, only that you've experienced a surge in magical ability?"

"Ah'm not sure about it mahself," Applejack said, before raising a hoof and pointing at a stunned Twilight, who hadn't taken her eyes off of her old friend since she was revealed. "Yah'd better ask Twilight."

Moondancer stiffened when she heard that name. Slowly, she turned towards the still surprised purple Unicorn mare. I watched them lock eyes, Moondancer's with what I could only describe as a hurt rage, and Twilight with complete and utter stunned shock. "So…we meet again, Sparkle," Moondancer all but hissed.

Before things got out of hand, I stepped in. "Moondancer, enough," I said sternly, putting my hand on her withers. "I know why you're upset with her, but there's a more pressing issue." As she looked up at me with a confused expression, I continued, "Can you, as a magical student, set aside your feelings for Twilight for now and work with her to figure out what's going on? Please?"

I saw a plethora of emotions pass over Moondancer's face, confusion, hurt, anger, then finally she took on a resigned expression before smiling up at me slightly. "Alright…I'll do that."

I nodded, then turned to Twilight. "Twi, could you get those readings you took?"

"Uh…yeah! I'll be right back!" She vanished in a bright purple flash.

"Show off," Moondancer muttered.

In another flash, Twilight returned, hovering a stack of paper over to Moondancer, who took it in her light gray magic. As she looked over the readings, I stepped back, only to be met with a wing around me. Turning, I saw Celestia looking at me curiously. "Dost thou know this mare?" she asked in Old Ponish.

"She invited young Twilight to a birthday party on the day you had her prepare to go to Ponyville," I replied. "They were once close. As close as Twilight let any Pony get to her."

Celestia frowned in concern. "We see," she said.

"Are you using the Magiscan Model IV?" Moondancer asked in a professional manner, but one that had barely restrained hurt and rage in it.

"Um, yeah," Twilight said.

"That explains a lot," Moondancer scoffed. "They're known to have some glitches. How old is it?"

"I got it for Hearth's Warming about five years ago brand new," Twilight said.

"I see…" Moondancer looked at the papers once more with a careful eye. Finally she rolled them up and floated them over to Twilight. "Assuming you've been properly maintaining that machine, then I'd say that Miss Apple here has gotten a sudden boost of magic. And not just any magic, but Alicorn magic."

"May I see?" Celestia asked.

Twilight floated the paper over to Celestia, who opened it once more and looked over the readings. She frowned as she looked over the squiggly lines that meant nothing to me. I looked over, trying to make sense of things, but of course it didn't. As she looked over a certain spot, her eyes narrowed. "I see what you mean, Miss Moondancer," she said. "With what I'm seeing here, it makes sense. Alicorn magic has somehow passed through her and awakened something I had always been tauht was long lost to Earth Ponykind."

"Awakened?" I asked.

Celestia turned to me. "It's a very long story." Turning to Moondancer, she said, "Miss Moondancer, would you be willing to stay here for a few days while I procure the latest Magiscan Model and have it shipped here?"

Moondancer nodded. "I don't mind, but it's sort of short notice."

"You could…stay here," Twilight offered hesitantly.

Moondancer scowled at Twilight. "Not a chance in Tartarus."

"There's a very comfortable inn she can stay at," I said, not wanting an argument to break out especially for Applejack's sake. "I stayed there after my Welcome to Equestria party. Very nice bed, the breakfast was first rate and the service was excellent. I'd say she could stay at my place, but with who I have living with me now, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Celestia nodded. "Good point." Turning to Moondancer, she asked, "Does that sound good to you?"

Moondancer seemed a bit disappointed, but nodded politely enough. "That's perfectly fine with me, Your Highness."

"I'm glad to hear it," Celestia said. "You're our biggest Earth Pony magic expert, after all."

"I can show you to the inn," I volunteered.

"Thank you, Sir Jethro!" Moondancer said, a look of excitement appearing on her face as she rushed up to join me.

As I opened the door for her, I wondered just what the hell else could go wrong today. However, not wanting to tempt that bastard Murphy, I just grabbed my jacket and gloves, threw them on, and walked out into the snowy afternoon with Moondancer.